On the other hand, the exultation of the freemen was almost boundless on this important occafion; and they gave full vent to their resentment, in terms the most exafperating and acrimonious. They declared openly, that they had been too long subjected to the "infolence of office," and that now, by the powerful influence of an incomparable counsel, the clear difcernment 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 helpless widows and orphans, first of the product of the surface, and then of the minerals in the bowels of their paternal inheritance. These sentiments were echoed, not only in every place of public concourse, but were conveyed in pamphlets, sarcastic lampoons, Freemen's Catechisms, 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 struggle for power and domination on the one hand, and resistance crowned with fuccess on the other, fuffered severely; and from the expreffions of the most contumelious contempt which he daily experienced from the undiscriminating multitude, his mind was, no doubt, agitated with the keenest and most agonizing sensations; which indeed were ascribed by his friends as the means of shortening his useful life. All his unceasing acts of beneficence, his courtly and winning deportment, his affability and condescension,---all were forgot! and it was supposed, that designing men, taking the advantage

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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 contest, and so exposed him to the whole preffure of oppofition and popular resentment.

Another embittering circumstance befel that once deservedly popular character in the year 1774. Upon the diffolution of the parliament, Mr. Ridley resigning 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 succeed his father. A number of the most spirited and active free burgesses invited the honourable Constantine John Phipps, a captain in the royal navy, and Thomas Delaval, Esq. brother of Sir John (now Lord) Delaval, to stand 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 exposed to all the virulence of the most rancorous oppofition, and terms of the most marked and insufferable contempt. On this occafion, and in the ferment of popular commotion, the affair of the Town-moor was not forgot. That veteran in electioneering business had the mortification to fee many burgesses under the banners of the popular candidates whom he little expected, and some of whom he had ferved in the most substantial manner. To confummate his chagrin, he found it was the general wish that he should decline the conteft, and refign the representation into younger and more vigorous

gorous hands; and however attached the great body of the burgesses were to his interests, yet he perceived that a figh of regret escaped from their breasts upon the event of their being deprived of the opportunity of having so able a representative as captain Phipps joined with Sir Matthew White Ridley, the two gentlemen whom all parties secretly wished in the representation; nor could the burgesses of Newcastle have poffibly made a better and more suitable choice. Both gentlemen young, popular, of graceful figures, and well connected. The former, captain Phipps, of high birth, and a splendid fortune, of the most confummate professional knowledge in maritime affairs, and who on all occafions during his canvass, and upon the hustings, declared his warmest 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, should he have the fupreme felicity of being elected their representative, he would exert all his influence with the admiralty, to whom he was personally 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 burgesses were fully convinced he would realize, and therefore the loss of having fuch a representative as captain Phipps excited in them the liveliest sensations 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, business, and who himself knew all the interests of the corporation, was deeply concerned in the most subitantial branches of their trade; was of an independent spirit, and could express his sentiments with firmness and animation, which he has realized in his whole parliamentary conduct, while he daily rises in the esteem and affection of his constituents.

Such was the result of the folemn trial respecting the Town-moor, with some of the advantageous effects that have accrued, or may still follow, in consequence of the clear and explicit act of parliament, that has precluded the possibility of future disputes on that important branch of the franchises of the Newcastle burgesses. We have intentionally been the more full upon this, as, from the rapid progrefs which agriculture is making, in every part of the kingdom, the same spirit may stimulate the committee empowered to let and cultivate this large piece of ground, and so raise its value threefold to what it has ever yet been. And while this numerous body fee some of their privileges, which they accounted exclusive, daily frittering away, they may with confidence look to the fruits of the improvement of the Town-moor, as a substantial resource to themselves in advanced life, and to their widows and orphans, when they themselves shall have ceased to act upon the stage of human affairs.

From curforily taking a view of the streets 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 possessed by any other single town or corporation in the kingdom, London alone excepted; we shall now proceed to describe the public buildings.

PUBLIC BUILDINGS.

THE CASTLE:

In this large emporium of trade, adorned with spacious streets, 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 prisoners; on its walls a large prison, and in its precincts the gallows !Whether exemplary punishment is necessary, or to be preferred to exemplary reformation, in this place we must not discuss; but we would ask merely, Whether the world can be better warned by a body in gibbets, or even the suspension 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 prifons 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 some neighbouring countries, where punishment is so very frequently had recourse to, crime increases in proportion to the increase of severity. The end proposed in punishment, we will only add, ought to be, the correction of the guilty, and should include the means of amendment.

The