The Sun.
London, England, 1867-06-22 00:00:00

Russell Gurney, Mr. Bramstono, and Sir J. Duckworth,

The right hon. gentleman said ho should, if it was the
wish of the house, postpone proceeding with the motion
until the new clauses were brought up.
Mr. GLA.DSTONE thought that course would be the
most desirable one to pursue.
Mr. BRIGHT complained that the names of the gentle-
men proposed, however unobjectionable, would not give
great satisfaction, beca•ise none of them had taken any
very active part in the passing of the bill. He thought it
desirable to appoint a body in which the public would
have confidence, and that there should be some clause
framed to define the powers of the Commissioners. He
was not all disposed to confer such extensive powers as it
was now proposed to entrust to the Commissioners with-
out some limit as to their authority. He thought the
right hon. gentleman, in the interest of the bill,
would appoint upon the commission at least
one gentleman who had shown during the
discussion of the bill an honest and earnest desire to make
the bill a really good ono fur the representation of the
people.
Colonel KNOX desired to know whether the hon. mem-
ber for Birmingham wished to have some of the Reform
League or those who made the row in Ifyde Park upon
the commission ; or did he desire a selection from the
Fenians, whose petition, which was presentud by the
hon, member, and was received with disdain and disgust,
wt.; ultimately laid upon the table of the house ; or did
the hoe. gentleman wish a selection made from the names
it contained; or did he want Mr. Beales appointed to servo
on the commission ?
Sir J. GREY thought, under the circumstances, the
postponement of settling the names of the boundary cons-
reissioeers was most desirable.
Mr DENMAN thought it would be better to have men
of pronounced opinions as boundary commissioners, and
that, instead of those names submitted, a thorough-going
Liberal on the one side, and a thorough going Tory on the
other, should at least be placed upon the commission. Be-
fore the matter was brought on for discussion he hoped
the right lion. gentleman would reconsider the composition
of the commission.

Mr. BERESFORD HOPE said that it would have been
the best and wisest course to have made the ap-
pointment of the Boundary Commissioners antecedent to
the consideration of the Government proposal relative to
the distribution of seats. (Hear, hear.) He felt the motion
as it stood was one that would lead to party agitation for
further elective privileges in the course of a year or so, a
matter that was extremely undesirable.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the
greatest care had been exercised in collecting the names of
those gentlemen whom it was proposed to submit as mem-
bers of the boundaries of boroughs and counties. The
great object of the Government was to get the best members
for the commission, without respect to party; and he
thought it was the best that could be devised. He could
not undertake to lay a copy of the instructions given to
the commission before the names of the commissioners
were fixed upon. It was of great importance that party
fueling should be sat aside on this occasion, and on Mon-
day, when the question was discussed, he thought there
would be no difficulty in coming to a clear conclusion in
the matter.
Mr. BRIGHT objected very much to the composition of
the commission. He did not see why Lord Penrbyn, a
member of the HOUR) of PeerA, should be a member; then,
again, the lion, member for Southampton—he had, in addi-
tion to his Parliamentary duties, his duties as Recorder.
Mr. Walton had been a county member, and hoped to be
so again, besides which he was connected with a powerful
journal, to which the Government appeared to pay a great
deal of courtat the present moment—besides which he en-
tertained a fanatical admiration for what was called the
territorial system of the country. Mr. Bramston had been
a county member, and, on the whole, the commission, if it
was appointed as at present proposed, would not give satis-
faction to the House or the country. He did not
for one instant imply that any of the gentlemen
would act otherwise than with the greatest honour, but
still he thought that they were not the best fitted per-
one who could be selected. He had an opinion that com-
missioners ought not to be members of Parliament at all ;
but he would not further refer to that matter. With re-
spect to the assistant commission--the actual persons who
would have to do the work—they were to be appointed by