The Express.
London, England, 1848-05-02 00:00:00

Mr. IL WORTLEY mid the impression of the noble horde
to whom the right bon. baronet Ind alluded had been ma-
terially altered by consideration of its provisions during its
passage through the House of Lord'.
Mr. WALPOLE, as the originator of the measures
which hal been brought forward upon this subject, wished
to repeat his conviction that the course he had punned was
sound in law, sound to justice, and sound in equity.
The amendments were then agreed to.
ELECTIVE FRANCHISE (IRELAND).
Sir W. SOMERVILLE then rose to mane for leave to
firing in a bill to regulate the elective franchise, and ha the
registration of parliamentary electors in Ireland. Rena.
unlaced by laying that. he believed it was venoms'.'" it
dilate on the importance of this question, fur the evils der
gaining system nod been recognised by all parties far a loss
time past though those evils still remained unremoved.
The evils he rt [erred to were threefolol : first, the nature of
the franchise itself; second, the insufficiency of the Condi-
tuency ; third, the system of registration. Of the franchise
it was only necessary to say that it was ambiguous; and of
all the curses attending a political system he believed
the greatest wee ambiguity. As to the Irish franchise, the
greatest lawyers of the day were divided in opinion as to its
character ; revising barristers were rarely agreed as to it ;
and of course the p asantry under such circumstances could
not be expected to understand it. With regard to the eon-
' stituency, it was capable of proof feat the number of voters'
throughout Ireland wan gradually dwindling away, and that
a no distant period, if the legislature did not in-
terfere, the system of election in Ireland would be-
come a perfect tame. The bill it woe proposed to
Introduce had for its object, first of all, strictly to
define the franchise, and for this purpose he intended
to fall back upon the rating under the poor law. (Hear,
hear.) All the existing franchises requiring occupation
would be at once abolished, and in lieu thereof • simple
rating to tho poor, of the net annual value of 81. and up-
wards, would he substituted. He did not propose any
change in the franchisee which did not require occupation ;
but he proposed that the 81. franchise should extend to cases
of joint occupancy, provided rating of the property when
divided proved sufficient to qualify the parties. He also
proposed to give the franchise to owners of fees
simple of the value of fie He believed this
alteration would give an immense increase to the
comeitueney of Ireland, though by no means au
increase which, looking at the circumstances of the country,
could be considered unfair by England. Now as to the re-
gistration. Ile proposed that clerks of poor-law unions
should transmit to clerks of the peace annually complete
lieu of the panic* rated within the respective baronies. The
clerk of the peace having added the names of owners, the
lie, upon publication, would be the Rd of voters. With
regard to towns, it wan not proposed that any change should
take place in the qualification; but great complaints having
been made as to disqualifications arising from on-
payment of local rates, he proposed to abonlish
all such qualifications except with respect to non-
payment of poor-rates. Ile should lay the bill on the
table in order that its prov;sions might be considered,
and when he proposed the second reading he should
he prepared to go further in.° the subject, and to justify the
bill, if necessary, in its principle and different details,
Mr. FREWEN asked if he understood arightthat tenants
at will rated Atli/. per annum were to have a vote ?
Sir W. FOMERVILLE replied in the affirmative.
Mr. C. E. LAW asked, was an occupier for six months to
have a vote, supposing he paid a single rate ? A party
might have awn in another part of the parish for a long time
and not have paid. Would he thereby be disqualified ?
Sir W. SOMERVILLE said the practice most probably
would he that all arrears should be carried on.
Mr. HUME hoped the non-payment of rata would not
he mixed up with the question of franchise in any way what-
ever. here were proper modes of recovering rates without
disqualifying the voter. lie should be glad to know what
was the right hon. baronet's estimate of the increase of the
Irish constituency under this bill.
Sir W. SOMERVILLE supposed the number of electors
would he at least quadrupled.
Mr. HUME (sotto trace)—Oh! that's nothing. (Laugh-
ter.)
Sir D. NORREIS expressed his great satisfaction at the
increase, and hit conviction that it would be of the greate-t
beuefit to Ireland. lie capreued his regret that the govcrn-
meet had left the town franchise in Ireland untouched.
Leave was then given to bring in the hill.
POLLING PLACES (Ilt-ELAND).
Sir W. SOMERVILLE then obtained leave to bring in a
Lill for the establishment of additional pulling places, for the
purpose' of parliamentary elections in Ireland, the object of
the bill beitog nto limit the duration of county elections to two
days. and enable the electors in towns to give their votes
by wards.
WEST INDIA ISLANDS.
The CHANCELLOIt of the EXCHEQUER obtained
h aro to bring in a bill to extend to five years the period fir
the repayment of the hurricane loans to the West India
blends.
The house adjourned at a quarter-past eleven.