The Sun.
London, England, 1833-08-26 00:00:00

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that a reformed' .House- Commona iltNthe
country will not be deluded by the shifts (1;1 his
personal responsibility on the already over-bur-
thened shoulders of his agents and political
tools. The aukward apologist, in the G/obc of
Saturday, only aggravates culpability, by turn-
ing round on the election partisans of Lord WAR-
WICK and Sir CHARLES GREVILLE, and en-
deavouring to conceal the principal behind the
backs of the agents. It was notoriously and
palpably for the " interest" of the " Patron,"
Lord WARWICK, that the bribery and debau-
chery of the electors was perpetrated. Na one
would suspect that the Noble Earl personally
bribed the voters, or handed round the tankards
of beer, or mixed the spirits and water which
overcame their political integrity, or that his
Lordship in person falsely rated his tenantry to
create fictitious votes. Lord 'WARWICK had,
doubtless, sagacity and sense enough to abstain
from such an open and barefaced interference of
a Peer and Lord-Lieutenant. But no one
doubts that the scandalous acts of Sir CHARLES
GREVILLE'S Committee, of his lawyers, and
Lord WARWICK'S Steward, BROWN (the ab-
sentee witness), were accomplished with the
money and property of Lord WARWICK, and
that, to a certain extent, his Lordship must
have been cognismit of the appropriation
of the means thus supplied to the tools
of election corruption. vo use a strong,
but appropriate simile, the " borough pa-
trons" are receivers of stolen goods. It is
avowedly for their " interest" that these abo-
minable practises are resorted to, and to secure
their " family seats !" These Tory noblemen
really believe that the local representation of the
Commons is an heir-loom of their castles, and
belongs to them as part and parcel of their here-
ditary possessions. Lord WARWICK, when
Lord BROOK, was the quiet nominee of his
father, and by the evidence, it appears, desired
to retain " one seat" for his own nominee, Sir
CHARLES GREVILLE. The Boroughmongers
heretofore considered it a robbery to contest the
the returns under their local influence ; and
their public trusts of lord-lieutenancies and re-
corderships, aided by subservient and close cor-
porations, have been notoriously used to perpe-
tuate and increase their local and political power.
Their eyes are still untouched, even by the
painful operation of the Reform Acts ; and we
do not doubt that Lord WARWICK, the Duke
of NEWCASTLE, the Marquises of SALISBURY
and EXETER Consider themselves much abused
and persecuted individuals. A little time and
their cataracts will be removed ; and before the
conclusion of the proceedings pending in Par-
liament, in relation to the boroughs of Warwick
and Hertford, their Lordships and Graces will
be better instructed. In like manner the
vendors of the corrupt freemen of Liverpool and
other boroughs and cities esteem political cor-
ruption as venial and lawful. But praise be to
the people and the independent electors, who
have so probed and exposed these foul sores in
the Constitution, that the freedom and purity of
election will be now better secured. The ar-
raignment of Lord WARwlcx, in the special
report of the Committee, will be followed up
by the Reformed Parliament. The Globe
correspondent and apologist of the Noble
Baron fully admits the venality and guilt
of the Warwick corruptionists. We wish
it would " turn out that the illegal
and scandalous interference of the Noble Earl's
agents in the election for Warwick, of which
the Parliament and the country so justly com-
plain, has been made without his authority,
and that he may be able to prove this to the
satisfaction of his friends." But such a hope
would be a vain shadow. The report of' the
Special Committee, expressly appointed to com-
plete the investigation of this shameless election,
is a judgment recorded which leaves Lotd
WARWICK no alternative but submission to his
certain sentence of dismissal from his Lord-
Lieutenancy by an address to the Crown from
a reformed House of Commons ; and the Noble
Earl would best consult his own character and
interest by a discreet and immediate resignation.
He will thus save his SOVEREIGN the painful
task of a formal dismissal, and avoid much
commentary on his personal conduct and that
of his borough partizans next session. The
bungling apologist of his Lordship admits
the fact " (21 the Noble Earl's agents in the
election for Warwick !" This is the political
crime of Lord WARWICK—the " head and
front" of his offence—the unconstitutional vio-
lation of the Standing Orders of the House of
Commons which the Committee indignantly and
honestly denounced. A curious vindication—
verily, the admission that his Lordship had
" agents ;" and it is their acts for which he is
equally responsible as principal, having been the
individual who provided the means with which
these " agents" corrupted the electors ! This
specimen of the defence set up for Lord WAR-
t
WICK is a sample of the folly which has singu-
larly coloured allthe
has proceedings
be
private
o f
character
of partisans. And what
of the Noble Earl or the military reputation of
Sir CHARLES GREVILLE to do with the issue
now before the country ? Lord WARWICK
may be privately an inoffensive and re-
spectable man, and we do not question the
fact ; Sir CHARLES GREVILLE has gallantly
served his country as a soldier, and may have
attained his rank, independent of political fa-
mily influence, though the Army List will
show that more veteran officers have not been so
fortunate ; but, we repeat, what relation have
these irrelevant circumstances to the culpability
of the two individuals in the transactions of the
Warwick elections? Sir CHARLES GREVILLE

is a gallant officer—hui is he, therefore, a good
Legislator ? He had been a dumb voter in
every Tory division for successive Parliaments
but he was a never-failing opponent of _the Re-

form Bill in 1831, and t►ee intlepend

public-spirited electors of Warwick zsted him
E.,t the memorable dissolution the House of

Commons i❑ that year. Are his services in the
Peninsula qualifications for a Representative
in the Reformed Parliament, or any

. .
valid excuse for his return by bribery
and corruption ? The respectability of
Lord WA it wrcic's private character, so far
from extenuating, in our view, aggravates his
illegal interference with the political rights of
his neighbours. His Lordship will not serve
himself by the aid of such miserable apologists,
and he had better be guided by the old English
proverb, which prudently advises men not to
stir a dirty puddle. In the meanwhile, we are
glad to see, by the Commons' Notices, that Mr.
PETER will, early next session, bring forward
his motions respecting the conduct of Lord
WARWICK, the Town-Clerk, and the Corpo-
rators reported by the Committee. When the
next
twe
acts of Lord WA R-
wicx and his steward and agents, as his Lord-
ship does not seem to comprehend his amenabi-
lity to public opinion.