ELECTION COMMITTEES.
Several Election Committees have opened their proceedings. The
Great Marlow Committee began the inquiry into the petition against the return of Sir William R. Clayton, on Tuesday. The petitioners alleged bribery, the acceptance of illegal votes for Sir William, and the rejection of good votes for Mr. Hampden, his opponent ; Mr. Piers Wil- liams, the third candidate, having been at the head of the poll. Small charges of corruption were brought forward,—such as the threat that Sir William's custom would be transferred from one pastry-cook to another, and the unaccountable abundance of meat in the shop of a buteher who had promised to vote for Hampden, but actually voted for Clayton. The Weymouth Committee on the petition against the return of Lord Villiers and Mr. Hope (whose opponents were Mr. Bernal and Mr. Christie) began the investigation on the same day. The petition against the return of Mr. Wilson for Clitheroe, whose opponent, Mr. Cardwell, claimed 25 out of his 175 votes, unduly ob- tained by the sitting Member, was also taken into consideration on Tuesday.
The Lewes Committee entered upon their labours yesterday. Against the return of Mr. Harford and Mr. Elphinstone, the Liberals, the Tory candidates being Mr. Fitzroy and Lord Cantelupe, it is alleged that the latter had the majority of good votes, (which must be tested by a scrutiny,) and that the sitting Members had been guilty of bribery.
Previous page
