The Sun.
London, England, 1867-03-20 00:00:00

TAB GOVERNMENT REFORM BILL.

The following is the complete text of the bill in-
troduced on Monday into the House of Commons
by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. It is entitled,
" A bill further to amend the laws relating to the
representation of the people of England and Wales,"
and it is backed by the names of the Chancellor of
the Exchequer, Mr. Walpole, and Lord Stanley.
A Bill further to amend the Laws relating to the
Representation of the People of England and Wales.
" Whereas it is expedient to amend the laws re-
lating to the representation of the people in Eng-
land and Wales :

" Be it further enacted by the Queen's most Ex-
cellent Majesty, by and with the advice and con-
sent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Cow-
mons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by
the authority of the same, as follows :

" 1. This Act shall be cited for all purposes as
' The Representation of the People Act, 1867.'
"2. This Act shall not apply to Scotland or Ire-
land, nor to the Universities of Oxford or Cam-
bridge.

PART I.
"FRANCHISES.

" 3. Every man shall be entitled to be registered
as a voter, and, when registered, to vote for a
member or members to serve in Parliament for
a borough, who is qualified as follows ; that is to
say : 1. Is of full age, and not subject to any legal
incapacity ; and 2. Is on the last day of July in any
year, and has during the whole of the preceding two
years been an inhabitant occupier, as owner or
tenant, of any dwelling house within the borough ;
and 3. Has during the time of such occupation been
rated in respect of the premises so occupied by him
within the borough, to all rates (if any) made for
the relief of the poor in respect of such premises ;
and 4. Has before the 20th day of July in the same
year paid all poor rates that have become payable
by him in respect of the said premises up to the
preceding sth day of January.
"4. Every man shall be entitled to be registered as
a voter, and, when registered, to vote for a member or
members to serve in Parliament for a county, who is
qualified as follows, that is to say :-1. Is of full
age, and not subject to any legal incapacity ; and,
2. Is on the last day of July in any year, and has
during the twelve months immediately preceding
been the occupier, as owner or tenant, of premises
of any tenure within the county of the rateable value
of £l5 or upwards ; and, 3. Has during the time of
such occupation been rated in respect to the pre-
mises so occupied by him to all rates (if any) made
for the relief of the poor in respect of the said pre-
mises ; and 4. Has before the 20th day of July in
the same year paid all poor rates that have become
payable by him in respect of the said premises up to
the preceding sth day of January.
" 5. Every man shall be entitled to be registered,
and, when registered, to vote at the election of a
member or members to serve in Parliament for a
county or borough, who is of full age, and not sub-
ject to any legal incapacity, and is on the last day of
July in any year, and has during the year immedi-
ately preceding, been resident in such county or
borough, and is possessed of any one or more of the
qualifications following ; that is to say :-1. Is, and
has been during the period of such residence, a grada-
ate or associate in arts of any university of the United
Kingdom ; or a male person who has passed at any
senior middle-class examination of any university of
the United Kingdom. 2. Is, and has been during
the period aforesaid, an ordained priest or deacon of
the Church of England; or 3. Is, and has been
during the period aforesaid, a minister of any other
religious denomination, appointed either alone or
with not more than one colleague to the charge of
any registered chapel or place of worship, and is,
and has been during such period, officiating as the
minister thereof ; or 4. Is, and has been during the
period aforesaid, a sergeant-at-law or barrister-at-
law in any of the inns of court in England, or a cer-
tificated pleader or certificated conveyancer ; or 5.
Is, and has been during the period aforesaid, a cer-
tified attorney or solicitor or proctor in England or
Wales; or 6. Is, and has been during the period
aforesaid, a duly qualified medical practitioner re-
gistered under the Medical Act, 1853 ; or 7. Is, and
has been durin; the period aforesaid, a schoolmaster
bolding a certificate from the committee of her
Majesty's Council on Education : Provided that no
person shall be entitled to be registered as a voter or
to vote in respect of any of the qualifications men-
tioned in this section in more than one place.

" 6. Every man shall be entitled to be registered,
and when registered, to vote at the election of a
member or members to serve in Parliament for a
county or borough, who is of full age, and not sub-
ject to any legal incapacity, and is on the Ist day
of July in any year and has during the two years
immediately preceding been resident in such county
or borough, and is possessed of any one or more of
the qualifications following, that is to say :-1. Has
on the Ist day of July in any year, and has had
during the two years immediately preceding, a
balance of not less than 150 deposited in some
savings bank in his own sole name and for his own
use ; or 2. Holds on the Ist day of July in any year,
and has held during the two years immediately pre-
ceding, in the books of the Governor and Company
of the Bank of England or Ireland in his own sole
name and for his own use any Parliamentary stocks
or funds of the United Kingdom to the amount of
not less than £5O ; or 3. Has during the 12
months immediately preceding the sth day of
April in any year been charged with a sum of not
less than 20s. iu the whole by the year for assessed
taxes and income tax, or either of such taxes, and
has before July 20 in that year paid all such taxes
due from him up to the preceding Jan. 5 ; provided,
Ist, That every person entitled to vote in respect of
any of the qualifications mentioned in the section
shall on or before July 20 in each year claim to be re-
gistered as a voter ; 2dly, That no person shall be
entitled to be registered as a voter or to vote in re-
spect of any of the qualifications mentioned in this
section for more than one place.

" 7. A person registered as a voter for a borough
by reason of his having been charged with and paid
the requisite amount of assessed taxes and income
tax, or either of such taxes, shall not by reason of
being so registered lose any right to which he may
be entitled (if otherwise duly qualified) to be re-
gistered as a voter for the same borough in respect
of any franchise involving occupation of premises
and payment of rates, and when so registered in re-
spect of such double qualification he shall be entitled
to give two votes for the member, or (if there be
more than one) for each member to be returned to
serve in Parliament for the said borough.
"PART 11.
" DISTRIBUTION OF SEATS.

" 8. From and after the end of this present Parlia-
ment the boroughs of Totnes, Reigate, Great Yar-
mouth, and Lancaster shall respectiVely cease to re-
turn any member or members to serve in Parliament.
" 9. From and after the end of this present Parlia-
ment each of the boroughs enumerated in Schedule
(A) to this act annexed shall return one member
and no more to serve in Parliament.
" 10. Each of the places named in Schedule (B) to
this act annexed shall be a borough, and shall each
return one member to serve in future Parliaments,
and until otherwise directed by Parliament each
borough shall comprise such places as are specified
and described in connexion with the name of each
such borough in the said schedule (B).
" 11. Registers of voters shall be formed in and
after this year 1868, notwithstanding the continu-
ance of this present Parliament, for or in respect of
the boroughs constituted by this act, in like manner
as if before the passing of this act, they respectively
had been boroughs returning members to serve in
Parliament.
" 12. From and after the end of the present
Parliament the borough of the Tower Hamlets shall
be divided into two divisions, and each division
shall in future Parliaments be a leparate borough,
returning two members to serve in Parliament.
Each of said divisions, until otherwise directed by
Parliament, shall.comprise the places mentioned in
connexion with each such division in Schedule (C),
hitherto annexed, and shall be called by the name of
the Northern and Southern Division of the Tower
Hamlets respectively.
" 13. Registers of yoters shall be formed in and
of ter the year 1868, notwithstanding the continuance

of this present Parliament, in respect of the divisions
of the said borough of the Tower Hamlets consti-
tuted under this act, in like manner as if such
divisions had previonsly to the passing of this act
been separate boroughs returning members to serve
in Parliament.

" 14. From and after the end of the present Par-
liament each county named in the first column of
Schedule (D) to this act annexed shall be divided into
the two divisions named in the second column of the
said schedule, and each of such divisions shall consist
of the hundreds, lathes, wapentakes, and places
mentioned in the third column of the said schedule.
In all future Parliaments there shall be two mem-
bers to serve for each of the divisions specified in
the said second column, and such members shall be
chosen in the same manner, and by the same
description of voters, and in respect of the same
rights of voting, as if each such division were a
separate county. Allenactments relating to divisions
of counties returning members toserve in Parliament
shall be deemed to apply to the divisions constituted
as aforesaid. Registers of voters shall be formed in
and after the year 1868, notwithstanding the con-
tinuance of this present Parliament, for or in respect
of the divisions of counties constituted by this act,
in like manner as if before the passing of this act
they had respectively been counties returning mem-
bers to serve in Parliament.

" In all future Parliaments the University of Lon-
don shall return one member to serve in Parliament.

" 16. Every person whose name is for the time
being on the register of graduates constituting the
convocation of the University of London shall, if of
full age, and not subject to any legal incapacity, be
entitled to vote in the election of a member to serve
in any future Parliament for the said university.

" PART 111.
" SUPPLEMENTAL PROVISIONS.
" INCIDENTS OF FRANCHISE.

" 17. Different premises occupied in succession by
any person as owner or tenant shall have the same
effect in qualifying such person to vote for a county
or borough as a ccntinued occupation of the same
premises.

"18. In a county where premises are in the joint oc-
cupation of several persons as owners or tenants, and
the aggregate rateable value of such premises is such
as would—if divided amongst the several occupiers,
so far as the value is concerned—confer on each of
them a vote, then each of such joint occupiers shall,
if otherwise qualified, and subject to the conditions
of this act, be entitled to be registered as a voter,
and when registered to vote at an election for the
county.

" REGISTRATION OF VOTERS.

" 19. The following regulations shall be observed
with respect to the registration of voters :-1. The
overseers of every parish or township shall make out
or cause to be made out a list of all persons on whom
a right to vote in respect of the occupation of pre-
mises is conferred by this act, in the same manner
and subject to the same regulations, as nearly as
circumstances admit, in and subject to which the
overseers of parishes and townships in boroughs are
required by the registration acts to make out or
cause to be made out a list of all persons entitled to
vote for a member or members for a borough in re-
spect of the occupation of premises of a clear yearly
value of not less than £lO. 2. The claim of any
person desirous of being registered as a voter for any
county or borough, and herein-before required to
make a claim, shall be made in the form marked 1
in schedule (E) annexed hereto, or as near thereto
as circumstances admit. 3. The claim of a person
claiming to be registered in respect of a deposit in a
savings bank shall not be received by the overseers.
unless it have annexed thereto a certificate in the
form marked 2 in the said schedule, or as near
thereto as circumstances will admit, and is signed,
in the case of a post-office savings bank, by some
officer authorised to sign the same by th e Postmas-
ter-General, and in the case of any other savings
bank by two of the trustees or managers of such
savings bank, or by some officer authorised by them.
4. The claim of any person claiming to be registered
in respect of the holding of any Parliamentary stocks
or funds of the United Kingdom to an amount of
not less than £5O shall not be received by the over-
seers unlgs it have annexed thereto a certificate in
the form marked 3 in the said schedule, or as near
thereto as circumstances admit, and signed by a❑
officer of the governor and company of the Bank of
England, or, as the case may require, by an officer of
the governor and company of the Bank of Ireland.
5. The claim of any person claiming to be regis-
tered in rsspect of the payment of assessed taxes
and income tax, or either of such taxes, shall not be
received unless it have annexed thereto a certificate
in the form marked 4 in the said schedule, or as near
thereto as circumstances admit, and signed by one of
the commissioners or collectors acting in relation to
the tax in respect of which such certificate is required.
6. The overseers of parishes and townships in coun-
ties and boroughs shall annually give notice direct-
ing all persons who are required by this act to make
their claim to send in their claims to them, such
notice to be given in the same manner, so far as cir-
cumstances permit, in which overseers give notiee in
counties under the law in force at the time of the
passing of this act to persons desirous of being
placed on the list of county voters. Upon the re-
ceipt of a claim by any such person as aforesaid,
having annexed thereto such certificates as aforesaid,
the overseers may make all such objections to the
claim so made as overseers in counties are empowered
to make on receiving claims of voters, but subject
thereto shall place the claimant on the list of voters
for the parish or township in which the residence of
the voter is situate.

" 20. If any person whose certificate is required
under this act in support of the claim of a person to
vote wilfully refuses to give such certificate, he shall
on summary conviction be liable to a penalty not
exceeding £5.
" 21. If any person is guilty of any of the follow-
ing offences, that is to say,-1. Wilfully gives any
certificate required by this act falsely ; 2. Forges,
counterfeits, or fraudulently alters any such certifi-
cate or any signature thereto ; 3. Knowingly makes
use of, in support of a claim to be registered to vote,
any false certificate, or any certificate forged, coun-
terfeited, or altered as aforesaid: such person shall
be guilty of a misdemeanour, and on being con-
victed thereof shall be liable to imprisonment, with
or without hard labour, for a term not exceeding
two years.