The Sun.
London, England, 1855-06-27 00:00:00

ELECTIVE FRANCHISE.

Major REED moved for leave to bring in a bill for con-
ferring the elective franchise upon persons (nut being aliens)
who are assessed to the income tax, but ate not upon a regis-
ter of electors for any part of Great Britain and Ireland.
The hon. and gallant gentleman said he was fully aware of
the importance of the subject. Though his intention was to
extend the franchise, he had no intention to degrade it; but
he thought it only fair that those classes who furnished blood
and treasure for our armies shoald not be totally unrepre
sented in that house. Neither could he see any reason
in allowing a member of that house to derive his qua-
lification from funded property, whilst we forbade a
man out of such property alone to vote at the election
of that member. He warned the house that there was
a strong feeling of distrust existing respecting them in
the minds of the people of England, and this was a most
fitting opportunity to do an act of common justice-
Commercial travellers to the number of 30,000 formed
another class who would be benefited by this bill. Then
there were the clerks of the Government offices, and of the
large private establishments. (Loud cries " Divide, di-
vide.") The hon. gentleman made haste to conclude by
asking leave to bring in his bill.
Lord PALMERSTON thought with the hon. gentleman
that it was rather late in the session----(a laugh)—to bring
in a bill on a subject of this kind, involving at least one
question which bad excited great variety of opinion in the
house. However, as he brought it merely for the purpose
of recording his opinion, and submitting it for the consi-
deration of publio—(hear, and laughter)—and, as he
did not expect to carry it through during the present ses•

sion, it would, perhaps, be discourteous in him (Lord Pal-
merston) if he were to offer any opposition to a bill brought
in on such terms. (Laughter.) He wished to be under-
stood as not meaning to imply that, when the extension
of the franchise should come to be considered, some exten-
sion might not be worthy of consideration. The hon. gen-
tleman hail selected a test of qualificaticn which, whatever
might be his anticipations, as likely in the course of events,
was not in its nature likely to be permanent ; but it had
the advantage of being a test, while it lasted, of responsi-
bility and property. Urder the circumstances, he offered
no hostility to the bill. (Laughter.)
Mr. DISRAELI said great complaint had been made of
the printers' bill for the house, and the extreme readiness,
of the noble lord to assent had added an item which he
thought was scarcely justifiable. The introduction of such
a bill on a subject so exciting was something that almost
perilled the tranquillity of the Parliamentary mind. The
question was a large one, and had been brought forward in
a manner worthy of the hon. gentleman. (Laughter and
"Hear, hoar.") But whether those persons who lived in
apartments, and had their clubs, were to enjpy the pri-
vileges of those who were fathers of families, and to per-
form all the duties which they were obliged to perform—
(loud laughter)—upon that point ho ventured to express
his dissent. However, the bill had enabled the noble lord
to express the contingent view of what he might do when
the extension of the franchise came before the house.
The motion was agreed to, amid laughter, withoutdivision
a