The Sun.
London, England, 1841-07-13 00:00:00

BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION AT

LEEDS.

Never, we believe, has so much of vice been crowded
into so short a period, in the borough of Leeds, as at
the recent borough election. The number of foul and
degrading influences which were brought into operation,
were, we believe, perfectly unprecedented by anything
that has ever occurred in Leeds before. Bribery, in all
its Protean shapes—often in its own naked and
hideous villany, an undisguised attempt to barter con-
science, and often thinly veiled beneath the tran-
sparent pretence of bargaining—has prevailed to
an unexampled extent. Intimidation, whether of
master over workmen, of landlord over tenant, or
of customer over shopkeeper, has been unhesitatingly
exerted. Never have the thousand influences whibh
show how much in society, as at present orgonized,
one man is the helpless and pitiable slave of another,
been more palpably and disgustingly displayed. Where
these could not be successfully employed, every kind
of trick, deception, and fraud, boundless lying and
barefaced calumny, were unscrupulously resorted to.
It is shocking to contemplate the demoralization
that must have been produced by this pandering. to
the worst vices of the population. It is quite im-
possible to trace the various channels through which
bribery and corruption have reached the consciences
of men, or intimidation been brought to bear. Debtors
have been relieved from gaols, and the debts paid at an
enormous expense, as the price of their votes. Sick
men have been dragged from their beds to the polling-
booths by doctors, who had previously pronounced that
So leave their beds was to hazard their lives ; and return-
ing officers have gone to the back doors of polling booth.
to meet such men. Tenants have been distrained, and
workmen thrown out of employment, with an utter reck-
lessness of the heart-rending_ misery that must be the
consequence, for the avowed reason, that they voted
against the wishes of their landlords or their employers.
VOTES OFFERED IN THE MARKET.—A man of the
name of Benjamin Binns, a hay-dealer on Quarry-hill,
who has always before voted for the Liberal candidates,
on the last occasion offered his vote to the Liberals if
they would give him 51. This was refused, and he
voted for Beckett and Jocelyn. Of course he got his
price from the Blues—the result plainly enough proves
that ; but it is impossible, of course, to say how
much that price was, and by whom it was paid. We
know, however, from the statement of the man him-
self, that the Blues offered to find him the floor boards
for a house that he is building, which he declined,
not considering it sufficient. The following is another
case- of a voter seeking a bribe :—A man of the name of
Cox, a pill-doctor, living in York-street, sent up to the
Liberal Central Committee for 10/. He has always be-
fore voted for the Liberal candidates. The money was
of course refused, and he voted for Beckett and Jocelyn.
There can be no doubt that a bribe was both offered and
accepted in this case, but as in almost all cases of suc-
cessful attempts of bribery, it is impossible to penetrate
the veil in which both the parties to the bargain are
anxious to envelope the villany they have committed.
Another voter, who was bad in his rent, also distinctly
and openly Offered' his vote for 10/. It was refused, and
he also voted for the Tories.—Leeds Times.