Robinson's door. Mr. Robinson rose as soon
as he heard his voice, and took him into the house, and requested him to
take something to eat, and go to rest till daylight, promising to start
with him back to Manchester by the earliest conveyance. But poor Mr.
Madge could neither eat nor sleep till his friend was out of prison.
Early in the morning I was brought into court. Bail was offered at once,
but the magistrates would not accept bail so early, though offered by
well-known and thoroughly respectable parties. The reason was, the
election was to take place at Bolton that day, and the magistrates were
afraid that if I were allowed to be present, there might be more
excitement than would be consistent with the peace and safety of the
Borough. So they kept me in prison till four o'clock, when they received
intelligence that the election was over, and that all was peaceful. They
then set me at liberty. I went at once to Bolton, and found, sure
enough, that I had been elected, and that by an immense majority, of
more than eight to one. And as no one else was elected at that time,
either by show of hands or a poll, I was, in truth, the only legal
representative, though I never sat in Parliament. Explanations after.
I was soon surrounded by a vast multitude of people, to whom I gave a
short address.
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