New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-16
THE RURALLIFE OF ENGLAND
BY CAPTAIN MAyNE REID.


In previous articles i nave treated Oh Ehei'sh
rural life only in its social aspects; let me now
speak of politically beginning with the highest OF
its hauie politiqae in Parliament
The members who more especially represent 1t are
termed county members" to distinguish them
from those who sit for the corporate towns or Dor
oughs, called borough members" OF the former
there are 2s3 and the latter $780, which with nine
representing universities make mp the House OF
Commons-in all 652. Thus, in point OF numbers
the English people are better represented In ther
National legislature than those of the United STATES
but in all other respects worse-indeeo' ho'
represented at all, as shall presently show
Within the walls of Parliament there is no diner
ence between a county and a borough member,
either in power or privileges; the yea OF nay VI
the one being lust as good as that Oh inc o'no''
But whether inside ont the county member COIL
sders himself above the borough one, and is so gen.
eraIly regarded. Why this fancied superiority
for il is only q fancy Americans may desire 70
know: all the more when told that county con-
stitnencies are not only smaller than those OF many
boroughs but less intelligent and enlightened.
Numbers however have nothing to do with IL,
neither has intelligence nor enlightenment; there
being factor. in the eyes OF Englishmen' more
powerful than all three put together-iashloh.
But whence and why the fashion, is the collateral
question that crops mp, to get answer tha'' from
time immemorial, county constituencies nave peeh
represented in Parliament by the scons OF aristoc-
racy. while borou Oh members may be anybody OF
ANYTHING. even Slow-born" men, as some OF them
are About the former there is fine high-spiced
flavor of patricianism, while around the latter
hangs and clings the vulgar odor of democracy
ms the English idea has it, Hence. to SIT LOT
shire however poor or sparsely inhabited, is
prouder distinction than TO bs the representative OF
the richest and most populous borough. uhuer
these circumstances it need hardly be said that
county members are nearly all of them county
magnates and the majority of them Conservatives
of the high Tory type If protesting Liberalism IL
will I've of the Wing specially, which differs from
Toryism in little beyond the name; neither having
the slightest thought or intention of enlarging tile
liberties of the people, relaxing their own grasp
of sweet privileges. so long and tenaciously held.
In some of the shires Toryism controls the voting
strength in others the Wing element has the upper
hand; while in some it is about equally balanced
between them. But whichever be in the ascendant,
the Parliamentary representation of county prac
tcally vested in three four OF its leading 1ainl-
lies. who look upon 1t as sort OF heirloom anu
matrimonial right. When divided the sharing is
done in a friendly give-and-take way, as, You
have one of the seats, the other. For IL is 10 be
observed that most counties send two members 10
Parliament, some three while few of the
less populated ones nave Only siheio iopioSon'"
tive.
1t NAV be asked how the county constituencies
are thus exclusively controlled by few aristocratc
families. The answer is that the bulk of country
people having the franchise tenant faImers,
whose interest it is their landlords direct
them Ever hanging their heads, as the
sword of Damocles, are possibilities of Increased
rent and probabilities of a back term unpaid, with
visions Of sales under the statute of distress. or
other like disagIeeaDles. And as their landlords
are almost to a map, territorial magnates, the
central figures and strength of arlstocracy ITSELF
il will be easily understood how 1t is with shire
representation. Just now the landed power is less
than il ever has BEEN having received rude shock
and check from the depressed state OF agriculture
which, while impovenshing the farmer, has 10 some
extent released him from his political thradom.
A curious fact of Acknowledgement and apparently
paradox this nevertheless a substantial truth, com
prehensible as the defiance born of penury and
despair With thousands of farms untenanted aud
begging occupation, the farmer has the whip hand
of his landlord, and may vote as it pleases him.
But how long will this last Not likely for any
great length of time. unless the depression itself
continue. 1t is almost certain that return OF
prosperity would reexcite land-hunger and bring
things back into their old grooves and channels.
So far, the political disturbance has been slight,
and the change as regards Parliamentary represen-
tation scarcely appreciable
True, not all county members are bred and born
patricans for not all OF the counties are controlled
by the farmers vote. Some are in popuous mining
districts while into others extend the suburbs OF
cities over which tower tall smoking chImneys-
the homes of manufacturers and welto-do me-
chancs, also endowed with the franchise. In these
the balance voting power, ,wrested from .patri-
clan grasp is in the hands of the real people. Such
hon not MN md
strange to say neither do they always favor can
ddates of their own social order instead rather
those of q class above them. Ceteris paTibus the
man of title-baronet or lord-stands a better
chance with them, aye. far better, than he who has
no handle to his name. Richard Golden, who
represented one of these pebald county constitu-
cncies-the West Riding OF Yorkshlre-said, and
said Justly that in this regard. society had nothing
10 fear from the encroachments OF democracy as
freside jealousies Ibis phrase, if / remember
arigLt-would always restrain undue intrusion
of the proletarian element into Parliament. or other
posts of honor. / had the honor of acquaintance
with the great Apostle of Free Trade, and have
heard tins from his own lips; words made public
at the time But though that was quarter OF a
century ago. they still hold good; indeed. judging
ty the samples of wcrKingmen's representatives
sent to Parliament. they would seem to deserve
holding good OF these there have been three or
tour: and one of them-Macdonald, late deceased
actually counselled his constituency of coaminers
TO suspend work so that coal might become
and dear and as a consequence their wages get
raised, The man seriously and zealously promul
gated this mischievous doctrine in speeches made
all over the land; in direct violation Of the best
known and most universally admitted principles Of
human economy With such advocates the labor
ing-man element in Parliament is not likely to have
increase; and no doubt Macdonald's example will
have done something to retard it
Just now another element is making attempt to