where they were slaughtered and dressed,
before being carried off to be hung up for
show in the market.

Mr. Serjeant Racket. Is this the question?

Mr. Serjeant Battledore would come to that
immediately. This M'Squinney was the
agent of the sitting member, Mr. Plumtree
Yellowboys.

Mr. Serjeant Racket. He was the agent of
Mr. Yellowboys for the sale of corn and
other land produce.

Mr. Serjeant Battledore. And other land-
produce, no doubt— not only corn and grass,
but the flesh that was made from them. All
this he was prepared to prove, and requested
his learned friend would not again interrupt
him. M'Squinney hired the house in his own
name, and for the space of one month only,
let that be observed; but was obliged to pay
for it in advance, which he did with a cheque
signed by Mr. Yellowboys. In this house,
M'Squinney appropriated the ground-floor as
a general receiving place for voters. Two
rooms were thrown into one, and fitted up
with tables and benches, and the floor sanded
like the coffee-room of a country inn. A bar-
window was made by a rough hole knocked
into the kitchen, and through this, hot joints,
and stakes, and stews, and pies, and vegetables,
and ale, and pipes, and bread and cheese,
and brandy, and gin, and slices of cold plum-
pudding, were served continually. The
electors called for what they liked; and
when a man was asked to pay, he put his
thumb up to the tip of his nose, extended
his fingers, and shut one eye. This was
considered as payment. Here the question
of voting was discussed; two men, who
were among the abducted witnesses, being
always present, who led the conversation
in that direction, and who made special
report to Mr. M'Squinney in the upper floor
— the "sweet little cherub who sat up aloft,"
as he was called— as soon as any voter was
ripe. This lower room, after a few days,
when its office became generally understood,
was commonly designated as the "sifting-
room " by the townspeople, and the "win-
nowing-room " by the country party.
(Laughter).

The Hon. Chairman. What is the meaning
of the term " winnowing?"

The learned gentleman explained that it was
the separation of the corn from the chaff by
means of a fanning wind. (Renewed laughter.)
A good vote was corn, but there were many
who came to enjoy themselves who were either
unqualified as electors, or who came for
equivocal purposes— in fact, there was a great deal
of chaffing. But plenty of "business" was
done, notwithstanding. As soon, then, as one
of the very pleasant gentlemen who acted
as a sort of examining master below, had
found a voter to be good corn— or if that
expression be displeasing to his learned friend,
he would say as soon as the pear was ripe
enough to fall, being probably somewhat
mellow, if not sleepy, by reason of the ale
and punch he had drunk, one of the facetious
personages just described would propose to.
show him up-stairs, and introduce him to a
gentleman from whom he would hear of
something to his advantage. The mellow
pear, aforesaid, was then taken up to the
floor above, and in the front room he found
Mr. M'Squinuey seated at a table and
writing-desk, with a tumbler of water on one
side of him, and a prayer-book on the other.
This gentleman usually began his little ceremony
by asking the other to hold up as many
fingers as his vote was worth. Most of the
voters held up ten fingers, but were informed
that one hand only was to be used. Five,
therefore, were held up. The man was then
asked who he meant to vote for; and Mr.
M'Squinney usually held up the prayer-
book as he asked this question, with one eye
fixed on the ceiling, and the other on the
voter. His eyes had a special faculty for
doing this. As soon as the voter had
pronounced the name of Mr. Plumtree Yellowboys,
he was told to walk into the back room.
On his doing so, the door was immediately
closed, and he found himself alone in a room,
with a small table before him, on which was
a sheet of foolscap, with his name written
upon it at full length, and five sovereigns
placed upon it. Having pocketed the gold,
the voter found the door he entered by was
locked, but another door was open, over
which was written, "The way down." This
led, by a narrow passage, to a back flight of
stairs, very dark, very dismal, and very much
like the way "down;" and these he had to
descend until he arrived at a door in the
lower regions, which opened by pushing, and
the voter then found himself in Lambkin's
Mews. The door closed behind him with a
secret spring, and could not be opened from
the outside. It had formerly been a side
entrance to the slaughter-house, through
which the sheep were driven. Under all
these circumstances, Mr. Serjeant Battledore
considered that the votes obtained by Mr.
Plumtree Yellowboys in the late elections were
void and thrown away. Sir John Fairfield
was entitled to the seat.

The Hon. Chairman said all this was so far
so bad, in respect of a system of secret bribery
and corruption. The thing for the learned
counsel to do now, was to prove a special case.

Mr. Serjeant Racket. And then to prove
Mr. Plumtree Yellowboys implicated in that
case, if such a thing be possible.

Peter Bothmore was now called and examined.
Deposed to having been engaged to play a
trombone in front of the "Glorious Constitution"
public-house. Was one of a band
that played there all day long. The yellow
party held out at that inn. Meant by
"holding out" that they eat and drank there.
Also that they made speeches there, and
sang songs. Also that nobody paid for
anything as was had— it was all gracious-like