The Sun.
London, England, 1861-04-10 00:00:00

CENSUS PAPERS.

On the motion of Mr. SCULL!, copies of the printed
forms of the Census papers for England, Ireland, and Scot-
land, respectively, were ordered.
BOROUGH FRANCHISE BILL.

Mr. BAINES in moving the second reading of this bill,
appealed to the house for the indulgence that was conceded
to a member who was anxious to discharge his duty con-
scientiously, and said he was there to advocate the interests
of a large body of his countrymen, who, he believed, de-
sired and deserved to be admitted to the political
privilege from which they wee at present excluded.
When the Government introduced their measure of Reform
he supported it in this house and elsewhere. That bill same
recommended to them by the Sovereign, and its principle
received the assent of both sides of the house, and when an
appeal was made to the country at the last general election,
it received also the assent of the country. In introducing
this bill he was, therefore, not bringing forward any
new principle, but one that had already been

. • ,
sanctioned by the Sovereign and the house. He was met
with two preliminary objections, namely, that a measure of
this description should be intrluced by her Majesty's Go-
vernment, and not by a private member, and that Reform
should be dealt with by a comprehenhive measure and not in
detail. His answer to the first was that this measure had
really been introduced by Government 011 a previous occasion,
and with regard to the next objection, he would draw atten-
tion to the fact that Parliament had legislated on the ques-
tion of Reform in separate and detached parts, and with
great success. The experience of the last nine years showed
how difficult it was to carry out any general measure of Re-
form through that house ; and he referred to the progress
of legislation in regard to criminal law and bankruptcy
in support of his position. It had also been
objected that the people did not make any demand for
reform, but that was more correct when it was at first
asserted than it was at present, as was apparent from the
petitions which had been presented to the House, and the
meetings that had been held throughout the country in
favour of reform. He was ready to admit, that in conse-
quence of the general prosperity, there had been an apathy
with 'regard to this subject, as well as to other popular
questions. But they had no security that the
present calm would not be converted into a storm, and he
cited the authority of Lord John Russell, to show how
much more advisable it was to legislate on the subject of
reform in a period when the people were quiet instead of
when they were agitated. (Hear, hear.) He would be
able shortly to show that during the last 30 years there had
been an increase in the intelligenee of the people not
only in proportion to their population, as had
been stated on a previous occasion by the ho-
nourable member for Buckingham, but in consider-
able excess of population. During the period to
which he alluded the population in England and Wales had
risen from 14,000,000 to 20,000,000, which was at the rate
of about 43 per cent., and he contended that the £6 occu •
pier of 1861 was better qualified to exercise the fran-
chise than the £lO householder of 1825. His bill
simply proposed to meet this state, by extending the fran-
chise to £6 occupiers, which was what the Government had
endeavoured to effect. He had, however, an advantage
which Government did not then possess, being; in posses.
sion of returns relative to male occupiers in parliamentary,
boroughs, which had been returned to the parochial autho-
rities, by whom they were amended and re-presented to
the House. It appeared that the whole number of
voters in boroughs in England and Wales was 442,210,
and his bill proposed to add about 211,269 to that,
which would make a total of over 653,400.
But there would be deductions from these in consequence
of persons omitting to register or from other disqualifica •
tions. He founded this upon what was shown to have
taken place with reference to the £lO voters, which amounted
to 27 per cent. deduction, and he contended that in the case
of the poorer voters the deduction would belarger, from their
more frequent removals and other causes. The conse-
quence of this deduction would be to reduce the 211,300 ad-
ditional voters, which would reduce the amount to 200,000.
There were deductions to be made with respect to scot and
lot voters, and the amount would be further reduced to 180,000
additional voters. The great bugbear relative to the reduc-
tion of the franchise, was, that it would admit a majority
of the working-classes to the electoral body; but the fact
was that only about three-fourths of these classes
would obtain the franchise, which would reduce the
amount of voters from that body to 135,000. The hon.
member then went into additional statistics to show that
the number of electors of the working classes would, in
reality, not exceed 20 per cent. of the whole electoral
body He then alluded to the improvements that had
taken place in the c, ndition of the working classes
during the last 30 years in foreign trade, commerce, nevi.
gation; and manufactures, which had increased to an
extent unprecedented in the annals of a civilised country.
He also adverted to the extraordinary development of the
railway system, and to the rapid increase of news-
papers, periodicals, and educational works, to show
the great extension of the intelligence of the community;
and he contended that this improvement must be taken to
the account of the working clauses as the education of the
upper and middle classes had been previously
provided for. The honourable member then went
in detail through the various social, moral, and intellectual
developments of the community during the period to which
his observations alluded, and argued that this fully de-
monstrated that the working classes were entitled to the
possession of the franchise. He recapitulated the different
points to which he had already adverted, and dwelt strongly
on the growth of temperance and mechanics institutes, and
the diminution of crime, and the cost of pauperism, in
support of his assertion, that the improvements which he
had described, showed the progress and elevation of the
working-classes.

[LEFT SPEAKING.]

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—(This Day.)

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

A REFRESHMENT HOUSEKEEPER SUMMONED FOR
SELLING BUNS ON GOOD FRIDAY.—Mr. Isaac Augustus
Cooper, refreshment housekeeper and confectioner, of 70,
Oxford-street, appeared before Mr. Tyrwhitt to answer a
summons for unlawfully opening his house before the hour
of one in the afternoon of Good Friday last.

Frederick Walls, 27 G, proved that at 20 minutes past
11 on the morning of Good Friday, seeing two women
purchase hot cross-buns at the defendant's.
Defendant—l had my house open for the sale of buns, as
I have done for many years.

Mr. Tyrwhitt—But the Refreshment Act has only been
passed a short time.

Defendant to the constable—Did you see me serve any
wines, or do I open of a Sunday.
Officer—No.

Defendant—l was not aware I was doing any wrong.
Mr. Tyrwhitt—lt is against the law. The Refreshment
Act says, "Nor shall any such house be open for the sale
or consumption in it of any article whatever at any time
during which the houses of licensed victuallers eiall be
closed, on any Sunday, Good Friday, or Christmas Day."
It is the first year the act has been in force, sn a nominal
fine, as you now understand you have not obeyed the law,
will suffice. Fined ls. and costs.

ROBBING BROTHER JONATHAN.—Sarah Kelly, a well
dressed young female, was charged with robbing Mr.
Edward Herbert, an American gentleman, residing at 13
Craven-street, Strand.

The prosecutor said that he was a stranger in London,
and while on his way to the Haymarket Theatre the previous
evening he asked the prisoner the way to the theatre, and
while doing so felt her hand in his pocket, and missed his
purse containing a sovereign, a half-sovereign, and two
American gold dollars, and other American money. The
French coin produced, and which was loose in his pocket,
he could identify. He told the prisoner she had robbed
him, but she denied it, and he then gave her into custody.
A female, named Elisabeth Palmer, here stepped for-
ward and said she resided at Shoreditch, and the prisoner
resided with her, and she always believed her a respectable
young woman.

Mr. Tyrwhitt—But we don't know who you are.
Mrs. Palmer (whoseappearance certainly did not bear out
her statement), said her husband was a surgeon's assistant,
at West Ham.

Mr. Tyrwhitt—Well, we will remand her for a few days
for inquiry.

211 IS DAY'S SHIPPING.

LONDON, April 10.—Wind this day at noon, E. ;
fresh breeze, and fine clear weather.
JERSEY, April 7.—Wind E.—Arrived—Swift, from
Gibraltar.

DEAL, April 9.—Wind E.—Sailed—Blyth, for Madras.
FALMOUTH, April 10.—Arrived—Helena, from Mau-
ritius; Weasel, from Santander.
CARDIFF, April 9.—Wind E.—Sailed—Clarendon, for
Quebec.
PouTsmouu, April 9.—Wind E.N.E.—Sailed—Jay,
for Porto Rico.

(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)
PLYMOUTH, Wednesday, 10 a.m.
Three line-of-battle ships, under courses, topsails, top-
gallantsails, and royals, are outside the Eddystone—desti-
nation unknown, going apparently up Channel. One is
now on the starboard tack, standing in towards White
Sand Bay, the other two are on the port tack. Wind
north -easterly, a light breeze.
The Isis, 44, and Dee 4, in the Sound are demanding the
names of the strange ships.
Admiral Erskine's squadron, the Edgar and others,
from Lisbon, were reported off Berry Head on Monday
evening.

SOUTHAMPTON, Wednesday Morning.
Arrived, April 9—Maria, from Denmark ; Garteraig,
from Poole ; Rob Roy, from Hull ; Firefly, steamer, from
Cardiff ; Oak, from Dublin ; Alliance, steamer, from
Havre; Mary Ann, from Poole; Leda, from Dublin;
Pirate, from London.
Sailed—Mary Ann, for Port Madoc ; Corwibia, for Car-
diff; Magdalena, steamer, for Rio 'Janeiro,