The Sun.
London, England, 1869-09-11 00:00:00

THE PREMIER.

Mr. Gladstone, now sojourning at Raby astle,
has deferred his proposed visit to Whitby, and has
been represented at that borough by Mrs. Gladstone,
with her son and daughter. An address has been
presented to the wife of the Premier by the Working
Mens'Society and the Registration Society of Whitby.
These joint bodies congratulated the head of the
Government on the success of his administration,
with, of course, special reference to the Irish Church
Act. The constituents of the Premier's son hope to
be speedily favoured with a personal visit.
The corporation of Clonmel, in Tipperary, nave
drawn up their address also. It deals more
with the future than the past. The alder-
men and councillors are thankful for the Irish
Church Act, but they are likewise impressed with
the necessity for a settlement of the relations between
landlord and tenant. "An equitable Land Bill,
upon the basis of tenure at a fair rent, with compen-
sation for unexhausted improvements, would be
hailed with gratification."

THE ILECTION COMMISSIONS.

The mean trickery, chicanery, and fraud which
prevailed at Bridgwater among men holding them-
selves to be above such petty ac:e almost challenges
belief. The worst feature of the case is that those
who indulged in small deeds of knavery do not seem
to feel they were doing anything so very wrong. It
was election time, they urge, when strayings from
the straight path of moral rectiiude are not merely
excusable, they are " almost necessary." Mr.
Vanderbyl appears to have been pushed into
corrupt practices. For some time he held out
that the election should be purely conducted, but
he was sneered at, argued with, and told plainly
he would be certain to lose the day. Ile complained
to a deputation that the lawyers wanted his money
and were pressing him hardly for it. Ile had pro-
mised Mrs. Vanderbyl that he would not bribe ; and
he did not intend to break his pledge. The announce-
ment was received with a contemptuous' whisper of
" humbug:" the witnesses cannot agree upon the
phrase used; the term expresses the meaning. What
a pity he was not strong enough to hold out against
the tempters !

The same feature of disregard of strict upright-
ness of moral conduct is too plainly nromirent alma
ati neveriey. There, even overt acts of bribery are
regarded as mere trifles—nothing to be ashamed of.
A farmer who spent £f in getting votes held himself
up as a grand example of incorruptible purity. "It
would be a good thing (he innocently declared)
if
there were more people like me in Beverley.
'early all the witnesses speak of the borough as
" disgracefully corrupt." They nearly as unani-
mously attribute its misfortunes to the " influential
people." Certainly the pasture-masters—the " big
men" of the town—do not set a good example in
first swearing solemnly that they will impartially
administer their offices, and then using their whole
influence in the moat unblushing favouritism, for tho
sake of their own political party.
Sir Henry Ed;vards decidedly objects to have
more sins attributed to him than those of which he
is guilty, and he has addressed a letter to the
Beverley Royal Commissioners, saying that he is not
so bad as the witnesses would make him to be. The
Commissioners have seemed ready to regard the
money used in bribery as his. Sir Henry writes :

" I protest against this, and mo,t emphatically deny
that the money came directly or indirectly from myself or
Captain Kennard, as we both stated in our sworn evidence
before Mr. Baron Martin. You will at your pleasure
have an opportunity of examining me in person, when I
shall be completely in your power. Until then, therefore,
or until there is evidence to warrant the Commissioners
in thus using my name, I hope you will refrain from so
doing."