The Sun.
London, England, 1865-08-10 00:00:00

'AYS.
Cash.

A New Reform Scheme.

A dinner was given to Mr. E. Buller, the recently
elected Liberal member for North Staffordshire, in
honour of his election, at Stoke-on-Trent, on Tues-
day evening. About 60 of the leading Liberals of
the district were present, and the company also in-
cluded Mr. T. M. Bass, M.P. for Derby, Mr. W.
S. Allen, M.P. for Newcastle-under-Lyme, and Mr.
A. Bass, M.P. for Stafford. In responding to the
toast of the Lord-Lieutenant and county magis-
trates, Mr. M. T. Bass referred at some length to
the question of Parliamentary Reform. The ques-
tion he said was full of interest and anxiety, and he
was extremely anxious that all should have the
power to make such an investigation and obtain
such information as might enable Parliament to
come to the highest and truest determination on
this most important of all political questions. To
show the effect which a £6 franchise would have,
Mr. Bass said the present constituency or borough
he represented included 25 per cent. of the labour-
ing population, and 50 per cent. of small shop-
keepers whose interests were identical with those of
the working classes. The constituency numbered
2,456, and a £6 franchise would add 3,850 to these
2,456, making 6,300, and of the 3,850 added 3,600
would be working men, and only 184 of all other
classes. That being so, they would perceive that
the labouring classes would more than double all the
other classes put together under a £5 franchise, and
it must be a matter of considerable anxiety how
such a state of things would work. (Hear.) It
might be said that he had quoted but a single in-
stance, but in order to show that there were a great
many cases of the same character, he would glance
at the borough in which they were then assembled
(Stoke). A £6 franchise in that borough would add
3,645 to the present time, or would nearly double
the list. If, therefore, they made this addition, they
would find that the working classes would comprise
four-fifths of the constituency. (Hear.) If he
thought the working classes were the best judges of
their own interests, he would vote for universal
suffrage to-morrow ; but, having had a large ex-
perience of them, having watched the course they
had often taken, and the manner in which they had
fallen into the hands of, and been misled by, men
who had undertaken to lead them, he was not of
opinion that the working classes were always the
best judges of what was for their own benefit.
(Applause.) Therefore it behoved them to care-
fully consider before they gave the working classes
four-fifths of the representation of the country.
Having said that much, he still desired to say that
he was persuaded that they must give the working
classes an increased share in the representation, and
he thought so for many reasons ; not but what it
might be true, as had been said by Mr. Lowe and
Mr. Horsman, that we were not likely to improve
the legislation of the country by making such an
extension, for he thought that the present time the
legislation of this country was conducted more with
a general regard to the true interest of the whole
country than any Government in any other coun-
try in the world. (Applause.) He was persuaded
of that, and that they must run some risks in very
largely extending the area of their representation.
Yet when he found as he did that the working
classes were entitled to a larger share in the govern-
ment of the country, he thought it would be a Con-
servative policy to make some extension of the suf-
frage. (Applause.) Dr. Temple had put forward
a scheme of reform by which 140 members were
to be taken from small boroughs and given to coun-
ties with a rating franchise like the municipal fran-
chise. But they must recollect that those 140
members were bound to vote against such a redis-
tribution of seats, and it would be hopeless to expect
to carry such a scheme. But it occurred to him
that it would be possible to adopt some such plan
as this :—To take one member for each of the small
boroughs and give them to the working classes,
with a similar franchise, by which means they would
have 128 members for whom the working classes
would be able to vote, and who would represent
those classes. (Hear.) It would bring within
the pale of the constitution a vast multitude of peo-
ple and give them an interest in the government
of the country which would increase their regard
for the country, and would be a very useful mea-
sure. (Applause.) It had been objected to as
militating between classes, but they had now dis-
tinct classes of voters, and he believed that they
would in a measure amalgamate by all doing their
best to return the men to Parliament most fitted to
promote the prosperity of the country. At any
rate if his plan was not practicable, it might lead
others to think, and so help the solution of this
most interesting question. Mr. Buller's health was
drunk with the greatest enthusiasm, and while re-
sponding the hon. gentleman was frequently ap-
plauded.