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and the House of Commons was then occupying men's minds. 

 The question of the right of the House to apprehend any- 

 one within the jurisdiction of the Corporation without a warrant 

 signed by an Alderman made the dispute a subject of personal 

 interest to all connected with the City. Wilkes, nominated by 

 Alderman Townsend, had been returned for Middlesex. The House 

 declared him to be unseated. Repeated remonstrances on the 

 conduct of the Ministers were carried to the King by the Lord 

 Mayor and deputations of the Corpoi'ation. It was on one of 

 these occasions that Lord Mayor Beckford (father of the author 

 of "Vathek") made his memorable- reply to the King, for 

 which he was refused admittance to the Royal presence on the 

 next occasion of his carrying a remonstrance. Many sharp 

 critiques were published on the conduct of the Ministers. The 

 House of Commons took cognisance of some and ordered its 

 Serjeant-at-arms to apprehend the printers, but his power was 

 set at defiance by order of the City authorities, so that in attempting 

 to carry out his instructions he was only laughed at by the servants 

 of those whom he went to apprehend. Lord Mayor Crosby for the 

 part he took in this was committed to the Tower. Townsend was 

 one of the most active to demand his release. Townsend himself, 

 on the ground that Middlesex was improperly represented, refused 

 to pay his taxes, was summoned, the judgment was against him, 

 and a distress was laid on his goods. The City appreciated his 

 firmness, and in 1772 he was elected Lord Mayor. Among other 

 notable acts he refused to go in state to St. Paul's on the day of 

 the Commemoration of the Martyrdom of King Charles. He 

 continued to take an active part in the agitation about Wilkes' 

 return for Middlesex, and other prominent questions, and one of his 

 last public acts was a speech in the House which he made in the 

 defence of Warren Hastings. 



He had married in 1763, Miss Mary Rosa Peregrina Du Plessis, 

 only child of Heniy Hare, the last Lord Colrane of that family. 

 The manors of Tottenham Pembrokes and Bruces, of Dawbiuies 

 and Mockings in Tottenham, and some considerable property in 

 Norfolk, were left to her by her father, but as she was an alien, a 

 special Act of Parliament had to be obtained to enable her to 



