The Sun.
London, England, 1857-02-25 00:00:00

from the jurisprudence of the United States, may be abo-
lished ?

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said that he should
be exceedingly glad to promote any inquiry likely to
terminate in the result of abolishing the technical dis-
tinctions which now existed between suits at labir and
suits at equity—(hear, hear)—which he looked upon
as the foundation stone of any effectual reform of our
jurisprudence. The Government did not believe this was
a subject that could be properly considered in a commit-
tee of this house. The question mentioned " a commit-
tee or otherwise," and he had to state that the Govern-
ment had the question of a public department of public
justice, which, if established, would be a fitting depart-
ment to refer this question for consideration. (Hear.)
BOARD OF HEALTH.
Mr. PALK asked the President of the Board of
Health when he would bring in a Health of Towns Bill;
and whether the bill would carry out the recommenda-
tions of the committee on the Board of Health ?
Mr. COWPER said that he bad already given notice
for h.ave to introduce a bill to amend the Public Health
Act on the sth of March. That bill would be
similar to the bill referred last session to a select com-
mittee. Various suggestions had been suggested in it
after mature deliberation, and such as he considered the
select committee would have adopted.

SARDINIAN MEDALS, &c.
Mr. ESNIONDE asked the First Lard of the Trea-
sury when the issue of the Sardinian medals and the
Order of the Medjidi might be expected
Mr. F. PEEL said the lists were not quite ready. As
soon as they were the medals and orders would be dis-
tributed without loss of time.

THE IRISH MILITIA.
Mr. ESMONDE asked the First Lord of the Trea-
sury whether it was the intention of her Majesty's Go-
vernment to call nut for training the Irish militia, and
if so, at what period ?

Mr. F. PEEL said that a portion of the Irish militia
would be assembled this year for training, but he was
unable then to state when they would assemble for that
purpose.

GENERAL BEATSON.
Colonel DUNNE asked the Under Secretary for War
whether a court of inquiry, ordered to assemble to inves-
tigate charges affecting General Beatson and other
officers of rank, was to be kept secret I
Mr. F. PEEL said that this Court of Inquiry for in-
vestigating into the conduct of General Shirley relative
-to his charges agaiast General Beatson would be like all
courts of its class, a closed court. It was a court of
preliminary investigation, similar to that of a grand
jury in civil cases. The parties interested, and their
witnesses, would be'present.
INDUSTRIAL MUSEUM (EDINBURGH).
Sir JAMES FERGUSSON asked the Secretary to
the Treasury whether there would be any objection to
lay upon the table a c)py of the report of the Govern-
ment officer sent lately to Edinburgh to report upon the
proposed site of the Industrial Museum I
Mr. CO WPER—There was no report. An officer con-
nected with science and arc had been sent down to
Edinburgh to make inquiries rela'.ive to the erection of a
building for an industrial museum on a site already pur-
chased for that ptirpose. It was no part of his instruc-
tions to inquire into any matter relative to the present
or any other site. (Hear.)
THE JOINT-STOCK ACT.
Mr. WILKINSON asked the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer whether it was the intention of the Government
to introduce any measure in this session, either by
repealing the exemption clause in the Joint Stock Act
of last year, or otherwise, which should have the effect
of preventing a recurrence of the state of litigation which.
had taken place in the cases of the Tipperary and Royal
British Banks ?
The CHANCELI:OR of the EXCHEQUER said
that the Government were prepared with a measure on
the subject of joint-stock banks, and it would be intro-
duced by the Vice-President of the Board of Trade as
soon as the prospect of public business in that house
would allow of the question being properly considered.
ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE—ASH
WEDNESDAY.

On.the motion of gWG:GREY, the house, on its
rising, was adjourned till two o'clock to-morrow, to
allow of bon. members attending divine service according
to usual custom with the meihbers of the Government.
REPRESENTATIVE SYSTEM.

Sir JOSHUA WALMSLEY, in rising to move for a select
committee to consider and report upon the most practical
means for lessening the existing inequalities in our represen-
tative system, and for extending to the unenfranchised that
share of political power to which they may be justly entitled,
said be was about to call the attention of the house to the
case of a class of the population entitled to every considera-
tion. He was free to admit that tho question would have
been much better in the hands of the Government than in
those of a private individual. The more so that most if not
all of the members of the Government had on a firmer occa-
sion assented to a measure of Parliamentary reform. But
session after session was allowed to pass without any sign
the reintroduction of that measure. He would endeavour to
show the necessity and object of the present motion. He
would ask the house to take the matter into consideration,
and by means of a select committee to consider and report
on the most practicable means of lessening the inequalities of
the representative system, and to extend to unenfranchised
classes that fair share of political power to which they Were
entitled. The-question was more one of degree than of prin-
ciple. It was not one which could be deferred. The legis-
lation of that house was rapidly approaching a dead lock and
becoming impracticable. They must either progress like
science, ari, manufactures, and everything else in the coun-
try, or retrograde. There were large masses of the popula-
tion as well entitled and as well qualified to exercise the
franchise as those who enjoyed it. , Out of a population of
28,090,000 of people, of whom 5,500,000 were adult males,
and upwards of 4,000,000 inhabited houses, there were only
1,000,000 electors. Of those large cambers were pre-
vented by bribery and intimidation from exercising their
right of voting in accordanc4 with their honest con-
viction. He was not desirous of yielding the ques-
tion by the measure of reform which he proposed, but
of obtaining an instalment of that which he deemed right.
Ho believed a deep-seated conviction existed that the restric-
tive franchise and unequal distribution of members and the
existence of numerous nominee boroughs, and the want of
protection to the voters, had been the source of many social
and political evils. No one could deny that the aristocratic
element existed not only in the Cabinet but in that house to
a large extent ; 12 nut of 15 members of the Cabinet were
either peers in their own rights or the connexions of peers;
not less than 236 meml3ors of that house were either the sons
or nominees or connexions of peers. There were 77 boroughs
returning 124 members to Parliament, having an aggregate
population less than that of one single borough. It had been
stated, and never contradicted, that one-half of-the members
of that house were returned by 180,000 electors, repre-
senting 7,000,0001. of property; whilst the other half' were
returned by eight hundred thousand electors, represent-
ing 77,000,0001. of property. The English counties, with
10,000,000 of population, returned 144 representatives, while
the boroughs with 8,000,000, exclusive of the large towns, re-
turned 323 representatives. But carry the question still fur-
ther, and compare the counties with each other. They would
then find one county, with 2,000,000 of population, assessed
at 8,000,0001., returning 14 representatives; while another
and contiguous county, with 163,000 population, assessed at
700,0001., returned 11 members. There was another griev-
ance; that of 29 large towns and districts, with populations
varying from 20,000 to 60,000 each, were totally unrepre-
sented. Out of 28,000 000 of inhabitants, we had only
1,000,000 of electors. Tho hon. gentleman then quoted from
the writings of Locke and Sir Win. Jones, and from the
speeches of Burke and Fox in support of the principle of
household suffrage, and he sketched tho measures which from
timeto time had been submitted to Parliament since the time
of the Reform Bill. Tne most important one was that in-
troduced by the noble lord the member for London, and the
people of this country were deeply indebted to the noble lord
for the consistent course he had always taken upon this sub-
ject. The franchise, however, which the noble lord had intro-
duced into his measure was much too limited. Any qualifica-
tion based upon assessment must be unsatisfactory. In Lei-
cester, which he represented, there were 14,000 houses, and
at present there were 2 500 house voters Under the bill of
the noble lord 61. householders would have been admitted to
the franchise, which would have added 610 house voters to
the list, but as there wore 1,500 freemen, and as the bill of
the noble lord abolished freemen, the constituency by 'that
bill would have been reduced by 900, He appealed to the
justice, honesty, and good sense of the house to support him
in the proposal which he made. If the house would appoint
a committee it would be looked upon as a great boon by the
public, and would be received with great satisfaction.
Mr. HADFIELD seconded the motion. His hon. friend
deserved the thanks of the country for the persevering efforts
he had made in this cause.

Sir GEORGE STRICKL AND, as one of the oldest members
of that house, wished to state in a few words why he
should oppose the motion. He believed that the motion,
instead of promoting the great cluestion of reform and the
extension or tne suffrage, would'
retard it. no nau always
been a reformer, and in favour of the extension of the
franchise, but he could not support the motion, as it was not
sufficiently specific. It referred to no definite object.
Committees of this sort were petitions for brains by those
who moved for such committees. This was to be a commit.
tee de omnibus rebus; but had nothing specific in its object.
Ho had no fear fora large extension of the suffrage, for he
believed that the people of this country were better educated
and more enlightened than any other people in the world, and
therefore they might be safely entrusted with a large conces-
sion of freedom.

Mr. STAFFORD thought the motion ridiculous.
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE thought the motion would rather im-
pede than assist the cause of reform.
Mr. WARREN considered the motion was nothing more
than a proposal for handing over the British constitution to
the consideration of a select committee.
Mr. W. J. PDX supported the motion.
Lord PALMERSTON said that ono objection often made
to those who proposed a committee certainly could not be
made to the proposal of his hod. friend. It was often objected
to those who proposed the appointment of a committee, and
when they got itt that they
were unablo to bring to the com-
mittee any concurrence of opinion or sympathy on the sub-
ject; but if he. (Lord Palmerston) were to judge from the
success of his honourable friend, in bringing the house to an
almost unanimous opinion on tho motion ho had made
—(laughter)—such an objection could not be, brought against
him. He had succeeded on that occasion in ranging
in unanimity of opinion those who were most eager for a
general and comprehensive reform—those who were com-
monly called bit-by-bit reformers, from their desire of proceed-
by stop—and those most opposed to reform in the
Ho submitted to his friend that he should be con-
that achievement, and not endeavour to produce
tai nebngs
con-
tent sr ta
weci p
with
. h
a similar concurrent opinion iu the members of the commit.
tee to be appointed. He (Lord Palmerston) was content to
urged
io and i s wouldhon.
friendb e fciu, nd
viz.,to
thatbr ee
s tu
t on
ni a n
seemsswe argumentsra
a b
bl es uagainstjthate
subject
might
oftoo the bin motion of f h
eh
importance, too wide in
its range, and involving t,xl many and material interests to
be thrown loose on the chance decision of a committee. He
was one of those who wished to see the question embodied in
some definite proposal, and brought before Parliament, for
the result of which Parliament and the nation should be re-
sponsible, rather than see it disposed of in the manner pro-
posed. Without entering into Lis
particular objections to the
motion, that of dealing with questions of this kind on abstract
ioand withoat inquiring whether his hon. friend's
pprrooppoossaitlmnisght or might not ba founded on the right princi-
ples of the British constitution, and whether er not they sat
there as he appeared to think, as delegates of a particular
district,. than as representatives of the United Kingdom.
(ohm%) Attu 00M, fUrther reauuto the Aciple loud Qom