The Sun.
London, England, 1859-07-07 00:00:00

porters, and Major LYON an aggregate of 2,318

whereas the victorious candidate the newly elected
M.P. for Marylebone had polled as many as 4,219
altogether. Yet it must be acknowledged in spite
of this apparent incentive to the enthusiasm
of the Liberal electors of this vast metropolitan
constituency—the unusual circumstance of there
being as many as " three RICHARDS in the
field"—a very small proportion of the registered
voters actually availed themselves of their electoral
privilege. Those registered electors, numbering
altogether upwards of 21,000—in effect exactly
21,031—it is manifest at a glance, that while merely
7,620 in all availed themselves during this recent,
contest of their command of the suffrage, as many
as 13,411 abstained from taking any part whatever
in the contest. In other words—to put the matter
in general terms, yet more plainly—but a very
little over one third of the actual constituency de-
cided between the three rival Liberal candidates. The
successful one of the three—my Lord FER3IOY—is
clearly, at the best,the choice but of a minority. A little
more than a clear third of the registered electors took
part in the contest—the result of which has been
his lordship's signal triumph over Major LYON and
Colonel DICKSON—one-third of the constituency
being just 7,010, while, as we have seen, 7,620
went to the poll yesterday in unequal proportions
of 1,083 for DICKSON, 2,318 for LYON, and 4,219
FERMOY. Supposing those 13,411 who did not
vote at all yesterday—to :have voted and to
have voted then for somebody else—that somebody
else would have surpassed the aggregate of his
three opponents by a clear majority of 5,791.
Otherwise, to express the same fact—he would
have exceeded the aggregate of the supporters of
Lord FERMOY by a clear majority of 9,192 !
those of Major LYON by a clear majority of
11,093 ! !—those of Colonel DICKSON by a clear
majority of no less than 12,328 !! ! Nor is the
whole of the anomaly of the position occupied
by this vast metropolitan constituency yet ex-
pressed when we have said even this ! The aggre-
gate of the population of Marylebone, numbering
it should be remembered altogether, according to
the last census,the:census:of 1851—(now fully eight
years behind the actual reality)—but very little
short of an enormous total of 400,000 souls—the
census of 1851 giving exactly 370,957 as the pre-
cise population (then) of this same constituency of
Marylebone ! By a reasonable calculation upon
analogy, thereupon, from 10,000 to 20,000 male
adults, whose names might, had they so pleased,
have nearely thedoubled the aggregate of those in-
scribed registry, have failed wholly and
entirely to be thus enrolled upon the books of the
constituency! From 10,000 to 20,000 men, who
might have had the privilege of a vote,
have abstained from authenticating that right,
have refrained from securing to themselves that
privilege ! And of the moiety of their fellows who
have gone the length of enrolling their names upon
the list of the actual constituency by registration,
scarcely one-half can, under any circumstances, be
brought to the poll in support of any number of
rival candidates. Accordingly, as the registration
now stands, half the entire number of voters now
upon the books would yield a total of 10,519. Yet,
as we have shown, there were no more than 7,620
altogether who voted yesterday for the three rival
candidates, FERMOY, LYON, and DICKSON. Less,
therefore, than half the actual constituency, about
one
ofMarylebone takes part in the selection of the
quarter of the presumable (possible) constituency
intricate problem of its Parliamentary representa-
tion. And the reason for all this apathy—is it not
obvious ? Is it not as visible to the meanest
capacity as the sun at noonday that the want of
the protection of the Ballot, and that alone, causes
more than 10,000 actual possessors of the franchise
not to go to the poll—causes, moreover, that prior
refrainment of from 10,000 to 20,000 additional
householders from claiming previously the right all d
privilege of their registration ?
So manifest,
glaring is the truth discoverable under allthis, so
we would willingly forego any nominal extension
of the franchise at all, if we could but secure the
far grander and far more requisite reform of the
Ballot ! And we would do so for this one reason—
that we are absolutely assured in our own mind that
the acquisition of that one boon of the Ballot would
result instantaneously in an enormous practical
increase of the franchise throughout the whole