DRAFT OF SIR EARDLEY WILMOT'S REFORM BILL.

measure as shall be calculated to satisfy the ex ectations of the great body of Liberal politicians, to make large :revision for ad- - • • mittmg the better part of the working eclaarsses provision yet to keep strictly within the limits of the British Constitution aswe have understood it from time immemorial. Now, in respect to well- considered arrangement, largeness of purpose, circumspection of bearing and thoroughly constitutional character, we hold the plan

an proposed by Sir Eardley Wilmot to be the best submitted to the public. It would, of course, please us best to see that measure taken up by the Houses of Parliament, and, after due delibera- tion and perhaps improvement, passed. At all events it shows what may be done within the conditions which we have already stated.

In a letter to ourselves, written from his own residence at Bath on the 13th instant, Sir Emile): Wilmot says-" The verdict of the House of Commons having been given against the Administration of Lord Derby, the accession of the Liberal party to power is a pledge of the speedy and satisfactory settle- ment of the Reform question. I forward to you the rough draft of an Electoral Bill which may not be without its use. It will be found to accord in principle with the scheme I submitted to the public in December last through the medium of a pamphlet, the tabular analysis of which appeared in your columns in the fol- lowing month. In. respect of some of its details the scheme has undergone modification in deference to the expression of public opinion preiriously to and during the late debate on Parliamentary Reform, evincing that it is a subject which may fairly admit of compromise, where such compromise does not involve dere- liction of principle, in order to . facilitate and expedite the final adjustment of a great social question upon the minor sections ,4 which so many political differences exist."

ELECTORAL REFORM BILL, 1859. Arrangement of Sections.

N At. The Asterisk at the end of some of the sections denotes that the substance

of themare isnot to identical be found in the Government Dill of last session, although the de- Preamble-That it is expedient to deprive certain places of the right to return respectively two Members to serve in Parliament and to restrict the same to the right of returning one Member each ; to transfer the privilege of returning respectively two Members to certain Large cities and boroughs in the United kingdom, which have not hitherto possessed the same ; to confer the privilege of returning one 'Member respectively upon certain large and flourishing towns hitherto un- represented in Parliament; to create a new Metropolitan district in Eng- land, and to confer upon it the privilege of returning collectively two Members to serve in Parliament, to confer the privilege of returning one ':.trgess to serve in Parliament respectively upon certain English and Scotch

niversitics hitherto unrepresented ; to increase the number of knights the shire in certain counties in England ; to.extend the elective fran- hise to many of her 'Majesty's subjects in the United Kingdom who

• ,tre not hitherto enjoyed the same ; to diminish the expenses of Per1a- 7.:entary elections ; to afford increased facilities for the registration and Jfing of her Majesty's subjects in the United Kingdom entitled to vote a the election of Members to serve in Parliament ; to adopt measures for he more effectual repression of electoral bribery and corruption ; and to stablish the mode of recording votes by ballot at Parliamentary elec- ions in those constituencies where three-fourths of the registered electors (vire that such should be the mode of taking the electoral votes.

Section 1 Forty-two English cities and boroughs named in schedule to this act annexed, now respectively returning two members to servo Parliament, from and after the end of the present Parliament to re- an one member each. 2. The vacant seats for Sudbury and St. our in number,

• ',nal in schedule A annexed to this act, to be transferred to other places In this act hereinafter set out. Each of the nine cities and boroughs named in schedule B to this 74'xed, now returning respectively one Member to serve in Parlia- .. ritorc,om and after the end of the present Parliament, to return re- .. , Italy; two Members to serve in Parliament. 18b places severally and conjointly named in the schedule

19. Certificates to be annexed by overseers to original claims, and an- nually produced in the Registration Courts.•

20. Mode of making claims in respect of income arising from personal property, pensions, &c., as in Schedule G.

21. Persons giving false certificates, or forging the same, or signa- tures therto, or making use of the same, knowing them to be forged, guilty of misdemeanour.* 22 to 34. Sections regulating the registration.* 35. Affidavits and affirmations admissible in the courts held by re- vising banisters.* 36. Revising barrister to have power in certain cases to amend the qualification of the voter.* 37. Persons objected to, or objecting to others in respect of their votes, to have power to subpoena witnesses to attend in the Courts of Revising Banisters. Fine on witnesses not attending after service of subpoena on them, and on tender of their reasonable expenses.* 38. Revising Banisters to award costs not exceeding 5/. in cases of frivolous and vexatious objections.* (Now 20s.) 39. Persons abandoning objections to give notice of abandonment one week before holding of registration courts, and in such case to incur no costs.*

40, 41, 42. As to county and borough registers. Forms as in schedules H. and K.

43. Polls to be taken in every parish in counties by overseers. Vestry room to be used for that purpose. Polling-book to be transmitted im- mediately after the close of poll to the Clerk of the Peace, and by him to the returning officer. 44. Where no vestry room exists, room to be hired by overseers. No booths to bo erected, except for nomination and declaration of poll ; cost of hiring rooms to be defrayed out of county rate. Rooms to be hired in cities and boroughs at contested elections for the purpose of polling, instead of booths being erected.

45, 46, 47. Regulating the use of voting papers in elections for the Universities. Forms as in schedule L.

48. Voting twice at an election, or forging signature to voting paper, or falsely assuming authority to sign voting paper, or transmit- ting forged voting paper, or unlawfully preventing a voter from voting, to be a misdemeanour.

49. Expenses of voting papers to be borne by candidates for whom the votes so transmitted are recorded.

50. Payment of travelling expenses of voters by candidates or on their behalf, to be illegal, personal canvass of voters by candidates, to be il- legal.

51. Candidates elected before taking their seat to make a declaration that they have been neither directly nor indirectly parties, or privy to or cognizant of any corrupt practice previously to or at the time of or sub- sequent to the election at which they have been returned to the existing Parliament, and that they have not and will not incur or defray any illegal expenses with reference to such election. 52. As to enlarging the boundaries of certain boroughs, in which the population has greatly increased. 53. Until such enlargement old boundaries to be in force. (2 and 3 W. 4, c. 64.) 54. Members accepting offices of profit under the Crown not to vacate their seats, excepting such as are her Majesty's Cabinet Ministers. 55. New rights of voting, and variation of rights of voting, to take ef- fect at the first election following the registration, to be made imme- diately after the passing of this act. 56. Until new registers framed, old registers to be in force. 57. The provisions of the Registration Act, 6 Viet., chap. 18, where not hereby repealed, to be available for the purposes of this act. 58, 59, 60. Establishing and regulating the taking of votes by ballot, in those constituencies, wherein three-fourths of the electors require that the votes should be so taken.

61. In all other constituencies the votes to be recorded openly, except where voting-papers are admissible. 62. All Election-laws to remain in force except where repealed by this act.• 63. Interpretation Clause.

64. Short Title of Act,- " Electoral Reform Act, 1859." "-Schedule A.

Andwer Grantham Maldon Thetford Bodmit. Guildford Al alton Totnes Bridport Harwich Marlborough Wells Bridgnortli Honiton Marlow Weymouth