The Sun.
London, England, 1851-07-17 00:00:00

HARWICH ELECTION.

Mr. BANKES moved that it be an instruction to the
General Committee of Elections, to select a chairman
and six other Members to be the Select Committee ap-
pointed to inquire into the allegations of a petition re-
lative to the last election for the borough of Harwich;
and that the Members so selected do constitute the said
Committee, with power to send for persons, papers, and
records, and that five be the quorum.
Mr. COBDEN said it was not his intention to oppose
the motion, as the Government, whose conduct it
affected, had consented to an inquiry, but he did
not see that any good result would arise from the
appointment of a Commtttee. This Committee, if agreed
to, would make the fourth which had sat on the borough
of Harwich during the present session. Since 1837, he
believed there was not one election which was
not followed by one or more Committees of in-
quiry.—(Hear, hear.) The character of Har-
wich was well known. The Blue books contained
a record of its proceedings, and it was well known as
pre-eminent for corruption in every possible form. The
last Committee appointed had taken so me pains to in-
vestigate into the circumstances which o ccurred at the
election, and he thought, before a new writ was issued,
the minutes of the evidence should be laid on the table.
Mr. DUNCOMBE considered it was highly creditable
to the Government not to oppose an inquiry ; but the
House ought to ascertain before it consen tell to the mo-
tion, whether or not there was a prima facie case for inves-
tigation. No inquiry, in his opinion, was w anted. The
borough only contained 140 or 150 voters, and being
notorious for corruption and intimidation ought to be
disfranchised.—(Hear.) Sudbury would have great
reason to complain if such a borough as ilarwich was
not disfranchised. The Noble Lord at the head
the Government had promised a measure o
reform next session, and if it were worth any-
f
thing it must contain a good round Bebe( !ale A when
such places as Harwich and St. Albans existed.—
(gear, hear.) An example ought to he made of
all such boroughs.—(Hear, hear.) Ile had no
[ objection to the Committee, but b e lieved that
I the inquiry would be altogether abortive.— -(Hear.)
Mr. J. STUART said the Hon. Member for Finsbury
was ready to disfranchise the borough without the
slightest trial or inquiry.—(Hear, hear.) The Hon.
Member held the rights of electors to bet sacred, yet
proposed to deprive them in this instance of: those rights
on a principle of confiscation eq sal to that
adopted by the French Directory.—(. Efear, hear.)
He thought the Hon. Member was an advoc;alte for giving
Harwich the benefit of the same laws re specting pro-
perty and the franchise which was pose used by the
electors of Finsbury, and not for depriving them of it
without a hearing.—(Hear.)
Mr. B. OSBORNE protested against the electors of
Finsbury being likened at all to those who returned
Members for Harwich.—(A laugh.) They had over and
over again been brought before Commits' ass and proved
guilty of bribery and corruption, and the Hon. Member
had no right to make so invidious a cot anarison with
the independent electors of Finsbury.--(Hear, hear.)
Again protesting against the Hon. Membf nr for Newark,
representing a small and not very pure borough, com-
paring Finsbury with Harwich, he hoped this inquiry
would be confined to those who had not made up their
minds upon this subject.
Sir B. HALL said this was no new case, Harwich
was long ago proved to be corrupt and it ought,
without further delay, be put in S.:l-Auk A. He was
not, however, surprised at the Hon. and Learned
Member for Newark being so indignant at the sugges-
tion to disfranchise Harwich, because he repre-
sented a nomination borough which was very
little better than Harwich. It ryas said once
by a learned member of the bar, that these no-
mination boroughs were of great service to the country,
inasmuch as they enabled members of his profession
to get into the House ; but the time had
arrived when they had too many lawyers in the
House, • and this rule held good no longer. He gave
notice that when the Harwich writ was moved for he
would move, as an amendment, that it do not issue.
Mr. V. SMITH had nothing to say in favour of
Harwich. Before the House allowed this inquiry to
proceed some Member must make himself responsible
for the allegations which the petition contained.
Mr. HUME said there could be no doubt that Har-
wich was a most corrupt borough, and it could not be
too speedily disfranchised. The petitioners made cer-
tain charges against Government officers, and, without
reference to who was responsible for the correctness of
the allegations, it was the duty of the House to sift such
a charge to the bottom.
Mr. DISRAELI supported the motion, believing that
it was necessary to ascertain the truth of the charges
contained in the petition. The House had unfortunately
allowed its attention to be diverted from the real question
at issue, which was simply whether there should be a
Committee or not. It would be time enough after that
was disposed of to go into the matter of disfranchising
Harwich.
Mr. E. DENISON objected to the way proposed of
nominating the Committee, and suggested that it had
better be appointed by the House. The Committee of
Selection might select a number of gentlemen to serve
on this inquiry, but they would have no power to com-
pel their attendance, as in the case of an Election Com-
mittee.
Mr. BANKES said a similar petition was presented
a few years ago from certain electors of Stamford, and
in that case the Committee of Selection found no diffi-
culty in nominating a Committee to ascertain the truth
of its allegations.
The House then divided, when there appeared—
For the motion ... ... ... 82
Against it ... ... ... ... 80
Majority for the motion ... —2
The motion was consequently carried.
SUPPLY.

On the motion for going into Committee of Supply,
Mr. Sergeant MURPHY rose to call the attention of
the First Lord of the Admiralty to the want of accom-
modation for the repair of steam-vessels at Hawlboline ;
and to ask whether it was the intention of her Majesty's
Government to provide the same. The Hon. Gentleman
also moved for a Committee to inquire into the subject.
Sir F. BARIMG opposed the motion on the ground
of expense.
Mr. E. B. ROCHE was quite aware that the Admi-
ralty did not spare expense, but he complained of the
centralisation of the expenditure to England. It was
nonsense to talk of leaving the enterprise to private spe-
culation, because private resources had not effected these
subjects even in England.
(LI.rT SPEAILING.)

THE LATE LORD DERBY'S MUSEUM.
The following letter has been addressed by the Earl ol
Derby to the Mayor of Liverpool:—
_ _ _

" Knowsley, July 8.
" Sir,—lt was the anxious wish of my dear and la-
mented father, as it is my own, that the very extensive
and valuable collection of stuffed birds and animals,
which it was the labour of his life to form, should
not after his death be dispersed, but rendered as far
as possible available to the amusement and instruction
of his countrymen and neighbours. Among his pri-
vate papers I find one upon this subject, em-
bodying an arrangement upon which he had communi-
cated with me, which so clearly sets forth his views, that
I cannot du better than transcribe his own words:—
With the anxious desire that what I have collected
during the long existence that has been granted me may
be devoted more particularly to the gratifioation, and I
would hope advantage,of the part of this country with which
I have been more immediately connected, and in which I
cannot but feel a more direct interest, I would desire that
this museum should be placed in the care of a body of
trustees, after the model of the British Museum, to be
placed in the town or environs of Liverpool, hoping
that the public authorities there may think fit to erect
some building for its reception, which might, perhaps,
with advantage be placed in connexion with the collegiate
institution already established in that town. If this sug-
gestion should be adopted or favourably received, I would
propose that the Earl of Derby for the time being and
one other member of my family should be trustees;
that my personal friend Richard Earle should also be
one during his life, if he will be pleased to accept the
trust, and that the Mayor of Liverpool and the two
rectors of the town for the time being shall be mem-
bers, ex officio, on the part of the town, and the in-
cumbents ut Knowsley and of nuytoneton the part
of the country; that the above person shall be
the first trustees, and that they have power to add to
their number, to fill up vacancies as they shall occur, and
to lay down rules and regulations for the better manage-
ment and preservation of the museum, and for the purpose
of making it as beneficial as possible for the amusement
and instruction of the inhabitants of the town and neigh-
bourhood in the first place, and, next, of the public in ge-
neral. As it is my principal object by this arrangement
to keep together, in one body, the collection which has
been formed by me, and to devute it to the benefit of the
rising generation, I have ventured to suggest its being
annexed to the collegiate institution, as by that means it
would appear to be more directly available for the pur-
poses of instruction and reference; and I would further
add my wish that it should bear the name of its original
founder, as some memorial of the interest I have from
boyhood felt in the study of natural history, and my
earnest wish to make that which has formed a constant
pleasure during my
own l tt
of far rmays
fallow-countrymen possible
conducive
to the welfare and gratification
and neighbours.
I have only to request that you will have the kind-
ness to bring this subject under the consideration of the
council at the earliest period consistent with
your own con
venience, and to express an earnest hope on my part that
nothing in the conditions attached may interpose to pre-
vent their acceptance of an offer which seems to hold
out no inconsiderable advantage to the population of
Liverpool, and which will place my father's extensive
collection in a position alike conducive to the gratifica-
tion of his friends and neighbours, honourable to him-
self, and on all accounts gratifyirg to me as his repre-
sentative.—l have the honour to be your obedient servant,
" The mayor." " DERBY.

N. ; " A very
i sngular scene took place at Puy on Sunday
ay
last; a
(1 We read Ain tGheOGO aDze----.A----'"°ttpeldGesbTribun,aa
person named Rupin, on entering a Cafe,
said, ' Gen-
tlemen, Tam- a a physiognomist, and can, from an
future
exa-
mination of the face, de,cribe the character and
lot of each of yhu.'
Afacter,awdehsimehanh,eM:3idß"
wapparent attention. 4 I see,' said he, ' from the protru-
berances on your forehead, that you have great aptitude
tor works of imagination. You are naturally good, but
requested
greatesd
him to examine his
do not like to be offended, A persou in whom you feel