The Sun.
London, England, 1852-11-13 00:00:00

THE BRADFO.

It is now finally determined that a petition to Par-
liament will be presented against the return of Mr.
Wickham. Without any desire to rekindle the em-
bers of political strife, we feel that the subject is one
which our position will not allow us to pass over un-
noticed.
A few remarks may suffice to remind the reader of
the exact state of affairs. The historical facts of the
late struggle are simply these. Colonel Thompson
wag, undoubtedly, the favourite candidate, so far as
the choice lay between him and Mr. Wickham. He
had most certainly received indubitable assurance of
en amount of support more than enough to carry his
election. Ile stood in a clear majority upon the re-
gister. His return was guaranteed by adequate
pledge of the constituency. And in addition to this
preponderance of electoral support, he distanced both
the other candidates in the strength of out-door feel-
ing. He was justifiably certain of his election by the
voters; but had his return rested with the general
public, it would have been carried by acclamation.
Contrary to the reasonable expectations of the Li-
beral party, and to the great dismay of the non-
electors, he was left in a mieority at the close of the
poll. Mr. Wickham had triumphed over him by a
majority of six.
When the issue of the contest was proclaimed, a
sudden outburst of feeling attested the popular indig-
nation. It was felt that Colonel Thompson had been
unfairly defeated ; and that the election of Mr. Wick-
ham was not because the opinions of that gentle-
man were preferred by the voters to the opinions
of the Colonel. It was shown that within the
last hour of the struggle, 24 Roman Catholic elec-
tors, all Liberals, plumped in a body for the Conser-
vative candidate, in pure revenge against the Colonel
for a vote which Mr. Wickham would still more
readily have given. Had these 24 Liberals remained
neutral, the Colonel would have been in a majority of
18; bad they voted for him—as on their avowed
political principles they ought to have done, he would
have been in a majority of 42. But in recording
their votes for Mr. W. against their political princi-
ples, and in opposition to their party, it was neces-
sarily felt that this small knot of men had sold the
representation of the borough for the paltry price of
private vengeance.
These votes, however, though morally execrable,
were legally valid ; and, of course, were as good as
any others on Mr. Wickham's list. But the consci-
ousness that such foul play had been resorted to,
stimulated the Liberal electors to cast about for other
objections, so that if they could not reverse the elec-
tion on its merits they might at least, by means of
even technical objections, vindicate the claims of out-
raged public justice.
It soon became known that fraudulent suffrages
were inscribed on Mr. Wickham's list ; that there
were well-ascertained cases of personation, and even
of dead men's votes. This consideration still further
influenced the Liberals to seek the reversal of an
election which appeared less and less tenable as it
was more inquired into. There were also other
irregularities of sufficient importance to vitiate several
additional votes ; the result of the whole investigation
being, that although Mr. Wickham headed Colonel
Thompson in the official return, he certainly was not
the bona fide chosen of the electors of the borough,
nor the man in whom the greatest amount of public
sympathy centred.
For these reasons it has been determined to petition
against his return. But the petition will not be, in
the first instance, grounded upon any of the reasons
we have herein set forth, netwithstanding their weight
and validity. A less expensive and harassing way
of obtaining justice has been discovered, and if the
method now indicated should be regarded as indirect,
let it be borne in memory, that it is not the Liberal
party that is to blame; but the law, which makes an
appeal on the merits of the case more costly, more
vexatious, and more dubious, than one based upon a
technical, a formal consideration.
It has been ascertained that Mr. Wickham is a
party to a Government contract; and his return will
therefore be petitioned against on this very sufficient
and well-recognized principle.
We had rather the exception had been rested on
the merits of the case, as already intimated; but there
is adequate reason for the course selected. The tech-
nical grsund is chosen, not for its own vindication,
but for the vindication, by that means, of the more
important principle at issue.
Not that we would undervalue the prohibition of
Government contractors sitting in the House of Com-
mons. The Government of the day have patronage
and influence enough, and superabundant, in the
places, pensions, and official emoluments and honours
at their disposal, without the further means of cor-
rupting the public representation, by means of com-
mercial transactions. A man may be an eminent
merchant or manufacturer, and an uncompromising
patriot. Or he may study his pocket first and the
country afterwards, as too many public men have
done. To disclaim any imputation of this kind as it
regards Mr. Wickham, is what we shall not insult
that gentleman by doing ; he is above reproach, and
we need not exonerate where no one blames. But
the principle implied in the rejection of Government
contractors from the benches of the House of Com-
mons is a good principle, and a not unworthy around
of action, even in the present case, although we
again repeat, that the circumstances of the late elec-
tion, and not the Government contract, form our
strongest objection to the return of Mr. Wickham.
If Mr. Wickham be unseated on the petition, of
course a new election will take place, and the borough
will then have an opportunity of less doubtfully de-
claring its choice.
We might also add, that the extreme dissatisfaction
with which the result of the late election was received
by the Liberal party, and by the Liberal press
throughout the kingdom, constitutes another argu-
ment in favour of re-considering the whole subject.
Should Mr. Wickam be chosen by the really free and
honest suffrages of the electors, he is certainly not
the man against whom a relentless opposition could
be excused; but it is not docent, nor endurable, that
a large constituency should be sold to appease the
lindictiveness of a couple of dozen men, who, through
the nice balance of pertiee, have rendered themselves
the political masters of the borough. It is an act of
the foulest and deepest tretorism ; and though Mr.
Wickham's party, as a matter of course, profit by
these unprincipled votes, they certainly could not
justify, and have not attempted to justify, the political
treason to which they owe their victory.
''' * We may notice in this place a contemptible
threat that if any proceedings are taken to unseat Mr.
Wickham, the compliment will be returned up en Mr.
Milligan ! This is desperation indeed. If any such
intention has ever been really avowed, it is proof con-
clusive that the Tories regard their cause as already
lost. This can only be the insanity prelusive of de-
struction, according to the maxim, Quem Deus cult
perdere, &c.—Bradford Observer, Nov. 11.