Tuesday's debate was begun by Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, who, like
all the genuine Conservatives, made a speech which might much better have been delivered against Mr. Disraeli's Bill of 1867 than against the present measure. His idea seemed to be that the inclusion of a large number of fresh voters neces- sarily destroys the proper representation of those who have the vote already,—which, of course, assumes, what is not true, that the wishes and interests of the new voters diverge, and indeed, differ vitally, from the wishes and interests of the old. Sir Michael Beach apparently has a scheme for giving all the agricultural labourers borough votes in enormously-extended boroughs, and reserving the county representation for the farmers and the landlords. In other words, he wants to retain for property as property a county party in the House of Commons. Ireland, he contended, ought not to be en- franchised till the Peace Preservation Act could properly be repealed. Mr. Albert Gray, who succeeded Sir M. Beach, spoke for proportional representation, but withdrew entirely from the position he had taken in his Hexham speech, that he would not support the Franchise Bill at all without obtaining guarantees for proportional representation. Indeed, he intimated clearly enough that a Northern County Member would have no chance of election without giving a hearty support to the Franchise Bill.
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