to exifting practices, when he could not innocently shut his eyes and remain filent. The candidate who shall aftonish his friends and his enemies by practifing the rules of uprightness and plain dealing towards both, muft prepare himself to hear his ignorance of the world lamented by the one and derided by the other. It is very poffible that his fincerity may coft him a number of votes: and for this lofs his mind ought to be prepared. It is poffible too that it may procure him an acceffion of independent and zealous friends. If united with judgement it will rarely prove the cause of his defeat, except in abfolutely venal boroughs; though it will almost always be reprefented as fuch by thofe who are hackneyed in the manœuvres of elections. At all events, it is better to act conscientiously and lose the day, than to gain it by acting otherwife. The main business of every man is to obtain the approbation of his Maker. To this end it is necessary that in all his conduct he should be pure, upright, and fincere it is not neceffary that he fhould be a Member of the House of Commons. When When the contest is terminated, on whatever fide the victory may have fallen, he will strive to moderate, and, if it be practicable, to extinguish in his adherents that virulent spirit of party, which, however frequently it may infect the candidate himself, generally rages with more bitterness in the bofom of his friends. He will teach them by his own example, that every degree of warmth fhould fubfide when the collifion which produced it is at an end; and he will use the most strenuous and unremitting efforts to difarm the refentment which they may be difpofed to entertain against their inferiors and dependents, who have exercised in support of the oppofite intereft a right which the Conftitution has entrusted to their own difcretion. And he will also beware that no local custom, no inadvertence on his part, no persuasion on the part of others, lead him to remunerate his voters, whether by entertainments, by distributing (d) money, or in any other (d) The custom of giving money to the voters, after the time for prefenting petitions against the return of Mem bers is elapfed, prevails in fome boroughs. In fome, money is given to each individual voter in others, the candidate, after paying the ordinary expences is directed to way, other which he conceives to be contrary to the spirit and actual intention of the laws. In the preceding remarks the case of contested elections has been particularly held in view; as most fertile in temptations, and confequently demanding the greatest exertions of judgement and virtue. But in every election there is ample room for the exercise of confcientious deliberation; and for the application in a greater or in a lefs degree of most of the hints which have been fuggested. many There is indeed one species of election to which of these hints are inapplicable; if that is to be called an election, from which every idea of free choice is excluded. I allude to the practice of purchasing a feat in Parliament at a stipulated price, from fome one, who is either, in the customary phrase, the proprie give perhaps five hundred pounds to a certain person, and to ask no questions about the diftribution of it, left he fhould involve himself on the fcore of bribery. Such, he is told, is the custom of the place. A candidate ought to convince himfelf by enquiry, before he begins his canvas for a particular place, that no improper conduct is expected from him. tor tor of a borough; or is enabled by peculiar circumftances to command the fuffrages of its electors. These are transactions fo repugnant to the real import and the genuine ufes of popular representation, that a man who is not blinded by prevailing practice, or by motives of private interest and ambition, will probably find it difficult, on serious reflection, to fatisfy himself of the propriety of bearing a part in them. If the purchase-money be given to the leading member of a corporation, who, referving a portion to himself, divides the remainder among some chofen affociates by whofe co-operation he enfures the event of the poll; the transaction, though it may not fall within the letter of the law, is in truth a flagrant act of bribery. And where is the difference in the spirit of the proceeding, if the confideration be paid to fome potent individual, who, by the diftribution of his burgage tenures, places the decifion in the hands of a few fervile agents; or by menacing tenants with expulfion from their houses and farms, publicans with the loss of their licenses, fhopkeepers with the ruin of their trade, extorts compliance from the intimidated voters; while in the person of the candidate 04 candidate whom he nominates, he infults them with the appellation of Freemen, and requests the favour of their independent fuffrages? If the right of voting for a Member of Parliament is undeniably a public truft; the right of returning a Member by the diftribution of burgage tenures, or by any other means, cannot be confidered in a different light. And if the former right ought to be exercised without any view to private emolument; reason and analogy require that the exercise of the latter fhould be equally and no less manifeftly difinterested and pure, It is affirmed that an individual, who by burgage tenures or by other means can com❤ mand a feat in Parliament, fometimes finds a person who will accept it under a tacit underftanding, or even, as it is rumoured, under an express and written engagement, to submit the management of his vote to his patron, or to refign his feat. If there be in truth any Member of Parliament thus circumftanced, let not his fituation be compared with that of an African flave. The latter is a flave by constraint, and would be difgraced by the comparison. I should |