Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-08-25
DUR LONDON LETTER
3 5TFERs OF INTEREST G0NCERSESG THE
PAR-Ia1-EsT4sY SYSTEM
Z 1afsrg o. she Fcuss oe commons-Rsy-
lag Tzsir Elscsion-Pr+aes Paid
4 Rsf5ru BtIl-Etc.
Loxpos, August 9. 1883.

tl1Tef8 Rl0 aAhuAliy F45lb mere, ana III
soite also o. tie publicity given 20 English
! n our newspaper. tais, have rea'
- nov, is . subject or which the
g- le generally are by no mems
constitution provides
members OF the
seven years, and
she sra Ia. term, subsequent
.lscla % being. Of course,
or ~ While, however,
tius Of Parliament is
actaai existence for several
los averaged only FIVE years.
re the iimi5 Is reached the
10 took Office At the beginning
ed n soms way. They fail 20
important measure to whicn
pledged, OF, on some matter Of
- o-sign policy, a majority OF the
presseaa
eAs1 d CONFIDENCE
p aad Che Troa Minister in sgch q
ther recommends the Qaean 10 com
-ae leader Of the Opposition to form
uistry, OF else advises her Majesty
ios7lTo the exciting body and allow an
eeal to the country. Generally the latter
r1rse IS recommended, and The Queen du
fully does az she is oiiden. Thcse who
oGpt Cabinet positions, Is well as some
Ec are cailed 30 wIuof places Of trust,
a9ra tnsY mey have been elected only.
ere week before, must at Ouce seek o re-
3ieesIou, lheir constituents being thus given
a opportunity 20 pass Judgment On their
mess l0g these higl posts. To represent
Borough u county one does aot need to
&c resident Of the place. In mauy in-
'tarcss these living for away are resarnsd
pHu Bright. rsaideHt Of B0ckdsls, hAs
represented Birmingham for twenty-five
cars. and he formerly represented Dan.
hester DIT. Gladstone holds his syst by
ERrae Of small constituency n SCOT
a13 biz Hisdlsugf whose h-me is il
)Ddon, has been tHglc returned slr North
rH-0B and O csc are but fsH examples
on h.ulTeds past ana yrssept. There
aave been oasea. Indeed 10 which Eagh5n
ar wtcsa hsbltusi residence was i1 some
oreisn entry 4zva been elected 10 Par
spsns.
a QUALIFICATIONS
eae-ss1y TO cradle ono TO vote for mem
ass 81 the 5ess OF Commons we're stated
former letter. 10 counties She fran
is confined to freebolders and those
~h pay yearly rental Of $50. In Dor
Sd houssholders who are raced FOR
he siiei 81 the poor, and q l5dgees whose
cess tnem SO year, csa sete. The
o.es countie3 include al qualified per
rs WAC reside outside Of The hoyoughs.
re borough voter DOES noe vote for the
eouf 81 mems Der nor DO tbJse VINO are reg
SIZE Bd a5 belonging 20 she county nave
any borough sudrags The number Of
sie. s1Tz t8rlIsnsat3ly constituencies on
tas register now N force ig SIS follows
y lsu5--Counties, $50 GIL cities and
1 oughs .35l,7 universities. Is 1871
soi q, >, 53@ 213 ireland Counties, lGA,
cities and bor0uchs. 81 Isl univer-
10 eg a.04S ,nssl 90. 5il Scotland
antics, 80 81 borcugds 30 SIS uni
rsities, l25J5. total, 522 967j grand
tali ,iSl,lJl- ous Of population of
leut IS, 600 200. These are represented
arli4meut by a few lees than 600 mem
sq,
AZ n EoEEOUs IMPRESSION.
t 70 geneI ally supposed Oh our side OF
he Atlsntic that tho House Of Commons
popular o5y, and thss it fairly repre-
seats the 2 gish people But no greater
alssY ccald be Entertained Look first
= the -aree number who are denied the
rse. I may be safely said that there
moi IN az cultural laborer in Tie whole
ersa. - aaiH who has vote The $50
-tr entirely cGts OIL this C.as5. f1r the
nt that Niy Of them pay. or can aHord
pay, .Jr pla9s Of shelter is -, and
.ae naioIIt of .hem do not pay more chan
$50 The Bna bafrie- excludes from Par
Elctla1ar, representation many thousands
g sradeg len Is also shuts out most Of
= = -sJra' school teachers not o numer-
bus class 10 be sure, but one of great re-
ssyeetabIi.ty and OK high intelligence. That
Ssh state Of shings should have been
allowed GO exist 80 long ID simply amazing.
hose whose lot is cast in villages and
count 2 places, where wages sre low and
rents Of necessity, equally SO, are de-
carr d, without the lesst excuse in reason
81 lstiee, rom national privilege to
III On the more fortunate, but no more
.iF ssTging, Or patriotic, dwellers IN Gowns
pa cities are Unfortunately admitted
" tbis the only anomaly IN the English
ai System.
sssF, Asvp sHAM REPRESENTATION.
woall tbink that having dis.
sed such vast numbers, she law
a. LEAST provide for fair distri.
on Of political power among those
are slowed to vote, Instead Of this.
A7wever, the seats are aPportioued out iu
ane most Inconsistent manGer imaginable.
q vote IL 5ae plEce counts fer rs much
igail, Or I'm three, four, five, or even ten
~ IA5re times az much IS Ia another The
aggregate result OF this inequality is that
ae-afth d the voters return one-haif the
ngse OF 0mm0ne. Some CT She Instances
Vat coaid be a3juced IN illustration Jt
his Ghiair arrangement are most slaTi1g.
s.at one suffice. birmingham. with pop
iasioa OF 200, GOO, and a very large pro- |
gorton Of voters, returns three members
% arliaunent, and only one less than that
auansr are returned by the adjacent town
q So .rwick, which can boast bat u, 900
nhabissnt Naturally there is a wide
spl oad telling tnas tais evil s1o1ld te cor
recte6, nos only IS shege G desire for an
o-tsrsion & the er7uchiss, bls an guira-
Die distribution Of gsats is csllsd Tor Nor
ean tdis resl opabie demand & muoh cager
denied 10 lacs the present Government
: unde. pledge 60 introduces reform meas
sslrn covering she1e points st the next ses-
s-on oi sariiaasnt. The bill wall scarcely
as az Is chat introduced by Six La
GU asse a. the present session. which De-
y se manheod suffrage, bus it will be
l1flc;1nsiy radical, 10 doubt, TO arouse the
asease hostility OF the Tories, and despite
- opposition Il Is sure 20 pass.
1Se eABLlANESvAET MEMBERSHIP.
another reform fer when many are
siamor.ag and which seems necessary to
rake tae Rouse Of Commons q truly rep:
4asentat,va body, il tins payment Of mem
kefa At present the members Of Parlia.
aa.ot serve their country gratuitously. and
"a many cases pay enormous sums tor the
triVilese The cost of elections Is, indeed,
cae Of the darkest blots on the English
garlt nsery system. Some astonishing
Squire are At hand. One member, who had
70 competitor, got into the present House
Of Commons only as an outlay Of $4,000.
IS to contested elections, since 1850. the
7orth Riding cost S75, 600, of which the
lhare q the winuer was 81, Goo North
0r,-L.-- -osA =fsT 00n az yyfi;ab Sir f1eorga