§ 97 and 98. Mr. GLANVILLEasked the President of the Local Government Board (1) as, according to the Census Return for 1911 the adult male population of the Metropolitan Borough of Bermondsey, which contains nearly two Parliamentary Constituencies, was 341,249, whilst the number of Parliamentary electors in the same year, in the same area, was 17,028, of whom exactly 700 non-residents were not included in the Census. leaving a total of 16,328 resident electors according to the Census results, which indicates that 17,921 adult males, equal to 52 per cent., in one Metropolitan borough were excluded from the Parliamentary franchise, whether he will make provision in the forthcoming Register Bill to secure that such disfranchisement of the nation's manhood shall be reduced to a minimum; and (2) as, according to the Census Return for 1911, the adult male population of the City of London was 7,017, whilst the number of Parliamentary electors in the same area was 30,500, according to the last register, thus showing that 23,183 Parliamentary voters in the City of London do not live in that constituency, whether he will in his forthcoming Register Bill make such provisions as will secure that these 23,483 non-resident electors shall be removed' from the Parliamentary list of voters in the City of London and placed upon the Parliamentary register of the Constituencies in which they reside?
§ Mr. LONGThe Government are not at this moment proposing any alteration of the general franchise laws of this country. The question of the franchise, with others, is engaging the attention of the Conference now sitting upstairs.
§ Sir J. D. REESDoes my right hon. Friend think the relative importance of the City of London can be gauged in the manner suggested in No. 98?