The National Register.
London, England, 1819-03-08 00:00:00

THE' NATTONAL EGTVIVIT

- -
-WESIMINSTI

' Wednesday the contest ended. During the whole
day the crowds were greater than we ever witnesbed
upon an occasion of the kind. As might be expeeted,
the ruffianly work commenced with the polling.. The
animosity or the parties to each other was carried to a
groat extrem, ; even persons of a respectalA appearance
joined in the battle of blows as well as words. At
about two o'clock a tremendous shoutin was heard, in
the direction of Southampton-street ; a fight wasgoing
forward there, in which many were engaged. Th,2
light blue and yellow riband (the symbol of the Whigs)
waved for some time in victorious motion ; but those
who were distinguished by no colour soon changed the
scene, and the- colour of the ribund, by covering it with
mud.

At a quarter before throe, Mr. Hoi.house and Sir F.
Burdett came on the hustings, amid the loudest accla-
mations. Immediately after their entrance, a loud
shunt declared the approach of another Principal. A
rvimber of Gentlemen on horseback, with the emblems
of the successful Candidate on their breasts, and in their
hats, came in sight, and ranged themselves at the side
cif the hustings at which Mr. Lamb was to enter. The
crowds In that quarter were enraged at their appear-
ance. Several fellows ran for cabbage-stalks, and mud,
and brickbats, which lay in great quantities in is passage
between the booths. The signal for the attack was
given, and suddenly a volley of all sorts of filthy mis-
siles was let off against the friends of Mr. Lamb. To
describe the pickle its which the triumphant candidate's
friends were instantly exhibited, would be impossible.
The brother of Mr. Larnbton, and Lord William Rus-
sell, headed the pursuit of several into one of the pas-
sages of the Garden. The contest had assumed at one
time a frightful appearance; for at the moment the re.
sistance was made by the Whig..., on.: of the large
booths, upon which nearly a thous.liti people must
have beta collected, bent forward. The battle became
less vigoraus, the booth was lightened of its weight,
and the contest was resumed. Suddeialy a shout rant
the sky ; it came from the pedestrians, who conducted
.ilr. Lamb to the hustings.
Mr. Lamb appeared in his place, next to the High
Bailiff: At three the poll-books were closed finally ;
anti the following numbers were exhibited :
For The Hon. G. 1,411 h 110
M. WWI
M dor C4it r cht 38

Mr. Morris,' the High Bailiff, then came forward,
and informed the Meeting, that the Election had ter-
minated in favour of Mr. Limb, who was aceurdinzly
the IL:presentative in Parliament fur the City of West-
minster.

The crowd manifested. the utmost iadigdation Mr.
Lamb stepped fbrward. thanked the Meeting for having
done him •the honour of appointing him to represent
Westminster, in conjunction with the worthy• Baronet,
to whose assistance ne should look with expectation in
the course of his parliamentary career. He assured
them, be should watch over their liberties with as care-
ful an eye as those who talke.l a great deal about liber-
ty; and he would leave it to a ftt r day to decide
whethcr.he was right in his views, a:: to the best means
of securing their rights and privileges.
Mr. llobilouse came forward, a.oltlst immense np.
platise. He came, he said, to bid them Isrewell. The
people of Westminster had, he said, lost the election :
he trusted they had not lost their honour. One thing
at least he was sure of—the Independent Electors had
.more consolation in sueh a defeat than the adversely
could have had in such a victory.—Applanse.—The
coalition of all the ptiwtrfnl parties itt the State hail
arrayed themselves against the Pecipm. The numbers
of those who had been led by false views, innuenced
by threats, and deluded by provisoes, proved greater
than that of those who had cor.seientionsly done their
duty. He must at the same time be understoosl to
say, that he did dot accuse all of those who had voted
for the opposite party of having voted against their
consciences ; a great deal must be allowed tor prejudice.
Bat it would; he said, be easily seen who had the best
reason to be content with the issue of the contest :
On one side, was a Candidate sek-cted from the people,
:bent upon the service of she people, declaung hethre
them his ithhorrenco of the conduct of a large politicat
hotly in the• State, and musing, by chat declaration,
their active resentment. Ile had told the kcople the
real character of that party who hail always pretend...l
.to wish to alleviate their miseries, and who now gave a
proof of their sincerity, by sending forth a Candidate
against reform, and risking the chance of a civil war.
Opposite to the cause of the people stood the othe: can.
dictate, the producer f that abandoned coalition which
had already been dexribed. liet•vta.ti the two, it was
easy to see to• whom the glory belotis;ed. The venal
party were ready. to adopt all kinds of cajoleri:s and'
tricltsag,tinst the people.. Although they c.•rried otw..y
what they called Iriumi-sh, to the iadepenclen: El.:eturs
(clipse who voted for hi,n) belozzgcd the reel glory nod
the true pr,fit of the contest. Ihe latter lAA game.'
ma, h. The battle had proved, that nearly 44:19
reformers had the *manliness to limit :t:t threats, and
stand again-t a coalition unparallelled iti :h.e annals of
the Whigs...4.olli applaune.-Thr.a. :ea. another

71

advantage derive l from the result of the contest: it
proved that nothing was to be expected from the Whigs,
that they sought nothing but •he aggrandisesneut of
their own great families. For himself, he felt the
deepest gratitude towards those Electors who had
placed such confidence in him. He beim well what
he had to encounter when he began. Every weapon.,
that malice and power could arm his adversary with.
had been used against him. He would now bid them
farewell, to retire to the static► from which he had
come. He then bowed to the crowd and retired:

Sir F. Burdett came forward amid the loudest shouts'
of applause. He said, the opponent was not so proud
of his triumph as to be anxious to display his honour,
before the Meeting on the last day of the contest. He
looked forward to the effect of his labours with the
greatest hope; for he saw in the independent Electors
of Westminster a strong reliance upon that axiom, that
all power emanated from the people.—Applause—He
was not disheartened by the parties of hired ruffians
whom the people had driven before them. The cause.
was near being realised ;„ never had it been so near
completion in Westminster. Mr. Hobhouse had said.
he would bid them farewell, hut it might not be a very
long farewell—loud cheers —for he was justified lsX the
poll. and the ifencral. feelings of the people of West--
minster, in plactno., himself bthre them as the firm sup- •
porter of their rights and liberties.—Besides the imbed
interests, and the base modes resoetml-lb, the Eleetost
had to regret the falling off of now of their staunch
supporters.—Fries of " Wished." Mi Wishart was-
always a Whig. and therefore could nut be condemned.
—Cries of " Sturch '—The dereliction of pu'olie ilstr
committed by that Gentleman was indeed a surprbe.
Their's (the Reformers) was the day of triumph: a tri-
umph which he wonld nit resign for the paltry result of
a contested electio 1. He now took leave of the Electors
of Westminster with increased est2em, and, he trusted,
more c;osely connect. d than ever with them from this
struggle, in whicn they had joined heart and hand in
restoring the constitutional rights of the people of
England —Great applause.—The parties then IcR, the: