1997.) 
probation. Mr, Grey next gave the ge- 
mera! outlines of the plan of reform 
which he had to propofe. The trifling 
alteration. which he would with to take 
place in the county reprefentation was, 
that inftead of ninety-two members, it 
fhould hereafter confit of one hundred 
and thirreean. This increafe to be made 
by an addition of members to fome of 
the moft extenfive counties. As, for ex- 
ampie, the county of York, which now 
only fends two members, he propofed 
fhould return fix, that is, two for each 
riding He farther propofed, that to the 
freeholders already entitled to vote at 
county elections, fhould be added all copy- 
holders and leafeholders, above a certain 
rent, and holding above a certain time. 
The next altération he propofed, related 
/ to the remaining four hundred members, 
and thofe he recommended to be elected 
by a certain defcription of perfons only. 
That defcription of perfons was, refident 
houfeholders, paying taxes. In order ftill 
farther to promote the obje¢t of this plan 
of reform in parliament, he propofed, 
that the poll fhould be taken in the feve- 
ral parifhes of the town or city, for which 
the eleétion fhall be held, at the fame 
hour on the fame day. He alfo hinted, 
that if thefe propofitions were agreed to, 
he meant to propoie an alteration in the 
duration of parliaments. Mr. Grey, 
after afferting that the prefent parlia- 
ment had not the confidence of the peo- 
ple, added, that his attempts at feveral 
times had been of no avail, and, he 
therefore took that opportunity of in- 
forming the houfe, shat after that night be 
Soould no more trouble them with bis atten- 
dance and obfervations. He conciuded with 
moving “ for Jeave to bring in a bill, to 
improve and amend the reprefentation of 
the people in the Houfe of Commons.’ 
Mr. Erskine feconded the motion, 
in a {peech replete with energy and legal 
argument ; in which he endeavoured to 
convince the houfe of the necethty of an 
immediate reform, in order to prevent a 
revolution. which would otherwife inevi- 
tably happen. 
Mr. Pirr’s{peech, on this occafion, was. 
intended to perfuade his hearers, that the | 
modern reformers did not mean to- con- 
fine themfelves to any modification of the- 
Houfe of Commons, and the reprefenta- 
tion of the country; on the contrary, 
what they defcribed by the word reform, 
was nothing lefs than an alienation of the 
“principles of the Britifh.conftitution; al- 
though they fometiines availed themfelves 
of the topics of parliamentary reform, 
State of Public Affairs —Great Britain. 
473, 
which they neither would apply to par- 
liament for, nor confidered parliament as 
competent to give, They had borrowed 
the principles of reform, the novel doc- 
trines of the Rights of Man, from French 
' protelytes, from Parze, from the jacobin 
and affiliated focieties, and from that 
fhallow philofophy, which, under a fpe- 
cious mafk, had endeavoured to impofe 
on the world one of the wildeft {pecies 
of bigotry which had ever exifted. 
Sir Francts BurpettT, and Mr. 
SHERIDAN, {poke in favour of the moe 
tion. Mr. Fox alfo ftrongly defended 
the motion of his friend Mr. Grey, and, 
like him, concluded with taking at leatt 
a temporary leave of the houfe. ‘+1 
have no intention (faid he) of wholly de- 
ferting my duty in this houfe ; but fince 
minifters have been fo repeatedly conyvidt—_ 
ed of failures, fince parliament ftill con- 
tinues confiding in and fupporting them, 
notwithftanding the alarming condition 
of the country, I fhall certainly think 
myfelf juftiied in giving more of my 
time to my own private concerns, than I 
hitherto have done, and lefs of it to 
fruitlefs exertions in this houfe.’” Mr. 
Fox alfo expreffed a with to fee the pre- 
fent minifters banifhed from the king’s 
prefence and councils for ever, as the 
moft certain ftep to preferve the confti-- 
tution; but ‘ I have no with (faid he) 
to form a part of any new adminiftration 
that may fucceed them.’? When the 
houfe divided, the motion was hegatived 
by 256 againt 1. 
On the 30th of May, the Duke of 
BEDFORD, in the Houte of Lords, moy~ 
eda very ftrong addrefs to his majefty, 
fetting forth the calamitous ftate of the 
nation, and the incapacity of his minif- 
ters, and praying him to..difmifs them 
from his councils for ever, as a- neceflary 
preliminary to the Salvation of the coun- 
try. After taking an extenfive review 
of the commencement and progrefs of 
the war, and afferting that minifters had 
‘uniformly difappoimted the confidence 
repofed in them ; he undertook to prove 
that even if peace were concluded dur- 
ing the prefent fummer, fifteen million¢ 
more would be wanting, and additional 
taxes, to the amount of three millions ; 
fo that the war would create an annual 
burden of at leaft ten millions, ef which 
only three millions had as yet been felt 
by the public. : 
The Duke of ATHoL oppofed the 
motion, and maintained that minifters 
ftill deferyed the confidence of the 
houfe. 
The 

