The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1852-02-10 00:00:00

THE NEW REFORM BILL

Lord J. RUSSELL rose at five minutes past five o'clock, and
moved for leave to bring in a bill to extend the right of voting,
and to amend the representation of the people in that house.
The noble lord commenced his speech by expressing his con-
viction that the present was a proper time for the intro-
duction of such a subject. In any measure of this sort, we
must always bear in mind that the great object was to secure
good government as well as a fair representation of the people.
The noble lord then rapidly reviewed the different measures
-proposed for parliamentary reform, commencing with that of
Mr. Pitt in 1781—which was supported by Fox down to his own
hill of 1831, which became law in 1832. Under that measure
he observed that it had been found necessary to ascertain the
boundaries of the boroughs. That bill went on the basis of the
smallest boroughs, and the limited amount of the franchise;
but in that plan he did not go to the extent of saying that
those boroughs which were merely small should cease to return
members. In counties and large cities it would be impos-
sible to say that the people were really represented. (Hear,
hear.) He held, therefore, that it would be extremely
unwise to adopt this system ; but he should propose to
disenfranchise boroughs in any cases of proved corruption,
and by another bill which would be subsequently introduced,
he should propose to make considerable changes in the
mode of inquiring into cases of corruption. (Hear,
hear.) Upon an address from the house, it should be in
the power of the crown to appoint a commission, which com-
mission should resort to the borough, and have the same means
of inquiring which had been lately exercised at St. Albans.
It would then be in the power of the house to enfranchise
large towns, and to give to the rising seats of manufacture and
commerce additional members ; for instance, it would be in
the power of the house to say that the seats vacant for
Sudbury should he filled by one member each for
BIRKENHEAD and Birmingham. As to the franchise, he
proposed it should be enjoyed by all householders rated at
five instead of ten pounds, as at present. He considered that
this might he done with perfect safety, and that thereby a large
addition may be made to the constituency; as to counties, that
persons holding occupations rated at twenty pounds should
have the right to vote. How far this would extend the right of
voting he was unable to say; but he conceived that thosewho were
qualified to serve on jurieswere:qualified to vote; as to copyholders
and leaseholders, he proposed the suffrage should be reduced
from .elO to _fs a-year in direct taxes; he proposed they should
have the right of voting—this would introduce a class of voters
who are well qualified by position and education to hold
the franchise, but who did not happen to possess the right
in any other way. He had expressed an opinion in
favour of retaining small boroughs; but to increase
the constituency in them by the addition of neigh-
bouring places. When the Reform Bill was passed, it was
intended that no boroughs should possess fewer than three
hundred electors ; but he now found that there were fourteen
small boroughs with less than three hundred electors ; thirty-
four with less than four hundred; and twenty-four with less
than five hundred. It would be, therefore, proposed to add the
neighbouring places to all boroughs which had less than 500
electors. The number of boroughs to which this would apply
was sixty-seven. They were situated princirally in the
south and the west, in the agricultural rather than the manu-
facturing parts of the country. It followed, therefore, that the
balance which was established at the time of the Reform Bill
between the agricultural and the manufacturing interests would
be maintained. He further proposed to abolish the Property
Qualifications for members for England and Ireland (hear). At
the same time, he should propose an alteration in the form of
the oath to be taken by members. There would be one simple
oath for all members, which all parties might take alike, of al-
legiance to the Throne and fidelity to the Constitution ; and he
need not say that from this oath would be omitted the words
t fa" -f aC' " I. "

:rue faith of a ~hristian.• .t wonld be such an oath that all
parties could take. Another alteration lie should propose was,
that when any member of the Government changed in his office
openly, he should not be obliged to appear before his consti-
tuents for re-election, though such necessity should still exist
on his first taking office under the Crown. Such were the alte-
rations he intended to propose, and he would also mention that
measures of a corresponding nature would be introduced at a
future period with regard to Scotland and Ireland; but he
should say with regard to the Irish bill, that it would not be
proposed by him to make any alteration in the county franchise,
but that it was intended to propose that the franchise for towns
and cities should be reduced from to The noble lord
then added some concluding observations, in the course of
which he stated that the next session the Government would
introduce a measure for the education of the people. The noble
lord sat down at 20 minutes past 6 o'clock, amid loud cheers.—
Mr. HUME complained of the omission of the ballot from the
noble lord's proposition.—Sir J. WALSH censured Lord John
Russell for re-opening the question of reform, and unsettling
the institutions of the country, when it was not demanded
or desired by the country.—Mr. H. BERKELEY said that he
should endeavour, in the progress of the bill, to introduce into
it a clause, for giving to the voters the necessary protection
of the ballot.—Mr. HOWARD spoke briefly in favour of the
extension of the suffrage.—Sir It. H. INoms protested against
the perpetual tinkering of the English constitution, by repeated
measures of reform ; and especially objected to the mixing
up of the religious question of Jewish disabilities with the
merely political question involved in the bill.—Mr. BRIGHT,
while he considered the measure in many respects very defec-
tive, admitted that many portions of it would give general
satisfaction. Its great fault was the omission of the protection
of the ballot, which he considered the noble lord was, in justice
both to employers and employed, bound to give, if he conferred
any large extension of the suffrage.—Mr. BAILLIE claimed for
the people of Ireland and Scotland such an extension of the
franchise as would give them an equal and proportionate poli-
tical power with that enjoyed by the people of England.—Mr.
C. B. RoctiE urged the necessity of a thorough reform in the
representation of Ireland.—After a few words from Mr. NEW-
DEGATE and Mr. TRELAWNEY, Sir J. WALMSLEY expressed
his disappointment with the measure, which he declared was
totally unworthy of the house and of the noble lord who had
introduced it.—ln answer to a question, Lord J. RUSSELL said
that he would lay the bill upon the table on Thursday next,
and proposed to move the second reading on Friday fort-
night.—Sir H. VANCE, Mr. AUSTEN, Slr J. TYRREL, and
Colonel SIBTHORP, having spoken, Mr. DISRAELI pressed
the noble lord to give the house and the country a
lo iger period for the consideration of so important a measure.
H did not see that the bill would materially disturb the ex-
icing balance of parties, but thought that the present was not
a proper time for its introduction.—Sir G. GREY and Sir B.
HALL deprecated any delay in the second reading.—After some
remarks from Lord Newport, Lord D. Stuart, Mr. J. O'Connell,
and other members, leave was given to bring in the bill, and
the house adjourned at 25 minutes past 10.

LINES

ON THE OCCAqION OF A VISIT TO THE MONUMENT OF
THE " TWO CHILDREN." BY CHANTREY, IN

LICHFIELD CATHEDRAL

finw sweet their sleep, as thus united
buds, nipp'd off, not blighted—
impli over Death ! a wreath
cks the spoiler worm beneath.

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bubbles burst, and leave them.

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was not " broken

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efs and pleasures share