division. The following speech was made on the second night of
the debate.

It is a circumstance, Sir, of happy augury for the motion before
the House, that almost all those who have opposed it have
declared themselves hostile on principle to Parliamentary Reform.
Two Members, I think, have confessed that, though they disapprove
of the plan now submitted to us, they are forced to admit the
necessity of a change in the Representative system. Yet even
those gentleman have used, as far as I have observed, no
arguments which would not apply as strongly to the most moderate
change as to that which has been proposed by His Majesty's
Government. I say, Sir, that I consider this as a circumstance
of happy augury. For what I feared was, not the opposition of
those who are averse to all Reform, but the disunion of
reformers. I knew that, during three months, every reformer had
been employed in conjecturing what the plan of the Government
would be. I knew that every reformer had imagined in his own
mind a scheme differing doubtless in some points from that which
my noble friend, the Paymaster of the Forces, has developed. I
felt therefore great apprehension that one person would be
dissatisfied with one part of the bill, that another person would
be dissatisfied with another part, and that thus our whole
strength would be wasted in internal dissensions. That
apprehension is now at an end. I have seen with delight the
perfect concord which prevails among all who deserve the name of
reformers in this House; and I trust that I may consider it as an
omen of the concord which will prevail among reformers throughout
the country. I will not, Sir, at present express any opinion as
to the details of the bill; but, having during the last twenty-