Star.
London, England, 1831-05-20 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE JOURNALS.

HER ALD.—If it be true that the frightful disease known as the
Indian cholera has advanced so far into the north of Europe as Leipsic,
there must be more than sufficient ground for our urging again upon
Government, as we have heretofore done, the necessity of the most ac-
::ve precautionary measures being used to prevent, if possible, under
Me blessing of Providence, Its reaching our own shores. We would hope,
and have, indeed, no reason to doubt, but that Government are silently
and effectually doing all that they can do toavert the threatened calamity.
list the danger we ate exposed to is not a little augmented by the differ-
ence of opinion prevailing among medical men as to the fact of this disease
L.:ing contagious or not—some of them, we understand, contending
Ihlt it spreads itself through the atmosphere as a seedario, and against
%bids, of course, no quarantine regulations can provide. This may or
may not be so. If on this, or any other similar topic, we were to wait
till doctors cease to differ, half the human race might fall mar-
tyro to this and other such visitations. The Government,
therefore, we trust, will steer clear of adopting the crochets,
or even the wisdom of medical professors, on this one point of
nonseontagion. The safer course is to believe the contrary ;
leaving to the non-contagionists all the honours of victory, should they
turn out to be right. Blessed as we are with a sea-girt territory, we are
infinitely better provided with means to avert this evil than any Conti-
nental States can be which have to rely on a military force to form a
sanatory cordon. On the other hand, our immense mercantile traffic,
as well as our enlarged personal intercourse with all parts of the Con-
tinent, it must be admitted, in no small degree counterbalances this,
and imposes a difficult but not the less indispensable duty, on the part
of Government, to leave no precautionary means untried to avert so
fearful a calamity.
TlMES.—Although the opinions of independent men are made up
as to the necessity of preserving entire the two great principles of the
measure of reform,—viz. the demolition of rotten boroughs, and the
extension of the elective franchise. as well as of the right of being re-
presented to large communities and classes of property, which are now
excluded from both, there is, we see, some discussion going on with
resp;et to one or two points of qualification.—l. Proprietors of land
let out on building or other leases, whose tenants Can vote, while they,
the landlords, are disqualified, by the mere fact that their tenants
derive a qualification from the same premises. At this rate, Mr. Coke,
of Norfolk, or Sir Francis Burdett might have thousands of voters on
their property, without being themselves recognized as electors. This
isa manifest error in the wording of the bill; from acting too pedanti-
cally upon the principle—in Licit most salutary—that two qualifica-
tions siiall not be founded on one and the same portion of an estate. A
remedy may, we humbly conceive, be easily provided for so obvious an
inadvertency in the bill. 2. Many persons are disposed to think, that when
not only freeholders and copyholders of 101. per annum, bet leaseholders
fora term of 21 years, paying 501. per annum, are destined to exercise the
righ of voting in counties, the disqualification of tenants at will, no
matter bow extensive or valuable may be the premises which they occupy,
is a defect in the measuse which ought at once to be corrected. On the
face of things, undoubtedly, it appears harsh, nay capricious, to refuse
the franchise to a leaseholder of five hundred acres, at a rent of
kit or eight hundred pounds per annum, while the occupant of
fifty acres, at a tenth of the sum, can show himself manfully at
the busting& Yet we are decided in our belief that no tenant ought
'n be a voter, in respect of any premises from which he may be ejected
tae arbitrary will of another individual. A 501. leaseholder for 21
vters is secure of his holding for whatever portion of his term may re-
train unexpired. He may therefore vote for whom he pleases, and
attaimt his landlord's wishes, with impunity. He is an independent
"Ili and as such possesses the first attribute of a useful elector.
POST.—The ref,. rrn Bill of his Majesty's Ministers, if it should ever
ra,s into a law, will give rise to some scenes of a nature never before
hued in this country, and the progress of which will certainly dial-
•'- the delusion thut now enwraps the ministerial reformers, dense and
l'imivtrable as it is. Let the gentry and freeholders of the counties of
England figure to themselves two or three Privy Councillors, nominated
)37 Earl Grey and Lord Brougham, probably the Right Hon. J. Calerait
the new member for Dorsetshire, who has so highly distinguished him-
,elf tqon the reform question, together with Mr. Wellesley, the new
measlier for P.ksex, another character equally distinguished, and, per-
harm, Mr. D. W. Harvey, the celebrated member for Colchester, the two
latar having previou.ly been created Privy Councillors for the °cm-
slon--let the gentry and freeholders of England, we say, figure
to themselves these, or three other equally worthy and re-
7'ediehle men, visiting our counties in succession, in order
in divide them into convenient districts, for the purpose of
rt,fr,:sentation. Let them imagine the great Whig landholders paying
rir court to these three, or any other three equally right honour.
commissioners, and whispering into their ears, " draw the line
demarcation thus. or thus, and we, steadfast friends as we are
.!le dynasty of Grey and Brougham, shall always be sure of our
::.embers, while we shall have our fair chance at least with
miler gentlemen of the county, less devoted to that dYnist7
vie are, in the division of the county on the other side of our line."
must no doubt be conceded that Earl Grey and Lord Brougham are
eery last persons in the world to sanction any partiality on the part
eir Commissioners; but yet, when the scene comes really to be
the spectators may begin to think that, upon the whole, it might
Lave beeb es well not to expose those eminent persons to a temptation
.4_l.!T)g as that rif securing to their party, permanently
i and inde-
.i.ll.4l_ Y, no less than thirty-four county seats in the House of i