Mr. Harris, a Conservative election agent at Totnes, to whom,
as he says, Mr. Fender offered a situation worth 3001. a year to go away, caused a great sensation by declaring to the Commis- sion on Tuesday that no less than 20,0001. was offered them by the Liberal party to withdraw their petition. He was cross- examined about it again on Thursday, but persevered in his state- ment, " I was in Gubscott's office, in Essex Street, Strand, when the offer of 20,0001. was made. I will swear I heard him say so." Mr. Coleridge remarked that " Gubscott denies it," which did not, however, move Mr. Harris, and it is said that his evidence will be corroborated. If it be true, the Liberals must have been willing to spend 30,0001. amongst them on those Totnes seats, for about 10,000/. had probably been already spent in bribery. The sum poured out at these last elections to deprave the constituencies of England must have been something enormous.
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