The Sun.
London, England, 1866-06-11 00:00:00

The Franchise Bill.

Notice has been given of the following amend
inents to this bill :

Mr. Walpole—Page 3, clause 5, at the end, add
" Provided always, That no such occupier shall be
so registered in any year unless he shall have been
rated in his own name in respect of the premises to
all rates for the relief of the poor made during the
time of such his occupation so required as aforesaid,
nor unless he shall have paid, on or before the 20th
day of July in each year, all the poor rates and
assessed taxes which shall have become payable from
him in respect of such premises previously to the sth
day of January then next preceding."
Sir H. Bruce—ln the event of clause 5 passing,
to move " That, as the lowering of the franchise
will then have been affirmed and the amount defined,
it is inexpedient, considering the period of the year,
and the importance of the other portions of that bill
and the Redistribution of Seats Bill, to proceed fur-
ther during this session with either bill."
Mr. Buxton—After clause 14, insert the following
clause :

4‘ All persons in the employ of Government who
have been disabled from voting at the election of
members to serve in the Parliament of the United
Kingdom by reason of any Act or Acts in that be-
half hitherto in force, and by section (A) of this Act
repealed shall, from and after the passing of this
Act, and subject to the provisions thereof, be en-
titled to the exercise of the franchise."

Mr. Weaber, an optician, of Oxford-street, has
invented a clever little instrument which will prove
of groat value to all who wear spectacles. All good spec-
tacles aro now made of pebbles, which do not scratch like
glass, and are more free from flaws, but all pebbles are not
good ones. This little instrument, which we have tested,
though without understanding it, makes the quality of the
pebbles at once apparent to the eye. If the lens placed in
it is glass the spectator cannot see through it at all, if a
good pebble he can as through an even piece of topaz, but
if bad his eye is distracted by all the colours of the prism.
The multitude of little angles in a bad lens worry and
strain the eye, as anybody can see who will look patiently
for a minute through an ordinary window pane, usually the
very worst piece of glass it is possible to make.
LORD GAINSBOROUGII.--It is with much regret
that we have to announce the death of the Earl of Gains-
borough, who expired early yesterday morning. His lord-
ship was attacked with bronchitis three mouths ago, and,
notwithstanding his advanced age, he partially recovered,
when a relapse, the consequence of a cold, superinduced an
attack of inflammation of the lungs, which proved fatal.
The physicians who attended his lordship wore Dr. Wat-
son, Dr. Roberts, Dr. Prothero Smith, and Dr. Gull.
ELECTION EXPENSES.—The expenses incurred at
the recent contest forTewkesbury have just been published.
Sir E. A. H. Lechmere, the successful candidate, expended
£534 1.65. Bd., besides the modest sum of £3 3s. for "per-
sonal expenses." Professional agents took no less than
£231, although there was but a brief interval between the
resignation of Mr. Dowdeswell and the election. Convey-
ance of voters cost £26 6s. The expenses of the unsuc-
cessful candidate, Mr. 3lartin, were £548 Bs. 2d., besides
£2O for personal expenses, £286 2s. being paid to profes-
sional ationto.