The Sun.
London, England, 1852-04-03 00:00:00

AP ft I L 3, 1852.

man appeared to him, therefore, to have taken unnecessary
alarm.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL wished to know if the
Noble Lord agreed to the amendment proposed by his Right
Hon. Friend? (Lord J. Russell was understood to assent.)
He was obliged to the Noble Lord. What the Bill proposed
was, that under certain circumstances a commission of
inquiry should issue, and on their report a Bill could be
founded.

Sir P. WOOD approved of the proposition to examine
witnesses on oath ; and he suggested likewise for adoption,
that the witnesses should be idemnified and protected against
consequences which might flow from their evidence.
Mr. R. HILDYARD observed, if they proceeded in the
mode proposed by the Bill, he had no doubt their proceedings
would be marked by the calmness and deliberation which the
case demanded.
Mr. WAKLEY said the objection of the Hon. Gentleman
opposite proceeded OH a mistrust of the exercise of judicial
power by the House.
Captain HARRIS suggested that they should alter the
existing law as little as possible, and should rather proceed
by strengthening the law than changing it altogether.
Sir A. COCKBURN did not entertain the same apprehen-
sions as some of his friends as to the tyrannic exercise of
their power by majorities in that House, though he admitted
that there had been occasions when an oppressive use of
their power had been made by majorities. However, he (lid
not think that, where the object was merely inquiry, majo-
rities would be found in that House to act oppressively.
Considering, then, the importance and value of the Bill fur
the purpose of preventing corruption, be thought Hon. Gen-
tlemen would do well not to peril the Bill by refusing to ac-
cept it as presented by the Government. He would suggest
that in the clause referring to an address to the Crown, an
alteration should be made so as to prevent its appearing that
the address to the Crown should be forwarded on the report
of the Committee, as would be the case if the clause re-
mained unaltered, instead of being founded upon the decision
of the House itself. All thee lection committees were the
scorn of the country. Unless a barrister happened to be
upon them they were at the mercy of the counsel before
them. Under this Bill the expense would be immense, and
the delay prodigious, and at the same time the effect would
be futile. He would, after the unfortunate confession of the
Noble Lord, test the sincerity a the friends of the purity
of election, and divide on his proposal to postpone this
clause.

Mr. BRIGHT said if the Bill passed, as proposed by the
Government, all the gain would be that at a particular stage
of the proceedings in a case like that of St. Alban's, the de-
lay of a Bill might be saved, and this was a very small gain
indeed.— (Hear, hear.) The Committee would not be so
free from party policy perhaps as the present election com-
mittees. Ile regretted that the proposition of the Govern-
ment should have been so easily assented to by the Noble
Lord. His object was really to cure this monstrous leprosy
of corruption which impaired the efficiency of Parliament.—
(Hear, hear.) The measure in its present form would plainly
be entirely nugatory.— (Liberal cheers.)
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—Sir, I really
despair of inducing the Opposition to assent to any measure
this session.—(ilear and laughton) Thim ie the fourth time
this evening we have been obstructed in our endeavours to
accelerate the close of the session. We wished the Militia
Bill to be read a second time the day after the recess • who
rose to object to the arrangement? The Hon. Member for
the West Riding of Yorkshire—(Hear)—wished a few days
more; and when I said I was anxious to fix a day for the
financial statement, another Member asked me in the name
of Ireland to give them a few days.—( Hear, hear.) Almost
the whole evening has been spent upon a Bill which is only
a Bill of indemnity to the late Government for a proper and
prudent arrangement as to the consolidation of Irish an-
nuities.—(Hear.) And after having at nearly eleven o'clock
fixed Tuesday for the Committee on that Bill, another Irish
gentleman, a member of the Opposition, rises to request the
Government to postpone the Committee on, that somewhat
pressing measure until after the holidays.—(Hear, bear.)
And now, when we take up a Bill of great interest—also a
Bill left by the late Government, and which, as a dissolution
of Parliament is impending, ought not be neglected—.
(Hear)—we are told it is of no value, because the Noble
Lord—the highest authority on that side of the House—ac-
cepts the amendment of the Secretary of State, and we are
requested not at present to press the amendment.---(Hear,
hear.) Sir, notwithstanding our disposition to accelerate
the progress of public business, I cannot acquiesce with his
suggestion—(Cheers)—and feeling assured that the amend-
ment of my Right Hon. Friend will render the Bill more
secure to the liberties of the people, and more valuable for
the object we have in view, I shall call on the Committee to
decide upon it.—(Loud cheers.)
The House then divided, when there appeared-131
For Mr. Walpole's amendment ... 137
Against it ............. 26
Majority ...
—lll
The clause as amended was then ordered to stand part of
the bill.
On clause 6,
Mr. WALPOLE moved another amendment. As the
clause was then drawn the Commissioners would have power
to inquire into corrupt practices at previous elections, dating
it might be, 10 or 20 years back, and by coupling those
practices with the practices at the last election lay a foun-
dation for the disfranchisement of a borough—though there
might have been an intervening election at which no cor-
ruption had taken place. His amendment would have the
effect of allowing the Commissioners, if they found corrup-
tion at the last election to go back to the previous one, and
so on until they came to an election at which those prac-
tices had not been proved to exist, when the inquiry should
stop. With this view he begged to move, first, the omis-
sion of the words in the clause, "for such a period respec-
tively as they think proper."
Sir A. COCKBURN opposed the amendment as having
a pernicious tendency, and suggested that if in the prosecu-
tion of their inquiries the Commissioners found that there had
been an intermediate election at which corrupt practices did
not prevail, they should report that fact to the House.
Mr. STANFORD said, it appaarod to him that the system
now recommended was calculated to fetter the action of the
Commissioners, who ought to have the freest scope in prose-
cuting their inquiries.
Mr. BRIGHT deprecated discussing points which were not
fairly before the House. He suggested, if this further alte-
ration were to be carried out, it would be better to report pro-
gress.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER was quite
willing to adopt the proposal.
Lord J. RUSSELL thought it would be better to have
the proposed alteration printed. He also thought it would
be unwise in any manner to fetter the Commissioners in their
inquiry.—( Hear, hear,)
The CHAIRMAN then reported progress, and the House
resumed.
The Passengers' Act Amendment Bill passed through
Committee.
The Sheep, &c., Contagious Disorders Prevention Bill was
read a second time. _

The Copyright Amendment Bill was read a third time.
The Law of Evidence (Scotland) Bill passed through
Committee.

The Municipal Corporations Act Amendment Bill was read
a third time.

THE MILITIA BILL.
Mr. WALPOLE brought in this Bill, which was read a
first time. The Right Hon. Gentleman took the opportunity
of stating that, for the sake of convenience, he had consoli-
dated all the former Acts. He wished also to give notice of
an important alteration which he proposed to make in the
Bill, and to which he had not referred when moving for leave
to introduce the measure. In case the House should agree
to the second reading of the Bill, it was his intention in the
Committee to move the insertion of a clause providing that
any person who had served two years in the militia should
be entitled to be registered in, and to vote for, the county in
which he might reside.—(Cheers..)
Mr. M. GIRSON gave notice that on the motion for the
second reading he should move a resolution to the effect that
it was not expedient to proceed with the Militia Bill during
the present session.
Mr. V. SMITH asked for an estimate of the probable ex-
pense to be incurred by the militia, and what expense the
parishes would be put to on account of the ballot?
Mr. WALPOLE would procure the necessary information
and lay it on the table.
Mr. ANSTEY moved for a copy of memorials, papers, and
correspondence on the subject of the expulsion of the Rev.
Messrs. Wingate and Smith from Pesth, and of the Rev. Mr.
Edwards from Lemberg.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER resisted the
motion on the ground that negotiations, to which these papers
referred, were still going on.
Mr. ANSTEY had gathered from the Earl of Malmes-
bary's dispatch that the matter had been settled; but her
wenld postpone his motion to a future day.
The House then adjourned at Half-past One.