=21. Reform Bill.=--It was not till nearly forty years had passed, that the reforms, for suggesting which these men had suffered, and the need of which had long been felt, were at last carried out by the passing of the _Reform Bill_ in 1832. By it the entire representation was remodelled. Up to this time the County franchise had depended not on the possession of land, but on the right of superiority over land which might be held by others. This right could be bought and sold, and was quite independent of property or residence in the county, so that in most cases there were but a handful of electors, in one county only one, to return the member. The franchise was now extended to all persons having property in the county to the value of 10_l._ yearly, and to certain classes of leaseholders. The case of the _Burghs_ was even worse. Only the royal burghs were represented at all, and these were grouped together and returned one member only for each group. This member was elected by delegates chosen from the _Town Council_ of each burgh, so that the election was really and truly in the hands of the _Corporations_. By the new Bill, _Edinburgh_ and _Glasgow_ were each to send two members to Parliament, the five towns next in importance were each to send one, while some changes were made in the grouping of the smaller burghs. The members for the burghs were to be elected by householders in the burghs paying 10_l._ yearly rent. The number of members was increased from forty-five to fifty-three.