The Sun.
London, England, 1838-02-02 00:00:00

A BILL

To Regulate the Times of Payment of Rates and Taxes by
Parliamentary Electors, and to abolish the Stamp Duty on
the Admission of Freemen.
[Note.—The words printed in Italics are proposed to be in.
sserted in the Committee.]
Whereas it is expedient to make further regulation as to the
payment of rates and taxes by persons whose names have been
once registered as voters in the election of Members of Par-
liament, and to abolish the stamp-duty payable on the admis-
sion of freemen in boroughs returning Members to Parlia-
ment. Be it enacted, by the Queen's most Excollent Ma-
jesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiri-
tual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament
assembled, and by the authority of the same, That after the
passing of this Act, no person whose name is or shall be upon
the Register for the time being, as entitled to vote in the
election of a Member or Members to serve in Parliament for
any city, town, or borough in England, shall be required, in
order to entitle him to have his name inserted in any list of
such voters for that city, town or borough for the following
year, to have paid any Poor Rates or Assessed Taxes, except
such as shall become payable from him previously to the
Eleventh day of October in the preceding year.
And be it enacted, That after the passing of this Act, no
Stamp Duty shall be chargeable on the admission of any Free-
man in any city, town, or borough in England, returning a
Member or Members to serve in Parliament.

The intention of the Tories is to mutilate, and if
possible destroy, the first of those clauses. The se-
cond, which resists payments, which for party purposes
they have generally had to make themselves, will, of
course, receive no opposition from them—the " worthy
and independent freemen" being in 99 cases out of
every 100 their " very good friends," ready to vote
" for a consideration," exactly as they might desire.
The first clause, throwing back the payment of rates
and taxes to the October preceding the registration, is
one most loudly called for from all parts of the King-
dom. Hundreds of thousands of voters hare been dis-
franchised, without knowing why, by the operation of
the present law. The onus being thrown upon the
toter of ascertaining whether anything be owing or not,
to both the municipal and parliamentary tax-gatherers,
in the very short space between April and July, is
most vexatious and oppressive. In a multitude of in-
stances either one or other of those taxes are not called
for till after the day—possibly--we do not say probably
—for the purpose of disfranchising the voter. The ex-
tension to October, and thereby making the disqualifying
arrears nine months instead of three, will destroy this
trickery, and prevent this injury. It will increase the
number of electors probably one fifth, and get rid of a
most annoying, vexatious, and mischievous machinery,
which has hitherto formed one of those obstructions to
the exercise of popular rights which the Tories—the
would-be " guardians of the Reform Bill"—have ever
maintained as being part and parcel of their
" conser-
vative" policy.

We press every Reformer to be at his post in the
Committee on this Bill. We can imagine no more
certain sign of apostacy or treachery than absence on
a practical measure which will not allow of two
opinions. The Member who neglects to attend is a
a traitor to his cause, and a betrayer of his constituents,
and we shall tell him so whenever the occasion arises.

The " War of the Coats" is still carried on in
Paris with unabated fury. Algiers and Spain, and
even Canada, are forgotten amid the angry discussions
about the colour and cut of a Deputy's coat. The
Press has taken up the question as warmly as the
Deputies ; and for this unwarrantable liberty several
of the Journalists have been summoned by the law-
officers of the Crown, and called upon to answer for
publishing the speeches of Members on this im-
portant question. Ministers themselves are as
much divided on the subject as the Round-
heads and Cavaliers were about the dress of a
priest in the days of Charles I. and no Covenanter in
the reign of his son could look with more horror on a

surplice, than the first orator in one of the first nations
of civilised Europe now looks upon an embroidered
coat. Civilised Europe laughed at the folly of the
Russians, when nobles as well as boors were ready
to break out into rebellion, because PETER the
GREAT ordered them to clip their beards. But the
follies of the Covenanters and of the shaggy
untamed Russians, were nothing to the follies
of the nineteenth century with " the School.
master abroad," and the march of intellect in full
progress. For the last two or three vears the French
derided the British House of Commons, because they
gravely entertained the question whether they should
stop all steam carriages, arrest all vessels in harbour,
stop mails, close turnpike gates, and prevent pots
boiling on a Sunday, at the instance of a crack-
brained Legislator, and they have now returned the
compliment, by affording us merriment at their ex-
pence. What the end will be no one can tell,
for the different sections in the Chamber at
present are wide as the poles asunder. M.
TitiErts will have a " black coat," as an
emblem of the taking of the Bastile and the Louvre ;
Count MOLE will have a modern " embroidered coat"
as a fit appendage to the Court trappings of the
CITIZEN KING. The ex-Member, BERRYER, and
FITZJAMES will be satisfied with nothing short of the
Court costume of the Grand Monarque ; and the
few Radicals that lurk in the little left corner will pro-
bably (we cannot speak correctly, as the meetings are
secret) be anxious for the restoration of the old Re-
publican dress worn by Members when the Sans
Goa/Wks flourished. Perhaps the better plan, after
all, will be to allow every one the coat of his
own choice. That is the way we manage things in
England. Sir ROBERT WILSON was always but-
toned up to the chin ; Colonel SIBTHORP is not re-
stricted in the longitude of his skirt ; BURDETT and
COBBETT were allowed salt and pepper coats, and
even more recent orators wear -rings with rubies red,
or white gloves, without any interruption to the debate,
or any lowering of the dignity of the Collective Wis-
dom. Of this, however, we may be certain, that if
they cannot settle the question, LOUIS PHI-
LIPPE will settle it for them, as he has settled
all great questions, in his own way. Though there
may be a change of Ministry he will decide the cut of
the coat at last, and then we shall hear as little of the
" war of the coats " as we hear now of Sir ANDREW
AGNEW. By the way, we have paid some attention
to the petitions presented this Session, but we have
not discovered one that-- makes any allusion to the
Scotch Baronet, or to the subject which he kept so
prominent when he was an Honourable Member.
This shows what a loss the country may sustain by the
loss of even one member.

The Report of the Committee of the Westminster
Reform Society, which appears in another column, will
be read with lively interest by the friends of the good
cause. To say nothing of the exertions of the Society
in the elections which took place in Westminster last
year, the latter of which terminated so triumphantly,
the simple fact that it was the means of sustaining the
votes of FOUR HUNDRED AND FORTY Reformers in
the Revising Barristers' Court, which would otherwise
have been lost, is at once a striking proof of the active
zeal of this Society, and of the great benefit which
such assocations, when conducted as they ought to be,
are capable of producing. We cannot acquit the Re-
formers of supineness, when we compare the exertions
which they have made in the Registry Courts with
those of their adversaries. The Tories have felt that

the Brest battle was to be fought in those Courts, and
they have acted accordingly. This is one of the
causes of their success at the last election. How dif-
ferent would have been the result had the same energy
been displayed by Reformers, generally, which does so
much honour to the members of the Westminster Re-
form Society.

THE FUNDS.-(THIS DAY.)

CITY, TWELVE 0' CL 0 CI.

The important news received this morning by the packet-ship Roscoe
arrived at Liverpool, with papers of the Bth of January, containing the
unfavourable news of three attacks being made on Navy Island by the
British, who were repulsed with great loss, had, in the previous part of
the morning some effect on the British Funds.
alngdaiiii:
Consols, which closed at 91 4 for the Account, were done at 911,
to, 914 for the Account. Exchequer Bills, 61 63 ;
but soon after, the attackßTa:kre
se
toponec
rkN,Ca2evony4t
4.1. 5,21 alon7sli:
: beingB,;id; i discredited,aßsr at
zo icßrazilian,
a,n,6754:::,671;540 Consols
gessd9llol6tFlhe;sili:OorceiKgsn
TMEiarlicsetnas:;.:::asanNishE
oA,cctiiipe,CKl9. to } ;
Old Annuities
Ditto
South Sea to, k
Portuguese, 271 28 ;
-- if ala SL:e LC s . 264
2 per Cent. led. . 92 .ii %14 Ditto Bonds
103
3;4 per Cent. .... .... -
DutchrakittspißlinteToßld;:;lEv;and.a.Half, 521 53,
100304 Ncw Ditto —
New 3% per Cent 9()%1i % 3 per Cent. Annuities, 1751
New 5 per Cent...
...
tn . - Excn. Bills, £l,!yv. 56 58 am.
Annuitkai expire
Rank Lona Ditto ,50,,
---
TlniiilllasSpto:kyfoAr
TAcocoNuEnt MSB pin.
Jan. 5, 1860.•••••••••••••• 15 1-11% 1 Ditto Small
3ie rClet::..‘:.'l's ...-
41';
4.---'3'4/
)4
66 58 out
Oct. 10 "459 ......
Jan. 5, 1_,,,350, 14 11-16 Ditto Advertised — —pm
Jan. 5, I"': - Bank Stock for Account —
April ',. Ins'' .....•
Jan. ,,, 1.7.)...--, - Corsols for A cconnt
isa-wEs OF FL
IiIEIGN FUNDS
0 ' CI.1(4) CV.
Austrian Bonds
Belgian Bond, - - Ditco Account ....... .. —
Ditto Account
_.
p— Portuguese Bonds —
Brazilian Br,nda ••• ..... "' ...... '..,-1 ‘? Ditto Account —
Ditto Account
Bonds —
Ravi% Aires Ditto Account
Ditto Account --D.ttu, 3 per cent _
*7hillian Bonds ...... . Prussian Rends —
Ditto Account
4
C lian ttonds —. Ditto Account.- —
Ditto Account ......._•i•••• ••••• - - Ditto Metallic
Columbian Bonds, b 42-1 • ...... Spanish Bonds —
Dia.) Account
I) iris Bonds ...... -
Ditto Account ....• ......... .- -- Dltto Account
Greek Bon;" .............. .• ....... French, 5 per cent- ........, --f. —c.
Ditto Bonds, 1625 — ------ 4 per cent. —f. —c.
• 'count
Ditto At
C yir cent.. ----- 3 per cent.
11eAscali 13.ralsi -f - '• ----- F.xct,..inge —f. ---,..
Ditto Account ... .......... - -- I Dutch, :tsi per cent 52Y,, 3
Ditto, 6 pzir ceat.
Ditto Ac-:iount ... - Ditto, b per cent IOIX 2
........
Ncapolitan.- .........
._. .
______ — Ditto Account —
PRICES' OF 1511 A tiES THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK.
Paid.
ning Co. (issued Per Share.
Brazilian Imperial Mit,, . ed at 5/. pin.) 20
Otto St. John del I __..., . ..0...i
....................... ,
nr
flealdel Monte Nlinn .e. c . it , .t___ .
............
6:31.
in,.
(id.
,
_
Ditto Unregistered . .
...t .... .. .. ;;.
... '..r.e..4...............
_...
16 ty
United Mexican (issUed. i t n.)
...................
44,
2!-a
Eastern Counties Ratiw y ........... ......................... 3 1%-%
Great Western Itallway C 1 n y ....................
65
bON, 2
COlAirtlll .......
Brlghtoll ft:liiWay n . ..................... 5 7Ty 9 75i 6%
I.- radon and Birmingham Rail_y,ay Company 9O 164
/.ondan and Southampton Railway Company 5O-t r
London mad Southampton (New) Railway b 21
Midland Counties Railway Company 2O 15% 15%
!..I inn Midland Railway Company 25 2ii 14
General Steam Navigation Company ... l3 23X
HALF-PAS7' ONE O'CLOCK
Owing to the pacific disposition in Congress and on the part of the
President of the United States towards the
British Government, a re-
action has taken place in the British Funds, Consols, which appeared
very heavy in the early part of the m •
orning at 911 for the Account,
have since improved to 911) i'•
Exchequer Bills, 56 58 ; India Bonds, 56 58 ; Bank Stock, 205
06 ; Indian Stock, 263 .6,11.
In the Foreign Market very little doing
at present. Spanish Active
heavy :it 191, with Coupons •
,Portuguese, 271
171 181; Brazilian 75 ' 28; Three per Cents.,
. 27. . 1 improved ; Dutch Two and a Half, 501) 53 ;
Mexican, _
.improved ; Columbian, I
-Q I 25.

THREE O'CLOCK.

Censols for Use Aosposint, 9I;.
FRENCH FUNDS -Nat.. JAN. 31.
Five per Cents.. 109 f. 00c. 110 c. 100 f. Ike.
Four and a Half ner Cents. 1415 f. 40c.
Four per Cents., 14)1f. 75c.
Three per Cents., 79f. 70c. 05e.
Bank Actions, 2,61:01:
Rente de Naples, ozq. 80. '7oc.
Roman Five per Cents., 1411%%%.
Spanish Actives, 25 19%%.
Spanish Passives, 4%.
Belgian Loan, 103%.
Belgian Bank, 1,41,45 f. 1,510 f.
Portuguese Loan, Three per Cents. 18%10.4•
Raytiati Loan, 39Cf.
Three mouths, paper, 25c 321,4 c ;
DACHA Noe ow LONDON.
Owe month, paper, 125 f. 45c. ; money, 25f. 45c
money. 25f. 3Vc
LAST PRICES.
Fire per Cents. 10.0.WC12 oc.
Three per Cents. 70c.
Bank Actions, 2:NOf.
Romans 101%.
Belgian 'Loan, 103%.
Belgian Bank, 1,5101:
Portuguese Three per Cents.,
Haytlan Loan, 390 f.
Spanish Actives, IN.
Spanish Passives, 4%.

Lord Holland continues much indisposed with the
gout, at his residence in South-street.
Within the last 40 years rent rolls have advanced in
Ireland from 200 to 300 per cent., while during the same pe-
riod the poverty of the cultivators of the soil has been increas
in; in a similar proportion.
A man named Robert Cook, aged 20, who was
travelling on foot from London to Bath with others, seeking
employment, being unable to walk longer, got into a waggon
near Marlborough and fell asleep. When the waggon reached
Devizes on Saturday morning he was found frozen to death,
quite lota

HOUSE OF LORDS.-(THIS DAY.)

The Lord CHANCELLOR, LORD BROUGHAM, Viscount BERESFORD,
Lord Sty and SELE, and the Bishop of HEREFORD, sat in the House of
Lords to-day to hear Scotch appeals.

GLENDONWYN V. GLENDON IVIN.

The Lord CHANCELLOR gave judgment to-day in this Scotch appeal
which was argued yesterday. His Lords!4, after going over the whole
of the facts of the case, which we gave yesterday, stated his opinion to
be that the Court of Session were right in the decision they had come to.
and as that judgment was unanimous, the appeal must be dismissed
with costs.

Lord BROUGHAM entirely concurred in the opinion just expressed by
his Noble and Learned Friend; but he could not let the present oppor.
tunity pass by without expressing his regret that the House had
not been furnished with airy note of what pawed the Court below.
Not only had their Lordships no account of the reason given
upon which the judgment appealed from rested, but they w. re
not informed what the question was that came before the Court below
Nobody here could tell whether the question was either argued at the
bar, or disposed of by the Bench bel tw, upon the words of the settlement,
or upon the question whether the bond was heritable or not. He (Lord
Brougham) must say, that they sat there, in a fch-eign country, to decide
questions of law, with which, it must be supposed, they were not
familiar, and which regulated the practice of conveyancers In Scot-
lam!, without a knowledge of •what had taken place .in the Courts
there. If every facility were given to their Lordships, their
difficulties were great in deciding intricate points of Scotch
law ; but those difficulties were increased by the total absence of all in-
formation upon what had taken place in the Court below. Surely it was
not too much to ask that their difficulties should not be increased by
being kept in the dark of what had really taken place in Scotland. This
was the second occasion upon which he had felt himself bound to ad-
vert to this subject, and he hoped it would be the last.
The judgment of the Court below was then ordered to be affirmed
with costs.