The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-08-25

Bii-Uniyersnl Suffrage In Prospect.
The character and extent of the political and
social revolution which will be accomplished
in Great Britain by the working of the new
Reform bill cannot, as we have heretofore init
mated in the HERALD, he estimated with any
degree of accuracy before the completion of
the electoral registrations provided for in The
enactment itself, and the official publication of
the revised franchise lists setting forth the
additions which have been made TO the respec-
tive constituencies of the kingdom. Hating
short of a concession of universal suffrage the
English Reform bill maintains points of quail
iicatiOn for the right of voting. II insists, in
the spirit Of ancient British toryism, that the
man who has paid something TO the State or
municipality, possesses some property or
vested right, enjoys a professional education,
is good rent paying tenant, or remains
quietly in a certain domicile for year or two,
is better judge of the advantages of a gov
ernmental system which affords him such com
forts and enjoyment than is the pauper who
pays no taxes, because he has no money to
pay. the man who has no property to use, who
is uneducated even in letters. and vagrant for
want of home. of the dement's of q plan of rule
under which he has been begg,r born and will
remain mendicant aud tinerant to the end of
his days.
The English Registration Courts are now in
session, the judges being guided by the fine
line of demarcation which we have sketched
in their duty as to the enfranchisng or rejec-
ton of applicants. Citizens possess no right to
claim vote, the penal duty, or onuS proJan-
ID. being placed upon each of showing by com
petent testimony that he is of full age aud not
subject to legal incapacity; that he has during
the whole of the past twelve months been an
inhabitant, as owner or tenant of any dwelling
house within a borough; that he has within
such time been rated rs an ordinary Occu-
pier Of the premises to sail rates" made for the
relief of the poor, and has within a certain
period paid such rates. Then there is the
ledger franchise, the first being the borough
occupier qualification, the obtainmcnt Of which
appears to us to have been rendered very diff
cult. The Reform bill says that every man
who for twelve months previous to the It of
July has occupied as sole tenant the same
lodgings which, if unfinished, would let at
the rate Of ten pounds year, is entitled to
claim to be placed on the list The value is a
question Of fact to be decided by the revising
barristcr on evidence Every person paying
four shillings q week rent for unfinished lodg-
ings will be entitled to claim. Occasional alb
sence during the twelve months will not dis
qualify. provided no other person occupies in
the interval, and provided the rent continues to
be paid by the claimant The claims having
been published after the 25th of August
may be objected to at the revision court,
though no notice of objection has been given
either to claimants or overseers. Next comes
the joint ratcpayer-at first the compound
Householder franchise, the County franchise,
the Universities franchise, with many other
subdivisions OF the points Of qualification ap-
| plicable to cities, borourhs and colleges in
England Then there are special Reform
bills. with clauses different from those
required in England, applicable TO Ireland and
Scotland. The County franchise valuation Is,
IN all three, unequal, and likely to prove
very embarrassing in England. The mischief
lies in variable percentage plan. which
throws vast influence into the hands of the
assessment committee men.
Instead OF free admission to certain rights
under the Reform bill it appears to us. there
fore, as if honest old John Bull has been ac-
cused, by Legislative implication in the framing
of that measure as liable to pcrpc,uae certain
citizen and tenant wrongs, and is enioined TO
prove that he has not accomplished such
lapses or been in municipal fogyontc within
specified time before his registration.
With such difficulties in the way we arc
not surprised to hear the statement,
given in our European mail report IN
! SUNDAY morning. that the return ct uew