The Sun.
London, England, 1869-10-22 00:00:00

A CONSE.RVATIVE MEMBER ADVOCAT-

11cG FRED' TRADE.

Sir Lawrence Palk, member for East Devon, attended on
Tuesday evening the annual dinner of the Sidbury and
Sidmouth Agricultural Association. He said one of the best
measures passed during the last session of Parliament was
that which took off the last remaining protective duty
upon agriculture—the shilling duty upon corn. He was one
of those who in early life fought the battle of protection, but
ho had lived to see and learn that the agriculturists of
England were capable of beating the whole world at their
trade, and that they need fear no competition. Agricultural
prices, ever since the repeal of the corn laws, had risen,
and -wo bad now an increased breadth, weight, and
quantity of our wheat, as well as an increase in the
number and quality of our stock to such en extent that
all the actions of the civilis.el v.-mid • not only Europe,
hut the colonies— came to EnglaLd and gave fabulous prices
for animals to export for the purpose of maintaining and
improving their breed. If the t was the case, no por-
tion of the community Lad been so b.!nefited by the reread
of the earn laws as the al ricultural hder, si 11,-d. (A voice:
" That is what we were all told long ago, and you
denied it.") That was perfectly true, but what did they see
new? Nt'hy, in the enlightened 2.certh, in Lancashire,
Manchester, now that the matufbcturing interest was failing,
and men were out of work, and trade was in a state of
great depression, the working men were holding great meet-
ings, and theircry was " reciprocity," the very cry the Protec-
tionists were called stupid for raising. The state of perfec-
tion to which agriculturists had brought their trade• was a
complete answer to that charge.

THE BEVERLEY ELECTION COMMISSION.

_ .o_.

The memorable uproar which ensued on the appearance
in court on Tuesday of Sir H. Edwards and his array of
counsel, together with the fact that the head of the
borough police refused to remove Mr. Serjeant Sleigh, has
led to a change in the building where the inquiry is to be
conducted. The Commissioners have obtained the use of
the Sessions House for the East Riding, and sat there cn
Thursday morning for the first time.
The examination of witnesses for the greater part of the
day did not afford much interest, but the committal of
nine contumacious persons was quite a novelty.
Thomas Ward Flint, a butcher, came into the box, and
said: I object to bein,g sworn, or to give evidence.
The Chief Commissioner : What objection have you?—
Flint : I decline.—What objection have you ?• I decline
giving any evidence whatever.—You had better not. On
what ground, I repeat? Because I think there has been
plenty of this going on lately. I do not approve of all I
see going on.
The Chief Commissioner : Officer, take him into custody,
and keep him in custody until the rising of the court, and
then we shall adjudge what to do.
Superintendent Gibson, of the East Riding constabulary,
then took Flint into custody. _ _

The Chief Commissioner: Now we see the advantage of
being in a court where the officers will obey the lawful
directions of the Commissioners.
Several witnesses of the usual kind having been called,
who deposed to having been bribed at both the parliamen-
tary and municipal elections,
Charles Edward Fitzgerald was next called. When he
was ordered to take the book in order to be sworn, he said
boldly, " I decline to be sworn."
The Chief Commissioner : Why do you decline to be
sworn ?—I do decline to be sworn.
Have you any religious scruples?—No; nothing in par-
ticular.
Have you any scruples against taking an oath on
religious grounds ?—No, I have not; but I decline to be
sworn.
The Commissioners ordered Fitzgerald to be committed,
and he was at once removed by the superintendent of
police.
About fifty- voters were examined during the day, all of
Thorn, at various elections, had received small sums; but
their evidence was of that character which has again and
again been reported.
Flint and Fitzgerald were brought up again just before
the Commissioners adjourned. Both men still refused to
be sworn, and were committed, for contempt, to two
months' imprisonment in York Castle.