1818 April 8

Parl. Reform Bill

Reasons

III Electors Who

Vote conferring Qualification

2. Intellectuality

5

5

2. Secondly and lastly as to intellectual aptitude.

{Here it is that the shoe most pinches: or rather it is in this point it is and no other that the shoe pinches.} On this point must necessarily bear whatsoever argument can in the shape of reason - of genuine reason pure of fallacy - be adduced in opposition to the plan here proposed {for the arrangement /distribution/ of the powers of government}.

Suppose /Take/ for argument sake on the one hand the whole number of the persons on whom under the existing system the filling of the whole number of seats depends: taking for this purpose not the persons by whom the votes are given, but the persons by whose influence respectively the direction given to those same votes is determined: add together the portions or degrees of appropriate intellectual aptitude possessed by these several persons: this gives the sum of intellectual aptitude possessed by this class of persons: divide /taking/ the number which represents this sum divide it by the number of those same portions: the quotient gives the average degree of the aptitude of a person belonging to this class.

This same operation perform /apply/ now to each of the class of persons who on the here proposed plan of virtually universal suffrage would be entitled to votes. Average intellectual aptitude of a voter under the existing system: average intellectual aptitude of a voter under the system of universal suffrage: these are the two quantities between which for the purpose[?] in question the comparison would be to be made.

Note (a)

On this point, taking for the purpose in question the persons by whom the direction was given to the votes and not (where there is a difference) the persons by whom the votes are given, is - it will not be disputed - not only the fair course, but the course by far the most favourable to the existing system, so far as concerns the pretensions to appropriate intellectual aptitude.