THE REDISTRIBUTION OF SEATS BILL.
The returns moved for by Sir Stafford Northcote, relating to the Redistribution Bill, have just been published. The first gives the towns which are to be included in groups in the bill, with the counties in which they are situate, and the distance each town is from the one with which it is intended to amalgamate it. Amongst those farthest apart are Andover and Lymington, 31 miles being between them, Maldon and Harwich are distant 30 miles; Horsham and Petersfield, 27 miles; and Cirencester and Evesham, 26 miles. The average distance of the total 41 grouped towns from each other is about 15 miles. There are 23 towns with a population of upwards of 5,000, which are unrepresented, and which are nearer to the proposed grouped towns than some it is intended by the bill to group and enfranchise. The following is a list of these 23 towns, with their populations, according to the census of 1861, and also with the name of the nearest grouped town in parentheses:—Newbury, 6,161 (Andover); Exmouth, 5,228 (Honiton); Teignmouth, 6,022 (Ashburton); Torquay, 16,419 (Totnes); Newton Abbot, 5,221 (Ashburton); Sherborne, 5,523 (Dorchester); Saffron Walden, 5,474 (Maldon); Halstead, 5,707 (Maldon); Barking, 5,076 (Maldon); Chelmsford, 5,513 (Maldon); Stafford, 15,994 (Maldon); Gosport, 7,783 (Petersfield); Sudbury, 6,879 (Harwich); Worthing, 5,805 (Arundel); Trowbridge, 9,626 (Westbury); Stourbridge 8,166 (Ludlow); Bromsgrove, 5,262 (Evesham); Oldbury 15,615 (Evesham); Middlesborough, 18,992 (Northallerton); Batley, 7,206 (Knaresborough); Bingley, 5,238 (Knaresborough); Dewsbury, 18,148 (Knaresborough); Heckmondwike, 8,680 (Knaresborough); Keighley, 15,005, (Knaresborough); and Sowerby Bridge, 5,382 (Knaresborough).