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To the End the great Duties and Powers given to Government may not be employed for the influencing of Elections of Members to ferve in Parliament, which Elections, by the Conftitution of this Country, ought to be free and uncorrupt, it is enacted by divers Statutes, as follows:

"That no officer or perfon whatfoever concerned or employed in any branch or part of the Excife, or in the Cuftoms, or duties upon Salt; in the Poft Office, or any "branch thereof; or in any of the duties upon Hides, Skins, Vellum, and Parchment; "or in the Stamp Office, or diftriftuting Stamps; or in the duties upon Hackney Coaches "and Chairs, Cards or Dice, fhall by word, meffage, or writing, or in any other man"ner whatsoever, endeavour to perfua le any Elector to give or diffuade any Elector from "giving his vote for the choice of any perfon to ferve in Parliament: and every officer "or person offending therein, fhall forfeit the fum of One Hundred Pounds, one-half to "the informer, the other to the poor of the parish where fuch offence fhall be committed, "to be recovered by any perfon that will fue for the fame: And every perfon convicted "on any fuch fuit of the faid offence, fhall thereby become difabled and incapable of ever bearing or executing any office or place of truft whatsoever under his Majefty, his heirs and fucceffors.'

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And by another Statute it is enacted as follows:

"That no officer or person concerned or employed in the duties of the Excife, or any "part or branch thereof, or in the Cuftoms, or in any of the duties on ftamped Vellum, "Parchment, and Paper, or for diftributing of Stamps, or in any of the duties on Salt, "or in the duties on Windows or Houses, or in the Poft Office, or any part thereof, shall "be capable of giving his vote for the elections of any perfons to ferve in Parliament: "And if any perfon fo incapacitated fhall prefume to vote during the time he fhall hold, or within twelve months after he fhall cease to hold any of the offices aforefaid, fuch. "vote fo given fhall be deemed null and void, and every perfon fo offending shall forfeit "the fum of One hundred Pounds, one half to the informer, &c. to be recovered "by any person that will fue for the fame: And the perfon convicted on any fuch suit "fhall hereby become difabled and incapable of ever bearing or executing any office or "place of trust whatsoever under his Majefty, his heirs, and fucceffors."

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And whereas there is great reafon to apprehend that divers perfons in the afore-mentioned offices, well knowing of the above ftatutes, and of the penalties, forfeitures, and difabilities therein-mentioned, and that divers other perfons ignorant thereof may interfere, or be induced to interfere in behalf of, or to vote for the Court Candidates, Lord Hood and Sir Cecil Wray, in the prefent Election for Westminster. This is to give notice, That a Committee of Gentlemen (friends to the Freedom of Election, and anxious for the independency of the Houfe of Commons, that great and only bulwark of the rights and liberties of the people) is formed for the purpose of investigating the conduct of the above perfons, and of profecuting fuch of them as fhall interfere, or presume to vote in the prefent conteft for Westminster, to the utmoft rigour of the law.

N. B. All perfons who can give information or proof of any interference of fuch officers or perfons, are defired to give the fame to Mr. Cocker, junior, Attorney at Law, Stanhope-street, St. Clements, in order that the parties offending may be fpeedily profecuted.

ADVERTISEMENT..

The humble Petition of the Old Soldiers, Penfioners in Chelsea Hofpital, to the Worshipful Sir Cecil Wray,, Bart.

It having been reported to us by two of our Sargeants, and fome other of our corps that can read, that your honour has come to a refolution to demolish our Hofpital, and fend us poor crippled and aged fouls helpless into the wide world again, we were drawn out on our parade yesterday, and came to the resolution of calling upon your Worship at your house, humbly and dutifully to petition your Worship, and to ftate to you--That most of us have neither friend nor relation in the world that can help us. That if we are driven out of our quiet fnug cabins in Chelsea Hofpital, we shall be miferably off both for food ahd raiment.

That out of 800 amongst us, there are 200 without legs, 89 without arms, and most of the rest are 60 years of age and upwards.

That most of us have been prefent at fome very hard blows with the enemies of Old England, and have either loft our precious limbs, or grown grey-headed in the service of our country.

That when we were very young lads, and first entered into the farvice, we looked forward to a good fafe home, in cafe of the worst, in Chelsea Hospital.

That 35 of our best officers, viz. 20 Sargeants, and 15 Corporals, loft their legs at the noble battle of Minden, and fwear by God, they never would have ftirred an inch, if they had not thought as how they were cartain of all neceffaries in the Hofpital.

That as we are all old foldiers, and like to talk about nothing but battles, and how we loft our precious limbs, and what we did, and all that, we would not value life at a cartridge box, if we could not fee one another, and compare old fquares.

That all our fons and grandfons (God blefs them, hoping your Honour won't be too hard on them, because they were moftly got on Maid Servants) fwears they will never lift if your Honour goes on with your refolution.

That we cannot bear the thoughts of begging, after having been forty years gentlemen foldiers.

That if your Honour goes on, there can be no other way for us but to ax relief from all good Chriftians in the ftreets, and to pray to God to help us, which to be sure will be damn'd hard after all our fufferings.

Hoping that as your Honour is partly a foldier, and may fome time or other fee farvice yourself, your Honour won't take the bread out of our mouths, but leave us a house and belly-full for our fhattered carcafes at fixty. And as in duty bound we shall ever pray for your Worship.

(Signed)

JAMES ROBERTS, Sargeant.

THOMAS DAVIES, ditto.

RALPH JENKINS, ditto, &c.

JOHN GREEN, Corporal.

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A Living Monster.

The admiration and deteftation of all mankind, to be seen every day, during the Poll, upon the Huftings, at Covent Garden, grinning a ghaftly fmile!

The peculiar virtue of this beaft lies in ftriking with horror every beholder, as foon' as he makes his appearance.

He liftens

And speaks

Promifes much

He is lavish

Expert

To bring mifery

When he opens his mouth

When his mob are affembled
His name is

And like Judas he no doubt

only to deceive

but to betray
and performs little
only of Small beer
at projecting taxes
on the female creation
beware of your head
take care of your pockets
JUDAS

will die in his fhoes.

ADVERTISEMENT.

Mr. FOX begs leave to return his moft fincere and grateful thanks to the worthy and independent Electors of the city and liberty of Westminster, as well for the very generous fupport he received throughout his canvafs, as by their very numerous fuffrages this day in his favour; and as the fureft means to fecure his re-election, and end the present conteft, he takes the liberty to requeft the Electors, in his intereft, will do him the favour to poll as early as poffible.

St. James's-ftreet, April 1, 1784.

To the Worthy and Independent Electors of the City and Liberty of Westminster.

Gentlemen,

April 2, 1784.

Your votes, intereft, and Poll, are earnestly requested for
The Right Hon. CHARLES JAMES FOX,

The Champion of the Conftitution and the People, to be your Reprefentative in Parliament.

At the clofe of the Poll yesterday the numbers were,
For the Right Honourable Charles James Fox.

The Right Honourable Lord Hood

Sir Cecil Wray

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The Poll opens again this morning at nine o'clock, when your early attendance is requested at the Shakespeare Tavern, Covent Garden, or at Willis's Rooms (late Alinack's), in King-street, St. James's, to proceed from thence in bodies to the Huftings.

SHAKESPEARE

SHAKESPEARE TAVERN,

April 2, 1784.] The worthy and independent Electors of the city of Weftminster are earnestly requested to affemble as early as poflible, this morning, at nine o'clock, at the feveral following places, in order to proceed in bodies to the Huitings, to poll for Mr. Fox.

St. Martin in the Fields, at the Golden-crofs, Charing-crofs.

St. Paul, Covent-garden, and St. Martin's Le Grand, at the Shakespeare, Coventgarden.

St. James, at No. 191, Piccadilly.

St. George, Hanover-fquare, Squibb's Auction Room.

St. Ann's, Jack's Coffee-houfe, Dean-ftreet, Soho.

St. Clement Danes, and St. Mary Le Strand, Jerufalem Sols, and Queen of Bohe、

mia's Head Tavern.

St. Margaret and St. John's, at John Arnold Wallinger's, Efq. Millbank.

More Queries to Sir Cecil Wray.

Did you not repeatedly declare, before the diffolution of Parliament, that you would not expend one fhilling on your Election?

vaft expence, which fhall we As it is now well known that your canvafs occasions a conclude, that the above declaration is a grofs falfhood, or that your bills are payable at fome other Treasury?

To the Worthy and Independent Electors of the City and Liberties of Westminster.

Gentlemen,

You have seen the outrages committed this day before the Huftings. You have seen a body of failors, headed by the King's Navy Officers, affault the peaceable citizens in going to the huftings. You have seen this body armed with bludgeons. You have seen the friends of Mr. Fox knocked down and wounded moft feverely.

It was requested by feveral perfons, that Lord Mahon would go and difperfe the failors. His answer was this, "I cannot difperfe them without the confent of the Committee ! !"--Thus, confeffing that a gang of armed men were brought by the Court Candidates to destroy the peace of the Election----Are you Englishmen?----Have you hearts of men, and will you bear this?

To the Independent Electors of Westminster.

The friends of freedom must see with pride the triumph of yesterday. The majority in favour of Mr. Fox, upon the close of the poll, is not more flattering to that gentleman, than honourable to the Electors themselves. Because, while they fupport him, they vindicate the characters of their own understanding; for they fhew themfelves fuperior

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fuperior to all pitiful mifreprefentations and odious afperfions of that powerful confederacy, which has been formed for his downfal, and for the deftruction, at the fame time, of the British Conftitution.

Never had a brave and generous people an abler or firmer champion- than this great man. Never had man the hearts and affections of thofe whofe caufe he afferted more fincerely than he. The public protection has increased in proportion to the increase of his perfecutions, and the treachery of his political enemies produced no other effect upon the people, than ftrengthening their confidence in their old favourite.

No foul act which malice can invent, or which bafenefs can perpetrate, that they have left untried. The nation has been naufeated with the groffnefs of their numberlefs calumnies; nor can the uniform contempt of the public, to the fucceffion of daily libels, reftrain their indefatigable efforts to traduce and blacken him. Even at this moment they are propagating a new accufation, which deferves notice only to be defpifed. To fet the Electors on their guard againft the poifon of fuch infinuations is perfectly neceffary. Their good fenfe and tried difcernment are a complete fecurity, that this fresh scandal will be as fruitlefs as the mafs of mean fcurrilities which these wretched tools of a pernicious Court faction have published already.

Mr. Fox's reception from the Electors yesterday was indeed a victory. It was that folid, warm, and cordial attachment which flows from the generous foul of an honest Englishman to the man he values.

It was a tribute which neither power can command, nor corruption call forth.

Proceed as you have begun, and a few days will end this conteft in fuch a way as must convince the enemies of our common freedom, that in expecting any fanction from the City of Weftminster, they under-rated your judgments, and were as much deluded as they have grofsly impofed upon the nation themselves for the laft three months. A TRUE BRITON.

ADVERTISEMENT.

Who was recommended to the Electors of the city of Westminster by Mr. Fox against Lord Hood?

Sir Cecil Wray.

Who now joins Lord Hood against Mr. Fox?

Sir Cecil Wray.

Who was chofen by the Independent Electors of Westminster, in oppofition to the intereft of the Duke of Northumberland?

Sir Cecil Wray.

Who now ftands in the intereft of the Duke of Northumberland, in oppofition to the Independent Electors of Weftminster?

Sir Cecil Wray.

Who deferted Mr. Fox on account of his coalition with Lord North ?

Sir Cecil Wray.

Who is the friend of a much worfe coalition between Mr. Pitt and Mr. Jenkinfon? Sir Cecil Wray.

Who oppofed Mr. Fox on account of the Receipt Tax?

Sir Cecil Wray.

Who fupports Mr. Pitt, who fupported the Receipt Tax?
Sir Cecil Wray.

Who

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