pelled to go to give evidence to the Corn Bill-I never voted for it; I don't wish to get rid of it, by a quibble. I have said so to many friends in private; and I must be a rogue and a fool to wish a tax upon wool. I have read a great many books on political economy, and at a very early period of my life, too; and am therefore as strong a friend to trade as to agriculture. I stated to you, that proposals had been made by Mr. Long to me for an anxious settling the contest by reference; Mr. Long consulted with Mr. Methuen(here there was some clamour, Mr. Methuen contradicting his statement)—I am in error: Mr. Methuen told Mr. Long to do as he pleased.—Mr. Methuen:-Gentlemen, this is a misrepresentation; I never said so; I said that I thought it quite unfair to bring my name in along with gentlemen to whom I was not opposed; but that I was willing to make any sacrifice for the peace of the county, provided it met with the approbation of those who supported me! (Applause.) Mr. Benett made no reply, but thanked the freeholders for the patient hearing they had given him, and retired amidst the cheers of his friends, and the groans and hisses of his opponents. Mr. Long Wellesley then addressed the meeting as follows: Gentlemen, after the long speech of the hon. gent. I have particular satisfaction in addressing you, especially when I see so many of the gentlemen before me bearing the colours of my opponent. Gentlemen, there is a principle belonging to my nature, and I'll boldly state it; if I find myself engaged in a right thing to stand to it; if wrong, instantly to acknowledge it. My opponent has complained of anonymous publications; I regret the appearance of such things; I never wrote them, I never sanctioned them; and they have been alluded to in a way in which no man of honour would have deigned to notice them. But it is me, gentlemen, who ought to complain on this head; it is me, gentlemen, of all men, against whom such attacks have been directed; I came amongst you a stranger, but I was not treated like a stranger! with such a character the Arab in the desert will share his bread and salt, but I was loaded with calumny and abuse; I am warm; you will excuse it, I forgive those who did it, and shall not again refer to it. The honourable gentleman has alluded to a circumstance, in which it has been said, that I offered to Mr. Benett to give up the contest for the county; and he has insinuated that I did this on account of his (my opponent's) inability in a pecuniary point of view, to meet its consequences. Gentlemen, I never said so; I never insinuated so; if he is poor, I am sorry for it; and was I mean enough to plume myself on my riches, I am sure I should never consider myself deserving to be returned a member for this county. My pride is, that, though rich, I never abused wealth. I have endeavoured to evince that I consider wealth but as subservient to the public good; and on all such occasions the application of it is pardonable. I have been accused of coming into this county and taking out of it a rich heiress, I grant that I did. Gentlemen, my knowledge of your county does not extend beyond six or seven years. I cannot boast of having family connections for so long a time as five hundred years, as Mr. B. has done; but the lady to whose family I belong, and whose ancestors have been often honoured with your choice, can trace their connection with your county to a remote period. The family of Long distinguished itself in the sup port it gaves to Charles the First, and upon the restoration of Charles II.-for their services they were ennobled. As to my own family, it matters little where they come from. And as to their name, I must say that I am proud of it; of the name of Wellesley I am proud; I am proud to be the nephew of the Duke of Wellington; and I hope I shall always sup. port the character which belongs to the name. It has been said, gentlemen, that I deserted my uncle; if such an assertion has any meaning it would go to insinuate that I had not done my duty; Captain Goddard knows that military men are rather tenacious on such points; I went abroad with the views which most young men do; I staid with my uncle till my services were no longer necessary, and then I returned; and if I got married, gentlemen, it was no more than many of you would have done in similar circumstances.. Gentle. men, I hope you will always conduct yourselves with propriety; treat your magistrates with respect. Nothing can affect you, unless you do something that can be construed into an illegal act. Keep yourselves free from all things of this description; I will protect you; I will stand your friend. The hon gent. has been amusing you for a long time with what he thinks are the duties of a Member of Parliament. He has told you all the works he has read for these last twenty years, and I own that he appears to have conducted himself towards you very much as a school-boy does who returns to his mamma at the holidays. He next claims some merit with regard to his deep researches into political economy. The Poor Laws have especially attracted his attention;—but is he on this ground qualified to represent you? Why there is not a man in all Europe, that can think at all, but has made this the subject of his consideration. It has almost become embodied in the hearts of the people. If, however, there was one man to be found who had not made them the sub ject of his meditations, it is the honourable gentleman. It is morally impossible that the habits of his education, that his studies would allow him to do it. But if they even did, is it wonderful, that what all the world have applied themselves to, he should be qualified to represent you, because he also had taken a look! He has given us, gentlemen, a little of his special pleading; he says he never voted for the Corn Bill; that's very true, because he was not in the house; but it was on the evidence that he gave that the Corn Bill was enacted. And probably were you to return him to the house, he would be no more there than another ordinary man, he might give them one of his long speeches; there have been some of that sort there before, and that is the reason that they are never heard. He informs you that he did not go voluntarily to give evidence on the Corn Bill, that he was compelled to go. I heard from Sir John Sebright that he went up at his own request, and, besides, the Speaker only requests the attendance of such persons as may choose to come, and few or none but those who feel an interest in it go; it is not imperative, and a man must be an ideot not to see that it was entirely for his own interest that he went and gave evidence. It was to keep up his rents; it was to receive the same price for grain in peace, that he had received during the war. After paying a very handsome compliment to Mr. Methuen, and shaking Mr. Grove and Mr. Wyndham most cordially by the hand, he descended from the cross amidst the loudest acclamations of his friends. As soon as the Candidates had addressed the freeholders, the Sheriff adjourned to the hustings, which had been erected in the Devizes road, about three miles from Salisbury. STATE OF THE POLL.-FIRST DAY. Benett, 85. Methuen, 185; Long Wellesley, 162; Mr. Methuen and Mr. Benett again addressed the Freeholders; followed by Mr. Wellesley, who spoke nearly as follows: Gentlemen,---It is quite impossible for me not to regret, not only for your honour, but my own, that any disturbance should hinder the Candidate that has just withdrawn (Mr. Benett) from being heard. It is the duty, and indeed the interest, of every freeholder to pay attention to every thing that may drop from those who aspire to the high honour of representing them in Parliament. I should feel hurt if any friend of mine should throw an obstacle in the way, Gentlemen, you are in possession of votes; look into your hearts, and if 1 know any thing of human nature-if I know any thing of the noble feel ings which actuate-which warm and ennoble an Englishman -I am confident you will hear patiently for the future what that gentleman has to say. Whatever is past that may irritate the feelings, I would have you forget. I would have you to act with that bold,-that manly,-that upright,-that independent spirit which has got you, from every nation of the earth, the character of being a people just and generous to their enemies. (Loud and continued applause.) Gentlemen, you have, by your votes this day, evinced how high I stand in your estimation-how weak and futile the attempt of those who oppose my interest-and proves to a degree of certainty, that I shall be ultimately successful.-Gentlemen, this morning I had to speak of myself and family; but now I shall wave that subject, and advert to one of more interest. Gentlemen, although not a native of your county, yet I am bold to say that few feel more anxiously than I do for its interests, its prosperity, and its welfare. Much, gentlemen, has been said about local interests. There are 'two great interests in your county-agriculture and trade; and it does not require a man of extensive information to uphold the interests of both. But, gentlemen, I do not consider the man of mere local knowledge he who is best calculated to represent you in Parliament:-no, it is he who is well acquainted with the history of his country, and not only with her domestic, but foreign connections. Gentlemen, the majority (indeed, I may say, all, except one) of those families, who supported the contest of 1772, are decidedly my friends. I know, gentlemen, that the honest, plain English tradesman is not very ambitious to aspire to the degree of 'SQUIRE; yet, gentlemen, I will notice a few 'squires who have honoured me with their support. One of them, whose ancestors often represented this county in Parliament, and who can proudly boast of one of his forefathers having died on the scaffold for his sovereign-I allude to Mr. Penruddocke. (Loud huzzas). That gentleman has given his support to Mr. Methuen and myself; and I have no doubt, gentlemen, but I shall shortly have all the Goddards in the County to support me; so that they cannot say whether it is Mr. A. or Mr. G. Goddard-1 now, gentlemen, with feelings of the greatest respect, heartily thank you for the support you have given me this day. To the Freeholders of the County of Wilts. GENTLEMEN, I TAKE the earliest opportunity of thanking you for my superiority on this day's poll. Notwithstanding the renewed reports of a coalition with another Candidate, I feel confident in the perfect impartiality of conduct to which I have adhered, and your knowledge of my character, to acquit me of a suspicion of this nature. To those who know me, I am sure it is unnecessary to repeat that declaration; but I must again repeat it," No consideration shall induce "me to take part, directly or indirectly, with either of the "other Candidates." Begging you, gentlemen, without delay, to continue your exertions in my favour, in order to establish permanently the superiority, of which my friends have already laid the foundation, I have the honour to remain, Gentlemen, Your devoted and grateful servant, Salisbury, June 24, 1818. PAUL METHUEN. Benett, 85. STATE OF THE POLL.-FIRST DAY. Methuen, 185; Wellesley, 162; To the Freeholders of the County of Wilts. GENTLEMEN, THE result of this day's poll has fully answered my expectations, and justifies the prediction I ventured to make in my former addresses to you. It is upon you, and you alone, I rely for ultimate success. I am persuaded you will not disappoint me; but will, by your alacrity in coming to the poll, convince my and your opponent of the futility of his pretensions to be your representative; and that the only prudent course he has to take is to retire early from a contest, in which he is sure to be discomfited.-I am, Gentlemen, Your devoted, faithful servant, Salisbury, June 24, 1818. W. LONG WELLESLEY. STATE OF THE POLL.-FIRST DAY. Long Wellesley, 162; Methuen, 185; Benett, 85., To the Freeholders of Wiltshire. THE Sheriff this day declared that the sense of this independent county is in my favour. I never doubted that you would, at this earliest opportunity, place me in the elevated station which I at this moment hold by that declaration. I doubt not that your continued exertions will place me in the same pre-eminence at the close of the poll, and that I shall soon have to thank you for conferring on me the highest U U |