NEWS OF THE WEEK.
and advances or retires in ready obedience to the word of com- mand. Even where they have no legs to stand on, they fire away upon their stumps; well knowing that the next best thing to gaining a victory, is to annoy the adversary. Throughout the country
they have put forward candidates in opposition to the Reformers, and must have spent vast sums of money for the sake of keeping
the Liberals in hot water. It is indeed a neck-or-nothing affair with them. They will probably never again engage the Re. formers on such advantageous terms; and defeat now must be all but irretrievable. And yet most assuredly they will be defeated. Making every allowance for open foes and false friends, the Re- formes will still be the majority in the new Parliament.
Nearly five hundred Members are now returned, ,..nd they give decided advantage to the Anti-Tories. The Scottish and Irish elections, the results of which will be known in the course of a few days, will certainly add to the already ascertained majority. The reelection of Mr. HUME with Mr. BYNG, in defiance of the
Tory Aristocracy, and the influence of Government most actively exerted against him in every possible way, direct and indirect, completes the triumph of Reform in the Metropolitan districts.
Twenty Liberals, and not one Ministerialist, represent the two millions of Middlesex, London, and its adjacent boroughs. The moral effect of this noble demonstration of hatred to Tory prin- ciples must penetrate deeply. It will be felt in the Cabinet, and on the Throne, though Red Tapists and desperadoes in politics maycboose to sneer at such evidence of national indignation.
From all parts of the country there are complaints of the bribery and intimidation practised on the voters. Alderman WOOD stated on the hustings in the City, that he knew that money had been given by the Tories to householders and Liverymen to vote against the four Reformers. At Edinburgh, Mr. ABERCROMBY expressly asserts that the voters had been menaced. At Worces- ter, the return of the Tory will probably be set aside from the same cause. The Tory Members for Hull, Yarmouth, Maidstone, and Iyswich, are unsteady in their seats, and threatened with petitions. We trust that all this will not evaporate in mere talk ; that the facts will be ascertained, and put in order fur proof before Committees of the House. It should be remembered that the House of Commons is competent to inquire into the truth of these allegations, even although no petitions against the returns should be presented. For example—in no borough has the bribing, intimidation, and debauching of electors, been more gross than in Hull. The facts should be collected and the evidence digested by some public-spirited individuals in that town. This being accomplished, what is there to prevent Mr. HUTT from moving for a Committee to bear and report upon the evidence so prepared ? If the Committee be granted—and we will not think so vilely of the new House as to anticipate a refusal—let the wit- nesses be brought up from the country at the public expense. It is an inquiry in which the public is interested more than any indi- vidual, and therefore the means of carrying it on should be made good by the nation. Of course the House must be satisfied of the serious nature of the case before the investigation is authorized; but the positive statements of such a man as Mr. Huirr would justify preliminary proceedings. If the allegations of bribery and intimidation are borne out by the evidence, then the election _should be declared void; and perhaps, if the flagrancy and extent of the offences proved should appear to warrant a measure of that severity, the issuing of the writs ought to be suspended. We are aware of the want of a proper tribunal to try cases of bribery and illegal interference in elections; but the mode of proceeding we have suggested seems as simple and feasible as the present regu- lations will admit. Besides, it is by no means so costly as that of petitioning against the return in the usual way.
