On Saturday last, in pursuance of the notice of the high bailiff, a
numerous body of the Westminster electors met at the porch of St.
Paul’s, Covent Garden, to choose a fit person to represent their city in
Parliament. At ten o’clock proclamation was made and the writ read, when
SIR F. BURDETT came forward on the hustings, and, addressing the
electors, said, that in pursuance to the unanimous resolutions of the
electors of Westminster in Palace Yard, he had appeared to put in
practice that which was unanimously determined on at that time, by
putting in nomination the person whom they had then determined to be
worthy to represent them. And such was the effect which that unanimous
expression of opinion had produced, that, almost for the first time,
they were not faced by any Court candidate; for such was the weight that
it carried, that it had imposed silence in all quarters (_applause_). It
would ill become him to detain them long from that great purpose—great
it was, for it was the purpose of doing justice and maintaining the
oppressed which they were that day assembled to accomplish, but he
thought it his duty to add a few words on so novel and important an
occasion (_marks of approbation_). The assembly of that day presented
the most august spectacle to the mind of man—it was the image of a free
people—of a body of free men, appealed to in the last resort, from all
minor and inferior jurisdictions, by an oppressed individual—oppressed
by corrupt machinations and artful combinations. From whatever cause
this oppression arose, it was enough that he was oppressed, and that he
had appealed from his oppressors to the justice of the people at
large—for the character by which the people of England was most
distinguished was the love of justice (_applause_). It was needless to
attempt to display any of the merits peculiar to Lord Cochrane, because
whatever these merits or demerits, if any such existed (of which he, Sir
F.B. was not aware), were of little consequence. It was not in the view
of personal merits or demerits, but in the defence of a man oppressed
unjustly, as they believed—in support of justice, that they were called
on to give their suffrages on this occasion. Though idle reports or
malignant artifices had been played off against Lord Cochrane, even had
they not carried in themselves their own refutation, they would have had
no weight with the electors of Westminster. Free bodies of electors had
always shown a disposition to support the oppressed, and particularly in
the case of that individual whose apostacy had done such injury to the
cause of liberty, and who had always been thought by those who knew him
intimately, to have been unprincipled—John Wilkes. In that case, despite
of all dislike to the character of the man, he was maintained because he
was an object of oppression, and because he had avowed those principles
of public liberty which could never fail to vibrate in the hearts of the
people of England (_loud applause_). We had lately had amongst us the
great sovereigns of distant states, to whom we had shown that respect
and kindness which they claimed, from the regard they had shown to human
liberty and human happiness; when, had they appeared in their artificial
characters of princes only, they might have passed unheeded without any
marks of our affection and regard (_applause_). He regretted that they
had now departed from this country without seeing what he (Sir F.B.)
then saw, and which outshone all the shows and entertainments (_a
laugh_) with which, as a mark of respect, they had been justly
entertained—the spectacle of a free people in the act of maintaining an
oppressed fellow-citizen against the arm of corruption and power
(_applause_). Such a spectacle as this no other nation on the earth
could afford....
We had heard a great deal lately about hoaxes, especially of that in
which my Lord Cochrane had been so innocently and unfortunately
implicated. We have been told of a trial by jury, who are supposed to be
impartial men, taken at random; now my Lord Cochrane has been tried—tho’
I think no blame attaches to the jury who tried him, who, I think, under
the circumstances did their duty—not by a jury of the country, but by a
packed and selected jury. There is no greater hoax than to try a man by
such a jury (_applause and laughter_),—and to tell him he had been tried
by a jury of his country. We have been told that the judge should not
only be impartial, and sit on the bench as a stone, with no feeling, but
with all judgment, but that he should be a counsel for the prisoner.
What sort of counsel for Lord Cochrane was my Lord Ellenborough? (_Loud
laughter and applause_). Indeed my Lord Cochrane has been the most
hoaxed of any man (_applause_).
That very morning he (Sir F. Burdett) had been looking into a newspaper
which was famous for hoaxing, and which formerly produced the fabricated
French news—he meant the _Morning Post_ (_a laugh_). In that paper there
was a paragraph, stating that the Princess Charlotte was delighted at
her residence at Carlton House, and was highly gratified to see her old
friends about her. This he should conceive was somewhat of a hoax (_a
laugh_). It was given out to the public that those gew-gaws in the
parks, that the childish amusement of squibs and crackers, were all
intended solely for the delight of the British public, which public, by
the way, would have to pay all the expenses out of its own pockets. Was
not this a hoax? (_A laugh._) But there was one still greater. There was
a large body of placemen who grow rich with the public money, and yet
were so fastidiously delicate that they could not endure that any
peculator of a different stamp should associate with them. Those
immaculate persons who thus lived by the public purse chose to call
themselves the representatives of the people of England. He trusted that
the example set by the City of Westminster would spread through every
part of the kingdom, and that the corrupt would be taught that England
was not to be so represented. If other places would act like
Westminster, and return their members to Parliament not only without
expense, but without the least solicitation, in that case Corruption
would receive, if not her death-blow, yet such a wound as would prevent
her from ever re-assuming an influence pernicious to the best interests
of the country. He would now propose to them Sir Thomas Cochrane,
commonly called Lord Cochrane; as a fit representative to serve them in
Parliament (_great applause_).
MR. STURCH seconded the motion. He had never had any personal or
political connection with Lord Cochrane till he visited his Lordship in
prison; and he should support his Lordship because he was persuaded that
he had been condemned on imperfect evidence, and because the severity of
his sentence was such as to astonish the whole nation.
The high bailiff then put the question, which was carried with
acclamations and unanimously, and the high bailiff then declared Lord
Cochrane to be elected (_loud applause_).
ALDERMAN WOOD next addressed the meeting. He began by alluding to some
newspapers which had called his conversation with the juryman
_chit-chat_. He denied that it was _chit-chat_; it was a solemn
assertion made by a gentleman in the name of himself and some of his
fellow-jurors. He begged the electors to dismiss from their minds these
calumnies which had appeared respecting Lord Cochrane’s treatment of his
father. He had made the most anxious inquiries into that matter, and had
gone late last night to gain more particular information; and he was
able to assure them positively that Lord Cochrane had always been
distinguished for his kindness, generosity, and attention to his poor
unfortunate father. It was evident that there existed somewhere a very
vindictive feeling towards Lord Cochrane. As a proof, he would mention
that order of the Secretary of State which directed that the punishment
of the pillory should take place on the 10th of August (cries of “_No
Pillory_”). Now it had always been usual to leave the time to the
discretion of the Sheriff, who never inflicted this punishment at so
early a period after the sentence. If he himself were Sheriff he should
refuse to obey such an order; and should content himself with alleging
that the time appointed did not suit him (_great applause_). The worthy
Alderman concluded by an allusion to the paragraph concerning the
Princess Charlotte. He had reason to know, that in spite of all that
high satisfaction which she was said to feel in her own residence, she
had made three attempts to escape (_laughter and applause_).
The usual thanks followed, and the meeting dispersed.
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