The proceedings in the Hull Committee are drawing towards a
close. Mr. Wood having been declared to be in a majority of one, Mr. Thesi- ger proposed to proceed with objections to the petitioners' votes. To
this course Mr. Austin objected, that the list of objections delivered
him had reference to the petition of George" Bickerton and othersto
whereas the petition against the return was that of " John " Bickerter;
and others. He contended that the Committee could not proceed With the objections in consequence of the misnomer. A long discussion arose, which occupied nearly the whole of Thursday ; and was tenni. nated yesterday afternoon, by the decision of the Committee that the objection was valid.
Mr. Thesiger, with great emphasis and animation, pronounced the deeisioa which the CoMmittee had just come to, as most cruelly unjust, oppressive, and without parallel.
The Chairman here rose and said, he could not allow such language to be addressed by any counsel to the Committee. Mr. Thesiger said, he would repeat every word he had uttered ; and he begged further to state, that since he had left the Committee-room, he bed found that the petitioners were not in a majority, but that the sitting Members and the petitioners were equal on the poll. ft had been also discovered that the lists of objections on the part of the petitioners were open to the same ob. jection for irregularity as those of the sitting Members. One of the petitioners was George Bulks the younger. Now the words " the younger" were omitted. He therefore defied the Committee upon their own decision to proceed further. Mr. Hill said, that his learned friend, Mr. Thesiger, was himself the indivi. dual who made the declaration that the petitioners were in a majority. gm. ever, he should call upon the Committee to strike off another vote from the votes of the sitting Members.
Mr. Thesiger would not consent to any thing of the kind. The Commit* must be bound by the decision they had come to ; and they ought to administer equal and impartial justice, as they had sworn to do. A most animated and rather violent discussion here took place, and strangers were again ordered to withdraw.
On strangers being readmitted, the Chairman said, that as Mr. Thesiger's address would no doubt take some time, the Committee bad determined ups then adjourning, and would hear Mr. Thesiger on Saturday.
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