HISTORY OF EUROPE. 157 



CHAP. IX. 



Charges of Corrupt Practices in iiifluencing the Returns of Members to 

 Parliament against Mr. Perceval and Lord Castlereagh, hy Mr. 

 Madocks.— Motion of Mr. MadocJcs on this Subject.— An Amendment 

 proposed by Lord Milton.^ Another by Mr. Davy Giddy.— The avoided 

 Object of Mr. Madock's Motioii, a Reform in Parliament — Both 

 Ameyidments negatived.— As •well as the original Motion by Mr. Ma- 

 docks.— Plan and Motion of a Reform of Parliament by Mr. Curwen. 

 —Lon<r Debate on the Bill proposed by Mr. Curwen, with Modifica- 

 tions so great as, in the Opinion of some Members, to reverse its ori- 

 ginal Tendency and Object, entertained by the House— and passed.— 

 A Plan for Parliamentary Reform proposed by Sir Francis Bur dett. 

 —His Motion for taking this Plan into its future Consideration nega- 

 tived.~Mr. Whitbread's Motion for limiting the Number of Persons 

 holding Seats in the House of Commons, together with Places, Pen- 

 sions, Sinecures, and Places under the Crown.— After a Debate, nega- 

 tived.— Mr. Wardle's Plan for Public Economy— and Motion for .the 

 production of Papers for the purpose of justifying his Statement on 

 the Subject.— After many Observations or Strictures on those State- 

 ments, this Motion agreed to.— Attention of the House of Commons 

 directed to the Improvement of both the Criminal and Civil Law of the 

 Country.— Motions respecting the former by Sir Samuel Romilly. — 



Agreed to Scotch Judicature Bill.— Relief afforded, and intended to 



be extended farther to the Poor Clergy.— Speech from the Throne.— 

 Close of the Session of Parliament. 



THE principal subject ©fatten- return of members to that house: 



tion and debate that occupied the other, the right hon. lord vis- 



the House of Commons for the count Castlereagh, for similar prac- 



remainder of this session, was tices. He concluded a short 



the great question of parliamen- speech with moving, that these 



tary reform. On the 5th of May, charges be heard at the bar on 



Mr. Madocks rose to bring for- Tuesday next. The chancellor 



ward the motion of which he had of the exchequer said, that 



given repeated notice, relating to throughout the whole of his ac- 



corrupt practices of the treasury, quaintance with the proceedmgs 



with respect to the return of mem- of that house, he had never known 



bers of parliament. The charges an instance when an accusatioa 



he had to bring forward were was brought forward against a 



against two of his majesty's minis- member, without the substance of 



ters. One was against the right it being previously communicated 



hon. Spencer Perceval, for having, to him ; or that he was not allowed, 



through the agency of the hon. through the common courtesy of 



Wellesley Pole, been guilty of the house, to be heard in his ovrn 



corrupt practices, respecting the defence. The honourable member, 



•^ " however, 



