held ildr. Gardner's conduct in huilding 220 cottages and giving
presents of coals to tie& inmates 'highly blameworthy, but did not unseat him ; while at Stroud both members. have been unseated, 'because some injudicious friends, without their knowledge or authority, gave entertainments to some electors, who, for aught anybody knows, voted the other way.. That decision, of course, places it in the power of any unscrupu- lous elector to unseat the candidate he hates by treating on ins behalf. At Wakefield bribery was admitted, and 'Mr. Green lost his seat, but -with no disability imposed ; while at Petersfield the Liberal member, Mr. Nicholson, was seated on -scrutiny by a ma- jority of several votes. The examination of the-names in this case- showed .that the atrongest pledges had been broken, and that. this form of lying is considered by the electors highly comic. Finally, in Barnstaple it was shown that a club had organised itself to be bought, but could not get enough, not more than 78. 6d. a head ; a fatal witness against the members swore that he was drunk when he made his statement ; the Judge, Justice Mellor, declined pretty much to believe anybody except the sitting members, and they both kept their seats. We suppose election practice will settle itself by and by, but at present the Judges, though immovable when the law is clear, as in the- Stroud case, have too much discretion in believing or disbelieving- witnesses. They are bothered.by the absence of the accustomed jury.
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