Letters – Joseph Richmond to Walter Blackett – 19 Jan 1732

To Walter Blackett Esq                                               Newcastle 19 Janry 1732

Honourd Sir

            I have endeavoured since my last to discover what the peoples Sentiments are with Regards to your Lre  not being read last Monday, & that it is generally attributed to Ald[erma]n Claytons & Sorsbys indisposition preventing a Constitution, which keeps all quiet at present; yet the more discerning part who perceive the Fallacy are exasperated at it, and say you neglect your true Interest if you suspend much longer your application to the Freeman, but yet the same ought to be done if possible without giving offence to the Magistrates. If you are not fully satisfied with, & acquiesce in what Mr Clarke etc have wrote you on this Affair, but resolve to proceed any further at present, I would with all Submission propose you writing again but seperately, to the May[o]r each Ald[erma]n, Recorder & Sheriff, & that you send down those Lres to Mr Clarke, which with his approbation I will deliver & also the Lres to the Comp[an]yes at the same time, this will remove all objection any of the Magistrates can reasonably make to your applying to the Freemen when you please. I did always apprehend the Mayor wou[l]d not read a Publick Lre (which his Confidents now say is unprecedented in the Case of Elec[ti]ons) which occasioned my proposing private Lres to him & his Breth[re]n in mine of the 3rd October, so that it might not be material whether the Lre to Common Councill was read or not they being all of some Comp[an]y or other. The not reading your Lre strikes a present Damp amongst some of your Friends, who not knowing what judgem[ent] to make of it, say the Freemen have chose some of your Predecessors in opposition to all the Magistrates & your interest does not appear to be worse than theirs; but I hope some if not most of the Magistrates are your sincere Friends, I hear that Mr Mayor complains some of your Agents shoud say Mr Fenwick shoud never resign to Mr Ridley, tho it cost you £1000 to bring him in, but he does not believe they’ve your authority for it <……  …. &> that he has any for <Reporting> it.                       JR