The Sun.
London, England, 1860-04-27 00:00:00

REFORM BILL.

Mr. E. *TAMES gave notice that to-morrow, on the
motion for the adjournment of the house, he would ask the
Secretary for Foreign Affairs if it was intended to introduce
any measure to provide for the registration of persons who
may become entitled to vote in the event of the Reform Bill
being passed during the present session of Parliament.

ear, hear.)
STATEMENT OF POOR LAW AUDITORS.

Mr. WATLINGTON asked the President of the Poor
Law Board whether the correspondent of the Times news-

paper of the 23d instant was correct in stating that the au-
ditors of the Poor Law Board had defined "gross estimated
rental" to be " the landlord's rent, the landlord and tenant
respectively paying their own charges ;" and, if so, to in-
quire what, if any, is the difference between " gross esti-

mated rental" and " net annual value."
Mr. VILLIERS said that in consequence of the hon.
gentleman's notice he had referred to a file of the Times,
and had seen the letter alluded to, and the statement
was what the hon. member described. He applied to those
auditors, who stated that the contents of the letter in ques-
tion were quite correct; and they also said that the auditors
throughout the country agreed with them, which upon in-
quiry he found to be the case.
PROTECTION TO BRITISH SUBJECTS.

Mr. H. B. SHERIDAN asked the Secretary of State for
Foreign Affairs, whether he had heard that complaints had
been made of the insufficient protection afforded to British
subjects in the kingdom of Naples, and in the immediate
neighbourhood of the disturbances in Sicily, by the
English representative and British men-of-war on
that station ; and whether there was any truth in these
complaints ; and if he would state which of her Majesty's
vessels are on that station, and whether the instructions
had been to give assistance to all persons rightly claiming
the protection of the English flag; and, whether, to bis
knowledge, it was true that Austrian troops had been em-
ployed to aid in the suppression of the efforts of the Sicilian
population to obtain a better form of Government ?

Lord J. RUSSELL said that the Government had re-
ceived no official complaint on the question of the protection
of British subjects in Naples, but three vessels of war were
stationed at different ports in the kingdom of Naples for the
purpose of affording such protection. One vessel was to be
permanently stationed at Palermo, and another in another
place, which would afford the necessary protection. He
was in possession of no official information relative
to the interference of the Austrian troops in the way re-
ferred to by the hon. member in his mottos.
ASSISTANT CAVALRY SURGEONS.

Mr. HEEDES asked the Secretary of State for War
upon what principle a deduction of Sid. per diem was made
from the surgeon and assistant-surgeon of a cavalry regi-
ment for each horse kept by them for the public service,
when the rate of pay of those officers is precisely the same
as that of the medical officers of infantry regiments ?
Mr. S. HERBERT said that infantry medical officers
were exempted from the deductions in question by a special
warrant the cavalry officers did not possess.
REPRESENTATION OP TIIE PEOPLE BILL.—

ADJOURNED DEBATE.

Mr. BLACK said he felt constrained by a sonse of duty

to give utterance to the sentiments which he had more than
once expressed before, both publicly and privately, and
which were participated in by a majority of his constituents.
A mixed Government supported by Parliamentary repre-
sentation had proved by experience to be the most effective
and powerful machine for the production of good govern-
ment. It might be said not to be perfect, but that was only
saying that it was human, and if it got out of gear, or re-
quired repair, it must be attended to with the utmost care-
fulness; but there should be no perpetual tinkering at it.
(Hear, hear.) Before altering the machine, two things
should be ascertained with certainty—first, that there
existed a defect, and secondly, that the alteration proposed
to be made would remove the defect and improve the ma-
chine. (Hear.) Was the elective franchise a right or a
trust? If a right, upon what was it based ? Some said
that all who lived under the laws had a natural right to a
voice in the framing of those laws; others maintained that
taxation and representation ought to be coextensive. But,
if the latter principle were accepted, every man who took a
cup of tea or who smoked a pipe might demand a vote.
(Hear.) In his opinion the people bad a right, not to the
franchise, but to the best system of government which could
le provided for tbem. You were not bound to gratify every
demand of theirs which would not tend to promote their
happiness. It might be asked, " And who is to decide
what shall tend to their happiness ?" His answer was that
this duty must devolve upon the Government of the day.
(Hear, hear,) The responsibility rested on the present

House of Commons, and a tremendous responsibility it:was
to make any change in the existing system. (Hear, hear.)
As to the proposed reduction of the county franchise to
£lO, he thought they were justified, in adopting that as an
improvement. Was there any reason to suppose that £lO
householders in the counties were not as intelligent and
as independent as those of the same class in the boroughs?
(Hear.) Believing them to be equally well qualified,
he should support this proposition. Again, in
England there were 40s. freeholders. Why should there
be a distinction between England and Scotland in this re-
spect ? He thought the 40s. freehold franchise was worthy
of adoption in Scotland, not merely because it existed in
England, but because it was an ancient franchise, which,
as it had worked well in one country, might be expected to
work well also in the other. (Hear.) However small a
man's property might be, he took as great an interest in all
that concerned it as the proprietor of large estates. If he
had acquired this small property, you might safely assume
that he was industrious and well conducted ; if he inherited

it, you might in the same way assume that he was tolerably
well educated. But did hon. members believe that they
would improve the electoral system by the reduction of the
borough franchise to £6, and the infusion into these con-
stituencies of a large body of persons possessing little edu-
cation, intelligence, or independence? (Hear.) It was
said that ysu might find as intelligent men among the £6
as among the £lO householders. That might be true, but
he spoke of the class, and not of individuals. (Hear.) There
had been too great a disposition to talk of the virtues of this
class, and to flatter them on every occasion. (Hear.) New,
ho did not wish to say anything disrespectful of them, but
was it consistent with common sense to suppose that men in
their position could have had such an education as would
enable them to understand difficult questions of policy ?
(Hear.) Were men in the lower ranks of life likely to have
the same amount of education, of information, and of inde-
pendence as those above them in the social scale ? (Hear.)
There could be but one answer to such a question. (Hear.)
Nothing was more difficult than to decide intelligently
upon political questions, and would Parliament be justified
in intrusting the power of deciding those questions to a
large mass of half-educated persons, whose passions and
prejudices were so easily aroused, and who were so open to
the influences of unscrupulous agitators, (Hear.) Within