poffess rather than their ribbonds the hearts of my countrymen. But, Gentlemen, proud as I consider that honour to be--proud as it makes me--I will at the same time frankly and boldly say, that neither that nor any thing else would prevent my doing what I conceive to be my duty, and that my ambition has been more to serve than to please you.-Gentlemen ; I have complained, of what ?---of the Constitution? no-Of speculative doctrines, as they falsely charge me?---no---We are not now debating about a Government---we have a Government---we have an established Government, giving and affording, if fairly exercised, to all men within these realms, fair protection and rational freedom. I am not, therefore, now disputing such points. I know, moreover, that in different countries men have lived happily and securely under different forms of Government, and that a Government being established has, of itself, a considerable advantage over any other, however perfect it may appear in theory---that the very ground of its being established gives it a decided preference. But, Gentlemen, it is the abuses of Government which I have been pointing out; the scandalous misapplication of the public wealth, the scandalous and unfeeling plunder of the people of Engand, and the scandalous abuses which I have pointed out, are equally pernicious to all Governments, be their principles what they may. Gentlemen; were I to stay here to detail to you the statement of those abuses, the particulars of which I have at different times noticed---[Here a Gentleman exclaimed, 3 K "You might might stay here till the next Election."]---Gentlemen, very true, if I were to attempt to detail them I might stand here till the coming of another Election.--Gentlemen, I should certainly have to present a picture which even the persons who have been the authors of the system I complain of, would themselves perhaps start back and shudder at.---Gentlemen; with respect to the Grievances and to the Taxes of the Country, when they are so scandalously misapplied, I think it is the duty of every public map to stand forward and expose such conduct.--What has been the language upon that subject of Ministers themselves? what the consolation they have held out to the people ?---no abuse has been rectified, but they have told you that the prodigal waste, or as they will call it,, the necessary expenditure of the Country, has been such, and is such, that men muft sacrifice even the necessaries of life-many indeed must do that; but we must not complain, though they leave us hardly any thing we can call our own-the man who keeps a house must go into the first floor and be a lodger-the man who rents the first floor muft go into the second, and the man in the second floor must go up to the third. Why do not they proceed in their progress and shew you the issue, because there were men in all those situations before-why not mount up and say, the man who has the third floor must go into the garrat ;--but where is the man who was before in the garrat to go? Why, Gentlemen, he must descend into the cellar; but there was somebody before in the cellar! where is he to go to? why, he must be thruft out naked naked upon the pavement, and carried to the poorhouse or the grave. Why, then do these Gentlemen ftop in their progress? why do they not go on with the journey they are pursuing? they are fhocked themselves at the picture they are going to trace, or afraid of telling you, whom'they are leading, whither they are going to conduct you!-Gentlemen; in such times as these-in times of public danger, it is in my opinion one of the greatest crimes any man can commit, whether he does it against or according to law, to lay his unhallowed hands upon the sacred resources of the Country. Those resources are all wanted for national defence, and they cannot at once flow in two channels-they cannot be used for purposes of corruption, and for purposes of national security. Only to mention one department which these Gentlemen may perhaps call part of the Conftitution-for they seem to consider nothing but its abuses as the Conftitution-the very department of the Barracks. Why are Barracks built all over England? why so many millions bestowed upon them? were those millions which are employed in the most corrupt and foul way, employed, either in augmenting your navy, or in rewarding the gallant actions of those men who are the real defence of their country, were they employed in that way they would prove an ample source of national security without laying a single tax more upon the people.-Gentlemen; what becomes of all the Sinecure Places and Pensions given for the moft corrupt and flagrant purposes?—given to delude the people in many instances, to oppress them in others; why are all those 3 K 2 resources resources given for such purposes, whilft there is a single honourable defender of his Country who goes unrewarded?-Gentlemen; there is another source, too, which ought to be held as a sacred source of national supply-I mean the honours of the stateWhy are those honours proftituted for political purposes?-those honours which ought to be held sacred as the rewards particularly of military merit, which are a great and ample source of reward for gallant and brave men are made use of for no purpose but to secure corrupt majorities in the two houses of Parliament.-Gentlemen; there is another subject of abuse which I think it my duty to mention: why in this perilous ftate of the Country are we inundated by German troops? why are Englishmen sent out of the country on expeditions, and thousands of Germans taken into our pay? Can it be for the defence of England? Why did they not defend Germany? What intereft have they with us? For what purpose has the Country been put to that expence, and those resources so employed which might have gone to the support and maintenance of national troops for the defence of England itself?-Gentlemen; having fhortly detailed a very few of those circumftances of which I complain, and none of which I contend are complaints against the Conftitution of England, but against those who are destroying, undermining, and corrupting that Conftitution, I fhall take my leave of you with merely observing-that great as the dangers of the Country are from without, they are ftill greater from the corruption within,--that no country has ever been overcome by the valour of its enemies abroad abroad which has not fillen a prey to a previous system of corruption at home.-Gentlemen; I shall take my leave of you with returning you many thanks for the honour you have done me, and with ftating simply this-that while our gallant navy is contending against the foreign foe, you will always find me ready to contend for the people against the domestic one." Sir Francis was then drawn through Brentford by the populace. Most of the houses in Kensington and Knightsbridge were illuminated, and the whole had more the appearance of a triumph than a defeat. Mr. Mellish's Address to the Freeholders of Middlesex after the Election. Gentlemen; If in an ordinary conteft I had been chosen by you as one of your Representatives, I should have been utterly at a loss to express my gratitude for so high an honour. Judge, then, how incapable I must be of doing juftice to my feelings, when your choice involves in it a great and glorious victory that you have enabled me to obtain over the dangerous party which, by the moft disgraceful practices at the last two Elections, had nearly triumphed over your independence. The immense majority with which you have honoured my humble pretensions to your favour, declares, in fo decifive a manner, the voice of the County, that I truft it will extinguish the hopes of all who are defirous of ftifling that voice by popular clamour, or of defeating it by the arts of faction. That majority also, |