Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1849-03-01

i4pNOO-', 0dHhdIE 1919
The Lower House Of Parliament consists Of b58 mem
bers-5OO English, IS Scotch and los Irish. The DO
dy as It's name implies, purpors to be the representa-
ton OF the .conmonaV Of the realm but yet the arts
locrailc element enters largely into its composition It
contains 80 eldest of Peers who upon the death of
their fathers will step into the upper House, 10 broth
younger and immediate relatives of Peers aud
ltl other members who BY birth or marriage are con
lecied with the nobility. The snperabundance of place
men IN the representative branch which Constitu-
ton 50 wisely guards against ard which OF the
principal causes OF the late revolution IN France, exists
gTievous extent in the British Commons The body
contains 90 government officials drawing large annual
salaries, % Generals and COlones,S "a military off Of
lower grade, leulenants "A deputy and vice leuten
ants, 53 magistrates and los patrons OF church lvngs
who are all less connected with the government
and Of course all less interested il the preser
walton Of present abuses.
It has long been the theory of the British constitution
that every citizen in the kingdom present, either
himself or by proxy, in the House Of Commons but the
reconcIement Of this theory with the actual system Of re-
presentation is enough battle any ingenuity The ia
nous Reform Bill Of 032 abolished rotten boroughs
ana somewhat enlarged the area OF representation but
the evils OF the old electoral law were removed nor
~ tact materially amellorated. The elective franchise
still remains most unjustly lmited.-OnIy those who
have freehold, the annual value of which is forty sh
lIngS and those who pay pounds house annually
are privileged 10 vote; and in consequence mil
hon out OF The twenty ghI millions Of the United King
DOM can exercise the dearest right of freedom. In Eng
aad only out Of seven male adults have the LEGAL roht
TO vote; IN Scotland only out Of eleven and ireland
only one in seventeen
But the present. electoral law is not only very lin
lied ~ It's range is also extremely unequal in its APP
plcaon 1t not only most unusy refuses votes but it
most unreasonable denies all equality of value to the votes
1t actually gives. vote in constituency NAV be
worth twenty, thirty and even fifty times much as a
vote in another Oae sixth Of the whole number Of cleo
tors, and less than onetueih OF the adult male popua
ton have the power Of ecctng majority Of the House
Of Commons. The law ii s apportionmen Of members
pays little regard 10 the total Of popula to the
number Of eeco:s, to the of wealth. extent of
territory TO the degree Of intelligence or TO any other
standard whatever. appears to resoluely all prln
cples OF justice or political philosophy at defiance.
The Immensely wealthy city Of Liverpool, with popu-
laton Of 2o2 600 Of whon $3.50 are electors returns
two members, just the same number as the miserable
little borough OF llaTwch with population of so and
with 233 Observation-Disclosures, with a population of
100000 and with 100000 pounds racabIe property,
sends two members to the Parliament while Bucking-
hamshlre, with population of II 600 and 700 900
pounds raieabe property, sends IL. kensngton dis
lrlc containing u square miles with population Of
llo,OOo, and $3.50 qualified voters, has mt been
thought worthy ., sing member while I'm, nettv bor
oughs OF Ca!ne, Dartmouth, and Medhurst with 70
ting population under 300 have one member each and
heord, which has not 200 voters, has two members
10 iact al the great towns and cities of the kingdom
The centres OF wealth, enterprise and int Florence are
virtually dlstranchised, their voice being completely
swallowed up by multitude of little borouqhs. which
nave Dafatvely no claims whatever upon the national
consideration, There less than thirty five cleo
t1raies, which send members each. although
each has less than 800 voters One halfof the House
are elected by towns with less Than 10000 Inhabitants
Eight particular b0roughs, with united population of
32,olO, have the same number of representatives as
London, with its population Of million and half The
five cities, London, Liverpool, Manchester Birmingham
and Leeds, send in all, twenty four members while
ceaia number Of counties and boroughs with the same
population, sends hundred and forty-two Thirty
one English boroughs, with united constituency of g.
e62 return to Parliament many members as all Scot
land and seventy English boroughs, containing 26 433
eleclurs many all Ireland. As gross an in.
equality existing among the different Scuch and Irish
constituencies among The English,