1830—July 30—(General Election.)—Colonel Davies and Mr. Robinson returned without opposition; all the efforts of the third-man-no-matter-who party having failed to produce a candidate.
1831—May—(General Election.)—The Tory party three days before the election brought forward a candidate in the person of the Hon. Colonel Henry Fitzroy, brother to Lord Southampton, but the Reform enthusiasm was so strong that his voice was drowned in the disapprobation of the people the moment he opened his lips, and all the significant hints that he had plenty of money to spend were thrown away. The Colonel soon found that he was in a false position, and did not appear on the hustings at the day of nomination. Colonel Davies was proposed by George Farley, Esq., and seconded by Mr. John Palmer; while Archibald Cameron, Esq., proposed, and Thomas Scott, Esq., seconded, Mr. Robinson. They were declared duly elected, and the chairing took place forthwith, but the chair was demolished sooner than usual.
1832—December—(General Election.)—Colonel Davies and Mr. Robinson again returned. A few weeks before the election a third candidate appeared on the scene, in the person of R. A. Dundas, Esq., cousin of Viscount Melville, intending to contest the city on Conservative principles, but after a canvass he gave the matter up as hopeless. Mr. Robinson having in an address to the electors, said that Mr. Dundas had been “deluded with hopes of success, which proved utterly fallacious”—his supporters sent for him back again, and declared that he should stand a poll unless Mr. Robinson withdrew these “offensive” expressions. A long conference took place, and some modification of the terms, or explanation of their intention, was conceded, and Mr. Dundas once more made his bow. Colonel Davies was proposed by Mr. Hebb and Mr. George Allen; and Mr. Robinson by Mr. Spooner and Mr. Munn. The members went through the city in an open carriage drawn by six grey horses, instead of in a chair, and the mob having shewn some disposition to destroy the carriage, they were disappointed by the postillions turning suddenly along the back streets into the Hoppole yard. Some of the crowd climbed the gates, and began to tear the decorations, but they were beaten off. A dinner was afterwards given to the two members unitedly, at the Bell Inn, Mr. Hebb in the chair.
1835—(General Election.)—On this occasion a candidate was brought forward by the Conservatives in the person of Joseph Bailey, Esq., a very opulent ironmaster from Glanusk, in Monmouthshire. Mr. Robinson appeared to be an universal favourite, as by the comparative moderation of his views he had conciliated many of the Tory party, but they concentrated all their animosity against Colonel Davies, who had not only been a very determined but very active promoter of Reform measures in the House of Commons. The Colonel had lost favour with some of the glovers by his support of free trade principles. The most strenuous exertions were made by the Colonel and Mr. Bailey, between whom it was at once seen that the struggle would lie, while Mr. Robinson rested upon his oars in security. At the nomination, Mr. Hebb and Mr. Allies proposed Colonel Davies; Dr. Hastings and Mr. Thomas Scott, proposed Mr. Robinson; and Mr. John Williams, of Pitmaston, and Mr. Dent, proposed Mr. Bailey. The show of hands was entirely in favour of the two old members, and a poll was demanded by Mr. Gutch in favour of Mr. Bailey. At the end of the first day’s poll the numbers were—Robinson, 1,309; Davies, 882; Bailey, 835; but the second day altered the state of things, and the final return, as made by the Sheriff, was—Robinson, 1,611; Bailey, 1,154; Davies, 1,137: majority for Bailey, 17. There was a sharp affray between the street partizans of the various candidates on Tuesday evening, and several heads were broken. Immediately after the election a dinner was given to Colonel Davies and Mr. Robinson, at the Bell Inn, W. Sanders, Esq., in the chair; at which it was announced to be the intention of Colonel Davies’s friends to bring the result of the election before a committee of the House of Commons. Captain Winnington, Mr. Cookes, and Mr. Holland, the three recently elected Whig members for the county, were present. A dinner was given to Joseph Bailey, Esq., M.P., at the Hoppole, in February. The party numbered nearly 200, and Mr. Richard Spooner was in the chair. The various speakers boasted of the “reaction” which had taken place in favour of Conservative principles. Mr. Bailey paid his first visit to Worcester after his election in October; dinners were provided for his supporters, and eighty public houses were “opened” in the evening. The principal party was given at the Unicorn Inn, Broad Street, where Mr. Richard Spooner presided. Mr. Henry Clifton and Mr. Pierpoint were vice-chairmen.
As soon as the session opened, a petition was presented against Mr. Bailey’s return, and a scrutiny of votes took place before a committee of the House of Commons, which was ballotted for March 31st, and consisted of seven Tories and four Whigs; Mr. J. E. Denison (Nottinghamshire) being chairman. After a sitting of eleven days, fifty-five votes were struck off by the petitioners, and forty by Mr. Bailey, still leaving that gentleman in a majority of one; and the petitioners then gave up the struggle, in consequence of several adverse decisions on the part of the committee. The following is a summary of the votes struck off on each side:
BY THE PETITIONERS. | BY MR. BAILEY. | ||
Pauper votes | 33 | Pauper votes | 8 |
Personation | 2 | Change of qualification | 17 |
Employed and paid | 11 | Employed and paid. | 9 |
Change of qualification | 8 | Not registered | 3 |
Wager | 1 | Dead before election | 1 |
|
| Wagers | 2 |
| 55 |
| 40 |
Objections not admitted. | 16 | Objections not admitted. | 4 |
The petitioners alleged three cases of bribery on Mr. Bailey’s part, but failed in the proof; and the votes of a number of Mr. Bailey’s professional agents, objected to by the petitioners, were retained, in consequence of the memorable evidence of one of their number—that their services were all gratuitously rendered. The conduct of the petition was intrusted to Mr. John Hill, and by him managed most admirably. The expenses were all covered by the subscriptions, which had been previously raised, and that almost entirely among the citizens themselves. Mr. Bailey’s expenses are said to have been £16,000. The expenses of the election itself were but trifling. Of course the greatest excitement prevailed in the city during the progress of the petition, and Mr. Bailey’s party had great rejoicings on the issue.
In September, 1836, a dinner was given by the Worcester Conservative operatives to Mr. Bailey, at the Theatre. 427 persons sat down to table, and there were many spectators. The chief speakers were Mr. Bailey, Mr. Spooner, Mr. Pakington, and Mr. John Dent. There were great congratulations on the “reaction” which had taken place in the city, as elsewhere, in favour of Toryism.
Immediately afterwards (October 24) the operative Reformers got up a great dinner in the Town Hall, to refute the cry about “reaction.” Eight hundred persons sat down to dinner in the outer hall, 500 in the assembly room, and others at different inns. Mr. Arrowsmith was in the chair; supported on his right by the Mayor, and on the left by Colonel Davies. The whole party met in the outer hall after dinner (this being brilliantly lighted up for the occasion), and a number of appropriate toasts were given.
1837—(General Election.)—The candidates at this election were Mr. Bailey and Mr. Robinson (the former members), and Colonel Davies; but on the day of nomination Mr. Robinson retired in the most unexpected manner. This was owing to many of the Liberal electors having refused to give him their promises on his canvass, because they thought he had not behaved well to Colonel Davies at the previous election, and had, moreover, offended them by some votes in the House, which did not savour sufficiently of party. Mr. Bailey and Colonel Davies were declared duly elected, under protest from Mr. J. D. Stevenson, who had proposed (but a little too late) Mr. James Morison, of London.