I addressed this letter to Minchin at Portsmouth, and {267} making two copies of it, directed them to two other seaports. When I put these letters into the basket, I smiled at my own simplicity in speculating on the triple improbability—
- 1. That Minchin should ever get my letter.
- 2. That his ship, which was expected, should really arrive on the second or third of the three days of polling.
- 3. That a young lawyer should not have changed his political principles in twenty years.
However, I considered that the chance of this election lottery-ticket winning for us a vote, although very small, was at least worth the three sheets of letter-paper which it cost our candidate.
〈GOT A VOTER FROM INDIA.〉
Amidst the bustle of the election this subject was entirely forgotten. The first day of polling arrived, and was concluded, and as usual I was sitting, at midnight, alone in the large committee-room, when the door opened, and there entered a man enveloped in a huge box-coat, who advanced towards me. He held out his hand, and grasping mine, said, “I have not altered my political principles.” This was Minchin, to whom the pilot, cruizing about on the look-out for the “Herefordshire,” had delivered a packet of letters.
The first letter Minchin opened was mine. He immediately went below, told his wife that he must get into the boat which had just put the pilot on board, and hasten to Cambridge, whilst she remained with the children to pursue their voyage to London. Minchin returned in the pilot-boat to Portsmouth, found a coach just ready to start, got up on the roof, borrowed a box-coat, and on arriving in London, drove directly to the committee-room. Finding that it {268} would be most convenient to Minchin to start immediately for Cambridge, I sent off a note to the Temple for the most entertaining man[39] upon the committee; I introduced him to Minchin, and they posted down to Cambridge, and voted on the second day.
[39] My friend, John Elliott Drinkwater, afterwards Bethune.
Greatly to the credit and to the advantage of the University, Mr. Cavendish was elected on this occasion.
〈ELECTION AFTER THE REFORM BILL.〉