1819 Oct. 5

Parl. Reform Bill

Reasons

§.5 Election Apparatus

§.8 Election how

Art. Secresy

5

5

5

In the open mode, the will of the Elector is exposed to the influence of will in both kinds at the hands of all persons in whose power it may be to cause him to receive evil in any shape, or to cause him to receive good in any shape, and to the number of persons so circumstanced, there is no certain limit: nor yet to the quantity of evil and of good which amongst them it may be in their power, as also in their inclination to cause him to receive: nor therefore to the force with which this sinister influence – for such surely it may be called – is capable of being made to operate.

In the secret mode he may be, {and is of course} {compleatly and effectually} preserved from all influence of the intimidative kind. For not having any possibility of knowing in whose favour a Voter has given his vote, neither Candidate nor Candidate’s friend nor any other man can have motive or inclination to cause him to receive evil in any shape on that account /for that cause/: the evil he can not but see[?] may be just as likely to fall on a friend as on an enemy. From other sources a man /candidate/ may have reason in abundance for concluding the voter to be an adversary: but none at all from his vote.

In the secret mode Voters may /will/ in great measure be preserved from influence of the corruptive kind For to the exercise of influence in this kind expence is for the most part necessary: and as in other cases so in this expence will generally speaking not be incurred without a reasonable certainty of an equivalent. By secresy of suffrage alone against the effect of influence in this kind freedom of suffrage would therefore in great measure be prevented /preserved/: namely in the same way that /by the operation of the same causes by which/ influence of the intimidative kind would so effectually be {prevent} preserved.