The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-05-31 00:00:00

~~c.~...~,...e %"%*- the St DUBLIN O'Rourke's noble feast It shall ne'er be forgot, By those who were there And by those who were not Titieq,ocri TUESDAY MORNING, MAY 31, 1553. THE WEEK. THE Whitsun Holidays are over, but the resump tion of business, and the return to work, have not added much to the news of the town, for Liverpool is comparatively deserted. A considerable section of its inhabitants are in London, in the all-absorb ing business of the Election Petition, which is now before the Select Committee of the House of Com mons. There have been a variety of reports cur rent as to the proceedings of the petitioners, and the list of alleged bribed and bribers has undergone much comment. Names have been inserted of those who had little or nothing to do with the election, and others have been omitted who took a most active part in the canvass. It has been said that the Radicals have been hard pressed for money, and have been sending round the begging-box for supplies. On Thursday some difficulty was expe rienced in getting off the witnesses, owing to their not being furnished with sufficient funds to pay their expenses ; and other evident signs of weak ness ar e reported. A number of our townsmen are also in Dublin, viewing the wonders of the Great Industrial Exhibition, so that between the counter attractions of London and Dublin, Liver- pool is shorn of its fair proportions. The arrival of the screw steam-ship Genova, from . Lawrence, after a very brief passage, is a very favourable opening of steam traffic between this port and Canada. A new trade is also being commenced with the Fresh waters of Canada, the Cherokee, under the command of Captain Gaskin, through whose enterprise it has been undertaken, having been despatched from Toronto to this port, where he may shortly be expected. It will be seen by a paragraph in another column that Captain Gaskin was entertained by the authorities of Toronto with a public banquet as a testimonial to his spirited exertions. Our neighbours at Birkenhead are in the heat of a contented election, and indulging in all the humour of personal squibs. It is not, however, all of so innocent a character, for one elector complains that after being ten months in Mr. Laird's employ, he has been discharged, for no other fault than having a Blue bill in his window. There are numerous bets depending on the issue, and the latest odds are against the Reds with few takers. AND THE EXHIBITION, SWIFT commences one of his ballads by saying— and the quotation is singularly applicable to the Exhibi tion that is now going forward in Dublin. The novelty e, the size of the building compared with sur rounding ones, the extent and variety of its contents, the steady and increasing influx of visitors, the throng and in the streets, the vivacity seen in every ceunte ee from a tide-waiter to the Lord-Lieutenant,--ell aese give a present interest to the capital of the sister island, that those who have known it in past years will feel to be a most agreeable contrast. There are few countries which have suffered so severely as Ireland, for the sins of her own children and others ; but the day of her tribulation seems past, and the period of uninterrupted prosperity arrived. She has passed through a furnace of affliction, but with manifest advan tage, in all that regards the physical condition of her people, and, we hope, in the moral, too. The landed aristocracy, to be found, in many instances, a succession of hereditar bankrupts, have given place to a new and vigorous ra The " free-trade in land," which was in troduced by the Encumbered Estates Bill, has swept off the weak and irresolute from the cultivation of the soil, and has placed the task in the hands of stronger and more enterprising. Famine, pestilence, and emigration have also done their work in relieving the country of a redun dant population that weighed it down ; and the work houses are, in a great measure, the recepta c l es f or infir mity, youth, or old age merely ; though formerly the able-bodied, also, were glad to find shelter there. The intelligence of the people has more than kept pace with the physical prosperity, for it had its beginning at a much earlier date. One of the best worked societies in the United Kingdom is the Sunday School Society, in Ireland, which is spread like a network over the four . provinces. The Church Education Society treads in a similar path; and so far as secular instruction goes, the Irish national system is deserving of great praise. From all of these, and from causes of a kindred sort, the intel -1 status of the country is rising ; and the Irish peasant or small farmer will take the wind out of the sails of an Englishman or Scotchman some ten years hence ; indeed, if it were not for Connaught, he could do it already. In the higher walks of learning, too, Irishmen occupy the front ranks. The Earl of Rosse, whose family changed the name of Bin to Parsonstown,—after outdoing both the Herschels in his researches in the heavens, and converting a tribe of Irish " bouchals" into the skilled manufacturers of mathematical instruments, occupies a fitting position as President of the Royal Society, in London. He is not merely a patron of science, of peerage rank, like the late Marquis of Northampton, but a thorough working inquirer, who is prouder of his scientific attainments than he is of his coronet. In the kindred realms of literature and archaeological learning we have Lord Talbot de Malahide, whose Anglo-Norman lineage can be traced for more than seven hundred years on Irish soil. His magnificent baronial residence, within an hour's drive of the city, is justly celebrated as one of the " lions," and the boundless liberality with which its ancient trea sures are thrown open to visitors, is an index of the hospitable and friendly spirit still found in the country. Lord Talbot, too, takes rank in England, as President of the Arcbreological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland. Within the limits of the Circular Road, Dublin itself is a little world of interest, no parallel to which can be found on , this side of the channel. The Chinese sometimes divide the whole population of the world into " men, women, and Chinese ;" and on the same principle we have sometimes thought that they might be classified as " men, women, and Dublin car-drivers." These last constitute, as a naturalist would say, a genus by them selves, differing in habits, traditions, language, and men tal characteristics from any other class in existence. Without the shameless rapacity of the Liverpool cabmen (on those whom they know to be merely passing through), or the bullying of the Londoners, they will manage now and then to make an overcharge ; but their legal fare is so paltry, that the rogues have got the knack of leaving it to the " gentleman's honour entirely," and thus usually net at least double what they are entitled to. But quar relling with them is next to impossible in any case. They possess an inexhaustible fund of good humour ; and an unlucky wight finds the jokes rattled at his head like hail stones, so that he knows it is good policy to consent to a compromise. Even an overcharge, however, is an undercharge—though the expression looks like a bull— for the Irish driver is at the same time a guide, and a capital one he often is. It is true that he sometimes runs upon his imagination when his facts run short, but the entertainment never flags. In those portions of the country which are not yet opened up by railways, as in the south of Dublin and all Wicklow, the tourist must trust himself to a vehicle of this description ; though some of the leaned at the British Association calculated that the difficulty of holding on an Irish car was just equal to the accommodation of transit ivnen tue visitors ha inspected the wonders of the Exhibition and the usual attractions of the metropolis, they will find a trip to Bray, Roundwood, or the Meeting of the Waters, such a treat as is rarely to be met with. ECCLESIASTICAL. PREFERMENTS AND APPOINTMENTS. Rev. J. Allen, to the Curacy of Long Sutton, Cambridgeshire. Rev. 0. B. Byers, to the Perpetual Curacy of Christ Church, Croydon, Surrey. Rev, F. A. Crooke, M.A.., Curate of Kingsdown, Kent, to the Rectory of that parish. P. Eddrup, M.A., to the Curacy of the newly-conse crated Church of St. Gabriel, Warwick-square, Pimlico. Rev. R. M. Evanson, M.A., Rector of Llansoy, Monmouth. shire, to the Rural Deanery of Mitchell-Troy. Rev. H. E. B. Ffolkes, M.A., Incumbent of St. Martin-at- Palace, Norwich, to the Rectory of Broughton, Norfolk. Rev. IV. Gill, jun., 8.A., to the vicarage of Pulloxhill, Beds. Rev. A. R. Grant, M.A., Fellow of Trinity College, to the Incumbency of St. Michael's, Cambridge. Rev. W. W. Harvey, M:A., to be Domestic Chaplain to Via. count Falmouth. Rev. R. H. Howard, M.A., late Incumbent St. Matthew's Church, City-road, London, to the Vicarage of ,Lilston, Cum. berland. Rev. M. Jefferys, M.A., to the Rectory of South Thoresby, near Alford, Lincolnshire. Rev. W. G. Jervis, M.A., to the Curacy of Kingston-on- Thames. Rev. G. Kemp, M.A. late Curate of St. Dionis Blackch urch to the Curacy of St. Giles's, Cripple ate. Rev. T. Langley, Incumbent of Landog., _ o the Rectory of Ganerew, Herefordshire. Rev. C. Le e , Incumbent of Binglield, near Hexham, an Honorary Canonry in Durham Cathedral. ev . R. H. Morgan, M.A.lncumbent of Merthyr-mawr, Bridgend, Gl amo rganshire, to the Curacy of Llanguick, Monmouthshire .ar Neat Rev. T. Or ,shave, M.A., Curate of St. John's Church, ) the Incumbency of Brackenfield, near Alfreton, • - po v a , M A., Wadham College, Oxford, to the Lec and Curacy of St. Andrew Undershaft, Leadenhall-st. A. Scott, 8.A., of St. John's College, Cambridge, to ant Master in 3larlborough.College. Rev. J. S the Stipendiary e&acy of Hartford, Rev. J. S M.A., Principal of the Royal Grammar School, Tyne, to the Curacy of the District Church of Newcastle-i All Saints, in that town. Rev. W. Valiance, M.A., Incumbent Rural Deanery of Sutton. Rev. S. Warren, M.A., Rector of St. Mary Steps, Exeter, to the Rectory of Brandon Ferry, Suffolk. Mr. R. A. Whalley, 8.A., of Magdalen College, Cambridge, to the Second Mastership of the Grammar School, King's Lynn, Norfolk. Maidstone, to tie Rev. J. Wilson, 8.D., Second Master of the Free Grammar School, Manchester, and Fellow of Corpus Christi College, )xford, to the Rectory of Hampton Meysey, near Cricklade, BO THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD, TUESDAY, LIVERPOOL ELECTION PETITION. whether the borough of Liverpool—whether the voice of one of the first, if not the first, commercial communi ties of this country—is to be truly heard in the House of Commons ; or whether it is to be silenced by a system which has long continued, and which, I am sorry to say, still continues to exercise its power and its influence in Liverpool, to the degradation and to the destruction of the true exercise of the franchise of the constituency of that place ? When I state that"l state it advisedly, because I have no doubt you will find in the course of this in quiry that everything which I will call your attention to will be fully borne out in evidence, and that the question I will raise will be a question of vast importance, and one which will require your most serious consideration, I do not say it in corroboration of my views, but I am quite satisfied that great public interest is awakened with reference to this inquiry, and I have no doubt for the wise and sufficient reason that your decision upon it will be likely for the future to influence and direct what shall be the course to be pursued with refe rence to constituencies similarly conditioned with that of Liverpool. Now, sir, the object of this inquiry is to unmask before you—to lay, as far a we are able, before you—the general system of cor ruption, of bribery, and of treating which has for a long period of time existed in Liverpool, and which was in full operation at the last election. There is no doubt that the inquiry, as it goes on, will disclose to you not any small or partial system of bribery or of treating, but that there has been bribery and treating conducted upon a regular system—premeditated and pre-determined—and that, too, by those who, from their position and from their high cha racter in the borough of Liverpool, I think oucht to have abstemiously abstained from practices of this description. All I can trust is, that the result of this inquiry will be, for the future, to eradicate the evil, and to enable those who have the right to exercise their franchise in the borough of Liverpool to know that their voice is undoubtedly heard in the House of Commons in truth and in fact, and not as a matter of name, and as a matter of pretence only ; for I may say, without hesi tation, that, in consequence of that which at former elec tions, as well as at the last election, was in full operation. at Liverpool, there can be no doubt that there has been such a check upon the true declaration of the opinion of the constituency of that place as has proved fatal to what I call the true representation of Liverpool in the House of Commons; and it is certainly a matter of great importance, and it will be a matter for the serious consideration of the committee, whether the facts which •are brought before you do or do not fully justify me in making the remarks which I have thought fit to offer in introducing this case. The real and only question will be, whether, for the future, the representa tion of Liverpool shall be a piece of mockery and delusion, or whether or not the people of Liverpool shall have their , wishes and their wants truly,. properly, and fairly repre sented in the House of Commons. The facts of this case are somewhat invalid and intricate, but it is not my in tention to occupy much of your time in scattering your attention over the details. First of all I will call your attention to the peculiar position of the constituency of Liverpool, and then to the means-which have been had recourse to, and particularly at the last election, for the purpose of preventing the constituency of that great and important commercial community from giving fair and true expression to their opinion. Now, I will call your attention, in the first instance, to the time of the last election. The nomination took place on Tuesday, the 6th of July, and the polling on Wednesday, the 7th. The successful candidates at the election were Mr. Forbes Mackenzie and Mr. Charles Turner, the last being a highly respectable and eminent merchant in Liverpool —a gentleman undoubtedly well qualified to represent the commercial interests of that borough, but who, when he aspires , to an honour of that kind, must take care to attain it through legitimate means, and not through such as may become the subject matter of an inquiry before a Par liamentary Committee. The unsuccessful candidates were Mr. Cardwell and Mr. Joseph Christopher Ewart, the latter being also a merchant in Liverpool. The name of , Ewart must be familiar to all those who are conversant , with Liverpool. I will now call your attention to the numbers polled at the last election, a matter of some im portance, as you will find by and bye. The- numbers polled were—for Turner, 6,693'; that gentleman standing prominently at the head of the poll ; for Mackenzie, 6,367 ; for Cardwell, 5,247 ; and for Ewart 4,910. And now the question comes , to be at once intro duced to your notice, how was- this majority brought about ? how was the election conducted ? what is the accusation to be brought against the sitting members ? and how is it to be proved ? There is a- very important part to which I have to call the attention of the committee in the first place, and that is. that in the borough of Liverpool there is a large number of free. men. I will give you the exact number afterwards, but I may take them at present at between 1,500 and 1,600, in whom the right of the franchise has tor many years been vested. I think lam right in statine-- indeed, no doubt can exist on the point—that the re presentation of Liverpool is, I won't say materially, but essentially dependent upon the mode, and manner, and way in which those freemen may be induced to vote at the election. When I speak of freemen to the amount of 1,508 or 1,600, I do not mean to include thoes freemen who may possess another qualification, but only those who have the right of the franchise by means of the freedom of the borough and nothing else—who vote as-freemen, and who form no portion of the constituency with reference to any other qualification. The number of the latter is, as I have said, between 1,500 and 1,600, so large and so strong that I am sorry to say they have been found to make, and to maintain, what is called the balance between the conflicting parties in the borough ; and the result is, that whoever obtains the favouritism of the freemen have, I believe, at any rate established a probable chance of success. Now, let me call your attention to the votes given at the past elections, and they will at once open your eyes—at any rate, furnish matter of suspicion as to the mode in which matters were arranged, and as to how a large majority of the freemen were induced to vote in favour of the sitting members. Ido not hesitate, at this early stage of the inquiry, to tell you that one of the sub. stantial complaints upon the face of this petition, and one of the substantial matters of complaint to be adduced before you, is, that bribery and treating prevailed exten sively among the great body of the freemen. Ido not mean to say that bribery and treating and corruption did not exist in other quarters ; on the contrary, evidence of that will be brought before you ; but, with reference to the large majority of cases, to be adduced before you, they regard the wholesale system of corruption practised among the freemen of the borough. Now, sir, I think it will appear to you before the end of the inquiry, a most extraordinary circumstance that, when Mr. Card well, who was one of the defeated candidates, had received promises from 294 freemen., and while Mr. Ewart had re ceived pledges to the amount of 275, there voted for the first 295, or an excess of one, and for the other 283, an ex cess of eight. On the other hand, while Mr. Turner could not obtain anypledge or promise from a single freeman ex ceeding 484, and, while Mr. Mackenzie received pledges from only 473, thus leaving unpledged 544 freemen in all, it is most extraordinary to find that the unpledged free men, to the number of 544, are found voting for Messrs. Turner and Mackenzie at the last election. Now, sir, I contend that that fact is, in limine, a most extraordi nary circumstance. 'With reference to those freemen, I will refer for a moment to the past history of Liver pool, as this is not the first time that the conduct of the freemen has been impeached and accused, or that the House of Commons has appointed a committee with regard to them. I find that, in 1830, the conduct of the freemen of Liverpool became the subject matter of investigation, and a bill was actually introduced in 1832 for the purpose of disfranchising them. I understand that bill did not pass ; but, in the year 1833, there was a peti. tion from the electors of Liverpool, presented to the House of Commons, upon which an investigation took place, a long inquiry was entered into, and the published reports of the house disclosed a system of flagrant corrup tion, as regarded the freemen of Liverpool, such as was unprecedented in any borough in the worst periods of corruption in this country. It was stated in the Parlia mentary Report of 1833, that as many as 2,646 freemen had actually been bribed at a former election. Mr. JAMES : What have we to do with that ? Mr. Serjeant KINGLAKE : It shows that bribery and corruption are no novelties among the freemen of Liver pool, and that what took place at the last election was only the continuation of an old 53 Stern. In 1834, a bill passed the House of Commons for the disfranchisement of the freemen of Liverpool, but it was lost in the House of Lords, merely upon the ground that the Reform Bill having then recently passed, it was hoped the extension of the suffrage would wipe out the old blot, and that the freemen would either learn a lesson from what had been done with regard •to them, or the new constituency would be able to improve the administration of the repre sentative system in the borough. I mention this to show that what was abortive in 1833 was abortive at the last election, and that the freemen of 1852 are found to bejust as corrupt as the freemen of 1833. 1 will now call your attention to the mode and manner in which the corruption—the wholesale bribery and corruption— was practised at the last election. The constituency of Liverpool amounts altogether to 17,433, of whom about 15,000 are £lO householders, the rest being freemen. By the Reform Bill the Parliamentary boundaries of the bo rough were extended so as to include the districts called Toxteth-park, Evertou, Kirkdale, and Edge-hill, embrac ing a very wide district, which formed no part of the old borough. Now, let me state at once, and before going into details, the general nature of the corruption practised at the last election. It was not by payments of large sums of money, but was a general system pervading the whole borough at the time of the election, denoting bri bery and treating by associations and committees, for which there is no doubt whatever the sitting members are answerable, as can be proved by understanding and com munication between the parties, by previous arrangements with them, by contracts entered into for the indiscrimi nate payment, after the election, of ss. to each of the freemen who voted for the sitting members, for treating them in public-houses, at an early period of the day of the election, and for driving them to the poll. ing-booths. You will find that this system was not carried on in solitary instances, that the freemen were grouped together by previous arrangement, taken to cer tain public-houses opened for the purpose ; marshalled there by sub-committees in the interest of the sitting members, treated in those houses, then taken to the polling-booths, and finally, two or three days after, receiv ing a money payment of ss. each for what was called the day's occupation. I believe it will appear in the course of the inquiry that the limits to this system were only regu lated by the number of freemen. As far as their num bers went, to that extent was an attempt made to bribe and treat them; and you will be able to form some estimate of the extent to which the system was carried, when I tell you that while 295 voted for Mr. Cardwell, there voted for Mr. Forbes Mackenzie, 1,030, and for Mr. Turner, 1,016—a very close approximation as be tween the two successful candidates clearly elicitting that they sailed in the same boat, and that the same system was pursued in the interest of both. But we now call your attention to the mode in which this result was brought about, and to the machinery by which the elec. tion was carried on. On the Ist of April, 1852, a public meeting was held in the Royal Amphitheatre in support of Messrs. Mackenzie and Turner. Alderman Molyneux was appointed chairman of that meeting, and a resolution was come to that a committee be appointed for the ma. nagement of the election. A large number of names, msh a a s l t l er b w e a a s b a le pp t o o in s t h e amounting, I believe, t o 324 , were read and approve d , and a ;% It l t r e . e ,. Bu I ckna to the crni show, ec w s ,w re it t i a i r y cl earness diainctioa, that the various partic4 who were per- PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE SELECT COMMITTEE.' (FROM OUR OWN REPORTEL) The Parliamentary Committee, which was sworn in on Friday, met on Saturday, at one o'clock, in room No. 25 of the new Palace of Westminster, for the purpose of pro ceeding with the long-pending inquiry into the charges of corrupt practices at the Liverpool election. The com mittee, as we stated last week, consists of Mr. Robart Ingham, (Whig,) M.P. for South Shields, chairman ; Mr. James Williams Freshfield, (Conservative,) M.P. for Penrhyn and Falmouth ; the Hon. James Pierce Max well, (Conservative,) M.P. for Cavan ; Mr. William Williams, (Radical,) M.P. for Lambeth ; and Mr. John Ball, (Radical,) M.P. for Carlow county. The counsel for the petitioners are Sergeant Kinglake ; Mr. Kenneth Macaulay, Q.C. ; Mr. Bodkin, Q.C. ; and Mr. Paget : and for the sittinr members Mr. Edwin James, Q.C., Mr. Montague Smith, and Mr. Hunter Radwell. The agents for the petitioners are Messrs. Fearou and Clabon, of Great George-street, London ; and for the sitting members Messrs. Thompson, Ebenham, and Brown, and Mr. Bremner. For a considerable time before the doors of the room were opened the lobby was crowded by professional gentle men and strangers, who appeared to take much interest in the proceedings. Among these were several gentlemen from Liverpool, including Mr. J. B. Lloyd, Mr. Thomas Bold, Mr. William Earle, Mr. William Rathbone. jun., Mr. Nelson Wood, Mr. J. R. Jeffery, Mr. William Itowett, Mr. J. Shaw Leigh, Capt. Evans, Mr. Stephen Court, (civil engineer,) Mr. Messiter, Mr. Ronald, (one of the petitioners,) Mr. Higlifield, Mr. Rowland, secretary of the Pilots' Commissioners, &c. ; also Mr. Brotherton, M.P., and Sir Thomas Birch. Mr. Charles Turner entered the lobby a few minutes to one o'clock, and remained in conversation with Mr. J. B. Lloyd and his other supporters until the door was opened. The room was soon crowded, and considerable confusion reigned for a brief period. caused by the general scuffle for seats by the numerous reporters who were in attendance. The committee, with Mr. Ingham in the centre, sat at a table at one extremity of the room, parallel with another appro priated to the use of the learned counsel and agents for each side. Mr. Turner occupied a chair near the com mittee, but Mr. Forbes Mackenzie was not present. Captain GOSSETI', the deputy sergeant-at-arms, having read the petition which complained of " an undue elec tion and return for the borough of Liverpool," and the usual forms having been gone through, The CHAIRMAN, addressing the petitioners' counsel, asked if they had delivered in the list of cases charged. Mr. Sergeant KINGLAKE : I don't know, sir, whether you will allow us ur.til Monday to complete the lists. It was not expected that the business would open to-day, or that the lists would be required to be delivered before Monday. The greater portion of them we have now here. The whole of them are in a very forward state ; but there is one class of cases which we have not yet completed. Mr. JAMES : We are entitled to have the lists ; for without them we cannot tell what cases we shall have to answer. There has been plenty of time to prepare them, and it is hard upon the parties to be put to expense for a delay that might well have been avoided. It cannot surely take long to select the cases upon which you mean to reply. Mr. Sergeant KINGLAKE : They are all but prepared, and those which are ready you may have forthwith ; but we cannot begin the case, I apprehend, before Monday ; and probably it would be better that the committee should now adjourn. The CHAIRMAN : You ought to have had the lists ready; but I don't see any objection to the course you propose. How soon will you have the lists completed? Mr. JAMES' : You see, sir, unless we have the lists before us, we know not what evidence we shall require to rebut the charges. Surely the parties on the other side can let us have them complete in a very short time. Mr. CLABOS, (the agent for the petitioners) : In refe rence to the great body of the cases I am expecting the list every minute. It was not anticipated that the com mittee would commence the inquiry to-day, and we are not altogether prepared. The list that is still incomplete is confined entirely to one class of cases, and does not exceed twenty in number. Mr. JAMES : I see my learned friend Mr. Bodkin has a large brief before him, and surely that must contain some thing about the cpse. _ Mr. BODKIN Not about these cases Mr. JAMES : Let us know what we have got to answer. You say you are prepared to hand in a general list. Can we have that now ? Mr. CLABON : I can promise within five or ten minutes to hand in a list of the whole of the cases contained in that "huge brief." Mr. JAMES : That will do. Let us understand, then, that they will be handed in by three o'clock to-day. Mr. CLABON : Oh, yes ; certainly. Mr. JAMES : Well, that will do, and we shall have the twenty, I suppose, on Monday. We had better, there fore, adjourn till then. The CHAIRMAN : What I understand is this. Mr. Clabon says that within five minutes we shall have the great bulk of the cases, 50 far as they aro completed. and that all will be included in that list except about twenty of one class of cases, and that these will be furnished in the course of the day. Mr. CLABON : No, sir ; not before Monday, I think. I promise the committee to do my best, and, if possible, they shall be furnished to the other side to-night. _ _ _ Mr. JAMES : The committee will remember that this case has been in preparation many months, and that but for the adjournment of the House until Thursday, it would have come on on that day. Certainly I think they ought to be prepared with the complete list of all the cases some time during the day. We are entitled to it, for without it we don't know what we have to answer, or what evi dence we may have to get up to meet the charges brought against us. We may take this incomplete list and bring evidence to rebut all the cases it contains, and on Monday we may find twenty more cases brought forward against us of which we know nothing. It is most unfair to the sitting members fo place them in such a position. Mr. Sergeant KINGLAKE : We can always relax the rule, Mr. James. As the substantial commencement of the case does not take place until Monday, and as then he will be in possession of the whole of the cases, he will have ample time to answer them. The CHAIRMAN : It is certainly important that the sit ting members should know what cases they will have to meet. Of course Mr. Clabon will give all the accommo dation he can, and will deliver in the lists already come in. You say you will give in the lists as far as you know them ; but as to the others—those which you do not now hand in—l think you ought to give an undertaking that the cases not specified to-day should be called last in the pro gress of the inquiry. Will that be satisfactory to you, Mr. James ? The following list was then handed to Mr. James : Mr. JAMES : - Satisfactory, sir ? Am I to understand that, in addition to the long lithographed list which has just been put into my hand, we are to receive another ? That is what I want to know ; and, also, what number of cases will be contained in that list, and what class of cases. We shall have to get up one case to meet the charges in this list ; and, on Monday, we shall have to get up another case to meet other charges, of which at present, we know nothing. _ _ Mr. - CLABort : I have already said there is only one other class of cases, and that the list of those cases will not exceed twenty names. __ The CHAIRMAN: When will you be ready to supply them ? Mr. CLABON: On Monday morning. The CHAIRMAN : Why, three o'clock this afternoon was all the time you asked. Mr. CLABON : Not for this list but I will do it as soon as I can. I cannot, however, undertake to get the list ready by that time. Mr. JAMES : Will you say that it shall be delivered before eight o'clock to night ? We ought to have it before post time, in order that we may have the opportunity of sending by post for the necessary evidence to rebut the charge. Mr. BROWN, (the sitting members' agent :) By the six o'clock post. We ought to have it by then. The CHAIRMAN : Then we shall have the complete list here on Monday. If that is the wish of the committee, you (Sergeant Kinglake) will comply with it ; and, under any circumstances, those cases which are the last furnished will be the last called. Mr. Sergeant KINGLAKE : Exactly. We will do our best to furnish them to-day; at all events, they shall be suppllea more the committee meet on Monday. Mr. JAMES : Very well ; let that be understood. The CHAIRMAN : Then we shall proceed to consider the case on Monday ; and we will now adjourn until that day, at eleven o'clock. The committee accordingly adjourned until Monday, at eleven. SECOND EDITION. MONDAY, MAY 30. The committee assembled this morning at eleven o'clock, Mr. Ingham chairman. The inquiry appeared to excite great interest, and during the day the committee room was crowded to excess. A large number of influen tial gentlemen from Liverpool were present, and watched the proceedings with much interest. Mr. Turner and other members of Parliament likewise attended during the day. A preliminary discussion took place with reference to the presence in the committee-room of gentlemen who had been summoned as witnesses. Mr. Sergeant KING ALI t o ! M. a W i B l l n i a l d m a R p p o e w a e r t e t d , M t n r. . t h J e . S c h e a ra w LAKE, for the petitio ners , complained that Mr. J. B. mi Le tte ig e h 4 , oo a ni nd , though they had been war ran t e d: to attend as witnesses for the petitioners. He sub m itt e d t h at they should be excluded until the proper tim e came f or call i ng them for examination. Mr. JAMES, for the sitting members, contended that the mere fact of a warrant having been served upon the gentlemen in question was not sufficient to authorise their exclusion ; but Mr. Sergeant Kinglake having given a pledge that he really intended to call them as witnesses, the committee requested them to leave the room, which they did. Mr. JAMES. — ' hope i t will be understood by the agents for the petitioners that the gentlemen who have just left the room are here as their witnesses, and at their expense. Mr. Sergeant KINGLAKE : O f course , that is under stood. I hope, Mr. James, you are now satisfied. Mr. JAMES : No, lam not. (A laugh.) Mr. Sergeant KINGLAKE then proceeded to open the case for the petitioners, He said—l appear, in this case, together with my learned friend by my side, m support of the prayer of this petition. The matter which is to be submitted to you is one of very grave and ve r y serious importance. It is a matter of importance, undoubtedly, as it regards the sitting members ; it is a matter of very great importance as it regards the borough of Liverpool is of but I thi n k it i s a ma tt er o f s till hi g her interest—it of very vast importance —as it concerns the true re presentative system of this country ; and the great i question which is a b ou t t o b e su b m itt e d to you S. MAY 31, 1853. sonally engaged in the bribery and treating which to which Le would refer, as it referred more especially to subsequently took place were members of this central one of the sitting members—Mr. Turner. John B. committee; and it is important that the names of Mr. Brown, a freeman, a man advanced in years, and he Molyneux, the chairman of the committee, and of Mr. believed rather deaf, was th e person to w h om t h e i nc i - Buckmaster, the secretary, should not be forgotten, for dent related. Mr. Turner saw this person's wife, and it will appear, during the course of the inquiry, that the they talked about a vote and a place. Mr. Turner was central committee was connected with several ward corn- most distinctly given to understand that unless some kind mittees ; that its chairman and secretary were ex officio of situation was given to John, he would not exercise his members of those ward committees, and that there was a franchise in his favour. Mr. Turner said he had no in , constant communication kept up between them. But fluence in the quarters mentioned, so that the plan pro- there is in Liverpool what is called the Constitutional posed was not feasible. It was at length suggested, Association. I do not know what is indicated by the however, that there was a situatio n w hi c h m i g ht b e name; but know that at the last election the association obtained the man in the Sailors' Home. Some cor was converted into a political organisation. First of all, respondence passed between the parties on the subject, the association elected a committee of 30 members, with a which would be laid before the committee. It appeared, president, a vice-president a secretary, and a treasurer. however, that the voter had not got the situation which Mr. Ward committees were also appointed, with a chairman Turner had promised. In his closing remarks the learned and secretary to each. It is important to notice that the counsel insinuated that, totally independent of the purity Chairman of the Constitutional Association at the time of fund at the hankers in Liverpool, there had been a hidden the last election was also the Chairman of the Central fund. The question they had to decide was one of great Committee, and you will find it an important matter for importance. It would be a serious tax upon their time. consideration that the chairman and secretary of each No doubt they would give it that patient attention which ward committee were also members of the Central Corn- it demanded at their hands; and he had as little doubt mittee for managing the election. that, after all the facts had been laid before them, they i The CHAIRMAN asked if the ward committees existed would, at once, and unhesitatingly, declare the last elec. previously to the time of the election ? tion at Liverpool to be a void election. Mr. Sergeant KINGLAKE :I am not aware that they Mr. Nayler, officer from the Crown-office, produced did. There were ward committees for municipal pur- the poll-book, the writ of election, and the return thereof; 1 poses; but we cannot establish their identity with those and also proved that the petitioners in the present case I which were so active at the time of the election. What were Mr. William Rathbone, jun., and Mr. Robert we assert, and are prepared to prove is, that upon the Wilson. eve of the last election the chief members of the Constitu- The next witness called was Mr. Rathhone, jun., who, I tional Association were transferred over to the Central after been sworn, deposed as follows :—I am one of the Committee appointed to manage the election ; and that petitione rs i n thi s case. M r. Robert Wilson is joint in addition, the central committee likewise avaied itself of petitioner with me. the machinery of the ward committees, and that a corn- Cross-examined : I pay part of the expenses incurred plete understanding and thorough communication existed in prosecuting this petition, and of course lam respon between the three parties. In fact, it would appear as if sible for the whole ; I have subscribed for £lOO. Ido the staff of the Constitutional Association was transferred not know how much is subscribed for altogether; I be. over to the central committee, and, during the whole of , have the sum to have been upwards of £2,000. the election, was used for election purposes. It was found I do not, however, exactly know. The liberal necessary to divide the central committee into sub-corn- gentlemen of Liverpool are the subscribers. I mittees; and, accordingly, we have acommittee for finance, I understand that, with the others, I shall pay another for printing, another for music—and it was a fact any excess of expense which may be incurred. I really do worth notice that all the bandmasters voted for Mackenzie not know that I made a proposition to Mr. Bold that, if and Turner, afourthforcolours, which mightbecalled a mere his party withdrew one of the sitting members the peti sham, or colourable appointment—(a laugh)—and, fifthly, tion would be departed from. I recollect perfectly what and lastly, a coach and car committee. I hold in my hand passed at our interview. I think it was about three a curious document, issued by the last-named committee. months ago when it happened. I went to Mr. Bold, and It is headed, " Mackenzie and Turner for ever." Then told him that I had not consulted my party on the subject. follows, " Car Committee—Special Regulations. The I had not even spoken to my own father at the time, and present arrangement is intended toafford a constant and re- I told him distinctly twice that I was not prepared to gular communication between the principal committee- withdraw the petition. I said to him—Do we understand rooms, and every polling-booth, with the view to avoid ab. that this is a strictly private and confidential conversation stracting the ward-cars from their own districts, to promote I between ourselves. and not to be used in any way prejudi. tire convenience of electors, and to avoid delay and dis- vial to either party ? He replied in the affirmative,. I appointment. The Car Committee beg to impress upon then stated that the object of the petition was to endeavour all the canvassers the advantage of bringing every voter, to put a stop to the system of bribery and corruption, where practicable, to the ward committee-room, as one which was a disgrace to the electors of Liverpool, and if great aid to the successful development of the plan.— his party agreed to the retirement of one of the mem- Plan r Two lines of coaches, &c., marked ' Atlas,' will hers whose election had been so improperly secured, I pursue the route laid down in reel - on the accompanying should do my best to sway the party to which I belong to map, starting every five minutes from Leece-street on consent to the withdrawal of the petition. We had some the one aide, and London-road on the other, going the little conversation ; and I told him that I thought it ex circuit in opposite directions • thus uniting Exchange, ceedingly likely that if Mr. Turner a nd M r . C ar d we ll were Castle-street, St. Peter's, Rodney, Abercromby, Lime- elected if would be a fair representation. I told him at street, and St. Ann's Wards. Other coaches will the same time that I was merely one of the party, and go every five minutes along the streets marked not the mouthpiece, and one of the youngest mem in blue, and keep up a communication between the five hers- of it. I believe I signed the petition, partly by outer wards, namely,—Scotland, Vauxhall,. St. Paul's, accident, because r was not paid at the time. There are Great George% and Pitt-street, to the line of coaches no subscribers to the fund in London that is am aware of. marked Atlas. These coaches will be marked with the It has been got up entirely by the working party in names of the ward to which they run. Every canvasser 1 Liverpool. lam not aware of any subscriptions for on showing a Car ticket, whether on the line of route or at I others than the merchants and traders of Liverpool. any of the seven or eight committee-rooms, will be con- Mr. ROBERT WILSON, the ' second party to the veyed by the coaches to any point along the journey ; but petition, eleposed : lam a wool-broker in Liverpool. I the drivers will not pick up any person unprovided with was an elector and voted at the last election. lam one of one of the metal checks. Cars, &c., employed on this the petitioners against the sitting members. I never duty will on no account be allowed to deviate from the heard of the proposal to- Mr. Bold, made- by the pe route laid down. Canvassers may p a ss a voter to the titioner, 7.1 r. Rathbone, until this moment.—Cross-ex polling-booths from any place in the route, or send them audited :1, pay my part of the expenses. I and my back after voting, on stopping the coach and showing the partner have subscribed £25. I do not know what tickets. The zinc tickets to be carefully preserved by the is the amount subscribed. Mr. Smith Harrison, the canvassers, to prevent their falling into the hands- of the treasurer, has the management of the fund. I gave a sub opposition. It is obvious' that parties who require look- scription, but I have never seen the list. I• do not ing after—(laughter)—should be accompanied to the know who is the largest subscriber. polling-place, still the committee would impress upon Mr. Rathbone here handed in a part of the list, elating canvassers that as each vehicle can only convey a very that there was-no subscription higher than XlOO. limited number, and has to call at seven or eight places, Mr. Rathbone's co-petitioner concluded his evidence space should not be unnecessarily occupied. (Laughter.) by stating that he had signed the petition on one condi- These regulations only applied to coaches and cars ' but tion, and that was—that it should' be p rocee d e d w i t h . A n d they shewed that all the ward committees were working lam sorry that any proposal of the kind mentioned should together under the central committee, and according to t have been made without my consent. one system. This was a circular, rotatory system;. as shown by the maps, devised by the central committee, and accomplished by the members of the Ward Committees. By and by, I shall call your attention to the manner in which the voters were brought together—how they were shepherded and taken care of hr the public-houses—how they were driven in dozens to the polling-booth—and how, finally, they were brought buck to the public-houses and treated; and subsequently paid sums of money in con sideration of the way in which they had voted. Mr. Kinglake now p►oceeded to state a number of cases of alleged bribery, and the remaining part of his speech we are obliged to compress in Consequence of the lateness of the hour at which our report arrives. One of the committee-rooms of Messrs. Mackenzie and Turner had been held at the house occupied by Mr. Blondell, Scotland-road. He would shew what was done William Dodd was then called upon, but was requested to withdraw,—Mr. SaITII, counsel for the sitting members, urging an objection to the witness on the ground that upon the regis ter of voters there were two persons of the name of William Dodd,—one was No: 14,531 on the list ; and the other was 4,595. The latter lived in the parish of Liverpool, and the other , in the extra-parochial district of Toxteth-park. He submitted that there being two voters of the same name, the description given by the petitioners was a defective and inefficient descrip tion, and could not be accepted. Ile did not speak without authority, because it had been so decided in previous cases of the same description. The CHAIRMAN asked if they both voted on the same side ? Mr. SMITH remarked that bribery had frequentiy no con nection with the voting... Indeed, not unftequently a bribe had been given to a party to give an adverse vote. He then, in support of his objection, quoted a decision in the Galway case, and another in the case of Dundalk, the latter having taken place in 1848. at this committee-room • how a list of voters was made out; how there was a chairman and secretary, who re ported to the central committee;.. bow the expresses, running up every week, were transmitted to the central committee, by them referred to the finance sub-committee, and subsequently paid. The whole exhibiting a clear and recognised system of union as existing between the cen: tral committee and these ward committees. Most of the committee-rooms were situated in public-houses; thehouse being a portion of the machinery by which the freemen were to be brought together and their support obtained on the polling-day, after they had been debauched and shepherded. The committee-rooms to which he had called their atten tion were in the house of Mr. Blondell, in Scotland-road. Now, in the course of his experience, he had had occasion very often to hear of kidnapping voters—he knew, too, that attempts were made to force them from home, or to do what was called walking them into the country—but he had never heard anything one half so disgraceful as that to which he was now about to draw their attention. Mr. Cardwell and Mr. Evart had issued notes upon cards to the voters—to their political friends ; and these com munications were sent by the post. By some means or another, two postmen had brought the letters to the com mittee-room, in Scotland-road, and in some way or an other the letters containing these notices to the voters, were extracted from the bag, and that in one of those rooms, and they were not sent to their several destinations till the election was over. These docu ments consisted of cards within envelopes ; and, while those which were addressed to Messrs. Cardwell and Ewart's opponents reached their destination in due time, it was a singular fact that those addressed to the parties who were expected to vote for Messrs. Cardwell and Eivart were abstracted and taken away. Surely that was a most illegal and daring act of irregularity ; and he prayed of his learned friend, the counsel on the other side, to be ready at the right time with the proper explanation. He then called their attention to the way in which the elec tion was organised and planned ; supplying a few of the many names which were involved in the case. The first name to which be would allude was that of Mr. Wm.. B. Jones, ship-builder. And he could only give five or six illustrations at present, although the range was a wide one. That which was done by one was done by another.. Mr. Jones employed a good many workmen. A greal deal of the corruption which had prevailed in Liverpool at the elec tion, he might remark, had been among those who were in connexion with the shipping interest. It would be proved that Jones bought the votes of between fifty and sixty voters—some time before the election—offering them a certain :sum of money each if they all agreed to vote on the same side. There was a public-house in the Tox teth ward called the Old Oak, occupied by an E.Jones, and here electors were carried, some of them in the convey ances on the circular routes—first of all breakfasted, after wards getting drunk ad libitum—finally, on the Saturday following, calling again at the house, and each receiving from Jones the sum of 55., for what they called their trouble and the loss of a day's work. Some forty or fifty freemen had been treated and bribed in the same way by a Mr. Fisher, who was employed by Mr. Jones in his shipbuilding yard, as foreman. Mr. W. B. Jones being all the while one of the most active members of the central committee, and one of the com mitteemen in the Toxteth Ward, attending the meetings of the committee in that ward daily, and assisting to the fullest extent of his ability. The forty or fifty freemen managed by Mr. Fisher, Mr. Jones's foreman, had been taken by that person to the Sefton Arms. The names of the others involved included that of Mr. William Rowatt, a gentleman, to whom was assigned the management of the ship-chandlers, and who was a very active member of the central committee, and, also, a member of the West Derby Committee. He had taken upon him the office of charming the ropers. Another name he must introduce to them was that of Mr. Edward M'Keverigan, a mem ber of the firm of Ashley, Clayton, and Co., shipbuilders, a member—and a most active one—of one of the ward committees. He was assisted in the work of corrupting by his foreman, a man of the name of Humphrey Smith, and their labours in this work of treating and bribing, not only related to the men in their own employment, but also to those employed in other yards. So notorious did the bribery become in Liverpool, that people had only to go and personate a freeman to the committees of Messrs. Mackenzie and Turner, in order to secure five shillings, and this was actually done. Another class of cases was illustrated by the fact, that Jonas Gleave, the landlord of the Derby Arms, and a plumber by trade, together with a clerk in his own employment, named Thomas Sweetnall, had entrusted to him the appointment of coloursman. These men were invariably voters ; several non-electors who applied for employment being refused ; although, ac cording to the stringent act of the legislature, no elector was permitted to record his vote who accepted em ployment of that nature. These colourmen, he alleged, had been put in a room, in the door of which there was a small aperture, through which a rosette was pushed by the hand of some invisible per sonage behind ; and, in the heart of this rosette, each of the voters found a sovereign enclosed. Mr. Kinglake stated that, with a desire to put a stop to the pernicious system of colours, the committee of Messrs. Cardwell and Evart had written to their opponents to come to a mutual arrangement on the matter, which proposal the committee of Messrs. Mackenzie and Turner declined to accede to, expressing themselves quite satisfied with the proposal of the " Liberal" committee to give, instead, £5OO to some local charity ; but, at the same time, re serving to themselves the conducting of the election in the way which they deemed most agreeable to themselves. One other case, to which he craved attention, involved bribery by offering place and employment—the employment being in the capacity of doorkeepers at the election. Not only on the eve of the election, but for a long time previous, orders had been given to freemen by numerous persons, among whom were some of the most influential inhabi tants of Liverpool, including Mr. W. B. Jones, Mr Mr. BODKIN stated that both the cases quoted were cases of scrutiny, in which the greatest possible accuracy was absolutely required. It might be more convenient for them to give the number of each voter, but it was only as a matter of con venience that they were required to give it to the counsel for the sitting members. Mr. SMITH stated that, while there were two persons of• the name of William Dodd on the register, there might be fifteen John Jones's, and no description was given to-enable them to distinguish who was meant. The same ob j2ction applied to the bribers, as well as• to the bribed. They were stated in the same indefinite manner. Mr. Smith remarked further that the committee had given the petitioners till Saturday night, at eight o'clock to prepare the list of wit nesses, which they were then required to place in the hands of the counsel for the sitting members. But, notwithstanding, the indulgence which had then been granted, the list had been presented in a very imperfect condition; and thus, were the decision to favour the views of the petitioners in bringing for ward the witness, a great injustice would be done. The prac tice, if they sanctioned it on the occasion, would be established by the precedent; but he trusted that they would not do so. They would, by sanctioning such a system, do a great injustice to the sitting members, and Heaven knew they wanted protec tion, for they had difficulties enough to contend with already without their receiving an accession to their number. In the present instance, when t no or more of the same name occurred in the register, and when one of them was mentioned as a per son bribed, and as a witness-without the particular person being distinctly specified — the sitting member, not knowing who might be meant, was in this position, that he either guessed at the individual summoned, and perhaps, in doing so, found himself mistaken, or he was subjected to the inconve nience and expense of tending for evidence in regard to all the persons of the name in question. The Committee ordered the room to he cleared, and after the lapse of about twenty minutes,, the reporters,. along with the other parties, were admitted. The Chairman_ announced the decision of the committee to be, that the coun sel for the sitting members should read the list of witnesses (voters) to whose designation they object,—the agent for the petioners to identity such voters with their respective numbers on the register, and the examination of such voters not to. proceed till Wednesday morning, or the day before the rising of the committee. Felix M'Leary sworn.—l am a ship-carpenter by trade. I am a freeman of Liverpool, and voted at the last election for Mackenzie and Turner. At the time of the election, and before it, I was in the employ of Mr. Major. I know a person named Evan Jones, who keeps a beerhouse, called the Royal Oak, in Park-road. On the morning of the election I was at Evan Jones's house. I saw Jones at half-past seven, in Park-road, close to a polling booth. He told me if I came to his house would get breakfast, and be paid for my day's work. I was to get drink. I was to get money for my day's work, or loss of my employment. At that moment I had not promised my vote to any one. Evan Jones did not speak to me about my vote. After I had got four or five glasses of ale, I was at his house by eight o'clock. I was shown into the front room up stairs. I found a .*ood many people there. The room was pretty full ; there miguit be thirty present. Those I knew were all freeme n ' We bad breakfast together. I remained there about three quarters of an hour. I then walked up to the polling booth. A freeman, named Maxwell, went with me. He also had been in the breakfast room. We went together, and polled. This was Wednesday. We polled between nine and ten o'clock. I got some drink on the road and paid for it ; but we went there on the afternoon; On the Saturday I went to receive my money, and got as. Evan Jones was there, and a e his wife. I h ed I cannot seen d ri s n a k y , t but h that female, who appeared to be his wife. Whether he or he r p u t down the money I cannot say. He was there at any ra t e i n the room. They asked me if I was one of the me n w h o h ad voted from their house. I understood from Eva n hi mse lf that I would be paid. It was between five a n d s i x o ' clock when I t w h e e n w t o t o m b a e nw paid. h o m s e a u w pix, no se l disttoobr book. was not tipsy. There was no perso n i n th e room but Jones and she was really his wife; however, I had more drink in the house after I was paid. When I went to be paid I saw William Dodd there: he was there when I went. I cannot say of William Dodd anything but this, that we had some drink together—not in the room where the money was paid. I got the loan of half a-crown from Dodd. I saw Wm. Dodd in some other part of the house than that in which we drank together. There was like wise near that part of the house where money was paid a voter named Crofts. I stayed with Dodd and the other person for some time. Some other men, freemen, who were working with me at the Dock, told me to go to the room in which the money should be paid. I have voted twice before at Liverpool ; voted on the Liberal side on both occasions. I know William Buck ley Jones, master shipper. I saw him at Jones's house during the election—twice, bringing up men in 'bosses. I cannot tell how many he took in the 'bus. The vehicle appeared to be full, and a Liverpool 'bus can hold 12. He was in the break fast-room, and he carried off cargoes of voters twice. Cross-examined.--My wages at last election were ss. a-day ; now they are 6s. Two days I did no work in consequence of the election. Twice before I voted for the Liberals, and got nothing for the loss of my time. I lost one day et the election before this one. I am working for Mr. Major now. I was only occasionally in the employment of Major at that time ; four or five days at a time. Evan Jones only asked me to come and have some refreshment ; he did not mention any, thing about my vote. In the beginning of his evidence, this witness was asked, what party he belonged to? Was he a Liberal ? To this he answered, he did not much care which of the two parties he adhered to. In the cross-examination, the following conversa tion took place : Mr. SMITH : Which party do you agree with ? Witness: 1 scarcely care which side I have. (Laughter.) Mr. Smrrn : What motive had you in voting previously on the Liberal side ? Witness : Well, I suppose I voted to please myself. John Breckon.—l am a freeman of Liverpool, and have been so for thirty years. I was working at last election for Mr. Major, shipwright. I know a company of shipwrights, Ashley, Clayton, and Co. Mr. Kennigan is a member of that firm. I know Humphrey Smith, foreman of that company. I met him before the election. He promised me my day's pay if I polled along with him. I was to poll for Mackenzie and Turner. When I met him he asked use if I had polled. I said not. He said if I went with him, he would give me my day's pay. He did not mention the sum. I did not understand what sum I was to get. My 'stab wages were then 6s. Smith was stand up at the bar along with me when I polled for Mackenzie and Turner. I did not get the money then. I was a week before I tot it. Mr. Humphrey Smith promised my missis that she should get the money. I did not hear that conversa tion. She went down to Mr. Smith's house. I sent her there to see him in Mr. Kennigan's yard, where he was foreman. I sent her there because it was the most likely place to see the overseer. In consequence of something the wife told me, I afterwards sent her to Humphrey Smith's. I sent her twice afterwards, but on no occasion did she return with anything. Mrs. H. Smith afterwards came to me, and told me that some one had come, and, in my name, received the money. At the same time Mrs. Smith gave me the ss. I did not mention that Bishop, Mr. Thomas Inman, Mr. Robert Blagg, and also Mr. Horsfall. However, he did not place such stress upon this as upon the other evidence of corruption—for the freemen constituted the chief elements in the disgrace ful and revolting debasement which had characterised the Liverpool election, at which, by the system of treating and bribery, a party had frustrated the wants and wishes of that great commercial community, and prevented its real voice from being heard, and its true opinions from being developed, Deforo lie sat OM there was Qag case ages were C previoasi cbad been -ell, ..AI much troubled with it Cross-examined : I was out of work for two days, and lost the st of the WPAk_ hurt thAt WAR nw nwn fnnit_ I have voted for I had oroMisecf my vote a fortnight be y's work paid; ss. was not mentioned as the same colour; red fore, and getting my de_ connected with my vote Margaret, the wife of the witness just examined, was SWOrn and corroborated the evidence of her husband. She reposed I any Nr. Humphrey Smith at the yard. I did P9t Rik 1414 o l o a n t . he l re w a a n s y r t e h q in u g est f e o d r John."th plump.en- t wassaid, too but no name was mentioned. I went next Saturday, and re quested him to keep it for me. When I went I saw one of tte masters; I did not know him, but I believe it was g r• M'Kinnegan. I saw him in the building-yard, and I asked Smit h. I called at Smith's house s ev er a l ti mes , w ithout seeing him ; and at length I sa w M rs . S m itb, an d as k e d her for tt him for the five shillings. He said I must see Humphrey She did not give It me ; b u t s h e an d h er h us b an d came to our _ house that same evening, when she sa id th a t s h e had previ Ous, l ! paid it to another person, who h a d re p resen t e d hi m self to o s. e my husband, and that it w a s an i m p os t ure; s h e gave us the f a. My husband, I think, must h ave s p ent , i n th e e l ec tion -Wee ". , ,t by him to two guineas of his own m one y, an d a ll h e go t was (Laughter.) e ca s li a a id gai n u o s t Peter Rice: I am a freeman of Liverpool, and voted at last election for Mackenzie and Turner. I had always voted before,„ on the Whig side. I kno w a p erson named William C a llara He was in my company on the morning of the election. A talk° named M'Allister, Arthur Davis, and others were there. Davis is one of Mr. aPlieverigan's foremen. When I met Daviaheaslqa us if we had get our name s b oo k e d. C a ll ard i s a freeman. B not say he wanted our na mes . W e sa id we were going to to vote for Mackenzie and Turner. We were in a house at the titn e ' and I do not know who began the conversation. I said the had not got our names "b oo k e d . " H e sa i d we were to go and get " booked " at the house of Jones, called the White Liens in St. James's-street. I never answered him at all at the time; but I went down in the latter part of the day to search f° ; ! Davis. All of us went to ge th er to t h e White Lion. Pall brought a book from his pocket, and put down our tumult• y understood that it meant w e were t o get ss. for our day . wages. Davis entered our names, and likewise told us that are should be paid ss. I was paid the following week at Mr' Keverigan's yard. We were out of work. and thought via would go and ask for the cash. Mr. M`Keverigan paid al e ' When we went to put o u r names d own on the boo k, the parties who were with me were the two whose names base been already mentioned. I a tt en d e d a meet i ng of the DV' makers the week before the election. We arranged thebanner l o at least as to how they were to be carried. Mr. Wm, Rovial did not interfere in those mee ti ngs . Th e meetings were calleaa, by the chairman of the cl u b. W e h a d a meeting the preViau° week about the Navigation Laws. Mr. Rowatt was there. Cross-examined.—l was a little interested in the NavigatiOn Laws, and after the meeting I resolved to vote for Mackenai e and Turner. I was off work on the nomination and polling Ml' Those have been holidays among the shipwrights and rope" makers of Liverpool ever since I remember. Four shillings,lr day is my regular day's pay. When Davis spoke to me, I sal,d' I meant to vote for Mack enz i e an d T urner, and when he ta lk ea to me about having my name "booked," he did not say any' thing about my vote. By Mr. BODKIN: I lost two days at the election. By the CHAIRMAN : The Ropemakers' Association is a burial club, and not at all a political one. Robert Talbot sworn : I voted for Mackenzie and Turner. I know Mr. Birchall. lam a brassmonger. I recollect some time before the last election meeting Mr. Birdman, and we lin . a conversation. He said, who are you going to vote for. said I was going to vote on the old side. He replied that Wa' right, and asked me what ward I lived in. I told him, and he directed me to go to the Pontack public-house, in Christian' street, kept by Mr. Clegg. I remarked to him that I under' stood that a day's wages were to be given. He replied- 4 ' there was such a , thing I might depend upon it that he would See that I should be paid. I said, so far so good, and Ileave it to yoa; I went up to the public-ho use , an d saw Westmore there, as he was a doorkeeper. There was another person named John Brown. We sat there for about an hour: I: went alas) . ' leaving Birchall there. Next day, along with Westmor e ' and Broom, I went and voted. We proceeded from the PI O; lic-house in a coach. The coach c ame u p- to t h e d oor , an we were desired to take our place in it ; by whom t did no t know. I saw Mr. Birchall carrying off voters to the pollio . f. booth. Next thing went and saw Birdman, and he gave Oa? las. ; 4s. for Westmore, 4 s . f or B rown , an d t h e same for mys el Cross-examined : I' should have voted for Mackenzie an: Turner although I had never seen Birchen. I had madeala my mind. I have always- voted red. At the former electi oo I voted for Mr. Cardwell. By Mr. KINGLAKE : I do not think I should have got th e ss. had I not voted as I' did. Birdman was very particular to know that we really did vote for Mackenzie and Turner before he would give me the money. John Westmore wns next sworn and examined. He deposed! I do not remember whetherl saw Birchall before Fwent - to tb Pontac public-house. Talbot and Brown went there with'l l It was seven or eight o'clock w h en we arr i ve d t h ere. There t was a roam there into which I w e n t, b u t I did not see a ma n the door. We remained there about an hour, and returned. went to the poll from that house. I went from the- Pontac l 'j a coach, but Mr. Birchall was not along with us: He ha plenty to do without looking after me. He was walking aboaba, I was there about an hour. I s aw t wo or th ree omn ib uses g oing away from the house. After I h a d p o ll e d I rece i ve d 4s. It was quite a surprise to m e. I h a d v ot e d th ree or f our t i mes beta for the red side. I always voted for the red side. Cross-examined : I had intended to vote for the red. / ha d • made one promise only before th e e l ec ti on , an d t h at was £0 time Reform canvassers, that their men should not have vote. (Laughter.) I had no promise of mone y f or m y vote' of the case was adjourned till to-morrow, when the comenittea As it was now a quarter to four o'cl o ck, th e f ur th er hearing will resume their sitting at II o'clock. It appears that the Observer of Sunday professed to give anticipation some of the particulars of the a ll ege d bribery 81 corruption at the last Liverpool electio n ; an d, prev i ous -to t ., an meeting of the com m itt ee t o -d a y, t hi s report was the satbi4y, of general conversation in the lobbi es o f W es t m i ns t e r •Ho and especially among the sons of the Mersey now assemble in London. LIST OF PERSONS CHARGED WITH HAVIN 6 BEEN, AND BY WHOM ALLEGED TO HAVO BEEN, BRIBED. Dood, Willim Cook, Robert ..., APLeavy, Felix Harris, William Burrows, Charles Willetts, James Newton, Edward Benjamin, Thomas Jones, George Jones, Owen Underwood, Joseph Foulds, John Richardson, Richard Croft, Simon Maxwell, Charles ... Walthew, Thomas: Cook, Robert .... Parkinson, Josept Cook, Robert .... Crosbie, Thomas Ellis, Thomas .... Brecken, John.... Bland, William Taylor, Geurge Parkinson, Thomas Stanistreet, John Ovens, or Owens, Joseph Hamilton, James William Coward, William. Rice, Peter Joynson, Richard Serjeant, Robert Fazakerly, Robert M`Cartliy, Jeremiah Allen, Thomas - Tudor, Thomas Park Hesketh, Samuel Wilson, Joseph . Turner; George .. Wilson, Thomas, Westmore, John. Talbot, Robert . Brown, John ... Whitby, William Woods, John ... Cannel, Thomas BY WHOM. Evan Tones, Susannah Jonesi William Buckley Joneso-John Story] Wm. Joseph Borstal!, Henry Buckmaster, and-Joh n Peacock. The same The same The same The same The same The same The same The same The same The sar The same The same The same The same BY NVHO:q Wm. Fisher, i e a,- 31 4121 Buckley iones, John Storys Geo. Leach, Thos. innix_at Wm. Joseph Horsfall, Henn' Buckm aster and John Peacocg The same The same The same The same The same Hmphrey Smith, Henry, A` lo l verigan, Arthur Davies,---- Whitaker, William Gibson► Henry Buckmaster, and.JohP Peacock. The same The same The same Toe same The same The same The same William Rowett, Joseph Green' Henryßuckmaster, Jobo Peacock. The same The same The same The same Jonas Cleave, T. Sifettenba r e' Jno. Buck Lloyd, Hy. Boa' master, and John. Peacock. The same The same Jonas, Gleave, W. Evans, ••••,, Pierson, . Scott Busse° Ri S :h l a o r m d o l u N " h l i ‘ t r t i l l e lia n m irc s h ia a y ll, Mit ° Birchall, Oliver Hutch, Rot: Pearson Manger, Henry 1311C 1 ' master, and John Peacock. The same The same The same The same The same Richard Whittle Birchall, Ro - Pearson Manger, Owen. Rauken, Freers William Buckl e y Jones, v"-: Rowell, Thos. Inman, DILI, Bold, John Buck Lloyd, 11 0 ". 4 Hondall, Wm. Fisher, Artflu " Henderson, and Gilbert Wu ., ter Moss. Smith, Charles Brown, John Bathurst Alanson, William Cain, Charles .... Abraham, Joseph Addison, Henry Amery, John Amery, Thomas Bamber, John Butler, Thomas Caddy, Jonathan Caltrall, John Leigh Carson, John Coppell, Robert Crostun, Henry Bunster Croston, Daniel Every Dawson, William Edwards, John Ellison Richard Evans, Richard Fairclough, William Burton . Fisher, John Goodwin, Thomas Herrison, Joseph Houldin, Thomas Hughes, William Jones, Thomas Lee, Richard Lewkes, John Lockhart, John ........... Miles, Samuel Moran). Thomas Rawlinson,,John Roberts, Robert Robinson, Thos. Greenhough Robinson, William Scarratt, John Seddon, John Sherlock, Samuel Smith, John Unwin, George 'Wainwright, - George. Wathew, Thomas Hunt Warrington, James Wilde, Robert William Williams, John Wright, Thomas Parkinson, John Knowles, Thomas Green, Thomas .. Huston, Henry .. Nose, Richard.... Evans, Thomas . Casement, Robert Grooby, Joseph Knowles, George Abrahams, John Fishwick The .. Chas. Turner, same Esq., the sittia member. .. Thos. Fleetwood Roskell, apd George Henry Horsfall. The same Jones, John Jones, ife0 11 ; kmaster,andJno.Peace o ' The same The same The same Abraham, Robert Bradburn, Richard Bradhurn, Jonathan Coffield, Walter .... Devenney, Johr The same The same The same The same The same The same The same The same The same- The same The same The same The same The same The same The same The same The same The same The same The same The same The same The same The same The same The same The same The same The same The same The same The same The same The same The same The same The same The same Henry Harrison, Thos . C h epC~ man, T. Jones, W. Itv" and Henry Buckmaster. The same The samo The same The same The same Te Thomas Williams.a Henry oll' master, Oliver Hatch, Riccero Whittle 13irchall, Jas. r„,, , l! ri tet, Hy. Bremner, Gilbert loci* Moss, Thos. Bold, John i . o o l. Lloyd, and Jas. Aspina ll Thos. Watson, Robt.Clegglnog' Clarke, Thos. Chapman, dot Green, John Peacoclt, Henry Harrison. Otg ln Hy. Harrison, Thos. ChaPaster , Wm.Rowett,Hy.Buc i ' va shaW' Wm. Clarke, and Jo hn The same EvanW, Thomas , . Fullerton, John .. 'Husband, John .. Kershaw, Edward The same The same The sat The :at The same The same The same Lucas, JOsepti Ltic43441:114