months. After a discussion, which lasted three nights, the
amendment was rejected by 367 votes to 231, and the original
motion was carried. The following Speech was made on the second
night of the debate.

Nobody, Sir, who has watched the course of the debate can have
failed to observe that the gentlemen who oppose this bill have
chiefly relied on a preliminary objection, which it is necessary
to clear away before we proceed to examine whether the proposed
changes in our representative system would or would not be
improvements. The elective franchise, we are told, is private
property. It belongs to this freeman, to that potwalloper, to
the owner of this house, to the owner of that old wall; and you
have no more right to take it away without compensation than to
confiscate the dividends of a fundholder or the rents of a
landholder.

Now, Sir, I admit that, if this objection be well founded, it is
decisive against the plan of Reform which has been submitted to
us. If the franchise be really private property, we have no more
right to take members away from Gatton because Gatton is small,
and to give them to Manchester because Manchester is large, than
Cyrus, in the old story, had to take away the big coat from the
little boy and to put it on the big boy. In no case, and under
no pretext however specious, would I take away from any member of
the community anything which is of the nature of property,
without giving him full compensation. But I deny that the
elective franchise is of the nature of property; and I believe
that, on this point, I have with me all reason, all precedent,
and all authority. This at least is certain, that, if