The second reading of Mr. BENETT'S bill for the disfranchisement
of the corrupt freemen and burgesses of Liverpool is fixed for Wednesday next. Our readers must be familiar with the circumstances which render a vote in favour of this bill an imperative duty on the part of every Member of Parliament, not the sworn friend and advocate of the most Aisgusting and extensive bribery that the election annals of the country are stained with. It has been proved beyond all dispute, that bribery in the election of Members of Parliament and Chief Magistrates of Liverpool has prevailed, in the words of the Committee of the House of Commons, "to an enormour amount." The question to be decided on Tuesday next is, shall it continue to prevail, or shall some effort be made to purify the constituency of the second commercial town in the empire ?
It is rumoured, but we trust falsely, that Ministers mean to shirk the performance of their duty on this occasion ; and to give Mr. BENETT'S motion no support as a Government. Should this be the case, their conduct will be scandalous ; and the consequences of it will be in a high degree prejudicial to themselves, as well as to the came of purity of Ielection. It cannot be forgotten, that in the first Reform Bill, Minis- ters endeavoured to exclude from the right of voting a large proportion of the venal wretches whom it is now songht to disfranchise. In this they were defeated by the Tories; who well knew what they were about, when they saved the franchise of the old corrupt freemen. All, therefore, that is asked of the Government, is to act up to their former principles—to fall back upon the first Reform Bill, upon the strength of which they gained the good-will of the country. It is, we trust, hat- possible that they can refuse the call which will be made upon them to this effect on Wednesday next. As this is a question Oh which the Re- formers of England are much interested, pains will be taken to procure a correct list of the votes, if any division should take place.
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