New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-03-13
~, MARCH 13, 1s7l-WITH SUPPLEMENT

Tor carrying such measure through the House ID
admitted to be greater than that Of any other men,
Der Of the Government Mr. Forster has the advantage
of believing in the Ballot, which Lord Harrington
only accepted because he could not help True, Mr.
Forster says the bill is only in his hands because
Lord Harrington is now Irish Secretary and has
great deal of work on his hands-what sort Of work
will show presently-whe he has comparatively
little to do and is happy to occupy his leisure with
framing and then engineering through Committee,
bill of multtudnous Details sure to be obstinately
opposed. But perhaps shall not be far wrong in
supposng that the bill was left to Lord Harrington
last year because the Government had not set its
heart its passage and is confded this year to Mr.
Forster because Mr.. Gladstone is convinced that 1t
is no longer prudent to trife with subject on which
the great majority of his supporters are in earnest.
The speculative opposition of philosophical Liberals
like Mr. MILL and the angry opposition OF The Spec
taor have still to be confronted but they long since
said and did their worst, and their colleagues Will
carry the Ballot without their aid. Whether the
bill will become law this session If, indeed,
doubtful. II will pass the House OF Commons;
it cannot pass the House of Lords either this
year or next, unless Lord Salisbury and one or two
other able men shall be persuaded that the post
ponement involves greater risk than it promises
advantage. This is one of those measures, like the
Franchise Reform, Irish Church, University Tests,
on which the Lords have to be educated and II Is
never easy to predict when a process of that kind
will be completes. Mr.. Forster, indeed, closed his
speech with fOrcbe suggestion to the Conserya-
tves that their own interests and policy require the
protection of the ballot, as much as the Liberals
that mob tyranny is as much to be guarded against
as landlord intimidation. You may depend upon
IT, said Mr. Forster, that it is not by keeping the
power to bride to vote against his opinions or
the power to force him to do So but rather by
relying upon his free will to give them his support
that men of property, intelligence, and social dis
tinction can hope to keep that political influence
which they now possess" The sentence, may
remark, in passing, is . good illustration of the
capacity for taking general views which
is remarkable in statesman like Mr.. Forster,
whom people are fond of praising, and justly
praising, for his practical ability.
The bill is much altered from last years. which
provided an elaborate machinery for upsetting Its
fundamental object. secrecy. That secured scru-
tiny by official voting papers and counterfoils sup
plying proof how every man voted, and bringing to
light in the case of contested election where there
would be most need Of its being concealed, the very
facts which the ballot was intended to shield from
view. Mr.. Forster abolishes all this. There can be
no scrutiny. The system of official voting papers is
retained which believe to be mistake, but which
elector cannot deposit ballot of his own. He must
take from the appointed officer an appointed ballot
stamped at the moment of its delivery. If any
mark is put on the paper except such as is neces-
sary to show for whom he votes, the ballot is
void The provisions against various kinds OF
fraud are numerous and often ingenious. Other
matters touching elections are dealt with In
the same bill. The peculiarly British institution OF
nominations and declarations of the poll is done
away with. Intelligent strangers desiring to wit
ness one of the most perfect spectaces of drunken
| violence and noisy rowdyism the world had any
where to Offer must come to England before this bill
| is law. Finally the expenses now legally imposed
on candidates the charges of the returning officer,
costs of the hastings, polling booths, and so on arc
to be thrown in the local rates. paid by the consttu
encies that is as they are everywhere else in the
world. The present system is one of many premiums
in favor of rich candidates. for the amount is no
trihe In Manchester at the last election it was
81 1856 in Mr. Forster's own town. Bradford, it was
| fs11, and good many of his constituents thank
him for his remark that if workingman had stood
against him he should have felt that the competition
between them was unfair. In all the points have
enumerated this bill il clear gain over Lord
Hartington's
The extraordinary proposal of Lord Harrington to
which referred above is nothing less than the ap-
| pointment of Secret Committee to inquire INTO
acraran disturbances in Westmeath and certain
parts adjoining Meath aud Kings County, and how to
| suppress them. II this means anything 1t means
| that the Government knows moro than IT dare tell
about existing Irish troubles, and thinks stronger
measures necessary than it is willing 70 be solely re-
sponsibe for 1t asks for an inquisition, meaning
that the members of it shall report TO the House, not
the evidence taken before them, but their OPINION
based on that evidence. and that extreme measures
shall be passed by the House upon the faith OF snch
report. 1t is difficult to conceive what seventies
| the Government can contemplate which IL Tears 10
propose to House that passed last year the Coercion
| bill The motion is to come on next Monday night,
| and reserve comments till Lord harrington mas
| said his say u WIS.,