The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-06-23 00:00:00

Burrell
Cuneis

cmunixo AT SOUTIIIVAIIIt.

Yesterday was a grand and glorious day in the borough of
Southwark. It It id been Appointed for the chairing of the two re-
cently successful candidates for the representation of that borough
in Pariia rent ; and accordingly, as Sir Robert Wilson and Charles
Calvin, Esq., who were elected to the honour, were on the pi•puler
!ride, the ferment of public exultation which prevailed in their fa-
vour (luring the poll did not diminish when the period of expressing
the triumph arrived.
At ten o'cloek in the forenoon the different parties who were to
compose the procession assembled at the Obelisk, from which spot
it was determined that the chairing, or rather the parade (for it ie
rather a misnomer to call a carriage a chair), was to commence.
The enthusiasm which pervaded the multitude met to honour and
grace the glorious occasion, was considerably damped by an an
nouncement that Sir Robert Wilson was prevented from being pre.
sent, in consequence of the death of his eldest daughter, which
occurred at tire o'clock on the preceding evening. •
The City Marshal was in the front of the cavalcade, which con-
sisted of about 30 carriages, containing the committees and friends
of Mr. Calvert in the advs tee, and those of Sir Robert Wilson in
the rear. There were several parties of electors on horseback in-
terspersed, and a profusion of banners and flags with apnropriste
mottoes and devices. In the first part of the procession, the persons
and equipages belonging to which sported blue, which was the de-
signating colour of 31r. Calvert, a band of music in an open ve-
hicle, drawn by four fine grey horses of the larger size, immediately
followed the Msr-hal. There was also a beautiful model oils ship
of war, having all its sails set, with its pendants and streamers
gall, flying betore the adntiring eyes of the populace.
'I he Branch Committees had their respective banners, to designate
the districts in which they had been employed. Immediately be-
fare the vehicle in which Mr. Calvert was standing, pranced an
equestrian, cased in armour of brilliant brass, to behold whom
would have delighted Sir %Walter himself. This pattern of chivalry
conveniently dispensed with the visor, for lie differed essentially
from the Knights of Romance, at least in one important point: in.
stead of adhering to the examples of rigid abstinence and mortifi-
cation which characterized those heroes of adventure, he seldom
omittel an opisortunity, as in duty bound, to strengthen the inward
man, by partaking of such viands as ware presented to him, to sus-
tain the weight of his brazen plaits, and to enable him to wave
gracefully the milk-white plumes of his splendid helmet. Mr.
Calvert appeared immediately behind the herald at arms, in a
I handsome open coach, with six beautiful greys, tastefully and pro-
fusely decorated with knots, and traces of blue ribbon. lie was re-
ceived with cheers repeatedly during the day, and must, from this
heat of the weather, have felt much distressed in returning his
oheleances to the great number of the fair sex who gree ed his at.
rival from the windows by a display of his favourite colon-. " Par.
liamentary Reform" was the most conspicuous of his devices. The
committee and other friends of Sir Robert Wilson succeeded in
similar order, and exhibited a great variety of flags and banners
with numerous inscriptions, such as " Wilson and Purity of Elec-
tion," " Triumph of Public Virtue," " Trial by Jury," " W 1-
son and Public Liberty," " Wilson and Humanity," " Freedom
to the Slave." "Esteem to the Brave," " Southwark's Pride,"
and many others of a similar character. There were two paint; gs,
one of which represented a Negro in the net of supplication, and
the other was Fame sounding the trumpet. The spectacle was cer-
tainly one of a most imposing character, and was considered the
most splendid that was remembered in the Borough on such an oc-
casion. Several females, who seemed to be great judges in those
matters, agreed that it was as fine as a fair, and that was inteodsd
to express the very acute of praise.
The procession went, in the first instance, to the Town-hall,
from which place it traversed the principal streets of the five
parishes comprised in the Borough, until half-past five o'clock,
when 3le. Calvert quitted the line; and those who composed the
Purple, or Sir R. Wilson's, part of the cavalcade, adjourned to
Camberwell Grove House, to finish the festivities of the day.
We did not witness nor did we bear of any ace dent during the
proceedings. In this respect, however, we cannot avoid adverting
to the conduct of some individual residing at the end of the Kent.
road. About half an hour before the procession was expected to
arrive in that quarter, a man was observed to daub with brown
paint the upper part of some paling, which enclosed the front and
side of a entail garden before one of the houses there Mutated. The
consequence was, that many persons, who were afterwards looking
at the passing show, were pushed against, or inadvertently leant on
the railing, to the injury if not total ruin of their dress. We could
not conceive what object the person who practisad this trick could
have in view. If he was a friend to the rejected Candidate, it was
a mean mode of evincing his spleen, to inflict wanton mischief on
the ctut,iis of unoffending spectators.