The Sun.
London, England, 1866-03-12 00:00:00

ELECTION PETITIONS.

Mr. DODSON announced that returns had been received
stating it was not the intention of the petitioners to pro-
ceed with the petitions presented against the returns for
Barnstaple, the North Riding of Yorkshire, Portsmouth,
and Dumbarton.
CITY, KINGSTON, AND RICHMOND RAILWAY.
The second reading of this bill was opposed by Mr.
LOCKE, but eventually it was road a second time without
a division.
THE PARLIAMENTARY OATHS BILL.
Mr. DISRAELI laid upon the table of the house a copy
of the amendment ho proposed in the Parliamentary Oaths
Bill.
THE CATTLE DISEASE.
Admiral DUNCOMBE asked the President of the Board
of Trade if he was aware thatithe schedules prepared by
the Board of Trade calling upon the owners of live stock
to make a return thereof on the sth day of March had
never boon issued in ninny townships, and how he pur-
posed now to insure an accurate return of cattle through-
out the country on a given day ?
Mr. M. GIBSON said some trifling inaccuracies
tcuraeciteaskiennthtoe
delivery had taken place, but steps w
remedy the omission.
Sir A. AGNEW asked the Vico-President of the Com-
mittee of Privy Council on Education if he could give any
information as to whether the disease said to have broken
out among sheep in some parts of Scotland bad inany n
l-
stance been reported by competent authority to be identi-
cal with ryjderpest ?

Mr. BRUCE said unfortunately it was true that the rin-
derpest had made its appearance in Forfarshiro and Fife-
shire.

NEW BARRACKS.
Sir R. CLIFTON asked the Secretary of State for War
the date of the purchase of land at Nottingham for site of
barracks ; from whom it was purchased, the extent of nd,
and price paid ?
The Marquis of HARTINGTON said that 21 acres of
land had been purchased, for which a sum of £5,000 had
been paid.

THE RIFLE GUNS.
Mr. H. BAILLIE asked the Secretary of State for War
whether any of the 12-ton guns rifled upon the Woolwich
pattern, and now being served out to her Majesty's ships

~.
had been submitted to the test of continuous firing,...... such na
would occur during a bombardment?
Tho Marquis of HARTINGTON said the gun referred
to had been submitted to 135 continuous discharges. -The
exact accuracy of the aim had been ascertained, and it
was looked iipon as the most successful practice of a rifled
gun yet known.
•
THE NEW NATIONAL GALLERY.
In reply to Mr. BENTINCK,
Mr. COWPER said two of the . architects, viz., Mr.
Wyatt and Mr. Hardwick, had retired from the list of
candidates selected. It had been thought that the entire
demolition of the building in Trafalgar-square would re '
suit in a better building than would otherwise be the cas

TITS NEW REFORM BILL.
The paragraphs in her Majesty's Speech having
been read,

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
rose for the purpose of calling the attention of the
house to the state of the representation of
the people, and also to move for leave to bring
in a bill to amend the state of the electoral
system. The honourable gentleman said in the
commencement of his task he had to ask the
forbearance of the house, because the question he
had to introduce was a matter of the most serious
interest. The subject had occupied the attention
of no less than five Administrations, and had been
referred to in as many as six Royal Speeches.
An attempt had been made in 1861 to audit the
state of the representation by the hon. member
above him (Mr. Locke King), but that effort had
been unsuccessful. The election of a new Parlia-
ment was felt by the present Government of her
Majesty to be a fitting time to re-open the matter,
and it was thought that no time should be lost in
bringing the matter to issue. In the first
Cabinet after the funeral of their 'lamented
head (Lord Palmerston) the subject was energeti-
cally commenced. He could not pass by the elabo-
rate returns which had been produced by the autho-
rities of the Poor-law Board without feeling that the
house would at once say the work had been well per-
formed. When the Government saw what had been
done, the task they had taken was to a great extent
facilitated. The great question for the Government
to consider was whether there should be a complete
and frequent revision of the electoral system, bnt
such a labour woald lead to the reconstruction of
the franchise in England and Wales, and also in
Ireland. Mixed up with that would have to be a
correction of the state of the law with respect to
corrupt practices and other elaborate questions, and
the Government did not think that complete revision
could be accomplished in one single session. If he
obtained leave to introduce the bill the Government
had prepared, he did not propose to take the second
reading before the 12th of April ; and, taking
everything into consideration, he did not think the
bill would, supposing it was acceptable to the
house, arrive in the House of Lords before the
middle of July. In the year 1831-32 the discussion
on the question of the elective franchise occupied no
less than 100 nights. Night was turned into day,
summer into winter, and every domestic comfort was
surrendered by those engaged in the important
work, but the work had to be performed,
and with the sacrifices he had mentioned
the work was accomplished. At the present
moment they did not stand in that peculiar position.
All they could hope to do was to approach the con-
sideration of the question, and that which came
first was that which related to the enfranchisement
of those now without the limit. The proposition
of the Government was not of the sweeping and
extensive nature to that which he had referred
but one which the present Parliament was fully
competent to discuss and decide. (Hear, hear.)
With respect to the county franchise—in 1860 a
proposal was made to reduce the county franchise
from £5O to £10; but in the bill the Government
now asked leave to introduce they proposed to re-
duce the occupation franchise from £5O to £l4.
(Hear, hear, and laughter.) The qualification
would not be confined to land alone, but would em-
brace a house with land. The change, therefore,
compared with the electoral returns that had been
produced, would in reality be a £l2 rating franchise.
It had been said, " Why don't you go at once to a
£lO franchise." He did not see any danger in
such a proposal—(hear, hear, and loud cheers)—
but it was thought, on the whole, that the change
proposed would give a very large and important
addition to the electors of the country. They also
proposed to extend to copyhold and leasehold pro-
prietors the same privileges as freeholders in
horoughs. The bill would also confer the franchise
on every male adult having £5O in the savings bank
or post-office savings bank for the space of two
years, and that person would be registered in the
place in which he resided. That was all they pro-
posed to do for the counties—(hear, and laughter)—
and he anticipated that it would be productive of a
great increase in the middle-class enfranchisement.
With respect to towns ; he should divide them
into four distinct classes. The first would be those
occupying a separate house or rated building,
and paying their own rates. The second would be
those inhabiting their •own house but who did
not pay their own rates. The third would
be persons holding separate tenements but not
separately rated, and the fourth would be those
known as lodgers. The right hon. gentleman then
proceeded to refer to the electoral returns on
the table of the house, and dwelt especially with
those showing the position of the working classes in
1832 in comparison with those in the present year,
with a view of showing that the working man, if
he was considered eligible for the elective franchise
30 years ago, was doubly entitled to it now.
[Left speaking.]

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.—This Day.

LONDON, March 12.—Wind this day at :noon—North.
Easterly; moderate breeze, and fine weather, but rather
cloudy.

PORTSMOUTH, March 11.—Wind N.E.—Arrived—Avoca,
screw steamer, from London, and then proceeded for
Dublin.

BRISTOL, March 9.—Wind S.W.—Arrived.—Asoctit
from Mauritius.

LIVERPOOL, March 12.—Wind E.—Arrived—Blazer
steamer, from Islay.
LEITH, March 9.—Wind N.W.—Sailed—Warren, for
Trinidad.

OFP POTSMOUTH, March 11.—Wind S.W.—Arrived--
Daniel Webster, from London for Now York.

PLYMOUTH, March 9.—Wind
manual Langeland mirella,
from Shields for Shanghse,
with damage.
OFF LnarooL, March 12.—Wind N.W.—Arrivod—Tho
Liberator.
QUEEFSTOWN, March 12.—Wind N.B.—Arrived—Aus-
tralian, screw steamer, from Livorpool, and then pro-
ceeded for Now York.
I_BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH. I
GRAVESEND, Monday Morning.
Arrived, March 11—Richard Cobden, from Christiania
Julia, from Memel•
steamer, from Antwerp
'.DEAL, Monday Morning.
Maas,A r i
Byte° da
er,
Dee, from the
Ma,rfcrhoral2R—opttelrPdhaimn
passed, March 11—tier Majesty's ship
west for Woolwich; Dublin, screw steamer, from London
for Bordeaux.
12—Caldbeck, from Singapore • Seine and
Taml3:issld
se.e,d7r mom Paris ; Mento, schooner, from Oporto—all
for London.

Anchored—Lorton, from London for Yokohama.

Viscount Castlerosse has returned to 11,
Bl
grave-square, from his seat, Killarney, Ireland. Tehe-
vt
hi see °Ella:tees; rea caeds s family are not expected in town until after
THE LIONS.—At length it is said that two of the
lions intended for the bass of the Nelson monument in
Trafalgar-square have been finished, as far as the model
is concerned, by Sir Edwin Landseor ; and arrangements
will now commence for founding in bronze. At this rate
of progress it is not impossible that our children way live
to soo this tribute of national gratitude completed.—. Van
Chester Guardian.
GItOWTII OF TIIE CATIIO LI ES.— e
Th Catholic
World says that within the last fifty years no church has
been so prosperous in the United States as the Catholic
church, and adds :—" About tWo thousand churches and
chapels have been built ; an increase of one thousand eight
hundred clergymen—mostly from abroad—one hundred
and sixty schools established for the Catholic training of
18,000 boys and 33,000 girls. Moreover there existed in
1857 sixty-six asylums, with 4,063 orphans of both sexes ;
twenty-six hospitals with three thousand beds ; four insane
asylums, besides many other charitable institutions, all
established and supported by the private charity pf
rafter Catholics.
Is will send information from the Course before
o
race a good thing for.Northamptonshire Stakes.
mAtße'
G
For terms, send stamp directed envelope to 8, Bouverio-
, street, Paddington.

~_.
AMERICA.

SOUTHAMPTON, Saturday.

The North German Lloyd's steamer Atlantic,
from New York on the 22d ult., arrived off Cowes
to-day, en route for Bremen. She brings 15 pas-
sengers, but no specie.