"Somerset-Place, Nov. 22, 1806. "DEAR SIR-The Committee, you inform me, wish that Mr. Paull's advertisement of the 29th of September last, so ardently "extolling me, and especially my pretensions to represent West"minster, should be published, that the attention of the Electors, "and particularly of his own supporters, might be calmly called "to the contrast of the sentiments then deliberately avowed by him, and the language he and his friends have since thought proper to "hold. To this I can only repeat the answer I gave to a similar "remark at the Thatched House, that I am far from being anxious "to obtrude on the notice of the public Mr. Paull's praises of me, "and still more reluctant to assist in circulating a very coarse, though impotent, attack on the Duke of Northumberland and "Earl Percy. And as to Mr. Cobbett, I must again beg leave to "differ from the Committee. Believe me, there can be no use in continuing to detect and expose the gross and scurrilous untruths "which his nature, his habits, and his cause, compel him to deal ❝in. Leave him to himself; rely on it there is not a man, woman, or child, in Great Britain, who believes one word he says. With regard to the passage respecting the scandalous "words he continues to assert I spoke on the Hustings, notice of a different sort will be taken of that. 46 "I have the honour to be, yours, very faithfully, RICHARD BRINSLEY SHERIDAN." "To Peter Moore, Esq. Resolved, That this Committee cannot separate without expressing their high approbation of the conduct of the Right Hon. R. B. Sheridan, throughout the late arduous and important contest, which has evinced a constancy and firmness, in supporting the true principles of the British Constitution, equally unshaken by the threats and malignity of his opponents, accompanied by a display of temper in the midst of provocation, and of sincerity and good faith throughout every transaction, as must for ever recommend him to the warmest confidence and esteem of those who value such qualities in a Public Man. PETER MOORE, Chairman. Resolved unanimously, That the most unqualified and grateful Thanks of this Committee be presented to Peter Moore, Esq. for his meritorious and spirited conduct as Chairman. Mr. Sheridan's Address to the Electors of Westminster, after the Election. GENTLEMEN, The Communication made to me this day, from the General Committee, who so kindly and disinterestedly undertook the management of my Election, and to whose exertions I owe eternal gratitude, has decided me to make very brief the Public Address, to which, on the close of the Poll, I intended to have solicited no brief degree of attention; but, on reconsidering all that has passed, and bending to the judgment of those whose opinion I ought to respect, I forego my first intention of refuting all foul and foolish calumnies, which have been put forth against me, as well as of restating, with that proud confidence which I feel myself entitled to retain in my own bosom, my claims as a public man to the honour which I have aspired to, and which your justness and judgment have now conferred upon me. Why, it has been urged to me, should I stoop to a controversy with scurrility and falsehood, proof against the shame of detection, and insensible to the contrast of gentlemanly manners? It is true, and so I leave the question. At the same time, I cannot but cherish a hope, that all respectable persons who have been arrayed against me, have not been implicated in or even informed of the baseness of the means by which their cause has been attempted to be supported. Could I believe otherwise, I should feel that I owe it to the honour of the Citizens of Westminster to declare to its Electors that we cannot be justified in desiring to remember our success as a triumph, without endeavouring to forget who were our opponents. One word more, Gentlemen, and I have done. I take to myself the greatest blame, and I must also include many of my friends for my admission in the negligence, mismanagement and misapprehension which attended the too long protracted commencement of my canvass; to enter into the cause of this would be to enter into a detail not now of material interest, or easily to be explained. I only intreat you to ascribe it to any motive but a want of personal respect in me toward any one Elector of any degree amongst you, and that I am sincere in the profes sion, I shall endeavour to prove, by the utmost assiduity, now the Election is over, to shew to you, individually and collectively, the gratitude, esteem, and devotion with which I have the honour to be, Gentlemen, Your faithful Servant, RICHARD BRINSLEY SHERIDAN. Somerset-Place, Mr. Mr. COBBETT's Strictures on the Conduct of Mr. SHERIDAN during the Contest for Westminster; in a Letter to the Right Hon. WILLIAM WINDHAM. SIR, Botley, 27th Nov. 1806. The conduct of the younger SHERIDAN, during the recent Election in Westminster, suggested to my mind the propriety of addressing a letter publicly to you upon the subject of his situation in the army, that army for the exciting and preserving of emulation in which you have shewn such a laudable anxiety. But, sir, upon taking up my pen for this purpose, my thoughts. naturally fly back to the time, when you as well as I had to encounter the effects of the elder Sheridan's mob-courting cant and misrepresentations; and, thus reflecting, I cannot refrain from endeavouring to give you, who were in Norfolk during the whole of the period of the contest in Westminster, a tolerably accurate idea of the occurrences with respect to this our former assailant, who, during the existence of the Addington ministry, was, as he succeeded in persuading the House of Commons, the only mañ possessing popularity in an extensive degree.You have read, sir, in the Register of the 8th instant, page 715, an account of the reception which Mr. Sheridan met with upon his first appearance at the Hustings in Covent Garden (see p. 19); but, sir, the scene was far beyond the ordinary powers of description. Mr. Sheridan, according to his usual custom, kept every thing waiting for his arrival; and, when he did arrive, he appeared to have been hurried away in an unprepared state. By surplus of misfortune he placed himself on the side of sir Francis Burdett. Good hea vens, what a contrast! An involuntary shout broke forth from the multitude, through whose voice honest nature seemed to exclaim: "Look on this picture, and on this!"-It was not until this moment that Mr. Sheridan was convinced, or, perhaps, that he suspected, that so far from being popular, he was an object of unanimous unpopularity and odium. I could have told him of the fact several days before; and so could his friends; but facts of such a nature, friends are not, in general, very ready to communicate. The general hissings and groanings, with which Mr. Sheridan and his supporters were received, have been before spoken of; and some notice has, in the venal daily prints, been taken of the particular reproaches of a person, whose face Mr. Sheridan Sheridan attempted to render a subject of ridicule; an attempt which I will not repay by giving a description of Mr. Sheridan's face. This person, as soon as the speeches and the uproar were at an end, approached as near as he could to the Hustings, where, raising his arm and shaking his clenched fist, he, in a loud and clear voice, audible within as well as without the Hustings, thus began: "Sheridan! many days and weeks and months and years "I have longed for an opportunity of daring to speak the truth "of you to your face; that opportunity is now come, and I will "not let it slip." He then began, and, though it took him no little time, he went through the whole of his character and con duct, private and public, moral and political. His description was nervous and eloquent; and, when I tell you that it was perfectly true, you will not, I am sure, expect me to repeat it in print, notwithstanding all Mr. Sheridan's professions respecting the liberty of the press.-From the reports of the venal press, sir, you would imagine, that Mr. Sheridan kept his temper through all this. Nothing is further from the truth. He did, indeed, vent a few of his threadbare jests; but, by the few who were able to hear them, they were received with expressions of disgust and contempt; and, at the close of the first day, he, in these words, took his leave of the people, of that people whom he had so long succeeded in deluding: "you have behaved like a set of blackguards, particularly you, you broadfaced bully, and d—--'you, I'll stay with you no longer."-The venal press has told you, sir, that this "broad-faced orator" was hired by Mr. Paul; but, the fact is, that neither Mr. Paull nor any of his friends had ever spoken to the orator, nor, until after the day was over, did any of them know who he was. We then learnt, that his name was BURRAGE, and that he kept the Old-Parr's-Head in Swallowstreet. But, while I say this, I for my own part, shall say, that I highly approved of his conduct; and was glad to find, that there was one man, at least, who had spirit enough to discharge so useful a public duty.-The venal prints have said, sir, that Mr. Paull hired a mob; and, that very profound personage, Mr. Peter Moore, swore, that he, forsooth, would look to Mr. Paull for any violence that might take place (see p. 21). But, if any thing had been to be done by hiring, is it likely that Mr. Paull would have had the advantage? Was it possible for him to hire the 50,000 young men, who every evening conducted him from the Hustings? Mr. Sheridan (and it was truly curious to hear it) ་་ requested requested Mr. Paull, on the first evening of the election, “to "speak to the mob" to cease hooting him. "The mob!" exclaimed Mr. Paull. "They are the people, my very good friends, and it is not for me to dictate to them, as to the manner in which they shall express their feelings." But, though Mr. Paull hired nobody, Mr. Sheridan, or his supporters hired people enough. On the first day, Mr. Paull, in compliance with custom, had a band, if I may so call them, of marrow-bones and cleavers; but, they were that night dismissed. The Sheridan party had not only a large body of this description, but, also 200 bludgeon-men. Yet this formidable corps, though aided by a large gang of sir Samuel Hood's sailors (who would have been better employed on board a ship), were unable to keep the field,. when, towards the close of each day, the people were assembled at the Hustings. The fact is, that the whole of the free part of the people were with Mr. Paull; and if he had not been extremely moderate in his conduct, his opponents never could have brought any body to poll for them.-You have seen, sir, that the heroic Sheridan kept away from the Hustings for several days; and, after what has already been published, you will want nothing to convince you that the illness, ascribed to a blow received at the Hustings, was a mere pretence. ever was, in my opinion, given. drank many toasts and made a Anchor, and he was, the next day, seen by many persons canvassing from door to door. Of the letter, which has appeared in the newspapers, under the name of the pretended striker, you will easily guess at the origin; and, if this man was really guilty of a breach of the peace, and was, as he is said, to have been committed for it, upon oath made against him, it will not fail to occur to you to ask, by what sort of law it was that Mr. Sheridan was able to order him to be released!-After Mr. Sheridan had been spurred on to come again and shew that face of his at the Hustings, he took occasion, one evening, to put in his claims to - public gratitude on account of what he had done, or rather said, with respect to the Volunteers, of which establishment, he said, he had the honour to be a colonel.-Upon this the hisses and groans, which, from the effects of fatigue, had begun to subside, broke out again louder than ever. "No regiments of tax-gatherers; no "major Downs the undertaker; no palavering; no canting patrio Such it certainly was. No blow Mr. Sheridan, that same night, long speech, at the Crown and "tism," |