TOPICS OF THE DAY.
DISFRANCHISING OPERATION OF THE MUNICIPAL BILL.
THE Municipal constituencies are preparing for the important elections of next month. From the Country newspapers we learn that the Tories as well as the Liberals are in a state of activity. In several towns, complaints are made by the Liberals of the small number of Municipal voters as compared with those who possess the Parliamentary franchise. This is especially the case in Hull, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and Plymouth ; and the Hull Advertiser says that we committed an error of moment in as- suming that the new Town-Councillors would represent more ex- tended constituencies than the Members of Parliament.
In all places where the old Freemen exist in large numbers, it is obvious that a considerable deduction must be made; and in this respect the Municipal constituency will be improved. It was one of the merits of the Bill, that the class of pauper freemen was excluded from the right of voting ; which right was wisely confined to resident householders. So far, therefore, as the re- duction complained of by the Hull Advertiser is effected by the exclusion of the pauper and therefore venal freemen from the Municipal franchise, nothing is lost to the Liberal party ; who everywhere rely upon the householders. We may also remind our spirited contemporary at Hull, that in assuming the Municipal constituency to be more numerous than the Parliamentary, we did not especially refer to this or that town, but to the country at large; and we still expect that, in Manchester, Leeds, Birming- ham, Wolverhampton, Sunderland, Brighton, Devonport, and other large places where there arc no "freemen," the addition to the constituency arising from the extension of the suffrage to all permanent householders, instead of the ten-pounders only, will more than counterbalance the loss by freemen in the old boroughs.
If this is not the case now, it soon will be. No doubt, the lists of the Overseers are very imperfect; but it is the duty of the parties interested to see to their amendment. This cause of dis- franchisement it is in every qualified person's power to remove. It is, however, to the clause requiring two years and eight
months' residence and rate-paying that the small number of the voters is chiefly attributed. As regards residence, we suspect that the complaint will scarcely hold good. The Act does not require that the same premises should have been occupied during the term prescribed ; but merely that the claimant should have been a rate-paying householder somewhere within the limits of the borough. In all towns the immense majority of the population are permanent resi,lents • so that we cannot attribute to this part of the clause any disfranchising operation of consequence. With regard to rate-paying, the case is probably very different. For instance, we find it stated, that in Canterbury, " The number of registered rate-payers is about 950: this will be augmented in succeeding years as persons become qualified from entering their names as rate-payers, instead of accounting for the rates in the rent paid to their land- lords, as has been hitherto very generally done."
This is probably the principal cause of the evil complained of by the Hull journalist. The smaller class of householders is chiefly affected by the practice of paying rates through the landlords. But, in point of fact, the tenant, ultimately, is the real rate-payer and therefore one of the amendment's in the Bill to be insisted upon next session should be, that payment of rates through the landlord, or in any other way, should be suffi- cient.
if, after these amendments are made, the Liberals are found to be in a minority, (which we cannot for an instant contemplate,) we shall deplore the fact, and strive to enlighten and improve public opinion and feeling ; but we shall not abandon the convic- tion, that in every town the permanent tax-paying portion of the community ought to have the control of municipal affairs. They are the parties chiefly interested in good local government, and the most likely on that account to secure it.
Even in the United States of America, the land of Democracy, residence and payment of direct taxes, or an equivalent for the latter, are required as the qualification of a voter.
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