money over to a subordinate, and, at the
Cross Keys, the amount, variously stated
at two hundred and three hundred pounds,
was given in sums of forty and fifty pounds
to a select staff of bribers who were then
let loose on the town. Votes were not
expensive, for one of these rank and file
bribers says, "I commenced at one pound,
and it extended to two pounds till about
dinner time, when the tariff dropped down
to a pound again." The defeated candidate
announced from the hustings that it
was not his intention to petition— a statement
which, as he remarks, "appeared to
be the most gratifying thing I had ever
said during the whole election, for they
cheered that immensely." But somebody
petitioned, unsuccessfully, it being the
opinion of the committee that the victorious
candidate and his agents had not been
parties to the acts of bribery which were
proved. At this election the bill passed by
the auditor was three hundred and thirty
pounds odd—a supplementary amount for
four hundred and one pounds making its
appearance some time afterwards. This
document contained some suggestive items,
such as " Ramshaw's band, sixty pounds;"
"Ringers, ten guineas;" "Mr. Hind for
refreshments, nine pounds eighteen
shillings," and was duly paid.

From 1860 to 1865 Beverley rejoiced in
no parliamentary election, but the little
game of bribery was kept up with great
spirit during that interval. In 1861 there
was no contest at the pasture-masters'
election, nevertheless each of the members for
the borough had to pay thirty pounds
on that head. The total expense of that
year to each member was one hundred
and eighty-four pounds, not including
Mr. Wreghitt's salary. This was an
expensive year, as the municipal contest
was severe, and one hundred pounds had
to be spent in bribery. The money must
have been well laid out, for Conservatives
were elected to all the vacancies. In the
following year another hundred pounds
were required for the council election, and
sixty for the pasture-masters. In 1863
there was a split among the pasture-masters,
and the election of Mr. Wreghitt's
men could not be secured for less than
sixty-five pounds from each member. On
the other hand, in 1864, the remittances
fell to one hundred and forty pounds each,
including the fixed salary. Early in 1865 the
junior candidate declined to have anything
more to do with Beverley, and another
colleague for the major had to be found. This
was not difficult, and the battle was begun
under the most favourable circumstances.
Wreghitt was, to all intents and purposes,
master of Beverley. "Magistrates, aldermen,
town councillors, and pasture-masters,
bankers, and tradesmen were working with
him, and for the same ends. He had been
unceasingly labouring for eight years to
extend and widen the sources of corruption
throughout the borough, and prevent freedom
of choice in all the local elections."
In these words, and in others yet stronger,
the Commissioners describe the Conservative
position, and probably no one knowing
the facts would have ventured, even with
bribery to back him, to attack the citadel.
The Liberals, however, found a candidate
who had been induced to believe that an
expenditure of five hundred pounds beyond
the limit of the legitimate expenses would
secure the seat. A considerably larger
sum was, as a matter of fact, required in
the way of bribes, and even then the
Conservatives were both elected by considerable
majorities, the invincible major at the
head of the poll. But the Liberal candidate,
who polled four hundred and ninety-five
votes, and who expended eight hundred
and forty-six pounds in bribing four hundred
and seventeen electors, was badly used even
by his own bribees, inasmuch as forty-two
of them voted for his opponents, while ten
philosophically absented themselves from
the polling-booths altogether. At this
election the price of votes was one or two
pounds, according to circumstances. A
petition was threatened, but nothing came
of it. Of course, when there was no
further danger of a petition, supplemental
accounts began to come in freely. A
sum of one thousand and seventy pounds
was illegally spent, as the Commissioners
discovered with the greatest difficulty, on
behalf of the Conservatives. Eleven hundred
voters, or thereabouts, were polled at
this election, and it is stated that about
eight hundred of these were bribed. The
petition did not go on, because "at that
time there was very great danger of
disfranchisement." Beverley's time was,
indeed, nearly come!

From 1865 to 1868, local bribing was
brisk in Beverley. On one occasion,
Wreghitt's nominees for the town council, who
had been elected by large majorities, were
ousted from their seats by the Court of
Queen's Bench, owing to an informality in
their election. The little bill for the law
proceedings (nearly four hundred pounds)
was handed over to the sitting members by
Mr. Wreghitt, and paid in due course. In
1868, Beverley was the scene of another