66 66 66 "their partisans, or by the public?" Local Courts Bill, and to say that he "Yea, and moreover, they have desig-"would have voted against the Irish "nated this publication, a popular Lon-" Church Bill if he had been in the don journal. They have permitted, and" House. Oh, the fool! We judge of "most likely ordered Tyras Redhead to" men by their actions, and by the appear in print under the signature, company they keep, and when they "William Cobbett.' And who is" lift up their voices against every Tyras Redhead? Why, the agent of" reform we call them Tories, when "the proprietors! And who are the" Cobbett says I agree with Lord "proprietors? Rank Tories !—a part of" Eldon,' with one breath, and with the "the close corporation of Kendal!" next I want a democratical Govern"The old dispensation are proprietors ment,' I say he is a -! Believe -those individuals who pride them-" him not, electors of Oldham! cast "selves on not being political, in not "him off!! he is a wolf in sheep's "husying themselves with political and clothing!!!! But notwithstanding "religious controversies those per- "this, he seems to be the pet of the sons who deny that parties and "Gazette proprietors, part of whom "politics form any part of their im-" are corporators of Kendal, Tories, "maculate construction. What was "and strenuous supporters of the "Henry Hunt? A professed Radical!" Lowthers; aye, and William Cobbett "Yea, and I am proud to be called a "is a Tory, he wants a place amongst "Radical; yet, I rejoiced to see Hunt" them; and when the Tories have got: "expelled from the legislative assembly. "into power again, when they have. "And why, because he was a worthless" established a standing army to rule hireling, a time-serving demagogue. over us, and muzzled William Cob"He truckled to the Tories-he sought "bett with a pension, then they will "to build himself a house upon that" renew their system of plunder; and I "foundation which was tottering to the"fear if this should occur, a reformed "base he sought to establish himself" Parliament cannot frustrate their evil "in the way of getting money amongst designs. But will the Tories, will as class of oligarchical, factious," the corporation, will the Gazette "despotic tyrants, and on this account" proprietors, the tools of my Lord "he was rejected by the honest men "Lonsdale, dare to bring William Cob" of Preston, and is now sent to Coven- " bett here, when he is rejected at "try—by the political world. But "Oldham? Is their adoption of his letter, "what said the Tories of Kendal," a sign that he is to be adopted? No, "when they had ascertained his fate?"no! they know the people of Kendal "Why, that they had requested him to" too well; they have already discarded "offer as a candidate for this borough!" one castaway, of a little more im“Then, I ask, what will become of" portance than William Cobbett, "William Cobbett, the · time-server, 66 though equally a time-server, and "at the next election for Oldham ?" they will as readily reject, Cobbett or "Will the people have him again? 'No, any other man selected by the bigoted, "no! He now says, ' I will not sweep tyrannical crew. The people of away the House of Lords! He says, "Kendal are aware of the value and 66 "I. agree with my Lord Eldon !!' and "importance of the measure which has "this he repeats. But did he say so "been rejected by the Tory aristocracy, "before he was member for Oldham ? every tradesman knows the difficulty "Not he, indeed!! If he had, he" of obtaining his money from obsti never would have been member for "nate and knavish debtors, and every "Oldham. He professed to be a re "tradesman feels the want of Lord 66 former, in favour of liberal Govern." Brougham's bill. And here let me "ment, and in fact and approver of recur to the language of Cobbett: he "democracy, and he has now the auda-" says, "As things now stand, a cruel 66 city to rejoice at the defeat of the "creditor cannot bring his action for 66 666 66 66 6 66 "For the turning away of the sim- "Woe to those factious, self-witted, TO ;ا "A FRIEND TO THE PEOPLE." COTTAGE MANUFACTURES. "' such a sum' (meaning a debt under 201.)' without losing more than the sum itself, but this (the bill) would" "enable such creditor, by the use of "cheap law, to strip the poor man of" "his shirt,' &c. Oh the vagabond! " "Then a man is to be at liberty to get "into debt, but it seems to be a crime "for a creditor to ask for his own again. 66 This be a creed suitable enough may "for Wm. Cobbett, but probably Sir "Francis Burdett may have reason to "complain of the system. Every honest 66 man who purchases goods on credit, "does so with the intention of paying "for them, and if there was a law to "enforce the payment (but now accord"ing to his own showing there is not) "then poor families would live more re66 gularly. We should have no drinking one week, and running into debt SIR,-Amongst these the making of "the next, to support a half-starving straw-bonnets and hats is one of the family. Besides all this, stupid Wil- most useful and important. The mate"liam, thine is the method for making rial for this manufacture, prepared ac66 poor men. How many hundreds of cording to the directions given in Cobunprincipled vagabonds, having the bett's Cottage Economy, is as superior appearance of men of property, and in toughness and in beauty to straw cut actually being men of property, get when it is ripe, as silk is to cheap calico. "into debt, and then avoid payment in We fear that for our friends in the consequence of the expense of law; southern counties our information comes "thus not unfrequently ruining some rather too late: not a moment must be "honest tradesmen. Wm. Cobbett and lost. The wheat is to be cut close to "the Tories may rail as they will, but the the ground about one week after the people of England are at any moment bloom has dropped, that is, just as the "ready to fight side by side for Lord grain is beginning to be formed in the Brougham, in whose glorious and efful- ear, and the lower part of the straw has "gent rays such simplicity and weakness begun to change its colour. It is then "such absolute imbecility as that dis- to be tied up in little sheaves with two "played by Cobbett, and the simpletons pieces of string, one near the bulb, and "who copied his double-faced dema- the other about half-way up; this little gogue-like epistle, must retire in to bundle ought to be six inches through at "the shade and be obscured in their the bulb, and no more; it ought not to own utter insignificance. And now, be tied too tightly, lest the scalding 66 oh ye honest men of Kendal, permit should not be perfect. Place them in 66 me to request that you will contem- a large tub or vat, not in too large a plate the character of the greatest quantity at a time, lest the water should man in Europe-the' Chancellor of get cooled; for upon the perfect scaldEngland. Conceive that you hearing very much of the goodness of the "him speaking to the House of Lords "in the following proverbs: 46 " 66 66 66 66 Times and the Courier some time ago, and they will, we are persuaded, immediately agree with us. These papers do, indeed, make common cause against any one that does not belong to their body, just as the two factions, whom they represent, make common cause against any one who may manifest a dislike to the system by which they all thrive. With them it is a sort of family quarrel: they call each other by the ugliest names, but wo to the unlucky wight who shall venture to tell each that his description of the other is a correct one! water as will reach the whole of the straw; having done so, let that run off immediately, turning in as much more as will cover the straw a foot above the upper sheaves. In this state they are to remain for a quarter of an hour or twenty minutes, then take them out with a 'prong, and carry them carefully to the ground where they are to be bleached, which ought to be short grass. Here the sheaves are to be untied and the straw laid along in rows, as thin as they can be; if it were possible, no straw ought to have another lying upon it or across it. It must lie twenty-four hours thus, and then be But there is one paper which has, in turned over; each side ought to have some degree, maintained a character for twelve hours of clear sunshine; if the honesty and consistency superior to that sun be not very clear they must remain of its compeers. It has, indeed, been a longer. After this they are again to be little crotchety on some subjects; as, the tied up in convenient bundles, and treatment of the poor, the currency, and (being then roughly dry) be bound for the like; but still many people use. For the rest we must refer our have thought it honest and its readers to the book already mentioned. bold advocacy of the Reform Bill The above is all that is necessary for experienced very general approbathe immediate acquisition of the tion. No real reformer ever put material. Country Editors will do a public service by copying this.-I am, Sir, A FRIEND TO HOME MANUFACTURES. July 16, 1833. "BEST POSSIBLE" CHRONICLES OF CONSISTENCY. (From Cobbett's Magazine.) confidence in the Times: its services were acknowledged when they happened to be exerted in the just cause, upon the same principle (as Major CARTWRIGHT used to say) that we reward, when they deserve it, the most abandoned characters when they fight But the our battles by sea or land. CHRONICLE has stood, in the estimation of the public, in a very different light; and it may not be without use to show, by extracts from its own columns, how far it is entitled to the respect and confidence of the people. We shall begin with an extract from the Chronicle of the 10. July, 1829. The first duty of one who has the press at his command, is, to act honestly himself; his next duty is, to detect and expose dishonesty in others. The public writer who acts up to this, may indeed be called "the best possible public "We are not anxious that parliameninstructer," and be justly ranked amongst "tary reform should be too much acthe benefactors of mankind. Those who" celerated. We mean, by parliamenhave been constant and attentive readers" tary reform, not a mere transference of the daily press, will be inclined to" of the franchise from one or two coragree, that the opposite of these have" rupt boroughs to Birmingham, Manbeen its characteristics. This may, by "chester, and a few more large towns, some good-natured people, be called" but such a reform as would afford harsh censure; but let such read the "protection to the people. The people characters the papers give of each other; “of England have, of late years, made let them weigh attentively the evidence" considerable advances in improvethey adduce of each other's villany" ment; and we do not doubt that the when they fall out, as in the case of the progress of improvement will here f 66 66 * 172 "after be greatly accelerated. The reform; and, as we shall presently see, hope of England is the number of held language that would not have been "'t owns which facilitate the circu- suffered with impunity in any paper not "lation of knowledge among the connected with one of the factions. When people. Each town is a centre from the people began to doubt the sincerity of "which the rays of knowledge spread the Whigs, and, in consequence of that "in all directions. If the people of doubting, to relax a little in their zeal, England are yet too generally ill-the Chronicle became alarmed, and "educated and grossly ignorant and pre- thought it necessary to stimulate them 'judiced, it is to be recollected, that our to fresh exertions. "So far," said the "civilization is recent, that our towns Chronicle (1. May, 1832), “from dreadare of yesterday's date, and that the " ing a disposition to incessant changes, "character of a people can only be we are rather inclined to dread the changed with time. If a apathy of the people." No fear was parliamentary reform of a searching now felt by the Chronicle of the conse"kind could be effected without vio-quences of "letting loose" the ignorant "lence, the ignorance of a very great population. On the contrary, they were "proportion of the people (and after the now become so enlightened, the towns "late beastly exhibitions, no man had to spread their "rays of know"would think of questioning it) might ledge," that the "population" had be"be productive of little injury; because, come, in the opinion of the, Chronicle, "though a man may himself be un- superior in knowledge and honesty to "able to arrive at correct conclusions the higher orders themselves : for whilst "with respect to political questions, he the Chronicle urged the people to a may err less as to the men deserving direct interference in the affairs of "of confidence. But a parliamentary Government, it represented (28. May, "reform in this country (superseding as 1832)" the majority of the Peers "it would to a certainty, the House of as either the most contemptible "Lords, or reducing it to an echo of of men in point of information, "the democratic house; whereas the" or the most worthless in point of "democratic house is at present the " principle." Yes! this is the Chronicle's "creature of the aristocratic) will never description of that body, which the "be effected without commotion and same paper, in July, 1829, wished to we should exceedingly dread the continue in the possession of an unconletting loose the population of Eng- trolled power over the lives und pro"land, in their present state of igno-perties of the people of England, whom "rance." it exceedingly dreaded to set "loose in their present state of ignorance." 66 Within a year and a half after this passage was published in the Chronicle, Now, however, the "ignorant" people the" ignorant" and "beastly" people had been "let loose," and it was of England drove from his post of found necessary to the accomplishment Prime Minister, the "foremost man of of the views of the Whigs to set them all this" aristocracy; not for calling on, not only upon the Tories, but upon them ill-educated, grossly ignorant, the system. "The Ministers," says the beastly, and prejudiced, as the Chronicle Chronicle (5. June, 1832), “have hihad done, but for merely proclaiming" therto acted with supreme folly and that no reform was necessary, and that" blindness in not exposing fairly to the none should take place while he held" country the bed of roses to which his position of Premier. And what did they succeeded in every branch of the Chronicle do upon this occasion?" our affairs, in every department of Did it commend the Duke for his manly "the administration." A few days declaration, and support him in his re- after this (26. June, 1832), the Chrosistance to the demands of the people? nicle again burst out in the following No such thing! The Chronicle now strain:-"We wish Lord GREY had became one of the loudest in the cry for" taken stock when he accepted office. He "should have come down to the House came, to the disgust of the people, one "of Peers with a plain expose of the state of the foremost amongst the eulogists "of the country, and of the Augean and upholders of the men whose "su" stable of corruption. He should have preme folly and blindness" the Chronicle "drawn out a Dr. and a Cr. account. had so justly censured. "There was the debt; the Bank If the change of the Chronicle had "claims; the Colonial system, worn been only from bad to good, it might "out and decaying for want of bold have had credit for honesty of intention; repairs; Municipal institutions can- its abuse of the people in 1829 might "kered with time and grown out of have been ascribed to ignorance of their fashion; the East India monopoly; real character; and, although no ac"Laws in confused heaps; the Penal knowledgment of error was made, the "Code written in letters of blood; Cor- strenuous efforts of the Chronicle during porations close, corrupt, and detest-the passing of the Reform Bill seemed "ed; the Church for centuries unre- to prove beyond doubt its sincerity in "formed; Trade and Commerce awfully the cause of reform. But the "supreme" depressed, and burdened with an over-baseness of its recent conduct; its sup"whelming taxation; the ancient and port of the Ministers in their refusal to salutary amusements of the people give any practical relief to the people ; "terminated; Swing nightly illumi- in their refusal to reduce the taxes; in nating the country; the people ex- their measures of severity towards the "cited and raving at the refusal by WEL- people; and in their profuse expendiLINGTON and PEEL of all reform, great ture of the people's money all this or small; the House of Peers swamp- must convince every man who is not "ed by a century of Tory creations; the ill-educated, ignorant, and preju"House of Commons two-thirds re- diced"; in short, it must convince the "turned by the most corrupt and unpo-nation, unless it be, as the Times calls pular means." This is the Chronicle's it, "a stupid beast of a nation," that the description of the concern which the pretended zeal of the Chronicle was noWhigs were content to take and to carry thing more than a part of that system on, not only without making " a plain of Whig trickery by which its patrons expose" of its state, but without once contrived to keep their places, and to alluding to that state in such a way as procure the return of that House which to give offence to their predecessors, is now acting as the scourge, instead of This is the concern which the Chronicle, being the protector, of the people. in 1829, dreaded to see the "ignorant From this House, and from this Whig and beastly people let loose" upon, lest Ministry, GOOD LORDS, DELIVER they should break it up; and this is the US! concern which the Chronicle again became enamoured of, when it found its friends, the Whigs, firmly (as it thought) fixed in their places. The motive for these changes it is impossible to mistake. When the Chronicle was reproaching the Whigs for their "supreme folly and blindness," it was labouring (From Cobbett's Magazine.) under an apprehension as to the pro- Ir patriotism consisted of nothing bable result of the then coming elec- more than such simple requisites as have tions. The Whigs, by their yielding to been specified in our preceding remarks the Tories, by clogging their bill with under this title, the subject would be so the hateful disfranchising clauses, had easy for all men to understand and to begun to grow unpopular; but the re- agree upon, it would be open to 50 sult of the elections re-assured the little dispute that we should have had Chronicle of the permanence of its no cause for making it a matter of friends' power; and the Chronicle be- further comment. But that duty which PATRIOTISM; OR, OUR 'LOVE FOR AND DUTY TO |