Page:History of the Anti corn law league - Volume 2.pdf/265

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PROGRESS OF REGISTRATION.
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598. On the objections against those 7571 voters who polled for Entwisle, we struck off 878 at the revision. (Loud and repeated rounds of applause.) And of the 6973 who voted for Brown our opponents have struck off 422—we striking off more than two to their one, thus having a majority, or gain, on the objections over them of 456 and within 142 of the whole majority by which Mr. Brown was defeated at the late contest. (Loud applause.) Then the register has gained at this revision by the new claims. There were 4982 new claims; of these the free traders made 3141, and established 2821 (loud applause), being a failure of only 320 of the whole of the claims made. So much for the reports propagated week after week that the free traders were filling the register with spurious claims! The number of claims made by the monopolists was 1841, of which they established 1357, being a failure in 484 cases, and giving us a majority on the claims of 1464 votes. (Cheers.) Well, then, there are 169 new claims, belonging to parties whose opinions we have not yet had time to ascertain; but we will give the monopolists the whole of them, and we shall still have a gain on this revision, taking claims and objections together, of 1751 votes. (Great and prolonged cheering.) Now, it is quite right that we should see in what district this great gain has been accomplished. In the first place, in the polling district of Ashton we have 40 of the 1751; in Bolton 142, in the district of Bury 75, in that of Wigan 11, in that of Ormskirk 17, in that of Oldham 102 (applause), in that of Newton 106 (bravo!) in that of Rochdale 233 (applause), at Liverpool 490, and in the district of Manchester 704. (Loud cheering.) This makes a total of 1920, from which deduct the 169 unascertained ones, and that leaves us a gain of 1761. Then take from these 1920 the 598 majority of Entwisle at the last election, and the 169 unascertained, making altogether 767, and we have a working majority upon this register of 1153 votes. (Loud cheers.) An analysis of the new register, therefore, shows, of old electors (free traders) 6551, new electors (free traders) 2821; total free traders on the registers 9372. Of the old electors being mono polists 6693, ditto new electors 1357; neutrals 169 leaving a total of 8219, or a working majority, as already stated, of 1153. (Applause.) And now, gentlemen, we come to the Northern Division. We have not done much there, but we have done something. We have attained a gain there upon the revision, with comparatively little exertion of 533. (Applause.) The result has been, then, to give us a gain of 533 votes for North Lancashire, to give us a seat for South Lancashire, (cheers), and to leave the monopolists three seats in the boroughs, or five out of the whole 26 members for the entire county. I think, then, that you will agree with me that there never was, in the history of the registration, so complete a sweep of a county as this has been. (Hear,