The Express.
London, England, 1858-11-09 00:00:00

ILNITOIIB-07 L 1141771.

In accordance with tbeana aitl custom followed of
years by inure' of the Eked membens ef pediment,
the lea. 'maim fir Lambeth wee kie emseleente Mee ems-
fag, et the Horne Taws, M weer an account of hie vo-
ider to parliament during the pet emeice, and to confer
with them upon the present eared of political affair,. The
stemdeace was very semeress, sod the mderity of the per-
seer present appeased M bofeug le the pewee elms of voters.
Mr. Wessel' preided.
Mr. WILLIAMS, who was wi weimmal, sad he bad
invited hie conatituants to .set s, dist he Right give
them en account of his coedit,* fa the last asselow. mad to
afford than an opportunity of demending say explemation
they might desire. Hs could mot wppos he bed sesionded
in saisfying all, and In every Particular, but he was teady to
give his 111•90118 for every vote he had given. He had sot
Malabeatt a single day or a single night daring the whole
semitia. (Hear, beer.) They could hardly form an idea of
the arduous duties of a member of parliament who con-
saleatiously carried out the trust reposed In him by his con-
• slitaents. He had during great part of the session to be
CS • eoemdttee ateleven o'clock in the morning, and to remain
In the boom until two or three on the following morning.
The has. gentleman proceeded to review the events
of the session. Under the old borough. monger-
fag parliaments the army and navy expenditure had bees
NI& IMMUNE It was now. When Sir R. Peel and the
Dune/ Wellington were in oeloe—the one the greatest
steam, and the other the greatest general of modern
dam-11,670,0001. was found to be sufficient for the army
and navy expenditure; whaler last year, sada the go-
venumetat of Lord Palmerston, It wee 22,620,0001., or almost
doable—la feat, upwards of 11,000,0001. more. (Bbame.
He was sorry to say that the military expenditure
by the present government was but very little lees.
tee, and gentlemen connected with the military services were
always holding up the Emperor of the French en • sort of
bugbear to justify a heavy military expenditure, en the phis
that it was nemeemary to protect ourselves against harks.
(Hew, hear.) Why, there had not been for ages en the
throne of Framos• man more disputed to maintain
relations with this country than the present Emperor. It
wee his interest to do to, and we might depend that
he would always consult his own Interest. (Hear, bear.)
In the year be had referred to, when Sir R. Peel sad the
Duke of Wellington were in power, the total public sepia&
ture was 16,730,0001. be. then It was tinder Lord Palmer-
.tea's government lest year—(Jame)—which 16,000,0001.,
had it been saved to the country, would have enabled the
geustiment to take Mites whole of the income-tax, abolish
I the tea duty, and the duty on malt and on hops. Tea would
ham been Is. 4d. • pouid, and good smog beer might have
been sold at 2d. per pot. (Hear.) Then the mesa govern-
meat in their estimates this year wanted 7.600,0001. mom
money then they did in 1862, when they were last la
power, and the only explanation they gave was that they
could not make reductions all at ones. (lieu, hear.)
These were matters It was the duty of the representatives to
attend to. (Hear.) One of the first duties of the Booms of
Commons In olden time was thought to be to hold the purse.
strings of the nation, but now they seemed to think their
duty was to epee the puree a lade asportable. Again,
with regard to the civil service eatimetee—in 1830, when the
Duke of Wellington wee prime minister, the total amount
was 2,000.0001. Last yep, under &reformed parliament, and
with a liberal government in ofilce, it wee 6,030,41001., excludes
of the expenditure on account of the revenue, as the Excise
and Custom., which amounted to between 4,000,0001. and
6,000,0004 more. If all these matters were looked into as he
proposed by a committee many minima • year would be
saved. He brought forward another important motion for
hapoming the probate duty upon leaded property, which
wee not successful. They were aware that every description
of property except land paid probate duty. When a poor
man died who had perhaps • few pomade in the savings beak
the government could seed In • broker to value his furniture
sad clothes, and if his whole property was worth 201. his
children must pay 2{ per out. oe it ; bat If secielemaa died
Wavier estates Werth 1,000,0004, hie successor did not pay a
farthing. (Shame.)Wari;not that abominable? (Yes.) He also
proposed that sppropristed tithes, which amounted to a large
sum in the aggregate, should oleo pay probate and legacy
duty. The tithes in many parishes were in lay heads and
descended like other property. Why, therefire, should they
be exempt from the duty ? They did now pay legacy duty,
Mr. Gladstone having, but Da erithoet oceskimrable difikalty
and much opposition, carried a bill fur that purpose. He
proposed that not only those appropriated tithes, bat cor-
porate property. the property of universities, dame and
°harem, and biabopries-amclasive of the bishop's income—
should be subject like other property to there chargee. He
had brought thiopental" forward several timm bat he could
only get 64 membwe to vote for it lest esestea, sad
he wee alrecee surprised that ha got ao many,
Ravin hem ma of Mom who visited Cherbourg, they would
expert Wen is say remaking of what be saw them Won, I
homer the whole • laugh)—about which so meek
had hers odd and talked be this country. Cherbourg was no
doubt • place wonderfully fortified, but what had we to do
with that? Woad not want to stuck Cherbourg. All that
we required wee to protect our own coasts, and to provide for '
oar own safety, for which he was as desirous as any man
could be. (Hear' hear.) He looked at all that wee
to be seen at Cherbourg, bat saw nothing to be
afraid of. But the medusa and hangers-an of
government were trying to frighten the people about Cher-
bourg, se it the great batteries there could be floated and
sent against this country. But the object of those pawns
was to put their hands in the pockets of the people. Why,
we had at Portland, Immediately opposite Cherbourg and
Mutest fa sight, • harbour that would hold all the ships of
war in our navy, which might be collected there ready to
destroy may /one that could come from Cherbourg. The
great works were still gulag on at Portland, and it wan about
to be fortified. People connected with the army and navy
mid that our mete were delseeelese, and that our military
forces were ineufikient. Why, there were 59,380 sailors arid
marines voted last year—the largest force we ever mais•
tamed In time of peace. For several yeses miter the French
war our force wes not half that amount. If this force was
properly applied no power or powers could approach our
shores. They would perhaps be surprieed to learn that the
Hoses of Commons voted last swim for the regular army,
militia, enrolled easeiours, dockyard battalions and yeo-
manry cavalry 220,000 men; then there were 12,000 Nat
pollee, all pinked tam and trained like soldiers—thee
at had • force of 232,000 fur the defence of Great Britain
and Ireland. Besides this there ware 32,000 man for the
colonies and 92,000 men voted expressly for India. With
stab a force what had we to fear ? He did not know bow
many of this mighty army were enlisted, but, with regard to
the nary, they bed been told by the First Lord of the Admi-
ralty that the full number wee completed and somethber
more. Now a word at two upon the promised Reform Bill.
(Cheers.) He had no great forth that the moment government
would Mirada* any bill worth amepting ; but be wet
willing to see whet they would pram., and support that
which was good in their measure, while he would oppose that
which he thought injurious. He apprehended that they
would enlarge the frarohise—that would be rood. Them
they woad so doubt abolish moms of the small borough'.
But It was to be feared that they would give to the monde'
the members they took from those boroughs, end would erre
other small boroughs into suety electoral districts. If that
was the Reform Bill of the government, they ought to oppose
It , tor they would be worm off than they were now.
The seven comatituanoiss of the metropolis relmmed
sixteen members to parliament, 'ulnae, of Greenwich.
Them were returned by a largee body of election than 286
members returned by 194 other mackesselea. Wee not
this monstrous ? (Hem, hear.) If they added illembreler,
Liverpool. sad Glasgow, they would have 186,600 votary re.
taming 22 members for the 10 constimandes, whereas Mere
, were 216 constituencies with 180,000 electors, estaraisieLlT
members. or • majority in the House of Commons.
at tisk effect. The laws which tours the 28,000,000 people
of this country might thus be made the
halves of the 180,000 *leek" mistby
that 7 Trey-
voted together they would form • majority of
the whole haw& Was this • saes of things that ought to
be allowed to net? Some people talked of equalising the
cesetilmacies, but he did not expect they would be able to
de that. They must eadeautm to approximate as near to
pea*, as they could. To apportion the member, tqually to
the eseseitammies they ought to have 70 members to the
werepolia With regard to the reduction of the fran-
chise, they knew that the poor tate, upon which
the right to vote depended. was en many houses
paid by the landlord. Last year pre moved for
• return of the total number rated to the par. He
hued that in the Tower Hamlets it was 88,000, and in Lam-
beth47,ooo. How meld mob a constituency be managed with
the present number of members. If the francbise were
lowered the number who would come upon the register would
be much greater. In coachalon, the hon. member thanked
the reseusit for the pat once with which they had heard him,
and stated his readiness to wawa any quadrat, that might
be put.

Mr. Osoxsas complained that more than 1,000 people
bed bon eon& off the register this year in conaegaence
Ike haillade omploodlog for the ratan

WIIMAIIII-ogioto;d that ft the bowie or dwellisg
erne silo Mt t root fort oat domed to bo rased 'eight be
abb. ibo torint wadi. AsttWWog duly paid, have
illo Opt at esibi. Itttatty woo ono little difficulty Is
Illot yid& it ti w 111611 a Dill le hoped vela be

lizzorss Ambit Mr. Willimasr bard of sorrel-
esekres the draft Ikellesisesetlis eisettve Herat the
'mat to be dam ups the wish mu, w bare ezer-
obi bis lima to Mace public Wades se that those poor
raes sight love been retained in the seralos. (Reer.)
Mr. WTILLIMII dialed that any men bad bras reduced
this year.
Armenia Itincroa raked what crane the tom. member
had Odra an mud m Mr. Ayrton's bill for the equalisation
of the poet tram
Iir.WILLIANs—Thas bill war .Itbdrawn won it Om.
to a vele. Had s pane to n division he .hash have voted
kr It. (Hear, hear.) Int a better bin would be brought is
assi par, which would bare his rapport.