Another subject which takes up much of the space is
elections. Ponder the figures suggested as reasonable for election expenses by an ad- vanced reforming Liberal of the 1860s. The Duke of Bedford offers a thousand undepreciated Vic- torian pounds towards Amberley's election in South Devon, but Amberley's father on his behalf accepts only half this 'handsome offer'; believing 'that a limitation of the candidate's ex- penses to £500 on boroughs and £1,000 on counties . . . would do more to stop corruption than the bill we have just proposed.' These figures must surely be multiplied by at least six to produce a rough equivalent in today's de- s, generate and ever-degenerating currency. But in those bad old days both the individual MP and the constituency campaign really mattered.
Two things which mattered especially in that particular South Devon campaign were the inadequacies of Amberley's religious faith and of his views 'on observance of the Lord's Day.' Yet, as his son remarks characteristically, 'These obstacles might . . . have been overcome, for the farmers liked his views on rabbits (which he thought they should be allowed to destroy). . . . But a graver matter, more painful even than
ci=lime. CLUB Agatha Christie
THIRD GIRL Just out—a sparkling new Poirot murder mystery set in the heart of London. Vintage Christie. 18:
SARA WOODS
LET'S CHOOSE EXECUTORS Antony Maitland at his most skilful in an unconventional whodunnit. 16:
HARRY CARMICHAEL
SUICIDE CLAUSE His latest spellbinder `Carmichael simply can't put a foot wrong' SCOTSMAN 16s
Charlotte Armstrong
DREAM OF FAIR WOMAN A thriller 'with a grip like a zipfastener' EDGAR WALLACE MYSTERY MAGAZINE 13s 6d Hartley Howard COUNTERFEIT The story of a giant conspiracy that threatens the world. 'Fast and most entertaining' suN 13s 6d
Previous page
