The Sun.
London, England, 1848-02-16 00:00:00

KINSALE.

The Select Committee nominated upon the Kinsale
election petition of Mr. Watson, Q.C., complaining of
the return of Mr. Guineas for that borough assembled
for the first time this morning, in Committee-room
No. 26; Mr. Bouverie in the chair.

Mr. Sergeant Wrangham and Mr. ManesLy appeared
for the petitioners; and Mr. Andrews, Q.C., with whom
was Mr. Merewether, for the sitting Member.
The Committee having passed the usual preliminary
resolutions,

Mr. Sergeant WRANGRA opened the case for the
petitioners. He said he appeared on behalf of the peti-
tioner, Mr. Watson, the Queen's Counsel, who was one
of the candidates at the recent election for the borough
of Kinsale, complaining of the election and return of the
sitting Member upon several distinct grounds. The
petition might be divided into two sections; one of
them complaining of the election, and praying that
it should be declared void on the score of
certain corrupt practices alleged to have been committed
by the sitting Member and his agents. The other sec•
tion of the petition claimed the seat for Mr. Watson, on
the ground that the majority declared in favour of the
sitting Member was a colourable one. It was his inten-
tion, however, in the first instance to direct the atten-
tion of the Committee to the first part of the petition;
and he might state in the outset that the nomination
took place on the 4th of August last, and the poll on
the 6th if the same month. The numbers declared by
the returning officer were 103 for the sitting Member,
and 86 for Mr. Watson, giving the sitting Member a
majority of 17, which it was contended was secured by
bribery and corruption. The bribery was comprised in
the payment of rates and debts, for which various
voters were liable; and the evidence would show that the
sitting Member, upon entering the borough, brought
with him 4,0011. to be spent in liquidating those rates
and debts. Another description of bribery which the
petitioner complained of was that of treating, and the
Committee would find that upon the night before the
poll a large body of the electors were collected, and
lodged at the house of a publican named Lyst, who had
received a general order from the sitting Member to
well ply them with drink of all sorts, and then get them
shaved, washed, and dressed, so that they might appear
decently at the poll. The evidence would also disclose
the fact that, in some instances, as much as 1001. bad
been paid for a vote, and SOL to voters who bad pro-
mised to support the opposite party, in consideration of
their
absenting themselves on the polling day. If he
mth-e substantiated
e
and
Member, these
statements by evidence, the Cam
tte
could, of course have no difficulty in unseating
returned therefore, without detaining
them further, he would
Some formal proofs atwere once go into the proofs.
put in, after
,which one
or two eases of bribery were proved, and the
Committee
adjourned.

.i
LYME REGIS
The Select Committee appointed.
to
allegations in the petition presented trirquire into the
e
of Mr. Abdy for Lyme
Regis
met
for 7.117!t the return
first time this
morning; Lord Ashley in the chair.
Mr. Sergeant Wranghatn appeared for the petitioners,
and Mr. M. D. Hill, with whom was Mr•
Wordsworth,
for the sitting,Mcniber.
Mr. Sergeant WRANOEAM opened the case for the
petitioners—The petitioners complained that the sitting
Member obtained his election by resorting to bribery
and corrupt practices. The bribes were administered to
the voters by his agents, who went down from London
for the purpose, and while at Lyme Regis adopted the
significant name of Birdseye. He should prove seven
distinct acts of bribery, besides several cases where the
sitting Member had given various voters employment,
as a consideration for their voting for him. The peti-
tion was that of Sir F. Belly, and against the return
of the • •
sitting Member.
election were, 1
Sir Fitzroy Kelt The numbers polled at the
6 for the sitting Member, and 143 for
tin Totes
of 4,_
_Y. and if he succeeded in neutralising i
W. seven parties agaiust whom he preferred I