The Sun.
London, England, 1853-03-10 00:00:00

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7ir a.'V ILL'o

LONDON, THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 1853.

The Election Petition Committees—one and all
—are discharging their important and arduous
duties ably and efficiently. For the first time,
perhaps, since its enactment, has the working of
the Grenville Act proved really satisfactory—for
the first time has ft appeared to be the object of
the tribunals clothed with authority to decide both
on the law and the facts of each case—to elicit
the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the
truth, and to apply the existing law to the state
of facts thus brought to light, without fear or
favour, according to the actual merits of the case.
This great improvement is chiefly ascribable to the
Law of Evidence Act, which enables parties
to appear or be subpoenaed in cases in which they
are personally concerned. In many recent in-
stances, where bribery or treating had been
clearly brought home to agents, Hon. Gentlemen,
whose seats were in jeopardy, voluntarily came
forward as witnesses, for the purpose of exonerat-
ing themselves from any previous knowledge of
the Corrupt a.ndillegal proceedings carried on under
the sanction of their names. It thus appeared
that innocent, or at least comparatively innocent,
parties were severely punished for the offences of
their so-called friends who had permitted "their
zeal to outrun their discretion," and to commit
most improper and unjustifiable acts in the heat
of the electioneering warfare. How thankful
. must Messrs. ASTELL, MACAULEY, MACKINNON,
&aims, and Sir R. PIGOT, and, above and be-
yond all, Mr. HORSFALL, be at the benefi-
cial reform in the law which permitted them
to completely remove what might otherwise
have proved grave and indelible stains on their
respective characters. From the testimony which
these gentlemen were enabled to offer, they
showed that " indiscretion "—possibly a culpable
indiscretion—was all that could be laid to their
respective charges. It seems true that the sums
advanced might have afforded prima facie evi-
dence that there was something more than
could be required for strictly legal purposes.
But still there was no direct or positive sanction
to the corrupt practices, so disgraceful to the se-
veral constituencies, which have just been
brought to light. There was great cre-
dulity, but no actual criminality, on the
part of the sitting Members. Indeed, the
salutary provisions of the new code rendered
it indispensable that candidates should not pry
too curiously into the application of the funds
with which, in some instances, they themselves
lavishly supplied the agents, or which, in others,
were abundantly provided by the reckless par-
tisans who so vigorously contested the supremacy
of their own colours in the different boroughs.
This, however, although it may relieve many of
thie unseated members from actual participation in
these very objectionable proceedings, cannot
exempt the delinquent constituencies from the
e_eraure to which they are so justly liable, or
I_J:ke. unworthy electors who betrayed their trust,
gelling their birthrights for messes of pottage,
and
exercising
their most sacred privileges on the
most degraded and despicable grounds, from the
contempt they have . m
the ts? y merited .
These men.
ribers as well as the bribed—
deserve the most
stringent punishment sanctioned
by law for their offnees. Whatever annoyance
they may sustain, or sufferings they may undergo,
no sympathy be
fe=elb on their behalf.
"Served them right," will
the unanimous ver-
dict of the community. It is
too but
t
h
too certain, that justice will ,
home to a very small proportion of the offenders.
Many who have been habitual sinners will escape
with impunity—not even will public opinion be
brought to bear on their backsliding% it is,
We
find, proposed that ail the recipients of bribes to
whom corruption can be traced, should be
disfranchised for life. It would be a
fitting expiation, but, unfortunately, the re.
medy would be of a very homoeopathic cha-
racter—the proportion of those actually convicted
and punished bearing an almost infinitesimal
ratio to those who had merited similar dooms.
In truth, the disease is too deeply seated to be
eradicated by such milk-and-water measures. The
remedy must be suited to the disease. So deep-
seated an ulcer can only be eradicated by means
suitable to the emergency. The knife must be
used with a determined and unsparing hand.
There is but one course that can be adopted
from which a radical cure can be anticipated. "The
Ballot" will alone protect the voter from undue
influences in the exercise of his franchise whether
these influences
hbe exerted by way of bribery or
intimidation
ether it be by £ s. d., by intoxi-
cating
liquors %
Jae by threats from landlord or
elector
swerve fro
customer, that .
can be induced to i
ni the Straightforward course, and to

bestow his suffrage not in accordance with his
conscientious convictions.

The Ballot, then, is that to the attainment of
which every Reformer should direct his energies.
Whatever doubt or difficulty might formerly have
existed as to its propriety and expediency must
now be removed. Recent disclosures must con-
vince, the most sceptical that such proceedings
require a vigorous and decided treatment, and
that " the Ballot" will alone prove effectual for
their removal.

CRUIKSHANK has already given the world his
" Bottle" as a warning against Drunkenness.
He has now presented to it his " Glass" as an
argunient in favour of Abstinence. It would be
difficult to afford any adequate idea of the force
of this argument by a cursory allusion to the
pamphlet* through which its humane sentiments
are inculcated—almost as difficult as to convey
any sufficient conception of the woodcuts scattered
among the letterpress by a passing, or we might
even say by the most laboriously minute, descrip-
tion. Fortunately, the wide and well-merited
popularity of the artist-author will command the
attention of a tolerably large division of the com-
munity to the publication itself—attracting it, at
first, by curiosity, and fixing it, at last, by admi-
ration. Fortunately, we say, not because we
ourselves have any sort of complicity with those
very excellent gentlemen who take part in the
Teetotal Associations—entertaining, for our own
part, we will acknowledge it, a kind of instinctive
repugnance for Pledges of every description,
whether given at the hustings or elsewhere—but
because we entertain profound and dispassionate
feelings of respect for every gentle-hearted phi-
lanthropist like Father MATHEW, regarding their
labours as calculated to improve the morality,
and, by improving the morality, to enhance-
the prosperity, and increase the happiness of the
population. If we are not mistaken the Tee-
totallers have already their organised organs in
periodical literature. We cannot claim
-for our-

selves the distinction of being ranked in the

catalogue of those publications. - Having, doubt-
less, a moderate infusion of the OLD ADAM in our

nature, we confess to a certain appreciation of
the pleasures of conviviality—viewing, not alto-
gether without interest, the movements made
from time to time towards the modification
of the malt tax, or the reduction of the hop
duty, in the Imperial Legislature--observing

with satisfaction the efforts now making with a
view to the ultimate diminution of the imports
levied upon foreign wines ; and to speak more
_ _

comprehensively still, in regard to the whole of
the rather delightful question at issue, like Mrs.
MALAPROP herself, fairly owning the soft im-
peachment. Nevertheless, we are always ready
to accord a respectful hearing to those who think
differently upon the subject. We are always
prepared to admit the elevated and generous
motives of those benevolent enthusiasts who be-
lieve that the virtue of sobriety may be the most
effectually diffused throughout society by the
complete renouncement of all kinds of intoxicating
beverages. We believe them to be actuated by
the highest motives of which human nature is
capable, and, while we cannot feel ourselves
called upon to participate directly in their pecu-
liar endeavours to_ "put down" the vice of in-
toxication, we view their resolute self-denial with
admiration, and form in our mind and in our
heart the most genial estimate of their conscien-
tiousness. We believe that personal participa-
tion in their labours is altogether dependent upon
a man's idiocyncrasy. DOGBERRY, it is well
known, considered reading and writing to " come
by nature." Certainly it must be so to a very
considerable extent with teetotalling ! It must
require a peculiar sympathy like mesmerism, or a
peculiar aptitude like a predilection for the
mathematics. However such things are, and
though they may not " overcome us like a sum-
mer cloud without our special wonder," they
command from us, we conceive, a very respectful
consideration. - -
Everything hitherto recorded as to the effects of
the Total Abstinence movement has proved that
its influence has never yet been injurious, but
that in a variety of ways it has, on the
contrary, been in the highest degree bene-
ficial. That at least must be allowed. Again,
the number of its advocates is no longer insigni-
ficant. It has extended, within the last quarter
of a century (the period during which the system
has been in existence), from "the seven im-
mortal men of Preston," in Lancashire, who
aureed in 1832, to the proposal that they
should " abstain altogether from fermented
liquors, that they should abstain tee-totally"
(and hence the designation), until the aggre-
gate amounts nowadays to hundreds of thousands,
or perhaps, indeed, " millions," as here main-
tained by GEORGE CRIIIKSHANK. Beyond this,
we find the system actually—by a magnificent
kind of suicidal magnanimity—encouraged by the
brewers themselves. In illustration of this other-
wise incredible fact,'we find ourpamphleteer stating,
in a footnote (p. 5), that Mr. BASS subscribes to
a Temperance Society, according to his own ac-
knowledgment—though how the Hon. Gentleman,
the member for Derby, can reconeile the apparent,
contradiction of giving the bane wholesale, as it
were, with one hand, while doling out the anti-
dote in dribblets with the other, it would be
somewhat difficult to conjecture. Another cir-
cumstance in connection with the progress made
of late in the Abstinence movement is that very
noteable one, that Teetotalism has secured to
itself, in various quarters, the support of direct
legislative interposition. This interposition ap-
pears to have been brought about by the resolu-
tion of one or two determined municipalities in
the United States—the example of one of these
States, that of Maine; having, it would seem,
proved very recently so contagious, that it has
resulted in the prohibition of the traffic in strong
drinks throughout the British Province of New
Brunswick, an Act declaring as much having
lately been passed by the local legislature, and
that Act having received the final approval of
the Sovereign. "So that," exclaims Mr. CRUM-
SHANK, with very reasonable exultation, when
alluding to this occurrence, "there is now actually
a portion of the British Empire where the traffic
in strong drink is prohibited by law !" Query—
if he conceived that such a course was to be
adopted in the mother country as well as in the trans-
atlantic possessions, would the representative of
Derby, we wonder, feel himself called upon to enco a-.
rage the development of the Temperance movement
by personally subscribing to its associations ? It
reminds one of the very agreeable position in which
HOGARTH has placed that unfortunate gentleman
who is coolly sawing away the signboard upon
which he himself is seated astride, in the humor-
ous picture on " Perspective."
Returning, however,' to the consideration of the
really important fact of the steady and rapid ad-
vance of the movement made of late years by the
Teetotallers, it must be admitted that one of the
most noteable tributes to their cause recently made
public, was that which was announced a month or
so back at a public meeting- in Exeter-hall, pre-
sided over by Mr. CRIIIKSHANK. Of that tri-
bute, and consequently of that meeting, the pre-

sent pamphlet is a very delightful celebration. It
impresses yet more strongly upon the public mind
the fact that the New Crystal Palace Company at
Sydenham have resolved not to permit the sale of
spirituous liquids on their establishment. Deter-
minedin all its indisputable sig-
to do his very uttermost to force the recog-
nition of this conversion nificance upon the judgment of the community,
our distinguished humourist--not more humourist
by the way (and we should find it difficult to en-
hance our eulogium) than philanthropist --
GEORGE CRUIKSHANK has enforced his vivo voce
arguments from the platform by others of a yet
more important, because more diffusible, charac-
ter, those furnished by his facile pen and by his
inimitable pencil. Here, then, is the origin of
cc The Glass and a glass with, cuts too--cuts
deep and energetic. It would be difficult
not to
bow to the force and justice of the latter, whether
to the more droll or the more
After a glance at that
illustrations. ghastlyregard be had

* "The Glass and the New Crystal Palace." By Crmum
CRIIIKSHANS. With Cuts. Bvo., pp. 32. Cassell:
London. • 1853. -

" something pottle-bodied " phantom, with the
spoons for legs, we question very much whether
the most inveterate antagonist of the Temperance
movement will not hesitate before running his
head once more against the Tea-Pot. In those
companion sketches of " The Glass of Whisky after
the Goose," and then, " The Goose after the
Whisky," there is home wisdom not less than
exquisite drollery. " Old King Cole," again, the
Chairman of the Club called the Social Villagers,
carries a terrible moral in his toothless gums, and
his calf-less shanks, and his corporation. Then
the Social Villagers in the shape of tombstones,
with DEATH as their Chairman, and a funereal um
as their Vice, and hour glasses for their brandy and
water, holding midnight carousals in the church-
yard ! And that scarecrow Bottle " putting up
Mr. TIPPLER'S shutters" ! And that sketch of
" The Spirit Level," in the shape of a gentleman'
" rather screwed," sprawling at full length upon
the pavement ! Everything in this would be to
us as conclusive in application as we doubt not-it
appears to the artist, if we could contrive to be-
lieve with him that the glass is only productive of
Robbery, Brutality, Mischief, Murder, Death,
Destruction, Madness, and Blasphemy. Against
that quotation from Proverbs upon the title, we
could adduce, by way of counterpoise, that fami-
liar declaration of Holy Writ, that " wine glad-
deneth the heart of man besides insisting upon
the significance of that memorable fact that the
First Miracle of our SAVIOUR was performed at
his sacred bidding, when—

" The conscious water owned its LORD,
And blushed itself to wine."
But enough for us that we remind the generous
and gifted advocate of Temperance, that there are
limits to all arguments, even to the loftiest and
the most benevolent Beyond which there are
lights, surely, as well as shadows in that picture
which he has undertaken t 6 delineate. Howbeit,
through the fervour of his manifest prejudices, we
only recognise the more clearly] the warm and
genial ardour of the philanthropist. And so with
all our antagonism, we can end only with a beni-
son to GEORGE CRUIKSHANK.