The Express.
London, England, 1866-04-16 00:00:00

ELECTION PETITION&-(THIS DAY.)

CAMBIUMS.
The committee appointed to try the merits of the re-
turn for Cambridge met to-day at 11 o'clock, Mr. Lowe in
the chair. Mao present Lord Henley, Mr. Coleridge, Sir
James Ferguson, and Mr. Gabriel Golding.
Mr. Vernon Harcourt, Q.C., Mr. Fitziames Stephen,
and Mr. C. Leigh appeared for the petitioner. 8
Mr. Hope Soott, Q.C., Mr. Mellish, Q.C., and Mr.
Cooke, Q.C., contra.
Mr. Fitziames Stephen proposed to go into a scrutiny,
with a view to show that, Mr. Forsyth having been
disclosed not duly elected, Colonel Torreon was duly L.
elected, and ought to be so declared by the committee.
The Chairman-1s the fact of service of notice of Mr. 11
Forsyth's disqualification on electors voting for him
admitted ?

Mr. Fitzjames Stephen—lt is. The notice was given to lis
• sufficient number of electors to turn the scale, if the
committee should be of opinion that in point of law the
notice was sufficient, and that the votes were thrown
away. There would then remain the former question is
whether Colonel Torrent; was himself disqualified from
being elected or sitting as a member of parliament.
Mr. Coleridge—l understand there is an admission that
the notice was given to a sufficient number of electors to
turn the scale. The only question before us at present is
as to the sufficiency of the notice.
Mr. Cooke, Q.C., submitted that the objection to the
qualification of Colonel Torre= should be first proceeded
with. If the committee decided that the petitioner was dis- 14
qualified there would be no need to go into a scrutiny.
After a short consultation,
The committee decided that they would first consider
the question as to the insufficiency of the notice.
Mr. Fitjames Stephen said he would leave the ques-
tion in the case of the vote given by Owen
John Jones, an elector, for Mr. Forsyth after he had Iy,
received notice from John Eaton, an elector, that Mr.
Forsyth was then holding an office under the crown, ,
owing to which, under the act 6 Queen Anne, c. 7, he was
ineligible as a candidate and disqualified to sit in parlia-
ment. Counsel was heard at some length on the legal -,
question as to the sufficiency of the notice, and concluded t!
by moving that the vote should be struck off.
Mr. Cooke contended that the rijiht of election should
not be limited by a notice which involved a matter nut
only of fact but of law. He admitted that if a can-
didate were notoriously disqualified votes given for him
would be thrown away, but in thepresent case the electors
who received the notice were also informed on behalf of
Mr. Forsyth that he wee not disqualified, and the electors
had every reason to believe that he was not, his prede-
cessor in office having sat in parliament.
Mr. Vernon Harcourt replied.
The room was ordered to be cleared.
On the admission of the public,
The chairman said the committee had decided that the
vote of Owen John Jones should be retained.

- -
Mr. Fitzjaness Stephen—There is no oc.csaion after
that decision to go further as the other objections are
identical

~The C
man—The molt of the inquiry is that the
election is declared void.

The proeealingi then terminated.