A History of Parliamentary Elections and Electioneering 72

A History of Parliamentary Elections and Electioneering 72

Old Eldon, mounted on the shoulders of his ally, the Duke of

Cumberland, is vociferously calling for “One cheer more!”

 

The House dissolved on the 22nd of April, and the fresh elections

took place in May. The nature of John Bull’s complaint and

the respective views of the rival practitioners who were

called in for consultation are set forth by HB (May 2, 1831) as

“Hoo-Loo-Choo--_alias_ John Bull and the Doctors.” The national

prototype is seated in an arm-chair; his huge corporation seems to have

become utterly unwieldy and inconvenient; he occupies the centre of

the picture. His doctors “in and out of place,” are on the respective

sides. John Bull is addressing Lord Grey:--

 

[Illustration: Sir F. Burdett.

 

Lord Durham.

 

Duke of Cumberland.

 

Lord Holland.

 

Lord Althorp

on a Judge.

 

Lord King

on the Bishop.

 

Lord Brougham (Lord Chancellor).

Duke of Wellington.

 

The King (William IV.)

 

Lord Grey.

 

LEAP-FROG DOWN CONSTITUTION HILL. APRIL 13, 1831. BY J. DOYLE (HB).

 

[_Page 356._

 

“With such vehement force and might

Lord King drove all before,

The Bill went through ’twixt Philpotts’ legs

And turn’d him fairly o’er.”]

 

[Illustration: Lord J. Russell.

 

Lord Althorp.

 

Lord Grey.

 

John Bull.

 

Sir Robert Peel.

 

Duke of Wellington.

 

HOO-LOO-CHOO, _alias_ JOHN BULL AND THE DOCTORS. MAY 2,

1831.

 

[_Page 357._]

 

“I can’t say that my bodily health was ever better, or that I ever felt

stronger, tho’ to be sure I am not growing younger; but then every one

is telling me how deformed I am grown of late, and this tumour--which I

have had from my infancy--is all a mass of Corruption.”

 

Grey, while indicating his colleagues, Althorp and Russell, says in

reply, “This deformity is quite inconsistent, believe me, with the

nature of your Constitution, and therefore must be got rid of. I will

undertake, with your approbation, to remove it, and my assistant,

Doctor Russell here, will prepare you for the operation.”

 

Russell is observing, “I once thought that a case of this description

ought to be treated with great caution, and even wrote, as well as

talked, a great deal about it, but now I am quite of a different

opinion. I think there is nothing like cutting away thro’ thick and

thin!”

 

Sir Robert Peel, one of the dismissed doctors, on mature consideration,

is inclined to question his past policy: “Yet I begin to think we

could have done better, when we found him determined to think that his

Constitution was impaired, to have tried, just in the way of soothing,

a gentle alternative course.”

 

Dr. Wellington is still of his old opinion: “I say that the man has

no defect in his Constitution, and that what they call Corruption is

necessary to his existence; but now, because he would not believe me,

but chose rather to submit to the experiments of those rash operators,

Wharncliffe, who is a sensible man, lays all the blame on me.”

 

The lively proceedings while the returns were preparing were fittingly

epitomized by HB as “May Day” (May 4, 1831), setting forth as a

“Jack-in-the-Green” performance the new revels of the revisers of the

constitution. The king occupies the green, which is topped by a crown,

and bears the word “Reform;” the face of William IV. is peeping through

the aperture. Earl Grey is “My Lord;” Sir Francis Burdett is almost

equally conspicuous. Hobhouse, Hume, and O’Connell are making a good

deal of rough music with shovels, and Russell has the Pandean pipes and

big drum, on which he is vigorously performing. Lord Brougham, as “My

Lady,” is going round with the ladle; he is interrogated by the Duke

of Cumberland and Lord Eldon as to the “Man in the Green.” The Duke of

Gloucester and Lord Londonderry, among the audience, are regarding “My

Lady” with suspicion.

 

The second portion of the new tactics is developed as “Leap-Frog on

a Level; or, Going Headlong to the Devil” (May 6, 1831). The turn of

the Reformers has come, and the Radicals are making them submit to

the same process as they lately inflicted on the Tories. Carlile is

rolling over a churchman to the place of torment, having leaped a

trifle too far; the Evil One, as he declares in person, “has come to

end your games.” “The Devil you are,” says the author of the tracts.

Sir Francis Burdett is unwillingly giving a back, “Have I stooped for

this?” His old ally, “Porcupine” Cobbett, is leaping heavily on to the

baronet’s shoulders, “My turn now, old Glory.” Grey is staggering while

Hunt is “overing” him: “I begin to think this is a very disorderly

game.” The mob are shouting, “Go it, Hunt,” which is displeasing to

the now elevated orator: “D---- the Rabble, they take me for one of

themselves.” Brougham is brought to his knees: “Hullo! you’ll have

off my wig;” O’Connell, firmly seated on the chancellor’s back, is

crying, “Oh! never mind; _I’ll_ take care of that!” The king is brought

to the earth; “This is the levelling system with a vengeance.” He is

overturned by Hume, who is exclaiming, “This summing-up is the _tottle_

of the whole.”

 

[Illustration: Hume on Lord King.

 

Dan O’Connell on Lord Brougham.

 

Orator Hunt on Lord Grey.

 

W. Cobbett on Sir Francis Burdett.

 

R. Carlile.

 

LEAP-FROG ON A LEVEL; OR, GOING HEADLONG TO THE DEVIL. MAY 6, 1831. BY

J. DOYLE (HB).

 

[_Page 358._

 

“‘But God is with us,’ said the King,

‘The people must be free.

I will create an hundred Peers

If need should ever be.’”]

 

The House had dissolved on the 22nd of April, 1831, and the elections

which ensued were remarkable for spirit. A quantity of literature, in

the shape of broadsides, songs, and squibs of a startling character,

was produced on this occasion, in such abundance that even for small

constituencies in out-of-the-way places these _jeux d’esprit_ form

huge volumes. A number of parodies appeared on the great question

of the Reform Bill, imitations of scripture among others. Of the

ballads published over the border, the one most descriptive of the

constitutional struggle is found in a parody of “Chevy Chase.”

 

 

“THE NEW CHEVY CHASE.

 

“God prosper long our noble king,

Our lives and safeties all;

Some dreadful battles late there were

Fought in St. Stephen’s Hall.

 

“Long o’er the land, with pride and scorn,

The Tories held their sway;

The child will rue that is unborn,

That has their debts to pay.

 

“The Tory Lords throughout the land,

A vow to God did make,

Their pleasure in their borough towns

As formerly to take.

 

“For they would keep their borough towns,

Whate’er the King might say.

These tidings to Lord Russell came,

In Bedford, where he lay.

 

“Who sent the Tories present word,

He would prevent their sport;

These noble Lords not fearing him,

Kept up their old resort:

 

“With nigh two hundred Tories bold,

All men of the old light,

Who knew full well, but would not own,

They were not in the right.

 

“Dark rumours through the country ran,

And many filled with fear--

And an old ‘Blacking man,’ called Hunt,

At Preston did appear.

 

“And long before this time they had

Been lab’ring in vain,

And fencing round their borough towns,