The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1806-09-27 00:00:00

Yesterday, the adjourned meeting of the Eleltors
of the City of Westmtnsrmwas held, at one o'elock,.
at the Crown and AnchofTavern, in the Strand,
for the purpose of considering the Report of the
Committee appointed for the nomination of a pin-
per person to represent this City in Parliament, in
the room of the ever-to-be-lamented Mr. Fox.
After some observations from Mr. CI a SONS, upon
the propriety of the former Chairman being called
to the chair, and tbe.absolute necessity of a Chair-
man before the meeting could proceed to business ;
Mr. Wishart (the former Chairman) not answering
the summons. Henry Maddocks, Esq. Sen. was
unanimously called to the Chair.
The CHAIRMAN, having acknowledged, in band.
some terms, the ho'nour which had been conferred
upon him, and expressed a hope of filling the duties
of his situation with satisfaOion to the Meeting, re-
capitulated the Resolutions agreed to upon the
former meeting, and then called upon the Chair-
man, or some of the Members of the Committee, at
that time appointed, to declare the result of their
deliberations in nominating a person to represent the
City of Westminster in Parliament.
Mr. Paint, said, that it was highly necessary for
*el Committee, who had betrayed their trust, and
violated the privileges of the Eleetors of Westminster,
to come forward and declare the reasons why they
had nominated Earl Percy, who had already been
declared an unfit and improper person to represent
the city of Westminster in Parliament.
After some observations from Mr. Faosr, on the
point of order, and the Chairman's declaration of
the necessity of some of the Committee coming for-
ward to explxin their condaft,
Mr. Gissom, one of the Committee, rose, and
declared, that it had never been his intention to May
snore than a trivial part in the present conh-st, but
'be now felt himself imperiously called upon to give
some explanation on this subjea. The real obj.dt
'of the Elettors of 'Westminster had been Irmo aced
by the Committee they had appointed, and it was
highly distressing to him, to state, that a most for.
voidable coalition had been formed against the
tights and, privileges of the Eleaors of West-
minster s and as a person forming one cf that
Committee. an obloquy fell upon him, which it was
necessary to explain. Upon the first meeting, of
the Committee, at the Rainbow Coffee-house. it was
resolved, that Mr. Whitbread should be solicited to
some forward. as a proper person to advocate the
City of Westminster in Parliament, accompanied
with yds •!rang sentiment. '• that they r.. vrr would
be made the souls of rank and power." To this, Mr.
Whitbread returned for answer, that being returned
three several times by his t onstiment•, and from
othei privates motives, he mint decline the honour.
• To the man rime, he said, he had received a Icier
`from Mr. Hei ry Maddocks. Jun. dei lain% his in-
.tension of standing forward as a Candidate, to stem
the torrent of power, and assert the tights and
privileges of dr- Eleet•ds of Westminster. At the
next meeting, it was agreed, that Sir Francis Bur-
dett should be waited upon, to request he would
come forward upon this critical occasion, and the
Gendemea of the Committee, who were deputed to
wait on him, reported, that the worthy Baronet was
inaccessible, being in the country; and had direaed,
that no letters whatever should be forwarded to
)im. Mr. Gibbons called at his house the next
• day, and with the utmost readiness was informed.
that Sir Francis was only thirty miles horn town.
and any communication would be forwarded to him
immediately. The next step of this Committee was
to consult with the friends of Mr. Sheridan, and
adopt his recommendatii n to bury all contention,
and declare Earl Percy a fit and proper person to
represent the sty of Westminster. Against these,
and some other proceedings of this Committee, Mr.
Gibbous, and a few others, protested. He con-
sidered it an infringement upon the rights and
. privileges of the Elators—an abuse of the trust
reposed in them, and a plan to cajole the EleCtors
out of their free representation. Against the wlh
of these proceedings he had entered his pretest ;
and feeling, that, in some respect, an odium had been
cast upon him, as one who composed a part of that
Committee, he felt it his duty to lay the whole of
the circumstances before the meeting, submitting
to their superior judgment. lie further added, that
he had received (as one cf that Committee) a letter
from Mr. Henry 'Maddock:, of Liaculn's Inn, va•
pressire of thatgentleman's intention of offeringhim-
welt a Candidate few Westminster, in case no more
eligible pawn could be limn& who would have the
spit it Ansi indereptience to stem the torrent of ,rawer
and • ort seinen, and assert the igilependence of the
Bledors rf Westminster.
Mt. Hamer MADDOCES, SUM then rose, and, in a
speech of some length, to the course of which he
displayed great laarnirg, a thorough knowledge of
tile constitution of the country, the rights and pri-
vfleges of the sublet, and every other topic which
could relate to the representation of a free and in-
dependent people in Parliament, and the dtuy of a
senator and legislator ; stated his wish to become
a cantiiiiate,ien the reseed occasion, merely to stimm
Lte the people of Westmainster to assert tioldty and
sesslotely their rights and privileges, against the
powerful insetee; of family connections ; and half-
time taken a general survey of the persona who com-
posed His Majesty'. Council, at this moment, he
asked, could it be expelled, that men, guided by
such principles as actuated a Glenville. a Sid-
mouth, a Howick. a Petty, and an Erskine, cooed
, k be supposed, that such an Administraties would
interfere in the present contest, whose principles
bad ever been the free and indepeedero representa-
tion of the people in Parliament ? With respeet to
election ecTion of Earl Percy, he cautioned the Eleflors
against the appointment of any man, who would or
might increase the power and influence of the House
of feels in the Comments. Earl Fem.,' had already
been eleled Member for Buckingham; and ?es fa-
ther, before that time, had the power of sending
five Members to Parliament. The influence of the
Lords and the l'reasurv, already amounted to 424
Member,. and could the Electors of Westminster,
pat their hands so their hearts, and say, they will
give op their freedom independence, and send
one to Parliament, oo whom they cannot depend
Haring again adverted to the principles which had
ever guided his judgment, and Jitetted his mind,
and having explained what he considered the ditty
of the klectots, on the present occasion, he de-

...a retire. while HOssourahle,
, who had been the i .of mak-
ing delincitsency a subjea - consider-
ation of an Euglish House of Commons, should
propose to nominate some person, whom he well
knew to be worthy their consideration, as a proper
person to represent them, at the present awful and
momentous crisis.
Mr. PAULL said, it was his intention to propose a
person fur their nomination, %shorn he was certain
would meet with their unanimous approbation; and
'if he declined the contest, he should then propose
• another and another, as long as they would hear
him. The first person he alluded to was Sir Fran-
cis Burdett, (load and reiterated applause), whom,
ab ore all other, he considered the most calculated
tondefend their rights and independence; but it he
sh.duld feel himself so bound to his constituents of
• 111 diesex, as to decline their suffrages, he would
she propose a gentleman who had ever followed
the steps of that revered man, Mr. Fox, and who
was willing to sacrifice, his lite on the scaffold with
that great man ; who suffered with him in the cause
of liberty and independence, in obscurity, and re-
joiced with him in his restoration to those honours
and power he so well merited. He meant the
Right Honourable John Phiipot Curran. After
some further observations upon the merits of those
gentlemen, and a comparative view of the me: its aid
pretensions of Earl Percy, tie Hon. Gentleman
propoeed a Resolution, recapitulating the proceed.
ings of the former sleeting, the almost unanimous
reselion of Earl Percy, and the appointment
of a Committee, to deliberatte and report upon a
proper rnon to repres fit the City of Westminster
in Parliament. This Resolution further went to
censure the.conaluft of that Committee, us the strong-
est and most severe terms.
This Resolution being seconded, and the question
upon it being put by the Chair, was carried unani-
mously.
The that.ks of the Meeting were then voted, in the
handsomest manner, to Mr Gionons, and the other
Gentleman of the Committee, who had opposed
the proceedings before-me mined.
Mr PAULI, thenagdin adthessel the Meeting, and
said, he would not suffer the Crown itself to trample
upon tee tights and oidependence of the Eleflors of
Wes.m nster. He wet. not one of those who would
join • faCtion against tlic Government of the Coun-
try. but he would assert its independence ; ass:, as
he loved, revered, and adored t le memory and pejo-
ciples of Mr. Fox, he wou.ci deltoid the Constitution
of this s. ountry trim all inroads, whether Regal,
Ai istoci aticat, or Dertsiciatical He wash Foxite in
principle, and from toe conuubt of th se who calool
thems Ives Whigs, upon the present occasion, lie
thoosto they had forfeited or ahu•ed that ti le, and
th 'she teat extends of the coostitution should rally
under the name of Fax es. and the appellation of
Wing -should be east irto bole on. He declared
himself the friend of &Coon, not against ,he Go-
vernount, but Against the how% of Greliville ;
which, fur twenty-live ye.sts., was the supporter of
Mrs Pitt, and his measures, cod the calumniator
of Mr. Fox. first political step of Earl Pe. cy,
disqtia:ified him from representing Westminster,
and rendered his repri•sentutiOsi of that city, wnich
was the cradie of liberty and independence, ahor7
use. Lord Grenville gave him tee BOT,IUgh of
Ruckir.ghara, fa. lonly considerations. It wis not
sufficient for the Luke of N othumaerland to
send five Members to Parliament, influenced
by his rank and Neer. It. therefore, the
Lleelors had a rcveience and resist& for the
memory of Mr. Fla, they would show it, by re-
turning a Foxite only. Sir Francis Burdett,
therefore, was the only man, after Mr. Fox, who
was capable of guarditig their rights, and pre-
sei ring their independence. He, therefore. pro-
posed, that a committee should be appointed to
wait on Sir Francis Bottlett, to know his wish: s,
and in case he declined, to after the:; xuffraigeS to
Mr. Curran. Ho concluded by observing, that un-
less they should elea some independent man, the
City Of %Veen:Meer would become a close Borough,
Earl Percy would now be returned,* Earl Temple
would be elected the nest day, and that adieu to the
independence of Westininst..o; •

Mr. F.wti NG, a young Gentleman, then address-
ed the • Meetiag, in a speech replete :with more
ene•gy, eloquence, and argument, than we gene-
rally Witness tipnn such r ccasions. We regret our
limits will np, rrmit us to go into detail. Having
adverted-to the Meeting ar kildlis's Rooms, be ora.
served upoa that part of the speech of Mr.
‘Vhithread, in • which he declared the place of
Mr. Fox rru;t ever remain a vacuum. How,
he asked,. would the Corsican Tyrant, and
his arch-projectors feel at such a declaration from
an Englishman, Was Britannia to weep for ever
for the loss of that great man, like the Indian fe-
Mali over her dead warrior ? Or was it not rather
her duty to seize the arms and shield of the deceased,
and attack, with double energy, the stflor. ;n ad-
verting to the page of history, he found that the
great objeft of the Percys wa; pr.vate aggrandise-
ment ; when the present young Earl's father, the
sow Duke of Northumberland, having te en long
the ripporter of Mr. Pitt, war refused by that Mi-
nisttr the Lord Lietiteuantcy of Middlesex, he no-
minally
turned a Foxite ; yet this was the person
whose Ancestors were to be extolled to the skies ;
rehis was theperson proposed to be the representative
of the Free Elenors or Westminster. He thought
the I.leaors insulted said degraded by such a nomi-
nation ; but when this float, youth came to address
the Meeting, his language was that of an ideot,
and his delivery wart im .ecile. If he were elect-
ed, the free City of Westminster would becOme a
family borough. " If, therefore (he continued),
we are to die, let us die nobly." Bir Francis Bur-
dett, from the manner in which lot stood pledged to
the ficaeri of MidezreX, could • of possibly accept
their suffrages. hut he wonll name a gentleman,
who, in the lap of corruption, and plenitude of
power, withstood the torrent of temptation, and
returned from India, pomessrdsof that honesty and
integrity which ever guided his conduit w:io had
the spirit to expose peculation and oppression in the
face of a rich anti powerful adversary, hacked by a
m,•re powerful Ministry. fie concluded by pro-
posing Mr. Nati as the most fit and proper person
to sustain the rights and independence of West-
minstar, and put down pee station.
The resolutions in favour of So. Francis Burden
and Mr. Curran, were then arried umsaimously.

1111111111".11.11111111111111111111111111111111.1111111111111111111111.111111111111
_ .
. .
WESTMINSTER ELECTION. elated he should retire, %tilde a most Honour
Gentleman, who had been the instrument of I
—,.....,--
V•mtprdar. the adjourned meeting of the Eleltors ing India delinqt,ency
La subjea fortyt yntlne the eons
i . .t o.s 01