The Ballot Bill got out of committee on Thursday, after
a great debate on a proposal by Mr. Synan that the presiding officer should mark the paper for a voter who could not read. Mr. Forster resisted this at first as dangerous to secrecy, but subse- quently gave way, seeing, we suppose, that a Ballot Bill could not be turned into a bill for disfranchising all voters who cannot read or write English. Mr. James was very sorrowful over the amend- ment, but it passed by 242 to 88, and on Thursday the Report will be brought up. We suppose some clause will then be added inflicting some penalty, say two days' imprisonment, on the voter who wilfully shows his ballot-paper, as without this the Bill as it stands makes bribery an unpunishable amusement, and the beat thing the Ultras could do would be to defeat the measure altogether. As it is, there is a rumour that a heavy division will take place upon the third reading, when a good many men who hate the Ballot will muster up courage to let their constituents see their real opinions. There is something after all very humiliating in the House passing a Bill for secret voting which, if the Members themselves voted secretly, they would reject by two to one.
Previous page
