179 ^« Parliamentary Proceeding^. 29^ 



Proceedings in Parliameyif. 



HOUSE OF COMMONS, 



Weftminfter Eleftion, continued from page 264. 

 Friday, ^th February I'jqi. 

 J. HE acciiftomed ceremonies being concluded within and 

 without doors, the following names were returned as a commit- 

 tee to try the merits of the Weftminfter Elecftion, &c. 



Thomas Powys, Efq; Chairman. 

 Sir John Ingilby, Hon. John Eliot 



Mark Pringle, Efq; Lord Carysfort, 



John Pitt, Efq ; Hugh Barlow, Efq; 



Marquis of Worcefter, William Grieve, Efq; 



General Bruce, Lord Bayham, 



William Pochin, Efq: Thomas Thompfon, Efq; 



Nominees — Matthew Montague and Lord Sheffield. 

 Mr Home Tooke having waved his right of ftriking out names, 

 the fame was done by the clerk. 



Saturday, February 5. 

 The committee being aflembled, Mr Home Tooke was call- 

 ed in to open the grounds of his petition. Mr Powys the 

 Chairman defired Mr Tooke to open his cafe. 



Mr Home Tooke faid, that he was himfelf perfonally much 

 iatereftcd in the queftions that were likely to come before the 

 committee, and he was ftill more fo, on account of the 1700 

 eleftors of fVeJmin/ler who had voted for him. He obferved 

 that his petition came before the committee attended by un- 

 ufual prejudices ; he complained of the manner in which his pe- 

 tition had been treated in the Houfe. He faid, the Speaker 

 was no doubt acquainted with certain laws, rules, and orders 

 of that Houfe, relative to elections ; he thought he fliould have 

 made himfelf perfedlly matter of every law, rule, or order, that 

 had ever been made for regulating contefted eledlions. From 

 the fate of his petition, however, it would feem he had not 

 done this : he was afraid the aft which provided him with a. fa- 

 lary of^Af thou/and pounds a-year, laft SelTion of Parliament, had 

 engrofled fo much of his attention, that he had totally forgot- 

 ten all that went before. 



On this obfervation the committee room was cleared, and 



a-bout half an hour afterwards Mr Home Tooke was called in, 



Mr Povjys the chairman faid, " Mr Home Tooke, I am di- 



reftcd by the committee to inform you, that the fubjeft on 



which you have entered, is irrelevant to the matter which th9 



