MULTIPLICATION OF VOTES.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SPECTATOR. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SPECTATOR.
17th August 1835. DEAR SPEC.—" ET TU BRUTE!" so it seems you must have a passing sneer at the Liberals, and help those lame dogs the Tories over a style. You say in your last " six sons of the late Sir Samuel Hominy derive the right of suffrage out of one (the Italics are your own) set of chambers in Lincoln's Inn." If you had stated the fact correctly, you would have triumphantly refuted a paltry lie of the Tory press, instead of giving it (as you have done by your snubbing) substance and credit. The fact is, that the six sons (by the way, an Irish sort of description of a daughter and other relatives not consanguineous) do not de- rive the right in respect to one set of chambers, but in respect to several. If you had read the whole of Mr. Jou N ROMILLY'S letter, which you partially set out—just like the Tories—in another part of your journal, you would have dis- covered that the right is obtained from the whole house iu Lincoln's Inn ; and which house contains several sets of chambers,—one, at least, on every floor. All the world (and a spectator " who looks deep into the affairs of men 'c ought to he included in the category), knows that every set of chambers has a separate tenant, and is rated and held as a separate tenement; and that, in point of fact, a mere occupier of an attic story is as much a " householder " as if be rented one of the princely mansions in Belgrave Square. Besides the grand national prerogative of an Englishman, in considering "his house as his castle," he has also another—peculiarly national—of paying taxes for his domicile. A more valuable and less fluctuating property does not confer the right of voting, than that of chambers in Lincoln's Inn. Single sets let from 1001. to 200L a year : so that, my dear Spec., if a man were to leave six houses in a certain street or square to his six children in equal proportions, and they, in reverence of their father's principles and memory, were to vote in accordance, your censure would be equally applicable, for there would be as much "multiplication of votes" in the hypothetical, as in the actual case. If this is the support that Reformers are to get front the Liberal press, "the Romillies" may very justifiably exclaim "Save us from our friends ! " Which objurgation, after this lecture, you may Our correspondent is not blunt, but sharp—very sharp—and not remarkably candid. We disclaim—though it ought to be unnecessary—all intention of sneering at the ROMILLIES ; as, indeed, the manner in which we noticed Mr. Jonir ROMILLY'S explanation in the Times is sufficient proof. Our object was to illustrate the working of the Property Qualification clauses of the Re- form Act ; and we should rejoice if, instead of six or seven, sixty such votes had been made out of the Lincoln's Inn chambers. HUMPHREY Bi.UNT says, that if we had read the whole of Mr. ROMILLY's letter, instead of "setting it out partially—just like the Tories "—we should have found that " the right of voting is obtained from the whole house in Lincoln's Inn ; and which house contains several sets of chambers, one at least on every floor." We recommend HUMPHREY to read the letter himself, and he will find no mention whatever of the house; on the contrary, as Mr. ROMILLY does not contradict the assertion of the Times that the right is derived from " one set of chambers in Lin- coln's Inn," it was fair to presume that there was but one set. However, we dare say our correspondent may be right as to the fact, and that the Messrs. ROMILLY own the ivhole house. One word more to our correspondent: he says, that, to call a daughter and other relatives not consanguineous, " six sons," is an Irish sort of description. We referred to the persons designated in Mr. ROMILLY'S letter as himself and his five brothers,—not knowing whether Mr. KENNEDY, who married Miss Roinzr.v, was a registered voter for this property or not : now brotherhood in take to imply sonship.
We subjoin Mr. Rommtv's letter in full, as it appeared in the Times. "TO THE EDITOR OF THE TINES.
" Sir—As I observe in your leading article of this day a direct charge that my bro. Biers and myself have made seven votes out of one set of chambers in Lincoln's Inn. 1 request you to insert the following statement of the real facts:
" The absolute interest in these chambers became vested in my five brothers, my sister, and myself. as tenants in common in fee simple, in equal undivided seventh parts, nearly seventeen years ago : they have since continued to be held in the same way down to the present time, with the exception that; on my sister's marriage with Mr. Kennedy. her share in them was transferred to him. I beg also to state, that the interest in these chambers of each of the seven proprietors amounts to about OM yearly "I am. Su., your obedient servant, "Lincoln's Inn, August 11." Joust Itoxim v."
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