The Declaration
As returning officer, the Mayor, with other officials, appeared at the Hustings on the following morning, and declared Messrs. Robertson and Brisco to have been duly elected. During the preceding day’s polling a portion of the hustings broke down a second time, and precipitated the gentlemen on the Conservative side to the ground, who received little or no injury, but which accident, their opponents hoped was an omen of good for the Liberals. To prevent a third break-down, the hustings had undergone a strengthening process during the early morning, and all was made secure. The large area in front of the hustings (a portion of which is now the Recreation Ground) was filled with electors, non-electors, bands, banners, horsemen and decorated carriages, and the whole scene was as brilliant as it was animated. Information had got to the ears of the Conservatives — and not altogether erroneous — that the Liberal “roughs” intended to work mischief during the proceedings, to counteract which, a party of athletic Conservatives voluntarily armed themselves with staves covered with calico to look like wands, to be used if necessary for protection. Whilst the people were assembling and the Mayor was engaged in his formal capacity, the derisive shouts and questions by some of the disappointed Liberals were as menacing as they were amusing. There was no mistaking the temper of the noisy ones, writhing under defeat. It was evidently their intention to be as insulting as possible. Just before the Mayor’s announcement of the result, Mr. F. Streeter (who in early life had been a fighting man, and even after his conversion to Wesleyanism gave more than one proof in my presence of being a “muscular Christian”), mounted the barrier in front of the hustings and asked the Mayor if authority had been given to men to carry bludgeons? A skirmish had taken place during the polling, and it seemed to be a proper thing to beseech the Mayor to have the weapons taken away. This was ordered to be done, but the bad temper and insulting — not to say dangerous — acts of the defeated partizans plainly showed that the rumoured intention of causing mischief was not without foundation. The Mayor renewed his exhortation for the preservation of order, not to give way to revengeful feelings on the one side, nor to undue exuberance on the other. The advice, however, had but little effect on the defeated party, for as Mr. Robertson came to the front he was assailed with the most discordant shouts of “Bludgeon men”, “Bribery”, etc.
Mr. Robertson commenced to return thanks with “Electors of Hastings and St. Leonards, I feel grateful”, but here again he was met by such deafening yells that he could not proceed. Then Mr. Brisco, in the midst of similar tumult could only be heard to say “I return you my thanks”. It was next Mr. Warre’s experience to be received with a storm of mixed cheers and tokens of dissent, and during the babel of tongues he was heard to say that while thanking his friends, he desired to express his best wishes for the happiness and prosperity of the borough. Mr. Locke, as -
