Prosperity or Ruin.

Brother Freeholders of the county of Devon, borne down as we have been by the pressure of the times, and hurried to the brink of ruin by an insufferable taxation, how happy ought we to be in having found a champion in LORD EBRINGTON!

We have now an opportunity of shewing to the world, whether the sons of Devon love freedom or oppression, or prefer the horrors of a prison, to the bosoms of their families :---these are not times to trifle with our dearest interests.

LORD EBRINGTON and MR. and MR. BASTARD, both already members of the House of Commons, are each anxious of being elected a member for the county of Devon: fortunately both are tried men. LORD EBRINGTON's speeches against pensions, sinecures, and oppressive taxation are well known, Had not LORD EBRINGTON and a few staunch friends stood forward, we might have groaned under a weight of taxation, until irrecoverably ruined.

We must have no gentleman to represent us who cannot speak out, and that with effect.-LORD EBRINGTON has long spoken with that strength of reason and argument, that he commands attention in the British senate, and it is he who is able and willing to speak the language of those who elect him. After all our exertions to support the late arduous war, must the bailiff and the tax-gatherer now become our most frequent visitors? Behold the earnings of many years' industry swallowed up in the taxation of the last two years.

Can we see the busy exertions of those who enjoy places and pensions rallying round MR. BASTARD without fearing the old adage that "birds of a feather flock together?"

Can you possibly hesitate to elect LORD EBRINGTON your member, who has so long proved one of the most zealous and able friends of his country-he

who has snatched you from oppressive taxation. when your despair was at the greatest? If you forsake EBRINGTON you are your own greatest ene mies, and discourage the exertions of other members of parliament in doing their duty. If you listen to the insinuations of the creatures of corruption, you forsake your own and your country's welfare. Let your choice be free and unbiassed by every thing but real merit. Let the voice of the sons of Devon arise as the voice of one man. The noble spirit of the county is already raised in his cause, and his cause is your own. Thousands have promised him their support, and thousands more will flock to elect him. Persevere, put forth every nerve, engage your friends in his behalf, and let OLD ENGLAND and EBRINGTON for ever resound, from the county of Devon to the centre of the British parliament.

May 3, 1816.

AN OLD FREEHOLDER.

To the worthy & respectable Yeomanry of Devon,

I am one of yourselves, and with a feeling for our general interest, a few plain truths conveyed to you by a plain man, may be well worthy your consideration, now we are on the eve of an election of a member to represent this opulent and extensive county in parliament.

Like myself, probably, brother freeholders, you scarcely concern yourselves much about political men or measures, but if ever there was a time when the country required your interference, that time is the present, and Devonshire expects that every man will do his duty.

It is to be lamented, that in exercising our valuable privilege of voting for representatives, we often make hasty promises, and connect ourselves with a parti cular party without due reflection and consideration --or what is too frequently the case, sacrifice our

independence to the opinion of some wealthy and overbearing individual. Let me hope, however, that on the present occasion, your character will be distinguished by a judicious discrimination of the merits. of the two candidates-and by your votes, prove the soundness of your principles.

A nearer acquaintance with the qualifications of the respective gentlemen, offered to your notice, will best serve to direct your choice. On enquiry, I find Mr. Bastard is determined to follow the bright example and truly independent conduct of his late respected Uncle, who so honorably and justly acquired the unanimous applause of all good men, both in and out of parliament." INDEPENDENCE WAS HIS MOTTO," and in no one instance did he ever shrink from the strict performance of his public duty. He served you well and faithfully, and his Nephew (the present candidate) educated in the same principles, has already given in the present session of parliament, the strongest proofs that he takes an interest in the welfare of his country,having voted against the continuance of the Property Tax, opposed the immense military establishment in time of peace, and the increase of unnecessery salaries, &c. &c. and has earnestly endeavoured to support and enforce economy and retrenchment in every department of the state.

These facts are direct pledges of his future conduct, and his claims to your support and confidence, as a tried and approved member, are strongly and firmly grounded.-- Your cause is his, and, depend on it, he will never desert you. Freemen yourselves, let him be free,-in his hands your interests are safe,

Let us now enquire, who and what the noble Lord is, who solicits the honor of being your representa, tive. Why, my friends, (can you believe it?) with all his boasted independence, he is to all intents and purposes A PARTY MAN, strongly attached by family connexion and alliance to the House of

Grenville-whose love of power, places, sinecures, &c. are as notorious as the sun at noon day; let me tell you fairly, that his Lordship is considered as a decided Grenvillite, completely identified with that party, and if his friends and relations, the Grenvilles, were in power to-morrow and formed the ministry of the country, it cannot rationally be expected that the noble Viscount Ebrington could consistently oppose any measure of his own family. It is too much to require of any man, however virtuous, to be adverse to the designs and views of his immediate and dearest friends.

Before I take my leave of you, it may not be amiss to inform you, that these said Grenvilles are the blood-sucking leeches and cormorants of the state.Lord Ebrington's Uncle, the late Marquis of Buckingham, received thirty-eight thousand per year, as Teller of the Exchequer, an office executed by deputy —and another Uncle, Lord Grenville, now receives £4000 per annum as Auditor of the Exchequer, another neat sinecure enjoyed by that family, (be. sides many others that could be named ;) and what is more, I learn to my surprise, that some of this very money, (extracted from the public, of which you form a part,) is likely to be spent in the approaching contest, for the purpose of forcing one of their own family on this county, in opposition to a gentleman whose claims and principles are unexceptionable and indisputable.

It should not be forgotten, that a very few years ago, the good people of Barnstaple rejected this same Lord Ebrington, on account of his voting for the Catholic question, when he took refuge under the wings of the Grenvillės, who obtained for him one of their own boroughs, (Buckingham if I mistake not) which he now represents; but should you now also reject him, he will not be deprived by this circumstance from attending the national council, and putting in practice those gratuitous professions

so freely and expressly avowed.-Remember, great promises generally end in disappointment.

On the day of nomination, the noble Lord, who is so fertile in pledges, will be prepared, no doubt, to give the freeholders a specific promise, that amongst his intended motions, he will pledge himself to propose the reduction of all useless pensions, sinecures, &c. and that he will begin with the members of his own family. This will look something like independence-It will be expected from him. My friends, the honest Yeomanry of Devon are totally unconnected with courtiers and placemen; they require a free and independent character to represent them, and such a one they will have,---this is our charter,---our watchword.--If I know aught of your dispositions, the noble spirit of your forefathers still animates your bosoms, and possessing British hearts and determined resolution, arouse and assert the sacred cause of BASTARD AND REAL INDEPENDENCE, with energy and devotion, O ye

DEVONIANS.

To the Yeomanry of Devon.

I have just seen a curious address to you, which commences with telling you that the writer is a" plain man:" if he means an ugly man, I know no one who has any thing to do with that but his wife; if he means a simple man, he is very unfit to instruct you; and this address concludes with "O ye Devonians!" Should it deceive you, I might justly exclaim "O ye blockheads!" but as I do not believe that ye are blockheads, but very good sort of men, and not so blind as to fall into such a bungling trap, 1 shall not so exclaim. I shall not run through the whole of this rigmarole story-it is too insignificant both in matter and manner to deserve such attention; but I will bring to your notice a few of the curious passages, which the writer has had