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"and labour; of the waste of life, and of treasure in ill contrived " and ill conducted expeditions; of the attempts, which for many years past, and especially within the last three years, have been "made, and, with but too much success to crush public liberty in "all its branches, and especially the liberty of freely discussing the " conduct of public men, and the nature and tendency of public "measures.”—The " CRIMINAL DECEPTION upon the parliament " and the people, respecting his Majesty's incapacity," as carried on a few years since, is most properly reprobated; and that "great "grievance-so prominent in the odiousness of its nature, as well "as in the magnitude of its mischievous consequences-the present representation in the common's house of parliament,” is marked as a "particular object of complaint, and of his royal highness's "virtuous abhorrence!" the reform of which is represented as absolutely necessary" for the safety of the crown, the happiness "of the people, and the peace and independence of the country." We earnestly hope that the citizens of London are correct in their statement of "his royal highness's abhorrence of the present corrupt state of our representation;" but we wish they had received an answer somewhat more satisfactory. To talk of the "state of unrivalled prosperity and happiness," which the people of this country now enjoy, and referring to the " disposition, and "the example of his royal father, corresponding with his own disposition to listen to the complaints of those who may think them"selves aggrieved," is holding out but slender hopes of redress. If we are in possession of "unrivalled prosperity and happiness," we have scarcely a right to complain of grievances. We know little of the " disposition of the Regent's royal father" on this important subject; what the people have a right to judge of is, "the "disposition of his servants;" and if "their example" is to be held up for imitation, all we can say is-that so far from having "shewn the least disposition to listen to the complaints of those "who may think themselves aggrieved," the whole course of their administration proves the truth of the statements in the address, that our grievances have by them been accumulated in a mauner. scarcely to be endured by a suffering, an oppressed, but a loyal people. We must therefore consider the answer of the Prince Regent, as conveying the sentiments of ministers rather than his own. This awkward situation of our national affairs cannot well last much longer. If the bulletins issued for nearly a month past by the royal physicians are not deceptions, the period of his Majesty's restoration to his usual health, cannot be far distant. Every day we are assured" his Majesty is in a state of amendment, going "on very favourably." The Prince Regent therefore may deem it advisable not to encourage hopes which he probably will not be

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able to realize; but we beg leave to observe, that such a confused state of affairs cannot be patiently endured. Every other consideration must at length give way, and be swallowed up in that of the last importance, the salvation of the British empire, which cannot be effected but by an entire change of system, aud a radical reform in the departments of government in general, and in the representative branch in particular.

REPORTED CHANGE OF MINISTERS.

During the late discussions on the Regency, reports were very, prevalent respecting a change of ministers; and it appears by the Prince Regent's letter to Mr. Perceval, that such reports were not without foundation; and that it was the idea of his Majesty's recovery shortly taking place which alone determined his royal highness not to remove the present cabinet. There were two noblemen talked of as the head and representative of two administrations, whose opinions are somewhat of a different description-Lord HOLLAND and Lord GRENVILLE. The friends of PEACE and REFORM had some hopes of the nation, when they heard that Mr. WHITBREAD was to be associated with the former; and the very report gave alarm, more particularly to the secretary of the admiralty, Mr. CROKER, as that gentleman acknowledged in a late debate, as well as to the friends of war and abuses in general. Mr. Whitbread on account of his virtuous independence, constitutional opinions, firmness and consistency in the cause of civil and religious liberty, his pacific sentiments, and his zeal for reform, has not hitherto been deemed a very proper associate for any administration: his ample fortune has rendered him superior to those temptations which prove rather too powerful for the virtue and independence of certain hon. gentlemen who by the description they give of themselves, may be considered as a species of needy adventurers.*

* In a debate in the house of Commons, on Mr. CURWEN's bill, respecting the sale of seats in parliament, Lord PORCHESTER in defending Sir F. BURDETT, made some remarks" on the suspicious conduct of leading "men on different sides of the house." These remarks called up Mr. TIERNEY, who observed-" That he believed from his soul, that it was the "wish of the hon. baronet and his friends not to have many supporters in "that house, lest their designs should fail, and the public begin to think "too favourably of the house!" After pouring forth a torrent of abuse against the friends to a reform of parliament, who had lately assembled at the Crown and Anchor, declaring amongst other falsehoods-" That it was "their plan to raise a cry by which the infatuated people might be hurried "to their ruin, by hinting at corruptions which never had existence, and "raising expectations which never could be gratified," he proceeded to charge the hon. baronet with " calumniating his character," and offered an apology

Had Lord Holland and Mr. Whitbread been consulted on the formation of an administration, that grand measure a REFORM OF PARLIAMENT must have constituted the foundation principle of their plan. The opinions of the hon. gentleman, and which he has uniformly maintained, and warmly supported during the whole of his public career, are too well known to need a repetition, The subject of parliamentary reform not having been so frequently introduced in the house of Lords as in the house of Commons, Lord Holland has had less frequent opportunities of delivering his sentiments; but he has sufficiently pledged himself, and his pledge has never been forfeited, like that of so many public men; and we trust it never will be. As his lordship, it has been reported, has of late enjoyed much of the confidence of the Prince Regent, it will we trust afford pleasure to our readers to recollect his sentiments on this important subject. In a debate in the house of Lords, June 26, 1807, alluding to some circumstances attending the dissolution of the late parliament, his lordship remarked as follows:-" Minis"ters have the supplies in their hands, from the nature of the taxes; "and if they can appropriate them without coming to parliament, "what security have we that parliaments will be assembled at all? "My lords, these daily growing infringements of the constitution, "demand our most serious and earnest attention. I who think the influence of the crown has increased, is increasing, and ought to "be diminished, am a friend to frequent appeals to the people, but "not by means of dissolution. Let parliaments instead of SEPTENNIAL, be TRIENNIAL, or I would not object to their being "ANNUAL; let there be stated earlier periods for a recurrence to the sense of the people, but let not parliaments be threatened "with dissolution." With these opinions his lordship cannot consent to be the head of, or even to take a seat in, a cabinet, where that important branch of parliamentary regeneration, a restoration

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for his own conduct, which together with his language already quoted,, ought to be more particularly recollected at a time when the right hon. gentleman, it is pretty well understood, is eagerly looking up to some place under a new administration. "It is true," said Mr. T. "The worthy' baronet, who had never warded off any real danger, but who had fluttered "about during his public life, a political sea gull, screaming and spluttering about foul weather which never arrived!—It is true the worthy "baronet had never been troubled with office: perhaps his own immense. "fortune might have exempted him from its cares, or perlaps he had never "been importuned on the subject. Certainly he, Mr. T. had been in "office, FOR HE HAD NOT SUCH A FORTUNE AS COULD SUPPORT HIM INDEPENDENTLY OUT OF IT!" (See Pol. Rev. Vol. VI. p. 6.) It is a pity, that, after this modest avowal of his views in getting into office, the right hon. gentleman did not inform the house, who so charitably supported him out of office!

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of triennial parliaments does not constitute a principle of its formation.

It was, however, positively stated in those public prints which are supposed to have authentic information, that "Lords GRENVILLE "and GREY had received the commands of the Prince Regent to "draw up for his inspection a list of members for a new administra"tion." It is right the public should know the opinions of these statesmen on the subject alluded to: and for the sentiments of the former, we have only to refer to the debate just quoted. Lord Grenville observed—“ Various opinions had been circulated respect"ing the duration of parliament; FOR HIS PART HE DECLARED "HIMSELF IN FAVOUR OF THE SEPTENNIAL BILL, as he consi"dered the frequent appeals of ministers to the sense of the people, "when they found members not agreeable, would tend to the em"barrassment of public business, if not something worse, a con"tempt of parliament, and the rendering of it, as an institution "burdensome to the people."-What renders this parliamentary logic the more curious is, that during his lordship's own administration, which had recently been dismissed, he had effected a dissolution of parliament if order to increase his majority, although that parliament had not existed above three years. Lord Holland's observations sufficiently refute Lord Grenville's. It is to prevent minister's making an ill use of the prerogative of dissolving parliaments, and of taking the people by surprise as has been generally the casefor the past thirty years, that constitutes one principal argument for their demanding a repeal of that most scandalous violation of a Briton's birth right—the Septennial act, and the restoration of that right -Triennial representation, confirmed at the Revolution. As to Lord Grey, who since he was first in place, and ever since he was turned out of place, seems to have surrendered his understanding to the guidance of Lord Grenville, the same language may be applied to his conduct, which his lordship once applied to the statesinan he has lately been in the habit of panegyrising, "the great man now no "more ;" and whom he told to his face in the house of Commons that his public life, since he had been in office, exhibited “one con"tinued tissue of apostacy." Lord Grey has publicly avowed his sentiments on the subject of parliamentary as well as other reform, and on the subject of catholic emancipation, to be precisely those of his noble friend. Lord Grenville's sentiments on the first of these subjects we have already seen; as to his sentiments on the latter, his ill-judged, foolish letter to the catholics convinced that body that he had sacrificed their cause to the nonsense of the Veto.-On the subject of the WAR, the last sessions afforded a complete triumph to

Pol. Rev. Vol. II. p. 9,16.

Lord Grey's opponent, that is, his opponent so far as it relates to the possession of place-Lord Liverpool, who made an observation similar to that made by Mr. Perceval, in the house of Commons, respecting catholic emancipation-"That as to the PRINCIPLE of "the war, and the impossibility of making peace, he was happy to "find there was little difference between ministers and their oppo"nents."-Indeed we believe, and the people in general seem to be of the same opinion, that it is a matter of comparative indifference whether Lord Grenville and Lord Grey on the one hand, or Mr. Perceval and Lord Liverpool on the other, have the guidance of their affairs; the two latter have never deceived them, and it will be rather difficult for the two former to play the same game over again.

We have thus laid before our readers the opinions, on subjects of great moment, of those statesmen who have recently been consulted by the Prince Regent respecting the formation of a new administration. The editor of the Morning Chronicle has taken great pains to convince the public that the utmost cordiality has subsisted amongst the opposition leaders, and that they repose the most entire confidence in each other. We wish he had further informed us of the grounds of this "cordiality, and confidence;" and whether Lords Grenville and Grey had reformed their opinions, or Lords Holland, Erskine, &c. and Mr. Whitbread had apostatized from theirs: the latter it is impossible even to imagine; we would hope the former; and the friends to peace and reform would most willingly demonstrate their joy, on the return of these or any other of our state prodigals, by killing for them the fatted calf: but we dare not flatter our readers, that this is the case till we have some evidence on the subject. The public must, however, in the formation of a new ministry have no trifling; no halting, no trimming, no time-serving. If the Prince Regent does not make substantial and radical reform, and more particularly a repeal of the septennial act, a PRINCIPLE of his new cabinet; if this principle be not made the condition, the sine qua non of office, his royal highness may as well put up with the present set. They, indeed, by persevering in the system of their master, "the great man now no more," will most assuredly ruin the country: and any other administration which may attempt to govern by means of corrupt, septennial parliaments can never save it. Should the house of Commons obstinately refuse to reform itself, let the Prince Regent then appeal to the people by a dissolution of parliament. If the people do not properly answer this appeal by choosing representatives of a very different description, GOD Almighty help the country, for nothing but a miracle can save it from utter destruction!

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