Corruption

Not  only  were  many  members  representative  of  little
more  than  an  imaginary  electorate,  not  only  were  such
electors  as  there  were  openly  and  shamelessly  bribed  or
intimidated  or  overwhelmed  by  imported  voters,  but  the
members  were  in  turn  bought  by  pensions,  places,  or
contracts.  The  bribery  of  the  electors  was,  of  course,
a  well-known  and  recognized  fact.  The  right  to  nominate
to  a  seat  in  Parliament,  like  to-day  the  presentation  to
livings,  that  monstrous  and  evil  system,  was  occasionally
advertised  for  sale ;  it  was  included  in  the  assets  of
bankrupts ;  it  was  apprised  sometimes  at  as  low  a  figure
as  ^2000,  sometimes,  as  in  the  case  of  Camelford,  at  as
much   as   ;{^i 6,000  or  ;^32,ooo   for  two   seats.     So   well

253


HISTORY    OF    LABOUR

known  and  recognized  was  the  pecuniary  value  of  the
right,  so  near  was  it  judged  to  the  ordinary  rights  of
property,  that  Pitt,  when  in  1785  he  sought  leave  to  intro-
duce a  Reform  Bill,  expressed  the  idea  of  forming  a  fund
out  of  which  to  buy  out  the  thirty-six  rotten  boroughs  that
he  desired  to  be  disfranchised.
