A HUNDRED YEARS AGO
From the 'Spectator.' 2 March 1867
An unusually overcrowded House even in these times of overcrowded houses, waited impatiently for Mr. Disraeli's detailed plan of Reform on Monday night . . . He mentioned first his four proposed fancy franchises for both boroughs and counties,—the education franchise, which every clergyman, Dissenting minister, University gradu- ate, certificated schoolmaster, &c., is to have; the fundholders' franchise, offered to every one who has 501. in the funds; the savings'-bank franchise, offered to every one who has had 301. for a whole year in the savings' bank; and the direct-tax fran- chise, offered to every one who pays 20s. in direct taxation to the Government. These are proposed in addition to the occupying franchises in both boroughs and counties. Mr. Disraeli then explained that the "principle of plurality," which the Govern- ment had suggested, but did not think it desirable to press, was only intended to go thus far,—that any one possessed of more than one qualification for voting in any constituency might give two votes for that constituency, but in no case more than two. This suggestion, however, he withdrew, and proposed a 61. rating franchise in the boroughs, and a 20/. rating franchise in the counties.
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