Potter's Electric News

THE MUNICIPAL CONTEST. THE election of members of the Haverfordwest Town Council took place on Monday last. The gentlemen, whose period of office expired by rotation, were Mr J. W. Phillips, Mr Richard Williams, Mr A. Beynon, and Mr W, Williams, all of whom offered themselves for re-election. The new candidates were Mr W. Vaughan James, solicitor, Mr John Lewis, Hill Street, Mr Joseph Thomas, Quay Street, and Mr John Davies, builder, of Townr Hill. The election was made a party struggle by the whole of the Liberal party, and by a very small section of of the Conservatives, and resulted in the return of the four gentlemen who own allegiance to the Liberal party. The Liberals, profiting by the indifference with which the great majority of the Conservatives looked upon the contest for the Corporate seats, mustered the whole of their forces, and exerted themselves throughout the day with as much determination as if the full strength of the Conservative party were arrayed against them. Of course, where little resistance was offered them, they obtained an easy victory and they now affect to regard the result of the contest, in which people nowadays engage more from a love of fun and sport than of any honour to be achieved, as indicative of the feeling of the town in another matter of the highest import- ance namely, the Parliamentaryrepresentation. The Liberal leaders rely more upon the ignor- ance than the intelligence of the people: they seem to think that the franchise is now pos- sessed by persons who are not capable of rea- soning for themselves, and who will accept without question or comment any outrageous statement that a Liberal spouter may utter in the interests of his party. Whenever there is the slightest chance of humbugging the people, they are sure to avail themselves of it: and at the close of the contest on Monday we had a repetition of ancient tactics, and the usual boast of what they are going to accomplish in the coming fight for the representation of the Borough. The Constituency has been surfeited with Liberal bunkum, and some of the recognised learlers of the party, in the stumps at a paltry and insignificant municipal triumph, deluged their audience with "tall" talk of most gigantic dimensions. Had alcoholic excite- ment been wanting, and ordinary calmness pre- vailed, some of the orators would have been laughed at, or probably hooted down but, luckily for the Liberal cause, the major part of the hearers were ripe and mellow, and, with stomachs and pockets suitably furnished, were in that condition most favourable for the due appreciation of Liberal prin- ciples. Father Matthew's staunch disciple narangued his friends with tremendous fury: he was in his most pliant mode the steam was up, and elated by the events of the day, he mounted the very stilts of Brag itself. He had shaken hands with the Gin Fiend: he had joined his triumphant procession; he had s-en convincing proofs of the Fiend's power, and he praised his courage and integrity. So com- pliment.ary were the observations of the ab- stainer, and so persuasive wast his eloquence that for once in their lives the votaries of Bac- chus hniled him as a brother, aud hiccupped out their unqualified assent to the principles enun- ciated by the roaring god of Teetotalism. By the Z, time, however, this page reaches the public eye, the effect of the copious doses of Liberalism will have passed away, and the victims of Liberal honour" and Liberal purity,' will have be- gun to think of the ridiculous nonsense to which they in their temporary oblivion cried out hear, hear." To assert that the parliamentary contest will be influev.ee J by the result of the municipal elections, betokens -great igno- rance of local history. A few years ago, the seats in the Towll Council were held at the will & va- cated at the command of one member of that body. For a long time the Liberals were left in undisturbed monopoly of the whole of the Cor- porate offices but in every race for the Parlia- mentary prize, they were signally defeated, and those among them who base their expectations of success in the parliamentary fight upon the decision of the half fought battle of Monday, are doomed to experience a bitter disappointment. A large and influential body of electors,freeholders and free- men, who have no voice in municipal affairs because they reside outside the boundary of the town, will take An active part in the parliamentary election, whilst a considerable number of those who hoisted the ;'Blues to their old preeminence in the Council Chamber, will be excluded from all par- ticipation in the coming struggle. But in the face of these facts, the Liberals exult and magnify their .victory -a victory, by the way, they were helped to win by a large body of Conservatives who voted from motives of personal preference, and re- fused to give the contest a political aspect. Liberal exudation, however, will be short lived: their countenances, now wearing forced smiles, will in a few days hence be as blue as the banner under which they fight; for the result of the poll in the great, struggle now at hand—a struggle in which every elector in the Constituency feels the deepest interest,—will show the hollowness. of their boastings, and for some years to come effectually extinguish their hopes of success in the Haverford- west Boroughs. The following is:a return of the 11 number of votes polled on behalf of the several ^candidates on Monday last: — r Mr Jobn Lewis 392 Mr Joseph Thomas 390 Mr W. Williams 3^1 Mr A. Beynon 373 Mr W. V. James 304 Mr John Davies 267 Mr R. Williams 286 Mr J. W. Phillips 262 It may be mentioned that the unsuccessful candi- dates lost the valuable services of Mr Whicher Davies, who was unfortunately suffering from a severe illness, and who for some years past has taken an active part in municipal contests, and by his energy and influence has been the means of bringing many of them to a successful issue. <&.

THE IRISH CHURCH. THE Rev T. Ault will deliver his second lecture at the Shire Hall this (Wednesday) evening, in re- ply to the lecture recently given by the Rev Dr Davies, at the Baptist Chapel. It will be remembered that Mr Ault's first lecture appeared in our columns, and was subsequently reprinted in the pamphlet form for general circulation. The reply was given from the pulpit of the Baptist, Chapel, and created a sensation among the opponents of the Church Establishment that has not yet subsided. Bethesda was convulsed to its lowermost depths, and resem bied in its agitation the Bay of Biscay rather than the baptismal waters of a religious denomination. Mr Ault on that occa- sion obtained a decisive victory over his antagonist, who, probably under the pressure of influential political brethren, or carried-away by his zeal in a bad cause, uttered language which he wisely declined to put in print: indeed, so sorry a figure did the unfortunate doctor present in the controversy, that some of his friends were exceedingly desirous to select another champion to fight their battle. We have no doubt that Mr Aim's second lecture will fully equal in accuracy of statement, research, and clearness of reasoning his first masterly defence of the Irish Church, and be a complete refutation of the mis-statements and fallacies that abound in the peppery oration of the Rev Dr. Davies. The proceedings will commence at seven o'clock. o-

LIBERAL JOKES AND INGEATITUDE. DURING the present contest, the Liberals have perpetrated a number of excellent Jjokes, and, by their fruitfulness in deeds of this description have earned a reputation for smart- ness which the 'cutest Yankee might envy. In the early part of the week, a report was circu- lated that the Conservative Candidate had with. drawn trom the contest, and several hot-headed members of the Liberal party who had been deceived by their own friends were, until the report was contradicted, in a state of the highest ecstacy. A day or two later, the Liberals issued a notice in the nature of a warning against the practice of intimidation and coer- cion. The general body of the inhabitants, Z, who are more or less familiar with the doings of influential Liberals at election times, had some difficulty in believing that the notice was a 11 genuine document, and there were many who regarded it as a stroke of irony aimed at the Liberal party by some facetious opponent. Enquiry proved that the document really ema- nated from the Liberal Committee, and they are now in possession of all the credit that at. taches to so good a joke. The notice is doubt- less an advertisement of their own purity; but it is rather unfortunate that they omitted to place at the head of it, an illustration of the wonderful Mangle," by which reluctant tenants in possession of them franchise are moulded to the will of tyrannical landlords. The gentleman, who has the honour of inventing the apparatus, would no doubt have appreciated the compliment which would thus have been paid him by the Committee, in whose service he has displayed exemplary diligence. The omission of the Liberals to do him this slight honour betokens ingratitude. We hear, how- ever, that the opeuiug of the "Mangle Arms," is shortly to be celebrated by a house warm- ing on a large scale, and the political friends who have in the notice referred to exhibited for- getfulness of the celebrated inventor's deserts, will then have an opportunity of making up for past deficiencies by a liberal' patronage of the establishment, to lwliieh he Igives both a name and reputation.

LIBERAL "NOBS" AND "SNOBS.' THE Liberals of Haverfordwest make but little effort to conceal their bad temper; and if we may draw a reason- able Inference from the angry comments that issue from their camp, they have just begun to realise the fact that their prospects ot sending their candidate to Parliament are not so bright as their leaders painted them. "Hope,"in their case, bag told a flattering tale," and in place of the jubilant and confident pre- dictions with which the constituency were so plen- teouoly favoured at the commencement of the contest we have most doleful lamentations mixed with a consi- derable amount of abuse of their opponents. The gallant colonel, if he believed but one-half of the highly coloured statements of the noisy agitators who fight under his banner, must have thought he was marching to an easy victory. Youthful, unsuspecting, and a stranger, he was "taken in after the most ap- proved fashion': the Liberals, so ran their own tale, were everywhere triumphant; but a few weeks of hard fighting has sapped their vitality, their enthu- siasm has wonderfully diminished, and we shall not be surprised if,-not many days hence, the gallant officer dismisses his-ragged band and takes"his leave of them in the formula of Bonibasteg-l- Begone, brave army—don't kick up a row." A beaten party will be angry, and we are disposed to make every allowance for the actions of men under the influence of election excitement and situated in the unhappy position of our opponents. Liberalism in Haverfordwest ever hAd a Btroug tinge of irritability, and this infirmity, ag- gravated doubtless by the expectation of another defeat, has made its appearance in its most obnoxious fosm during the present contest. Some of our oppo- nents, under varying aliases, have assailed supporters of the Conservative Candidate in vituperative lan- [ gtiage, and fanciful sketches of the industrial occupa- tion of their ancestors have appeared in print, being, we presume, the kind of fodder that btst commended itself to the literary taste of the great bulk of Colonel Edwardes' supporters. We have no wish to write the family history of the leaders of the Liberal party, or toS gratify vulgar prejudices by taunting them with the lowliness of their origin but we cannot help expressing our astonishment that they should have resorted to weapons which may be used with ten-fold effect against their own party. If the gallant Candidate when be received an invitation to contest the borough had made enquiry into the lin age of the parties who invited him, would he have discovered any descendants of the Courtenays and the Montraoreneies amongst the Libei-als'of flaverfordwest? How many could he count among them who can boast of hereditary honours? Would not the descent of the majority of those who now taunt other people with the obscurity of their birth, re traced, going no further back than one or at the most two generations, to the very class 5 which they now despise? Many of them, indeed, could hardly assert with certainty that they had a grandfather, and if the Liberal Candidate had catechised some of his friends as to where they obtained the armorial bearings which th:y so Pompously display, they must have hung dowa their I' heads for very shame and declined to give any account of the honours found in their possession. There are I] others, too, among his party who would have been < equally reticent had they been asked by what authority 11 they described themselves as Esquires," and probably < would consider it in the highest degree insulting to be reminded that they were the first of their stock that ever sported the title. We do not mftke the:'e remarks with any fedingof hostility towards the self-made men who are to be found among the supporters of the Liberal Candidate, nor do we wish to be understood as insinuating thatan ob-cure origin is a disgrace to them j or their friends. Men who have been the architects of j their own fortunes, and have be 'n elected to positions of trust by the influence of just deeds and an honour- able reputation, have attained something of which they ) may speak with pardonable pride; but it very often happens that positions of\ honour are acquired by per- ( sons who have little else to recommend them than an t aptitude for money-getting, and who are as remarkable 5 for the absence of any distinguishing mental capacity, as for their ignorance of good manners. Mushroom 5 esquires, whose affluence makes the vulgar stare, are ever boasting of their grandeur, and are exceedingly zealous in concealing the fact that their ancestors were hewers of wood and drawers of water. This class of II "gantry "make the most of a "real live aristocr. t" whenever he is so unfortunate as to get auion.i-t them and the Liberal Candidate who aspires to the honour of representing Haverfordwest has been < armed about the ancient borough with a frequency which, on a first consideration, suggests a heavy i account of election business, but which in reality only exhibits a morbid desire on the part of some people to link themselves with titled personages, and to ex- cite a little public admiration by their temporary connection with a "gent vot is agent." Luckily, for the high estimate of their ovin importance the Liberal Candidate does not look with a frown upon "snobs" with a plebeian origin, for had he resolved to associate with none but those who possessed "gentle blood," he would have found the fluid so scarce in the Libera! ranks as to be left without a duly qualified and eligible companion. Veneered I sriobs tire plentiful in these days, and it would be wall if the Liberal specimens we have amongst us bestowed a thought on their own genealogy before they indulged in attacks on other persons, who provoke their hostility by differing from them in political opinion.

MEETING OF THE SUPPORTERS OF T11E CONSERVATIVE CANDIDATE. A meeting of the friends and supporters of the Conservative Candidate was held at the Commit- tee Room at the Castle Hotel on Thursday even- ing. There was a very numerous attendance; the large room was crowded, and numbers were unable to gain admission. Mr Pitman, on entering the room, was received with great cheer- ing and cheers were heartily given for Sir James Hamilton, Mr Seourfiqld, M.P., Colonel Peel, Mr Fisher, and other gentlemen. Col Peel presided. The Chairman, having apologized for detaining the meeting, and explained that they had only re- cently returned from Fishguard, called upon Mr Pitman to address the meeting. Mr Pitman, who wns greeted with the most vociferous cheering, said Gentlemen—I have but half my lungs, but still I have my whole heart left, although very little voice. We have been at Fish- guard to-day, and I think I may, in the first place, tell you what success we have met with. A man in business asks himself, when the day's work is over-" flas it been a profitable one to me?" I say that our business to-day has been highly pro- fitable to our cause. (Loud applause.) We have had a very agreeable day's work, and the business has been very fairly profitable. (Applause.) This is the third visit I have made to Fishguard,and I reallv think we have done more in this one day than in the other two put together. (Applause.) With the vanity of a Saxon, I think that now they know more of me, they don't like me less. That sives me a little hope that in this terrible place—Fish- guard, where our opponents were said to have sixty, seventy, and eighty majority,—(laughter)— our eause is gaining, and I tell you, gentlemen, that our opponents must look sharp or they wiil not get a majority there at all (Loud applause.) I can assure you that we had most cheering nice, and pleasant day. When we went there, we saw lots of little children with lots'of blue ribbons, but after a time they seemed to wish to change the "blue," and substitute for it a little bit of "°red." (Laughter and cheering.) They seemed to be ashamed of the blue, and the further we went we found the red increase, until at last we met lots of red ribbons, with bright, red/aces, and matters looked brighter and brighter. (Applause,) The books are not yet made up; but from my own personal observation, I may fairly tell you that we have been very successful and I did feel extremely happy in going through Fishguard to-day. (Ap- plause.) If Fishguard in the first instance had known all the circumstances of the case, I am confident tlicrp are many men who are now going to vote 4gainst me, who would have'recorded their votes in my favour. That is a great gratification IOD me for depend upon it, there not a more plea- sant tbitig in life, whatever may be our position. than to cultivate friendship (Hear, hear.) If we are good friends with those who differ with us politically, depend upon it, they will not do us half so much harm as when animosity and ill feel- ing is cultivated. There was a little incident occurred to-day at Fishguard a man came into the room where we held our meeting. He certainly had had a generous glass, and he caused a little interruption. The meeting wished to put him out, because he used his powers a little bit; but we brought him up and put him along- .1 side the county member. Now, we said,—" Tell us what you have to say Jet us hear it, and we will wait for you to address the meeting." He said he had nothing to say, and the goov 1 man in the end said—" I may vote for you." (A pplause.) Before he said—" I am going to bring twenty men against you." At the end of the meeting-, we said—" We cannot let you go without telling us-' something do tell us what you have to say." He s,-tl(l let,me alone I have nothing to say." I think trea ting liin, in the way we did was far better than chut king him out at the window, or pushing him dow n stairs. We gave him an opportunityofexpressing his opinion, and he had an opportunity of hearing ours,. ai» d was able to determine whether we were right or wro.ig 10 our views. (Hear, hear.) Our committee has brought about a very satisfactory result: we bsVe a very earnest committee, and we have derived ,tbe greatest assistance from the horouvable gentleman' .on my right-Sir Jamps Hamilton —(loud applause)' and I really think that if we had him with us at the beginning of the canvass, we should have obtained! still greater success. He is the best canvasser I ever walked by the side of. (Applause.) We have an ex- cellent lot in Haverfordwest; but there is a peculiar unction and a freshness, a fun and wit about the hon. baronet, that I could have given any sum' of money to possess half the popularity and ability of the hon. baronet. (Applause) I am not using vain words, but I do feel that we are under deep obligation to the hon. baronet, who has quitted his- home at a time when he is engaged in battling for the cause in another county, and came down to toil up the hills and visit coUtage after cottage as he has done to day. (Applause) I said—Sir James, your legs must be tired we shall work you off them." "They are very stiff ones," said the hon. baronet, and he used them well in our behalf to-day. The cause is still strengthening, and will continue to do S:J.' The hour of battle—politically speaking—is approaching, an,l we must see that we are well pre- pared for the fight. (Applause) The man who goes into warfare sees that everything is in the best possible state of efficiency he sees that his weapons are bright, and his locks are ringing: and when you go riding or hunting, you see that nothing has been neglected. In the same way, in our present battle, we must have every thing ready for the day of trial. (Applause) We must put our shoulders to the wheel, and leave nothing undone. I don't say that you should forsake your proper and legitimate business but I siy-" do whatever you can, manfully and honestly, to advance the cause for which we are battling, for which you have striven for so many long weeks and months, and which it is your sincere desire to bring to a successful issue." (Applause) Gentlemen—there is every probability of its being brought to a happy and successful issue. (Loud applause) We have no doubt a very determined foe arrayed against us hut we have strong arms, fixed wills, and a strong determination to win, by fair, energetic, and lawful means, the fight in which we are engaged. (Applause) I am not going to talk at any length to-night: I would remind you that-- z, Now's the day and now's the hour, See the front o' battle lour; and we must do our best to achieve the victory. (Applause) I feel confident that each man will do his utmost in the cause. There is an old proverb that-" Everybody has a somebody, and in a contest of this kind, you find that when you have got the interest of one man, you often have the support of some other person who is attached to him. (Hear, hear ) Whilst I ask for your services in the comin<>- fortnight, be- lieve me I am not insensible of the great exer- tions you have made in the weeks that are past. Your labours for the last three months will never be erased from my mind. (Applause.) I say that sincerely, because f had to contend with difficulties of more than a common character. But ditficnl- culties I have never regarded throughout life, from boyhood, I have had difficulties, and I have gloried in them, because it is the peculiarity of an Englishman to grapple with difficulties and to over- come them against all opposing circumstances and powers. (Applause.) I am nearly old enough to remember the time when a teakettle was exhibited at Exeter that contained boiling water; and the power within it made the lid go up. This is the thing," it was said, that will drag us through the country," but coachmen, guards, and other people ridiculed the idea. The difficulties that were then set up have been overcome they had a principle, and they worked upon it, and they triumphed by it. (Applause.) I felt myself unworthy to be your champion in this great war- fare-in this great epoch in England's history- but still, having put my shoulders to the wheel, I shall,—God willing and enabling me,—do my ut- most to prove myself deserving of the confidence you have placed in me. The great support T have received from gentlemen, from tradesmen, and the kindly looks from working men, cannot pass away from my recollection they are the little things within a man that never die, and it will be my pride and my pleasure, whether I serve you in the House of Commons or not, to look back upon you as friends who rallied round me at a time of great political difficulty—(applause), —and it is one of those epochs in my life which I shall treasure to the last hour of my existence, (Loud applause.) I thank you sincerely for your kindness to me, and once more assure you that your generous exertions and good will towards me will never be effaced from my recollection. (Loud applause.) Chairman Gentlemen—Mr Pitman has spoken to you about difficulties but he has no difficul- ties at all now. He does not mean that he will have any difficulty in winning the election. (Ap" plause.) The difficulty he referred to was that he came amongst you as a stranger; and therefore could not know who were our friends and who were our foes. He knows all that now, and I don't think he will have any difficulty in being returned as member for these boroughs. (Ap" plause) Let there be no mistake about that? there will be no difficulty about that, if we a'j stick and work together. (Loud applause.) will now call upon Sir James Hamilton to address you. (Applause.) Sir James Hamilton, on rising to address the meeting, was receivedwith great applause. the cheering subsiding, he said: Mr and Gentlemen—In compliance with the c'omiflaf1^ of our respected and gallant president, I will °9 cupy your attention for a few brief moments.. the first place, I must observe that if I felt senti- ments of heartfelt gratificatioh at the ^U)n and cordial reception that was accorded me at Fishguard, that sentiment is ^ea increased in intensity by the very kind ftud un expectedly warm reception that has been ex- tended to me at Haverfordwest.. For, gentlemen, whilst I might have expected that feelings of PerS01! regard entertained towards myself by too partw friends at Fishguard, might have induced them extend the cordiality with which I was receive that town, I receive that expression of from you, not on account of any personal connec that exists between us, but as a Arn, respect towards that great cause to wpich j attached —(applause) —that cause which, in g