The Sun.
London, England, 1826-04-27 00:00:00

BRIBERY AT ELECTIONS.

Mr. F. BUXTON presented a Petition from the Borough of
Wallingford, complaining of the frequent violation of the Bribery
Oath at Elections, and praying an alteration of its terms. Also,
a Petition against Slavery from Derby and Clare.
Mr. TREVOR presented a Petition from Llanelthy, also against
Slavery.
Captain WEMYS presented a Petition from Newborough, Fife •
shire, with the same prayer
The Poor Assessment Bill for the Parish of Walworth, was read
a third time and passed.
FREEHOLDERS IN TOWNS-COUNTY.
Mr. SYKES moved for leave to bring in a Bill to declare the
rights of Freeltoldere in separate districts or Counties Corporate
to vote at the election of Knights of the Shire of the several Coon-
tien from which the said districts have been separated. Thu. lion.
Member observed, that ulthongh his motion remotely touched the
qmstiort of Parliamentary Reform, he apprehended that it would
not be resisted even by thus most timid and sensitive of the alarm-,
ists upon that subject, while it would 'be supported by all who
thought that popular feeling - was not sufficiently represente.l in
that House.. Honourable Gentlemen were, perhaps aware, that
by various Charters front the reign of Edward 111. w James 1.,
portions of Counties had been et‘parated from the rest, or, in
other words, had been erected into Counties Corporate. - In many
eases the Freeholders of these Counties Corporate had ceased to
exercise their right of voting for .Members fur the Shiro, and
in some instances they did not even vote for the representa-
tives of the Counties Corporate. Be did not mean to deny the
right of the Crown, exercised front the time of Alfred, and per-
haps earlier, to divide counties ; but he disputed the power of
the Crown to interfere with, and deprivato parties of their elec-
tive franchise. Upon this point he Mt quite decided, and he
directed the attention of the House to some authorities, to
show that the King possessed no such power ; he relied princi-
pally upon the opinion of Lord Coke, in his 4th Inst., followed
by a decision of the Committee on the Chippeultam case, raid
by the opinion of the Court of King's Bench in Johnson V. Dal-
ton. The Honourable Member did not mention where this ease
was reported ; but he Itch! it to be quite in point. Such being
the real -state of the kW, the object of this Bill was to declare,
that notwithstanding the 'separation of parts of countries by ltoyal
Mailer, the freeholders in those. parts of countries retained their
right of voting for Knights of the Shire. He claimed this con-
e:erosion se a matter of right, without trenching upon the rights of
any other parties. In all there were nineteen towns—county or
counties corporate; Iniefor various reasons he should only include
nine of them in his Bill, in which the freeholders bad for utility
years exercised, no franchise at all, and were, in fact, totally un-
represented. The measure he hoped to obtain -leave to intro-
duce, Went no further 'than .to declare, on the foundation of Lord
Otke's opinion, that the right of voting continued, and that the
frecholdere ought to be allowed to exercise it. He concluded
by moving for leave to bring in a declaratory Bill to restore the
Hective Franchise to such plums as had been aeparated front
coontiea. . .

Sir M. W. RIDLEY reminded the motion. The Dill pro-
pow,' to go no farther than to reinstate the petitioners in the rights
which bad before belonged to them. The Crown might establish
a separate commuhity, but could not deprive freeholders of their
franchises. It was, therefore, evident, that the proposed measure
was just and proper.
Mr. JONES supported the motion.; and
Mr. LITTLETON did not see that any reasonable objection
zooid be made to it.
Lord JOHN ItUSSEI, suggested, that it would he better, in
such cases, to (=tine the voting to the Towns, instead of taking
- them at the places of Election for the Counties.
Mr. SYKEL said, that he disclaimed any intention to confer a

double right of voting. Its object was merely to restore the
ancient constitutional right.
Mr. WYNN doubted whether this was a proper time for the
introduction of such yt DIII. At all events the lion. Member
ought to give the House sufficient time to consider the subject.
Mr. SYKES observed, that he had given notice of his intention
to introduce this measure some weeks ago; and if it was a proper
one, it ought to pass without delay.
Mr. BENETT (of Wilts) observed, that this was merely a
restoration of rights, by which nobody could be injured ; and since
the right could not be questioned, the sooner it was restored the
better.

Mr. ELLICE said, that a deeision on the matter in question
had taken place in a Committee up stairs. ,The freeholders of
Coventry had voted for the county of Warwick, and their votes
had been disallowed. , The country was under great obligations
to the Hon. Member for bringing forward this subject, but he
hoped the Hon. Member would not press it forward with such
haste as to deprive him of the support of the Gentlemen opposite.
Mr. BRIGHT said, that this was merely a declaratory law,
and he 'only regretted that the Hon. Gentleman proposed to
confine its operation to nine places. .As to the double franchises,
no good argument could, be funneled on that; for, he believed,
there were few in the House who had not a double franchise. The
measure ought to he extended to all the places Which had lost
their ancient rights, otherwise the places not named might be
deprived of their rights by implication.
Mr. R. SMITH thought it best that the operation of the Bill
should be in sonic
.degree restrained ; for if it restored all . the
rights that lay dormant, it might, on the same principle, deprive
electors of such rights as they had acquired by usage. It was
clear that the Crown could not, by any charter, take away the
elective franchise.

Dr. PHILLIMORE consented to the introduction of the Bill,
but would not pledge himself to support it throughout.—Leave
given to bring in the Bill.

RYE ELECTIONS.

Lord JOHN RUSSELL presented a Petition from the inhabit-
ant householders of the Borough of Rye, praying for the extension
of the Elective Franchise in that Borough. The petitioners stated,
that the Elective Franchise in their town was confined to a few
persons, only 2d in number; and they complained that these 26
were under the influence of Doctor Lainb, who held three livings
in the church. And they stated, that such heart-turnings and
animosities prevailed in the town, that it was irksome to them to
live in a place where the Elective Franchiso was exercised under
such corrupt influence. The petitioners stated, that instead of
this limitation of the Elective Franchise having ex;sted from time
immemorial, it was merely an usurpation that commenced about
70 years ago. They had discovered from old records that the
Elective Franchise in the Borough formerly was in the house-
holders generally ; and complained that some of the voters were
not resident in the Borough. His Lordship expressed his hope
that the petitioners would try the question at the next Election;
but the petitioners stated that they felt this as a matter affecting
not themselves only, but the general interests of the country.—
They prayed that a declaratory Law should be passed, for restoring
the Elective Franchise to the Freeholders of the Borough.
The Petition was laid on the table, and ordered to be printed.

votes seriatim were laid on the table, and this formality Were
altogether dispensed with. According to the present custom, it
was competent for him, or any other Member, to oppose any one
of the votes, and revive all the debates upon them. At one time
it was his intention to have availed himself of this right with re-
gard to some of them, bul he was induced not to persevere in his
intention on account of the indifrerence manifested by the House.
The Clause was then agreed to, the House resumed; and tli*
Report was ordered to be brought up to-morrow (this day): ' ' .

. •SPRING GUNS.
On the Order of the Day being read for bringing up the Re.
port of the Spring Gun's Bill,
. _

The LORD ADVOCATE suggested that, as by the Law of
Scotland, a remedy was already provided according to the pro-
visions of this Bill, its operation ought not to bo extended to that
country.

After a few words from Mr. TENNYSON and Mr. H.
DRUAIMOND, it was Rgreerl that the Amendment should be
deferred till the third reading, which was fixed for to-morrow
(this day).
Lord MILTON olrierved, that it was peculiarly desirable to
avoid any unnecessary discussions on minor points, in this Bill, in
order that it might go up to another place in which unfriendly
feelings were known to exist towards it, with all the weight and
authority of the unanimity of that House stamped upon it.
BANK CHARTER AMENDMENT BILL.
. _ _

On the Order for the third reading of the Bank Charter Amend-
ment Bill,

Mr. GRENFELL expressed a wish to know what were the
intentions of the Bank with regard to the establishment of Branch
Banks in the country. Some time ago he had put that question
to an Honourable Director (Mr. Pearse) not at that moment in
the House. His answer was, that the subject was then under
consideration, and he could not intimate how it would be decided.
It was exceedingly desirable that an end should he put to this state
of uncertainty. As long as it was unknown whether the Bank
would avail itself of the power of establishing Branches, those in-
dividuals who were disposed to form Joint Stock Companies, for
the purpose of banking, were obliged in prudence to pause. Un-
der these circumstances, in order that he might obtain an answer
from the Honourable Director, ho wished the third reading to be
postponed till to-morrow.
Mr. HERRIES remarked, that the passing of the Bill would
not at all preclude the Honourable Gentleman front obtaining the
information he desired, The question might be put as well at
any time hereafter as at the third reading. As, however, one day
was of little consequence, he had no' objection to comply with the
request of the Hon. Gentleman.
The third reading was, therefore, postponed till to-morrow
(this day). •
The other Orders of the Day were then disposed of, and the
House adjourned at a Quarter before Seven.

S DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK.
Smith Sea Stock
OM A nnunies ,-.,
New Ditto 78
F.x.11i11•400/.2d....10 11 pm.
Ditto 5001.2 J. lO 11 pm.
Ditto Small 2t lO 11 pm.
Ditto AdvertisM
Bank for Acct.
I lrulitt for Acct.

eons. for Acct. 79d t ll it,

ANDS AT ONE O'CLOCK.

Neapolitan, 1821
Peruvian Bonds
Portuguese Bonds
Pros.tian, 11 per cm.
Ditto New
Russian, New, 5 p.c 77
Spanish 1821, tp. c. • • u 4
111'2 3
French lientes. 5 p. c. —f —c.
Exchange ... —f
p. c. • —f. —c.
Exchange