1-150-720 - The Cartoon Collector/Heritage-Images

'Degenerate Days!!', 1874. A publican and his customer discuss the forthcoming General Election. After being in power since 1868, the Liberal Prime Minister, Gladstone, had called the Election for 5th March 1874. He did not formally tender his resignation to Queen Victoria until mid February and, for the first time, the procedures put in place by the new Ballot Act were to be tried and tested. One of the procedures provided for a secret method of voting which was designed to rid the system of the rampant corruption that had previously been associated with candidates' buying of votes. From Punch, or the London Charivari, February 14, 1874.