J. CAMPBELL.
To Mr. Cooke, Draper, Dudley.
“This is an agreeable display of the state of servility to which the vote-hunters of the “great unwashed” are reduced. Would it have been credited, until now, that the King’s Solicitor General could so far sacrifice his dignity of character—or rather of the character of his office—as to condescend to explain to a huckstering Chairman of a Political Union, cried down by the King’s Proclamation, how and why he took a fee in the way of business? But the best of the joke is to come. This very Cooke—this ‘My dear Sir’ o’ the King’s Solicitor General, was himself tried for a libel at Worcester, and paid ten guineas, fine or fee, to enable his dear friend, the King’s Solicitor General, to defend him; the which proved a useless outlay on the part of the draper, for he was, in spite of all the talent and eloquence of his learned advocate, CONVICTED.
“Having shewn the sort of people in Dudley with whom Sir John corresponds, we are not surprised that he should know so very little of the respectable portion of its inhabitants. We are inclined therefore to attribute to ignorance his conduct towards the Magistracy, which certainly can find no other earthly excuse.”
1833. March 6th, died, John William, the First Earl of Dudley, having been created an Earl, on September 24th, 1827. Aged 52 years.
This nobleman was a distinguished classical writer, for his letters to the Bishop of Llandaff are replete with profound learning, and show the evidences of a very elevated mind. He was appointed Secretary of Foreign Affairs in Mr. Canning’s Administration, and also a short time under the Duke of Wellington’s Government. The nobleman never married, and the title became extinct.
In 1834, Mr. Jno. Campbell having so well disclosed his profound abilities was made Solicitor General, and came down to Dudley to seek re-election. The old Tories girt up their loins, and at once determined to oppose “the aspiring Scotchman,” for they little relished the idea of a foreigner and a stranger “representing their old town.” Mr. Thomas Hawkes, a native of the town and an extensive glass manufacturer, a proclaimed Moderate Reformer was selected by the Tory party to dispute the envied seat with Sir John Campbell. Mr. Hawkes was too glad of the opportunity of showing his zeal and ambition for those high and distinguished honours which had so recently been showered upon Sir John; and he was induced to contest the seat against Her Majesty’s Solicitor-General. This election was especially characteristic as being most violent and riotous, ending in the defeat of Sir John Campbell by a majority of 68 votes. Towards the close of the poll, (4 o’clock) when it became evident that Sir John was beaten, a serious riot arose in the town and it was deemed expedient by the Justices to read the Riot Act, and send off to Birmingham for military assistance; the Dragoons arrived in hot haste, but not before much mischief and violence had been done to both property and persons. It was always alleged that Mr. Foster’s workmen from Shutt End began this senseless destruction of the property of the innocent inhabitants, by tearing down the shutters of the shops in the High Street and Market Place, and smashing the shop windows with the same. Mr. Foster was a strenuous supporter of Sir John Campbell, and was much chagrined at his friend’s defeat. Sir John had to make his escape from the fury of the mob by a rapid and circuitous flight down a dark passage in Hall Street, which to this day is known as “Campbell’s Flight.” The broken heads and bruised bodies of all sorts and conditions of men on this memorable occasion, testified to the intensity of the conflict. The soldiers were quartered upon us for some time for this unruly piece of business.
The result of this election was—
| 1. Mr. Thomas Hawkes, (Tory) | 322 |
| 2. Sir John Campbell, Knt. (Reformer) | 254 |
| —— | |
| Majority for Mr. Hawkes | 68 |
In 1832, the year of the great Reform Bill, Campbell, who had previously been member for Stafford, became member for Dudley. In reference to this he writes—“What a deliverance from Stafford! There has been more bribery there than ever, and the new part of the constituency is worse than the old.” And this after the passing of the Reform Bill! No wonder that every right-thinking man is disgusted with a system which to a large extent perpetuates this state of things. In 1834 Campbell became Attorney-General, and had to seek re-election. He was defeated by Major Hawkes. On this he remarks “I was very generously received by Lord Grey and the Chancellor, but I find that I was blamed by subordinate members of the Government, who said that I ought to have carried the seat at any cost. I would sooner have lost my office and seen the party at once driven from power than have attempted to corrupt such a constituency. The incipient danger of corruption I find to arise from publicans and keepers of beer-shops who were electors, and, without any notion of receiving bribe or voting money, were eager to have their houses opened with a view to the profit on the sale of liquor, and I fear would be thereby influenced in their votes.” This second extract certainly reveals a better state of things, but also gives a glimpse of much that still remains to be remedied.