The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1803-03-21 00:00:00

.4DVEITIS R•

ADDRESS
To the ELECTORS of the TOWN and COUNTY of the
TOWN of NOTTINGIIAM.
GENT LE Mat;
In calling for the Decision of a Committee of the
House of Commons upon the merits of the Lite
Election, I had this objeet—to establish, in the face
of the Public, and in .the front of Disaffection, this
great and leading principle of English Liberty—that
Elections ought to be free 2—a most respectable Com-
mittee have so decided; and, as far as I have been
concerned in it, I have done it more for the sake of
others than for myself.
I have no desire to remind you of an Eleetion,
carried on under a system of terror hitherto un-
known in the annals of this Country. Ido not wish
to bring back to your recollection, scenes so dis-
graceful to the Police of the Place in which yeti
live ; but I look to the House of Commons with :et
anxious hope, that they, who are the natural GUar-
diens of the Freedom of Election, will afford some
.effectual proteetion to the Electors of Nettingham,
before they summon them again to a new Eleetion ;
because those, who are at the head of the present:
' miserable Police of the Town, haVe been compelled
to admit, that at the last Elie Lion they were unable
to give you any protelion, and that they were at
the mercy of a Mob.—l presume this will not be
controverted, but, if it should, let them choose be-
tween the alternative of saying, that they were una-
ble, or unwilling, to protect you : in the one case,
they reqtrire the assistance of additional Magistrates,
and in the other, they deserve to be stripped of all
authority.
When I consider the advantages which you have
gained by this decision, my object is completely
answered ; whatever may be the event, you will
allow me to say, that it is rather whimsical, that it
should hay 'seen imputed to me, that I have added
to the distresses of the Coqntry, and that I have
been-a blind supporter of the War ; when those who
make the charge know, or might know, that I have
uniformly, during the late Parliament, given my
Vote in favour of Peace : .No—these are not my
crimes—Mv crime is, that I venerate the Monarch,
and the Monarchy, and that I detest and abhor
those Principles which have led to the abolition of
Monarchy in other Countries, and which were in-
tended to have had the same effect in this.
My greatest Enemies will, I am sure, give me
credit for having never wished to deceive them, or
to conceal my Principles ; my Conduct, with all its
faiths, has at least had the merit of being at all
times open and undisguised : and I have no hesita-
tion in saying, that if there are any amongst yet!"
who wish to disturb the Government of the Country,
they would be ill-represented by me. However we
may have differed upon great Political Questions, I
have one consolation, which no clamour can take
from me : I have the satisfaction of knowing, that
I. can lay my hand upon my heart and say, that,
have been a faithful Servant to you; and that I
have never prostituted your interest, or advanced
any own. I have done the Town some service, and
they know it • because I have been the instrument of
opening the boors ofJustice to its Inhabitants, by
removing the decision of Party Questions to a fair
and impartial Tribunal. I have attended to your
Concerns, both in and net of Parliament ; I have
never neglected the application of the poorest Man
in the Town; and, I believe, I might venture to
say, that I have saved the lives of some of you ; in
return for which, there were persons who seem to
be disposed to.take away mine.
Having thought it to be thy deny to sty so much
in my own j ustiecai :etas an injured man, !shall now
discard from my recollection every trace of what is
past, and assure you, if I should be again in the
situation of your Representatere, it shall be my
study to render to you, collectively and individually,
without distinction of Party, every service in my
power.
I cannot avoid taking. this opportunity of es-
pressing my most grateful Acknowledgment to
those numerous and respectable persons, who have
so liberally contributed their assistance in the.sup-
port of a cause which they consider not to be my
cause alone, but the cause of tire Public. Undoubt-
edly it is a matter of no importance to the Public,
whether the Town of Nottingham is represented by
one Candidate or another ; but it is of the utmost
importance to the Public, that Principles should not
be openly circulated with impunity, in the heart of
this kingdom, which have been borrowed from a.
neighbouring nation in the worst of times, and
which lead directly to the subversion of ail Order
and Government. These Principles can Only be
ettecked by same salutary regulations, to be made
by the Government of the Country ; and I trust
and hope, that those whose duty it is to watch over
the Interests of this Realm, will think it high time to
interfere, by adopting some meesuees which Will
give nerve and energy to the feeble Magistracy of
the Town of NottinghaM, the principal Members
of which have frequently admitted, and have are
fected to lament, that at the last Election they were
utterly unable to maintain good order, peace, and
subordination in the Town or Nottingham.
Having the strongest confidence that I still re-
tain the good opinion of the real Electors, and that
the violence made use of against me, at the last
Election, came principally from those who had no
Votes to give, and that it was mingled with a de-
sire to overturn the Legal Government of the Cone-
tty ; I feel it to he my indispensable duty to offer
myself again as a CandWate, in the perfect persue-
sion that I shall meet with that generous Support
which I have so frequently received at your heeds,
wtenever the wisdom of Parliament shall third; it
prudent to issue another Writ.
I have the Honour to be,
With great respect and gratitude,
Gentlemen, your much obliged,
and very faithful Seivant,
Inner Temple, D 11.2- Pisses: Cosy.
March 19th, law.