Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1867-03-22
Reform Movement in England.
LONDON. March 9

Reform Movement in England.
LONDON, March 2.
Ihe peaceful revolution which is t,
change the British Constitution, whicl
ultimately will transfer power from
few to the many, has begun. ALREADY
you can mark progression. On Mon
day evening last Mr.. Disraeli unfoldeG
the plan of Reform which the govern
ment decided upon, based on the thir
teen resolutions previously presented
to the Commons. During the few
days which have elapsed the country
has spoken. Public meetings have
been held in a great many of the
towns, and in every instance the peo.
pie have condemned the plan as un.
satisfactory. 1t appears that the new
franchises proposed by Mr.. Disraeli
would add only about 100000 to the
present constituency. Besides, his
plan for redistribution of seats is
Objectionable His plan stands no
chance OF being accepted. 1t is fra
med to still retain power in the hands
of few Lords, Earls, and landed
gentry.
At the risk of giving dry letter, it
Is necessary TO dwell for a moment
upon the present representative sys-
TEN of England.
THE ARIsToCRATIC SYSTEM.
Those who would enfranchise the
workingmen Of this country are COM
PEELED to work from an aristocratic
standpoint. Population is of no ac-
count in the present method of repre-
sentation. For example: Totness,
with 6 population of4000 inhabitants,
SENDS Two members, while Torquay,
with population Of $500, is unrep-
resented. This is in Devon, in the
southeastern section. Going to the
north of England we find Knaresbo-
rough, with 5400 inhabitants, sending
two members, while Middleboro, with
$4,000 inhabitants, is unrepresented.
Here is Burnley, with 2S,700 inhabit-
ants, unrepresented, while Arundel,
on the south coast, with a population
OF 1900, sends one member to parlia-
ment. Arundel has but TIA men
qualified to vote. Burnley undoubt-
edly has among her 2S,000 inhabit-
ants seven or eight hundred men who
would be qualified to vote as borough
electors, if the place were entitled to
representation, but now they are dis
franchised, and it is the aim of a por-
ton of the conservative party to keep
them so.
There are seven towns having a
population of more than twenty thou.
sand which are unrepresented. There
are one hundred and thirty five towns
each of which has a population ex.
ceeding five thousand, which have nc
voice in the government, and these
I of one million four hundred and nine
! ty five thousand, or two hundred thou
sand more than the entire population
Of the state of Massachusetts.
This is sufficient to show that pop
ulation is not an element in the pres
ent system. Nor does Mr.. Disrael
propose to make it of any account
All of the iniquitv of the present sys
TEN will be retained by Mr.. Disraeli
Even after his proposed re-adjustmen
of members there would be four towns
with a population not exceeding three
thousand each, which would be unrep
resented. Under his proposed bill
for it has not yet been introduced
forty towns, not one of which woul
have population exceeding seve
thousand, would outvote, by major
. ty of two, the following great cities
; London, Liverpool, Manchester, BIZ
mingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh an
Dublin. London, with its millions o
inhabitants, numbering more than on
} third of the entire population of th
: United Kingdom, sends but sixteen 0
r six hundred and fifty six member
e while forty towns, with a populatio
$ of about two hundred thousand, wi
: send forty members, and these fort
towns have an average constituent
s of little more than three hundre
voters to each town. The voters c
these forty towns will be about 1900
o and they will have the power of cleo
> ing one fifteenth of the whole hous
r These are the features of this mea
? ure proposed by the Chancellor Of tt
# Exchequer for the readiustment of 1
j. presentation.
T. This syStem-or this proposition
TT is mere patchwork. The country W
e not have any such measure, and y
20 strange to say, there is a large porti
N of the tory party in the House whi
10 will not follow Lord Derby and n
h Disraeli in even this concession.
t. Gen. Peel, an old man, brother Of t
10 former Premier. who is at the head
v the War Office, is bitterly opposed
is this yielding to democracy, and SO
q Lord Cranbourne, one of the Lords
m the Treasury.-Carleton IN Bos
so Journal.
a
he An article which we find in the r
- land Independent of recent ds