A History of Parliamentary Elections and Electioneering in the Old Days Showing the State of Political Parties and Party Warfare at the Hustings and in the House of Commons from the Stuarts to Queen Victoria

John Doyle, as a Tory satirist, was eagerly anticipating indications of change in the popular sentiments. His warnings on the Reform Bill had fallen unheeded, and the Whig party...

A fair representation of a chairing scene is given as the second of a series of eight plates which, under the title of “Robin’s Progress,” satirically delineates the career of S...

Within a month of his return died George Cooke, the Tory colleague of Wilkes in the representation of Middlesex, who had sat from 1750; he was prothonotary of the Court of Commo...

The feats of the Whartons, Walpoles, Marlboroughs, Pelhams, and Graftons, in the direction of lavishing large sums for the corruption of the electorate, were dwarfed into insign...

The days of the Long Parliament were fruitful in frank out-of-door expressions of opinion under the rule of Charles I. and the Commonwealth; but, although political feelings wer...

A favourite figure with the satirists was to portray wily party manœuvrers as vermin-catchers, and those apostate representatives who were ready to sell themselves and their par...

The excitement caused by Wilkes’s election for Middlesex in 1768 was forgotten in the great Westminster contest of 1784. Although on each occasion the conflicts were in oppositi...

We have seen Admiral Lord Hood’s energetic canvass at the great Westminster election, when, with the powerful assistance of the Court, he fought the Whigs, but failed to hinder...

The last parliament of George IV.’s reign met November 14, 1826. Towards the close of the session, as is shadowed in Doyle’s early cartoons, the nation was tiring of the Tories,...

The subject of elections being so indissolubly bound up with that of parliamentary assemblages and dissolutions, it will not be out of place to glance at the progress of that in...

With the accession of James II. a fresh era of parliament commences. It was the first object of the newly proclaimed king to secure a liberal allowance, settled for life, such a...

In the whole history of electioneering no figure is more conspicuous than that of John Wilkes, the quondam patriot, who was by the attacks of others brought into a prominence wh...

Petitions and remonstrances began to make ministers tremble lest finally the sympathies of the throne might be turned into the proper channel, and the king be led to espouse the...

It was the “royal” Duke of Norfolk, who, on the appeal to the country which followed the downfall of Lord Granville’s Ministry of “all the Talents,” declared in the true spirit...

John Doyle, a Tory Caricaturist--The Tories out in the cold--“The Waits,” 1833--Grey and the king--“Sindbad the Sailor and the Old Man of the Sea,” 1833--Parliamentary reform no...

The Great Westminster election of 1784--Wilkes’s famous election contest for Middlesex dwarfed by comparison-State of political excitement--Relations of parties in the Commons--...

“The Spendthrift Election,” Northampton, 1768--Expensive contests, the defeated men appearing in the _Gazette_--Colchester; Hampshire--Three noble patrons adversaries at Northam...

Sir Robert Walpole “chaired” on his election for Castle Rising, 1701--“Robin’s Progress”--Walpole in Parliament--His offices--Impeached by the Commons for corruption on the deat...

Another Westminster election, 1788--Lord Hood appointed to the Admiralty Board, 1788--A fresh contest--Lord John Townshend, a candidate in the Whig interest--Defeat of Lord Hood...

The last parliament of George IV.’s reign--The country clamorous for retrenchment--The Tory _régime_ growing irksome--The king’s illness, 1830--John Doyle’s caricatures upon pub...

More petitions and remonstrances to the king--Petition of the Livery of London--The king’s advisers denounced by the citizens--An arraignment of ministerial crimes and misdemean...

Influence of administration under Charles I.--Ballad on the Commonwealth--House of Commons: “A General Sale of Rebellious Household Stuff”--The Parliament under the Restoration-...

John Wilkes, the _pseudo_ “Champion of Liberty”--W. Hogarth as a partisan--His attack on Wilkes and Churchill, the _North Briton_, 45--Hogarth’s unfortunate political satires--“...

Death of Cooke, Tory member for Middlesex, 1768--A fresh election--Serjeant Glynn, Wilkes’s advocate, a Radical candidate for the vacant seat; opposed by Sir W. Beauchamp Procto...

Electioneering on the accession of James II.--A parliament summoned by James II.--The municipal charters restored in the nature of bribes--Lord Bath, “the Prince Elector,” and h...

The Pelham Administration--Corruption rife--“The Duke of Newcastle as the Complete Vermin-Catcher of Great Britain; or, the Old Trap new baited,” 1754--Ministerial bribes and ba...

The “royal” Duke of Norfolk an enthusiastic “electioneerer”--Wilberforce’s electioneering experiences--His contest for Hull--The price of freemen--The great fight for Yorkshire,...

The assembling of parliaments--Synopsis of parliamentary history--Orders for the attendance of members--Qualifications for the franchise: burgesses, burgage-tenures, scot and lo...