The Sun.
London, England, 1853-04-12 00:00:00

presumed it meant to ask whether the new annuities
which were about to be created would be exempt from
the payment of income-tax as provided by the existing
law. If that was so, all that he could say was simply
that this was a matter of detail, but, nevertheless, as at
present advised he saw no reason for departing from
the existing law upon the subject.
PUBLIC EDUCATION.

Mr. ADDERLEY wished to ask Lord J. Russell
whether he intended to introduce any measure, or would
extend his general educational measure so as to include
any provision, either by grants through the Committee
of Council, or by rates, or any other means, for pauper
or reformatory schools for the classes of children most
dependent on assistance, and whose better education is
most-needed for the safety of the State.
Lord J. RUSSELL said, with regard to the educa-
tion of pauper children, that was a subject which had
been considered, and was still under the consideration
of the Government, but he apprehended the education
of criminal children did not come within the scope of the
bill, and therefore it would have to be made the subject
of a separate measure.

CANTERBURY ELECTION.
On the motion of Mr. K. SEYMER, the amendments
which the Lords had introduced into the address to the
Commons for a commission to inquire into the causes of
bribery at the Canterbury election were considered and
agreed to.
ENCUMBERED ESTATES (IRELAND) BILL.
In reply to Mr. IL HERBERT,
Sir J. YOUNG said he believed there was a general
feeling in Ireland that the Encumbered Estates Act
should be applied to estates which were not encumbered.
The subject however, was one of extreme difficulty, and
though he hoped it might be found possible to
bring such estates under the operation of that act, he
was not prepared to say that the Government would be
enabled to bring in a bill for that purpose during the
present session.
CITHEROE ELECTION.

Mr. GASKEEITii:T.oved for an address to her Majesty
praying that her Majesty will be graciously pleased to
issue a commission to inquire into the state of the
borough of Clitheroe. Commissioners' names :—Messrs.
P. E. Pickering, G. G. Barrett, and G. Hardy.
He thought the house would shrink from the perform-
ance of a great public duty if it did not act on the re-
commendation of the committee that a commission should
be appointed. The general features connected with this
election resembled those which had been frequently
brought under the consideration of the house in other cases.
Its main distinctive character consisted in the unblush-
ing manner in which the corrupt practices had been
carried on, and in the total absence of those glosses
which often covered the perpetration of such of-
fences in other borough. It appeared that bribery
existed for a fortnight previous to the election,
and that every man, whether an elector or not,
got meat and drink at the expense of the candidates.
In one case 401, were paid to the voter, in another 301.,
and in a third 1001. There was also intimidation used
at the Clitheroe election, and in cases where parties
were undecided how they should vote, theyjwere removed
to a distance •of twenty miles rom the borough.
Besides, the treating had been both extensive and
systematic, and in addition to debauching the elector, it
had the effect of sadly disturbing the peace of the town
during the election. A practice had prevailed for some
years at the election of Clitheroe, of introducing armed
men into the borough, for the purpose of intimidating the
voter, and unless the Legislature took some steps to put
a stop to the practice, it was a perfect mockery to talk
about the freedom of election. He had therefore no he-
sitation in making this motion, upon the recommenda-
tion of the committee that had investigated the matter.
Mr. COBDEN took the opportunity of presenting a
petition from several electors of Clitheroe, complaining
of having been coerced by their landlords for having voted
at the last election according to the dictates of their own
conscience • and the hon. member having presented the
petition, called upon the house to pronounce an opinion
upon the point raised by it. The intimidation com-
plained of by the petitioners was equally as gross as that
of the bludgeon-man, and he should be glad to know
if it was a corrupt practice that came within the provi-
sions of the act under which the address was moved. If
that should be decided in the negative he should feel it to
be his duty to call upon the Government to amend the
act, in order that these intimidation practices might be in-
quired into.
Mr. WALPOLE said the act of Parliament gave the
Commissioners greater powers than were even en-
joyed by the judges of the land, and it was therefore
the duty of the house to take care that in each particular
case they complied with the requirements of the act. Now
the act required that the committee should report
that the corruption had been extensive and systematic ;
but the report in this instance contained no such words,
and they ought on that account to be cautious in dealing
with this motion.

(LEFT SPEAKING.)

THE LONDON GAZETTE.

(THIS EVENING.)

LORD CHAMBERLAIN'S OFFICE, Arun 11, 1853.
Notice is hereby given, that his Royal Highness Prince
Albert will, by the desire of her Majesty, hold Levees at
St. James's-Palace, on behalf of her Majesty, on the fol-
lowing (lays, at two o'clock :
Wednesday, the 20th instant.
Wednesday, the 27th instant.
. . . .

It is her Majesty's pleasure that presentations to his
Royal Highness at these Levees shall be considered equi-
valent to presentation to the Queen.
Addresses to the Queen may either be forwarded to her
Majesty through the Secretary of State for the Home De-
partment, or may be reserved until her Majesty shall hold
a Levee.