The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-10 00:00:00

ELECTION INTELLIGENCE.

BIRKENHEAD.
The nomination of candidates for the honour of
representing the newly created constituency of
Birkenhead took place yesterday, the hustings hay-

ing been erected on a vacant piece of ground imme-
diately on the north side of the market. It had been
previously arranged that Mr. Laird and his friends
should occupy the east end of the hustings, the west
end being appropriated to Mr. Brassey and his sup-
porters; and the spaces in front of each or those

compartments were allotted to the friends of the
candidates. By a wise arrangement the supporters
of the rival candidates were separated from each

other by a barricaded avenue of 10 or 12 feet wide,
in front of the centre of the hustings, the avenue
being kept clear by the police. The nomination
was fixed to take place at 11 o'clock, and at a little

before that hour a large number of the electors

assembled at Mr. Laird's residence in Hamilton-

square, resolved to accompany their candidate to the
hustings. A procession towards the hustings was

'orrned, headed by Mr. Laird, who was accompanied

by many of the most influential inhabitants of the
town. On reaching the hustings Mr. Laird was

greeted by;immense cheering from those assembled
in front of his division, and by a counter demonstra-
tion from those on the other side. Mr. Brassey's

friends assembled on a vacant space of ground in

front of the Post-office, and he, attended also by a
numerous procession of highly respectable inhabi-
tants of the township, proceeded to the hustings, on

appearing on which ho received a welcome very

much akin to that which had ban bestowed on his
rival. At this moment the crowd in front of the

hustings was very dense, and before the proceedings

had half terminated it could not consist of fewer

than 5,000 or 6,000 persons. Soon after the candi-

dates and their immediate friends had taken their

places on the hustings, some one in front of the
eastern half proposed "three cheers for the Queen,"
an invitation which was promptly and warmly re-
sponded to by Mr. Laird's friends. Tho friends of
Mr. Brassey, obviously mistaking the intent of the

cheers, responded to it by groans, a contretemps
which Mr. Brassey did his best to remedy.
The usual formalities having been gone through,
Mr. BAYANS, the returning officer, said this was
a proud and important day for Birkenhead, as they

were now called on for the first time to elect a re

presentative of the township in Parliament. (Loud

cries of " Laird, Laird !" " Brassey, Brassey !") He
then proceeded to take a review of the progress of
Birkenhead, but in this he met with decided and

noisy opposition from the friends of Mr. Brassey.
He then entreated a fair and impartial hearing for
all the gentlemen who were to address the meeting,
and concluded by calling on
Mr. W. HIND, who on coming forward was re-
ceived with cheers and hisses. When those had sub•

sided he proceeded to nominate Mr. Laird, and in
doing so said that so long ago as 1859 Lord Derby
proposed to give a member to Birkenhead, and was
only prevented from carrying out that pur-
pose by those now in power, who professed to be
Liberals, and on that ground claimed the represen-
tation. (Cheers, hisses, and cries of " Yes, yes,"
and " No, no.") He said, if Birkenhead had got
justice, instead of oue she would have got two mem-

hers. If that had been so, the town might then
have escaped opposition, and the two gentlemen
now contending as rivals might have gone on side
by side. Thus the talents and acquirements of Mr.
Brassey would have been tempered by the mature
judgment and experience of Mr. Laird. (Cries of
" Never !" from the Brasseyites.) Mr. Hind then
said Mr. Laird was a Liberal Conservative. (What's
that? from the left-hand side of the hustings.) In
urging the local claims of Mr. Laird, Mr. Lind was
interrupted by great elamour and noise from those
in front of Mr. Brassey's side of the hustings. (To
stay this clamour Mr. Jackson interposed, and
begged that they would give a fair and impartial
hearing to Mr. Hind and the gentleman who would
follow him.) Mr. Hind concluded. by urging the
electors to return as their first representative their
old and tried friend, Mr. Laird. (Loud cheers, and
cries of " Yes, yes," and " No," " He's been tried and
found wanting.")
Colonel KING seconded the nomination, and said
it was not for him to make a speech, which, if he
was lucky enough by it to elicit cheers on one side,
would infallibly bring down on his head gresns and
disapprobation on the other. lie said, in looking
to passing events, it must strike every one as a
gratifying contrast, while knowing of towns losing
the advantage of having representatives by having
fallen into decay, that there was here a more agree-
able spectacle of a rising town obtaining a repre-
sentative on account of growing prosperity.
(Cheers.) In conclusion, he said he believed Mr.
Laird was the best and fittest candidate. (Cheers,
and cries of "No, no.")
While Colonel King was addressing the electors
a considerable stir was created by two men, each
carrying a long pole, on the top of one of which
was a large loaf, inscribed "Brassey for ever ;" on
the other a very tiny loaf, inscribed " Laird."
These emblems were carried among Mr. Brassey's
supporters. Soon after a person bearing a roast of
beef on a pole appeared on the same side of the
hustings. A mask with a herring in its mouth was
also exhibited, and eventually the fish was thrown
either at Mr. Brassey or Mr. Jackson. A. placard
was displayed with "10 per cent." on it. This de-
monstration was, in the course of a short time taken
up on Mr. Laird's side, where a barrel, marked
" Brassey's XX" was carried in front of the hust-
ings, soon after followed by a plucked and very
gaunt goose, suspended on a pole, inscribed " Young
Brassey."
• Mr. RAvEsTscnovr, ou coming forward, was re-
ceived with loud and continuous cheering, mixed
with hisses, hooting, and groans. On their subsi-
dence, he said he felt great pleasure in nominating,
as the first representative for Birkenhead,. Mr.
Thomas Brassey, jun.
Mr. HALSALL SEGAR seconded the nomination in
a telling speech.
Mr. LAIRD, on coming forward, was received
with tremendous cheering from those in front of his
side of the hustings, and by groans and disapproba-
tion from those at the other side. When quiet had
been in some measure restored he proceeded to give a
statement of the grounds on which he believed him-
self entitled to the suffrages of the electors. He
said, in anything he might state or had stated he
not the slightest intention of disparaging his
opponent; but while saying this much he must
claim the right to canvass his merits as a public
man, and his claims to represent Birkenhead. These
he ventured to say were not such as to give him
any paramount claims to the suffrages of the elec-
tors. Tie said at the time when Lord Derby pro-
posed to give a member to Birkenhead lie (Mr.
Laird) had been requested to become a candidate,
and he agreed to do so. He proceeded to discuss
at great length the different political measures of
the day, and declared his desire to maintain unsul-
lied the honour of the British flag. If Lord Pal-
merston proceeded vigorously in taking measures to
secure that he should be ready to support him. He
considered that in the case of the Trent affair pro-
per satisfaction was indispensable, and if lie de-
manded that Lord Palmerston would require and
would receive Conservative support. He (Mr. Laird)
considered that the army and navy must be main-
tained in a state of first-rate efficiency. He main-
tained that he was a friend to the working classes,
and then at great length went into the various local
matters which have been agitated by the commu-
nity. Mr. Laird was frequently interrupted during
his address, sometimes by the cheers of his friends,
but more frequently by the disapprobation of those
opposed to him.
Mr. BRASSEY next presented himself, and in do-
ing so was received with the most deafening cheers,
counteracted by the groans and hisses of Mr. Laird's
friends. He said he had been induced to present
himself by the solicitations of gentlemen who repre-
sented the Liberal views of the country. Ho said
he was in favour of progress in everything. He
was an advocate of freedom in religion, and would,
if returned to Parliament, support Sir J. Trelavvny's
bill for the abolition of church rates. He was an
advocate of extended political equality, and of un-
questionable protection to voters in the exercise of
the franchise. These he believed to be essentially
Liberal principles, and believing as he did that those