The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-07-16 00:00:00

CARDIGAN BOROUGHS

(From the Salopian Journal.)
These until now peaceable boroughs hare, as is generally
known, been agitated for the last month or six weeks by elec-
tioneering. The contest is now at an end ; but to which of
the rival parties the palm will be judged, at present is not
known. Mr. Pryse, as was reported in this paper of last
week, gained a majority of 20 votes over Mr. Harford, which
we believe in the main to be correct; but, alas! " there's
many a slip between the cup and the lip," and so it proved
in this instance ; for, when the Mayor of Cardigan came to
sum up the gross poll, the books from Aberystwith, where
Mr. Pryse had a majority of 83, had not arrived, so that the
consequence was that the mayor declared a double return.
Now what does Harford, the stranger, the much-abused of
the radical faction, say in his address? Listen, ye self-
vaunting, ranting rads, and with shame confess yourselves
wrong in your judgment of this stranger. " The Mayor of
Cardigan has made a double return, although it is well known
that Mr. Pryse has a majority of 20 votes over me. I beg
leave publicly to state that, under these circumstances, I feel
in honour bound to use no advantage afforded by the double
return to impede Mr. Pryse from peaceably taking posses-
sion of his seat in the ensuing parliament; and should the
election be voided by the loss of the poll-book, or any infor-
mality in consequence thereof, I shall feel equally restricted
from opposing his re-election. I reserve, of course, the
usual right of petitioning against the present return on any
legal grounds exclusive of those I have specified. The
whole of the address breathes the same spirit of honour
and liberality, and heartily do we wish that if Mr. Harford
petition against Mr. Pryse's return, he will be the sitting
member. We, indeed, have no doubt that a scrutiny will
take place, which will disclose to the world the dirty doings
of the Rads of Cardiganshire. E. g. they polled six paupers
at Lampeter ! ! They polled a man twice at Aberystwith ;
and it is confidently reported that fourteen who voted for
Mr. Pryse at the latter place will indubitably be struck off.
Where is their boasted majority of 149 ? Now, of the present
doings. With undiminished spleen they rail at their ho-
nourable opponents, detracting and scandalizing with impo-
tent malignancy, alluding to practices never even thought of.
" Loripedem rectus devideat eEthiopuin albus."
They accuse the tories of threats and coercion. What say
they to the two drapers, whe, when canvassing the proprietor
of a stage-waggon for his vote, threatened (upon his refusal
to vote with Mr. Pryse) to put another waggon on the road ?
Again, these two same worthies, when accused of this, denied
it in toto ; but what was their shame when the waggon pro-
prietor himself came up, and, before their faces, bore testi-
mony to the truth of the assertion. Lying, therefore, is a
part of their profession. Now, should Mr. Pryse and
whiggery prevail at this election, Mr. Harford, together with
the good and true conservative cause, must and will prevail
at any future election. To quote his address :—" The battle
has been fought under various disadvantages. Had the con-
servative party connected with these boroughs, instead of
being divided by the influence of circumstances, been united
in my support, our cause would have triumphed, and triumph
it must and will hereafter if you are true to yourselves."

ETCHES