Dear President Donald Trump
High on the hill at Port Arthur, Tasmania, is a building which housed the Chartists from Britain.
The Chartist movement was the first mass movement driven by the working classes. It grew following the failure of the 1832 Reform Act to extend the vote beyond those owning property.
In 1838 a People’s Charter was drawn up for the London Working Men’s Association. The Charter had six demands:
- All men to have the vote (universal manhood suffrage)
- Voting should take place by secret ballot
- Parliamentary elections every year, not once every five years
- Constituencies should be of equal size
- Members of Parliament should be paid
- The property qualification for becoming a Member of Parliament should be abolished
In 1839 and 1948 the Parliament rejected Chartists’ petitions with over 1.2 million and 3 million signatures. Chartists Leaders were arrested and sent to Port Arthur never to return to Britain.
By 1918, five of the Chartists’ six demands had been achieved – only that parliamentary elections be held every year was unfulfilled.
I first sent 2% TAX to Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke in 1985 with no response, Over the past 40 years I have watched China surpass America. You say you want to put America first. Don’t be like the British Parliament. 2% LIBERTY TAX can have America surpass China and the BRICS Nations.
Kind regards
Derek Smith CA
The Great Chartists meeting on Kennington Common 1848.