The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1867-03-05 00:00:00

BRIBERY AT ELECTIONS.

Tan official reports of the Yarmouth, Luircester,and
Reigate Rlection Commissions supply an important
subject for reflection in the evidence they afford of the
light in which the electoral franchise was regarded be
the constiteencies of those boroughs, and it it • phase
in the etiestioo which has been greatly overlooked.
Of the 1,500 electors of Yarmouth it is shown that
430 were bribed at the last election. 29 iseeieing
bribes from both aide., and that sinanjas9B were
engaged in bribing them; at Lancaster no lees than
844 persona received bribes, and 139 were engaged
in the traffic; while at Reigate, out of 900
*tenors, 346 were bribed. The habitual misuse of
their electoralpri v lieges was also clew ly *kohl ished, for
at Yarmouth bribery was said to have prevailed lam
prior to 1857; at Yarmouth it had existed, with
rare exceptions for • considerable period; and
at Reigate, thotigh of but nine years' standing.
(corruption was proved to be as inveterate; as
it was extensive. Bet, the point to which we
deem to draw attention is this—that political con
vicitioos bed very rarely anything to do in deter-
mining the action of the voters. Honey was
received as a kind of periodical gratuity which they
and their ancestors had for years past received, and
it frequently reclined that • man received a
present from the candidate to whose aide be
already inclined. A Blue voter would not have
voted yellow, but he expected a little onmpliment
for his trouble in voting Blue. These colours theat•
selves, however, expressed nothing but rival partite,
the respective principles of which were not thought
of for a moment. If, ip short; we lien suppose the
ease of • nottatitueney like these —and there must be
many of them—relieved from every species of
exteroal influence, it is hardly possible to imagine
what the result might be. The idea of an honest
voter impressed with his own oonsolentioed *envie-
tines in favour of • particular Candidate, but induced
by Widthnta tempta ion or irresistib'e offers to vote
the other way, as, perhaps, • popular idea of the
operation of bribery ; but there was not • trace of
soot a picture to be food is the evidence before the
Commissioners It was not the practice of electors
to eel, their opinioos, for the simple reason that they
had no opium's to salt They took bribe. becatie
• littlh Walley In hand was a pleasant thing, end
there was • good deal of it flying about; but as to
their being reluctant victims to their own poverty
Or the alluremente of richer men, the notion may be
demisted at once Thus it appears, that bribery
prevailed mainly became in n without any political
convictions were exposed to dishonest temptations.
Under these circeinateoces the didraselusemsat of
plootat boroughs ia I ablest not to be hastily
adopted, but requiring rave consideration; and we
ohne,* with satisfaction, that Captain H. G.
Gridley, one of the representatives of Weymouth,
has given notice of a motion that Yarmouth and
Laocas,er be permitted to retain one member each,
who is to be chosen by the uncorrupt portiou .1 the
electors, numbering, happily, more than the con.
takeouts of several boroughs each returning one
representative and those whp bear in mind
the events that occurred in Weymoith at the
last election trill not regard it as altogether
inappropriate that • Weymouth member should
put in a plea for the boroughs whose coal-
practices at *hates, have been so completely exposed
and so unsparingly denounced.

COLONIAL CONFEDSRATION.

r Tits Bill for the boufedetation of our North
• American colonies has been pushed through Par-
; 'lament very rapidly; and ea the measure is simply
an imperial legislative registration of an agreement
cone to bete, as tie Solaces themselvell, there la
no Oeme for delay in peeing it. There also exists
a tenon why it should be hurried forward, for
actually a member of the United States Hole of
representatives has introdend a Reeolutioo into
Congress, asking the Preideat for information with
respect to the establishment of • Canadian Kingdoni,
which it declares would be hostile to the safety and
pesos of the tinted States. Serely the itneriesas,
or any Ansofinan, ousel be etiously alarmed
about what trill he, alter all, • very small con fetters.
&101 l compared to their own; bat Americans are
so touchy in respect to any political chimps
on their ocateest which are in the slightest degree
apparently antsgotestie to their own institutions, as
evinced in the bee of the Meuicao empire, that the
echoer the Canadian confederation is an accomplished
fact, and beyond the roach id internatiocal dissimeiosi
the letter for all partite The provisoes what
have consented to become oonfederated are Upper
and Lever Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova
Bootie. It is hoped that to wade of Woe the union
will be Birth* btetighisoied by the addiii-n of
&Web Coluebe, Prime Edward'. Island, Newfound-
land, and Vancouver's Island. It is 'steadied
to adopt • Federal fin.= of Government..
There will be two l • each
province for lona porno,* acà in addithe
a general legislation for the *fire tonfederation.
Tb• fanner will bate the power of
bih 0017. AAA the lather, oremating of tiro benne—
...4a Upper Cluentier. munmosied by the Governer
General, and • Lower Rouse of members elected bis .e,eral y
provinces, which Will aka supply tboxgb
not elect tbe Upper House—will deal with questions
which affect the country at large. The respective
duties of the local legiesture and the general
Parliament have thus bees as far as possible clearly
defined. The icily political tie whore will exist
natives tbe Coefedeation and Great Britain will be
through the Governor Getters!, who is to be
appointed from this oneetry, and to be responsible
to it, By this Confederation, British America will
be In a touch stronger position to defend itself in the
awe of say eocroachinesit than in its went
state. Theo differences too, which exist among
the various interests of the provinces, will be
whined down, and as the more important
local works, such as railways, telegraphs, and ferries
will loan the sobjeol of °recurrent legislation

District. 4
a.
.5.i
---- •
firldsost . 4S ,NS 7
0011,11eVer . es 4rs
suresiburs. ss I 131
Rtnrctinstar. fl 144
Wisilsoms $4 840 4
Wareham .. 103
0n,.. .IPII2
Shethorne. N I 147 1
Blaudford;.. $1 I 107 4
000 11861

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Mime u4ni
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