trbe Countrv.
The candidates for South Staffordshire were nominated on Satur- day; when the show of hands was in favour of Colonel Anson. The polling commenced on Tuesday ; and at the close on that day, the numbers were for Goodricke, 1550; Anson, 1377. The next day's polling increased Goodricke's majority ; and the final numbers at the different polling-places were-
159 572 327 173 321 1552 Majority for Goodricke 188
The election did not pass off without bloodshed. There was a se- rious conflict between the townspeople at Wolverhampton and the mi- litary, at the close of the poll on the second day. The following facts are collected from evidence given before Colonel Anson's Committee, who the next day inquired on the spot into the circumstances, and for- warded the statements they received to the Home Secretary.
It appears that, about four o'clock on Wednesday, a large crowd col-
lected in front of the Swan Ifni, in Wolverhampton, which was the head-quarters of Sir Francis Goodricke. There was shouting and hooting, and some panes of glass were broken. A number of gentle- men composing Sir Francis Goodricke's Committee, appeared at the windows and on the balcony of the Swan. This irritated the people very much. Application was made to the High Constable to call in the military to disperse the crowd, but he refused. The Reverend Mr. Clare then read the Riot Act from the balcony ; but the crowd did not disperse. Several respectable witnesses declare, that though there was a good deal of excitement, there was no rioting. After the Riot Act had been read, a detachment of the First Dragoons, who had been stationed in the town, were ordered (it does not appear exactly by whom) to charge the multitude; which they did with drawn swords. They rushed on with such violence, that two of the horses fell with the riders. The people ran to the churchyard, the gates of which were too narrow for the horses to enter ; so the dragoons rode up to the gates, two or three at a time, and fired, and then turned round, while others came lip in the same manner. The people seem to have been hunted through the streets. One of the witnesses said- " I heard the door of a yard open and shut again. I heard a soldier say ' There's a nest of d—d scoundrels here; we will tire through the door.' Ile spoke to five or six other soldiers on horseback, who drew up on the opposite side of the street. He said something. I observed them deliberately sheath their sabres, and handle their fire-arms. Conceiving from the manner that they were going to fire, I said There has been no breach of the peace committed here; fire at your peril.' One of the soldiers (the same who beat the man) said, ' There's a nest of scoundrels in the yard and we will unkennel them,' or something to that effect. I then told him to fire at his peril: and they put up their fire-arms, drew their swords, and went off. Two of the soldiers came back, and one said, ' I have a good mind to fire through that door yet.'"
Another witness states, that he saw brandy and water given to a dragoon, by one of Goodricke's partisans, in the Market-place. Another, a woman, said that a dragoon took deliberate aim, and fired through I.er house-door. This was about ten o'clock. It is said that no person as killed ; but several persons were severely wounded. Of course the Goodricke party will assert that the mob was very outrageous. Whether that was the case or not, will soon appear. But at the time we write (Friday evening), it is impossible to know all the circum- stances accurately.
Goodricke. Anson.
Lichfield 224 Walsall 511 Wolverhampton 867 ng's Wintard 274 Penkridge 364
1740
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