THE NEWCASTLE ELECTION.
TO THE EDITOR Of THE SPECTATOR.
Freemen.
Mr. Hodgson, the Tory, polled 949 Captain Blacken, the Liberal 468 Majority of Freemen 481 for the Tory:
Hodgson won the election by a gross majority of 48; therefore, a majority of 433 ten-pound householders patted fair Captain Market& My chief motive, however, in writing so early is, to state my firm conviction, as well as the general opinion of the Liberal party here, that unless the con- stituencies are protected against bribery and intimidation at elections, we have to dread as many defeats as may deprive Ministers of their present majority in the House of Commons.
I should state that Captain Blacken hail the show of hands three to one in his favour ; therefore the working classes are not to he judged by the Freemen ; and, with an enlarged franchise, we should have had an easy victory.
The opinion in favour of the BALLOT is gaining ground here every (lay ; and the unscrupulous manner in which the Tories have resorted upon the late occa- sion to intimidation, as well as bribery, and still more, the indirect bribery called "influence," has decided public opinion fur ballot.
I have the honour to be, Sir, your most obedient servant,
Newea,11e.upon-Tylie, ilth July 1836. Six-As it is of the utmost importance to disabuse the public mind of a false impression-which may be made by the deplorable result of the contested election here, I write without delay to explain the circumstance.
One half at least of the constituency here is made up of the old Freemen ; and these, feeling many of their privileges and profitable abuses curtailed by the operation of the Municipal Act, determined to revenge themselves upon the Liberal interest: they joined the Tories to punish the Reformers, who consti- tute four-fifths of the elected Municipal functionaries. AN ELECTOR
Previous page
