Mr. Meldon moved a resolution on Tuesday declaring that the
assimilation of the English, Scotch, and Irish borough franchise was a matter deserving the immediate attention of Parliament, and thereby raised a debate in which it was contended, from the Conservative point of view, that Ireland was not fit for house- hold suffrage in the boroughs, and that such a suffrage would greatly increase the difficult ies of the Imperial Government
of Ireland ; while on the Liberal side of the House it wart maintained that Ireland had some cause for demanding Home- rule, so long as she was treated exceptionally and unlike England and Scotland, in matters affecting her Imperial representation. The proposal of household franchise for Irish boroughs was indeed resisted most warmly by Conservative borough Members, Mr. Lewis (Londonderry) asserting with some vehemence that if the Liberal scheme for equalising the suffrage as between Irish and English constituencies were consistently carried out, " the result would be that the Protestant constituencies would be swept out of existence as regards representation,"—unless it were in Belfast and Lisburn,—and " one-fifth of the population of Ireland, representing more than one-fifth of the wealth, influence, respectability, solidity, and loyalty of Ireland," would cease to be represented. Nevertheless, the resolution was negatived by only a majority of 8 (134 against 126), Mr. Bright and Sir William Harcourt both speaking strongly for the motion. It was held hardly worth while to sacrifice a principle, even to secure the House against the loss of the Member for Londonderry.
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