The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-07-26 00:00:00

REPORT OF THE COMPROMISE COMMITTEE

Among the parliamentary papers delivered on Saturday
morning, was the Report of the Select Committee on Elec-
tion Proceedings. It sustains the calm and dispassionate
tone promised by Mr. Roebuck, developing the several cases,
not as criminating individuals, but as illustrating a system to
be altered. The compromises of Ilarwich, Nottingham,
Lewes, Penryn, Falmouth, and Reading are explained, in a
manner of which the subjoined extract, the case of Notting-
ham, is the most curious specimen.
" Your committee also found, that, in the case of Notting-
ham, at the last general election, the Right Ilonourable Sir
John Cain Hobhouse and Sir George Larpent were returned
as duly elected members for that town, Mr. John Walter and
Mr. Charlton being the opposing candidates.
" That, in consequence of the retirement of Mr. "Walter
and Mr. Charlton early on the day of the poll, a few only of
the electors gave their votes. The state of the poll was as
follows :

Sir John Cam Hobhouse,
Sir George Larpent.....
Mr. Walter
Mr. Charlton

527
529
144
142

" That two petitions were presented against the return of
Sir John Cam Hobbouse and Sir George Larpent, by elec-
tors, on behalf of Mr. Walter. These two petitions, amoiv;
other things, charged, in various forms, that bribery, corrup-
tion, treating, abduction of voters, riot, &c., had been prac-
tised at the election by the sitting members and their agents.
A third petition of electors was also presented ; but this
petition seems to have been presented by persons in the
interest of the sitting members ; and, apparently, the object
in view was to give, if possible, to the sitting members, an
opportunity of making a counter-case against the petitioners.
The two first-mentioned petitions prayed only, that the elec-
tion should be declared void. It was apprehended, that, on
the trial of such petitions, no defence, by way of retaliation,
would have been allowed ; the third petition, therefore, seems
to have been presented in order to let in such evidence.

" That, after the appointment of a committee to try the
case of the said election, but before the trial thereof, a com-
promise was entered into between the agents of Sir John Cam
Hobhouse and Sir George Larpent on the one part, and an
agent, who signed as agent of the petitioners against the re-
turn, and of Mr. Walter, the defeated candidate, on the
other. The terms of this arrangement are set forth in a
written agreement, at follows :

" (Memorandum.—London, 4th May, 1842.)
" NOTTINGHAM ELECTION PETITIONS

" ' It is expedient to settle the petitions now pending ; and
is agreed that

"-` 1. All the petitions shall be abandoned.
" ' 2. Within four days from this date one seat shall be

vacated

3. The sum of £lOOO to be paid to Messrs. Clarke,
Fyurnore, and Fladgate, within seven days from this date, in
consideration of the expences incurred in the petition.
" 'lt is understood that Mr. Walter is to be returned at
17,e election resulting from the above-mentioned vacancy,
for security whereof, it is agreed that Lord Rancliffe, Mr,
Wakefield, Mr. John Heard, Mr. Enfield, Mr. Biddle, Mr.
Hurd, Mr. Birkin, Mi. Wells, Mr. Hart, Mr. Alfred Fel-
lowes, Mr. Henry Leaver, Mr. Bean, Mr. Jonathan,
Burton, Mr. George Bacon, and Mr. Aulton, shall not di-
rectly or indirectly oppose Mr. Walter at such election, and
that, in addition, Mr. Wakefield shall discourage all opposi-
tion on the part of the persons named in the list copied on the
other side of this paper.
" That a promissory note for £4OOO, signed by Sir John
Corn Hobhouse or Sir G. De H. Larpent. at one month from
this date, shall be this day deposited with Messrs. Cocks,
Biddulph, and Co., bankers, London ; and that James Bacon,
Esq., and Sutton Sharpe, Esq., shall decide whether the
above conditions have been honourably fulfilled ; and if such
referees (or, in case of their disagreement, an umpire ap-
pointed by them) shall decide that such conditions have not
been honourably fulfilled, then the promissory note in ques-
tion shall be handed to Mr. Walter, or returned to Sir John
Cam Hobhouse or Sir George G. De H. Larpent if such
conditions have been honourably fulfilled.
" DYSON, HALL, and PARKES.
" Agents to Sir J. C. Hobhouse and Sir George G. De
H. Larpent.
" W. M. FLADGATE, for the petitioners and Mr. Waiter.'
" On the other side of the paper.
" Mr. Carver, Mr. J. Rogers, Dr. Pigot, Mr. Oldknow,
Mr. Cartwright, Mr. G. Gill, Mr. Roberts, senior, Mr. Ro-
berts, jun., Mr. R. Sands, and Mr. H. Frearson.
" DYSON, HALL, and PARKES. W. M. FLADGATE.'
" And the promissory note as follows :
" £4OOO. " London, 4th May, 1842.
" One month after date I promise to pay to my own
order the sum of £4,000 for value received. " Jom: C. H.
" At Messrs. Jones, Loyd and Co., bankers, London.
" Messrs. Cocks, Biddulph, and Co., bankers, London.'
"'The annexed promissory note for £4,000, given by the
Right Hon. Sir John Cam Hobhouse, Baronet, is to be de-
livered up to James Bacon, Esq., and Sutton Sharpe, Esq„
on demand made by them to you.
" ' 4th May, 1842. " DYSON, HALL, and PARKES.
" 43, Craven-street, Strand, ith May, 1842.
" Dear Sirs,—l beg to acknowledge the receipt of your
check for £l,OOO for share of costs as arranged.
" Yours very faithfully.
" W. M. FLADGATE, for partner and self.
" Mess. Dyson, Hall, and Parkes.'
" The circumstances which induced the agents of the
sitting members to enter into this agreement are stated to
have been-1. The fear that both sitting members would be
unseated for bribery and treating, committed by their agents.
2. And, also, the dread of the enormous expense that must
necessarily have been incurred, with small hopes of success.
" That the number of electors was 5,400.
" That the sum expended in the election, on the part of
Sir John Cam Hobhouse and Sir George Larpent, was
£12,000. Of this sum a very lare part was expended in an
illegal manner; some in direct bribery, some in treating and
other unlawful proceedings, without the personal cognisance
of the candidates. See the whole evidence of Mr. Charles
Parkes, Mr. Thomas Wakefield, as well as that of Mr. Flad-
gate. The expenditure on the part of the opposing candi-
dates appears to have been about £4,000 or £5,000. The
expense was thus comparatively small, because the poll was
not taken ; and it is stated, that the bribery of voters and
other illegal practices, in this interest, were thus rendered
unnecessary. It is clear, that this system, on the one side
and the other, was the same, which system arose in same of
the preceding elections, and was parricularly developed at
that of April, 1841."
The evidence in the case of Bridport is not printed, as the
witnesses could not be prevented from giving it a strongly
personal turn. The report on it affirms the main facts as
the public already understand them, the points in dispute
between the several parties having related to the personal
conduct of the disputants.
The report states in every instance that, for the most part,
bribery had taken place—that the actual members were not
immediately cognisant of it, and that a compromise had ac-
tually been entered into between the contending parties.
At Harwich,
" A large part of the whole constituency are bribed, ' but'
the sitting members most distinctly state that neither before
nor during the election had they any personal cognizance of
any bribery and corruption."
At Nottingham,
" The sum expended in the election on the part of Sir J.
C. Hobhouse and Sir G. Larpent was £12,000 ; of this sum
a very large part was expended in an illegal manner, some in
direct bribery, some in treating, and other unlawful proceed-
ings, without personal cognizance of the candidates."
On the Conservative side, at the same place, it is said that
the bribery of voters and other illegal practices were rendered
unnecessary, because the poll was not taken : the system,
however, being alleged to be the same on both sides.
At Lewes, of £5,000 spent by the whig candidates, £2,000
went in treating, and about £1,200 or £1,500 in direct bribery
—the members again not personally cognizant. The con-
servatives own an expense of £2,000, but deny any direct
bribery. At Reading, the same imputation is again denied
by all parties ; but the sums spent are allowed to be too large
to have gone fairly. At Penryn and Falmouth, bribery is
admitted by the agents of both sides, under a disclaimer from
Captain Plumridge. At Bridport, the committee " cannot
doubt" that " extensive and systematic bribery" was prac-
tised by the partisans of Messrs. Cochrane and Mitchell,
Mr. Warburton solemnly abjuring any participation therein.
The compromises are returned as emanating pretty much
from the same motives in all the different cases, (as, indeed,
how should they emanate from any other?) viz., the appre-
hension that both sitting members might be unseated, and
the dread of the enormous expense now incident to these
proceedings. The Reading, Nottingham, and Harwich com-
promises are peculiar in binding the sitting members to the
performance of their contracts by bonds to a large amount;
and Lewes in having had the good fortune to have been
transacted out of hand under the sanction, or at least by the
authority, of the election committee appointed to try the
return. This last, by its good luck in this respect, and by
the very ingenious management which it had the benefit of
from Mr. J. Parkes, as detailed by himself, attracts the
peculiar reprobation of the committee, who " invite the
serious attention of the house to the mode in which the
stipulations of this agreement, so far as regards alterations
of the poll, were craried out." The two remaining compro
mises present no peculiarity here worth remark

DISTURBANCES IN THE MINING DISTRICT OF
SHROPSHIRE.

BIDMINGII AM, FRIDAY EVENING.—On Wednesday night
last large bodies of colliers assembled in the district between
Wellington and Shiffnal, and commenced visiting the mines,
compelling the men to leave their work, and in some instances
cutting the ropes and otherwise injuring the machinery.
Information of these outrages having been dispatched to the
Earl of Powis, that nobleman lost no time in collecting a
sufficient body of the South Shropshire yeomanry, which lie
headed, and immediately set out from Shrewsbury for the
disturbed district. In the mean time the county police,
under Captain Mayne, and Captain Whitemore's troop of
yeomanry cavalry, had proceeded to Prior's Lce, the chief
scene of the disturbances, where they arrived after midnight
and found that the colliers in many of the pits had been
compelled to leave off work, and that the machinery
at Old Park, Donnington Wood, &c., had been stopped
and injured. The violence, it appears, had been done
sonic hours previously by small bodies of men, most of
them headed by strangers to the district, who had succeeded
in inducing a number of the colliers out of employment, or
on short time, to join them, as the most effectual plan of
obtaining full work and a return to the old prices. The
rioters having received information of the measures adopted
by the magistrates to put a stop to the proceedings, dispersed
before the arrival of the yeomanry and police, expressing,
however, their determination to assemble next morning for
the purpose of visiting the rest of the mines, and putting a
stop to all the works In the district. This threat, it is un-
necessary to say, they were prevented putting into execution
ew
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Gaol. The
magistrates
have issued a notice, expressing their de-
termination to use the most prompt and effectual measures
for putting down any further attempt which may be made to
disturb the peace of the district, and at the same time warn-
ing the colliers and workmen of the folly and danger of such
proceedings. Indeed, all apprehension of any further attempt
employment has, I under-
at violence seems to have ceased, for the yeomanry sent into
the district have returned to their quarters, and the men who
dduring the last few -
were compelled to join the turn-out have resumed work.
inorteao.sre
weeks,
by tile stoppage of works in this district.
under-
stand, d numberbe been considerably f
colliers

A Pl talsE a
July 3.—Last week
there w
ourFl;lelTgribCOourilNiOoGodtbe tween an officer and
a travelling Catholic priest, the result of which was not a
sTdtuke;ll- in D t
:Ilittle astonishing, as the priest knew how to manage the sa-
bre as skilfully as if it ever was wielded by any of the prelates
of the middle ages, who often distinguished themselves by
their personal bravery in the imperial levees. Dining in a
tavern with several officers, the conversation, at first quite
harmless, took a turn which offended the priest. lie stood
up and was about to go away. A young
.officer stopped him,
and said that his rising to go was an insult to the whole
company, for which he ought to apologise. A struggle, com-
menced, which ended in an appeal to the sword. The priest
disarmed his antagonist twice without shedding a drop of
blood. At last, as the young officer constantly returned to
the charge, the priest gave him a severe cut on the head,
which put an end to the combat. A surgeon dressed the
wounded youth, and he will soon recover.