The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-29

members, but It has 34,21o electors
Such amazing incongruities are not con-
fined to England. Among Scottish counties.
the Wick district has but 2,837 voters,
whereas South Ayrshire has 5,734. The
st. Andrews district has 1850 voters,
while Strlingshire has 1871. Even in
Ireland, the borough Of East Belfast, which
has 1881 electors, complains that its
voice in Parliament can be neutralized by
Newry. which has but / ,794 II We look ot
the United Kingdom as n whole, We find that
there are fifty seats, each of which has
behind 1t less than 8, 900 electors, while on
the other hand. there are flfty-six seats.
each OF which represents moro than 10000
electors. one plausible proposal is to dis
franchise all OF the fifty constituencies
which have less than 5000 voters each,
and to distribute the seats thus gained
among the flfty.six constituencies which
have more than 1000 electors apiece.
The objection made to this project Is that,
under it one English county, six Scottish
counties and nine Irish counties would DO
abolished politically, and that seven county
seats and six cathedral cities. including
Durham, the capital OF the old Durham
Palatinate; Winchester, which was tho capt.
tai Of Wessex, and atterward Of CONSOLE
dated England, and Canterbury, the seat
of the Primate OF all England, would lose
their separate political life. Among tho
boroughs, also, which would be sentenced
to extinction, many are memorably asso-
ciated with English history, and English
Conservatives may shrink from dcpriving
them OF voice in Parliament.
Suppose. however, that this limited
application Of tho lone vote one value
principle should be carried out, what
would be tho effect on the relative strength
of political parties? To answer this
question. we should first note tho pres
cnt political complexion Of the threat
encd constituencies. or the 20 seats in
England and Wales, which have less than
% voters apiece 81 return Cnlonists
and . return Radicals to this Parliament:
OF the 10 Scottish seats 4 are Unionst5
and u Radicals, while the whole OF the II
Irish seats are Nationalist. The projected
redistribution would then begin by climi-
mating what are, Mt present, 20 Cnionlst
and 25 Home Rule seats. So far, nothing
would DO game by either party. But what
would he done with the so seats rendered
vacant? II they are distributed among tho
SO constituencies which contain over :, 900
voters piece, the Unionist party would
gain materially, because these constitu-
encies now return 81 Unionists and ~
Radicals. II is by no means certain, how
ever that the 80 merged seats would be all
given to the 80 constituencies named, for
this would seem gross injustice To districts
which just fall short OF / 8, 900 voters apiece,
and indeed. to all districts respectively COM
pris!ng between io. 900 andl5 900 electors,
The difficulty Of distributing the fifty seats
made vacant is, indeed, the rock on which
the scheme Of limited reform may split. The
truth is that II historical associations
which, hitherto. have retained much weight
In England. are to be altogether discarded
tho only equitable principle on which the
seats can be distributed is that adopted in
the United States where the constituencies,
which choose members OF the House OF
Representatives are made as nearly equal
as is possible.