points, and in whatever relates to the profperity of this city, and the particular intereft of our ward. Every probable plan for the advancement of the common welfare, as well as every mercantile confideration, fhall have its due weight in my mind. I will ever be a zealous defender of the rights and privileges of the Livery, and of all the Freemen of London. In the concerns of this extenfive ward I hope to have the advice and affiftance of my conftituents, every one of whom may be affured of that attention and regard, which I owe to thofe, by whofe delegated power I act, and for whofe intereft I accepted this important truft. It shall be my conftant and earneft endeavour to justify to the world the choice you have been pleased to make of me as your Alderman, and to approve myself an upright Magistrate, and a good Citizen of the capital of the British empire.

I am,

Gentlemen, Freemen, and Fellow Citizens,

With gratitude and refpect,
Your affectionate, and

April 18, 1770.

Obedient, humble Servant,

JOHN WILKES."

Tuesday April 24, about half after twelve o'clock, the Lord Mayor, attended by the Aldermen Ladbroke, Stephenfon, Turner, Trecothick, and the two Sheriffs, went in proceffion to Guildhall, in order to swear in John Wilkes, Esq; Alderman of Farringdon-Without. There was the greatest concourse of people ever known on any like occafion. Mr. Wilkes was dreffed in a fuit of black, full trimmed, and went from the Manfion-house, where he had vifited the Lord Mayor that morning, to Guildhall, in Mr. Reynolds's coach. When he came down the stone steps at the Manfion-house to go into the coach, the acclamations of the populace were amazing, and were continued till he arrived at the Hall, where they were repeated and joined by the people who had waited there for fome time with wishful eyes to fee the releafed patriot.

--About two o'clock, when the Court of Aldermen broke up, after swearing John Wilkes, Efq; into the office of Alderman of the Ward of Farringdon Without, he returned in the State Coach with the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor to the Manfion-house, to partake of a most elegant entertainment provided on the occafion; when the greatest number of the populace, ever known fince the King's acceffion, all the way fhouted with loud acclamations on their most favourite Patriot's being at length become their long wished for Magiftrate, so foon after his tedious confinement.

The Duke of Manchefter has been for fome years a partaker of the royal bounty-His Grace's fortune not being fufficient to fupport the dignity of a dukedom, his Majefty, out of his royal favour, and, as it is commonly expreffed, out of his privy purfe, allowed his Grace 2500l. a year. It was received with gratitude until the beginning of the prefent feffion of parliament, when Lord North, by defire of the Duke of Grafton, ordered the Duke of Manchester to attend in the Houfe of Peers, and to vote on that fide of the queftion which honour and virtue blufhed at. His Grace refufed,---he voted against it, the royal bounty was immediately withdrawn; and fuch were the pernicious effects of Lord North's reprefentation of this tranfaction, that he feduced a great Perfonage to exprefs the most violent perfonal refentment against his Grace; and we boldly fay it is a fact, that the King has been often fince heard to mention the ingratitude of the Duke of Manchester. But his Grace, rather than fubmit to fuch a prostitution of his honour and principles, has gloriously withdrawn himself from the feminary of venality, quitted a refidence suitable to his rank, difmiffed the greatest part of his retinue, and lives like an honeft, independent nobleman. Lord North is called upon to refute this fact; but it is known he will not, he dare not attempt it: However his Lordship will fhortly be entertained with fome other anecdotes, equally bountiful, generous, and well applied.

THE

POLITICAL REGISTER

For JUNE, 1770.

NUMBER XXXIX.

For the POLITICAL REGISTER.

SIR, As a Political Regiftrary, I think you should, fometimes at leaft, take notice of what paffes in other countries, that we may be induced to imitate their prudent, and avoid their abfurd, policy, in our own. For this purpofe 1 fend you the copy of a letter which I received lately from my brother at Rome, containing fome very curious proceedings of that court, whose meafures used to be extremely refined, but these have expofed them to the derifion of all the world.

66

Dear Brother,

ANY Petitions have been lately prefented to the Pope against the Jefuits, reprefenting them as having quite forgot the end of their inftitution, and abandoned themselves to luxury, ambition, tyranny, venality, debauchery, and all manner of corruption; and therefore praying his Holinefs to diffolve the fociety, as they are become the greatest nuisance to the chriftian world. The Pope fully fenfible that thefe good fathers had been the moft zealous defenders of all his, and his minifters arbitrary and tyrannical measures, was greatly chagrined at these petitions. But as they came from perfons of fuch great eminence, that he found himself obliged to take some notice of them, he fummoned his Intimados RUSSELLINO, LOLLINDA, GONTRAFFI and FILMANSI, to confult together, and advise him how he should act in VOL. VI.

$ f

this

this delicate affair. Now, as these counfellors had received great honours and riches, by means of the fociety, they were great friends to the order. Therefore they reprefented to his Holiness, that these venerable Fathers were the firmest and most zealous fupporters of the Holy See in all its proceedings, every where throughout the globe; that the prefent members of the fociety had brought more wealth and power to his Holiness than ever was known in his court before; that if he should yield to these petitions, he would abandon his best friends, and difcourage others from ferving him with equal zeal; that though these petitions were very flattering, in reminding him of his great prerogative, that he alone could diffolve the fociety, yet the defign of them was evidently to curtail this prerogative, by which he had hitherto governed in fo glorious and abfolute a manner; and that, if he defigned to act as became the Majefty of the head of the church, he would treat these petitions with the utmost contempt, and let all the world fee, that he and the holy fociety were more closely united than in any former time. However, to fave appearances a little, they advised him to call the order of Jefuits together, and Jay before them the feveral petitions which he had received against them. When this was done, the fociety humbly thanked his Holinefs for this mark of Papal confidence, and voted and refolved, with the greatest affurance, that every thing which had been alledged against them proceeded from faction and fedition against the Holy See, and that they would ftand by his Holiness and his minifters, in all their measures, let them be what they would. Now, faid his counsellors to the Pope, your Holinefs may fee what opinion thefe Holy Fathers have of the petitions which have been prefented against them. And as all the world hath been a long time convinced of the great power and wisdom of this venerable fociety, every body will acquiefce in their refolutions, as they used to do, and your Holinefs may bid defiance to all petitions and remonstrances whatsoever which have been, or fhall be, prefented to you against them. The Pope, accordingly declared himfelf strongly in favour of thefe Holy Fathers: and whatever petitions and remonftrances have been fince prefented against them, have, ALL, been referred to the confideration of the Jefuits themselves; who, being thus fupported by the POPE in all their villainies, bid defiance to the whole world, and have, through their mighty power, even brought fome of the chief complainants over to their own party. How happy is his Holinefs in counfellors, who have given him this advice! He thinks himself now quite fecure and eafy. But many wife people in this city think, as you in England muft, that he hath thus expofed himself and his authority to the utmoft contempt. And merry Pafquin has made free with his Holiness's juftice, by being dreffed up as a criminal going to execution, with a great bottle of wine in one hand, and a courtefan in the other. Marforio asks him, How he came to be fo cheerful on fuch a melancholy occafion? To which Pafquin

Pafquin answers, That his accufation and condemnation was a mere farce, for his Holiness had referred his cafe to be tried over again by his fellow criminals in the Chapel, (the name of their prifon) and therefore he was fure, not only of efcaping from punishment, but of obtaining fuch a reward for his adventurous deeds, as fhould enable him to drink and wench with any cardinal or favourite of them all.

RABELAIS Secundus.

SIR,

A

S I am an old man, and have seen a great deal of the world, I am more and more convinced that there is nothing new under the fun, and that the fame things are repeated over again, though varied a little in their circumftances. What has paffed in England this feffion of parliament, puts me in mind of what I faw in Ireland about forty years ago. WALTER BAGNAL, a convert from popery, and JEFFRY PAUL, a proteftant diffenter, were candidates, against each other, to reprefent the county of Carlow. The former had moft votes, but the latter, being a great Whig, was returned by the fheriff, who was of that party; and BAGNAL petitioned. It was then the custom for the contending parties to treat, in an extravagant manner, the members of the houfe of commons, on the day the merits were to come on; and Walter fpared no expence upon the occafion. But after a very long hearing, the house gave it in favour of Jeffry. Upon which Mr." Wemys, member for the county of Kilkenny, got up and faid, fince they had determined this affair in this manner, that in order to make the house confiftent with itself, he had a motion to make,‘ "That at any time hereafter, when a vacancy fhould happen, they would not give themselves the trouble to iffue out a writ, or call the people of the county together to chufe a new member, but that they should appoint a committee of their own, to chuse the man whom they should like beft." They rightly thought that this was calling the majority of them a parcel of rafcals, and therefore in a moft violent uproar, ordered Wemys to the bar, and were going to expel him. But a friend of his, as foon as the tumult had fubfided, fo that he could be heard, faid, "Mr. Speaker, before you put the queftion for his expulfion, give me leave to make one obfervation, That it was not my friend Patrick Wemys who made the motion which has fo justly exafperated the houfe, but it was Mr. Bagnal's burgundy." This put them all into fo good a humour, that he then moved, that Mr. Wemys fhould beg pardon for the infult, and be restored to his place; which was complied with.

An Authentic Copy of the Petition intended to have been presented to the King by the Freeholders of the County of Wiltshire.

Wh

"E your Majefty's most dutiful and loyal subjects the freeholders of the county of Wilts, beg leave to proftrate ourfelves at your feet, and to implore your attention to our grievances, arifing from the tyranny and wickedness of your Majefty's minifters. As oppreffed children moft cruelly ufed, by your corrupt fervants, we fly to your paternal tenderness for relief, having only your Majesty, and Heaven left, to whom, we can appeal.

We are well apprised, that the wifeft, and beft princes may be deceived by wicked ministers, and their people abused, without their knowledge or concurrence, and we truft had our oppreffions been fooner known, they would have been ere now relieved and no reason left for our complaining to your Majefty.

That certain felf-interefted, difaffected, and difloyal perfons, having wriggled themselves into administration, have made their own arbitrary will the rule of their conduct, instead of the law of the land.

Hence the laws, established for the people's protection, have been in numberlefs inftances, infringed, and perverted to their deftruction.

The houfes, perfons, properties, privileges, liberties, laws, together with tryals by juries of British fubjects have been all violated by perjured villains, hired ruffians, and wicked ministerial agents, the promoters of the works of darkness in administration.

Evil counsellors have infufed into your royal ear high notions of prerogative, and plans of government, inconfiftent with our free conftitution; and have dictated measures contrary to the glory and welfare of the ftate, the honour of the prince, and the rights, liberties, and privileges of the people.

By this they have fown the feeds of jealoufy and contention, between the fovereign and fubject, which tend to destroy that union, harmony, and mutual confidence, which ought to subsist between a gracious prince and a loyal people.

Hence à ftanding army has been kept up, larger than neceffary to prevent fudden invafions, as we have a difciplined militia; and the militia perverted to all the dangerous purposes of a flanding army.

Whilft we should have been protected by the civil power, we have been infulted, and terrified by a military, and put under military execution.

Lawful affemblies have been ftigmatized as riots: and by ministerial collufion, the peace has been broken, under the specious pretext of its prefervation; and the fouleft murders committed, under the cloak of fecuring the lives of the fubject.

Exorbitant fines have been impofed; whereas the law directs that all fines fhall be laid Salvo contenemento.

Freedom of elections has been violated by murderous ruffians, hired by administration; their murders abetted, encouraged and rewarded.

Revenues