The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-02-22 00:00:00

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1868.

THE SCOTCH REFORM BILL.
The variation of value in the real property of
England, Scotland, and Ireland, renders it ne-
cessary to establish sonic nominal inequalities
ill the electoral qualifications, in order that as
far as possible the same (lassei of people in the
three parts of the United Kingdom may possess
equal electoral privileges. We may regard the
electoral question, so fir as England is con-
cerned, its settled, though there are ample signs
that sooner or later a great effort will be made
to alter the existing law as to the composition
if rates. The great question of the moment is
now shall electoral privileges be extended to the
people of Scotland?

The I p''etm of the People of Scotland
Bill, or in more concise language, the Scotch
Reform Bill, brought in by the Lord Advocate
“n Monday, proposes to give a similar borough
franchise to Scotland to thht which exists in
Kegland under the Act of last Session. All
h niseholders rated and paying their rates are to
possess a vote for boroughs. The bill does nct
contain au), provision for giving the vote to
lodgers, because in Scotland, as the Lord Advo-
cate expresses it, " we have always recognised
the rights of lodgers as tenants ;.' but the Go-
vennnent has expressed its willingness to intro-
duce a declaratory provision with reference to

_ - -
the enfranchisement of lodgets ; and it is more
than probable that this will be done. For the
counties the electoral qualification is to be re-
duced to ti clear yearly value, and an occupa-
tion franchise fixed at a rateable value of tl2,
the same as now exists under the last English
Reform Act. lint there arc some minor provi-
sions relative to the peculiar circumstances of
Scotch rating, or rathcr non-rating, framed with
an intentirlt of prodneing a uniform system, so
far as possible.
Difficult as it is to adjust the franchiso to the
claims of the Scotch people, the question of re-
distribution is more difficult still. The Govern-
ment has here proceeded on the same plan as .
with regard to England. Entire disfranchise-
ment of any place possessing special representa-
tion in England was avoided; and in Scotland
the right of representation is not taken from any
existing constituency. As the Lord Advocate
puts it, "there is no superfluity of representa-
tives in Scotland." This portion of the United
Kingdom now possesses 53 members, anti it is
proposed to givo it seven more representatives.
The four Universities—Edinhurgh, Glasgow,
Aberdeen, and St. Andrew's—aro to have two
members; the three most populous counties--
Lanark, Ayr, and Aberdeen—are each to have
an additional member; Glasgow, which now has
two members, is to have a third representing the
minority, as was done in the case of Uverpool,
Manchester, and Birmingham ; and the seventh
member is to be given to a group of boroughs
!hi Lanarkshire, houirewshire, and Dumbarton-
shire.

The proposals to extend the franchise, com-
plicated 11,3 they aro as a whole, and anomalous
as some of theta are, may pssibly receive the
sanction of the legislature, and if so, undoubt-
edly a considerable boon would be conferred on
the population of Scotland, especially so far as
the borough constituencies are concerned: but
we cannot believe that the redistribution scheme
stands any chance of being adopted. That
Scotland ought to have more members is pretty
generally admitted, bat the Government scheme
is not a fair one, and will give satisfaction nei-
ther to the boroughs nor the counties. The
large, populous, and important town 4 Dundee
may well ask why she should not have an addi-
tional member, the proposal to give half a mem-
ber to each university is paltry, and will prove
cumbrous in working, white the curious bit of
mosaic work which is aimed at in the grouping
of a number of small boroughs is a fanciful bit
of legislation that has already been condemned
by the House of Commons. The increase in
the number of members in this house is in itself
a serious objection. The existing number, 658,
is for all practical purposes large enough, if not
too large; am! Mien once we pass this boundary
there is no reason why we should not every now
and then send more !umbers to a building that
will not accommodate more than half its exist-
ing members. What the Lord Advocate ought
to have proposed is ti have mode room for these
seven members by taking away the special retire,
sentatives of seven existing English boroughs
which are anomalies in our representative sys-
tem, by reason of their small population. As
the Scotch bill now stands it is not likely to
to pass. The Covcrionent have missed a tine
opportunity of doing jostiee to England and
Scotland in one proposition, end we look for
601110 ilipoltalit COUCCSSIOII3 MI the second read-
ing. or at least some considerable modifications
in committee,