The Sun.
London, England, 1842-05-11 00:00:00

PUBLIC WALKS.

Mr. lIHME presented a petition from the inhabitants
of Southwark, Lambeth, Finsbury, and the more crowded
parts of the metropolis. The petitioners begged to call
the attention of the House to the Reports op public walks,
on the health of towns, and of the Poor-law Commissioners;
and they prayed the House to affol d them such assistance as
should enable them to obtain additional public parks or
walks, and they begged to point out the neighbourhood
of High-street, Newington, Walcot-terrace, Kensington-
road, and the Zoological Gardens, as places where such
parks might be established.
EMPLOYMENT OF CHILDREN IN FACTORIES.

Mr. STUART WORTLEY said, he rose to present
a remarkable petition. It was from nearly 300 muslin
spinners and manufacturers in the West Riding of the
county of York. They stated that the children in
their employ at present laboured twelve hours a day of
actual labour, besides two hours a day for meals. They
stated that there was no necessity whatever for such
long hours in these factories. They concluded by say-
ing that such a state of things made them reduce the
wages of their operatives, and they prayed the House to
limit the hours of labour to ten hours a day for chil-
dren between 13 and 14 years of age.
NOTTINGHAM ELECTION.

Mr. PHILIP HOWARD, in rising to move the issue
of a new writ for the election of a Member to serve in
this present Parliament for the town of Nottingham, in
the room of Sir George de Hochepied Larpent, who has
accepted the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds,
said that with neither political party in Nottingham had
he the least connexion, bnt it was with great alarm that
he saw that a full and populous town was about to be
deprived of the benefits of representation. and deprived
of those benefits without proof of delinquency. He
begged leave, therefore, to move that Mr. Speaker should
issue a writ for the election of a Member to serve for the
borough of Nottingham in that House.
Mr. ROEBUCK commenced in a very low tone of voice
He was understood to say that he believed the reason for
the suspension of the issue of a new writ for
the borough of Nottingham, was on account of
certain corrupt practices which prevailed there,
and he believed that if the case had been fully
examined before the Select Committee they would have
recommended the House not to issue a writ.—(Hear,
hear.) He had no desire to say more on the case than
he had already said, but he would ask the House whe-
ther, if they were to suspend the issue of a writ, this
was not a case in which such a course ought to be pursued?
Charges had been brought against the town, against one
of the Hon. Gentlemen who had accepted the Chiltern
Hundreds, and against the present Member. The House
was now about to inquire into those transactions, foul as
he asserted them to be, and he entreated the House
gravely to consider whether, under those circumstances,
they would sanction the immediate issuing of a writ. It had
been stated the non-issuing of a writ might be looked
upon as an infringement of the liberties of the people.
But he did not regard it in that light. The town had
been already disgraced by its own proceedings, and
under the circumstances he should object to the motion
before the House.

Mr. GODSON thought that the writ should be issued.
It was stated by his Hon. and Learned Friend the Mem-
ber fur Bath, that a corrupt bargain had been entered into
between the Member for Nottingham and a third party,
but that was not an offence on the part of the electors ;
and he did not think that under those circumstances they
should be deprived of the privileges of the Constitution. If
the House was to inquire into such a subject they might
as well do away with Election Committees altogether.
The constituency of Nottingham ought . not to be pre-
judiced by what was done by parties in London, sup-
posing that anything had been done, and he would
therefore support the motion.
Mr. WARD said that the Hon. and Learned Gentle-
man was at least consistent in the course he was pur-
suing, for he had taken the opportunity of moving
for the writ at a late hour, as if he were conscious
that he had not quite so good a case as he had
in Southampton—(Cheers)—as otherwise he did no
think he would have moved that the writ should issue at
the hour of one o'clock in the morning.—(Cheers.)
His Honourable Friend (Mr. Howard) had at least
taken a more manly course, because he moved
fur it in the light of day, though h (Mr. Ward) thought
he had not shown much judgment in moving for it.—
(Hear, hear.) lie regretted that such a motion should
have originated on those benches.—(Loud cheers.) If the
House of Commons had determined on taking the course
best qualified to lower its character in the estimation of
the country, it would be by doing that which his
Honourable Friend pressed upon them. If the
House, after determining one day that there were
grounds, not of inquiry into the existence of certain
compromises, as was saved by the Honourable and
Learned Member for Kidderminster, but for an inquiry
into gross bribery, alleged to have been committed at
thz• last Nottingham election, in which the constituency
was said to be implicated—if the House was now to
decide that a writ was to issue without an investigation
into the fact, what would the country say ? They
held out :hopes, and they made their fulfilment im-
possible.—(Cries of "Hear, hear.") The Committee
hich was to be appointed ought to have instructions to
pr coed with the Nottingham case first, because the facts
might be instantly ascertained, and the writ ought
to be suspended as short a time as possible.
But if the facts were proved, as he thought they
would be, he doubted whether the writ for Nottingham
would ever issue ; but until the facts were proved, he
should give his direct negative to the motion.
Sir E. PEEL said, that having been asked a question
last night with regard to the issuing of the writ for the
town of Nottingham, he ventured to advise that
it would be better for some one to give notice-
of his intention to move it, and the Hon. Gentleman had
taken the course he ventured to recommend. If they
adopted no proceedings in the case, there could be no
sufficient justification for the refusal of the writ.—
(Hear, hear.) But proceedings having taken place, the
case was altered. '['he seat of the Hon. Member for
Nottingham having been declared valid, and the next
day having accepted the Chiltern Hundreds, that was
cited as a strong proof of the necessity for inquiry ; and
he confessed that the House, having determined to insti-
tute the inquiry, he thought it would be inconsistent
nut to proceed with the inquiry in the first instance.
At the same time the suspension of a writ was a matter
cf great importance, and they were bound to interpose
as short an interval as possible. Upon the whole, how-
ever, he was of opinion, although he would admit the
subject was not free from doubt, that it would be the
least inconsistent course they could adopt to suspend
the issuing of the writ for the present—(Cheers)—and
therefore he should vote.for the issuing of the writ being
for the present suspended.—(Cheers.)

Sir R. INGLIS was one of those who thought that
public opinion would not much longer allow that that
House or its Committees should be permitted to decide
on questions of election law. He would not attempt to
Jo that indirectly which he had failed the other evening
in doing directly. He could not consent to accede
to the - motion of the Hon. and Learned Gentleman
for suspending the issue of the writ, unless the
Honourable and Learned Gentleman could pro-
, duce a precedent. He (Sir Robert Inglis) ventured
to assert that there was no instance of the issue
of a writ having been suspended, unless upon the
Report of a Committee. In all the instances in which
the issue of a writ had been suspended, a Committee had
reported the existence of bribery in the borough, and in
many instances the Members themselves had been
reported to have been implicated. In the present
instance the allegations rested solely on the ll
authority of the Hon. and Learned Member for Bath—
(Hear, hear)—and without meaning anything disrespect-
till to the Hon. and Learned NI ember, he must say that
low as he considered the authority of an Election Com-
mittee, he still considered the Report of such a Com-
mittee as better than the unsupported testimony
01 aHonourable Member.—(Hear, hear.) Unless
the lrlLourable Member could produce a precedent,
he (sir 11. Inglis) would certainly not consent to the
suspension of the issue of the writ. Ile would not enter
into further discussion on the subject, but content him-
,elf with stating his determination to oppose the motion
of the lion. Member for Bath, unless he could produce
some precedent of the issuing of a writ having been
:suspended under similar circumstances.
Mr. WYNN felt considerable hesitation and doubt on
this subject. He thought that a locutory instruction
ought to be given to the Committee to proceed in the
first instance with the Nottingham case, and that they
should have the power to report from time to time upon
that case, before they entered upon any other.
Mr. C. WOOD said, that the Right Hon. Gentleman
a ho had just sat down, had expressed the very sentiments
on this subject which he (Mr. C. Wood) felt, and the
Right Hon. Gentleman had done so in a manner that
left it unnecessary for him (Mr. C. Wood) to say more
upon it. He thought that the objection taken by the
Hon. Gentleman opposite (Sir R. H. Inglis) was taken a
day after the fair. It was true that the motion agreed to

Mr. JAMES opposed the motion, on the ground that
no writ. ought to be issued whilst the inquiry as to
bribery was still pending.
Strangers were then ordered to withdraw, but no
division took place, and on our re-admission to the gal-
lery we found
Mr. P. lIOWARD on his legs, deprecating the refusal
to issue the writ for a large commercial town like Not-
tingham, upon the eve of a question of great commercial
importance— namely, the tariff. He would not persevere
against what he considered the opinion of the House—
(Hear, hear)—but he was anxious to enter his solemn
protest against suspending the liberties of the people
without proof that there was ground to do so. He
thought the House might, without stultifying itself,
adopt the proposition of the Right Hon. Gentleman, the
Member for Montgomery.
Mr. F. FRENCH believed that the Right Honourable
Baronet had acted upon an erroneous supposition in re-
fusing to agree to the issuing of the writ.
Lord J. RUSSELL said, he could not agree to the
issue of the writ in the present uncertain state of affairs.
At the same time, it would be unjust to take this borough

first.

After a short discussion between Sir R. Peel, Mr.
French, Mr. Roebuck, and Mr. Wynn,
Mr. HOWARD withdrew his motion.
NEW WRIT.
On the motion of Sir T. FREMANTLE, it was
agreed that the Speaker should issue his warrant to the
Clerk of the Crown in Ireland, to issue a new writ for
the county of Londonderry, in the room of Sir R. Bate-
son, who had accepted the office of Steward of the Chil-
tern Hundreds.
Mr. G. BANKES presented a petition from the island
of Portland against a removal of the duty upon foreign
stone. He should give notice, therefore, that he should
move, at the proper time, that the duties on the importa-
tion of foreign stone should not cease, but continue as
heretofore.

last evening, to appoint a Committee to inquire into the t. hotel, they got tickets, and when they had got
existence of bribery at the elections referred to, was them they were told to go to a certain place,
without precedent; but when, under extraordinary ' and that there they would get four sovereigns for it.
circumstances an extraordinary proceeding had been He thought he had shown, at least, that there were
adopted by the House, the Honourable Gentleman grounds enough for bringing in this NIL He had
would find it impossible to discover a precedent, where, ' shown that two hundred voters had been grossly
under like circumstances, the House had refused to and systematically bribed during the last ele.2-
suspend the issuing of the w rit, until the inquiry tion. It was utterly impossible that two can-
directed to be instituted had been terminated. didate coul4 have arrived on the eve of the election,
Ile apprehended, therefore, that according to all former and have found men so perfectly organised as the voters
precedent, and certainly according to reason and corn- of Sudbury were, ready to go up to the poll next morning
mon sense, it would be preposterously absurd to issue a in batches of eight and ten, the leaders returning to
writ to a place which was under an accusation of bribery, take up other bodies of the same kind. Lid the House
that accusation being so far sanctioned by the House, suppose that this was a recent occurrence in the borough
that a Committee had been appointed to inquire into of Sudbury, or one of a novel character ? At the
its truth. election of 1780, the grossest bribery was alleged;
Colonel SIBTHORP supported the motion. If there but the bribery of that period was carried on in the
were an inquiry into bribery and corruption, it ought to darkness of night, but at present it was not even so con-
embrace every case that was known to have occurred. cealed. He would also ask the House to look at the
Why, it was said that the Noble Lord, the Member fur evidence given before the Commissioners ap-
the City of London—he did not know for how many pointed to inquire into the condition of the
places besides—had been returned by nine dead men.— hand-loom weavers of Sudbury, in 1837, in
(Laughter.) He had heard a great deal too on the subject which evidence was given, at a time and under cir-
of bribery at St. Alban's.—(Hear, hear.) He hoped the cumstances more favourable for ascertaining the state of
Hon. Member for Carlisle would take the sense of the the town, than the inquiry before an Election Committee.
House.

One gentlemen, examined before the Committee, stated

that, at the election of 1835, bribery had been carried
on in the borough to an unprecedented extent ; and he
added that he believed that if the sum given in bribes
was divided among the whole constituency, it would
amount to between 30/. and 351. to each elector.
There was another remark which he wished to make, though
not exactly prtinent to the subject. Were the electors of
Sudbury friends to the system of voting by ballot? Not at all.
At the election of 1835, the brother of one of the candidates, in
recommending his brother to the voters of Sudbury, said that
he was a friend to voting by ballot, in order that bribery might
be put an end to. The assembled electors met that announce-
ment by a cry of "No ballot, no ballot !" They saw at once
what would be the effect of the vote by ballot. A party being
asked what sort were the elections of 1837, said that they were
very poor—that there was no money expended on either side,
and that that was owing to there being four candidates in the
field. Such was the picture which the Report before the
House enabled him to give of former elections at Sudbury.
Was the system to continue, in which 200 voters on one side
were proved to be bribed at every election? One witness ex-
amined before the Committee acknowledged that he always
voted for whichever side paid him most, and that on each oc-
casion he took the bribery oath. The next witness who came
forward, was a man of the name of Bell. lie had never before
exercised the franehise, and he had received an extra sum of

41. for his vote. Charles King, another voter, state) that he
had received 6/., but that they were for travelling expenses.
With regard to the last election, there was a man who came
befoze the Committee, named Nicholas Cross, who stated that
he had been offered 701. for his vote; and that in his opinion
the voters had made a regular market of the election. Having
thus briefly stated to the House what had occurred at the last
election—having shown that the last election for the borough of
Sudbury was one at which, in the words of the Committee, a
gross, sjstematic, and extensive system of bribery was carried on
—be would merely add that the Committee, before whom these
facts were investigated, was appointed in the very manner in
which the Right. Hon. Baronet himself said it ought to be
formed ; and he would say that:a Committee of that kind, not
having been selected by chance, but chosen with the utmost
care, their Report ought to be attended to. That Committee
could not resist the strong facts which were presented to their
minds, and they came to the unanimous decision that gross
bribery had prevailed. The Right Hon. Gentleman said that
he wished to aid the Noble Lord in his object for the sup-
pression of bribery, and to make an example of those com-
mitting it. That was the very course he (Mr. Redington)
ased the House to pursue now. On other occasions of cor-
ruption various courses had been pursued : sometimes it had been
proposed to incorporate that with the neighbouring borough ;
but he did not think it wouid be fair to extend so much vice
into the midst of virtue. He thought, however, that there
was no other course than that which he proposed to the House.
If that measure were not adopted he was sure that all that they
had said—all that they had been doing—all that they had at-
tempted on the subject, would be rendered nugatory. He was
satisfied if they did not punish this borough that all their re-
solutions against bribery would be believed to be idle and in •
consistent ; and he was sure if they did not adopt the sugges-
tions of their own Committee, they would feel that that House,
instead of assisting them to put an end to bribery, were se-
cretly and silently throwing a cloak over proceedings so unjust
and reprehensible.
Colonel RUSHBROOKE, in the present unrepresented
state of the borough of Sudbury, trusted that, as the repre-
sentative of that division of the county in which the borough
was situated, he might be permitted to say a few words in fa-
vour of that unfortunate borough. The corruption extended
only to one portion of the constituency—the freemen—a body
for the preservation of which he had voted in conjunction with
the majority of that House, and he could only say he was
sorry they had made so bad use of their privileges.—( Opposi-
tion cheers.) That body, however, was a diminishing one,
and, ere long, would be extinct. There was not a more re-
spectable body existing than the bulk of the constituency
of the borough ; they were above the suspicion of
venality, and he hoped that when the Bill should be in-
troduced the House would give the question its calm considera-
tion, and would recollect that it was one class only of the
voters which had been disgraced by these practices. He trusted
they would net let the innocent suffer with the guilty, but
would temper justice with mercy.
The motion was then agreed to, and
Mr. G. HARCOURT and Mr. SHIEL were ordered to
bring in the Bill.