The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-06-12 00:00:00

SOUTHWARK-SATURDAY.

The contest was carried on with lees spirit than on any former
day, and fewer voters were polled than on any day of the Election,
with the exception of the first. At the close of the poll, this day,
the numbers were—For C. Calvert, Esq. 1,1511 ; Sir Robert Wil-
son 1.521 ; Edward Polhill, Esq I.l2o—Majority in favour of
Mr. Calvert, 491 ; in favour of Sir Robert Wilson, 401. It will be
perceived, by the state of the poll, that Mr. Polhill has gained
thirteen, on the polling of this day, over Sir Robert
Mr. Cotter's's., on the announcement of the numbers by the
High Bailiff, came forward to return thanks. Ile was now confi-
dent of Om result,— and the thanks. which he bad on each repeated
occasion to offer them hitherto, would be soon changed into con-
gratulation. (Applause.) He had said he was confident, and he
would tell them why he was so. The greatest number that had
ever polled at this election before was 2,774—and on the present
occasion there were polled 2.758 voters. This might not please
MT. Polhill, but it ought to satisfy him that he had not the slightest
chance ofauccent. ti he were to obtain all the votes that could, or
would poll at this election, it was his ( Mr. C.'s) conscious belief
that he would not succeed. (Here Mr. Bishop, one of Mr. Pol.
hill's Committee, smiled and whispered something to Mr. POllllll.l
lie (Alr. C.) perceived some smiles upon the countenance of the
prompter—they all knew there never was a farce without one.
(Applause.) He regretted to hear that some disturbance had oc-
curred on the preceding night ; he hoped and besought them that
there should be no repetition of it. Although he was confident of
success, he entreated his friends not to relax in their exertions until
their final triumph was accomplished. (Applause.)
Sir }Watt's. WiLsos then came forward, and was received
with the warmest bursts of acclamation. Ile was apptehensive he
might not be reherded as a good prophet, for he had predicted that
the party opposed to him would have given up the ghost; but, con-
trary to his and their expectations, he had survived the night.
(Applanse and laughter.) If the head of the party was submitted'
to a craniologist, it would be discovered that it had the hump of
perseverance ins prominent degree. ( Much laughter.) Although
not quite extinct, they would soon erne to snot the vital air. He
saw despair masked upon their countenances—they could bear'
the contest no longer. (Loud cries of "No! no !") Whenever
his opponent should depart, he (Sir Robert Wilson) promised
eget he would no longer disturb his dosi. The contest would
be soon over, and when it was completed, the friends whom he
saw -before him would hare an opportunity of calling ta. mind
the present seine—whenevet they should enjoy a pipe in one
hand, a pot of Calvert—the best l'alvert. gentlemen !—ln the other.
and the representation would be perfect if there was a picture in
the corner, ',representing a soldier shouldering his musket, chewing
how " battle-fields lout been lost and won." (Applause and much
laughter.) Then they would have before them a representation
of the principal movers in the present agitated acme ; and he I
would hope filet on such an occasion they would not forget to
drink his and Mr. Calvert's health. (Cries of ",we will, we will !")
lie was surprised at the continued perseverance of his opponents.
Whilst that party—that implacable party—nay, whilst a shadow
of it continued to haunt the Bemugh„ he pledged himself to visit
it with all his might—s party which aimed at domhicering, with
whom moderation produced no useful etlect, nor right conduct and
right thinting any beneficial influence. On this occasion, I:owever,
their power had been combatted, and, still more, their weakness ex-
posed. (Applause.) It might be said, that he spoke in the elated
pride of victory--and a victory he certainly thought it to Iss. Their '
party (for so he would consider them) aimed, utisuccceafully, to re.
cover that usurpation of power which, if they obtained, they would
exercise, as they had before, with arbitrary insolence. They were
bound and regulated by no principle of reason the advancement of
knowledge and the progress of education were disregarded by then);
and of the evil influence exercised by those %Ito had not the advan-
tages of education, they had a specimen in the manners of the Rus.
Sian nobility, before the last fifty years, and before civilization and
knowledge were spread amongst them. The vassal of the Russian
nobleman said to him, " I am thy dove, take off my head ;" to
which the master. in his merciful humanity, replied, •• No, I beg
you will keep it on." Such was the politeness and huma:tite of
those who were ihe supporters of arbitrary power. lie (Sir R.tr.);
detested that species of power, in whatever shape it appeared—whe-
ther in the nobility of Russia, or in the selfish aggrandizement of
the party in the Borough of Southwark, who were the advocates of
monopoly, the supporters of every abuse, and of every system that
enriched themselves and impoverished others. With that party he
would never make a compromise. (Applause.) Ile would fight them
fairly and openly, and he would now, as he had boom, conquer
them. (Cheers.) They were determinedly opposed to any inrova.
tion to correct these abuses. This party reminded him oft. bods- of
monks who were in the South of France, who established a fond
I which enabled them to afford themselves eight meals mday. The
Bishop of Lianois happened to pass by the convent of these
monks, and besought of them to diminish this number of meals at
least by one ; they astinitted that it was physically possible for them
to do so, but that it was an innovation on their system, and must be
resisted. (Much laughter). So it was with the party opposed to
them : however great, however numerous the above were, they
would not consent to correct one of them ; for correction was in.
notation. (Cheers and liughter). The lion. and Gallant General
proceeded to remind then) of the former contest with Mr. Barclay.
Oo that °cession only 1377 voted for hint ; on the present he had
already polled 1521. (Cries of " Owing to a coalition"). Be it
so; it is a coalition of public principle and public virtue in the
cause of public freedom, and I glory in it. !Continued cheers).
As to the lion. Candidate opposed to him, he did not mean to
speak disrespectfully of him ; but he regarded him as a cipher in
the hands of the party he had already designated. Ile would now
I call their attention, and he requested it earnestly, to a document
which had come into his possession, which, independent of the
I station he occupied on the poll, would lose to his opponent this
election. He would read it to them; it was to this effect:—"
Carter and %Vol. Bryan have promised to bring up twelve voters
between this and to-morrow, otherwise they will not be required to
be paid." And it was farther stipulated, that the first earnest of
the pestilent should be made good at the Tuns, the Committee
Room of 31r. Polhill.

....
A Gentleman wearing Mr. Polhill's colours, exelsimeti—" An
enemy's spy in our camp." (Laughter, and loud expressions of
indignation).
Sir H. WlLsoff proceeded. This document was signed by
Mr. Day the Secretary of Mr. Politill's Committee.
A ruffianly-looking person, who wore Mr. Polliill'a emblematic
riband, here ‘ehetnently and repeatedly exclaimed, •' It is talse !
it is false!"

Sir It. WI r.sorr paused for a moment, and, turning round to.
wards doe place from which the interruption proceeded, said.
•` Who dares to say that I have cm spoken that which is false ?"
The cry was not repeated ; and af.er glancing • look of contempt
at the miserable object of hie indignation, proceeded. He said, the
charge, and the quarter from which it pr3ceeded, were too con.
temptible for hint further to notice it. (Cheers). The document,
he would repeat, he could produce to any elector; and he was
assured, by a most respectable gentleman, an elector of Southwark
and a 31agistrate, that the signature was that of 31r. Day.
The person who had occasioned the previous interruption here
cried nut, " Will you swear to it ?" This insolent remark was
passed over with silent contempt by Sir Robert Wilson ; but pro.
duced the loudest expression of indignant feeling from the assembly
towards the individual who uttered it. Ile was assailed with loud
groans and hisses, which he bore with the most apathetic in.
difkrence.

Sir R. Wiesen/ proceeded to call the attention of the electors
to the charge which had been brought against him for having
gone to Spain. Be it remembered that he went there to support
no isolated cause, but to support the cause of general freedom
and of humanity. And for having engaged in such a cause, he
merited the acknowledgments, and even he would say, the
gratitude of his constituents. But in going to Spain dial ha disc. t
his duty to his constituents ?—No. Before he left this country,
he nut only secured the promise of a friend' (31r. Laitibton)
to co-operate with his lion. Friend and Colleague ;Ale. Calvert)
in whatever concerned the local interests of the Borough of
Southwark, but he had done more—he had actually placed
his resignation in the hands of a worthy Elector of Southwa:k,
and he was surprised to have understood from that gentleman, by
a letter which he received from him in Spain, that his resignation
was not accepted by them. (Loud cheering.) Away, then, with
the charge of his having deserted his duty to them 1 He had only
left this country in obedience to what he considered a duty—in sup-
port of the principles of civil and religious liberty—not in support
of the Pope; and here he would say to the Candidata ( nr.. Pol.
hill) who himself title day cried out " No Popery !" that the cause
in which he (Sir R. ‘Vilsot) had been engaged was, to oppose the
domination of the Pope in Spain, and to rescue religion thee from
the arbitrary authority he sought to exercise over it. This was fully
shewn by the refusal on the part of the Pope to receive Villaitueva,
who was appointed Ambassador to Rome from the then Govern-
ment established by the Cortes, because the Cortes sought to
limit and restrict lois rower and authority in Spain. Let it
not then be said that he was friendly to the Pope, for he had
aided in the effort to put down his arbitrary domination in Spain.
(Cheers.) Ile begged to remind the electors, on whom he feared
he had trespassed too long, that political power was like military
possession—it could only be secured and preserved by perseverance
and by skill. He minted that their perseverance would not be
wanting to secure what they had already almost accomplished.
Dean Swift bad remarked, that he never saw anything so joyful in
London as the faces of those whom he saw in in:writing teaches
(a laugh); but he did not then see such a joyful scene as the pre-
sent—a scene whiz!) exhibited free and independent electors, adopt.
log a Representative—attached to him on principle—supporting
him against opposition—and in despite of that opposition reseating
him in that bight place in their confidence into which their volun.
tat y chaice had first adopted him.
Mr. Pobriter. next came forward. lie received considerable in-
terruption in the course of his address, which he bore with great
good humour, It was said that he wore despair upon his counte.
itance—he was not aware that he did—v.-rain!), he did not feel any.
Ile requested the electors might not be deceived as to 'he number,'
who were yet to poll. He begged to inform them that there were as
yet 1,600 unrolled voters ; and, fur his part, lie felt confident of
ultimate success. (Hear, hear.) It was his determination to keep
tile poll open to the last minute, and to poll to the last man. An
accusation had been brought against hint fee having cried " No
Popery." He admitted that he had done so ; but had not others
cried "No l'ollaili!" and was not lie as good as the Pope? (Laughter
and confusion.) Again and again he would say, "No Popery!" he
avowed the sentiment, and was not ashamed of It. It was also said
that he was au untried man ; but his father was a tried num (much
laughter); and he proposed to follow in the steps in which his
father had walked. Ha was a supporter of Administration. He ad-
mired the principles of Me. Pitt. Let the electors otoserve what
were the performances of thoee who were so loud in their proles.
sions. What dad Charley do when he got in? Chalky had
always been an enemy to taxation, hut when he got Into power he
laid on more taxes than either Lord North or Mr. Pitt. Ile

doubled
the income tax a month after he had got in.! (Loud eries
" • ►ery popular tax to incre Ise.") He raised it from live to
six per cent. This *hewed that those gentlemen were not always
the same in power that they were out of it. (Much confusion.)
As to the letter which had been adverted to, he would only say ha
knew nothing of it • he believed it to be " a weak invention of ihs
enemy." and so he trussed it would be proved to be. (Increased
confusion) Ile regretted to perceive that they were not disposed to
bestow a patient hearing upon him. Paul Pry made all apology
when he intruded, but they treated him with very little ceremony
when they interrupted him. (Laughter.) He hoped he should
have triter opportunities of addressing them in the course of as
election.
The Meeting then dispersed, and the polling, it was announced,
would be renewed on Monday (this slay) at nine o'clock.