‘Oracle’ has already contributed quite a few interesting, well-informed comments to VB stories.
Yesterday he sent in an article related to the OneWight debate that he describes as ‘light hearted’ in the lead up to the visit by MP Mark Harper, the Minister for Political and Constitutional Reform, to hear the views of the Isle of Wight on Thursday – Ed.
If the OneWight campaign succeeds and the clock stops in 1832 – the year the Island was given one MP – what else would be different in 2010 if the Island had been exempted from other changes in the law?
Here are a few suggestions, they are not exhaustive and some people might long for 1832 as a golden age.
- Right to vote based on property. Only one in seven men can vote, no women, Jews and many others. Ballots not secret.
- MP not be paid a salary.
- We could be baiting bulls with dogs at Brading.
- We could have workhouses for the “poor persons incapable of providing for themselves…..and to apprehend idle persons not maintaining their families”. Unmarried mothers would still “be housed apart from other inmates and have their names entered in a black book ? allowed no solid meat on meat days and having to wear coarse yellow coats or gowns or other disgraceful distinctions”.
- We could execute children for petty crimes. A public hanging would be a family day out and the bodies of murderers would be left dangling in chains as a warning. Men and boys could still be flogged.
- Upon marriage, the husband and wife become one person under the law. The wife’s legal identity ceases to exist and her property surrendered to her husband to do with as he saw fit.
- Only men can petition for divorce and it has to be granted by an Act of Parliament, which is hugely expensive. Children are the ‘property’ of their fathers and mothers have no custody rights.
- Children under nine are allowed to work in factories and boy sweeps sent down chimneys.
- Only a very privileged few go to school (mostly church schools).
- Homosexuality is a crime, punishable by death.
- Troublesome trade unionists can be transported to Australia.
- People can be imprisoned for debt.
- No old age pensions.
- Boys of 14 and girls of 12 can marry.
- Motorists do not need a driving licence and there is no Highway Code.
- A constituency with an electorate of 110,000 and one MP is still hopelessly under represented in the House of Commons.
