The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-10-15 00:00:00

A VIEW OF THE MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

SINCE 1837,

In the year 1837 the radical faction reigned triumphant in
this town. Candidates for seats in the council, as was justly
observed t•y one of the speakers at the Lime-street Ward
Meeting, were selected not for their fitness to assist in ma-
naging the affairs of the town, but because they " put up" at
the Angel. In that year their evil principles were found out,
and at every succeeding election they have had the mortifica-
tion of seeing conservatism advance, until it has at last ob-
tained a position which bids fair to annihilate radical domi-
nation and its consequent misrule for ever.

In November, 1837, the total numbers who polled on each

side were—

Conservative
Radical ....
The total number of electors polled was 6040 ; the gross ma-
jority of the radicals 146. The conservatives at this election
were successful in four wards only, whilst the radicals carried
the immense majority of twelve.
In 1838 only twelve wards were contested. On this occa-
sion the Conservatives returned six, and the radicals ten
councillors, whilst the Radical gross majority on the polling
was 225, as appears by the following statement :

Conservative
Radical 2565
In 1839 the tables were completely turned; the Radicals,
instead of having, as on every former occasion, a considerable
majority on the gross poll, were left in a pitiable minority.
In spite of the boasts of the Mercury ; in spite of the lavish
outlay of money through the medium of the Protector Soci-
ety, and of the influence of the (il-)liberal majority in the
Town Council, recklessly and tyrannically exercised, the
Conservatives triumphed. The total number of electors on
this occasion was 9406, of whom there were

Conservative
Radical ....

Leaving a gross majority to the Conservatives of 194. The
Conservatives won eigkt wards, with the further considera-
tion that the Radicals owed the return of no less a number
than three councillors to the casting vote of the mayor, Mr.
Hugh Hornby. That twelve constitutional men were not
carried was thus owing to the accident of a mayor being in
office holding liberal principles. Besides, on looking at the
majorities we have, no doubt that thirteen might have been
carried if the conservative forces had been a little 'more
judiciously disposed.
The folloWing is the final state of the poll in each ward at
the election of 1810

Majorities
C. L.

Hodgson .. 3OB
Brown
Scotland Gladstone
Thornhill 215 .. 0 1
Vauxhall Copeland .. ...... 108
Preston B6 .. 22 0
St. Paul's.... Hollins head .. 177
ArGuffie 167 .. 10 0
Exchange. Sands
Wood
Castle-street .. llope 206
Aikin
St. Peter's .... Rae
Priestley
Pitt-street .... Toulmin
Rathbone
__..

Everton

Great George's Cooper
Taylor
Rodney-street . . Birkett 269
Holland
Abercromby. . . . Proctor 314
Todd 277 .. 37 0
Lime-street. . . . Kilshaw
Blackburn
St.Anne' s Davies lBB
Slater
West Derby. ...G. H. Lawrence 156
Heyworth 9O .. GO 0
South Toxteth. . Sheppard l3B
Platt 144 .. 0 6
NorthToxteth. . Harbord
Duncan 233
Conservatives returned
Radicals

Total number of Conservatives polled
Total number of Radicals polled

-16
3409
3210

Total number of electors polled
Total Conservative majority...

Eleven conservatives were thus returned against five radi-
cals. We expected that twelve would have been carried ;
nevertheless we were well satisfied with the result. The
mortification of the radicals was without bounds. Some
time afterwards Mr. W. Wallace Currie died ; a conserva-
tive, Mr Alexander Smith, was returned in his stead, after
an obstinate contest with Mr. Rathbone, who had been pre-
viously defeated by Mr. Toulmin, for Pitt-street Ward. An-
other addition to the conservative number was made by the
substitution of Mr. Parker for the late Mr. Coglan, and a
third by the judgment of ouster against Mr. Quayle, who had
assumed the representation of Everton Ward, and the acces-
sion of Mr. Shand, thus making the relative numbers in the
existing council to stand thus :

Conservative
Radical (including 16 radical aldermen)

Radical majority

We know that a conservative majority in the next council
is, with the most ordinary exertion, beyond dispute. One
half of the present radical aldermen, whose names we have
given, retire. To secure the election of eight conservatives
in their room, will require eight conservative councillors to
be returned, which would give to us a majority of two in
the election of aldermen. But before the eight radical
aldermen retire, they will be entitled to vote in the election of
the chief magistrate. This is a most important consideration
which we trust will be a strong stimulant to universal exertion
in the approaching contest. To secure the election of the
Mayor TWELVE CONSERVATIVE COUNCILLORS MUST BE
RETURNED ON THE FIRST OF NOVEMBER, and reasoning
from the progressive majorities from 1838, we have no hesi-
tation in saying, this desirable consumation may be effected.
In concluding this brief and hasty summary, we call upon
all true Conservatives to carry on the good work, which has
for the last three years been so successfully progressing.
Let not either past or prospective victories lead either to
individual or collective supineness.