Added by Marjie Bloy, Senior Research Fellow, National
University of Singapore, with thanks to Alan Heesom for the text
of the document. The Duke of Wellington made this speech, in
answer to a question posed by Earl Grey as to whether the Tory
government would introduce a measure for parliamentary reform.
Part of the Duke's response was as follows: The noble Earl
[Grey] had alluded to the propriety of effecting Parliamentary
Reform. The noble Earl had, however, been candid enough to
acknowledge that he was not prepared with any measure of reform,
and he could have no scruple in saying that His Majesty's
Government was as totally unprepared with any plan as the noble
Lord. Nay, he, on his own part, would go further, and say, that
he had never read or heard of any measure up to the present
moment which could in any degree satisfy his mind that the state
of the representation could be improved, or be rendered more
satisfactory to the country at large than at the present moment.
He would not, however, at the pres