The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-12-06 00:00:00

TO MR. WILLIAM RATHBONE.

SIR,—In a speech made by you before the municipal inqui
sition on Wednesday last, after making some observations re
specting the corrupters and the corrupted, meaning, of course,
the bribers and the bribed at elections, and stating that the
latter had been more sinned against than sinning, you are re-
ported to have said, that this state of things it was the object of
yourself and your friends to amend since the passing of the re-
form bill, "as the elective franchise was within the reach
of all." And your reporter adds, " this address was received,
and frequently interrupted, by loud applause." In proof of
this you say " a cellar was let for 3s. per week ; one shilling
per week more in addition would give the qualification of a
£lO householder, which would be a fair test of their qualifica-
tion for this responsible duty, and, if connected with the right
of electing local governors, and making them responsible to
the public, will raise the character of the electors and the
elected, and greatly promote the respectability and real wel-
fare of every class, high and low, rich and poor, in this great
community."
Happy, indeed, is it for Liverpool, and glorious for yourself,
that you have so far exceeded the wisdom of your ancestors
and their progeny, as to have made this notable discovery, that,
by raising the rent of the inhabitable cellars from the present
comparatively low rate to four shillings per week, you can
confer the elective franchise upon the fortunate male tenants of
those enviable apartments, and by this simple expedient accom-
plish so great an object, the achievement of which, if not the
discovery, will cause your name to be the must celebrated in
the annals of the " good old town."
I have no ready means of ascertaining, nor can the parish-
officers give me the number of inhabited cellars in Liverpool;
I should, however, suppose at least 300, probably 500, will come
within the scope of your discovery, and require to be raised to
four shillings per week,—many of them are let at considerably
less than three shillings per week; but for the sake of exhibit-
ing the great advantage of your discovery, take them at that
rate ; one shilling per week more will amount to 525. each --
the poor-rate at 2s. in the pound will be 205., making £3 f2s.
per annum more upon each cellar.
Having had such ample time for concocting your address on
this subject, you no doubt came to the conclusion that these
cellars were preferable to the small houses which may be had
at the increased price, and that the tenants occupied them not
from necessity but choice, consequently that they would readily
pay the additional rent and charge, to obtain the additional
privilege of electors, which you attest (for I understand you
were sworn) will raise their characters and promote their re-
spectability and real welfare.
These are attestations which I fear cannot be substantiated
by other testimony, it being generally understood that few peo-
ple would live in cellars if they could have a house at the same
rent, and that it is their inability to pay a higher rent that com-
pels them to descend so low.
I therefore apprehend you have begun at the wrong end, and
that you must previously provide these cellarinen with the
.pe-
cuniary means of paying the additional rent and charge, with-
out which they will not be able to realise the benefit of your
discovery;
Supposing, then, that your widely ranging '
philanthropy
should induce you to make this indispensable provision, it will
then remain to be ascertained whether these 300 or 500 cellar-
voters, whose characters you thus propose to raise, and who,
according to your proposition, are to be the only electors, will
he more virtuous than the constituency under the reform bill,
or even that produced by the burgesses; I will venture to assert
that they will not, and that if the sense of the rational part of
this community can be taken upon the subject, you will find
that you yourself compose the glorious minority of one.
There may, however, be prescience, and an honest ambi-
tion in your proposing to substitute your 300 or 500 cellar-
voters in lieu of the present constituency, as common gratitude
would no doubt so far hind them to you, that on the first occa-
sion they would elect you our local governor, (Mayor,) and
also secure your election as a member of Parliament for the
borough, (you have a service of plate already,) and thus enable
you, for on you alone it will devolve, to prove that by such
means you and your friends can "raise the characters of the
electors and the elected, and promote the respectability and
real welfare of every class, high and low, rich and poor, in this
great community." Credat Judatts.—l am, Sir, your obedient
servant, INDAGATOR.