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TO THE

READERS OF THE REGISTER, On the above Subscription.

GENTLEMEN,

Kensington, 16th August, 1826.

ABOVE you have the account of the receipts and expenditure on account of the PRESTON ELECTION. The subscription was as large as I ever expected it to be; it was larger than the extreme and all-pervading poverty of the day seemed to suffer one to hope; it was, perhaps, ten times as much as would have been collected, in a similar way, for the purpose of putting any other man into Parliament; it was much more than I should have liked to expend, even if it had been, at once effectual as to its object. Nothing could, however, be managed with greater frugality. In the first place, none of us drank a drop of wine. The charges at our inn were 2s. for a dinner, and 1s. 3d. for a breakfast. Amongst the other pleasures of this Northern expedition we had that of uniformly meeting with reasonable charges at inns, and with great attention, unaffected civility, and strict honesty in the innkeepers and their servants, and especially those of our inn (the Castle) at Preston.

When the magnitude of the exertions is considered; when it is remembered, that Sir Thomas Beevor travelled, first and last, more than three thousand miles; that I and one son travelled above a thousand; that three other sons and two friends travelled more than five hundred; that Sir Tho

mas Beevor and I were, in the two trips, 42 days at Preston and on the road; that, in the last trip, the whole of us were 34 days at Preston and on the road; that we canvassed every house in a town of thirty thousand inhabitants; that, in order to do the real WORK, we were compelled to be, forty of us, or thereabouts, constantly hard at it for 25 days; and, which was one of our great merits, we compelled our opponents to spend, at the least farthing, thirty thousand pounds, of which about seven thousand had to come from as money-loving an old fellow as any in England, who, before the battle be over (and it is hardly begun), will curse the vanity, or rather, perhaps, greedy speculation, that led him into this expensive enterprise. Though I had the whole body of the people with me; though my canvass books, ready to be verified on oath, will show that I had more than enough of votes; still, when I saw the works of Grimshaw, the Mayor, and saw a military force always at hand and always threatened, I saw that Grimshaw would not return me; seeing this, at the end of the third day, I had to determine, whether I would quit the thing at once, and save the money, or lay out the rest of the money in carrying on the contest to the last moment, and in such a way as would punish the other candidates for their malignity against me, and as would, at the same time, bring out additional proof of the illegality of the proceedings.

I resolved on the latter, and never was resolution more steadily acted upon, executed, though I say it, with more judgment, or attended with more complete suc

of

Norfolk, Mr. WRIGHT of Berkshire,and some excellent friends. from Manchester, gave me assistance beyond all price and all praise. And, as to our friends at Preston, and the people of Preston generally, I shall, to the last hour of my life, and I am sure my sons will after me, cite them as an example of frankness and fidelity. Mr. CLARKE, who was constantly amongst them, speaking of them, one day, on our road home, said, that there was one thing that he loved them for above all others, "and that was," said he, " that they crowded about "you just as eagerly, and cheered

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cess. I had soon to behold the Mr. THOMAS SMITH of other candidates each suspecting Liverpool, Mr. CLARKE the other two of foul play; plotting and contriving against each other; sweating each other's purses without mercy; getting, at last, to threats and challenges and bindings to keep the peace, and all the other miserable tricks of lion-tongues and chicken-hearts; I had to see them, for twelve long days, hooted, hissed, and heartily detested, or, at least, despised, by the mass of the people; I had to see them, when I went to the hustings, looking like three hunted devils, jaded half to death with the heat of the place, with anxiety as to the result, and with the incessant tearing at their purses; and I, at last, left the two win-"and blessed you as much, after ners in seats, given them by an "they saw you would not be reelection, which every one of the "turned, as they did when they candidates (first or last), and "made sure that you would be which the Mayor himself, had de- " returned." And, this was a state clared to be an election that could ofthings to make me lose my temper, not stand. And, after all, I came as the ruffians of the London out of Preston, not like a defeated Press, and their copiers throughout candidate, but like one who had the country, would have the world triumphed; and, indeed, triumph-believe was the case! My temper! ed I really had; for, unless all ap- I appeal to SIR THOMAS pearance of law be banished be- BEEVOR and to the gentlemen fore next session of Parliament, above mentioned, and to the out of the seats these heroes thousands who saw me and heard march; and once out, never, I me at Preston, whether I ever, am satisfied, will either enter even for one moment, discovered them again. chagrin, mortification, or disapTo be sure, I was most zealously pointment. Situated as I was, I and most ably seconded. The must have been a devil indeed to diligence, the activity, the punc-have been out of temper. I heard tuality, and the obliging manner nothing but huzzas for me, praises of SIR THOMAS BEEVOR, and blessings on me, and hoothis constant good-humour, his ings at my adversaries; and I kind condescension, and, above had, at my elbow, a Treasurer all things, the care he took of the to take care that I should expepecuniary matters, entitle him to rience no inconvenience in the the thanks of all the friends of the money way. So that I must have cause in which we were engaged, been the surliest dog that ever and especially to my thanks. lived, instead of being, as I hope I

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am, just the contrary, if I had been to Stanley and Wood, was I the out of humour at Preston. Ob- aggressor! In every case these serve, that the others got into opponents began the attack, and challenges, had to eat their words, that, too, without provocation from got accused of riots, and, in short, me. They saw, that I had the got into all sorts of hobbles. I people with me; this filled them got into none. I saw all the with envy; they began the attack; others either spitten upon or and, as was most justly due, they pelted, or, at least, most horribly were severely punished. Before hooted. Neither fell to my lot. the election was over, I made Why, therefore, should I have them wish themselves any where been out of temper? I had thou- but in my presence; and, if they sands of men and many women, dare to come to Preston again, come a distance of from fifty to they shall have a still worse time five miles, for the sole purpose of of it, unless they make atonement shaking that hand," as they to the people of Preston for the said, which had given them "so insults they offered them. much pleasure." I have fre-" Gentlemen, readers of the Requently seen groups of from three gister, you perceive, that there is to a dozen, or more men, standing a deficiency of 142. 4s. 11d. in the Square opposite my Inn, This sum falls, at present, UPON with walking sticks in their ME; and, I think, that I shall hands, and evidently just come into not be thought unreasonable, if I the town from a considerable express a hope, that it will be distance. They would keep look-made up to me by a further subing at the window for a while, scription. I do not pretend, that and, at last, send in one of the the loss of this sum would be a party to say who they were, and very serious injury to me. On that they wished to shake hands the contrary, I say that it would with Mr. Cobbett. How can I not; for, while I read of twelve forget these things! And, who hundred printers being out of will believe, that I could have been work in London, I see all my out of temper amidst all this; I, works increase in sale; while I whose great object is, and is know, that the base and blackknown to be, to excite feelings in guard broad-sheet, which has, for the people such as I here saw the twenty years, been calumniating proof of! In short, never, for me, has, on an average, fallen off one single moment, did I lose my in sale more than a third, since temper. I said "hard things" last August, I also know, that the of the candidates and the Mayor. Register has increased in sale Aye, to be sure I did; but, I said more than a fourth, and nearly a them as a parson says "hard third, since last August. But, things" in the pulpit; or, as a when my readers look at my exjudge says "hard things" from the ertions and labours in the month bench; and, we do not suppose, of May and June last when they that they lose their temper, be- look at the battle I fought; when cause one of them condemns sin- they contemplate the effect which ners to hell, and the other con- was produced all over the kingdemns thieves to the gallows.dom by my exertions at Preston Again, in no one case, with regard and in the North; when they

consider how much those exer

tions must have done in the pre- ADAMS AND JEFFERSON. paring of men's minds for that change which must take place, if

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Paper of 11 July.

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"DEATH OF MR. JEFFERSON."Yesterday morning, the tolling of "bells and the sound of minute hours before, were again heard in guns, which had ceased only a few "this city, proclaiming the death of another of our ex-Presidents. The "funeral rites of the Honourable

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the country be to be saved; and, From a Boston (New England) when they consider, that, the 1427., divided into many small sums are nothing, and are a good deal when they remain in one sum; when they thus consider, they will not, I trust, deem it unreasonable if I express my hope, that they will make up this sum by a further subscription. There" JOHN ADAMS are scarcely finished, will be a PETITION, as soon as the Parliament shall meet for despatch of business. My plan is, to prosecute that petition at my Thomas Jefferson died on the 4th own cost; and, when I have oust-instant, about one o'clock, aged ed the sitting members, which I "eighty-three years and three months. must, unless all law be openly" Thus, upon the sume day-almost abandoned, then, perhaps, to appeal to the public for another very moderate sum, to defray the lawful expenses of another contest.

A subscription book is ready at No. 183, Fleet Street, for entering the sums that may be paid in there, or sent thither by post. Mr. JOHN DEAN, at the shop in Fleet Street, will receive the subscriptions, and, if required, will give tions, and, if required, will give receipts. The subscribers may send, or write in the book, their own names, or may give, or write, what names they please.

There will be NO NEED OF THIS SORT OF CAUTION MUCH LONGER. About two years will, I think, bring us into a state of things which will make it not dangerous (as it once really was) for men to avow openly their agreement in the principles, inculcated by,

Gentlemen,
Your Friend and
most obedient Servant,
WM. COBBETT.

ere we are called upon to record "the death of one as great in fame, "and as celebrated in the annals of "America as he. The Honourable

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upon the same hour-the spirits of "these two veterans, and almost all "that remained of the signers of the "Declaration of Independence, have "taken their flight from earth to

"heaven."

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