enable him to meet the noble Baron. If the noble Baron brought forward any measure, he would pay as much attention to it as was proper; but he would not silently hear his attacks. (Hear.)

On the motion of Mr. Clapham,

JOHN MARSHALL, Esq., was called to the
Chair.

tants," to consider of the propriety of petitioning Parliament in favour of Parliamentary and economical reform, and particularly for the grant of the elective franchise to Leeds and other popular places." The attendance LORD RADNOR said that, one of the Reverend was such as has never before been seen in Bench started the subject of non-residence, this town at a Reform meeting, in point of and contended that the fault of non-residence respectability, wealth, and intelligence; and did not rest on the Bishops, but on the lay-it afforded the gratifying spectacle of a comimpropriators, who possessed so many advow-plete union between all classes of reformers sons. He was old enough to recollect when in seeking their grand object. Lord Stowell, then Sir William Scott, brought the bill to promote the residence of the clergy into the House of Commons, in 1803. He was then in the House of Commons, and remembered that the bill had been avowedly sent to Oxford for the revision of the heads of the University, and that when it came back again, Mr. Windham fought it out to the last, and said that it was a bill, not for residence, but for non-residence, and the bill was almost for a whole Session before the House, Was it ever denied that that bill had been shown to and revised by the Bishops? No one ever doubted it. He did not wish to prolong the discussion, but he could not but notice, that the subject of residence had been brought by the heads of the Church under discussion in Parliament, both in 1803, and afterwards in 1817, by the then Archbishop of Canterbury, and yet that their measures had proved inefficient to promote residence. He thought the residence of the clergy a matter of great importance, and was willing that the Bishops should have more power to enforce residence. But they must in the first place put an end to pluralities, as residence and pluralities could not exist together.

February 11.

HOUSE OF LORDS. Nothing of much consequence.

The CHAIRMAN:-Gentlemen, we are now met to take into consideration a subject the most important of any which cau come before an assemblage of Englishmen. We have some of us long and anxiously looked forward to the time when our fellow-countrymen would demand their right to a thorough reform of the representation-of a corrupt House of Commons. (Hear, hear.) We have endeavoured, as far as in us lay, to promote that object. We have followed it through good and evil report, and hitherto without success; but, we have at last seen one set of Ministers driven from their places by their determination to refuse all Reform. (Hear, hear.) We have seen the formation of another Administration, which has professed to advocate those principles of Reform and Retrenchment which we think so necessary to the state, and they have pledged themselves to bring those measures forward in Parliament at no distant date. Gentlemen, if they redeem their pledges-if they bring forward such a Reform as the state of the country requires, they will deserve the gratitude of their country, and will have the support of every honest and independent man. (Hear, hear.) As the plan will be produced on the 1st of March next, it behoves us to prepare ourselves for receiving it, to watch over the measure, and to see that those regulations which we consider proper and necessary to the peace and well-being of the town are made

HOUSE OF COMMONS. THE BUDGET. Lord Althorp brought forward this subject; but, as it is amply discussed in the body of this Register, it is not necessary to oc-short period, that the votes should be taken cupy room by putting in any part of the long speeches made upon this occasion.

LEEDS REFORM MEETING.

(Abridged from the Leeds Mercury of Saturday

last.)

I mean that the election should be taken in a

in divisions, each division of the town having its own poll, and the out-townships the same, so that the poll may be taken in a few hours, or at least in one day; and, what is of more

importance, that we should consider in what manner we are to support the bringing forward of those arrangements for taking the poll, so as to exclude all bribery and corrup tion, and intimidation of voters-in short, that the poll should be taken by Ballot. (Applause.)

Mr. RAWSON, in moving the first Resolution, said, an independent House of Commons would never allow any government ON Thursday last a numerous and highly to commence and carry on a system respectable meeting of the inhabitants of this of iniquity, for the sake of promoting borough, was held in the Court-house, at and providing for their numerous dependtwelve, at noon, convened by the Mayor, on ents and connexions. An independent a requisition from sixty respectable inhabi- House of Commons would most indignantly

refuse the profligate expenditure of public Mr. JOHN HEAPS, in seconding the resolu money in most disgraceful pensions and sine- tion, felt himself in a dilemma. Some of his cures. An independent House of Commous friends before him had endeavoured to prove would tear up by the roots every monopoly in- the existence of a corrupt House of Commons; tended to enrich the few, who have more than in his view there was no such place as a enough and to spare, and to impoverish the House of Commons. (Laughter.) The resomultitude, who are earning their bread by the lution which he had the pleasure to second, he sweat of their brow. An independent House supported with all his heart and soul. He of Commons would, in short, consult the had long been looking for a House of Comtrue welfare of the people, by diminishing the mons. There were 87 persons in England and burdens they have to bear, by encouraging Wales who returned 218 members; 21 retheir industry, by uniting all their interests, turning 31 members for Scotland; and 31 and by establishing their liberties. (Great persons in Ireland, returning 57 members for cheering.) Ireland and England-so that it was evident that there was no Commons' House at all.

Mr. BAINES said, the persons who used to domineer over the people of England, who hallooed Mr. Pitt into war, and brought upon the nation the Income Tax and all the other mischiefs of that system, the persons who were the cause of a thousand millions of the public money being spent in an unnecessary war, and of all the distress and misery which the country has since suffered, that same party has sunk never more to rise. Peace be to their manes. (Loud cheers.) Most happy am I to say it; I saw this party rise, and I have seen it fall; that it may never again rear its crest is my wish, as I believe it will be yours. (Hear, hear.) I have nothing more to do at present than to move the Resolution, which I have no doubt will receive your cordial approbation. (Cheers.)

G.WAILES, Esq., then came forward and said, he would never vote for any candidate who would not promise to support the Ballot, contending that it was quite constitutional for them to require pledges of their representatives, notwithstanding some of the Members for Yorkshire had said they would vote according to their own notions, and would give no pledges.

Mr.JOSH. BOWER had been a steady reformer ever since the present Prime Minister, as Mr. Grey, brought forward his famous Motion. His sentiments had been the same at that time as those of the Whig interest (applause); but he began to fear that they would not go far enough, since some of them were also borough proprietors,

Mr. JOHN MARSHALL, jun. proposed the Mr. CHRISTOPHER HEAPS was afraid, judgthird resolution, and said, we have now a Mi-ing from the Civil List submitted to Parlia nistry pledged to bring forward a measure of ment by the present Ministry, that the hopes Reform; and though it cannot possibly be of the country, with respect to economy in such as will give universal satisfaction, I trust the public expenditure, would be disappointed. it will contain some real improvement in our He trusted, however, that his fears would not political system. (Hear, hear.) be realised.

Mr. J. CLAPHAM seconded the motion with great pleasure. He had long been a labourer in the field of Reform, but had not been able to effect any-thing. We must not allow the Ministers of the Crown, and his Majesty himself, to be borne down, but must support them to the utmost of our ability in effecting all those Radical Reforms.

Mr. JAMES RICHARDSON, said, is there any objection to the Ballot that any upright man has ever heard? 1 have not heard one. (A voice: "And you never will.") The Ballot will overturn bribery; for, as Mr. Sykes said, no man will buy a pig in the poke, or rather, no man will buy the poke, it being a matter of doubt whether there is a pig in it or not. (A laugh and cheers.) It will prevent intimidation; it will not give a master an opportunity of saying to his servants: Go and vote for such a candidate, or I will deprive you of your daily bread. If the people do not back a reforming King and a reforming Administration, the result will be, that we must be delivered over again to the Castlereagh school of politicians (a voice: "Never"), and then we shall have corruption in perpetuity, excessive taxation in perpetuity, and degradation of the people, until public opinion, or, something worse, revolution, sets the matter right. (Applause.)

Mr. EDWARD BAINES, jun., said the advancement of knowledge, which some sneer at, because they dread it, has at length poured in a flood of light on the system; and as the people now both know their rights and value them, it may be expected that the monstrous abuses and absurdities of the system will vanish, as the visions and phantoms of night disappear at the approach of day.

Mr. WATTS moved, that Mr. Hunt be requested to support the Petition (GENERAL HISSING and DISAPPROBATION).

Mr. SMITHSON thought, that any one who entertained a good opinion of Mr. Hunt, would believe him to be ready to support the petition without any such motion. (Cheers.)

Mr. WATTS, seeing that his motion was universally disapproved of, withdrew it. The meeting then separated.

Front the LONDON GAZETTE,

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1831.
BANKRUPTCIES SUPERSEDED.

BACON, R., Fenchurch-street, tea-broker.
BROWN, J., Wednesbury, Stafford, dealer.
BANKRUPTS.

BENSON, J. and J., Manchester, agents.
BREEDEN, S., Birmingham, draper.

VOL. 71.-No. 9.] LONDON, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26TH, 1831.

OHIDA

FRENCH REPUBLIC

AND

ENGLISH REFORM.

To the Readers of THE REGISTER.

MY FRIENDS,

Kensington, 22d February, 1831.

[Price 1s. 2d.

merable advantages to the people, which the English would see the French enjoying only in consequence of having destroyed a kingly government, and erected a republic in its stead.

4

That republic; that result of the heroic exploits of the three days of July, is: now just upon the eve of taking place; and curious it is, that the deci sion of the Ministers and the Parlia ment in England is also just upon the eve of taking place. It is therefore now my duty, my friends, to submit to you my opinions upon these two subjects, in order that, if you concur with me in opinion, you may, in your spheres of life, act agreeably thereunto. In another part of this Register I In another part of the Register you will shall notice the INDICTMENT which find two letters from Mr. William Cobhas been so much talked of; but which, bett, written at Paris, and also extracts in point of importance to you and to the from the French newspapers, detailing country, is of consequence, beyond all the events subsequent to those letters. measure, inferior to the two subjects I beg you to looks at paragraph 6, of placed as the title to this paper; the letter of the 15th of February, relanamely the REPUBLIC OF FRANCE, tive to the atrociously cruel treatment which is manifestly upon the point of of some of the bravest of the men who being established; and that REFORM shed their blood in the month of July; in England for which every one is now but of this I shall speak more particulooking with a degree of anxiety not in larly by and by, it being my intention the power of me, or of any man, ade- first to give you my opinion, accomquately to describe. These two sub-panied with reasons, with regard to jects are so closely connected with each what is likely to take place in France other; they bear upon each other so in a very short space of time. directly, and in a manner so forcible, Let me call to your recollection a that it is impossible to separate them in passage in the Register of the 18th of the mind; it is impossible that one September last. It was in an address to should be in the mind for a single mo- the brave people of Paris, in consement without the irresistible intrusion quence of the "citizen king" having of the other. In my arguments in fa- sent Talleyrand as Ambassador to EngNour of a real reform of the Parlia-land. In that address I stated all the ment; in my plan of that reform; in circumstances which made me believe every statement almost that I have that those who had succeeded Charles made upon the subject, since the month the Tenth in the governing of France, of July last, I have called upon the Mi- were, in fact, the friends of Charles, nisters to think of the danger that there and were secretly sorrowing for the would be to the whole frame of Go- events of July. I stated all these cirvernment in England if they persevered cumstances, concluding with the folin refusing to make a reform here, while lowing words: "It would have been the French proceeded to make a repub-" impossible to look well at these cirLican government, and in introducing" cumstances without perceiving that all that cheapness, and all those innu- " the great object of most of the men

K

* in power was to make no real change, words, that kingly Government and "either in the government or the dy- Christianity were inseparable. Those nasty; and that, whatever might be who call the brave Parisians a mob, "the intention of the Duke of Orleans omit to notice this circumstance: and himself, the intention of others was, they omit to notice, also, that the "that he should only keep the place" mob," who gutted the palace of the " warm for the other branch of the Archbishop of Paris, took all the gold "Bourbons, when circumstances might and plate and jewels that they found, *favour their return! And, if to the and scrupulously DELIVERED THEM "C weight of all these circumstances we UP TO THE PUBLIC AUTHORIadd the glaring, the unequivocal TIES, to be applied by them to the "proof afforded by the appointment of public use. This, then, is a sensible and *Talleyrand as Ambassador to the honest, as well as brave, people; and English Court, it is impossible not to such a people will never be enslaved. ❝be convinced that foul play of some “sort is intended towards the people of 46 France. I am certain that this second plot will succeed no better than the first; but it is necessary now to be upon our guard, and to judge by ac❝tions, and not by words."

The truth is, that the whole of the French nation, with the exception of those who lived upon the taxes, were for a republic in the month of July; and for that it was that the Parisians fought and bled and thousands of them died. But they were then cheated. The second plot has not succeeded. They were then tricked by the taxIt has just been blown into air; and, eaters. The cry of generous forbearperhaps, before even the article that Iance, of public order, of peace: these am now writing shall come from the cries were set up, arms were put into press, news may arrive of the establish- the hands, as much as possible, of those ment of a real republic in France, go- who thought they had an interest in verned by a President, a Senate, and a preventing any great change. The House of Representatives. Look, I friends and advocates of republicanism pray you, at the works of the people of were marked out for, and made to enParis; look at their cutting out the dure the effects of, vengeance. The fleurs-de-lis (that great emblem of laws against the press were made, in royalty); look at their scratching them fact, harder instead of softer; and while off from the coach of the King; look, I the royalists were every-where favourpray you, at all their deliberate proceeded, the republicans were treated like ings against the very appearance of dogs and like mad dogs too. Pray look royalty. Our newspapers call these the at the 6th paragraph of Mr. William proceedings of a mob: they are the Cobbett's letter of the 15th of Februproceedings of the people of France. ary. What he means by the "salladThe people are represented as having basket" is, a caravan to convey malean enmity to religion; as being profli- factors in, the shaking of which is so gate and Atheists, because they have violent as to resemble the shaking of a pulled down the crosses from the tops salad in one of those baskets in which of the churches. Those who make this the French shake it, after washing, to charge against that brave and virtuous make it dry, previous to the application people, omit to inform us of that most of the oil and other ingredients. Into important circumstance, noticed in the these horrid things, in company with letters of Mr. William Cobbett; name-thieves and murderers, these gallant ly, that Charles X. had had the beastly young men were put, and carried and stupidity and insolence to cause a flower-lodged in the same prisons by the do-luce to be put at the end of each government of the citizen king; and arm and at the top of these crosses, this, too, while the partizans of Charles thereby asserting, in fact, that the ador-X. were permitted with perfect impunity ation of the Bourbons was to accompany to violate not only public decency but the the adoration of Christ; or, in other very letter of the law. In short, every