The Sun.
London, England, 1841-01-12 00:00:00

T N. SUN, LONI)ON, TrESDAY..IidSTUARY 12. 1841.

COURT OF ALDERMEN.

Yesterday being Plough Monday, a Court of Alder•
men was held, for the purpose of receiving the present-
ments from the various Ward Inquests. Considerable
excitement prevailed in the crowded avenues to the
Court, particularly with regard to the election maters
of the Ward of Farringdon Without.

number of votes, and no scrutiny having been de-
minded they wished to know whether a new precept
would be issued for a new election.
The RecoisDelt said that the subject would he re-
ferred to the next Court of Aldermen. It is uoier-
stood that Mr. Lepard will not present himself in the
..,vent of a new election.

CONTESTED ELECTION OF FAItttI:4IGDON WITHOU F.
Sir PETER LAURIE presented ;A petition from the in-
habitants of Farringdon Without, to which he particu-
larly called the attention of the Court. Mr. Wells, the
barrister, one of the candidates, stood at the bar as
counsel for the petitioner.
The petition stated that a wardmote was held in the
ward of Farringdon Without on St. 'Thomas',-day for
the election of sixteen persons to serve the office of
Common Councilmen for the year ensuing. That Sir
James Duke was the Alderman, and the sole legal
presiding officer at the wardmote, and no other person
nod a legal right to reside or interfere in the proceed-
ings. That J. I3lacket, W. Beckwith, R. Taylor,
A. Galloway, J. Bedford, H. Price, J. Wells, J.
Itamshavv, It. Obbard, E. Hodson, J. Charles, H.
Marriott, J. Anderton, J. Elkins, W. Wont,
Harding, J. Barnard, and J. Sweet, were duly pro-
posed as candidates, and, after a show of hands, Sir
James Duke declared (but in the correctness of which
declaration the petitioners did not concur) the election
to have fallen upon ail, except Wells, Barnard, and
Sweet. That, immediately after such declaration, a
poll was legally and duly demanded for Wells, Barnard,
and Sweet, and opened at four o'clock in the afternoon,
and proceeded with for one hour, when the books were
closed for that day, and the wardmote afterwards ad-
journed to the hour of eleven o'clock in the fore-
noon on the following day, to be again pro-
ceeded with at the place aforesaid. That the
poll was accordingly again opened, and proceeded
with on the following day before Sir James Duke.
and so continued until between the hours of twelve and
two o'clock, when Sir James Duke voluntarily, and
without any legal or jurt cause, and for his own private
purpose departed from this plan and election, and nomi-
noted and placed \V. T. Copland, Esq., one of the
Aldermen, to preside at the wardmote instead of him,
during such absence, Sir James Duke taking off his
purple gown, and putting it upon W. 'l'. Copeland.
That many votes were, during the absence of Sir Jam a
Duke, illegally polled for several of the candidates.
That the petitioners were advised that by reason of such
absence the poll, the holding of the wardmote, and the
election thereby became vitiated and of no effect. After
a few words upon the injurious nature of such a prece-
dent, the petitioners concluded with praying to be at
liberty to prove the allegations, and that the Court
.could declare the election null and void, and issue an-
other precept for holding another wardmote for the
election of Common Councilmen for the ensuing year.
Sir PETER LAURIE said he was aware that the merits
of the petition could not be entered into on that occa-
sion. The course to be pursued was to request the
attendance of the petitioners, and their counsel on the
next Court•day.
Mr. WELLS said he considered it of great importance
to the inhabitants of the ward that the petition should
be entertained with all possible celerity.
Sir JAMES DUKE bogged to be allowed to say a few
words. He was anxious to declare that all the allega-
tions wera perfectly correct, and he trusted that the
Court, on such an occasion, would proceed, if possible,
to the immediate consideration of the petition.
The LORD MAYOR said it was quite out of the
question to enter upon such a subject on that day. A
full Court, and one unembarrassed with the multifarious
business of Plough Monday, must discuis a matter of such
a rerious nature.

Mr. WELLS declared that he was desirous to pro-
tect the petitioners from being damnified by delay or
contingent objections.
The RECORDER said that the Court could take steps
to prevent the ward from being unrepresented.
Mr. Wells and Sir James Duke again urged the
strong necessity which existed for proceeding at once
to the consideration of tho petition.
The LORD MAYOR repeated, and the law officers of
the Court coincided with his Lordship, that it was quite
impossible, consistently with the forms and regula-
tions of the Court, to proceed further in the matter at
that time

Mr. WELLS declared that the police rates were to
be signed, and several ministerial acts were to be per-
formed, and that therefore the necessity for imme-
diate consideration was most pressing, Besides, he
could prove at the bar that some of the candidates
were acting as members ut that moment.
Sic PETER LAURIE said he did not think it possible
that candidates, under such circumstances, could be
permitted, or would themselves wish to act.
The consideration of the petition was then appointed
for next Court day.

REPEAL OF THE UNION.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SlR—The manner in which you treat the question
of the Repeal of the Union, clearly indicates a complete
ignorance on your part, of the present state of Ireland.
Such is the depressing influence of the system by which
landlords have ground to powder their tenants, that they
can only be roused to oppose their tyrants by appeals
to their nationality and their religion, for these they
have suffered for centuries, and would suffer again. Toe
same cruel and relentless spirit of persecution, (but in a
different form) is carried on to-day by the Anglo-Irish
proprietors that existed centuries ago. From this curse
and that of the English Church, the people believe
that they never can be relieved but through the
agency of an Irish Parliament. This belief may be
heresy to an orthodox Englishman, who will not conde-
cend for a moment to place himself in the same condi-
tion, and imagine w•h it his own feelings would be under
similar circumstances. A strong national conviction on
this subject existing to the extent does i❑ 1 rebind, is
it not the duty of the Liberal party to avail themselves
of this only existing means of rousing the tenants to
vote against their landlords ? Your abstract political
questions the Irish do not understand, and what you
cannot obtain from the English tenant, you expect from
the Irish peasant, the most oppressed being on the face
of the earth. National enthusiasm can effect wonders, '
and O'Connell, notwithstanding all those contemptible
sneers of the English press one of the most practical
politicians that ever lived, has availed himself of it to
preserve the Liberal interests alive in Ireland. Do not
the repeaters vote for every liberal measure, and if they
should go one step farther then you do, why should you
insult them when you assert that the Union cannot be
repealed ? What mischief is done by this agitation, which
is the only means of preserving the liberal interest in Ire-
land? The Whigs in Ireland are bad landlords, they employ
Tory agents, they will not give a sufficient interest to
their tenants to enable them to vote ; they will not
form any indemnity fund for the persecuted voter. Six
counties in the North would have returned Liberals it
the Whig proprietors had done their duty. They avail
themselves of public patronage, &c., but they will make
no sacrifices. If you would denounce the selfish conduct
of the Whigs, and call upon them and the Catholic aris-
tocracy of England to sustai❑ by their purse the Irish
who swore their emancipation, you would serve the
Liberal cause. The people of Scotland for forty years
after their union, thought that its repeal was the only
remedy for their sufferings, yet they did not suffer one-
tenth of what the Irish suffer at present.
I am, your obedient servant,
GERALD DE COURCY.