dett. I do not wish to hurt the feelings of the Treasurer of the Navy, or to sink him in his friends' estimation; but good God! can it be believed, that Mr. Sheridan, who once had the popular voice, and was thought to be the tried and undoubted friend of the people, can only now find refuge amongst the heads of the administration! It would have been more honourable for Mr. Sheridan to have thrown himself at the feet of the people of England, and craved their pardon for having become an apostate. If he had appeared here with shame, sorrow, and contrition, we might have thought he had yet some virtue remaining; but, instead of this, we find him base and abandoned enough, to shew that he loves his place and his emoluments better than he loves you. It has been asked, Gentlemen, what were my pretensions? I shall state them very shortly in opposition to Mr. Sheridan. Think of his professions before he was Treasurer of the Navy, and mark what he has done, when he has obtained that situation; and then you will be the most proper judge betwixt him and me. For two sessions of parliament I never was absent, from the time the Speaker took the chair, to the time he left it; I voted against the increase of your burthens; I opposed the additional Pension bills; I joined cordially in rectifying the abuses in the barrack department; I voted against the clause of the bill, by which foreign property was to be protected with less burthens than your own; and I have endeavoured, with unceasing and unabated perseverance, to

bring one of the greatest state delinquents that ever existed in any country, to punishment. This, Gentlemen, has been my conduct; now, what has been that of the Treasurer of the Navy from the time he came into office? I pledge my honour that he did not attend six times in the House of Commons from the time he got into office. The first act of the Treasurer of the Navy was to vote decidely for an increase of your burthens, and then to controul the liberty of the press. When I brought forward an order to show how four millions of money had been expended, he came down and rescinded that vote, which would have shewn you to your satisfaction how your money had been appropriated. Except for the purpose of gaining popularity, the Treasurer of the Navy has never appeared in the House of Commons. I am accused of being a jacobin, by those very men who professed themselves to be the friends of Arthur O'Connor. I defy any honourable and conscientious man, to torture any sentiment ever uttered by me into a wish for the ill of my Country. I respect the King, Lords, and Commons, in their proper places. I only wish to bring back those principles of the Constitution into practice, which have too long existed only in theory."-Mr. Paull, having concluded, was, as formerly, drawn home in triumph by the multitude.

Sir Samuel Hood's Dinner at Willis's Rooms, November 11.

A meeting of sir Samuel Hood's friends was this day held at Willis's Rooms, King-street, at five o'clock. About half past six o'clock, the company, consisting of upwards of 200, sat down to dinner ; Colonel Elliot in the chair. After the usual toasts of "The King," "Queen, and Royal Family" were given, the Chairman proposed "The Health of Sir Samuel Hood," which was drunk with three times three. Sir Samuel rose, and thanked the meeting for the kindness and attention they had this day shewn him. He then gave, "Mr.

Sheridan, and Success to him in his Election;" which was drunk with three times three.

Mr. SHERIDAN declared, that much as he might, on various occasions, have felt himself flattered by public declarations of approbation, none had, on any occasion, been so flattering to him as that which he had experienced to-day. More might naturally be expected to be said by him than by the brave Commodore whose health had been previously drunk, though they must easily have perceived that his heart was full with gratitude for that support they had so manfully given him, and he had so well deserved. Agreeing, as he hoped they did, in one common object-that the Electors of this City had something left to deserve support, he and the brave Commodore seemed to differ only in one thing, namely, how this object

was to be accomplished. His way was by speaking of it-the gallant Commodore's was more noble, namely, by fighting. It was by no means with surprise that he had read a charge made by Mr. Paull against them-that they mortally detested each other. On what ground such a charge was insinuated, he knew not. But let his services of 26 years, and the gallant Commodore's more noble services of a longer standing, by which he (Mr. Sheridan) had got a place, and by which the hon. baronet had lost his arm, answer the accusation. Mr. Paul had accused them of detesting each other. But, if Mr. Paull could have fixed on a wrong person on whom to impose such a charge, Mr. Sheridan declared, he had effectually done so in selecting him. If there was a person in the kingdom who could hold in detestation the Defender of their Country, he, unquestionably, was not the person-but one determined rather to venerate their persons and services. He had not till the present Election known sir S. Hood. He had heard of him, however, and though he knew that there were names equal, he knew that there was not one superior to it in the British Navy. If there was a man in this country, in Parliament, or out of it, inclined to shew his admiration of the character and merits of our naval commanders, he was that person. He had not been present on the Hustings, when the gallant Commodore complimented him on his conduct during the mutiny in the Navy. Nothing, however, could be more gratifying to him than to learn

that

that his conduct on that occasion had been approved, not by sir S. Hood alone, but by almost every officer in the Navy. He treated with contempt the opinion of Mr. Paull on this subject. If there was a man who could detest the brave Defender of his Country, he must be sought amongst those with whom Mr. Paull himself associated-who said, there was nothing in the country worth defending-who must be supposed inclined to think so and who, if they maintained such an opinion, without believing it, must naturally be supposed capable of detesting those Defenders of their Country whom it was their business to calumniate. Such a character, unquestionably, could be sought no where but amongst those who were prepared to overturn the country. He hoped sincerely there were no such men; but he declared that the dread of them, or the certainty of their existence, should never intimidate him, but that he should be ready, at all times, and by every means in his power, to meet them face to face, and, he trusted, to combat and overpower them. The present contest was esteemed to be of considerable importance; but its importance did not consist in this-if he or the other person should be Member for Westminster; but if the principles which he professed, or those professed by his opponent, were to have the preference in the eyes of the Electors of this great City. This was a momentous and a most perilous crisis: a period at which one tyrant had over-run the whole continent of Europe, and one in which nothing was

R 2

left