The Sun.
London, England, 1869-06-19 00:00:00

MR. F. 11. BERKELEY, M.P.

Some papers having stated that Mr. F. H. Berkeley,
M.P., is seriously ill, the hon. member has written the
following letter to a contemporary :—" Will you permit
me, through the medium of your columns, in the first
place, to acknowledge your kind reference to my better
health ; and then to eNpress my contempt at the revival
of the old game on the part of the Tories, to make the world
believe that I am in a moribund condition—witness r
paragraph in the London Globe, referred to in your paper.
Why a bumble individual like myself should be
selected from the whole of the House of Commons to
be made the repeated subject of these stupid attacks, I
am at a loss to know ; but the knocker of the door of the
house in which I am located has been busily at work nearly
the whole of this day, put in motion by friendsboth personal
and political, calling to inquire whether the statement in
the Globe be correct, among the number my friend and
colleague, Mr. Morley. Whether the editor of a paper
claiming for his journal respectability ought to permit
himself to become responsible for such a contemptible lie I
leave to the good taste of the public; and with this simple
contradiction—l am, &c., F. HENRY F. BERKELEY."

PARLIAMENTARY A2'D MUNICIPAL

ELECTIOIVa

The committee of the House of Commons, appointed to
inquire into Parliamentary and Municipal Elections, resumed
ite sitting on Friday. The Marquis of Hartington presided,
and there were present Mr. John Bright, Sir George Grey,
Mr. Villiers, Mr. Brand, Mr. Leatham, Mr. Ward Hunt, Mr.
Gathorne Hardy, Sir M. H. Beach, Sir F. Heygate, Mr.
Stanley Hill, the O'Connor Don, Mr. Dalglisb, Mr. H.
Young, Mr. Cross, Mr. Whitbred.
Mr. Dutton, for several years Minister of Public Works
for South Australia, and head of two Administrations, gave
some interesting evidence as to the mode of conducting
elections in that colony. He said he was a member of the
Legislature until 1865, when he came to England. Various
electoral acts bad been passed with his assistance, and
the whole electoral system had fallen continuously
under his notice. He had stood contested elec-
tions under the system of open voting ss well as under
the operation of the ballot. The adoption of the ballot had
greatly conduced to the purity of election and quiet, orderly
conduct. There were a good many people opposed to the
ballot, and it met with much opposition in the Legislature
when the topic was first introduced, but the present
feeling was unanimously in favour of it. The sys-
tem adopted in South Australia was this: On the
day of election the voter went to the voting place of his
district, and there stated to the returning officer (who was
appointed by the Government) his name and occupation.
Thereupon tho returning officer placed a mark against the
voter's name on the electoral list, and banded to him a
voting paper, bearing the name of each candidate,
with a blank Equaro opposite to each name
The voter then retired to a booth, and there in
private indicated the candidate for which he wished to vote
by making a cross in the square against his name. He then
delivered the paper to the returning-officer, who, without
opening it, deposited it in a box provided for the purpose. No
paper so deposited could be taken from the box unless in the
presence of a scrutineer until the close of the election. It
was provided by the Electoral Act Bill that no voting paper
should be received unless it was folded in such a way as to
render it impossible that no ono could see for which candi-
date the vote was given.

Mr. Irving, late mayor of Carlisle, was examined by
Mr. Leatham as to tho infitionce brought to bear on
certain voters in tho emp'oy of tho London and North-
Western Railway Company, by the chairman, Mr. Hudson.
at the last election at G,rlisle.

Prince Arthur has returned from his tour in Scot-
land to the lianger's House, Greenwich-park. The Prince
rejoined the Royal Artillery at Woolwich on Thursday
morning, and was present on parade.

The United Trades' Association of Dublin having
requested Cardinal Cullen to receive a deputation " for the
purpose of submitting a statement on the importation of
ecclesiastical work," Lis Eminence has declined, replying
that. it "is not within his power to prevent any class of hi
fellow-citizens from availing themselves of the privilege of
free trade established by law in this kingdom." He "is aware
that there is no class in the country more anxious than the
Catholic clergy to favour home trade, but he thinks it would
not be right to subject them to special restriction;or tc
bind them by & 3egiol4llo PQLCOutI4_4.