The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-26 00:00:00

VOTE B 1 BALLOT.

A meeting has been held by the committee of the Ballot
Society, to hear from the Hon. S. L. Tilley, Chief Secre-
tary of New Brunswick, the reason why the practice of
voting by ballot was introduced into that colony, and an
account of its working.
Mr. TILLEY said that under the election law of New
Brunswick every man was entitled to a vote who was as-
sessed upon an income of £lOO a year, or who possessed
£lOO personal property, or £2sreal property, and the assess-
ment roll constituted the list of voters. The register was
subject to revision every year. The arrangement in this
respect resulted in economy and accuracy. The committee
had put to him certain questions, before answering
which he thought it fair to say that some who voted
for the ballot originally were now opposed to it, though ho
was not one of that number, He had been asked first why
the ballot was adopted in New Brunswick. His reply was
that it was adopted in order to procure to the voter greater
independence and a more general vote. With open voting
many persons abstained from voting from the desire nut to
offend, or other causes. The next question put to him was
would the ballot prevent bribery and corruption, and secure
peace and order. His reply was that it would. Another
question was whether the ballot prevented a man's vote
being known. That would depend upon the man him-
self. Of course he could keep it a secret if he pleased.
Again, ho was asked if the ballot, according to his
experience of its working in New Brunswick, protected.
the voter from persecution, violence, and oppression. It
did not necessarily do so. The law in New Brunswick was
in some respects imperfect as regard2d the mode for casting
the ballot—that was, it was not a clo .e or sealed ballot, as
in Australia. Next, as to whether it put a stop to bribery,
drinking, and treating? His answer to this was that it did not
do so entirely, and for the same reason that it was not a
secret ballot, but it diminished those evils to a great extent,
and it also put a stop in a great degree to noise, disturbance,
and
disorder.ensdexpeof elections sixtheTlehcensF I
questiont ly had.certainwas,ha Seventh,
had itdiminished
the was
tke ballot a failure in the northern States of America ? He
thought not. Eighth, had it tended in any way to the
present unfortunate state of affairs in the United States, or
conduced in any way to the breaking up of the Union ?
He should certainly say not in the remotest degree..
Ninth, he was asked, comparing his experience of open
voting with that of voting by ballot, did he recommend its
adoption by this country? Certainly he did, and that
was after the experience they had had in New Bruns-
wick of one general election, and three or four years of
single elections since the act had come into operation.
Tenth, did more voters record their votes under it than,
under the system of open voting ? Yes, undoubtedly ; when
the ballot had failed to realise all that was expected of it, aFr
in some cases he admitted it had, it was attributable to tha
fact that the voter had not been left alone by himself when
he went up to give his vote. To make the system perfect,
the elector should be alone when he went up to deposit his
voting paper.

In the course of a conversation, in which Mr. Elt, Mr.,
Marsden, the Chairman, and Mr. Tilley, took part, the last
named gentleman added that another reason in favour of the
ballot was that it avoided the expense and inconvenience of
a scrutiny in the event of a disputed return. At first, when
it was adopted in New Brunswick, there were some instances
of personation ; but some five or six prosecutions, and the
placing of persons having local knowledge and who were
acquainted with the persons of the electors at the polling
booths, effectually guarded against this olojection.

On the motion of Mr. E. Marsden, seconded by Mr. Elt,.
a resolu'ion was passed to the effect that " This committee
desires to express its conviction that the fact of our colonies
successively incorporating vote by ballot with their repre-
sentative institutions, and its successful working wherever
adoptad, cannot fail to promote that growth and maturity
of public opinion by which, according to one of the leading
opponents of the measue, its adoption in this country must
be settled. The committee therefore congratulates the
friends of the ballot on the adoption and successful opera
tion of that protection to the voter in the colony of New
Brunswick; that this committee begs leave to tender its
hearty thanks to the Hon. S. L. Tilley for his attendance
here this evening, and for his clear and satisfactory account
of the working of the ballot in the colony of whose Legis-
lature and Government he is a distinguished member ;"
and, after a brief acknowledgment from Mr. Tilley, the
proceedings terminated.