FAMOUS ELECTION RIOTS.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 52, 11 February 1911, Page 3 (Supplement)

FAMOUS ELECTION RIOTS.

In tho “good old times” if no riot occurred during an English election it was generally voted a very dull affair, especially as the rival parties would often hire burly ruffians to keep order at their meetings or defy their opponents during demonstrations. One of the worst election riots occurred at Sixmilebridge, in Co. Clare, op Julv 22nd, 1852, when the military fired on tha mob, killing no femer than five of them. MOBS IN EDINBURGH. But England cannot point the finger of scorn at Ireland, because hardly a General Election passes but what one I constituency shows that it considers disorder a good argument. Scotland, on the other hand takes its elections very seriously, trouble onl.y being met with la the rougher districts. However these modem distrub.ances dining election times are nothing like tho wild riots that ocemrod during the Re form Act General Election of 1831. Scotland was especially vehement in her demonstrations, windows being bioken and voters against Reform being prevented from exercising their constitutional rights. In Edinburgh a moo seized the Lord Provost on election day and threatened t-> throw him over North. Bridge, while nt Lanark tho Conservative candidate was seriously injured. At Jedburgh a howling mob hooted Sir Walter Scott. H*> wrote ir: his chary. “The mob were OM-edinglv vociferous and brutal, as they usually are nowadays. The population gathered in formidable numbers —a thousand from Hawick, sad blackguards.” TROUBLE AT CARDIFF. At Dumbarton the Conservative cand r date had to hide al! day in a garret, in his life was in danger, while at Ayr Vi.tcr*. of the same colour took refuge in the town hall. A gallant hand of Whigs escorted them out of danger to a steamboat.

It was the riots that occurred in London nt this time that caused the ■ Duke of Wellington to have the windows of Apslov House guarded with the famous iron shutters. Ihe people were so overjoyed at the dissolution of Parliament and the coming of a General Elrcti >n that they smashed the windows of al! who had opposed the passi. ig of the BillBin there have been some pretty good | riots in modern times. Feeling ran | very high in 1885 in sonic places, and ‘ -orious r list urban ces took place at Car- | diff . Sir Edward Read, the famous ■ naval const in-tar. was the Lilreral. and th.’ Hon H. R. Brand, afterwards Vis- : cnnnt Hann den. tlm Unionist. ! Th-- contest was a very stormy one. an.l the re’urn of Sir Edward cairseil th greatest exultation. After the ; declaration of tho poll a crowd, csti- , mated at 10.C09 strong, armed with i brickbats, stones, and sticks, proceeded ’ to tho officei <f tho Conservative ! newspaper intent on wrecking its of- i fires.

Tlie local j olice had been reinforced bv members of the county constnb- > ulary. and they charged the mob with drawn truncheons. A fierce battle en- I sued, and there was considerable blood- j shod, even women and children being I injured in the melee. Tire Home Of- I five sent dewn Sir John iTridge, the , famous Bow Sheet magistrate, to in- I quire into the matter, after peace had been restored. LLOYD GEORGE’S TOWN.

Carnm-vnn is a town in which feelin glr.s run very hi-h during the past f«w elections trouble occurring both in 1906 nnd last January. Miners and qi airvmen sometimes allow their feelingr to get the letter of them, and in th? first named year hundreds of them swarmed into the town, driving all known opponents off tho. streets. Mr. L’ovd George himself having to rebuke his exuberant supporters. HIGH JINKS AT HIGH WYCOMBE. But matters were worse a years ago. Two thousand quarrymen came into Cimarron and caused a reign of terren. Windows wen* bt.ikon, and even ladies assaulted. Fifty extra policemen had been imported from Manchester, but they were powerless, and ns it was tl ought the crowd was disappointed because the result was not going to bo declared that night they were quietly withdrawn ; but the mob got to know of it. and several of them were roughly iiandlod as they made their way to the station. It was a crowd largely composed of quarry and potti rv workers that catisel the i iot at Newton Abbot, South Devon, about two years ago, when Captain Morrison 801 l wns returned nt the by-election. Mrs. Pnnkhurst had a narrow escape, and the premises of the Corservative Club were nearly wrecked. Last January n riot occurred nt High Wvcoinbo after the close of the polling a ‘•dump’ shop toing wrecked and its contents burned in the middle of the street. For the declaration of the poll 1.000 police were imjwrted to keep order.