HOW I STOOD FOR THE DREEPDAILY BURGHS. [From Blackwood's Magazine.] (Concluded from our last.) Chapter V.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume V, Issue 332, 4 October 1848, Page 3

HOW I STOOD FOR THE DREEPDAILY BURGHS. [From Blackwood's Magazine.] (Concluded from our last.) Chapter Y.

Parliament was at length dissolved; the new writs were issued, and the day of nomination fixed for the Dreepdaily burghs. For a time it appeared to myself, and indeed to almost every one else, that my return was perfectly secure. Provost Binkie was in great glory, and the faces of the unknown Clique were positively radiant with satisfaction. But a storm was brewing in another quarter, upon which we had not previously calculated. The Honorable Mr. Puzzlethwaite, my opponent, had fixed his head-quarters at Drouthielaw, and to all appeareance wts making very little progress at Dreepdaily. - Two days before the nomination, a new candidate appeared in the field. Sholto Douglas was the representative of one of the oldest branches of his distinguished name, and the race to which he more immediately belonged had ever been foremost in the ranks of Scottish chivalry and patriotism. In fact, no family had suffered more from their 'attachment to the cause of legitimacy than the Douglasei of Inverlachan. Forfeiture after forfeiture had cut down their broad lands to a narrow estate, and but for an unexpected Indian legacy, the present heir would have been marching as a subaltern in a foot regiment. But a large importation of rupees had infused new life and spirit into the bosom of Sholto Douglas. Young, eager, and enthusiastic, he determined to rescue himself from obscurity ; and the present state of the Dreepdaily burghs appeared to offer a most tempting opportunity. Douglas was, of course, Conservative to the backbone ; but more than that, he openly proclaimed himself a friend of the people, and a supporter of the rights of labour. " Confound the fellow !" said Bob M'Corkindale to me, the morning after Sholto's address had been placarded through the burghs, "who would have thought of an attack of this kind-from such a quarter. Have you seen his manifesto, Dunshunner?" "Yes — here it is in the Patriot. The cdi-, tor, however gives him it soundly in the lead-

jng article. IJike his dogmatic style and wholesale denunciation^ of ilie Tories." "I'll tell you what it is, though — I look upon this as anything but a joke. Douglas Is evidently not a man to stand upon old aristocratic pretensions. He has got the right sow by the ear this time, and had he started a little earlier, might have roused the national spirit to a very unpleasant pitch. You observe what he says about Scotland ; the neglect of her local interests, and the manner in which she has been treated with reference to Ireland." The morning of the day appointed for the nomination dawned upon the people of Dreepdaily with more than usual splendour. For once, there was no mist upon the surrounding hills, and the sky was clear as sapphire. I rose early to study my speech, which had received the finishing touches from M'Corkindale on the evening before ; and I flattered myself it was as pretty a piece of Whig rhetoric as ever was spouted from a hustings. Toddy Tarn, indeed, had objected, upon seeing a draft, that " there was nae banes intil it;" but the political economist was considered by the committee a superior authority on such subjects to Gills. After having' carefully conned it over, I went down stairs, where the whole party were already assembled. A large blue and yellow flag, with the inscription, " Dunshunner and the Good Cause /" was hung out from the window to the intense delight of a gang of urchins, who testified to the popularity of the candidate by the ceaseless vociferation to " pour out." The wall opposite, however, bore some memoranda of an opposite tendency, for I could see some large placards, newly pasted up, on which the words, " Electors of Dreepdaily ! You are sold by the Clique!" were conspicuous in «normous capitals. I heard, too, something likeaballaii chanted, in which my name seemed to' be coupled irreverently, with that of the independent .Gills. ' Provost Binkie — who, in common with the rest of the company, wore upon his bosom an enormous blue and buff cockade, prepared by the fair hands of his daughter — saluted me with great cordiality. ,1 ought to observe that the Provost had been kept as much as possible m the dark regarding the actual result of the canvass. He was to propose me, and it was thought that his nerves would be more steady if he came forward under the most positive •conviction of success. l * This is a great day, Mr. Dunshunner — a great day for Dreep'dailyi" said he. ''Aday, if I may sac speak, o' triumph aud rejoicing ! The news of this will rin frae one end o' the land to the ither — for the een o' Scotland is .fixed on Dreepdaily, and the stench auld Whig principles is .sure to prevail, even like a mighty river that rins down in spate lo the sea!" I justly concluded that this figure of speech formed part of the address to the electors, which for the two last days had been simmering in the brain of the worthy magistrate, Along with the fumes of the potations he had imbibed, as incentives to the extraordinary effort. Of course I took care to appear to participate in his enthusiasm. My mind, however, was very far from being thoroughly at ease. As twelve o'clock, which was the hour of nomination, drew near, there was a great muster at my committee-room.. The band of the Independent Tee-totallers was in attendance. They had been well primed with ginger cordial, and ware obstreperous to a gratifying degree. ' Toddy Tarn came up to me with a face of the colour of carnation. "I think it richt to tell ye, Mr. Dunshunner, that there will be a bit o' a bleeze ower yonder at the hustings. The Kmleweem folk has come through in squads, and Lord Hartside's tenantry have marched in a body, wi Sholto Douglas's colours flying." "And the Drouthielaw fellows — what has become of them ?" " Oh, they're no wi us either — they're just savage at the Clique ! Gudesake, Mr. Dunshunner, tak tent, and dinna say a word about buz. I intend myself to denounce the body, and may be that will do us gude." I highly approved of Mr. Gill's determination and as the time had now come, we formed in column, and marched towards the hustings with the teetotal band in front, playing a very lugubrious imitation of " Glorious Apollo." The other candidates bad already taken their places. The moment I was visible to the audience, I was assailed by a volley of yells, among which cries of " Doun wi tlie Clique !" — " Wh* jbought them !" — " Nae nominee !" — " We've had eneuch o' the Whigs !" &c;, were distinctly audible. This was not at all the kind of reception I had bargained for ;■-— however, there was nothing for it but- to put on a smiling face, and I reciprocated courtesies as well as I could with both of my honourable opponents. During the reading of the writ and the Bribery Act, there was a good deal of joking, which I presume was intended to be good-

humoured. At the same time there could be no doubt that it was distinctly personal. I heard my name associated with epithets of any thing but an endearing description, and, to say the truth, if choice had been granted, I would far rather have been at Jericho than in front of the hustings at Dreepdaily. A man must be, indeed, intrepid, and conscious of a good cause, who can oppose himself without blenching to the objurgation of an excited mob. The Honorable Paul Pozzlethwraite, on account of his having been the earliest candidate in the field, was first proposed by a town councillor of Drouthielaw. This part of the ceremony appeared to excite but little interest, the hooting and cheering being pretty'equally distributed. It was now our turn. " Gang forrard, Provost, and be sure ye speak out !" sail Toddy Tarn; and Mr. Binkie advanced accordingly. Thereupon such a row commenced as I never had witnessed before. Yelling is a faint word to express the sounds of that storm of extraordinary wrath which descended upon the head of the devoted Provost, " Clique, Clique !" resounded on every side, and myriads of eyes, ferocious as those of the wild cat, were bent scowlingly on my worthy proposer. In vain did he gesticulate — in vain implore. The voice of Demosthenes — nay, the deep bass of Stentor himself — could not have been heard amidst that infernal uproar ; so that, after working his arms for a time like the limbs of a telegraph, exerting himself until he became absolutely swart in the face, Binkie was fain to give it up, and retired amidst a whirlwind of abuse. " May the deil fly awa wi the hail pack o' them !" said he, almost blubbering with excitement and indignation. " Wba wad ever hae thought to have seen the like o' this 1 and huz, too, that gied them the Reform Bill ! Try your hand at them, Tarn, for my heart's amaist broken !" The bluff independent character of Mr. Gills, and his reputed purity from all taint of the Clique, operated considerably in his favour. He advanced amidst general cheering, and cries of " Noo for Toddy Tarn !" " Let's hear Mr. Gills !" and the like ; and as he tossed bis hat aside and clenched his brawny fist, hs really looked the incarnation of a sturdy and independent elector. His style, too, was decidedly popular — " Listen tae me !" he said, " and let thae brawlin'- braggin' bletherin' idiwits frae Drouthielaw haud their lang clavering tongues, and no keep rowtin' like aheid of senseless nowte ! (Great cheering from Dreepdaily and Kittleweem — considerable disapprobation fromDrouthielaw.) I ken them weel, the auld haverils! (Cheers.) But you, my friends, that I have dwalt wi for twenty years, is it possible that ye can believe for one moment that I wad submit to be dictated to by a Clique ? (Cries of" no- 1 no!" " It's no you, Tarn!" and confusion.) No me ? I dinna thank ye for that ! Wull ony man daur say to ray face, that I ever colleagued wi a pae that wad buy and j sell the hail of us as readily as ye can deal wi sheep's heads in the public market ? (Laughter.) Div ye think that if Mr. Dunshunuer was any way mixed up wi that gang, I would be here 'this day tae second him ? Div ye think—" Here Mr. Gills met with a singular interruption. A remarkable figure attired in a red coat and cocked hat, at one time probably the property of a civic officer, and who had been observed for some time bobbing about in front of the hustings, was now elevated upon the shoulders of a yeoman, and displayed to the delighted spectators the features of Geordie Dowie. " Ay, Toddy Tarn, are ye there, man ?" cried Geordie, with a malignant grin, '* What was you and the Clique doin' at Nanse Finlasen's on Friday nicht ?" "What was it r Geordie? What was it V cried a hundred voices. "Aral to be interrupted by a natural?" cried Gills, looking, however, considerably flushed in the face. "What hae ye done wi the notes, Tarn, the lang chield up by there gied ye ? And whaur's your freends Shanks and M'Auslan? See that ye steek to the window nist time, ma man!" cried Geordie, with demoniac ferocity. This was quite enough for the mob, who seldom require any excuse for a display oftheir hereditary privileges. A perfect hurricane of hissing and of yelling arose, and Gills, though he fought like a hero, was at last forced to retire from the contest. ~ Had Geoidie Dowie's windpipe been within his grasp at that moment, I would not have insured for any amount the life of the perfidious spy. Sholto Douglas was proposed and seconded amidst great cheering, and then Pozzlethwaite rose to speak. Ido not very well recollect what he said, for I had quite enough to do in thinking of myself, and the Honourable Paul would have conferred a material ob-

ligation upon me, if he had talked for an hour longer. At length my turn came. "Electors of Dreepdaily!" That was the whole of my speech, at least the whole of it th3t was audible to any one human being. Humboldt, if I recollect right, talks in one of his travels of having somewhere encountered a mountain composed of millions of snakes, whose hissing might have equalled that of the transformed legions of Pandemonium. I wish Humboldt, for the sake of scientific comparison, could have been upon the hustings that day ! Certain I am, that the sibillalion did not leave my ears for a fortnight afterwards, and even now, in ray slumbers, I am haunted by a wilderness of asps ! However, at the urgent entreaty of M'Corkindale, I went off for about ten minutes, though I was quivering in every limb, and as pale as a ghost ; and in order that the public might not lose the benefit of my sentiments, I concluded by handing a copy of my speech, interlarded with fictitious cheers, to the reporter for the Dreepdaily Patriot. That document may still be seen by the curious in the columns of that impartial newspaper. I will state this for Sholto Douglas, that he behaved like a perfect gentleman. There was in his speech no triumph over the discomfiture which the other candidates had received. On the contrary, he rather rebuked the audience for not having listened to us with greater patience. He then went on with his oration. I "need hardly say it was a national one, and it was most enthusiastically cheered. All that I need mention about the show of bands is that it was not by any means hollow in my favour. That afternoon we were not quite so lively in the committee-room as usual. The serenity of Messrs. Gills, M'Auslan — and perliaps, I may add of myself — was a good deal shaken by the intelligence that a broadside with the tempting title of " Full and Particular Account of an interview between the Clique and Mr. Dunshunner, held at Nanse tinlaysan's Tavern, on Friday last, and how they came to terms. By an Eyewitness," was circulating like wildfire through the streets. To have been beaten by a Douglas was northing, but to have been so artfully entrapped by a baulrly ! Provost Binkie, too, was dull and dissatis - fied. The reception he had met with in his native town was no doubt a severe mortification : but the feeling that he had been used as a cats-paw and implement of the Clique was, 1 suspect, uppermost in his mind. Poor man ! We had great difficulty that evening in bringing him to his sixth tumbler. Even M'Corkindale was hipped. I own I was surprised at this, for I knew of old the indefatigable spirit and keen energy of my friend, and I thought that he would even have redoubled his exertions. Such, however, was not the case. I pass over the proceedings at the poll. From a very early hour it became perfectly evident that my chance was utterly gone ; and, indeed, had it been possible, I should have left Dreepdaily before the close. At four o'clock the numbers stood thus : —

We had an awful scene in the committee room. Gills, who had been drinking all day, shed copious floods of tears : Shanks was disconsolate ; and M'Auslan reiused to be comforted. Of course I gave the usual pledge that on the very first opportunity I should come forward again to reassert the independence of the burghs, now infamously sacrificed to a Conservative ; but the cheering at this announcement was of the very faintest description, and I doubt whether any one believed me. Two hours afterwards I was miles away from Dreepdaily.

Dr»epdaily. Droutliielayr. )ouglas 94 63 'uzzlethwaite. 59 73 >unshunner. . 72 19 Majority for Douglas. . . . X 196 fiti itlewe 192 21 7