The Press.
London, England, 1858-02-13 00:00:00

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LONDON,SATURDA.Y,FEBRUA.RY 13,1858.

POSTSCRIPT.

MADRID, Feb. O.
The Senate has voted the Address in reply to the
Speech from the Throne, by a majority of 91 to 16.

A POLITICAL "ECONOMIST."
A REMARKABLE example of the application of the
principles of political economy to electioneering
necessities has recently come to light in the West-
bury County Court. Mr. James Wilson, one of the
Secretaries of the Treasury, brought an action on the
14th of last month against one Henry Bolwell, a
miller of Westbury Leigh Mill, for 241. 10s., rent due
for the two years 18524. The defendant denied the
debt, pleading as a set-off a positive promise from
Mr. Wilson in 1852 that for value received—i. e., his
vote—he (the defendant) should have seven acres of
arable laud rent-free. Mr. Wilson, it would appear,
evidently forgot his obligations at the end of the
first year, and put in a claim for rent, and at the
end of two years not only pressed his claim for a
yearly rent at 355. an acre for the seven acres let
rent-free to the friendly miller, but to have served
him with a notice of ejectment, and now, four years
after the event, and when be had shaken off the
dust from his shoes in the face of his Westbury
friends, brought the present action against the miller
for two years' rent. The chief witness examined
was Mr. Wilson's steward, who, after much hesita-
tion and many non mi ricordos, was brought to the
point and forced to admit that the defendant, upon
every application for rent since Michaelmas, '33,
when the first year's rent became due, had re-asserted
that Mr. Wilson bad made him a positive promise
that "he should never he asked for one penny rent
if he would vote for him," and that he did vote for
him, and farmed the seven acres upon that under-
standing. After the examination of the steward, Mr.
Smith, an attorney of Melkshan, addressed the court
for the defendant, observing that in July, 1852, a
general election took place. The candidates for West-
bury were Mr. James Wilson and Sir Massey Lopes,
Bart. A severe contest took place for the representa-
tion of the borough, when Mr. Wilson's majority
over his opponent was about three votes. Each
party made the most active canvass, in fact,:from the
month of March to about the middle of June, Mr.
Wilson continually—sometimes two or three times a

week—called on this poor unfortunate client., to
solicit his vote, when Mr. Bolwell told him that his
trade and customers were principally amongst the
other party ; that he held his mill under the other
party ; and that it would, most likely, do him much
injury to vote against his customers and friends.
But the more this was urged, tip more earnest
became Mr. Wilson in his entreaties, sometimes
sitting down crying and sobbing most piteously to
Mrs. Bolwell, imploring her to intercede with her
husband for him. Thus Mr. Wilson, after many
and oft-repeated promises that James Wilson would
never be the man to allow any person who voted for
him to sustain one farthing injury through so doing
—that he would find them a house to live in, free of
expens3—that he would get Bolwell a situation as
foreman in the new mills erecting in London, the
proprietors of which he was most intimately ac-
quainted with, which would be much better for him
than remaining in Westbury—that he would let him
have land, either arable or pasture, and finally, in
June, 1852, came to a definite conclusion to let him
have seven acres of arable land, for which he would
never ask him for a penny of rent. This settled down
the mind of Bolwell and got the vote. At the ex-
piration of a year, Mr. Wilson's agent, Richards,
applied for rent ; Bolwell at once refused payment,
and referred to Mr. Wilson's promises to him. At
the end of another year, rent was again asked for,
and again refused, and Mr. Wilson's promises again
reiterated, and Bolwell declared positively he would
pay no rent at all. Three or four years more were
allowed to elapse, and in the intervals—through
changes in property in the borough and other
sircamstances—Mr. Wilson seeing his chances
of re-election too small to depend upon, managed to
get into the snug little Government pocket
borough of Devonport, and now he turned round
on his lite friends at Westbury, and shook the dust
off his feet in their faces; but in addition to these
special promises there was also a printed handbill
sent round to tell the voters if any of them should
sustain any injury whatever through voting for Mr.
Wilson, all would be made good on application to
Mr. Stephen Brown Clift. Now his client did apply,
and what reply did he get? Why, that Mr. Wilson