The Sun.
London, England, 1849-09-15 00:00:00

KIDDERMINSTER ELECTION.
OUR REPRESBNTATIVE SYSTEM.
(From the Derby Reporter.)
The Liberals of Derbyshire as well as ourselves
Will have felt an interest in the late Kidderminster
election, not certainly on account of its political im-
portance, nor of the previous electioneering character
of the borough. We had heard of Kidderminster
as a Tory borough and as a corrupt borough ; and
both characters it eminently deserved. Nevertheless
a pure and earnest Liberal party exists there,
and when the recent vacancy occurred in the repre-
sentation, several circumstances induced them to
Snake a strong effort o rescue the borough from
Toryism and from corruption. First, the Tory party
brought forward two candidates, and though one of
them withdrew a fortnight before the election, a sec-
tion of his supporters continued to the last moment
strong negative efforts to prevent the return of
The other. Secondly, recent Parliamentary decisions
made it reasonable to suppose that corruption
?night appear too dangerous even to those who were
inclined to practise it. Thirdly, the Liberals were
cheered by having secured the assistance of a public
roan, whom every section of their body was eager to
support. On this latter circumstance our interest
in the contest hinged. It proposed to restore to the
House of Commons a man locally known to us,
identified with many of our political struggles, and
never sparing of himself either here or elsewhere
when an adequate public object was presented to
his view. Our interest in Mr. Gisborne led us to
take somewhat unusual pains in ascertaining the
particulars of the struggle in which he was engaged,
and some facts which we have collected, and which
are very illustrative of the state of single-handed
boroughs in general, may be interesting to our
readers, notwithstanding our disappointment. We find
Ourselves, however, somewhat' h layered by per-
ceiving irom Mr. Gisborne's farewell address, that
be is strongly urged to assist tl,e inhabitants in a
-petition to avoid the return. A "lis pendens" exacts
from us some reserve. Mr. Gisborne does not encou-
rage the idea of petitioning, treating the matter as
tone of mere political expediency. He does not doubt
the result of the petition, but says that in the event
of Mr. Best's disqualification, the two sections of the
Tory party would agree on a candidate, and would
"in a legitimate election defeat any Liberal."
The borough of Kidderminster extends beyond the
limits of the town, and is supposed to contain about
20,000 inhabitants. It furnishes an actual con-
stituency of 480 voters. House-rent, or at least
the rating of houses, is low in Kidderminster. The
constituency includes neither operatives nor adieus,
nor shopkeepers, except in a few of the prin-
cipal thoroughfares. Street after street furnishes
110 voters except publicans and be,J.house keepers (of
'!vliom one-fourth of the constituency consists), unless
it happens to contain the residence of a clergyman, a
lawyer, or a doctor. The electors will be accurately
classed as follows :

lst—Tories
About 40 of these are inclined to further
the electioneering objects of the great
proprietor in Kidderminster and its
vicinity, whose agent resides within two
miles of the town.
2d—lndependent Liberals .. 2lO
A few of each of the above designations
have at previous elections been acces-
sible to argument, when it has taken the
shape of 1001. or upwards a vote.
Such traffic has been very open in
Kidderminster. N ames and sums are
" familiar words " in the mouths of
those who have been interested in for-
mer contests.
3i—Electors whom Mr. Gisberne in his
farewell address designates as " loose
fish, whose votes are determined by no
political principle"
On these materials the contest which has just termi-
nated was founded, and the chance of the Liberal
depended-Ist, on the declared intention of at least
thirty of the Tories to remain neutral ; and, 2d,
on the influence of the non-electors, who by a vast
Majority identified themselves with his cause. No
°no, however, who had been versed in Kidderminster
elections supposed that this influence could prevail
against direct pecuniary payments. On the present
Occasion the independent voters came freely to the
Poll, and at noon the numbers were—
Gisborne 172 Best