The Sun.
London, England, 1865-07-31 00:00:00

Iting's County Election.

Owing to the illness of the high sheriff and to
some delay in the delivery of the poll-books the
court was not opened until 12 o'clock, when Mr.
Longworth, the high sheriff, accompanied by his as-
sessor, Mr. Dames, and the candidates, appeared
upon the bench. Mr. Dames broke the seals of one
of the books, and said that he would perform the
task of totting them, as the high sheriff was too ill
to perform that duty. Mr. Longworth, who ap-
peared extremely indisposed, then left the court and
sat in the judges' retiring-room during the counting
of the votes. The totting was not concluded by
Mr. Dames until half-past two, and then he left the
court for the high sheriff, with whom he returned,
and to whom he handed the result of the totting.
Several objections had been made by Mr. Mitchell,
and Mr. Leech, as well as by Mr. Hennessy, to the
manner in which Mr. Dames had added up the
votes, but Mr. Dames had overruled them. The final
result, according to Mr. Dames's calculations having
been placed in the sheriff's hands.
Mr. Porn HENNESSY said :--•" I desire, Mr.
High Sheriff, to tender some objections to these
figures, and to this proceeding," and then read a
paper which Mr. Adam Mitchell, his agent, had
drawn .up in court. As well as we understood the
paper of objections set forth that the assessor had
not accurately added up the votes ; that the number
of votes should be cast up by the sheriff himself or
by his deputy sheriff duly sworn ; that the assessor
had counted up votes for Sir Patrick O'Brien which
had actually been given, according to the statement
appearing on the face of the sheriff's poll-book, for
for Mr. Hennessy, that the assessor had cast up
votes for Sir Patrick O'Brien which the deputy
sheriff had deliberately obliterated,such votes having
been given before ; and that the assessorhad counted
three votes given byone voter, and had made several
other errors tending to reduce Mr. Hennessy's ma-
jority. An objection was also made that, being after
two o'clock, the state of the poll could not then be
declared. _

The HIGH SHERIFF read out the state of the poll
as follows :
King ... ••• ..• ••• ... 2192
O'Brien ••• ... 1246
Hennessy ... ••• ••• ..• 1240
And then declared Mr. King and Sir P. O'Brien
duly elected.
Mr. KING and Sir P. O'BRIEN returned thanks.
Mr. POPE HENNESSY, who was received with loud
and general cheering, said :—Electors of the King's
County, I can sincerely reciprocate the last remark
of Sir Patrick O'Brien. No political difference has
for the past six years influenced our personal rela-
tions, and I confidently trust no unfriendly spirit
may disturb our social intercourse in the future.
(Hear, hear.) He has said that at the final close of
the poll on Saturday he addressed the electors as a
defeated candidate. But the unexpected and re-
markable decisions now given by the assessor have'
not only affected, but actually reversed my majority,
and lam apparently defeated. I say apparently,
for the decisions against me are of such a nature as
to necessarily involve an inquiry before a parlia-
mentary committee. (Cheers.) To that impartial
tribunal the extraordinary circumstances of this
extraordinary election will be submitted, and I will
with confidence claim that seat which, for a second
time, the majority of the electors have given me.
(Loud cheering.) In the meantime I have to per-
form the pleasing duty of thanking my stanch
friends and supporters. Though, at this moment,
apparently defeated, I am not, whatever the result,
disgraced—(cheers)—and I will add, with truth,
lam not in the slightest disheartened. (Cheers.)
Even if the majority now announced against me
were not fictitious, I have no reason to despond. I
have youth, I have an honourable ambition, I have
honest principles. (Cheers.) I have a consistent
policy—(cheers)—l have devoted some time and
some labour to the service of my country—(loud
cheers)—and I have every reason to know that my
fellow countrymen have formed a most generous
estimate of my little public services, and that they
will not forget them. (Great cheering). But what-
ever I have been able to do in public life, and
whatever public position I have been placed in, it is
to you, the electors of King's County, that my gra-
titude is due. In 1859 you received me -when
I came here unknown, untried, and almost friend-
less ; on the announcement of my political prin-
ciples you adopted me, and sent me to the
house of Commons. I never can be sufficiently
grateful to the King's County for that act of gener-
ous confidence. It gave me a great opportunity,
an opportunity which I hope I have not lost. (Loud
cheers.) During the six years I have been in Par-
liament I have not been idle. (Cheers.) I may,
perhaps without presumption, venture to say that I
have not been unmindful of the responsibility of the
position you gave me. I have endeavoured to dis-
charge my public duties with some industry and
some zeal—(cheers)—and if I have done so likewise
with some success—(loud cheering)--that success in
public life is due to your confidence, your forbear-
ance, and your support. To the latest hour of my
life I shall remember your early and constant kind-
ness. It is you who have enabled me to plead the
cause of Ireland before the most intelligent and in-
fluential assembly in the world. In that assembly the
interests of Ireland require to be carefully watched,
and he who is entrusted with their guardianship has
no trifling or easy task. This has been especially the
case in lie late Parliament, when year after year our
population, our wealth, our general prosperity, and
our national hope have been declining. In facing a
hostile ministry an Irish representative had no sine-
cure duty. The present Government, apparently
mindful only of English interests, neglected Ireland
—(cheers)—much might have been accomplished for
our country by an administration really anxious for
our material welfare. I lost no occasion of pointing
this out. (Loud cheers.) Over and over again I indi-
cated the various measures which the country needed.
Though the influence of the ministry was always
against us, I am bound to say that in the House of
Commons there were, and I have no doubt will con-
tinue to be, many English and Scotch members who
arc really anxious for our welfare. (Cheers.) Espe-
cially, I always found amongst the representatives of
the agricultural districts of Great N.-Hain the greatest
•
sympathy with the agricultural population of Ire-
land. When during last session and the session
before I moved resolutions expressing regret at the
decline of our population, and calling on the Govern-
ment to adopt means for giving employment to the
People, 1 found the county members voting with
me. The same party that .supported the policy of
Lord George B entinck nearly twenty years ago is
be seen.in Parliament, and is to this day
animated with the same just and generous spirit,
and the same sincere desire for the advancement of
Ireland. (Loud cheers.) You have enabled me to
carry some measures which have already proved to
be most beneficial. I may,
perhaps, be pardoned
for alluding at such a moment as this to my
w
labours—(cheers)—but it is due to you, my friendson
and supporters, that I should do so. Five or aim
years ago the mortality of the orphans and deserted
children in Irish workhouses was a great scandal
and reproach to the country. When, during my 1
canvass, I called at one of the workhouses in this
county, the master said, " Formerly 90 per cent. of
these little infants died ; now, since your law has
been brought into operation, they are reared up
as healthy children, well conducted, and morally
trained." The law to which the master referred was
one I proposed, and succeeded in passing, after re-
peated divisions, by which these little children are
now reared out of the contaminating influences of
the workhouse, not only to their own physical and
moral advantage, but also to the benefit of the rate-
payers, for it has been proved that the cost of
bringing up the children outside is actually less than
the cost of rearing thenl within the walls of -the
workhouse. That, I venture to assert, was a useful
measure—(cheers)—and I am not the less proud of
it because it immediately concerns those who most
need protection, the destitute and deserted. (Cheers.)
It was my fortune to be able to carry other practical
amendments of the law, with the details of which I
need not trouble you now ; but I will only repeat
that whatever I have accomplished in that way is
the result in the first instance okyour generous con-
fidence in me. In referring to another subject I
(1° so because it is of some importance to every