Sussex; JOHN ATKINS, Esq. 2 Bss. 3d Parl. and Midgham House, Newbury, Berks. Rel. Father-in-law to the Marquess of Exeter, and Baron Clinton. R. of E. In the burgage-holders of certain lands or tenements; those of Halsanger and Hallowell being included by a decision of the Hon. the House of Commons in 1710; because they lie within and are subject to pay the Borough rent. N. of V. At present 170; but this num ber varies according to circumstances. Pop. 3500. R. O. The Portreeve appointed at the Court-Leet of the proprietors. E. I. Baron Clinton and Sir L. V. Palk, Bart. the member, are proprie tors of the lands. ATHLONE, Borough of, West A West India Proprietor and Mer-meathshire, Ir. A. U. 41st Geo. III. 1 Bs. chant. Offi. An Alderman of London. To. Res. 68, Wimpole-street. Co. Se. Halstead Place, Richmore LORD DUDLEY COUTTS STUART. To. Res. 16, Wilton-crescent. Rel. Yst. bro. of the Marquess of Bute. R. of E. In the inhabitants paying scot and lot. N. of V. from 450 to 480. Pop. 2600. R. O. The Mayor. E. I. The Duke of Norfolk, as Lord of the noble and ancient Castle of Arundel, possesses the patronage of this Borough; which, however, at present he does not exercise. Money is said to have great influence. The great and amiable LORD FALKLAND, in conjunction with LORD ORRERY, the inventor of the astronomical instrument which bears his name, represented this Borough in the Parliament of 1660. AYLESBURY, Borough of, Bucks. 1st Mary. 2 Bss. THE RT. HON. BARON NUGENT, I. P. 6th Parl. F.S.A. N. & S. George Grenville. A Lord of the Treasury. Co. Se. Novar-house, Lillies, near Rel. Bro. to the Duke of Buckingham and Chandos: neph. to Baron Grenville: cous. to Sir George Nugent, Bart. M.P. for Buckingham. WILLIAM RICKFORD, Esq. 4th Parl. Occ. A Banker at Aylesbury. To. Res. 19, New-street, Spring-gardens. Co. Res. Aylesbury, Bucks. R. of E. In all the inhabitant housekeepers not receiving alms, or participating in Mr. Bedford's Charity; also in all the freeholders of 40s. and upwards, in one or more of the three hundreds of Aylesbury. N. of V. Real, 28; Nominal, 119:- N. of V. From 600 to 1000. Pop. 4500. In the reign of Queen Elizabeth, Dame BANDONBRIDGE, Borough of, N. & S. Francis Bernard. Rel. Son and heir of the Earl of R. of E. In the self-elected corporation. E. I. The Duke of Devonshire and the 2d Parl. To. Res. 28, Park-crescent, Portlandplace. R. of E. In the mayor, 2 aldermen, 22 common-councilmen, and upwards of 500 common burgesses, who assume the right of voting, by prescription, from the times of the ancient Saxons. N. of V. 550. Pop. 5300. R. O. The Mayor. "If any one Borough in the country is more corrupt than another, it is this. The expenses of a candidate at a contested election is from ten to thirteen thousand pounds. The right of voting is in the corporation, and about five 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 continually 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 supper to the burgesses residing in London, and a few guineas to each by way of a retaining fee!-They will, on these conditions, write to their friends in the country, to inform them what a generous candidate they have procured! This generally produces an invitation from those who reside there, to the gentleman who has made so good a beginning, to come down and be elected. One or two of these managers, as they call themselves, are to be sent down with their pockets well supplied, 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 bells, is drawn round the town by the populace, and may think himself fortunate if he gets away without being ruined. "Above a score of gentlemen we could name can bear witness to the losses they have suffered by these impositions. 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 known 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 have voted against him to get their expenses paid over again by another candidate! "These honest electors had once the fortune to have a candidate as slippery 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 unfortunate landlord, who was an innocent man (having neither a vote nor any concern in the clection), all unpaid, as were his drafts upon London, which he had the folly to believe would secure his election. "The independent part of the inhabitants of this town petitioned the House of Commons in 1819, to extend the right of voting to the hundreds; alleging that bribery and corruption were so prevalent, that forty and fifty pounds were given for a vote; that the candidates and their parties frequently took possession of the town; and that the town resembled a fair the night before an election, the freemen issuing from houses hired during the time by the managers, with the bribes in their hands, for which the liberties of their country were to be sacrificed the next morning. This notorious corruption was at last brought before the public by a petition from Sir HenryClement Thompson against the return of the late Sir Manasseh Lopes, Bart. and Francis Molineux Ommaney, Esq. at the general election for 1818. Although the petition was against the return of both Members, evidence was brought forward only against Sir M. Lopes, who was convicted and lost his seat, and was ordered by the House, upon the report of the Committee, to be prosecuted by the Attorney-General. He was tried at the Summer Assizes, 1819, at Exeter, and was acquitted; but was convicted, upon the clearest evidence, at the preceding assizes, at the same place, of bribing the Borough of Grampound. "The other Member made his peace with the petitioner before the case came to be heard in the Committee.”—Oldfield. BASSETLAW, Hundred of, Nottinghamshire. 1st William IV. 2 Bss. VISCOUNT NEWARK. N. & S. Charles Evelyn Pierrepont. To. Res. 13, Portman-square. Rel. Eld. son of Earl Manvers. THE HON. ARTHUR DUNCOMBE. Offi. A Captain in the Navy. To. Res. 24, Arlington-strect. Rel. 2d son of Baron Feversham: bro. to the Hon. W. Duncombe, M.P. for Yorkshire: neph. to Thomas Slingsby Duncombe, Esq. M.P. for Hertford. R. of E. In the freeholders of the Hundred, and in the inhabitants of East Retford; the same having been extended last session, on account of notorious bribery among the latter at a previous election. N. of V. 1750. Rel. Bro. to the Marquess of Bath: uncle to Lord William, and to Lord Henry-Frederick, Thynnc,both Members for Weobly. CHARLES PALMER, Esq. 5th Parl. Offi. A Major-General in the Army. R. of E. In the mayor, aldermen, and E. I. The Marquesses of Bath and Camden, and Mr. Palmer, the Member, influence the returns for this city; which has long been represented by the junior branches of their respective families. William Prynne, who lost his ears on the pillory for publishing the "Histrio-Mustix," represented this city in 1660. R. Ö. The Mayor. Pop. 2300, E. I. Possessed by Sir R. Bulkeley. By an act made in the 27th of Henry VIII., the 12 counties, and as many towns, or districts of towns, in Wales, were privileged to send Members to Parliament. The Boroughs of Beau maris and Montgomery can alone be said to be under absolute control. The influence which prevails in the other towns is not the produce of corruption, but arises from the popularity and hospitality of men of considerable property, whose residences are conti guous, and who are ready to afford the inhabitants any assistance or advice which the exigencies of their situation may require. An instance of bribery is very uncommon among them. This town is the only place in Wales * Cities are either sces of Bishops, as Bath, Winchester, &c., or enjoy certain privileges by royal charter, as Westminster. Q Q BEDFORD, Borough of, Beds. 23d Edw. I. 2 Bss. WILLIAM-HENRY WHITBREAD, Esq. A Land Owner. 4th Parl. Occ. A brewer in London. FREDERICK POLHILL, Esq. Offi. A Captain in the Army. R. of E. In the burgesses, freemen, and inhabitant-householders not receiving Offi. A Privy Councillor. Dean of the Arches, and Judge of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury. Judge of the Admiralty Court. A Lord of Trade and Plantations. Co. Se. Shadwell Lodge, Norfolk; R. of E. In the freeholders and inhabitants of ancient burgage-messuages, who are occasionally increased or de creased. |