On Monday, Mr, Henry Fowler, in introducing the Regis- tration
Bill, pointed out the inconvenience of the existing system, which practically required a minimum residence of eighteen months, and a maximum residence of two years and three months, "before a qualified householder was able to exercise the franchise." The Government proposed "to reduce the qualifying period to one uniform period of three months. This would apply to electors of every description, and the three months would end on June 24th in each year." Lodgers, in future, would not have to make a special claim, but would be placed on the lists like other householders. The hardship of loss of vote by removal would be got rid of by providing "that, where a householder was registered in one Parliamentary area and moved into another, and had com- pleted a residence of three months ending December 25th, he should be transferred to the register of the area to which he had removed." The machinery of registration was to be im- proved by the appointment of special registrati In officials ; and the Parliamentary Register was, in future, to come into, force, like the Municipal Register, on November 1st. The Bill was well received on all sides ; but Sir Henry James, though he had "no words to utter, except those of joy," feared that "the provisions for preventing the invasion of con- stituencies seemed insufficient." In evenly balanced con- stituencies, the three months' qualification might encourage voters being introduced for party purposes. Sir George Trevelyan, on. the same evening, introduced a Bill which would assimilate the system in Scotland to that intended for England.
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