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652 THE LEADER. [Saturday,
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Parliament Of The Week. There Was To Hav...
laughter . } When the Coalition Government was formed , I was aske d how long it would last , and I ventured to reply , ' Until every member of it is , as a public character , irretrievably injured . ' " ( Laughter . ) Then the subject dropped . BRIBERY . It will be remembered tliat all the " Bribery Bills "the Government ' s , Sir Fitzroy Kelly ' s , aud Mr . Walpole ' s— "were referred together to a select committee , which has worked hard and honestly , and sent down a measure with , the merits of the three measures . This was discussed , in committee , in the House of Commons , on Monday . From thirty to forty members took part in the discussion of the various clauses , suggesting a variety of pure improvements , and technical difficulties . Mr . Henry Druramond made a sensation in the debate by these parenthetical impertinences :
Mr . H . Dkummond said that he should have supposed that & dry discussion on technical phrases would not have produced a very lively or entertaining debate in the House of Commons . He confessed , however , that he had never assisted at . any thing more amusing than the discussion upon this bill . { A laugh . * ) How any gentleman could conceive that bribery could be caried on at elections in any but in one of three -ways , viz ., agency , travelling expenses , or treating , he could not imagine . Both , sides were agreed that they would get rid of this dreadful thing—bribery . The first thing that came under consideration was . agency , and the committee immediately endeavoured to spoil the bill by
putting inrto it a piece of bad law , instead of good law , In . order that the country gentlemen might understand it . ( A laugh . ) Then , upon travelling expenses , they proposed to leave matters just as they now stood- Was it possible to stop bribery in this way ? The whole thing was a perfect farce . Then they came to refreshments . Call it a two shilling ticket , or any sum they pleased . But it was through these refreshments , and through these travelling expenses , that all bribery was carried on . ( " No * " ) Well , he would admit that there were
some common , stupid fellows into whose hands a guinea was placed . ( A laugh . ) But that was the exception . The main part of the bribery was carried on through tlie three things he had named , and against any effective alteration of these three things the committee opposed itself strongly . The House of Commons talked about bringing in bills for the purity of election ! It was really surprising that gentlemen having cut their wisdom teeth should sit there all : nlght , and discuss matters after such a fashion . CJCaughter . )
The House was , greatly puzzled how to deal with " treating . " Lord Lovaine said the noble lord the member for Middlesex had used the strongest argument in favour of allowing moderate treating when he stated that both sides were now obliged to adopt it by arrangement ; it would be much better for the committee to legalise so common and necessary a practice than , attempt to put it down by legislation , which would be ineffectual . Mr . " Fox thought it would be very easy to put down the practice by Act of Parliament , because they would have the hearty concurrence of the
working classes , who took a deep interest in the question , and were anxious to have a stop put to what was the commencement of all violence and debauchery at elections , It was ridiculous to talk of the disfranchisement of those who would not vote unless they were dragged to the poll , and not even then unless they had the prospect of meat and drink . The majority of the working classes considered the question of bribery to turn on this point ; there waa not one of them who would not willingly sacrifice a day ' s work to give his vote . Treating was the simplest form of corruption , and ought to bs the first attacked .
The paint was left undecided : Mr . Collier postponing his stringent amendment till the bringing up of the report . " Expenses" was another difficulty . Mr . BAimow said that if the expenses of the county voters -woie not paid , half of the county constituents would bo disfranchised . Ho could never consent to give his vote to that effect . Sir Joshua Walmblkit stated that in the West Biding thcro were at loast 36 , 000 electors . If each elector were to got 2 s ., they might easily estimate what a laigo sum it would amount to . Under such circumstances none but the most wealthy could stand as representatives for such districts .
Mr . Djawisoar aaid that in 1807 tho expenses of the West Kiding- election camo to 250 , 000 / ., arid in 1820 to 170 , 000 / . Even now , when brought down to t ho lowest possible limits , tho amount > vus not under 14 , 000 / . It was , therefore , hardly necessary for him to state how doairious tho county members wore to stop corruption . All they wished for was to uflbrcl some refreshment to those who epont a whole dny in journeying to tho poll . It was diflbront in a borough oledtion , where a m « a could record hia vote mid return to hie work with scarcely any loss of time , and without being put to inconvonionco . Ho challenged the Houao to show if corruption in comities
approached in any degree the extent of bribery practised in the boroughs . Mr . Fox said he had been returned three times to Parliament by one small borough , and that these three elections had not cost him three shillings . Many other new boroughs had continued untainted till some wealthy gentleman , ambitious for senatorial honours , had come into the field and commenced canvassing . If they would try the ballot , it would be of little consequence how high the refreshment ticket might
be-Mr . Wiixlams had knowa the ease of an election won by a large breakfast given to a party of electors . On the clause respecting intimidation , Mr . "Whiteside and Mr . Waxpole asked what protection whs provided for the Irish independent elector who might-happen -to be denounced from the altar by a Roman * Catliolic priest ? Lord John Russell , thought that the wording of the clause was general enough to deal with such offences by priests ; but Mr . Walpole , as a lawyer , was of opinion that only a special act would meet this ( hypothetical ) evil .
Clause 6 contains the Bting of the bill , so far as aspiring " public men" are concerned . By this it is enacted , " That any person who sliall "be guilty of treating , or of using undue influence , - upon judgment being obtained against him for any penal sum made recoverable by the act in respect of such offence , shall be incapable of being elected , and of sitting or voting as a member of the House of Commons in the Parliament in existence or in the course of being elected at the time such acts were committed . "
TENURE OF LAND tN MADBA 8 . On Tuesday Mr . Blackett forced on a very useful debate in the Commons , on . one of the many evils inflicted on ladia by the " company" whom . England allows to misrule " our fellow-subjects . " In a speech full of knowledge and moderation , he exposed a frightful social mischief ; the cultivators of the land being reduced to indigence and retained in a state of abject dependence on the crown landlord . Mr . Blackett was supported by Mr . Danby Seymour , who had visited the Presidency , and now indicated a damaging familiarity with facts . The motion { which was for an . address to the Crown to appoint a commission ) was resisted by the President and the Secretary of the Board of Control , and , of course , by the East India Directors who are M . l \' s—prominently by Sir James Hogg . Mr . Blackett was beaten on a division by 64 to 59 .
In the course of the debate Mr . Bright told some hard truths : — " He concluded from the indignation expressed by the hon . baronet ( Hogg ) , that the speech of his hon . friend the member for Poole ( Seymour ) , had ' told , ' and the hon . baronet had succeeded very poorly in answering him . The speech of the hon . member for Poole was one of those , however , which it was quite impossible to answer unless they told the hon . member that they did not believe what he said , he havjng simply related what he had himself seen . His hon . friend had been out to ladia for a purpose Which did him infinite credit ; and ho could not help thinking that it would be greatly to the advantage of India if other hon . members would follow his example , and instead of spending
the recess in Germany , Switzerland , and Scotland , go out to India , and make themselves masters of the real state of tho country . ( . 4 laugh . } The information which tho hon . member for Poolo collected there was nothing more than what was confirmed by evory work which had been written upon India , as well as by the statements of many gentlemen , both civil and military , who had been in tho service of tho East India Company . Tho grievances of India had too long been uueared for 5 and now tiiat Englishmen were repairing there , to ascertain tho real stale of things , considerable jealousy was excited in the Government , who wore anxious to keep matters still in tho dark . There was ono conclusive evidence against their rulo , « nd that was thin , viz ., that although they had been in possession of tho country for upwards of ft handled years , thoic wero not as many Engliahmon settled in the interior of India as would make- ono side of tho House on a fair division on any considerable party If It had been
question . in th « hands of any otlier country than this j or if it had beon under any other Government than that of tho India House , Buch a state of tilings would not have arisen . Had it beon under an absolute monarchy , like that of Franco , or a donioicracy , like tho United States , in cither case it would havo been moro flourishing . But a corporation li « d been truly said to be ' donf to mercy , und insensible to- shame ; ' and tliia was tho cnao with tho company represented by tho lion , member for Honiton . That hon . gontlenmn had not at all succeeded in showing that tho inhabitants of Madras wore not in tho miserable ) state descr ibed by a former aponlcor . Ib was not necessary that tho proposed commission should bo sent from this country ; it might consist of persons in India ; but ho bincoroly hoped that the President of tho Board of Control would take tho matter u \> . Tho miwoniblo stnlo of Miulrnp wna undeniable ; overy book , paper , and parliamentary report confirmed thin . I'ho land was lurgoly out of cultivation , and the inhabitants woru half atarvod "
CRIMINAL LAW CODIFICATION . Tho Xionu Cjuanoklloji ( Monday ) , in moving for tho appointment of u select committee to report upon tho nine bills on the crhuluul law which wuro laid boforo tho House this session and last , Blutcul that dHlcrcncos of . " opinion existed between noblo and learned lords as to tho course Hint whs proper to bo pursued with rcgurd to a codification of tho criminal law lfor hiuiBolf , ho almost despaired of nuuh a codification passing the IIousu in tho usual form . In tho cuao of « , former attonapt cloven complete days had been epont in discussing it and tho measure was
imperfect , and he believed that the failure was occasioned by their endeavour to strike off at once a complete whole , which should be a sort of model for all succeeding legislation . At the same time he thought much good would result from referring these bills , which aimed at a consolidation of the statute law to a select committee , that they might determine upon the proper course to be taken with regard to them . Lord Campbell thought that the only chance of obtaining a code would be by Parliament vesting the power of framing one in certain
individualsnaming them—and then adopting or rejecting it as a whole . But , like liis noble and learned friend , he despaired of obtaining a code if it were to be passed in the usual manner by the Uvo Houses , to be canvassed' in that House by chancellors and exchancellors , and in the other House by aspiring lawyers , by . all who held or hoped to hold office . The " Code Napoleon" was framed as a whole and adopted as a whole ; and it was- only by dealing with the measure as a whole that they could ever hope to have a code in this country .
The Lord Chancellor hoped it would not be understood that he expected all or any of these bills to pass this session . What he promised was thisthat as soon as the select committee had agreed , on their report , he would devote himself during the recess , along with the gentlemen who had originally prepared them , to put them in a proper form , to be immediately introduced into their lordships'House next session . He agreed in much of what his noble and learned friend had said with regard to a code .
Lord Brougham , to whom they were indebted for most of these bills , proposed to begin the code with enacting that from and after the passing of such an act nothing should be unlawful except what was forbidden in it . Now , he always thought that was the point which they should endeavour to work up to , not that on which they should take their stand at first and work down from . When they had provided a consolidation of the various ofiences , then would be the proper time to abrogate all other provisions .
The motion was . agreed to , and the committee -was named accordingly . Reformatory Schools ( Scotland ) Bill . —This bill , Mr . Dunlop's , appears to have had for an object the housing and " religious teaching" of destitute children in Scotch towns . But two Roman Catholic members , Mr . Maguiuk and Mr . Lucas , have opposed , and practically thrown out , the bill , because tliey are determined " to put an end to the proselytising system "—Mr . Dunlop declining to adopt provisions which would have allowed Roman Catholic chaplains to look after Roman Catholic children in the schools . This is an incident resulting from the House ' s recent bigoted vote on the Middlesex Scliool Bill .
Abandoned Bills , —The Government has abandoned the " Divorce and Matrimonial Causes" Bill—a bill brought in in conformity with the recommendations of the Commission on Divorce . Tho Loitp Chancellor offered to go on ( on Monday ) with tho bill , minus all the vital clauses ( which is the Lord Chancellor ' s notion ot statesmanship ); but Lord Campbell and tho Bishop of Oxfoud advised him to make a clear abandonment of the whole business—of course ' until next sesskn—and he consented . In fact , tho withdrawal of the Testamentary Jurisdiction Bill necessarily led to the desertion of this bill—both having reference to a reform in the system of tho Ecclesiastical Courts . Captain Cawknteu's Sen icw Propellers . Lord Lyndhurst brought the case of Captain Carpenter before the House of Lords on Monday . Ciiptain Carpenter is the inventor of screw machinery used in the n avy ^ Tho House of
Commons , somo sessions ngo , granted tho Admiralty the sum of 20 , 000 / . for the purchase of patents such i » a Captain Carpenter's . Tho Admiralty handed over the money to Mr Currie , thoehairnmu of a " Screw Fropellor Company , " conditioning that Mr . Currio should apply the money properly lie . Ourrio misupplied the money : for tho man , Captain Carpenter , to whom tho servico nnd tbo country waa most indebted , in respect to these matters , never got a furthing . Ho had made grout sacrifices—und this is his reward not nn uncommon one in a country governed by Boards ' who are practically irresponsible , —Lord Auiiudubn de-Icndcd tho Admiralty , ingeniously Init not successfully ; and ho was ungenorouH enough to refer Captain Carpenter to an action ; xt law . Thcro the debute ended : Lord Malmksuuuy expressing what was probably tjio general opinion produced iy Lord Lyndhurat'ii statement—viz , that Cunt . Ciunontor hn < l been " cheated . "
Gknkiiat . BoAiti > 01 . ' Hkai . tii Bill . —This bill wont through Committee on Mondays—Tho Homo Secrotnry escaping criticwm nl that stngo by throwing Mr . Chadwick overboard . —Lord Pai . mkkhton raid tho qucbtion mooted was not tho consult ntioii of tho Ctanornl Board of Health but , whothcr thuy would allow certain towns to Imvo local Holf-govorninent mid cerium powers for tho preservation ot uublia health . . Surely , from 11 univcrmil dinliko to a particular niiin , tlwy would not |> unit > h the population who hud nothing on i-ui'th to do willi tbo dilutes of tlmt imfortuiiaW ) lnumuor of tho Cuiionil Board of Houlth . On Tuu . idny , in tlm Lordn , Lord iSiiAt-ricamJUY , who " ia chnirmnn ot the ITouul , uttomptod to deliver what was undcr-Ntoixl to bu iiitoiiiloi ] ua nn iiBNMiilt on | J <) r j Seymour in luvengo for that Ill-natured I ' mu- ' h hucoi-h generally at ' tho dciiiirliiiuiit , and Bpucinlly ut Mr . Clmdwidk Dut , Lord iSlnilU'Hbuiy wiih htuppi'il , iih out of order 1 and tho vindication hIiuuIh over .
I ' liu llici . MiK . uM KimmxH Oknhuh—On Tuwulny tbo m . iUoj > i » l Ox I'oiii ) movoil tho LorilH for a rot urn of t ho detailed roturntj on which | , lio ruligioua mmia im \ iwn fomij t . j . ] j 0 Mtwd Inn iipjilicHtluii on tlioHHHcrtiou that tho gross rotunm luii to 11 talNo impresHlon iw to thu actual number of thu inoinborH of tlio Oliuroli of Kngltmd . tho right rwurend liroluto insinuating tlmt tho DwnoHturu find exaggerated thoir
652 The Leader. [Saturday,
652 THE LEADER . [ Saturday ,
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), July 15, 1854, page 4, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_15071854/page/4/
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