New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-16

their heads at finding or fancying themselves part
Of it. Aud how county society pets and pats tnem
on the back-these elected legislators wnom oeiore
elected It would not have degned to notice. save py
the most supercilious of mods!
It's not likely. however things standing as they
are now that many of these representatives OF
agriculture and laborne interests will ever enter
Parliament For there is q bar to their admission,
even more obstructive than that cited by MI
Cobden-money. 1 do not mean the money quallii-
cation of so much a year income. that being apol-
ishcd. but the outlay attending an election.
Whether the candidate succeed or fail. this If
something considerable, mounting up to many
hundreds of pounds even when the contest Is con-
Quoted on the most economic principles and uncor-
ruptedly. But ii rarely is more geperaiy 'o'o'
having to be purchased; then IL takes as many
thousands 10 pay the bill Few farmers cahoiu",o'
can stand such expense; much less thoso VIM
would represent labor; therefore the money h'us'
be made up for them by friendly and class con.ii.
button, as in several instances it has BEEN pu'
contributors to such fund are prone 10 oeoo"'o
tired OF 1t, especially with such poor returns 10
they have hitherto had for their outlay. 90 INC
experiments is not likely to be repeater Oil any
| large scale.
II NAV no wondered that such outlay is needed
and good name with his fitness for the Office rally
ororna him and hiring ND to the polls. all who are
| interested in his cectionf They who would put
this ouestion can know little of the indifference OF
Fngand,s people moro especially in the rural dis
tricts as regards their exercise OF the irahchise'
True il ould seem otherwise, the very reverse 10
one present at a contested county election Oh tue
day of it the roads leading to the polling centres
will display traffic of an unusual KIND; omhiousos,
fiys cabs and private carriages ali plastereu
over with posting bills the color of the paper oiue
or yellow according to the politics of the candidate
they are plying for all driven at furious speeu anu
cIammed with men in high state OF excitement
A stranger thus viewing them as they hasten 10
ward the polling place might suppose them mauiy
eager TO exercise their right of citizenship-that
little and limited one allowed them-to elect mem
Der of Parlment But no they are not coaching
at their own expense not a man OF them. NOT
when they arrive at the polling precnct-town or
xillave-wIu refreshments cost them ANYTHING.
There they find tables spread and taverns RAINING
free tap no one exactly knowing who pays the shot
That is a secret of the electioneering agents. the
LAWYERS engaged on each side. and the tavern
keepers; for all of whom il is time oil heh JihAs
a very harvest of prosperity Nothing peases 'hein
better than to hear of Parliament being dissolved
for then all this nice profitable business Will nave
to be gone over again.
Sometimes 1t does not end quite so agreeably
when the unsuccessful candidate thinks he can
bring bribery home to the successful one. Ihen
there is a petition to unseat the elected member
and a Commission of Inquiry appointed; when
nearly always is il found that there has been some
thing more than free carriage tide ana glass Oh
beer at the bottom of Tin short, a money con-
sderaton given for the votes. At the last general
election there was much OF tins tlat scarce
constituency In the Kingdom escaped suspicion Oh
having been corrupted And large number Oh
them actually corrupted; so many ana SO
scandaIous the exposures IL was found necessary
to send half dozen of the wIrepulers to prison. as
many hundreds, equally guilty, might have been
sent there but the half dozen wretched scapegoats
we're deemed valve enoueh to let oil the steam squirt
of public indignation. Since then some legislative
action has been taken to prevent such scandals In
future though it is not likely that Will much avail
IN land where the voter knows ms vote 10 no
scarce worth the casting For if ever there was
myth or misconceptiOn in the world, it is that OF
England having a representative form OF govern
ment That it has nothing of the KIND Will give
proof in another article.