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keep '' iip its elevated character , the sjiialier boroughs should retain their franchise , and , in this respect , therefore , he cordially supported the measure of the Government , as founded upon sound principles . TJpori the first head , likewise , he assented to the . scheme-of the Government , which he thought entitled them tovthc gratitude of the country . Here , however , he must diverge , he said ; he could not assent to the second reading of the bill without a guarantee and assurance that the provisions to which he objected , involving the niain principle of the bill , should be fully discussed in Committee , and that their modifications would be accepted . At . ie-r pointing out what he considered a grave inadvertence in
the bill , by which old franchises were altered , and altered for the worse , he proceeded to discuss the principle of identity of the suffrage . He insisted upon various objections to altering in the main the different nature of the county and "borough franchises , \ irging that the time would come , if the distinction were done away , when property would not have the influence it ought to have , and that the change must lead to electoral districts . Keeping tip the old distinction , hethought he could find two resting-places ; first , a reduction of the county franchise from 50 / . to 20 / ., and second , the bringing down the borough franchise to a GL rating . Adverting to the speculations as to the consequences of
the decision of the House iipbn this question , he expressed himself as follows : "It is said that if we adopt the amendment of the noblelordthe Government may resign or Parliament may be dissolved . ( Hear , hear . ) I should regret as much as any one if either of those consequences followed . ( Hear , hear . ) Tdo not believe that they will . Nay , more , I think that both this house and the country will expect that none of those consequencesshould take place ; ( Hear , hear . ) I think that my friends on the Treasury bench have achieved their position honourably , have filled , it : ably , and I hope that they will long continue to hold that position with advantage to the country and credit to themselves . ( Hear , hear . ) . As to a dissolution
of Parliament , bold will be that man —( hear , hear )—who recommends a . dissolution in the complicated state of European affairs , particularly at a moment -when my noble friend Lord Malmesbury , by his prudence—( hear . liear ) - ^ -by his firmness , by his . sagacityr—( cheers , aiid * Ob , oh , * from the opposition)— h . is now placed this country iii a position of being the niediator -anti arbiter of peace , ( Hear , hear . ) . But the strength of that position mainly depends , I have no hesitation in saying , on his still receiving , 'as lie lias received , all tlie weight and authority of Parliament to back him , ({ Tear , hear . ) It is a dangerous experiment , as I said at the beginning , to leave tins question open . You ought to
settle it now . ( Hear , hear . ) And you can settle it now , on the just and acknowledged principles of the Constitution , ( Hear , hear ) . You can settle it by adhering to prescriptive rights and usages—by main * t . aining tlie distinction between the borough and the county constituencies ; and by thus upholding the interests of property as well as numbers—rby thus giving to all the varied interests in this great community that variety of representation . which it is so advisable to maintain—* you can settle it , if you , will . act in tliis manner , fully and fairly—I had almost said finally , ( Hear , hear . ) Let me impress on my friends on the Treasury bench that great will ' . be the triumph , noblo the success if you accomplish that : 'but
tremendous will be the responsibility if you throw Away the opportunity now aifordedyou . ( Cheers . )—Mr . Bright , aftc ? r declaring that , if he was found acting with Lord J . Russell , it was only because he believod . t lie course Lord John was taking was advantageous to the country , observed tltnt tlio objects in view in a reform of the representation were twofirst , to give the elective franchise to a considerable class not now enfranchised j ' and , second , to give tho country a larger , freer , and more independent constituency . How did the Bill meet tins case ? If it did , not meet the en so it was not a Reform Bill , and the House would fail in its duty if it countenanced the measure . Appealing to figures , ho contended that the Bill would disfranchise 50 , 000 of the best electors in the kingdom , and that its object was to
mako tho representation in counties moro exclusively territorial than at present . " Does any one suppose " ( continued he ) " that this is tho sort of Bill that tho Chancellor of the Exchequer thinks is the bust adapted for tho country ? No , this transfernneopf tho power from tho boroughs to the counties , this refusal to grant an extension of the franchise to tho boroughs , —not ono of these things comoa from-his own heart and hi ? own convictions . Ho knowb that the bill is framed to satisfy tho scruples , the convictions , if you like , of tho 160 country . Kentlcmon who sit behind him . CNo , ' and oilers . ) . Now , I should tlilnk it as groat a misfortune to have 150 gentlemen horo representing only ironworks , or representing only ships , or cotton and . woollen factories . I believe it is essential almost to agouti xnembor of this House , so far as depends on external clroumstancoc , that ho should haw among his
constituents- —a variety of interests , I presume the Chancellor of the Exchequer would call them—persons of various classes . I think they '' would keep him better to his duty than if , as hon . gentlemen opposite do . they represented only , one interest , and were banded together as the representatives of no other interest . " Adverting to the question of small boroughs , the hon . member remarked that these places had been eulogised as being the jewels of the constitution . In his view they were merely refuges for the politically destitute , and the best that could be said of them was , that the persons whom they assisted into Parliament were sometimes deserving objects . Having alluded , in a humorous strain , to
Harwich and Carlow , he said : —" You can imagine the independent electors ofBanbury making speeches , explaining their political views , and working away under the belief that the ark of the constitution deT peilded on the fulfilment of their duties , but at the same moment here was the man who concocted this bill—it always appeared to me to be the bill not of a statesman or a cabinet , but of some electioneering agent—(' hear , ' and laughter)—you might imagine a man like this marching after dark from t lie Carl ton Club to the pillar letter-box opposite , and dropping in ten or twenty of these letters—unless he chose to go to Charing-cross ibr the purpose of registering them — tlie train goes down at nine or ten o ' clock in the of
morning , and whilst the unfortunate people Banbury are deluding themselves with the idea that they are , carrying out a great point of constitutional warfare , the resistless locomotive is going down , and next morning , when the leathern bag is opened , somebody is returned Who has not the slightest sympathy Avitli the people , and whom they never saw or heard of . " ( Hear , hear . ) What , he asked , would the country say if the bill was passed in its present shape ? The House would in effect tell the unenfranchised , "We dorit trust you . " The savings-bank franchise was the only small dole dealt out to . the great body of the woi-king people of the country . He denied
that this was a Keform Bill at all ; it was , in election , phraseology ,- a complete case of iiersonation . ? 'The population whom 3 'ouare about to disappoint and defy , " said , the hon . gentleman , " what have they done ? They have , conquered everything they liave grappled with . I do hot speak of the distant realms that they have conquered tinder your banners ; but they have conquered in art . ? , in manufacturers , in everything that tends to the civilisation and the wealth of tho country ; an < 1 do you think they will not conquer : \ . much larger share of political riyhts than 3 'ou appear determined to afford them ? ( Cheers . ) - The hon . member for Dorsetshire said , in the course of his speech , Ma . 111 not
afraid of the people of this country ; ' and he gave a very powerful , and just , a » d eloquent rebuke to the gentleman who , in aii unthinking moment , cheered , in n sneering manner , that observation . Now , I tell the House frankly , that they do not very well understand the great bulk of the population of this country , particularly in the manufacturing' towns and districts ; " He added that " large employers of labour in Manchester and Yorkshire , who had much to lose , had no fear of the working classes , and were in favour of a large extension of the suffrage . The Solicitor-General haUrofer ' re'd to the state of Europe , and had called upon , the House to beware of what they wero doing upon this question . lie . < Air . Bright )
came to a different conclusion . Let me assure the House , " said he , " that resistance- is not always conservative . What . right havo you to assume that you are moro conservative in intention than I am ? I have a business which is much more liable to injury from public disturbance than is your hunt . I have , a numerous family who depend upon me , and whose hopos , unless they become exiles , are bound up with tlio future of this . country ..,. I profess to bo in intention us conservative as you . I believe , in fact , that I am . infinitely more conservative , if you will oust your eyes twenty or thirty years forward . Was not free-tr , ado conservative ? ( Cheers . ) And yet you rosisted it to the lust . ( Here , here . ) J recollect the Chancellor , of the liUchequer , when lie used to
come down at that time—if I were a scholar I would describe him in a Latin quotation—I recollect him when , with diaho veiled hair-- ( lauglitor )—he used to rise and tell us of the cruelties practised on the ruined and betrayed agriculturists . Ho used to aay that ho would rest tho whole question on tho condition of the operatives three ov four years after . Every 0110 knows tUafe their condition has since constantly improved , and improved at » rate which was nor known in this country since the commencement of , tho great OFronoU war . Is economy in finance a conservative prinoh > lo ? ( Hear , hear , ) Is peace a conservative principle P I huvo devoted in this houso and out of it whatever energies , whatever capacities I may poesoss , * o tho purpose of advancing these objects . I have endeavoured , to stand by the rules of political economy , and in politiod by the higher rulo of real and true
morality . ( Hear , hear . ) In advocating a measure more extensive than some members of this house uiav desire , I believe I am still pursuing the same . '"• arid advocate the measure- —I am not speaking of any particular proposition I may have put forward , I mean a real substantial measure , one which the people would receive as such—because X believe in my conscience it would / elevate the character of the people , and , in the beautiful language of the prayer we hear here every day , " knit together the hearts of all persons within this realm . " I believe it woul . l add authority ; to the decisions of Parliament , and am satisfied it would shed a lustre which time could never dim on the benignant reign under which-we have the happiness to live / ? ( Loud cheers . )—On the motion of Sir S . Nquthcote , the debate was again adjourned ; and the house adjourned shortly afterwards at a quarter to one .
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GATHERINGS FROM LAW AND POLICE COURTS . On Saturday , Mary Donovan , an Irish girl , who obtains her livelihood by selling combs in the streets , was brought before Lord Mayor Wire , on the old charge of " obstruction . " The Lord Mayor aske . l the girl why she did not try to get " an honest living ? " The girl replied , " Why I do try , and you stop me . I often stay in the streets all day to " sell my combs , and only gain a few pence . " Whereupon our chief magistrate committed her . to prison for n . fortnight- Great sympathy was expressed , by tlie papers , for the girl , and considerable virtuous indignation : was wasted 011 the decision of the '¦ magi-trait 1 , who has since written to the newspapers ail account of Mary Donovan ' s antecedents , which shows her to be a very bad character indeed .
At the Court of Bankruptcy , on Tuesday , adjudication of bankruptcy was made against Rogers , Gladstone , and Co ., ' shipowners , and ship insurance brokers , in Billiter-street ; their liabilities are stated at £ 19 , 000 ; assets uncertain .- An examination meeting was"held in the case of Ayers anil Mel 1 is , merchants , of IvTottingham and New York , yliosc ; liabilities . are statedI at upwards of . £ 200 , 000 , besides . £ 8 , 880 on bills accepted without . consideration for the notorious M'Donald ' s of Glasgow ; assets of small amount . ¦ An-adjournment was ordered for threu" months , proceedings having been instituted for the recovery of property held adversely by . creditors in 2-few York . Mt-llis , not'hiivirig-surrendered ,- ' was-proclaimed an outlaw .
Joseph Sutcliffe , cashier to Messrs . Hill , W ood , and Hughes , coal factors , who was remanded 011 a charge of embezzlement , has again ¦ appeared before the Lord Mayor , at the Mansion House , for further examination . Some additional evidence was taken for the prosecution , and the prisoner , who reserved his defence , was committed f \> r trial . The amount of defalcation at present ascertained is between £ 0 , 000 and . £ 7 , 000 . At the JMitldlesex Sessions , Henry Pettintfiill was indicted for stealing projterty valued at J . ' 1-K ) , from his master , and Charles Daw and Marian Oliver were indicted for receiving the snme , knowing it to have been stolen . The cose was very complicated , in
and it appeared that the police exhibited much - telligence in tracing the thioves . They found in their possession a number of housubroaking implements , as well as some of the stolen property . 'Uicy were all three found guilty . Oliver had been previously convicted . The learned judge said he would consider what sentence he should pass . i B f At the Lamboth Police Court , on WoilnesJny , tl : e chaplain of the " Indigent Seniptressea' HoimV tlio Itov . C . Geary , appeared . to answer a summon * charging , him with imposing upon tho public . Soino curious faots were elicited in evidence The onso was adjourned to see if other charges were forthcoming , and also to enable tho rev . gentleman to produce rebutting testimony , if ho is able to < lo so . nnotlicr
The case of the Kev . AHVed Poolc readied stage on Wednesday , by the judgment duhvovea by tho Archbishop of Canterbury . This was tlio judgment in tho appeal which a mandamus required the Archbishop to hear . The Archbishop , assisted by Dr .-Lushington , decided , as he had done bufbre , that the Bishop of London acted properly in punishing Mr . Foolo ; His Grace said , ho was of opinion that tho proved nnd admitted allegations aft ' ordoil poori and reasonable cause for tho revocation oi tne license , ana , that tho Bishop had exercised 11 sound discretion In revoking the same . Ho was of opinion that the course pursued by Mr . Poolo was not » n accordance with the doctrines of tho Church 01 England , but most dangerous , and lilcoly to produco most serious ' inlsQhiof to the cause of morality « n < -1
religion , , , According to his intimation ftt tho 3 fli-sli hoarniff pi the summons issued against Messrs . Gabriel , ot « ogont-stroet , l > y the vestry of St . James ' s , fur mvyinrf an overhanging lamp projecting fVom their pronnsfs Mr . Blngham , the inagistrate at Marlborouff h-Btrooli Court , has deUvorod , after earofiil conslaontaan , «
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392 THE LEADER . [ JSTo . 470 ^ March 26 , 185 g >
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), March 26, 1859, page 392, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2287/page/8/
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