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fraucTis easy ; territorial representatives vindicating ike right of non-electors to influence electors ; the transparent ballot-box of Paris adduced against the real ballot-box of Geneva aj ! outcry of practical incredulity in the presence of a ' secret suffrage working effectively and satisfactorily in Australia and in Belgium . But the ground narrows under the feet of Mr . Berkeley ' s antagonists . They have tried their own alternatives , and their own alternatives have failed . The last general election was a carnival of menaces and bribes .
It is time for Lord Joiin Russell to redeem his pledge . " If I sec the tenantry of England made to vote at elections contrary to their own opinions , I will at once reverse my former opinion , and adopt the Ballot . " The Society at Guildhall-chambers should empannel a " jury , investigate the caso by evidence , and demonstrate to Lord John Russell that the tenantry of England are coei-ced . The Whig statesman must then honour his promise , or fly off upon a quibble . Before the ' Parliamentarv discussion comes
on Mr . "WniTEiiUBST should produce a statement of the corrupt and unconstitutional influences that weighed in the return of the present House ; for , after all , the triumphant point in favour of the Ballot is that a great evil undeniably exists ; that every other remedy has been tried in England and has failed , but that the Ballot has been tried in Australia and has succeeded . The hand of
corruption has there been cut off ; the voters are blind to frowns ; the elections take place quietly , and not a single doubt lias been uttered as to the integrit } of the scrutineers . Six local journals reported the perfect working of the Ballot ; one journal , not local , satirised the proceedings , and from that journal—a third-rate print not published in the colony—the Times derived an account upon ¦ which it founded its story of ' a dead failure . '
The dead failure was a complete success , as was testified by the Attorney-General of Victoria , and by Mr . Foster ., " Chief Secretary , both of whom had vigorously opposed the introduction of secret voting . Dr . Greaves , the member for Melbourne , was a zealous anti-Ballot man , and delivered a public lecture in behalf of the old system ; but when the experiment had been made , he professed that he would never sacrifice so
excellent an institution as had been newly established . "What becomes , therefore , of the fallacy that the Ballot must fail in its practical working ? If we look for an example in a European republic wo find it in Geneva . In Belgium secret voting was introduced ' to en sure a , real representation of the people , ' and avo hear nothing of a break-down in that quarter . Yet there was , beforehand ,
the customary small talk about a sneaking , underhand , un-Belgian practice , the truth being that political independence was itself un-Be ] gian not many years ago . Xo doubt , also , the electors heard that they were the trustocs of tho non-electors , and accountable to them for their votes . " Now , what \ a intended by tho voto by Ballot ? " ask * . Dr . liUSHiNQXON . " "Wh y , to give tho public trustees tho best way to enable them to
execute tho trust conlided to them . " Practically , tho electors in counties , acting for tho non-electors , voto in diametrical opposition to their views ; tho . show of hands is 0110 result ; tho majority at the poll in another totally different . Moro than one-uTth of tho county electors , Mr . W 11 itkhuhht shows , are Chandos-clauso , or tenant-iit-will voters . II ; was by them that Mir ( hooiioio Ghkv , in 1853 , was rejocted in Northumberland . " Such unduo influence will compel me , and others , to support tho Ballot . " At Carlisle , Sir James ukaiiam caught a glimpse- of
Tory gold : "I suppose at last I must come round to the Ballot . " Lord Derby admits the influence , but denies that it is undue . ¦ " It is only necessary to ascertain the political opinions of the great landlords in a county to know what candidates will be returned for that county at any election . " This is a , boast , not a confession . Has power changed hands ? Are the counties less influenced than formerly ? Is there less bribery in the boroughs ? Have all the
Attorney-Generals of all the administrations since 1832 devised one scheme for checking the tyranny of the Chandos clause , or limiting the resources of corruption ? At the last general election , it is true , ' the Tory landlords , in numerous instances , were beaten by Whig candidates . Their party , however , had dwindled immeasurably , not in reputation or in intellect only , but in funds . It is well
known that , if they desired to command an organ in the press , they could not subscribe money to purchase it , and are therefore without that political vantage-ground . Of course , no representative capacity is attributed to the charivari print which excites the ridicule of the Carlton by its juvenile fashion of flattering the ' vastly superior' attainments of Tory lawyers , bishops , diplomatists , and administrators , in the weak hope of being recognised
as an organ . That Toryism has been defeated is no argument against the Ballot . Indeed , we have almost a right to claim Lord John Russell ' s vote to compensate for the loss of Mr . Disraeli ' s , since there is no guessing when that revolving adventurer may again show the Ballot-front of his imagination to a British constituency . The public is convinced ; what will convince the Whigs ? There is the Ballot Society , and in connexion with that the public may do its share of the work .
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THE LYNCII-LAW SPIRIT AT STAMFORD . When , in the presence of a magistrate and a crowded court , the wife of Bacon denouueed him as the murderer of her children , there was very naturally what the reporters call a sensation . The justice himself experienced it and indignantly ordered the unfortunate man into custod }' . Had the popular feeling then found a voice it would have cried " Murderer ! " — tho Lynch-law spirit ' was roused , and a majority of the persons in court would undoubtedly then and there have hanged Bacon out of the way . As for
rumour , it hanged him again and again ; the dead spoke , through their representatives , from a dozen graves ; the public had settled tho point that , after an unparalleled course of villany , Bacon had killed his own oilspring . We think we Avere alone in endeavouring to allay this calumnious frenzy ; but there are great judges on the bench . Lord Campbell , from tho first , saw through tho complication of evidence , and tho man was cleared of all suspicion whatever in connexion with the Walworlh crime . Ho then passed into tho charge of chief-constable Rjsioi ) , who took him to Stamford . Found innocent of his
children's blood , ho is impeached as the assassin of his mother . Bacon , tho suspected matricide , arrivos at Stamford . The ' people of Stamford , with a generous abhorrenco of matricide , receive him with yells , and throw stones at hitf solicitor . They lash thomselvos into a fury , and seem an if impatient of tho
delay which must intervene before Bacon is executed . Why not execute him at onco for having been accusod of poisoning his mother ? For that , at present , is tho amount of his proved guilt . Whether or not ho poirionod his mother is another question . Wfo him ) no right to express an opinion on the subject . But , as it would bo prcmnturo
put , s not premature to hoot him , and is it not a discouragement of justice to throw stones at his solicitor ? By the way , why has Mr . Attee abandoned the case ? ~ W " e confess that we dislike this growing tendency out of doors to prejudge the guilt or innocence of prisoners awaiting their trial . The contamination of prejudice must necessarily reach those who are to sit in the jury-box , and it is then a farce to tell them to dismiss from their minds all they have heard . If Bacon' s friends desire to secure an impartial inquisition they will make an effort to transfer it from
Lincoln to the Old Bailey . Suspicions of partiality are the natural results of such displays as the burst of execration and violence at Stamford . In Palmer ' s case there were almost factions for and against him . In Bacon ' s again , opinions run high , but generally against the law's presumption that he is innocent until proved to be guilty . We repeat , we offer no suggestion on that point ; but , although the Stamford populace are animated , no doubt , by a pious sentiment of loathing towards a man who could poison his mother , they forget one essential element necessary to justify their verdict—Thomas Fuller Bacon is accused , not convicted .
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Street Preaching . —A meeting , -which was numerously attended , was held on Monday evening in the Music-hall , Chester , to give expression to a feeling of sympathy with Mr . Reginald Radcliffe and the missionaries from Liverpool , who were arrested and sent to prison hy order of Major French , a magistrate , while preaching in the streets during the time of the Chester
races . Sajstctary State of the City . —The Medical Officer of Health for the City ( Dr . Letheby ) presented to the City Commissioners of Sewers , on Tuesday , a report referring to a hundred and forty-four houses that had been inspected during the week , and he submitted a list of ninety-nine places which require the orders of the Court for their sanitary improvement in various particulars . He also presented certificates of the overcrowding of several houses in St . John ' s-court , Smithfield , and
Blythe ' s-buildings and Lamb-alley , Sun-street . He likewise drew the attention of the commission to the state of a wretched tenement in tho yard at the back of No . 5 , Thompson ' s-rents , Halfmoon-street , where one man , two women , and two children lodge in a couple of rooms not fit for human habitation . The mortality table for the week indicated a favourable state of the public health , the total number of deaths being but forty-seven . Mr . Abraham moved that the report be referred to the General Purposes Committee . Mr . Barkly seconded the motion , which was carried unanimously .
Dit . Livingston was presented with the freedom of the City of London on Thursday at a sitting of the Court of Common Council . The court was crowded to excess , and among those present were numerous ladies . The rev . gentleman was introduced by Sir John Key , Chamberlain , and Mr . Saunders , the mover of the resolution for conferring tho freedom upon him . Sir John Key , who was attired in his robes of office , addressed Dr . Livingston in a highly eulogistic speech ; and then presented the casket , which was made of African rock , with silver plates , inscribed at tho sides , while 011 tho top , in gold , Europe holds the hand of
friendship to Africa , beneath tho shado of a palm-tree . The doctor , in returning thanks , dwolt at some length on tho African character , and on the good work wo might perform in rendering tho black man entirely free . Total Lohs of tiik Ska King , near Holyhuad . — This fine ship , bound to Liverpool from Callao , was totally lost , during a thick fog , on Monday night , in Carnarvon Bay , about eight miles from Holyhcad . It was thought that tho ship had a good berth off the coast , but hIio struck on a sunken rock , gradually filled , and settled down , hor cargo ( guano ) washing out . She has become a total wreck . The Sea King was nearly a
now ship , of more than 1000 tons burthen . Iho loss of vessel and cargo will involve several thousands . Both are reported to have boon insured . Atticmptkd MuuDian ov a Guandmotukr . —A man nmnod Alfred Bartlott is under remand at Marlboroughstroiit , charged with robbiug tho house of his grandmother at Charlton , near Stroud , and with attemptingto murder hor . Ho had ransacked tho honso during-Monday night , and had attacked tho old woman with a heavy poker . She was found next morning in hor bedroom , with hor akull fractured , and with othor fearful Injuries . , 1 lor lifts i * despaired of . Bartlott was nrrostoil on Wcdnosday night , in London . . , A Suqiit MrsTAKK .-In tho first ontulotftio ot the Manchester Art TronsuroH Exhibition , Onnovn s Magdalen' wna marked as » Tho Dying Gladiator .
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to him to death before lie is triediit IV / Eay 23 , 1857 . ] c TEE LEADER , 495
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), May 23, 1857, page 495, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2194/page/15/
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