31 OCTOBER 1835, Page 10

WORKING OF THE REPRESENTATION ACTS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SPECTATOR.

Edinburgh, I, St. Cuthbert's Glebe.19th October.

Right glad I am to see from the Spectator of 17th October, that you now more earnestly than ever express your conviction that the vexatious and complicated registrations, under the Representation Acts of the Three King- tIone.i, render it necessary to "sweep away the whole farrago of complicated qualifications, and substitute household suffrage." I entirely agree with you that the sooner this comes the better.

Almost everywhere the Tory eflbrts made in the Registration Courts of this year, as well as former years, and the corrupt and negligent practices exhibited, have tended much to convince most men that many defects and much cause of expense attend the present system of entolment of Parliamentary electors, which must be got rid of, so as to attain the agreeable, simple, and efficient working of the all-important principles of a full and free representation. Yet some allege that those defects should not be corrected at the root of the evil,— namely, by changing the mode of qualification ; because they are pleased to imagine that different but equally serious difficulties would probably be found to attend any other principle of qualification that might be adapted. Tins is purely a hobgoblin notion, and will not stand investigation. Should we like to have the diseases of the physical body treated by a medical adviser in this way ? A person in the agony of the gout would no doubt be vastly soothed to be told that it must nut be removed for fear of some other disease attacking the system ! This would not be rational treatment. In reference to the defects in the electoral system, I am inclined to reckon, from extensive observation, that most thinking men are prepared to meet them fully, and insist on an effectual remedy. All have learned sufficiently that a franchise founded on a monied or property qualification indicated by value is absurd, inasmuch as it is a principle that no man will carry out to its full ex- tent, by giving votes for every ten pounds of annual rent which one possesses; and is so difficult in practical operation that electors will not be perpetually troubled with it and its expensive annoyances. When we see bad influences at work to carry the principle beyond its first bearings, and hear of the demo- ralizing means resorted to for this purpose, we cry "shame :" but when we do so, we should be prepared with a sufficient remedy, else we must appear most helpless. Having never approved of the cumbrous complexities of the present represen- tation system, I have been anxiously looking forward to and endeavouring to promote the arrival of a time when we should be able and willing to adopt abetter and more sintple and effectual machinery for insuring correct results in our elective and legislative operations. Feeling assured that " NO EFFORT IS LOST," I published some thoughts OR this subject in the beginning of this year, and circulated, gratis, several hun- dred copies of the tracts. In it I brought forward many important reasons to show that a sort of household suffrage was the simplest and best that could be adopted short of that which shall merely require that every elector is of the age of twenty-one or twenty-five years. Statistical calculations also enabled me to decide pretty accurately, that the probable number of persons to be ems braced by it would be about two millions, instead of only 813,000, as under the present cemlification; or 1 in 3 of psrsons twenty years of age and upwards, instead of I an 7, as at present, according to certain Parliamentary calculations. Aly plan is this—That every person claiming to vote shall be of the age of twenty-five years or upwards ; and that he shall have been for a period not lees tha.n six calendar months a householder, as owner by whatsoever titles, or occupier under whatsoever name, of a dwelling denoted by one apartment thereof or connected therewith ; being used as a kitchen or cooking apartment, or premises containing not less than pur hundred square feet in area, within walls, either in one or more than one apartment. This is coupled with se- veral distinctions and definitions taken from the present Act. The latter part of the proposal, which is here printer: in Italics, I deem of importance, so as easily to embrace the dwellings of the working classes and others having small louses. Many improvements relative to enrolling and voting, including ballot, and removing all expenses from electors and elected, I also pointed out, in the shape of a bill, but will not here further advert to. Now it will be seen by all who are not Toryfied or horrified at the idea of an easily and extensively operating system of franchise, that vast advantages would be gained by this plan, in haying only two facts to ascertain, instead of values, and deductions, and taxes, and titles, and many other confounding and vexatious difficulties which trammel a highly-important privilege, that ought to be exercised freely and as easily as possible, so as to be enjoyed wil- lingly and effectually. It seems to me to be only by adopting some such simple and correct principle, which will always produce good or a tendency to good, as far as it is carried, that we can hope to get rid of the humbug and squabbles of Registration Courts. Great difficulty in principle and forms naturally gives rise to many objections, and allows physical energy and cunning corruption to waylay and wear out the honest and well-disposed of the industrious classes. I am pursuing these investigations with an aim to national advantage, and without any party feeling ; for I am no partisan, being rather on the contrary ever earnest in deducing the broadest and soundest principles of action, and striving to have them carried out in such degrees, from time to time, as the control of circumstances will permit, until I shall find such efforts rewarded by beholding the whole in glorious and harmonious operation for the production of happiness to mankind. It is only by ever enlarging our information and keeping principle steadily before us, that we are enabled to judge how far our most anxiously-devised modes of action are just and correct.

With these views, I look forward to the next session of Parliament with much hope, and most probably shall have something suitably prepared to try what can be done in this great department of vital reform. If a tiew Parlia- ment should be called, let Electors boldly demand of those who would be their Representatives, full and effectual measures to protect them in the easy, cheap, and speedy exercise of their political privileges. WALTER NEWA L.