The Sun.
London, England, 1842-04-30 00:00:00

DISTRICTS.

PENRYN AND FALMOUTH.

The Committee chosen to try the merits of the petition in
this ease, assembled at one o'clock-.

The Committee was composed of Mr. Hardy, Mr. P. Scrape,
Mr. Back, Mr. Busfield, Major C. Bruce, the Hon. Otway
Cave, and Mr. Charles Wood, Chairman.

Mr. Searjant Wrangham, Mr. Talbot, and Mr. Waddington,
appeared as counsel for the petitioner, and Messrs. Cockburn
and Kingleake, for the sitting Member.
The Committee having come to the usual preliminary reso-
lutions,
111 r. Sergeant Wit ANG HAM stated the grounds of the peti-
tion. In the present case it was alleged that a system of gross
bribery and corruption was acted upon at the last election of
Penryn by Capt. Plumridge and his agente, and it was alleged in
the petition that hehad not sufficient property to qualify him fora
Member of Parliament. The nomination took place on the 30th
of June, and the polling on the Ist of July, when Mr. Vivian
and Capt. Plumridge were declared to be duly elected.
The two other candidates were Mr. Gwynn and Mr. Sar-
toris. The petition was not directed against the return of Mr.
Vivian, but only against Captain Plumridge, and the number
of persons who toted for him and Mr. Gwynn, who was next on
the poll, were
For Captain Plumridge
Fur Mr. Gwynn

43'2
381

Leaving a Majority of 5l ill
favour of the sitt.ng Member.
The Leirned Gentleman said that, he would first go into the
question of bribery and treating ; but before he would do so he
would state the grounds on which they considered he had nut-
sufficient qualification.

READING.
The Committee appointed to try the merits of this election
sat to-day for the tiest time, at eleven o'clock.
The Members forming the Committee were Mr. Hogg,
Chairman. Lord Seymour. Mr. Mackenzie, Mr. Bramston,
Mr. C. Boger, Mr. T. Egerton, and Mr. H. Howard.
Mr. Sergeant Merewether, Mr. Austin. and Mr. Talbot
were Counsel for the sitting Members, Lord Chelsea and Mr.
Charles Russell; and Mr. Cockburn and Mr. Phillips ap-
peared for the petitioner, Mr. T. Mills, the defeated candidate.
The petition of Mr. Mills prayed that the election might be
declared null and void o❑ the ground of bribery and corruption
on behalf of the sitting Members.
The Cuataarav, at the commencement of the proceedings,
stated that the Committee did not think it necessary to enter
into any particular resolution, except one with regard to the
exclusion of witnesses, and the usual one in eases of bribery.
The preliminary proceedings of the Committee having been
gone through,
Mr. COCKBURN addressed the Committee on the, behalf of
the petitioner. The petition related to the late election for
Reading, and complained that that election and ret urn had been
obtained by means of bribery and treating, and other corrupt
practices ; and the petitioner sought only to void the
return, the petitioner making no claim to the seat. The Com-
mittee therefore would not be troubled with a scrutiny. At
the last election for Reading there were four candidates—Mr.
Russell, Lord Chelsea, Mr. Mills, and Mr. Tooke; and the
nambers at the close of the poll were the following :
Mr. Russell 576
Lord Chelsea
Mr. Mills 4lO
Mr. Tooke
Now the petitioner ascribed that state of circumstances to
the corrupt practices of which he complained. Up to within
a short period of the election the unsuccessful candidates had
reason to believe that their interests were advancing with
every prospeet of success; it appeared, however, that some
time before the election a system of treating to an enormous
extent, to an extent. unparalleled in modern history. was
adopted by the successful candidates, and that bribery of
a wholesale description was resorted to. Lord Chelsea and
Mr. Russell stood upon the same interest, and acted in con-
cert, and vote.: were solicited for them in common. The head-
quarters of Mr. Russell was the Bear Inn, and those of Lord
Chelsea the Crown ; there were Committees at each, and also
at an inn in Reading called the Broad Face. It could hardly be
expected that the petitioner would be able to lay before the
Committee all the eases of bribery that had taken place. All
that could reasonably be expected was, that some of those eases
should be brought forward, and if he only proved one case, that.
would be sufficient for the purpose of flaying the election de-
clared void. The Learned Counsel then proceeded to detail
same of the cases in which bribery had taken place; in
one an offer had been made of 351. for a vote, and refused.
The voter refusing to take that sum, an otter was made hie nfa
situation on the Great Western Railway, which he accepted,
arid voted for the two sitting Members. The Learned Gentle-
man then went on to detail several 'other cases in which bribes
on behalf of the sitting Members had taken place, and concluded
by expressing a confident hope that the Committee would de-
clare the election void.

A short discussion then took place as to the production of the
poll-hooks, when it was arranged that. they should be produced
to-morrow, at eleven o'clock, to whicl► hour the Committee
adjourned.