Oldham - Poll for election of Rate Collectors

The poll of ratepayers of the township of Oldham for the election of collectors of poor's rates for Below-T own south-side, and Above-Town north and south-side districts, took place at the Town-Hall, on Friday, Saturday and Monday last. The proceedings appeared to excite scarcely any public interest amongst the inhabitants generally. On Saturday and Monday Mr Jesse Ainsworth addressed assemblages of the ratepayers in Mr. Braddock's room, chiefly in disapprobation of the conduct of the old collectors, in first demanding an advance of their allowance, and then agreeing to the terms resolved upon at the vestry meeting. ___ On Saturday evening the polling was brisk for a short time, and on Monday afternoon Mr. Ainsworth paid the rates for a comparatively large number of operative householders, chiefly to enable them to vote in favour of one of the candidates, (Mr Earnshaw). Mr. William Barlow, publican of Cheap Side 'xprxxded' a chairman of the polling-booth. At the final close of the poll on Monday evening the numbers for the several candidates were as follows: - Oldham Below-town south district: Stansfield 394; Earnshaw 126 ___Oldham Above-town north district: Gridrod, 380; Lees, 176 ___Oldham Above-Town south district: Kershaw, 427; Taylor, 85.___ It will be seen that the result is the re-election of the old collectors.

Extract from newspaper of 1845