The Sun.
London, England, 1831-08-11 00:00:00

should have been nominated in th..! clause creating the
borough.
Mr. O'CONNELL said that the per,on nominated by
the Sheriff was not compelled to accept office.
Colonel DAVIES thoeght that that added to the diffi
eulty of the cave.

Mr. GOC LBUBN said, not only was there no cam-
pensation for the returning officer, but he was to be, under
the Act, liable for Certain penalties in the event of certain
non-performance of his duty. Did the Noble Lord sup-
pose that there were any to be found in the Welsh cninties
simpletons enough to accept the of on such terms ?
After a few words from the ATTORNEY-GENERAL,
Mr. G. BANKES raid, that he was glad to hear it at
length admitted on the other side, that the Bill was going
faster than was expected. It was something to hear it
admitted, too, that the clause had not been duty considered
by the Law Officers of 4!e town. He objected to any
clause etcle.dig any class of persons, as returning officers,
frOm 'Deeming candidates. That Charles I. placed Sheriffs
of counties in such a position, and particularly that he had
so appointed Sir Edw. Coke, was one of the great complaints
against that monarch, He suggested that the Chairman
should report progres4.—(No, no.)
The ATTORNt:Y•GENERAL had only admitted that
the MI had gas fast in comparison with the slow progress
. it hA formerly made under the vexatious opposition it had
received.
Sir R. PEEL suggested that the clause should be with.
drawn. It appeared to have been imperfectly considered ;
for no rro'.-ision was made for vacancy, except in case

of death.
Lord ALTHORP agreed to the suggestion, and said he
had no objection to postpone the clause.
Sir C. WETHERELL should object, when the clause
again came under consideration, to allow the Sheriff to
aprint the returning officer, which Was unprecedented.
Sir E. StGDEN said, as the clause now stood, the
Sheriff of Middlesex Would have the power of nominating
the returning oXicers to all the large and populous places
in the neighbourhood of the metropolis. He had other
objections to the clause, but could not then state them.
Air. B. CARTER said the Sheriff was a proper person
to nominate the returning °Ricer) because he could not
himself he a candidate for a seat in Parliament.

Mr. GOULBURN thought the clause required much
amendment.

.....
Sir JAMES SCARLETT thought, as the Sheriff was
appointed by the Crown, that he was the more improper
person to appoint the returning officer.
Mr. MACKINNQN said a few words, which were in-
audible. . _

Sir GEORGE CLERK said it was singular that the
Hon. Members opposite should have their Bill so imperfect
and so unprepared, after stating that the Bill was vexa-
tiously opposed, that, at the first constructive clause, they
were all at fault. Even the Attorney-General had not
considered it, and cl,ffered, in interpreting it, fro:n the
Noble Lord. _ .

Mr. WILKS suggested that the clause, after it was
amended, should be printed. It was of great importance
for the districts in the neighbourhood of the metropolis
who were returning officers, as !lie Under. Sheri& of Mid-
dleitex were persons on whom the metropolis might not be
disposed to rely.
Mr. C. PELHAM suggested that the returning officer
should be the chief person of the police in each district.
Clause postponed.
The question wise then put on clause 9, that the bl ink
in the clause appointing Knights of the Shire for York he
filled up with the word six.
Mr. WRANGHANI, though unprepared to discuss this
clause, in consequence of the other having been with-
drawn, WAS disposed to siy that the county of York was
not sufficiently represented. He hoped he might com-
pare that county, without being invidious, to Durham.
In York there was one representative to 50,000 inhabit-
ants—in Durham the number of Members was as one to
25,000 people. If the towns were not fully represented
in Yorkshire, that was a reason for giving more Members
to the county. The motion he should make would pro-
ceed upon the supposition that the county was divided
into three ridings, and that the West Riding should have
four, and each of the other ridings should. have three,
making in the whole ten for the county. The lion.
Member moved an amendment in this sense.
The question was put upon the amendment.
Lord MORPETH said that the Bill did nit proc,ed
upon geographical space or numerical population. It pre-
served the old boundaries of counties. He professed him-
self alive to the feelings and interests of his constituents.
If any town of Yorkshire had been omitted—if any
claim had been made out for any town that• it was not
properly treated, he had no doubt that the Government
would have c insidered such a case. The amendment,
however, came at a bid time, when two additional Mem-
bers were to be given to the county, and when Members
were to be given to Sheffield, Halifax, Leeds, and other
large towns.
• Lord STANLEY said, that the county of Lancaster
had no desire that its Members should be increased at the
expence of the other counties of England.
Mr. SADLER contended that the county of York had
not a fair share of representation, and when he saw that
the county of Durham was to have two additional Mem-
bers, although it had only one-fifth of the population of
York, he would proclaim it loudly to the world that this
was not an equitable adjustment. He thought too they
should not pass over the claims of Barnsley, the great seat
of the linen trade of the North, at the time they were di.
posing of the seats they had taken from the nomination
boroughs. Cromwell, it should be recollected, gave six-
teen Members to York, and he was satisfied, that the
people of that part of the country would not be content,
nor look on the settlement as permanent, unless their
claims were more fairly considered.
Sir G. MURRAY heard with satisfaction, that it was
not intended to alter the boundaries of counties at a moment
when it was proposed to mutilate the county he represented.
Mr. JOHN WOOD said, that on examination of the
number of hot oughs, including Leeds, Sheffield, and Wake-
field, which were to have Members in the place of Borough-
bridge, and the other places disfranchised, they would find
that Yorkshire bad thirty-six Members, being one Member
for every thitty-two thousand nine hundred inhabitants,
according to the census of 1821.
Sir JOHN JOHNSTONE said, that the people of the
West Riding of Yorkshire were much more manufacturing
than agricultural, and therefore the Members given to the
county were, in reality, Members for the manufacturing
interest. He was opposed to the amendment, because, in
his opinion, the balance of interests was pretty well settled
by the Bill.
Sir R. PEEL thought that the proportion of Members
taken from the South and given to the North was already
too large, and he was therefore disposed to oppose the
amendment.
Mr. S. WORTLEY also expressed his dissent from the
propositiOn of the Hon. Member for Sudbury.
After a few words from Mr. AYH% NGHAM and Mr. C.
PELHAM, the amendment was withdrawn, and the clause
agreed to.
On the motion for filling up the blank in the tenth clause
(respecting the county of Lincoln) with the word " four,"
Colonel SIBTHORPE argued against the clause, and
contended that it was calculated to make the county of
Lincoln a nomination county.
Mr. WILKS thought that it would be advisable to post-
pone the chime until the principle on which the general
division of counties was to take place had been established.
Lord ALTHORP thought that they might go through
the present clause, and reserve the discussion on the mode
of dividing the counties until the next clause.
Sir R. HERON bore testimony to the satisfaction with
Which the Bill had been received in the county of Lincoln.
Lord MILTON spoke in favour of the clause.
Mr. GOULBURN observed, that what had been said of
the danger of making Lincolnshire a nomination county I
ought to induce the Committee to look carefully at the
mode in which the division was to take place with refe-
rence to other counties.
Mr. HUGHES HUGHES hoped the Noble Lord would
postpone the clause.
Lord ALTHORP said that he had no objection to post-
pone it.
Mr. HUME expressed his hope that before to-morrow
the Noble Lord would lie prepared to ahoy bow the coun-
ties could be divided without the danger of subjecting them
to nomination. however anxious he was to forward the
Bill, he could not be an agent at once to the destruction of
nomination in boroughs, and to the creation of nomination

in counties.
Sir R. HERON did not think there was any danger of
nomination, and
Mr. SADLER contended that there was considerable
danger of it.
Mr. HEATHCOTE ridiculed the idea that so extensive
and populous a county as the county of Lincoln could be
subjected to nomination.
After some further conversation, the clause was post-
poned.
The House having been resumed, the Cuslamas re-
ported progress, and obtained lc tve to sit again this day.
DUCHESS OF KENT'S ANNUITY BILL.
The report of the Duchess of Kent's Annuity Bill hav-
ing been brought up,
Lord ALTHORP, in moving that it be agreed to, ad-
verted to the observations which had fallen yesterday from
the Hon. Member for Middlesex, and stated it as hi,
, opinion that it would not be becoming in the House to