To the Printers of the Salisbury and Winchester
Journal.

GENTLEMEN,I am requested by Mr. Timbrell, of Trowbridge, to state that the original letter, signed "Thos. Pik," is at my office for inspection. The following is Mr. Timbrell's letter to me, which I beg the favor of you to insert in your next Journal,

And am, Gentlemen, your most obedient servant, Salisbury, June 13, 1818.

G. BUTT.

DEAR SIR,-A printed statement having been published, signed" Thomas Pike," denying writing the letter alluded to in one of Mr. Wellesley's addresses, it should be answered immediately, and for that purpose I send you the original letter, that it may be made use of in any way that may be thought proper; and to state that it may be inspected at your office, or at the office of the Printers." It is true the poor man did not state in such letter that his master threatened to turn him out of his employ if he did not vote for Mr. Methuen and Mr. Benett;" but the letter states that such threat was made use of if he did not vote for Mr. Benett.

I remain, your's truly, Trowbridge, June 11, 1818.

THOS. TIMBRELL, Jun.

You will be pleased to observe the Heytesbury post-mark on the letter.

To the Freeholders of the County of Wilts.

In

GENTLEMEN, A few weeks ago, having sent off some large orders, I sat down, in great good humour, to my accustomed pipe; and my thoughts running on the ensuing election, I soon perceived what was the true question at issue between the independent freeholders of Wiltshire, and a number of gentlemen who had assumed that they were the persons best qualified to direct who should represent this county in Parliament. I thought it, therefore, my duty to bring this matter out clearly and explicitly before you. doing this, I saw no necessity to make a palaver about the honour of individuals composing a certain party, or the respect in which I hold every of them when acting as magistrates. It is not as gentlemen or as magistrates that we have now to do with them, but as a body of men united in an avowed attempt to nominate and return a representative to Parliament at their pleasure, securing to themselves all the advantages thence to be derived, at the expense of depriving every Wiltshire freeholder of his birthright,

I used the term " Quorum" as a term which, by common use, has acquired an aptitude of describing, pretty accurately, and in a compendious way, the men and their pretensions; which I warned my brother freeholders effectually to resist. On this single point I founded my reasonings in favour of returning Mr. Long Wellesley, as this is the only step now left us by which to secure our future independence; and if this be not done at the ensuing election, Wiltshire must take its place in the same class as Cornish boroughs.

These are plain facts, gentlemen, and I have urged any of our opponents to contradict them if they can, or defend them if they dare. But no one has ventured a reply save a contemptible "Scribbler!" and he comes forth, confessedly, not to meet the statement with fair argument, but to throw a "random squib?" in hope, peradventure, that its hissing and cracking would divert your attention from the question at issue. But the squib touched no one, spent its force in the kennel, and is gone out-oh! proh pudor!

It is nothing to you, gentlemen, that I sit here, smiling with a feeling of ineffable contempt at the clumsy productions of this squib-throwing "Scribbler"-nor would you pity me if I were as choleric as himself. The question is, as I have plainly stated it,-Wellesley, and a future vote for Wiltshire freeholders, and their children; or, Benett, and off with your hats and cringe to the "Quorum."

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Let me assure you, however, there is no "Crabb” in my blood: if the "Scribbler himself were sitting at my elbow, I could lay my hand on his little "sleak head," and pat his forehead as coolly as I now do that of the puppy biting my shoe. What a sapient look the cur has-how he wags his tail and snuffs his nose-so, there puppy, be off-that's enough. I have no sort of acquaintance with Mr. Benett, or with any of his agents. If any thing I have written appears like a personal attack" upon any of them, it is wholly inadvertently. The "Scribbler" wrote his first paper so much like a lawyer's clerk, that I was involuntarily led to identify him in imagination with a spruce little fellow whom I once knew of that profession. If the "Scribbler" acquired his sort of lawyer-clerk-slang by too much familiarity with the "Quorum" or their underlings, 1 trust I shall be excused, and only advise him to improve his language by keeping better company in future.

It is good fun, gentlemen, to see the "Scribbler," with his squibs, bouncing about, crying, "venom,' ""malignant temper," ""spitting venom" again and again! Some might think he had run away with my spitting dish, he raves so much about "spitting." But all this shews he has absolutely

nothing to say in the way of argument. He can only throw a "random squib" or so, harmless enough when once the stink is gone out. My son has translated his Latin, and says it means two of a trade can never agree." Hump! I hope the "Scribbler" has not the impudence to put himself on a level with a "Clothier."

"But, gentlemen, to the point, "says the "Scribbler." Well, Sir, say honestly, then, is it better to place our votes now and hereafter at the disposal of the "Quorum," or to reserve them in our own hands for the future use of ourselves and our children? That is the point at issue. Gentlemen, Does the "Scribbler" come to it like a man? No, indeed! He whines out something about "unchristian-like, ungentlemanly, and unmanly;" he cries out about "hurt feelings," and assures you he is no "Marplot ;" poor fellow; he is in none of the secrets of the "Quorum!" so, then, (would you have thought it?) his friends set him a scribbling without telling him what he should write about! He was only bid to throw "random squibs" in the dark! no wonder he mistook a clothier for a crab-tree, and the sober produce of any even. ing pipe for animal "venom.

But he adds, "the plain question before us is, whether we shall elect out parliament man from our own gentry, or whe ther we shall suffer a stranger, a person from the Devil's Arse a Peak, who happens to have a long purse, to step forward and fill that situation?" Now, gentlemen, to say nothing of the classic purity of the language, and the unequalled elegance of the style of this notable paragraph, you will' allow me to tell the "Scribbler" that though this may be a question with him and his fraternity, it is not, on the present occasion, the question to which the attention of Wiltshire freeholders ought to be directed.

It is of little moment whether the "Quorum" be pleased to nominate "one of their own gentry" (a very pretty phrase, and very descriptive-I think gentlemen, Mr. "Marplot" does know something about these matters, though he pretends ignorance, poor man)-I was about to say, it will signify little to us or to our children, whether the "Quorum" nominate "one of their own gentry," or a stranger from a Johnny Groat's House, with any purse or no purse at all. If they are to nominate, "direct," and return our representative, there's an end to our voting as an independent body. We must descend from the station occupied by our forefathers, and sit henceforth among our worthy compeers of

Cornwall.

This, brother freeholders, is the perdition with which our independence is threatened; this is the point to which the

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manœuvres of the "Quorum" are carrying us. If any gen tleman appears for our deliverance, possessing nerves strong. enough to pass through the showers of "random squibs," it can be no valid objection that he "happens to have" a purse long enough to maintain the conflict. This latter is a qualifi oation, which (by the manifest direction of their squibs) appears most of all to provoke the opponents of Mr. Long Wellesley. They always continue to have a fling at it—and with good reason; for the contest lying between a whole "Quorum" against an individual, they would presently exhaust an ordinary purse.

Gentlemen, suffer me to hope you will neither be scared by squibs nor misled by false lights. Stick close to the question-Wellesley, and independence hereafter for your children's' children;-or, Benett, and a place among Cornish boroughs.

Keeping in mind this short and true view of the question at issue, you will elect Wellesley this time as your deliverer from "Quorum" influence; and, if he behave in Parliament like a true independent English gentleman, as his. outset among us gives every reason to think he will, you will choose him again as a testimony of your unhesitating approbation and confidence.

Trowbridge.

A CLOTHIER.

WILTSHIRE ELECTION.

THE following is the letter written by Mr. Long Wellesley to Mr. Atherton, and alluded to by the former gentleman in his address to the freeholders, dated 1st of June instant, which appeared in our last week's paper:

"SIR,-I only yesterday had conveyed to me a printed copy of the resolutions proposed by you at the dinner at Marlborough. I think these resolutions do honour to any man of independence: had I attended that dinner, I most assuredly should have given them my humble support.

"I did not attend the dinner at Marlborough, because I was aware, that it was, in fact, a dinner given to Mr. Benett, not for the purpose of celebrating the independence of the county of Wilts. If any dinner should be given in the county, at which I may attend as a candidate for the honour of representing the county, I shall feel it my duty to propose your resolutions. You are at full liberty to make this letter as public as possible. I am, Sir, very faithfully, "W. L. WELLESLEY."

“Cirencester, 29th May, 1818.”

"WE might have hoped that the contest for Wiltshire, in which the candidates are two gentlemen known and respected in the county, and another of high birth, professing his intention hereafter to reside within its limits, would have proceeded without any violation of that decorum to which even in the deadly conflict an honourable mind will scrupulously adhere." OLD MOON-RAKER, June 8th.

"IF in this early stage of the contest, angry words and harsh expressions have been resorted to, the opponents of Mr. L. Wellesley may thank themselves for it; as I will venture to assert, than no gentleman of decent character, fortune, and connections was ever before assailed with such foul and unmerited abuse. The scandalous tales which have been circulated respecting him, have been all sufficiently refuted, and the propagators of them have lowered their tone; but some of the writers against him, though they affect moderation and candour, cannot yet conceal their deep-rooted malignity." NATIVE, May 25th..

To the Printers of the Salisbury and Winchester

Journal.

GENTLEMEN,-After a perusal of the two paragraphs above quoted, your readers will be sufficiently informed by the latter, why the hope expressed in the former has not been fulfilled.

In any observations which I may have made on the Old Moon-Raker's writings, I have confined myself to the part he has taken in the present contest; to any other act of his life, I have not directed a thought. His insinuations, which refer to "a writer" in the present contest, cannot with justice be directed to me; but as I have twice in my life attended at public meetings in which Mr. Hunt took a part, and as your correspondent attempts to convey a heavy charge, which might be supposed to arise out of some such circumstance, I have thought, that though his attack may be pointed to another quarter, part of his bitterness may be designed for me. I shall therefore explain my conduct. Twice only have I ever attended at political meetings; first at Salisbury, years ago, when the same resolutions were adopted which had been previously passed at a large meeting in Hampshire, and which had been there seconded by Mr. Chamberlayne, the present member for Southampton. The meeting at Salisbury was regularly convened by the Sheriff-it was attended by a numerous body of respectable persons from various parts of the county: there was no disturbance of the peace that I heard of; and as soon as the meeting terminated, I quitted the city with some of my neighbours.

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