ar to be new
and unfounded as the law of the land, or even if any reasonable doubt
could be entertained of its legality, the attempt to forfeit the
freeholders' votes in such a manner would be highly alarming and
dangerous."

Few prophecies have been more exactly fulfilled. The House did expel Mr.
Wilkes; he did offer himself for re-election, and was re-elected; and
the minister, in consequence, moved and carried a resolution that "John
Wilkes, Esq., having been, in this session of Parliament, expelled this
House, was and is incapable of being elected a member to serve in this
present Parliament." And, in pursuance of this vote, a writ was again
issued. At the end of another month the proceeding required to be
repeated. Wilkes had again offered himself for re-election. No other
candidate had presented himself, and, in answer to an inquiry, the
under-sheriff reported that "no other candidate had been proposed but
John Wilkes, Esq., and that no elector had given or tendered his vote
for any other person." Once more the House resolved that he was
"incapable of being elected," and issued a new writ. But on this second
occasion the ministry had provided a rival candidate in the person of
the Honorable H.K. Luttrell. He was duly proposed and seconded; a poll
was taken and kept open for several days, and, as it appeared at the
close that 1143 votes had been given for Wilkes and 296 for Mr.
Luttrell, the sheriff again returned Wilkes as duly elected.

A debate of singularly angry excitement arose on the reception of this
return. Even lawyers, such as Mr. De Grey, the Attorney-general, and Sir
Fletcher Norton, who had been Attorney-general, were not ashamed to
denounce the conduct of the sheriff in returning Mr. Wilkes as "highly
improper and indecent," as "a flying in the face of a resolution of the
House of Commons;" and Sir Fletcher even ventured to advance the
proposition that, "as the Commons were acting in a judicial capacity,
their resolutions were equal to law." Lord North, too, the Chancellor of
the Exchequer, as we learn from the "Parliamentary History," "spoke
long, but chiefly to the passions. He described Mr. Wilkes and his
actions in a lively manner; showed the variety of troubles which he had
given the ministry; and that unless, by voting in Mr. Luttrell, an end
were put to this debate, the whole kingdom would be in confusion; though
he owned that he did not think that measure would put an end to the
distraction