Mr. Gladstone pointed out that it was absolutely impossible to
agree to Colonel Stanley's amendment ; since, if passed, it would enable the House of Lords, by the simple device of throwing out the Redistribution Bill, to defeat as long as they pleased the actual operation of the Franchise Bill. Mr. Forster thought it quite impossible to refuse to millions whose right to vote would have been acknowledged by Parliament, their use of that right in regard to the question of all others on which they would be most interested,—the return of a Parliament to carry a Redis- tribution Bill ; and Lord Randolph Churchill, in a very curious speech, showing that he changes his opinions on the most moment- ous questions for the most trivial reasons, said that Mr. Arthur Balfour had converted him to the wisdom of extending the fran- chise to the counties by a single speech made a few months ago in Scotland. He, too, urged Colonel Stanley not to press his motion to a division, and Mr. Raikes spoke in the same sense; but Colonel Stanley was supported by Sir Stafford Northcote, and his motion was eventually rejected by 276 votes against 182 (majority, 94). Mr. S. Leighton's absurd proposal to insist that a voter should not be put on the register unless he can write the name of the man for whom he wishes to vote,—a name which, at the time of the formation of the register, the elector does not know, —was then withdrawn after a very short discussion.
Previous page
