The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-04-19 00:00:00

PROPOSED AMENDMENTS M THE
PRANCIIISE BILL.

Upon going into Committee on the Representation
of the People Bill, Mr. Chaplin, Mr. Raikes, Mr.
Thomas Collins, Mr. Robert Fowler, Mr. Newdegate,
and Lord Claud Hamilton have each given notices of
motion. Mr. Chaplin's motion, which is first on the
paper, is—" That this House considers that to largely
increase the electoral privileges of the Irish people,
at a time when vast numbers of the population are
bitterly opposed to the English connection; when the
object of their leaders and representatives in Parlia-
ment, openly avowed, is to sever that connection and
establish the National Independence of Ireland; and
when the Government dare not even trust them with
the full enjoyment of their ordinary civil rights, is in-
expedi cnt and dangerous to the welfare of the State,and
cannot fail, with the presentproportion and distribution
of seats to give strength and encouragement, in the pro-
secution of their aims, to the Separatist Party in
Ireland." Mr. Raikes moves an instruction to the
committee to make provision for the redistribution of
seats and for the representation of urban sanitary
districts containing more than 10,000 inhabitants, by
the transfer to them of seats from the less populous
borough constituencies. Mr. Collins moves an in-
struction for the enlargement of the scope of the bill
by the inclusion of redistribution in the United
Kingdom. Mr. Robert Fowler and Mr. Newdegate,
that the bill be committed on "this day six Months";
and Lord Claud Hamilton a resolution to the effect—
" That, in the opinion of this House, any reduction
of the Parliamentary franchise in Ireland under the
existing circumstances of that country is impolitic,
and would be fraught with danger to the State."
In committee on the bill, Lord Claud Hamilton
has given notice of thirty-two amendments which are
mainly directed towards the exclusion of Ireland from
the bill. Mr. Coleridge Kennard and Mr. Stewart
Macliver have amendments for the purpose of remov-
ing the disability attached to the constabulary force.
Mr. MacLaren proposes a sub-section to Clause four,
restricting a voter from being registered in more than
one county, or borough, but leaving him the option of
selecting where he will prefer to vote. Mr. Woodall
moves a clause extending the suffrage to women, and
Mr. Brett one to exclude voters who obtain their
privilege from a degree conferred by a University.
Mr. M'Laren, on this point, has also an amendment
restricting the University voters to :those who live
in or within a radius of seven miles of the
borough or city in which the Univeraty is situ-
ated. In addition to the above two important amend-
ments are proposed, one by Colonel Stanley and
another by Mr. Albert Grey, having for their
motive the suspension for a certain time of
the operation of the bill. Mr. Grey moves the
following new clause: "Notwithstanding anything in
this Act contained, in the event of a vacancy in the
representation of any constituency or of a dissolution
of Parliament taking place, and a writ or writs being
issued before the Ist day of January, 1887, for the
election of members to serve in the present or any
new Parliament, each election shall, unless Parlia-
ment shall otherwise determine, take place in the
same manner in all respects as if no alteration had
been made by this Act in the franchises of electors."
Colonel Stanley proposes as an amendment to Clause
2 that the Act shall not come into force until after
the passing of an Act "for amending the Acts which
settle and describe the divisions of counties and the
limits of cities and boroughs of the United Kingdom
for the purpose of the election of members to servo
in Parliament."