The Sun.
London, England, 1831-08-26 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

At Half-past Three o'clock the SPEAW:ER took his seat.
THE DUBLIN ELECTION.
Mr. CRAMPTON presented a petition, which he said
deserved the serious consideration of the House, as con-
nected with the purity of election and the privileges of
this House. It was signed by one of the candidates at
the late Dublin Election, Mr. Serjeant Ologhlin, and
by certain freeholders, complaining of gross partiality and
misconduct on the part of the Sheriffs during the election.
If tie statement in the petition was true, and from the
respntahility of the petitioners, he (Mr. Cranipton) could
not doubt it, the conduct of the Sheriffs was highly repre-
hensible. According to the Act of Parliament, the Sheriffs
were to erect five booths, three for freeholders and two for
freemen, and the arrangement was so ordered that not
more than 800 could poll at each booth. The first com-
plaint against the Sheriffs was, that contrary to the ar-
rangements made in accordance with the Act, they, without
any previous intimation to the Reform candidates, but
appearing to be in the interest of the corporation candi-
dates, thought proper to transfer 500 voters from one
booth to another ; this had the effect of creating consider-
able confusion, for many vt term ran about without knowing
where to vote. At each booth a deputy was, as regulated
by law, stationed ; there were five deputies, of which four
were in the interest of the Corporation, and it appeared
from the statement of the petitioners they bad acted with
. gloss impartiality.
Mr. W. WYNN interrupted the Hon. Member by
calling him to order, as this was, properly speaking, an
election petition, arid therefore it was unfair to the parties
concerned to make these statements.
Mr. GRATTAN contended that the subject matter of
the petition was fit fur the consideration of the House,
and he protested against the interruption by the Right
Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Wynn.)
The SPEAKER conceived that this was more in the
nature of an election petition, and as the return had not
been made to the Crown Office,* it was too early to
present any election petition.. If the prayer, of the House
was for a remedy, clearly the House could afford none, as,
by law the charges would he subject to inquiry. before',a,
Special Committee upon an election petition.
Mr. CRAMPTON said the petition prayed for a remedy,
and also that in the Reform hill, now before the House, it
should be provided that the sheriff's elected by corporations
should not be allowed to be the returning officers. He
therefore hoped that this latter prayer would justify the
House in receiving the petition.
The SPEAKER said it appeared to him that the inser.

ion of one prayer for a general 'e,islative object could not
be received if it was accompanied by another prayer fur
a remedy for individual grievances.
After a few words from Mr. HUME, who thought that
the petition ought to be received,
Mr. CRAMPTON consented to withdraw the petition,
though he felt satisfied that the statements it contained de-
manded investigation.
Mr. LAMBERT presented two petitions, one from
the Roman Catholic inhabitants, and the other from the
Protestant inhabitants of New Ross, praying that the
yeomanry of the county of Wexford may be disarmed,
and remodelled. Many of the petitioners were within
his (Mr. Lamberts) knowledge highly respectable and
wealthy. He did not wish that any unjust or harsh cen-
sures should be mule on the yeomanry, but he was sorry
to state that there was too much truth in the com-
plaints that had been made of that body.—(l-lear, hear..;
The petitioners stated that the yeomanry of Wexford were
nearly all of them Protestants of low character, and chiefly
apprentice boys, from whose discriminiate use of arms
great mischief had arisen. They prayed that the yeo-
manry might be remodelled, and that it might consist of
persons not only of all denominations, but of persons who
had an interest in preserving peace. The Hon. Member
designated the late affair at Newtownbarry as wanton,
unprovoked, and he had too much reason to fear of a
very deliberate character..—( Hear, hear. ) The attention
of the public had been called to a memorial connected
with this subject, presented to the Noble Lord at the bead
of the Treasury, and it had been said in another place, as
well as by the newspaers, that the memorial was factious,
and
Rot uP mule.; the s;:nction nf the Hon. Member for
Kerry, (Mr, O'Connell.) This he denh d ; it was a
remonstrance drawn up by respectable and honourable
men who had no Bing to ask of the Government for
themselves—(Hear)—per sons who scorned to use a threat
to the Government as bad been charged to them. He,
(Mr. Lambert) first took the memori I, already signed by
several persons, to the Honourable and leaioed Member for
Kerry for his signit.turc% lie had also been cal!ed a crea-
: easosiertthilo. e had
eniill and
Learneddisagreed It: rt
t but
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s
bou
gleiber ti:trid.egatloAoiriti,i.)Aoszi:evx)ee,asr,wt.tcb.,)t)ri
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that
ti in
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Member House, b ;.;;:a !ed
donesva
tor Irehtd, he yet expected to see him go Mimi) further.
He entreated his Majesty's Ministers '
be knew
and' at once, to begin the regeneration of !relaud ;
td ecoinikmneetnytethere were difficulties in the way, but they were
'[ELL
LpLei sreevgtireatntec(ei (
that tlehteerlcinoinn.at.Aioleni:nber
d n such severe terms on the yeomanry in It eland.ilad
Ike differed with that Hen. Member yucll as 'it was. I
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fossiote for 9;l'e mn to dij another, lie held in Iris