The voice of the country had spoken very plainly on the
subject, and a verdict had gone forth that there should be no more
bribery at elections. At the last election at Tankerville, and, as he
feared, at some former elections, there had been manifest bribery. It
would be for the jury to decide whether Mr. Browborough himself had
been so connected with the acts of his agents as to be himself within
the reach of the law. If it were found that he had brought himself
within the reach of the law, the jury would no doubt say so, and in
such case would do great service to the cause of purity; but if Mr.
Browborough had not been personally cognisant of what his agents
had done, then the jury would be bound to acquit him. A man was not
necessarily guilty of bribery in the eye of the law because bribery
had been committed, even though the bribery so committed had been
sufficiently proved to deprive him of the seat which he would
otherwise have enjoyed. Nothing could be clearer than the manner in
which Sir Gregory explained it all to the jury; nothing more eloquent
than his denunciations against bribery in general; nothing more mild
than his allegations against Mr.
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