The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-12-08 00:00:00

Mr. W. FOWLER, M.P., on the EXTEN-
SION of the FRANCHISE.

In London, on Monday evening, Mr. W. Fowler,
M.P., for Carnbrihe, delivered a lecture at Lower
Clapton Congregational School-rooms, on 'The
curiosities of representation and the necessary redis-
tribution of political power."
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Mr. Fowler, in enlarging on the inequalities of the
existing Parliamentary representation, pointed out
that of the 652 members of Parliament England had
489, Scotland 60, and Ireland 103. Scotland had a
quarter of the population and nearly the same rateable
assessment and only 60 members; it ought:to have 73
members at least. Ireland had one-seventh of the
population and only 1-15th of the assessment, and yet
it had between one-sixth and one-seventh of the
members- they ought to take thirteen seats from Ire-
land arid give them to Scotland. To remedy the
anomalies in the counties there ought to be added a
million to the number of the electors in the counties.
On the question of giving an extended franchise to the
Irish people, he said many were afraid of giving the
franchise to the Irish generally, thinking that it would
involve an addition to the power of a people with
whose proceedings in the past some persons, to speak
mildly, were not well pleased. While he felt that
the question 'was one of immense difficulty and
that the situation of this country in regard to
Ireland was one of perpetual irritation and anxiety,
he must say that he felt very grave doubt
about adding another grievance to the Irish
people by saying—" True it is we are going to give a
general franchise to England and Scotland, but you
are such a bad set of fellows that we cannot give von
a general franchise." This would create a great griev-
ance, for it would be taken as showing on the part of
the Governmect and the English people an indisposi-
tion to have the smallest modicum of confidence in
the patriotism of the Irish people. If London had its
full share of representatives it would have more than
Scotland ; but he was not altoge4sher prepared to
say that London should have such an enormous pre-
ponderance as might be justified on populational
principles; for London had already a good deal of re-
presentative power in the House of Commons indepen-
dently of its members of Parliament. The great object
should be the improvement of Parliamentary repre-
sentation, so that all thoughts and interests of import-
ance should have their fair and legitimate expression
in the councils of the nation. The present position of
things was confessedly intolerable; and it was evi-
dent that there must be an equitable redistribution
and household suffrage in the counties. The House of
Lords would act wisely by not interfering with such a
needed reform. A good Parliament could only be
procured by giving the ppople of the pountry a real
and tangible power of representation.

Too 31IICH SOBRIETY !—Scotch Keeper: "Hullo,
Alec! rather seedy looking. What's the =titter?"
—Alec: "Man alive, so I am. I've had a fit o' the
Blue Ribbon., and tney tell rue it took ;Lower mon to
hand me doun !"—Moonshine.
The tins iron ship Northern Monarch, Captain
Wickham, has left Ply month for Rookhamoton, having
the following emigrants on hoard—namely, 91 sh.gle
men, 115 single women, 117 i families, making a total
of 368 souls, equal to 326 i statute adulte. Also the
steamship Duke of Argyle, from Greenozlr, with 207
single men, 44 single women, and a Dumber of families,
making a total of 615 souls, equal to 514 statute adults,