date

1818 Dec r. 30 Parl. Reform Bill
1818 Dec r. 30

Parl. Reform Bill

Dialogue

Preliminary View

Evils & Remedies

Remedies

Election

Miselection

Election

Females

1

Anti-Reformist. Well now, why to you exclude females? That I exclude /should be for excluding/ them you need scarcely be told. But what the present occasion requires is that you should say why you exclude them.

Reformist. I will give you the best reasons I can find.

1. In the first place, so inseparably are the interests /such is the community of interest/ of the weaker sex interwoven with those of the stronger, that in the breasts of the male half self-regarding affection suffices to /for/ securing /secure/ them against all injury: unless it were clear that by the accession of the less informed sex more appropriate aptitude would be imported into the Election Office, than would have place there otherwise. Such at least is the presumption: for if any one were to stand up and shew that under the existing things the interest of the weaker sex is sacrificed to that of the stronger, and under the proposed scheme of reform would continue to be do to be, let one that can /that know how/ justify the exclusion. I am sure it is more than I am /should be/ able to do.

2. In the next place, I know not at present of any dissatisfaction which at present to any considerable extent, if any, has place on this account in those tender breasts. For supposing any such dissatisfaction to have place, let the compleat identity of interests be ever so uncontrovertibly established, here again no fish[?] would be more perfectly mute[?] than I should find myself obliged to be.

3. In the third place, in my own instance there is the personal satisfaction I feel in humouring, if I may be allowed so free a word, yourself and so many other of my friends: and in particular my honourable and learned friend M r Brougham, who by the single power of the word females pronounced in connection with my name and the word consistency raised /produced/ on the part of his honourable colleagues a laugh, in which there was just as much sense, as in any laugh which any one of them when in leading strings ever exhibited upon being tickled by his nurse.
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  • Title: [1818 Dec r. 30 Parl. Reform Bill]
    Description: 1818 Dec r. 30

    Parl. Reform Bill

    Dialogue

    Preliminary View

    Evils & Remedies

    Evils

    Miselection

    Females

    Reformist. I come down from them at a word.

    You see what I have done to humour you. At one stroke, struck out so many millions

    of votes: within a trifle as many as I have left in. Now then, in this as in other

    cases, does not one good turn deserve another?

    Anti-Reformist. What is it you would be at?

    Reformist. I will tell you presently. /in a trice./ In comparison of what I have

    granted what I ask /call for is a mere/ nothing, and in asking it I do but follow

    your example. {What you insist upon is to exclude females from power in one shape:

    what I want /ask/ is to exclude them from power in another. In your eyes they are

    unfit from joining each of them /respectively/ in the exercise of the /a minute/

    fraction of a small fraction of a fraction of coercive power. What I would propose is

    to exclude them }

    Power being the good thing in question, you exclude them from it by millions, all I

    call upon you to do is to exclude from it a score or two.
  • Title: [1818 Dec. 30 Parl Dialogue]
    Description: 1818 Dec. 30

    Parl

    Dialogue

    Prelim

    II. Remedies

    Miselection

    Election

    Females

    2

    Inserendumae[?]?

    Anti-Reformist. As to that laugh, you speak as if /one would think/ you were not

    aware of more than one half of what caused it /gave birth to it/ /the cause/ - the

    other half was the word consistency. If you knew the world

    a little better than you do you might know that in that honourable house there is not

    a quality that makes a man more thoroughly ridiculous.

    Reformist. Small as is my knowledge in that way it has served me to know that.

    In that honourable Assembly, not to speak of one still more thoroughly honourable,

    one standard of right and wrong is acknowledged and that is custom. So long as they are used to it, especially if they are used to make

    a profit by it, nothing /no practice/ is so /howsoever/ atrocious ever exciting their

    disapprobation: if indifferent to their interest they regard it with indifference /it

    is matter of indifference to them/, if subservient to their interest or regarded

    /supposed/ as being so it is dear to them they support /applaud/ and cling to it

    oppression, extortion, depredation homicide so it be upon a large scale, and the

    larger the more honourable in their eyes. If it be adverse to that sinister interest

    it is then of course odious to them: and it being odious, in proportion as it is

    odious odious to them is their endeavour /anxiety/ to prevent it from obtaining

    acceptance at the hands of others, and for that purpose, as being /to make sure/ the

    most effectual means to render it ridiculous to cause it to be scorned and in token

    of scorn laughed at.

    Anti-Reformist. A truce! a truce! You are running riot again. You are upon your high

    ropes again.
  • Title: [1818 Dece r 21 Parl Reform Bill]
    Description: 1818 Dece r 21

    Parl Reform Bill

    Dialogue III

    Preliminary View

    Universality

    2 Non-Adults

    {14}

    7

    Anti-Reformist. Well, since you do not, for the present at least insist upon the

    giving votes to females, I, in so far as concerns myself /for my own/ /speaking for

    myself/, am content to humour you so far, as to keep to myself my share in the laugh

    which you seem so much afraid of /that laugh which makes you talk so seriously/. But

    now as to Non-Adults.

    Reformist – If you recollect /have not forgot/, I expressed myself still more

    decided upon exclusion in this case than in that of females. Will not this satisfy

    you?

    Anti Reformist. Certainly as to the result. But this is not all. What you have

    /undertook/ to do in this case likewise, is to clear yourself of the imputation of

    inconsistency.

    Reformist. Fine: to act by shewing that though on my plan this class would be

    excluded yet that neither in this case could the sinister sacrifice so often

    mentioned have place, because neither in this case can there be any opposition of

    interests: opposition of interests between the Adults in quality of sole Electors,

    and Non-Adults in quality of Non-Electors. I think you will not on reflection look

    /regard me/ as labouring in this case under any great difficulty.