The Sun.
London, England, 1808-12-21 00:00:00

11/IMPSHIRE.ELECTION.

. ,
MONDAY, DEC. in —A Meeting vas this day
held at the Castle of WincheSter, in pursuance of
notice, to eleat a proper person to succeed Sir H.
Paulet St. John Mildmay, Bart. deceased, late a mem-
ber for this county, is Parliament. The Meeting
was very numerously and respectably attended.
The candidates were, the Honourable William Her-
bert, Thomas Freeman Heat hcote, Esq. and Sir John
, Pollen, Bart. of Rednam, near Andover. The Hatt.
William Herbert was proposed by Sir Thomas
Miller, Bart. seconded by Sir Charles Mill, Bart.
Mr. Heathcote was proposed by Sir Nathaniel
Holland, Bart. seconded by Sir Charles Rich, Bart:
After the necessary forms were gone through, and the
Sheriff had explained the purport of the Meeting,
Sir NATHANIEL HOLLAND recommended Mr.
Heathcote as a fit person to represent the county,
and called the attention of the Freeholders to one
' thing which he thought of importance, viz. his ins
dependence. He said Mr. Heathcote was truly in- '
dependent, and of a considerable fortune, and heir
to one of the largest estates in the county. He was I
particularly anxious to promote, to the utmost of his
abilities, the - interest of his native countyeand from '4
laudable motives wished to represent it. If he had
the honour and good fortune to be elected, Sir Na-
thaniel Holland assured the Meeting that Mr. Heath-
cote would do his duty honestly, faithfully, and dili-
'gently i and impressed with that idea, he hoped he
would be honoured with their approbation.
Mr. HERBERT then came forward and declared,
that he was not aEtuated by any motives of hostility
when he objet ed to Mr. Heathcote, which heedid
on account of his being Member for Bletchingly, in
Surrey, and as such could not accept his seat, as he
could not vacate his seat for illetchingly during the
recess of Parliament; and that to prevent mistakes,
he (Mr. Herbert) would read his objections, which
he did.
Mr. TODD (a Freeholder), presented a Protest,
signed by several freeholders, which he now read,
being, in effeet, the same objections to the election
bf Mr. Heathcote as were stated by Mr. Herbert.
Mr. 'BIGWITHER, on the part of himself and the
other Freeholders, who conceived Mr. Heathcote to
be eligible, said, that he did not objeCt to receive
any paper, but reminded the High Sheriff that he
had jurisdiction to try this question. Mr. B. then
spoke of correspondence between Mr. Herbert and
Mr. Heathcote, in which Mr. Herbert said, that he
was conscious he had an inferiority of votes, and
that he meant to take the sense of the House of
Commons.' Mr. Bigwither requested the Freeholders
to recoiled the memorable case of Wilkes, and
with what disgust , his conduct was received for
taking his seat as a Member, with a majority of
votes. Mr. Heathcote was not the only Gentleman.
'who would be supported, as he should now propose
Sir John Pollen to their choice, which was, duly
seconded ; , and to say all in a word, they did not .
make any objections to papers put in and read ; to
shew that they did not go on light grounds, they
insisted on the words of the AEI, which says, that
on receiving a place of profit under the Crown, the
eledion is void, as though the Member were dead ;
was the eledion to be postponed to the next Parlia-
ment ? He said - that Mr. Heathcote was fortified
by the best legal opinions, and that they had no
doubt of his eligibility.
Mr. HERBERT said, it was necessary for' him to
say a few words. It was said that he acknowledged
that he had a minority ; he denied this. He stated
that he had said, 'considering the great weight of
Government, he did not exped to out-number.
Mr. Heathcote on the poll ; but he said, that
against any person eligible, he should have a majo-
rity.

Mr.HEATHcoTE said, that not withstanding.the
idea had gone abroad of his meeligibility, he was sa-
tisfied that he was perfe&ly eligible, that he had
accepted of the Chiltern Hundreds, awl his seat for
Bietchingly was thereby vacated ; added to thit, he
had the best opinions in the country that he was eli-
gible, and called on the Freeholders for a repetition
of their kindness in going to a poll for him.
The SHERIFF, under the circumstances, thought
it was his straight-forward duty to discover the judg-
ment of the parties by a show of hats, which was.
dtcidedly for Mr. Heathcote.

Mr. HERBERT demanded a poll.
SirJonN POLLEN said, he only wished to repre-
sent the County for fear Mr. Herbert should steal in.
He had no other pretension but to prevent him from
doing so.
Mr. HERBERT then adverted to what had fallen
from Sir John Pollen, and that he trusted there had
been nothing secret in his conduit that warranted
such a construetion—,his conca& was fair and open
in every way.
Sir JOHN explained.

Mr. ROSE apologized to the Meeting, and said,
that as to the doubt of Mr. Heathcote's eligibility,
he thought it right to acquit Mr. Herbert of any
dishonourable intentions in any' thing done by him ;
he thought Mr. Herbert could not do a dishonourable
thing. As to Mr. Heathcote, he thought that no per-
son was more eligible;. if any one thing was better
established, it was that accepting a place vacated a seat,
and receiving the Chiltern Hundreds vacated a seat.
He then said, he had advised Mr. Heathcote to take
more than ordinary caution in ailing, as he supposed
his friend Mr. Herbert would, no doubt, send it tn
the House of CoITIIIIOFF,'. Mr. Rose rested, he said,
on the highest authority, that Mr. Heathcote had as
firm a seat, if eleaed, as ever was in Parliament in
this world ; he said that there was no doubt that the
Chiltern Hundreds might bc given in vacation ; it
was usually given as a matter of course, whether to
a friend or toe; it was once- refused during the re-
cess, because a borough was to be kept open for a
considerable time, but as it is now so near a meeting
of Parliament, Mr. Heathcote obtained the Chiltern
Hundreds.

Mr. PORTALS., of Freefolk, addressed the Meet-
ing. Mr. Rose had said, that there was no difficulty
in getting the Chiltern Hundreds in the .recess. The
question was, whether the Member accepting that
place ought not to have something further done to
complete the vacancy ? He had always understood
that before the Speaker issued a new Writ, he re-
quired some proot 01 the accepting of an office.
Mr. ROSE explained, and said, that .41-the present
Herbert might Ole House,
ins.tance

-tnd that it would then brim; the question fai.rlY
be tried. Ha said questions h:!4:1 arisen as to'i'c"';
ing Seats, which had always gone to a Comlniuo'r
but it had always been decided, hat accepting t:,
Chiltern Hundreds vacated a Seat ; there bad Y 0
a hundred instances of it on the Journaii.
question will be, whether accepting the Chilte'l,
Hundreds in the recess be legal or not ? Nut a-g)%
lable or word was ever said about accepting a
in or out Paarliatnent.

- ----------
Mr. BARHAM, Member for Stockbridge, 55'.
that it was a question of doubt, and that it was evi;
dent it was so, by the friends of Mr. Heathcot
having put up a third person. He stated the grounds
on which he thought Mr. fieathcote ineligible ; he
had frequently moved for the Chiltern 1-fondro.ll,.
having once accepted them himself. He said 03:11
the Speaker did require some assurance of thee:cell':
ance of the office, the grant without the acceptocici
-did not complete the act ; of Mr. Barham himgc"
that assurance was aatually dem:inded by the Spelkerr
The vacancy is not complete till it is settled in...rul
House whether the vacancy should be made. 113t,
sell says, that it does not vacate a seat,: it net beiug - A
place of profit.

- .
Mr. ROSE again said, that he would not say what
a Committee would do ; averred most soletnr.c_
that the Speaker nevr called for a proof of . the act
ceptance within his recolletiion ; lie had Ptlind
fifty times moved for the Chiltt,rn.,,Hundreci'
atter compltmenting Mr.'Hatsell, Mr. Bose CS
after Parliament had aEtecl thousand i113t1,-,ct,s
of thus vacating, he did not think. it likely
eii
Committee would decide that Parliament h4d
wrong a century in ,what they had been doing'
the usage of Parliament was the law of ParliarneLg
A poll-was demanded, and an adjournment ,Inr.
taken place, it was agreed that the poll.should beo
to-morrow (this day), at ten o'clock. '