The Sun.
London, England, 1857-06-30 00:00:00

[FROM A CORRESPONDENT.]

The Meeting last evening at the King's Arms,
preparatory to the debate to-night on the Ballot,
will not be without its weight with the friends of
the movement, nor altogether insignificant to
Lord PALMERSTON. It consisted chiefly of dele-
gates from all parts of the kingdom, persons, who
for the most part had been hard workers at elec-
tions, and who could bear testimony, and did
bear it most cordially, to the numberless corrupt
influences under which the constituencies had to
vote, and their determination not to let the sub-
ject rest till the Ballot was the law of the land.
Each had some facts to tell of—some cases chiefly
of undue influence, though examples of bribery
were not wanting—which showed that in their
boroughs, at least, the Ballot was a necessity.

Mr. MILNER Gpsort introduced the most
important practical view, in which he was sup-
ported by all the Members of Parliament present,
and, of course, by the Meeting. He observed
that as the time for argument was confessedly
gone by, and the time for action come, they had
now to consider how the point was to be carried.
They had to compel Lord PALMERSTON to concede
the ballot, and to make it a part of his new Re-
, form Bill. His doing so entirely depended on
whether he could have the support of the liberal
party without the concession. Every one knows
that he would never yiell if he could help it ;
they might be equally certain that he would yield
rather than quit office. All, therefore, depends
on the course adopted by the liberal members after
the division of to-night. Suppose Mr. BERKELEY
is in a minority, yet if that minority contains a
large majority of the liberals, let that majority at
once have a meeting and send a deputation to
Lord PALMERSTON, assuring him that they will
not support his Government unless he adopts the
ballot. As the majority of his supporters they are
entitled to have their policy carried out, or to
leave the Premier to get his supporters among
the Tories if he can.

We quite agree with Mr. GiesoN, and could
Wish that on this subject he could make his voice
heard again in the House. Re is a practical man,
and knows, as well as any Member of the House,
how to put the screw on a Minister. However,
the Manchester Tories, in voting for Mr. POTTER,
have sent a very decided supporter of the Ballot
to the House, and Manchester retains its votes
for the Ballot ; if we cannot say that it will be
supported with equal eloquence or parliamentary
knowledge. There is no doubt that if Lord PAL-
MERSTON thinks the Liberal Members in earnest,
he will yield. Will they be in earnest ? The
Division list to-night will test that. Absentees
and ?cu.., 11l *eV all vpeu uo more or less suspicion,
and will by their conduct encourage the Minister
to hold back. They must all, if men who have
promised or pledged themselves, be dealt with
rigorously by their constituencies, and a
full account of their stewardship exacted from
them. Something more, must, however, be now
required than voting right this evening. Many
will do that, who, we are sorry to think, would
be thankful to be let off with a right vote. The
next thing to the vote is the necessity of the
hour ; the forming one of a deputation to compel
the PREMIER tc obey the vote of his professed
supporters. This will now become the test of
a really liberal shember.
We were glad to see Mr. BERKELEY in as good
spirits as ever after his twenty years service, and
to hear him avow his determination to be
"obstinate" on the question, if they pleased to
call it so. He intended to yield to no blandish-
ments, and no s Aggestions to put it off till next
session, or to shirk a division, or to take his
chance for another day; he intended "obstinately"
to press the motion to a division to-morrow. We
should add that Mr. NICHOLSON'S statements of
the conversions wrought in Australia by the suc-
cess of the first elections under the ballot, pro-
duced a strong and most hopeful impres-

Individuals, communities, corpora-
tions, who had opposed it out and out
till it had been tried, were now for-
ward not only to avow their chaugeof opinion, but
to act upon it. The ballot is now all but univer-
sal in each of the colonies in the Great Maud of
the South. The Sydney Legislature is not indeed
yet elected by it ; all the other legislatures and
corporations are, however, and the Government
at Sydney has proposed it for the corporation
there ! Can Englishmen at home be long denied
the liberty conceded to Englishmen in the colo-
nies ?

sion.