1818 March 28

Parl. Ref. Bill

Reasons

III Electors. Who

Reading Qualification

Reasons

5

5

Books in any number, so he have had but money enough to buy or credit to borrow them to come at all times, he can at every moment have at his command: of men competent to the giving him appropriate information, it is only by accident, at intervals more or less long and for and during portions of time at the utmost not long, that he can in any sense to any such [...?] he can have at his command.

Between the man who can read and the man who can not read the difference is that between man in a civilized and man in a savage /savage/ state. To say in this country that in respect of the matters in question, the man who can not read is in the same state or in no better a state than the savage being in a country in which there are none /no man/ but savages such as himself would not be true. For Why? because in this country means of information means of fixing a derived judgment by converse with men who can and do read not altogether without his reach ever in the practice of having recourse to him foreign to his habits: still however, [...?] [...?] that ever precarious faculty his condition is scarcely in this respect better than that of a savage.

Apply for example these observations for example, in so unhappily considerable a proportion to the inhabitants of Ireland, and even of Wales.