The Sun.
London, England, 1854-07-17 00:00:00

very diverse ; Mr. Fox had been returned three
times for less than 0/. 3s. Od. Mr. DENISON

testified that the cheapest West Riding election
cost 14,0001. Then, again, what was intimida-
tion ? Mr. MALINS thought the clause should
specify " spiritual intimidation as well as
temporal ;" but the House, in its temporal wis-
dom, thought otherwise by a majority of 99.
Intimidation by transfer of custom was found
very difficult to lay hold of, and " undue intimi-
dation" by the Lords of the broad acres was left
where it is. The Scotch, custom of intimidation
by literal " spitting at elections" was, at the sug-
gestion of Mr. BLAIR, taken into custody by the
Attorney-Genera], who promised, if needful, an
anti-spitting-intimidation clause. Agency, and
the special constableship of voters, were also great
difficulties ; but we vfill not tire our readers, we
confess ourselves to have been tired enough with
the perusal bf the debate.
How, indeed, can any honest Reforrher be
otherwise ? We have, as we well know, and as
the House knows, a plain, common-sense, straight-
forward, well-tried remedy for all these endless
evils. Whether it be the bribery of guineas or
refreshment tickets ; intimidation by the Lord of
half a county or by a filthy Scotch " spitter," by
a " spiritual" or a temporal tyrant, the simple
expedient of compelling all to vote in the sight
of HEAVEN and their own consciences only, would
annihilate, so far as human law can do it, the
temptation to corrupt. The evil would be stopped
at its source. Lord JOHN and our aristocrats
may writhe and wriggle as they please ; to this it
must come at last, and the sooner the better. The
Ballot is the only Bribery Bill worth having.
The same conclusion is forced upon us by the
debate on the FITZROY KELLY portion of the new
Bill on Friday night. The Committee reported
to the House that on no provision of the Bill had
they been more unanimous than on the appoint-
ment of Election Officers, who should audit all the
accounts of the election ; each Honourable Mem-
ber making oath that he had paid no expenses
except through the hands of this officer, by whom
all the accounts, when complete, were to be pub-
lished. The House, therefore, agreed by a large
majority to the appointment of such an officer,
but as to how he should be appointed, how long
it should be before he should close his accounts,
and especially as to what he should admit as le-
gitimate expenses, the difference of opinion was
great and irreconcileable ; and it had, after all,
to be left to the officers to decide what they
would pay, and What they would riot. Endless,
therefore, will be the precedents which will
be furnished for refusing or admitting elec-
tion bills. A teetotal auditor will, of
course, be stringent enough on public-house
bills, while a brewer or a brewer's friend,
will deem them the most reasonable of
items. Mr. HILDYARD, however, hit the right
nail on the head, when ho told the squabbling
opposers of the Ballot that " all this legislation
was useless, for bribery would still be carried on
under the guise of subscriptions. Suppose a coal
fund were established in a borough, and one can-
didate subscribed 1,0001. to it, while the other
did not, which candidate would be returned ?"
We should like to know, however, how much
any member would subscribe to. a coal fund, or
any other fund, if lie could not make sure of the
votes for which he had subscribed. Pitiable truly
was the sight of so many SOLONS scheming to set
up an anti-bribery auditor, when they well knew
that for election expenses the only effectual audi-
tor is the ballot-box--an auditor, too, who will
cost us nothing !