The Sun.
London, England, 1826-05-24 00:00:00

WESTMINSTER ELECTION,

the annual farce which has'been played so often by the "Ope-
ratives" of Westminster, was got up, and damned last night, at
the Crown and Anchor Tavern. The chief actors were Sir
Francis Burdett, who, having a bad leg, made a lame business of
his part. John Cam Hobhouse, who recommended 'Mr.• Can-
Meg to liberate the Greeks ; Mr. Coke, the farmer; . a Mr.
Sturch, of whom we know little or nothing; Lord Nugent, the
late partner of Mr. Cooke, in the Gwenappe Mining humbug ;
'Mr. Harmer, the Old Bailey Solicitor ; Mr. Waithman, the
liuen-draper; and, as we are told by.the " Chronicle," Mr.-Alder-
man Thompson. The old worn-out speeches had received very
little varnishing:. The only great novelty was a• touch upon the
evils of the Chancery Court, by Sir Francis Burdett, and the
whole thing had been merely revived, without either new scenery,
dresses, or decorations. The company was not, near so nume-
rous as we have known it to be On former occasions. The an-
nual insult to royalty--the toast of the "People," being allowed
precedence of the king, was of course given. So soon tol.the,
scramble for the ducks and geese was over, and the cloth cleared,
the. gentleman bawled it out, and not having got his lesson per-
fectly, called, it "The People, the only source of tegiotioate
power," which alteratioo excited a general burst of laughter; for
since the Operatives have attended lectures, they have tegen
un-Jerstand the difference " between -great A-and as bull's foot ;" and
the toot-master's murder of
.the king's English was generally de-
tected. Mr. Sturch spoke a great many good things about Sir.
Francis Burdett. Sir Fraiii:is Burdett praised the Westminster
electors, and propOsed the health of Mr. Peel, Mr, Coif, como
plimented Mr. flobhunse; Hohhouse Mr: Whitbread, the Mid-
- dieser orator, and so the old thing went round• like the songs at
a " free ,and easy," It is to be regretted, however, that whin
Sir Francis Bortlett spoke, sOnte'iliattppointincnt, at not being' al-
lowed " half and half," was manifested bytteveral of the, company,
and, at an advanced stage of the 'evening, the refusal to allow
pipes• had nearly QCCII4IOIIed a turn-outs Upon the.whole, the
thing was a failuri,' Notwithstanding the liberal ?speeches there
were made, " 1 sin," says one, 4‘ an independent num ; I nri.er
voted for the 11144 fitter, and Inert? trill." Bravo ! that man's
a trump," resounded instantly through the room ; and':--but we
must not be severe. :The old cause evidentlydeclities. The two
Members will, in all preibibility, be returned by the unanimous
voice of the., people of Westminster, but • the, change has been
brought about by the good sense of Sir Francis. Ilitrtlett and
Mr. Hobbotiee; both of "ivlioin have abandoned that violent and
indecorous opposition.which they once' manifested against the.Go,
vernment,. anti have become respectable Members of the llouseef
Commons. The. mist which was-once formed the rallying point
of the very scum of this once degraded tiity,bas reettivad its death.
blow. Here are now no pehtings about Universal Suffrage•and
Annual Parliaments--M; indecorous. allusions—no premeditatel
insults to the Government; bet Sir Tranc:i 'Burdett actually
proposing Of health, of a. Minister, Ltd thanks to hiin for hi,s
Jury 13ill, .and the mitioultueut of the Criminal Law, With the
exception of the first toast, there i* not a retwnee duet Would of-
fend the most rigid Royalist, the most. fastidious Tory: We do
not agree with either of the Westminster Representatlyei iu poli..
tics, but we can respoet them as gentlemen and legislators, so long
IA they refrain from paudetiii,: to tau- moll, and being thu organs
of a rabble.