The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1867-03-12 00:00:00

CUMUL&TIVE VOTING.

Tun " cumulative vote" is perhaps one of the
most original and curious of modern Reform propoei.
lion.; and if, as is expected, it should form • feature
of the oomina Government measure, it would be well
that the effect of the provision should be thoroughly
understood. lii. adduced by many as a defect of
the ordinary forma of representative government
that it takes no account of minorities, and in
democracies this neglect of the interests of the lese
numerous damn is said to be a real grievance. At
present, according to the British electoral system, •
majority in any locality, however small, can always
monopolise the representatioo. For instance, Isl us
suppose there is a constituency of 400 electors in •
borough represented in Parliament by two members,
and that 201 of these voters are Conservatives, while
199 are Liberals. With only this small difference in
the numerical strength of the parties, one would
think they would be more fairly represented by
having a member each, than by the majority
having the two members to themselves. Still,
according to our present system of voting, the
201 electors would in the ordinary mum of
things always bring in their own candidates.
Indeed, as long as each party confined itself to two
candidates, sad the whole of the majority voted for
both of the candidates of its party, there would be
seethes*. for the minority. Each voter, ate is pretty
=Taly known, can now vote for as many canal-
als there are members to be returned. Thus, in
the case we have supposed, the two Conservative
candidates would obtain 201 votes each dell were
recorded, and the two Liberals 199 each, so that I
both the latter would be in a minority. The only
thing that could affect this result would be that a
number of Conservative alsoton should, from
personal considerations, either simply abstain from
one candidate of their party, or transfer their mooed
vote to one of the Liberals. The minority would
therefore have to depend upon the rare case of a
Conservative candidate being absolutely dietastefal to
• number of his own party, or, at all events, less
popular with some Comervatirie voters than one of
the Liberal candidates, in order to obtain any
share in the representation. Now, 'oppose that
each elector, instead of being allowed to vote for two
candidates, could record bis vote for one only ; it is
obvious that the chances of the minority to obtain •
share in the representation would be vastly greater.
In fact, the 199 electors could hardly fail to return
one member, since, if the 901 votive were divided as
evenly as possible, there would be 101 for one condi-
date end ISO for the other, while a eimilse equal

division of 199 would give 100 and 99, the former
number actually " tying" the lowest on the other
side, so that the smallest defection in the majority,
or the slightest shifting of the votes between their
• candidates would piece one of them in a minority ;
while, course, any shifting of the figures between
the Liberal candidates would give one of thew • dear
majority over the lowest Conservative. 8o far for
single voting, which would certainly mach improve
the chance of large minorities obtaining • share in
the representation. Rut what is called cumulative
voting would have a still greeter effi.ct in this direc-
tion. The elector. instead of being limited to a
single vote fir one candidate. or to • single vote for
U many candidates as there were members to be
sleeted, would have aa many you, I as th re wire
members, and would be able either to divide
them between different candidates or give tbem
all to one. Let as take the same constituency
of 400 electors, with two members : this
would give us 800 votes, 402 on one aide, and 39S on
the other. Suppose 202 and 200 votes were recorded
for the Conservative candidate' ; 200 and 19S for the
Liberals would produce • "tie," which the least
shifting of the figures OD either side would give one
of the liberal candidates a safe majority over one of
the Conservatives. This system, therefore, would
practically assure the repremantation of all actually
Large minorities, and also of comparatively small once
where three members bed to be elected, while it
would not, like single voting, deprive an elector of
the privilege of naming as many candidates as there
were to be members. Flat it Ma novelty, we believe,
n yet tried in actual political practice. If it is
really made a feature of the Reform Bill, it sill be
intending to see whether it Is regarded as one of
those "new" things which Mr. UMdatone conceded
the right of the Government to propose, or as one of
those " Dele-fangled" things against which he warned
!hem. At all events, it can do DO harm to 1111•111 the
subject thoroughly ventilated in Parliament.