The Sun.
London, England, 1842-05-16 00:00:00

ELECTION COMMITTEES.

CORK (COUNTY).
The, Committee chosen to try the merits of the pal-
lion against the return :for the county of Cork met on
Saturday at half-past one o'clock, in the Committee-
room, No. 1, Q. Hayter, Esq., in the Chair.
Mr. Sergeant Wrangham and Mr. Montague Smith
appeared as Counsel for the petitioners ; 31r. Austin
and Mr. A. Stephens for the sitting Members.
Mr. Sergeant WRANYI4.OI opened the case for th 4 pe-
titioners, Mr. Leader and Mr. Longfield. At die 13. St.
election for the county of Cork, there 4vere four
candidates in the field, Mr. Leader and -Mr. Long
field, the petitioners, and Mr. E. B. Roche and
Mr. Barry ; but shortly bek're the day of no-
mination Mr. Barry withdrew, and Mr. O'Connell
took his place. The election took place on the 12th of
July, 1841. and was to continue for five days. The
polling commenced on the 13th of July, and the result
of the first day's poll was for the sitting Members 399,
and for the petitioners 387. Ile gave these numbers, be--
cause they might be of importance in the consideration, fpf,
the question the Committee had to determine. Duri.llg the
day of-polling, and for days previous, the petitioners with-
drew, in consequence of what came to their knowledge;
the polling on the part of the sitting Members, however,
proceeded, and at the close of the poll the numbers were
—for the sitting Members, 1,274 ; and in favour of the.
petitioner, Mr. Leader, 496, a few stray voters
having recorded their votes in his favour.,
After the first day's polling the sitting Member:s
were accordingly returned, and it was that retort,_ he
now sought to set aside. The grounds of the petition
were, that an organised system of agitation, menace,
violence, and outrage was acted upon during the election
fur Cork, and that several electors were deterred from
voting in consequence of such a system, so that the
freedom of election was entirely destroyed. The
Learned Gentleman went on to say that u. very old
statute, almost coeval with the existence ot: Parliament,
was passed to preserve the freedom of c+ection. That
was the statute of 3d of Edward First, chap. 5, which
enacted that no force of arms or menace should
be allowed at elections. The Learned Gentleman them
went on to detail particular eases of violence, and said
that sufficient voters baying remained unpolled they
must be presumed to vote for the petitioners till the con-
trary was shown.

The poll-book 6 were produced by Mr. Ware, the Clerk
of the Peace for the county Cork.
Mr. Barry, the High Sheriff for Cork at the lase
election, was called to prove the protests that were en-
tered by the petitioners at the election.
Mr. AUSTIN was proceeding to cross-examine the
witness, but Mr. Sergeant Wrangham objected.
The room was then cleared, and the Committee de-
cided that the cross-examination might be proceeded with.
The Committee then adjourned till 11 o'clock to-day.

FLINT (BOROUGH).
The proceedings on the petition against the return of
Sir R. W. B. Bulkeley were very speedily terminated.
The Committee met at eleven on Saturday, and procei:ded
to the investigation of the allegations of the petition.
These were very well supported byeonelusive proof, and
87 votes being proved to be disqualified, the sitting
Member was declared to have been unduly etecota.

LYME REGIS.
The Committee continued the scrarAny on Saturday
into the votes to which the objections were made on the
ground of removal. The vote of tit man named John
Lakey occupied nearly the w'dOle day. Mr. Talbot
argued in support of the vote, and Mr. Cockburn for
the objection. The room was cleared, and the Com-
mittee decided that the vete should be struck off. This
leaves the numbers equal on each side.
The Committee immediately adjourned till eleven
o'clock to-day.