The Press.
London, England, 1853-09-10 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

Practical mischief results from this unequal
apportionment of representation. Men of
talent, devoid of local influence, connection,
or notoriety, find the doors of Parliament
hopelessly closed against them. For the coun-
ties naturally incline to select their represen-
tatives from among resident landed proprietors,
and seldom, except in the case of persons
already distinguished in Parliament, does their
choice fall upon a stranger. The towns, again,
though less fastidious in this respect, are apt
to be unreasonably exacting in the matter of
pledges, and to look more to their local inter
eats than to those of the empire. And in urban
constituencies the proportion which, under our
present franchise, the ignorant bears to the
educated portion of the electors is such as to
preclude careful or discriminating judgment
of intellectual qualifications. A borough may
be won by promises, or conciliated by jobbery,
or purchased through the agency of Coppock
and Co. ; but it rarely accepts a candidate who
presents himself with no other credentials than
those of recognised ability and professions of
political independence.
How then, asks our author, is this iefect to
be remedied ? How are we to introduce into
the Legislature " active, able, but independent
young men, who will submit to the labour of
" business from the stimulus of patriotism and
" honour?" How, in an assembly composed
for the most part of country gentlemen, mer-
chants, and barristers, shall we reserve some
seats tier the rising talent which every year
sends forth from our various educational in-
stitutions? The plan here suggested is sim-
ple. It consists in classifying by themselves,
to be enrolled in separate constituencies, all
members of liberal professions as such. The
numbers of these are computed us follows :
Ministers of religion, including all denomi-
nation!'
Members of the legal prof. ssion
M embers of the mt.:sliest profession
Retired officers of the army, navy, and East
India Company's service
Graduates of the various Universities,and err-
tificated schoolmasters, upwards of
Members of vat' literary, scientific, and
,thistle associations, upwards of

11,500

5,1100

91,5410

The author's estimate exceeds 91,000, but we
profess to write only in round numbers.
The next question is—how, and in what pro-
portions, to give representatives to this class ?
The writer cuts the knot at once by proposing
either to increase the numbers of the House
of Commons, or strike off seventy members
from the borough representatives. This num
ber is arbitntrily taken, apparently without
any particular reason. Ile proceeds to divide
the whole country into seventy electoral dis-
bias, and to assign one member to each of these
districts, to be elected by the aggregate of all
the classes above mentioned within that dis-
trict by all the clergy, lawyers, attor-
neys, doctors, naval and milibtry offieers, &e.,
residing within certain limits. These, as he
truly says, would form constituencies incapable
of being corrupted—free from local influence
—independent, generally speaking. of party—
and, owing to the admixture of various inter-
ests, unbiassed by exclusive professional feel
ing. The objections which may be urged
against such a proposition. and the difficulty
of practically entertaining it, we shall reserve
for the present.

JOHN WOLFGANG GOETHE.

The Poettoi Goethe.

With a Sketch (t his

Londot