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

ST. PAUL'S WARD

Mr. R. B. Hollinshead, the conservative candidate, took
the lead of his opponent, Mr. J. R. M'Gutfie, in the first
instance, was never headed, and finally won by a majority of
ten, the numbers at the close being—
For Mr. Hollinshead
Mr. M'Guffie

Majority for Mr. Hollinshead

EXCHANGE WARD.

Mr. Thomas Sands, the retiring councillor, and Mr.
William Wood, were the candidates for this ward. The
issue of the contest was never for a moment doubtful, and
we should imagine that the remembrance of it next year,
whilst it inflicts fresh pangs of mortification upon the radi-
cals, must, if they are willing to take a broad hint, deter them
from again entering on the lists. The ward, as is every other
where intelligence and property are most to be found, is
invulnerably conservative. That is abundantly demonstrated.
At eleven o'clock Mr. Sands headed his opponent by 40, at
twelve by 37, at one by 43, at three by 37, and at four by 31,
the numbers being—
For Mr. Sands
Mr. Wood

Majority for Mr. Sands
The radicals themselves have been most reluctantly obliged
to confess a majority against them of 30.
On the state of the poll being announced from the commit-
tee-room, in Chapel-street, the intelligence was received with
shouts of applause, until Mr. Sands made his appearance at
the window. He then said—

Gentlemen, having heard the demonstration of your es-
teem, allow me to congratulate you on your success, and to
thank you for the strenuous exertions yon have this day made
in the cause to which we are mutually attached. The shop-
keepers of the ward have nobly shown that they are thorough
conservatives, and I trust they will ever remain so. (Cheers)
Gentlemen, some parties have objected to my making a per-
sonal canvass on this occasion,—(From the crowd, " It was
that that secured your election.")—and in answer to these
parties allow me to offer this reply. When the gentlemen of
my committee, and my friends generally, were exerting
themselves in my behalf, and in behalf of our good cause,—
when they were zealously engaged in securing my election,
and promoting your principles, should I not have culpably
neglected my duty if I had not come forward and given my
best endeavours in the promotion of our common cause ?
(Loud cheers.) The victory of to-day has more than re-
warded me for all that it has been in my power to do ; it has
proved the strength of conservatism in this ward. (Cheers.)
In conclusion, gentlemen, permit me to assure you that I
shall at all times lend m interest and my individual exertions
to gratify the wishes and promote the best interests of the
electors. (Immense cheering.) Mr. Sands then retired.

CASTLE-STREET WARD.
The retiring member for this ward was Mr. Pilcher, who
declined standing again. The new candidates were Mr.
Peter Hope, on the conservative interest, and Mr. James

Aikin' on the radical interest. The polling in the earlier
part of the day was by no means brisk. Mr. Aikin took
the lead from the first hour, and maintained his position
until the last. Mr. Hope's committee exerted themselves
to the utmost; but it was evident that the time had not yet
arrived when the ward should be rescued from radical domi-
nation. The radicals also made the greatest possible exer-
tions, and were far from feeling confident of success. His
worship the mayor, Sir Joshua Waln,sley, voted for Mr.
Aikin, at three o'clock. Next year we feel confident that
the conservatives will muster a majority in Castle-street
Ward. They have hitherto paid too little attention to the
registry in this ward. We trust that this will not prove the
case in future. On the result of this contest being made
known, from the committee-room,

Mr. HOPE remarked, in a tone of gentlemanly mildness,
that they had done their best in the noble cause, and he
could congratulate them on having at least gained consider-
ably on their opponents in the ward, as compared with last
year. Some of the radicals had had the impudence that
morning to tell him, that if they had a man like him, they
would return him without a single dissenting voice • but
there was within him that conservative principe which be
would never forsake, which they were in common attached
to, and which he trusted would yet be spread far and wide.
for the preservation and happiness of the country. (Loud
cheers.)

It is remarkable, with respect to this ward, that only oNE
vote was given within the last half-hour before the close.

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 (R.)

Majoritty for Mr. Priestley

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
neigbhourhoud 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, Touhnin 116 Rathbone... 136
1 past 1 156
i past 2 l6l .. .... ...... 153

...... ,
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 a
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 .

Majority 2
Not the slightest disturbance took place. The result 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 at
an early period of the contest, and maintained his ground to
the last. In this ward thet e was not the slightest breach of
the peace,—the proceedings being conducted throughout with
the greatest good humour. The following was the result
Mr. Birkett . .
Mr. Holland 211