I presume, that though all the people of England pay taxes, not an hundredth part of them are electors, and the members of one of the houses of parliament represent nobody but themselves.
Thomas Paine: “I presume, that though all the people of England pay taxes, not an hundredth part of them are electors, and the members…”
On the recordJanuary 1, 1791
Said by
Thomas Paine
Source
gutenberg.orgEditor's note · Context
In "Rights of Man," Paine criticizes the English electoral system, highlighting the vast disparity between taxpayers and electors and the self-serving nature of some parliamentary members.
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