IMPROVED REPRESENTATION.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SPECTATOR.
London, 9th May 1848. Sza—The question how to conjoin extended suffrage with thorough protection against that tyranny of a majority which so much injares America, is a subject worthy of the attention of philosophical reformers. Possibly the fourth head of the enclosed answer to Mr. George Wilson's circular to the members of the late League may suggest an idea not familiar to some of your readers, yet deserving of thought. I am, Sir, yours faithfully, E. W. F., One of the earliest subscribers to both League and Spectator. Copy of a Letter to George Wilson, Esq.
"Dear Sir—I have delayed giving you the answer which every letter from is entitled to, till I could speak to some old Leaguers and other political friends.
"I find all more or less adverse to any new League without strong call for it. And no one seems to like a League about 'tools: A League for any object of direct amelioration, (if League there is to be,) e. g.—for reform of Taxation—of Colonial Government--of Law, &c., would be thought more worthy of its great predecessor. "As to the special queries of your circular-
" 1st. Household Suffrage. If there is to be an agitation far extension, household suffrage is not wide enough. Very many lodgers should have a vote. In this house, for instance, (a solicitors office,) there are probably ten clerks, each with 1001. or 2001. a year, who are bachelors and have no votes. I should say that in addition to-household suffrage, the American plan should be adopted; which is, sot uni- versal outrage, but a vote to every man assessed to the poll-tax. If we amended our system of direct taxation, so as to require a very small direct tax from every one who earns 30s. or so a week—or who earns as much and is paid monthly or quarterly wages—and gave a vote to all who had a tax receipt for the year, it would be an extension very much more worth agitating for than mere household suffrage; which principle, if adopted, would certainly require to be enlarged again within ten years after its adoption.
"2d. and 3d. Vote by Ballot and Triennial Parliaments, almost every Re- former will agree to.
"4th. Electoral Districts. I believe we, the Americans, and the French, are all on a very mistaken plan in giving each voter the right to vote for as many candidates as there are Members to be returned. In this way the minorities have no abase in the representation, and the personal freedom of the representative is compromised. The American plan (now universal with them) of settling all lists of candidates in caucus, and making each voter of the party and each member vote 'black is white' with his party, or rather vote as the majority of his party dic- tates, is the natural and unavoidable result. Very many of our municipalities are close on the heels of the Americans in this respect, and an independent roan (1 mesa one belonging decidedly to a party in politics, but preferring honesty to party) in very many boroughs will not now serve in the corporation. If electoral districts were formed so large in extent as to have five or six Members returned by each district, and a vote for only one of the candidates given to each voter, the effect would be to make the elected body very nearly resemble the country at large; so as to contain (as it should) representatives of all the important classes of opinion prevalent throughout the country, proportioned in their numbers to the relative size of each class.
" On such a scheme, the present constituency of England (without any exten- sion of suffrage) would no doubt return forty or fifty Chartists; as the public in- terest requires that it should. And with even universal suffrage' probably there would not, on this plan, be one hundred Chartist Members.
Yours faithfully, E. W. F. " London, 9th May 1848."
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