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    laughter . ') When , the Coalition Government was formed , I was asked 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 .

    ery . It will be remembered that all the " Bribery Bills "the Government ' s , Sir Fitzroy Kelly ' s , and 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 Drummond made a sensation in the debate by these parenthetical impertinences :

    Mr . H . Dbummond said that he should have supposed that a 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 . ( . 4 laugh . ) How any gentleman could conceive that bribery could be cajied 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 hill by putting into 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 the 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 reaUy surprising that gentlemen , having cut their wisdom teeth should sit there all night , and discuss matters after such a fashion . ( Laughter . )

    The House was greatly puzzled hovr to deal with « treating . " Xord £ © vaine 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 consideredrthe question of bribery to turn on . this point ; there was not one of them who would not willingly sacrifice a day ' s work to give hia vote . Treating was the simplest form of corruption , and ought to bo the flrat attacked . The point was left undecided ; Mr . Collier postponing his stringent amendment till the bringing up of i ; he report . " Expenses" was another difficulty .

    • Mr . Barrow said that if the expenses of the county voters wore not paid , half of the county constituents would be disfranchised . Ho could never consent to give hia vote to that effect . Sir Joshua Waumsley stated that in the West Biding tliero were at least 36 , 000 electors . If each elector were to get 2 s ., thoy might easily estimate what a largo sum it would amount to . Under such circumstances none but the most wealthy could stand as representatives for such districts .

    Mr . Djbnison said that in 1807 the expenses of the West Riding election came to 250 , 000 / ., and in 182 G to 170 , 000 / . Evon now , when brought down to the lowest possible limits , tho amount was not under 14 , 000 ? . It was , therefore , hardly necessary for him to state how doolrioua tho county mombers woro to atop corruption . All thoy wished for was to afford some refreshment to those who spent n whole day in journeying to tho poll . It was diflbront in a borough election , whoro a man could record his voto and return to his work with scarcely any loss of time , and without being put to inconvonienco . Ho challenged tho Houbo to show if corruption , in countica

    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 . Williams had known the case of an election ¦ wo n by a large breakfast given to a party of electors . On the clause respecting intimidation , Mr . Whiteside and Mr . Walpole asked what protection was provided for the Irish independent elector who might happen to be denounced from the altar by a Roman Catholic 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 sting of the bill , so far as aspiring " public men" are concerned . By this it is enacted , " That any person who shall 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 offeiice , 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 IiA . Hr > IN MADRAS . On Tuesday Mr . Blackett forced on a very useful debate in the Commons , on one of the many evils inflicted on India 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 . P . ' s—prominently by Sir James Hogg . Mr . Blackett was beaten on a division by 64 to 59 .

    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 his noble and learned friend , he despaired of obtaining a code if it were to be passed in the usual manner by the two 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 IiORD 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 , lie 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 Brouglmnij 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 offences , 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 " religions teaching' ? of destitute children in Scotch towns . But two Roman Catholic members , Mr . Maguihe and Mr . Lucas , have opposed , and practically thrown out , the bill , because they arc 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 School Dill .

    In the course of the debate Mr . Bright told some hard truths : — " He concluded from the indignation expressed by the hon . baronet CHogg ) , that the speech of his lion , friend tlie member for Foole ( 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 be said , he having simply related wliat he had himself seen . His lion , frjend had been out to India 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 lion , members would follow his example , and instead of spending

    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 . The Lohd Chancellor offered to go on ( on Monday ) with tbe bill , minus all the vital clauses ( which is the Lord Chancellor's notion ot statesmanship ); but Lord Campbell and the Bishop of Oxford advised him to make a clear abfludonment of the whole business—of course until next sesskn—and he consented . In fact , the withdrawal of the Testamentary Jurisdiction Bill necessarily led to the desertion of this bill—both having reference to a reform in tho system of the Ecclesiastical Courts .

    the recess in Germany , Switzerland , and Scotland , go put to India , and make themselvos masters o £ the real state of the country , (/ i laugh . ) Tho information which tbe hon . member for Poole collected there was nothing more than what was confirmed , by every work which had been written upon India , as well as by tho statements of many gentlemen , both civil and military , who liad been in the service of the East India Company . Tho grievances of India had too long been uncared for 5 and now that Englishmen were repairing thoro , to ascertain tho real state of things , considerable jealousy was excited in the Government , wno were anxious to keep matters still in tho dark . There was one conclusive evidence against their rule , and that was this , viz ., that although they had been in possession of tho country for upwards of a hundred yeara , there wero not as many Englishmen settled in the interior of India as would make ono side of tho House on a fair division on any considerable partv

    Captain CAUPKNTEn'a Screw Propelleks . —Lord Lyndhuust brought tho case of Captain Carpenter before the Houso of Lords on Monday . Captain Carpenter is tho in venter of screw machinery used in the navy . Tho Houso of Commons , some sessions ago , granted tho Admiralty tho sum of 20 , 0 OQJ . for the purchase of patonts such an Captain Carpenter '? . The Admiralty handed over tho money to Mr . Currie , tho chairman of a " Screw Propeller Company " conditioning that Mr . Currio should apply tho money properly Mr . Currio misapplied tlio money : lor tho man . Contain '

    question . If it had been in tho hands of any other country than thia ; or if it had been under any othox * Government than that of tho India House , such a state of things would not have arisen . Had it been under an absolute monarchy , like that of Franco , or a democracy , liko tho United Statos , in either case it would havo been more flourishing . But a corporation had been truly snid to bo l doaf to mercy , and insensible to ehamq , ' , tliia was tho case with tho company represented by tho hon . member for Honiton . That hon . gentleman had not at all succeeded in showing tbnt tho inhabitants of Madras wore not in the miserable stato dosoribed by a former sponlsoc . It wns not necessary tlmt tho proposed commission , should bo sont from this country j it mignfc consist of persons in India ; but ho aincoroly hoped that tho President of tho Board of Control would take tho matter up . Tho inisorubio otuto of Miulnm wan undonluWo ; every book , paper , and parliamentary report confirmed thin . Tho land waa largely out of cultivation , and tho inhabitants wero half starved . "

    Oarpenter j to whom tho sorvico and tho country was most indebted , m respect to thesis matters , never got a farthin / r Ho had made great sacrifices—and this is his reward not an uncommon ono in a country governed by Boards who aro practically irresponsible—Lord Auhrdkkn defended tho Admiralty , ingeniously but not successfully ; and ho was ungenerous enough to refer Captain Carpenter to an action at law . There tbe debate ended : Lord Malmksuuhy expressing what was probably the general opinion produced by Lord lyndhurst ' s statement—via ., that Oupt . Carpontor had been " cheated . "

    GiENKiuti lioAnn oi Health Bill , —This bill wont through Committee on Monday . —The Homo Secretary escaping criticism at tlmt sUgo by throwing Mr . Clmdwick ovorbouril . —Lord Palmkuhton paid tho question mootod was not tho constitution of the General Hoard of Health but whothox thoy would allow certain towns to huvo local Holf-govuriiment and certain powera for tho preservation of public lioiiltla . Huroly , from 11 universal dislike to 11 particular mini , they would not punish the population who lrntl nothing on < wtli to do with tho di « i » ut «?« of tlmt iiniortunntu inainbor of tho General Honr < l of Health . — On Tuomlay , in tho Lordu , Lord Siiaiitksuuuy , who is chairman ot tho board , aUmnptcd to dulivur wlint wa » understood to 1 ) 0 intended im un nscault on Lord . Seymour in rovongo for that , ill-miluivd Pom's mieura fK'iiuraliy at ' tho department , and « j ) i ! cinlly nt , Air . Chmlwiclk But Lord Slmflonbiiry wjih stopped , us out of order : mid tho vindication ntJiniM over .

    CRIMINAL LAW COIMJi'lC / V . TION . The Lord Cuanokj , l . ou ( Monday ) , in moving for tho appointment of a select committee to report upon tho nine bills on the criminal law which wore laid boforo tho Houso thia session and luat , stated that differences of opinion existed between noblo « nd learned lorda as to tho course that was propor to be pursued with r egard to a codification of tho criminal law . For himself , ho almost despaired of bucU a codification passing tho Houso in tho usual form . In the caso of a formor attempt , cloven complete days had boon spent in disoussing it , and the lucasuro -wa »

    line Ilicuuioim Hictuhnh Ckn . sus . —On TuoHclay tho Iimliop of Ox KOHi ) iiiovud tins Lords for a rot urn of the detailed returns on vlileh tho r « h ^ lou » census hml boon founded Jlo bused liiH duplication on tlio assertion that the gross returns lod to n tulao iinprosNlon « h to tho actuid number of tho mcmborH of the Churoh of Kngland , tho right rcvi-rend prolato insinuating that tho Diasontora had oxnggorutod thuir

    Untitled Article

    652 THE LEADER . [ Saturday ,

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), July 15, 1854, page 652, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2047/page/4/