The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1849-02-24
The British House OF Commons electoral
and Representative system OF Eakland


and Representative system OF EnKiand
The British House Of Commons is genep
ally considered in this country to be popu
lar Legislative body, emanating from the peo-
pie, after the manner Of our own House o
Representatives, and by the theory Of the
English constitution every citizen nthe king
dom Is considered TO be present in person OF
by proxy, and to have part in the de-
alterations Of that body. When, however,
we examine the manner in which the lower
House of the British Parliament is constltu-
ted, we find that the aristocratic element en-
tiers largely into its composition. According
TO the London correspondent Of the N. y.
Courier, the House at present consists Of
65s MISUNDERSTOOD English, 50 Scotch, and
100 Irish or this number 80 are eldest
sons Of Peers, who, upon the death Of their
fathers, will step into the upper House, ITO
are brothers, younger sons and immediate
relatives of Peers, and lot other members
who by birth or marriage are connected with
the nobility, being majority Of "a over the
Commoners of the body,
The government is also strengthened in this
branch Of Parliament by superabundance
Of place-men, an evil against which our
Constitution so wisely provides, and which
contributed so largely to produce the late
French revolution, The present House COM
prses 63 government officials drawing large
annual salaries, 90 Generals and Colonels,
&c military officers of a lower grade, 80
magistrates, and los patrons Of church liv-
ings, who are all more or less interested in
the preservationof present abuses Add to
this the fact that in the election OF these
members not one million OF persons out Of
the twenty-eight millions OF people in the
United Kingdom are entitled to vote, and
we are then prepared to determine to what
extent the monarchy Of England is a repre-
sentative government, and how far the will
Of the people is consulted in the Legislation OF
Parliament
The restriction Of the elective franchise is
beginning to attract the attention Of the peo-
Pile Of England, and a society has recently
been formed in Birmingham, the object Of
which Is to curtail the aristocratic power in
the national representation, by increasing the
number OF voters. The association compri-
SEES about one thousand members, and its in
come is about five hundred pounds monthly
which is applied to the purchase Of large
tracts Of land in the electoral districts, where
there is chance Of success, 10 be sold out
in forty shilling freeholds to men Of liberal
principles, who do not possess the property
qualification. The liberal party expect, by
this means, TO obtain control Of many cleo
torates where they have never yet success
fully waged contest, and ultimately TO work
salutary change in the electoral system Of
the nation
Not only is the present electoral law Of
England extremely unequal in its application,
giving to the small borough constituencies
representation equal to that Of the larger CT
ties, but by depriving the tenant at win of
the right Of suHrage,it gives The control Of
the elections IN the counties entirely into the
hands Of the landlords. The borough Of
Harwich, for instance, with population Of
$3.50, and 233 voters, returns two members,
the same number that is allowed to Liver
pool, with population Of 2so $3.50, Of whom
1859 are voters. Manchester, with pop
ulation Of 240, 900 and 4l 200, 900 ratea-
BILE property, sends two members to Paria-
ment, while Buckinghamshire, with H.
COO population and G760,000 rateable pro-
perty, sends eleven, Kensington, with
population Of 10000, and lS,345 voters,
has no member, while the little boroughs Of
Calne, Dartmouth and Medhurst have one
member each, and Thetiord, with less than
200 voters, has two members.
These facts exhibit the injustice Of the
British system of representation, and the
suffrage qualification is in keeping with it,
Only those who have freehold, the annual
value Of which is forty shillings, and those
who pay ten pounds house rent annually,
are entitled to vote. The extent to which
this law DISTINGUISHES the citizen is exempli-
fed by the fact that of the male adult popu-
fation of England only one out Of seven has
the legal right TO vote in Scotland only
one in eleven is entitle to vote, and in Ire
land only one in seventeen.
But the English system is unredeemed by
any Of the advantages which might be sup
posed to belong to restricted elective fran
chlse. Corruption and bribery prevail 10 an
extent unknown among any other people.
The elections in the contested boroughs are
nothing more or less than trials Of the rela-
tive length Of the purses Of the eontending
parties, and votes are considered as mere
marketable commodities, to be publicly |
bought and paid for in cash, clothing, pro-
visions, fuel, or in other ways to suit the
electors. The extent Of this practice may
be Judged from the statement of the London
Times, that there are not twenty members Of
the House Of Commons who have not ti- |
rectly or indirectly implicated themselves in
acts OF bribery. With such abuses and such !
practices the boosted representation of the
British constitution is Of little value to the
people. --BaH. Amer.
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The Equestrian Emigrant ship.
The Equestrian emgrant ship, which left |