Mr. John Stuart Mill and the Ballot: A Criticism of His Opinions As Expressed In Thoughts On Parliamentary Reform

Mr. John Stuart Mill and the Ballot: A Criticism of His Opinions As Expressed In Thoughts On Parliamentary Reform
Author: A Westminster Elector
Publisher: Library of Alexandria
Total Pages: 76
Release: 2020-09-28
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1465585664

Mr. Mill, in his "Thoughts on Parliamentary Reform," denies the necessity of the ballot, and condemns it as likely to produce serious moral and social evils. He says: "I hope to show sufficient reasons why this should be included, not among the things which ought, but among those which ought not, to form part of a measure for reforming the representation. It appears to me that secret suffrage—a very right and justifiable demand when originally made—would at present, and still more in time to come, produce far greater evil than good." The conversion of so eminent a radical as Mr. Mill from the advocacy of secret voting deserves the more careful consideration of all sincere reformers, inasmuch as his condemnation of the ballot has been vaunted by all its opponents, especially by those who dissent entirely from his general opinions. It is therefore intended in these pages to examine his reasons for this change, in order to ascertain whether they are sufficient to render a demand which thirty years since was "right and justifiable," the contrary at the present time. Circumstances may have changed entirely; if so, it is folly to persevere in a needless and profitless agitation. If, however, the same evils still predominate in our electoral system which thirty years since made the demand for the ballot "right and justifiable," the agitation in its behalf must be pursued with renewed vigour.

Mr. John Stuart Mill and the Ballot

Mr. John Stuart Mill and the Ballot
Author: UNKNOWN. AUTHOR
Publisher: Forgotten Books
Total Pages: 32
Release: 2016-11-30
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9781332717675

Excerpt from Mr. John Stuart Mill and the Ballot: A Criticism of His Opinions as Expressed in "Thoughts on Parliamentary Reform" Would that it were true that at every election the votes are more and more the voters' own 1 Were this the case there could be no possible objection to the use of voting papers. If men are really independent - if a good tenant can now feel that he is as valuable to his landlord as his landlord is to him - if a prosperous tradesman can afford to feel independent of any parti onlar customer, and give a perfectly independent vote, he could do so under the proposed system of voting papers. The absence of this feeling of independence is at once the most conclusive argument against their introduction, and in favour of secret voting. The unassailable argument against the ballot because of the limitation of the constituencies is more specious than sound. If it be the right of the voter under an extended suffrage to act on his own judg ment, influenced solely by the opinions of others in so far as he arrives at the same conclusions, it is so now. Coercion, whether exercised by the few or the many, is equally objectionable: argument will exercise its due weight whether the system of voting be open or secret. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Thoughts on Parliamentary Reform

Thoughts on Parliamentary Reform
Author: John Stuart Mill
Publisher:
Total Pages: 72
Release: 1859
Genre: Representative government and representation
ISBN:

An argument advocating universal suffrage with plurality of voting based on education; proposing representation in government of minorities; and condemning the secret ballot.

Thoughts on Parliamentary Reform

Thoughts on Parliamentary Reform
Author: John Stuart Mill
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Total Pages: 48
Release: 2016-04-18
Genre:
ISBN: 9781532800719

NEARLY the whole of this pamphlet, including the argument on the Ballot, was written five years ago, in anticipation of the Reform Bill of Lord Aberdeen's Government. The causes which at that period kept back the question itself, prevented the publication of these remarks upon it. Subsequent reflection has only strengthened the opinions then expressed. They are now published, because it is at the present time, if ever, that their publication can have any chance of being useful.

The Political Theory of John Stuart Mill: 7 Book Collection

The Political Theory of John Stuart Mill: 7 Book Collection
Author: John Stuart Mill
Publisher: e-artnow
Total Pages: 470
Release: 2017-08-26
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 8026879252

This collection of selected work presents John Stuart Mill as a political theorist. In this seven-book edition you can find out Mill's thoughts on representative government, parliamentary reform and capital punishment. This collection also contains books where Mill discussed some of the current topics of his time such as the relations between England and Ireland, American Civil War and improvements in the administration of India. Contents: Considerations on Representative Government To What Extent Forms of Government Are a Matter of Choice The Criterion of a Good Form of Government That the Ideally Best Form of Government Is Representative Government Under What Social Conditions Representative Government Is Inapplicable Of the Proper Functions of Representative Bodies Of the Infirmities and Dangers to Which Representative Government Is Liable Of True and False Democracy; Representation of All, and Representation of the Majority Only Of the Extension of the Suffrage Should There Be Two Stages of Election? Of the Mode of Voting Of the Duration of Parliaments Ought Pledges to Be Required From Members of Parliament? Of a Second Chamber Of the Executive in a Representative Government Of Local Representative Bodies Of Nationality, as Connected With Representative Government Of Federal Representative Governments Of the Government of Dependencies by a Free State England and Ireland Memorandum of the Improvements in the Administration of India During the Last Thirty Years Revenue Administration, & Rights of the Rural Population Judicature and Legislation Improvement of the Country by Public Works Education Miscellaneous Improvements Bengal Survey Survey and Assessment of the North-western Provinces Survey and Assessment of the Bombay Territory Exemption of Lands Improved by the Ryots From Extra Assessment Speech in Favor of Capital Punishment The Contest in America Thoughts on Parliamentary Reform A Few Words on Non-intervention