The Sun.
London, England, 1856-12-06 00:00:00

instead of dispensing with the ballot, only seek
to perfect its mechanism. The great mass of
electors do not need it as ours do, yet they
value the privilege of concealing their vote if they
wish, and value yet more the independence thus
conceded to the minority who do need protec-

tion.

Next we turn to Egiropean States. France, at
her late Imperial elections, is, we will own, a most
unfavourable reference. An election in which
only one candidate, who had secured the greater
part of the aimy, offered himself to the public
choice—in which all the ballot boxes were in the
hands of his tools, and no scrutiny permitted, is
about as bad a witness for the ballot as can well
be imagined. Yet even under these circumstances
a minority did vote, while it is generally believed
now, by all whose opinion is most to be trusted,
that the vast majority did re-elect for a ten years'
Presidency, and then for the Empire, the man for
whom, they at first rejected CAVAIGNAC and LAMAR-
VINE. Under the most discreditable disadvantages
the Ballot did nevertheless ascertain the mind of

the nation.
Lastly, Three small Continental States give the
unequivocal testimony of their experience to the
value of secret voting as the safeguard of electoral
independence. But a few days ago we adduced
testimony from Belgium ; and we give insertion
to-day to two important extracts from the electo-
ral laws of Holland and Sardinia, which prove
the solicitude of those States for an honest expres-
sion of the popular will, accompanied by the
opinions of an eminent member of the Chambers
of each State. The testimony is unequivocal to
the sincere wish of those who enacted the laws, to
make them efficient. We rather wonder that the
simple expedient of voting with printed tickets,
placed at the time of voting in an adhesive enve-
lope, was not thought of to obviate the one slight
occasional danger of iniuence mentioned. This, how-
ever, is but a trivial imperfection, and will easily
be remedied. We do not comment, at least at
present, on the communications advertel to, pre-
ferring to refer our readers to the documents
themselves. The account of the struggle as
given by M. JANCLAIS will interest all who
think with us on the importance of protection fur
voters.

We ask our electors, then, whether they w
tolerate any longer the shufliking of the House o
Commons and the Government on this question.
Argument is wholly on one side, and, as we have
seen, facts are equally so. Government can cry
up secresy when they want it to wring an Income
Tax from us, but when we want secresy to en-
able us to vote as we please about those who
impose the Inoome Tax on us, ah ! then it is
un-English, and all that is bad. No cheating
under the Ballot could match the cheating to
which the Chancellor of the Exchequer protests
he is subjected by the secret tax. According to
him we have all need to know our neighbour's
Income-tax return, lest he should be paying
less than his share, and we, consequently,
more than ours. Yet no Minister advocates
public income-tax returns;--.and why not? Solely
because the knowledge of a man's income might
be used to his disadvantage, or at least unplea-
santly to him. But what would be, or is, used
more to a man's disadvantage—by landlords,
mortgagees, lawyers, bankers, brewers, custo-
mers, creditors—than a vote given by a man,
however honestly, yet in opposition to these
Lords of elections ? It is disgraceful, and ought
to be resented by the whole constituency of the
kingdom, that our masters will, at a heavy loss
to the Exchequer, grant secresy to the Income-
tax payer, merely to get money from him, but
refuse it to the same man when he asks it as protec-
tion for his vote. The case here is, indeed, very
strong against our governors. The man's vote is
his own, yet by refusing him secresy they leave it
at the mercy of every political rogue and robber.
A correct account of a man's income is, on the
other hand, the right of the Exchequer, yet by
granting him a secret return the Exchequer may
lose its right. • The reason is, secresy in one case
loses only a portion of the nation's money ; in
the other it would deprive Whigs and Tories of
their tightly-clutched power to coerce or bribe
electors. Talk of secret voting being nu-English,
what can be more so than secret inquisition into
a man's income ? Talk of possible frauds under
thstigliallot, can they compare with the known
frauds under the secret returns to the Income
Tax. The truth is, it is that such allegations are
puresaslumbug. We use for once the word so
often applied to the Ballot. The only reason why
lkilnisters and Members of Parliament hate the
Ballot is that they hate electoral independence.
No Reform Bill shall we have this session.
The Ballot is a definitive, independent object,
which may be sought for its own sake. It is a
Reform Bill in itself. We have a right to it.
We may force it from our House of Commons if
we choose, and to force only will they yield it.
The two hundred and twenty-five members who
have voted for it can compel Government to adopt
the Ballot. But half-hearted as they are, they
must first be compelled themselves by the electors.

A Cabinet Council was held, yesterday, at the official
street.rso etf
os
Lansdowne,
d,
te the
deeToot:
eont
Lord Chancellor,
:MinisterstcFhierasEnt
eLer
presentol
oorrdf, TreasuryHoEfaatrrhrlw:ewrbe y
Granville,virsGo it
were—Viscount
noetrGeorge
Downing.anGli eueGrey,
•
s
l
the Earl of Clarendon, Mr. Secretary Labouchere, the
Chancellor of the Exchequer Sir Charles Wood, the
Right Hon. R. Vernon Smith, Stanley of Alderley,
the Right Hon. M. T. Baines, and the Duke of Argyll.
His Excellency the Ambassador of France had an
interview with the Earl of Clarendon, yesterday after-
noon, at his residence in Grcsvenor-crescent.
His Excellency the Prussian Minister and the Countess
Bernstorff entertained a select circle at dinner, last
evening, at Prussia House, Carlton House-terrace.
His Excellency Baron Bentinck, Minister of the
Netherlands, arrived in town, yesterday, from the con-
tinent, to resume his diplomatic functions after a leave
of absence of some months.
The Earl and Countess of Shaftesbury leave town, to-
day, on a visit to the Duke and Duchess of Bedford, at
Woburn Abbey.
The Countess of Clarendon left town on Thursday
evening, for the Grove, near Watford.
Viscount and Viscountess Palmerston le tve town
to-day, on a visit to the Duke and Duchess of Bedford,
at Woburn Abbey, Bedfordshire.
Viscountess Dungarvan has arrived at her residence,
10 Chesham-street, Balgrave-square.
Lord and Lady Edward Thynne have arrived at
Haynes Park, Bedford, from visiting the Earl of Cardi-
gan, at Dean Park, Northamptonshire.
Lord Macdonald has left the St. George's Hotel, for
Longleat, Wilts, on a visit to the Marquis of Bath.
EMIGRATION TO AUSTRALIA.—The Black Ball clipper
C(ahbaomvepi27ooooftothn)
the Seas, Captain John Me Kirdy, sailed
from the Mersey yesterday afternoon, for Melbourne.",
with a small mail, 550 passengers, and a full cargo
The investigation'. minetrOchtahnediaseccoon freight.untso
of the Great
Northern Railway Company is still proceeding. It is
not expected that the frauds perpetuated by Redpath
will exceed 150,0001.
On Monday next the third instalment of the six pic-
tures of the Turner collection will be exhibited at Marl-
borough-house, viz.:-469, Sea Piece ; 472, " Calaas
Pier ;" 525, "Bacchus and Ariaclue ;" 532, " The
Exile ;" 549, " Undine ;" and 550, "The Angel :stunn-
ing in the sun."
THE " SOULAGES" COLLECTION.—Oa Monday next a
very remarkable collection of objects of virtu, illustrative
of the condition of decorative art at the period of the
Renaissance, will be open to the inspection cl the pub-
lic at Marlborough-house.
The Washington correspondent of the New York.
Times denies that the -United States' Government has
assented to the capitalisation of the Danish Sound
Dues. .

The French Corps Legisiatif will ba convoked very
much earlier in the year than usual—probably a,. the
beginning of next month.
A rather severe shook of earthquake was experienced
in Kentucky last month.
Accord.ng to the Washington correspondent of the
New York Courier and Enquirer, President Pierce's mes-
sage was nearly completed. In it he claims Mr, Da.
chanan's election as an endorsement of his adininistrativD.