"That Sir Henry Ainslie Hoare is not duly elected a burgess to serve in the present parliament for the borough of New Windsor. That Henry Labouchere, Esq., is not duly elected to serve in the present parliament for the borough of New Windsor. That Sir Henry Ainslie Hoare is, by his agents, guilty of bribery. That it has been proved that various acts of bribery have been committed by the agents of the sitting members by the engagement of an excessive number of public houses in which it was proved that none of the legitimate business of the election was transacted, and for which sums varying from £10 to £20 were paid. That it has not been proved that such acts were committed with the knowledge or consent of the said Sir Henry Hoare and the said Henry Labouchere, Esq. That the committee have no reason to believe that bribery and corruption extensively prevailed at the last election for the borough of New Windsor." The committee had sat for six days before the above decision was arrived at, and many were the entertaining encounters between the defendants' counsel, the great Mr. Serjeant Ballantine, and the witnesses for the petitioners. One of the latter explained that he had voted for the Conservatives because Mr. Vansittart was a "very nice old man." Under cross-examination it was elicited with difficulty that Mr. Vansittart had not given his wife and daughter each a new dress. Being further pressed, he announced that he could prove it. "How?" questioned the counsel. "I haven't got no wife nor no daughter," complained the witness. A charge of presenting a silk gown to the wife of one of the electors was preferred against Henry Labouchere. He did not deny having done so. "The lady in question," he explained, "was extremely good-looking, and I have {78} frequently noticed that a present of finery is a simple way to win the female heart. I regret that, in the particular case, I was unsuccessful, but, good God, you do not insinuate for a moment, do you, that I intended her husband to know anything about the affair?" The line of defence taken up by Labouchere will easily be seen by reading the letter he sent to the _Times_ the day after the committee had reached their decision. I give it in full, with the exception of some sentences that have already been quoted: ALBANY, April 26. SIR,--In an article to-day on the recent decision of the Election Committees, you allude to the case of Windsor. As your observations tend to lead those who read them to form the conclusion that my late constituents are somewhat corrupt, in justice to them, I should feel obliged to you to allow me to say a few words in their defence. It may be useful to future candidates to know on what grounds Sir Henry Hoare and I have been unseated....