6 BOROUGHS. 



trouble to preserve the seat for him. 

 His manner to me at all times was 

 affable and kind in the extreme, and I 

 could venture an opinion on any subject 

 without fear of giving offence although 

 I remember at one time, in the early part 

 of our acquaintance, nearly exceeding 

 the bounds of discretion. 



The County in which I was born, in- 

 cluding the Isle of Wight, contained 

 before the Reform Bill more close, rot- 

 ten, and nomination boroughs than any 

 other county of its size Southampton 

 being the only one that could positively 

 be declared open or free from aristo- 

 cratic influence. Petersfield was a nomi- 

 nation, Portsmouth a close borough the 

 former the property of Colonel Joliffe, 

 the latter, in the important matter of 

 sending members to parliament it was 

 generally supposed was nearly as much 

 under the dictation of a very wealthy 



