ELECTION INCIDENTS.

Clutha Leader, Volume XII, Issue 600, 15 January 1886, Page 6

ELECTION INCIDENTS.

Despatches of November 25 state that the great interest in the whole electoral field centered in the contest at Birmingham between Mr John Bright and Lord Randolph Churchill. The Duchess of Marl boron srh and Lady Churchill, at the head of 300 ladies, made a house-to-house canvass. Lady Churchill also addressed the workmen in the principal factories. Mr John Bright in his speeches referred humourously to this "primrose" campaign. Mr Bright was elected, but with a smaller majority over Lord Churchill than the Radicals expected. Sir Charles Dilke was elected for Chelsea by a vote of 4291, the Conservative candidate receiving 4116. A committee, assisted by an organisation of ladies, went from house to house, making infamous and untruthful charges against their candidate, based on the recent divorce case. In his speech Sir Charles threatened one of the party whom he did not name, but is known to be Lady Cadogan, with one year's imprisonment for intimidating voters, and also with a suit for slander. Lord R. Churchill gained the Paddington seat by a vote of 2831 against 1025 for his opponent. In Hampstead Sir H. Hollands (Conservative) received 2785 votes, defeating the Marquis of Lome, who received i'Blo— a result which is said to give immense satisfaction in almost all circles, as the Marquis has had the misfortune to please nobody. It is reported that the Prince of Wales and his set were especially delighted. The Queen took a lively interest in the progress of the elections. When on tho afternoon of the 27th she sent a despatch to Lord Salisbury summoning him to dine and sleep that night in Windsor Castle, a special tele-graph-wire was transferred to the Castle, and Lord Salisbury directed all election returns to be promptly transmitted to him for the information of the Queen, who did not hesitate to express unqualified delight at the result. When driving through Windsor on election day she smiled on th 9 electors, knowing that their candidate was hers. Mr Gladstone is said to be fearfully chagrined over the result, and early in the contest abandoned all hope of more than the barest Liberal majority at the best. A story was current on the 28th that he had intimated to Lord Salisbury his willingness, in the event of a Conservative success, to give the whole Liberal strength to the Government on " all reasonable measures," in order to prevent the necessity of yielding to the course of placing England under Irish dictation. In the event of a Liberal majority, however small, the friends of the ex-Premier say he will resume office and will relinquish power only when he ceases to live. The London Times, in a leading article on December 20, advocates a Gladstone coalition. The defeat of the Hon. Hugh Guilders especially gratified the Liverpool Tories. The Liberals ascribe the work to Home Rulers' interference. Miss Milner, cousin g^ the -tmf or to vate Lady Durham, is said to have caused the defeat of her brother, Sir Frederick Milnor. An election riot occurred at Nottingham on the 26th. Several conflicts took place between the mob and the police, and 47 persons were injured. The troops were called out io suppress the disturbance. In London several Tory candidates hired steam* fire-engines, which rushed madly through the streets, with bells clanging and .whistles blowing, while men clinging to the engines showered Tory leaflets oti the crowd. Among the Conservatives elected are Mr Palstone (of the old firm of Jay, Cook, and Co.) and Louis Jennings (lately editor of the New York Times). Both are former residents of America. The clergymen of tho Established Church throughout Great Britain devoted their sermons on November 30 to a vigorous propagandism against the Liberals, the effect of which was felt during the ensuing week. The Church Record, analysing the result of the first week's elections in 143 divisions, finds that 48 candidates who favoured- disestablishment were defeated; and only 28 returned. The Record infers that the Church question was tho leading cause. The Conservative success and the Liberal collapse are variously explained. The Tory papers talk incessantly of " the Tory re-action," but nobody believes it. There is no Tory reaction. Speaking of the defeat of tho Liberals in London and Lancashire, they are entirely due (says. a. despatch of November 29) to the

Parnellite vote— to the unequalled perfection of ita organisation, and the frantic energy of the Irish leaders and ran^ and file. On the other , hand the Liberals worked with lassitude, their appearance being hopelessly weak. In the second part of the campaign Mr Gladstone was employed in explaining away the speeches of Mr Chamberlain. A Times' despatch of December 14 mentions, among other casualties, that Mr Chorley (the defeated Tory candidate against Baron Rothschild in the Aylesbury division of Bucks) died at a local hotel from injuries received at the hands of the mob. The residences of several Tories and two of the chief hotels of Rob* stock (Somerset) were destroyed. Scores of people, including the police, were injured. At Worthinsfton, fifty casualties are reported. At Wilton the successful candidate was beaten black and blue, and only by the aid of sixty policemen battling their way to the station did he escape being thrown into the. river. Colonel W. R. Trefusis, who recently returned from Egypt covered with distinctions, and had just inherited an enormous fortune, was the Tory candidate in the Devon division. He died while the votes were being counted. The post mortem examination showed that he had been badly- treated. In Ireland 50,000 Parnellites gathered to- . gether opposite the vice-regal lodge in Dublin on November 29, despite the rain which was falling, and pledged their confidence in Mr Parnell. Crowds of youths, headed by bands, paraded the principal streets, singing " God Save Ireland." On the same day 4000 adherents of Mr Callan, opposed to Mr Parnell's nominee (Mr Nolan), assembled at Dundalk and prevented Nolan's people from erecting a platform. Mr Parnell, who was present, attempted to speak from a waggon in the market place, but was hauled down. He retired, shouting *' You hired ruffians I" A number of fights took place outside and inside the hotel, and Mr Nolan was severely handled and a young man Btabbed. The big vote by the Parnellites in Londonderry and the East Division of Belfast astonished everybody. Conservatives were only elected by slender majorities of 25 and 37 respectively. It has hitherto been considered that Orangemen were supreme in both cities, and the Orangemen are consequently terribly chagrined over their narrow escape from defeat in their strongholds. They accuse the Parnellites of wholesale false personation of voters, especially in Londonderry. The Parnellite vote in Dublin was immense. Tremendous enthusiasm was shown when the result was declared j but no rioting ensued. A band of youths placed the American stars and stripes around the statue of Grattan, festooning the flag with green ribbons. A party of collegiates sallied forth from Trinity College, captured the flag, and bore it in triumph to the college. American flags were borne in the procession, while the paraders sang " God save Ireland." The Irish are veary sore, however, about their failure in the close Ulster fights. Lord Ernest Hamilton defeated Mr John Dillon in Tyrone, and Mr Healy telegraphs that the registration lists were stuffed with names not on them when the revising barrister closed his inspection. When his defeat for Dundalk was announced, Mr Philip Callan spoke at great length, with a tone of humiliation and disappointment. At one point in his speech he said : " During the past five years I have repeatedly challenged Parnell to proof ; but he has carefully abstained from putting a finger on a wrong vote ever given, or a wrong act over done. He said last Sunday that I was ' truculent and unmanageable.' Now I brand that statement in the face of Parnell as a deliberate lie." Mr Callan here turned round and shook his hand at Parnell. " I brand him as a slanderer and a coward ; as one who has malignantly villified me. My friends have been spoken of by Mr Parnell as hired bands of ruffians. I had no money to buy them with. Although I entered Parliament a rich man, comparatively speaking, I am now a poor man. Mr Parnell entered Parliament with his estates encumbered, but he has now a large estate and a balance at bis bankers, and it ill becomes him to turn on me in miy poverty. I now ask you to go home, to s:vy nothing ofteasive to any one, but to bide your time, and the time will come when my political and private character will be amply vindicated." Mr Parnell made no reply to Mr Callan.