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Leader (1850-1860), 5th March 1859, Edition 2 of 2, Page 4, Geologists' Association.—Robins have tee...

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      A Change Has Tome Over The Spirit Of The...

      adventurous way . His luck will be astonishing indeed if , before long , he is not " accounted for . "

      292 The Leader. [No. 467, March 5,1859.

      292 THE LEADER . [ No . 467 , March 5 , 1859 .

      Geologists' Association.—Robins Have Tee...

      Geologists' Association . —Robins have teen taken for this Association at 5 , Cavendish-square , which will be open every Monday for members . The meeting for reading papers is the second Monday . There are thirty candidates for ballot at the next meeting . Universal Suffrage in France . —T he elections of the Members of the Corps Legislatif , like the election of the Emperor himself , are conducted on the principle of universal suffrage and vote by ballot ; and we may learn from the Indre election what is the . working in France of those two institutions , which certainly have a strange knack of coming to grief wherever they are employed . The Trench

      authorities have a very simple plan for mitigating the evil tendency of any ingredient of democracy which their operation might infuse . In the first place , only one candidate is allowed to stand ; or , at least j if any one else issues an address , his placards are torn down by the police , and no one is permitted to circulate his handbills . This security for the wisdom of the popular choice would seem of itself to to be sufficient : but the Emperor ' s Government has been annoyed by so many inconvenient accidents at the pollingrbooth that the further precaution is taken of publicly informing the people in the marketplace that any one who votes against the Government candidate will be condemned for the rest

      of life tp ventilate his electoral scruples in the salubrious atmosphere of Cayenne . But peasants are perverse , and words are weak weapons when compared to deeds ; and therefore , to avoid the possibility of mistake , when the day of election comes ,, the Mayor first proclaims by "beat of drum that nobody ' s ¦ ' ¦ ' bulletins " are valid except those of the Government candidate , and then marches the . docile electors to the poll bettveen the Garde Champetre on one side and the Commissary of Police on the other . Such , if the Indre election is a fair sample , is the popular working of '' universal' suffrage—such the independent purity of vote by ballot , under the shadow of a throne which professes to respose without ioisgiving upon both . —Continental Review ^ The Prince Napoleon and the Republican's . . — The i ^ ris correspondent of the Times says : — " The Legislative Body is divided into seven bureaux or standing comniittees , each being represented in debate by two commissioners , and all , or nearly all , of these 14 commissioners are instructed to demand > when the Budget comes on for discussion , the suppression of the new Ministerial department of Algeria , of which Prince JNapoleon is the head ; and this demand , though it may not be officially set forth , is certainly occasioned by the action of the Prince on the great question of the day , and in order to mark the strong , reprobation with which the Legislative Chamber expresses the genuine sentiments and

      opinions of the country . Now , if his Imperial Highness be sincere in the doctrines which he does not hesitate to advocate in the imperial residence , and , so to say , in tlie presence of the Imperial , Throne itself—if he be really the republican and leveller he would represent himself , rr * why , in the name of " Liberty , Fraternity , and Equality , " does be allow himself to be addressed as an Imperial Prince , and with the rank and precedence which such an exalted station gives ii light to ? Why does so simple a citizen tenant a residence bearing the twofold taint of Boyalty , and Imperialism like ^ the Palais Royal ?' Why has this " pian of tho people" sought the hand of a Royal Princess , the daughter of the most ancient

      reigning house in Europe ? Why does he maintain all the State coxemonial- ^ chamborlains , secretaires des commandements , equerries , and the other Appurtenances of a Prince of tho Blood ? And , lastly , the taxpayer \\ l \\ ask , why , oh ! why , doos the Imperial llepubltca , n accept a dotation of a million of francs from the national budget , paid on no other account than from his relation to the Sovereign who rules Franco ? Certainly I would not xiphoid or approve tho doctrines of those who , in the time of the Notional Assembly , occupied places on the declivities of tho ¦ mountain , near the summit of

      which his Imperial Highness so long had a place ; tut it would bo unjust not admit that many of thorn have proved by their acts their sincerity of boliof in their wild theories . Some have returned to the obsouwty out of -whioh the Revolution of Fobnmry drew them ; others are eating tho broad of oxile : wot a few have passed away for ever j bufc tho proof thoao old assoojatea have given of tho sincerity of their conviotioiw half redeems tho reprobation nroounced by society on them . If Prince Napoleon lie the ultra-democrat his partisans , apparently on bia own authority , believe him , ho must make tho eaoriucos his former colleagues have done before the world wlU g 4 vo him credit for hifl faith . "

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      Imperial Parliament. ' Monday, February ...

      IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT . ' Monday , February 28 . THE STATE OF EUROPE . In the HotrsE of Lqrds ; Lord Clarendon asked the Foreign Secretary for the exact information which tlie Government had received in relation to the withdrawal of the French and Austrian troops from the Papal dominions . —Lord Mauiesburv believed that the Papal Government had made its request to the French and Austrian Governments of its own accord . Their troops would vacate the Papal territories , as

      they had no right to occupy them after the Pope ' s request that they should withdraAv . He had received assurances from both France and Austria that they would evacuate the Papal States when requested by the Pope , and he did not think that either would attempt to remain after the request of the Papal Government for their withdrawal . In answer to Lord Brougham , he observed that the French Government had stated that the preparation of warlike stores and armaments in France was merely to fill up the deficiencies of former times .

      I > EBTOIt AND CREDITOR BILL . The Lord Chancellor moved that the Debtor and Creditor bill be read a second time . —Lord Campbell moved that the bill be refered to a Select Committee . After an animated discussion , in which Lord Cran worth , Lord Brougham , Lord Overstone , and Lord Wensleydale spoke in favour of a Select Com > inittee , the Lord : Chancellor stated that if the bill were referred to a Select Committee it would not pass this session . The bill was then read a second

      . Their Lordships adjourned at a quarter to eight . In the House of Coboioxs , Mr . Edwin James took the oaths and his seat for Marylebone .

      . PARLIAMENTARY EEEOEM . The orders of the day having been postponed , the Chancellor of the _ Exchequer moved for leave to bring in a bill ¦ ¦ ' " to " amend the laws relating to the representation of England and Wales , and to facilitate the registration and voting of electors . " Contending that the antecedents of the Conservative administration rendered them , on the whole best fitted to deal with the question of representative reform , Mr . Disraeli observed that the advocates of that reform were divided into two categories . First came the school to which her Majesty ' s present Ministers belonged , who wished to apply to the condition of the country in 1859 the principles

      established in 1832 . In the second rank he placed the school of politicians who believed that representation ought to be regulated entirely upon the basis of population . There were , however * other tests of representative value than could be derived from mere population , or even from wealth and property . London alone contained more inhabitants and was assessed to a larger amount oJf annual value than the whole of Scotland , and yet in the most sweeping reform it was never suggested to . endow the metropolis witli- an equal number qf representatives to that enjoyed by the Scotch counties and boroughs . He enunciated as an established proposition that member ? of Parliament represented not only the

      numbers , property , and intelligence of their actual constituencies , as measured by numbers and wealthy but the moral influence and local interests appertaining to special and sometimes scattered and diminutive bodies , of electors . On this principle , Which he exemplified by reference to the present state of various county and , borough constituencies , he argued that the most appropriate reform of the existing system would not bo arrived at by conceding additional members to the large towns . In Durham , in the West Biding , in Lancashire , and many other county districts , a large body of electors returned fewer members to Parliament than wore allotted to a' much more restricted constituency , enjoying borough franchise within the same topographical limits . If the population test were adopted , an oxtensive

      cnstranoiusemont oi boroughs must ensue , compensated by a considerable increase in the county representation . If that iost , again , wore accepted , the , House would be filled with members belonging to the great landlord interests and the groat manufacturing and monotary interests , and would constitute an assemblage of members possessing no doubt character , wealth , and intelligence , but not constituting , in its real significance , a House of Commons , aa expounding tho opinions and representing the interests of every class in the community , and exorcising , as tho correlative of such universality of ropros « n » tatton , tho due amount of parliamentary control oTor tho executive government . Upon this population principol a theoretical perfection of tho representative system might be attained , but the practical result might be to establish in England , as on the Continent , a something approaching to a bureaucratic

      military , and civil services amounting to 20 / . a year . Dwellers in a portion of a house , whose aggregate rent was 201 . a year , would likewise have a vote . Tlie suffrage would also be conferred upon graduates of the Universities , ministers of religion , members of the legal profession , and of the medical body , and certain schoolmasters . In considering the county franchise , he reviewed the controversy respectingthe Chandos clause in the Act of 1832 . To restore the county constituency to its natural state , and bring about a general content , the Government proposed to recognise the principle of identity of suffrage between the counties and the towns . They proposed that Boundary Commissioners should visit tlie boroughs

      despotism ; The change which it would be his dutv to recommend would not , therefore , rest upon the principle of population , nor upon that of property joined with population . Mr . Disraeli proceeded to discuss the question of the franchise in boroughs and in counties . It was proposed not to alter the limit of the borough franchise ,, but to introduce into boroughs a new kind of franchise , founded upon personal property , and to give a vote to persons having property to the amount of 10 / . a year in the Funds , Bank Stock , and East India Stock ; a person having 607 . in a savings bank would ; under the bill be an elector for the borough in which lie resided ' as well as the recipients of pensions in the naval '

      in England , re-arrange them , and adapt them to the altered circumstances , of the times ; their appointment would be delegated to the Enclosure Commisrsioners . The effect of giving to counties a 10 / . franchise would be , according to the estimate of the Government , to add to the County constituency 200 , 000 . The system of registration would also be assimilated , by enacting that the claims of county voters were to be returned to the clerk qf the peace by tlie overseers in every parish . To facilitate voting it was proiJosed to establish polling places in every parish containing not less than 2 G 0 voters , grouping for that purpose places of less magnitude and defraying the expenses out of the county rates . "Voters who found it inalso

      convenientto . go to . the poll were , to be allowed to give their suffrage by means of polling papers , on the same principle which was established in the case of the election . of poor-law guardians . All forgery of these voting papers , or personation of voters , would be made punishable as a misdemeanour . A complete representation did not depend upon the electoral body ; it depended upon whether the different interests of the country were adequately represented . Discarding the principle of . population , and accepting as a truth that the'function of ¦ that House was to represent , not the voice of a numerical majority or the influence of a predominant property , but the various interests of the country , the Government

      had felt it to be their duty to see whether there were interests not represented , and whether the general representation of the country could be matured and completed ; and they proposed to add four members to the West Riding of Yorksliire , two to South Lancashire , and two to Middlesex ; and that the following towns should be represented ;—Hartlepool , Birkenhead , West Bromwieli and "Wcdnesbury , Burnley and Stalybridge , Croydon and Gravesend . Assuming that , in the opinion of the House , its numbers ought not to be increased , means must bo interests

      found fbr the representation of these . It was proposed that several places now Bonding two members to Parliament should hereafter return only one each ( the names being loudly called ior , Mr . Disraeli , with a manifestation of reluctance , react the list , as follows ) : —Honiton , Thotford , 'l otness , Harwich , Evoshara , Wells , Richmond , Mariborougn , Lcominster , Lymington , Ludlow , Andover , W } arosborough , Tewkesbury , and Maldon . Mr . Disrac concluded a speech of three hours and a quartei in the following words : — " Having described as ; ejeany as I could the nrineinlo nrovisions of our bill to mu tinsixb

      House , X shall say no more . I believe that a measure wise , prudent , and adequate to theoMaMoii . I earnestly hope the House may adopt it . 1 uoi . u . vu , sir , it is a Conservative measure using that ° P 3 in no limited or partial sense , but in tlie lnylicst nna holiest Uitorprotation 6 f which it is capable . a < - "' say sinceroly that those who frnmod this measure J ° men who reverence the past , > vho arc proud oi ' « p ' resont , and who aro confident of tho future . ¦ o » j- » as ft is , I now submit it for tho consideration , oil '" of convinced tlmt they wiir ae ¦• -- i

      House Commons , J . JLUUHU Ul ^ UJUJUUIIp , UUllVlllCUU hii * u \ " ^ j with it as becomes tho representatives ot a wise an understanding people . " The right lion , f ^ nt en vu * concluded by moving for leavo to bring w *' " 7 , Mr . Baxtkr considorod tho sehomo unfliir to . J w people of Scotland , and not cnlculatod to meot i « Mv claims of tho country ; and moved ns w \ ummm mont , " That it is oxpooliont to consMur Uio laws rolating tQ tho roprosontation of tho peopU ) m i . « tf land and Walos , and Scotland nnd Ireland , w > senaratQlv . but in ono mdusuro . "— Cursory run «*

      were * made by sovoral ihombera upon tho «»;" ment measure , objections wore raised , and V " " explanations , woro sought 5 tlip amcmlmo it J »» generally opposed , and ultimately withdrawn .- *"'

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), March 5, 1859, page 4, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_05031859/page/4/