ther to overturn the Rights of feveral Boroughs in the maritime Counties. The Parliament moft certainly makes fuch Provifion with no other View than the Defence of the Kingdom, and the Protection of Commerce. They intruft the King with the Management of the Fleet, with the Appointment of Officers, and Difpofition of the Money granted for that Service; in full Confidence that his Majefty will order it in the beft Manner, will appoint the ableft and most honeft Officers, and manage the People's Money with the greateft OEconomy. How grofly then do thefe Men abufe his Majefty's Truft, and injure the People of England, when They employ the Power, delegated to Them for no other Purpose than the Service of the Navy, to corrupt the Elections of all the neighbouring Boroughs? Let me tell Them, that it is their Duty to exact nothing from any Perfons under Them, but Diligence and Honefty in their respective Pofts. No Men ought to be taken into the Navy, but Thofe, whofe Skill and Integrity recommend Them to it; and if any, fo retain'd, fhould be difmifs'd from the Service, because They are not ready to gratify their Superiors in certain Points, which their Duty to the Publick does not require of Them, it is the highest Breach of Truft, and Mifapplication of the publick Treasure. They know very well that the Fleet is maintain'd intirely at the Expence of their FellowSubjects; that not one Shilling from the Civil-Lift goes to the Support of it; that it is the Fleet of the Nation, kept up by an annual Charge upon the Lands of England. They know that They are Themselves enabled to get great Wealth, to live in Plenty and Splendour, not out of the Purfe of the King, but as a Rent-Charge upon their Fellow-Subjects; nor does any one envy Them, whilft They confine Themselves to their proper Business. But can it be endured by any Gentleman, who fuffers Diftrefs, and contributes to their Grandeur, to hear his Neighbours excufing Themselves to

Him in the following Manner? Sir, I would moft beartily vote for You, and ferve You, to the utmost of my Power. I defire and have Reason to do fo, on Account of the many Favours and Kindnesses, which I have received from You. But Mr. Commiffioner threatens to turn me out of my Employment, if I act according to my Confcience, and Says He bath Authority from the great Men above to let us all know it.These Gentlemen, who thus tyrannically infult their Inferiors, and defpife the Laws of their Country, would do well to remember that, in a late Seffion, an Act was pass'd to prevent BRIBERY and CORRUPTION in Elections, with a very strict Oath and severe Penalties. They ought therefore to confider whether influencing the Electors, by threatening Them with the Lofs of the Places, which They now enjoy, is not as great an Offence against the Spirit of that Lazo, as even giving Places, or Money, or Promises of either, for the fame Purpose; with this Aggravation, that They are guilty, at the fame Time, of Injuftice and Mifdeameanor in their Office; whereas private Gentlemen, who may endeavour to gain Seats in Parliament by the fame Methods, give their own Money, and offend only against that Act.

But, Mr. D'Anvers, when I reflect on the Industry and Activity of the Agents for a certain Gentleman, in every Part of the Kingdom; when I obferve that all the Arts of Fraud and Force are employ'd to fupport the Power of that Gentleman; I can little expect that what You, or I, or any Man can fay, will have much Weight; though I have the Pleasure to tell You that in the County, where I live, there feems to be a Spirit growing up even amongst thofe Men, who are thus flavishly treated. Let me therefore defire Them to confider that They are to put Themselves, at the next Election, into the Hands of Men, who may encourage Trade, fecure their Liberties and Properties, leffen the national Debt, and confequently lower their Taxes; or

who

who may, if They please, give Them up to the Will of a MINISTER, to be tormented and devour'd by EXCISEMEN.- -If They are hard prefs'd with Menaces by Letters, or Meffages, let Them carefully preferve the Letters; let Them make Memorandums of the Meages, the Perfons, the Times, and the Places ; fo that if, at laft, They fhould happen to fuffer for following the honeft Dictates of their own Hearts, They may be arm'd with Materials to petition the Parliament, which will affuredly do Them Juftice on their cruel Oppreffors, Abufers of the Royal Truft, and Contemners of the Authority of Parliament.

C. D.

I am, SIR, &c.

From my own Chambers.

T cannot be expected that I should follow the FreeBriton any farther through that Heap of Falfhood, Inconfiftency and low Prevarication, which He hath lately vented, with Regard to the Diffenters. The Point I afferted was, that his Patron oppofed the Repeal of the Schifm-Act, in the Year 1718. Mr. Walfingham afferted the contrary, and undertook to prove that the honourable Gentleman voted for that Repeal, in every Step of its Progrefs thro' the House of Commons. Here I join'd Iffue with Him, and produced fuch Authorities for my Affertion, as the Memoirs of thofe Times afford. These were confirm'd by the Confeffion of Mrs. Osborne, and even Squire Walfingham himfelf; for He was obliged at laft to confefs that his Patron voted and spoke against the Bill, which repeal'd the Schifm-A&t ; and only endeavour'd to apologize for Him, by the fimilar Conduct of his late Grace of Devonshire, Earl Cowper and others, on the fame Occafion.-I have already expofed the filly Impudence of this Evafion; which is, indeed, fo egregious in itself, that it hardly

deserved

deferved any Comment, and fufficiently denotes the Prostitution of the Writer.

Mr. Walfingham likewife afferted that the Gentle man, whom He is pleased to ftyle my Patron, acted the fame Part towards the Diffenters at that Time, by Speaking and voting against the Repeal of the SchifmAct. To this I reply'd, that I could not find, upon Enquiry, that Gentleman's Name fo much as mention'd on either Side of the Question, in those Debates; which feem'd somewhat extraordinary, if He really diftin guifh'd Himself, as Mr. Walfingham afferts, both by Speaking and voting, upon fo remarkable an Occafion but as I was not fully convinced of this Point, I afferted nothing upon it, and contented myself with cal ling upon Mr. Walfingham for his Authority, as I had produced mine for the other Affertion. In Reply to This, He intirely drops the SPEAKING PART, and only infifts upon it, that the Gentleman VOTED against the Repeal. I have fince made fome farther Enquiries into that Matter, and have ftill Reason to believe that the Gentleman was not prefent at thofe Debates; but fince Mr. Walfingham defires to be excufed from naming Gentlemen of Diftinction as his Vouchers, I must claim the fame Privilege myself, and leave the Onus probandi upon Him, who afferts it as a Fact.

In the mean Time, the Publick will remember that this Point ftands as yet unfupported by any Proof; and till Mr. Walfingham fhall have made good his former Charge against the fame Gentleman, viz. that He tamper'd with a Juryman in the Exchequer-Cof fee-Houle, about two Years ago, nobody will pay any Regard to his Veracity, but expect fome Authority for what He fays, befides his own Affertion. At prefent, He can be look'd upon only as an abufive little Creature, who is maintain'd in a ridiculous Kind of Splendour, at the publick Expence, in order to divert the Eyes of the People from any Attempts upon their VOL. XI. Liberties,

S

Liberties, by a conftant Succeffion of perfonal Scurrilities, occafional Falfhoods, and other temporary Expedients.

Gray's-Inn, O. 15th, 1733.

D.

CAL. D'ANVERS.

BO CAPAI N° 385. SATURDAY, Nov. 24, 1733.

The three following Papers are here placed a little out of that Order, in which they were originally publifb'd, as the Reader will perceive by comparing the Dates, which We have ftill preferved. Our Reafon for This was, that We might begin the next Volume with the Differtation upon Parties, and keep thofe Papers as close together as Polible.

To CALEB D'ANVERS, Efq;

SIR,

F it was ever neceffary to open the Eyes of the People of Great Britain, and place before Them their true and real Interefts; it certainly must be fo, at this Time, when fo many indirect Means are made Use of to blind their Judgments, and mifguide their Paffions. The most mercenary and, in every Senfe, the worst of Writers have been employ'd to calumniate Gentlemen, in the Intereft of their Coun try, by the most notorious Falfhoods and impudent Affertions. Their Writings, which otherwife would have been the Ruin of their Printers, as they are or ought to be the Shame of their Authors, have been diftributed at the publick Expence. The Mercuries of the Poff-house are the wholesale Dealers, who convey them to the Ex