The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-02-20 00:00:00

muster 200 supporters in ;he House of Commons, and
which was not, very shortly after, suffered to become
law ?

rWe can help thein to a case or two of the kind. Ti,(
famous "appropriation clause" has been carried, three
or four times over, in the House of Counn'ons, by majo-
rities of above 300. Yet the "appropriation clause" is
dead and buried, and no one cares to disturb its bones.
The ministerial church-rate scheMe• was 'carried. last
year by 257 votes against 232. It was supported also—
which the ballot wilt never be—bi, upwards of two thou-
sand petitions. And vet, where is that scheme now ?
So much for the notion that every folly which can
unite the 200 radicals and radical-whips of the House of
Commons in its support, must, therefore soon pass. into
a law. If the fact were so, the predicament of the Bri-
tish nation would indeed be a pitiable one. But there
are two or three circumstances connected with the late
division, which it does not suit the purposes of the Chro
hicle or OlObe to notice, but which go to' prove the case
of the"ballot to be altOgetber hopeles;:
The numbers in favour of, and against; the ballot, in-
cluding tellers and pairs, were 203 and 320. Divided
into English, and Scotch, and Irish sections, they stand
as fulloWst— ;

• lia2.l;sh. Irish and Scotch.
For the ballot 133. .... 70
Against it
The majority of Anglish members, therefore, against
the ballot, was more than two to one. Out of the entire
number, 500, above a clear majority actually voted
against the proposition. Dividing the absentees accord-
log to the same, relative proportion, the votes of the
English ,representatives would be—

For • 163-- '7— Against 337
Need we ask•wheiher this is a hopeful condition for
any question to be in ?
Bot again. It is in England. in the late English
elections, that the necessity for the ballot is said to have
been especially evinced. • A rapid and considerable in-
crease of support in Englonct, was, therefore; to be
looked for. Now, what has been the acivaace made on
either side, in the late division ? The facts are these—

VOTES OF EIiGLISFI MEMBEaS.
18:1/ ] 838 hicreate.
For ll4 133 19
Against 214 275 61

An increase of 19 votes in its favour; and of 61 votes
against it ; giving an increased moijol'ity cgaZia it in
England of no less than 43! • And this is the state of
things4hich the ballot people are rejoicing in. Ding
may they aboirnd in such. prOsPet ity I
The hopes of the ballot, then, 'a§ of all other mischicifs;
rest solely on'the votes of the Scotch and Irish radicals,
and e,.pecially- of the Irish O'Connellites.. • • The object of
the linter class is suflicientli obvious; yet it was most
indiscreet of Air. Grote, by his reference to the!" Irish
Petition Fund," to attract attention- to it. He argded
that as the subscribers to that fund had complained of
intimidation in Irish elections, they niust of course be
advocates for the ballot. Now it is .one of the strongest
arguments against the ballot, that in Ireland, where the
worst sort of intimidation prevails, Mr. Grote's panacea
would•be wholly inefficacious in touching the evil ; or
rather, that it Would remove the least objectionable sort
of intimidation, and-leave•the worst still in full force.
Intimidation in Ireland is complained of in two di-
rections. The O'Connellites complain that the land
lords coerce their tenants; the Protes!ant landlords
complain that their tenants are compelled to vote against
them by the menaces of the pries Zs. Now the ballot
would certainly Put an end to all landlord-influence; but
it would leave the power of the priests wholly un-
touched.

•
So long as a man remains a Romanist, so long must
he believe that it is necessary for his soul's health to
throw himself, at stated periods, before his priest, and to
disclose t'o him every thought, word, and action. And
equally most he believe, till he casts off the thraldom' of
that debasing cieed, that his salvation is in jeopardy till
the priest's "Absolva te" is granted.
What, then, can the ballot do for this man ? He is,
beyond all comparison, the:most enthralled of all voters;
in
fact, his Vole is in the actual poOession of his priest.
•Yet this, the grand imperfection of the electoral system
in: Ireland, is left untouched by the'propositiOn of Mr.
Grote, while the counteracting power of the influence
of a good landlord is wholly withdrawn and annihilated.
The Whole.sCheme, then; goes to augment the already
enormous power of the priests; and it is, therefore, per-
fectly natural, that it should receive the-strongest sup-
port from the priest's nominees in the House of Com-
mons.