us with a falling system; they know what we can do, and what we cannot; and we deceive ourselves most grossly,

iş, in one respect, like the pig-banks; it must have more notes than it has gold, or it could not carry on business to a profit. It is, indeed, all a thing of pa-if we imagine that they have forgotten per; a thing resting on mere opinion; and a change of opinion may pull the whole fabric down in a moment.

the tribute which we made them pay, and the museums which were ransacked while we were masters of Paris. They all know how to pour in upon us the forged paper-money, which would be perfectly fatal if this paper-money found us without cash payments at the Bank. The Ministers say, that they cannot do with less army and fleet than they have now even in time of peace, what are they to do, then, in time of war? What would then be their expenditure annually? and observe, we should not, as in the last war, have all the commerce in the world under our absolute command. The war,

war for England; and the probabilities are, that if it overtake us with an unreformed Parliament, the crash will be the most dreadful that the world ever yet beheld.

The Duke of Wellington is reported to have said, that the nation was never so well prepared for war as at this moment! But, then, he said two other things: namely, that the retail traders were in a prosperous state! And that that there is now more money (including paper) circulating in the country, than there was during any period of the late war! We must take the three assertions together; and we must believe them all, or believe none of them. However, suppose war to come, is he pre-whenever it come, will be a dreadful pared to close the Bank against demands for gold? Is he prepared to stand a general run for gold? Is he prepared for two prices? Is he prepared for the effects of legal tender? Is he prepared for bales of forged notes, pour- Now, turn your eyes to the proceeded in upon us, as our people poured as-ings of the "noblest assembly of free signats in upon the French? He may be; but, then, he must be prepared for all the consequences; for that the enemy would pour them in upon us, is as certain as any thing earthly can be. In short, though it is surprising to hear this man talk of the prosperity of retail traders, and of the quantity of money in the country, it is still more surprising to hear him thus talk of being prepared for war! If he mean to deceive foreign nations by this boasting, that is worse than all the rest. They know our real situation better than he does, if he be sincere in his opinions; and this boast of his will be, by them, regarded as a sure proof of our real inability to go to war. At any rate, be you, my readers, prepared for war"; narrow your affairs as much as possible; be not in debt; get all the gold you can, and keep it.

It is possible that, as long as Charles the Tenth lives, we may have peace with France and America; but not much longer. The French nation see our weakness; they know the extent of our distress, if our Ministers do not; they see

men." Look at the divisions on the
army estimates, and then say what are
your hopes! All idea of a return to the
small paper-money seems to be aban-
doned. I inculcated, throughout the
whole of my Northern tour, the opinion
that there would not be a return to the
small paper-money.
I found a very
large part, if not the whole, of the solid
manufacturers very much averse to that
return; but I found them nevertheless
of an opinion contrary to mine with re-
gard to what would be done. I remem-
ber that, in one instance, in a party of
twelve or thirteen gentlemen, we put it
to the vote whether Mr. WESTERN'S
wishes would prevail or not; and if I
recollect correctly, I was in a minority
of four. The opinions of those who
differed from me were founded on this :
That it was impossible for the Govern-
ment to go on with the present cur-
rency without a great reduction of taxes;
and this every man said they would not
make. I thought so, too, and said that
I thought so; but still the Duke was so
firmly bound to the bill of 1826, and
the danger of departing from it was so

great and so manifest, that I could not the Fourth, whereas the bill was passed believe that even these Ministers would, in the sixtieth year of the good old in open daylight, run their heads into father of the present King, and on the such a fatal noose. This opinion of mine 30th of December, 1819. So that Sir has been confirmed by the proceedings FRANCIS BURDETT was deceived when of the "Collective." Mr. WESTERN, he said, the other night, he might be who was defeated in his own county, sent to Botany Bay if he published a where a petition was passed in despite second seditious libel, having been conof him, praying, not for paper-money, victed of one before. He was convicted but for a seizure of part of the property of one before, to be sure, and had a of the church, and for a reform in the three-months' walk round the MarshalHouse of Commons: Mr. WESTERN cat but a poor figure. Several others made a slight push to get back to the paper-money, but were very soon silenced; and, as for taking off taxes, there the Ministers were sure to triumph; for those who had to vote, knew too well, much too well, the necessity of continuing all the taxes.

Sea for it; but his sedition was committed before the passing of the Act; so that, a second conviction would not transport him, unless the Act be construed to mean, that a verdict, after the passing of the Act, shall be sufficient for the purpose, though the crime was committed before the passing of it. Besides, the punishment is not Botany Bay, but In the affair of the army estimates, banishment, except the sentenced party Mr. HUME, who made some famous ex-remain in the country forty days after posures, told the Ministers, that the peo-the sentence. Then the offender is to ple would soon take the affair into be transported for any term not exceedtheir hands, which was highly resented ing fourteen years. This Act was the by "that fine young man," Mr. PEEL, who asserted that the Government would beat the people if they followed the advice of Mr. HOME. Poor SCARLETT, lawyer SCARLETT, of poor law memory, came in for a share of the censure of Mr. HUME, who said that he could say there in safety what no man out of the House dared to say, lest this lawyer should pounce down upon him. The lawyer appears to have said nothing for himself, and no one seems to have said any thing for him.

It is curious to observe what a cry the worthy Whigs are now setting up against the bill for banishing people who may bring the House into contempt by their writings. I have been writing against this bill ever since it was passed, and I promised the people of Preston that I would not even sit down in the House, if they elected me, until I had moved for the destruction of this bill. LORD MORPETH has given notice of a motion for the repeal of it, which motion is to come on on the fourth of May; but the newspaper account of it gives an erroneous description of the date of the bill, which it calls a vill passed in the sixth year of George

last, all but one, of the reign of the late good old King, who found the taxes twenty-four millions a year in time of war, and who left them sixty millions a year in time of peace; who found the interest of the Debt eight millions and a half a year, and who left it thirty millions a year. The very act that closed this prosperous and happy reign (and a most appropriate close it was) was the Act to put down the cheap publications. This Act was the 60th George the Third, chapter nine; and the banishment Act, 60th George the Third, chapter eight. These Acts are a sweet pair, take them together; and they were manifestly intended principally for a person who shall be nameless. When the banishment Act was under discussion, the Whigs represented the indignity offered to gentlemen of the press, though they said there might be an individual who might merit such severity and degradation; whereupon CANNING replied, "that there was no " › getting at the ignoble beast, without running down the whole herd"! This fellow's tongue is still; but his saucy, his impudent, his stupid words ought to be recollected. The great LIAR OF THE

NORTH, Baines of Leeds, put into his until it has, at last, rendered it impospaper, that a good many gentlemen left sible for the House to discover how it the room at Dewsbury, because I said can get on. Having passed this Act in something harsh of CANNING. Never the month of July, 1819, it assembled was a more barefaced lie than this. I hastily, in November of the same year, do not recollect having mentioned his and passed an Act to banish men for name at Dewsbury; but almost every- life, if the judges so choose; for it is where I did, and I dealt justly by him; "for such term of years as the court that is to say, I ridiculed all his stupid shall order"; and that may be for a sayings about the currency; his "setting hundred years or more; and, in case of the question at rest for ever"; his swal-non-departure, the offender to be translowings of the public money; his silly talk ported for any term short of fourteen about the "mother and the daughter' years. The other House, in which the at Liverpool; and his base and savage bill originated, had sentenced the dejest with regard to poor OGDEN. At linquent to transportation instead of Liverpool, especially, I laid on upon banishment; because banishment to the him with all the force that I possessed; United States, for instance, whence I and in that part of my speech I was had just then come, appeared to be no more cheered than at any other part of very great punishment. The bill was it. The "piece of gold in the pocket, softened in the Commons, in consequence and the fowl in the pot," which were to of a very humble and crying petition be produced by the bill of 1826, were from the "respectable booksellers," who productive of peals of laughter where- appeared to be afraid that their trade ever I went. I remember his " ignoble would be cut up, with Botany Bay beast" and his running at the whole staring their literary gentlemen in the herd in order to get at him; and the face. I, on the contrary, published, in the fellow being dead does not satisfy me twopenny Register, that this bill was a by any means: his offences against me, thing that left me quite liberty enough; personally, are more more than enough and Mr. BLAKE, the member for Arundel, to justify my continuing to say every actually quoted my authority in support thing against his memory that I can of the Bill. The sharp-cutters were say with truth. His "setting of the cruelly mortified at this; but thinking, question at rest for ever," and being perhaps, that they should soon have me, cheered by the whole House; TIER- they consoled themselves in the meanNEY'S refraining from praising PEEL'S while. Bill too much, seeing that he himself had the honour to be the real mother of it; RICARDO's saying that it would make prices fall only four per cent.; and GRENVILLE saying that there was no danger, seeing that prices would fall only three and a half per cent.: all these sayings I ripped up, and made my audiences as merry as if at a comedy.

Transportation would have been a little too much of a good thing; and, therefore, I did not say aye till the word banishment was introduced, for which punishment I did not care a single straw. The whigs were most infernally enraged, if rage can be infernal in human breasts, when BLAKE got up with the Register in his hand, and answered this very But the bill; the bill that was to get SCARLETT by reading what I had said at the ignoble beast, by banishing those about the bill. When the bill went that should publish any thing having a back to the Lords, JOHN, LORD ELDON, tendency to bring the House into con- who was then Chancellor, observed, in tempt; this bill was the fittest thing in his usual kind manner, "The bill is the whole world; and the beauty of it spoiled; but it's better than nothing." was, it came in such nice time. First, It is curious that, when I arrived at the House passed Peel's Bill, and thereby Liverpool, there came on board the did an act which they themselves now ship, as I have before related, two young repent of having done; an Act which gentlemen from the consignees, one of has produced mischief after mischief, whom having been introduced to me

any fine that might be inflicted on him for any libel that he might thereafter publish! In the course of twentyeight clauses, this act contains penalty upon penalty, and restraint upon restraint; but, that which does seem to surpass every thing of the kind ever heard of before, are the "twenty-one inches in length and seventeen inches in breadth."

by the Captain, the worthy CAPTAIN into sureties, before he began printing, CоBB, whom I always remember with to pay three hundred pounds towards the most friendly sentiments; this gentleman said, "I am sorry to see you "here, Mr. COBBETT, for the "are met; and you may depend upon "it that they will prepare something "for you." "Very likely, (said I,) but "they have got Peel's Bill upon their "back, and that will encumber their "movements, and make them more "gentle, I imagine." If that gentleman be alive, he has, I dare say, frequently called to mind what I said to him in the cabin that day. The truth is, I had read of the Manchester affair of the 16th of August; I had read SIDMOUTH's letter of thanks to the Yeomanry Cavalry; but I had also read PEEL'S Bill, and I was sure that that would take the buckram out of the gentleman. I knew well that I had nothing to do but to hold them to that bill, if possible; for I knew that that bill would bring the nation to its senses, and my foes upon their knees.

Now this Act (the liberal Minister being installed, being surrounded by the Whigs, and having the no very fat knees of one of them stuck in his back) Mr. HUME thought ought to be repealed, in order to give something of éclat to this new reign of liberality. Not so, thought the Whigs, who all frowned upon the nation, which was treated to some nice Scotch sarcasm by Mr. BROUGHAM and LAWYER SCARLETT, who had opposed the bill while passing, and objected to its repeal!

Before I got to London, the two bills, At last, however, the Banishment Bill, one for putting down cheap publications, which is certainly the least hostile to liand the other for banishing libellers, berty of the two, the Whigs seem to think were advancing apace, and were finally a great evil, after having suffered it to passed on the 30th December, 1819. rest quietly for ten long years, and once, The Whigs rather divided upon the sub-during that time, having refused to supject, some for the bills and others port a motion for its repeal. I have against them; offering a very faint op- mentioned it a thousand times over. I position, and manifestly in no sort of have told the Spaniards of it, in a letter anxiety lest the bills should not pass. to them; I have told the French of it, To show their sincerity upon the sub-in a letter to them; the whole world ject, an excellent occasion offered itself knows the history of it; it has done just after the poor talking CANNING got great good by beating out of the heads to be Prime Minister. Mr. HUME, see-of foreigners the juggling stuff about ing that liberality was the order of the English liberty, and about "les répreday, and seeing SCARLETT, Attorney-sentens du peuple," as VOLTAIRE stupidly General, moved for the repeal of the bill respecting the cheap publications, which he always used to call "Cobbett's Act." This bill compelled me to put two sheets and a quarter of paper into my pamphlet, each sheet being not less than twenty-one inches in length, and seventeen inches in breadth, and to sell it for a sum not less than sixpence exclusive of any duty imposed by the Act. What a "noble assembly of free men"! Then, it enacts that no one was to print or publish any such pamphlet, or any newspaper whatsoever, without entering

calls them, in his silly and bombastical Henriade. That was a sad bribed fellow, by-the-by, and a vile courtier and base stock-jobber into the bargain. His Henriade is a tissue of the most impudent historical lies ever put upon paper. He either knew nothing of the history of the time of Henry the Fourth, or he was a bribed liar, the last being the most probable of the two. I have explained to France, to Spain, to Italy, to Germany, (the United States knew it well,) that the répreséntens du peuple have protected themselves against the con

tempt of the people by a law to banish except cited as the cause of heavy exthe people, if the people say anything pense. The bang, bang, from their having even a tendency to bring them pistols, and the rattle of the feet of into contempt. It is too late to repeal their horses, that charming music, really the Act, if character be the object. The appears to be gone for ever. No paexistence of the Act is known all over radings in parks; no dinnerings and the world; and the repeal, if it were to toastings at taverns, or at lords' houses; take place, would never be heard of. no votes of thanks and stupid corresBut why NOW; why at this time, pondence in the newspapers, between at the end of ten long years? Is it troops and their commanders; no because there is now a lack of the base boastings about the gallant exploits in paper-money? Has this bill produced sallies on old women and boys. All is distress and a want of rents? I thank gone; and the rusty sword, and furredGod Almighty that the want is come; up pistol, and the helmet-cap, and the I am equally grateful for the pinching uniform jacket, are all thrown aside; of thousands of vermin who chuckled or the latter, perhaps, after being worn with delight when this bill made a run out under the convenient covering of a upon the whole herd in order to get at smock frock, has, at last, become the the ignoble beast. But why now; and garment of a shoy-hoy. I can rememwhy is poor SCARLETT run at for having ber a fellow who, in the year 1807, acted upon a law passed by the House used to come galloping into the village itself, and kept in force for ten years; at night, three-quarters drunk, after a law, too, that the Whigs would not having been at one of their reviews, as vote for the repeal of, when a motion they called it, and used to fire off his was made for the purpose four years pistols, bang, bang, frightening the ago? What has SCARLETT done but women and children of the neighbouract upon the law which the Whigs hood. I saw, and I was glad to see, themselves have thus sanctioned; some the very same fellow, in 1821, with the of them by their votes when it was toes of both his feet peeping out of his passed, and others of them by refusing shoes, with a beard a fortnight old, and to vote for its repeal? There stand no less with half a smock-frock upon his back. than two or three motions for propositions The like of this fellow, if not yet pulled relative to the late trials; and what has down, rejoiced at the Banishment Bill of inspired all this zeal for the freedom of 1819; rejoiced at the twenty-one inches the press; all this uncommon zeal of paper by seventeen; rejoiced at the Nay, SIR FRANCIS BURDETT, who was ruin and destruction of every one that sitting at the back of CANNING when had the spirit to speak the truth relative Mr. Hume's motion was made, now to the acts of the Government. This professes himself ready to be transported (if the reporters speak truth) rather than not set this very Act at defiance. What can have occasioned all this? Is it liberty; is it a love of the freedom of the press; is it a desire that the deeds of the House should be -spoken of as they deserve to be spoken of; is it a tenderness for literary talent; is it any or all of these; or is it A WANT OF RENTS?

Act may now be repealed, though there is very little chance of it; but its existence will never be forgotten by any one who shall hear talk of the liberty of the press in England.

It has been made the subject of a publication in Spain, intended to show how false were the pretences of English liberty. Several publications in France have spoken of it. An Englishman in Switzerland was shown my account of Strange has been the workings of this it in the Register, and was asked whePeel's Bill; and stranger still will they ther it were really true, that the English be. They will leave no vestige of the House of Commons had found it necesfine spirit that was floating about in the sary to protect itself against the conyears 1817, 18, and 19. The Yeoman-tempt of the people, by a law to banish ry Cavalry we never hear mentioned, the people. In twenty different Ameri