30 ECHOES OF OLD COUNTY LIFE. 



once remarked, when he became SoHcitor-General, that 

 " he thought the constituency of the Borough of Ayles- 

 bury was one of the most poverty-stricken in England, 

 as it was wonderful the number of applications he had 

 from all sorts and conditions of men for situations and 

 places under Government, from commissionerships down 

 to that of village postman ; it seemed that so long as it 

 was *a place,' it did not much matter what the endow- 

 ment might be." 



At one General Election, Messrs. Bernard and Bethell, 

 as the sitting members, intended to offer their services 

 again, when suddenly Mr. C. Vernon Wentworth, a 

 Whig, was started, it was said, to gain the scat from the 

 Tory, ]Mr. Thos. Bernard ; but the Rothschild party, who 

 were the strong supporters of Sir Richard Bethell, 

 thought his seat was in danger, and were determined 

 that Wentworth should be withdrawn. The Conser- 

 vatives had started Mr. Saml. Geo. Smith, and offered 

 to withdraw their candidate if Mr. Vernon Wentworth 

 was withdrawn, and thus leave the position unchanged ; 

 but the Wentworth party refused, the final result being 

 that Sir Richard decamped and hurried off to Wolver- 

 hampton, where he was returned, and retained that seat 

 until his elevation to the Woolsack as Baron Westbury. 

 This election was memorable as ending in a tie, Mr. 

 Bernard being returned at the head of the poll by a 

 narrow majority of seven, whilst Mr. Smith and Vernon 

 Wentworth tied. The returning-officers returned all 

 three to Parliament till, after a very expensive scrutiny, 

 Mr. Smith was finally declared elected, and held the seat 

 for twenty-one years, although strongly opposed on two 



