Star.
London, England, 1804-05-10 00:00:00

•YLIIRUIT BLICTION.

Mr. ROSE raid, he conceived it his duty to fubmit
to the contideration of the Houfe,the motion of which
lie had given notice, for the purpofe of ordering the
Attoiney General to profecute Mr. Bent, on account
of the (Otero of bribery at Aylelbury. in which Ile
appeared to be deeply implicated. He had heard.
that in other refpeßs, Mr. Bent was a merchant of
irreproachable charafter and the higheß relpeetability;
he thought, however, that in the pretent cafe, it was
the duty of the Houfe to order a profecution ; if the
fenfe of the Houle however, appear to be
agaiull his motion, he had no particel4: with En

preffing it. He then referred to the minutes which
were on the Table, of the evidence that had been
given before the Committee, and particularly to the
conduit of Mr. Bent's Agents, among whom be men-
tioned the landlord of the Crown Inn, Mr. Cole, Mr.
Creed. Mr. Wilion. and others. He faid the Aft of
the 2d of George 11. notwithilanding its high penal-
ties, had been found inefficient to prevent the prac-
tife of bribery at Eleftions, as many Gentlemen bf
opulence appeared to be indifferent to the payment of
a fingle penalty, and they know how, by friendly pro-
fecutsons, to avoid any more. If, therefore, that All
had been found inefficient, he thought it neceffary to
refer to the Standing Order of the Houfe,which Rated.
that " perfons guilty of bribery in the Elation of
Members of Parliament thould be punifhed with the
utmott feverity." As he confidered the penal anions
not to be fufficiently revere, he concluded by moving, I
that the Attorney General thould be ordered to
profecute Robert Bent, Efq. for bribery at the fait
Elation for Aylefbury."
Mr. CALVERT did not confider the cafe fuffici-
only aggravated to call for fo revere a meafure.
Mr. FOX hoped, from the obfervations with
which the Right Honourable Gentleman prefaced his
Motion, that he would withdraw it ; this was really
a cafe of no peculiar circum (lances of aggravation.
It did net appear that Mr. Bent had been guilty fo
much of corrupting the Electors, as of having lit:
tined to the offers of stet of Eleftors who were pre.
vioufly corrupted, and who withed to fell their votes.
He remembered, in the courfe of the prefent feffion
in the Grimfby Cafe, in which he was a Member of
the Cpmmittee, the Committee reported that there
laid been bribery and corruption, and yet the indi-
vidual againft whom they made this report was
now fitting in the Houfe as a Member for another
Borough, and no profecution was inftituted againft
him : he therefore thought it 'would appear mat
unfair if one perfon, not a Member of the Houfe, was
now to be profecuted by the Attorney General for a
condo& cagily fimilar to that which had not been
confidered to dekrve fuch notice from a Gentleman
who was a Member. He alto thought the Debater
Cafe was a much ftronger cafe of bribefy than the
prefent. He concluded by expreffing a with that,
the Honourable Gentleman would withdraw his
motion.
Mr. WYNNE repeated thole obfervations which
he had before urged in the other Rages of the pro-
ceedings refpeaing the Borough of Aylefbury.
The MASTER of the ROLLS compared the pre-
fent cafe with that of the other cafes, where the CO*
mime had reported Bribery ; and contended that
if this cafe, which was by no means in aggravated
I owe, timid be felefted for the fevered example, it
would appear that there was no fixed rule which go-
verned the condo& of the Houfe on thole occafions,
but that the decifion of them would depend on ac-
cident or caprice, the prefence of this Member, or
the ahrence of another, or what Intereft was likely I
to be increafed or diminilhed by letting in the neigh-
bouring Hundreds to (hare with the Burgeffes in the
Elettive Fr anchife : he therefore oppofed the motion.
Sir JOHN NEWPORT (Chairman of the A:def.
bury Committee) alfo oppoled the profecution.
Mr. BANKS was for the profeeution.
Mr. SHERIDAN, coafidering the cafe to be at-1
tended with no aggravated circumfiances, withed the
Honourable Member to withdraw his motion.—(This
not being acceded to.)—He concluded by moving the
'Order of the Day.
Mr. ROSE faid,he fhould vote again& this motion,
and would fubmit to the confideratton of the Houfe
the original motion.
Mr. WYNNE again (poke at confiderable length.
After fume further converfation Mr. Sheridan's
notion was put and carried without a divifion.
The other Older' of the Day were then difpofed of.
Adjourned.