The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-05-30 00:00:00

THE EAST WORCESTERSHIRE
ELECTION.

TIM NOMINATION DAY.

The nomination of candidates for the repre-
sentation of East Worcestershire, took place at
Droitwich, on Tuesday last. Both of the candi-
date' engaged special trains to take their sup.
porters. The hustings was fixed in a field bor-
dering on the Worcester-road and there were
two openings—the one to the right being, for Mr.
Laslett, and the one to the left for-Mr. Lyttel-
ton, and as the friends of each arrived they were
greeted with °beers on the one side, and groanv
on the other. On the hustings we noticed Sir
T. Wilmington, M.P., Mr. n. P. Amphlett, Q.C.,
Mr. W. Altroyd, Mr. O. Graxebrook, Mr. S.
Orazebrook, Mr. Shakespeare (Oldbury), Mr.
flower (Colley Gate), Mr. Godson (Oxford Cir-
cuit), Alderman Daggett (Dudley), Mr. G. Pear.
son, Rev. D. Maginnis, Rev. J. Richards, Mr.
W. Pearson, Mr. Bentley Woreostcrl, Mr. J•
Corbett, Mr. G. Whitaker, Laptain Stallard, Mr.
A. W. Knott, Mr. J. Parker, Colonel Barrows,
Mr. J. Alltmp, arc. In front of the hustings
there were congregated from tyro to three thou-
sand persons alternately hooting, groaning, and
cheering, and the wildest confusion prevailed for
some time. A number of men connected with
the salt works were present, and a number of
fights took place between the two contending
Parties. There was also a good sprinkling of
" roughs" from the black country, and it was a
considerable time before any sort of order pre-
vailed.

The Sheriff (Mr. M. C. Berington) called for
silence while her Majesty's writ was being read.
It was with difficulty that this could be obtained,
and the usual preliminaries were gone through
amidst continued disturbance, more or less.
The Sherrill' then addressed the assembly.
He said that in consequence of the death of
Lord Culthorpe, and the consequent elevation
of his sou to the House of Peers, it wash's duty
to call upon the electors again to exercise their
right to return a proper knight to represent
them in Parliainent—(cries of "No Popery,"
cheers, and disturbance). He was precluded,
by virtue of his office, from making any remarks
calculated to influence the electors in their votes
—(a voice: " We'll have no Irish Church"—
(cheers) —for his office pledged him to strict im-
partiality, aad that strict impartiality he was
resolved to maintain—(hear, hear). He would
only call upon the assembly to manifest the
same impartiality, and to listen calmly to the
claims, pretensions, and dens solo of each party
as he addressed them—(cheers). It was the
right of all Englishmen to have fair play, no
matter on what side they might be. Etch side
had always tho right to expect from all English
audience that fair play which they were ready
t give to their opponents—(hear, hear). On
the present occasion they were called upon to
elect their repre amtatives under very exception-
al circumstance:, for the gentleman whom they
now would sell 1 to Parliament would have to
apply to a new eoustituency within a few months
tor the seat which they were about to gtve him
—(a voice That's LasLlt ;" cheers and
groans). Title fact affected the condi late, but
it did not atf..ct the electors —(cheers and dis-
turbance). He thought it would he unbecoming
in him to trespass long up ei their attention,
anxiotia as they must be to hear from the lip; of
the proposers and seconders of the candid:ites,
and from the candidates themselves, their own
views ; but it was his privilege, ai sheriff of the
c Andy, to stand upon neutral ground, and, et/la-
pelled as he aas to observe the strictest impar-
tiality, he claimed to be heard with equal cour-
tesy by the supporters of both candidates—
(hear, bear). Toey were on the eve of a new
era, nod it seemed to him becoming, on an ecco-
simi like that, to do justice to the past, and to
remember the blessings and benefits which they
owed to it—(cheers). Whatever their political
opinions were, he believed they would all agree
as Englishmen that the main objeet of legisla-
tion was to secure to men the largest measure
of freedom that was compatible with right and
mid order. As regarded their much-cherished
rights and the security of their interests—(.l
voice : " Cut itshort, Mr. Sheriff"— disturbance)
—he thought they would all agree with him
when he said that they accrued from the legisla-
tion of eenturiea upon the wants, necessities,
and itretensions of preceding generations —(re-
newed disturbance) aud that legislation had, on
the whole, been wise and equitable. They could
not wish for a better proof of this than was
afforded by their personal freedom, and the con-
tinuous increase of their population and wealth,
and by the enormous development of their in-
stitutions and imlnstry at home, and the won-
ders created by tmeir entermise aud trade in all
Parts if the world--fcheers and interruption).
For sonic centuries past their rights and liberties
had been in the safe keeping of two political
factions, each jealJasly watchiug the other, lest
it trespassed upon the trust common to both—
(cheer.). At the pres,:nt moment they saw but
the dim outline of their traditional politics.
They were on the eve of extending the franchise
in this country to a new and hitherto untried
constituency. In this state of Ohio's some per-
Solis would see grouuds for fear, but others of
hops; but all would agree with him that now, if
ever, it was imperative upon every Englishmams
to do the duty which his country demanded of
him —(eheers). Certain it was, and all history
testified to the fact, that a great notion infan-
t:lMO itself by its wisdom, and fell only by its
own foily--(eheers and interruption). The as-
aeinbly had given hint it patient and comteons
haaaao, because they knew that from him they
would lifoar only remarks that were common to
both parties. IL bugged of them now to extend
to the candidates, and their proposers and sec-
onders, the same courteous heariug—(cheers and
uproar).
The Sheriff then formally asked the assembly
three times successively whom they would have
to represent them, and the enquiry was each
time answered by loud cries of " Laslett " and
" Lyttelton " respectively, mingled with loud
cheering and groanin,e.
Sir T. E. Wilmington, in attempting to pro-
pose Mr. Lytteltun, was received with loud hoot-
ing and hissing, together with waving of hats
and sticks. Ile spoke, as did all the speakers
who followed him, amidst continual disturbance
and commotion, which at no time allowed any
one to be distinctly heard, and for the most part
prevented any one from hearing, except in the
immediate proximity of the speaker. He said
he had come there at considerable inconvenience,
to propose for the acceptance of the electors the
lint. Charles George Lyttelion, as the member
for East Woreestershire—(cheers and groans).
He wished, in passing, to make SOlllO remarks
upon their late member, whose elevation to the
peerage had caused this vacancy. He believed
that Mr. Calthorpe faithfully discharged his du-
ties to the country, and more especially to those
who had returned him at the last great election
for that division of the county —(a voice: " Shut
up "). He had not resided among them but he
had endeavoured, as far as he could, to fulfil the
just expectations of those who bad returned
Toey had now hi their power to return as
their member a geutleman who had been born
aud bred amongst them, whose interests were
entirely identified with that division of the
county, and who also resided continually among
them. Far be it from him to depreciate the
candidature of his bon. friend Mr. Laslettt, fur
Mr. Easlett and be had sat for a long time side
by side in the House of Commons, through
many a long ;Mel weary debate —(great cheering
awl inter)uption) and he was bound to say that
Mr. Laslett had discharged his duties in the
moat faithful manner that a British representa-
tive could, and lie had been satisfied to find that
his views generally coincided with his own—(re-
newel interruption). Mr. Laslett, however, now
appeared ii a supporterof Mr. Disraeli's Govern-
ment and the Irish Church—(groans and cheers)
—and lie would ask how mune the Government
of Mr. Disraeli to be at present in office ? Was
it by tint general will of the electors, expressed
at. meetings like that ? —(" No, no."). No, the
electors at the last election returned that Liberal
majority whieli they had only recently seen re-
suscitate". Why was it, then, that the Govern-
ment of Mr. Disraeli had come into office? It
was because tho discontented Liberals had
formed an alliance with the Conservative party
with the view of defeating the Reform Bill of
Lord Russell, and more especially the dangers of
the R 7 franchlae— (uproar, and cries of " Torn
him out," and " Send Lyttelton to school"
The hon. Baronet endeavoured to further ad.
adduces the assembly, but a great row was got
OP immediately in front of the hustings; the
supporters of Mr. Lyttelton, urged on by some
of the gentlemen on the platform, made a rush
at their opponents on the other aide, and after a
good deal of pushing and driving, amidat which
mend men were thrown to the vomit and