REFORM

    Lord JOHN RUSSELL moved that that is part of the Kings speech which related to reform in parliament should be read. It was read accordingly :—

    "I feel it to be my duty, in the first place, to recommend to your most careful consideration the measures which will be proposed to you for a reform in the Commons House of Parliament. A speedy and satisfactory settlement of this question becomes daily of more pressing importance to the security of the state, and to the contentment and welfare of my people."—After which

    Lord JOHN RUSSELL addressed the house nearly as follows :—In answer to his Majesty's most gracious speech, delivered from the throne at the opening of the present session, there was a vote of this house, that an humble address should be presented to his Majesty, of which this is a part :—"We big to assure your majesty that we receive with all humility and respect your most gracious recommendation that we should enter upon the careful consideration of a measure to be proposed for a reform in the representation of the people of this country, and we are convinced that the speedy and satisfactory settlement of that question becomes daily more and more necessary for the security, the tranquillity, and the welfare of the people." With that sentiment, in which this house concurred without a division, there are few now present who would not be ready to agree, for, whatever may have been the merits of the measure that was proposed in the former session, or of that which I am now about to propose, there is no one who has attended to this great question, which has agitated the country from time to time, but must be convinced that the time has now arrived when the speedy and satisfactory settlement of that question is of an importance fully equal to the question itself.

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In consequence of this arrangement, there will be 30 boroughs in schedule B instead of 41, and instead of there being 69 places sending but one member each, there will be only 49. According to the present population, and to the scale which I have mentioned, founded upon the houses and the assessed taxes, we have prepared the list of the boroughs in schedule B, which are now reduced to 30, and which in several instances differs from the former lists, besides the cases of the 11 boroughs to which I have already referred. [The noble lord here read the list, but from the low tone and hasty manner in which he read this, as well as some other papers which he referred, we were unable to catch the names of all the towns he mentioned. Those we did hear were, ... Midhurst, ... Petersfield...]—these are the circumstances which I have thought it right to state to the house. I know not what use may be made of the statement. Which was the subject of much comment in a formal session. According to the returns respecting those 11 towns, and on the subject of which fresh information has been received, we are led to think that the proper course will be to remove them from the schedule be. Amongst those eleven in the borough of Tavistock, and I presume I need to not inform the house that it was my most earnest desire that everything should be done which could supply to the house and the public every possible information, as it was one which had been more questioned and was likely to be more examined and scrutinised than any other, and I am, for that and other reasons, most anxious that every possible light should be thrown upon its condition and in circumstances. But if any gentlemen choose to say that any unfair rule has been attempted to be established with respect to that borough—that any unfair advantage has been taken for the purpose of placing it beyond the reach of disfranchisement—if gentlemen will say that, I shall only say that such statement is utterly false and unfounded.