19 DECEMBER 1835, Page 3

ebt Country. The candidates for the representation of the Northern

division of Northamptonshire were nominated at Kettering on Tuesday. The little town presented a very gay and bustling appearance. A variety of banners with inscriptions were displayed. The friends of both candidates paraded the streets with bands of music, and began to move towards a large piece of open ground in front of the market- hill, where the hustings were erected, as early as nine o'clock. The partisans of Mr. Hanbury were first in the field, and all on foot. Perfect order and good-humour prevailed, until a large party of Mr. Maunsell's friends on horseback, armed with heavy sticks and horsewhips, gal- loped to the spot and actually charged the crowd ; making their way to the hustings, with brutal violence. The whole of this proceeding was preconcerted.

"The horsemen were headed," says the Morning Chronicle reporter, "by a person of the name of John George, of Bythorn, (an agent for Mr. Maunsell,) who dashed his horse among the defenceless people, with a reckless disregard of livr4 and limbs, and laid about him in all directions with a thick ash stick. The confusion and disorder thus occasioned were exce.sive ; and when it was at it. height, and before a single missile had been thrown by the Buff party, this man George produced from his coat. pocket a pistol, and levelled it at a person in the crowd. His hand was arrested by some member of his own party, anda cry of 'Seize him ! Carry him off! Con. t ides do your duty !' was im- mediately raised. The horsemen, however, crowded about him, and screened him tioin the just indignation of the crowd. tk large patty of constables and banner-bearers of Mr. Hanbury's rushed forward to seize his horse's bridle; and some person threw, I think, a piece of stick, which struck him on the nose, and fetched a little blood. The man, foaming with passion, again pro- duced the pistol, levelled it, cocked it, and in another lest int would, in all probability, have committed murder, had not his anus been forcibly seised and held down by two of his horsemen, who kept him pinioned, and struggliag all the while, until the arrival of the Sheriff and the indignation of crowd and gentlemen on the hustings induced him to desist."

The Sheriff, Mr. Lewis Lloyd, (the London banker,) urgently requested the gentlemen (1) on horseback to retire more into the rear, and not to intercept the passage to the hustings. The Under Sheriff also pressed them to go back : but the horsemen refused to move. The business of the day was then commenced. Mr. Payne, of Selby Hole, proposed Mr. Maunsell ; and Mr. Tryon seconded the nomination. Mr. O'Brien presented himself to nominate Mr. Hanbury ; but in the first place, turning to the High Sheriff, he said—" A person in the crowd has fire-arms; I must insist upon their being given up." The Sheriff said — " You shall not be interrupted, Sir; go on." Mr. O'Brien insisted on the fire-arms being given up. A scene of con- fusion ensued ; a body of men made their way up to George, who was then compelled to yield ; and being carried to the hustings, gave up his pistol to Mr. Maunsell : it was double-barrelled, and loaded. The Sheriff then again requested the horsemen to retire ; but they were obstinate, and accused him of partiality. After some delay, Mr. O'Brien nominated Mr. Hanbury, who was seconded by Mr. Vernon Smith.

Mr. Maunsell then addressed the assembly. He declared himself a friend to the connexion of Church and State, and a determined oppo- nent of the present Ministry. He also denounced the coalition of the Government with O'Connell.

Mr. Hanbury said that he was an advocate for civil and religious liberty. He was a Whig, not a Radical, or an O'Connellite. He differed in politics from Mr. O'Connell. [According to the Times report, Mr. Hanbury said, "he hated O'Connell as much as any of his opponents."] He was anxious to support, not destroy the Church ; in which he held two livings, and to which he was bringing up two of his sons.

On a show of bands the numbers appeared to be nearly equal ; but the Sheriff, after another show, declared it to be in favour of Mr. Han- bury. Mr. Tryon then demanded a poll in behalf of Mr. Maunsell. Sir George Robinson and Mr. Henry Fitzroy attempted to address the assembly ; but could not obtain a hearing : the former was greeted with groans and hisses. Subsequently, after the Sheriff had retired, and a great part of the crowd had also moved off, Sir George Robin- son delivered a long speech in justification of his desertion of the Whig party, and full of abuse of Ministers and O'Connell. Mr. Vernon Smith, who had accompanied Mr. Hanbury to an inn, hearing of Sir George's oratory, returned to the hustings, and replied to him with force and spirit : be also read the reverend baronet a lecture upon his unclerical conduct, as a fierce partisan.