On Monday afternoon the clauses of the Franchise Bill as
originally drawn by the Government passed through Com- mittee. Mr. Cavendish Bentinck made an effort to save the rent-charge qualification, by the aid of which so many faggot- votes have been created ; and even Mr. Elton, though giving up the faggot-votes, wished to allow what he called bona-fide rent- chargers to be qualified as voters under the Act. Mr. Gladstone and the Attorney-General, however, insisted that something more than a mere money interest,—a real local interest of some kind,—is essential, if the property qualification is not to give rise to faggot qualifications ; and Mr. Bentinck's amendment was negatived by a majority of 85, in a rather thin house (162 against 77). Mr. Raikes also moved an amendment to Clause 7 in the same sense as that of one moved to a previous clause by Sir E. Watkin, the intention being to insist that no house with less than two rooms shall confer a qualification ; but he subsequently admitted that he only desired this restriction to apply to Ireland, and not to make it applicable to Scotland. It was negatived by the Committee without a division,—as were also certain other amendments of no great importance, some of them with and some without a division.
