The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-04-08
An English Election.
The LAUNDERING Manner in which NJ P.s
are Engineered into Place.
Boston Congregationalist.

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How are members of Parliament chosen? By
a very different method from that in which
members. of Congress are elected in our own
land. There are two sorts of members of Par.
lament: knights (as ancently called,) who
represent the shires, or counties; and burgesses,
who represent the boroughs. These have no
difference of rank in the house; but in England
it is regarded as greater honor to represent
county than borough. The candidates of the
different parties, both in the boroughs and in
the counties are not usually selected, as with
us, by caucuses or conventions emanating from
the parties themselves; though in recent years
sort of caucus system has been introduced in
to some of the larger boroughs. This new sys-
tenn is thus constituted: several hundred of the
leading members of the party in the borough
are formed into nominating body; and this
body is called, say, the Birmingham Five
Hundred" or the Southwark Three Hun
dred." Its function is to meet, discuss and
question the various candidates who are
brought forward, and to make a choice be-
tween them. The successful one is then adopted
by the ''Five Hundred" and becomes the NOM
inee of the party. This system has, however,
met with great opposition, is only established
in few places, and is scarcely likely to become
universal. 1t has hitherto been confined to the
Liberal party. The usual method for the Sc
lection of candidates is for the candidate to of
fer himself to the party in the borough or
county He presents himself at public meet
ings, avows his political creed, and a vote is
taken in his favor. 1t is done very informally;
a sort of general understanding has often first
been arrived at by the local leaders. Most fire.
quently the candidate is already clearly indi-
Gated by circumstances. He is the son and
heir OF neighboring great noble; or he has
long been prominently identified with the in
dustries of the place; or he has already long
sat in Parliament as it's nembar: or he is a
statesman of national reputation, whom the
county or borough seeks to honor itself by
electing to the house.
The candidates on either side duly selected,
the electioneering goes forward energetically.
Public meetings are held at frequent intervals
at which the directors freely ask the candidates
questions ON this or that political topic. Tav-
erns and inns are full of politicians. and no lit
tie treating and cajoling of electors goes on
therein. The walls of the town are coated with
big-lettered placards of blne and yellow, in
which stirring appeals are made for votes. The
candidates, in many instances go from house
to house through the borough, and personally
solicit the electors for their suffrages. They
also drive about in carriages and freely show
themselves, and sometimes their wives and
daughters, to the much beseiged constituency.
The election itself is a double operation, and
occupies two days at least. On the first day
the candidates and their friends repair to a
room where they find the public election Off
cer There the nominations are quietly
made. Two friends of each candidate propose
aud second him in brief speeches.; the nomina-
tion is recorded, and no candidate not thus
first nominated is eligible. The next day the
polls are opened at the various precinct rooms,
and the electors assemble to exercise their
privilege.
The voting is now done in England by the
strictest system of ballot. Our own ballot meth
cd is very loose in comparison. The English
elector is obliged to go into a room by himself,
to seal up his ballot, and to bring it thus sealed
to the ballot-box. He is compelled to keep it
secret how he actually votes, and there are sew
eral penalties for those who try to intimidate
voters to tell how they have cast their ballot.
Sometimes, in the larger boroughs and in the
counties, the balloting continues for several
days When at last this is completed, the votes
are counted the people gather at the official
headquarters and the result is announced, amid
much cheering on one side and groaning on
the other. The candidates make speeches to
their supporters, and the member-elect is not
seldom drawn in his carriage through the
streets to his hotel by his exultant adherents.
He does not always have an easy time of his
triumph however for in borough where the
contest has been very close the defeated party
does not invariably keep its temper, and some-
times INDUCES its chagrin by assailing the new
member with cabbages, bad eggs and other un-
pleasant missiles