Fring to justice, those offenders, who, betraying the facred truft for which they are fo refponfible to the public, have been long and affiduously labouring to effect the ruin of this nation. At the fame time the utmost of my little inAuence and abilities fhall be exerted to prevail on the real friends of our country to heal our unhappy divifions, to correct the errors, which, contrary to its firft principles, have crept into our conftitution, and to reftore its genuine, original purity, By fuch means alone the dignity of the crown, the good order of government, and the liberties of the people can be preferved. We fhall then only be truly happy as men, as freemen, as English men. I am, Gentlemen, Your moft obedient, and humble, fervant, ADVEKTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT, To the Gentlemen, Clergy, and Freebolders of the County of Middlefex. GENTLEMEN, TH HE unanimity you have fhewn in the fecond choice of me as your representative has not prevented my fecond expulfion without any new pretence. Another writ is ordered, and I must again entreat you to confirm your former choice by honouring me a third time with your votes at the enfuing election, which will be at Brentford on Thursday the 16th of March. I will never give up the caufe, nor quit the fervice of my conftituents, and I make no doubt that your perfeverance in the fupport of your own rights by a repeated peated exertion of the powers you derive from the conftitution, will in the end be crowned with the defired fac cefs. In cafe of any future expulfions, I will regularly repeat to you the offer of my humble fervices, that you may have again and again an opportunity of vindicating your most valuable privileges, the rights of all the electors of this kingdom, which I will never abandon nor betray. I hope none of my friends will be abfent from Brentford on the 16th of March, and I fhall be particularly obliged to them for their early appear ance. I am, Gentlemen, Humble fervant, JOHN WILKES, King's-Bench Prison, Wednefday, Feb. 22. 1769. February 22, A meeting was held of the freeholders of Middlefex, at the Affembly-Room, Mile-end, in behalf of John Wilkes, Efq;-The following is a sketch of their proceedings. There were prefent near four hundred gentlemen, freeholders of the county of Middiefex. At twelve o'clock Mr. Townfhend was defired by the general voice to take the chair, who expreffed his difapprobation of the meafures taken to compel the freeholders of Middlesex to give up their conflitutional right of electing any gentleman they think proper to fend as their reprefentative to the Houfe of Commons; and having produced many inftances of former expulfions, affured the gentlemen that none of thofe could in any wife affect the cafe of Mr. Wilkes; for none of them were attempted to be inflicted but where the mifconduct or frime of the g member proved him to be unto be trun with the liberty VOL. II.No. 25. fitting A worthy B b and and property of his country. In which argument he was feconded by Mr. Sawbridge, and the Rev. Mr. Horne, who read a cafe in point, which happened in the prefent reign, of an expulfion, re-expulfion, and even an act of affembly in the island of Barbadoes, and the whole cafe diffannulled by our gracious K and C-I, as an invafion upon the rights of the people to chufe their reprefentatives. Several more gentlemen delivered their fentiments to the fame effect. Sir Francis Delaval ftood up to vindicate his own character and conduct in the prefent proceedings, pledging his honour that he never did, nor ever will oppose Mr. Wilkes, either in the county of Middlefex or elsewhere. Each of the Speakers concluded with an exhortation to unanimity in their perfeverance to maintain their right of election, to be dutiful to the King, oppofe bad men and bad measures, to preferve the 11. 11 Peace 3 |