The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1910-02-10
CURIOSITIES OF
FTHE SUFFRAGE
An English Clergyman Who Voted
Seventeen Times af One Election.

, II.
Probably very few people know that
up to the time of Henry vi this coun-
try had in force a system of manhood
suffrage. Every grown man had 4
voice in choosing knights of the
Shire" as M. P.'s were known i'm those
far-orf days
In the year 143o the elections were
attended by riots, and the House of
Commons passed a bill to restrict the
privilege of voting to those who could
prove that they had 40 shilIings a year.
Whereas" begins this ancient bill.
tne election Of knights have of late
oeen marked by outrageous and excess
slVe numbers of people, many of them
OF small substance and value. vet nre-
tending to a right equal to the best
hnlShts and eSquire6; whereby man
sIaughters. batteries. riots and divis-
Ions nave arisen therefore,
ano the bill goes on TO curtaiI the
Suffrage as above stated
To-Day, more than four and n hale
centuries since the day Of its passage
| the provisions of this ancient hill stiII
mold good. The qualifications which
| entitle an Englishman to be Registered
as Parliamentary voter are prjnci-
pally either freeholders of the yearly
value or forty shillings, IeaseboId of
/ NaIue or 1--WE pounds held for a term
Vi oV years or more or the occupation
OF an inherited house.
IN scotland and in Ireland the quail
cations differ somewhat from tbosa
which hold good in England bnt .,
all parts of the United Kingdom fran
chlse is dependent upon the payment
of rates P'A' 'iieii'
Large numbers of voters ara die
quaIlhed for nonpayment of rates
waterford holds or held an unenviabIa
record In this respect. Out of OOT
voters on the register of 1899 no feUer
IMAM 1000 were DISTINGUISHED for not
paying their rates.
In old days there was a great daoI
OF what is called "faggot" voting Or
one preteXt or another, men would
acquire and exercise the franchise in
score or more of different places
TdTliament has of late CONSIDERABLY
pared down these privileges. hut nm |
" quiUe recent times business men
VINO had branches in different parts |
t 1ne country claimed votes in each
famous plural voter who died . |
Few years ago was Rev. WashHI,n
west lie possessed no fewer tbon
40 parliamentary votes in different
parIs OF the country. and at the gen
eII election of 1892 managed to re-
|oIu II OF them. Considering that tho
IeVeIehd gentleman was at the tima
over oO years old, the feat was q re-
narkable one. The carving firm, ~
FlcKiords used to own more than So
votes which were divided among thu
partners Ine
A new suffrage bill. which nassad
me hungarian Parliament in Novem1
ger IaSt not OILY increased the nun-
90. VI EoteIs IN Hungary from Just
o"G HlIIllon TO two millions and
S,.d -i'lil' out also provided for a move.
~ stem OF plural voting. Il was Iai1
down that any man VINO had roooLd'5
the age OF 81, had fulfilled his miIitarT
duty' and had three children or MOI
lniSht exercise two votes.
Workmen who had been five veors
Vi more In the same trade, and en-
PiOySIs VINO employed at least ono
"OIhlIan In their business. were alec
rewarded with a double vote. Tboso
VINO PAID sum of pounds Adj -,
more III direct taxation received III
votes. 'nIet
mere are still some curious anoma-
lies Of u anchise in this country
Inc bed of Lake Windemere is WIN,
IS called IN law Customary freehold +"
Ohe consequence is that moorines f.,
ooats carry votes, although tbees
mornings consist only of large stones :
Win ring to which is attached
buoy. ''''iieu
Freemen OF old boroughs get = mr. !
laihentary vote, whether they are r..
men by birth or servitude. "Servi-
-ude means that they have served
helr apprenticeship to a freeman
hat is ali.
On the other hand. many men ,vbc
'usht certainly to have Parliamentor1
otes are deprived of them bv our NO
'ullar registration laws.
axe the case OF a curate who Iivee
II lodgings in a country cottage
ouSer does not get a vote unless bie
DOM or rooms are worth 10 pounde o.
year unfinished. In MANY caees a
ne cottage in which the curate Iivee lie
rated at no more than 10 nonpds
. IL pounds year. In such a caee -
ne curate's rooms cannot be held - g,
e worth 10 pounds a year. and he n,
; not qualified. " 4i9 n,
Nonconformist ministers MANY Of
nom move every three years. are alec &C
sldom able to cast 4 parIiamentaTV, w
ote' because by our law every remov, re
implies a disqualification for moro 90
ian two years. a. 81
extraordinary errors at times craar / 9
tolnto voters lists Some few wears
90 the name Of little girl wears IL