MR. BURKE'S SPEECH

TO THE

ELECTORS OF BRISTOL,

On his being declared by the Sheriffs, duly elected one of the Reprefentatives in Parliament for that City,

I

On Thursday the third of November, 1774.

GENTLEMEN,

CANNOT avoid fympathizing ftrongly with

the feelings of the gentleman who has received the fame honour that you have conferred on me. If he, who was bred and paffed his whole life amongst you; if he, who, through the easy gradations of acquaintance, friendship, and efteem,' has obtained the honour, which feems of itself, naturally and almoft infenfibly, to meet with thofe, who, by the even tenour of pleasing manners and focial virtues, flide into the love and confidence of their fellow-citizens;-if he cannot fpeak but with great emotion on this fubject, furrounded as he is on all fides with his old friends; you will have the goodness to excufe me, if my real, unaffected embarraffment prevents me from expreffing my gratitude to you as I ought.

I was brought hither under the disadvantage of being unknown, even by fight, to any of you. No previous canvass was made for me. I was put in nomination after the poll was opened. I did not appear until it was far advanced. If, under all these accumulated difadvantages, your good opinion has carried me to this happy point of fuccefs; you will pardon me, if I can only fay to you collectively, as I faid to you individually, fimply and plainly, I thank you-I am obliged to youI am not infenfible of your kindness.

This is all that I am able to fay for the ineftimable favour you have conferred upon me. But I cannot be fatisfied, without faying a little more in defence of the right you have to confer such a favour. The person that appeared here as counfel for the candidate, who fo long and fo earnestly folicited your votes, thinks proper to deny, that a very great part of you have any votes to give. He fixes a standard period of time in his own ima gination, not what the law defines, but merely what the convenience of his client fuggefts, by which he would cut off, at one stroke, all those freedoms, which are the deareft privileges of

your corporation; which the common law authorizes; which your magiftrates are compelled to grant; which come duly authenticated into this court; and are faved in the clearest words, and with the moft religious care and tendernefs, in that very

act

act of parliament, which was made to regulate the elections by freemen, and to prevent all poflible abufes in making them.

I do not intend to argue the matter here. My learned counsel has fupported your cause with his usual ability; the worthy fheriffs have acted with their usual equity, and I have no doubt, that the fame equity, which dictates the return, will guide the final determination. I had the honour, in conjunction with many far wiser men, to contribute a very small affiftance, but however fome afsistance, to the forming the judicature which is to try fuch queftions. It would be unnatural in me, to doubt the justice of that court, in the trial of my own caufe, to which I have been fo active to give jurisdiction over every other.

I affure the worthy freemen, and this corporation, that, if the gentleman perfeveres, in the intentions, which his prefent warmth dictates to him, I will attend their cause with diligence, and I hope with effect. For, if I know any thing of myself, it is not my own intereft in it, but my full conviction, that induces me to tell you-I think there is not a fhadow of doubt in the cafe.

I do not imagine that you find me rash in de, claring myself, or very forward in troubling you. From the beginning to the end of the election, I have kept filence in all matters of difcuffion. I have never asked a question of a voter on the other

fide, or supported a doubtful vote on my own. I refpected the abilities of my managers; I relied on the candour of the court.. I think the worthy fheriffs will bear me witness, that I have never once made an attempt to impose upon their reason, to furprize their justice, or to ruffle their temper. I ftood on the huftings (except when I gave my thanks to those who favoured me with their votes) lefs like a candidate, than an unconcerned fpectator of a publick proceeding. But here the face of things is altered. Here is an attempt for a general masacre of fuffrages; an attempt, by a promifcuous carnage of friends and foes, to exterminate above two thousand votes, including feven hundred polled for the gentleman himself, who now complains, and who would deftroy the friends whom he has obtained, only because he cannot obtain as many of them as he wishes.

How he will be permitted, in another place, to ftultify and difable himself, and to plead against his own acts, is another queftion. The law will decide it. I fhall only speak of it as it concerns the propriety of publick conduct in this city. I do not pretend to lay down rules of decorum for other gentlemen. They are beft judges of the mode of proceeding that will recommend them to the favour of their fellow-citizens. But I confefs, I fhould look rather awkward, if I had been the the very first to produce the new copies of freedom, if