The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-06-19
The Representation of Miusri,ies.

d Flattering testimony to the superior civili-
cation of America may be gathered from the
fact that all that is best and wsest in the utter
ances OF foreign statesmen and philosophers
hnds the readiest response on this side of the
Atlantic. On the 3Oth of May, John Stuart
Mill stood up in the House of Commons to adj
vocate an amendment to the Reform Bill, OF
fered by himself, which provides for the repre-
sentation OF minorities in that body. But as
he is only literary man and philosopher, his
remarks were treated with more than ordinary,
disrespect by coughing, laughing, hear-hear-
ing House of Commons. Daniel Pratt never
was treated with more indignity when Address
ing crowd of school boys upon his expe cted
succession to the presidency of this country.
So outrageous was the conduct of honorable
members that the viscount Cranborne, an un-
compromising Tory, who followed Mr.. Mill,
half stified his desire to sneer at "the philoso-
pliers" in his anxiety to rebuke the brutality
of his associates If speech OF equal gravity
and power had been delivered in the United
States by man of Mills standing il would no
more have been interrupted than the most SOL
emn rite pertaining to Christian worship. The
subject discussed by Mr.. Mill is not entirely
new to the people of this country. 1t is here
associated with the name of Hare an English
man who was the first to suggest, or at least to
present in an Ineligible manner, the system
which is usually coupled with his name. AS
the subject is likely to q ssume considerable
Importance in this country at an early day,
having already been brought to the attention
of the Constitutional Convention now in ses-
sion at Albany,it is entitled to the serious
consideration OF every intelligent citizen The
details of the scheme, as explained by Mill are
with slight modification, susceptible of appli-
cation to the election of representative bodies
in all our States Ar. Hl4 sff44 a3glu'
The great end in view is to approximate as
nearly as possible to giving each elector the
representative whom of all others he would Sc
lect as his personal choice. Electors are allow
ed to go outside Of the list of local candidates,
and vote for any candidate who offers himself
in any part of the United Kingdom In this
way local minorities may unite with others
elsewhere, and thus secure their fair proper
ton of representatives. The quota of votes
necessary to effect an election is Determined
by dividing the whole number of votes actI-
| ally thrown at any one election by Gus, the
number of members constituting the present
| House. Whoever receives this quota Of votes
anywhere IN the kingdom is entitled to seat
| This is a general on time Of the scheme; but
there are few obvious difficulties that have to
be provided for by certain subsidiary arrange
ments. For instance, if the contingency were
not anticipated q single individual might re-
ceiye nearly the whole vote Of all the constitu-
| encies and thus only one member be returned to
| Parliament. But each elector places upon his
ballot more than one name; giving priority Of
| course to his favorite ca ndidate. In counting
the votes, if the candidate whose name stands
| first on the list of an eector has alreadyre-
ceived the requisite number Of votes, the vote
is eenntea for the next candidate, and so on in
| the order of priority, care being taken that I.
| single vote shall not be appropriated to more
than one candidate. If in any constituency a
| single candidate receives a majority of the
votes, he shall be returned as member for such
constituency. If the mum Der OF candidates
who receive the quota is less than 65S, then
those who receive the next lower number are
to be returned, until the number of 65S shall
| be completed. u-lg ss .I.r 9tf
There are weighty reasons that move a few
English radicals to approve this revolutionary
measure In England there are no represent
ative districts, but an arbitrary distribution O
seats is made, as the judgment or caprice of the
House of Comm ons may dictate. The con-
stituencies empowered TO return members al
large or small, as chance or the will of Parlia-
ment may determine. A more equitable dis
| tribution of seats is one of the measures now
i engaging the attention of the reformers, and
it will be seen that Mr.. Mills plan is calculated
to effect more radical reform in this respect
than can otherwise well be obtained. We can
not help feeling that it is this consideration
which especially recommends the scheme to the
Judgment of the great thinker who so ably ad-
vocated it; for the representation of minorities
| is certainly not a matter which has hitherto
| been regarded as of the essence of democracy:
and it is to render the constitution more dem.
ocratic that the English liberals are striving
1 The plan is calculated to lessen the influence
| of nomination caucuses, and perhaps to drive
i them out of existence. This would be a De.
culiar advantage in this country, and if it did
not also interfere with the rule of the maiori-
i ty, this merit would recommend it strongly to
| the American people. But where people are
sufficie ntly civilized to establish and maintain
republican form of government, there is nc
danger to be anticipated from the tyranny o.
the majority. The minority, always having
perfect freedom to express their sentiments
are sure sooner or later to become the major
ty, if they are the ADVOCATES of measures which
are really wise and just. - - 5.- ra1
| 90.