MARYLEBONE ELECTION.—The polling commenced at nine o'clock on Monday. Mr.
Hope took the lead, and kept it till about two o'clock ; when great numbers of Sir S. Whalley's friends arrived, and put h,jm at the head. It soon became evident that Mr. Murray had no chance of being elected : he was 300 votes behind Mr. Hope at twelve o'clock. Mr. Murphy, the fourth candidate, at that time was about 350 votes behind Mr. Murray. The poll closed at four o'clock ; when the numbers were
For Sir S. Whalley 1,386 Mr. Hope 1.922 Mr. Murray 765 Mr. Murphy 170
In the course of the evening, Mr. Murray resigned ; in order, as he stated, to leave those electors who had pledged themselves to vote for him the opportunity of giving their votes to either of the other candi- candidates.
On Tuesday morning, the polling recommenced with great spirit. Mr. Hope's friends were sanguine of his success, and laid heavy bets that he would be returned. After about an hour's polling, however, these expectations were destroyed. Sir S. Whalley's majority rapidly increased ; and at four o'clock was more than 800 votes. On Wednes.; day morning, the returning-officer, Sir Peter Laurie, announced the numbers to be—
For Sir S. Whalley 2,869
Mr. Hope SAM
Mr. Murray 791 Mr. Murphy 172
Sir Peter, then declared Sir S. Whalley duly elected: He also stated, that on the 8th instant, when he accepted the post of returning-officer; he inquired whether there was any likelihood of a vacancy occurring in the representation of Marylebone. He was informed that there was not ; yet on the 10th, only two days after, the writ was moved for in the House of Commons. He made no comment ; he stated facts, and they might draw their own inferences. He was sorry to see so much apathy in the borough. In the inclement weather of December last, 6,760 votes were polled, but at the present election, with all the ad.- vantages of Spring weather, only 5,887 had been given. The whole number of registered voters in the borough was 8,901. The expense of the last election was only 338/. altogether, and this time it would be still less. The whole business had been conducted in peace and order. Sir S. Whalley, ill a speech of considerable length, thanked the electors for the honour which they had conferred upon him, in opposi- tion to every exertion of Aristocratical influence, and the basest at- tempts to bribe and intimidate them. When he reflected on the more than Roman virtue which the electors of Marylebone had evinced, the firmness with which they had withstood temptation, and the arduous nature of the struggle which had so triumphantly terminated, he felt oppressed with feelings such as filled the breast of Hannibal when he looked back at the Alps, after passing those gigantic barriers between him and Italy. - • .
Mr. Murray was received with considerable cheering. He denied most distinctly having been .the nominee.- of Mr. Portman; of whose intended resignation he had no previous nor private intimation, having heard of it for the first time from a tradesman. The returning-officer was under a mistake, and had misled the meeting and the public, by the allusion which he had made. He then defended himself and his family from a charge made against them by Mr. Murphy, of being public pen- sioners. This he positively denied. He congratulated the electors on the choice which they had made. A shrewd old gentleman had said,— that " he saw so many, lovely girls in the world, he wondered where all the bad wives came from :" he would say, that there are so many flat- tering and promising candidates, be wondered where all the idle and bad members of Parliament camefrom. However, he heartily hoped that the electors of Marylebone would receive the greatest advantage from their choice.
Mr. Murphy came forward, but was almost universally hissed. He -congratulated the meeting on the defeat of both Whigs and Tories, and their choice of a Radical.
Thanks were voted to Sir Peter Laurie, and the meeting teparated.
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