chofen, without oppofition, the 16th day of the fame month. On the day following the election was vacated,

and

of the third regiment of Guards, for the rank and foul murders committed in these fields on the roth of that month, My hand trembled, while I copied what I blushed to read; and I gave it to the public in the only way my prefent fituation could admit, with the hope of promoting a parliamentary enquiry into that bloody transaction, which I trust this second publication will now accomplish, and because I think this free nation has a right to be fully informed of the conduct of administration in fo important a concern as the lofs of the lives of many fubjects. Adminiftration complains of me for having published the letter of the Secretary of State. I complain to the nation that fuch a letter has been written. This is not a letter on any perfonal business or pleasure. I would have scorned to have published any fuch. This letter was from a Secretary of State to the Chairman of the Quarter Seffions at Lambeth, and is written in characters of blood. It affects deeply the conftitution of this country," and every man in our island. I will at prefent leave it to the honeft indignation of every Englishman. I shall now only add,, that if I have not given to the public a most accurate and faithful copy, I afk pardon of the Secretary of State. If I have, then I will fay, that for the innocent blood of our. countrymen spilt in confequence of that letter, the writer of it ought to ask forgivęnefs of God and his country, and pass the remainder of his life in penitence and tears,

Extract from the Journals of Feb. 3, 1769, vol. XXXII. page‍175. Evidence was given to the House, by two of their members in their places, that' the letter printed in the faid newspaper is an exact co y of the original letter ad reffed to, and received by, Daniel Ponton, Efquire, Chairman of the Quarter Sellions at Lambeth.

The Speech of Mr. Wilkes, when a Prisoner, at the Bar of the House of Commons, Feb. 3, 1769.

Mr. Speaker,

I acknowledge that I tranfmitted to the prefs the Leter of the Secretary of State, Lord Weymouth, and that I wrote and published the Prefstory Remarks to it; and, fir, whenever a Secretary of State fhall dare to write fo bloody a fcroll, I will through life dare to write fuch Prefat.ry Remarks, as well as to make my appeal to the nation on the occafion. I afk pardon, fir, that I made ufe of too mild and I gentle expreffions, when I mentioned fo wicked, fo inhuman, fo cowardly a maffacre, as that in St. George's Fields on the 10th of May. I pledge myself to the Houfe, that whenever a day fhall be appointed to go into this important inquiry, I will bring evidence here to prove the truth of every word I have afferted. I hope the Houfe, fir, will fend for Mr. Ponton, and examine him, whether he did or did not receive that letter from the Secretary of State. If he anfwers in the af firmative, I am fure, from the virtue of this Houfe, that they will immediately order an impeachment against the Secretary to be carried up to the Bar of the Houfe of Peers.*

and he was declared by a majority of the Houfe incapable of being elected into that Parliament. Notwithtanding this refolution of the Houfe, he was a third time, on the 16th of March, elected without oppofition; for I fuppofe the ridiculous attempt of a Mr. Dingley, who had not a fingle freeholder to propofe, or vote for him, can hardly be called an oppofition. That election however was declared void the next day. On the 13th of April Mr. Wilkes was a fourth time elected, by a majority of 1143 votes against Mr. Luttrell, who had only 296. The fame day this Houfe + voted,

Extract from the Journals of Feb. 2, 1769, vol. XXXII. page 176.

Refolved, That the Introduction to the copy of a Letter, addressed to Daniel Ponton, Efquire, Chairman of the Quarter Seffions at Lambeth, and dated St. James's, the 17th of April 1768, contained in a certain newspaper, intituled, "The St. James's Chronicle, or the British Evening Post, from Thursday Decem "ber the 8th, to Saturday, December the 10th, 1768, printed by Henry Baldwin, "at the Britannia Printing-Office, No. 108, Fleet-Street," of which Introduction John Wilkes, Efquire, a Member of this Houfe, has now at the Bar of this House confeffed himself to be the author and publisher, is an infolent, scandalous, and feditious libel, tending to inflame and stir up the minds of his Majesty's fubjects to fedition, and to a total fubverfion of all good order and legal government.

Extract from the Journals of Feb. 3, 1769, vol. XXXII. page 178.

A motion being made, and the question being put, that John Wilkes, Efquire, Member of this House, who hath at the Bar of this House confeffed himself, to be the author and publisher of what this Houfe bas refolved to be an infolent, fcan dalous, and feditious libel, &c. &c. &c. be expelled this bouse.

Tellers for the Yeas

The Houfe divided.

Tellers for the Noes.

Lord Frederick Campbell,

2 Mr. Stevens.

Mr. Montague.
Lord John Cavendish,

So it was refolved in the affirmative.

* This unfortunate perfon had been perfuaded by the Duke of Grafton to fet up for Middlefex, his grace being determined to feat him in the House of Commons, if he had but a fingle vote. It happened unluckily that he could not prevail upon any one freeholder to put him in nomination. Junius, vol. I. p. 60.

+ Sir Fletcher Norton, when it was propofed to punish the Sheriffs, declared in the House of Commons, that they, in returning Mr. Wilkes, had done no more than Sheir duty. Junius, vol. 1. p. 70% that

¶ that Mr. Luttrell ought to have been returned." On the 29th of April, a Petition was prefented to the House from the freeholders of Middlesex by a worthy Baronet *, who is not only an honour to this Houfe, but to human nature; notwithstanding which, the Houfe on the 8th of May refolved," that Henry Lawes Luttrell, Efquire, is duly elected a Knight "of the Shire to serve in this present Parliament for f the county of Middlefex."

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Thefe, fir, are the great outlines, the leading facts. I will not trouble the Clerk to read all the refolutions, to which I have alluded. They are frefh, I am perfuaded, in the memories of gentlemen. I only call for that of Feb. 17, 1769, refpecting incapacity as the certain confequence of expulsion.

[The Clerk read the Refolution.]

Now, Sir, I think it fair to state to the Houfe the whole of what I intend to move in confequence of the facts ftated, and the refolution just read. The first motion I intend is, "that the Refolution of this Houfe "of the 17th of February, 1769, That John Wilkes, "Efquire, having been, in this Seffion of Parliament, ex"pelled this House, was, and is, incapable of being elected " a member to ferve in this prefent Parliament, be ex❝ punged from the Journals of this Houfe, as being fub“ verfive of the rights of the whole body of electors of "this kingdom." This I hold of neceffity to restore the constitution, which that Refolution tears up by the roots. hall then, if I fucceed, if justice and a reverence for

Sir George Sayile, Baronet, Member for Yorkshire.

the

the conftitution prevail in this Parliament, proceed to the other Motion," That all the 'declarations, orders,

and refolutions of this Houfe, refpecting the election "of John Wilkes, Efquire, for the County of Middle"fex, as a void election, the due and legal election of "Henry Lawes Luttrell, Efquire, into the laft Parlia"ment, for the County of Middlefex, and the incapacity of John Wilkes, Efquire, to be elected a Mem"ber to ferve in the faid Parliament, be expunged from the Journals of this Houfe, as being fubverfive of the rights of the whole body of electors of this kingdom."

The words of the Refolution of the 17th of February 1769, which I mean more particularly to combat, are,

was and is incapable, and the explanation of them the fame day in the order for a new writ, " in the room of σε John Wilkes, Efquire, who is adjudged incapable "of being elected a Member to ferve in this prefent *Parliament." In the first formation of this government, in the original fettlement of our conftitution, the people exprefly referved to themselves a very confiderable part of the legislative power, which they con fented to fhare jointly with a King and Houfe of Lords. From the great population of our jfland this right could not be claimed and exercifed perfonally, and therefore the many were compelled to delegate that power to a few, who thus were chofen 'their deputies and agents only, their reprefentatives. It follows, from the very idea of a choice, that fuch choice must be free and uncontrouled, admitting of no restrictions, but the law of the land, to which the King and the Lords are equally fubject, and what muft arife from the nature of the truft. A Peer of Parliament, for inftance,,

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cannot

T

cannot be elected a Member of the Houfe of Commons, because he already forins a part of another branch of the fame legiflative body. natural incapacity. Other inftances tioned, but thefe two are fufficient.

1

A lunatic has a might be menThe freedom of

election is then the common right of the people of -England, their fair and just share of power; and I hold it to be the most glorious inheritance of every fubject of this realm, the nobleft, and, I trust, the most folid !part of that beautiful fabric, the English conftitution. Here I might lean, fir, on the most refpectable authorities which can be cited, the fupreme judicature of "this kingdom, and the venerable judges of former ages as well as of our own times. I met them accidentally this morning in the course of my reading, as an old friend * of Wilkes and Liberty, now alas! loft to every fense of duty to his country, frequently tells another great affembly, that he accidentally meets in this manner all his tiresome quotations. The Houfe of Peers, fir, in the : *The Duke of Grafton. Junius in a letter to his Grace of May 30, 1769, fays, you complained that your friend, Mr. Wilkes, who had suffered. fo much for the party, had been abandoned to his fate as for Mr. Wilkes, it is, perhaps, the greatest "misfortune of his life, that you should have fo many compenfations to make in the "clofet for your former friendship with him, Your gracious mafter understands “your character, and makes you a perfecutor,, because you have been a friend." Vol. I. p. 79.

Now, my Lord, let me afk you, Has it never occurred to your Grace, while you were withdrawing this defperate wretch [Mac Quirk] from that juftice which the laws had awarded, and which the whole people of England demanded against him, that there is another man, who is the favourite of bis country, whofe pardon would have been accepted with gratitude, whofe pardon would have healed all our divifions? Have you quite forgotten that this man was once your Grace's friend? or is, it to murderers only that you will extend the mercy of the crown? Vol. I. p. 59. ^ Was he [the Duke of Grafton] not the bofom friend of Mr. Wilkes, whom he now pursues to destruction? Vol. I. p. 89.

The Duke of Grafton took the office of Secretary of State, with an engagement to fupport the Marquis of Rockingham's adminiftration. He refigned howeyer in a little time, under pretence that he could not act without Lord Chatham, nor bear to fee Mr. Wilkes abandoned. Junius, vol. I. p. 5. note.

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