The Express.
London, England, 1848-11-24 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, FRIDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 24, 1848.

THE SOUTHAMPTON POl7lOll OF THE INDIA
Meat arrived le the !Rpm last night seder the charge of
Lieut. Brady. The Rips brings 100,0001. in specie. Her
dates have IMO an
MiThOPOLTrastitrifirmlos Or BSwihh—Yeater-
fley a men was held at the aided rise, Oreekttreet,
Seh for the Marspoiltaa distrielft On the report of the
Walpurees memittee, a iertor me reed hem Mr. J.
seneyer, to the eke that the reposed works at the
earth-eat of the Remiligh raw, hem es the Berentlas
River, wall met WIC Wan aim elm reed hen the
Weeds sad POMO (Aft to WV** swam If the
emesideems of swam teas the elbow half.
Meaty was tar. Is fawns to studios hem Mr.
Chadwkk. Mr. NiMp, seneyee to the ewe* Meted that
the adeptios of whaler dales se the basks of the hisses had
is amain district!s bees iambi with the meat beeMiciel
resew The paprisese d on estate at Peckham
assehtleg Cettpenes heessukbad armies' Mim
as i
Ws plea. The w bed boss pen
eke* weMahedly dreleohsny ompesis expels me
nrapseMbe sedan cot 10,000 het, were sew wholly sad
issuedesmpistely &demi at ee NM 15e. pee beam. with
Ifirnsul• firs the old system et brisk
Ica hest or the beams meld have cost Wltz
home. • biter from Betimes to the Earl o
was mai. The wither mespielesd Owe, es • essamiteirmer or
ewers fm the Holborn and Plenhery keWett be bed lees
called span he pup for satedelemente in whisk he bed pm,
beanJ=M of perilentest. Ho bed frequently
Ibeet 10 IS 6 e'elsok, whoa be end about
he Him entisems eifeersed to the Albion Tavern
fl_oeseker,) Mew they were willed epos to pay the bill.
felethensd lereshter.)—The Mahn's* asked what were the
terms of the est P-111. He mid that the set allowed 4..
a day (darks the *Op of the seam) to inch comseksiouer.
He (Mr. Hates.) bed isfermed the writer that, if he brought
forward a claim a that mom, it would be considered by
the court. —The ONVOISTI reed the clause of the local act, by
which ft wee provided that the esgnaor of the di.
mat OtaniodmlS &mild not eseeed 4601. • year.—
Mr. Irk keened that dinners at the Albion formed
no part of the buboes' ei the court. Mr. Wks said that he
had Imes eonommed i propering the clause referred to. It
had originally steed " enteetainment of the commissioners,"
but Lord Shaftesbury would not pus it, and it was made
" expenses; " bet it was always understood to mean refresh-
ment. The ratepayers took it in that sense.—Mr, Broderip:
What was It understood by them that the sommissinners
were to draw 4601. for grastrosontic purposes ? (Laughter.)
—The Rev. W. Store said that there was one point for their
equitable oonsideration, sad that was whether the tavern
keeper would not be striated it they refused to certify. lie
knew ace ease in which the bill was rejed, and sines then
the commimisners had not made up 6f in payment of the
bill. In answer to a gemlike, it was stated that the bill paid
fur three dieser. was 941. Mr. Leslie said he had frequently
seen commissioners rem Rem one board to another to be in
time for the dinner, std then to a third to secure • plus nn
a future day. (Lsaglater.)—Mr. Sys; complained of the
extent to which these Maser bills had been carried. The
bill of the Polder earkeiewers for 1845 for dinners alone
was 0001.—Mr. Leslie What ! for dinners alone ?—Mr.Byng:
No! I made a mistake; 5071. for dinners and the remainder
for champagne alter. (Meet laughter.)—The Berl of Carlisle
said Mr Bateman had better be informed that the court cannot
depart from Its Irma determination in his case, and that
the 'sly applienden the court can outsider is one for wages
fuller the sestets. Agreed to.—Previous to the adjourn.
meat of the mart • gentleman, who gays hie name Capt
Prier,eompisimall, on behalf of the inhabitant/ of Philemon.
plan, Remington, of the dreadful state of the gratings is
that locality. Thu stets It was so great that a man could not
stead over Call for a se meat without fainting. He had
=6:no the gnerdisas, who had referred him to the eon-
.—Lord Carlisle said that if Capt. Prior would out
in a easeemeat is mys the matter mar be attended to.—
The 0110111111117 dmarTed SAM en importaat }skit for the cont.
atheisems to sessirkr was how umayof iIIOOS genies could
slogalbst dosed up. Ia cm small district they bad sue.
seeded le doing up or third.—The tout ed(loented.
Pool Law.—Sir —I have more than once
remarked the eseellesse of the views held sad promulgated
by the Evros ea the very important subject of poor
law in Ireleed. The article ht the number et Friday. the
17th ink, vanities muck that is, in principle, cornet ; and
the saving of Imbed, as well as the safety of England, de-
pend. ea comet principles being pressed epee the public
miad till their own intrinsic truth wine he them the form
of public opinion. Yon perceive by the plass wheelie I
date that I am one of the unfeetusis &nes* pus
prieton. Yet residing and pomade, ems smalieside
extent of land heavily peopled is this dlMslst
and partly in the apparently
union of 011estise, I am Gal, *gismos& is &limbed
by that which should beer of the eblefat ungiem of ow
national nape...stunt-9m pear M. I hams ridded 27

years, alma without interkledes, ea my property, and
slew expended nearly the wheie Noma spa the improve-
ileend any load and the people age ls ; elf be the last 24
seemihs I have bid oat, partly anger the Leak Property
Improvement Act, four or five times the amount of the
gem yearly renal, employing the peed, k improving the
had. The result has paled my meet means hope. I
have already reaped a Met emenerating harvest,
and, what is better, I hare ma tottering)2;
gess, weak from bins sad dsgmeled by the la
ea wears listelleation of grabber aid, transformed into
amark =Litimidel 'abound% who, new thatr:a ere
Id and eta, bask to think, and we
amnia is mil of daholles. S. br goed. the
tilde with of my mailham, gadmy skelles end
labour, Pala Mali have enerwhanted a ion re
weal
es—dm whole, sad mere too, is absorbed Is the mar.
mou sum whisk I am obliged to pay is post new, be the
pauperise of other repeals lasioesing to mash ewe
wealthy men than I -ath, whole peer I ham em-
played may handed% ;bailie wipleging all who live
on my own land. In be, I Medi be ruined by
my surepossfal endeavour to anode wML the
11401114118 of the times, were I not seamed of other mesas
of support than my Irish mats. As wet remark, the chief
remedy. without which all other remedies moat
be unwell-
ins, is the illednishing of the area of ithedels kr rating, se
that the elsat d the poor-law map he to amentege and
enable the psoldthege sad aemplere of • Eike to exert
themelvss to prevent pauperism. This semet be the case
wipers the sires bas large that the case of a poor man ea
mike be knows Whitehead to the rampepars throughout
the disleith er to to thaw attention to hie alter of broom.
leg Waste. me sea so severely press es ratepayer as
In ewe hhe to modes to rescue the sinking mem admits
the me be saw the espierma of all who see
with his sumo% MD MS to prevent imamate. la me
kimmer, yes have overlooked a very impudent
Emeolty pissed a questa& of weight be a false
Yes hat the abeam of town lack for rang
Medina to Wheillik clearance, with di the mei elk
mamisams &deeding them Now, the bet is, the gmh
rslsion would at glee sei brim brat on mil testa
derma ; for that. If • preedela mean a herby leek
thee, they of owns beam Margethes open his lea ales"
and not, am it now Is, apes hie neighbour's too. It would
booms cheaper t o the omen and eseapise to save the poor
bee astitatien by employing er othendell
kg them ; Obi ibb ergement elms eau lee relied anglieP=
mak weight with them who weal sae east alsemses,
if it were mile that interest le do so. Poets, ce the
clearance side, fearfully prove this patios. The law makes
it their interest to cast out the pauper Munk and it is
dose not by Irish landlords alone, bat by English pro-
prietor of Irish land, and even under the odes of the Eng-
lish Court of Chancery. It was lately mauled to me by a
person ocenected with a aeighboerlag poverty that there
were several poor families to be ejected from their tenements
on that property. I asked if they were going to emigrate.
The answer was, " Bleat yea, they have not the pries
of a pump men thaw. " I inquired—" What
will bosom of theta 1" And with a smile, full of
meaning, I we told, " You will either employ them
m your land, or help to keep them in the wor-
kings." This needs no comment. A paper like yeas,
blie opinion. can do muck to me as from
rube sod rto rte. Two things I chiefly dread now—
=gibe AIM of an mask impolitic poor law, whisk is sot
the peer, while it is slaking the ratepayer and ka-
ki is spihstie to hate the law and lawmakers and rm.
ledge the mime mtheldeis of law apathetic ; sisondly,
id area ealism aid, and Emma* gratuity of all kinds,
end even bees km the pale pane inept as mere mai-
den, in arse of great conk derangement, to be
asogrol fir wholaems die es see as possible.—Joe,
Maxims, Deputy-Ligament, Coady Donegal, St.
&sass, Dolma, Nov. 20.
GREAT FIRE IN THE RINOSIAXD-110a.—Yeeter-
day morning hawses 6 sad 7, a destructive fire irrigated at
a lisweloth fiery belonging to Mr. Lames, Wats
loadings, new the 011111111-bridge, in the Eingelesthred, sad
ming to the tameable nature of es =Mae, the limes
speedily spread to a amber of small terments in
adjoining. Information of the dimbens 01111114
rrta:ra bees lent to the tire stations with as little delay es
morale, the engine of the parish, London Bade end
West of Ragland Company, snivel with a powerfd body Of
Aroma sad Mr. thasentandest Braidwomi. It wire net
until nearly 9 o'clock that there fi. The
damp done is thus returned es the Wee of roe
Mos :—No.IO, Watts-budder, Ringthari, .Lames,
loweloth and table cover maker. The ineselhelerhiskrolisi
fromoreams, drying.rooms, and printieghemee,
bat of timber, burned down, and gestate steemmi ;
building and contents not insured.—Wilmerigmlese, Nom. I
to 10 behave, let out in tenements, all demegel by fen,
water, he. ; not known if insured.—Mr. Rama, es the
other side of the row, promises bared down; impend in the
Maand Royal Exchange Fire Othose.—Ne. 22, I=
Ith-lbtht, ere* damage to premien by ire; set
—Wilasergardans (opposite side), Nos. it ad NI toll
tacludire, lot oat in tenements, all severely damped by firs,
Irate, the. ; the occupiers not insured, buildings not known
whether bared or not.

REPRESENTATION OF THE WEST RIDING. I',
(In our ad • columns will be found the ad-
dress of Sir Culling Eardkq Bardley to the totem of the West
Bitlimg]
We mentioned yesterday that the
ii
meeting of delegates
from the liberal slow:ors in the various districts of
the West Biding, membled at Nonunion as Wednesday,
after the retirement of the Hen. Chas. W. W. Fitswilliant
from the contest, had resolved to reemmend Sir Calling
Eardboy lardley, as a fit candidate to represent the
West aiding Lrli.ment. It mem tram what
has minas that the meeting mos divided
between Sir C g and lir. Boobs* and that the
former won the nomination through the pnle:Mereace in
ant of millibar of the dimmting ambers of
The Moral szpeetatica seems to be that 11,. Iderwrltint
eon will be put forward by the cemearettives. At yressat
however, all is uncertainty, as the Wftes, at all Use slow,
term not yet in Mies swim

OUR REPRESENTATIVE SYSTEM.
ar. ALBAN'S (communal)).
When Lord Listowel entered St. Alban's on the
matted sight of the fish of February, 1841, he noshed to
the hear of Dr. Webster, the gentleman who brought him
arm. Dr. Webster was • character. For nearly half •
esotury be had been eonenaed for the independent party in
the borough at Bt. Alban's. His names among the poorer
Men there was itabeeadod and it wee meritorious as-
Vd,He had purged, end bled, and keeled, and dosed
whele of them, and their father" and mothers
Mere them; and nom "of the right sort " had
ever known the Dr. bard upon them for his bill. Fur •
"hire" he might mix up now and then en extra nauseous
dem, beta "red" was me to come off may, both as re.
the medicine and the charges. Bury one knew the
rrydat. the Dr. knew every the. If he loved St. Alban's
St. Alban's metals] loved him.
Oa them or occasion we refer to, Dr. Webster re-
paired le the balcony on his first floor, and addressed the
mendgessmbled in the raest. He told them that he " bed
breediht them a stuns peed ma." (Loud ohms.) The
lzgruerr very ethant and full of ;promise.
was the twelfth time he bad had the
honour of presenting a candidate to their no-
tice, and he had never failed but me." (Loud
cheers again.) He presented to them the Berl of Listowel.
What his lordship may have said is not on parliamentary re-
cord : Dr. Webster's oration is. Probably Lord Listowel
said nothing. That he bowed is well ascertained : end the
ladies of Bt. Alban's declared " that he hawed beautiful."
That is :doebtless one of the qualifications of a lord in
waiting : eloquence, possibly, is a ices indispensable accom-
plishment.
Dr. Webster on the next morning took Lord Listowel
round the town. He introduced his noble friend to every-
body, and introduced everybody to his noble friend. He
managed everything for him; his post-horses, his music, his
canvass, and his favours He ordered a publican to "let the
poor fellows have some beer," and the publican immediately
tapped several fresh barrels, and chalked up the mugs against
" the committee." Let it not be supposed that these facts
are unimportant ; they are all on parliamentary record, and,
as will presently be seen, it era thousands to establish them.
Before the poll commenced at this pireat St. Alban's "leo
lion, six voters, supporters of Mr. Benj. Bond Cebbell, signed
a requisition to the mayor that the bribery oath should be
ulmiaistered to all the electors who came to poll. This was
an unprecedented and urn ly unheard of proceeding in
St. Alban's. Immediately it was known, the town was
placarded with the num of the six gentlemen, one of whom
was curate at St. Miasma's church, imprinted in deep black
charmers. It le needless to say how they were execrated.
No one has ever dared to sign such a requisition sines.
There wen two or three occurrences in the pain/F-
M.3th calculated, however, to create en imposition that this
unusual step was not takes without cause. For the most
part, says • spectator, the book was kissed as if it were an
old song book, but there were some persons who seemed to
have qualms of conscience. One voter refused to take off
his hat when asked to take the oath. He was neither Jew
nor gather, and consequently the mayor refused to swear
him, end Its left the booth. Presently he returned, and
offered to be sworn. Hu vote was thereupon objected to by
the iodise on the ground that he had refused to take the oath,
but the mayor over-ruled this, and recorded his suffrage for
Limon& It was rumoured shortly after; two other voters
had refused to come up at all ; but all this was nothing to
what submumitly occurred.
Is the midst of the excitement of the poll, and not long
before the terming hour, one o'clock, a man named Adams
came into the booth, and being tendered the oath, requested
permission to address the mayor. He then put into the
hands of that (modem" a brown paper parcel, of which be
requested hint to break the "ash. His worship having done
en foiled the contents to consist of two five pound notes of
" Mesketrit" beak, and two bran new sovereigns, the whole
et which, es Adams declared aloud, Dr. Webster had given
him to vote for Listowel."
A reverend gentleman who was standing on the platform
hereupon deposes that being utterly horror-struck at this
'enmity, be exclaimed four times in a loud shrill voice,
" Here's purity of election I here's independence and the
rights of voters !" Lord Listowel, who was unaccustomed
to these things, tuned very pale, and his under-lip quivered
as he tinned. round and spoke to Mr. Coppock who was
behind him. Dr. Webster, however, was not at all abashed.
He exclaimed, as the rev. curate deposes, " Well, what of
that ? the other sidearbelut as bad !'• Adams took the oath,
sad voted far Mr. osb
This tireemetance formed the groundwork of a pliNee to
the Hones of Commons against Lord Llama's Meth.
The essatithe was struck upon the 24th Masa; was ma-
nd el three wags and three twills, sad Mr. Z. A. Sea-
ford, • well-knows militate/feast, ice eheiremn. The facts,
as we have ranted them, were astabliehal is evidence the
first leer days the eamaittee sat. Oa the Mb a question
arose which rendered it Reentry to decide whether Dr.
Webster's agency was proved. The committee divided."
Singularly 'sough the three tortes agreed in thinking that it
was, whilst the four whirs held the contrary opinion. Up
to this woman the inquiry had been most vigorously pushed
by counsel on both sides. On the Mowing day, however,
it was observed that they did nothing but quarrel. Ha wit-
ness was asked what was the colour of his coat, the counsel
on the other side immediately objested, and a protracted
legal argument m to the rigt to put such a question in-
stantly cat The display of learning was so greet, a
the committee were quite confused. They had not the least
Idea what it meant.
On this same .30th of March the House of Commons, at
four in the afternoon, proceeded to strike a committee to er-
mine and report upon a petition against the return of George
Augustus Frederick Percy Sydney Smythe, Esq., commonly
called the Hon. George, MSydney ~ Smythe, who had been
returned as • album to serve in parliament for the city of
Canterbury. It was rumoured on the back benches of the
house that the me against Sydney Smythe, at Canter-
bury, was jest as bad as that against Listowel at St. Alban's.
What the ems may have been, however, never was divulged.
On the following morning the Canterbury committee met,
when
" Mr. AMU doted, that having carefully reviewed the
facts of the which if it proceeded further would have
occupied a eeasidersbte time and Incurred to each of the
parties • geralgrable expense, he was not able to advise his
client trailers world have ran such satisfactory proof to
rase* the sets emplaned of with the sitting member or his
agents se woad Justify him in proesenting the petition, and
mar the eirommemes he had had • communication with
his leased blend, the esaasel ter the sitting member, and
his rained *bra, emarraleg is the view he took, was Satis-
fied that the proesediep siesid drop.
" ikelemt Wategraa rated that after the communication
be had Mideld kern Mr. Austin ire COOSSIIIII be had exercised
• mead dleretka is the sera, he had tabs., sad bad be-
haved he the meat bombe= manner to the sitting member
in warreasiag eat deehlea at the awned raemat dear it
bed begs raw to, cord that thers*se ea the pert ~the
sitting =Era be was perfectly eadsikel that the esemektos
shesH some to dm geed reseinden as to the skulks, and
that the sitting member dad& retain his seat ; and that he
bad no wish, but, on the metrary, shoulddeprecate any
further investigation at the beads of the committee. The
committee, therefore, decided
" That the Hoes. George Percy Smythe is dilly elected
a cake*. to serve In the pressat parliament for the City of
Canterbury.
" That the petition of George Hobday and the electors
does not appear to this asausittee frivolous or vexations.
" That the maid= to thezzt
iealgtion rag sot appear
to this egradira Makes or
At dee sera dine dot ibis was occurring in the Canter-
by* sewswarse4olll2,lll ellnewhat Millar some was oc-
curring la thet of St. Anon 's.
At the weal etas onamittee,
4' Mr. Illymal Meted that, since be had last the honour
of alarmed belie the coaceittee, he bed thought it his
dety,la emedea with Mr. Talks, adeady to consider,
de., obtains ft me probabb they era% by prewecting the
ioveedgellen, sekbask erases eentelead in their -pea-
dos, and they badmen to as madaden that, at the cots-
mime se mstkely Amara lens the views which they enter-
telesdlietualdres= pod le, as at hest not probable, that
they that they were neither justified onbehalf eirasses, po *air ova
essaling ideate, nor
farther ia this inquiry. with regard to those who
el
Yes. Ara& eleloi that, that brae the moor of the ems,
Ise bed Vag,
iteseadebtetorbli doers
sew gs sager. He was
=tedithe .ssamittes would only have now to come to
the caws] reeeledges."
its gramilles rate to the " usual retantioes" mord-
Ingty. It was propera deed they should specially report that
g pedalos's- bed deed red to proceed further with their
case, whilst the esermittos were Investigating grave charges
of bribery alleged to have been uath " but this was re •
jotted by five to two, mad no doubt lanai inconvenience and
teeshis was thereby evaded.
Is sub Important ram as these, it is quite worth while to
reed the name el the somas el and the agents. In the Can-
tenon mw *elm member was apyorted by Mr. Serjeant
Wraith's, end Mr. Talbot as l•se counsel, and Mama.
Lyon, Barra, end MIAs, so his agents : the whig petitioaers
bad Mara. Aladin mad Marmara kr their ounuel, and Mr.
Joseph Pubes thr spat In the St. Allan's case, Maws,
Austin sad Oaddarn were counsel for the Whig member,
and Mr. Oggimit was the agent: Maws. Hildyarti and
Talbot were lie ray farad, and Ibsen. Lyon, Barnes, and
Ellis WWI as inty meats. The identity of the counsel and
agents fa these mess may have gives nee to the suspicion
(certainly not decreased in (ores by other attendant ortram-
stetson), that the sudden conviction of the counml on both
sides et the oesoesdaess of their crag win the result of
Hadar lay the agents,
wachlartlici StZeleemberwrifild Alban's end the
troy member for Can rupeedvely retained their seats,
and the petitioners in either ease were thrown overboard.
Two remarkable resales followed this petition. The first
was a quarrel between Mr. Cabbell and his songs at St.
Alban's about matters of account. It is needless to say that
for all this "1,0001." went a very little way. Mr.Cabbell had
declared he would never pay more, but this time he was
obliged to. It was • heartrending thin to • nun to
and others less strictly scrupulous than
The other baldest referred to was of even • more serious
nature. Dr. Webster was prosecuted at the county rases
for administering a bribe. He and his party declared that
the prosecution was unwarrantable. The jury apparently
thought so too. for they acquitted the doctor of the charge.
But the sosieties and troubles attending this matter were
too much for • man new grown old and feeble. Hie 'and
Mem affected. It was found necessery to remove him to
an imbue at Bedford, and these only
.a few weeks "lee he
died—a lunatic I Corruption has, indeed, its gorge of 1
actives!
It is • Mg story that we have told of this memorable con-
test, but it is also en Instructive one. Lord 'Astral did
eat rag hell passed= of his daily purchased seat. It was
Apeillidsre le wee established in it,andia the middle of hum
tbirswee dissolved. • new election of crplree elated.
tglng Members, lard Listowel end Mr. Murat,

offered themselves sacra, bat the latter having no funds to
spare was aadatatood to come forward merely to waist his
colleague by taking second votes. The whits were destined
to be violently opposed. There were Wonght forward on the
toy aide a Mr. Eamon, grandson of the ffret Earl of Eldon,
and a Mr. Worley, from the neighbourhood of Uxbridge, •
gentleman who was rabsequently sonnet:tad by marriage
with • wealthy family residing at St. Alban's. The " com-
petition " (as the St. Alban's people call it) was
verry keen. Mosey was for • time • mere drug.
" Maskett's notes' were as plentiful as tobacco-pipes.
It turned out afterwards that there had been a reissue of
them tsr Lord Listowel's e. that a number of
notesgot in by the had bean Passed out again for
election purposes. Mare anecdotes an told in St. Alban's
of this election than of &wet any other. The siek were
brought from their Wain blankets to the poll ; • man with
his leg cut off three days before was made to stump up
Towards the dam of the poll, when Repton had been made
up and the nee warbetween Listowel and Worley, 401. was
offered to a voter—and refused—to vote for Worley Walesa
of voting for &Atm. A drunken fellow, one of the last
voters reamiaing, refused to vote until a pint ”.1
which he carried was half filled with sovereigns, and his
demand was complied with. Lord Listowel had, however,
upon this occasion the tall advantage of the services of Mr.
Haney Edwards, " accountant," and he succeeded in defeat-
ing Worley by • majority of 7, the numbers being, for
Regan, 288 ; Listowel, 268; Worley, 261; and Muskett,
160. The last gentleman shortly atter was found dead in
his bed. His hank immediately closed, and his affairs being
In inextricable confusion fell into Chancery. What Messrs.
Repton and Worley paid it is difficult to say; their joint ,
penes probably were not much lees than 6,0001. Lord Lis-
towel is said to have averred that St. Alben's coat him in this,
one year no leas a sum than 21,0(01., all of which was
honourably liquidated.
Shortly after this election Mr. Henry Edwards brought an
action against Lord Listowel for work and labour done. It
was the opinion of his lordship's friends that Mr. Edwards
had had enough, and they advised him to defend the motion. I
The cam came on for trial at Hertford, and was opened by
Serjeant Shee for the plaintiff. It would net er have done,
however, to permit the election secrete of St. Alban's to i
transpire, so even in the midst of the trial the case was cut
short by " a compromise " greatly to the regret of all the
country gossips who expected tremendous fan from the
exposure.

Lord Listowel held St. Alban's until 1846. infinitely to the
disgust of the electorate, who had no idea of so long an in-
terval elapsingg without another " competition." When the
whigs succeeded to power two years ago Lord Listowel's
seat became yawn in consequence of his re-acceptance of
office ea a lord of the bedchamber. It had been generally
arranged that the government candidates at this election
/hada not be opposed: indeed, the parliament itself was
within a few months of dissolution, and no object wee to be
gained by contesting any place. Mr. Henry Edwards,
however, was not inclined to let par an opportunity of op-
poring Lord Listowel. He placed his services at the dis-
posal of his old enemy, Mr. B B. Cabbell. Mr. Cabbell was
not at all disinclined to give Lord Listowel a Roland for his
Oliver. He put " 1,0001." in hie pocket and went down to
St. Alban's. Lord Listowel had come down expecting no
opposition and prepared to spend no money. He had a 501.
cheque with him for legal and personal expenses, and no
more. 1,0001. was just twenty time better than 601., so the
large body of electors consented to take somewhere about
21. 2.. a vote, and to return Mr. Cabbell as their representa.
tire. Lord Listowel thought he could not do better than
pay off Mr. Cabbell in his own coin. An elector named
Manlove accordingly appeared after the Adams fashion,
with a 61. note which he declared that he had received to
vote for Mr. Cabbell, and to bribe hie father to vote " blue"
also. Manlove was put into Lord Listowel's carriage, and
sent up to Mr. Coppock in London for examination. A
petition, based upon the fact, was prepared and pre-
sented. A compromise, however, was sotto effected, and it
was not proceeded with. Mr. Cabbell retained his seat
until the close of that parliament. Shortly afterwards that
benevolent gentleman, " the orphan's friend, and father of
the fatherless," exercised his privilege, as • governor of
Christ's Hospital, by giving Mr. Edwards a presentation for
his son to that school It was a truly affecting mark of
Mr. Cabal's regard, and of his full appreciatiok of Mr.
Edwards's important services.
1847. The lest election for this borough was by no means
the least interesting. It was understood to be a part of the
compromise that Mr. Cabbell should not offer himself again
and that " one and one " should be returned. Mr. Edwards,
now the great elective influence of the town, was believed to
be a party to this :omprorniee. Mr. Replan reappeared as
a candidate. Lord Listowel did not. His place was supplied
by the Hon. Frederick Keppell Craven, a brother
of Earl Craven's, and a relation, by marriage, of
the Earl of Verulam. This gentleman was introduced
to the town by Mr. W. Cowper, and it was thought that Lew
tralisiog any opposition from orhambury he would be able
to secure succor. Some delay took place in bringing Mr.
Craven into the field, the object beiug, as is believed, to rave
expense. Some of the liberal party, however, were dissatis-
fied with this delay, and they sent a deputation to London to
endeavour to obtain a candidate. Mr. Alderman Salomone,
Mr. Bernal Osborne, and others were invited to present
themselves, but were not to be persuaded. At length,
through the intervention of the dissenters' eommiree, Mr.
John Wilke, the former member for Boston, was invited to
become a candidate. He consented to do so provided •
requisition signed tea sufficiently large number of voters was
presented to him. document wasprepared forthwith, and
no Ism than 209 signed it. It must not be supposed that these
I were all men of principle. On the contrary, a large number,
no doubt, were actuated solely by the wish to have a " third
men" in the field. Mr. Wilke came down; but, no sooner
did he make his appearance, than Mr. Edwards expressed
his decided opinion that he was released from all engagement
sot to bring forward • candidate. A third being now in the
field, he felt himself fully entitled to invite a fourth He
selected Mr. Raphael, of Carlow notoriety. Wbat followed
was ea., carton.. Mr. Blegg, the town clerk, was agent
fee Mr. Repton and the torn.. That gentleman's managing
clerk, however, undertook to act with Mr. Raphael, the
liberal. Mr. Raphael and Mr. Repton tack house,
which were used es offices, dun., immediately adja-
cent to each other. Somehow or another, though
their politics were dissimilar, there appeared to be between
them an identity of interest. Mr. Repton had made a very
unsuccessful canvass, and had been heard to speak of leaving
the town. When Mr. Raphael was announced, however, he
and hie party began to cheer up. The election was to take
place on the 'Thursday. Aday or two preceding there was
much stir about Raphael and Repton's committee rooms.
That their interest, somehow oranother were assimilated was
shown by the result. Raphael (who had hardly canvesoed a
vote) headed the poll with 296 supporters • Repton num-
bered 276; Wilk% 230; Conan. 126. Of 'thus there were
no lees than 208 split votes for Raphael and Repton, the
whig end the tory ; and of the 208, 180 are more
than suspected of being at the disposal of the highest
bidder. The election no doubt was an exceedingly corrupt
one. although the expenditure may not have been so great
u on other ocemicsa. It is estimated that Messrs. Raphael
and Repton must have spent at least 3,0001. In what pro-
portions this team was distributed it was difficult to say.
The other parties spent about 8001. apiece. Mr. Craven
expected defeat, but Mr. Wilke fought a winning battle,
and wee much chagrined at a result which he thought
scarcely brought about fairly. There is no dcubt that many
of hie voters were bought over—the number is estimated at
about 60—but there is no reason to suppose that any inten-
tional deceit was poetised. Both parties were in fact out.
generated by superior tacticians.
Such is the electoral history of St. Alban's. It will be
seen that linos the period of the Reform Act it has
been genie( worse and worse at every enomeding elealee.
Its condition remarkably exemplifies some leading principles.
respecting both constituents and representatives, which will
be Sound applicable to most of this clam of boroughs.
1. The constituencies are decreasing. In 1832 St. Alban's
had 867 voters; in 1841 the number was 686; there are now
only 519 electors.
2. They are decreasing in respectability. In St. Alban's
many of the best houses are closed, and the better class of
voters who remain have refused to take any part in recent
contests. The praline Lord Yoram shrink. from the town,
and the clergy have not voted at either of the last two
elections. _ _

-31.7117 e system is ultimately ruinous to all concerned. In
this Nee we have seen how Sir Francis Vincent, Mr.
Turner and Mr. Mitskett suffered, and how Dr. Webster
died a lunatic in consequence of engaging in It : and how
the Orinistoss, Mr. Ward, Lord Listowel, and many others.
were " herd bit" by being drawn into the YOKO'.
4. The representatives returned by these places anof en
inferior elms. Since the Reform Act St. Alban's has not
had one repreemtative who has acquired parliamentary dis-
tinction, with the single exasOon of Mr. 11. G. Ward.
6. These towns go virtually unreprerentecl. St. Alban's
since the Reform Aot has returned one member on each aide
of politico (thereby neutralising its own vote) to every par-
liament except that of 1832.
6. The system is profitless to those who alone can profit by
it. Badly got, badly spent." Not a single instance is on
record of a bribe being turned to adroit's., whilst there is
abundant evidence to show that every sum so received coca-
eons idleness and aim..
. _

But why multiply thaw general principles ? It is enough
that the interests of England are at stake ; that purity of
election is the point at iota ; that the object to be gained is
to secure a mon honest and more efficient immortal body.
The venal oonstituenchis cinch boroughs as St. Alban's will
never supply this: a Raphael, with gold, would defeat on
that battle-field the finest mitts of the world without it.
The remedial measures desired by the honest portion of
the St. Alban's electorate are the ballot and the extension of
the boundaries of this borough, so as to include the hundred
of Cashlo, which comprises the towns of Watford and Hemel
Hempstead. This would increase the onstitueney time-
fold.