The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-07-02 00:00:00

LIVERPOOL ELECTION.

On Tuesday, at an early hour, the town thrpughout gave
demonstration of the extreme interest taken in the event of the
coming contest, and of the active preparations made by both
of the contending parties. Flags and colours were seen
borne along to the various placas of rendezvous, and bands
of music, and drums and fifes, wore heard to sound " the
gathering of the chins" in every direction. The weather
was exceedingly line, and the inhabitants, young and
old, of " the good old town," were " wide awake" two or
three hours before their accustomed time of bestirring them-
selves. Anon, flags were displayed from numerous club-
houses, inns, private dwellings, yards and work:3, indicative
of the political opinions of the inmates, and all presenting a
highly animated appearance of bustle and enthusiasm, which
continued to increase in interest as the day advanced, and
formed to those who made the circuit of the town a pano-
ramic first scene of a contested election. The colours of the
conservative candidates were observed by every person greatly
to preponderate.

Commodious polling booths, so far as temporary wooder
buildings could be so constructed, were erected in the diffe.
rent wards, and one of these, of somewhat larger dimension:
than the others, though all too small for the accommodatior
required, was, as usual, in front of the Exchange, to be used
in the first instance, as a hustings for the nomination. The
police force, lest the temporary ebulition of patty feeling
might result in some affrays, in consequence of the belligerent
feeling recently displayed by the Irish supporters of the
Liberal candidates, were reinforced, appointed, and instructed
by the bead constable. It was arranged that the friends of
the respective candidates should meet them and accompany
them to the hustings. They accordingly assembled at their
places of meeting in the several wards, and proceeded to the
two houses in which the respective candidates domiciled for the
time—the conservatives to Sir T. Brancker's, Rodney-street,
near the top of Leece-street, to meet Lord Sandon
and Mr. C. Cresswell; and the whig-radicals to Ranelagh-
place, where Sir. J. Walmsley, with the invisible phan-
tom of Lord Palmerston, awaited their arrival. We
need scarcely say —and we say it without a tincture
of partiality—that the turn-out of the Radicals was paltry,
poor, and poverty-struck, both in person, and in numbers, th
compared with the rank and file of the noble army of Con-
servatives, who greeted with loud acclaim their respected oli
favourites, who arrived on the ground in continuous bodie
from their several wards, with banners flying, and numerous
bands playing patriotic airs. They occupied nearly the whob
length of Rodney-street, though from six to seven deep, am
included, besides vast numbers of well-dressed operatives
nearly all the " broad-cloth" of the town. The others
with spectators to boot, did not above half fill the little
triangular space opposite the Adelphi Hotel, and exhi-
bited a most pitiful account of conscript recruits of the
working classes, and a mere sprinkling of the whig-radical
noblesse par excellence. The comparative demonstration as
respected wealth, station, and talent, was ten to one on the
side of good old Church and Queen. It is almost impossible
to describe correctly the appearance and numbers of the
supporters of the respective candidates without some appa-
perent partiality, so extremely marked was the difference in
favour of the constitutional cause.
At a few minutes past nine o'clock the conservative pro-
cession—(which was received throw:hout with the strongest
demonstrations of attachment, when in ward bodies, in the
various streets through which they passed, and particularly
when en masse, in Rodney-street—the " west end" of our
town—with unusual marks of approbation by " fair ladies"
and others, from windows and " house tops")—moved on-
wards, in gay and splendid array, towards the hustings,
by Leece-street, Bold-street, Church-street, Lord-street,
and Castle-street, amidst the universal acclaim of all who
saw them. A more respectable and gratifying display of
well-clad artisans and workmen, and individuals of the
first station and distinction in the town was never before
witnessed. The few astonished whig-radicals—we eyed them
from corners of streets and recesses—felt that wholesome
humiliation which assured them ths.t they must " hide
their diminished heads." The balcony and windows of Sir
T. Brancker's house, in which were " our worthy represen-
tatives," that were and are again, were crowded with ladies
and gentlemen ; and all the houses in the line and opposite
were equally peopled with the elite, and decorated with
flags, while handkerchiefs and flags of brilliant silk were
waved by the fair hands of hundreds whose hearts were en-
thusiastically warm in the cause.
Lord Sandon and Mr. Cresswell appeared in an open car-
riage and four, with two postilions, in blue and red. They
were accompanied by Sir Thomas Brancker, Ackers,
Esq.,N. Robinson, Esq., and several other g entlemen. They
both stood uncovered, to avoid the necessity a‘ad toil of lifting
their hats, on the continuous and hearty salutations with which
they were greeted on all sides by male and female. They
looked remarkably well,—like men who knew their duty,
and had the heart and the hand to perform it. Throughout
the whole line of streets they were received with, if possible,

increased enthusiasm.
The flags and banners carried in the procession were nu-
merous, beautiful, and appropriate; and, we may add, many
of them were new. Amongst them we observed one bearing a
full-length likeness of " the phantom candidate," in his native
character of Jim Crow, who had " jumped" with mountebank
agility through no fewer than nine administrations ; also
one of the same notorious individual as a weather-cock. In
this he is represented bestriding a dung-hill cock, and racing
.on toward the goal. but he can make no way in consequence
of the conservative gale that has set in against him,
allegorically conveyed by a figure of Lord Bandon, blowing
him back from a cloud above. The motto is to the effect—
" I can't come it this time ; but I may at the next Autumn
Amongst the much admired flags, was a repre-
sentation of Nelson, and on the obverse, the death of that
naval hero ; the " Liverpool Arms," grouped with flags,
&c. ; a picture of the Custom House, Ac. Amongst the
emblematical devices carried (independentlyuf flags and ban-
ners), we observed a scraggy bone of beef, with a very small
quantity of dry and shrivelled flesh upon it, illustrative of
the " nourishing," plentiful aliment provided by the whig-
radical poor-law, for those who are necessitated to throw
themselves upon its tender mercies. On passing the
Conservative Newspaperoffices, the members forming the pro-
cession hailed them by repeated and prolonged cheering. We
are proud to acknowledge, that at the STAN DARD Office, from
which were pended two small royal standards, and several
other flags, the ladies and others at the windows were most
enthusiastically cheered. We can meet the debt of gratitude
we have thus incurred only by our increased and cheerful toil
in the furtherance of that cause which we shall ever conti-

meeting."

nue to espouse.
The arrangements made in Castle-street to avoid con-
fusion, and avert any hostile contact of the two parties,
were admirable. A barrier was erected along the middle of
the street, against which policemen were stationed on either
side. The conservatives passed to the hustings on one side,
and the radicals on the other

We should add, that a considerable body of the police
force (no doubt picked men), were mounted on horseback ;
accompanied the van of the two processions, more effectually
to clear the way, and afterwards remained on duty to pre-
se.rve order. The whole arrangements in this department
appeared to be judiciously planned and carried out.
T lie procession of Sir Joshua (solus as a candidate), was in-
deed a " phantom,"—miserable and transparent in numbers
and r(lspectability. The " worthy" candidate appeared in a
carriwe, accompanied by his subservient guide and fugleman
Mr. T. Atkinson, and a few of his diminutive knot of friends.
An estil nate may be formed of the comparative strength of
the resp, active parties by the fact, that Lord Sandon and Mr.
Cresswel2.'s procession occupied a period of 25 minutes to
pass our premises, and that of Sir Joshua only seven
minutes !

The crox vd in Castle-street and the adjoining approaches
was, as mi .ght bo expected, excessive. The conservative
members re. iched the booth at about ten o'clock, and poor
Sir Joshua at half-past.

During the ,lelivery of Lord Sandonft; and Mr. Cresswell's
addresses Mr. Tiapot Atkinson placed himself in a conspi-
cuous station in front of the hustings, and interrupted, in
the most brutish manner, whatever came i'rom the respective
candidates to offer. `d his vulgar taste.