Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-04
VOTED DOWN IN THE HOUSE.
The Will of Mrs. 0'Shea's Deceased
Aunt Called in Question.
A MANIAC ON A RAILROAD TRAIN.
Germany and England Approaching an
Anti-French Agreement.
THE AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN ELECTIONS

LONDON, March Sin the House of
Commons to-day RL Hon. James Stanfield,
member from Halifax. in moving that the
House amend the electoral Jaw by enacting
that nobody can vote in more than one
/, electoral area; that the term qualifying
person to vote be reduced TO three months,
and that the act of registration be sim
plifed, argued that the present system is
entirely inadequate. He said that the pres
ent system of voting in Great Britain origi-
mated in time when the electoral franchise
was deemed class privilege, and not citi-
zen right When Parliament passed the
household suffrage act, the idea of one man,
one vote, naturally followed, but as the law
now stood, man could vote in every county
and every borough where be held house.
In other words, the present plan meant that
the man having the most means would have
the right TO return more members of Parlia-
ment than the ore with smaller means.
These out-voters, according to the speaker,
often turned an election against the views
OF the majority OF the resident electors.
The Conservatives Argument.
Henry H. Howorth Conservative SUBJ
mitted an amendment which, in brief,
meant that any alteration in the law was
inexpedient unless providing that the diff
ferent parts of Great Britain and Ireland
should be represented in Parliament in pro-
portion TO the population. This motion,
said Mr.. Howorth, reopened the whole
question of electoral re orm. There was
no doubt" he added, that the balance of
voting had lately changed Opposition
cheersl; but ii would be rash to again alter
no a-Sra of
harshly upon the Conservatives than upon
the Liberals. If this system was changed,
the first thing TO be done ought to be to
amend the disproportionate representation
of the constituencies. Ireland is grossly over
represented. 1t is absurd that one small irish
town has eight times as much electoral power
as a city like Dundee; six Irish boroughs. each
returning members, have combined electoral
vote hardly equaling the constituency repre-
sent. Taking She Irish electorate as whole. the
representation far exceeds what is allotted to
England and Scotland. 1t is here that reform
is necessary,.if anywhere" [Cheersl
Mir. Gladstone held that the amendment vir-
tually admitted the necessity of amending
registration and the acceptance of the princi-
pie of lone man, one VOTE. The country
would not long tolerate plural vote
when convinced that it enabled the upper
classes to throw their weight against the judg-
ment OF the working classes. Hear, hear
MIR. Gladstone Against Plural Voting.
Possession of plural vote was Objectionable,
because it had no connection with virtue. wis
dom, character or public services. Property
was not entitled to extra representation. He
was unable to see that the convictions OF
the great mass of the people were less sound
than those of the higher classes. The charac-
ter knowledge and education they enjoyed
were of themselves an extra weight in elec-
tlOns, for it was the entire disposition of the
people to do full justice TO these quail
ties. The amendment was not legiti-
ma6ely connected with the motion. 1t was re-
fus:Ig one grievance until another ceased to
exist II Ireland had Is members more
than it was entitled TO on 4 strictly numerical
basis. how long had England been greatly over
represented. compared with other nations?
Ouiy now England found she had a few men,
berS less than she ought to have. England still
held IwO-thirds of the voting power, and In
sisted that the whole business of the national
firm should be transacted at her own freside.
IHear, hear.
England certainly had no title to complain,
looking at the vast power she possessed and
the use she made of regulating affairs in other
portions Of the Kingdom, not by their senti-
ments, but by her own If there existed a
grievance 1t is not hers [Cheers.
Mr.. CbambeTlin said he agreed with much of
what Mr.. Gladstone had said about plural
voting. Sooner or later there must be uni
formlty of suffrage.
Mr.. StanStlelS motion was rejected by a
vote of 29l to lS9 The largeness of the major.
ity WAS due to the absence of Irish members.