Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-01-21 00:00:00

BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION.

Sir Fitzroy Belly, M.P., has addressed a long letter
to Lord Brougham, on a proposed bill for the prevention
of bribery, and the amendment of the Corrupt Ptactices
Act, founded on the measure brought forward in 1854,
and receiving, at that time, the support of Lord John
Russell, Lord Palmerston, Lord Stanley, and the great
majority of the Ministers, and ex-Ministers, then in the
House. The following is the learned gentleman's sketch
of the bill he would now propose, which is, in fact, the
former one, with some modifications and additions cal-
culated to make it more simple and effective :

11"1. Every person upon becoming a candidate, and
again, if elected, upon taking his seat, shall make oath
or a declaration under the statute to the effect that he:
never has paid, and never will pay, and has not autho-
rised, or become party to, or sanctioned, or ever will
authorise, become party to, or sanction, directly or indi-
rectly, the payment or application of, any sum of money
whatever to or for any of the purposes of the election in
question, except to and through the
.election auditor.
[Exception of his own personal expenses.]
" 2. Every person whomsoever paying, or applying,
or authorising, or becoming party to, or sanctioning the
payment or application at any time of any money what-
ever to or for any of the purposes of an election, except
to and through the hands of (the candidate or) the elec-
tion auditor, shall be guilty of a misdemeanour, punish-
able as in cases of perjury.
" 3. Every person offending against either of these
two provisions, besides incurring the penalties of per-
jury, shall be for ever disabled to hold any office under
the Crown, or any municipal office in England or Wales,
or to become a member or to vote in the election of any
member to serve in Parliament. . . .

"4. Election auditors should, like revising. barris-
ters, be
judges. members of the bar, and appointed by the
" 5. The election agents appointed in writing, under
the statute, and named to the auditor, should alone
receive from the auditor from time to time such sums of
money, not paid directly by the auditor himself, as are
necessary for the purpose of the election. The agents
to render a minute, detailed, and exact account, upon
oath, to the auditor of every payment made by them out
of all the money so received for any of the purposes of
the election.

"6. Power to the auditor to disallow any payments
made, or proposed to be made, by any election agent,
subject to an appeal to the County Court, by action to
be brougheby any one claiming payment of any election
expenses refused or disallowed by the auditor. Any such
action may be brought against the candidate, subject to
the provision of the Act of 1854. Proviso—Nothing
herein to impair or affect the jurisdiction of the House
of Commons, or of any_ election committee."

COURT AND OFFICIAL INTELLIGEN'aO

Her Majesty will hold a Privy Council on Monday
afternoon at Buckingham Palace.
The Duke and Duchess of Montrose have left Bel-
grave-square for Brighton. The duke returns on
Monday to dine at the Earl of Derby's political dinner.
The Right Hon. Sir John Pakington, Bart., M.P.,
is expected to arrive in town on Monday next from the
right hon. baronet's seat near Droitwich.