The Express.
London, England, 1849-09-01 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, SATURDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 1, 1849,

dons a layman could bold, and would stand by the piaci-
ples of Methodism while he lived. (Cheers.)
Mr. 01109.11tAN seconded the resolution.
Thanks were then voted to the chairman, and the pro-
medinp terminated at about 11 o'clock.

KIDDERMINSTER ELECTION.

RIDDERMTNSTEE, AUGUST 31,
Things remain in much the same position here,
except that the partisans of the protectionist candi-
date do not appear quite so Penguins as they were
rme days ago. The undecided" voters still hold
out, and neither party seem to take much notice of
them. This augur, well for the cause of purity—a
cause which the respectable people of Kidderminster
appear to think even of superior importance at pre-
sent to the mere triumph of a party.
A kcal candidate has usually many modes of in-
fluencing a constituency, arising oat of ancient friend-
ships and the asso.iations and connexions of private
life and business. There will be some votes given to
Mr.. Best under these circumstances, and probably a
few more may be rentralised. Bat, upon the whole,
this gentleman does not appear to receive the full
amount of support in this way that might have been
expected. By many his station in society
here is not exactly considered to be such
as entitled him to present himself for the representa-
tion of the borough. If his family occupy a certain
place in Kidderminster society, why, after all, Kid-
derminster society is not thought much of cut of
Kidderminster. I wasamused, by the way, at hear-
ing yesterday that the people of Bewdley, a little bo-
rough three miles off, in which there are resident so:ne
of the younger branches of the older Worm stershire
families, refuse to mingle in any way with the people
at Kidderminster, and look down upon them somewhat
as the aristocracy of Belgravia look down upon tie
denizens of llarley-sheet, or as G.osvenor-square re-
gards Camberwell or Kennington.
In country towns of this sort, the mass of the in-
habitants, who draw their notions of the bar from a
visit to the "'Sizes," hare a mighty notion of the im-
portanes of a youth who has eaten the requisite
number of dinners within the precincts of an Inn
of Court. A few days ago the majority of Mr.
Beet's supporters were delighting themselves with
d:stant siennas of what each of them might get when
their candidate was elevated to the woolsack; which
they argued he was sure to be if he was only put in
parliament. These visions of futurity, however, have
been dispelled BiCC3 the Daily News informed the
town that Mr. Best's legal experiences had Ofiefly
been confined to the region of the Palace Court.
Many inquiries bare been made as to what this Palace
Court is or was? and I need not say that the facts
which hare come out about it have by no means
tended to raise it in the public estimation.
Since I wrote last both candidates have addressed
the peop`e ; Mr. Gisborne speaking from the balcony
of a private house, Mr. Best from that of the Lion
Inn. I was amused to see the emblem of this hos-
telry, a huge white hoe, with a long tail and fero-
cious whiskerP, c3vered ore r for the occuion with a
long piece of stair carpeting. The people of the
house had displayed it very much otter the fashion ci'
a London broker when he is about to commence a
sale of eff, eta and chattels', and altogether they had
male the lion look as if be had wrapped himself
up in cousequerce cf a cold. For a bong time'
I could not conceive for the life of me what the gair
carpe: meant, but at length a friend sk fit din 6wl
lingers pronounced that it was emb!ematic of the
" trade " of Kidderminster, with which Mr. Best de-
sires, through the stair carpet, to claim association.
Some one suggested a motto for the party, not inap-
propriate to the emblem :—" Stare soper antiques
vias.'

As two negatives make an affirma'ice, ono bad joke
may perhaps be mended by another. A few days
ago there appeared a placard running thus:
" Optima', Optimum Ea,
Candidate Best is the Best."
This war met by the following counterblast:
" reveilles, Pessimus Est,
Csadidate B:st is—a Pest."

There has been ne repetition of such a display
of fifth from nativity.
I should not conclude without mentioning a cir-
cumstance connected with this contest which is not
unlikely to h►ve a future influence on this tow". Mr.
Best comes forward as a protectionist : his prede-
ce•sor, Mr. G•elson, haring in his time been meet
things, concluded by dying a Puente. Lord Ward,
who has all the influence about here, and who
tries to worm himself into every Worcestershire
borough, sent down a Captain Carnegie, a Peel man
who used to represent Stafford, to see how the land
lay. He was introduced to some of the Kidder-
minster conservatives, but Mr. Best, sen., made some
difficultes, and he withdrew. Upon this a bold stroke+.
was made. The Peel newspaper in London an-
nounced on authority that the Hon. Dudley
Ward, Lord Ward's brother, would stand fur
Kidderminster. And no doubt he would have done
so, but the Bests taking advantage of Captain Carne-
gie's retirement, brought out their present candidate,
whereupon nothing more was heard of Mr. Ward,
who probably judged it best to keep out of the way
and avoid promoting discard. But Lord Ward and
his friends and agents are said to be extremely sore
about the matter, and I believe, as far as the noble
lord gees, he would infinitely prefer to see Mr. Glis-
borne socceseful than to let " the Palace Court
man,' as he has been styled, get a hold upon the town.

MUSIC.