The Report of the York Bribery Committee establishes the fat-
of the existence of systematic corruption to a great extent in that Archiepiscopal city. Previously to IS07, every freeman 'eye:I-ea hell- a-guinea. for a split vote and a guinea for a plumper; but in that year the bribe was doubled, and tech iii called " the guineas." It also became the practice to "set down" it large number of the poorer freemen as runners, with the pay of live shah rats a day. 'Ibis was paid immediately after the election, as will as " the geineas," until the year 1ele30; when Lord Althorn's act, disqualifyine patties so em- ployed from voting, was I assert. The freemen. bowie er, in thzit: year 'were paid "the guineas" after the election. bl 1831, Tie rmell psyments were made. In 1832, the freemen were "set down" as usted, by the agents of Mr. ['etre and Mr. Lowther, Mr. Petro was forced to resort to this bribery or lose his election, as Mr. Lowther commenced it. From the time when Mr. l'etre began to " set down " electors, rotes were rap:dly transferred to him front Ale Lowther. Great inti- midation was used towards Mr. Lowther's supporters by the voters of Mr. Petre. In leehe, Mr. Lowther's, agewe Mr. Leadly," fet dowe' between seven and eight hundred freenum ; and in April last OeOletters containing coin, wire distributed to the freemen through the York Poetsoffiee; and fin- the greater part of such money-letters receipts were taken. This the Committee have no doubt was done in discharge of the obligation well known to have been incurred by Mr. Lowther to the parties wriOM his agent "set down." A further pay-merit was :olio sequently made by means of money-parcels. The number of persons identified as the tecipients of the bribes, is 581 freemen and lel house- bolders—together, nu fewer than 712! The Committee hope that good will result from this exposure; and therefore do not recommeed a mea- sures for the partial disfranchisenn at of the York electors, hut suggest the necessity of Parliament applying some general means for the re- pressien of bribery-, as the present laws are quite inadequate for that purpese.
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