ELECTION EXPENSES.
"In the Sheriff's Court of Wolverhampton last week, an action was brought by a solicitor named Holland, against Lord Ingestrie, for the balance of an ac- count alleged to be owing to the plaintiff for work and labour in his Lordship's service at the last election for South Staffordshire. The plaintiff acted] as an agent for Lord Ingestrie, and claimed for three days' service of himself and clerk (including Sunday), 88/. Ile had been paid 21 /., and for the balance the action was brought. The Jury, after consulting for four hours, returned a verdict for the plaintiff ; damages, Is."— Country Paper.
The shilling, awarded by the Wolverhampton jurymen to the unconscionable attorney, was a shilling too much. Thirty-eight pounds for three days service! Why, this beats the writers of Paisley and Perth. Even the Marquis of Boemost.easre, though of course burning with the patriotic desire of returning Mr. ROBERT GRAHAM, so distinguished for his "business talents," as the Times informs us, would stand aghast at such charges as still be a vast mass of rottenness in the constituent body, to render , Glasgow want cheaper the empleyment of attornies necessary at all. The ballot would cure all this, and reduce the cost of elections ninety per cent, at least. There are no lawyers' bills presented to a successful can- didate in the United States; for how can the services of the pro- fession be ascertained, when there is no certainty as to any per- son's vote? The simple mode of doing things is also the cheapest. This is a truth which our impoverished grandees will soon find out. Now that the return of the Tory Oligarchy to power begins to be considered as utterly hopeless, and the influence of the better- educated classes is felt to be predominant, the introduction of voting by ballot will not long be resisted by any class, except the lawyers. Every year will see the number of voters accessible to bribes diminished, and the number of independent voters increased. The existence of the former class is the main inducement to con- tinue the practice of open voting. The time will soon arrive when it will not be worth any one's while to stickle fur it. twelve pounds a day for an attorney and his clerk. There must 105. The petitioners of
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