1809.] 
ence, that in the library of my institu- 
tion will now be found almost every 
historian, and every accessible document, 
that can be useful in. the free investiya- 
tion of any important question that can 
arise out of the events of those periods. 
One alteration it is my intention to make 
in the conduét of this society, which I 
hope may be regarded as an improve- 
ment. Hitherto, every Monday evening, 
during the session, has been devoted to 
the discussions of the pupils; and my 
own lectures and remarks have been 
only incidental, and like those discussions, 
have been merely private. For the fu- 
ture, it 1s my intention to devote the 
first Monday of every month to a public 
Jecture on the study of history, and its 
application to the purposes of senato- 
rial, forensic, and popular oratory.. To 
_ these lectures every member of the so- 
ciety will have free admission; and on 
these evenings, and these alone, the at- 
tendance of ladies will be solicited, 
The discussions of the society must still 
continue, as heretofore, accessible to the © 
pupils and members only. ‘The first 
_ public lecture will be on * Whe five 
grand epochs of English history; the 
state and objects of jurisprudence, during 
» those epochs, and the degrees of atten- 
tion due to each of them, respectively, 
by the student of oratory.” 
Such, sir, is the history, and such are 
the objects, of my infant, but hitherto 
growing, society, for the cultivation. of 
historical knowledge and oratorical ac- 
complishment. { have already tres- 
passed too long upon your attention, to 
detain. you by a tedious apology; I 
stall therefore only just observe, that 
perhaps few things could contribute 
more to the advancement of science, 
aud to extend the operation of useful 
establishments, than a free and_ full 
announcement of the plans, views, and 
means, of such establishments, authenti- 
cated by the signature of their respective 
projectors, (Who would thus become re- 
sponsible to the public, in. person and 
reputation, for the fulfilment of their pro- 
fessions,) through.the medium of a Mis- 
cellany so widely. circulated as that by 
which so many obligations, in the fur- 
therance of his prafessional pursuits, 
have been conferred on, 
IES. | 
Your obliged, 
J. THELWALL: 
Bedford-Placey 
0th August, 1809. - 
Montiury Mac, No, 189, 
Refornr of Parliaments 
. 157 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
REFORM in the REPRESENTATION of the 
COMMONS HOUSE of PARLIAMENT. 
VA NUE Speech* published by the Com- 
mittee, which conducted the West= 
minster Election, may assuredly be re-= 
-garded as authentic. 
I therefore transcribe from it, and lay 
before your readers, the Plan of Reform, 
which Sir Francis Burdett, on delibera- 
tion, has regarded as the fittest to be 
proposed, - Itis this: j 
‘* I, That freeholders, householders, 
and others, subject to direct taxation for 
the support of the poor, the church, and 
the state, be required to elect inembers 
to serve in Parliament: : 
“TI, Thateach county be subdivided, 
according to its taxed male population, 
and each subdivision required to elect one 
representative. . 
“II. That the votes be taken in each 
parish by the parish officers; and all the 
elections finished in one and the same 
day. 
“© TV, That the parish officers make 
the returns to the sherifl’s court, to be 
held’for that purpose, at stated periods. 
«©, And that Parliaments be brought 
to a constitutioual duration.” 
The first article is, in effect, accommo- 
dating the original principle of county 
representation to the. state and circume- 
stances of the tines. Jah 
Formerly, with few exceptions, those 
who were not freeholders, were in astate 
of villanage or slavery, and, consequently, 
excluded from political mghts. That 
odious and unnatural state being abo- 
lished, it is contrary to, reason, that an 
‘exclusion founded on it should be con- 
tinued, 
- lL apprehend, that, in practice, the ad- 
mission to the exercise of elective suf- 
fraye, under this clause, would be found — 
to include few beyond the taxable 
housekeepers. For, except in the inns of 
court, &c. there are few, not being 
housekeepers, who pay directly to the: 
poor, the church, and the siate. “I do, 
however, acknowledge, that I think, 
with Major Cartwright, that the olject 
of the provision, in the 2d article, is evi- 
dently to facilitate and shorten elections, 
so that they might every where, on a 
general election, be begun and concluded 
in one day, thus taking away the causes 
and opportunities of cabal, intrigue, cor- 
ruption, intemperance, disorder, and 
outrage; and ail the shameless ‘and de- 
a Speech. Bone and Hone. Lond. 1809. 
structive 
