The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-06-26 00:00:00

WESTMIVSTER ELECTION.

TOURSDAi-AEVUNTH DAt'S POLL

This day, being the erverith of a most aoiaintrel
contest for the ell of 11'estalltister, was rhrrncter•
ised by cooAiderable Owl tinii.ot as to the slate of
tht poll, so far as rr.p cirri the two Candidates, SI,.
Fraiwis Burdett soul jrS Murray MAZwell. It op.
pea, a that the supporters or U e latter poll fur the
.110 11 part to the rotto.r torpors of the day, so AA In
give that Cal,tlidate ucce.sion of force, %Oriels
scarcely erer fails to lie counteracted Isefare the
close of the poll. It ig olgosurrasissed ilia: the
lower orders, who ore of universally
to give one vote at least to Sir Foancis, cahoot so
well spare tone to come tip to %Ott to the latter part
of the week.

The hustings at Covent-garden this morning pre-
sented no reitsart: dile or novel feature. Every tiling
itt.Tvrt-tt v«ry (finely daring the early prrin.l 'of the
except Unit the crowd auutrittl to them-
*elves to ritzlit to ettreltr.e the elector:. as they come
up to will, cheeriog those who professed thriiii,rivel
supporters of Sir Francis Burdett, and hissing those
who appeared to be the friends of Sir M. Maitwell.
The polling for Sir Samuel nomilly throughout
the day continued with its usual steadiiiess. to th.
latter part of the day, bodies of men a PorbirVll, a 4
on preceding days, accompanied I.y bands of tnusiy,
coining up to poll for Sir Francis Burdett,
A dreadful fracas took place in the latter port
of the clay, between some pari;es of ilie atipporters
of Burdett awl the men in the fancy retuned lir
Sir Caleb Baldwin, a rival of one of the Crud'.
&Art, for distinction *Ph the snob. Sticks were
distributed to the friends ~1 Sir Odell, to roohle
them to contend with some Probability of suc-cr,
against iiiiinberr which were found to be increa—
iiig reel), moment. Several persons were burr,
and sum, blood shed before these hero-s of Tothil-
fields reluctantly wiihdrew from die unequal con,
test, and finally took ilielter, we were iiifornied,
in a coffee-house under the Piazza (we believe
gaclitirdson's.)

Upon the declaration or the final state of tith
Poll the numbers appeared as follows :

Sir Samuel Rotnilly . ........
Sir Fraiwia Burdett 3 l4O
Sir Murray Maxwell . 2 69it
Henry Hula, Esq. -

A Gentleman, bearing nue or Sir F. Burdett;s
cockades iu his hand, addressed the trims), and so-
licited, in the name of the CommittieS triiiikr foe
Sir Friticia Burdett. and also for Sir Samuel
Romilly, a fair and impartial hearing for the friends
of the respectiVe Candidates. The request voila
the more necessary, as he understood that r Wend
of Sir Murray Maxwell, in the absence of the
gallant Captain, was abod t tci address the populace,
—(Cheering.)
Mr. Eimia rose for the ptirpose of delivering the
message with which he had been charged by the
gallant Captain. He expressed particular satisfac-
tion at hearing from the getitleinan who had just
spoken, that it was the wish of the CommitieeS
acting for both the other Candidates, that the fi lends
of Sir M. Maxwell should also he. fairly ward
he lied Oo doubt these Committees spoke the wishes
of their principals. Sir Murray Maxwell re-
gretted his illness Most. because he hail slot
been able to wait on them in person. awl pre-
sent himself upon the hustings. But he 'poured
them. on hil honour and couscience Na w man, that
Sir Murray Maxwell was totally nimble through
illness, to attend in his place or to rise from Ilia bed.
He was conscious that none in that great multitude
he now addressed, would for a moment sanction
the outrage which had been committed against the
toiforismate Candidate who sires now so sliwly re.
covering from a situatiiir so eminently deuteron-.
—(Hear, guar.)—He had no hesitation in belie...-
hog that the perpetrator of the crime himself,
felt remorse for the wet as wino as he had recover-
ed from the effects of that stionsentery fiery or
frenzy which hurried hie] on to co mit it.—
(Cheering.)—lt was not now, nor li-d• it ever beer..
the character of Englishmen, to assault ally pri-
son unprepared for defence. What hail been. h I
offence?—his compliance with the soh( itition of
seVeral most respectable Electors. to stand a Can-
didate for that truly enviable honour of being
the Representative of Westminster in Parliament.'
He had never by any conduct of his aggravated the
symptoths of their discontent. Patient enduraoce
and manly fortitude, with extreme suavity of men•
ners had been the only weapons by which he had
defended himself from the resentment and abusive
insults of some individuals in the crowd.—(Chree=
tng.)—The history of the Westminster Elections
presented sortie of the finest specimens of courage-
ous, independent, and patriotic conduct. For se-
rend elettions past they had uniformly elected some
distinguished wield other to represent the City of
Westminster, as being persona of a class less likely
to he corrupted or influenced by the temptations or
lures of Administration. 'lite gallant Captain*
upon whom the electors had in this instance eon
their eyes, and called to the high honour of shirting,
in the contest for the representation of the City of
Westminster. was a person very well known to
mane of them for his public virtue awl titivate
worth ; for a demd judgment. en .ardent mind.
mud ennoble disposition—it was not wonderfal
therefore diet his known character should have in.
diced many of the first rank of citizens to appear
at the hustings and vote for him ; and he hoped the
franchise would on every occasion be fairly
ruff conscientiously exercised, even by persons of
the,qicist exalted rank iu the country. It would be
an ill omen, indeed. if tbe exercise of the elective
franchise were either despised.by the superioi order
of citizens, or be discontinued through the sirpre-
hroions excited by the menaces of any particular
class of men. He had the greatest confidence in
the cause of the giillent Captain ; cud he hoped
the moment he *as vo far recovered as to he able to
present himself before them, would be the moms_ tit
which would retire his being returned us their Re-
prs genial; ve.—(('r its of 'I No, MI
.we won't hare
hint," and strong manifestations of displeasure
among She populace.)
Mr, I(INNAtRO rose, hut observing
which took place at this *meat, near the
iu ss Inch the officers interfered, aird struck

the crowd, he expreihed a conviction. that

stittittug the wnxiety they nimufetitett to heat
be should but ill acquit himself. from the
hott stwitined at ottiog li custable La s ud

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