The Press.
London, England, 1857-06-27 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

consequence of the late period at which Mr. Steuart
came into the field. After hearing some further
evidence, the committee adjourned till Friday, when
Mr. Power concluded his address.
The Rochdale Committee appointed to inquire into
the allegations of the petitioners against the return
of Sir A. Ramsay, consists of Sir J. Yarde Buller
(chairman), Lord Curzon, Mr. A. Stafford, Mr.
Gregory, and Mr. H. Vivian. The committee met
on Thursday, and Mr. Monk in opening the case for
the petitioners stated that he should show that in the
last election Sir A. Ramsay was returned by the aid
of general and systematic bribery and corruption of
the constituency. Public-houses were extensively
employed, and he might state that of the publicans
only sixteen voted for Mr. Miall, while sixty-three
voted for Mr. Ramsay. Men were hired to break up ,
meetings by violence, and in one case, on the Friday
before the election, a violent interference, instigated
by Mr. Mills, a man whose name would frequently
come before the committee as one who took an active
part in the corruption of voters, took place with a
meeting of non-electors, and the interference of the
police had to be sought. He believed that be could
convert Sir Alexander Ramsay's majority of 151 into
a minority of 44. Abraham Rothwell was then called.
He stated that be had been a voter for the borough
of Rochdale for the last seventeen years, and had
always voted for the Liberal candidate :
On the Monday before the election Mills met him in
the pig-market and made him an offer of 51. to vote for the
Ccnservative candidate, and he told Mills that he had
already had an offer of that sum from a man named Lee,
a blacksmith. With Mills was a man named Butterworth,
and Butterworth recommended him to accept the offer and
vete for Sir A. Ramsay. He (witness) said he did not
wish to offend his friends, and Mills said, " Put him down ;
I'll poll him on the day." After voting he went to the
Woolpack, in the market-place. Bcttomly was with him, '
and they went into the bar-parlour. He saw there Henry
Metcalfe and James Clegg. Metcalfe asked whether he
had voted for Sir A. Ramsay ; and when he replied that
he had, he called him to the back door and gave him four
sovereigns and ten shillings in silver, telling him he had
spent the other ten shillings. The rest was paid to him
by Metcalfe at the Red Lion on the Monday following.
Since the election Mills frequently called on witness, and
asked him not to give evidence about this petition. Mills
also offered him money to go either into the country or to
America. He offered him 101. at one time, and 201. at
another. Mills also said to him, "If the other side offers
you more, give me the first chance."
On cross-examination by Mr. PHINN : Witness said he
knew Peter Johnson. He did not tell Johnson that if he
could get some money he should be off to America; but
Johnson said to him he would give him money if he would
write to the Rochdale papers to contradict his being bribed.
By Mr. STAFFOItD: Peter Johnson offered him as much
as 501. to induce him to go to America.
On Friday the evidence was proceeded with.
The Committees for the Pontefract,Wareham, and
Marlborough petitions met for the first time yester-
day.

THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY has appointed
the Rev. John Bowen, M.A., rector of Orton Longue-
ville, near Peterborough, to the bishopric of Sierra
Leone, rendered vacant by the death of the Right
Rev. Dr. Weeks.

MAJOR GORDON, of Park, has published his address
to the electors of Banffshire. He says he approves
generally of the policy of Lord Palmerston, and is
satisfied that "the time is come when it is not only
safe, hut just and right, to admit to electoral rights
a class not comprehended by the Act of 1832, but
whose progress in the last quarter of a century
entitles them to the exercise of political power." He
would therefore lower the franchise and extend
electoral privileges, and would have reform and
economy in every department of the State.
A DEPUTATION in favour of the Government gua-
ranteeing a minimum rate of interest on the
Euphrates Valley Railway had an interview with
Viscount Palmerston on Monday. The deputation
consisted of the Earl of Shaftesbury, Mr. Andrew,
M.P. (chairman of the Euphrates Valley Railway),
and several members of Parliament. Lord Pal-
merston assured the deputation that the Government
were fully alive to the great importance of the
Euphrates route ; that they had supported, and
would continue to support it; but he could not give
an opinion as to giving the guarantee on the capital
withom consulting his colleagues, and requested Mr.
Andrew to put his proposition in writing, saying that it
should have a proper amount of consideration, and
that Government would be happy to aid it if in their
power.