Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

COBBETT'S

POLITICAL REGISTER.

с

VOLUME LXXIX.

FROM JANUARY 5, TO MARCH 30, 1833,

INCLUSIVE.

Printed and Published by the Author at 11, Bolt Court, Fleet Street.

VOL. 79.-No. 1.]

LONDON, SATURDAY, JANUARY 5TH, 1833.

DOUBLE-DEALING.

[Price Is. 2d.

who, if they be not amongst the basest of all mankind; if they be not at once pusillanimous and false to their trusts, will always consider these servants of the King as persons responsible to the.n, and, of course, in such their capacity of servants, as entitled to a less degree of respect than those who constitute the three branches of the Government; namely, the King, the Lords, and the Commons. While, indeed, the House of Commons was composed, not of representatives of FOR Some time past, there has been a the people, but of the nominees, or rumour about divisions in what they agents, or servants, of peers or other call" the Cabinet." We shall, I hope, great men; while, in the language of soon leave off the use of this slang term; the petition of Lord GREY, presented in this piece of impudent pretension to a the month of May, 1793, a majority of distinct power in the state; we shall, I the whole House of Commons was rehope, soon learn to call the persons com- turned by about one hundred peers, posing this thing, the servants of the and great commoners, and by the Lords King, as our fathers called them, and as of the Treasury; while the House of they really are; and that we shall consi- Commons was thus composed, it might der them as nothing more than his ser- be well enough; it might be perfectly in vants, exercising severally the powers character for the King to consider the which he lodges in their hands, and whole House as proper to be placed at answerable, strictly answerable, legally the command of his servants; but, now as well as morally, for the manner in that the House is to be composed of rewhich they exercise those powers. Let us presentatives of the people, let us hope hope that we shall get into this train very that the members will have the spirit soon; and that our conduct will teach not to wait like a parcel of menials to the people to be looking to their own be told by the King's servants when House of Parliament, to see what it is they are to separate, when they doing and what it intends to do; that are to meet again, and what they they will be placing their confidence in are to do. So powerful is habit, howthat House; that they will discover ever, that the mercenary newspapers very soon that it is there where they are now give us as a piece of news, that it "to live, or have no life;" and that they is "settled" that the late Speaker is will care much about as much for again to be Speaker! Settled by "the squabbles in the Cabinet " as men care Cabinet," I suppose; who know, of for the fighting of two dogs for a bone, course, what they intend, what they they not being the owners of the dogs. wish; and, I dare say, think that their These people are the servants of the wishes are to be implicitly obeyed by King, and they are paid by the people, the House, just as they heretofore have to whom they are responsible for the been. I trust, however, that the Camanner of performing their services; binet will discover its mistake; that it and they are so to be made responsible will find out the difference between a by those whom the people intrust with House of representatives, and a House the management, or carrying on, of of nominees or agents; and that the their part of the Government. The people themselves will very soon perpersons thus intrusted by the people are ceive that the miawling of two cats the members of the House of Commons, upon the roof of the house in the night

[ocr errors]

B

extracts

time; that the caterwailing of a couple availing. How long have I been of these noisy devils, is of infinitely saying that the puffs put forth in favour greater importance to a well-regulated of Brougham, stamped shame on the family, than what is now put forth as character of this very Morning Cronicle! the important" division in the Cabinet." At how early a period of the existence These "divisions," however, though of the power of the present servants of of no earthly importance to the people; the King, did I point out the shamefulthough not at all affecting their in-ness of these puffs! How soon did I terests; may sometimes be amusing; show the public that these puffs were and, in this respect, those divisions intended to raise up BROUGHAM at the which are now said to be likely to take expense of Lord GREY! How long place, are worthy of attention, parti-ago did I say that his "voracity for cularly as they seem to show the peo- fame" would destroy any body of men ple that it is happy for them that they with whom he was associated in power! have got some representatives at last, and how often have I told himself, that, and that they are no longer to consider in endeavouring to raise himself by themselves at the mercy of a set of ser-newspaper-puffs, he would finally exvants of the King, whose intreguing,perience the fate of that SHERIDAN, whose want of principle, whose silliness who, in point of talent, was a ten thouand whose wildness are so strongly por- sand times greater man than he! With trayed in the publications put forth re-this preface, I shall insert the amusing lative to the alleged divisions. Amongst article from the Morning Chronicle of these publications, I shall take one to-day, together with the from the Morning Chronicle of this day which it takes from Mr. STEPHENSON'S (3. January). I shall bestow no com-letter to Lord HENLEY aud from the ment upon it, other than this, that it Standard newspaper. These, I repeat, clearly shows that the two factions still are not matters of interest, but of think that there is nobody but them-amusement; for, if it were possible selves who will have any right in ma-that the House of Commons should be naging the affairs of the country; that so base as to become, like former they look upon the House of Commons Houses, the servants of the servants of which is about to be assembled, as no- the King, then the whole fabric would thing more than a mere thing to be go to pieces in a twinkling: the " Caplayed upon; that it will be a mere in-binet" would become of as much imstrument in the hands of one faction or portance as the House, and the House of the other, and that the only thing to of as much importance as the "Cabe thought of is, which of the factions binet," for both would be detested and shall get it into its hands; that the despised. One word more: my Lord 66 race that write," GREY will recollect that, soon after he newspaper people, the have exactly the same idea of the came into power, I told him that he had coming House of Commons; and that committed a great error in suffering none of them have the smallest idea BROUGHAM to be one of his associates; that there will be any body of persons that, he had thought him dangerous as in the House of Commons worthy of an opponent, but that he would find attention, who will not be a mere tool him much more dangerous as an asin the hands of one or the other of these sociate; that he was too vain not to factions. I will just observe further, wish to be thought to be the prime that, what the Chronicle here says of mover of every thing; and that he was STANLEY and of BROUGHAM, is merely a too visionary, too unsteady of head, too repetition of what I have said of both of shallow, and too fanciful, and, above them long and long ago, to which may all things, too fond of vulgar praise, of be added that the Chronicle has always praise of the day, to be intrusted as the done its best to controvert my opi-head or leader in any great concern. nions regarding these men, and to My Lord GREY will think of these render the promulgation of them un- things now,

(From the Chronicle.)

ship between the church and the landholders The eulogies recently bestowed in the Tory respecting tithes; hence the absurd renouncreviews, magazines, and newspapers, on Lording to the bishops, the deadliest enemies of Brougham and Mr. Stanley, and the endea- reform, of the patronage of all livings under vour to hold them up as opposed to their col- 2007. a year, which proved such an obstacle leagues, and falling back towards Toryism, is in the elections, and which did not diminish very well as a party manœuvre. Mr. Stanley the disposition of the bishops to trip up the is young and hot-headed, and can afford to do heels of Ministers. With respect to this subfoolish things; but the Lord Chancellor is old ject, we find the following very important enough to know that the loss of reputation statement regarding it in Mr. Stephenson's would to him be the loss of every thing. At letter to Lord Henley, just published, which the same time, there is in this endeavour to we shall notice at more length on a future ruin his Lordship by praises, enough to lead day. him to suspect that he has drawn all this on "There is (he says) a subject touched upon himself by his own conduct. We do not, we "by both reviews which ought not now to be cannot suspect his Lordship of any treason to, "passed unnoticed. The observation in The or desertion of, his friends. How is it, then," Edinburgh Review, in favour of William the that his Lordship has drawn on himself this "Third, having left the disposal of the church

[ocr errors]

66

66

calumny? Lord Brougham has expressed more patronage of the Crown to his queen, who democratical opinions than ever Earl Grey" acted therein according to Tillotson's adexpressed. Lord Brougham has been far "vice, and that, after her death, having left it more hated by the church than Earl Grey. In" to acommission of the archbishops aud four the organ of the clergy, John Bull, Lord" bishops, is made on the ground of the King's Brougham has been constantly reviled, and" igno rance of the characters of English hard, coarse nicknames applied to him. In" churchmen. The observation in the Quarthat journal, again and again, designs to over- "terly is highly laudatory of the present Lord throw the constitution and church of England" Chancellor, for that he placed the patronage have been attributed to his Lordship. In the "of all his livings below the value of 2002. last number but one he was even termed in- per annum, at the disposal of the bishops sane. Lord Brougham was the great patron" in their respective dioceses. Probably you of the London University, the special object may know, that a letter was signed by more of the hatred of the clergy, and it is even said" than one hundred members of the last House that he was the special cause of the enormous "of Commons, addressed and given personally outlay in brick and mortar which has so much "to the present Lord Chancellor Brougham, in crippled its resources, in order to mortify the" which, for the reasons assigued, his Lordpersons by the eye-sore of so magnificent a ship was requested to recall that act." structure. Earl Grey never showed a partiThese are the causes of the insidious praise: ality to the London University-Earl Grey bestowed on his Lordship by the bitterest enenever was particularly an object of aversion mies of the administration. It is a bye-word, to the clergy-Earl Grey never was supposed that if any favour be to be shown in auy of the to have any partiality for Dissenters. But no departments over which his Lordship has any one for a moment ever threw out even a sus-influence, any man who has all his life been picion that Earl Grey had any disposition to a bitter enemy to the Whigs, and is so still, abaudon his colleagues for the sake of proving has a much better chance of obtaining, it than his attachment to the church. But Lord another who clung to them from principle, Brougham, having such an immense arrear and fought for the cause when it was under a of obloquy poured on him by the church and shade. It is notorious, for instance, that in its organs undischarged, is, one should have Scotland, over which his Lordship from his thought, the very last man to whom the sus-knowledge must have influence, the appointpicion of making common cause with the high church party against his colleagues would attach. The suspicion, however, has been thrown out, and we think it may be traced to a cause connected with the peculiar character of his Lordship. He is known to have a liking "PATRONAGE AND GRATITUDE. Doctor for the policy of managing opponents; and it" Craigie was appointed Anatomical Inspector almost always happens, that when a man a few days ago, under the new act for reguthinks he is dexterous enough in manœuvr- "lating dissecting-rooms. The duty, which ing an enemy, that enemy takes it into his "is trifling, has no reference to anatomy in head he is manoeuvring him. It is one of the proper sense of the term, but relates his Lordships tactics to suppose, that as he is "merely to the examination of dissectingsure of those of his own side, every favour" rooms, for the purpose of ascertaining whebestowed on an opponent will neutralize oppo- ther the rules as to the mode of obtaining sition, and convert it into attachment. Hence" subjects are complied with. Dr. Poole, a his endeavour to gain over the Duke of Wel-"respectable man, and a Whig, was recomlington by a good appointment to his relative; "mended for the situation by nearly all the hence his endeavour to gain the good will of medical professors and the whole College of the bishops by his speech about the partner- "Physicians; but it pleased the Government

ments have in many cases been most offensive to the old Whigs. We have an instance of this so late as the Edinburgh election, pointed out by the Seotsman in the number of December 19.

[ocr errors]

« ZurückWeiter »