Yesterday week's debate was a mere frittering away of precious
time on infinitesimal suggestions. On Monday, Mr. Walter's amendment to limit secret voting to the boroughs,—the places which least need it, and where it will do most harm,—supported by the Conservatives on Mr. Beresford Hope's principle that a pint of black-draft is always less intolerable than a quart,—was rejected by a majority of 98 (240 to 142). On Tuesday, Sir C. Mire's motion for keeping open the poll from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.,— held to be objectionable on account of the dangerous after-dark dis- turbances which it might produce,—was rejected by a majority of 179 (239 to 60); and Mr. Cross's amendment, which would get rid of the secrecy altogether, but would prohibit publications of the state of the poll during the day, was rejected by 76 (234 to 158). Mr. Lowther's motion to substitute voting-papers for the ballot, debated partly on Tuesday and partly on Thursday, was rejected by a majority of 87 (253 to 166), after a debate in which all the speaking (except Mr. Forster's) was on the Conservative side. But the policy of abstention was obviously not successful in adding much velocity to the debate in a House so reluctant to move on.
