The Sun.
London, England, 1859-07-28 00:00:00

///7

ELECTIONEERIXq VIRTUE!

(From the Times.)
We are not among those who despair of this
country. We see in it natural elements of strength
that may defy any enemy from without or traitor
within. Tt is not the Army that we trust, or the
Navy,• or the Departments, or the' Government
altogether, or the nobility, or the middle classes, or
the yeomanry, or the peasantry, or the religious, or
the patriotic, or the national feeling, or Norman
pride or Saxon independence, or public opinion, or
gentlemanly feeling, or anything usually supposed
to constitute the real pluck of the old British lion.
All these grand qualities • are so alloyed and dis-
guised that we would. rather leave to more partial
pens the task of proving their influence. We point
triumphantly, not to the ships which are at Ports-
mouth, and the fortifications which are not at
Woolwich ; not to Rifle Corps which are Rot 'any
where that we know of, nor to Armstrong guns,
which are not yet made; but to the strongholds of
British corruption—Ashburton, and Wakefield; and
Huddersfieki, and Dartmouth. :Is not it fairy land ?
Is not it Prince Arthur and Merlin over again ?
Show us a country where such candidates, such
agents, such electors, such electors' wives, are things
of everyday occurrence, and we will show you one
that may 'defy all the world. The men who Will
throw untold notes' and sovereigns into an open
drawer in a committee-room,where all sorts of people
are coming and going, helping
,themselvs, stuffing
notes into envelopes, and filling their pockets with
sovereigns as a schoolboy does with nuts; just.fOr
the pleasure of tackin.. " M.P." to their names for
a couple of years, won't sneak out of the way in
the event of an invasion. They will throw them-
selves into the gap, as they do 'into the front
parlour of a publichouse, when they know . the
doings going on in the back parlour. They 'won't
count their money Or the. drops 'of life blood. Be
the way smooth or rough', they will; go through it;
be the obstacle moral or physical, they will go
slap at it. Perhalps it will'seem even more of a. para-
dox to express much reliance on the patriotism of
the gentlemen, sometimes with various names, who
are always appearing at a pinch ,to release one
elector from a creditor, another from a bill of sale,
another from hiS landlord ; but let it be considered
that human affairs want ready instruments, and
here they are ready, enough, in all conscience. But
observe; on the one 'side, the plausibie exterior, on
the other the nervous reality. The plausible exte-
rior is the "appeal to the country," the virtues of a
£lO househoulder, the solemn decision" Of Ashbur-
ton, or Wakefield, or Dartmouth, or Huddersfield,
and the official auditor's return of Election gx-
pensessay; £53 7s. 21d. This is the outside.
This is the British Constitution as it appears in
books, and as it supplies a 'model 'to
.all nations,
and as it forms the basis for continual im-
provement. The nerVous reality is the notorious
under Standing that at any one' of these' places
last -April an elector might by judicious manage-
ment obtain for his vote at least £5O. To which
of these shall we trust the defence of the island ?
We are ashamed to write it, but the truth must be '
spoken •, we would rather trust our lives to these
political desperadoes, buying and selling votes, andt.
committing all sorts of offences against the Cons 1-
twuitsihonte
,hthbaanlletto-betxheteebnelitghleiteennelyd
medium
memen who
between
an House of Commons.
It
is Englishman'struethet theseheartcharacters
seem combined in
two of these cases, and we are unfortunately to be
and the
deprived of two enlightened politicians. Two stern
gahnes
d
and inexorable committees have passed speedy
judgment, one on
Mr.Leathfoairn. ,WMakrefie
.
illdri,
brother-in -law, and member
another on Mr. Schenley, of Dartmouth. We de-
plore the. loss of two such men to the Liberal side
of the house, even while we are forced 'tO admit
that, no doubt, through being novices in the art,
their friends have rather overdone the thing in the
way of bribery. Indeed, the doings, at both these
places were exceedingly strong—stronger, wethink,
at the larger constituen2y than at the smaller.
Why should Ashburton be disfranchised for her
Tozer, when Wakefield eau boast her Wainwright,
her Hinchcliff, her Jeffries, alias
Noble, and their
lady coadjutors There is
a noble
however, in the story of bb As urton. There appears
to be a wish to reduce the er 0. •of the drama
to personages
to the fewest possible. Only 180 voted, ninety
against ninety, and everything turned
man who had been theobjecton one
of rival. .atten-
tions ever since the first threat of a dissolution.
The vii IA tate gratis who presented himself, or
rather was let down by a machine, to settle the
angry strife which had riven the borough of Ash-
burton, was a remarkable character. After standing
and prosecuting various lawsuits, after being sued
for dama—es,
and taking the benefit of the Insol
vent Debtors Act, Mr. Leeman finally owed to one

(
L t- -..

creditgr coppiderAbly mope than' t hundred, -vowel.
For sonic-din& he; had: ha-bravo whertizbouts, ,
though a hundred creditors might neVer have fouiitl
him, everfelection agent knew his- lecalityjayjn-
tuitiOn.' But of course lieke—prhi-Cli,-titinh-e-niiiiit
modest' he very properly was under the existing
circumstances the greater the value of his vote., It
became evident thatan article of such
~yaluO,`Ast
;get its pricK'and 'must, leo, .be sohlinithe open.
market ; so attorneys and sheriffs' officers sur-
_ rounded the hustings,. -ready to pounce On the deb-
tor and get either'his body or' his vote. Every
other Vote on regiSter had been polled except
those of the dead'. it was 20 minutes to four, and
the votes were equal. It looked almost like a Pro-
vidential interposition. :Vl': Leenianiivas, as he
believed, the victim of persedution, and was now
proscribed for 'a. paltry hundred br so. An angel
was at hand ready to give a cheek for the amount,
and restore Mr. Leeman once more to society.
It required some little management. -He
Might vete,' and not pay his creditor ; or the
cred;tor might be paid, and the debtor not vote.
But the- proper was hit on ; the cheque
was han ded' over to:the delighted ereditek, Mr. Lee-
man gave Mr. Astell. beaame the
honoured representative
epiresvenott4niavedOf Ashburton.. Who can
scrutinize the meanS. when the results are so good ?
Wakefield. Want's 'this unity of plot, but makes up
for Rill grandeur of operations. If we are tojuclge
from the few eases gone• into, the two candidates
must have spent at least £20,900 in trying which
could"incist corrupt constituancy_of near a thenf-
sand:- If anybody wants a fairy_godmother, Alacl-
din's lamp, FOrtunatus's eap, Sinbad's diamonds, it
any other pleasant tiling be' has ever read of,.let
him go to .Wakefieldvtake a small house in a by-
street, do nothing, get into difficulties, and lie
slightlyindiffetent.to his 'reputation.' LOngbefoce
the next election a stranger, or somebody be hds
just SPVII, will eider'his _liouse, and show the most
unexpected intoftst in ( affairs. The: strat*r
will ask whether he' has a on to put - Out-in lffe,
_ whoa* be Sllitii'sClta man a a grateful and 'gener-
ous temper, how he stands at the cornershop: and
the loan society. Should he show any surprise or
look dwkivard, the stranger will' request tin intro-
duction to his wife, who, s'lraiige to Say, will
exhibit a -inuelip,
greater capacity foul'business
than her dull -linsbaiipd. • She will want £3O or
"1"511-; 1-13:eii "kilo " Slie Wiltask to
see. the money paid ; and, •if she carries her
point, it will be on the table,"and she
will pociilt it, just returning, an odd. sove-
reiga. for Luck _to __the bearer. If -it- is left. to the
husband, bcsiclp being defrauded of his full per-
quisite, he commits the egregious folly of putting
his name to a promissory note, Which, however, if
he takes his wife's advice, he will not pay much
attention to. ' If his wife has all the wisdom of her
sex, after taking the £3O and leaving the bit of
paper in its, place, the husband will satisfy his con-
scieti{de'by voting clean contrary to the purpose of
the transaction, and then communicate:allthese,in-
teresting facts to an Election Committee. It is
impossible to how much he will meet from both
sides-by 'this management:, besides the credit to
himself and :glory to the bermigh of Wakefield.' As
for the politics of these two towns, we had almost
forgotten them. However, to give them their due,
it is evident that both Ashburton aneWakefield
are naturally and spontaneously Conservative. It
is painfully evident that it is only by bribery that
they can become Liberal. As, in our humble opi-
nion, it is for the public good that they should re-
turn Liberal members, we are driven to the con-
clusion- that--they-must be either bribed-or - done
away with altogether. At present we seem to want
men of action rather than politiCal purity ; so,
shocking, -as it is, we incline to:the' ppinion that
these boroughs—we forget how many there are-
-liad.better remain for thepresent marketable coin-
moditieS.l If they are not to be Se, how is Mr. Bright
to fiave a`Parlitimentary following; ?

LORD JOILAT,RUtSSELL'S PIZUS,§X.dY

7DESPATCII.

Yesteraay y, -as issued with. the Parliamentary
papers' h. copy of the despatch of tlie 2'2d ultimo
from Lord John Russell to Lord Bloomfield. A
translation of it was published in all. the English
newspapers .a few days ago, and, 'having been
obtainkfinva very-:roundabout way, was spoken of
by. the .Foreign, Minister in the House of Commons
as containing inaccuracies. The original is .as
follows :

Fortign,office, June 22.
My Lord,—Her Majesty Government observes,
with great , concern, a disposition in Germany to
take Part in-the war which lath broken out between
France and.; Sardinia on the one side and Austria
on the other. •

Upon the temperate and enlightened conduct of
Prussia depends, in a great measure, the solution
of the question whether the present war
.shall be
confined,within the ,limits of Italy, or whether it
shall be' extended" In the whole of Germany, and,
perhaps; to other parts of Europe.
The Emperor Napoleon• has declared that he has
no intention of attacking Germany. It is hoped
and believed that the • Prince Regent' of Prnssia
will not become. a party. to an attack upon France.
But it has been argued that Germany, though not
assailed directly, is assailed indirectly ; that if she
takes no part in the war upon the Po, she may
soon have to defend herself-on the Rhine.; that the
fortresses of Austria on the Mincio and the Adige
are, in fact,. the barriers' of Germany against
France.

'there is much 'loose and unproved assertion in
this statement.

It cannot be denied that the war between Aus-
tria and Sardinia
,is a war arcing (perhaps inevi-
tably) from the condition of Italy. For a long
period after 1815, Austria exercised a virtual
supremacy over the States of Italy ; of-late years
Sardinia has favoured and fostered the Italian pas-
sion for independence.

Count Baol, -when asked by Lord Augustus
Loftui to give= an assurance that in no case would
Austria move a. soldier across the frontier in. Italy
without previous concert with France, replied
,in
these terms .—" No ; I cannot give you that assur-
ance, for it would be a surrender of our sovereign
power. -We shall not interfere in any State
unless our aid is' asked for, any in that case it
will be granted, and the knowledge that it will
be granted is the . best preservative of order."
Thus Austria would not recede from her claim of a
right, of interference, when asked for, nor Sardinia
renounce her pretensions to represent. the sorrows
.and aSpirations of Italy. Rut, unable to carry on
such a contest alone, the King of Sardinia has asked
and obtained the aid.of the Emperor of the French.
We are not now speaking of the immediate origin
of the war: thy predecessor has fully explained the
views of her • Majesty upon this snbjeCt. It is
plain, however, from the • statement I have made,
that cause of war existed in the opposlt?, pretensions
of Austria and Sardinia. It is with no view to
Germany that this war has arisen.
. The assertion that France, successful on the Po
and on the Brenta, will become aggressive on the
Rhine is an arbitrary' assumption ; but the mighty
question of involving the continent in War ought
not to be decided on the ground of vague supposi-
tions and exaggerated apprehensiOns.
Neither Can it be argued that the fortresses on
the Mincio and the Adige are the barriers of Ger-
many.
It must be borne in mind that the fortresses of
Peschiera, Verotea,`and Mantua' formed no part of
the ancient confines of Germany ; on the contrary,
the country from Verona to the Adriatic formed, iu
1792, part of a weak, unwarlike, and decaying
Italian state.
The utmost that can be said is, that while many
Germans consider these fortresses as a barrier for
Germany, many Italians consider them as not a
little menacing for Italy. The . treaty of peace
must decide their future fate.
While
,these reasons for war on the part of Ger-
man states 'are manifestly insufficient, they are
strong arguments against a course so precipitate.
The Prince Regent of Prussia will, in his wisdom,
Por dni
thein
weigh the impolicy of exposing his country to be.
coofnlstiadley. red
Itthecanchnamotpiboen 'noel*
etehsesamryal isseteruatriiotyn',
of Berlin and Magdeburg that misgovernment
should prevail at Milan and Bologna. But in the
minds of the Italians, Prussia, appearing in arms
by the side of Austria, would be considered the de-
fender of all that Austria has done, and all she
has permitted.

There is another consideration of the utmost im-
portance. Hitherto there has been • little excite-
ment on the subject of the war in krance.
When the question of superiority in the field has
been decided, the two great powers engaged will
probably be very willing to put an end to the ex-
hausting struggle. But if France is roused to the
defence of her own territory by the aggression of
Germany, it is impossible to say to what degree
the passions of a national animosity may be in-
flamed, nor for how long a period the continent of
Europe may suffer the calamities of war.
You have been duly informed of the determina-
tion of her Majesty, supported by the unanimous
sonse of her people, to maintain a strict neutrality.
Her Majesty has kept this country 'free from all
engagements which might restrain h er freedom of
ansooynlvil,
action. It is the hope of her Majesty's Government
that Prussia will adopt a course as 'nearly
as the
may come,circumstancesps ye
perh;aof Germany
of conciliatory and fr iendly powers •
lhepnerni theit.tA
voice
• will be heard
with effect, and arguments in favour •
o f peace will
be no longer unavailing.
You will read this despatch to Raroi Schleinitz,
and give him a copy.---I am, &c.,
(Signed) J., RUSSELL.

NCE A "WEEK.
O PART 1., Price One Shilling, will be published on
Saturday next, July 30.
Bradbury and Evans, 11, Bouverie-street.

ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE.
Under the Management of Mr. Charles Kean.
THIS EVENING, DYING FOR LOVE.
After which, will be revived Shakspeare's Tragedy of
HENRY VIII. Cardinal Wolsey, Mr. Chas. Kean ; Queen
Katharine, Mrs. C. Kean.
To conclude with IF THE CAP FI rs.
Commence at 7.

THEATRE-ROYAL, HAYMARKET.
Lessee, Mr. J. B. Buckstone.
THIS EVENING the performances will commence with
4 DAUGHTER TO MARRY.
THE CONTESTED ELECTION.
After which, COOL AS A CUCUMBER.
To conclude with HALLOWE'EN.
Commence at 7.

.NEW THEATRE - ROYAL, ADELPHI.
Sole Proprietor and Manager, Mr. Benj. Webster.
THIS EVENING, the performances will commence with
NEVER DESPAIR. Mr, and Mrs. Henri Drayton.
And (7th time) a new comic drama, in two acts, entitled
AN OLD OFFENDER. Mr. J. L. Toole, Mr. C. Selby, Mr.
Billington, Mr. C. J. Smith, Mr. Eburne, and Miss H. Simms.
Followed by the new burlesque, THE BABES IN THE
WOOD. Messrs. J. L. Toole, Paul Bedford, C. J. Smith,
Bburne ; Miss Woolgar and Miss K. Kelly.
And a Grand Ballet by the Celebrated Spanish Dancers.
Acting Manager—Mr. Win. Smith.
Doors open at a quarter-past six—Commence at seven. Box
Office open from 10 to 5 —no charge for booking. No fees to
servants permitted. A registry kept of all articles found.

ROYAL STRAND THEATRE.
Lessee and Directress, Miss Swanborough
THIS EVENING, QUIXOTE, JUNIOR. Mr. J. Clarke.
After which, A SCHOOL FOR COQUETTES. Misses
Swanborough. Oliver, and Lavine.
Followed by THE VERY LATEST EDITION OF THE
LADY OF LYONS.
Commence at 7 o'clock

VERDI'S OPERA OF MACBETH. The
whole of the first Act of this Opera, now produced
for the first time In this country (the remaining three acts
Is sung nightly at the being in course of rehearsal),
CAN-
TERBURY HALL CONCERTS.
THE DELEPIERRE FAMILY,

consisting of three Juvenile Violinists, viz., Jules, Juliette,
and Julia Delepierre, aged, respectively, FOUR, SIX, and
EIGHT years.
- - - -

The perfect execution by these Lilliputian Artistes of some
of the most difficult and brilliant Solos, Duets, and Trios evc
written for the violin, has excited tingled wonder and admi-
ration in Continental Musical Circles, and drawn forth enthu-
siastic tributes of praise from the Public Journals of France
and Belgium.
They will perform TWICE EACH EVENING, in addi-
tion to the usual Entertainments.