The Express.
London, England, 1849-12-18 00:00:00

OUR REPRESENTATIVE SYSTEM

MEETING IN SHOREDITCIL
A public meeting was bald last evening. at Ebe-
r tZ., Chapel, Bhorediteh, for the of receng a de-
patatiou from the mistral society. 'here was a very crowded
attendance. Mr. W. A. H. Howe presided ; and the depu-
tation consisted of Mr. George Thompson, M.P. ; Mr. W. J.
Lot, Mr. T. WEntser, and Mr. T. Beep.
The CHAIRMAN Whig opened the proceedings,
Mr. THOMPSON, M.P., was rewired with enthusiastic
cheers. He cc ratalated the meeting on the progress of
the muse of reform throughout the ecasqtry. Out of London
be had attended no meeting which was not densely crowded.
It was not London which moved the provinces, but the pro-
vinces that moved London. This had been the case on every
great question steamed in the last GO years. Thermion we. the
vastness Witte metropolis : it was a coos pries of large townie
and a man might talk for six months at one end of the
tows, and be never heard of at the other. (" Hear," and
lasiehter.) Norfolk was movie, se a meaty ; and both in
the city and the county tk• fruits of this mammon would be
*tea at the nest election. (Hear, hear.) In Scotland there
was an intense feeling on this question; the whip, to be
sure, were not with them, and they a repeated to have
the tOTIMI ; but the people,. the men who had the balance of
power in their hands, had been with this wherever they
went ; and whether at Paisley, Greenock, Glasgow, Aber-
deen, or say other large town where they bad been, they
had had with them the party who carried Me elections at
each of those places. (Clem.) Never had mass
progressed 90 rapidly ; the flails were already 6= I
1
the harvest aweatisig the sickle ; and they well
the sinews of war. One mast remarkable simmatmem
was, that at noes of the meetings which hi bad rassibta—
and be bed been at most of them—bad a single disyslstisss
wad been uttered,: Its Bosse of Commas wasp
to be the people's own bows; hems it voted th
sad was the house which the people generally
But, tasted by the yours of theleet two years, it essehl be
found that that house qmpatbieed with say elms seeder
Urea the people. (Hear, hear.) Mr. Thempss
then laid bare tbe vicious cassiitution of the present beam
But parliamentary re'ormicese also desirable as a means loss
cad. The tea millions enjoyed by the church was a thing
thl!' aught to be considered. What parallel was Mere is
primitive Christianity to the income enjoyed by=l
Wes l Imasine ten minims of money ocllected in J a
when WChristians had all this's is coma". Imid St. Pa
It
.slitiag off with 19,0001. • year, St. Peter wide 12,0001, sod
James, amebas, sad Jade with muse little Ms is sasess. I
lied they done so, Christianity would Wm loss •sessi
"we'd of bleeds; to the world. TM plass/ sesulthaslihie
the meaciatien had laid dome woe team/gm smilmeass,
early ant year, of delegates Wits all pow albs Marla •
they would aho avail themselves et WWI% sad Ilisi
mighty organthe'covese. Of this boroug
_ h, some amistiesbal
been banded to Man, which he would mention. The Tower
Haaltta had • 'gross population, in 1841—no doubt moth
greater a0w—a428,078 ; there were 64,896 hymn i and

(gam the Deli, Noes.)
MANCHESTER, Dxc. 17.
After the excitement of lest week we have a lull, so far
as poli-ice are cone, rued, and it is pretty certain that, so far
SO the district around Manchester is concerned, we shall
have no further great weeiiaes till after Chris'ines. SJ far
as we can learn here, Mr. Cobden is to have a grand reap.
Lion at Leeds this evening, and that sine ViOttlSC Bradford
his concituente in the other large teen of West York-hire
contemplate inviting him to attend public "satirise, which
they propose to call for his reeeption, and in furtherance of
the objects he is pledged to promote.
A scheme is t dked of in or vale circles, and is beginning
to attract a good deal of attention, kr a more eligihle week-
ina of railways. It is said that • body of capitaliste. com-
prising some of the leading men in London, as well as In
Manchester and more northern parts of the country, have it
in contemplation to make offers to some of the railway cos•
panics to take the responsibility of working their lines else-
gather of their hands. They do not propose to stop short
at the kind of arrangement made with the North Stafford
shire, contracting to make good and keep in repair the roll-
ing stock and permanent way merely ; but they
contemplate taking from such companies as they can
eater into arrangements with the whole risk of working
the passenger and goods traffic, gu 'resifting to
' the shareholders a certain per carers upon the
'spited expended. For this purpose they will seek to have a
transfer of the line and all its stations, locomotives, carriages,
and other stork for • certain number of years, and guarantee
not only a dividend of four, five, or six per cent., as the ease
may be, but to re-transfer the whole of such stock at the
expiration of the lease (with permanent way), is good con-
dition Tee names of the parties are not generally knows ;
but one or two members of the legislature who have locg
been connected with railway management, slid • &stip-
gaished capitalist in London of the Jewish community
(not the member for the city) ate spoken of. I.
each a scheme could be carried into effect, so that share-
holders could really have • relievable dividend guaranteed
them for a period of years, it would, so doubt, tend to re-
vise the drooping fortunes of many of them--apecielly if,
aMag with such contracts, they could succeed an making
sti edam with directors for • el( sing of capital accounts.
nether then is such mismanagement and such an absent"
of economy in the present working of railways as to leave •
margin for profit altar paying • fair dividend to proprietors
is another question. If it be true, as here stated, tht moo
conversant with railway mensgeineot end contractors fur the
construction of railways, who have already displayed great
I energy and enterprise, are mixed up with thee! propoub, it
may be presumed they will not embark their capital in an
nn&rtaking of the kind without an appreciation of all the
risks. It is stated that definite proposals have already been
made and are under consideration by several of the minor
eem_ipsnies in the northern counties.
The Manchester Financial and Parliamentary Reform
Amociation continues its labour' unweeriedly. On Friday
evening • moieties was held at Upper Mill, Seddleworth, to
receive Mr. Prentice and Mr. Shuttleworth, es • depute-
, eon from the Manchester Financial and Parliamentary Kt-
, font Association. The meeting consisted of manufacturers
sad the better clue of working men, and included a consi-
derable number of freeholders of the West Riding. Amongst
the gentlemen present were : James Lees, Esq., of Delph
Lodge, an influential and coasistunt reformer and free-
holder, and • magistrate for the county; limn, John
Taylor, of Doberose • Peter Saville, of Lees; Jobs Rad-
cliffe, of Running-hill; B. Bottomley, of Greenfield; Abel
Siaow, of Fur-lane; W. Nichelson, of Lees; Hammond
Platt, J. W. Bradley, 8. Hegginhottain, and Ralph Rhodes
of pies Mill. Mr. geodes having been ailed to the'
chair, requested respectful attention to the gendarme
who had come as • deputatute, and then introduced to the
meeting Mr. Prentice, who said the only cassias oe which,
S
bad visited Saddleworth before wee at a dinner gives to
Sena Brougham and Lord Morgarth as their electioa for the
egenten le 1830, when their neighbour, Mr. James Lees, wee
to t e chair. The retrospection was rot unsuggestive
ememly any OW at that time would have ventured to NM;
[dist in two abort years a hut of rotten boroughs would be
destroyed, the right of returning members extended to new
end populous towns, and • prospect opened out of farther
mpasentative and fiscal reforms, peacefully and quietly
marled out. But if any body could have anticipated so
rot •
lchanged iath,:to shortwa
htime, e could he
wptoxiblit
a prospect sad so fair a promise, should have allowed 16
or 16 years to elapse ere they became converts to the Rene
sky of free trade in corn, and that 17 years after the peeing
of the Reform Bill we should now have to form agitating
associations to enforce the peace and the retrenchment which
I were the watchwords with which they marched into eMee
I Bow was there so much difference in action—why so much
gained in the shorter period and so little in the touter ?
From 1829 to 1832 the people relied upon themselvee.
From 1832 to 1839 they relied on the promises of the
whig ministers, and had nothing. A ten yeses' sing-
es obtained the abolition of the crushing landowner's
monopoly, and now it had become statuary to form new
ewaciatioss to obtain the retrenchment and those further
representative changes which ought to have followed
quietly, end as the natural results of the Reform Bill. He
and his friend were there on behalf of the Manchester Re-
form Association, to show that very great reductions could
be made in the public expenditure, and to argue for other
reforms in the representative spew, to give the people a
men complete control over the Roan of Commons. Mr.
Prestice's speech, of an hour and • half's lesgth, rapidly de-
li/end, and abounding in facts, commanded throughout the
acute attention sad wimp occasionally relieved by loud laugh-
ter, excited by his sarcastic descriptions of absurdity and folly,
sad hearty cheep at his indignant denunciations of the fiscal
oppeasions exercised upon t foe many for the benefit of the
few. Ile concluded by strongly recommending the purchase
of 40s. freeholds, not u an end, but as • means •of giving to
the industrial classes additional! power in the enforcement of
financial and parliamentary reforms. Mr. Shuttleworth
congratulated himself and the gentlemen present on having
assembled to hear Mr. Prentice's lecture in a Sunday
school, as he considered the "object of the adder's
nowise at variance with the purpose for which the
betiding was erected. He proceeded to remark that the
object of the lecture was to reduce oppressive taxation,
by which the friends of Sunday schools would be the better
prepared to render such noble institutions more efficient aid.
The school he understood wee connected with the Indepen-
dents, a body of Christians to whom the country end the
world were more indebted than to any other religious com-
munity in the furtherance of civil and religious liberty. He
was not an independent himself, yet he cheerfully tendered
these remarks as agreeing with his honest convictions. He
observed also that although Mr. Prentice had said much that
was highly interesting and impactive, he had only pre-
sented • mere fragment of the entire subject—indeel the
field was wide enough to occupy many lectures—
and wad only be slightly touched upon is • single lecture.
He was convinced from the the clue attention paid to the
lecture, that deep interest had been felt, and hoped they
would unite their exertions to remove the evils pointed out,
and not allow themselves to despair of success. The object
of the lecture was to show that taxation was beyond the
reel end efftnient requirements of government. and that re-
daction ought to be made ; and that the lecture? had sun-
, seeded in making out a clear cue, • awe not to be mower
resisted. He therefore hoped and believed, from the
manifest approval indicated by their attention sad cheer.,
I Sat master, men, employer and employed, would medially
see in saisse, and sever cease to agitate until they realised •
Men *Mow adjustment of taxation than sow existed.
The ONO, was then addressed by Mr. SaraLn, Mr.
Linfe.meillfilr. J. Gasurna, after which a vote of thanks to
tfte diromila WA pond unanimously.

EVESHAM (Coneurnsn).
Mr. Borthwick's friends at Enchain of course
treated the result of this memorable trial as a
triumph. And from thenceforward the great Dal-
keith question was silenced at Evesham ; though
there were some who still shook their heads about
Mr. Borthwick's identity, and wondered how an
gentleman could manage to be at the same time both
himself and his first cousin.
Mr. Boethwick was a lucky man. Throughout his
cense:ion with Beecham, fortune certainly played
curious freaks with him, and sometimes turned up
cards in his favour at the very moment when they
least could be expected. The nista of the
trial at Taunton was a piece of wonderful good lurk.
There occurred soon after an equally fortunate mai-
dent for this bold adventurer.
Early iii 1837, Sir Charles Cockerell died. The
nephew and heir presumptive of Lord Northwick.
Mr. Rushout Bowles, was brought forward to supply
his place. The whip obtained a candidate from the
Reform Club, in the person of Lord Marcus Hill, the
wesent whipper-in. The noble lord proved an excel-
lent electioneerer, and a very close contest was likely
to ensue with the Northwick party, indeed, it was
really quite a question whether they should be able
to preserve their hold upon the town.
The influence of the Blues, or independent party,
became, in consequence. of the uttermost importance.
No one could clearly tell how they would go. Many
of them, it was understood, would hang out for heavy
bribes; others were far more inclined for a govern-
ment candidate than for an unknown member of the
house of Northwick. In fact, both parties felt that
upon the Blues hung the fate of this election.
In this crisis Mr. Borthwick appeared in Evesham,
and declared for the conservaive. He canvassed for
him, and carried with him the majority of his own
friends. Thu result, after an election in which a large
amount was spent in bribery and treating, was the
return of Mr. Rushout Bowles by a majority of "5
the numbers being, for Bowles, 165 ; for Lord M.
Hill, 140.
The effect of Mr. Borthwick's proceeding was to
establish a coalition between the Northwick party
and the Rues. Nothing at the time could have been
more advantageous for Mr. Borthwick. It placid him
in every way is a at-ong position, and in fact was the
only circumstance which at that time could have se-
cured for him the representation of the borough.
Six months after, in Jane, 1837, occurred the death
of King William IV., which was immediately fol-
lowed by the dissolution of the Parliament. Mr.
Mahout (he dropped the name of Bowles), Mr.
rthwick, and Lord Marcus Hill again appeared as
candidates. The Scarlet or Northwick party, in re-
turn for what had been done for them in February,
could do no less than afford assistance to the
Blues. Lord Marcus Hill had consequently
to fight Rushout and Borthwick in arnica-
Me codifies. A similar contest me treed to
that of the February immediately preceding. Treat-
ing and bribery were rife on both sides, and the
teats were won by even a still narrower majority
thin before. The numbers on this occasion were for
Rwihout, 168 ; Borthwick, 166 ; and Hi 1, 158; nearly
all of the latter being plumper&
But fedoras, which had conferred on Mr. Bo:th-
wick so many favours, was now about to play him a
very shabby trick. This was the period of the
wSpottiswoAs subscription"—• fund which, it
ill be remembered, was raised by the Unite
to prosecute election petitions and displace liberals
elected to the Parliament. The retaliation was wage.
Wherever the whiles ran the tory members close,
they presented a petition complaining of the return.
The Beecham cue, in which the victory was only won
by 10 and 12, appeared an excellent case fur one of
there petitions. Accordingly, incited thereto by the
whig agents in the metropol's, the electors of Eves-
hem complained of the return."
Every one about the Home of Commons knew
that this petition was a speculative one. It was
almost a question whether the petitioners would pro-
cud to strike it. Probably a little negotia ion would
have induced them not to do so. But no reasons were
I offered for not striking, so it was determine' " to take
the chance of tke committee," which meant at that
time to see of which Tarty the majority of the com-
mittee was composed, and to prosecute or abandon
the case as might then appear desirable.
The committee was struck, and it proved a
very odd committee. Virtually it MUD a tory com-
mittee, for it consisted of six conservatives, four
whir, and one member who was doubtful. But
among the tories there were three members who
were regarded by the wbigs as quite as good as any
member of their own party. These were Sir Robert
Peel, Lord Ashley, and Mr. Plumptre. The first
would not venture to play the partisan ; the two last
might be supposed to have a horror of anything ap-
proaching to corruption.
The committee met on the 9th of March, 1848,
Sir Robert Peel being in the chair. Mr. Cockburn
and Mr. Rushton appeared as counsel for the peti-
tioners, with Mr. Coppock es the agent ; Mr. Themger,
Mr. Austin, and Mr. Talbot, represented the sitting
members. But althourh these gentlemen appeared for
both the sitting members, it was speedily obvious that
they were to be called on to defend the seated Mr. Borth-
wick only. What arrangement had been arrived ar,or
what 111611031111111 had been practised to prevent the cise
from being prosecuted against the other sitting mem-
ber, is not on public record, but on the second day Mr.
Cockburn for the petitioners stated that he abandoned
the cue against Mr. Rushout altogether and was con-
gratulated by his learned friend, Mr. Talbot, " on the
exercise of a sound discretion," the learned gentleman
expressing a hope that " Mr. Rushout retired with-
out any:taint upon his character," and stating, "as he
understood was wished, that there was nothing vexa-
tious in the proceeding with respect to him."
Mr. Rusbout and Mr. Borthwick thus being dis-
severed, the latter was placed in a precarious position.
It was understood that whatever case of bribery there
was, affected Mr. 'tusked and his friends far more
than it affected Mr. Borthwick and the blues. But
it was also understood that what fonds there were
for defending the seats were the fends of Mr. Rush-
out, and that Mr. Borthwick's personal means of
meeting each expenses were by no means inex-
haustible.
The course which was taken by the petitioners
certainly did seem devised to harass Mr. Borth-
' wick. It was evident that they had no cue on
which they could rely against him. They beet about
the bush a great dmil—trying to prove agencies and
attempting to establish charges of bribery and treat-
ing which broke down ;—Mr. Cockburn interlarding
the proof with frequent addresses to the committee
upon points of law exceedingly abstruse and only in-
teresting for their legal ingenuity.
One of the allegations against Mr. Borthwick was
personal bribery. And this personal bribery the
petitioners sought to establish under the circumstances
following :—There was livinv at Bengeworth an old
echoolmuter of the name of Ebenezer Pearce. A
year or so before the election, one of Mr. Borthwick's
friends intimated to this person that the honourable
member intended to present him with a snuff-box.
The snuff box, however, did not make its appearance
until a few weeks before the dissolution, when one
day a friend of Mr. Borthwick's came to the peda-
gogue as he was walking in his garden, and presented
him with a box fresh from Storr and Mortimer's with
Mr. Borthwick's crest inside the lid, and the follow-
ing inscription: " Ebenezer Pearce : Ex dono amid
sui qui conclude." The box was proved to have been
ordered by Mr. Borthwick, who communicated to
Store and Mortimer's " young man" that it was for an
old echooleaseter at Evesham.
Mr. Cockburn contended that this was an act of
bribery, falling within the terms of a resolution of the
Howie of Commons of 1877, which made any gift to a
voter subsequent to a certain day antecedent to the
election, an act of bribery without reference to the
intention of the donor. The " resolution of 1677,"
which appeared to have been raked up for the occa-
sion, gave the committee an immense amount of
trouble. The point being a new one, counsel argued
it at great length. The committee evidently could
make nothing of the arguments respecting it. They
cut the Oration knot by arriving at the following
resolutions :
That they mast look to the statute law, and not to the
reeolutioa of the Bones of C 071210111 of 1.677., for the defini-
tion of the offense of bribery.
That they consider bribery has been proved in the case of
a gift of a saaff-how to Ebenezer Pearce.
Mr. Austin, at the next meeting of the committee,
asked under " what statute law" the gift of this
muff-box was bribery ? The chairman replied to this
by inquiring what precedent there was for making the
inquiry? But so anxious was Sir Robert Peel to appear