The Sun.
London, England, 1841-04-03 00:00:00

EVENING EDITION

n enormous and alarming extent. It was impossible
that individual Members mould Spend their whole fortunes
in investigating such abuses. The expense of investigat-
ing such flagrant cases should not ibe thrown upon private
individuals. Constituted as these tribunals were at menet,
no private expenditure would be sufficient for that purpose.
He had no knowledge of the particular circumstances
which influenced the Committee; but, perhaps. Hon.
Gentlemen would agree with him that vvben the Counsel
tor the petitioner came forward voluntatily, and said
that he had no case against the sitting Member,
the Committee ought to have pronounced the petition
frivolous and vextatiousme( Hear, hear.) It was rumoured
(ho knew not with what truth) that there had been a corn-
promise.—(Hear, hear, hear.) He thought the House
ought to watch whether such a system was
in practice that a Member who was not able
to defend his own seat should threaten his oppo-
nent with a counter petition.--(Cries of " Hear, hear.")
He did not care for either side of the Houses—( Hear,
bear)—but he would say that it was necessary to
put down the system of bribery, which prevailed to an
extent that no one could deny, and which bad been greatly
increased since the Reform Bill.--(Cheers and a laugh.)
At present he was not sure that he would not move for fur-
ther inquiry into the proceedings at St. Alban's,
but when be saw what the evidence was he would know
what steps to take. He concluded by moving that the
evidence taken before the St. Alban's Election Committee
should be laid on the table.
Mr. THOMAS DUNCOMBE assured the Honour-
able Member that in the amendment which ho was
about to propose, it was not his intention to in-
tsrfero with the Hon. Member's motion, for he was
ea desirous as the Hon. Member to put an end to the system
of bribery which undoutdedly existed. He agreed with
the Hon. Member that it was necessary to watch the
proceedings of tbe Election Committees under the
new system. It was. to be remembered that
this was the first year these tribunals had a trial.
It was therefore of the utmost importance that those new
tribunals should not only have the confidence of the House,
but of the public, and those individuals whose cases should
come before them. It was impossible that they could have
that confidence if those statements and refiectioas
were to be passed upon them by the public prints
which be had seen that day, without contradiction :—•
When things have come to the worst, there is hope
that they may mend,' says the old proverb. With refe-
rence, to the St. Alban's election petition, and the law and
practice of Committees in cases of bribery, this saying
teems to caome into full force.
" There never was a more open, unblushing, reckless
purchase of a borough than that effected at St. Alban's at
the last election. The facts of the case, happily, are be-
yond aildoubc. One of the leading Ministerialists of the town
comer, up to London on heating of the vacancy, drives to the
Treasury, and here contracts for one of the Lords of the Bed-
chum' )er, whom he duly escorts down to St. Alban's as the
candi bite of his procuring. He then sets to work, loudly
prod aiming. to every one that we have plenty of money,'
and • lispentieg this commodity in open day-light, in ex-
citer rge. for Metes, ali.te to Whig or Tory, without the least
ape a'etit wish or attempt at concealment.
h` Of course these proceedings became universally
k terra and universally talked off. They have been
W.-ought before a Committee of the House of Corn-
/nein, and there proved; and no attempt at disproof
am much as thought of. The whole reliance of the
_Lord of the Bedchamber's advocates was placed upon one
tpo:nt mad The bribery we don't deny ; but you can't prove
'sae agency.' And accordingly, having a majority cf Mi-
. resterimists oa the Committee, they have steadily adherel
to de i• point, ' agency not preyed.'
" According to the decisions of this Committee, if, which
Ged lereet. tney should become autherim and precede: t,
eoteieg could be more clear or more certain than that, if
the meeey be but forthcoming, the whole of the borough
conetituenciee of England must be made matter of pur-
chase and sale in all future elections. Notice is hereby
giver, that so long as the candidate gives no written am
Inthotatem, undo. his hand, which can afterwards be pro.
dueod in evideece, and takes care net to declare before
witnesses any person to be Lis egent, the whole of his
Committee may run about the open street, with money in
both hands, offering it to every voter they meet; and the
verdoet cf a Committee, acting on the St. Alban's pr!e-
cettestit, will be, • Agency not proved.'
' We repeat, that this state of things would be frightful,
mere it not fur the hope we alluded to at the outset, that
:things will now be felt to have come to a crisis. If there
are acy holiest Refcrmers among the Whigs and Raiicalo
they will feel exactly as we feel. Except a change takes
place, and that tight anon, every idea of public principle in
elections is lost, and one abyss of universal corruption ab-
sorbs the aggregate constituency. The St. Albaa's case
must operate injuriously to all parties. The Milisterial-
ists have been promising us for this month past that they
should unseat Mr. Smythe on the Canterbury petition. But
thri: counsel, on looking over his case, finds that the very
principles %%lichee/re himself had succeeded in est iblishing
in the St. Alban's case, would irievitably re-act oa him
.i° the Caeterbury, and that his own arguments
null put. him out of Court! Ho therefore at once abat-
laeme the, petition, and the Treasury Journal of last night
Las ecco- nes fer the vli:hdraw.l:—.. They were influenced,
tie ere assorted, not by any apprehenvions of any failure
in prey nag the e pureed sleeations of tec• yeition, but be-
emote of the fliSfO,;llY they atitieeme I in satisfactorily
cowl( eti ng the sitting Member, or his recognised egento
with. ti Jose ill et at acts.'
Ps eactly so ! Beyond a doubt, on the p Liciple adopted
it' she St. Albert's Committee, the; t ever can be another
jotter cf_ candidate unseated for bribem, except he
:lee/ nave acted like an idiot.
- Corruption must become the order of the day, so long
me glare is e, Whig ' c isury' to go to; except the
- _)m-able moil of the House of Commons, of all por-
tal, shill at once demand that a remedy bo mtflinchingly
e t to me evil so frightful and ee advancing."
.w He knew noticing of the prceee lirge that had °centred
males • these Committees, and he was, therefore not able
oil ill aestee: these stet:most; were true hr nor, but he
leasers ed them t.. be urleanded, aid most gross libels on
Alban's Coremittee. With regard to the re-
:nem:3 to which the . Hon. Me nber f r WelFneford had
telmeme elle should like to hear whether they were true;
bot cent airily eftter reading the rip rt of the prcceedisge
e th( ibeiC was a prima facie cave rude out of a
thuht d.i,'lre`ietable compromise. Ira the Report of the
Flw( :tilts es before the Committee upon the Canterbury
ttdear, he found it stated that—
Me. estin rote and said, that after duly considering
tl • voile:me ha should have been able to produce in sup-
el the petition, and l.ving communicated with the
c morsel for the sitting Member, Le had only now to an-
, oceuee that be should not further proiecute the petition.
lane. teseteant Wrangbion, on bt 'mil of Air. Sew!).
. tee petitioccr's counsel had scted ikI,JST FAIRLY
AN,. I,ANDSDNIELY towards hirn."--IGrcat laughter on
,P,e; House ] • " In thus, i' the tory outset,
trrtiedmg !h: meriameication he had then addressed to the
(net it:mute; and on behalf of the sitting Member ho
Lose leavd to add, that he not only did not ask for, but
risprecated, any resolution passing the Com-
m:leo -I:lfir•:ougg a trlcting the petitioner in consequence
iof they withdrawal of his oppasitton."
" I=cier there was a pima facie ease of compromise; not
-to :Me of cerrupion, it was this. What was the conclusion
the Corn nittee come to ? It was that the aittieg Member
( Yr. Smythe) was duly eleet:d ; tear the petition of
Get roe *Hobby and Meters did not appear to be frivolous or
weemieus ; and that the oeteositean to such peddle was riot
malons or vexatious. —(Laughter.) A prettitr arrange-
tneat ire bed never seen.—( Renewed laughter.) But si-
enuMmeous with the withdrawal of that petition nearly thee
seam thing took place at t'sc S:. Alban's Committee. In
the report in the some paper it was staid—
" Upon the admission of strangers,
" The Chairman stated that tee Committee had resolved
that the evidence should he received, but desired that it
should be given by Lord Grimsten himself.
" Mr. Hildvard then addressed tae Committee, and
stated that tither the come of the proceedings on the pre-
wines day. he had thought it his duty to unite with his
Learned Priem!, Mr. Talbot, in taking into serious consi-
deration the position and prospects of the case, and that
the result of the consultation was, that they had de termit red
to proceed no further with the case, as the views which the
Committee had taken cf the lays of evidence were so differ-
ent from those of him (Mr. Hildyard) and Mr. Talbot,
that he and his Lebrael Friend were of opinion that they
would not be justified in putting the Committee or the sit-
ting Member to any further trouble."
He begged to draw the attention of the House to this fact,
If he had been correctly informed the two last decisions of
that Committee were in favour of the petidoner. —Meat-
hear, bear.) Thcy came to a decision that gave the per;
titioner greater facility to prove his case of bribery, and
vat the counsel fur the petitioner, because they had come
to that conclusion, said he would also be very handsome,
and withdrew his petition.—(Lau;hted) Was Oct a
prima facie caste of compromise to be found in that Re-
port ? Whether the statements contained in the Report
were correct or not, the Members who sat
couldnpon tha
tCoßrnu -t
mittee, arid who were then in the House,state.__ono°
of
it.they wished those tribunals to have the co fid
the House and the country, such proceedings as these
ought not to be allowed to take place. It was really
tremsferring a scene from the Beggar's Opera into the
•Coniamittee-roorns, and were the Peachems and the Lockits
to be allowed to go into a room together, and say,
"Attether, brothe-, we aro both in the wrong : we shall
he both losers in the end, and tie may both baitg each
other ?"_(Great laughter.) Was that the way in which
business was to he transacted ? It was making a perfect
farce of an Election Committee, and it would be a perfect
mockery to institute any inquiry before a Committee, if
that sort of proceeding were to be tolerated.—(Hear,
hear.) He, did net know whether the Committees had the
power—he supposed they had not—when parties were
guilty of such dishonest and corrupt practices, to
push the inquiry:tather.—(Cries of " Hear, hear.")
lie trusted that the House would be more careful in fu-
tire. With these observations he begged to move as an
amendment, in addition to themotion of the Hon. Mem-
ber, " That th'e proceedings and minutes taken before the
Ciinterbury election he laid on the table."
Mr. miurnay (a Member of the Committee) and Mr.
Sandford rose together to second the motion. There
were loud cries for the latter. Mr. Mildmay gave way, and
Mr. SANFORD said he heard the notice given by the
Hon. Member for Wallingford with the greatest pleasure
--(Hear, hear)—because as Chairman of that Committee
eat i
would not have thought it his deity to have made such
motion unless he had received instructions to that effect
from the Committee—unless he bad found something out
of the proper and usual course he should not have thought
he would have been paying proper deference to that Com_
taittee, in which so much good feeling bad existed, bad he
attempted to do anything contrary to
their wishes or
without their orders; therefore be considered it a pecu_
liarly fortunate circumstance that the Hon. Member had
made the motion, and he-sincerely thanked him for it, in.
asmuch as it gave him an opportunity of making a state-
atm
__which he hoped the House would allow, especially
fibs egyations which had been made upon the pro.
,-.'"Xelaigh'ettte Committee. He was sorry to trouble the
Hew, but he tilusted after what had taken " place they would
ar,„aq him their indulgence. He had stated, after
V* .01nottsi" of, the proceedings in the Ludlow case, and
V
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tee gyp rep,te h 3 that iii Election Committees not only
ideadelVo eSitl •
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