Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1826-07-21

Mr. Broueham said that the practice referred to by
.e honorable member, Of paying the electors after the
'i"nt,h uncoonccted with any previous promise
was Illegal Tie had no doubt of lis be;no. an ,c If
corruption and Of gross illcralv Aubnr@b an nc, or
o1oery, lie might be question how far the vote was
Iuis4ua"heu thereby His noble friend might however
tnouy The resolution was extremely desirable Thai
ue OPINION oi the House should be taken on this mo-
oh' u me opinion Of the House, or even of larac por
non 81 inc House, was i'll favor of it, he thought it
"'"'d n''e good effect upon elections We were now
" very uecatc situation; the machinery was in one
iolf the instruments of bribery were NOW at work:
ana lie looked with anxiety the interruption 10 the
Prao"ce going forward in all quarters, which this mo-
''oR might occasion. He conjured every person pre-
sent-and lie appealed TO him, as he valued his own in
lefc3t aud that the strongest way lc could put
10 hn-o give his vote this night FOR this resolution
assured that 1t would prevent the engines of corruntion
being employed against himself
Htr. hume begged ts state that he had received
from '|l eiscor IN certain place ntimapg that
hey were prepared to receive any person who would
pay dnouO IA iau%h that the practice I'D been pay
each OF the 5000 electors il; and that tie remaining
1-3uo was for expenses. 4 laugh.)
MT iluoSoh Gurney would support the motion for the
previous question: Was there, he asked, uciubcr 10
t"G House, who did not believe that every person who
"elu seat In mat louise must pay Tor IL loud cries
OF me- MOI Al that could he done to make the
bribery laws more explicit than at present He belle.
we'd that no member could be returned iii.ou dopr
some act against tEe law ct present constituted, He
uu NOT believe that persons returned by bribery;
"u' 'h either IN meal or malt aug it The com
mon understanding amongst persons To accommodate
themselves more or less 20 the general practice The
berry laws should be rendered marc r,,in s;nnin
precise and lust
Mr. Alderman Wood felt called upon to notice tlo
extraordinary assertions of the Zion. me,nter from New
own hear, hearl in which he represented ali hay
ing TIER price. But If lie asserted that all members
must pny either in meal malt he alderman Wood)
would tell that hon. member, that he alderman ood
hlu been three times rcurned for the ;ty of London
and had never spent shilling even for CONVEYANCE of
eectoA; though he had applications from the country
for that purpose, lie invariably refused and never ex
pended shilling even Tor bowl Of punch the hon
! member would probably understand his u,coninn He
Alderman WOODY did not think his remarks did rDucl,
credit 10 The borough that that hon. member represent
co, anu re supposed the price tcTe must be pretty high
"a !au2h) lie considered that his reIna Ks were not
Just ""'css he Mr. II. Gurneyl rcnxcsecd corrupt
borough.
Mr. Sergeant Cnsow made few observ atons, which
were not audible.
| Sir Robert Wilson Observed that fc hop ,,ou,yor
FOR \ e"own MI II. Gurney1 little acGuaint
ed with Southwark lie (Sir Robert Wilson) had never
paid one Shilling, either IN meal malt neither had
hI' hon colleague, IN the other or--yhat was
more in his way-the essence of malt "A IalIoh y
iic soieuuy declascd hat he had never paid directly
"F indirectly ONO shilling 10 his constituents nor in
any way subjected himself the bribery and feastiDo
acts ii was in his opinion, the duty OF tie House to
pass THIS resolution with great mai rty.
SIT w. w. Ridley would DENY the accusation which
had been made against the members of the House as
'"F - he r"e o""c"rncd e siou1 vote :or ;He motion
aad recommended all members TO do tie same
Hehera C'ascoyne fell the accusation 10 be directed
as much against the electors Ihe elected He auL
onF say that he had represented Liverpool Tor thirty
years, aud never had par! his constituents either in meal
or malt, or III any way directly Indirectly.
Mr. yShc Palmer indicated himself AMI his cnnti-
tuehtS from The accusation. There had been an lee.
Ton committee sitting at the place I've represented
tReadinG) every Tuesday for three months past; il
would meet next Friday snJ if the Hon. member for
Newto'gD would attend there iiCv you'd Give hum . -
son as TO how elections conducted.
Mir T. w ison observed that t!lc speech of the Hon
member MI. IL. @urney) contained very fair slave.
ne (hir Wilson, agreed with his Hon colleague Mr..
Alderman Wood that there such thing IN the
city as bribery corruption. lie believed H. nevcrIie
less, TO be possible, and that person might offend
against the law. W th respect the offer Of a seat
on the payment Of IL man, mentioned BY tie hon.
member for Aberdeen, he N!r. WILSON, thought that il
must have been hoax played off upon hln; for cons
derlng that the Hon. member such strenuous al
vocate for purity Of elections, he was likely TO be tho
last man to whom such an application %1uli be made
(IIear.1
Lord J. Russell replied. lie thanked the Hon fnem
Der for Newtowu for his effective speech favor OF The
notion though e withheld ms vote. The hon member
thought the practice Of corruption common as to be
universal With respect TO What had been said OF the
late period at which the resolutions had been utrodu
ced he would observe, that they embodied in d
bill which had been before the House the whole of the
session. He perceived the advantage of pressing the
question to division under The present circurn
stances OF the country.
Mr. H. Quincy, in ex plana!ion Observed n,at wba
bc meant 70 say hat in tie present state OF the law
did not clearly know what was legal and what
was not (NO, mol Bbe hoii member proceeding
but lac was interrupted by CUES OF "Spokc, spoke"
Mr. PasCOe GrenelI said, tat he felt no reason t.
regret Tie votes he bad given upon this subject for
MGR occasions. As the object Of his noble friend in TIC
present motion 10 strike the of au achnOU
cdged evil, he would give his hearty support.
) Strangers were tlien excluded ard the House diy
dcd when The numbers found to be equal name
= Is:
C Tor tie first resolution, G.. against 1t, g.
The speaker gave his casting vote in favor Of tie
D solution.
Upon rsadnlssIon 70 the gallery n,e resolutions
were being formally put from the chair On the last
sOluti9u being put,
MIR. Wynn thought that general expression Of thc
opinion Of The House would have been convent
eut course than tic proceeding adopted
j Mr.. BrOugam said that hc took it 10 be of The high
est importance, that there went forth distinct de
caratou to the country that far the present House
Of Commons concerned, there existed but one dis
positiounamely 10 adopt the most rigorous measures
for the punishment Of every species Of bribery aud cor
s ruptou.
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