THE BLOT IN THE BILL.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."] SIR,—Many good Radicals fear very much the effect of dividing large constituencies into wards, returning one Member each. A voter for• an historical city or a great borough often feels a pride in his constituency, and wishes for a Member of national repu- tation. Petty local interests in one part of a borough are opposed and neutralised by other local interests in another. Take Hackney as an instance, with its 417,000 electors. Hack- ney was proud of being represented by Professor Fawcett ; and when he died—and we all sorrowed—Hackney sought for a worthy successor whom all England would esteem, and, neglect- ing local interests, elected Professor Stuart. Hackney is now to be divided into some seven districts. Would any one of these little Hackneys have invited Professor Stuart ? I fear not. Local interests, local men would have been too strong. This is one instance only. At first, no doubt, men who have already made a name n the House may find it easy to gain a seat. But Professor Stuart had made no such name. We have to look to the future. Vestrydom is very powerful where there is no higher feeling to defeat it Mr. Bright and Mr. Chamberlain seem to have successfully implanted in the leading statesmen on both sides a dislike of proportional representation in any shape. Is the result to be a Parliament of vestrymen P—I am, Sir, &c.,
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