The Express.
London, England, 1849-08-22 00:00:00

of Mr. Gardner; but there was another reason which

they failed to take into account,—the declining influ-
ence of Earl Fitzhardinge. The tories always averred
that they should have polled more upon this occasion
if the spell of private friendship had not neutra'is.id
many of their party. Circumstances which followed
1841 broke this spell entirely, gave increased im-
petus to the downward tendency of Fitzhardinge
popularity, and had well nigh extinguished that
powertd influence at once and altogether.
As those circumstances concern the reputation cf a
lady whose fame at any rate no one is entitled to mix
up with the politic of Cheltenham, we may refrain
from entering into the unpleasant details. It is the
lees necessary to do so, as the facts have been made a
mutter of public notoriety through the medium of an
assize court, and as consequently any one who wants
more particulars respecting them may have them for
the trouble of turning over an old file of newspapers.
Suffice it, Lord Fitzhardinge and the dons of Chelten-
ham were at issue on a question of " proprie.y."
Lord Fitzhardinge. on his part, rejected all entreaties
to give way; whilst, on the other hand, "the moral
dignity of Cheltenham" professed itself offended.
The tories fanned the flame, and anxiously anticipated
an early dissolution.
It came ; but not before Mr. Craven Berkeley him-
self bad increased, in several various ways, the un-
popularity of his personal position.
The watching, paving, lighting, and drainage of the
town of Cheltenham is directed by a body ot commis-
sioner. The commissioners are seltelective, anti the
majority always has been tory. Tin so commissioners
fancying (or their clerk, which is more likely, wishing
them to fancy) that they bad not sufficient !cell powers,
determined, a few years ago, to apply to parliament
for a new itet. The " Cheltenham Improvement Bill'
was brought in, and Mr. Craven Berkeley opposed
and threw it out. Of course, the bill cost something,
and must be paid for. The commissioners, in order
to pay for it, made a rate. A local hero, of the name
of Shillitee, appealed against this rate to the Court of
Quarter Sessions. All the county magistrates came
down, and through the Berkeley interest the rate was
quashed. Pending these proceeding's, the whig commis-
sioners had ceased to attend the board. Non-
attendance amounted to a disqualification. Tne
"costs" were therefore thrown on the few commie
sioners who stuck to their poets, and they were lead-
ing tories. These gentlemen were obliged to go
any lengths to avoid paying the expenses out of their
own pockets. They carried the proceedings, at great
cost, to the Queen's Bench. After a considerable
lapse of time the Queen's Bench reversed the deci-
sion of the Court of Quarter Sessions, and established
the validity of the rate. The acting commissioners
thereupon found plenty of persons willing to serve
with them. They filled up the it number under the
authority of their act with a body of thorough torics
and opponents of the lierkeleys.
Now, it happened that in 1847 one of the itinerant
surveyors who was getting information for the
Health of Towns Association, called in at Cheltenham
and proceeded to report upon its health. Of course
be drew up as unfavourable an account as possible.
That was his business, and no doubt he did his duty.
The general result of this gentleman's inspection was,
that Cheltenham was one of the worst drained towns
in England, and consequently one of the least healthy.
When the Health of Towns Bill came on for dis-
cussion in the House of Commons, Mr. Craven Ber-
keley made a speech in support of it. He would na-
turally have a fling at the Cht ltenbam commissioners
if he could. He did so, but by no means after & judi-
cious fashion. lie quoted the opinion of the itinerant
inspector, and by implication affirmed that all he said
was true.

Now, in the first place, it was scarcely true,
but in the second, if it had been, it was
anything bat wise in the member for Cheltenham to
acknowledge it. If there is one reputation which is
more essential than another to a watering place, it is
its health-promoting and disease-repelling character.
Mr. Berkeley, in allow:ng that Cheltenham was full
of bad odours and miasmas, had aimed, so said the
tones, a heavy blow at the trade and reputation of
the town. Abuse of the commissioners might have
been popular; but in attacking the commissioners the
hon. gentleman hal gone one step too far. Every
lodging-house keeper was in arms, every livery stable'
man evinced a strong disposition to kick, the trades-
people looked blank and surly, the very donkey
drivers were irate. There are two venomous tory
papers in the place. Of course they made the moot
of the embroilment. Another parliamentary speech
of Mr. Berkeley's greatly added to his ill repute. Mo-
dest little Mr. Spooner had introduced a "Prostitution
Bill." The measure was a silly one, but Mr. Berkeley in
opposing it, with some indelicacy and sad want of
judgment, treated it as if the fate of nations was
dependent on it, and made himself quite the leader of
the orpoeition by which it was defeated. The strong
religious feeling of Mr. Close's congregation was ex-
cit—many moderate friends were alienated. Another
incident occurred which dissatisfied a greater number.
Mr. Berkeley voted in favour of the 31synooth grant.
Some rabid dissenters protested and remonstrated.
Mr. Berkeley on the very next occasion gave his vote
against the grant ! This his enemies called " vacilla-
tion," and took care to make the most of.
In 1847 a railway difference divided Cheltenham.
The Great Western have a branch into the town. The
narrow gauge folks ran a line about a mile from it
called the Birmingham and Bristol. The broad gauge
wanted to go through the town. To this the
Cheltenham tradespeople objected. The leading local
newspaper, a journal of wbig politics, was in favour of
the narrow gauge. Mr. Berkeley was chairman of
the committee to promote the broad. The contest
between these interests ran high and strong. A
towns meeting was held upon the subject. At this
meeting a young gentleman, a Mr. Jones, was called
upon to speak. He was the son of a Sir John Jones,
a military officer, who had settled at Cheltenham and
bought a house at Pittville. Sir John was dead, but
his widow, Lady Jones, still resided there, her eldest
eon, Sir Lawrence Jones, being at this tame
travelling in Greece. It happened that the broad-
gauge line would interfere with Lady Jones's pro-
perty; and Mr. Willoughby Jones, her second son,
who was a barrister in London, came down to the
meeting to represent his mother's interests, and
to do his best to offer opposition to the scheme.
The broad gauge was defeated, and Mr. Willoughby
Jones gained some éclat for the pert he bad taken at
the meeting. It had been only over a very little
while when news came from Albania that his elder
brother, Sir Lawrence, had been assassinated by tome
robbers in his travels, and Sir Willoughby Jones suc-
ceeded to the baronetcy with a considerable income.
Some of those who led the opposition to the broad
gauge line went to London to bring down a candidate
in opposition to the Berkeley.. They wanted a mo-
derate conservative. Lord Lincoln was applied ti.
Tho deputation represented to him the circumstances
of Mr. Berkeley's unfortunate position, and all the
varied causes that would operate against him. Lord
Lincoln was pre-engaged himself, but mentioned other
partial. His nominees, however, were not thought

well of, and the deputeion returned to Cheltenham
without a candidate. It was on their way down,
or soon after they g:.t home, that one of them men-
tioned Sir Willoughby Jones, who was applied to
hastily, and, afttl a f.:w hours' consideration, ac-
imPlew me offer to become a candidate.
It was late in the day before he appeared, bat Mr.
Berkeley was taking it easy, and popular feeling was
against him. Sir Willoughby Jones.was put forward
as a young man of ample fortune and much ability,
resident in the town, of moderate opiniots, and un-
married. The ladies were highly excited. They
canvassed night and day for him. On the poll he
was successful beyond every anticipation, the numbers
being for Sir Willoughby Jones, 1,015 ; for Mr.
Craven Berkeley, 907. To the joy (we regret to say
it) of the town, the Fitz ardinge influence was beaten
by upwards of 100.
The mode in which this battle was fought, the cir-
cumstances that attended it, and all the curious
events which followed, we shall reserve for detail on
another opportunity.

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