338 THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



" But the taxes ! " says a careworn elector, the father of 

 eleven children. 



" I have an answer for you" said our hero, " in a few 

 words. Without taxes you could have no protection, be- 

 cause you could have no Government ; and with reflecting 

 persons, the opportunities afforded to them to rise in the 

 world, in a country whose revenue is so large as ours, are 

 fully equivalent to all they pay. But as to the system of 

 their distribution, complaints will ever be made against it, 

 inasmuch as people are apt to imagine that official duty is 

 never honestly performed but by virtues and abilities 

 above humanity. Now, as you have pressed me to deliver 

 my sentiments, I will tell you what I consider to be the 

 duty of every public man in these times, whether in Parlia- 

 ment or out. He should lend all the aid in his power to 

 preserve the essentials of the British constitution, yielding 

 to such changes only as are by no means likely to put its 

 safety to the hazard ; to repress, as much as possible, that 

 violent propensity to confusion and anarchy which secretly, 

 if not openly, agitates the ignorant and discontented ; to 

 soothe the querulous, and encourage the timid, and dis- 

 appoint and undeceive the daring and ill-intentioned ; to 

 guard every man's right, by showing that no claims are 

 paramount to justice ; and, lastly, to establish the security 

 of property by encouraging all classes in its defence, and 

 impressing on the public mind this great truth, that life 

 is no longer valuable to any man than whilst he continues 

 in the sure and peaceable possession of what he has a right 

 to call his own." 



" Bravo, Eaby ! " shouted at least half of those who heard 

 him. 



From the commencement of the foregoing address, it is 

 apparent that our hero was by no means anxious for the 

 honour that now awaited him, since he was very sparing 

 of his professions, and indeed, even of his words, until the 

 spur was applied to him. But neither professions nor 

 words were wanting ; neither the purse of the sugar- 

 baker, nor his humour, could avail against the deeply- 

 rooted interest of Sir Richard Hartley, who, in addition 

 to owning nearly half of the borough, spent 4000 a year 

 in it ; and at the end of the third day's poll, our hero 

 was left to walk over the course, and, consequently, at no 

 heavy expense. 



The visit to Sir Richard a very good kind of man in 



