WORKING OF THE REFORM ACT; EXPENSES OF ELECTIONS.

• At an election which occurred not very long ago in a Yorkshire borough, a voter took the long oaths, and was afterwards thus addressed by a Quaker gentleman, who saw through the foolish bigotry of the proceeding. " Friend," said the Quaker, "thou bast been saving a good deal about transubstantiation ; dust thou know what it means ?"—" 1 suppose, Sir," said the voter. " it nails less and the farms larger and consequently fewer in Scotland means that I must he stanch to my party!" The Standard itself; could not than in England and Wales. It is certain that at least an have given a better definition. THERE is considerable difference of opinion as to the justice and polio} of altering any of the main provisions of the Reform Act till a longer experience of its working has been obtained: but all seem to be agreed, that in several minor, but still most important particulars, it requires amendment immediately. Three registra- tions and one general election have proved that it has not in many respects fulfilled the intentions of the Legislature which passed or the Nation which supported " the Bill." It could not, for in- stance, live been the intention of those who framed and voted for the ten-pound qualification, that many thousand occupants of ten- pound houses should have been disfranchised by the neglect or ignorance of blundering or bribed Overseers. Neither could it have been contemplated, that the decisions of the Revising Bar- risters would have had the effect of creating a different code of election-laws for almost every county and borough in England. Yet such has been the case: a qualification deemed perfectly good in Berkshire has been decreed to be inadinissible in Surrv, and a decision in the Tower Hamlets has been utterly disregarded when applied to the claim of a voter in Finsbury. Amidst the variety of decisions, only one rule appears to have been generally adopted; and it is, to construe the provisions of the Reform Act so as to disfranchise as many as possible,—as if that had been the true aim and intent of the Legislature, which quashed the rotten boroughs. The consequence of the practical adoption of this principle by the Revising Barristers, in addition to the faulty con- struction of several parts of the Act, which do not admit of evasion, has been a very serious diminution in the numbers of the constituency. Some curious particulars relative to this and other interesting and important points in the working of the Reform Act, are to be found in the Report of Mr. fleme's Committee on Election Expenses, which sat last session. Having been favoured with the perusal of an early copy of this document, we can lay before our readers some of the facts and calculations it contains. They refer to the general election and the first and second regis- tration only ; but this in no material degree affects the conclusioas come to, as there is already abundant evidence that the same causes which operated so strongly to diminish the number of electors last year and the year before, have been equally effectual during the registration now under revision.

It appears that the number of houses in boroughs assessed at ten pounds per annum and upwards is, in England, 418,116; in Wales, 9644; in Scotlanil, 35,386; while the number of electors re- spectively was only 274,649, 11,309, 31,332. Here it is rather re- markable, that the number of votes registered in Walcs is by 1665 greater than the number of ten-pound houses; while in England the voters are less in number than the houses by upwards of 190,000! This fact is of itself a proof that some amendment is necessary. The voters in English counties, enrolled previous to the election of 1832, are put down at 344,564-70,000 more than those in towns. The total number of electors in England, Wales, and Scotland, was then 720,784 (it is certainly not greater now). This gives one elector for every 25 of the county, and one for every 18 of the town population, and one in 51 to the whole male population of twenty years of age and upwards. This is the average proportion throughout Great Britain : but it would seem that Scotland has not by any means her fair number of electors ;Tor the proportion they bear to the county population is only 1 in 45, in the town 1 in 27. This most arise, we suppose, from the rent of houses being nomi-

.In order to facilitate the exercise of the franchise, the Com- and have lately been eloquently, because honestly, enforced by mince recommend that each voter be allowed to poll at the booth him. It is to mark their accordance with and their admiration winch is most convenient to him, instead of in the district where he of these principles, that the men of Glasgow have invited Lord resides, which the Refinan Act now compels him to do, even DURHAM to meet them next Wednesday. To suppose that , they will take offence at again hearing those sentiments from the though his own polling place may be ten miles off, while by lips of their noble guest, is to libel their character for common stepping over an imaginary line he may reach that appointed for the neighbouring district in ten minutes. This accommodation.

sense. ! might easily be managed by a certificate from the Registering Some of our contemporaries seem to imagine that Lord DURHAM ' Barrister of the district, to be paid for by a fee from the party seek-

• ing the convenience, and to be produced at the place of polling. attacks which envy at his growing popularity, and dread of his It is also advised, that the Returning Officer be empowered, in boroughs, to erect booths in the most convenient places. The

aristocratic residents in Berkeley Square threatened to prosecute the High Bailiff of Westminster if he took up a stone or put in a post their exclusive precincts : be was therefore compelled to erect a give explanations, as far as he may hold oth in a less central and convenient spot. Another good sug- d. himself at liberty so to gestion of the Committee is, that the " long oaths," as they are called, should be administered at the expense of the party who requires the electors to take them. The Under-Sheriff of Middle- sex told the Committee, that at the last election he had been obliged to erect an additional number of polling-booths, and engage an extra number of clerks, because he had notice from one of the candidates that the long oaths should be administered to all the voters; which would have occasioned much vexatious delay, and did a evasion considerable extra expense to the candi- dates.* When the Revising Barrister is of opinion that the ob- jections to a vote are frivolous, the Committee recommend that he should have the power to award the expenses to the party against whom the objection is raised, out of the pocket of the objector : this would be an excellent plan for discouraging the corrupt and factious. The Committee are unanimous as to the propriety of reducing the time of polling, in boroughs, from two days to one ; and the majority think that the same rule might be adopted in counties also. It is most truly stated, that the intervening night between the first and second day is the time for bribery. The ex- perience of what took place at Liverpool, Norwich, and Bristol, at last election, under the Reform Act, shows the advantage of con- fining the polling to one day. As to its practicability, we have the example of America before us, where much larger numbers arc polled in one day without the least inconvenience; sand in ten of the principal counties, at the election in 1832, it appears that 37,075 voters polled on the first, and only 7,476 the second day : the erection, therefore, of a few more booths, would have enabled

all to vote on the same day. An increase of booths would also lessen the expense of conveying voters to the poll. With respect to the boroughs, the late Sheriff of London and others assured the Com- mittee, that the 11,525 votes givea last cl.:,ction for the City might with great ease have been polled in one day. The practice of delaying the declaration of the final state of the poll for two days, and of casting up the books on the hustings, is found to be very inconvenient; and it is recommended that the Returning Officer shall open the poll-books in the presence of the candidates or per- sons deputed by them, and having ascertained the relative num- bers, declare them on the hustings the day after the election : thus the whole affair would be terminated by noon on the second day.

The charge upon the Poor-rates, for making out the list of voters, is very great in some instances. In the four counties of Bedford, Berks, Cambridge, and Bucks, the lists, containing 17,491 electors, cost 909/.—or 5/. 4s. per 100 names; but of this sum 2021. was re- paid by the sale of the lists. In several Metropolitan parishes, the charge amounted to 8/. 6s. for every hundred names. The average charge per name throughout the country is a'rout uinepence. The shilling payment required from each elector on registration was intended to defray the expense of these lists : but the Committee wisely recommend that this demand should be done away with; because "it is desirable to have as large a number of electors as possible enrolled," and it is found that "the payment of the shilling operates against registration, and at the same time creates discon- tent." It is also finmil impossible in many parishes to collect it.

The grossest frauds have been committed by Overseers; and in- deed it seems to us that it is high time to transfer the duties now invested in them to more trustworthy persons. In one case, the Committee state that the Overseers actually put 130 paupers, and persons living out of the legal distance, on the register, who decided the election by their votes ; the whole constitueecy being only 500.

The sums paid to Revising Barristers in 183'2 and 1833, out of the public treasury, amount to 83,3641. The charges paid by candidates to Returning Officers, in England and Wales, amount- ed at the last election to 51,8081.; or 134/. for each of the 185 places at which there were contests. Many other charges of the same nature, such as for erecting booths, constables, Szc.' were defrayed by the candidates themselves in several instances; so that the sum given is by no means all that was legally expended

equal proportion of the Scotch are capable of a discreet exercise of the elective franchise as of their Southern brethern. The total number of Irish electors is only 92,152, out of a population of seven millions and upwards, or 1 in 115 in counties, and 1 in 22 in towns. Taking the United Kingdom throughout, there is one by the candidatea. The principal expense is for booths; and the Committee recommend (on the ground that a Member of Parlia- ment should be returned free of charge, inasmuch as he does not seek his private but the public advantage by consenting to serve) that in future the county or borough should provide the necessary

polling' places. This seems reasonable: at the same time, it would be well if means were taken to prevent the intrusion of candidates, who have no chance of success, and merely comes forward from frivolous or merely personal motives. This, however, is but a trivial evil.

The inequality of the expenses charged by the Returning Officers, in 1832. is shown by a table published in the Report.

In the Lindsey division of Lincoln, the number of electors being 9134, and the candidates three, the charge was 10651.; in North Lancashire, the electors being 10,039, the candidates also three, the charge was only 543/. In East Cornwall, where there was no contest, the Returning Officer charged 351.; and in Heicfnd 235/. In Bristol, the electors were 10,000, the candidates four, the charge 8741; in London, the electors 18,584, the candidates six, the charge 5221; and in Finsbury, where the candidates were Ilse, and the electors the same as in Bristol, the Returning Officer charged 4631.-or little more than half of w hat was paid in Bristol. The 'fossil-Clerks esm to have been well paid for their trouble. In Bedford, that funetiooary had 30/.; in Montgomery, 85/.; in Plymouth, 1051.! But all candidates are warned by the Corn. mittee, that the Town-Clerk has no right to make any such demand.

In the bill of one Returning Officer, Mr. WILLIAM OWEN BRYSTOCK, Sheriff of Glamorgan, there are some curious items, such as these-For chair and favours, 20/.; for tavern dinners to voters and officers, 210/.; coach-hire, candles, wine, &c. are also charged ; and the sum of 20/. is put down for " siker thrown amongst the people." Where candidates bad the firmness to refuse payment of such illegal demands as these (and there were numerous instances of such attempts at extortion), there was no effort made to exact it by law.

The charges for constables (generally the nominees of electors, who are thus bribed by some candidate through the Sheriff or Mayor who appoints them), were exorbitant in some places. In Bed- ford County, they were 130/.; in Berks, 144/. ; in Manchester, 110/. ; in Norwich, 300/. The Committee recommend, as the best way of putting a stop to this abuse-which is absolutely nothing but a cover for bribery-that the county or borough in future will be required to provide and pay the constables. It will then be found that one tenth of the number usually cuaploed will suffice to keep the peace. The charge made to the candidates for receiving and re- turning the writs are all illegal : they vary from 211. to 48/. ac- cording to the conscience of the gentleman who makes them, or the gullibility of the candidates he has to dial with. The Com- mittee recommend, that an allowance not exceeding 5/. be made for each pulling-place to the Returning Officer, to cover the ne- cessary expense of printing, stationery, messengers, &c.; and that this sum be paid by the county or borough, or, if the House should see fit to sanction it, in equal proportions by each candidate.

These are the principal facts and suggestions of the Report, as regards England. Many of them apply also to Scotland and Ire- land ; but it would seem, that the Returning Officers' and other charges ate generally more moderate than in England, though extremely irregular. In the county of Clare, the Sheriff re- ceived 5001, though the expenses were only 149/. 2s. The Com- mittee think that the poll should only be kept open two days, instead of six ; and that the oath to be taken by the Catholics should be administered at the time of registration, not at the place of polling.

From the foregoing sestina; of the principal points in the Report, it will be seen that its suggestions are rational and useful. It is certain that at the last election much of the old machinery of cor- ruption was in motion. In many places, the candidates were pil- laged and the voters bribed, as under the ancient system. Advan- tage was taken of the ignorance of the candidates by many a sly rogue of an attorney. It may be fairly expected that they will be more on their guard hereafter; and we should recommend them to study this Report, as a sort of rade mecum-a preservation against imposition. It does not touch the impoitant questions of lowering the qualification, the ballot, or the abolition of the rate- paying clauses ; but as far as it goes, it is serviceable and excellent.