The Express.
London, England, 1849-06-21 00:00:00

had taken an active part in local politics. It is
rather to the credit of this tows, infamous as is its cor-
tuition in other yap', that. it has not, Ike some
boroughs, been " agent rcicien" by solicitors, nursing
it for the benefit of tlncoselves and of their candidates.
Legal agent., on Ole liberal side, have rar,ly, if ever,
been employed at all at Maidstoce, the whole conduct
of the election being kept by the principal trades-
people in their own hands : on the conservative side
up to 1832 it was much the same, though the system
has sines been altered.
Mr. Lewis and his friends now esttblithei the
attorney we refer to as a paid agent for the manage-
ment of the registration, &c. ; the duties ir eluded in
the "et cetera," being very comprehensive. They
expected to feel the advantages of this movement at
the next general election, and they did so. On that
imeadon (1833) Mr. Lewis again came forward as a
candidate in oppoeigion to the former representatives
Marro. Barnett and Rotarte.

Mr. Barnett, rubiequently to the election of 1832,
had de2iiiied upon the hustings that, "in consequt nce
of what he had witnessed at Maidstone elections, he
had become a convert to the vote by ballot." The de-
claration was received with great acclamation.
Amongst a considerable section of the constituency it
aside the hon. gentleman extremely popu'ar. His
course in parliament increased that popularity. He
was a younger man than Mr. Hobart', and, as the
phrame goes, he "went further." He was also an
able speeker,luid that circumstance tel's with a large
electorate. . .

All the night previous to this election, rays a
local chronicler, the tory party were cngagci in
"making arrangements" with a class of men known
in Msidatone as " the Watennen." These watennen
are in fact the barge-towers upon the ricer. Medway,
and the great majority of them are old freemen of tte
borough. "At beak of day the leaders of the tory
party were seen bringing the3e watermen (their pur-
chases) to various public-houses, where breakfast was
provided for then, and where people were engaged to
keep them together." When the poll opened the
effect of the new system of election management was
distirctly seen. Mr. Wyndham Lewis headed the
poll at once ; Mr. Barnett, in consequence of his po-
pularity, holding the second place ; and Mr. Roberts,
the old friend of the town, b.ing last. At 12 o'clock
it was cle-r that the tory must come in. A meeting
of the vellig committee was now held. At this meet-
ing Mr. Barnett expressed his wish that Mr. Roberts,
as the old representative of the town, should be
elected. There was understood, indeed, to have been
an old standing agreement between the two members
(based, very probably, on pecuniary arrange-
ments),that it either had to go to the
wall, Mr. Barnett should give way. Accordingly
a sufficient number of votes were pored to place Mr.
Roberts in a majority, and then Mr. Barnett sent in
his resignation, sad the poll was closed at 2 o'clock by
the mutual consent of all parties. The numbers were
for Lewis 629, Roberts 395, Barnett 333. This elec-
tion is believed to have cost Mr. Lewis upwards of
7,0001.
. . .

The liberal party and their representatives were
deeply mortified at this result. Mr. Roberts registered
a vow that he would never canvass another Maidstone
voter. Mr. Barnett in a farewell address to the el, eters,
wrote: " Unless I had degraded myself by adopting
the same moans of unlimited corruption whim has
been pr c'ised for the two last years against your in-
dependence and my seat, it would have been un-
availing for me to trouble my friends to come to a
polL" We find, by consulting the Maidstone papers,
that such was the impression this scandalous election
made upon the town, that a strong movement was
immediately made there in favour of the ballot as the
only mode of remedying the evils under which the
borough suffered. But, is addition to this, a so-
ciety was instituted upon a principle hitherto un-
known in Maidstone. There had existed in the
town for many years various clubs, which had for
their real object the corruption of the voter, however
well that object might be shaded or disguised. Years
before there had been the " pinks," and " loyal true
blues ;" the first, a band of people waiting to be bribed
—the last, a body of wlatg voters, presenting a
machii.ery far bribery. At the reform period the
liberals established the " Inflexible Club ;" iu 1833,
the tones started the " Constitutional Society ;" and
the agency of this last had been very effective at
Mr. Lewis' election. But the really honest men of '
Maidstone now determined to start a society or their
own, which they did (honour be to them fur their re-
'elution), ender the title of "the Maidstone klec'ety
for the Promotion of y.e Purity of Election." The
following was the first resolution of the meeting at
which this society wes instituted :
_ _

That this stewing have long viewed with regret and de-
testation the means which have been retorted to for pro-
curing the return of members of parliament for the borough
of Maidstone. That the demoralising system of corruption
has recently ben increased to such an enormous extent,
that it is believed, without 11131110 strenuous efforts are at
once made to destroy it, the right of eluding
two members to parliament, instead of proving,
as it ought to be, one of the greatest advantages
that a community can enjoy, will be perverted into a mockery
of free repretantat ion, subjecting the electors to universal exd
lasting scorn and contumely.

The sock ty consisted of ekctors on ly, and its objects
were tht.s defined
1. The prqtection and encouragement of voters is the
honest and free Exercise of their iranchiae.

2. The paniehu.ent of all who take advantage of the weak-
ness or poverty of their fellow oltisene, by attempting to
'Muer them frwa their political integrity.
3. To micas the constAtueney from the disgrace which has
hitherto attached to it.

4. To aid and assist in returning ab'e, liberal, and inde-
pendent candidates to parliament free of tiptoe to such
candidates.

6. To support each candidates only as will r ledge them-
selves to abstain both directly and indirectly from bribery,
treating, and ►ll other illegal nets.
G. To co-operate in endeavouring t unseat any member
who miy obtain his return for the borough by bribery, or
anv other illegal means.
The tffect of this society upon the town will be
seen hereafter.