The Sun.
London, England, 1835-03-27 00:00:00

ELECTION COMMITTEES.

The interest excited respecting the Dublin Election is very
great. There was an immense number of persons assembled
yesterday about the House waiting to hear of the appointment
of the Committee. The Committee is to commence its in-
vestigation at two o'clock to day in the Court of Chancery.
Much interest is also excited respecting the Ipswich elec-
tion. The Counsel for the petitioners are Mr. M. D. Hill
and Mr. Austen. Counsel for the Sitting Members, Messrs.
Harrison, Pollock, Phillips, and O'Malley.—And for the re-
turning- officers, whose conduct is impeached, Mr. Sergeant
Mereweather, and Mr. Wordsworth.
The Committee met at 11 o'clock to-day, in the Court-
house, Westminster. Mr. Hill opened the case for the pe-
titioners. The ground of the petition was, that the Sitting
Members (Messrs. Kelly and Dundas) were unduly returned
in consequence of intimidation, and of having been guilty of
bribery, by means of their acknowledged agents. He first
explained the law of Parliament as to what constituted acts of
bribery and agency, and then applied the principles he laid
down to the facts and circumstances that would be proved in
the evidence that would be produced, to show that the friends
and partisans of the sitting Members had been guilty of open
bribery. He did not mean to charge the Hon. Gentleman
with actual bribery, but as it was an admitted maxim of law
that an agent, who is authorised by a Candidate to act for a
lawful purpose, is equally an agent for the Candidate when lie
oversteps his instructions and acts unlawfully, and that, con-
sequently, the Candidate is held responsible for such unlawful
acts. So strict was this doctrine, that in his own experienc
there had been an instance in which the proprietor of a news-
paper was held responsible and punished for a libel, published
at a time when he was not only ignorant of its publication, but
was in fact proved to have been labouring udder a brain fever.
As to the charge of intimidation, it would be shown that the
worst species of intimidation, that of exclusive dealing, was
resorted to during this election. If he proved these charges
to the satisfaction of the Committee, he submitted that the
concluding prayer of the petition ought to be granted—namely,
that the Sitting Members should be unseated, and the petition-
ing candidates (Messrs. Wason and Morrison), placed in their
stead. He proposed to strike off the poll 108 votes, as being
disqualified, which he classed under the following heads :-13
as being non-resident ; 40 for bribery ; 8 for not having paid
the municipal taxes ; 4 for not voting as they were registered ;
and 43 who were hired agents during the election. 'F he con-
duct of the Returning Officers was also impugned—they acted
with gross irregularity, having been violent partizans during
the election. The Committee, therefore, were bound to scru-
tinize their conduct very closely. These Gentlemen, he was
glad to learn, were defended by Counsel, and he hoped their
character would be freed from the imputation cast upon them.
The Returning Officer (Mr. Cobham) was first called. He
produced the poll-book.
( Here the Reporter was informed that the Committee had
come to the resolution not to permit the evidence to be pub-
lished until the proceedings are terminated.)

The Duke of Sutherland entertained a select patty
at dinner on Wednesday at Stafford-house.
The Duke of Buccleuch, since his departure for the
North, has been staying at Bowhill, one of his seats in the
county of Selkirk. Their Graces will arrive in town early in
May, for the season.
The various avocations of the Duke of Wellington
have prevented his Grace from joining in the Chace at Strath-
tieldsaye, where he has been accustomed to hunt during the
season with Sir John Cope's, or the Vine Hounds. The im-
provements in his Grace's mansion being completed, he will
receive some of the Foreign Ministers, and other distinguished
visitants during the Easter recess.
DERBY CHEESE FAIR, MARCH 23.--Large
factor's cheese went at 465. to 50s. ; but there was a large
quantity of good cheese disposed of at 40s. to 445. The most
selling prices were from 445. to 475. per cwt. of 1201bs. The
esult of this fair is any thing but satisfactory to the farmers.
INQUEST.-011 Wednesday the 18th instant, in
the township of Alderwasley, on the body of Mr. Poyser, a
farmer, who had destroyed himself the day before. He had
isen early, taken a ploughline from the stable, gone to a barn
tt some distance and fed the cattle that were in it, and then
;vent straight across a ploughed field to an oak tree, on which
fie hanged himself. Verdict—" Lunacy."