The Express.
London, England, 1848-06-16 00:00:00

BRITISH GUIANA.

Mr. H. MILLIE said that in consequence of the expen-
diture of this colony having increased in a very short time
Irons 56,0001. to 225,0001., the court of policy had very
wisely come to a determination that it was necessary to cur-
tail this expenditure, and had recommended the governor to
make a reduction of all official salaries. This recommenda-
tion bei g indignantly rejected, the court of policy proposed
to vote the supplies only for etz month". This proposal also
excited the disapprobetton of the governor; and the conse-
quence was, the supplies were not voted at all. As soon as
this account, which reached England by the last packet, was
known at the foreign-older, Lord Grey h. at refused to issue
licensee to two British vessels about to proceed to the
gout of Africa to convey emigrants to British °Wane,
stating diet he /Mould allow no more emigrants
ID be sent there mail the supplies were voted. Ile
wished to ask who her there would be lied on the table of
the house all the cerrespondence relating to the stoppage of
the supplies, else Oita with werence to thcita two vessels;
land w hether it would be dune before the debate on colonial
I stints?
Mr. HAWES said he must defer his answer as to the
msrreeponitence respecting the vessels until next day. It
was quite true that two vs earls about to proceed to Sierra
Leone, or Guiana, or St. Helena, had been refused their
licenses for Brdiste Guiana. The emigrants they were to
convey were of two classic—free emigrants and captured
Atlicans; to the letter the government stood in the relation
of guardians, and hod a Ficaril risilit to decide to which of
the colonies they should be sent. The legislative au horitiee
of Guiana having refused the supplies on very inadequate
grounds, his noble friend (Earl Grey) was nut willing that
the captured Africans should be sent there in the present
state of confusion of that colony, but rather that they should
go to some other; and many other celoci, s had equal claims
on the government. the free emigrants, on arriving in the
colony, entitled the shipowner to a bounty; at Guiana there
was now no fund out of which this Louie' be paid; and it
would have been most unfair to the shipowners to have
alto-red the free emigrants to :e there wider suck c:reura-
stances. But it must not he inferred that licenses were
relent it to ships taking emigrants to other colonies ; quite the
contrary.
Mr DARKLY asked if the emigration commissioners in
London hail nut funds applicable to this purpose I
Mr. HAWES did not b diens that any large amount was
so applicable. But until th.• colony w.c likely to make pro-
m provision fur the m Autenante oi order and the receteion
' of emigrants, it woulu undoubtedly be unwise to send them
there.
In answer to a further question from Mr. Demme,
lair. HAWES said the reformation given in the newspa-
pers relative to the stemage of the supplies was correct, so
that he did not see any end to be answered by the production
01 the correspundence, though probably there would Ike no
objection to it. The limos at the di-posal of the emigration
commissioners were solely for Ore aseheence of incssattous
emigrants.
WEST INDIAN DISTRESS.
LordJ. RUSSELL said lie proposed to make the state-
ment, of which he, had given notice for to-morrow evenings
tespecting West Indian distress, before the orders;of the day.
In answer to a question from Lord R. CitsuisitCholt, which
was not beard in the gallery, respecting a deputation which
had waited on the premier a short time ago,
Lord J. RUSSELL said the only atower he could give
was, that the propusal merle lay the depu'a'i an had been
censideml, but that government was lot able to acmde
to it.
PRIVILEGE.—THE LEICESTER WHIT.
Lord J RUSSELL said, as the bon. tie niter for North
Neertiamptorshire ( Mr. Soothed) had a notice on the paper
to move the issue of the writ ha Lea:ester, anal us the Gloaters=
before the committee wor not ya t in the bends of the house,
he would submit to the hon memaet whether he would pro-
ceed with his motion row, Cr would postpree it until slues-
day, who it, an hon. member having given notice to move the
issue of other write, the whole questien might be considered
at once.
Mr. STAFFORD said he hail nether expected some such
appeal as this, as the unceiotitutional course taken lay hon.
members epposite bad involved them in greet difthultits.
Ile could not consent to allow another day to intervene be-
fore taking the sense of the house on the issuing of this writ.
It was said the evidence was not in the bands of hon. mem-
bers ; but if it were drsitable to wait un this account, the
eugoestion outht to have been made earlier. He brought
forward this motion with more confidence after t ae short re-
cess which they had had ; for he found that honourable
members generally returned to tier house with a
keener sensa of their dirks to their constituents. 1% e
house hod parker d IS acts of parliument since the month
of November; three were 4S other bills to he chepnstd of,
and amonaet them was the ball of the hon. member tor the
Flint burghs. What hope was there that that bill would be
speedily pass d in'o a I as. ? and yet it was in such circum-
stances that they ware • kcal to suspend the err 1411 th y
could deal with all the boroughs in a lump. Ile thought
the course pursued by hon. gentlemen on the other lode
woo calculated rat' r tat &acne. all complaint, then to pro-
mote purity of s lection. It might be weil to suspead the
writ in case of Horsham, where they had particular views
with regard to the botough, and pr c.dente might be
quoted 6.r such a course as the 0119M1111011 of the writ foe
Liverpool in 1831. There, bower, r, the suspension was
only ter a particular time, at the expiration of which, if
nothing was done respecting the borough, the writ was
issued. But it seemed monstrous to place all
'these boroughs in schedule A , till a certain bill
had paged a bill, too, which the government
did not seem anxious to press on the hon. member (Sir J.
Harmer) to hitet,n forward. If he thought that the writ
ought to be suspeialed in any case, he confessed it ought to
be in the case of Leicester. It appeared in the toialence
given before the Wm stir Committee that all the bribery
which was carried on wok place in a certain house tato 3 the
" Reform office." One of the witnesses said that Mr.
Staines gave him the bribe, and that he kept a public-house
called "The Rights of the People." ("Hear, hear," and
laughter.) He knew hew painful such details and revela-
tions must be to the gentlemen who met in St.Ja [rte.-square,
and that they must cut a very awkward appearance while
professing the principle s of reform and purity of election at
'wing found out in carryinl on a P 1 steM of 'ornery with re-
spect to a large borough at the " Reform Mike," and by an
agent in bribery who kept a public-house called "The Rights
of the People." Ile had nn connexion with Leicester, and he
did not know the state of political parries there, se that he
bad no party interest in millin e the present motion. lie
heard, imieed, that Lard J. Manners was in the field, end
he wished him inertia if he ste od ; but he did not know the
two tnemb.rs would not be returned of the same principles
as the late members., Sir J. Walaisley and Mr. Gardner; for
es to them, the hon. member for Montrune must make up his
mind to give them up. Ile understoo I that great distras
and great dieettistactiun with the institu ions of the count. y
prevailed in Leicester; and that was another reason why it
would he unwise to keep such a community without a re-
presentotive in that house. The hon. gentlemen c' nsluded
by mov ng that a writ do issue for the erection of two mut-
ters for the heron h .11,4 k-ester.
Mr. FREWEN said he had received a letter from a very
respectable 'elicitor of Leicester, expressing surprise at the
notice of the hon. m,mber, without having any previous
communication wi'h rar.y person in the locality. (Hear.)
He thou ,ht that they should consider the repor: of the a am-
mittee before issuing the writ. His family had been con-
nected with Leicester for a very lane time, anal he could
state that it was the most notoriously corrupt plaice in the
kingdom ("Hear," .11111 laughter.) Lithe year 1326, as melt
as 66,000!. had been spent by three candidates at tee elec-
tion in that jeer. It was the same for many preview Nee-
tions. When he was illt:l2Ceii, very reluctantly, to become a
candidate fur Limner in 1830, he teld his committee that
he would rather Iwo his election than const nt to ene ca e
of brib. ry, but thc e:ectien went entirely ruainst hint beeause
his committee refused to spend 1501. for the sums purpose as
at the last election. (laughter.) A number of freemen
tendered him their votes at very nearly the mime price es at
the late election—the price at the late election being 173.61.
and the price at which the freemen offered themselves to him
being It. Those things had been eating on for a hag.
period. (Hear.) lie was suoe lie spoke the sentiment, of
the respectable portion of the community when he said they
wished the writ to be Imperiled for the present, till a mea-
sure passed for altering the existing state of things.
fele. K. SEYMER hoped that the house would not
agree to the motion of his hon. friend, as the evidence which
was taken before the committee of which he was chairman
was net yet in the hands of the members. He thought it
was but fair towards the committee to suspend the writ.
(Hear, hear.)
After a few words from Mr. MANOLF.B,
Sir J. PAKINGTON said he hoped his hon. friend
would nos prem his motion. On Tuesday next he intend, d
to move that the writs ,lo issue in the case of all the boroughs
except two, and of these two Leicester happened to lot
one. (A laugh.)
Lord J. RUSSELL thought that very conclusive rea-
sons had beeu urged against the issuing of the writ,
and if the hon. gentleman hod accepted his suggestion
he might have spared the house some time, which would
have brought them nearer to the bill of the hon. baronet
the member for the Flint burghs, and for which the hon.
gentleman expressed himself so anxious. lie wished to
state, however, that some hon. gentlemen seemed to ham to
be under a misapprehension as to the course taken by the
house in various instances with regard to the suspension of
writs. He was cot going to vindi ate the consistency of the
house with respect to particular boroughs, some of which
had been disposel of when he was not in the house ; hut, so
far from beingan unconstitutional proceeding, he considered
the suspoasion sat writs warrauted by eve:dr:ate i :Liu

beet time. In 1696 and 107, and several following years,
when it had been reported by a committee of the whole
house that corrupt practises prevailed, the writ was Me-
pended. The writ for diaborough was suspended from
December, 1696, to December. 1697—an entire year;
and it was only on the petition of the inhabitants, who
stated that the elections woild be conducted with purity for
the future, that the house consented to issue the writ. The
same course was followed in the care of Bishop's Castle
in the reigns of Queen Anne and George I. and George 11.
there were sewed instances of suspending writs. Su con•
firmed was this practice not only by precedent but by act of
parliament, that, In 182.5, when be &eked the house to sus-
pend the writs in the cue of three boroughs not only tem-
porarily hut-even during the dissolution, till the hoes hot
made inquiry, Lord C.iatkreagh, who might have
opposed the motion with raceme, immediately conserved
to the introduction of the bill, and he believed
the bill pasted through parliament. It was by no
torsos an unusual or uncenstitutiunal proceeding to
suspend the writ. With regard to the remedy do be
adopted he thought the house Ought to come toe de. mon is
to who' her they would approve of the principle ot the bun.
seemlier (Sir J. Hamner) or not. if the hour., approved of
the principle of thst bill, he thought they should emit it to
go on, and allow the sense of the majority to prevail. It they
Old not approve of the principle of that bill he would the n
either pros ad with the bill respecting Horsham, or he would
make the bill more general, But one way or other the house
ought to declare ins opinion. He did nut think it fair to
delay or obstruct the bill of the lion. gentleman (Sir J.
Harmer), and then make that • ground fur moving for the
halting of writs. (Hear.) He hoped the hoesc would not
give its countenance to that. (Hear.)
Mr. BANKES said, the good times to which the noble
lord had referred fur precedents were times of strong piety
feeling, and even of faction. One of the passigen which
struck him in the " Men.oirr of Lord H. rvey," lately pub-
lished, was that, where speaking of a contest in the house, in
those good times, with regard to an election, it ie said, tt
day the House of Commons voted that 40 be a majority over
90." (Laughter.) One of the real ins why he was opposed
to the suspension of writs was, that tho borouelut had
no person in the house to advocate their cause.
Mr. HUM E Raid that he hail given notice of an important
motion for Tueeday, and if the hon. member for Droitwich
(Sir J. I'akingtonl altuu.d bring forward Ins motien nn he
subject of the writs it would present him from bringing
on his motion at an e. sly hour. He hoped, th. retort, the
hon. gentlemen would net persevere in his notice, as any
othe r day would answer his purpose equally well, whilst he
(Mi. Hume) could not bring his mote.' forward except on
Tursea).
Sir J. PAKINGTON said that he heel fixed Tuesday
neat without any knowledge that the hon. member hat
his motion for the same evening. But having given
notice, and the subject be fug art important one, he could not
consent to fix his notice for another evening.
Col. SIBTIIOItP hoped the Imo. member fer Northamp.
toneleire would press his motion to • division. He believed
the object of the government was to shirk the quiation
&how then.
Cwt. ELLIOTT said there were many oar r towns
named in the bill besides Horsham.
Lord LINCOLN rose to appeal to the noble lord apposite
to give every opportunity in his power for preseing forward
the measure silted dto Unless precedence wan given to it
the Ilia could not be pasted, and, it it were not passel, the
11,111,e he placed in a ;weather. of much difficulty at the
close of the session, when • great constitutional question
might arise as to any farther suspension of these writs.
Lord J. RUSSELL said that although lie had not abso-
lutely undert iken the boll he had vise nit as much eocou-
regement and *upped we it it had been brought forward by
a number of the government.
Sir J. TROLLOPE, as a mr mitre of the Li iceeter com-
mittee wished to rem irk that they had specially reported
that the parties at that election api eared to require the con-
sideration of the house. He should like to know how the
con.ideration was to be given to it, when the evidence was
not before them.
Mr. HUDSON thought that, whatever might be tie re-
port of the committee, it was hard upon the great mijority
of the voters in Leicester to he deprived of the exercise of
their privilege*, bt cause of the misconduct of some v. ry few
of the electorate. As regarded his 11011. friend Sir Joshu
Walmaley, for whom ho had great est. em, he knew he h'ol
lean moot anxious to eyelet doing anything corrupt, and he
thought he hail been hardly treated.
ale. AGLION BY said Veen discussions were extremely
inconvenient. Ile had heard it said that small condeutn.
ces were always corrupt. He denied the fact as far as
Cuckermouth was concerned. (L sudden)
Sr G. GREY hoped all the gentlemen who represented
mull boroughs would not think it ra cereary to detail the
circumstances of their cenvarver. (Loud leugh•er.) In the
present ease he had no hesitation in refusieg his assent to
the motion before them. The evidence of the committee
was nut before them, and until it war, and until it had bees
e wintered, he should net vote in this ease for the issue of
the wri'.
Mr. MANGLES rose to explain. Ile had not attacked
}u.II buiougles indiscriminately, but had stated that a small
slumber 01 voters could always turn the scale.
Mr. COIIhEN said he hoped the house generally was
mire pure than had Is en represented. Of this be felt con-
vinced—that some of the ca-es which had been brought be-
fore the house were by no means such &grata cases as
bad occurred in other place s at the last diction. lie
believed the cases of Sir Joshua Walmsley and Mr.
Gardner at Leicester, of Mr. Seeley at Lincolii, and of the
late hon. member for Lancaster, were peculiarly hard can n:
(Hear.) He bath seri the last diction, in these bornueha
were as fair:), conducted as ever elections had been at these
pleas. (Cheers.) But what he rose to advert to was the
tact that the hon. member for Droitwich had thought it fit
to give notice of his intention to interfere between Lis hon.
friend (Mr. Hume) and the decision of the h use on Tues-
day night. The hon. member for Droitwich bad declared
that he did not know that he should so interfere when he gave
lii4 notice. but he keew it now. The fact had been
stet d to him. His reply was, that his motion was of so
much importance, that he could not postpone it. But there
was no occasion to post;one it. Ile might brie g it forward
to-marrow, or on Monday. (Hear, hear.) It he did, how
ever, per-tot in bringing it forward on Tuesday, he would
drive himself and his friends to take the only remaining
coulee which was open to them, and raise diseuesions on the
general state of the representation of the people, whenever
the quf stein of a writ was raised. (Cheerr).
Mr. W. MILES thought. Mr. Hume fairly entitled to
bring forward a question relating to the representation of
the people.
Mr. GORING also said he should vote for the suspension
of the writ.
Mr. STAFFORD sail he should mole tomorrow the
1911 r of the writ for Derby, and thereby get over the dart-
co ty arising from the notice given by the member for
Droitwich, who certainly might as wed have tiled his
motion bur tiny other day than Tuerdry. Olean hear )
He had be en asked to postpone this motion, because the .
dence was not before the house, When would it be laid
In fire them ? If ai y printer were to be able by his &lays
to pt event the issuing of a writ, he did not know where the
suspension of writs would terminate. Although he knew
that he should be in but a small minority, he should, on
principle, en.i.t on a division.
For the motion
Against it
PIJULIe HEALTH BILL.
Oa motion for a :urther proceeding on further considera-
tion of the report on this bill,
Lord LINCOLN said he was anxious to withdraw a mo-
tion of which he had given notice to alter the constitution of
the board by which this bill was to be worked. Ile had
theught a central authority nemewry, but that in the hill, es
eirapeally framed, the principle of centralisation was carried
too far. The bill, however, had since been altered, and its
machinery had been re.anicructeil. lie highly approved of
the alterations which had been made, Lind he should there-
fore withdraw the amendment ho had int. tided to pmpose.
Viscount MORPETH expressed his gratification et the
withdrawal of the amendment, and thanked the noble lord
for the general support he had given to the bill.
Col. THOMPSON then moved to substitute the following
for deem 88
Pi os ided always, and br it enacted, that no contract, covenant, or
agreement between landlord nod tenant, or any other pet sow, touch.
ing the payment of taxes arilasstruntenbt to be charged on their m-
inas:live premeee, than be deraned or COUStfIIOI to extend to the pay.
mints or appriftratnents of payment charged thereon trader this act,
our to he basting contrary to the intent and meaning of this act ; but
that all such payments shall be charged upon and pill by the re-
oCeUpill., subject to such deductions and repayments ia are
by this act authorises! and allowed ; 1111,1 all such deli e ions and
rep lima-. wltall be made and allowed accordingly, notwithstanding
PINII contracts, covenant., or agreements; and all e unmet., cove-
nants, and agreements made or t•ntertsl into, Or to be mad, or entered
into, tor payment of any rent or other annual payment in full,
without allow mg such deducuonsiali repayments as aforesaid, shall
be utterly void.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL opposed the amendment.
1 he chum. was withdrawn without a el* n.
Mr. TURNER then movtd to add at the end of clause A
the following clause :
Anal be it enacted that, immediately upon the lathing by the mitt
getira..llraard of health at nay such cratidcate as find above men-
thraid, in reterence to any ban al ground of any parish or extra-
partibial lance, it than be the ..uty of the said general board to give
notice to the local board fur the district within which the burial
ground referred to in such certificate shall be situate, requiring Ruck
Weil tonne within a time to be tiled by such nutter, to provide or
puietuow additional land to such extent as to the wad general board
shill seem meet, and situate either within or out of ihe bounds of
,mtdu parish or place, for the enlargement of such bcrid ground, or
for making tan aratitiont.l Initial groom' for the said pariah or extra-
parochial plufr, and thereraran it shall be lawful for the raid laud
bthrd, with the approbation of the said general hoard, to make sue h
provision or purchase accordingly ; and in default of with provision
or purchase Icing made and completed within the time fixed by such
notice, it dill be lawful fur the said general board to m ike such pro-
vision or purchase, and for the purposes of such porchuse, either by
the said gra.eral boant or by the maid local board, all the provisions of
Oct.:MIA (.I,elConsuliiLition Act 1815, relative totbe purchase and
plc of lands, shall be consolidated with and be deemed and taken to be
part of this act.
Mr. W. J. FOX opposed the clause, as involving an injus-
tice to the dimenters, who would be taxed for churchyard
accommodation, from the use of which they might be ex.
eluded.
Mr. NEWDEG ATE supported the clause.
Lord J. RUSSELL would put to the hon. gentleman the
Case of a baptist • the baptist would of course have to con-
tribute towards the rate for erecting a new churchyard, es
proposed by the hon. member. Would the baptist be euti.
Bed to bury his child in the churchyard to waich he bad
contributed ?
Mr. TURNER said that his douse did not alter the
general principle of the bill in this respect. There would be
of course a portion of churchyards open for dissenters.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL pointed out that the bill
vested the freehold of churchyards in the clergyman.
Mr. TURNER said the difficulty might ba obviated by
only vesting the consecrated pertio• of churchyards in the
clergy man.
Mr. HUDSON conceived that it was a hardship for die-
sel...ens to be tall, ii upon to contribute towards the pur-
ot a iaturzeyord trona which ;hey might I.lc.

that plural voting in parishes was very unpopular amongst
the people at large.
L .rel MORPE CH said that the question had been so fully
argued in the house that it would be disrespectful to the de-
cision then arrived at to alter the clause.
Mr. S. CRAWFORD, who seconded the motion, also
strongly eupported it.
N Mr. EWDEGATE, as a magistrate, denied that plural
votieg in parochial matters had been productive of dis-
content.
Sir B. HALL said that he was the re presentative of three
parishes, in two of which singl voting was permitted, and in
the t .ird (Paddington) plural votes arra given, to the great
iiissatislaction of the parishioners. If the toll for the metro.
p die, which the government were preparing, contained any
ouch clause as the present, he was sure the different parishes
would be greatly opposed to it.
Mr. HENLEY thought the government was right in
adhering to the decision already come to ley the house.
After a few words from Mr. Dieu UMW. le,
The house divided—For the motion
Against it 46-28
The amendments having all been considered, the report
wee received.
BOROUGH ELECTIONS BILL (No. 2),
On the order of the day fur the house to go into committee
ou this hill being reed,
Colonel Sllllllolll' rose, to offer all the opposition in h'a
power to this bill.
Lord J. RUSSELL hoped Oat as the lineage had already
declared its opinion of the merits of the tall iu two divisions,
the committee would be permitted to be proceeded with
without further delay. (Hear.)
The house thee. went into vitamin. con the bill.
Col. SIBTHORP moved that the coairman report pro.
gresa and ask leave to oft again.
Mr. BANK ES would he willing to sup,tort his hon. and
gallant friend in a division against the first clause, but
trussed that he would nut take the eri mirigly invidious
counts of dividing ,a a merely formal stage of the bill.
Col. SI lITHORP persisted in dividiag the house, and the
gallery was ei area. On our return we were Wormed that
uo divis uu bad taken place, th • mover of the arise adment
havieg been unaele to obtain a teller. The hi n. aid g Mout
menthe r heathy bundled up his hooka and papers aul walked
out of the house.
0,1 clause 1, appointing commie/done-Ts,
Mr, BAN) ES had au of ctiou to leis shone, which, In-
d. eel, involved the whole principle of the bill. He objected
generally to commissioners anointed by government, be-
C4U-C—let them act ever so impurti ally—their decisions never
gave satisfaction, being always suspecu el of bias. It had been
so in the ease of the commissioners under the Reform Bill,
and also in that of the municipal commissioner'. Besides,
they never could get men of much einhience at the b .r to
serve on these c annsissions, and the hullers of the franchise
would hardly be satisfied to be deprived of it at the liscretion
of third Of fourth rate legal practitioners. (Herr' hear.)
In addition to this, they could never steer clear of the suspi-
cion of political bias.
The SULICI tea-GENERAL.—The Lord Chief Juatlee
would nominate. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. BANK ES feared th it under any circumstances it
would tee impossible to remove suspicion from the public
Mind. Admitting that the Chief Jul ice did appoint, he
would not draw on the front ranks of the profes,.un for the
c minissiuu, and the consequence would be that the lonia
ten chose n must be of inferior status erne to those who pre-
sided ov. r the county courts, the latter beiner permanent,
while the former were only transitory appointments. Then
the duties of these pinuaissieners were hot clearly de fined.
They were to inquire and report their opinions; that was
to soy, Lie opinion, for under the bill use commissioner
might constitute a court. It was said that the opinion
of the c..mmissioner was not to iuthience the
house. If not, why all this trouble, and the expense
to the country of five guine A a day ? And here he had
another objection. The modes of re :itineration would
make it the interest of the barrister employed to delay the
inquiry ler as long a time as possib e. (Hear, hear) The
house would then be in this dilemma—either the decision
would be fin.l, and a borough might be diatranchis el on the
dictum of a barrister of little or no standing, or it was a
nulli'y, anil all the expense, trouhie, seed delay would go for
nothing. By the third clause one commissioner might hold a
court, sod he had powers given huh greater than 1.31 lifer
been tolerated in this country since the day* of the Star
Chamber. The tenth clause gave the commissioner indem-
nity on all legal points, but there were also such things as
points of honour, from which be could not he indemnified.
lie was empowered to summon turtles before him, and be
might compel them to expose and denounce other parties
with whom lie had been connected. This wail a must
in-
vidious power. Ile (Mr. Bankes) had once had occasion to
summon& banker before •committee of that notuse,but having
received a pnvate intimation that the party in question
would commit suicide it the summons were persisted in, he
gave up the notion. It might be said that he had shrunk
irons his duty, but there were points of honour which could '
not be got over. Ile entreated the told • lord to withdraw
his support from this bill, and to adopt the course he had
himself originally suggested. Let him in each case appoint
a committee of five, with powers to et smite witnesses on
oath, and a decision would be arrived at calculated to satisfy
both the other house of parliament and the country.
Sir J. HANMER said that the course suggested in this
b:11 had already been adopted in the case of Sudbury, and
had received sp neral approleation. The hon, and learned
member for Duraeurnire objected to coannissioaers as likely
to be influenced by political bias; but were committees of
that house entirely tree from suspicion ? (Oa, oh.) He re-
'Ml mbered one notorious case—the borough of? Nottingham.
(" Ilear, hear," and cries of " Hull ' and laughter )
Very well; he merely mentioned the cases to show
that committees had been accused of political bile.
He had watch, d the proceedings at the various public meet-
ings throughout the country in support of Mr. Hume's mo-
tion, and though be had observed many opinions put forward
as to the condition on which the franchise should rest, the
mode of taking votes, and the duration of parliaments, he
had never seen that the constituencies of any borough in
o hich such meetings lead been he'd, had declared that they
would commenea the work of reform by purifying them-
s lees of corrupt practice-a. There was no reason to suppose
that the jos'. ride of the electors could be otlended by a
strict inquiry in every case in which a c instituency was now
misrepresented, not because of the death or resignation of
the late member, but because bribery and treating had pre-
vailed at the last election. It hail been complained that
the commissioners wou'd decide in accordance with any Was
that might obtain in their own mind., hut that wee impassi-
ble ; all the commisdaners had to do, was to collect evidence
and embody that evidence in • report, and on that ri port it
' would be fur parliament t, act. He swilled that the inquiry
would be as expensive as some hon. gentlemen seemed to

sureiNSTEY believed that the reason why many hon.
gentlemen opposite support, d this bill was that they be-
bevel it would have the effect of a tvancing one of the
objects of Mr. Ilume's motion to di-lranch se the em dt
boroughs. Nut only did this bill take away the rizht of
trial by jury, vesting the whole Never in the commissioner
without any ay.peal, but it offi red a direct premium to
perjury. The whole bill was open to . hieetions of a similar
character. Treating and bribery w ro dealt with as if
eqaalty criminal, although one was oppo-ed to the law both
cat God and m in, and the other comp 'naively innocent,
The consequence of putting them in the same category '
would be to induce the poor man, who could see nothing
corrupt in treating, to view bribery In the Mlle. light. In
accordance with his pledge he should feel it his duty to
opoo-e the further progress of this bill.
Mr. HUDSON contended that no sufficient case of comp-
ti heed beets made out by. the hon. Mir 'net to ju-tiy tbismea•
sure, which proce:-ded °away upon a ptinciple of surmise. It
treating were to be deemed a corrupt practice, he saw no rea-
son why they should not, with equal reason, legislate against
the influence of property, or ever. of eloquence, which, by fat-
sitting the fact, might lead men to a vote on calmer
r. llection, they would regret. Its effect would be to intro-
duce heartburnings in several towns, the effect of which
would be most prejudicial. The hon. member for Montrose
was anxious for household suffrage ; if the house wanted
that, they had it in the freemen of s me existing boroughs ;
but the object of this bill was to extinguish that class of elec-
tors. He was well acquainted with the virtues and merits
of freemen, though he was not returned by that class. It
was said the thief commissioner was to be named by the
Lord Chief Justice; but ho had ae:uelly heard the gentle-
mm already named by the promoter of this bill. (Hear,
hear.) lie understood the appointment was to be given to
the late hon. member for Bath. (Hear.) lie knew what
it was to be examined tot three days belore a committee of
that house on election mitten, and to have his banking ac-
aunts rummaged over and exposed to individuals of the op-
posite party. Some such inquisitorial proceeding might take
place under this bill, which, though only applicable now to 1
12 or 13 boroughs, might on a future occasion be applicable
to 80 or 100. This would be a precedent in the next parlia-
ment, when hon. gentlemen opposite might perhaps be in a
minority. (Hear, bear.) Tan measure would perpetuate
ill-blood in half the towns in the kingdom; it would become
a perfect nuisance ; parties bankrupt in fortune and character
would busy themselves in getting up these inquiries and
tomenting discord, while the respectable classes would hold
themselves aloof. Expenses the most ruinous would be in-
' currcd ; and this was not the way to purify a constituency.
(Hear, hour.) The Solicitor.Oeneral, a.: the legal protector
of her Majesty's subjects, ought to have taken care that no
- party was expend to such a heavy peualty. (Laughter.)
- ale hopedthat local authorities would mark their disapproval
. :71 manta bx .he us trmA:

that to such queetions the committee would address itaelt.
Mr. BANKES raid a few words in justification of the
course he had pursued.
Mr. GODSON wi-lied to know, in refers-ice to the first
clause, whether tit, Lord Chief Justice had consented to
accept the irksome duty of appointing the earnmi.sioners?
Sir J. DANMER said that the Lord Chief Jastice had
consented to do so.
Mr. GODSON—That being so, the qtestion arose how
far the 11 npie of Cammens would consent to give away its
jurisdiction.
The fIOLICITOR GENERAL said the house would act
part with he juriedictMn at all, because the commissioners to
be appointed would have no power to disfranchise the
boroughs. The object et the hill was to give a convenient
mode for seer 'Mining evidence on whims the house was to
act. There was an appearance of ice insiiaeney in the Chief
'entice appointing the commissionersin the first instance,
and afterwards the Speaker; but that arm, from a dieincli.
nation to name the commissioners in the bill itself, lest it
might be said that they were selected for their political
opinions, and the Sleeker did not wish to make the ap.
pointment in the first instance. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. lIEN LEY thought the bill vicious and ill contrived.
Ile should like to know from the Solieitor-General on what
authority it was stated that the Lord Chet Juatice would
take upon him,. if the appointment of the enromimionen.
It was reported also that certain persons had been already
selected for the office.
Sir G. GREY said that no nomination of commissioners
had taken place, and if the clause were edepted th,. Lord
Chief Justice would be at liberty to chose from the en-
tire bar any persons whom he thought prop r.
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL said what was intended
was that the comnnis-ioners to be appoii.tad by the Chief Ju-
stice should inquire into the bernuphs mentioned in the
schedule, and that when they made their final report they
should befancti (Irwin. But with Tepid to any fatale boo
roughs which it might be necessary to inquire into, the in-
quiry was to t.dee plum under the 17th sec.
Col. SIBTirIORPIWd the bill was the most clumsy he
ever read, and he would oppose it in every stage.
Mr. ANSTEY (amid cries of "Divide") a bserved tint
the 7th clause was so worded that the commisConers would
have to go into questions of usage and custom. and might
protract their inquiries indefinitely.
Mr. GODSON asked if the tort-miesioners' decision was to
be final, and
Mr. HENLEY said he should like to know pr cisely what
their powers were to he.
Mr. NEWDEOATE expressed his belief that the go.
vernment lead not decid-d at all with respect to these com-
missioners until five minutes before they came down to the
he use.
Mr. BANKES said these commissioners were required to
report the names of parti: a whom they might " find guilty"
of bribery. Was it not an a, :au to give such an authority
power to brand people in s.ich a way ? He moved that the
chairman report progress.
Lord J, RUSSELL supposed there would be no objection
to divide on the elate*e itself, provided progress were then
reported.
Mr. BANKFR assented.
The house divided on the clause —For lOB
Ai:6mi 39-69
The CHAIRMAN then reported progres. eud obtained leave
to sit again.
WRIT FOR DERBY, &c.
Sir J. FAKING rox said that in conseqitnee of the ap-
peal which hod been made to him in the early part 01 the
evening not to bring on a question of privili go on Tuesday,
he should brine toward his motion for the issuing of these
writs at the sitting of the house on Monday, or, it that shaald
be vary ieconvenient, on Thursday next.
The house adjourned at • quarter to 1.