66 66 every government, and it was a duty" bill, of which your neighbour was the faithfully executed by the Catholic" author, has produced all this distress "church, to take care that no human" that we hear so much of." Just at being should perish for want in a this time the carriage came up, and I, "land of plenty; and to take care, too, having finished my breakfast, went on "that no one should be deficient of a towards Ely; a great part of the way to "sufficiency of food and raiment, not which consists of fen land, for which, I only to sustain life, but also to sustain understand, this season is one of the "health." The young man said: "I finest that ever was known. thank you, Sir; I am answered." 66 I walked on again from Ely on Friday I strongly advised the farmers to be morning. I had taken nine miles of it well with their work-people; for that, on the Thursday, and this morning I unless their flocks were as safe in their found a public-house at the end of nine fields as their bodies were in their beds, miles and a half, where I repeated the their lives must be lives of misery; that dose of cold pork and a pint of beer, if their stacks and barns were not places and where the carriage overtook me. of as safe deposit for their corn as their The landlady here lamented the law drawers were for their money, the life about to be passed for throwing open of the farmer was the most wretched the trade in beer. The house was her upon earth, in place of being the most husband's own, and he (probably some pleasant, as it ought to be. lord's late servant) had added to its I must now go back, and trace my-value enormously by obtaining a license. self along from Lynn to Cambridge. It is a free house; but the man buys Downham, in Norfolk, is the first mar- his beer of a brewer in Cambridge, not ket-town from Lynn. The land sur- having premises whereon to brew it; prisingly fine, and the wheat good every and, which is very curious, sells it at a where, as, indeed, I have found it in all halfpenny a pot cheaper than the same the eastern counties; that is to say, the beer is sold at houses that are not free. plant is good, meaning thereby that This landlady, a nice young woman, there are plenty of plants upon the with a very pretty little child, said that ground: it must be six weeks hence she hoped that the trade in beer would before one can determine the probable not be made free. I asked her why. She amount of the crop. I walked on from said that there would be everlasting Lynn towards Downham, leaving my drunkenness and rowing. I told her, son and daughters to come after me; that it did not seem reasonable to supand at a village called Stowe, I went pose that; for that drunkenness, and into a public-house and got a piece of particularly rowing, arose from men cold pork, and a pint of small beer, while I was dispatching which, I saw a sort of gamekeeper come out of a gentleman's paddock, in which was a large house not far from the road. He had with him a parcel of pointers and setters, some of the finest and most beautiful that I ever saw, and all in the primest condition. I asked the landlady whose dogs those were? She said, "Mr. PEEL'S, Sir." "Oh, oh!" said I to her, "do you know, mistress, that you and I help to keep those dogs in "that fine condition"? She laughed, said nothing; but I could see that she clearly understood me. "Did you ever hear of Peel's Bill"? said I. She said she had not. "Well," said I, "mistress, that 66 congregating together in considerable numbers; that if the trade were free, the places of sale would be more numerous, the drinkers more dispersed, and that, therefore, the freedom of the trade, in my simple judgment, would have a tendency to produce a diminution of the drunkenness and the rowing. She was not prepared for this, and hurried off to get me my pint of beer; so true it is, that people are always averse from cordially approving of that which is contrary to their own private interest. We got into Cambridge after passing through a country of corn and of pasture, of fat sheep and fat oxen, and after passing several farms, which had formerly been either monasteries, or the seats of gentlemen. Every thing, go" Chancellor of the University, which where I will, except in the blown-up" post, you, I am informed, at present places of Lancashire and the West "fill. Mr. Hatfield has further informRiding of Yorkshire, bespeaks a dilapi-" ed me, that he made an application "ed dated, a decaying, a defaced country. "to you yesterday morning for this purAt one place, between Lynn and Dowu-" pose and that, in the afternoon of ham, there are standing the four walls" yesterday he received from you a deof a large ancient church, in a church of" cided refusal. 1. That the distress which at present 66 great extent. At Streatham, on the "Now, Sir, the case to lay before the Cambridge side of Ely, there is in the " public is this: I am here for the purmidst of a tract of the finest land that pose of establishing, in the presence can be imagined, a village (formerly a "of such persons as may choose to come large town, I dare say) in the most mi-" and hear me, many propositions neserable state as to buildings, as to fences," cessary for the people to understand as to farmı-yards, that the eyes of man "and imbibe and, amongst these, the ever beheld. There appears to have" following: been a monastery at this place formerly. Every where you see barns, stables, and such places, patched-up out of the formerly religious edifices; and you see the stone taken out of those that have "2. been pulled down. There is a beautiful ancient cross at Streatham, which, to my surprise, I saw taken great care of; for, in general, these monuments of antiquity are either suffered to fall down, or are applied to the vilest of purposes. "3. pervades the country, is to be "ascribed solely to the acts of the Ministry and the Parliament. That this distress will not pass "away without the application of 66 some great and efficient remedy; "and that such remedy is not at "all likely to be adopted, unless "there be a radical reform in the "Commons' House of Parliament. That no reduction of taxation, con"sistent with any thing like jus"tice to the fundholders, can afford "the country relief; unless con"current with such reduction, "there be an appropriation of a large part of the public property, "commonly called church property, (including the college property) to "the defraying the interest of the "Debt, and to other public purposes. 66 We got into Cambridge about noon, with the intention of my giving a little common sense in this seat of pretended learning. I naturally expected that these pretenders would be eager to see me expose what they would deem my want of learning. Just the contrary; for the Vice-Chancellor, having the jurisdiction of the whole place, playhouse and all, as far as relates to matters of this sort, refused to let me lecture either at the play-house, or any where else. Intelligence of this had been sent" 4. That it is agreeably to the usages me to Ely; but it arrived after I came away. Upon my arrival, finding this to be the case, I determined to apply to the Vice-Chancellor myself; and, in consequence of that determination, the following correspondence took place: 66 "and constitution of England; agreeably to the common and "statute law, that the people, by "their representatives, should deal "with, and dispose of, this property, as they may think best "and that no persons, having at 66 ; present a particular interest in "such property, have any claim in "bar to such right on the part of "the people. 5. That it is not only expedient to apply this property in the manner above mentioned; but that "it is just, strictly just and equit 66 "selves. remon 66 ་ ན་ ཉ ཁི "able, towards the clergy them-" shall be provided for one, or even for "half a dozen of them, and I engage "6. That within these very few years, "that they shall be heard in silence we have seen one law passed, "while they answer me, if they choose "without any remonstrance on the" to answer; and I engage, further, not "part of the clergy, authorising to say a word by way of reply. "men openly to deny the divinity "Upon these conditions, and with a of Christ; or, at least, to remove pledge, on my part, to do nothing "the penalty awarded by the sta- having a tendency to disturb the "tute to that denial: another law" peace of the town, I request your without passed, also permission to hold my lectures here "strance on the part of the clergy, "either at the play-house, or some declaring, in effect, the religion "other suitable place, that I shall find "of any Protestant Dissenter what-" within your jurisdiction. I further soever, to be as good as that of" beg leave to request you to send me "the church; another law passed an answer, yea or nay, to this propoby assent of a majority of the "sition, to the Bull Inn, by four of the "bishops, declaring, in effect," clock this afternoon, apprising you, "that the Protestant Reformation "in addition, that, in order to explain was unnecessary, with regard to "to my friends the cause of the disap"which latter law I heartily con-"pointment which they will experience "6 cur with those bishops. "I, in case of your refusal, shall find it "7. That there is a bill now before the" necessary to publish this letter imme"House of Commons, for what is "diately. I am, Sir, "called emancipating the Jews; "that the clergy of the church are "totally silent upon the subject of "this bill; and that, if this bill cr แ 66 "Your most humble, " and most obedient servant, "WM. COBBETT. “P.S. If your notification of assent "do not arrive by four o'clock, I shall "deem the non-arrival to be a refusal." pass, those who call OUR SA"VIOUR an IMPOSTOR, who justify the hanging of him upon "the cross, and who boast of their "Downing Lodge, 26th March. "descent from his murderers, will "SIR, The Vice-Chancellor, Dr. "be capable of sitting on the " CHAFY, being suddenly called to Lon"bench as judges, of sitting in the" don, has placed in my hands, as his "Parliament as members of the " deputy, your letter dated March 26th. "lower House, and as peers; and "of sitting in the council with the "King himself. 86 law, as it formerly was by "I feel it my duty, therefore, in his "Cambridge, 26th March, 1830. "SIR,-My letter was, I understand, licly these propositions. I propose to" delivered to Dr. CHAFY before he set you, to select, if you please, the ablest" off to London. My only answer is, of your disputants. A convenient place" that, amongst the evils of the present "W. COBBETT." "To William Frere, Esq. LL.D. Serjeant-at-Law, and Master of "Downing College." "use. "state of the country, there is this good, heard of, would be taken and provided "that it must lead to events that will for by being made the master of one of "take from men like you and Dr. Chafy these colleges? Here, in this very in"the power of doing to any body things stance, we have a proof of the soundness "like that which you have done to of the opinions relative to this subject "Your humble servant, expressed in my Grammar. Following the paragraph, which I have taken for a motto, is the following. It is "curious enough, that this appellation "of learned languages, is confined to "the English nation. Neither in France, This FRERE is, they tell me, the" in Spain, in Italy, nor in Germany, is Master of a College! That is to say," this false and absurd appellation in the head teacher of a collection of young The same motives have not men, who are to be made learned by "existed in those countries. There the being in that college! Judge of his " monks and other priests have inherited qualifications for the post when you are" from the founders. They had not any informed, that he was what they call occasion to resort to this species of at the bar for several years, and until, I" imposition. But in England, the thing believe, two or three years ago. "" But required to be glossed over. There he is the brother of that JOHN HOOKHAM" was something or other required in FRERE, who was CANNING'S associate in" that country, as an apology for taking writing the Anti-Jacobin newspaper, many millions a year from the public, about thirty years ago; who has since "to keep men to do no apparently been our pretty ambassador at Madrid," useful thing." and who is, I suppose, now quietly quartered upon a pension for his valuable services. They are the sons of a man who was a back-bone supporter of PITT. He was a member for Norwich at one time; and these sons are deriving the benefit conferred by his immense services. " This is the true story. All the offices, all the lucrative posts in these colleges, are filled by the relations of the aristocracy or by their dependents. The whole thing is now a political machine; the people see it clearly; and the people only want to be fairly represented, to take this property, and apply it to useNow, reader, look at the motto which ful purposes. Talk of drones, indeed! I have prefixed to this Register. When Talk of monkish drones! They were I first published my opinion, that the drones, were they, for whose sake the learned languages were, generally speak- people reared all these magnificent coling, worse than useless, I had these leges and churches and cathedrals; colleges in my eye; and I saw that here those were drones, who kept the poor was an immense mass of public pro-and repaired the churches out of the perty, which was taken away from the tithes, who visited the sick; who public, and given to the aristocracy and visited the prisoners; who harboured its dependents, under the false and the barbourless, sustained the weak, and shameful pretext of upholding the learn- comforted the broken in spirit. And ing of the country, and particularly of those are not drones, I suppose, who upholding its religion. These colleges waddle about in watering-places and in were endowed by our Catholic forefa- London; who live on turtle and on thers, and not for the sake of the aristo-wine; who feast to suffocating while cracy alone; but for the diffusion of the people are starving; and who throw knowledge amongst the people in gene- the maintenance of the poor and the ral; for the providing of a stock of repairing of the churches from their own deeply learned men. What would they shoulders, to the shoulders of those who have said if they had been told that pay the tithes. the day would come, when a mere barrister, whose name had hardly ever been But, as to my own affair, one would have thought that mere shame would restrain this Vice-Chancellor and his eight propositions? Oh, no! they have dignified deputy from discovering fear sense enough to perceive that their at any impression that I might have cause is not maintainable. Hold your been able to make in the vicinity of their tongue, if you are wise," is their motto. luxurious abodes. Here am I, a private They dare not dispute. While the Debt person, totally divested of all influence; was contracting, and the paper-money personally unknown to every creature flowing, they were voluble enough. here, except one family; having no Now, when the Debt is contracted, and power other than that of my mere name the paper-money drawn in; now, when and reputation, to draw an audience the nation has to pay the reckoning for about me; divested of all the means, that war which these men were the even of personal defence, if such defence foremost to promote, they are as silent had been necessary; having nobody as mice. pre-engaged to give me support of any It is truly curious that they are silent description: here am I, thus situated, when there is a bill passing for the exand frankly stating beforehand, in dis- press purpose of putting open_blastinct propositions, the opinions that I phemers upon the bench, in the Parliamean to maintain, and offering at the ment, and in council with the King: same time, to admit any persons be- silent as mice now; but clamorous longing to the University, to come and enough when the Catholics; when those controvert my opinions, backed, as they who built the churches and endowed naturally would be, by all the influence the colleges; clamorous as Billingsof all the persons interested in the gate, when they were about to be adputting of me down: here am I, at this mitted to the enjoyment of the rights seat of learning, as it is called, thus now to be given to the Jews. However, situated, thus offering, thus flinging my-enough of this matter: I have here self down, as it were, exposed to every shown what an university is made of. possible disadvantage; and here are When I was writing my Grammar, this Vice-Chancellor and his deputy which I did in Long Island, I little exercising all the power which their imagined that I should ever have an offices give them to prevent the pro- opportunity of coming, and, in person, posed discussion! This is a university, challenging this University, and giving is it? For the maintenance of a thing to the whole nation, and to the whole like this, this nation is to apply a million world, a practical proof of the soundness a year or more of the fruits of the earn-of my opinions, with regard to these ings of the people; for to that it comes expensive and useless establishments. at last. The revenues on which these men live, arise from the rents of lands and houses, or from tithes, all of which belong to the nation; all of which are notoriously public property; and if the revenues were applied to the uses of the nation, there would be less necessity for the taxes which are taken from the people, and which have ground the people down to dust. Every one must be satisfied that a Parliament representing the people at large, would not suffer this abuse to exist for a year. It is a political monster it is a thing which common sense says ought not to exist. Why, if there had been one single man of common pluck, would he not have rushed to the combat, upon the bare statement of my After the refusal of the Vice-Chancellor and his famous deputy, I was disposed to go and dine with the farmers (it being market-day); but I was assured, that it would, sooner or later, be the ruin of the landlord of the inn! Good God! Can any just man hesitate to wish for any event, that will put an end to a state of things like this? over the kingdom I will give the history of these University chaps, of their insolence, their conscious incapacity, and of their horrible fears. All Turning from these people, I am sorry to say, that I do not turn to something much more worthy of respect. Babel never gave rise to confusion of tongues more complete, than the confusion of opinions and projects which are now |