The Sun.
London, England, 1851-04-03 00:00:00

THE SUN,

that House, but also the great party who were after all
the great incentives in that movement outside the walls
of that House. He should therefore advise his Hon.
Friend to withdraw his motion and refrain from dividing
the House.—(Hear, Hear.)
Sir DE LACY EVANS agreed in opinion with the
Hon. Baronet who had just sat down. He had voted
with the mover, by which that majority of which he had
spoken had been obtained, but he would not have done
so had he apprehended any of the serious difficulties
which would be likely to ensue from a division, and
should, in the event of the House dividing, certainly vote
against him.
Mr. BRIGHT said they ought rather to look to the
measure itself than to any consequences which might en-
sue from a division.—(Hear, hear.) lie had listened
to the Right Hon. Gentleman the Secretary at War
with much satisfaction. That Right HOD. Gentleman had
spoken very candidly, and he had led them to expect that
some measure of a large character would shortly be iatro-
duced. He regretted, however, that the Noble Lord at
the head of the Government had not been equally frank
in his declarations, for from what had just fellen, it would
appear that they were to take some step in advance
t(hifootbhlbeeoßrLodeoufregr7 Bill. From what had been said by the
N
he appeared to be placing the industry of
hs against the territorial influence in the
counties. The Right Hon. Gentleman the Secretary
at War had said, that, instead of taking a part of the
great question, they had better wait till they had dis-
cussed the whole question. What did they do when his
Hon. Friend the Member for Montrose brought forward
the whole question?—(ll,ar, hear.) They shelved ie—
(Liear, bear.) It was quite clear that the Constitution
contemplated that every man that was worthy of it from
intelligence should have a vote for Members of Parlia-
ment, and did Gentleman on the opposite of the House,
who might be said particularly to represent the:rural
parts of counties, say to those who sat on his (.Ir.
Bright's) side of the House—who might be said to re-
present the inhabitants of boroughs—they told them the
voters in boroughs were less respectable, less intelli-
gent, less virtuous, or less honourable than those in
rural districta.—(Hear, hear.) They knew that they
could not. Now, he regretted that there had not been
more frankness on the part of the Government, and he
trusted that he would get up, as he must get up during
this discussion, and state whether ho intended to
bring forward a great and comprehensive measure for
electoral reform, a great and generous measure, or a
small and peddling measure.—(Rear.) He was aware
that with the present state of businesss in the House it
was impossible for him to bring forward, when unpre-
pared, such a measure as that which had been indicated.
He could not do it now, perhaps, but if he would
give them the assurance that next session he would
bring forward some great and comprehensive measure,
by which the 50/. voters in counties were placed in a
worse position than the 101. householders—if he would
take the same leap from his present platform as he did
from his then platform, when he advocated the Reform
Bill, he would advise the Hon. Member for East Sur-
rey to withdraw his motion.—(Hear, hear.) If the
Noble Lord would speak with that frankness, and
would make that advance, no one he believed
was more entitled to the credit of it, and
he would support him.—(Hear, hear.) The Noble
Lord had once been an independent Member of that
House—(Cheers and laughter)—but within the last few
years ho had lost his characteristic frankness. He
hoped, however, the Noble Lord would now speak out,
and engage next session to come forward and state his
intention to introduce some such measure for the secu-
ring of a large and comprehensive electoral reform, as
would be accordant with the wishes of the House and
the expectation of the country.—(Loud cheers.

Colonel SIBTHORP said thrit he trusted that the
Hon. Member for East Surrey would persevere with his
motion.—(Cheers and counter cheers.) He was no friend
to democracy, and therefore he was glad to see the
Hon. Gentlemen opposite—that great united party—
(Hear, hear, and laughter)—divided among themselves.
—(Hear, hear.) Nothing pleased him more than when
he found those Hon. Gentlemen at loggerheads together,
for when they were so he augured good for the country.
- hear, and renewed laughter.) Ile could not
suppert her Majesty's Government, for he hoped they
would be defeated.—(Cheers.) Neither did he intend
to support the Hon. Member for East Surrey, for he
did not wish him to succeed, as he had no
desire to repeat the scenes which had been
lately witnessed in Paris.—(Hear, hear.) The better
course, therefore, for him to adopt, was to retire.—(The
Hon. and Gallant Member then made his exit amid the
repeated cheers and loud laughter of both sides of the
House.)
Mr. HUME was sorry that the Hon. and Gallant
Colonel had retired, but as he had left ha could not
help it, and he would leave him. Ho could not yield
to the entreaty of the Hon Gentleman the Member for
Marylebone, because he considered that those included
in this Bill bad a right that was withheld from them,
and all those who voted against this Bill declared
themselves against those persons. The Right Hon. the
Secretary of War called upon them to unite. Why, who
had derided the Reform party? Her Majesty's Ministers.
Her Majesty's Ministers' opposition on a former occa-
sion left the Reformers to settle this question, and who
divided the Reformers? Why her Majesty's Ministers;
and, therefore, if there was any cause of complaint on the
ground of division it was attributable to the Right Hon.
Gentleman who had advised them and his Noble Leader.
This Bill involved no new principle, for it had already
been conceded to boroughs in Ireland; while Govern-
ment admitted that those to whom this Bill would give
the franchise were not only entitled to it, but fit and
proper parties to exercise it. Why then withold is ? It
was to be regretted that parties were not honest. No faith
could be placed in the promises oftheGovernment, and they
were now suffering from it; but let the Noble Lord the
First Minister stand forth and state boldly the changes
which he should hereafter propose, and there would be un
end to his difficulties. What had secured the peace of
this country of late years? Why. the freedom of the
Constitution, and it was upon that ground that he re-
commended a prudent extension of its basis. But the
Noble Lord said the country was pertectly tranquil.
Well, so it was, but was that a reason for refusing a
class of the people their just rights?—(Hear, hear.)
Certainly not ; and he, therefore, called upon the
Liberal party to proceed at j once with this Bill till
they had extracted some proof from Government that
they were sincere in their promises of future reform.
Sir B. HALL explained that in asking that the Bill
should be postponed he did not wish it to be understood
that he was opposed to the measure.

Mr. HEADLAM perfectly concurred in the principle
of this Bill, but he objected to the manner in which it
had been brought forward, for ho was one of those who
placed confidence in the promises of her Alljesty's Go-
vernment. He believed that they fully intended to
bring forward some large measure of reform, and he
consequently objected to their proceeding piecemeal
with this question.

Mr. RICE had voted for the introduction of this Bill
in the hope that it would bring eut the Government,
and since it had accomplished that object he was not
prepared to go the lengths proposed by the Hon. Member
for Montrose and his party. He approved of the Bill,
and he should be glad to see it carried, but still, as he was
not disposed to bring about another Ministerial crisis, he
should vote against the second reading.—(Oh, oh.) Hon.
Gentlemen might cry " Oh, oh;" but he could assure
them he was sincere in whet he said. He had con-
fidence in the promises of the Government, and out of
deference to them he should abstain from voting in fa-
vour of the second reading of the Bill.—(Hear.)
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE said on different occasions he
had introduced propositions for the reform of the
Reform Bill, and he had generally moved them in
the shape of resolutions to the effect that
the Reform Bill had disappointed their ex-
pectations of the Bill that it could
not be a final measure, and therefore it was the duty
of the House to reconsider the matter. That proposi-
tion had always been opposed by the present Ministry.
Now, under these circumstances he did not find that
consolation in the speech of the Right Honour-
able the Secretahr3i'matdiVdl:abrenansusionenhen
hoathderfallileodnotuoradbe
Gentleman near
isl.
the Right Hon. Gentle-
manc thought the Bill embraced a class eoxvteenrswivheefohreirutshuethGcioevuetr.nmTernutet,hought this Bill was too
were entitled to the franchise, but then he s
hoofwpederhsiosnrsespwelicot
fir them by voting aginst the Bill.—(A laugh.) He had
read the Noble Lord's speech made the other night on
this subject but he was at a loss to know whether ho
had ptaced 'the rht construction on it, so much
did it differ from that of his Right Honourable
Colleague the Secretary at War. The Right Honourable
Secretary declared that her Majesty's Government had
been prevented from feeingin forward their measure of
reform by the state of publicbusiness; but that was not
the reason that the Noble Lord
gave. The Noble Lord
told the House—and it was heard with great satis-
faction—that be had submitted a measure of reform
to his Cabinet, and a good deal of interesting discussion
had taken place on the subject, but that all on a sudden
it occurred to him that the Reform Bill was not twenty
years old, and, therefore, the time had not
yet come for considering its extension.—(ee laugh.)
" But," said the Noble Lord, " if I am in office neiea r
I will propose a measure for reforming it And "two
days afterwards, to show that he was in earnest, the
Noble Lord went and resigned.—(A laugh.) Now, if
the Noble Lord really did contemplate such a measure of
reform, lot him give a proof ofhis sincerity by supporting
the second reading of the Bill, but unless the Noble Lord
did that, or said, " Oh, this measure is insufficient ;
wait until next year, and I will show you what reform
is"—(A laugh)—he should call upon the House to di-
vide.—(Hear, hear.) Let the Noble Lord say
to the Protectionists, " let you know
what reform is.—(A laugh.) so increase
my majority out of doors that I'll teach you to
bounty
even established upon the importation of corn.—(Hear.)
should
talk about fixed duties on the substance and food of the
nt "--(A laugh.) Lot the Noble Lord make the
Protectionists
'ahastn notthey
think themselves
noateabt(h)natt thm
therethat
n loofokrtus
Lord would only do that, he would beg
she lion. Waiter for East Surrey to withdraw the Bill.
If the Noble
t.
It was a long time since the Noblehing in the shape of reform, and if Lordh had done any-
e could not intro-
duce his larger measure now,
let biesupport this Bill by
Thy
of keeping his hand in.—(
yo in.—(Hear, r, and laughter.)
.t
Then the county would have an earnest of y,
and an evidencef the honesty of his intentions, and
until the ..ious, was in possession of that evidence it
ought to press this Bill forward.—(Cheers.)
Mr. CLAY
the introduction of this Bill, and he should continue to
support it, because ho h d of its principle,
was also one of those who had voted for
gowhile,
earti approve
and he did not wish to the length proposed by
the Manchester school ;
in supporting the
second reading of the Bill, he hoped it would not be mis-
understood from that circumstance that ho had no con-
fidence either iu the Government or their promises.
Mr. Alderman SIDNEY said he considered this a
must important measure, and he had no excuses or rea-
sons to offer like some Hon, Gentlemen opposite why