The National Register.
London, England, 1817-12-22 00:00:00

A CALL TO ELECTORS ON THE AI'PRO ACHING

GENERAL ELECTION.

WE, last week, adverted to the

of Sir

John Egerton having declined the risk of ft rejection
by his constituents of Chester, at the approaching '
General Election, The cause of his intended retreat
has been distinctly stated. tie had voted for the sus-
pension of the Habeas Corpus act, and lie has reason
to believe, that the vote has so far soured the minds
•f the Electors towards him, that they will not again
honour him with their suffrage. Assuming that this
statement is correct, we have already expressed our
opinion of Sir John's conduct in thus abandoning
the field before a shot has been fired; we will now
offer a word to the Electors as a warning against
the evils which may arise to the country, and of course
to themselves, if they adopt that crooked and left-hand-
ed policy which, by Sir John's conduct, is attributed
to their brethren of Chester.

After whit have seen of the efforts of the dis-'
affected, we cannot but feel both indignation and
surprise, when we see men, whose birth has placed
there in the higfiest rank in society, where their ex-
ample and influence may produce so much of either
good or evil, by any act, be i. of omission or commission,
adding strength to the chuffs of t .e evil disposed.
While we saw the pestilential doctrine of radical
reform confined to Cobbett and of • ,ffieeraiile associ-
ates, we had only to lament, that sash contemptible
agents should have the power to produce so much
Mischic i; The finnuess of f..e Govern :alit gave wood
Men conliderke, and they looked forward to the day
-when the returning reason of the people would effec-
tually crust tafat demon of sedition, which had made
such hurrid inroads on their happiness. If, however,
the example of the Member for Chester is to be fol-
lowed, the CobGetts, the Hunts, the Woolcrs, and
the host cf their 'inferior satellites, have not toiled in
vain ; the, noun-day assassin and the midnight plun-
derer have not been excited in vain ; the enemies of
social order, the advocates of physical resistance, may
exult in the triumph they have gained, for, by terror
they will have elEcted that, which reasoning was
*sable to accorylisb. If it be true, as has been
stated, that the ;:lectors of Chester are indignant at
their representative, let us ask, not only them, but the
whole body of Electors, have they dispassionately con-
sidered the nature of the alleged offence ? Da they
subscribe to the opinion which was expressed by some
Members in the House of Commons, that the existing
laws were equal to the cure of the existing
evil? Has not every day furnished unhappy proofs to
the contrary, for, in how many instances, where the
existing laws were had recourse to, have they failed to
inflict that punishment which the objects of prosecution
were, by all well intentioned men, allowed to deserve.
No one as ventured to assert, that the plunderers
the end of December were innocent men, and yet the
existing laws acquitted them.
Before Electors make hasty decisions against such
of their representatives as voted fur the suspension,
they will do well to consider what use has been made
'of that great power which the measure plaeed in the
hand of the executive government. They will then
find that die number of persons imprisoned by virtue
of that SlIN,1011SI.!,,, is now reduced to almost nothing;
for, as tae dauger of civil commotion subsided, the rein
of power w r..pidly relaxed. They will also do well
to pu• :he vekith,n sev,ouk,ly to themselves,—lles not
much mischief beca prevented by the suspension ? If
the poison which a proliigate press has so widely disse-
waiaated, ass oet taintel client to the very cure, their
confidence seek answer in the affirmative; and it' satis-
fied. Cla thit point, their hosiiiity to the supporters of