On Wednesday afternoon Lord Avebury presided at the annual meeting
of the Proportional Representation Society, held at his house in St. James's Square. Re pointed out that in 1886 the Unionists obtained a majority of a hundred and four seats at the General Election, though at the polls they were in a minority of sixty-five thousand. In the last German elections the Social Democrats had more than three million votes, but obtained only forty-three seats, while the Centre Party, with a million votes less, had a hundred and five seats. Lord Avebury went on to point out that proportional repre- sentation was practicable. Twelve thousand people had voted in an experimental election in Westminster, and only twenty voting-papers were spoilt. We agree with Lord Avebury and those who support him in thinking that there is real danger in continuing a system which is capable of producing the anomalies and the contradictions of popular government which he described. We may also say that we have studied with some care the working of the trial election held at West- minster, and have convinced ourselves that the single transfer. able vote is not only perfectly practicable, but perfectly fair in its working. We do not doubt that a Parliament elected under a system of proportional representation would not only reflect the national will far better than Parliaments elected under the present system, but would also show a marked improvement in the personnel.
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