The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-02-23 00:00:00

Emperial Vartianunt.

HOUSE OF' LORDS.—MONDAY.
Tne Lotto CHANCELLuIi, upon the motion for the third read-
ing of the banking copartnership 1011, proposed some verbal
amendments, upon which a short discussion ensued, in which
the Lord Chancellor, Lords Ellebborough, Abinger, and Redes-
dale, took a part. The amendments were then agreed to, and
the bill passed. The bill was then taken down by the Masters
in Chancery to the House of Commons.—A message from the
Commons brought back the bill, after a considerable interval,
with the amendments agreed to.—Adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—MONDAY.
PARMA NIENTARY ELECTORS BILL.
Lord J. RUSSELL moved the order of the day for the third
reading of this bill.
Mr. MACLEAN rose to oppose the third reading of the bill,
because he considered it but the commencement of a series of
changes which would be constantly urged forward, until all the
vital principles of the constitution would be gone.
Sir R. PEEL wished to leave a record of the grounds upon
Which he opposed this bill; and the main one was, that be con-
sidered it was only one step in the alteration of the principles
of that measure which they were induced to consider as the
settlement of a great question. (Hear, hear.) The noble lord
(J. Russell) bad referred to the zeal with which he (Sir R.
R. Peel) hail throughout all its stages opposed the reform bill.
He vindicate) that conduct. (Hear, and cheers.) There could
be nothing more consistent than his giving every opposition to
that bill during its progress; hut when it did pass—when it was
accepted as a great national settlement—was he to propose or
sanction reform on reforms ? He would resist every thing
which went to break down the provisions of that measure, be-
cause greater evils sprung from agitating those changes than
ever good could flow Plum them. (Hear, hear.) The reform
bill established three tests for the quality of voters now under
consideration—first, that they should be residents in the tette
orients they occupied for twelve months; secondly, that their
teuenuents should be of the value of ten pounds per annum;
and, thirdly, that they should have paid on the Ist of July the
rates and taxes due oil toe 6th of April. Those three tests were
of course designed as proof of pecuniary competency. The
qualification was by the present bill still the same—the value
of £l.O was still the saute—but the alteration introduced by the
noble lord was; that the voters should have a longer period for
the payment of their rates. By the proposal of the noble lord,
six months additional were given. The house tax had been re-
pealed, the window tax reduced to half its amount, and the pour
rates brought down from £8,739,831 to £4,800,000; and there-
fore the pecuniary qualifications in 1832, by the operation of
these acts. had been greatly reduced. Ou the ground that the
present bill was not an improvement, but, on the main ground,
that he would not appear to acquiesce in an unnecessary and
uncalled for change in the elective franchise, and one which
would lead to greater changes in the representative system,
he (Sir R. Peel) opposed the third reading of the bill.
Lord J. RussELL said, with regard to the present bill being
an alteration of the reform bill, bad they not on more than one
occasion altered that measure? Had nut hon. gentlemen op-
posite, who now were so clamorous against any alteration thew-
i;elves, urged many changes? (Cheers front the ministerial
benches.) The days of election had been altered in one in-
stance, the polling places in another, and other changes had
been proposed and carried. The hon. gentlemen opposite had
uo objection to the atneudinent of that provision of the reform
bill which fixed the charge of Is. upon freemen on their admis-
sion—(hear, hear)—yet they had every objectiou•to- the alter-
ation of the provision which affected the £lO occupation. The
voter was the first place, to entitle him to a place in the re-
gistry, to pay his taxes up to the preceding 5111 of April, but in
after years only to the I lth of October previous. The trouble
and vexation to the voter would thus be rendered as light as
possible. Every one knew that, although electors might pay
great attention to the preservation of their franchise in the first
instance, yet that, subsequently, the same individuals might
not be able to pay their taxes up so promptly. However, the
previous entries would show that they were the original voters;
and they thieht be tolerably sure that they were sulvent, and
living in £lO houses, and (hen they need tint look so strictly to
points of time iu the payment of taxes.
Mr Got:LBW:I(Na said if the noble loid persevered in his alter-
ations and tamperings with the substantial protections provided
in the reform bill, he might still, indeed, have what he called
£lO voters, but he would lose the means of testing and ascer-
taining them to be such by the payment o? the king's taxes and
poor rates.
liit'lkiL( a la ugh )--those underhand whig
measures.--(laughter)—with which the noble lord had rendered
them familiar. He begged to be understood, that in voting
against the bill he did not wish to oppose the repeal of the stamp
duty now paid by freemen, but he made it a point to oppose
every thing brought in by the present, corrupt government.
(Cheers and laughter.)
Sir W. FOLLETT said, that, he for one, would vote against the
bill, not because it repealed the freemen's stamp duty, but be-
cause it introduced the subject of that repeal in such an under-
hand manner as if it. were a boon or a bribe to permit the alter-
ation of the franchise established by the reform bill.
The house then divided, and there appeareffAyes, 189 ;
noes, 172; majority for the third reading, 17.
The house then went into committee on the Irish poor law
bill, and proceeded as far as the 56th clause ; when the chair-
man reported progress, and obtained leave to sit again. The
house adjourned at half-past twelve o'clock.

HOUSE OF LORDS.—TUESDAY.
Lord BROUGEMM brought forward his promised motions re-
garding negro slavery; first, moving an address; secondly,
proposing resolutions regarding the slave trade; and, thirdly,
the extinction of slavery, or the apprenticeship system. His
lordship, it will be seen spoke at great length, and with con-
siderable force, in support of those several propositions.
Lord GLENELG, also, at considerable length answered Lord
Brougham in detail,--shorving the different treaties that had been
entered into between South American as well as European
powers, since 1821, when their lordships, in an athiresS, had to
complain of the four great uowers of Europe—Spain, Holland,
France and Portugal—powers that were not now liable to simi-
lar attacks. He oirposed Lord Brougham's address because it
would nut lead to arty practical result ; and proposed another
address in its stead, expressive of the very deep and anxious
feeling they still had on this subject, stating that they viewed
the additional treaty with Spain as well calculated to promote
the extinction of the Slave traffic; but regretting that the Por-
tuguese flag was still used to cover this traffic, and expresssing
an opinion that that nation ought to make efforts to co-operate
with England for the extinction of Slavery. He opposed the
resolution fur abolishing head money, and for licensing letters
of Marque; and also the resolutions regarding the speedy abo-
lition of the apprenticeships; as equally prejudicial to the ne-
groes and unjust to the owners.
The Duke of WELIANGToN supported the course proposed
by Lord Glenelg.
There was afterwards mucl% discussion, which ended in the
adoption of Lord'Glenelg's amendment.—Adjourned.