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

SPORTING NOTES.

No doubt when he penned the above remarks about the
prophets being "floored to a man," he forgot to add the
usual magic words " with the exception of The Fresh
Man' of Tile Sun."

The following was the selection for the Great Northern
Handicap which appeared at the conclusion of my notes :
" The winner, I anticipate, will be found in. WIN.
GRATE, MAJOR, Or EAST LANCASHIRE."
East Lancashire at starting was at 100 to 6.

A FRESH MAN.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF COMMONS—This Day,
The SPEAKER 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, whieh
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 ouch 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 rapid 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 1861 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 litera-
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 paint, 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 be
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 ehould
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

addod to the electoral body. He believed that if the pro-
posal he made mere 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

thehe general
the pre"
bill.
"thesuch
ala
measure, principleprevious
Mr. CAVE, in moving as an amendment e
Prophecies on this question.
question," said he had no hostilitybtout
have some share in
that working men should
thought
introduce
previous Pnro°Pindignati
. bills. There
ethenetrwepareensehnttaateioonhvoefhtthenetctoimunettroyi
ja
been no
reform°ll
that
there
er all e
had
the innocent purpose of planting
hHaed contendedfailed,
protest against the rejectiona d
b of late in ere
101 Shakspere, while another could
this country, but
had been great mass meetings
no other object than regretting the premature departure
oahneeoakf these had
etdembeeorny
fioftla an illustrious stranger from the shores of England.
hear.)
an infuriated mob, and with
_IQ He had seen the house on one
(Hear,
.ilt!,
o violence than any meeting of the
M' W
king classes. (Laughter and cheers.) He would
not trust the preponderance of power to any class, and he
thought that in the present state of things the balance was
very carefully and judiciously preserved. The lion, gentle-
manioll more aet
much
proceeded at some length to quote from writers on the
reform question, contending that their arguments were falla-
cious and that they had no faith in their own principles.
He thought England should remember the
epitaph on a
country tomb" well, Iwanted to be better,
stone— I was

and here 1 am." (Laughter.)
(LEFT SITTING.)

Arrival of Garibaldi at Caprera,

The Duchess of Sutherland, Countess of Cro-
martie, has received a telegram from the Duke
stating that General Garibaldi landed at Caprera
at two o'clock on Monday.

Highnesses the Duchess of Cam'
brilidgheesirndltPrincess Mary, and the Grand Duke and Grand
Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, will arrive at S and amestheir 's
Palace to-day from Cambridge Cottage, Kew,
royal highnesses will remain in town until Saturday.
The Earl and Countess of Hopetoun have left
Long's Hotel for a tour cu the Continent.

The defeat of the favourites in the Great Northern Han-,
dicap was a sad blow for the sporting writers, with the
exception of " The Fresh Man." In The Sun of last
➢loniay I pointed out particularly the claims of East
Lancashire. I should not have referred to the subject
again, had I not noticed the following pitiful lamentation,
by " Augur" in to•day's Sporting .Life:—
" Thus was another disastrous blow dealt at the prestige
of the prophets, who were ' floored to a man,' although
one or two of the unscrupulous of the fraternity are sure
to assert that they sent the winner.' "