Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 5.djvu/11

 11 S. V. JAN. 6, 1912.]

NOTES AND QUERIES.

These years were spent by Townsend in a tornado of politics. He was one of the deputation from the City that presented the remonstrance to George III. (14 March, 1770). Two letters written by him in May, 1770, and one from Lord Chatham in reply, are printed in the ' Chatham Correspon- dence,' iii. 458-61. They bear witness to the authenticity of Beckford's speech to the King. In a speech in the House of Commons on 25 March, 1771, Townsend made a strong attack on the influence of the Princess of Wales upon the Government, and in that year he refused, on the ground of the mis- representation of the constituency of Middle- sex, to pay the land tax. His goods were consequently distrained upon to the amount of 2007. (October, 1771), and an action which he brought in the Court of King's Bench on 9 June, 1772, against the collector of the tax was unsuccessful, Lord Mansfield showing his usual timidity during the case, but obtaining from the jury a verdict against him (Gent. Mag., -x.il. 517, xlii. 291 ; ' Letters of Junius,' ed. 1812. iii. 264-8).

Townsend disliked the character of Wilkes so much that he was determined not to " have any connexion or intercourse with him," but he helped in the payment of Jack's debts (Percy Fitzgerald, ' Wilkes,' ii. 89, 109, 206-12). A fierce struggle for the Lord Mayorship took place in November, 1772. With the desire of keeping out Wilkes, two aldermen were nominated in support of the government. He and Townsend stood in the popular cause and had a great majority of the votes, Wilkes polling twenty-three more than his co- adjutor. The majority of the aldermen were not friendly to the demagogue, anc through the intrigues of another Whig alderman, Richard Oliver, the Court o Aldermen named Townsend for the office Wilkes was furious and on the nigh of Lord Mayor's Day an angry mob attacked the Guildhall in his interest. In his revenge Wilkes drew up a remonstrance couched in the most violent terms, agains the Middlesex election, and forced the un willing Townsend to present it to the King although it was known that the action woult meet with general disapproval. Towns end's portrait as Lord Mayor was painte< by Sir Joshua Reynolds in March, 177J His wife as Lady Mayoress also sat to Rey nolds (Graves and Cronin, iv. 1480, M.M.).

On 22 February, 1773, Townsend sue ceeded in passing through the Court o Aldermen a motion for short Parliaments and at the close of his year of office h

eceived the thanks of the City for his con- uct in the chair. His friends said that he was zealous and firm as the chief magistrate ; ome of his opponents accused him of brutality and haughtiness." Special llusion was made to his services on behalf f the police. The Bill which he suggested or the government of the cities of London nd Westminster provided that the magis- rates should not be nominated by the Crown, ut elected by the inhabitant householders.

In October, 1773, Wilkes was again dis- ippointed over the Lord Mayoralty. By 1 ownsend's casting vote another alderman, Frederick Bull, was preferred to him. Next r ear he was duly elected to the coveted hair by eleven votes to two, the dissen- ients being Townsend and Oliver (Wai- pole ' Journals of Reign of Geo. III., 1771-83,' . 117-18, 124-6, 163-4, 184-5, 262, 420-22). n return for a long unanimity of action Fownsend was in 1774 the chief supporter of Oliver for the representation of the City.

Townsend was an original member of the society for supporting the Bill of Rights. He was on intimate terms with Home Tooke, and they worked together in politics. Four of the friends of Tooke on his resigning his orders in the Church with a view to going to ing him, until he could be called, the sum of 100Z. a year apiece. Two out of the four were Sawbridge and Townsend (Stephens, 'John Home Tooke,' i. 163, 418; ii. 284-5). Tooke dedicated his solitary sermon to Townsend, eulogizing him for his exertions for Wilkes, " a much injured and oppressed individual," and lauding his "noble motives." On the elevation of John Dunning to the peerage, Lord Shelburne, the patron of the borough of Calne, nominated Townsend (5 April, 1782) as its representative in Parliament, and he continued its member until his death. While in Parliament he lived during the session at Shelburne House, and met within its walls many distinguished persons. His name and that of his brother Joseph Townsend, the Rector of Pewsey, frequently occur in the correspondence of the Abbe Morellet with Shelburne. The Abbe refers to his " grande chaleur," and there is a general agreement that he was violent in temper. He was resolute and determined, very tenacious of his promise, and his speeches in the House of Commons the substance of many of them will be found in the debates of Sir Henry Cavendish were full of animation, and marked by
 * he Bar agreed to enter into a bond for allow-

" great natural eloquence." It is said that a highway robbery having been committed