ecrecy could be obtained by
falsehood. Moreover, the object of it in a club is to keep out of a
select society not only those who are considered absolutely offensive,
but many with whom, though you might like to meet them in general
society, you do not think it desirable to be on more intimate terms; and
even in a club, who will deny that it is often used to gratify private
malice, and frequently, when candidates are numerous, are black-balls
put in to hasten forward the election of friends? While freely
confessing and deeply regretting the disgraceful jobbery and bribery
which an inquiry into our own elections too often reveals, we ought to
be thankful for the light of experience which a contemplation of the
elective system of the United States affords, warning us as it does that
an imprudent lowering of the franchise and a recourse to the secret
ballot do but aggravate the evils they were intended to cure. Before we
proceed to lower our franchise, should we not do wisely to try and
devise some means for obtaining the votes of those already entitled to
vote? Many an honest and industrious artisan at present entitled to a
vote will not come to the poll on account of the violence which--if not
of the mobular party--he may be subject to; his family depend on his
exertions for their daily bread--a broken limb, or any such accident
happening to him, may bring the whole family to deep distress, if not to
the workhouse. It appears by the _Edinburgh Review_ of October, 1852,
that at a previous general election, 40 per cent, of those possessing
the privilege did not poll their votes. A hasty lowering of the
franchise would certainly increase that number, and thus while losing
more votes of the peaceful and industrious citizens, we should be
increasing those of the more turbulent, and of those who are excited by
designing demagogues.
But to return to the United States. In the former edition I omitted to
explain that "a Congress" meant a Parliament for two years--the term for
which the representatives are elected. One of the sessions is from the
first Monday in December to about the end of August, and is called the
long session; the other commences the same day, and sits till the 4th
March, and is called the short session; but, besides these regular
sittings, there may be extra sessions as often as the President thinks
fit to assemble Congress. At the time I was in the States, by a fiction
very agreeable to the members, if Congr
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