The Sun.
London, England, 1820-03-08 00:00:00

TO THE FREEHOLDERS OF THE COUNTY•OF

SUSSEX.

, GENTLEMEN,
rr haVe broken the peace of a large and
-""po-
pulous County by an Election Contest, is an affair so
serious and momentous that you are entitled to an apology
for the step which I have taken, in having offered myself to
you •as.a Candidate for your Suffriges at the ensuing Elec-.
Ilion. The following Advertisement of the Hon. Baronet,
lately the Eastern Representative of the County of Sussex,
now my Opponent, is my excuse and apology
-" To the Gentlemen, Clergy, and Freeholders of the'
" County of Sussex.—lt has pleased Heaven t 6 release from
" the state of suffering our late TeneraMe and excellent. Mo-
"' narch. The present Parliament must, therefore, he die-
"solved within-a prescribed time, if not before. To me wire ••
" ther the Dissolutiots he immediate or deferred is matter of
" little moment. Conscious of having discharged my duty in
" Parliament (as I conceive) on Constitutional Principles, to
" which I stood pledged, I shall present myself before you,
" whenever called upon by a new Election, .not without"
anxiety, hut certainly without fear. It has been ever to me
" a source of pride and self-congratulation that no period of
" time, (however short) could find me 'unprepared or. un-
" willing to meet my Constituents, tolubruit my conduct to
" their judginent, to abide their answer, or receive a renewal
"of their confidence as a splendid reward. It is impossible
" not to advert to those measures of Government which were
" carried in the late short and eventful Meeting of Parlia-
" meat—measures which could never have been carried' had
" not the credulity of the confiding -been skilfully and insi-
" diously dealt with.'—The• return of the Country to peace
" and order, which we must all rejoice at, is. attributed, by
• " the Supporters of the Measures to which I have alluded, to
" their operation. But as I do not believe this tranquillity
" to have been brought about by the terror of these new
" Laws, I-Consider such an assumption to be Ifs false and
" gratuitous as the Laws themselves are arbitrary, uncalled
" for, and a most ill-timed and dangerous innovation of
" the Constitution.'—lt would inexpressibly grieve me to
" find that your opinion did not agree with my own on this
" important matter; but for my part I shall ever reflect with
" pride and satisfaction that I was one of the Minority' in
" the hard struggle for the Cause of Liberty,. during the pro-
" grass through Parliament of those despotic Bills, from
" which, however, by the jealous care_-and indefatigable at-
" tention of those who so anxiously watched their course,
" much of the poison was extracted, though the sharpness of
" the fangs remained.—Since writing the above I am inform-
" ed that an Opposition is likely to, take place ; but for that
" circumstance I probably should not so, soon have addressed
" you. • •It is, however, only necessary to observe, that no in-
,' ducement of any kind shall kad me to withhold or to with-
" draw from this Contest, (if it occur) so long as one Free-
" huller of the County -shall he found willing to give his
Suffrage.—l have the honour to be, Gentlemen; wit h great
" respect, your very faithful and devoted humble Servant,
" 13attel Abbey, Feb, 1820. " GODFREY WEBSTER."-•
This Advertisement is the cause of the Contest. The pro-
priety or impropriety of these new Laws is the point on
which We have joined issue. The .Parliament of Great
B itahl has said they were necessary—to you, the Freeholders
of sussex, the appeal is made by both_of us. A large, pn.
[rufous, independent, and uninfluenced County, is to sit
in judgment. Every Freeholder in. England will have his
eyes'iutent on the result of this momentous Contest, and by
the event the opinion of the People of Great Britain will in a
great degree he demonstrated. With great deference and
respect, I beg for your verdict in my faVour, and timid.) I
throw clown the gauntlet, and challenge him to the Hustings.
1 have the honour to be,
Gentlemen),
With due respect,
Your most obedient and litimb,le Servant,
Windmill-Bill, Feb. 29, EDW. JER. CURTEIS.
- 1820,