The Sun.
London, England, 1845-03-15 00:00:00

THIS DAY'S NEWS.

DARTMOUTH ELECTION COM-
MITTEE.—(THIS DAY.)
The Committee sat this day at eleven o'clock, pursuant to
adjournment.
The CHAIRMAN announced that it was the wish of the
Committee that that part of the petitioner's case, founded upon
the allegation that the sitting Member -was a Government
contractor, should be closed before any other point could be
considered.
Mr. W. Prout, the town-clerk of Dartmouth, was then
called, and he proved that Mr. Somes had been a candidate,.
had addressed the electors, and was elected, &c.
Mr. Sergeant WRANGIIAM then proposed to close this past
of the case, and sum up upon it.
The CHAIRMAN said he considered it would be better and
mere convenient to all parties to close the whole of the evi-
dence first.
The room was then ordered to be cleared, and upon our
re-admission,
The CHAIRMAN said, the Committee had come to a resolu-
tion to the effect that, as there appeared to be some misap-
prehension amongst the counsel for the petitioner and the
sitting Member as to the rules the Committee had adopted,
they would not object to counsel summing up on the branch
of the case that had been closed; but this should not apply
to any other allegation.
Mr. Sergeant WRANGHAM wished to know, if his Learned
Friend Sergeant Kinglake, were now to suns up, would he
be precluded fiom entering upon the allegation of bribery?
The CHAIRMAN said, that one of the first rules of the Com-
mittee was not to allow any other allegation to be gone into
without a special application to the Committee.
Mr. Sergeant KINGLAKE then proceeded to sum up. He
said he would be very brief indeed in his observations, for
he had only to contend that it had been clearly proved that a
case of disqualification had been made against Mr. Somes;
and he (Mr. Kinglake) hoped to be able to satisfy the Corn-
mittee that not only was Mr. Somes disqualified at the time
he was elected, but that it was utterly impossible for him to
have got rid of that di qualification. He believed that the
undisputed facts in this were, first, that Mr. So:nes was a
ship owner in the month of December, 1844, and
that he had also been engaged in Government contracts at
the time. Certain charter parties had been produced before
the Committee, in which persons of the name of Lackland
and M'Leod appeared as contractors. It was true that these
persons were the contractors under the Admiralty in law ;
but then Mr. Somes would still be disqualified, unless it was
made apparent that those parties did not hold those ships in
trust for him. The charter party said that it was executed
for and on behalf of the owner, and he (Mr. Kinglake)
would insist that Mr. Somes was the legal and equitable
owner of those vessels on the 27th of December, 1844, though
he made an attempt to get rid of the ownership on the 17th
of December, 1844. The Learned Counsel then read sec-
tions from different Acts of Parliament, and opinions of
various legal authorities, which, he contended, bore
him out in his assertion that Mr. Somes was
disqualified as the owner of those vessels, un-
less a release, of which he had heard something,
should be produced from Messrs. Lackland and M‘Leod. He
would also contend that, independent of Mr. Somes' owner-
ship in the vessels themselves, he was also the owner of
articles for the use of those on board the ships, furnished by
him and at his expense, and therefore those .articles were his
property, and were on board those ships while they were at
sea on the 27th December, 1844 ; and, therefore, that fact
would disqualify him, for such was the law. The Learned
Counsel opposite said they admitted that Mr.
Semee was an owner of those ships at that
time; if so, then that was his (Mr. Kinglake's) case,
for it would be idle to attempt to divide the ownership into
two parts, and say that, though Mr. Somes was the owner of
one part or portion, he was not the owner of another. Then
there was the additional fact, that in December, 1844, the
Admiralty owed a debt of 50,0001. to Mr. Somes for
services rendered by him through these ships, and
under the charter party, and IN ithout the production of
which the debt could not be recovered ; and this debt
could not be assigned, for there could be no such
thing as in assignment of a contract ; if there were,
then the whole policy, the whole intent, the whole wisdom,
and the purport and object of the Registry Act would be ren-
dered totally void and useless. With these observations he
would conclude, again repeating that his case had been
made out by the admission that Mr. Somes was the owner
of those vessels in December, 1844 ; or that if there was an
assignment at all, it was only a colourable transaction, done
o effect a certain object.
(The Committee was sitting when our report left.)

MARKET NEWS.-(THIS DAY.)
COVENT-GARDEN.
In consequence of the prevailing extremely cold weather,
the supply of Vegetables here exhibited a considerable fall-
ing off; hence the demand was firm, and prices had an up-
ward tendency. In Fruit, only a moderate business was
doing at our quotations. Potatoes, from 3s 8d to 5s 3d
per cwt ; Turnips, 2s 3d to 38 8d ; Carrots, 6s to 7s ;
Coleworts, or Greens, 3s 3d to 4s 6d; and Leeks, is 3d
to 2s per dozen bunches ; Apples, 24 to 4s ; Pears, 3s to
89; and Onions, 2s to 3s per half sieve ; Forced Po-
tatoes, 8d; Pine Apples, 8s to 103 ; and Filberts, is to
is 6cl per lb; Savoys, is 3d to .2s per dozen ; Forced Rhu-
barb, Is 8d to 2s 3d ; ditto Asparagus, 68 to 8s ; Horseradish :
2s to ss; Brocoli, 2s 6d to 4s ; and Celery, Is 3d to 3s
per bundle ; Oranges, 5s to 11s ; Lemons, 8s to 12s ; and
Forced French Beans, 3s per hundred; Forced Cucumbers,
3s to 5s each.
RITNGERPORD.
The supply of each kind of Meat here was somewhat ex-
tensive. Prime qualities commanded a steady inquiry, at
full prices; but, in other kinds, only a moderate business was
doing. Fruit, Vegetables, and Fish sold slowly, at barely
late rates.
NENNTGATH AND LEADENDA.T.L.
We had a very large supply of Beef and Pork, but that of
Mutton and Veal was rather limited. Generally speaking,
the trade was firm, and prices were supported. Beef, from
2s 6d to 3s 4d ; Mutton, 2a 8d to 3s 8d ; Veal, 3s 10d to
4s 10d ; and Pork. 2s 8d to 4s 4d per 81bs, by the carcass.
We had a large supply of both Game and Poultry here, while
the demand ruled heavy, at barely last} week's quotations.
Weniffre ea r PaIi:VAN Iltrfik&a, fg Lind
Ducks, 3s 6d to 6s. per couple.
NEWPORT.
Prime Mutton and Pork sold steadily; other kinds of
Meat slowly, on the following terms :—Beef, from 2s 8d to
38 6d ; Mutton, 2s 8d to 3s 8d ; Veal, 3s 10d to 50 ; and Pork,
3s 4d to 4s 4d per 81bs.
BILI.INOSGATE.
The supply of Fish still continues abundant, and prices
extremely low. Soles were selling at from 3d to 2s per pair;
Turbots, 5s to 12s; Cod Fish, 2s to 6s; Whitings, 3d to 6d
each ; Salmon, is 3d to is 9d per lb ; Mackerel, 16s to 20s
per 100.

WECITECILA.P
There was a full average supply cf each kind of Meat here,
while the demand was somewhat inactive. Beef, from 2s 6d
to 3s 6d ; Mutton. 2s 8d to 3s 8d ; Veal, 3s 10d to 4s 10d ;
and Pork, 2s 6d to 4s 2d per 81bs.