The Express.
London, England, 1862-12-25 00:00:00

THE REPRESENTATION OP TOTEM.

Little was done in Texas on Tueeday except by
the telegraph clerks, who were kept pretty haul at work
by the Duke of Somerset and his spat. The liberal
=media( tolerably secure of the seat, inasmuch as it
to the duke," have determined that it world be
Mammas to take any public steps towards filling up the
vacancy until after the funeral of the Earl of Gifford.
Morarer, Oluistnias week is not the most 'citable of sea.

sons he essemeneang a airfoil. It is dangerous work oar
nab* when • C7hrielenr-box may be construed into •
bribe. The liberal party in Tote's abhors bribery when
" the duke's seat" hue to be filled up. Hie geese's as... is
sufficiently potent to dispense with en eepenctiture of
oratory or gold. The electors of MA ME) never require
oocrincing on such an ocauion, the duke's recommendation
and the penalties of not accepting that re, snmendation
being gaits sufficient. Mr. Alfred Seymour, who to all
accounts is to be the liberal candidate, beers not only the
ducal name, but will have the ducal imprimatur. He wee
to have arrived in Tones on Tuesday, but he was tele-
graphed to that he bad better defer his visit till next
week. Is is not probable that anything will be done this
week, nor is it thought likely at present that the con-
mortarless will attempt to contest the seat. Some
statistics of the late *Union have jut been published
by each of the two parties, which have now an addi-
tional interest. The total number of electors is 345. Mr.
Pander maned 171 votes, Mr. Dent 5, and 169 electors
did not vote. The liberals declare that of these 169, 18
would not have polled ; 14 "at least" promised to von
for Mr. Tendee ; leaving 137 for Mr. Dent Thus, ate
cording to the liberal calculations, had Mr. Dent gone
to the pal, Mr. Tender would have received 185 votes,
Mr. Dent 142. giving the former a majority of 43, which
is 36more than Mr. Mills obtained at the poen, election
of 1.859. The conservatives, on the other hand, declare
that they have • clear majority of five votes, after giving ,
the Duke of Somerset " every particle of influence he can
poisibly enforce." Thus they make up their return—" Mr.
Tender received 171 votes ; five more would pro-
bably have voted for blur if hard pressed `making • total
of 176. 15 of this number had promised Mr. Dent, and
only • voted for the sake of voting, which would have
rodent' Mr. Tender's majority (query total ?) to 16L 169
then rumens to be accounted for: 18 refused to vote on
either side, and 151 ware staunch supporters of Mr. Dent;
deduct the 15 who voted as • matter of indifference for Mr.
Pander, thus 166 voter remained for Mr. Dent, giving him a
majority of 5." It must be confessed that this conservative
majority is decidedly shaky, and we are more than ever in-
clined to compliment Mr. Dent on his good common sen.e
in refusing to contest • borough in which fifteen electors are
so "indifferent" that they will vote contrary to their
promise. We suppose that this fifteen must have Waned
to the Lipstein Anociation, and having bees baulked of
their money by Mr. Dent's wise retirement, voted out of
spite for his opponent But this sort of gentlemen are trot
to be relied upon, and although they may have promised
Mr. Dent, they wen no doubt open to negotiations from the
other side. It appears that out of the whole register of 345
electors, no less than 98 are tenants of the Duke of Somerset,
and of these 88 voted at the last election for Mr. Pander,
although there was no mutest Thus two-sevenths of the
whole constituency is at the bidding of the ducal agents.
Nevertheless, Totnee did in times past return a con-
servative in conjunction even with the present Duke of
Somerset, then Lord Seymour. In 1839 there was •
double return, Mr. C. Barry Baldwin and Mr. Wm. Blount'
each polling 142. This election was declared void, sad at
the succeeding one, which took place in April, 1840, Mr.
Baldwin (conservative) was elected by • majority of seven
votes. At the general election the following year Lord
Seymour and Mr. Baldwin were returned without • contest.
In 1847 a sharp fight took phin ; but while ford Seymour
polled 28D, the other liberal candidate, Mr. Samson Ricardo,
polled only 151, and wee beaten by Mr. Baldwin, who
Polled 154. The last-named gentleman was, however,
beaten in 1852 by the late Mr. Mills, and for the la t ten
years the ducal interest ham been too strong for the con-
servative party.— Western Morning News.