The Sun.
London, England, 1842-03-17 00:00:00

TRANSFER OF LICENSES,

On the motion of Captain ROUS, the House then resolved itself
into Committee, to consider of a Bill for the transfer of licenses
and regulation of public houses. .
Leave was given to bring in the Bill.

The House then resumed, and the 13i11 was read a first time.
Mr. C. PO WELL moved for a return of all applications made
to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, by persons desirous of un-
dertaking the execution of Works provided for by the Act 1 and
2 Will. IV, c. 57, and the number and names of Commissions
issued in conformity therewith by the Lord Lieutenant or other
Chief Governor of Ireland.—Agreed to.
In the absence of Mr. Reddington,
Mr. 111. J. O'CONNELL moved for a copy of the letter of Mr.
Lucas, Under Secretary for Ireland, to the Secretary of the Royal
Dublin Society, stating that the Lord Lieutenant had authorised
an advance of money to that St.ciety, to be repaid, on the money
being voted by Parliament; and also, return stating in what parti-
culars the recommendations of the Committee of this House in
1836, respecting that Society, have been complied with.
Agreed to.

The House then adjourned at a few minutes to One o'Clock.
..........

SUDDEN DEATH of ARCHDEACON
SINGLE TON.
(1,1.:031 A CORRESPONDENT.)
DIORPETH, MARCH 14.—1 am lorry to inform you that in -
e has arrived in this town to-day, of the sudden death
of the venerable Archdeacon Singleton, yesterday (Sunday)
evening, at Alnwick Castle, the residence of the Duke of
Northumberland, after an illness of only half an hour's duration.
I am unable to state the particulars of this melancholy event,
further than that I lea nihat the deceased gentleman had been
slightly, and only slightly, indisposed during the day, but not
in such degree as to prevent his joining the company at the
Castle, where he was staying on a visit.
By this event the lucrative benefice of Elsdon, in this county,
which is in the gift of his Grace the Duke of Northumberland,
will have becw.ne vacant.

The Editor of the Courrier de la Sarthe appeared
on the 10th inst. before the Court of Assizes at Le Mane, on
an indictment for having published an article in the Journal on
the 19th January, which tended to excite hatred and contempt
against the King's Gfternment but the Jury found a verdict
of Not Guilty, and he was acquitted.
The Sentinelle des Pyrenees of the Bth says :
" The rage for emigration to Monte Video, far from having sub-
sided, has increased, and no one can say where it will stop. On
Thursday last the Chateaubriand and the Jeune Marseillais
sailed from Pass ages for Monte Video with about 600 passen-
gers, and three other vessels, the Cyrus, Gabriel, and Trois
Freres, are l repar'ng to leave Passages with emigrants for the
same destinatit nt:

ELECTION COMMITTEES.-

BOROUGH OF WEYMOUTII AND MALCOMBE

REGIS.

-----
The Committee app- inted to try this petition sat yesterday in
No. 2 The Members were, the Hon. Charles Compton Ca-
vendish, Sir Phillip Egerton, Thcmas Slingsby Duncombe, Sir
H. B. Smith, Archibald Hastie, Jos. Bailey, Jun., Esq. Cnair-
man, Patrick Maxwe!l Stewart, Esq.
The petitioners are Ralph Bernal, of Laton-place, in the
County of Middlesex, and William Dougal Christie, of the
Inner Temple, Esqrs. They stated that on the 28th of June
last petitioners were candidates for the representation of this
Borough, as were also the Hon. George Augustus Frederick
Villiers, commonly called Viscount Villiers, and George
William Hope, Esq., of whom the latter two were
declared by Andrew Lithgow, Esq., Returning Officer, on the
29th of June, duly elected, having obtained a majority; but
that the return was unlawful, inasmuch as the poll was not
opened at one booth until one hour after the proper time,
whereby many willing electors were prevented from voting for
petitioners; that many votes were improperly rejected ; first
many who voted. were not qualified ; that others who voted
were paupers, some aliens, some felons and convicts, some per-
sonators of others ; and, finally, that s,veral persons voted for
one or both of the sitting Members in consequence of having
received " bribes, money, gifts and rewards, meat, drink, and
entertainment ;" that others had taken those consic'e-
rations not to vote ; and others had offered those
inducements to Ico-electors to induce them to vote for
the sitting Members, or not to oppose them; and more•
over, that systematic bribery, treating, and corrruption
were carried on during the whole time ; wherefore petitioners
prayed the Committee to declare the election of the sitting
Members null and void, and that the petitioners were duly
elected, and ought to have been returned, and that the return
be am. nded accordingly, or that the House should grant such
other relief as should seem meet:

The close of the poll stood thus :
Villiers
Hope
Bernal .
Christie

259
257
253
251

Mr. Austin, with whom were Mr. Cockburn and Mr.
Kingley, opened the case for the petitioners, and said the
allegations should be tested by a scrutiny of votes.
The Hon. Mr. Talbot. with whom were Mr. Hodges and
Mr. Hope, appeared as Counsel for the sitting Members.
Mr. A ustrix relied, for his clients, on the general illegality of
the conduct of the Mayor, who is a surgeon, and of his deputies ;
in consequence of which several vots were lost to the peti-
tioners, as would be proved in the cases of Mr. Templeman,
Mr. Clare, and other voters. In the latter the voter declared
himself at the booth for the petitioners, but the clerk put it
down for Lord Villiers and his colleague; the Mayor being
told of the mistake, erased the entry and put down
the vote merely as tendered, but when asked by
petitioners to enter the vote as given for them, his Worship said,
" Oh, a Committee of the House of Commons must settle
that," a prediction which was now in the course of fulfilment.
After the election, the petitioners sent in a protest to the
Mayor against his conduct, and announced their determination
to petit on the House of Commons. In short, proof of every
allegation would be given. There was a Mr. Bartlett, who
had long lived in Jersey ; but somehow or other one William
Strickland, well known to all as an ostler, was persuaded for
the moment that he was transmogrified into the person cf
Mr. Bartlett, and full of this faith, the ostler went and
voted for the petitioners as Mr. Bartlett, the original Mr.
Bartlett never having lest Jersey all the while. If after
the scrutiny of votes, a majority should remain for the sitting
Members, the proof of bribery, treating, and corruption at
the Fox, at the King's Arms, at the Bear, at the Globe, at the
Black Dog, the Coopers' Arms, and other public houses, hotels,
and taps, would be amply sufficient to unseat Lord Villiers and
Mr. trope; for the connexion between those gentlemen and
their agents would be established beyond a doubt. But first he
would go into the scrutiny, and would call
Andrew Lithgow, Esq., the returning officer, who produced
the poll books, which he got from the town clerk on the 4th of
February; but he got the five books from the five booths,
including his own, on the 29th of June, and took them home
and sealed them. The election took place on the 29th June.
The books hatt been unaltered.
Mr. Lunen. was about to cross-examine the witness, but
Mr. AUSTIN contended that the opposite couns,l had no right
to do so. Mr. Talbot wanted net to examine him now, but at
a future stage. Considerable argument ensued, and the Com-
mittee ordered the room to be cleared to consider the point..
The decision was, that the Counsel for the sitting members
might cross-examine, but only respecting the custody of the
poll-books. Mr. Lithgow, therefore, was not recalled.
Mr. Tissaid, the Town Clerk, was examined as to the
poll-books. He observed that some erasures had been made,
but did not say how.

Edward Fallen Tissard, brother of the former, had had the
custody of the poll-books altogether for one hour and five
minutes, but he knew of no alteration.

The register of elections, the overseers' lists, and other
official documents were put in.
Mr. AUSTIN now objected to the vote of John Bridle, No.
146 on the Register, poll No. 4. He would show that he had
voted out of one house, when, in fact, he was living in another,
and then, that he had n 9 qualification. • On this point the
Overseer and Stephen Tarnell were examined, but the Com-
mittee were occupied a long time with arguments for .and
against the validity of the evidence to show that Bridle had
voted out of the house which he did not occupy. Bridle's vote
was eventually struck out.
John Farwell, No. 95 on the poll, was next objected to, and
abandoned, his vote falling under the preceding decision.
John Wicker was next objected to; but the Speaker being
at prayers, the Committee adjourned.