Fabian Tract No. 153. 


THE TWENTIETH CENTURY 
REFORM BILL. 


BY 

HENRY H. SCHLOESSER. 

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SOCIALISM AND RELIGION. 
CONTENTS: (1) Christian Socialism, by the Rev. Stewart 
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by the Rev. J ohn Clifford. (4) A Word of Remembrance and 
Caution to the Rich, by John Woolman. 
II. 
SOCIALISM AND AGRICULTURE. 
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(3) The Secret of R ural Depopulation, by Lieut.-Col. D . C. 
Pedder. (4) The Revival of Agriculture, by the Fabian Eociety.
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SOCIALISM AND INDIVIDUALISM. 
CONTENTS: (1) The Difficulties of Individualism, by SidneyWebb. (2) The Moral Aspects of Socialism, by Sidney Ball. 
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(4) Public Service v. Private Expenditure, by Sir Oliver Lodge. 
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THE COMMONSENSE OF MUNICIPAL TRADING. 
By Beroard Shaw. With new Preface. 
VI. 
SOCIALISM AND NATIONAL MINIMUM. 
By Mrs. Sidney Webb, Miss B. L. Hutchins, and others. 
VII. 
WASTAGE OF CHILD LIFE. 
By J. Johnston, M.D. A sturly of Lancashire towns. 
VIII. 
SOCIALISM AND SUPERIOR BRAINS. 
By Bernard Shaw. With new portrait of the author. 
London: THE FABIAN SOCIET ·r"'3 fiiDe nn, 
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/X I'-' (\ (!, ( 


THE TWENTIETH CEN1'URY 
REFORM BILL. 

P REPARED BY HENRY H. ScHLOESSER WITH THE AssiSTANCE oF A 

COMMITTEE APPOINTED FOR THE PURPOSE BY THE EXECUTIVE 

CoMMITTEE oF THE FABIAN SocmTv. 

INTRODUCTION . 

THE first draft of this measure was issued by the Fabian Society as Tract No. 14" 
"The New Reform Bill," exactly twenty years ago. No single one of the reforms 
then advocated has since become law ; but at the present moment (January, 19Il) the 
prospects of Electoral Reform are brighter than for many years past, and some of the 
proposals of our Bill are definitely promised by the first Cabinet within living memory 
which can reckon on fulfilling its promi;es without the concurrence of the UpperHouse. 

The present Bill, redrafted throughout and altered in many details (especially bythe substitution of the Alternative Vote for the Second Ballot), is intended as a complete 
scheme of Electoral Reform, with the exceptions noted below. It therefore 
includes Adult Suffrage and completely removes all existing sex disqualifications in 
connection with parliamentary elections. It permits women, married or single, to 
vme for and to be members of parliament as well as all minor governing bodies. 

But it should be pointed out that the advocacy of Adult Suffrage in this Tract is 
not intended to prejudice the highly controversial question whether at the present 
time the enfranchisement of women should be sought by such partial measures as conferring 
the parliamentary vote on some or all of the women at present qualified to vote 
for local governing bodies, or whether nothing less than Adult Suffrage should be 
accepted. This is a question of immediate parliamentary tactics which is outside the 
scope of the scheme here outlined. 

Since the time of the Chartist agitation, no attempt has been made to formulate 
a thorough scheme for the reform of the laws regulating our electoral system, if the 
confused, inconsistent, and often unintelligible mass of Acts of Parliament on the 
statute book can be dignified by such a name. From the Statute of Edward I., 
establishing freedom of election, down to the Registration Act, 1908, there have been 
over one hundred and sixty Acts to regulate the franchise, registration of electors, 
:md procedure at elections, etc. ; of which more than one hundred and twenty have 
been enacted since the passing of the Reform Act of 1832-a measure intended by Lord 
John Russell to settle finally the question of reform. 

With the single exception of the Corrupt and Illegal Practices Act (1883), n~ 
attempt has been made to codify any section of electoral law. One Act of Parliament 
contradicts another, and a reverence for antiquated modes of draughtsmanship 
has only made confusion worse confounded. A vote is given to every male householder~ 
only to be taken away from him by a cumbrous and iniquitous system of registration. 
with a long term of qualification, and an intentionally complex arrangement of claim. 
objection, and revision. 


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It is often said that the points of the People's Charter have been embodied in 
En~lish law ; but, as a matter of fact, the ballot alone has been adopted in its 
entuety. The suffrage has been considerably lowered, and some approach was made, 
twenty-five years ago, to the establishment of equal electoral districts, but the payment 
of members and a reduction in the duration of parliament are still promises for 
the future, though now more likely to be realized than ever before. The abolition of 
a property qualification for members has been largely a nominal reform, and can onlybe rendered effective by the payment of election expenses. 

In the following draft bill, an attempt has been made to put into practicable legal 
shape the aspirations of advanced political reformers. Its provisions include the 
following points:-· 

ADULT SuFFRAGE. RESTRICTION ON USE OF CONVEYMINIMUM 
RESIDENTIAL QUALIFICA-ANCES. 
TION. PAYMENT OF ALL ELECTION Ex-
EFFICIENT QUARTERLY REGISTRA-PENSES, AND OF NEARLY ALL THE 

TION BY PAID OFFICERS. NECESSARY COST OF CANDIDATURE. 
ALTERNATIVE VOTE. pAYMENT OF MEMBERS, AND OF THEIR 
SIMULTANEOUS ELECTIONS. TRAYELLING EXPENSES. 
ABOLITION OF PLURAL VOTING. QUINQUENNIAL PARLIAMENTS. 
EXTENSION OF THE HOURS OF POLLING. 

To make a complete Reform Bill, provision should also be made for the establishment 
of equal electoral districts, automatically re-adjusted according to population 
after every census; for the consolidation of the eighty-five statutes dealing with the 
disqualification of candidates, and of the thirty-one dealing with the procedure at 
an election; for the further simplification and strengthening of the law relating to corrupt 
and illegal practices; and for dealing with the whole question of the House of 
Lords. 

Until the electorate consists of the whole adult population, and perfect freedom 
of choice of members, combined with the fullest control over their legislative action, 
has been secured through payment of members and their election expenses, and the 
alternative vote, the people will be seriously handicapped in the promotion and 
enactment of those measures of social reform which will ultimately result in the establishment 
of a properly organized community based on the socialization of industry. 

THE BILL. 

BE it enacted by the King's Most Excellent Majesty, by and with 
the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and 
Commons in this present Parliament assembled and by the authorityof the same as follows: 

1. This Act may be cited as the Representation of the PeopleAct, IQII. 
2. This Act shall come into operation at the end of the presentparliament. 
Part I.-Adult Suffrage. 

3. I. A uniform franchise shall be established throughout the 
United Kingdom and every person (including women, whether 
under coverture or not), save as hereinafter expressly provided, who 
has during four weeks preceding any registration day, namely the 

5 


fifteenth day of December, March, June or September, resided withio 
the same constituency shall be 'entitled on that registration day to. 
be registered as a voter, and when registered to vote at any parliamentary, 
municipal, county, or other public election held under the 
provisions of any statute within the area in which he is resident. 

2. No person shall be entitled to be registered as a voter or 
to vote if he 
(I) 
is an infant or an alien ; or 
(2) 
is a lunatic within the meaning of the Lunacy Act~ 
I89o; or 
(3) 
has been convicted of a corrupt or illegal practice and 
has been declared incapacitated for voting during the 
period of such incapacity. 
4!. No person shall be entitled to be registered as a voter, or 
when registered to vote, other than a person duly qualified . under 
section three of this Act, and, save as herein provided, all the Acts 
conferring franchises and disqualifying persons as electors are herebyrepealed. 

Registratt'on. 

5. For the purposes of this Act the following persons shall be 
the local registration officers and deputy registration officers. 
Registration Officer Deputy Registration Officer 

a. In every administrative The Clerk of the County One person for each county 
county 
Council parliamentary constituency 
to be appointed bythe County Council 

b. In every county borough The Town Clerk None 
returning not more 
than one member to 
Parliament, and in 
every non-county borough 
returning one 
member to parliament 
c. 
In every county and The Town Clerk One person for each parlinon-
county borough amentary division to be 
returning two or more appointed by the Bormembers 
to Parlia-ough Council 
ment 
d. 
In every group of bor-The Town Clerk of a The Town Clerk of everyoughs returning a borough selected by the other borough in the 
member to parliament Local Gov'ment Board group for his county 
6. 1. On or before the last day of December, March, June, and 
September in each year every local registration officer shall either 
himself or by his deputy prepare and publish lists supplementary to. 
the previous final list (I} of all persons not included in the previousfinal list who shall have resided for a period of four weeks next preceding 
the fifteenth day of December, March, June, and Septemberrespectively within the constituency and are not disqualified as 
aforesaid, (2) of all persons included in the previous final list who. 
have not resided in the constituency during the said four weeks. 

6 

2. Such lists shall be classified according to locality and shall 
be prepared in such form and published in such manner as the Local 
Government Board shall prescribe. 
3· It shall be the duty of every person who is rated for the 
relief of the poor or for any other purpose in respect of the ownership 
or occupation of any dwelling house or tenement to supply the 
local registration officer or his deputy at his request with every 
information within his power respecting the names and addresses 
of all such persons of twenty-one years of age or over as may have 
resided in his dwelling house or tenement for the period of four 
weeks next preceding the fifteenth day of December, March, June, 
and September respectively. 

4· Any person who shall refuse or negligently omit to 
supply such information when so requested, or who shall wilfully 
or negligently give false or inaccurate information, shall, upon summary 
conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding fifty pounds or to 
imprisonment, with or without hard labor, for a term not exceeding 

·one month. 

7. Any person may, on or before the tenth day of January, 
April, july, or October, as the case may be, by notice in writing to 
the local registration officer, object to the name of any person being 
upon the register on the ground that he is not entitled under this 
Act to be registered as a voter. 
8. Any person entitled under this ..\.ct to be registered as a 
voter and whose name is not in the previous final list or on the first 
supplementary list may, on or before the tenth day of January, 
April, July, or October, as the case may be, by notice in writing to 
the local registration officer, claim to be registered as a voter. 
9. I. On receipt of an objection the, local registration officer 
shall forthwith give notice thereof by post to the person objected to, 
stating the ground of the objection and the name and address of the 
person making the objection. 
2. A list of names and addresses of the persons objected to 
and the ground of the objection and a list of the persons claiming to 
be registered shall be published on or before the fifteenth day of 
January, April, July, or October respectively by the local registration 
officer in such manner as the Local Government Board shall 
prescribe. 
10. The office of revising barrister is hereby abolished. 
11. The registrar of the county court exercising jurisdictionwithin the constituency or, if there be more than one county court, 
-of such county court as the Horne Office may appoint, or the deputy 
of such registrar, shall sit and shall determine all objections and 
claims as soon as may be and within one month after the twentieth 
-day of January, April, July, or October respectively. Any person 

7 


aggrieved by the decisions of the registrar may appeal to the judge 
of the county court, whose decision shall be final, save by leave of 
the judge or of the High Court. A person objected to or claiming 
to be registered may appe3l by any other person appointed in writing 
on that behalf before the registrar and the judge. No fees shall 
be charged in such proceedings, and no costs shall be awarded to 
either party unless it shall appear to the judge that a claim or an 
o!:>jection is not bona fide made. 

12. The decision of a registrar shall, pending appeal under section 
eleven of this Act, be regarded as a final decision. 
13. On the twenty-second day of February, May, August, and 
November in each year every local registration office shall print and 
publish, in such manner as the Local Government Board may prescribe, 
lists of electors, classified according to locality, and preparedin such form as the Local Government Board shall prescribe. Such 
lists shall contain the names of all persons on the previous final list 
or on the first supplementary list, except those on the second 
supplementary lisL or successfully objected to before the registrar or 
judge, and the names of all persons who have successfully established 
cbims before the registrar or judge, and such lists shall be deemed to 
be final lists and to be conclusive evidence, until the due publication 
of the next quarterly final list, of the right of any person whose 
name appears on such final lists to vote at any election within the 
constituency for which he is declared in any such list to be entitled 
to vote. 
Expenses. 

Hi. Save as herein expressly provided, one half of the expensesinvolved in carrying out the provisions of this Act shall be defrayed 
out of moneys provided by parliament in the form of a grant to the 
councils of counties and boroughs exercising powers under this Act, 
and such expenses as are not defrayed ou't of such grant shall be 
paid, in the case of a county, out of the county fund, and in the case 
of a borough out of the borough fund or rate, and the apportioningof all such expenses, whether for parliamentary or municipal purposes, 
shall be decided by the Local Gove·rnment Board, whose decision 
on such questions shall be final. 

15. No grant shall be payable under section fourteen of this Act 
to the council of any county or borough which has not, in the 
opinion of the Local Government Board efficiently exercised its 
powers under this Act. 
Plural Voting. 

16. Any person who shall vote more than once in the United 
Kingdom at one general parliamentary election or at any two or 
more bye-elections holden on the same day, or who shall vote more 
than once in the same constituency for any county, municipal, or 
other public election held under the provisions of any statute shall 

be guilty of a misdemeanor, aml, on being convicted thereof, shalt 
be liable to imprisonment for any term not exceeding one year, with 
or without hard labor. 

The present arrangements for registering the crowded dwellers in populous cities· 
are virtually those which sufficed when the Statute of Henry VI. for the first time 
restricted the county franchise to forty shilling freeholders. The electoral registration 
of London's five million inhabitants is left to no better organization than that of a rural· 
hamlet of the last century. 

At present only one in seven and a half of London's population is on the register,. 
as compared with one in six of the United Kingdom outside London, and one in five in 
many provincial boroughs. The term of occupation is absurdly long, and so arbitrarily 
dated, that a large number of removals in London practically involve from. 
eighteen months to two years disfranchisement. 

This part supersedes the cumbrous mass of legal technicalities contained in 
thirteen Acts of Parliament, and makes the work of registration as simple, economical, 
and nearly automatic as possible. The present interval of more than four months· 
between the date of claim and the date on which the register comes into force is 
reduced to rather over two months. The disabilities of women and peers of parliament 
are removed. Adult suffrage is enacted, with the minimum term of residence neces-· 
sary for the purposes of registration. Under the existing Registration Acts the work 
of registration, which is only done once a year, commences in April or May, and is not 
concluded till October 12th, which is the last day for the holding of the Revision 
Court. Under such a scheme as that proposed, the register would be made upfour times a year, and the four registrations would cost little more to prepare-
than the one list under existing regulations. The individual voter is relieved 
of trouble and expense in claiming and supporting his claim, and provision is· 
made for the punishment of misconduct or wilful neglect on the part of the registration 
officers. The existing system of revision of the voters' lists is abolished, and a 
saving effected in the item of revising barristers' salaries in England of £25,000 a 
year. The work of preparing the register is transferred to the county and boroughcouncils. There will be only one register for all elections, local as well as parliamentary. 


Part 11.-Elections. 

Candidates. 

17. Save as in this Act expressly provided, all elections shall take 
place at the time and in the manner now provided by parliament. 
18. 1. Save as hereinafter provided, any person not disqualified' 
under section three, sub-section two, of this Act, for being an elector 
may be a candidate at any election. 
2. Provided that no person who has, within two years of 
any registration day, been convicted, either on indictment or summarily, 
of any crime and sentenced to imprisonment with hard 
labor without the option of a fine, or to any greater punishment,. 
and has not receiYed a free pardon, or has, within or during the 
time aforesaid been adjudged bankrupt, or made a composition or 
arrangement with his creditor~, and not received his discharge, shall 
be qualified to be a candidate at any election. 
19. No peer of parliament shall, so long as he is a duly elected 
member of the House of Commons, be entitled to sit or vote in the 
House of Lords. 

9 

Returning O!Jiars. 

20. For the purposes of this Act the local registration officer shall 
be the returning officer for all elections held within his constituency, 
and the salary of every local registration officer shall be deemed to 
include his expenses as returning officer, and all fees and charges of 
returning officers shall be abolished. 
O!Jicial Poll Card. 

21. The returning officer in every constituency shall, three days. 
before the day of any election, forward by post to every elector an 
official poll card, showing the names of the candidates, the number 
of the elector on the register, and the place at which he is entitled 
to poll. Such poll cards shall be transmitted through the Post Office 
and delivered free of charge. 
22. The returning officer in every constituency shall, within 
three days of the date of nomination, cause to be printed and postedin convenient places throughout the constituency an official placard 
showing the names of all the candidates, the date of the poll, and 
the polling places assigned to each district. 
Free Electzim Addresses. 

23. Every candidate may at his nomination deliver to the 
returning officer a copy of his election address, which shall not 
exceed five thousand words in length. The returning officer shall 
haye all such election addresses printed, and shall deliver to the Post 
Office a packet directed to each registered elector in the constituency 
containing copies of all such addresses. The Post Office shall transmit 
and deliver such packets free of charge. 
Free Postage of Electzim Lz'terature. 

24i. Every candidate may once between his nomination and the 
day of election deliver to the returning officer a packet of literature 
for each elector, folded and addressed in accordance with the 
regulations of the Post Office relating to inland letters and not exceeding 
four ounces in weight. The returning officer shall deliver 
such packets to the Post Office and the Post Office shall deliver them 
to the addressees free of charge. 

In the States of Oregon and Montana, where the Initiative and Referendum are 
used for State legislation, the voters are "instructed by means of literature furnished 
by those initiating or opposing a measure and distributed by the Secretary of State" 
(Political Scimce Quarterly, December, rgo8). 

Free Use of Schoolroom. 

25. I. A candidate at any election may use, free of charge, for 
the purpose of public meetings during the period of an election, anysuitable room in any school receiving a grant out of moneys provided 
by parliament, and any suitable room in any building, the 
expense of maintaining which is wholly or partially payable out of 

IO 

any local rate ; provided that three days' notice of the proposedpublic meeting be given to the authority responsible for such school 
or building. 

2. The use of the school or building shall be granted in the 
order of the receipt of the application by or on behalf of the candidates, 
provided that no candidate shall have the use of the same 
hall or room on a second occasion should any other candidate desire 
the use of it for the first time. 
Hours ifPoll£ng. 

26. At every election the poll (if any) shall commence at eighto'clock in the forenoon and be kept open till ten o'clock in the afternoon 
of the same day. 
27. The Local Government Board shall provide an adequatenumber of ballot boxes for each constituency, materials for voters 
to mark the ballot papers, and all forms, other than ballot papers, 
required for use at an election, and shall supply them, free of charge,
within ten days of the receipt of the requisition of the returningofficer for the constituency in which they are to be used. 
28. The returning officer shall furnish all ballot papers and all 
forms of nomination of candidates at a parliamentary election, and 
shall provide each polling station with copies of the register of voters, 
or such parts thereof as contain the names of the voters allotted to 
vote at such station, for use by the presiding officer and the persona·
tion agents of each candidate. 
Max£mum Expenses. 

29. One half of the maximum expenses mentioned in Parts I., 
II., and III. of the First Schedule of the Corrupt and Illegal Practices 
Prevention Act, 1883, shall be substituted for the maximum 
amounts contained in Part IV. of the First Schedule of that Act. 
S£multaneous Elect£ons. 

30. All writs issued by the Clerk to the Crown to the returningofficers of constituencies at a general election of members to parliament 
shall bear the same date and shall on that date be issued. 
The returning officer of every parliamentary constituency shall 
appoint the day for the nomination of candidates to be not later 
than the fourth day after the day on which he receives the writ, and 
the day for taking the poll to be the third Saturday after the date 
on which the writ is issued. 

The cost of a general election, even under the restricted scale of the Corrupt and 
Illegal Practices Prevention Act (r883), is still such a tax on the candidates as tore-
establish for some purposes the property qualification supposed to have been abolished 
in rsss. 

In boroughs the maximum expenditure allowed for one candidate is £350, where 
the ~umber of electors does not exceed two thousand, and rises by £30 for every succeedmg 
thousand or part of a thousand electors. In counties the maximum is £650, 


II 

for two thousand electors, and £6o for each thousand or part of a thousand electors 
above that number. This scale does not include the returning officer's expenses, 
which, though limited by the Parliamentary Elections (Returning Officers) Act 
(r875), amounted to £25,000 in January, 1910. The total expenditure, according 
to the candidates' returns at the general election of 1906 was £ r,r66,858, and 
in that of January, I9IO, £1,296,382, including returning officer's expenses.
The returning officer's expenses would be largely reduced by this part of the Act so 
far as his old duties are concerned, and the extra expense involved by his new duties 
would be minimized by having the printing, etc., done on a large scale. By clause 29 
these maximum expenses are halved. The schedule of charges at present allowed 
would be considerably modified, and the amount of personal expenditure by the 
candidate reduced. 

By these provisions everything practicable has been done to place the poorest 
candidate on an equality with the richest. 

In no European country but the United Kingdom is the expense of printingballot papers, provision of ballot boxes, voting compartments, forms of nomination and 
return, travelling of presiding officers, and conveyance of boxes, etc., to the place of 
counting votes and declaration of the poll, placed upon the candidates. In this 
country the above expenses, known as "the returning officer's expenses," are at 
present (r9r r) divided equally between the various candidates. 

In France, Austria, Hungary, and Italy the payment is made entirely out of the 
State Exchequer. In the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and Japan the burden 
is thrown on the local rates. In Belgium and Greece the expense is divided, the 
ballot boxes, desks, and permanent fixtures being provided by the State in the first instance, 
and stored, renewed, and repaired by the localities to which they are allotted 
for use. All other election expenses are paid out of the local funds. In Germany the 
polling expenses are defrayed locally. 

In Norway election to the Storthing is absolutely free of expense. 

Under the Act Regulating the Procedure at Parliamentary and Municipal Elections 
(35 & 36 Viet. c. 33), the returning officer may use, free of charge, for the purpose 
of taking the poll at a parliamentary election, any room in a school receiving a 
grant out of moneys provided by parliament, and any room the expense of maintaining 
which is payable out of any local rate. Any such room in a rural district can be 
used for parish meetings, public enquiries, meetings relating to allotments under the 
Small Holdings and Allotments Act, 1908, and for meetings" for the purpose of the 
candidature of any person for the (rural) district council or the parish council." Local 
Government Act, 1894, section 4· 

Alternative Parliamentary Vote. 

31. Whenever more than two candidates are nominated for one 
parliamentary constituency, the following provisions shall take 
effect. 
I. Every elector shall have an ordinary vote (herein called a 
first vote) and an alternative vote (herein called a second vote). 
2 . The ballot papers shall be printed in such a way as to 
allow two defined spaces for voting opposite the name of each candidate. 
3· Every voter shall exercise his first vote by marking his 
ballot paper in the usual manner in the space marked first vote, and 
shall exercise his second vote by marking the same ballot paper in 
the usual manner in the space marked second vote. 

32. I. Every vote given as a first or second vote shall be allowed 
or disallowed and counted in the like manner as if such a vote were 
a vote given at an election when not more than two candidates have 
been nominated. 

12 

2. The first votes shall be counted first, and if any candidate 
receive more than one half of the first votes recorded he shall be 
declared to be duly elected. 
3· If no candidate receive more than one half of the total 
number of first votes recorded, the second votes recorded on those 
ballot papers on which the first vote has not been cast for the two 
candidates receiving the greatest number of first votes shall be 
counted, and such second votes as are thereon recorded for the two 
candidates receiving the greatest number of votes shall be added to 
the first votes recorded for such candidates, and the candidate who 
receives the greatest number of votes when such second votes are so 
added to the first votes recorded for such candidates shall be and be 
declared to be duly elected. 

4· If no candidate receive more than one half of the total 
number of first votes recorded, and one, two, or more candidates who 
receive the highest number of first votes after the candidate who 
receives the highest number of votes receive an equal number of first 
votes, the second votes recorded on those ballot papers in which one 
first vote has been recorded for any candidate receiving less votes 
than the candidates so receiving an equal number of votes shall be 
counted, and such second votes shall be added to the votes of the 
candidates so receiving an equal number of votes, and the candidate 
who receives the greatest number of votes shall be deemed to be one 
of the two candidates receiving the greatest number of votes under 
sub-section three of this section, and thereupon the counting of 
votes shall proceed and the result of the election be ascertained as in 
that sub-section provided. 

5· If no candidate receive more than one half of the total 
number of first votes recorded, and the two or more candidates who 
receive the highest number of first votes after the candidate who 
receives the highest number of votes receive an equal number of votes, 
and there are no candidates receiving less votes than such candidates 
receiving equal votes, the second votes recorded on those ballot papers 
on which the first vote has been recorded for the candidates receiving 
equal votes shall be counted and such second votes shall be added to 
the votes of the candidates so receiving an equal number of votes, 
and the candidate who receives the greatest number of votes shall be 
deemed to be one of the candidates receiving the greatest number 
of votes under sub-section three of this section, and thereupon the 
counting of votes shall proceed and the result of the election be 
ascertained as in that sub-section provided. 

Our A11tiquated System.-" The • relative majority' single-member method is in 
force, besides the United Kingdom, in the United States, Denmark (for the Lower 
House), Bulgaria and Greece. 

"The Stcond Ballot.-The Second Ballot exists in Austria-Hungary, France, 
Germany (both for the Reichstag and in most of the States), Italy, the Netherlands, 
orway, Roumania, Russia. Servia (for single-member districts), and Switzerland (for 

the Federal Council). 
"In France, Norway, Roumania, Russia, and Switzerland all the candidates at a 
first ballot may stand again at the second, where a relatively small majority suffices ; 


I~.) 

in the other countries all candidates are eliminated from the second ballot except the 
two who. received the largest number of vates.at the first. 

"In some countries a provision is added that a candidate must receive at the 
first ballot not only an absolute majority of the votes cast, but also a number of votes 
equal to a definite proportion (one quarter in France, one-sixth in Italy) of the 
registered electors. 

"The intervals between the two elections are frequently fixed by law. Thus, in 
France the second ballot takes place on the second Sunday after the first-i.e., a 
fortnight, as elections are always held on Sundays; in Italy, after an interval of not 
less than four or more than eight days." (Royal Commission, mfra, 1910, p. so.) 

THE ALTERNATIVE VOTE. 

Second ballot is the usual method for determining an election when three or more 
candidates stand for one seat, and its advantages are obvious, because it prevents the 
election of a candidate who is voted for by a minority of the actual voters. 

Our present system-also the rule in the United States and in nearly all the 
British Dominions-which only allows one ballot, forces compromise before the election, 
or splits between the various groups or parties which support the ministry or the 
opposition, with the result that the seat may go to the most solid and not to the most 
numerous section. 

The presence of an active and important third party in English politics, the 
Labor Party, makes some form of second ballot imperative.* 

The alternative vote here proposed is strongly advocated by the Royal Commission 
appointed to enquire into Electoral Systems in their Report of 1910, signed by 
Lord Richard Cavendish, the Hon. W. Pember Reeves, Sir Courtenay Ilbert, and 
others. 

It has precisely the same result as second ballot where there are two or three candidates 
for one seat, and will have nearly the same result in other cases. It has the 
great advantage of not involving the delay, expense, and trouble of a second ballot 
after an interval of a fortnight; it does not give opportunity for bargaining in the 
interval between the two ballots, a practice likely to lead to objectionable compromises 
; and it practically prevents small third or fourth parties deciding a contest on 
illegitimate grounds.

Under second ballot, if the votes were A 1,400. B 8oo, C 700, D 200, and 
assuming that B and C were closely allied parties, their joint vote should carry the 
seat. But D could give the victory to either side, and might easily do so for reasons 
which may be vaguely termed illegitimate. 

The alternative vote practically prevents this, because no one could foresee the 
result of a complicated election with sufficient certainty to justify bargaining.
The alternative vote has been in operation in Queensland since the Electoral Act 
of 1892 and in Western Australia since the Electoral Act of 1907. 

PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION. 

We do not propose this widely advertised scheme of reform of our electoral 
system for reasons admirably set forth in the report of the commission alreadyreferred to. 

If parliament had merely to discuss and consult, a method of election which gave 
every section representation in proportion to its numbers would have much to recommend 
it. But, in fact, parliament has to legislate, and through its executive, the 
cabinet, to administer our home affairs and to conduct foreign and colonial policy. 
For these purposes a method of elecion which accentuates the majority at any givt'ntime is actually preferable to a method which accurately represents it. Weak governments 
are the worst governments, because they do least work and do it badly. When 
the electorate is divided, as it often is, in the proportion (say) of nineteen votes on one 
side to twenty on the other, it is for the advantage of the nation that the parliament 
returned by those votes should be in the proportion of fourteen to twenty-five. 

*.The case against it, even under the present system, is stated by Mr. J. RamsayMacDonald in his "Socialism and Government," though, on the whole, he decides 
that a change is necessary. 


The arguments against proportional representation are that it would involve 
large constituencie;, not less than ten times the size of our present ones. The cost of 
elections would be enormously increased, and the difficulty of candidates makingthemselves and their opinions known to their constituents would be aggravated. ln 
the old London School Board elections the parties had to meet this by dividing the 
large constituencies then in u~e into districts and allotting the parts to the several 
candidates, who devoted themselves to these districts only, and invited the electors 
thereof to give them all their votes. 

The very heavy cost of these elections would increase the advantage which 
wealthy candidates and parties already have over those with less money at their 
disposa l. 

Other objections are the impossibility of devising any satisfactory method of conducting 
bye elections under a system of proportional representation, and the fact that 
the expected result, the election of two or more large parties very nearly balanced and 
a few nondescripts representing special sections or, through their outstanding personalities, 
representing, in fact, themsel ves, would give the balance of power, the decision 
as to the policy of the nation, into the hands of a group of these small, incompatible 
minorities, such as, at the present moment, Free-Trade Unionists, the Anti-Socialist 
Radicals, the Anti-Romanists, the Liberal Unionists, the Anti-Labor-Party Socialists, 
the \Vomen Suffragists, the Independent Nationalists, and the other often estimable, 
but peculiar, 1•oliticians who usually represent worn out creeds or else political parties 
not yet in being. 

Lastly, the difficulties of the imperfectly educated voter would be enormously 
increased. Instead of having to vote for one of two or, at most (except in rare cases), 
three candidates, he would be required to select ten names out of a list of twenty, at 
least, and twenty-five, thirty, forty, or even more in other cases. Chance, notoriety 
for quite irrelevant reasons, and numerous other factors would come into play.
Numbers of persons \\Ould be returned to parliament not to represent a delinite 
political policy or a particular view held by a small section, but because they bore a 
well known name, or owned a Derby winner, or had a son who played in the countycricket eleven or the borough football club. 

For these and other reasons set out in the Report of the Royal Commis;ion 

above referred to, and also cogently stated by Mr. j. Ramsay MacDonald in his 

"Socialism and Government." we think that no system of proportional representation 

yet im·ented could be adopted without gravely impairing effective democratic control. 

Proportional representation is in operation in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, 

Sen•ia, Sweden, Switzerland (in eight cantons), Tasmania, and \VUrtembe•g. 

33. 1. No con\'eyance or horse or other animal shall be let, lent, 
or employed by any person for the purpose of con\'eying any other 
person, except a bona fide member of his own household, to or from 
the poll, except as provided in section 14 (3) of the Corrupt and 
Illegal Practices Pre,·ention Act, 1883. 
2. Any person who shall so let, lend, or employ .1 conyeyance 
or horse or other animal contrary to the provisions of this 
section shall, on summary c01wiction, be liable to a fine not exceding 
£100. 
The section above named pe• mils an elector or several electors at their joint cost 
to hire a public stage or hackney carriage for the purpooe of being com·eyed to or 
from the poll. 

Part 111.-Parliament. 

3~. J. Each of the parliamentary boroughs returning lii'O members 
to parliament shall for the purpose ot returning members to 
erYe for such borough in parliament be divided into divisions. 


Ij 

2. The number, names, contents, and boundaries of such 
divisions respectively shall be those specified by the Local Government 
Board. 
35. No university or group of universi ties shall return a member 
or members to serve for such university or group of universities in 
parliament. 
36. I. Every member duly elected to parliament, who has duly 
taken the oath required to be taken by members of parliament, or 
who has duly made affirmation in lieu thereof in the manner required 
by law, shall from the time of taking such oath or making such 
affirmation, so long as he remains a member of any parliament, be 
entitled to a salary of three hundred pounds per annum, which 
salary shall be paid out of moneys provided by parliament. 
2. Every such member shall likewise be entitled to an allowance, 
to be paid out of moneys provided by parliament, for travel-
ling expenses at the following rate, namely, when in the opinion of 
the Speaker : 
a. 
The furthest boundary of the constituency is over 500 
miles from the Palace of Westminster: ;{100 per 
annum. 
b. 
The furthest boundary of the constituency is over 250 
miles, but not over soo miles, from the Palace of Vvestminster: 
£75 per annum. 
c. 
The furthest boundary of the constituency is 2 50 miles 
or under from the Palace of Westminster: £so per 
annum. 
37. Five years shall be substituted for seven years as the time 
fixed for the maximum duration of parliament under the Septennial 
Act, 1715. 
Prior to the Revolution of 1688, with the exception of a few years during the 
Commonwealth, the duration of parliaments was entirely within the control of the 
Sovereign. Une of the parliaments of Charles II. sat eighteen years. The Triennial 
Act was passed in 1694. Its preamble declares " that frequent and new parliamentstend very much to the happy union and good agreement of King and people." The 
Septennial Act, one of the earliest measures of the first parliament of George 1., was 
nominally based on a desire to relieve the country of the "grievous and burdensome" 
expense of elections, and also from ''the violent and lasting heats and animosities 
among the subjects of the realm," but was really aimed at the "restless and Popishfaction," which was "designing and endeavoring to renew the Rebellion within this 
Kingdom and an invasion from abroad." The dangers of 1714 have passed away, 
and the Septennial Act should therefore have been repealed more than a century and 
a half ago, but all attempts at repeal have been unsuccessful. Parliaments rarely 
last longer than five years, and the average length is considerably less. A legislative 
assembly of the Union of South Africa may sit for five years; the House of Representatives 
of the Australio.n Commonwealth for three years, and these are among the 
newest parliaments created. The German Reichstag is elected for five years. 

The proposal to pay members of parliament is not an untried and new-fangled

innovation, but a reversion to old constitutional custom, both in England and Scot


land. 
"The custom began," says Dr. Henry, in his work ''Greater Britain," ''with 


the commencement of representation from a principle of common equity." In Scotland 
the payment was made in accord~nce with the terms of a statute. dated. 1427, 
which has been' preserved, and is supposed to have been copied from an English 
statute that has been lost. Professor Thorold Rogers says that in the reign of 
Edward I. "the member of parliament had daily wages; the knights or county members 
receiving more-the amount is not invariable-than the burgesses. When the 
parliament was prorogued or dismissed, the writs for payment were made out, and the 
time during which the house sat exactly calculated." A judgment of Lord Chancellor 
Nottingham after the dissolution of parliament in 1681 proves that the payment was 
not merely a voluntary contribution by the constituencies. Thomas King, M.P. for 
Harwich, presented a petition stating "that he had served as burge~se in parliamentfor the said borrough severall yeares, and did give his constant attendance therein; 
but that the said borrough had not paid him his wages, though often requested so to 
do." Notice being given to the Corporation of Harwich and the facts being verified, 
a writ was ordered to be issued, de expensis burgensium levandis. This was probablythe last order so made. "I know no reason," said Lord Campbell, commenting on 
this judgment, "in point of law why any member may not insist on payment of his 
wages. For this point in the People's Charter-payment of wages-no ne\'1' law is 
required." An Act of 1541 made the payment of wages depend upon attendance in 
the house throughout the whole session. Payment of members is required to enable 
constituencies to choose freely their representatives, to give the public complete control 
over them, and to compel them to perform their duties with diligence and efficiency.
The poor candidate would thus be put upon an equality with the richest. An equitable 
and convenient adjustment of burdens is made by the payment of members out of 
the state, and the election expenses out of the local, exchequers. Payment of members 
is the law in almost every country where representative government prevails.

A table of existing laws on the subject will be found opposite. 

The declaration of Mr. Asquith, in November, 1910, as Prime Minister and 
Leader of the Liberal Party, to the effect that payment of members and payment of 
election expenses would be established in 19II, if he was again returned to power,
makes clause 36 the first likely to be adopted at Westminster. 

Clause 37 is the last clause of the Parliament Bill, 1910. 

LIST OF BOOKS. 

KING, J.-Electoral Reform: an Enquiry into our System of Parliamentary Representation. 
1908. Unwin. 2s. 6d. net. 
MACDONALD, ]. R.-Socialism and Government. 1909. I.L.P., 23 Bride Lane, E.C. 
2s. and 3s. net. 
Report of Royal Commission on Electoral Systems. Cd. 5163, 1910. 6~d. 

Reports from His Majesty's Representatives in Foreign Countries and in British 
Colonies respecting the Application of the Principle of Proportional Representation 
to Public Elections. Cd. 350I. 1907. Is. 3d. 


17 

Table of Existing Laws as to Payment of Membe,.s 
of Legislatu,.es. 


PAYMENT TO MEMBERS OF

CouNTRY. 

OTHER ALLOWANCES.

LEGISLATURE. 

AUSTRIA ... r6s. Sd. per day while the House is in Travelling expenses paidsession. 
BELGIUM ... 

Deputies receive 4,000 francs (£r6o) 

Free travelling on State 
per year. 

railways.

Free travelling on private 
railways between 
residence aud capital. 

BAVARIA ... 

Members of Upper House are unpaid. 

Free railway travellingDeputies receive res. per day during 

during session and 
session. 

eight days before and 
after. 

BULGARIA 

Members of National Assembly living 
in capital receive I2s. per day duringsession ; members resident out of 
capital receive r6s. per day, which 
includes travelling expenses. 

Members receive rrs. rd. per day dur-

DENMARK 

Free railway travellinging the first six months of the session 

(second class). 
and 6s. Sd. per day for every additional 
day. 

Senators and deputies receive £6oo per

FRANCE ... 

An annual payment of 
year. 

£2 entitles members 
of both Chambers to 
tra\'el free on all railways. 


Members of the Reichstag receive £1 so

GERMANY Free railway travelling 
per year. A sum of £r is deducted 

during session. 
for each day's absence. 

Deputies are paid £72 for each ordi-

Free railway and steam-
nary session. For an extraordinary 

GREECE ... 
ship travelling duringsession only travelling expenses are 

se,sion. 
allowed, but reimbursements for ex 
tra expenses, \'arying from £6o to 
£So, are general! y voted. 

Members of the Lower House receive 
£zoo per year, with £66 I 3s. for 
house rent. 

HUNGARY 

~!embers are not paid. 

Free railway travelling 
and postage. 

ITALY 

Members of the First Chamber notre· 

Free rai lway travelling.
siding at the Hague are paid 16s. Sd. 
per day whi le in session. 

Members of the econd Chamber receive 
£166 per year. 

NETHERLANDS 


18 


PAYMENT TO MEMBERS OF 

OTHER ALLOWANCES.

COUNTRY. 

LEGISLATURE. 

Travelling expenses as 
I 3s. 4d. per day during session. 

All members of the Storthing receive

NoRWAY ... 

follows: 
2~d. per kilometre for 
pony or cariole. 
sd. per kilometre for 
rowboats. 
r£d. per kilometre for 
train. 
sd. per sea mile for 
steamers. 
Free medical attendance 
during session. 
Funeral expenses paid if 
member dies during 

session. 


Colonial deputies receive £20 per month 
while the Cortes is sitting and £ro 
per month at other times. 

Ordinary deputies have been unpaidsince 1892. 

PORTUGAL 

Members receive Iss. per day during

PRUSSIA 

se~sion. 

Deputies receive r6s. 8d. per day of ac· 

Free railw3y travelling. 
tual attendance during session. 

ROUMANIA 

Elective members of the Council of the 


Free railway travellingEmpire receive during the session 

RuSSIA 

to and from St. Peters£
z 13s. per day. 

burg. Members 
of the Duma receive £r 13s. 
per day during the session. 

Members of both Houses resident in 
capital receive 6s. per day duringthe session. 

Other members receive I2s. per dayand travelling allowance. 

SAXONY ..• 

Deputies receive 12s. per day during 

Travelling allowance. 
session. 

SERVIA 

Neither senators nor deputies are paid.

SPAIN 

Members of both Chambers receive Travelling expenses paid 
£66 for each session of four months 
and 1 Is. per day for an extra se,sion. 

Travelling expenses paid 

SWEDEN 

Members of the National Council and

SWITZERLAND.. at rate of 20 centimes 
Council of States receive r6s. 8d. per 

per kilometre (2~d.
day during session. 

per mile) ...-. 

UNITED STATES All members of Congress receive $7,500 T ravelling allowance of 
(£r.sco) per year. 

20 cents (red.) per

mile. 


19 

COUNTRY. 

UNITED STATES 

( coutimted) 

WURTDIIJERG 

CAXADA . .. 

. -\USTilALIAN 

Co~IMONWLTH 

VICTO!UA ... 

QUEENSLAND 
NEw SO UTH 


WALES 
SOUTH 
TRALI.-\ 
Aus-
WESTERN 
TRALIA 
Aus-
TASMANIA 

NEw ZEALAND 

PAYMENT TO MEMBERS OF 
LEGI SLATURE. 

Members of both Chambers receive rss. 
per day. 

Men:bers of Senate and House of Commons 
receive £500 each ses£ion of 
more than 30 days. If ses;ion lasts 
IP.ss than thirty days,£+ per day is 
paid. 

The leader of the opposition receives 
£1,400 per year extra. 

Members receive £6oo per ye3r. 

Members of Legislative Council (Upper ' 
House) are unpaid. Members of Legislative 
Assembly (Lower House) receive 
£300 per year. 

Ditto Ditto 

Ditto Ditto 

Members of each House receive £200 
per year. 

Ditto Ditto 

Members of each Hou2e recei\'e £roo 
per year. 

Members of Legislative Council (Upper 
House) rec"ive £zoo per year. Members 
of House of Representatives 
(Lower House) receive £300 per 
year. 

OTHER ALLOWANCES. 

Senators allowed $2,000 
(£400) per year for 
clerical assistance ; 
congressmen allowed 
$r.sco (£3co) per 

year. 

Ali members allowed 
$rzs (£zs) per yearfor stationery. 

Free postage. 

Private room (furnished, 
lighted, and heated 
free) provided in Congressiona 
I official building 
for each member. 

Free seed samples from 
Agricultural Depart· 
ment for farmer constituents, 
etc. 

Free railway travelling. 

Travelling expenses paid 

Free tra\'elling on Government 
railways. 

Ditto Ditto 
Ditto 
Ditto 
Ditto 
Ditto 
Ditto 
DittO 
Ditto 
Ditto 
Ditto 
Ditto 
Ditto 
Ditto 


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FABIAN ESSAYS IN SOCIALISM. New Preface by BBBNABD SHAW, 
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