Cadogan's resolution. Thenceforward a uniform household franchise for the three kingdoms became inevitable, and with it that close approach to equal electoral divisions which the prescience of Lord Beaconsfield had detected and announced as its necessary consequence in 1874. "No one," said Lord Beaconsfield, "can deny that the consequence of adopting the recommendations of the honourable member for the Border boroughs, and enfranchising these classes, is, that practically we must look also to the redistribution of seats at the same time. No one can deny that in so doing we must move in the direction of electoral districts. Why, all our late legislation for the last forty years with respect to parliamentary reform and the distribution of seats has been leading to electoral districts; and although I, for one, should think it a great misfortune if we entirely destroyed all local influences and distinctions – although I believe, if we did, we should very much weaken the spirit and character of the country – and although I hold that we ought to cling as much as possible to maintaining those local influences and distinctions, – still it is impossible not to see that if you do reconsider and redistribute political power in deference to these views, you must to a great extent be approaching electoral districts."[1] We can only wonder at the judicial blindness of Conservatives like Mr Chaplin, who proclaim themselves favourable to household suffrage in the counties, and then shrink back in horror and alarm at the measures rendered necessary to carry their principles into practical effect. A close approach, therefore, in
Lord Beaconsfield's words, to electoral districts being inevitable, the only question remaining to be considered is, Does the Redistribution Bill, as settled by the leaders of both parties, make the necessary change in the depositaries of electoral power with adequate impartiality and fairness? To answer that question properly, the bill must be considered in conjunction with and in the light of the Franchise Bill, and the instructions to the Boundary Commissioners ; and so regarding it, we answer the question in the affirmative. Under the various franchises continued or created by the Franchise Act, nearly every man of legal age who has any settled dwelling, whether he pays rent for it or not, may have the franchise; and the object of the Redistribution Bill, and the work of the Boundary Commissioners, is to recast, within certain definite lines, the urban and rural constituencies, so as to give – due regard being had to population and geographical considerations – a fair representation to the various pursuits and industries of the nation.
Short of equal electoral districts, which do not appear to have found favour with any responsible statesman, two modes, and two only, suggest themselves for effecting the desired object: one, the rough-and-ready way of separating urban from rural populations – by grouping towns and boroughs; the other, the more elastic, and, as it seems to us, more complete and satisfactory method of dividing both urban and rural constituencies (with certain specified exceptions) into single-membered divisions.
To the system of grouping, under existing circumstances, an objec-
- ↑ Speeches of the Earl of Beaconsfield, vol. i. p. 361.
