23 OCTOBER 1830, Page 7

PARLIAMENTARY ANATOMY.

the great families in its neighbourhood. Our lists, therefore, we have no doubt, err very c_nsiderably by shortcoming. From errors of excess, we believe them to be nearly free. In draw- borough, populous or poor, that is not at the beck of some one of there is no such thing as independent election in the strict sense tally shut—counties as independent, that are really subject to the will of a few great landed proprietors. In Scotland, for example, of the word: there is not a county, small or great—hardly a To a complete List of the New House of Commons, alphabeti- are numerous influences at work in various parts of the country, of which the public are but imperfectly informed. We have no doubt that we have set down boroughs as open, that are practi. cally arranged, we have added a species of information, which, we are aware, cannot be taken as in every respect accurate. There ing them up, we have had recourse to every quarter where in- formation was to be obtained; and we have used the information we have been enabled to collect honestly and impaitially. We have no case to make out—no theory to uphold ; our only object is to state facts, as far as they are ascertainable. The view which the following tables present of the House of Commons will be best seen by a summary of their contents. First, as to constituents, the House stands thus—

Number of Members 658 Nominees (chiefly.of Peers) 350 Independent Members 308 658

Secondly, as to the ranks and professions of the Members,, there are—

Peers, and persons connected with the Peerage 255 Placemen and Pensioners (of these, one-third are connected with the Peerage) 63 Officers of the Army . . . . . . . . 85 Officers of the Navy . . . . ..... 24 Bankers, or connected with Banks 36 Merchants, or connected with Merchandise . 82 Lawyers 62

Of seventy-five borough\ which we have considered as open, the number of voters run thus- . Below 500 . .

. . 17 500 to 1000 . . . . 23 1000 to 2000 . . . . 24 Above 2000 . . . . 11 75

With respect to the total number of electors by which the whole House is chosen, we profess ourselves unable to offer any satis- factory approximation ; but we shall not greatly err in saying that the absolute majority of the House (330) is returned directly or indirectly by less than two hundred individuals. Which, calcu- lating the population of Great Britain and Ireland at twenty-one millions, places the choice of the majority of the popular branch of the Legislature in the hands of about the ten-thousandth part of the people. There is one conclusion from the following tables, which we must not be understood as drawing, and which we would guard our readers from drawing. We state apparent and direct influ- ences ; but there may be unapparent and indirect influences which modify or neutralize them. It by no means follows that every person in the House of Commons connected with the Peerage, shall on all occasions, or any occasion, seek to exalt the Aristo- cracy at the expense of the people ; neither does it follow that every nominee in the House, shall, because he has no constituents to check his conduct, act as if the kingdom were without watch- men because he is : and on the other hand, it must be observed, that while independent language and independent votes may in _many cases be . used and given by the nominees of the Upper House, slavish arguments and slavish votes may in not a few be expected from those who are the free though unfortunate choice of the people„„ There is one more remark which will press itself at the first glance on every one that consults these tables. Britain is the greatest naval power, and immeasurably the greatest commercial power in the world : as an agricultural country it is inferior to many—its military force is less than in some of the third-rate states on the Continent of Europe. It might have been expected that the prominent features of British society would have been in some4neesare impressed on its Legislature ; but how stands the fact4 ,IThawhole.naval influence of the country is represented by tweatkfounmen ; *whole commerce and manufictuies send to Paraament eighty individuals ; while the army giVes eighty, aridthe landed interest four hundred! 'We . submit the following tables, not as a curiosity; bid withn Vie* t 0 a plaii agree practice utility. In the ensiling Parliament, there will be more questions of importance discussed,(and some -of them nettled, if our anticipations are realized), than in any other that has met for perhaps a hundred years. No Parliament ..ever..contained a greater number of members who promise well, or more whom we are disposed to trust. Put we are determined to watch them. When a division comes, as perhaps it may in the course of the week after next, we shall consult our tables, and we shall class the voters as they stand there. It is fit that the people of England should knOw what as well as who are the per- sons that direct their destinies. It has often been affirmed that the House of Commons works well ; but no attempt has hitherto been made to discover the working of its different parts. We propose not only to note the produce of the whole machine, but to assign to every separate wheel its due portion.