Sir Henry James also pointed out the probability that the
extension of household franchise to the counties might in- volve the abandonment of the 40s. freehold qualification. It would not be easy to accept a residential household franchise as the basis of the borough and county franchise, and yet allow a non-residential freeholder to vote for the county, though we give no similar privilege to the holder of property in boroughs. If the 40s. freehold county qualifi- cation is retained, something of the same sort must be discovered to balance it in the boroughs. Farther, Sir Henry James dropped a rather ominous hint to the Universities. If we deny the non-residential freeholder a vote, he says, how are we consistently to give a University man a second vote in a place where he does not reside, in addi- tion to his residential vote in the place where he does reside P "If that question be asked, I trust some one will be found to give a satisfactory answer, but at present I cannot suggest one," —with which uncomfortable sentence Sir Henry James passed from the subject of University electorates, without having elicited any demonstration of grief or dismay from his Bridg- water audience.
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