The Sun.
London, England, 1849-02-21 00:00:00

used to inflict upon the Member the severe oaths and
declarations they imposed upon the elector, and he, for
one, trusted that the Hon. Baronet would persevere in
this measure.—(Hear,. hear.)

Mr. FEARG-IjS O'CONSIOR thought the principle
of the Bill was good. It assimilated the law of
bribery to the law applicable to other crimes, and
that was the only means by which they
could purify the elective system of the country. The
Hon. Baronet who introduced the Bill had made some
allusion to the former corruption of Nottingham. No
doubt Coventry was corrupt once, for when he put up
for that borough at the last election a deputation of
publicans waited upon him to know if he would
pay the expenses of the former contest on behalf of Sir
John Hobhouse. He was told that the arrears amounted
to 20,0001., but as it was:his rule to pay nothing for his
return, he refused to accede to the proposal, and of course
incurred the direful hostility of the publicans. The Hon.
Member for Coventry had warmly supported the freemen
of this country, but the House must permit him
to say that he had no confidence in the purity
of that body, and he would tell them why. He re-
membered on one occasion, when he was addressing
a crowd of electors from a waggon in the market. place,
when he deprecated bribery and corruption during the
coming election, 500 of the freemen came down in their
flannel jackets, and asked him if he was going to destroy
their freedom and their inheritance.

Mr. HODGSON defended the constituency of Carlisle
against any imputations of bribery. With respect to the
principle of the measure it was a matter of indifference
to him whether the Bill was read a second time or not,
for he would forego the honour of a seat in that House
rather than make a declaration such as was proposed to
be taken by this Bill. He would, nevertheless, vote for
the second reading of the Bill.

Sir JOHN PAKINGTON spoke in reply to the
arguments that had been adduced in the course of
the debate. The principal observation he had to
make upon the debate was, that it appeared
to him was, that exceptf.ng those objections which had
been made to the principle of Members being called on to
make a declaratio❑ on this subject; the other objections
appeared to him to partake of the nature of verbal criti
cism rather than serious objections to the Bill. The Hon.
Baronet then briefly reviewed the objections to his Bill,
and concluded by stating that the main principle of
the Bill was the security which such a declaration could
give against bribery at elections, and called on the
House to sanction the second reading of this Bill, re-
minding them that the eyes of the country were looking
to them with some anxiety for a measure which would
put an end to the corrupt practices at elections.
Col. RAWDON begged to assure the House that, as I
an officer in the army, he had received several commis-
sions in his life, and he was never asked to make a de- I
cla ration, and he certainly never made one. He believed
every other officer in the House would bear him out in
that statement.

The house then divided, when there appeared—
For the second reading .•. 110
Against it • • "' 80
Majority ...
The Bill was then read a second time.
CONSOLIDATED FUND BILL.
The Consolidated Fund (8.000,0001.) Bill passed
through Committee, and the reportAwas ordered to be
received to-morrow. _

LIGHTHOUSES.
Mr. HUME moved for a copy of the report of Cap.
tain Bayfield, R.N., on the necessity of erecting a light-
house on Cape Pine, Newfoundland, and statement of
the measures that have been adopted by the Govern-
ment in consequence. A statement of the progress
made in the erection of the lighthouue on the Island of
Barbadoes for which the Assembly of Barbadoes has
voted money, and for which, in the miscellaneous esti-
mates of last year, the House voted the sum of 2,0001.
also, statement of what measures have been adopted
respecting the erection, management, and superintend.
ence of Lighthouses in the British Colonies and Pos-
sessions.
Lord BERNARD complained that the want of !light-
houses in the north, western, and south-western coast
of Ireland was the cause of many shipwrecks.
After some observations from Mr. Duncan, Mr.
Anstey, Mr. Herbert,
,and Lord John Russell, the mo-
tion was agreed to.
UNION OF KENMARE.
Mr. NAPIER postponed till to-morrow, the following
motion of which he had given notice :—Copies
of the accounts of the union of Kenmore, from the date
of the last audit until the removal of the local guardians,
to show the state of the accounts as between the several
electoral divisions, and the actual debts of the union.
Similar accounts from the removal of the local guardians
to the present time. Entries in the ledger since March,
1848. Registers of persons receiving indoor and out-
door relief, with their residences, as set forth in the
register kept in the workhouse. Entries on the re-
gister showing the number of paupers in the union work-
house, on the Ist of January in the present year. En-
tries in the clothing book of the workhouse, and pro-
vision account books for the year 1848. And all entries
showing the state of the union during the year 1848.
The House adjourned at Six o'clock.