Current:

Leader (1850-1860), 12th June 1858, Edition 1 of 2, Page 557, Untitled Article

Page 557
Page 4
4 of 24

On this page

  • Text (2)

      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.

    • Untitled Article

      Untitled Article

    • Untitled Article

      Untitled Article

  • Transcript

    • 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.

      Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.

      Untitled Article

      ooo . _ tbe ^ cheme would not exempt them fro m contribution . Was Sir James prepared to commute the tax for a large upon the land ? He ( Mr . Walpole ) believed that Borne such settlement , operating fairly and equitably , might be effected . Conscientious objections to the pay- ment of church rates are not the only ground of oppo- sitioa There is an ulterior object—the desire to put an end to an established church . If church rates are given up -without an equivalent , tithes will follow them ; and thus we shall gradually arrive at the voluntary principle , which , though an excellent ally'of an . establishment , can never be a substitute for it . He hoped ¦ ¦ ti e House would not consent to the abolition of the means by which the poor have religious teaching brought home to their doors . ¦ ¦¦ -. ., A & .. Mr . Aybtou observed that it was impossible to effect any compromise in the case . —Mr . Gladstonk cantended that , in rural districts and populous parishes , ¦ where the rate is a fixed charge on property , it works well . Places in church are found for the poor as well as the rich , and , in the country , but little injustice is don « . If the law w ere altered , some persons would be unable to charge their estates , some unwilling , and some would plead conscientious scruples . There -would be nol difficulty in framing a conciliatory scheme which showlcxl nofc force consciences , if the question were looked at in a practical point of view ; but , if there was to be no com- promise , there would . be ¦ difficulty . - - . ,- . ... Sir John Trislawx * having replied , the House divided , when the numbers were—For the third reading , 266 ; against , 203 : majority , 63 . — The bill was accordingly read a third time , and passed ; and the sitting was then suspended till six o ' clock .

      THE NEW MINISTER OF TUSC ' NTT . Vi In reply to Mr . Wyse , Mr . Seymour Fitzgerald ^ Bald that , as to the peculiar circumstances under winchU Mr . Howard left . Florence without presenting his ere- g dentials , he could only say that Mr . Howard had made t his health the ground of his sudden resignation of the - f appointment , and that in confirmation he bad forwarded to Lord Malmesbury a in « dical certificate . It was not in the contemplation of the Government to make any alteration with respect to the Tuscan mission . The report Jj of the Select Committee of 1850 was carefully considered t by the noble lord the member for Tivertp . ii when in office . fi He did not think it advisable to make the reduction ; and g the present Government adhered to his opiuion on the sobject . —Mr . Bowtteb had heard that Mr . Howard asked permission to present his letters ; that ihe Grand- Duke and Grand- Duchess returned to Florence , at some considerable inconvenience , to give him an audknee ; and that , the day before the one appointed to receive him , Mr . H > ward went off . He asked if these facts , were true ; and , if so , what apology had been made ?—Mr . ^ rrzGERAU > had no knowledge of those circumstances . If the hon . gentleman thought it necessary to repeat the question , he must give notice of his intention to do so .

      SIIKZA AH AKBAK . Mr . MiLNKB Gibson presented a petition from Mirza Ali Akbar , now residing in London , stating that curtain - papers had been laid on the table of the House contain- ing charges against his character , and that he denied the truth of those charge * , and praying the House to grant him an opportunity ' of vindicating his character . THE SUBMARINE TELKORAPH . In answer to Lord Clarence Paget ., Sir John Pa- KiNGTON said that a . petition had been received from owners of fishing-boats at Deal , Wahner , and other ad- jacent places , containing certain complaints . The Ad- miraljty had accordingly inquired , and had ascertained that the fishing-nets had sustained serious injury from the buoys of tlie Submarine Telegraph . Company ; and they had at once communicated with the Company and With ' Trihity House , tfrnnr the Company he had received a , statement that the buoys were placed to inaxU . the spots where Tepairs of the wires are in progress , and that , the . moment the repairs are completed , the buoys will be removed ; VOTE MY BALLOT . Mr .. Henry Beuicislis y renewed his annual moti <> n in favour of taking the votes of Parliamentary electors by ballot , and commenced by observing that that -wa . s the anniversary of Mr . Grotti ' a lust motion on the subject , which took place exactly twenty years ago . It was just ton years , since ho ^ Mr . Berkeley ) waa enabled to persuade the House of Commons to pa- > s a resolution in favour of the ballot . Siimt that time he hud met with various success . Oji oiu : occusion , he had induced the House to permit him to brlnjj ; in a bill ; but it - \ vn « lato ia the session , and tlm bill loll through before it coul . bo brought to a second leading . Mr . Berkeley wunto-ver aomo of his usual arguments in .--upiJurt of the motion , and humorously descanted tin ihe corruption of the lL > usu and the motives which inllucnco the oppoiui . ts of iho ballot . —Mr . P . \ V . Mautin wccondiid the resolutiuii . — Mr . Hunt oxprurtnud lii » < miru diasent from Iho oUjiui of the motion , and was followed on the same aid * , by Air .

      « - i I ] ^ ^—^~^ *^^ I Sothbron Estcoubt . —Sir Arthur : Haixam : Elton f told tbe Whigs that the country would not believe them 11 earnest about reform unless they agreed to support tbe 11 ballot —Mr . Bentincksaid that the proper title for a I biU introducing the ballot ought to be— "A bill to pre- | J vent the detection of bribery . "—General Thompson reminded the House that the bill did not seek to prevent a voter from making his vote public . All that was desired was that the voter should have the option of secrecy if he liked to use it . —Mr . Hope protested against the ballot in the name of Liberty . If it were introduced into England , the first stone would be laid of that edifice of oligarchy and despotism which exists in I "France . j

      - ' Sir G . C . Lewis contended that ia the United States - the ballot is not a system of secret voting . With the exception of one State , the votes taken by ballot are practically as public as in England ; the real difference is that , in the United States , the ballot , being a piece of paper , is put into a box , and there is no authentic and official record of the vote , so that there could be no indictment for bribery . In other respects , voting in the United States and in England is practically identical . Unless universal secrecy were secured , no effectual protection would be given ; and the ballot does not secure universal secrecy in the United States . —Mr . Marsh contended that it had also failed in Australia , where a Legislative Assembly had been elected in which the most coarse and abusive , language is exchanged between the members ' . —Mr . Ayrton supported the motion , , which , was opposed by Lord Palmerston , on the grouud , that secrecy is not desirable , and would not he ensured A by the bill " if it were . ta % uian % ¦« J I . . I I )

      Mr . . Bright said ne wou noc go w j . ** v « « - Australia , but would consider the measure with reference to this country , where , of all countries in the world , there are many incentives to undue influence , ; and but little power of resisting it . " Was there any country in the world in which they had so much colossal wealth and so much struggling poverty ? Was it not a fact that the majority of the electors in boroughs have to contend against the pressure of a fierce competition , and oi umei iumuui - e . y 1 0 1 ir

      * i . ] ras not tins tne country an . -a- « n . « .... nfiuence is likely to be exercised at elections ? (/ foif , tear . ) The noble lord , the member for Tiverton , had ip ' dken-of ¦ ' the necessity of party feeling , in carrying on he government of the country . But , this party feeling existed—if there were to be great . ; struggles , for '; political power , in which the passions of men would be roused—was it not necessary that the voter should be protected in the exercise of his constitutional privilege ? rhev did not forget the great struggle for the repeal of ; he corn laws ; they did not forget the intense feelings jxcited in that struggle ; and could it be said that , in 3 uch a struggle , and after all the experience they had had of political conflicts , voters do not stand in need of the protection which the Ballot afforded ? In the struggle to repeal the corn laws , an undue power had been exercised over the voter , and thousands had been , coerced to vote against their honest convictions . Attorneys are retained at elections , and paid high fees , mot tbat their votes are more valuable than the votes of but because t ivuere iuru r d y > r . _

      ni ^ o n ; ^ p g c c v ther persons , ney Know vo the screw , and can intimidate electors . Was not the > rotectton of the Ballot required in cases of that kind ? Members who support the ballot represented an enornous amount of the public opinion of the country . " Hear hear ) He asked the House to have confidence n the people , who had always shown themselves worthy of that confidence . - Mr . Walpole opposed the introduction of the bill ; ind Lord John Russell , in expressing his dissent from the principle of the ballot , said it was strange that the advocates of secret voting were not able to show a completely satisfactory example of that system having given greater facilities for discussion and greater liberty of choice than the system of open voting gives in this country . . Mr . Berkeley having replied , the House divided , when the motion was negatived l > y 294 to 197 . i

      c j e I MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS . J Mr . Paull obtained leave to bring in a bill to en- s courage and facilitate the erection and improvement of c piers and harbours in Great Britain and Ireland . t A discussion arose upon a motion of Sir J . Elimhn- I stone for a Select Coinmitteo to inquire into the opera- t tion of tho law by which the property of Government , in i the boroughs of Greenwich , Chatham , Portsmouth , Ply- i mouth , Dovonport , and other boroughs , is rendered ex- i empt from local rates and taxes . ' Colonel Boldeuo moved an address to her Majesty to 1 appoint a Hoyal Commission to inquire into certain < matters which had come to tho knowledge of tho Committee on Contracts in Public Departments , with reference to alleged misdoings at Weodon . —On tho motion of tho Chancellob of the Ex < jhico . uku , the debate was adjourned . Lord Naas obtained leave to bring in a bill to regulate the office of Petty Sessions Clork in Ireland . Colonel Wilson Patten moved for a Select Committee to inquire into tho best mode of securing tho public intorcMs and diminishing Parlitimontury Dxpetiaes in reforenco to railway and canal legislation ; which was f I agreed to . . I Mr . Hunt obtained lcavo to bring in a , bill to abolish i l i i q u - - » h

      | freedom from arrest in the case of members of Pailia- J ment ; and Mr . Adams a bill to amend the Act of 1856 , I to facilitate leases and sales of settled estates . I The remaining business having been disposed of , the I House adjourned at a quarter past one o'clock . I Wednesday , June 9 th . I THE MORTMAIN LAWS . I In answer to Mr- Hadfield , Mr . Athekton said it I was not his intention during tlm present session to bring I in a bill to amend the Mortmain Laws . He would do I so , however , in another session . I ¦ THE FUNDED . DEBT BILL . Mr . Wilson gave notice that on the motion for the second reading of the Funded Debt Bill—the object of which is to repeal the clauses in the Loan Act , passed during the last war—he intended to move as an amendment that this House is of opinion that the extraordinary expenditure during war beyond taxation should be raised in the form of terminable loans , the redemptioh of which should be provided for in ' a specified form after the return of peace . TENANTS * COMPENSATION ( IRELAND ) BILL . The adjourned debate on tie motion for the second reading of this bill , and the amendment thereto , was resumed by Mr . Serjeant Deasy , who supported the bill , contending that it is necessary to legislate exceptionally for Ireland , in older to remedy the abuses which spring from the possession of . irresponsible pcrwer . —Mr . Dobbs opposed the bill , considering that its effect would be to interfere with the rights of property . —The bill was supported by Mr . ¦ ¦ Mqnsell , Mr . Waldron , Mr . -Blaick , Mr . ' Brady , Mr . Chichestkr Fortescoe ( who , nevertheless , objected to some features of the measure ) , Lord F . Conyngham , Mr . H . Bland , Mr . Cogan , Mr . Bowyer , Mr . Hencmy , and Colonel Gkevillb . - Mr . Miller and Captaia Damer opposed the bill ; , and Mr . Peter O'Bkien called on the Government to state ; : their- , intentions . —Mr . ' Whiteside declared that , in his opinion , it would be impossible to carry tlie measure out practically , and , if carried out , it would be unjust , and more mischievous to tbe tenant than to the landlord . He could not assent to thesecond reading . — Mry MagUIRE having replied , the House divided , when the amendment of Sir J . Walsh , that the second reading be deferred for six months , was carried by 200 to 65 ; so the bill is lost . The other orders were gone througb , and the House ailinnriiprl iit six ; o'clock .

      Thursday , Jtme 10 th . PROPERTY QUAMFICATION' BILL . In the House oi ? Lords , Earl Fortescue moved the ; econd reading of this bill , and observed that no projerty qualification is required for a seat in their Lordihips' House . He would say nothing of the present Parliament ; but he had no hesitation in asserting that peers had voted in that House who had not a clear income equal in amount to the sum required as the qualification for a borough member . The eldest sons of peers , although their fathers should be bankrupt , are qualified by birthright to sit in the other House , and would be as well entitled to sit th « re as the ^ largest landowner in the country . The law on the subject had been notoriously evaded , and , in illustration of bis statement , he referred to the case of a gentleman who had been returned for a large constituency in Ireland , but who , having no qualification , got a map of the largest county in Ireland , selected from it the names of certain townlands in a mountainous district , and inserted those names as his qualification , by virtue of which he sat for two Parliaments , and was subsequently turned out for want of qualification . The Lord Cuancellok then put the question , and , without n word of remark from the Government , was about to declare the result , when Earl Grey interposed , and declared that it was a nov _ -l , extraordinary , and inconvenient course to allow the bill to pass without an expression of opinion on the part of the Government . He could not avoid expressing his regret that it should pass in such a manner and at such a time . He had no strong feeling in opposition to the measure ; but it was part of the Chartist programme—part of a scheme for effecting a complete revolution in tho constitution of the country , which w ould lead to the unbalanced domination of the democracy . Ho believed tho majority of the people were opposed to this change , and he pointed t « Franco and America to show that democracy invariably leads to a decrease in tho freedom of speech , thought , and action , a wunt of security for person and property , and an increase of corruption . Tho proposed change should bo bo regarded as part of a l . arge measure ; and that should only bo brought in after great deliberation . —Lord E » u"V supported , and the Duke of Rutland opposed , the bill . The Earl of Dicrby declared that ho saw no connexion between the present bill and those re volutionnry nieusurcs which Lord Guky had denounced . It did not follow that tho House of Commons would paes other | ioii » U of the Charter because they had passed this . Thoy had jtw rejected tho ballot ; but the quiililloationa it wad ih » v proposed to abolish were very partially applied in tlie House of Commons , liiul been iv . oro than once motliuetl by nuts of Parliament , and were constantly evaded . I ' bill related altogether to a question affecting tho CoinnioiiH , and wati of far too little importance to jn ^ t ' ily < > dissent on thuir Lordships' part from a decision niliniu . ' ll

      Untitled Article

      THE LE A -0 M R- E No * 429 > JlTNE 12 > 185 — I

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), June 12, 1858, page 557, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2246/page/4/