The Express.
London, England, 1849-03-29 00:00:00

' Horace Mann, the seentary to the American *stool system)
that that mods of education is in a very flourishing condi-
tion ; that it is impossible for the public proptily to apply
the funds of the grammar selp.ois in this country; and that,
instead of the Lancashire Behuol Assoes'ion *levering with
ashoolmasten' it would tend greatly to raise that body of
individuals in the sale of exiety.--ply. Watts resumed his
mat amidst lout; applause; after which the resolution was
carried nos/anon ly.
A vote of thanks having been passed to the chairman, the
steeling terminated at ten o'clock.

OUR REPRESENTATIVE SYSTEM
KNARESBOROUGH.
The u Dropping Well" is not the only curiosity
i
et Knaresborough. The borough itself san in-
finitely greater wonder than any of the specimen
that lase been exposed to whet Theodore Hook
called the "drip-drip-dripping." Here we have one
jwtriftetion. The town thee left in p. sae-
sisn of the privilege d returning two members to the
Hems of Commons, is a phce in a state of ut'er
stagnation and paralysis. It is small in extent and
in population—it is poor and wretched to a degreo
—its manufacturing prosperity, never considerable,
is now entirely lest to it—it has no mark.;
advantages—it is no piece of traffic or of pas-
sage. You could not advantageously extend its
boundary in any direction, and an extension of
the suffrage would, from the limited extent and
&premed cmdition of the place, most probably only
esuderit more essentially corrupt. "Mother Slupton "
bend?, who is a " worthy " of Kaaresbcwough, would
never have been bold enough to predict that each a
lowa would have been left two members by an act
which prettified to be a measure of reform.
Knaresborough retained its privileges under the
Reform Act in censequence, probably, of the exercise
of a powerful whig influence. It was formerly abnegate*
tenons borough, possessed by the Dukes of Devon-
shire. Their influence, it isright tosay, was admirably
exercised. Tierney sat for Knaresboroagh, and so did
Sir Jalisco Mackintosh, and so did Brougham. Few
towns con boast so prend a catalogue of members.
The Cavendishes s..emed to plume themselves upon re-
turning as their nominees the highest talent Great
Britain could produce. Bat in those days there were
no ro-ident voters! The bwg•ge tenure deeds were
kept in the possession of the St. ward, and on occasion
of an election the tenants of his Grace were brought
from Bolton Abbey, 20 miles off, and proceeded to
elect as if they were the reel feeholdere. The can-
dilates themselves rarely appeared. On one occasion
a poor old pauper in the town was chaired as the
substitute of an elected member.
It was a bad system, and as the feeling at Knares-
borough wee Mural, it was onewhich the residentswere
rejoiced to are abolished. At the election to the last
close parliament a gentleman came among t"em to
break down, as he said, the boroughmongering in-
fluent-. This was Mr. Retch, then chairman of the
Middles x beech of magis' rats a, now president of the
Teetotal Association. Mr. Hutch is a fluent speaker.
He promised the r ()vie that a candidate to their liking
would appear. On the day before the election the can-
didate did appear, but he was not to their liking. This
candidate was Mr. Entwisle, since a representative for
Lancashire. Mr. Retwiele was a tort'. Mr. Retch
urged that that did not matter : but the electors
thought :it did. Mr. Entwisle was obliged to with-
draw, but Mr. Retch promised the populace, with
whom be bad become a favourite, that, whenever there
was an election, he would come again and make up
for the disappointment they en that occasion had
endured.
The year after, the bormeh was thrown open be
the Reform Bill, and a constituency of about 200 was
registered. For' the most part they were of the
poorest sort. But at that time they were very
independent. Mr. Retch came down from London
to assist them. It does not appear that he stood
on his own account at first ; but after canvassing
the place he threw off all disguise and declared him-
self their champion. There were three other candi-
dates in the field,—Mr. Richards, Mr. Rich, and
Mr. Lawson. Mr. Richards was a hop merchant,
in Southwark : a respectable, elderly person in
spectacles : a well-meaning man enough, bat a
shocking bore, as he afterwards proved himself,
in public. Mr. Rich was a young gentleman of
whom, at that time, nobody knew anything.
Ile had come from they knew not where. Some
suggested, from the moon ; others, perhaps with
more reason, mid from Bolton Abbey. The third
candidate was Mr. Lawson, a resident magis-
trate, a
.tory, but kitten Much liked for his kindly
disposition. He had fought Boroughbridge against
the Duke of Newcastle. and was known in Yorkshire
as a stirring politician. But his viuws on this occasion
were rather prospective than immediate. Even with
the liberals divided, a tory in Knsresborough at that
time stood no chance.
Mr. Richards secured the support of a committee
composed for the most part of moderate whigs—de-
cent tradesmen, and the few gentry who belonged to
the constituency of the borough. Mr. Retch was the
man of the people." Mr. Rich everybody regarded as
a nominee. As all portico, however, seemed content
with Mr. Richards, it was evident that the real con-
test lay between Rich and Retch. They went to
battle, hammer cad tongs, and a pretty piece of work
resulted.
As the choice between the two candidates could net
tarn upon their public profession, it was permitted
to assume the very much worse feature of an attack
on 'personal character. On the one hand, Mr. Rich
was assailed as a boroughmenn a nominee. On
the other side, a series of charges were published,
affecting the reputation of Mr. Botch, as a profes-
sional man and a politician. He was accused of
having been for years a trafficki r in elections; of
seeking out candidates, irrespective of polities; of
acting sometimes as their friend, sometimes as their
counsel; and of personally profiting by tlo se pro-
ceedings. He was accused of having made an attempt
to sell the borough of Sudbury in 1826—t0 effect which
be must, indeed have been clever, considering the
character of thatelectorate. He was charged with having
been engaged in finding candidates for Evesham is
1830, and in procuring one whom ho described as " a
man of money and no less than a lord" (miming
Lord Kennedy), and of bringing him in by bribery,
so flagrantly perpetrated that his election was voided
on petition. These and • great number of other
things were made the subject matter of very strong
personal attacks upon Mr. Botch, and were placed
before the electors in the shape of one-and-twenty dis-
tinct allegations, to which Mr. Botch was called upon
to give clear and satisfactory replies.
li%atever Mr. Botch may have had to say to all
this, is is evident that the people were satisfied.
After a fierce struggle they returnedhimby a majority
of 20, the numbers being, for Richards (with whom
both varties split) 187, Retch 116, Rich 96, Lawson
76. It was, in the fullest sense of the word, " the
people" that effected this result. Mr. Retch had
scarcely a supporter among the more influential mem-
bers of the constituency, but he had all the poorer 101.
householders, and a right staunch body they appear
to have been.
It has too often unfortunately happened that the
votes of members thus popularly elected have any-
thing but realized the expectations of their con-
stituents. It was 110 iu the case of Mr. Retch. When
the excitement of the election was over, and oppor-
tunity was afforded for reviewing its circumstances,
many of his friends were dissatisfied with the result.
At length a speech hostile to the case of the Dorchester
labourers occasioned such general dissatisfectron that
Mr. Botch was given clearly to understand that those
who had supported him before would have nothing to
say to him again. Acoordinely, at the election of
1835, the candidates were limited to three; Mr.
Richards, Mr. Rich, and Mr. Liman'. The prejudice
spinet a "nominee" still remained as strong as
ever, and perhaps was not lessened," by the ani-
mosities excited by the contest of 1832. The nip-
porters of the radical Mr. Botch acoorftgly now de-
termined not to vote for the liberal Mr. Rich, bat to
throw all their weight into the scale of the tory, Mr.
Lawson. Mr. Lawson accord:l4ly polled 179, Mr.
Richards 133, and Mr. Rich 111. Soon after the
parliament met, Mr. Richards ratted ; and this town,
from principle and conviction an essentially liberal
constituency, thus became represented by two decided
tones.

The feeling excited by this very disgraceful state
of things was so extremely strong, that, at the next
election, in 1837, itwas resolved to bring forward two
liberal candidates, and if possible to redeem the charac-
ter of the elactorate. The great object was to oust Mr.
Lawson : as fir Mr. Richards he had no chance, and
withdrew in time. Mr. Rich, true to bis post, came
forward again, and his perseverance was destined now
to be rewarded. The colleague assoc7ated with him
was Mr. Langdale, who had sat for Beverley in the
previous parliament. Mr. Lawson, however, was by