The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1804-08-04 00:00:00

• 141DDLESEX ELECTION.

Ecrillsru DAY.—At twelve o'clock, Mr. Main--
wiring had polled upwards of thirty voter: more than
Francis Burdett, and, At closing the books, the
numbers stood as follow :
For M. M•rinwarwg
!or S r Franci. Burdett . . .

Majority f,r Mr. Mainwaring . ICO
Sir Fa A NCI s addressed the populace on the event
of the day's poll, to the fallowing effea :
6, Gentlemen ! I trust and hope the disadvantage
we appear to hate on this day's poll, will not go to
relax your ex rl tions, or weaken your confidence as
to the issue et• this contest. I have no doubt of
ultimate success, when I say t!.eir majority will not
produce any ill effee, and that we shall finally prove
vidorious in this struggle. Ido not make this asser-
tion to delude you ; I speak from information on the
• objed, derived front the different Gentlemen in our
• tr rest, with whom I have been conversing. Gen-
ie:o• I ! I would nut on this occasion mislead you,
:v ::ani,ring out false hopes, any more that: ha
fibt colours. (11reza ! Amiss!) I state
our success on mature consideration and accurate
knowledge, and am convinced the event will justify
the language I hold ; I have to make a few obser-
vations, in opposition to the foul calumnies which
tke Public Prints teem with against yam. The ad-
vertisement states, that the poll on our side is sup-
ported by perjury, with a few exceptions, and that
we cannot obtain a colourable majority. No less
than 2277 respcatble F 1 eeholders, who h.tve voted
for me, are accused of a crime disgraceful in society ;
and I shall reply to those assertions, that the cha-
raCters of the ,alunaniators are known ; that which
they have advanced are lies; and, you may per-
ceive the true qualities of our adversaries, by their
conduCt. They have had the audacity to publish,
that so many, r:speaabla persons have come with in-
tent to perjure themselves. Some of them have
made application to me, on the grounds of this no-
tonous slander—they have expressed their inten-
tion to seek justice—they are not to be calumniated
with impunity—their charaders are far from suspi-
cion—and mote honourable than I can say those of
any opponents are. (Rizzo ! Mesta I) Gentlemen
the persons to whom I allude, have complained to
Mr. Mainwaring'a Committee of this gross and scan-
dalous conduEt. The Committee felt the impro-
priety, and n:h.fa an apology—no apology, however,
but a public one, ought to be received ; the parties
have been held up to the world as perjured ; they
ought to be publicly vindicated ; and, I trust and
hope, those tricnds of mine who have been calum-
niated, will bring the calumniators to punishment.
(Hi-ti ! Arms !) Gentlemen ! from traits you
may foresee and judge the behaviour of men. The
calumnies that have been employed against me dur-
ing this election, are, consequently, not very fa-
vourable traits—they have had the effrontery to say,
have been the author of all the calumny I have de-
scribad ;'but it is they who have maligned all; they
have confounded the whole of the respedable Free-
holders in a mass of perjury, from the first Noble-
man in the country, to the industrious working me-
chanic. If they I,elieve such efforts can aid their
cause, it is no wonder they have had recourse to
them ; but, I am confident, where falsehood has a
footing, there can be no honourable prospect, or
honourable support. Fortunately, the ability of
these calumniators is not equal to their malignity.
It is a true observation, that honour and great abi-
lities are never allied to malignity ; and if I was to
hold up a great 6.atesman to view, it would be suf-
ficient to mention the char.oner of Mr. Fox, to es-
tablish the priaciple. Wu:zit ! ha•a:a ! ) With re-
spat to the calumnies imputed to me, I state, while
I have a voice to utter, that no oppression shall etist,
if I have power to oppose it. All the charges
against Gaolers and Magistrates, made by me, I
have offered to substantiate in a legal manner ; and,
though I have never been required to do so, I am
accused of being a calumniator, and public disturb-
cr ; but, while I see such an example of cruelty, as
the gaoler Ark, I will hold out that man to public
indignation—(Lesie plaudi.'s). I have littlelnore to
add, than I have no doubt of this contest ; aid
to-morrow my objed w:11 be to obtain sufficient
strength. Having ob ;erred before, it is my inten-
tion to do all the good I can for this county, to
which I offer myself as a candidate, I shall ascer-
tain its real strength, and endeavour to remedy the
inconvenience it labours under; therefore, if you
are desirous of abating this inconvenience, you will
come forward ; and, if many should not, I trust
there will be sufficient force to decide this contest.
Riving said so much, I shall only beg that fair
play may be shown to my opponent, and be aalve
in coming to the poll : if you do so, I have no doubt
vi the gesiaral issue.
Loud applause proceeded from the populace, in
thr midst of which Mr. M A INWARINU began to
Tx:lk as follows:
" Gentlemen, I before intended to address yon ;
bat the lion. Bart. has, on this occasion, rendered it
my indispriisible duty to do so,.in consequence of his
al.u-ions to fair play,which has never been complain-
ed r f. men, many are the topics that call lur
• •serrat.u.s ; (Herr the clangour termite very tia.'int—
, • •; • cr,.ing hear him; Wars kisiog.) You may be as-
. d I would not trespass upon your attenti,,n,
:ach does not appear t&be voluntary ; and were
t. not for the duty OR myself called upon to
perfoim, should nut stand here opposed to so much
tevenive and opposition; but that duty I will
not relinquish. The Honourable Baronet has
advanced a great deal about calumniators, and,
it is my duty to state, he has been charged truly
with being a calumniator " (The tumult and &tong
raw tensors so r @ltal. that Hr. Mar a....aign_c.91.1i.14•41 tile

Gun' obit to oGtat,drirt.;irt•-h:c, .)
lioth cantiedatea priiceeded to town in the usual
No accident happened.

HINNER Al' THE CL,)WN AND ANCHOR.

v,terday serztal of the faienc.7:: o: Sir Francis
dir.ol at the Lawn and Arch Tavern,
• • Str Ind. 1: ,r w.:; Lot 5o tlurr.ctr,us
-• !.. ;• fo:r:
M:. 7" V.;10 %t .1, in t).2 r'.
W.% `.iv tit:;

t F. - n
r

V

~'

Mr. DiaNNISON then said, be had to propose to '
the company another toast, Which he had no doubt
the company would drink in a bumper: he meant
to give the health of his honourable and much re.
spetied triend,

" Sir Francis Bu,dett, and that he may succeed in his
Eleftion."

In giving this toast, he would beg leave to add
one observation. Mich as he loved and esteemed
l:is Hon. Friend, he did not esteem him for himself
alone, or in order that the eleflors might prefer him
from personal attachment solely; but in order that
they might shew a proud example, that the princi-
ples which had ever diretted the Independent Elec-
tors of Middlesex had not been forgotten, nor were
likely to sink into apathy.
The health of Sir Francis Burdett was they drunk
with enthusiastic applause.
Sir FRANCIS BURDETT then addressed the compa-
ny. “He begged leave to express his sincere gra-
titude for those repeated marks of kindness, which
had been shewn him. But he hoped that the Free-
holders of Middlesex would consider the nature of
the contest itself more than the person engaged in it ;
that they would consider this contest as one of infi-
nite importance to the county of Middlesex; and that
it was a contest, whose objesl was to prevent Con-
traClors, Jobbers, and Placernen, from taking pos-
session of the whole county. IF, in the hands of the
Middlesex Eledors, he should be the happy insti u-
ment of rescuing them from so great an evil, it
would be the highest consolation to him. And if
that could be done, no exertion on his part should
be wanting ; and he should consider himself happy
if he could accomplish that great objea. But if he
should not be able to do so, he should have the conso-
lation of knowing thai no exertion ou his part had ever
been wanting in the present content: that to the utmost
of his power, he had done his duty to the independ-
ent body who constituted the freeholders of the
County of Middlesex. '1 he polling of that day was
a sufficient proof of the improper and undue influ-
ence that had been made use of towards the Elators.
A calumny had been spread abroad against him,
which he thought it proper at that time to notice.
It was that he had expressed sentiments unfa-
vourable to the Constitution. In opposition to this
calumny he would observe, that had all the inde-
pendent freeholders of Middlesex been permitted to
vote for him, he would have the heartfelt pleasure
of finding a majority on his side on the follow-.
ing day. For his own part, he should never
be wanting in ditty, nor would he relax those
exertions he had hitherto made, within that county
As to the scandalous falsehoods which had been pro-
pagated concerning him, he had hitherto disdained
to notice them. But thete was one false ca-
lumny which his enemies had spread abroad against
him, and which he could not pass over in silence.
Every Freeholder who came to vote for him, was,
by Mr. Mainwaring's friends, taxed with perjury.
Some of these injured persons had come to his
house, and the whole business was explained there.
Numbers of decent persons had come to solicit re-
dre,s for the grievances they supposed they suffered.
They were desired by hiM to apply to she Corn-
mittee of Mr. Mainwaring. They did so, but
could obtain no redress. The Committee, in a
mean spirit of submission, first told them they
would reBify their grievance; but would not
afterwards doso. It was, however, a fortunate thing
that these men were so respeathle, that the im-
putations intended to be made against their elm-
raCt:rs could have no Pared ; for they were men
in such respectable situations in life, that such ca-
lumnies could have no effect in doing them an in-
jury. It was more than melee months since the
wa: began; and, during that time, several persons
thought they were aCling in a manner that would
not hate subjeeted them to insults. This was
the cause of the whole of the Freeholders of
Middlesex, and not of the individuals supposed
to be injured. But had those injuries and in-
sults happened so far back as to impede the
business of individuals who wanted to go into the
country, he should not have opposed them. But
he must say, that it was fortunate the charge
of perjury had fallen oaly on men who, from their
situations in life, could never be sttspeCted of com-
mitting such a crime. But what would be the con-
sequence of such a charge, if made against persons
in another situation in life ? Nothing less than the
ruin of the individuals. He hoped then that all
gentlemen who heard him, would melt, with be-
coming spirit, the praCtice to which he alluded; and,
that they would use every means in their power to
bring this great struggle to a fortunate termination.
A young Gentleman, whose name we could not
learn, entered into a warm eulogium on Sir Francis
Burdett, and recommended, tha every means might
he taken to insure his return. The cause of that Hon.
Baronet's principles was the cause of genuine liberty.
The Hon. Baronet had been charged with dis-
loyal aElions ; but, it ought to be recolleCted,
that similar charges had hitherto been made against
the first Peer and against the greatest Statesman in
the country. Now, he would ask, whether it was
likely that a man, such as Sir F. Burdett, wiz!) here-
ditary wealth, could ever have meditated thedestruc-
tion of a system that must have led to his own ruin ?
He wished Sir Francis Burdett to be eleeted for
Middlesex, because he wished to save that place
from becoming a close borough.
Another gentleman, whose name we could not
learn, warmly spoke in favour of Sir F. Burdett.
The CHAIRMAN next gave a toast —he said he
would propcse the hialth of that great, enviable,
and exalted charaCter,
Tn. Honourable Charles James Fox,"
who, unfortunately for England, for Europe, and
for the whole world, was now, in a manner, ba-
nished limn His Majesty's presence. The health of
Mr Fox was then drank with three times three.
The CHAIR'4ANI then called the r.::nlleCtion of
the company to the state of the rit for Westminster
in rd t. when Mr. Fox loud a much gloater num•
be: arrest him, thus Sir F. Bui ica use hid, Aral
at I..st gained the cloaiOn. He gave as a toast :

\f .c we ,:ever get a , nor
alacicen our Li at -dvcrtic
Th;i was drank ssith throe tir...s

A youn;.; Geotleir tn, of Lr utvvv,
adJr:s-ed :tlse;inp, in a ve•• st•cii.
Ilt: ho fiirusell w.is 4.1.1 y e lge,
t!v•r.(l,•, was unable to! Fr.ux ; 'Jur-
%..t^; but he hai off, ;•,
v.r .

ing on the sane SUP: lie.said, he,would rrther die in
the midst of freedom, than accept his freehold, at
the age of twenty-one, in slavery—( Leta erplausc).
Mr. CLIFFORD spoke f.: some time; and said,
that he had again brought up several of the millers
to vine ; and that some of them, having many
shares in the mid; Were corcadered good votes. lle
said, Sir Fr incis Lurdett, as posse:sing landed
estates, had a much greater interest in preserving
this country, and in defending it from foreign ene-
mies, than those city contractors, whose property
lay in the funds, which they could sell out and carry
with them wherever they pleased.
Tht: CHAIRMAN then gave the next toast;
" The Principles :warned in 1638."
Afterwards, he gave,
" Lurd Robert Spencer ,"
- - - -

. .
And, lastly, that distinguished Personage, who
was ea:pedted to be a Patriot King :

" The Prince et Weles."

The latter toast was drunk with enthusiastic
applause.

Mr. Travers, Mr. Frost, and a Clergyman from
Norfolk, recommended an immediate and active
canvass ; after which, the company dispersed, about
nice o'clock.