The Sun.
London, England, 1860-05-01 00:00:00

THE ROYAL PARKS.

Mr. ALCOCK asked the Chief Commissioner of Works
whether he would have any objection to allow a certain
lumber of Thames watermen to have boats on the Serpen-
tine, and other waters in the royal parks, during the sum-
mer months'

Mr. COWPER was understood to say that the Thames
watermen, to a certain number, would obtain permission to
have boats on the Serpentine and other parks if they applied
for it. The "rater on the Victoria Park was too shallow
for the purpose of boats being aced on it ; and he
assured the honourable member that there was every desire
on the part of the department of the executive
which he represented to afford the public all the enjoyment
possible in respect to the parks.

GOVERNMENT MEASURES.
In reply to Sir S. NORTHCOTE,

Mr. LAING said that the Customs' Bill would be pro-
ceeded with this evening, but no other Government mea-
sure would be submitted to the house until to-morrow.

REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE BILL.

ADJOURNED DEBATE.

Mr. BENT INCK resumed the adjourned debate. The
hon member said that the Government Reform Bill was
founded on data which were most inaccurate, and that the
speech of the hon. member for Birmingham (Mr. Bright)
was unsound in principle and incorrect in fact. For in-
stance, as regarded Rochdale, he (Mr. Bentinck) had re-
ceived a letter from a gentleman intimately acquainted with
that borough, stating than the Government returns gave no
idea of what would be the effect of the Reform Bill in that
borough, The £lO rating there most inadequately de-
scribed the character of the class that would be enfran-
chised by the operation of the measure. The writer
further stated that the real increase of constituency in
Rochdale, instead of 17,040, as stated by the Government
returns, would be 3,430. (Hear, hear, from the Opposition
benches.) He contended that the inevitable tendency of
the bill would be to throw an overwhelming amount of po-
litical power into the hands of the lower class, who, from
the accident of their position, could not be considered
as the most eligible depositories of such vast political
influeace. (Hear, hear.) The writer to whom he lute
previously alluded had requested him to ask Mr. Bright
how it was that that hon. member had so much more confi-
dence in the working clas., es than the working classes had in
him (Mr. Bright), and how it was that nearly all of thosc
employed in manufactories were on strike in consequence
of the reduction of their wages. (Hear, hear, and laugh
ter.) He denied that the measure, viewed by either side o:
the house, could be considered as a great Reform Bill; bu
that, on the contrary, it was abortive for good, though i
might produce evil. llc strongly complained cf the prin-
ciple and pros isions of the bill, that railways and
large towns were considered as the chief representatives of
the property of the country, whereas the rural
districts were entitled to that description. Having com-
mented at some further length on what he considered
the unconstitutional character of the measure, he concluded
by asserting that it resulted from the political necessities of
the noble lord (Lord J. Russell), and that it was framed in
a party spirit.

Mr. WALTER wished, before there was a chance of the
house being counted tut—(a laugh)—to vindicate himself
from the charge of having any ulterior views in supporting
this bill. He assured the house that lie had none. He be-
lieved that the consequences of this bill, if it passed, would
very greatly disappoint the expectations both of those who
opposed and those who supported it. He could almost ap •
ply to it the words of the prophet of old—" Woe unto them,
for they cannot do good ; neither is it in them to do evil."
As an independent member, acknowledging no political
leader, but depending on himself alone for his political guid •
ance, he hoped the house would bear with him while he
stated his views of the position of the country with respect
to this measure. One question must have already occurred
to everybody who had thought on this subject—is reform
necessary ? He should say, certainly not on account of any
crying grievance which afflicted the working class as a class,
or could possibly be remedied by legislation on this subject.
(" 'leer," from the Opposition.) There was a time when
those classes were exposed to great grievances, when they
had an undue share of taxation, and penal laws were ex-
tremely oppressive. At the time :if the Reform Bill of 1832,
they were led to expect great material and social advant-
ages-from the passing of that act. Those expectations bad
been in a great measure fulfilled, partly in consequence of
legislation, and partly from c uses with which legislation
had had no connexion whatever. But he would defy any
one at this moment to lay his hands on one single grievance
which afflicted the lower class as a class. (Loud cheers
from the Opposition.) The hon. member for Birmingham
had been engaged for a long period in endeavouring to
persuade the lower classes that they paid an• inordinate
and unjust proportion of the taxation of the country ; and
in a speech delivered in December last he had challenged
those who doubted it to disprove the assertion that more
than one-half the taxation of the country was paid by the
working classes. That question had been recently in-
vestigated ; and, in an article in the ,Edinburgh• Re •
view, it was proved by most accurate and careful calcu-
lations that the working classes, in reality, bore a smaller
proportion of taxation than was paid by other classes. Of
direct toes they paid nothing, of local taxee next to no-
thing, and of indirect taxes (about £12,000,000) it had been
proved, as clearly as such a thing could be proved, that they
contributed about £24,00,000; or a pound a head of the
unrepresented classes. In reconsidering quections of taxa-
tion, that house was always disposed, and, he trusted, always
would be, rather to incline the balance in favour of the
working classes than against them. But Mr. Bright and
those who held the same views should remember that if
direct taxation were extended much further it must be ex-
tendedanuch lower; and the workingman would not thanls:
Mr. Bright for sending him the income tax collector, twice