The Express.
London, England, 1849-05-30 00:00:00

OUR REPRESENTATIVE SYSTEM

preuroo.
It will be men from the speech of Mr. George Won at
the meeting ed the Registration and Financial Reform Aro-
elation en Thursday evening, that the men whose skill and
energy carried the repeal of the cora law, have now, after
doe delibention, resolved to take up the practical question
of reforming the registration, as the surest and speediest
nude of effecting all measures of reform in parks-
' mod. la carrying oat this objese, the method upon
whisk the chairman of the new essueiation, es will be
seen, lays meet strew, is the organising of societies for
enabling working men to purchase froeMld qualifications.
In reading his remarks on this point, one caned help think-
Mg that such a scheme es that which he dew bat for nimbi-
, ing a working rasa to Invest his savings in the memo of a
piece of land, which will not only yields good percentage on
the outlay, but give the parcheser a vote for thoomunty, would
have been hailed by a monad, practical reformer hke Dr.
Arnold, as a forward step is the right direction.
As regards the origin of this plan of reforming the
I gouty einstitneneies, South Lancashire has certainly
the honour of having been the first to carry it into
operation on a large scale ; bat although it was first
la the field, it haslately been far outstripped by the
oldie exertions of the men is Birmingham. la that town
Mu Jelno-dock principle-10 powerful an engine whoa
diselsel--bas been employed in the wholesale per-
ilous( hod. tee the purpose of cutting it up into small
heleside god the numbers of the association to
ablein a ogrady qualiSmition. During the last eighteen
meallis no less than 900 pieces of land, each one with a
isle for the county, have been 'purchased, chi. fly
by the working men of Birmingham. In the other
miibad counties the same process is going mt. In the
populous t Awns of Wolverhampton, Dudley, Walsall,
and the neighbouring villages, containing nearly half a
million of inhabitants, there was seareely a working
man who, previous to the present movement, possessed a
vote for the county. Now, owing to the Freehold Land So-
cieties, every town in that district contains a large number of
freeholders, and the number is rapidly extending. In Dir.
minohant the r umber of freeholders is increasing at the rate
of sixty a month. Let any man calculate what the power of
such a movement will be when it becomes general throughout
the country. Oa this bead Mr. Winon made one or two oh..
drutions which are well worthy of attention. Alter stiviog
that there are twenty associations of this kind formed in the
Midland Counties and in Yorkshire, he went on to say :
" Supped, throughout the whole of England—which
no great supposition—if instead of 200 or 300 seed:Wow
you should have only 100 (and you have 20 at the present
I time), and supposing none to be formed in Lancashire, and
suppose that, tnstad of having 1,500 or 2,000 members, as
the Birmingham a.sociation have, they had only 500 each,
you are 500 members in kindred associations are 50,000
county vote,: and the whole of the moiety coorituencies
of England is under half a maim. Fifty thousand votes
put on those counties which see recoverable where the landed
interest is not all-powerful, would expel every man who
sits for three-fourths of the counties of England. There is
nothing irrational in this. If Birmingham can form es
mediation—and it is not the most favourably situated
for doing so—and if other places can form associa-
tions to the extent of twenty altogether, and in all pro-
bability they will have as great a number of members as the
Birmingham association hue—but if we only take u the
basis of the calculati in a fourth of that number—if you take
a hundred associations, with 500 members each, you get
50,000 county votes. Now, supposing you get this num-
ber, I tell you again, if you get 50,000 votes within the
next two or three year., and place them on the register—
if you do that, you change the whole of the county repo.. I
seated's, except those fastnesses of the aristocracy which I
nobody can invade."
And how is this great movement—destined, as it un- I
doubtedly is—to work out so many other great changes—to
be effectually carried into operation ? So far settle labouring
classes are concerned, it is simply by the exercise of a little
thrift on the part of those who are fully employed at good
wages ; and this. we are happy to learn, is the present con. I
&idiot many thousuols of the working men of Lancashire
at the present moment. If those who earn liberal wages
will only practise a little economy in their weekly expendi-
ture they need not how complain of being excluded from the
pals dale destitution. Take a young man, for example,
who PIGS 24e. a week, and contrives to live upon the one
half of that sum ; In ouch ease there is nothing to limbo him
hem purchasing, with eight or nine m swinge. a fros-
hold which will, at the same time, yield him a baodst I
profit on the investment.
Should any one say that it is but a small properties of
workior men who earn 245. a week, then we say that, moo
with only two-thirds of that rum, a young man, who bas
neither wife nor family to provide for, mar smelly pare GIS
mash in two or three years as would enable him to purchase
a vote for the county. Let those who may be inclined M
ipasetion this only reflect for a moment on the large annual
amount which many working men 'mond on those articles
whisk eontributs most largely to the . Much Ms
I been said lately about the importance of obsidian, a large re-
election of taxation, and we yield to no one in our anxiety tone
I such fiscal reforms accomplished as speedily as possible.
Bat let it net be forgotten, in connexion with the freehold
movement, that any man who spends 2s. a week on beer or
I ',hits can abolish the malt tax and spirit duties, se far as
I lea is concerted, and that by so doing be can gave as much
in two or three years as will enable him to purchase a piece
of land large enough to him a county elector.
As many of our readers may not be aware of the process
' by which these free hold land soeieti. s are made so profitable
to the members, we quote the following passage on the sub
ject from an excellent speech di hvered by Mr. Taylor, of
Birmingham, at a meeting held at Brad:ord last Tuesday
evening :
" The idea of starting the Birmingham Fteehold Lund
Society occurred to him some eighteen months before the
event. He happened to make the discovery that land,which,
la an estate of 4,0001 cost sd. • yard wholesale, was sold re-
tail, the worst at ss. a yard, and the beet at 8 4d. per yard.
The wont lets on the same estate were now selling at 2.. ga
a yard, and the beet at ss. The difference in the purchase
of
land arose from buying in large quantities, end retail-
ing it to the subscribers in lots. The same principle existed
is every other branch of trade : if he bought only a yard
of ribbon at a retail shop, it would wet him 100 p'r cent.
more than it would cost if he sent to Coventry to buy a roll.
or went into a butcher's shop to buy two-pennyworth of
beer, be could not get it at the same low price, people
timidity, es he could if he welt to Smithfield and bought
a bullo-k. (Laughter.) As Punch said, 'lt was just like
this, only It was nth.. different.' (Laughter.) The first
estate bought at Birmingham previously belonged to the
Rev. Timothy East He went to his son, who was a solicitor,
to ask him what he would sell him a piece of lend for.
He wanted a poets sufficient to build a house upon,
which would let in Birmingham at 161 or 201. a year.
The prim Mr. East told him, would be 3.. 6d. a yard;
and, after much to do, he offered to let him have it at
39. 44, a yarl. Yet this very estate, w`iich was offered
is loft at 3s. 4d. a yard, was afterwards purchased by the
society, and sold or retailed to its memb to, in lots, tech
with 14 yards frontage, end 50 yards back, at about Is. 6d.
a yard. (Cheers.) Some of their members, he could
.me'. them, were now very proud of their position . thee
walked up and down their estate like gentlemen. (" Hear,"
and laughter.) Some built upon the land themeelves, but
there were others, too poor to huild, who let their allot-
molts. And some of their land was letting at 505. a yug,
although the surer cost was not more than 191. (Hear.)
Many had left foe a deal more. He (Mr. Taylor) had tour
allotments. The cost him 701. or 171. 101. each, with.the
an law d some other expenses. For this land, with sight
rude frontage and fifty yards back, he bad been slready
°demi 91. 164. a year on building land, or 21. 9.. for each
distrust. He refused the offer. He wanted 141. and he
expected that, in a both time, it would be so iscressed
he value, that it would be worth 201. a year on
building lease. This was not an isolated cue. There
were numbers who were receiving the mese rental from
their allotments. A voor man named Robinson had s
o threer
teddies of land. They met him sixty pound
d
thereabouts. Be let them off for building land for ninety-
site years to a builder, sod be was reosiving 81. 13e. a
year for land which cost him only about 601. There was
mother porno, allotmente, • working mon. who he.
mace doomed of an which most him only 171. 16s.
Be was detiros of erec*lng • howee upon it,. he y made
building society, and off .red his land as security for an a -
wow The surveyor employed by the society was a tort,
' yet be reported to the society that the land was worth 431.,
eanandiathryey"miinghtot.sayfirelwy atihvanereoe wthatere don
pe
derived from j be
mining this society." "t.
aSovanthtsatrets
tao
With these excellent practical remarks we concludrnine
.for
the present. but shall take an early opportmity of retug
to the subject.

DOVER.
Dover, of all the towns in England, is undoubtedly
that in which Englishmen have been most profuse in
expl-Livia. The popular notion at' the Prince, that
no true Briton ever opens his lips without the mur-
mur of a d—e, evidently had its origin with travel-
lers from the continent, who had made themselves
acquainted with our manners end customs in a flying
visit to this nearest port Sooth to say, Dover is net
a place concerning which the majority of those who
have been there have very pleasurable recollec
tient. Niue out of every ten will describe it, as an
English traveller of the time of James I. described
Calais--" a beggarly, extorting town; mon.trous dear
and sluttish." Yank aye it with &nauseating impression
of abed passage, a harbour in which there never is water
when there ought to be,boatmen who rob you of half-
la-crown a head and insult you into the bargain, inn-
haven, whose beds are none of the cleanliest, whilst
Ursa charges are of the highest ; a custom-house, which
'pats you to
lit' by. any every trouble and inconveni-
mos, chanceun you happen to be mistaken
for a commisaoner, and a railway that never goes
when it is wanted to or that starts its trains before it
is possible that your luggage can be cleared.
Such are the popular notions of Dover. There are,
however, people who have made it a place of residence,
who give the town a better reputation. They
will tell you that, passing from the dirty
streets about the port, you will ultimat ly
arrive at handsome crescents and terram s, not
sat any marine watering-place in Eng-
l:nrr they will tell you that there is excellent
society here, and in the season, more gaiety than in
most places. The shops, too, you will discover to be
unusua'ly good ; some of them, in taste and elegance of
decoration, fairly rivalling our metropolitan establish-
ments. A large market, well supplied, and a general
appearanci of prosperity, make, in the eyes of these
people, a pleasant dwelling-place of Dover. The pia
tureorenem of its situation none can doubt, and
once its cliffs are climbed, there are charming spots
of country round about it, haunts well worth vaiung
by those who love true English scenery. .
Viewing Dover electorally, we are bound to regard
it as an important place. Smce 1830 the bcrough has
increased in population from 10,900 to nearly 18,000.
The registered electors at the present time are more
than 2,000 ten pound householders, and the majority
of these are persons well to do. The impression that
one receives of the constituency is that it is much
above the average in respecability and intelligence.
There is no doubt, too, that it is becoming freer from
corruption ; and, as the constituency is still likely to
increase, there is reason tobelieve that, under a proper
elf eters' system, Dover would snake as good and
honourable a choice of representatives as any borough
in Great Britain.
Before the Reform Bill, Dover was regarded as a
troublesome and most expensive seat. The right to
vote was in the freemen, resident and non-resident.
There were about 2,600 voters, of whom full half were
non-residence in Dover. The population of a sea-port ,
ism:ally fluctuating ; and, referring back to the pe-
&Awe are speaking of, it is really curious to note the
Owes from which Dover voters had to be brought up
—numbers from France, some from Belgium and
Holland, very many from Portsmouth, Plymouth, and I
the government dockyards ; a proportion, of course,
from the metropolis : but some from more distant
parts, the north of England, Wales, Scotland, Den-
mark, and Norway, and countries even further off. A
great proportion of the voters, both resident and non-
reee,;ent, were in some way or other in the govern-
ment service. In Dover the custom-house establish-
ment at this time was on a meat extensive scale.
The whole body of officers were freemen. There
were also riding officers, officers of the forts and
batteries, officers connected with the harbour,
officers connected with the castle and its garrison,
and officers of the cinque port, who, tog. titer with all
the boatmen, were to a certain extent under the in-
fluence of the Lord Warden. Some of these officers
were of course removed, °manually, to other sta-
tions ; preferred, perhaps, on the recommendation of
their friend, the borough membsr, to something better
at Portsmouth or at Plymouth. But the plague of it
was that these people. having been sent away for
their own advantage, wanted to be brought back at
an election for their own advantage also. Their wives
and children took that occasion of coming up to see
their relaeves and friends in Dover, and the voters
themsCves came for what they could get in the shape
of headmen, y and expo:tack The costs incurred in this
and other ways were so large that it may be said
there was no limit at those times to the expense of a
Dover conk st.
Mr. Huski-son stood a most expensive contest here.
Sir John Jackson, a purser in the navy and secretary
to Admiral Lord Keith, who contested the town an'
1812 and 1818, is believed to have spent more than
30,0001. in the borough,—all his prize money and
pickings dur ng the long war. During there contests
wine was the beverage in most general request. I
Hogsheads were tapped in the streets. It is recorded
of one tavern-keeper thatenexpostulation was ventured I
upon with Sir John Jackson. " Well," said Sir John,l
" and euppose they are drinking your wine as you
describe: yon do know where to get more when your
I cellars tae empty ?" " Certainly, Sir John' " was the
reply. "Then don't bother me," responded the can-
didate, " until you find that yeu can't replenish
them ! "
At the general election of 1826 there was a vacancy
in the representation of Dover. The present Lord
Skelmersdale, then Mr. Ed. Bootle Wilbraham, who
had represented the town in several previous paella-
m-nts, came forward again, but under circumstances
of not a very favourable character. Mr. Wilbraham
had been the member through whom the administra-
tion of that time bad diepeeed of their Dover patronage.
A sort of committee had been formed in pat f the
purpose of assisting the hon. gentleman in the proper
dispoeition of it ; and, as Mr. Wilbraham proved to be
almost inaccessible except through this committee, an
outcry was raised in the town that he was " governed
by a junta," and that he was sang his influence
to a great extent for the advantage of
a clique. The malcontent'', who were by
no means few or uninfluentisl, went to London for
a candidate and brought down Mr. Holcombe, a mem-
ber of the bar and a popular ape siker. At the same
time there were among the liberals at Dover some
Blight dissentious, also chiefly upon local matters.
The party who were then regarded and styled "the
low party," and who were led by a person combining
the avocations of a tailor and an unitarian preacher,
determined upon their part on getting a candidate,
and came up to London for the purpose. The first
'party they consulted was Dr. Bowring, who recom-
I mended to apply to Mr. Hume. Mr. Hume intro-
ducer' them to Mr. Poulett Thompson, then unknown
SS a senator, and whose eubsequent distinction was, at
that time, but faintly shadowed forth. The result of
this election was most singular, and chews to what
accidents men are sometimes indebt. d for great posi-
tions. In Dover the friends of the three candidates
were tolerably equally divided : the decision rested
with the out-voters. After the poll had been open
a day or two Mr. WLb-aham's friends, not being
satisfied with his position, decided that the out-voters
most be brought in. In or& r, however, to save
expense to their candidate, they determined on apply-
ing to one of the others to share the expenses with
them. Mr. Halcombe was mere closely allied to them
by political feeling. They consequently caused a
letter to be addressed to that gentle manse lgal agent,
reonecing to know if he would pay half the cost of
bringing in the out-voters, and giving only a very short
time for an answer to be returned to them. The interval
elapsed without any answer whatever being vouch-
safed ; and consequently Mr. Wilbrabana's committee
applied to that of the other candidate. Mr. Thompson,
of course, jumped top rly at the offer ; the out-voters
were brought in, and Wilbraham ani Thompson were
returned.
When those facts became known after the election,
there was an immense hubbub about the letter sent to
Mr. Halcombo's agent. What had b-come of it?
Why had it never been submitted to Mr. Halcombe
or his committee? At first the very. recipt of the
letter was matter of doubt. But ultimately it was
found • in the agent's great-oat pocket! There
have been twi modes of explaining how it
came there. It is said by some that the agent,
in the hurry of business, put the letter in his
pocket and rgot it altogether; by dthers it is
averred that this was a convenient fergetful-
nem on the agent's part, and that being be-
hind the scenes, andknowing that Mr. Halcombe bad
no money whatever to spend, he th.a,ght it better net
to remember the letter until the election was decided.
Whatever may have been the fact, the result was that