88 ROTTEN BOROUGHS 



one time, in the early part of our acquaintance, nearly- 

 exceeding the bounds of discretion. 



The county in which I was born, including the Isle 

 of Wight, contained before the Reform Bill more close, 

 rotten, and nomination boroughs than any other county 

 of its size — Southampton being the only one that could 

 positively be declared open or free from aristocratic 

 influence. Petersfield was a nomination, Portsmouth a 

 close borough — the former the property of Colonel 

 Joliffe, the latter, in the imj^ortant matter of sending 

 members to Parliament — it was generally supposed — 

 Avas nearly as much under the dictation of a very 

 wealthy old gentleman,^ residing in the former place, as 

 Cambridge, Avhere I then resided, Avas under the Duke of 

 Rutland. 



Conversing one day with this gentleman on the 

 representation of Lynn — for which place Lord William 

 Bentinck, afterwards Governor-General of India, was 

 then member — I ventured to hint that Lynn, or the 

 Lynn Corporation, of which my companion was the 

 most distinguished member, bore the same relationship 

 to the Duke of Portland as Portsmouth did to the 

 Petersfield Esquire, Avho always walked Avith a large 

 cane, and came doAvn at the time of an election for 

 Members of Parliament, flourishing it o\^er their heads, 

 daring the Corporation to speak, or even think, of any 

 other candidates than those he should name to them. 



Of course my companion took this as it Avas meant 

 —figuratively — but indignantly denied the inference. 

 He took pains to instruct me as to the nature and 



^ The late John Bonham, Esq. 



