The Sun.
London, England, 1868-06-19 00:00:00

BRISTOL

►2IIIIfITTEE.

THIS DAY.
The Parliamentary committee, to try the merits
of the petition presented against the return of Mr.
Miles at the last election, assembled to-day in
committee-room No. 11 ; Mr. Howes in the chair.
The allegations in the petition were bribery and

treating.
Mr. Sergeant Ballantine and Mr. H. James ap-
peared for the petitioners, and Mr. Giffard, Q.O ,

!or the sitting member.

Sergeant Ballantine said he had the honour to

appear in support of the petition of the electors of
Bristol, which he believel would be successful, be-
cause it would not depend upon any accidental
circumstances connected with any individual or

on any matters similar to those which had

become familiar at Cveutry. If his statement
wss supported by the evidence he should have to
present to the committee, he felt that they would
have but little difficulty in coming to a de-
cision in the matter. He believed that he
should be able to show that the most syste-
matic bribery prevailed, and to such an extent
was it carried on that the result of the election was

altogether altered from what it would have been
had it not prevailed. He had to say, at the outset,
_ . .

that the sitting member was in no way connected with
the charges made in the petition, as he was a gen-
tleman of position well known in Bristol, and one
well calculated to represent efficiently the feeling
of the electors in Parliament. Mr. Morley was also

a gentleman of great respectability, and also gene-.
rally well known, and in consenting to contest the
election for the city, he laid it down that it should
be carried on in the fairest manner. This, he con-
tended, had not been done, but bribery had been

so extensive that the election terminated in direct

opposition to the teal feeling of the city.

The

election had become necessary in consequence o

.e miefortunes of Sir M. Pet°, which had led to

his ban.Lruptcy, and on that gentleman ace3pting
the Chiltern Hundreds the writ was issued, and the
election took place on the 21th of April, at which
time the number of electason the register amounted
to 15,000: Mr. Morley, as he had said, was anxious
that the election should not be marked by anything
that could be considered d:sgraceful to Bristol, and
that the contest was to be carried on on purity
principles. This, however, was not the manner in
which matters were to be conducted on the

Conservative side, and frum the witnesses he should
call it would be seen that the moat wholesale car-

ruption had commenced by the supporters of Mr
Miles as early as the nomination day. The town
was filled with roughs, and at the close of the pall
on the election day the numbers stood for Miles
5,173, Morley 4,977 ; majority for Miles 195. The
most wholesale treating had also prevailed, and al-
though Mr. Morley had refrained from opening
any of the publichouses, yet on the part of his
opponent every house in the city was thrown open,
and treating was carried on in an unparalleled man-
ner. Mr. Morley had no paid canvassers, yet Mr.
Miles had no less than 200 cabs, all of which had his
colours flying; and although he did not say they
were used to influence the voters carried there, yet
it appeared to him the committee would think that
such an arrangement had a most material effect on
the election. There were four gentlemen, viz., Dr.
Robertson, Mr. Barry, Mr. Allsopp, and Mr.
Parson, who were most active in the support of
Mr. Miles, the first of whom was chairman of Mr.
Miles's committee, the rest being active members
of that body, and they being recognised as his
agents. He should show that bribery took
place actually in the committee room, and if his
learned friend shrunk from putting those gentlemen
into the witness-box, the committee would put
their own construction upon such a proceeding. In
the Coventry case it hal been held that bribery so
proved' was sufficient to invalidate the return, and
he had no doubt that he should be able to prove all
that he had already stated. According to his in-
structions there had been the most wholesale
bribery and treating, and in one particular
ca eof men
that, o
ef a
;should body called " Horder's
Dana," h that they had
show
ow
each received 105. apiece, the smallness of the pric 3
gsa
n
arising in consequence of their being uo demand
for their services on the other side: (Laughter.)
lie should prove distinctly that these men were
paid after the election in one of Mr. Miles's. cern-
mittee rooms. Then there were two men named
Gathercole and Ayres, who had since absconded ;
these men were engaged to bribe the voters in
Greenslade's factory, to personate a number of ab-
sent voters, and anything more demoralising he
(Mr. Sergeant Ballantine) could not ima-
gine. Another man named Owen, who had
taken to flight, also had been most ex-
tensively engaged in bribing ; and a clerk
in Mr. Miles's bank, named Breton, he should
show, had bribed over 50 electors. The money was
paid after the vote was recorded, and one voter
named Ratcliff would state tbat he went to the
committee-room, after he had given his vote for
Miles, and received his money from a young lady
named Mary Tanner, who sat in a little room at
the back of the committee-room, like our modern
barmaids, b.:laind a kind of table. (Laughter). This
person was the servant of Mr. Miles's proposer.
(Laughter.) He should also call other witnesse3,
whose evidence he believed would leave little doubt
that all that was alleged in the petition would be
clearly and most unmistakably proved.
A witness named Woods was then called, and
examined at length by Mr. H. James. He stated
that he received a sovereign from Mr. Allsop, that he
bribed an elector named Cox with 10s., and that he
afterwards informed Mr. Allsop of • the fact,
and gave him back the half-sovereign remaining
of the money he had received. lie also said that
he had made some inquiries respecting the value of
some votes by direction of Dr. Robertson, and that
on telling hini Horder's men would not vote under
£1 apiece, the Doctor replied it was too much, and
that it ought to be done for 10s. each. He after-
wards got money from Barry, which he spent in
bribing the electors.
The Committee adjourned on the Speaker being
announced at prayers.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.-THIS DAY.

WESTMINSTER.

BRUTAL OUTRAGE.—John Brown, a powerfu'
young fellow, was brought up on a warrant charg.
ing him with assaulting John Gibson with a pick•
axe.

Complainant said—l am a labourer. lam at
work with other men in pulling down houses in
Talbot street for,thezailway. We have a quarter
of an hour's rest 'allowed at half-past three in the:
afternoon, and on Tuesday at that time I was sit-.
tin
pick-axe in his hand and struck me in the
face with it, leaving the mark there.
witgh o
a n form, when the prisoner came up to me
Prisoner—lt was an accident.
Complainant—It was not.
Prisoner—It was perfectly accidental, your wor-
ship.
Mr. Selfe—Did he saYthing before he struck
you ?
Complainant—Yes ;he said, « For two pins I'd
shove this in your eye."
Prisoner—Well, he owes me 4s. 6d.
Mr. Selfe—And you pretend this was accidental.
Having a good mind to do it you do it ; having a
good will to do a thing and doing it is wilful.
e ad
do
ewd n
them,an Licked
and
prisoner—Somel ago b
of them
I offended
ffe
tmheisamliatntleviwont
pay
me the 4s. 6d.
Davis, the waraut officer they threatened the
complainant if he prosecuted prisoner to-day.
Mr. Selfe—Anything more brutal than this it is
difficult to imagine. If you or any other man
threaten this complainant, I will punish him with
the utmost severity of the law. You are .com-
mitted to hard labour for three weeks, and must
enter into recognisances for three months.

[ADVERTISEMENT.]—Holloway's Ointment and Pills.—
Look to the Future. —Th3 first symptom of departing
health should have instant attention and redress, not more
for the comfort of the present but for the happiness of the
future. Whatever the irregularity, wherever situated,
however marked, Holloway's remedies will reach it and
move it. The external employment of the ointment and
the internal use of the pills will always restore order and
ease. Cutaneous complaints, defective nutrition, want of
appetite, nausea, and biliousness are immediately cured
and healthy functions permanently restored to each organ.
The united action of Holloway's remedies over the human
frame is so singularly searching, soothing, and curative
that few diseases can long withstand the thorough ptiritl-
catioA they conotatly bring about.