A hundred years ago
From the 'Spectator,' 26 lune, 1869—The Earl of Albemarle made an ineffectual attempt on Thursday to remove a stigma affixed by law to all persons resident in the country who do not own land. They are disqualified by 18th George II., cap 20, for the magistracy. A county-court judge, for example, who rents his house, cannot be made a magistrate, while the smallest squireen who can just spell can. The Duke of Richmond opposed the abolition of the law on the ground that things were very well as they were, the Lord Portman on the very dangerous argument that, as magistrates managed county finance, magistrates ought to be selected from men interested in economy. The answer to that is to deprive magistrates of their administrative monopoly. Lord Albe- marle's Bill, of course, failed, and we are very glad of it.
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