The Sun.
London, England, 1857-04-09 00:00:00

ELECTION IN TELLIGENCE.

KENT (WEST).
DECLARATION OF THE POLL.

The declaration of the poll for the western divi-
sion of Kent took place in front of the Town-hall,
Maidstone, yesterday afternoon, at 1 o'clock. A.
large concourse on foot, on horseback, and in car-
riages, assembled to grace the victory obtained by
the Liberal electors, and completely thronged the
high street of the town.

-The HIGH SHERIFF (Mr. J. Savage) declared the
lumbers were, for
Mr. C. Wykebam Martin (L)
Mr. James Whatman (L)
Mr. W. Masters Smith (C)
Majority for Mr. Martin --725
Ditto, Mr. Whatman 407
It was therefore his duty to declare Mr. Martin
anti Mr. Whatman to have been duly eleCted.
Mr. MARTIN, in addressing the electors, con-
gratulated them on the result of their exertions.
They had won a double victory for ,the principles
of 'Liberal goverliment and progressive reform
within the last seven weeks—a result which was the
more satisfactory inasmuch as the next Parliament
was likely to be the most important which had met
since the passing of the Reform Act in 1832. The
people of this country had now unmistakeably de-
clared for movement—for the progressive improve-
ment of the national institutions, for an extension
of the elective franchise, and for a wise economy in
the expenditure of the administration. (Cheers.)
Although they might have selected a more efficient
advocate to promote their wishes, he begged to as-
sure the electors that none could be more earnest
or more zealous in the cause than he; and he should
go to the House of Commons determined to aid to
the utmost of his power in forwarding all measures
which he could approve, whether brought forward
by the Government or by other parties, having for
their object the advancement of Parliamentary and
social reform, the diffusion of public education, and
the extension and maintenance of civil and re-
ligious freedom. (Cheers.)
Mr. WHATMAN next addressed the assemblage,
expressing sentiments similar to those of Mr. W.
Martin, with whom he regarded it as an honour to
be associated in the representation of so numerous,
wealthy, and intelligent a constituency as that of
West Kent. He also entered into some explana-
tion of a correspondence which had taken place
between Sir Culling Eardley and himself during
the recent canvass. Sir Culling, though wholly'
opposed to the Maynooth grant-, had refused to
support Mr. Masters Smith because of his vote
against the policy of Lord Palmerston with
respect to the Chinese question, and in giving his
suffrage to the Liberal candidates he bad ex-
pressed his approbation of a compromise sug-
gestedby the Roman Catholics themselves, in order
to obviate all future contention respecting the
grant—to the effect that the College of Maynooth
should be transferred, once for all to the Catholics,
and a sum of money be paid them in satisfaction of
all claims for the annual payment made ever since
seven years before the union between England and
Ireland. (Hear, hear.) He thanked the electors
for the honour they had conferred on him, and pro-
mised faithfully to do bis utmost to justify the con-
fidence they had reposed in him. (Cheers.)
A vote of thanks was then given by acclamation
to the High Sheriff, followed by loud cheers for Thos.
Law Hodges, Esq., formerly the Liberal member
for the division, for the newly-elected members,
and for the Queen.

A procession was then formed, without the ac-
companiment, however, of a band, and after
parading the principal streets of the town, the
houses of which were more profusely and gaily deco-
rated than usual with blue flans and banners, the
multitude, who maintained the most perfect good
humour and good order throughout, quietly dis-
persed.

HUNTINGDON (COUNTY.)
DECLARATION OF THE POLL.—A. VOID ELECTION.
The contest for the county has not terminated
with the polling. It will be remembered that the
first statements issued by the friends of the Liberal
candidate, Mr. Heathcote, gave him a majority of
eleven over the old member, Mr. Fellowes, and the
Conservative committee admitted a majority of
four fa- Mr. Heathcote. Previous to the day ap-
pointed for the official declaration both parties
made a diligent examination of the check poll-
books, and, singularly enough, each arrived at the
conclusion that their candidate had gained a majo-
rity of one. The Conservative committee, having
great confidence in their examination, issued a
notice to that effect. Mr. Heathcote's friends gave
oat a statement urging most positively that he had
polled 1,108 votes, and Mr. Fellowes only 1,107.
The Sheriff then commenced his examination of
the poll-books, and, after a very rigid examination,
came to the hustings, and, to the surprise of every-
body, announced that the numbers were eqUal.
He declared the final state of the poll to be as
follows :

Rust
... 1,192
"festinate ... ... 1,106
Fellowes
... 1,106
This extraordinary termination to county elec-
tion has completely bewildered the parties con-
cerned. There appears to be a disinclination on
both sides to enter into a scrutiny ; it is prc-
l‘able, therefore, that they wig proceed to a fresh
election. Nothing definite, however, will be known
until after the writ is returned on the 30th of April.
Anticipating the probability of. another election
both candidates have started on their canvass.

STATE OF THE POLLS.
MAYO (COUNTY).

Rigging
1,707
Palmer ...1,624
Moore ...
...1,596
Another return gives the numbers as follows :
Palmer ... ... 917
Moore 817
Higgins ... 811
Neither return can be entirely relied upon.

SLIGO (COUNTY)-FIEST DAY.
... 1,113
..1,095
28

Booth ... ... ...
Cooper ... ... ...
Ballo ••• —•
Swift ••• ••• •••
In another return the numbers are :
.Booth ... ... ...
Cooper ... ... ...
13alle
—. ...
Swift ...

... 492
... 431
... 83

WEXFORD (COUNTY)—FIRST DAY.
Polling at Gooey and Enniscorthy not included in the

previous return.

M‘Mahon
Hatche)l
George

.. 1,201
.. 958
.. 815

QUEEN'S COUNTY.

Coote
Dunne,

... 2 091
... 1,686
...1,186

Fitzpatrick

CORK (COUNTY.)

Deasy

Weirthy
Scully

..-. 6,184
... 5,940
... 2,727

LOUTH (COUNTY).

Fortescun .
Wel intock .
Bellew
Kennedy

~.. 1,578
_1,084
... 891.
... 407

DERRY (COUNTY).

Carke
Greer

... 2,403
... 2,338
... 1,675

Bruce

THE NEW REFORM BILL.

1 At an entertainment given to Mr. R. Hall,
M.P., Recorder of Doncaster, by Mr. G. Dunn,
Mayor of that borough, yesterday (Wednesday),
Mr. Beckett Denison, M.P. for the West Riding,
in reply to a complimentary toast, said he had now
been elected for the West Riding for the fourth
and, he believed, the last time. (" No l no !")
He said for the last time because he felt that in the
first place he had arrived at the 11th hour of his
life, and in the next because he believed that before
another general election the West Riding would
be cut up into smaller divisions under a new Re-
' form Bill. He would not offer any objection to
such a measure as that, for he confessed that a
constituency numbering some 37,000 voters was
too large for any two members to do justice to.
He admitted that the time had arrived for intro-
ducing some measure of Parliamentary reform, and
he should certainly vote for the second reading of
such a measure, unless—which he did not expect—
it should go too far. In that measure of reform
Doncaster would in all probability be included as
one of the new boroughs authorised to send a mem-
ber, if not two members, to Parliament, for he
found on looking over the statistics of population
that Doncaster, Rotherham, and Keighley were, in
point of numbers, the three largest unrepresented
towns. Mr. Hall, in returning thanks for the
toast of his health, said in the present state of poli-
ticalpart:es it would be absurd for him to enter
into
any pledges; but he might say this, he should
vote for the second reading of the expected Reform
Bill, because whether that Bill were introduced by
Lord Palmerston or Lord J. Russell he felt it would
not be of so wild a character that he could not sup-
port it, believing, as he did, that the time had
arrived for revising the representation of the
country.