The Sun.
London, England, 1852-02-16 00:00:00

portion of the press in the former country has not
feared to comment boldly upon the course pursued by
its Government, any more than our own Ministry
has been screened by dread from the criticisms of
ourselves or our contemporaries. The .Esperance has
dealt its blows around right lustily—et nos quoque
tela sparsimus.

The President of the Board of Control, in endea-
vouring to explain away his shameful tergiversation
on " the Ballot," assigned two causes, which he ap-
peared
to think amply sufficient for that purpose.
First, the only mischief which it was necessary to
guard against would be removed by one of the pro-
visions of the new Bill ; the change would therefore
no longer be required—for cessat ratio, cessat lex.
Secondly, the alteration would be positively mis-
cheviow, inasmuch as it would deprive the non-
electors of the influence which they might otherwise
exercise over the suffrages of their more favoured
brethren. The only persons whom the Right
Honourable Gentleman deemed worthy of pro-
tection were the faggot voters, who by ac-
cepting fictitious qualifications were guilty of direct
fraud. They alone were entitled to his sympathy ;
the coercion and intimidation to which they might
be exposed should he averted by any means, however
objectionable in other respects. Nor should any en-
couragement be afforded to the creation of such im-
proper qualifications. No person would undertake
the expense and annoyance of conferring those titles,
when he could no longer be assured of the mode in
which the parties might exercise the franchise
thereby acquired.
If there were any validity in this argument it could
only apply to certain parts of Scotland, for it was in
that country only that the evil existed, or at least
that any remedy against such votes is to be provided.
Mr. MAULE then supported the introdUction into
England of a system of which he disapproved,
in order that a trifling benefit might be conferred on
certain northern districts. Was this becoming in a
statesman holding an important office under the
Crown ? When he became a Member of the Impe-
rial Parliament, was it not his duty to legislate for
the entire kingdom, and not merely for certain dis-
tricts ? And would it Hot have been a more straight-
forward and manly course to have grappled boldly
with the evil, to have made a direct provision ageing
such qualifications, than to have attempted by a side-
wind to remove the inducement for their creation ?
The Right Hon. Gentleman has certainly not exhi-
bited any direct proof of his fitness for the important
and arduous trust confided to his charge if he could
have been influenced by such reasoning, and if his
only motive for supporting " the ballot" was that which
he assigned to the electors of Perth, when
seeking a renewal of their confidence.
But the reason which he now puts forward as an
objection to the system is even still weaker and more
untenable than that which formerly secured his ap-
proval. The non-electors, forsooth, must not be de-
prived of their influence ! We had, in our innocence,
supposed that every elector should exercise his high
privilege in the manner which he conscientiously ap-
proved, without being subjected to coercion or an-
noyance of any description—that he should be guarded
as well against " mob " as against " aristocratic" in-
timidation. But Mr. MAULE thinks differently.
There should be no freedom of election ; the voter is
to be nothing but a trustee for the non-voter, and if
he should presume to rebel against the lawful and

recognised authority of " his Mijesty the
People," he should be forthwith subjected to
stringent punishment. Should those views be
generally adopted, no complaints can henceforward

be made of parties for rioting at elections. Bludgeon
men will be the most efficient auxiliaries that can be
obtained. Pugilists, and others of a similar class,
will, according to the laudable precedent established
at St. Albans, be regularly retained, and Lynch law
imported from our Transatlantic brethren. The elec-
tive franchise* may then, indeed, be regarded as a
peculiarly valuable privilege, when political power
will be transferred to those who have been hitherto
erroneously looked upon as political cyphers.

But if those persons can form such accurate opi-
nions, and arrive at such sound conclusions on public
matters—if it be so very desirable that they should
influence the votes of the several constituencies,
what pretext, what shadow of an excuse can be put
forward for withholding the franchise ? We will not
grant universal,or even household suffrage, say the Whig
Ministry, of which Mr. Fox MAULE is an influential
member, because " the many" are not properly qua-
lified to receive it. We go as far as we can with
i4afety to the country, and every man deserving of
the franchise will obtain it under the great extension
we are conceding. I cannot consent to the adoption
of the ballot, says Mr. MAULE, because it would de-
prive that intelligent body of their influence. Are
these arguments quite consistent? Are they such
as might be expected from a person fitted to preside
over the destinies of our Eastern Empire at a time
when the renewal of the Charter to the East India
Company must be taken into consideration ? We do
not, however, think so meanly of Mr.. MAurds
abilities as to suppose that he has put forward the real
reasons by which he has been actuated. There must be
something more than meets the eye, and we must
look for explanation to the nature of the Bill itself,
and the general objects of the Cabinet, as exemplified
therein ; and Schedule B will materially help us in
arriving at a just conclusion.

There is no longer the same holy horror of nomi-
nation boroughs or of the influence of local patrons
which was professed in 1832. The re•enfranchise-
ment of Boroughbridge, Saltasb, Camelford, Stock-
bridge, East Loop, and other equally notorious locali-
ties, and indeed the general selection of the districts
which are to be added to the 67 boroughs to make up
the required number of ekctors, afford the most un-
equivocal evidence on that point. " The ballot "
would permit tenants to give conscientious and in-
dependent votes without the fear of being deprived
of their holdings ; the tradesman would not be afraid
of forfeiting the support of his aristocratic customers;
there would be no danger of a system of exclusive
dealing being resorted to, or the circulation of lists
similar to those referred to in the able communication
of our esteemed correspondent, the ." Elector of Tot-
nes," which appeared in Saturday's publication. We
commend that letter to the consideration of those who
have hitherto remained undecided, and we venture
that any person perusing it in a calm and unpreju
diced spirit will arrive at the same conclusion as the
writer, that the extension of the suffrage, unaccom-
panied by " the ballot," will be productive of evil
rather than of good ; that many of those who will
become entitled to the franchise will look upon it
with anything but pleasure; and, that in fact, the
Bill in its present form, without the ballot, will be re-
garded as nothing but "a mockery, a delusion, and
a snare."

The Lord Lieutenant has approved of Francis V.
Bennett, Esq., being appointed a deputy lieutenant of the
King's County, vice the Earl of Charleville, deceased.

Her Majesty has given apartments in Hampton
Court Palace to the widows of the gallant officers, Penny-
cuiek and Cureton, who fell in the Seikh war.
ASSOCIATION FOR PROMOTING THE REPEAL OF
THE TAXES ON KNOWLEDGE.—The annual meeting of the
members took place on Thursday last, at the Bing's Arms
Hotel, New Palace-yard; Mr. N. Moore in the chair. The
secretary announced that the president (Mr. Milner Gibson)
was unable to attend, on account of illness ; but had doubled
his subscription—an example which was immediately fol-
lowed by Mr. Cobden; and which would, he hoped, be the
general rule for the year The officers and committee were
re- appointed, and the following resolution was moved by
Mr. Cobden, seconded by Mr. Scholefield, and passed unani-
mously :—" That this meeting express their satisfaction at
the progress made last year, particularly at the eomparative
freedom secured by the failure of the Government to obtain a
decision against the Household Narrative, and pledge
themselves to use every exertion to raise funds for a con-
tinued agitation for the repeal of the taxes on knowledge."
THE KINSALE ELECTION.—The clerk of the Irish
Hanaper Office, Mr. Fitzsimon, arrived in London on Sa-
turday, with the return to the writ issued for a new election
at Kinsale. It appears that the officer has made the return
omitting the date of the election and the name of the Hon.
the
Gentleman returned, Mr. Heard. The case, we understand,
of,B without precedent, but will, we believe, be easily disposed
bA, a direction of the Speaker to amend the return.
ItERNWICII ELECTION.—It is reported that the
Symonds, recent
ma ot tic
do
learn
:tefsrtomfor ibis borough has cost the unsuccessful can-
one of the
amount. Tile election expenses of AodMmliiallvislltebvreanretaarreer
Iv
ele_e_ani::
z than 6m,, 00/. \Ve believe 8,
under 1,9001.
COSI Ttff
afternoon her Majesty's ship Arethusa, 50, Captain
squadron,
S SQUADRON AT COB/C.-
113 a cluadron, arrived at Plymouth on Sa-
turday,LeanLtr,shbeop.
Commodore Ma'rt- •
Regent, 90 . _ IL 8
sup:
PLIES
to Cork to refit.
aquadarrotend, ccoomnspisatniyngonofththeeBtPrince
Dauntless, 33- Leander, frigat boundßogue, 60, screw-ship ; and
GOVERNMENT
Mr. Pease, to supply the Government that a contract has been iEs or COAL.—We understand
entered into, it is . believed, with
offices with coals, de-
livered into their cellars at Hs. a ton, t
Great liPtteZl3 )34M y,...,Licra obe pent o'er the
_ path. -