The Express.
London, England, 1847-02-19 00:00:00

Clagsaik r 015•66.14 fhe ilk a

October, which are the eami at tis—sse at the 4th of
June, published is the Yw' of the 11th of October.
During that interval bostillsiss kali not been renewed. By
means of the weeku of debase constructed at Punavia, our
troops, now freer in their marrements, kept the Indians, who
have dissented from Ffelleil protection, confined to the
valleys, and prevented them from assuming the offensive.
The communications between Pepsin and our different posts
were fully secured. Our native allies had effected several in-
cursions into the valleys, and taken about 6A prisoners,
amongst whom were four due& the principal chief, who
had been the first to give the signal of defection to the pro-
tectorate, was one of the captive.; most of the latter, how-
ever, having made their submission, were set at liberty. The
governor reckoned on the moral impression which the pre-
sence of the reinforoerrents he had called for was likely to
produce, being convinced that all resistance would speedily
cease the moment the revolters perceived its Motility. Re
else sew, is the arrival of the expeditionary troops, the great
advantage of relieving the chicle who had remained faithful
to the protectorate dell apprehension for the future."
SOUTBAMFrOIt, FEB. 18.—The Peninsular and
Oriental Company's steamsship Madrid, Captain Weeks,
sailed this afternoon at 3 o'clock, with the usual mails, in
eharge of the Admiralty agent, Lieut. Smythe, R.N. The
Madrid takes out only eight passengers (including Count
Alexander Memadorff), with a full cargo of bee goods.

TRE HEREFORD STEEPLE CHASE. This steeple
chase took place yesterday, and was won by Mr. Tilbury'sProfligate, Bradley beating Tamworth, Little Tommy,
and eight others. An excellent race, won by half a length.
Little Tommy was beat for second place in the post. Bru-
nette did not start.

HLECTORAL HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
KENT.
It would be difficult to imagine a district:to which
the circumstances of geographial site, boundaries, and con-
nexions, can be calculated to impart more important advan-
tages than that southern county of Britain which once
farmed the antient kingdom of Kent. Briton and Roman,
Saxon, Dane, and Norman, have regarded it with equal
affection. It had been, therefore, through a long succession
of ages, before the consolidation of the monarchy
under the vigorous William 1., the prize that its
primitive invaders most eagerly contended fur, and
most assiduously endeavoured to improve. Rich, how-
ever, as it is in all historical associations connected with its
first popular establishments and solemn councils, as the
school successively of Druidical, Se mdinavian, and
Cimbric lore, as the first and almost Apostolic seat
of Christianity in this empire, as one of the first
organised kingdoms of western Europe, as the great theatre
of our Saxon and our Norman chivalry ; it is in no aspect
more entitled to interest our respect and attention, than as
the cradle of our parliamentary legislation. Among all
the early Saxon princes who convened most often, and com-
muned with, their "Wittenagemote," touching the promul-
gation and maintenance of " wise laws and good customs,"
none have earned a better title to the gratitude of posterity,
than the kings of Kent. The situation of their Wavle=
facilitated the wide diffusion of their institutions
out all the members of the heptarchy. Bounded on ontatell
the sea,—en another, its inland boundaries united
those of Surrey and Sussex, whilst from Middlesex and loan
it was separated only by the Thames : its modern limbs
angina, in the main, to these. On the north it has the
estuary of the Thames ; on the east it has the German
omen and the Straits of Dover ; on the south the county of
Sasses; on the west that of Surrey. Its dimensions may
be roughly stated at 60 miles by nearly 40. But • lime
drawn from its point of contact with suburban London to
the North Foreland would extend 64 miles, whereu a limel
drum from the point of its junction with Surrey and Sue-
sex would reach only 24 miles. This irregular figure, how-
ever, includes an estimated area of 1,557 square miles, or
about 900,000 acres. This superecies, although formerly
much occupied by forest and woodland, and still thickly
clothed in some districts with timber, appears to have
been always well peopled. In this latter respect it now
ranks as the sixth of the English counties, as in size it is the
Math. It has been anciently divided into the five lathes of
Sutton-at-Hone, Aylesford, Serge, St. Augustino,_ sod
Shepway. These lathes, especially that of Sutton-at-Hese,
were subdivided into several hundreds, the whole comprising
two cities, two boroughs, and three of the Cinque Porte, re-
turning members to parliament; with 22 market towns.
Since the Reform Act, the county has been divided into two
sections, western and canteen, for its parliamentary elections.
The whole representation of the counts, its boroughs, &c.,
included, is now as follows: for each of its two divisions, two
members ; for the cities of Rochester and Canterbury, two
.tech; for the boroughs of Maidstone and Greenwich, two
each; for the borough of Chatham, one ; for the Cinque
Ports, oae for Hythe, and two each for Dover and
flemdwich ; in all, eighteen members. Before we pro-
mid to the parliamentary history of Kent, let us con-
Mier one accident in its institutions which may not a Hale
lieu contributed to determine its course and character.
The spirit and independence of its yeomanry are still tradi-
tional themes in British story, and we have the testimony of
authentic records for the determination with which they
extorted from the Conqueror, on his march from Hastings
lin the full tide of victory, a memorable recognition of their
ancient liberties and customs. Among the hereditary laws,
, so to call them, which were thus confirmed, was the law of
' gavel-kind" (originally French), on which, front its im-
portant bearing on the future independence of their exercise
of the electoral franchise in returning members to pulls,
ment, it here seems requisite to offer a few words. By this
law, all the sons partake in equal share the fortune of the
father ; and it is subject to or modified by these " customs
of Kent." The husband, after the wife's death, enjoys, by
the courtesy, a moiety of her fortune, writ he marries again,
whether he had ism by her or not. The wife, after death of
the husband, has for her dower, so long as she shall continue un-
married and in chastity, a moiety of his lands. The tenant of
gavel-kind land continues in wardship one year longer then
he would under the common law, namely, till he is fifteen,
at which age he is competent to alienate his estate l
feoffment. All the sons alike succeeding to lands in gave 7-
kind, in equal portions, failing sons, the same right is in the
daughters. If a tenant of lands, thus held, commit •
felony, and submit to judgment of law, such lands are not
forfeited, nor escheat to the king, or other lord of whom I
they be so holden in gavel-kind. The tenant had a power
of devising such lands, or his interest therein, by will, long
before the general statute of wills, 32 lien. V 111., was made.
These are the more important peculiarities of a law whose
relative pretensions to national adoption, as compared with
those of our prevailing principle of primogeniture, we have
no intention, in this plus, either to advocate or dispute.
But we entertain a strong opinion that it was its
high popularity with the " men of Kent " which,
in the eleventh century, elicited from them that bold
demonstration against the Conqueror, and those signal re-
sults we have alluded to ; and that through seven successive
centuries has animated the Kentish freeholder with a de-
gree of self confidence and self-respect which has enabled
him to reject in the exercise of his franchise those influ-
ences of authority and interest which elsewhere have been
so generally succumbed to ; for it is certain that in few con-
stituencies have the majority been more constantly expand
to the approaches of bribery or corruption. By few, indeed,
have their demoralising agencies been more habitually re-
pudiated. P.ior to the Reform Bill, there is no doubt that
every government for the time being attempted to exercise
an undue and even direct influence on elections for this
shire. Besides the efforts of the government, the dm*
which pawned two cathedrals in the county and the mil.
episcopal see, whose primate numbered 149 lithos is
his patronage, whilst his diocese of Rochester relies& It
--set in motion its great landlord power to MINS As
candidates it might happen to favour. Then, the Wm peg
landowners—peers and commoners—were ;Aoudad la pre-
portion to their number, end to the favour whisk Lest has
always found as • residence for those who partial ate in the
business of legislation. Still, the result of the ecausty elec-
tions his generally been the fair representation of the un-
biassed wishes of the electors Throughout Kent, the Crown
and the Church have always much to give away in the
bounties of official patronage, or otherwise. Accordingly,
if neither of those dispensers of good things was emi-
nently successful with the electors for the county,
they fared better in their designs on the inden-
dente of Canterbury and Rochester, of Maidstone, Chat-
ham, Queenborough, and the Cinque Ports, including
the representatives of the boroughs of New Romney,
since withdrawn, with Queenborough, and one member for
Hythe, into that limbo of rotten boroughs, "Schedule
A." It is matter of course, that the great na-
tional works connected with our dock-yards, arsenals,
military and naval depots and barracks, and revenue esta-
blishments so numerous in this county, should have invested
the heads of the Admiralty, Ordnance, and fiscal branches
of the government with ample opportunities of controlling
the electoral returns for places where the action of their
executive was immediate and so sensibly felt. Yet a few
freeholder have, from time to time, established themselves
in this anintry whine mass of fortunes have been originally
derived fame the ranks of shipwrights, builders, or minters,
and ether ertilleers whom we have described, in a former
paper se • 'metropolitan colony largely settled in the enburbe
of the ailispgis, but out of Middlesex, and at points where
it is egnithaWille• with the boundaries of this and the other
coon** we have nerd. We know of some remarkable
instaawas beereestions with such •classof freeholders,
in the emelt ems ordeal, eitiee ; and of many more, as tunolllo
of the beeemehe we lave recapitulated, in which this kind of
metrepolitta sersolis was visible enough in " a pressure from
without," be bear in favour of the government can-
didate. The sth aof parliamentary representation secured