date

[129b-419] 13 Feb. 1817 Plan
[129b-419]

13 Feb. 1817

Plan Cat

{2 o} 1 o

Introd

§. Moderate Reform

Interests adverse

II. Uselessness

6

{Dependence on the people, independence as against the Corruptor General – on the part of Representatives – in these qualities together with efficient /effected/ obligation to constancy of attendance consists in so far as regards the representatives themselves the essence of Parliamentary reform To all these does radical reform direct itself: to none of them that system which likes /likewise/ calls itself reform, and to which for distinction sake the epithet moderate is attached.}

{Two species of good – two and no more than two – would /could/ the sharpest eye {be able to} discern, viz. the recognition of the necessity of reform, and the setting up the precedent of a change. Considering it in that universe[?] a scheme of moderate reform set up, were it ever so sufficient I should be tempted to give my vote for it, if I had one}

{But unless it were the system of arrangements by which the expence of Election would be reduced, and (if this be now to be considered as belonging to the moderate system) extending to taxpaying Housholders though it be in the Town Electoral Districts alone […?] the right of suffrage difficult would it be to find in moderate reform any […?] that were not pregnant with positive mischief, and that in a deferential shape, while nothing could be more indeterminate or uncertain than the good which in such kinds might /could/ be hoped for from the mere precedent of change.}

1 Encrease of the number of Country Seats what would it be but encrease of terrorism? 2. Division of County Electoral districts into lesser Electoral districts what again would that be but encrease of terrorism? 3. Extension of Electoral Districts from the dimension of a Borough town to that of a Hundred, in a County what would it be but encrease given to a mixture comprised[?] of terrorism and bribery? 4. Purchase proprietary seats and pocket-borough seats what it would be but loading the country with determinate mischief in the shape of addition to taxes, and without any assurance of determinate good in any shape. For when seats were taken out of this one bad shape what could be done with them but the putting them into one or other of those two other bad shapes?

[marginal insertion:] and those such only as according to those schemes in question would be new ones
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    Among the Whigs, with all their plans – all without exception sham ones – (behold them all in the ensuing Appendix) in what instance, so much as in pretence is any remedy to be found for this radical disease? Encrease to the number of County seats – that is seats filled by Lands-holding Terrorism – decrease in the number of proprietary, and rotten Borough seats: decrease viz by money to be given out of the taxes to purchase of the proprietors the faculty of establishing more seats to be filled either by Landholding or purse-brandishing terrorism or what is always a less mischief bribery – in these with some means of simplification for lessening that expence which the proposed triennuality with which they are coupled, would after the reduction double – in these behold their means their only means of salvation.

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    1. As to the mode /that one to which it confines itself of the two modes/ in which the sinister influence may be and is applied. Such I say is the effect of this inadequate application, that the evil thus complained of is[?] the only one might be thus compleatly eradicated removed and the state of the representation and the condition of the county in consequence instead of being bettered rendered so much the worse

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  • Title: [[129b-645] 26 Jan[?] 1819[?]]
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    {Contents and Ordo

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    6

    Facienda for Committee

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    7

    House after hearing Judges to come to Resolutions of Penance and to send them to Lords for […?] […?]}

    Chron. 22 Feb y 1817

    Shoreditch Petition[?] […?] Returned by 89 Peers in England and Wales 218

    By 21 Peers in Scotland 31

    By 36 Peers in Ireland 51

    300

    By 90 Commoners in England and Wales 137

    By 14 Commoners in Scot. 14

    By 19 Do. in Ireland 20

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    Total of House of Commons 658

    §.5. Remedy in detail[?]:

    1 Immediate[?] causes of mischief sinister interest

    2 Causes of d o

    1. Undue independence

    2. Undue dependence Pag 1

    Situations to be considered

    1. Electors

    2. Representatives 2

    Remedies: as to

    I. Electors

    1. Comprehensive of all interests – therein

    2 or 1 Virtual universality of suffrage

    3. or 2. Practicable equality of suffrage p.3

    4. or 3. Freedom i.e. genuineness or non-spuriousness of suffrage

    5. or 4 Secresy of suffrage p.10

    II. Representatives Ultimate[?] securities[?]

    1. Dependence as to Constituents i.e. Electors.

    2. Independence as to Corrupter General Intermediate is instrumental to securities

    3. Impermanence of the situation: viz. by annuality of re-election

    4 Exclusion of Placemen

    5. Universal constancy of attendance.

    4

    I Encreasing County Seats

    simple

    1. Pitt the first A o 1770

    Meadly p.2

    2. Wilkes A o 1776 p3

    3. Pitt 2 d A o 1783 p.6

    4. Flood A o 1790 p9.

    5. Grey A o 1797 p12

    6. Brand A o 1810 p.15

    7. Brand A o 1812 p.16

    II. Striking[?] off[?] or District[?] Boroughs proved rotten

    7

    1. Pitt 2 d A o 1783 p6.

    2 Grey A o 1800 p13

    3. Brand A o 1810 p.15

    4. Brand A o 1812 p.16

    III L d o by purchase

    Pitt 2 d A o 1785 p.8

    6

    IV. Giving seats to populous terms

    1. Pitt 2 d A o 1785 p8

    2 Gray A o 1797 p12

    3. Gray A o 1800 p.13

    4. Brand A o 1810 p.15

    V Substituting triennuality

    Whig

    1. Friends of the People A o 1793 p.10

    2. Grey A o 1797. p.12

    3. Brand A o 1810 p.16.

    5

    V. Dividing Counties into Electoral Districts

    1. Grey A o 1797 p.12

    1

    VI Admitting Copyholders

    1 Grey. A o 1797 p.12

    2. Brand. 1810 p.15

    3. Brand A o 1812 p.16

    2

    VII Admitting Leaseholders

    1. Grey A o 1797 p12

    3

    VIII Admitting all Leaseholders to vote for Brougham

    1. Grey A o 1797 p.12

    10

    IX. No man to vote for more than one Member.

    1. Grey A o1797. p.12

    N o of occasions on which propositions were made 15

    Among what N o on which nothing specific was proposed 3

    Remain occasions on which d o was d o 12

    Deduct Radical 2

    Remain moderate 10

    1. Giving extension to the Election Franchise

    1. In the case of County Seats admitting Copyholders

    2. In d o admitting Leaseholders

    3. In the case of now or future? Borough Seats admitting Householders

    II. Giving encrease to the number of non-Venal seats

    4 or 1. County Seats

    5 or 2. County distant Seats

    6. or 3. Popular Borough Seats

    III. Excluding venal seats

    7 or 4 without compensation

    8. or 5. with compensation

    IV. Excluding some of the sold Members

    9. or 6.

    V. Diminishing expence XI

    10 or 7. 11 or 8.

    9

    X Polling every where in one day.

    1. Grey A o 1797. p.12

    12

    XI. Assimilating Scotch system of representation to England

    1. Brand A o 1810 p.15

    11

    XII. Excluding from seats persons holding offices without responsibility.

    1. Brand A o 1810 p.15