§ MR. SPEAKER acquainted the House, that he had this day received a Letter from Messrs. Wilkinson and Stevens, as Agents for John Ralph and Henry Langley, informing him that it is not their intention to proceed with their Petition complaining of an undue Election and Return for the Town and Port of Sandwich.
§ Letter read, as followeth:—
§ London, 2, Nicholas Lane, Lombard Street,
§ 15th July, 1859.
§ Sir,—As Agents for John Ralph and Henry Langley in the matter of their Petition delivered in on the 21st day of Juno last, complaining of an undue Election and Return for the Town and Port of Sandwich and the Parishes of Deal and Walmer, we hereby beg to inform you that it is not intended to proceed with the said Petition.
§ We have the honor to be, Sir,
§ Your very obedient Servants,
§ WILKINSON & STEVENS.
§ To the Right Honorable the Speaker of the House of Commons.
§ Order for referring the said Petition to the General Committee of Elections read.
§ MR. KNATCHBULL HUGESSENsaid, he did not know whether he had the power to object to the petition being withdrawn; but it was the earnest desire of both his hon. Colleague in the representation (Lord C. Paget) and himself that the imputations made against them by the petitioners in the face of the whole country for some time past should not drop without being submitted to a searching inquiry. If 1293 his hon. Colleague and himself had any power to compel the petitioners to proceed with the petition they were determined to exercise it. The withdrawal of the petition had certainly taken him by surprise; and he now gave notice that he would take an early opportunity of bringing the subject of its withdrawal under the notice of the House, and of making a statement with the view to show the House and the country how the business of election petitions was conducted. He was bound to say that the system of election petitions, both as to their presentation, their whole management, and their withdrawal—hen withdrawn—was perfectly disgraceful. If the House thought fit, he was prepared at that moment to oppose the withdrawal of the petition, but if it was not competent for him to do that he should avail himself of another opportunity to bring the matter under consideration.
§ LORD CLARENCE PAGETsaid, he joined with his hon. Colleague in the earnest desire that this matter should he inquired into, and he appealed to the Speaker whether it was not in the power of his hon. Colleague and himself to object to the petition being withdrawn.
§ MR. SPEAKERreplied in the negative.
§ Order discharged.