The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-06-04

motion. brought up tho instance OF n
clergyman who had accumulated fifty sepn-
rate voting qualifications, and ut ono gem
eral election had actually made use of forty.
He also cited the case OF five brothers, coal
agents, who were all placed on tho registers
OF twenty separate London constituencies.
and were thus enabled to givo hundred
votes among them In q national contest.
He also instanccd coachman who was
qualified to give "servico vote In no
fewer than three distinct constituencies.
He declared that there was no excuse for
refusing to sweep away such grotesque
anomalies, and that there would DO time
enough to give oil votes equal value when
the whole scheme OF the franchise was re-
modelled. On tho other hand, 1t was con-
tended that all defects In the electoral sys-
tenn ought to be reformed together. and
that the mischief wrought by plural votes
was insignificant compared with the ex-
cessive representation OF certain parts OF
the United Kingdom.
Tho Tories maintained. for example. that
Ireland is now allowed twenty more MEM
bers OF Parliament, and Wales three more
members. than they are entitled to by their
population. twas further pointed out that
Ireland. although 1t has about the same
number OF Inhabitants as London. has some
forty moro representatives In the House OF
Commons. Some statistics. moreover. were
brought forward to prove that within Ire
land itself the Parliamentary representa-
tion is unfairly distributed. Thus the three
boroughs Of Galway. Kilkenny. and Newry.
with collective electorate OF $3.50. send
three members to the House, while Belfast
with $1,000 electors only sends four. II
votes counted for as much in Belfast as they
do in the three boroughs first named. 1t
wonld send twcnty-one members. Then.
again. Longford, which has only 10000
voters, has two members and Londonderry.
which has 2O.Si5 voters. has also but two
members. Tho county Kerry has 2l.792
voters. and county Down 3s.9s2. and yet
they each send four members to Parlia-
ment. In other words. according to the
Tories. not only is Ireland overrepresented
in Parliament. but tho Nationalist party
has moro than fair share OF that over
representation.
The Gladstonians answer that somo Eng
fish rural districts are as much overrepre-
scented as some Of the Irish; that notori-
ously London Is underrepresented. and
that such anomalies are due to the fact
that under the present electoral system two
principles are recognized. viz. the repre-
sentation of individuals and the rep
resentation Of communities. They assert
that public opinion is not yet ripe for the
reputation OF the latter principle. which
would involve the extinction Of historical
boroughs and OF the parliamentary fran
chises Of universities. Besides. they say.
the Tories are in too much Of hurry to
rectify any apparent injustice the moment
it accrues to the benefit OF Ireland. In tho
years Immediately preceding the great
famine. Ireland was grossly underrepre-
sented, for then. according to population.
she deserved nearly half as many members
OF Parliament rs did England.
1t Is obvious that tho Tories are not sin
cere in their advocacy OF the lone vote. one
value" doctrine. They have no wish to
diminish the representation Of English
rural districts. or to increase that OF Lon
don: and il they succeed at the general
election they will leave undsturbcd all the
anomalies Of tho existing system. On the
other hand. il the Glndstonians triumph.
the power OF any one elector to cast more
than single vote will disappear.