The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-03-19 00:00:00

NORTH DEVON ELECTION

The Special County Court for the purpose of nominating
a knight to serve in Parliament for the Northern Division of
this county, in room of Viscount Ebrington, now Baron
Fortescue, and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, was held on
Tuesday, at Southmolton. At a very early hour the town
presented an appearance of'active preparation for a contest
of no common nature. In every direction, branches of holly,
with ribbons of " true blue," the emblem of Mr. Buck, and
boughs of laurel, with orange and purple, the emblem of Mr.
Buller, met the eye in every direction in the streets, as well
as affixed to the fronts of the houses ; together with flags,
placards, &c.
The friends of the candidates accompanied them into the
town between ten and eleven o'clock. The Hon. Newton
Fellowes, with C. P. Hamlyn, headed the friends of Mr.
Buller, being on the front of a carriage containing several of
his family. The Hon. Mr. Fortescue, eldest son of Baron
Fortescue, headed the horsemen of this division ; and in this
procession were Sir H. P. Davie, Bart., Sir B. P. Wrey,
Bart., J. Sillifant, jun., Esq., E. S. Drewe, of Grange, Esq.,
&c. &c. With Mr. Buck's riends, were Sir Trevor Wheler,
Bart., and it was understood Sir Arthur Chichester, Bart.,
G. Fursdon, Esq., Chairman of Mr. Buck's Central Com-
mittee, T. . Harding, Esq., H. S. Northcote, Esq., John
Quicke, Esq„ R. Chichester, of Hall, Esq., J. Whyte, of
Pilton, Esq., George Acland Barber, Esq., Arthur Chiches-
ter, Esq., Major Harding, Captain Shute, Z. H. Drake,
Esq., W. A. H. Arundell, Esq., John New, Esq.' R. J.
Marker, Esq., John Yarde, of Trobrige, Esq., W. Oweu,
Esq., John Barrie, Esq., Captain Adney, George Tanner, of
Crediton, Esq., H. Dunsford, Esq., &c. &c. &c. On the
hustings these were joined by Lord Courtney, who was re-
ceived with the heartiest cheering by the " true blues" ; Rev.
Archdeacon Stevens, Rev. John Harding, &c. &c.
There were upwards of 800 horsemen in Mr. Buck's in-
terests, who presented a mostformidable and influential band.
Mr. Buller 's procession wasalso numerous.
'At about 25 minutes to 11 o'clock, the candidates came
upon the hustings, which was erected in front of the market-
place, looking into a fine and spacious square. Mr. Buck
took his station on the left, and Mr. Buller on the right.
The space in front soon became completely filled by a
dense mass, consisting of many thousand persons, The win-
dows also of the houses were crowded with the fair sex, dis-
playing the colours and emblems of the candidate whose
cause they favoured. The excitement thai prevailed was very
frequently displayed in the encounters (at one time assuming
rather a serious form from the manner in which their stout
cudgels were exercised on each others' crowns) that took
place. Indeed, at one period to such an extent was this
carried, that a posse of constables were marched into the
square. We believe, however, that no serious mischief was
done.

The High Sheriff having opened the Court,
The Hon. Newton Fel'owes, in a rambling unconnected
speech, proposed Mr. Buller, who was seconded by John
Sillifant, jun., Esq., a gentleman who was on a former occa-
sion an avowd Tory, and canvassed for Sir Thomas Acland
and Mr. Bastard, a circumstance of which the electors fre-
quently reminded him.

T. Wray Harding, Esq. proposed, and George Fursdon,
Esq. secended the nomination of Mr. Buck.
Mr. Buller then addressed the assembled multitude in a
long, prosy speech, attempting to vindicate his vote when in
Parliament, against the Corn Laws, by saying that he wished
only for enquiry. He avowed himself to be a Liberal and a
supporter of the present Government, but he believed there
was scarcely a shade of difference between the political opin-
ions of his opponent and himself.
Mr. Buck, in a most manly and straightforward address,
declared that he was diametrically opposed to the political
views of Mr. Buller ; he wished for no change whatever in
the Corn Laws, nor did he think that under the specious
term of " enquiry," there was any necessity for it. Their
laws had worked well, and during the period of three years
when the manufacturing classes were most deeply depressed,
corn had averaged the lowest prices. Mr. Buller, he said,
supported the present ministers ; he, Mr. Buck, would op-
pose them as the most mischievous administration that ever
held the reins of Government. Their only object was place
and patronage, which they retained at the will and pleasure
of O'Connell, at whose dictation they were prostituting the
best interests of the State and threatening the ark of our
Protestant Faith.

The show of hands for each of the candidates was as nearly
equal as possible, counting amongst Mr. Buller's friends the
gloveless and the unwashed. The Sheriff thought the pre-
ponderance was in favour of Mr. Buller, and decided accord-
ingly. Mr. Fursdon, on the part of Mr. Buck, demanded a
poll, which was appointed to take place on Friday and Satur-
day.

SOUTHMOULTON, Saturday night, 10 o'clock.
The conservatives of this great and important district have
nobly acquitted themselves. The utmost exertions have been
made by the partisans of the ministeral candidate, but with-
out at all improving, I might say altering, his position on the
poll ; for singularly enough, the majority remains precisely
what it was yesterday. Verily, the return of Mr. Buck,
under all the circumstances of the contest, must prove
" a heavy blow andgreat discouragement" to whig-radicalism
thoughout the country.
The following is the final state of the poll in the different
districts :

Buck. Buller.
484 369
477 146
130 361
213 425
610 287
. 275 284
. 316 228
. ' 243 238
▪ 225 398
453 358
294 146

Barnstaple
Bideford
Chulmleigh
Crediton
Collumpton
Hatherleigh
Holsworthy..
Ilfracombe...
Southmoulton
Tiverton...
Torrington

3,720 3,240
3,240

Majority for Mr. Buck ..

UNIVERSITY AND CLERICAL INTELLIGENCE

THE UNIVERSITY PETITION FOR CHURCH
EXTENSION.
(From the Oxford Herald.)
" To the Honourable the Commons of Great Britain and