Weekly national intelligencer., 1847-09-11

1t is singular fact that the city of London and
the metropolitan districts and the towns of Liver
verpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and Leeds, con-
tain as large population seventeen of the pure
iy agricultural counties, viz. Bedfordshire Hunt
ingdonshire, Suffolk. Sussex, Berkshire Bucking-
hamshire, Cambridgeshire, Cumberland, Hertford-
shire, Dorsetshire, Rutland, the North riding of
Yorkshire, the East riding of Yorkshire, Hereford
shire, Oxfordshire, Westmoreland, and Northamp-
tonshire. The area of the metropolis and the other
four towns is about the that of the smallest
of the seventeen countes-Rutland, viz. $4,000
acres-and they return "a members to Parliament
Of those just elected, 81 are Wings, the remaining
3 friends of Sir Robert Peel. The seventeen coun-
ties contain about ten millions of acres, or about
one-third of all England, and are equal in popula-
ton to all Scotland with nineteen millions OF acres
OF surface. These seventeen counties return 49
members, of whom 9 are Wings, friend of Sir
Robert Peel, and the remaining 80 stanch uncom-
promising Protectionsts and anti-progress men.
These statistics may serve to give you some idea
OF the sort OF materials of which the new House
of Commons is composed, and the different classes
of society and interests, of which the three sections
of it are composed.
Again, take comparative view Of the represen-
tative system of government as practised in the
three countries of most importance in the world, in
a commercial, political, and'moral view, viz. Eng
lan0, the UnlteQ states, anu France.
In Great Britain, population of 26,71 ,059 in
1840 contained l,066,S60 electors, about one
person in every twenty five had vote.
In the United States, population of l7,063,25S
in 1910 gave 2,403,4S5 votes at the Presidential
election, or about one in every seven had vote.
In France, population Of 35,O00,000 contains
about 100000 electors, or very nearly one in every
one hundred and seventy-fve have vote
Comment is unnecessary, nor is the statement
made for the purpose of any nvidious compari-
son, but merely as an interesting fact
The reform in the constitution of the House of
Commons which was effected some years ago by
Lord Grey, Lord John Russell, and their friends,
was an extremely useful measure removing many Of
the grosser anomalies, absurdities, and abuses.
striking fact or two will show, however that much
has yet to be sdone before the people of England
have full, fair, and equitable Representations
The Metropolis Liverpool Manchester, Bir-
mingham, and Leeds contain l3l ,604 electors, and
return twenty-four members.
The seventeen counties enumerated before con-
tain an aggregate of ll5257 freeholders, and return
forty-nne members, besides the representatives of
the cities and towns situated in these counties.
The boroughs of Abingdon, Cockermouth, Har-
wich, Knaresbro', Marlboro, NARROW, Richmond,
Ripon, Tavistock, Thetford, Wells, and Wycomb
contain together 34ll electors, and return twenty.
four-members
The result, therefore, is
That in one caso l3l 60i electors return "a members
In another . lis, 257 electors return 40 members.
And in third. 3,4ll electors return "a members.
Your intelligent readers will draw their own con-
clusons There are great difficulties, however, in
the way of legislation upon this subject and it is
not very probable that any attempt at further reform
at present would receive the support Of any inhuen