The Express.
London, England, 1852-02-13 00:00:00

illE NEW REFORM BILL

!Flom t Doily Nnrs.)

r does the proposed fol. franchise mean P and
whit will it be worth? These are important ques-
tions: for upon a due consideration of them will very
much deptid the estimate we meat form of the new
ileetoral bilL
What does a Li. rated suffrage really mean? Is
it synonymous, or nearly so, with a householding
suffrage of that utuount ? Unquestionably not.
Rated value and the ordinary letting rent have no
identity whatever, and in many cases but little re-
ambiance. Estimates of valuation are formed all
over the country without any general idea whatever
of absolute worth. With the best intentions, and the
most entirely honest purpose, in each locality, such va-
luations arc no;uriously founded on no uniform basis,
and contain nog enendly
onoeged unit of eaku-
lation. Each parish or un has hitherto been con-
mad solely with i'be just and equable distribution
of its own local lima ion. To render the incidence'
of rates fair betwee n man and man in the
same district was all th at has ever been) thought of.
The valuation one might be nominaly high, and
in another nominally low; but the inhabitants of
the former paid no more on !hat account, and those
of the latter paid no leas. The standard everywhere
ass, and is, locally comparative, not generally posi•
tine or specific ; and hence the eetablishment of a
3i. rating test is open to the observAtion—we do not
like to say objection—that in many places it will of
newisity, as things now stand, work far more ex-
clusivealqan in others. Until a national survey,—
sith nate provision for continual convotims and
rem s all be obtained,—theio is no way teas-
viating this inequality; and all we'can do is to take
as mar an approach to a common average u may be
possible.
Assuming, then. that such an average upon the
broad system of statistical rune-work may be had,
the question still arises, what proportion dose AL
rating bear to Si. rent? According to certain high
sallicirities, 100 inp of rated liability to poor
weal usually concurrent with an obligation to pay
140 or 130 shillings rent : in other words, that the
ealiation for local sasesement is usually one-third,
or thereabouts, under the ordinary letting rent.
.%e think it possible that when the new measure
roots to be discussed in detail, attempts may be
made, by the citation of favourable instances, to
ewe that a rating is comnouly equivalent to AL
rent. but in the absence of precise and compre-
leafy, data, we are bound to look with eyes of in-
credulity on all statements of the sort. If ministers
will take an arbitrary standard of electoral enfran-
chisement Instead of the breed and simple test if
7'3446'10y in general, or the occupancy of a
dscliing•hotee, they bast expect that the people
sill .alously scrutinies every portion of their pleas
awl listen with a certain degree at dished and
tx:ief to their unproven iseempdess if potable
emits.

-- —.—
In his introductory speech, Lord Joint Rraszu.
told the House of Commons that according to certain
rakulatiuns he had made, the increase of voters in
43etwulis under his proposed measure would bs in the
pe.polion of air to ten ; that is to my, that, taking
the present borough electors at six, they would here-
after amount to ten. We know that at present the
regi.tered voters in the cities and towns of the
tinted Kingdom number 471,ZAY2. If the estimate
of the prime Minister, therefore, be correct, the ad-
incest number which the bill will create must be
ismewhat near 2142,901, making a gross total of
7;4.413 borough electors in the three parts of the
sited realm. But before we Jump to this concha.'
sm. we ought to see and have time to weigh
tsobilly the elements of this plausible sum in
poiitu al arithmetic. We hope that on the
'wood reading of the bill,—if not before,—clear
and well &grated estimates will be laid before par.
hament and the public to enable both to arrive at
autne thing like well-grounded convictions on a point,
at inch infinite moment.

Nor ought we to be cajoled by the clumsy affecta-
ti,n of fear in certain quarters that the bill is in this
o -pet too big, and the concession proposed too
loge. We are not going to map at the shadow in-
distinctly se n in the artificially troubled waters,
whose obedient surface is ruffled or is stilled by the
whispering breezes that diurnally set in from N% bite-
hall-place. We want to grasp the substance—not
the shadow. We believe that after all the solid
amount of the concession we are speaking of will
be far from great, when all the limiting and coun-
teracting circumstances are fairly taken into ac•
21siAsil additional borough voters would,
we freely own, he well worth obtaining if there was
Say chance of their being equally distributed t hrough-
cot the towns of the three countries. But who knows
aceurately how this will be ? Who knows whether
tht Niel sum thus temptingly held forth may not
la practice prove, like so many calculations of the
first Reform Bill, utterly illusory ?
Times amines its believing readers that the
see constituency_ will be universally accessible
to oriel influences. How far the reiterated proclama-
boa of prevAent tendencies to political immorality
say tend to prepare men's minds for the approach
at the timpter,- -and to wear off by antieipation
tiW *woe of shame, —we do not undertake to
ow?. We suppose it will hardly be disputed that
rePeated asseverations that all small shopkeepers