The Sun.
London, England, 1830-07-10 00:00:00

The electoral system of our neighbours," he observes,
though founded iu property, and in so far entitled to the
approbation of certain British politicians, must be allowed
to be deficient in those variegated forms and venerable uno-
mrt:ie., which, next to property, are the chief objects of
admiration with such idolaters of our own highly-prized
representative fabric. In the presence of such exclusive
Statesmen, a Frenchman must confess with a sigh that
France has not yet acquired the blessings of rotten boroughs
and close corporations—that she has no scot-and-lot-paying
freemen or forty-shilling freeholders—that she can boast of
no pot-walloping burgesses or noble borough proprietors
—that she does not see Deputies returned by universal
suffrage, sitting by the side of the nominees of borough-
mongers—that she witnesses no jobbing in seats, and lies
to Jew who can make a batch of Christian Legislators,—
that she has no hustings' riots, no venal treating, no
direct bribes, and no poll-book pet juries—that there is nut
a Corte Castle nor an Old Sarum in the whole kingdom—
that her Treasury has no snug stalls to confer on Under
Secretaries or Lords of the Admiralty ; and that the Mem-
bers of the Upper Chamber, instead of remunerating a
half or a third of the Deputies, as in a certain other
country, cannot influence a single Electoral College.—
There may be blemishes or beauties in the Constitution of
our neighbours ; but whatever be their character, they cer-
tainly form a remarkable distinction between our system
and theirs. Nor ought the latter to be treated with too
great severity ; because, being yet in its teens, it hue not
acquired the mature virtue of ages. Though a Constitu-
tion may work well,' and end well, with rotten boroughs
and borough mongers, the most strenuous advocates for
ancient abuses would scarcely propose to begin with them,
or to snake them an element in a new system. The rust
on the shield of Seriblerus may have constituted its chief
value, when considered as' the venerable verdure of ages;'
but the most frantic antiquary would never endeavour to
;lye value to a new shield by covering it with verdigris. '

The defects in our system of li,epresentatio►i are,
no doubt, numerous, and for some of these defects
no remedy short of an organical Reform can be
effective. But it is possible, even with these de-
fects, so to improve the character of our Represen-
tative System as to render it equal to the protection
of the nation. Wherever the electors are few we

may expect them to be venal, if it be worth while
to buy them. 13dt the ballot in most boroughs and
in all the counties would be found as effectual a re-
medy against abuse here as in France. The absurd
raving of those who talk of the possibility of Eng-
lishmen giving an independent vote without the pro.
tection of the ballot is happily exposed in the able
article on the ballot in the Westminster Review
to which we alluded on Thursday last

Among the opponents of the ballot in Pediment
(observer the Reviewer) are some who cannot so much he
said to arm, as to groan, and use inarticulate cries against
it. Of this kind are those who say they hope that they
shall nut live to witness the time when Englishmen shall
not have the spirit to deliver their vote in the face of day.
It would he as honest, and about as wise, to say they
hope not to live to witness the time when every English•
man shall not have his carriage and pair. If they were
to say, which would bp the only thing to the purpose,
that they hoped not to live to see the day when an Eng..
Millman would not go to the hustings, and fearlessly vote
for the man of his choice, without regard to the dirt aim
of any person upon earth, the falsehood of the pre-
text would bit top glaring to be successful, even an a
country where as touch is done by hypocrisy es in Eng-
land. It is Matter of fact, notorious and undisputed, that
a great majority of those who vote for Members of Par-
liament in England proceed to the hustings under the in.
fluence of what they either hope to Jeceive, or dread to
suffer, and prostitute themselves in the most infamous
manner, by fi,ting not according to the dictates of their
own minds, but like proucidng slaves st the will of an-
other. Are these the circumstances in whiph votes are com-
monly given in England, sod are men found Who say they
hope nut to live to see the day when Englishmen will be
afraid to vote openly ? Patience would be found to hear
ahem in Ms aWIAIy, we think, upon earth, but one com-
posed of the very men who Robert; such votes. Courage
to vote as EngUslitnen vote, at the commartd q those by
whom they are bought or driven, is the courage of the
slave, when he lends his body to the lash. Are these
nun, who pregrad a horror at the prospect of parting
with this, and receiving in tlchenge for it the protection
of secrecy, because seem), would degrade the people ?
" A wish hr elevating the minds of the people is en
_ .

Indiabje w'sh, and the profession of it is truly a pretty
profession; lost the true character of the profesaion iu
known by the character of things which follow. Is the
wish nut t • ere Englishmen vote secretly.. .4 wi.h that
Englishmen slaadd have sufficient independence of mind to
vote as they please, though all the world should know in
what mu/01 they vote? We also entertain that wish
moat fervent!y. We bars another strong wish, that all
Englishmen were above being pa.tpers. We apprehend,
however, it would little answer any good purpose for us
to use the formula of those who level their wishes against
the baliot, and say, they hope not to live to see the day
when EneliOwn will live on charity. Poverty makes
dos people of h.ngland willing to live on charity. De-
pendent eircumst meea make them willing to prostitute
their votes. Your choice Ik. between prostitute voting
and secret voting. There is the deepest degradation in
prostitute voting. Not only is there no degradation in
secret voting, ;nit it saves from all the degradation inse-
parable from prostitute Noting ; all men, therefore, who
ihtprecate the degradation of the peeple—znot with hypocrisy,
but in a lenest, are, of course, the silt/creates o!' the ballot."
The writer Justides the morality of concealing the
vote by a variety of eases. If ho had had the benefit
of hearing Lord Wynford in the House of Lords,
on Thursday lust, he would have learnt that forging
papers OP; a view of smuggling when the object is
to deceive itn cn,arpy, is reconcileable with the
purest Christianity, bee time, Isis Via /lordship argued,
it is uconcileable with law, and Christianity is
priwipiton, vapid, el finis of the law of England,
It., that whcle)er is law is Christianity, and what-
ever is Christianity is law. We shall, in our next,
endeavour to show that in the present circumstances
of the country it is for the interest of the aristocracy
th4t the roptesentation I'l be ;mproved —2lfurn-
, • WU.
nig Larollici,2,
It with
lasrc Iroeilsettlitrea pailiamentery rey"to that
,
reeding of the Libel Law
irrjEirMITSIMINSWEINtratte2VSP.vi. "