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There have since been altercations of equal bitterness. The deepest wounds which sarcasm and invective rages of deco- could inflict, have been unsparingly dealt to polititimes. cal opponents. Combatants "have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adder's poison is under their lips." But good taste and a stricter order in debate, have restrained the grosser outrages to decency. The weapons of debate have been as keen and trenchant as ever; but they have been wielded according to the laws of a more civilized warfare. The first years of the Reformed Parliament threatened the revival of scenes as violent and disorderly as any in the last century; but as the host of new members became disciplined by experience, and the fierce passions of that period subsided, the accustomed decorum of the House of Commons was restored.

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Indeed, as the Commons have advanced in power and freedom, they have shown greater self-restraint, thority of the and a more ready obedience to the authority of Chair. the Speaker. They have always been more or

derly in their proceedings than the Lords; and the contrast which the scenes of the first twenty years of George III. present to those of later times, can scarcely fail to strike an attentive student of Parliamentary history.

What would now be thought of such scenes as those enacted in the time of Sir John Cust, Sir Fletcher Norton, and Mr. Cornwall, of rebukes and interruptions,2- of unseemly altercations with the Chair, of the words of the Speaker himself being taken down, — and of a motion that

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1 Mr. Sheil and Lord Althorp, 5th Feb. 1834.- Hansard's Deb., 3d Ser., xxi. 146. Mr. Rigby Wason and Lord Sandon, 12th March, 1834. - Ibid. xxii. 116. Mr. Romayne and Mr. O'Connell, 6th May, 1834. — Ibid. xxiii. 24. Mr. Hume and Mr. Charlton, 3d June, 1835.- Ibid. xxvii. 485. 22d

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Ibid. 879.
tween Mr. Rigby and the Speaker, Sir John Cust, i
Deb. i. 342. And between Sir J. Cavendish and
h 9th, 1769. — Ibid 567. Mr. Burke and the
Ibid. 878. Scenes with Sir Fletcher Norton, '
March 12th and 27th, 1771. - Ibid. ii. 390.

they were disorderly and dangerous to the freedom of debate? 1

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In concluding this sketch of Parliamentary oratory, a few words may be added concerning the general stand- General ard of debate in the House of Commons. If standard of debate. that standard be measured by the excellence of the best speakers at different periods, we have no cause to be ashamed of the age in which our living orators and statesmen have flourished. But judged by another test, this age has been exposed to disparaging criticisms. When few save the ablest men contended in debate, and the rank and file were content to cheer and vote, a certain elevation of thought and language was, perhaps, more generally sus tained. But, of late years, independent members, active, informed, and business-like, -representing large interests,more responsible to constituents, and less devoted to party chiefs, living in the public eye, and ambitious of distinc tion, have eagerly pressed forward, and claimed a hearing. Excellence in debate has suffered from the multiplied demands of public affairs. Yet in speeches without pretensions to oratory, are found strong common sense, practical knowledge, and an honesty of purpose that was wanting in the silent legions of former times. The debates mark the activity, and earnest spirit of a representative assembly. At all times there have been some speakers of a lower grade, - without instruction, taste, or elevation. Formerly their commonplace effusions were not reported: now they are freely read, and scornfully criticised. They are put to shame by the writers of the daily press, who discuss the same subjects with superior knowledge and ability Falling below the educated mind of the country, they brug discredit upon the House of Commons, while they impair its legislative efficiency. But worse evils than these have been overcome; and we may hope to see this abuse of free discussion eventually corrected, by a less tolerant endurance on the art of the House, and by public reprobation and contempt.

1 Feb. 16th, 1770; Parl. Hist. xvi. 807.

INDEX TO VOL. I.

ABERCORN, Earl of, his rights as
peer of Great Britain and of Scot-
land, 234.

Abercromby, Mr., his motion on
Scotch representation, 286.
Aberdeen, Earl of, the Reform Bill
of his ministry, 357.

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A, Court, Colonel, deprived of com-
mand for votes in parliament, 36.
Addington, Mr., mediates between
Geo. III. and Pitt on the Catholic
question, 86-88; forms an admin-
istration, 88; official difficulties
caused by the King's illness at
this juncture, 163-165; his rela-
tions with the King, 89; resigns
office, 91; leads the King's
friends," 90; takes office under
Pitt, 91; made a peer, ib.; his
declaration as to the King's com-
petency for business, 167; permits
debate on notice of motion, 319, n.
See Sidmouth, Viscount.
Addresses to the crown, from parlia-
ment, respecting peace and war,
or the dissolution of parliament,
430, 431; from the people, for a
dissolution, 432; Lord Camden's
opinion, 433; this right affirmed
by vote of the Commons, 434.
Admiralty Court, judge of, disquali-
fied from parliament, 299.
Althorp, Lord, the Melbourne min-
istry dismissed, on his removal
from the Commons, 125.
American colonies, the war with,
stopped by the Commons, 58. 430.
Anne, Queen, land revenues at her
accession, 189; their alienation re-
strained, 190; her civil list and
debts, 192; increase of peerage
during her reign, 224; created

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BAKER, Mr., his motion against Geo.
III.'s secret counsellors, 67.
Ballot, vote by, motions for adoption
of, 330, 352.

Baronetage, past and present num-
bers of, 260.
Barré, Colonel, deprived of com-
mand for votes in parliament, 36;
resigns his commission, 51; passed
over in a brevet, ib.
"Bedchamber Question, the," 31.
Bedford, Duke of, remonstrates

against Lord Bute's influence, 40.
Berkeley, Mr. H., his motions for the
ballot, 354.

Bishops, their number in the House,
242; attempts to exclude them,
243; their present position, 245;
their votes upon the Reform Bill,
250, 251: Irish representative
bishops, 229.

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Blandford, Marquess of, his schemes
of reform, 326.
Bolingbroke, Lord, his theory of "
patriot king," 23.
Boroughs, different rights of election
in, 266, 283; nomination boroughs.
265, 267, 283, 288, 289; numbers
of voters in, 267, 283, 289; seats
for, bought or rented, 270, 276;
advertised for sale, 270; prices of,
271, 272, 275, 276, 292; law passed
against the sale of boroughs, 276;
government boroughs, 277.
Borough-brokers," 272.

66

Boyer, reports debates in parlia-
ment, 391.

Brand, Mr., his motion against the
pledge required of the Grenville
ministry, 96.

Bribery at elections, prior to parlia-
mentary reform, 267; commenced
in reign of Charles II., 268; sup-
ported by George III., 274, 276;
acts to restrain, 264, 270, 274, 277;
bribery since the Reform Act, 341;
later bribery acts, 344, 347; proof
of agency, 344; inquiry by com-
mission, 345; gross cases, 346;
travelling expenses, 347; policy
of legislation, 348.

Bribery of members of parliament.
See Members of the House of
Commons.

Brougham, Lord, his motion against
influence of the crown, 117; opin-
ion on life peerages, 238; advises,
as chancellor, the creation of new
peers, 251; his motion for reform,
332; on the duration of parlia-
ment, 349.

Buckingham, Marquess of, refuses to
transmit the Irish address to the
Prince of Wales, 162.

Burdett, Sir F., his schemes of re-
form, 322, 323; committed for con-
tempt, 409; resists the warrant,
422; apprehended by force, ib.;.
brings actions for redress, 423.
Burgage tenure, franchise, 266.
Burke, Mr., his scheme of economic
reform, 54, 197, 211; drew up the
prince's reply to Pitt's scheme of
a regency, 154; his proposal for
sale of crown lands, 208; for re-
duction of pension list, 211; op-
poses parliamentary reform, 320;
his ideal of representation, 362;
opposes Wilkes's expulsion, 372;

his remarks on pledges to on.
stituents, 418; character of his
oratory, 452, 461.

Bute, county, absurd case of election
for, 285.

Bute, Earl of, his unconstitutional
instructions to George III., 22;
aids his personal interference in
government, 28; his rapid rise, 30;
becomes premier, 31; arbitrary
conduct, ib. 32; and parliamentary
bribery, 301, 304; his fall, 34; se-
cret influence over the King, 31,
38-40; retires from court, 35.

CABINET, the, admission of a judge
to seat in, 93; all the offices in,
held by the Duke of Wellington,
the interior cabinet of George

126;

III., 24.

Calcraft, Mr., deprived of office for
opposition to court policy, 36.
Cainden, Lord, disapproves the Mid-
dlesex election proceedings, 376,
381; defends his conduct in the
cabinet, 378; opinion on popular
addresses to the crown, 433.
Campbell, Lord, his opinion on life
peerages, 239.

Canning, Mr., his conduct regarding
the Catholic question, 87, 98, 118;
in office under Mr. Perceval, 98;
overtures to, from the court, 109;
declines to support George IV.
against his Queen, 113, 116, n.;
character of his oratory, 455.
Carlton House, the cost of, 206.
Carmarthen, Marquess of, proscribed
for opposition to court policy, 56.
Caroline, Queen (of George IV.),
proceedings against, 113-116; the

Divorce Bil, 114; withdrawn, 115.
Catholic Emancipation, opposition
to, by George III., 85, 95; by
George IV., 118; measure carried,
119; a plea for parliamentary re-
form, 326.
Cavendish, Lord J., his motion on
the American war, 58.
Cavendish, Sir H., reports the Com-
mons' debates (1768-1774), 386, n.
Chancellor, Lord. See Great Seal

the.

Charles I., alienates the crown lands
188.

Charles II., crown revenues recov-
ered at accession of, 188; subse-
quent waste, ib.; appropriates

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