The Express.
London, England, 1847-04-03 00:00:00

ELECTORAL HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

In considering tfi;itiaiClry----ii the parliamentary
elections of a county, we must always attribute great im-
portance to the presence or the absence, the abundance or
the deficiency, among its inhabitants, of occupations coa-
nected with handicrafte and trades, manufactures and com-
merce. In proportion as we see among a people that spirit
awakened or dormant, which laid broad and deep the first
foundations of social freedom and municipal rights in Europe,
and which, in this country, as it had previously done in the
free (bemuse commercial) republic' of Italy, in the Han-
seatic towns and is the Netherlands,arrestecl the violence, and
finally subdued the licentious tyranny, of a fierce but
ignorant, and disunited, aristocracy of feudatory chief
tains, we may be sure that the elective franchise, which
has been, of old time, as it is now, the first mover, and or.
ganiser, and defender of free political institutions, is under-
stood, and cherished, and honourably exercised. Indepen-
dence as to personal means la the first-fruit of personal devo-
tion to any. legitimate or honourable calling. Independence
as to opinions is the inevitable result of independence of
action. Whosoever feels that he has, himself, earned an in-
defeasible right or qualification to ponces the franchise, is
not likely to be insensible to its value, or reckless in its ex-
ercise when he has achieved it. In theory, therefore, and
reasoning il priori, one should say, that a constitu-
ency well divided between the occupations of trade and the
labour ofaBrlealture, should be a very good one—a very
roper dal for the sacred trust of the elective fran-
chise. And, ea the same grounds, we should be justified in
assuming that Oxfordshire must pones' such a constituency.
Here is a midland county, ranking in our parliamentary
statistics es the eleventh on the list of English agricultural
counties. Yet it can boast of employing some 10,000 persons
in the various trades or manufactures of blanket-making (at
Witney), plush and girth-making (at Banbury). It merles
on a large business in polished steel and gloves (at Wood-
stock), hone-clothing (at Cbury hipping Norton), and weaving
(at Bloxham and Adder). The best general notion of
the proportions in which the people of Oxford betake
themselves to the two classes of occupations we allude to,
may be formed, perhaps, from the statistical tables pre-
sented by =amend to both houses of parliament. On a
return of more then 30,000 families in the county, it sp.
peared that there were 15,30, of them engaged chiefly in
agricultural employments; 8,440 chiefly in trade and manu•
lesteres ; 7,000 not occupied under the one description of
hoar or the other. The extent of its agricultural industry
mad wealth may be collected from the large proportion of is
' lIM7fIOII which is maintained as arable land. It has North-
amptonshire on the north-east ; Bucks on the east; en the
south-seat, south, and south-west, it is skirted by Barks;
Gloucestershire bounds it on the west, and Warwickshire on
the north-west. Its extreme length is ascertained by a line
drawn from N. by E. to 8. by W., from the " Three Shires'
Stone," u it is called (which marks the conterminous point
where the several counties of Northampton, Oxford, end
Warwick touch each other), to the junction of the Kennet
with the Thames, near Reading, in Berks—a distance of
about 51 miles. But an average of about 32 miles would
better represent this length. Its breadth is very fluctuating.
From the banks of the Ouse, near Buckingham town, to the
nineeithaboteuvrtrolityofoild(i.r.frooridd,
eittyis arou.te32 miles. „Imneitheuititine-
I more than seven miles. The area comprised within this
irregular outline is estimated at 750 square miles, or 483,840
acres. (Arthur Young's estimate was very much below
this ; namely, 474,830 acres : but it is to be observed that he
expressly applies this estimate, or survey, to that portion of
the suracke, only, covered by what he calls " thee:amused
soils." It is now ascertained to be, in point of sine, the
31st o the English counties. It is smaller, therefore, than
Surrey, and larger than Berk` Its 14 hundreds are subdi-
vided into 207 parishes • and the range of itspopulation.
increase seems to have been much less than some well.
authenticated medical statistics, collected throughout this
county upwards of 43 years since, might have warranted
us, now, to expect. At that time, and for ten years before,
the average of deaths was but as 1 to 51 of the existing
population, which was then 112,0,0. Now the whole increase
of births in Oxfordshire has been far below that in almost
any other county that we remember, if we except Rutland,
within the several decennial periods that we are accustomed
to refer to. The census of 1801 gave a population of 109,524.
At the dose of the next ten years the number had risen only
to 119.101. In 1821, a third ten years' return gave but
180,571 ; and in 1831, it had reached 151,720: the total
increase for thirty years being no more than 381 per cent ,
whereas the average increase for all England and Wales was
67 per cent. By Inc but census, the population in 1841 was
given at 161,573, which is but 474 per cent. on the returns
he 1801. The poor-rats up to the year 1831 had increased
45 per cent. in the preceding interval of thirty years. Its
Mr3s was from 86,6891. in the first-named year to
431. in the last. In the intervening decennial periods
of 1311 and 1821, it stood at 143,1081. and 115,6461. respec-
tively. The difference of charge fur 1811, in this statement,
Y startling.
very
In 1838, the charge fell to 84,3161. At the last decennial
return, the total sum erpended in the year ending March,
1841, for poor relief, was 76,4741. Now, wherein, in 1831, the
peor-rate, when the eounty numbered 31,770 families, was
180,0131., in 1841, when there were 38,000 families, this
rata had decreased by 56.8241. We must not anticipate say
large increase to the number of registered voters on the
county constituency for newly-created freeholds in respect of
lease investments ; for, though there were nearly 29,400 in-
habited houses, and 200 new ones building, by the last re-
turn, we have seen, there were also 850 uninhabited. There
is, indeed, in these statistics nothing to demonstrate any
great elasticity of reunites, or any extraordinary degree of
social program and prosperity, if we except the striking dimi-
nution of the poor-rate.
In the parliamentary history of this county, we have little
to note that is of much general interest. The elation for
the year 1754, is most calculated, perhaps, to excite or fix the
attention of the present generation, as having been the last
pitched battle urged until more thin half a century after-
wards, between the two great. parties of Whigs and
Tories for parliamentary predominance. In 1734, a young
man was introduced to the prime minister of that day, the
cunning but feeble, bungling but crafty, Duke of Newcastle,
by one of the four candidates for Oxfordshire, Lord Parker,
eldest son oldie Berl of Maeclssield. This young man ren-
dered himself as famous as a writer of political suibs, and
libellous. Bas 4. mpg the Tories (!) of his day, that he be-
came,shabd4
in menselea. vats secretary to the notorious Lord
But., is 1102, to the Treasury, under Mr. George
Greuvilles a in 1783; a Lord of the Admiralty,
under the Duke of thslan's administration, in 1766 ; and a
Lord at the Treasury in 1767; Secretary at War under Loed
Nor* In 1778; in 1786, under Mr. Pitt, 1, a high Tory and
anti_ (!). 2 a pear by the style and title of Lord
Hawkesbray; and 3rd, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lan-
caster. In the year 1790, First Lord of the Baird of Trade
and Plantations; and, in 1796, Lord Hawkesbury retired—
(not by decease, or into private life, according to the nice
surmise of Madame De feael, hut)—under the enhanced
dignity. of an earldom, as Earl of Liverpool, a wholesale
unecuriet, and a full-blown pensioner on the public purse.
He quitted public life sly in 1804 ; and, on his death, was
uueeeeded by the late Had of Liverpool, the very hops and
Isesstion of Toryina;, isretileleaf whose thick and thin sup-
ctssztMr.Besshigen tot he siune official honours,
Slides' Sews sad opie ons of a fermis liberal end
, was literally hunted to a premature
Ztrbeg that was ever pulled down by the
meat Ignoble p,rMis et party and of envy. But to return
te the young Pamphislies of 1754. It was chiefly by his
mess that the Crest mod the Whig government of the day
see rallied te a ishwilleed and scompresaising ruort of
Sok Oakelbhire eastiathee, in the piss ot Lord Visppcount,
Parker and Sir Used Turner, left Their success was
laboured for, iferottliattri, boroughs and the
Meceledeldi, theinris=l Clinton, and all!
theethar portions of the Newcastle party,. The opposing
Lard Viscount Asuman and Sir James Mill-
wood, were supported by all the interest of the
Hepatitis sad by the Tories. The election was les
and meat spouts The distratesd sheriff (or his assist-
ants), in wpm* at inturalag_ellies, sun up a double
stern et all her eastilates. Theis Si MOM instacrity
appealed egelnet
and
all lembils, sad, sibs likdar=766,
Lord Wonsan and Sir JUNI Dinh Sere
resolatlern of the House of ComaselVidgatelected sbnl
it was rebels& that Lord-Pulsar Sirs ward Turner
were daly Owned, sad ought to bassinet returned. Bs
at the beet elution, In 1761, the Tiny interest.
so far es 04 shwa see member, the ducal funny
the other. The sow ernagemant,
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and roligli eniatessiptailly tits that law
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sentation spsderlhaa kin hes sit iisreessi *Seed -•
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stock now lint woe member in press
qty county cots* At= two; two iamb= sent are ,
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upheld Men enlightened and beneficial principles of social
and economic legislation, be delayed or defeated. TM
electors entered on the county registry at the general elee-
tionsoflB4l, were 5,721; and there was no contest. Them
has been no contest for the county since ; hut the last return
of this registry ve only 5,3 entered freeholdete. Now
we are prepared to contend from these premises, considering
the degree of indirendence which communities, compared of
agriculture] emu me and manufacturing employers are sure
toenail; and the 'ffusive extent over which that independence
is spread, that the electors of Oefordshire do not conscientiously
exercise their elective franchise, and cannot plead either all
exigency of their condition, or any practical ignorance of the
value of the privilege which they thus abandon, in their
excuse. The interest and influence of the Marlborough;
the Abingdon; the Dashwooda, the Dillons, the Cloacae's,
the Camoyses, and a score of other ennobled or ancient
families and large landed proprietors in this shire, form no
oultlelent plea on their behalf, who, from their intelligence,
their position, and the comparatively prosperous condition
of the Internal economy of their county, ought to set a
signal example to the other constituencies of the empire at
the approaching general election. If they would command
the respect ante empire, they must return a very different
representation from that preconcerted and as it were stereo.
typed one, for which they have been, for too many years,
unworthy and passive parties. X.