the sweets of office, and "had borne their blushing honors full upon them" for so brief a space of time. The election of Mr. Aldrich, as bailiff, would become null and void, and the charter was in danger of being lost. "The charter in danger" became the watch-word of alarm amongst the freemen at large, and both parties accused each other of this dreaded event; but which, we think, is devoutly to be wished, for the affairs of the borough cannot be easily legalised till it actually does take place.

July 5th, 1824. A meeting of the friends of the yellow party, to commemorate the return of their representatives, was held at the old assembly-room, at which Mr. Lennard presided; and a resolute determination to retain their preeminence was the general feeling of the company.

September 8th. The yellows had made great efforts to carry the election for bailiffs. The London voters on their side had been brought down, and both the members personally attended. But, on the presumption that Mr. Aldrich's election would be declared illegal, the blues offered no opposition, and Mr. Seekamp and Mr. C. C. Hammond were chosen bailiffs, and Mr. Notcutt town clerk, amidst much clamour and confusion. At a great court held a few days afterwards, much warmth and recrimination took place respecting leases and mortgages; but the business was afterwards explained by a public advertisement, in a very satisfactory manner.

September 29th. The minor officers of the corporation were elected by the yellows, without opposition. Each party had a public dinner; where their respective friends mustered in great numerical strength. The yellows, as an extraordinary circumstance, proposed the health of the premier, Mr. Canning; and the blues were in high spirits, and seemed fully prepared for a contest at the ensuing general election.

November 13th. In the Court of King's Bench, the King v. Sir William Middleton, bart., and Stephen Abbott Notcutt, gent. This was a rule calling on the defendants to shew cause why an information, in the nature of a quo warranto, should not be exhibited against them, for illegally assuming to be portmen of Ipswich. The rule was made absolute, and those gentlemen were obliged to disclaim and be discharged from the office of portmen. On Saturday, also, the Attorney General moved for quo warranto informations against the then bailiffs and town clerk, by their own consent. Judgment had been signed against all the honorary freemen.

Thus absurdly do our fellow-townsmen suffer the lawyers to fatten on the feuds of the corporation, and remain as far from legalising their transactions as they were before they had expended their money.

December 27th. A meeting of the committee of the County of Suffolk Shipwreck Association was held at the Great White Horse, Ipswich; when it was satisfactorily stated that a very considerable fund had been raised, and many resolutions were passed to further the intentions of this praiseworthy and excellent institution.

June, 1825. The late bailiffs having disclaimed, the town was left under the jurisdiction of the two remaining portmen, till a new election could be made, under a writ of mandamus lately issued. An assembly of the burgesses took place July 21st, on the town hall, at which William Batley, esq., the only good bailiff, presided. He stated that this assembly was held in obedience to the writ of mandamus, for the purpose of electing two bailiffs to serve for the remainder of the year, till the 29th day of September next; and that he had no doubt but that such persons returned this day, would be legally and validly elected; when Mr. Seekamp and Mr. Hammond were rechosen, without opposition.

The statute made in the ninth year of Queen Anne, ch. 20, respecting the election of bailiffs and mayors acting as returning officers, expressly states, "That no person or persons who hath been in such annual office for one whole year, shall be capable to be chosen into the same office, for the year immmediately ensuing." Nevertheless, on the 8th of September, the then bailiffs and town clerk started again as candidates, and a protest was entered against them, signed by several freemen, upon the ground that the bailiffs ought, by the charter, to be chosen annually, and that they were incompetent, as returning officers, to elect themselves; however, they were returned by the following majority, as appeared at the close of the poll:

Great exultation arose amongst the yellows, who now considered themselves securely seated in power, and that the independence of the borough was at length completed. The blues contended that their discomfiture arose from some vacillation in their committee that occasioned a misunderstanding amongst the voters, and which they were determined to avoid on another occasion. All the minor offices were filled by the yellows, on the 29th, without opposition. Each party had their public dinner, and each declared themselves prepared for a contest at the ensuing general election.

December, 1825. At this time of general panic, the inhabitants of this town promptly entered into an agreement to support the banks, and to give them their entire confidence and credit; which saved them from a run, and enabled them both to remain firm and secure.

April 29th, 1826. In the papers of this day, Mr. Lennard announced his intention of resigning the honour of representing Ipswich in another parliament, and Colonel R. Torrens declared his wish to be returned, as member, with Mr. Haldimand-who says, in his address, that "he shall be proud and happy to take Colonel Torrens by the hand." And, no doubt, they expected to walk quietly over the course. But, on the 27th of May, Charles Mackinnon and Robert Adam Dundas, esqrs, announced their joint intention of entering the field in the blue interest. The busy note of preparation was now heard on either side; and, on Monday, June 12th, the election commenced.

This contest was disputed with the most determined pertinacity, for six days; and, on the first day, the yellows took the lead by a majority of twenty-two, and kept a-head till the final close of the poll, on the Friday afternoon, at three o'clock; when the returning officers declared the numbers to be as follow, and that Mr. Haldimand and Colonel Torrens were duly elected :

But there were six men who had been occasionally employed in the Customs, as glutmen, as they are calledin reality, temporary labourers when a press of business happens-seven men employed in the preventive service, and three others, whose votes were rejected by the returning officers; who, altogether, rejected sixteen votes that were tendered for Messrs. Mackinnon and Dundas, which, had they been accepted, would have turned the scale in favour of the blues. Upon this and other grounds, a petition was presented to parliament, to eject the members returned; which was done by the decision of the House of Commons, February 23rd, 1827.

On Tuesday, June 20th, 1826, the election of members for the county took place at Ipswich; when Sir Thomas S. Gooch, bart. and Sir William Rowley, bart. were chosen without opposition.

September 8th. At this time, some of the leaders of both parties had agreed to a compromise, and that one blue and one yellow should be proposed for the office of bailiff; that the present town clerk should remain for the ensuing year, and that a blue town clerk should be chosen the year after. This plan, it was thought, would put an end to dissension, and settle all disputes; but it would be as easy to still the waves of the ocean, as to calm the turbulence of party spirit, or silence the voices of Ipswich freemen: for when Mr. Hammond was proposed as bailiff, by the yellows, and Mr. Batley by the blues, and Mr. S. Notcutt to remain as town clerk, the blues proposed J. C. Cobbold, esq. and William Lane, esq. as bailiffs, and Mr. Charles Gross as town clerk. This was done by a party of the blues acting in opposition to those of their leaders, who wished for a compromise. Mr. Jackaman was proposed as town clerk, by Mr. Denny, in the blue interest, and Mr. George Gooding, by Mr. R. King, as bailiff in the yellow interest; but Mr. Jackaman, finding the tide of popular opinion against him, in about half an hour withdrew his name. A poll being demanded, the numbers were, for

It was observed, at the conclusion of this contest, that the blues had carried the election by such an overwhelming majority, that it must be considered as a death blow