The Express.
London, England, 1847-06-30 00:00:00

of parliamentary law or technical practice. It would
be, of coulee, out of the design of these papers
to enter into the representative history of the several
boroughs of the county ; but almost all of them present a
singular succession of impeachments of false, corrupt, or
double returns, allegations of bribery and corruption, and
generally of " illegal and arbitrary proceedings.' Some of
them exhibit very remarkable ClllOl of contested elections,
and others have supplied some memorable tests of parliamen-
tary election law, as received and administered at the pre
sent day. We read, however, of one case (out of many con-
nected with elections for the same borough) in reference to
Shaftesbury, which in so ridiculous, and yet so instructive
(em showing to what a height the offence of bribery might be
publicly envied before the puling of the Reform Bill), that
we transfer it to our pages with the view of amusing such of
cur readers as may net have previously lighted upon it. The
details of the proceedings on it are to be found in " Oldfield,"
vol. 3, and he thus narrates the case At the general
election of 1774, Sir Thomas Reinhold, hart., and Sir
Frances Sykes, Bart., being returned to represent this
borough in parliament, a petition was presented by
liana Winthorpe Mortimer, Esquire, complaining that
the two sitting members by themselves and their
agents had betn guilty of many gross and notorious
acts of bribery and corruption, and that the returning officer
had admitted persons not duly qualified to vote for the sit-
ting members, and had rejected the legal votes of others who
had tendered them for the petitioner. Evidence was given
that money, to the amount of several thousands of monk
had been given among the voters in sums of twenty
a man ; and the persons who were entrusted with
buthement of the money, end who were chiefi tae
Jdratee li the town eney_singtdor

ZINK 71-iseleieeteeTled ee—ilsia foie. teee."..W relie--
dui Move, and tenet by the awn of *Puna,' woe
placed in a mall apartment, and, through a hole In the
door, delivered to the voters parcels ectitaining twenty
guineas each ; upon receiving which they were conducted
to 'mother apartment in the same house, when they
found another person called " Punch'. Secretary,"
who required them to sign notes for the value received;
these notes were made payable to an imaginary character,
to whom was given the name of " Glenbucket." Two of
the witaeasee swore that they had seen Punch through the
hole in the doer, and that they homy him to be Mr. Mat-
thews, an alderman of the town ; end, as the counsel for the
petitioner had endeavoured to prove an agent for the sitting
members, counsel for sitting members proposed to call Mat-
thews himself to prove an alibi ; but the committee ruled
not to admit the evidence. On the part of the petitioner.
anent withers, were called to prove declarations of voter.,
who at the poll had taken the bribery oath, that they had
received Punch's money.—" 25th April, 1776, Sir George
Tonge informed the house that the committee bad deter-
mined, A. That the two sitting members were not duly
elected; 2. That Hans Wenthorpo Mortimer, Esq., the
petition" g, was duly elected, and ought to have been re-
turned. The same hon. gentleman delivered in certain
further resolutions, finding that grass and notorious bribery
and oorruption had existed at the election in question,
and that it behoved the house to take steps for
the repremiok of the same. Thereupon the writ for
the vacant seat for Shaftesbury was suspended. Pending
farther proceedings, ordered by the how to be instituted,
in this case, the writ at the commencement of the next en-
suing session was still again suspeaded over the coming
recess. The surempent history of thew
_proceedings our
mace will not allow pa here to enter Into. They terminated
abruptly, but in the pmecution of various persons for pro-
motion and subornation of perjury, and the bringing in •
Fcertain" bill for the distraint& g ofcertain electors of Shaftesbury
at the future elections, such borough, from the further
exercise of their electie frenchise."
To the list of lands proprietors, sketched above, we
iltin should add the followie inemets of this county :---Sirs Ed-
ward Baker, T. F. Bu Meonteney Jephson, William
Knighton, Samuel Scott, Wyldbore Smtth.
At the general election .1835, there was no contest for
Dorsetahire. The them., representatives elected for the
county were, Lord Ashley (conservative), who had sate for
thin county since 1831 ; the:Hon. W. F. Ponsonby, who
had sate for it since 1832 (a wAlig); and 11. C. Sturt, Esq., a
conservative. The next election, of 1837, returned, without
a contest, Lord Ashley and the Hon. Mr. Poosonby, together
with the Hon. Fax•Saangways, a wbig. In thil, a like
uncontested election Cent up' to parliament Lord Ashley, Mr.
Stint, and Mr. George Bankei—all three of them conserva-
tives. On the acceptance of the Chiltern Hundreds by Lord
Ashley and Mr. Sturt, successively, new writs issued in 1840
to supply the seats they had vacated ; end in their stead
were elected Mr. W. K. Sevrner and Mr. John Floyer, both
ea, conservatives. On the registry of year the number of
aim* elector' wry 8.702. On try of 1840 we find
them entered at 6,094 tier' this fact with *met
the entire conservative representation of this county since
the general election of 1841, we can only draw the same
inference, and repeat the same recommendation with which
our paper on " Devonshire " is concluded. X.

STATE OF TUE CORN MARKET IN FRANCE.—
Very little change in prices has taken place during the nut
week. In the north and centre, which are not very plen-
tifully. supplied, prices are firm at slightly advanced quota-
tions; but in the east, the south, and south-vest, prices
are a trifle lower. As little business as possible is transacted
everywhere, the immediate necessities of the present mo-
ment being alone provided for. At Chartres, and some
other markets near Paris, a further decline of about 21 had
taken place, whilst at Orleans and Etampas there has been
an advance of about the same amount. In Brie prices are
also higher, and the same is the case in Picardy. At Rouen
and Havre prices keep up, notwithstanding that the arrivals
have been exceedingly large ; at the latter place, wheat of
good quality ie at from 921. to 1801. the 200 kilos., whilst at
the former it is at SBf. to 401. the 80 kilos. The reason that
prices do not diminish at Hans appears to be that contracts
previously entered into are now being fulfilled with the flour
and Corn which arrive there. The .markets of Alsace and
Lorraine remain as they were, the fall in prices having
' tensed at Strasburg, Metz, and Nancy, prices are firm,
though without any variation. Champagne and Burgundy
maintain last week's quotations; but the south again shows
lower prices. At Lyons Wheat is at from 30f. to 331. the
100 kilos. ; at Marseilles 311. to 32f. the 123 kilos. ; at Tou-
louse 241. to 251. the 75 kilos. ; at Bordeaux 28f. to 32f. the
80 kilos. Wheat has l'uncn in proportion. In the west very
little business is being done. Nantes is receiving supplies
beyond her wants, and the demand is exceedingly slack.
From this statement it appears that, except in some isolated
markets, prices have fallen only in the south, and there to no
great extent. In the Paris market business is at a stand
still, the tendency of prices being rather downwards than
otherwise; the quotations icarcely differ front those of last
week. It may be as well to add that the accounts of the
crop* are satisfactory, though not altogether so much so as
ten days or a fortnight back.
DANGEROUS RIOT.—An affray of a very serious
and threatening character occurred yesterday at Kensington
Park, Notting-hill, arising,out of an attempt made to revive
there the fair which was held in Hyde Park in 1838, in
honour of Her Majesty's coronation, and the resistance made
to the undertaking on the part of the owners of the pro.
perry. Notwithstanding this opposition, the speculators
succeeded in erecting a variety of vans, shows, and booths,
and as the police had reason to believe that this occupation
of the land would not be submitted to quietly, and that
precautions were necessary to preserve the peace, an in-
spector and about 50 constables were on the spot at an early
hour yesterday morning, and soon afterwards the agent of
the ground landlord appeared upon the scene, with about
100 labourers, to insist upon payment of a sum of 1301, due
to the landlord by the occupying tenant, who had underlet
the ground to the persons now holding possession. The
attendants were armed with hammers, hatchets, dc., for the
purpose of dismantling the temporary erections, in ease of
refusal, and were provided with horses and carts to convey
them away. The aspect of affairs now became very alarm.
incr. one man having shown a strong determination to use
a loaded gun if molested, and another, the proprietor of a
travelling menagerie, to let loose the liens, tigers, and other
ferocious animals amongst the crowd, if his property was
interfered with. It was found necessary to send for a
reinforcement of police, hut at length, by dint of earnest
remonstrances with both parties, a compromise was effected,
and the showmen were allowed to retsia peasessier of the
groundtt for the
tnLlegy, on their promise to 'acne it at an early