COBBETT'S WEEKLY POLITICAL REGISTER. VOL. 39.-No. 10.] LONDON, SATURDAY, JUNE 9, 1821. [Price 6d. ΤΟ and the other speeches at the late THE LORD CHANCELLOR. meeting of the Club in question. On the Pitt-Club proceedings; on Before, however, I come to your speech, I find that of the the Budget; and on Lawyer Chairman, GAFFER THOMAS Scarlett's Bill. SHERLOCK GOOCH, than who it. would have been impossible to find a fitter man for the office. None but just such a man would have been fit: he was qualified Kensington, 5th June, 1821. MY LORD CHANCELLOR, I am always pleased when any of you gentlemen "in doors" in all respects for the post; and step"out of doors," and there- certainly for no other post that by put yourselves so far upon a I can imagine amongst mortal level with us as to entitle us to men. The GAFFER's speech talk to you a little, without the was too curious to be passed over.. risk of being banished. The lightly; and, therefore, I shall speeches you make "in doors" insert it here, entire, as I find it are protected by privilege: those given in the COURIER news-paper. you make out of doors have, as of the 29th of May. The Gafyet, no such protection; and, fer's speech may be considered. therefore, I shall make a remark as the say of all that class of or two on your late speech at the men to which he belongs; and, London Pitt-Club. The Club, there is something in the close of and all the whole family of Pitt- his speech, which is well worthy Clubs, are become so completely of attention. Not on account of and deservedly contemptible, that the matter itself, but on account there is no public duty that calls of the doubts, fears, and chagrin for an exposure of them; but, that it discovers. we have a right to laugh when "The CHAIRMAN then rose we can; and, never in this world" and said, that it might appear was there a more legitimate sub-“ presumptuous, or at least, unject of laughter than your speech" necessary in him to preface the 2 E Printed by C. CLEMENT, and published by JOHN M. COBBETT, 1, Clement's Inn. [Price Sixpence Halfpenny in the Country.] 1 "toast which he was about to," unavoidable. 66 It was one of propose, with a single obser- two evils. It was the alter"vation. They were assembled ["native to dependence, and Mr. "on that occasion to celebrate" Pitt chose rightly, and nobly 66 66 the birth-day of the greatest" chose the alternative. (Cheers.) "and the most virtuous States-It was their duty, as he was "man that this or any other sure it was their inclination, country ever produced.-(Ap- "to relieve, by every possible "plause.) England had been" and practicable means, the exblessed with him, providentially "tent or the severity of their disblessed with him, at a moment" tress; but whatever means "when his services were most "were calculated to diminish it, required by this vast, and, at "he was sure that its reduction that period, troubled empire." did not depend upon modern (Applause.) It was to the "patriotism, or revolutionary doc"principles of Mr. Pitt, and to" trines. (Loud cheering.) He "his steady adherence to those" begged, in conclusion, to proprinciples, that they were in his "pose-Thé immortal memory "conscience, he believed, to at-" of the late Right Hon. William "tribute to the present indepen-Pitt, with three times three.” ” "dence of the English nation. Bravo, GAFFER! You did "His firm resistance to French "principles, as his skilful and "well concerted policy, when "immense efforts on the part of "the enemy abroad, and dismay " and faction at home, seemed "to paralyse the country, saved .66 describe the principles of Pitt; and, perhaps, you could not. However, let that pass for the present. We will, by and by, ask a little what those principles were. It is the close of the Gaffer's speech that is interesting. He says that our distresses were the natural consequence of the Pitt measures, and, as the measures arose out of the principles, how of these great and extraordi- the devil does the Gaffer make it "nary exertions on the part of out that the principles were good? our population is a temporary Oh! says he, we must have been distress, that distress was, dependent if we had not done under the circumstances, quite that which has caused the distress. it from impending ruin, and "raised it to a height unexampled “even in our most favoured an"nals. The natural consequence σε There were two evils before us: distress and dependence; and Pitt "nobly chose the latter." 66 The GAFFER did not attempt who it was that caused the neces→ sity of our being conquered in war, or distressed in peace! At last, after this loose talk, the Gaffer came to the pinch; he have so long engaged the atten➡ tion of his enlightened skull: he came to the relief of those distresses. any proof of the truth of these assertions. They are completely came to those distresses; those false, as all the world knows." agricultural distresses," which But, my lord, may we ask such a man as the GAFFER, what" dependence" may mean? Does it mean being conquered by France? This, or nothing, is its meaning. And, may we, then, beg the Gaffer to tell us what it was that made it unavoidable" 66 And here, according to the Report, he talked some pre cious stuff. He said, that it was their duty, as he was sure it 66 was their inclination, to relieve, for us to endure being conquered," by every possible and practicaor distressed? It could not be ble means, the extent, or the providence; for the Gaffer says" severity of their distress." that Pitt was sent by providence Now, I will allow, that this Scotch to save us! What was it, then, good Gaffer, that reduced us to this dreadful alternative? Pitt was lord and master for ten years before the war against the French people began. He began the Who was it, then, I say who was it Gaffer Gooch, that caused the necessity of our being conquered in war, or distressed in peace? The French? O, fie, Gaffer! What! The French war. Editor, Mr. Daniel Stewart, formerly Secretary to Mr. TIERNEY'S Reform Society, must have misrepresented the Gaffer; and I take the meaning, as the country people say, by the gaping. I take him to have meaned, that the Ministers were disposed to relieve the distress of the farmers, landlords, and traders by all possible and practicable means. But," said he, "whatever have the power to conquer us in" those means may be, I am sure war, or cause us to live in distress" they will not depend on modern in peace! If this be true, what" patriotism and revolutionary a pitch of "glory" ours is! And," doctrines;" that is to say, that if it be false, how puzzled. that the means of relief would not head of yours must be to find out arise out of the acting upon mo dern patriotism and revolutionary We shall do very well with them. doctrines. Here again we have They will break up the musses of no descriptions, or definitions, to property, and disperse them assist us. We cannot tell what about. The loom-lords and anthe Gaffer may mean by modern vil-lords and bank-lords will come patriotism and revolutionary doc-down; and the labourer will once trines; but this is what we gather more be their equal. The Bullfrom the "6 gaping" that the Frog farmers will come down relief shall not come at all, if it quickly, or disappear. The truth cannot come without oversetting is, that they will, for the most the Pitt-system of paper-money; part, withdraw with what they that, in few, the farmers shall yield up their last sack, and the landlords their last acre, rather than the measures of Cobbett shall be adopted; rather than a reduction of the interest of the debt shall take place! have got, if they be renters; and will leave the landlords to get on with the Jews in their own good and "loyal" way. A ́man that can draw four or five thousand pounds out of the fire will be rich. If he keep it a year or two in gold, he will have the means of buying a fine estate. He can Well said, GAFFER! Stick to that, and I will never ask for the punishment of any of those petty live snugly in the mean while.. tyrants who have lashed the peo-No taxes can reach him. He has ple in all parts of the kingdom. nothing visible. And, when the Go on let the Bank go on pay-wash comes, he has his ready ing in Gold (which, however, is money to purchase with. Many of these Bull-frogs are moving off to America with the produce of their stock and goods. This is one way, and an effectual way too, to avoid the tax-gatherer. There have been, within a year, my measure), and these men will suffer precisely in the manner and in the degree, in which they ought to suffer. I do not wish to see the interest of the Debt reduced yet. I wish to see the thing go on just as it is now going not less than about a hundred on for a year, or two years. I farmers who have gone out of wish to see the Jews enter up Sussex alone! They have no their mortgages. I wish to see relish for hard labour, and they the orange - boys and pencil-wish to avoid losing their all by venders actually in possession. taxation. It is very curious, that count to be taken of the prices. of labour compared with those of food for a hundred years back, and had caused the amount of the poor-rates to be stated at every period of ten years. If it had not a word, not even a whisper, | clearer-headed man than I am to about this has ever been heard guess; but, if the wisdom of from the gentleman "within parliament had caused to be taken "doors." For English farmers an account of the diminution of tổ cut and run is something new; the number of farms within the is something well worthy, one last forty years; and an account would think, of the attention of of the number and quality of "the wisdom of parliament." persons that have gone to settle Not, perhaps, of equal import-in America within the last six ance with the "furious driving" years. If it had caused an acof coachmen; the cruelty of men and maids to horses, mares, mules, asses, dogs and cats; or the making of chimneys devour their own smoke; or the like; but, surely, when English farmers are packing off with their property to other been pleased, in its wisdom, to countries, there must be a cause do something of this sort, some somewhat singular, and worthy practical conclusions might have of attention. A man has got been drawn from the informathree or four thousand pounds. tion. He sees he shall lose them, if he However, my Lord Chancellor, remain in England, and, there we will now quit the Gaffer's fore, off he goes. And, I dare speech and come to yours, which say, that, in the course of about we shall find much fuller of matanother two years, a quarter part ter for a May-morning. Your of the Yeomanry Gavaltary will colleague, LORD LIVERPOOL was be cultivating Indian Corn in the absent, and also your colleague, United States. Unable to gain CASTLEREAGH ; SO that they here by deductions from labour, could not partake in the honour they will quit the scene, and which the Club did you in drinkleave the land to the orange-ing your healths. Whether they boys and pencil-venders. The begin to be ashamed of singing wisdom of parliament has the praise of a man, who sowed caused another account of the the seeds of all the difficulties population to be taken! For that they have to contend with, is what it would puzzle a much more than I can say; but, this I |