This was what had come upon the borough by not sticking to honest
Mr. Browborough! There was a moment,--just before the trial was
begun,--in which a large proportion of the electors was desirous
of proceeding to work at once, and of sending Mr. Browborough back
to his own place. It was thought that Phineas Finn should be made
to resign. And very wise men in Tankerville were much surprised
when they were told that a member of Parliament cannot resign his
seat,--that when once returned he is supposed to be, as long as that
Parliament shall endure, the absolute slave of his constituency
and his country, and that he can escape from his servitude only
by accepting some office under the Crown. Now it was held to be
impossible that a man charged with murder should be appointed even to
the stewardship of the Chiltern Hundreds. The House, no doubt, could
expel a member, and would, as a matter of course, expel the member
for Tankerville,--but the House could hardly proceed to expulsion
before the member's guilt could have been absolutely established.
Pages:
1148
1149
1150
1151
1152
1153
1154
1155
1156
1157
1158
1159
1160
1161
1162
1163
1164
1165
1166
1167
1168
1169
1170
1171
1172