1819 Sept. 22

Parl. Reform Bill

Reasons ult o

§.2. Electors Who

Beginning

7

The Constitution! the Constitution! O matchless Constitution! What? are you an enemy to the Constitution? then are you an enemy to social order: and your wish is to destroy all property .... Such is the cry of those who by sinister interests by interest-begotten prejudice, by authority-begotten prejudice or by indigenous weakness are engaged in the defence of abuse in all its shapes – to the exclusion of the only efficient remedy.

To analyse the[?] idea this same Constitution – to examine, as above, into its normal component parts – to see by which of them that which is good in it /the good effects of it/ by which of them the evil effects of it are produced – this is a task which by no man it is believed has ever yet been steadily if at all engaged in it. The discerning few whose actuating motive is the sinister interest of which they themselves are conscious will not open their eyes or rather will not acknowledge what they see: the others who are led blindfold by them dare not open theirs /their eyes/

What good there is they see /blind as they are they feel/ they can not ascribe it to any part of the Monarchy by name: they see /feel/ that they can not ascribe any part of it to the Aristocracy by name. But the Monarchy forms part of the Constitution: the Aristocracy forms part of the Constitution: they magnify /la/ they laud they trumpet forth the Constitution: and thus it is that as it were by stealth they ascribe to each of those several parts those good effects in the production of which neither the one nor the other has any the least share.

☞ Insert the Balance?