The Sun.
London, England, 1842-10-31 00:00:00

as all political institutions are, or ought to be in-
tended, to secure industry its due and proper re-
wards. It has long appeared to us, and we pre-
sume has appeared to many other persons, that
politicians are amonest the least skilful of men

in attaining their own ends. They profess, year
after year, and century after century, to be
anxious to promote the public happiness, to re-
ward virtue and punish crime, to see the public

sentiments fairly represented, and they never, by

any chance, fall on a new and a successful method
by which these objects may be attained. The
same old system of representation, chance be-
gotten, and chance reformed, which grew up six
or seven centuries ago, increasing in deformity
and in anomalies as society has extended or al-

tered its shape, with one feeble and unsuccessful
attempt in modern times to adapt it to society,
still continues in ;use, and convinces us, session
after session, and election after election, both
by the scandal of the returns and the abortive
laws which are produced, that it is wholly unfit for
the purpose of governing the people in peace, and
guiding them to prosperity. Nothing better, how-
ever, is ever suggested by politicians, and so far
as they are concerned, mankind can have no hope
but of going onfor ever with labour insufficiently
rewarded, and peace at home for ever endan-
gered. At length a novelty has been started,
and though it may turn out to be wholly unsuit-
able to the end proposed, yet, as serving to " de-
facate the politicians standing pool," and agitat•
ing the thinking part of man, we hold it our duty
to call public attention forcibly to the subject.
A pamphlet has reached us, published by
EFPINGHAM WILSON, entitled " Our Represen-
tative'System; its Tendency and Effects, with
Practical Suggestions for its Formation on a
new Basis," which gives an entirely new turn
to our thoughts. Assuming that representation
is the proper mode of constituting a Government,.
and not, adverting to those great changes in
modern times, which make it feasible to gather
public opinion, :and enforce it without passing it
through the dirty strainer of a House of Com-
mons, the author suggests a novel method of
collecting our representative assembly. We will
not advert to the numerous evils of the present
system—one of which, the giving Members to lo-
calities, instead of constituting them Members for
the whole empire, thereby giving them local,
instead of making them attend to general inte-
rests is now, we believe, for the first time fully
developed and a remedy suggested—we will con-
fine ourselves to giving a very brief outline of
his practical suggestions, though we shall state
them in our own way. The author's NEW PLAN
FOR COLLECTING A HOUSE OF COMMONS is
shortly this.
Whoever can obtain the signature of, say 500
(the numbers throughout being solely for ex-
ample,) householders, attested by some known
authority, from any part of the United Kingdom,
shall be, without any other qualification what-
ever, placed on a list of candidates by some au-
thorised person, which list shall be published
in the Gazette. An alphabetical list of all the
candidates registered and gazetted, like a list of
game certificates, shall be prepared and sent for
sale to every post-office in the kingdom, as post-I
age stamps are now sent, where they shall be
purchasable for fourteen days previous to the day
of election for one penny each. Any and e very per-
son may purchase these lists, and any and every per-
son may use them being of the male sex, and ap-
pearing to be 21 years of age. The plan, there-
fore, takes all qualification from candidates, and,
establishes the suffrage in all adult tittles who
choose to exercise it, and can purchase 4 list of
candidates. They may be foreigners or aliens, if
they only be on the spot and give in their lists.
• The,lists are to be used thus. The purchaser
is to mark in the list 50 names—we do not see
the use of this limitation, as the writer proposes
that the House of Commons should consist of 500
Members, and we should suppose that each elec-
tor might vote for the whole 500, otherwise it.
might be possible that a much less number than
the 500 might be elected—but the anther pro-
poses that the holder of the list should mark 50
names, preparing his list when it suits his conve-
nience,- before the time appointed for delivering
them. A. --Convebient and inc;;;sed place.
being prepared, one for every 2,00 in-
habitant:, or for every parish that con-
tains less than 2,000 inhabitants, at one and
,the same day and hour the elections are to take
'place throughout the entire kingdom. At that
time the electors or persons who have purchased

lists are to assemble in the inclosed space, and
at that hoar the entrance gate is to be closed,
and no more persons admitted. At the exit
gate each person is to deliver his list, and only to
deliver one. It may be put sealed into a box, or
otherwise. The lists so collected are to be exa-
mined by special commissioners or scrutineers,
and the names of the five hundred candidates
out of the whole wh,o have the most votes are to
be published in the Gazette, and are to be the
members of the House of Commons. A Parlia-
ment so collected might be continued three
years; it need not be dissolved on the demise of
the Crown, nor would it be necessary to fill up
vacancies caused by death or otherwise, except
in case of the death of a Cabinet Minister, whose
successor might not have a seat in the House,
and who, it is proposed, should sit ex officio.
" The election should be final for three years at
least," says the author, " not only as respects
the whole House, but individual Members of it;
and thus avoid the degrading struggles and com-
promises for seats, the expensive farces of elec-
tion petitions, mock inquiries, and other abuses
of a similar character, which have gathered
round our present representative system."
We give no opinion on this proposal except to
say that it could not well lead to worse results
than take place under the present system, both
in electing Members and in making laws with
partial and class objects to fetter the whole com-
munity. We are aware that we have not dejne
justice to the author by omitting all his.
tions and all the illustrations which 1-.4e gives of
indi-
his proposal, but we have only int-,nded
+ reflection of our
ne
cate the principle in the brief possible way,
and leave the matter to:
readers. The proposal i'4 in all respects at vari-
ance with our prese_nt system, and fitils com-
pletely in that po;int of easy adaptation to exist-
ing institutions which is a strong recommenda-
tion to stateFimen. Quoting one passage, to Ove
our read:drs an idea of the authors manner, we
shalsi conclude by saying that we hope his ex-
•
pectations that his wukk'will attract the attention
of thinking minds, win be gratified :--
This, I know, embodies all that is asked for as
" universal" or " complete" suffrage, but it embodies
it in a way that gives to the elector full scope for per-
fect freedom of choice ;—to the elected complete ludo,-
pendence of any particular locality. He would be
the representative of a class, the individual members
of which can have no claim upon him, and with whom
he need not, except for public purposes, come in con-
tact. It would give, unless I greatly err, to each rank
in society, and to each class, representation propor-
tionate to their station, their energy, or their numbers;
to individual property, talent, or position, that influ-
ence, and no more, which these will always gain for
their possessors.
The rich man, the great man, and the wise man
will still guide others in their choice of representatives.
Their influence will always, to a great extent, be vo-
luntarily submitted to, and to that extent, and no fur-
ther, is it a "legitimate" influence.

It is now confidently stated that Admiral Sir John
Talbot, G.C.8., is to be the new Naval Commander-
in-Chief at this port, and that Lord Viscount Ingestrio
is to be the Flag Captain. Sir John Talbot is one of
the most distinguished officers in the service. His
gallant capture of the Rivoli, 74, when in command of.
the Victorious, is one of the brightest pages in the
naval annals of Britain.—Hanipshire Independent.
PaonturivE LAnotat.—A. countryman sowing his
field, two pert fellows riding that way, one of them
called to him with an insolent air, " Well, honest fel-
low, it is your business to sow but we reap the fruit
of your labours." To which the countryman replied,
raising his hand to his neck, " Very
vor I be sowing hemp." loikely you wall,
EFFECTS OF THE INCOME-TAX.—In Carmarthen
some establishments have been reduced, and the re-
Ay 14 hiss all his
life kept horses,.has.resOlvecl to
ct .BpVe r
IdlauNc-eti°bneeonfsmoladn,3a-:qiire isicePnlitjpteiTlaPilict,t(4 smial studs
families have discontinued the', eof
isugar7'Peer,',and.
other customary aitioles 'ttf—consumptiob.--500,, 1
bury Chronicle.