The Sun.
London, England, 1859-03-04 00:00:00

But the bill wholly wants the two points

which all popular reformers insist—extension of the
franchise, and protection for the voter. The latter,
we know, will not be a deficiency about which the
majority of the House will grieve much. But the
fact remains that, as Mr. BRIGHT justly observed,

"the Reform party is a Ballot party." It is the
one point on which all parties of Reformers agree.
The great majority of the Liberal party in the
House have voted for it again and again. No rest
will Ministers of any party have on this point till
they concede it. It will, no doubt, be wormwood and
gall to the dominant and domineering parties, but
it can only be resisted for a time. We shall never,
indeed, know the mind of any constituency which
any Reform Bill can create—we shall not, indeed
know:the real opinion of the present constituency—
till it can be given freely. We regard it, there-
fore, as a fatal blot to the acceptableness of this bill
to the country, that it in no way notices the Ballot.

It will not do. No Ministry can secure the
goodwill of the people which does not show its
confidence in the people, by enabling every man to
do his own voting.

We earnestly hope that Mr. LOCKE KING will
persevere in his wise and equitable measure, and
obtain some degree of justice for younger children.
The mere suggestion that
.real estate should be
divisible amongst the next of kin seemed to fright
the House from its propriety. Not Mr. NEWDE-
GATE himself was more astonished or horrified at
the introduction of the Jew Bill. It was a fatal
blow aimed at the best interests of society. If
carried, that class who merely cumber the face of
the earth, or who are only tolerated on account of
the comfortable places into which they may be
pitchforked through the interest of the wealthy
brother, might possibly- think that they had some
right to a portion of the property, and complain of
parents who disregarded their natural claims.
The great bugbear seemed to be the vague terror
of a minute subdivision of property But really
there is no well-founded cause for apprehension,
as we explained yesterday. The territorial aris-
tocracy—the lords of the soil—have their arrange-
ments made at the time of their marriages. The
father (if living) and the intended husband convey
the estate to trustees ; some for the purpose of
barring contingent remainder, others for a term of
99 years to ensure payment of the stipulated join-
tare, and then for a further term, to enable the
parties to raise portions for younger children; sub-
ject thereto, it is strictly entailed, and the process
is repeated every time that a first tenant in tail
in remainder enters into the happy state.
The solicitors on each side invariably deal with the
questions at issue as if their opponents were swind-
lers of the darkest dye, and that their sole objects
must be to rob their wives and children, or to cheat
every person with whom they were in any way
connected.

There would be but little prospect of property of
this description being affected by the bill, which
has unfortunately been rejected for the present ses-
sion. Even should it by any chance escape the
settlement, it would be tossed on the other horn of

;he dilemma, and disposed of by will, in stric

accordance with the prevailing prejudices of the
dominant class. Even the yeomen who have in-

herited their acres through a long line of ancestors
may feel desirous of transmitting the family hold-

ing to one of their family in its integrity, that
there may still be a representative of the tenants
who had occupied the lands for a series of
ages. There is nothing more simple or
easy. He only wants two witnesses, and
printed papers,
purchaseable in every district
throughout the length and breadth of the land for
a few pence, to prevent the possibility of any per-
son of ordinary comprehension making a mistake,
although he might at the last moment employ the
doctor or schoolmaster to do the work of the
lawyer. We must say, however, that we cannot
sympathise with the man who, desiring to make
an unfair disposition of his Property, should be de-
feated by his own undue procrastination, or resorting .
to unskilful assistants for the sake of effecting a
trifling saving of expense. Nor do we think that
at the last moment, when the approach of death

REPRESENTATION OF THE WEST RIDING.—Some
of the reformers of Sheffield have suggested Mr. Frank
Crossley, M.P. for Halifax, as the candidate for the West
Riding, in association with Sir J. W. Ramsden, Bart., at
the next election.
NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND.—The election for
North Northumberland, occasioned by Lord Lovaine accept-
ing the office of Vice-President of the Board of Trade, will
take place on Thursday, the 10th. Lord Lovaine will be
returned without opposition.
REPRESENTATION OF SOUTH LANCASHIRE.—
Some time ago there was a rumour that Mr. William Brown,
M.P., intended to retire from Parliament at the next disso-
lution. It appears that the hon. gentleman does seriously
eternity. coofnatreemcipuilastiteioja that
lo spo PembertonpilandhasplacHedeywhisoonr,
Eavalt.,tbhaiie
the head
y to induce that gentleman to allow himself to be put in
knowat the next election. Mr. Heywood is con-
The class, however, who will be most closely
the preliminary
are the retired tradesmen, and others, who
ected with an old Liverpool family, which has been long
known as comprising
many liberal politicians.
have invested their savings in land, on the faith of
meeting yesterday, reported in our columns,
W. are requested to state that
___ ,
the Solicitor-General's admirable bill. Indeed,
fact there has beewinthnothree
Wforraestminster Reform Society. In
when the transfer of land . is rendered has no connexion
there present w
almost as easy as that of stocks or since 1849. It is hoped that thasesuounitedefforts
own e
ei n
d Wn a h
oeefsstttr nhbmel
itsswteor.
ing an association to watch the reform movement and to
funds, the distinction between real and personal sections of reformers
property cannot be maintained. There need not . Protect its electoral interests, so long neglected,

removes many delusions, parties would be desirous
to commit a grievous wrong as their passport into