be fools, their adherence to party will not make them wise: if they be knaves, never yet was party the cure for knavery.

those boroughs, the proprietors of which sell them, as a marketable commodity; we abandon their owners to all the vile epithets in Mr. Oldfield's vocabulary; they shall find no protection from us. ders; but let him be impartial, and strike the offender, whatever be his

On these let him dart his fiercest thun

that the population is spread in a manner which departs too widely from the tion contribute most considerably to the representation. As masses of populaNational Treasury, so they ought, by their agents, to watch over the expenditure of their property; for, in our opinion, as in that of our antient ancestors, taxation and representation ought to be inseparable.

The chief object of censure by Mr. O. is the enormous influence of the crown; and this, possibly, may be judged on by a circumstance, to which the writer has given no prominent situation. What-colours. Neither shall we affect to deny, ever be the complexion of the ministry, whether Whig or Tory, reputed partizans of liberty, or of despotism, every ministry finds itself obliged to have recourse to this influence. If it be so nefarious as some affirm, how happens it, that popular ministries, supported by the voice of the people, understood to be favourites of the nation, &c. &c. cannot do without this wicked influence? Why do not they resign it? When our ancestors had no other proThey even go so far as to say, they perty than land and arms, the Agriculfind it hardly enough; barely enough: tural and the Military interests were realone, it is a mere feather in the ba-presented: when Christianity was estalance.

blished, the interests of the Church was added in the national Council.

We at this day, have innumerable other interests-the Manufacturing interest,-the Commercial interest,-the Shipping interest,-the East India inter

lonial,-the Bank, &c. &c. The House of Commons, to be a genuine representation of the nation, should be an epitome of all these: but, if population alone were the basis of representation, how could these interests be represented? which of them would seat a single member? Yet taxation bears heavily on these, and if representation be inseparable from taxation, these have a right to be represented.

But, the influence of the peerage is complained of, because it seats a number of presumptive heirs among the representatives of the people. Yet none can point out a better school, in which to initiate into public life, youngest, the West India interest,-the Comen, peers expectant, hereafter to become permanent legislators. Here they learn, that rank is no security for respect, or respectability; that the exertion of talents alone, affords claim to distinction: that if they desire honours, they must earn them; a public senate, like death, levels all gradations. Here, too, they witness the unrestrained disposition of their countrymen, and learn to know the people over whom they are hereafter to preside. Here they form connections, which connections carried into the Upper House, amply compensate afterwards, for any influence exerted over them by their fathers, while they were members of the Lower House.mation to Parliament, which only such In short, this very defect, if it be one, proves a connecting link, by which the two Houses exert a mutual influence on each other, to their infinite advantage, and the House of Commons may be said, in a manner, to have its representatives in the House of Lords. As to

VOL. IV. No. 24. Lit. Pan. N. S. Sept. 1.

Let this be well weighed: at present, Directors of our great public Companies, our Manufacturers, our Merchants, the do from time to time, furnish that infordo form part of the Parliament, and they

persons, habitually intimate with these institutions, can furnish. Would it be wise and politic to expel all these? And, for what places are they usually returned? For what places have the men who afterwards became our most famous Statesmen, made their entrée in the House of Commons? Who first seated William

2 K

Pitt, afterwards Lord Chatham, Charles structive as amusing, and some of them Fox, &c. &c. may demand, on the score of merit, a place in our pages.

The venality of the rotten boroughs, at they are appropriately styled, in choosing their representaves, has long bren a subof complaint; and deserves not ony the attention of the legislative body, but of the community.

Now, if political parties be so equipoised that the majority of the counties, of the cities, of the boroughs, compromise their votes, if the opposition can commaad an equal number of votes with theject ministry, as individuals, if the opposition can bribe as high, and play off as Of this there appeared a striking mmany deceptions as their adversaries, in stance. Admiral Cornish, one of the Election matters, which all the world members for the borough of Shoreham, knows to be true,-how is the public budying in the course of the preceding yest, siness to be conducted in the representa- an election came ou for another representtive Senate? By what means shall theative, when the returning oflicer, knowing wisest counsels be brought to maturity? the majority of the electors to be both There must be a preponderating division; bribed and perjured, returned a candidate and happily, there is always a number with only thirty seven votes, in preference of upright, intelligent, well-informed, to one who had eighty-seven. For this abuse of power, as it was deemed, he was high-minded men, who support right, from whatever quarter proposed, and called before the house of commons, when who, in effect, govern the kingdom, by his enemies with shame and confusion. governing the Public Officers, and the ruFrom his information it appeared, that ling Powers. Every Session of Parlia-the greater part of the freemen of Shore ment witnesses the influence of these, ham had formed themselves into a society, on public propositions. They follow the under the name of the Christian Club, Minister, so far ;---if he advance a step with the pretended view of encouraging acts of charity and beneficence, while r beyoud that line, they are found in the was no better than a mart of veuality. rauks of opposition. They are well acThe borough was sold to the highest bidder, quainted with Parliamentary tactics, but and when the election was over their prothey usually despise them. Their cha-fits were divided. For this offence a bi” racters, and generally, their opinions, are was brought in, incapacitating eightyknown before hand, and the chiefs of the of the freemen of Shoreham froni vorag mighty war of tongues, cannot depend on at elections, and for extending the right o finding these among their followers, un-voting to the contiguous hundreds. The less in a direct approach to the clear and determinate good of their Country.

Fuman institutions afford but the choice of evils: if a superior recommend a candidate to the people, whom he knows to be a man of sense and edu

cation, and hopes to be a man of honour and principle, an outery is immediately raised against influence; and the people

are said to be sold like cattle in a stall." Are the people themselves then competent judges of the qualifications of candidates, who offer their services in most humble terms? Do they never raise unworthy men to stations becoming the worthy only? In short, do the people never sell themselves, or corrupt the candidate from whom they expect to be corrupted? or as some express it, do they not tempt the devil to tempt them? Mr. (.'s volumes afford many instances of this vendition, they are equally in

he made such discoveries as overwhelmed

uation applauded the spirit and constintional tendency of this bill, which was supported in the house by the unanimete and zealous concurrence of all partics,

"The Christian Club," &c. but, we believe that its title at full length ws "the Christian Club, for preserving the purity of Election." So readily can fine names be found to conceal fou doings! So easily is religion itself made a stalking horse for irreligious motives, pretensions, and practices.

Nor is this specimen without a par lel; let the reader reflect on Mr. O's history of

BARNSTAPLE.

The ancient history of this borough is given in the first volume of this work p 61, where it is proved to have been a Saxon borough, and to have sent members to the parliament, or witena gemote, of the Saxons, in the time of king Athelstan. This right was accordingly recognized by king Ed

ward III. in the twelfth year of his reign, and it has ever since sent members to Parliament by prescriptive or inherent right.

The modern history of this borough is of a very different complexion. If any one borough in the country is more corrupt than another, it is this. The expences of

a candidate at a contested election here,

These honest electors had once the fortune to have a candidate as suppery as themselves: he distributed drafts for large sums payable in London; treated the voters with dinners and entertainments; and went off a day or two before the election, leaving his agents, managers, and the unfortu nate landlord, who was an innocent m'n, (having neither a vote nor any concern in the election,) all unpaid, as were his drafts upon London, which he had the folly to be lieve would secure his election.

WEYMOUTH AND MELCOMBE REGIS.

Weymouth and Melcombe Regis have titions from 1804 till the present day. A been subject to continual contests and pecommittee was appointed to try the merits of the petition of John Arbuthnot, Esq. on the 10th of February, 1804, against the reSteward, Mr. Garthshore, and Mr Adams. turn of Sir James Pulteney, bart., Mr. The case of the petitioner consisted almost entirely in a charge of occasionality agiust the freeholders who voted for the sitting members. The counsel for the latter, remarking that there had never yet been any resolution as to the right of election in thisborough adopted by the house, delivered which they meant to contend in the fol in a statement of a particular right for

is from ten to thirteen thousand pounds. The right of voting is in the corporation, and about four hundred burgesses, not more than a fourth part of whom reside in the town. The rest are distributed in London, Bristol, the East and West Indies, Botany Bay, and all over the world. About seventy of them reside in London, and are coutinually upon the hunt for candidates, under pretence that one of their members is ill, or about to accept a place, or to be created a peer, so that a vacancy is expected, and the person applied to is sure to be chosen, if he will but give a dinner or a supper to the burgesses residing in London, and a few guineas to each by way of a retaining fee. They will, on these conditions, be certain to write to their friends in the country to inform them what a generous candidate they have procured. This will produce an invitation from those who reside there, to the gentleman who has made so good a be ginning, to come down and be elected. Que or two of these managers, as they callowing words. "That it is in the mayor, al themselves, are to be sent down with their pockets well supp.ed, to give a supper at Bristol, and another at Barnstaple, and get the invitation signed. They return with the triumphant instrument. The candidate accordingly arrives; he is ushered into the borough with ringing of bel's, is drawn round the town by the populace, and may think himself fortunate if he gets away without being ruined.

Above a score gentlemen we could name, can bear witness to the losses they have suffered by these impositions: even a learned knight and doctor of civil law is minus about a thousand pounds by the excitement held out to him of becoming member for Barnstaple.

When a candidate arrives at this place, the very burgesses who signed their names to the invitation, make no scruple of refusing him their votes, informing him they only set their names to the paper to bring him down that they might see how they liked him; and we have kuowu a great number of the freemen of this place receive six guineas each to bear their charges from London to Barnstaple at an election, and at the poll every one of them has voted against him to get their expences paid over again by another candidate.

dermen, bailiffs, and capital burgesses, inhabiting within the borough; and in perborough; whether by descent, devise, or pur. sons seized of entire freeholds within the said chase, and not split or divided, unless split by descent or devise; and not receiving alms.

The counsel for the petitioner delivered in a statement of the right in the terms of the agreement in 1730, admitting the split freeholds.

the statement delivered in by the petitioner. The committee determined in favour of

In consequence of the above determination, two hundred freeholds were immeders of Weymouth were to be found in diately split into two thous tad. Freeho!London, and in almost all the towns and in the islands of Jersey and Guernsey, villages to the land's-end in Cornwall, and brought at an enormous expense to vote at wheuce many hundreds were afterwards every election for this borough. even voted for the thirtee: hundredth part of Sir John Johnstone, father of the present a sixpenny freehold. Upon the death of infant proprietor, no less than twelve bu dred freeholds, created for occasional voting, and made for the joint lives of Sir John Johnstone, and the freeholder, became extinct; and it cost more thin ten thousand pounds to renew the parchments

Son.e

for creating a new set of surreptitious voters, who are made for the joint lives of Mr. Ure, one of the trustees of the estate of Sir John Frederic Johnstone, and the nominal freeholder.

Not the least wonderful part of election matters, is the infatuation of the candidates. Who does not know instances of gentlemen, possessing very pretty estates, who, with Sir Francis Wronghead, have " run these estates out at elbows," by electioneering confests? Who does not know of "worthy knights" condemned to the parlieus of a jail, or, at best, to a state of perpetual sufferance, for the rest of their lives, in

The reader may, perhaps, be surprised that so many persons can be found to answer such a time-serving corrupt purpose; but such is the state of political morality in this country, that we have seen numbers make interest amongst the attorneys emplo ed for the purpose, to get their names inserted in the deeds, that they may par-suring also the beggary of their families?

take of the drunkenness and entertainments that are going on upon these occasions.

If there be any person so fortunate as not to know such instances, let them peruse Mr. Oldfield's volumes carefully, So then the split freeholds of the and they will find many. Usually, too, Isleworth millers was not an original the embarrassments arising from these thought! instead of being the master-party attempts run through several ge piece of invention, behold, it is in truth,nerations of borough meddlers; and pobut a clumsy imitation of Weymouth verty spreads her blasting wings over worthies, voting for the thirteen hun- the Mortimers, the Bryants, and the dredth part of a sixpenny freehold! Benfields, successor after successor. Were there no creditable freeholders in the County of Middlesex whose hearts were inflamed at this gross outrage on their privilege?

After all, it often happens, in the most numerous towns, that parti-s are equally poised. Every reader can recollect instances of this; as striking an instance as any, is the

CITY OF GLOUCESTER.

This city has had but two remarkable contests for many years. The first was upon the death of Sir Charles Barrow, in 1789, when their present member, Henry Howard Molineux, Esq. and the late John Pitt, of this city, Esq. were candidates. Voters were brought from all parts of the kingdom, and not a single freeman that could be found was left unpolled. After the contest had lasted fifteen days, and more than 3000 electors had polled, Mr. Pitt succeeded by a majority of one vote. Mr. Howard Molineux was chosen the other member in 1790.

The next contest was on the death of Mr. Pitt, when the Duke of Beaufort attempted to establish an interest in the city of Gloucester similar to that which prevails in the county. Lord Arthur Somerset was proposed by his Grace, and opposed by Robert Morris, Esq. a banker of this place, who succeeded by a very great majority.

The corporation are in the interest of the Duke of Norfolk, who is an alderman and high steward of Gloucester, and has nominated one member ever since the year 1790.

Travels in various Countries, by
E. D. Clarke, L.L.D.

(Resumed from page 753.)

Dr. Clarke is well entitled to the character by which Homer distinguishes Ulysses, of having seen the manuers of many men and many places. To what a confined space was that famous traveller's voyages limited, compared with those of our adventurous countryman! Our countryman, too, had more numer ous objects of research than the king of Ithica, who, if he could but save himself from present danger, was contented to assume disguises, and to display dexterities, foreign from his royal character. Yet Ulysses is much more frequently commended by his bard for being Polymetis, wise in all purposes, and wary in all places, than for being Polytropos, skilful in many mens' manners and fashions. Whoever follows Dr. Clarke in his route through some of the same countries as Ulysses visited, will be convinced of the necessity for vigilance and presence of mind, at every moment: for sometimes displaying anthority and power, and sometimes concealing them; for occasionally declining what he much wished to possess, or averting his steps from a place which he greatly desired to inspect.

Neither were the enquiries of the modern traveller directed exclusively to

the characters of the people whom he yet, in point of taste, it is so exceeding met with in his journey; he wished to ly superior to the more ornamented and ascertain the scenes of events, long ago crowded capital which was afterwards deprived of importance in the world, of introduced, that both the rival connoscities, whose very names are unknown centi of Athens, Lusteri and Fuweel, to their present masters, of rivers, moun- have designed and modelled it; aud tains, grottes, plains, marked by his-they have spoken of its discovery as tory, but not always intelligibly, and forming an epocha in the history of the distinctly, marked by nature. Antient art." Geography is under great obligations to Dr. Clarke; as it is also to several Gentlemen who travelled about the same time. They have retraced by their ruins, many towns once flourishing, and have thrown considerable light on many interesting subjects of antiquity.

The Dr. mentions this article in three places; but has refused to grainy our curiosity with so much as an outline of it; is it possible, that as men of taste, we should pardon this negligence?

Antiquities he visited, is highly interDr. C.'s report on the state of the esting. Among them we distinguish This volume opens with an account which is rendered inuch more intelligithe Cave of Trophonius, the entrance of of numerous discoveries of vases, commonly called Etruscan, in the tombs be;-the grove of the Muses, the birth ble by a plate than otherwise it would of Greece; and these curious subjects, place of Hesiod, &c. on Mount Helicon ; formerly attributed solely to Italy, are now found to have been common to has its fertile spaces, which "have à Mountain that we are happy to find both countries. Dr. Clarke also, distin- been cultivated from immemorial time." guishes in the convolutions of a certain Nor must we forget the number of tombs water plant, the origin of the Ionic of illustrious persons identified by our Volute. We have been rather accustom-traveller, but with different degrees of ed to accept the horn of a sacrificed credibility;-such as, the tomb of Oranimal, as that origin; and there are instances of the Volute winding like a goats' horn, yet remaining from the days of antiquity. We should be glad, nevertheless, to see this plant ascertained; and its properties submitted to modern cognizance.

pheus, near Dium; the tomb of Hesiod, Macedonian Kings, entered, and left near Orchomenus; the tombs of the undisturbed, by Mr. Fictt, at Edessa; who being, as he confesses "a novice in the Sexton trade," left the bodies, the ornaments, the clothes, and the vases, We are obliged to Dr. C. for many just as he found them. This might be a interesting Engravings, which highly il- very honest feeling; but the man who lustrate his volumes; but, are rather sur- could indulge it, must never expect to prized that he did not favour the admirers obtain distinction as an Antiquary. No, of Eschylus, with such a plan of the city no; what reason can be given why of Thebes, as would have formed a very those who were buried two thousand acceptable companion to his play of years ago, and have enjoyed these nonthe Seven Chiefs against Thebes. An necessaries long enough, should not reomission of the same kind, vexed us sign their property to honest Antiquaheartily, on the subject of a Corinthian rian travellers, who want them for the capital, "without Volute for the corners, purpose of enriching their collections, and having a single wreath of the sim-and who, in fact, cannot do without plest Acanthus foliage to crown its base. There is not in Europe a single instance of this most elegant variety of the Corinthian in any modern structure. In fact, it is only known to those persons who have seen the very few examples of it that exist among the ruins of the Grecian cities. There is no trace of it among the ruins of Rome;

them, as all their learned brethren are ready to testify by athidavit before Mior Rhadamanthus himself, if necessary.

nos,

The numerous inscriptions of ancient origin, contained in this Volume afford much curious matter, with occasion for deep reflection. We find the people bonouring with commemorative applause