- fluence the said election; 
HISTORY OFT EUROPE. 
revenue. He dwelt, with consi« 
derable force, on the great re 
sources which this country derived 
from its commerce, which has in- 
creased, under every presure of 
circumstances ! 
General -Gascoygne, repeated his 
opinion, of the necessity of the 
house-being informed o/ the state of 
‘the country, as to. peace or war, 
before they could form an ac- 
curate judgment on questions of 
finance. 
After some farther conv epsatian 
the chairman reported progress, and 
had leave to sit again... 
On the following day, Mr. Smyth 
reported, from the committee, ap- 
pointed to try and determine the 
merits of the Ilchester election, 
that “ such a system of corruption 
was formed, and such individual 
acts of bribery committed, to in- 
as to 
render it necessary, that the same 
_ should be taken into the most seri- 
_he farther reported, 
ous consideration of the house ;” 
that ‘“¢ Mr, 
White Parsons and Mr, Alexander 
Davison, were implicated therein ;” 
he therefore moved, as a second 
resolution, 
“ that the attorney 
general should be instructed to pro- 
_ secute Mr. White Parsons and Mr. 
_ Davison.” 
Mr, Wallace, ‘objected strongly 
to this resolution; he considered, 
that there was, by no means, such 
_ evidence before them, against Mr. 
Davison, as would induce a jury 
to find him guilty. 
Mr. Burden thought, there was 
_ sufficient evidence of bribery and 
corruption, to induce the house te 
_..€ome to the resolution that was 
” 
- 
eraiggt to. them. 
Mr, Johnstone, expressed hims 
11g 
seif, very .strongly, of a similar 
opinion. 
Mr. Sheridan declared, he could 
not feel, that veh@nent degree of ins 
dignation, against poor freeholders, 
who sold their votes; when he res 
collected, that great Lords sold 
boroughs, by wholesale ; and con» 
sidered their unconstitutional ins 
fluence, as part of their property, 
He did not see sufficient evidence 
to. prosecute Mr. Davison, and he 
hoped the house would examine 
the minutes very carefully, before 
they resolved on such a measure. 
The master of the rolls, thought 
it neither consistent with the digs 
nity of the house, nor with justice; 
that another prosecution should be 
instituted against Mr. Davison, at 
a time, that he was liable to prose- 
cutions, from any common in 
former. Bribery could be punisheg 
in the common way ; and he had not 
sufficiently considered the evidence, - 
to say, whether any conspiracy had 
been proved. He therefore moved, 
the previous question, 
After some conversation, the pre+ 
vious question was agreed to, and 
the farther consideration of the re 
port, put off for a fortnight. 
On the 27th of April, upon the 
question being put, in the house of 
commons, for the house resolving 
itself into a committee ef the whole 
house, on ‘the coroners’ bill; sit 
Robert Buxton, sir Robert Williams, 
and Mr. Dickinson, jun. opposed 
the question, as disapproving, altos 
gether, of the inch of the bills 
and considering the present emolua 
ments of the office, amply sufficient. 
Mr. Hurst, on the other hand, sup 
ported it; and, on a division, ‘there 
appeared a majority of eighteen, in 
favour of the gommittal of th¢ bill; 
14 but 
