The Express.
London, England, 1848-05-13 00:00:00

of the noble lord, but a Add of ampres•nt pledge him, elf to
its adoption.
On tee motion of Mr. LABOnlitE, the formal reso-
lution that the house would, on 111,7 next, resolve iteelf
int* • committee of the whole hoe" for the purpose of
taking into consideration the navigationiams, was then agreed
to, and the Douse adjourned at a quarter put 12 o'clock.

ELECTION COMMITTEE.—YZATERDAT.
LONGFORD.— The committee decided upon not
opening the regisur, deolaziog that Mr. It. M. Fox had been
duly elected, and making • @pedal report to the house.

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that imbeds, was on the question of the right to sit for a
Smell borough—he believed Lichfield. The haws at length
bosons convinced of the danger of allowing thou queettons
le be determined by mere party considerations; and Mr.
Orsovills, some twenty or thirty years afterwards,
bought In a bill to put an end, to the system ;
ma sines that time the constant object bad been to
adopt precautions to prevent the judguent of the
haws being influenced by party and political considerations
en inch questions an no one had !abound more earnestly'
ile sure successfully to elevate the character of parliament in
this respect thou the noble lord. (Hear.) The question
they was, whether the tribunal appointed by act of parlia.
mut, and which they bad invested with powers which, with-1
out an sot of pareament, would be unconstitutional, should
be superseded by a vote of the house. A tribunal had been
appointed to adjudicate on all such matters, with lull judi-
dal pewees to examine into allelee d abuses, and in order te
take precautions gooiest groundless complaints the parties
complaining were required to give a guarantee of their Once-
rity. Lis could conceive nothing of more importaree than that
members of parliament should be allowed to exercise their
functions free from the threat of molestation on the ground
of such accusations; and surely if there were any party to I
whom the exercise of those functions free from such moles-
tation was more important it was to the minority. (Hear.)
At the same time he admitted that if any special or peculiar
owe was shown they wire not to be precluded by the existing
law from performing thou functions which the hcuse, as a
great tribunal of the country, had a right to exercise.
(Hear, hear.) But whet did the petitioners allege in
this case ? The atlegations of bribery. in distinct terms.
And, further, it was a'leged that the interference of the
Marquis of Exeter with the undoubted right of the borough
to elect members to serve in parliament was such as to
amount to systematic bribery and intimidation of the elee-
tors within the meaning and intent of the laws against bri-
bery. (Hear, hear.) This was not a mere general allega-
tion, for the patitioeirs stated that the marquis gave
promises to certain electors that they should occupy certain
eligible holdings provided that they voted for his candidates.
These were the material allegations, and, according to the
decision of the committee in Mr. Attwood's cue, this
amounted to bribery. (Hear, hear.) But why did not the
petitionets observe the law themselves, and resort to the tri- ,
bunals to prosecute their case ? And as they bad not done se,
was there no dang,e, if they were now permitted to bring'
on the ewe in the way proposed, and escape from the
guarantees which were required in all other cases. that the
acts of Lord Grenville and the noble lord (J. Russell) would
be superseded; and that instead of a judicial tribunal they
would again have these questions decided by majorities of
the house, with the accompanying evils of party conflict and
injustice ? He might be told that the parties were poor ; and
that having laboured under this grievance for • long time,
not having the means of appealing to the ordinary tribunals,
they now same to parliament to relieve them. But parlia-
ment had even provided for that in the noble lord's bill of
1842. A clause in that bill provided that if a
petition alleging general bribery at ane election
was presented within three months after the alleged
acts of bribery had taken place, the house might entertain
the petition, and appoint • committee to investigate with all
the powers of an ordinary election committee ; and that if
the committee should report that there was reasonable and
probable ground for the allegations of the petition, they
might order the costs to be borne, as in the case of a com-
mittee appointed on any public matter, by the house. The
house then had taken every precaution to ensure a full in-
vestigation. Why then had not these petitioners who
alleged systematic bribery taken advantage of the
set of parliament, and prosecuted it under the clause
be bad referred to ? He discarded all considerations but
those of • judicial character ; but feeling strongly the danger
of great public inconvenience resulting from a departure
from the.principle they had in all such cases of late years
adhered to, and teaching parties to believe that they were
free from the stringent conditions parliament had laid down
on persons making charges of this nature—feeling that the
house, if it agreed to this motion, would be at once
undertaking, not in its judicial, but in its political capacity,
the teak of deciding upon the election of its own members—
be should vote against setting an example which might be
attended with dangerous cons( quencis. (Hear.)
Mr. W. P. WOOD regretted that the right hon. baronet,
without entering into the allegations, except as to one point,
should have determined to vote against the motion. The
question was not as to the right of any member to sit in that
house, but whether the Marquis of Exeter or the inhabitants
of Stamford were to return the two members for that bo-
rough. With regard to what the right hon. baronet had
mid as to the petitioning on the ground of bribery,
there was no case for such • petition here, for
the parties complained against were neither the
candidates nor their agents. Again, with regard to
the right of petition, within three months, in those instances
where persons had been placed in possession of eligible
holdings, on the understanding that they were to vote for
the Marquis of Eater's candieates, it was well known they
must have occupied the hod' ing twelve months before the
election, or they could not have voted. Where, then, was
the remedy ? A. petition on the ground of bribery was out
of the question. Again, in no case did the act provide for
the case of a landlord who said to his tenant, " if you don't
vote for my candidate you shall he expelled from your occu-
pation." That was not bribery: it was a species of intimida-
tion, for which the law provided no i emedy. Yet that was
the allegation on which almost the whole of the petition
turned. The admbeion made by the right. hon. member for
Stamford and the noble marquis proved his ( Mr. Wood's) case.
The right bon. baronet the member for Stamford admitted -
that 14 electors had been ejected, but by a sort of inferential
circumlocution insinuated that, having been ejected with LONDON, SATURDAY, MAY 13.
others, they might have been ejected for different reasons.
TItE motion of which Mr. Hume gave notice last
It would have been much mere satisfactory if the right hon. ,ommons meets exactly the
baronet had been able to declare p sitively that they had not night in the House of C
been ejected on account of their having voted for particular wishes which have been expressed by earnest reformers
candidates. (.beers.) Cron that broad fact alone, be con- out of doors. And it embodies their views in such
aidered that the petitioners had made out a case for inquiry. laconic, clear, and unequivocal language, that it is
(Hear, hear.) It had also been insinuated that the mover
well adapted to become the rallying point of a na-
iad seconder of this motion bee been concerned in the
drawing of the petition. It was just possible it had been tional party. Men can give in their adhesion to such
drawn under legal advice, but if so it did not sly much a political confession of faith with confidence, secure
for the legal ability of those charged with that duty. that those who emit it have no mental reservations.
He could only say for himself that he had never heard of the xrr. TJ
..s —eme's notice is in these words :
petition until a day or two before it was placed in his hands, That this house as at present constituted does not fairly re-
and he believed that the honourable seconder had never present the population, the property, or industry of the
known of it until shown to him by him (Mr. Wood). country, from which has arisen great and increasing diacon-
Highly as he might think of a nobleman against whom, he tent in the minds of a large portion of the people.
admitted, no case had been established in proof, he must That with a view to amend the representation of the
nevertheless claim more for the petitioners than what the people leave be given to bring in bills for the purpose of
noble marquis seemed willing to accord to them, when providing :
he stated that they did not themselves believe what they That the elective franchise shall be so extended as to in-
stated. He conceived that the petitioners *ere as fully elude all householders ;
entitled to credit as the noble marquis. (Hear, hear.) The That votes shall be taken by ballot ;
only way to decide the question wee by having it investi- That the duration of parliament shall not exceed three
gated, and he confessed he should have thought that every eeee...
friend of the noble marquis would Lave been the foremost j'Arncl that the apportionment of members to population
to support a motion fir inquiry, that be might, if in his shall be made more equal.
power, disprove the allegations made against him. (Cheers.)
The house divided—For the motion
Against it ln-1 deliberations of a meeting of the independent liberal
BUSINESS OF TELE HOUSE, members which we are given to understand was held
Lord MORPETH said be would go on with the Public yesterday. If we are correct in this assumption,
Health Bill on Monday, after the statement of his right the vote upon it will show who and how
bon, friend upon the navigation laws. many are the friends urea whom the cause
Lord J. RUSSELL said it was only intended to submit of a real representation of the people can
the resolutions on the navigation laws on Monday, and post-
pone their further consideration till Friday. count in the House of Commons. The parties with
Mr. LABOUCHERE said that the resolutions would be whom MR. Hume has taken counsel have judged
framed so generally as not to commit any hon. member be- wisely in not seeking to increase their apparent
but
this—that it was fitting to amend the navigation laws; strength, by endeavouring to catch " loose fish' with
but a bill would be subsequently proposed and circulated, the bait of vagueness. They have declared for " house-
that the country might understand the nature of the
hold suffrage," without any of those qualifying epithets
measure.
Mr. HENLEY considered that in submitting his resolve. by which insincere profession makers are seeking to
tiles the right hon. gentleman opposite should at least give obtain the credit of aiming at such a franchise, without
an outline of what he proposed to do. It would not be fair incurring the risk of seeing it granted to them.
for the right hon. gentleman to make a speech, and then to
leave bin speech, unanswered at the time, to produce an ex They have declared for real secrecy of voting, by
parte effect upen the country. coupling the ballot with a redistribution of the elec-
Sir R. H. INGLIS suggested that the right hoe. gentle- torsi districts. They have declared for real responsi-
, man could lay his resolutions on the table without any bility of representatives by limiting the duration of
speech. parliament. To such an unequivocal declaration of
Lord J. RUSSELL could not assent to BO unusual a
course.) opinion men are not likely deliberately and publicly
Alderman THOMPSON quite concurred in the propriety to commit themselves unless they are prepared to
of the suggestion thrown out by the hon, baronet oprosite. "play out the play." More vaguely worded resolu-
Mr. WAWN thought that further inquiry was necessary, lions might have commanded a greater number of
the inquiry before the termer committee having been pre- voters in their favour; but those who vote for resolu-
maturely closed.
Mr. HUME denied that the labours of that committee ti,onso distinct and precise will receive the confidence
bad been abruptly concluded. Their investigation had been oi tho people. Their words will tell home in par-
of the most complete and searching nature. liament, because speaking in the name of the people
Mr. M. GIBSON fully corrobirated the etatement that they will speak with authority; their words will tell
''. the inquiries of the navigation committee had been of the home out of doors by imparting more precision and
fullest character.
Mr. NEWDEOATE was of opinion that this important
uniformity to the views of their supportirs.
subject should not be unduly hurried forward. Of late the columns of that portion of the
Mr. LABOUCHERE said that he was ready to make the provincial liberal press which in its eager-
arrangement that after stating his resolutions on Monday, rases to obtain a character for "moderation "
the further consideration of them should be postponed until is apt to overact that virtue, have teemed with
the following Monday. effusions from " our London correspondent," depre-
Mr. STEWART said he believed that the government
did not themselves know what the measure was to be, or eating the new movement as tending to bring liberals
why did they not give an outline of it ? into antagonism with ministers. We believe that Mr.
Sir G. GREY asked, did the hon. and learned gentleman Co' BOEN spoke pretty exactly the sense of the earnest
want to have •discossion on the subject forthwith. reformers throughout the kingdom, when he declared
Capt. HARRIS said that there had not been sufficient
inquiry by the House of Commons into the question how on Thursday evening that it is his determination to go
far the navy was manned from our commercial marine. lie for good measures without reference to men or parties.
had reason to knew that two-fifths of the navy were derived The movement will not seek to put itself in opposi-
from thin source. lie called upon the government not to lion to ministers, if ministers do not put themselves
Proceed with this subject till they had had before them the in opposition to it ; but it will hold its onward course,
report of the Lords' committee on the subject. regardless of what attitude they may please to
Mr. BRIGHT said that the navigation committee of that aseame.
house bad most laboriously examined into the subject.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER urged the It is not easy to read the riddle of Lord lons Rue.
house to adopt the mode proposed b his right hon. friend, BELL'S rejoinder to Mr. COBDEN, but if it mean any.
and to abandon the altogether irregular and most desultory thing, it means that ministers will either oppose the
discussion in which they were then engaged. demand for further reform, or escape the embarrass-
After a few words from Mr. WAwN, which did not
roach us, tog choice between aiding or obstructing the move-
Mr. RICARDO defended the proceedings of the cam- meat by resigning office.
mittee,. which he contended hid been conducted with per- Lord Jon is speech was painfully feeble, heal-
fect fairness on the part of hon. members on the oppo- testing, and irresolute. He avowed a desire to
site side of the house. The committee had most amiduonsl
preeeented a laborious inquiry, and on no day until the last cause
y make no distinction between Whig and tory, " be-
he believed that both parties, what
of their meeting had they been unable to make a quorum.
He denied that the committee had brought their labours to ever may have been the distinguishing cha-
sm abrupt conclusion, end felt bound to do so, because it was racteristics which belonged to them in anterior
an unfair statement calculated to mislead the house.
Mr. HUDSON was still of opinion that the committee had equally anxious to maintain those constitutional liber-
periods of our history, have been earnestly an&
then up in • manner neither satisfactory to themselves nor
to the house. ties so long the boast of these islands." He declared
Alter a...short desultory conversation the matter dropped. that he had no further measures of restriction to bring
, ra xi. BENTINCK inquired whether the right hon. forward, but refrained from promising any measures
1 gentleman the President of the Board of Trade would have to remove the discontent, the irregular expression of
1 ay abjection to permit the resolutions he intended to move
11 Mo
nday be pri ,tad with the votes? Such s tonne would which he has been labouring to restrain. " Whatever
r 0
they would on
Eve hon. members full notice of the matters proper retrenchments we can make," said Lord lons,
" let us make them. Let every kind of economy that
r Mondey have to discuss.
r au. LaCOlit.:llEN-P, said he would consider the proposal Can be safely practised be practised. Let etzo amend-
*tire ...