The Sun.
London, England, 1869-03-18 00:00:00

SCANDAL IN HIGH QUARTERS.

The whisper of a grave scandal has become eo loud in
circles where reliable information is generally to be found,
that it is no longerpossible to leave it unnoticed. It relates
to a very high personage, whose position ought to place him
high above the breath of suspicion, but whose private lifeis
sullied by excesses which threaten to bring disgrace upon
the order to which he belongs, and even to sully the
ermine of royalty itself. Had the causes of complaint
or of reprobation been confined to private history
alone, the probability is thrt the veil might not
have been raised ; but it is asserted that a flagrant
abuse of patronage has long prevailed in the depart-
ment over which the person in question holds imperial
sway, and that the storm of dissatisfaction is attaining
a strength and impetuosity which will probably lead
the House of Commons, in the interests of the public,
to direct such an inquiry as the circumstances of
the case may demand. The subject is one of extreme
delicacy ; but, in a reforming age like the present, if
suspicion justly attaches, it would seem but right that
those who are responsible for the honour of the adminis-
tration, whether it be military, naval, or civil, should
interfere, ere it be too late, to prevent a great scandal,
if not a national reproach. It is rumoured that
certain facts in connection with the matter have been laid
before the chief adviser of the Crown, and that the first
move towards inquiry may possibly be in the shape of a
motion in the House of Commons for a return of the
appointments, pay, salaries, pensions, and allowances held
by the individual in question.—London Correspondent of
Belfast News-Letter.

The Birmingham Gazette says it is rumoured that
the petition against Mr. John Ilardy, ono of tho Conserva-
tive members for South Warwickshire, will bo withdrawn.
'The report of the Select Committee on the House
of Commons arrangements has been published. The
Commissioners have decided that an enlarged House of Com-
mons is required, and that no enlargement of tho present
house is desirable. They propose to take down the
present dining-rooms, and to construct a now house on the
present site of the dining-rooms and common courts. The
present house would thou be used as a lobby. Accommo•
dation of all kinds would be increased, the now house would
hold 5G9 members and 330 strangerS, whereas the
resent house accommodates 423 members and 263
itrangers. The form recommended for the new House is
'hat of a square with the corners cut off. The proposed
(!.)or is to bo solid, and the ceiling to bo of glass in the
ntre with sloping sides of wcod. In the construction
1 the plans great at' entiou has been paid to acoustical con-
itious.

A bill to amend the Representation of the People
Act, 181;7, has been prepared and brought in by Mr. Henry
t. Sheridan and Mr. Gourley. It proposes to repeal the
eregraph numbered 4 of the third sk.ction of the principal
et, a!so ;hat numbered four of the sixth section, and the
whole of the seventh section. It enacts that "From and
liter the passing of this Act, the owner of any dwelling-
!ic,u,,e, or other teLeinea, situ..tel in a p:tri,h wholly or
p!irt'y hi a borough in fhq,lal,d or Wales may be rated to the
rate instead of the occupier. The owner of such house or
;••nemcnt may pay the s..id poor rate, or cuter into any com-
position for the payment thereof, on behalf and instead of
ihe occupier, to the same extent and in the same manner
as if the principal Act had never passed. The rating of the
owner instead of the occupier, Lud the payment of the
said poor rate by the owner, shall not affect the right of the
J)ccupier as the inhabitant of a dwelling-house within a bo-
cough to vote for a member or members to serve in Parlia-
ment, pursuant to the second paragraph of the tirlatlcki
thAMARCIALiCk...;