New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-28
gain in any of the Northern States where they
have pursued different policy.
BRITISH AND AMERICAN REPRESENTA-
TON

TION.
An official papcr published in Great Britain
gives an interesting view of the new system ol
representation in Parliament. Inc House u
Commons, under the new arrangement, VIII nave
$40 members, of whom nine are for uniVersitio''
The average population to each member is only
$780, while in this country the average pop
ulation to each member of Congress is over
10000. The distribution is remarkably even
and Just as respects the different sections
thus in England the average population to each
member is 1900, in Scotland 51,sOO and In
Ireland 10000 The population of Wales is
better represented than any other portion OF
the United Kingdom. having one member to
every 45. 300 inhabitants. The most important
changes exhibited by the official report are OF
course not readily cOmprehended i'll this coun-
try, though the report shows that the represen-
tation of English boroughs has been cut down
from 2s2 to 226, while the English county
representation has been increased from LIZ to
234. Relatively the change has been Still
greater in Ireland, the borough representation
having been cut down from 81 to 10, while the
representation of counties has been raised from
Ga to So In Scotland both the bOrOughs and
the counties gain in representation n Sittle,
and in Wales four members only are trans
ferred from borough to county representation.
The large number of members elected in
Great Britain gives to an American at first
blush the impression that the people must be
more thoroughly represented than with u.s.
the proportion of population to members being
only one-third as large. But the British system
is such that after all the great body of the pop
ulation has but little to do with the choice Of
members. In discussing probable changes in
the new Parliament, "The London Economist
expresses the opinion that the character Of the
body will be not very different from that of the
old Parliament, excepting that it is likely to be
more laxative, very many of the new members
being lawyers. 1t apprehends that this disposi
ton to talk Is likely to render so large body
as the House of Commons nearly useless for
practical work. But to the selection of mem
beers, it suggests that nothing is more remark
able than " the absence of any definite new
class y among the candidates. "Wo might
"havc expected a large number of actual work
"ingmen," says "1hc Economist but there
"will not, we are told, be more than half D
"dozen. We should ourselves have looked for
" Il few peasants. such as find place in most
" Continental Parliamcnts, but there will non
abe even one" Notwithstanding the recent
enfranchisemcnt of more than 1900 000 voters,
mostly artisans or workers on farms, il may be
inferred that the prOpOrtionatc influence of this
class of citizens has not been as much increased
as might be inferred. In point of fact, it will
probably be some years before the English
workers will acquire the habit of casting their
votes with much regard for their interests as
laborers, or with much independence of the In
fucncc Of employers and others to whom they
have been accustomed to look for guidance.
Ireland has its due share of representation.
The population Of Ohio and Indiana In 1SS0 was
almost exactly that OF Ireland according to the
last British census but Ohio and Indiana have
81 Representatives in Congress, while Ireland
elects 1Ol members of the House of Commons.
The population of Scotland is little less than
that Of Missouri and Iowa. which have %
members Of Congress while Scotland elects 30
members of Parliament. The population of
New England. New-York. New Jersey, Penn
sylvania and all the Western States north of
the Ohio and east Of the Mississippi I,
24G;4074 according 20 the census of 1880 and
the population of England alone Is 24,Gl3, 93G.
The proportions of the different parts of the
British kingdom may be the better appreciated
if it Is remembered that this largo Northern
population, from the Atlantic to the Missis-
sippi. represents that of England, while the
population of Missouri and Iowa exceeds that
of Scotland, and thc population of Virginia.
West Virginia. North Carolina and Kentucky
is 5170,4C2. while that Of Ireland is 5,l74s3G.
Maryland, Delaware and the District of Column
bia may be added as nearly representing the
population Of Wales. which is l,3GO,5l3. The
population Of the other Southern States below
North Carolina and Kentucky, and of the whole
country west of the Mississippi excepting Mis-
sour and Iowa, represents the excess of the pop
ulation of the United States in 1880 over the
population Of Great Britain in 1881.