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    Mr . Bright begged to remind the House that the motion was , " without payment of fees . " The motion was then agreed to .

    MISCELLANEOUS . Lord Eobeet Gbosvenob heat the Government on Thursday . He moved for leave to bring in bis annual bill , to repeal the annual and rather onerous duty levied on Attorneys and Solicitors . The motion was resisted by Mr . Gladstone , on the ground that it was the wrong time for proposing the abolition of a tax . The motion , however , was carried , by 219 to 167 . Mr . Apsley Pellatt made an unsuccessful attempt , the same night , to get a committee to inquire into the subject of oaths . Mr . Gladstone again objected .

    The inquiry into the substitution of declarations for oaths was unnecessary , as it had given universal satisfaction ; with respect to extending that substitution to courts of law , there was now a commission sitting on procedure , and that was the proper place for the inqniry ; and , as to inquiry with the view to substituting one uniform declaration for the oaths now taken by members of Parliament , that was too important to be handed over to a select committee . Therp was a general concurrence with Mr . Gladstone , so the motion was withdrawn .

    Mr . Fitzkoy has brought in a bill for the better prevention and punishment of aggravated assaults on women and children . This bill was received with very great satisfaction . Some members , however , and even the mover himself , wished that the penalty of " corpo ral punishment" had been extended to those gross and ruffianly exhibitions , which are absolutely too common in our police courts to attract that notice they demand .

    ELECTION COMMITTEES . The Parliamentary battue still continues . The committees have made some severe decisions this week ; and there seems to be a strong desire to make a clean sweep of the really alarming mass of corruption brought to light . Chatham . —The committee have decided after the strictest investigation : — " That Sir J . Mark Frederick Smith is not duly elected » burgess to serve in the present Parliament for the borough of Chatham . " That the last election for the said borough is a void election .

    " That it was proved to the committee that Joseph Greathead , an elector at Chatham , had been bribed by a situation as letter-carrier in the General Post-Offiee , obtained by his son , Charles Greathead , by or through the influence of Sir Frederick Smith . " That it -was proved before the committee that a large number of the electors of the borough of Chatham are employed in her Majesty ' s dockyard and other public departments , and that they are under the influence of the Government for the time being , and that it appears there is no instance of a candidate being elected for the borough of Chatham who has not had the support of the Government .

    " That , under these circumstances , it will bo for the house to determine whether the right of returning a member should not in future be withdrawn from the borough of Chatham . " That it is the opinion of the committee that there are strong grounds for believing that one Stephen Mount , in giving his evidence before tho committee , was guilty of wilful and corrupt perjury . " Writ suspended until the 11 th of April .

    Deiujy . —All the well known story of the Derby bribery , minus " W . H ., " has been again before the public , on the petition against Mr . HorHfnll . Our readers will remember that Mr . Flewker was intrusted witli the secrets of the Horsfull , that is tho Cox and " W . B . " party ; that he allowed the bribery machinery to get in motion ; allowed Mr . Thomas Morgan to instal himself in the County Tavern , and Mr . Lund to bring him money ; and that then be told nil to the other Bide . Hero is an account of the arreot of Morgan by Fern , the policeman , who performed that feat : —

    On tho morning of tho election ho went to tho County Tavern , in consequence of instructions from tho last witness . Certain nignals wore communicated to him . lie went up stairs , and at tho top mot Kallow , who attempted to stop him , but witness put bin linger to the mdo of Iuh nose—( laughter )—upon which Kallow miid , " That ' s all right . " Witness also said , " It ' s all right ; Rudford sent me . " Kallow allowed witness to go into tho room , where ho found Morgan before a table with a small book and two or three p ieces of papor . Ho took Morgan into custody and searched him . In Morgan ' s pocket ho found one 10 / ., hin

    and six U . notes of the bank of England , ami in trouscr ' s pockets a bag containing 134 / . in Hovoreignn and half HovoreignH , and tho celebrated " W . II . " letter . Ho also found four cards on Morgan , two of thoso cards had on thorn , " Mr . T . Morgan , " and tho othor two , " Mr . T . Morgan , Cluster . " Tho p ieces of paper ho found on the table turnod out to be bank notes . ( Laughter . ) WitnoBH lodged Morgan in tho lock-up . Asked hie nnmo and where ho came from , and ho replied it was on Inn cnnl . Next day Morgan told witness he came from Shrewsbury , and not from Ch « ntor . Witness asked him why ho put Chester on Iub card , and Morgan replied because Frail had expressed n vtisk . to him that ho should do ao . Morgan also

    stated to witness that the night before the election a man had broug ht him a bag of gold , and in the morning another , and some notes . The man who brought the money was a tallish thin man , dressed in drab clothes . It was nearly dark when he brought him the first money , and he therefore thought he should not know him again , unless he had some conversation ( with him . Witness knew Thomas Lund , who answered this description . Morgan told witness he paid the money away to persons who brought cheques . He entered the numbers of the cheques in his book , and the sums he paid for each , adding that " if they had not found his book they would have been bothered . " Morgan said he did not know that the persons he gave the money to were voters , and that when he was coming from Shrewsbury he thought it was to act as a poll-clerk , and that if he had really known what they wanted him for he would have seen them hanged first .

    ( Laughter . ) Morgan also told witness that if he had been in the room two minutes earlier he would have seen a man in a brown coat who had paid away twice as much money as Morgan . Morgan also said Derby was a poor place ; that they gave as much money for one vote at Shrewsbury as they gave at Derby for twenty . ( Laughter . ) The money the Derbyites had given him wo uld not have lasted him two hours at Shrewsbury . Cross-examined—Did not pump Morgan . Morgan indeed did not require pumping —( laughter )—for he had been imbibing that which was calculated to make him loquacious , i . e . brandy and water . ( Laughter . ) On thenway to the lock-up they had two quarts of ale . The magistrates who took Morgan ' s statement were of both political parties . Morgan was confused and excited ; and , on hearing the noise outside the court , said , " Tell ' em if I get free I'll g ive them a few barrels of ale . " When witness arrested Morgan he fell , apparently stupified , over the fireplace , and exclaimed , " Lord deliver us . " ( Laughter . )

    The committee desired , hut have been frustrated in obtaining evidence as to where the money came from ; and Mr . Lund , who wore drab when he took money to Morgan , Mr . Cox , the go-between , who got the note to Frail from " W . B . " at the Carlton , could not be found ; and Henry Radford , of " horsenail" celebrity is ill in bed . Mr . Horsfall was examined , and distinctly denies that he knew anything either directly or indirectly , about the illegal practices of his agents . He had remitted 800 ? . to Derby ; his expenses were 579 ? ., and he had received the balance . The following is the report of the committee : —

    " That Michael Thomas Bass , Esq ., was duly elected as a burgess , at the last election , to serve in the present Parliament for the borough of Derby . " That Thomas Berry Horsfall , Esq ., was not duly elected to serve as a burgess in the present Parliament , at the last election for the borough of Derby . " That Lawrence HeyWorth , Esq ., Was duly elected , and ought to have been returned to serve as a burgess , at the last election for the borough of Derby . " That the committee nave altered the poll of the last election for the borough of Derby , by striking therefrom , as having received bribes at the said election , the names of William Harris , William Morley , Thomas Blake , Eobert Walcup , RichardWalcup , Francis Radford , Thomas Taylor , Henry Needham , John Swan , Francis Staley , Charles Cockaigne , Edward Cockaigne , William Oliver , and Henry Sharrock .

    " That Thomas Berry Horsfall was , by his agents , guilty of bribery at the last election for the borough of Derby , but it has been proved to the satisfaction of the committee that such bribery was altogether without the concurrence or privity of Mr . Horsfall . " That William Harris was bribed by 31 ., William Morley by 21 ., and a supplementary payment of 11 . in October subsequently to tho election . That Thomas Bloke , Jiobcrt Walcup , Richard Walcup , Francis Radford , Thomas Taylor , Henry Needham , John Swan , Francis Staley , Charles Cockaigne , Edward Cockaigne , and Henry Sharrock , were bribed by 21 . each , and William Oliver by 11 . " That Thomas Morgan seems to have been tho person principally engaged in the above-mentioned acts of bribery , and that the funds for tho same purpose appear to have boon furnished to Morgan through the instrumentality of a person named Thomas Lund .

    " That George Clayton , John Ford , and Alfred Akcrmon , wero likewise engaged in those various acts of bribery and corruption . " That it has boon proved , iih to several of the other par - ties , that , at former elections , they had received money for their votes , and the committee have reason to believe that such corrupt practices have been prevalent in the borough of Derby , and they desire to state their opinion that parties once reported to the Houso m guilty of bribery should bo disqualified for the future for tho exercise of umy Parliamentary franchise . " That it appears to tho committee that tho petition ot William Pool , ho fur an regards tho returnof Michael Thomas . Buss , Knq ., is frivolous and vexatious . " The committee then separated .

    IIuddkhhjmiiA > . —At this borough tho bribery took the form of beer and solids . Then ' there was tho peculiar practice of " tattling up" electors . Of the first process take a random specimen . Mr . Scarlett , brewer , at lluddernfiold , admitted that-he had sent out iiino . 'HJ-gallon , casks of ale , and three 24-gallon casks on the day of the election , and that an entry of 12 / . for that ale , from . Stunnfiold ' a committee , in bis books , was in the handwritin g of one of his clerks . Joshua Hullawell deposed to forty gallons of ale coming to him , and to thirty gallons remaining , which ho sold . His uncle had long promimxl his vote for Stansliold . Tho ale w « s called " Election ale . " William Bedford , of tho Mox and Grapeu , Hudderefield ,

    a voter , examined—Had a rote in 1847 , and voted for Stansfield . Witness had an account against Mr . Booth , who was a supporter of Stansfield . Beeeived about 81 . in 1847 , and the balance left was in the shape of ten per cent ., which was then taken off . Was canvassed by Wrilan 8 party at the last election . Mr . J . Beaumont saw witoew about his vote for Stansfield . Perhaps he might have asked Beaumont about his oU account and the payment ! of the discount , but Beaumont did not say he would pay it if witness voted for Stansfield . Beaumont said he would have nothing to do with it . Knew a number of beershopkeepers , Tjut never said he would not vote for Stansfield until the old account was paid . Had an account at the last election for breakfasts . It had been paid by Mr . J . Beaumont , and witness put the old " discount on the new bill , which had been paid altogether . Had not seen Leech _

    . .. . Cross-examined—Put the " discount" down by charging a little higher for the items . Had promised Stansfield a long time , and could not vote for a man who wanted to divide " Church and State . " ( Laughter . ) Re-examined—Received the orders for breakfast on the nomination day from John Sykes , for twelve or fifteen people . They came back . The amount of the bill sent in was 10 ? . Evidence was taken to pTove what was termed the " bottling up" of witnesses , and treating thefn at the George during the evening before , and also on the day of the election , free of expense , by the agents of the sitting member . Two old men , of between seventy and

    eighty years of age , and who complained that it was " a shame" to bring them all the way from Htiddexw * field , deposed that they were thns bottled up at the George , and supplied free and freely with beds arid brandy-and-water . Other witnesses spoke to having distributed " free gratis" thirty-six gallons of beer on the nomination day , and sixty gallons on the potting day ; at the instigation of agents of the sitting member . One of these witnesses said he had not been paid for this , and calculated he was a loser by it , and that it was not done to influence his vote . HtrLii . —Here they have a plan of bribery , probably not peculiar to the place , but as yet undescribed before the committee . The main agent in the business describes the thing very well : —

    J . " Walker , of Manchester , basket-maker , deposed that he knew'Wild , who arranged with him to attend to the general duties of the committee-room in Saville-street , to put down the names of voters who came to vote for Clay and Goderich . The persons who came there and had their names so put down , expected to be paid for their time . By that he meant the usual custom , that a man should be paid for bis time when he went to vote . That was the way it was understood in Hull . ( Laughter . ) Was not istered for other

    aware of persons being reg any purpose . The list lie alluded to was a special list of persons sent from the district committees of workmen who expected to be paid for their time . If a voter came into the room , and his name was put down in the list , witness and tie committee would expect him to -vote for their party . It was a common expression among the people of Hull , getting their names " set down" in this way . Witness looked after those voters , and employed himself actively in getting them to go to Saville-street . Many voters came with papers from the district committees , on which were the names of

    persons to be employed six days . About 300 or 400 names were put down in this way altogether , but no money was paid them at the time . Witness took 20 or 30 of these kinds of voters who had their names set down to the poll , and they voted for Clay and . Goderich . Could not say he saw Wild pay them any money , 'but after the election he had seen many people in King-street , who told him they were waiting for their money . Know they were paid , and saw the money in their hands . It was generally a sovereign and a half . Was present when Wild put his signature to these papers . Witness received 3101 . from Wild on tho day of the election , and witness paid some of tho voters money on taking them to the poll . One voter , on being aeked how it was ho received 30 s . for only two days instead of six , said , " Oh , it ' s a common practice m Hull all parties do it ! " In addition to getting their names sat

    down , tho voters got glasses of grog ; but these were finings witncsB could not speak to more particularly , as theywere things he did not remember after they were gon «; wa * it was a usual thing in Hull , when they wanted to matte- a voter " all right , " to give him grog . On the polling day , a dozen voters met at the Queen ' s Arms , and had thennamoB set down and grog , for which they did not pay : but tho bill and tho voters were paid afterwards . Did not know by whom , and had rather not answer the question . They were paid . Witness saw them each with a eovereign and a half . Remembered negotiating with the 30 men , who wished their number multiplied by 10 , and told them ho coujd not go beyond tho " market price . " The witness caused some amusement by several times hesitating to answer certain questions , for fear , as he phrased it , of " criminating himself . "

    Was never called upon by Wild to render any account , but received from Wild altogether between 30 * . and 40 ? WitnoeB had received 50 J . for his ovidenco before tho committee . Did not consider this bribery . ( Laughter . ) Kollett came to him to get tho information he hod given in bin ovideneo , and they talked together " about the boseneHH of tho electoral system generally , " and this ha d been a standing opinion of witness for many years . ( Laughter . ) Prior to the passing of tho Tteform Bill , a freeman always got 21 . for a split voto , and U . for a plumper ; but sineo that HVBtem wub abolished , tho new votors wore tk © most difficult to manage . They did not know their price-WitnoHH was speaking of tho \ 0 l . householders in tho former case . Now the " market price" had dwindled down to 30 » . ahead . There was ( duo tho custom , on both aid « s ,

    Untitled Article

    k 244 THE LEADER . [ Saturday ^

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), March 12, 1853, page 244, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1977/page/4/