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of giving refreshment . It was usual to set down a freeman iatot mk da ^ s pay . Some did not get paid , and , had it been otherwise , there would not hare been the bother of this petition . ( Laughter . ) Out of between 4000 and 6000 voters polled at the last election , witness would a * y that 1000 were accessible bj this means . The practice had existed less extensively at this election than at former times . Voters were'" set down" as messengers , not . for employment , but for their , votes . There were none of the * 6 pen houses" of the old time , but voters , were introduced by a member of the committee to the landlord of a tavern ,
gj hd they were then allowed to order and have what they Eked . Witness would say that between 400 and 600 voters were " set down" in this way at Saville-sfereet , the term " setting down" in Hull meaning that they were to have 30 * . each for the colourable employment of messenger , but in reality for giving their votes . The members of the district committees sent voters to Saville-streefc with notes for this purpose , addressed to "XY Z , " alias to Wild , who told the bearer it was " all right ; " the voter ' s name was set down , and he knew he would be paid for his time .
The decision , by consent of the unseated members , is as follows : — " That James Clay , Esq ., and George Frederick Samuel [ Robinson , commonly called Viscount Goderich , are not duly elected burgesses to serve in this present Parliament for the borough of Kingston-upon-Hull . The Chairman : I am directed by the committee further to inform the House that the committee have unanimously agreed to the following resolutions : —
• " That James Clay and Viscount Goderich were by their agents guilty of bribery and treating at the last election for the said borough . " That it was not proved to the committee that the acts of bribery and treating were committed with the knowledge and consent of the sitting members . " That John Walker was actively engaged as an agent in carrying into effect a most extensive system of bribery and treating at the last election . " That there is reason to believe that corrupt practices have extensively prevailed at the last election for the borough of Hull / Writ suspended until the 11 th of April .
Norwich . —The special committee which Mr . Duncombe obtained to look into the charge against Brown , the Parliamentary agent , for withdrawing the petitions of Colonel Dickson and others against Peto and Warner , without their consent , assembled on Thursday . An attempt was made to examine Mr . Brown in the first instance , but he lustily protested against it as unparalleled—" unparalleled in the history of England "to examine a witness before an accusation was made against him . Incidentally , however , he roundly asserted that Mr . Kitton , the local agent , had given him authority to withdraw the petition . The committee then took up with Mr * Kitton . His story was one of interest .
When the Marquis of Douro and Colonel Dickson were thrown out at the last election , meeting ' s were held , a case got up , and the Tories determined to petition against Peto and Warner . Kitton came to town , and went to the Carlton , and there saw " Colonel Forester , " as ho confessed with much reluctance , about the petition . Colonel Toreater recommended Brown ; Brown spoke well of the case ; sureties were forthcoming ; the Tories' held another local meeting , and again resolved to go on . Then Kitton came to London . He " sew Brown again , and Captain Ives and Colonel Dickson became surities , and the objections by Coppock to the recognizances were over-ruled before the examiner . He 0 aw Brown again on the 18 th of January , and Brown
asked him if he would set off the Norwich petition as against the West Norfolk . Witness said , ' It is quite impossible . ' On the Saturday before the petition was withdrawn , Brown again asked witness if he would withdraw the Norwich for the West Norfolk , and witness again declined . This was at Brown ' s office , in Porliament-atreot , at about three o ' clock , and Brown went over to Coppoclrfs , aying , ' Your petition will not como on before Eastor ; the matter does not press . ' These were Brown ' B last words on the subject . Witness , soeing the paper on the tablo , said , I will look at it while you are gone to Coppock ' s , ' but did not wait till Brown roturnod , and loft , saying he should bo in town on Tuesday . Subsequently , witness was
surprised at seeing the withdrawal of the petition announced , and witness wrote thereon to Colonel Dickson , and also to Brown , stating he had no authority from his ( witness ' s ) clients for tho withdrawal of tho petitions , and requesting him immediatel y to restore them to tho lists , ana asking for a reply . Witness , however , had received no reply to the letter , but received ono from Brown , dated tho 14 th of February , stating , ' I have withdrawn tho Norwich poti tions , with thoso for Middlesex , Kidderminster , and Gloucester . Coppock has withdrawn Youghal , County Down , and West Norfolk . " Mr . Duncombo . —In that case , then , Coppock liad not ho advantage .
" Kitton . —No . Thoro wore two petitions prcsonted in the case of Norwich ; ono against Poto and another against Warner . The objoct of having two petitions infltoat ? of a joint petition won , to havo the power of withdrawing ono if it was desirod ; so that Lord Douro or Colonel Dickson and Poto might remain , or Lord Douro and Warner . Ho did not know that it was to facilitate compromise , or to obtain Colonol Dickson a float in liou of Warner . Compromiso had boon talked of , but thoro was no negotiation . According to tho rulen of professional etiquette , the potiion should not bo witlidrawn boforo witness conferred with hifl cliontB . If Brown had said to witnoas , ' Now , Kitton , Warner will retire if you withdraw the potition / witneig would have called bin party together . Drown had
no right to do anything without witness s instructions , witness being sole agent . Witness complained to Colonel Forester as to the conduct of Brown , and he coincided in his views , and he seemed to think Brown had acted indiscreetly . Colonel Forester did not tell witness he had given Brown any authority to withdraw the petition . He did not inform the Colonel that Coppock had ' paired' off bo many petitions on the other side . The professional charges of the petition were to be paid by a subscr iption in Norwich , and not by the Carlton . He did not understand the
Carlton was to contribute to the expense of tho matter in London . He understood that Messrs . Thompson , Debenham , and Brown were , professionally speaking , electioneering agents of the Carlton . Colonel Forester offered 61 . or 81 . for the preliminary investigation at Norwich , which witness declined , saying if the Liberals did not come forward , the petition must drop . He did not know to whom Brown was to look for his expenses . He never considered Colonel Forester had anything to do with the petition , or that he interfered .
" Examined by Colonel Dickson . —Colonel Dickson , seven or eight weeks ago , asked the witness to remove the petition from Brown ' s hands , because lord Eanelagh had expressed to Colonel Dickson a very sorry or bad opinion of Brown , saying , 'He ' ll sell you . ( Xaughter . ) Colonel Dickson had on many occasions told witness nothing would make him drop the prosecution of the petition , and that he would subscribe towards its expense . " Mr . Duncombe . —What was the connexion between your remaining in Brown ' s office and Brown ' s going to Coppock ? " Kitton . —When Brown came back , he said , ' Coppock ' s h ' st is nearly exhausted . ' He talked about Coppoek'a fighting petitions , ' which witness supposed were against Conservative members . " Mr . Duncombe . —They appeared to be balancing an account current of fighting petitions ? ( Laughter . ) Kitton—Yes
" . . " Mr . Duncombe . —Did you understand that Coppock's powers of compromise were nearly exhausted ? " Kitton . —That was what he understood . ( Laughter . ) When he said there were certain lists in Brown and Coppock ' s hands , he only spoke from on dit . He was not acquainted with the arcana of the Keform Club . ( Laughter . ) It was generally understood that both acted in concert as to these petitions , and that , somehow or other , when Brown withdrew a petition , Coppock withdrew one also . ( Laughter . ) They were called ' fighting' petitions , he supposed , because when they came into Committees of the House , the parties assumed the attitude of fight . The other petitions had no particular name , but in some cases the sitting member carried too many guns for the petitioner . Some were fictitious , others were 'fig hting' petitions , and some -were bond fide . The Norwich petitions were no speculations . "
Colonel Dickson himself was examined yesterday , and proved a dangerous witness for his party . He exposed all his negotiations with Colonel Forester , Forbes Mackenzie , and " W . B ., " for a seat ; how he was referred to Dover by Colonel FWester , and bow thereupon Mr . -Forbes Mackenzie said , —" That Colonel Forester had no business to settle the matter without his leave ; and that any one would suppose that the borough was his own . ( Much laughter . )" Then he was referred to Abingdon ; but that railed ; so he went to Norwich . " With reference to the withdrawal of the petitions , he produced a number of letters , showing Mr . Kitten ' s and
his own anxiety to proceed with them . ; and ho stated that if Mr . Brown had not been so sharp in withdrawing them , it was his intention to have put them in the hands of another Parliamentary agent . He first saw Mr . Brown , after the withdrawal , in the street , with Major Berosford , and he expressed to him the indignation which he felt . Mr . Brown askod him up into his office , as he did not wish to bo blackguarded in public . They went into the offico accordingly , and ho told Mr . Brown that he must take tho consequences , upon which Mr . Brown replied , ' Damn tho consequences . ' Mr . Brown had since boasted in tho Carlton Club to Mr . Baggo of having ' withdrawn tho Norwich petitions , and upset Dickson / The matter is not yet concluded .
Rye . —Tho following resolutions were adopted : — " That W . A . Mackinnon , Esq ., is not duly elected a burgess to servo in . this present Parliament for the borough of Itye . " That the lost election for the aoid borough ia a void election . " That W . A . Mackinnon , Esq ., was , by hia agents , guilty of treating at the last election for tho said borough . " That this committee consider it to bo their duty to
recommend that further inquiry and investigation shall bo mado regarding the bribery at the said election , in the manner prescribed by the 6 th and 6 th Viet ., c . 103 , hoc . 2 . " That the rooaona alleged b y counsel as to the abandonment of tho trial of the said charges of bribery appear to this committee to be sufficient to justif y such abandonment ; and they therefore have not thought it necessary to examine tho sitting member , or tho candidate , or their rit u , undor tho power given them by the firat section of said act .
" That it iti the opinion of this committee that if it should bo tho pleasure of the house to act upon the above recommendation of the committee as to a further inquiry , no new writ should issue for the said borough until the result of such inquiry shall havo beon reported to the house . "
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UniixJENOimr . —This borough 3 s not likely to Iki without candidates for tho voices of the electors . Alroady two havo uppeared , and others are talked of . Tho first candidate in the field was Mr . G . W . Hope , but on the appearance of an addraw from Mr .
Pritchard , banker of Broseley , who is supposed to have considerable local influence , Mr . Hope withdrew ; but others are announced as likely to come forward . Sir 3 fc . Pigot , the late member , has issued an address to the electors , in which he says : — " It is to me a source of the greatest satisfaction , and in some degree will compensate me for the serious expenses incurred in the defence of your interests , that the character of the borough is still unsullied , and that after all the im-Butations which have been heaped upon you , the
falsehoods disseminated , and the libels put forth through thff scurrilous columns of the London press , Bridgenorth stands forth in striking contrast with the cases made out against other constituencies ; and , though it was true that a new writ has not immediately issued , and that the public mind may require to have in detail that which as yet has only been given partially and imperfectly , there is no doubt whatever that the time is almost at hand when the duty will again devolve on you of electing a burgess to th -vacant seat . "
Sir Robert Pigot is a man of a sanguine turn of mind , and in his view the press is scurrilous , and Bridgenorth immaculate . But they must wait—the writ is not issued yet !
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Assurance Societies . —Mr . J . Wiisow moved the appointment of a select committee to inquire into the subject of assurance associations . After some remarks on th « principle of Government interference , and the duty of Government protecting the public against abuse , ^ he adverted to the enormous magnitude of these institutions and the amount of their capital . In Scotland alone tho liabilities of fifteen assurance offices had at this time risen to 33 , 000 , 000 ^ and their annual in come exceeded 1 , 500 , 000 ? . In Great Britain the accumulated capital of those companies with which it was now proposed to deal amounted to no less than 150 , 000 , 0002 ., and the annual income to 6 , 000 , 000 ? . It was an object of the greatest importance to place them on a more satisfactory footing
than they had . yet attained . No feature m our social economy was more important than the establishment of those Offices , and it was the undoubted duty of Government to place them on such a footing as sho uld give such natural and fair security to the public as would induce the use of them to the greatest possible extent . He regarded those companies rather in the light of a sacred trust tor the future than as proofs of wealth in the present , and they mig ht fairly be taken out of the category of commercial institutions . If they interfered with respect to jointstock companies , they were doubly warranted to do so in the present case ; and having already partially interfered , Parliament was bound to see that its interference wa »
effective for the protection of the public . There was reason to apprehend that the two securities already provided toy act of Parliament , registration and the annual production of the balance-sheet , had been grossly abused . Mr . Wilson then referred to several gross cases of fraud detailed in the report of the assistant-registrar of jointstock companies , in which the character of the bafancttsheets was essentially deceptive . So many mushroom institutions , without capital , had been established of late years , that it appeared too plainly that there was much swindling carried on under this pretext . Since 1844 , 355 assurance associations had been projected , of which only 59 now existed .
The proposition of the Government met with general approval , with the exception of Mr . Hume , who thinks that every man should take core of himself . The motion was adopted . County Courts fob Scotland . — Mr . Crauiitju > moved for leave to bring in a bill for the more speedy and effectual administration of justice in tho Sheriff Courts of Scotland . Ho thought it necessary to take this step , from finding that tho Governmonfc measure for tho same purpose fell far short of what was required . He proposed to extend the jurisdiction of the sheriff-substitutes to aM cases whore the value in dispute was under 601 ., and even to cases exceeding' that amount with consent of the litigants , abolishing appeals except on points of law , and also to make provision for an increase in tho salaries of taose functionaries . Mr . John Macghkooe seconded the motion . Th «
Lord Advocate would not throw any obstacle in the way of introducing the bill , though ho did not think the course pursued by Mr . Craufurd the most convenient ho mighfe havo adopted , or that tho measure , as explained by lam , had any claims to be considered ono of legal reform . After a few words from Mr . Hume , Mr . Ewart , Mr . F . Mackenzie , Mr . Fergus , for , and several other members against tho motion , leave was given to bring in the bill . National Gallkuy . —On tho motion of Colonel Mure , Government approving , a Select Committee hoa boon appointed to inquire into tho management of tho National Gallery ; also to consider in what modo tho collectivemonumonts of antiquity and fine art possessed by the nation may bo most securely preserved , judiciously augmented , mid advantageoualy exhibited to tho public . [ This resolution lma been avowedly framed to include inquiry into the " picture cleaning" at the Gallery . }
India . —Thoro was some discussion in both Housoa 1 n& night respecting India ; but as far as any practical result ib ' concerned , tho debates do not onlighten ub . Government intend to bring in a bill of a more or less permanent character ; but ratlior strong warnings are givon them , uofc to logialato on imperfect information .
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LETTERS FROM PARIS . [ From our own CoRRK 8 POia > inrr . ' | Letter LXIII . P » ris , Marolk 8 , 18 S 8 # The Empress ia in an expectant , not to Mty aa ** interesting , " situation . Scandalous tongue * we \ xun « n 4
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March 19 , 1858 . ] THE LEADER . 245
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Leader (1850-1860), March 12, 1853, page 245, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1977/page/5/
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