The Sun.
London, England, 1868-07-24 00:00:00

TIIE INDIAN BUDGET.

Sir S. NORTi-WO I'E gave notica of his intention to
introduce the Indiaa 131.1g0t on Monday next, and also
taut he did not intend to proceed further with the two
Mils to improve the government of India during the pre-
sent session.

ELECTRIC TELEGRAPIIS BILL.

This bill was read a third Cine and passed.

CORRUPT PRACTICES AT BLEU PIONS • BILL.
The house theta proceeded to the further consideration
)(this bill. Anieudnieurs were agreed eicLending the
all to Roland.

Mr. LOWTHER moved an addition to clause 43, to the
effect that if after a previous conviction before an election
:ommittee any canvasser or agent should obtain such
employment at another election h 3 should be deemed
;inky of misdemeanour.
Th 3 SOLICITOR-GENERAL oppscd the clause, as
uo considered it unjust and too severe.
Sergeant G.A.SELEE did not think that it was so.
There were plenty of those fellows always prowling about
to gat hold of innocent candidates. (Laughter.) Young
,nen fresh from Oxford, who no doubt thought they would
one day become Prime Minister, want innocently to con-
test an election; they were got hold of by one of those fel-
lows, and consequently were to be disqualified for 7 years
from sitting in that house, whilst the other party got off
free. He did not believe tbo amendment was uqjust, be-
cause every time a person com:nitted au offence, he was
liable to punishment of an increased s )verity, and v,2ry
properly so. (Laugiiter.) He hoped the house would dis-
.kgree with the opinion of the SohcitJr-General and adopt
the amendment.

The hou3u divided, whun thero appeared
For the amendment
Against it

Majority against the arneaduicnt --13

Mr. FAWCETT then moved that the following words
oe added to the clause he had suecee.led in inserting. in the
Bill throwing the expenses of the returning officer on the
eatepayers: -" That it sh ill not be lawful for any person
.0 be nominated as a can lid tto at any such election, unless
ne or some person in his behalf shall h tve paid to the re-
turning officer the sum of £lOO, to be applied in the
:ollowing manner (that is to say): where a poll shall take
elace at any such election, th returning officer sha'l apply
the moneys so paid to him by any such candidate who
shall not,,at the close of the poll, have received a number
Jf votes equal at least bone-fifth partof the votes received
cy the successful candidate, if only one, or by such one of
the successful candidates if there shall be more than ono,
is shall have received the smallest numb3e of votes, in and
cowards defraying the lawful expenses of the returning
officer relating to such election ; andafter any such election
,he returning ofli ter shall forthwith repay to any such
candidate who shall have been declared elected without a
poll, or who, whether declared elected or not, shall have
received a number of votes equal at least to such fifth
purl, the moneys so paid by or for him as aforesaid."
de said the house having on a former occasion accepted
ais proposal of making the ratep 'Tors liable for the cx-
,Ruses of the returning officer, he thought that it was
Jut right that some gutrantee should be taken that ne
e indidato nut having a prospect of being elected shouli
eome forward merely for a parry purpose. lie was not• at
ill indisposed to alter the a nonat of money to be depo-
sited or to the sum to be deducted from the deposit for
austings expenses.

Sir M. LOPES thought the sum to bo deposited alto-
gether too small ; h3propo3e:l that the sum to be deposited
be for counties £3OO, and £l5O for boroughs.
Mr. BE.A.UMONT mJvaLl, as an amendment to Mr.
Fawcett's proposed new clause, to leave out all after
-that," and insert " the proposer and seconder of every can-
lidate whoshall not have pilledoue-fiith of the total number
of ele,:tors voting at any election for a county or a borough
shall be liable (in the same way as if this act had not passed)
or his share of the expenses lawfully incurred by the re-
turning officers for the provision of hustings, poll clerks,
dulling booths or rooms, or any other requisites fur the
;onduct of the election, and the proposer and seconder of
every absent candidate shall be liable fot the same ex-
penses."

After a short discussion, Mr. FAWCETT withdrew hi;
proviso in favour of the amendment of the hoa. msmber
/or Northumberland.

Mr. LownlEa thought that without they made Ur.)
proportion one-third instead of o❑e-tifth of the votes, it
would be no guarantee that "straw" eanlidates would no 4
be started.

The SOLICITOR-GENERAL said the proposal was
utterly inoperative, as it woul i not in th 3 least degree
prevent "straw" candidates going to the poll.
Mr. HARVEY LEWIS thought it highly objectionable
that the expenses of candidates at elections for hustings,
Sic., should be put upon the ratepayers ; and he also
thought it wrong that a successful candidate should be
called upon to defray any of the expenses incurred by a
man coming forward without the slighest chance of being
elected.

Mr. LEEMAN thought the most correct way of correct-
ing the abuse anticipated was to call upon the candidate
or his proposer to deposit on the instant a poll was de-
manded the sum of £lOO for a borough and £2OO for a county,
and such money to be applied by the returning officer
to the expenses of the election, provided such candidate has
not polled one-fifth of the electors. He begged to move
an amendment to the amendment to that effect.

Mr. ILEADLAM hoped the hon. member for York would
not persevere with his amendment, as it was precisely to
the same effect as that which the hon. member for Brighten
had withdrawn.

Mr LEEMAN'S amendment having been withdrawn,
the house divided on that moved by Mr. Beaumont, whoa
there appeared—

For the amendment
Against it
Majority against ---9

Viscount MILTON then moved a proviso to tim clauso
setting forth the mode of levying the county rate whore
the county was divided.

The SOLICITOR,-GENE:tAL objected to the pro-
posal.

The proviso having been agreed to without a division,

The SOLICITOR-GENERAL then rose to move that
clause 53 D b 3 expunged, the &wee moved by Mr Faw-
cett throwing the expenses of the returning officer
on the ratepayers. The honourable and learned
gentleman said the question had been so fully discussed
and so well ventilated that he need do no more than move
that the clause ba struck out of the bill, as it was most
objectionable that ratepayers should be called upon to pay
the expenses of parliamentary candidates.
Mr. FAWCErr then proceeded, amidst evideat marks
of impatience, to address the house in justification of tho
course he had pursued, during which lie strongly con-

r damned the stratagems that had been used by the Govern-
ment to defeat him. -
The House divided. The numbers *ere—
For the retention of the clau4e
'Against it
Majority ,...-18
(Cheers).
Some amendments which were then proposed by the
Irish Attorney General to extend the bill to Ireland wore
agreed to.
Mr. FAWCETT then gave notice that on the third
reading of the bill he should move its recommitment. The
Government had resisted the clause because they said it
had not been sufficiently discussed.
Colonel KNOX rose to order. The hon. member could
not discuss or enter upon a question on a notice of motion.
The SPEAKER, ruled that the hon. member for
Brighton was out of order.
Mr. NEA.TE then moved the a•ljournmcnt of th 3 dibtte.
His hoe. friends on the Liberel si le of th) housa were as
guilty of connivance at corrupt practices as those oa the
other side. (Laughter, and oh, oh). He did not wish to
include all the Li'vral party in that denunciati m. His
object in tuoviugtno atijJurament of the debate was that
those who wished t.) introduce purity and economy at
Parliamentary elections might have an oppo:.tunity of
doing so. (Ifear, hoar, and laughter.

Mr. GLADSTONE said ho hoped tho hon. membor did
not inelalo him in his denunciation. Ile trnsto I his hon.
friend would not porssvere with his motion, bacausJ it
was deiirabls not to lose tiara at this poriod of the session.
No one more cordially wished to remedy Vie evils of our
electoral Eystem than ho (Mr. Gladstone) did.
The amsud:nont was withdrawn.

The whole of the amendments au 1 cl_•lnsas hiving been
considered, the bill was ordered to ba read a third tiara to-

morrow.
In reply in Mr. Gri.Pnr,
Mr.. DISRAELI said he proposed to take the third
reading this (Friday) morning at a two o'clock. sitting.
The District Church Tithes Act Amendment Bill was
read a second time.
The Hudson's Bay Company Bill was read a third time,
and also St. lliry Somerset's Church (London) Bill.
The house suspended its sitting at twenty minutes to
seven o'clock. •
At the evening sitting,
The SPEAKER took the chair at nine o'clock.
Mr. AYR TON immediately called attention to the fact
that there were not 40 members in the house; but,
The SPEAKER intimated that it was usual to gait five
minutes before beginning business. At five *ninut>s past
nine o'clock the right hon. gentleman proceeded t,) court,
and as there were only 21 members present, the house
stood adjourned.
Of the 21 honourable members only five were on the
Liberal benches. The front Ministerial bench was fully
ccupiel.