ns; and the Duke of Cambridge
himself informed the Queen of it. She was in such a rage that the
spasm was brought on, and she was very near dying.

[Page Head: A GENERAL ELECTION.]

June 24th, 1818 {p.003}

The elections are carried on with great violence, and every day
we hear of fresh contests being in agitation. The disgraceful
scenes which have taken place in Westminster excite universal
shame and indignation. The mob seem to have shaken off the
feelings and the usual character of Englishmen, and in the brutal
attacks which they have made on Captain Maxwell have displayed
the savage ferocity which marked the mobs of Paris in the worst
times. He has been so much hurt that his life is now in danger.
Sir F. Burdett told me this morning that as soon as he was at the
head of the poll he thought he should appear upon the hustings
and thank the people for having raised him thus high. It is
supposed that Burdett has laid out L10,000. on this election,
though his friends do not acknowledge that he has spent anything.
It is clear that the open houses, cockades, and bands of music we
have seen these three days were not procured for nothing.

Lord Castlereagh went to the hustings, and voted for Sir Murray
Maxwell; he was hooted, pelted, and got off with some difficulty.
His Lordship's judgment was not very conspicuous on this
occasion; both Sir Murray's friends and enemies are of opinion
that Lord Castlereagh's vote did him a great deal of harm and
turned many men against him. The severest contests will be in
Wiltshire, Herefordshire, Devonshire, and Lincolnshire. The
elections are going against Government generally; in London
particularly, as the Ministers lose one seat in the Borough and
two in the City. This last election is the most unexpected of
all. Curtis has been member for twenty-eight years, and has been
used to come in very high on the poll. On this occasion the
contest between him and Alderman Thorpe was severe, but Curtis
would have carried it had not Wood and Waithman coalesced with
Thorpe the last day, and thrown their spare votes over to him;
this determined the election in his favour.[5]

[5] [Sir William Curtis was the Ministerial candidate in
the City of London; he was thrown out, and Messrs.
Wood, Waithman, Wilson, and Thorpe were returned.]

June 30th, 1818 {p.004}

There was an affray yesterday afternoon in Covent Garden. Sir
Murray Maxwell's people paraded about a