VOL. 70.-No. 1.]

LONDON, SATURDAY, JULY 3D, 1830.

[Price 7d.

I addressed you in the following words, of which I, in justice to myself and my readers, remind you."

"Before I enter on my lecture; before "I describe to you the state of your 66 concern, and foretell, for about the "thousandth time, the upshot of it, un"I shall, I am sure, convince you, that it "less you follow that advice which I "is much easier to purchase victories than to "have given to your nine predecessors, "pay for them. When they cost nothing but" and which I am about to repeat to "mere blood, they are paid for on the nail; " but when purchased with borrowed money, "they are like dances and music parties: "they leave the borrowers nothing to show "for their money; and the payment comes, "as you will find, like drops of blood from.. "the heart."-REGISTER, 16th Feb., 1829.

TO THE

PRINCE OF WATERLOO.

Malmsbury, 29th June, 1830.

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR HIGHNESS,

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you before I do this, let me remind you, 1. That there is no danger, no difficulty, that you now experience, "which was not foretold by me years ago; 2. That I have never been in error upon this the greatest of all sub"jects; 3. That, therefore, it has been proved to the whole nation, and, I

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may say, to the whole civilized world, "that I understand this matter better "not only than you, but than any other man; 4. And that, therefore, I ought to be in the office that you are in, or, WHEN you took to your present office," at the least, that you ought to listen I warned you of the difficulties that you "to me with all possible attention and had undertaken to encounter. I had" docility. To this I will add, that, as previously made an offer of my services" you have had your victories, I am in the same office; and that offer hav-"resolved to have mine; and, think of ing been rejected, or at least, not re- "it what you choose, the GRIDIRON sponded to, it only remained to me to as a badge of renown, will, I am perwarn you, which I did, in three lectures," suaded, be looked at with delight by dated on the 16th and the 23d of Feb-" millions of men, long after all your ruary, and on the 1st of March, 1828." stars and garters and collars and crosses My main object was to convince you, "will have been totally forgotten. In that you would never be able to keep your other career, I had no chance this system afloat, and that there was no "with you: you had the stare and the possibility of carrying on the concern "bawl of the empty-headed million : for any length of time without a reform" they did not perceive that the 'glories,' of the Parliament. In the course of my "which you got for them, cost them observations and arguments, I warned " any thing. You, therefore, as long as you not to rely on your military fame" you stuck to the sword, were an object for carrying you safely along in this" of their unmixed admiration. Now I new career; I recommended to you to "have you more upon a level with me: get, as soon as possible, the din of the "I could not deal in 'glories'; but you Waterloo-shoutings out of your head; "and I are now both financiers; you I told you that you would now have to" by your office, and I by taste and do with an affair, wherein success would" talent. We are at issue too; and the be attended with no éclat, and wherein "whole world; aye, the whole of the defeat would bring on you reproaches" civilized world, is looking on. One of general, bitter and lasting. In the way "two things must be: you must be of preface to the matter of my lectures," one of the most conceited and weak

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"of mankind; or, you must be one of "the most generous: for, as a soldier, you were not only safe, but on the "very pinnacle of earthly glory; and, "therefore, to venture on this troubled sea of finance, and to take to such a concern too, argues one or the other "of the qualities of which I have just "spoken. You may, perhaps, think, "that you can fail in this new charac"ter without prejudice to your renown "in the other character. Sad error, if you adopt it! On the contrary, your "failure here would take from you that portion of fame which you may really "merit as a general! You would hear men like Sir JOHN SEBRIGHT sing to quite a different tune; and, in short, "it was generous in you to hazard your reputation thus; to pledge it for the "full payment of the interest of the "Debt, and that, too, not in assignats, "but in gold. This is what you stand pledged for: if you accomplish it, if you pay for the 'glory' in full tale "and in gold, I, even I, will join the "well-dressed rabble in extolling your "deeds; but if you fail; if you come "to assignats; if you come to deduc"tions; then I shall keep my extollings "to myself."

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tion; the Beer-bill, the Sugar-bill, the Irish Poor-law Bill, seem dying in their birth; and, from one end of the country to the other, all men are looking for some great and sweeping change in the whole system of sway, while your ministry seem to be brought to a stand-still, not knowing which way to turn themselves, what to do, or what to say, and finding themselves wholly unable to propose any remedy for any one part of the people which remedy shall not ruin some other class! This is a mere outline, an imperfect sketch of the state in which you are; and in this state it is that a real opposition seems to be rising up against you even within the walls of the Parliament itself; and your old colleague, your "dear HUSKISSON," of whom we shall see more by-and-by, seems to be resolved to share the good things with you once more, or, to impede and expose you at every step. This is your situation, produced by your contempt of the warning given you by me. Now then, read, if you never did before, the consequences which I predicted as certain to be the result of such contempt.

"The difficulties which you will 66 now have to encounter, are not to be If, Monsieur le Prince (for I really" overcome by that promptitude in dedo not know how to address you incision which it has now become English), you read this now, you must" fashionable to praise: they are of a begin to think that I was right. Turn" slow, a tedious, a tormenting characwhich way you will, difficulties stare ter, and such as no courage, personal you in the face. Some call for an ab-" or moral, can make to bend to the rogation of the East India Company's "will of the possessor of that quality. charter; others for an end to negro- "Your victories, if you be fortunately slavery; Russia, France, and America," destined to gain any here, are followed are gently shoving you out of the Levant;" by little éclat, and elicit but a very the French have invaded Africa, and" moderate portion of gratitude and evidently aim at Egypt; Spain is in "admiration, even amongst the thinkclose league with France to effect your ing part of mankind; while they will exclusion from the former, and, tout-" be completely overlooked, and prodoucement, from Portugal; Jonathan is "bably never heard of, by that descripin the Floridas and Mexico, and has his "tion of persons who followed shouting eye steadily fixed on Cuba; the Bour-" at your heels, upon your return from bons are in a state of botheration; " Waterloo. Not thus with your DEIreland is in a state of half-starvation "FEATS, if you should be so unforand half-uproar; BIG O, by his mere "tunate as to experience any. It is not proclamation, is causing the prices" here, as in war: it is not a mere story there to fall thirty per cent; England is" dressed up for the Gazette, all the in a state of deep and general distress, disadvantages mollified; while, as a even, in many cases, unto actual starva-" balance against discomfiture, round

"assertions of superior force to contend ever, made at a time like this, when "with, and of undaunted valour, are, at every man, not living on the taxes, is "pleasure, opposed. You have not here sighing for a change of some sort, is "the national pride, the patriotism of eagerly listened to; and the general "the good and sensible, and the vanity observation is, that your Ministry is un"of fools, to make the best of the mat-fit, and that it ought to be changed. "ter. It is not here a thousand or two "of men, more or less, killed or wound"ed, a score or two of wagons or pieces "of cannon, more or less, accidentally "and by unexpected circumstances, "captured by the enemy: it is not here "a town lost (and a foreign town too), "by the heedlessness of a bombardier "blowing up a bastion unwittingly, or, "as at New Orleans, the army finding, "when it marched up to storm the "lines, the fascines forgotten to be put "into the ditch. It is not, here, any "of these; but it is millions of people "of property, millions of families, made "to suffer from one erroneous word or "stroke of the pen. Fail in any point "of this sort; adopt any measure that "shall extensively affect the commu "nity, let that effect be deeply mischievous, and at once all the admiration of 66 your Generalship is swept away for ever, except amongst those who "make no noise; away goes your name "from the corners of the streets, and "down comes your picture from the "sign-posts."

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You will, therefore, in all probability, either come to a stand-still, as CALONNE and his people did, and as Huskisson well recollects; or you will be obliged to let him, once more, come in with his group, flushed with triumph, to take a share in the powers, honours, patronage, and emoluments of the concern; to have another meal before the mangled joint is snatched away. He has made his attack very judiciously; he has hit a tender place; he has begun in a part where his triumph is certain; and that is a great thing: a thing well begun is half done; aye, and much more than half. Fairness would say, that the embarrassments amidst which you are, arise from the measures of others, and particularly from that very measure, the Small-note Bill of 1826, of which Huskisson was one of the authors; fairness would say, that you were not the author of this bill which is producing the truck-system, the sweeping away of manufacturers, the ruin and the starvation which pervade the kingdom from one end of it to the other; but from There, Monsieur le Prince! There is HUSKISSON you had not to expect fairyour doom, unless you make a reform, ness. His long experience in the details a real, radical reform of the Parliament. of finance enabled him to lay hold of Your friend HUSKISSON, whose mea- the poor feeble things that you have sures are fast transferring the manu- about you, and to shake them half out facture of woollens from England to of their senses; and this he did in the France, Germany, and America, has sugar-debate, so completely, that no taken advantage of the difficulties, man expects that with them you will created, in part by himself, and of the be able to proceed. The conclusion of distress arising from that enormous his "sermon," as Dr. BLACK calls it, weight of taxes which no one more was, as the Doctor says, "hard hitting.” than he has helped to augment; he To be sure, it was rather harsh for a has taken advantage of these to make sermon; and especially the conclusion: against you and your colleagues the "I implore the right honourable Gentlecharge of unfitness to manage the affairs" man," he said," to consider the conof the country. Such a charge, made sequences which result from these in ordinary times, might have been" discussions, and from this continual laughed at, and would have brought," alteration of opinions; its effect has and as a reward to the accuser, nothing "been to suspend all trade at this, the more than the usual observation, that "most active, period of the year. I am he wanted loaves and fishes himself; "now standing here as the representabut this charge, coming from whomso-" tive of, I admit in a general case, all

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is all over with him too; he is in the same boat, but at present you have the helm, your crew is revelling in luxury, while he is getting only a plain meal on an obscure bench. He is hardly fool enough to imagine, that he can get to the helm; but he may get better fare, and this he means to have.

But will you let him into the crew?

"the interests of the country; but I am also the immediate representative "of the second great commercial town "in this empire; and I speak the opi"nions of the great portion of the ex"tensive and important interests of that great emporium of commerce, of all "those closely bound in connexion with "the West Indian colonies, when I say, that this system of indecision | Will you, after resolving that it "should "and of experiment produces the great-be no mistake," take him back? There "est alarm, inflicts serious injuries on was a time when a man in your place 66 commerce, and is calculated to un- would, in case of such an attack, have "settle all the transactions between taken away the assailant's pensions, and 66 man and man. Only look at the have ousted him from his seat. That spectacle which has been produced by time, however, is gone; and it really "the way that Government have pro- does seem, that you must take him in, "ceeded with the spirit duties. (Hear, or go out yourself, of which two it is "hear.) When the right honourable difficult to say which would be the most "Gentleman proposed to lay a duty of mortifying, not to say disgraceful. If "one shilling on British spirits, orders you take him in, especially after he has "were of course sent out to the West cast this staring ridicule upon you; if "Indies to make more rum and less you thus bend down before this farmer's sugar. Is it nothing to those interests son and old Membre du Club quartre "to have declarations emanating from vingt neuf, you are gone in the estima66 a Government like this, taken up and tion of all those who have hitherto cried "abandoned without system, foresight, you up as a man of decision, of nerve, or consideration? Look at the course of firmness of purpose; and if the thing "that it pursued with regard to other can be kept going for any length of "articles. Three months ago it was time, he will daily rise above you, and "announced that the growth of tobacco will, at last, render you a mere cipher; "in this country would be encouraged if you go out yourself, your fate is still "under certain regulations. Orders more certain, or at least your fall will "were of course sent out to America to be more rapid; for then all the press "stop the importation of tobacco in will burst forth upon you at once; all "anticipation of this change. Now, the evils of the country will be ascribed "however, comes a determination that to your blunders, military statesmen "tobacco shall not be grown in this and financiers and princely Premiers, 66 country? We cannot manage the ex- will become a standing jest; those who "tensive and complicated transactions have been in the habit of extolling you, "of Government in the same manner will join in the laugh; people will begin as we would manage an army, and put to count the immense sums you have "forth a law one day as a kind of ad-received, and are still receiving, out of "vanced guard, which may be ordered the taxes; and just as I predicted, "to draw back the next." (6 away goes your name from the corIf such be his preachings, you, I dare "ners of the streets, and down comes say, would wish him to " implore" a your picture from the sign-posts." little more, and preach less. Though Such really appears to be your choice; he has some mercy, too; he signifies and difficult it is for you to choose. The his hope; he, like the Scotch Presby-high aristocracy hate HUSKISSON; but terian parson, does not condemn to absolute destruction. "Tak 'em, gude “God, and shak em, shak em, o'er the "mooth o' heel; but dinna ye let em "fa' in!" No; for if you fall in, it

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they get little rent under you. In France they hated CALONNE; but he fed them with hope. That hope was soon found to be false; and this would be the case with our CALONNE; but they begin to

despair of you! And as to the people at " added to it the disfranchisement of large, they sigh for a change of some "the forty-shilling freeholders, the supsort or other, hardly seeming to care "pression, or rather attempt at suppreswhat it is. Nothing could Huskisson "sion, of the monastic orders, and the and his group do, any more than you, "insult to our bishops; add to these for the real relief of the country. They "that despotic law which has authocould not carry into effect even the "rised the Lord Lieutenant to issue his measure about the truck-system. They "late Proclamation. In the annals of could do nothing without a radical re- legislation, there never was so unform; and that they will not adopt." constitutional a law. How he was But their failure would not restore your "compelled to emancipate is well reputation; like BRIENNE you would be known; but he threw as much bitterreckoned as one of those who had "ness into the cup as he possibly could. brought the country to ruin. It will "I really think that he hates or denot now require much time to show "spises Ireland. His powers, too, of you, that you acted unwisely in taking reasoning, appear to me to be of the on you your present office; that you "lowest class. He is quite the Comought to have kept where you were; mander-in-Chief of the Ministry, and that this was an office for which you "rules the men who have the littleness were not fit; that you ought to have" to act with him with a sway almost reformed the Parliament, and placed "despotic. I think his foreign policy the people at your back; in short, that" of the worst possible description, and you ought to have followed the advice of" that the tendency of his public measures is all towards arbitrary sway. "It is, in short, essential to the peace "and prosperity of these countries that we should have another Minister.

WM. COBBETT.

BIG O's PROCLAMATION.

I ALWAYS said, that BiG O, with his "true Irish accent," would do nothing in Parliament; but I knew he could do something out of it, and he was advised and begged to do it many years ago! Let us, now, first see the proclamation, and then the debate, which took place respecting it

"As to Ireland, the insulting and insane attempt to increase the taxation "at such a period of deep distress as "the present, is a proof of utter, total "ignorance of our real situation, or The "total disregard for our wants. "hour, therefore, is come, when every "effort should be made to press on the "administration of the Noble Duke. in Sir JAMES GRAHAM'S "noblest assem"This is the very time to attack his bly on earth." The proclamation, con“Government in every legal and consisting of three paragraphs, is in the "stitutional way. I very much approve form of a letter to the Editor of the "of your system of securing a gold curWATERFORD CHRONICLE; and is dated rency for Ireland. If gold be good for at London, on the 7th of June, 1830. England as a medium of exchange, it "ought to be equally good for the Irish. "Indeed, it is a very formidable ad"MY DEAR SIR,-You are quite right;"vantage that the English have over "the time is come when Ireland should" us in this, that their currency is of "one and all rouse itself to fling off the actual value as an article of commerce, "administration of the Duke of Wel-"being gold, and that we Irish should "lington. He is, in my judgment, totally" have no other currency than mere "unfit for the office of Minister. A por- 66 paper, in itself, as an article of com"tion of Ireland, organized by the Ca-"merce, of no kind of value whatsoever. "tholic Association, of whom fourteen "It is too bad that the welfare of "hundred were Protestants, forced him "Ireland should be thus postponed, as "to grant emancipation; but he granted" it were, to serve England. It seems, "it with the worst grace possible. He "therefore, a duty to rouse the people