The Express.
London, England, 1866-09-08 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, SATURDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 8, 1866.

principles and of overpaid little sovereigns. But abroad,
what will he do to insure the permanence of his success!
It is idle to suppose that Prussia will have no foreign policy,
and we wait with some curiosity to see what it is to be.
Under the circumstances in which Hogbald is placed, the
natural ally of Prussia is Russia, and if a reconciliaton
between Berlin and Vienna can at the same time be
effected, Europe may before long see the Eastern question
re-opened by new hands, in new interests, and with a new
result.
The Examiner has but one remedy for the vices of elec-
toral corruption, namely, extension of the suffrage with
the ballot. It is near the surface drainage that the impure
element is found, but as we get deeper we get to the
wholesome water. Public opinion does not check bribery:
it often encourages even the parson sanctioning the practice
by his own example. There is an old story of a Cornish
parson who was preaching against the robbery of wrecks
just as the news of a ship ashore reached the congregation,
and observing his flock making for the door, he
called out to them, "As you won't listen to
me, and will be at your wicked old tricks,
let us at least start fair," and so saying, he pulled
off his gown and joined in the rush to the beach. And
like this may be the case of the two clergymen who are
said to have gone with the stream of corruption at Tobias-
A curious feature in these corrupt transactions J. the
trust placed in the unscrupulous instruments. It is well
known that they are men of no principle, indeed they
would not be employed in the dirty work if they had any
pretension to honesty, but nevertheless large sums of
money are placed in their hands for the application of
which no account can be called for. Some gold, no doubt,
sticks to the fingers, but there is reason to believe that the
main part is appropriated to the purposes designed by the
givers. And the only audit of these accounts is the disclo-
sure before the Commissioners of Inquiry. How much is
the honour amongst thieves? How much per cent. upon
:unds confided?

The election commissions, observes the Spectator, drag I
on, revealing the extent and premeditation of the bribing
on the part of both liberal and conservative candidates,
and also the excessive demoralisation which this has pro-
duced among the class of ignorant voters without any
political interests, with a hunger for money, and a good
deal of pleasure in the excitement of an intrigue. One
man at Lancaster, of more than ordinary virtue, Matthew
Garth, said he would take 11/. from the liberal side, though
offered 121. from the conservative, " for the sake of his
principles ;" so that with him, though 91 two-thirds
per cent. was corrupt motive, really 8 and one-third
per cent. was principle—a much larger propor-
tion than seems at all common among the class
that chaffer. In Yarmouth there is an " aristocracy
among the bribees,—the aristocracy being defined as
those who wanted larger sums, and were bribed by an
election agent of higher social standing. The democracy
there were bribed by an old gentleman of the name of
Bunn, commonly called " Milky Bunn," from his practice
apparently of milking even the bribees by begging from
each a certain propel don of the bribe. " The aristocracy',
were bribed by Mr. Rivett, who received his pay
from above, not by extorting commissions from
beneath. You may be dirty enough to take a
bribe, and still stand upon quasi-aristocratic conventions,
It in certain, proceeds the Spectator, that till we can hit
upon some device for stopping off the corrupting influences
at the fountain, it is idle to hold up to contempt those who
are the victims of the system. A duke fairly exposed and
denounced by universal censure would be even a better
victim than a millionaire, with his hair cropped, working
the crank by the side of unsavoury thieves. Till we get
some social stigma on the most honourable and wealthy
who are guilty of these political crimes, nothing can be
done. And the present policy of the commissioners to
grant a full pardon to all who turn Queen's evidence seems
to us a very bad beginning for ensuring that important
end.

The Eennomist dwells on the startling revelation of the
mode in which railway debentures are issued, and asks if
ma Mr. Rankin states, it is the general practice of rail-
way companies to issue new debentures exceeding the
parliamentary borrowing power before the old ones
are got in, who can be sure that his debenture
was not one issued when all the limited number
was in pawn, or elsewhere issued? Who is to say
whether such debenture, being a fraud at first,
can by subsequent events ever be made legitimate?
The Eamontut much regrets to find the name of Sir M.
Peto involved in such proceedings ; it is only one of many
warnings that no ability and no ordinal/ integrity will
enable a man in the midst of enormous pecuniary difficul.
ties to keep clear of all taint. If the statute was truly
observed, the whole difficulty is obviated. Never let the
company's uncancelled seal be upon more debentures than
the authorised number, and then no agent, no contractor, no
subonlinate officer, can misplace the securities of the com-
pany, or misuse the confidence of its directors. Such an
instance as this seems almost to have happened on purpose
to point the argument in favour of a registration of deben-
tures.

DEATH OF LORD NORTHBROOK. —WO have to
announce the death of Francis Thornhill Baring, fiat
Ilaron Northbrook, which took place at his residence,
Stratton-park, Hants, on Thursday evening, shortly after
8 o'clock. The noble lord was seized with an apoplectic fit
on Wednesday morning, rind did not rally afterwards. His
lordship was educated at Christ Church, Oxford, where he
obtained a double first-class in 1817, graduated M.A. in
1821, and was called to the bar at Lincoln's-inn in 18M." He
held the appointment of Lord of the Treasury from 1830
until 1834, and from 183.5 until 1839 ; he was appointed
Chancellor of the Exchequer, which post he held until
1441 ; was First Lord of the Admiralty from January,
1849, to February, 1852 ; and, as Sir Francis Baring, repre-
sented the borough of Portsmouth in the House of Com-
mons from the year 1826 until the dissolutionof parliament
in 186.5, when he retired, and was shortly afterwards raised
to the peerage. He is succeeded by his son, Mr. Thomas
George Baring, who filled in rapid succession the offices of
Under-Secretary for War, Under-Secretary for India,
Under-Secretary for the Home Department, rod Secre-
tary to the Admiralty, in the administratious of Lord
Palmerston and Lord Russell.

Sir Charles Darling, late governor of Victoria,
has returned to England. His residence is at Bella Vista,
Hampton Court, and his town address the Civil Service
Club, St. James's-street.

FROGMORE HOUSE.—Extensive preparations are
being made at Frogmore House, Windsor Park, in order
to prepare that residence for the reception of their Royal
Highnesses Prince and Princess Christian.
ETON COLLEGE.—The vacation, which com-
menced on the 3rd of August, will terminate on the 26th
inst., when the scholars will begin returning to the col.
lege. The holidays this season are longer than usual, an
extra week having been given in honour of the marriage
of Princess Mary and Prince Teck.
DOWNING-STREET, SEPT. 6. —The Queen has been
pleased to appoint Charles Victor Esnouf, Esq., to be
Master of the Supreme Court of the Island of Mauritius.
--Gazette.

WAR-OFFICE, SEPT. 7.—The Queen has been
graciously pleased to give orders for the appointment of
Major James Augustus Grant, of the Bengal army, to be
an ordinary member of the civil division of the third class,
or Companions of the Most Honourable Order of the
Bath. —Gorette.

TREASURY CHAMBER, SEPT. 4.—The Lords Com-
missioners of her Majesty's Treasury have been pleased to
appoint Alexander James Beresford Berestord Hope, Esq.,
M.P., and Sir Coutts Lindsay, Bart., to be trustees of the
National Portrait Gallery.—Gazette.
DIOCESE OF CANTERBURY. —The Rev. Charles
Edward Donne, M.A., has been instituted to the vicarage
of Faversham • the Rev. Charles Edward Shirley Wool-
mer, M.A., has been licensed to the perpetual curacy
of St. Andrew, Deal ; the Rev. William Calder, 8.A.,
Lu been licensed to the cure of Bromley ; the
Rev. George Garnons Bird, M.A. to the cure of
Great Chart ; the Rev. James Hale Talbot, M.A., to the
cure of Faversham • the Rev. Septimns Wigan. M.A.,
chaplain of the Almshouse Chapel, Faversham ; the Rev.
Arthur Henry Ramsgate Hebden, to the cure of
East Farleigh ; and the Rev. Charles John Horsey, M.A.,
to the cure of All Saints Belvedere, Erith—all in the
county of Kent and diocese of Canterbury.
Mr. Stainforth's death does not, as reported.
create a vacancy in the assistant preachership at the
Temple Church, as he had resigned the appointment. It
is held by the Rev. G. F. Maxim, M.A., the acting head
matter of King's College School.
THE LATE MR. DULHELEY YOUNG.—The mortal
remains of this accomplished and deeply lamented young
gentleman, who recently met his death in descending
Mont Blanc, were interred in the new family vault on the
north side of the parish church of his native village of
Cookham, on Saturday the let inst. The body arrived
from London soon after 9 in the morning of the same day,
and after having rested for a abort time at Formosa-cottage,
the residence of Lady Young, was conveyed in • hearse to
its last resting-place, followed by four mourning coaches.
The scone at the grave was very affecting, the greater part
pf the large number of persons assembled to witness the
sad ceremoey being moved to tears.