The morning call., 1892-05-22
PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS.
A Sketch Of the Past and the Present
in ENGLAND.
Costly Contests and Bribery and ROwdyism.
A Change to Cheapness and Furity.
The Ballot Secret.
Written for THE MoRNINe CALL.

Tit attains full age the Parliament Of
Great Britain and Ireland lasts seven years,
Usually 1t lasts four or five years, but II
may be dissolved at any time according to
the wishes of the Prime Minister. The
present Parliament, the twelfth Of Queen
VictOra's reign. expires under the septen-
NAL act next year. It's dissolution Is. how
ever, a certainty this year, and IL Is eX'
tremely probable the appeal VIII be made
to the electorate next month. Mr.. Glad
stone has iDtinated to bis constituency Of
Midlothian that he expects TO be in their
midst in June, and his guesses in these mat
ters are reliable. At this moment the bust
ness Of Parliament is dragging along with
very sluggish vitality. Members are study
ing their chances before the electorate. and
the constituencies 1esound with the din of
the rival contestants, who are clamOrous to
lead their supporters on 10 the final encOuD-
ter at the polls Not a few members are
tired Of Parliamentary life and viii retire
into the shades of seclusi0n with such Slen-
der hnnoTs rs they have acquired Ia an as
sembiy where they are only inconspicuous
medOcrites. Their ambition is satisfied by
taste Of legislative work for which
they have no real aptitude, and
they are probably tired also OF the
round Of society pleasures which men OF
wealth. IN 1aTAaIlGNL Maturity ulnL III Lus
New men are coming to the 'front.' ana the
number OF fresh aSpiTants 10 fame ID the
next Parliament is unusually large Inc
voice of labor Is making itself heard. There
are many candidates who profess them
selves the champions of labor and II re-
turned at all must be considered paid dele
gates having no adequate means OF their
own, and having, Of course, nothing to
draw In The shape II salary from the state.
Since 1868 there have been a few such
members IN the House Of Commons, and
the tendency Is 10 increase them. Their
eaTnestness as representatives renders
somewhat wearisOme the life of the david
ling member who goes to the House OF
Commons because i- IS hne club and the
entrance 10 good society and who spends
considerable part OF hls night 10 party
going or amusement. The ariStoCratic caste
no longer find the peoples chamber a model
Institution TO suit their notions of ease, and
the next Parliament viii probably afford
evidence OF the change that Is coming over
English political life.
THE ELECTORATE.
The English electorate numbered in 1891
100000; Wales has 26i, III electors, Scot
land 576,213, Ireland 760,1T3 or total OF
6,067, 133 voters fer the whole United King
dom, giving 905j electors for every member.
This is democracy broad enough for
country which has population OF IS, 100000.
There are go members Of the House Of
?
y for Scotland and 103 tor Ireland. Under
the changes in the electoral system, intro
duced in 16S4S5, practically every man OF
age has a vote, II he claims 1t In the proper
way and sees that his name IS registered,
but the routine OF getting on the register IS
hampered by some needless precautions, or
restrictions, and there are some people so
lazy and Indifferent CousUtutOnally that
they viii not take the trouble 10 qualify
voters, and very likely would not vote If
they were qualified. The constituencies are
now equalIZed as far as possible IN voting
strength, each constituency as a rule re-
turning only one member This new Sys-
TEN, introduced so recently as 1885, has de-
pTIYed the rural districts nf an extra share
OF Te TeseDtatiOD 10 which they vera not
entitled, and has given the large towns their
Just proportion OF the representation. Lon
don, Liverpool, birmingham, Manchester
Glasgow and Leeds have gained immensely
in political weight by the change, which
may be taken as q final settlement Of the
franchise question Tor al least many years
Even If women were admitted to the elect
0rate-au event which may occur sOOn-It
would only be necessary 10 add their names
10 The register. Their admission could not
disturb the divisions Of the constituencies.
ANCIENT ELECTIONS.
Those who study an election in the pages
of Dickens, IhackeTay or Lever are doubt
less entertained by the tricks that were
played by the candidates and their friends,
and the yicissitudes OF nomination day, and
OF the days devoted 10 polling, mi2ht be as
prolific 10 exciting adventure as a journey
into the heart of Africa. ElectiOueeTing
was a species Of wild sport in days gone by,
and il was entered into With spirit By the
wealthy county families. who had their
pedigree 10 uphold in q constitutional fight,
and who cared nothing about spending ten,
twenty or thirty thousand pounds in
bribery, treating and other forms OF outlay
that would aid the cause Of victory. Some
OF the county elections 10 the prerailT0ad
days lasted nearly a month-that for the
whole county Of ! Ork for instance. Voters
came to the polls from remote distances on
horseback or by carriage, and almost every
vote toward the finish was openly
purchased. But men who brlbed
and debauched whole constituency
and who spent a fortune in getting to Par
lament might themselves be pure and IN
bTibabe, at least with money But pOliti-
It was the Kings Prime Minister'S duty to
carry a majority IN Parliament 10 his
pocket, and the treasury paid for it in some
way. There were pensions to bestOW and
places 10 fill up with needy relatives, and
DePrages were the reward OF good hench-
men who served their party 0bedienty. In
the election towns during polling the scenes
we're Tiotous sometimes and always disOr-
Derry and drunken. Drink flowed like
water and the whole population being
not n worse oTgie than was characteristic of
election day. 10 HOgarth's plates Of an
election, including "Chairing the Member"
we behold the dIssOlute excesses of a past
epoch wildly detailed with a fidelity that
admits of no doubt. The Englshman was
pig on election day. and it was considered
legitimate to extract from the candidates all
the coin and contributions in kind they
would pay for. Open house was kept at the
hOstelTies for all cOmeTs. Feasting was in
Ik h.rzw
bill and he disputed nothing. His agents
only asked him for money and lib
erty and they did the dirty work,
and were glad Of the responsible
ity for the sake Of the fat fees
on which they thriyed There were
certain small constituencies like Knares-
borough and Beverley that actually regarded
an election as a g0dsend Of prosp peritY. Any
generous man was welcome 20 them, 10
matter what bis principles. Beverley once
carried the matter so far that the judges
who tried a bribery case and unSeated the
members pronounced the whole borough
rotten and incapable, under the common
law, TO return member SO Beverley was
disfranchised, and its greedy voters mourned
for long the absence OF their accustomed
perquisites for Venality. BridgewateT. an
other rotten borough, was so saturated with
the business spirit that nobody could expect
TO be returned who did not pay his way law
ishly. One ofits members became the second
Judge in Scotland. and when his yenal acts
were exposed he could not bear the shame,
and in fit Of despair cut his throat.
ELECTORAL REFORM.
The alterations in the English electoral
system are numerous, and they have had
the result Of attaining 10 a purity about as
perfect as We can have it on this mundane
sphere. Bribery has become almost impos-
slble, direct or indirect Almost to a cer-
tainty candidate who tried il would be
found out and not allowed the chance Of sit
ting 10 Parliament indiscreet hotheads,
who use eorruDt influences 20 aid their cause,
are also made to feel the error Of their
way. BY a strict accountability for
his expenses through a declared accredited
agent the candidate is forced 10 be honest
IN bis outlay, the accounts being made pub