Star.
London, England, 1830-12-21 00:00:00

SPECIAL COMMISSION FOR HANTS.

WINCHESTER, DEC. 18.

The Judges arrived this day, attended by the High Sheriff, under
a double escort of javelin men and a large body of special constables,
constituted of respectable inhabitants, and immediately opened the com-
mission. To4norrow they will attend Divine service at the Cathedral,
and on Monday they will proceecd to try the Prisoners.
The calendar being now complete, it appears there are 298 prisoners
for trial. The Attorney-General, Mr. Gurney, and Mr. Dampier arc
retained on the part of the crown ; and Mr. Missing for the county. In
cor.sequence of several of the indictments contalninf charges of misde.
meanours only, and the number of cases which will be defended by
Counsel, the proceedings are expected to occupy a long time. A portion
of the ordinary prisoners have been removed to the bridewell, which
will be placed under a strong military guard. The moat aggravated
cases will be tri•d on Monday, before all the judges, after which their
lordships will preside in different courts, for the trial of the minor
offences.

Complaints have been received, in a letter from Lord Melbourne to
the niagistrtres of the ineffectual state of our city police, respecting
which his Lordship must have been wofully misinformed ; for in addition
to the usual authorities appointed by the corporation, and the night-
watch of the pavement commissioners, there is a body of at least 300
special constables, including all the most respectable citizens, well
armed with staves, and organized in divisions of BO each, under proper
officers. Indeed, so formidable was their appearance, and so precise
and orderly their movements, that the Duke of Wellington is reported
to have said, at the recent meeting of the county magistrates, that sol-
diers were superfluous in a place so well protected by its own inhabi.
tants. The internal strength of Winchester (civilly speaking) has never
been greater, at least in modern time, and depredations were never less
frequent within the walls than at present. Colonel .Bayne, superinten-
dant of the London new police, has just been down to assist in organ-
ising our civil forces, and a meeting of the whole posse is to take
place at the Guildhall this day, for the purpose of carrying his sug-
gestions into effect, and making arrangements for the ensuing week.

LIVERPOOL REFORM MEETING.

On Tuesday a numerous Meeting was held in the Music Hall,
Liverpool, to consider the present system of electing Members of Par.
liament, and of adopting a Petition, praying for Ramat and an ex.
tension of the elective franchise.

Mr. RATHBONI moved the first Resolution, which stated the sa.
tisfaction of the Meeting at the change of Ministers. The worthy
Gentleman made some observations upon the want of Reform in Par-
liament, and observed, that the late disgraceful scenes which occurred
in Liverpool demonstrated that the electors required improvement ; and
he had been more impressed with this opinion from an anecdote he had
just heard, and be was sure his fellow-townsmen would participate in
the pain he felt in hearing it, and reprobation of diabolical sentiments
so much at variance with the better feeling of the majority of his fel.
low-townsmen :—A muster, at the late election was, at one of the
clubs, or an assembly of freemen, asked to drink success to the Rocket,
with which he naturally complied. He then asked an explanation. I
feel horror, said Mr. Rathbone, in saying the reply was, "If the
fatal accident had not occurred from the locomotive engine called the
Rocket, we should not have had this election !" Fellow-townsmen,
said 31r. Rathbone, are such persons tit depositaries of the sacred'
rights and duties of electors ; and is it not high time that, by the addi.
tion of the respectable Meeting now assembled. the body should be
improved ?
The next Resolution proposed was to the following effect :
" That the disgraceful proceedings which take place at all contested
elections at Liverpool, whether for Members of Parliament or for Chief
Magistrate and especially those which characterised the recent election
of a representative fur this borough, in which it is understood that
about one hundred thousand pouuds was spent by the partisans of the
two candidates. chiefly in acts of bribery anticorruption, loudly proclaim
the necessity of reform in the system of representation."
The next Resolution stated, that the number of burgesses who polled
at the election, including out-voters, was 4,401, consisting principally
of persons dependent for support on their daily wages, and therefore,
from their station in life, liable to be actuated by every variety of undue
influence, while nine-tenths of the substantial householders have no voice
in the election of their representatives. The other resolutions stated
that the continuance of such flagrant abuses in the system of representa-
tion was an outrage on the common sense of mankind, and that the
adoption of the mode of election by ballot was essential to the useful
operation of any change whatever in the representative system of the
British Empire.
Several gentlemen addressed the meeting, and in the course of the
discussion It was stated that the expenditure of 100,0001. was chiefly
paid for votes at from 51. to 501. each.
Mr. T. THORYLZY said, that former elections were always attended
with bribery; at the yearly election for Mayor bribery always pre-
vailed, and at one of which elections 15,0001. had been spent, and from
the committee-rooms labels had been hung out, offering 501. fora tally.
He might mention many circumstances connected with the late elec-
tion, but he would only allude to one: he had heard of a person, who,
having a freeman in his employment, sold his own vote and that of his
journeyman for 601. and contented himself with giving the journeyman
355. as his portion.
It was ultimately agreed to forward a copy of the resolutions to
Earl Orey, and to present petitions founded on them to both houses of
Parliament.