Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1857-05-28
Miseellapeoqs.
Extracted from an article IN the Chicago Times.
The Mode of Elections In En-.
. gland.


Extracted from an article in the Chicago Times.
The Mode of Elections In En-.
gland.
As the Parliament Of Great Britain has
dissolved, it has occurred to us that brief
view Of the workings of the English repre-
sentative system, and of the events which
usually attend the dissolution of one Par
iiamcnt and the election of another, can
not fail to engage the attention of our
readers. - IT, q -
The constitutional duration of an En-
glish Parliament is seven years, though
but few Parliaments attain more than half
that age, their existence being liable to be
cut short at any moment by the admins
fioa-
Each Parliament is composed of two sep
arate branches, the House of Lords and
the House of Commons; the former is an
hereditary branch, the latter an elective one.
The House Of Lords is composed of about
four bundled members. Every English
Doblemen is peer of the realm, and as
such is entitled to seat in the House of
Lords. The nobility of Scotland and Ire
land are not peers of the realm, and have
consequently no right to seats in the upper
House Tney are not entitled to repre-
sontation in the House of Lords; the Scotch
nobility by sixteen of their numb:r elect
ed by them every Parliament at Holyrood
palace, the Irish by twenty-eight Irish
peers elected by them for life
1t is true that many of the nobility of
Scotland and Ireland are possessed of seats
in the House of Lords. Many of them
by intermarriage With English houses and
other ways, have become peers of En-
gland as well. Thus, for example, the
Duke of Athol cannot sit as such in the
Lords, but he can sit and does sit as Earl
Strange of England; the Duke of Argyle
sits there as Baron Sundridge; the Duke
of Buccleugh as the Earl of Doncaster;
tho Duke of Montrose as Earl Graham;
and the Duke of Roxburg as Earl Innes.
Thus it will be seen that of the four
hundred members who compose the House
of Lords, three hundred and fifty-six sit as
English peers, twenty-eight as Irish, and
thirteen as Scotch. In addition to these,
the Bishops of the Episcopal Church of
England are ex-officio members of the
House, and are entitled, with the exception
of their two youngest members, to votes.
The House of Commons is composed of
six, hundred and fifty-six members-and
here again the injustice and inequality of
the present representative system appear
England four hundred and ninety-eight re-
Scotland fifty-three.
Before any measure or public act can be-
come law it is necessary that it should re-
ceive the sanction of both Houses and the
approval Of the Grown. In one respect
alone is the House of Commons independ-
ent and supreme. It's intrusted with the
keeping Of the nations purse, and has full au-
thority and power to Gu. off all supplies
The value of this power by the lower House
can scarcely be ove.- estimated. Its in the
SS.awer Of the monarch, without consulting
Parliament, to make war; but without
the consent of the Commons Ii is ::!nInossi-
bic to carry it on.
On the dissolution of q parliament, writs
ordering an election in the various coun-
ties and boroughs are issued from the
Home Office. The plan of holding gen.
eral election on the same day all over the
country is one that might be introduced
to great advantage in England. By the
present practice ofholding the election on
different days, tie landed proprietor, who
owns property in half q dozen different
counties, is enabled tovisit each county and
vote for his party candidate, the possession
Of property being the only qualification of
the voter,
The House of Common is composed Of
three classes of members from the universi-
ties, elected by the students; members
from the counties, voted for by those who
have good luck to own freehold Welding
an annual rental Of $40, or who occupy a
farm for which they pay rental Of $50
per annum; and members from the cities
and boroughs, voted for by privileged
class called ssfreemen," who inherit the right
Of suffrage, and all other persons who pay
an annual rent of $50 and taxes. To be
the representative of university has al
ways been considered, and very justly so, a
high mark of honor. 1t is position to
which only the best men of the nation can
aspire, and which is never filled but with
such men. To be the representative Of
county is esteemed in the House Of Com.
mon as the next most honorable position