The Sun.
London, England, 1857-06-05 00:00:00

LAW OF LIBEL.

Lord CAMPITTL presented a petition from a cer-
tein party who was put to very gre;t expense, in conse-
quence of an action having been brought against him for
libel, which consisted in the publication of the proceed-
ings at a public meeting, in a newspaper. The petitioner
prayed for an amendment of the law. On 1114 motion
of the noble and learned lord the petition was referred to
the committee now sitting to inquire into the law of

SECOND READINGS.
On the motion of L'rd R.EDESDALE, the Exeter
and Exrnouth Railway Bill, Great Southern and Western
(Capita!) 8,11, and the Inverness and Nairn Railway
Bill was read a second time.

North Eastern Railway (Capital) ; Portsmouth Rail-
way ; Tralee and Killarney Railway ; Wycombe Rail-
way.
PUBLIC BUSINESS—ELECTION PETITIONS.
The SPEAKER announced that he had received
communications from Mr. Coppock, stating that it with
not intended to proceed with tha petitions against the
return of Mr. Christie, for Newcastle-under-Lynn; and
against the return of one of the members fur North.
Staffordshire.
Mr. RICHARDSON also commnnicated to the
Speaker that it W 39 not his intention to defend his re-
turn for the borough of Lisburn.

ELECTION COMMITTEES.
The following members were sworn on the General
Election Committee, empowered to commence' their
sittings forth with—Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Walpole, Mr. B.
Carter, Sir W. Somerville, Sir W. Heathcote, Mr. Miles,
and Colonel W. Patten.
PETITIONS.
Petitions were presented i❑ favour of Mr. Headlam'e
Medical Bill, and against Lord Elcho's Medical Bill,
against the Superannuation Act, in favour of Mr.
Hardy's Beer B 11, in favour of the Oaths Bill, against
Church rates, &c.

NEW WRIT.
Oa the motion of Sir W. J. JourrrE, a new writ WAR
ordered for the county of Carmarthen, in the room of
Mr. Davis, deceased.
ELECTION PETITIONS.
The following petitions against the return of members
have been examined and found unobjectionable :—Lis-
burn, Newport, Beverley, Taunton, Bodmin, Weymouth,
County of Gel A-ay, Bath, Mallon, Lanark, Bradford,
Ipswich, Falkirk, Sligo County, Huntingdonshire, Pe-
t?rbero', Queen's County, Per srnoutb, Chatham, Lym-
ington, Sandwich, North • Staffordshire, Yarmouth,
Totnes, Athlone, Clare, Meath, Finsbury, Sligo borough,
Berwick, Dover, Gloster, Newcastle-under•Lyne,
METROPOLITAN WORKHOUSES.
Viscount RA YNHAM gave notice that he shoul l on
this day fortnight move for a select committee to in-
quire into the condition of the metropolitan workhouses.

INDIA.
Mr. SMITH gave notice that on the 231 he should
call the attention of the house to the obstacles that im-
.pede the application of capital to India.

GRAND JURIES, &c. (IRELAND).
Mr. HAMILTON gave notice that on the 23d he
should move for a select committee to inquire into the
grand jury laws, &c, (Ireland).
THE BALLOT.
Mr. H. BERKELEY gave notice that on the 233 he
should bring on his motion relative to the ballot.

OATHS BILL.
Sir F. THESIGER said that for the convenience of
members he wished to state that he, and those who acted
with him, had no intention to oppose the second reading
of the ()Atha Bill on Monday next—(hear, hear)—but
that on the going into committee he shool I move the in-
troduction of certain words, to have for their object
the continuatio❑ of the Christian character of the as-
sembly. He and those who thought with him considered
the present alterations in the oath an improvement.

THE BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER an.
nounced that, i❑ the event of any estimate being com-
pleted to-morrow evening, and the debate on the Oaths
Bill not occupying mush time on Monday, he should
proceed with the civil service estimates.

THE PAPER DUTY.
Mr. G. A. HAMILTON asked the Chancellor of the
Exchequer, whether it was the intention of Government
with a view to the promotion of education to propose
any measure for granting a drawback on the paper duty,
as regarded paper and books•used for the purposes of
education ?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said it
was not his intention at present to introduce a measure
for the purpose of granting a drawback as asked.
LUNACY—ST. MARYLE BONE.
Mr. KINNAIRD asked the President of the Poor-
law Board whether he had received any communication
from the Board of Guardians of St. Marylebone in
answer to the report of the Cdmmissioners on
Lunacy, and whether he would have any objection
to lay such communication upon the table of the house ;
and whether any steps were about to be taken for the
purpose of preventing the continuance of the system
now prevailing in the Mary lebone Workhouse in regard
to the treatment of pauper lunatics?
Mr. BOUVERIE said that, with respect to the first
part of the question, a letter had been received from the
Board of Marylebone Guardians, containing a report
of a committee of their own body on the sub-
ject, and recommending certain steps for the re-
medying of the evils that existed in the workhouse
relative to the pauper lunatics. The question of admit-
ting the Inspector of the Poor-law Board to the meeting
of the Board of Guardians, and to take part in the pro-
ceedings, was now before the Queen's Bench, where it
would be fully argued. He had no objection to produce
the papers. The inspector had lately visited the work-
house with a special regard to the state of the pauper
lunatics, and the guardians were remedying the evils
complained of, as far as the accommodation of the work-
house would permit. (Hear, hear )

CHURCH RATES.
Sir J. TRELAWNEY asked the First Lord of the
Admiralty if it was his intention to introduce a bill for
the abolition of church rates this session ?
Lord PALMERSTON said that Government had a
measure on the subject in preparation, and he hoped
before long to submit it to the consideration of the
house. (Hear, hear.)
Sir J. TRELAWNEY said that the answer of the
noble lord was so unsatisfactory that he should bring on
the motion he had given notice of on this subject this
evening. (Hear, hear.)
Sir J. PAKINGTON asked the noble lord if, by
using the expression " before long," be meant this ses-
sion or next session ! (Laughter.)
Lord PALMERSTON said that anything having refe•
rence to the next session must be very long. (Laughter.)
He meant this session. (Hear, hear.)

VOTING PAPERS.

Lord R. CECIL moved for a select committee to
inquire into the expediency of collecting the votes at
elections in counties and universities by way of
voting papers. The noble lord entered at some
length into the question, and urged that it would
have the effect of preventing bribery and corruption,
and be the means of dispensing with the ballot. It
would also have the effect of increasing the number of
votes at elections, because a large number who did not
vote under the present system would by the mode he
proposed. It had been tried with reference to munici-
pal elections, and the election of Beards of Guardians,
and was found to work well. Is would also meet many
of the of of the noble lord the member for Middle-
sex relative to the expense of bringing voters to the poll.
Mr. M'CULLAGII opposed the motion, because,
from the advanced state of the session, it would be im-
possible for a committee to investigate properly the pro-
posed alteration, which struck at the root of our elec-
toral system. The present manly system of voting was
as bold as the constitution of the house itself, and to
that was opposed what he might term an "effeminate "
system, because under it at present women were al-
lowed to vote for certain officers. The difference in the
principles in use and proposed was this, that the law
was to give the franchise originally, and it now carried
out in practice the spirit and theory of the constitution.
Any man once placed on the registry could not be
divested of his right by any person, and it was his own
fault if he did not exercise it. He considered there were
five distinct contingencies to this mode of election, by
which the acts of other per-one, without privity or oom-
plicity of the voter, might prevent his exercising his right
to vote at all. The point was that it was possible the
voting impels might not be delivered to the voter at all,
and he instanced the case of Swansea and Banbury.
where the elections of guardians were declared null and
void from that circumstance. Another point was that
of falsifying or forging the papers, which be
illustrated by a circumstance of that kind that
occurred in 1855 in the borough of Lambeth,
where the parties were punished by criminal
proceedings. There was the case of an indictment
against five agents at West Bromwich, who were found
guilty of tampering with voting papers, and were sen-
tenced to three months imprisonment, and when the
Poor-law Board Inspector went dawn and investigated
the matter, he found that 342 voting pspers bad been
tampered with, and the majority of them found for-
geries. The honourable gentleman further proceeded t s
illustrate his argument by showing the abuse of power
nn the part of collectors of these papers in elections for
boards of guardians, and he proceeded to remark on thes
faults and irregularities attending these mere at
elections, which showed the system was a bad
hone, and
would not work, because stem wasbeen
declared void in consequence by the Poor Law
Board. (Hear, hear.) After some general remarks
he said that the Government ought not to consult the
interest of the few against that of the many who voted
under the present system. This was considered by many
as the half-way house to the Ballot, though repudiated
by the noble lord, but he differed from him, and he
moved the previous question.
Mr. BOWYER seconded the amendment.
Lord EBRINGTON, after some general remarks in
reply to the last speaker, said he should support the ori-
ginal motion, because before a committee means might
he found for preventing the frauds complained of. One
objection, to the proposed mode, was the bad pay-
ment of agents, instead of intrusting the delivery nod
collection of the papers to the police. This subject
ought to be incorporated into the reform bill of next see.,
sion. In Marylebone, eltotion by voting-papers was gain-
ing in popularity.
Lord STANLEY thought that the noble lord (Lord
R. Cecil) had made a mistake in mixing np the two elections
of counties and universities. If the proposed alteration had
been confined to universities he should have Supported
the motion, but he could notin countiea, bectoaousefathreormneoa;
sure would have the effect of either going
far enough for such constituencies.
Sir G. GREY opposed the motion for inquiry on the
ground that it was purely one of those questions which
the house could not devolve on any committee, but must
decide for itself.
Mr. H. BERKELEY compared the proposal to a
mere puddle, as compared with the whole sea of reform
t i which he would lead them in the ballot.
Lord .1. MANNERS recommended his noble friend
to withdraw his motion, a suggestion to which
Lord R. CECIL acceded, and the motion was with-
drawn, intimating that at some future period be would
propose a bill on the subject.
GENERAL COMMITTEE OF ELECTIONS.
Mr. WALPOLE brought up the report, observing
that it was impossible that the report could be made be-
fore that day. The members of the general committee