New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-06-22
Nv the law of Ergland IS it now stands, no P

son is capable Of being elected Member OF Par
lament for any county in England, Wales or lee
land unless he possess property OF the clear value
Of GOO (about $1,000 year, which OF threa per
cent. iaterest, about as much as landed property
eenei ally nets in Great Britain. would imply al
estate of tha value Of hundfed thousand dollars.
The monryed qualification required for borough
members is half the amount required OF county
members This pecuniery qualification 49, how
ever, dispensed with By law in the case OF mem-
hers for the Universities oftLe eldest sons OF peers,
or the edest sons of persons who themselves pos
sess the requisite quai cation, the sons, IN these
cafes bairg allowed to sit, 1t would Seem' on tue
strength Of their fathers property. OF tue Scotch
members no pecunary qualification is required at
all, as none Was required in the old Scottish Par
lament.
Such is the law; but in practice this requirement
has long been tvnded BY all kinds OF ingenious
devices, and that, too, in spite Of clause in the
statute which requires every member before taking
his seat to hand to the Speaker paper, signed
by himself, setting forth tie nature OF his quihca-
ton, and subjectipg the knowingly handing in Of
spy fhlse CT incorrect statement On the subject to
punishment as a mirdemeanor. In fact, it is per-
fecty we'll known that for long time seats IN the
Hou,e Of Commons were sought aud teld-by
Sheridan, among other less distinguished members
on account Of the exemption which they gave
from arrest for debt. This exemption has been
done away with; but still it is notorious that seats
are often held by persons neither the eldest sons
Of lords nor of wealthy country gentlemen, totally
destitute, in fact, of the requisite qualification
Attention has of late been called to tits subject
by the unhappy case of Dir. Glover, against
whom prosecution was recently Instituted, and
who being fou1d guilty, is now in Newgate for be-
irg detected in violating law which had long been
tran,eressed with such mpunity as to have been re-
garded by Candidates and members as nothing but
a dead letter. Indeed, the conviction OF Mr.
Glover seems 70 have thrown the House
Of Commons into considerable agitation, that
per,on being regarded as not 90 much lees
scrupu'ous as less lucky than many Others.
Accordingly bill has been introduced doing
away with this property qualification altogether,
and placing English and Irish members on par in
this respect with those from Scotland. 1t is no.
probable that the passage of such bill would lead
to the Introduction into the House Of many persons
who would otherwise be excluded. 1t would,
however, put stop to good deal of dsreputable
trickery AID evasion, aud might occasionally admit
o man of talent, too proud or too honest 10 pre-
tend to qualification which he did not possess.
Though it will meet with some opposition as open
ipg door into Parliament for demagogues and dan.
gerous uen, il is likely to pass the House OF Com
mobs, and it would be rather uogenerou, for the
Lords to insist on a quail fcaton from Others not
required Of their own eldest sons.