1810.] 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
On REFORM in the REPRESENTATION Of 
the COMMONS in PARLIAMENT. 
No. LV. 
NOW proceed to some account, such 
as imperfect recollection will enable 
me to give, of a plan of reform proposed by 
Mr. Horne Tooke, about the year 1783. 
I have made what enquiry I could 
after two tracts of his, about that time, 
with a view, if possible, to state it in his 
own words, I have been hitherto un- 
successful. They are his Letter to Mr. 
Dunning’; and his Pair of Portraits. 
I shall be much obliged to any of your 
correspendents, who will supply a more 
full and accurate statement. Perhaps 
Mr. Horne Tooke himself will, if this 
should fall under his eye. 
My recollection of it, is that it consi- 
derably indeed increased the qualifica- 
tion required by 8H. VI. (Lam fearful of 
saying from memory, how considerably) 
and proposed on the plan of the votes of 
proprietors of East India stock, accu- 
mulative votes according to the property ; 
so.that the holder of double the property, 
entitled to one vote, should have two: 
and thus on progressively. 
INTRODUCTION Of the PIANO-FORTE. 
Tam much obliged to your correspon- 
dent, R. K. D. ; 
I think the result very nearly esta- 
blishes the introduction of this elegant 
and expressive instrument, which seems 
to me, and to many, to have so much, 
improved on the harpsichord, to have 
taken place in this country probably, 
and almost certainly, in 1766, and to 
have been completed in 1768. Its im- 
provement in two years, seems to make 
it probable that it was even invented 
here. And this appears the more pro- 
bable, as [ find no indication that Rous- 
seau was acquainted with it. If he had, 
I presume he would have been too 
greatly interested in it to have passed it 
in silence. During his stay in England, 
he spent so much of his time at a dis- 
tance from the metropolis, and I believe 
in society not particularly musical, that 
it was very likely that he should not hear 
of it. But if it had been introduced first 
in Germany, and before 1766, it is al- 
most impossible that Rousseau, who died 
July 4, 1778, should not have heard of 
it. It could hardly have failed to have 
been known in Paris, through France, 
Montury Mae. No. 209, 
Plan of Reform —Piano-forte—Clavi-cylinder. 
and even in Switzerland, many years be- 
fore his death, if it had been so long 
previously to that event, in use in Ger- 
many. 
| CLAVI-CYLINDER, 
This instrument, by its description, 
seems a variation, and probably an im. 
provement, on the aieuton of Mr, Clag- 
gett. I judge this from the account of 
its mode of action, and the circumstance 
stated of its being never out of tune. 
A friend, who is a great musical theo- 
rist, and a very respectable both com= 
poser and performer, had an exceeds 
ingly large opinion of the merit of the 
instrument of Mr. Claggett. It had in 
power, dignity, and solemnity of tone, 
a great resemblance to the organ, free, 
by its construction, from the only cha- 
racteristic imperfection of that de- 
lightful and sublime instrument. The 
inventor gave it the name which has been 
mentioned, from its being aves svlovev,* 
always in good tune. The Celestina me- 
chanism of the instrument, acted by 
pressure on a system of metallic bars, 
(or pitch-forks), It is evident, that the 
mass of metal exempted these from any 
sensible change of tone, such as the 
changes of the atmosphere must always 
produce in wires, or strings. At the 
same time, the very nature of the con- 
struction would cause the instrument 
to have a somewhat hard tone, and to 
speak slowly; but for andante, adagio, 
and largo, movements, such as are ge- 
nerally the sublimest and most pathetic 
in the serious opera, and the most ad- 
mirable in oratorio music, (the two 
highest departments of this divine art); 
it seems probable that this instrument 
would have had the advantage over every 
other. The clearness, purity, and 
fullness of tone, the beauty of swell 
and diminution, which distinguish it, 
were inconceivable. The invention of 
Mr. Claggett may have been unknown 
to Mr. Chladni, from whom I am sure 
I have no disposition to detract. On the 
contrary, I learn with great pleasure the 
introduction of an instrument from 
which so much may be expected. 
At the same time, I wish to do justice 
to a man of very interesting manners, 
$08 
. 
and respectable character, who disin-— 
terestedly devoted many years of his life 
to the improvement both of keyed and 
wind instruments; whose merit ip 
na one nen 
* Ale: eutonon, 
both 
2k 
