London, May 3d, 1705.

YEſterday my Lord-Keeper ſent out Writs for a New Parliament, and the firſt Election will be on Monday next at Malden in Eſſex, where two honeſt Loyal Gentlemen, called by the Whigs Tackers, will be choſen: The reſt of the Elections will come on very quick, and be ſoon over.

May 5th.

OUR Port Letters have nothing in them conſide⯑rable, nor have we any publick News but what relates to the approaching Elections; and more par⯑ticularly from Exon, we have an Account of the ho⯑nourable [2] Reception there of John Snell, Eſq one of the Repreſentatives in the late Parliament, an honeſt, loyal, and brave Tacker, who arrived from London on the 1ſt inſtant, having been met ſome Miles out of Town by above 500 Horſe, and ſome 1000 Foot, com⯑pos'd of the Neighbouring Gentry, with the Clergy, Aldermen, and principal Citizens; who conducted him to his own Houſe, with the City Muſick playing be⯑fore him, the Streets ecchoing with theſe Acclamati⯑ons; God bleſs the Loyal Tackers, and ſend the Snea⯑kers more Honeſty and Courage.

At Dartmouth they have that Veneration for the Ser⯑vice of their worthy Repreſentatives, Fred. and Nat. Hern, Eſquires, that they have Chriſten'd a Ship by the Name of Tacker.

We hear that 17 Strangers are like to be choſen in Wiltſhire, not one of them having a Foot of Land in that County, to the Reproach of the Electors, for not ha⯑ving a greater Value for the honeſt, loyal, neighbou⯑ring Gentry.

May 8th.

WE have an Account that theſe Elections were made Yeſterday; viz. Malden in Eſſex, Will. Fytche and Joh. Comyns, Eſquires, Tackers: Town of Hertford, Charles Caeſar and Rich. Gulſton, Eſquires, Tackers: Agmondeſham, Lord Cheyne, and Sir Sam. Garrard, Bar', the laſt a Tacker, the other a Well-Wiſher to them; ſo that here's five out of ſix, which is a good Beginning, and it's believed very few of the 134 will miſs of their Electi⯑ons, notwithſtanding the ſenſeleſs Clamours of Whig⯑giſh Libellers. Sir Will. Drake has brought an Action a⯑gainſt an Attorney of Exon for calling him Tacker, and ſaying he's a Friend to France.

[3] The B. of S. labours Tooth and Nail to oppoſe theſe ſort of Gentlemen, declaring from the Pulpit, that it was the Orders of the Q [...]n, and the D [...] of M [...] to excite the People againſt the Tackers, and ſent the enſuing Circular Letters to the inferiour Clergy of his Dioceſs; viz.

What ſort of Church-men theſe are the B [...] recom⯑mends is well known.

We have an Account from Cheſhire, that Sir George Warburton and Mr. Offley, who ſtand Candidates for that County, have had a Rencounter, and are both wounded.

May 10th.

WE have an Account of a pretty many Elections ſince my laſt, but Fortune has favoured the wrong ſide, for Mr. Nevile has carried it at Abingdon againſt Sir Simon Harcourt by 30 odd Voices. At Ailsbury, Simon Mayne, Eſq againſt Simon Harcourt, Clerk of the Crown. At Wallingford, Mr. Kent againſt Mr. Renda. At Colcheſter, Mr. Bullock againſt Sir Tho. Cook. At Wendover, Sir Roger Hill againſt Sir Richard Crawley. At Rocheſter, Mr. Knatchbull has loſt it, as has Mr. Ran⯑dyl [4] at Guilford. On the other Hand, Mr. Gape has carried it at St. Albans, notwithſtanding a great Lady went down thither to oppoſe him, whoſe Endea⯑vours, it is hoped, will no better ſucceed at Wood⯑ſtock, in Favour of Brigadier Cadoggan an Iriſhman. The County, City, and Univerſity of Oxford have elected their old Tacking Members.

May 12th.

SInce my Laſt we have an Account of a great many Elections, ſome of which have gone well, but more ill. Five honeſt Tackers have loſt it in Kent, and two at Haſlemere in Surry, and one in Weſtminſter. On the other Hand, the Honourable Charles North, Eſq has carried it at Banbury; the Greviles at Warwick; and for the County of Suffolk, the Earl of Dyſert and Sir Rob. Davers; where there has been ſuch a Trial of the Strength of Parties, that the like has hardly been known. The Poll ended on Wedneſday Night, when 'twas found that Sir Rob. Davers had 2883, the Earl of Dyſert 2877, Sir Dudley Cullum 2318, Sir Sam. Ber⯑nardiſton 2286 Voices; ſo that the Election was car⯑ried by a great Majority, if you conſider the terrible Oppoſition that was made by the Low-Church men, and their Friends, the Phanaticks of all ſorts, ſupported by the D [...] of G [...]n, the Lords Cor [...]llis and H [...]y. But this Victory is owing in a great Meaſure to the Dili⯑gence of the Clergy, of which 80 went and polled in one Body, and as many ſingly, being not advertiz'd of the Deſign; and to pin the Basket, Sir Tho. Hanmer brought in a Body of 300 Horſe, at the Sight of which the D [...] withdrew from the Window, and all was gi⯑ven up; and though the great Cry of the Whigs was, [5] and is, no Tackers, yet that is known to be only the Word that is given out to the Party; the true Meaning is, No Church of England Man: For we find that they have oppos'd Sir Simon Harcourt and others (that had not the Honour to be of that Number) with the ſame Violence; and Sir Will. Aſh [...]t, in a Letter to his Friend at Warrington, tells him plainly, that it's paſt 12 a Clock with the Church, ſo that ſhe muſt come down. At theſe Proceedings the inferiour Clergy are ſo alarm'd in Cheſhire, that they deſign to appear in a Body for Sir R. Motyn and Sir G. Warburton, the late Repreſen⯑tatives for that County; and in Eſſex for Sir Charles Barrington and Sir R. Child. Dr. Oats is gone to Poll at Woodſtock for Brigadier Cadoggan, of which Place he is a Burgeſs.

May 15th.

SInce my laſt a great many more Elections are made, which are too long for my Purpoſe to enumerate. Brigadier Cadoggan has carried it at Woodſtock againſt Sir John Waters, a very worthy Gentleman; but Dr. Oats did not go to give his Vote as was ſaid he would, nor did the Solicitor General, tho' he had alſo a Right ſo to do. The Lord Woodſtock, Son of the Earl of Portland, has carried it at Southampton againſt Frid. Tilney, Eſq a loyal and worthy Gentleman, which was done by this Trick; That Gentleman happening to pay his Reckoning in that Town with about 70 Loudores which he had received there, the Whig Party immediately gave out, he was a French Penſio⯑ner, which Calumny anſwered their Purpoſe.

A great Sum of Money has been ſpent at Newcaſtle under Line, by Mr. Offley and Mr. Lawton, (the latter [6] Brother-in-Law to my Lord Hallifax) to get in Bur⯑geſſes there; but Sir Tho. Bellot and Mr. Cotton have carried it, and the chief Reaſon for their ſucceeding was, the Aſſurances they gave their Electors of their firm Adheſion to the Church, in this Day of Danger.

The Report we had of a Rencounter which hap⯑pen'd in Cheſhire between Sir G. Warburton and Mr. Offley, proves not true. Yeſterday commenc'd the Election for the City of London, and the four Whig Candi⯑dates were declared to have the Majority upon View, and are like to carry it upon the Poll.

May 17th.

WE have an Account of a great many more Ele⯑ctions made ſince my laſt; and upon the whole, a ſort of an Equilibrium ſeems to be between the Par⯑ties: near 70 of the Tackers are already choſen. In Eſſex Sir Ch. Barrington and Sir R. Child have loſt it by a great Majority, tho' they poll'd more Freeholders than in former Elections; but the Whigs have found a way of granting quit Rents of 40 Shillings per Annum, reſignable upon the Tender of Six Pence: Beſides, the Quakers in general throughout the Kingdom in this Election, Vote againſt the Church.

The Poll in London runs ſtill in Favour of the four Whigs, and their Election will be declared this Even⯑ing.

May 19th.

YEſterday our Letters from the ſeveral Parts of the Kingdom brought an Account of a great many more Elections that are made, and particularly for the [7] County of Glouceſter, Col. Colcheſter and Sir John Guiſe have carried it againſt the Honourable John How and Sir Ralph Dutton Bar'. For Warwickſhire the old Re⯑preſentatives Sir Ch. Shuckburgh and Sir John Mordaunt (the laſt a Tacker) have carried it, being ſet up by the general Conſent of the Gentry of that County. One Captain Lucy, ſupported by the Aſſiſtance of three or four Gentlemen, and the Aſſiſtance of all the Diſ⯑ſenters, attempted to have come in, but was very much diſtanced, as you will ſee by their Numbers on the Poll. Sir Ch. Shuckburgh 1984. Sir John Mordaunt 1884. Cap. Lucy 1116. The Biſhop of Worceſter refuſed the lat⯑ter his Intereſt upon Application to his Lordſhip, by Reaſon a Fanatick Preacher is kept in his Family.

The Welch Elections are not yet made, but we may gueſs how they will be by the Loyal Health that is amongſt them. viz.

Nor are the Corniſh Elections yet made by Reaſon by a Trick or Manage the Writ has been delayed. Sir R. Vivian has had the Misfortune to break his Leg, however the Gentlemen of the County labour to ſupport his Intereſt againſt Mr. Boſcawen.

[8] On Thurſday laſt came on the much conteſted Election for the Univerſity of Cambridge. The Candidates were the Honourable Arthur Anneſly, Eſq late Fellow of Magdalen Colledge, who had 185 Voices, and the Honourable Dixey Windſor, Eſq Fellow of Trinity Colledge, who had 170; oppoſed by Fr. Godolphin, Eſq my Lord Treaſurer's Son, who had 162 Voices, and Sir Iſaac Newton (a late made Knight) who had 117. Notwithſtanding there was all the Management and Delay poſſible, and the Heads of the Houſes againſt the two firſt, yet 'twas carried for them, to the unſpeak⯑able Joy of the hopeful and promiſing Part of the Univerſity; by which we may ſee, that the Senſe of both Univerſities was for the Occaſional Bill, and that they approved of the tacking it, by chooſing the ſame Members that joyned in it.

I hear the Poll at Woodſtock will be printed, that it may be ſeen who they were that Poll'd for the Briga⯑dier, whoſe Grand-Father was Governour of Trim in Ireland for the Parliament, and his Grand-Mother was Daughter to the famous Sir Hardreſs Waller. On his Father's Side his Pedigree was proved by an Epitaph that was made laſt Summer by one at the Herald Of⯑fice, and was never yet upon a Tomb.

May 22d.

YEſterday we had an Account of a great many more Elections that have been made ſince my laſt, which for the moſt part have been in Favour of the Church Intereſt; and particularly Sir R. Middle⯑ton, Bar', is elected for the County of Denbigh, and Will. Robinſon, Eſq for the Burrough of that Name, they having rejected Mr. Brereton, One of the Com⯑miſſioners [9] of Prizes, by Reaſon he was not a Tacker.

Mr. Sacheverel met with terrible Oppoſition from the Whig Party at Nottingham, which were ſupported by the D [...] of N [...], the Lords K [...]ton and H [...]w; how⯑ever he carried it by a conſiderable Majority, and they got him into the Chair before eleven, at which the Whigs look'd ſo ſimply as tho' 'twas paſt Twelve with them. The Management of this Victory was due in a great meaſure to the Neighbouring Gentry, and in a more particular manner to that honourable Gentleman Sir Tho. Willoughby, who has carried divers other Elections which he has been at with equal Succeſs, as Newark, Retford, and Leiceſter; and on Wedneſday the 23d. is to be the Election for the County of Nottingham, where Sir Thomas and Mr. Thornihagh are like to carry it with⯑out Oppoſition.

Sir Juſtinian Iſham and Mr. Cartwright are rechoſen for the County of Northampton by a Majority of 400 Freeholders, tho' they were ſtrenuouſly oppoſed by my Lord Mordaunt (who 'tis ſaid ſpent 2000 l.) and Sir Andrew St. John. Sir Will. Drake, a brave Tacker, is choſen at Honiton, with Sir Walter Young (whom the Electors made promiſe to be one upon Occaſion) Sir John Elwill was vaſtly diſtanced: The two firſt were met and uſhered into Town by above 1000 Gentlemen on Horſe⯑back, all wearing a Golden Tacker in their Hats: The ſame Day Mr. Reynell and Mr. Yard, two loyal Gen⯑tlemen carried it at Aſhburton, againſt Sir John Elvil and his Son.

The two loyal Sons of the Church and Tackers, Nath. and Fred. Hern, Eſquires, were unanimouſly rechoſen at Dartmouth, and Sir Hump. Mackworth with Mr. Coulſon at Totnes; ſo that the Word Tacker, which the Phana⯑ticks [10] thought to have made a Bugbear amongſt the Freeholders and other Electors, proves in moſt Places a Badge of Honour, that recommends thoſe Gentlemen to them, and we ſee ſome great Men that trimmed or ſneaked in the laſt Parliament, upon that Account, are not like to have the Honour to ſit in the next.

May 24th.

YEſterday we had an Account of a great many more Elections made ſince my laſt, and on Sa⯑turday laſt ended that for Lancaſhire. The Candidates were the Honourable Mr. Stanly, Brother to the Lord Derby, Sir Roger Bradſhaigh, Bar', and Mr. Shuttleworth. The two firſt were ſet up by the Papiſts and Presbyte⯑rians, the third by the Church of England, and a Ma⯑jority was declared for Mr. Stanley and Mr. Shuttleworth, to the great Mortification of the Whigs, who have en⯑deavoured by all means to eject the latter. The Church had ſo much the better at this Election, that Mr. Shut⯑tleworth left 200 unpoll'd, and Sir R. Bradſhaigh had only 1100. Sir Richard How and Mr. Hyde have carried it for the County of Wilts by a great Ma⯑jority.

May 26th.

SInce my laſt we have received an Account of a great many Elections, and particularly from Cornwall, where by the Intereſt and Endeavours of the new Lord Lieutenant of that County, and of the B [...] of E [...], a great many Alterations are made, in Favour of the Party that oppoſe the Occaſional Bill, or for Low Church: But in Wiltſhire it fared better with thoſe two [11] Loyal Church-men that the B... oppoſed, for they carried it by a Majority of 300 againſt the Occaſional ⯑men, or W [...]s, and the inferiour Clergy, notwithſtand⯑ing the menacing Letter ſent them, voted for the beſt Church-men.

In Kent the Lord Villars and Sir Cholmely Deering have carried it for that County, in Oppoſition to Sir R. Au⯑ſtin, and Mr. Colepeper, by a conſiderable Majority. Sir John Packington has carried it for Worceſterſhire; and the two old Tackers for Coventry. Upon the whole, the beſt Judgment that can be given, is, we may have a Court Parliament, but 'twill not be a Whig One.

May 29th.

SInce my laſt we have had an Account of ſeveral E⯑lections, which I leave to the Gazette to enume⯑rate; only the Management of ſome of them is worth Notice; particularly for the County of Worceſter, where Sir John Packington and Mr. Bromley carried it glori⯑ouſly againſt Mr. Walſh, who was ſet up by the Diſſen⯑ters. Sir John Packington had a Banner carried before him, whereon was painted a Church falling, with this Inſcrip⯑tion; For the Queen and Church, Packington. 'Twas obſervable, that as they were marching through the Fore-gate Street they met the Biſhop's Coach, in which was a Non-Con-Teacher, going to Poll for Cap. Walſh, but the Horſes (at the Sight of the Church as 'twas be⯑lieved) turned Tail, overturned, and broke the ſame, and very much bruiſed the Holder-forth's Outward⯑Man; and this raiſed no ſmall Admiration that the Biſhop's Horſes ſhould be afraid of a Church.

[12] For the County of Cheſter, the Honourable Mr. Booth and Crew Offley, Eſq ſet up by the Whig Intereſt, have carried it by a vaſt Majority againſt Sir Roger Moſtyn and Sir George Warburton, the two late Repreſentatives for that County, although the two latter poll'd 300 more than at the former Election, and had all the Cler⯑gy and the Body of the Gentry on their Side, but this Conqueſt was wholly owing to above a thouſand de⯑feaſable Freeholders that Party had made againſt the Election, which is a new and ſcandalous Practice; and if the next Parliament do not enquire into it, and put a Stop to it, the whole Conſtitution will be ſubverted. The Cry of the Whig Rabble, during this Election, was Down with the Church and the Biſhops, and when about 60 of the Clergy, headed by the Dean, came to Poll, they ſaid, Hell was broke looſe, and theſe were the De⯑vil's black Guard: They abuſed the Biſhop, tho' ac⯑cording to his peaceable Temper he did not intermed⯑dle in the Election; and to compleat their Outrage, broke the Windows of the Cathedral, and another Church.

Yeſterday was the Election for Middleſex, the Can⯑didates were the two old Members, oppoſed by Sir John Wolſtenham and Mr. Barker, ſupported by the Whig Intereſt, and the latter carried it by a Majority of 300, the higheſt of them polling about 1600, which is ſome Hundreds more than ever were polled at any Election in this ſmall County, and this Multiplication of Free⯑holders is wholly owing to the new method.

May 31st.

SInce my laſt we have an Account of ſome more E⯑lections, but nothing ſo very material has hap⯑pen'd [13] at them, as at that for Suſſex. The High-Sheriff Turner Eſq refuſed to take the Poll, unleſs the D [...] of S [...] removed out of the Court, which he obliged him to do, after ſome high Words had paſſed, the High-Sheriff producing a Vote of the Houſe of Commons againſt Peers intermedling in Elections, which however they have done more in the Electing this Parliament than ever. The Quakers in Buckinghamſhire have Voted all of them againſt my Lord Cheney, tho' he was the Perſon that brought in and procured the Bill in their Favour about the ſigning a Declaration inſtead of an Oath; at Brent⯑ford ſeveral Hundreds of them Poll'd againſt Smithſon and Lake, as they have done againſt the Church Intereſt all England over, which no doubt will be remembred, and placed to their Accounts in Bar of future Fa⯑vour.

June 2d.

WE have an Account of ſeveral Tackers more that are choſen ſince my laſt, of which Number are Sir Edward Seymor and Mr. Snell, who carried it without Oppoſition at Exeter, tho' Endeavours were uſed to have brought in a Gentleman that lately loſt it at Cambridge; but that loyal City would not be put upon with the Univerſity's Refuſe. [In ſome Copies Leavings was firſt written, but that not being thought ſevere enough was eraſed, (yet not ſo but ſtill to remain legible) and the Word Refuſe written a⯑bove it.]

June 5th.

THE Election for Knights of the Shire for Somerſet runs thus: Nath. Palmer, Eſq 2566 Voices. John Piggot, Eſq 2469, George Worner, Eſq 1327. Francis Lord Hawley, 829.

[The Letter of June 7th, mentions nothing of E⯑lections.]

June 9th.

YEſterday we had an Account of the Election for Devonſhire, which was made on Tueſday laſt, where the Honourable Sir Will. Courtenay, Bar', and Robert Rolle, Eſq both loyal and ſtanch Church-men, were unanimouſly re-elected to ſerve for that County; ſo that as the firſt Burrough, viz. Malden, begun with the Election of two brave Tackers, ſo the laſt County ended with the like Choice.

The Election for Knights of the Shire for Northum⯑berland, was commenced on Thurſday the laſt of May. The Candidates were Sir John Delavall, Bar'. Sir Fran. Blake, Kt. and Tho. Foſter, Eſq Jun'; and tho' the two firſt were ſupported with the Intereſt of the D [...] of S [...]t, the E [...] of C [...]le, and the Lord G [...]y in Perſon, and all the Whigs in the County, by Promiſes and Threats; and the laſt only by the Clergy and true Church-men: yet he carried it for one by a great Majority, as you'll ſee by the Poll, viz. Foſter 823, Sir John Delaval 775, Sir Francis Blake 646. Beſides the firſt had 300 Freeholders more, that were ready to have Poll'd, but the Knights threw up.

No doubt but this Houſe of Commons (the Major Part of them being Church-men) will remember and [15] gratify the Quakers for the Service they have done them in this Election, by ſupporting their Marriages by a Law, and eaſing them from the Payment of ſmall Tithes, which is that they aim at; as appears by the circular Letters ſent by the Heads of them to their Friends in the Country, directing them how to Vote.

June 12th.

THE Election for Members of Parliament is now over; and 'tis found that there are 150 new Members choſen, that were not in the laſt Houſe of Commons; and 90 of the Tackers, and 44 left out; near a Moiety of which did not now ſtand. Upon the whole both Parties ſeem pretty well pleaſed, each fancying the Majority is on their Side.

The Briſtol Election, of which we had an Account but Yeſterday, is gone for the old Members. Mr. Cole⯑ſtone, (Nephew to a Gentleman of that Name, who had given a Charity to that City of 20000 l.) loſt it by 214 Voices; thoſe Ingrates crying out, No Alms-houſe-man, no High-Church man, no Jacobite, &c.