The Sun.
London, England, 1835-07-21 00:00:00

clauses, which were passed without opposition, and added to
the Bill. P.,'lo`'"l

Sir E. WILMOT moved, " That the Corporation of Sut-
ton Coldfield be left out of Shedule B." It was not a poli-
tical Corporation, and was possessed of considerable trust-
property, which was enjoyed equally by all the inhabitants.
Without some such exception, the inhabitants of Birmingham,
Walsall, and other districts, would acquire a right to a share
in that property, which would thus come to be divided among
200,000 persons.
An HON. MEMBER supported the amendment.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL opposed it, and said that the in-
habitants of Sutton Coldfield were not desirous
.of the excep-
tion.—The amendment was withdrawn.

Mr. SCARLETT said that a proposition had been already
made for exempting the Corporation of London from the ope-
ration of the Bill ; and although that proposition had not been
agreed to, he wished to observe that the Corporation of Nor-
wich ought also to be exempted; inasmuch as, by its charter,
it was to enjoy the same privileges as London. He knew no
reason for objecting to its exemption, except, perhaps, that it
was a Conservative Corporation.
After some further amendments of an immaterial nature, the
Bill passed amid loud cheers.
STAFFORD DISFRANCHISEMENT BILL.

On the motion for reading the Order of the day for the
Committee on this Bill,

Mr. W. S. O'BRIEN moved " That it be an instruc-
tien to the Committee to provide, that the privilege of send-
ing two Members to Parliament be transferred from the bo-
rough of Stafford to the county of Cork."
Mr. DI VETT was not disposed to regard the Reform Act
as a final measure, if it were shown that its provisions could in
any instance be altered with advantage. At the present pe-
riod, however, he thought it would be extremely inconvenient
to enter into a discussion involving the whole question of
the general distribution of representation. He should
therefore oppose the motion, although he could assure the
Hon. Member that if ever the question of representation
should be opened, he should be prepared to do full justice to
Ireland.

The question was then put, and the House divided.
For the Amendment
Against it
'Majority -140

The Order of the bay was then read.
On the question that Mr. SPEAKER do now leave the
Chair,

Mr. E. BULLER, after presenting a petition from the
county of Stafford in favour of the borough of Stafford, pro-
ceeded, in pursuance of the notice he had placed upon the
paper, to move " that a Select Committee be appointed to
inquire into the bribery and corruption which have prevailed
at elections for representatives of the borough of Stafford, and
to report the result of their inquiries to the House ; and that
it be an instruction to the committee that they do report, in
the first place, the result of their inquiries as to bribery and
corruption in the late election." The principal grounds upon
which he asked for the appointment of this committee was,
that notwithstanding all that had been said against the bo-
rough, he felt satisfied, if the opportunity were afforded, that
it would be in his power to show that the criminality of the
borough had not been carried to such an extent as was usually
required by the House before it proceeded to the extremity
of disfranchisement. The Reform Bill, wherever it confirmed
the franchise, was supposed to carry with it an indemnity for
previous offences. If that were the case, there could be no
pretence for proceeding against the borough of Stafford, be-
cause whatever its previous corruption might have been, he
should be able to show—provided his present motion were
granted—that at the last election no improper or corrupt
practices were resorted to.

Mr. DIVETT contended that if amendments like the pre-
sent were acceded to, it would always be impossible, especially
at an advanced period of the session, to disfranchise a corrupt
borough.
Lord SANDON maintained that there was a growing de-
sire on the part of the respectable inhabitants of Stafford to
rescue the town from the imputation which had so long at-
tached to it. He supported the amendment.
Mr. GLAD STONE opposed the amendment.
Captain CHETWYND warmly defended the borough of
Stafford from the imputations cast upon it.
The House then divided—
For the original motion
For the amendment
Majority in favour of the original motion
POSTAGE BILL.
This Bill was then read a third time.

Mr. LABOUCHERE proposed as a rider to it that the
postage on letters and packages of foreign countries should
be reduced, provided they made a like reduction in their
postage.
The other Orders of the day were then disposed of, and the
House adjourned at a quarter past one o'clock.

_HOUSE OF LORDS, Juan 20.

The VICE-CHANCELLOR took his seat au the Woolsack a'
five o'clock.
The Manure Toll Exemption Bill went through a Corn.
mittee.