Evening star., 1924-01-15
BY THE MARaUIsE DE FoxTENoY.


Embracery is a statutary crime
which for the last six hundred years
has consisted OF attempting to infiu-
ence juryman, to give his verdict in
favor Of one side or the other in a
trial "by promises, persua sions, en-
treaties, money, Entertainments and
the like, the person making the at
tempt and the juryman who consents
being equally severely punishable by
means Of Imprisonment and fine, But
the question is already. being dis.
|cussed in Great Britain as to whether
the law on the subject should. not be
extended to bring within it's provi-
sions, women. who, like Lady Terring-
ton, one of the new female members
OF the house OF commons, make a
practice of winning votes from con-
stttuents by means Of kisses.
The legal terms of embracery seem S
mere appropriate to Lady sTerrinG-
tons form of electoral corruptionz in
the case OF parliamentary contests
and more reprehensible than the mere
influencing Of jurors. For. in the case
of jury trial, it is merely the fate
of the prisoner or defendant which is
at stake, whereas the destiny and the
safety Of the entire British empire
may depend upon a single vote in the
house of commonsSsand, therefore, in
directly upon the votes by which the
member of parliament in question has
obtained her return to parliament
through corrupt influences or an eS-
|culatory character.
Lady Terrington's bestowal- of
kisses as Quid pro quo for votes at
a parliamentary election has been
compared to the analogous methods
employed by the celebrated Jane.
century. But, as described by her
great grandson, Lord Ernest Hamil-
ton, in. his "reminiscences, ''Old Days
and New" recently published by
Doran's. the lovely and fascinating
duchess. Jennie, did not employ these
methods Of embracery for the sake
of any personal advantage, but from
motives Of patriotism in securing
votes for the popular candidate for
the city of Edinburgh, just in the
same way that her relative, the
Duchess OF Devonshire, Georginia,
secured the solid vote of the Long
Acre thoroughfare' in London for
Charles Fox by Offering her fair lips
to its beery denizens. Tho same
Duchess of Gordon also raised the
Highlanders by placing golden guineas
between her lips and challenging the
young country lads who were reluc-
tant to join to come and take the
guinea, which sealed their enlist
ment with their. own lips from hers.
Many accepted the challenge. But
to their honor be 1T recorded that in
the majority Of cases they threw tho
guinea to the crowd, saying that a
kiss from the duchess was quite re-
ward enough by itself for their join
ing the new regiment.
x X X *
- Incidentally, it may be mentioned
that Lord Ernest Hamilton explains
that the widespread story to the ef-
feet that this great-grandmother OF
his, Duchess Jennie" of Gordon, had
ridden down through the streets OF
Edinburgh on pig for the edifica-
tton Of the public; had taken place,
not as asserted after she had OBJ
tanned womanhood and had married
the duke, the greatest highlander in
Scotland, but when she was still a
little girl, as Jennie Maxwell Of Mon
reith, when she raced with her
youngest sister, Byzantine, down the
WyndS- as far as Prince street before
their porcine mounts pitched both
children into the gutter.
by any such patriotic motive rassthe
Duchesses of Devonshire and Of Cor
don a hundred or more years ago.
She was out to secure her own cleo
ton for parliament. Moreover, al
though "a peeEest-ef. Fealzaa,- she
has no such patrtcian. blood an hsf
Ysina ~ that which distinguished ths