Polling Districts. PAGET. INGESTRE.
Bilston 280 94
Brewood 37 271
Handsworth 448 197
Kingswinford 930 373
Lichfield 83 130
Penkridge 129 310
Rugeley 84 111
Sedgley 323 115
Tamworth 36 45
Tipton 183 84
Walsall 223 194
Wednesbury 355 191
Westbromwich 573 329
Wolverhampton 641 313
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4325 2757
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Majority for PAGET, 1568.
Sunday, February 19th, 1854. The new organ, erected in St. Edmund's
Church, was opened this day with great preachings. The sum of £54 15s.
9d. was collected on the occasion. The organ, which was considered
by competent judges to be a first-rate one, cost £360, and great
praise was awarded to Messrs. C. F. G. Clark and Thomas Hughes,
the Churchwardens, for their exertions in collecting the amount by
voluntary subscriptions.
March 13th, 1854. Died, Mr. Justice Talfourd, at Stafford Assizes. He
dropped down dead from his judge's seat whilst addressing his charge
to the grand jury. He was a humane judge, and an eminent and popular
writer.
Easter, 1854. A very close and vindictive contest took place in this
Parish for the election of the Board of Guardians, without either
rhyme or reason. The new Liberals of the previous year's election had
secured many useful and sensible reforms in Poor Law Distribution; had
introduced and carried the Small Tenements' Act, which had given mortal
offence to the Tory party, and their former dogmatical and illiterate
chairman. Under such revengeful feelings, not a stone was left unturned
to seek out "cause of offence," shortcomings, etc., of the Liberal
Guardians. The Tory party managed to obtain the proxy votes of the
non-resident voters of _the small freeholders_, lately brought into
the list of voters by the imposition of the Small Tenements' Act, and
thereby secured the election by over-reaching and unfair tactics.
The result of this unfair and unjust Election was a reversion of last
year's parochial decision, the Liberal Guardians were thrown out, and
the old "let us rest and be thankful" Tories were elected to do further
mischief.