The Sun.
London, England, 1866-04-16 00:00:00

THE REFORM BILL.

A number of petitions were presented in favour of the
Government bill for the amendment of the state of the re-
presentation of the people.
Mr. OTWAY gave notice that to morrow he should
ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Govern-
ment intended to adhere to their deterinination with re-
spect to the disfranchisement of the dockyard artisans.
Mr. MARSH asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer
whether the Government had come to any Anal determina-
tion with regard to the promised bill for the redistribution
of seats. What bcgoughs, if any, were to be amalgamated
with others; what, if any, were to be totally disfranchised;
what were to be partially disfranchised; and how the seats
taken from those boroughs were to be disfranchised. And
whether it was the intention of the Government to keep its
views on these subjects concealed from the members of the
House of Commons until after the division upon the pre-
sent bill ? •

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, with
respect to the threefold question of the hon. member, it
was not the practice to state the final determination until
the proper time arrived. With respect to the second ques-
tion, that could not be answered viva voce, but would best
bo discovered from the bill itself. With respect to the
third portion, it appeared to him to be asking the Govern-
ment whether they would do that which they said they
would do. (Laughter.) He would, however, take the op-
portunity of restating the intentions of the Government
on the opportunity he should have in speaking
to
amendment of the noble lord the member for Chester.

ARMY SURGEONS.
Col. C. LINDSAY asked the Secretary of State for War
whether he would state the reason of the proposed change
of system in the promotion to the rank of surgeon in the
Brigade of Guards ; whether the existing system of regi-
mental peomotion had ever been known to fail, and that
member for
public advantage was likely to be derived from the pro-
posed change ?
The Marquis.of lIARTINGTON said ho couldhardly in
discussion un-
til the limits of an answer to a question exphlaoinn.the resort for
the °hang:ls from that of 1860. The
Fifeshire bad given notice of his intention of bringing
matter under the attention of the house, and thereforethhe
thought it would be better to postpone the di
CHANCELLORhew would
do
consent
otnhseenEXCHEQUEßtto
postpone, asked Sir F
til that time.
if necessary,
THE MALT TAX.
standing for
oi; eseTiti
bhYl motiono7e whethert
idtheeib,otlintteh on malt
the duty,
a view to the continuance on that evening
Tuesday,
Representationnow of the People Bill ?
He was afraid there was no hope of
concluded that evening, anti
the debate on the 114,
form Bill being
member to postpone kissole rea'--
son in asking the hon.
that the debate might his motion was
proceed
Sir F. KELLY said he
without interruption.
moment of his should much regret the post-
motion, but he w 91114 not stand in the

way of the Government, provided the right hoe. gentle-
man would give him an evening on which he could bring
forward his motion previous to the Budget being brought
forward.

Tho CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said ho
could not give the right hon. gentleman a night previous
to his making his financial statement, because he stood
pledged to the house to bring forward the budget the first
GoVernment night after the second reading of the Reform
Bill.

Sir F. KELLY said that, under these circumstances,
he should bring forward his motion to-morrow evening.

IMPORTATION OF DISEASED CATTLE.
Sir G. GREY said with respect to the question pnt to,
him relative to smuggling in of some diseased cattle, at tho
instance of Earl Granville and Col. Talbot, he led tr,idn
the inquiries promised. With respect to the part of the
charge that related to Earl Granville, it appeared
that the cattle had been taken to a farm of his
left entirely to the management of his bailiff, a licenca
having been obtained by the dealer for the moving cur-
tain cattle ; he used it for the purpose of driving the cows
brought by the Dutch steamer to his lordship's farm. An
information had been laid against Earl Granville, and it
had been hoard that day by the magistrates at Edgewara
but they wore unanimous in dismissing it against his lord-
-ship, but it was held that the bailiff and the dealer had,
broken the law. The cattle had been killed, snd there wag
no reason to suppose they had spread any infection. With
respect to the cattle taken to Col. Talbot's, they had been
moved to his farm on speculation by the dealer, and had he
driven them back he would have contravened the law.
Ho had not heard the result of the magisterial inquirx-
into this case. It had not been concluded since his
formation left. .

THE REFORM BILL.—ADJOURNED DEBATE.
The adjourned debate on the amendment of Earl
Grosvenor to the motion for the second reading of
this bill was resumed by

Mr. MACUIRE,'who in the course of his observations
said both sides of the house stood deeply pledged to the
question of reform, and he thought that the present
was a very favovrable opportunity for settling the
mater. He was of opinion that the bill then before
the house was a fair compromise, and a moderato,
measure which would be accepted by the working
class as a settlement of the question for some time to
come. He did not think there was any reason for the
lanic that had been raised in some quartersin cousequenca
of the proposed reduction of the borough franchise to £7
—(hear, hear)—because the house had had on former
occasions proposals for reducing it to the extent of
£5. (Ilea; hoar.) There need not be any fear that the
bill would weaken any of the cherished institutions of
wthhoeu_.icaoubieviterr3c-n.:iite hoped the Government would carry
thet e barn —hear, b_foeolalirr.a)um the—gehnmtoeb
member
that ho cared' much for
oPfatrhheamrigenhtt. honour)r.
thbeunt
of
alluded ht
ho
e ghroetia:et hoped
he assemblyt
oh it
iob
40i
tls
hon.lih member forCitst ulne, who, he said, had related
journey
seenr'lie
lie vas
them legisla'ang in
his experiences obtained b
y h
°
to Australia, w here
to use his own expression, he had g
their shirt-sleeves. (Hear, hear.) l
posed to the views propounded by that hon. altogether op-
n. entleman, i
Which because his (Mr. Maguire s) information,
-elated to
the colony of Victoria, was quite opposed to that of the
hon. member for Caine. He had said that tho proceedings
were conducted in a way which was highly objectionable.
The voting was by ballot, there was no corruption, and
the lowest voters were high above the roughs of Kidder-
minster and the lambs of Nottingham. (Hear, hear.) It
was ridiculous to suppose that the free trade policy
would bo swept away if the house adopted the
£7 franchise, and he could only say that he was
greatly surprised when the hon. member
.for Wick
made the declaration the other evening. He considered the
amendment proposed an insiduous amendment, because it
meant death to the prospects of reform during the present
year, and death to the honour of Parliament. He hoped
the house would give its assent to the bill ; at all events,
he should give his vote in favour of the second reading.
[LEFT SITTING.]