“The representatives in the last Parliament were Sir Charles Wager, First Lord of the Admiralty; and Lord Sundon, a Lord of the Treasury; and it was supposed they would have been rechosen, as usual, without opposition. But Lord Sundon was very unpopular; he had been raised from a low condition to an Irish Peerage through the interest of his wife, who had been favourite bed-chamber woman to Queen Catherine, wife of George II. The other candidate, Sir Charles Wager, was unexceptionable, both in his public and private character; but his attachment to the Minister was a sufficient objection. Some electors of Westminster proposed, very unexpectedly, Admiral Vernon, then in the height of his popularity, and Charles Edwin, a private gentleman of considerable fortune. The opposition, at first despised, became formidable; and Sir Charles Wager being summoned to convoy the King to Holland, the management of the election was entrusted to ignorant vestrymen and violent justices. The majority of the electors were decidedly in favour of the Ministerial candidate; but Lord Sundon was imprudently advised to close the poll, to order a party of Guards to attend, and, while the military power surrounded the hustings, the High Bailiff returned him and Sir Charles Wager. This imprudent conduct highly exasperated the populace, the Guards were insulted, Sundon was attacked, and narrowly escaped with life. The example of the opposition at Westminster diffused a general spirit throughout the kingdom, and violent contests were excited in all quarters. Large sums of money for supporting the expenses were subscribed by Pulteney, the Duchess of Marlborough, and the Prince of Wales, who contracted great debts on this memorable occasion, and the managers of the opposition employed this money with great advantage.” This account, by W. Coxe, epitomizes the situation. George (Bubb) Dodington was active on this occasion, directing the manœuvres of the Leicester House faction, on behalf of the heir to the throne, in opposition to the ministers of his father, the king. Naturally the view taken by Walpole’s biographer is favourable to that minister, who was at this time looked upon as the under-hand enemy of his country. He was accused of favouring Spain and France; and the taking of Porto Bello by Admiral Vernon, which was not, after all, a brilliant affair, but chiefly due to the cowardice of its defenders, was regarded as quite as much of a victory over the prime minister as over England’s foes. These sentiments characterize the spirit abroad on the Westminster contest of 1741, which gave rise to many songs, broadsides, and pictorial satires uniformly unfavourable to the minister and his adherents.