The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-04-10

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should he much surprised if the honorable gentle
man continued 10 MAINTAIN ne positioa that in the
distribution of representatives the town population
not justly treated in comparison with the couu-
try population. (Hcnr, hear That was posi-
ton which they could 10 Longer support, ~ his
opinion. Well he
heard them that night denouncing an olig4scAy; hut
q more cunning device and contriyanee ior establish
ing an oligarchy he could not we'll conceive than to
invest limited number OF persons with the franchise,
and to guard them, through the ballot, fsom tho
criticism and control of the nenranchised millions
Cloud cheers) He would do honorable gentlemen
opposite the credit of believing that they were not
IN favor Of such proposition; and they always,
indeed, contcndcd that extension of the suffrage
was necessary concomitant of the ballot. (iiear.
hear) Well, then, if that were so, he wanted to
know where the line was TO be drawn, If che fran
chise was to be considered as right. ~ was con
tended by the honorable gentleman opposite, that
night! Clear, hear.) III they said that they did
NOT want to draw any line, and that they wished for
universal snitrage--wthou which, as far as the prin
cipes OF political justice WENT they could not other
wise establish perfect justce-then they came To a
new constitution, and had, in fact what was com
monty called the sovereignty Of the people--ih,t is
10 lay, ihat American constitution which
constantly and consistently panegyrized ny honor
able gentlemen opposite. tfear) But that wa.
not the constitution of England. Odear hcar)
The constitution OF England mitgatcd end mod
he'd rs II might be, was still the constitution of
Queen Victoria. (Cheers.) But, said the honorab.
member for Montrose. we must have the ballot, AMI
1t 10 no use to bring forward fine spun argument.
against il, because The ballot will terminate hrber,,
and corruption. Now, he begged to diroct tn.
attention oil honorable gentlemen opposite to !,
passage which he had recen ly read, and which ;lp-
peared in u document coming from that transatlai,-
tic country in which universal suffrage and vote by
ballot existed. (Hear, hear.) This was The way
IN which the Governor of New York addressed th,
Legislature of that State-that enlightened comm;,
mlty which was second to none in the United States
The Governor OF this State says-''Thc amazing
increase OF bribery in the popular elections OF this
State demands your serious attention. G.oud
cleerins) This was the way in which the ehicl
Governor Of New York. SlaJe in which universal
.ihraso and the ballot existed. a,dtos.oA the
Legislature. Qiear) This vas exactly The rrecc.
dent quoted by The honorable gentieman opposite
and hore was tue head Of The State ealing on
the Legislature to interfere cloud ougcrsl NJ,
found this document III letter written Dy . e.ntle-
man WHO was once member OF that house. and
who bad performed important service 10 this coun-
try: but rs he (hlr Disract) was NOT lnotins the
sentiments Of the writer. he ioreborc 10 mention
his name, although if he mentioned il he was sure
II would be received on Doth SIDES with universal re-
spect what else dd he tind contained IN liiis lot
ter II said that the elections gave rise 10 sccscs
OF extreme violence; chat electors were seized AND
people wic were proceeding GA their ordinary busi-
ness were stopped IN the streets; the police were
quite nltiiicent, and the 100000 citizen soldiers
twhich they had heard much boasted o.) were
content to remain at home CHEERS and Daughter
from the ministerial benches whilst q few gang.
81 ruhi'ns committed All sorts of outrage, and IN
one instance went 50 far w destroy the ballot
box. (Che,rs and aughtoi.) He (the Chancellor OF
The ENchcquc) did not find FAULT with honorable ge,-
Yemen opposite Recommending new modes OF Voting:
these were subjects which must be investigated In
tins sacrcd temple OF ifecdom but it was TO be re
aarkcd from the Instance Which he brought forward
shat honorable gentiemen opposite only gave them
the facts on one side. and Only urged one class OF
conscientious ON their notice. clear, hear) This
WRITER went on tius-spcakingof these rots-to say:
The people acted like brutes, and they ought t.
be met by brute force;' whilst the Ncc York I,7-
f...4x - g I'M
openly ana says that 1.-THE scoundres deserved to be-
shot Ike dogs (Cheers and laughter) The bull
lot, then, did not prevent bribery, nor those horr-
bic scenes OF intimidation which unknown in
Europe, and which they could not conceive in this
country. tCries Of hear, hear.') Well, but his
correspondent spoke of something besides, and this
vas indeed humiliation for reformcr U.augh-
tor) lilo said that the whig committee OF the
Eish,l ward-and in justice to the noble lord. he
(the Chancellor of the Exchequer) must inform th,,
nous. that the wing party in New York was not that
party OF which the noble lord the distinguished
chiet and the hereditary Ornamental hear, hear
and iaughter)--thc writer said that the whig COM
miitee of the Eighth ward offered 800 to any ons
who brought 20 voters to vote for the wing ticket,
Cloud laughter and checring) He says the ..sys-
I'm OF bribery is intoeruble.' Yet all these per-
ons exercised the right OF voting IN that precise
way. by which bribery and corruption and intim-
dauca were to be prevented. (Cbeers) There
War one paragraph to which he must refer. because
I is legislative Importance. IN the Assembly of
he STATE Of New York, the pcainhc and
resolution 10 She following effect w..e agreed
10 -" That, whereas. tho use OF money 1t .lec-
ti"ns. for tile purpose OF influencing and cor
nFtng electors, is increasing, resolved. that u
onmittee be appointed 10 examine aud report
whether, IN their opinion, law DISTINGUISHING such
persons would be n violation OF the consultation of
The state. He quoted this. 0 show that corrnI,-
tion existed in the State of New York and tina,
when the people Of this country were told that in
toIerabc corruption prevailed here, they were not
TO away with tho idea that it was in eonse-
4uence Of not possessing vote by ballot. CLEAR.
hcar) He begged leave to say that corruption did
not prevail in this country from the want of the /.
brought up (Hear, hcar.) Corruption was not to
be stopped by any law, but by elcvatng the tone
Of the community, and by making them ashamed OF
corruption cor upton; (Hsar, hear) Il was well known that
more elevated in this respect, and tina, purer sen
timents prevailed new than formerly. Clear.
hear) laxity OF principle existed formerly
amongs, public men in the higher class, which
would not bc tolerated, and did not exist at pre-
sent. Cloud cheors.) The same influence and .
agencies which purified the tone Of the better edu Z
Gated class, was At work now among the lower y
elass. And this was the only secure way Of obtain
ing those results which it for the interest Of all
CLASSES should bs accomplished (Checrs) Afterview
ing thisquestion am sure, with perfect impartaly
! have been strlck-ns have been with the other
heads Of tire system Of tho honorable member for
Msntrose-with the great exaggeration which per-
vades the statement Of the by that honorable
gentleman and his friends. remember, at the end
OF last session, hearing distinguished member OF
this llouss-a gentleman who, especially upon thi,
question, addresses with sufficient confidence in
his subject and in hmsclf-{a laugh)-the member
for Manchester. He said IL a system 70 endure
in which only in seven Of the adult population
enjoys the franchise p And remember the tumu-
tuous cheers which Immediately responded to that
indignant question. (Heur) Well, is it true chat
only in Of the adult population enjoys tn.
franchise Are his figures capable Of bearing ex-
animation (Hear, hear.) have taken the par
liamcntary returns Of the electors of Great Britain
for 1923, and have taken the adult population
in lS4l-for when these papers drawn up the
but the relative proportions then, although the
figures may differ little, would be the same. Now.
sir, while in the return Of 1923 for Great Britain
take that because ii is almost in the same year
the census, and must therefore be the airestwhils
the numbers OF the electors are GAL 600. those OF
the adult male population are 1850 900, which they