The Sun.
London, England, 1860-03-02 00:00:00

THE
,SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, MARC F! 2, 1860.

the abolition of the remaining and the new nomi-
nation boroughs.

The year 1852 found him, however, in need of a
little popular favour. his star had paled before a
greater Reformer than himself. PEEL, and Fiscal,
Financial, and Commercial Reform, and his own
scandalous behaviour towards Hungary, with
other delinquencies, had altogether made the Re-
former of 1831 a less man at the head of a Cabinet
than he had been before when a minister only. So
his lordship bids a second time for popularity
through the device which had given him so much
at first. And these were the chief biddings offered
by him on the 9th of February, 1852 :
In boroughs a £5 rating franchise, instead of
the present £lO franchise.

In counties a £2O franchise instead of the £5O

one.

For copyholds and long leases a £5 instead of
a £lO one.
Besides £2 of direct taxation.
Small boroughs were not to be abolished, but
augmented by additions from the surrounding coun-
ties—all to be made, in fact, what many of them,
like Woodstock, and Midhurst, ani Shoreham were
already, very little counties.
In Ireland the county franchise remained unal-
tered; that of the boroughs was to be reduced from
J.:B to £5.

In ten days more, however, Lord JOHN left office
owing to the hostile vote on the Militia Bill, aid
left also his bill to its fate. The short-lived DERBY
Ministry followed; and no more was heard of
Reform till 1854, when Lord JOHN, serving under
Lord ABERDEEN, and anxious to seem first, while
nominally second, brought forward his third bill on
the 13th of February of that year,
Of this Bill the principal points were :
A schedule A, of nineteen boroughs, with fewer
than 300 electors and 5,000 inhabitants, to be wholly
disfranchised, losing 29 members.
A schedule B, of thirty-three boroughs, contain-
ing, less than 500 electors, or 10,000 inhabitants,
losing 33 members.
The 62 seats thus gained were distributed thus--
The West Riding of York and South Lancashire
were, by subdivision, to gain 8 new members.
All counties and towns having more than 100,000
inhabitants were to return 3 instead of 2 members.
This would take 47 members, the counties, of course,
having the larger share (38) of these spoils of the
boroughs.
Birkenhead, Burnley-, and Staleybridge were
each to have one member. Kensington and Chelsea
were to return 2. Southwark 1 more. The Inns
of Court 2. The London and Scottish Universities

each.
By the absurd minority clause, where a constitu-
ency returned 3 members, no elector could vote for
more than 2.
On the other hand, the Bill abolished the trouble.
some and useless ratepaying clauses.
The county qualification was reduced to £lO.
The general borough franchise was raised from
that of the Bill of 1852 to £6 rating.
Several fancy clauses gave votes both in counties
and boroughs, though most voting under them
would have had votes otherwise. Theywere, firstly
a salary of £lOO a-year paid quarterly; secondly
£lO a-year on dividends ; thirdly, £2 to the income
or assessed taxes; fourthly, graduates of a univer-
sities ; fifthly, persons who had £5O a-year in a
savings' bank three years continuously.
Freemen were to cease voting as such after exist-
ing rights were satisfied.
Scats were not to be vacated by accepting office
under Government.
'These were the two Whig Bills of the Whig
Lord who has now favoured us with his third, with
which,as he has no doubt carefully compared it, so
it may please some of our readers to compare it
also. We shall now give the sketch of a Radical
and a Tory Bill. It is but fair that we should
compare with what Whigs have previously offered,
what a man of the people and a leader of the
House of Commons' Conservatives have offered
also. The two latter are, however, pretty fresh in
most minds. The Tories having acceded to office
in 1858, by the aid, in great part, of Mr. BRIGHT
and the independent members, on Mr. MILNER
GIBSON'S motion, and having promised a Reform
Bill in the following spring, Mr. BRIGHT com-
menced in the autumn a course of systematic in-
strucfion for his promising pupils, hoping, we sup-
pose, that political gratitude and political acuteness
would induce them to adopt enough of his proposals
to keep out his Whig persecutors for many a year.
Mr. BRIGHT, while he laid just stress on the
BALLOT, and a lowered franchise, insisted most of
all on a fair redistribution of seats, 'without which
he justly held that it was of little use to lower the
franchise.

His schedule A accordingly disfranchised 56
English boroughs returning 87 members, and nine
Irish boroughs returning nine members, not one of
which has certainly the shadow of a claim to sepa-
rate representation, either on the score of electors,
direct taxes, or population—Mr. BRIGHT'S three

tests.;_;
Schcdule,B would deprive thirty.four boroughs
which return two members each of one member. He
thus had 130 members to dispose of.
lie gave 16 of these to as many boroughs which
now return but one member each. Besides three
more to Scotch boroughs.

To 23 boroughs of a population between 54,000
and 127,000 he gave 27 additional members.
To 12 boroughs with a population between 127,000
and 270,000 he gate 24 additional members.
To fire boroughs, whose population exceeds
316,000, he gave six members each, or 30 addi-
tional.

To seven new boroughs he gave nine members.

To counties, and divisions of counties, 18 new

members.

To s,..ven Irish counties eight additional members.
IVith a few additions to Scotland he completed
his re-arrangements, which, after all, allotted 26 of
the members taken from boroughs, to counties.

s franchise was as low as it could well he

placed in the boroughs short of universal suffrage;
in the counties he accepted the £lO qualification.
On the last day of February, 1839,. we had the
novelty of a Tory Reform Bill. Its leading features,
it having served filo purpose of a faction fight, are
probably pretty well remembered.
The county franchise was reduced to £lO, as in
Lord JOHN'S last Bill.
Next the borough franchise remained unaltered,
but the boundaries of boroughs were to be resur-
veyed and extended ; and all voters residing in
boroughs were to have their option of voting for
the borough or for the county, but not to vote for
both. Probably no clause was so fatal to the bill
as this. Members could not afford to irritate the
borough oters for counties, while Mr. DisnAlim
was bent on excluding these votes. As in Lord
v
JOHN'S Bill, there Nvn-e several " fancy franchises."
Disfranchisement was tenderly handled.

Fifteen boroughs only, having two members
each, lost one of them.

In regard to enfranchisement by a further division
of Yorkshire and Lancashire, and dividing Middle-
sex, eight members were to be added to the coun-
ties, and seven to certain new boroughs.

WESTMINSTER BRIDGE.—The first half of this
new bridge was opened for traffic this morning.

OPENING OF THE FRENCH

CHAMBERS.

The Legislative Session was opened this day at
one o'clock by the Emperor Napoleon 111. in per-
son, the ceremony taking place in the noble hall in
the New Louvre, the Salles des Etats.
Nothing could be more complete than the arrange-
ments which had been made for the arrival of the
different persons to be present.
The weather being beautifully fine and bright, a
crowd began to collect as early as eleven, to watch
the arrival of the handsome equipages which con-
veyed the persons entitled to attend. The carriages
soon after began to arrive, and continued uninter-
ruptedly until noon, after which no admission could
be abtained.
By far the greatest number of persons arrived by
the Pavillon Denon, the entrance to which was
adorned with shrubs and flowers. The vestibule
inside was tastefully ornamented with tricoloured
flags, trophies of arms, and evergreens, as was the
wide staircase conducting to the large square
waiting-room, which leads into the Salle des Etats.
The vast hall in which the Emperor was to
meet the Chambers presented a more finishes
appearance than on the last occasion, several of
the ornaments, which were then only tem-
porary, having been beautifully executed ac-
cording to the original design. The whole was
fitted up with draperies of crimson ♦elvet
trimmed with gold, the principal seats being
covered with the same rich material. At the further
end was placed on a raised estrade a throne for the
Emperor, as well as a chair of State, on each side,
for Prince Jerome and Prince Napoleon. Behind
were arranged seats for the other Princes of the
Imperial family, as well as for several of the great
officers of State. The galleries which run along
the sides above were filled with elegantly dressed

Before twelve every place was occupied, with
the exception of those reserved for the
high personages composing the Imperial cor-
tege ; and at a little before one the private
conversations ceased, as their Majesties were then
known to be approaching from the private apart-
ments of the Palace by the long Picture Gallery.
An officer of the ceremonies having announced,
" The Empress !" the whole assembly rose, and her
Majesty entered amidst loud cries of " Viva l'lmpe-
ratrice !" " Vive le Prince Imperial !" Her Ma-
jesty proceeded to the right of the platform, pre-
ceded by some of the officers of the household and
accompanied by the Princess Clotilda, the Princess
Mathilde, and the Princesses Lucien and
Joachim Murat. The great officers of the
Empress's household, the Grand Mistress, the
ladies of honour, and the ladies of the Palace
followed. The whole party were dressed in
morning attire, and in half-mourning. The Em-
press and the other ladies proceeded to a tribune on
the right, on a level with the platform, the cor-
responding one on the opposite side being occupied
by the members of the diplomatic corps and the
ladies of their families.
Her Majesty had just taken her seat when the
thunder of the cannon at the Invalides announced
the approach of the Emperor, and immediately
after his Majesty's i►ortege entered in the fol-
lowiug order :—A Master of the Ceremonies,
the Equerry on duty, the Prefect of the Palace,
the Chamberlain on duty, the Adjutant-General
of the Palace, the Grand Master of the Ceremonies,
the Grand Chamberlain, and the Grand Mar-
shal of the Palace. Then came the Emperor,
dressed in a general's uniform, followed by
Prince Jerome, Prince Napoleon, the Princes
of the Imperial family having rank at Court,
the Grand Almoner, the Aide-de-Camp on duty,
the Commander of the Cent-Gardes, and the
Officers of the Households of the Imperial Princes.
His Majesty was greeted with repeated cries of
" Vive l'Empereur !" " Vive l'lmperatrice !" " Vive
le Prince Imperial I" His Majesty took his seat on
the throne, the Princes of the Imperial family near
him, and behind the persons forming their Majes-
ties' cortege. The Grand Master of the Ceremonies
then in a. loud voice requested all to be seated, and
the moment after all had resumed their places
amidst the most profound silence. The Emperor
then rose, and in an exceedingly distinct voice
delivered the following speech :
[TRANSLATION.]
" _Messieurs les Senateurs,
_Messieurs les Deputes,
" On the opening of last session, relying upon
the patriotism of France, I endeavoured to fortify
your minds in advance against the exaggerated
apprehensions of a probable war. To-day I have
at heart to reassure you against the anxiety caused
by peace itself. That peace I desire sincerely, and
shall neglect nothing to maintain it.
"' I have only to congratulate myself on my
friendly relations with Ell the Powers of Europe.
The only- points of the globe where our arms are
still engaged are in the extreme East ; but the
courage of bur sailors and of our soldiers, aided by
the hearty assistance of Spain, will doubtless soon
lead to a treaty of peace with Cochin-China. As
regards China, a serious expedition, combined with
the forces of Great Britain, will inflict on her the
chastisement of her perfidy.
" InEurope difficulties approach, as I trust,
their termination, and Italy is on the eve of con-
stituting herself free. Without referring to the
long regotiations which have been dragging along
for so many months, I shall confine myself to a few
principal points.
The dominant idea of the Treaty of Villa•
franca was to obtain the almost complete indepen-
dence of Venetia at the price of the restoration of
the Archdukes. That transaction having failed,
despite my, mast earnest endeavours, I have ex-
pressed my regret thereat at Vienna as well as at
Turin, for the situation by being prolonged threa-
tened to lead to no issue. While it was the object
of frank explanations between my Government and
that of Austria, it suggested to England, to Prussia,
to Russia, measures the whole of which clearly
prove on the part of the Great Powers their desire
to obtain 'a reconciliation of all the interests.
" To second these dispositions it was necessary
for France to present that combination the adoption
of which would have the greatest chance of being
accepted by Europe. Guaranteeing Italy by my
army against foreign intervention, I had the right
to assign the limits of that guarantee. Therefore I
did not hesitate to declare to the King of Sardinia
that, *bile leaving him full liberty of action, I
could hot follow him in a policy which had the
fault of appearing in the 'eyes of Europe a desire
to absorb all the States of Italy, and which threat-
ened new conflagrations. I counselled him to reply
fa% ourahly to the wishes of the provinces which
should offer themselves to him, but to maintain the
independence of Tuscany, and to respect in princi-
ple the rights of the Holy See. If this arrange-
ment does not satisfy everybody, it has the advan-

tage of reserving principles, of calming ppprehen-
sions, and makes Piedmont a kingdom of more than
9,000,000 souls.
‘" Looking to this transformation of Northern
Italy, which gives to a powerful State all the passes
of •the Alps, it was my duty, for the security of our
frontiers, to claim the French slopes of the moun-
tains. This reassertion of a claim to a territory of
small extent has nothing in it of a nature to alarm
Europe and give a denial to the policy of disinte-
restedness Which I have procla.med more than mice,
for France does not wish to proceed to this
aggran-
disement, however small it May 'be, either by mili-
tary occupation or by provoked insurrection, or by
underhand manoeuvres, but by frankly explaining
the questiOn to the Great Powers. They will doubt-
less understand in their equity, as France would
certainly understand it for each of them under
similar circumstances, that the important territo-
rial rearrangement which is about to take place
gives us.a right to a guarantee indicated by nature
herself.

" • I cannot• pass over in silence the emotion of a
portion of the Catholic world; it has given way
suddenly to such inconsiderate impressions, it has
given itself up to such passionate alarms. The past,
which ought to be a guarantee for the future, has
been so much overlooked, the services rendered so
much forgotten, that I needed a very deep convie-

tion and confidence—an absolute confidence in pub-
lic common sense, to establish in the midst of the
agitations endeavoured to be excited that calm
which alone maintains us in a proper path.
" Facts, however, speak loudly for themselves.
For the last 11 years I have sustained alone at
Rome the power of the Holy Father, without
having ceased a single day to revere in him the
sacred character of the chief of our religion. On
another side the population of the Romagna, aban-
doned all at once to themselves, have experienced a
natural excitement, and sought during the war to
make common cause with us. Ought Ito forget
them in making peace, and to hand them over anew
for an indefinite time to the chances of a foreign
occupation ? My first efforts have been to reconcile
them to their sovereign, and, not having succeeded,
I have tried, at least, to uphold in the revolted pro-
vinces the principle of the temporal power of the
Pope.

" After what has been already said, you see, if
all is not yet over, how it is still permitted to hope
for a speedy solution. The moment seems, then, to
have arrived to put an end to these anxieties, which
have lasted too long, and to seek for the means of
inaugurating with boldness a new era of peace in
France. Already has the army been reduced by
150,000 men; and this reduction would have been
mare considerable but for the Chinese war and the
occupation of Rome and of Lombardy. My
Government will immediately present to you a
series of measures, the object of which is to
facilitate production, to increase, by affording
the means of living cheaply, the prosperity of
those who labour, and to multiply our com-
mercial relations. The first step to be taken
in this path was to fix the period for the suppres-
sion of those impassable barriers which, under the
name of prohibitions, have shut out from our mar-
kets many productions of foreign industry, and
constrained other nations to adopt an annoying,
reciprocity with regard to us.
," But suinethir4 still more difficult still impeded
us. It was the little inclination for a commercial
treaty with England. I have therefo're taken re-
solutely upon myself the responsibility of this great
measure. A very simple reflection proves its
advantages for both countries. Neither the one
nor the other assuredly would have failed within a
few years to take, each in its own interest, the
initiative of the measures proposed ; but then the
lowering of tariffs not being simultaneous, they
would have taken place on one side and on the other
without immediate campensation. The treaty has
done nothing more, then, than to anticipate the
period of salutary modifications, and to give to
indispensable reforms the character of reciprocal
concessions, destined to strengthen the alliance of
two great peoples. In order that this treaty may
produce its best effect I invoke your most energetic
co-operation for the adoption of the laws which
will facilitate its practical adoption.
" I call your attention, before, all things, to the
means of internal communication, which by their
development can alone permit us to compete with
foreign industry; but, as periods of transition
are always those of suffering, and as it is our
duty to put a stop to a state of uncertainty so
hurtful to our interests. I appeal to your patriot-
ism for the prompt examination of the laws which
will be submitted to you. By liberating raw ma-
terials from all duties and reducing those which
weigh on articles of common consumption the re•
sources of the Treasury will find themselves severally
diminished; nevertheless, the receipts and disburse-
ments of the year 1861 will be balanced without
any need of an appeal to credits or a recourse to
new taxes. In sketching to you a faithful picture
of our political and commercial position, I have
wi, hed to inspire you with full confidence in our
future prosperity, and to associate you in the ac-
complishment of a work fruitful in great results.
" The protection of Providence, so manifestly
on our side during the war, will not fail to a peace-
ful enterprise whose object is the improvement of
the lot of the greatest number. Let us continue,
then, firmly our path to progress, without allowing
ourselves to be arrested either by the menaces of
selfishness, or by the clamours of parties, or by un-
just suspicions. France menaces no one; she
desires to develope in peace, in the plenitude of her
independence those boundless resources which
Heaven has given her, and she will not awaken
gloomy susceptibilities, since out of the state of
civilisation in which we are that truth springs
day by day with greater force which consoles and
reassures humanity—that the more a State is rich
and prosperous the more she contributes to the
riches and prosperity of others.'"
THE BOURSE, March I.—Prices were maintained
and were even in advance at the opening, but have
receded on the reading of the Imperial Speech just
posted up, when it was known that it spoke of the
necessity of extending the frontiers of France to
the Alps. Threes, which were done at 68f 30c,
declined to 68f sc. Mobilier varied from 750 f to
745 f; Orleans, 1,380 f to 1,373 f; Lyons, 892 f 50c
to 890 f; Austrian, 505 f to 502 f 50c. The following
are the last quotations :

4 per Cents. .... 97 50
Do. end month ..

3 per Cents _ 6B 35

Do. end month 68 10
Bank Shares 2BlO

Credit Mobilier .. 752 50

Do. Account ...., 748 75

Credit Fonder
Belgian 4f . —
Piedmonteso (5) BO
itoman —
Austrian
Spanish Threes
Home Debt

RAILWA.YB.

Orleans
Northern
1380 .. 1380
New ditto
918 75 .. 917 50
Lyons and Mocliterranean ..... 832 50 .. 832 50
Geneva
500 Southern --
500 500
Western
Eastern
Sardiniam.
.. 505
Lombard
Exchange on London, at sight, paper, 25f. 71c. • money,
251.5 c.; three months, paper, 24f. 871 c. ; money, 24f. 85c.

ITALY.
A Paris letter, in the Nord, contains some infor-
motion relative to the settlement of the Italian
question :
As the negotiations relative to Italy have en-
tered into a critical phase, it is important to state
facts clearly and to avoid exaggerations. A journal
of Brussels describes as an ultimatum the despatch
sent on the 25th ult. to Milan, and in which the
French Government sets forth the arrangements
which it considers as the most practicable in Italy.
The despatch takes care to declare that the Em-
peror of the French does not intend to exercise
any pressure on the determinations of the Cabinet
of Turin. It is, therefore, merely a programme
which has been sent to Piedmont. In this docu-
ment, M. Thouvenel considers the annexation of
Tuscany as becoming more and more difficult, and
he insists anew on that old duchy being constituted
into a separate State, under the authority of a
prince chosen by the population. The Emperor
excludes the candidateship of Prince Napoleon, in
order to remain faithful to the policy of disinte-
restedness proclaimed at the beginning of the war
in Italy. Romagna cannot either, it is said, be
annexed to Piedmont, but is to be administered
under the vicariate of the King of Sardinia, if that
solution be accepted by the Pope. Piedmont, there-
fore, will only be aggrandised by the Duchies of
Parma and Modena. Nevertheless the cession of
Savoy and of the county of Nice is represented to
be indispensable. The despatch is most friendly in
tone, and is in conformity with the good relations
which have not ceased to_ exist between the two
Cabinets."