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Mr. Speaker Abercromby, on the Election in the Standard. The preponderance of
An adroit letter to Ballots, has appeared
Liberals over Tories, in so large a proportion of the. Election Cornamttees, is very remorkuble ; and is not explained by the acci-
dental circ tance that on two or three occasions Tory Members used their privilege of avoiding service on more than one Committee. That the names are not well shaken up before they are drawn, may account for certain names with the same initial letter being drawn con- secutively ; but that would not help one party more than another. For instance, though there are four Liberal O'Connells, there are three Tory Parkers, two Palmers, two Mileses, two Gores, two Percevals, three Lowthers, two Mackenzie., two Duncornbes, and so on. We subjoin the letter.
"TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE JAMES AHERCROMBY, SPEAKER OP THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.
" Sir—the purport of the following lines, however distasteful they may pos- sibly be, is, I can assure you, really friendly and respectful. " 1 have no doubt that no one has been more annoyed than yourself by the circumstance, that out of twenty.two ballots for Election Committees, already taken during the present session, under your superintendence, as ninny as fifteen have turned favourable to the party to whom you have all your life been attached.
" It roust inevitably, follow from such a circumstance, that among those at a distance, and wholly Ignorant of the way in which these matters are conducted, suspicions of foul play will arise, which hardly any reasoning can dissipate. One object of the preemie letter is, not to volunteer a defence which you do not need, still leas to ' hint a doubt,' which the writer dare not openly express; but simply to allude to facts, which leave even the most auspicious no excuse for the indulgence of their misgivings. " The two last balloting-day' brought up fine Committees. Of these, four had a majority of Whigs, and one only a majority of ,Conservatives. This is one of the circumstances which instantly raises suspicion, and gives occasion to exclamations that it cannot be all fair.
" But what a different complexion does the matter take when it it known, that of the first three of these five Committees, a majority of Conservatives, and of Conservatives present, were actually drawn, and that Carlow borough was lost by Sir Charles N ere's declining to act, on the plea of having served, and Carlow county by Colonel Powell's pleading the same excuse ; and further, that on the Dublin Committee, now an decidedly Whiggish, there would have been at least floe Conservatives, if Sir Charles Vere and Lord .MaidstOne, both of whom were present, had not declined to act. " I think you will admit, that, in bringing these circumstances forward, and thus removing the ground on which a suspicion, now very general, rests, I can- not be actuated by any other than a friendly and respectful feeling towards yourself.
"But now permit me, in the same spirit, to name a point in the case which I think deserves your attention.
" There have been now twenty-two ballots ; which, at thirty-three names to each, would a little more than exhaust the House at the rate of one call per man. But there would be nothing strange if a Member happened to be called twice or thrice, and another not at all.
"It has happened, however, that the disparity has been much greater than this. There are, I believe, a consia'aable number of Members whose names have never been called once in all these twenv-two ballots ; while others, as Mr. A. Ellice, the Dundases, and sonic others, have been called repeatedly, even to the extent of five or six times.
" Again, the names appear to be together in the box ; so that if Colonel Wood is called, you may expect to hear Captain Wood's name in immediate succession. And, twice at least I believe, it has happened, that fuur O'Con- netts have been called, one after the other.
" These circumstances seem to me to indicate, that the names are always put into the box in the same order, and that they are not well shaken or mixed. IS Let Inc ask pardon, in conclusion, for addressing vou on these points, as though the mechanical part of the business, the filling the box, the mixing, or the drawing, lay with yourself. I lay the matter before you merely because it must all pass under your eye, and be subject to your direction ; and because you are the responsible officer to whom the public will look for fitting, as well asjust, proceedings. ' And I have no doubt, Sir, that no person will be more rejoiced than your- self, when we shall have got iid of the Grenville Act. But do you think that the Whigs, who so loudly exclaimed against this act at the beginning of the session, will now do any thing to amend or get rid of it ; seeing how well it has answered their purposes during the whole of the last six weeks ?
"I remain, Sir, yours, very respectfully, AN ELECTOR."
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