The Sun.
London, England, 1857-05-04 00:00:00

LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, MAY 4, 1857.

RICK CLOTHS, with Poles, &c., complete,
both New and Second-hand.—A large quantity of canvas
intended for the Crimea has been made into Rick Cloths, to be sold
as second• hand at greatly reduced prices. A list forwarded by post.
Address in full, BE NJAMIN ED(IINUTON, 2, Duke-street, South-
wark, opposite the Brighton Railway.

SECURE INVESTMENTS.—Messrs. R.
HURLEY and Co., 48, Threadneedle-street, 'Sworn Stock, Share,
and Mining Brokers, will be happy to forward a list of carefully selected
Securities, paying good dividends, to those who may favour them with
their business, and to advise them on the safest mode of investing
their capital. Business transacted in the English Funds at 1-16th
per cent., and in all Stocks, Railway and Mining Shares, on the most
reasonable terms. A. selected list of dividend-paying (from 12 to 20
per cent.) and progressive mines to be had personally or per letter.

LONDON GENERAL OMNIBUS
COMPANY.
The Managers HEREBY GIVE NOTICE, That the Balance of
the Dividend for the year ending 31st December —viz., ss. per share,
clear of income tax, as declared at the General Meeting of Share-
holders, held in Paris on 25th inst., will be payable at the Offices of
the Company, 454, Strand, London, and 14, Rue Vivienne, Paris,
between the hours of Eleven and Three, on and after 4th May.
The Share Certificates must be deposited at the Office of the Com•
parry two c'ear days before payment of the Dividend.
The Report and Accounts for the year will be delivered to each
Shareholder in the Dividend.
By Order.
A. G. CHURCH, Secretary.
454, Strand, 28th April, 1857.

11OLL REFORM. —At a Meeting of Gentlemen,
associated together as a Joint Committee of Owners of Public
and Private Carriages and others, held at the Craven Hotel, Strand,
on WEDNESDAY, 29th April,

HERBERT INGRA.M, Esq., M.P., in the Chair,

Moved by 31ATTIIEW FORSTER, Esq., seconded by P. H. LE BRETON,

Esq , and unanimously resolved—
That this Meeting is of opinion that all Toll Gates and Toll Bars
should be removed from within six miles of the metropolis.
That an A cting Committee be formed for carrying oat such mea-
sures, and that the following gentlemen be members of such Com-
mittee, with power to add to their number:—
Matthew Forster, Esq., pelisse, Hampstead.
P. H. Le Breton, Esq., Milford House, Hampstead.
J. R. D. Tyssen, Esq., Manor House, Hackney.
R. Margetson, Esq., Islington.
Thomas Slater, Fsq., Kensington.
A. Lines, Esq., Elm-tree-road, St. John's-wood.
John Dangerfleld, Esq., 26. Craven-street, Strand.
Moved by EDMUND WATKIN, Esq., M.P., seconded by JOHN CUM-
BERLAND, Esq. (Camden-road-villas), and unanimously re-
solved,—
That the public generally be appealed to to contribute funds for
the support of the Association.
Moved by P. H. LE BRETON, Esq., seconded by W. MAnktorr,

Esq., and unanimously resolved—
That the cordial thanks of the meeting be given to Herbert In-
gram, Esq., M.P., for his courtesy in presiding, and his warm advo-
cacy of the cause of Toll reform.
Toll-payers are respectfully asked to assist the object of the Asso -
elation by subscriptions, which will be received by the above Com-
mittee.

BANKERS and MONEY DEALERS.
Messrs. COLLS, LOWE, and CO.
(Late Coils, Thompson, and Harris, Established 1832),
10, St. Swithin's-lane, Lombard-street, City, and 5, Henrietta-
street, Covent-garden, London.
APPROVED CO )1 MER:IIAL BILLS Discounted at the current
rates of the day for Parties properly introduced.
DEPOSITS received at interest, at seven days' notice of with-
drawal, and for periods to he agreed upon.
FINANCIAL AGENCY BUSINESS of every description tran-
sacted for Commercial Houses in the Provinces.

LADY FRANKLIN'S FINAL SEARCH.—
The Government having come to the con-
clusion that the fate of the crews of her Majesty's ship Erebus
and Terror requires no further investigation on their part,
Lady Franklin, in accordance with her sense of what is due
to the lost navigators, is now fitting out an expedition at her
own cost.

As a preliminary measure she sought assistance from the
Admiralty, by asking for the loan of the Arctic ship Resolute,
which had been restored in perfect order to our Queen by the
American nation, and also for the gift (as granted in her for-
mer private expeditions) of such stores from her Majesty's
dockyard as are available for this special service only.
Compliance with these requests having been declined, Lady
Franklin is now devoting her whole fortune to this final
search ; and a large screw yacht (the Fox) lying at Aberdeen,
has been purchased, which the distinguished Arctic officer
who has accepted the command of her (Captain IVl‘Clintock,
R.N.) has pronounced to be perfectly adapted to this employ-
ment.

Not repeating the arguments we formerly made use of to
induce the Government to undertake a final and exhaustive
search, we hold to the opinion that it is the duty of English-
men to examine that limited area whence the traces of their
missing countrymen were derived, which, though it lies to the
south of well-searched tracts, and has been approached by
vessels that returned without loss, has never yet been ex-
plored.
Supported by the advice of those experienced Arctic sea-
men, in whom she has every reason to confide, Lady Franklin
makes this last effort to clear away the mystery that shrouds
the fate of her husband and his crews, and possibly to rescue
from their isolated icy abode among` the Esquimaux some of
his younger companions, who may still be prolonging.a dreary
existence. !'

—On such an occasion we, whose names are hereunto sub-
scribed, feel confident that this ourlippeal will not remain un-
answered by the British people, who will, we doubt not, ten-
der to the widow of the illustrious navigator that sympathy
which his fame and her devotion must call forth, and will aid
her in carrying out an enterprise involving, as we believe,
the honour of the nation.

We earnestly, therefore, entreat our countrymen to unite
with us in contributing to this noble object.
(Signed) Roderick I. Murchison, Prest. RI. Geographical
Society, F.R.S. ; Francis Beaufort, Rear-Admiral, F.R.S.
and F. R. G.S. ; Wrottesley, Prest. RI. Society; Edward Sa-
bine, Treas. RL Society ; Robert Brown, F.R.S , ;
Richard Collinson, Captain U.N., F.R.G.S.; John Barrow,
F, R. S., F.R. G. S.
Subscriptions already received.

Sir Roderick I. Murchison, President Royal Geo-
graphical Society, F.R.S. £loo 0 0
Rear-Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort, K.C.B ,

--.
F.R G.S._
Lord Wrottesley, President Royal Society
General Sabine, Treasurer Royal Society 25 0 0
Robert Brown, V.P. L.S., F.R.S. lO 0 , 0
Captain Collinson, R.N.. C. 8., F.R.G.S
Rear-Admiral Swinburne

M. De La Roquette, V. President of the Geogra-

phicat Society of Paris, I,ooof.
Sir Thos. Dyke Acland, Bart.
The Hon. Mrs. Fairholme

40 0 0
100 0 0
150 0 0

Le Feuvre, Esq,
William Me, 1L P., F.R. G. S

John Brown; F.R.G.S.

W. F. Sadler, E4q.

Lady Inglis

SPORTING NOTES.

TIIE FORTHCOMIIVG ELECTION

PETITIONS.

. _
As the new Parliament draws near, a good deal
of interest is felt as to the number of election peti-
tions to be presented, and the interest is increased
by the fact that it will be the first time the new act
against bribery, &c., which was passed in 1854,
will be tested. On Thursday, the 7th inst., the
Queen's Speech will be delivered, and the session
o mmance. All election petitions must be pre-
sented within 14 days, but the committees will not
proceed to investigate the allegations of bribery,
&c., until about the middle of June. By the new
act (17 and 18 Vic., c. 102), if bribery is proved,
the member returned is disqualified to sit in the
existing Parliament, and may be sued for penalties
—lOOl. for each offence. The rule as to the pre-
sentation of petitions within 14 days is by an order
of the late Parliament. Either a candidate or
voter may present a petition against a sitting mem-
ber. A recognisance with sureties is to be entered
into to pay all costs, or 1,0001. may be paid into
the Bank of England. Counsel may appear for
either party, and the committee proceed with the
list of persons bribed. H►therto there has been no
opportunity to test the operation of the New Bri-
bery Act, as the last general election was in 1852.
The sections seem to be worded with a, good deal
of care, but it remains to be seen whether they
wiil reach the several cases about to be presented
to the select committees. The Speaker will nomi-
I nate " The General Election Committe,)," and the
select committees will be named and proceed to
try the several matters brought before them. The
select committees have power to examine witnesses
and to require the production of documents. The
expense of election petitions must be very great,
and some time must elapse before the select com-
mittees can report their decision to the house. It
is said that Mr. Phinn, the barrister, will resume
his parliamentary business before the select com-
mittees. The fees are considerable, and very
large sums were made by barristers practising be-
fore election committees.

"INTELLECTUAL" QUALIFICATION FOR
THE FRANCHISE.

In a remark which we made this day last week
we have been strangely misunderstood, and the
subject is quite important enough to invite a cor-
rection of the error. Speaking of the extension of
the suffrage to be provided in any new Reform
Bill, we argued that the qualifications of an elector
might be looked for in the information as well
as the property which he possessed, and, as an
expression of the idea, we suggested that a voter,
on presenting himself the polling booths, might
be asked to testify to his own education by
writing his name. This suggestion was described
by Mr. Watkin, in his speech at Yarmouth the
other day, as a proposition for giving a vote to
every man who could write—something very diffe-
rent indeed from our true meaning. Our proposal
would simply have excluded from the exercise of
the electoral franchise persons wholly uneducated,
whatever might be their other qualifications. The
idea, in fact, was very analagous to that of the

provision. which requires that a voter, whatever
may be his possessions, shall be of full

age before voting. Certain property conveys a
recognised qualification, but to this qualification
must be added presumptive evidence of the discre-
tion or intelligence of the individual. Although,
however, our suggestion, as we observed at the
time, was offered upon its own merits, and tended,
indeed, to the encouragement of education as well
as the elevation of the suffrage, we are confident
in our opinion that for the principle of our argu-

ment—that, is to say, fol the assignment of the
franchise to intellectual as Trail as pecuniary qualifi-

cations, there is good warrant to be found both in
precedent and reason.
We think, indeed, we . nay advance a step
higher, and ask what is is particular nature of
the qualification which lib at \the bottom of
all instinctive assumptions in any contro ersy
about the distribution of political power ? What
do we say when we argue that certain persons or
classes are not to be trusted with the suffrage ?
What do we recommend as the necessary prepara-
.

tion for the extension of political rights to greater
numbers of the commtnity ? Does any man, Whig
or Tory, Conservative or Radical, say that such
and such classes havr not got money enough to
be made electors, or that men must somehow or
other be rendered more generally opulent before
they cm be admitted to the polling booths ?
Nothing of the kind. When we talk about
raising the great body of the nation to a certain

standard of political ability, we never imply that
people are all merely to have their pockets filled ;
we mean, that they should be so educated as
to comprehend the obligations of citizenship, whe-
ther they be rich or poor, and one of the chief
arguments for national education in some quarters
has been the necessity of thus paving the way for
a greater community of electoral rights.
As far, therefore, as the principle goes, we are
entitled to regard it as commending itself to us
almost involuntarily by its intrinsic and self-evi-
dent propriety. As to precedent, we can produce
also that peculiar requisite m most impressive and
unexceptionable shape. Two of our most emi-
nent constituencies are founded upon intellectual
qualifications only. In the Universities of
Oxford and Cambridge no property qualification
whatever is required, the right of voting being
conferred purely and simply by that evidence of
education which is conveyed by the possession of a
certain degree. We shall be told, of course, that
the operation of the principle in this case affords
very little guidance, inasmuch as the intellectual
element of qualification is overpowered in practice
by the property qualifications which a large majo-
rity of University graduates possess at the same
time. But this was not the case when the fran-
chise was first conferred ; it is an accident result-
ing from social changes, and, moreover, something
of a similar result might not improbably attend
the principle in itsfurther extension. Why should
it be presumed that an educated man must be a
needy man, even though his education may not
have been certified by the academical stamp. ?
It is at this point, perhaps, that some persons
may take up their ground of opposition, and argue
that if qualifications derived from education would
be accompanied, as would doubtless happen in
many cases, by qualifications derived from pro-
perty, it must plainly be superfluous to pro-
vide :for the recognition of the former apart
from the latter. Why should we make a specific
assignment of the franchise to captains, barristers,
physicians, or schoolmasters, when nine-tenths of
such persons are sure to possess the right of voting
already on some other grounds ? Admit that a
man entrusted with the education of some 50 or
100 embryo voters ought to be a voter himself, is
it not certain that he would be so in virtue of his
house if not of his laud—of his taxes if not of
his rent-roll ? We reply that such electors are valu-
able enough to call for the admission of even the
small proportion who may be excluded ; and further,
that this proportion may not be quite so small as
is imagined. No doubt, the residence of many of
them would be such as to carry a qualification with
it, but the town or village in which they reside
may not return members to Parliament, or they
may live in lodgiugs or chambers. They may be
contributing a small share to the revenue of the
country, but only indirectly, instead of directly.
They may enable half-a-dozen householders to pay
their rates, and yet not be ratepayers themselves.
A very good test at this point would be the assess-
ment to the Income Tax, and we remember the
criterion was suggested in past discussions. Beyond
all question, the contribution of 10/. to the ser-
vice of the State in this form ought to convey as
strong a presumption of electoral competence
as the payment of any other imposts ; but we de-
cline very decidedly to take up this particular posi-
tion. We earnestly hope to see the income tax
and all its machinery abolished by the time a new
Reform Bill comes well into operation ; nor are we
at all inclined to purchase the convenience of the
test at the cost of the duty.
Returning, however, to the principle under consi-
deration, we must express our belief that it would
operate to the public advantage in a variety of
ways. It would remove the dissatisfaction natural
to men with such qualifications if unenfranchised,
and it would bring a new and very serviceable
element into representation. Persona in the
position we have been describing—that is to say,
men with considerably more than average educa-
tion, with incomes in many cases of respectable
amount, and yet without the privilege of giving a
vote, must not only possess, by the very nature of
the case, many of the qualifications desirable in an
elector, bnt must also be exempt from some of the
undesirable liabilities to which some electors are
exposed. It would be hard to reach them as a body
by any other means than those of argument,
and in all likelihood they would vote upon their
separate convictions, without even the influence
of political contagion. These we think would
be strong recommendations ; and, if such a
recognition of purely personal qualifications
should communicate a stimulus to the great

work of national education, few, we pre-
sume, would cunsider the result as otherwise
than beneficial. There is no fear, unfortunately,
that the applicants for the franchise on the score of
superior education will present themselves in any
overwhelming numbers ; and as the extension of
the suffrage implies in its very terms a large aug-
mentation of the electoral body; we should rejoice at
the admission of an element which certainly cannot
preponderate, but which can hardly operate other-
wise than for good.—Times.