The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-01-25 00:00:00

MR. BRIGHT% REFORM BILL.

I propose (maid Mr. Bright at Bradford, on Monday
the 17th inst.), to disfnuichise all borough under 8,000
inliebitants. Then to atop on to populations of 10,000,
and to say that ell borouglui having lee than that
, number should henceforth have only one member.
This will yield 34 seats to be added to the other 87, and
' if we add four more seate for the two corrupt boroughs
of St. Alban* and Sudbury, which were some years ago
disfranclaieed, we shall hare a grand remit AY far as
I;utplenal end Wales alone are concerned of 125 seats to
of. I prousee to explain to you how Beat seats
allotted, which, alter all, hi the pith of the
, whole question. (Hear, hear.) There ere a number of
borough. whose population in between 16,000 and
25,000, some of which have one member, and, I think,
about a &men or thirteen which have two members.
Nut wishing to make any Al//111 change than •ppeare to
be necessary, I propose to leave this close of boroughs
precisely as they are. 'begin, then, at the limit of
'15,000 inhabitants, and I give to every borough baying
above that amount of population, and now pending only
one member, an additional meat, until I wine up to
populations of 64,000. I will read to you, for they are
very few, the mince of the boroughs comprised in that
list. There are 10 boroughs containing populations
between 25,0011 and 111.000, and returning one nieniber I
each • they are Gateshead, Walsall, Monmouth, ,
South Shields, Rochdale, Tynemouth and
N„rtp, shields, Asliton-under-Lyne, Huddersfield,
Leith, Bury, eltellenlitin. Greenock, Dudley, Swansea,
apei Paisley. Now, under my paten all these phases
would return two members. When I get to • papule-
tie') of 54,0110 I take • etep upwards, and proceed wills
the list of boroughs that 'should henoidorth return thrue
members, and they are thew Nottingham,
Leiowder, liolton. Sunderland, Norwich, l'reeton,
Brighton, l'ortsmouth, Oldham, titokieupon•Trent,
Neweastle-upon-Tyne, Bradford, •Greenwich,
and Wolverlianipton. There are 16 boroughs,
all of which would under this 11011A1110 return
three members to Parliament. We oome next to
four boroughs which might to be included in that list,
but which at present return only one member,—
viz., Merthyr Tydvil, in Wale* • Salford, in Lanceeliire;
and the city of Aberdeen and the town of Dundee, in
Scotland. You will observe—and I ought to explain
this Ant—that in framing this scheme I have known
nothing of the river Tweed and nothing of Mt. George's!
Choose!. (Hear, hear.) I wish to treat Scotland and
Ireland precisely on Hie same principle., in every
respect, as I would treat Eneland and Wale*.
(Cheers.) These boroughs which I have just
naiued bring me up from 64,000 to 136,000. '
All these calculations are based on the °segue
of 1851. Beginning at 135,009 and going up to
double that number, which is 270,000, I purposes that
buroughe shall hereafter return 4 umnben. They
are Sheffield, Bristol, Lewis, (Southwark, Birmingham.
Weatinineter, Lambeth, and and the Tower Hamlet*,
which I propose to divide' its pupuletion being so
enormous, situ two oeuipleteburoughs —to each of which '
four inembere shall be given. Then I coins to a very
select, but very large and mod important I --- • list which
comprise' but five cities or boroughs, but of the very
largest in the kingdom, and entitled as I am sure you ,
will see, to excretee a very powerful influence upon
the (Merriment of the country. They are the boroughs ,
of Manchester, Finsbury, Marylebone, Liverpool,
and Glasgow, having • population at the last census of
more than 316,000, and slow, doubtless, of 400,000, I
propose to give to each of these Ave boroughs six mow
here of perlianient. (Cheers,) Well, then there comes
the quesition of the new boroughs. I ought to say here
that I do not consider this list to be absolutely complete,
because there are Millie places from which I have not
information sufficient to enable me to bilge; but
if aver this Bill or any similar Bill—and you
have only to will It and it will be so (cheers)—if
ever this Bill should pug the second reading in the
House of Commons, there will he ill/ difficulty in addl.
ing to this list three, or fear, or half•a•dosen others, if
a ivied case eau be made out for them. Chatiges of
that nature were made in the ['using of the (teleran
Hill of 11432. Of these boroughe five are to have one
member each—Oreveaeml, Leamington, Staleybridge,
Burnley, aiill Birkenhead. Now, one of the,.. bonnet's
puts in • claim for two members ; that is a point to be
ompshieresl. I have put it down for one member, because
my information did not lewd Inc to think that I could
at this etage, the ally other course. Then there are
two boroughs which Lord .1. Russell in leril propoud to
mite and make/41e— the parishes of Chelsea and Ken-
simian, in West London. Their Imputation is so large
awl 1,, rapidly increasing, that I think they ought to be
two leiniuglie, and that they ought to have tvro
imiemis-
hers each. These new boroughs, therefore will absorb
nine melodic' s. I Imo. mentioned leveret of the Scotch i
burgh. which are to have additional niembers, but there
are four other,' which limy be considered new bureughi.
You are probably aware that in Scotland the plan of 1
grouping boroughs hiss always, so far Ills I know. been
practised. Several of thew groups are so large that I
should have been ouinielled to here given them two
members if kept together ; hut I thought it wars much
letter that four or six plues joining to return one
!needier, and having a population enough for two,
should be separated into two distinct boroughs or group., '
each having 0 le member, as being better for all lemons
concerned in their repreeentation. From the Stirling- '
shire group I select the boroughs of linefermline and
Inverkeithing to return one nienaber ; Hamilton,
Lanark, and Linlithguw are to be taken from the Fal-
kirk burghs, and given one member ; Ibunbarton, Port
Glasgow, Renfrew, and Rutherglen are to be taken f roan
the Kilmarnock burgh., and to have one member : and
the towns of Arbroath and Breehin are to be taken
from the Montrone burghs, and to return one member.
Now there comes one other point, and that is, what
shall be done, if anything alien be dune, with the dis-
tribution of members as regards the counties of Eng-
land ! I propose to take • course which was adopted,
iir nearly like that adopted, by Lord J. Rus.ell in hmi
last Bill, in which he would divide the West Riding of
Yorkshire, and divide Lannehire into district division's,
I shall give to the West }tiding of Yorkshire lone addi•
tional number's, to South Lancashire two additional
members—l ant aesinuing South Lancashire divided
—to the North Riding of Yorkshire, one, to North len-
cashire one, to South Devon one, and to the rest that
I shall read over one :—The West Kent, South
Stafford, West Cornwall, North Klux, South Essex,
West Norfolk, East Somerset, West Somerset, and that
portion of Linoolnalsire which is known by the name of
the parts of Lindsay. Now, theme have been selected
on account of their great population, and because with-
in them there has grown up not only a large population,
but very large interests that are not exclusively con.
Reeled with the land, and therefore I think they have a
right to some extennion to the number's of members in
any re-arrangement of any representation that may
take place. There only remains one other point, and
that is with regard to Ireland, and here I feel extreme
difficulty, became I am anxious td• extend the same
principle ao to England and to Scotland ; and yet 1 am
well convinced that there are inst.>, men in Ireland,
some well qualified to give an opinion. who will not
coincide with me in the course that I am proposing. The
leieinalis in Ireland are much lees than the boroughs of
Faigland ' • they have nine boroughs, whom average noun-
her of eloctorl is only 1.573; they hare one whose num-
ber of elector., I believe is only about e 4 or Mi. Now
what ARS I to 110 with these little boroughs? Some
would say" Leave them All they are." Some would say
" Itidranchise them." Some would say " Make them
into groups." I believe make them into whatsoever
groups you like. and with little exception, they will
still be boroughs, very small end hardly competent
under an improved eystem to return member. to Par.
inent. I have concluded Intake this course now, but of
Nauru not only I, ea • member Alla an unofficial mem-
ber of the House of 0111111101111, hut a Mini.ter even, in
proposing such a immure. would feel liiiii.elf at liberty
to make such changes as might appear moist satisdactory
to the population of Ireland itself. (Hear, lieu.) I
have primmest that nine of these boroughs, beginning
with Portarlington, and ending with Binds'''. should he
disfranchised, and six Of their members dietribrited in
this way—two to the city 4,1 Dublin, mid one each to the
town of Belfast sII.I the town of Kilkenny, end the
cities of Limerick and Cork, 'Elien hotting at the vest
population of many of the Irish comities, 1 iiroiesse to
give from the boroughs of England five new members,
whieli, added to the three saved from these di.frais•
chimel boroughs, will give one member each to *ix of
the principal Irish counties, and two inembeni to the
county of Cork, which may be tanned the Yorkshire of
Ireland. (Loud applause.)

Itaxnnurret Iteronsi. The Government have
abandoned the Bill introduced by the Lord Chancellor at
the chwe of last session, anil are now preparing an Act
fur the amisienduient of the Bankrupt Law Cone°haat'
.let, 1449. The draught of this ineaaure is being pre•
p.m, by Mr. Francis Savage Reilly, who, it will be
remembered, Mar secretary to the Bankruptcy Cum.
misaiiin Inquiry of 1851. The committee of the Cabinet
who have charge of the mouton consists of the Lord
chancellor, Mr. Walpole, ii Secretary, and Mr.
l'reai mat of the Huard of Trade.
Gates' IN THr MEDITIHIRANK IN.--Tho .11alta Times
and the reports of the Muss Malta correspondent to the
IRh of January mention that, for four or thee weeks prece •
ding, the weather hail been very stormy, with scarcely
two consecutive dry days throughout that interval. The
sky lout been constantly overcast, and to heavy stall
of Frill had never been known. In tome parts of the
country the 114:01111 presented was 14 a charactvr seldom
witnessed there. The water rushed thronali the valleys
with a headlong speed, forming itself into ceicades, and
tearing along with it huge dkuies which lay in its course
to the sea. At one time no lens than four waterspouts
were observed. Many of the low grounds were coin.
pletely Hooded and numbers of the loose stone division
walls of the fields and gardeifs thrown to the ground.
Considerable damage was done to the husbandman.
Violent winds, chiefly (nil° the bleakest quarter of the
compass, also much prevailed, awl altogether the
weather was as dreary and uncongenial as it well could be
in these latitudes. On Sunday night the 9th of January,
the sea rolled into the harbour of Valetta in appaling
breakers. Several vessels received much injury. Ac-
counts front Bons of the 3rd of January report the
total loam of the French steamer bloulinina on the rocks
off that place. It appears she left Tunis on the '24tli of
Itecember, bound to Rona, but owing to stormy weather
was obliged un the day following to put into Port
Farina. On the 30th, the weather having moderated,
1110 again put to sea, but on sighting lions, was caught
in a heavy gale, and at 2 o'clock on the morning of the
31at was driven on the rucks off Bona. At daylight the
plummets and crew were fortunately enabled to save
theinaelves by fastening a rope to the shore. Both
vessel and cargo are totally lost. In the oiling of
Valetta harbour 011 the 14th a fishing boat was upset
and sank, but the men in her contrived to swim to shore
behind Fort Ricasoli. Letters have been received front
Her Majesty's line•of-battle ship Princess Royal, stating
that, off the Island of Caned's, she was caught in a
squall which strengthened into a liuriciuie so violent
that the Well were unabled to go aloft, and several of
her sails were blown away. It became necessary to get
up steam and use lwr NITYII`, to avoid being driven on a
lee *bore. The Caradoe, which returned from convey-
ing the India telegram* to Cagliari, also met with very
severe weather, and experienced 110111 C damage. The
Princess Royal when last heard of was at Suda Hay,
Candle. At Alexandria and on the coast of Egypt
there have been several disasters. A very novel occur-
rence in those latitudes, a huge whale had been cad
I ashore—a rich prise for the Arabs. On the 20th of
January the English schooner Sappho and the bark
Jane Price, with 10 other square-rigged vessels, and
mayoral coasting craft were lost at Catania.