The Sun.
London, England, 1868-02-18 00:00:00

THE SCOTCH REFORM BILL.

The LORD ADVOCATE brought up the Scotch Re-
form Bill, explaining that the franchise part of it would be
based on the English Act. The borough franchise would
be extended to all householders rated and paying rates ;
and though he believed the case of lodgers to be amply
provided for in Scotlend by the present rating laws, there
would be, no objection to a clause to remove all doubt. In
the counties there .would be an ownership franchise of £5
clear annual value, and an occupation franchise of £l2.
There would be also provisions for securing fairness and
unifoi-mity of assessment, which the Lord Advocate ex-
plained in some detail. Passing to the distribution
clauses, he stated that thero would be seven new mem-
bers given to Scotland, which would be an addition to
the aggregate numbers of the House. Of these seven two
would bo given to the Scotch Universities, one to each of
the counties of Ayr, Lanark, and Aberdeen, one to Glas-
gow (to be elected on the "representation of mino-
rities" principle), and one to a group consisting of Ardros-
ran, Coatbridge, Wishaw, Barrhead, Johnstone, Helens-
burgh, Kirkintillosh, and Pollockshaws, in the counties of
Lanark, Renfrew, Ayr, and Dumbarton, and containing a
population of 74,000. Further than this, it was proposed,
to add Ilawick and Galashiels to. Haddington Burghs, and
Alloa to the Stirling Burghs.
Mr. BAXTER disapproved entirely the distribution
scheme, and preferred rather to postpone the claims of
Scotland to the new Parliament than to increase the num-
bers of the House of Commons. Scotland, he maintained,
ought not to be treated as a separate kingdom, and there-
fore the members necessary to do justice to that country
might be got either by taking the second member from
English boroughs of between 10,000 and 12,000, or by de-
priving all boroughs under 5,000 of representation.
Mr. SMOLLETT, though holding that the addition to
Scotland ought to be obtained by diminishing the repre-
sentation of England and Ireland, and favourable to a
reduction in the numbers of the house, exhorted the
Scotch members to accept the offer made on the principle
that half a loaf is batter than no bread.

Sir J. OGILVY complained that the claims of Dundee
to increased representation hat been pissed over.
Mr. LAING argued that the practical question the house
would have to decide was—should the numbers of the
house be increased, or should the just addition to the re-
presentation of Scotland be indefinitely postponed? His
experience last year taught him that it was hopeless to
attempt to reopen the redistribution question in this Par-
liament. He was favourable to accepting this instalment
of justice from the Government, and that, he asserted, was
the prevailing sentiment in Scotland. Having eYamined
the arguments against an increase of the house, concluding
that there was no force in them, he criticised some of the
details of the bill, and maintained that, on the principles
of the act of last Session, A'serdeen and Dundee wero en-
titled to additional members.

Mr. MONCRIEFF canvassed closely the distribution
scheme, and asserted that the grouping part of it was a
mockery, and oould never be accepted by the house. He ob-
jected, too, to the proposed increase of the house—the legiti-
mate source was the disfranchisement of the small boroughs
The rating principle would create great inconvenience in
Scotland ; and he suggested its omission from the bill and the
insertion of some provision against the manufacture of fic-
titious votes. The details of the distribution scheme were
unfavourably criticised by Col. Sykes and by Mr. M'Laren,
who characterised the bill as much worse than that of last
year, thongh he justified an increase in the numbers of the
house, asserting that it ought to be to the extent of 15 at
least ; and by Sir E. Colobrooke.
Sir J. FERGUSSON replied to objections, dwelling on
the difficulties of extending the disfranchisement of Eng-
lish boroughs, and of persuading English members to part
with any English seats to Scotland, and exhorting Scotch
members not throw away this chance of obtaining an
increase in their numbers. Correcting the statement of
the Lord Advocate, he explained that Ardrossan would
not form part of the new group, but would be added to the
Ayr Burghs ; and he defended the creation of new burghs
by the importance of conferring the franchise on the work-
ing classes there.

Mr. GRAHAM objected to the mode in which the con-
stituency of Glasgow was to be increased, and preferred to
divide the city.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER expressed
some surprise that Scotch members should talk of oppos-
ing a bill which contained the largest extension of the
suffrage ever offered simply on the minor ground of the
distribution scheme. The only principle of that part of
the bill was an addition to the representation of Scotland,
and the manner in which that addition should be carried
out was a matter of detail to be settled in committee. The
Government had no personal interest to serve either one
way or the other. The representation of England, he
maintained, was not disproportionate to population and
property, and ho warned the Scotch members that if at
any time disfranchisement were carried further in England
the seats thus gained would be applied to perfecting the
English representation, and would not be handed over to
Scotland. Looking at the certain unwillingness of Eng-
lish members to deprive England of any portion of her re-
presentation, it would be wiser for Scotch members to
unite in passing a moderate measure this year than to run
after the "jack o' lantern" of what the Reformed Parlia-
ment would do for them.

Mr. CRAITFURD and Mr. REARDEN made some observa•
tions, and the bill was then read a first time.
The house adjourned at a quarter past 9 o'clock.