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

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

ROUSE OF COMMONS—(THIS DAY.)
The SPEAKER took the chair at 12 o'clock.
The Lords' amendments to Gorbals Gravitation Bill
Were considered and agreed to.

PETITIONS.
kr. DUNLOP presented a petition from the work-
ing men of Glasgow against the Registration of As-
Nurances Bill.

DROPPED ORDERS.
The dropped orders were reappointed.

EXPENSES OF ELECTIONS' BILL.
On the motion of going into committee on this bill,
Colonel SIBTHORP said he made it a point of
always opposing bills of this nature. It was a bill of
Pains and penalties against the electors, and he could
not better characterise its spirit than to stigmatise it as
a mean, shabby, disgraceful affair, from beginning to
end. It was alike a degradation to the candidate and
electors, and he would not permit it to proceed without.
protest ; only consider that the law was so rigidlyes,en
forced that the candidate could not give his supporters,
who might have walked miles, either a gl
brandy and water, or a change of linen. (A
All that the candidate could do, if the bill
asse"
to thank his friends for the expense and trouble they had
been put to, but " fine words buttered no parsnips," and
thanks would be an empty return to the ma
expended his money and his labour to promotenwo had
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.)
Re 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-
a
quence was, that for several days the town was kept in
state of uproar. Nor was this all, he was asked to
name
, a number of persons who were his supporters to
e sworn in as special constables, but he refused to do
to as he thought it was the duty of the returning officer
t? take all the necessary precautions for preserving the
byeeace of the town. He would pay nothing but the
legal expenses of the election, and he should sup-
port this bill in the hope that it would put an end to the
oPrnemicpilyhlg
o:spractice of corrupting voters under the guise
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
!ould 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.
" MH. BERKELEY approved of the merit of the
ui, and recommended the house to go into committee
Without any more delay.
Mr. MITCHELL complained that the bill did not go
farerahre= fgoh, and thought the time had arrived when all
party ought to be prohibited at contested
election; 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 omission of words, so as
r limit the responsibility of the candidate to acts done
by himself, and not leave him liable for the misconduct
?,f an agent of whose proceedings he had been quite in
the dark.
Mr. MIILLINGS consented to strike the objection-
able words out.
After a few words from Mr. HENLEY and Mr. VERNON
Nam, the amendment was agreed to.

[LEFT BITTING.]

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

DEVON AND DORSET RAILWAY BILL.
SPECIAL REPORT.
txraVir. Beckett reported from the committee or
group
14-111-) of railway bills, who were empowered to make a
Away report so far as relates to the Devon and Dorset
41411waY Bill, that they had agreed to the following
special report :
" That in arriving at the decision that the allegations
contained in the preamble of the bill had not been proved
to their satisfaction, your committee have not lost sight
of the urgent necessity for filling
existe gap in railway.
communication which at present between Dor-
chester and Exeter, nor do they doubt that the Devon
1.,4?id Dorset Line, which has come under their inves-
Ligation, would supply that deficiency for all purposes
of local traffic. But taking a wider view of the subject,
"nd listening to evidence adduced in the progress of this
Investigation from authorities of high consideration, your committee feel the importance of a railway communication
neon one uniform guage between Exeter and London in a
orth-easterly direction via Axminster and Salisbury, and
of another from Exeter to Portsmouth and the east coast
es
W •ft Dorchester ' • and, believing that a communication so
dirable could not be attained if the Devon and Dorset
railway bill now proposed should receive the sanction of
Parliament, they
are of opinion that they are best pro-
reoting the public welfare by gi vin an opportunity in the
beat session of Parliament for the establishment of one
Uniform guage throughout the above district.
" Your committee would, however, have hesitated to
reject the bill bef*e them had it not been proved in
evidence that the proprietors in the London and South-
• Western Railway Company, at a recent public meeting,
had authorised and requested their directors to pledge
?tat company to apply to Parliament at the earliest period
Powers to construct an extension of their railway from
ntollester to Exeter ; and, had the committee not re-
ceived from the same company, through their chairman
u-r• Scott, a member of this house) a clear and
distinct assurance in his evidence, and in a letter
'BoT)tquontly given in, that in the next session
use -rsvliament that company will introduce and
•rigin!,lleir best endeavours to obtain an act for autho-
gau2, Inioh extension of their railway on the narrow
to en—Z-61,4 extension to be waxy.efficient character, and
jlacr—Pr'Bo a double line of The committee also
a citeilar assurance from Mr. Scott that, in the event
of such an extension being sanctioned by Parliament, the
London and South-Western Railway Company would im-
mediately thereafter proceed to double their existing rail-
Way between Southampton and Dorchester, without wait-
ing until the obligation to do so, cast on them by `The
come into operaantio
Southamton d
nDorchester Railwaye Act, 1815 shall
.chairman of your committee, was received " The following letter from Mr. Scott, addressed t• the
by your committee :--- and considered

' ondonol. July 1, 1853.
" ' Sir,—With reference to" theL
Dorset Railway, and the railway ommunile
proposed to serve, 1 beg, as chaff cation of the
rman of the
district it was
London and South-Western Railway,,
`-'°llll3anY, and as their
representative, acting under the authority of the resolu-
tions of the proprietors at their public meeting on the 19th
n'Y
May last, to repeat the pledge which in the course of
evidence before the committee intended, with all dis-
tinctness, to give, viz.—
authorisingem.
" ' That the London and South-Westerno
carrya bill
llanY will, in the next session of Parliament, introduce
and use their best endeavours to
,
an extension of their railway from Dorchester to Exeter
on the gauge of the London and South Western Railway
themselves finding the necessary capital, and taking
an
the proper preliminary measures, and afterwards executing
the works with all dispatch.
" ' And I have no hesitation in adding
that the company
will, if such extension line be ;ranted to them,b immedi-
ately proceed to double the lin:between Southampton and
which orehoster, without waiting for the period at
gation to do so might come into operation under the
the
Act.
existing provisions of the Southampton and Dorchester
etioutbele me to
rn The resolutions of the Company with respect to the
axing of the extension line from Dorchester to Exeter
afisure you, and I do assure you, that the line
4.. ' proposed shall be a satisfacto.ry and efficient one, and,
Zarordance with the pledge given by Mr. Hope Scott,
fait.ei and ;01oris
Obedient servant, _ _ _

" FRANCIS " Wel. Beckett, Esq., M.P., Chairman of the
Railway Group (NN)."

71,..11.e:1CE OF PLATE TO THE BISHOP OF LINCOLN.—The
.
1171 ,of plate subscribed for by the parishioners of St.r
upon his 88, Westroinst , memorial to their late rector
111,--m--
,eltion to the seea
of Lincoln,
° .-"--"'aY to the • h lto ipi, the committee
acting for the . rig t rev. pre a , .7
f the plate was
about 700/ Parishioners. The value o was presented
to be on
-view durin. 4 alith4.it was understood that it was
the
makers', meßera: last
.three days of this_w.cecaelLayt.
NEW LAl,lpapohwci:ilkinson and Dobtshoenn.
eYwi Piccadilly.
Act, which
pc°rimetoesrinoftoefvo;.er;n,onetkr:llB;sijßeYnacted that the pro-
topolitan, stage carriage shall cause
be placed inside lio, •8 be
and manner as shall b
Commissioners
of Police, and the e A
e directed by the
,
carriage a lamp, in such position
conductor, or if there be no conductor_
be driver of such
such shall keep the lamp
lighted whenever such carriage shall be used to ply for
or carry passengers at any tins
--me after sun-set and before
sun-rise. _ properly
DITEorioN OF IRON SHILLINGS AND SOVEREIGNS. 7
By applying a small pocket
Inagoet to a counterfeit coin
a the abovekind, it is instantly attracted, and may thus
be lifted up from a table, whereas genuine coins are
unaffected• A delicately suspended magnetic needle i
a still More sensitive indicator.