date

1818 March 29 Parl. Ref. Bill
1818 March 29

Parl. Ref. Bill

Reasons

II Electors Who

Reading Qualification

Reasons

9

{2}. Of /From[?]/ those who, in so far as the faculty of reading will, /would,/ under the proposed system of reform, be applied to the purpose of forming their respective opinions, in relation to proposed Candidates for seats and possession of seats, and thence in relation to public measures in general, had rather this faculty should not be possessed, - even of these there will be not a few, in whose eyes the possession of it would be a most beneficial endowment, in so far as it should come to be applied to the reading of the Bible. At no inconsiderable expence, by the munificence of pious charity, are copies of the Bible distributed either gratuitously or at an under price. But by any /no/ such donation, can any the smallest good effect, either in the way of [...?] of party[?], or in any other way ever be produced, but in proportion as the subject of it finds its way to cope by which this faculty is possessed. neither by this, nor by any other means could any addition be made to the number of persons capable /able/ to read, but an equal addition would be made to the number of persons capable of reading the Bible:- capable of making their profit of the boon so zealously pressed into every hand that can be prevailed as /upon/ to receive it.

Thus by universal suffrage thus modified, there is not only good government, but increase in the same proportion good religion served and promoted: not only present but future universal interest: not temporal only but everlasting happiness.

{3}. Are there any persons in whose eyes no clear benefit net profit is likely to be derived either by reading for the purpose of voting at Parliamentary Elections or by reading the Bible? still among those persons there may be some in whose eyes such net profit might and would be derived from the faculty of reading, on the supposition that it would be applied to this or that other purpose. In all such eyes the collateral benefit that would be produced by the proposed institution in question, by the extent /extension/ that would thus be given to the faculty of reading could not but be placed to the account of advantage, and operate as a reason {pleading} in support of it.
Similar Items
  • Title: [1818 March 29 Parl. Ref. Bill]
    Description: 1818 March 29

    Parl. Ref. Bill

    Reasons

    II. Electors Who

    Reading Qualification

    Reasons

    10

    From a summing up made with careful industry the number of persons convicted within the year of criminal offences in England within a given period has been stated+ as being more than ten times as great /greater/ in England as in Scotland. In some eyes the difference (and how prodigious /vast/ a difference it is!) is produced by the difference between the religion of the Established Church of Scotland and the religion of the Established Church of England: in others by the greater number of those who are able to read in Scotland as compared with the number of persons thus gifted in England: in some eyes partly to the one cause partly to the other. But in every eye in which the indisputable advantage on the side of Scotland in respect of morality as thus demonstrated has for its cause the greater extent superior magnitude of the extent in which this faculty is possessed, the b importance of the collateral mind are thus proposed to be derived from the proposed political institution /arrangement/ can not but be acknowledged /recognized/ to be of no mean importance.

    The art and faculty of reading is the basis of and indispensable inlet to every other considerable branch of art and science. The greater the number of those who are in possession of it, the greater the number of those by each of whom the [...?] means of obtaining a chance for giving ulterior advancement of /to/ art and science by transcendent talents and genius is obtained. To one /except to him/ to whom every prospect of new discoveries in art and science, and of new degrees of perfection in the practice of what is already discovered is an object of indifference, can this collateral use of the proposed institution be a matter of indifference.

    [Marginal note:] Church of Englands n[?] examined p.
  • Title: [1818 April 27 Parl. Ref. {Bill} []
    Description: 1818 April 27

    Parl. Ref. {Bill} [...?]

    Reasons Note

    II. Electors Who

    Reading Qualification

    Reasons

    {2}

    *6

    {by an unquestionable sort[?] which sort /and that sort/ is constituted in the instance of such individual constituted by the faculty of taking into and keeping in his view not only the limit[?] of the laws to which he stands bound to obey, but, upon occasion, the arguments that have been employed for and against the several measures to which the several persons for or against whom he is /may be/ called upon to give his vote, have respectively been known or expected to give their support or their opposition, as the case may be: in one word by the faculty of reading.}

    Note (a)

    The time necessary and sufficient for a person, in an adult state, to acquire the faculty of reading, in such sort as to be able to read any passage out of the English Bible, and thence baking[?] terms of act and service[?] and words newly derived from other languages dead and living, may on the ground of simple experience be stated at no more than two months: and this without prejudice to the quantity of time commonly bestowed /employed/ on /in/ productive industry, by those whose means of living are altogether dependent upon it.

    Partly by his own personal /immediate/ exertions, partly by the means of disciples trained up by him for the purpose, Mr Thaddeus Connellam[?], a native of Galway in Ireland has already communicated the faculty of reading, to the degree of proficiency above particularized, to upwards of 40,000 of his countrymen: he himself, with the exception of a bare subsistence upon the most frugal scale serving gratuitously, and his disciples likewise upon the same generous terms. Many of his /these/ pupils have also been taught to write several of their letters, written in a good hand, as well as in a correct style, and spelt with propriety, I have myself seen. The hours thus employed in his Schools are - three hours before going to work and three hours after leaving work: leaving 12 hours for work and meals, and six hours for sleep. This account I have taken from his own mouth, and from the character I have heard of him from several inestimable[?] quarters, I believe it to be true.
  • Title: [1818 Nov. 27 C Parl. Reform Bill]
    Description: 1818 Nov. 27 C

    Parl. Reform Bill

    Reasons

    {'.1 Seats} & Districts

    '.2 Electors Who

    Universality

    Exclusions

    & Non Readers

    12

    1

    Question 1. Are there no other persons on whom the /this/ here-proposed plan puts an exclusion?

     Or else say. Why is an exclusion put upon non-readers?

    {Answer. Yes: two others: to wit

    1. Non-readers: persons not possessed of the faculty of reading: of reading printed books and papers, printed in the language of the country.

    2. In certain circumstances, persons subject to military command: such as Soldiers, Seamen in government service, Artillery-men and even Militia men.}

    Question 2. On what ground is it that Non-readers are proposed to be excluded? How is it that by an exclusion applied to these cases the principle of virtually universal suffrage would not be contravened?

    Answer. The excluding of Non-Readers is the necessary result of, or rather is in other words the same thing with, the requiring /numbering/ the possession of this faculty among the circumstances the [...?] of which on the part of a proposed voter is rendered necessary /a qualification/ to his admission to that right /in that character/.

    The reasons why the possession of this endowment is required will appear in their place. {On} /What belongs to/ the present occasion is - to observe, that by the requisition[?] thus made, notwithstanding the eventual exclusion which if it be efficacious can not but be involved in it, the description of the person admitted to the exercise of that right is not in effect narrowed [...?] as will be seen at the expence of no greater quantity of time and labour than is /will be/ at the command of every individual with scarce one exception, it will depend upon himself to put himself in possession of this endowment, a highly beneficent and desirable on other accounts.