The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-09-23 00:00:00

PARLIAMENTARY REFOILJL

The following observations, taken from the last Edinburgh Re-
view, will not he read without intere-1 at the present crisis.—
t They are not given to ?brow a reflection on any poesy for
A we candidly admit that they appty to both the great parties
is the State.
It is evidently extremely
.desirable, that some
means should be fallen Upon to diminish, or rather
to cut off altogether, 'the gieat article of election
eipencei;—for this, more than all other causes pat
together, glues money-an undue influence, and pre-
vents the people on the one hand from 'exercising their
free choice, and deserting -Candidates, 'on the other,
from presentingiheincelves with a whir chance of suc-
cess. But it is much more pernicious in borough
thanin county elections. The number of freeholds
residing out of the county, is always trilling when
compared with the whole body-, and can never turn
the fate of an election, except when the parties are
very nicely balanced. In boroughs the case is dif-
ferent. It is not uncommon to see a fourth or fifth
part' of those having a right to vote, residing at a
great distance, chiefly in London ; but if Ms only 4
a tenth part, such a body is very considerable; and
cannot be disregarded—they-must be brought:down,
and at an enormous expellee. But their residence in '
London is no sunlit part of the evil. They acquire
an influence over their families and friends in the i
provincial town, by no means proportioned to their
actuatnumbers. They become electioneering agents
and agitators by trade—they are-ever ready to stir
up a contest and to profit by it—to sport with and
prey upon the fears of the sitting members, and the
hopes of the candidate, or, as he is termed (and it
is an endearing appellation), the third man ;--they
literally live byj'obbing,and bribery, and treating •,—!
they are getter:o;y idle, dissolute, and unprincipled—
making a traffic of the borough they belong to—and
only anxious about selling it over and ever again,—
not merely oi.ce at e:!oli election, but to different,
bidders, o:!e after another; during the same contest.
--It is certain', that in no part of the popular repre-
sentztien greater abuses exist than in the moderate
sized boroughs—that those ()tame br four hundred •
sores are by far the most corrupt of i'ettlma. ied it if
equally undeniable that the•great'taitte• of those I
Maws and corruptions lies in the London voters!
Sin Reform, which- should shorten the duration'of
Ptsrrnments, would be even tblerably safe, withoet
Male radical cure applied to this crying evil. To
• multiply elections under the pretty& circumstances,
far from being a good, would only Multiply the most
disgusting scenes of unprincipled corruption. '
deed, we freely own, that the residence and London
habits of those electors is of itself an objection, in
cur eyes, to their retaining their present Whalen in
their lia!ive town.
41-

.pt us only consider the consequence which re-
sults from this right of non-residents to .vate;—let
us 10,,k at it as it is seen constantly before our eyes. •
A set of those persons being idle. and hungry, or it
inn. he, thirsty, some by means of day; rules, others
by n liberty of locornotion not very natural to their;
station and character, join together, and wait
,upon
I likely Mail,. shit is to say, some one fit and de.
serving of the honour of representing—or rather of
betsoodug n candidate' for, the ancient and iadepen- •
tk,:t borough of Z. But what ma 11:.21' of perspn do ,
they sagaciously pitch upon ? Of course c" who
has abundance .:f that most essential intrinsic quality •
—money ; and is diseesed freely to dispense it;—'.
some lucky I;.:volstnr in trade,—.sr,tne gar tiler in
the alt or the club-houses, who ha: had a fortu-
nate season, or loan ;—most l rohably sense; toter of ,
virtue• and purity from the last ltndies,. or ,some
West Indian friend of the freedom of election and
rights of men. Upon Mm they wait, and addr.'ss
themselves to his purse through his vanity.. They ;
obtain a foretaste of it ; and the treating scene be.
gins. He meet,: his worthy constituents and friends
at the Black Dog, which is kept by an elector, a
staunch friend to the cause; and there, at SeVeft
o'clock, an excellent supper is served up in the best'
style ; !recites, and toasts, and resolutions ensue ;
and next day the puffing scene begins in the morning
papers; and a correspondent suggests, ,that 46 Mr.
X. is considered quite secure of his election." But
the Fox and Goose is also kept by a worthy Zian,
attached to the cause,—sp, the feast is held again
there; and thus it goes round. In the mean time,
the sitting members take the alarm, and observe
what a .pity it is to see a man like 1(Ir. X. who is
not infinitely rich, throwing away Ms money, with-
out the most distant prospect of succeeding • for in.
(feed lie might ac well think a moving the monus,
nieur as stirring the established.interests. In Orprt,4
they, for their parts, are perfectly easy,;—nergr.
more so at any time since the great contest which,
ruined two lords and a knight, and seated Ihcm. Be-
ing so entirely secure, they proceed, as a very natu-
, ral consequence, to assemble their London. voters
als the Bailey Mow, which is attached to the regular
firmilyiuteresi; cr, peradventure, the Maidephead„
in Nott-i4reet, where the friends of the good old
cause are known to resort ;-:-and
sin they play their,
part. tt is au essurdlsi. natural conse(rence of Pie
same ease ccnikrence, mid the same s compessisso
for Mr. X.!!igvoss and espetlive delusion, that:there'
should be exeetfiled large sums in buying 01 rally
of the Xites 'those kind coinplyincsuatures are
prone to yieltifing s and Mr. X. scorqing to he out-
done at his own weai;orts ,110 W sets his purse abroach,
as well as his beer, ;-r-fi;r, a little money spen't*tio I
time, say both the parties, and still.more Lon-
don friends, may. save thousands.. Accordingly,
thousands are spent, or
,perhaps lent; and all- -a l
except the toter re zealous for battle; wishing,
indeed compelled to wish, that the election were!
come, and the endless round of 'ex pence brought, to ,
a close. As this period dniws near, the relations ,
between the candidates and finis' vistpr, becesne,esore
and more close and confidential; in 10, "they lire
togettv.r, and hive but one purse. (though several
houses) among them. The Ministry bears an impor-
tant share in this soft and endearing intercourse.
This is emphatically tq be termed the job season ;
nothing, positively nothing, must .be refused. A
perpetual interchange of promise and pledge—of
unnual liarter and sale--of places in possession for
the s users, and Cotes ;n reversion froni the candidate,
is carried on without interruption ; and Jhe proper
officer from the Treasury, as he goes pro ling in the
thud for his prey, never fails, at this time, to fish