The tone of the Broad Sheet has

TO THE READERS OF THE REGISTER. changed considerably, since it has been so manifest that the one

THE publishing of the Regis- grand object, with all parties, was ter has been delayed, in expecta- to prevent, by any means, no mattion of receiving copy from Pres-ter how unlawful or how vile, the ton. None has arrived; and it is success of Mr. Cobbett at Pressupposed that Mr. Cobbett did not ton. Therefore, even the extracts choose to write any thing about that are now inserted in the Rethat which now wholly possesses gister are, by no means, to be his attention, until he might have looked upon as being authentic. Mr. COBBETT's old friends at Coventry may be assured, that he has been, by no means, an unin

leisure to give his readers a detail of all the illegal practices that have been resorted to, in order to prevent the good people of Pres- terested observer of their late ton from sending him to Parlia- contest. For their attachment to ment as their chosen Representa- him, and their remembrance of the

tive.

treatment he experienced in their

2 B

:

Printed and Published by WILLIAM COBBETT, NO. 183, Fleet-street,
[ENTERED AT STATIONERS' HALL.]

:

town, at the hands of the "Rich | sonage PETER MOORE for a col-
Ruffians" and those of their dis- league, he, Mr. ELLICE, might
carded Members, he entertains have been sure of his seat now;
the warmest gratitude.
and that he knows well. He

At the time when Mr. COBBETT made his choice, and he has
had so fair a prospect of becoming reaped the reward he merited.-
one of the representatives for During the election of 1820 it
Coventry, all parties joined (as was asserted by several persons,
they have done now at Preston) who witnessed the whole transac-
to keep him out. Mr. ELLICE tion, that Mr. ELLICE, in the
was supported then very differ- height of his zeal to keep Mr.
ently to what he has been sup- COBBETT out of Parliament, sent
ported now. Then he was sup- a band of hired ruffians to attack
ported and assisted, in all sorts of him, as he was standing alone in
ways, by every Whig, every the street. Mr. ELLICE may
hanger-on of the Whigs, and by have recollected this circum-
all the pretended Reformers in stance, when he was being sa-
the kingdom. Those who did not luted, by his constituents, with
dare do it openly, worked for him paving stones; or should this trait
in secret, and under-handedly. of pure Whigism never have
The case was very different at the obtruded itself upon his recollec-
late contest. Mr. COBBETT was tion, perhaps he may call to mind
to be tricked out of his election, his address to the "Rich Ruf-
at another place; and it being fians," at the close of the elec-
matter of little or no consequence tion, in which he congratulated
whether Mr. ELLICE were re- himself and them, upon having
turned or not, he was left to shift
for himself. If Mr. Ellice had An implicit reliance on news-
joined Mr. СоBBETT, instead of paper intelligence has never been
choosing that very worthy per- on the catalogue of Mr. Cов-

"beaten SEDITION."

1

BETT's failings, therefore he does not quite believe the fact of Mr. ELLICE having told a Cobbettite, (during the heat of his late violent contest at Coventry,) that he " earnestly desired to see Mr. " COBBETT in Parliament; and " that should money be wanted "to secure so desirable an ob"ject, his (Mr. ELLICE's) purse "should be unstrung." - Mr. COBBETT needed not this, to confirm him in his opinion of Mr. ELLICE'S sincerity.

The people of Coventry may not have gained muck in their change of Members; but they, as well as Mr. СоввETT, derive some comfort in reflecting, that, at all events, they are no worse off than they were before.

London, June 23, 1826.

PROTESTS TO THE MAYOR, &c.

No. VI.
To Nicholas Grimshaw, Mayor,
and to the other Returning
Officers of the Borough of
Preston, in the County of Lan-

caster.

The REMONSTRANCE and PROTEST of the undersigned Electors of the Borough of Preston,

Sheweth,

That the present mode of taking the poll, at the election now going on, is unlawful, partial, unjust, and manifestly tending to deprive us, or at least many of us, of our right of voting.

That we cannot at our will get to the spot appointed for polling; that we are obstructed in our passage to the poll by bars, erected by your orders, and by constables stationed by you, or kept there by your refusal to cause them to be removed; that there are four distinct avenues, or entrances, to the polling place, one allotted for the voters for each can didate; thus

That at b. b. b. b. constables, or are not introduced by the agents of police - people are stationed with the several candidates; that, at a. a. staves, to keep back all persons that a. a. are four bars, where constables

stand to keep back the voters; that | ject to prevent Mr. Cobbett, who, we the voters are admitted, through the are convinced, has a great majority bars, to the polling-box, one at a of the_votes, from being returned to time; that, the constables admit (or rather affect to admit) one voter of one of the candidates, and then one of another, and so on, until there has been one voter polled for each candidate.

That thus, even supposing the admission through the bars to be impartial, all the evils and all the injustice of the tally system still remain; that the polling is rendered so slow, that the whole of the electors can never be polled at this election; that the Candidate who has a great number of voters can poll no faster than the Candidate who has a small number, even if the admission at the bars be impartial; that, however, this admission is far from being impartial; that it is, on the contrary, flagrantly partial and most audaciously unjust; that the Mayor declared, on the 13th instant, at twenty-five minutes before eleven o'clock, that there should be separate doors of entrance for the voters of the several candidates; that application was repeatedly made to the Mayor to permit the voters to come forward as they can, in order to poll; that he refused this permission, and that, while he has, in words, denied that he authorizes a voting by turns, he sees constables, before his face, drive voters back, and insist upon voting by turns.

That it is evident to us, that all these contrivances have, for their ob

Parliament; and, therefore, we solemnly protest against these contrivances.

That we are now over-awed by a military force; that there are two bodies of horse and one of foot stationed in the town; that there is no riot in, nor any public dissatisfaction, other than that which arises from your proceedings in this election; that the Mayor has, three several, times, threatened the people with the calling in of a military force; that that force is now here, and that this completes the set of contrivances for preventing the voice of the electors from prevailing.

We, therefore, demand, that the military be sent out of the town; we protest against their presence here; and we protest against all your abovestated contrivances and proceedings.

(Signed)

John Eamer.!
John Troin.

Joseph Cussell.
Richard Bradshaw.

John Thompson.
John Dickinson.
J. A. Park.

W. P. Staines.

Joseph Parker.
John Nasmith.

Dated at Preston, this 15th
day of June, 1826.

No. VII.

PROCEEDINGS AT

PRESTON.

:

To Nicholas Grimshaw, Mayor, [From the Morning Herald, June 15.]

and to the other Returning Officers of the Borough of Preston.

The PROTEST of me, WILLIAM COBBETT, one of the Candidates at this present Election,

Sheweth,

Preston, 15th June.

Mr. Cobbett looking towards Mr. Stanley, whose face was directed towards his side of the hustings, which he appeared to be surveying through his glass "See that fellow quizzing meI'll quiz him too;" and he scoop

That you have, notwithstanding ed his hand and held it up to his

my former protests, persevered in your illegal mode of taking the poll; that you still persevere in that mode, even after my verbal protest of this

6

eye, as if to look through it at Mr. Stanley.

Mr. COBBETT - There is Mr.

morning; that, therefore, while I Stanley for you the handsome shall not, in any way whatever, either gentleman the favourite of the by bringing up men to poll, ladies of Preston, forsooth. Do or by examinations into the validity of you know what? the only thing votes, or by any other means, give in the way of favour that I heard countenance to these your illegal he received, was one of them proceedings, I hereby protest against spat on him. This is the favour them, and against any return that that the nice Mr. Stanley gets you may make as the result and from the ladies. It reminds me effect of those proceedings. of the French epigram which I have seen in the translation. It runs thus

WM. COBBETT.

Dated at the Hustings, Preston,
June 19, 1826.

"I'd excuse you, my dear, for disguising your love,

"But why did you kick me down stairs?" -(Great laughter and cheering