franchisement of decayed and inconsiderable boroughs, and the enfranchisement of large and opulent towns. The extreme reformers, who desired an extension of the franchise downwards, as well as upwards and laterally, and who were far from being satisfied with the new electoral qualification proposed by the bill, were yet falling in with the Whigs, on purpose to secure the great end of the bill-the overthrow of borough corruption. Many boroughs were to be deprived of the right of sending members to Parliament, or rather many noble lords were to be deprived of the right of sending their nominees. Many boroughs were to be partially disfranchised, many to be enfranchised, and of many the boundaries were to be enlarged. These had been features of the former bills. But when the first bill was before Parliament, no preparations had been made for determining the boundaries of the parliamentary districts that were to be retained or created. The House of Commons had been for some weeks in committee upon the second bill, before the Government faced the necessity of preparing for the settlement of the boundaries. And both of these bills had proposed to determine, by consideration of the element of population alone, which of the boroughs should be totally disfranchised (put in Schedule A), and which partially (put in Schedule B). In the third bill, on the other hand, the selection of the victims was proposed to be made on somewhat complex considerations, the element of population being only indirectly regarded. Also, when the third bill was introduced, the preparations for the Boundary Bill were far advanced, though the Government were in the dark, even then, as to the boroughs to be placed in Schedules A and B.* The preparations

* See Speech of Lord John Russell, February 20, 1832.

for settling the boundaries were the work of the Boundary Commission, of which Mr Drummond was the head. The selection of the victims for Schedules A and B was the special work of Mr Drummond.

In August 1831, Lord Melbourne, then at the head of the Home Office, addressed Mr Drummond as follows:

"HOME OFFICE, August 8, 1831. "SIR,-His Majesty's Government being desirous to obtain and collect as much information as possible, and as speedily as may be consistent with accuracy, upon the different cities and boroughs included in Schedules (B), (C), and (D) of the Reform Bill, and also upon the other cities and boroughs not included in any of the Schedules, but which are to retain the right of sending members to Parliament, in order that when the bill shall be passed into a law, the commissioners to be appointed under it may have the means of performing their duties with the greater expedition,-I am to acquaint you that his Majesty's Government have seen fit to confide to you the superintendence of this inquiry.

"For the purpose of carrying the intentions of his Majesty's Government into effect, you will immediately communicate with the gentlemen named in the margin, and furnish them with copies of this letter.

"The points to which your attention is to be directed are these To obtain information as to the number of persons occupying, whether as tenants or owners, houses of L.10 a-year value, such value to be taken either from the tax returns or parish rates, or from actual valuation where not let, or from amount of rent.

"It will not be necessary to be very minute in ascertaining these numbers, as all that will be wanting is, to ascertain whether or not any place has as many as 300 such inhabitants. If it has not, then inquiry must be made as to the neighbouring district most fit to be added thereto, in order to increase the number of such inhabitants as aforesaid.

"In making such addition, the district or districts taken in must be either parishes, townships, chapelries, or other divisions

of known legal denomination; and no part of any such division less than the whole is to be taken in.

"When the city or borough has 300 such inhabitants, as aforesaid, or more, then the inquiry will relate to the proper boundary to be assigned for such city or borough. In fixing such boundary it will be proper, as far as possible, to take the known limits of parishes, wards, townships, or chapelries, or other divisions of known denomination. But if any such

division or divisions, in which any city or borough 'having an ample constituency' is situated, extends considerably beyond the portion covered or nearly covered with houses, the boundaries must be assigned as nearly as possible, comprising the city or borough, and little or no portion of the country. In assigning these boundaries, regard must be had as far as possible to fixed objects not likely to be removed, as points of land, lines of trees, bridges, milestones, or roads running from given points.

"The same rules are applicable to assigning the boundaries of cities and places which contain less than 300 inhabitants of L.10 houses, and the districts to be added in order to increase the number of such inhabitants.

For the purpose of carrying these instructions into effect, you will form the gentlemen hereinbefore named into six boards of two each, and assign to them the places which they are to visit. If necessary, you will repair to the spot where they are carrying on their inquiries. You will collect and preserve their reports, and the documents or other matters accompanying the same, and you will confer and correspond with them from time to time, and give them such suggestions and information as they may desire, and as you may judge useful.

"If you find a greater number of boards necessary after the first week of this operation, you will report the same to me.I have the honour to remain, sir, your very faithful and obedient servant, MELBOURNE."

It is understood that Mr Drummond had been recommended to the Government for this employment by his

friend, as he had by this time become, Lord Chancellor Brougham. After the dinner at Mr Ker's, Drummond frequently met, and he improved his acquaintance with the Chancellor at the council meetings of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, of which he was a member. Mr Ker is said to have suggested the appointment; if so, he was almost singular among Drummond's friends in desiring that he should enter public life; by most of them Drummond was urged to decline the proposal of the Government, lest he should be diverted from the pursuit of science. He had no hesitation himself in undertaking the task. The cause of Reform was one in which he was eager to be useful; and to be put at the head of this Commission, at his age, was a high distinction. The commissioners, "the gentlemen named in the margin," were all men of ability. Among them were Mr E. J. Littleton, M.P., who, after being Chief Secretary of State for Ireland, became Lord Hatherton; Captain Beaumont, R.N., Hydrographer to the Admiralty; Messrs Bellenden Ker, Romilly, Drinkwater, and Sheepshanks, all eminent either in science. or in law and literature. Drummond accepted the appointment, and entered at once upon the arduous duties of the Commission.

The next ten months were among the busiest and most exciting of his life. His first task was to prepare instructions for the guidance of the commissioners. These he was able to issue by the 23d of August. Then followed numerous further preliminary arrangements. On the 3d September 1831 he wrote to his mother, telling her briefly of his appointment. "I am driven from post to pillar," he says, "and so occupied with the preliminary arrangements I have barely time to sleep or eat." On the 9th September he went more

into detail. The inquiry was being performed by eightteen commissioners (the number was afterwards increased to twenty-four), with about thirty surveyors and draftsmen, expending about L.80 per day.

"For the money I am of course responsible. I have to examine and criticise the daily reports [of the commissioners], and supply all their wants in the way of plans and documents. The situation is highly honourable and confidential, and I have been treated with great attention by the Lord Chancellor, by Lord Althorp, and by Lord John Russell, with whom I have had, and now have, frequent communications and interviews. I give them my full service in return; am at the office, which is about three miles distant [he was living at Park Road] by ten o'clock; never move till the post leaves at seven, and have seldom got home to dinner till near eight, after which I am not very able for much more exertion; yet sometimes I have documents to prepare for next day. I cannot enter further into detail, for I am tired, and it is near one, and the morning brings another long day's work. I hope the Government will be satisfied. Dawson was sent for on my recommendation, and is of the greatest service to me. He takes the whole charge of the surveyors off my hands, and makes admirable arrangments in the country. Not a word, if you please, of this inquiry, or of my superintending it."

A first report of this Commission was ready, and ordered to be printed, on the 20th January. The final report was sent in on the 10th February 1832, on the 16th of which month the Boundaries Bill was introduced in the House of Commons. It was June, however, before the commissioners were fairly off duty, as the calls for further evidence on questions regarding the boundaries were constantly occurring. The reports and relative returns, accompanied by elaborately-drawn maps, indicating the proposed divisions of counties and boundaries of boroughs, as parliamentary districts,