DISCONTENTS***




Transcribed from the 1886 Cassell & Company edition by David Price, email
ccx074@pglaf.org and proofing by David, Terry L. Jeffress, Edgar A.
Howard.





THOUGHTS
ON THE
PRESENT DISCONTENTS,
AND
SPEECHES


BY
EDMUND BURKE.

CASSELL & COMPANY, LIMITED:
_LONDON_, _PARIS_, _NEW YORK & MELBOURNE_.
1886.

Contents

Introduction
Thoughts on the Present Discontents
Speech on the Middlesex Election.
Speech on the Powers of Juries in Prosecutions for Libels.
Speech on a Bill for Shortening the Duration of Parliaments
Speech on Reform of Representation in the House of Commons




INTRODUCTION


Edmund Burke was born at Dublin on the first of January, 1730.  His
father was an attorney, who had fifteen children, of whom all but four
died in their youth.  Edmund, the second son, being of delicate health in
his childhood, was taught at home and at his grandfather's house in the
country before he was sent with his two brothers Garrett and Richard to a
school at Ballitore, under Abraham Shackleton, a member of the Society of
Friends.  For nearly forty years afterwards Burke paid an annual visit to
Ballitore.

In 1744, after leaving school, Burke entered Trinity College, Dublin.  He
graduated B.A. in 1748; M.A., 1751.  In 1750 he came to London, to the
Middle Temple.  In 1756 Burke became known as a writer, by two pieces.
One was a pamphlet called "A Vindication of Natural Society."  This was
an ironical piece, reducing to absurdity those theories of the excellence
of uncivilised humanity which were gathering strength in France, and had
been favoured in