??212: Chapter 143 Parliant Confrontation (7K4)_4
212: Chapter 143 Parliant Confrontation (7K4)_4
The Duke of Wellington addressed the Speaker, “Mr.
Speaker, I believe you must remind the Earl that it is now 1830, and if he wishes to discuss this, he could go back to the era of William the Conqueror.
Moreover, as I just ntioned, various forms of corruption still exist.”
“However, aside from the corrupt constituencies, we also have many exemplary ones.
The most typical are the constituencies of Cambridge University and Oxford University.
Any student attending Oxford or Cambridge automatically receives the right to vote in the university constituency.
Is there a more lenient parliantary voting system anywhere in the world?”
Upon hearing the Duke of Wellington ntion the two university constituencies, Earl Grey, as if he had grasped a winning strategy, imdiately fired back, “Good!
Since the Pri Minister willingly ntions the university constituencies, I have two questions that need clarification from you.
It is true that Oxford and Cambridge are exemplary for the whole of Britain, but I wonder if the Pri Minister is aware of a situation.”
“That is, students from Oxford and Cambridge can vote not only in their universities but can also return ho to vote.
This is likewise true elsewhere; as long as a person owns enough real estate in various places, he automatically gains the right to vote in multiple places.
This electoral system, which allocates votes not by headcount but solely based on property, do you, Pri Minister, recognize any flaws in it?”
The Duke of Wellington, upon hearing this, couldn’t help but sweat in his palms.
Although he knew Earl Grey was a formidable opponent, he had not expected him to be this challenging today.
He anxiously shuffled the docunts in front of him, “I hope that the Earl would acquaint himself with Britain’s electoral complaint and accusation system before posing his questions.
Against these unfair practices, such as multiple voting, inaccurate vote counting, voter bribery, and violent intimidation, any unsuccessful candidate and their supporters can submit a whistleblower complaint to the Parliant any ti, any place.”
“The House of Commons’ Election Committee will naturally impose sanctions on any MPs found engaging in fraudulent activities if the allegations are substantiated.
Cases of disqualification of MPs have happened repeatedly throughout history; these are well-docunted.”
At this statent, Earl Grey could not help but show a slight smile, for he had prepared too long for this day to let the Duke of Wellington distract and dissipate the issue here.
He turned to the Speaker.
“Then, Mr.
Speaker, may I ask you to inquire of the Pri Minister?
What is the success rate of the Election Committee in handling these accusations?
If the Pri Minister is unaware, I can give the answer here.
According to records from the House of Commons, the success rate of these accusations is less than one percent.”
“But according to the electoral report of 1787, out of 513 investigated MPs, at least 370 were suspected of using improper thods.”
“And in 1827, John Croker, a political analyst from your party, investigated the social affiliations of all 658 mbers of the House of Commons and found that 270 MPs were suspected of being under the control of major landowners.”
“Of these, 203 were mbers of the Tory Party, and eight of Britain’s great nobles controlled 57 seats.
How do you, Pri Minister, plan to respond to this?”
The Duke of Wellington remained silent upon hearing these accusations, but Earl Grey did not intend to let him off the hook and pressed on.
“The Pri Minister just praised the Election Committee as the fairest and most powerful electoral oversight organization in Britain.
Could it be that he has forgotten the two serious electoral fraud cases that broke out just as he took office in 1827?”
“At that ti, our party’s spokesman, Lord John Russell, demanded the permanent disqualification of the electoral rights of those two corrupt constituencies, while many from your party wanted those two seats transferred to regions controlled by the ruling party.
Mr.
Hesketh, who unfortunately passed away recently, argued that at least one of the seats should be transferred to the increasingly populous Birmingham.”
“Ultimately, your decision was to allot the two seats directly to the two parties without election.
But I, out of a sense of public duty, believe that such an arrangent without election contradicts Parliantary tradition.
Therefore, I took this opportunity to bring up the ‘Parliantary Reform Bill’ which had been considered decades ago.”
“And yet your response at that ti was: as long as I hold office in the governnt, I will always oppose such bills.”
“So, today my question is, even after years have passed, even though the situation has changed, even though clerics, businessn, workers, and farrs nationwide are calling for reform, is your attitude still so firmly opposed to parliantary reform?”
“Pri Minister, please answer my question directly!
This is not Waterloo, and there is no need to use the deceptive tactics common on the battlefield against the entire public of Great Britain!”
As Earl Grey’s words fell, the noisy Parliant Hall suddenly fell into dead silence.
Whether they were from the Tory Party or the Whig Party, everyone held their breath, their gazes focused on Pri Minister Wellington.
Wellington, who had just been flipping through materials, suddenly stopped his movents.
His body trembled slightly, and the old duke’s sneer echoed in the silent hall.
With a slap, Wellington slamd his hand down on the table, startling everyone present.
Wellington turned his head toward Earl Grey and, without relaying his ssage through the Speaker, raised his right arm and pointed at Grey.
“I never engage in any sches or tricks, I just defeat my enemies on the battlefield.”
“Grey, I’ve said it before, I’m a simple man.
I hate being Pri Minister because the job doesn’t suit .
I’m just a straightforward man, and I don’t excel at, nor care to hide my intentions.”
Sir Peel, upon hearing this, quickly stood up to persuade, “Your Grace…”
But before he could speak, Wellington interrupted him, “Robert, mind your own business!
This doesn’t concern you or your party mbers; this is a private matter between Grey and .”
Having said this, Wellington pointed at Grey’s nose and added, “You’re right, Grey, my stance has always been consistent: in the past, now, and in the future, I shall stand firmly against Parliantary reform!
“British politics isn’t a trifling matter; if you want to let just anyone in, I respect your views, but don’t expect
to stand by your side!
“Did you hear
clearly?
As long as Arthur Wellesley is alive, as long as my legs can move, as long as I can stand in Westminster Palace’s Parliant Hall, you can forget about passing the ‘Parliantary Reform Bill’!”
Upon hearing this, Earl Grey quivered with rage.
Behind him, the faces of the furious Whig Party mbers turned red as they threw their materials up into the air.
Papers flew all around the Parliant Hall as Lord and others slamd the table and rose.
“This is outrageous!”
“Wellington, we demand that you resign imdiately!”
Those loyal to Wellington, upon hearing this, were filled with rage.
They instinctively wanted to draw their swords, but when they reached for their waists, they realized they hadn’t brought anything.
Yet this did not stop the generals, long retired from the battlefield, from rolling up their sleeves to aid their forr commander.
But before they could charge forward, several generals were held back by Sir Peel and others.
While restraining one of the Marquis of Angelsey’s legs, Sir Peel gritted his teeth and comforted him, “Don’t be hasty; this is all arranged by His Grace.
If you go up and throw punches now, you will waste all his efforts today.”
Viscount Palston, sitting directly opposite Sir Peel, just gave a slight smile upon seeing this.
Soon after, he quickly composed himself, stood up, and shouted to the Speaker, “Henry Temple Palston, hereby, requests the Speaker that the Whig Party wants to formally initiate a no-confidence motion against Wellington’s Cabinet next week in Parliant!”
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