The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-05-21 00:00:00

SLIGO ELECTION PETITION

The Select Committee appointed to try the merits of the
petition presented by Mr. J. P. Sneers, against the return
of Mr. J. Wynne, the sitting member for the borough of
Sligo, on the ground of treating, bribery, and intimidation,
met or the first time yesterday. -
The members of the committee were —Mr. G Butt, in
the chair. Sir J. Hanmer, Mr. Gower, Mr. Moody, and
Mr. Clive. Mr. James, Q.C., Mr. Morgan, J. O'Connell,
and Mr. Lewis, were retained for the petition, and Mr.
Slade and Mr. Huddlestou for the sitting member. Mr.
O'Connell having made an ineffectual attempt to postpone
the enquiry, on the ground of the absence of Mr. James,
Q.C., who was engaged in prosecuting Palmer, of
Rugeley, opened the case so for as treating was con-
cerned. Tho poll took place on the 7th of March last,
and the allegation was, that on that morning and the
evening before voters were treated at the houses of
Dr. Ferguson, Mr. Michael Gethin, and Mr. Robert Hen-
derson. It was also charged that one voter had been treated
by the sitting member himself, and by Mr. Lyons, his land-
lord. Mr. 14‘Niffa was the first witness. He deposed that
he had canvassed for Mr. Wynne, but that he had not
power to make any arrangements for that gentleman. He
never saw Mr. Mostyn at Dr. Ferguson's house. The wit-
ness proved nothing, and he was not cross-examined. Mr.
Abraham Powell, solicitor and farmer, deposed that he
was one of Mr. Somers' agents at the late election.
This witness was so excited that it was impossible
to examine him, and he proved nothing. Mr. Thomas
Mostyn, solicit r, of Dublin and Sligo, deposed that he was
Mr. Wynne's sole acting agent at the late election. There
was no bribery treating on the part of Mr. Wynne, or
any of his agents. Mr. Wynne expressly directed his
agents not to canvass or interfere iu the election. On
cross-examination, the witness said he was aware that Mr.
Wynne declined to come forward as a candidate,
when he had a requisition signed by a majority of
Roman Catholic and Protestant electors. The sum total
of Mr. Wynne's election expenses was under £144, of
which the Mayor, as returning officer. received £53. There
was no bribery or treating by Mr. Wynne, or any of his
agents. Robert Mahony, cabinet maker, and an elector of
Sligo, was next called ; but, as he provednothing, the peti-
tioners, at this stage of the proceedings, withdrew that part
of their petition which related to treating. Edward Kil-
leran, baker, of Sligo, was then called to prove bribery in
his own case. He said : I saw Mr. Wynne during the
election. I told him that I was exceedingly poor, and that
if he would give me some money I would vote
for him. He gave me a pound note. I

said that it he were elected he would make a
man of me. In cross.examination;the witness said that he
had been two months in London; that he came up in the
same carriage with Mr. Somers : and had been living in
London Zvi h Mr. Somers, and taking his meals with him.
James Ward, baker and butter buyer, of Sligo, corrobo-
rated, in some measure, IC►llorart's evidence. He also had
been living in London for the last two months, at Mr.
Somer's house. Mrs. Catherine Killoran swore that at
the time of the election, her husband gave her a
one pound note, and told her that he should make
more out of the election. This was the case for the
petitioners. For the defence the Hon. John Wynne,
M.P. was galled: He said I have heard the evidence of
Edward Killoran, there is not one word of truth in anything
he has stated, I bad not a pound note in my possession
throughout the whole of the election.
After a few minutes consultation the committee unani-
mously declared that the Right Hon. John Wynne had been
duly elected a member to serve for the borough of Sligo, and
also that the petition was frivolous and vexatious. The
committee also resolved that in giving their evidence
Edward Killoran and James Ward had been guilty of wil-
ful and col rupt perjury.

LIVERPOOL AND ITS HOLIDAY.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMES.

Sir,—A. correspondent in your Friday's paper, under the
signature of a " Liverpool Merchant," has the boldness to
denounce the very principle of a holiday as " childish in
the extreme ;" and he asks " Whether you, or any other
mercantile man of locus standi, ever heard or knew of so
much waste of time as a holiday." " Merchants in Liver-
pool," he adds, "want no holidays, Sundays excepted, nor
do the banks. It is highly ridiculous to make merchants
schoolboys !" _

In the name of the schoolboys thus sneeringly noticed,
if not in the name of the merchants, and still more in the
name of the people, clerks, artisans, and working men in
and about Liverpool (400,000 in number), all of whom
your correspondent ignores, I hereby proclaim him to be
an ignoramus, and a living proof of the truth of the maxim
that " all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." For
who but one who has been robbed of the recreations which
his intellect required, and whose heart has been hardened
by too much confinement in the counting house, could be
the author of such ungenerous and contracted sentiments
—and who but the dullest of men could be guilty of bad
Latin and bad English in the same sentence. We speak
of a man with or having a " locus standi," but who ever
heard of a man of "locus standi." Again, " such a waste
of time as a holiday," might pass for English ; but it is
nonsense to ask the merchants of Liverpool whether
they ever heard or knew of "so much waste of time as a
holiday." -

Let us, in charity, hope that "A Liverpool Merchant"
will betake himself now and then to the green fi4ds and
refresh his intellect with a holiday ; and, instead of con-
deming the " Council worthies" for the lavish expenditure
of £7,000 or £B,OOO upon the recreation of the people on
such an occasion, let him calculate at how small a sacrifice
a day's enjoyment for 400,000 persons is.to be purchased.
—Yours, &c., YOUNG ENGLAND.
Liverpool, May 17, 1856.

THE 29Ta OF MAY AND THE MILITIA

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMIIS

Sir,—The Mayor stated at the last meeting of the
council, that a review of the militia artillery and military
pensioners would probably take place on the 29th. In
this morning's Albion, I see a paragraph stating that the
Artillery are to be disbanded on the 27th. If this latter
be true, no time should be lost in asking the military
authorities in London to continue the embodiment of both
the Artillery and 2nd Lancashire Militia, for at least three
days longer. so as to allow both regiments with the pen-
sioners, to appear in a review on the 29th.
I dare say if the Mayor and the two members for the
town were to represent the matter to Lords Pantnure and
Hardinge they would comply with the request—three
days could not make much difference in the time of dis-
bandment.—Yours, &c., M.
Why is the Museum to be closed on the 29th ? I see
placards stating it will be closed until the 2nd of June.
Would not any room but the Museum do for arranging
the plans for the new Museum ?

NAPLES, May 18. The secret-police are very
active in trying to ascertain what are the opinions and
feelings of the people, with a view to check and punish,
and no regret would be felt at any disturbance which
might have the effect of compromising the liberals
giving the semblance of necessity to any harsh measures"
Thus, in Campo Basso, it was spread abroad, by insinua-
tion of the government, that a constitution would shortly
be given, and an amnesty granted. The rejoicings of
the unwary betrayed their sentiments to the police.
The good news was contradicted on the following day,
and a petition against the restoration of the constitution
was carried about amongst the merchants for signature.

MOIIMPOI,.MWmmigIMtkWiIig.

POLICE COURT.-YESTERDAY

(BEFoRE MIL SANDS.)

ROBBERY PF SHAM—James Conway and Michael
M'Manon, two ill looking young fellows, were brought
up on a charge of having broken into the house of Mrs.
Pe• kins, a washerwoman residing in Union-street, and
stealing eighteen shirts on the night of the 14th instant.
The shirts were discovered when offered for sale i❑ the
neighbourhood, for Is 6d each. The prisoners were
remanded.

A YArrx.ve CAPTAIN " DONE BROWN."—A young
fellow, dressed in the most extravagant style of a sailor,
wearing rings, &c , whose name was given as Matthew
Plunkett, was charged with.having swindled an American
named Sheppard Blanchard, the captain of the ship
Mountain Zephyr. Mr. Snowball appeared for the
prisoner. The complainant, who did not look particu-
larly " verdant," stated that on Monday he Met the
prisoner, who represented himself as just having arrived
from China, and asked him to purchase some
The complainant declined the cigars, ant then 60
prisoner said he had a beautiful East India Shawl worth
67 dollars ; he wanted money, and he would willingly
dispose of it at a sacrifice (of courFe !) as he preferred
an

ss if, rather than
would not give one

__ American captain to I
pledge it at a pawnbrokers, wh
tenth of the value for it. He wanted to go on lioard the
ship with the witness, but the latter refused, an
the prisoner took witness into the house ofJ. Greer

el at lasi

street, and in a very mysterious manner drew part of
a shawl from his pocket, and in a whisper said," This is
is the finest deicription of camel's 'hair, ai
rare specimen of manufacture; that the
ship had brotight two of the same sort—c
•

s a very