representative government-第21章

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nd　lover　of　liberty　on　whose　mind　they　do　not　weigh；　who　would　not　rejoice　at　the　discovery　that　they　could　be　dispensed　with。　Now；　nothing　is　more　certain　than　that　the　virtual　blotting…out　of　the　minority　is　no　necessary　or　natural　consequence　of　freedom；　that；　far　from　having　any　connection　with　democracy；　it　is　diametrically　opposed　to　the　first　principle　of　democracy；　representation　in　proportion　to　numbers。　It　is　an　essential　part　of　democracy　that　minorities　should　be　adequately　represented。　No　real　democracy；　nothing　but　a　false　show　of　democracy；　is　possible　without　it。　　　Those　who　have　seen　and　felt；　in　some　degree；　the　force　of　these　considerations；　have　proposed　various　expedients　by　which　the　evil　may　be；　in　a　greater　or　less　degree；　mitigated。　Lord　John　Russell；　in　one　of　his　Reform　Bills；　introduced　a　provision；　that　certain　constituencies　should　return　three　members；　and　that　in　these　each　elector　should　be　allowed　to　vote　only　for　two；　and　Mr。　Disraeli；　in　the　recent　debates；　revived　the　memory　of　the　fact　by　reproaching　him　for　it；　being　of　opinion；　apparently；　that　it　befits　a　Conservative　statesman　to　regard　only　means；　and　to　disown　scornfully　all　fellow…feeling　with　any　one　who　is　betrayed；　even　once；　into　thinking　of　ends。*　Others　have　proposed　that　each　elector　should　be　allowed　to　vote　only　for　one。　By　either　of　these　plans；　a　minority　equalling　or　exceeding　a　third　of　the　local　constituency；　would　be　able；　if　it　attempted　no　more；　to　return　one　out　of　three　members。　The　same　result　might　be　attained　in　a　still　better　way　if；　as　proposed　in　an　able　pamphlet　by　Mr。　James　Garth　Marshall；　the　elector　retained　his　three　votes；　but　was　at　liberty　to　bestow　them　all　upon　the　same　candidate。　These　schemes；　though　infinitely　better　than　none　at　all；　are　yet　but　makeshifts；　and　attain　the　end　in　a　very　imperfect　manner；　since　all　local　minorities　of　less　than　a　third；　and　all　minorities；　however　numerous；　which　are　made　up　from　several　constituencies；　would　remain　unrepresented。　It　is　much　to　be　lamented；　however；　that　none　of　these　plans　have　been　carried　into　effect；　as　any　of　them　would　have　recognised　the　right　principle；　and　prepared　the　way　for　its　more　complete　application。　But　real　equality　of　representation　is　not　obtained　unless　any　set　of　electors　amounting　to　the　average　number　of　a　constituency；　wherever　in　the　country　they　happen　to　reside；　have　the　power　of　combining　with　one　another　to　return　a　representative。　This　degree　of　perfection　in　representation；　appeared　impracticable　until　a　man　of　great　capacity；　fitted　alike　for　large　general　views　and　for　the　contrivance　of　practical　details…　Mr。　Thomas　Hare…　had　proved　its　possibility　by　drawing　up　a　scheme　for　its　accomplishment；　embodied　in　a　Draft　of　an　Act　of　Parliament：　a　scheme　which　has　the　almost　unparalleled　merit　of　carrying　out　a　great　principle　of　government　in　a　manner　approaching　to　ideal　perfection　as　regards　the　special　object　in　view；　while　it　attains　incidentally　several　other　ends　of　scarcely　inferior　importance。

　　*　This　blunder　of　Mr。　Disraeli　（from　which；　greatly　to　his　credit；　Sir　John　Pakington　took　an　opportunity；　soon　after；　of　separating　himself）　is　a　speaking　instance　among　many；　how　little　the　Conservative　leaders　understand　Conservative　principles。　Without　presuming　to　require　from　political　Parties　such　an　amount　of　virtue　and　discernment　as　that　they　should　comprehend；　and　know　when　to　apply；　the　principles　of　their　opponents；　we　may　yet　say　that　it　would　be　a　great　improvement　if　each　party　understood　and　acted　upon　its　own。　Well　would　it　be　for　England　if　Conservatives　voted　consistently　for　everything　conservative；　and　Liberals　for　everything　liberal。　We　should　not　then　have　to　wait　long　for　things　which；　like　the　present　and　many　other　great　measures；　are　eminently　both　the　one　and　the　other。　The　Conservatives；　as　being　by　the　law　of　their　existence　the　stupidest　party；　have　much　the　greatest　sins　of　this　description　to　answer　for：　and　it　is　a　melancholy　truth；　that　if　any　measure　were　proposed；　on　any　subject；　truly；　largely；　and　far…sightedly　conservative；　even　if　Liberals　were　willing　to　vote　for　it；　the　great　bulk　of　the　Conservative　party　would　rush　blindly　in　and　prevent　it　from　being　carried。

　　According　to　this　plan；　the　unit　of　representation；　the　quota　of　electors　who　would　be　entitled　to　have　a　member　to　themselves；　would　be　ascertained　by　the　ordinary　process　of　taking　averages；　the　number　of　voters　being　divided　by　the　number　of　seats　in　the　House：　and　every　candidate　who　obtained　that　quota　would　be　returned；　from　however　great　a　number　of　local　constituencies　it　might　be　gathered。　The　votes　would；　as　at　present；　be　given　locally；　but　any　elector　would　be　at　liberty　to　vote　for　any　candidate　in　whatever　part　of　the　country　he　might　offer　himself。　Those　electors；　therefore；　who　did　not　wish　to　be　represented　by　any　of　the　local　candidates；　might　aid　by　their　vote　in　the　return　of　the　person　they　liked　best　among　all　those　throughout　the　country　who　had　expressed　a　willingness　to　be　chosen。　This　would；　so　far；　give　reality　to　the　electoral　rights　of　the　otherwise　virtually　disfranchised　minority。　But　it　is　important　that　not　those　alone　who　refuse　to　vote　for　any　of　the　local　candidates；　but　those　also　who　vote　for　one　of　them　and　are　defeated；　should　be　enabled　to　find　elsewhere　the　representation　which　they　have　not　succeeded　in　obtaining　in　their　own　district。　It　is　therefore　provided　that　an　elector　may　deliver　a　voting　paper；　containing　other　names　in　addition　to　the　one　which　stands　foremost　in　his　preference。　His　vote　would　only　be　counted　for　one　candidate；　but　if　the　object　of　his　first　choice　failed　to　be　returned；　from　not　having　obtained　the　quota；　his　second　perhaps　might　be　more　fortunate。　He　may　extend　his　list　to　a　greater　number；　in　the　order　of　his　preference；　so　that　if　the　names　which　stand　near　the　top　of　the　list　either　cannot　make　up　the　quota；　or　are　able　to　make　it　up　without　his　vote；　the　vote　may　still　be　used　for　some　one　whom　it　may　assist　in　returning。　To　obtain　the　full　number　of　members　required　to　complete　the　House；　as　well　as　to　prevent　very　popular　candidates　from　engrossing　nearly　all　the　suffrages；　it　is　necessary；　however　many　votes　a　candidate　may　obtain；　that　no　more　of　them　than　the　quota　should　be　counted　for　his　return：　the　remainder　of　those　who　voted　for　him　would　have　their　votes　counted　for　the　next　person　on　their　respective　lists　who　needed　them；　and　could　by　their　aid　complete　the　quota。　To　determine　which　of　a　candidate's　votes　should　be　used　for　his　return；　and　which　set　free　for　others；　several　methods　are　proposed；　into　which　we　shall　not　here　enter。　He　would　of　course　retain　the　votes　of　all　those　who　would　not　otherwise　be　represented；　and　for　the　remainder；　drawing　lots；　in　default　of　better；　would　be　an　unobjectionable　expedient。　The　voting　papers　would　be　conveyed　to　a　central　office；　where　the　votes　would　be　counted；　the　number　of　first；　second；　third；　and　other　votes　given　for　each　candidate　ascertained；　and　the　quota　would　be　allotted　to　every　one　who　could　make　it　up；　until　the　number　of　the　House　was　complete：　first　votes　being　preferred　to　second；　second　to　third；　and　so　forth。　The　voting　papers；　and　all　the　elements　of　the　calculation；　would　be　placed　in　public　repositories；　accessible　to　all　whom　they　concerned；　and　if　any　one　who　had　obtained　the　quota　was　not　duly　returned　it　would　be　in　his　power　easily　to　prove　it。　　　These　are　the　main　provisions　of　the　scheme。　For　a　more　minute　knowledge　of　its　very　simple　machinery；　I　must　refer　to　Mr。　Hare's　Treatise　on　the　Election　of　Representatives　（a　small　volume　Published　in　1859）；*　and　to　a　pamphlet　by　Mr。　Henry　Fawcett　（now　Professor　of　Political　Economy　in　the　University；　of　Cambridge）；　published　in　1860；　and　entitled　Mr。　Hare's　Reform　Bill　simplified　and　explained。　This　last　is　a　very　clear　and　concise　exposition　of　the　plan；　reduced　to　its　simplest　elements；　by　the　omission　of　some　of　Mr。　Hare's　original　provisions；　which；　though　in　themselves　beneficial；　we're　thought　to　take　more　from　the　simplicity　of　the　scheme　than　they　added　to　its　practical　usefulness。　The　more　these　works　are　studied　the　stronger；　I　venture　to　predict；　will　be　the　impression　of　the　perfect　feasibility　of　the　scheme；　and　its　transcendant　advantages。　Such　and　so　numerous　are　these；　that；　in　my　conviction；　they　place　Mr。　Hare's　plan　among　the　very　greatest　improvements　yet　made　in　the　theory　and　practice　of　government。

　　*　In　a　second　edition；　published　recently；　Mr。　Hare　has　made　important　improvements　in　some　of　the　detailed　provisions。

　　In　the　first　place；　it　secures　a　representation；　in　proportion　to　numbers；　of　every　division　of　the　electoral　body：　not　two　great　parties　alone；　with　perhaps　a　few　large　sectional　minorities　in　particular　places；　but　every　minority　in　the　whole　nation；　consisting　of　a　sufficiently　large　number　to　be；　on　principles　of　equal　justice；　entitled　to　a　representative。　Secondly；　no　elector

would；　as　at　present；　be　nominally　represented　by　some　one　whom　he　had　not　chosen。　Every　member　of　the　House　would　be　the　representative　of　a　unanimous　constituency。　He　would　represent　a　thousand　electors；　or　two　thousand；　or　five　thousand；　or　ten　thousand；　as　the　quota　might　be；　every　one　of　whom　would　have　not　only　voted　for　him；　but　selected　him　from　the　whole　country；　not　merely　from　the　assortment　of　two　or　three　perhaps　rotten　oranges；　which　may　be　the　only　choice　offered　to　him　in　his　local　market。　Under　this　relation　the　tie　between　the　elector　and　the　representative　would　be　of　a　strength；　and　a　value；　of　which　at　present　we　have　no　experience。　Every　one　of　the　electors　would　be　personally　identified　with　his　representative；　and　the　representative　with　his　constituents。　Every　elector　who　voted　for　him　would　have　done　so　either　because；　among　all　the　candidates　for　Parliament　who　are　favourably　known　to　a　certain　number　of　electors；　he　is　the　one　who　best　expresses　the　voter's　own　opinions；　because　he　is　one　of　those　whose　abilities　and　character　the　voter　most　respects；　and　whom　he　most　willingly　trusts　to　think　for　him。　The　member　would　represent　persons；　not　the　mere　bricks　and　mortar　of　the　town…　the　voters　themselves；　not　a　few　vestrymen　or　parish　notabilities　merely。　All　however；　that　is　worth　preserving　in　the　representation　of　places　would　be　preserved。　Though　the　Parliament　of　the　nation　ought　to　have　as　little　as　possible　to　do　with　purely　local　affairs；　yet；　while　it　has　to　do　with　them；　there　ought　to　be　members　specially　commissioned　to　look　after　the　interests　of　every　important　locality：　and　these　there　would　still　be。　In　every　locality　which　could　make　up　the　quota　within　itself；　the　majority　would　generally　prefer　to　be　represented　by　one　of　themselves；　by　a　person　of　local　knowledge；　and　residing　in　the　locality；　if　there　is　any　such　person　to　be　found　among　the　candidates；　who　is　otherwise　well　qualified　to　be　their　representative。　It　would　be　the　minorities　chiefly；　who　being　unable　to　return　the　local　member；　would　look　out　elsewhere　for　a　candidate　likely　to　obtain　other　votes　in　addition　to　their　own。　　　Of　all　modes　in　which　a　national　representation　can　possibly　be　constit