Wesley Corpus

my sentiments on this motion. “I am sure, my Lords, many of you must remember, from your reading and experience, several persons expelled the House of Commons, without ever this House once pretending: to interfere or call in question by what authority they did so I remember several myself;” (here his Lordship quoted several cases;) “in all which, though most of the candidates were sure to be re-chosen, they never once applied, resting contented with the expulsatory power of the House, as the. only self-sufficient, dernier resort of application. “It has been echoed on all sides, from the partisans of this motion, that the House of Commons acted illegally, in accept ing Colonel Luttrel, who had but two hundred and ninety six votes, in preference to Mr. Wilkes, who had one thousand. one hundred and forty-three. But this is a mistake of the grossest nature imaginable, and which nothing but the intem-. perature of people's zeal could possibly transport them to, as Mr. Wilkes had been previously considered by the laws as an unqualified person to represent the people in Parliament;. therefore it appears very plainly, that Colonel Luttrel had a. very great majority, not less than two hundred and ninety six, Mr. Wilkes being considered as nobody in the eye of the law; consequently, Colonel Luttrel had no legal opposition. “In all contested elections, where one of the parties think themselves not legally treated, I should be glad to know to. whom it is they resort? Is it to the freeholders of the borough or the county they would represent? Or is it to the people at large? Who cannot see at once the absurdity of such a ques tion? Who so ignorant of our laws, that cannot immediately reply and say, ‘It is the House of Commons who are the only judges to determine every nicety of the laws of election; and from whom there is no appeal, after they have once given their determination?’ All the freeholder has to do is to determine on his object, by giving him his vote; the ultimate power lies. with the House of Commons, who is to judge of his being a legal object of representation in the several branches of his qualifications.