The Sun.
London, England, 1860-02-04 00:00:00

TILE BALLOT.

A meeting of the council of the Ballot Society
was held yesterday afternoon at the Whittington
Club, Arundel-street, Strand, in order to consider
the following notice of motion, given by Mr. T. B.
Duncombe, M.P. :—" Gloucester and Wakefield
Elections— Bill to make provision that at all future
elections of members to serve in Parliament for the
boroughs of Gloucester and Wakefield the electors
thereof give their vote by ballot."
There were present—Mr. Berkeley, M.P.; Mr.
T. S. Duncombe, M.P.; Mr. Lawson. M.P. • Mr.
Sergeant Gaselce, Mr. E. C. Whitehurst, Mr. J.
White, Mr. Russell, Mr. S. Nodes, Mr. C. IL Elt,
Mr. H. Gridley, Mr. M. Marsden, Mr. W. Wilks,
Mr. J. Bontems, and other supporters of the move-
ment.
Mr. WHITEIIURST, having taken the chair, stated
the object for which the mcetinghad been convened,
and read a letter from General Thompson regret-
ting that he could net attend. He then went on to
say, in reference to Mr. Duncombe's motion, that
when Mr. Bonham-Carter brought forward a simi-
lar motion the council of the society had not consi-
dered it expedient to give it their support. Mr.
Duncombe's motion in 1854 was similarly received;
but societies, like individuals, grew wiser in pro-
cess of time, and the council now believed that the
cause of the ballot would be promoted by support.
ing Mr. Duncombe's motion. He had seen a gen-
tleman concerned as one of Mr. Leatham's agents
in the Wakefield election, who said that if the bal-
lot had existed in that town not a dozen men would
have been bribed. It had been considered proper to
call the council together on that occasion, in order
that they might co-operate; and he would invite
them freely to discuss the question.
Mr. GRIDLEY, the defeated candidate for Bever-
ley, said as he was the last " eel that had been
skinned," he would make a few remarks. The pre-
sent was a very favourable time for the motion to
be brought before the house, but he would suggest
an alteration in the terms—viz., that the ballot
should be introduced for the next election only.
He conceived the object of the motion will
merely to test the efficacy of the ballot, and Par.
liatnent might be disposed to allow it a trial at one
borough, for which purpose one election would
suffice. The ballot would hove the effect of pre-
venting bribery, and he could speak to the truth of
the statement of Mr. Leatham's agent—the class of
people assailable by bribery were in so low a condi-
tion, both pecuniarly and morally, that they re-
quired watching to the poll to give their votes, and
so keen and wide awake that they would not poll
until they received the money. He was disposed
to say that if the ballot did not put an end to
bribery, at all events it would prevent intimida-
tion. (Hear, hear.) If it had existed last Tues-
day in Beverley he had no hesitation in saying he
should have represented Beverley at that moment
in spite of bribery. Ile could bear testimony to
the fact that bribery became a matter of necessity
—(hear)—and ready as any one might be to, get a
seat in Parliament, to go down to meet such a sys-
tem of bribery and intimidation required him to
have the Bank of England behind him to meet with
any chance of success.
Mr. WHITE was gratified at the manner in which
the case had been detailed, which showed in an
eminent degree the necessity and efficiency of the
ballot. They were much indebted to Mr. Dun-
combe for the part he had taken in the matter.
Public attention was rivetted on the cases of Glou-
cester and Wakefield. The moral feeling of the
country had been outraged, and Mr. Duncombe was
acting in a proper spirit by seizing on the occasion,
and appropriating it to the common cause. He
thought the suggestion made by Mr. Gridley should
be left to Mr. Duncombe's discretion. The House
of Commons might submit to a tentative measure
while they objected to a principle. He then moved—
" That the motion, of which Mr. Buncombe, M,P., has
given notice, is entitled to all possible support; and this
council resolves that it will use every exertion in its power
to aid Mr. Buncombe, and respectfully solicits the mem-
bers of Parliament who are favourable to the ballot to give
the motion their cordial and united support."
Mr. BERKELEY, M.P., seconded the motion. He
doubted the prudence of changing the terms of the
motion, as suggested by Mr. Gridley. Supposing
that Mr. Duncombe's Bill was carried, that Bill
would embrace every constituency, though applied
only to Glocester and Wakefield. He thought it
probable that Mr. Duncombe would wish to see the

bill they (the council) had prepared, with a view of
presentation at an early period.
Mr. DUNCOMBE, M.P., said his motion was not
intended to interfere with Mr. Berkeley's Bill ; they
would do the same thing as was done with the
Jewish Emancipation Bill, which was done some-
what ungraciously ; but they attained their object,
and, if unattainable by other means, they might
eventually get the ballot by carrying partial mea-
sures. With reference to the suggestion that had
been made to limit the period of operation of
the bill, it was perfectly competent to propose to
limit it to 10 years, and then to continue it, if found
to work well. He was disposed to think he should
be successful in getting the bill in if they could get
the church-rate question, which stood for the same
day, over on that day. No doubt the government
and the Tories would coalesce against him, but in
spite of this be thought ho should succeed.
Mr. Sergeant GASELEE considered the measure
a most suicidal one. If the bill extended over a
period of 10 years he supposed they would have to
wait that time in order to see how it operated. (No,
no.) He had a great objection to the measure. Why
wait 10 years ? Everybody would say, " Don't
bring in any bill ; wait until this experiment has
been tried." He hoped instead of giving them the
advantages of the ballot, the Government would
stop the writs for Wakefield, Glocester, and Bever-
ley for 10 years, and show that the finger of scorn
was pointed at them. Why give benefits to
towns that had disgraced themselves ? It was
either a punishment or a benefit ; if a benefit, why
should these towns have an advantage over others
if a punishment, why stigmatise the ballot
as such ? Again, they wanted all their forces
to support their own bill, and the House of
Commons would not like to have two discus-
sions. He strongly urged them not to have a par-
tial ballot, but to go for the whole bill and nothing
but the bill. If they were to dilute their strength,
people were so much against it that if the motion
was carried he believed it would put back the cause
of the ballot for 10 years.
Mr. BERKELEY said, in reference to the ballot
being considered as a punishment, he thought the
proper light to view it in was the same way is which
vaccination for the smallpox was regarded.
The CHAIRMAN did not consider it woul4 have
the effect of stopping the agitation.
Mr. ELT was afraid he should have stood alone,
but he entertained the same view as Mr. Gaselee.
Would these two places be the best to try the expe-
riment of the ballot—places so corrupt that nothing
could be done with them ? The ballot could not
make head against corruption in small places.
The resolution having been carried,
After some further discussion, Mr. MARSDEN
moved—

" That a circular, sinned by Mr. T. Duncombe, M.P.,
and Mr. Berkeley, M.P., as chairman of the society, be
issued to the Parliamentary supporters of the ballot, re-
questing them to meet and support Mr. Duncombe's
motion."

Mr. NODES seconded the motion, which having
been carried, a ♦ote of thanks was passed to the
chairman, and the meeting separated.

THIS DAYS SHIPPING.

LoNnow, Fob. 4.—Wind this day at noon, W.S.W.;
moderate breeze and cloudy.
PORTSMOUTH, Feb. 3.—Wind, N.N.E. Arrived--•
Vicenta, from Cuba for Bremen, with foreyard sprung.
Sailed—H.M.'s steamer Alacrity, for Portland. Off port—
Gertrude, from London, for Calcutta —Agnes, from Lon•
don for Jamaica—Victoria, from London for New York.
PLYMOUTH, Feb. 3.—Sailed—Morayshire, for Shan".
—Pollonia, for Barcelona—Neptune, for Lisbon.
NEWPORT, Feb. 3.—Wind, N.E.—Arrived—Autocrat,
from Liverpool for New Orleans.

(BY ELECTRIC TELBORAPI.2
Mornin
SOUTHAMPTON, Saar ay g.

Wind N.W.
Arrivt d—Union, from Aberdeen Alliance, steamer,
from Havre ; Atalanta, steamer, from Jersey ; Walser-
rfrooomL,Aslaeiturandadryiais.
tternm.
t.
force, from Shields ; uebec packet, from Cicely ; Haw-
thorn and Llangotbland, from Sunderland; Joutte A,r•
mend, from Carentan;
Sailed—Ralph and Josif, for Cardiff; Havre, steamer,
for Havre; Dispatch, steamer, for Jersey.
Wind W.N.W. RLatirpi:n,
Arrived, Feb. 3—Sea Snake, from Iquique.
Sailed—Criteria, for St. Michael's; Iquique.
Arrived,
and Cadiz • Jeanette Melaine, for Ostend ov- ' M. Gibraltar
for Marseilles ; Warrior, for Jersey ; Alfred, A. Duffus,
Arrived, Feb. 4.—Vigo, screw d, for Gibraltar.
steamer, from Phila.
delphia,

(BY SUBMARINE AND BRITISH TELEGRAM)
RAVESEND, S Morning.
Wind, Mr.; tide, nea thigh water ; weather fine.
Arrived, Feb. 3.—ltosa, from Guernsey ; Gunner, from
Alkreader ; Cosmopolitan, from Hamburg.
Arrived, Fob. 4—Rhine, steamer, from Antwerp ; Bel-
gium, steamer, from Ostend.
Sailed, Feb. 4—Adler, for Bremen; Pollux, for Has
burg.

DEAL, Saturday Morning.

Wind N., fine.
Anchored—Mignionnette, from London ?or Berbice.
Passed—Arrow, from St. Michael's fer Hull; Conduit*,
barque, from Peru for London (in tow) ; Victorine Am-
brose and Isabella, brig, from west for north.
Sailed—Stirlingshire, Sarah Newman, &lemon, City of
Benares and Foam.

The Spaniards have established at tha custom-
house of the port of Martin an hospital for the re-
ception of the sick and wounded of this army of
operations. operations. The engineers are also eatlting forta-
fications near the same spot.