The Portland daily press., 1868-12-04
q" the sGMstings''--The Way they Make
Members of ParIinns nt in England.

Mr.. Smaleyis writing series of interest
ing letters from England to the New York
Atioune ON the elections that have just taken
piace' The first day OF the elections is oceu-
P'eu with the nomination of members at the
. aud with "a show OF hands, for the
O'"''ua'es This show OF hands is
conclusive un'esS poll is demanded, in
when case thefe Is ballot next day. Mr.
Smalley says:
The hustings for Westminster were nlacad
at the base OF Nelson column in TrafaI0ar
square; a historical site, but not the site whsre
they haye heretofore stood From the days of
Fox and Sheridan the Westminster nomina-
ions have been made in Covent Garden, the
hustingS leaning against church known as
st. Pauls and acing the market. No place
could be better adapted to preserve the usages
OF the British Constitution, for none could
provide more ample supply of cabbages and
turnlps for pelting the candidates. Once, a
nomination would scarcely have been complete
without the cabbaSes and turnips, and dead
cats, but innovation lays its hand on the most
venerable customs and on Monday no missiles
were thrown. Except for its lack of these
eoDyeniences, Trafalgar square is far better
than the Garden,
Side by side stand hustngs and polling
booth-names which impose on the imagina-
ton much more than the things themselves do
on the senses How many times have not
read with vague respect about the "hus-
1IngsE don't know how old the name is.
Inc structures which go by that name in Lon
| don are rongh pine sheds with a sloping roof
looking like nothing so much as the horse
sheds which abut on an Old-lashioned meeting
house in New England town. The hustings
are larger and higher, and have platform, to
which you ascend from the rear. What they
call polling-bOouhs are ereetions equally orna-
mental about one-half the height and size
divid I'd off into pens, lettered and numbered,
IN which sit recording officers, and up to
which march the voters, each selecting a num-
Der corresponding to one on a card With which
he is supplied, and to the initial letter of his
own name. On the day of nomination the poll
ing booth is devoted 10 roast chestnuts and
baked potatoes
The nomination for Westminster was at
noon, on Monday, 14th November. AT quar-
ter to IL there were not 200 people in front OF
the hustings. Twenty minutes later there
were some thousands, and pretty rough
crowd it was. The official who presided over this
mob, and who is called High Bailiff arrived
promptly. The candidates, escorted by their
committees, took possession each of one-half
the platform, and the formaity OF reading the
writ and some other matters which precede
the nominations were gone through. What
they we're l have no notion, for although
stood on the hustings within few feet of the
officer, not word was audible Part of the
crowd was evidently orga 1ized Mr.. w. IL.
Smith had summoned the newsmen together
from the four quarters of London, and there
they We're, compact and enthusiastic for their
chief. Capt GroSvener, too had party of
supporters in equally solid phalanx, while Mr..
Mills were distributed without organization
through the crowd. The business of the
Liberals was TO prevent the Tories from
being heard, and rice versa, and seldom
has any business been better DONE
Sir Erskine Perry proposed Capt. Gros-
venor as fit and proper person to represent
the city OF Westminster, which MIR. Seymour
seconded. Then Mr.. Malerson proposed Mr..
Mill the only sentence l caught being that Mr..
Mill was not only one of the greatest but one
of the best loved of living English men. Mr..
Smith was nominated in like manner, and
then came the speeches of the candidates, be-
ginning with the young "scion of nobility"
whom it is the fashion to recognize as senior
member The papers contain some reports of
all the speeches, and it is possible that some of
them were really heard by half a dozen per-
sons, among whom may have been reporter
or two who sat close under the noses of the
different speakers. There was no violence,
no fighting, no throwing of eggs, or anything
else, and there was even pretty good order in
the middle of this swayiDg crowd. But
tremendous, and the sound beat about us
with a force out of all proportion to the
opponent members. We endured it for
an hour and little more; then the.
ceremonies were pronounced complete,
the 1igh Bailiff declaring that the show of
hands was in favor of Mr.. Smith and Mr.
Mill: SO Captain GrosvenOr demanded a poll,
and the poll was appointed for the day fol-
lowing. Elsewhere much rougher scenes oc-
Cured, and no doubt the place for man who
was in search of material for caricature, or for
il-natured comment, was the eastern borough
of London, the Tower Hamlets. which in.
cludes Wpitechapel and Bethnal Green.