CHAIRING THE MEMBERS 59 



was, I need scarcely say, no trouble In obtaining 

 silence. Colours, or ' favours ' as they were called, 

 were freely given away and worn. The bands 

 brayed their loudest, and after the poll was de- 

 clared, and the member duly elected, the ' chairing ' 

 of the member took place. The chair itself was 

 a very elaborate piece of furniture. It was like a 

 modern drawing-room easy chair, was covered with 

 silk in the colours of the candidate, and loaded with 

 bows of satin. The bearers were stout fellows, 

 who were well paid for their services, although they 

 were invariably enthusiastic supporters of the party. 

 There were generally eight of them. They raised 

 the honourable M.P. upon their shoulders, and 

 carried him round the town. The band led the 

 way, followed by a strong body of stavesmen, who, 

 with stout forks-tails for batons, surrounded ' the 

 chair,' to protect the distinguished occupant against 

 the attacks of the defeated party. It was during 

 this perambulation that the hostility was wont to 

 break out, and I have seen desperate fights, with 

 more than a hundred combatants engaged, and in 

 many instances, although the band loudly pro- 

 claimed ' See the conquering hero comes,' the M.P. 

 was ejected from the chair, and pitched headlong 

 into the crowd. Like most public events in England 

 the proceedings culminated in a dinner, which was a 

 scene of excessive conviviality. I am enabled, from 

 documents in my possession, to give an electioneer- 

 ing bill at the contest in 1818 for the borough and 

 hundreds of Aylesbury. This will tend to show 

 how expensive these elections were. The candi- 



