The Sun.
London, England, 1835-06-24 00:00:00

MUNICIPAL REFORM BILL.

Lord JOHN RUSSELL requested Hon. Members who
had motions on the Orders of the Day to postpone them, for
the purpose of enabling the House to proceed with the
Committee on the Corporation Reform Bill.
The SPEAKER having called upon Mr. S. Crawford,
The HON. MEMBER said he should feel great pleasure in
postponing the motion of which he had given notice, relative
to the oaths administered to Roman Catholic voters, as his
doing so would, in his opinion, best promote the public service.
He would do it on the understanding that other Hon. Members
would adopt the same course.
Mr. CLAY also postponed his motion relative to the Corn
Laws.

Mr. HAND LEY expressed a hope that although the Hon.
Member had 3 ielded to the wishes of the Government in this
instance, he would bring the question forward before the close
of the Session, because he was most anxious that it should not
remain over for another Session.

The other Hon. Members who had given notices of motions
were then called upon, and severally postponed their motions.
The order of the day for the House going into a Committee
of the whole House on the Municipal Corporations Bill, was
then read on the motion of Lord John Russell.

Sir 'WILLIAM FOLLETT gave notice that he should
move an amendment on clause 9.
The House then went into Committee, Mr. BERNAL in
the Chair.

Sir R. PEEL begged to ask the Noble Lord (Russell)
what the operation of clause six would be after the amend-
ment of which he had given notice ? He would suggest
that electors should have paid their rates at the time the
overseers' lists were made up. He suggested the amendment
because it was in exact conformity with the provisions of the
Reform Act. He believed that the alteration that had been made
in clause 6, would supersede the necessity of this amendment,
because it adopted the principle of the amendment—because
it required that those only should be included who had paid
up their rates, with the exception of the six months next
preceding. This was a great improvement, and would prevent
many abuses which he was sure would occur if persons were
allowed to pay up their rates on a sudden, as it would induce
candidates to pay them for him. He hoped he was understood.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL replied, certainly. It was no
doubt a great improvement that there should be a fixed time
to which the rates should be paid up, to entitle the rate-
payer to vote, and he thought that the last day of August
would be the best day.
Sir ROBERT PE EL begged the Noble Lord to consider
whether he should not take a few days previously. He would
propose the 20th of August, for instance, in order that fhe
overseer might have some definite time allowed him, or say
the last day of August, and then allow the lists to be made up
to the 2d or 3(1 of September.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL said the proposal was certainly
more in conformity with the Reform Bill—he had rather,
however, that the 3d of September should be fixed upon.
Sir ROBERT PEEL advised the Noble Lord to adopt
the words of the Reform Bill. There was a slight varia-
tion—in the Reform Bill the words were "made payable,'.'
and in the present clause the words were " made
or become due ;" the meaning was exactly the same, and he
thought it much better to have the same words, as a con-
struction had already been put upon the words of the Reform
Bill.

Mr. BROTH ERT ON said this part of the Reform Bill had
been very injurious to the electors, for in many instances the
overseers in making out the rates, assessed parties at
more than the real value, and when the mistake was
made known it was corrected, but if a reduction was made, it
was contended that these were arrears of rent, and were not
allowed at the quarter sessions. In the place which he repre-
sented ( Salford), more than 200 persons had suffered in this
way.
An lioN. MEMBER asked whether, in the event of any rate-
payer having been excused from paying his rates on the ground
of poverty, a party interested came forward and paid the rates,
the person would not have his vote ? If he was not satisfactorily
answered, he meant to propose to add at the end of the clause
a proviso, to the effect that all who had been excused payment
of their rates on account of poverty should not be deprived of
their votes.

Lord JOHN RUSSELL answered apparently satisfacto-
rily, but quite inaudibly.
Clause 6 as amended was then read, it was as follows :
" And be it enacted, that every male person of full age, who,
on the last day of August in any year, shall have occupied any
house, warehouse, counting-house, or shop within any borough
during that year, and the whole of each of the two preceding
years, and also during the time of such occupation, shall have
been an inhabitant householder within the said borough, or
within seven miles of the said borough, shall, if duly enrolled
according to the provisions hereinafter contained, be a burgess
of such borough and member of the Body Corporate of the
Mayor and Burgesses of such borough : Provided always, that
no such person shall be so enrolled in any year, unless he shall
have been rated in respect of such premises so occupied by
him within the borough to all rates made for the relief of the
poor of the parish wherein such premises are situated during
the time. of hie occupation as aforesaid, or unless he shall
have paid, during the time of his occupation as aforesaid, all
such rates due from-shim in respect of such premises, except
such as shall have been made or become due within six calen-
dar months next before the said last day of August; Provided
also, that the premises in respect of the occupation of which
any person shall have been so rated need not be the same pre-
mises, nor in the same parish, but may be different premises
in the same parish or in different parishes : Provided also, that
no person shall be so enrolled in any year, who, within twelve
calendar months next before the said last day of August, shall
have have received parochial relief or other alms, or any pen-
sion or charitable allowance from any fund entrusted to the
Charitable Trustees of such borough hereinafter mentioned."
Sir R. PEE L said he proposed, that in the case of a
borough rate having been made by the Council appointed
under the Bill, the payment of that rate should be equally
requisite with the payment of the Poor's Rate. He had.not
heard any good ground of opposition last night.' They were
' making a great and momentous experiment, which he
trusted would be successful. Taking the large towns
of Manchester, which now was under the control of a large body
of Commissioners, who were elected by a restricted franchise,
no one was allowed to vote for a Commissioner who was not
rated at 161., nor any publican who was not assessed at 32/
Every one assessed to the poor rate, and having resided
three ye-ars2 and paid up his rate, was to be qualified
to vote. He would repeat that this was a very mo-
mentous experiment with respect to the government of
the town of Manchester, in which town there were
not less then 37,000 assessments to the poor rates. He was
not prepared to say to what extent they would be dimi-
nished by requiring a three years' residence and the pay-
ment of the rates up to the time. He wished to sea that
constitution of Government which would most conduce
to peace, tranquillity, and general satisfaction. He knew that
the plan should be made as popular as possible ; but if
they proceeded to a certain extent at first, they would find it
very easy to extend it afterwards, and therefore if the effect of
his proposition should be to lessen its popular application in the
first instance it would ultimately encrease the number of
electors, for it was not hostile to the principle of the
Bill.—( Hear, hear.) The qualification of a payment of the
rate by those who made it was sound in principle, nothing could
be more so. The Bill not only enabled the Common Council,but
imposed on them the obligation to make a borough-rate, though
in several Corporations, it might not be necessary to exercise
that power, and in some, none might be imposed foissome time ;
but he would say that those who proposed the rate, ought to
contribute to it, and ought to have paid up their
rates, for that would be a great check upon improvident ex-
penditure, as it would give them an interest in controlling
the expenditure, and compelling an economical .applica-
tion of the Corporation funds.—( Cries of ." Hear, hear.")—
Again—there were proposals for compensation to the Town
Clerk and other officers, and for the granting salaries to
the Mayors and Recorders upon the execution of what
this qualification would impose, a salutary check.—( Hear. )
Indeed, it would be a real cheek, or at all events a greater
check than the poor rate could be. In the case of ex-
tra-parochial places, for instance, it was quite clear that
the borough rate would have that effect, if the payment
of it was made the qualification, but he rested his proposition
upon the great principle, that . here was a power of
taxation given ; and not only a power but an obligation—
and that to secure the right application of it, those
who make it should be contributors to it. The best test of qua-
lification, that could be had, would be the contribution to, the bo-
rough rate, in addition to the poor rate. It had been urged as an
objection, that that would be taking a double qualification. He
would, for the purpose of meeting this argument, revert again
to the principles of the Reform Bill ; these three qualifications
were required; first, the ten pound householder; next, that
the party 'should contribute to the Poor rate ; and thirdly, that
he should have paid up his assessed taxes. In the Reform Bill a
double qualification, wisely in his opinion, had been required; but
the payment of the borough rate was, in his opinion, better
than the assessed taxes. It was said that this would bear
unequally upon different towns, that in Liverpool for instance,
there would be no borough rate, but that in Manchester, where
there would be a borough rate, it would be exceedingly heavy
upon the inhabitants. That could not be avoided, for in one
town the pooh rates might be 55., whilst in another they
might not be half so much. The reason why in one
case this test ought to be applied and not in another,
was, that by the power of the Town Council where the borough
rate existed, it was imposed, and where the taxing power was
not exercised, it was not. In the first instance it would have