728487-1842-08-Sep-1842 — Page 3

THE FRIEND OF CHINA AND HONGKONG GAZETTE.

ON ELECTIONEERING ABUSES.

The disgusting profligacy which disgraced the last general Election, has been the occasion of awakening the public mind to the existence of a moral leprosy not fail to spread, thus infecting the country through. which, unless measures were taken to eradicate it, could out its length and breadth,

Among the delinquent boroughs, Sudbury has long stood prominent for its notable corruption, A man of to a daughter of Earl St. Vincent), the grandson of the colour, Mr. Dyce Sombre, (who, by the way, is married Begum Somroo of Birhana, wishing to be an M.P, and at Sudbury with both Whigs and Tories, bought him. adopting the custom which has immemorially prevailed self and his colleague a seat in the Common House.

Before an Election Committee, there was so flagrant

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"Party spirit is said to prevail much over the voters of Sud- bury So it does, but it is not a party spirit in reference to the general politics of the country; it is a contest of parties amongst themselves, as to which shall make the most money at elections, As to party, in reference to the country at large, the voters know party spirit, founded more or less on knowledge, i very little, and care even less. Amongst the educated claason prevails to a

He part

Ho party, spirit much effect on the establishment of institu is for the other side is generally against; and the town is so smalk tions for the good of the town 1-Very much so, what the one-side that it capot afford to be divided, it in scarcely large enough when the whole la united.

"From wh

what period have you been acquainted with the pro ceedings at the elections at Sudbury; can you give me the names

Pre the probable expense which any of them are considered to have of the candidates, the number who voted for them, together with

To reply to this question the witness give a very full and minuto account of ten elections, which fully demonstrates his perfect intimacy with his subject, and the reasonableness of his preceding Respecting if he says, .......... evidence The general election in July 1837 was an exception.

NOTES ON JAVA. In our No. 24 we presented to our readers a short notice

about the Tea of Java, we were in- ebted to a personal friend for our information, then he has very kindly favoured us with a sight of his note book. We hope in future. num. bers to give many interesting items of intelligence derivable from his recent visit to Ceylon, Java and Manilla. The high intelligence and great prac tical experience of the traveller entitles his opinion utmost confidence. We now give a few extracts. In July last we visited Tjanjor, distant about seventy miles from Batavia. We passed through a range of mountains one of which is Volcano which was only then smoking but which often emits fire and lava; regular eruptions. The scenery was truly grand, the air cool and bracing. a case of bribery made out, that it is believed the delin- We passed a cochineal garden which thrives well quent constituency of Sudbury will be disfranchised and a part of the produce of which has been ex-The issue of the Speakers writ is meantime suspend. ported from the Island. When prosecuting oured. By the last accounts from England, the evidences inquiries on a subsequent occasion, we found that Fon Electioneering abuses given before a commission the true cochineal called by the appointed to enquire into the state of the Hand Loom Spaniards grana fina. What has been exported Weavers, has been ordered, by Parliament, to be re- to Europe, has been pronounced to

printed for, the use of the new members. equal to that of this notice having contributed to the investigation, he from South America and the cost of its production is enabled to present an extract from the report in questown for the purpose of influencing the suffrages, and the gentle- It is obvious that the gentlemen who bring their money into the in Jaya would seem to indicate that it may here-

tion. It is by Dr. Mitchell, a gentleman whose powers after successfully compete with it in those markets.

observation, and knowledge of character, have earn- From Tjanjor we proceeded to Bandong distant

ed general commendation. about 35 miles with a hilly road. It is situated in the immediate vicinity of a fine range of hills where a large quantity of the Government Coffee is cultivated. This district produces about 100,000 Peculs annually. Fourteen miles further

her over a road which was almost impassable brought us to the estate of Messrs. Hoflands.

it was

We first came to a fine Coffee garden containing -1500 Acres of planted land or one and a half mil- hon of trees Near this is a large Tea Garden which appeared in excellent condition, and the owner had, what he deemed, a lucrative contract to supply the Dutch Government at Batavia with the leaves in a semi-prepared state at one guilder per pound.

This Estate of the Messrs. Hoflands was once in the possession of Sir Charles Forbes and friends, who disposed of it a few years since for a sum amounting to nearly a quarter

pounds sterling. It contains about ion of

square miles of land, part of which is of excellent quality, although deficient in population; there are already, including the native gardens, 43 millions of Cofme trees planted, with 1000 acres of sugar cane, be: sides the Tea cultivation and an immense quantity of Rice being grown by the natives.

It is supposed that after paying the expense of management and not noticing the profits of the Sugar and Coffee planting, the proprietors derive a rental of nearly 10 per cent on their outlay. It need hardly be said that this besides being a very valuable, is a very improvable property.

We from thence started for Cheribon by So- inidong and Karong Sambon, where we crossed the river that divides Java proper from the Sunda, and we then discovered a difference in the lang uage and dress of the natives, This is the Cheribon district, which is level, well cultivated, and rich, with excellent roads, good houses, and everything indicating superior management and natural vantages. This is a very different account from that given by Mr. Crawfurd some 28

and which is cited in Sir Stamford Raffles History of Java. Of the Cheribon district he says is, perhaps, with the exception of the environ Batavia and Bantam, no part of the islan which has so severely felt the bad effect management as the district of Chemban effects are visible.

racter of the

who even am

careless ind dolence and

to delusion

cular a serie said to have in the charac Country, so the fruitful have bee so gre the Colo bad gre

cial am

of

The writer

Next week we shall illustrate this subject further by a citation still more graphically hideous as to the state of things, in Norwich. We would indulge the hope that the next mail will inform us that something has been honestly attempted or done by Parliament, to stay the plague of Electoral corruption which threatens to becomes universal.

The instructions given to the Assistant Commissioners having directed attention to the effect of the electioneering abuses on the weavers, it becomes imperative to enter upon this subject in giving a report on Sudbury:

This is a borough to which it is notorious that, for a long period of time, gentlemen of property have brought their money for the purpose of presenting to the poverty of the voters temptations which it was calculated they would be unable to withstand and thereby they would be induced to give their suffrages. The injury thus inflicted on the pecuniary condition, the industry, and general morals of the weavers, appears to have been very great. According to eleven weavers who came in a body to give evi- dence, there are some but very few weavers entitled to vote by right of inhabiting a bouse of 101. rental; but there are shout 150 weavers on the rigester, as being freemen

The whole subject has been clearly and ably developed in the evidence of Mr. John Grisg Gooday, Governor of the Court of Guardians, and the best report that can be made will be to give that evidence at length.

Q. You are Governor of the Court of Guardians for the

relief of Lid poor of the borough of Sudbury? AYes

You are stated to have considerable knowledge of local matters relating to the borough of Sudbury; will you be so good as to say what in your opinion is the effect of contested elections on the morals of the workmg people -My opinion as this, that the contested elections have done more to injure the more of the working people in Sudbury than all the precepts or preaching of all the ministers of the Gospel have done good.

"How is that effect produced?-me thing alone is

erately

the bribery path. Men open receive money, and yet

I have take the oats and vol Spine seek delare subterfug heard it publicly maintained that all that man hadaamouras to "omit the word "not" in repeating the oath, and then he would be

swearing to the truth, for he had received money for his vote, the promise of money. Another way was to kiss

the trouble stead of the book, but many will not take such solace to their conscience as these but swear

ward, with perfect consciousness of their deliberate

Have you any instance in pant to shew the effe oaths on the sense of truth 1-Yes, soon after the gener

8357

A man came to me on the subject of a tral coming on, and told me he was ready to SWEET

The and told what he said was at variance with trufb,

that he came to serve our party, and wished me the should swear. I told him to leave my money.from one side would do as wel

ould not have him.

ness

Bide and afters

Edi

inds, and what he had offered

Uss-examination, to be

delib

han a man has once necience become infinitely

Etend

ich I had knew that

This was a very poor election, no money spent on either de, but as the men had, from the commencement of the linesa the result of the King, neglected their work, in expectation of large bribes, the result of the election involved them and their familica in great...

· misery and distress,"

Such is the picture of the elections of Sudbury. Our present business is with the effects produced by this state of things on the condition of the weavers.

men residing in the town who become their committee-mon, in- flict the most cruel perjury on the unhappy voters. Their habits of industry are seriously broken in upon, their health suffers from corrupted by the application of an irresistible sum of money from the unwonted hospitality, their principles of manly fairdealing are one, side, and than, by the irresistible counteraction of a still larger aum from the other, and, worst of all, their peace of mind and their reliance on their Almighty Father are ruined by open, daring perjury, which destroys their sense of moral obligation in this With the subject in its political bearing their ie no wish to world, and awfully endangers their salvation-in the next.

intrude, but there is ono recommendation which it is imperative against bribery be at once repealed. to make, and that is, that the enactment establishing the ough

The

temptation of money wickedly presented to the eyes of the pour

That oath is perfectly unavailing for any useful purpose. voter completely overwhelms their power of resistance, and the administration of the bribery outh is therefore an act of the most wanton, unmitigated mischief. The Rev. Mr. Wilkinson, the clergyman, expressed much satisfaction that the oath had not been administered at the last two elections, and it is most devoutly to be wished that it may never heresiter be administered at-Sudbury, nor in any borough in the United Kingdom,......

tre Royal,

“ANTI-CORN-LAW LECTURES TO THE LADIES-Mr. CORDEN. At the very large meeting of the Ladies com mittee, vzdy (week), in the saloon of the Thea. Armitage in the chair, after the business of the meeting had been gone through, just before the meeting separated, Mrs. Thomas Wooley adverted to Mr. Cobden's offer to deliver a lecture to the ladies on the subject of the corn-laws; and observ- ed that, as that gentleman's engagements and duties were now so numerous and onerous, and as the ladies had already had the pleasure of hearing two lectures on the corn-laws, one from Mr. George Thompson, and the other from Mr, R. R. Moore, she would pro- pose a vote of thanks to Mr. Cobden for his offer; "but that, in consideration of his other engagements, the ladies excuse him for the present-Miss Gifford, of London, said, she seconded the motion with great satis- faction. Mr. Cobden's first speech in parliament had equally surprised and pleased her, and many much better judges than herself had marked it as indicating all that was most desirable in a true-patriot and states. man Possessing clear and distinct ideas, Mr. Cobden had the power of rendering all he said singularly per spicuous and convincing; but above all the great charm which distinguished his speeches, was the consciousness that he was the sincere and faithful friend of truth; without which inestimable quality no eloquence, how- ever imposing, could make a lasting impression, It would have afforded her much gratification to have heard a lecture by Mr. Cobden; but as the sole ob- stacle was raised by a feeling of consideration for him,

was reconciled to the disappointment. The resolu

then passed unanimously; and, we understand, a of it was forth with transmitted to Mr. Cobden:

emer Paper.

are

resterday

Rey, Dr. Parker from China, in company with teicher visited the Chinese-Col- morning, and will pay another visit this evening, at eight o'clock, On Sang will both play and ming some

erican Pape

of sea-weed, of which gum used in the manufacture of

rns. It is incomparable as able to be eaten by insects. ployed in making silks and pape

ms a sweet, glutinou

not

It

and mpound which

It is brought

1 New Hol

the Its

2

in con

It is

in this,

The