The Express.
London, England, 1849-12-26 00:00:00

OUR REPRESENTATIVE SYSTEM

KIDDERMINTER—(Corammw).
Mr. Godson whilst he sat for Kidderminster had a
variety of ways of keeping up his influence amongst
the voters. A permanent paid agent in the town
attended to the registration' and to all the minutiae of
electoral affairs. Mr. Godson himself is said to have
kept a poli-book unrivalled for its completeness. It
contained the private and public history cf every
elector, and a mooed of everything concerning him
as reported by his Kidderminster agent in a weekly
letter. He made it his business to know every
man's private affairs, his relations and connexions,
their means and resources, the number of his family,
the habits and predilections of his wife, the cost of
his children at school or their vari los employments itl
of age; the names of his employers, past and present;
the amount of influence they could bring to bear upon
him, and the way to use it. In fact, Mr. Godson
knew es much about Kidderminster as he did about
his own domestic arrangements, and could tell you
from his books at any time more almost about a voter's I
affairs than the voter knew himself.
Nor were these the only means the hon. member
had of managing the people. He annually ex-
pended a very considerable sum in paying poor's
rates and rendering pecuniary assistance to poor
voters. Whether be ever got his money
heck again is questionable, but it was lent
or given with considerable readiness to those who
asked. Occasionally, too, the hon. gentleman was in
I the habit of treating the inhabitants with some of the 1
produce of his West India estate,. Several casks oft
rum, consigned to certain publicans in Kidderminster, I
made, on one occasion, their appearance in the town.)
This rum was tobe distributed, "with Mr. 0010,1118 1
compliments," to every one who called for it ; and at'
one house there was a pretty considerable dared I
and a tolerably free supply. The other publics'',
however, thought he might as well have the advan-
I tags of the rum himself, and from his storm scarcely
a quart of Mr. Godson's "fine old Jamaics" ever found
its way to the townsfolk'.
At the general election of 1847 Mr. Godson was
imoppeied. One cause of this was the bad odour in
whisk the town stood with men who knew anything
of electioneering business. Even those who are most
ready adventurers shrank frcm the idea of suffering
under the same hands that had been employed in
the affair of Meseta. Rennie and Ricardo. But Mr.
Godson was not destined to enjoy for a long period
the eeat which he had now secured for himself with
such comparative tranquillity. He died in August
of the present year, suddenly, of a disease of the
heart, leaving the fruits of all his exertions to be
reaped by other and by even meaner hands.
And here let us my
.one word on Mr. Godson's
death by way of imparting a lesson to corrupt politi-
cians. This man had been nearly 20 years connected
with this town. He knew, as we have already stated,
every voter well and intimately. He had con-
ferred favours upon many of them. He had paid
large same to a very large proportion of the inhabi-
tants. From first to last Kidchrmioster is supposed
to have cost him, directly and indirectly, five and
thirty thousand pounds. Row was the news of hie
sudden death received there? Was the town in
mourning—were the people sorrowful—did the Church
bells toll—was there a single sigh for him? Not
one!
The independent electors rejoiced in the prospect of
the coming harvest ! 1
It was remarkable, during the last election at Kid-1
derminster, that all mention of Mr. Godson appeared,
by common consent, to be sunk. No man spoke of
him. Usually, common courtesy dictates some refer-
eece to a deceased member, as to " our late respected
representative." Throughout the last election at Kid-
derminster we never remember having heard the
word "respected" applied to Mr. Godson. And so it
shall be with you, corrupt electioneerer of whatever
party, when you are snatched away from the consti-
tuency you have bribed ! Do not suppose for a moment
that your expenditure, however lavish,entitlesyou to a
sigh, or secures you a good wish. You may spend in
besotting a whole town five and thirty thousand
pounds, or double if you like it, and not a prayer phial
be said for you upon your death-bed—not a tongue
shall say " Gad bits, year memory !" And yet this
money would erect and endow a hospital, where for
ever there should be some of God's creatures who
should daily bless the memory of their benefactor,
and pray that his benevolence might be remembered
et the awful day. It would erect and endow a Church,
wherein generations should worship the Gcd that
guided-your heart to pious deeds :it would found
schools wherein hundreds of children might be taught
to become gaol members of the state and of society,
and to avoid those evil courses which you, by your
icorruptions, are too fatally inducing.
We may leave it to your own hearts to decide
which expenditure is the best.
Mr. Godson was scarcely cold in his shroud before
one of his former supporters, Mr. Best, a manufac-
turer at Kidderminster, was soliciting influence for his
son John, a barrister of the Oxford Circuit,with a large
practice in the Palace Court, and a small one at the
Worcester Sessions. Of all things in the world
nothing could be conceived much bolder than for any
Kidderminster man to ask a favour of his fellow
townspeople. It was a particularly bold thing
to do in this instance, fir Mr. But was
a man without influence or popularity in any
marked degree. But there was another thing
Mr. Best also wanted the lack of, which was useful to
him—he was entirely free of everything approaching
delicacy. He went about to every one, no matter
who, asking votes for his son John, and obtaining
promises from some because there was no other can-
didate in the &Id, from others because they did not
like tory "No,"and from a still larger section because
they could not conceive it possible that Mr. John Beet
could have a chance, or could ever be bold enough
to push himself forward when matters cams to a crisis.
For some time Mr. Beet, in this way, managed to
have matters wholly to himself. At length the soli-
citor who acts for the liberal party announced a can-
didate, Mr. Thomas Gisborne. Mr. Gisborne came
down, and the first thing he told the electors was that
he did not intend to spends shilling. This was honest,
straightforward, and right; but the Kidderminster
voters were scarcely suited by such a declaration.
Mr. Gisborne, however, addressed himself to de
non-electors. He pointed, out to them bow
der. their interests were involved in purity
of t.ion. The non-electors, now for the first time
appealed to as reasoning men, and not as creatures
with bray passions, were glad to learn the lessee,
and speedily ranted themselves oa Mr. Gieborne's
side. The following is one of the handbills issued
upon this subject, and as the production of a non-
elector it is a very remarkable and striking docu-
ment. It shows,in fact, how far better flutedfor the
franchise are many of the non-voters, even in unin-
structed Kidderminster, than are the venal and cor-
rupt electors who have four times over sold their

toi►n :--

Pantry or Butertox.—To rtes Innistwens 0/
ILIDDZIMINSTIS —The representation of this borough being
vacated by the death et Kr. Godson, a contested gleams
may be expected. before the excitement of which a few
words to the inhabitants may not be thrown away. A can-
didste determined to hold fut the principle of purity of elm.
tion, will afford the electors every opportunity of amiertain-
lag hie political sentiments ; but he ought to uk no man far
W e*: this system of canvassing ie at the root of political
dirtmlienn ; he will pto the poll, relying upon his prin. 1
dohs era torsos conduot alone for support. An elector, 1
11110 values sad respects his franchise, will, unsolicited, vote 1
Ihr the Era with whom opinions he eireeklUlielilleillad
rierailooTo of personal interestopieterred by any is.
; rionsahories that the hamithe it • wired frisk
Mbe eureka% a
heaway fad with isiesesiesse. Non-1
&dm should lee se Mime ever dishes Wend the
hsitiosto odes el aroma mei nista.4llhose
Ihs isispesiesee of le frlsideo, is.l es fish 1
1
ins MEM for it. Whoa a number flees dieLtille
etsedraeate, by bitty ea& be
peellsmat, he is lobe so Via tint Zia es Ile
lll=they ere belated Mt Ow the semen of lie
limo be their bassi& Let
mai seweisetustk mite ageism the mrstratigetillei 1
ulog which lee Miliffto Showed KidAeretiataw. I
the briber awl the killed es yea world a pidspeati Ile
duels a pine; the briber Weis a
rill iridebe at a spine; 'a mew le bailor.=
Ile lassleL That ihe eleilies may be essdatlel eft psi