ight to representation on the principles of the English
constitution, as anciently recognized by national and parliamentary
usage. The home-secretary was bound to act immediately on this report,
and to relieve all such places from the burthen of sending members to
parliament in future, while he filled up the vacancies by towns which
had been hitherto unrepresented. Another part of his plan was to
revive the custom of paying wages to members for their attendance in
parliament; a provision which he thought would prevent abuses. He
also proposed to extend the right of voting to all copyholders and
leaseholders, and to place the representation of Scotland on the same
footing with that of England. He concluded, by moving, to bring in a
bill to restore the constitutional influence of the house of commons.
This motion was supported by Sir Francis Burdett, and by Messrs.
Pendarvis, Benett, and Hobhouse, with others of the school of reformers.
Sir Francis Burdett said, that he could not comprehend all the details
of the propositions; but he understood it to be a question of reform,
and, therefore, he would support it. He admitted that the house was
composed of men of as enlightened understandings, and as addicted to the
English principles of freedom, as could be found collected in any nation
of the world; but he asserted that they were returned to the house under
an influence which rendered them incapable of exerting the faculties
of their minds, and injurious to the country. He remarked:--"Look at
myself, I have gone through the whole process under the present system
of representation, and a most ruinous one it has been. Early in life, I
came into this house in order to defend the constitution of England; I
purchased my seat of a borough-monger. He was no patron of mine; he took
my money, and by purchase I obtained a right to speak in the most public
place in England, With my views, and with my love of the liberty of
my country, I did not grudge the sacrifice I made for that commanding
consideration. If I had abused the right I had thus purchased, and
passed through corruption to the honours of the peerage, I should not
enjoy the satisfaction I now feel." He had also tried, he said, the
county system. He stood for a county, though he would not have given
twopence for the representation of that county, his object having been
to expose the abominable system, and the oppressive tyranny of solitary
confinement in England. He had also