The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1858-04-13 00:00:00

THE CHARGE AGAINST MR. WILSON, M.P.

BATH COUNTY Coonr.--Saterday, April 10, (Before
the judge, J. G. Smith, Esq., and • Special Jury.)—
Josses Wilson, Esq. M.P. v. Bolietil.—Thla was an
action brought by Mr. Wilson, 11. P„ of Claverton
Manor, near Bath, one of the Secretaries of tbeTres.sury
under Lord Palmerston's Administration, against the
defendant, a miller, of Westbury Leigh Mill, for the
recovery of £23 16e. 64., two years' rent of land, rented
by him in the parish of Wembury. The action was
originally brought in the Westbury Court, when the
defence was of so extraordinary a character—the defen-
dant alleging that in the contest for the representation
of Westbury, in 1852, Mr. Wilson had obtained his vote
l oimpeeeting the land free of rent—that the can was
for the purpose of allowing Mr. Wilson to be
to rebut the allegations of bribery mode against
rirt. consequeoce of the high state of party feeling
in the place, and the various rumours circelated con-
mamiNg the ease, his Honour subsequently determined
te War the case in some other court in his district, and
Ind upon Bath for that purpose. An application was
thereupon made to the Court of Exchequer, on behalf
et the defendant, to have the case heard in London, but
the Judge after hearing both sides at once ruled that
there was no ground for the application, and lent the
ease bank to the County Court Judge at Bath for trieL
It accordingly came on for bearing to-day. Mr. Miller,
solicitor, of Frome, appeared for the plaintiff. The
defendant had no legal adviser. His Honour, in lam-
ming up, said this case had become, in consequence ef
the course taken by the defendant, one of great int-
pittance and interest, and one which it was therefore
necessary to investigate with a strict regard to all the
circumstances. The nature of the &denim eat up by
the defendant was one which, if true, involved 'both
Mr. Wilson and himself in an offence of the deepest die,
as regarded the representation of the country. The con-
duct charged, in fact, amounted to one of the grommet
mita of bribery which it was possible to conceive, and
if they listened to the statements of the defendant they
must conclude that Mr. Wilson sought • mat in Parlia-
ment as the representative of Westbury by gross corrup-
tion, such as would render him liable to the most serious
consequences. The allegation was that Mr. Wilson had
promised defendant that if he gave him his vote he
would give him rent free the occupation of woven acme
of land. If that were true both parties were involved in
oriminality to an extent which rendered each of thimil
the law liable to a penalty of E 503, and to be
for a misdemeanor; and the plaintiff was aloe liable to
bee his seat in the House of Commons. The nature of
the evidence was such as to mats it almost entirely •
question of credibility between the plaintiff end defend-
ant. It was clear that the imputation which bad been
earl upon Mr. W limn that he allowed the rent to go on
without any demand until after he ceased to be member
Ice Westbury had no foundation in fact, bemuse the
defendant and his wife had admitted the rent wee de-
manded from Mine to time between 1852 and 1881.
His Honour read a letter addressed by defendant to
plaintiff after the luminous was taken out, and
dated Jan. 2, 1858 (which had been put in), in
which the defendant pleaded that he had lost
custom by voting, that he had had three homes
die sine* the eltAion, and had had greet difficulty
In finding bread for Ids wife and children, as mamas
why Mr. Wilson should not proceed with the action
but said not a word about any promise having been
given to Meese him from the rent. This negative evi-
deem he thought would go a greet way to convince the
jury that Mr. Wilson never did put the defendant into
occupation of the land upon the terms stated. Then
on the other hand they had the meet distinct evidence
of the letting of the land at 545. per acre, and Mr.
Wilson's moat unequivocal denial collie having entered
into any engegement in consideration of the Mondial's
vole. Hs thought it would be MIMI to corns to any
other coneladon than that the ease of the defendant
was not founded la *nth. He muse say that to his mind
. . . . _ . .
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