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Article FURTHER MEMOIR OF JOHN WILKES. ← Page 3 of 7 →
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Further Memoir Of John Wilkes.
prospect of success ; and when , by the most aSive influence of Government , the combined exertions of rival candidates , and a general opinion artfully propagated among the Electors , that the outlawry disqualified him from entering the House of Commons , he failed in this important objeft , lie stepped , as it were , from the hustings at Guildhall to the $ le £ tion-booth at Brentford , arid was chosen one of the representatives for the county of Middlesex , by a very great majority of votes , in opposition to the former Members , who were both of them persons of considerable fortune and established character .
^ Ar length the judgments against Mr , Wilkes , in the Court of King ' s Bench , were executed ; and he was sentenced to be imprisoned for two years , and to pay a fine of one thousand pounds . The riots that followed in St . George ' s-fields are not , yet forgotten , and the letter of the Secretary of State ( Lord Weymouth ) to the Chairman of the Surry Quarter Sessions respecting them , must still be remembered the
, as publication of it , with preliminary observations by Mr . Wilkes , occasioned his second expulsion from the House of Commons . His re-election , the condudt of Ministers , and the submission of Parliament on the occasion , as well as all the unconstitutional and infamous transaftions of that period , can only be suggested to the recollection of our readers . The nation , however , felt itself aggrieved ; Mr . Wilkes received the warmest testimonies of regard " from every part of the kingdom , and the prison where he was confined was considered b y the populace as the Temple of Liberty .
At this time many respectable gentlemen , among whom were several Members of Parliament , and very opulent merchants , formed themselves into a society to support the Bill of Rig hts , which they conceived to have been violated in the person of Mrf Wilkes ; and i ' t seems to have been their principal object to prepare the way for his future independence , by relieving him from the embarrassments of his fortune
private . For this purpose a very large sum , amounting , we believe , to near twenty thousand pounds , was subscribed , and a great part of his incumbrances was removed . In the interval his popularity , appeared rather to increase than to diminish , and during his imprisonment he was chosen Alderman by the most populous Ward in the City of London . In 1771 he was elected one of the Sheriffs , and in 1774 he served the office of Lord Mayor . lie was afterwards a candidate to succeed Sir . Stephen Theodore fansen as Chamberlain , but
Mr . _ Hopkins prevailed in' the contest against him . For three successive years he tried his strength with the same gentleman for the office , and each year successively proved that his interest was declining among the Livery of London . In short , his hopes began to flag , when . Mr . Hopkins died , About the same time the popular cause received a very severe blow bthe death of MrSerjeant Gl
y . ynn ; but the conduct of Mr . Wilkes was so very satisfaftory to his constituents , by supporting Mr . Wood , ofLyttleton , as the successor of his learned friend m the representation of Middlesex , that he received all their aid as candidate for the vacant office of Chamberlain ; . while his popularity in the county , being communicated to the city , '
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Further Memoir Of John Wilkes.
prospect of success ; and when , by the most aSive influence of Government , the combined exertions of rival candidates , and a general opinion artfully propagated among the Electors , that the outlawry disqualified him from entering the House of Commons , he failed in this important objeft , lie stepped , as it were , from the hustings at Guildhall to the $ le £ tion-booth at Brentford , arid was chosen one of the representatives for the county of Middlesex , by a very great majority of votes , in opposition to the former Members , who were both of them persons of considerable fortune and established character .
^ Ar length the judgments against Mr , Wilkes , in the Court of King ' s Bench , were executed ; and he was sentenced to be imprisoned for two years , and to pay a fine of one thousand pounds . The riots that followed in St . George ' s-fields are not , yet forgotten , and the letter of the Secretary of State ( Lord Weymouth ) to the Chairman of the Surry Quarter Sessions respecting them , must still be remembered the
, as publication of it , with preliminary observations by Mr . Wilkes , occasioned his second expulsion from the House of Commons . His re-election , the condudt of Ministers , and the submission of Parliament on the occasion , as well as all the unconstitutional and infamous transaftions of that period , can only be suggested to the recollection of our readers . The nation , however , felt itself aggrieved ; Mr . Wilkes received the warmest testimonies of regard " from every part of the kingdom , and the prison where he was confined was considered b y the populace as the Temple of Liberty .
At this time many respectable gentlemen , among whom were several Members of Parliament , and very opulent merchants , formed themselves into a society to support the Bill of Rig hts , which they conceived to have been violated in the person of Mrf Wilkes ; and i ' t seems to have been their principal object to prepare the way for his future independence , by relieving him from the embarrassments of his fortune
private . For this purpose a very large sum , amounting , we believe , to near twenty thousand pounds , was subscribed , and a great part of his incumbrances was removed . In the interval his popularity , appeared rather to increase than to diminish , and during his imprisonment he was chosen Alderman by the most populous Ward in the City of London . In 1771 he was elected one of the Sheriffs , and in 1774 he served the office of Lord Mayor . lie was afterwards a candidate to succeed Sir . Stephen Theodore fansen as Chamberlain , but
Mr . _ Hopkins prevailed in' the contest against him . For three successive years he tried his strength with the same gentleman for the office , and each year successively proved that his interest was declining among the Livery of London . In short , his hopes began to flag , when . Mr . Hopkins died , About the same time the popular cause received a very severe blow bthe death of MrSerjeant Gl
y . ynn ; but the conduct of Mr . Wilkes was so very satisfaftory to his constituents , by supporting Mr . Wood , ofLyttleton , as the successor of his learned friend m the representation of Middlesex , that he received all their aid as candidate for the vacant office of Chamberlain ; . while his popularity in the county , being communicated to the city , '