160 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 



a plea till after that decision. — 

 After this, making his ol)eisance 

 to the speaker, he retired ; so also 

 did lord Castlereagh, after stating 

 that what he felt on the present 

 occasion was in perfect conso- 

 nance with that of his right ho- 

 nourable friend who had just left 

 the house. Mr. Madocks moved 

 that " the matter of his charge 

 against the right honourable Spen- 

 cer Perceval and lord viscount 

 Castlereagh be heard at the bar 

 of the house." Mr. Whitbread 

 and Sir Francis Burdett both rose 

 to second the motion. A long 

 debate ensued: one party con- 

 tended for the necessity of parlia- 

 mentary reform ; another for at 

 least the correction of public 

 abuses, and the propriety, what- 

 ever might be the result, of in- 

 vestigation ; another insisted on 

 the blessings we derive from the 

 present order of things, the dan- 

 ger to be apprehended from inno- 

 vations, and, at all adventures, 

 whatever might be thought of the 

 expediency of a parliamentary re- 

 form, the present was not a time 

 for the discussion of that subject. 

 Besides, it was observed by Mr. 

 Cartwright, who opposed the mo- 

 tion, that there was a bill now 

 before the house, respecting the 

 subject of Mr. Madocks's charges, 

 the sale and disposal of seats in 

 parliament, and that whatever 

 might be its fate, it would un- 

 doubtedly receive a cool and im- 

 partial consideration. Whatever 

 restrictions and regulations re- 

 specting that subject might be 

 determmed on in future, it was 

 mconsistent with justice and equity 

 to act upon them retrospectively. 



Lord Milton, though not a friend 

 to the project of parliamentary 



reform, to the success of which he 

 did not see any tendency in the 

 present motion, was yet impressed 

 with the necessity of correcting 

 public abuses, and none, he said, 

 called more imperativel}' for cor- 

 rection than palpable interferences 

 of the king's ministers in obtaining 

 the return of members to that 

 house. The present ministry, his 

 lordship observed, were not a whit 

 more criminal than all former ad- 

 ministrations had been. The evil, 

 however, ought to cease, and any 

 prospective remedy should have his 

 support. With a view to that ob- 

 ject, he moved, as an amendment, 

 " That in place of the words ' of 

 the bar,' the said charge be re- 

 ferred to a select committee." Mr. 

 Davy Giddy moved an amend- 

 ment to the motion, for excluding 

 that part of the charge relating 

 to Mr. Perceval and Mr. Wel- 

 lesley, and retaining only that 

 which related to lord Castlereagh. 

 Mr. Canning reminded the house 

 that the main and sole object of 

 the present motion and its abet- 

 tors was, as avowed both by Mr. 

 Madocks and lord Folkstone, a 

 reform in parliament. They had 

 already advanced two steps ; they 

 had but one more to take, which 

 was to relieve his majesty's mi- 

 nisters from all attendance in par- 

 liament. They meant first to rob 

 public men of all the influence of 

 character, well knowing that with- 

 out such a shield they must prove 

 defenceless and impotent ; and 

 next to take every thing that was 

 liberal from the ambition for place, 

 and reduce public men to that de- 

 graded standard to.which such a mo- 

 tion as the present must level them. 

 Mr. Hutchinson said, that when 

 posterity should learn that a 



House 



