66 66 66 "DANIEL O'CONNELL." "to effectuate the necessary change," thing which might keep up agitation "by calling for gold for every pound" in Ireland, and which might make the "note. A man who has a pound note" Catholic Emancipation Act less promay surely as well have a sovereign." ductive of good than its friends an"A thousand accidents may make the "ticipated." What had this to do with pound note not worth 1d. There is Catholic or with Protestant? It was an nothing which can possibly render the affair of money; and what right had sovereign worth less than 20s., and let any one to dictate to BIG O what he me tell you that it may again become should, or should not, recommend as to "worth 30s. of the then currency. Call, this matter! BIG O was not so indignant "therefore, on the people, the honest, and scornful, in his answer, as I should unsophisticated people, to send in the have been; though it would have been "bank-notes of every description, and to very difficult for me to abstain from "get gold. Take this as a measure of laughing. He did, however, but in a precaution every where; let it spread manner too tame, assert his right to "far and near, and then at least we will publish the proclamation; and in the "be so far on a par with England. course of his speech said, that "Since "Believe me to be, most sincerely, " he had been in the House he did not "Yours, "find much encouragement to address "it on the subject of Ireland. He had 5 brought under its notice the Sublet"ting Act and the Vestry Act, and had Well said, BIG O! A little uncharit-" found only apathy for what concerned able, to be sure, towards the poor Prince" Ireland. The honourable and learned of Waterloo; but good and sound ad-" Member complained with some bitvice; and it seems with excellent effect; "terness of the apathy of the people of for the "noblest assembly" seems to" England on the subject of Parliahave been most furiously enraged at it."mentary Reform. Finding this apathy, This is a most interesting matter; it" he thought he had a right to make seems to bid fair to produce, and it must" use of the constitutional means that produce, great good. Compared with" were in his power to promote the this, what are all the measures of the "good of Ireland. He had convinced "noblest assembly," vulgarly called the" himself that a gold currency would be Collective Wisdom of the empire! But" as advantageous for Ireland as Engbefore I proceed further, I must refer to," land; being conscientiously convinced and make some extracts from, the de-" of that, he had called on the people of bate in the "noblest assembly." This "Ireland to obtain for themselves a debate took place on the 25th of June," gold currency. He would not shrink on the presenting of a PETITION_from" from avowing his opinions, or his acthe Rev. Sir HARCOURT LEES, Bart.,"tions, though he disclaimed the authoby Mr. TRANT, an Irishman and a Mem-"rity of that House to call him to ber for Dover. "account for his conduct out of the "Mr.TRANT presented a petition from" House. The honourable and learned "Sir Harcourt Lees, complaining of the "Member also referred to an expression agitation which was still kept up in" of Mr. Shiel's at some public dinner, "Ireland by the machinations of certain "who had complained that the manna persons. A run had lately been made" of patronage fell on no Catholic head, on the banks of Ireland, in consequence" and said that complaint had been at"of those machinations, the tranquillity "tributed to him. He disclaimed it; "of the country had been disturbed," he wanted no patronage from the Go"and the people seriously injured by a "vernment; he had never sought it, great fall in the price of butter. The" though there were some Gentlemen at "Hon. Member, in presenting the peti-" the Irish bar who were injured, be"tion, called upon the Hon. Member" cause the Government would not give "for Clare to abstain from doing any-" them silk gowns while they passed 66 66 over him." Curse these silk gowns! currency, which may, at any moment, Why mention them, when he had so plunge the country into "confusion and excellent a case without them? As anarchy"; and BIG O is to be reto the people of England's apathy about proached for having endeavoured to rid Parliamentary Reform, the charge is his country of this instrument of congroundless; they want it; but never stant danger and of tremendous miswill they again rely on Burdett; no, chief; he is to be arraigned as a sort of nor any one that sneaks about at the culprit, for having endeavoured to cause heels of that sham reformer. Next after the lawful money to supplant this inBIG O came Mr. DOGHERTY, the Solici-strument of ruin; his countrymen are tor-General for Ireland, who complain-in a state "approaching to starvation,” ed most bitterly of the proclamation. | under a system so long upheld by this He said, "The honourable Member had base paper, and he is to be called all "addressed a letter to the people of that is bad, because he, at last, resorts "Ireland, telling them that gold was to the most likely means of putting an "better than paper; that a sovereign end to this cruel system! was sure to be always worth twenty This was the answer which he ought shillings, and it might be worth thirty to have given to this O'DOGHERTY. He shillings; and telling them, therefore, did, however, very well observe, that "to demand gold. The people had taken they had, amongst them, taken the most "the alarm; and what, he asked, were effectual way of extending the advice "likely to be the effects on the country? that he had given; and this they have "He called on the hon. and learned done; and I thank them for it. He "Member to recollect what was the said, that “the Hon. Gentleman com"condition of Ireland in 1821. He "plained of the injurious tendency of "reminded him what was the state of" the letter, and expressed regret that “England in 1825, and he would per- "it had been published; but what "ceive what would be the consequence "would be the consequence of this "of his letter. No longer ago than" attack? Why, that the letter would "Saturday last, the people were in a "be published in every paper in the state of consternation. Their produce" kingdom, and a greater publicity "in the Waterford market fell three or" given by the means taken to suppress four pounds in the hundred; it fell" it. He had been taunted with writing 'from 30 to 40 per cent. in some in-" letters to the people of Ireland; but stances; the result of the panic that" at the moment he was so taunted, " was produced by the letter of the hon." was he not also reminded of the ex"and learned Member. (Hear, hear.)" istence of that most unconstitutional "The hon. and learned Member com-" law, made by the power of a Lord "plained of the apathy of the House" Lieutenant's proclamation, which "with regard to the people and the" rendered it impossible for any man "affairs of Ireland, but without any " publicly to address his fellow-citizens, reason. For himself, he felt from his "unless through the medium of a letter? "heart for those sufferings approaching "He had taken that course. He did it "almost to famine, which it was per-" at his peril, and he knew the conse"haps impossible to avert; but he did" quences. He was unable to deliver "not think that the evils of famine" his sentiments in any other manner. "could be remedied by adding to them" It did not surprise him that those who "those of panic, confusion, and anar- "made attacks on him were cheered, "chy." Here was a complete justifica- "and that his defence was received in tion of BIG O's letter; a better could" silence. He knew he was no favounot be. What! here is Ireland with a "rite with any party. He had never currency, with so base a currency, that" supported any. He had not supported when put to the test against the legal" the oligarchy of that House, and both coin, it at once tumbles down thirty or "sides, of course, united to applaud forty per cent.; here is Ireland with a "those who opposed him Very good! 66 This is all right. I like to see a man Aye, aye, PADDY, run and get what you lay on upon them, and punish them for can, then, and thank Mr. O'DOGHERTY their insolence. A good way of an- for bringing this fact out; and for swering the Lord Lieutenant's pro- making me understand it so well! Aye, clamation. This is their soft place, Lord Howick, it must be "wantonly BIG O: you have done a thousand times mischievous" to induce people to demore good by this proclamation than mand gold for paper, when the issuer of you have ever done before. BURDETT's the paper has no gold; "wantonly misRUMP used to have a toast: "The chievous," indeed, to put an end to a liberty of the press; like the air we fellow's getting five per cent. for the "breathe, if we have it not, we die." use of bits of dirty rags, and causing The THING may say the same by the these to be supplanted by the legal paper-money; it was created by it, coin; most wantonly mischievous,” and will die with it. And this I beyond all doubt, to advise thoughtless always told the bawling BURDETT; I people against running the manifest always told him that reform was impos-risk of being ruined by what the minissible, as long as one-pound notes would ters themselves call "worthless rags; pass; and he might have put them and so, Lord Howick, I bid you faredown ten years ago. But he never well! never wished for reform. wished to do it; and, in his heart, he Very wisely "Mr. HENRY GRAT"TAN deprecated the continuance of Lord Howick is reported to have" discussions on subjects already dispo"characterised the course recommended" sed of, and entreated the hon. Mem"by the honourable Member for Clare," ber for Dover (Trant) not to press the as the most mischievous that could be "the printing of a Petition so mis"devised for Ireland and its people."chievous in the principal details." "He would call it wantonly mischievous, But, alas! it was all out! Whether "but that he believed the honourable the "noblest assembly" printed the "Member was not fully aware of the petition, or not, did not now signify a <6 consequences it would produce. straw: the facts are now gone all over (Hear.)" Oh, yes! BIG O was fully the world; that a demand for gold aware of the consequences! and he will, caused prices to fall from thirty to forty if he have common spirit, follow up his per cent.; and that a general demand blows, until there be not a single piece may, at any time, plunge Ireland into of paper-money left in Ireland: that is "panic, confusion, and anarchy"! Go the true way to make the great House, on, BIG O; you have hit them in the the "noblest assembly," attend to him. tender place; you have got a raw; But what does the Lord mean? Does keep on upon it. They did not laugh he mean to say that it is mischievous to at you this time: BROUGHAM did not prefer the legal coin to bits of mere cast sarcasms upon you; keep on, you paper? Oh! how they let out the will make them listen, I warrant you! secret! And this O'DOGHERTY is a deep Why is Ireland to have" worthless rags" man, to be sure he is! To let it out, more than England? If the poor that Ireland may, any day, be plunged working people be clad in rags, is that into "panic, confusion, and anarchy," any reason why they should have them by the people calling for payment in the for money? Go on: you have, in this legal coin! and why, Mr. O'Dogherty? case, for this great service, the thanks Why! how can you ask that ques- of every good and sensible man in Engtion? COBBETT: How can demanding land. The produce and the transactions gold payments produce such effects; of Ireland are great; the quantity of seeing that all that the holder of paper paper there is great; if that_paper_be has to do is to go to the bank and get the put down, gold must go from England to gold. PADDY: Yes, COBBETT, but suppose the banker not to have the gold? COBBETT: Ah! I did not think of that! supply its place to a great extent; that will take away gold, and compel the mother bank to draw in paper at the same time. Go on then, BIG O; leave Downing-street, new and heavy burnot a single rag in circulation; for be dens forging for the backs of these your you assured, that never will you see re- miserable countrymen; while you see form of any sort, as long as those rags all this, you, the representative of an are in circulation. The "noblest assem- Irish county, are to sit and hear schemes bly" will hate you; but can they treat coolly propounded for effectually keepyou worse than they do now? They ing the poor Irish out of England, lest, have despised you until now, because, by coming hither, they should get into until this act, you have done nothing for the people. They hated BURDETT 'till he slunk out of the tower, and lost the people; and ever since that they have despised him and laughed at him. Go on, and you will have the very great honour of being hated by them. ΤΟ Wм. COBBETT. DANIEL O'CONNELL, Esq. Highworth, Wilts, 30th June, 1830. their stomachs some of the orts that are left of the food raised by themselves; you are to sit, and to see and hear all this; you are to hear them, to hear your own constituents, spoken of as if they were beasts of burden; you are, when they apply for the smallest portion of sustenance, to see them seized and sent back to starvation, in precisely the same manner as criminals are sent to the hulks; you are to see and hear all these things; you are to have the thorough conviction, that nothing that you can do, where your are, in the way of persuasion, will have any effect; you are SIR, to know that this horrible state of your ACCEPT of my thanks, together with country has been produced and perpetuthose of thousands upon thousands of ated by the system of paper money; you the good and sensible part of the people are to remember that the birth of this of England, for your letter of the 7th of system was the death of Irish freedom June, addressed to the Editor of the and happiness; you are to remember WATERFORD newspaper, recommend- that Protestant ascendancy and the ing to the Irish people to get gold in- Bank and the debt arose all together in stead of "worthless rags," so called by the same reign, so fatal to Ireland; you ROBINSON himself, when debating on are to know that your country can the bill of 1830. When we see the never again know freedom or tranproud and insolent oligarchy assail you quillity, as long as this system shall last, for having done your duty towards the and you are to know that it rests wholly people, it is the duty of the people to and solely on the "worthless rags;" rally round you, and to stand by you; and seeing, hearing all these things, you and this you will find the people of are to sit and hold your tongue, or speak England do by you, as long as you pro-and be scoffed at; and you are not to ceed in this course. write advice to your constituents, lest you should incur the displeasure of those who are the upholders of this system because they profit by it! What! you see your country brought to an "approach to starvation;" you hear a law-officer confess, that that is its state; you see its wealth drained And, looking at the matter in a naraway to this country; you see (as I rower point of view, what have you did at Bristol the other day) droves and done beyond your bounden duty? you flocks and herds without end, and hun-saw the effects of the panic in Ireland dreds of ship-loads of corn and meat in 1821, and those of that in England in and butter, you see these coming into England; and, while you see this, and see those whose labour creates this wealth and all these masses of food, in a state "approaching to starvation ;' and while you see on the anvils of 1825. You saw hundreds of thousands of industrious, and virtuous, and frugal fathers and mothers bereft, in a moment, of the means of providing for children, to be able to make provision for whom had been the hope of their laborious land still exposed to them all! And you are to be reviled and menaced, because you endeavour, by legal means, to guard your country, while yet there is time, against these perils! lives. You had seen that the breaking And then you saw the House pass an of only one bank, in Hampshire, had act to put an end to those injuries and caused, to use the words of the papers dangers, in England, and to leave Ireof that county," as much anguish and lamentation as if there had been a dead corpse in every third house." You had seen the poor, hard-working man, with body wasted to the bone for the sake of keeping a cot over his head, stripped, in a The facts, mentioned by Dogherty, moment, of the means of paying his rent, prove, beyond all doubt, the soundness and compelled to go to the poor-house of your advice to the people of Ireland; for shelter; and this in thousands upon for, what do those facts prove? Why, thousands of instances, while the bank- that there is not gold in Ireland whererupt devastator continued to wallow in with to discharge the debts which the luxury. You had seen all this; you rag-issuers contract to pay. Every note had every reason to believe that these promises to pay, in gold, to the bearer, on desolating scenes must again occur in demand; and if the issuers of the notes Ireland, if the extension of the paper-have the gold to pay with, what inconmoney were not checked: and, having venience can arise from demanding payseen all this, and entertaining this ment? Dogherty says, that the deopinion as to the future, you were to mand, occasioned by your letter, caused hold your tongue, lest your poor country prices to fall thirty or forty per cent.; should take warning in time, and save themselves by legally demanding payments in gold; or, if you gave the warning, were to be brow-beaten, bullied, and almost menaced with punishment! and he further says, that a general demand would plunge Ireland into "panic, confusion, and anarchy." Why? Because the issuers have not the gold to pay with; for there can be no other reason. To be sure they have it not; for, if they had, your letter they would laugh at. Well, then, if this be the But, above all things, what had you heard and seen in the Parliament itself; and in that very house of “noblest as-case, is it not necessary that the people sembly," wherein you were reproved of Ireland should know it? Is it not for your conduct? You had, in that right that they should be told it by a House, heard it stated by the minister; man to whom they have entrusted their 1st, that the small paper-money had interests? And, seeing no hope that been the cause of the panic, and the ruin the Parliament would remove this danin 1825; 2nd, that, as long as this pa- ger from Ireland, was it not your duty, per lasted, there was no safety for pro- your bounden duty, to warn the people perty, and no security for the peace of through the only channel remaining the country; 3rd, that it was absurd to open to you? suppose, that paper, of the same deno- You tell the people, and very truly, mination with gold, would circulate at that a sovereign may be worth thirty par with gold; 4th, that such a paper shillings in paper. It may be worth a could, in such a state, exist only by bushel basket full of paper; and, if an mere chance; 5th, that any little acci- attempt be made to put out the paperdents might destroy it in an hour; 6th, money again here, a sovereign will soon and that, therefore, no government, hav-be worth a hundred pounds in paper. Is ing any regard for the safety of private it not the interest of every man to get property, or for the preservation of the some gold, if he can! Canning, in the public peace, could tolerate such a pa-rag-debate of 1826, said that "every per-money. All this you heard in that house; and you saw the Chancellor of the Exchequer come into the House, hold some of the notes in his hand, and heard him call them "worthless rags!" man ought to have a piece of gold in his pocket, and a fowl in his pot." As to the fowls, and even the eggs, of poor oppressed Ireland, they come to be eaten in England; but, surely, you might be |