The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1803-06-16 00:00:00

SOUTHWARK ELECTION.

ZIGHTH DAY.
The votes given on this day for both candidates
were 40, excluding those which came under the de-
nomination of farmed ♦otes, which were numbered

separate. At the closing of the poll there appeared
For the Right Hon. GEORGE TIERNEY 1.561
For Sir THOMAS TUaTON - - - 1 tB6

Majority 75
Sir THOMASTURTON SpOkei first, and stated, that
as Mr. Tierney had expressed a desire not to detain
the speßators, he would not intrude longer upon
them than was necessary. It was with unbounded
gratitude he looked at the great exertions which had
been made by his friends for his support. At the
end of eight days, the time the election had lasted,
he found himself with no less, according to the
statement of the returning officer, than 1456 votes,
a number exceeding all expeaation, when the
means were considered that had been taken to op-
pose him in opposition to the independence of
that borough. There never had been known an
instance of more triumph than he was entitled to,
by having gained the number aforementioned ; nor
could another instance be traced where corruption
bad been used to the extent it had in the Borough
of Southwark. The Right Hon. Gentleman on
that day had only polled a majority of six accepted
votes ; he therefore called upon his friends to con-
tinue to afford him their support while there was a
vote remaining. If they did not desert him, he
would not desert them ; he had obtained a majority
of the farmed votes, 16 of the latter description had
appeared for him, and four for Mr. Tierney ; he
had consequently a majority. It was glorious for
the Borough, that, after eight days struggle, he
should find himself so strongly supported; he would
carry the voters who had been rejeeted where their
rights would be established, and was prepared to
state at the Bar of the House of Commons, that un-
due influence had been used to keep back the inde-
pendent eleCtors. It was a cause in which the
Borough was not only interested, but the people of
England were also interested, as it produced an in-
quiry how far the laws adopted by the constitution
for the election of a Representative in Parliament
bad been violated ; and the question was, whether

or not their independence had been preserved, or
whether it was consigned to oblivion (Hissing). He
did not wish to trouble the spedators but a short
period longer with what he had to say. The Right
Hon. Gentleman's friends did not like to hear the
truth, and he always found them clamorous when
the same was mentioned. He had been impor-
tuned to shorten the poll, in consequence of his not
having received a certain number of votes within a
specific time. It was, however, the duty of the
High Bailiff to conform to the law oldie land upon
that subje&, and if his friends would come forward
to support him he would continue the poll: he
should be there on Thursday, and hoped they
would not fail to serve him with that spirit which
would ultimately prove their independence.--He
then retired from the Hustings.
Mr. TIERNEY said, Sir Thomas Turton had
spoken first, because that gentleman had claimed a
majority in the day's poll ; but how he accounted
for the same he was at a loss to understand. Whe-
ther it was the intention of the worthy Baronet to
harrass him from day to day, and the spelators
also, he could not tell, hut he would trouble them
no more ; for, besides the inconvenience which
numbers of persons had already experienced, the
perseverance on the part of Sir Thomas Turton had
been attended with the loss of a life—God forbid !
he observed, that he should impute the accident
which he was going to state to any intention on the
part of the worthy Baronet to occasion the event,
but the continuation of the poll had produced the
circumstance alluded to. By taking away the
horses from the Baronet's carriage, and the beha-
viour of the persons who surrounded the same, a
man lost his life. It was a reproach to the magis-
tracy, that a prison-keeper was adive on that occa-
sion. Mr. I ves took the horses from the carriage,
and set the populace on to proceed in the manner
they did. What would be said, when it came to be
understood that a servant of the magistracy had
become an eledion agent, whereby the life of one
of his Majesty's subjets had been lost? Sir Thomas
Turton was away ; he wished that gentleman had
not left the Hustings, as he had before mentioned
the points on which he intended to speak. It had
been considered as insolence and arrogance for any
to contend against the worthy Baronet ; nut with
respect to the insinuations thrown at him, he should
not take notice of them. He could not, however,
avoid observing, that the speech made by Sir Tho-
mas Turton on Tuesday, was such a one as he did
not expel to hear from a Surrey Yeoman, or one
who bore the King's commission. He did not solely
attribute the same to the Baronet alone ; his com-
mittee were highly culpable. It had been insinuated
that all the taxes in the Minister's Budget were to
be attributed to him, and observations had been
made "i the conduit of Government that were
highl nsurable ; more particularly so at a time
like the present, when confidence was necessary to
be placed on the conduct of the Administration in
order to enable them to resist an enemy. The
people had been told they were taxed unnecessarily,
and many other circumstances which he did not
approve of, nor could he see, as attached to the
Ministry, the Government held up to public odium.
He stated the calculations made by the Baronet,
respelling votes, to be erroneous ; but observed,
if Sir Thomas Turton placed a dependance in hiss
farmed votes, he ought to go with them to the
House of Commons, where he would receive justice.
He did not intend to have said as much as he had
done, but he thought some of his remarks were due
to Government. If he was forced on the hustings
again, he had to deplore that his friends would be
obliged to attend on Thursday, merely because Sir
T. Turton wasnot satisfied with his majority. In return
for the 200 votes which had been offered him at the
commencement of the Poll, lie then offered Sir T.
Turton 70 out of his 75 to close the Poll. and let
him enjoy what the worthy Baronet
,termed a dis-
grace. It was not unlikely that Sir fhomas 'fur-
ton would not continue the contest longer, but take
the advice of his Committee and resign, as no hope
of success could be cherished ; but however that
might be, he should not forget the kindness of his
ft iendi, who had supported him to the latest hour
of his life.
• The Poll-booth was then cleared. and the speeta-
tom disper)ed with more ordet than on any day
previous.