Star.
London, England, 1831-05-21 00:00:00

NORTHAMPTONBHIRE—ELEvms Aar.

At length a re-action has taken place, and the result of to.day'spol-
ling has been an increased majority of seven in favour of Lord Milton.
The election Is not, however, by any means at an end, for a most
important question has been mooted this day by Mr. Cart-
wright's party, which is to be argued to-morrow. It is, whether
the freemen of Northampton are or are not entitled to vote ? It
appears there ate about five hundred freemen, and that there are
certain extensive tracts of land in which they have • common
right, and on which they are each allowed to turn six horned
cattle from Ma to February. The question to be decided is, whe-
ther this privilege constitutes a freehold for life, and next, whe-
ther it is of the required value ? Ur. Cartwright's party raised the ques-
tion by tendering the vote of' a freeman this morning; an embe
made to its acceptance, and the right remains to be de by ll*
assessor. The decision will be of considerable importance, if glees bl
the affirmative, not only to the town of Northampton, but also lomat 11
others. Mr. Cartwright's party, both last night and during Ms if,
bare been busily canvassing the freemen ; and this evening the cemaol
tee of Lords Althorp and Milton, which is sitting at the Free Pa'
0164 have issued an address to the freemen, calling upon them, is
the event of the right being established, to vote for those noblemen.
At the close of the poll tonight, the numbers were—
Althorp
Milton . 2,070

Cartwright . ... l,9k
Knightley .
Lord Mthorp observed that, by the state of the poll, and by what
he bad observed during the day, be was satisfied that the final result
now entirely depended on the decisions come to in the assessor's booth.
Lord Althorp, Mr. Cartwright, Sir Charles Knightley, and the
Hon. lie Wentworth Fitswilliam, then severally returned thanks to the
Electors.

A circumstance has occurred here, which is almost unknown in poli-
tical history, and which will have great weight, although it will not
operate until the eleventh bour. A paper some days since emanated
from the people called Quakers, or " Friends." At all events they
have proved themselves to be " the Friends" of reform, but it is seldom
that they, individually. and never before, collectively. interfered with a
popular election. Numerically speaking, the proportion of the popula-
tion of this religious persuasion is not great, but their moral influence
will have great weight, which will be felt shortly by the anti.reforssers
who opposed the Patriot Lords."

(COPY.)
" ELECTORS OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE.
" Unaccustomed to take an active part in political struggles, but
deeply interested for our country's welfare, and considering the present
a very important crisis.—We, the undersigned.of the Society of Friends,
think it right to give our support to those Candidates who have
pledged themselves to the great cause of Parliamentary Reform 3 at
the same time we are anxious distinctly to state that we do so, not from
a factious end party spirit, or vindictive feelings towards any, but from
a firm and deliberate conviction that the Bill brought forward by the
present Ministry. and sanctioned by out Sovereign, so far from having
a tendency to produce revolution and anarchy, is a measure fraught
with the most benefiPial consequences, not only to the country, but to
the world at large—a measure which would lead to numerous and salu-
tary important alterations in our laws—bring about a speedy and effec-
tual abolition of negro alavery—sad such an alteration in our criminal
code as would render it more consistent with the spirit of Christianity.
(Signed) " William Marshall James Atkins
Thomas Browett John Blatant
James Ashby Edward Latchmore
Thomas Barringer John Barzoinc
Joseph Barnes William
John Mould John Ashby
Rich. Wommenley PhWp Patterson
Oray Hater William Stephens."
John Thursfield

" bth Month, Ibth, 1831." -----
The other day, a shameful expedient which was resorted to here by
the anti.reformers, in order to prevent the dissenters from exercising
their right of voting. A curious instance of successful recourse to this
expedient occurred yesterday. Mr. Barnard Ward, who is admitted
on all bands to be a man of the highest respectability, and of consi.
derable property, tendered his vote at the hustings. It was objected
to, and referred to the assessor, who decided that there was not the
slightest ground for the objection. It happens, however, that
Mr. Ward belongs to a class of Protestant dissenters who are de-
nominated " Separatists," and that he has strong scruples against
taking an oath. The anti-reform party being made acquainted
with this peculiarity in Mr. Ward, tendered him the freeholders'
oath, which, as they expected, be refused to take. He offered to affirm
that which they desired him to swear to; he offered also to produce the
title-deeds of his property; his solicitor and his tenants offered to swear
that he was the owner of the property; the assessor decided that his
tide to that property, and consequently that his right to vote, were per.
fectly good. and many persons of unexceptionable character were ready
to identify him as the person whose name appeared in the land-tax mesa-
ment. All these offers were declined, and the oath was pressed. Mr. Ward
absolutely refused to take it, and thus his vote was lost. This is the
case which Lord Ahhorp alluded to—and, in addressing the freeholders
here it was only necessary to allude to it—for the fact Is as notorious
as it is loudly and universally condemned by every respectable
man in the town. I do not believe that either Mr. Cartwright or Sir C.
Snighdey would sanction euch a proceeding as this ; but Mr. Ward's
11 is not a solitary case, and there is surely a just ground of complaint
against both the hon. candidates, who retain in their service agents that
have adopted, :and that continue to adopt day after day, a course so
discreditable to them, and so revolting to all honourable minds.
However difficult lt may be to understand the reason of the scruple of
Mr. Ward, still conscientious and religious scruples, If not injurious
or inconvenient to society, ought to be treated with tenderness and
respect ; and there is as little of honesty as of Christian feeling in
taking advantage of a man's sense of religious duty for the purpose
of depriving him of the exercise of a valuable political right. Such
conduct, too, is directly at variance with the policy of our law ; but then
that policy was forced upon the bigots who have disgraced themselves
by this paltry and pitiful device.
The Dean and Chapter of Peterborough, having influence over some
tenants of Lord Fitswilliam, have exercised that influence for the pur.
pose of making those tenants of the venerable Earl vote against his son
Lord Milton. It will surprise no one who is acquainted with the cha
ratter of Lord Milton, to hear that his lordship has repudiated the
ducal doctrine of Newcastle origin—" May I not do what I please with
my own "—and that he has assured these priest-directed tenants of his
father that they should not be molested in consequence of their hay.
ing given their votes against him. The parsons of this county
have, as in most other counties, almost to a man, voted for the
anti-reform candidates, which they had doubtless a right
an to do
if they pleased ; but what can have induced the and
Chapter of Peterborough to go out of their way, and exercise this in-
fluence over the tenants of Lord Fitswillhun, which they certainly bad
no right at all to exercise ? They must be blind indeed to their own
temporal interests, if they suppose that they can derive any advantage
from giving so striking a groucd of suspicion, in addition to the many
others which have unfortunately occurred of late, that the clergy con-
sider their interests to be not only separate and distinct from, but dia-
metrically opposed to, the interests of the people ; of the people by
whose hard-earned money they are supported, and upon whose attach.
ment and regard they can alone rely with security for the continuance
of that support. Lord Clarendon more than a century ago observed, that
"clergymen understand the least, and take the worst measure of
human affairs, of all men who can read and write ;" and nothing but
an irrestible conviction, both that the fact was so, and that It was not
possible to conceal it, could have wrung so bitter, but so just a
reflection from this high-church, this prerogative-adoring, and this
people.hating historian. It may be the misfortune, not the
fault of our clergy, that they have not improved in this res-
pect singe Lord Clarendon's time. But Peterborough is near enough
to, and sufficiently connected with, Cambridge, to have been
contaminated by the recent example which has been set by that Univer-
sity in its own return of members to represent it in the next Parliament.
Ai a contrast to the behaviour of these churchmen, I must not forget
to mention that a small 'freeholder, disdaining to be conveyed to the
poll at the expense of the candidates and being a man of very limited
means, actually walked all the way from Manchester to vote for Lords

Altherp and Milton. If there be many Inch freeholders as this man,
all the Deans and Chapters in the kingdom will exert their inli.tence
against the people, and the people's cause, in rain : and the Charlea-
street conspirators whom they will follow in political nomenclature—the
Cato-street conspirators.

IRISH ELECTION RETURNS-TRIUMPH OF REFORM.

• For Agst
•
Antrim—Lord Ilaist. General O'Neill - . 2 0
Armaglo County—Lem] Acheson, C. Brownlow . 2 0
Armagh llorough—hord Ingestrie - - . 0 l
Ht -

AtblMie—R Iranficock - . . - - 0 1
Bandon—Lord Bernardo . . 0 1
Belfast—Sir A. Chichester . - - . 1 0
.
Carrickfergus—Lim! G. 11W . . - I 0
Cork County—Hon. R. King, Lord Boyle - 2 0
-
Cork City—D. Callaghan, Hon. J. Boyle - - 2 0
Carlow County—W. Blackney, Sir J. M. Doyle . 2 0
-
Carlow Town—Lord Tullamore - . 0 I
. Coleraine—S!r J. Brydges . . - 0 I
Cssbcl—M P.iiinefather . - . 0 1
Cloomel—E. Civic . . - - 0 1
Dublin County—Lord Brabazon, Colonel H. White - 2 0
Dublin University—T. Lefroy . 0 1
.
Dundal:: Borough—Captain E. Gordon - . 0 1
Dungannon Borougb—Hon. J. Knox - - 1 0
•
1 Dungarvan Borough—Hon. G. Lamb . 1 0
.
Downpatrick llorough—E. S. Ruthven . 1 0
-
1 Down County—Lord A. Hill, Lord Castkreagb - 1 1
-
Drogheda Borough—J. H. North - - 0 1
Ennis Borough—Right Hon. Vesey Fitzgeraldt - 1 0
Enniskillen tknough—Hon. A. Cole - - - 0 1
Fermanagh County—Gen. ArchdaU, Viscount Corry - 0 2
Galway County—Sir J. Burke, J. S. Lambert . . 2 0
Galway Town—J. J. Bodkin . - - 1 0
Kerry County—D. O'Connell, F. Mullen. . 2 0
Kildare County—Sir W. Holt, bl. O'Ferrall - . 2 0
Kilkenny County—Earl Ossory, Lord DIMMING - 2 0
Kilkenny City—N. P. Leader - . 1 0
Kinsale Towu—J. RusaeU - . - - 1 0
Limerick County—Hon. R. Fitzgibbon, Colonel O'Grady 2 0
Limerick City—T. S. Rice, . - - 1 0
. Ligburn Town__Capt. H. hleynell - . 0 1
Londonderry Ciiy—Sir Robert Ferguson, - 1 0
-
Longford County—Vis. Forbes, A. Lefroy, - - 0 2
Mallow Town—C. D. Jephsoo, . 1 0
Meath Count Lori Killeen, Sir M. Somerville, . 2 0
Monaghan County-- Hon. C. Blayney ; Hon. H. B.
Westenra, . . - - . 2 0
New Ross Borough—C. Tottenham, - - 1 0
-
Newry Town—Hon. J. H. Knox - - . 1 0
Portarlington Town—Sir W. Rae, - - 0 1
-
Queen's County—Sir H. Parnell, Sir C. Coots, . . 2 0
Sligo Town—J. Wynne, . . . 0 1
Tipperary County—T. Wpm, Ho. J. Hutchinson, . 2 0
Tralce Town—Walker Fen and - . . 0 1
%action' County—Sir R. Musgrave, R. Power, - 2 0
Waterford City—Sir John Newport, . . . 1 0
Westmeath County—Cul. Rochfort, M. Chapman, . 1 1
Wexford Town—A. Walker, . . 1 0
Wicklow County—J. Grattan, A. Howard. - . 2 0
Youghal Town—lion. G. Ponsonby, . . . 1 0

63 41