fected poor, "Thou art accustomed to This was the error and the crime of the French " comment on measures and interests Revolution—it should be the object of a British "that are beyond thy limited reason, stroy. Parliament t, restore, not to sabvert or de"and thou knowest that thy opinions "have already drawn displeasure on "thee. The ignorant and the low are "to the state as children whose duty it "is to obey, and not to cavil." The day for this language to produce its effect in this country is gone for ever. Let us look around in every direction, and we shall see disaffected paupers, unwilling slaves, alienated from the institutions of a society which they think has treated them with injustice. The torch of the incendiary throughout all the agricultural counties of England ought to warn us of the danger of being surrounded by fellow-creatures between whom and ourselves there are no ties of sympathy, over whose minds we cease to possess influence.

The Lord Chancellor has, it is said, a plan for establishing parochial libraries throughout the country. But in England the public funds must be applied to such purposes, if we hope for any result.

Now the immense mass of public property in this country, called Church property, has never been distributed with a view to public utility, but exclusively to private ends. In Ireland, matters are rapidly approaching to an adjustment. No man acquainted with what is passing in Ireland can have a doubt that a new arrangement of public property is at hand.

"Every disinterested man (says a correspondent of The Dublin Evening Post) of sound sense in Ireland, desires a new settlement of

Church property, as indispensable to the future peace and prosperity of the country. It will never be possible to collect tithe and apply it as heretofore in Ireland.

"Ought, then, Church roperty,' which was intended for the service of religion, be suffered to remain alienated from that service and to poison the political atmosphere by its -to become the inheritance of certain families, corrupt exhalations? Ought the provision, consecrated by the piety of our ancestors to the relief and comfort of the needy and the poor, who, regardless of the destitution and starvabe left a prey to the rapacity of administrators, tion of the actually poor aud needy, lavish it on the genteel support, as it is called, of the pride and vanity of families of extractionNo! the state has a right, and is obliged to ruined, perhaps, by idleness and dissipation? interfere decidedly with every such violation of the primitive and most sacred relationship of society. The state has a right, and ought to exert its sovereign power, as a power derived whom the law protects in their possessions, from God, for arresting the abuse which those, have been tempted to make of the property entrusted to them. But the state should not

itself be guilty of what it condemns in others, by applying to the general purposes of the empire what was dedicated to certain fixed and ascertained purposes, or what was consecrated to the special interests of religion and the poor."

But will a reformation be confined to Ireland? Certainly not. Public utility, and not family aggrandizement, must prevail in the distribution of public property, if we hope to see the population restored to a healthy moral state. The Church swarms with abuses of every kind. The ecclesiastical divisions are any-thing but suited to the present state of the country. One parish is a province, another consists of a few hundred acres-one contains a population equal to that of the greatest capitals, another contains only a few hamlets. cannot continue long in an enlightened age.

This

The author of the pamphlet already noticed by us, observes, that "as yet "the clergy have been, in many instances, the opponents, or the luke

"The legislature, in dealing with this subject, should not for a momeut leave out of its views the ends and purposes for which this property was originally granted. To these warm friends, to any considerable expurposes alone, or to purposes intimately connected with them, it should be exclusively ap"tension of general knowledge." In a plied; for when the state, overlooking the letter in the Times of yesterday, the rights of individuals or classes, applies to its causes of their hostility to all improveown general wants, or to the benefits of the ment in the country are ably pointed people, en masse, what was entrusted to cor- out. It appears that what influence porations for the benefit of individuals, or of

particular classes of communities, it commits they possess is all exerted to mischievous gross injustice, and wastes its own resources. purposes :

66

66

For want

"In consequence (it is observed) of their the foolishness is so great, that you dispersion through the country, their educa- hardly suspect that there can be any tion, the nature of their office, their habits of life, and other circumstances, their influence roguery with it; but, at the bottom, is very extensive and their opposition propor- the basis is real roguery. The feelosotionably formidable. At all elections they fers lay it down as an axiom, that riots are seen as active agents, if not always at the and fires proceed from the ignorance of bustings, yet commonly in their respective the perpetrators; and that ignorance parishes, on behalf of the Tory candidates. They are now every-where on the alert, not consists in an inability to write, and to only because they apprehend that a reformed read newspapers and Brougham's stupid Parliament might diminish the value of the stuff called "Useful Knowledge." This good things which they covet, but from the well-founded conviction that it would lead to they lay down as an axiom. the political destruction of their Tory patrons. of being able to read thus, they hold All the manoeuvring that Machiavellian policy that the poor creatures cannot comprecan devise, as well as all the modes of open hend the " blessings of accumulation ; attack, are resorted to by these powerful allies they cannot of the boroughmongers; and they bespatter comprehend and feel the with every species of obloquy, such of their advantage resulting from the guarbrethren as conscientiously stand forward as dianship of property." No, poor the advocates of reform." things, they cannot comprehend the advantage that results to them from This last paragraph shows a want of barns and stacks being kept safe for the knowledge on the subject. The thing use of those who deny them all but cannot be settled in this manner. Tithes potatoes, and hardly a stomach full must remain as they are, or be abolished. of them. The poor "ignorant beings They cannot be exacted for any other cannot comprehend and feel this adpurpose, or by any body else, than the vantage without the aid of "apartments clergy. They would not be a present to read" Brougham's Useful Knowmade to the landowners at all: the ledge: much less can they comprehend whole of the community would share in and feel the advantages resulting from the benefit of taking them from ten or their being (men, old men, boys, and twenty thousand families of idlers. The women) compelled to starve, or to draw land would, then, bear that sole internal carts and waggons like beasts of burden. tax, which I, in my THIRTEEN PRO-It really does need a "Labourers' Insti POSITIONS, propose to lay upon it. "tute with apartments for reading and Now for the first part of this article," lectures," to convince that it is adwhich closes with telling us that the vantageous to young women to have LORD CHANCELLOR (watch his their long hair cut from their heads by a pranks!) has an intention of proposing the establishment of "Parish Libraries" for the purpose of educating the work ing people! Only think of apartments for reading and lecturing in every parish! Only think of a village of Chopsticks having apartments to read in By " these people are mad! They know no more about England than they do about the moon, and the land in the moon. "Labourers' Institutes, with apartments for reading and lectures ! this is precisely what you do not teach. It is madness; and not a hair short of it. To propose that sheep and oxen and horses should be taught to fly, as birds do, would not be a bit more sign of madness.

brutal hired overseer, and to have their bodies covered with serge with a badge on it; or to be compelled to become prostitutes, or to starve. Poh! you miserable Scotch quacks! It is the employers that want to be educated: the landlords, parsons, and big farmers, want to be taught that it is their true interest in the end, to cause the working people to live well, and to possess the means of being well dressed. And

What a beastly notion, that booklearning is wanted to make a labourer honest, industrious, and contented! Even as to farmers, in nine cases out of ten, book-learning is an injury, rather Yet, at bottom, it is roguery; it is than a good. The best managed farm roguery that shows itself in foolishness: that I ever saw is in the hands of a man,

who, when necessity compels him to write, can hardly put his meaning upon paper. And is he an ignorant man?" He understands his business, and does it well; and what do you want more of him?

Park, Alderson, and another, I think, held to be a good objection to him. So that it is come to this at last: the freemen of the wards have a right to elect any freeman that they please; a perfect right to do that; and the Court of AlBut the roguery at the bottom is this! dermen have a perfect and absolute right those who put forth this quackery want to set the election at nought without cause the present funding and taxing system assigned! This is, I think, as neat a to go on; because, if it stop they must specimen of the right of election as we go to work. They rail against the have ever heard of! I always thought tithes, indeed; but they want all the rest Mr. SCALES wasted his time in any to go on. Now, it cannot go on with- attempt to get amongst such a out starving the labourers. These tax- crew, especially after a reform of eaters do not dare to say, in direct the Parliament became unavoidable. terms, that they wish the labourers to That crew may rest assured, that one starve; and, therefore, they will never of two things will speedily take place, a allow that the riots and the fires are reform, or some change of greater magnicaused by the pinchings of hunger. tude; and that, in either of these cases, Hence they beat about for causes; and, not only will they cease to have the just at this time, their favourite cause is power to annul the elections made by the want of "labourers' institubes,” in which freemen; but, that many and important the labourers are male to see clearly, past transactions will be pretty scrupu that it is reasonable and just that they lously inquired into. At present this who make to come all the meat and crew beat the boroughmongers all to bread and beer and wool and leather, to nothing; for, if the freemen of any town live upon potatoes and water and go half-do happen to elect a person that they do naked in their bodies and barefooted. not like, they do not pretend to any right Poh! you quacks; you Scotch quarks; to set the election aside upon the mere establish well-loaded bacon racks in the allegation that they do not think the villages instead of libraries; teach the son chosen a fit person. Mr. SCALES landlords and farmers to feed and clothe should now publish a list of the names, the working-people well; and then they callings, and other circumstances of the may sleep in safety: otherwise they whole of this crew, so that we may have never will again, though the world be them upon record against the time when inundated by your miserable roguish the record may be useful. quackery.

per

MR. ALDERMAN SCALES.

MR. SCALES was duly elected by a vast majority of the ward of Portsoken. The Court of Aldermen would not swear him in, because, as they alleged, he was not a freeman, having been apprenticed a month or two too soon or too late, though they had made him perform all the duties of a freeman for twenty-six years. They alleged, besides, that he

was

an unfit person," and that they themselves were the sole judges of the fitness or unfitness. This the judges of the Court of King's Bench, Abbott,

THE REMEDY.

An Ounce of Prerogative worth a Ton of
Corrupt Influence.

THE Bill of Reform of the Commons has passed, and is rejected by a small majority in the Lords.

The country is almost unanimous in favour of Lord GREY and his administration.

But how is the bill to get through the Lords? If by secret influence, are we not degrading our noble Premier in suggesting any such means; and should the Lords now pass the bill, or as effi

cient a one, where will be their con- and we shall have a House of Commons sistency?

Why go to the Lords at all? The Commons profess on all occasions respecting election of their members, to be independent of the Peers, then why go to them for their assent to any alteration in the constituency, in which the Peers have no interest or concern? and wherein their lawful privileges are not affected. But this matter concerns only the Commons and Common House of Parliament.

unshackled by any restraint by the Peers which the Commons always profess themselves to be, and at the new Parliament the right of contested elections will be determined by the House of Com mons as they now are, instead of applying to the House of Peers for numerous other acts for amendments and alterations of the law; which must be done in every case, if carried into execution by act of Parliament.

Who is to object to this, but the 41 Lords, who may enter their protests? No, they cannot even do that, as they will be no way concerned; but the King and the Commons will accomplish the whole, with the unanimous voice of the people.

Admitting (for argument's sake) that the bill passed the Lords, and a question arose as to the right of voting, as doubtless many will, and the Commons proceed to try the right, may not the losing party say, that he is entitled under an act of Parliament, which can only be determined by law? If so, and as all law questions must be decided in a court of law, but the last resort is to the House of Peers by appeal, the Commons would be committing suicide on their own privileges by doing that by act of Parlia ment which should be done by their own resolutions, and the King's writs in pursuance of them, with the approbation of the people, testified in the most decided manner by petitions from all populous places.

Therefore in conformity with the above resolution, and in order to verify our noble Premier's prophetic admonition, let all our energies be centred in petitioning the House of Commons to come to some resolutions founded on the rejected bill, and take them to our gracious and patriotic King, to whom we will then send up petitions and ad- From the year 1273, during the reign dresses imploring him to exert his royal of Edward the First (the greatest legispowers, by issuing (in accordance with lator of any English monarch since the ancient usage) his writs for a new House days of King Alfred), to that of 1684, in of Commons agreeable to those resolu- Charles the Second's reign, frequent altions, and thereby insure the only means terations took place, by discontinuing, of restoring SAFETY, PEACE, and HAR-restoring, and omitting different boMONY, to this now suffering and troubled roughs in the representation, as may kingdom, and which blessings we shall seen in Mr. Oldfield's Representative the more highly prize as being the work History, which shows the changes that of a Sovereign, endeared to us by every have taken place, being in all 69 botie that can bind to a gracious King a roughs which sent members to Parlialoyal, dutiful and grateful people. ment in different reigns, and which are There will then be no occasion for now deprived of that right; among Lord GREY to truckle to the majority of which are Alresford, Basingstoke, 41 peers and bishops, the Commons will Chelmsford, Doncaster, Ely, Farnham, be acting up to their own resolutions, Greenwich, Halifax, Kingston-on

be

Thames, Leeds, Manchester, Newbury. [lers, and the body of the people lived Odiham, Pershore, Ross, Spalding, Tor- tax-free; whereas they now pay, in rington, and Wisbeach.

Customs, Excise, Stamps, Post-office, The borough proprietors are ever de- and other taxes, more than forty milclaiming on the perils of change and lions a year, as under, besides the sums innovation, though there have, till with- we annually borrow and take up at inin the two last centuries, been both in-terest in Exchequer bills; while the novation and change by the King's writs; great barons or lords, and the bishops, which right, though not always used for enjoy their revenues free from all atthe benefit of the people, has never been tendance on the King in wars, are never abrogated. Then, surely, if the King called on for subsidies of tenths or fifhas this right, which formerly was ex-teenths, nor the latter for repair of caerted not always for the good of the people, he now has the same to exert it at the request of his people and the majority of the House of Commons; to which the two Attorney-Generals lately referred in different debates in the House of Commons, and who probably would have supported their opinions had they been upheld by the other members of his Majesty's Administration; but who did not support their Attorney-Generals in their well-founded opinions, possibly from a recollection and apprehension of falling into the same error as the late Honourable Mr. Fox did, by asserting, at the time of the regency, that the Heir Apparent was entitled to it; whereby he had all the Tories, with Pitt at their head, against him, who then being in high feather, outvoted him.

thedrals or religious houses; and the people return no more members to Parliament than they did before the days of Queen Anne; and many of those which they are said to return, are in fact returned by rotten boroughs, under the direction of the aristocracy, who now refuse us any reform, though their burdens are done away with and their revenues remain. Well might a French pe riodical author remark, that the aristocracy of England have adopted the best mode in the world of appropriating the wealth and earnings of all the middle classes in the country to their own use; and at the same time leaving each to pursue his own mode of industry, when, by taxes of various descriptions, they contrive to gather the fruits of their in-dustry, and divide them among themThough the Kings with their estates selves, their families, and dependents; (now denominated crown lands), and as may be illustrated by the fable of the the great barons or lords, with the bees, whom they suffer to gather honey monks, abbots, now archbishops, bi- into their own stores without smothershops, and other religious persons, up to ing or destroying them, though, to be the time of the reformation of our reli- sure, they leave them a bare sufficiency gion, between 1510 and 1550, wholly to subsist on through the winter: so paid the expenses of the Government, that the drones, being too indolent to with, perhaps, a very small addition from the Customs, and a few wealthy boroughs, the crown estates, in the time of William of Normandy, called the Conqueror, being 400,000l. a year, which had, by our kings, from time to time been reduced to 132,000l. a year at the time of Queen Anne, in whose reign the whole annual cost of government amounted only to half a million a year, including the above 132,000l., the produce of the crown lands. Before this time the religious houses almost wholly sustained the poor, and entertained at their mansions all strangers and travel

* A rough sketch of what is yearly paid in lieu of that paid by the barons and bishops, formerly none of which in those days were collected of the people. The present yearly revenue, up to July, 1829, was as under, leaving out odd hundred thousands.

Customs
Excise..
Stamps

MILLIONS.

15

18

Assessed Taxes
Post-office ......

4

44

Crown lands only 5,5007.