London, August 10th, 1788.
My dear Lord,
The bustle of the Westminster election had thrown me so far in
arrears of private business, which pressed upon me in the
various items of correspondence, accounts, and papers, that I
have been obliged to delay this letter longer than I intended.
My attorney hath now his leave of absence from me, to anew paint
the green door, and repolish the brass knocker of his country
villa. As soon as Lady Y. is sufficiently strong I propose
quitting town, remaining ten days at Delaforde, and then
proceeding to swim at Southampton or Lymington, having as just
claim to breathe a sweeter air as the said attorney.
On Monday last, I quitted for a few hours the Westminster
contest, to dine with the Stoke Club, which was well attended,
and your Lordship's venison declared to be in high season.
Captain Salter hath suffered some severe loss of fortune from
the bankruptcy of the house of Maine, at Lisbon, as I
understand; in consequence thereof, he hath let his house at
Stoke to Major Masters, and means himself and family to reside
at Bath. He hath let his house for £200 per annum, and for a
term.
Late in the evening, I hastened back from Slough to protect my
house, in case of a riot; but the precaution of the police, in
appointing for the occasion some hundreds of extra constables,
kept all quiet. The Foxites, aware of the circumstance, sought
to arrogate all credit from that tranquillity of the night which
they could not prevent, and advertised "be quiet" accordingly.
Unprecedented modesty! I could wish to give some idea of the
conduct of the party, but cannot convey a just one. On the
hustings a daily farce passed, which even those busy in the
general scene, but who attended not that spot, can have no
conception of.
At dinner, in Downing Street, I was requested to take "my day or
two station" on the hustings; it being necessary to have some
gentlemen there who might notice procedure, and prevent the high
bailiff yielding in every case to the most abject fears on every
threat of Mr. Fox, which he did, insomuch that Lord Apsley and
myself were obliged to threaten him with a prosecution. On the
hustings were posted a set of young men, neatly dressed in blue
and buff for the occasion, blacklegs from all the race-courses,
and all the Pharo and E.O. tables in town. Their business was to
affront every gentleman who came on the hustings without their
livery. "You lie!" "Who are you? damn you!" and a variety of
such terms echoed in every quarter; something of the sort soon
tingled in my ears.
On observing a dirty-looking man encouraged to swear, and not
mind _that fellow_, meaning your humble servant, I could not
refrain expressing my disgust, at hearing even invitations to a
disregard of perjury; on which, Counsellor Garrow, of Newgate
education, addressed me with, "Damn your eyes and limbs! and who
are you, who give yourself these airs?" Having made up my mind
to put a stop, _in limine_, to such mode of address, I gave him
my card, and told him we had better settle the rest of the
business elsewhere, "and immediately." He was for the first time
in his life abashed, and made excuses, which I gladly enough
accepted; observing aloud, that being incapable of using an
illiberal term, I should in similar manner _insist_ on none
being used towards me. I was afterwards treated civilly for that
place. I have mentioned the above anecdote, as characteristic of
the deportment of the blue and buff for special purpose of
clearing the hustings; and too often they succeeded, occasioning
moderate men, who did not choose to commit themselves, to
withdraw; and thus getting whole divisions of the hustings to
themselves, where they polled every beggar from the streets. The
question is not of title to vote in most cases, but of identity;
most families being at this season out of town, a rascal was
found to personate every absentee. The suborners of perjury not
regularly conferring, very many instances occur of an absentee
being represented by four or five, _all_ admitted to vote on
their mere attestation.
The petition, I understand, will be founded on bribery, as well
as other allegations of violence, and false votes. Details of
bribery advanced are numerous, and well attested; but I doubt if
it can be brought home to direct agency. The publicans, who
immediately distributed the money, whom we know, and who may
turn informers to save themselves, will probably only have to
tell us of a false name and a disguised person; however, Lord
Hood and his solicitors are more sanguine.
It is generally understood that future elections in Westminster
are to be regulated by a new statute, the heads of which are to
be: parochial polls, churchwardens and overseers, and
inspectors, and parish rate-books conclusive, if against any
voter--that is to say, if his name is not there.
Our second dinner of the Constitutional Club, on Wednesday, went
off exceedingly well, and may prove a good political net to
catch young men just launching into the world from College. Such
use hath been made of the Whig Club, and something was wanting
to counteract. Other good effects, not merely confined to a
Westminster election, may too have place. In short, the late
business seems to have awakened us all to our good cause and
just political interests, as well as to have drilled us against
the period of our being called out to the general election.
I shall not leave town till the 1st of September, and ere I quit
it shall again make my remittance of such news as occurs.
My last boy is a fine fellow, and my wife is as well as
possible. She desires in the best manner to be kindly remembered
to the Marchioness, with, my dear Lord, your ever affectionately
faithful, and obliged friend and servant,
W. Young.
If we did not know that matters of higher import engaged the attention
of the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, it might almost appear that his chief
business consisted in controlling the pretensions of a variety of
persons to every office that fell vacant, and of keeping a host of
disappointed expectants in check and good-humour, so large a space does
this matter of patronage occupy in the semi-official correspondence of
the period. Amongst the most urgent of them was the appointment of
Fitzgibbon (afterwards Earl of Clare) to the Chancellorship of Ireland,
which Lord Lifford was daily expected to resign.
Lord Lifford seems to have been a man of limited capacity and singular
simplicity of character, formal and credulous, and tedious in his
intercourse with the world. His letters to Lord Buckingham, written in a
great clerkly hand, are full of solemn platitudes and ceremonious
civilities; and whatever other excellent qualities he possessed, it
cannot be inferred that he was a man of much mental reach or vigour.
Obsolete in manners and ideas, and living in the modes of a past age, he
was respected for the sincerity of his disposition and the rectitude of
his character, rather than for the strength or activity of his
intellect. In his seventy-fourth year he came over to London to resign
the Seals to His Majesty, laden with the burden of years and
hypochondriacal infirmities; yet, up to the last, vacillating in his
resolution. Lord Mornington, who met him at dinner at Pitt's during this
visit, says: "I met old Lifford at dinner at Pitt's, and never saw him
look in better health or spirits; he is, as you may well believe, most
generally _quizzed_ in London." The letter in which he announces to Lord
Buckingham his intention of resigning of the Seals, after many
misgivings before he could make up his mind to it, is thoroughly
characteristic.