date

26 Aug 1809 Parl y Reform Modus obstruendi
26 Aug 1809

Parl y Reform Modus obstruendi[?]

Ch. Applications to whom

4

4

Difficulties have been started in respect of the choice of the authority to which petitions of expression of the sense of the people should be addressed, objections have been made to both modes. But these objections originated in hasty glances. According to the principles and practice of the Constitution there is no difficulty in the case.

Both modes are proper: neither exclusively /to the exclusion of the other/, both conjointly.

Petition to the House is proper. To what effect? That the House upon a motion made by any of its Members, taking up the matter of the petitions, may itself originate the business, if and whenever it sees cause.

Petition to the King is proper. To what effect? That, taking the business exclusively in /into/ his own hands he may disfranchise some Boroughs, confer /invest with/ the right of election to /upon/ new classes of person and so on? as heretofore? - No certainly. But that on that subject /occasion/, as on so many other occasions he is wont[?], he may call the attention of the House to the subject by a message from the throne, delivered by any one of his servants who is a member of the House.
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    4. Having these[?] and your endeavours with the Tories in administration to engage them to destroy us in whatever form of law may be most proper in the event of our taking any measures for the framing in any sort of concert any petitions having reform for their object, the next task assigned by Your Lordships genius to Your Lordship’s eloquence is the persuading us, that the presentation of Petitions, so as they be but respectful ones, {is} a course that affords us a trustworthy promise of producing the desired effect: that the presentation of such petitions is a course that the people may safely take – that it is the only course which towards the end in question they can take – and that it affords a promise of being productive of the desired effect /it is in the nature of the case a promising one/. Short title. {By Petitions,} if respectful {reform will be produced. or Respectful Petitions will produce Reform: or From Respectful Petition will come Reform} /Reliance on respectful Petitions prescribed. Your Lordship having previously employed Your Lordship’s influence in the endeavour to consign to timely destruction before the presentation of any such petitions those by whom they would have been presented.

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    Remain the King and the House of Commons.

    To both these authorities one application for this purpose would be suitably and constitutionally addressed.

    1. In the first place to the King. And why to the King?

    1. Because it was by the King that the designation was originally made of the electoral districts by which deputies to be chosen for the expression of that part of the national will were to be sent. - as well as of the number of such deputies to be sent by each.

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