The Sun.
London, England, 1852-11-24 00:00:00

IMPEL UAL PARLIAME iN T.

HOUSE OF COMMONS-(THIS DAY.)

The SPEAKER took the chair at 12 o'clock.
Mr. BLACKETT presented a petition from out-pen-
sioners of Chelsea Hospital complaining of the non-pay-
ment of arrears now due to them.
Mr. THOMAS DUNCOMBE moved, in reference to
a " Return to an Order of the Honourable the House of
Commons, dated June 22, 1852, for a copy of all com-
munications made by the architect and officers of the
British Museum to the trustees, respecting the enlarge-
ment of the building of that institution ; and of all com-
munications between the trustees and the Treasury on
the same subject subsequent to the period when the
commissioners upon the constitution and management
of the British Museum presented their report to her
Majesty,"—also, of all such communications of a like
nature as shall have been omitted in making the above
return ; and also of all such communications of a like
nature as shall have been made subsequent to the above-
mentioned date of the 22d day of June, 1852.
Agreed to.
COUNTY ELECTIONS.—POLLS BILL.

Lord R. GROSVENOR moved the second reading of
his bill.

Mr. B. DENISON said, though he was favourable

to confining the polling for the counties to one clay, he
objected to its taking place so soon after the nomination;
the bill proposing that only one day should intervene
between the nomination and the day fixed for
the polling. If the bill passed in that shape, it
would not tend to diminish the cost of contested
elections. The inconvenience of the system was
shown in the election of Mr. Cobden for the West Rid-
ing of Yorkshire. He thought it would be better that
a week should elapse between the nomination and
polling. He should vote for the second reading, but
when the bill went into committee he would move the
omission of the clause limiting the interval to only one
day. It was worth while considering whether it would
not be advisable to require the Sheriff to send a printed
paper to each voter, with a request that he should
return it with the name of the candidate for whom he
wished to vote, as such a plan would save great expense
to voters and candidates.

Mr. R. PALMER did not think it was either expedi-
ent or necessary to alter the present system, believing
that if the polling was limited to one day, great incon-
venience would be occasioned, and many voters be vir-
tually disfranchised, for it was impossible that all the
electors could come up to vote on one day, many of
them having to attend markets, and other places which
they could not neglect without great loss to themselves.
The hon. member concluded by moving that the bill be
read a second time this day six months.

Lord H. VANE entertained considerable doubts as
to the expediency of the bill, but he would not oppose
the second reading. He entertained considerable objec-
tion to that part which limited the interval between the
nomination and polling to one day, and in agreeing now
to the second reading, would reserve to himself the right
of moving the return of that provision before the bill
reached its third reading. _ _ _

Mr. WALPOLE was not inclined to think that any
great inconvenience would attend the alteration pro-
posed by the bill, of confining the polling to one clay,
instead of two as at present, provided it could be
done without additional expense, in which case he
should be prepared to support the measure. (Hear.)
He would, therefore, agree to the second reading, for
the purpose of seeing in committee how such an altera-
tion could be conveniently crrried out. It appeared to
him that a sufficient number of proper polling places had
not been provided for in the bill, in order that every
vater might have an opportunity of recording his vote
in one day. With regard to the other point, namely, as
to the restriction of the time which was to elapse
between the nomination and the day of polling, he enter
tamed a strong objection to is. An interval of one day
was too short, and though he was favourable to the
other provisions of the bill, he should certainly object to
this clause. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. ALCOCK could not understand the objections
which the hon. member for Berkshire had raised to this
bill, surely five thousand voters in a county eould do
that in one day which 20;000 had to do in a borough.
Circumstances had changed since 1832, for railways had
sprung up in every direction, and there was now no diffi-
culty in getting from place to place. And yet under
the existing law if a nominee for a county town took
place on a Wednesday, the polling could not be opened
until Monday, an inconvenience which ought immediately
to be removed, and as this bill would do that he called
upon the house to adopt it without hesitation, more es-
pecially as it would save expense and prevent much an-
noyance to the counties who were favovrable to the
purity at elections.
Mr. SPOONER said those who opposed this bill did
not do so with the view of resisting economy at elections,
but he fo one opposed it because he thought it
would increase expense. Besides, he knew from expe-
rience that if this bill passed the whole of the free•
holders of the county of Warwick would be unable to
record their votes in one day, while it was physically
impossible that the Sheriff could make the necessary
preparations for an election in one day.
Sir G. PECHELL supported the second reading, and
declared his opinion that the time had gone by when
legitimate reforms connected with the franchise could
be success ;fly resisted.
Mr. 3lONSELL:regretted that Ireland was not to be
included in the operation of this bill, for great as
was the benefit which England would undoubtedly
derive from its provisions, it was infinitely
short of the good that it would do to Ireland, where it
would not only diminish the expense, but go far to
abolish the system of intimidation which but too often
prevailed at contested elections for Irish counties. He
would take that opportunity of asking whether Govern-
ment intended to take steps to abridge the bribery and
and other oaths taken by Roman Catholic electors.
(Hear, hear.)
Mr. SCOTT thought it would be much better to see
how the measure worked in England before they ven-
tured to extend it to Ireland.

Viscount MONK supported the bill.
Mr. W. BROWN thought that one day's polling
would be quite as convenient as two days. He should
certainly support the bill.
Mr. ELLIOT thought that this bill would put a
check to all the intimidation and bribery which gene-
rally took place at the close of the first day's poll. He
believed that this bill was most popular in Scotland.
Mr. L. KING thought this bill did not go far
enough. There was one point which was not provided
for in this bill, and that was the length of time which
elapsed in county elections between the proclamation
and the day of nomination. With the consent of his
noble friend, he should introduce a- clause for this pur-
pose.
Sir T. Y. BULLER thought the feeling of the house
was in favour of the second reading of the bill, and he
should recommend his hon. friend the member for Berk-
shire to withdraw his amendment.
Mr. GEACH supported the bill as conferring a great
boon upon country electors.
After a few words from .

Mr. WILLIAMS, the amendment was withdrawn,
and the bill was read a second time.

(Left sitting.),

COURT CIRCULAR.

WINDSOR, Nov. 23.
His Royal Highness Prince Albert, accompanied by
the Due de Brabant, the Comte de Flandres, the Duke
of Cambridge, and the Prince of Leinengen, went out
shooting this morning,
attended by Lieut.-Colonel the
Hon. A. Gordon, and Lord William Paulet.
The Queen drove out this forenoon, accompanied by
the Princess Adelaide of Hohenlohe, to Cumberland-
lodge, and inquired after the health of Lieut.-General
Wemyss..
Major-General Buckley was in attendance on horse-
back.
His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, the Duke
of Montrose, the Marquises of Abercorn and Anglesey,
the Earl of Malmesbury, Viscount Hardinge, and Lord
Raglan ; also Colonel Cornwall and Captain Claremont,
with the distinguished foreign visitors who dined with
her Majesty yesterday, have left Windsor to-day for
London.
The Queen's private band attended after the dinner in
the Caetle yesterday, and performed the following selec-
tions in the evening :
Overture, "Les Diamans de la Couronne" Auber.
Selection, "Iphigonie"
Aria and Coro, " Alchymist" Spohr.
Pas de Six, "Guillaume Tell"
Hochzeits Marseh
Monsieur Van der Weyer has been invited, and is ex-
pected this afternoon.

Sir E. Lacon and Mr. C. E. Rumbold, accompanied
by Mr. W. H. Palmer, had an interview yesterday with
the Right Hon. J. W. Henley, at the Board of Trade,
and presented a memorial from the Shipowners' Asso-
ciation of Great Yarmouth.
The Duke of Richmond, Colonel Sibthorp, M.P., and
Mr. Gipps, M.P., had interviews yesterday, with Mr.
Secretary Walpole, at the Home Office.
Viscount Hardinge, General Commanding in Chief,
gave a grand dinner yesterday to the distinguished fo-
reigners deputed by the Sovereigns of Russia, Spain,
Portugal, Prussia, the Netherlands, Hanover, and
Brunswick, to attend the funeral of the late Duke of
Wellington. The banquet was given at the official resi-
dence of the First Lord of the Treasury, in Downing-
street. A military band was in attendance and per-
formed dmin, the evening.
Despatche; were received at the Colonial Office yes-
terday from the Governor-General of Canada, and the
governors of the other North American provinces.

LORD TIARDINGES GRAND DINNER. - Viscount
Hardinge, as General Commanding-in-Chief, gave a
grand military banquet last evening, at the Earl of
Derby's official residence in Downing-street (given up
by the noble Premier for the purpose), Co the distinguished
foreign generals sent over on special missions from the
European Conrts to attend the obsequies of the late
Duke of Wellington.
LIE DELIVERY OF TICKETS FOR ST. PAUL'S.—
Yesterday morning, by eight o'clock, about 300 or 400
persons were assembed at the Excise-office, Broad-street,
for the purpose of obtaining tickets, and a strong force
of police was also in attendance. The' syetem which was
adopted the day previous, of the police driving the people
about in a mass, was renewed yesterday morning till
about nine o'clock, when Inspector Hownrd arrived, and
under his directions the police formed the people in a
line, the last comers taking their places at the end, which
gave a fair chance to all, and prevented the disorder
which prevailed the day previous.