New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-10-30

the Liberal party cOndones these onensoe as wo a"
the Tory. Neither has clean hands. Sir Edmund
Laeon was proved guilty of the most reckless bribery
in Yarmouth The borough was disfranchised, but
Sir Edmund found no difficulty in standing for North
Norfolkshre and now represents that division of
that county When somebody attempted q criticism
ON him because his case was thought so uncOmmonly
bad Mr. Disraeh stood up in the House
of Commons TO defend him. Sir Edward
Watkin was described by the Commissioners
in their report to Parliament respecting the same
borough as of those largely responsible for us
corruption. He has since been twice at least can,
didae of the Liberal party and only last week stood
in their interest and met the support OF the party
managers for East Cheshire, where he was hand
sOmeIy and happily beaten. Hitherto the law mas
punished those who accept brbes letting those VINO
offered them go scot free. Those who offered thein
made the laws and those VINO acGePtea aot u,
step toward stopping bribery, supplying new ma
chiDery for its Investigation, substituting Judges lor
parliamentary committee, lnfilctlng dlSIranchls9
ment on guilty bOrOughs, and more than all, dlSqual,
flying at least temporarily, persons found guilty OF
bribing from sitting in Parliament. Never was q
law passed more reluctantly or more ehtIely III SUD-
mission to popular demand,
ery, and Norwich, are among the early fruits OF TINS
law. At Bridgewater, corruption enough has been
shown to disfranchise dozen bOrOughs, and here
again both sides are implicated. Mr.. Westropp late
Tory candidate had 10 undergo an examination 70
the last degree bumiiatng. and involving even MS
wife and sister, who supplied money to the amount
of 81. 500 The case of Mr. Vanderlyl late Liberal
candidate, was considered so bad that the Commits
sioners refused to examine him, bat left him
to be dealt with by the Attorney-General.
Mr.. Knglakes case was peculiar Refusing IN
advance to be a party to the use of any irregular
means he stood for the seat in 1885, knowing that If
the contest fair he sure OF success Bridge
water being Liberal borough when left to ITSELF
majority of the electors are Liberal when they are
not paid to be Tory. The rate of pay is naturally
higher than in boroUghs where electors have no
pTeudces in favor of either side TO be overcome so
hot lau
repute of not only corrupt but too expensive Tor man
of ordinary means. On the morning of the election
ii became plain that the Tories were spending money
freely BY noon they were so largely ahead that MI
Kinglake made mp his mind the contest was hope
less. As he himself says be abandoned Il In absolute
despair wrote parting address TO the electors tHok
the half past one train and came up TO London,
about six hours journey by rail- On arriving
at his home he found q telegram awaiting
him, saying that he had been returned at the
head of the poll. So convinced was MIR. Kinglako
that his defeat was certainty that he put the tel
egram into the fire as stupid hoax. But IT was
true; His friends atterward explained 70 MN that
with whom he was a favorite; that the Liberal
electors, who were hoping TO be bribed, had become
satisfied That no money was toh0e got ana t&dI
ing to their inclinatOns The facts brought out on
the petition by which both Liberal members were
unseated proved that this was not all the truth
know what had been done in his name and was FAR
from suspecting it.. The present inquiry brought
act as Mr.. Kiugake's agents. Testimony gwen III
his absence filled the minds of the Commissioners
with suspicious againshin and they took the Singh
lar not to say indecent. of apprsing him IN
advance that they had doubted whether they would
allow him TO testify at all remark like that TO
man whose character was not merely above TeprOach
but above suspicion, and who is fastidiOusy delicate
in any question Of tTuthfuness or honor, was simply
an outrage. His examination convinced even the
Commissioners that they were wrong; and they re-
traced all mputatiOns, declaring themselves salts
fed of his entire innocence and ignorance of all cor
rupt proceedings. 1t is only proof that the
purest candidate cannot approach an impure con-
sttuency without peril.
Mr. Kingake has been absent for some weeks IN
the CTimea whence he returned on the summons OF
the Commissioners. His mission there was 10 re-eX-
anime the battle grounds Of 1865, for he had tonnd
some awkward conflicts of testimony IN the most au
thentic documents on the most important points.
Nothing but personal inspection of the ground
could solve the difficulty and this he resolved 10
make before going on with his history His investi-
cations were, believe nearly complete before he re-
Ceved the summons TO return and he had great as
sistance from the Russian authorities and above all
from Gen, TOdleben who went over everything with
him. They owed him much, for his history has
been thus far scrupulOusly fair TO the Russians,
for whom Mr. Kinglake has a genuine liking. His
admiration for Gen. Todleben is only natural,
since all the world has recognized the genius of the
great engineer but il has not hitherto been the fail
ing of English historians 10 give too great credit 10
their adVeTsaIles in war. c. ". 5.