CO A LETTER FROM A F R I E.N D 1,K r * TO A Gentleman in L 0 N DO N. CONCERNING pThe Ele&ion of Burgeffes (ot the enfiiing Parli t ame : nt ? f % jMi_n ___'__'< «•>'-'- ¦. '-'rur — ¦' . ' T'liV'iiiif'ir Sl*L, ' . ¦ i ~. I Have yours of the id. of this Month, and find you are Big with Expectation what the Iffue of our prolong d Election will be. In. purfuance of your requefl:, as well for prevent ing all falfe Reports, as for your own private Satisfaction : I do hereby give you the true, impartial and juft Account of the whole Series ©four Election for this Town 3 which Was on Saturday the 6th of September , 1 679. That day there was a very great Appea rance in tlie Town of Gentlemen of Quality on botK fides, long Expecting the Summons ofthe Mayor to the Hall, till near Ele ven a Clock, his Proclamation being for 8. lTi£ Candidates for our Election were Sir J. Stonehoufe of <^*<%,and MJ)uncb of fufc% ^livtqi* The General Cry of the Town was a Duncb^Duncb j tut the A&yor not being willing to determin the Election by View,the Poll was granted, which lafted 3 hours or more, tlie 'Voices on Sit J, his fide were 171 ; OriM Bunch's fide 297, trie Majority, ' 126. On the Ck>fe of the-Poll the Court was adjourned till 5 a ir A: -"" ¦'-"• Clock t*1 Clock in the Afternoon, about which time the Mayor and his Brethren met in the Councel-Cn amber to debate the Election ; they Were\eFfW([o^ Queries, being altogether ignorant of the Conftajit prais delay M^deftly judged, by J indifferent, fbber perfons on trie One fideV i'6 increafe the Expence and Charge" of the faid M. TtuMfad o'n the other hand to Difingage his Party from him ;To tnflan'ce yoll iii a feW particulars, Three CohfixlerablePferions in the Corporation, tor at leaft fo reputed) took a Lift of all thofe Peflons names' that Were Tenants to the Town or Hoipital/and foiT^¥evV. (^a'ys before the Election went to them feverallV in the Name ofthe Mayor, Bayiiffs and Burgeffes, denting them to Vote for Sir 1. promifiug them great Immunities, if they would, and -withal tprVatning them feverely if they would hot^Afrd tolql them, That they fliould be railed in their, Fines, and taxed at -greater Rates then they'Were before, and to fome faid/ They fhould never renew their Leafes any more. . But finding this hook not tb'iake, they refolve on Harftrer Terms, and Interro- rem they arreft and Imprifdh feveral that they knew would Vote for Mr. Duncb upon divers presences, fome the Mayor pretended disfobeyed f 3] difobeyed his Authority, though I hear little or no reafon for it. Others for Old Dormant and Inconfiderable Debts, due to the Corporation ; but obferved, not one, of the many Debtors that protriifed to Vote for Sir J. though more in number, and far more Cohficferable fummes due from them,were in the leaft mo- lefted. But for Brevity fake I fhall now return to the Poll, where it was Obferved, that one Cavelling Perfon made it his bufinefs to Quere almoft all SM. 'Punch's Voices, and being asked why he would offer to Quere fuch and fuch Credible and fubftan- tial Perfons, he Anfwered, He would Quere them for Luck fake, out of oppofition, and for their own Advantage : Which in truth was a Bold Affertion of their Paflionate Speeches given out by fome of theni Long before the Election, That if M. Duncb had too Voices and Sir J. but 6, they Were refolved to return Sir J. not knowing but that Thirteen might be more then One and Twenty, and thereby Prejudging the Juftice ofthe next Parlia ment. About & at night of the Election-Day M Duncb, with fome "of his Friends, went to the Mayor then in Councel with his Brethren, to demand a Return according to Law, finding the Majority on his.Poll : -The Mayor Adjourned his Anfwer till Monday Morhtrig, on which Day M. Dunchczme into our Town aga.my «,^tfnup