COBBETT'S WEEKLY POLITICAL REGISTER.

VOL. 80.-No. 3.]

LONDON, SATURDAY, APRIL 20TH, 1833.

[Price, Is. 2d.

COVENTRY ELECTION.

TO

Mr. ALEXANDER YATES,

In reply to a Letter of his of 3. April, requesting me to name some person to represent the City of Coventry in Parliament.

Bolt-court, 6. April, 1833. SIR, -I received your letter last night, and I recommend you to put in nomination my son, JOHN M. COBBETT; not because he is my son; but St. James's Park, 17. April, 1833. because I think him more fit to aid me I SHALL here insert all the papers in doing the good that I wish to do to the upon this subject. They will speak for country, than any other man that I know. themselves; and they will show by He will be at Coventry on Tuesday what a mere accident it was, that the to him, if he should be obliged to demorning; and it will be no mortification Whigs were not defeated at COVENTRY, cline attempting anything: except that as well as at other places. After I it will be a mortification to him to find have inserted all the papers, I shall have the city of Coventry so degraded as to some observations to make; and my be ready to re-elect a man, whe forms one of the swarm of the Prime Minis advice to offer to the electors of Eng-ter's family, and who has got a place of land and Scotland generally, in which I thousands a year by the means of that shall show to them as clearly as day- seat in Parliament which Coventry has light, that they, and they alone, by their given him. In every instance, since you last elected him, he has voted for dimiwatchfulness; by their present exernishing our liberties, and augmenting tions; and by their future steadiness our taxes. He has voted for navy estiand resolution, can save their country mates amounting to nearly three times from utter confusion. Mr. O'CONNELL the sum that they amounted to during has given his advice to the electors of the last peace. He has voted for army Ireland, to begin, even now, to prepare estimates, amounting to nearly four for another election: and I shall have times the sum that they amounted to to offer similar advice to the electors of during the last peace; he has voted for this island. I have not, for two or giving nearly seventeen thousand pounds, three years past, been very stout in my out of taxes, partly levied upon you, to opinion of the possibility of making a purchase curiosities and to uphold a quiet restoration of the liberties and lounging-place for the idlers of Lonhappiness of the country. I see less don; and he has voted for a law for.. reason to be positive upon that score trying the people of Ireland by soldiernow than I ever saw before; and I am officers, instead of by judges and jurors. sure that no quiet settlement can possi- I do hope, that there is virtue enough bly take place, unless the electors, and amongst the men of Coventry, to the people in general, now do their duty with uncommon resolution. I shall now insert these papers relative to CoVENTRY, in the order in which they were written and published.

make them resolve not to blast their characters for ever by the re-election of this man. To re-elect him would be to do your utmost to prevent your country from being rescued from utter ruin, The Ministry have deprived.

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Ireland of the trial by jury and of the stead of my son. Far am I from beright of petition; they have rejected a lieving, that his being chosen to be a motion for the diminishing of sinecures; member of Parliament, would tend to they have told the nation that they add to his happiness; while, alas! I too mean to take off no taxes: they have well know how much it would add to declared their intention not to repeal his toils; but, I know, at the same the Septennial Act; and, as Mr. ELLICE time, that, in a crisis like this, it is his now makes one of this Ministry, you, duty to render his services to his counby re-electing him, will declare, that try; and, having made that tender, his Ireland ought to be ruled by martial-duty will have been discharged; and, law, and ought not to have the right of if the tender be rejected, he will, amidst petition; and that there ought to be all the ruin and all the cries of his this precedent for inflicting the same countrymen, have the consolation to upon England; you will declare to the reflect, that he has done everything in nation, that no sinecures ought to be his power to prevent the calamities that abolished; you will declare to the na- shall call forth those cries. tion, that no taxes ought to be taken off: you will declare that seven years' Parliaments ought to continue! Are you ready to make these declarations in the face of your country? I trust that you are not. If you be, to be treated like slaves to the end of your lives would be punishment far too light for this crime against your country.

I authorise you, sir, to make this letter public in any manner that you please, apprizing you, however, that talent, zeal, and devotion, are all that my son has to tender. Never did one belonging to him touch the public money, and to expect him to expend money for the public, would be unreasonable indeed. He will go to Co ventry and tender you his services. If you accept of them, you will find in him a faithful representative; if you do not accept of them, he will return a happier man than he went; because he will have the reflection, that the sufferings which he has so long been de sirous to relieve, are become fitted to the minds of at least one portion of his countrymen.

Hoping for other things, and always retaining in my mind a recollection of the generous sacrifices made for me by a majority of the resident freemen of Coventry, I have been induced, in answer to your application, to recommend my son to you upon this occasion. You will want nothing to convince you of the magnitude of my labours, and of the vast importance of a person on whose knowledge, talents, and fidelity, I could always rely. I do much without such aid; but, alas! not a tenth of what I should be able to do with that aid. Life is uncertain; the continuance of health is, if possible, more uncertain. The bare reflection that my son was ready DEAR SIR,-I expected to be able to at hand to supply my place, would be a set off this morning for Coventry; but consolation, an encouragement, a sup-my son, who was very ill before he left port, such as I could find in nothing else.

By this time, at any rate, even my bitterest enemies must be convinced of my sincerity, my_zeal and devotedness to my country. In none of these do I surpass this son; but, such are my feelings about the matter, that, if I knew of another man more capable, or as capable, of serving you and his country, I would name to you that man in

I am, Sir,

your most obedient, and most humble servant, WM. COBBETT.

Brickhill, 11. April, 1833.

London, and who came hither the day before me, in order to break the fatigue of the journey, is now so ill, so much worse than he was when he left London, that I am convinced that a journey to Coventry, at this time, would put his life in imminent danger. You are too good a father yourself not to know how I ought to act in such a case.

For me to go to Coventry myself and to urge the good people there to give

themselves trouble, which would be of messenger off to Coventry with the no avail, would be to show very little above letter. What will be done there gratitude for all the kindness that I have I cannot tell. At any rate I have done received at their hands. I could, in- all that I have been able to do to give deed, cause my son to be put in nomi- the people of Coventry an opportunity nation in his absence; but I hope that of making a stand against a man who it never will be said of one of my race, supported the IRISH BILL, and who that a combat was carried on for him, is one of that "Family of Grey," without himself being in the face of the whom Mr. O'CONNELL So truly characfoe. terizes in his answer to the address of I beg that you will have the goodness the Council of the Northern Political to show this letter to Mr. YATES, and Union. The story which Mr. Ellice's to the gentlemen of the Political Union; friends, at Coventry, are telling is this: to assure them of the lasting respect "That four men, four freemen, I beand gratitude both of me and of my "lieve, friends of Ellice, went up to son; and, though they will feel disap-" London, as a deputation' upon the pointment on this occasion, I am quite " subject of the election; and that they sure they will feel greater sorrow for came down to Coventry again, being the cause of that disappointment. "the bearers of ' a recommendation' to

I desire to be remembered in the" the electors of Coventry from Mr. kindest manner to Mrs. Robinson and" HUME, and also from Mr. O'CONNELL, all your family, and to all other of my "to re-elect Mr. ELLICE." This is the personal friends at Coventry; and I re-story that Mr. ELLICE's friends tell at main

Your faithful and most
obedient servant,

WM. COBBETT.

To Mr. John Robinson,

Coventry. It is said that "Jove laughs at lovers' lies ;" and, perhaps, electioneering lies may be looked upon in the same light. If one could suppose this story to be strictly true, what must Coventry. be our thoughts! What! this man, P.S.—If, after all, the Political Union who had voted for the Irish Red-coat and other friends at Coventry should Bill all the way through; this man, feel great mortification at not being able who is a brother-in-law of Lord GREY; regularly to make a stand upon this oc- this man, who comes under that decasion; I will, if they (to prevent such scription which is contained in the last mortification) choose to put my son in paragraph but one of Mr. O'CONNELL'S nomination, pay his share of all legal answer to the Northern Political Union; expenses of the hustings and of the pollclerks; and I authorise you to draw upon me at three days' sight for the amount, whatever may be the result of

the election.

this man, who, besides his votings, is become one of those Ministers who rejected with scorn Mr. HUME'S Own motions for the lopping off of sinecures, and for the reducing of the army. I enclose you a copy of Mr. O'Con- What! recommend this man to be renell's Address to the Council of the elected by the people of Coventry, he Northern Political Union. Read the being appointed to an office, which is last paragraph but one of that address, to have the carrying on of the affairs of and then say, whether it be possible that he can have " recommended" this member of the "family of Grey" to the people of Coventry. With regard 99 recommendation I know nothing, and I shall say nothing.

to Mr. Hume's "

Thus stands this affair up to noon, Thursday, 11. April. I have just sent a

that unreduced army and of those unabolished sinecures! What! be in everlasting" opposition" to these Ministers; and yet, when one of them takes a new place and has to be re-elected, recommend his re-election! Gracious God: or, rather, father of lies, malignant Satan: where are we? How are we? Hast thou sent thy damnable imps upon earth to personate patriots and to be

wilder and torment us? Oh, no! we people for fifteen years; and yet he are not to believe these things, unless we wanted somebody to give him a charachave them in black and white and abso-ter to them! What would you think of lutely sworn to. If these four freemen a coachman or a footman, who, at the be not Jews, I hope that the good men expiration of his fifteenth year of service, of Coventry will swear them upon the should go and bring a parcel of people Evangelists; and I do trust that they to give him a character to his master? will swear that they have been telling a But, where would you find a whip with 1e about this matter. the thong heavy enough, or where would It ought to be observed, that it is not you find a crabstick with knots big pretended, that this " recommendation-enough and sharp enough, to lay across work" took place after my son was his lazy shoulders, or on the top of his talked of; but it appears that the four brazen skull, if he were to trump up a deputies were ready in town, when the pretended written character from a writ for the re-election was moved for; couple of gentlemen, who had just been so that the recommendation could not representing him to you as every thing possibly have been given (if it were that was bad, and who had been calling given at all), from any feeling of hosti- upon you, for the love of justice and for lity towards me or any body belonging to your own security, to drive him and me. I applied to two gentlemen in all his greedy race out of your house London, and I now find that my son and to the devil! Philosophers say, that applied to others, to come down and there are some bounds to every thing, make a stand for the people of Coventry. somewhere or other; but, if ELLICE On my part, my son's weak state of really should have the face to put forhealth was the motive to this; and ward this recommendation from the two there was only about eight hours for me honourable persons above mentioned, to decide in. I had no time to get at devil take the philosophers, I say, if they my eldest son to obtain his consent. I do not at once agree that there are no was afraid of the want of strength in my bounds to human impudence! son JOHN. What I did, arose from the conviction in my mind, that it was my duty, my bounden duty, to do something On Friday, the 12. of April, I received to oppose the re-election of this man. I the following letter from the chairman beg it to be observed then, that this of the committee at COVENTRY; or was a question of political principle, rather, it being written on Friday, I got and not at all of personal friendship, or it on Saturday. This letter will speak for itself: personal enmity. I beg this to be observed; because it is essential. In waiting for the verification of the fact, or for the falsification of it, I say no more about the matter at present, only, requesting my friends at Coventry to collect and preserve any hand-bills, or other publications, that may be made relative to this very strange affair of the alleged recommendations!

WM. COBBETT.

SIR,-In compliance with the request of your last letter, and the advice of your friends Messrs. Swain and Robinson, we put your son in nomination at our election this day; but the disappointment caused by your non-appearance at the hustings, has caused your election to be a most complete failure. During the whole of last Wednesday I cannot conclude, even for the pre- and Thursday the electors were most sent, without observing on the very ex- anxiously waiting for you, and every traordinary circumstance of ELLICE Coach and post-chaise that entered the having thought it necessary to get a re- town excited their hopes only to be on commendation from any body! Why, every occasion disappointed, until a ruthe man had been membeer for Coven-mour became general that they had been try ever since the year 1818, with only hoaxed or sold to the other party. one short vacancy, I believe. He had been the representative of these same

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Mr. Thomas being informed that you had declined coming, entered the town

last night, and the sky-blue party, despairing of your coming, determined in his favour, and the same causes had the same effect in causing your friends of the dark-blue party to attach themselves to Mr. Ellice; thus was your party completely annihilated and your election destroyed.

We, Sir, most sincerely lament the result, but we still feel convinced that on a future occasion, if you will come to Coventry a few days previous to the election, and make an impression on the electors by a few speeches and addresses, you would be certain of causing your son to be elected for Coventry. Signed on behalf of the Committee, WM. MAYO, Chairman.

Coventry, April 12, 1833.

On Sunday I wrote and forwarded the following letter to COVENTRY, which will also speak for itself.

TO THE

ELECTORS OF COVENTRY.

place, I am sure, where honesty and a love of England prevail. In my own name, and in that of my son, I return my best thanks to the good and sincere electors of Coventry; to the members of the Political Union in particular, and to all those who have shown so much public spirit upon this occasion. But, what are our thanks, compared to the thanks which are due, and which will be given, by the country at large? It was not us, but your country, your suffering country, your oppressed and toiling friends and neighbours, and countrymen, that you were endeavouring to protect against the greedy, all-grasping, and merciless faction that has now got power into its hands. It is that country that will thank you for these exertions by which you have fixed a mark of reprobation upon this faction, and by which you have said to this faction, "Never show your faces at Coventry again." For what did you petition for parliamentary reform? For what did you rejoice at the passing of the bill? For what did you hold a triumphant festival Great Brickhill, 14. April, 1833. under that tent which you were so geneGENTLEMEN,-I have just heard of rous as to lend for a similar purpose to the result of the election for your city, the poor labourers of Hampshire? For and, if I be rightly informed, Ellice has what, I say, was all this? Because you very narrowly escaped being sent back expected the Reforin Bill to produce a to London, without authority to go into lightening of the enormous taxes which the House of Commons. He would press you to the earth; because you exnot have had, every one assures me, the pected that it would produce measures most distant chance of being elected if to make England once more a happy either I, or my son, could have been land, and worthy of its name. there; and, I should have been there had have found it to produce no such thing, I not myself been really seriously ill on but just the contrary. You have found Thursday. I was rather suddenly taken it to produce very nearly a total aboliwith the prevalent influenza, as it is tion of every fragment of the constitucalled; and, by adopting immediate re- tion in Ireland; you have found it to medies, and being in a house singularly produce a report from what they call situated as to air and all sorts of accom-their pour-law commission, broadly hintmodations, I am now in a state which ing at the establishment of a police-force has determined me to go off in a post- in all the towns and villages in Engchaise to-morrow morning, so as to be land: you have found it to produce in the House of Commons to-mor- not the smallest alleviation of taxrow night; so that here was another ation, but, on the contrary, a more additional accident that came to favour severe mode of proceeding in the colthe escape of this member of the GREY lection of the taxes: you have found family. However, the escape is only a deaf ear turned to all the representafor a short time: never will they have tions of the intolerable sufferings of the another at Coventry certainly; and, I working people: you have found this believe, in no other place: in no other hard-hearted Ministry refusing to make

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