The Sun.
London, England, 1837-07-15 00:00:00

PORTARLINGTON ELECTION.

Our contemporary the Morning Post has already had
enough, we suspect, of the cock-and-bull story of Lord Port-
Arlington selling his borough for 5,0001. and the promise of a
Marquisate. The Earl of Shrewsbury, the Roman Catholic
Earl alluded to in the article in The Post, gave the following
contradiction, which appeared in that paper of Thursday last :-
66 TO THE EDITOR OF THE MORNING POST.
" Sir,—My attention having been accidentally called to one
of the leading articles in your journal of Monday last, in
which I find myself most wantonly and grossly attacked (for
being the only English Roman Catholic Earl thb identity is at
once established), I call upon you to contradict and disavow
the calumnious charges you have brought against me, in as
public and conspicuous a manner as that in which you have
been pleased to bring them forward.
" I state in the most distinct and unqualified terms, that as
far as I am concerned there is no particle of truth whatever in
the transactions you have so minutely and so indignantly de-
scribed. I have no personal acquaintance with the Noble Earl
alluded te, nor did I know to whom your statement referred
till subsequently informed on the point. I was not even aware
of the existence of the borough in question, much less of the
peculiar circumstances in which it seems to be placed. I
never have been engaged in any electioneering traffic what-
ever, nor a party to any such bartering as that in which you
have attempted to implicate me.
" I am willing to believe that you have allowed yourself to
be duped by some profligate person (to use your own 'expres-
sion), into a belief of the calumnious statement you have put
forth ; but it is only a small palliation of the offence, to have
given such easy credence to the malignant fabrications of men
whose sole aim is to vilify and degrade her Majesty's Mini-
sters by the most base accusations, however unfounded they
may be, against those who think with them on great public
questions.—l remain, Sir, your most obedient servant.
" SHREWSBURY.

" 7, Stanhope-street, July 12, 1837."
Mr. Wright, the Roman Catholic banker, the other party
alluded to, sent yesterday the following letter to the Morning
Post, which we have no doubt will appear in that paper of
this day
" Sir,—Having yesterday seen a paragraph in your paper
stating a negotiation to have been pending between me and
Lord Portarlington for the representation of the borough of
Portarlington, I beg leave most unequivocally to state that I
never had the most distant idea of offering myself as a candi-
date for its representation ; nor was I authorised to treat for
it by any person or persons whatever.
I have nothing to do with his Lordship's property but in
the capacity of trustee; and so little do I interfere with poli-
tics that I did not know till I read it in your paper of an oppo-
sition existing against his Lordship's brother, the Honourable
Dawson Darner.
" I know not what political power my trust can confer ; but
if any, I am sure neither Mr. Mahony nor Mr. William Blount
(my co-trustees) would wish to make it available to breaking
down family arrangements; and let any tenant vote which way
he pleases, we will never be guilty of such a dereliction of
duty as to eject him from his tenure, or molest him in any way
whatever for his political votes or opinions, either in county or
borough. The remarks as to my conferring titles are too ab-
surd to reply to; hut as far as I have any control over the
fountain of honour, I certainly think myself authorised to dub
the person with the title of a most egregious ass who could
cram his brains and your columns with such absurdities.
" I am, &c.,
" JOHN WRIGHT."
Mr. Wright's letter requires no comment. " Let any te-
nant vote which way he pleases, we (i. e., himself and his co-
trustees) will never be guilty of such a dereliction of duty as
to eject him from his tenure, or molest him in any way what-
ever for his political votes or opinions, either in county or bo-
rougX."
We are not sorry that the Morning Post has, without in-
tending it, been instrumental in eliciting so seasonable a state-
ment.—Morning Cronicle.

CHELTENHAM-FRIDAY.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIR-I am the ironmonger alluded to in your second leader
of Thursday last, and although it is true that one of the Tory
Committee did, during their canvass, threaten me with the
witlu of his custom, for my firm but respectful assurance
ihat I could not conscientiously record my vote in favour of
their candidate, Mr. Jonathan Peel, my sense of justice and
regard for truth compel me to assert that the insinuation con-
tained in that article of the gentleman's being at all indebted
to me is a direct falsehood of your correspondent's.
Relying upon your insertion of this contradiction,
I am your obedient servant.
BENJ. NORMAN.