The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-11-13
THE REFORM MOVEMENT IN ENGLAND.
MR.. BRIGHT BEFORE HIS CONSTITUENTS.
GREAT SPEEcH AT BLRMLNGAAM
ENGLISH VIEW OF THE AMERICAN ELECTIVE
SYSTEM.

member of Parliament from Birmingham addressed his
constituents the subject of reform Of the suffrage
and of the apportionment of members, from which we
make-the following extracts
PRESENT MOVEMENT,
On the general question of foreign policy intend to
take early opportunity of going into il little at
length than would be advisable this evening Hear
hear Now before ME there are am afraid to say how
many persons who are by the present constitution
of their country shut out from any participation in po
cal power. ['.IIear, hear, and cheers And shall
take this opportunity of discussing, of laying before this
Ineetng far as am able, with brevity and distinct
ness, what think ought to aim at this moment when
the great question of parliamentary reform is before the
country. Loud cheers think may fairly say that
the question of parliamentary reform at this moment
cupes something like triumphant position, inasmuch
it now has open enemies whatever. AT the
time think it occupies perlous position inasmuch as
for the moment is taken up by those who until this
hour have been for the most part the uncompromsing
opponents OF reform, lHear, hear. We have had four
governments pledged to parliamentary reform within the
last few years First, the government of Lord John
RUSSELL that statesman who, as Prime Minister intro
duoed BILL Afterwards the government Of Lord Aber-
dean, and member of that government Lord John
Russell introduced another bill must say that the least
said of these billsespeciay of the last-the better.
[iear hear, and laughter The government which has
been recently oyerown pledged itself to the country to
bring in bill but at the time when it to uncx
pected but not undered extinction great appause
bill had been prepared, and therefore know nothing
Of the particulars OF which it to be composed We
have government under the chieftainshp of Lord
Derby. And Lord Derby, in 1852, during his short
tenure of power, stated if | recolect right that
of the objects of the government would be stem
the advancing tide of democracy Loud laughter,
Now may be that Lord Derby has entirely changed his
mind that he is much converted to parliamentary
form Sir Robert Peel in 1916, converted to
law repeal If he is SO converted then, question
may be in good hands but if he is not if he
never yet has acknowledged his conversion to other
views think it is reasonable of to regard his
with suspicion Ihear, hear, and the position of
the question in his hands with alarm. They all pre-
tend to be very fond of the question of REFORM but
still they do not tell much about it, They remind me-
in the few speeches they have delivered of the condition
of that deplorable Atlantic cable of which / read
the other daythat is to say, that the currents
visible but that the signals were wholly indistinct
Laughter. But having admitted that parliamentary
reform necessary they therefore admit that the present
House of Commons does not satisfactorily represent the
nation, and that is step In ADVANCE to have OBJ
tained from those persons amongst whom hitherto
1t has been supposed governments alone could be formed
in this country. Now, do not believe that Parliament
does fairly represent the nation [Cheers think it is
capable of most distinct proof that it does not and be-
fore go to any figures will mention two facts
which think will satisfy you that point In 1876
the great question of the repeal of the laws
der discussion. Why, it required earthquake to al
low people to buy their bread in the worlds market 1t
required famine in Ireland which, from lS45 to 1851
lessened the population of Ireland by less than
900 of persons 1t required the conversion of great
minister, the breakup of great party the constitution
endangered, and indeed all those mysterious evils
which these official statesmen discover when the poor
| artisan of Birmingham Manchester the poor Ia
borer half starved begged this only that where bread
could be had cheapest in return for his labor he might
be permitted to buy it loud applause.] But come
later down-six years to 1852, when Lord Derby was
in Office. He went to dissolution and the great question
was the question of protection When Parliament
sembed protection and Lord Derby defeated by
! majority of nineteen but when government only
had majority of nineteen in the House of Commons
against the reestablishment of protection in FORM
nineteen twenteths of all the people of England
determined that they would have anything
to do with it. Applause. Take some other instances
which atf4et the Established Church Hear hear |
Probably many persons in this meeting not of
the fact that in England only oncthird of the people
have any connection whatever according the registrar
general with the Established Church in Scotland one
third of the people only belong to the Established
Church in Ireland five out of six have connection
with the Established Church in Wales eight out of ten
of the people have connection with it-and yet the
Established Church paramount in both Houses OF Par
lament If the House Of Commons fairly represented all
the people Of the United Kingdom the Established
Church and its friends say nothing against it MS reli
gious institution, hear hear but, politically speaking
say that if the House of Commons fairly represented the
country, it would be much modest, and should
probably get changes much readily than
have got them hitherto.
INEQUALITY REPRESENTATION.
will not trouble you with statistics which you cannot
remember but will give you cases which will
show you exactly what take first the greatest
county in England Yorkshire and will show you incdual-
ity exists there absolutely fatal to everything like
representation There in Yorkshire ten boroughs
small boroughs which return members to Parliament to
the number of sxteen-tha is the whole of the number
of the ten boroughs gives sixteen members There
other eight boroughs in the county, the members
of which, altogether, fourteen Now, the ten bo-
roughs returning sixteen members have not more than
80 900 of population and the eight boroughs with the
fourteen membelsthat is, the smaller number of mem
bers-have population of 622, 600 [ Shame. Now
whether you take the amount of population the
Der Of the houses the which they rated
the income tax the number of electors find the
proportion about the that the large booughs which
send the smaller number of members have times the
population times the number of houses seven times
the amount of income tax and have seven times. the
number of electors. fShamc.' N must ask your at
teution to other comparison which refers to your
| own town. Hear, hear. You know that the present
Chancellor of the Exchequer represents the county of
Buckingham. The county of buckingham has popula
ton of l6t 0O0 which is not nearly much the pop
ulation of Birmingham, and yet BuckinghamshiTe
turns, believe not fewer than eleven members to the
House of Commons ''Shame. That is, Bucking
hamshre and its boroughs Now, why should 16i 600
persons in Buclsing return eleven members,
while the population of at least 1882 600 in Birmingham
return only two members. ICheers AS one more il
lustration with regard also TO your town. There
in the counties of Dorseishire Devonshire and Wilt
shire twenty two boroughs that return thirty your
bers. Now compare the population of those twenty
borougbs returning thirty members, with the popu
lation and the political power of Birmingham. Hear,
hear You have nearly twice the population, and YOU
have only two members to represent you in the House
OF Commons ("shame.'l In fact could give you
pages of illustrations of this kind to show you TINT the