The Sun.
London, England, 1854-04-04 00:00:00

prosecutions would be subject to the control of the At-
torney-General.
Mr. G. BUTT opposed the proviso.
Mr. PHINN observed that in all cases the costs were
at the discretion of the court, and if it saw that the pro-
secution was improperly instituted it would not allow the
costs.

Lord R. GROSVENOR asked if it was intended to
prevent candidates being charged with travelling ex-
penses, which were frequently made the means of bri-
bery.
Lord J. RUSSELL said he did not propose to make
any alteration in that respect in this bill.
Clause 5 was then agreed to.
On clause 6,
Mr. WALPOLE said clause 5 dealt with persons who
offered bribes, and clause 6 related to persons who re-
ceived bribes. By this clause they made a person guilty
of bribery who asked for any place on account of having
voted for any particular candidate. Suppose a person
who voted for the noble lord (Lord John Russell), and
within a year after he asked for place which lie was
perfectly competent to fill, was he to be deemed guilty of
bribery
Col. SIBTITORP said a wink was as goad. (Laughter.)
The whole of this bill was ❑othing more nor less than an
attempt to undermine the fair and legitimate right of
those who possessed the property—he meant the aris-

tocracy. .
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL said his present im-
pression was that the words •' ask for" had better be left
out. (Hear, and laughter.) It would be necessary to
make this clause and the counterpart of clause 5 cotre-
spoil& He would therefore take it into consideration
previous to the re-committal of the bill.
Mr. AGLION BY thought the clause would have very
little operation, as it would be difficult to prove a case
so as to bring about a conviction,
Mr. HILDYA RD said it was absurd to insert such a
clause. When Lord Derby took office, he (Mr. Hil(1.
yard) had many aoplications from his constituents for
places ; and when Lord Derby left office those applica-
tions ceased. Was the noble lord about to declare that
the practice which had heretofore prevailed should cease
to exist ?

Mr. MALINS also opposed the clause on similar
grounds.
Colonel SIBTHORP said that during the six and
twenty years he had been in the house he had never
asked a favour of any Government. At the same time
he had always been courteously treated by both Whigs
and Tories, and he attributed that to the straightforward
course he had always pursued.
Lord J. RUSSELL said the object of this bill was to
consolidate and amend the law relating to bribery.
Hon. gentlemen, however, spoke as if he were intro-
ducing for the first time a clause against persons receiv-
ing a bribe in the shape either of moiety or employ-
ment ; but they entirely forgot that there were already
upon the statute book laws for that purpose ; and what
he proposed to do chiefly by this clause was to reduce
the penalty imposed by the act of George 11. from 5001.
to 501. There was no doubt whatever that there were
some words in the clause that went beyond the existing
law, and his hors. and learned friend lir( posed to recon-
sider it with the view of making an alteration in its
phraseology, though without any alteration it would
not apply to the case which had been put by the hon.
and learned member for Cockermouth.
Mr. DISRAELI said the bill not only consolidated,
but it also amended and extended the law in a very ma-
terial particular. The great fault of these consolidation
bills was that they consolidated that which often ought
to be repealed. The clause as it now stood was mon-
etrous iu its provisions, but it appeared to him that if
they were to leave out the last two lines many of the
objections would be got rid of.
Sir W. CLAY suggested that the best way to pre-
vent these cases was to extend the constituencies. Most
of the applications fur places came from small con-
stituencies.
Mr. WALPOLE would answer the suggestion by
reading a few words from a return which had just been
laid on the table. It was a return of the boroughs con-
victed of corrupt practices between 1833 and 1853, and
the total number was 76 ; of those, being boroughs in
England and Wales, 12 had a constituency of less than
500 ; there were many between 500 and 1.000, while
there were 22 places where the censtitnency was more
than 1,000. In 1850 it was found that the majority of
the bribery cases applied to large towns, the worst of
which were places like Hull and Liverpool.
Sir W. CLAY had said nothing about bribery, he had
simply referred to applications fur places, but even in
these large towns the bribery was confined to freemen.
Mr. BOOKER viewed this hill as a thorough piece of
humbug. but as it was intended to revolutionise the
system of Government patronage, he would propose that
the further consideration of the bill should be postponed
to a more fitting opportunity. It was ridiculous to sup-
posa that the Government would ever d stribute their
pit .onage amongst other than friends r, supporters.
After a remark fr.vn Mr. V. SCULLY,
Mr. BOOKER moved that the chairman do report
progress.
Lord J. RUSSELL observed that it appeared to him
that the hon. member was favourable to bribery. How-
ever, all that the committee was now required to do was
to pass the clause, with a view to its being altered, and
the bill afterwards re-committed.
Mr. DISRAELI saw no objection to that course.
Mr. BOOKER, assured the noble lord that he was as
much opposed to bribery as any man, but he decidedly
objected to imposing pains and penalties upon the poor
constituency, when in nine cases out of ten the member
was the really offending party. He withdrew the amend
ment.

Mr. V. SMITH asked what was the alteration pro-
posed to be made in the clause ?
Lord J. RUSSELL intended to introduce the words
"in consideration of," suggested by an hon. and learned
member, so as to keep the clause within the bounds of
the existing law.
Lord C. HAMILTON suggested that as such great
alterations and modifications were to be made in the
clause it had better be postponed.
Lord J. RUSSELL said he had had a good deal of
experience in passing bills through that house, and he
had found it the best course to have a discussion in com-
mittee on the clauses, but not to weigh every word so
as to fix them, and then to recommit the bill. Ile had
passed the Tithe Commutation Bill, and the Municipal
Corporations Bill. •
After some conversation in which Mr. I. BUTT ob-
jected to clauses being thrown on the table one after the
other merely to be postponed, and Mr. WARNER sug-
gested that the Government should reconsider their de-
termination and let the bill go to a select committee,
Mr. BOOKER said he hoped the noble lord would
not press tle clause, or he must move that the chairman
report progress.
Lord J. RUSSELL agreed to the postponement, and
the house resumed.
The Towns Improvement (Ireland) Bill went through
committee pro forma.
The Church Buildings Continuance Acts Bill as
amended was considered.
The Dublin Port Bill was read a second time.
MINISTERS' MONEY BILL.
This bill was read a third time, and after a clause
brought up by Mr. FAGAN had been added to it and
certain verbal amendments. made, was passed.
The other orders of the day were disposed of, and
The house adjourned at 20 minutes past 12.

PARLIAMENTARY DIVISION.

HOUSE OF COMMON'S-Arlin 3.
BRIBERY, &c., BILL.

Order for committee read. Motion made, and question pro-
posed, " That Mr. Speaker do now leave the chair."
Amendment proposed, to leave out from the word " That"
to the end of the question, in order to add the words " the
bill be committed to a select committee"—(Mr. Vernon
Smith)—instead thereof : Question put, " That the words
proposed to be left out stand part of the question. The
house divided—Ayes, 146 ; Noes, 76.
AYE,;-146.
ATourt, C. Goderich, Viscount. Patten, J.
AVerley, C. Goolman Sir G. Peel, F.
Aglionby, H. Graham, Sir J. Pellatt, A.
Alco,A, T. Greenell. G. Percy, 1.
,%nderson, Sir J. Greele, Thomas Peto, S.
Pagshaw, J. Greville, Col. F. Pigott, F.
Banes, St. Hon. M. Grosvenor, Ld. R. Pilkington, J.
Ila Barnes, T. Pinney, W.
Barrow, W. Hamilton, G. A. F,liar.i-Urquhart, W
Bass, T. Ilastie, Alex. Power, N.
. Beamish. F. LI ,sti•,, Archd. P ice, Sir R.
Bell, J. Heard. J. Pugh, D.
Bethell. Sir R. liennage. Geo. F. Iti ..irdo, J.
Riggs, W. Hervey, Lord A. hicardo, 0.
Bland. L. If. He wood, J. R chardson J.
Booth, Sir Rt. Gore fleywortn. L. Robartes, T.
llouverie. Ron. E. P. Hindley, C. Ita-seal, Lord J.
Brocklehurst, J, Ingham. R. Sawle, C.
iirotherton, J. Kelly. Sir F. Scholefleld, W.
Brown. W. Kershaw, J. Scotian, Capt. G.
Bruce, Lord E. Kninsird, A. Scully, F.
Card well, E. Kirk, W. Sculy, V.
Caulfeild. It.-Col. J. Lacon, Sir X. ghee, SerJt. W.
* heetham, John Laing, S. . Shelley, Sir J.
Cholmondeley Lord Langston, J. H. Smith, J. IL
Cobbett. J. M. Lent ton, H. G. Spooner, It
Cobden. R. Lani. ton, W. H. P. G. Startle. Le G.
Crossley, F, Lee, W.
W.
Strut E.
Devereux, J. T. Lindsey, w • Sutton, J.
Dire t. E. Lowe, K• Tattered. H.
Duncan, G. Luce, T. Thicknesse, R.
Dundas, G. Mackie, 3. Thompson, G.
Dunlop, A. , t
31 iann J. . J. Thornely, T.
Elcho. Lord 3f cTagg.art, Sir J. Walcott. Admiral
Esmonle, J. Massey. N. Walmsley, bir.J.
Mutsu. W.' Walpole, S.
Feilden, 3f. Whatman. 3.
Fergus, J.
Ferguson. J.
Fitzgerald. Lt..G.Sir J. 14313111:414llitelishgls:eaw:Enillii worth, Sir W •
ywwWWWoyiiii le: kninkne:illani;:s.;
rol B.
In-1 H. W.
Wi
r .T
T.
Fitz Gerald. J. Mansell, W. Williams, M.
Fitzro,, Hon. H. Mowbray. J. Williams. W.
Forster. J.
3imuurcgoraugvah,,
J. Wyndham.
of
Fortescue, C.
Fox, W. Nader, J. Wyvil, M.
French, F. Oates, J.
Gardner, It. O'Brien, I'.
Leach, C. o', 'onnell, S.
Glyn, G. 0 horns, K.
Goddard, A. Palmer, Roundell
NOES-76.

TXLLEILS.
Rayter, W.
Berkeley, G.

Alexander, J. Forbes, W.
Arhuthnott, Lt. G. H. George, J. _.
Ark irriaht, G. Gooch, Sir X.
Baird, J. Graham, Lord 31.
Ball, E. Greaves, E.
Baring, Sir F. Hanley, J. „,
Bateson, Capt T. Herbert. Sir
Bennet, Capt B. Hilyard, IL ' ~'"
-.
Bent nek, G. Horsfall, 'l' •
Blackett, J. F. B. Hotham, Lord
Itia:r, Col. J. li, Hume. W.
Buller, Sir J. Irtoi I. S.
Bunbury, Capt. W. Kennedy T.
Batt, 0. Kin f, J.
Butt, I. Knight, F.
Chelsea, Viscount LOU% Capt. R.
Child. Smith Lennox, Lord A. F.
Crook, J. Liddell. H. T.
Cnhitt, W. Lockhart. A. E.
Disraeli, lion. E. Lucas, F.
Dunne. Col. Macgregor, JAL
-East, Sir J. Mack /lure, J.
Egerton B. Mains, B.
Zvelyn. W. Meagher, T.
Ferguson. Sir K. Michell. W.
Fltsg WM. W. Montgomery. Lit

Naas, Lord
Packe, C
Phinn, T.
Rolt, P.
Sanders, G.
Seymour, Lord
Sibthorp, 01.
Stanley, Lord
Swi t, R.
Taylor, Lt.-Col. J.
Tomline, G.
Tyler, Sir G.
Vane, Lo d
Yansittart, G.
Vernon, G.
Waddington. H.
Walsh, Sir J.
Whiteside. J.
Whitmore, EL
Willoughby, Sir H.
%hie. A.
Woodd, EL

MIMS.

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