The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-11-02 00:00:00

MUNICIPAL

ELECTIONS.

.ro- -

GLORIOUS

(MSL.
ar U 11
ihz•

The Elections which have just concluded may with justice
be regarded as the last struggle of the Whig faction for
supremacy in the direction of our corporate affairs. Since
the passing of the Municipal Reform Bill, which gave them
Unlimited controul in the Council, the Conservative party,
by unremitting effort, and, above all, by the influence which
character, talent. and honesty in the possession of any body
of men will always at length assert for themselves, have,
Year after year, succeeded in weakening that power which the
community in its first delirium of " Liberalism" had erected.
Year after year the majority of " the philosophers" has been
slipping from under their feet ;, and, for the last two years,
they have only been able to exercise their mischievous domi-
nation by virtue of the sixteen votes of their own-elected
and irresponsible aldermen. This year, however, eight o
these votes were placed in peril. One half of the sixteen
quasi-hereditary aldermen retire, by reason of the expiration
of their six years lease of office; and the gain or loss upon
the whole elections involving the question as well—whether
the retiring Whig aldermen should be re-elected or eight
Conservatives introduced in their places—the struggle became
of greatly-increased importance to both parties, and might,
in fact, without exaggeration, be termed, on the part of the
Whig-radicals, a struggle for actual existence. Successful in
this, they might be able to weather a few more years in cor-
Parate authority ; but beaten now, they are extinguished—
swamped—" done for" for the present century at least !
That it was viewed in this light by the Radical faction it
heeds no great discernment or information to tell us. " No-
thing for nothing," is, we believe, a standing rule with your
Modern " Liberals ;" and it was most assuredly not out of
Pure affection that the thousands of pounds which now ap-
Pear on the credit side of the names of some two thousand
gent/enteh in the town's books, (who have never been ac-
customed to have such an honour paid them in such locali-
ties,) were extracted from the breeches pockets of the Whig
aristocracy. The Cassidys and Murphys would have slept
none the less soundly ; the hod or the barrow have been
wielded none the less cheerfully, from the circumstance that
these enlightened individuals have paid rates for cellars
Which they never were called upon to pay before, and will, we
much fear, never be inclined to pay again. -But Win. Rathbone
and his fellow-protectors would have stood a little lower on
their respective polls. Radicalism would have been deprived
of the opportunity of making its last kick ; and Whig gold has
accordingly been abundantly poured out to make the best of
this opportunity. A system of glaring and wholesale bribery
has, during the last two years, been introduced amongst the
municipal constituencies; fictitious constituencies, in fact,
have been manufactured ; the professing admirers of purity
have shone forth as the apologists and practisers of corrup-
tion ; and we need scarcely, therefore, be at a loss to con-
clude that on this occasion whig-radicalism has thrown its
Whole strength into the contest ; for most assuredly it has
not spared any means, honest or dishonest, to effect its ob-
ject; and, with the result before us, we must, at the same
time, be equiilly convinced that from henceforth the con-
temptible thing will never be permitted to erect itself, from
its present prostrate and abject position.
We are assured, indeed, with their usual want of truth by
the whig party, that the scandalous malpractices complained
of were introduced originally by the conservative party ;
that they took-the first step in paying the rates of their poor
voters. It is scarcely necessary for us pow attempt a serious
refutation of assertions so grossly untrue. We may remind
our readers, however, that the excessively pure whig faction
have not only shown throughout a disposition to defend these
practices, which conservatism have never yet done, but even
attempted to legalize them by act ofparliament It is per-
naps not so generally known as it ought to- be that the bill
of Lord Morpeth to amend (?) the present system of regis-
tration in Ireland had a clause smuggled into it expressly to
legalize, in Ireland, the payment of rates for the voter by
other parties ; and that the very clause was denounced by
Air. Emerson Tennant as intended to make wholesale bribery
the rule, and not the exception, and moreover as borrowed,
by its noble author, from the practice of the Protector So-
ciety in Liverpool
Of the members who retired this year (sixteen in number),
nine were conservatives and seven radicals. Although con-
siderable bustle and enthusiasm prevailed throughout the
day, we have not heard of any breach of the peace, but be-
lieve that the police have been fortunate in maintaining order
in every part of the town.
Prior to entering into any statistical detail and comparison
as to the voting during this and previous years, we will sub-
mit a brief statement of the polling in the respective wards
last November

Wards,
Everton

Mr. David Hodgson (C).. 308
Mr. William Brown (R).. 287
Scotland Mr. TM. Gladstone (C) 214

NI ajbrity

Mr. W. Thornhill (R).. 215 1
Mr. H. Copeland (C).. 108
Mr. W. Preston (R).. 86 —22
Mr. R. B. Hollinshead (C).. 177
Mr. J. R. M`Guftie (R).. 167 —lO
Mr. T. Sands (C).. 199
Mr. W. Wood ).. 169 30
Mr. Peter Hope (C).. 206
Mr. J. Aikin R).. 228 22
Mr. E. Rae C).. 137
Mr. J. Priestley R).. 157 20
Mr. T. Toulmth C).. 189
Mr. W. Rathbone. (It).. 188 1
Mr. J. Cooper (C).. 175
Mr. T. Taylor (R).. 173 2
Mr. W. Birkett (C).. 269
Mr. C. Holland (R).. 211 58
Abercromby .... Mr. J. Procter (C).. 314
Mr. T. Todd (It).. 277 37
Mr. J. Kilshaw (C).. 391
Mr. T. Blackburn (R).. 387 4
Mr. J. Davies - (C).. 188
Mr. W. Slater (R).. 192 4
Mr. G. H. Lawrence (C).. 156
Mr. L. Heyworth (R).. 96 —6O
Mr. J. Sheppard (C).. 138
Mr. J. Platt (R).. 144 G
North Toxteth.. Mr. R. Harbord (C).. 240
Mr. W. M. Duncan (R).. 233 7

Vauxhall

St. Paul's

Exchange

Castle-street

St. Peter's

Pitt-street

Great George's

Rodney-street

Lime-street.

St. Anne's

West Derby

South Toxteth

At the last election, therefore, as the preceding statement
exhibits, the. conservatives, through the returning good sense
of the people, succeeded in returning eleven, and the radicals
not halt-the number of members to the council. At the
election of 1839, when one of the wards was not contested,
the total number of electors polled was 6490, and the total
conservative majority was 194 ; nine conservative councillors
and eight radical being returned, a vacancy having been oc-
casioned by death. In 1840, when each ward experienced a
contest, there were 6619 electors who recorded their votes,
and the conservatives had a total majority of 199. This year the
conservatives polled amount to 4304, and the radicals to 3748,
leaving a majority on the gross poll of 556 to the conservatives.
If our readers can carry these figures in their memories, they
will be able to see the decided reaction which has taken place
in favour of conservative principles, from a similar summary
of the voting in 1837 and 1838. In the former of these years
the conservatives only succeeded in carrying four out of the
sixteen wards, whilst the radicals carried twelve. The gross
majority of the radicals was 146, and the total number of
electors polled was 6040. In the year 1838 only twelve of
the warit were contested, and the conservatives returned
six and the radicals ten councillors, whilst the radical gross
majority on the polling was 225. In 1339, therefore, the
tide set in in favour of conservative policy, and has been ever
since steadily and rapidly flowing in the same direction. The
tables were then completely turned on the radicals, who, in-
stead of having as on every former occasion a considerable
majority on the gross poll, were left in a woful minority.
The rage of the radical faction ever since this memorable
defeat has known no bounds, and no means have been spared,
though of the basest description, to regain that ascendancy
in the management of our local affairs which has been so
completely and righteously wrested from their grasp. We
have already alluded to some of the malpractices of the party,
and shall not soil our pages by any further reference to theta.
The weather in the former part of the day was attended
with constant rain, but about noon the sky cleared, and the
subsequent part of the day was tolerably fine, which increased
considerably the animation and bustle. The squibs on the
walls were extremely few ; there was only one worthy of no-
tice, and that represented our old friend, William Rathbone,
passing a finger-post, pointing four ways, one to Pitt-street
ward, another to North Toxteth, the third to Great George's,
and the fourth to Green-bank, Mr. Rathbone's residence.

He is wending his way, wrapped in a cloak, and with a
woful countenance, on the last-mentioned road, uttering as
he strides along the ominous words, .‘ Well, I'm done again."
The polling throughout the day was carried on with consi-
derable spirit on the part of the conservatives, but the radi-
cals in all the wards appeared quite chopfallen, and the suc-
cess of their opponents seemed to render them dispirited
and careless.
It will be seen that last year the majorities in several wards
were exceedingly small, but at the present election they are
such as to render any threat of ulterior proceedings, which
will no doubt he indulged in by the radical press, perfectly
worthless. Last year the largest majority obtained in any
instance was 60, whilst in two of the wards this year that
number is more than doubled. The only instancy of a result
different to last year, and against the conservatives, is Ex-
chance Ward ; and, remembering that the majority last year
for the conservatives was 30, we cannot but think that there
has been this time a little want of generalship on our part,
or we should not have to mourn over this solitary defeat.
In Pitt-street, last November, Mr. Toulmin defeated Mr.
Rathbone by a majority of only one; this year Mr. Aspinall
obtains a majority of 42 over a much more popular man, Mr.
Hornby. Last year, Mr. Cooper, the conservative candi-
date, gained his election by a majority of two; this year Mr.
James Lawrence defeats Mr. Rathbone (to effect whose
return the radicals would use all their exertions) by a majo-
rity of 25. We might run through nearly all the wards with
the same result, but we refer our readers to the two state-
ments, and ask them to compare them together.
The following, we believe, are correct returns of each
hour's polling in the respective wards :
CONSERVATIVES.
WARDS. Time.

10 11 12 1 2 3 4 Majority,
105 178 222 250 279 302 330 127

No. 1, EVERTON
Thomas Shaw...
2, SCOTLAND.
Isaac Holmes...
3, VAUXHALL.
4, ST. PAUL'S.
Joshua Edwards.
5, EXCHANGE.
John Ridgway •
6, CASTLE-STIMET
7, ST. PE:TER's.
Ebenezer Rae... •
8, PITT-STE E ET.
James Aspinall . •
9, GREAT GEORGE
James Lawrence..
10, R.ODNEY-STILT.
Henry Lawrence..
11, ABERCROMBY.
Robtsn•Gladstone 85 173 248 280 317 365 388 131
12, LIME-STREET.
John Buck Lloyd. 80 134 195 243 206 353 424 8
13, ST. ANNE'S.
James Parker.... 75 112 136 168 202 239 276 9
14, WEST DERBY: ' No contest.
John-Shaw Leigh Elected without opposition
15, STII. TOXTETII.
S. Lee Trotman..
NTII. TOXTETII.
Alex. Smith, jun, 56 89 162 198 253 312 375

43 96 131 200 247 292 338 10
No contest.

75 136 176 216 236 283 308 44

130 173 198 223 253 304

No contest

78 121 163 191 212 238 312

53 115 179 221 258 285 317

68 99 145 232 263 265 315

48 128 175 222 261 313 346

50 86 111 125 149 184 241 44