THE BOROUCJH CONTEST. 25 



town, the members, for the'r personal security, being 

 surrounded by at least a hundred men carrying staves 

 made of handles of hay-forks. The members having 

 alighted at their respective inns, a free fight ensued, heads 

 were cracked, and a scene of trouble and excitement 

 terminated the election. 



The Town was not behind the Gounty in the 

 luxurious character of its contest. The Borough of 

 Aylesbury elections were always fought out on the 

 bitterest party lines, and on the days of nomination per- 

 sonalities were freely indulged in. In the year 1802 the 

 Borough consisted only of the parish of Aylesbury. As I 

 have mentioned, it was, in fact, more than household 

 suffrage, and every one who '* paid his scot and bore his 

 lot" was a voter. On the occasion of this election the 

 bribery was so outrageous and so openly practised by all 

 three candidates, that a Committee of the House of Com- 

 mons recommended that the Borough should be thrown 

 open to the Hundreds as well as the Parish of Ayles- 

 bury. The candidates were the old sitting members, Mr. 

 Bernard and Mr. Du Pre, who were unexpectedly opposed 

 by a Mr. Bent, a Liverpool merchant and West Indian 

 planter, and a stranger to the town. Soon after his 

 arrival, liveliness took the place of the every-day routine, 

 and for more than three weeks the place was almost a 

 pandemonium. I have heard old people tell tales which 

 would seem incredible had not the facts come out in 

 the main before the Commons Committee. Most of the 

 inns and public-houses were opened as it was called, and 

 central committees formed for conducting the election. 



The head-quarters of Bernard was the George, Mr. 



