A SCOTCH ELECTION IN '32.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 205, 1 September 1886, Page 3

A SCOTCH ELECTION IN '32.

A Reminiscence of My Boyhood.

When an election comes round now-, it takes mo back to the agitation of 1832. I would ba eight or ten yeirs old at that tiir.o. James Strachan was at tho door by fi*o

...'clock in tho morning in his Sabbath clothes, by arrangement. We were to go up to the hill to ccc them building the bonfire. Moreover, there was word that Wr Scrimgour was to be there toeaing pennies, just like ata marriage. I ivas wakened before that by my mother at the pans and bowls, I havo al nays associated elections since that time with jelly-making; for juat aa my mother would fill the cups and tankards and bowls with jelly to save cans, she was emptying tho pots and pans to make way for the ale and porter. James and me was to help to carry it home from the square — him in the pitcher and me in a flagon, because 1 waa silly for my age and not strong in (ho arms.

It was a very blowy morning, though the rain kept oil', and what part of tho bonfire had been built already wa3 found Ecattered to the winds. Before we rose a great ina-s of folk was getting the barrels and things together again ; but some of them was never recovered, and suspicion pointed to William Mealmaker, it being well known that William would not he-itate to carry oft'anything if unobserved. More by token, Christy White had S6en him rolliug home a barrowful of firewood early in the morning, her having risen to hold cold water in her mouth, being down with tho toothache. When we got up to the hill, everybody was makingfor the quarry, which, being more sheltered, was now thought to be a better place for the bonfire. The masons had struck work, it being a general holiday in tho wholo country-side. There was agreat commotion of people, all fine uiessedand mostly -with glengarry bonnets; and me and James was well acquaint with them, though mostly weavers and the like and not my father's eciual. Mr Scrimgour was not there bimself ;"but there was a smull active body in his room as tossed the money for him fair enough ; though net so liberally as was expected, being mostly ha'pence where pennies was looked for. Such was not my father's opinion, and him and a others only had a vote. He considered it was a waste of money giving to them that had no vote and so taking out of other folks' mouths, but the little man said it kept everybody in good humour and made Mr Scrim2oll r popular. He was an extraordinary affxble man and very spirity, running about to waste no time in walking, and gave me a shilling, telling me fo be a truthful boy and tel my father. He did not give. James anything, bim being an orphan, but clapped his head and said he waa a fine boy. The Captain was to vote for the bill if he got in again, tho which he did. It was the Captain was to give the ale and porter in the square like a true gentleman. My father gave a kind of laugh when I let him see my shilling, and said he would keep care of it for me ; and sorry I wa3 I let him get it, me never seeing tho face of it again to this day. Me and Jamea was much annoyed with the women, especially Kitty Davie, always pushing in when there waa tossing, and tearing tho vtry ha'pence out of our hands, us not caringsomuchaboutthemoney but humiliated to see women mixing up in politics. By tho timo the topmost barrel was on the bonfire there was a great smell of whisky in the quarry, it being a confined placo. My father had been against the bonfire being in the quarry, arguing that the wind on the hill would have carried off the smell of tho whisky ; but Peter Tosh said thoy did not want the smell carried off; it. would be agreeable to the masons for weeks to come. Except among the women, there was no fighting nor wrangling at the quarry but all in fine spirits. I misremembor now whether it was Mr Scrimgour or the Captain that took the fancy to my father's pigs ; but it was this day at any rate that tho Captain sent him the gamecock. Whichever one it was that fancied the littor of pigs, nothing would content him but to buy them, which he did at 30s each, being tho best bargain ever my father made. Nevertheless, I'm thinking he was windier of the cock. The Captain, who was a local man when not with hia regiment, had the graudest collection of fighting-cocks in the county, and sometimes came into the town to try thpm against the town cocks. I mind well the large wicker cage in which they wero conveyed from place to place, and never without the Captain noar at hand. My father had a cock that beat all tho other cocks at the cock fight at our school, which was superintended by the elder of the kirk to see fair play ; but the which died of i:s wounds the next day but ono. But this waa a great grief to my father, it having been challenged to fight the captain's cock. Therefore, it was vety considerate of theCap'ain to make my father a present of his bird ; father, in compliment to him, changing its name from the " Deil " to the " Captain." During the forenoon, and I think until well on in the day, James and me wa3 busy with the pitcher and the flagon. The proceedings in the square, however, was not so well conducted as in the quarry, many of tho folk there as.-embled showing a mean and grasping spirit The Ciptain had given orders that there was to be no stint of ale and porter, and neither there was ; but much of it lost through hastiness. Groat barrels were hurled into the middle of the square, where the country wives sat with eggs and butter on market day, and was quickly stove in with an axe or paving stone or whatever came handy. Sometimes Ihey would break into tho barrel at different points; and then, when they tilted it up to get the ale out at one hole, it gushed out at the bottom till the equare waa flooded. My mother waa fair disgusted when told by me and James of the • waste of good liquor. It is gospel truth I j speak when I Eay 1 mind well of eeeing Singer Davie catching the porter in a pan as it ran down the side, and, when the pan was full to overflowing, putting his mouth to the stream and drinking till he was full as the pan. Most of the men, however, stuck to the barrels, the driok running in the street being ale and porter mixed, and left'it to the women and the young folk to do the carrying. One i greedy woman brought as many pans as she could collect on a barrow, and was filling them all with porter, rejscting the ale ; but indignation was aroused against her aad as fast as she filled the others emptied. My father scorned to go to the square to drink alo and porter with the crowd, having the election on his mind and him to vote. Nevertheless he instructed me and James to keep up a brisk trade with the pans, and run back across the gardens in case we met dishonest folk in the streets who might drink the ale. Also, said my father, we were to let the excesses of our neighbours be a warning in sobiiety to us ; enough being as good as a , feast, except when you could store it up for winter. By-and-by my mother thought ib was not safe me being in the streets with so many wild men about, and would have sent James himself, him beiug an orphan and hardier ; but this I did not like, but, running out, did not come back for long enough. There is no doubt that the music was to blame for firing the men's blood, and the result most disgraceful fighting with no object in view. There were three tiddlers, and two at the flutemost of them blind, but cot the less dangerous on that account; and they kept the town in a ferment, evon playing the countryfolk home to their farms, followed by banda of townsfolk, Tbey were a quarrelsome set, tho ploughmen and others, and it was generally admitted in the town that their overbearing behaviour was responsible for tbe fights. I mind them being driven out of the square, stones flying thick ; also some Btand-up fights with sticks and others fair enough with fiats. The worst fight I did not see. It tcok place in a field. At first it was only between two w;ho had been miscalling ono another ; but there was many looking on, and when the town man waa like getting the worst of it the others set to, and a most heathenish fray with no sense in it ensued. One man had hia arm broken. I mind Peter tho beil-rcan going about ringing hia bell and telling all persons to get within doors; but little attention was paid to him, it boing notorious that Peter had had a fight earlier in the day himself. When James waa fighting in the field according to his own account, I had the honour of dining with the electors who voted for the Captain, bim paying all expenses. It was a lucky accident my mother sending me to the town house, where the dinner came off to try to get my father home at a decent hour, me having a remarkable power over him when in liqutr, but at no other time. They were very jolly, however, and'ifieisled on me drinking the Captain's health arid eating more tlicn was saie. My father gc'v it next day from, rhy mother for this, and so would I myself, but it was Beveral days before I left my bed, com-

pletely knocked up as I was with tho excitement and one thing or another. The bonfire, which was built to celebrate the election of Mr Sciimgour, waa set ablaze, though I did not see it, in honour of tho election of the Captain ; it being thought a pity to lose it, as no doubt it would have been. This is about all I remember of the celebrated election of '32 when tho Reform Bill passed,— " S*. James's Gazette."