The Sun.
London, England, 1848-03-24 00:00:00

HORSHAM ELECTION.

Lord COURTENAY brought up the report of the
Horsham Election Committee, unseating Mr. John
Jervis.

CLERKS OF UNION WORKHOUSES.

Sir W. CLAY presented a petition from the Clerics
of the union workhouses in London, praying for
thu continuance of the superannuation allowance that
had hitherto existed.

Mr. Alderman SIDNEY postponed for a fortnight
the motion of which he had given notice for
the appointment of a Select Committee to
inquire into the allegations contained in
a petition presented to the House on the 9th inst.,
from a public meeting held in the city of London,
and to report their opinion thereon.
ELECTION RECOGNIZANCES BILL.

Mr. J. S. WORTLEY stated that he understood,
in consequence of what had taken place, it was
not the intention of his lion. and Learned Friend the
Member for Midhurst to move the second reading of
the Election Recognizances Bill on Monday next.
After what he had heard, he begged to give notice
that if his Honourable Friend did not move
the second reading on Monday he should, having a
strong opinion that unless some legislation took place
the greatest inconvenience would be experienced.
Sir B. HALL wished to know whether it was
the intention of the Honourable Member to
move at the same time the postponement of the
consideration of petitions that had been presented
from different places. He understood that the Com-
mittee of Selection had appointed Monday to select
Members to serve on the Committee to which these
petitions referred.

Mr. J. STUART WORTLEY said that that was
a question for the Committee of Selection.

fir GEORGE CLERK said that the Committee
of Selection would proceed with the nomination of
Members on Monday.
IT AR WIC H.

Mr. MACKENZIE proposed the following mo-
tion :—" That Mr. Speakcr do issue his warrant to
the Clerk of tbe Crown to make out a new writ for
the electing of a burger; to serve in this present Par-
liament for the borough of Harwich, in the room of
John Attwood, Esq., whose election has been deter-
mined to be void."
The motion having been seconded, _

Mr. BLA_CKSTO'NE, who was very indistinctly
heard, recapitulated the reasons raised by him against
the motion on the last occasion it was moved. He
thought the house adopted a wise course when it
declared its intention to wait until the evidence taken
before the Committee was printed, and Hon. Members
had had an oppe,rtunity of perusing it. After read-
ing the evidence, he (Mr. B.) did not think that
there was sufficient ground to punish the electors very
severely. If t* ne house thought proper on a former
occasion to vie dicate the conduct of the electors, he
should not thin k it his duty to propose the disfran•
chisement of the borough. No doubt the elec-
tors who took the bribes did their best to
cause Mr. A ttwood to op-m his purse-strings,
and although it was said that but a small number
were bribed, in his opinion fifty or sixty, the
number proved to have so conducted themselves, was
a very largsm proportion of the electors. The Hon.
Member th, to read the evidence of one of the wit-
nesses, who stated that a number of the electors went
to the Duk e's Head, to " draw Mr. Attwood out."
A paper w; Is there signed. He was asked if they
said that that was their intention ? to which
they replied, they did, and what they meant
as to make .-Mr. Attwood open his purse•string3.
What was the state of the borough ? The Hon.
Gentleman the Member for the borough (Mr. Bag-
shaw) said a,e electors had increased from 180, in
1831, to 280 ttt the last election. It seemed that the
place had been specially favoured by the
Government. It was understood to be Earl
Grey's inters tion, in introducing the Reform
Bill, that ph ices possessing a population of 4,000
should return. two Members. Harwich had only
a population of 2,371, but the Government,
in order to make up the requisite number, took
in the a, ijoining parish of Dourcourt (as we
understood I); but the population had of late years
been redm :ed, as its number was now 3,829, showing
a falling c ,ff of 10 per cent. In the neighbourhood
there were parishes possessing a ppulation of 27,000
or $B,OOO hf: did not wish to include them, hut,
looking at the tendency of the electors to take bribes,
he did think b a was justified in moving as an amend-
ment that lea' ie be given to introduce a Bill to extend
the limits of I .he borough, with a view to increasing
the number electors.—(llear, hear.)
The amen Iment having been seconded,
Mr. 1-113-44,1 E said, when the House considered that
the Meml me rs for the following places had been un-
seated fo: bribery, it was incumbent upon the
House to consider whether some means ought not to
he taken to vindicate the character of the House—
(Hear, : '3ear)—namely, Great Yarmouth, Kin.
sale, Carli tie, Lancaster, Dundalk, Harwich, Bewd-
ley, Ayk a bury, Derby, and Ilorsham.—(Hear.)
As soon as one proof of bribery was established the
ease was rect.; proceeded with any further, and thus
the House us aver became informed of the real amount
of bribery :and corruption carried on in these places.
A Bill Fval recently prepared for the purpose of