The Sun.
London, England, 1850-03-02 00:00:00

CWIII3III a4lll'.

lONDON, SATURDAY, MARCH 2, 1850.

The Obstructices succeeded in wasting the whole
of last night in the most frivolous and vexatious oppo
sition to the Irish Parliamentary Voters Bill. At
nearly twelve o'clock, after the proposal of amend-
ment upon amendment, having manifestly no object
beyond embarrassment and delay, the first clause, as
amended, was ordered to stand part of the Bill.
After a most uninteresting debate of several hours,
.the Right llon. the Chief Secretary fur Ireland was
unable to make further progress with his very mode-
rate and reasonable Bill than the first clause, so that,
at the same rate of progression, we may expect to
see the Bill carried about the commencement of the
grouse shooting season. A more dull and spiritless
debate it has seldom been our unpleasant duty to
.wade through. A. regular Parliamentary opposition
is associated in our mind with sparkling
wit and brilliant eloquence—our memory takes us
back to the time when PITT, and Fox, and CANNING
were wont to startle the possessors of the Treasury
Benches, and make the old halls of St. Stephen ring
with thrilling bursts of bright and convincing elo-
quence. But, alas, what a falling off is here! The
Opposition harangues of last night had nothing to
redeem their leaden tediousness, they more resembled
the puerile efforts of school-boy declamation without
its freshness, than the strong and embodied reasoning
of full grown men. The first clause of the
Mill provides that occupiers of lands rated
at 8/. or upwards, and being registered
under this Act, shall be entitled to vote at elections
for counties. Now one would suppose this was plainly
an extension of the franchise to certain persons occu-
pying land rated at 8/. a year, and at present excluded,
the lowest qualification being under the Reform Bni
10/. in counties. Yet it was seriously and solemnly
contended by some of the wiseacres in the Opposition,
and even; to our amazement, by one eminent member
of the legal profession, who should have known
better; that the qualifying and simple words
of this clause would have a disqualifying
effect, and in the words of Sir FREDERICK
TnesicEit, " would unquestionably sweep away
all existing franchises for the purpose of recon-
structing the representative system of Ireland." Flow so
acute and able a lawyer as Sir FREDERICK undoubtedly
is, could so misunderstand the plain words of an Act
of Parliament, we are at a loss to comprehend. The
clause .confers the franchise on all persons rated at Si.
,and upwards; these last words manifestly including
all persons rated from 8/. to 501., from the lowestb
to the highest qualification, and disfranchisint, none.
one of the Honourable and
:Notwithstanding. Ihi.,
Learncil 'Members fur the University of Dublin pro
pied that the words be inserted--" in addition to
those qualified by law to register and vote fur any
election of Knight of tH Shire in Ireland." After
Most lengthened and tedious debate it was consented
to add this unnecessary and unmeaning surplusage to
the Bill. Mr. HENLEY proposed the next amend-
ment, " that the words two years' occupation as
tenant or owner should be inserted." An amend-
ment: which, if carried, would produce endless liti-
gation, involving in every case the intricate question
of legal tenancy and ownership, and calculated to
,produce so much vexatious delay as to deter a large
'number from claiming the franchise, no matter how •