In the Commons on Friday week Sir Harry Verney moved
the second reading of a Bill providing that all Parliamentary elections shall take place on the same day, and that the day he fixed by the Royal Proclamation summoning the new Parliament. Mr. Herbert Samuel gave the Bill the cordial support of the Government. We regret that the Bill was opposed by the Unionists. It would be a great convenience to have the elections on one day instead of being spread over a comparatively long period, to the great disturbance of com- mercial life and at much expense to the community. We confess we are unalarmed by the proposed electoral reforms which certain Unionists oppose. So-called manhood suffrage would not mean in practice a great addition to the present electorate, nor would the character of the electorate be appre- ciably oh MD gad. Of course the Government moat unjustly with- hold the most pressing electoral reform of all—redistribution and the abolition of the over-representation of Ireland—but that is no reason for delaying a desirable reform that might be got quickly. The second reading was carried by a majority of 63.
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