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| | INTRODUCTION |
 | | Since that time, Parliament has consisted of a House of Lords and a House of Commons, and it is with the latter that we are mainly concerned, When first established, the House of Commons represented communities rather than the individual electors of a geographical area. |
 | | From the time of the earliest parliaments of the reign of Edward I, to which the boroughs sent their representatives, it was never certain whether a town would be invited to send members or, if invited, whether it would be willing to incur the expense of the representatives' journey to Westminster. |
 | | Thus, there is now a system by which all adults have the right to vote for their representatives in parliament and the votes are, as far as is possible in one-member-constituencies with a simple majoritv, equal in value. |
| www.somerset.gov.uk /archives/ASH/Parlrep.htm (1656 words) |
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