The Sun.
London, England, 1859-08-03 00:00:00

singular case referred to were very lucidly and suc-
cinctly recapitulated. Colonel FRENCH recalled
to the recollection of the house, in the first
instance, how at the last general election Norwich,
after a severe contest, had returned its old mem-
bers, Lord BURY and Mr. SCHNEIDER. How, not
long afterwards, the former accepted office under
the new Ministry, a petition having meanwhile
been presented against both members upon the
charge of bribery and corruption. How, notwith-
standing a momentary hesitation as to the correct-
ness of issuing a new writ while the petition
against the former election was still pending—a
new writ was so issued—a second election did take
place at Norwich—Lord BURY being again re-
turned. How two additional petitions—(also upon
the ground of bribery) were then presented
against that "second" return of Lord BURY—were
thereupon referred to the Committee by whose
members the first petition was about to be
formally scrutinised—but were only so re-
ferred to that Committee, upon the express
understanding that they could not, according to
statutory provisions, take those petitions (in re-
spect, be it remembered, of different elections) into
their consideration simultaneously. By so doing,
indeed, the Committee would have been contra-
vening the order expressly prescribed to be followed
out by the Act of Parliament. Finally, Colonel
FRENCH reminded the house how it was that—in
obedience to the order laid down in the Act of
Parliament—the petition relating to that first
(double) election was examined into by the Com-
mittee, and how the Committee had at length but
very recently decided, after due deliberation, upon
perfectly irresistible evidence, that both Lord
BURY and Mr. SCHNEIDER were proved guilty,
through their agents, of the grossest bribery, and
were (therefore) declared to be unseated accord-
ingly. " Now," continued Colonel FRENCH,
coming at length to the point, and putting it just
as pointedly as it could well be put before
the House, and before the Speaker, "now, the 36th
section of the Corrupt Practices Act enacted that
no candidate who should be declared guilty of
bribery or treating should be capable of being
elected or sitting for the same place during the
Parliament then in existence ; but the case of Lord
Bury was a very peculiar one, because when he ac-
cepted office he was capable of being elected, no
declaration that he had been guilty of bribery
through his agents having been made against him
by a committee." The query addressed to the
Speaker, thereupon, by the hon. and gallant gentle-
man was simply this, " whether the decision of the
committee that both Lord BURY and Mr. SCHNEI-
DER had been guilty of bribery at the general elec-
tion did of itself void the second election of Lord
BURY, or whether the noble lord, like Baron
ROTHSCHILD when he was first elected for
the city of London, though capable of being
elected, could neither sit nor vote in the
House." Hereupon—before the SPEAKER could
express any opinion upon the matter—one of the
highest and most respected legal authorities in the
House of Commons, the right hon. and learned
member for the University of Cambridge, himself
in all likelihood to be Mr. SPEAKER'S successor,
volunteered—we conceive very generously, though
he had the modesty to do so apologetically—volun-
teered to interpose between the house and the
SPEAKER, "because," as he himself said, " he
thought that the question, involved as it was in so
many difficulties, was hardly one respecting which
they ought to appeal to the right hon. gentleman."
Before apologising thus gracefully, however, for
what he termed his intrusion, Mr. WALPOLE stated
the actual position of things between Lord
BURY, the House itself, and the Norwich
Election Committee, as clearly as any com-
plex position could be described in spoken
or written language. He observed that :—" The
Act of Parliament in such a case wa's impera-
tive, and declared positively that any person who
had been found guilty of bribery by himself or his
agents should be incapable of sitting for that place
during the then existing Parliament. It, therefore.
required no action on the part of that House to pre-
vent Lord BURY from taking his seat as soon as he
was thus declared incapable of sitting. If the
noble lord ventured to sit and vote he would sub-
ject himself to penalties, and if the House took
notice of his presence it would immediately, recog-
nising the law of the land as prescribed by the Act
of Parliament, order him, through the SPEAKER, to
withdraw. Under no circumstances, therefore, could
Lord BURY attempt to take his seat except, at great
peril. Then came the question what was the House
to do respecting the seat thus declared void. If
Parliament continued sitting but little difficulty
would arise. The second petition would come on
in its order, and the Election Committee would
decide whether the candidate who claimed the seat
on the ground of bribery committed at the former
election was or was not entitled. A a matter of
course, when that was determined the question
whether a new writ should issue or not would also
be determined. At present, however, that question,
if asked, would be attended with great difficulty,
because if the House decided that a new writ should
issue for both seats they would by anticipation be
deciding against thri candidate who had
claimed the seat. It seemed to him, there-
fore, that there was only one course which the
House could properly take, namely, to allow
the writ to issue for one only of the seats ;
or, if they thought fit, they might withhold both
writs. The point was a new one ; and though he
believed that the statement he had made was con-
sistent with the law, the mode in which the House
would act upon the law was a matter which would
depend upon all the circumstances of the case."
We have given the opinion of the right hon. gen-
tleman verbatim, because, as he very justly
' observed himself, the point is a new one, and
because it is one we cannot but think of very con-
siderable importance, involving as it does, and,
as we have before remarked that it does, a question
intimately and immediately affecting the organisa-
tion of the House of Commons. Neither did
Sir G. GREY, nor, for that matter, did even
Mr. Speaker himself appear to be in any
way obliged as its happens either to Colonel
FRENCH for calling the attention of the
House to the anomalous position of Lord
BURY, or to Mr. WALPOLE, for explaining his
sentiments as to the course which the House ought
to pursue under the circumstances. As to the
Speaker, thus quoth he—" If the right hon. gentle-
man (Mr. WALPOLE), had not interposed it would
have been my duty to have informed the ga llan
member that the subject which he brought before
the House was not one of privilege. With regard
to the question which he proposed to me—namely
whether, after the decision of the Election Com-
mittee, Lord BURY conld sit in the House, I
should have requested him to examine the Act of
Parliament, which is very definite and distinct
upon the subject. That act,andwenuoldt
haanvy-e
thing which could fall from me,
i given
to
these
been the proper guide for the opinion of the
house."
The sententious answer
g
words was expressed with whatappears
us
somewhat unnecessary petulance : but to that
opinion, of course, in common with the house and
the country, we bow respectfully. As to Sir

GEORGE GREY, the arrogance of Ms tone in reply-
ing, elicited from Colonel FRENCH a reproof dic-
tated by a very natural feeling of indignation
—the hon. and:gallant member observing that "he
thought he had a right to complain of the
lecturing tone of the right hon. gentleman, who,
considering his position in the House, ought to
take a little trouble to soften that tone." The
cause of all this is sufficiently obvious. The tables
have been turned so entirely upon the immaculate
maligners of the Derbyites—that we don't wonder
very much they should be very sore and occa-
sionally ill-tempered. Besides arrogance like
that shown by Sir GEORGE GREY is incoming a
mere matter of course. We all remember—
some even with painful vividness—how rough-
shod every one in the House and out of the
House was ridden over a couple of years ago by
the Palmerstonians

It is satisfactory to find that the life-blood of
the metropolis has flowed more equably during the
past week—according to the pulsations audible
through the Registrar-General's stethoscope. In-
stead of the mortality for the past week being
raised by nearly 600, as compared with its prede-
cessor, it has been diminished by nearly 200. The
preceding week, the week ending the 23d of July,
had shown a total of 1,605 deaths in the metropolis.
The week ending on the 30th ult., or last Satur-
day, shows an aggregate of 1,419. Although,
however, the comparison of those two weeks
shows a diminution of 186—this last week,
as compared with the corresponding week in
the ten years previous (having due regard
in our estimate for the increase in popula-
tion) shows an excess still of no less than 157 above
that average. Yet, remembering that the mor-
tality has now for more than a month been steadily
increasing and increasing, week after week, until
it attained, as we have seen, that frightful aggre-
gate in the last week but one, of 1,605—it is at
least consolatory to find the aggregate dimin-
ishing again, during the last weak, by 186
altogether. The diminution, of course, is
attributable mainly to the fall of the quicksilver
in the thermometer. The mean temperature of the
air, which, as the Registrar-General's report re-
minds us, was 67 degrees in the first week of July,
71 degrees in the second, and 69 degrees in the
third, dropped again last week to 67 degrees—
and hence the decrease in the amount of the
mortality. Whatever the immediate causes
for this decrease, the results were in an
inexpressible degree satisfactory. During the last
week, nevertheless, there were 16 deaths from
diphtheria, 23 from smallpox, 36 from scarlatina,
and as many as 382 from diarrhoea. Of cholera or
of choleraic diarrhoea the report tells us that whereas
dining the last week but one there were no less
than 39 deaths—during the last week the deaths
from these causes have not exceeded a total of 19.
One of the five adult deaths included among these
19 instances of cholera or choleraic affections is
stated by the report to have been thus returned—" On
July 23, at Kensal-green gasworks house, an en-
gineer, aged 43 years, diarrhoea (18 hours), Asiatic
cholera (3 days), collapse (48 hours)." It is like
a glimpse of that dread pestilence that might have
decimated this dense population of 3,000,000
during these oppressive summer heats; but that
has:not—through the mercy of Divine_ Providence.
Our gratitude for the which mercy ought in reason
to be evinced now, among other things, by our zeal
in taking rational measures of prevention—by has-
tening forward—for the metropolis, the main
drainage—for the Thames, its effectual purifica-
tion!

ROYAL YACHT SQUADRON _REGATTA

MATCH FOR PRINCE ALBERT'S CUP.

COWES, AUG. 2.

The following schooner yachts were entered for this race,
and started with a fine breeze from the westward :—The
Cecile, 190 tons, the Marquis Conyngham ; Lotus, 188
tons, Earl Vane; Magnolia, 105 tons, Sir H. Beecher;
Zouave, 103 tons, R. Araben, Esq. ; Eugenie, 92 tons, R.
Frankland, Esq.
The match was very prettily contested, but the Zouave
proved too fleet for the other yachts, and she came in a
victor by twenty minutes, the Cecile being second.
The band of the Waterford Militia played on the Parade
during the day, attracting thousands of hearers.

PRICE OF GOLD.—The quotation of gold at Paris
is about at par, and the short exchangeou London is 25.05
per £1 sterling. On comparing these rates with the Eng-
lish Mint price of £3 17s. 101 d. per ounce for standard gold,
it appears that gold is about 2-10ths per cent. dearer in
Paris than in London. By advices from Hamburg the
price of gold is 4191 per mark, and the short exchange on
London is 13.21 per £1 sterling. Standard gold at the
English Mint price is therefore about 2 10ths per cent.
dearer in Hamburg than in London. The course of ex-
change at New York on London for bills at 60 days' sight
is about 1104 1 per cent., which, when compared with the
Mint par between the two countries, shows that the ex-
change is in favour of England ; and, after making,
allowance for charges of transport and difference of inte-
rest, the present rate leaves a small profit on the importa-
tion of gold from the United States.

Intelligence was received yesterday of the
arrival of the steamer Northam at King George's Sound
on the 30th May, with the London mail of April 18th. She
sailed for Melbourne on the 31st.

The liquidators of the Western Bank of London
have given notice of a return of £2O per share. It is esti-
mated that fully £lO will be ultimately returned on each
£lO share:

It appears that the Government contemplate
cars ying out certain suggested alterations in the issue of
the smaller coins by the introduction of coins of bronze or
mixed metal, a bill having just been introduced to render
all exiisting enactments which are applicable to the current
copper coin, applicable to coins of the new description.
A Bill has been introduced by the Government
to enable the funds of Penny Savings banks, or of Provi-
dent institutions, to be invested in the ordinary savings-
banks, without restriction as to amount. Hitherto cha-
ritable and provident institutions, with the exception of
friendly societies, have not been allowed to invest in savings
banks at the rate of more than £lOO per annum, or beyond
an aggregate of £300._

ENGLAND AND FRANCE.—A clergyman of the
Church of England, the donor of the Great Exhibition
Prize Essay, has offered 50 guineas each—one for England,
and one for France—for the best essay on the immense
importance of a close union of England and France, both
for their own interest and welfare, and for the peace and
happiness of the world, with suggestions on the best means
of making this union perpetual. The Right Hon. Lord
Brougham and Vaux, and the Right Hon. the Earl of
Clarendon, have kindly consented to,be the adjudicators of
the English Essay.
The Indian statement of Sir C. Wood last night
harmonizied with the expectations previously entertained
of the financial requirements of the current year. The
belief was that a further debenture loan of £6,000,000 or
£7,000,000 might be demanded, and it appears that the
amount proposed (exclusive of the £2,000,000 remaining to
be issued of the last loan) will be limited to £5,000,000, to
be obtained in instalments up to April next. As this will
leave a surplus of about £1,000,000 at that period the state-
ments is, if anything, rather less favourable than had been
anticipated.
ROBINS'S AUCTION Rooms.—lt seems that the
oldest auction rooms in London, we mean those under the
Piazza in Covent. gorden, and occupied alone by the Messrs.
Robins and their predecessors for upwards of half a century,
will, before long, hold a place only in the records of the
past. The "hammer" has fallen upon the last "lot" in
these ancient rooms, and another and more formidable im-
plement will shortly be brought into use there, for the old
premises are to be cleared away to make room for a spa-
cious hotel, which is immediately to be erected in their
place.
MEETING OF GOLDSMITHS, JEWELLERS, AND
WATCHMAKERS.—Last evening a public meeting of the
members of the above-mentioned trades took place at the
London Coffee-house, Ludgate-hill, for the purpose of
taking into consideration the necessity of forming a trade
company for the assurance and protection of these trades
against robberies and burglaries now so frequently occur-
ring, and by which these trades are victimised. A resolu-
tion was agreed to " That a company be formed to be called
the Goldsmiths' National Assurance and Protection Society,
having for its object the insurance of trade stocks against
burglary, the rendering of legal and other assistance to
members of the trade in cases of fraud or robbery, and also
the general interests of the trade at large."
FORTIFICATION OF INCHKEITIL—The following
communication from the War Office has been received by
the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, in answer to
the memorial recently forwarded relative to the defence of
the Firth of Forth :—" War Office, July 29.—Sir—In reply
to the memorial of the Chamber of Commerce of the city of
Edinburgh, forwarded to this office by the Lords Commis-
sioners of her Majesty's Treasury, I am directed by Mr.
Secretary Herbert to state, for the information of the Cham-
ber, that measures are about to be taler. fur commencing a
battery on Inchkeith for the protection of the Firth of
Forth, a step which the Government has determined upon
in the confidence that the city of Edinburgh will produce a
corps competent to man and work the guns.--I am, Sir,
your obedient servant, RIPON. The Chairman, Chamber
of Commerce, Edinburgh."