My lord,
if common fame may be trusted, these puppies are literally tasteless
enough to admire wit, though the man who utters it be ever so corpulent,
and to discover eloquence in the mouth of one, who can suffer himself to
spit in an honourable assembly. I am a plain man, my lord; but I really
think that among marquisses and dukes, right honourables and right
reverends, these things are intolerable.
I would therefore have your lordship give up at once, and with a grace,
the very idea of bringing over to your side the partisans of these huge
slovenly fellows. The scheme of governing the country without taking the
house of commons along with you, is much more feasible than this. This
might be done by passing an act of parliament by the authority of two
estates of the realm, to declare the house of commons useless. For my
part, I am far from thinking this so bold a step as by some it may be
imagined. Was not Rome a free state, though it had no house of commons?
Has not the British house of commons been incessantly exclaimed upon, as
corrupt and nugatory? Has not a reform respecting them been called for
from all quarters of the kingdom? I am much of opinion in the present
case, that that is the most effectual reform, which goes to the root.
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