The Express.
London, England, 1851-04-04 00:00:00

PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES.

AYLESBURY ELECTION COMMITTEE.
Yesterday, at eleven o'clock, the members of this
committee, consisting of Mr. C. A. Hamilton (the chair-
man). lion. J. W. Forteseue, Sir E. Hayes, Mr. Miles,
and Mr. J. B. Smith, concluded their inquiry.
Mr. B. James, Q,C., ernumeneed his reply on behalf of
the petitioners by allusion to the complaints that had been
made by Mr. &Trent kinglake as to the way in which
the cam hod been opened against the sitting member. Ile
(Mr. James) felt the committee would agree with him, that
the sitting member had nothing whatever to complain of
as to the way in which the case hail been conducted
throughout. more particularly as he (Mr. James) had en.
deavoured to be more guarded in this respect, from the fact
of Mr. Calvert being a friend of his own, and having
therefore a delicate duty to perform, and from the further
fact of their both having the same political predilec ions.
Idr. James then approached the question of bribery and
treating, contending that the committee would find upon
evidence that there had been bribery and treating
tarried on systematically, which, if corruption in
large borough constituencies was to be prevented,
he contendtal must be put a atop to. Many
of the witnesses had spoken of the treating in question as M
trifling and-with such unblush:ng effrontery as almost to
MUM) a smile on the part of the committee; but this
only reminded the learned counsel of the voter
for Sudbury, who, on being examined by the
committee who inquired into the alectioneerin; cor-
ruptions of that borough, confessed that it had been
his custom to receive five sovereigns for his vote before
he took the solemn oath against bribery. (Laughter.)
After commenting at some length on the general
evidence, Mr. James alluded to the question of agency,
upon white he contended the decision of the committee
would turn, and fur which Mr. Calvert must be held to be
responsible, contending that the defence contained in the
evidence of Mr. Acton Tindal, Mr. Watson, and the other
legal agents, constituted no answer to the can,
but that Mr. Tindal, in his cross-examinatiou, conclusively
admitted that lie took Ward, the builder, and Wheeler, the
baker, into the carriage with him and Mr. Calvert, on two
occasions, to canvas, and it had been laid down by all
the committees of the house, in putting a construction
upon what was agency and what was not, that those who
contributed by their services to the successful result of an
election must be considered as agent., and that the candi-
dates having subsidised their service', as in the ease of
Ward, must he responeible for their acts. The learned
counsel cunt luiled with an earnest appeal to the committee
on behalf of that portion of the constituency of Aylesbury
who were untainted by these corrupt practices, and which,
if allowed to prevail by committee, of the House of Cum-
nions, would be tantamount to placing an imprimatur of
immunity upon a system of bribery and treating.
The room was then cleared ; and idler the committee had
been in deliberation for nearly on hour, the public were re-
admitted, upon which
The Hon. Chairman read the following decision
" The committee have determined that Frederick Cal-
vert, Esq., is not duly elected a burgess to serve in this
present That
for the borough and hundreds of Ayles-
bury. That the hot election ter the said horough and
hundreds of Aylesbury, so fir as regards the return of the
said Frederick Calvert, is a void election.
" That Frederick Calvert was, by his agents, guilty of
treating at the last election for the said brormi.th and bun-
reds—that it was wit proved that the Se acts of treating arere
committed with the knowledge of the said Frederick Cal-
vert."
"That the committee also find that a eractice prevailed in
the said borough at the last election of issuing printed
tickets for refreshment to the extent of ss. each to voters,
both before and after the lolling. The committee believe
that this practic• hio obtained very exclusively in the said
borough, and tiny consider it their duty to report it to the
house."
The first paragraph of the decision was rceseivial with
cries of " Oh' oh!" and contrary manifestations, sad the
committee adjourned shortly after I o'clock. It was ru-
moured in the committee that Mr. Ferranti intends to be-
an= a candidate for the vacant stmt.