"You lie!" "Who are you? damn you!" and a variety of
such terms echoed in every quarter; something of the sort soon
tingled in my ears.

On observing a dirty-looking man encouraged to swear, and not
mind _that fellow_, meaning your humble servant, I could not
refrain expressing my disgust, at hearing even invitations to a
disregard of perjury; on which, Counsellor Garrow, of Newgate
education, addressed me with, "Damn your eyes and limbs! and who
are you, who give yourself these airs?" Having made up my mind
to put a stop, _in limine_, to such mode of address, I gave him
my card, and told him we had better settle the rest of the
business elsewhere, "and immediately." He was for the first time
in his life abashed, and made excuses, which I gladly enough
accepted; observing aloud, that being incapable of using an
illiberal term, I should in similar manner _insist_ on none
being used towards me. I was afterwards treated civilly for that
place. I have mentioned the above anecdote, as characteristic of
the deportment of the blue and buff for special purpose of
clearing the hustings; and too often they succeeded, occasioning
moderate men, who did not choose to commit themselves, to
withdraw; and thus getting whole divisions of the hustings to
themselves, where they polled every beggar from the streets. The
question is not of title to vote in most cases, but of identity;
most families being at this season out of town, a rascal was
found to personate every absentee. The suborners of perjury not
regularly conferring, very many instances occur of an absentee
being represented by four or five, _all_ admitted to vote on
their mere attestation.

The petition, I understand, will be founded on bribery, as well
as other allegations of violence, and false votes. Details of
bribery advanced are numerous, and well attested; but I doubt if
it can be brought home to direct agency. The publicans, who
immediately distributed the money, whom we know, and who may
turn informers to save themselves, will probably only have to
tell us of a false name and a disguised person; however, Lord
Hood and his solicitors are more sanguine.

It is generally understood that future elections in Westminster
are to be regulated by a new statute, the heads of which are to
be: parochial polls, churchwardens an