PHI LOS 0 P H Y . - Classic Works of Apologetics Online

368
Now, if the COUJltr)~ be not safe in ~UCil hands, ir~
whose may it ~onfid~ its interests? If such a nUItlfJer
J
of such men be liable to the il1flu~nce of corrupt tno ..
tives, what assclnbly of nlen \\,ill be secure from the
same danger? Does any Dtw scheme of representation
promise to collect tog,·ther more wi~dom, or to
produce firmer integrity? In this view of the subject~
alld attending not to ideas of order and proportion,
(of which many minds are much enamoured) but to
€ff~cts al()n~, \1i~ (!lay disco,"er just excuses for those
parts of the present representation. \\,hich appear to
a hasty observer most exceptionable and absurd. It
should be remembered as a rJlaxitD extl-emely applicable
to thj~ ~ubject, that no orJer or assembly of men
whatever can long Inaintain their place arId autho.rity
in a miXed government, of \\Pilich the Inembers do
not individually po~sess a respectable share of personal
importance. Now, wllatever fllay be -the defects of
the present arrang?ment, it infallibly secures a great
weight of property to the house of commons, by rendering
mally seats in that house acces~ible to men of
large fort\lnes, and to such ffit'll alone. By which
Oleans those characters are engaged in the defence of
the sepantte rights and interests of thi~ brallch of thE"
legislature, that are be,t able to support its claims.
1"he constirutioa of li"Jost of tI1e small boroughs, es ..
pecially the burgage tenure, contributes, though un~
designedly, to th.e same effect; for the appointment
of the representatives we find comll1only ajlnexed to
certain great inheritances. Elections purely popular
are in this respect uncertain : in times of tral~q uilli ty ~
the natural ascendency of \\Tea)th will pre\'ail; but
when the minds of men are infla med by political dis ..
sensions, thi~ influence often yidds to more impetu'
ous motives.-Thc variety of ~l'nures and qualifica ..
tions, upon which the right of votillg is founded, appears
to nle a reCOi11111c.."11t!ati()Tl fJf r.l)c tll()Je \vJlich
now subsists, as it tends to introduce into parliament
a correspondillg 111ixturc ()f- cllaractcrs ~1Illi pr()tessions.
It has been long ohserv(~d, that (.'ow'pictlou:)
abilities arc mo~t freqU(\lltly found "ith the r"lJrcsen.
tatin:s of small boroughs, And this is nothing more