The Sun.
London, England, 1830-08-05 00:00:00

GENERAL ELECTION.

RYF;.
This election closed on Monday last, after the
poll had been kept open three days, a circumstance
unparalleled in the representative history of Rye.
To a certain extent, therefore, the late decision of
the Committee which seated Colonel Evans has
proved beneficial, inasmuch as the town has been
roused, and its attention has been kept alive during
the whole of the above period, to the vast importance
of the elective franchise ; but, with regard to actual
representation, we regret to find the inhabitants ap-
pear to have gained little advantage by the judgment
of the Committee, for, notwithstanding the clear and
express declarations contained in the report pre-
sented to, and adopted by, the House of Commons
the returning officer, under the advice of Mr. Serj.
Ludlow, his assessor, has ventured to reject altoge-
ther the votes put upon the poll by the Committee,
and to make the return in favour of the very parties
against whose assumed exclusive jurisdiction the
Committee positively decided. Thus it will be
found that Colonel Baillie and Mr. Bonham, the
reverend patron's nominees, only mustered about
twelve votes, while Colonel Evans and Mr. Benj.
Smith; the members chosen by the town, polled
nearly two thousand each, besides six even of the
corporator' themselves, and yet the two former
have been declared duly elected.
It must be a subject of deep and national concern,
that in the present advanced state of our constitu-
tional knowledge any returning officer could be found
so callous to the general and avowed feelings of his
country, as to seek the restoration of a notoriously
rotten borough, and most especially when he could
have incurred no risk by acting in accordance with
the decision of a Committee duly authorized by the
House of Commons to declare the right of voting;
but we will venture to affirm it will be matter of
something more than astonishment when the grounds
upon which the returning officer for Rye assumed to
treat the proceedings of the House of Commons as
perfectly nugatory shall become known. These
grounds were, not that the parties had in any way
forfeited their elective franchise since the decision
of the Committee—not because their qttalifications
were at all questionable, but because forsooth I they
had not undergone the expensive process of a law
suit to establish their right of voting after it had been
established by the Committee.
It will be recollected that the Committee declared
the right of voting for this town to be in the Free-
men and Barons of the Cinque Ports, and that every
substantial inhabitant who had resided in the town
a year and a day was entitled to his freedom; but
that such freemen must be duly admitted and sworn.
On examining the votes tendered for Colonel Evany,
it appeared that several persons had applied to the
Mayor previous to the election to be admitted to
their freedom, but that he had refused to comply
with their request, and the Committee therefore
ordered the votes of such persons to be put upon
the poll. Subsequently to the decision of the Com-
mittee, the same parties, together with a numerous
body of respectable inhabitant'', repeated their de-
mands, but the Mayor still refused to admit and
swear them; and yet this same Mayor, who acted
as returning officer at the election just ended, taking
advantage of his own wrong, absolutely set the
House of Commons at defiance, and refused to
acknowledge even the votes which were put upon
the poll by the Committee, because the parties had
not been to the Court of King's Bench for a
mandamus, to confirm the decision of the Committee,
or, in other words, to compel him to admit and
swear them, his only objection being that they were
not duly admitted and sworn.

The question is of serious and momentous im-
port, for, if the decisions of a Committee of the
House of Common's, relative to a right of voting,
are to be made subservient to the rules of the Court
of King's Bench, er any other Court, what security
have we for our representative system ?
It is an acknowledged principle of Parliamentary
law, that the more ancient the usage which can be
established in favour of a right to vote for Members
of Parliament the more it is respected, and the more
certain guide is it considered. The King's Bench,
on the other hand, confines itself very greatly to
modern usage, and if a custom is proved to have
existed for fifty or sixty years immediately preceding
a trial, it will not allow any proof of ancient usage
to be entered into, so that, according to the prin-
ciple adopted by the returning officer for Rye there
will be no possibility of his fellow-townsmen ever
recovering
systemtheir elective franchise, however corrupt,
odious and detestable the may have been
through which they have been deprived of the ex-
ercise of it. And even if the Court of King's
Bench should alter its present rule of proceed:ng in
such cases, a person whose' vote has - been declared
good by the House of Commons must spend 2001.
in obtaining a mandamus before be can exercise his
right, when, perhaps, he has not as many shillings
which he can safely withdraw from his business or
income.. We can assure the Mayor of Rye that
such doctrines do not suit the spirit of the age.
They are not in accordance with the feelings of the
country. Already a strong sensation has been
created in Rye and the whole neighbourhood around,
and another such decision as he has ventured to
pronounce will put half England in an uproar.

SHAFTESBURY,
The result of this election will probable deter-
mine not only the fate of Lord Grosvenor's interest
in this and other boroughs, but also that of other
Noblemen in a number of adjacent boroughs. In
order to secure an ascendancy in these places two
methods have been adopted ; first to fill up all
the offices of magistracy and parochial Management,
with persona who are dependent for their business
on the proprietor of the borough-houses; and the
next to reduce to poverty all those who occupy free
houses in order. to cut off their votes by making
them, paupers or disabling them from paying the
poor-rates. In this way the arrangements have been
so far successful as to have placed nearly all the open
boroughs in this part of the country in the hands of
individual Gentlemen or Noblemen, who, by means
of an agent in London, and one or more in the
country, have managed to return their nominees to
Piirliament. The agents, however, have become
so numerous and undisguised in their operations,
and the system has worked so ruinously to the in-
habitants that a strenuous effort is now making to
cast off the yoke, and there is every reason to be-
lieve that in this place it will be successful, not.
withstanding that the Overseers, (with one excep-
tion) the Magistrates, and the returning Officer,
are the dependents 'or agents of Lord Grove/Mr.
Mr. Jones, the London agent, is also here, and
intimation has been given that those whovote for
the popular candidate, Mr. Knowles, will bring cer-
tain ruin on their own heads and that of their fa-
milies.

The election is now going on with great spirit,
the town is full of people from alt the surrounding
parishes. The neighbouring gentry also flock to the
Town-hall as to a county election. Every vote is
scrutinised as though the election depended on a
single vote, and the popular feeling is expressed
against the agents of Lord Grosvenor, in a manner
the most unequivocal we have ever witnessed. No
riot or disturbance has, however, yet taken place, but
the agents are so completely under the controul of
the public feeling, that for the first time for the last
century the proceedings are conducted with singular
openness and fairness. All the votes hitherto given
for Lord Grosvenor's nominees hew been split
votes, and Mr. Knowles's are with a single excep-
tion plumpers. At the close of the poll on Tuesday,
the numbers were equal, each one having polled 28
votes,
The poll opened this morning at eleven, and after
an ineffectual attempt to change the course of the
proceedings on the part of Lord Grosvenor's agents,
who wished to state their objections to the voters 1
apart from the multitude, was opened with great I
spirit by four plumpers voting for Mr. Knowles.
The proceedings are now going on with regularity,
and the polling is at this moment in favour of Mr.
Knowles. Just now two vows split rot

Knowles and Pearbyn, who will probably bathe
successful candidates. The cheering wheats vote
it given for Mr. Knowles, it most tumultuous.
Mr. Knowles has pledged himself to support Plea-
sures for the destruction of every species of mo-
nopoly--a gradual reform of Parliament—and the
abolition of slavery; and to resign his seat when-
ever called on to do so by a majority of his own
voters. Whether Lord Grosvenor or Mr. Knowles
succeeds, it will be necessary for Mr. Jones, Lord
Grosvenor's London agent, to return privately, as
the exasperation against him will render it unsafe
for him to attempt to return as be came, in triumph,A
voter has just given a plumper (the first) for
Penrhyn, and another for Knowles, which has led
to immense cheering—" Knowles for ever," and
" Down with Jones."
One of the bankers, Robert Storey, Esq., and
Gregory Doyle, Esq., a Catholic gentleman of inde-
pendent: fortune, has just given a plumper for
Kociveles. Mr. Doyle said it was the first time in
his life he had done any act contrary to the wish of
his friend Mr. Bowles, but his conscience would or
allow him to support the system adopted by $OO2
of Lord Grusvenor's agents, and his heart gave the
preference to Mr. Knowles. A short speech which ,
he made to this effect was most loudly cheered, al
affording proof of the justice and benefit of the late
Catholic Emancipation Bill. The bribery oilb it
atAvteidimenmvwfteonisnteoiesfsteLwroehdrdicroi
trheovesevhryeonnoevr:osttfeaergi.leonwtTes,heanexhdribbineitetrwhfuehlosiol:c7pre
up to the poll to give plumper, for Knowles in fon
fellowshyoent
receivei sn i
go ,n
wipti hiihseaonstveon will
rotwnhttelessiydaariffivt
enerne bhteaoytitunhri
rne contrastepdo
pool
dool uhtathigmona
that
nt
obrsft doors
dt
theoh,ei I
if;o:
Orje
..._10::,
that
rsawt
heho whaesugiidvneont hrecieeivvoeteanytor
yoKteinw:l;:d_
Penryhn, has just asked Mr. Penrhyn liinv he ct
not also given to Dugdale. Mr. Poor
silly, but gave no answer.
State of the poll at two o'clock
'll
Penrhya 67
Dugdale .. 60
for 141.
The latter is the son of the Member
wick, and connected with Mr. Portman the MNl:eit
mGarTno whosevhi en: ancestors
followingtof
fietown
oFern,wn
Member. Mr. Penrhyn is strongly recom,lntniii
by Mr. Leycester the late respected mow 0",
borough. Mr. Knowles was introduced by ir.
aa
sngentlemanformerlyneighbourhood.
represented
il
rne
sh taehsnet
e nd e
beenti
and has the hearty support of every independot
just livid
into the hell :
ELECTORS
OF SHAFTESBURY. a
Four things are wanting to raise rat to coulf°ll,,,tbe
duties ;
prosperity.—Pure water.--Constont employment 7.„,„
poor. An open and unsuspected administration of J—ii
tice. A perfectly free and talented Neitspaper. 14(,,
the moment to secure all these. Shaw Lord Gro""0-0,
that you understand your interests, your rights, tool a
he will serve you. Now is the moment for him to 1
in aloft, that you are worthy to be served's!
away a stain from his reputation. Let him prove to
,10
ghltobourboo,
country that he bought your houses to rescue you Tip
the bonds of unprincipled men; that he has been gi
~
ally working to secure your liberty ; and that now I°,
have proved yourselves worthy of freedom, he wilblo
you should enjoy its blessings.
To be buroi:fh!
and all the above.natned blessings will be your's wil°
year from this day. ill
respect.
Crehsopctedth,ermusnallvuhstompryoovuer
heart
tsetolvoesst lovpoprtri..byt°l6,
Francis Charles Knowles is the man who lies woo
rd
hearts. Be faithful to his cause, and he will help lArse
Grosvenor to help you. Abandon yourselves and r' d
children now, and all the world will point the OKA
scorn at you. You will then prove that you no r- '
Fools and Knaves. Your Faithful Frien4.
Shaftesbury, Aug, 3, 1830.

BEDFORD.—WznxesnAT Evuworcl. ~
The progress of this election is regarded with tbe lit
"" &riling I
most interest throughout the town, every """' 2.. t. of
,r conclusive of the question whether the no --e'°4o'l Li,
oil
the
for this town is to continue or not in tl
01,
hall
Bedford and Whitbread families, who for.vvileg,
all a century have uninterruptedly e.sercieed the Pr; 11,0
n s distin
each of naming one of the Members. DePna
'hi
tern
is no question involved, for as respects political ont'fu ii
wished his opponents. HO
neither attempts to impeach the other ; Indeed' Lis ;irter
cant be judged from Mr. Polhill's speeches, it is 01:1.1., 0
.71. if elected, to pursue the same course °f Pll3l ba
been made of the 'tate fthe poll, Welt Pr°gr—
o -
under :-- Hourly publicst:Li

aose of the poll for the day. 467
. .
Whitbread ............................ ,
4:,d
Polhill ...... ~,r,
Russell. .................................. s.,-
On the numbers being announced, the til
Mr. Warrisagan advanced, and after htliting ..,0111
feelings of gratitude had become stronger from the,"o,,A,
of that days proceedings, be adverted to * chaillietrror
against him of having said that the electors in eivbst i''
of Mr. Polhill were all drunk the day before..n h, tali
said, was said jocularly, nor did be ever saYl7; illa (*IA
said (and what certainly appeared to him to r; you IP"
attfaohhilraieuitabndauettathtkgayawielotnubottfeahutreernheymeeihinadmowtniesnoreegoro.dtienanceike.wi—n
nw(oLbwoa.ut,:bl)...e Grid
t....
.4,01_1`
uicatribe •
oeurerie
—He trusted they were satisfied, and be Wow' -
ntl
i fid°"l4
Captain Potatar. said he had once more tb° a °
pleasure of congratulating themselves and b Mi. f r
terday. He readily ggaavineediur.ndWwhilitibehreadbelltertehdg3t,f,:rtull':°
assurance he had just made, for he
~,i°l3 II
his gentlemanly feelings would not Pe —Of l- rd
to give intentional offence to any one. ~ tbeer
J. Russell be wished ever to speak to 'l, 0010;
of him, with the highest respect—his talent ly—,,a prio-
tionably great, and his conduct both in public °l,',: triel re;
life unblemished. With t to himself, " uhi ee.
turned him (and in fact, as the poll stood, they 6'0,10
do otherwise) he would use his utmost endeavours 'i tht
the promises he made to them on the first day"
election. had b°'
noosed LordiJ!!
to. Rohtitleeiessasr!th:tter. akiebeggniardynoerotel
act.: a
ntiliactlkttdioistitortviedibgofrreoin.: settliiierol:
Osyttibtaohobcof
been
nytecrw.u:r.lou
renorkhprduerro—i
oodehn:wodniejeolim(ee
r:wtAin.gluhsio voice a •ai cbea
d e from
chance."
ot e
eh e. crowd
,i The
olibes rear s
a !called
ioo weac:i'l: i
,i 1 , 0
ill;0'
,—Ther 'll many I°lEl ul
rWrj
besides which there! were
"I.
1" fto
the '
remainedlOti fotto 111 ~..4
Mr. P
r. . ULLltir said, that with respect to the --
t tha°
Assessor's room, he could assure them that nor obs
~otuesn.tits )osed o 01,
in favour of Mr. Polhill. An iuttilleeetaii,l
Lord
I.
Russet
ud.ay olfieawonuialdnuobetisnag offe.rell f/tio'lle by r,,,..
y this War jto tv
Russell—he did not think it was—be entertitlyteno9,l
ngua'oufldtheespeeursosanualeticohnarasacbteerinogf
dtoboaetr.„,., i,,
aff.'f4
Mr. J. HOWAILD, after eulogising the chsrerterrotiour°4
J. Russell, proceeded to explain that in the ob'eoligisa
Is had made on a former day respecting ilie.l,„rie,
opinions of Lord J. Russell, he did net mean to mint
r
him either being an Atheist or a Deist--be Pejitcouloija:
convey that his Lordship's publicly avowed rr,,l-,
ciples went so far as to the protection of sac' %olio"-
Carlisle and Taylor in the utterance of dm' r
docLtriorndelli Russzt.t. said, that with ..,001
of a man having been offered Si. to vote fdr blip fiteO'
terly disbelieved it. He was sorry to say that die ecer
bad been treatedunfairly before end during _Ali
berth j it V.-11,1
test. Electors had been purposely misled, IT voll. „.
that he imputed his present situation OA gul a O'N ,1
reiped to tbetr'helitt
knew great industry had been used ie ntolls, ,
pressien of the conduct of the family oft he 1
~ention ,
his recollection of it could not be effaced hec",1:0,11 l'''r
thought proper to say a few kind words of "
el
,00
tonally at that late period of the contest. . iiaut
Mr. POLHILL stepped forward. if theithel% svsl *
thrown out were must intended for hhn, he is —' fo.
most bare one. r. .
..a.tressiog )I..blaq
Lord J. Rosana, interposed, and, s"'''; have 'P -.6%.
bill, said, from the first of theelection s"- or teP-I
1.40 t err ach
said, twit what you sought was a fair 0 ?", "or i.-.-
antkidascertal 114.nlYyadird
nonto4thijundgeosobjeyeatuiu.nabk °do%
sheni
de
Mr. P°LOILL-1 beg your Lordship 'a Per
~an de to tele.
Mr. Put.i.xy—Did your Lordship 1 of
man 1 an explicit answer. _ ,ofer, ~, 0,
Lard J. Russnia.—Since you demand an 11 014"
~ i ,ba ~)
that, from the persons to whom 1 illooeuo hrsvo' ioip
exception of Mr. Pulley.—(Cries of "Borbi, Prislll
Mr. PuLtay.—Then I can only ILO> shag tose'ojettsi
hes uttered a great falsehood in Ch4/:ag17,10 WI;
'Toolridge, one of the c4eperation iteibm°l

Mr. Pulley; but that gentleman proceeded to argue that
his only opposition had been political, and not peminal.]
The MATos then adjourned the poll till ten o'clock the
nut morning.

OXFORD, WEDNEXDAY.
The contest for this city terminated this afternoon, at
three o'clock. At the close of the pull the number+ were—
Langston l,lOB
Hughes 1,054
Lockhart 750
Number polled 1,779
Mr. Langston and Mr. Hughes Hughes were therefore
declared duly elected, and were immediately afterwards
ellitired,

COLCHESTER. WEDNESDAY, FOUTH DAY.
The contest for this-borough has proved one of the
mit remarkable to be found in the history of electioneer-
ing. Mr. Mrilhew, who has not the most distant chance
of sweets, is keeping the poll open at no inconsiderable
trouble, inconvenience, and expellee to himself, solely with
the view of anaoying his opponents. During the whole
of this day there were only twenty-nine votes recorded for
the three candidates, and the Mayor having caused pro-
elamition to be made for closing the election, Mr.
Mayhew actually voted for himself, tacitly admitting that
his strength was exhausted.
The numbers were m fallow .
For Mr, Harvey 646
Spottiswoode....., 669
May hew ..811

HASTIG.
The election tools place hereN on S
Friday last, when the
following seas the state of the poll at the close:—
Mr. Warre . . ............................ 12'7
Mr. Otway Cave ........................ 124
Mr. Serjeant T0ddy..,,,,.. . ............ b 7
Mr. Planta... .......................
Lieut.-Geo. Sir H. Pane ............... 17
The two first were elected by the people, the two last by
the Corporation. It remains to be proved before a Com-
mittee of the House of Commons, which are to take their
seats, The new Corporation, as they are called, with
their Members, dined together at the Swan Hotel, when
mirth and order prevailed to a late heur.—.Briyhton Gaz.

SOUTHWARK ELECTION-THIS DAY.

Mr. Calvert having last night retired from the contest,
at ten o'clock this morning, the High Bailiff, accompanied
by the successfulisandidates, attended at the busting. for
the Purpose of declaring the result of the election.
After having briefly addressed the electors, the High
Bailiff reported the number of votes for the respective
emulidate ,e and declared that John Rawlinson Harris, Esq.
lad Sit' Robert Wilson, bad been duly elected.
The numbers were as follows :
Harris
1634
Wilson
1434,
Calvert ...............
The candidates severally returned thanks ; after which
the populace dispersed.
MIDDLESEX ELECTION. -(THIS DAY.)
Thie being the day appointed for the election of two
persons to represent the county of Middlesex in Parliament
It an early hour this morning a great number of voters
arrived at Brentford. The hustings were, as usual, erected
in the Marketplace. About ten o'clock, the time originally
appointed for the election, several gentlemen arrived on
horseback, among whom we noticed Sir Francis Burdett
and John Cam Hobhouse, Esq. The Under Sheriffs
arrived soon alter, and the usual proclamation having been
'Untie Mr. Under.sherlff Richardson addressed the electors,
and stated , that the Sheriffs being commanded to attend
hie Majesty In his progress through the City the business
of the day would not commence until two o'clock. At
about half:put eleven o'clock Joseph Hume, Esq. arrived,
attended by a cavalcade of horsemen and carriages that
emended nearly a mile. He was loudly cheered as he
passed
Dougthrouh the town. Mr. Brig had not arrived at
the time the
left.
It was generally understood that there would be no
opposition.