The Sun.
London, England, 1858-06-29 00:00:00

deceased wife's sister. (Many other petitions to the
same effect from other parte el the country were
presented.)
Alderman COPELAND proutnted petitions from
Staffordshire against certain clauses in the Local Go-
vernment Act proposed by Mr. Al'Mahoo.
GALWAY FREEMEN 'DIS.FILANCHISEMENT
BILL. ,
The house went into committee oin this bill.
On clenee 1,
Mr. BUTT moved that the chssrman do leave the
chair, believing that if they proc.oreded any further
with the bill they would be commit zing a manliest it -
justice and plunge themselves in hopeless confu.ion.
Tne system of the franchiseesf freecien as it existed in
Galway was more popular than that which prevailed in
any part of the country, for all artisans, artificers, and
seamen residing there were admitted freemen, with-
out any exelnsion ore the score of religion, or in any
other way. The bill proposed to disfranchise the poor
freemen, while they left the noble lord. who eh-
tained his seat in that house by their votes in
quiet possession of it, Another member of that house
had openly declared that he bad taken part in those
acts of bribery, and yet no metiers of that declaration
was taken, while the whole weight of Parliament
was brought down upon those poor freemen who
probably in consequence of want had bleu induced to
accept a bribe. (Heir, hear.) He considered that no
amendments that could be introduced into the bill would
make its provieions consonant with justice.
Mr. CLIVE, who has charge of toe bill, said the hon
and harried gentleman (Mr. Butt) had stated that if
they proceeded with the bill they would be involved in
manifest injustice and hopeless corruption. He (Mr.
Clive) considered that if they did not proceed
they would encourage manifest bribery and corrup-
tion. With regard to the evidence taken before the
'committee in reference to the bribery of these men, he
considered that it was the duty of the house to take
some notice of the report of the committee.
Mr. WALPOLE thought it wan uejest to proceed
against some, while others were left nutouched. The
Attorney-General for Ireland bad given notice of
an amendment, dealing with the bribers as well as the
bribed. Teat proposition in itself would lead to very
long and very serious dir:cuusioe, which he thought
they would not get through to-day. Another discus-
sion must be taken on the third reading, and be doubted
whether they would he able to get the bill in proper
shape into the Hoose of Lords thin session.
Mr. J. D. FITZGERALD said that, as systematic
corruption and bribery on the part of the freemen of
Galway had been proved, the houee ought to deal with
the question. notwith tending the advanced period of
the ses,•ion: He did not care which course wan adopted;
either disfranchising the whole of the trt tomes, or only
disfranchising these who bad been proved to have
given or received bribes, which was the arumettdment
of the Attorney-General for Ire'and. Corruption
reigned io the whole body of freemen, and Parliament
would be trifling with the subject if it shirked the bi 1
now before the Louse. If Ms bill were dropped the
people would come to the cneelusion that election com-
mittees were all humbug. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. BERESFORD HOPE wee quite prepared to
admit that freemen in various parts of the country had
been subject to the of tree pur-e, but
thought that it was unfair to disfranchise a large body
of men in consequence of the tnalpractices of a few.
Mr. AYRTON had no hesitation in saying that this
bill proposed the most unheppy plan he bad ever
witnessed for carrying out a measure of lattice. He did
not think that, with the pro- pect of a tneaeure of Perba-
mentary Reform for next session, they should waste
public time now in a pieoe of exceptional legislati ,n.
Mr. BENTINOK heugl,t they could not proceed
with the bill without im flictir:g a great end glaring in-
justice. The ze..l with which the hon. geetleman (Mr.
C.ive) preseed on `the bill would lead to the supposition
that he and his political friends had some ulterior Obj ot
beyond tnc puGiattinerit of those ponr freernen.
Mr. liEtt SEYMER though'.that bill? founded upon
reports of committees should be taken up by the Govern.
meat, inasmuch as it was almost impossible for a private
member teecarry through such a bill succe,sfully As
fat as he was concerned, he should support the bill in its
integrity.
Mr. CONING HAM considered that as the freemen
of Galway tree proved themselves au corrupt, they ought
to be disfranchised in a body.
Mr. WHITESIDE thought that if proceedings were
taken the bribers as well as the bribed should. be
punished. The bribers c ,rrupted. the virtue of these
peer ft eemen for their political ends, and were now will-
ing to destroy them. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. COLLINS urged that if the freemen of Galway
were not to be pueished, St. Albans had been improperly
punished.
Mr. WARREN said that certain cf the witnesses in
this commission had come forward and made a clean
breast upon the promise that they 'OIOUI.I not be
visited with any pains or penalties, and now it was
proposed to visit them with the very highest Paths-
mentery penalties.
After some further discussion the committee divided—
. For Mr. Butt's motion .. 90
Against it
Mejority
—l7
The motion was consequently lost:
On clause 1 being proceeded with,
Mr. WHITESIDE moved as en amendment to intro
duce the words "the voters who have been proved be
fore the said commissioners to have given or taken
bribes in the last or previous election." The effect
of the amendment wee to
_confine the clitfraucbisemeut
to those who had been proved to have given ur trawl
bribss.
Kr. J. D. FITZGERALD opp,sed the arnendinen•.
Tile bill did not propose to disfranchise individuals,
but the class among 0,11• In corruption had always pre-
vailed, and who cad from time immemorial cert opted
the electors of the botough of Galway. In any measure
of this kind the innocent would of course tometimes
offer with the guilty, but that would not be the case to
any great
,extent in this instance, as the respectable
freemen would go upon the Parliamentary roll as house-
hollers and leaseholders. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. WALPOLE said that if the cetamittee rejected
the amendment, they would be hitting, r,ot those who
were corrupting the ethers, but striking at the poor nieu
who were unable to defend themselves?. There were no
grounds in morals, policy, or legislation to justify such
a Collide,

Air. W. WILLIAMS co-a idared it most unjust that
the innocent should 6utfcr. No doubt these freemen
who were innocent were tempted, and having resisted,
they were puni.hel He COtliti affirm such a prin-
ciple.
Mr. STEUART thought that the bill should not be
viewed as au attack on private rights, but one having
reference to the public good. He, ti,erefore, could not
accede to the proposition which had been made by the
Government.

Mr. MAGUIRE cumplainod that the chief inatiu-
mints in the corruption and debauchment of the poor
freemen of Galway were left unpunigh,4l
bill. The corrupt c'a=4 ro-n? aot 1,1 poor treerneu

It W 44 i. i 4 proposed to disfranchise, but
i.ad grotty of the town of Galway, many of whom
were miserable placer hunters. and servile wratc ,ed
partisans. (Etear, hear, aed hughter.) If this
bill passed, a large number of .inen who had•rediAdd
corruption and remained pure would be punished by
dielrauchisement, while the great cJorits would go free.
kid asked the cummittee out to du auythieg that day
which would give Ireland a new grist, or which would
co evince them that triare was one raw fur the poor.
Aire, COLLINS recornmnided that the freemen of
Galway elotarld be disfranchised, and that a resolution
should ttoa be peered, affirming that as the treat, held in
the house fur that borough was obtained by c‘rrupt
means, it ehoeld be deehred vacant-.
Mr. W lIIIESIDE said the very of ject of the bill was,
by striking off tuefreameu to put the two seats fur Gal-
way into the hands of the men who had been guilty of
corrupting the electors.
Lord DUNKELLIN defended the Marqui- of Clan-
ricarde (his father), against certaiu attacks which had
been made against him, in conuection with the late
election, when the noble lord (Dunkellin) was returned
for that borough. He denied that the effect of the bill
would be to make Galway a pocket borough.
Mr. MELLOR cousiderecl that atic-riing to Paha-
tutntary precedent they ought to pr_weed with this bill,
disfranchisiug a class treat had been proved essentially
corrupt.
Mr. AYRTON thought the bill in its whole cmcep-
tiou was wrong, and that the penalties ought to be di-
rected against those who had set the corruption ia mo-
tion. He then entered .at some length upon the
course which had been adopted by Lord Cianricarde iu
influencing the ehetioue for the borough s,f Galway,
and contended that Parlioaueut ought not to punish
those who had been corrupted, white those who had
been guilty of the deinoratieatioe, the cause of all the
crime and wrong, were passed over without notice, He
obj:lcted to the 1110146U:13 altogether, aiid though he
oPP"bcd the bill as a whole, he was, under th r eircaw-
utauoes, conteui.ed to acc,pt toe small modem% of justice
which the Attorney-General for Ireland proposed.
Mr. H. BERKELEY took a in:altar view of the case
and intimated his intention of supporting the atneuc-
meet of the Attorney-General tor Iroland.
Mr. BUTT snpporoed the amendoseut on the generiil
principle teat the ruaoceut thou d no; be puni,btat for
toe guilty.
Alt.. Sergeant DEASY would not object to the amend-
ment ter the A.corhey-General if he would allow the
amenduienr, of welch tie bad given notice, to be en4raft.td
on it, eameiy—... Provided always that this 4.et snail
not apply to any lreemaa who has obtained a et r,ificate
front tee C.oninissionere appointed under . lie said recited
Act of the lti,h year iof the reign of her 11Ljeety."
Mr. CLIVE ctotracterised the opposition which had
beer, uffei ed to his bill as a gigantic sham.

Mr. MAGUIRE, ur► thu !vit. Bald, ellarge I tlioie
who eupporteii tba null with loading their gaunt:on to h
party scae.nl. aiit3,Nl p.)*tponeltent till next,
session.

'rue cannuittee divided, when the mmll4ll were—
For toe Atitenduieut
Agzun't it
Mbj ulty ---57
The amen.linent was thertf r camitieti.
LOCAL GOVERN NIENT BILL.
Mr. WALPOLE said he could not ou with this
Lit! tc-lay if it. Kxe tippoecd.
Mr. T. DUNCOIII;E seid he should oppose every
line (Laughter.)
At teu winutee lmore 4 o'clock the sitting was sus-
pended.
At Lix o'clock the hou,e resumed, and was
[LEFT SITTING

LONDON GAZETTE.—(This Evening•)

WAR•OFFICE, JUNE 29.
The Queen has been graciously pleased to give orders
for the appo!ntraeut of Capttwin N 3 ward. 8. Sotheby, $. N.,