e very
objectionable; but as to the other propositions, he considered them
totally incompatible with the constitution of England. Lord Althorp
spoke to the same effect: as any change was an evil, he said, the least
change was the limit to which he should go. Mr. Brougham adopted the
same course: the duration of parliaments might be shortened, he thought,
but he set his face against universal suffrage and vote by ballot.
His arguments against them were very cogent and convincing. A county
election, he said, could not be managed like an election at a club,
where the box was handed round, and the pellet thrown in, and there was
an end of it. To contest for a county or extensive city, a man must
be constantly among the people. His friends and himself should be
unremittingly engaged in active canvas; committees and subdivisions of
committees must be occupied in parcelling out the several districts,
and ascertaining how their strength stood in this part and the other;
landlords were to be sought out, and they of course would exercise an
influence over their tenants. He would suppose that those who advocated
this system would be able to devise some plan by which the voter was
to be able to vote in such a manner as that mortal could not discover,
except from himself, how he voted; that he was to be placed in some
kind of sentry-box, and provided with some kind of stamped pellet, the
forgery of which would no doubt be made an offence: it being assumed all
this while that notwithstanding promises made to his landlord, and the
candidate, his friend, the elector intended to give his vote to another.
The vote was given, and against a promise. Well, he went afterwards
to the candidate, congratulated him upon his prospect of success, not
failing to add, that his vote was one of the items which contributed
to the prospect. But then see the moral; see how far the concealment of
what was done could be continued; how far the knowledge of it could be
kept from the landlord, to secure whose interest in retaining him in
his farm he had made the promise. No one could see what passed in the
sentry-box, or how the pellet was disposed of; but were there no such
things as conversation amongst friends in going to or coming from
church, or at the club, or at the alehouse? was nothing of the nature of
the vote to be allowed to transpire? was a man to keep such a watch
and guard over his words and actions for three years, until the next
election come,