The Sun.
London, England, 1869-04-22 00:00:00

LIEI4 11iAJES1T.

OSBORNE, April 21!
--
Her Majesty, with Princess Louise, Prince Lec'
pold, Princess Beatrice, and Prince and Princess
Christian, arrived yesterlay afternoon at half-Past
6 o'clock.

The Queen, accompanied by Princess LouiA
walked and drove in the'grounds this morning•

VOTE BY BALLOT.

Last evening a meeting, convened by the Metro-
politan politan Ballot Society, was held in the Arun
Hall, for the purpose of promoting the adoption
vote by ballot. Sir Henry Bulwer, M.P., occupied
the chair. The following gentlemen were on the
platform :—Mr. Jacob Bright, M.P. Col. Frenee'
M.P., Professor Rogers, M.A., Lord Campbell, Mr'
JJlin Morley (late candidate for Rackburn),
David Buchanan (late member of the Legislative
Assembly of New South Wales), Mr. J. F. Bonterusf
C.C., Mr. John Richardson, C.C., Mr. Wm.
Mr. C. H. Elt, and Mr. C. A. Murray.
Sir HENRY BULWER, M.P., on taking the chair,
said he was very happy to have been asked to pre-
side over that meeting. He presumed that the
compliment was paid to him on account of his
fidelity to the principle which they were all there
to advocate. (Cheers.) Though he had a grear
respect for all men who honestly changed 6°_,
opinions, he would rather keep his opinions. It was
very agreeable to keep them when one found that
the views he entertained in his youth, though
with a few, were participated in in his advancing
years by the many. (Cheers.) He remembered
that at the commencement of his political career
he said to himself, if he wished to be con-
sistent and successful he ought to be just, he-
cause justice was always the same, and justice
was always triumphant. (Cheers.) Therefore he
was in favour, when there were very few with bite'
of the total abolition of the corn laws, because he
thought it unjust to tad the poor man's food la
order to increase the rich man's rental. He was lei
favour of altering the position of the Roman. Cathe:
lies in Ireland, but he thought it was unjust to treat
as privileged and superior a body of 500,000 of his
fellow-countrymen when there were 4,500,000 wile
did not possess the same privileges. (Cheers.) He
was in favour of vote by ballot, because he thought
it was unjust to give a man a vote without enabling
him to exercise it safely and conscientiously
(Cheers.) He had lived to see the corn
laws totally repealed. He had lived to see 3
majority of 118 members of the House of Com-
mons vote in favour of placing men of all religious
on an equal footing—(loud cheers)—and he hoped
to live to see vote by ballot established for the fa-
hire election of members of Parliament. (Cheers.)
Those men who were thoughtful would have ob-
served how, within the last 25 years, reason had
been ripening, how exaggerated prejudices had been
disappearing, and how all opinions and all classes had
been, by a gradual but most certain process, coming
to one common centre. As soon as he took his seat
in the House of Commons he inspected the book
of notices to fled whether anybody had given u°-
mice of a resolution on the subject of the ballot,
and not having found such notice he put down
his name for a resolution on that subject. (Cheers
Almost immediately afterwards Mr. Berkeley, Ole
had moved many resolutions with reference to this
question, told him that he was desirous of doing so,
and he (Sir Henry Bulwer) placed the matter en-
tirely in his hands. Not very long after, the Go-
vernment gave notice of a committee for the pur-
pose of inquiring into all electoral matters, and in-
cluded vote by ballot in that inquiry. (Cheers.)
He was at that time absent from the house of
Commons, having to defend his seat against a
petition which proved unsuccessful. Almost in:l-
- after his return to the House he
found that Mr. Leatham had given notice
of a motion, which was to the effect
that the committee of which he had spoken should
be instructed to inquire into the various modes of
voting by ballot. That did very well as a peg 03
which to hang a speech. Mr. Le,itham delivered
very able speech, but when it Caine to the practical
question of voting upon his motion, there were maul
objections. In the first place, suppose they earl i
Mr. Leatham's motion, they did nothing, because
the committee which had been appointed to in-
quire into the propriety of:es'ablishing election by
ballot was obliged to inquire into the various modes
of voting by ballot. On the other hand, if Mr.
Leatham's motion were lost, he (Sir Henry Bulwer)
felt that it would be considered to be a general
failure of the cause of the ballot. Moreover, he
found that many Liberal members of the House of
Commons who were in favour of the ballot were not
in favour of Mr. Leatham's motion. Therefore he
ventured to ask Mr. Leatham to withdraw his
motion, as he had effected his purpose —namell,
the raising of a discussion upon the subject.
Mr. Leatham at once complied with his re-
quest. He was not in favour of having the ques-
tion of the ballot left in the hands of the Govern-
ment, because he thought, as he said in the House
of Commons, that the country had been in com-
mittee on this question, that it had been so
much discussed by the people that we did not re-
quire the opinion of any committee Mr. Bruce might
appoint, to suggest what should be done. But a
committee having been appointed, an opportunity
was afforded for shunting certain gentlemen from
one line of political opinion on to another line
—from the line of opposition to the ballot to the

- -
ne in favour of it. He thought the best course

to pursue was to let the committee make its re-
port. If that report were favourable, they
would be able to effect the object they desired
with the aid of the Government. If that report
were unfavourable, why, then, they would effect
their object by the aid of public opinion. (Cheers.)
In the meantime it was thought expedient to hold
meetings of this kind, so that they might keep
public opinion alive, and be able, whatever hap-
pened, to nave the public behind them when they
came forward in the people's cause. (Cheers.) This
was one of the most important movements ever
made for the achievement of political liberty in this
country. (Cheers.)
;Professor THOROLD RoGEfts said there was great
reason for the friends of the Ballot to congratulate
themselves upon the progress their cause had made.
Mr. JACOB BRIGHT, M.P., said that although
lawyers, election agents, and the retailers of beer
and spirits might be very glad to have a genera
election, there was another class of persons in the
country who regarded the approach of such an event
with far different feelings. On behalf of those per-
sons he demanded the Ballot.

Mr. BUCHANAN, formerly a member of the House
of Assembly in New South Wales, detailed the
working of the Ballot in Australia. It was often

urged that the Ballot was un-English ; but it wag
never urged that bribery and corruption were ua-
English. (Laughter and cheers.)
Lord CAMPBELL moved a vote of thanks to the
chairman, and observed that few deserved it more
than he did. He believed the question of the ballot
would soon be finally settled, and urged on the
meeting the necessity of cncouraging Sir H. Bulwer
at once to challenge Parliament on the subject.
(Hear, hear.) He thought the question of the
ballot ought to be associated with his name in the
House of Commons.

Mr. BONTEMS seconded the motion, and assured
,he noble lord that his suggestion would be carried

ato effect as soon as possible.

The CHAIRMAN having returned thanks, the pro-
ceedings terminated.

PRICE OF GOLD.

The quotation of gold at Paris is about at par, and
the short exchange on London is 25f. 170. per £1 sterling•
On comparing these rates with the English Mint price of
£3 cis. 10iti, per ounce for standard gold, it appears that
gold at the above price is of about the same vtlue in Lou
don and Paris.

The course of exchange at New York on London for bills
at Co days' sight was on the last date about 1 8 percent
At this rate there is no profit on the Importation of gold
fcoll2 the Uni!cd States.