A History of Parliamentary Elections and Electioneering 65

A History of Parliamentary Elections and Electioneering 65

Head of Fox.

 

Byng.

 

Wm. Cobbett.

 

Sheridan and Sir Samuel Hood.

 

James Paull.

 

Napoleon as Postillion.

 

Sir F. Burdett.

 

J. Horne Tooke.

 

Col. Bosville.

 

POSTING TO THE ELECTION; OR, A SCENE ON THE ROAD TO BRENTFORD. 1806. BY

JAMES GILLRAY.

 

[_Page 315._]

 

[Illustration: Sir Samuel Hood. James Paull. R. B. Sheridan.

 

THE HIGHFLYING CANDIDATE, LITTLE PAULL GOOSE, MOUNTING FROM A

BLANKET--_Vide_ HUMOURS OF WESTMINSTER ELECTION. 1806. BY J.

GILLRAY.]

 

Gillray’s third caricature on the general election of 1806 exhibits

a spirited panorama of the procession to the hustings as “Posting to

the Election: a Scene on the Road to Brentford,” in which each of the

candidates is hastening in the way supposed to best characterize his

prospects and party: William Mellish, who enjoyed the interest of the

Coalition Ministry then in office, is driven in style, in a dashing

“Rule Britannia and the Bank” four-in-hand, under the “Flag of Loyalty

and Independence,” by Lord Granville as coachman; Lords Temple and

Castlereagh, and the Marquis of Buckingham are perched behind; the

latter is giving a sly helping pull to the post-chaise and pair in

which is seated George Byng--“in the good old Whig interest;” the head

of Fox is displayed on the box as “the good old Whig Block.” Prominent

in the foreground is the grand _melée_ of the Coalition candidates

for Westminster--Sheridan and Sir Samuel Hood, mounted on a prancing

brewer’s horse, just escaped from the dray, with panniers overflowing

with gold pieces, and labelled, “Subscription Malt and Hops from the

Whitbread Brewery.”

 

[Illustration: COALITION CANDIDATES--SHERIDAN AND SIR SAMUEL HOOD.

1806.]

 

Burdett’s ballad-singers and marrow-bone-and-cleaver men are scattered

by the plunging dray-horse from Whitbread’s, and the startled donkey,

which bears little Paull, is giving the rider an upset, in which

Paull’s famous “Impeachment of the Marquis of Wellesley” is falling

to the ground. Last comes Sir Francis Burdett, who, on this occasion,

experienced a mortifying defeat in the face of his former triumphs

at Brentford; the gay barouche of 1800 and 1804 has given place to

an “untaxed cart” with four miserable jackasses; the efforts of a

posse of sweeper-boy followers with difficulty extricate this shabby

conveyance from the slough. Acting as postillion is the little

Corsican, Bonaparte, then but recently elected Emperor of the French.

It was at this time one of the theories of Napoleon I., that, after

the visionary conquest of England, he would inaugurate a republic,

for the presidency of which he declared Sir Francis Burdett to be, in

his estimation, the fittest person in England; this opinion, it is

believed, was shared by the baronet--an entertaining aspect of the

“might-have-beens”! “Liberty and Equality, No Placemen in Parliament,

and No Bastilles,” are the watchwords of the party in the condemned

cart; all the members wear “Liberty” favours in their hats. Burdett has

“The Life of Oliver Cromwell” for consultation ready at hand; behind

him is his political preceptor, Horne Tooke, shown in parsonic guise,

and Bosville with the “Rights of Man” next his heart. Cobbett appears

as the “Radical Drummer,” beating up recruits for Burdett and Paull,

with his “Political Register” and “Inflammatory Letters.” “Orator

Broad-face, of Swallow Street,” whose mob pleasantries overpowered the

veteran Sheridan at Covent Garden, is among the baronet’s enthusiastic

supporters.

 

[Illustration: A RADICAL DRUMMER. 1806. W. COBBETT.]

 

[Illustration: Sir Samuel Hood.

 

Whitbread.

 

Sheridan.

 

James Paull.

 

Sir F. Burdett.

 

VIEW OF THE HUSTINGS IN COVENT GARDEN--WESTMINSTER ELECTION. 1806. BY

J. GILLRAY.]

 

It was at the Westminster election of 1806 that the excitement

culminated. This long and expensive contest was fruitful in incidents.

Gillray has produced the most characteristic “View of the Hustings in

Covent Garden.” At the time this version appeared, Paull was at the

head of the poll; he is shown vigorously denouncing his discomfited

antagonist--“Harlequin Sherry” as “the sunk, the lost, the degraded

treasurer.” Immediately behind Paull is the Duke of Northumberland,

whose son, Lord Percy, had relinquished Westminster after representing

it in parliament for one session, that immediately following Fox’s

decease; the Duke has “No Coalition” inscribed on his hat, and a

“Letter to the Vestry of St. Margaret’s” in his hand. Cobbett, Burdett,

and Bosville, wearing favours for Paull, are in the front ranks of his

supporters. Sheridan, exhorted to “Pay your Debts, Mr. Treasurer,” is

represented as filled with consternation; Whitbread is vainly trying

to rally his spirits with his “New Loyal Porter;” Sir Samuel Hood

is seemingly ashamed of his colleague, and is chuckling over his

confusion. The exchange of personalities between Paull and Sheridan,

who was assisted by the notorious “Pickle,” his son Tom, exceeded

all that had gone before, and degenerated into “Billingsgate” abuse.

Sheridan, with questionable propriety, dwelt more particularly on the

descent of his opponent from “tailordom,” and was waggish in allusions

to the “ninth part of a man.” Paull complimented Sheridan on “his good

taste,” and justified it by referring to the manager of Drury Lane as

the “son of a vagabond,” actors being by Act of Parliament classed in

that category. Paull was the readier at mob oratory, and Sheridan,

“erst the wit of the Commons,” found the hustings a terrible penance;

his appearance was the signal for violent uproar, and requests for

“renters’ shares” and sums of money owing, and for which it was alleged

he was liable. Painfully conscious of his familiar embarrassments,

this raillery, in the presence of persons of credit and influence

whose support was growing lukewarm, broke down the spirit of the

veteran champion of this order of encounter. He had trusted to his

well-seasoned experience in mob demonstrations, to his playful wit, apt

jocularities, and sarcasms to convert the mob to good humour, and to

cajole them with his popular persuasions into a friendly disposition;

but he reckoned without allowing for rivalry. Besides the fluent

Paull, there was one man in the crowd who fairly compelled “Sherry” to

retire abashed; in vain he tried by turns ridicule and denunciation of

“hireling ruffians,” the broad-faced orator in the green coat seemed

stimulated by these counter-attacks. A comedy was then popular in

which a dandy was repeatedly quizzed by inquiries, directed to the

various portions of his apparel, of “Who suffers?” This artillery

was constantly played upon Sheridan: “Sherry, I see you’ve got a new

coat--who suffers?” “Sherry, who suffers for that new hat?” After this

the disconcerted treasurer avoided the hustings, and his son Tom, whose

cool audacity was proverbial, managed to take his place. Sheridan only

gained the election through his coalition with Hood; but the shafts of

Cobbett’s “porcupine quills” and the conflict of the hustings rankled

in his breast. A dissolution shortly followed, and he lost his seat,

which, by precipitating his financial difficulties, ingloriously

finished Sheridan’s career.

 

The defeat of the famous Coalition Ministry of “All the Talents”

upon the vexed question of Catholic Emancipation was the cause of

a fresh appeal to the country early in 1807, when the followers of

the late Granville Administration contested the constituencies at a

disadvantage, confronted with the popular cries of “Church and King”

and “No Popery.” Paull now flattered himself that his chances of being

returned for Westminster were reviving, but candidates were more

numerous, and Sir Francis Burdett, who was discouraged by his last

experience from contesting Middlesex, was appealing to Westminster

himself. Paull advertised a dinner to be held at the Crown and Anchor,

and as Burdett had promised his support, and had actually gone to the

length of nominating Paull, he was announced, without authority it

appeared, to take the chair; this was the cause of a rupture between

the prominent Radical candidates. Two days before the meeting, Burdett

wrote to Paull:--

 

[Illustration:

 

PATRIOTS DECIDING A POINT OF HONOUR; THE DUEL AT WIMBLEDON,

BETWEEN SIR FRANCIS BURDETT AND JAMES PAULL. WESTMINSTER

ELECTION. 1807. BY JAMES GILLRAY. #/ ]

 

“I must say, to have my name advertised for such meetings is

like ‘Such a day is to be seen the great Katterfelto,’ and this

without any previous consent or application. From any one else

I should regard it as an insult!”

 

At the dinner, it was explained by Sir Francis’s brother that Burdett

had given no promise to preside; after the meeting broke up, Paull

waited on his proposer, and a warm altercation ensued, when a hostile

meeting was arranged to take place the next morning near Wimbledon.

This duel is made the subject of a fresh satire by Gillray--“Patriots

Deciding a Point of Honour! or, the Exact Representation of the

Celebrated Rencontre which took place at Combe Wood on May 2nd, 1807,

between Little Paull the Tailor and Sir Francis Goose.” On the field of

honour, Burdett continued to be travestied as the famous “great green

goose:” his letter to the electors at the Crown and Anchor is, with

other political and personal publications, scattered around as the

cause of the encounter; one pair of pistols is already discharged. At

the second exchange of shots, which Paull demanded, as Burdett declined

to apologize, both combatants were wounded, as shown in the picture.

Sir Francis was highly indignant, according to the satirist’s version:

“What, must I be out! and a Tailor get into Parliament?--You’re a

liar! I never said that I would sit as Chairman on your Shopboard!”

Paull, who is girt with a huge pair of shears sword-wise, responds,

“A liar!--Sir, I’m a Tailor and a Gentleman, and I must have