The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-02-22 00:00:00

WESTMINSTER ELECTION.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY O.

SEVENTH DAY.

At the dose of the pull this cloy the numbers
Were—

Hon. G. Lamb. EMI
J. C. Hobhuisse, Ea/
Major Cartwright 37
The polling, as the numbers annoutice, continued
this day decidedly in favour of Mr. Lamb. The
friends of the respective Candidate• were extremely
active, and Sir Francis Burdett tool Mr. noblionse
'Mewled no less than rooter different Alertiogs in the
course of this day in ‘Vestininster, and exhorted
the district Committees to he on the alert in bring-
ing up a phalanx of voter., on M lay next. The
ladies of rank at the we►t end of the town cautioned
their canvass with so much activity for Mr. Lamb,
that, as our reader will find, Sir Franciv Burdett,
u• Ins speech front the hustings, forgot, in his
electioneering zeal, the gallentry which we are per-
suaded no man would be inure anxious than him-
self to pay to the fai► sex, and denounced their
" false civilities.' as degrading to the Electors of
Weonittooter. The crowd at the close of the day
exceeded any thing we ever witnessed—it was im-
mense. There wa►, however, no orator in front of
the hustings to command the attention and excite
the merriment of the multitude, and the placards,
both written and piloted, which were occasionally
held up, were utterly deficient in either point or
humour. Some of then► allnded to the raising of
the mietistet ial supporters, on hers to "red wln►kers,"
and some again to the " Shame of IVltig
rine. ;" but they were all dull, and wholly lova-
',title oh' tickling any our of the crowd sotto a laugh.
Who was wanted of merriment to attract attention,
was soon supplied by 111 l i9r and uproar. At four
o'clock it was difficult to *x Non ■ny particular
pat tot the crowd which war less noisy than ;mother.
The ntingled cries of " Lan as," " Hothouse,"
••Au Lamb," " Ao flohhouse," " Hassid/or Bar-
fluzza liar the Major," " [bates with
Huai," " Haat for ever," tssueol forth in Such
di►cordant topics, that it was totally impossible to
collect winch of the Caodirlatr► was bootoirril with
the most attention from the multitude. The poll
board having Ikeio hung up in the usual pl-ce iu
front of the hustings, and the time having arrived
when the Candidates are its the habit of snaking
their addresses. it was expected that silence would
hove been in some degree obtained, but this ex-
pectation was not realised.

M►. HOIHOUa in vain made several efforts to
obtain a hearing. Hut the instant the word " Gen-
tlemen" escaped his lips, till wa% chaos. The cry
then was, " They are Lamb's hired puny !" This
cry was met with *farther of 4. If one pal!, can
cause interruption, you see, so can another." lir
vain dt.l Jr. Holthouse make his how and
sod dawn a broring—in vain slid he politely offer
precedroce to Mr. Loot), who as politely eleclowil
the favour. The multitude still kept up the name
uniform, and, if we may upply the t►nu, impartial
uproar, for it ►ermeil directed with equal force
towards all the Caridolatrs. The noise was at this
utile tr.ineudous, and the trumpet-toned voice of
the immense multitude seemed to Le coldisied
saint' no hounds, nod in the latiguage of the Putt,
to be

" Alert by so .Ascot, by no respect eoutrunt,
1w modal busy, in reproacher
About this period of the flay the flooring of one of
the booths in front of the hustings gave way, but
the i ttttt tense crowd which pressed upon it, brought
it so evenly to the bottom, that we did not hear of
the occurrence (Salty accident. Several lathes were.
19 the 64,1411, Slid the confusion of their situation
splieartrl to be the only ciicumototice which tickled
the fancy of the crowd, and gave a momentary
to the uproar winch prevalled.
31r. llontiouse was at length prevailed upon ley
ens isiehtlo to make woodier Idiot—again lie 1,11.
01111011 to htnli Wllll the word " Lentlentes"--and
he then said—" I wish you a good day, I inn sorry.
I can't Ire lieurd."—(( ries from Mose who were
near etiottgl; to hear Anti—" V! don't go !let ; dos/s
at them, they'll hear you.")—At length 3lr. !lobs
lions? being tired of waiting in the vain expectii-
tiosi of obtaining a geiitral heating:4, said (looking at
it e reporter's *no Wrlt- near Well dies., I
noon H/rltlt to thow Geollentris who are near inc."
Ile then proceeded as follows :—"Gentles to, the
extraordinary exertions of the biritile of lily nom-
geniis( have placed I again at the head of the
poll. I
call
tlll.lll e•tits0111111olly, tint 111•1,Inhe !tiny
have beret very great, but lircouse they haves Istria ui
• 110 rel arid very minimal kind. There lois liven sots
tutu r public torakfast to•day, and besillcs lira., the
beadles, waichnien,4l,44 other ;feat/mem of the pro-
mo of SI. JJtaier, have hero brought tip, under
the immediate superintendence of w scleco veoiry.
Iran. I could tell you IL of other great exertions—.
exertions which would at once explain to )sued %%by
my opponent &Voids as he does, and, itteleeil.
out winch, it would be impossible, for hies is, obtain
ally fair support. He told you yesterday, that he
saw 110 very gteat li4rtli in giving the voters a break-
bist—a,,d that he *NW a linltelloll(ll4llitifilettntl 111
breakfast, than in following a Hag or a drum, Per.
leaps he would also thmk there way more opted
valisfacti tttt in giving a voter five pounds, and
when all other mealst of giving solid oatisfactioli
failed, perliapo he, would see nu harm in resorting
Idlogrllltf to the practices of the buronglisenotigers_
mg elections. I feel, however, the woo cooneleen
expectation, that these means will fail in olitatiiing
the ultimate object to which they are directed ;
know they will have nu ultimate elect. it is im-
possible they should, when the Elector" feel and
understand the motives and principles which cc-
tissue the frieeids of twy oppoileilt, wed the wain'
to which they resort to advance the object they
have to view. You wall, I trust, reject, with proper
iiidignation, the Caothilate who so treats you ; 110 t
indeed in a personal sense, but on account sot the
principles of the party who brosight hint forward.
illy opponent Into told you that the Electors
env si4t to be, intimidated. But Whether they are
or nor, it is clear the Mend► of my opponent will
try to intituidale them. I assure you that all the
art* formerly remitted to only by the Court are
now used by the IVlngo. I 11,1110 re you, that per-
sons of rack have threatened tradesmen with
loss ~r their cu-loin, if they did out vote as he
"desired. All iltese arta are now revived, and

shew what a steady friend of the people is present-
ed to your choice. The Whig Candidate says,
he appeals to the tradesmen, of Westminster; I ask
him *writs, and I also► beg of you to ask him, if he
is not brought forward by the Aristocracy of
Westminster? I desire of you to ask him, if he
is not brought up here by a few individuals of rank
to prop up the fallen fortunes of his despicable
party? I ask you, if it is not notorious that Ilse
Candidate now before you lass been presented 16
your choice, solely because it has been determined
by a certain proportion of the higher orders. that
the tradesmen of Westminster alien not nominate
to is ftilt men of their owii principles ? 1 know the
Whigs give a scurvy name to some of the Electors
of Westminster—they call them the Ramp--but
that despised set to Whom this designation is given
consist of no fewer than three and four h►lndred
of the must respectable of your fellois-citisens.—
I can tell you what your opponents think of decent
tradesmen, with srl they now condescend to
shake hands. One of Mr. Lamb's own Committee
said to him, " I hive been just shaking hands with
these blackguards for you." They, in fact, take
every pities, they do every thing to make you ap-
pear a separate end distinct class. They call you a
rabble, it multitude, a mob, and want to make
you appear in the eyes of your country a distinct
and dropisrd class. The IVhigs never call them-
selves the friends of the people until they want to
get something out of the people. They tell you
when you speak nut your opinions, that they are
wild, visionary, and Poll of anarchy and disorder.
These are the derignations your remonstrances get
when they are presented to the State. [(you chouse
a Whig, although he will be obliged to preserve a
certain decency of appearance towards his consti-
tuetits, yet you'll still hear nothing front lain► but
what lie holds iii common edit his party. When
the people make propositions, he'll talk of their
madness end fully—he'll do just the same for them
that his party has done during the last twenty-five,
or rather the last forty years. with some ►hort inter-
vals, and which has reduced them (the Whigs) to
the lowest degree of public contempt. I put no
part of the strength of this centest in myself.
Mr. Latub may be iu some respects a better
Itepisrientative for you ; but I say this, that
were he ten times inure worthy lieu he is, and I ten
times leas worthy than my opponents may please to
think toe, still I say, that being a man pushed for-
ward by the Whigs and the Aristocracy, he can't
be a men in slay artist chosen by the free choice of
the independent Electors of Westminster. It is pos-
sible that Mr. Lomb dues not know the means re-
►urttd to by his supporters to ensure his return ; if
lie did, he would perhaps be estimated of support
upon such coedit' a. From my knowledge of the
last electioes. I call assure you that the same resort
has been had tin the present occasion to every trick,
delusion. moil artifice, which were arrayed against
yen then, by the supporters of the Ministerial Can-
didate. Ladies are now busy in canvassing in their
carriages. ornateesited with coronets. Servants are
every where seen about flying with letters, and in
short every thing which could degrade the twit of
causes lute been brought into play for my opponent.
I should hope that were he n►sde properly ac.
queinted with such practices, lie would not encou-
lege Bien►. This is the manner in which the ‘Vhigs
put in their claim for public approbation—this is
the manure iii which they pretend to change for the
better—this is the manlier in which they endeavour
in *hew their fondness for the people, and wish to
he considered, according to the Whig manifesto, as
their nature! Leaders. Why. Gentlemen's natural
Leader must have naturist followers; but I see you
have no wish to follow them. 1 repeat that I feel
the utmost centidence this contest will end to the
utter confusion of the IV hog and Tory Candidate,
and that this unnatural coalition will meet the fate
it deserves, as being the most base and arrogant
that ever attempted to delude and intimidate the
people of Westaninster."—(eippluese./
Mr. LAMB clime froward, but the noise midis
uuiug as great as ever, he was only audible to those
elm %ere it 1111 l hear lain. He said, " Gen-
ileiliele you agauu find me considerably at the head
of the pull, where I have no doubt I shall remain
until the end of this contest. It is not my wish
to trespass upon your attelitiou, nor do I claim
any greater (fewer of indulgence than you were
disposed d► whew hounds the speech of any opponent.
But there are two btairwrasts which lie has made
to which I wish you to hear any answer. The liist
is the charge (al charge it m►ay be celled) that I sin
put forth here by the Aristocracy of Westmim►ter
as their immure, against die wishes said feelings of
your lellow-4 %sterna. Whet ir:►th there is in the
charge yeti will at mice see, when I tell rOll, that
the first Meeiiiig of Electors I attended preparatory
to this clothes', sod where my political principles
were crime:mat. was a meeting solely composed of
traileamen. M'ith respect to the other *torment.
that I can only &print on the lame and impotrut
support of u despicable party, I refer you to the
mete of the poll, which is a sufficient answer. If
either my character, or that of any supporters, were
deserinig of the de►enptaula you have heard of it,
I eouhl not here such a state of the poll re that
to which I now triumplimitly refer."
Mr. HUNT came forward, arid almost for the
first time all his notable esp►edient► felled to obtain
any thing like an adequate hearing Fu► him. The
uproar still continued, ss iii such a voice as filled
4lir earth end air," and its vain Mr. Hunt stood un-
covered, maks.% familiar nod► and gestures to the
iruturuse crowd before him. " 0 !" said he. " this
is a titre struggle—a very line struggle between the
ins and owe. So you'll hear nobody, vole% you?
11'0, 1 can't help it—l'd be a fool indeed to-day
to expect a bearing, after the reception you have
given Mr. Hobbouse, not one word of witose speech
could I hear."
As Mr. Hunt had uttered this sentence. he was
struck w untie part of the body with a lump of
mild, thrown by some idle fellow in the crowd, to
ray the least of him, but when it fell from lac► upou
the board rat which he ►tood, it was found to con-
tains a MBAR flint stone, which was ituurediately
handed to Mr. /lent, who held it up and said, with
much apparent humour, " Who is the clever fel-
low that threw this ? —A pretty friend of any Candi-
date he must be.—ls this his u►ite to the poll ?
—Let ate tell him ilia stoner are not words."
[The uproar which partially subsided from, we pre.
suu►e, the proper thenicheation of the crowd to
sanction the stone-throwing act, was again m-
inuted, and Mr. Hunt could ouly be beard by

those who were immediately near Lim.] " Why,"
said he, "do you object to hear me ?—is it because
I tell truth without fee or reward I should hope
that Sir Francis Burdett and Mr. Illohlsouse will
take a lesson from what they have seen this day.
You see others can interrupt as well as their friends;
they may hire persons to come here to interrupt us,
but the people of Westminster come here volun-
tarily to interrupt them.-14 ergo,'" NO.— Lamb's
pity hat hired fifty men ut the Brown Bear."/—
No, the hiring ix all at the other side, but it is the
people who come here to-day to express their in-
dignation at it. This is what Mr. Ili,bliouse'd
Friends call the Flee/10111 of Election. It is the
Rump Freedom, Gentlemen, it is the Free-
dom of the Rump group.—[Flere the uproar
increased so much that Mr. Hunt's voice
was drowned even to those who were imme-
diately near him.] They say I have a personal hos-
tility to Sir Francis Burdett and Mr. Hobbouse :
No, I have no personal hostility to them, hot I hate
their equivocating politics. The time has been
when 1 would have laid down my life for Sir Francis
Burdett, because I believed him, at the time, to he
an honest political man. Now I'd rather lay clown
my life than see him succeed in his career, which is
to make this great and independent City a rotten
borough. I find, Gentlemen, by your noise, that
you are going to be wonderfully impartial to-day :
however, Mr. Hobhouse's friends can't say they
were alone heard to-day, for we were all, 1 believe,
heard alike, with this only difference, that their
party was paid for coining, and ours came, as I
said before, voluntarily. I won't trespass at
present any more upon your time. This is what
they call freedom of election. I am not angry
at your noise. Let us all fare, let us all be
heard alike; I have no objection to take my share
of what's going. This is not the first noise I have
encountered. I have stood many a pelting, pittiless
storm without fee or reward, and I sin a volunteer
now to assert the rights of those who won't hear use.
Some persons have been whispering about that I
am a spy. This is the old trick of the parts. Yes,
I am a spy ; I am a spy into the conduct of the
Rump; I have spied into their concerns. They
have a right, therefore, to call me • spy. But
it is the old cant. When Mr. Place, of Char-
ing-cross, who is now at the head of their Com-
mittee, called Sir Francis Burdett a coward and
a scoundrel, for secretly leaving the Tower, the
Rump called Place a spy ; when Cohbett exposed
their tricks, they called him a spy ; when Sherwin
did the same, he too was a spy; and now they have
found that lam one. lam not such a spy as Sir
Francis Burdett was in Ireland—he was amusing
himself spying the Irish girls. But where was lat
that critical period ?—I was where the Hon. Baronet
ought to have been—l was spying into the
acts of a corrupt Government at Derby, and fur-
nishing the wretched Prisoners with some means fur
their defence. Where was I when Dr. Watson was
put upon his trial by the same corrupt Ministers
I was at my post, I gave evidence fur the Doctor,
exposing the spy that the Government had sent forth
to du their dirty work. I was a spy upon the spy
then, just as I am now a spy upon the Rump, and
.
assistiog to expose their nefarious practices. As
r find I cannot be heard beyond those near me,
I shall conclude, with hoping thut you will
come down here with getter humour next Monday,
for then you'll see Brooks and his thousand fresh
voters. Mind, I am of no party—l don't love
either the Whigs or the Tories; but Mr. Lamb is
open—he speaks intelligibly, and tells you what he
means ; but nobody alive can understand the other
party. Good night—l'll see you again, please
God, on Monday." _

Sir FRANCIS BuRDETT now stepped forward, and
whether it was that the immense multitude alarm.
bled had at length grown hoarse from the incessant
exercise of their lungs, or whether, from the more
likely influence of his personal popularity, wh►ch,
like the attendant of Ulysses—
's Tha blue-ey'd Palls., his celestial fliend,
(Its faro a herald) bade the crowd. attend.
Tls' expecting crowds in still attentitsu hung;"

and the Hon. Baronet delivered the following
*peach, which was received with great applause :
" Gentlemen. you have not slow to learn from
me, that hissing and noise (and I am sorry that
some of it came from the Gentlemen behind Mr.
Lamb—sorry for it on his account rather than their
own).11 say, you have not now to learn, that a few
persons who are so disposed in a very large crowd,
coo easily throw such obstacles in the way of a
speaker, as to prevent his being generally audible
to those whom he addresses. But you all know
that this partial hissing is no proof of your disin-
clination to hear the Gentlemen who is the object
of it. I have only to lament that this sort of in-
terruption has been given ; and to implore, if my
voice can have any influence amongst you, that
you will on all future occasions adopt a different
course. 1 have to implore, that the immense mul-
titude who assemble in front of these hustings.
will, whatever may be their private feelings, give
a patient hearing to every person who conic* for-
ward to address them. To adopt the good old
English maxim, I trust you will give • to every
man a clear stage and no favour,' and then let
every Mall judge for himself upon the merits
after le has heard every thing which has been
said upon the subject.—((,reut applause.)-
1 shall be short. Gentlemen, in the observations
which I mean to make to you ; principally, indeed,
because it is unfair to ►peak at one side, when the
person upon whom I am animadverting, cannot be
heard upon the other. Rut I cannot help congra-
tulating you ill the little accession of strength
which the Whig Candidate has gained upon the
day's pull. See how weak and languid have been
his efforts, and recollect that he hue not spared to
use all the means which have been embodied for
hint to give activity to his exertions. You have
heard of the contemptible effort which had beets
made by inducing ladies to go about canvassing
for votes, and using their influence on this
occasion (and for this occasion only), to confer
false civilities to promote the object of the
other Candidate. You have heard of the in-
ducement to voters, by what Mr. Limb calls the
more solid satisfaction of a breakfast, in relearn fur
their votes. But notwitlissailding all there paltry
artifices. they will still find that though some por-
tion of the Electors of Westminster ale so
cun-
tetuptible as to be made the duper of these tricks,
or are so unfortunately situated as to he in no con-
dition to resist them, still enough of •Electors will

be found to designate this AVlsig or Tory Candidate.
or rather Coalition Comlidate, for that should lie
hie name, in the manner he deserves, end to Phew
lain soil his party that you have too high a sense of
character to be corrupted or isitisuidated by ouch
threats and designs, and hind you will not be paid
for your less of honour by a bseekfast, or sell
for " a mess of mirage your itilieritance."—
It is said that there is more solid satisfaction in
bieskfa-t theta in fallowing music %lid a flag. The
satisfaction which the one imparts is a mental our,
and gives rise to honest sent iinesit—thist el the other
is contioied to the mere selfish eritilicalino of the
appetite at the moment—the g• is his breakfast
as the wages of his iniquity. But the misfortune
is. that this slavery is such a degradation, it is of
so humiliating a cast, that the slave cannot eat his
pudding Slid then hold his tongue. No, his tongue
must be prostituted to the utterance of sentiments
which his heart whims. and he is obliged to cons.
mit per jury iu the face of his country'.—(Applause.
—I beg of you to coosider that every vote which is
extorted by terror or it.fluence, or in any other
manner than by the honest bias ofyourown opinions,
is a treason committed in the face of your country,
and a perjury in the rye of your God. I have no
doubt but that the hulk of the Electors of West-
minster will not permit such a angina to be cast
upon them: I have gm doubt but they will control.
plate this portentous monster, which wants to swat.
low them, joist as it ought to be contemplated. It
is an animal shockingly distorted—it to an animal
composed of most discordant parts, and which stems
to be actuated by no particular prisiciples, toot
even will the strange compound of its original
foundation satisfy its makers. They have, even
since they took up the cause, improved upon its
shape—they have willingly taken up in their aid
all the filth and scum of this great town—they have,
as you have seen, made alliance with that which $6
so base and contemptible that I can give it un same.
—(Applause.)—You have this day seen the Whig
Candidate standing on and addressing you from the
same board on which the person stood who with me
*hall be nameless. Surely this monstrous alliance
of Court mid Whig, and possum' of this deserip.
Lion, can have too affinity in principle, holiest prin-
ciple, of any kind.—(Cries of, " No, no.")—
This strange anomalous monster has more heads
than the hydra—its centre is a simple lamb's head
—(Laughter)—shaved so close as to require a wig
(a Whig) to cover it ; and shaved so clime, too, by
the honest Westminster barber.—(Lord laughter
and applause.)—'Phis lamb's head has two faces,
one of them black, the other white. Theis you
have that strange anomalous mounter (pointing to
Mr. Hunt), whose front is of brass, whose tongue,
though composed of the vetion of the asp, lies yet,
not like the asp, the faculty of stinging tits). thing
but itself.--(Load applause.)—You have then a
51iiiisteial :lead to crown this Cerbeinin moister.
It has a front of terror, in whose eye dwells cruelly,
end in whose mouth corruption only hatigs.*-(.4p-
plouse.)—l sin sorry to have to add another feature
to this portentous monster—peeping from under its
distorted bulk, is a head of false patriotism—it is
an empty head—(4 laugh)—and what is mauve!.
lous. it has been told me that this head is a strik-
ing likeness of Mr. Alderman Wood, who has been
met canvassing this day fur Mr. Lamb.—(Cries of
" Shame!")—Here is a personification of an unien
of all interests, against the interests of the people.
Portentous und hideous as this monster is, and pos-
sessed as I told you al such multiple and various
heads, and such distorted limbs and features, there
is still a Hercules that can lay this monster
sprawling at your feet. I trust and hope that
that Hercules will he found in die spirit of
the Electors of Westminster, and if that spirit be
roused, as on a former occasion, there can be no
doubt, not -ally of our complete success, but also
of our obtaibing a triumph which I venture to say
will be greater than was ever had on any former
occasion in Westminster. I shall nut take up any
snore of your time at this moment. Time is pre.
cious, and this is the time of action, and lint of
words. I hope therefore that all of you here who
• are electors will go home, and each earl cue his par-
inmates influence among his neighbours, to put them
against the contemptible tricks of a pony, paltry
Aristocracy, which is arrayed in vain against the
Democracy of Englishmen. I hope no man will be
gulled with the false civilities of quivassing visitors,
or will he induced to partake of the treats given by
persons of rank, where the bread lie eats will here.
after be a reproach to his conscience for the meal
auto which he ass betrayed by his ignorance ur cre-
dulity. Surely Englishmen, anal such Englishintu
too as the electors of 11restiuinster. will never dust
sway their first privilege, that of giving a free vote
fur the election of their Representatives, fur so
meson, so vile. so contemptible a gratification as
that of breakfasting with people of this cast, who
make tools of them to promote their ohject. I
take
leave agam to implore of the Electors, that wilco
we next meet, they will give to all, without refer-
titre to the particular feelings of hostility which
they may have towards 'my individmil. a patient
besting. You owe this to them, and above all to
the integrity and indrpeadence of your own pro-
ceedings. I also implore that you will be on the
alert for the maintenance of your own rights, moil
that on Monday you will appear at the poll with
all your friends and acquaintances."—(Great up-
' plasm.)

The Hop. Baronet and Mr. l-loonousE than
withdrew. Mr. Laws rod Iris frieuds left the hust-
ings at the flume lima-.
Mr. lirouLku stow came forward amidst loud
uproar. Ile raid, he Caine there to swertain who
was the popular favourite, and if he had not hero
aWe to ascertain who was, upon looking to the
state of the pull he certainly dircerried who was
nor. —1 Hisses, wed loud cries V "11j; 40" )-
11 the Electors did lout wiali to hear him, he would
refur.—(Cries of " IVe dun'i—be off PV—Mr.
Wooler thrall, retired without delivering liis
tended speech.