The Express.
London, England, 1861-10-05 00:00:00

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

A late edition of the Express is published every
eventag during the racing season, containing the
results of the day's now

Ter world, it is said, knows nothing of its
greatest men ; and it seems that the county of
Middlesex is likely to remain in comparative igno•
ranee of its most self-denying and laborious ben.-
factor. We refer to the generous individual who
has undertaken to purge the electoral list of all
voters sloes qualifications are in any degree
doubtful or obscure. The name and local habi-
tation of this disinterested patriot are, indeed,
vaguely known, or have been hypothetically
assumed in order to facilitate the progress of his
great work. He is said to be known amongst
mortals as JOHN ANTHONY COATIS, and his mun-
dane residence is described by his legal represen-
tative as being in " the parish of Tottenham, in
" the Enfield district." But, after all, these
trivial particulars, though perhaps technically
necessary to meet the exigencies of a prosaic
oourt, are far below the true dignity of the sub-
ices. It not to toot a gut norse Ht the
mouth, surely, when a superior power graciously
interposes in our behalf, we need not be exacting*
such impertinent particulars as the name and addrom
And when we consider Cosves' labours, it is per-
fectly clear that ho must be a second Heacutes,
a hero or demigod at least. If he appears for a
moment in Mr. :4341T11.31 office as an ordinary man
engaged in a stupendous feat of penmanship, the
mythical hero is sour recognised as the mighty
task proceeds. Mr. SMITH, speaking perhaps a
little loosely, describes the cloud-compelling GOATrs
as coming .sp to town at his request, but in strict
accuracy it is clear he ought rather to have been
represented as coming down to this dim and smoky
region. What he did there may soon be told.
Joint ANTHONY COATI.' commenced his labours
on the 20th of August, and concluded them on
the afternoon of the 24th. In that short interval
be formally objected to upwards of four thousand
electors for the county of Middlesex, and as each
protest required four signatures, he signed his
name iu full more than 10,000 times. If
we attempt to realise the work as
that of an ordinary man, what a noble
picture does it present ! This devoted apo-
stle of electoral purity writing for dear life, day
after day, from dawn to noon, from noon to dewy
eve, till the mighty list was exhausted ! The op-
posing attorney might be excused for doubting
whether mere human nerve and mum* were equal
to the effort- Many, no doubt, will share the
natural scepticism, sod be ready to assert that
none but a Itemises could have possibly accom-
plished the task. Some indeed use. profane enough
* doubt the very existence of COATI& It was
perfectly natural, therefore, that everybody into.
Tasted in the matter should be most anxious to see
the great Objector-Oeneral. The opposing attor-
ney demanded his presence in court. The Revis-
ing Barrister ordered him to be produced, while
the crowd outside clamoured for his appearance.
The excited electors and those who sympathised
with them were most noxious to express their sense
of the services COATS' had rendered them, and
had he appeared, there can be little doubt they
would have done so in a rather demonstrative way. But
the patriotism of the great objector was only equalled
by his modesty. He shrank from encountering the
peculiar and significant welcome that awaited him.
Having done good on so large a scale by stealth,
he blushed to find it fain*, and resolutely declined
to recognise it hiniesU or receive any appropriate
acknowledgment from others.

Fortunately, all the wholesale objectors are not
equally mythical or equally retiring. Two of the
great Conservative objectors-general have ap-
peared, and we must say their appearance has
rather rudely dissipated the halo of constitutional
zeal and civic patriotism that surrounded them.
When actually produced in court, they sank to
very small proportions indeed. According to their
own confession, they are simply the ignorant and
mercenary tools of partisan attorneys. In this
City Court, yesterday, one of these great ob-
jectors, Mr. MOLTON, frankly acknowledged that
he had signed all the notices in blank,
without knowing what was going to be
done with them. The evidence of this
ingenuous gentleman is ma curious and in-
structive, and throws so much light on the general
policy of his employers that it is worth quoting
in detail : " Mr. Morrow further stated
" that, having signed the notices, be left them on
" the desk in charge of a gentleman (Mr. NOILIIIe
" clerk), but did not authorise him to do any-
" thing with them. The gentleman (Mr. NONW
" clerk) had asked hint to sign • few objection
" papers, and said he would give him ös. for doing

" so. (Laughter.) He signed a whole heap of
"them, and having received the Gs. he went
" away. (Renewed laughte.ir.) He did not know
" what was going to be done with them, nor did
"he give any directions as to their disposal."
In the Marylebone Court Mr. MARTIN, ano-
ther great objector-general, made substantially
the same confession. He stated before the Re-
vising Barrister that "he had signed a great
" number of these objections, several hundred; at
" the instigation of Mr. HENRY Sarre, but that
" the parties against whom he had objected were
" totally unknown to him." No one will be sur-
prised that Mr. Trafteki., the Revising Barrister,
should have strongly condemned such an unprin-
cipled proceeding as a flagrant abuse of the law.
"It seemed to him," Mr. TERRELL said, " a
" monstrous evil that any person should without
" consideration put hundreds of the electors to
"serious inconvenience and trouble in attending
" these courts. He certainly would do all in his
" power to carry out the Act of Parliament, and
" protect the voter against this unwarrantable
" system of annoyance." He accordingly decided
that in futnre cases, though the objector might
not appear, yet on the receipt of the notice
being proved by the parties, ho would award the full
amount of costs against the objector, " as having
" made or attempted to sustain a groundless or
" frivolous and vexatious objection." The ground
of this decision obviously is, that as MARTIN, on
his own cltifeesion, knew nothing of the electors
against whom he protested, he was not a bormifide
objector—had, in short, no real grounds of ob-
jection at all. The example thus set by Mr.
TERRILL was virtually followed in the City Court
yesterday by Mr. H oNwrN, the Revising Barrister.
Mr. Hsrosoe decided that in future " he would
" require strict proof respecting the signature and
" services of the notices of objection before he
" would consent to strike out the names of absent
" parties." As it subsequently appeared that
Motrox, the objector, had signed all the notices
blank, Mr. HANSON decided that they were
not legal notices at all, but merely pieces
of paper. Thus in the Marylebone and City
Registration Courts the Conservative objections
have not only fallen to the ground, but the ob-
jectors have exposed themselves to heavy penalties
in the shape of costs. This result, naturally
looked upon with dismay by the defeated party,
cannot but exercise the most salutary influence.
It is high time that something were done to arrest
the growth of this monstrous abuse. And whether
the course thus pursued by these Revising Bar-
risters in the Metropolitan Courts is the best way
of meeting the evil, or could be made generally
available for its abatement, it will at least ope-
rate as a local and temporary check. The abuse
of wholesale and reckless objections has of late
increased to a degree that is fast becoming in-
tolerable. The real nature and extent of the evil
were pointed out by the late Revising Barrister
for Middlesex in words which, until something
effectual is done to amend it, cannot be too often
repeated :
A state of thing' has now sprang up which was not con-
templated by the legislature, and which promises to make
the register a curse to the country. The legislature intended
that every voter who is possessed of a substantial qualifica-
tion should be at liberty to object to those whom he believes
to be pos•essed of no qualifiation ; and if such objections,
and such only, were made, some good might result, sod
little or no harm. But no such tqing appears in practise.
The objector is usually a man of straw, and possessed of a
qualification which seems to have been purchased for bins
with the view not so much of enabling hint to vote
as of enabling him to object to other votes, and b•
lends big name to s never. whose tool he is, for the
purpose of indiscriminate and almost universal annoy►nce.
He objects by wholesale to the names of persons of whom
he knows nothing, who have been on the register for
years, and whose qualification is undoubted, hoping either to
weeneed in his objection by non•sttendance of the voter, or
at least to escape from the payment of costa by persuading
the court to make some little ►lteration in the register. This
the revising barrister is made to administer actual injustice
under the form of law. The honest voter, wbo wishes only
to enjoy his own franchise and to annoy no one, must either
lose his vote, or leave his place of business or pleasure and
wait for hours at a most inconvenient place, in order to dr
feed himself against the attack of a man to whom be has
gives no offence, of whom he knows nothing, who holds so
position in society, and whose only employment Is the
anneyeace of mankind.

These proceedings in the Metropolitan Courts
not only confirm the truth of this statement, but
must direct general attention to the present un-
satisfactory system of revision, and stimulate dis-
cussion as to the best me►ns of rendering it more
effectual for the aocomplishwent of its true objects.

(170111 LAST manta GAUTTI).
IPOILIZON-01/1C; Ocr. 2.—The Queen hail been
dto appoint the roui dK.O. and
ener Majosata anabasandoe estraordioary to the King
of hena, an the ossaise of his Malsety's eontnatice.
Worrarneu., Ocr. i The Queen has been
pleased to appoint Dal 4 Hector. Frt., advocate, to be
sheriff of the seise or dterilfdote of W' and Yirlsond-
bright, au the rocs of Dahlia Douglea de-
ceased.

I.IOA KO OF THAD; WHITEHALL, OCT. 2. —The
Right Roo. the Lords of the Committee of Privy Council
for Trade have received from the Ssaretszy al State far
Forme Affsin a copy of so edict issued by the Putt
verumset, suthurisiag the free importatioe late the
States of corn, maims, sod mesl of the same, sad alive oils.
sad prohibiting the exportation of olive oil, as she of pron.
elms of all kinds, except lupins, the ex puristic, of alma is
permitted fres of duty.

BOARD Or TRADE, WHITRHALL, OCT. S.—The
Right Honourable the Lards of the Committee of Privy
Omen fee Trade have received from the Secretary of State
fee Fend. Affairs a copy of a Parterres deter, published
le the Metal Galatea, authorising. aril the sod of rat
Apnl. the importation of foreign wheat, rye, barley sad
ern. sad elf brad rade of wheat at rye, tees the lased
dries sad rarer at Portugal, at the sere dry r
satiosol gra* when shared fen aoasumption.
BOARD Or MAD; WHITEHALL, OCT. 9.—The
Bight Has, the Lards of the Committee of Privy Connail
far Trade have nerved tress the Secretary of Star far
rarely Attire espies of ernes herd by the Limbos Board
of Health retests( that the sere; el Denetwera is em-
erald Wired with yellow fever; that the ports r Rio
de Jambe. Bahia, and St. Nasaire, are seep reed el heir
Wired. and that the port of Nantes is fres from infection.
BOARD or TRADE, WHITEHALL, OCT. 4. —The
Right Rae. the Lords of the Committee al Privy Council
Per Testis her received from the Secretary of State for
Tonnes Affair • at a MAW addressed by the Spanish
Miaister fee ToreigeAttaha to her Matiety's Minister at the
Court of Madrid, Mating that the Mester of Finance has
'treaded the privilege of exporting Spanish lead, hitherto
enjoyed by Freak steamers only, to Owners of all nations;
sad that On privileges wjoyed by vessels trading to the
larger ports rail be granted to those visiting the port of
Dort and the Bey of Javen, via., of loading the fruits of
re country in Mere for thriftier', if the) are composed
exclusively of articles which are allowed to be imported
directly from abroad.

BOARD OT TELADII, WITITZHALL, OCT. 4.—Th.
sill Hon. the Lords of the Orommittes of Privy Connell
ler Trade glee maim, that the lionitenr of the hid lest.
issadales • lama imperial demos the port. of
ilsearßbes. Beedruut, Nantes, Roue., no, flume,
Beabgem CeWs, sad Buskirk. and the cuatoes-heasei -of
, Reelids, LIB% Vahociennes, Mallummes, sad
el mites and imam parae
menufacture. The follow-
itgetbak Belgian articles as oily imparted
ths Wend end import custom-homea open
M (I). MI goods psying a duty of rwor•
thesesTlP Buis per 100 kilog. ; arriages. *yin
suds ehisarv, roasted or ground ; cutlery ; maim man.
Ilasamas M all kiade ; manufactures of hone or cow hair,
pan is akised ; elemicas ordinary "V" mad
arid warm white aid cola: end ; window eau, coioand
Shol_alathaa ar ongrsved glen ; ',Biassed apnea gloms,
mad an Mho Or ware sot =miaowed J 5 thaw eateiredsa
111). Nalidaes sad machinery ; maieleg halls of
seayalai noel; river craft. (3). Yarns 01.16:4
lama, vicuna, and camel's hair. Yarns and times of
yam of wool, Open!, lama, and vicuna, as well se yams a
miners hair, eau oulv be imported sillier by ma or load
!roamer in lockage.' containieg one dem:optima and clam af
tame or yen).