On this page

• Text (2)

  Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

  • 

    August 19, 1854.] THE LEADER. 771

  • 

    ABSURDITIES OF THE BRIBERY BILL. "J, C."...

• Transcript

  • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

    Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.

    Elections. Tub Elections For Tho " Corru...

    lion , baronet rode in an open landau , drawn by fonr greys , ¦ with outriders , each wearing a crimson jacket and favours to correspond . Mr . Hume , M . P ., his proposer , sat on his right , and he was accompanied by Sir John Shelley , M . P . for Westminster , Mr . S . R . Stockton , a member of the vestry of St . PancraSj his seconder , Mr . Arthur Berrington , Sir B . Hall's private Secretary , & c . & c . Amongst the gentlemen on'the lilistings , and by whom the hon . baronet was received and congratulated , were observed Sir James Duke , M ; P . ; Colonel M . E . Bagnold ; Clement George , Esq ., churchwarden of Marylebone ; John Flather , and Henry Fairer , Esqrs ., chorchwurdens of St . Pancras ; Dr . Sayer , William Billett , Esq . ( late churchwarden of St . Pancras ); W . D . Cooper , Esq . ; Messrs . Peter Graham , Nicholay , Furniss , ] tf . Defries , Dr , Joseph , Baker , Dyke , and other leading and influential members of the Representative Vestries of Marylebone , and St . Pancras . There were also a few of the well-known reformers of the parish of Paddington on the Hustings .

    Immediately in front of the hustings wei'e affixed large placards , issued by the Council of the Society for Removing the Taxes on'Knowledge , to the following effect ;—" Electors of Marylebone , —Sir Benjamin Hall has always voted for the total repeal of all the taxes on knowledge—pledge him to continue to do so while in office . " Mr . Hume , M . P ., proposed Sir B ; Hall to the score or two dirty unfortunates who represented Maryle"bone in the open road of Langham-place on this occasion . " He had the honour of knowing Sir Benjamin Hall as a member of the House of Commons for upwards of a- quarter of a century , and he had always found him a liberal , progressive Reformer . It was only six weeks since he had told the Government , in the presence of a House when there were 200 members present , that they had never done justice to the liberal cause by placing in office those whose predilections

    were in favour of the people , and not alone confined to the interests of the aristocracy . He was now protid and . happy to find that the . Government had-made a step in . the . right direction , by the selection of the lion , baronet , Sir B . Hall ,, to fill , the important office of Minister ; of Publie Health . He lookedupon this appointment of tlie lion , baronet as si compliment and 2 justice to liberal principles . The office which the lion , baronet had ; assumed was one of the very greatest importance , as it affected the health of the public at . large ; and he was delighted , notwithstanding his friendship for Mr . Chadwick , to find sucli a man as Sir 0 . Hall at the head of the Board of Health , aa he was determined to base his operations on the principle of local government , as opposed to centralisation , and to introduce various reforms in that department . He hoped , therefore , that selecting the hon . baronet ¦ again that day , as the representative of Marylebone , would be by an unanimous vote . ( Cheers . )

    Somebody seconded , and then the score ortwo dirty unfortunates held up their hands ; and ! , no'opponent appearing—nobody but a Mr . Dickey , who protested ,, and no more , that the election was hurried , and that Marylebone knew nothing of it—Sir Benjamin was declared duly elected , and proceeded to make a speech , which did not contain a . single idea , and was loudly applauded ^ Lord Dudley Stuart closed the proceedings by congratulating his hon . colleague—publicly . The elections for the " corrupt boroughs" have "been more noisy and less manageable .

    MALDON . Here they have had five candidates . Mr . Lennard , an old acquaintance ; Mr . Quirt tin Dick , ditto , and famous for electioneering battles under the " old system ; " Mr . G . M . Pcacocke , the Q . C ., and' Mr . Bramley Moore , the Liverpool merchant , who stood at the general election for Hull , and at the late election for Liverpool , both times being beaten ; and , lastly , a Mr . Thomas Mac Enteer , who secma to be a Radical , and in whom avc recognise the same stray

    personage who , in the Sadleir re-election , made an appearance at the Sligo hustings . The nomination took place on Wednesday , and there being- no flags , drums , or music , the affair -was rather dull . The show of hands was in favour of Lennard and the Radical gentleman , who had made an exuberant Irish speech in favour of the ballot , universal suffrage , and , generally speaking , the rights of man . The others demanded a poll . Lonnard is in favour of the Coalition ; Quintin Diclc of Conservatism , as \ isualj Peacock , ditto ; Bramley Mopre , ditto .

    Maldon , Thursday livening . Tlio Mayor , shortly after five o ' clock this evening , declared the result of the poll which had talcen place during the- day . It was as follows : Mr . Or . M . W . Poncocko ( Conservative ) 40 G ; Mr . J . Bramloy Moore ( Conservative ) 399 ; Mr . T . 13 . Lennard ( Liberal ) 305 ; Mr . T . MnoEnteor ( Liberal ) 215 ; Mr , Quintin Dick ( Conservative ) 34 . Mr . Poacocke , Q . C ., and Mr , J . Bramloy Mooro wore declared duly elected . The two successful candidates thanked the electors tor the honour conferred upon them . Mr . Lonnard ana Mr . MacEntcer declared their intention of contoaung the borough at every election , buing con" \ li iTi * thev would in time drive tlio Torios out ot tiw Held . Mr . MucEnteer expressed his dotormi-S ™ 1 f ! nf borough every month for the purpoao of establishing a liberal political club .

    m , . „ HAKNSTAIM . li ] , inSat ° a KEiiST ?** ¦ > ° « ' *» B ! doa tlio general B ^ BP ^^^^^^

    chitect of the Royal Exchange , who comes forward on the liberal interest ; Mr . Guinness , -who is con - nected with the brewery business in Dublin ; and Mr . Laurie . The two latter come forward on a joint interest , and are supported by the Conservative party and the old . freemen with great zeal and earnestness . Meetings have been held , and the candidates have addressed -their partisans . It will be rememthat , at the last general election , Lord Ebrington presented himself as a candidate on the Liberal interest , pledging himself that he would not spend any money unlawfully . The other candidates on that occasion were Mr . R . Bremridge , an attorney in the borough , and Sir W . Fraser . Mr . Bremridge had been the

    Conservative agent for a great many years , and had managed the election matters for that interest . At the election for 1847 the Hon . W . J . Forteseue , a Liberal , and Mr . F . Hodgson , a Conservative , were the candidates , and entered into a compact to spend no- money unlawfully . This compact was deemed by the old freemen a misdemeanour against the liberties of the borough , and ' as an encroachment on their " rotten privilege and custom , "—and they consequently brought forward Mr . Brembridge , who had been the election agent for Mr . Hodgson , and , voting against that gentleman , they placed Mr . Bremridge at the head of tlie poll , and turned out the unfortunate Conservative candidate .

    This was , in fact , a cheap and virtuous election for , Mr . Bremridge , as the freemen in a spirit of ; revenge voted for him gratuitously , and he represented the borough inconjunction with Mi * . Forteseue . At 1 the election of 1851 Mr . " Breniridge and Sir W . Fraser presented themselves for election on the Conservative . and freemen interest , Lord JEbrington came forward on the Literal interfesi ; , unfurling the unwelcome " purity" banner . Lord Ebrington -was defeated , a Parliamentary investigation took place , a eoinrnissiori was subsequently issued , and it was proved that . 270 -electors , " chiefly freemen , bad received bribes ; and the writ for the borough , was suspended until Friday last . ilr . Tite ' s claims on the present occasion are based on local ratiier than on

    general interests and principles ; He is chairman of the North Devon line , and was mainly instrurnental in bringing the line to Barnstaple . At the election of 1851 a requisition was addressed by the electors to Mr . Tite , but being then in Italy he did not receive it in time to come forward . Lord Ebrington , however , referred to him as a gentleman worthy of being a candidate for their suffrages . Mn Tite is personally popular , as the railway bids fair to do a good deal for the town and neighbourhood , and there is 110 doubt that , had it not been for the nominee " imputation , " he ; would have been returned ; but such is the present feeling of the Conservatives , and such the virtuous indignation of the freemen , that it seems to be a point of honour among them that no Liberal candidate shall succeed .

    A . t the nomination the show of bands was in favour of Messrs . Tite and Laurie . OAMBKIDOB . At Cambridge , on the day of nomination ,- there were four candidates : Mr . Adair and Mr : Mowatt , on on © side ; Lord Maidstone and Mr . Slade , Q . C ., on the other ; the latter two being in fnvftnr , of T < r > Tv 1 Derby . The show of hands was equal for the two sets . Mr . Campbell ( Lord Campbell ' s son ) had canvassed the electors ; but being generally regarded , after his Parliamentary displays , as rather imbecile , he received intimations that he had no chance . The l'esult of the poll was : Adair , 758 ; Mowatt , 733 ; Maidstone , 708 ; Slade , C 96 .

    " Tlie whole of the proceedings were conducted in the most quiet and irreproachablo manner on loth sides ; and thero was n total absence of the excitement that baa distinguished previous polling days in Cambridge . So soon as tlio poll was closed , the mug candidates returned to Parker ' s Vicce ^ and each briefly thanked their supporters , who raised « literal forest of ] aurcl ; and , aftor promising a more extended address 011 the morrow , at the official declaration of tho poll , wore accompanied to their , inns . The Conservatives did not uhow . "

    JIUIJU Tho nomination ; took place en Thmrtiday . " Unusual order" prevailed . Mr . B . M . Fallund proposed William Henry Wsytson , Esq ., as a ( it and proper person to represent Hull in Parliament , which wa «' seconded by Mr . B . J , Thompson . Mr . Thomas Ward proponed , and Mr . A . Bannister seconded , S . A . Dickfion , Esq ., na a candidate ! . Mr . Henry Blundcll th « n came forwnrd and proposed William l ) i gby Seymour , Esr ^ ,, which waa seconded by Mr . Grcahan ; , r l horo being no other candidate to propose , Mr . ^ Vatson presented himself to tho electors , who received him with vociferous cheering . He stated thnt ho wns a thorough Reformer . Mr . S . A . Dickaon , in addressing tho okctors , declared himisclf iv Conservative .

    Mr . W . 1 ) . Seymour then nd' . lresacd tho electors . Ho HtaU'd that ho wns an advocate of free-trade , of an extension of the Bufirngo , and of tho bnllot . lie was nlso a friend of religious freedom mid toleration , an opponent of churchrates , and ho was llkowiso do » i » oua that the war in whioh w _ o are now engaged uhould bo carried on with tho utmost vigour ho that tho poaco of Europe mny bo soon restored , A ahow of handa was then Liikon , and a vory lnrgo majority w . » s held up In favour of Mr . Wfltuon and Mr , Seymour . The yhorifV declared tho ahow of hands to be in favour o

    those gentlemen , and a poll being demanded for Mr . Dick son , it was fixed for to-day ( Friday ) .

    CANTERBURY . There were six candidates at Canterbury ; but Mr . George Smythe retired at the last moment , leaving only five . A letter from the borough-says : — " Great interest is displayed by all classes of electors as to the result of the contest , and many speculations , are afloat as to the course that will be adopted by those electors who have always received payment for their votes , it being the general impression among those best able to form aa opinion on the subject that they will hold back until the last moment , in order , if possible , -when the conflict is running high ,, of inducing some friend of either party to keep up ' the old charter'by giving them a ' retaining fee , ' notwithstanding the stringent provisions of the ? Bribery Prevention Bill .

    _ " The nomination for this ancieat and importanfarchiepiseopal city took plaee on Thursday , in confonwiiy with the requirements of the writ , which arrived at the . Sheriff ' s on Saturday last . The hustings wereerected at the northern end of the cattle-market , and , as if the people efthis city were going-to be _ economical as well as pure in election matters , tlie-hustings were built up in the rudest manner imaginable , without the slightest covering overhead against the weather—the neglect of . which sadly marred the day's proceedings . " The usual election squibs ornamented the walls oF the place , but this year the staple of their composition , was the

    threatenea Reform Bui in connexion with the ancient privileges of the freemen ; arid fierce and terrible were the denunciatiGhs against , those who / were accused of- endeavouring to extinguish the ' sweet voices' of tbeindependentaiid . unbought freeme . n of the- time-honour « d city of Gariterbiiryi H ' Tne proceedings cornmenced : exactly at ten o ' clock ^ which tim « there was a very numerous muster of the electors , and , the assemblage was also * . pkntifully ; / supplied with 1 roughs / who complained , ruefully , aiid , bitterly of the spiritless teetotalism to which the n ew bribery act had mercilessly condemned them , and to which they had hitherto been sucli Tierfect strangers , " .

    ; Of the five candidates , the first ,. Mr . Butler and . Mi " . Lushington ,. aTOW" themselves thorough Conservatives , the latter approving of Free-trade . Mr . Glover ^ is a''Whig ^ Kaiical , and Mr . Cooper professed to be only a simple moderate Whig , as also Sir W * Somerville . The speeches of tliese candidates expressed nothing : Mr . Lushington ' s -was the most positive , and the only non-negative principle he . enunciated anibunted to a declaration that he would not vote against church-rates . Mr . Glover denounced ^ the Tories ; but did not announce any clear liberalism ..

    ¦ ' * Mr ; Cooper boasted that he relied upon them tecause he was One of themselvesv His father had been a tradesman , and his grandfather had been a small farmer , and . his great grandfather had ' been a labourer . ( . G 7 iecrs . \ So lie ; thought he was one of the people , and he ^ o uid rather be that than , have all ,-the bipod of till the Howai'ds and Percys running in his veins . ( Cheers . ' ) He thought that it was the duty of the legislature of this country to place it in the poor man ' s power to > earn something beyond the starvation diet that re ^ warded his 1 labour , now . He was the root and foundation , of society ; no class could do without tlie produce of the working man , and he ought to be well housed , well fed , and lightly taxed . Q Hear , Ucarf and cheers . ) As it was he had not sufficient for his family , and such a state of things must be altered very sliortly . His children were not educated ; and if he ( Mr . Cooper ) -yreht to the House of Commons , ho would vote for a system of education that should embrace Jew , Hindoo , Mahometan , and every one , for education was the blessing of society . "

    August 19, 1854.] The Leader. 771

    August 19 , 1854 . ] THE LEADER . 771

    Absurdities Of The Bribery Bill. "J, C."...

    ABSURDITIES OF THE BRIBERY BILL . "J , C . " ( Mr . Coppock , we fancy ) , has written , in the Times , an admirable analysis of the Bribery Bill . Here are the points : — " Now , what will be the eflftct of this new bill ? Direct bribery , and the direct use of undue influence , will bo more difficult and dangerous , but will not be ' suppressed j greater circumspection and care with whom done will bo required , ; l > nt . indirect and circuitous bribery , by payment foi fancied services and by feigned ways and means , notices to tenants to quit ' , without reason assigned , a . ud secret influence , will not be in the slightest degree affected thereby .

    " A penalty is imposed upon a candidate who shall give , 'be accessary to giving , or shall pay for , any treating ; but tho penalty attaches only to a candidate . A stranger , a friend , or ft body of people , may give ir . cat , drink , and entertainment to any extent ; the voter corruptly receiving it will lose bis vote . But by the insertion of that word ' corr uptly , ' tho iotontion is referred to tho committee , who will have to decide in each case whether a voter aeceptod it

    corruptly or not . By tho section prohibiting the giving , or causing to bo givon , to any voter on the days of nomination , or polling , of any refreshment , or refreshment ticket , tho giving : ifl limited to those two days , and tho voter ia made tho only person to whom . it is not lawful to give refreshment-, so that on any ofchor day s « oh tickets may bo givon to a voter , rvnd to any but a voter on those days . " Tho payment of . uny money for chairing , bands

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 19, 1854, page 3, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_19081854/page/3/