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VOL. 39.-No. 11.] LONDON, SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 1821. [Price 6d. Published every Saturday Morning, at Six o'Clock,

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An old Quaker, at Philadel- any one on account of the failure, phia, when I was there writing it ought to be solely against away at a most famous rate, yourself, seeing that nobody about 25 years ago, used to send pressed you to undertake the me a letter about once a week, adventure, and seeing that you containing these words, and no rushed into it wholly unprepared. more: "Friend William, keep Ihall first notice what has thyself cool." It appears to me, recently passed" within doors" that you stand, at this particular relating to your case, beginning time, in great need of some such with certain censures bestowed friend. When a blade, however by your brother lawyer, Mr. aspiring, is fairly tackled, and is Brougham, on the opposition manifestly to all the world des- which your bill had met with tined to be twisted down, his "out of doors," which that hero wise course is to undergo the of St. Other's called "equally operation with good humour. A " A unprincipled and short sightstiff-necked onion that does not, ed." This gentleman has, very as the gardeners call it, come prudently, been remarkably kindly to hand, is sure to suffer quiet of late; and, perhaps, that more than others, and stands a was a course to have been still chance of being, in the end, com- pursued; especially as the "Edupletely snapped off. It is gene-" cation Digest," after having rally found that the plants, which just poked out its horns, has, make this unavailing resistance, snail-like, drawn them in, and

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Printed by C. CLEMENT, and published by JOHN M. COBBETT, 1, Clement's Inn, [Price Sixpence Halfpenny in the Country.]

kept them completely covered by it hard names?

the shell. The nation was to be

1

How was the

scheme to suffer from an opposition which he deemed unworthy

saved, all of a sudden, by being taught; saved by Scotch school- of an attempt to answer? And, masters; taught industry by if the opposition had done no those who were living upon the harm to the scheme, why was fruit of its labour, and filled with it made an object of abuse morality by those whose whole with a defender of the scheme? skill consists in adroitly helping It is easy to discover here the spion the works of corruption, and rit of intolerance and of persecuwho are like fish out of water in tion. The fault usually found of any system, which does not give writers, when prosecuted, is, that full employment to bands of they do not discuss; that they spies and informers. This grand deal in censure and imputations scheme disappeared, all at once, without even the forms of disnobody seems to know how, or cussion. This could not be said from what cause. Now, the in the present case. These were scheme was either wise or foolish, facts; these were arguments; the and it was the offspring of sheer former remain undenied and the presumption or ignorance not latter without even an attempt less pure and unmixed. If the at refutation; and yet this lawformer, why was it dropped? If yer calls the whole unprincipled the latter, why has it not taught as well as short-sighted! Aye, the schemer modesty in speaking and if he had the power, would of the opposition to other new-punish it too, though the act fangled schemes? would, doubtless, fill your gentle breast with abhorrence!

This gentleman is a large talker about the "liberty of the press;" As to the short-sightedness of but, what is this liberty, then, if the opposition "out of doors," argument, which he does not at- to be sure it had no pretensions tempt to answer, is to be deemed to second sight; but, it appears. "unprincipled?" The oppo-to have been pretty efficient; sition had been of some weight, or and, some men would have it had not. If of no weight, thought it their duty to prove why did he notice it? If of that it was short-sighted before weight, did he imagine to de- they called it so. Those who have stroy its effect by merely calling defended the Labouring Classes,

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have, at any rate worked without | ing to blindness; but, it cannot fee, and without a possibility of be called unprincipled.

reward. Nay, with the certainty After all, however, we do not, of displeasing every man in the perhaps, understand each other country who is a bad man and as to the meaning of these epirich man, They have had to thets. To be the Queen's settled brave the greatest mass of power, advocate, and while in this sijoined to the greatest mass of tuation to go to the Ministers, in wickedness. How, therefore, their 1819, and make, without her auconduct could with justice be call-thority, a proposition including a ed unprincipled it is for Mr. condition that she shall abandon Brougham to explain. The cause the very name of Queen; to go of the Labouring Classes may be afterwards, in company with the betrayed from a want of princi-agent of the Ministers, to meet ple. It is easy to conceive, that the Queen, and to give her no a greedy, profligate adventurer, advice, when a threat is tendered destitute of all feeling, resolved, her at Saint Omer's; after this to by hook or by crook, to gorge advise her to refuse a settlement, himself with public spoil, will be because her name was not put in ready enough to volunteer in an the Liturgy, though, long before, attack upon the defenceless La- this advocate had proposed that bouring Classes, in order to show she should abandon her very that he is a man fitted to purposes title as Queen; this, perhaps, is of cruelty, and thereby to ingra- to act a principled part: this is tiate himself with powerful op-not to be unprincipled, perhaps : pressors. This is a character that we may conceive easily enough; and, it may truly enough be said, that, in such case, the conduct is unprincipled. But, in the other case, though there may be folly, though there may be excessive weakness, there can be no want of principle: the conduct of the advocate for the Labourer may be childish in the extreme; it may be short-sighted even approach-of civil Society in England.

and, if that be the case, I am ready to allow, that the defence of the Labouring Classes against the imputations contained in your bill has been totally destitute of principle.

We will now quit Mr. Brougham for the present, and come to the transactions "in doors" with regard to this measure, which, I repeat, strikes at the very root

begging, and to transportation or

hanging for stealing; if this be

Sir ROBERT WILSON called it the Poor-spoliation bill; and this you called "factious opposition." not worthy of the name of spoIndeed! what, so high already!liation, I wonder what is; and, Gad, there is need of the gar- if you chose to call it a "Poor-law dener's hand pretty quickly!" improvement bill," are others "Factious opposition" means an to adopt the same name? By opposition which has no view false names infinite mischief is but that of answering some self-done: if "Bank-stoppage," inish purpose of the opponent; stead of "Bank-restriction," had and what view of this sort could been made use of, the ruinous Sir ROBERT WILSON have? bubble would have bursted long His appellation was just; for ago, and the nation would have what does spoliation mean but known nothing of its present cato despoil, to strip, to leave desti-lamities.

tute.

You objected to a "nick- What passed relative to the "name" being given to your Bill on the 6th of June was very bill. This was very natural; curious. SIR ROBERT WILSON but, give me leave to say, that it began by recommending to the was not prudent for you to let attention of Members SWIFT'S your objection out! Nick-names "Modest Proposal;" that is to are the fashion in bill-making. say, a proposal" to relieve the "Bank-restriction bill" was as "distresses of Ireland," and the pretty a nick-name as ever was main thing which he had in view given to any thing in this world; was to induce the landlords to and, yet, did it much surpass that EAT the children of the labourers, of the "Poor-Law improvement contending, that they must have "bill?" Sir Robert's appellation a right to do it, seeing that they had sense in it; it, in some de- were in the daily practice of degree, justly described the thing; vouring the parents. and, if it were a nick-name, it only supplied the place of another nick-name. To refuse a man relief, who cannot get work, to compel him to starve, or beg, or steal, and to leave him exposed to

whipping and imprisonment for

This was such a cut at your bill, that your ." Learned" Friend, Brougham, seems to have thought himself called upon to interfere. "He had hoped "that Members would have ab"stained from the introduction " of topics which could do no

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