The Sun.
London, England, 1852-07-19 00:00:00

JULY l9.

THE GENERAL ELECTION

STATE OF POLLS.-(THIS DAY.)
BUCKINGHA MS HIRE.
Buckingham, 10 45 A N.

Dupr6
Disraeli
Cavendish
Lee

1852

a form only the more malignant for the public obloquy
thus heaped upon it, is it wise to take this question as
guide, and neglect the far weightier interests over which the
elector really may exercise some control ? No one can allege
that Mr. Osborne has not most faithfully observed every
Pledge which he gave to the electors, and displayed an
ability in debate superior to that of almost any other mem-
ber tor a metropolitan consti uency. The question is not
whether they will secure the services of the 'Marquis of
Blandford, for he is already returned by his father at Wood-
stock, but whether they will deprive the county of a mem-
ber of whom it may, at least, be said that his speeches are
always listened to with
pleasure, and always read with
amusement and attention.
Whatever be the result of this contest, one thing is clear
—that the supporters of Lord Derby can only win by appro-
priating the opinions of his antagonists. Had he remained
true to his own professions, he would hardly have numbered
among his supporters a tenth part of the House of Commons.
The triumph of opinion is complete • the only question on
which there has been any doubt is, w' ho should be selected
as the representatives of free trade—its friends or its enemies.
Possibly, however, the Protectionists returned to inaugurate
the triumph of free trade may be destined to assist at the
inauguration of a policy of which they little dream, and
while they suppose that they are supplying the elements of
reaction, may be dragged unwilling prisoners behind the car
of startling and unwelcome progress.

HEREFORDSHIRE ELECTION.
RIOTS AT ROSS.-DESTRUCTION OF THE POLL
BOOKS.

A correspondent, writing from Ross on Saturday evening,
says—The picturesque and tranquil little town has been the
scene of serious riots. Much excitement existed yesterday
among the supporters of the popular candidate, Mr. Cornewall
Lewis, from an impression that the squires, parsons and
small
freeholders farmers were " putting the screw" upon the
freeholders to an extent likely to turn the election—and
from a belief that the Free-traders had not fair play at the
poll-books. There was some ground for the charge, for in
one instance which I personally witnessed, two Tory gentle-
men (Sir Joseph Bailey and his son), were admitted by an
entrance closed to the public, though there were many free-
trade voters who had been waiting impatiently for hours
before the usual entrance without gaining admittance. This
partiality produced much indignation, and was afterwards
discontinued.

This morning there was great excitement throughout the
town, in consequence of its becoming known that Mr.
Palmer? a large farmer in the neighbourhood, had been
tampering with the navvies on the line gear Ross. Mr.
Killock, the superintendent of the works, had, however,
used his exert...els to check his men, having found that Mr.
Palmer had given them a hogshead of cider, and that many
of the men were drunk. It appears that notwithstanding
this, about 100 of the navvies proceeded to Ross this morn-
ing, and they soon came into collision with the townspeople.
Some time after a party of the townsmen hearing they
were obstructing voters from Aston Inoham, w.nt. -out-and
drove them away, and broke the windows. In the mean=
while the Rev. Powell Symonds, the chairman of the pro-
tectionist committee, without consulting his brother magis-
trates, sent to Hereford for a party of police. About 28 or
30 police and special constables were dispatched and reached
the polling ground, a field just out of Ross, between 2 and 3
at them, O'clock. They were said to have uttered party cries as they
•
over Wilton wpeptreoaed, but of this I have not positive evidence. They
however,( regarded as partisans, and the people rushed
or two of the
it was reported
them off the ground, and fairly hunted them
iriiedrge, and sent them back to Hereford. One
injury was not so severe Hereford constables were severely injured, and
was able to return to e
one was dead, but I ascertained that the
the " navvies" and of theelfl)
as was at first apprehended, as he
rd. After the double repelse of
cleared
police the mob attacked
the poll booth (No. 3),
books, and one or two persoends it, and destroyed the poll
t Under-Sheriffp ce d of partiality
severalhad
polled precipitate at
narrow escapes of their lives. Thes
its retreat. Se-
veral . 1 and 3 now
officials at booth No. I then made a
which the
voters who should have
tendered their votes at Ne. 2, the only
clerks and deputy-sheriff remained. These voattes
taken, and many others were tendered at the other were
sh
annot
remained unpolled. About five minutes before four booth N 0.121
was attacked and the books there destroyed. The mob
then advanced to the front of the Royal Hotel in great
numbers, and seemed to listen good hnmouredly to the
band that was then playing. Mr. Cornewall Lewis's com-
mittee prevailed on the people to remove the banners and
caricatures which had been carried about, and endeavoured
to impress upon them that the election being now over,
they should remove everything that was calculated to
produce excitement or party feeling. This advice was,
perhaps, unfortunate, for the attention of the mob was then
directed to the King's Head, where the Protectionists had
their committee-room. On reaching the front of that hotel
a Free-trader was attacked by one of the Protectionists, and
this act of aggression led to an attack apon the house, and
in three minutes not a bit of glass or window-frame
remained unbroken. Mr. J. Vaughan, who was at
the Royal, was then entreated to go down and appeal
to the people, as they would hear him, if any one. He
immediately went to a balcony in the midst of the mob,
and addressed them. He appealed to them not to disgrace
their cause by acts of violence. They all were indignant
at the cowardly treatment he had received at Hereford,
where the Protectionists would not let him speak; but it
was ten times more cowardly to take advantage of their
strength and numbers to destroy property and commit un-
manly and lawless outrages. The greater portion of the
crowd then cheered vociferously for Mr. Vaughan and free
trade, but a few continued to throw sticks and other mis-
siles at the windows. Mr. Vaughan then appealed to the
people, if they respected and trusted him, they would fol-
low his advice and abstain from riot, and he called on them
to advance in a body and sweep every rioter before them. This
appeared to awe the unruly, and no further damage was done.
Mr. Wallace Hall and several other popular gentlemen then
penetrated into the King's Head, and appearing through
the broken windows, appealed to the people to keep the
peace. This was responded to with shouts of free trade and
other similar cries, but no disposition was evinced again to
break the peace. The magistrates, however, took the pre-
caution of swearing in several of the respectable tradespeople
and others as special constables. The only danger to be
apprehended was from another attempt to set the " navvies"
on the townspeople. To prevent this, Mr. Vaughan and Mr.
Hall accompanied Mr. Killock down the line to ascertain
what danger was to be apprehended, and the precaution did
not appear altogether unnecessary. All disturbance from
that source was, however, effectively prevented by
the judicious arrangements made by Mr. Killock.
The magistrates, Messrs. Bridgman, Vaughan, Bur-
meek, and Symonds, made arrangements for some
of them to be at baud in case of disturbance.
At about ten o'clock information was brought to Mr.
Vaughan that there was a plan arranged to attack all the
Blue (1. c., Protectionist) houses as soon as the population
had retired to rest. Some respectable tradesmen were. in
fact, so much alarmed as to remove their wives and
daughters from what they considered the scene of danger.
Mr. Vaughan having examined evidence and received the
report of the superintendent of the police, considered the ru-
mour to be unfounded, and by 11 o'clock the streets had re-
gained nearly their usual quiet and tranquillity.
The whole of these lamentable and disgraceful disturb-
ances may be traced to the introduction
de sending i d en
ng for navvies
to support an unpopular cause, and the . con-
stables from a distance, who were regarn as strangers and
partisans.
Some affecting incidents of intimi
n accompanying
poorer class of voters occurred. 'dation used against the
`omen
„ler, King, ani:i
their husbands, compelled to vote for Wu
Hanbury, their hands, and
affectedwringing
in like manner ; .Y, were seen crying and wrin
some of the voters themselves were he
dared to vote
hut utter ruin stared them in the face, if they bad masters
as they wished and had promised to do. ledges they had
would listen to no statements as to thiclif:sd coercion, but
made. I have heard a good deal of hip
ra
never witnessed coercion equal to that P ctised by tenant-
farmers upon their dependents.