February 22nd, 1859. This was considered to be the most severe contest,
for a single seat, which had ever taken place in this division of the
county. There had not been a contest at all during the last 22 years
in this division; and it had become a matter of doubtful speculation
as to which party, Tory or Liberal, could carry the day. The Tories
had from almost time immemorial held possession of Worcestershire,
both East and West, and it required a stout heart and a willing hand
to engage in this political strife. The new coming Reform Bill was
selected as the battle ground for the Liberals, and the Tories stuck
to their old traditions, and relied upon their usual coercion, and
their alleged doings for the county in the past. So far as Dudley was
concerned, we had to fight under manifold and peculiar conditions, for
the "head and front" of the old Tory party had but recently forsaken
their old love and "gone over into the camp of the rabble herd," to
help the Radicals in the two last Borough Elections to defeat the hated
and intolerable territorial influence; so that the county electors in
Dudley, both Liberals and Tories, were all sailing in the same boat
against the Tory county influence. Men had to decide upon voting for
the pocket or the conscience; and singular indeed was this mixed medley
of Tories, Liberals, Conservatives, old Whigs, hot-heated Radicals,
and seditious Chartists, hurrying with bated breath to the same Poll.
There was much satisfaction felt on this occasion that we had two
highly respectable gentlemen as our candidates; the Honourable F. H. W.
G. Calthorpe coming forward as the Liberal candidate, whilst the Tory
interest was endorsed by the candidature of Mr. John Slaney Pakington,
son of Sir John Pakington, a Worcestershire man. The freeholders in
Dudley were placed on the horns of a dilemma, by the fact that the
Tory, or Badger party as it was called, on this occasion adhered to the
traditions of their party, although at two recent Borough elections
they had renounced their political opinions, and joined hand and glove
with Mr. Sheridan, and the Radicals and Chartists.
The Liberals, the Whigs, and the Liberal Conservatives, energetically
espoused the cause of Mr. Calthorpe, and were successful, with the
county, in placing him at the head of the poll by a majority of 321
votes.
As to the fitness and mental qualifications of the two candidates,
there could not be one moment's doubt of the superiority of the
Liberal candidate's claims upon the electors, for Mr. Calthorpe was a
clear-headed business man, whereas Mr. Pakington was a young, docile
gentleman, little acquainted with the rough usages of political life,
and was feared to be a mere passive instrument in the hands of an
unscrupulous political faction; and what made matters worse for his
success, was his utter inability to talk and deliver himself of the
political opinions he was credited to possess.
On February 22nd, 1859, this election came off, with the following
results at all the polling places:--
CALTHORPE. PAKINGTON.
Dudley 343 176
Stourbridge 553 244
Halesowen 326 131
Kings Norton 329 289
Bromsgrove 248 228
Droitwich 163 220
Evesham 118 251
Pershore 137 310
Shipton 67 114
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2284 1963
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Majority for Mr. Calthorpe, Liberal, 321.
This was considered a great victory against the then Tory Government
and the Lygon interest, which had always ruled this division of the
county.
There was more political fun, chaffing, and coat turning on this
occasion than had ever occurred in this Borough since the excitable
days of the first Reform Bill, and the plentiful crop of political
squibs plainly shewed that both parties were made sensibly alive to the
importance of the contest. We had the straightforward Saxon practice of
open voting in those days, so that it was well-known to what political
opinion a voter gave his allegiance.