The Sun.
London, England, 1852-03-26 00:00:00

distribution as would disfranchise a very considerable •
.tenraber of boroughs, and leave the counties and
large towns with representatives—that if you give
not only every householder, but every lodger o
might by fraud or collusion be placed on the rating with-
wh
-oat paying rates, and made him an elector—that if to
this plan you added the vote by ballot, and that if you had
the representatives thus elected assembled for three years—
which would, however, be in most cases not for more than
two years—my opinion is, that you would not obtain a
House of Commons which would, either with regard to the
executive, to the other parts of the constitution, or to calm
and deliberate legislation, be as efficient rent s body aystems that
which has assembled according to the p.—
(Cheers.` Therefore, Sir, if I were to choose between the
proposition cf my Hon. Friend and the existing state of the
law, I certainly would prefer the latter.—(Hear, hear.)
. lt
appears to me that is a sufficient reason for voting against
the proposition of my Hon. Friend..
.But I c.onfess I think
there are some parts of this proposition which contain not
only the elements of a worse House of Commons than we at
present possess, but the elements of future danger to the
country.—(Loud cheers.) I cannot but see that if beside
householders you add lodgers, unless the provisions
of the Bill are exceedingly stringent, and merely
provide that they shall be rated and resident for a certain
period, you would approach very nearly to that state
of the franchise which, though the Honourable Mem-
ber for Sheffield did not consider it so, was, in fact, universal
euffrage--(Cheers)—and I say, Sir, you would not have a
body of electors possessing that independence, intelligence,
'and integrity, which it ought to be your aim to secure in the
electoral body.—( Hear, hear.) With respect to the vote by
ballot, in reference to which my Hon. Friend who has just
eat down said the people of this country have made up their
minds that they will have it, I cannot deny the present
popularity of that propositioß.—(Cheers and counter-cheers.)
I repeat that I cannot deny the popularity of that measure;
brit I do think that many of those who have adopted that
proposition as one which ought to be granted by Act of Par-
liament as it at present stands have not considered all the
consequences of the adoption of such a plan. My Hon.
Friend the Member for Montrose (Mr. Hume) says, as I be-
lieve very truly, that intimidation is not only exercised from
above on those below, but that it is exercised from below
on those above. Many of the working classes of
this country exercise some species of intimidation
against the ten pound electors. It is very wrong
that they should exercise that intimidation; but, at the
same time, you must consider what would be the conse-
quence if the working classes found that their opinions had
no effect on the voters, and that elections took place, with
the result of which they were totally dissatisfied, while they
were not aware who the parties were who gave the votes
on the different sides. I believe that their dissatisfac-
tion would be much greater than it now is--(Hear, hear)—
and they would either ask that open voting should be re-
sorted to again, or, what is more probable, they would de-
mand that the suffrage should be extended to every person,
and that every person, together with the ballot, should have
the right of voting.—(Hear.) Now, I must say that if you
come to a suffrage so general as that, and with it were I
joined a Parliament for three years, though I can understand
that such a Parliament so chosen might exist under another
constitution, yet 1 must confess, to whatever blame such an
opinion may expose me, I do not think that a Parliament
thus elected by universal suffrage with vote by ballot and
for a short period, would long exist with other parts of our
Constitution—namely,, the Monarchy and the hereditary
branch of the Legislature.—(Hear, hear.) With re-
spect to the' miestion of the ;imitation of Parlia-
ment to three years, the Right Hon. Gentleman says
that that used to be the favourite project of the Tory
Party in former years. But the Parliament of Great
Britain eoldnailly repealed the Triennial Act on the ground
of the inconveniences felt to arise from it, on the ground
of the increased expense, and because greater heats and
animosities had been known in England under it than had
ever been known under any other system of law; and they
placed a record to this effect for the benefit of posterity in
the preamble of the repealing Act. I can readily believe
that if instead of going to an election at the end of every
five or six years, we were to say that every two years
ive should have au election, and that every two years all
the great interests of the country should be driven to
the hustings, that party heats affil animosities would be
such that the people of this country would not bear a
tat ci things of that kind.—(Hear, hear.) Therefore
with respect to the proposition before the House, I
have no other choice but to vote, as I hays on several
°melons elread_y voted, against the motion now made.
But the Right .Hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Ex -
elle.qaer:who, I must say, has gone through those various pro-
positions with very great ability—(Hear)—has tlieught pro-
per to refer to a Bill which I introdneed, being then a Minister
of the Crown, and has like% isa declared the policy of the
present Government with respect to reform. On these sub-
jects 1 Wish to say a word or two. I did not withdraw that
Bill, because I was convinced that it did not give satisfac-
lion ; for, if I had remained a Minister I should have thought
it right to have proposed the second reading of the Bill, and
to have asked the House to go into Committee and discuss
each separate provision.—(Hear.) I should have done so
in the conviction that there arc, without touching on the
particular provisions of tbat Bill at the present moment, two
questions with respect to the representation of the people
requiring the consideration of the House. One is, that it
appears to me that by the right of voting fixed by the Re-
form Act—and sei fixed, I think, with very great caution, in
order that in adjusting the franchise we might not at first
fix a rate lower than would be safe—the franchise, in my
epinion, is too exclusively conilued to the middle classes
of this country. My own opinion agrees entirely, as a
general opinion, with the statement made ey the. Lion.
Member for Sheffield, that there are numerous artisans in
this country—men, earning by their labour and skill com-
petent wages, who have intelliigence and integrity fully en.
titling them to possess the elective franchise.—(ilear,
heir.) And my belief is, that if you go oa for i everal years
more, leaving the franchise as it is at present, there cannot
fail to grow up a feeling of dissatisfaction among these work-
ing classes; whereas they would be conciliated towards the
maintenance of the Constitution, and would be made more
attached to the institutions of their country, it they were
admitted to the enjoyment of the franchise in a greater de-
gree than at present. - (Cheers.) I believe that they are
fully qualified to have the franchise, as at present they are
attached to the Constitution of the country. But I believe
that it is the business of Parliament, and the business of
statesmen pretending to rule in this country, to foresee in
some degree what may he the state of this country some
years hence in process of time, and also what may be the state
of the country in a very short time, supposing circumstances
to be adverse, and supposing distress, or any reverse in trade
should induce men to consider what is their position as re-
gards the Constitution.—(Hear.) There is another matter
in reference to the smaller boroughs to which I think the
attention of Parliament should be given. It is not the exist-
ence of those smaller boroughs to which I allude, because I
think their existence as a part of the representation can be
fully and adequately defended. I think you would not have
a sufficient representation of all the classes of the country
without having some of those boroughs with a smaller num-
ber of electors. But I think there are several of those bo-
roughs, which have so small a number of electors that they
cannot befermanently maintained as they are. I stated in
bringing in the Reform Bill that the object of the Govern-
ment was, that no borough should be left with less than
300 101. voters. I think that number a low and restricted
number ; and yet I believe that no less than 14 of the pre-
sent boroughs have a smaller number of electors. That is
a circumstanee which must, before long, engage the at-
tention of-Government. I will not enter into the
modes by which we endeavoured to remedy the inconve-
nience; but I must say a word with respect to the
policy of the present Government, as stated by the Right
Hon:Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer. I own I
cannot say that that policy is founded in wisdom, or that it is
a policy that can be maintained.—( Hear, hear.) The Right
Hon. Gentleman says. " I will not make any change in the
Act of 1832 without a clear necessity." Now, we all know
what e a clear necessity" is.—(Hear, hear.) We all know
that 44 a clear necessity" does not mean the general opinion
Of sober and dispassionate men; it does not mean the exami-
nation of your existing legislation, and a determination to
a 7-
.d defects; but " a clear necessity" means that degree
ci
' discontentn and disaffection—(Cheers)—which would render
it to .
dieerin
\to govern without making a change.—(Renewed
g• We all recollect what has been the case with re-
(•
to dee
( agar, hear party opposite in regard to great measures.—
( Catholics
e all know that the just requests of the
neces-
sity' arose 10 it 37 of Ireland were denied until " a clear neces-
We all know thaetshape of impending civil war.—(Cheers. )
parliamentary Reform was constantly de-
tried until the agitation of the people arose to such a height
tea
that reform co
We all know wiegl's ion resistett(Loud cheers. )
I"Peetgie to other measures of an eco-
nomical nature, it
not until associations were
formed and spread throughout the country that the
Legislature agreed to change
hear.) I own I think the laws on the subject.—
(Hear,that the House of
position the reverse of
would take a
01 that House, of dignified, and hardly
sire, it' it were to be declared
majority . by a Minister of the Crown,
and echoed by a
of general discontent
clear case
le:motile like to know what
am arose_
misrepresenting Cries
of "No,
Nt
well, if I
no," and cheers)—
Right Honourable Gentlemvm,
those words " clear necessity
.ne—(Cheers.)
Ts. I
derstand that there could be a clegr Tl„"ti'nen can un-
ut a question ot of policy—of
wisdom—of foresight ; b
you have.netefs'itY seems to
me a question in respect to whichminds ta--° option, and
that you must either yield to de
That I iac''
a no longer
continue to govern in safety. we arne-rstaad
is to be
" clear necessity ;" and then,indeed,
faction! "racyee Inea-
lures to give general and permanent sates
\-"eers•
Yes, this sort of satisfaction, which would pro uce g. eg
hich would re of_
doors nothing but agitation, an,, wrequire
of Commons. Brat
teething but agitation to move the House
0 give an imirtaa
la agitation alone to be the power that is t
The ight
to the House of Commons?—(Hear, hear.)
Hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Ex chepter saYes
further, that although the Reform Bill was passed against
what he conceives to have been the best interests of the
country, yet he is ready to admit that since its enactment
the country has been well governed. It is to me a trium-
phant satisfaction that under an Act which I introduced
some 20 years ago the country has been well governed ;
that it was a measure of liberal policy, and that it has had
a tendency to the good government of England. I can un-
derstand that a measure under which the country has been
well governed is against the interests of the party who has
constantly opposed it.—(Hear, hear.) But, deeming that
the interests of a great portion of the country and our
interests were identified with the interests of the
country at large, I *ever conceived that our interests were
opposed to the general interests of the country. For the
reasons I have stated, I must vote against the proposition
contained in the present motion ; but Ido trust that her
Majesty's Government will renounce the course they have
indicated to-night, and will consider well the step they
take. I trust they will not wait till a necessity arises,
'ant that they will take an early opportunity of maturely
• sidering the present state of the representation with a
✓iew to an extension
of the franchise ; and that, above all,
tha7
sin, to deem it incumbent on them to extend that fran-
ggg, in
tlt_greater number of the working classes than are
may make attsyment of it, so that by timely reforms they
which I believe e institutions or' the country permanent to
attached.- (g.tel;ae people are at present steadily and firmly
Mr. WALItexE )2.
to enter the !sae'
It was entirely unnecessary for him
ber for Montrose had the debate which the Hon. Mem-
-first, that everythin introduced and that for two reasons
proposition cf the Ifote.atisc_iould be said upon the specific
answered by his Right Hon. Friend
had been completely
Exchequer, and secondly,
that Friend the Chancellor of the
eon. riend had been most mil the argument of his Right
of his speech by the Noble Lore.YeEmpsported in the first part
was to correct an expression made u 4 only object in rising
in order that it might not go to use of b the Noble Lord,
Chancellor vf the Exchequer had the country that the
"clear necessity" as synonymeus flied the expression
disaffection." observations The of the e
Ne"hdisoontent and
e Lord— illus-
trated as they had been by illusions to the Reform
to Roman Catholic Emancipation—were not Bill and
verylicitcus.
fe
When his Right Hoo. Friend made use of the
necessity of further itnproveniert in the Constitutionwords "clear
House," he counted with that observation the iof this
leaahat any
alteration which should be made should give
iteneral retisfaction to tEe couetey. What teermanent and
I)4Atel utideiiitbod his Right Hon. Friend to meati(Mr. Wal-
'-'l2atnalY. that baying pasted the Reform was
this I