The election for Helstone has been upset under odd circum-
stances. Mr. Campbell (Liberal) received the same number of votes as Mr. Brett (Conservative), whereupon the Mayor, consider- ing that he had a right to a casting vote, declared Mr. Campbell duly elected. There is only one precedent for such an act, an election at New Romney in May, 1725, and in that case the mem- ber for whom the Mayor voted was unseated on petition. The practice of late years has been to make a double return, and the Committee therefore decided that Mr. Campbell was improperly returned, Mr. Brett gets the seat, and Mr. Lowe at first intended to bring the Mayor up to the bar of the House to explain himself, if he could, but gave up the idea on the advice of Colonel Wilson Patten. The poor man was evidently quite innocent of anything except a wish to correct an omission in the Acts regulating elec- tions. Somebody ought to have a casting vote in case of a tie, and who so proper as the highest elective officer of the borough ?
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