appeared from the other party, for eleven o'clock, advising them to call Sir Cecil Wray to the Chair, manifestly with an attention to jockey the purport of this meeting, and thereby put a rider upon it.

The Hall was moft prodigioufly crouded, and at half past eleven, Sir Cecil Wray and his party came from Alice's Coffee-house to the hustings, erected in the front of the Court of Common Pleas; foon after, Mr. Fox and his friends came from the King's, Arm's Tavern, whereby the hustings were crouded in a manner that made it almost impoffible to stand on them. The Chair was furrounded by Sir Cecil Wray's party, and foon laid hold of; in confequence of which Mr. Fox's friends interfered, and claimed the Chair, till a Chairman was nominated, and in this struggle the Chair was totally demolished. The confufion and uproar this occafioned is hardly to be conceived. In this state of things the hustings broke in, and several noblemen and gentlemen were thrown down and trampled on. The preffure of the populace foon overthrew the front of the hustings, by which means scarcely a place was for a moment tenable, and every body was in imminent danger, in a conteft on the hustings which Member should be brought forward; but Mr. Fox's friends being too numerous, he was supported in the front, amidft the most violent noifes, acclamations, and huzzas, we ever remember to have heard. The cry of Chair! Chair! Chair! refounded from every quarter of the Hall, when the hustings gave way a second time, and in the confufion Mr. Fox fell. In this fituation fome wretch, for man we cannot call him, threw a leather bag, filled with affa fœtida *, in the face of Mr. Fox. To this public injury, we may add one of a more private but more horrid nature, an anonymous letter threatening his life, to which he paid the proper attention, by taking no notice of it. At last Mr. Byron, the Committee Chairman, endeavoured to appease the tumult and filence the noise. He shortly addressed the Electors, telling them the purport of the meeting, explaining the measures of the Court of Requests meeting, and moved an Address to his Majesty, defiring to collect their fenfe of it by a fhew of hands. Hats were held up, accompanied with vociferous fhouts of approbation, and the majority in favour of the Address was fo very confpicuous, as not to leave the least doubt; for it may be fairly faid, that although it was a manifeft meeting of all the Electors, the majority appeared as 100 to one. Mr. Fox then endeavoured to address the Electors, but noise immediately prevented him, and this he attempted feveral times with the like effect. At half past twelve the meeting was adjourned, and Mr. Fox was carried on the shoulders of several Electors from Westminster Hall to the King's Arms Tavern, when he came into the Committee Room, almost overpowered with heat and fatigue. The Electors, who had accompanied him from the Hall to the Tavern, waited in Palace-yard, and foon after

Mr. Fox came forward to the front bow window of the Tavern, in Palace-yard, which being taken out, in order to give him room and conveniency, after long and continued shouts of approbation, he addressed the Electors as follows:

Gentlemen,

"Nothing can be more flattering to me, or give me greater happiness, than this, " public opportunity of addreffing this aftonishingly numerous and refpectable body of my, "conftituents, the Electors of Westminster.

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" I should have been happy if I could have fucceeded in my intentions of addreffing you in the Public Hall. I should there have explained the motives of my conduct "to my constituents; but the clamours of a hired noify party prevented my. defign.

"Gentlemen, You are all able to judge of the goodness of that cause, when those, " who espouse it are afraid of their opponents being heard.

* It was afterwards difcovered to be Euphorbium.

"Let

1

"Let me repeat it, that it gives me inexpreffible happiness to explain my conduct to you. You will find I have never deserted your caufe: I shall find likewife that you have not deferted me, The foriner is impoffible---was you even a defert yourselves, "I never would defert you.

" Gentlemen, The very noble, the very disinterested, and the very magnanimous " manner in which you honoured me with your choice of representative, claimed all

my attention, affiduity, and adherence; and I trust you have found by my conduct " I have neither deserted the cause of my conftituents, nor my own principles. To " do either, I must defert myself and them too. If you defert me, you erect Court In"fluence, because it is Court Influence I oppose.

" Gentlemen, You called me to Parliament to stem the torrent of corruption, to " reform the abuses of your Conflitution, and, above all, to oppose the destructive " principle of Court Influence.

"If purging the House of Commons of a number of venal contractors; if reforming " feveral abuses in the expenditure of public monies; if fetting myself up as the oppo"fer of Court Influence, and being turned out of office because I did oppose it, discovers " a change of fentiment, I then have changed my fentiments. But I flatter myself you " have feen, and know enough of yourselves, to be well assured, that by maintaining "the dignity of the House of Commons against the fecret advisers, and the influence " of the Crown, I have maintained your cause; and that by that maintenance I shall "still have your fupport.

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"Gentlemen, I have maintained the dignity of the House of Commons against the corrupt and unconftitutional proceedings of the House of Lords---because the House " of Commons are your Representatives, and not the House of Lords.

" If you defert the Representatives, who thus fupport your dignity againft Court "Influence, you elect the House of Lords for your reprefentatives, and then you can " be no longer faid to represent yourselves. Will you then have a House of Lords or " a House of Commons to reprefent you? If you fupport my adverfaries, who set you " at defiance, and who trample the greatest of all your privileges, the spirit, the au"thority, and the dignity of the House of Commons, under their feet, you are no " longer represented. The House of Lords then betrays you, and the Crown nominates "what Minifter it pleases, to deprive the people of England of all that remains dear to "them, the freedom of their choice in Parliament, and their share in the government "of the nation.

"It is upon these principles the present Minister is come into power, and upon these " principles he supports himself. He stands supported by the secret influence of the "Crown, and the unconftitutional interference of the House of Lords, which fets your "freedom and power at defiance.

" Gentlemen, I need not tell you that the present Administration were the greatest " enemies to the reform of abuses, nor that they supported the American war---you, " who live near the scene of action, who furround the Court, and who daily fee and " know the reality of parliamentary proceedings, are not to be duped by the arts and "duplicity of Court adherents, and the supporters of Court Influence. You will " know a man before you elect him, and when elected, you can fee him, hear him, " and prove him. When proved, it is neither the Minister of the Crown, the paltry " efforts of Peers, nor the secret influence of the Crown, which will make you aban

" don him.

" Gentlemen, I have been twice called to the office of Secretary of State, since first " I had the honour of your difinterested approbation. When I found your caufe deferted " in the Cabinet, your measures mifcarry, and my principles overpowered, I resigned--" I resigned, because, if I had continued in office, I should have deferted my principles--

" I should

" I should have deserted you---I gave up office, I gave up honours, and I gave up emolu" ment, rather than forfeit your confidence. This was the first time I proved my at"tachment to you---did it look like betraying you? could I have any other ground for

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my refignation than your confidence, and the good opinion of the public, which is in" feparably connected with my own honour and confcience?

"I was again called into office, and for what purpose? To bring forward a burthen " of taxes; fome of them unpopular, that I, and those who acted with me, might have "the odium of the meafure, and bear all the weight which it unpopularity might bc"cafion---I mean the Receipt Tax.

A respectable gentleman standing in the yard, then addreffed Mr. Fox, and told him, that be was desired by a great numer of Elettors to ask Mr. Fox, "WHETHER Mr. PITT " DID NOT GIVE HIS CONSENT TO THE RECEIPT TAX?" To which Mr. Fox replied, " HE DID;" on which a general exclamation took place, of "No Pitt! No Pitt!" and then Mr. Fox went on.

"When those unhappy measures had been carried, an oppofition to those very mea"sures took place, by those very men who had fupported them, merely for the purpose " of getting themselves into power by the unconftitutional exercise of the House of " Lords and the secret influence of the Crown. Are you, gentlemen, to be duped " then by fuch men and fuch means? What was the confequence of the exercise of "Court influence, and prerogative of the Crown, in opposition to the sense of the " people of England? I oppofed it. By oppofing it, I fupported you---by supporting

you, I loft the confidence of the Crown---1 was defired to refign; I would not refign, " and for this reafon, because I had the people of England to fupport me. I need no " other, I want no other fupport. Being supported by you, and on that refusing to re" sign, I was turned out---1 was turned out because I opposed the House of Lords and "the Crown, combined together against the people---againft you. Did this, gentlemen, " look like betraying your intereifs? Has it the face of changing my opinions, of deviating from my principles, of deferting my propositions when called into power as my enemies would invidioufly infinuate?

"Gentlemen, In the situation I now am, I have an opportunity of feeing more, " ftanding fo high above you, than you can poffibly have beneath---I see a far more numerous body here than that assembled in the Hall, multitudinous as even that was, " but in the Hall I could not be heard---Here I am honoured with a filence that reflects. "the greatest honour to me, and the highest credit on yourselves. The obfervation I " make is, that my opponents prevented by clamour and an hired mob, what they were afraid to hear, and that the more numerous the Electors, the more attention I am heard with. One obvious truth deducible from which is, that I am happy in the

"approbation of a very large majority of my conftituents.

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Gentlemen, I have only one word more to say to you. The true fimple question " of the present difpute is, whether the House of Lords and Court Influence shall pre" dominate over the House of Commons, and annihilate its existence? or, whether the "House of Commons, whom you elected, shall have a power to maintain the privi

leges of the people, to fupport its liberties, and check the unconftitutional proceed-ings of a House of Lords, whom you never elected; and regulate the prerogative of the "Crown, which was ever too ready to feize upon the freedom of the Electors of this: country? The question is thort: It is you, who are to determine it, and to you "whom I appeal; to my constituents I shall always appeal; and no longer wish "them to fupport me, than I fupport the principles on which they fent me to Par "liament.

" Gentlemen, I again return you my fincere thanks for your very candidi hearing, "hearing, and your approbation of my conduct, which it will ever be my study to ""preferve."

When Mr. Fox had finished his Address, (which was received with great approbation, at the conclufion of every fentence,) he retired from the window to his carriage, from which the horfes were taken, and he was drawn by the populace up Parliament-ftreet, round the statute of Charles at Charing-cross through Cockspur-street, along Pall-mall, St. James's, and Piccadilly, to the Duke of Devonshire's house, amidst the acclamations of near ten thousand people, who expreffed their difapprobation as they passed the Treafury, Lord Temple's, &c. &c. At Carlton House were repeatedly given regular huzzas, and at Lord Temple's, a wag held up a key tied to a stick, hung round with crape, which he called the Secret Influence Key in mourning. The whole, on Mr. Fox's fide, was conducted with the utmoft regularity, and no mischief was done, except a window broke at Lord Temple's, occafioned by the impudence of fome of his Lordship's female fervants, who threw fomething from the upper story upon the people. At Devonshire

House Mr. Fox addressed the Electors to the following effect:

Gentlemen,

"I thank you for the trouble you have taken in conducting me here, and as I am " much fatigued, I hope you will leave me here, as I am as much at home as at my " own house. I hope I shall always have your fupport againft the attacks of secret "influence.

" I beg leave to propose what I mentioned in Westminster Hall, which, from the op" position of a hired mob, I believe was not heard, to propose an Address, expreffing your fatisfaction at the manly, disinterested conduct of the House of Commons againft "the attacks of fecret influence."

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The Address was then proposed, and agreed to without the disapprobation of a fingle voice. After which the multitude retired.

Lord Surrey and Major Stanhope rode on the coach-box of Mr. Fox's carriage.

ADVERTISEMENT.

WESTMINSTER

MEEETING.

February 14.] At a very numerous and most respectable meeting of the Electors of Westminster, held this day at Westminster Hall, the huftings that had been ill erected by the friends of Mr. Fox, near the steps of the Court of Common Pleas, broke down, which prevented the Chair being taken so soon as otherwise it would have been.

Lord Mahon was then carried in triumph to the opposite side of the Hall, on the shoulders of the Electors, where his Lordship moved the following Resolution, which being printed in very large capitals, on a wide sheet of parchment, was held up by him, and was distinctly seen from every part of the Hall. The Resolution was as follows, and, being feconded, was carried by a prodigious majority, viz.

Refolved,

"That this meeting do adopt all the proceedings of the public meeting held at the "Court of Requests, on Tuesday last."

Lord Mahon was then carried (as above) to the steps leading to the Courts of Chancery and King's Bench, where the faid Resolutions was again moved by his Lordship, seconded, and carried by a still more confiderable majority.

Sir Cecil Wray was then called to the Chair at the last-mentioned place, and the following Resolutions were then moved, seconded, and all carried, with very few diffentients. The second, third, and fourth Resolutions, were moved by Dr. Jebb, and feconded by Lord Mountmorres.

Resolved,

"First, That this meeting do approve of and confirm the Address to his Majesty, " which was agreed upon in the Court of Requests, Westminster Hall, on Tuesday last. "Secondly, That the Coalition formed between the Right Honourable Charles James "Fox, and the Right Honourable Frederick Lord North, was injurious to the cause " of Freedom and of Public Virtue, and that the conduct of the consequent Admini"stration was highly detrimental to the interests of Great Britain and Ireland.

"Thirdly, That it is essential to the cause of Public Freedom, that all ranks and "orders of men should UNITE and ASSOCIATE in favour of a substantial Reform in "the Representation of the Commons; and that this, or any Administration, will de" serve the support and confidence of the country, in proportion to the zeal with which " they shall bring forward, and endeavour to carry into effect, that falutary measure.

"Fourthly, That the parliamentary conduct of Sir Cecil Wray, Bart. has ever been " honourable to himself, as well as beneficial to his country---that he is entitled to the " warmest gratitude of his constituents, and in the highest degree deserving of their fu"ture confidence and support.

"Fifthly, On the motion of the Right Honourable Lord Ongley (which was se" conded by the Right Honourable Lord Mountmorres) it was unanimously refolved, "That those men who shall, at this period, endeavour to obstruct the necessary busi" ness of the nation, ought to be confidered as enemies to their country.

" Sixthly, Resolved, (with very few dissentients) That the thanks of this meeting " be given to Lord Mahon, Lord Mountmorres, and Dr. Jebb.

"Seventhly, Resolved, That the thanks of this meeting be given to the Gentlemen " who compose the Committee for conducting the business of the Address of Thanks " to his Majesty for dismissing his late unpopular Ministers.

CECIL WRAY, Chairman.

ADVERTISEMENT.

ST. JAMES'S, WESTMINSTER.

February 14, 1784.] The Electors of this parish are respectfully acquainted, that the Address agreed upon at the meeting held on Tuesday the 10th instant, in the Court of Requests, and confirmed in Westminster Hall on Saturday the 14th inftant, thanking his Majesty for the dismission of his late Ministers, is left at the Court of Requests, Vine-street, and at Mr. Stockdale's, opposite Burlington House, Piccadilly, for the fignature of such of the householders as shall approve of it.

ADVERTISEMENT.

General Meeting of the Electors of Westminster.

Feb. 14.] At a most numerous meeting of the Electors of Westininster, held this day in Westminster Hall,

The Right Hon. CHARLES JAMES FOX having been called to the Chair, The following Resolutions and Address were carried upon a shew of hands, by a majority of at least fix to one.

K

Resolved