April, 1859. No sooner had our political elements settled down, after
the severe county contest of the preceding February, but we were called
into agitation again by the sudden dissolution of the Conservative
Parliament, and Dudley was taxed to its utmost to so trim its political
sails, and put square men into round holes, in order that its former
political triumphs might not have been won in vain. Mr. H. B. Sheridan,
the sitting member, sought re-election again, backed by the Radicals
and Chartists, and supplemented by a contingent of sturdy old Tories,
who felt they had not a shadow of a chance of carrying a man of their
own liking; so they determined to keep alive the resentment against the
influence which had so recently assailed their cherished dignities,
and swept from under their feet all the political power their party
was ever again destined to weald, both in the Borough of Dudley and
County of Worcester. These offended old townsmen convened a sort of
meeting at the Hotel, which was designated "a meeting of Conservative
electors," and after some tall talk, with closed doors, it was decided
to throw their Tory interest into the Radical Camp, and support the
sitting member, Mr. Sheridan; for their political chief publicly
asserted his determination to vote for "hog, dog, or devil, in order to
spite Lord Ward." Nothing could have ended more suicidically than this
repetition to thwart the castle influence. They must have known that as
a political party they were impotent; for the recent county election
unmistakeably pronounced Dudley to be Liberal; and the Tory interest,
with Lord Ward at its back, could not turn the tide of Liberalism in
the Borough, so that again to support a trimming, wary candidate, who
first came amongst us as a Conservative, and now declared himself to
be an Independent candidate, sitting below the gangway in the House,
was to entirely abrogate their long-life cherished Tory opinions and
support Mr. Sheridan, because they could not bring forward a candidate
of their own choice.
Whilst these manœuvres were in hand, the Liberal party were in
negotiation with the Reform Club in London to send us down a candidate,
and the Honourable Viscount Monck, an Irish gentleman of good family
and undoubted administrative qualifications, came down to the Bush
Hotel, and after a lengthened interview, he was selected to be run
against the Radical-Tory party as a Liberal-Conservative.
A perusal of the Requisition to Lord Monck and the names of those who
formed his committee, shews that the thinking portion of the electors
were desirous, if possible, of removing a political stigma from the
Borough, and throwing over that dubious "incubus" which had sat too
long upon purity of motive and action, which Dudley electors had ever
been wont to endorse. Mr. Sheridan complained that he had all along one
lord to fight against, and now he had two lords in the field; that the
charges alleged against him in the Albert, European, and other shady
speculations, were matters of mere business, and did not concern the
electors of Dudley, and that his promises at the last election had been
literally fulfilled. Lord Monck, on the other hand, came amongst us as
a stranger, not only to our locality, but he had also enjoyed a seat in
the last Parliament where his votes were recorded.
Great efforts were made on this occasion to defeat the old member, Mr.
Sheridan, and the narrow majority of 71 votes, aided by all the Tory
influence that could be brought to bear in his support, clearly showed
that if the Badger element had not been severely pressed into the cause
Lord Monck would have been elected.