The Sun.
London, England, 1859-04-01 00:00:00

THE BALLOT SOCIETY.

The weekly meeting of the executive committee
was held at the offices, 5, Guildhall-chambers,
Basinghall-street, on Tuesday ; Sir John Scott
Lillie, G.C.8., in the chair. Mr. Whitehurst, Mr.
Elt, r. Le Maitre, Mr. Hyde Clark, Mr. Syden-
ham Nodes, Mr. Passmore Edwards, Mr. W. Austin,
Mr. M. E. Marsden, Mr. W. E. Dawes, &c., were
present. Reports from correspondents in various
constituencies were received, and directions given
to recommence a series of public meetings in the
provinces to promote the adoption of the ballot in
any Reform Bill, whether of the present or a sue-
ceeding government.
A sub- committee, consisting of Major-General
Thompson, M.P., Mr. Whitehurst, Mr. James
Campbell, and Mr. Elt, was appointed to examine
and report on the essays sent in by competitors in
reply to the advertisement issued by the committee
offering prizes for the three best essays, to be writ-
ten by working men and tenant farmers. '
It was resolved to communicate with the various
metropolitan vestries, suggesting that at the elec-
tions to be held next May under the Metropolis
Local Management Act, the ballot directed to be
taken by that act should be taken in the manner
now in use in the Australian colonies.
The following letters from. Mr. Nicholson, "the
father of the ballot in Victoria," and from the Mayor
of Launceston, Tasmania, were read and ordered to
be communicated to the press
Mr. Nicholson says :—" You were exactly right
in what you had told Mr. Cobden respectino. Mr.
John Thomas Smith. He was always opposed to the
ballot, and during the discussion on the subject
previous to its adoption, he declared he would leave
the country if it was adopted. There are some per-
sons who never will be for the ballot, for there aro
a certain class who can manage an election to their
own advantage better with open voting than by the
ballot. You say Mr. Smith has stated to Mr. Cobden
that he could have refuted all I had said about the
ballot had he been in England at the same time. He
is a rash man to make Such a statement. Everything
I stated was fully proved by the best testimony.
The press is unanimous in its favour, and most
of its opponents are converted to its favour by their
experience of its working. In addition to all I
have said, I may call your attention to the fact of
Mr. Haines being in England just now. He led
the Government of the day against the ballot ; he
has fully testified to its utility here. The ballot
is rarely mentioned here now ; it has given such
satisfaction that it has settled down into one of the
institutions of the colony. Men, no doubt, vote for
their employers or others in a higher position in
society than themselves ; but they do it of free
choice, there is not such a thing as coercion. In
the two elections which have come off since my
arrival, there has been no personal canvassing, and
what is most important, all is remarkably orderly
in the polling-places. You will have heard before
this that it has been adopted in Sydney. Very
little has been said about it. Mr. Donaldson tried
to get up a debate upon the subject, but he failed,
the division left him almost alone. Their electoral
act had caused great excitement, and thrown one
Government out, but they appear to be nearly as
satisfied as we in Victoria about the ballot."
The Mayor of Launceston says :—" I read in the
London papers the debate in the House of Commons
on the question of the ballot during last session,
when Mr. Marsh, a successful squatter' of Aus-
tralia, delivered an address against the measure, in
which he made statements respecting the working
of the ballot in this colony wholly untruthful, in
every way. I determined on the instant of reading
the debate to take some steps to contradict his mis-
statements and erroneous conclusions; but I scarcely
knew to whom I might address myself, until lately,
in a periodical, I met with the advertisement of the
' Society for Promoting the Adoption of the Ballot,'
of which society you are the chairman. I have not
Mr. Marsh's speech before me. I remember, how-
ever, that he declares that, under the vote by ballot
the people of this colony have returned men to Par-
ment of so low a character that the result has been
the enactment of disgraceful scenes in the house, on
the part of members who, but for the ballot, would
never have occupied such official distinction. Inui
desirous that you should know that, however violent
and intemperate the conduct of Mr. Gregson in
our local Parliament has been, he is a very old
colonist, of a good family in England. The in-
firmity of temper which he has manifested militates
nothing, therefore, against the vote by ballot.
Generally under this system, throughout the colony,
the best men have been invariably elected ; and
this, notwithstanding that, looking to the former
social condition of our population, the British Par-
liament have committed the serious error of giving
us a £lO (occupancy) franchise, in a colony where
very few dwellings indeed are assessed at so low a
rental. With respect to the quiet and decorum
which attend all our elections, I assure you persons
recently from England speak with intense gratifi-
cation ; and those of us who have witnessed the
excitement, drunkenness, and debauchery of the
old system of voting, desire heartily the extension
of the ballot system to our beloved countrymen at
home.' The system of the ballot is adopted both
at parliamentary and municipal elections, and with
the like success. I have been returning officer at
the elections in this borough and for the district (or
county) elections, and can speak with confidence of
the vast superiority of the ballot over former sys-
tems of voting ; and I am sure it would very soon
become to be regarded as a great social blessing to
England, if once the vote by ballot became the law
of the land. I therefore wish your society success.
trust my personal experience may be useful to
you. Certainly I have the advantage of Mr.
Marsh, that I have been in contact with the
system, and have seen its admirable working in
He e bas but looked at it;
and Tasmaniafi.om
aa
falseand Australia,position
and through a prejudiced
medium."

NEW REEF IN THE STRAITS OF
MALA CCA.

A letter received at Lloyd's,dated Singapore, the
Bth February, gives some information respecting a
new danger in the shape of a silken reef, to which
it is important the attention oflrariners should be
directed. It was discovered by the Loch Lomond,
from Batavia, striking upon it on her passage to
Singapore, and the following account is given of
the circumstance :
" On the sth February, when near the little Pan
Shoal, wind N.E., ship on port tack, tide setting to
the eastward, Ningsa Island just open with Ningsa
Point, observed that the beacon on the Little Pan
Shoal had disappeared, put the helm down, when
about to haul the mainyard, the vessel took the
ground ; got the boats out with stream anchor.
On sounding round the ship found her to be
on a patch of very small extent having five
or seven fathoms, within a few feet of the vessel
shallow water. Saw the bank six feet under the
water ; it appeared to be about six or seven feet in
diameter, and in form a mushroom coral. Ningsa
Island, south end, was then just clear of the Point,
and bearing W. N. A small rock without a name
S. This would place the rock to the northward of
the Pan Shoal, and, probably, is the same on which
the brig Slocano struck some five years ago."
It would therefore appear that the bearings lald
down in the Admiralty charts of the Pan Shoal, do
serves
writer very justly ob-
not cl
:
ear the rock. The
It is much to be regretted that beacons are not
placed on the small shoals here."
Some further particulars respectinc, the shoal are
contained in the following extract from the log of
the barque Constance, which struck upon it on the
Bth January, at 3.30 p.m.
" The Island of Jarang bore N. distant about 11
mile; Wind N. by E., steering E.S.E. ; ship going
five knots, when she suddenly struck on a bank or
reef, not laid down in the chart." ,

LIVERPOOL, Wednesday.—The screw steamer
City of Baltimore sailed yesterday for New York with the
United States' mail, a moderate cargo, and 350 passengers.
The Cunard steamer Europa will sail on Saturday with the
mails for New York. The box at the Post-office will'elose
on that day at 7.30, with additional fees at 8.30 a.m., and
onothoeLlDanFdinnogAsitaAgeusaTt
RabAoLultA._As much9.3oa.ln as £967,000
.
in gold is known to be still at sea from Melbourne. The
Copenhagen has been out 96 days, with X 87,800 (this vessel
was spoken with on the 23d inst.) ; the RoYal Bride, 89
days, with X 117,100 ; the Roxburgh Castle, 79 days, with
£166,000 ; the White Star, 76 days, with £130,000 ; the
Austral, 74 days, with £61,400 ; the lleatherbell, 69 days,
with X 84,400 ; the Champion of the Seas, 66 days, with
X 92,200; the Maidstone, 62 days, with X 75,000; the Royal
Charter, 60 days, with £109,300; and the Conflict, 56 days,
with £43,500. The proportion now due is about £370,000.
LYCEUM TIIEATRE.—Last night, a new and
original five-act play, by Mr. Edward Falconer, who made so great a success last year in his comedy of "Extremes,"
was produced at this theatre. The present drama is founded
on a novel, and the story is that of two Venetian lovers.
It takes its name from the heroine Francesca Gradenigo
(beautifully sustained by Mrs. Charles Young), and it elu-
cidates the two passions of love and hatred. The story has
many good points in it, and it increases in interest as it ap-
proaches the denoneinent. But, like most of Mr. Falconer's
plays, it is greatly overwritten. The audience pronounced
a decided verdict in favour of the play. The new scenery
is exceedingly nicely painted by Mr. Callcott, and the play
is altogetherzot up in excellent style.
FIRE AND LOSS OF LIFE.--SIIOCKING SCENE.—
Yesterday Mr. Wakley received information of the death of
Mrs. Bridget Summers, aged 40 years, who resided at J.
Ragan's, lodging-house keeper, No. 37, George-street, St.
Giles. It appeared that smoke was seen issuing from the
front windows by some of the neighbours. Deceased, who
had been intoxicated, was found nearly burnt to a cinder.
Another woman was lying on the ground nearly suffocated,
and also intoxicated. Three others were in an adjoining
room in a similar condition ; they were extricated as soon
as possible. Had the flames spread the whole five must
have been burnt.

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