Page:History of the Radical Party in Parliament.djvu/496

 482 History of the Radical Party in Parliament. [1865- indication of the readiness of the Government to accept almost any changes which the majority of the House might insist upon, and in committee their powers of compliance were severely tested. The main battle raged round the compound householder, the man whose rates were paid through the landlord. It was this arrangement which would disfranchise two-thirds of the small householders to whom the bill made a nominal offer of votes ; and it was this which the wisest men on both sides the House, Mr. Henley as well as Mr. Bright, knew would be regarded as a mockery by the people, and must lead to further agitation. On the nth of April Mr. Gladstone proposed the only reasonable solution, in moving that the householder should vote, "whether he in person or his landlord be rated to the relief of the poor." This plan, which was to be adopted after a long process of discussion in the House, and of popular suffering and trouble outside, was now defeated. The debate was adjourned to the I2th, when, on a division, the amendment was lost, the numbers being 310 to 289. Once more Liberal seceders had destroyed the chance of a wise solution, and had weakened the leaders of their party. Other attempts were made to deal with the question. Mr. Hibbert moved that the householder should be admitted by paying the com- position, and not the full rate ; but this was negatived by 322 to 256. At last the difficulty was removed by the rough and ready process of abolishing compounding for rates altogether. In this manner was the franchise forced upon thousands of workmen, accompanied by a heavy penalty both in money and convenience, which was soon seen to be absolutely intoler- able, and had to be removed in the first session of the new Parliament* For the time, however, this great difficulty was shelved, and the other parts of the bill were freely dealt with. The fancy rate in Birmingham of October, 1867, led to 25,000 poor persons being sum- moned for the rate; and that of February, 1868, to 15,000 summonses and 5000 distress warrants.
 * As an example of the effect of this Act, it may be mentioned that the poor