t thirty members of parliament, besides other persons
of note, enrolled their names as members. Frequent meetings were held
by the society, and the resolutions adopted on these occasions were
uniformly published, together with the sentiments which were entertained
by the members upon this subject. These resolutions and sentiments were
often violent and unconstitutional, whence a strong feeling was created
at court and in parliament against all parliamentary reform. This was
seen on the 30th of April, when, conformably to the plan of the society,
Mr. Gray rose to make a speech on the subject, and to give notice of his
intention to move, in the course of the ensuing session, for an inquiry
into the state of the representation. Mr. Grey said, that both Fox and
Pitt had declared themselves to be parliamentary reformers, and that the
majority of the nation were of an opinion that parliamentary reform
was required. But Pitt at least had now altered his opinion upon this
subject. In reply to Mr. Grey he remarked, that this was no time for.
moving questions that involved the peace and safety, and endangered the
constitution of the kingdom. He was, indeed, no enemy to reform if
it could be obtained peaceably and by a general concurrence, but
the present time was not proper for, and the national sentiment was
decidedly hostile to any such attempt. The present was not a season for
experiments, and he would resist every attempt of the nature to his last
hour; if he was called on either to hazard our safety, or abandon all
hopes of reform for ever, he would say that he had no hesitation in
preferring the latter alternative. It was true, that at the conclusion
of the American war he had thought a parliamentary reform necessary, in
order to quiet the clamour and confusion which had arisen from the dread
of an approaching bankruptcy; but however much he might in early life
have promoted schemes of reform, experience had taught him the danger
of tampering with the established forms of government. Pitt noticed the
society of the "Friends of the People," and its advertisements, which
invited the public to join the standard of reform: stating that he saw
with concern the gentlemen to whom he alluded, united with others who
professed not reform only, but direct hostility to the nature of our
government, and who threatened the extinction of monarchy, hereditary
succession, and everything which promoted order and subordination in a
state. Again