1818 Oct 7

Parl. Reform Plan

XI

Reasons 3 o or 4 o

'.2. Electors Who

Universality

XI Objection, this is democracy

2

2

Thus[?], so would it be: but the effect, instead of being right, would be clear[?] of the new existing[?] abuses to great [...?] use it & have [...?]

But though potentially and hypothetically and even potentially as above, under the proposed system of universal suffrage, the whole power of the government would then be in the hands of {the whole body of the people say} the virtually universal suffrage even[?] yet actually it would not be so. Potentially the whole power is in the hands of the House of Commons: thence in the hands of those by whose will the conduct of the House of Commons is at present habitually directed: Potentially yes: but /yet/ actually no.

Potentially in the King of France and the existing system is a despotism as poor[?] as in Turkey: But not actually. So in other European Monarchies.

In /Under/ the existing state of things, this power of changing the form of Government is not exercised by those who possess it. exercised. More is it likely to be: means and interests both are wanting. In any attempt to exercise it, by the existing so called Representatives, being but sham representatives, no assistance would be afforded by the body of the people their pretended Constituents - the body of the people. Why /Nothi/ /How should they/? because by the people nothing would be gained by such a change. From the existing howsoever inadequately checked yet in a small degree checked Monarchy, the change would be as under the Rump parliament into an aristocracy without any check to it. For: for want of /not possessing/ the power either of choosing or of changing or of choosing the majority of these pretended Representatives, no regular check on the conduct of these same Representatives would they have.