The National Register. — London, England, 1818-07-05 00:00:00

11 10 WESTMINSTER ELECTION. MONDAY. Aftertlic storm of Saturday, the bushiest of polling com menced on Monday with great regularity. The friends of gir larray Maxwell, anxious to avoid the salutes of their came early Its the hustings. and were permitted to give their votes with tolerable forbearance; occasionally, however. when their intentions were known, they receive d the customary tribute of groans and execrations. As the day advanced, the bustle increased. and the tippeitent4 of Sir M. Maxwell became more uninerous and more vociferme:. Shortly before twelve a band of music, aecunivaided by several of Sir M. Maxwell's canvassing friends, wuaring his favors of orange coloured ribbon. quitted Richardson': lintel; there were also three flags, corresponding in colour with the Invors, on which were inscribed the words—" Max• well for ever." "Maxwell and Independence." "Maxwell the Sailor's Friend" and—" Maxwell and the Constitution." The band paraded the streets at the West end of the town; but in order to avoid contest and confusion, the patty received orders not to come into the immediate neighbourhood of the hinting.. _ _ Immediately before the numbers were exhibited at font o'clock, a large fabric in the form of a boat, thir d with men in the dress of sailors, was drawn on wheels. The men were armed with bludgeons, and had the colours of Sir Murray Maxwell in their bats. _ A few minutes before four Mr. Hunt appeared on the hust ings, and showed a letter to the crowd, which he said was Mr. Cleary's. lie was hooted most tremerdmisly. At the close of the poll the numbers were exhibited as follows Fir Samuel Routilly Sir Murray 1taxwe11...3,530 Fir F. Burdett 3,M9 Mr. Hunt 76 Dlr. Ellis came forward, but until Mr. Kinnaird said that mo other Gentleman could think of addressing the fleeting if that Gentleman was not heard, the crowd did net suffer him to proceed. At the end of a short address, a new apron• arose, and in a few seconds the fragments of the boat berme alluded to were brought into' the centre oldie throng; the boat has'. ing been attacked at the end of Great !tossed street, the crew 'driven from their quarters, and the vesiel torn to atoms.__ This was not effected without severe blows on bath sides. Mr. Stnich, in a short and energetic speech, called upon the electors to vote for Sir F. Burdett and Sir S. Rotnilly, as the true friends of the people. Mr. Walker said, the friends of the gallant Captain had de scribed that Officer As a lover of the ennititntion ; for his part, he wondered where he had acquired his knowledge of it. He accused Sir M. Maxwell's friends of threatening their ztradesuren if the latter did nut vote for that candidate. Mr. Wishart shortly returned thanks on the part of the friends of Sir S. Bomilly. Mr. W. Smith, M.P. for Norwich, next addressed them, amid loud cries of " Name! Name!" from the crowd. Who he was, he said, was of small importance to them • all they had to du with was. wh.►t lie was. He was a very old Elector of Westiniaster, but had nut been able to appear miouer amon4 Meat, because he had been slotting in a triumph gained fur the popular cause. He was sorry that any attempt had been made to disjoin the names of Sir S. Romilly :111.1 Sir F. Burdett. Ile had voted for Burdett and Rmuidy ; but lie bad not voted fur Mr. Honk, because he hail never seen in his cuisines a well reguleted zeal for the cause of the people. He had not voted for Sir M. Maxwell, because, al. though he tl g l s( him a respectable and honourable man, he did not think u 111411, whose trade was war, was a tit person to represent Nose who throve by peace. He concluded by recommending them to vote fur Hominy and Burdett. Mr. Cleary, though he could not emigratelate them to the extent he wished, still must congratulate them, that the cause of Reform was not losing on the poll ; and, to-morrow, he hoped they would put the tiled Patriot at the head of it.— lie mail a note written to Sir M. Maxweli's Committee, that the bearer could furnish them with pluinpers at one guinea each; and asserted that receipts for the unpaid Pool's Rates had been given to vote for Sir M. Maxwell. One person e ceived a receipt of that description, and the use lie made of it was to come Immediately and to give Burdett a plumper. He thenadverted to the letter which he had written to Hunt, which lie read, and of which the following is a copy : " London, 10th Oct. 1817. "M% DEAR SlR—Befere I had the pleasure of receiving your letter, West-called on me to consult on what was best to be done to affortiassistance to the unfortunate Derby men. We had a meeting on Wednesday evenieg last, of a stw friends, at the Crown alio! Anchor Tavern, which ended in adjourning without doing any thing. Difficulties so great presented themselves, that it has, upon consideration, been thought most advisable not to attempt a public sul:scrii•tion for the present. The Major has streug reasons against it. — We, Reformers, are tar from wishing, to countenance or. identify ourselves with any men guilt: of noirder, robbery, or riot. Had it not been for acts of this Lind, the people would by this time have been united as one man, in demand ing their Rights in a way the Borouglimengers would have found irresistable. Instead of this, what a situation are we brought to, by the foolish, not to say wicked, cooduct of violent anti imprudent men! It makes me mad when I think of it; particularly after all else prudent coenseland constitii timial knowledge which had been rung in their ears almost daily, and by none more anxiously and indefatigably than yourself. By them, and them only, has our friend Cobbett, our stay and pillar, been expatriated. By them, and them only, have our lives and liberties been takeu.fieui the pro. tectiou of the law, and placed at the mercy of the most vile .ind wicked, and alsandoned men, that ever cursed a country, or that Ootl permitted to plague mankind. I could almost hang them myself,' for playing the game of the tyrants so mei!, so oorivinced am I of the irreparable mischief they have dame ; yet I wmill not like to see a political hanging of men fur a crime they have nut committed, to serve the hellish objects of a faction, to enslave the people ; and upon this giuund I should most willingly afford every co-operation in may power to forward your benevolent desire, if there was army way in which I could he of service; for I have not that ft-Imo:al delicacy now, unfortunately so much in vogue. I think the Whigs feel some anxiety about the issue of the present trials: - an acquittal would afford them excel r.•ut matter for speechifying against Ministers, and therm foie it t', I Idiocy, they would readily assist, it an applicator,' was math to them. Sontethitig of this kind is partially smiler consideration, but the time is so short, that I am afraid it will Lot Le of any benefit to the poor prisoners: Here• we are actually worn out by subscription, and that to pay Harmer his bill, who behaved so will, halts considerably, and will pi siliably becoa,,. an ;moon. ) . " I would nave fmet ., mre, Iva had nothine satisfactory to cwitaluuicate. Vintierty goes to Deroy to report. lie TTTE NATIOKAT, 111.:GTSTER told me he would spiral to Perry, whom he expected would git e something. I have been thinking of asking Perry to wine to some of the Whigs, and as i am jest going to dine with my best friend, the kind and honest Major, I shall speak to hint on the subject. His bill is pooling, and will be out in a few days. Midi are yon doing in Bristol, in petitioning by twenties? I find it generally approved, but not much acute exertion as vet. To inc it al: pears; under the circumstances, an admirable plan, if extensively adopted. " With sincerely hoping that we shall.after all, at no distant period, see our enslaved country iestored to its rig! , ts, laws, and liberties, I rent tin, with great troll., my dear Sir, most faithfully and truly sours, " 7, AK - Ai:dace, Beillord-square. T. CLEARY. " I forgot to say Finnerty expresses himself sorry for en hasty expression lie might have used to von, and sill take the first opportunity of saying so personally." " H. 'lust, Esq. Middleton Cottage, Andover." Upon their decision he titian himself, satisfied that not one among them would, under such circumstances, have penned any other. If he had been carthle of using the expression attributed' to him by Hunt, he would have deserved to have been torn in pieces by them, after the manner in which the cruel and infamous Jetferies had been treated. Mr. Hunt now mounted his railing ; but all attempts to obtain a hearing were frontless. After enduring the exect - tions of that mob, which be governed at will about 10 NIIUI days ago, he waT. obliged to retire. Mr. tale Junes then attempted to flourish, lad with equal ly bad success; and both those heroes soon after went ott to Norfolk-street, with their own rabbit., where they harangued from the top of a carriage. While Hunt vim abusing Bur dett, a poison in the crowd kept hooting him. At last the orator jumped from the carriage and forced thr.nugh the mob, calling out," Where is he?' but the person had Withdrawn, or would not avow hinise.f. _ After the Orators had departed, the mob assembled in front of Richardson's Hotel, insulting, in the vrossest manner, all who entered or departed from it, and smiting the most horrid execrations against Sir M. Maxwell and his partizan,. At length they began to pull down the railing in front of tin: building. In ran► did the Constables interfere ; for the•moli, amounting at this lime to nearly 1090, armed with blutle,cons and other weepons, beat them off, and set tl►en► at defiance. Speedily were they reinforced by a posse of Police Officeis ; when a desperate cundict ensued, in which several on both sides received dreadful contusions, and were carried off in hackney coaches; others were trampled on and most seriously hurt. Gne officer in particular oad his head and face cut in a most dreadful scantier ; and a man in the garb of a baker was carried off apparently dead. The mob, neverthe- I less, persisted in their outrageous conduct ; and the effitrts of the officers failing to have any good effect, the Military were sent to:, and a party of Horse Guards, with 4ra wit swords, soon made their appearance. These wereassailed uith bricks, Stones, and such ether missiles as the mob could collect.— They, however, with the utmost coolness, drew up in rank at the front of the hustings, and from the end of Kiug-street iu (rout of the hotel, as far as the theatre, while another party paraded round the Garden to disperse the mob. This, how ever, tailed to produce the desired effect, and sollies of I stones, cabbage-stalks, and tiith of every &set iption, eon. tinning to be thrown at them, Mr. Riroie read the Riot Art, but nothing could prevail on the infatuated people to dis perse. A reinforcement of troops and police officers then arrived ; when about oof the ringleaders, fluted of whom had received injuries, were secured and taken into the back yard of the hotel, i 9 one of the rooms of which t'it Nathaniel Conant was sitting to Infix the charges. At II o'clock the Magistrates continued at their posts, and the military and constables remained en duty ; and though the ardour of the molt had in sonic degree subsided, they continued shouting and fluzzaing. if such dteacifel effects are to Le the result of popular elections, every friend to peace. and good order must deprecate the period of their a rrival, and, instead of crying out for Annual Parliaments and Universal Suffrage, must, however heretical it may sound in the ears of Political Vemagogats, wish the intervals protracted instead of de creased. TUESDAY. At the close of the poll, the numbers were announced in the usual form : Romilly 1221 Maxwell 3784 Burdett 4039 ) Hunt BO Mr. Hoot informed his hearers, that having dined, he was determined to remain there till supper time, if he should meet with any interruption to render that necessary. He then entered into vat ious details respeetieg the riot and its eonse. gliences on the former night. The attempt at pulling down a part of the hustings uriginated in the generous feelings of his friends, who considering him to be in danger from the con. duct of the high constable, had rushed forward to protect him. floe man who had declared himself his friend had been shamefully treated. He wat tint et dead, but his recovery Was doubtful ; and 'Jodi himself and Alr. G. Jones were pre_ pared to give evidence, it' a emoreer's inquest should take place. Mr. Ellis, who was only amlible to the•fcw persons imme diately near him, stated, that Sir M. Nlaftwell Lad ElilVays been the enemy of disorder and confusion. It was from au apprelien4on of these evils that lie avowed himself to be de. cidedly against the principle of annual parliaments and uni. versa' suffrage. At the same time he could assure them, that lie disapproved most strongly of the practice of impressing seamen, and intended, if he should become their representa-. tire, to propose in paint:anent the substitution of a system of voluntary enlistment. Mr: L. Kinnaird declared, it gave him pleasure to point their attention to the present state of the poll, and to their growing numbers. He would state to them his reason tot calling on diem to give pl pars for Sir Francis Ritrelett.— He had a great respect for Mr.Statreli personally, but not much for his powers of edit...dation, when he represented that to split their votes between Sir F. Burdett and Sir S. Romilly, was the way to plate the former at the head of the poll. Only 250 votes had been divided between Sir F. Emden and Sir M. Jlnswell, and it was to about 2,000 plompers that the friends of Sir F. Burdett had to ascribe his present situation on the poll. The whole number of pampers given to s , r sea. abmmtt.3:l9, the rest !temp, divided with sor Burdett or Sir Hurray blarwell. He had himself mimeut cc! time virnlent hostility of Bir S It •ily's parti•ans, ii tin whose conduct he hoped they would sirliilll), keel, slier a, h o ld ing in eymm,mm emmteempt their &pry...pees amid their le.ets. Mr. Wishart, on the part of the lends el Sir Soiree-, mill), returned I ha Ilk a for the eat...twits that 44y ,mid*. Mi. mm teimpott. It was their Rine. rr ash 11,41 a,, Fiasieis Berth t Altuelml be at the newt it the welt, and hr trneied ti.s.e that object are ...A11...! t..-inmerrume. Km what stism•y ~mmg•ht to contemplate. was the triomph of peinriplrs , ietw it of niee. Ity the returned alt S. ituanity 411.1 Sir Burdett, JTILY 5 tad the numer.calsnperbwity, they would shovetheir attach' anent to the principles of the Revolution of 1688. He had been an ihhabitact of that city G 8 years, and never wonial stibinit to dictation:. Sir. I'. Burdett had,unfortnnately. conic forward on this occasion with a nulll stone round his neck, and this ulone had endangered his election. lie had resisted every attempt, since he had formed one of the evpat body of dees tors, to force a eandidatempon them; and it was in the same spirit that he now recommended to their choice Sir Samuel Romilly and Sir F. Burdett, as the known advocates of ti re. dons and reform. Mr. G. Jones followed, but met with a i•i ry rough recep• WEBNESDAY. The aegregate numbers at the conclusion of the poll were, Fir Samna Romilly a,astel Sir Murray Mexw e ll —4,054 Sir F. Burdett 4,9.98 I Hunt Mr. Haut stepped forward and succeeded iu obtaining a partial hearing. He congratulated those who heard him, on the state of the poll, by which it appeared that Sir F. Bee' dett had lost, in las majority, el votes (general hissing.) On Saturday last, his flientis haul promised a great effort, and assured them that Sir M. Maxwell would be overwhelmed ou Monday. Monday and Tuesday had now passed, without any such victory being obtained. (Here the speaker was inter rupted for some lime by an universal ottery, espressis e of the strougest comempt and reprobation.) He asked on!) for fair play, and would retire, if they wished to hear any other candidate, or friend of a candidate, in preference. He wished to call their attention .to the , coniltict of Sir Francis Burdett on the occasion of the Derby trials. (Loud exclamations of " What has all that to do whit this concern.?") He knew there were many :theta that affair.: but he hail letters in his hands, one of which was front Dr. %Vatsoti, which (idly proved that Mr. Cleary and Mr. Wooler had declined to make any exertion for their as. sistance. Why was Sir Francis Burdett, who bad such large estates in the county of Derby absent.? Why had lie not been on the grand jAry.; and why had he not prevented the packing of the petty jerks, who had conde iiiii ed unfortunate and unmet:tit men to death ? hissing .mixed with some applause.) He had, it wait true, gene for a laudable purpose to Ireland ; but that .purpose was accomplished long before the ti ials at Derby took place (there a voice axe who was the cause of Cashman's death:") Instead, however, of returning instantly in Derby, he had conic to a public meet .ing, assembled to discuss the Catholic question, and had there stared, " that he war a Protestant by prolessiou, but a Catholic in his heart (loud hooting.) Mr. Ellis said, Sir Min ray Maxwell's friends felt much se tisfaction at the result of this day's poll. He would always be foiled the advocate of their constitutional rights, but was of opinion that there were •constitetion-mongers as well as borough-mongers, men who were prepared with a system of Government adapter; to any society or munher of individuals. The contest would certainly be maintained on their side to the last, and with the littlest assurance of final eaccess. Mr. Starch observed, that there was a little reduction of their comparative numbers on that day's poll, but it was not such as to abate their eontiderce of victory, or discourage their hopes of sending to Parliament, esthete representatives, two men of whose integrity and of whose understanding they had received the amplest proofs. They well knew who weie disposed and et the same time qualified to serve them. He was astonished to find ou this, the 12th day of the election, that uo attempt had beau made on the part of the gallant Captain to make known any intelligible grounds upon which lie rested his claims to their support. All that lie had heard anion nted to this—that lie was a Captain in the navy, and had for the last fifteen years entertained a scheme which be Had kept a profound secret. fi titer men who had made discoveries, or who looked forward to legislative improvements, continu e nicatcd in some manner their thoughts to the public, but the gallant Captain hail kept it all iu his own head. Let him take, therefore, 13 years more to digest Isis plan. and then come forward with such as it might eve hint to their favoor. (laughter and applause.) He ou„ ht at least to make some report of its result. It was too much for an individual, si tuated as he was, to oppose two men whose abilities and whose character were so well known to them all. Be did not wish to detain them atter the fatignine and unseasonable iu terrtiption which ti:ey hail experienced, and concluded by reminding them that the exclusive ebjeet ought to be, to keep down the Court influence, and keep out the Court candidate. For this purpose, however, though no longer doubtful of sue. cess, they most, in order to ensure a complete and illustrious victory, rouse themselves front their inactivity, and to mor row accomplish what would afford them satisfaction here after—the placing.at a great height upon the poll, the names of Sir F. Burdett and Sir S. Remaly. Mr. Wishart returned thanks for the kind exertions made that day by the friends of Sir S. Romilly. He felt some more tification at the state of the poll, es he conceived that the honour as well as the interests of the people of Westminster were involved in the result. Ile hoped, therefore, that on heaving those hustings. they would - rommence au actiieTan vass, and resolve to carry the election, as they certainly had it ie their power to do, with a trinmphant band. It gave him pleasure to see the little divisions of opiniou which bad pies ailed eraileally dying away, and that they all agreed in recogniihig Sir M. Romilly as the supporter of the principles on which our anieefors acted in the year ItibS, and as the consistent friend of a reform in Pin Mr. Walker, on the seine s;tle, complained of the artifices adopted by the adherents of :he ministerial candidate. It bed bean discovered that various officers of the revenue had been displaced upon a promise of being again restored, in order to qualify them to vote for Sir M. Maxwell (Cries of Shame, shame.") Their name., however ; were weil known and should be made public. With reg.. 1 1 ,1 to `4ltal had been said of the Derby heals, be could assure thorn that none of Sir Francis Burdett's tenants had biali ealled.upun to serve on the pities empanelled on that occasion. .1-se.conelnded by recommending to their attention the writings of •the great man on the other side of the Atlantic. Mr. Cleary slated, that he had just returned from astactive caves% in which he had rlkeovei vd that die general iscutinient of the people of Westiviaster was decidedly favourable to the cause of Sir F. !Surd: r.. Ala. G. J.•nes -tootle I.lllle otoervations, in the conrso of %%hien entopt•incd illat he Vrits 13.1 rEated by the daily loom, lie Soon ahmaniontli kis poNt isl 11•,144/Ivi.00 or the 41,1c.r mai.afeated ti ltb , wilditor.,and aa..l osacal • mull Rod* mitt , nolc.l in .N.,rfolt,-- tir t,os on itlooday twin the top of a hackney eoacl4. reiDAY At n close , Alin halve •;rr of those • . i,.lmary Pr!li, Mid .t. S- S. 11, 5..: \lax nt...*pt; is 52 MIMEO ' I For S:t