Chap. 3.] SOCIAL AND POLITICAL HISTOEY. 83 



ing, under such conditions, to find the streets badly laid out, and that 

 encroachments on the public highways had been made by various 

 individuals 



The plan of Longridge roads is by no means a bad one. From the 

 north it is approached by the old highroad to Clitheroe, on the east by 

 the highroads from CHtheroe and Blackburn, on the south by the 

 highroad from Preston, and on west and south-west by the roads 

 from Goosnargh, Wliitechapel, Inglewhite and Chipping. On Long- 

 ridge all these highroads converge, so that it may be said to be the 

 natxiral centre for a large and important agricultural district.' 



Various attempts had been made from time to time to improve the 

 government of the town by means of Sanitary Authorities aud Local 

 Committees, but the efforts, though well meant, were futile, as the 

 power of enforcing their decrees was lacking.^ At last things came 

 to such a pass that an inquiry was held by an Inspector of the Local 

 Government Board, with the residt that Longridge (comprising the 

 two townships of Alston and Dilworth) was created a Local Board 

 district in 1883. The first election, which took place in April, 1883, 

 created a vast amount of excitement. For the nine places on the 

 Board no less than 18 candidates were nominated. What was com- 

 monly known as the Party of Obstruction, imported into the contest a 

 lot of personal embitterment, which produced one or two remarkable 

 electioneering squibs, one of which was called "Selling his Friends." 

 To those who knew the characters depicted in this clever squib, 

 immense amusement was created, as most of the hits were exceedingly 

 happy and full of the keenest satire. The Party of Obstruction re- 

 torted with rather a tame reply ; but in addition resorted to some very 

 questionable means of influencing the election So confident, in fact, 

 were they of the success of their tactics that bets of 50 to 1 were freely 

 offered by them that their men would win. Fabuluous sums of money 



'A glance at the map clearly proves possibility of a Local Board ; upon which 



the truth of this statement. Mr. W. Ascroft said : " Why not have 



-In 1866, at a public meeting convened a Local Board at once ?" And yet Long- 



t» consider the gas question in Long- ridge was without a Local Board nearly 



ridge, Mr. W. Marsden referred to the 20 years ! 



