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Georgia J&ggHpK&: Gazette
•;-■ ■ - S© VJdACiIC.
yf Stcttuf Ltttir t JOITN WII.RF.S, E/y. fn th? KrTg'i.flrticb Pri/im
SINCE I wrote my full letter to. you. 1 be with a
copy of your extraordinary address ro tho gentlemen, and
freeholders, of the county of Middlesex, to whom you appeal, nrd
by whole unbialfed judgment you desire to (land or. fall* Then
fall you Certainly mult in the judgment of all these who are bet
ter acquainted with the British cohflitntion than you seem to be; whoc. n
dirtitguilb liberty from licentioufnefi; who can Ice throdgh the tintrl
gauze mantle of verbose palriotifm ; who remember the outrageous beha
viour of the populace-at the time when the Secretary of Stave’s letter was
written ; and who are capable of judging of that letter, unbiased by-your
preamble, or yottr subsequent address.
■ Let me tell you, Sir, that it is hardly pofiible to write ant* letter upon
anv fubjeA, which an ill natured commentator may not mifinierpret, so
as to mislead the judgment of the weal; and injudicious t but exclamation,
falfe reasoning, and drained metaphors, such as written in blood, fzc. will
have no weight toirh men of underitunding. At the time when thi> obnox
ious letter was written, it was che opinion of every man in the metropolis,
except the mob, that the niiniitry were too inartivc; every one who law
the liceTtious proceedings of the populace, wished that the government
should inMrfelei ‘ln order to deprive the mol* of the arbitrary power wh’ch
they had usurped. Can it be neceffkry for me to remind you that our
vociferous foos of Liberty had taken upon the n to drpri e every merchant
in the city of London of the liberty of trading to ar.y pait of the world,
by unrigging all the (hips in the river ? Need 1 Inform you, that the coal
heavers had deprived aheir mailers of the liberty of delivering their coals,
without wlfich we mull have ftarvedf Arc you forgetful tint for twaor
three nightsfircceflively. the free inhabitants of London and WdlminGcr
Werr'cempelled to teftifv their joy that you were clerted their member,
by putting candies in thwir windows/ You may, perhaps, be a mod wor.
thy member, and therefore there might be j uIt caufc for rej icing ; but,
in to make a man lejoiee whether he will or not, is ona of
the mol\ tyrannical arts of arbitrary power that poflibly can be exerted.
Did not these democratical law-givers carry theif infolcncc so far as to
break the lamps, windows, luflres, dec. of the maufionofthechiefma
gidrateof th; city, becaufc, lorfooth, he did not te'lify his exccffive joy
on account of Mr. Wilkes’s exertion /.Were not divers numerous mobs fre
q letuly aflfcmWed in different part* t AnT did riot frihe of them in a very
tumultuous manner, even beset the houses of Parliament? Were these j
things confident-with your notion of English con'litutional liberty t if so.
tlusivby. liberty you. mean tlie.Axburaiy.4lfli.vj;c of tUc. Mob to.goy.ftuj. tfjc
King, Lords, aed.Cnmmons of this realm.
Now, Sir* thpugh { am wfiling t* you, yet,, a* I write publiektv, I
appeal to the sensible part of the freeholders, whom you hivfc addrcfieJ,
wlKthcf, -as thing! were circumdanced, it did not behove the Sectetary
of Stale to take fotnje efFsrt'ual, inealures to rcllore peace and security ; I
fay effeitua),/©r incffertual meafurcs are eqdal to no meafares at all;
therefore Wjeions to that word n his Lord'hip’s letter are puerile and
ridiculous. I farther aOt them, whether, on a fair and candid pirufal of
that letter, they dafeover a single sentence written in blood ? as you are
pleased to term it; or which implies tho lead intention of proceeding to
violence without just caufc? his Lord(h:p*s I—■ ter being, by your means,
fufficicntly publick, it were nr.edlef* to craofcribe any part of it; but 1
refer particularly to that which your partisans think mod objectionable,
where he advises effcAual use of the military pmver, if required, and
remiods the juftics, that fuph a power can never be more constitutionally
employed than in support of the authority and dignity of magillracv. Do
)roit deny this aflisrtion ? If you do, you are cither ignorant or disingenu
ous. Does not his Lrrdfhip p>evi<H*fly.fiy, that he has no reason to doubt
the caution and Jifcrrtiop of the jullice ? and does he not thereby evident
ly imply that caution and difere;io.l ai*s required? Need you be told,
that after the Riot Art has Veen read, and-the people do not disperse, e
fpeetaHy in times ot toFmtU- and faditian, and when the civil magillcau
hath been repeatedly ihfulted, (which wa* th> pale in St. George’s Fields)
that then he.is amply juftifiab e by the laws of the land io ordering the
kroon* to fire ?
For fbamc ‘. fordiame.! Sir! give over your endeaveurs to enfl.ame the
minds of the unrealbning multitude, by meanly milcondrtiiilg a letter e-
Vtdefltly written with no other intention than to e > force the law* .ngsinfl
the dilurbers of publick tranquility. It is unmanly, it i* molt illiberal,
“it is unjuli, to endeavour h> render the people dife mtented-with all admi
ni'.lratjons because ybtt may have been illegally treated by a former mini Her.
If'you mean to jn.-mtain the -e’at ‘cr to which you hivo aspired, you
ought to have Le<-n Very certain that the judicious and unprejudiced part
’of the world would behold art the Inter, to which you have prcfi*el so
Blocking an introduction,, the fame dagger:., ghollr and hobgoblins, which
appeared to you on thisoccafirn. Hut, unfortunately for your reputation,
the unbiased freeholders of Middlefc* view it’ ?u a very different light,
and ‘candidly attijbut# your rtufinterpretation to inlfapprehcnfion. But
what adds rood to your diferedit upon tfiis occaGon i<,, tirit those wko are
perfonnlly acquaiUtcd with the miniver whom yo t weakly endeavoured to!
Traduce, know him to be a fineerc friend to'tbrliberty of the fubjert, of
great abilrtlet rtd difiinguillied humanity, anl conlequcntljr the Uft man
•in tjtp, world youon'tht to have fujpefile 1 of arbitrary measures, impru
dent condurt, or cruel intentions. ; I the .honour to be your'*, Ac.
PRGCEEUINGs.oI the iIQOSE of ‘COMMONS.
ml { ‘ M vsw&rH* ?68. : ; : K .\
IT wa* oivlered tJUteithc cop.y of the fecord* of the proceeding*, on an
wiformation
tr XDNES D A r, Apr A ,g, I?6o .
.L‘ . ‘* ,1 ‘ • j • J
.7?k .oor.lrr, t,ctoctO
f * 4 . 0 l^c U’ r * AUil no copies a]lowed to In? taken
ru!e"u any PC ° nS ’ CXCei ' l th 2 Mca,b rt of ‘ h Houle, allowed to pi.
J n ? lcrds f<?nt A , me % e Mre n prrfenx conference wt h
der a u ll “ . matter 'fi hi y concerning the peace and good or.
inmd.l th^ ,S?n!ty \ of r h ” Majcfly’s government, and the House
tnimnu’.t.tlv agreeing to the faul con/trence, appointed a committee to
turned re® *x ho . ,cccrJ,n ß 1 y *° the conference, ami being-re.
ine nken P iTto ; “ W>l to , aa l uaint lh e House that, the Lord,. Hu.
’ .?Vl ! 1 Cviilifleratioa the contents of a news-psper, iititulel
, -5 H ‘ 3 Clironicle, or Ihe British Evening FolL from Tha f!
coL^o C thff l 1‘ h, -'° ba^, Dc . c - ,0,h * >768,” their Lorddiipi h 4
co re to the follow.ng.refolnhoft, viz R'f.kxj, Dy the Lords .Spirit ;.I
and Icmporal . . . ,n IVl, ament assembled, That the introd artioa t,
th. copy of a letter addressed to Daniel Ponton, Efq..Chiimn of the
qumier-bfflions at Lambeth, and dated St. James’s, the mb of April,
1708, contained in a certain news paper, intitule!, “ Tin St. lam s'*
Luroiucle, or the Hritilh Evening Pod, from Thursday, Dec. the tM,
to Saturday, Dec. the loth, 1768, printed by Henry Uildwin, at rbs
nrttannu Printing. o:nce, No. .08. Fleet flreet.” is a. iufdcnt, fcau
'ialon, and fedmous libel, tending toenflaine anl llir up th.i mind- of
his vlijelly s fubjerts to fitditioo, and to a total fubverGon of all good < )r J r
and leg 11 givcmirent. Which resolution, toge:her with the fiij
p iper tlicir Lorddnp* had dirc/ted to be conmunirated to the Uu ,_•
and ddirc the concurrence of the House to the said ref.lutioa. A id 1/1 t
ihe conference wa* also to acquaint the House with wh.it had appeve i by.
evidence given at their Lordlhip’s bar, upon oath, touching the fii ! ‘i , ■{
cing font to the press; and ivh the names of the persons examined w : h
refpert to that matter: And likewise to Communicate to this House v r
tain manuicripts, produced to their Lordiltips by one of tha said witnefft*
And the Eli J report, and part of the said news-paper, an 1 the fiid mtnu
feripti, were rea 1 : And the said resolution beir.j rnJ if con ! time It
was ordered th it the fiid report Onuld be taken int > further confileraiidn,
Dec. it;th, and that Henry Baldwin, and John Swan, lhauld then at;end
the House;
Dec. tq. The Lord* dcflieJ a conference relating to the roeffage, for
the attendance of the Earls of Sandwich and March, which the House
agreed to, anl con mtted to tho managers of the tail conference on the
faul matter; and the said managers being returned reported the confeicnce,
and that it was to acquaint the House, that th ir Lordfhijr Lad rvfe?reJ
the matter ol the lafl eonfertfnee with the House, relating to vt:Cir pclijec
for the attrndance of two Peers, to their committee of privileges; butthA,
before the said conference, the Earls of Sandwich and M arch having made
it their personal requrtl to their Lordihips, to have leave to come to the
H >ufe, to give information of any circumll.ancts that may hive come 10
their knowledge, relative to a charge again.l Philip Carteret Webb, E(ql
of having bribe 1 Micha:l Curr/, with publick money, to give evidence
again ft John Wilkes, Esq. the House of Lord* did leave it to thpfe t.w7
Lords to do therein what their Lordihips shall think fit.
The Houle took into further ennfideration the conference with the Lord*
on the 16th ; and the House being informed that Hcnrv Baldwin .and (>bn
Swan .attended according to order; the said Henry Bafdwiu wa* called m,
an l the printed news-paper, intituled, “ The Saint Jamej’s Chronicle,
or The Britilh Evening Poll, from Thursday D.-c. Bth, to saturd
toth, 1768, printed by Henry Baldwin, at the Britannia Printing Office,
No. 108, Fleet llreet,” and also the manuferipts delivered by the Lird*
at the said conference, being shewn to hi in at the bar, he acknowledgrl
that he printed the said nc.vs paper; and said, that ihe manuferipts were
brought to him by John Swan, on the morning of the publication, who
told him, that he brought theon from John Wilke*, Esq. and that che fai l
Henry Baldwin believes the fail manuferipts are of the hand writing of
the said Mr. Wilkes. And the (aid Henry Baldwin hiving, in thecu-irfu
of hi* examination, mentioned, that ll.* hid been examined .at the bar of
the House of Lords the lull we?!: on tiii> fubjert, ho was a Seed what p li*ij
on that occalion ; nnd then he was direrted to withdraw. And a m .ti. a
being made, and the qncllitm being pet, that the said Henry Ual-Lv 1 !>•
alked wlvat passed on that occifina ;it pilTed io the u •gm-ive. i’n.- i< ie
said Henry Baldwin was ai’ ti.i called in, and further examine ?; aultli-u
be was again JlireCleJ to Withdraw. Tnen the said John Sw.m >vt* cai.'el
in ; and, at the bar, being fhuwn thefai-i new* p i.jer and manuferip 1, he
fa : d, that be brought the manuferipts from VI". Wilkes, on tbs :>atjr.l*y
it was publilhrd, who desired it might be inftrted that nigl.t ; ai! i'ar.
tlier faid* that the manuferipts ate of the laid Mr. Wilkes*! hand-writing;
4nd then hewa* direrted so withdraw.
The further conliderauon of the said report was adjourned till Fri! iy,
January 27th. .
Notice being taken, that John Wilke*, F.fq. Hood charge! bv thervi
dence jfiven at the bar oT the House, with being the untior and publi h r
of the i'ntro3u‘rtion to the copy of a letter t 6 Dintci Poiitoo, E q. as a‘ > e
set forth, communicated f> thu H.'ufe at a Confeidice with'the LrJ. it
*ya ordered hat the matter of th- said charge 111 >u!J be heard at ch • hir
on Friday. |sn. ayth, <>* ntlvcb Mr. Wilke* had no.ice. togcta.r d:b a
copy of the said letter and intfodurtioa; anj the Marlhal of t'te Kiif's-
Bench prison was ordered t> bri-ig him, Mr. Wilkes, in Cuilodyi tribe
bnt on'rltat day, loanlwcr Hu uuuc/of the said charge, if he ih aufJ.J.-i.rj
io be fo-brqu,g!it up. ‘ /
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1 * * WRITING PAPER to be fold ai ihfi Priucing-Ofitce lor,cam'.
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