Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB

full and ftrong; and in the body of the bill you will find the word declared before enacted, by which I apprehend, that though this law did not immediately take place at the time of the revolution, it was certainly intended as declaratory of their first meaning, and therefore ftands a part of that origi-. nal contract under which the conftitution was then fettled. His Majefty's title to the crown is primarily derived from that contract; and if, upon a review, there fhall appear to any deviations from it, we ought to treat them as fo many injuries done to that title. And I dare fay, that this house, which has gone through so long a series of fervices to his Majefty, will at laft be willing to revert to those original stated measures of government, to renew and ftrengthen that title.

be

[ocr errors]

BUT, Sir, I think the manner in which the feptennial law was first introduced, is a very ftrong reafon why it should be repealed. People, in their fears, have very often recourse to desperate expedients, which, if not cancelled in season, will themselves prove fatal to that constitution, which they were meant to fecure. Such is the nature of the feptennial law; it was intended only as a prefervative against a temporary inconvenience: the inconvenience is removed, but the mischievous effects ftill continue; for it not only altered the conftitution of Parliaments, but it extended that fame Parliament beyond its natural duration; and therefore carrries this moft unjust implication with it, That you may at any time ufurp the moft indubitable, the most effential privilege of the people,1 mean that of chufing their own representatives. A precedent of such a dangerous confequence, of fo fatal a tendency, that I think it would be a reproach to our ftatute-book, if that law was any longer to fubfift, which might record it to pofterity.

THIS is a feafon of virtue and public fpirit. Let us take advantage of it to repeal those laws which infringe our liberties, and introduce fuch as may restore the vigour of our ancient conftitution.

HUMAN nature is fo very corrupt, that all obligations lose their force, unless they are frequently renewed.-Long Parliaments become therefore independent of the people, and when they do fo, there always happens a most dangerous dependence elsewhere.

[ocr errors]

LONG Parliaments give the minifter an opportunity of getting acquaintance with members, of practifing his feveral arts to win them into his fchemes.- -This must be the work of time Corruption, is of fo base a nature, that at first fight it is extremely fhocking.-Hardly any one has fubmitted to it all at once. - His difpofition must be previously understood, the particular bait must be found out with which he is to be allured, and after all, it is not without many struggles that he furrenders his virtue.—Indeed, there are fome, who will at once plunge themselves into any base action, but the generality of mankind are of a more cautious nature, and will proceed only by leisurely degrees. One ortwo perhaps have deferted their colours the first campaign, fome have done it a fecond. But a great many, who have not that eager difpofition to vice, will wait till a third.

For this reason, fhort Parliaments have been lefs corrupt than long ones; they are observed, like ftreams of water, always to grow more impure the greater distance they run from the fountain-head.

I AM aware, it may be faid, that frequent new, Parlia ments will produce frequent new expences, but I think quite the contrary; I am really of opinion, that it will be a proper

remedy

remedy against the evil of bribery at elections, especially as you have provided fo wholesome a law to co-operate upon

thefe occafions,

BRIBERY at elections, whence did it arife? Nót from country gentlemen, for they are fure of being chofen with out it; it was, Sir, the invention of wicked and corrupt minifters, who have, from time to time, led weak Princes into fuch deftructive meafures, that they did not dare to rely upon the natural representation of the people.Long Parliaments, Sir, first introduced bribery, because they were worth purchafing at any rate:-Country gentlemen, who have only their private fortunes to rely upon, and have no mercenary ends to serve, are unable to oppose it, especially if at any time the public treasure shall be unfaithfully fquandered away to corrupt their boroughs.-Country gentle-men, indeed, may make some weak efforts; but as they ge-. nerally prove unsuccessful, and the time of a fresh ftruggle is at fo great a distance, they at laft grow faint in the difpute, give up their country for loft, and retire in defpair.— Despair naturally produces indolence, and that is the proper difpofition for flavery. Minifters of ftate understand this very well, and are therefore unwilling to awaken the nation out of its lethargy, by frequent elections.They know that the spirit of liberty, like every other virtue of the mind: is to be kept alive only by conftant action; that it is impoffible to enflave this nation, while it is perpetually upon its guard.Let country gentlemen then, by having frequent opportunities of exerting themselves, be kept warm and active in their contention for the public good this will raife that zeal and fpirit, which will at last get the better of those undue influences, by which the officers of the crown, though unknown to the feveral boroughs, have been

able

[ocr errors]

able to fupplant country gentleman of great characters and fortune, who live in their neighbourhood.I do not say this upon idle fpeculation only.I live in a country where it is too well known, and I appeal to many gentlemen in the house, to more out of it (and who are fo for this very reafon,) for the truth of my affertion. Sir, it is a fore which has been long eating into the most vital part of our conftitution, and I hope the time will come when you will probe it to the bottom. For if a minister should ever gain a corrupt familiarity with our boroughs, if he fhould keep a register of them in his closet, and, by fending down his treafury-mandates, fhould procure a fpurious reprefentative of the people,the offspring of his corruption,who will be at all times ready to reconcile and juftify the moft contradictory measures of his administration, and even to vote every crude indigefted dream of their patron into a law; if the maintenance of his power fhould become the fole object of their attention, and they should be guilty of the most violent breach of Parliamentary truft, by giving the King a difcretionary liberty of taxing the people without limitation or controul; the last fatal compliment they can pay to the crown ;-If this fhould ever be the unhappy condition of this nation, the people indeed may complain; but the doors of that place where their complaints fhould be heard, will for ever be shut against them.

OUR difcafe, I fear, is of a complicated nature, and I think that this motion is wifely intended to remove the first and principal diforder.-Give the people their ancient right of frequent new elections; that will reftore the decayed authority of parliaments, and will put our conftitution into a natural condition of working out her own cure.

SIR, upon the whole, I am of opinion, that I cannot express a greater zeal for his Majefty, for the liberties of the people, or the honour and dignity of this house, than by feconding the motion which the honourable gentleman has made you.

CHAP.

X.

SIR ROBERT WALPOLE's REPLY.

MR. CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER,

HOUGH the question has been already fo fully op

TH

pofed, that there is no great occafion to fay any thing farther against it, yet, I hope, the houfe will indulge me the liberty of giving fome of thofe reafons, which induce me to be against the motion. In general I must take notice, that the nature of our conftitution feems to be very much mistaken by the gentlemen who have spoken in favour of this motion. It is certain, that ours is a mixt government, and the perfection of our conftitution confifts in this, that the monarchical, ariftocratical, and democratical forms of government, are mixt and interwoven in ours, fo as to give us all the advantages of each, without fubjecting us to the dangers and inconveniencies of either. The democratical form ofgo. vernment, which is the only one I have now occafion to take notice of, is liable to these inconveniences that they are generally too tedious in their coming to any refolution, and feldom brisk and expeditious enough in carrying their refolutions into execution: that they are always wavering in their refolutions, and never fteady in any of the measures they refolve to purfue; and that they are often involved in factions, feditions and infurrections, which expofes them to be made the tools, if not the prey of their neighbours; there

fore

« AnteriorContinua »