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

OUR REPRESENTATIVE SYSTEM,

HASTINGS.—(CoNcLuDED.)
Mr. Robert Hollood was introduced to Has-
tily as a gentleman of property:" This, though an
essaUset general introduction, is ontainly by no
taus a clear or definite description. It may mean
sonsthing or nothing; Bank Stock or railway scrip;
a wry chest or kites. In Mr. Hollond's case, how-
ever, it meant " cash "—and no mistake. And cash
am was, as can now be abundantly testified.
Mr. Helloed being elected for Hastings, did what
awn good member should do when be can ; he set-
fled Massif down amongst his constituents. "Now
ra year member' am going to take an interest in
r Helloed bought
I am, and I beg you to know it." Mr.
bought or built himself a marine villa in the
pottiest part of St. Leonard's. You will find it de-
euribsd in Dod u " Allegria, Susses." If any of
should went change of air and can get an invita-
tion to" Allegris, Sussex" take advice and go there
by all means. A prettier or pleasanter place you
mil not find anywbme.
But Mr. Hollond did something more to the pu-
ree than build a villa for himself. It occurred to
aln that his "cash" might On profitably invested in
fito
...Leotard's. Winn be went there, that queen of
waning places was jut beinning to be
=ate& Thus war • mad lack money. Mr.
bad g:ti to spare. The security wasPod, if not , than the funds. He did not

till Woresl4 of coarse not—s podiums of pro-
flit/. n 0,., do—bat he lent money to theme who
They deposited their deeds with his Neat as
=7 sad these mortgages extended themselves
half over the pima All those beam ful
widen beams have parchment roofs. If yen want the
key of say of the best looking of them,
two to sae you will gad it in Mr. Ro-
bert Helloed's troopers-pocket, and it will take
much more, we an tell you, than the ostensible pro-
prietor is usually able to pay, to get it oat enlist
gentleman's lagers.
Who wild oppose such a benefactor to the
borough, and to the independent (don't laugh—Mr.
Holland addresses them as " the independent") con-
stituency of Hastings 10 Of mares, nobody ! It would
be ammedingly ulna both to the representative end
to the people to suggest such a thing. Only think of
the boobies it would 000miea—the heart-burnings,
the jealousies, the ill-will, perhaps the little applica-
tion of the screw. No. it would beeoes&ngly
rzitto oppose Mr. Holland, and so the electors
in 1841.
Th. only question wee, should they not give him a
the seine line of politics P Mr. Phinta
rresitesr d
other member. 1841, as yea will recollect,
wee the year the torsos came into efts. Everybody
felt aretred that Mr. Pleats would elms in tee.
" Such an old and faithful servant of
ettexffs:e._
When Mr. Pleats set he Meetings Is of
the Treasury before the Reform Bill, be bad N
so mash for the borough. Look in the anoteme and
excise MR now, and ere bow many men Rusin all
Hastings the place of their nativity. And hire was,
this kind Mr. Plana" opining in" spin. No one
mild think of opposing him—of course est.
Maeda. Pleats-and Hollond were realeded withal
oppaithey and they each had a grand *shaking!
whisk sod Mr. Planta sepeols.ly a mint of mosey.
Mr. Belem who had stood in 1837 was at this time
quite knotted
But there was a disappointment in store both for
Mr. Plants and his oustitimate. Whim** lid of
Sir Robert Peers administration ammo of, W"old
and hitlifal fried and esrard,* wee ably
overlooked. Poringm the wil baimotvieded emcee
pliable and Ism sxpeei mu : or whir he
wanted ide post ter some one with grease Meow
end moo eennexise. Whether it UV= fess slaw of
these mum or both together, certain it is that Mr.
Planta was passed over. Poor old man : be little
deserved that mortifloatioa is his lad days from the
party who indicted it. If he had in no way served
the public, be had at any rate served the tories—aye,
deed them only too well and truly.
If Mr. Plana had bided his time, u he would
have done had he been twenty or thirty_ years
hat a glorious nuns he would lave
reit Cr;h:rinflietion of this slight. He 'sight have
sat, ride by side, nowadays, with Mr. Harries and
Benjamin Maraeli, and completed the trio who call
for vengeance upon Peel as mach for private as
kw public' wrongs. But poor Mr. Plana could not
stead oat against the mortification of disappointed
'abided He sickened and pined under the inffio-
tics, and at last made up his mind to quit public life
alftether. This resolution, possibly, was stress&
seed by local difficulties under which he lar
bound in Hastings. The "chairing" had beta
expensive, and Mr. Plana wee never a wealthy
man. At length, is 1544, it was conveyed to some of
Mr. Planta's sushi ante that that gentleman would
resign if "as suessensent could be made about the
most. A negotiation was opened with kMr. Brien*
who, it Ins aadmelsod, hid beengradually flog
moue mil aim N monservative." IMr. Briscoe, it wee
nedisdned, would take up all Mr: Plane's liabilities,
say 1,6001. Accordingly, one morning when the
leading liberals were for the most part about at the
anises at Lewes, a requisition to Mr. Briscoe was
carried about the town, and his banners were
again displayed from the inn windows. Mr. Plana
simultaneously adopted the Chiltern Hurdreds, and
the writ being sent down without delay, Mr. Brims
was snugly seated, with no greater difficulty to mat-
tend aphid than an opposition from M. IL R.
Moore, at that time acting for the League.
Thus it happens that both the members at the pre-
sent time owe their seats to " introductions" from
outgoing representatives. This is something new is
the biddy of parliamentary constituencies. But what
else is to be expected? "Gentlemen," said Mr.
Anthony Henley to his constituents at Weymouth
some century ago, " You know what I very well
know—that I bought you : and I know what you
very well know—that I shall sell you."
The general election of last year in the borate' el

wain& w.., for. its combinations and cirrounstii<

byte. aims oneof the least curious inthe parliamentary
history of the town. Mr. Hollond and Mr. Briscoe
both stood again—each upon his own interest. There
was a great duppoousrdion among certain of the conser-
vative party in Hastings to bring out another candi-
date : not that there was much chime of returning
him, bat them was a desire for a contest,
and no particular respect for Mr. Briscoe,
either as regarded his person or his pocket.
Mr. Briscoe and his Mends, of comae, violently op-
posed a measure which, as Mr. Hollond's influence
made him safe, would only tend to Mr. Briscod•
injury and annoyance. The electors, however, deter-
mined to have their third man, and they took mea-
sures to get him.
Who could they apply to better than Mr. Benjamin
Bond Cabbell ? Is therein the whole British empire
so green a candidate who has stood so many contester
The hero of St. Alban's was of all men the very man
for the immaculate of Hastings. A negotiation ems
opened with Mr. Cabbed without delay, and of couresl
Mr. Cabbell entered into it cordially.
There are to be met with in London, especially
about the period of general elections, a body of seedy
individuals, who are always talking of "appointments
at the Carlton at such an hour," and of "my friend,
the under-seoretary," or " our whipper-in." Them
people go about with a "Parliamentary Com-
panion" in their side-pocket for immediate re-
ference, and a copy of a canvassing-hook, neatly Med,
stowed carefully away in the lining of their hate.
They have always WNW " negotiation ” going on, mad
some eliehle borough for which they want a
candidate, irrespective of politics, and with from " two
thousand to five•and-twenty hundred pounds." They
never take any one under 2,0001. paid to themselves,
and therefore they look on Mr. Bond Cabbell, who
only offers half the money, as by no means an eligible
candidate.
At the time when Mr. Cabbell was in negotiation
for Hastings, there arrived by railway in that town a
ra=, now deceased, bat whose name still lives
sort of parliamentary annals as an election
agent, by name " Croucher." Mr. Crossbar
had an interview with "the party " aubsee
to obtain a conservative candidate. Of eOIIIIN
be had one cut and dried for them—
e " most eligible candidate," Mr. Patrick Robertson,
of the Regent's-park, who would spend twice as
much as Mr. Cabbell any day. Mr. Croucher weal
probably have succeeded without difficulty in if
the "leading members of the party " with
the virtues of Mr. Patrick Robertson as connate-
tinguished from the demerits of Mr. B. B. Cabala,
but unfortunately for himself his zeal over'seapt hi
discretion. In his anxiety to prove that be semi
quite prepared for the contest, he let out that he had
brought all the banners, and ribbons, and stationery,
and other paraphernalia, from London. One
or two of the " leading members of the party " were
rather interested in the disposal of small articles of
this sort, and soon came to the conclusion that "the
gentleman warn't by no means the right ant el awl
didate for Hastings." Mr. Croucher prebeted._bat
he was expelled, neck and crop, ignominiriedtr. New
ever, if this gentleman could do them no geed he had
learnt enough of their secrets to do them some seinidef.
He posted up to London to tell Mr. B. B. Oaken
" what a pretty set they were." At the mo-
ment Mr. Croucher drove up to Mr. Cabbell's
suburban retreat, in a street somewhere at the
back of Lision-grove, it happened that a " deputa-
tion " from Hastings arrived there also. Mr. Cabbell
having heard Mr. Croucher, told the deputation that
they ought to explain. A violent scene of elimina-
tion and recrimination ensued, and there was a vast
deal of what is vulgarly called " blackgsarding " an
both sides, greatly to the shock of Mr. Coheirs moral
feeling. At length the " deputation " left to get
another candidate. They went to Mr. &ahem, at
the Carlton; bat the Carlton, having Ward
their story, thought there was a split "about
that Mr. Robertson " and would not interim.
'Doe paned on, and delays were daagesees At
With a very respectable gentleman sun le town
as called on Mr. Robertson. He told him the ikon,
and asked him to come down without Mr. Crusher.
Mr. Robertson had no oliection to that, end down be
went to the borough of