The way in which you speak of in all the counties, at a general the Fundholders shows pretty election. There are, then, 280,000clearly, that you and those whom PROPRIETORS. They are, you converse with in general, then, the heads of 280,000 famithink that you shall have little lies, and, we must suppose, in a difficulty in committing the rob- case where all are proprietors, bery which you so coolly contem- about seven to a family, upon an plate. It is quite evident, that it average. You will, therefore, is a matter about which you have find them, pretty nearly two mil long been conversing in a very fa- lions of people, none of whom, obmiliar manner. You seem to have serve, can now be paupers! Now, every thing ready cut and dry for I know very well, that these peoit; and, without seeming to think ple are of themselves, if the thing the least in the world about con- were to come to a fight, nothing at sequences; about any blowings- all in comparison to the Landlords up or any thing of that kind, you and the Clergy, PROVIDED seem anxious only about the time THESE LATTER HAVE of doing the thing, which time THE PEOPLE HEARTILY you seem to desire to come as WITH THEM. And, incrediquickly as possible. "The num-ble as it may seem, you suppose, ber of creditors is," say you, and you have the audacity to assert "known to be small, the whole it, that the Landlords and the "body of Fundholders not ex- Clergy have the people with "ceeding 280,000 persons; and them. What you say upon this "the number of debtors is the en- part of the subject is truly asto"tire community, composed of all nishing. It is an instance of to what "who contribute a portion of a an extent arrogance is capable of "single tax to the interest of the producing infatuation. "debt."-Bravo! What a clever man you are! So, you have been looking into this matter, have you? You have been calculating your relative strength! Now, I believe there to be more than three hundred thousand Fundholders. There were more than three hundred and fifty thousand, in 1811; that I know. However, for argument's sake, be it as you say. 280,000 is a number greater than that of the farmers; I mean, the farmers of 100 acres and upwards, in England and Wales. This is my belief; besides, here are two hundred and eighty thousand proprietors, you will please to observe; and, perhaps, you may be surprised to be told that this number exceeds the number of freeholders that vote in the whole kingdom of England and Wales,

You seem to admit, that, at present, the people have no very great affection for the Landlords and the Parsons; but you seem confident, that the people are to be gained by them in a moment! If this were so, it would be a valuable secret to the makers of the Game Laws. You say, that the Landlords "must win back the kindly feelings of the people;" and, what is more, you point out the way for them to do it. This way, this mode of winning back the people's affections; this mode of putting all to rights again, of making the poacher's father for get that his own was transported for endeavouring to catch a hare; this mode of making the people at Manchester forget the Yeomanry cavalry; this mode of making the small occupant of house or land

forget Sturges "Bourne's Bill;" you would totally ruin and bring this mode, in short, of obliterating to poverty, and add to the mithe recollection of thirty years of sery of the working classes, that ever-hardening laws, of new pu- of 300,000 families, now pronishments before unknown to Eng-prietors in the middle rank of lishmen, of suspensions of Ha- life; making, altogether, about beas-Corpus Acts, of Power-of- 2,000,000 of persons. And now; Imprisonment Bills, of Sidmouth's let us hear, how it is that you have Circulars, of new Treason Laws, persuaded yourself, that the Landof SIX-ACTS, one of which owners would be backed by the dooms to banishment for life any working classes in this enterprise, man that shall utter what has a The whole passage is well worthy tendency to bring either House of of the attention of the public; for, Parliament into contempt; the silly as it may be, and as it is, it mode of doing all this is the most expresses the sentiments of the simple in the whole world! It is Land-owners in general. It exnothing but such an alteration of presses the sentiments of those, the Corn Laws as would give us who, as you say, have all the legal "free importation," with only fif- power in their hands, if they have teen shillings fixed duty upon each but the pluck to make use of it, it quarter of wheat! and fifteen being always understood, howshillings, let it be observed, is ever, that, though legal, it may three-fourths of the price of fo- be exercised, in a ticklish case reign wheat now in the river like this, at some risk. The pasThames! Faith, Sir James Gra-sage is as follows, and it is the ham of Netherby, you have to be manifesto of the Land-owners taken down many a peg yet, be- against the Fundholders and fore you are brought to the stand-against the Ministers. ard of the times which you will, I hope, have to live in.

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"This concession [letting corn come in with a fixed duty of But, let us now, by way "15s, a quarter of wheat] will concluding extract, hear what you" win back the kindly feelings of have to say upon this subject of "the people; and let not the aid and assistance to be given by "land-owners lose this great adthe people to the Land-owners. It" vantage, let them rivet the seems monstrous to suppose, that "graiitude of the community to the working-classes should wish to" their cause; let them exert all see 300,000 families of the mid-"their power, and insist on the dle class of life stripped of their "revision of Mr. Peel's Act of all. It very soon would be their" 1819,-an act no less fatal to all; for though you do not posi"the land-owner than to the payer tively say that you would take, "of taxes, an act now about to even 30 per cent.; still, it is very come into full operation,-an clear that you mean that, over and" act which, from its first introabove the constant fifteen shillings "duction, goaded the people to duty upon wheat. If you were to" insurrection; and the returning take, even 10 per cent., the funds" influence of which has not failwould fall down to the price, even "ed to produce the same alarm→→ of Colombian bonds, and, very "ing consequences. Here the soon, of Spanish bonds; so that,"land-owners may, with safety, in fact, you would take the whole: "make their stand; the position

"is impregnable; the payers of" against thousands; and the "ague of the contest will not

taxes, the productive classes,

Here it is here is your grand

The Corn

"are ready to defend it: sub-“ long be doubtful." 66 stantial justice is on our side: "and who are they that are reliance for success. against us? -the Annuitants, Bill was passed with soldiers "the Fundholders, and the Eco- drawn up round the Houses of "nomists; a body which the Parliament; it was passed in spite land-owners, IF TRUE TO of thousands of petitions against "THEMSELVES, and in con- it; it has caused a mass of misery "cert with the people, cannot indescribable; and after all this, "fail to defeat.* ** ** **** *this law is not proposed by you "** I have shown the terms to be repealed; but it is to be so "on which, in my humble judg- altered as merely to make the ment, it would be wise to capi-duty upon a quarter of wheat fif"tulate; I have proved both the teen shillings, which is, upon an 66 policy and general equity of average of years, one half as much "these terms, and the power as the whole price of the quarter possessed by the land-owners to of wheat in France! This you "obtain them; but, to be success- represent as a most gracious act 66 ful, the nobility and gentry on the part of the Land-owners; "must act in the strictest union: an act" to win back the kindly "they will be opposed by the mo- feelings of the people," and to "nied interest, as by one man ; "rivet their gratitude to the Land"they will be opposed by the pre-owners." Having settled the point, "sent Ministers, few of whom you proceed to describe the na66 are connected with land, or with ture of the contest and that of its "the Aristocracy-some of whom, issue. Your position is impreg"by far the most able, having nable, you have justice on your risen, by their talents, from an side, you have the aid of the "humble origin, are disposed, people; and you cannot fail to σε very naturally, to envy the ex- defeat the enemy! The "nobiistence of any power in this lity and gentry' must act, you country which genius cannot say, in the strictest union; they win, and which birth alone will be opposed, you say, by the "bestows. The land-owners will monied men; they will be opposed "be strenuously opposed, but by the present low-born ministhey will be powerfully sup- ters, who envy you your high ported; they will be supported birth; but, the Land-owners, you by every payer of tax through- say, will be supported by every "out the kingdom,-by the pea-payer of tax throughout the king"sant and the artisan, by the dom! Indeed! Why, then, they "merchant and the manufac- will have plenty of support; for, Then, indeed, they will where is the creature with a mouth 'fight on the right ground; they to swallow or a carcass to be co"will be backed by the great vered, that does not, in this land body of the people. Interests of taxes, pay a tax? The Land"will be re-united, which ought owners, you say, will be supported never to have been severed; a by the labourer and the artisan. "nation will be arrayed against That is your mistake, I can assure an administration; millions you. You seem really to con

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❝turer.

Third came to the throne; and I have always insisted, that, unless this were done to begin with, and that unless all which is stated in the Norfolk Petition were most fully and amply agreed to by the

template a battle: you say that the Land-owners will then fight on the right ground; that they will be backed by the great body of the people; that a nation will be arrayed against an administration; that millions will be arrayed Land-owners; and that especially against thousands; and that the issue of the contest will not long be doubtful!

unless there were an efficient and radical reform of the Parliament, the people of England would be the most stupid as well as the most dastardly wretches upon the face of the whole earth, if they were not to resist by every legal means in their power, every attempt to deduct, though in the amount of only one single farthing, from the interest of the National Debt. I am fully persuaded that the people in general are decidedly of my opinion; and, therefore, Sir James Graham of Netherby, if you are really for a fight, you must e'en bring out " John with the bright sword;" for, without such supernatural assistance, to a certainty you will be defeated.

Faith! This is coming to the point: this is fulfilling my prophecy as expressed in my motto. The open quarrel is taking place; and be you assured, that you lose your estates, or that we have reform of Parliament, one or the other! Towards the close of the last quoted passage, you say, that the great body of the people will join the Land-owners; and that then "interests will be re-united «which ought never to have been severed." Now this is a very important concession; and the fact is most interesting to the whole kingdom. The people, you say, the main body of the people, I have, for three-and-twenty"have been severed from the land- years, been an advocate for a reowners." I have said this in print duction, for a very great reducfive hundred times, I am certain; tion, and, indeed, I am now for an and it was with the Register lying annihilation complete of the fundopen before you, that you wrote ed debt. But, I have never been all that you have said about recon- for this vile robbery of the Fundciling the people to the Land-holders, though I have been conowners. I have always said that stantly accused of it by the ruffians the Land-owners could never save of the London press; and though, themselves, except the people while they accuse me of this inwere reconciled to them first. tended robbery, they had before Thus far, then, you have repeated them those writings, which always my sentiments; but you have protested a desire to do whatever omitted my method, by which the was done upon principles of equity. landlords were to win back the Before the date of the Norfolk Pekind feelings of the people. My tition, I had been abused, for just method was, putting all the laws twenty years, on account of my as to game, as to trespass, as to opinions relative to this national the matters of Ellenborough's Act, debt. I had always been misreas to treason, as to libel, as to presented, belied; I had always punishments; my project was, to had my statements and arguments repeal all laws upon these sub-garbled. In short, there were jects, passed since George the three hundred villanous newspa

pers, and fifty magazines and re- | of the Church have been made to views, or thereabouts, constantly refund that which they have unat work, some or the other of them, justly received out of the taxes. to disfigure and mar all that I said By this petition, which, in fact, upon this subject. I several times only repeated that of HAMPSHIRE, put forth explicit and formal de- will I abide. "Here will I hold: clarations, in order to counteract" if there be a God, and that there the effect of these villanous pub-" is, all nature cries through all lications. But, they were merely "her works, he must delight in literary articles of my own: they "justice; and those whom he de were my assertions and opinions, lights in must be happy." If and nothing more; except in the there be a Devil, and that there is case of the Hampshire Petition, the existence of Boroughmongers agreed to, on Portsdown Hill, on proclaims to all the earth, he must the 10th of February, 1817. At delight in injustice, and those the Kent County Meeting, which whom he delights in must be was in June, 1822, I moved, and damned. As clear as day-light is the county agreed to, a prayer for the justice of the Norfolk Petition; a just reduction of the interest and not less clear is the injustice, of the debt. This got regularly the cruelty, the infamy of those before the House of Commons; who would plunder the widow and but, there was no time to draw the orphan, while the Land-ownup any thing at any length. er should be left in quiet possesWhen the county of Norfolk was sion of his estate and his sinecures. about to meet, that was another And now, Sir James Graham, matter. I, therefore, in the petition let me, by way of adieu, just ask which I had the very great honour you, what could induce you, after to submit to that county on the 3d writing several pages (not less of January, 1823: in that petition, than forty) with the Register open I endeavoured clearly and fully before you all the time; what to express what I meant upon this could induce you, after writing so important subject. That petition many pages upon the fatal effects was passed by that great and of Peel's Bill and upon the evils public-spirited county; that peti- arising from NOBODY HAVtion is recorded in the Journals of ING FORESEEN the consethe House of Commons; I have quences of that Bill; let me ask read that petition a hundred times you, son-in-law of the seventh since it was passed, and each suc- Earl of Galloway, what, after all ceeding reading only tends to this, could induce you to put into confirm me in the truth, the jus- print the following sentence in tice and the wisdom of every part page 84: " every man, of any of it. No robbery does that peti-" degree of authority, has admittion contemplate: it contemplates "ted, distinctly, that he undera complete deliverance of the "rated, in 1819, the pressure country; but, always by just, by" which the return to the ancient honourable, by reasonable and by "standard would occasion?"merciful means. That petition You wrote this with the Register scorns to touch the interest of the open before you, and what could debt, until all other means of re- induce you to say, that " every duction have been resorted to, and "man of any authority, has adparticularly until the aristocracy" mitted," and so forth? What