The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1864-07-30
The Elective franchise In Eng
land and wall.

1t is a remarkable coincidence that at the
very moment when our ministerial antI-constitu-
tional reformers were devising some way in
which the franchise or the freedom of elections
might be restricted here, SO that, instead of
il. 900 voters we should have only 5000 in the
Hawaiian Government-on that very day MAY
III n movement was made in the House of Com
mons of England to extend this great and
humanizing privilege. On that day, Mr.. Glad
stone, Chancellor of the Exchequer, one Of The
Croacn Ministers. rose in his seat in Parliament,
and proclaimed himself in favor of uniUerSal
su6ra0e. and. of HE adhesion TO this great prin-
ciple Of democratic equality.
u better understand the subject, it should
be lated that in England. voting is based on
pro4erty qualification. and the restriction is so
gre t that only one-fiftieth ~(l-50th) of the labor
ind population-which constitutes the bulk of
tlA nation--is permitted to vote. The power of
the people in England, has of late years been
constantly increasing and encroaching on that
Of the aristocracy. Public opinion is fast tear
ing down the innumerable obstacles which the
landed aristocracy there have erected to pre-
vent equal political rights and privileges.
Ever since the success of the Corn Law move
ment, the power OF the aristocracy is broken
liiCE no longer iuEIi VIZ ii UeIinL dlr upon the
lower classes and declare, ITO US the fat of the
land, and to you the bones,' but the pith and
marrow of their present arguments against the
just and proper demands of forty-nine fftieths
of the English population is; wait { little lon
ger, and Wei grant you all you desire let us
be but IL few years more in the enjoyment of the
monopoly OF government, until your manners
are more polished and your speech less rude, SO
that we can sit together comfortably. The
world has moved with gigantic PAGES of late.
and no better evidence Of it can be found than
the fact that the motion fr universal suffrage
a motion that twenty years ago would have been
hooted cut Of the English Parliament-was lost
by only L small majority.
The discussion in Parliament originated in q
bill on the Borough Franchise. brought in by
Mr.. Baines. which contemplated extending the
privilege of voting to many now excluded by
law. The bill was lost by a vote of GIG in
favor and 2T2 against it--a majority of only Sc
out of 4SS votes. This shows a strong party in
favor of franchise reform, and led by such men
as Golden, Bright and Gladstone, it must soon
become a very powerful one.
The following is a report of Mr.. Gladstone's
remarks
The CHascELLon of the ExcHsQrER said Mr.. Caves speech
vas directed against the franchise generally, and not against
the mott N nov before the House. At present it was not a par
ty question. how soon it might be SO he could not say but at
al events. they could now discuss it totally apart from party as
Bar1es) without pIedgins himself to the precise form or figure
of the measure. They had been told that the working classes
had not agitatri for reform. he asked whether it was desirable
that hey shout wait for that agitation on the contrary, such
ii T.. Not long since Re received a Reputation Of working men
on ,h- SUBJECT o' the Anuuiies Ri l. aud ne had inciIr1taly
assed them a question on the u iect Of parliamentary reform.
They told him tho- since TIE passing of the corn laws they hal
Connons- Ihsy aided that they had preferred devotinS their /