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

I do not intend to argue the matter here. My learned counsel has fupported your cause with his ufual ability; the worthy fheriffs have acted with their ufual 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 wifer men, to contribute a very small affiftance, but however fome affiftance, to the forming the judicature which is to try fuch questions. It would be unnatural in me, to doubt the justice of that court, in the trial of my own cause, to which I have been so active to give jurifdiction over every other.

I affure the worthy freemen, and this, corpora tion, that, if the gentleman perfeveres in the intentions, which his present warmth dictates to him, I will attend their cause with diligence, and I hope with effect. For, if I know any thing of myfelf, 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 declaring myfelf, 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 fupported a doubtful vote on my own. I respected the abilities of my managers; I relied on the candour of the court. I think the worthy. heriffs will bear me witness, that I have never once made an attempt to impose upon their reason, to furprise their juftice, or to ruffle their temper. I ftood on the huftings (except when I gave my thanks to thofe 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 massacre of fuffrages; an attempt, by a promifcuous carnage of friends and foes, to exterminate above two thousand votes, including seven hundred polled for the gentleman himself, who now complains, and who would deftroy the friends whom he has obtained, only becaufe 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 best judges of the mode of proceeding that will recommend them to the favour of their fellow-citizens. But I confefs, I should look rather awkward, if I had been the very first to produce the new copies of freedom, if

I had perfifted in producing them to the laft; if I had ranfacked, with the most unremitting induftry, and the most penetrating research, the remoteft corners of the kingdom to discover them; if I were then, all at once, to turn fhort, and declare, that I had been sporting all this while with the right of election; and that I had been drawing out a poll, upon no fort of rational grounds, which disturbed the peace of my fellow-citizens for a month together-I really, for my part, fhould appear awkward under fuch circumstances.

It would be ftill more awkward in me, if I were gravely to look the fheriffs in the face, and to tell them, they were not to determine my cause on my own principles; nor to make the return upon those votes, upon which I had refted my election. Such would be my appearance to the court and magiftrates.

But how fhould I appear to the voters them. felves? if I had gone round to the citizens intitled to freedom, and squeezed them by the hand"Sir, I humbly beg your vote-Ifhall be eternally "thankful-may I hope for the honour of your "fupport?-Well!-come-we shall fee you at "the council-house."-If I were then to deliver them to my managers, pack them into tallies, voté them off in court, and when I heard from the bar "Such a one only! and fuch a one for ever!"he's my man!"-" Thank you, good Sir-Hah!

my worthy friend! thank you kindly- that's "an honeft fellow-how is your good family?"Whilft these words were hardly out of

my mouth, if I fhould have wheeled round at once, and told them"Get you gone, you pack of worthless "fellows! you have no votes-you are ufurpers!

you are intruders on the rights of real freemen! "I will have nothing to do with you! you ought "never to have been produced at this election, and "the fheriffs ought not to have admitted you to cc poll."

Gentlemen, I fhould make a strange figure, if my conduct had been of this fort. I am not fo old an acquaintance of yours as the worthy gentleman. Indeed I could not have ventured on fuch kind of freedoms with you. But I am bound, and I will endeavour, to have justice done to the rights of freemen; even though I fhould, at the fame time, be obliged to vindicate the former* part of my antagonist's conduct against his own present inclinations.

I owe myself, in all things, to all the freemen of this city. My particular friends have a demand on me, that I fhould not deceive their expectations. Never was caufe or man fupported with more conftancy, more activity, more fpirit. I have

*Mr. Brickdale opened his poll, it feems, with a tally of thofe very kind of freemen, and voted many hundreds of them.

been

been fupported with a zeal indeed and heartiness in my friends, which (if their object had been at all proportioned to their endeavours) could never be fufficiently commended. They fupported me upon the most liberal principles. They wished that the members for Briftol fhould be chofen for the city, and for their country at large, and not for themselves.

So far they are not disappointed. If I poffefs nothing else, I am fure I poffefs the temper that is fit for your service. I know nothing of Bristol, but by the favours I have received, and the virtues I have feen exerted in it.

I fhall ever retain, what I now feel, the most perfect and grateful attachment to my friends. and I have no enmities; no refentment. I never can confider fidelity to engagements, and conftancy in friendships, but with the highest approbation; even when thofe noble qualities are employed against my own pretenfions. The gentleman, who is not fortunate as I have been in this conteft, enjoys, in this refpect, a confolation full of honour both to himself and to his friends. They have certainly left nothing undone for his fervice.

As for the trifling petulance, which the rage of party ftirs up in little minds, though it fhould fhew itself even in this court, it has not made the flightest impression on me. The highest flight of such, clamorous birds is winged in an inferiour reVOL. III.

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