66 brought him away with his work in an unfinished state. It is now finished; and, though it be the "American Gardener," he thinks it contains matter more than worth the purchase money to an English reader, who takes delight in gardening; and, besides the Horticultural information, the book contains the best possible account of the climate, and of things connected with the climate, of the country, for the use of which it is written.- -In answer to enquiries about the FRENCH GRAMMAR, the author begs the public to consider a little what have been his labours since his return to England! This is a work, which he cannot suffer to go out of his hands with a single doubt in his mind as to any part of it. It would, however, have been ready for the press before this time, had it 430 not been for the last-mentioned work, which he had promised to so many kind friends. All that he can say, is, that he thinks to have the French Grammar out during the summer. But, let it be borne in mind that the main business of his life is to watch the motions of Corruption. He has been dogging her steps for many years. She has, now-and-then, turned upon him and given him a bite ; but, now that he sees the bloody monster hemmed up in a corner, looking about her in vain for an out-let whereby to escape; when he sees her sides heave and her jaws filled with foam, he cannot quit her for long at a time. Expire she must; but, she must not expire without a last blow from him. Printed by C. CLEMENT, and Published by JOHN M. COBBETT, 1, Clement's Inn. VOL. 39.-No. 7.] LONDON, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 1821. [Price 6d. ΤΟ what law it was, that the BoMR. JOHN HAYES, roughreeve and Constables of Salford and Manchester, sent one Who was imprisoned for ten weeks of their runners to inform me, by the Magistrates in Lanca- that, if I attempted to enter shire, for having, in November, Manchester publickly (that is not 1819, gone round the town of secretly),they should" interfere;" Bolton, in that County, with a and that, they, at the same time, bell, to inform the people, that made grand military preparations, their Countryman, William not leaving out the cannons. Cobbett, was arrived at Liver- What law they had for these pool in good health. things a day may come, perhaps, for inquiring in a lawful way. At present, we will" stick a pin ON LAWYER SCARLETT'S" there." Fasten so much up in POOR-LAW BILL. "Open thy mouth, judge righteous "ly, and plead the cause of the poor "and needy."-Proverbs: Ch. 31. V.9. 66 Kensington, May 14, 1821. your and my memory: and, in the meanwhile, watch the progress of events, which we shall soon have a chance of doing with a belly-full, and therefore coolly and patiently. The blessings of "Agricultural Distress," if they You could see no crime, no of- have not already reached you, fence against the laws, no offence soon will. The labourers in husagainst a Constitution, which, as bandry taste those blessings, and the venerable Judges tell us from they cannot long be withheld from the Bench," is the envy of sur-the manufacturing labourers. rounding nations and the admi- In this work of watching the "ration of the world:" you could progress of events, it shall be my not imagine, that, basking in duty to assist as much as any. freedom like this, there was a man in the kingdom. The events crime sufficient to put you in jail are now becoming truly interestfor ten weeks, and then to turn ing. Peel's Bill is finely at work. you out without trial or indict-The Bank is actually (for the prement; you could not suppose it sent) paying in gold; and, if possible, that this punishment there be not another stoppage, all could be inflicted, under so "glo- will be right before the end of "rious a Constitution," merely two years. If there be another because you went round with a stoppage, that will only put off the bell to announce to your towns-day of salvation for a few months; men the safe arrival of an English and, may be, not for a day. The man in England. You could, thing has now, by the act of perhaps, as little comprehend by our calumniators themselves, been T Printed by C. CLEMENT, and published by JOHN M. COBBETT, 1, Clement's Inn. [Price Sixpence Halfpenny in the Country.] brought into a state that it cannot, think, that, before I have done, work how it will, prevent us you will find some reason to safrom obtaining every jot that we tisfy you, that that return to Engwish to obtain. The THING land, which gave you so much (for, really, it is not to be de-pleasure, and for the expressing scribed) struggles very hard.-of which pleasure you were so se"Oh! methought it was so hard verely punished, is likely to be to die!" exclaims some rascal found worthy of the feelings in a play that I have somewhere which you so honourably disseen or read. And so the THING played on account of it. appears to think; for it jumps and bounces and kicks and flings about like drunk or mad. I dreamed, the other night, that I was fishing on the Grand Bank of Newfoundland, and that, having got a couple of sailors to pull in my lines, while I looked down into the sea to see what I had eaught, I thought I saw Corruption coming up, safely caught by my hooks, her head covered with vipers, a rod of scorpions in one hand and a bundle of paper in the other. She kicked and tore and foamed like fury, I thought; and, fearing that she might be saved, by some chance or other, unless she were suffered to spend herself under the waves, I cried out to the sailors : "Don't pull her up! "Don't pull her up! Let her "down to the Bank! Let her get smothered in the Bank! "Down with her, paper and all! Down with her to hell, rather "than save her life!" This bawling awaked my wife, who awaked me; and, the good of it was, she thought I meant the Grand Bank in Threadneedle Street, instead of the Grand Bank of Newfoundland! That a lawyer, who has gotten him a seat in the Honourable House, should have a bill in hand, of some sort or other, seems to be the fashion of the day. Lawyer (I beg his pardon, Sir James) MACKINTOSH has his bill; Lawyer BROUGHAM has his bill; Lawyer ONSLOW has his bill; Lawyer PHILLIMORE has his bill; Lawyers HORNER and ROMILLY, had their bills. But, as these bills never passed, never were and never are expected to pass; and as they related and relate to matters of Scotch speculation, such as that of Lawyer GIDDY, which contains a scheme for regulating the stone weight and the bushel measure by the movements of a pendulum or by the degrees of latitude, they have always, by me, been treated as subjects for fun. If they had no possible good in them, they appeared to have had little of harm. I thought that the time of their several authors was very well employed, and, indeed, luckily employed, in so inoffensive a way. But, the Bill, which Lawyer SCARLETT has in hand, and which he introduced into the HonourAnd now, friend HAYES, let able House on Tuesday last, the me come to the subject, on which 9th instant, is of a very different I proposed to address, you; the description; for, in my opinion, Poor-Law Bill of Lawyer SCAR-it strikes at the root of the LaLETT; and I have that vanity to bourer's remaining rights; dooms him, in case of returning high (of injustice and cruelty, and tends prices, to misery indescribable, to the producing of greater and from which he would have no more lasting mischief, than any possible escape except in a con-measure I ever yet heard of; and, vulsion that would shake society therefore, if it should finally beto its centre. come a law, it shall not arrive at I hate Lawyer SCARLETT, that state without my solemn promind. It is impossible that hatred test against it being put upon can be greater, or, in my judg-record. ment, more just. And, this per- This Bill you will find in the onal animosity, which I take Appendix, No. I. The blanks pride in avowing and proclaiming, are not filled up; but the Lawyer ought to make you particularly explained them in his speeches: careful to believe nothing, on this Read the Bill first; and then occasion, which I do not prove. read the Speeches, No. II. Í However, this hatred makes nei- must beg you to read those åtther for hor against the facts and tentively, otherwise you cannot the reasonings which I shall pro- clearly understand what I have duce against his bill; and, more to say upon the subject. The especially when it shall clearly debate was short. It was not a appear, that the conclusions I grand debute: it was only about the how draw are the opinions of my poor: it was only about a scheme whole life; that the arguments for preventing the labourers from now used against Lawyer SCAR-marrying. That was all. It LETT are in perfect accordance was not about Mr. CROKER'S with those (as far as they went) three hundred a year, which Lord used against the schemes of Mr. MILTON made such a grand matWHITBREAD twelve years ago, ter of. It was not about the and are consonant also with my conduct of a Sheriff, who had own uniform practice towards put the “Constitution in jeolabourers employed by myself." pardy" by putting the vote in The author of the Bill I here, a wrong way, at a county-meettherefore, leave out of the ques-ing, at one of those farces, as the tion. "Gentleman Opposite," Great Captain truly called them. in the Honourable House, and, It was only about a plan för in the North, Acting" Attorney-checking the population of La"General:" "Gentleman Op-bourers; and, therefore, it was "posite," and, at the same time, short and animated; and you prosecutor ex-officio of some of will read the Lawyer's speeches those who were not killed on the through in ten minutes. memorable 16th of August, 1819: Well now you have read the these let him be. They have Bill and the Debate. You see, nothing to do with this Bill, that the Bill contains three Prowhich I shall treat of as whoily visions, as follows : 1. That, distinct from the character and after the passing of the Act, no the general conduct of its author. larger sum shall, in any parish, It, in my opinion, aims, in a state be levied in poor-rates, than was of high prices, at a greater mass levied during the year, which |