Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 18.djvu/331

 PARLIAMENT 309 by the able exposure of abuses and temperate schemes of reform. His efforts were assisted by the scandalous disclosures of bribery at Grampound, Penryn, and East Retford. All moderate proposals were rejected ; but the concurrence of a dissolution, on the death of George IV., with the French Revolution of 1830, and an ill- timed declaration of the duke of Wellington that the representa tion was perfect and could not be improved, suddenly precipitated the memorable crisis of parliamentary reform. It now fell to the lot of Earl Grey, as premier, to be the leader in a cause which he had espoused in his early youth. The Reform Acts of 1832. The result of the memorable struggle which ensued may be briefly told. By the Reform Acts of 1832 the representation of the United Kingdom was reconstructed. In England, fifty-six nomination boroughs returning one hundred and eleven members were disfranchised ; thirty boroughs were each deprived of one member, and Weymouth and Melcombe Regis, which had returned four members, were now reduced to two. Means were thus found for the enfranchisement of populous places. Twenty-two large towns, including metropolitan districts, became entitled to return two members, and twenty less considerable towns acquired the right of re turning one member each. The number of county members was increased from ninety-four to one hundred and fifty- nine, the larger counties being divided for the purposes of representation. The elective franchise was also placed upon a new basis. In the boroughs a 10 household suffrage was substituted for the narrow and unequal franchises which had sprung up, the rights of freemen, in corporate towns, being alone respected. In the counties, copyholders and leaseholders for terms of years, and tenants at will paying a rent of 50 a year, were added to the 40s. freeholders. By the Scottish Reform Act, the number of members representing Scotland was increased from forty-five, as arranged at the Union, to fifty-three, of whom thirty were assigned to counties and twenty-three to cities and boroughs. In counties the franchise was conferred upon owners of property of 10 a year, and certain classes of leaseholders ; in burghs, upon 10 householders, as in England. By the Irish Reform Act, no boroughs, however small, were disfranchised ; but the franchise was given to 10 householders, and county constituencies were enlarged. These franchises, however, were extended in 1850, when an 8 household suffrage was given to the boroughs, and additions were made to the county franchises. The hundred members assigned to that country at the Union were increased to one hundred and five. Notwithstanding these various changes, however, the total number of the House of Commons was still maintained at 658. The Reformed Parliament. The legislature was now brought into closer relations with the people, reflected their opinions, and was sensitive to the pressure of popular forces. The immediate effects of this new spirit were per ceptible in the increased legislative activity of the reformed parliament, its vigorous grappling with old abuses, and its preference of the public welfare to the narrower interests of classes. But, signal as was the regeneration of parlia ment, several electoral evils still needed correction. Strenuous efforts were made, with indifferent success, to overcome bribery and corruption, and proposals were often ineffectually made to restrain the undue influence of land lords and employers of labour by the ballot ; improve ments were made in the registration and polling of electors, and the property qualification of members was abolished. Complaints were also urged that the middle classes had been admitted to power, while the working classes were excluded from the late scheme of enfranchisement. Twenty years after the settlement of 1832, its revision was seri ously approached. Later Measures of Reform. In 1 852, and again in 1854, Lord John Russell introduced further measures of reform ; but constitutional changes were discouraged by the Russian war. In 1859 Lord Derby s Conservative government pro posed another scheme of reform, which was defeated ; and in 1860 Lord John Russell brought in another Bill, which was not proceeded with ; and the question of reform con tinued in abeyance until after the death of Lord Palrnerston. Earl Russell, who succeeded him as premier, was prompt to redeem former pledges, and hastened to submit to a new parliament, in 1866, another scheme of reform. This measure, and the ministry by whom it was promoted, were overthrown by a combination of the Con servative opposition and the memorable &quot; cave &quot; of mem bers of the Liberal party. But the popular sentiment in favour of reform, which had for some years been inert, was suddenly aroused by the defeat of a Liberal ministry, and the triumph of the party opposed to reform. Lord Derby and his colleagues were now constrained to under take the settlement of this embarrassing question ; and by a strange concurrence of political events and party tactics, a scheme far more democratic than that of the Liberal Government was accepted by the same parliament, under the auspices of a Conservative ministry. The Reform Ads of 1867-68. By the English Reform Act of 1867, four corrupt boroughs were disfranchised, and thirty-eight boroughs returning two members were hence forth to return one only. A third member was given to Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, and Leeds ; a second member to Merthyr Tydfil and Salford ; the Tower Hamlets were divided into two boroughs, each returning two mem bers ; and ten new boroughs were created, returning one member each, with the exception of Chelsea, to which two were assigned. By these changes twenty-six seats were taken from boroughs, while a member was given to the university of London. But before this Act came into operation, seven other English boroughs were disfranchised by the Scottish Reform Act of 1868, these seats being given to Scotland. Thirteen new divisions of counties were erected, to which twenty-five members were assigned. In counties, the franchise of copyholders and leaseholders was reduced from 10 to 5, and the occupation franchise from 50 to 12. In boroughs the franchise was extended to all occupiers of dwelling-houses rated to the poor-rates, and to lodgers occupying lodgings of the annual value of 10 unfurnished. By the Scottish Reform Act of 1868, the number of mem bers representing Scotland was increased from fifty-three to sixty, three new members being given to the shires, two to the universities, and two to cities and burghs. The county franchise was extended to owners of lands and heri tages of 5 yearly value, and to occupiers of the rateable value of 14 ; and the burgh franchise to all occupiers of dwelling-houses paying rates, and to tenants of lodgings of 10 annual value unfurnished. By the Irish Reform Act of 1868, no change was made in the number of members nor in the distribution of seats ; but the boroughs of Sligo and Cashel, already disfranchised, were still left without representation. The county fran chise was left unchanged ; but the borough franchise was extended to occupiers of houses rated at 4, and of lodg ings of the annual value of 10 unfurnished. Present Position of Parliamentary Reform. That these changes in the representation especially the household suffrage in boroughs were a notable advance upon the reforms of 1832, in the direction of democracy, cannot be questioned. The enlarged constituencies speedily over threw the ministry to whom these measures were due ; and