It is very true, as Mr. Cranidge asserts, that the Corporation are the trustees for the freemen and burgesses, to whom they are, or rather ought to be, responsible. Having made myself complete master of this subject, I had resolved in my own mind, in case I had been elected the member for the city of Bristol, to make these worthies, the Corporation, _really_ and not nominally responsible; and, with the blessing of God, I would have made them account for and refund those enormous sums and immense funds which they had so disgracefully, so infamously, misapplied. The charities are so numerous and so ample, that I firmly believe, if the property belonging to them were fairly let and made the most of, there would not be a citizen of Bristol that would not be handsomely provided for out of these funds. No city in the world ever produced more philanthropists, or more misanthropists, than the city of Bristol. No city of its size in the world can boast more charitable institutions--no city is more degraded by poverty and wretchedness amongst its inhabitants, mainly created by the corrupt misapplication of those very charities.
On the 24th or the 25th of February, 1813, the Committee was ballotted for in the House of Commons; the petitioners and the sitting members each striking out a certain number till they were reduced to thirteen, which, together with the nominee for each party, made fifteen, as follows----
Michael Angelo Taylor, Esq. Member for Poole, Chairman. P. Grenfell, Esq. Great Marlow. Philip Gell, Esq. Penryn. Hon. R. Neville, Berkshire. H. Pierce, Esq. Northampton. Abel Smith. Esq. Wendover. Lord G. Russell, Bedford. C. Harvey, Esq. Norwich. T. Whitmore, Esq. Bridgenorth. G. Shiffner, Esq. Lewes. D.S. Dugdale, Esq. Warwick. J. Daley, Esq. Galway. B. Lester Lester, Esq. Poole.
Sir Francis Burdett, Bart. Westminster; for the Petitioners. Sir James Graham, Bart. Carlisle; for the Sitting Members.
Richard Hart Davis, Esq--Edward Protheroe, Esq.
1st. Henry Hunt, Esq.--2nd. Wm. Pimm, T. Pimm, Wm. Weech, T. Gamage, Electors.
Counsel for Mr. Davis, Mr. Warren and Mr. Harrison. Counsel for Mr. Protheroe, Mr. Adam & Mr. Randle Jackson.
Mr. Hunt appeared in person for himself and other petitioners.