1S15.] Mr. Lofft on Reform.— Mr. 



eumstances, may appear beneficialltf 

 practicable ; wiictlier this bo annual, bien- 

 nial, or by vacatiiiij the seats oi" one-third 

 annualJy, by roUUion. It appears to mc 

 that men who are to be formed to siicli 

 fuiictioiis as those of representing Great 

 Sritain and Ireland in parliiiinont, are 

 likely to be better cjualified for tlieii" 

 duty by having an iinJistsjrbed conti- 

 nuance in the exercise of it for a mode- 

 rate period ; that the retm-n of the dele- 

 gated power to the appointment of the 

 people wonld be adequately secured, and 

 the dan^^er of ministerial influence suffi- 

 ciently obviated, by giving" the constant 

 ©ppoituuity of changing, should tiieir 

 constituents so please, so large a portion 

 as one-third annuallj', and two-thirds of 

 the whole by the end of two years. 



The nation thus would have always 

 before her eye Xhafull and free exercise 

 ©f the elective suffrage annua'hf, over 

 one-third of the island. And tlie vigi- 

 lant exercise of this most important 

 power would, probably, be eveii <juick- 

 eued, and rendered more effectual, by 

 the rotation proposed, than if't were an- 

 imally exercis \^- tiiroughout the island. 

 At the same ume, I think a delegated 

 representation for three years simply, 

 without aruuial re-election of ani/ part, 

 (except merely on occasional vacancies) 

 a longer delegation than appears neces- 

 sary, expedient, or altogether safe for 

 constitutional freedom. 



Tlie reasons for taking the poll in dif- 

 ferent places at once, for each eleclive 

 district, and throughout the whole dis- 

 trict of rotation, on the same day, are 

 obvious. It would be the most effec- 

 tual preventive of drnnhemiess, riot, in- 

 dolence, corruption, and save the bringing 

 ef non-resident voters from a distance. 

 Each district might be named from the 

 provincial town within it. 



I think, with a radical reform, the ex- 

 clusion of miuislers of state I'rom seat 

 and vote in the house, if tiieir constitu- 

 ents should choose to re-eleit them, 

 1^'ould be, instead of a necessary seve- 

 rity, a very material evil. Their opi- 

 nion and advice is unquestionably ne- 

 cessary ; and their number bears so small 

 a pro|)orlion to the whole representa- 

 tion, that it is not that, or their direct 

 vote, but their indirect injluencc, which is 

 the great evil. The right of election 

 should not be unnecessarily restricted. 

 I'or the same reason, and because in 

 practice; it is evasive and illusory, I dis- 

 ap|)rovc of the pecuniary cpialifications 

 reijuired for cities and boroughs. 



I object to the election of ntin repre- 

 KutatiNtr, instead of two, lij each tlis- 



Bckewell on Lunatie Asylums. 9^ 

 trict; thinking compromise not to be 

 feared if reform were radical, and ap- 

 prehensive of the reduction of one-half of 

 the voters, which must follow in each 

 elective district, by doubling the dumber 

 of such districts. 



I am for no strict exclusion or limita- 

 tion of the right either of electing or be- ; 

 ing elected to parliament, which is not 

 clearly necessary. 



Some have been for excluding officers 

 of the army or navy, and barristers ; ex- 

 cept that they would allow the greater 

 inns of court, as a legal university, to 

 choose two members: I am not for the 

 exclusion even of the clergy from the 

 possibility of being elected, any more 

 than from seats in the House of Lords. 



How far, if offieeis of the army or 

 navy have been absent an entire year 

 from the house, it should open an oppor- 

 tunity for a new election, is a particular 

 question of detail; not so general or ur- 

 gent as to require being included iu the 

 great outline of reform. 



With all my respect for Mr. Wyvcll 

 and for tiie late Mr. Batlley, I do not 

 think tiieir plans would go so far as suf- 

 fieieutly mni pernutnently lo identity the 

 House of Commons with its constituents, 

 the Cotmnons of the realm. At thff 

 same time, even these approximations 

 Would be greatly preferable to the pre- 

 sent unequal, defective, and eorru])t 

 representation. Among the simple plans 

 stated, it would surely not be difficult 

 for the people in counties, cities, and 

 great towns, to inake such a choice, by a 

 constitutional expression of their sen- 

 timents in public meetings, as should, 

 at all events, greatly improve the se- 

 curity of their freedom. 



Capel Lofft. 



To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine, 



SIR, 



PUELIC attention having been so 

 nnicii and so laudably attracted 

 by the many discussions that have Inte- 

 ly taken place on the treatment of those 

 affile ted with mental diseases, 1 am 

 not under the necessity of offering any 

 a|)ology for again wishing lo oceui)y a 

 small space in 30ur widely circulated 

 miscellany, with thoughts that arise out 

 of Mr. Tuke's communication inserted 

 in your last number. 



I hope it was never und('rstood that I 

 meant to dejireciate the merits of the 

 institution called tho Retreat ; on the 

 contrary, I think it most excellent, as 

 far as the system of it will admit; and, 

 finding (what 1 had not thought was the 

 cask before) thai it is iuteudud nulely for 



tiui 



