The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-11-03 00:00:00

ST. PETER'S WARD.

The Candidates were Mr. Ebenezer Rae, Merchant, (Con-
servative,) and Mr. John Priestley, Broker, (Radical.)
Matters also went on smoothly in this ward, Mr. Rae tak-
ing the lead. Nothing worthy of remark took place, if we
except the fact that the polling was kept up with considerable
spirit by both parties throughout the day.

CLOSE OF THE POLL.
Mr. Rae (c.)
Mr. Priestley (a.)
Majoritty for Mr. Priestley.... 20

PITT-STREET WARD.
The candidates for this ward were Thomas Toulmin, so-
licitor,—conservative ; William Rathbone. merchant,—radi-
cal. This was the most strongly contested ward in the town,
and one the result of which was looked forward to with
perhaps greater interest than any other, by both parties.
The preparations made by the committees of both candidates
were proportionately strenuous, and so far as regarded phy-
sical efforts, the " tug of war" was fully exemplified. Hap-
pily, however, in this as in the great majority of the wards,
the sound principles of protestantism obtained a signal tri-
umph, over those of pretended liberalism, although it may
please the defeated to snarl at the result.
The poll opened with much spirit and activity,—Mr.Toul-
min early taking the lead. During the first hour no fewer
than 129 votes were given in, the numbers being at 10 o'clock,
Toulmin 82, Rathbone 47. The streets in the immediate
neigbhourhood of the polling place in Park-lane were densely
crowded throughout the day, and the spectators were more
concentrated than they would otherwise have been by the
respective committee rooms being contiguous to each other,
that of Mr. Rathbone being at the corner of Dickinson street,
and that of Mr. Toulmin in Park-lane, immediately opposite
—both in locality and politics.
At 11 o'clock the numbers were—Toulmin 155, Rathbone
115. From this time up to the close of the poll the radicals
contrived to rally a little, but could not overtake the oppo-
nents. The following were the numbers at various periods
of the day :-
1 o'clock, Toulmin..._ 146 Rathbone... 136
past 1 156 ... . 139
past 2
The struggle now became severe, the voters being reduced
in numbers to a comparatively few. The anxiety of both
parties being intense,—the run being evidently neck and neck.
The crowd became immense, and the comingled shouts,
cheers, hisses, and occasional laughter of the parties on
either side who were brought into unavoidable contact, rent
the air. Some few skirmishes took place occasionally in the
outskirts of the multitude, amongst the more pugnacious ;
but as a vigorous police was on the ground, these, which
were little more than momentary ebulitions of feeling were
speedily suppressed. It might be said, indeed, that the
general demonstration was that of good humour.
It a quarter past three, the numbers being then, for Mr.
Toulmin, 201, and for Mr. Rathbone, 195, Mr. Rathbone
(as was the case with several other radical candidates) voted
for himself ; and some of his friends having been ferretted
out by the incessant activity of the reform agents, he went s
head, as the republicans would say. In half an hour, how-
ever, his majority was reduced to a mere tie. Then, indeed.
was a time of anxiety and excitement. No efforts were
spared on either side to effect the mastery. A few minutes
before four o'clock, Mr. Ryland and Mr. Alexander Maken-
zie, (of the Caledonia Hotel) went up to poll for Mr. Toul-
min, the former being first and the latter obstructed by the
partizans of Mr. Rathbone. Three minutes were then want-
ing to four. Mr. Rathbone insisted that the hour of four
had arrived, but Mr. Assessor Booth, and the poll clerk de-
clared it had not, and the vote was received. This was the
last given, and as it was thought likely to decide the contest,
the liberals strenuously disputed it before the Mayor. The
case was argued at length, but the decision was adjourned till
ten o'clock this morning. The radicals say that, leaving
this vote out, the contest ended in a tie. The Conservative
committtee, on the other hand, reports the result to be :
Toulmin
Rathbone

Majority for Toulmin

GREAT GEORGE WARD.

The candidates for this ward were Mr. Joseph Cooper,
iron-merchant, conservative ; and Mr. Thomas Taylor,
bookseller, radical. The contest was well maintained
throughout, and the candidates kept pretty well together
during the greater part of the day. The following were the
closing numbers
Cooper
Taylor 173

Majority 2
Not the slightest disturbance took place. The rebult was
hailed with loud and repeated cheers.

RODNEY-STREET WARD.

The candidates were Mr. William Birkett, warehouse-
owner, (conservative,) and Mr. Charles Holland, merchant,
(radical.)
The former gentleman obtained a considerable majority al
an early period of the contest, and maintained his ground to,
the last. In this ward thei e was not the slightest breachig
the peace,—the proceedings being conducted throughout low
the greatest good humour. The following was the result!
Mr. Birkett....
Mr. Holland ..

Majority for Mr. Birkett .... 58

ABERCROMBY WARD.
In this ward the radicals were more than usually confident
of success, and the floating ideas of a reaction in favour of
destructive principles appeared to inspire their advocates
with the brightest anticipations. The result, however, has
proved that that their expectations have had no foundation,
as the Conservative Candidate appeared at the head of the
poll at the first announcement of the voting, and every hour
served only to increase his marjority.
The three contests, in this ward, immediately subsequent
to the alteration in the municipal elections were unfortunate-
ly unsuccessful for the constitutional party, but the majorities
were such as to leave no doubt that the minds of the people
would soon settle down into a more favourable state, and the
progress of the elections from that time has served to evince
the sure foundation on which this prospect was grounded.
In 1837, the majority against the Conservative candidate was
five, which was a considerable reduction of that of former
years, and in 1838, Mr. Gladstone, one of the present repre-
sentatives of the ward, was elected by a majority of 23, de-
feating his opponent, Mr. Earle, who had the good fortune
of obtaining Aldermanic honours—receiving the usual reward
of the rejected of the people. Last year, Mr. Bushell
was returned by a majority almost equal to that of
the year preceding, but it was reserved for the elec-
tion of 1840 to prove the glorious condition of the
minds of the people. The most sanguine of the
Conservative party never calculated upon a majority
so gratifying as we have the pleasure to make public, and the
result has struck the greatest dismay and confusion into the
ranks of our opponents, and we shall be surprised if they
have the effrontery again to insult the electors by the turmoil
and inconvenience of another election. The appearance of
the polling booth of Mr. Todd presented the most ridiculous
aspect, especially at the close, even his own party seemed
ashamed of the cause they had endeavoured to make popu-
lar. At the close of the poll the cheers were loud and long-
continued, and the whole of the party around the booth
retired to join the immense throng congregated around Mr-
Procter's committee-room, where they were addressed by
that gentleman, who congratulated the ward on now being
completely freed from liberal oppression and radical tyrannY•
He stated that one member of the body corporate had lent
his time, and used his influence, in order to advance the
interests of his (Mr. Procter's) opponent, and that influence
had been actually carried so far as that one individual who
had signed his requisition, had been induced to act contrary
to that request. After some further remarks, Mr. Procter
thanked the electors for the noble exertions they had made
in his behalf, and retired. There were then loud cries for
Mr. Gladstone, who immediately appeared at the window,
and was received in the most enthusiastic manner. His ad-
dress was extremely pithy and appropriate ; and, at the con-
clusion, the third conservative councillor of the ward (Mr'
Bushell) answered the loud calls which proceeded from the
crowd, and gave expression to several sentiments which met
with a hearty response from his respectable auditions.
The final result of the poll was as follows :
For Mr. Procter
Mr. Todd

LIME-STREET WARD.
The retiring member for this ward was Mr. Thos. Black-
burn, who came forward again on the radical interest. The
contest in this ward was looked upon as one of the most im-
portant of the whole sixteen, Mr. Blackburn being a man of
high standing in town, and one of the leaders of the liberal
party. He has, as is well known to the generality of our
readers, made himself conspicuous for his prominent advo-
cacy of the anti-scriptural system of education adopted in
the corporation schools. In fact, he has been on all occao-
sions, the apologist-general for that system, whenever it hag
been attacked. In apposition to this gentleman, the con-
servatives nominated Mr. John Kilshaw, a highly respectable
inhabitant of the ward, and who has filled, with honour to,
himself, and credit to the town, the important situation of
chief parochial officer of this parish. We believe that Ml'
Kilshaw has resided for upwards of thirty years in the war?'
and we know that he is universally respected, even by his
political adversaries. The contest was looked to with the
highest degree of interest, and the excitement that prevailed
in the neighbourhood of the booth was only equalled 111
that which was witnessed in Pitt-street ward. The polling
during the first two hours was in favour of Mr. Blackburn'
After that time Mr. Kilshaw continued to gain rapidly on bit
opponent, and frequently headed him. At the conclusion 0'
the poll the clerks in Mr. Kilshaw's committee-room 10°-
ceeded to add up the lists, and it was found that that gentle-
man was in a majority of four. Mr. Blackburn's committee,
in the mean time had given out that they had obtained a n 21.1"
jority of two, and Mr. Blackburn addressed the audience
front of his committee-room, congratulating them ontheirg
success. Soon after this the crowd moved in the direction of
Mr. Kilshaw's committee-room, and formed a compact ball
at the corner of London-road and St. Vincent-street. I°,
mediately afterwards Mr. Stubbs's band came down the lade',
street playing the air of '• See the conquering hero comes.
At the call of several members of the committee who were
present,
Mr. LLOYD came forward to announce to the waiting
crowd the final close of the poll. He said that according to
the returns with which the committee had been furnisheel
and which had been carefully examined, Mr. Kilshaw flu
obtained a majority of four over his opponent—(cheers),
number being for Mr. Kilshaw 391, and for Mr. Blackburn
387. (Renewed cheers.) He congratulated the electors upe
the noble manner in which they had vindicated the indePPn"
ence of the ward, the character of the town of Livera
pool, and the sacred cause of scriptural education. (Letiof
and prolonged cheers.) He also congratulated the electors
Liverpool on the rejection of Mr. Rathbone from the repre-
sentation of Pitt-street ward—(cheers)—and upon the signal
.
victory they had that day achieved in several other warn
He believed that eleven out of sixteen conservatives had bef:':
returned ;—(great cheering)—and concluded by informing
th
audience that the accounts from Macclesfield, Wigan, Pro
ton, and other places was of an equally cheering character.