Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-11-20
ENGLISH ELECTIONS.
EntaFs sting Re ume about Par
IIanlent The Franchise and
the SxGOTnL Bill
From &c Ballimore aazstte.l !

| From the Baltimore Gazette.
Announcement was made by cable g
| few days ago that election writs had been
issued aud that the 10th OF December "a
date which is probably incorrect-hsd
been fixed for the meeting Of the Bfilish
Parliament. AS Parliament is summoned
by writ OF the Sovereign issued out OF
ChsneeTy at Iesst thirty-five days previ-
GUS to It's assembling, asd as, WGen a
new Parliament is TO be elected, the
Chancellor sends his warrant to the
Clerk of the CrsWn in Caancsry to issue
Writs to the Sheriff to procure the elec
ton Of Knights and Burgesses, the steps
rendered necessary by the new Reform
Bill have been taken. The old ParIia-
melt has been dissolved and q new o1e
is about to meet.
The times of meeting of Parliament
and the duration OF Parlisments have
frequently been a matter Of controversy
in Crest Britain. An set of Charles II.
provides that Parliameut shall not be ia
Permitted for above three years. But
since the Revolution, the Budget is
granted only for q year ami the Crown is
com PEELED to SUMMON Parliament snnu
ally. Recently it has been customary
Tor Parliament to meet il annual session
extending over the first six months Of
each year. At the end OF its lsbors it is
prCrngusd either by the Sovereign iD
person, or by com mission, or proclam2-
ti0n. Dissolution is the civil death of
Parliament and must occur by will Of the
Sovereign or by the lapse of time. The
two longest Pariaments since the period
of the union Of Ireland and Great Brit
ain were the 0ns under George ". which
met April %, 1920, and the one under
Victoria whica met may 81, 1859 Both
lasted six years one month and few
days. The duration Of any Parliament
is by set of George 1. limited to seven
years.
The British P PsrlismeDt is composed Of
two Houses. the II use Of Lords con
sists Of peers who hold their seats, by
hereditary right, by Summons from the
Crown, by virtue Of Ofrlce-bishops-by
election for lifs-IFish peers-and by be-
ing delegated for the duration OF s Par
iisment-Secttish peers. This House
last year contained 462 members. The
House OF Commons consists OF Knights
OF the shire OF rrepressD Dtstiges OF counties,
OF citizens or representatives. of cities,
ard burgesses or representatives. of boT-
Oughs, who sit and vote together. The
distribution OF the franchise ia the coun
ties has heretofore been prstty regular,
nearly al the counties sending two mem
bsrs. In cities and bOru ugbs the co0stlt.
usneies h,ve varied greatly and, in old
Incorporated bOruughS, the represeDts-
ton for long time depended CHI, fiy on
ancient customs and o'd charters. Bs.
fore the RsiOEia set Of 1882, IL wss quite
8 cummou thing for 9 snail borough,
when had lost population and import
Ice by the changes OF Jime, to have 3
larger repreeeut& ion than . large and
thriving town. Fifty SIX bdroughs. Gen.
tanning q population of less than 1000
each, were then GisfraBeii5ed. They
hsd returned one hundred and eleven
msm 5ers collectively. The total mum
Der OF members last year was for Eng
lard and Wales 500, Scotland So, Ireland
iG5, in Sil 65S
The Retsrm Bill OF 1867 bas made
great change in the constituency of the
Hou.e Of Cummo mons by establishing
household suffrage in boTcughs aud occu-
patton franchise III Counties By the old |
law IN order 70 obtain a vots in borough |
1t was necessary 10 Oecupya house of e e :
clear yearly value OF not less than $50. 7
Now, the occupieF Of any house has q /
vote, and any lOGger who occupies por- |
tion of house OF the clear yearly value /
Of el0 is also entitled to vote. In order |
to vote ia a county, it was formerly nee
essary to be in actual occupation Of q /
freehold Of the yearly value OF forty shil- |
llngs, to oHE . freehold Tor life OF the |
yearly value OF el0, 0T 3 lease hold OF like |
value, If the origina term was not less |
than sixty years, OF Of the yearly value |
Of not less than g50-if the terra was
not less than twenty years, or
20 |, sof,
ESQ rent wss annually paid. Now, every /
man can vote who O~Us an estate of t 9 |
clesr yearly yalue Of Is, or who occupies |
lands within the county OF ths ratesbls i
value Of e12.
BY the late Reform Bill the seats have |
also been Tedistributed. Four boroughs
were entirely disfraDchised, and num-
ber OF others were reduced to one repre-
sentative. The act requires that no bor-
ough with less than 10000 population
shall. send more than one member to
Parliament. The vacant seats have
been given to newly formed constituent
cies. and one member has been added 10
the four great commercial or manufac
turing towns, which hitherto, with their
large population, were only allowed two
members each.
1t was very evident that this impor-
tant reduction Of tbs franchise to house,
hold occupation In boroughs and from
rental of ESQ to sl2 In counties is great
gain to the Liberal party, and 1t is fore
gone cOnelusi that it will have large
accession to its strength ia the coming
Parliament. Indeed in some strong Tory
9 division has already beer
agreed 10, and one Tory and one Liberal
are to represent the county, rather than
incur the expense OF q contested election,
which even few years sgo was coca