The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-06-26 00:00:00

THE. BRITISH PRESS.

Placed 30 ahead upon the gross poll, and the exertions of his
friends had obtained a majority of 26 on that day's poll. It was, as
he had predicted yesterday, and he bad every reason to hope and
believe tfeit he should continue to proceed with increasing majo-
rities. All the candidates had. in turns, complained of coalitions ;
and since the meeting at hlorpetlt, reports had been circulated that
he had formed a coalition with another Candidate. He had hoped
that he had satisfied all parties that he had neither the inclination
nor the power to form a coalition. It had so happened that at
that meeting the %hew °Minds appeared to be in favour of Mr.
Beaumont and They were so placed in relative positions,
and there was nothill* We' td form a pretence thr such a charge.
He would now; dna,. fd• all, disclaim all idea of a coalition, ex-
cept indeed one toilliffin, -which had been formed in his favour—lie
meant, a en/firma with file honest men, fair women, and inde-
penilent fretbqkftsre Northilmberland.(Cheers). But this was
a fortunate.; legitimate, and an auspicious coalition, commenced in
zeal, pursued with attachment. and supported with constancy; and
which he was confident would 'Mew itself to the end of the contest,
and return him by a triumphant majority. (Cheers.)
Mr. BELL said, sithomth he was only second on the poll, he
possessed the same confidence that he had espre.iscd yesterday,
that at the termination of the contest he should be at the head of
the poll. He had still a chosen band of followers, who would
rally round the blue flag and place him in an eminent station on
the poll at its clone.! He stood there, not long ago. as a true
prophet, and he therefore thought they might believe him again.
(A laugh.) He assured them no exert ons should be wanting on
his part to accomplish that desirable object ; and he was quite sure
none of his friends would relax in their efforts till they had placed
him in the situation to which he aspired. lie was there, and there
he would continue as long as a freeholder of Northumberland re-
mained to poll, in support of those principles which so large a ma-
jority of them respected and admired. (Cheers.)
lord Howtca said that he had again to address them as the
third candidate, but such a very trifling majority at that early stage
was of little or no importance. His being behind was easily ac.
counted for, as the most frivolous and vexatious objections had
been continued to be made to his votes. To shew how absurd some
of these objections were, he mentioned two eases which had oc-
curred that day. In one case, the counsel of the candidate, by whom
the objection was merle, refused to argue it befare the assessor.
Another gentleman was objected to because he mentioned his
(Lord llowi:It's) father's rune i,,stead of his, hut he was immedi-
ately sent back by the Assessor, who said, " Phoo, he must vote."
In this manner delay was created, but it could not continue long ;
in a few days the forces of the other candidates would be di-
minished, and his strength would appear. He entreated his
friends not to relax their exertions. He had name ous friends in
that town and throughout the comity; and, though it might not be
perhaps to.morrow, yet at the end of this week, or the beginning
of next, they would find him far, very far, at the head of the
poll. (Loud cheers.)
Mr. 11r*LTISIONT said, it is true T. again have the honour of ad-
dressing you last (a laugh). but I say, better late than never.
(Laughter.) if you are satisfied, I assure you we are satisfied, and
if we persevere in the same satisfactory way to the end of the poll.
we shall all continue mighty agreeable friends. (A laugh.) But
that is not' the way I mean to proceed, depend upon it. Although
I am apparently very young, at least I hope so (a laugh)—although
, my friends lay I appear to be a very young man, I assure you I
lam a very old one for all that. (Laughter.) lam old in experi-
ence of • ;he world, have lived long in the stonny parts of' it, and I
there is one axiom which I have learnt; it is a secret well worth
knowing, and it would he well if it were more generally known.
Here there was some disturbance caused by some persons in
front of the hustings, which prevented Mr. Beaumont from pro-
ceeding for a few seconds. When he resumed he said) lam
going to tell you this secret, which has cost me many years
of my life to learn. It Is, that thorough honesty cannot be
beaten, anti that if a cause be only just, it must triumph
at last, whatever difficulties it mey have to encounter. (Cheers).
It may. perhaps, for a time be obscured, but the clouds will at
length be dispelled, and it will beam again In meredian splendour.
The reason of it is because the cause of truth has an echo in the
breast of every man—in the breast of a dishonest man it has an
echo of joy, and its echo sounds as the echo of the bugle among the
mountains. (Cheers and laughter). Nothing can withstand its
force. It is a torrent that bears down all opposition, and though
for a time it may be stemmed, depend upon it it has blessing's,
human and above human, that it will at the proper time.—)Here
laughter interrupted the speaker, and caused him to pause with.
out completing the sentence) Mr. Brougham resumed, and said
there never was a cause worth any thing that had not difficulties to
contend with . • and if, in courting the county of Northumberland,
I have found her rather coquetisit, that will only render the prize I
seek more. valuable. I will continue to pursue my object, and if
in the end I should be tired with the toil of the chase, I will have
the greatest reae on to be proud of the glory of the triumph.
(Cheers and laughter.)

quence, thanked his glotous mob for their peaerjal conduct through-
out die day ! and told them that if Captain Barrie were returned
as their Representative, and presumed at any time to oppose the
Ministers, they would instantly appoint him to a ship, and seial
hint out of the way, to cruise about the ocean, and then what
would-the electors of Preston do without their absent Representa-
tive ? They might as well have elected none at all. In this me-
lancholy condition then, their only alternative was to elect him
(Mr. Wood), who of course was the very best man they could
have. (Hurrah.)
Mr. STANLEY uttered a .great deal of his oft-repeated verbiage,
about his certain success, and triumphant majority, for which by
the way he may thank the second votes given to hint by the voters
of both Captain Bartle and Mr. Wood. At Cobbett lie made his
wonted hits---" Gentlemen, three of the Candidates agreed this
morning to extend the time of polling each day, with the view of
giving an opportunity to each, of trying the strength of their votes.
Who do you think opposed this plan' No other than Mr. Cob-
bett. Mr Cobhctt would not consent to give Ids friends an oppor-
tunity of voting for him—Mr. Cobbett, gentlemen, who boasts he
has 2,000 unpolled voters !—Mr. Cobbett, who declares that it' all
the voters were polled, be would come in by a powerful majority !
Mr. Cobbett, who can see no end of his voters ! Ile—lie, I say,
to refuse an offer of polling all the electors ! (Laughter) What
then do you think of his boasting assertions—can we believe it ?
—No, his alleged majority is, like everything else he talks about,
the pure creature of his inventive imagination, which, like that of
the poet
" bodies forth
" The form of things unknown. Then Cobbett'a tongue
" Turns them to shape, and gives to airy voters
" A local habitation and a name." (Laughter.)
ConsETT harangued his mob at his favourite hour, eight o'clock.
111 r. M'ood was his theme. Ile abused his brother Reformer to all
intents and purposes—contempt, angel., hatred, and all uncha-
ritableness he poured on him ; accused him of dulness, deceit,
treachery, ingratitude, and all the crimes in the catalogue of elec-
tion immoralities, all because his brother Reformer appears likely
to be elected. To be defeated at all is enough to deprive Cobbett
of his temper for the next seven years ; but to be defeated by a
Candidate of his own reforming principles, and that Reformer a
man without talents, character, or fortune—a man with no claims,
in fact, but popular opinions and gentlemanly conduct, Coll
belt will never forgive hint. To be beaten by the Tory Cap-
tain would be a sort of comparative comfort. It would give
him a subject of declamaticn against Ministers, ample enoufilt to
till Rrgisters innumerable. " The whole power of Etc Government
was brought against him ; the public purse money was in the
corruption of the voters; he was the victim of Tory hostility;
his voters were excluded by the miliiary, and overawed by the
Corporation ; the returning officers were partial to his opponent,
the Tory ; the Con, air and New Times sent down a reporter to
calumniate him ; even the Herald, the once faithful record of his
speeches, had turned against him, and was ungrateful enough
to tell the truth of hint at last ; in fine, every Tory and Taxeater
front John O'Groats to the Land's End, had united to kelp
him out of Parlia vent, because the Ministers were afraid to meet
him face to face on the fluor of the House of Commons." Of
those, his hitherto favourite themes of declamation, he has been
now stripped by the apparent success of the Reformer. He sees,
at last, that he owed the support he received from the crowd to his
popular principles, and bitterly feels that his very state on the poll
arises from their observations of his fraudulent tricks and brutal
manners and language. The general multitude have, in fact,
abandoned him, and gone over to Wood. They still gave Mr.
Cobbett one vote, but invariably give the second to Mr. Wood;
and that in spite of ail arguments and reproaches used by Cobbett's
friends to ineuce them to confine their votes to " the fine animal
alone." This is the real cause of his attacks against Wood. lie
issued in the evening a hand-bill, containing the substance of his
speech against Wood. As no report can do justice to his favourite
style of satire, I leave him to speak for lyimself:—
" To the Electors of Presto!),

_
'.Castle Inn, June 22.
" Gentlemen—l have never either witnessed or heard of conduct
equal in baseness to that of Wuod this day. I opened my ditch
with a declaration that it should be free for my own votes, and fur
those of all the other Candidates indiscriminately. I said that there
should be free election through one ditch at any rate. What has
Wood done this day ? He has hired a great parcel of bludgeon-
men to keep out of my ditch every one that will not vote for himself.
These pour fellows have come and taken away the staves that my
men had used, and that had been put by here by my Committee.
They have cut these staves in two, and have made bludgeons of
them, and have made use of these bludgeons to prevent that free
Election which I had promised should take place. And, which is
still worse and more base. Wood has disowned these men tonight;
has turned his back upon them ; and, like a cruel hypocrite, has
given his assent to the bringing in of the military, for the express
purpose of putting these poor fellows down! Can I tolerate such
monstrous iniquity as this, without endeavouring to expose it?
Can I suffer these poor fellows to be deluded and abandoned?
Can I give encounesement to this the greatest of hypocrites that my
eyes ever beheld ? No; to-morrow, therefore, not a single man
who is going to vote for Wood shall enter my ditch. He has got
100 votes this day, by the means of these bluageons and of this
ditch. He shall get not another vote by such means. There is
honour amongst every description of men btft hypocrites. Honour
forbids me to suffer this inipotture to continue a moment longer;
anti, indeed, an adherence to my word would justify me in suffering
a hundred and fifty men to come through my ditch to vote against
Wood, in order to make reparation for the Injustice which I baste
enabled him to commit.
" I am, Gentlemen, your faithful friend.
And most obedient Servant,
" WILLIAM CORBETT."
FRIDAY.
An armed mob blockaded the door leading to Mr. Cobbett's tally
box, from an early hoar in the morning—they repelled all but Mr.
Wood's voters. The opening of the Court was attended by the
usual rush of Wood's voters into Cobbett's tally box, and a stormy
discussion between the Agents of the rival Candidates. As this
sort of animated conversation is one of the features of which election
consists, a short sketch of this morning's debate may be taken as
a fair specimen in general.
Coen E T T'S Son. —M r. Mayor, some men in my father's colours,
armed with bludgeons, have entered the box appropriated to ex-
clusively my father's voters—and request your interference to pro-
tect my father's friends, and give them a safe entrance.
3IAYOR.—I am willing to protect every elector who comes upto
poll—those who employ the bludgeon-men are acting illegally—if
they obstruct the voters, they must be disarmed.
An Agent for Capt. an n lE—" These bludgeommen are hired
by Mr. Wood's Comm t cc."
311 r. Wood's Agent—They are not. •
Barrie's Agent—l can prove that they get meat and drink and
money from Mr. Wood—they threaten violence to all electors who
won't vote for Mr. Wood.
MAYOR—The bludgeons must be taken from them.
Captain Beanie—My voters are prevented from coining up
Ithroutth Mr. Cobbett's door by an armed mob—this is not fair
?
MAYOR—That door must be thrown open to all parties, as Mr.
Cobbett consents to it.
Wood's Agent—We have nothing to do with the bludgeon-men,
we never hired them. (Poll, poll.)
MAYOR—Perhaps Mr. Cobbett's Son would go and remove
those men—l'll send constables to assist him.
CORBETT'S Son—l have no objection—they are not my father's
sten—he dismissed hi. several days ago, and took away the staves
born them ; but Mr. Wood's men itole them agate, and cut diem
up into bludgeons. (He then !thud )
An ELECTOR—Captain Barrie's Committee offered yesterday
to hire those very bludgeon men at five shillings each a-day.
Mr. Bray, the town Bailiff, and Mr. Nicholson.-the Mayor's
Bailiff, the associate returning officers, left the hustings to super-
intend the disarming of the mob, but after a few moments re-ap-
peared hastily and in evident agitation.
Mr. BRAY—We have been driven back by the armed men—
struck, and pursued into the Hall.
Mr. Nicuotsow—l got two blows of a bludgeon.
An Agent for Capt. BARRIE—I have been struck on the face
with a fist—look at the blood.
The MAYOR—This is intolerable!
An ELECTOR—The armed men won't let any body but Mr.
Wood's friends near Mr. Caibett's door.
Capt. BARRIE'S Agent—lt's your mob, Wood, that has done
THURSDAY Cetus/co. this—you axe a wolf in sheep's clothing.
State of the poll at the close, on Thursday, 22d June, (twelfth Mr. WARD—They are not my men.
day) Capt. BARRIE rising in a fury)—l say they are Wood's mob.
(To Mr. Wood.) They are your mob.
Hon. Mr. Stanley - 1,727 Captain Barrie - 969
Mr. Wood - 1,1211 Mr. Cobbett ~ Capt. CoLiau IT—This violence arises from the infamous ha-
' 7"' rangues of Mr. Wood—from his cowardly treachery.
After the Candidates returned to their hotels they made their Agent of Wood (to Capt. Barrie.)—You gave those armed
usual orations—abundarce of words with a plentiful scarcity of men ale yesterday evening, and their breakfast this morning.
ideas—the inuTectuel substance of them might lie in a nutshell. Capt BARRIE—It is false _the are hired by Mr. Wood.
Dr. CROMPTON (a Liverpool dical)—They are not.
Captain BARRlE—Gentlemen, the enemy has resorted to bricks, Capt. /imam—How dare you speak ?—you have no right to
but that proves their weakness. Illy friends have been kept away speak—you are not an elector—silence.
from the hustings by an armed mob ; but be not intimidated— Dr. CuosiPTON—l have as good a right to speak as you.
Caps. BARRIE—You have not. lam a candidate, and may ad.
make your way to the hustings, and the election is mine. Mr. dress the electors, but you are not an elector. You bare no right
re bbstt deities that the mob is his—whose is it then ? Mr. Wood's. to speak.
Gentlemen, •• Is this fair play ?" (" No, nn.") We shall have Capt. COM:WIT—I know him. I have seen his impudent face
.
fair pity yet ; muster strong to-morrow, and the day is our own on the hustings every day since the election began.
Dr. CRomrToe (to Colquit)—l have seen your face when you
Hums.) stood at the bar of public justice.
Captiin COLGWlT—Gentlemen, Mr. Wood complains that I The MAYOR—These armed men must be put down.
awe said harsh things of him. I have said harsh things of him ; Mr. Ntc HOLSON—There's no force in the town sufficient Mum.
but if they were harsh they were true. When I want to re.ort
Press them.
orAYOR Then I must fiend for .
to hash acts I know the way to do that also. I have heard that An Agent for Mr. Stanley-1 claim the protection of the Court
Mr. Wood has used certain improper expressions against my for Mr. Stanley's voters; they are kept out of Mr. Stanley's box by
friend Captain Barrie. I'll investigate the truth of that remote; others who have seized their places. I call upon you, Mr. Mayer, to
and if I tied it to be correct, I pledge myself to call him to the employ force to preserve the entitlements at the hustings,
strictest acmunt that one gentleman can demand from another. MAYOR—I'II take care that the electors shall get free Beaus to
(From the crowd—" that's the fellow, challenge him.") Gentle• the hustings, and that before long. lam left but one resource,
men, you have heard of she holy alliance between the kings of the and that I will employ if I 11111 compelled to it.
Continent against the liberties and independence of the people. Captain BARAIE—I present this protest against proceeding to
The coalition between Mr. Wood and Mr. Cobbett against your the poll while these obstructions continua. I'll petition the House
independence is worse than that :itis an unholy alliance—an al- of Commons against the return. I ant pledged to do it and I'll
licence between Jew and Christian. Be not dismayed at my friend's do
st Mon on the poll. Do you think he would be dismayed before an MAYOR—You hare a right to do it. Proceed to the polL
enemy's ship because he had lost a couple of foremasts—eye, or all The polliUmien commenced amid much confusion, whieh soon
masts?—No, .te?—No, he'd hut cry out ' Clear the wreck—one more subsided. Boyle% agents declined examining any of tbe
bot is de and beard he-.' (If is vaft.) So we'll attack our oppo. voters, on the remind that they had protested splint all the pre-
news with renewed vigour to-morrow; and if the ladies will only medings es illegal
e intinue to lend their powerful aid, we shall yet carry all before M arms—Theo I'll examine the voters myself i 'tie my badmen
u.."—( Hurrah, hurrah.) to take care that tow bat qualified persona are allowed to rote.
Mr. WOOD, after the COT.mca-place cant of electionereng sic. Tranquillity ins MIT restated within the Court; Seaside, pull.

cuticle at the doer leading to Cobbett's tally-box, bustle, tumult.
and threats of violence, were frequent among the rabble; an urge.
nised body of them stood in twolliles near Cubbett's*door ; they were
armed with shoe, thick, heavy bludgeons, with which they thrust
back every voter (not a friend of Wood's) who attempted to enter,
and menaced every hell-dressed person who came within sight.
Such a ragged, filthy, ferocious set of ruffians never met tngetner
before. No decent person felt sate while near them. Capt. B irrie's
voters were actually awed from voting. Mr. H'ood's voters poured
in abundantly, and left the Captain behind on the poll by a consi-
derable majority.
This was the state of affairs at half-pan ten, when the worthy
bludgeon trains at Cobbett's door were startled by a sound like the
clattering of horses' hoofs •sgaint the pavement of the next street,
and the very next moment a party of dragoons (the 14 or King's
Dragoon (ivards), headed by their commander, Captain Polhill,
turned the corner in full gall. p, dashed towards the market,
and charged the lately triumphant bludgeon gentry with drawn
swords. he dragoons had advanced very rapidly, but not
half so rapidly as the universal suffrage min retreated. The
red coats, bushy helmets, waving swords, and watlike appear-
ance of the troopers, heightened by the rapid suddenness of
their approach, and the tremendous sound of their heavy and
impetuous trampling on the paved street, absolutely terrified the
armed ruillans. Away they flew on all aides; some down the
street before the dragoons—some into the door which they had been
guarding—some hid their clubs and skulked into the surrounding
crowd—but one had flit spirit, or rather audacity, to stand and !Mae
hie club against the military. He was instantly overpowered end
seized. The moment the Mayor learned the arrival of the dragoons.
he proceeded with his associates and constables to that part of the
hustings (Cubbett's side) where the riotous club-men had taken shel-
ter, had them taken into custody, disarmed, handetiflid, and con-
veyed to the House of Correction between two lines of constables,
flanked by dragoons. They were examined instantly by two Magis-
trates—they all stated that they received the bludgeons from WooTe
Committee for the purpose of keeping Captain Barrie's voters froth
the hustings; and that they had got their breakfast and drink that
morning at Mr. Wood's tally-room. The majority of them were
voters—eighteen were committed on the charge of ' riotously as•
sembling, and, by violence. preventing divers persons from ap-
proaching the hustings." They were all of the very lowest class.
Alter the Mayor had resumed his seat, a ruffian had the audacity to
throw a stone from the court-yard at the hustings. The Mayor's
bailiff ordered 'the constables to seize him ; hut, with their usual
Indiffereece, they declined making the slightest extr,ion to appre-
hend him. He, of course, escaped for the time.
Toe much praise cannot be given to Captain Polhill, for the
diligence with which lie complied with the Mayor's call for the
Dragoons. They had been brought yesterday from Kirkham to
Broughton, a village within threelmtles of Preston. The Cap-
tain had come into Preston yesterday evening, and was in co-
loured clothes in town at ten o'clock this morning, when he re-
ceived orders from the Mayor. At a quarter past ten he was in
Broughton fee his men, and st half past ten he was at their head
in Preston dispersing the club bearers. The body of the dragoons
paraded in front of the door to Cobbett's box till twelve o'clock,
and kept it open to all voters indiscriminately. The mob assailed
them with every kind of abusive language. The old soldiers never
returned an answer, but bore their revilings with the most admir-
able temper and good humour. At twelve o'clock the general body
went to their quarters at the several inns, leaving but three to main-
tain order and free access to the hustings.
The town was tranquil through the remainder of the day ; the
polling proceeded rapidly, and Captain Barrie's vetera being ad-
mitted, as well as NI ood's, into Cobbett's tally-hox, the Captain
regained his lost ground very considerably towards evening. In the
course of the day Cobbett's agent protested against the introduction
of the military, and formally requested the Mayor to send them out
of the town. Mr. Stanley desired the Mayor not to dismiss them.
The Mayor, of course, refused to accede to Cobbett's request. One
of the voters, on being asked for whom he would vote. answered,
" The two Christians—Mr. Stanley and Capt. Barrie." (Laugh-
ter.) The point of this answer depends on the circumstance of Mr.
Wood being an Uniturian, and the supposition that a man like
Cobbett can be of no religion at all.