The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-11-03 00:00:00

'ERtON AND KIRKDALE WARD,

The polling commenced in this Ward at IN
long before that hour, a large crowd of voters —some
hundreds—had assembled at the polling place, Everton-
crescent. There was much anxiety on the part of the
supporters of both candidates to vote as early as possible.
There was a good deal of pressure about the polling
window, but the best of good humour prevailed. The
arrangements made by the police were effective. " Tricks
and stratagems" were resorted to by the Tory party, which
reduced them very much in the estimation of the respectable
portion of their members ; for instance, at a quarter to ten
o'clock, the numbers were posted on Longton's committee
room, showing that Stitt was in a majority of only three,
at that hour, the state of the poll, as reported by
tuittee, was Stitt, 88 ; Longton, 61. Majority
At four o'clock the declaration was—

Vine o'clock, and

whereas,
Stitt's et

for Stitt, 27

Stitt
Langton

Majority for Stitt
The excitement in this Ward was enormous, and
Increased every moment from the opening to the close
of the contest. The hourly returns were watched
and scored with the greatest interest. At one time
of the day, Longton was some few votes a-head of
Stitt, but as the day wore on, the majority waned
into a minority. At two o'clock, the respected votes
stood:-420 for Stitt, and 440 for Longton. At three,
Stitt had reached 502, and Longton 493, and at a
quarter to four the numbers were-564 for Stitt,
and 548 for Longton. This state of the poll
was received amidst the utmost excitement, Cheer atter
cheer rent the air for some minutes, and many gentlemen
there and then congratulated Mr. Stitt. When the final
state of the poll was announced, however, a degree of
excitement hitherto unapproached in intensity, was evinced
by the assembly, and for a long time nothing but the joyful
shouts of the multitude Could be heard. Mr. Longton was
the last voter but one, and, with that degree of selfishness
which generally characterises the bigoted Tory, he voted
for himself. Mr. Stitt declined to vote. We ore most happy
to announce to our readers that the Rev. Mr. Macnaught
voted for Mr. Stitt. His appearance at the polling booth
was the signal for an outburst of enthusiastic applause.
As soon as it was announced that the poll was closed, the
friends of Mr. Stitt immediately rushed to that gentle-
man's committee room, ea masse, Mr. Stitt, who was
present, was greeted with the most enthusiastic cheering
and applause, which was again and again repeated.
Silence having been in some degree restored,
Mr. Hall, the chairman of the committee, rose-and said
—Gentlemen, the poll is closed, and if you will but keep
quiet for one moment, I will state to you the result.
(Cheers.) Gentlemen, we have kept the state of the poll
this day with the greatest accuracy, and I am able to
inform you that Mr. Stitt has been duly elected. (Cheers.)
The numbers, at the close of the poll, are—Vor Mr
Stitt, 575; and for Mr. Longton, 559. (Loud and cnthu_
siastic cheering.) The majority, therefore, for Mr. Stitt
is 16. (Tremendous cheering, with three times three
cheers for Mr. Stitt, which was heartily responded
to.) Gentlemen, this has been the most successful
contest that has ever taken place in this ward. (Cheers.)
The greatest number of votes ever polled at any previous
election was 439, so that we have polled 144 votes more for
Mr. Stitt than was ever recorded at any election.
(Cheers.) Gentlemen, this is most gratifying
to me, considering the responsible position which I have
filled at this election—the chairman of the committee.
(Cheers and uproar from some of Mr. Longton's friends,
one of whom held up a paper showing that Mr. Longton was
in the majority.) Gentlemen, there is a person in this crowd,
a friend of Mr. Longton's, holding up a paper, I suppose to
inform me that we have not kept our poll correctly.
(Laughter and cheers.) Gentlemen, I ran assure you that
the statement I have given you is correct—(ehcers)--and
that the one he is now exhibiting is incorrect. (Cheers.)
Gentlemen, you will now have the pleasure of hearing your
representative address you, but before I conclude, let me tell
you that now that the election is over, we are quite ready and
willing to give up all the angry fueling that his election
has engendered, and now to go hand in hand with our
opponents. (Cheers.) Gentlemen, I will not detain you
any further ; the election is over, and our candidate has
been successful—(cheers)—and I do say that it reflects
the highest honour on the Ward. (Cheers.) Mr. Stitt
has been returned by a majority of the burgesses, and
that majority represents the intelligence and the integrity
or the Ward. (Great cheering.) Gentlemen, I will now
introduce to your notice your new representative.
Mr. Stitt then presented himself, •and was received with
deafening cheers, which were prolonged for some time. He
said, when he procured a hearing from the vast assembly
—now this important contest ha. ended—a contest between

age, influence, and wealth, against youth, and, what was
called, inexperience—(hear, hear,) —and, yet, by your
united exertions, you have proclaimed in favour of youth.
(Loud cheers.) After the great exertions of the day, in
which von have all so nobly shared, I find that out
of this extensive and important Ward, that 575 voters
recorded their votes for me, and 559 for my opponent,
leaving me in a majority of 16. (Great cheers.) I envy
not the feelings tof any one, and respect those of
a'l, and El'hough the cont s; has been a close one,
yet I consider myself equally the representative of those
in the Ward who voted against me, as I do cf those who
supported me. (Loud cheers.) I cannot say that I ap-
proved of all the proceedings taken by my opponent, during
the contest—there were many things I could not possibly
approve of, but now that the contest is ended, -I
am willing to let byegones be byegones, and to
shake the good hand of fellowship with all. (Loud
cheers.) I am willing to bury in oblivion all the
angry feelings, and all the bickerings that may have been
provoked or excited during the time we have been preparing
for this contest, which has so gloriously terminated
this moment. (Great cheering). All my consti-
tuents—l consider the whole ward my constituents—
(loud cheers)—shall receive at my hands the attention to
which they are entitled, in the council and out of it.
(Tremendous cheering.) Gentlemen, your great
labours in this struggle have ended--gloriously
ended—mine are only about to commence in
your behalf. (Renewed applause.) I shall carry with
me into the council chamber those principles which you are
already aware I profess ; and when, at the end of three
years, I again present myself before you, I trust that you
will find me unchanged, and that I may refer to my con-
duct as the best passport to your renewed suppot t
(Vehement applause.) I shall always endeavour to
carry out the sentiments which I have expressed
to you already, and I shall not deceive you when again I
present myself before you. Gentlemen, I now go to the
council to represent your wants and expound your views—
the views and principles upon which you have chosen me, and
if I live, I shall never deviate from what you know I pos-
sess. It is a great triumph—not on my part, but on
yours, and allow me to say that I congratulate and thank
you, and also to say, I shall not detain you longer at this
hour than to say—Good bye. (He then withdrew amidst
enthusiastic cheering, which lasted several minutes.)
Three cheers were then given for Mr. Stitt, and the call
was heartily responded to. A vote of thanks was next

_
proposed to Mr. Hall, the chairman of the committee, and
duly honoured. Mr. Councillor Hodgson then addressed
a few remarks to the electors, congratulatory on the victory
they had achieved, and the meeting separated.

LIME STREET WARD.
This Ward was the centre of attraction all day; the
contest being regarded as the chief one in the town, and
a deep interest prevailed, not only in the ward, but
through town generally, as to the result. The crowd of
respectable persons that congregated about the corner of
Norton-street and the centre of London-road, was very
great, even at an early hour, and, as the day wore on, the

augmentation was immense, some thousands being present,
awaiting, with feverish anxiety, the half-hourly announce-
ment of the polling: and when the numbers were posted
on Mr. Jeffery's committee-room door, the cheering was

immense. Tiae numbers were not posted by Mr. Lloyd's
party at all after ten o'clock, nor was there any enthusiasm

exhibited on his part, whilst on the part of the successful
candidate, the utmost amount of popular fervour was mani-
fest. It was not boisterous, however, but that honest, sober,

and intelligent enthusiasm attending on the right cause.
There was plenty of drink going amongst the Tory party ;
and one ruffian, in a most beastly state of intoxication, came
up to vote for Mr. Lloyd, and created much disorder, and
excited the disgust of all who saw him. He was ultimately
sent away by the police. Mr. Lloyd's friends had a
numerous band stationed in the celebrated (for eleclon
purposes) Swan Tavern, nearly opposite the polling
place, and it was most ludicrous to witness the efforts of
the performers to stifle the joyous shouts of the people
when the state of the poll was announced ; of course such
efforts only caused considerable laughter. There were loud
complaints made against the arrangements at the polling
window, which were of a character calculated to retard
instead of forwarding the business, but who was to answer
for this ? We heard it attributed to the Alderman ; but
on this point we give no opinion. On another point, we
heard a good deal of conversation, but with regard to its

truth we say nothing. A person was reported to be busily
engaged in making wagers with voters, that they would not

vote for Mr. Void, and, in some instances, it was stated
that the bait was successful. It was (if true) worthy of the
" good old Tory times," when " beer and bribery " carried
elections. Those days are gone, and the "everlasting
smash " made on the remnant of that party, by the
result of the day's proceeding, will never be remedied.
The Liberal electors of the Ward proved true to their prin-
ciples, and rushed like noble freemen to rescue it from the
degradation under which it long groaned ; and, as
a proof of the spirit that actuated the voters,
nearly two-thirds of them had recorded their votes for