The West Ham election petition ended on Friday in the
unseating of Mr. Masterman, the Under-Secretary for the Home Department. This decision was foreshadowed by the announcement of the Judges on the previous day that Mr. Masterman's agent had been guilty of corrupt practices. Counsel for Mr. Masterman admitted that the expenses had exceeded the legal limit, and that the agent, who was in bad health, had failed to check the accounts ; and counsel for the petitioner, while contending that it was impossible to avoid bringing the petition, in view of the illegal proceeding which had been shown, publicly stated that no imputa- tion bad been made against Mr. Masterman's in- tegrity, honour, or conduct. In giving judgment the Judges fully concurred with these observations, but declared that it was impossible to give relief and excuse the irregulari- ties disclosed. The tribute of sympathy expressed by the Judges will be widely shared, but, in the words of the Daily Chronicle, there is a moral in the case which all Parliamentary candidates should lay to heart. "The business side of an election is a highly technical matter, and requires to be treated on sound business lines." That is quite true, and Ministers ought to take particular pains to set a good example.
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