The Sun.
London, England, 1830-11-26 00:00:00

MG, NOVEMBER 26, 1830.

REFORM.

The question of Reform haling, as. was anticipated,
moved sufficiently strong to cause the resignation of a
Imwerful Ministry, because the Premier had declared him-
self opposed to its being entertained, we deem it a matter
if the first importance to cal the public attention to some
plan which, although it may nut satisfy the radicals, who
elamour for universal suffrage and minus' Parliaments, nor
those who desire a limitation which would exclude several
important and numerous classes of society, may, when
examined and adjusted, lead to that unanimity in the
principle of the great and" salutary measure which alone
.:an ensure its success. The main object with those who
we sincere friends to social order and good government
should be, to yield so much of the detail on either side as
will not sacrifice the important princip'e which, in our
judgment, is the first consideration. That principle is--
so extension of the elective franchise. An opinion has
very generally prevailed in favour of extending the fran-
ehise to all persons who are liable to serve under Mr.
Peel's Jury Bill, which includes " all men,' being natural
born subjects of the King, between the ages of 21 and 60,
who have a clear income of 10/. per annum, • in lands or
tenements, or both,- of freehold, copybohl, or customary
tenure and every suds man who has a clear income of
.201 persionorn, in lands or tenements, under lease for 21
years, or more ; anti also every such man, who is a house-
holder, assessed to the poor rate, or inhabited house duty,
on a value of not less than 20/. per annum, or who cm-
copies a house containing not less titan fifteen windows."
Peers, judges, clergymen, priests and ministers, duly
licensed ; sergeants, barristers, doctors of civil, law, attor-
nies, solicitors, and proctors, if, certificated ; officers of the
coin is of law, equity, admiralty, and ecelesiastieal ; core.
ners, gaolers; physicians, surgeons, and apothecaries, if
practising and licensed; officers of the navy ands army, on
full pay; officers of customs and excise, sheriffs' officers,
high constables, parish clerks,' and those who are exempt
by preieription, charter, grant, or writ, (and we suppose
we may add, justices of the peace) are excepted. The
number of persons, within the parish of Liverpool, to
whom the franchise would thus be extended is, by the
parish jury list on the church walls, in August last, 2,849
only; though the number of assessments on tenements is,
as we understand, 2,500 warehouses, counting-helms,
yards, &c., and 25,200 dwelling-houses : total, 27,700.
We were.surprised and disappointed at finding no more
than 2,340 persons eligible to vote on this principle. We
were equally setonished to see, that, included in that num-
ber, there were only 80 freemen who occupy houses of
201. or upwards per annum ; estimating, as we do, that,
if the number of freemen is about 6,000, the number that
could possibly be brought to the poll would not exceed
4,500 ; the largest number ever polled, on one occasion,
being fior the Mayor in 1827, 3,4345. The population at
this parish, by the census in 1821, was 54,340 males,
64,632 females; total, 118,972 : and, estimating the hi-
crease, as we think moderately, the present population may
be taken at the same proportions, 64,000 males, 76,000
females; total, 140,000. The census in 1821 gave
25,811 males, above 20 years of age ; so that, taking 21
as the minimum of age for an adult, the number of adult
males may be taken to be at least 25,000. Thus, there
would be only 2,840 persons eligible to vote out of 25,000
adult males, in a population of 140,000, occupying 27,700
Premises, probably produciug a rental of 550,0001 A
result which shows the injustice of forming the consti-
tuency on so narrow a principle. A similar result would,
no doubt, be found in most large towns; but in others,
and in mailer ones where the rental value is lower, and
particularly in villages and agricultural districts, the defi-
ciency of the produce on this principle would be so strik-
ingly manifest, as to confirm the necessity of forming the
suffrage on a more extended basis than that offered by Sir
R. Peel's Jury Bill. The principle we would advocate is,
such an extension of the elective franchise as will give to
those who by taxation contribute to the maintenance of
the state a voice in the election of the persons who may be
.appointed to. vote the supplies. Thu proposition which we
would, therefore subunit isohat, in addition to those who
have now the privilege of voting, (or who may hereafter ac-
quire it upon the same principle,) every man who shall
have been rated in the parish bosks, and shall have pail
the government assessed taxes and the poor rates, or the
poor rates only, which have been demanded of him, for the
premises occupied by him fur the year (ending at the usual
period to which those taxes and rates are annually ma !e
up) immediately preceding the day of election, shall he en-
titled to vote for the Members of the borough in which he
is rated ; and, in case he live- in a place which does not
scud any Member Co Parliament, that he shall be entitled
to tote for the Members of the county in which he is so
rated and charged. 'We are not aware that a similar pro-
position has been promulgated. Our object in submitting
it is to promote utienimity in the support of a defined and
equitable principle upon which the elective franchise may
be safely extended. This extension we consider of porn-
'mount importance: It is the oily means by which we
can abate, if not destroy, the nefarious system of bribery
and corruption which has been too long suffered to prevail,
which destroys integrity, debases those who are its vic-
tims, and demoralisers the population ; a system which is
now in full activity in Liverpool, and which can only be
coerected by a liberal and equitable distribution of the
right of voting, the opening of close and the annihilation
of rotten boroughs.—Liverpool44/bion.

FATAL EFFECTS OF CLEANING NIES-

SUS CONTAINING FOUL AIR.

An inquest was held at Mr. Robinson's, the
Grapes Tavern, who is a wholesale brewer, in Sut-
ton, near Macclesfield, before Mr. Hot.uNs, Co.
roner, relating to the death of Charles Roe, who
died from the above cause.

Mr. Robinson proved that about a month ago he
placed a new vat in his cellar, in order to be filled
with porter, the height of which was eight feet two
inches, and the diameter about seven feet two
inches, and after so placing it, he put into it about
14 gallons of sour dregs of malt liquor, in order to
season it; by mopping the inside with the dregs
several times each week; and the deceased, who
was his servant, was occasionally employed at this
work. When so employed,; he: used to enter the
vat by an opening at the top of it, about 18 inches
square. The opening was usually covered with a
trap door, except when persons had occasion to go
in to do the above work as usual. On Saturday
morning last, at about half-past nine o'clock, the
cover was taken off by his ditections, he intending
that the deceased should go into it after dinner, and
accordingly, about half-past one, he entered it by
means of barrels adjoining, and a ladder-way placed
in the inside to enable him to descend to the bot-
tom; and it being necessary for the person mopping
the inside of the vat to have with him a lighted
candle,-Mr. Robinson gave the deceased one when
he entered the vat, and when near the bottom, Mr.
Robinson heard him cough twice, and immediately
afterwards he heard a noise at the bottom; as if the
deceased had fallen down, but the light of the
candle.did not enable him to see what had hap,
pened ; and when he called out " Charles!"
no answer being returned, Mr. Robinson be-
came alarmed for his safety, and itmnediately
Called to him several' men, and they laid the
vat from its upright position to its , side,. and
then drew out the deceased, who appeared quite
lifeless, although he had not been in more than a
few minutes; he 'then sent for Mi. Dickenson, an
eminent surgeon and neighbour, who arrived in
about five minutes, and the following are the parti-
culate of his evidence :-11e first directed the de-
ceased to be carried out of the cellar into the open
air, and there he endeavoured to excite respiration,
but ineffectually, the deceased being quite. dead ;
and having been informed that. his death was oc-
casioned_by having gone into the Vat, be examined
it, and found the tap hole at a height of about four
feet from the ground, having been opened after. the
vat had been laid upon its side ; the large
,opening
at the iother end was rather higher from the
{round, so that the foul air bdow those open-
togs still remained in the vat. Mr. Dickenson then
-
put alighted,eandle in above the openings, where it
burnt ,steadily,but, on placing it in the foul uir below
Ih. °Pe"iniPl, the dame became immediately eatin-

PRICE 7D.

guished, which circumstance he stated to have arisen
from carbonic acid gas,—,which is one-half heavier
than atmospheric air, and which being inhaled into
the windpipe, necessarily occasions immediate suffo-
cation. Mr. Dickenson also stated to Mr. Robinson
the danger of any fermented liquor remaining cert.
fined; and being in a state of fermentation, would
consequently produee this gas ; and that on hie exa-
mining the remaining dregs in the vat, he was 01
opinion that they would produce the melancholy
result.—Stuctport Advertirer.

COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL.

CIVIC RETRENCHMENT AND ECONOMY.

Yesterday a Court of Common Council was held
for the despatch of business. The occasion was
rendered remarkable by the adoption in one instance
of the principle of retrenchment, and by u sort of
pledge in the general conduct of the Members, that
the principle will be followed up with becoming
spirit: In fact, almost every subject that came' be.
fore. the Court was made a vehicle for the expreseiob
of an abandonment of all unnecessary expenditure.
MOTION OV TIIANKS TO THE PRIORNT ATTOIINKY.