The Sun.
London, England, 1858-05-07 00:00:00

BILL.

On the motion for the second reading of this till,
Mr. A. SMITH called attention to the clause of this
bin which affected the rights of the Crown to the fire-
:shore. He thought that the clause was objectionable, in-
asmuch as it represented this shore as the actual pro-
perty of the Crown. Now, although the right to the
shore was in the Crown, still it was a right subject to
the duty of exerob,iog it for the public good. He also
noticed that two-'hirds of the produce f the sale of any
rights of the Crown were to go to the Treasury, and the
remaining third to the Ecc!e-iastical C iminissioners. He
considered that this was reserving tau great a benefit to
the Crown.

Mr HAMILTON said that the object of the bill was
merely to carry out an agree nent for settling doubts
which arose under the act passed in the last reign f
transferring jury regalia within the county of Durham
to the Crown.

Mr. ATHERTON thought the bill was one which it
was very desirat le should be passed. The doubt resting
on the statute of Wiliiam IV. was very inomvenient in
many ways.

Af.er a few words from Mr. INGHAM, the bill was
read a second time.

PROPERTY QUALIFICATION BILL.
Mr. L. KING, in moving the second reading of this
la, would detain the house a very few moments. He did
not seek to alteia eery ancient law. The present act was
based on a statute passed in the reign of Anne, followed
by another in the reign of George 11. Under those ac's,
coupled with a statute of the present reign, members
were required to qualify before they could take their seats
in that hou,e. Out of this had grown up the practice
of giving false declarations, i. e., of gentlemen represent-
ing themselves as owners of property in which they had
really nu beneficial interest. Some persons were allowed
to take their seats without qnalitying, and there was no
reason why that should not be the case with all. The
law, too, was full of anomalies. The member for Liver-
pool,yr
furuahy
Rutlandf must qualify
a elfoyrirn, while
thee,nemedemobnel to the extent of
3001
f r 6001. The law in fact was but the relic of an attempt
to keep persons professing certain opinions out of the
house. Without going into the que.tion he might re-
mind them that many persons held that extreme opinions
ought to be represented there if only by way of safety-
valve. He trusted that the measure would not be
opposed by the government, as he could not but think
that all mist feel that the time hail come when the
anomalies of the present system should endure to longer.
Mr. BENTINOK said he would not at that hour, and
in the then state of the house attempt to oppose the mea-
sure. But, be could not let some remarks of the hon.
member pass without observation. Tne hon. member
told them that the eriginal object of the enactment in
question was to exclude all persons from that house
exc,pt landed proprietor. It any proof to the oon-
trary was wanting, it would be found in the fsct that
there was a broad distinction drawn between borough
clunty members, the latter requ,ring double the
ere'ifiea..ion of the former.

l
t
stptw-hiihra:ol`.4istrst:iocctL,lhn.tag,Karassotlp.toNttenhaiGadtlit—oaonnt'irsd;eyriyaahtfficiwoclohneiurraleceilpwboeonnorteeorh.t insadl
withoutdawno adthes.
owe net be in the house men whose finan
Mr. BENTINCK—The original object was, he
e,
themselvesawtsiheuapvi rBei
ttheretuiienn
exclusively to the business of the house without
fairly, to beset members of that house. If the repeal of
this lew was carried it would he likely to introduce int
tot thheheoitirse a ntuele:r of persons whoa tiaalici pesiti .0
would not allow them to devote themselves exclusively
public dntiee The hen. gentleman had quoted
exceptions, but they only proved the rule that he (Mr.
Beetinck) had laid down, namely, that the original ob-
ject of the enactment was to exclude persons such as be
Cad described. He woule not go into the queteion of
the advisability of introducing into the house persons of
extreme opinions, to which be was inclined to agree—
ter he thoneht that house a great safety-valve, and
that persons who out of doors were distinguished by
extreme opinions, when they came into the hottse very
soon modified those opinions. (Hear.) If there was to
be no property q ialification for seats in that house, tak-
itnogenhsuotrnea
purity
unrai
ty o
u ref as it
owtaissm, abnyd
doingkn o w ianwgatyh at in certain
eircurnstances men were open to tenip.ation, you ought
for public offices, an so let members of t:aittb salaries
hou,e r
bees
i
placed above temptation. When that was done this race-
sure might be extremely beneficial. How that state of
things would be received on either side of the house he
creed not say—(bear, bear, and laughter)—but you ought
to place members by seme such means beyond tempta-
tion.
Mr. MILES fraid that as the bon. member for Norfolk
with hie finances could not of courts accept any office, it
would be useless to go on with the argument with him.
(Bear.) Bit at present 8001 a year enabled a man to
tehtmeendefeeerssaarbyogrouuagliba.catDioin l
Did au.y(Cohneeeri:. u:pose that because
a man had 3001. a year he war placed beyond the reach
of temptatisn ? (Hear, hear.) Had not the house been
long acting on a falsehood, for had every member really
He believed
(Hear.) If so, let them not mix this subjectupw n
itht*lajte
reform question, which was oely an ev,ernal rcfarm
rf
their own house. If a 101. householder chose to represent
Len a person of ability who bad not 300/. a year, he
ought to have the power of sending him to that
house. (Hear, hear.) He to, ked to ScotlaA. (Cheers.)
Mem 'era for that country bad no qualification, and he
was sure the house bad no reaon to be ashamed of
those mernhe:s who represented Scottish constituencies.
(Cueere.) Last year he (Mr. Milo) had supported a Go-
vernment which promised a Refetai 8.11, and he voted
against the proposHen of the hey. member fir Surrey ;
out now he was atliberty to express his opi,ion. (11e•-r.)
TiiiS was not a question to bu4introd aced i.ito a Reform
Bill, but it was a question whether a gentleman who had
not 3001. a-year, should or should not represent a con-
stituency. (Hear, hear.) He had not the tligteest diffi-
whoma nd
the he
e
1100. member ler Norfolk wished to introduce into Perlia-
cuilpted y.
and trotted
ttohatthaemmerettv motion—(loud
in(
loauldieielhaiereere —e
)
,
'Beet they should have men of bumble means but grew
suility returned by such constituencies as selected them.
Mr. GRIFFITH said if this bill passed, to whim,
Ne
aw no objsctiot,—(bear hear)
—he hoped that the hour
u
would recommend eee unfortunate gentleman, now
',hem for an offence against the law requiring a property
qualifies, ion for members of that hones, to the considera-
, Lieu of the Home Secretary, with a view to the commu-
tation of his sentence. Many members of that house were