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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Personal Volume

A Pointed Question

A Pointed Question

The people had, as he said, these things, and it was their duty to ask what was the result of this political reform? Was the Parliament in the present day better than the Parliament of 20 years ago? ('Yes' and 'no') Was the Government purer than Governments had been in the past? ('Yes' and 'no') It would be his duty to show that the Parliament was not as free and able as it was 20 years ago, and to point out that there were things done now by the present Government that sapped the very foundations of Liberalism, and that would have been repudiated by every Chartist. Could he and his audience agree first of all what a Parliament should be, and what a Government should be? If they were Liberals, he presumed they would agree that Parliament should be the place into which the electors tried to put the ablest men. Surely in the Parliament of the colony they should try to getable, self respecting, and upright men. (Hear, hear.) Of course, the men elected would be expected to carry out the views they had expressed on the platform which would be the views of the majority of the electors. But it was also expected that they should have some ideas and opinions of their own. When members were sent to the House it could not be expected that upon all questions on which they would have to give their votes, or to express their opinions, the electors had decided. Therefore the members were not called delegates but representatives, because it was expected, on many occasion?, they would have to bring to the exercise of their duties great ability and he (the speaker) hoped conseientions conviction.