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employed by, or under Obligations to, and Dependance upon the Bank of England, the South Sea Company, the East India Company, the Custom Houfe, the Ordinance, the Excife Office, the Poft Office, the Victualling Office, the Navy Office, and the Salt Office, as well as feveral other powerful Companies, Offices and Men in great Authority.

I do not faythat all, or any of thefe, made ufe of their Power to fway the Liverymen at the late Election; I am willing to hope the contrary, becaufe fuch an Interpofition would be, in a manner, deftroying the Freedom of Elections; but as I meet with many Perfons, who are not fo candid in their Opinions, I thought it could not be amifs just to take Notice of them; and it must be confeffed, that if thefe Gentlemen fhould, at any Time, think fit to exert their Influence and Authority upon thefe Occafions, the Weight of fuch a Confederacy must bear down all Oppofition, like a Torrent, and drive every Thing before it.

I am therefore inclined to hope, that no Influence, of this kind, was made ufe of at the late Election, because the Majority fell upon Two of each Lift, with a very inconfiderable Difference as to the Poll; but if I happen to be miftaken, it is an Error on the charitable Side, and I have this Comfort, that the Number of independant, uncorrupt Citizens is much larger than we imagined.

The Reader may except, if he pleafes, out of my Lift of Companies and Offices, the Poft Office and the Excife Office, because the Commiffioners, and all other Perfons employed in thofe Offices, are strictly prohibited, by fe veral Acts of Parliament, under fevere Penalties, to in termeddle or concern themselves, directly or indirectly, in any Elections: But I muft beg leave to take Notice, that there are few Laws which have no Loopholes, and do not lie open to fome Evafions; that, in the prefent Cafe, moft Perfons, who have a Dependance on thefe Officers, have Senfe enough to judge, without any Directions, on which Side they must vote, in order to merit Favour and Encouragement; that a Wink or a Nod will often do as well as explicit Commands; or that if verbal Orders are fometimes neceffary, they may be convey'd to as much Purpose, by a trufty, third Hand, as if delivered by the Great Man Himfelf. We do not want Inftances of fome Men in these

Offices

Offices (particularly in the Poft Office) who have acted in Defiance of thefe Reftraints, when they knew it would be taken well at Court; nay I could mention one Man, who had the Confidence to do it, at a late Election tor a neighbouring County, even contrary to the known Inclination of a certain great Perfon, whom it is always his Duty as well as his Intereft not to displease.

Take this Affair therefore of the City Election in either Light,and I can fee no reafon which a certain Faction have to triumph; for if it was perfectly free, and none of the Influence before mentioned was made ufe of, the Favours of the Liverymen were fairly and equally divided between both Lifts; if Influence was employ'd, thofe Gentlemen must be allowed to have gained a great Point, against whom the Influence was employ'd, and the Reader will naturally conclude what a confiderable Majority they would have had, in cafe the Electors had been left at Liberty to give their Votes as they pleafed; much more, if the Weight of thefe powerful Bodies had been thrown into their Scale, which are commonly fuppofed to influence, at least, fifteen hundred Men.

I am particularly pleafed to obferve, that the worthy Liverymen have fhewn a juft Refentment of the meant Artifices, which were made use of, to rob Mr. BARNARD of their Affections; and that many of the Dif fenters have teftified their Moderation and good Senfe, by their open Contempt of a Story, trumpt up in fo fcandalous a manner, with feveral invidious, aggravating Circumstances, in order to ferve a vile, felfifh Defign.

I hope therefore, that a certain Set of Writers (who have made it their Bufinefs, for fome Months paft, to flatter their Patrons, by reprefenting thofe Gentlemen, whơ have always stood up for the ancient Rights and Privileges of this City, as a despicable, expiring Party) will be pleafed for the future, to alter their Style, and condefcend to be fomewhat more modeft in their Affertions; especially fince they must be, at length, convinced of their Error, and may be affured, that the fond Imagination, which they feem lately to have entertained, is entirely groundlefs; viz. That this was the LAST STRUGGLÉ, which that Party would be able to make. D d d

I hope

I hope likewife, that another Set of Gentlemen will henceforth vouchfate to fhew a little more Regard to the COMMONALTY of the City of London, and cease to provoke, infult or defpife fuch a numerous and wealthy Body of Men, who have proved themfelves able to con tend with them, against the strongest Oppofition, and under the greatest Disadvantages,

For my Part, I have often declared, and ftill fincerely wifh, that all Parties were really EXPIRING, and that our only Contention might be, who fhould most effectually promote the Caufe of genuine Liberty, the true Honour of our gracious King, and the real Intereft of Great Britain: But if fome Perfons find too much Advantage in our un happy Divifions, and chufe to found their Security in a Spirit of Faction, I hope we fhall never want another Party, able to balance their Power, and defeat their Defigns; which, at prefent, I have the Satisfaction to obferve, does not feem to be an expiring Party.

It cannot be improper, in this Place, to take Notice of the Inconfiftencies of thefe Gentlemen. When it is judged expedient to bring over any Perfon from the oppofite Party to their Intereft, or any Point is to be carried by Compromife, Bargain or Agreement, we hear of nothing but healing Measures; and are told that Whig and Tory are quite worn out; that it is Time to forget our Animofities, and drop all Names of Diftinction. At other Times, when other Defigns are to be carried on, we are called upon to exert our felves with the utmost Vigour against the Tories, being affured that the old Leaven is ftill in them, and that they will never fhake off their Enmity to the prefent Establishment.But this is fuch manifeft trifling with a whole Nation, that I prefume no Man of Senfe can help discovering the Folly and Infolence of it.

To conclude. This Election hath fufficiently manifefted to us, and to the whole Kingdom, what are the genuine Inclinations of the Citizens of London. As they had before demonstrated theit Loyalty to his Majefty, fo they have now had an Oportunity of difcovering their Opinions, as to other Matters, which I cannot help thinking one fortunate Circumftance at the Beginning of the Reign of a Prince, who hath been pleafed to de

clare

clare from the Throne, that He defires to reign in the Affe. ctions of his People.

I fhall only add, that however the Majority of the loyal Citizens of London have fuffer'd from the Calumny and Mifreprefentations of defigning Perfons, his Majefty's known Goodness will not fuffer him to entertain any Doubts or Jealoufies of Men, who have induftrioufly laid hold of all Opportunities to manifeft their Zeal and Affection to his Perfon and Family, and are now preparing to receive the Honour of his Royal Prefence amongst them, in a manner worthy of fo Gracious and Auguft a Monarch. Thus far the CRAFTSMAN.

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Monday the 30th of October, being the Anniversary of the aufpicious BIRTH-DAY of his Majesty King GEORGE II. who then entred on the 45th Year of his Age, the folemnizing it at Court was deferr'd till Wednesday, the first Day of November, upon the following Account.

Their MAJESTIES Entertained in the City of London.

On Monday, the 30th October, Sir Edward Becher, Knt. Lord Mayor Elect, accompanied by the late Lord Mayor, Aldermen and Sheriffs, in their Scarlet Gowns, went to the Waterfide, from whence they proceeded in the City Barge, attended by the feveral Companies in their respective Barges, to Westminster; and having walked round the Hall, and folemnly faluted all the Courts, they went to the Exchequer Bar, where Mr. Sergeant Raby (in the room of the Recorder) made a Speech on the Occafion, and was anfwered by the Lord Chief Baron Sir Thomas Pengelly; after which the Lord Mayor took the Oaths appointed, and having recorded Warrants of Attorney in the proper Courts, returned by Water to Black Fryers, and from thence to Guildhall, with the ufual Solemnity.

The King, Queen and Royal Family having received an humble Invitation from the City to dine at Guildhall, their Majefties, the Princefs Royal, and her Royal Highness the Princefs CAROLINA, came into Cheapfide, about Three in the Afternoon, attended by Ddd 2

the

The Solemnity of the KING'S BIRTH DAY put off till the fift of November.

by the great Officers of the Court, and a numerous Train of the Nobility and Gentry, in their Coaches, the Streets being lined from Temple Bar by the Militia of London, and the Balconies adorned with Tapistry, Their Majefties and the Princeffes faw the Proceffion from a Balcony near Bow Church: Then their Majefties and the Princeffes being conducted by the Sheriffs to Guildhall, the Lord Mayor at the Entrance kneeled, and prefented the Sword to the King, who was pleafed to return it to his Lordship; and he carried it before his Majefty, up to the Council Chamber; where Mr. Baron Thompson made the Compliments of the City in the following Speech.

May it pleafe your Majefty,

HE Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Commons of

'T' this City, beg Leave to offer their most hum

ble Acknowledgments for this great Honour to the City by the Prefence of your Majefty, your Royal Confort, the Princefs Royal, and her Royal High⚫ nefs,

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Their Joy is Inexpreffible to behold their Sovereign condefcending to accept their good Will and Affections, and, in the most engaging Manner, vouchfafing here to receive their Homage and Dury.

This Day will be ever remembred by them with the highest Satisfaction, This happy Day, which gave Birth to their moft gracious King, who is pleafed thus to honour them, and who protects them in the Enjoyment of all their Rights and Privileges. A Prince who takes Pleasure in promoting their Happiness ; and who thinks it gives the trueft Luftre < to his Crown, to preferve the Religion, the Laws and Liberties of his People.

Fortunate is their prefent Condition, and delightful is their Profpe&t, while they have in View, your Majefty, their most gracious and justly admired Queen, and the illuftrious Branches of your Royal Family,

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Permit, Sir, thefe your Majefty's most faithful Subjects, to take this Opportunity of affuring your Majefty of their unalterable Attachment to your Royal

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