The Sun.
London, England, 1841-07-13 00:00:00

HERTFORDSHIRE ELECTION.

OFFICIAL DECLARATION OF THE POLL.

HERTFORD, JULY 12.—This day -having been ap-
pointed by the High Sheriff for the official declaration
of the numbers polled for the respective candidates at the
late election, from an early hour the town of Hertford
presented an aaimated appearance, bands of music pa-
raded the streets, and the colours of the successful candi-
dates were exhibited in all directions, with flags and
banners bearing the usual loyal and patriotic devices.
A splendid procr.‘ssson was formed by the friends of the
Conservative candidates, or rather members, and they
were escorted to the Plough Meed, where the declaration
was appointed to be made. Mr. Alston was also accom-
panied to the hustings by a number of his friends. But
as the High Sheriff was about to commence the proceed-
ings the rain came down in torrents. and continued to do
so during the whole of the proceedings.
The HIGH SHERIFF, soon after twelve o'clock, came
forward, and declared the numbers to be—

Grimston
Ryder
Smith 2,525
Alston
And he also declared that Lord Grimston, the lion.
Grenville Dudley Ryder, and Abel Smith, Esq., were
duly elected to represent the county of Hertford in the
next Parliament.—(Great cheering.)
Lord GRIMSTON then came forward. He said he
must be indeed insensible if he did not feel highly
gratified at the electors of Hertford having again re-
turned him to protect their interests in Parliament, and
they might rest assured that he would do so to the best
of his ability. They had fought the battle, and had
gained the victory—(Great cheering)—and he should
now do all in his power to convince their opponents that
the Conservative party desired only to do what was right,
and to make England what she had been, great, glorious,
and free.—(Cheers.) He had no feeling of hostility
to those who were opposed to him in political opi-
nion, but he would cordially join with them in
support of any good measure, and in doing
that which was right. 'Whether Tories, Radicals,
Chartists, or Whigs, they were all in the same
ship, and they must all swim or sink together. These
were not times when any party should abandon their
duty, and plunder the store-room or sacrifice their
vessel—they were bound to support the Captain so long
as he was placed over them. It was true they had no con-
fidence in their present Noble Captain.—(Cheers and
laughter.) They considered that while he had the helm
he had run the vessel among quicksands and had nearly
overset her, and that he had turned her at all events into
a free trader, and by the last rig very nearly into a slaver.
—(Cheers.) However, the people of England had sent
such a memorial to head-quarters, as he had no doubt
must have the effect of removing the present Captain,
and substituting one in his place who would enable the
vessel to weather the storm. The Noble Lord concluded
by again most cordially thanking the electors for the ho-
nour they had done him by returning him to Parliament
as their representative.—(Great cheering.)
_ _

Mr. RYDER next addressed the electors, and he was
received by his friends with the greatest enthusiasm.
He said he hoped they would pardon him for making use
of a metaphor, in stating that the political storm had
passed away, and that Hertfordshire now basked in the
sunshine of three Conservative representatives.—(Loud
cheers.) They had conferred upon him the most im-
portant, arduous, and honourable trust that an English-
man could ever receive at the hands of his fellow-
countrymen. They had entrusted to him the task of
protecting their interests, of advocating their opinions,
and of advancing the welfare of their common country,
and to those who had returned him to this honourable
office, lie tendered his best thanks for their cordial and
willing support. He should be false to his opinions if
he did not say that he rejoiced in his and their
triumph, but at the same time he could not
not help regretting the personal mortification to which
their opponents were subjected by their defeat ; but he
hoped that all such feelings would speedily be removed,
and that no ill-feeling or animosity would remain, but
that they should all return to their respective duties, en-
tertaining those kind feelings to each other upon which
all human happiness depended. He could assure them
that he was deeply sensible of the importance of the
task he had undertaken as their representative. The
great party he was pledged to support must soon have the
reins of power in their hands.—(Great cheering.) They
would take office with such a legacy of mismanagement
and discord as had never yet fallen to the lot of any
Government ; but he was sure that they would undertake
it, actuated only by one grand single object of pro-
tecting and advancing the interests of all classes
of that great community—(Cheers)—and England under
their guidance would still be governed by those institu-
tions that had made her the greatest and the most free
among the nations of the earth.—(Great cheering.) He
could also assure them, that in his place in Parliament
he should do all in his power to extend the blessings of
a moral and religious education among the people, but
he was quite sure that no education would be of any
purpose unless, at the same time, the principles of the
Gospel of Christ were implanted in their hearts.
Mr. A. SMITH said, that although he was satisfied
there were many more entitled to the honour of repre-
senting the county of Hertford than himself; yet he
would yield to no man in devotion to the great princi-
ples they entertained, and which they had elected him
to support. He could only assure them that he should
never be found wanting in his duty, but that he should
ever be ready to do his duty to his constituents.—(Great
cheers.)
Mr. ALSTON then came forward, and was received with
great enthusiasm by his friends. He said that he joined
most cordially in the wish that had been expressed by
his honourable opponent that all animosity upon the sub-
ject of the election might cease from that moment. He
also, like his opponents, must return thanks. They did
so for their success. He had a different task to perform.
He must return his sincere thanks to those honourable
electors who had supported him ; and when he
found that out of the votes he had received no
less than 1,446 were phunpers, he put it to
them all whether he was not bound to re-
turn
his most sincere and cordial thanks for such
support.—(Loud cheering.) He could assure them that
although he was defeated he was not at all mortified.
His friends had stuck close to him, and had done
their best to return him; they had failed in so doing,
but neither he nor they were at all mortified at the re-
sult ; but although he should retire into private life,
he could assure them that he should be happy at any
and at all times to do anything in his power for the
benefit not only of his own supporters but of all who
were connected with the county of Hertford.—(Loud
cheers.) A good deal had been said against the
present Government, and he should be neglecting
the principles he espoused if he did not again, on
the present occasion, express his opinion that they
were entitled to the support of every well-wisher of his
country. What had the present Ministers done ?—(A
voice in the crowd, " Nothing.") They found the country
burdened with heavy taxation, and what did they do ?
—(A voice, " Put more on.") They found that from
circumstances of expenditure over which they had no
control, that the revenue of the country was insufficient
to meet the necessities of the public service, and they
had no alternative but to resort to increased taxation,
or to resort to some other expedient, and they had
nobly proposed a plan by 'which all classes of
the community would have been benefited, and
at the same time the revenue would have
been increased to the necessary amount, and no
fresh taxes would have been required. If this
scheme were not carried out, new taxes were
inevitable, and they would very shortly, in all proba-
bility, have again to pay a house tax.—(Hear, hear.)
The only reason, in his opinion, why the Tories had op-
posed the Government scheme, was because they would
not permit them to have the glory of carrying such a
noble project ; and, at the tame time, they hoped through
that opposition once more to obtain power. It was quite
clear that they must have a change of Government, and
it was, in his opinion, equally clear that, when too
late, the country, which had been the cause of that
change, would regret deeply what it had done. Mr.
Alston concluded by exhorting his friends to exert
themselves in their respective localities, and to be as
well prepared at the next election as their adversaries
had been at this ; and he said he had no doubt that they
would then see a different result.

W. PHILIPS, Esq., a County Magistrate, then briefly
addressed the electors, and said, that, as a friend to
Conservative principles, he begged them to remember
the advice of Sir Robert Peel, to " register, register,
register." In his district, at the last election, the Con-
servatives were in a minority of four, and at the present
they had a majority of upwards of a hundred.
The lion. Mr. CowpEß then briefly addressed the
electors, and said that to the friends of Liberal prin-
ciples he could only repeat the advice given by Mr.
Philips, and he advised them all to register ; and
he said he was assured that if they were as ac-
tive as the Conservatives in this respect, that they
would not again suffer defeat. The Hon. Gentleman
added, that although he should wish to see the Liberals
imitate the Conservatives in this respect, he should not
desire that they should do so in other proceedings that
had taken place during the present election, where he
said it appeared to be thought that a tenant was bound to
vote according to his landlord's wishes.—(Cheers.)
Lord GRIMSTON came forward on this, and with
great warmth denied the truth of the insinuation that had
been made, and defied any party to produce proof in sup-
port of it, or to name any party who had been coerced
to give his vote in support of the Conservative candidates.
A vote of thanks was then carried to the High Sheriff,
and the electors separated.

A splendid procession, comprising upwards of five hun-
dred horsemen, and a great number of carriages, with
bands of music, banners, &c., was afterwards formed, and
the Members were carried through the town of Hertford
in trinmph.

THE WEATHER.—The weather during the
early part of the week was wet, cold, and ungenial, and
the quantity of rain that fell on Monday night, and Tues-
day morning, was so heavy that the low lands on the
margin of the river Lostock, in the neighbourhood of
Leyland, lilnes Walton, Eccleston, and Croston, were
flooded ; and also the meadow lands in the neighbour-
hood of Sowerby and that district were under water, and
much damage in both districts has been done to the hay-
grass. We are happy to state that since Thursday the
weather has been more genial.—Preston Chronicle.
THE BE NC H.-The Scottish Pilot of yesterday
says, " A rumour has been current in Leith for the last two
days, that Air. Rutherfurd will be immediately raised to
the bench in room of Lord Jeffrey, whose declining
health has rendered him unable to perform the duties of
the bench. In anticipation of this, the Tory hangers
on and canvassers have been busy soliciting votes, but
for whom they cannot, or will not, tell." We have pretty
good reason for believing that the first part of this statement is
unf.t.nded. It may be true that the prospect of Lord Jef-
f ey's retirement has set the Tory canvassers in motion t
, but even though the country were to lose the services of tha-
excellent Judge, it is extremely improbable that Mr. Ruther;
urd would be his eticcesser.— Seaman.