The Sun.
London, England, 1848-05-03 00:00:00

ever, enter his protest against the Bill, as either
going too far in dislrancliising the whole of the free-
men of the borough, or not going far enough, inas-
much as it did nut punish the principal actors in the
affair.

Mr. SEYMER said that he had no sympathy
with the bribers ; he should be most happy to see
those persons punished, and he believed that
there was already a law applicable to such persons.
But he contended that, so long as there were freemen
willing and ready to be bribed, there would always
be found persons ready to bribe them. The Hon.
Member then proceeded to read a number of extracts
from the evidence given before the Committee, with
view of showing that the freemen of this borough
were most clamorous in their demands for the
money which was given to them for voting.
Mr. PLOWDEN said the most extensive and
systematic bribery prevailed in the borough, that the
freemen were in the habit of looking upon the re-
ceipt of money for their votes as their dearest and
most ancient custom, and he should therefore give his
utmost support to the Bill.
Mr. HUME wished to know whether in the event
of the freemen of the borough being disfranchised it
was the intention of the Government to extend the
franchise so as to make up for the reduction which
would thereby be caused in the number of electors of
the borough by allowing shareholders paying 5/. a
year rent the right to vote.
Lord J. RUSSELL said that he was not at present
prepared to answer that question.
Mr. F, O'CONNOR wished to know whether the
5/. franchise, mentioned by the Hon. Member for
Montrose would form the basis of the new scheme
that he was about to bring before the House.
Mr. HUME said the plan he was about to submit
would be upon a much larger scale than he had re-
ferred to. When that plan was before the House, the
Hon. Member would have an opportunity of judging
of it.

The Bill then went through Committee withou
amendments, ordered to be reported on Friday.
The House resumed.
JOINT-STOCK COMPANIES BILL.

On the question being put for going into Comm

tee on this Bill,
Mr. HEADLAM hoped the Committee would be
postponed.
Mr. CARDWELL resisted the proposal for post-
ponement. This Bill was of great importance to the
commercial world. It had been two years before
Parliament, and it ought to be delayed nu longer.
Lord J. RUSSELL also urged the necessity of at
once proceeding with the Bill.
The House then went into Committee.
Mr. HEADLAM moved as an amendment to
clause 2 that the word "commissioner" shall mean
any country commissioner of the Court of Bank-
ruptcy having jurisdiction in the town where the
principal office of the company is situate.
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL resisted the
amendment, believing that it would have the effect of

increasing the appeals to the Court of Chancery,
without conferring any advantages upon the parties
whom this Bill proposed to relieve.
Mr. HUDSON said the argument of the Learned
Solicitor-General went for nothing, for whether the
Committee agreed to the amendment or not there
would still be many appeals to the Court of Chancery
under this Bill. Law ought to be carried home to
every man's door. It rendered it cheaper and far
more convenient to those who had the mis-
fortune to engage in it, an 1 he for one should
certainly support the amendment, believing
.as
he did that the law to be established by this Bill
would be much better administered in the country
than in London.
Mr. AIILNER GIBSON said, if the amendment
ere agreed to it would very much detract from the
efficacy of the Bill, and he should strenuously re-
sist it.

The SOLICITOR• GENERAL explained that
the appeals from the Masters in London would be
trifling compared with those that would come from
the counties if the amendment were passed. Instead
of there being one general tribunal, acting upon one
settled principle, if the amendment were agreed to
the Bill would establish a separate court in every
part of the country, and the confusion such a system
would give rise to would be interminable.—(Hear.)
Mr. AGLIONBY was inclined to support the
amendment, but he trusted it would not be hastily
agreel to. He would suggest that the question
should be postponed, in order that time might be
afforded to Government to take it into their serious
consideration.

After a few words from Mr. STUART,
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL consented to the
postponement, and the Chairman was instructed to
report progress and ask leave to sit again.
The House having resumed, the Chairman reported
accordingly.
The remaining orders of the day were then disposed
of, and the House adjourned at Six o'clock.

THE FRENCH ELECTIONS.
The following additional returns are published in
he Moniteur

ALPES (HAUTE).-MM. Allier, Bellegarde, and Faure.
ARDECHE.—Valadier, Mayor of Vallon ; Ch am phanet,
physician; D'Hauteville, colonel of engineers; Chezallon,
engineer; Laurent, judge; Royal, president of the tri-
bunal of Tournon ; Rouveure, yin-dresser ; Sibour,
ecclesiastic; Mathieu, president of the tribunal of Ar-
gen dere.

CHER.—Bouzigue, mayorof Bourges; Bidault, avocat;
Duvergier de Hauranne, ex-deputy; Felix Fyat, go-
vernment commissary; De Vogt:6 Duplan, government
commissary; Goute- Desgranges.
HERALIIT.—Andr6, Reboul, Coste, Charamaule, Vidal,
Renouvier, government commissary; Carlon-Nisas, Ber-
t ran d, Cazelle, De Larcy, Brives.
LOlRE.—Alcock, procureur-general at Lyons; Baune,
government commissary; Martin Bernard, ditto; Callot,
Chevalieu, Devillaine, Jules Favre, Fourneyron, Levet,
Poiret, Verpilleux.
LOT.—Lucien Murat, son of Joachim; Cavaignac,
governor-general of Algeria; Rolland, mayor of Cahors;
Ambert, lieutenant-colonel; de Saint-Priest, ex-deputy;
Labrouse, government commissary.
MAINE-ET-LOIRE.—De Latouche, mayor of Angers;
Tessier de la Motte, ex -deputy; Bineau, ditto; Farran,
ditto; Dutier, ditto; General Oudinot; Louvet, mayor
of Saumur; David d'Angers; Fresion; Lefrancois;
Cesbron Lavau; de Falloux, ex-deputy.
MoRBIHAN.—Bellay, ex-deputy; Dubaudon, procu-
reur general; Danielo, cure; Larochejaquelin, ex-
deputy; Parisis, bishop of Langres; Fournas ; Latouche;
avoue; Arthur de Perrieu; Dahizel, avocat; Pioget.
Pla-DE-DOME.—Altaroche, government commissary ;
Jouva, ex-deputy ; Charras; Baudet Lafarge ; Tre:at,
government commissary ; Lavigne, physician ; Girot
Pouroi ; Jusscrand •, Corobarel de Leyval, ex deputy ;
Lasteyras ; Bravard Verriare ; Contai ; Roucher, avo-
cat; Toussaia Bravard; Astaix, merchant.