The Sun.
London, England, 1853-03-16 00:00:00

DUTY.

On the motion of Lord R. GROSVENOR, the
order of the day for the second reading of the bill for
the abolition of the duty was read and discharged, as the
bill contained an informality.
The NOBLE LORD then moved for leave to bring in an
amended bill.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER inti-
mated that the motion could not be made withoat notice,
and it was postponed accordingly.
CONSOLIDATED FUND BILL.
This bill was read a third time and passed.
BOROUGH OF CANTERBURY.

Mr. K. SEYMER said he was not going to propose, as
ho had done in the case of Great Yarmouth, to disfran-
chise any part of the electors, but he coincided in opinion
with the other members who tried the Canterbury election
petition, that further inquiry was necessary. He might
take it for granted that there existed generally a wish on
the part of the house to put an end to bribery and corrup-
tion. (Hear, hear.)

An HON. MEMBER—It is all humbug. (Laughter.)
Mr. K. SEYMER—An honourable gentleman said it
was all humbug, but he must admit, at all events, that the
election committees appointed by the house had done their
duty. (Hear, hear.) Whatever might be thought of it,
the great body of the middle classes, who stood aloof from
those proceedings, who were neither in a position to take
nor to offer bribes, viewed the system with increased dis-
gust. (Hear, hear.) It was advisable that the House of
Commons should take the lead, instead of lagging behind
public opinion, because he did not know of any question
on which it was more dangerous to be behindhand than on
this question of election bribery. (Hear, hear.) It might
do very well for the gentlemen who were employed to attend
to those matters to have a list of boroughs for which gen-
tlemen could be returned, but he trusted that the great
body of the house would have no sympathy for those gen-
tlemen. (Hear.) After the publicity that had been given
to these matters by the press, it was impossible to think
that the claim for amendment would be rejected, and- he
trusted that in his efforts to enforce it he would have the
support of honourable gentlemen opposite. (Hear, hear.)
They had their own views with regard to the preven-
tion of bribery and corruption, but he thought it
would be admitted that, Parliament having in its wisdom
.passed a measure to prevent bribery, that measure
ought to have a fair trial. (Hear.) The gentleman on his
own side of the house were specially bound to support his
proposition, and it was necessary that such powers as they
possessed should be put in force on every fitting occasion
for the prevention of this system. (Hear.) There were
thousands of persons not admitted to the elective fran-
chise who were proudly conscious that if they were ad-
mitted to it they would not abuse it as it had been abused
by certain electors of Canterbury ; and if they showed any
tenderness towards those who systematically abused the
franchise, such a storm of indignation might be raised as
would sweep away the whole of the representative system,
and endanger the constitutions of the country. (Hear.)
With these observations he should now state to the house
what had taken place at the last Canterbury election.
(Hear.) There were in the city of Canterbury two par-
ties, designated by the names of " the blues and " the
reds." He might pay them the great compliment of saying
that they had no political opinions. (Laughter.) They were
neither Whig nor Tory, Protectionist nor Free-trader ; and
oven the cry of " a big loaf" would produce little effect
At the la
amongst certain classes of the electors, unless it was accom-
panied by a colourman's ticket. (Laughter.)
reyhehaadd-
election " the blue" party had abstained from the practice
on on which the committee reported, and they met With the
(Rear.) Thei
Ward, and
most decided defeat. (Laughter.) Therefore all tll
to do with was " the red" party.
quarters were established at the office of Mr
an elector went to the committee at Ward's au. d as to
ked
be put down as a messenger, and if the legal authority who
managed these matters thought there was no objection to
the voter, he was put down as a messenger
accordingly.
(Hoar, hear.) But the electors who ]mew nothing
of the law made their eing put down
condition for giving their votes, as messenger the
the evidence of William Pickering s, as would be found by
would be found that Air. T in the report. I t
down the names, took the aylor,. the gentleman who put
to have his nameput same view. When a man asked
down asasked if he
promised his vote he ' a messenger, he
tee
; said he would go to the committee
to see if all was right,
he and when he went to the committee
he down the name.
also receive (Hear, hear.) The person l till) i
naked to e
allowed colourman's tickets—that is, he as. d
received
ten to recommend two persons, each of whomv.ted for one
ten shillings after the election. If an elector i?
if he voted
candidate e got one colourman's ticket, and tickets, the
for two candidates lie got two colournienb
ant at the last
value of which varied at different timek.
It would be
election it amounted to ten shillings each.
d their votes to "the
found that persons who had promisenot
to got colourman's
blues," on finding that they
were One man went to "the
tickets, went to the red part_y
cus a. colourman's ticket said he
blues," and on being re. .