The Sun.
London, England, 1859-04-25 00:00:00

LORD BURY ON THE BALLOT.

An enthusiastic meeting of the Liberals of the Eighth
Ward, was held on Friday night, in the Bath House, Saint
Martin's at Oak, Norwich—Mr. I. Williams presiding7 and
Mr. Pigg occupying the vice-chair.
Lord BURY spoke as follows on the subject of the ballot :
—I was canvassing in this ward to-day, and there was a
gentleman, whom I do not see present, though I have no
doubt he is in the room, who said that he wished to know
my sentiments on the subject of the ballot. I said to him,
" Sir, if you will attend the meeting at the Bath House
to-night, I will tell you exactly what I think about the
ballot, the probability we have of carrying it, and the rea-
sons which induced me to give it my best support." On
several occasions I have been reminded that at a meeting
held hero in Norwich, two years ago, though I expressed
my intention to vote for the ballot, I said I was not quite
clear that it would be se efficacious as its advocates desire.
I said on the occasion I have referred to that I had been a
good deal in America, and that I have seen, while there,
that the ballot did not promote secrecy—that I knew there
was no such thing as secrecy in America under the ballot,
and I confess I formed the rather hasty opinion that this
would render the ballot useless in England. lam no longer
of that opinion—for two reasons, first, because I am no
advocate of compulsory secrecy, and next, because the cases
of England and of America are quite dissimilar. The ad-
vocates of this mode of voting are accused of wishing to
compel a man to conceal his vote. What an absurd accusa-
tion 1 What law that was ever framed could compel a man
to keep a secret ? What man would vote for such a law,
even were it not an impossibility on the face of it ? I vote
for the ballot, but not because I believe that it will per-
form impossibilities like this, or that it is desirable that it
should be made to do so, but because I believe that its
effect will be good. No longer ago than the beginning of
this year I was present at a general election in America,
and I certainly did find that the votes taken by ballot
were not in the least secret. I saw the canvass book of
a member of Congress who had been returned under the
ballot, and opposite every man's name was the vote he had
given at the last election, and at the election before—in
fact, I believe that out of 3,000 or 4,000 names there were
not ten whose votes were not known. But then the re-
flection occurred to me, why is this so ? Why is this
election not secret? And I put the question to my friend
the member of Congress. I said to him, "You have the
ballot here, but your ballot is merely a name 1" He re-
plied, " The reason the ballot is not secret with us is that
we do not want secrecy, and because with us the ballot is
merely a manner of taking votes. We could make it secret
if we liked, but wages are too good here for any man to be
under the screw. The man who can earn £lss. to D. 10s.
per day does not fear the 4 screw,' and why should he fear
to announce his vote wherever he likes, or to let everyone
know what it is ?" (Applause.) This being the case in
America, the ballot there is nothing more than a means of
taking votes; and when non-advocates of the ballot allege
that it has failed in America, tell them, as I tell you now,
that it has not failed, but is simply not in full operation
because the people don't want secret voting. (Cheers.)
But when I come to England I find that the case is some-
what different. On the very last occasion when the ballot
was discussed in the. House of Commons, and when my col-
league and myself had the pleasure of voting in its favour
—(hear, hear)—several of its opponents, who were among
the most influential members of the house, got up and used
all those old and threadbare arguMents that have been so
often used before, telling us that we wanted to introduce
into this country an un-English mode of voting. "
Un-
English." What does that mean ? It means that it is not
the mode practised in England. I quite agree in this—it
is not the mode practised in England—but when we have
established it as the mode of voting, will it be un-English
then ? Will it not, then, be the mode adopted by the
English, and therefore the English mode of voting ? (Ap-
plause.) What an absurd argument, therefore, is that of
the ballot being un-English. But there is another meaning
which they attach to the term. They mean by it some-
thing that is not above-board, which does not declare itself
openly, which fears to assert itself in the face of day. Why,
gentlemen, I am not in favour, and I trust no Englishman
is in favour, theoretically, of concealing the vote he gives at
an election. I like to see a man march straight to the poll
shouting at the top of his voice the name of the candidate
for whom he votes. (Hear, hear.) That, certainly, is an
English and straightforward way of voting, and I should
like to see every man in the position to pursue that mode;
but, unfortunately, there is a reverse to the picture. (Hear,
hear.) Wo must not forget that there is many a small
tradesman who conscientiously believes that one candidate
would represent his views better than another, and who has
had the franchise entrusted to him for the purpose of voting
for the candidate he approves, but who is obliged under the
influence of the " screw," as it is popularly termed, to vote
against his conscience. (Hear, hear.) Now thatappears to
me to be an un-English mode of voting—nu-English in the
sense I have just mentioned as being not above board, and
not in the face of day. (Applause,) The real un-English
voter is the man who is obliged to go to the poll and vote
against his conscience. (Hear, hear.) Would not such a
man be better off with the ballot, so that be might vote in
secret and save his consciencefrom the moral lie involved in
voting as though he approved ono Candidate when in reality
he approves another ? (Applause.) I heard it stated by
Lord Palmerston, that in the present day there is no such
thing as the " screw." (Laughter.) I heard it stated by
him that intimidation had gone out of fashion. Now, I will
just tell you what I heard no later ago than last Saturday.
I was then talking to a gentleman from Yarmouth, and I
asked, "Are the Liberal candidates going to win ?" He re-
plied," Well, they ought to win, but the Tories have got the
screw on uncommon tight." Now, if I had had an oppor-
tunity of speaking during the debate on Tuesday, I should
have contradicted the assertion of the noble lord by telling
him the story I have just toldyou. It is for these, and from
no other reasons, that I vote for the ballot. Ido not wish
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I also wish every man to have the power of voting secretly,
for in that case it would not be worth anybody's while to
attempt intimidation, as it could not be known whether
that intimidation was successful or not. If the gentleman
whom I canvassed to-day be present, ho will, I hope, have
received such an answer as will assure him that when I
again vote for the ballot, as I certainly shall do, I shall
vote on conviction. (Applause.) When I came befcre you
two years ago I had been out of ;England for years—l was
new to English politict—l was an untried man; since then,
and since I have been your representative, I can honestly
say that I have devoted the whole energies of my mind and
body to that pursuit, that I have endeavoured, by every
means in my power, to improve myself on the subject, and
that I believe if anybody' were to put me through my poli-
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opinions
catechism, he would find that I entertained very dis-
tinctv foupr
pressed at the as.onsusrle yeoxu.
last election. They appear to me to have
been founded on reason and common sense, and if you do
me anm friend
without they other Mr. Schneider—for one won't go in
turning us to PatT(hear, hear)—the honour of again re-
pursue the line of ent I trust we shall in the future
conduct we have chalked out in the past,
and shall always be found among the foremost in all liberal
movements, whose object
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tent those wishes and feelings w
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carry out to the fullest
apl eh lam sure animate the
people of Nor*ich. (Gtreat
p ause.)