The Sun.
London, England, 1817-05-08 00:00:00

NORFOLK POLITICS.

The death of Sir hicon ASTLEY has involved
contest for the represerntatio►n of Norfolk. Elec-
tion Politics •may sometimes be traced as much IQ
personal antipathies as to public sentiment. But
►n the present instance, the opposition' proceeds
entirely upon public grounds, and if not actually►
engendered by the late County Meeting, it owes
,the nurture ivhieli has given it consistency and
strength to the inflammatory speeches and violent
resolutiOds, as well as to • the manner in which
that meeting is said to have been hatched and
prodttred.

Mr. EDMOND Worn (itisr, the nephew of Lord
Si'Ormertonsa, has declared himself the Candidate
on the loyal side, in opposition to E. R. PRATT,
Esq. who offers `on Mr. Coma's interest. Mr.
PRATT is a relation by marriage to.the late Mem-
ber, and, there is nothing very invidious in sup-
Parsing, both frail). his 'habits and from the case
itself, that 'he merely steps in to uphold :Mr.
Comes nomination'of the second Candidate, till
the present Sir J. AsTLEst, ivhi.) is now in his
twentieth year, be of an age to succeed his father.
lt'svas most unlikely that any contest would
[lave taken place on a vacancy thus occasioned,
mad it not been for the proceedings relating to
he County Meeting, which have been not only of
a nature to arouse the feelings of the Friends of
Order, but also to disgust many of the former
Partizans of 'Constitutional Opposition and of the
particular interest. It Was commonly said in
Norfolk, that Gentlemen who had been. accits-
towed to be consulted, and who' hail usually tent
powerful aid on intim occasions, had no other no-
tice of the requisition than that afforded them by
the Newspapers, It was broadly stated, on the
inthority of these very gentlemen, that Certain
persons who bad sigmaatures delegated to their
discretion, met at the house of a Nobleman in town,
where these offensive proceedings were originatled
by a few leading names only, and passed to others.
Such wls the tone of the conversation'in Norfolk
a few weeks since, and we believe time result has
been as unexpected by the movers of the. Meeting
as unforeseen by the Freeholders.
2'o hazard such an encounter at this . moment
argues neither common views nor common pains.
Mr. Epsrots•D Wonettoose is distinguished by a
singular degree at. respect. To all the well•known
ancient honour of his house, he adds- as much
iregayd and esteem as can well attach to. personal
.character. There is the surest warrant circu-n-
-stances can give, that he is influenced by no Other
motive than the desire of affording time county an
opportunity ofliindicating its principles, and its
independence front sinking under the dictation of
one man ;
,and these circumstances also manifest,
that his friends would be guilty, :not.only of the
highest injustice to himself, but of betraying the
rights and interests they stand forward to assert,
if they had not the strongest possible assurance of
succeeding. Mr. Coks'i personal influence is as
great as -his political influence is small. It is
indeed immense, and is most powerfully seconded
by his own wealth and standing in the county,
and by the wealth of other landed leviathans (" tl a
air hath bubbles as the water bath") among the.
Whigs of Norfolk. Time contest, therefore, can
but be very severe; and to make 'any positive
assertion with respect to the event would savour

more of unadvised rashness than of any knowledge
of tile county divisions. Thus much, however,
we may affirm, that nothing but the strongest
assurances of success, founded upon a thorough
acquaintance with the opinions of great local in-
terests, and more especially upOn those pnblic
principles which will ever• be the distinction of

honoarable minds, whether they be taunt! hi the
East or in the West, co►►ld ilaVe induced Air.
WODEHOUSE to plunge into a contest at such a
vast expense of mind and money, in the face of a
second btruggle, which it is now universally anti.
ciliated may take place in the course of things,
After a few months.

SINGULAR OCCURRENCR:-..4 Gentleman who

has a emitige at CrotlC h was greatly asto.
nished that floe cow, which lie kept for the use of
his 111;1)4, yielded little or no milk
,he strongly
suspected that some of his good neighbours helped
themselves, or, in other words, milked the cow
to he convinced, he seta person to watch, when,
to his great snrprize, he found that four j,ouug
grunters sallied forth into the paddock, ani4 each
took a teat, feasted sump uously, and then returned
into the yard

119U156 OF COMMONS.

N.;:~;;::;;~.

PARLIA Al EN T.

nOITSE OF LORDS, Winmestui; MAN 7.

The ilouge proceeded in Appeals.—Several Pri-
vate and Local Bills were brought tip from the
Muse of Commons by Sir 3.nnes Graham, Sir
Edward Knatchhull, Mr. Pytn, and other Mem-
bers, and read a first time. . ,
VICTORY XI -ALGIERS. /
The tont) CTlANccaon rvati,a letter from the
Netherland Admirai'llartiti Von Cape Hen, earn-
minding .tbe.Netlicclatitl'';stpladron at the attach
on Algiers, addressed
,A,g Ind transmitted by Lnrd
Vi!,eowit Exmouth; expressing his .acknowledg-
Otenit., for the fhitoki 'itt the 'lninse.
sir FAl,te4rd,theen't:Divorce thhltigh
'I Committee tonl .arts reported without (mend-
nwnt, and ordered to be engrossed.
The Lotto CitANtELLoe moved the third read-
ing 01 the Bill tor Friday, if then engrOssed, giv-
ing notice that it contained a Clause, pursuant to
their Lordih:o Standing Order, for preventing
the offending parties franc infertm:trying.—Order-
,, ed.."-Adjourned till to-morrow (this day).

The SrEkittn.stated to•the flonae, that he had
that day received a letter from Lord Exmouth,
closing the copy, ot a Letter_to, his
.Lordship
froth Admiral Wm Copelleti; Who commanded the
squadron of his Alajesty the King of the Nether-
lands iu the attack pui Algiers, acknowledging the
ebinnmication of the thanks voted by the Moose
'of Commons to himSelt, and the. Officers, &c. Un-
der his command, for the services rendered by
them in that attack ; and expressing ..the high
Sense which he Crltertakoed, tlitiogttisited
brim:tin' conferred on them. The lettet's were af-
terwards rend,.
GaAtimq moved the postponement of the
second reading of the London clergy Nil to that,
clay. Six nlOlllllB,
•
NORWICH' STEAM PACKET:
Mr. HARvai; gave notice,' that tomorrow (lids
day) should .move for the appointrut'nt of a Se-.
lent Committee, to inquire into the circurnstances
attending' the explosion of the Steam ,t'ackvt at
Norwich, and into the best means of preventing
the,reCurtctice of sitnilar accidents iu future. '
COTTON TARN..
Ok.I,OSWALV Mosnt.Y prustuted tu.ctition, sign-
ed nit mber of the, most respectable merchants,
manufactorers, and warehousemen of the cliy of
Loudon,: interested in • the exportation of Cotton
piece gg9ds.. He wit!. t !icy complained of the ex-
portation of cotton•yarn being permitted, They
represented the exportation of cotton-yarn as
'prothicing efFectiAnit only detritneutal toiheir
ititerests,:blitas impolitic in. a national point
of view, .as it ouly:served to, feed anti eliconrage
foreign'inanufacllllTS, and. to give them an undoe
advantage over those of this country.
The Petititin seas then brotight op and read.—
On the ittp,ti.o.ll that it should lie u° the-table,
Mr. Plilt,„llPs Said,. th'at as the tiOject,of this
,Petition was very interetil)g to the warmfactur-
hog Districts, he emid not Blow it to.pliss- with.
out•a few words. llceohipl Lined that .the pritt.!
ople Oil winch the Petitioners grontille,tl
pielientation to the House, was illiberal and itnT
politic. The returns .of 'the amount 'Of the 101.
. ports and exports proved, that.thera was art ex*
cess iif 6,660,0001 W. of the Cottou Wool import-.
ed 'Over the :quantity exported, alai this ,excess
•wai Of Course ,absorbed: and 'wrought up' in 'the
British manufietories of. yarn. Most:of-the nil-
(ions on the Continent had imppsed.,yery heavy
`duties on the ittipoitatiOn of British Cotton-yarn,
:and in many of 'these nations the atnonntbf the
duty amounted to a total:prohibition. • If; :there-
fore, any ttcw duty. was laid on. the, exportation of
Cotton-yarn 'from thii. country,` it was quite,evi-
'dent-that Lt Wistild.put Hn end to the maiinf3ctory
;of Cotton-yarn in this :country.. Already it-was
alMost impossible 4), elfect any, ttalH.of. Cotton
'yard On the Contitsent.
Lord •StANIEY spoke sbortly'againit the policy
of imposing any ncai duty On the expnrtation Of
cotton yarn. •
OswALD MostLir explained.,
The petition was then ordered to lie' out the
table,.

On the mptipm of Mr. LusiittgoTott, a new
Writ Was ordered for the election of a Member for
the 13oroogh of Dorchester, , in the rOoin of Sir
Salt-mei-Shepherd, who'has aaceptetl'ihe office oP
Attarlicy4skiielkil.

ARRESTS.
Sir SAMilliC jtoNflf.l.v rose,to present a petition
froin tk person •named 'John Montgomery, who
was arreSted,et Glasgow enkthe 23d Vehruary
on a warrant, clittrging him :as participant in se,
ditiOuS prnetices. The peftion detailed the cir-
rumstances'of the petitioner's arrest, which took
place ;while he was in bed; that he was confined
in a dad( untelndesoine cell for three.days and
four nights. The petitioner represented himself
as totally ignorant of the imputations againsehim,
and stated, that his denying all knowledge of
tbeen on his examination helot e the SberitiSub-
stittne of the county,
,he bad been discharged.
The llOnourable and Learned Centlentarl (Sir S.
It.) said be was desitOtes of presenting this peti-
tion while the lion. Member for-Glasgow was
present, as the Honourable Me,mber had,promised
to inquire into the circumstances of the case of
the persons arrested there. lie bad reteiVed most
re,spectable testimonials 'as to the good diameter
of the Petitioner, and be wished-particularly that
thellouse should attendto the circumstances of
thicease, for the power vested in tlet: -•:siteritf Sub-
stitute seemed to have been exercised by•birn-to a
most -unjustifiable-extent. It had, appeared that
thee warrant on which.onc of the persons tippr,c!
he'nded ur Glieigow hod been. taken ttp, not
even contain his ehristitoename, nor, an exact di:-
scyintio , u I glace 4 if a bOde
Mr. FIN I, A+ said, that with respect In the Plm•
raCter of tire Petitioner, lie euidil not say any
thing, noi.. bad be mink any inquiry. -As to the
circumstance of, the warrant on which. lip was
taken up not specifying his Christian! name, upon
iminiry it certainly turned out that this-was the
tact. Bat he understood that by the isw,of Sept-

land this was no objection to the legality of the
warrant, if the description which it contained %Vas
sufficient tts identify the individual: W ith re-
spect to the treatment which the unfortunate per-
sons arrested At Glasgow had mtt whit, he had
made very particular hipthies, and it torned out
that all the statements contained in the Petitions
presented to the House 0 this &object were
totally false; or exceedingly misrepresented. " The
rooms were not- damp 1 .there was no wain of
—fond ; 'in sli>iff, bre-riles the mere circumstance of
confinement, there was'no hardship %vhateVer as to
the situation ot those persons., EvtrY precaotion
.Wits' taken by the Magistrates to aecoththodate
titose unfortunate persona in—the best Way that
circumstances would admit ; and he could aSsure
the House, that out of 25 persons committed, 23
or, 24 were-aecomittodated with the most cant-
fortable epartments thitteould be wished for h so
disagreeable a sit oatiou. He need not detain the
House to gO through all the allegations. enuta;ued
in the Petitions: but if he were to do so, he could
easily dispose of every part of it: Fever was there
a more ettaggerated pionre'of privationst hat) that
which it Contained. He wondered very much
that the HAIL' and Learned Gentleman should have
been so touch imposed oti as to the filets.
:Mr. Claatvr'having lately visited that part
of Scotland where the events alluded to bad taken
place, felt himself called upon to bear testionmy
on the suhjecti As to the allegations contained
in the petition rif the person named Weir„, he
could only say, that lie had himself spoken with
that person, who repeated to hint the sate state•
merits that were contained lo his petition, HO
that he (Mr. Grant) bad .every reason to believe
it to he title. While on the spot-- he thought
his duty taexamine the-place where these persons
had been confined, and he Must say, that although
.the,;lail of Glasgow Was certainly a very elegant
building, and kept in good order, yet he fatind
that the statements of the petitioners were gene.
rally 'borne out by the facts. lie 'did not mean,
howeve'r, to. impute any blame to the Magistrates
of Glasgow, . further than this, that while the
Jail was crowded .with these7tmhappy persons, he
thought they ought to have visited the. prison
more frequently than they did. - Upon the whole,
he thought that in this respect there was a griev-
ance to be complained of, As to the Law of
Scotland, if it were the laW. to take up persona
without haVing their flames distinctly stated, he
could only say he never heard it -before. lint it
was not the law of Scotland. The law of Scot-
land contained no 'such Monstrous propositiolL
Mr. Beaooz BATtittesT said, if there was any
irregelarity in the warrant, the Sheriff was bounce
to answer for it. On a recapitulation of the real
ladts' OS' tOthe treatment-of the prisoners, as com-
pared with the statements in. their petitions, it
was found that these statements were grossly ex-
aggerated.
The petitiim was then orderid to lie on the
table.
Sir S. ROMILLY said, he intended to move that
the Petition should .be printed. It appeared to
him that this'Stibject was oneOf great importanO,
It was mockery to refer these persons for redreSS
fo'd litigation with the Sheriff Substitute, AS to
the-legality the warrant. 11e,complained par.:
ticuhrtly of the conduct of the Sheriff Selistitnte,
Whose conduct seemed to be most unjustifiable.
The House haul already been informed htisy that
Magistrate had conducted himself, on the eXatni
nation of one of the persons at rested, us ha, when
'he-denied all kmmledge Of the charges brought
against him, was told.hy this, .Magistrate that this
Aeolis!. looked very Ike
.moved that the Petition be, printed,
Mr. linAGoz HATIIL/RST said, that he bad a
COMMUniCut ion from the Sheriff- Substitute, whielt
denied,thet 'he ban 'ever used' the words inipoted
to biro as to the guilt of the perSOn-examined be-
fore hitn, and appealed to the persol)6Present
titer be had used such, words. This denial on the
part of the Sheriff Substitute, he (.Mt. 13)
already made to the Hott-se, anti yet thee. Hon. end
Learned Gentleman- (Sir S. litunilly) came for-
warn,and,mgain repeated it. '
Sir S. Row tiLie 'ex'plained
Mr. FINLAY eulogised. the conduct of the
Silent!. Suhstittite of
,Lanarkshire.. He must re-
peat that every allegation in the Petition, as to
the state of the Gaol; wits a gross exaggeration,
or a complete falsehOod.
The Petition was then,Ordered. to int printed.
Lord" C4snettcaott laid before the Muse a
copy of the Treaty of Commerce between his
Britattnie Majesty and the King of the Tivti Sici-
lies, dated 2iith buttery, 1815.