The Sun.
London, England, 1870-05-19 00:00:00

THE BALLOT BILL.

The Parliamentary Elections Bill has been issued to the
public, and forms a somewhat bulky paper. With
regard to the method of taking the poll 'at
contested elections, it makes the following regu-
lations :—The returning officer (who is not to be
present at the election), is to provide a sufficient number
of ballot papers, each bearing a distinguishing mark and
a counterfoil. Pie is also to provide a sufficient Lumber
of polling stations. The ballot paper is to contain
the names and addresses of all the candidates, with
a square opposite each. When the voter gets the baliot
paper, the presiding officer must enter on the counterfoil
the number of the voter on the register. The voter goes
into a secret compartment, and puts his cross opposite
each candidate for whom he wishes to vote. He
then folds up the voting paper, so as to leave
the number on the back visible, and this num-
ber he must shew to the presiding officer before he
drops the paper into the ballot box. At the close of
the poll, the presiding officer must seal up the counter-
foils (which bear, as we have seen, the number of the
voter, and a mark corresponding to the mark on his
voting-paper, now in the ballot-box), and send them to
the Clerk of the Crown in Chancery. Then the presiding
officer takes out the ballot papers, arranges them without
looking at their faces, seals them up, and transmits
them to the returning officer ; who, in turn,
ascertains the number of votes given for each candi-
date, by examining the voting vapers without looking
at thebacks. This having been accomplished, he seals up
the voting papers and transmits them to the clerk of the
Crown. There is a list of election offences, such as voting
more than once, assuming the name of a voter, taking a
paper out of the booth, &c., which are to be held to consti-
tate misdemeanours, and render the offender liable to be
imprisoned for any term not exceeding two years,
with or without hard labour. Strange to say, in
this catalogue of offences is included " failing to vote
after having received a ballot-paper," which appears a
venial offence to constitute a misdemeanour. Those
who infringe the secrecy of the election, attempt
to obtain or to give information respecting
particular votes, or even give information as
to the number of votes given to each candi-
date, are liable to similar punishment, A third
category of offences includes forging a ballot paper,
destroying boxes, and other serious breaches of the law.
The punishment is the same as in the former cases.
With regard to the expenses incurred by the returning
officer, these are to be divided into shares proportioned to
the number of candidates and the ten electors who must
sign the nomination-papers, each one being liable for his
own share, although the candidate may, it he choose, pay
the amount due from his ten supporters. Part 11. of the
Act provides that payments not included in the return to,
the returning officer are to be held corrupt payments, and.
prohibits the hiring of rooms of public-houses during the
election for any purpose connected with it.

THE MEDICAL ASSOCIATION AND THE
GOVERNMENT MEDICAL BILL.

Ameeting of the British Medical Reform Association was
held yesterday at Willis's Rooms, London, for the pur-
pose of considering the various provisions of the bill recently
introduced by the Government relating to the medical
profession. Dr. Chadwick, president of the association
occupied the chair.

The PRESIDENT, in opening the proceedings, said he
regarded the large attendance as an evidence that the
action of the executive in the question under considera-
tion met with the approval of a large proportion of the
medical profession. They had assembled to consider the
new' Medical Bill brought into Parliament by Government.
It appeared to him that the bill had one great merit,
one great fault, and one great omission, and they
would have resolutions submitted to them which,
would, he hoped, express their approval of the
one and their thorough condemnation and, dis-
approval of the others. They would be asked to.
approve of that which the association had for thirty years
been working to obtain, and an opportunity for adopting
which had presented itself for the first time. They would,
be asked to adopt a minimum of qualification which
should secure the approbation, respect, and confidence of
the public in the exercise of their calling. (Hear.)
Whether that should be carried out by the adoption
of one board or three boards was another question they
would have to consider. It was a question of great diffi,
culty, because he was satisfied that the Government,even
if they felt as he felt, that the principle called for one board
alone, would have to meet contending influence and.
oonflicting interests. (Hear.) He trusted that Earl de
Grey would be enabled to effect such modifications in the
bill as would secure the advantages which he was satisfied
would ensue from one examining board, for lie saw in the
adoption of three boards a principle which would result
in the entire subversiwA of everything the Association
was now doing, (Hear.) lie believed that the fault of
commission in the bill was the monstrous power claimed
by the privy Council. (Hear, hear.) If they con-
tinued, as he preferred they should, to be represented
at the board, the influence which they exercised upon the
action of the board should be reduced to the veriest
minimum. (Hear.) If they succeeded in getting the
board constituted as it should be, the board ought
to be able to manage the affairs of the pro-
fession witbcut interference from Government.
(Hear.) That, then, brought him to another
great blot of the bill—the fault of omission as distin-
guished from that he had just adverted to—the fault of
commission. That fault was that the Liberal Govern-
ment should have left out of consideration
altogether the long cherished wish of the
profession to be repres,ented directly upon the Council.
A clause had been introduced into the bill by a kind of
side wind, vesting a power in the Council to over-rule the
examiners in giving degrees, and this he strongly
deprecated. It was also proposed that gentle-
men who had obtained colonial and other
degrees should be enabled to practice in Great
Britain without passing through another examination ;
but if it were allowed it would open the door to an
immense abuse, If they could not obtain at the present
time a satisfactory bill he would advise them to wait
for a future opportunity of realising their desire's.
(Applause.)
Dr. HUSBAND (York) proposed the first resolution,
which was as follows That the members of the British
Medical Association tender their thanks to her Majesty's
Government for the bill which they proposed to
introduce."

Dr. LEE (London) seconded the resolution.
Dr. SOUTHAM (Manchester) proposed, and Professor
HAUGHTON seconded a resolution, proposing the addition
of the following words to the resolution z--" That this
meeting is of opinion that there should be a single exam-
ine board for the entire kingdom, instead of three boards
for the three different parts of the kingdom."
The resolution, a amended by Dr. Southam, was
eventually myriad by a considerable majority.
Dr, WATERS (Chester) proposed--" That this meeting
views with regret and disappointment the entire absence
of the claims of the profession to direct representation on
the Medical Connell, and pledges itself to exercise every
constitutional means to secure this vital and all important
principle in any measure of medical reform that may be-
come law."

Dr. STEWART seconded the resolution, which was also
carried unanimously.
Mr. ROGER HARRISON proposed the third resolution,
which had reference to what the President designated the
sin of commission, and was as follows That this
meeting of the British Medical Association offers its deter,
mined opposition to any bill which gives to the Privy
Council more extended control over the medical profession
than that given to it by the Medical Act of 1858."
Dr. HALL seconded the resolution, which, on being
submitted to the meeting, was carried without dissent.
A vote of thanks to the president terminated the pro-
ceedings.

ALLEGED ROBBERY OF A CART AND VALUABLE CON-
TENTS.—Robert Lodge, a carman, living in Bethnal
Green ; William Muggeridge, a porter in th.:: City ;
Thomas Lodge, who lives in Finsbury ; and Samuel
Edmund Coombs, barman at a public-house in the Curtain-
road, Shoreditch, have been charged at the Greenwich
police court with being in possession of a horse
and cart oontaining a large quantity of stolen property.
Robert Lodge said he had been employed by two men to
brine the cart from a court in Shoreditch, but he did not
know where the men were to be found. The prisoners had
only accompanied him for a ride. The packages in the
cart were found to contain elastic material, cashmere
cloth, and canvass for bootmaking, and the police stated
that a quantity of property of this description had been
stolen from a shop in Shoreditch. The men were all
remanded.

CHASTISING A CONSUL-At the Liverpool police-court,
Mr. John de- Costa, a shipping master, was summoned
for threatening,to " chastise " Mr. Dudley, the American
Consul at Liverpool, and was bound over to keep the
peace for siv months., The defendant appears to have
been exasperated by a refusal on the part of Mr. Dudley
to grant him ceitain facilities for the despatch of his
business,

VAUDEVILLE THEATRE, STRAND.—
Lessees—Messpi H. J. Montague, D. James, and T,
Thorne.—THlS EVENING, at 7 80, en original Comedy, by A.
la alliday. entitled FOR LOVE OR MONEY. At 9.45, the new
rt..nrlesque, by Conway Edwarde,i, entitled DON CARLOS; or,
The Infante in Ai ms Supported by the following Company:—
Messrs H. J. Montague, G. Honey, H. Irving, w. H. Stephens, C.
Garthorne, E. Elton, alid Thos. Thorne ; Mesdames Nelly Fewer,
Cavendish, Amy Fawsitt, K Irwin, L. Claire, J. Beauoferc, R.
Evelyn, Kemp, T Lavis, F. Garthwaite, R. Power.