The Express.
London, England, 1848-12-02 00:00:00

OUR REPRESENTATIVE SYSTEM.

CHIPPING WYCOMBE..

Down in a deep and narrow valley, among the
beech-clad hills of Backs, stands the broad clean
street that constitutes the town of Chipping Wycombe.
It has the honour of returning two representatives to
parliament; having, by a combination of good luck
and good management, escaped Schedule B of the
first Reform Bill. Tile borough at the present time
comprehends the entire parish of High Wycombe,
which has a population of 6,500. The registered
electors number 399.

The election of members forWyoombeprevions tothe
Reform Act was vested in the mayor, two bailiffs, and
the burgesses. It was a snug constituency of twenty or
thereabouts. The sitting members for some fifty years
prior to 1831 were Sir John Dashwood King and the
lets Sir Thomas Baring. The former was opposed to
reform, and, though popular u a landlord, was unpo-
pular as a politician. At the election in 1831 it was
consequently determined to " turn him out."
Perhaps there were other reasons. for this change
betides Sir John Daahwood's tory principles. In the
middle of the High-street at Wycombe is a long
blank wall, with a modest-looking little door at one
end of it, always kept locked securely. 'This is a
private way (only used wheu occasion requires) from
the town to " the Abbey "which nestles in " the rooky
wood" at the back of it. You would never think, as
you walked down Wycombe, that it was through that
modest-looking door that one, at least, of the repre-
sentatives of the borough finds his way from Wy-
combe to Westminster.

"The Abbey" was, years ago, the seat of the Lats.
downe family, who take their title of Earl of
Wycombe from the town. The present marquis was
born there • and in the parish church, hard by, many
of his family are buried. They disposed of the Wy-
combe property in 1798 to Mr. Smith, the grail Lon-
don banker, who had just been created Lord Carring-
ton by favour of Mr. Pitt. But in Wycombe the
Pettya are still regarded with affection, and the town
prides itself on being the cradle of their house.
It was the present Lord Carington who ousted
Sir John King just prior to the Reform
Bill He had sat for the county, with the present
Duke of Buckingham, for a &n en years preceding.
Bat the period of the Reform Bill was a time when
tact was required in managing election matters.
Wycombe was to have a new constituency, and who
could say how that constituency would go? It was
highly necessary they should be conciliated and
coated. So the county was handed over to Mr.
John Smith, a brother of the first lord ; and the Ho-
nourable Robert John, son and heir of the " Abbey,"
offered himself iu the mast popular manner to the
people of Wycombe, and rooted the tories in his first
hour's canvass. Sir John King, poor old soul, fled
from the town in pale despair. His fifty years' services
were forgotten in as many seconds, and all Wycombe
fell down and did homage to the rising sun.
_ .

Five miles from the town of Wycombe there is a
small place, of which you may have heard, called
" Bradenham." You may meet with men in London
who call it " Bradenham Manor," or " Bradenham
Park," but these are little affectations, not inexcusable
under the circumstances, though scarcely understood
by the yeomanry of Bucks. " Bradenham " is a
Buckinghamshire village, in which there is an old
sort of manor-house, with some fields and garden-
ground, belonging to a family named Norris. Ths
Norrises, going to reside elsewhere, let the place for a
hundred a year or so, on a long lease, to Mr. Isaac
Disraeli, author of the "Curiosities of Literature,"
sad other works of less considerable reputation. Mr.
Dirndl was residing there in 1831, at which time
than was lounging about the place his eldest son, Mr.
Benjamin, a young gentleman of 28, who seemed to
tin his mind to nothing in part'eular but reading
the newspapers, and chatting over the political occur-
rences of the day.
One eventful morning, about this period, Mr. Ben-
jamin Disraeli astonished his family at breakfast by
starting a notion that he should like a seat in the
first reformed parliament, and that he had written an
addren to the people of the neighbouring borough of
Wycombe, asking them to do him the honour of
electing him their representative. It sounded such a
capital joke that all the party laughed outright. But
there were various consmerations that owned to Ten.
_ •

der the idea acceptable. Mr.Disr.
tought
a canvass at ti "comae would give his son someh thing
to do, if it did nothing else. Mrs. Disraeli was,
of course, decidedly of opinion that her own boy
would make an excellent member of parliament;
the young gentlemen of the family thought the affair
would be " a capital lark," and the young ladies had
visions of franks floating before their eyes, and of
quires of correspondence from their " dearest friends,'
received post free, under cover to brother Benjamin.
The difficulty was how to get into High Wycombe. It
was well enough to issue an address, bat some better
introduction was wanted than that of the printer.
At last a Capt. Hongham (a half-pay lieutenant, who
had given himself the advantage of brevet rank) was
thought of; and Mr. Benjamin rode over to consult
him on the subject. CApt. Hougham had never had.
the honour co, introducing a candidate to the town be-
fore ; and of course was highly flattered by any such
application. He adopted Mr Disraeli forthwith, and

his address was agreed upon, and sent to paint
without delay.
It must be candidly admitted that Mr. Disraeli's
proceedings on his canvass were fall of promise. No
man ever worked harder for su-cem. He was a bold
speaker from the first, and with very little practice he
became infinitely bolder. For half a century the
elections at Wycombe had gone on in a quiet jog-trot
sort of way, and when the people had recovered their
surprise at Mr. Disraeli's sudden incursion, they began
to be charmed with the novelty of the mason,
and amused by the untiring perseverance of
the candidate. Certainly he did Myra with
vengeance. Night kna day he leas al it.
If he got a couple of promises a week he appeared
to be Natalia. lie seemed to care for no discourage-
ment& Of course the " respectability " of the to en
stood aloof; but he did not mind that. He flattered
here and coaxed there, and manoeuvred in another
quarter; and every little success seemed to stimulate
to new exertion. Mr. Disraeli '• threw himself upon
the people," and very soon he became highly popu-
lar with the multitude. He made them on as average
a speech a day, full of highflown phrases and general
allesions to liberty which passed muster with the
crowd, though the more acute might fancy that this
jingle had by no means the " ring " of a pure metal.
Mr. Disraeli had a sister who assisted him in his can-
vass; and she won all hearts. The old party colours of
the town had been blue and yellow; he started pink,
which being infinitely more becoming, led the ladies to
espouse his cause immediately. In the morniogs he
attended missionary meetings, and spoke for the "poor
African ;" and in the evenings he smoked pipes with
the free-and-easy clubs, and danced with the non-
electors' daughters. His friends appear to have com-
prised a most miscellaneous company. Mr. Dupre,
a Tory magistrate, and Mr. James Clay, the present
radical representative of Hull, figured side by side at
one of his dinners. Both claimed him as a member
of their party, and, no doubt, he had given both good
reason to believe that he belonged to them.
The truth wee, that Mr. Disraeli was everything to
every voter • and it was not ustil they began to com-
pare notes that they found him out. Had an election
taken place sooner, after he started, he would probably
have been returned. As it was, delay gave oppor-
tunity for examination, and he was " discovered."
In the midst of Mr. Disraeli's canvass, in anticipa-
tion of the general election under the Reform Act, an
unexpected circumstance occurred. It was no lees
than the sudden withdrawal of Sir Thomas Baring
from the representation, in order to stand for Hamp-
shire, where a death had created a vacancy, laving the
liberal party in some difficulty as to a candidate. The
consequence of this was a single election by the old bur-
gesses of Wycombe; a great disadvantage to Mr. Dis-
raelfscause. The candidate who seipeared to oppose him
was the Hon. Col. Grey, the Prime Minister's second
son and private secretary, who was also connected by
marriage with the retiring member for the borough.
Col. Grey was successful, and his success has no
doubt had a great effect upon Mr. Msrael's subse-
quent career. When he first started that gentleman
went mainly for the government and covered Earl Grey
with laudation. Then he came out in what has been
since known as a tory-radical. Some one posted a
handbill warning the electors to beware of him.
" Beware of a tory in disguise." " A tory in dis-
guise!" said Mr. Disraeli, turning to his opponent,
I will tell you who is a tory in disguise. It is—a
whig in place."
Mr. Disraeli now took up the ballot and triennial
parliaments, and very violently declaimed in favour of
both. 'fhere was published in the borough at this
period a sort of weekly newepiper, with the title of
the Wycombe Sentinel, perhaps about as scurrilous a
production as ever escaped the notice of his Serene
Highness the ex-Duke of Brunswick. Tt e Wycombe
Sentinel gave all Mr. Disraeli's speeches in full, and
all the speeches of the gentlemen who proposed his
health, and paid compliments to " the house of Bra-
denham." In these papers you will find Mr. Disraeli
not only to have spoken generally in favour of what
are now denominated radical measure', but to have
defended each of them specifically :
- -

Mr. Disraeli explained how the advantages of the ballot
counterbalanced some objection. which might be fairly urged
against it. lie supported this omen?e as much against the
unenlightened populace as the tyrannical aristocracy, as
much against the passions of the many as the prejudice of
the few.

Respecting triennial parliaments and the repeal
of all seemed taxes, he was equally explicit. But it
was all of no avail. Somehow or another the electors

mistrusted him; and when the contest came on in
1832, Mr. I)israeli was beaten by a majority of 20,
and Mr. Robert Smith and Col. Grey were returned.
Mr. Benjamin relieved his spleen by appealing to
the electors of Marylebone, where a contest was soon
after expected which did not occur. We have before
as now ids address to " the independent electors" of
the borough, dated from " Bradenham House, Bucks,
April 9, 1833." We give an extract from it as a
curiosity :
I claim your support as a mars who .as already fought
the battle of the people (!), and as one who believes that the
only foundation on which a beneficent and vigorous govern-
ment in this country can be raised, is an unlimited
,confidence in the genius of the British nation. With
this conviction I am desirous of completing the machi-
nery of the constitution by two measures which will invest
the people with a power that was once their birthright; and
with aiecurity which I hops their children will inherit.
These measures are TRIENNIAL PARLIAMENTS and Election
by BALJAT ; and, unless these measures be conceded, I can-
not comprehend how the conduct of the goverturimet can ever
be in harmony with the feelings of the people. Believing
that unless the public burdens are speedily and materially
I reduced a civil convulsion must occur, lam di sirou. of see-
ing a parliamentary committee appointed to revise the entire
system of our tszation with a view to relieve industry from
1 those incumbrances which property is more capacitated to
endure—wadi especially pledge myself to exert all my ener-
gies to obtain the repeal of the assessed lases, a repeal which
from the state of the constituency of your borough, is as seem-
as a measure of constitutional privilege as of financial
reform

Such were Mr. Benjamin Disraeli's principles. He
only got laughed at. His " unlimited confidence "
was evidently infinitely more in himself than in " the
genius ef the British nation" (which be very probably
considered himself to represait). All would not do.
He was thrown back on Wycombe, and at the general
election of 1835 he fought another corely contest here
with his old opponents, and with precisely the same
result—the numbers being, for Smith, 289; Grey,
147; Disraeli, 128. Six years of this man's life may
be said to have been lost in his contests at Wycombe.
Mr. Disraeli spent a little fortune in Wycombe, and
contributed more than any one to make it what it is.
After the defeat last recor.led, he desisted from trying
his luck in that town. He tried his principles (and
something else) at Maidstone, and that immaculate
borough " had the honour " of first returning him to
parliament in 1837. It is said, however, that even
now he looks hack to Wycombe with a longing eye,
and se a harbour of refuge against the storms and
winds of Bucks. When he becomes a radical leader,
as many expect he assuredly will, the electors of
Wycombe may possibly confide to him their repre-
sentative trust. Until that time comes, the private
door into Lord Carington's park is not more securely
closed than is the door of Wycombe to "Mr. Benjamin
Disraeli, of Bradenham."
Here drops the certain on Mr. Disraeli. Another
day we shall give the second act of the parliamentary
history of Wyoombe, with another and a nut lees in-
teresting set of characters.

BOLTS OP TIES Collirrilir.—TM wrotehei eseditios
sow parr et the anuttry reader art ad Lasater. tiler
trader every day. set la ear rear row, bet Is .. ray
ea roper the peahen sad wears raiser la Re.
rotas destratise lareare se rapidly this
werrhefe ter Adder, Wloofa aseserry, or wide It will
metria read herbed War ea. Ildatier, aaarreas sad
rapid. re *ampMir awadbire. tor adadries, sad rob-
ber's et sheep, autorees mad iseserat, real OM
he the aseetity et all property. Cerra pperary
hey. bal the isaratr, a few sights die aka
a rebtary la Ire setrail Praree :ea dr abot
head, the des
preen. weer era to be la tell
swarm then. TM IMO Om,* Chimids, a *weal
set adverse to the leadleedo. date fiat. la s salami sear
Berrisetteas, whir, Review le the sesta hire et dr hor-
rors, " aretaieed meamety" 25 lawirei, all is sow
daritedea; et are MON at• Ilave sadrated arra
twe yaw. Om lave dial away, sad et the reerisiai twelve
all re is wear. sad trey tory arra at here borer troy
awe ase da. arse et riligratieg. The terojearal 1110111
et dr limp of Sally ratiory, that the Marra% ere
" sartia steal,d poverty." wad yet it "der ad aerie
marardi tie samba of tuella. whisk a lbw year ores
were aristraed la empire.. diem" The atm le sitar
Traterea, la the sire ear , rod laird the assewer
et err et tre balder raster el lwiseler re et a lim leder
erdp arlere.

PROVINCIAL.
A MISEL—A few days ego t brad aim a
tailor by
.trade„ and now about My rats ef era_ wes--
to the Lee& Warlike:nue by a pabulum, who bed beef kin
wandering ab nit at the east end of thil town, ea bete hes-
deriag on Oa Wag seirehed in the isesivieg.
roe= a parse et silver (eta w fiend in one of hie meat
peekete, siewantiad in vase to 3111. Tr. 6d. lie was need-
abed by the idiom as a pima who lead up to "tibia the
kb few maths received parish riled as moment of his
Wades's; het which had hese sibeestlealpd daring the
maser in seasseasses of the retinied-ellicer sear being
Ws to lad hie as hems, sr to get wee to kiss house when
• ; and keeled advised tke beard teve his rebel
only la the weekhonee, whisk the wee declined. Oa seise&
fag the buns is which the old vaia lived alone, a large
new beg, ailed with penny pieces, w found is a wooden
hew emend with leather, the weight of which could not be
low bra a hundred pounds. It w taken care of by the
elms until the bond of guardians 'head give directions
swessilag
wwwwww Z• 101

I.li. • Vlloaaamr
Illovra DZVON EtecrioN.—Mr. Hamel& has
wood M• madidate. TM following soma from ids
phissa 'imam ImplAss the reason : " Hind that in sonar
wale or the slides whist' I entertain with regard to some
Clirfor dim 11.aess oohed. dew in Inlaid, the Rum
riPoisitioaists is not sufficient to induce me as disturb
• • poses of tits county. and I therefore *halloos offer myself
as • wadi lats." Sir Ralph Lopes be. accepted the Waits
dot eta @Walt. The hon. baronet ezpressas his deter.
soisolies to oppose asdawment, and he than pre-
ens& to say: Although IMI that this Wass* is thi
am at dm proem lament Oat eiWlt affsetieg both
oar isieloseto and our Italia's, yet there are mbar sub-
ism at which the siestas ought to undensmn
Me *Mai opinions of any reatleossa Invited to heeeme
dodo ospossaistior I will, therokre, shortly state to yyoosu
ssi erbium That pound°n shade be gives to di boasdw
GI omiloo Worry as fully N. molar the siesamtanses in
whit doe Gamily is now pissed, it is bis to preesne
atasiarple • sad that I sal stroosly with the
, is th'e metal flasnoisily embarrsesed state of the
marinery,sissioreing the rat NW economy in all bemshes
dig=issery as es ise ; aosso by • Musks ad ear
he to sessisteet with maintaialag them
es aMI linasiai the honour and dignity of this great
Sindeg.

UNIVERSITY AND CLERICAL.
Ozress, Diso. I.—ls a soarosatiss, Midas this saws-
the amloollso of the In. Dr. 11711M4 Mite= Wean=
to las pia of swarm ■a Ws lislort Taylor's Fooodstioa,
mad Wo isposlaiworat st taw war* at Oalvinity Asko to Ws
Issotaidi.tiasnolotka at tbs balsa
▪ la a ottipsgoiloo, balsa Warawas,
Imo auttorted,_ via, MA. : Ws P. N. Smola Swt, ;
rceitiftsw. Odd; T. C. Corrows. Wan; oall J. ix tbdo, st.
shas—S.A. S. Sway, Wasior st F.Rork% 4•1.
Sol ; S. lidasidos, WOMB ; S. T. Swary, Deny of
MtU C. H. Sidlois Dow, WOWS ; LO. Salta, Sclabir of
ML WU* Brstowat; I. B. Sowsona St. Ma% ; W. Sot.
adam ; J. C. Inrilt ; J. BijeaL3Oselehal ;
Dva■AN, Nov. 30.—At a Converidas Wass at Tassday
lost the foilowlas do/ us won waisrel :—Ad Dawless, MA. :
lisv. J. 0. Wow*, Trim. Oat, Coosa.; Ww. J. N. A Tita.
• Csatb.—lSA. L Orgy. Sofa OA.

Paarßattorto.—Rot. J. P. Said, to Bithop-Woosotottas ,
; a.. Defies: 121110, htth medusa: pima the Bp. of Dar-
ken ; misemt le deal et is isi I. 0. P. Welleetry.—lay. J. A.
Otehis. e• West tale. 1... MAW db. Norw.; pe... Lard
RefrAmos&-Iw. A. I. haws. le the Sod Ilaherelip it Dade,
lee Gomm Ilibed.