The Sun.
London, England, 1832-02-16 00:00:00

Member for Surrey must pace*, that from what had
already taken place, the inconvenience which resulted from
introducing questions like the present for discussion in that
Howe,—(Hear.) Indeed, upon such questions, Members
of that House were scarcely free agents ; because, if they
opposed inconsiderate and ill-judged propositions, imputa-
tions would be thrown upon them It was of no great
importance whether the words should be inserted or not,
but he objected to the introduction of them upon the
gineral principle, and if no other Member would take the
sense of the C,mmittee upon the motion, he would.

Mr. SHAW considered the words peculi irly applicable,
and hoped that the Hon. Mrmi,er would press the motion.
He thought it inconsistent in the Hon. Member for Middle-
sex to refer to the appointment of a fast-day as a reason
for not agreeing to the motion, because the Hon. Member
and his friends did all they could to prevent a day of fast
from being appointed.

'Mr. HUNIE said, that he was as much opposed as ever
to the appointment of a fast4iy. He regretted that Minis-
ters had been weak enongb to agree to the proposition.—
(Hear, bear.) It would augment the evil which it was
intended to mitigate.

Lord ALTI{ORP again expressed a hope that the Hon.
Alember would not press his motion. TO have a division
upon such a question, whether it should be carried or not,
was a thing to be avoided. He felt it. necessary to add, that
the appointment of a day of fast waa not a en,sequenee of
the motion which had been madean that subject. The
Sass-•day would have been appointed' if that motion had never
been brought forward.
Mr. BRISCOE said, he had not the sligh•est idea that
there would have been a difference of opinion as to the
propriety of his motion. It was allowed, on all hands,
that the cholera was a disease which baffled human skill,
and therefore it most be considered an infliction of Provi-
dence. Under all the circumstances of the case he would
withdraw the motion.

The House then resumed, the report was received, and
the Bill was ordered to be read a third time this day, and
then engrossed.

REFORM BILL.

On the motion of Lord ALTUORP, the House resolved
itself into a Committee on the Reform Rill, Mr. 13ERNAL
in the Chair.
Lord ALTHORP stated that if, as he expected, the
Committee should get through 311 the clauses of the Bill
(with the exception of the schedules), he would nut ask
the House to sit on Saturday. —(Hear.)
The CHAMBIAN then read clause 62.
The clause was agreed to.
Clauses 63 and 64 were agreed to, without discussion,
On clause 65 being read,
Mr. WASON moved that one day only should be allowed
for the election, where the electors did not exceed 1,200.
Lord ALTHORP said that the amendment was not
admissible, although it was contrary to the principle of
the Bill.

Mr. WASON having persisted in pressing his amend.
meat, the Committee divided, when the numbers were—
For Ministers 91
For the Amendment 1
Majority
On our re-admission into the gallery we found the Corn.
mittee discussing that part of the 66th clause which enacts
that each person shall vote at the booth appointed for his
parish or district.

An HON. MEMBER (name unknown) asked the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer this question :—Suppo.ing that a
borough were divided into two districts, and that an
electcr had a qualification by freehold in both, in which of
the districts would he he entitled to vote ?

Lord ALTHORP replied, that he would only be en-
titled to vote in that district in which he resided.
Mr. EWART suggested that the application of this
mode of voting to the borough of Liverpool would lie
very inconvenient. There the practice was to bring up
the voters alphabetically, and that practice had been found
very convenient in avoiding disorder and confusion. He
should be lorry to see the practice altered in th it town.
Mr. J. CAMPBELL said that a similar practice was
sdopted in the borough which he had the honour to repre-
sent, and was found very convenient. He therefore urged
that the practice should be allowed to continue in those
boroughs where it already existed.
Some conversation took place upon this suggestion,
which was very indistinctly heard in the gallery. It was
terminated by Lord ALTHOSP declaring that be would
give this suggestion his hest coasidfration before he
brought up the report on the Bill. Some verbal amend-
ments were then made in the clause, which, after some
further immaterial discussion, was ordered to stand part of
the Bill.

The 67th clause, giving to the Justices in sessions
power to appoint polling districts for Shoreham, Click-
lade, Aylesbury, and East Retford, w s next agreed to.
On the 66th clause being put from the chair, which
fixes the time when the returning officer is to close the
poll, and give him power to adjourn it in case of riot,
Sir C. WETHERELL objected to the limitation of
the duration of the poll to two days. The greater part of
the first day was generally occupie,'. '.)y the lecture which
the candidates gave the electors, or the electors gave the
cantlidates;--on- their political duties. This was a very
useful practice, and yet this clause would either put ex-
tinction upon it, or would limit the duration of the poll
to only one day. Now, when the greater part of the first
day was thus occupied, he would give the returning officer
the power of adjourning the poll to another day. He
would therefore propose, that after the words " where the
proceedings at any election should be interrupted or oh.
structed by any riot or open violence," the following
words should be added—" or delayed by other causes
deemed sufficient by the returning officer." He knew
that this was leaving a very wide discretion to the return-
ing officer ; but he thought it Kett-r that the returning
officer should enjoy this discretionary power than that so
valuable and ancient a practicr as that to which he had
referred should he extinguished under our new Constitution.
A long desultory conversation, relative to this amend-
merit in the clause, then ensued, in which Lord Althorp,
Sir E. Sugden, Mr. W. Bankes, Mr. Hunt, and Sir C.
Wetherell took part.
The clause wis then, on the suggestion of Mr. G.
13A NICKS, postponed.

The 69th cause, which provided that candidates, or
persons proposing a candidate without his consent, should
be at the expense of booths and poll-clerks, was then read.
Mr. HUNT, Mr. HUME, and Sir C. WETHERELL op-
posed the clause, on account of the expense to which it
would subj-ct candidates.

Colonel SIBTHORPE suppnrted the clause, with the
exception of the fatter part.

Lord ALTHORP argued that the expense of hustings,
as compared with the general expense, would be very small,
and it would serve as a species of chick to individuals who,
with little prospect of succe,s, might come forward as can-
didates, and thus inflict expense on others.
Mr. C. ROSS opposed the clause.
Mr. HUNT moved an amendment, that all booths
erected for county elections should be pail out of the
county rates ; and for those of cities or borough., out of
the corporation funds, if any ; and if not any, out of a rate
to he collected in the city or borough.
Sir E. SUGDEN sail the expence should I e born., by the
county genet- ,Ily. It vi is difficuit to know wh it the funds
of a corporation were, without filing a bill in Chancery.
Lord SANDON suggested that the expence should he
limited to 251.

Lord ALTHORP said, that although he was di sirous
to save c,ndidates expense, it was not fair to throw them
mn the consrituent body. If any sum could be suggested
that was not too much, or too little, he was favourable to
the Noble Lord's proposal of limiting the expense; but
231._ was too small a. sum.

Colonel WOOD proposed that the booths should be
erected once for all, and defrayed by the county. Heavy
expences would deter candidate..
Mr. HUME supported the propos4l for limiting the ex-
pence, which would deprive the country of the best candi-
dates it could have. Candidates should be encouraged to
come forward : the more the better.
Lord ALTHORP suggested 40/. for each polling place.
After a few words from Mr HUNT and Colonel Sts•
THORPE, the Committee divided__
For Mr. Hunt's amendment
Against it
151
Mainrit v

y ........ —l3o
Tl.e clause, as amended by Lord ALTHOEP, then caused
a short conversation, but, on the suggestion of Sir E.
SUDDEN, its further consideration Was postponed, and the
House resumed.

CHOLERA MORBUS.
The Cholera Morbui Prevention Bill wag read a thicd
time and passed.

The LORD ADVOCA TE obtained leave to bring in a
Bill to increase the powers of the Privy Council with regard
to Scotland, for the preventi,n of cholera raorbus and
other contagious diseases.
The Bill was read a first and second tinae, ordered to be
printed, and to be committed this day.
The other orders of the (lay were then disposed of, and
the House adjourned at Half-past One o'clock.

A clause is to be inserted at the end of the Re-
form Bill, by which it will be enacted, in case of a dissolu-
tion of Parliament before the passing of the proposed
Ronnibry Act, counties are not to he divided, the boun-
daries of the fl, 'W boroughs arp to lir defined, the limtn-
dirieg of the old boroughs are to remain, and the rights of
voting are to take effect without registration.