The Sun.
London, England, 1831-08-20 00:00:00

that the Sheriff wai annually appointed ; but the Under-
Sheriff, although by law he was annually appointed, prac-
tically, it was well known, held his situation for life. Ile
had even, known counties—Oxford for instance—in which
the office devolved from father to son, Now tto 'man
could doubt that it would be the Under a'Ad not
the Sheriff, who would vominate 'the returniirg officer.—
The Sheriff rornipg info bit ee ih ;Febrirary, and having to
make his nonaination of returning officers in March, whom
could he 'consult, in whose hands could b' iiiree himself,
but the Under Sheriff? He (Mr. 13ankes) had a great
re_qpect for attorneys and solicitors ; but they were not
persons, agents as they were to so many parties, wh'6m he
wished to see returning officers. Yet t'::e'y were the pre-
cise persons who in general 1-./,';Ultt be appointed. He ac-
knowledged that there were difficulties in the ease, but
these dOtillties ought to have been foreseen in the outset ;
atad the authors of the Bill had no right to call on the op-
ponents to it to suggest an expedient.
Lord ALTHORP said due inquiry had been made, and
no other person occurred to the framers of the Bill as the
person in whom the right of appointing the returning of-
ficers should be vested but the High Sheriff. Being an
annual officer lie was less liable to he influenced in an elec-
tion. Responsible as he was for the election of the county,
it was most natural that to him the power should he en-
trusted of appointing the returning officers for the Val-4ms
elections within the county. The objections which had
been made to the High Sheriff were only objections which
were equally applicable to anybody else. Yet somebody
must be appointed. It had been said that all who were
qualified to be Members were excluded from the situation
of returning officers. This was not the cast. They were
only not compelled to serve. There was no reason to sup-
pose that any one appointed to he a returning officer would
be desirous to decline the appointment, for it was a kind
of feather in his cap. The Right Hon.. Member for Tam-
worth had said it would be easy for any man to exempt
himself Irons the office by obtaining fallacious qualifica-
tions. He might do the same thing in order to enable
himself to stand as a candidate. Into the legal argument
he would not enter. He repeated that they had male
every inquiry as to the proper persons to be appointed re-
turning officers, and the result was, that where they did
not already exist, it was found the High Sheriff was the
fittest individual. It was certainly possible that the High
Sheriff might be the friend of the candidate; but that was
an objection which would he equally applicable to any
other person.,

Mr. WYNN observed that if a person appointed to be
a returning officer chose to decline that office, how was it
to be known until the writ came down? and then there
were no immediate compulsory means to make him serve.
He thought it would be better if the High Sheriff of the
county were to have the right of selecting one from three
persons nominated by some other authorities. He
earnestly advised his Majesty's Ministers to grant charters
to nev., boroughs, and appoint municipal magistrates. He
knew this could not be done at once, but he recommended
them to take measures for carrying it into effect as
speedily as possible.
Mr. HUNT objected to the Sheriff of Middlesex having
the right to appoint returning officers for the metropo-
litan districts.

Mr. CALVERT said that, consideting the way in
which the Sheriffs of London were elected, he could not
avoid thinking that if they had the right of appointing
returning officers for the new districts, these offices would
he filled by persons who would not discharge the duty
honestly, hut would look rather to their own advantage
than that of the community.
Mr. HARVEY thought the Sheriffs would be sure to
choose respectable persons to act as returning officers.
He concurred with the Hon. Member for Southwark in
believing that the Sheriff of Middlesex ought to have the
power of appointing the officers for the new districts.
Accredited officers ought to be instituted in all the en-
franchised places.
The clause, with a number of verbal amendments, was
then agreed to.
The returning officers named in schedule C and D
were agreed to.

A discussion followed respecting the clauses which should
be taken to morrow, when

Lord ALTHORP stated, that he proposed to take
clauses 19 and 20, but not 21.
Colonel WOOD having made some observations on
the mode of registration, which he supposed would be
introduced into the Bill,
Mr. C. WYNN suggested, that the Bill should be
divided into distinct portions, and that the principles should
be separated from the details. The discussion of the latter
might be very complicated, and would probably occupy
much time. He proposed that the elective franchise
should be passed, and the rest be discussed afterwards.
The House resumed, and the Chairman obtained leave to
sit again to-morrow.

Mr. H. HUGHES gave notice for Tuesday, that he
should on that day move a resolution before the House
going into a Committee, declaratory of the opinion of the
House that the present number of its Members ought not
to be reduced.