026

. LIFE OF (OOBDEN,

[oma®.

1865. ties as well as majorities, or why should there be party
ar. 60. divisions at all 7 ¢
“Has it ever occurred to you to ascertain what was the
old borough franchise ? In Forster's « Life of Eliot,” giving
a very detailed account of the parliamentary and constitutional
 struggle between the House of Commons and Charles I,
at the period antecedent to the revolutionary conflict, there
are constant notices of trials before Parliamentary Committees
 to decide the question whether the right of voting
belonged to the ¢commonalty in general,” or to privileged
corporations or classes. The decisions seem to have been
almost always in favour of the © commonalty in general’
By this phrase I suppose was meant all householders at
least. I dare say the polling-papers are preserved of the
old elections, and it would be curious to see the proportions
 the voters bore to the whole population. I see it stated
that in 1628 there was a contested election for Coventry:
when the successful candidates had a majority of 600 votes.

§ The last letter that Cobden wrote was on this subject. It was addressed
a week before his death (March 22, 1865) to Mr. T. B., Potter, who had
sent him a letter from Mr. Mill sm Everything from him is entitled to
respectful consideration. But I confess, after the best attention to the
proposed representation of minorities which I can give it, I am so stupid
as to fail to see its merits. He speaks of 50,000 electors having to elect
five members, and that 80,000 may elect them all, and to obviate this be
would give the 20,000 minority two votes. But I would give only 08°
vote to each elector, and one representative to each constituency. Tnsbead
of the 50,000 returning five in a lump, I would have five constituencies of
10,000, each returning one member. Thus, if the metropolis, for example:
were entitled, with a fair distribution of electoral power, to 40 votes 1
would divide it into 40 districts or wards, each to return one member ; and
in this way every olass and every variety of opinion would have a chance
of a fair representation. Belgravia, Marylebone, St. James's, St. Giles’ss
Whitechapel, Spitalfields, &o., would each and all have their members. I
don’t know any better plan for giving all opinions a chance of being heard
and, after all, it is opinions that are to be represented. If the minority
have a faith that their opinions, and not those of the majority, are the true
ones, then let them agitate and digenss until their principles are in the
ascendant. This is the motive for political action and the healthy agitation
of publio life.”