The
member would represent persons, not the mere bricks and mortar of
the town- the voters themselves, not a few vestrymen or parish
notabilities merely. All however, that is worth preserving in the
representation of places would be preserved. Though the Parliament
of the nation ought to have as little as possible to do with purely
local affairs, yet, while it has to do with them, there ought to be
members specially commissioned to look after the interests of every
important locality: and these there would still be. In every
locality which could make up the quota within itself, the majority
would generally prefer to be represented by one of themselves; by a
person of local knowledge, and residing in the locality, if there is
any such person to be found among the candidates, who is otherwise
well qualified to be their representative. It would be the
minorities chiefly, who being unable to return the local member, would
look out elsewhere for a candidate likely to obtain other votes in
addition to their own.
Of all modes in which a national representation can possibly be
constituted, this one affords the best, security for the
intellectual qualifications desirable in the representatives. At
present, by universal admission, it is becoming more and more
difficult for any one who has only talents and character to gain
admission into the House of Commons.
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