32 Life and Times of " The Druid." 



accompanied by their wives and daughters, 

 made a point of being present. At the races 

 His Majesty's Plate was always the great 

 event, and the most prominent equipage on 

 the course was Lord Lonsdale's carriage, 

 drawn by four, and in earlier days, by six 

 superb horses. When a Parliamentary elec- 

 tion came round, the blues (Liberals) and yel- 

 lows (Conservatives) met in hostile array, and 

 electors were brought into the town from all 

 parts of the kingdom, and kept there in luxury 

 at the expense of one or other of the candi- 

 dates, who were expected to disburse at least 

 one thousand pounds every day. The con- 

 test generally ended in the return of one 

 member on either side, but the destruction of 

 a vast number of window panes, and the con- 

 sumption of unlimited quantities of whiskey 

 and beer were good for trade, and caused 

 elections to be regarded with great favour by 

 the inhabitants of Carlisle, which, like other 

 towns of small population endowed with the 

 right to send two members to Parliament, 

 throve upon a general election, as in former 

 times the dwellers on the rugged and iron- 

 bound sea-coast of Cornwall grew fat upon 

 shipwrecks. 



