The Sun.
London, England, 1831-12-23 00:00:00

PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS.

P ARLIAMEN TARY REPRE SENTATION.
Return to an Address to his Majesty, dated the 12th of
December, 1831, for Copies of Instructions given by
the Secretary of State for the Home Department with
reference to Parliamentary Representation ; likewise
Copies of Letters or Reports received by the Secretary
of State for the Home Department in answer to such
Instructions.

LETTER FROM. LORD MELBOURNE TO LIEUTENANT DRUM-

MOND, R. E., &C. &C.
Whitehall, Nov. 24.

SIR,-The Government having determined to found the
Reform Bill upon a new basi., I request your assistance,
to enable them to ascertain the relative importance of the
smaller boroughs in England and Wales.

It is proposed to take the number of houses, and the
amount of assessed taxes for the year ending April. 1831,
together, as the test of disfranchisement. The inquiries
of which you have had the direction, and the information
obtained in answers to circulars letters sent from this ofßce
will put you in possession of the data from which Lucia a
calculation can be made.

You will have the goodness, therefore, to make a scale,
containing, in addition to 97 boroughs (the number eom-
priaed in schedules (A) and (B) of the former Bill), the
10 or 15 immediately above them in size and importance.
You will arrange these boroughs in such a manner that the
lowest may be the first, and the highest the last on the list.
I shall be obliged to you to send me at the same time an
account of the manner in which the calculation has been
made.

I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient servant,
MELIIOURNE.

LETTER FROM LIEUTENANT DRUMMOND TO THE RIGHT

HON. VISCOUNT MELBOURNE, &C.
Council Office, Dec. 13.
My Loßn,—ln conformity with the directions contained
in your Lordship's letter of the 24th ult., a list of the
smaller boroughs of England, arranged in a manner about
to he described, is now transmitted to your Lordship, far
the purpose of being laid before his Majesty's Government.

The most anxious consideration has been bestowed on
the medial adopted in the formation of the list—a consi-
deration due, however, to the importance of the subject
rather than the difficulty of the task ; of which by far
the most arduous pin has consisted in obtaining correct
data, on which to proceed with certainty and with justice.
The principle on which the list is founded consists in
allowing equal weight, in the estimation of the relative
importance of a borough, to the number of houses which
it contains, and amount of assessed taxes which it pays ;
and the method adopted for carrying this principle into
effect may be stated in the following words:—
I. Take the average number of houses contained in
the boroughs to be arranged, divide the number of houses
in each borough by this average number, and a series of
numbers will be obtained, denoting the relative importance
of the different boroughs with respect to houses.

2. Take the average amount of the assessed taxes paid
by the same boroughs, and proceed precisely in the same
manner as described with respect to the houses ; a series
of numbers will result, showing the relative importance of
the different boroughs with regard to assessed taxes.
3. Add together the numbers in these two lists which
relate to the same boroughs, and a series of numbers will
he produced denoting the relative importance of the dif-
ferent boroughs with respect to houses and assessed taxes
combined.

d. With a view to explain this statement, suppose that
the number of boroughs to be arranged in the manner pre-
scribed is 3 instead of 110. The principle not being
affected by the number, the explanation will be rendered
more simple by using the smaller number. Let the five
boroughs be as follows :

Assessed Taxes. Houses.
Borough (A.) £207
(IL)
(C.)
I)) ....... ..... (92
(E.)

5)1,956

5)1,28

Average Average
391 amount of 2:56 number of
assessed taxes. houses.
Proceeding in the manner described, there will result
for—

FIRST LIST. SECOND LIST.
Relative value with respect Relative value with respect
to Assessed Taxes. to houses.
(A.)
ca) 135-301 = .857
and - .851
(C.)
D.)
E.)

Adding together the numbers of the first and second list,
and arranging the pl Ices according to their value :

Relative importance of Boroughs,
with respect to No. of Houses,
and Assessed Taxes.
1
B.) (
1.704 ior multiplying 17. s
by 1000, ism
:3
4
5

In manner now described the list in question has been
formed. The average has been taken for 100 boroughs,
commencing with the first, which exhibits the slightest
pretension to be considered as a town, viz. Beeralston, and
the numbers will be found to be—Average number of
houses, 450 ; average of assessed taxes, 550.

By means of the two average numbers, the number in
the 3d column representing each particular borough is
readily found. Thus—

Houses... 527.460 =1.171 or producing c 1171
Arundel/ Assessed as
Taxe5...8785.50 1.506 S above Z. 1596

The amount will furnish Y757, the
number denoting the relative importance of Arundel with
respect to houses and assessed taxes combined. . .

That the method now des:Tibed is just in principle,
will probably be admitted ; and it iv satisfactory to observe,
that the description of the general appearance and condi-
tion of the towns given in the reports of the Commissioners
correspond with tie position which they occupy in the en-
closed list,—a result, however, which is also partly due to
the principle of allowing to the old borough all the ad-
vantage of the modern town which may have stretched be-
yond the ancient limits of the borough.
From this equitable and apparently simple regulation,
the chief difficulty experienced in arranging the following
list has arisen. All returns of population, number of
houses, and assessed taxes being made out with reference to
boroughs, townships, and parishes, it follows, that where
the streets have extended beyond the borough into adja-
cent parishes, such returns for the town can only be ob-
tained by compounding together parts of parishes.
The position of many boroughs depending on the esti-
mate of the town beyond the limits, it becomes necessary
to mention the manner in which this estimation has been
made, and the sources from which information has been
obtained

1. From the reports of the Commissioners produced
by the communication addressed to them by your Lord-
ship's directions on the 21st of October, requesting them
to direct their a'tention to those places where the town
extended beyond the borough, the most valuable data have
been derived. To the great exertion made by these gen-
tlemen much is due, the reports alluded to having been
prepared at a time when they were engaged in the
laborious and arduous task of reporting upon appropriate
boundaries for the towns and boroughs of England and
Wales.

2. From the information communicated by the return-
ing officerB in reply to the circular from the Home office of
the 24th of November.

3. From returns procured through the Tax-office ; and
4. From a list of the number of houses contained in
the different boroughs in England in 1831, furnished by
Mr. Rickman, the value of which is, however, unfortu-
nately restricted to those cases where boroughs and parishes
are co-extensive.

The numbers contained in the 2d and 3d columns have
been taken from the documents enumerated ; and in an
appendix to this letter the case of each individual borough
has been examined, and the reasons stated for preferring the
numbers which have been adopted where discrepancies exist.
It is but just to add that the answers of the returning officzrs
ul pear in general to have been given with candour and
fairness. In several instances the returns of the Commis-
sioners are more favourable to the boroughs than those of the
returning officer, while perhaps in a few the presence of
the Commissioners has had the effect of restraining the too
liberal 'construction which might otherwise have been
given to the word town. Having now, agreeably to your
Lordship's directions, explained the method adopted in
forming the list required, and stated the sources from
which the data have been taken, it only remains for me to
add that it is now submitted to your Lordship's conside-
ration, if not without solicitude, at least with the con-
sciousmess that no exertion which the time admitted has
been spared to render it fit fur the purpose intended, and
worthy of the confidence of ilia Majesty's government. I

* It has not been thought necessary to give the relative num-
bers for the first ten Boroughs.