The Press.
London, England, 1855-05-26 00:00:00

THE BALLOT.

Mr. H. BERKELEY brought forward his annual
motion on Tuesday. There was little of novelty in
his arguments, excepting that he said the present
crisis pro:•es the danger of entrusting the supreme
management of aileirs exclusively to the great
families, and the details of that management to
members of the aristocracy, whose pursuits and plea-
sures were elsewhere, and who lid not make a busi-
ness of their profession like the members of the
middle classes. Bribery anti corruption, he said,
were on the increase, and he caused some amuse•
ment by reading some electorial facts which he
adduced, and some eminent opinions in favour of
the ballot which he was able to cite.

There was nothing of the slightest interest in the
debate which followed. Lord Pat MERSTON replied
with the old arguments—that the ballot would not
prevent improper practices that the adoption
would be illusory, and would degrade the national
character. The ballot was adopted in America, not
for secrecy, but for convenience. The ballot might
on similar grounds be advocated for taking the votes
of that house, in which members frequently voted
contrary to their own opinion, yielding to the pressure
of their constituents.

The motion was negatived by 218 to 188.

THE adoption of the petition against the proposed
Cambridge University Bill was vigorously opposed
in both houses at the congregation held on Saturday
last. It was, however, carried. The following was
the voting :

Black Hood White Hood
House. House.
Placets
Nun•placete

314ority 23 11
The following "reasons for supporting the petition"
were circulated in the Senate-house :

1. Because the University of Cambridge already affords every
encouragement in her power to thou who cannot submit to her
religious tests to avail themselves of the advautagee of her
training and education. . . .

2. Because by doing away with such tests we shall be virtually
introduciug into our system the necessity of attempting to solve
the insoluble problem, viz., how education can be carried out
without religious teaching, and without °opinion worship of
our Creator.

3. Because the University le essentially " a place of sound
learning and religious education," and because her title to this
•ill be seriously imderilled, if not virtually destroyed, by the abo-
lition of religious tests.

Ma. Pxtxx, Q.C., M.P. for Bath, and counsel to
the naval department of the High Court of Admi-
ralty, has been appointed to succeed Rear-Admiral
W. A. B. Hamilton as second secretary to the Admi-
ralty.
TUESDAY'S Gazette contains an order in council,
whereby the Right Hon. Sir Edward Ryan, Assistant-
Comptroller of the Exchequer, John Shaw Lefevre,
Esq., Clerk-Assistant to the House of Lords, and
Edward Romilly, Esq., Chairman of the Board of
Audit, are appointed commissioners for testing, by

examination, the qualifications of the young men who
niay be proposed in future to be appointed to the
junior situations in any of her Majesty's civil estab-
lishments. The commissioners will have power to
appoint assistant-examiners, and before any young
man can be admitted to probation he must receive
from them a certificate of qualification with respect
to his age, physical condition, character, and abilities.
After the candidate has passed his examination, be
must enter on a period of probation of six months.
IN consequence of the difficulty experienced by the
army postmaster at the seat of war in collecting the
postage upon unpaid letters sent in the mails from
this country, no letters addressed to any person in
the Crimea will in future be forwarded unless the
postage be paid in advance. Any letters so addressed,
upon which the postage is omitted to be paid, will
be opened and returned to the writers.
AT the various statutes," or annual hiring of
servants in husbandry, which have recently been
held in the county of Lincoln, a higher rate of wages
bas been obtained by both men and women, in con-
sequence of the increasing scarcity of hands. Agri-
cultural wages Wave been rising in the midland and
northern counties for some years past, and in gene-
ral the class of men thus benefitted has improved
in moral conduct and steadiness with their increased
means.