The Sun.
London, England, 1806-10-01 00:00:00

ELECTION.

TO THIE EDITOR OF THE S.in4i,

. SIR,
r thought it unnecessary to make any reply to
Some impertinent liberties taken with my name toy
a Mr. GIBBONS, at a Meeting stated to be of the
Electors of Westminster, held at the Crown and
Anchor Tavern, on the 26th instant, as reported: in
some of the Morning Prints. It has, however, been!
suggested to me by some of . the respectable Elec-
-tors.who signed the original requisition for the first
Meeting, that I ought not, in justice to them, to
leave such assertions wholly unanswered. I take

•
leave to assure you, that I never did call at Sir F.
BURDETTS, nor ever made any application to him
wLatever respe&ing the Westminster Eleaion ; and
that Mr. GIBBONS'S assertions; that " Mr. BURG' SS
,;assured hint they.wished to come forth, and oppose
.the Boy ;" that " Mr. BURGESS seconded the motion
about Sir FRANCIS BURDETT ;"
,and that, " if he
(GIBBONS) had a mind to set up as a Candidate; he
should undoubtedly have. -his support," are gross
falsehoods. I request to add, that, so far from my
attending the Committee, on the suggestion of Mr.
SHERIDAN, or that he corrected the Resolutions of
the 23d instants I attended it only in. consequence
of their own especial request in writing; and un-
derstanding that an attempt had been made by Mr.
GIBBONS to promote a fruitless and vexatious op-
position, which would not be consistent with what
bad passed at the first Meeting, so respeaably at-
tended, at the Crown and Anchor Tavern.
admit that one of the CoMmittee (but not my-
self) sarcastically told GIBBONS, that he would ad-
vise him to set up himself, and that he should have
his support : but surely this man could not under-
stand it other than as the Electors must see it was
meant.

I would not desire you to take this contradi&ion
of GIBBONS'S statement, if my assertions could not
be fully confirmed by all those of the Committee
who.were present, and who know that my assertions
are, correa.—l remain, Sir your obedient servant,

HENRY BURGESS.
Curzon-street, Sept. 30, 1806.

, Mr. Eprrott—Certain Resolutions having ap-
peared in the Public Papers, signed. " HENRY
'MADDOCKS, Chairman," and stated to have been
agreed to at a Meeting of the Eleetors of Westatin
ster, most grossly and falsely refleCting, not only
upon my charaCter, but upon the charaCters,of other
persons who signed the Requisition which called the
first Meeting at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, I
deem it incumbent,on me, in justice to myself and
them, to state what passed upon the subje&
that most numerous and respeetable Meeting, which
met on
,Thursday, the t sth instant, ,after the busi-
ness was considered as entirely over, and Mr:SHE-
EWAN had even left the room, an irregular motion
was made in the - midst of the noise and hurry of
breaking up, which converted those who had signed
the Requisition into a Committee for the purpose of
searching for a new Candidate. No consent was or
could have been given 'on our parts—for very few
of us did or could hear what was going on. A few
of us, however, met together the next evening, at
the Rainbow Coffee-house, when a Letter from Mr.
MADDOCKS to Mr. GIBBONS, offering to become a
Candidate, was read to us. We did not conceive that
the accepting this offer would be discharging the duty
imposed on us, did we chuse to a& under the appoint-
ment ; but, in consequence of an unanimous
Resolu-
tion of the Committee, that Mr. SHERIDAN should still
be requested to allow himself to be proposed as a Candi-
date, Mr. KELLY and myself waited on Mr.SHERIDAN.
Mr. SHERIDAN persevered in his former-determina-
tion, stating other circumstances, which convinced
us of the propriety of, the line of conduct he had
adopted. We endeavoured to consult Mr. SHERI-.
N, as to any. other respectable person to whom we
tight apply.. Mr. SHERIDAN said, that the line he
had taken with respect to Lord PERCY prevented
him from taking any other course but to induce his
friends to >follow his example by a cordial and sin-
cere support of his Lordship. We suggested Mr.
WHITBREAD. Mr. SHERIDAN Said, there could not
be a more proper person,but that he was confident he
would decline, and that he engaged to support Lord
PERCY. SQITIC other persons were also named;
when Mr. SHERIDAN replied,, that he must decline
giving any other opinion to us as a Committee, with
regard to what was fittest for us to do; but that he
hoped no person would encourage a vexatious and
fruitless opposition, without a prospect of success
and that it must be obvious, that no successor to
Mr.
,Fox could be looked for amongst Mr. •Fox's
political or personal friends, for that he himself had
found that every one of them were engaged in the
cause:of Earl PERCY.

Mr. WHITBREAD, however, was applied to; and
on the Monday evening, his letter, stating that he
had declined, being read, it was resolved to apply to
Sir FRANCIS BURDETT, which application was made
by me, and two others of the Comykittee, and not ty
Mr. Burgess, as falsely stated by Mr. GIBBONS, at the
Crown and Anchor on the 26th instant. The
answer was, " That Sir FRANCIS was out of town,
and had direaecl his Porter not to send any letters
until he heard from him."

Upon thus failing, both in respe& to Mr. Warr-
nimAn and Sir F. BURDETT, and no other fit person,
as a successor to Mr. Fox being suggested, we did
not think -ourselves at liberty to go about .and ran-
sack the City in search of some person disposed
to promote tumult and vexation, without either
pretensions for standing, or hopes .of succeeding ;
and accordingly, at an adjourned Meeting, held at
the Rainbow Coffee-House, on the cad instant, at
which eight out of twelve of the. Committee were
present (the others having declined to attend), we
Unanimously came to the Resolutions Which have
appeared in the Public Papers, signed by ine. It
is perfectly false that there was any thing surrep-
titious in our proceedings, or that the Committee
were taken by surprise; and the sentiment was
equally unanimous, without abating in our attach-
ment to Mr; SHERIDAN., or our corivialon in his
preferable title, to give our cordial support to •Earl
PRltcy.

I am sorry to intrude myself upon the Public, but
no persOn can read the libellous Proceedings and
Resolutions of the Meeting held at the Crown and
Anchor, on tilt 26th instant, who will not admit
th4t such intrusim btry beep unavoidably called for.
I am, Sir, yOur Most humble Servant,
Sept,-3(1..180ti. Wm. WhLKEk, -
chairmun of the Committee of the Eleetors of West.
uniuter, at Plc Ratob,rx cotlic.livwct •