The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-05-17 00:00:00

THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL ON THE
FRANCHISE BILL.

Speaking at Egham on Tuesday night on the sub-
ject of the Franchise Bill, Sir Henry James said the
Government in framing it had not only had to form
to a certain extent a new thing, but to deal with
things as they were, and to go back to the traditions
and sentiments of the people. They had had to deter-
mine on what was just and politic and agreeable to
those whom the bill was intended to benefit. After
referring to the history of the franchise in the three
kingdoms, the speaker went on to say that since the
last Reform Bill of 1867, great progress had been
made in political life. New towns had sprung up,
and those who in 1867 had said "we will give a
household vote to the towns, but withhold it from
the counties," were now compelled to admit that
during the last seventeen years the claims of the
new localities which had grown up in the latter
were as strong as those to whom Parliamentary
privileges had been granted in the first instance.
There were 151 towns in England with populations of
over ten thousand inhabitants totally unrepresented
as towns, but only by virtue of being portions of a
county. Not only had there been this increase in the
number of towns, but since the Education Aet had
been established there had been great progress made
in political knowledge and industry, so that many
men at present without vote, had more capacity for
political power than those who had been enfranchised
in 1867. The great influence which the press had
had in exciting interest and affording education in
political matters could not be denied. Thus it fol-
lowed that if men were rendered politically capable,
and then refused the benefits which ought to result
to them from that capability, they would naturally
become dangerous. It was from these causes that the
cry arose—not a wild or a disloyal one—that inequality
should no longer exist in political rights. He always
considered discussions as to whether the franchise
was a privilege or a right quite useless and
immaterial, for as every man had a right to be
governed by equal laws with his fellows, there could
be no reason why the power of helping to make them
should be given to one man and refused to another.
In framing the bill the Government had left the fran-
chise in the boroughs very much as it was, with this
exception, that the number of householders had been
increased by allowing the vote to persons who occupied
positions of trust, or by virtue of their services in
occupying houses. To the counties, the bill extended
the equality of household and lodger voting, which was
of course the great principle of the bill. For the
future, therefore, there would be no undefined line
between borough and county franchise, and through-
out the length and breadth of the three kingdoms,
householders and lodgers in either would have the
right of recording their votes as capable citizens.
They had also gone still further in giving a vote to
any occupier of land worth £lO a year, whether
it had a building on it or not. They retained the
ownership vote, but had rendered the improper exer-
cise of the power of property harmless by taking
away the right of splitting up property into the
means of fagot voting. Scotland was left as she was,
with the exception that the household and lodger
vote was granted to her in the same way as to Eng-
lish boroughs and counties. In Ireland the bill pro-
posed to abolish the £4 rated franchise of the
boroughs, but to give the household qualification to
every man there as in England. Under the nro-
posed bill there would be given to every man wfiose
industry, ability, or position enabled him to keep a
roof above his head the same power of voting as
that possessed by the richest man. The measure, if
carried, would add to the register of voters 2,000,000
voters, or, in other words, increase the entire elec-
torate from 3,000,000 to 5,000,000 voters. This was
certainly the greatest Reform Bill that it had ever
been attempted to carry in this country; but the
people, from their increased intelligence, loyalty, arid
love of their institutions, were better suited to receive
a comprehensive, and therefore final, measure of re-
form than they had ever been since this laud sent
forth her citizens to take part in political life.