1830 Liverpool by-election
{{Short description|British election}}
{{EngvarB|date=February 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 1830 Liverpool by-election
| election_date = 30 November 1830
| candidate1 = William Ewart
| party1 = Radicals (UK)
| popular_vote1 = 2,215
| percentage1 = 50.3%
| candidate2 = Evelyn Denison
| party2 = Whigs (British political party)
| popular_vote2 = 2,186
| percentage2 = 49.7%
| title = Member of Parliament (MP)
| before_election = William Huskisson
| before_party = Tory
| after_election = William Ewart
| after_party = Radicals (UK)
}}
The 1830 Liverpool by-election took place on 30 November to elect one of Liverpool's two Members of Parliament (MPs) after the death of incumbent William Huskisson. Huskisson, who had died in a railway accident in September, was a Tory, as was fellow MP Isaac Gascoyne. Radical William Ewart defeated Whig Evelyn Denison. Both men's views were regarded as similar, but Denison was considered more elitist and anti-reform.
After allegations of bribery, the election was nullified in March. Both Ewart and Denison defeated Gascoyne heavily in the following year's general election.
Background
The constituency of Liverpool was entitled to two Members of Parliament (MPs). Since 1729, franchise in the constituency had been restricted to the Mayor, bailiffs, and freemen who were not receiving alms. This gave an electorate size contemporaneously estimated to be around 3,000,{{cite news |title=Representation of Liverpool |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/116219765/representation-of-liverpool/ |access-date=11 January 2023 |work=Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser |volume=6 |issue=301 |page=4 |date=2 October 1830 |via=Newspapers.com}} although modern sources give more than 5,000 eligible voters in the early 1830s.
Isaac Gascoyne and George Canning heavily defeated two other candidates to receive the seats in 1820. Canning became prime minister in 1823, whereupon his protege, William Huskisson, succeeded him in the constituency. Gascoyne and Huskisson would continue as MPs until Huskisson died in an accident while attending the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway on 15 September, necessitating a by-election to determine his successor.
Campaign
Campaigning for the election began before Huskisson was buried, on 24 September.
William Ewart, a member of multiple commercial and politically-linked families, announced his candidacy on 1 October.{{cite news |title=Representation of Liverpool |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/116219204/representation-of-liverpool/ |access-date=11 January 2023 |work=Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser |volume=6 |issue=301 |page=2 |date=2 October 1830 |via=Newspapers.com}}
A Mr. Gladstone was speculated as a possible third candidate on 22 October, but had not formally entered the race as of the following day. At the same time, the opinions of Denison and Ewart were considered so identical that in the absence of a third candidate the race was considered "in great measure a personal one".{{cite news |title=Representation of Liverpool |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/116218777/representation-of-liverpool/ |access-date=11 January 2023 |work=Sheffield and Rotherham Independent |volume=11 |issue=566 |page=4 |date=23 October 1830 |via=Newspapers.com}} Nevertheless, Denison was criticised for failing to disclose his opinions on various issues to the electorate at that time.
During the campaign, Denison was criticised for espousing aristocratic and anti-franchise expansion views, which were considered especially hypocritical given that he had visited America.{{cite news |author=Vindex |title=To the Editors of the Liverpool Mercury |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/116220078/to-the-editors-of-the-liverpool-mercury/ |access-date=11 January 2023 |work=Liverpool Mercury |volume=20 |issue=1019 |page=8 |date=12 November 1830 |via=Newspapers.com}}
Results
This election was conducted over the course of 7 days.{{cite book |last=Stooks Smith |first=Henry. |editor-last=Craig |editor-first=F. W. S.
|editor-link=F. W. S. Craig
|title=The Parliaments of England
|orig-year=1844–1850
|edition=2nd
|year=1973
|publisher=Parliamentary Research Services
|location=Chichester
|isbn=0-900178-13-2
|pages=[https://archive.org/details/parliamentsofeng0000smit/page/180 180–184]
|url=https://archive.org/details/parliamentsofeng0000smit/page/180
}}
{{Election box begin | title=By-election, 30 November 1830: Liverpool{{cite web |last1=Escott |first1=Margaret |title=Liverpool |url=https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1820-1832/constituencies/liverpool |website=The History of Parliament |access-date=11 January 2023}}}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Radicals (UK)
|candidate = William Ewart
|votes = 2,215
|percentage = 50.3
|change = +30.6
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Whigs (British political party)
|candidate = Evelyn Denison
|votes = 2,186
|percentage = 49.7
|change = N/A
}}
{{Election box majority|
|votes = 29
|percentage = 0.6
|change = N/A
}}
{{Election box turnout|
|votes = 4,401
|percentage = {{circa|82.3}}
|change = {{circa|+77.0}}
}}
{{Election box Registered electors|
|reg. electors = {{circa|5,350}}
}}
{{Election box gain with party link|
|winner = Radicals (UK)
|loser = Tories (British political party)
|swing = N/A
}}
{{Election box end}}
Aftermath
Both sides accused each other of bribery, and the election was declared null and void in March.
In the 1831 election, both Denison and Ewart defeated Gascoyne by a respective 1,886 and 1,910 to Gascoyne's 610. Gascoyne, mockingly described as "Gallant" by the Morning Chronicle, was also deemed to have "the ambition to obtain a bad pre-eminence".{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/116219353/gascoyne/ |access-date=11 January 2023 |work=The Morning Chronicle |volume=19 |issue=47 |page=2 |date=6 May 1831 |via=Newspapers.com |title=(())}}