The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-11 00:00:00

lEPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF COMMONS—This Day,
The SPEAkt tt took the chair at 12 o'clock.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The following bills were read a third time and passed:--
Liverpool Improvement—Liverpool Sanitary—London and
North Western Railway (Traffic Arrangements)—Metro-
politan Railway (Additional Powers)—and Stockport and
Ashton Roads.
The Great Northern and Western (of Ireland) Railway
(No. 2) Bill was read a second time.
INCOME AND PROPERTY TAX.
Lord R. MONTAGU moved for a return showing the
annual value of all real property (including railways and
canals) rated under schedule A of the income and property
tax act for the year ending March 31, 1862, in all parlia-
mentary cities and boroughs in the United Kingdom, and
in all counties or parliamentary divisions of counties exclu-
sive of cities and boroughs ; and also for a similar return for
the earliest year subsequent to the imposition of the income
tax in 1842 for which the return can be given,

The return was ordered.
BOROUGH FRANCHISE BILL.

Mr E. BAINES moved the second reading of this bill.
In doing so he asked the forbearance of the house, which
was considered to be an aristocratic assembly, while he
brought forward a measure which sought to confer a benefit
on the working classes, the great bulk of whom were totally
unrepresented in the house. His bill differed essentially
from that of the hon. member for Surrey, because that
measure only sought to extend the sphere of representation,
whilst his object was to extend the range of representation,
and so take in, not an excessive number, those who were
now practically excluded from the exercise of the elective

franchise—viz., the working classes. He argued that this

was a suitable time for introducing such a measure,
inasmuch as it was a time of political quietness, it would be
well for the house to act at such a time than under a state
of great excitement. It had been said that the people were
careless on the subject of parliamentary reform ; but if that
were true, it was not morally impossible that they could
long continue in that state. The spirit of the age was in
favour of reform, representative institutions were spreading
all over the world, and he did not think it was wise on the
part of our legislators to resist that spirit of liberty at home,
which they so much condemned in others. The hon. gen-
tleman having quoted the opinions of a large number of
Conservative members, who had declared in favour of an
extension of a borough franchise, said he thought those
gentlemen ought to support his bill, which conferred a £6
franchise on boroughs. The hon. member proceeded to
refer to the raFid advances which had been made in
mechanics and general literary institutions during the last
_ _

few years as a proof of the necessity of an exten-
sion of the franchise. He would not weary the
house by again going through those details. Re-
ferring to the great argument supplied in favour of an
extension of the franchise by the increased circulation of
the newspaper press, he remarked that in 1831 there was a
circulation of 38 millions, whereas in 1864 the total was
576 millions. All sorts of useful literary magazines had
also greatly increased, while the free-thinking publications
had decreased. Those results had been most satisfactory.
It had been argued that sweeping away the taxes of know-
ledge would bring on the country a flood of immoral liters.
ture, but the contrary had been the case ; and, instead of a
flood of immorality, there had been a flood of useful
publications, while immoral publications had decreased.
So it would, he believed, be with an extension of
the franchise, and instead of evil results flowing from it, it
would be productive of the greatest possible advantage to
the working classes. The hon. gentleman read extracts
from a letter by Mr. Guest, a publisher, of Birmingham,
bearing on that point, and also from a letter by Mr. Alder-
man Heywood, of Manchester, both those gentlemen
showed that every advantage conceded to the working
classes, tended to their benefit, and that as a body
they entirely appreciated every privilege, political
or otherwise, which was extended to them. He
(Mr Baines) believed that the more Parliament trusted
the people, the more it would be proved they deserved to bo
trusted. It had been said that if the franchise had been
extended the working classes would be dependent upon
their masters, but he believed there was no ground for such
an apprehensicn. A more independent set of men than the
working classes never existed, while a master who should
endeavour to coerce his workmen in this way, would become
the scorn of his fellow-men. The bill would create
728,309 additional borough voters, and the result
was this, that whereas only one in five in boroughs was now
represented, under this measure one in three would have
the franchise. By the extension into counties only one in
five or six out of those who were unrepresented, would be
added to the electoral body. He believed that if the pro-
posal he made were adopted, England would add to her
strength in war and her prosperity in peace, and that by it
the constitution would lengthen her cords and strengthen
her stakes. (Cheers.) He moved the second reading of the
bill.

Mr. CAVE, in moving as an amendfnent "the previous
question," said he had no hostility to the general principle
that working men should have some share in
the representation of the country, but he thought the pre-
sent was not a convenient time to introduce such a measure,
He contended that all previous prophecies on this question
had failed, and there had been no indignation meetings to
protest against the rejection of previous reform bills. Thera
had been great mass meetings of late in this country, but
one of these had been for the innocent purpose of planting
an oak to the memory of Shakspere, while another ct,uld
find no other object than regretting the premature departure
of an illustrious stranger from the shores of England.
.to any class, and he
(Hear, hear.) He had seen the house on one
occasion act like an infuriated mob, and with
any meeting of the
much more violence than
preserved. The hon. gentle-
working classes. (Laughter and cheers.) He Would
not trust the preponderance of power
thought that in the present state of things the balance was
man
nylength to quote from writers on the
should remember the epitaph on a
their arguments were fella.
question,reform
cious and that they had no faith in their own principles.
carefully
proceededa and
a tde
osj:umted
neicdli:eiltY
I wanted to be betters)
and here I am."
(i.EPT SITTING.)
OHO Ile nt throyil tgOhn It bEti tno gnl Laughter.al'd" I Was well,
~_____
Arrival

of Garibaldi at Caprera,

The Ijochuss of Sutherland, Countess of Cro.
martie, has received a telegram from the Duke
stating that Ge,neral Garibaldi landed at Caprem
at two o'clock on .t;!onday.

Their Royal Highnes.ses the Duchess of o=4
bridge and Princess Mary, anti the Grand Duke and Grand
Duchess of Meeklenbnrg-Strelitz, will arrive at St. James's
Palace to-day from Cambridge Cottage, Kew, and their
royal highnesses will remain in town until Saturday.
His Royal Highness the Prince of \Tales will
take the chair at the royal United Service Institution, on
Friday afteinoon, when a lecture will be delivered by Capt.
H. W. Tyler, L?.E., on the subject of "Railways Strategi-
cally Considered.'
The Marquis of Salisbury came to town yesterday
from doing duty with his militia regiment, the South Herts.
The review took place on Monday, when the regiment, 750
strong, passed a most creditable inspection. The Mar-
chioness of Salisbury and family are on the eve of leaving
town for a tour in Germany.
The Earl Cowley has returned to Paris from tt
short visit to London,
The Earl and Countess of Hopetoun have left
Long's Hotel for a tour on the Continent.