A History of Parliamentary Elections and Electioneering in the Old Days: Showing the State of Political Parties and Party Warfare at the Hustings and in the House of Commons from the Stuarts to Queen VictoriaGrego, Joseph
History
A History of Parliamentary Elections and Electioneering in the Old Days: Showing the State of Political Parties and Party Warfare at the Hustings and in the House of Commons from the Stuarts to Queen Victoria
Grego, Joseph
Great Britain -- Politics and government; Great Britain. Parliament -- Election
“NOW FIRST PUBLISHED BY R. RUSTED,--AUTHOR OF ‘THE GUILDHALL ORATORS,’
ETC., ETC., ETC.
“‘A tous ceux à qu’il appartiendra.’--VOLTAIRE.” (Otherwise
“to all whom it concerns.”)
The candidate’s address is one of those confused harangues in which
a number of subjects are incongruously involved together, known in
later days as “a stump oration.” Among other subjects, Dr. Graham’s
“celestial beds,” recruiting for the army, polygamy, and divorce,
“the delicate brave men of the association” (volunteer force), and an
“effete nobility,” are all mixed up according to the following sample:--
“As my honourable friend Mr. Burke cannot lessen the influence
of the Crown, myself and his grace of Richmond are determined
to accomplish it, by abolishing the use of money entirely; it
being irrevocable poison to men’s souls, and the only remedy
existing to prevent Bribery and Corruption; an evil which all
the learned gentry of Westminster Hall could never annihilate;
and I do faithfully declare, being no placeman, that I will not
waste my fleeting moments like the four city members, whose
elements of oratory what Roman senator could ever equal.”
The address rambles through a variety of absurdities, and concludes
with a quotation from Rusted’s “Poems.” Whoever that worthy may have
been, his lines have a fine air of burlesque grandiloquence, sense
being subordinated to sound:--
“Like those brave men, who nobly shed their blood,
I’ll die a Martyr for my Country’s good.
Be to my Sov’reign ever just and true,
And yield to Britain what is Britain’s due.
Maintain the cause, and thro’ the globe impart
The bright effusions of an honest heart.”
The foregoing is found in the collection of ballads and broadsides
which it delighted Miss Banks to accumulate. It will be remembered
that eccentric lady was sister to Sir Joseph Banks, the president of
the Royal Society, and one most instrumental in founding the British
Museum, to which his collections and those of his sister were left.
Among Miss Banks’s “Political and Miscellaneous Broadsides” is another
electoral appeal to the same fanciful constituency; the document
otherwise seems almost a literal copy of an actual address of the day:--
“TO THE NOBILITY, GENTRY, CLERGY, AND FREEMEN OF THE ANCIENT
CORPORATIVE TOWN OF GARRATT.
“MY LORDS AND GENTLEMEN,
“Your Vote, Interest, and Poll (if needful) is earnestly
desired for Thomas, Lord SHINER, to be your
representative in Parliament, being a person zealously attached
to the King and Queen, and their numerous offspring of Princes
and princesses, and an enemy to all arbitrary Laws.
“His Lordship’s Committee for conducting the Election is held
at the ‘Three Jolly Butchers,’ and ‘Black Moor’s Head,’ Brook’s
Market, at which places his Lordship begs the audience of his
Friends.
“N.B.--His Lordship’s colours are Blue and Orange.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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