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ilJlLTCM nilltll uicy U'll ill me v* mv h4V* . . wforward. Everything, however, for sonic time continue** peaceable anti quiet, the rejoicings of the one party being C«jn'mc‘l to inspiring cheers, anti the disappointment of theoihef henig vented in groans and hisses. As the poll, however, ju’ocCf*-5” steadily, thougl* slowly, in favour of Lord Ashley, the irritated feelings of the lower orders of the reformers could be no longer restrained, and a large body of them, armed with sticks, rushed to the vallum which crowns the hill, and dislodged the band of Lord Ashley from the positron it had there occupied ; the supporters of his lordship were compelled, in self defence, to resist, and a general conflict ensued between the parties. One of the booths was partly broken up that weapons might be formed from the timber; stones of an appalling size were hurled about, and bludgeons were so effectually used that broken heads and serious bruises were of the commonest occurrence. The physical strength of the reformers was too. great for the conservatives, and the former were triumphing in «very part of the field, when the brutish rioters were checked by the appearance of between two and three hundred, horsemen—yeomen ofDorset brave men and true—who, hearing of the proceedings,galloped to the scene of action, and there forming in a line be-tweeu the combatants, prevented any further collision, and without the least show of violence, succeeded in overawing the ruffians who commenced the affray. Prior. to this, however, considerable injury had been .sustained by many, though we are happy to lmve it in our power to state that no life was lost. A temporary cessation of hostilities was further established by^ the efforts of Lord Ashley and Mr. Ponsonby, both of whom, from the hustings, addressed the crowd assembled, exhorting them to the maintenance of peace and good order. Although we have above stated that this scene of tumult was occasioned by a brutal attack upon some of Lord Ashley’s supporters, by a band of armed ruffians, yet we would not wish to intimate tlia their conduct was countenanced by Mr. Ponsonby,or the ostensible lender* of his party; on the contrary, we feel a pleasure in bearing testimony to the exertions made by several of them, nnd particularly by Mr. Okeden, for the restoration of order. The latter gentleman was very conspicuous in his endeavours to atam the fury of the mob, and liis conduct throughout was worthy of a magistrate of the county of Dorset. But the tribute to which candour and justice urge us here ceases, for there were many amongst the party who have by their conduct and observations encouraged the lower orders to a disobedience of the laws, and who have by inflammatory and insidious addresses, evening after evening, prepared the minds of the mob for an appeal to violence and brute force* ^On the commencement of the business in the assessor’s boot n, Mr. Serjeant Mcrewether, as counsel for Mr. Ponsonby, made an application to the assessor, as the representative of the Sheriff which was of a somewhat novel kind- In a very long sjecch, he proposed, as the number of votes then undetermined before the assessor amounted to 3(i2; and as .there was an actual impossibility that even a small portion of them coujd be discussed and decided before the hour of closing the poll arrived, that each objected voter should be taken in the order in which he had tendered, that the freeholders* oath should be put to each as a test, and that they should then be put on the poll. The learned serjeant contended that without such a course cf proceeding as this, by which all the votes which had been tendered might be disposed of, the Sheriff could not, under existing circumstances, make any return ; for though there was on the actual poll a majority fur Lord Ashley, yet of the votes then undecided there was a sufficient majority in favour of Mr. Ponsonby, in case they should be all proTcd good, to place him at the head of the poll. . lie therefore called on the assessor, either to adopt the course he proposed, or to return Mr. Ponsonby, as having the greatest number of tendered votes, or to make a double return, or to make a special return, stating the circumstances of the case. .Mr. Scrjennt Lawc* supported his learned brother.Mr. Follctt, as counsel for Lord Ashley, replied. lie argued that the assessor had no power whatever to adopt the novel nnd
Newspaper Details
Albion and the Star
London, Middlesex, GB
Sat, Oct 22, 1831
Page 1
Full Page
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USA 23 Aug 2023
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