The Sun.
London, England, 1842-08-09 00:00:00

Baker, 'Emanuel •70axter, •Thomas Bowman, mod Robert
Natittimh from ioting at elections to serve in ParliaMent,
and: fur. pre-;et;t.ngbribery and corruption in the elec-
tion, •2lerobers to serve in Parliament liar the borough
o"Pswirt'„ bi the county of Sussex.
let 3 ME seconded the motion.
-4r• ef:ILACKSTONE had gone through all the dif-
"re.,P 4 Yeses which the Hon. gentleman had mentioned,
•ano. ester. doing so, he had come to a very different
• enhOesion to what he did. Ise believed. the statements
.etv.rat respect to 'many of them were extremely exag
Wge-
'ed. If the Hon. Member had moved fora Bill or a
`Committee to inquire into all the cases of bribery at
he would have supported him. He had, how-
_ -ever, made a most impartial selection ;he had not in-
eluded a single yellow voter ; and such being the case, he
Inuit oppose his Motion. lie should, however, at the
-satne time, give notice, that curly next session he should
mauve for a Select Committee to inquire into all the eases
of bribery that had taken pheee at the last election for
Ipswich.—(Hear, hear.)
Captain FITZROY bolleved that e more monstrous
'deeision had never been tome to titan at the last Ipswich
1,20-mmittee. The agent fOr the parties found it was
•eiselese to bring toe witnesses • they had in town fur-
'ward, because -key saw their case was • prejudged. •
It' had been pro-poked, contrary to the usual practices of
erection Committees, that two parties, as well as the
;agents, should bs present at the proceedings ; end the
leor oppositioft.Members vete(' for the proposal, while
tie three rem ,p wing voted against it. Now, he had no I
• hesitation in saying that that division alone was sufficient
to testify to toy one that it was useless for the sitting
• limbers to ;incur any furtherexpense in
rourn. I ; .was his firm belief that the case of Amos
'Goodebild. lied never been wade out. Again, with re-
gard to the case of William Blythe, he stood.
charged • with bribery because he had received
•. •,30e.; for dais attendance in Ipswich during three days; •
:the Lad say that no bribery could be proved
mat :_nstance. The • men had to give up his work
and h u pay for his expenses in the town ; and surely 365.
. • was omt an unreasonable amount of -compensation to al-
love hi/1i under such circumstances. It should further
2, he I, emernberci.:, that Blythe had been discharged by his
master for having voted for the candidate:el--
er, hear) - According to his (Mr. Fitzroy's) notion
6f. b ibery..(and he had studied the question) bribery
consisted 4.1, holding out to an elector some promise of
luoneev, pc.' place, or of some ether advantage, sufficient
in infins'y're his vote. But no such promise had been given
In the ease of Blythe, wbo had received the 30s. after
the dee lion had terminated, and without any previous
"gni:meat. having been entered into with him. But
even empposing the twenty alleged eases of bribery had
been.- made ono he would ask if that would for d sufficient
Fruit ad for disfranchising the borough ?. If corruption
had 'been carried on at Ipswich at the late election, to
the -same extent as on former occasions, he should himself
;Ro ;the whole - length recommended by the majority of
'Committee. But that had :not been the ease ; and he
• tont-A:idea that the Report 'was not a fiflr one. No one
csuld.tetst to Committees of that House after the course
,taken by the Committee on the Ipswich election, For
ais part he had always voted for takit'e the decision of
-c°l,tree erted elections out of the hands of the House ;
tined e should certainly do so on every future ()Ivor-
-11-tuil7 He would say nothing on that occasion with re-
uPeel to the case of John Downing who had 'seen released
illl a security. because he confessed he did not clearly
understand that trarsaction. But he would repeat hie
conviction, that the majority of the cases of bribery had
net ;been made. out, that there was no evidence to show
that Mr. Br,si,o or Mr. Cook had been employed as
!gouts by Vie late Members, and that there was nothing
tujusay t',e2 motion to disfranchise the borough.
h Mr. M.: J. O'CONNELL said, that he had seldom
treard a peeeli with more regret than that of the lion;
t,;inher: who had just sat down. It was very well to
ha's: of lacing the trial of election petitions out of the
sof that House ; but no tribunal could be pro•
1,-rzY respected, it such language should be used
gatiling
it as the Honourable Member had em-
pd with respect to the Ipswich Committee.
wee sure that the Hon. Members on the other side
3z,v old join with those around him in reprobating such•
Auguae'e. Ile felt persuaded that were the Hon. Gen-
iernan'himself to reflect on the subject in his cooler mo-
pents (if he had any such moments in election matters),
1,7 would regret the course he had pursued. He (Mr.
all O'Connell; had heard it said that whoever accused
(If culpable conduct succeeded in convicting one of
114(71 tunduct ; and he would leave it to the House to.
'ts"u who that one Was in this particular instance. The
ill". Gentleman had said that the Committee had pre-
tnted the case, beceuee they had allowed two advisers,
~plxpendently of the legal agents, to be present at the
leenle -etidings of the; Committee,. but surely there was no-
jeete t` it the course taken by the Committee on that sub-
etati-e justify the charge. There had been other In-
ca 4. in which more than two advisers had been eta-
-14, and any arrangement of that kind could in any
4n; isstie no importance as. regarded the main question
The Honourable Gentleman had stated
the
ittuonsequence of that decision the Counsel for
Ile sling Members had determined on not calling
b twit k•A.kok as sheitness; but he (Mr. M. J. O'Connell),
as did the ebility of those Counsel, could
~,Jt help thinking that they must have had some better
~;''reste for adopting the course they had taken. The
Gentleman had told them something that was ex-
„,'eniely. new in the case of Downing, but the lion.
-1/Itletnan. knew the law of bribery as it at present stood
• vell not to be awl that a grosser case of bribery
not be. The great, objection of the Hon. Gentle-
iteel was that ageecy had not- been proved, whereas the
61'•
I`,• Bristo was made out by the evidence of se-
i)ei4ii witnesses, who swore to his and the others having
looney on =remit of expenses. He would not oc-
tl?' the time of the. House further than. to call on them
® 'lO let these flagrant cases pass unpunished, for,
t their own decision' on the subject of bribery, if once
allowed bribery to come in ever so small a shape, it
ee,sold go on increasing until, at no distant time, it would
elline its former vast dominion.
fiteP. M. STEWOT said, as Chairman of the Com-
-41(1(.:e Which had been' so maligned by the lion. and
tent tientleman opposite, be would make a plain
etoe'inent of the real facts of the case, to show that the
torltcemittee could have come to no other decision. The
let,':;tston to which they had come was painful to him,
1‘,40 only one of the parties on either side with horn
Friends acquainted with was Mr. Gladstone, -his intimate
attned• But he was bound by his duty, and by his oath
fd„,lat table, to decide justly, and he would not have
cite otherwise if his own brother was concerned.—
Or, hear.) The Hon. and Gallant Gentleman had
te,`_i that the conduct of the Committee was monstrous ;
NI:, that was a word which it was easy to utter, but .
NI:,
ditlioult to . prove. The Committee were unani-
terr ehe opinion that the bribery and treating were
ed t 0 au enormous amount. The whole discussion
teki Wt.ether the agency hail been proved, and when that
88 !'"rnpetely established the Committee only differed
• 47,h0w far the candidates themselves were implicated.
'ion. and Gallant Gentleman had asked him to
him us to the Proofs of bribery. But he (Mr.
kett"rt) thought that after the, opinion which the lion.
YN„ Gallant Gentleman had so uncourteously pronounced
iret`,l'''e,tih.g he could not expect much enlightenment
hiniio.—(Hear, hear.) The Hon. Gentleman, with
ktie s experieece in elections and election Committees,
Ase~.~' list he could not understand how bribery was
an ln the Case of Downing. Why, that was the
N.,u flagrant and' palpable of the whole. Mr. Ccok
eet), enlighten the lion. and Gallant Member on that
Who keel been put into the box : and why was
Be?(Mr. Stewart) believed that he was kept
is because they knew that if he were put into it
Iste:'"uld tell the whole truthe---(Cheeis.) He (Mr.
tteeci'it'i 'had nut come down this evening with the in-
tvett,ert of taking any part in the proceedings, but to
01, tho discussion, and to be on the spot to reply if
Gay -:onnnittee should be assailed. Look to the ease of
tte :•`;i:S. In that case it was proved that the voter applied
Aijzt'!-Lvr• Bristo for 'employment, and the latter said to
btJtietto, we meet not employ you, as you are a voter,
Sei, Yen send your son, I shall employ him, and you
kl6,.:tave'thc 30s.—(Hear.) He (Mr. Stewart) did not
ktetihwhat might be the Hon. and Gallant Gentleman's
riicent ideas about bribery, for he (Captain Fitz-
eerhel
ect-, tined it to be whatever was sufficient in amount
-,';tce a man 'to give his vote. It was set out, however
t7feeTt, in the Act of Parliament, the 2d of Geo. IL, by '
.Ttite'i the Committee were obliged to form their eotions of
•eqtile,'el'Y• Did the lien. Gentleinen think ehere was no
eitoer3: in the ' Harwich case ?---;-(llear, hear, and
et:, "0' IleSneant the case of the twenty voters
_who
Dieeeught Over from Harwich, and were paid 30s.
Are by Mr. Bristo for their expenses. , One of these, et rei,
e4e.4. t )' the, Nva§ asked how much his expenses came to?
they,pitid sixpence a piece; from Harwich to
gt
ill andi sixpence back the same day. ITe was asked.
Siltett dispise of the remainder of his 30s , when he
Illttrtcu only two hours at IpsWich ? He said all that he
etv was Is. t;d. at a coffee-shop for refreshments, for
-,4S a teetotaller, and could • not get rid of his money
k(iine of the others (lid. The next case was that
41et fan,f; a person described by one of the agents as
.h 1 to be intrusted with the franchise. • lie received
511 °r playing in the band, or rather for not,playing
tecet,;`,(-A. laugh.) There was another man also who
'eeet"eti 30s. fur playing in the band, and he did not
fane t° be more active in his vocation than Mr. Bow-
liede The Hon. Gentleman ought to read the Act
bg
which the Committee acted, and then let him say
.1-ftet,vttat 100p-hole they could creep out of a decision that
fan
°tle, 7 were cases, of •bribery.---(Hear.) The Hon: and
t Gentleman wished to be enlightened as to the
Upon which the Committee held Bristo to be
Hritt-e6,11t. Why, no man was so mad as to. give a
t 0 -cOunnisseon •of agency to be produced against
"Jurt ; but the proofs by which they came at it
:14clly Were conclusive. This man took the rooms
Jut ~r `Ployed messengers, &c. What the Hon. Member
`'",glo.l
ked , said was, that le waea special agent, and
e'tessee?,ll_hie instructions. He employed the clerks and
eiassie eels• and: the band, and he was active in can-
Ne,:itF end bringing the voters to the poll. He (Mr.
nti the 1:.t) denied that the Committee prejudged the case,
t), 41110. back the imputation whence it came.
gee. iet!ecide7l as the Act compelled them. Had the
eae`e.ntleman read the Act.?
Fie r
142h01 —I have.
li_ • r•••
then the Hon. Gentlemen's zeal
ilthewiltisi los ineinory. Why e Briste's securities were
us yu:' his face, and he was told "if you vote
Ny shall have them, but if you vote against us
2:,,,0:411,,,re54teeqd be enfiweed." Even the Counsel were fully
With the conviction that bribery had been
At e," and on the art of the sitting Members only
3or et ha.t their clients should not be punished thr the
pet tale ens. Had the. Hon. and Gallant Member
Anse, .jett)4, 'it, and interpreted it according to common
tutkeu'ud:aw,e,thstandieg his bad ppinion of him, he must
tided • te-' that- the Committee had been strictly
t have xt, as t;) the treating. It was proved
P•kfrailed to an enormous extent ; twelve or four- I
kee eoties wo„
h,ired
411(1 .ei-eened, and thkets reFreehment were
urN-e
, bete.
at.
; • rite and r cart, and though the agent could account for
etu expended, he had forgotten all about that. For

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