If the caufe of the turn coat Wilkes fhould appear as hopelefs in the county of Middlefex, as that of the renegado Wray now feems in Weftminster, it will fhew that the freeholders of that county concur with the Independent Electors of this city, in their deteftation of perjury, treachery, inconfiftency, and ingratitude. The Back-ftairs typographical directors have received pofitive orders to abufe the Prince of Wales, even for his filial affection to his mother, and to hold him out as a moft undutiful fon, for the late proof he gave of that regard he had for the beft woman in the world; and the rancour of party has gone to far, as to hire a mob to infult this illuftrious perfonage the firft time he goes to the Theatre. Look to this ye fons of Liberty! Here's a proof of the pr fent times that will hand the new Adminiftration with bonsur, indeed, to pofterity. The perfons hired for this purpofe have openly declared the wages they have received; but we must do juftice to the Cabinet, to fay, that not a name of that party has been mentioned as concerned in the bufinefs, nor do we conceive they would defcend to fo pitiful a manœuvre. Every man in this realm, from the King to the Peafant, ought to have a free will to think as he pleafes, and to act within the pale of the law., Whenever a hired mob is permitted, by infults, to ftop that conftitutional prerogative, then this kingdom lofes its dignity and its real freedom for ever. A Great Perfonage, for the laft three weeks, has been materially agitated by the procefs of the Weftminster Election. When in town, he enquires every half hour after the ftate of the poll; and, if at Windfor, receives information, by dispatches appointed for that immediate purpose. Lord John Cavendish feems to think with the poet, When impious men bear fway, "the post of honour is a private ftation." It is generally understood, that this great good man has adopted the refolution of retirement, to avoid the mortification which he must inevitably feel, if in Parliament, of witneffing to thofe encroachments and invafions, which are meditating against the Conftitution. If the friends of the people amount to fomething more than two hundred upon the meeting of the Houfe, there is a dawn of hope that the triumph of the Secret Influence will not be completed during the ensuing feffion. We hear that feveral actions are to be commenced against the High Bailiff of W for having, within thefe few days, rejected voters without fufficient reafon; the complaints are laid against him on the popular fide of the question, but how far thefe complaints may be well or ill founded, a court of law will beft determine. The dinner at Wood's Hotel, yesterday, is faid to have been neither numerous nor lively; the daily decline of Sir Cecil Wray's majority had caft a gloom over the company, which it was not eafy to difpel. The purchafers of tickets appeared fo tardy in their application, and the honour of dining with Mr. Churchill, apothecary, who was announced chairman of the meeting, was fo flight a temptation to the Electors who had polled for the Court candidates, that the Committee was reduced to the neceffity of distributing the tickets gratis, leaft the defperate fituation of their caufe fhould be too apparent from the thinnefs of the company. Mr. Churchill's precipitate departure to Bath has left the Committee at Wood's in the utmost confufion; in vain they practife the expedient of continuing his name to their advertisements, and giving out that he is only indifpofed in Parliament-ftreet. All method and spirit are banished from their proceedings, while Jack efcapes the scene of mortification, and chews the cud at Bath. When the exertions of the free and independent Electors of Westminster first began to make their way against all the efforts of the Court mandates and aristocratic influence, it was pretended that the caufe of that temporary advantage on the part of U u 2 Mr. Mr. Fox was, that the High Bailiff had not the parish books in his poffeffion, and therefore was not able at the moment to detect the illegality of fome of the votes.But, now, faid the triumphant advocates for the fyftem of prerogative and ingratitude, things are changed; the Returning Officer has got the regular authenticated lift of the real voters in his poffeffion, and as therefore all fictitious fubftitutions must from henceforth be quite impracticable, the fuperiority of Sir Cecil Wray will be evident and decifive. This whimfical prefage was formed by the minifterial prints full five days ago, but fee how the event has juftified this confident attempt at Election prophecy. The High Bailiff is no fooner in full poffeffion of the means for preventing the entire poffi bility of corrupt fuffrages, than Mr. Fox begins to rife daily in his poll, and has continued fo to do ever fince the moment of this curious prefage. The fact is, that the only regulation that could poffibly have infured Mr. Fox's Election was exactly fuch a one as the Returning Officer, in a mistaken zeal for his party, thought proper to adopt, for if things had been fuffered to go on in the old ftile, fo that all voters of all defcriptions might have been received, the popular party could have flood no chance whatever, for it is quite abfurd to fuppofe that any private powers of corruption could have proved equal to the minifterial powers of influence. The truth is, while no means exifted of detecting falfe votes, Mr. Fox was behind; no fooner is the poffibility of fuch artifices put an end to, than he continues to rife daily in the poll, and of course to convince the fenfible and impartial part of the community, that HE ALONE is the favourite of the TRUE, UNINFLUENCED, and INCORRUPT portion of the Westminster Electors. A SCENE IN THE ELECTION, Now performing in various parts of the kingdom by his Majefty's Servants. By the Lord of the Manor, thou art a tough piece, and not unlike the hide of my wife Bridget; for though I fhould beat her hide with all my might and main, I cannot fhape the vixen to my fancy: Oh, your hard foles (hammering) are the most useless of all others, except to the wearer. If I was a leading man in the State, I would move for a law to be enacted, that good leather and good hemp (waxing his thread) fhould only be employed for fmuggling courtiers, purfe-proud citizens, and for Parliament menIf fuch a law might pafs, it would be a rare thing for trade in general. Enter Pander and Sir Bilberry Diddle.. Pander. Here's a poor pfalm-finging cobler, Sir Bilberry; he has a vote for the borough, as good as the beft; do not let us pafs honeft Crifpin. Sir Bil. By the effence of lilies, thou'rt right, Pander; the fcum of the mobility, as well as the fcum of the gentry, at this time, must be attended to; 'tis a facrifice that's due to neceffity. Therefore, may I never more breathe the mellifluous air of Montpelier, if I do not defcend to requeft his fuffrage; the controverted occafion carries with it a pardon for the humiliating and filthy condefcenfion.-Mafter Shoemaker, your moft devoted humble fervant, (bowing) I am, fwest Sir, your's to the ground. [Still bowing Crif. Mafter Shoemaker!-do you mean to mock me?— -No, no; I am no fhoemaker, but like fone of you very fine Gentlemen at the head of affairs—a poor cobler at beft. Sir Bil. This fellow, Pander, has been commended by fome blockhead like himself for his infufferable bluntnefs, or he would never prefume to be fo fhocking to the feelings of delicacy. Pan. Bear with him, Sir Bilberry; this is a time when men will fay whatever comes uppermoft, paying no more refpect to delicacy than Efop's cock to his diamond. If you would fucceed, Sir Bilberry, you must descend to be perfectly reconciled to their oddities. Sir Bil. I will be reconciled-Well, honest cobler, do you love money Crif. Yes; but I love honefty better Sir Bil. Honeftly faid; if you'll do me a favour, you shall have as much honefty as you pleafe, and money into the bargain. Crif. Who are you, and may it please you? Sir Bil. I am Sir Bilberry Diddle, Knight and Baronet, of Diddle Hall, in this county, come to offer myself for your moft ancient borough of Steady Town; fhould I be fo happy as to obtain the ultimate zenith of my wifh, you, Mr. Cobler, fhall foom find an alteration in the price of good ale; bread fhall be but half the rate it ftands at now; and above all, your trade fhall flourish and your taxes fall; fo that the Cobler as well as the Prince hall have the glorious opportunity of faddling his fpit, every day, with a fat furloin; your right of common foon fhall be restored, and without excife or the Doctor's tythe, pigs, poultry, and plumb-puddings, thall crown your cupboards all the year. Now give me your vote, friend Crifpin, and as you puff your fragrant effence from your ftall in merry glee, you'll heel the fhoe, and bless the hour you gave a voice for Diddle. Crif. Oh! you fine powdered Gentlemen are fomewhat like my codlin tree laft fpring. Sir Bil. How's that, Cobler ? Crif. It then dealt a wonderful fhow of bloffom, fo much that I concluded a rare autumn; but, alas! I was mistaken; I had not fo much as a crump. So 'tis with you who are candidates for boroughs; you promife very fair in the fpring of your canvafs, but in the autumn of election, when we fhould expect the fruit of good works of you, we too often find you worthlefs, bafe, and barren. Sir Bil, Nay, Mr. Cobler, you are too fevere in your conclufions; a man of my honour can never deceive you-can I, Pander! Pan. No, Sir Bilberry-I have known Sir Bilberry from a child, and never knew a difhonourable thing by him, upon my honour, friend Crispin. Grif. That's the laft lye you told, friend Pander.-Well, Sir Bilberry Diddle, Knight and Baronet, of Diddle Hall, in this county-you are come to ask a vote of a poor Cobler? Sie ९ Sir Bil. I am, friend Crifpin, and you may affure yourfelf that there is not a man in the whole borough I refpect fo much as you, though but a poor Cobler. Crif. Indeed!that's ftrange--why you never faw me before. Sir Bil. O! that don't fignify; I tell you, friend Crifpin, 1 refpect you equal to the Mayor himself. Crif. That's kind;-come into my ftall, and fit down, and let's have a little chat together; there, that's hearty; give us your fist. [Here Diddle takes up his cloaths, gets into the Cobler's ftall, and fits down.] Sir Bil. Pfhaw! how he ftinks." [Afide. Crif. So you love me as well as the Mayor himfelf?-that's kind; and fo we'll have a glafs of gin together. Sir Bil. O! no! 'pon honour. Crif. O yes! when this is gone, there's enough at the Three Norfolk Dumplins and Horfe Shoe over the way.Come, here's the King's health, God bless him and his numerous pofterity!-(Drinks.)A glafs of as good maxamus as ever tipp'd over an excifeman's tongue; here, take hold. [Prefents it to Diddie. Sir Bil. Dear Mr. Cobler, you must pardon me. Crifp. No, no, you, who love me as well as the Mayor himself, muft drink with me, or I fhall take it unkind, and perhaps give my vote where I think I am more refpected. Sir Bil. Refiftance is in vain; to get his vote I muft fubmit, and take the poifon [afide]-Well friend Crifpin, to fhew that I refpect you, here's your's and the King's health (drinks) pfhaw, pfhaw, 'tis a naufeous draught. [Afide. Crif. That's well (throws his arms round Diddle's neck) my dear friend, that loves me as well as the Mayor himself; kifs my cheek, and then I will believe you are fincere in your friendship. Sir Bil. There, Crifpin (pfhaw! how he ftinks of vile fpirits and tobacco.) [Afide. Crif. Give us your fift again (holding him by the hand) my dear friend, Sir Bilberry, who loves me as well as the Mayor himself, who can defcend to drink gin with, and kifs a poor cobler in his ftall-I heartily thank you, and now I'll finish my shoe. Sir Bil. Well, honeft Crifpin, you promife to vote for me? Crif. Who told you fo? Sir Bil. O! my dear, I understand you (taking out his purfe) here are corianders that will purchafe hides enough to heel-piece the whole borough-here Crifpin. Crif. What! a bribe-out of my ftall, or by gingo I'll ftick my awl to the head in [Diddle leaves the fall, Crifpin follows. your Sir Bil. Here's a tranfition, Pander. Crif. What! fhall Crifpin Heeltap, the Cobler of Steady Town, give his vote to fuch a thing as you? a mean fpirited rafcal who can ftoop to drink gin in a ftall, and to kifs the fweaty cheek of a poor Cobler? No, no, to ferve your purpofe you would not mind ftooping to kifs my -; make off while you're fafe. I'll vote for none of your Jack a Dandies, but for my old faithful mafter, Sir Thomas Trueman-fo away Sir Fop, you have your answer. [Exeunt Diddle and Pander. N G. Ye true hearted Britons who wish to be free, Dare fpurn at a bribe, and scout knaves from my ftall. Would Would ev'ry Elector do this-I am fure, Our trade would increafe, and our land be fecure; Let your choice be the man, who difdains all that's mean, [Exit Cobler. T. N. An impartial correfpondent obferves, that in the contention between the Committees of the refpective candidates for Weftminster, this difference is ftriking-The Commit. tee at Wood's Hotel deals freely in fcurrility and general invective against the proceed-ings of their opponents, while the Select Committee at Ireland's, in Bow-ftreet, authenticate the accufations they bring against the fupporters of Lord Hood and Sir Cecil Wray, by publishing the names of the perfons, who atteft the facts alledged by them. A correfpondent obferves, that it is difficult to conceive why Lord Hood and Sir Cecil Wray's friends fhould perfevere in denying Mr. Churchill's having left London. Does it follow, because that gentleman's health has made it neceffary for him to go to Bath. that the cause he has espoused must be defperate? Another correfpondent fuppofes, that Mr. Rainforth, who is the locum tenens of Mr. Churchill, during his abfence from town, mutt be an Irifhman, from his late advertisement, relative to the dinner of the friends of the Court Candidates at Wood's Hotel-that. place, it seems, was not large enough to accommodate the company, and for that reafon a fecond dinner was advertifed at the very fame place. Some of the Minifterial Papers have thought proper to deny the fact of Mr. Whitehead's having been difmiffed from his place as Yeoman of the King's Guard, but the fact may be afcertained by any gentleman who will take the trouble to inquire into it from Mr. Whitehead himfulf, who lives in Green-ftreet, Grofvenor-fquare. Mr. Fox infifted in the Houfe of Commons, that the five thoufand who figned the Weftminster Addrefs, did not conftitute a majority of the Electors. This now appears clearly to have been the cafe from the prefent itate of the poll, which fhows that there are more than eleven thousand houfeholders in that city. and as there is the ftrongeft prefumption that a great number of lodgers figned the Addrefs, it is a fair conclufion that not one third of the Electors thanked his Majefty for turning out his Miniftry. This we may conclude has been the cafe in all the other cities and boroughs throughout the kingdom. Every liberal mind revolts at the wretched abufe now levelled at the most amiable of our countrywomen! the bafe and burring hand of Calumay, however, is raised in vain against the lovely Devon and her fifter patriots, who at this juncture to much refemble thofe |