ELECTORS AND THE BALLOT.*
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SPECTATOR.
15th January Me.
Sta-I crave a place in your excellent paper for some remarks on an amine.- mous letter which yesterday appeared in your columns, and which criticized a portion of General NA ell: k's speech lately Made at 11 ith. The queetion be- tween linnet al NAPIER. ilnd 11.1s writer is -• C111 ii11! peseta body of elertors lie trusted by the non-electors to labour for ueiversel euffiage, or can they. not? General NAPIER says NOT. Your correspondent calls eihsiiewalivyai-gdutiaelallYinamins Poritio"po.ly and cites the Metropolitan elections as proofs of the honesty of the constitueal body. Now I ask him if Sir FRANCIS BURDETT being elected by thefar. famed Westminster, be a proof in favour of his argument or of General Meerut's, But this subject cannot be argued on the narrow basis of isolated elections, al.. though these are decidedly favourable to General NAPIER'S algument. The matter must be discussed on a broader and more philoeophical foundation, argue that no body of men were ever zealous for the rights of another body of men either independent of, or depending upon them, and especially if the body, PPckseadi tniaabbill whether dependent or independent, have interests adverse or su adverse to the body from winch they seek assistance, and for proof I need not a beyond the subject in quevien ; for it is admitted that the misrule of the empire has arisen from a monopol) et' ;Hover in the bands of the itristocracy. Nowt conreive that our At istectutie Government is as fair a sample as has ever sem produced ; that the "genus" is mischievous, I admit, but our "species. je surely among the least destructive, for our Aristocracy and kind heir tuff as can be met with in any nation. Yet these good people have committed innumerable atroeione acts to maintain their monopoltr of power, to the injury of that great nation which they pretend to be so prou oe Men love exclusive power-a monopoly of power ; and the hive of tins is too strong for their virtue ! -The Helm in Bill broke the great monopoly of politieal power (engrossed by the !louse of Lords) into three great fragments-, the electors, the elected legislators, the hereditary legislators. I will opsoe only of the electors : they form a comparatively small body of men, and ID the ratio of their numbers they are ;Is virtuous, but are not more virtuous, that the .Aristocraey, and will be as. tenacious in holding the monopoly of political power given them by the franchise-as tenacious as the Ilouse of Lords were of their unjust power to place their nominees in the Melee of Commons. la France, the electors are few, arid they wieli to diminish, not to increase their numbers • so will the electors when protected by the Ballot. It is the nature of men to refuse prover to his neighbour : he thinks that by% doing he weakens his own and injures his interests. The Reform Bill has as yet inertly extended the monopoly of political power : the firm was exclusively " the Lords ;" now, they have been forced into a partnership, and the fine runs thus, 0, Lords, Cominons, and Electors ; " and the new p-o triers will bea greedy of their monopoly as when " the Lords held it exeleeively." But, in addition to the frailty i.f human nature generally, there are rive motives peculiar t the electors which superinduce a ili•position to restrict the elective franchise. First, l'here is a strong fear of Universal Suffrage in all the " easy classes* of Euglish Second, There is a jealousy existing between two classes IX men, viz. thote who buy labour and those who sell labour. The twisters and journeymen Are always engaged in war throughout the realm : this is so notorious that a new word his been ciiined by the wie Is nien, who cell their employers " the Shapocracy," a strong tle•igtru ion of their feelings towaids the latter. The Shopocracy tIleir part, both fear mill dielike the working men. In such state of partite, I e mutat believe that the shopoct ace', which forms an inunense and powerful portion of the electots, will, under the protection of the Ballot, assist in extending the suffrage. Now let us ride into the country. Will farmers, when protected by the Ballot, bestir theinselvee to gain the suffrage for their labouring men, and that place them politically on a footing with themselves? Again human nature says no, Here, then, you have another large force who will oppose uni- versal suffrage. Among the remaining electors (having deducted the large classes above-mentioned) bow many there are who conscientiously believe that universal suffrage would be the signal for dethroning the Queen and setting up a Jack Cade in every ! Thieve men will all conscientiously oppow an extension of the suffrage. In short, I scarce know where your correspondent would look for electors favourable to universal suffrage. I therefore believe that it will not be equally obtained should the Ballot be grunted to the present electors without that extension of the suffrage which is so loudly demanded by such a mass of men, that to me a refusal seems so unjust and so ungenerous to society, that 1 cannot comprehend the grounds on which the peril is encountered: General NAPIER by no means defends, as your correspondent asserts "the heresy no less false in polities than in morals of doing evil that good may come. On the contrary, he maintains, unit! think proves, that evil will be done by granting the Ballot without an extension of the suffrage, and that no- thing but evil can be the result. Your correspondent's sophistry and unproved assertions are truly very feeble attacks upon General NAPIER'S speech; they evidently fall of themselves With regard to General :KAMER saying that there were about ten millions of non-voters, it was merely for the sake of the argument, which is not affected by mot inaccuracy in the number. Five millions will answer this purpose as well as tenmillions. But in saying there are but five millions of non-voters, your eorreepondent will find that he is nearly as wide of the mark as the General, at
the number must be coneitirrably above seven millions. N. I. C.
• Want of room prevented the imerlion of this letter in the week of its date. DR AMATICALS FOR THE WITLGAR.
SCENE IN THE CROWN INN YARD.
Enter Bead Ostler and Helpers.
tat Helper. I tell ye, Si,', this here old ',omnibus of our'n won't keep to. gethce many more trips, without Missis will stand to a thorough repaie on her.
Head Ostler. You he (1-,1, Harry, with your prognostics! You've been telling me that this twelvemonth past ; and I don't see but what the concern is as profitable as ever it was.
2nd lb/per. And " no mistake," Mr. Lamb; the t'other properrioters an't strong enough to start another yet ; and so I don't see why our 'bits ant to keep the road a bit longer. But then, you know, there is them about the yard that's always a croaking about her being oozy, and so forth.
[Enter Cad.)
Ostler. Well, Ned, do you carry full now? Ned. Why yes, toaster, we do manage to get passengers ; but, to tell yott the truth, it's not without persuading that I gets 'epectable people in, lately. They has got a trick of peeping in, and saying as how the 'bus is dirty and damaged; and I am obleeged to give 'elle a heavy shove sometimes, before they'll ride; and even that don't always do, for 'tother night one or two of Out reeler customers said they'll as lief walk as ride in such a shabby %vehicle. blend Ostler. I don't believe a word of your nonsense. Ned. Still, if folks are so squeamish, we'll get Charley B-I.--r the painter to bring his varnish.pot, and give her a lick over to hide the scratches,. And here, you Bill Clay,'-take and brush out the lining, and tell L-tt-n to paste up the broken windows with some waste paper ; and, harkee ! send ;to H-s to bring some soap and give the cushions a scouring. Look sharp, you varlets, or you'll look blue when Saturday night comes and no wage. Have the smiths overhauled the wheels?
lot flu/per. lies, Sir ; and on 'ern has got a strain. I think 'tares done that thoe ebe wee deue eeeioest the big dray belonging to the IladicalS
Company. `4'l. has ra.i.e'r stiff thew ever since.
Ostler. Wel, lea i,ave 'evl a good grcasing ; mid mind, use hisfr hurter ; uadi I wan.: or lbe old 'bus will ,,he' many a imiritev yet, to mid from Windsor. Exit Hipers ahd Cad, ;nutter int; dissent.
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