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On the other hand, the exultation of the freemen was almost boundless on this important occafion; and they gave full vent to their refentment, in terms the most exafperating and acrimonious. They declared. openly, that they had been too long fubjected to the "infolence of office," and that now, by the powerful influence of an incomparable counfel, the clear dif cernment of an impartial jury, and the firmness of an upright and enlightened judge, they had escaped from the fangs of an unprincipled, avaricious junto, who meant to rob them and their helplefs widows and orphans, firft of the product of the furface, and then of the minerals in the bowels of their paternal inheritance, Thefe fentiments were echoed, not only in every place of public concourfe, but were conveyed in pamphlets, farcaftic lampoons, Freemen's Catechifms, Freemen's Magazines, and fuch other compofitions, highly calculated to irritate and inflame the public mind; and although the impetuofity of tumultuous commotion gradually fubiided, yet the effects of it were long felt afterwards. One prominent character, Sir Walter Blackett, in this violent ftruggle for power and domination on the one hand, and refiftance crowned with fuccefs on the other, fuffered feverely; and from the expreffions of the moft contumelious contempt which he daily experienced from the undifcriminating multitude, his mind was, no doubt, agitated with the keenest and most agonizing fenfations; which indeed were afcribed by his friends as the means of shortening his useful life. All his unceafing acts of beneficence, his courtly and winning deportment, his affability and condefcenfion,---all were forgot! and it was fuppofed, that defigning men, taking the advan

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tage of Sir Walter's popularity and love of power, by the long habit of his leading influence in the corporation, artfully placed that gentleman in the front of the conteft, and fo expofed him to the whole preffure of oppofition and popular refentment.

Another embittering circumftance befel that once defervedly popular character in the year 1774. Upon the diffolution of the parliament, Mr. Ridley refigning his feat, an oppofition took place to Sir Walter Blackett, long one of the members for Newcastle, and Sir Matthew White Ridley, who had become a candidate to fucceed his father. A number of the moft fpirited and active free burgeffes invited the honourable Conftantine John Phipps, a captain in the royal navy, and Thomas Delaval, Efq. brother of Sir John (now Lord) Delaval, to ftand candidates for the reprefentation of Newcastle in Parliament. Sir Walter once more took the field, and, accompanied by the young baronet, Sir Matthew, fecured in their canvass a great majority of voters, who completely triumphed over their competitors. Yet this victory was not obtained by Sir Walter without being hourly expofed to all the virulence of the most rancorous oppofition, and terms of the moft marked and infufferable contempt. On this occafion, and in the ferment of popular commotion, the affair of the Town-moor was not forgot. That veteran in electioneering bufinefs had the mortification to fee many burgeffes under the banners of the popular candidates whom he little expected, and fome of whom he had ferved in the moft fubftantial manner. To confummate his chagrin, he found it was the general with that he fhould decline the conteft, and refign the reprefentation into younger and more vi

gorous

gorous hands; and however attached the great body of the burgeffes were to his interefts, yet he perceived that a figh of regret escaped from their breasts upon the event of their being deprived of the opportunity of having fo able a representative as captain Phipps joined with Sir Matthew White Ridley, the two gentlemen whom all parties fecretly wifhed in the representation; nor could the burgeffes of Newcaftle have poffibly made a better and more fuitable choice. Both gentlemen young, popular, of graceful figures, and well connected. The former, captain Phipps, of high birth, and a fplendid fortune, of the most confummate profeffional knowledge in maritime affairs, and who on all occafions during his canvass, and upon the huftings, declared his warmeft attachment to the best interests of Newcastle, and especially to the improvement of the river Tyne, which be confidered as being capable of becoming one of the finest rivers in the world, but which IGNORANCE, INATTENTION, and AVARICE, had converted into what be called "A CURSED HORSE-POND!" That, fhould he have the fupreme felicity of being elected their representative, he would exert all his influence with the admiralty, to whom he was perfonally known, to protect, cherish, and aggrandize the important and numerous branches of trade on the river Tyne.These profeffions the candid and intelligent part of the burgeffes were fully convinced he would realize, and therefore the lofs of having fuch a representative as captain Phipps excited in them the livelieft fenfations of painful regret.

The other gentleman, Sir Matthew White Ridley, was in the vigour and bloom of youth, formed under a father who knew all the forms of parliamentary

business,

bufinefs, and who himself knew all the interefts of the corporation, was deeply concerned in the most fubftantial branches of their trade; was of an independent spirit, and could exprefs his fentiments with firmness and animation, which he has realized in his whole parliamentary conduct, while he daily rifes in the esteem and affection of his conftituents.

Such was the refult of the folemn trial refpecting the Town-moor, with fome of the advantageous effects that have accrued, or may ftill follow, in confequence of the clear and explicit act of parliament, that has precluded the poffibility of future disputes on that important branch of the franchises of the Newcastle burgeffes. We have intentionally been the more full upon this, as, from the rapid progress which agriculture is making, in every part of the kingdom, the fame fpirit may ftimulate the committee empowered to let and cultivate this large piece of ground, and fo raise its value threefold to what it has ever yet been. And while this numerous body see some of their privileges, which they accounted exclufive, daily frittering away, they may with confidence look to the fruits of the improvement of the Town-moor, as a fubftantial refource to themselves in advanced life, and to their widows and orphans, when they themselves fhall have ceafed to act upon the ftage of human affairs.

From curforily taking a view of the ftreets and private buildings; and having traced the outlines or boundaries of the lands and property of the freemen of Newcastle, of more extent and value than that poffeffed by any other fingle town or corporation in the kingdom, London alone excepted; we shall now proceed to defcribe the public buildings.

PUBLIC BUILDINGS.

THE CASTLE;

In this large emporium of trade, adorned with spacious ftreets, and numerous elegant buildings, the eye of humanity is pained to behold, nearly in its centre, the remains of a once formidable fortress, now a loathfome gaol for the county prifoners; on its walls a large prison, and in its precincts the gallows !— Whether exemplary punishment is neceffary, or to be preferred to exemplary reformation, in this place we muft not discuss; but we would ask merely, Whether the world can be better warned by a body in gibbets, or even the fufpenfion till death of a fellow-being, than by the active virtues of a once misguided, but now enlightened understanding? The gibbet will remain an object of terror to the traveller, who dreads being robbed and murdered, but an incitement to despair in the mind of the murderer! Experience indeed proves the truth of the affirmative. In many of the prisons of America, (Philadelphia, &c.) where capital punishment is entirely done away, and those confined made to work, or no food given them, a ca pital crime is rarely to be met with. In England, and fome neighbouring countries, where punishment is so very frequently had recourfe to, crime increases in proportion to the increase of feverity. The end proposed in punishment, we will only add, ought to be, the correction of the guilty, and fhould include the means of amendment.

The

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