The popular interest excited by the Westminster contest generally seemed to make that election the most prominent in every appeal to the country. On the dissolution of parliament, April 28, 1741, when the fate of Walpole’s Administration was known to depend upon the aggregate return of his nominees, the ministers expected to bring in their friends who had previously sat for Westminster; the first great opposition to the Government had its rise there, where the Court was supposed to possess an unbounded influence. In the “Memoirs of Sir Robert Walpole” the circumstances of the contest are thus summarized:—
“The representatives in the last Parliament were Sir Charles Wager, First Lord of the Admiralty; and Lord Sundon, a Lord of the Treasury; and it was supposed they would have been rechosen, as usual, without opposition. But Lord Sundon was very unpopular; he had been raised from a low condition to an Irish Peerage through the interest of his wife, who had been favourite bed-chamber woman to Queen Catherine, wife of George II. The other candidate, Sir Charles Wager, was unexceptionable, both in his public and private character; but his attachment to the Minister was a sufficient objection. Some electors of Westminster proposed, very unexpectedly, Admiral Vernon, then in the height of his popularity, and Charles Edwin, a private gentleman of considerable fortune. The opposition, at first despised, became formidable; and Sir Charles Wager being summoned to convoy the King to Holland, the management of the election was entrusted to ignorant vestrymen and violent justices. The majority of the electors were decidedly in favour of the Ministerial candidate; but Lord Sundon was imprudently advised to close the poll, to order a party of Guards to attend, and, while the military power surrounded the hustings, the High Bailiff returned him and Sir Charles Wager. This imprudent conduct highly exasperated the populace, the Guards were insulted, Sundon was attacked, and narrowly escaped with life. The example of the opposition at Westminster diffused a general spirit throughout the kingdom, and violent contests were excited in all quarters. Large sums of money for supporting the expenses were subscribed by Pulteney, the Duchess of Marlborough, and the Prince of Wales, who contracted great debts on this memorable occasion, and the managers of the opposition employed this money with great advantage.”
This account, by W. Coxe, epitomizes the situation. George (Bubb) Dodington was active on this occasion, directing the manœuvres of the Leicester House faction, on behalf of the heir to the throne, in opposition to the ministers of his father, the king. Naturally the view taken by Walpole’s biographer is favourable to that minister, who was at this time looked upon as the under-hand enemy of his country. He was accused of favouring Spain and France; and the taking of Porto Bello by Admiral Vernon, which was not, after all, a brilliant affair, but chiefly due to the cowardice of its defenders, was regarded as quite as much of a victory over the prime minister as over England’s foes. These sentiments characterize the spirit abroad on the Westminster contest of 1741, which gave rise to many songs, broadsides, and pictorial satires uniformly unfavourable to the minister and his adherents.
The kind of influence or coercion brought to bear is described in an “Address to the Independent and Worthy Electors,” which was issued by the “patriotic party,” May 5th:—
“Notwithstanding the extraordinary methods used by some of the Burgesses of the Westminster Court, the select vestries of several of the parishes, and the High Constable; who has in his own name, and by his own power, taken upon him to summon the inhabitants to give their Poll against Admiral Vernon and Mr. Edwin; we have been already so successful in our endeavours to retrieve the independency of this City and Liberty, in the Election for the next Parliament, that the old members have but a very inconsiderable majority (if any) of Good Votes against
The Glorious Admiral Vernon, And Charles Edwin, Esq.,
who stand upon the Country Interest.
Therefore, Gentlemen, now is the time for completing what we have so successfully begun; since it is certain that almost the whole of the Interest on the other side is already near poll’d, and not one-fourth of ours. And considering the great and perhaps decisive turn that the Election of this City and Liberty may give to the Elections all over the kingdom, it is hoped that no man who has a regard for the Liberties of his Country, and the Independency of Parliament, will lie by or remain neuter upon this occasion.
Therefore your Votes and Interest in favour of
Admiral Vernon, and Charles Edwin, Esq.,
who have no other views than the good of their country and the prosperity of this ancient City and Liberty.”
The contest thus stood: the king, Duke of Cumberland, and the ministers,—with all their patronage, but overburdened with unpopularity, especially as regarded certain acts touching the navy, the standing army, and excise and other new taxes disliked by most,—supporting candidates looked upon with disfavour, on the one side; opposed by the Prince of Wales and his active friends of the “patriotic party,” with a popular naval commander and “a friend of his country” as candidates, and the voice of the multitude, on the other; the arena being the hustings at Covent Garden, supposed to be regarded expectantly by all the constituencies in the country.
TO THE INDEPENDENT ELECTORS OF WESTMINSTER. VERNON AND EDWIN. 1741.
[Page 97.
A pictorial version of the scene of the Westminster Election, 1741, dedicated “to the brave Admiral Vernon and his worthy colleague, Charles Edwin, Esq.,” appeared with a copy of verses “To the Independent and Worthy Electors of this Ancient City of Westminster.” The candidates are exhibited before the front of Covent Garden Church; in the pediment is shown a dial, with the motto which at that time caught the eye of the moving crowd, “So Passes Ye Glory of Ye World.” Seated at a table in the portico beneath, are the poll clerks, with the returning officer casting up the votes: one clerk is directing a list to be set down in the “Poll Book” for “Vernon and Edwin;” while the representative of the other side says, “Few for my Lord.” Vernon’s ships, and the benefit of increased commerce in the shape of bales of merchandise, are shown in the distance; the favoured admiral himself, with laced cocked hat and a staff in his right hand, is declaring, “For the Glory of Britain, down with the Spaniards.” In front of the platform, and next the popular favourite, stands Charles Edwin, who is declaring his sentiments to be for “My King and my Country.” The candidates of the opposition are received with enthusiasm: “Vernon for ever, no dribbers here;” “Edwin at home, Vernon abroad,” is shouted by the persons to the left of the picture. The results of the election were undetermined when this engraving appeared, so the engraver has anticipated the ultimate results of the petition, and made the ministerial candidates unsuccessful. Sir Charles Wager, in a dejected state, is exclaiming, “I don’t know where to put up next.” Lord Sundon, represented as a mere “fribble,” is in conference with Justice De Veil, who had a large share in the control of the Westminster election, and being in the Government pay and a powerful partisan, was, together with the returning officer, on these accounts the object of popular indignation. Lord Sundon is declaring for “The Excise and another place:” the duties on “cyder” and fermented liquors gave extreme offence to the multitude. The magistrate is made to exclaim, “I, Justice De Veil, say so, and will justify it.” The good folks on the right are hissing, and crying, “No pensioners!” A female is pronouncing for the gallant admiral, “Vernon among the women to a man;” and a voter is denouncing “Spithead Lights,”—in reference to the reviews and home displays of the Admiralty, represented by Sir Charles Wager.