The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-11-13
TWO CENTS.

the property some els 600 0Oo the constituents Of
the twenty -four members assessed to the tax at
more than f24, 523 600 p Shame and voice, ''We II
have it altered There is besides this the significant
fact that wherever you throughout Great Britain aud
Ireland out Of every six that you meet five OF them
have votes '' Hear, bear, aud cries Of g Shame.
The reform b-whch not about TO depreciate be-
cause know what it cost to get it, and I know
thing of what it has done [hear hear but the reform
bill drawn purposey to exclude from the lists
OF electors he great body of the working classes OF this
country. SImme Suppose, that out of the 900, 900
of grown men in the United Kingdom, there but
600 600 who had votes which the Now suppose
the 900 900 returned the present Parliament by fair
distribution of members TO the electots amongst te
1000, 900 there would be, in all probability, very
fair representation in the House of Commons Of
the opinion of the 1000 900 Hear Because
the opinion of the 100000 would, to considerable
extent reflect and represent the opinions OF the rest OF
their eountrymen [Cheers But that is not the case
the law has selected 900 900 to be the electors of Par
lament, and having got the 0O0, 900, they have
triyed it. partly it may be by accident, but much OF it
has been by ingenuity and intention [cheers thcy lave
contved it that the political power of this small m
nority of 900 900 is frered nuduienty disposed of
and destroyed by the manner in which members are dis
ributed amonSt the 600 900 electors who also compose
the electoral body Now wish to ask this meeting
will form ourselves if you like, notwithstanding this
uncomfortable pressure muny of yon are suffering
rom--we will form ourselves into body, taking judi
cously solemn view OF the great question before
will ask ourselves, when we talk of the question
of reform, what it is really want. Cheefs hold
IL to be this that want substitute, real and
honest representation of the people for that fraudulent
thing which we now call representation. Loud cheers
ELECTIVE FRANCHISE.
think it would lie Of great importance that the fran
chse known us the oftyshiig franchise should be
tended to all parts of the United Kingdom fully it
is enjoyed by the people of England aud Wales Hear
hear. Well, now come to question which although
believe those persons who have vote at present will
hardly credit it, is important to the country the
question of the franchise and that is the question how
your members shall be allotted to the various localities
and bodies of electors, Hear, hear Now will first
ask you simple question What is the obvious rule
that would recommend itself to every in the world
if now first put to him would he not argue in this way
the law has given to certain persons the right 10 vcte
the law presumes that every person who has the right to
vote is capable of deciding how he should vote every
elecor therefore, in the eye of the law is of the
importance every other clcctor why, therefore,
should not every eector in voting for member of Par
Lament vote for the proportion Of the whole Par
lament that every other eector votes for ear, hear
l shall be told that / not to go to the United
States for example. Well, I'll little
nearer home. Take the kingdom of Sardinia. |
was in the city of Turin last year ] made inquiries
there MS to the mode of election and the distribu
tion of members, made particular inquiry with regard
to the city Of Genoa. Genoa think has population
of about lao 600 and it returns members to the
Sandman Parliament Sardinia is not republic. Its
government is limited monarchy, like ours Let MS so
further from home to the colonies Tafe the colony of
New South Wales, of which the capital is the city Of
the New South Wales Parliament. Go on to the
colony OF Victoria the city Of Melbourne, with the
burbs returns thirteen members to the Parliament OF the
province of Victoria, and, by bill introduced by the
ministers Of late the number thirteen is about to be in
creased to eighteen and the rule applies, and we
know that throughout the territory OF the United States
the number of members is allotted exactly to the number
of the people, and that every ten years the scale is
vscd In fact it corrects itself Well now do not for
moment argue that it is necessary that should aot
ally ascertain the number of and voters in every
district, and to proportion the number exactly to this
calculation But say that we have fair right to an
honest approximation to equality and fairness in this
matter and that there be real representation in
this country or in any country without it, [Appanse
THE BALLOT IN THE UNITED STATES.
| have great fear that until you have ministry in
which there who are really in favor of reform,
and Of honest reform, you are not likely to get any
such measure the most moderate amongst ought to
be in the least satisfied with / must you against
one phrase which find friends for we cannot now
call any Of them our opponents iaugllterl but
friends the bewildeied reformers, beginning to
They say now we must not any account Amefi-
Canize institutions Well, only know of insti
tuition in America of which the Americans need to be
very greatly ashamed and that institution estab-
lshed under the monarchy although unfortunately it has
lived and hourshed under the republic Hear, hear.
They tell you that in America numbers you know
what that means-overwhem property and education.
Look at the lcgsalaton of England, look ut
wars, look at debt, look at our taxes, look at
this great fact that every improvement Of the last forty
years has been an Improvement which numbers, and
numbers only, have wrested from the property and
what they call the education of the country. Your
education surely is fairly represented b your univer-
sites but state now, have stated 'oro that if
the legislature of England had been guided for thirty
years past according to the councils OF the representa-
tives of the Universities England, instead of being
country of law and oder would have been long before
this country of anarchy and revolution Hear hear
This America is strange bugbear. Laughter There
thirty at least if thirtythrce, independent
In tha mi ne
am not of those who believe that you cannot be
free and happy under monarchy such as ours. am
not proposing the last person to propose the
institutions of this country should be modelled upon the
plan of other country because it is the plan of
other country but / say that, looking all the
world at liberty to draw science from every
trywe draw products for manufacturers from every
country draw literature from every country
and why should not, when see anything
good in politics. why allowed to learn also from
thatn every country Hear hear,] In America there
thirty thirty three sovereign and independent
States Speaking generally in all of them there is fran
chsc wide that have proposed tonight There is
an exactly equal allotment of members to electors
throughout most of the States, when voters choose to
avail themselves OF it and yet IN America find law
order and property secure and population in the
oyment of physical comforts and abundance such are
not known to the great body of the people in this
try and such arc not known, and have never be-
eve, been known in any country and in any age of the
world before. Cheers Now, docs any man dare TO
tell me- in the presence of this audience that the Eng
h nation in England is nation than the English
nation in North America Are less educated Are
we less industrious Are less moral Are we less
subject to the law Are less disposed to submit to