Star.
London, England, 1820-03-23 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX ELECTION.

FIFTH DAY.
Upon the hustings to-day, among other distinguish- !
ed characters, were Lord SEFTON, Sir ROBERT Wu.-
SON', M. P. Mr. CALVERT, M. P. Lord JoRN Rue-
s-m.l, the HOn. Mr. G. BERKELEY, Alderman WooD,
M.P. &c. besides several elegantly dressed females.
The morning was occupied with the usual humours
Of an election, and there was exhibited along the road
an endless variety of effigies, placards, addresses, &c.
The state of the poll, at the close, was as follows:
Mr. BTNG - 2410
Mr. WHlTllltrAil 2095
Mr. Mesctsu - 1629
Mr. Whitbread having a majority over Mr. Mellish
on the day's poll of ?9.—Enthusiastic approbation.
Mr. BYNG, in the course of his speech, said, there
was one question which he hoped the electors of
Great Britain generally would put, in the first in-
stance, to every Candidate who solicited their suf-
frages: namely, " in these times, when the people
. are already loaded with excessive taxes, will you or
will you not support any increase to the Civil List ?"
(Great applause.)—This should be the test, arid he
hoped it would be everywhere Applied. They were
anxious to support the crown; they were anxious that
the King should be beloved—Were there seas a z;,:ne-
r,7l shout of " And the Queen ! the Queen ! Ood bless
11.:r rj—and so his Majesty would be beloved, if his
IY‘inisters would give him wholesome advice, and
prevent him from ever thinking of an increase to an
allowance, which was already not merely sufficient,
bat amply sufficient—(Great applause.) But if this
attempt to increase the Civil List were really to be
made at a time when every private family was
obliged to make great sacrifices, owing to the exist-
ing burdens, it would tend to alienate the affections
of this great people from the Throne more than any
thing which happened during the long term of his
political services.
Mr.Wirrr. BREAD was received with much applause.
As the exertion of the Electors increased, his ability
failed him in expressing his additional thanks in a
manner to do justice to his own feelings. The eyes
of the whole country were upon the contest, and the
result would have its influence upon public opinion.
This was a war of paper, produced in abundance
from the mill, and the greatest manufacturer was al
Bank Director, who thought to succeed in his views
when supported by the Treasury, the Ordnance, and
the Civil and Military Departments. All this had
not shaker. his (Mr. Whitbread's) confidence. The
Freeholders had proved that the cause of the County
w ses worth defending, and honest fidelity would prove
victorious. Their powerful exertion, for which he
again thanked them, wanted no incentive to urge
them on. The more the Electors showed their powers,
the stronger would be the lesson to those who
v:ant to make Middlesex a County of Government
dependency—( Loud c.l:ee..ia,;).
Mr. MELetsii next advanced, and was heard with
fairness until towards the close of his speech. He
began by saying, that he thought it was not acting
like Englishmen, to hear accusations brought against
a Candidate, and not to hear his reply to them—
(.4 cry rof " Well done, ; we willl.-11 Elec.
ti,ns for that, or any other County or Borough, were
to be carried by noise and tumult, and the accused
iedividual was not to be heard in defence, he was
very certain that such a system would not reflect any
credit on the Freeholders of such place or county.—
He concluded by observing, that he was, in the
words of Mr. Whitbread, undoubting of success,
because he was certain that his friends would fulfil
the promises they had made to him—(Hisses).
Snme altercation then ensued upon the hustings, in
cea.seTtence of Mr. Mellish's objecting to Lord John
Foeiseil's add' essing the Meeting ; it was at length
terminated by the latter's corning forward. As soon
a, the enthusiastic gtceting with which lie Wits re•
c;:i-s-ed had subsi•Rsti,
Lord Jotts congratulated them because
PI;-. I;vng stood so high upon the poll; he congra-
talatej them that hi:bread stood so high upon
the poll ; and he also congratulated them that Mr.
Mellidi was so low upon the poll—(Applause and ,
1 ni47,!fcr ).-1f :hey went on in this way, he did think
would soon convince 5.!r. Mellish that he was
not the choice of the Electors of Middlesex. His
Lordship observed, that he had seen it asserted that
Mr.tlellish was the friend of Liberty ; it seemed, in-
cleud, that they and he had very different notions of
I:bclty...._(App/a!f::).—And he (Lord John Russel:
theaght it peril time that they should separate. The
ad.vocates of "Mr. Mellish maintained that he was the
ft ..t.nd of the Constitution,—(" They are liars").—
Why ?—by the word Constitution they did not mean
that old and glorious °lie of- Englishmen, but the
Constitution or—the Cabinet—(Great applause).—
They said that he was the ft iend of the Laws, and so
be hoped wet e they all of them friends of the Laws ;
and yet mote, that they were friends of Freedom ; for,
without the regular execution of laws, there might be
power, there might be corruptions, but there could be
no real liberty—(Cheers).—The laws of which Mr.'
Mellish was the friend, therefore, were the new Laws.
—The difference between him and them was, that
they were friends of the old ones. He had as yet
seen no one of Mr. Mellish's advocates who would
say that he was the friend of the People ; and he
owned this had puzzled him not a little till yester-
day, when Mr. Vancittart had comedown to vote for
1-im, and then it appeared that he was the friend of
Mr. Vamittart, and not of the People. He would
not detain them longer—(Cries of " Go on, go on,
Russelr)—but he would lease them with the hope,
that the Election for the County of Middlesex, not-
withstanding that vote, was now secured.—His Lord-
sbip then retired amidst the most enthusiastic plaudits.
Mr. 'Sheriff PARKINS addressed the Freeholders,
relative to the altercation between him and Mr. Mel-
Vsh, whom he accused of interrupting him in his
dety. He was there to keep the peace ; and he had
seen Lord Sidmouth yesterday, who expressed a hope '
that he would do so, and he would—(Bravo, Par-
ki'.;). Mr. Mellish had roused his English blood,
and she cared for no man. If the Election continued
sifter to-rrioirow, he hoped it would finish peaceably
and according to the peoples' wishes.
Tuesday veining, as a youth, of the name of Goocher, was
drivbkg out of the Isleworth into the Bath road, with two
female:in a one-hone chaise, they were crossed by a landau,
1114 with voters, and overturned. The youth had his arm
broken in two places, and the wheel of the landau went over
the chest of one of the females, who was carried away Knacks',
gird axe other female was severely hurt.

1L:

. . .
. . .
determined on, and the parties approving ark went' tlie question trit'dosely pitt.to ihat witness, he hat
different Ways to see what was going oil. -But r said he would not poSitively swear that he neier de-
this evidence, it might have been supposed that that dared he would rather "be rowed to his ow we
which had actually taken place had caused the dis- in the blood of the Reformers, than walk to it on the
persion of the Meeting. But why, he asked, had paiement !" He at first denied this, but did not
they not proved the reading of the Riot Act ? He choose to swear that he had not used the words ift
had witnesses from the same house in which the Ma- question, because he recollected that those were in
gistrates had been, to prove that it was never read. attendance ivfiii eoula coiittijia him. That saitebia
If it were read, why was it not proved ? Why did then described him to have proceeded to the Star,
not Mr. Ethelston, who sent word to the Oldham In- where the Magistrates were assembled. He con-
quest (not daring to go himself), that it had been plained of the description given of his conduct on
read—why did he not prove the reading on the pre- that °erasion, and of the inference drawn from it by
sent occasion a He (Mr. Hunt) had not put the ques- the Learned Counsel, and 'declared, that when cal-
tion to him. That would not do for him, for he ducted to the Star, he could no more tell that it was
knew that Mr. Ethelston would have said " yes," the Star, than he could the names of all the stars in
bang, but indirectly he had got him to swear that it the firmament. Enlarging on this point, he, in the
was not, kir he had made him admit that the crowd most solemn manner, conjured the Gentlemen of the
had received no warning of that which the Magi- Jury to dismiss liom their minds the prejudices that
strates intended to do. This was swearing that it might grow on the misrepresertations a hich that mail
had not been read; for what was the Riot Act but (Mr. Scarlett) had endeavoured to instil into then..
a warning ? Where ware Mr. Trafford, Mr. Norris, The JUDGE interfered, and objected to such leis:
the Rev.lllr. Hay, and the other Magistrates, who guage.
might have proved the reading, if it had taken place? Mr. Hunt apologised, and hoped allowance srorld
Mr. Hay was a bold man. Aby bad he not been be made for his feelings. Ile proceeded to contend
put in the witness box ? He (Mr. Hunt) had too that misrepresentations had been addressed to them,
much experience to put a Magistrate in the box for and noticed the evidence of three of the witnesse=s
examination in chief, who had received a living of one had been a lunatic, the second had been a de-
£2,500 per annum for what he did on that occasion: setter, and the third a confessed thief; as the hot had
but could be hare had him there to cross-examine admitted that he had robbed his master 14 years ago,
him, he would have given a Jew's eye for him. It and had only paid the money which he had taken since
was his intention to put witnesses of high respecta- the commencement of this prosecution. Cowper, it hal
bility in the box to meet the evidence of Mr.Hukon. been stated, went to the hustings as a Rep
orter,eo and
The question which the Jury had now to try was, not Mr. Orton, another Reporter, gave evidencea he
whether or not he (Mr. Hunt) was guilty, but whe- had said, that " if any one creates a disturbance, put
then or not the last spark of liberty should be ex- him down, and keep hint down," and both contra-
tinguished in England?—and whether the Jury, their dieted what bad been sworn to by Mr. Entwistle,
wives, and children, in common with all other, Platt, who was so well acquainted with theyi-isies,
should be left exposed to be assailed by a drunken came next, and swore that Bamford and Moorhouse
infuriated soldiery, at the will of any young hot- were on the hustings. This would be disproved in
headed Magistrate, who might think proper to order both cases by evidence ; Moorhouse, in particular,
the Military to advance to disperse a popular As- had no more to do with the blanches er Meeting
sembly ? He commented on various parts of the evi- than the Gentlemen of the Jury had to do with it.
deuce in which he discovered contradictory allega- He reminded the Jury of Plates connexion with the
tions. He reminded them of the evidence of the flimsies, and he further commented on the alacrity
mushroom Serjeant, who had represented Bamford as which Platt had manifested on the succeeding day of
addressing the party at Middleton, and telling them the trial, to swear to the cons ezt of a person who
that there would be no disturbance till they came was committed for intetrupting the Court. He had
back. It would be proved that no such words were first sworn that he saw the man jumping up and
used, and that the sole object of Bamford's address down—then, that he saw him moving his hands up
was to peace d- good r. The 80. and down—and, at last, (on the words being unin-
roughreevesreserve had calfd aan
Meeting o
inder 1819., to con_ tentionally put into his mouth by Mr. Scarlett), that
sider how far they should congratulate the Prince he saw him clapping them! and he added, another
Regent on the prosperous state of the country, a hen person in the gallery could swear to the same thing!
nine-tenths of the population of those parts were in Who was this person in the gallery? It was the wit-
extreme distress. Then it was legal to call a Meet- ness Murray !—He felt that it would be unnecessary
ing, to which those who inhabited the neighbouring to detain the Jury longer by comments on such tes-
townships were invited. No objection was then tiinony.—After noticing the evidence given by the
started to the legality of such a Meeting. He took witnesses Orton, Green, and Ellis, he complained
occasion to advert to what had been said of him. that the Learned Counsel, who had with propriety
He ha'ck been described as an illiterate, vulgar raga- treated lightly the case of Jones, ought to hare taken
muffin, without means ! What was the fact ? He with that of Moorhouse a course somewhat uifferent
was a Lord of the Manor of Glastonbury, in Somer. from that which he had pursued.
setshire, %Oleo his property lay. He had been, per- , The JUDGE reminded Mr. Hunt, that it was to his
haps, one of the greatest farmers in England ; his own defence that he should confine himself.
property had descended to him by inheritance; on Mr. Hunt submitted, that if the defence made for
that account he was less proud of it than if he had Moorhouse had a tendency to acquit Moorhouse by
acquired it by his own exertions; but such was the convicting him, that then he had a right to touch On
fact. He had ever lived as a Gentleman ; and in this subject—The JUDGE acquiesced.
every village where he had resided, he hod been Mr. Hunt now applied himself to shew, that hav-
delighted to associate with the Clergyman. He ing al ived at Manchester on the 9th, on account of
never read any part of the works of Thomas Paine, his private affairs, he thought of returning imme,
till he attended in the Court of King's Bench on the diately, and had no intention of remaining till the
occasion of Carlile's trial. In consequence of this, 16th. His servant would prove that he had not
he had been described as the associate of Carlile. made up his mind to stay till the Wednesday after
Of that person's opinions, as he was now suffer- the 9th. Several Gentlemen would also prove the
ing the punishment of the laws, he would not say efforts which they had made to prevail on him to
what he might otherwise be disposed to express. stay. Notwithstanding all his sufferings (which he
He must, however, be allowed to assert, that he minutely described), he rejoiced—he was delighted
had never participated in them. The Learned that he had been prevailed upon to stay—that he
Council knew that his indictment of Dr. Stod- had been numbered among the defendants, and had
dart stood for trial the next to that of Carlile.— now to make that defence which he was then ad-
Had he been absent but for a few minutes, the dressing to the Court. Fortunately for him, while
Learned Counsel knew that if Carlile's trial had gone be remained near Manchester, he had never gone
off, in his (Mr. Hunt's) absence, a verdict of acquittal more than two miles from kr. Johnson's house.—
might have been entered for the defendant in the Though invited to the houses of several Gentlemen,
other case to which he had alluded. This was the he had not attended to them. It so fell out, and he
cause of his (Mr. Hunt's) being in the. Court on the was glad that it had happened so, that he had not
occasion of Carlile's trial. On such grounds it was gone where he was invited ; had he done so, then
too much to impute blasphemy to him (Mr. Hunt) what a tale would have been got up on the subject
as well as sedition. Adverting to the allusion of Mr. of his conspirings! From his conduct in calling at
Scarlett to Hogarth's representation of a mob de- the Police-office at Manchester, on the Saturday
mending that the eleven days, added to the Calendar previous to the 16th, as well as from the placard
when the change of style took place, should be given which he had issued, calling on the people to repair
back, he remarked, it would have been More to the to Peter's-field, armed only with a blameless con-
purpose had he spoken of the poor people confined science, and inviting the Magistrates to come among
at Manchester on a groundless charge ; he might, them, he maintained that it was to be inferred that
with reason, have supposed them to cry out—" Give he was prepared to yield ready submission to the
us back our eleven days of sweet liberty r He re- constituted authorities of the town. He then no-
marked on the absence of the Attorney-General on ticed the testimony of several witnesses, and, in par-
this occasion. It was thought that his presence was titular, that of Andrews, on the subject of the sticks
unnecessary, and that without him they could dis- said to have been carried by those who attended the
pose of a poor country Esquire ! Had the Attorney- Meeting. This he shewed was not confirmed by other
General been there, he would have put the book into witnesses, and he promised to repel it by the testi-
his hand, and proved from his own month, that the mony of persons whom he proposed to put in the
Meetings at Smithfield and Manchester (for he was witness box. After noticing what had been stated
consulted on them) were legal. by one of the witnesses, who, as a Reporter to a Lon-
The Juneo said, that had the Attorney-General don Paper, had attended many Meetings without
been present, he might have said what lie thought seeing him (Mr. Hunt) urge the people to violence;
proper on that subject, but he (Mr. Hunt) must have he animadverted on the levity and malice evinced
taken the law from him (the Judge). by another witness, and the manner in which reports
Mr. Hunt replied. he should have made the exile- were, in some instances, got up for Newspapers.. He
riment, though his Lordship might have stopped him. went on to explain the "locking of arms," respecting
He then noticed what had occurred at White Moss, which so much had been said, to be merely a mea-
and contended, that though the Learned Counsel had sure of precaution adopted to guard against the re-
expected to prove him (Mr. Hunt) deeply and cri- currence of an accident, which had, on a former oc-
minally connected with those transactions, this had casion, forced down the hustings, on which occasion
not been done. It would be proved by witnesses for those who were on them only escaped with their lives
the defence, that Mr. Bamford (whose wife, child,' by a miracle. He would prove that a constable might
and cousin, had geneto Manchester in the terrible have got to the hustings without being molested.--.
military array) was at home when the proceedings He would have received any communication that
took place at White Moss, on which so much stress they might have been inclined to send to him, and
had been laid. This had been proved by a female proving this, he could also prove that he, in such a
relation, who had seen him preparing for bed, on the case, would at once have advised the people to yield
preceding night, anck could speak to the time of his obedience, and thus dispersed the Meeting without
rising on the following morning. For the " Witness the loss of a single life. He should prove, that what
of All work," who had spoken of the leader of the had been stated by Mr. Hulton, on the subject of
Middleton division as being concerned in the affair the danger to which the soldiers were exposed, was
at White Moss—that witness, it could be shewn, was unfounded ; that not. a bludgeon had been raised ;
unworthy of belief: he had, within the last month, that not a stone or a brick had been hurled; that not
declared to his fellow-shopmen, that "he would a finger had been pointed ; that, in fine, no resistance
swear against any one if he could get paid for it.”— whatever was offered. He was proceeding to de-
This was known, and persons had been sent for to scribe, in strong language, the conduct of the mi-
prove the fact. The evidence of Murray, which litary, when
would be opposed by other evidence, -did not prove The Juvos remarked, that this could not be gone
that he (Mr. Hunt) had been guilty of what was im- into. He *might prove the peaceable conduct of the
puted to him. The hi"' would remember, thitt when people, but he could not be allowed to tike the