1818 Decr 23

Parl. Reform Bill

Dialogue

Preliminary View

Evils & Remedies

I Evils

30

11

or a novel, so as it is not /but it must not be/ a long one

Reformist. Well: what think of you of Peers and Bishops?

Anti-Reformist. {What is this I hear?} /Peers and Bishops?/ What? Destroy the

balance? Destroy the Constitution? {Violate that fundamental principle, consecrated

by the ever memorable Resolve of the House of Commons? – Heavens! Who am I talking

to? why surely you are an aristocrat, a rank /Tory/ aristocrat – in disguise?}

Reformist. See what it is to have a delicate conscience. Well now. Peers, say | |:

Bishops, say | |: Votes in one Election District, say 4000. All these suppose

collected into a body, to give them votes in one and the same district. In this way

would they have any chance worth mentioning of filling the seat belonging to that one

district? Yet, now that by the Peers alone, out of the 648 seats | | more or less are

filled, all this is as it should be. No balance destroyed no principle violated.

Anti-Reformist. Come, we have had enough of this /Enough enough/. Come. I should

like to see how many more sets of inadmissible voters /persons/ you would give

admission to.

Reformist. Madmen Peers and Bishops you have already: {indeed having madmen you have

Peers in no small proportion without need of special mention, especially in

Scotland.} Add to these, for aught I care, Convicts, Alien friends, Alien enemies so

called: and what is more Excise men, and all other Government Office-holders

/bearers/ without distinction or reserve: and to close the list, bring up /add/ the

Emperor of Japan, the Emperor of China, the Grand Turk the Pope of Rome and not

forgetting the Pretender as soon as there is one /ever we have another/ should that

part of our Establishment ever be revived.