The Sun.
London, England, 1831-03-02 00:00:00

turn one Member ; and, as we propose to do in Englata,"
the towns to which the right is extended shall be taken ou
of the representation of the counties. The electors in
those towns will consist of all persons possessing property,
or occupying houses of the value of ten pounds a year.
Scotland possesses some advantages in respect to registra-
tion. With those alterations, therefore, Scotland will be
represented in this House by fifty Members, instead of the
present forty-five.—(Hear, hear.)—ln these districts the
votes at elections shall no longer be taken as at present.
The election will no longer be made by the delegates of
particular incorporations—(Hear, hear)—but the votes
of all the qualified electors shall be taken personally, and
the election be decided by the sum of those votes. The
Noble Lord then read a statement, of which we subjoin
the substance :
The counties to be 'settled as follows :—Peebles and
Selkirk to be joined, and to elect one Member together;
Dumbarton and Bute, Elgin and Nairne, Ross and Cro-
marty, Orkney and Shetland, and Clackmannan and Kin-
ross, with certain additions, to do the same. The remain-
ing twenty-two counties each singly to return one Member.
Burghs to be as follow :—Edinburgh to have two Mem-
ers ; Glasgow to have two; and Aberdeen, Paisley, Dun-
dee, Greenock, and Leith (with the addition of Porte-
bello, Musselburgh, and Fisberrow), each singly to return
-one Member.

The East Fife district of burghs no longer to return,
but to be thrown into the county.
The remaining thirteen districts of burghs, each to re-
turn one Member with these variations—that Kilmarnock
shall take the place of Gla•gaw in the district of burghs
to which Glasgow formerly belonged ; Chat Peterhead hall
take the rlace of Aberdeen ; and that Falkirk shall be
added to the distriets of Lanark, Linlithgow, Selkirk, and
Peebles. _ _ .

As to Qualification of Voters.—Burgh Members no
longer to be elected by Town Councils or Delegates ; nor
County Members by persons holding sort-knit' es of certain
value. The qualification for counties being ownership of
land or houses, worth 10/. a year, with residence; or
holding as tenant, in actual possession, on written lease
for nineteen years or upwards, to the value of 50/.
For Burghs, the occupancy of a dwelling.house, rented
or rated to taxes, at not less than 10/. a year.
All votes to be registered by Sheriffs.
Poll to be taken by Sheriffs or substitutes, at one or
niece places, not to be open for more than two days.
Reports front several polling places to be made to prin-
cipal Sheriff, by whom tine return is to be always made,
for Burgh as well as County Members.
I now proceed to the question of Ireland, where Reform,
although it is necesary, will be much more simple. The
election of mem,ers for boroughs in Ireland was began at
the time of the Union ; therefore it appears there are none
of those very decayed boroughs in Ireland which we
have here. There is, however, that evil which I
have already pointed out as existing in England,
namely that the elective franchise is not held by a
number of persons well qualified to vote from the
extent of their property.—( Hear. )—We propose, therefore,
that the same right to vote shall he extended to Ireland,
as regards the value of property amounting to 10/. a
year—that we shall give to every person a right
to vote who resides in a borough, sending Members to
Parliament.—(Hear, hear.)—l am convinced that this
will be found to be of very great benefit to Ireland. There
are many of the boroughs in which the people suffer the
greatest inconvenience from their incapacity of vot-
ing. I would mention only one instance, an instance which
I brought forward last year, I mean the case of the bo-
rough of Wexford, where the people being all excluled,
were subject to dues to the amount of 2,0001.
a year for coming to the coast of England, which, had
they been tree of the corporation, they would not have
been subject to. lam well satisfied, therefore, that
tints will enable the people of Ireland to proceed in tine
cultivation of their trade and industry, which it is so desirable
should take place. There are many places of emt commer-
cial importance which have not at present their due share
in the representation. Of these the principal are Belfi,t,
Limerick and Waterford, to which I propose to give repre-
sentatives, so as to add three to the whole number of Mem-
bers for Ireland.-IGreat noise.) There is an advantage
arising to Scotland and Ireland from this measure, from a
number of Members being cut off front this House
representing different parts of England whose places are
not supplied ; they win become of greater relative impor-
tance consequently in comparison to other Members of the
House. In this respect the measure is calculated, it is
hoped to give great satisfaction to both Ireland and
Scotland. The period of election will terminate in Ireland
within the same time that it will terminate in England

It is not intended to make any other alteration in the right
of voting for the Irish counf es, exco:pt that beneficed cler-
gymen shall be qualified to vote as 50/. freeholders. At
election 4 the e”tes are to be taken from the opening of the
poll to the conclusion—in the same manner as in England.
—(Much noise, hear, hear, and order.) The result of
all the measures comprehended in this Bill, as affecting the
number of Members in this [louse, will he, that of the
present number of 658-16 S being taken off by the dis-
franclii einent of the boroughs-490 will remain. To
that number five being added as the increase of Members
for SL!otland, three for Ireland, eight for London, and
142 fur the rest of England and Wales, making the

Future number of Members of the United Parliament 596

--(hear, bear, and great noise.) The decrease of the
present number will accordingly be sixty-two. I will
now state the nunib-!r of persons who will be entitled
to the suffrage under this Bill, not previously possess-
ing that right, in the different boroughs and towns, in
London, and in the counties. I suppose that in the coun•
ties the franchise will be extended to 110,000 persons ;
in the towns to 50,000 ; in London to 95,000 ; in Scot-

land to 50,000 ; and in Ireland to about 40,000 rations.
bear.)—ln the counties at least 110,000 will he
retitled to vote who never bore possessed the franchise

--(Hear)—and it is my opinion that the whole measure
will add to the constituency of the Commons House of
Parliammt, about half a million of persons, and these
all connected with the property of the country, having a
valuable stake amongst us and deeply interested in our insti-
tutions. They arc the persons on whom we can depend in
any future struggle in which this nation may be engaged,
and who will maintain and support Parliament and the
Throne in carrying that struggle to a successful termination.
Sir, I think the probability of the possession of this fran-
chise will be an inducement to good conduct. When
a man finds that by his being rated to a certain rent, and
by paving rates, he will be entitled to a vote in the election
of a Member of this House, it will be an inducement to
hi:n .to b.! careful, and frugal, and punctual in his
dealings— (Hear)—it will be a great inducement
to him to preserve his character amongst his neighbours,
and the place which he holds in society. I think, Sir, that
when we add this large constituency tee provide for the
political and moral improvement of the people. Having gnn.,
through these different statements, I cannot but take notice
of certain points which will be considered defective by those
,who are professedly the most jealous' of popular rights.
In the first place, it will be said, there is no provision
fur the shot ter duration of Parliament? In answer to
that I say, that question has been much and anxiously
considered by his Majesty's present Ministers,
anti after the fullest consideration possible, it was
thought better to leave it entlnly as a separate ques-
tion than to bring it in at the end of a bill which
affected the franchise, and other matters totally se-
parate from that question, without saying what is the
opinion of Ministers upon that question—a question of itself
of the utmost importance, and which deserves the utmost
e
consideration. I say that it was thought better to present
the large measure of Reform by itself and leave the other
measure as to the duration of Parliament, either to b

trFottght in by some other Member, or to be brought in
itsettietnu,bil a
,k pro-
perthat
at a future j.ime by Ministers for future consideration.
For my own part, I can only say that though I think
itmcoosott rol desirableo v over
yet have t
it would be inexpedient to make the duration of Parliament
so short that members of this House should be in a state
0-; perpetual canvass with the opinions of their constituents,
_:_(Loud chevraj—and therefore unable to advise, delibe-
rate, and decide uplift any Brea: question which might be
brought before them with that freedom which should
pie-
vail in the Legislature of a great empire. I shall very freely
etate my op3nions when the fitting season arrives, but at pre-
'sea tha qo7e7pinent have no measure of the kind to pro-
poee, satis6ed as they aa., that if they can provide for the
constituents the means of enabling them .10 e!:::ct their own
representatives, it would be better not to narrow that
question by another which has ics own doubts, difficul-
tie,, and ohitschs to contend with.' There- is another
question of which no mention whatever is made
in thii Bill—a question which has obtained of
I.,te many tolvorates and much general support—l
'mean the quretion of the ballot,—(Cheers. )--There
la no doubt to recommend tile adoption of that
measure.—.(Loud odes "H of 'ear; and no, nth") wore
ingenious argutnents titan have been used in favour of
the ballot have never fallen under my observation, and I
hope this House will pause before it sanctions the
motion of the Ifunotirable Member for 13ridport, who
prop.ises the ballot to ha the mode of election iu all cases
—(Cheers)—that mole of elec.:ion, Sir, whilst it on the
one hand favours the conscientious voters, it on the
other hand, affords a cover to much fraud and much crime,
it expoiCs a man to the influence of bad passions, and
while it prevents bad influence over the good, it pre-