The Sun.
London, England, 1839-06-08 00:00:00

CHELTENHAM IMPROVEMENT BILL.

Gen. LYG ON moved the third reading of the Chelten-
ham Improvement Bill.
Mr. BERKELEY, in moving that the Bill be read a
third time this day six months, remarked that he would not
again go over the arguments which he used on Tuesday
last, but would state his objections as briefly as possible.
By making the landlords liable to be rated instead of the
tenants, more than one half of the 101. constituency would
be disfranchised. Another monstrosity was, that the
Commissioners could carry on their proceeding with closed
doors. They had also the power to raise 4,0001. in rates,
and dispose of that amount without being responsible to
the rate-payers. He therefore moved that the Bill be read
a third time this day six months.— (Hear, hear.)
Captain PEC HELL seconded the amendment.

Sir C. LEMON requested the House, before coming to
a vote on this subject, to consider what they were about, or
they might do an act of gross injustice. No objection of
the kind now brought forward was raised in Committee,
and if the matter was so important to the town of
Cheltenham as had been represented, the parties
interested would certainly have appeared by Counsel,
which they could have done at a small expense.—( Hear.)
It would have still been open to the opposers of the Bill,
to appear before the Committee by their attornies, or the
Honorable Member himself ( Mr. G. Berkeley) could have
advocated the cause with great zeal and ability. The
Bill had been recommended by a Committee of that
House, surely the House would not now at once decide in
utter disregard of their Committee's determination, and
render fruitless the expense which had been incurred.
,Mr. COURTENAY said he was indifferent as to the
fate of this Bill, but he was not indifferent as to the cha-
racter of that House, and he thought it most atrocious
that attempts should have been made in a leading Radical
newspaper—(" Oh, oh," and " Hear, hear,")—to excite
party feeling in that House upon a question of private busi-
ness.—( Hear, hear.) From a balance of the statements
in favour of, and against, the Bill, he was brought to the
conclusion that the Bill ought to pass, especially as 353
had petitioned against the Bill, and 415 for it, and the
rate-payers were four to one in its favour.—( Hear.)
Colonel SEALE asked whether it was true that voters
would be disfranchised by the Bill ?
Mr. C. BERKELEY said it was; for more than half
the 101. householders would be disfranchised by their land-
lords being rated instead of themselves,—( Hear.)
Mr. GODSON—The Honourable Member has misin-
formed the House. Every householder who pleases, may
be rated.—(Hear, hear, hear.)

Mr. CLAY rose amidst great noise and calls for a divi-
sion. He said, let us throw nut the Bill if the House think ]
it just, but not upon misapprehension as to matter of fact.
—( Ikar, bear.) I assert that this Bill does not disrran-
chise a single voter, for every man paying his rate is
entitled to vote.—( Loud cries of " Ilear, hear,") The
clause as to rating was similar to that contained in all
Metropolitan parochial Bills. He wished to know whether
there was any body of Commissioners appointed throughout
the kingdom to whom a discretion was not left to take a
vote with closed doors? He wished to know whether there
was any Sessions of the Peace where the Magistrates were
not at liberty to exclude the public ? and he wished to know
whether there was any town council tinder the Municipal
Corpofations Act which had not a similar discretion?—
(Hear, hear.) He did not think they were acting wisely
!it making a private Bill like the present a party que,tion,
and be would not permit his friends near him to go to a di-
vision under a perfect misrepresentation of the facts.
After a few words from Mr. Codring.ton, Mr. Grantley
Berkeley, Sir J. J. Guest, and Lord Granville Somerset,
strangers were ordered to withdraw, and the House
divcdcd. when there appeared :
For the third reading 177
Against it ..
Majority against the third reading...-9
The Bill is consequently lost.
The Liverpool Churches Bill was read a third time
and passeo.
Sir JOHN HOBH OUSE brought up the Report of
the Nottingham St. Mary's Enclosure Bill.
On the motion of Captain GORDON the Fraserburgh
Harbour Bill was read a third time and passed.
The time for bringing up the Report of the Norwich Im-
provement Bill was enlarged to Monday next.
On the motion of Mr. M‘K INNON, the Lords' amend-
ments to the London and Southampton Railway Bill were
agreed to.
On the motion of the same HON. MEMBER, the White
Lead Company's Bill was read a third time and passed.
Mr. D. BRO WNE brought up the Report of the Com-
mittee on the Ploy Navigation Bill.
On the motion of Mr. BROTHERTON, the Lords
amendments to the Manchester and Liverpool Extension
Railway Bill were agreed to.
Sir C. FILME R presented nine petitions from parishes
in Kent against national education.
Sir E. KNATCHBULL presented twelve petitions
, with a similar prayer.
Mr. GREENE presented three petitions to the same
I effect.

Sir E. KNATCHBULL presewed three petitions
from fruit growers in Kent, praying for protection agains'
the foreign grower.

BALLOT.
Mr. GROTE gave notice that on Tuesday, the 18th
.nst., he should move t leave to bring in a Bill for the
purpose of taking the vote's of Parliamentary electors by
ballot.—(Cheers.)
PRISONS (SCOTLAND) BILL.
Mr. FOX NIAULE postponed the Order of the Day
for going into Committee on the Scotch Prisons Bill till
Wednesday next.
NATIONAL EDUCATION.

Lord DUNG ANNON was anxious to know whether it
was the intention of the Noble Lord to bring forward the
question of national education on Friday next, as the
Canada question was likely to be brought on on Thursday,
and the discussion might be adjourned to another day.

Lord J. RUSSELL conceived that the discussion on
the Canada question might be concluded on Thursday
evening. Should that not be the case, he would then post-
pone his motion on national education to the Monday fol-
lowing.