228 on parliamentary reform. -^ug. it. 



hy new arrangements^ which carry oi their very face 

 the seeds of much disorder and division of opiiion, 

 the bane of civil society. Tbey even think that the 

 so much desired augmentation of number, if obtained, 

 would make the house of commons a mob, which all too 

 large societies are, if even composed of philosophers; 

 whilst it might destroy that nice and delicate balance 

 of the legislature, which is universally regarded a- 

 broad, whatever it may be at home, as the real se-. 

 cret discovered by your wise ancestors, for preser- 

 ving that liberty wiiich is the adiniiation and envy, 

 of the world ; vmd which permits you to revile either 

 the executive government, or the representatives of 

 the commons, without fearing, (^if you keep within 

 the law,) either the resentment of power on the one- 

 baud, or the summary puniiliment of offended de-. 

 inocracy on the other ; and they challenge your in- 

 stigating sopliists to name any country, either an- 

 cient or modern, which could or can boast of such 

 a latitude. I Ihall now finifh the remarks of others, 

 with a few of my own, dra^n from observation in 

 a course of years. 



1st, As long as I can recollect any thing, I 

 remembtir reform to have been the weapon wielded 

 with more or lefs dexterity- by every opposition 

 in turn, to puzzle and C' cane the ministers of 

 the day ; well kaowing that if they could, by cla- 

 mour and importunity, engage him to lay violent 

 hands on what is the deserved idol of the people, he 

 would be instantly hurled from his station, and set, 

 ne^'cr to r se agaiii as a statesman in Great Britain. 

 For the leal lact io, wnaicver arcs may be used t» 



