The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-30 00:00:00

to all meteorological predictions, scientific and local, t:

weather has been most propitious, bright sunny days, and
soft tranquil, starlight nights, combining to make up a
second summer-time of the year. The arrangements for
the conduct of the business, and the (=fort and conve-

nisnce of visitors under the auspices of the indefatigable
executive of the association, have been as nearly perfect se
possible, and it may well be said that, 'assuming that the
meeting has not achicvel quite the success which its pro-
moters endeavoured to give it, at least it has deserved it.
BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION AT ELECTIONS.
Yesterday evening a special meeting was held in the 43-
tival Concert-rooms for the discussion a the bit mean7bt.,
restricting-bribery, corrupt practices, i:od extravagant sir

lenditure at elections,
Lord Brougham was in the chair, and was supported by

Sir Fitzroy kelly, Mr Edwin Chadwick, C.Bm Mr Pollard
Urquhart, M.P., Mr Neate, M.P,, Mr liaatinp, &c., and
there was, tit rather moderate general attendance, the

ajority being ladies.
The discussion was commenced by

- _
Mr_ CHADWICK, who gave an account of an attempt made
by Mr Christie, late Minister at Brazil, to diseourage bri-
bery, and corruption by the signing, by persons engaged in
election contests, of a declaration against thtpractice,
which it was supposed would have greater moral weight and
success than almost any penal enactments passe& for the
purpose of repressing the evil. Mr Christie bed read a
paper on the subject before the Jurisprudence section of
the AssoCiation, and a committee had been appointed to
consider it. Mr Chadwick read the statemeida of Earl

Derby, Lord Palmerston, Sir R. Peel, and Mr '.l; S. Mill,
all strongly condemnatory of electoral corruption. Whether
the association succeeded in getting large declarations or

not„. Mr Chadwick thought there were some points of ex- I
penditurempon which.they could obtain legislatipe interfe-
rence. As„illustrations of enormous expenditure he quoted
that of the return of Lord J. Russell for the city dT London
—£4,000 of-which one-third was paid 'to printerps another
for committee rooms, and another for. bringing, electors to
vote. In tliit return of Roupell for Lambeth, £VOO was
spent and.l,ooo agents employed, whose receipts were con-
sidered as idfact bribes. (Applause.) He auggeited the
formation of =an association, every member of whielt should
sign a declaOttion that he would discountenance bribery and
corruption in every form, and that elections should be ear-
ried on by voting papers.
Mr POLLARD-URQUHART, ist.r„ trusted that reformers
would not be daunted by the slow progress their efforts to
put down bribery was making. It would be a step in the
right direction if the leaders of the different parties in the
State would resolve to take'no part in the election which
was now pending ; or to put out their influence, directly or
indirectly, by working the treasury streams—or 'allowing
their confidential friends to make use of their influence at
elections.
Lord BROUGHAM Or by subscribing to a general fund.
Mr POLL AR u - URQUHART said it would boa great step.
It would als9.be beneficial if they could obtain the en-
forcement and the practical working of the bill brought in
by the learned gentleman now present, Sir Fitzroy Kelly,
(Applause.) 'Members should bo made to give a true and
complete return of the expenses attending their election ;
and it had often struck him that one of the . best nodes of
enforcing this would be to exclude from Parlittment for a
certain time, say from five to ten years, every member who
di I not make such a return. (Applause.)
Mr HOLY 0 AKE gave an account of an experiment made at
Per wick-on-T \ved by a society with which he was connected
—the Northern Reform Union.
sir upon the constitution
and touching t o ebnstitution of this c-Juntry that ILI. great
question affected the first interests of the nation, the first
intAsts of all society, the character and well-being of the
country, and the laws in which they were most deeply inte-
rested. That the II wise of Commons ought to be the express
image of the people, that it ought truly to represent—it it he
iencorsible to suppose that it can represent the entire people
of this country—at least the constituencies who return the
members of the House of Commons—all depends entirely
upon whether those who are returned as members of the
House of Commons are returned as men of the free, true,
pure, and independent choice of the constituency by which
they may be returned. He did not hesitate to say that the
influence of the ministers of the Crown should be unexer-
cised or unfelt in the election of members of Parliament,
but admitted that such a state of things was nearly impos-
sible. (Cheers.) The hon. and learned gentleman laid down
that there was no bribery in counties, and gave a history of
the legislative attempts which had been made to prevent
corrupt practices at elections.

Mr Alderman LEEMAN asserted that if there was not ex-
actly bribery is county elections, at least there was intimi
dation and undue influence, and that no tenant in a county
constituency could with safety vote against the will and
opinions of his landlord. The only true remedy for the
existing state of things was the ballot.
Lord BROUGHAM, on closing the proceedings, said he be-
lieved that there was a great exaggeration with regard to
the effect on elections which would be produced by the bal-
lot. In his opinion it was not the fact that in counties
elections were influenced widely in the sense of coercion by
landlords on their tenants. No doubt the landlords exer-
cised influences, but that influence was derived not from fear'
of harsh consequences to the tenant, but arose from the re-
spect and attachment which naturally existed between the
owner and the occupier of the land. He strongly denounced
all bribery and corrupt practices at election, and laid down
broadly that anyone who took a bribe was morally guilty of
perjary, because after he had taken it and went to give his
vote he must be prepared to take the oath against bribery,
which he was liable to have tendered to him.