The Sun.
London, England, 1804-02-02 00:00:00

NIIDDLLSE.X ELECTION.

Mr. FOX rose to call the attention of the House
to a subjeCt. which he considered as being of consi-
derable importance : he meant the Order which
stood for to-morrow, respecting the Middlesex
Eleflion. It appeared to him that the House had
been inadvertently drawn into an error upon this
subjeCt. In the Aft of the zBth of His present
Majesty, there were a variety of regulations re-
spfCting Petitions in cases of Controverted EleCtions,
and respeCting vexatious Petitions, and the mode of
preventing, such Petitions from being presented.
Among other provisions there was one which star.
ed, that the House should not proceed upon any Fe.
titian which was not signed by persons either
claiming a right to vote upon the EleCtion, or who
were Candidates. Upon examining one of the Pe-
titions respeCting the Middlesex EleCtion, which
was appointed to be taken into consideration to
it appeared that the persons who signed it
merely stated that they were Freeholders, but did
not state that they had a right to vote. Now it was
very obvious that a great number of Freeholders
had not a right to vote, viz. those under .i.os.a year.
The provisions of the Aet of Parliament to which he
had p'ded were_precise, and were obligatory upon
that House. A.ets or raritament takight .be con..
stetted liberally, or, in -other words, loosely, but
liege was a distintt clause which could not be got
over. If he were correct in his opinion upon this
aubjeCl, and that the House had inadvertently fal-
len into an error upon the subjeCt, it would then
only remain to propose a remedy, and the most ob-
vious one appeared to him to be, to discharge the
Order which had been made upon that Petition.—
But at all events, he thought there could be no ob.
jeCtion to put off the Ballot till Friday, in order to
give an opportunity of considering this subjett to-
morrow. He should at present only desire that the
Clause to which he had alluded and the Petition
should be read.—[They were both accordingly
read by the Cletk.)— It appeared, he said, that the
Petition did not state that they had a right to vote,
and as the words of the AC were positive, he ap_
prehencied that no doubt could be entertained upon
the siabjc&;."
)1,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
admitted that this was a point of considerable im-
portance, though he could not help entertaining an
opinion different from that which had been advan-
ced by the Hon. Gentleman. He, however., con-
curred with him in thinking, that there could be no
harm in deferring the consideration of the question
till to-morrow, and in postponing the B.itlot till
Friday. He could not avoid, however, even in the
present stage of the business, just stating the grounds
upon which he differed from the Hon. Gentleman;
in the first 'lace, before the House came to a deci-
sion, he thought it would be proper to ascer;lin
what was the Praelke of the. House in simi:ar ca.es.
The Petitioners stated themselves to be Freehold..
ens, and the House had a right to infer;
.pr;ma facie,
that they were Freeholders, having a right 'to vote'
because if they !tad not, they had .Qo claim Loon the
attention of the House. The House had otazred
this Petition to be taken into- consideration, and it
wculd,at least pause before it would take advantage
of its own inadvertence. The ground of his doubt
therefore, was this, that the. House ought to prestime
a disability in the Petitioners. There were sOtris4
other ,points which occurred to his Mind,' but he
would not ester farther into the discussion at present. 1

Mr. FOX said, "he did not call upon the House to
presume a disability, but to• notice that the provi.
sions of the Ac of Parliament hid not been corn,
plied with.• He then suggested, that if the Middle-
sex Petition was put off .till Friday, th,z other Bal-
lot which stood ft.r to_mortow Might' as well be put
off to thersame time. He then gave notice that he
should:.tozaticrrow. :mike- a Motion respecli'ig the
Petition in quest,.-In.
The Orders of the Dad for hallotting Committees
to,try the Contested Eiedions of Middiesek and
Mitlhurst were then discharged and fixed fo: Friday.
The Committees of Supply and Wnys and Means
were put off tilt Friday.—Adjnor.qed:

MAILS.

DUI. Aknivsa.
iiamburgh z ..... I •

THE SUN.

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