The Express.
London, England, 1848-12-14 00:00:00

OUR REPRESENTATIVE SYSTEM.

LEWES.
The boroughs of Bowen have a most unenviable 's-
wat ou. Then are nine of them ; three, Lewes, Horsham,
and Hastings are, in diffirent degrees, sotorionaly corrupt ;
fire, Arundel, Chioltester, MiJharst, Rye, and Shoreham,
are under family influence, and are as much nomination
boroughs now r they were antecedent to the Reform Act.
The remaining town, Brighton, has, we regret to my, been
Itainted by corrupt practices, anti bide fair at ao distant day,
U opportunity offers, to become as bad as the wont among
them.

For thee* results, at least so far as Hastings, Brighton,
and Henbane are coseerned, the away tow, eLewee is to
a gnat extent Responsible. Lewes from as early period of
the worm has base a bad character. It was for-
a sominaties borough of that broach of the Pelham
atuis
whale is now represented by the Rai of Ceiebeiess
The was in the inhabitants payees amt and Kahl
there were always a there days from Ave to sio hadeard id
them—end a pony let they were. The holepriest prey
in Lewes fon&t their battles against the Pelham ire gin
years with • resident euedidate —Mr. Kemp, of Sow* Ma-
lin, the Wad of ma old Lewis family snub respeelni
by the inhabitants. They managed to obtain and te
keep ma seat tor many years, and in 1806, in consequence ge
acombinatioe with the writs, they finally detested the Pelham
candidate. By. this movement, however, no good real& was
etitained, for in effect the representation was only tamed
over from one lamely to moth, r, and that which the oda
Velum* had enjoyed, a eountry squirearchy of Sltilhum mad
Slimier fur a lung time trampled on. Then it was that Mr.
Scarlett (afterwards Lard Ahinger I fought the battles of
Lewes, and became its hero. lie was an aril, nt hand in
those days, and his name, afterwards so differently associated,
was synonymous with purity and independence. Throe
desperate battles did he light for his principles, and each
time he turd on the threshold of soccer without having
had the happiness of triumph. Meitner and Shelley
kept the seat between them until 1826, when the former
was opposed slot beaten by Mr. Thomas Read Kemp. la
1831, Sir Jobs Shelley, the last reparsentative of the old
family system, was tamed out by Sir Charles Blunt, of
lleattitirld Park, who voted fur rellann ; sad in 1832, Kemp
and Blw.t were returned by the aew constituency without
opposition. and as we may say by acclamation.
The corruption as it was practised is Lewes prior to the
Reform Bill, had at least this much to be said in its evens-
stifle, that there was in those days the influence of prop rty
to be battled with, and that, though bad enough, it never
assumed the unblushing brazen shape it has subse-
quently taken. In than days public.houses were
thrown open and electors were " assisted "—but voters
rarely, if ever, eame forward metal have uablushingly done
since to demand " prices " for their votes and to take the
money of the highest bidders. In those days, too, the mr-
ruptiun was limited to a very low class of voters, and then
roe noble instances of independene • both of principle sod
talks!, smogs% even that class of die electorate. Sines the
Reform Ac' the taint has spread—your " High street "
tradespeople, as they are called in these towns, h..ve become
waiters upon providence and expiators of their share of the
pickings like the rest ; and so far from any such nonsense as
- indignation " at the tender of a bribe. the impression
rather is that a man is ill-used who is not offered one
liberally.
It was at the general election of 153.5 that the emanative
party is Lanes tint reared their heads after the passing of
the Reform Bill. They brought formed their present repre-
sentative, the Hon. Henry I itzroy, brother and heir pre-
sumptive of the present Lord Southampton. Henry Fitzroy
had all the elements of a popular candidate--dash, energy,
suavity of manner, a good appearance, and a popular address.
He was usable, however, to make head at that
time against the old sitting members, and, being
fairly beaten, at one o'clock he retired from the
field, without polling out the constituency. His very
defeat, however, was in some sort a et/Mtn, for he had rallied
a party, and given to the town for the first time that which
is so indispensable to a candidate—a cry and a party desk-
nation,
It happened that the very year after this election Mr. That
Read Kemp, one of the representatives of Lewis. was
obliged, by the force of circumstance., to resign his seat.
Costic,eatul Been:dation% in building property at Kemp
Town, Brighton, contributed, with other circumetances, to
effect the ruin of a gentleman whose family hail for so len
a period held a prominent place amongst the notabilities of
Sum:. No sooner was Mr. Kemp's retirement V mown
than Mr. Fitzroy again appeared in the field. The whigs
had some little di&ulty at first in obtaining • suitable can-
didate to meet him. At last they fixed upon Mr , afterwards
Sir John, Radom,.
To Mr. Easthope is attributed,at Lewee,the distinguished
honour of having been the first candidate after the passing of
the &farm Ast, who revived the old scenes of festivity sad
efooliessmiss gaiety, fur which that county town had a lug
beau crishisert 130 newly was it carried on, that one party
nearlig=hl we erns la the actual fact of bribery, though
be the whirls es mei they unfertunately unwed the
enang ma. The lathery which was practised at this elec-
tion won. be leek met only apse and undisgaised, bat it
reached grades el viten who sever before were recognised
as implimeed ia each boos pendiess. Quite three fourths of
the ohiMmato ars &dm& &oft or indirectly to have been
iniliwasod on this Illennilln. hit. Fitzroy's party were not
far bobbed with the ease practices. Both sides fought to
win. Mr. Fitzroy ultimately succeeded by a majority of 26,
and Mr. Easthope left Lewes to try another equally pure
constituency.
This example at Lewes was not lost upon the con-
stituency the year after when the general election ow
tuned. There was a hot contest on that occasion, and
the same practices were retorted to. Sir Charles Blunt
sad Mr. Fitzroy were returned, the latter, however,
by a mejority of three only over his competitor, Mr.
Brad. Mr. Fitzroy was extremely hard hit by these
two expensive and closely succeeding contests. He repaired
his fortune subsequently by a marriage with a daughter of
the lea Baron N. 111 Rothschild, and it is rumoured that
one stipulation of the settlements on that marriage bad ape-
dal racie to Lewes by prohibiting the expenditure of
any of this property therapy acquired in electioneering ex-
penses et any sort whatever.
Bat corruption at Lewes had not yet reached its climax.
Just prior to the dissolution of 1841, Sir Charles Blunt died,
and the whir feeling that they had little chance at a single
election, permitted Lord Cantelupe to be elected in his place
without opposition. Bat when the general election come in
1841, it was determined to masks agree% effort to regain posses-
sion of both mats. The gentleman solicited to arrange the
matter was Mr. (then Dr.)lioward Blphinstone. Dr. Rlphin.
stone came down and brought a second candidate with him.
It was a Mr. Sommers Harford, a member of a Bristol
family, great iroansasten in South Wales. A new system
was now adopted. Beer and tobacco were considered vulgar.
The rale was ' hot suppers, punch, and wiue • whisk,"
✓ays poor Mr. Fitarly, made my very lair stand
on end to think of! ' Every evening the dyer used
tM o go round ase Sawa ars nennelitalltat , Mr. ttarford's
ende •
would meet at such an inn t night at such en
hour. This was thoroughly undentood, and the electors
took advantage of the opportunity and attended in great
numbers. Mr. Fitzroy and Lord Centelupe were eating a
quiet chop, when their agents came in and told them that it
was imperatively neoeseary that they should give " hot sup-
! pees, punch, and mulled wine," like the other party. Mr.
Fitzroy swore downright that no purse could stand it, and
that be would not. The erns insisted that he must. The
committee were called together. As they came down the
street tremendous cheers were heard from the .upper-rooms
over WO way. They went to Mr. Fitzroy's hear:
std put his pocket into a state of collapse. His com-
mittee, on whom the sheets of the drunken liberals
had their due effect, declared that they must have hot sup-
pers too. " A regular dispute," as Mr. Pitney sap, " fol-
lowed. I declared I would not, and they said if I did not I
must give up my seat. I mid il anything of the sort was
done or attempted I would go out of the town. It ended in
my poor voters going supperiess to bed."
The hot suppers were not the only means resorted to to
sway the electors at this election. A rem
nler system
of abduction and cooping was punued. Homes
were taken at Hastings and at Brighton, to which
electors who were thought doubtful, and who might
pcesibly be influenced by the other side, were
taken over to be amused and kept in safety until the day of
election came. Some of the voters who went off in this way
disappeared suddenly and unexpectedly, to the amusement
and horror of their wives and families, who insisted on the
river being dragged for their bodies. Others went quietly,
alter tipping the wink to some of their relatives, and request-
ing a shirt or two to be put up for them in a brown paper
penal. Them parties either wanted a holiday or dame
of air mad thought living for a week or two at the
see-side far preferable to working or atteadhig to
their heinous at home. But there was another
duo who west Irons a different motive entirely. asap
of a bullies" had been introduced into the town. Thies
men. in certain came, were sat upon Town to task sad to
annoy than. In Nee comes their only object was to trace
out *bat they were doing : in others they were directed to
pick quarrels with them, bully them, and thrash them to
death `e door. Thus a modest-looking quaker pursuing his
way quietly through the streets, would probably find his toes
suddenly trodden on by a ruffianly-looking reseal is a pea-
jacket. Almost before he could open his mouth in ezposteila.