96 A HISTORY OF LOXGEIDGE. [Chap. 3. 



July, 1884, aud wMcli was addressed by Messrs. Eli Sowerbutts, E. C. 

 Eichards, and J. C. Feilden, deserves mention. I quote from the 

 account in the Preston Guardian, which was written by one of the 

 smartest reporters in Lancashire. The room was crowded, and 

 numerous wordy encounters took place between Liberals on the plat- 

 form and Tories ensconced in the back of the hall, amongst whom 

 were Mr. Alderman Walmsley. Mr. James Kay, senr., created 

 a lot of amusement by delivering several weighty aphorisms diu'ing 

 the course of the evening. Just about the noisy part he emphatically 

 declared that his opinion was that the House of Lords was "a medium 

 between God and the Devil." Mr. "Walmsley made a rattling speech, 

 in which he called Mr. Gladstone a thundering liar, and asserted that 

 John Bright had ransacked the Scriptures from Genesis to Eevelation 

 for denunciatory expressions. The way in which Mr. Walmsley thumped 

 the table as he came out with his remarks was most astounding, and 

 will not soon be forgotten. The chairman, Mr. Henry Waring, dis- 

 tinguished himself by acting in as cool and sarcastic a manner as 

 possible, declaring, amid loud laughter and cheers, and indescribable 

 confusion, shouts, and catcalls, that the Liberals had carried their 

 motion condemning the Lords by a majority of adult votes. 



Of course, such conduct persisted in without the slightest just cause 

 brought a good deal of " moral" disgrace upon the local Tory i)arty, 

 but as some of the leaders were chiefly responsible no official rebuke 

 was administered. At last matters culminated at a meeting of the 

 electors held at Longridge in July, 1886, in support of Mr. John Slagg's 

 (now M.P. for Burnley) candidature. So uproarious were the pro- 

 ceedings that a few of the Liberals determined with the aid of the 

 police and some friends from Darwen to eject the disturbers. I shall 

 not soon forget the utter dismay aud alarm which I saw depicted on 

 the faces of certain well-known Tories as they found that they were 

 gradually being forcibly expelled, despite their desperate struggles. 

 So effective did this lesson prove, that from that day to this no Liberal 

 meeting in this district has been in any way disturbed beyond the 

 usual interruptions, which only add zest to the proceedings, and end in 

 affording the speakers an opportunity of making one or two good 

 "points." 



