obtain that esteem, because the usual sources of reputation are for me dried up for ever. The favour of princes, the protection of parties, are as far beyond my reach as they are beyond my desire. I have nothing to expect but such persecution as may be thought sufficient to crush my puny efforts, and such impartial proscription as awaits all those who, in the divisions of party, subscribe to no sect, and presume to have an opinion of their own. I feel that I do not deserve the epithets which have been attached to me; did I deserve them, I should not have the audacity to pretend to public favour; and I am confident that the time will come, when even my present accusers will repent of the unmerited attacks, and will do justice to my character and to your cause.-(Great applause.) The present effect of such calumnies will, I trust, be not injurious to those against whom they are levelled, but will rather recoil upon those who have aimed the insidious blow.

I shall conclude by saying, that the state of the poll gives us no reason to despair: it is true, that we are four hundred behind; but I have no doubt that our antagonist will finally fail in his attempt to triumph over the independence of Westminster.

Mr. Hobhouse retired amidst continued plaudits his speech, particularly the latter part of it, as the Times was fair enough to observe, was delivered with great feeling, and produced a considerable effect. It is remarkable that the Chronicle professed not to give a report of it; saying, that he was prevented by a debate in the House of Commons; and it may be presumed that Mr. Hobhouse's answer to the Whig was too clear and plain even for distortion. The Chronicle found time to give a speech of Mr. Hunt's verbatim the same day.

Mr. LAMB came forward, but the people would not hear him. His speech in the Chronicle was as follows:

Notwithstanding the predictions (said Mr. Lamb) of my oppo nent two days ago, the poll has continued, and the Whig majority, in place of being extinguished, has daily increased. To-day, instead of the annunciation of victory, he has told you, that he sees no reason for despair. Mr. Hobhouse has told us of the commencement of a reign of terror in Westminster: I can only recognise one proof of its efficacy-it appears to have converted a portion of the auditory before the hustings into a flock of sheep (alluding to their bleating wherever he presented himself). I see it is useless for me to persevere. The many liberal persons who are inclined to hear every person, will excuse me; I therefore retire, wishing you all good night.

Mr. Lamb and his friends then retired. Sir Francis Burdett and Mr. Hobhouse also withdrew.

Mr. HUNT then presented himself, but no description can con

vey an idea of the various notes and tones of indignation with which he was assailed; but Mr. Hunt persevered, and what he said was thus recorded:

Gentlemen,-The Morning Post of this day says, it is sorry for my absence from the hustings; and The Times tells you, that I am canvassing in all the public-houses for Major Cartwright. Now I never canvassed for any man in my life, not even for myself. Mr. Hobhouse congratulated Mr. Lamb yesterday, on not standing upon the same plank with me; and Sir Francis told you he came there to face his enemies. Now I came here to-day for the very same reason. (Great uproar.) I know I cannot be heard by you all, as there is a party here hired to cry me down. The Baronet told you yesterday, that he had once dined with Mr. Perry, and it was the only act of his life of which he was ever ashamed. Why was he ashamed of it? What carried him there, except to try and come to terms with the Whigs? Did he not twice attempt to get admission to the Whig Club, and was he not twice black-balled? This accounts for the Baronet's hostility to the Whigs-this explains every thing. Somebody says I am a friend of Lord Castlereagh's. That's very odd, for I never had the pleasure of speaking to his Lordship but once, and that was on these hustings, during the last election. I am glad to see you getting into a better humour; I hope you will be still more so to-morrow, when I mean to have the pleasure of seeing you again. I am not connected with either of the parties, Whig or Tory-I am for the Purity of Election, and three cheers for the Old Major.

It appeared then that Major Cartwright had not withdrawn. Indeed another gentleman now came forward on the same side as Mr. Hunt.

Mr. PETER WALKER rose amid a continued uproar. He said that he was well aware his voice would be drowned in any attempt to obtain a hearing. He knew that the individuals who made this clamour were not electors. When violence arrayed itself against such a man as Sir Samuel Romilly, during the last contest, what but a continuance of the same violence could any man expect who stood forward there on the principles of Mr. Fox? But the interruption was only the impotent venom of their opponents. He was sorry that Sir Francis Burdett had allied himself to that distorted monster, the Rump-than which there could not be a more hideous sight. (The uproar still continuing, Mr. Walker withdrew.)

It may be remarked, that if Mr. Walker chose to call a large body of the electors of Westminster by a name taken from Mr. Cobbett's dictionary of the vulgar tongue, it was no wonder that he did not give himself a fair chance of being heard. His charge of violence being arrayed against Sir Samuel Romilly at the last elec

tion needs no comment. When wounded vanity seeks for consolation in a falsehood, no comment is needful.

1

The people retired from the hustings about five o'clock.

The Reformers issued the following hand-bill.

66 WESTMINSTER ELECTION. REFORM OF PARLIAMENT. "Electors of Westminster!-The poll is drawing to its close. Another glorious victory is within your power.-Your enemiesyour Whig and Tory enemies-are formidable in their craft and in their corruption.-That you despise their power is but too clear, for you are lulled into a security, which if continued, may be fatal.Arouse yourselves in time! Your freedom, your Honour, your Independence, the character you have maintained for the last twelve years, may all be lost while you are preparing for action!-Come forward instantly, and record your Names among those who are exerting themselves to maintain them.

"The Voice of BURDETT is a host in argument, but it reckons only for One at the Poll like each of yours. Follow his example. Inscribe your name with his for HOBHOUSE.”

Mr. Lamb's advertisement varied little from that of the day before; but in consequence of the repeated insinuations at the hustings, that the contest was between the aristocracy and the people, it was thought expedient to shew that Mr. Lamb had also independent tradesmen in his interest. Accordingly the following advertisement, calling a meeting of the Electors of St. George's parish, was inserted in the papers of this day, and placarded.

"WESTMINSTER ELECTION.-We, the undersigned TRADESMEN of the PARISH of ST. GEORGE, Hanover-square, wish to remind our Fellow-Citizens, that in this Parish alone there are a sufficient number of unpolled Voters to decide the pending contest. Desirous that this City should not become a Borough of Sir Francis Burdett's, and the rallying point of the doctrine of Universal Suffrage, we invite you to meet us at Molloy's Coffee-House, New Bond-Street, THIS EVENING, at seven o'clock, to concert effectual measures for placing Mr. LAMB immediately in such a situation on the Poll, that his Election cannot be endangered by any number of Voters to be brought up by his opponents in the three last days.

Peter Lawrie, Oxford-street
John Williams, Conduit-street
Benjamin Nicoll, ditto
Charles Smith, ditto

Wm. Storey, Mount-street

Edw. Orme, Bond-street
W. and S. Summers, ditto
John Martin, ditto
Chas. Grierson, ditto
Thomas Chapman, ditto

John Rodwell, Bond-street
B. Whippy, North Audley-st.
John Tribe, South Molton-st.
Henry Elsegood, Park-street

John Robinson, Curzon-street
J. Thorogood, South Molton-st.
John Share, Curzon-street

James Watkins, ditto."

The meeting was to be held at a house which had been open for Sir M. Maxwell's Committee at the last election; and the principal names, particularly that of Mr. Whippy, the saddler, were those of individuals who had been most active in favour of Sir M. Maxwell. The reader will smile at remarking, that Mr. Lamb's friends having gained all that was to be gained by saying that Mr. Lamb was for extending the suffrage, and Mr. Hobhouse for curtailing it, now took up the other pretext, and accused Mr. Hobhouse of being an advocate for universal suffrage; but the scheme totally failed. The friends of Mr. Lamb found, that even in St. George's parish they could not trust to any thing like a publicly convened meeting, and that they had better continue to work by private influence and individual canvas. The majority of the Electors who attended the meeting were Reformers: they put and carried counterresolutions, and Mr. Lamb's friends were totally disconcerted here, as they had been in the parishes of St. Margaret and St. John. Nevertheless, there appeared certain resolutions in the Morning Chronicle of the next day, as if passed by a very numerous and most respectable meeting of tradesmen. These resolutions, in a more pointed way than the advertisement, charged Mr. Hobhouse with being an advocate of Universal Suffrage. This was calculated for the meridian of St. George's, Hanover Square.

"At a very numerous and most respectable Meeting of the Tradesmen of the Parish of St. George, Hanover-Square, convened by public advertisement, for the purpose of securing the Election of the Honorable GEORGE LAMB,

"The following Resolutions, moved by Mr. Charles Smith, and seconded by Mr. Grierson, were agreed upon:

"1st, That it is for the character and honour of the Tradesmen of this Parish, to take an active interest in the result of the pending contest.

"2d, That the question at issue appears to us to be, whether the vast proportion of the Electors of Westminster, who are hostile to the principle of Universal Suffrage, shall or shall not have One Representative in Parliament.

"3d. That there remain in this Parish more than sufficient votes unpolled to secure to us a Representative on Constitutional Principles.

"4th. That we will each individually contribute our utmost exertions to urge to the Poll on the four remaining days, those who, from an over-security, have hitherto considered their vote unnecessary, and to awaken to a sense of the impor tance of the Contest those who have hitherto been indifferent.

"PETER LAWRIE, Chairman. "Resolved, That the Thanks of this Meeting be given to the Chairman for his ¡mpartial conduct in the Chair."

Yet, notwithstanding these Resolutions, Mr. Lamb in his advertisement made a slip, and told the fact, namely, that his friends were outvoted in the meetings. But he did not tell the fact when he talked about tumult; there was no tumult:

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26.-ELEVENTH DAY.

NOTHING Occurred worthy of notice. The polling was very languid. This had been expected by the Reformers, whose numbers never come up at the end of the week; but it was a matter of surprise even to the Reformers themselves that so few had voted for Mr. Lamb, considering that Sir Murray Maxwell had polled 4,800, and that those most active for Sir Murray were now at work with those most active for Sir Samuel Romilly, in behalf of the Whig candidate.

The multitude assembled before the hustings and in the booths was as large as usual, and, as usual, sued. Mr. Hunt did not appear. to the hustings a little before four.

no disturbance of any kind enThe respective candidates came The numbers polled were, Polled this Day.

Gross Poll

Mr. Hobhouse was loudly applauded when he came forward, and addressed the electors as follows:

Gentlemen,-Your adversaries have advanced only nineteen upon the poll of this day.-(Great applause.) I cannot but consider this, as a very small majority. I esteem it as a token of the little success which will await all their efforts at the close of the poll, I feel assured that the Electors of Westminster will not suffer themselves

the parishioners were invited, as above, to attend the meeting-it was an open meeting. The Reformers at the St. James's meeting moved Counter-Resolutions, and the Chairman abruptly quitted the Chair, which he was politely requested not to do.

"TO THE ELECTORS OF WESTMINSTER.

"Gentlemen, The close of the Poll is fast approaching, but our adversaries have yet a last effort to make. Let me forewarn you, that effort will be desperate, and will call for all our resources to counteract. The conduct that has been pursued by my opponents is unprecedented in any former Election; they have intruded organized bands into every meeting of my Friends, for the purpose of impediment and tumult; and for many days, from the vantage ground of an exclusive audience on the hustings, have disseminated unchecked misrepresentations and calumnies; still I confidently relied on the firmness and justice of the Electors of Westminster, that they, would not be overawed, or yield belief to vehement assertion, untried by the test of free discussion. The state of the poll satisfactorily proves that I was justified in that reliance. When first I offered myself to your notice, I stated my principles correctly, but distinctly, and all the studied harangues of my adversaries have been unable to impeach their clearness of truth. The Victory is not won, but it is in our power; let but those who have already declared themselves favourable to the cause I represent, hasten to the Poll, and the continuance of all the exertions of our opponents will be unavailing. "I have the honour to be, Gentlemen, your very faithful Servant, "GEORGE LAMB.

"General Committee Room, Feb. 276":