326 CORRESPONDENCE. [1817. 



cliair with tlie gout), and tliat we went to the trials 

 to influence the jury Holland being confounded with 

 Lord Glenbervie, and a kind of Centaur made out of 

 Ellenborough and myself by the name of Lord Ellen- 

 brougham. I saw, however, the whole of the Paris 

 elections in a very satisfactory manner, so as to under- 

 stand completely the way in which the new 7 machine 

 works. It answered very well, upon the whole. The 

 greatest interest was felt by the electors, and by all 

 ranks of people, which is a vast point. The press, you 

 are aware, as far as newspapers are concerned, is under 

 a strict censorship, wliicli I believe to be in some 

 degree necessary; at least I am sure it would be 

 absurd to set the papers all at once free, though by 

 far a w r orse absurdity is the manner in which the 

 control is exercised, not a remark of any kind un- 

 favourable to the Government or their measures being 

 ever permitted to appear. So far is this carried, that 

 no one paper was ever allowed to publish the names 

 of the Opposition candidates, much less their addresses. 

 The consequence was that daily they printed thou- 

 sands and ten thousands of pamphlets of all sizes, 

 from three and four to forty and fifty pages, and these 

 were distributed liberally by them and their friends, 

 and devoured, rather than read, by the voters and 

 others. This became quite a system, and answered 

 perfectly. They also had committees regularly formed, 

 arid canvassed, though not personally, yet very actively, 

 by means of their friends. Only one candidate can- 

 vassed himself, and he had no success ; but this 

 squeamishness is going off, and another time they 

 would go to work plainly and openly. The ministers 

 were not idle : they both treated and bribed. Persons 



