the word of command. But remember Gentlemen, you will never fuffer yourselves to be regimented---you know your duty as citizens---as freemeen---born to ferve the immortal caufe of virtue, freedom, and your country. VERITAS. Plain Relation of Facts. The affertions of Mr. John Churchill and his Committee muft undoubtedly obtain due credit with every honest Elector of Westminster. On the second day of the Election, it is univerfally known that the friends of Mr. Fox were driven from the huftings, and befieged in the Shakespeare by a gang of failors, two of whom, being afterwards queftioned, confeffed that they received daily for their fervices five fhillings a piece. On Monday, at the clofe of the poll, the fame gang, armed with bludgeons, were seen to come down King-ftreet, and knock down feveral unarmed perfons, who had Fox ribbands in their hats. The populace, however, at length made head against them, and feverely retaliated upon them the outrages of that and the preceding days. Tuesday the fame gang began fimilar riots in the morning. A gentleman was purfued by them into the house of Mr. Blackmore, Taylor, in Henrietta-street, where they took from him the ribband in his hat. One of them was, however, fecured by the peace officers attending about the huftings. In the afternoon, long before any tumult in Covent-garden, two parties of failors, armed with bludgeons, ran along the Strand up Southampton-ftreet, to the conviction of many hundreds of peaceable fpectators, with an evident purpofe of making a riot. In conclufion, however, it appears that they were again worsted. This is a plain recital of known facts. How then can Mr. John Churchill and his Committee, in their advertisements of yesterday morning, dare to charge the late diforders on the friends of Mr. Fox? To the truly Independent Electors of Weftminster. The affectation of Mr. John Churchill and his Committee, in addreffing their advertisements to the Independent Electors of Westminster, is too ridiculous to impose on any man of common understanding. Are thofe the Independent Candidates, as Lord Hood and Sir Cecil Wray have been pleafantly called, who notorioufly ftand on the interefts that long enflaved Weftminster? Are thofe the men defirous of refting their caufe on the Independent Electors of this City, for whom five hundred of the guards have been compelled to poll, and half of them, not legally poffeffed of votes, to perjure themselves? What a notion must the Firm and Free Mr. John Churchill have of independency! All Horfe Guards, Grenadier Guards, Foot Guards, and Black Guards, that have not polled for the deftruction of Chelsea Hofpital and the Tax on Maid Servants, are defired to ineet at the Gutter Hole oppofite the Horfe Guards, where they will have a full bumper humper of "knock me down," and plenty of foap fuds before they go to poll for Sir Cecil Wray, or eat. N. B. Those that have no fhoes or ftockings may come without---there being a quan. tity of wooden fhoes provided for them. GUILDHALL COFFEE-HOUSE. April 8, 1784.] At a numerous and refpectable meeting of the Committee for conducting Mr. Sawbridge's Election, held at Guildhall Coffee-house, Mr. SAMUEL THORPE in the Chair. It was refolved unanimously, "That it is the opinion of this meeting, that Mr. Fox's conduct in Parliament has "been fuch as to merit the fupport of the Independent Livery of London. "That this Committee will, to the utmost of their power, fupport the Election of "the Right Honourable Charles James Fox for the City of Westminster. "That thefe Refolutions be published in the morning papers. Signed by the Chairman, SAMUEL THORPE, To the Free and Independent Electors of Weftminster. Gentlemen, When you confider that Sir Cecil Wray is only 296 a-head of Mr. Fox, notwithtanding all the dependents of the Court, the clerks and fervants of the public offices, and the foldiers have voted, you will fee that by a proper exertion of Mr. Fox's friends, he muft unavoidably gain his election. So convinced is the Back-ftair Baronet of this matter, that finding Mr. Fox was gaining ground upon him very faft about an hour before the clofe of the Poll this day, he infifted upon a new oath, of confiderable length, being adminiftered to the Electors inHead of the ufual one. Full 250 of Mr. Fox's friends were hindered from voting by this manoeuvre, as no more than 50 could be fworn in an hour, and if the common oath had been used, they would have polled near 300 in the fame time. To fuch bafe fhifts are the abettors of Secret Influence reduced---but the fpirit of the worthy Electors, it is to be hoped, will now be thoroughly roufed; and that, foregoing all other confiderations, they will bravely stand forth in defence of the Champion of their privileges, and their own rights, against all undue influence whatever. The prefent appearance for the Viper Baronet is only to fhew--there is at this moiment a majority of fair Electors in favour of Mr. Fox---Soldiers and lodgers have been permitted to poll for the former---none but true and independent citizens have come forward for the latter. Do not then, my fellow countrymen, be deceived by appearances, or from a fuppofition that you can do no fervice with your fingle votes, refuse to give them; but ftep forth nobly, and as we have now the advantage, let us, by exertions of those who have not already voted, keep it. To To the Worthy and Independent Electors of Westminster. The ftate of yesterday's poll evinces that the influence of the Court is, at length, wholly exhaufted. If you exert yourselves, you may yet conquer. There are no more regiments of the Guards to obftruct your approach to the huftings. Your late member, Mr. Fox, has truly told you, in his laft advertisement, that your interefts are more deeply engaged than his. He has received invitations from many boroughs, and from many capital cities, to reprefent them in the enfuing Parliament; but he remembers, with pride and gratitude, the glorious time, when, in his favour, you firft refcued yourfelves from the tyranny of thofe who had long nominated your Reprefentatives for you. He will, therefore, not defert you, if you defert not yourselves. You have yet fome few days to determine whether you will for ever establish, or for ever betray the caufe of your own independency; whether you will choose for yourselves, or implicitly fubmit to the mandates of the Minister. AN INDEPENDENT ELECTOR. To the Independent Electors of Westminster. Sir Cecil Wray's majority over Mr. Fox at the conclufion of yesterday's poll, was no more than 296, and the moft inconteftible information has been received, that in the courfe of the poll, not less than 400 perfons have already voted for Sir Cecil, who have no legal right to a vote whatever. This information, which is founded upon the moft indifputable evidence, will convince you that the appearance of advantage on the part of the Court Candidate, is in the highest degree fallacious; and you are therefore earneftly requested to make the real majority on the part of Mr. Fox more decifive by an early attendance at the Huftings this morning, in behalf of your tried friend, and juftly celebrated Reprefentative. My Lord, To the Right Honourable Lord Howe. The high character which your Lordship has acquired in your profeffion, and the remarkable attention which you have ever paid to the prefervation of the difcipline of the navy, made your Lordship's appointment to the diftinguished fituation which you now fill peculiarly acceptable to the nation. It is, however, a matter of aftonishment to many of the warmeft admirers of your Lordship's character, that whilft you are at the head of the naval department, the town fhould be disturbed by a bandittí of failors, who infest the streets, under pretence of fupporting the interefts of a naval Candidate, against whom no party has attempted any hoftile proceeding whatever to occafion a fcene of tumult to the laft degree alarming and dangerous to the fafety of the peaceable inhabitants of this city. I am far from fufpecting your Lordship of being fo biaffed to party motives, as to connive at fuch fcandalous and unwarrantable proceedings, from any wifhes which your Lordship may entertain with regard to the iffue of the conteft; yet the remedy of this evil, fo univerfally complained of, is fo extremely obvious, that Y we we can scarcely comprehend why your Lordship has not yet adopted it. I mean the iffuing public orders to the Captains of all men of war, to order the feamen to repair on board their refpective fhips immediately, and to fuffer none of their crews to be absent on any pretence whatever. Perhaps, were fuch orders extended even to fome of the officers who appear daily on the Huftings in Covent Garden, behaving in a manner not perfectly fuitable to their characters and conditions, thofe who feel for the honour of the navy, and are really attached to the profeffion, might think your Lordship had taken a judicious ftep well calculated to promote the difcipline, credit, and character of the fervice. I beg your Lordship to believe that I have not written the above from any party views whatever; for, although an Elector of Weftminster, I am one who am determined to take no part in the prefent conteft; but, feeling for the honour of a profeffion which I revere, and at the fame time being a lover of peace, good order, and tranquility, I cannot help thinking that both the good of the fervice, and the fafety of the public, call upon your Lordship to iffue the orders I have taken the liberty of fuggefting, without lofs of time. AN ADMIRER OF LORD HOWE. ADVERTISEMENT. It has been frongly reported, and not hitherto contradicted, that the caufe of Mr. Fox's opponents has been fupported, not only by the Guards, the Cooks in a Great Man's kitchen, Stable Boys and Helpers, a Great Lady's Mufical Band of Foreigners, Lodgers of all defcriptions, from the cellar to the garret, but also by convicted Felons, difcharged from the ballaft lighters. To the truly Independent Electors of Weftminster. A caufe fupported by the influence of a Court, and the union of two great and powerful Noblemen, is neceffarily capable of more fudden exertion than an oppofition refting folely on the feparate efforts of many free and independent individuals. To this circumftance, Sir Cecil Wray is wholly indebted for his temporary majorities. But the tide is now turned. Yesterday you gained an advantage, however finall, yet fufficient to animate you to further endeavours, If you have ftill the fpirit which you fhewed in your firft election of Mr. Fox, it is undoubtedly yet in your power to infure fuccefs. The Guards, perhaps, have ever been in fome degree employed to turn the fcale of a conteft in favour of a Court Candidate. But hitherto decency, at leaft, was preferved on fimilar occafions. You well know, that they were never before marched to the Huflings in fuch bodies; I may fay, in companies and regiments. If you have the independency of Englifhinen, or the common feelings of men, fuffer not fuch a daring attack on the Freedom of Election; or will you wait, till you fee the whole corps in regimentals, with fixed bayonets, drawn up in Covent Garden? That only will remain, if you acquiefce in the prefent infult. ¡To To the Independent Electors of Westminster. As the last effort of Sir Cecil Wray's exhaufted party, a report has been most induftriously propagated that Mr. Fox means to decline the poll. The independent Electors are affured, that their firm and intrepid champion entertains no fuch idea: he is convinced. that there are still numbers enough of real Electors to give him a decided majority over all the pretended votes collected by the partizans of the Court, from all the foldiers, lodgers, and foreigners, whom gold could corrupt, or threats intimidate. The canvafs of his friends, these last two days, have determined this point beyond a doubt; and, with the affiftance of the honeft, the unbiaffed, and the independent, the cause of freedom, and the man who is profcribed, merely because he is refolved to ftand or fall with that cause, must triumph in the end. 41 Love and Liberty! Freedom and Fox! Ye friends of these dear names, exert yourselves at this trying moment. If ever our fmiles were your delight; if ever the bleffings of Liberty were an Englifhman's pride, fupport a caufe on which our happiness and your own fecurity equally dedend! Rembember you are now called forth to defend the cause of Love and Liberty !---- WESTMINSTER RIOT S. The Court Candidates, and their Committees, well knowing that Mr. Fox, from his open, manly, and confiftent conduct, notwithstanding the clamour fo unjustly excited against him, had not loft the good opinion and confidence of the truly independent Electors of Westminster, and of the common people, retained in their fervice at the beginning of the Election, a numerous gang of men, habited like failors. Bye-ftanders at first were lead to believe that they were a body of honeft Jack Tars, who having been discharged from their fhips, had come together as volunteers in fupport of their Admiral. It was not long however before the public was undeceived. For having fixed the enfign which they had brought, over the windows at Wood's Hotel, where the Committee were fitting, this gang were conducted by fome fea officers and others down.to Paterfon's Room, in King-itreet, which had been engaged for the reception of Lord Hood and Sir Cecil Wray's voters. Here, no doubt, they were inftructed as to their future behaviour, for when they came out, they from time to time formed two lines extending from Paterfon's Rooms, to the Huftings in Covent Garden, making a paffage between them for the admiffion of the friends and voters of Lord Hood and Sir Cecil Wray only; never fuffering even one in Mr. Fox's intereft to pafs them. When they were not thus engaged, they paraded up and down King ftreet, and along the top of Covent Garden, infulting and jostling every body who called out "Fox for ever," or wore a cockade with Mr. Fox's name upon it. This fort of behaviour, though it drove back, Y 2 and |