JOHN WILKES

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 24, 29 January 1924, Page 13

JOHN WILKES

SERVICE TO THE NATION

HOGARTH'S "UGLY MONSTER-

PIONEER OF THE FREEDOM OF PRESS,

Since the revolution of 1688 the British Constitution was never in such danger as during the long reign of George 111. Royal prerogative began to assert itself against popular liberty. The most formidable opponent of the Crown in this contest was John Wilkes, and it was not long ere "Wilkes ais Liberty" became the popular cry. It was the strange fate of this "ugly monster," as Hogarth depicted him, to be successively a borough member of Parliament, High Sherill of Buckingham and colonel of the militia, a prisoner in the Tower, an outlaw, a prisoner again, alderman and Lord Mayor of London, sheriff, knight of the shire of Middlesex, and Chamberlain of the City. For many years his 'name was : on everybody's lips. George 111. hated'the Whigs, and was determin-' ed to persecute them. He dismissed Ministers at will.-. By standing up for personal freedom and the liberty of the Press, whep both were seriously jeopardised, Wflkes .rendered the nation a real and meritorious service. About,this time a. new newspaper, the "North Briton," appeared. It put unpleasant truths concerning the Government in the plainest language. It heaped merciless ridicule on the Ministry presided over by the Earl of Bute, a Prime .Minister who could not spell, whose chief lieutenant was Sir Francis Dash.wood, a Chancellor of the Exchequer who "could not cast up a column of figures." This audacious newcomer took a step in advance of its rivals by scorning the half-concealment of initials and printing every name, from tliat of the King downwards, in full. Great was tha wrath of the King and the Ministry, and they endeavoured to end its career bj> threatening an action for libel, which threat the proprietor turned into a convenient advertisement by informing his readers, of it. The circulation at once increased as a practical proof of the annoyance it was causing the Government. The proprietor who was so exasperating the Ministry was John Wilkes, M.P. for Aylesbury, a' man of no particular morality and a leading spirit in the "Hellfire Club," which numbered among its members many profligates of fashion. MINISTBY DENOUNCED. In the famous forty-sixth number of the North Briton" appeared an article in which the writer denounced the new Ministry headed by George Grenville as having put into the mouth of its RoyalJUaster, in the Speech from the Throne, words which were not, true, and were calculated to mislead the' public. Certain passages in the speech were quoted and criticised. The Crown held that this was an "infamous and seditious libel." Wilkes was apprehended near his home, protesting against the proceedings, claiming his privilege as, a member of Parliament, and yielding only to superior force. Brought before Lord Halifax and\Lord Egremont he assumed a very^ firm, determined tone; protested once more against- his forcible apprehension, declined to answer any questions, refused to say whether he was the author of the objectionable No. 45, professed ■ the greatest loyalty and .attachment to the Throne, .but avowed his detestation of the Ministry, and declared that he would bring the matter before Parliament' on the first day of the coming session. But he was committed to the Tower. The Secretaries of Slate desired to please the King. Wilkes told them that they were doing more than they could justify in arresting him, ' and the sequel proved that he was right! The paper they relied on as seditious certainly imputed deception to the Ministers of the King, but could hardly be said to go beyond the legal bounds of, criticism. The issuing of the general warrant was a blunder, but the Secretaries now followed, it up by a greater one. T-he house of Wilkes was searched for evidence against him, and his private papers were taken away. These proceedings naturally provoked profound indignation, and even moderate men were disposed to adopt the words of Dogberry and pronounce the seizure to, be "flat burglary as ever was commit^ ted." Meanwhile, Wilkes was detained in solitary confinement in the Tower. He applied for a writ of habeas corpus. His claim for immunity from arrest as a member of Parliament wag admitted, and heywas set free. Instituting suits for damages, he obtained a verdict for £4000 against Lord Halifax, and £1000 against Mr. Wood, the sheriff, for carrying off his papers. The whole affair cost the' Crown £100,000. By way of showing his personal animosity, the Kiijg took away from Wilkes his office of colonel in the /Bucks militia. It was an unhappy trait in.the King's character. He showed it similarly when he struck "the names of Fox and Sheridan off the roll of the Privy Council because at a meeting that had drunk the toast, "Our Sovereign—the Majesty of the People." George 111. thought nothing of the rights •of the people. Though- Wilkes had gained a signal victory in the Courts, he did not come off as well in the House of Commons, where the King was able to command a majority. By a vote of the House", No. 45 was declared to be a "scandalous and seditious libel," and was ordered to be burnt by the common hangman. The resolution pronounced that the, paper contained "expressions of the most unexampled insolence and contumely towards His Majesty, the grossest aspersions upon both Houses of Parliament, aiid the most audacious defiances of the whole Legislature." When the hangman attempted to burn the obnoxious number a mob gathered, and, amidst derisive yells, committed to the dames a jackboot (a punning symbol of the name of John, Earl of Bute, the late Prime Minister), and a petticoat as an indication of the occult influence of the Dowager Princess of Wales, whoso favourite he was. , WILKES BECOMES POPULAR. The Government had now made Wilkes thoroughly popular. Baffled in one direction, the Government determined to ruin Wilkes in another. He had privately printed a portion of a scurrilous and immoral poem, a parody on Pope's Essay on Man. It probably would have been appreciated by his companions of the "Hell Fire Club." , The printing was never completed, much less was the work ever published. A copy of the poem was stolen at the instigation) of the Government,'and was deposited with a Secretary of State, Lord Sandwich, who read it in the House of llords. The House declared its publication to 'be a breach of privilege, and held that Wilkes was-its author. At a later period in history it was proved that" the author was Mr. Potter, a son of the ArchbishopS of. Canterbury. What the public thought of the prosecution and of the sincerity of those by whom it was promoted was I shown by an incident in a London theatre, where the Beggar's Opera was being produced. In one scene Captain Macheath, the highwayman; laid by the heels in Newgate, expresses his astonishment that a fellow-robber should have turned nguidst him, "Tlint Jimmy 1 i'witulwr should pveick, I owni sutpriafiß

me," he sa.ys v By a kind of sudden inspiration the whole audience applied the situation to that of Sandhurst and Wilkes, and the house shook with a tremendous roar of laughter from boxets pit and gallery. From that day "Jimmy Twitcher" became; the acknowledged nickname of Lord Sandwich. While Parliament was discussing the "scandalous and seditious libel," Wilkes was provoked into a duel with a man who had denounced him as a "malignant and infamous scoundrel." Wilkes Was severely wounded. In his absence Parliament expelled' him, and the courts found him guilty and outlawed him for non-appearance. Knowing he coijld expect no mercy, he went abroad". In his absence his most" faithful friends were Lord Temple and Sir Joshua Reynolds. To the discomfiture of the King, Wilkes secured from Lo"rd Chief Justice Mansfield a reversal of the decree of outlawry. He then surrendered td the Court of King's Bench for sentence for the so-called libels. The sentence was a fine of £1000 an^ imprisonment of a year and eight months, and security for good behaviour for seven years. The severity of the sentence angered the people, and in the popular enthusiasm for Wilkes he was returned member for Middlesex. But Parliament again expelled him for an attack on another Secretary'of State, Lord Weymouth. The Middlesex election was declared null and void.^and it was argued that Wilkes was disqualified from sitting in that Parliament. But the people agajn returned him,, and when that election also Svas declared null and void,' Wilkes. again Btood, and received nearly four times as many votes as his three opponents. In the face of that vote the House of Commons declared his chief opponent, Colonel Luttrell, duly elected. That decision raised the far greater question of freedom of election, and Wilkes found new friends, including Lord Chatham, who appealed for the upholding of the civil rights of English subjects. "This Middlesex business," he proclaimed, "is the alarm bell of liberty," and he declared his intention of ringing it incessantly in the ears of the people. Of the public sympathy Wilkes received very substantial proof while he was in prison. Large sums of money were subscribed, including £1500 v from America. LORD MAYOR OF LONDON. "When his sentence had been served many towns were illuminated in honour of his release, and London elected him its Lord Mayor. At" that period it was an offence to report the proceedings in^ Parliament. Some newspapers, however, persisted in ignoring this order. The Speaker issued a ■ warrant against an offender. But Wilkes, as an alderman; caused the Cro\vn officer himself to be arrested, and so sturdily maintained the rights of the city and of the newspaper Press. From that time the right of reporting Parliamentary proceedings has been assumed as a foregone conclusion. His greatest triumph came when, after, being elected for Middlesex for the fifth time, he was allowed to take his seat "in the House of Commons unchallenged. Even George 111. had.become awake to the fact that nothing was to be gained by any further persecution of the indomitable "demagogue." And so civil liberty in England gained a great victory through the persistency of a man who, though personally disreputable, took a course that had the sanction o! both law and justice. ' - t