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

CONVICT CHAPLAIN.

Mr. F. SCULLY wished to ask the Under Sec-
retary for the Colonies whether any Roman Catholic
chaplain had been yet appointed to the convict establish-
ment in Western Australia, and what was the amount
of his salary ?

Mr. F. PEEL had not heard of such an appointment,
but all the facts connected with the amount of salary
would be found in the last convict papers.

ATTORNEYS' AND SOLICITORS' CERTIFICATE

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 without 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
he 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 advisible that the House of
Commons should take the lead, instead of lagging behind
public opinion, because ho 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
even the cry of " a big loaf' would produce little effect
amongst certain classes of the electors, unless it was accom-
paniedported, and they met with the
by a colourman's ticket. (Laughter.) At the last
election " the blue" party hadpaartbyst.ainmedeafrro; tThheelp.
rhadthe office of Mr. Ward, and
on 'Which the committee re
the
most decided defeat. (Laughter.) Therefore all they
the red"ed
a t .
t°
dohead-
quarterswiwthereweassta"b
an elector went to the committee at Ward's
be put down as a messenger, and if the legal and asked to
managed these matters thought there authority who
the voter, he was put down as a messenger
was no objection to
(Hear, hear.) But the electors accordingly. of the law made their being put downwho knew nothing
condition for giving their votes, as messenger the
the evidence of William Pickering., as would be found by
would be found that Mr. Taylor, in the report. It
down the names, took the the gentleman who put
to have his name put
down same view. When a man asked
promised his vote ;he as a messenger, he asked if he
said he would go to the con-o
to see if all was right, a
he put down the n and when he went to the coninn'we
would
also receive 1 name, (Hear, hear.) The person be
co ourmen's tickets—that is, he asked t°
allowed to recommend f whom received
ten shillings two.persons, each 0
voted for one
after the election. If an elector .
candidate he got one colourman'slon.ticket, and if he voted
for two candidates he got two COlOUTlVentttiat the last
value of which varied at different times, b.
eli It would be
election it amounted to ten shillings, tireir votes to "the
found that persons who had Pmmisneut to got colourmen's
blues," on finding that they
wer° One man went to "the
tickets, went to the red party.
Ad colourman's ticket said he
blues," and on being refl.'s— 4
•