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the court dress he wore on the hustings, wherein he is here represented

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Sir Jeffery Dunstan, M. P. for Garrett,

COSMOPOLITE, AND MUFFIN-SELLER.

The individual who figured as con- who may be regarded as the last really spicuously as the most conspicuous, and humorous candidate at this election was

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Sir Jeffery Dunstan, M. P. for Garrett,

AND ITINERANT DEALER IN OLD WIGS.

The kind of oratory and the nature of the argument employed by the candidates in their addresses to their coustituents, can scarcely be better exemplified than by the following

SPEECH OF SIR JEFFERY DUNSTAN. My Lords, Ladies, and Gentlemen,

A landed property being the only unexceptionable qualification that entitles me to a seat in the august parlia ment of Great Britain, I presume my estate in the Isle of Mud will, in point of propriety, secure to me your votes and interests, to represent you in the ensuing parliament.

Ladies and gem'men, I propose, for the good of mankind, to anticipate a few promises like other great men, but which I will strictly adhere to, that is, as long as I find it's my interest so to do.

First, in regard to his Majesty's want of money, I am determined to make him easy on that point-(Lord bless him!) -by abolishing the use of it entirely, and reducing the price of gold, it being

the worst canker to the soul of man; and the only expedient I can think of to prevent bribery and corruption, au evil which all the great big wigs of Westminster cannot prevent, notwithstanding all their gravity and knowledge, as the late proceedings against governor Green Peas can fully testify.

Next, as my worthy constituents may be assured, I shall use all my honest endeavours to get a majority in the house. I shall always take the popular side of the question; and to do all I can to oblige that jewel of a man, SugarPlumb Billy, I shall assist him in paying off the national debt, without wetting a sponge. My scheme for this, ladies and gem'men, is to unmarry all those who choose it, on such terms as the minister shall think fit. This being a glorious opportunity for women of spirit to exert themselves, and regain their long lost empire over their hus bands, I hope they will use all their coaxing arts to get me elected in their husband's place; and this will greatly increase the influence of the crown, and vastly lower ludia bonds.

As I detest the idea of a placeman, I pledge myself not to accept of anything less than the government of Duck Island, or the bishoprick of Durham, for I am very fond of a clean shirt, and lawn sleeves, I think, look well; besides, the

sine qua non is the thing I aim at, like other great men. The India Company,too, I will convey from Leadenhall-street to Westminster, and, according to my own wig principles, I will create all the directors' and nabobs' titles, and, besides, show them how to get what they have been long aiming at-the way to Botany Bay. I shall likewise prove the Excise Office to be the greatest smuggle in the nation, for they smuggled the ground from the public on which their office stands, and for which I shall conjure up Old Gresham's ghost, to read them a lecture upon thieving.

Like the great men, 1 pledge my honour, life, and fortune, that I will remove all heavy taxes, and by a glorious scheme, contrived by me and my friend Lord George Gordon, I shall, by a philosophical, aristocratical thermometer, or such-like hydraulics, discover the longitude among the Jews of Duke's Place, and the secret of Masonry.

City honours I never courted, nor would I give an old wig to be drawn in idle state through Cheapside's foggy air on a 9th of November.-No, I would rather sit by the side of my great friend Mr. Fox, in the Duke of Devonshire's coach, and make another coalition, or go with him to ludia, and be a governor's great man; for,

Hated by fools, and fools to hate,
Was always Jeffery Dunstan's fate.

Though my Lord George has turned Jew, and wears a broom about his chin*, I never intend to do so until his informer is dead, or the time elapsed of his imprisonment in the county castle, when we shall both go into Duke's Place, and be sworn true friends; then woe be to the informing busy bookseller of Spitalfields, who was lately turned out of the Snogo for eating pork with the rind on. Depend upon it his windows shall chatter more Hebrew than he ever understood. All this shall be done by me, in spite of him. Yes, by me, your humble servant,

SIR JEFFERY DUNSTAN, M.P.

Lord George Gordon, who rendered himself so conspicuous during the riots in 1780, adopted in his latter days the habit and manners of a Jew. He died November 1, 1793, in Newgate. where he had been confined two years, for a libel on the moral and political conduct of the Queen of France; three years more for a libel on the Empress of Russia, and ten months longer for not procuring the necessary security for enlargement. His last moments are said to have been imbittered by the knowledge that he could not be buried among the Jews; to whose religion he was warmly attached.

Exparte DIMSDALE, Bart. "Two single Gentlemen roll'd into one." TAKE NOTICE

Vahereas, on or upon the last page but one of the last sheet, that is to say, columns 829 and 830 of the Every-Day Book, there are two whole length portraits, each whereof is subscribed, or inscribed beneath, with one name.

AND WHEREAS each, and both, is and are, thereby, that is to say, by the said one name, called, or purported to be called, "Sir Jeffery Dunstan, M.P. for Garrett, &c."

AND WHEREAS the said two engravings are portraits of two several, separate, and distinct individuals.

AND WHEREAS it is hereby declared to be true and certain, and not to be gainsayed or denied, that two neither are, nor is, nor can be, one.

Therefore, ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN are hereby intended, and required to be instructed, and informed thereof.

AND FURTHER, that the first, or top, or uppermost portrait, although subscribed "Sir Jeffery Dunstan, &c." is to be seen, taken, and received, as and for the true and faithful likeness of sir Harry Dimsdule, Bart. M.P. for Garrett, and for no or none other.

AND FURTHERMORE, that the second, or last portrait is, in truth, a like true, and faithful likeness of sir Jeffery Dunstan, as is there truly stated:

AND MORE, FURTHERMORE, that the misnomer, as to the said Sir Harry Dimsdale, was unpurposed and accidentally made and written by the undersigned, and overseen by the overseer, when the same was set up or composed in type by the compositor; and that he, the said compositor, was bound in duty not to think, but unthinkingly, and without thought, to do as he did, that is to say, follow his copy, and not think:

AND LASTLY, that the last portrait, subscribed "Sir Jeffery Dunstan," is rightly and truly so subscribed:

COS

Wherefore, the portrait of the " mopolite and muffin seller," was, and is, only, and alone, and no other, than the just and faithful likeness of sir Harry Dimsdale, according, and notwithstanding as aforesaid.

AND THEREFORE, the well-disposed are enjoined and required to dele, or strike out, the misnomer thereof, or thereto affixed, and in tender consideration of the preVOL. II.-79.

mises to forget and forgive the same, which proceeded wholly, solely, entirely, and unhappily from A. B. June 28, 1826.

Attestation, &c.

This is to certify, that so much of the above contents as are within my knowledge, and the whole thereof, according to my full and perfect belief, is, and are, strictly and entirely true: And that the signature thereto subjoined is true and honest, in manner and form following, to wit,-the letter "A" is, of itself alone, what it purports to be, that is to say, "A," by itself, "A" And the letter "B," in alphabetical order, is, also in nominal order, the literal beginning, or initial, of the real name, which is, or ought, or is meant to be attached thereto, namely "BLUNDER:" And that the said "Blunder" is altogether honest, and much to be pitied; and is known so to be, by every one as well acquainted with the said "Blunder," and the rest of the family, as myself.The Printer.

MOCK ELECTION AT GARRETT,
25th of June, 1781.

This is the burlesque election referred to at column 825, when " upwards of 50,000 people were, on that ludicrous occasion, assembled at Wandsworth."

That notice, with the interesting letter concerning the origin of this popular custom, from Mr. Massey to Dr. Ducarel, on column 826, was inserted with other particulars, in the last sheet, for the purpose of inciting attention to the subject and under an expectation that the request there urged, for further information, might be further complied with. hope has been realized to a certain extent, and there will now be placed before the reader the communications of correspondents, and whatever has been obtained from personal intercourse with those who remember the old elections for Garrett.

The

To mention the earliest within remembrance, it is proper to say that this public burlesque was conducted in 1777 with great spirit; sir John Harper was then elected, and a man in armour rode in that procession. The name of this champion was "Jem Anderson," a breechesmaker of Wandsworth, and a wonderful humorist.

At sir John Harper's election, on the 25th of June, 1781, he had six rivals to contend with. A printed bill now before the editor, sets forth their titles and qualifications in the following manner :

"THE GARRATT ELECTION.
"The Possessions and Characters of
the Seven Candidates that put up
for that Great and Important
Office, called

THE MAYOR OF GARRETT. "Sir Jeffery Dunstan, sir William Blase, sir Christopher Dashwood, sir John Harper, sir William Swallow-tail, sir John Gnawpost, and

sir Thomas Nameless.

"On Wednesday, the 25th instant, being the day appointed for the Garrat election, the candidates proceeded from different parts of London to Garrat-green, Wandsworth.

"Sir Jeffery Dunstan : he is a man of low stature, but very great in character and abilities; his principal view is to serve his king and country, his worthy friends and himself.

"The next gentleman that offered himself was sir William Blase, a man of great honour and reputation, and was of high rank in the army, serving his king and country near forty years, and had the honour to be a corporal in the city trainbands, the last rebellion.

"The third, admiral Dashwood, well known in the county of Surry, to many who has felt the weight of his hand on their shoulders, and shewing an execution in the other.

"Sir John Harper is a man of the greatest abilities and integrity, and his estate lies wherever he goes; his wants are supplied by the oil of his tongue, and is of the strictest honour: he made an oath against work when in his youth, and was never known to break it.

"Sir William Swallow-tail is an eminent merchant in the county of Surry, and supplies most of the gardeners with strawberry-baskets, and others to bring their fruit to market.

"Sir John Gnawpost is a man well known to the public; he carries his traffic under his left arm, and there is not a schoolboy in London or Westminster but what has had dealings with him:-His general cry is 'twenty if you win, and five if you lose.'

"Sir Thomas Nameless,”—of reputation unmentionable.

Having thus described the candidates from the original printed "Hustings paper," it is proper to state that its description of them is followed by a woodcut representing two figures-one, of attitude of his portrait given at column sir Jeffery Dunstan, in the costume and 830, but holding a pipe in his right hand, and one of another candidate, who, for want of a name to the figure, can scarcely be guessed at; he is in a court dress, with a star on the right breast of his coat, his right arm gracefully reposing in the pocket of his unmentionables, and his left hand holding a bag, which is thrown over his left shoulder.

Beneath that engraving is

"The speech of sir Jeffery Dunstan, Bart. delivered from the hustings.

"Gentlemen,

"I am heartily glad to see so great a number of my friends attend so early on the great and important business of this day. If I should be so happy as to be the object of your choice, you may depend on it that your great requests shall be my sole study both asleep and awake. I am determined to oppose lord North in every measure he proposes; and that my electors shall have porter at threepence a pot; that bread shall be sold at four pence a quartern loaf, and corn be brought fairly to market, not stived up in granaries to be eat by rats and mice; and that neither Scotchmen or Irishmen shall have a seat in our parliament.

"Gentlemen, as I am not an orator or personable man, be assured I am an honest member. Having been abused in the public papers, I am resolved, if it cost me a thousand pounds, to take the free votes of the electors. It is true, it has cost me ten shillings for a coach, to raise which, I have pawned my cloathes; but that I regard not, since I am now in a situation to serve my king, whom I wish God to bless, also his precious queen, who, under the blessing of a king above, hath produced a progeny which has presaged a happy omen to this country.

"Gentlemen, I can assure you with the greatest truth, that the cloaths I have on are all my own, for the meanness of borrowing cloaths to appear before you, my worthy electors, I highly detest; and bribery and other meanness I abhor;

but if any gentleman chuse to give me any thing, I am ready to receive their favours."

The above oration is headed by "This is my original speech;" below it is added as follows:

"N. B. When sir John Harper's man arrived on the hustings with flying colours, he began to insult sir Jeffery, who immediately made him walk six times round the hustings, ask his honour's pardon, drop his colours and dismount."

With this information the bill concludes.

A song printed at the time, but now so rare as not to be met with, further particularizes some of the candidates at this election. In the absence of an original copy, the parol evidence of "old John Jones of Wandsworth," has been admitted as to certain verses which are here record ed accordingly.

GARRETT ELECTION SONG, 1781. Recited by the "ex-master of the horse," at the "Plume of Feathers," Wands worth, on the 14th of June, 1826.

At Garratt, lackaday, what fun!
To see the sight what thousands run!
Sir William Blase, and all his crew,
Sure, it was a droll sight to view.

Sir William Blase, a snob by trade,
In Wandsworth town did there parade;
With his high cap and wooden sword
Ile look'd as noble as a lord!

Sir William Swallowtail came next
In basket-coach, so neatly drest;
With hand-bells playing all the way,
For Swallowtail, my boys, huzza!
Sir Christopher Dashwood so gay,
With drums and fifes did sweetly play;
He, in a boat, was drawn along,
Amongst a mighty gazing throng.
In blue and gold he grand appeared,
Behind the boat old Pluto steer'd;
The Andrew, riding by his side,
Across a horse, did nobly stride.

On sir John Harper next we gaze
All in his carriage, and six bays,
With star upon his breast, so fine,
He did each candidate outshine.
And when he on the hustings came
He bow'd to all in gallant strain,
The speech he made was smart and cute,
And did each candidate confute.
In this procession to excel,
The droll sir William acted well;
And when they came to Garrett green,
Sure what laughing there was seen!

No Wilkes, but liberty, was there;
And every thing honest and fair,
For surely Garrett is the place,
Where pleasure is, and no disgrace !

Sir William Swallowtail was one William Cock, a whimsical basket-maker of Brentford, who deeming it proper to have an equipage every way suitable to the honour he aspired to, built his own carriage, with his own hands, to his own taste. It was made of wicker, and drawn by four high hollow-backed horses, whereon were seated dwarfish boys, whimsically dressed for postilions. In allusion to the American war, two footmen rode becoachman wore a wicker hat, and sir fore the carriage tarred and feathered, the William himself, from the seat of his vehicle, maintained his mock dignity in grotesque array, amidst unbounded applause.

The song says, that sir William Swallowtail came "with hand-bells playing all the way," and "old John Jones," after he "rehearsed" the song, gave some account of the player on the hand-bells.

The hand-bell player was Thomas Cracknell, who, at that time, was a pubsican at Brentford, and kept the " Wilkes's Head." He had been a cow-boy in the service of lady Holderness; and after he took that public-house, he so raised its custom that it was a place of the first resort in Brentford" for man and horse." With an eye to business, as well as a disposition to waggery, he played the handbells in support of sir William Swallowtail, as much for the good of the "Wilkes's Head" as in honour of his neighbour Cock, the basket-maker, who, with his followers, had opened Cracknell's house. Soon after the election he let the "Wilkes's Head," and receiving a handsome sum for good-will and coming-in, bound himself in a penalty of 201. not to set up within ten miles of the spot. In the afternoon of the day he gave up possession, he went to his successor with the 201. penalty, and informed him he had taken another house in the neighbourhood. It was the sign of the " Aaron and Driver," two race-horses, of as great celebrity as the most favoured of the then Garrett candidates. Cracknell afterwards became a rectifier or distiller at Brentford.

Sir John Harper was by trade a weaver, and qualified, by power of face and

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