date

1818 March 25 Parl. Reform Bill
1818 March 25

Parl. Reform Bill

Heads proposed.

I. Election Deposits

1. Number

2. Formation of

+ 2.

II. Electors

1. Who?

+ 2. Mode of previous ascertainment.

III. Candidates

1. Who.

IV. Elections

1. Time

2. Freedom – securities for

+ 3. Mode of voting

4. Mode of making known the result.

V. Sessions regular

1. Commencement

2. Duration

VI. Sessions incidental. viz. in case of dissolution

II. Electors. 1 Who

I Qualification 1. Antecedent residence in quo. 2. Reading 3. Writing

II. Mode of ascertainment. 1. Churchwardens stamp Householders name in docs[?] of

Voters residence. 2. Certifica certificate of reading. 3. Voters writing on the

certificate. 4. Duplicate of certificate registered in time.

Accidents and Abuses – how to obviate

1. Election Districts – overloading of by ambulatory Electors: viz. to the diminution

of the value of their one vote and those of fellow-Electors.

Soldiers and Sailors how previously to ascertain in districts in which they shall be

entitled to vote.

{Ascertain previously who shall be bound to vote orally who may vote

epistorately[?]}

{ Birthplace the place each man shall be entitled to vote

for: not place of settlement.}

{Of Those whose birthplaces can not be entertained, the votes to be distributed

among those districts which have least populations.}

{The reading and writing qualification a good preventative remedy here In the

certificate of sufficiency state the place of residence if fixt by householdership:} {or in case of non-householdership the

birth place, according to belief.}

{Residence of father Mother Grandfather Grandmother Uncle Aunt Nephew or Niece,

Grandson or Grandaughter, if the actual residence at the time for a month past may be

taken for the place of residence, and save the need of recurrence to Birth places}

{In every Election District Sub-Districts for taking the Votes all on the same day:

object of this concerns[?] of the[?] members[?] preventing exclusion and disturbance

by crowding Parishes the parish join or divide them, as occasion enters.

Qualification certificate to be authenticated by the signatures of 6 or 12

Housholders of the same district, hearing the man read, and seeing him write at the

same time. Minister, Clerk Apothecary or Publican recommended to be and[?] might[?]

be a […?] resident in the Parish […?] an adjoining Parish.}

{ Epistolary Votes not to be reckoned but in case the

number is sufficient reverse the decision given by the Oral

votes.}

{Inequalities and exclusions producible by accident only, and not by any anxiously

prevented.}

Penal Securities for freedom of suffrage and genuineness of Election.

Election Offences –

1. Election tyranny: in 1. exaction of promises. 2. asking how the vote was given.

2. Election servility – complicity with Election Tyranny

3. Election forgery: viz. of Voter’s qualification signature

4. Election imposture: false certificate of Qualification by reading

5. Election personation or imposture by personation.

Prefatoria.

Maxime

1. Inequalities resulting from mere accident, and not producible by design, not

material.

2. Inequalities producable by design, not material, if not rising to such an amount

as to be capable of affecting the general result.

Why the public functionaries appointed for furnishing or joining in the Certificate.

Reasons

1. Not to consume the time of such persons for the service of persons to whom as

being no […?] to them they will not be willing to render such service

2. Not to put it in the power of any particular person or persons, by negligence or

refusal, to deprive the would-be voter of his right.

Annuality

Mem. m On use of it prevents Election collusion[?] and other

lies[?]: viz. by the strictness[?] of the advantage conspires with the lasting[?]

punishment[?] in the shape of appropriate infamy

Splendor of the Crown.

See Lansdowne and other in Lords of the 15 th Morn g Chron. April 16 th.

Hodghkins Letter 6.

March 4. “The Georgianum a free School for Noblemen exclusive which was established

and endowed by Imperial Majesty.”

Prefatoria.

Ends to be aimed at

1. Avoidance of needless complication

2. Efficiency: avoidance of causes by which the system or any part of it may be

prevented from coming into occasion

N.B. Every person whose concurrence is rendered or suffered to be necessary to the

plan taking effect in the whole or any part has it in his power to prevent it from

taking effect: to prevent it, viz. by non concurrence.

A great cause of implication[?] in the entrance of imaginary[?] dangers /ideas/.

From Population Returns 1811

Great Britain Persons including Army &c 12,596,803

– Houses inhabited 2,544,215

– – building 18,548

– – uninhabited 62,349.

Army Navy Marines

and

Seamen on registered Vessels

(deducted from the total 0,640,500.)

Parishes including parts of d o England 10,674

Scotland 921

Persons England & Wales 10,488,000

Scotland 1,865,000

From p.509

Great Britain Families

1. Agricultural 895,998

2 Miscellaneous 519,168

1,415,166

Trade, manufactures or handicraft 1,129,045.

Encrease from the years 1811 and 1818 both exclusive viz. 6 years at 1/ | |

th per year.

Universal Suffrage

Heads of Argument for

1. As to intellectual aptitude present means of information[?] superior to those of

our Ancestors who transmitted to us the existing Constitution

2. Undangerousness of democratic ascendancy proved by d o in U.S.

where there is no standing army to check sudden disorders. Apter men /Statesmen/ are

chosen there in greater abundance than here.

3. / 2/ So in the days of our Ancestors no such security against

sudden disorders.

4. / 3/ The existing means of appropriate information are

susceptible of an indefinite encrease.

Maty[?] Committee

5. / 5/ Thus any deficiency in intellectual aptitude is

susceptible of unbound and indefinitely encreasing supply.

6. / 6/ On the other hand the want /deficiency/ of appropriate

probity by reason of sinister interest in the ruling few opposite to that of the

subject many, then the universal interest is sent in obstruction[?] to the aggregate

of appropriate aptitude as is in its nature everlasting and unsurmountable.

7. / 4/ No tendency has ever been shewn to the choice of violent

and ignorant and low bred men for Members in any one instance: they might exist in

considerable numbers and still without being productive of any ultimate practical and

sensible evil mischief or inconvenience

8. A greater proportion of members then is likely to be drawn even under Universal

Suffrage from the unopulent classes is highly desirable. It presents on every

occasion of supply measure the quantity of demand from their own habits: so also of

the supply: hence the waste of public money on objects deduced for the pleasure of

the few: and where relief is afforded, the superfluity of such relief.

9. The instances if collected would prove that upon principle as well[?] in practice

the interests of the many is invariably[?] sacrificed to that of the few and that by

this means government is converted into a system of […?] and irresistible

pillage.
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  • Title: [1818 April 28 + §.10 Parl. Reform]
    Description: 1818 April 28 + §.10

    Parl. Reform Bill

    Reasons

    §.8 Election how

    Mode of Voting

    Reasons

    1

    1

    ☞ 12 Oct. 1819. Rewrite this with the text before you.

    Question | | Why not admitt of the mode of voting by letter. (a)

    Answer. 1. Because in this mode neither secrecy nor thence[?] freedom could be so effectually preserved.

    2. Because the timely ascertainment of the number of persons entitled to vote in the several districts, and thence the necessary provision for the receipt of their votes could not so well be made

    3. Because if in this case the qualification by past residence were admitted and exacted, there would be but a small number of instances comparatively speaking, in which the demand for the reception /admission/ of this mode of voting would have place

    4. Because if either to the exclusion of, or in conjunction with, the qualification by residence qualification by property or by payment of taxes were admitted, a door would be open to { inequality} and disorder /nullity/ by unexpected /and unprovided for/ inundation of votes, in numbers unexpected and unprovided for.

    5. Because unless complication delay, vexation and expence in abundance were employed for the exclusion of the inconvenience /evil/, one and the same person might by voting letters sent to different districts, give instead of that single vote which alone is consistent with Equality of Representation, give in one and the same Election an indefinite /unlimited/ number of votes.

    Note (a)

    (a) In my Plan of Parliamentary in conjunction with the voting by ballot voting by letter was proposed. By a nearer /closer/ view taken of the subject as above after the mode of voting by ballot had been matured, the comparative impropriety of the mode of voting by letter was brought to light as above. See Plan pages 6. 7.
  • Title: [3 April 1818 Proposed Parliamentary]
    Description: 3 April 1818

    Proposed Parliamentary Reform Resolutions

    Supplemental Details

    4

    4

    I Universality

    1 +

    For prediction /promotion/ of counter influence, extend election suffrage to all male

    adults, possessed of intellectual aptitude proved by an unquestionable test.

    or 2.

    Universality + Reading and writing test

    By Periodicals better appropriate information with prompt means of information, with

    prompt means of expos g. men’s information respecting aptitude of

    Candidates are | | now to the most learned readers than ever possessed by the most

    learned of their ancestors by whom was transmitted to us that Constitution which

    still is so much superior to all the d o.

    or 3 +

    Equality

    Numbers of Representatives enlarged: not more than one for each place

    or 4. +

    Equality Election Districts.

    For equality and | | of disorder I divide Britain & Ireland into 658

    mathematically delineated districts for a standard of reference.

    ar 5. +

    Equality Election Districts

    2. Having made a mass in which along with the mathematical division delineated the

    Counties | |, Parishes, with quasi d

    o., and each parishes with the number of inhabitants in

    each, political | | being distinguished from mathematical by form and colour, divide

    some of the mathematical | | into sub sections, and

    consolidate others, till political sections are thus formed having each a number as

    near to the average number as is consistent with local convenience.

    ar 6.

    Equality. Election Districts

    Number of inhabitants of Ireland as those of Britain are. –

    ar 7. +

    Equality Election Districts

    {Where the space admitts not the name of the Parish insert the number of inhabitants

    with a figure of reference to the name in the margin.}

    ar 8.

    Equality. Election Districts.

    Establish Demarcators for marking[?] out the Election districts, as above.

    ar 8 continued

    Equality

    {For local convenience scruple not to allott to such of some Districts no more than

    half the average number; to others as far as half as much again so as no partiality

    personal or local be imputable.}

    ar 9.

    Equality /Universality/ Voters Qualification

    For proof of | | afford every facility consistent with prevention of imposture:

    certificate of a small number of inhabitants of the same district known by their

    names on their doors who have all heard the man read passages not got by heart but

    taken at random.

    or 10 +

    Equality /Universality/. Non-Nullity

    Voters Qualifications

    Against disorder and nullity from migration necessitate antecedent residence for a

    determinate time in a known and registered house whe r. he the

    Householder or not.

    ar 11. +

    Freedom Voting secret.

    For securing freedom and thence security ags t. influence by which

    it would be destroyed, mode of voting secret, by dropping a

    card into a box out of sight of every body.

    ar 12 +

    Ordinary Election annual Making[?] /Ordering/ same &[?] day to every year.

    Power to king to dissolve, and recall toties quoties. Voters to[?] some[?] votes

    alone received[?].

    25 April 1818

    Memorandum

    In p.4 of this fair Copy fill up the blanks destined for the expression of the amount

    of the debt and the army
  • Title: [1818 Sept. 5. +.2. Parl. Reform Bill]
    Description: 1818 Sept. 5. +.2.

    Parl. Reform Bill

    Reasons ult o

    '.2. Electors Who

    2 Householdership

    1

    1

    Question Why not {seek to} establish Householdership in the character of a necessary qualification.

    Answer 1. Because in addition to the security afforded as above under virtual universality and compleat secrecy of suffrage by the impossibility of giving effect to any particular and sinister interest no other security is needed.

    Answer 2: Because in the case in question on the part of a proposed Voter it is not in the nature of Householdership, any more than of possession, any more than of the possession of property to afford any security for appropriate aptitude in any shape on the part of the Voter nor therefore for the right direction of his vote.

    True it is that, supposing the faculty of reading established in the character of a necessary qualification, so far as regards the fact of a man's being in possession of this faculty, householdership is if not an indispensable, at any rate, a highly useful security for its existence. For if upon the bare assertion by which the fact of a man's possessing the faculty in question he were admitted whether he were or were not a householder a person who whether for want of the faculty or for want of being competent in respect of age and sex were admitted to vote the want of a fixt residence might in case of falshood suffice to render him unpunishable. But under the proposed system for the substantiating of this fact the written evidence of no fewer than three other persons, each of them a Householder is made requisite. Thus it is that under this system all the case[?] capable of being made of householdership is actually made of it.