The Sun.
London, England, 1866-02-07 00:00:00

noble earl's bill which proposed to restore nomination
boroughs. According to the Reform Act many of the
smaller boroughs, in which there were 10 or 12 voters, were
enlarged by £lO voters, so that they contained, 300, 400,
or 500 voters, whereby they were enabled to send men of
their own to Parliament. Now, the noble earl's bill bad a
provision by which freeholders of counties would have
voted for those counties. Besides this, there was a further
provision that these votes might be sent by post, so that any
noble lord or right hon. gentleman in some distant county
might send by post of votes 300 or 400 tenants, who never
went near the place, and thus carry the election. That
struck me so much that I stated my objection to a gentleman
who sat near me when the Chancellor of the Exchequer pro-
posed his measure to the House of Commons. These provi-
sions, with the absence of an adequate extension of the
franchise to persons occupying houses under £lO a year,
made the bill so bad that it was impossible to support it.
The noble earl, when First Minister of the Crown, intro-
duced two measures—one a Budget imposing a very large
tax upon houses, and another measure for the Government
of India. I considered they were both exceedingly bad
measures, and both were rejected by Parliament. But
much worse was the measure which the noble earl intro-
duced under the name of a Reform of Parliament. I ob-
jeeted to that bill, and I stated my objections fully and
fairly. That bill was defeated by no underhand proceed-
ing, but by open and fair opposition. As to the objections
raised by the noble earl to a measure of Reform,
because it might be regarded in the light of a stepping-
stone to other more extensive reforms, I have only
to say that the late Mr. Hume said the same of the bill of
1832, and voted for it on that ground. But though Mr.
Hume said he intended to go much farther than the bill of
1832, that did not prevent the late Lord Grey and his col-
leagues from carrying that important measure, nor should
the fact of the same being said now prevent the present
Parliament from carrying a measure commensurate with
the requirements of the time. (Hear.)
Viscount MELVILLE complained that the Government
had treated Governor Eyre most harshly and ungraciously.
The Secretary for the Colonies, it was trae, had written a
most proper letter to Jamaica, promising that the names of
those who had so ably assisted Governor Eyre in suppress-
ing the rebellion should be brought under the favourable
notice of the Horse Guards. But what followed ? The Go-
, vernor had actually been rebuked for having adopted se-
vere measures in the exercise of his duty. •It was impos-
sible to say what would be the result of this unworthy
conduct on the part of the Government. It really seemed
as if the noble lord had turned to the right and left to see
in what direction the several parties set their faces, and
then to have acted as the policy for the moment dictated.
(Hear.) It had been well: said by a noble lord who had
preceded him if a late noble lord had still been at the head
of the Government the idea of censuring Governor Eyre
would not have been entertained for a moment. That
noble lord would have spurned the proposal of recalling
Governor Eyre. He would, on the contrary, have sup-
ported him to the last, and not even dreamt of pursuing a
line of policy calculated to degrade the country in the
eyes of the world. So far from censuring Governor Eyre,
the Ministry should have tendered him the thanks of the
country. (Hear.) It grieved him beyond measure to think
that the Governor's conduct should now be subject to re-
view by men who never knew what danger was. (Hear.)

The LORD CHANCELLOR then put the question that
the amendment proposed by Lord Feversham be inserted
in the reply of their lordships to her Majesty's Speech.
The Earl of DERBY suggested that in the then state of
the house his noble friend (Lord Feversham) should not
press his amendment upon a question with reference to
which he would have an opportunity of expressing his opi-
nion upon some future occasion.
Lord FEVERSHAM then withdrew his amendment, and
The reply to the Address was carried as originally pro-
posed.
CHAIRMEN OF COMMITTEES.

EarI'RUSSELL moved, " That Lord Redesdale bo ap-
pointed to take the chair on the sitting of committees of
this house."

The motion was agreed to.

Their lordships then adjourned at 10 minutes past 11.

HOUSE OF COMMONS-LAST EVENING.

The SPEAKER took the chair at one o'clock, and
the swearing in of members, and the signing of the
Parliamentary roll by those who who had sub-
scribed to the oath, occupied the time up to a quar-
ter past two o'clock, when Sir Augustus Clifford,
the Usher of the Black Rod, appeared at the door
of the house, and, advancing to the table, informed
the Speaker that the attendance of the honourable
House was required in the House of Peers.
The SPEAKER immediately left the chair, and the
Chief Clerk read out from a list the order in which
it had been arranged the members should accom-
pany the Speaker. Commencing with the Chancel-
lor of the Exchequer, the names of the members of
the Government were called, and then afterwards
those of various members on either side the house,
but after ten or a dozen particular names had been
pronounced nearly the whole of the hon. members
within the house rose from their seats, made a quiet
rush to the door, and followed in the train of the
Speaker in the most admirable confusion.
At half-past two the SPEAKER returned and sim-
ply passed through the house—the sitting being
suspended until a quarter before four.
The sitting having been resumed,
The SPEAKER read the sessional orders, which
were agreed to.

PRINTING THE VOTES.

On the order with respect to printing the votes,

Sir C. O'LOGIILEN said before that order was
agreed to he wished to call the attention of the house
to the absurdity of putting the different days of the
week at the head of the votes in Latin. It was an
inconvenient practice, because there was no unifor-
mity in the practice, because on the same
page with the Latin heading were to be
found the words, "Adjourned till Monday." He
thought it quite true that the good Saxon names of
the days of the week should be printed in the votes
of the house. The Speaker had the power to make
the alteration if he thought fit, and now begged to
direct his attention to the matter.
The SPEAKER said if it met with the wishes of
the house, he should be happy in giving directions
for the alteration suggested. (Hear, hear.)