The Express.
London, England, 1866-06-12 00:00:00

THE REFORM BILL.

The house then (at a few minutes before 10 o'clock) went
into committee upon the Representation of the People Bill
:mot the Redistribution of Seats Bill, resuming the con-
sideration of clause 4.

Mr. HUNT moved an amendment to the effect that the
IV. conferring the franchise shall be not " gross estimated
rental," but the " annual rateable value."
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER opposed the
amendment as tending to reverse the decision of Friday
night, arguing that rental was the ancient constitutional
franchise, that it was the best measure of the value of the
tenant's interest and his ability to par, whereas rating was
only the measure of the landlord's interest, and that it
was the principle of the Chandra clause. He showed that
the example of Ireland, which had been quoted, was en-
tirely inapplicable, and that the adoption of rating, owing
to the varying systems of deduction, would lead to glaring
inequalities in every constituency.

Mr. Henley supported the amendment, and the Solicitor-
General, in opposing it, quoted a speech of Mr. Disraeli in
1859, exposing the inequalities of rating ; to which Mr.
Disraeli replied that since that time the two Union
Assessment Acts had been passed. Mr. Newdegate ad-
vocated a rating franchise in the interest of the working-
class freeholders ; and, after some observations from Sir
Jolliffe, Colonel Gilpin moved to report pro-
gress, but was defeated by 303 to 254, showing the largest
majority the government has yet obtained on the
question of reform. Major Knox renewed the motion in
another form, and the general question of the reduction of
the county franchise was resumed by Sir L. Palk, who
denied that it would benefit the agricultural labourer,and
intimated that the county members would not allow them-
selves to be driven into a premature decision on this
point. Colonel Edwardes, Sir R. Knightley, and
Mr. Stanhope followed in the same tone ; Sir J. Trol-
lope and 51r. Disraeli pleaded for a further oppor-
tunity of discussing a question so important to county
members, pointing out that the discussion had only coin.
menced at 10 o'clock, and Mr. Bouverie supported their
appeal ; but Mr. Gladstone continued firm, and after a
heated discussion, which lasted more than an hour, the
motion was defeated by 254 to 212. A third motion by
Mr. Bagge was acceded to by Mr. Gladstone under protest,
and the committee was adjourned until Thursday.

The remaining orders were disposed of, and the house
adjourned at a quarter to 2 o'clock.

ROYAL BOTANIC SOCIETY OF LONDON, REOENVS-
PARK. —At a meeting of the Fellows of this society held
last Saturday, Professor R. Bentley in the chair, tb:e
following were proposed and elected Fellows of the society ;
Mrs. Harry Robertson, J. Measent, Mrs. D. L. Drew, J.
B. Stephens, Alfred Essex, Charles Falconer, Mn. Wilson,
George Brown, H. B. Roberts, J. F. Malcolmson, D. L.
Bra:keit Mrs. Booed, J. H. Collyer, Rev. T. W. Prickett,
Mrs. M. Townsend. The second exhibition of American
plants took place on Monday, and the past week of sunshine
having brought forward some of the later varieties the
display was more brilliant than even at the first meeting •,
and to enable all persons to see these charming flowers, it
has been resolved to open the gardens to the public the
three last days of this week.
THE CONSOLIDATED BANK.—Yesterday after-
noon two separate meetings were held at Manchester, one
of shareholders, and the other of creditors, of the Consoli-
dated Bank. Communications were made the same in sub-
stance as those made in London. The meeting of shareholders
passed a resolution approving the resuscitation and re-
p opening of the bank, and the creditors passed a resolution
accepting the terms proposed for the settlement of their
claims. At both meetings the best spirit was displayed ;
they were both numerously attended, and the resolutions
were adopted unanimously.
_ . .

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