The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1867-04-16 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

MONDAT.-00 the order of the day for going into
committee on the Representation of the People Mill,
Mr. Locke asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer
whether the Government would accept the first portion
of Mr. Coleridge's resolution, "That it be en instruc-
tion to the committee that they have power to alter
the law of rating." The Chancellor of the Exchequer
mked whether the bon. gentleman bad authority to
state that the latter part of the instruction would be
withdrawn. Mr. Lock intimated that he asked the
question under that impression. The Chancellor of the
Exchequer, after some rensarke, which had a slight
of sarcasm, declared that the Government
tinge always believed the committee would, without
any instruction, have had power to alter the
law of rating, but U there was a doubt about
the matter it would,he said, be very dremble to p.m
the first two lines of the resolution. A formal motion
was then made on the subject and agreed to. Mr.
Berkeley called attention to the stets of demoralisation
in which the electors of the United Kingdom were
plunged by eorruption and the exercise of undue in-
fluences. Captain Hayter's motion for increasing
boroughs with a less population than 10,000 persons,
by grouping them with one or more neighbouring
boroughs, was negative on a division. The remainder
of the sitting was wasted in profitless discusaion, and
when the Howse went into committee progress wee at
once reported.
TUESDAT.-111% Glld4olllll rive 110t40111 that in the
event of the laser down% axing the limit of rateable
value in Parliamentary boroughs being adopted, he in'
tended proposing a clause providing that when the value
of a tenement falls below LE for reason of any deductions,
the occupier may claim a vote if otherwise qualified,-
Colonel French obtained leave to bring in a bill to amend
the representation of the people in Ireland. He
proposes to redoes the county franchise from I:12 to ES,
to give a lodger franchise, and to fix the borough
franchise at £4. Air L. Palk moved for a list of the
persona who were about to be prosecuted for bribery
at Teton. A lively debate ensued on the motion, but
it was ultimately withdrawn. Mr. Hunt, on behalf of
the Chancellor of the Exchequer, obtained leave to
bring in a bill fur the prevention of bribery at Paths-
I mentary election&

WIDSUDAT.—The Mines Asseurnent Bill was read •
second time and referred to • select committse. On
going into committee on the Tests Abolition (Oxford)
Bill, Mr. Fawoett moved that It be an instruction to the
committee that they have
.power to extend tbe pro-
visions of the bill to the University of Cembridge.-11r.
Selwyn opposed the motion. but on • divieion it was
carried by • majority of 87. The bill subsequently
paned through committee. A discussion arose on the
second reading ef the Arociation of Workmen's Bill,
but • quarter to six arriving before the debate bad ter-
: nalnated, the motion became • lensed one.

THCISDLY. —The House was occupied wlth the
question of Reform. Mr. Hibbert asked the Chancellor
of the Exchequer if be would adopt his amendment
placing compound householders below £lO on an equality
with those shove. Mr. Disraeli said that he would give
the greatest attention, as far as was consistent with the
principleo of the Bill, to the questions of the personal
payment of rates and adequate residence. Earl
Grosvenor suggested that as Cloy would only have than
night to discuss the question to be raised by Mr. Glad-
ague, it would be better not to go on with the B 11
until after Easter. Mr. Gladstone was opposed to the
suggestion, as it was calculated to Gusto a false
preuion. Mr. Bright also took exception to each a
enures, and after a discussion, in which Mr. &reel
Osborne took a prominent part, the Chancellor of the
Exchequer urged that the Bill should be proceeded with.
Ile also took occasion to remark that the proposals of
Mr. Gladstone would be considered u fatal to the BBL
Earl Grosvenor intimated that he would not persevere
with his motion, end the House then went Into cow
mittee on the Bill. llfr. Gladstone, in a speech of
considerable length and great power, explained
his amendments, and exposed the unsound and
untenable principle of pomace' rating, which, be eon.
tended, would establish the worn of all distinctions
between class and alum and even between members of
the same class. Be asserted that the real amount of
enfranchisement proposed by the Government Bill
would not be more than 210,000, and that, be said,
would neither give bite nor the country satistactioo.
The Solicitor-General replied, and the other speakers
who followed were Sir E. Buller, the O'Donochne, Mr.
Herbert, Bit. W. Heathoote, sod Lord Crenborne.
The last two spukers expressed their intention of voting
for the amendment in consequenee of the democratic
character of the Government measure. The debate was
dioureed.

FRIDAY. —The debate on Mr. Gladstone's mead-
meats was preceded by a lively and excited 'enerva-
tion, turning Melly on an alleged negriation between
Colonel Taylor end some of the Opposition members.
Kr. Osborne produced • doonment purporting to mord
an assurance by Colonel Taylor that Lord Derby and
Mr. Disraeli were personally in favour of accepting Mr.
Hibbert's amendment, relieving the compound house-
bolder of anything in the shape of • One in consequence
of his spplieation to be rated, and pledging Colonel
Taylor to prom upon the Cabinet the nensmity of
'Wowing this modiecotkn of the BUL The document
had strayed into Mr. Osborne's hands through Mr.
Owen Stanley, who had somehow obtained it from Mr.
Dillwyn. Colonel Taylor was unfortunately absent,
baying met with a severe accident, bat Mr. Disraeli
' said the alleged negotiation was quite unknown to him,
and the whole thing was • mare's nest, sad Lord
Stanley, in • brief speech, just characterised by Mr.
Gladstone u sem, way worthy of him, and heard with
unusual satisfaction on both sides of the Howe, dr
dared that the Ministry desired to carry on the debate
perfectly free and unpll without any understand-
ing of any kind, and chaied • vote as the manta of
the question at nue and upon its merits alone.
At length the committee on the Inform Bill was reached,
and Mr. Roebuek, midst dead silence, only now and
then Mk= by jeering nobles from the Opposition, and
helf•sympethetio cheers from the Ministrtion,
proceeded, as be conceived, to cauterise Mr. Gladstone,
and to give in his adhesion to the Government. lilt
had not been that Mr. 13andord Hops turned almost
savagely on the Government, and announced that be
should vote with the leader of the Opposition, his
speech might well have been left without notice; for
otherwise it did not afford a heals for the weighty and
well-balanced argument is favour of the amendment
which Mr. Fonder delivered. The speech of Kr. Ward
Hunt was • fair specimen of oMeialimn, while it seemed
as if Mr. Locke was not exactly comfortable, for he
amused and excused himself in reference to his action
with the "tea-party," and by a curious circumbendibus
room wound himself up to declare that be would vote
for the amendment, bemuse its principle was argzi
one. For nearly three hours "heavy lightness"ra
ramose, the main festumbeieg the profound adhesion
of Mr. Delglish to the Government, and of Hr. Hubbard
to Mr. Gladstone. The revived of interest stated with
Mr. Horton's, who, speaking from the front
Opposition bench, in • very short speech de-
nounced the Government measure, and gave his
suffrage decidedly to Mr. Gladstone. The time for the
Government to appear having arrived, Kr. Hardy
ore-
seated himself, and commenced by molding the en
from his party in good set terms • indeed, he was very
angry all through, and enforced hie segments by
tremendous vociferation and beating of the yellow box-
and ,
he was most decided against the degradation of
accepting the amendment. Having made one or two
thrusts into *inks in Mr. Hardy's armour, Mr. Bright
became mainly argumentative, comparing the Govern-
ment plan and the amendments with critical minute -
nese ; but he warmed up towards his omission, and
developed his characteristic energy and earnemanem.
Measured—slerost sententioas—for roam time Mr.
Disraeli slowly argued his NW, falling presently into
lively episode with Mr. Lowe; bet this was to a certain
extent parenthetic, and be returned to his guiltier
cam By and bye be Yell with semi' savagery on
Mr. Bereeford Hope; and then, hawing been naresall.
rally civil to Mr. Gladstone persomdly, be sharaMerised
that gentleman's proceeding. es party war to the knife
blobe insinuated, bad interfered with the intention
of the Government to throw themselves Into the bands
of the House, Is tolerably plain lsar he signified
his willingness to resider a lodgeranehles ; sad
germally. Innieipts• retards the principle of the borough
has ibis now in anstroversyi
sam
be istimated readiness to
• -g_neessd. He concluded n the e level moven.,
_titled toss which be had alincet uniformly adopted
u'roglat the speech. Gamdidly Mr. Gladstone aesepted
an mentence of Mr. Disraeli that he had no ID-will
dgLiuM him, but expressed himself at a low to under-
stand how it was that be mparliabliddissille:&"4
front
Um leader of the Oppodtioo, as frost tit