g the final act of those who had originated
it; yet it was now proposed to make an alteration in one of its most
essential provisions. The alteration proposed was not unreasonable in
itself; but there was danger in permitting any alteration to be made
with respect to the reform act. Who could say, if changes were to
be made, when they would stop? Lord Althorp argued that there were
precedents which would enable the house to get over the difficulty in
point of form, but as the bill was to be opposed, and as, in that case,
it could not be carried through before the 20th of August, he would
withdraw it altogether; he was the more ready to do so, because he
thought that the inconvenience had been exaggerated. The subject,
however, was taken up by Colonel Evans, who thought that a great number
of tax and rate payers entitled to vote were defaulters, and therefore
not able to enjoy their franchise. He moved a resolution, which, after
adverting to the disfranchisement likely to arise, suggested that the
mischief might be remedied by substituting for "the 6th of April," in
the 27th clause of the reform act, "the 25th of September last" for the
payment of the poor rates, and the "10th of October last" for the
payment of the assessed taxes. This motion was only supported by two
members, yet the colonel brought the matter before the house again on
the 10th of August, by moving "that an address be presented to his
majesty, praying that he will be graciously pleased to prorogue the
present, and convene another short session of parliament, to take
into consideration the unexpected disfranchisement produced by certain
restrictive clauses of the act for amending the representation of the
people in parliament." This motion was opposed by ministers, and was
not pressed to a division. It had become clear, indeed, that many of
the statements concerning the number of non-payers were without good
foundation, and therefore there was no reason for altering the clause.
About the same time objections were raised to the boundaries of
boroughs as laid down by the commissioners whom ministers had employed,
principally on the ground of the influence which, it was supposed, had
here and there been given to individuals, by adding large portions of
their lands to boroughs. It was objected, for instance, that, in the
case of Whitehaven, a rural district, comprehending thirty voters, had
been added to a borough containing three hundred. It was said that th