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    city may justly be commended for its choice . But this electioa has not given satis * faction to several gentlemen , who are merchants , hankers and traders in the metropolis : and they thought it right to step forward to condole with Sir William

    Curtis on the loss of his seat . For this purpose a meeting * was convened , in which , politics were understood to be excluded , as several of the persons meeting on this occasion were known to be averse to the line of politics in general pursued by the Baronet . They condoled with him on his loss , because they felt him an useful man

    to themselves in their commercial arrangements with government : and they , who > disliked his politics , were sensible of the advantage it was to them in their private concerns , to have a . man to transact business for them , who had the ear of the minister . How far this may be of

    advantage to the merchants , bankers and traders of the other parts of the kingdom , is a question that may bear some discus , sion : but assuredly the electors of the city were bound to take other things into consideration , besides the intercourse with the minister ' s parlou r * A member of parliament has great political duties to per *

    form ; and the first point assuredly is , whether the representative and his constituents are agreed upon the great questions of administration ; the second is , the fitness of the person to manage the local interests of the community . -Be this as it may , about fifteen hundred persons united in condoling with the Baronet for his loss ,

    and thanking him for his past services : but perhaps the public will congratulate the city on the exchange of a member , however beneficial his services may have been to private individuals , for one on whom they place greater reliance for the discharge of the more important duties which devolve on a representative for the city of London .

    Westminster presented a very remarkable scene . The popular party was divided , and very nearly lost ita favorite candidate . As it was , he was not at the head of the poll . A gentleman was united with Sir Francis Burdett , who was not so acceptable as Sir Samuel Romilly ,

    proposed by a considerable body of the electors . In consequence of this difference of opinion , Sir Francis was for some time only the third on the poll : but the ground lost was soon regained , when the united body took up hoth Sir Francis and Sir Samuel , who were returned as members ; Tlie lattter

    was chaired on the Aa . y ot election ; but the ceremony for the former dtid opt tafce place for some days after , wlien h-e , t w . a « carried in great triumph through the city ^ an immense concourse of people attendingand testifying their joy at this triumph of

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    their favourite . The greatest order pre * vailed upon this occasion , though , the high constable received orders from the high steward not to attend ; and the foreigners , many of them of very high rank , wbo wi t * nessed the procession , were astonished that

    such regularity could be observed , when there was no military to keep the . people in order . In fact , such a procession could never have been seen in any other metropolis of Europe ; for such an expression of popular feeling would have created uneasy sensations in those , whose duty it is to watch over the general welfare .

    In the Borough , Sir Robert Wilson was elected after a short contest , and immediately after his election went to Westminster to give his vote for Sir Francis Burdett and Sir Samuel Romilly . Middle *

    sex was not contested . In the University of Dublin , the secretary to the Admiralty made an unsuccessful attempt . On the whole it appears , that about one fourth of the house will be changed , and it is cat * culated that the administration will lose a

    considerable number of supporters : but what effect this will have on the general course ef politics time must determine . The last parliament and its measures were roughly handled at the various meetings

    for election , and the members of it who are returned to the new parliament , will have had sufficient opportunities of knowing the sentiments of their constituents , before they are assembled to deliberate on the welfare of the state .

    One remarkable circumstance occurred which cannot but have ita due weighL Mr . Hunt , who was a celebrated character at the Spa-fields meetings , proposed himself for Westminster ^ whose elective franchise approaches very nearly to that of universal suffrage , for which lie declares himself to be the most decided advocate .

    In this city , however , where is such a numerous body of electors , he could not get a hundred votes ; and from that it may be safely inferred , that if the right of suffrage were extended , its effects would be very different from what its opponents seem so much to appiehend and to dread . The question will probably be agitated in

    the ensuing parliament , and the reformers may hit upon some medium which * consulting the feelings of the people , may get rid of the opprobrium of the present state of representation . For , if it cannot be allowed to every man of the age of twentyon « to have « vote , surely tUe impropriety is much greater of one man having several of the representatives under his controul .

    la Fiance a suppressed conspiracy has occupied much of the attention of that country , and with it pf the sovereigns united together in what is called , but with what propriety its fruits will determine , the Holy Alliauce . The object of this

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    State of Public Affairs . 471

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), July 2, 1818, page 471, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2478/page/63/