Speeches - 1862 Author:Edmund Burke Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: SPEECHES At BRISTOL. SPEECH ON ARRIVAL,AT BRISTOL AT THE ELECTION OF 1774. [when. parliament was dissolved in 1774, Burke, who had sat for Wen- dover, was ... more »obliged to look for another seat, as Lord Vemey, whose influence returned the "Wendover member,.had to make " arrangements" for sending another party into the House of Commons. Burke addressed the borough of Maltou, in Yorkshire, and was elected. Immediately after the close of the poll, a deputation arrived from Bristol (then second only to London in commercial importance), for the purpose of requesting Burke to stand for that city. After consulting with the electors of Malton, who requested him to avail himself of the proffered honour, Burke started for Bristol, and immediately on his arrival (the poll having then gone on. for six days) he proceeded to the Bristol Guildhall, and addressed the .electors in the following language.] Gentlemen,—I am come hither to solicit in person that favour which my friends have hitherto endeavoured to procure for me, by the most obliging, and to me the most honourable, exertions. I have so high an opinion of the great trust which you have to confer on this occasion; and, byilong experience, so just a diffidence in my abilities, to fill it in a manner adequate even to my own ideas, that I should never have ventured of myself to intrude into that awful situation. But since I am called upon by the desire of several respectable fellow-subjects, as I have done at other times, I give up my fears to their wishes. Whatever my other deficiencies may be, I do not know what it is to be wanting to my friends. I am not fond of attempting to raise public expectation by great promises. At this time, there is much cause to consider, and very little to presume. We seem to be approaching to a g...« less