situation with his rival candidates (or candidate according to Mr. Trueman). It shall be seen whether the poor have been less attended to, less numerously and less advantageously, employed, in the parish of Corsham, than in those of Pythouse and Draycot; it shall be proved, for which of the three gentlemen the credit for rational hospitality, decency of life, observance of religious duties, real liberality, fair dealing between man and man, punctuality of payment, and strictness of integrity, can on the highest degree be demanded. The habits, the manners, and the morals of each, shall be impartially though severely scrutinized. Be wise in time! Refrain, those who have glass windows. The proverb is somewhat musty; but if one garret window is cracked on the one hand, not a pane in the houses of the others shall be left whole. Be cautious;-a rod is in pickle, every twig of which may draw blood. A word to the wise.

Mr. Methuen may, however, securely smile at the feeble malice-the effort without the power the attack without the blow-(telum imbelle sine ictu)-of so contemptible and impotent an opponent; of so unguarded (and it is but justice to believe, so unauthorised) a partisan as Mr. Trueman. Well may Mr. Methuen exclaim, "O that mine enemy had written a book."

The shallow attempt to produce an unfavourable impression with the yeomanry of the county against that gentleman, is of a piece with the other specimens of liberality and candour. I not only caution that respectable and honest class against giving credit_to_malicious falsehoods, or to anonymous slanderers, but I take upon me boldly to assert, though Mr. Methuen has conscientiously differed with Mr. Benett on the subject of the corn bill, that on no occasion have his exertions been wanting in the House of Commons, to oppose every tax that oppressed, and to support every object that relieved, the agricultural interest. Many, many gentlemen of that respectable class can and will bear witness of his exertions in their cause; nor will the assertions of Mr. Trueman want contradiction if he dares fairly to come forward before his county, and lay his charge like a man, which if he believes it to be true, (as far as regards the neg lect of his representative) he is bound to notice on the proper occasion, and bring before the proper tribunal in person. I remain Sir, your obedient servant,

A WILTSHIRE FREEHOLDER. And a Friend of Mr. Benett, but not at the expense of Mr. Methuen.

To the Editor of the Salisbury Gazette.

SIR,

SO

HAVING seen in your paper of yesterday, a letter, signed an "Independent Freeholder," containing some remarks on the conduct of Mr. Long Wellesley, and, above all, some advice, I feel it a duty I owe to the freeholders of the county of Wilts, to make some observations on an Address so unnecessary,extraordinary; and to prevent them, if possible, from becoming the dupes of a system originating in fear, and supported by falsehood. It is an old saying, Sir, though not worn out with age, that those generally are the most forward to give advice, who have taken the least of it themselves.-I do not say, that this is the case precisely with the "Independent Freeholder," but his store appears so ample, and had remained so long uncalled for, that, fearing the strength of his maxims would evaporate before their excellence were known, and invade the territory of his cranium, he determined to take out the spigot, and thus save himself from a Lunatic Asylum !

The object of Mr. Wellesley, Sir, is an honourable one; he pursues it in an honourable way, and the attempts that are made to frustrate the object of his wishes, will only redound to his honour, and ultimately secure his success.

Whether the writer in your last be a freeholder or not, is a matter of small moment. Of his independence, however, there can be no doubt, for every word he says is independent of truth! With regard to the charges he brings against Mr. Wellesley, even, if true, they have no reference whatever to his public duties. The brightest luminaries of wit and learning had their defects. There are spots on the sun itself, but we do not, on that account, exclude his rays from our habitations: the greatest heroes and statesmen of which England can boast, have had their weaknesses, and even their vices; but this did not render their courage or their patriotism suspected, nor their services unavailing. Perfection is not the attribute of man; and he that is disappointed at finding so little of it in other men, should console his mind with the knowledge, that he exhibits a perfect model of it in himself.

I wonder, Mr. Editor, if this independent freeholder has ever had the gout? Do you think, Sir, that when groaning under those felicities which such a state may claim as peculiarly its own, that he would refuse the proffered aid of his physician, merely because he might have in the course of his life committed a faux pas with his chamber-maid; or on some evening had lost a rubber at whist ?—I think not. He, on the contrary, would beseech him, for God's sake, to exert his utmost

under the signature of Mr. Wellesley, expressly naming me, and containing a similar assertion to that in the postscript to which I allude, was circulated in some parts of the county about three weeks since. That hand-bill having been construed by some persons as a charge against me of being the author of a false report, I had determined, in vindication of my character, to publish a statement of the circumstances which gave rise to the report of which Mr. Wellesley complained; but being assured, by Mr. Wellesley himself, that he had not intended to charge me with misrepresentation, and feeling averse from ob truding myself on the notice of the public, I suppressed the publication.

The renewal of the subject, by Mr. Wellesley, has, however, in the opinion of many of my most valuable friends, rendered it necessary for me no longer to remain silent, lest it may be supposed that I submit to the charge of having made an "idle insinuation." In deference to their opinion, therefore, I am reluctantly induced to request you to insert this letter in your next paper.

I shall not, however, trouble you with a long detail, but, trusting that my character is too well known in the county to make it readily believed that I have been the author or propagator of a falsehood, I am satisfied with thus asserting, that I have never made or authorised any statement which is not warranted by facts; and that I am ready to explain every circumstance in which my conduct may be implicated, to any gentleman of the county who may think it necessary; but that having nothing whatever to do with Mr. Wellesley's contest, I shall not intrude myself on the public with any farther expla nation.

As an officer of the revenue, however, I think it right to add that I have no reason to believe that the "Treasury influence," disavowed by Mr. Wellesley, has been used for or against either of the Candidates for the representation of the county; and that I never heard such influence adverted to, except by Mr. Wellesley himself, and his agents, by whom both myself and a friend were told that "he had the support of Government." I am, Gentlemen,

Devizes, April 9, 1818.

SIR,

Your obedient servant,

W. W.SALMON.

To W. Long Wellesley, Esq.

PERMIT us, your Hampshire tenants, to express our surprise and indignation at the appearance of a public attack on your character as a landlord.

We owe it to you, Sir, to contradict, thus publicly, this vile aspersion; and to ourselves, to declare it is without foundation, and that we feel the warmest attachment to your person.

The repeated acts of kindness we have experienced at your hands, compel us to enter most feelingly into the object of your present pursuit; and whilst we hope, with sincerity and confidence, you will eventually realise your wishes, we cannot but regret your true character is not more universally known to the freeholders of Wilts.

However the tongue of slander may attack you-however the pen of a secret coward may attempt to blast your reputation, yet we are persuaded your character is sufficiently brilliant to disperse the venom of the one, and to rise proudly preeminent above the reach of the other.

We are, Sir,

With every feeling of gratitude, attachment, and respect,
Your faithful Tenants,

Ir is the infirmity of declining life to imagine that the past generations were wiser and more virtuous than the present. Old men are apt to believe that the companions of their youth were more sensible of public duties, and more energetic in asserting public rights, than their degenerate posterity. I hope, Gentlemen, I am free from this credulity; for while I boast of the virtue of those who entered life with me nearly fourscore

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years ago, I trust that my younger friends of the present generation will not consider it as the infirmity of age, but will rather imitate the example of their forefathers.

Forty-six years ago I was in the vigour of life, and bore an active part in the glorious struggle which was then made by the freeholders of Wiltshire to assert the independence of the county.

I remember that a gentleman then offered himself as a Candidate, who was a member of one of our most ancient and respected families, and was already in the service of the county, as an active magistrate, and colonel of the militia. No defect of personal merit was imputed to him;-nor had he either in Parliament or elsewhere supported any measures which could excite political objection to his pretensions. Had he appeared merely in the character of a Wiltshire Gentleman, he might have been generally received with favour; but he principally founded his claim upon the weight, the property, and the respectability of his family; and offered himself not so much from any political motive as the ambition of restoring to a house the honour of representing the county, which had frequently been conferred upon its various branches. He rested his cause much more upon his powerful connections than upon any public services or personal merits.

I remember that Mr. Goddard also offered himself, not affecting superior personal merit, or public services more important, but as a plain Wiltshire Gentleman, born and constantly resident in the county upon his own paternal property, familiar with all ranks of men residing in it, and anxious to serve them all to the utmost of his power. At the same time he avowed that he had a great political motive for offering himself, namely, to oppose the pretensions of any single family, or any single house, even the highest and the most ancient in the county;and he called on the great body of the freeholders, in maintaining his cause, to assert their own independence.

My old heart is warm when I remember how his call was answered. The word "Independence" operated like a charm upon every freeholder. The gentlemen of the county instantly felt that their cause and his were inseparable and identical. The principal towns were animated by the same enthusiasm, and united against the man who asserted the pretensions of a single family, in favour of the man who asserted the common rights of all the freeholders. The yeomanry were ardent in the same cause, when they found that the man who asserted these common rights was one who had long been known to them, who had long been engaged in their service, and of whose