Mr. Horsman made also a very telling defence of his
Reform policy at Stroud on Thursday,—advocating for his own part a reform of the suffrage on the model of the Poor-Law suffrage,- with plural votes, varying with rental and evidence of professional intelligence. Much of his speech was wise and sound. What is unwise and unsound is his evident disbelief that the working class have any practical business with legislation, any real grievances to remove, any new policy to inaugurate, which the present Par- liament would not remove and inaugurate just as well. He speaks rather as if the defect in the Constitution were theojetical, not practical ;—as if we had the best possible Legislature, if working men could only make believe that they had a real share in electing it. It is this which makes Mr. Horsman's practical proposals
eouud .hollow, and as if he wished to take away with one hand what-he gives with the other.
Previous page
