PETER PUNISHED TO PLEASE PEEL.
Doss anybody imagine that Mr. PETER BORTHW I CK %1 as unseated by a Tory Committee for the sin of bribery ? The notion is absurd—incredible. Besides, PETER'S offence was insignificant. He gave an elector a snuff box, with this inscription-
" Fx done amici mai qui cunducit."
Now it is undeniable that "conduce" has a signification "to hire or bargain for "—see old AINswolerst ; but "qui conducit " was intended to stand for PETER BORTHWICK,— being, as Mr. THESIGER gravely assured the Committee, Mr. BoarnwicK's motto. And a very proper motto too. Mr. BORTHWICK ouce kept a shop, when his employment from morn to night was, or ought to have le en, the making of bargains. There are other things besides votes to be bought and sold. But the Committee, wanting an excuse for ousting PETER, chose to interpret the motto into an admission of hi ibcry—" the gift of a friend who purchased your vote." It was in vain to represent that bribery is not usually managed after that fashion—that a bank-note, snugly insinuated in a squeeze of the hand, would have been the safe and as effectual a mode of purchase ; whereas PETER Openly ordered the box front STORR and MORTINJEK, and made it a pre- sent to be exhibited—a present from himself—" qui conducit." All this availed him nothing. Sir Romete -PEEL, Chairman of the Committee, had, doubtless, reasons for a rigid, we do not say unjust interpretation of law and circumstances against him; and those reasons may be guessed at PETER was a bore; and nut being a man of acres, be was not privileged to act the part of one. Men of small property or none, the hangers-on of a party, are expected to be lively and clever as well as impudent. In modest assurance, the ci-devant Member for Evesham was not defieient ; but a more prosy speaker never wearied the House. There are oteer matters, not to be mentioned flow, since the man is on his stumps, a hL1t prevented the party from being very find of PETER. Sir ROBERT PEEL finds it difficult to resist an oppertunity of playing the plausible at a small expense. lie was happy to act the purist, to remove a stigma fruits his party, and get rid of a bore at the same titne.
Lastly, who gained a seat by the decision of the Committee? Lord Marten HILL—a member of the aristocracy, on which Sir ROBERT PEEL has fastened himself, and a member too of a family Whose head and heir-apparent have recently ratted. It was worth while to confio an obligation on Lord MARCUS HILL. For these reasons, it may be conjeetured—not because he gave a.sauffbox to an elector—was the unlucky Mr. BorernwieK ba- nished from the MeLeoueNe Parliament.
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