The Sun.
London, England, 1849-04-28 00:00:00

considerations are brought to bear upon the electors
—where the new Member may endeavour to procure
situations, either in the public offices or in private es-
tablishments, for the friends or relatives os the voters
—or where the proprietors of land may endeavour to
induce their tenants and dependents to give their
suffrages contrary to their conscience.
We cannot, therefore, although fully recognising the
numerous abuses that have arisen, regret the failure
of the present Bill. Its practical success might poss,
sibly induce Parliament to refrain from passing other
more comprehensive enactments that would com-
pletely abate the nuisance. As the veteran Member
for Montrose truly remarked, it is " the extension of
the suffrage and the vote by ballot that will alone
afford simple and adequate remedies for the evil."
The extension of the suffrage, and we would add the
equalization of the electoral districts, would
remove the temptation to candidates ; a few
votes could not then turn the scale, or
ensure the election of the parties willing to corrupt
their constituencies, while the ballot would also
operate most powerfully, inasmuch as there could be
no certainty that those who were willing to barter
their consciences for money, who were led astray by
the eturi sacra fames, would not betray their
tempters, and give their votes according to their
secret predilections, and not to the promises that had
been wrung from them under the operation of undue
influences. The voice of public opinion has at length
been heard ; the nation demands that these con-
stitutional guarantees for the purity of both
the electors and the elected should be conceded, and
the reasonable request cannot long be evaded or post-
poned. A body of enthusiastic Reformers within the
House will force the Legislature to these all-impor-
tant questions, and when the feeling out of doors is so
strongly and unequivocally testified, those who may
speedily be obliged to come before their constituencies,
and to request a renewal of the confidence formerly
reposed, will have to look closely to their recorded
votes, and to: consider how far they are in accordance
with the expressed wishes of those they
again desire to represent. Bribery and
corruption at elections, must be got rid of,
and that great desideratum can only be obtained
by the extension of the suffrage, the equalisation of
the electoral districts, but, above all, by the " ballot"
being the only mode by which the suffrages of the
constituencies can be taken. Away with the farce
of calling it "an un-English system," while it is
acted on in clubs and private societies, where every
Member of Parliament has himself -so frequently bad
recourse thereto, and must be fully aware of its bene-
ficial results.

At length Mr. ROEBUCK will have an opportunity
of returning to the natural arena for his abilities—
Parliament. A new writ for Sheffield having been
ordered to issue last evening, the electors of that
borough will find themselves at once called on to
decide upon the proper candidate. As to the nature
of that decision we are already satisfied. A worthy
successor to the legislator who has so long and so
ably represented the constituency at Westminster
will be looked for; and a worthier successor could
not be found in the United Kingdom than JouN
ARTHUR ROEBUCK. This we are certain is the con-
viction of every Liberal possessor of the elective
franchise in Sheffield. The reputation acquired by
Mr. ROEBUCK, the fact of his being no party man, but
a consistent advocate of the rights of the population,
will ensure his immediate and unanimous acceptance
by every Liberal in Sheffield.