The Sun.
London, England, 1869-04-14 00:00:00

THE ELECTIO2' PETITIONS

The petitioner at Northallerton against the return of
Mr. Hutton has not presented the very strong cases of
the worst kind of bribery which we were led to expect
trom the opening statement. Several cases, some of them
admitted to belhe most important, broke down altogether,
and at last the leading counsel, Mr. Serjeant O'Brien
(who appeared, with Mr. Shield, for the petitioner) inti-
mated that with the exception of making a point or two a
little clearer the evidence was closed as regarded bribery,
and the case would depend for additional strength upon
the scrutiny. In reply, Mr. O'Malley remarked that
in the parliamentary contest of the borough the successful
Liberal election had been gained by two or three votes,
while those on the Conservative side had been secured by
large majorities. Mr. Hutton had come forward, not as
a " blue " or Conservative, as had been alleged, but as
an independent candidate, and had studiously avoided ex-
hibiting party colours. The same kind of influence that
had been. charged to the account of Mr. Hutton would be
shewn to have been exerted in the interest of Mr. Johns,
and he apprehended that when the evidence bad been heard
his lordship would have very little difficulty in coming
to the conclusion that Mr. Johns was not in a position to
enter upon a scrutiny and to claim the seat. Mr. Hutton,
the respondent, was called. He stated that he had con-
ducted his own canvass, and was totally unaware that any
unfair influence bad been exercised to insure his return.
He contradicted the allegations of bribery made against
him by Mrs. Carsfield, and denied the imputations con-
cerning hirnself made by other witnesses. Two of the
gentlemen who accompanied Mr. Hutton to Mrs. Carsfield's
corroborated the respondent's evidence. With regard to
Mr. Stubbing's charge of intimidation, Mr. William
Oliver, who had the conversation with him in the first
instance, gave a very different account of what was said,
and stated that no reference was made to the chapel, or
the probability of any members of the congregation
seceding. Witness advised him as a friend to remain neutral.
Christopher Palliser, the builder, was called, and he dis-
tinctly denied that he had written a threatening letter to
one of his workmen, and, further, that he had ever
exercised any restraint upon his men in regard to their
voting.

At Hastings the commencement of the hearing of the
petition took place on Tuesday. The petitioners were the
Conservative candidates at the last election, Colonel Cal-
thorpe and Mr. Clement Thurston, and they complained
of the return of Messrs. North and Brassey, the Liberal
members. The greatest excitement prevails in the town.
Before the judge (Mr. Justice Blackburn) came into the
court, various arrivals were greeted with cheers and hisses,
and, after the case had been opened, his lordship had to
explain that the place was not a theatre, and there could
be no cheers allowed. The petitioners were represented
by Mr. Giffard, Q.C., and Mr. Middleton ; Mr.
Serjeant Ballantyne and Mr. Charles Bowen ap.
peared for Mr. Brassey, and Mr. T. T. Powell,
Q.C., and Mr. Thurston Holland for Mr. North.
In opening the case Mr. Giffard said that in the 1865
election a Liberal candidate was at the top of the poll,
hut the second member, a Conservative, was only twelve
votes behind, whereas at the last general election the
disproportion in the number of votes recorded for
the Liberal and Conservative candidates was very
considerable, and had to be counted by hundreds. It
might be suggested that that was due to the introduction of
new voters. That that was so to some extent he was prepared
to admit, but whether it was solely so, or whether some
less worthy motives were brought into play, was a ques-
tion which his lordship would have to decide. The illegal
practices of which the petitioners complained commenced
at a very early period of the contest. Voters were paid for
attending the registration court by recognised Liberal
agents, on the understanding that the votes should be
given to that party which paid the expenses of
obtaining them. There was also treating going
going on at Liberal public-houses, a system which, he be-
lieved, was pursued by the Liberal party very generally
throughout the contest. Next came treating at the elec-
tion itself, and he believed the amount of drink which was
then distributed to the electors—especially to the poorer
class of them—was something portentous. Drink was
obtained so freely at the Liberal public-houses by merely
pronouncing the magic words, " Brassey and North," that
those houses soon became crowded, and the amount of re-
freshment provided was so great that a man could have any
amount. Three public-houses of this kind stood out promi-
nently—namely, the Pelham Arms, the York, and the Jenny
Lind. In the course of the canvass Mr. Brassey thought
right to bring round a yacht. of which he was the owner.
The name of the yacht was the Meteor. Those persons
who had pledged themselvs to vote for the Liberal candi-
dates were taken to the yacht and treated. He now came
to a class of personal bribery in which he was sorry to say
that ho should be under the painful necessity of intro-
ducing a lady's name, and if the evidence, which, he be-
lieved, would be forthcoming, could be relied upon, there
could be no doubt that there was a systematic distribution
of benefit. Not always money, but other things which were
acceptable to the poorer class of voters in wintry weather
—fuel, flannels, clothing, &c., were distributed with very
lavish hands; indeed, he was afraid that in some cases it
would be proved that actual money was given, on the
understanding that the person benefited should vote for
the Liberal candidates. An old class of bribery, which
one would have thought had disappeared long ago, was
alleged to have been reintroduced, such as a lady (Mrs.
Brassey) going into a tradesman's shop, and saying,.i gloves,
4 `llir.
a
So-and-So, I want some dresses z
n
the charge, and Mr. Giffard then we :to det
and your vote for my husband." This wasl ther o of
i
CI particu-
larising, would
p
apearian
evidence.la
rgenumber of cases, which, he said,

The South West Riding election petition opened
o a Tuesday, at Wakefield, before Baron Martin. All the
charges of treating have been abandoned on both sides, and
all opposition to Lord Milton withdrawn. Arrangements
are proposed for shortening any intended scrutiny. The
Judge says it would be harsh to decide that the old custom
of refreshu]ients was corrupt, but advised that the custonz
be given up altogether, The court aclisr:Asi tti9l
morrow.