votes, while the latter had only 150. In the evening, the adherents of the unsuccessful candidate were so much excited, that in spite of the earnest exhortations of Mr. Grundy to preserve the peace, they proceeded to break the windows of some of their opponents, and the military were called in to prevent further violence, although probably nothing more serious would have occurred.
At Macclesfield the contest was entirely between local candidates, a result common when the constituency is so small as to be borne upon with effect in every part by local influence. On Macclesfield, containing not a sixth part of the number of inhabitants that Manchester had, had been bestowed as many seats as were conferred on Manchester. The candidates were Mr. Ryle, a banker, who wished to restore protection to the silk manufacture, which he said had been ruined by the free trade system; Mr. Brocklehurst, silk manufacturer and banker, a moderate reformer; and Mr. Grimsditch, attorney, a tory of the old school. The two bankers were elected.
At Blackburn also, the local influence was too strong to permit the election of a distinguished reformer and free-trader, but a noble effort was made to return Dr. Bowring, which would have been successful had the voters been more numerous or protected by the ballot. On behalf of the local candidates, although professed reformers, the base corruptions of the old system at elections were largely practised. Bowring said he would not give a cup of ale to secure him a seat, and the numbers who voted him proved that nearly one half of the electors acted upon principle, however debased a portion of the other half might be. The numbers at the close of the poll were, Fielding, 376; Turner, 346; and Bowring, 334.
Wigan might be considered as a new borough, for, before the Reform Bill the right of voting had been confined to certain burgesses nominated by a self-elected corporation. Mr. Richard Potter had made a noble effort
