It was at the Westminster election of 1806 that the excitement culminated. This long and expensive contest was fruitful in incidents. Gillray has produced the most characteristic “View of the Hustings in Covent Garden.” At the time this version appeared, Paull was at the head of the poll; he is shown vigorously denouncing his discomfited antagonist—“Harlequin Sherry” as “the sunk, the lost, the degraded treasurer.” Immediately behind Paull is the Duke of Northumberland, whose son, Lord Percy, had relinquished Westminster after representing it in parliament for one session, that immediately following Fox’s decease; the Duke has “No Coalition” inscribed on his hat, and a “Letter to the Vestry of St. Margaret’s” in his hand. Cobbett, Burdett, and Bosville, wearing favours for Paull, are in the front ranks of his supporters. Sheridan, exhorted to “Pay your Debts, Mr. Treasurer,” is represented as filled with consternation; Whitbread is vainly trying to rally his spirits with his “New Loyal Porter;” Sir Samuel Hood is seemingly ashamed of his colleague, and is chuckling over his confusion. The exchange of personalities between Paull and Sheridan, who was assisted by the notorious “Pickle,” his son Tom, exceeded all that had gone before, and degenerated into “Billingsgate” abuse. Sheridan, with questionable propriety, dwelt more particularly on the descent of his opponent from “tailordom,” and was waggish in allusions to the “ninth part of a man.” Paull complimented Sheridan on “his good taste,” and justified it by referring to the manager of Drury Lane as the “son of a vagabond,” actors being by Act of Parliament classed in that category. Paull was the readier at mob oratory, and Sheridan, “erst the wit of the Commons,” found the hustings a terrible penance; his appearance was the signal for violent uproar, and requests for “renters’ shares” and sums of money owing, and for which it was alleged he was liable. Painfully conscious of his familiar embarrassments, this raillery, in the presence of persons of credit and influence whose support was growing lukewarm, broke down the spirit of the veteran champion of this order of encounter. He had trusted to his well-seasoned experience in mob demonstrations, to his playful wit, apt jocularities, and sarcasms to convert the mob to good humour, and to cajole them with his popular persuasions into a friendly disposition; but he reckoned without allowing for rivalry. Besides the fluent Paull, there was one man in the crowd who fairly compelled “Sherry” to retire abashed; in vain he tried by turns ridicule and denunciation of “hireling ruffians,” the broad-faced orator in the green coat seemed stimulated by these counter-attacks. A comedy was then popular in which a dandy was repeatedly quizzed by inquiries, directed to the various portions of his apparel, of “Who suffers?” This artillery was constantly played upon Sheridan: “Sherry, I see you’ve got a new coat—who suffers?” “Sherry, who suffers for that new hat?” After this the disconcerted treasurer avoided the hustings, and his son Tom, whose cool audacity was proverbial, managed to take his place. Sheridan only gained the election through his coalition with Hood; but the shafts of Cobbett’s “porcupine quills” and the conflict of the hustings rankled in his breast. A dissolution shortly followed, and he lost his seat, which, by precipitating his financial difficulties, ingloriously finished Sheridan’s career.
The defeat of the famous Coalition Ministry of “All the Talents” upon the vexed question of Catholic Emancipation was the cause of a fresh appeal to the country early in 1807, when the followers of the late Granville Administration contested the constituencies at a disadvantage, confronted with the popular cries of “Church and King” and “No Popery.” Paull now flattered himself that his chances of being returned for Westminster were reviving, but candidates were more numerous, and Sir Francis Burdett, who was discouraged by his last experience from contesting Middlesex, was appealing to Westminster himself. Paull advertised a dinner to be held at the Crown and Anchor, and as Burdett had promised his support, and had actually gone to the length of nominating Paull, he was announced, without authority it appeared, to take the chair; this was the cause of a rupture between the prominent Radical candidates. Two days before the meeting, Burdett wrote to Paull:—
PATRIOTS DECIDING A POINT OF HONOUR; THE DUEL AT WIMBLEDON, BETWEEN SIR FRANCIS BURDETT AND JAMES PAULL. WESTMINSTER ELECTION. 1807. BY JAMES GILLRAY.
“I must say, to have my name advertised for such meetings is like ‘Such a day is to be seen the great Katterfelto,’ and this without any previous consent or application. From any one else I should regard it as an insult!”
At the dinner, it was explained by Sir Francis’s brother that Burdett had given no promise to preside; after the meeting broke up, Paull waited on his proposer, and a warm altercation ensued, when a hostile meeting was arranged to take place the next morning near Wimbledon. This duel is made the subject of a fresh satire by Gillray—“Patriots Deciding a Point of Honour! or, the Exact Representation of the Celebrated Rencontre which took place at Combe Wood on May 2nd, 1807, between Little Paull the Tailor and Sir Francis Goose.” On the field of honour, Burdett continued to be travestied as the famous “great green goose:” his letter to the electors at the Crown and Anchor is, with other political and personal publications, scattered around as the cause of the encounter; one pair of pistols is already discharged. At the second exchange of shots, which Paull demanded, as Burdett declined to apologize, both combatants were wounded, as shown in the picture. Sir Francis was highly indignant, according to the satirist’s version: “What, must I be out! and a Tailor get into Parliament?—You’re a liar! I never said that I would sit as Chairman on your Shopboard!” Paull, who is girt with a huge pair of shears sword-wise, responds, “A liar!—Sir, I’m a Tailor and a Gentleman, and I must have satisfaction.” Bellenden Kerr and Cooper, the seconds of the respective combatants, are provided with two armfuls of pistols for the emergency, which Sam Rogers described as “ending in a lame affair.”
THE POLL OF THE WESTMINSTER ELECTION, 1807. ELECTION CANDIDATES, OR THE REPUBLICAN GOOSE AT THE TOP OF THE POLL. ON THE POLL: BURDETT, COCHRANE, ELLIOTT, SHERIDAN, PAULL; BELOW ARE TEMPLE, GREY, GRANVILLE, PETTY, ETC. BY JAMES GILLRAY.
The further results of the contest are shown as the “Poll of the Westminster Election.” According to Gillray’s figurative version, Burdett, still as the goose with wounded limb, is pitchforked to the top, whence he is hissing at the Crown as the “Sun of the Constitution;” his political tutor, travestied as the Evil One, is helping his rise; Lord Cochrane, flourishing a club, marked, “Reform,” is second; Elliot, the brewer, as “Quassia,” is overset; Sheridan, in his old Harlequin suit, is slipping down, never to rise again; and Paull, with his leg damaged, has come down with a run, he having cut an insignificant figure in the polling; the members of the dismissed ministry are commemorating Burdett’s triumph with “rough music.” This version, which contains a number of portraits, is entitled—
“Election Candidates; or, the Republican Goose at the Top of the Pol(l)e—the Devil Helping Behind! vide Mr. Paull’s Letter, article Horne Tooke. Also an exact representation of Sawney M’Cockran (Lord Cochrane) flourishing the Cudgel of Naval Reform, lent him by Cobbett, and mounting triumphantly over a small Beer Barrel, together with an old Drury Lane Harlequin trying in vain to make a spring to the top of the pole, and slipping down again; and lastly, poor Little Paull, the Tailor done over! wounded by a Goose, and not a leg to stand on.” (May 20, 1807.)