Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-04-17


leaves would be somewhat lascerated
with the harrow Carrots, beets and
turnips are too small in early growth,
and require crean soil in advance.
with frequent passing Of the cultivator
between the rows. which as they be
come larger by growth, require a
cultivator that may be contracted in
breadth
Outlines of the New British Franchise
Bill.
Mr.. Gladstone's victory on Mon
day night, whereby his bin for
tie extension of the franchise i'm
the United Kingdom was passed
to a second reading by vote
of 800 to 210, will add 1000, coo to the
voting population, and it will increase
the membership Of parliament. The
extension of the right Of suffrage in
any country is a matter of great inn
portance TO the nation and the indi-
viduals-because it is a grant of polit-
zeal power that can never be recalled ,
hence every country where universal
suffrage does not exist is apt to be
very conservative when that sub.
iect is under consideration. The
opposition hoped to defeat this favor
lite measure of Mr.. Gladstone.
and made a violent attack upon it,,
but they were defeated, and the great
leaders triumph is complete. The
opponents Of the ministry offered an
amendment to the bill declaring that
"the house proceed no further with a
measure having for ITS object the add
ing of 1000, 000 voters to the electoral
body of the united kingdom until il
has before it the entire scheme con
templated by the government, for the
representation of the people" This
meant that the house should refuse to
enlarge the franchise, unless the bill
at the same time enacted a proper re
distribution of seats. Owing TO the
complex nature of the redistribution
question, the order, if accepted,
would have practically defeat
ed the bill by delay. This
was supported in an elaborate
speech by Mr. George J. Gosch
en-, liberal member for Ripon, in which
he repeated his declaration that Eng
lish boroughs were to be disfranchls
ed in order to maintain intact the
phalanx that follows Mr.. Parnell. " II
really looked as if there was some
foundation for this charge, for, to the
establishment of everybody, Mr., Par
nell abstained from making any ut
terances upon the amendment, and
both he and the entire Irish delega
ton threw their votes solidly with the
government against the amendment,
which was defeated. Mr. Gladstone
made one of the ablest efforts of his
life in support of the bill. and said il
was a good thing for the state that the
largest number of capable citizens
should possess the franchise. He de
Tended the extension of the franchise
in Ireland as an act Of right and jus
tlce. q
AS the bill has been ordered to a
third reading, which is the parlia-
mentary stage of a bill when IL IS con
sdQred past all danger OF defeat, 1t
may be considered sure of an early
passage, and some information CON
corning the composition of the two
houses Of parliament may be in order
The house o. lords, on the first Of
January. 1884, was composed Of 6
princes Of the blood, 2 archbishops,
u dukes, 10 marquises, III earls, ~
viscounts, "a bishops, 259 barons, Is
Scottish representative peers elected
for each parliament, and q Irish rep
resentative peers elected for life-ln
all 500. A baron has lately been
added in the person Of the poet Ten
nvson. and there are nine minors who
will have seats when they attaia
majority. The house Of commons,
at the date above mentioned,
was composed of 1872 liberals, 242 con-
servatives, G2 home rulers, with va
cancies. AT the time of the union
with Scotland, in 1907, the house had
5l3 members; 40 were then added for
Scotland. and in 1901 100 for Ireland
making a total Of G58. This mum
Der was maintained by the reform act
Of 1882, and also by the more recent
one: but in each case the apportion-
ment was altered and as it now stands
England aud Wales have 493 mem.
beers. Scotland GO and Ireland 10J. By
the latest reform act-that Of 1911
English horoughs were totally dis
franchised aud % others lost member
each but rs seats were given to new
boroughs and universities. and 28 to
counties. Since then A boroughs. with
6 seats. have been disfranchised for
corrupt practices, and IN z Others, hav-
ing IL seats, the writs are suspended
leaving the present number Of sit
ting members $40 This makes a
membership Of nearly 315 greater
than the lower branch Of the Ameri-
can congress.
The total number Of electors in