I  am  not  much  of  an  enthusiast,  but  I  cannot  help  being  con-
vinced, that  this  measure,  if  now  paf^sed,  will  not  only  give  content-


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PARLIAMENTARY  REFORM.  73

ment  to  the  people,  bnt  will  be  a  guarantee  for  good  government  in
future.  I  should  hope,  that  the  political  party  from  whom  the
measure  originates,  who  have  been  striying  for  it  during  the  last
fifty  years,  will  remain  in  power  to  carry  it  into  execution,  and  to
preside  over  the  destinies  of  the  country,  with  that  steady  nrgard
for  civil  and  religious  liberty,  which  haying  long  excluded  them  (torn
office,  has  under  this  auspicious  reign  obtained  for  them  the
favour  of  the  sovereign.  But  if  from  the  fickleness  of  the  popular
gale,  or  from  loss  of  Court  favour,  or  from  their  own  misconduct,
they  are  driven  from  the  helm,  and  they  are  replaced  by  the  leaders
of  the  Tory  party,  we  shall  have  little  to  fear  from  the  obnoxious
doctrines  of  Toryism,  which  will  no  more  be  professed,  and  cannot
be  long  acted  upon.  Pass  this  bill,  and  you  give  such  a  direct  and
overpowering  impetus  to  enlightened  public  opinion,  that  it  will  be
of  much  less  importance  what  poHtical  appellation  is  given  to  the
party  to  which  Ministers  are  said  to  belong.  K  the  Right  Honour-
able Gentleman  should  again  accept  office,  and  would  retain  it,
although  called  the  Conservative  or  Tory  leader,  he  must  conform  to
Beform, — ^he  must  abjure  orange  ascendancy  in  Ireland, — ^he  must
never  think  of  reviving  the  Six  Acts  in  England, — ^he  must  without
r^ard  to  the  interests  of  particular  classes,  follow  the  line  of  com-
mercial policy  best  adapted  to  secure  plenty  and  comfort  to  the  great
mass  of  our  population.
