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

LIVERPOOL ELECTION

To show the means which were resorted to by the radical
faction to obtain all the votes they could muster at the recent
election, we subjoin the copy of a letter addressed to a per-
son "at the largest watch-maker's shop in Mold, Flint-
shire : "

sir,—As your name is on the register as a voter in
our ward, say
Exchange Ward, we shall be obliged if you
will come over to give your vote on behalf of Lord Palmerston
and Sir Joshua Walmsley, the two reform candidates at the
present election, and the necessary expenses attending your
journey will be defrayed by the committee.—l am, &c., on
behalf of the Reform Committee for Exchange Ward,
" RICHARD RAWLINSON, Chairman.
" Earl Grey Tavern, Dale-street,
Liverpool, June 26, 1841."

LIVERPOOL ELECTION

On Tuesday, at an early hour, the town throughout 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 places of rendezvous, and bands
of music, and drums and fifes, were heard to sound " the
gathering of die clans" in every direction. The weather

was exceedingly fine, 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 works, 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 wooden
buildings could be so constructed, were erected in the diffe-
rent wards, and one of these, of somewhat larger dimensions
than the others, though all too small for the accommodation
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 party 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 head constable. It was arranged that the friends of
the respective candeates 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 whip-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, as
compared with the rank and file of the noble army of Con-
servatives, who greeted with loud acclaim their respected old
favourites, who arrived on the ground in continuous bodies
from their several wards, with banners flying, and numerous
bands playing patriotic airs. They occupied nearly the whole
length of Rodney-street, though from six to seven deep, and
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 throughout 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 arrays 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 that 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 Branckcr, Ackers,
Esq.,N. Robinson, Esq., and several other gentlemen. They
both stood uncovered, to avoid the necessity and 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 Sandon, 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
meeting." 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, &c. Amongst the
emblematical devices carried (independently of 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 Newspaper offices, the members forming the pro-
cession hailed them by repeated and prolonged cheering. We
are proud to acknowledge, that at the STANDARD 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-

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-
serve order. The whole arrangements in this department
appeared to be judiciously planned and carried out.
The procession of Sir Joshua (solus as a candidate), was in-
deed a " phantom,"—miserable and transparent in numbers
and respectability. The " worthy" candidate appeared in a
carriage, accompanied by his subservient guide and fugleman
Mr. T. Atkinson, and a few of-his diminutive knot of friends.
An estimate may be formed of the comparative strength of
the respective parties by the fact, that Lord Sandon and Mr.
Cresswell's procession occupied a period of 25 minutes to
pass our premises, and that of Sir Joshua only seven
minutes !

The crowd in Castle-street and the adjoining approaches
was, as might be expected, excessive. The conservative
members reached the booth at about ten o'clock, and poor
Sir Joshua at half-past.
During the delivery of Lord Sandon's and Mr. Cresswell's
addresses Mr. Tinpot Atkinson placed himself in a conspi-
cuous station in front of the hustings, and interrupted, in
the most brutish manner, whatever came from the respective
candidates to offend his vulgar taste.