The Sun.
London, England, 1867-10-17 00:00:00

THE BOUNDARIES COMMISSION.

STOCKTON.—Lieut. Gen. Moody and Mr. Bathurst,
assistant commissioners, opened their inquiry at the
Town-hall, Stockton, on Tuesday. It seemed to be
the general opinion that Norton should be included
in the Parliamentary boundaries of the borough, on
account of its antiquity, is population, increase of
trade and importance, and also its contiguity to
Stockton. A long discussion arose as to what part
of that parish should be included, in the course of
which some portion of low-lying ground near to Por-
track was objected to, as was also that part of the
parish to the north of the railway, on the ground that
the laud was purely agricultural. Objections were
raised by the inhabitants of East Hartburn and
Preston-on-Tees against being included, these
parishes also being purely agricultural. The Com-
missioners adjourned for the purpose of visiting Nor.
ton and South Stockton.

FROME.—CoI. Hamley, C. 8., and Mr. 011ivant,
the assistant commissioners, made their visit to the
borough of Frome on Saturday last. As the heads of
the political parties had agreed on the course to be
adopted, the proceedings soon terminated. It was
recommended to the Commissioners that the boun-
dary line be extended on three sides, by which course
about 60 houses would be included in the borough.
The Commissioners having inspected the localities,
intimated that they would report thereon.
EXETER.—On Tuesday Major Du Cane and Dr.
Bramston, the assistant boundary commissioners for
the south-western district, attended at the Guildhall,
Exeter, for the purpose of inquiring into the boun-
daries of the city. Mr. R. T. Bremridge represented
the Conservatives, and Mr. Britton Ford the Libe-
rals. Statistics as to population, inhabited houses,
area, and registered electors, having been furnished,
Dr. Brainston asked whether a prima facie case
existed for recommending an extension of the
boundaries. The answer was in the negative, and
the inquiry terminated.

NORTHALLERTON.—Lieutenant-Colonel M3lward,
R.A., and Mr. Clifford, commenced their inquiries
at the Court-house, Northallerton, on Tuesday, into
the boundaries of that borough. The proceedings
did not excite much interest. No wish to enlarge
the boundary line was expressed, and therefore the
inquiry lasted a brief time, and was confined only
to the eliciting of some information with regard to
the position and extent of the town, and its com-
mercial and municipal interests.
BARNSTAPLE.—Major Du Cane and Dr. Bramston,
the boundary commissioner, attended at the Town-
hall, Barnstaple, on Tuesday, to pursue their in-
quiries into any proposed extension of the borough
boundaries. The mayor suggested that it was very
desirable that Rolle's Quay, which is divided from
the borough by the river Yeo, and the intervening
property between Rolle's Quay and Chaddiford Pill
stream, including the Pottington estate, should be
incorporated with the borough. It was also deemed
desirable that the borough should be extended to a
larger area, so as to include not only the district
named by the mayor, but the whole of the parishes
of Pilton and Bishop's Tawton, ports of which
parishes only were now within the borough. The
result of this would be an increase to the borough of
215 houses, containing a population of about 1,009
persons, and this, added to an increased population
of 55 houses within the town since the last census
was taken, would raise the population to 12,000.
These proposals received no little amount of opposi-
tion from parties interested in these parishes. The
commissioners then proceeded to view the above-
mentioned districts.

THE WEST RIDING.--The boundary commissioners
held a sitting on Monday at Leeds, to inquire into
the altered boundaries of the IVest Riding, as pro-
posed under the last Reform Act. Mr. Baines, M.P.,
laid before the commissioners a plan prepared by
Mr. IL S. Thompson, as against that of the Govern-
ment, and stated that the objection to the latter was
the disproportion in the area and population of the
several divisions—the plan proposed by Mr. Thomp-
son giving greater equality of area and nearer ap-
proach to equality in population. By the amended
plan the population (exclusive of the boroughs)
would be 311,965 in the northern division, 234,940
in the eastern division, and 295,529 in the southern
division. Mr. Dent, M.P., and Mr. Kitson objected
tothe Government plan, more especially as it affected
the northern division ; whilst Mr. Bond, Mr. Baxter,
and Mr. W. S. Stanhope expressed their preference
for the Government scheme. At the sitting on Tues-
day Mr. W. Beaumont, M.P., produced a third plan
of division, differing from both that of the Govern-
ment and that of Mr. 11. S. Thompson, and having
for its object " the wants and requirements of the
county in an agricultural, manufacturing, and min-
ing point of view," and commingling the agricul-
tural and manufacturing interests. Mr. J. Garnett,
of Otley, expressed himself in favour of Mr.
Thompson's plan, with some modifications ; and Mr.
Collins, jun., of Knaresborough, and other witnesses,
made various suggestions.
BIRKENHEAD. —Lieut.-Colonel Gordon and Mr.
Patrick Cumin, the assistant commissioners of the
district, sat at the Birkenhead Town Hall, on Tues-
day, to inquire into the boundaries of the borough.
The Birkenhead Improvement Commissioners did
not recommend any alteration of the boundary,
which includes the townships of Birkenhead, Tran-
mere, Claughton-cum-Grange, Oxton, and part of
the Higher Bevington. Mr. Bretherton, solicitor,
of Birkenhead, advocated, on his own account, the
inclusion of the whole of the parishof Wallasey, and
the chairman and a member of the Wallasey local
board opposed the suggestion. Mr. James Allsop,
Conservative agent, recommonded that the whole of
Higher Bevington should be included instead of a
portion. Two barristers appeared for the Mersey
Dock Board to prevent any more specific definition
of the boundaries. This is with a view of fighting
the dock rating question, the dock board now con-
tending that the docks are not within high water
mark.

THE UNLUCKY DAY.—A curious statistical fact
has just been published by a M. Minard. Friday is con-
sidered such an unlucky day in France that not only is
the number of travellers by rail much smaller on that than
on other days, but the difference is also sensibly felt in the
receipts of the omnibuses.