The Sun.
London, England, 1853-07-06 00:00:00

PETITIONS.

Mr. DUNLOP presented a petition from the work-
ing men of Glasgow against the Registration of As-
surances Bill.

DROPPED ORDERS.
The dropped orders were reappointed.
_ EXPENSES OF ELECTIONS' BILL.

On the motion ofgoing into committee on this bill,
Colonel SIBTHORP said he made it a point
always opposing bills of this nature. It was a bill
of
pains and penalties against the electors, and he could
not not better characterise its spirit than to stigmatise.n 0. to
1
a mean, shabby, disgraceful affair, from beginning
end. t was alike a degradation to the candidate and
electors, and he would not permit it to proceed 7.
protest ; only consider that the law was so rigidly
ten-
forced that the candidate could not give his supporters,
who might have walked miles, either a glass of
brandy and water, or a change of linen. (A laugh.)
All that the candidate could do, if the bill passed, was
to thank his friends for the expense and trouble .theT, had
been put to, but "fine words buttered no parsnips, "and
thanks would be an empty return to the man who had
expended his money and his labour to promote the re-
turn of the man whose principles he admired. (A. laugh.)
Pshaw I this was a paltry bill ; it was to put down
music at elections, and, if it passed, he supposed the
gingling of the town crier's bell, or the noise of the
child's penny whistle, would be viewed in the light of
bribery and corruption. (A laugh.) The man who had
the means was bound to entertain his supporters, and
keep up that feeling of good old English fellowship
which always characterised the proceedings of our fore-
athers. He was as much opposed to bribery
and corruption as any man, but he believed there
was a wide difference between bribery and cor-
ruption and entertaining a man's friends to some
good wholesome cheer. His table was open to all his
friends without tying up their votes, and, as he consi-
dered the bill would prevent him from exercising the
hospitalities of an English gentleman, he should move
as an amendment that the Speaker do not leave the
chair until this day three months. (Roars of laughter.)
Mr. BARROW seconded the amendment, because if
this bill passed the enthusiasm of an indiscreet friend of
a candidate might lead him to exhibit a flag, and thereby
endanger the seat of his friend if he was returned.
Mr. MULLINGS said there was not a more fruitful
source of bribery and corruption than allowing the can-
didates to have bands and flags at elections. (Hear.)
He regretted very much that the objections now urged
against the committee were not urged against it
on the motion for the second reading. At his own
election he gave notice that he would neither employ
flags nor music, but his opponent who was the popular
Candidate did not follow his example, and the conse-
quence was, that for several days the town was kept in
a state of uproar. Nor was this all, he was asked to
name a numher of persons who were his supporters to
be sworn in as special constables, but he refused to do
so, as he thought it was the duty of the returning officer
to take all the necessary precautions for preserving the
the peace of the town. He would pay nothing but the
bare legal expenses of the election, and he should sup-
port this bill in the hope that it would put an end to the
pernicious practice of corrupting voters under the guise
of employing them as flag carriers or musicians.
Mr. E. DENISON thought the bill was open to
considerable objection, on the same ground as those
Stated by Mr. Barrow, and he should vote against the
committal of the bill.
Mr. ELLIOT followed on the same side, and said he
could not understand why a man should be prevented
From enjoying himself at an election with a fiddle or band
of music, or that he should be liable to a fine to 101. if
he displayed a laurel leaf in a piece of ribbon in his
button-hole to show which way his feelings went.
Mr. GREEN said there were objections which could
be removed in committee.
Mr. H. BERKELEY approved of the merit of the
bill, and recommended the house to go into committee
Without any more delay.
Mr. MITCHELL complained that the bill did not go
far enough, and thoUght the time had arrived when all
emblems of party ought to be prohibited at contested
elections, as they only served to provoke wars and
rioting.
The house then divided, when there appeared—
For the amendment
Against it

Majority against it 79
The house then went into committee.
On clause 1,
Mr. BARROW moved the cmission of words, so as
to limit the responsibility of the candidate to acts done
by himself, and not leave him liable for the misconduct
of an agent of whose proceedings he bad been quite in
the dark.

Mr. MULLINGS consented to strike the objection-
able words out.
After a few words from Mr. HENLEY and Mr. VERNON
SMITH, the amendment was agreed to.

['Jur SITTING.]

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

DEVON AND DORSET RAILWAY BILL.
SPECIAL REPORT.

Mr. Beckett reported r-om the committee on group
(NN) of railway bills, who were empowered to make a
special report so far as relates to the Devon and Dorset
Railway Bill, that they had agreed to the following
special report :

"That in aniving at the decision that the allegationsrove
contained in the preamble of the bill had not beelnosp
s, d
to their satisfaction, your committee have not
in t
railway
of the urgent necessity for filling up the gap _ rail
couirarnication which at prceent exists between
Dor-
chester and Exeter, nor do they doubt that the
and Dorset Line, which has come under their s
e n
Devonp
inves-
tigation,e-
wor'd supply that deficiency for a"- PurCH.3se
of local traffic. But taking a wider view of the subject,his
and lister'ng to evidence adduced in the progress of t imvestigation from authorities of high consideration, your
committee feel the impoiLence of a railway communication
not one nu4:0.7...n gnage between Exeter and London in a
th-easterly direction viz Axminster and Salisbury, and
of another Ix -ma Exeter to Pa....Bmonth and the ealt coast
de Dorchester • and, believing that a communication so
grailesirawable,
bill be attained if the Devon and Dorset
Parliament 3' mil now of
should receive the sanction of
.
, the g the
biT are of opinion that they are best pro
netssioir le
c welfare by giving an opßoTtnnittyoifn
one
uniform, ~,,,,,,. f„Parliament for the establis men
wy --se throughout the above district. .
reject Thee°biitnii tbteefoorewo:rd, however, have hesitated to
evidence that the p ohad it not been proved in
Western Railway coml. ,!1
.e-ria; °last in
recent public meeting,
.11tm ' the London and South-
had authorised a requ4stecl a
directors to pledge
that company, ~
to
app" '''' Parliament at the earliest period
Tor powers to construct an Il
of their railway from
Dorchester to Exeter
re-
ceived from the same
; a'ld, had extension
committee not re-
emnPan .11,rongh their chairman
(Mr. Scott, a member of
P
distinct assurance in his ,5 ho ) a clear and
subsequently giveno
of Parliament that (naaoyintroduce and
, ptheviatdenince;thaned nienxt a selsestitoenr
use their best endeavours
to obtain an act for autho-
rising such extension of tlieir railway on the narrow
gauge—such extension to be of an efficient character, and
to comprise a double l'ue o! way. The committee also
haa. a similar assurance ...rom Mr. Scott that, in the event
of such an extension being r- ,ctiored by Parliament, the
London and South-Wcqtela R.a"way Company would im-
mediately thereafter procec 1 to double their -
thampton and Dore.ester, withoutwait-
Souwni between Sou
jo until 't._lie o_bliga_tiou to do :o,
.cant on them by 'The
oared Dorchester Ralway Act, 1845,' shall
thampwn
come into operation.
4, The following letter from Mx. Scott, addressed t• the
chairman of yo.r committee,: was was received and considered
by your committee

case of the Devon and
" Lcm(1011 July 1, 1853.
,g , sir Pith reference to the
Y communication of the
maspacullyain]lana(lllasofthtehier
Dorset Railway, and thu
Brailwa
was proposed to serve, Ibex,o
ewainthority i th
district it
London and South-Western
representative, acting
at their public meet °
i e resolu-
tions of the proprietors
which in th-t'g on the 19th
May last, to repeat the pledge
committee I ° c°llrB3 of in
evidence before the cow=intended, withall '
dis-
tinctness, to give,
' ' `That
session of Parliament, introclu
Pany will, in the next .
a bill authoi* • ce
and use their best endeavours t ) _slog
an extension of their railway from Dorchester to Exeter
South Westin a Railway',
on the gauge of the London and
and taHng all
themselves finding the necessary_,
capital, fterwards executir,
the proper preliminary measures, and a
the works with all dispatch.
in • a c
" ' And I have no hesitation adding that the ompany
them,
will, if if such extension l'ue be glinted to
ately proceed to double the line between Southampton
eh the
Dorchester, without waiting for the period at wh '
obligation to do so might come into operation under the
existing provisions of the Southampton and Dorchester
Act,
`" The resolutions of the Company with respect to the
Inaking of the extension line from Dorchester to Exeter
enable me to assureand I do that the line
to be you,
; proposed shall be a satisfactory and efficient one, and,
-.a accordanc • h ' H
awl c e with the pledge given by Mr. Hope Scott,
faithful)lnapijse a double line of way.—l am, sir, your very
rid obedient servant,
-

FRANCIS SCOTT.
" Wm. " Beckett, Esq., M.P. Chairman of the
Railwuy Group (NN).'"

6ERVICE OP PLATE TO THE BISHOP 01' LINCOLN.—
The
erlice 's, c)f Plate subscribed for by the parishioners of St.
anles Westminster, as a memorial to their late rector
upon his elevation to the see of Lincoln,
on Monday to the 'rightprelate, by the committee
acting for ht • rev,
stout 700/ e par 8 i limners. The value o. f the plate was
was presented
view during ft,
~ and it was understood that it was to be on
makers', Mess-4e. last three days of this week at the
Wilkinson and Dobson. Piccadilly.
NEW LAMPS von n
‘attirnusEs.—By the new Act, which
comes into force on /Vionday it is enacted that the pro-
toprietor of every nnetropolatri,,
be placed inside such carriage alamp, in such position
and manner as shall be directed by the Commissioners
stage carriage shall cause
of Police, and the conductr, or if there be no conductor,
the driver of such carriage shall
lighted whenever such carriage shallkeep be used to ply for
or carry passengers at any tithe lamp properly
me after sun-set and before
sun rise.
DErgorioN OP IRON SHILLINGS AND SOVEREIGNS.—
)3Y
aPPlYing
a small pocket magnet to a counterfeit coil,
of the above kind, it is instantly attracted, and may thus
be lifted up from a table, whereas genuine coins are
unaffected. A delicately suspended magnetic needle is
a Still more ;sensitive indicator.