Excerpt from The Twentieth Century Reform Bill

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, and procedure at elections, etc.; of which more than one hundred and twenty have been enacted Since the passing of the Reform Act of I832 - 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 no attempt has been made to codify any section of electoral law. One Act of Parlia ment 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.

It is often said that the points of the People's Charter have been embodied in English law; but, as a matter of fact, the ballot alone has been adopted in its entirety. The suffrage has been considerably lowered, and some approach was made, twenty-five years ago, to the establishment Of equal electoral districts, but the pay ment 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 only be rendered effective by the payment of election expenses.

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