of Irish, from 100 to 105; that of English and Welsh was
reduced from 513 to 499. There was no general reapportionment of seats,
no effort to bring the parliamentary constituencies into precise and
uniform relation to the census returns. But the most glaringly
inequitable of former conditions were remedied. Fifty-six (p. 082)
boroughs, of populations under 2,000, were deprived entirely of
representation,[115] thirty-one, of populations between 2,000 and
4,000, were reduced from two members to one, and one was reduced from
four members to two. The 143 seats thus made available were
redistributed, and the aggregate number (658) continued as before.
Twenty-two large boroughs hitherto unrepresented were given two
members each; twenty-one others were given one additional member each;
and a total of sixty-five seats were allotted to twenty-seven of the
English counties, the remaining thirteen being given to Scotland and
Ireland. The redistribution had the effect of increasing markedly the
political power of the northern and north-central portions of the
country. The alterations introduced in the franchise were numerous and
important. In the counties the forty-shilling freehold franchise, with
some limitations, was retained; but the voting privilege was extended
to all leaseholders and copyholders of land renting for as much as L10
a year, and to tenants-at-will holding an estate worth L50 a year. In
the boroughs the right to vote was conferred upon all "occupiers" of
houses worth L10 a year. The total number of persons enfranchised was
approximately 455,000. By basing the franchise exclusively upon the
ownership or occupancy of property of considerable value the reform
fell short of admitting to political power the great mass of factory
employees and of agricultural laborers, and for this reason it was
roundly opposed by the more advanced liberal elements. If, however,
the voting privilege had not been extended to the masses it had been
brought appreciably nearer them; and--what was almost equally
important--it had been made substantially uniform, for the first time,
throughout the realm.[116]

[Footnote 115: Of the fifty-six all save one had
returned two members.]

[Footnote 116: The more important parts of the text
of the Reform Bill of 1832 are printed in
Robertson, Statutes, Cases and Documents, 197-212.]

*87. The