62 CONTESTED ELECTION. [1812. 



who polled against us crying out to us that their 

 hearts were with us, but they dared not. The start- 

 ing two, inflamed and combined our adversaries, and 

 made the two parties (Corporation and Tories), with a 

 large secession from the "Whigs, unite against us. The 

 miracle is our having made such a fight ; and they look 

 gloomy on their own victory, because they know to 

 what they owe it. 



" You can have no idea of the nature of a Liverpool 

 election ; it is quite peculiar to the place. You have 

 every night to go to the different clubs, benefit socie- 

 ties, &c., which meet and speechify. This is from 

 half-past six to one in the morning at least ; and you 

 have to speak to each man who polls, at the bar, from 

 ten to Jive. It lasted eight days. I began my canvass 

 three whole days before, and had nine nights of the 

 clubs, besides a regular speech each day at close 

 of the poll. I delivered in that time 160 speeches 

 and odd ; and yesterday and to-day, after being beaten, 

 I rallied, and delivered regular speeches to the whole 

 multitude. I had to close with one above an hour 

 long, so you may guess how exhausted I am, especially 

 as I never saw a popular election before, and knew 

 nothing of it. 



" The exploits of the Whigs were my chief subjects, 

 and I flatter myself I have done much to reclaim the 

 people there. Yesterday I preached on Pitt's conduct 

 and immorality, which was prodigiously well received ; 

 and to-day I concluded with a long profession of ad- 

 herence to Fox and his friends, with reasons, &c., which 

 was far better taken than I had expected by the 

 people ; indeed, perfectly well received, and most ex- 

 tremely well by the upper classes. These two things, 



