CHAP. 1768. "Moft gracious fovereign, "Will your majesty be pleased so far to condefcend, as to permit the mayor of your loyal city of London, to deMr. Beck- clare in your royal prefence, on behalf of his fellow-citiford's reply zens, how much the bare apprehenfion of your majesty's to his ma- difpleasure would, at all times affect their minds; the dejefty. claration of that displeasure has already filled them with inexpreffible anxiety, and with the deepest affliction. Nov. 21. The patriots relax in their affiduity. "Permit me, fire, to affure your majesty, that your majefty has not, in all your dominions, any fubjects more faithful, more dutiful, or more affectionate to your majefty's perfon and family, or more ready to facrifice their lives and fortunes in the maintainance of the true honour and dignity of your crown. "We do, therefore, with the greatest humility and submission, most earnefly fupplicate your majefty, that you will not difmifs us from your prefence, without expreffing a more favourable opinion of your faithful citizens, and without fome comfort, without fome prospect, at least, of redrefs. "Permit me, fire, further to observe, that whoever has already dared, or fhall hereafter endeavour, by false infinuations and fuggeftions, to alienate your majefty's affections from your loyal fubjects in general, and from the city of London in particular, and to withdraw your confidence to, and regard for your people, is an enemy to your majefty's perfon and family, a violator of the public peace, and a betrayer of our happy conftitution, as it was established at the glorious and neceflary revolution." Though his majesty did not think proper to say any thing in answer to this fpeech, and the miniftry affected to confider fuch liberties in a fubject, as highly indecent, the conduct of Mr. Beckford was greatly applauded in the city, and the manner in which he expressed himself, met with the approbation of both parties. His death, which happened before the next feffion, was a fevere lofs to the popular party. However, it did not prevent the framing of a third petition and remonftrance, which was presented on the 21ft of November, the fame year; but this met with no better reception than the former; his majesty returning for anfwer, that he had feen no reafon to alter his opinion, he could not comply with the prayer of their petition. Such a continued courfe of difappointment, began, at laft, to affect the refolution and perfeverance of the patriotic party, and the business of petitioning began to flacken. The freeholders of York, inftead of a petition to the throne, fent a letter of thanks to their reprefentatives, in which 1770. they declared, that though they now defpaired of fuccefs CHAP. by application to the throne, as the fame influence still pre- VI. vailed, which had hitherto ftood in the way of their reprefentatives; they, however, recommended a perfeverance in every parliamentary method that feemed likely to obtain redrefs; and, if they should find it practicable, to impeach thofe, who, by their evil council, had occafioned fo much mischief. Mr. Wilkes. Such was the end of all the commotions and immenfe clamours about liberty, with which the whole kingdom had General acbeen filled for fo long a time. As for the patriot, Wilkes count of himself, he was obliged to remain in prison during the full time to which he had been sentenced; his popular friends paid the fines impofed upon him, and likewife compounded with his creditors for his private debts, which were very confiderable. But, though he still continued the darling of the populace, their admiration was not attended with that violence and uproar which had formerly marked their proceedings His importance diminished in proportion, as he was no longer perfecuted by the miniftry; and many of his friends, from various caufes, deserted him. Still, however, his influence was very extenfive; he was chofen His prefer one of the aldermen of London, then sheriff, afterwards lord-mayor, and, at laft, fixed in the lucrative office of city-chamberlain; in all which departments he behaved fo well, that his greatest enemies could never lay hold of any part of his public character that could be accounted a fault, or even represented in a disadvantageous light. ment, CHAPTER VII. VII. 1770. Difcontents auc. Continuance of the difcontents Contest of the House of Com Company rejected. CHAP. THOUGH tranquillity now gradually took place with regard to the affair of the Middlesex election, other caufes contributed to keep the flame alive with no lefs violence than ever. A motion was annually made by Mr. fill con Burke, one of the moft celebrated members in oppofition, to refcind the proceedings of the commons with regard to it; while lord Chatham exerted himself in the fame manner in the house of lords. Had this been complied with, the matter could not have been established as a precedent, which the miniftry, no doubt, had in view, and which might, on future occafions, be productive of very fatal confequences. So little regard, however, was paid to these motions, that even those who made them did not entertain any hopes of fuccefs, farther, than that they tended to fhew the miniftry, that it was totally impoflible to fubdue the popular spirit, which would ferve alfo, as an encouragement to the nation at large to renew their attempts,. whenever a favourable opportunity fhould offer. The laft ferious effort made in parliament relative to this fubject, was a motion, February 7, 1771, for a bill to ascertain the Fcb. 1771. rights of electors, in respect to the eligibility of perfons to CHAP. serve in parliament; which, however, was rejected by VII. one hundred and fixty-feven to one hundred and three. Contest of the house of The disturbances on account of the Middlesex election, 1771. were scarce quieted, before a new accident, apparently of a trivial nature, intervened, which contributed, at laft, to commons humiliate the houfe of commons, in a degree altogether with fome unheard of. This was the bringing of fome printers be- printers. fore the house, by a warrant from the fpeaker, to answer for certain publications iffued by them. All this time, indeed, a political paper-war had raged throughout the kingdom with the utmost violence. In this, no character, however unexceptionable, had been spared. The most fhameful and feandalous abuse had been thrown out, and this, without even the flight precautions of printing only the initials of the name, and leaving it to the fagacity of the reader to fill up the blank. In the midst of this general licentioufnefs, the publishers of newspapers, had, without ceremony, printed what they called fpeeches of the members of parliament; but which had been fo little confonant to truth, that many of the gentlemen, to whom they were attributed, had utterly denied them; others had complained of their being mifreprefented, and mutilated in such a manner, that what was published in the newfpaper, carried a quite different meaning from what they had delivered in the house; at the fame time, that fuch publications, whether true or falfe, were utterly inconfiftent with the privileges of the houfe. On thefe grounds, two printers, John Wheble and Robert Thomfon, were ordered to attend. As the meffenger who brought the order did not fee them, he contented himself with leaving it at their houses, which, by a decifion of the commons, was judged to be fufficient warning, though the printers did not attend in confequence of it. The ferjeant-at-arms was ordered to take them into cuftody, but he was alfo difappointed in meeting with them, and laughed at by their fervants, when he enquired for them at their houses; on which the laft, and indeed the worst ftep that could have been taken, was put in execution; namely, to addrefs for a royal proclamation against the printers, with a reward. for apprehending them; which was accordingly iffued in the gazette of the 9th of March, 1771, with an offer of March 9. gol. for taking any of the delinquents. The proceedings were not carried on without a very confiderable oppofition. The arguments ufed by the minority were indeed no other than fuch as common sense Seemed to dictate. The privileges of the houfe of com 1771. par CHAP. mons had never been determined, and to attempt any thing VII. which must neceffarily bring on a minute investigation of them at such a time, and while the difpofitions of the people were fo much inflamed, was certainly in the higheft degree improper. To profecute the printers of fuch publications could only ferve to promote the fale of them; and to push matters to the utmost was degrading the house, by involving it in a ridiculous conteft with adverfaries altogether below its notice, and who could easily have been punished, if they really merited any punishment, by profecuting them at common law. The minifteral ty, however, on this occafion, prevailed as ufual. It seems, indeed, that at present the court party were very much inclined to search for powers in the crown and parliament fuperior and entirely diftinct from thofe hitherto eftablished as the general laws of the land, and which, if they could be but fairly eftablifhed by a fingle precedent, might afterwards be made ufe of to reprefs the overgrown power of the people, whofe unbounded licentioufnefs was found fo difficult to be reftrained. Inftead of hearkening to the admonitions of the oppofite party, therefore, they found out other fix printers equally culpable with thofe against whom the proclamation had been iffued, and whom they immediately ordered to attend the houfe. In the mean time, John Wheble, one of the printers mentioned in the proclamation, was apprehended, and brought before alderman Wilkes, who not only difcharged, but bound him over to profecute the perfon by whom he was apprehended, for an affault and falle imprisonment; obliging the latter, at the fame time, to give bail for his appearance at the next feffion. The fame evening, Robert Thomson, the other printer mentioned in the proclamation, was apprehended, and brought before alderman Oliver, by whom he was in like manner difcharged, and the captor obliged to give bail for his appearance. Both the city magiftrates, however, fignea certificates, that the perfons by whom the printers had been apprehended, were entitled to the rewards of 5ol. offered in the gazette; but though they applied to the board of treasury, it was not thought proper to pay the money. Of the other fix, one was already in the cuftody of the lords for an offence of the fame nature; four attended the house, and were reprimanded; and one, J. Miller, the printer of the London Evening Poft, did not attend; on which the ferjeant-at-arms was ordered to take him into cuftody. He was accordingly afterwards apprehended in his own house, by a meffenger of the commons; and |