date

1818 Sept. 1. Parl. Reform Bill
1818 Sept. 1.

Parl. Reform Bill

+ ' 2 A Exceptions

Reasons ult o

'.2. Electors Who

Universality

Exceptions

1

1

Question 1. Why seek to communicate the right in question, with the power attached to the exercise of it, to a portion of the community so large as that in question, viz. among persons of the male sex and mature age, with the exception of persons holding situations amenable to that in question all those who possess the faculty of reading, and thence on condition of their having possessed themselves of that faculty all such persons without exception?

Answer

Answer 1. By the limitations in question {two} /four/ descriptions and two /four/ alone are excluded: 1. viz all persons of the female sex: 2 among males all persons whose age is short of maturity; 3. Persons not possessed of the faculty of reading. 4. persons holding political situations responsible /amenable/ to that in question. 4.

For placing the matter in the clearest point of view the most advantageous course seems to be - to put aside to lay out of consideration altogether in the first instance both the /the two first of the four/ classes of persons thus proposed to be excluded: when the reasons which plead in favour of the admission proposed to be given to all others have been brought to view, there will come the time, for applying them to the still more populous /numerous/ classes here proposed to be excepted: in the instance of each one of these excluded classes it will then be to be seen in the first place how far the reasons in favour of admission apply to them respectively, in the next place, whether and how far the reasons which they plead in favour of admission are [...?] opposed /counteracted/ and outweighed by counter-reasons by reasons which plead in favour of exclusion.
Similar Items
  • Title: [1819 Sept. 19 + 5 Nov r Not]
    Description: 1819 Sept. 19 + 5 Nov

    r

    Not now Art 1.

    Parl. Reform Bill

    Reason or Note ult

    §.2. Electors Who

    Qualifications rejected

    1

    1

    ( 1) Saving as per Art. 4 and Art. 8

    (Every male person of full age)

    Question 1. or Note By this provision, with the exception of all such persons as are hereby specially excluded, to wit persons of the female sex, non-adults of the male sex, persons unable to read so long as they continue so, Military men in certain cases, and as per persons who at the times in question are lawfully placed /kept/ in a state of confinement, every person is admitted to contribute by his suffrage to the Election of a proposed Member of the Commons House

    Admission of every person, without any exception, would be in strictness of speech, admission of universal suffrage

    Admission of every person, saving those exceptions is what may be termed admission of virtually universal suffrage.

    It is said to be virtually universal for this reason: namely that in this way all interests would, it is supposed be as effectually provided for as they could be or are supposed to be by strictly universal suffrage. For the Reasons

    {To require a qualification is to put an exclusion upon all persons not possessed of it.}

    {Correspondent to exclusion is qualification.} /Qualification is exclusion in disguise./ To establish a qualification is to put an exclusion upon all persons not possessed of it.

    In the here proposed Plan of Representation certain causes of exclusion say for shortness certain exclusions, are expressly /openly/ ordained. For /Of/ each of these exclusions the reasons will here be given.
  • Title: [1823 Feb 19 Greece Beginning If on]
    Description: 1823 Feb 19 Greece Beginning

    If on the ground of incapacity /inaptitude/ in relation to this matter any class

    of persons be proposed to be excluded from the faculty of making manifestation

    and giving efficiency to this will, it lies upon the person proposing the

    exclusion in the first place /on the one hand/ to prove the fact of incapacity

    to make good the charge of incapacity in the instance of this class and at the

    same time /on the other hand/ to shew that the like /no equal/ incapacity has

    place in the instance of any class which he proposes shall be admitted.

    On the present occasion /In the instance/ here in question there are three

    classes of persons to whose will there seems not any chance that any efficiency

    should be allowed by those in whom the physical strength of the community has

    its seat. There are

    1. Persons of the female sex 2. Persons under a certain age /Non adults of the

    male sex/ 3. Persons of the Mahometan persuasion of whatsoever age.

    As to persons of the female sex, of the only proper mode of receiving the

    declaration of a persons will namely that of ”secret suffrage openly delivered•

    be employed there can be no reason consistent with the principle of general

    utility as above can be assigned why they or any of them being of relatively

    mature age should stand. But no prepossession howsoever adverse to the principle

    of general utility can on the sudden be eradicated: and it would be idle to

    propose to all that to which it is certain acceptance it is certain would not be

    given by any one.
  • 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.