Ebt Countrn.
It was stated in our second edition last week, that Mr. Hope, rather than defend himself from the charges of bribery which the pea-
tioners against ir:s return act. prepared to adduce, agreed to abandon his seat. elthere:h the Cwt.:it:nee was composed of eight Tories and only three Liberals. lie took the Chiltern Hundreds. A new writ for Gloucester teas ordered on Monday; and on Tuesday Mr. Hope commenced a new personal canvass. On the same day, Captain Maurice Berkeley, who had been invited to stand by some influential Liberals, also canvassed the electors. In his reply to the requisition, Captain Berkeley, though a Lord of the Admiralty, promised to vote Mr the Ballot. We quote the passage referred to from his letter-
" I have always been ref tuned unfettered and unpledged ; on principle I claim a con. itunance of the some fteedoto of thought and action. I am aware that the .t Iv wales or voting by Ballot have increased, and must increase. inasmuch as the Reform Bill am 'sears to have failed in scenting two of its principal objects—the freedom and the malty of electitet. It is tr.:talons that intimidation and coercion have taken place to n much greater extent sineJ the missing of that act than before; and whit te4ard to the purity, we have only to turn to the number or peritiolls already Idesentea to the House of COMMIMA, and the re.ult of many is p.m' antlieient. Iltese evils toast be remedied ; and although I have hitherto consider° I that voting by Ballot was calculated to de strop the rcgaltd and confidence that 'Ott to exist between the eleetots awl the elected, I :hall no longer .31 ject to the only remedy yet meputictl fur such crying evils."
It soon appeared, however, that not only support of the Ballot, but a vote in favour of the immediate emancipation of Negro Apprentices was required by a party of the Liberals. But with this demand Cap- tain Berkeley was not prepared to comply ; and he wrote as follows to the Independent Association of Gloucester—
Wednesday, Bair past ten &dock.
/4 ntlemcn—Von must be well aware that nothing but strict unattimity anton4,t the Liberal: can &ynre the return V the individual chosen by you as it lit Itemeten- tative or mot portioo of the community. Dining my canvass. I have ascertained that there ore many in the ranks of the party who a ill sacrifice all other considerations— who prefer to swell the Tory 'mothers on the present occasion, unless I will pledge my. self to sum Mr the Immediate abolition of the a prrenticeship of the Negro-s. This pledge I ant not prepared to You called me forward. and I leave that decision hi your hands. But I a ill not consent to trouble toy friends. or ii i.t orb the tranquillity of the town, by nu useless contest. Nor will I ever consent to go to Parliament a pledged and fettered delegwe."
The Independent Association still pressed Captain Berkeley to stand ; and some further correspondence ensued, which eroied in the Captain's positive withdrawal. A requisition was inetteeintely for- warded to Colonel Webb, who formerly represented Glen eater; and that gentleman consented to become at candidate. We wish the Libe- rals may succeed in electing him, but we are prepared for the return of Mr. Hope by a large majority. Having engaged, though in office, to support the Ballot, it is to be regretted that Captain Berkeley should have been required also to vote for another measure about which time Li- berals are much divided in opinion. It appears to us that the Reformers of Gloucester have missed an opportunity of promoting their principles, which they are likely to regret. Captain Maurice Berkeley is one of the best of his name. We hear in mind, that he was the first among the Whigs who in Parliament declared his sorrow for having supported the infamous Coercion Bill of ISt31.
It is expected in Yarmouth, that Mr. Wilshere will take the Chil- tern Hundreds, and Mr. Baring be elected in his place witheart opposi.. tion. The Norfolk Chronicle says—" If the petition had been prose- cuted, the committals to Newgate would have been so numerous and the prosecutions so sweeping, us to curry ruin into many of the principal families in the borough."
It is now stated, that the unliquidated debts of the Tories con:meted with the late election fur South Lancashire, amount to a strut which is little if et all inferior to the whole expenditure on the side of the Libe- rals durine that tontest. If such be really the case—Lord Francis Egerton having already paid half the entire expenses, and Mr. Wilbra- ham 5001., and the whole of the Conservative subscriptions throughout the division having besides been exhausted—we conceive that the out- lay at the last eke troll, on the side of the Tories, can hardly have failed considerably to exceed 20,000/. 1Ve hear that the non-settlement of the outstanding climinis is a matter which has been very painfully felt by Lord Francis Egerton : indeed, it must of course be exceedingly un- pleasant to a high. minded man, such as we presume his Lordship to be, to find that, in a case in which be is intimately involved, (notwithstand- ing he does not, as we apprehend, lie under any pecturiury responsibility, and has already paid the entire sum which his own election can have cost,) the persons who have given credit to or performed services for his committee and political friends are unable to obtain payment of their just debts. It has been stated to us, on good authority, though, of course, we cannot ourselves vouch for the fact, that the dissatisfac- tion his Lordship experiences at the position in iv:rich the pecuniary affuits of his committee stand, is so great as, combined with the delicate state of his health, to have induced him to express a wish to vacate his seat, and retire from the House of Commons.-3lanckester Guardian.
The seat for the borough of St. Ives is vacant by the decease of Mr. liaise. Mr. W. T. Pried, of Trevethaw, comes forward as a candi- date, and is likely to be returned without opposition.
It is stated that Mr. Methuen, after having been urged forward by certain parties to stand for the representation of North Wilts at the late election, is now left to pay the whole of the expenses attending that contest.—Salis5ury Herald.
The Ultra supporters of Mr. Baines were on the look-out last Sa- turday morning for some explanation in the Mercury of Mr. Baines's vote on the preceding Tuesday, in support of Ministers on the ques- tion requesting the King of Hanover's annuity; but, alas! great was their disappointment, the matter was passed by as quietly as possible. His vote upon this question (of which, by the by, we do not complain) has tended in no small degree to convince his dupes, that notwithstand- ing his repeated boasts about independence and all that sort of thing, Lis only object is to keep the Ministers in place at all hazards. Loud, indeed, have been their complaints against him and his timeserving policy during the week.—Leeds Intelligencer.
Previous page
