This hint, so reasonable in itself, was immediately adopted, and Sir FRANCIS BURDETT, who was well acquainted with their haunts, was ordered into the neighbourhood of Smithfield with a competent number of tickets. He was on the point of setting out, when the Editor of the _Morning Post_ observed, that _forgery_[106] was so common at present, that he hardly thought it prudent to admit all who might come with a bit of scribbled paper: on this it was determined to distribute the price of admission amongst a certain number of people to be selected by the Envoy:—these, it was rightly concluded, would not fail to appear, from motives of vanity, as they could have no other possible chance of dining with the Premier Dupe, we would say Duke, in England. It now remained to determine the sum: this, after a short discussion, was fixed at Eight Shillings and Sixpence per head, “which,” said the Editor of the _Morning Post_, “will shew we cannot he persons of mean rank, since we can afford, in hard times, to give so much for a dinner”;[107] and Citizen BOSVILLE was desired to advance the money upon the credit of the Whig Fund. Previous to the meeting, the chairman dispatched a note to Sir WILLIAM ADDINGTON, requesting that the Crown and Anchor might be exempted from the visitation of his runners during the morning of the 24th [Jan., 1798]. To this Sir WILLIAM assented, on condition that it should be recommended to the gentlemen, to leave their pocket-books and watches at home, that there might be as little temptation as possible to break the peace. Thus everything was arranged with a precaution that seemed to set accident at defiance.