The Sun.
London, England, 1854-02-14 00:00:00

Caine to be substituted for the ancient definition of scot •
and lot, was always insisted on before the voter was
allowed to poll. We introduced that check and several
others into the Reform Bill, with tpe view of ascertain-
ing the solvency and sufficiency of voters. Considering,
however, that a voter must be a person living either in a
house of 101. value, or in one rated at 61. a-year, and must
be in employment for a considerable time before he can
vote, it appears to us to be no longer necessary to keep in
force the previous payment of rates and taxes, and there- I
fore we propose that, in future, persons on the register
shall give their votes without being subject to the check.
(Hear, hear.) We propose another change in the existing
law with respect to the register of electors. There have
been various decisions in election committees upon the
question of striking names off the register ; now we make
the register of voters final. (Hear, hear.) I, perhaps,
have not explained myself with sufficient clearness on the
subject of the 101. franchise. We preserve this franchise
exactly as it is, with the exception of two changes, one of
which provides that, if the franchise is claimed in respect
of buildings and dwelling-house of the joint value of 101.,
thelbnildings must be of the value of 5/. a-year ; the other
charge relates to the payment of rates and taxes which
will
no longer be insisted on. To this franchise will now b
e
added the new one, founded on a residence of two years
and a half or two years and 10 months in a. house rated
at 61. in a municipal borough. Auy person fulfilling
that that condition can compel the overseer to put kis
name on the register. I have still to acquaint the
house with another change of considerable importance
which we purpose effecting. When compla.mtfsrestpectg
bribery arid corruption have proceeded ron manyie
boroughs in this kingdom, it has been overrwoeaeprnl,rpoovnseer
of voters—namely the
again represented that one
freemen—were deeply implicated in t
Proposed the Reform
actions. (Hear, hear.) When I -eot that
for leave to
is 1831, it contained a clausei
inserting into the measure as similar
a ba ro
uhtteost
introduce—namely, a clause to enact that, after the ex-
-we preposo that. no person who may
tion of existing interests, the freemen's franchise shall
cease. (Hear, hear.)
hereafter take up his freedom by birth or servitude shall
have the right of voting. It is this which has influenced us
in our proposition to add the new right of voting founded
on the 61.1 municipal rating ; for otherwise our bill, by ex-
tinguishing
the freemen's right of voting, would be a mea-
sure for contracting instead of extending the suffrage. I
have now to mention another intended change, which,
though not arising immedietely out of the proposed bill, is
connected with the general scheme of representation. It is
our intention to propose an alteration in regard to the
statute of Anne, which obliges any member of the House
of Commons who accepts office under the Crown to vacate
his seat and go to a fresh election. The spirit of this act
was unknown from the time of the Revolution until the
6th of Anne. The act arose out of a dispute on a great
principle, respecting which Whigs and Tories took entirely
different views—namely, the question whether the House
of Commons should be entirely independent of the Crown,
or whether it should contain Ministers of the Crown who,
having an influence over the assembly, might establish
Parliamentary government in the country. The Whigs
maintained that Ministers should have seats in Parlia
went; the Tories, on the other hand, maintained that
all placemen should be excluded from the house. It being
impossible to reconcile these conflicting views, an act was
passed by way of compromise, which provided that all
members of the Commons who might take office under the
Crown should vacate their seats, but be eligible to be
re-elected. As long as the House of Commons continued
unreformed—as long as there were a number of convenient
members connected with the Treasury or dependent on
persons in immediate connection with the Ministry, no
great inconvenience was experienced from the operation of
the act. When Mr. Canning accepted the office of Se-
cretary of State he vacated his seat for Liverpool, and was
immediately returned for Harwich, because the latter was
an easier seat, and would cause him less trouble than
must attend the representation of a large town like Liver-
pool. In those times, when a seat could always be found
for any person for whom it was required, Ministers suf-
fered little inconvenience from the act of Anne ; but when
the principle of popular representation was introduced into
all our elections, the statute created difficulties which
were hardly compensated by the advantage of having new
elections. The theory is, that a person ought to go before
his constituents in order to enable them to decide whether
they will have a member who is a servant of the Crown,
or one who is perfectly independent. Now, in point of
fact, that question it ,rdly ever arises on such au occasion ;
but the question which generally arises is—" What is the
most embarrassing topic connected with the member va-
catine his seat," or "is he likely or not to obtain his re-
turn The consequence of this state of things is, that
very often the Crown is embarrassed in its choice, and is
obliged to select a person whose re-election is sure, rather
than one mere fitted for the office, but whose re-election
is doubtful. lam of opinion that no public benefit which
may arise from an. adherence to the principle of popular
control in the representation can be equivalent to the ad-
vantages arising from it in this instance. If Ministers
are to appear in this house, and to be answerable for the
conduct of affairs, they ought to advise the Crown to give
office—if to members of Parliament--to such members as
in their judgment are most fitting to hold it. It must be
obvious that there are many things which a member may
do fully as important as taking office, without asking the
opinion of his constituents. For instance, he may totally
change his course of politics. (Hear, hear, and laughter
from the Opposition.) Upon such an occasion he may, or
may not think it advisable to go before his constituents,
but the decision on that point rests with himself. For
these reasons we think the operation of the statute in
question is not generally beneficial, while it is very often
inconvenient, and therefore we propose its abolition, and
to allow any member—as was the case during the reign of
William lll.—to accept office under the Crown without
vacating his seat. I will now proceed to state to the house
the various boroughs from which we propose taking one
member, and likewise the places to -which we propose
giving the members thus removed. I mentioned to the
house two classes of boroughs from which respectively 29
and .13 seats are to be taken. To these 62 seats it is neces-
sary to add 4 more which are now vacant, making a total
of tea. I will state the places to which we propose giving
63 of the vacant seats. The remaining 3 will be given by a
measure which I will not now stop to describe, to populous
-places and universities of Scotland. Fir.-t, as regards, the
places from which seats will be taken. The following bo-
rotighs, having less than 300 electors, or less than 5,000 in-
habitants, will be disfranchised :—Andover, 2 members ;
Arundel, 1; Ashburton, 1; Caine, 1; Dartmouth, 1 ;
Evesham, 2 ; Harwich, 2 ; Honiton, 2 ; Knaresborough,
2 ; Lyme Regis, 1 ; Marlborough, 9 ; Midhurst, 1 ;
Northallerton, 1; Reigate, 1; Richmond (Yorkshire) 2 ;
Thetford, 2; Totnes, 2 ; Wells, 2; Wilton, I.—Total, 19
boroughs, returning 29 members. The following bo-
roughs having less than 500 electors, or lees than 10,000
inhabitants, will lose one seat each ;—Bodnain, Bridge-
north, Bridport, Buckingham, Chichester, Chippenham,
Cirencester, Cockermouth, Devizes, Dorchester, Guild-
ford, Hertford, Huntingdon, Leominster, Lewes, Lud-
low, Lymington, Lichfield, Mahlon, Melton, Marlow,
(Great), Newport (Isle of Wight), Peterborough, Poole,
Ripon, Stamford, Tamworth, Tavistock, Tewkesbury,
Tiverton, Weymouth, Windsor, Wycombe (Chipping)—
total, 33 members. The counties and divisions of counties
containing a population of more than 100,000, and at pre-
sent returning two members, to which an additional mem-
ber will be given are these :—Bedford ; Chester, southern
division ; ditto, northern ; Cornwall, western ; ditto,
eastern ; Derby, northern ; ditto, southern ; Devon,
southern ; ditto, northern ; Durham, northern,; ditto,
souther.. ; Essex, southern ; ditto, northern ; Gloucester,
western ; Kent, western ; ditto, eastern ; Lancaster,
northern ; Lincoln, parts of Lindsey ; ditto, parts of Kes-
teven and Holland ; Middlesex ' • Monmouth ; Norfolk,
western ; ditto, eastern ; Stafford, northern ; ditto, south-
ern ; Somerset, western ; ditto, eastern ; Salop, northern ;
Southampton, northern ; Suffolk, eastern ; ditto, western ;
Surrey. eastern, Sussex, eastern ; Warwick, northern ;
Worcester, eastern ; York, East Riding ; ditto, North.
Wales.—Glamorgan, 1. Additional members, 38. The
cities and boroughs containing more titan 100,000 inhabi-
tants at present returning two members but. hereafter arc
to return three : Birmingham, Bristol (city), Bradford
(Yorkshire), Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester (city), Sheffield,
Wolverhampton ; Salford, to return in future two mem-
bers—total nine members. Unrepresented towns contain-
ing more than 20,000 inhabitants to receive one member
each are : Birkenhead, Burnley, Staleybridge—total, 3
members. I have already mentioned that the West Riding
of Yorkshire and South Lancashire are each to be divided
into parts, with two members each, which will appropriate
eight more of the vacant eeats. The new borough of Chel-
sea and Kensington will take two more . the Inns of Court
two, the London University one ; and all these together,
with the three seats reserved for Scotland, make up the
total number of 66.

A MEMBER, asked whether each division of the West
Riding and South Lancashire was to have three members ?
Lord J. RUSSELL.—Yes. It may be convenient to the
house if I give a summary of the manner in which we pro
pose disposing of the f;t; vacant seats. It is thus
Counties, and divisions of counties
West Riding
South Lancashire
Three new boroughs, one each
One new borough
Nine boroughs, one each additional 9
Inns of Court
London University
Scotland

.. 38

Total
I have stated the general provisions of the measure, I hope
not at too great length, but in such a way a 9 to make it
understood by the house. I will net enter further into
any general considerations connected with the subject. It
who L belief that the measure will tend to correct defects
inch, sooner or later, must be amended, anal. that, by
adding to the n- umber of wrsons privileged to return mem-
bers
to this house, we shall give a wider basis to our re-
presentation, and thereby contribute to the strength and
security of our constitution, !inil cause the people to feel
greater confidence in
leave to brine in With these observations I ask
0 a bill to amend the laws relating to the
...—representation of the people in k, n ~, ,1 an (1 Wales.
'r. IL T. LIDDELL said, he rose thus early in the
debate, became the hon. member for Manchester thought
St to open thes
jog a petition signed by some 3,000 names of the in-
habitants of Liverpool, to the freemen oferP too_l, imputing bribery and comm-
at constituency. He (Mr. Liddell)
had h
rejoiced that he done so; because, without auy
violation of the rules
meet the charge at the earliest thei
house'
he was enabled to
lheost possible moment. (Hear,
bear.) He trusted the member for Manchester
would take the first opportunity of making some specific
motion upon the requirements that petition. He told
the hon. member that he
of Liverpool,
prepared to
fight the battle of the freemen . to vindicate
their character, and maintain their sights, He trusted
that the house would not be
,yo
o ot h
electorse when
ah pepa
consistede a}:,re
ance of a bulky petition with 3,0'071
signatures,
reminded them that the population
of 500,000, with a constituency ofo na
boefu t l Liverpoolbi
not the register. He rejoiced that the. noblaenlyoro4fl did
e existing
pro-
pose a bill of disfranchisement against
freemen, though he might see reason to object to the,,: wfeudttuhree
disfranchisement of that class of voters. As reg
measure which the noble lord had sketched fort 7
deration of the house, he could not help remarking
that the reference to the petition of the Friends of the
People People had cut the ground from under his feet. The noble
lord read seriatim all the complaints contained in that cele-
brated document, and then declared that the causes of
every one of them had been removed by the Reform Act.
It was not his desire, nor was it the desire of those with
whom he acted, to add to the difficulties in which the
moble lord appeared to be prepared to plunge the country
17 discussing at the present moment a subject of this ex-
citing nature. He hoped that the measure would not
reach a second reading, but that it would be postponed in
deference to the feelings and welfare of the country. The
noble lord had begun by stating that 19 boroughs, which
returned 29 members, were to be disfranchised. Was it
rs!dble that the noble lord could proceed to a measure of
rsachieement of that extent without provoking a most
Petard discussion both on the part of friends and foes, or
Bald , he Possibly proceed to the prospective disfranchise-
mut• of freemen without occasioning a vast amount of