AMERSHAM ELECTIONS. 41 



drawn by four horses, and perambulated the town, 

 followed by a crowed of men, women, and children 

 shouting and dancing around. There was-a very curious 

 custom here which I had never heard of at any other 

 town. At each of the inns in the town, and there 

 were only a few, the women-folk, old and young, married 

 and single, assembled — the two best inns being 

 selected by the lady inhabitants, the others according 

 to their order or grade in society — and, being seated 

 round the public room in the house, these fair ones 

 awaited the arrival of the newly-elected Members, who 

 formally entered the room and very deliberately and 

 demurely kissed them in turn. This performance con- 

 cluded, a raid was made into the inn-rooms by the young 

 men of the place, and, amidst loud laughter and .screams 

 and struggles innumerable, they also kissed the not 

 unwilling dames. 



It is useless defending the retainers of "rotten 

 boroughs," as they were called ; but I cannot forbear 

 mentioning that for strictly honourable, independent 

 conduct, it was well known that none were more entirely 

 unbiassed by political parties than the Members for 

 Amersham, and probably, indeed no doubt, other 

 members for so-called rotten boroughs possessed the 

 same characteristics. 



