1607. N 
fore guard teo carefully againft: the ad- 
million of members whe might be excep- 
tionable, into their body; and as they 
were excluded frem the privilege of en- 
joyine what might. properly be termed an 
after-challenge, they ought to potlels the 
right of challenging before. 
“Lhe Duke them recurred-to the battle 
of Minden, and obferved, that Lord 
Southampton, then prefent, and Earl Li- 
gonier, a Lord ot Parliament in Ireland, 
were the two perfons who delivered the 
metlages from Prince Ferdinand of Brunt- 
wick to Lord George Germaine, 
Lord Sackville. ** It,’ faid his Grace, 
“as L was fammoned to appear on the 
trial, say depotition had been called tor, 
b could have proved that the time loft 
‘ben the noble Vilcount del ayed to ad- 
bie under pretence that, by receiving 
fach contr adictory orders, it was become 
impoflible tor him to difcover whether he 
eught to proceed w ith the whole, or only 
part of the Brituh cavalry, was one hour 
and a half. Thus, ii re fpect to time, the 
noble Vitcount. was well enabled. te bring 
up the cavalry from the diftance of a mile 
and a quarter, in order that, joining in 
the battle, they might have rendered 
more brilliant and decifive the victory 
which clofed it; but, previoully to their 
arrival, the engagement was concluded,” 
The Duke of Richmond had now be- 
come one of the molt popular men in the 
kingdom, and he feemed, by every means 
in his power, to court ‘the refpect and 
elieem of his tellow-citizens. He, as well 
as the prefent Duke of Norfolk, and fe- 
veral other perfons of the firit confidera- 
tion, had become a member of the Con- 
fritutional Society. His zeal for Parlia- 
mentary Reform was to glowing and _ar- 
dent, that he became a delegate trom. 
the county of Suflex, for the purpote of 
obtaining ‘the complet rion of this meature, 
When the Convention expretsly ailem- 
bled with this view, met at the St. Al- 
ban’s Tavern, his Grace of Richmond 
was unanimoufly chofen Pretident. 
Ile himfelf alfo drew up a plan with 
his own hand, to make the election of the 
reprefentatives annual, and to extend the 
right ef voting to everv male perfon in 
the kingdom, who fhould have attained 
the ace “of twenty-one years; criminals 
and infane per fous only excepted. 
Vor this purpofe, the k ingdom of Great - 
Britain was to be divided into five hun- 
dred diftri¢ts, cach to contain an equal 
population, and to chocle,one member ; 
the election to begin and end in one 
4 
Memoirs of the late Duke of Richmond. 
how - 
‘themielves 
$5 
day. To forward this important ebject, 
the names of the people were to be re- 
giftered in each diftri¢t three wecks be- 
fore the election, with their pretellion, 
trade, or employment, annexed. Vhey 
were allo to give their votes in thew 
re{pective parilh-churches, before the 
ehurch-wardens, who were to clofe the 
poll at fun-fet, and deliver the fame per 
jonally to the therut of the diftrict, whe 
was to tum up the whole on a certau 
day, at the moté central town of the daf- 
trict, and make his return of the perfou 
who polletied a majority of faitrages. 
Nearly about the fame period, @ larre 
body of the people of Ireland having ap- 
plied by letter to his Grace, witha view 
of obtaining his opinion as to the be& 
practical method. of earn ying a reforna im 
their Parliament ito effect, “he tranfinit- 
ted them a fcheme for that I age eatadae ad- 
dreffed to Lieutenant-Colonel Sherman, 
In this plan, which was afterwards print- 
ed and circulated in the form of a pam- 
phiet, the Duke recommended unrverjad 
fufrage; « propofiten afterwards atted 
ed) m Enel und, on the part of the Cor 
refponding ‘Societies, and which, by m- 
ducing them to aXt-on exaewerated prin 
ciples, brought the idea of reform inte 
dilrepute, and tended wot alittle to ren- 
der every propolition for that purpete eb- 
HOX1OUS. 
At leneth the misfortunes of the Ame~ 
rican war opened the eyes ef both natiow 
aud Parliament, and Lord Nerth was 
driven with indignation tvem the helm, 
like a pilot who, notwithftanding the tre- 
guent warnings that had been given hit, 
had wrecked the vetlel of the ftate, OL 
thole thoals aud breakers vifible teevery 
one on board but himfe!lf.. The new Mie 
niltry, headed by the Marquis of Rock- 
invham, immediately fet about a redreis 
of leeeral flagrant gnevances, by exclud- 
ing contractors from Purli iament, - pre- 
cluding cuftom+-houfe and excife- paibers 
from the exercife of the cleétive fr ranchife, 
and abolifhing a great number of ufelets, 
but not unprofitable, offices. The W. hivs, 
however, torgot their promife in refjpect 
tothe chief point, viz. a Parhamentary 
Reform; which, however ferviceable to 
the people, would perhaps, at that mo- 
ment, have proved rather detruncntal te 
while Minitters. It is, how~ 
ever, but candid to tu appofe ; that the 
fndden demise of their alultrious leader,* 
and the divitions that unmediately en- 
* The Marguis of Reckingham. 
Suid, 
