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subject of free-trade—if he taferuiran account of a meeting in some agricultural county , he will find that great applause was given to those who pointed out the selfishness and cupidity of manufacturers , and attributed tbeir efforts to those reelings . On the other hand , at meetings held in great manufacturing towns , tie landed aristocracy were held np to odium , and tbeir monopoly of power was denounced to the people as the greatest of evils . Bat there remained a great number of people w 3 ) o neither listened to nor believed in either of these representations . A great portion of . the people , consisting ! of many of the most moderate and calm men in the country , thought , and justly thought , that the landed aristocracy were useful to the country , that they contributed an important element to the free and settled institutions of the State ; and they thought , on the other hand , that the country derived tie greatest benefit from the industry and spirit of the manufacturing class . If you think that nothing but large cities and counties should be represented , you will want that mediating element , that infusion of moderation which is derived from thodfe who are not sent by either of those classes uioae uiaasea
. " . He now stated what he actually would do on the subject : — " Sir , I have stated that at the time 67 the Reform Bill I said theje were a certain small number of boroughs which would still have a sufficient number of electors to enable them to make an independent election of members to serve them in Parliament . I find the number of electors which I then stated I thought all boroughs to have at least , to enable them to send members to this House , was 300 . I find , how-: ever , th&re are several boroughs whose constituencies fall be- j low that number . I find , likewise , that there are boroughs ! which , although they have more than the number of 300 electors , are yet of a population which is not considerablein fact , falling below 5000 . I should propose , therefore , to deal with the boroughs which are in that position . ( Hear . )
Going oa to some « t the boroughs which are not so small , I , find there is a certain number of other boroughs which have ' less than 500 electors , and others which have a population of less than 10 , 000 , though more than 500 electors , which re- 1 turn two members . I propose to deal with those boroughs 1 by taking away one of their members . ( Cheers . ' ) Ihe ' number of boroughs—takiDg the doable return of electors and population , which come under 300 electors , and the i others which have 300 electors and a population of 5000—' are 19 , and they send 29 members feo this House . ( Hear , j hear . ) The number of boroughs which will come into the > next table , which have either less than 500 electors or less \ than 10 , 000 population , are no fewer in number than 33 . Now , therefore , if th « former boroughs were entirely disfran- chised , there would be < no less than 62 seats by which the ; number of this Honse would be diminished . " i
exceeds two-fifths of the whole number of elector * , the persons forming that minority should be enabled to have one of the three representatives which were given . The consequence of this alteration would be to give to the West Biding of the county of York four additional members , and four to the southern division of Lancashire . There would then be , I think , 38 members for the Sther counties , making 46 altogether . With respect to towns having mare than 100 , 000 inhabitants , there are nine which come within this category , ° vi ( hout including those which are metropolitan boroughs , for we have considered the metropolitan boroughs as forming parts of one great city , and not as separate cities and towns . There -would be , as I said , eight towns of more than 100 , 000
^ habitants , to which one additional member would be given , and to Salford , containing upwards of 80 , 000 inhabitants , <) ne member would also be given , being an addition of bine for towns which now return members . We propose also that one member be given to three towns which have more than 20 , 000 inhabitant ^ and which are pot at present rerresented ; they are Birkenbead , Staleybridze , ana Bucaley . Cries of * Qk , oA , ' from the -Opposition benches . ' ) Each of these towns contains about 20 , 000 inhabitants . We then propose to give effect to that proposition which has often " been asked in this House , that Kensington and Chelsea should be made into a distinct borough , to "Which two members should be allotted . " .
In continuation of the same section of the measure he stated that two members would be . given to the Inns of Court—a proposition greeted with shouts of laughter—and one to the University of London . Then came the franchise . In 1831 the 102 . rating was adopted . " Now I think that , taking that plan of the franchise , . and abolishing as we did all those , intricate franchises which then existed , we too much confined ourselves to one species of franchise , and did not make th « franchise sufficiently various or sufficiently comprehensive . We propose on the present occasion that there should be several franchises , which should be common to counties and towns—that a person having any of these qualifications should vote in the place in which lie
resides , and should exercise his vote there , Whether he fce resident in a county or borough returning -a member to Parlia ment . The first of these qualifications which we propose ia LOOJ . a year - © f salary derived from any employment , whether public-or private . The amount of salary stated must , however , be received half-yearly or quarterly , in order that this franchise may not include those persons who are paid by weekly wages . I consider that this franchise will bring in a very large body , of able and deserving men who are not householders , and Vho do not come in at all under the denomination of householders under the existing system . The next franchise -which we propose is one of 1 < M . a year derived From fliviiendB from property either in the Fosids , or in Bank Stock , or in East India Company ' s Stock . The third is
somewhat similar , though rather higher than , that which I proposed twe years since—viz ., a 40 s . payment either of income tax or assessed taxes within , the year . Thoe ^ whe now pay the income tax . will be entitled to the vote , and when they lose the vote in consequence of this part of the qualification ceasing , they wTU receive , as a compensation for their loss , the benefit of having got Tid of the tax . ( JMugikter . ) Wealsopropose that all graduates of any university in the United Kingdom—suitable means being , of course , devised for compelling persons claiming this franchise to prove their right —shall have the right of voting , because they may be fiwly considered as being persons of education and intelligence . We also propose that any person having a deposit Of . 502 . in the savings bank —( cheers )— -and having had that deposit
for not less titan three years , shall be entitled to vote . { Renewed cheers , ) I think , if the term were fixed at less than three years , there -would be very considerable danger of iictitious votes being created . But where bond jlHe holders of a sum of 5 QL in the savings bank can be found , I thick the House will egree with me , that snob a depositor has given such a proof or bis prudenoeand prosperity as should entitle him to take part in elections for members of Parliament . ( Cheers . ) With respect to counties , it may be recollected , that at the time of the introduction of the Reform Bill , the Government did not proposa to depart in principle from the general provision of our constitution—that whila occupation gave the right of voting in cities and boroughs , tenure should give the right of voting in counties . But in the course of
tne progress ot the Kerorm . Bfll through Parliament , -amendments were proposed and carried , by which all 50 / . copyholders obtained the right of voting in counties . Whea that principle was departed from , great opposition was mnntfested , and many reasons were assigned wby the occupation franchise' should not be extended farther . I believe that such an extension would not add considerabl y to the nunrbers of electors in towns sending members to Parliament . JLt the same time , I think it would be a very great advantage if those who lire in towns which have not the right of Bending members to Parliament should yet have in the counties in which they leside some voice in thd' county electiona We propose , therefore , to adopt the principle embodied ia that motion which has more than once been made in this House that the 101 occupier should havo the right of voting ai
county elections . { Cheers fjhm the Ministerial side . ) With respect to this alteration of the franchise , we propose to check an abuse winch has prevuiled to some extent , founded on tlw words of the act— ' any building or any lands occupied therewith . ' Availing themselves of this phraseology of the act , persona have run up shods of the value of not ltatf-acrown u year , and mado up the rest of the qualification by laud , thereby creating a spocieB of voter on whom it was not intended to confor the franchise . Wo propose that , ia this respect , the county right of voting , with tho exception of houKes being of no value , Khali consist in the voter liting or residing in it , but that in all other cases the building must be at least of tlio value of five pounds . ( I ^ auykUsr ^) Of course , I irman five pounds a year . Suppose the hou » e and land to bo vitluod < inu rated at a valuo ot one or two pounds , provided tlw voter icsidca in that house , he will bo entitled to Uic franchiae . But if Llio right to vote should bo claimed in respect touiiy other building ou Lko land , olhor than thehouso
in which the voter resides—it may be a cattle-shed or c ^ hex erection of that kind—then this check shall apply , that tto building must be of the value of 5 L * year . Thu , therefowuil the franchise which we propose to give in counties for voters , and the House will see that it has a very considerable beaxinff upon that question of the increase of Members which Iliave stated we intend to propose for some counties . Out of the whole number of members which £ haw stated , we praposa that forty-Bix should be added to the counties ; but as turn counties will hereafter include all 10 / , householders , it Is obvious that the representation of the counties will be leas of a special character than it has hitherto been . ( Ironical cheersJfcamihe Opposition beaches . ) It appears to me to be desirable that this should be so , because it seems to ma that all thes «~ endeavoure t « run down tho agricultural interest ,
or to ran down the manufacturing interest , are -perfectly foolish and absurd , and that there could be no better representation than that which takes into consideration the nt-hoU of the great interests of this country—{ cheers ) —and which considers them alias contributing to ttaegloryand j » rosi > erity of a . great country . { Cheers . ) How 1 come to the question of the franchise for the boroughs . Ji certainly appearrto me that in taking a 10 ? . franchise > so absolutely as we did in , 1831 , wa did not make a sufficient . provision ibr the Emission of the working classes into the njht of votings ( Otaera . ) It was not intended , as has been -supposed ^ jtaat * he ouddl classes should be exclusively the olectori in cities . ^ and lorouehs ; but still It was suDDosed—as Jhai actually-4 ak *
place—that the middle classes would . < 4 Mr 4 * -yj ^^ eiji » rJt ? ty » of the jower in iheir hands , and that in id ^ they ^© uld have a , jjreat influence upon , the future , oandq « t ;^> f taa Bar- » UamentB « f the country . In the cons ^ uewi ^ ^ Moh-baTe followed that act , I am prepared to nuSfttain ^ an f > psnioil which 1 still think : the right one . I think it wasmdat ^ esirable that the middle classes of thk country should ; huWA great influence upoa its fortunes ; but , xX ikeI sami time , looking at the character of the fatsxaz tlasies Offtbii country—seeing how much the wealth ot this country depends upon -them —( cAeersY—» I . think we nought to efidflMtvosf to give them * higher position in resp ^ tSelection , of usn >> berg of Parliament than that which thw nowoceanT . "' '
Therefore he proposed to giy « tfari ^ t . of-voting ; t » all persons who are rated , at SL a year and . wwardsi 4 > nta « 3 caii dition that they possess the municip ^ form of / residence--that is , a term of about two years ana a half before th ^ . are entitled to be placed on the register ^ aod about . two years and ten months before they can exercise the . rigbtof voting . By this plan you would obtain such « n extension of theitauo chise as would includ « a large number of wqrkingnaen , > and which would not preclude those who amnMstremaEkabl * for the steadiness of , their conduct , or for the ^ skitl and ability with which they carry on thw trade , and who are , in consequence , entitled to live m ^ hoxisas of a ibet ^ e r char acter than those which are occupiedby the ereat mass 6 £ tbeir
fellow irorkmeu . " ( JExjxr * s * wn * wdmatUS . With this change also he proposed to- |« peal the xate-paying clauses bfMhe Beforna Act—a statement thateUcitei chewr ing—* nd as much trouble and-maavrcaaf ^ iotang deioisioiif have attended the examination of v » lists > of vegjutered electors , that the list of registered eleotQCSrOneemadffjibouM be fina ] . __ Also the bill will provide that after tb ^ expirationexisting interests the freemen of citiea and baroughg . aiioald cease to have votes in the elections « f members of Parlia ment , and that any person who may take up bis freedoBD * whether by . birth or by purchase , -should mot thereby Abtaim the rigit of voting in the election of meaabssi of 'F ° nt « nfttt : ( € heers from both sides of the JIouee \ .
44 There is another subject proposed 4 o be dealt with by the proposed bill connected with the scheme of our rejujwwn tation , viz ., an alteration which we psopose to make in th * Act of Anne , which obliges every parson who accep&voffio * Tinder the Crown to vacate his seat and , go to a £ re » li election . Row , the spirit of xhis act was unknown fromt&cUime of the Eevolution until the period when the . statute was ^ assed . Thepaasiqg of the act arose out of a , dispute upon «> great principle , upon which the Whig and Tory party contpleteljc differed , viz ., whether or not the House of Commons should be a tody entirely independent of the Crown , or whether i * should be a body which should contain 'Within it the f \\\ xm tens oi the Crown , and where they , having innutnGft'ffritll
the House , might as it were become , , b y that me « Q | , rtbt Government of the country . The Whigs maintained that the ministers ought to be allowed to have seats ia the House ; the Tories on the other hand contended that it would conduce more to the independence of the House m Commoo » : it all placemen were excluded from it . The one opinion prevailed , the other did not succeed j but as a » ort orexpedioni , and with the view of satisfying those who iriahod to exclude all ministers who served the Crown , it was 'proposed that all ministers should , upon being appointed ttt any place under the Crown , vacate their seats , . and eo to a new election . So long as this Home was unrefotni 0 a ^ - > so long at a number of convenient berooghs existed , which wexe called ' Treasury boroughs , ' and elections ware dependant upon some one connected with the minister , no inconvenience follow « d upon this point . Ale . Canning , Wheat be accepted tho oflic * of Foreign Becrofcary , vaoated niirsMfc for Liverpool , and was immediately . returned for Hwrwaofcu
becattse Harwich was a sure seat , and would not give any trouble to ministers . ( A laugh . ) In the same way there wae always some borough or town in which » sent wtus to be found for any person who was of importance to the minister . But with the introduction of the principle of popular representation there arose difficulties which have nardly 'pem compensated by the » d vantage of havingtlMse new-eleOtiom . Becauso , although the theory is that the member -apgdntteil to office ought to go Ixiforo bis constituents , thfUfmimffnjttfk decide whother the / will have a member to wprflW ^ fhw ^ who i / s a aervunt of the Crown , or whether theyj ^ l (^ jto » aj ^ b ' an independent member , that , in point of fa 11 , / j'MljKultfW which hurtlly ever arises . The question ^ l ^ nrnSSKS g ^ fi f , witL inference to the particular politics of iblf ' WHmXM&r that inomeut , und what are the questions 'wffifflSSff&H most embarrassing to tbo member thus vac « tM ^ WdPl 9 p and whe , ia coniseqiumce , may not obtain t ^ &SbnmSSi return . Tito eOect of tuia is that very often ttiSSSSiS ombiu-iaoood in ito choice of ministers , by lniiiiiu'ffiMllE
Thea came the next defect ia the Reform Bill : — : " The next defect which I have to mention in it is that I think it has tended too much to divide the constituences in a ' way thai they were not divided , into opposite camps , so far < as they were connected with land or with trade . ( JSear , \ hear . ) I think we "lave seen what was not the case before ;' we have seen county members generally exclusively of one party , and members of great manufactairiug cities exclusively , likewise , of another jarty . Perbaps , before i I proceea to state { he mode in which I propose that the sixty-two seats should be filled up , I should state that I think very great advantage would be derived from a change whwh has been proposed in writings and
in pamphlets—I mean the representation of minorities . Of the cumbers who have voted at some of the elections for counties , and for some of the great cities , I find that there are two , three , and four thousand who have voted for the unsuccessful candidates , while , perhaps , not more than one hundred or one hundred and nfty more are to be found on the side of the successful candidates . It appears , to us that many advantages would attend the enabling of the minority to hav « a part in these returns . ' In the first place , there is apt to be a feeling of great irritation and soreness when a very considerable number of the electors , such as those I have stated , are completely shut oat of the representation . In one city or in ono county it may be the Liberal partv . in
great towns it may fce the Conservative party ; but if they form a very largo party , I have been told , though I have no practical experience of it , that a very great degree of anger is felt a . t tbeir perpetual exclusion . In the next place , I think that the more you have youi- representation confined to large populations , the more ought you to take care that there ahould be some kind of , balance preserved , and that large places sending members to this House should send those who represent the interests of the community at large : but when tlere is a verj large body excluded , it cannot be said that tlic community at large is fairly represented . The only mode l > y which this proposed representation of the minority can be effected will te in cases where three members represent a county or city ; and when that is the case , it is obviousthat
, , supposing there bo a decided majority of 100 or 500 , that majority would , at all events , havo two memberB out of the three , and in this House thev would be as two to one in any division Tvhich took place . I think , besides , that the adoption of a plan of this sort would havei a great tendency in pi eventing angry conflicts in those places where elections for members of Parliament might take place . " I proceed now to state the mode of voting ia these cases and which it is necessary to understand in orUor to beablo to form an occurato opinion of tho plan proposed . We take in the first place , tlie West Riding of tho county of York ' whicb . has nearly 800 , 000 inhabitants , besides tho inhabitants < it the towns which aro represented ; and wo tako also the rountj of Lancashire which has , I think , in its southern division about 500 , 000 inhabitants . Wo propose to divide t-neao two divisions of tho counties , b-. it to each of tho divisions
wo propose to give three members . I'rocjeodinp ; with me co- unties and towns , wo propose to give mx additional ww /' mTii t 0 , ench uouuty or each town which lius inoro than UHI OOO inhabitant a . Hut then wo propose Unit in giving ' Hir votes in these ntsos where moinber . s aro to be returned t' « electors ahould vote , us th .-y do at . present , uuly for two mndidates out of tlio three , and that when the minorily
Untitled Article
February 18 , 1854 . ] THE LEADER . ! 47
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Feb. 18, 1854, page 147, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2026/page/3/
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