Thomas Hare

The Election Of Representatives, Parliamentary And Municipal: A Treatise

HARE,Thomas. The election of representatives, parliamentary and municipal: A Treatise. London, Longman, Brown 1859

Octavo, half green morocco and marbled boards, spine lettered gilt, pp.xxxiv, 338, 24 adverts, outer margin of 2 leaves strengthened.

Rare First edition. The classic treatise on the single transferable vote. 'This great practical and philosophical idea' J.S.Mill

"It was soon after the publication of Thoughts on Parliamentary Reform that I became acquainted with Mr Hare's admirable system of Personal Representation...I saw in this great practical and philosophical idea, the greatest improvement of which the system of representative government is susceptible; an improvement which, in the most felicitous manner, exactly meets and cures, and what before seemed the inherent, defect of the representative system; that of giving to a numerical majority all power, instead of only a power proportional to its numbers, and enabling the strongest party to exclude all weaker parties from making their opinions heard in the assembly of the nation...Mr Hare's system affords a radical cure. This great discovery, for it is no less, in the political art, inspired me, as I believe it has inspired all thoughtful persons who have adopted it...Had I met Mr Hare's system before the publication of my pamphlet, I should have given an account of it there..." J.S.Mill, An Autobiography, pp.258-260.

Candfield,E. Proportional Representation. A bibliography 1990. p.19. Richard Reeves, John Stuart Mill, pp.310-314.

Price-£600