-27 8 LON 
and extraordinary powers which it would create;, and re¬ 
commended its poftponement. 
Mr. Whitbread thought the bill ought to be abandoned, 
as it would produce an additional expenfe of 74,0001. 
a-year, without adding to our fecurity.—Sir S. Homilly 
objected to the bill, particularly as the perfons who were 
to be protected by it petitioned againft: any fuch proteftion. 
—Mr. VV. Smith thought the prefent laws, if well exe¬ 
cuted, would be fufficient for our fecurity.—Sir F. Bur- 
dett faid, the bill contained not a U'ord on the fubjeft of 
the police, which was the matter of inquiry, rather than 
the nightly watch. 
Mr. Brougham thought the wifelt courfe would be, to 
abandon the bill at once, as it was altogether bad. He 
objected to legiflation on fudden and temporary im- 
pulfes and paffions ; he faid the bill went to alter the whole 
fvftem of police in the metropolis, and to give to the police- 
ojfioers a power of an alarming defcription. The ciaufe to 
which he had a particular objection, was that which created 
a new place for a fuperintending conltable. The prefent 
conltables were generally refpectable houfekeep&rs, who 
afted gratuitoufiy, and who were entitled, in no fmall de¬ 
gree, to the protection of government. The prelent bill 
threw a fufpicion on this meritorious body of men, whilft 
the committee did not think it their duty to make the 
lealt inquiry into the police-boards of the metropolis, 
which were eight in number, and which might have given 
them, in his opinion, fubjeit enough for animadverfion. 
To thefe boards the bill intended to give the appointment 
of the new officers, as if they had not power and patronage 
enough already. And of what defcription of perfons was 
it, he begged the houfe to confider, that thefe boards were 
computed ? Of bankrupts, who had turned their backs 
upon bulinefs fora better trade ;—of lawyers, who gave 
up their practice in Weitminfter-hall ;—and of lawyers 
who did not give up their praCHce in Weitminfter-hall, 
becaufe they had none ; of poets in particular—yes, poets 
-—not one of them but had its poet. Thefe boards 
were intinitely better ftocked with poets than even the 
treafury, where there was but one epic poet. They had 
all a famous provilion of poetry, including franflators. 
See. Such was the compofition of thefe boards; and it 
was to them that a new power was to be given by the 
ciaufe to which he alluded. The duty of the new officer 
would be, to go round every night, and fee if the ordi¬ 
nary conltables, the houleholders, were in proper atten¬ 
dance ; that is, a power was to be given to the nominee 
of fome poetical juf ice of Marlborough-ftreet, Bow-ltreet, 
or Queen-lquare, which he was to exercil'e over a number 
of relpeClable parifhioners ! He protefted againft the grant 
of any luch power; and once more begged the houfe to 
•paufe before they proceeded to legiflate on mere impulfe, 
on the rath and bufy principle of making laws from par¬ 
ticular occafions.—The petition was then ordered to lie 
on the table; and the bill feems to have been dropped, 
for we hear no more of it. 
On the 28th of January,. Mr. Bankes gave notice in the 
houfe of commons, that, the bill to prohibit the granting 
of offices in reverlion being to expire on the jth of Fe¬ 
bruary, it was bis intention to render it a permanent meat- 
fure-j and he therefore moved for leave to bring in a new 
one for that purpofe ; which was accordingly given, and 
the bill was accordingly brought in, and read a firft time. 
On a motion (Feb. 7) for the fecond reading, Mr. Dun- 
das rofe, and laid, that he Ihould expeft more fubftantial 
reafcns than any he had yet heard, before lie could give 
his vote for making that permanent which had hitherto 
been only temporary. He underftood it to have originated 
in a wifh of the finance-committee, that thofe finecure 
places might not be granted in reverfion which they might 
think it expedient to abolilh ; and therefore a fufpenfion 
©f the power of the crown had been alked. Was it too 
much to defire that this branch of the prerogative of 
the crown might not be deftroyed, at lealt till the plans 
of tUe honourable gentleman who recommended luch 
DON. 
a meafure were known ? He alfo faid, that it would Be 
to no purpofe to prefs the bill here; fince it would cer¬ 
tainly be thrown out in another place. 
Mr. Bankes moved that the entry in the journals of 
March 24, 1807, of the refolution of the houfe refpecting 
offices in reverfion, be read : it was as follows : “ Refolved, 
That no office, place, employmeiVt, or lalary, in any part 
of his majelty’s dominions, ought hereafter to be granted 
in reverfion.” He then faid, that the introduction of this 
bill was not in the leaft connected with any pending in¬ 
quiry. He ftated its origin and progrefs; and faid, that, 
although that houfe, not being able to carry-it through 
as a perpetual meafure, had made it a temporary one, .they 
had by no means abandoned their firft intention. Why 
were they to fuppofe that the other branch of the legiflature 
would continue its oppofition, and was incapable of chan¬ 
ging its opinion ? As the evil propofed to be remedied by 
this bill was of a perpetual nature, the law ought to be 
perpetual alfo. As a meafure of economy, he had never 
held it out as likely to produce a very material effeCt; 
but the committee had dwelt upon it as having a ten¬ 
dency to that end. With refpeCt to the prerogative of the 
crown, it tended rather to increafe than diminifh it; for, 
if one right of the crown were taken away, another of 
more confequence would be fubftituted to it. The bill 
was alfo neceil'ary to remedy a growing evil : many of 
the places recently granted in reverfion were not fo for¬ 
merly ; and what was there to prevent fuch a practice 
from being extended ? Peniions were now granted in rs- 
verfion ; and this abule could only be put an end to by 
a reprobation of the principle lhown in both hollies of 
parliament. 
The Chancellor of the Exchequer treated the bill as of 
fuch lliglit importance, that it was not worth fupporting 
at the hazard of a difference between the two houfes of 
parliament. 
Mr. Whitbread remarked, that the only two members 
who had fpoken againft the bill were two very principal 
reveifionifts; and lie made fome pointed obfervations on 
the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s oppofition to it. 
Several other members f’poke, all of them in fupport of 
the bill; and Mr. Ponfonby, who concluded, urged the 
houfe with the charges of inconfifteney, and inattention 
to the wifhes of the public, which their rejection of it 
would bring upon them.—The houfe then divided upon 
the queftion of the fecond reading, when the numbers 
were; ayes, 54; noes, 56; leaving a majority of two 
againft the bill. 
On the 10th of March, Mr. Bankes moved for leave to 
bring in a bill to prevent the granting of offices in revere 
fion for a lime to be limited. He faid that the propofed bill 
would be exactly the fame with that introduced into the 
houfe of lords during the laft year, and which bad paffied 
that houfe. Leave being accordingly given, he immediately 
brought in the bill, which was read the firft time. The 
term of limitation which it propofed was two years. No 
oppofition being made to it in its progrefs, the bill was 
brought into the houfe of lords, and ordered for a fecond 
reading on March 24. 
On that occafion earl Grofvenor faid, that he had a 
Prong averfion to temporary meafures, and was tho¬ 
roughly convinced that thefe grants ought to be entirely 
abolifhed. He made a variety of obfervations to fhow 
the importance of fuch an abolition ; and afferted, that, 
if it had taken place at the beginning of the prefent 
reign, feveral places which now exifted would have been 
abolifhed altogether, to the faving of many millions to 
the ftate. When the bill, came to be committed, on the 
joth of April, earl Grofvenor again rofe; and, after re¬ 
peating fome of his former remarks, moved, as an amend¬ 
ment, that the fufpenfion, inflead of being continued till 
1814, fliould be continued to 1840. 
The earl of Lauderdale faid, he would fupport the 
amendment, in order to get lid of the repeated difcuffions. 
on this fubject, which he thought tended to miilead the 
public. 
