The Sun.
London, England, 1866-02-22 00:00:00

ELECTION INTELLIGENCE.

RIPON.—Lord John Hay on Tuesday addressed
the electors from the Unicorn Hotel, and was in-
troduced by Mr. Alderman Carter, who stated the
regret he felt at the retirement of Sir Charles Wood,
following as it did so closely on the death of Lord
Palmerston, and at a time when questions of such
great importance were coming before Parliament.
Lord John Hay then said that, having a few days
ago met with his friend Sir Charles Wood, he was
informed by him that there would be a vacancy in
the representation of Ripon, and knowing his poli-
tics, and that he wanted a seat in Parliament, Sir
Charles Wood was of opinion that he was a likely
person to meet with the support of the electors of
Ripon. They would see from his address that he
held moderate Liberal opinions. Those opinions
were no family opinions : at one time he had held
Conservative opinions, but he had adopted Liberal
opinions because he thought the Liberal policy was
the best. It was that which had guided the Govern-
ment of the country safely and peaceably through a
perilous period. He then commended the conduct
of the Government with respect to their non-inter-
ference with Poland, Denmark, Mexico, and Ame-
rica. With respect to reform, he was in favour of
the admission of a fair proportion of the working
classes to the franchise. There were, however,
many thousands of our countrymen whom no mere
reduction of the franchise will admit, and who, he
thought, had an equal right to form part of the elec-
toral body. It was a difficult question to deal with.
He should not like to see the present constituencies
swamped by numbers. What he should like was that
in all questions affecting the working classes they
might feel they had taken a part in sending a repre-
sentative to Parliament, and he thought that pro-
bably a franchise based upon a £6 rating would meet
the requirement. He then alluded to the immense
expenditure for the army and navy, and having been
for 26 years connected with the navy, he was led to
hope that he might be of service in exercising a use-
ful supervision over the enormous expenditure
which is now annually incurred under these two
heads. He had spent some time in Parliament, and
it was no fault of his that he was not there now, as
he tried hard enough at the last election. (A Voice
—" Get away to Belfast." Another Voice—" They
would not have him." A Voice—" How far will
you go for Reform ?") Lord Hay—As I have not
the bill before me I cannot say. (The Voice—
" That's a shuffle. How low will you go ?") Lord
Hay—l think as far as a£6 rating. (The Voice.—
" That's all shuffling.") Lord Hay—l told you if
you sent me to Parliament I should go as an inde-
pendent member, and if I go bound hand and foot to
Ia £6 rating or a £6 rental I cannot use my indepen-
deuce. (Another Voice—" Will you support church
rates ?") Lord Hay—That is a question that has
occupied the attention of Parliament for a number
of years, and is one which I should like to see ami-
cably settled, and if there is nothing but the total
abolition of the rate that will suit the majority of
the population, I will vote for its abolition. He was
then asked if he would vote for the suppression of
flogging in the army and navy, to which he replied
in the negative. He was also asked if he would vote
for the repeal of the game laws, to which he replied
that he considered they had worked satisfactorily.
(A Voice—" Has not Lord de Grey sent you here
—are you not his nominee ?") Lord Hay—No, I
came here, as I told you, in consequence of a con-
versation I had with Sir C. Wood.

HARIVICIL—SeveraI of the electors petition
against the return of Mr. Henry Jervis White Jer-
vis and Mr. John Kelk, on the ground of bribery
and intimidation, and pray that the return may be
declared null and void.

LEIVES.—Two of the electors petition against the
return of the Hon. H. Bouverie W. Brand and Lord
Pelham, on the ground of bribery and intimidation,
and pray that their return may be declared null and
void.

BEVERLEY.—Two of the electors petition against
the return of Henry Edwards and Mr. Christopher
Sykes, on the ground of bribery and intimidation,
and pray that such return may be declared null and
void.

NORFOLK (Western Division)—.Two of the elec-
tors petition against the return of Mr. Wm. Bagge
and the Hon. Thomas de Grey, on the ground of
bribery, and pray that their return may be declared
wholly null and void.

LINCOLN (City.)—Mr. J. Bramley-Moore, a de-
feated candidate at the recent election, petitions
against the return of Mr. Charles Seely and Mr.
Edward Heneage, on the grounds of bribery, in-
timidation, and the illegal polling of voters, and
prays that their return may be declared whollynull
and void.

YORK (North Riding)..—Three of the electors
petition against the return of Mr. F. A. Milbank,
on the ground of bribery and intimidation, and pray
that such return may be declared- wholly null and
void.

BANBURY.--Mr. Charles Bell, one of the candi-
dates at the recent election, petitions against the
return of Mr. Bernhard Samuelson, on the ground
of disqualification—" By reason of his being an
alien born out of the liegance and dominion of the
Crown, and not entitled to the rights and privileges
of a natural-born subject of the:Crown within the
meaning of the statutes in that behalf." And the
petitioner prays that his name may be substituted

instead of that of Mr. Samuelson as the member
duly returned.

FROME.—Two of the electors petition against the
return of Sir Henry Creswick Rawlinson, on the
ground of bribery and intimidation, and pray that
his return may be declared null and void.

KING'S LYNlg.—Two of the electors petition
against the return of Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton,
Bart., on the ground of bribery and intimidation,
and pray that his return may be declared wholly
null and void.