[9] Following Leatham's victory, supporters of Charlesworth petitioned Parliament for the election to be declared void.
The committee also resolved "That there is reason to believe that corrupt practices have extensively prevailed at the last election for the Borough of Wakefield".
The Commission sat for three weeks between October and December 1859 and found that not only had Leatham conducted bribery on a large scale but so had Charlesworth.
Charlesworth was also held to have hired several prize fighters for the dual purposes of exerting an improper influence on the election and causing intimidation to voters supporting Leatham.
[13] No criminal proceedings followed but it ended Charlesworth's political career and the borough of Wakefield did not elect another MP until 1862.