ruined characters, and with professions of which they could make no use. There was no man who wished more than he did to see traitors punished, but give them the privilege of Britons, it was an old but excellent maxim, that every man was innocent before a jury had found him guilty. He would not detain them much longer, but to express his hope that they would return Mr. Northmore to parliament; and in doing this free of expence, they would set a noble example of constitutional independence. No characters could be held in greater contempt, even by the men whom they returned, than the boroughmongers. How were they regarded in Cornwall?—He would give them a specimen, which he assured them was a fact :-The inhabitants of a borough in that county applied to their representative, requesting him to vote for the abolition of the Leather Tax. His answer was thus: "You good-for-nothing set of ragamuffins-first return me the money I have spent among you, and then you will be entitled to some independence;" and they deserved such an answer for having accepted bribes. He concluded by saying, that they had a sacred duty to perform, and he trusted when they went to their pillows to sleep, they would do it with a clear conscience.

Henry Cross, Esq. said, he had the honor of seconding the proposal of his worthy friend: in doing so it was with a strong conviction that Mr. Northmore was a friend to the constitution of his country-to the just prerogatives of the crown, possessed of purity of principle, and was a firm advocate for the rights of the people. Our worthy chief magistrate, he said, had just stated, that they were called upon to exercise one of the noblest rights of our constitution. that constitution which has been the pride and glory of this kingdom, and the envy of surrounding nations. He most conscientiously and firmly believed Mr. Northmore's principles to be such as would effect what every free-born Briton sighed for a reform in parliament, which would prevent the rights of the crown from being trampled on, as well as those of the people. Mr. Kennaway, he said, who proposed Mr. Newman, had spoken of the independence of that gentleman in the House of Commons: he (Mr. C) would not call in question his having voted according to the dictates of his conscience had his conduct been so independent in this city? Some of Mr. Newman's friends had declared that he was in possession of a large fortune, and that with money he was

determined to carry the election of this city. [Here great confusion prevailed, and a gentleman called on Mr. Cross to name. When silence was restored, Mr. C. proceeded]-It was a well-known fact it was as notorious as the day, that inns had been opened in this city.-[Much noise.] As to the private character of Mr. Newman, he was a gentleman whom they all revered, and he (Mr. C.) respected him.

[The clamour again increased on the finishing of this speech, and the sheriff demanded silence, to afford an opportunity for the candidates to address them-if not he said he would immediately proceed to the poll.] The tumult subsided and

W. Courtenay, Esq. rose and said,

"Fellow Citizens,--The first topic which naturally presents itself to my mind, is that event in consequence of which it falls to my lot to address you, in the first instance; 1 mean the absence of Mr. Buller. As a citizen of Exeter, as connected with its magistracy, as sincerely anxious for the protection of its interests, I well know how to appreciate the loss which is sus tained by his retirement. No man can have had better oppor tunities than I have of witnessing the exercise of those qualities which peculiarly fitted Mr. Buller for the situation in which he was placed. Mild and conciliating in his manners, cautious in forming his judgment, he was always firm and resolute in pursuing that course which his deliberate judgment taught him to adopt; uninfluenced by any personal considerations, and unbiassed by party feelings. The best wish that I can form for my fellow-citizens of Exeter is, that in the choice of their future representatives they may be able to enlist into their service as much of firm integrity and independence, and as much zeal and attention to the interests of Exeter, as they have lost by the retirement of Mr. Buller. Gentlemen,-six years have now elapsed since I first ventured to propose myself for the high honor of representing you in parliament; I was then nearly unknown to most of you; I was recommended by the partial kindness of personal friendship, and in a manner most grateful to my feelings, you confided to me a most important public trust, In what manner I have conducted myself, in the execution of that trust, it is for you, my constituents, now to decide; and I stand before you, not as formerly, requesting your confidence, but calling for your judgment. Gentlemen,-It has been truly

said, that it is the manner only in which a member is placed in the House of Commons that makes the post honorable ;--I fully concur in this sentiment, and I certainly should deem a seat in the House of Commons neither an honor nor a benefit if it were to be attained by any acts of misrepresentation or flattery-by the excitement of false hopes-by appeals to the passions, rather than to the understandings of men-by the influence of clamour

or by the profligate expenditure of money, which, in all men, would be folly, in me would deserve a harsher name, Gentlemen, -I come before you upon other grounds, and I ask only for your free and willing suffrages. I have endeavoured to discharge faithfully an arduous and important duty, by exercising the best judgment of which I am possessed, in the consideration of public measures, and by a zealous attention to such subjects as peculiarly involved the interests of Exeter, Gentlemen,-it would be vain to imagine that the course which I have taken could be pleasing to all, in a city like this, where there must necessarily be so much conflict of feeling and opinion. The very attempt, indeed, to please all, must, in my opinion, argue a weak and wavering mind, rather than that fair and free exercise of the judgment by which alone the interests of this city, or of the country at large can be well served. To the opinions, to the wishes, and to the feelings of my constituents, it has always been my wish to pay the utmost respect and deference: such opinions, when expressed to me, have always made me, hesitate in forming my own judgment; but still I cannot bring myself to think that it is consonant to the true spirit of the British constitution, that a member of the legislative body should surrender the exercise of his judgment; or that I could honestly act any part in a deliberative. assembly, if I refused to deliberate, or failed to decide according to the best view which my own abilities enabled me to take of the true interests of the country at large. To pursue an opposite course, would indeed be, as was well said by Mr. Burke, to degrade our national representation into a confused and scuffling bustle of local agency. (Applause.)

"Gentlemen, I will not much longer detain you from the business of the day. My public conduct is before you. It would be idle to occupy your time by a recapitulation of transactions known to you all. If the part which I have taken in the public events of the last six years is worthy of your disapprobation, no argument of mine can or onght to protect me from it

but if, on the other hand, upon a review of the general course of my conduct in parliament, you find reason to be satisfied with it, I rely upon your candid and liberal judgment!--and I look with confidence to a renewal of that trust with which I have once been honored."

R. W. Newman, Esq. said, he would interrupt them only a short time, but it was incumbent on him to state the pretensions which he had to the hi, h honor of representing this city in parliament. On its being announced that their late worthy and esteemed representative, Mr. Buller, intended to retire from parliament, he had humbly come forward to solicit the honor of being appointed to succeed him, and had the satisfaction of being received with the most flattering distinction; he now appeared before them to renew the offer of his services: his public conduct he said, was before them all, and therefore it was not necessary for him to make any professions-it was to the past he referred as the best criterion to judge of the future; he could truly state, that during the eventful term of the last parliament, he had ever studied the interest of the united kingdom, and exercised the utmost of his abilities to promote its welfare, unbiassed by any personal or private motives. He certainly could not have noticed, on his own account, a remark which had been made by a gentleman who had preceded him (Mr. Cross), but because it conveyed a reproach on the worthy electors of Exeter; and he begged leave to assure them, that if it were by the power of money he endeavoured to enter the House of Commons, Exeter would have been the last place he should have sought, for the exercise of its influence; the independence of this city was proverbial, and should it be said that it would allow its high character to be so easily compromised? It was no such thing; and were he to believe an evil report which had been made to him, he might turn to the gentleman whose remark he had been applying to, and say "Your friends have been doing that of which you accuse mine." He knew that some were impatient to hear the gentleman who would soon follow him [for the partizans of Mr Northmore were again clamorous], and would only add, that should the good opinion of the citizens of Exeter raise him to the distinguished situation to which he aspired, no man should more faithfully perform the important duties attached to it: he would prove to them that he was not that sort of person whom his enemies had represented him to be; but would constantly

study the interests of this city, and never depart from that line of independent conduct he had hitherto pursued, which he conceived best calculated to preserve our inestimable privileges in church and state.

After the applause which followed this speech had subsided,

Mr. Northmore rose, and addressed the assembly in nearly the following words :-"Patriots of the very ancient and hitherto unpolluted metropolis of the West of England-It is utterly and totally impossible for me to express in any language adequate to my feelings, those sentiments with which I am impressed on this great, this awful, and momentous, and triumphant occasion; to speak of gratitude, respect, and esteem, would be but trifling with language; I feel that sort of internal pride which I assure you I cannot find words to express.Wherever I go, the men in general, and the women almost universally, receive me with such a torrent of acclamation and approbation, as I confess before my bitterest foes to be infinitely transcending my deserts. I am informed, that in one part of my address a few words are misunderstood by my real friends, and found fault with by my false ones: I allude to my observations on the Bible society. No man can have a greater regard for the Bible than I have, from a firm persuasion that the text of heaven descended from Sinai without note or comment. 'I now proceed to the purpose; and permit me first to congratulate you on the death of the old parliament; for a more wicked, or more insolent old lady, I never witnessed in my life her plots, her gags, her green bags, her violations of Magna Charta, and above all that blasphemous act the Corn Bill, and particularly the last dying act of the old lady, in refusing to enquire into the abuses of charitable funds, will bring down her name to eternal infamy.-(Great applause.) I am loyal enough to return my best thanks to the Prince Regent, for the cavalier manner in which he dismissed the old lady. I come forward by no desire of my own, but in compliance with two requisitions-the first of which was signed by 91 persons, and the second, which I received four weeks after, by 321, to stem the torrent of corruption; and if there be any one, or any 20 of them, who wish to desert their colors, they have my full permission; I leave it to the dictates of their consciences, which God hath implanted in them to shield them.... from error, and guide them to eternal happiness. I am now