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HOME RULE BILL 213 



The following is from Mr. Hare, who inde- 

 pendently invented the " Single Transferable 

 Vote " System, which Sir John thought the best 

 of various plans by which Proportional Repre- 

 sentation could be effected : 



Charity Commission, Whitehall, 

 October 23rd, 1885. 



Dear Sir John Lubbock — I fear I cannot assist your 

 friend, Mr. Brown, in solving the various problems 

 which he suggests on the subject of Proportional Repre- 

 sentation. At my advanced years, and with official 

 duties daily to perform, I have really given up the 

 consideration of details in the method, — leaving the 

 question to younger and clearer heads. If I were 

 replying to Mr. Brown, I should be able to do little more 

 than refer him to the rates of distribution of votes set 

 out in the 4th Edition of my Treatise — the 18th, 19th, 

 and 25th clauses of my draft Bill contained on pp. 31, 

 161, and 188 of this (4th Edition) of my Treatise on The 

 Election of Representatives (Longmans, 1873). 



My cardinal principle has always been to secure for 

 the electors the most complete expression of their 

 opinions in their choice of candidates. The view of most 

 of my political critics has been less in favour of the 

 electors than of the candidates — how will they succeed, 

 or how they may fail ? 



Not long ago, a member of Parliament (I think it was 

 Mr. A. Arnold) asked me this question : Suppose the 

 Birmingham voters put Mr. Bright' s name first, and 

 Mr. Chamberlain second, and the votes are given only 

 to Mr. Bright, — would not your plan exclude Mr. 



Chamberlain ? I said, " Of course, but " He 



would hear no more, — that was enough to show the 

 injustice and absurdity of my system. I should have 

 answered that if there were enough voters to make up 

 two quotients in their favour, all those taken from Bright 

 would be given to Chamberlain, and secure his return — 

 if there were not enough, they could return but one ! 

 There must be accidents and chances in all the business 

 of life. — He that begins a business first, has a better 

 chance of success — as they who get to the door of a 

 meeting-room or theatre, where a crowd are seeking 



