Latest / Historic Speeches of the UK House of Commons, Vol. 1 / 008 - Speech on the Reform Act 1837

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008 - Speech on the Reform Act 1837 · Historic Speeches of the UK House of Commons, Vol. 1

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  Speaker 1: Speech by Earl Russell. This is a LibriVox recording. All
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  Speaker 1: LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information
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  Speaker 1: or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Speech given
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  Speaker 1: to the House of Commons on twenty November eighteen thirty
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  Speaker 1: seven by Earl John Russell. This speech is abridged. The
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  Speaker 1: honorable Member who moved the amendment has brought forward questions
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  Speaker 1: which have also been dwelt upon by other members, and
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  Speaker 1: he has asked me whether I will support them. He
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  Speaker 1: is mentioned the question of the ballot, he has mentioned
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  Speaker 1: the question of the extension of the suffrage, and the
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  Speaker 1: question of triennial parliaments. These he has brought forward in
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  Speaker 1: three separate amendments, all forming parts of the same measure.
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  Speaker 1: He has put his powders into three separate papers as
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  Speaker 1: portions of the same medicine. I am not going now
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  Speaker 1: to enter into the reasons and arguments with which each
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  Speaker 1: of these measures may be supported or opposed. I will
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  Speaker 1: not enter into the discussions of the question generally, but
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  Speaker 1: I am bound to give some explanation of my views
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  Speaker 1: with regard to the Reform Act. In relation to my
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  Speaker 1: present position, I cannot conceal the disadvantages and the injuries
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  Speaker 1: to which the Reform Act is subject. I admit that
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  Speaker 1: at the late elections corruption and intimidation prevailed to a
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  Speaker 1: very lamentable extent. I admit that some parts of the
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  Speaker 1: Reform Act are the means of making it a source
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  Speaker 1: of great vexation to the real and bonifide voter. I
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  Speaker 1: admit that with respect to the registration of voters in particular,
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  Speaker 1: great amendments may be made. But these are questions upon
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  Speaker 1: which I consider parliaments should always feel bound to be
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  Speaker 1: alive and attentive, to see that the Act suffers no
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  Speaker 1: essential injury, and that any errors in the details which
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  Speaker 1: might be made in the commencement might be afterwards remedied.
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  Speaker 1: But these are questions which are totally different from those
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  Speaker 1: now brought forward, such as the question of the ballot,
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  Speaker 1: the extension of the suffrage, and triennial parliaments, which are
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  Speaker 1: taken together nothing else but a repeal of the Reform
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  Speaker 1: Act and placing the representation on a different footing. Am
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  Speaker 1: I then prepared to do this? I say, certainly not.
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  Speaker 1: With respect to the question of the registration. I am
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  Speaker 1: ready to bring forward some measures to amendment, or rather,
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  Speaker 1: my honorable and learned friend, the Attorney General, will bring
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  Speaker 1: forward such a measure. The matter has been frequently under
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  Speaker 1: discussion in this House. I proposed some amendments myself last year,
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  Speaker 1: and if any further facilities can be given by me,
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  Speaker 1: I shall feel it my duty to afford them, and
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  Speaker 1: more particularly upon the subject which I introduced the Bill
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  Speaker 1: of last year, namely the payment of rates. But I
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  Speaker 1: do say that, having now only five years ago reformed
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  Speaker 1: the representation, having placed it on a new basis, it
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  Speaker 1: would be a most unwise and unsound experiment now to
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  Speaker 1: begin the process again to form a new suffrage, to
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  Speaker 1: make an alteration in the manner of voting, and to
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  Speaker 1: look for other and new securities for the representation of
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  Speaker 1: the people. I say, at least for myself, that I
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  Speaker 1: can take no share in such an experiment. Though I
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  Speaker 1: may be, and indeed I must be liable to the
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  Speaker 1: somewhat harsh term of the Honorable Member for Kilkenny. I
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  Speaker 1: must explain, however, in what sense I consider myself bound
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  Speaker 1: with regard to the Reform Act. When I brought forward
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  Speaker 1: that measure, it will be recollected that the cry was
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  Speaker 1: that it was too large, that it was too extensive,
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  Speaker 1: and those who were radical reformers were, upon the whole
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  Speaker 1: much better pleased with it than those who were moderate reformers.
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  Speaker 1: But it was the opinion of Earl Gray, an opinion
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  Speaker 1: stated by him in the House of Lords, and an
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  Speaker 1: opinion stated repeatedly by Lord Althorpe in the House of Commons,
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  Speaker 1: that it was safer to make a large and extensive
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  Speaker 1: measure of reform than a small measure of reform, for
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  Speaker 1: this reason, that in bringing forward the extensive measure, we
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  Speaker 1: might be assured that we were bringing forward one which
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  Speaker 1: might have a prospect of being a final measure. Do
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  Speaker 1: I then say that the measure is in all respects final,
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  Speaker 1: I say no such nonsense. Do I say that the
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  Speaker 1: people of England are deprived of the right of reconsidering
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  Speaker 1: the provisions of the Act, I say no such folly.
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  Speaker 1: I maintain that the people of England are fully entitled
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  Speaker 1: to do so if to the people of England it
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  Speaker 1: shall so seem fit. But I am not myself going
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  Speaker 1: to do so. I think that the entering again into
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  Speaker 1: this question of the construction of the representation so soon
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  Speaker 1: would destroy the stability of our institutions. It is quite
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  Speaker 1: impossible for me, having been one who brought forward the
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  Speaker 1: measure of reform, who feel bound by the declarations then made,
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  Speaker 1: to take any part in these large measures of reconstruction,
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  Speaker 1: or to consent to the repeal of the Reform Act,
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  Speaker 1: without being guilty of what I think would be a
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  Speaker 1: breach of faith towards those with whom I was then acting.
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  Speaker 1: If the people of England are not of that mind,
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  Speaker 1: they may reject me. They can prevent me from taking part,
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  Speaker 1: either in the Lafe legislature or in the councils of
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  Speaker 1: the sovereign. They can place others there who may have
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  Speaker 1: wider and more extended, more enlarged and enlightened views, But
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  Speaker 1: they must not expect me to entertain these views. They
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  Speaker 1: may place others in my situation, but they must not
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  Speaker 1: call upon me to do that which I do not
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  Speaker 1: only consider unwise, but which I should not feel myself
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  Speaker 1: justified without a breach of faith and honor. In proposing
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  Speaker 1: end of speech,