" "is highly probable that several of the other; some dotard, some driveller, "partizans of Charles X. will be order- some half-idiot, some child, or some "ed out of the country. We should thing or another to agitate, convulse, "not be surprised if Charles himself, set together by the ears, to render miseon being remonstrated with on the rable that great nation, there always "impropriety of his making use of an being a numerous crew ready to shed a "asylum granted to him in misfortune, people's blood, or to cause them to shed "for political intrigues, may take offence, each other's blood, rather than forego "and proceed, as was originally intend- the desire to live upon the fruit of their "ed, to Austria." Mark the baseness labour. If the Americans had made a and hypocrisy of this! To Talleyrand! throne; if they had been fools enough Disclosures made to him! What a base to do that! if they had been such ridilie! Just as if the government and the culous asses as to erect a throne, and chambers in France had been plotted create a Royal Family, they would against! Just as if the whole affair never have known any-thing of freedom was not contrived for the purpose of any more from that hour. They would *producing the restoration of Charles X.! soon have had a pretender to the throne. Just as if the people would have in- The royal family would have soon taught stantly called for a Republic, if they, them not to eat meat three times a day. at least, had not been satisfied that the The royal family would have soon had an plot was favoured by the government aristocracy, which indeed must have been and the Chambers! Aye, the base Cou- created at the same time. In short, RIER sees all this as clearly as I do; instead of being an example for the but it sees, besides, that power is likely world to follow, it would have been a soon to change hands in France; and it beacon for the world to dread. And knows that the brave French people, never will France know one single hour when they shall have an organ of their of tranquillity until she gets rid of the own choosing, will, if these plots con- throne. The throne which she has given tinue to be hatched here, say to our big she can take away. That LOUISTHING, as the gallant in the play says PHILIPPE has no right to it, other than to Sir JOHN BRUTE, “WE WEAR A that which he derives from the sover SWORD!" The THING probably eign will of the people, is well known foresees this; and therefore this, its to all the world. The people, therebase hireling scribe, is preparing the fore, can annihilate the throne which way for its yielding to the hint."We they have created, and this they must wear a sword!" will be quite sufficient do or they never again will know peace. to drive the whole crew from our shores. They found themselves sufficiently opHaving digressed so far, let me go a pressed with one royal family: they little farther to observe that we have, have now two, and both kept and paid here, another striking proof of the ne- by them! And this, too, as it were, for cessity of establishing a real republic the express purpose of keeping them in in France. What does this plotting a constant turmoil. There is no remedy arise from? How comes it to be that but that of repealing the law that made 'there are such creatures as Carlists? the present throne; common sense How comes there to be such swarms of says that that ought to be done, and expectants, looking forward to another done it will be. There will be a rerestoration? Why is France troubled, publican government in France, efficient tormented and convulsed in this man- and cheap; and this brings me back to ner? Because there is a pretender to the point whence I departed; namely, the throne of France. And why is there the extraordinary efforts now making { a pretender to the throne of France to urge our aristocracy to resist every "Because there is a throne for him to attempt at reform; to grant nothing, have pretensions to! And, as long as lest in the end they should be comthat throne shall exist, there will al-pelled to surrender every-thing; to reways be some despicable creature or fuse reform, lest that reform should lead to a destruction of the order of Reform is now set at rest for ever," said nobility and of the order of the es- an insolent aristocrat, when remarking tablished church, similar to what took on a petition of 1816; "but if the replace in France in the year 1789. "formers want further answer, the best Now I have shown, and Burke has way will be to refer them to the acknowledged, that there need have" official dispatches relative to the been no destruction of government in" Battle of Waterloo." In answer to France, if a reform had been adopted in these saucy exultations, I said, "No, we time. But it is impossible to hear the" cannot go to supper yet, the drama argument which I have just noticed, "is not closed, the question is not set without going back to the arguments" at rest, until the reckoning be paid. made use of by Lords SPENCER and" If we pay off this reckoning, and be FITZWILLIAM, and others, when they prepared to go to war again whenformed the coalition which drove Pitt ever the French shall attempt to reinto the war of 1793. The people of" cover the Netherlands; if we do this, England and Scotland cried loudly for" then I shall say that we may go to reform at that time. They had done" supper, that the drama is closed, and the same many years before; but when" that the question of Reform is settled." the French had recovered their liberties, From that day to this, I have been asthe cry for reform in England became serting, about once a month, that the louder and more general. The argu- war of 1793, which was undertaken for ment of the coalised aristocracy was the express and even avowed purpose of this: "If we suffer to exist in France a preventing Parliamentary Reform in 66 66 86 government without nobility, and England, would finally produce that re"without an established church, the form, by having created a debt, a dead nobility and the church will be abo- weight, a charge on the poor-rates, "lished in this country. We ought such and so great as not to be endured "therefore, in self-defence, to go to for many years without some great 66 war to prevent this dangerous ex-political change in the country, while, ample from existing in France." after all, France had been left to present The answer to this argument was to us the most dangerous part of the this: "There will be no danger from dreaded example; namely, a nation "the example of France, if you give having abolished tithes, and applied "the people their due share of political church property to public uses. 66 power in England; but there will be great danger in your going to war to 66 prevent this reform; because by such σε war the taxes will be so augmented, "and become so intolerable, that the "people may at last destroy the whole "fabric of Government, in order to get "rid of them." This was the argument of Fox, and of the other opponents of PITT, amongst whom one of the most conspicuous was LORD GREY himself; and in the petition which he presented for reform, in May, 1793, he anticipated this very danger, which danger is now staring him in the face! And here we are, then, at the end of thirty-eight years from the time that we started against the republicans of France: here we are beholding a second revolution in France; not a second king beheaded, but a second king banished: the sovereignty of the people declared; the tri-coloured flag re-hoisted: all semblance of aristocracy upon the point of being swept away; primo geniture annihilated; a chief magistrate with the name of King it is true, but holding his office at the pleasure of the people: here we are, beholding all this, seeing Belgium surrendering itself up to France, seeing France ready to sally out against every crowned head on the continent: here we are, so loaded with debt, so encumbered and hampered, so When that fatal war was over, the Courier newspaper said, "We may now go to supper." "The drama is closed," said the Bloody Old Times," and there "remains nothing but the punishment distracted with internal troubles, all "of the Jacobins." "The question of arising from the war undertaken to I 86 66 the mere name of reform that will satisfy the people. Nothing will satisfy them short of a shortening of the dura tion of parliaments, a breaking-up of the rotten boroughs, a wide extension of the suffrage, and a voting by ballot. If I were to judge from the reports of the prevent our reform, that we dare not stir hand or foot against France, and are professing the doctrine of non-interference with a vehemence equal to that of poor Farmer LOOKER, who cried out, “I am innocent, I am innocent!" when the Judge was condemning him! Was there ever any-thing so striking; speeches of some of the ministers, par was there ever any-thing so astounding-ticularly the speech of LORD BROUGHAM, ly signal, as the facts of this short history I should be very much afraid, that that of the consequences which have resulted which they will propose will not be from the efforts of the aristocracy to satisfactory to the people. On the 2nd prevent timely reform! But it is the of November, Mr. Brougham declared, probable sequel of those consequences in his place in the House of Commons, which it becomes us, and particularly that he disavowed all those plans of the Ministers, now to contemplate, reform, which had been imputed to There is the dreaded French republic him, of a limited and bounded nature, again; there is the dreaded government and that he contemplated a larger and without nobility and established church; more extensive change in the reprethere is that great nation now as busy as sentation; but, in the report of a speech bees, hunting about after and destroying of his, of the 9th of February, we have every symbol of royalty and aristocracy; the following passage, too well calcu there they are taking care that their lated to inspire fear rather than hope:children shall have nothing to remind "With respect to the remedy to be ap them that their country ever obeyed a 66 plied to this defective state of the king; but, above all things, there they representation, he would merely say are resolved upon having A CHEAP" now, that when he remained inde GOVERNMENT! And here are we "C pendent of all connexion with Go praying from one end of the country to "vernment, he had always been an the other, that pensions, sinecures, and "advocate for a temperate, safe, and other unnecessary expenses, may be "extensive, but constitutional reform of done away with; praying that tithes may be abolished (for to "commute" is to abolish); here we are praying, in short, for cheap government, and, as the "stitution, and of the principles under only means of obtaining which we are "which it was supported, as any, even praying for a Parliamentary Reform," the most vehement of those who are al fifty thousand times more generally "together opposed to any of the changes than it was prayed for in 1793. "which may be contemplated; and he 66° the Commons House of parliament; "and that he was then, and still re "mained, as warm a friend of that con And we have recently seen a minis-" would add too, that while he thus ter actually driven from his post by the professed himself a warm friend of a clamours of the people for no cause "true constitutional reform, he was an other than that he set his face against" equally warm and decided enemy of reform. He has been succeeded by a "those restless and untried means of ministry who have been tolerated by reformation-of those vain and ill the people only because they promised" founded theories, which were pressed to give us reform. The day is at hand" on their attention, but to which, he when that pledge is to be redeemed;" repeated, he was as great an enemy and who shall say what may be the "as he had hitherto proved himself to consequence of a failure in the redeeming groundless theories, on subjects of far of that pledge! After the solemn de- less difficulty and importance." clarations of the ministers, at first when Here are so many epithets on both they came into office, I will not antici- sides: such a deal of qualification; he pate that failure; but the ministers is friendly, to be sure, to what is tem ought to be apprized, that it is not perate, safe, and truly constitutional; 66 but he is a bitter enemy to what is is the meaning of the word theory! restless, untried, vain, and ill-founded; And is, then, the ballot a theory? Is it and the worst of it is, he says that these a plan or system yet subsisting only in restless, untried, vain, and ill-founded the mind; does it not exist in practice, theories, have been pressed on the at- in the votings in societies and various tention of parliament; that is to say, associations from one end of this country these things have been prayed for in to the other? And, as applicable to the the several petitions presented to it from choosing of members of legislative one end of the kingdom to the other. assemblies of a great and powerful It is important to observe this; for, country, has it not existed in practice in from this denunciation of the untried the United States' government, and in theories, we may, I think, pretty safely all the state governments, with uninconclude, that the BALLOT is to be terrupted success, from the establishment rejected, the thing upon which the peo- of that government, upwards of forty ple set the most value of all. The years ago, to this hour? Nay, has it other things, namely, short, and even not been in practice in France for the annual parliaments, and suffrage univer- last sixteen years at least; and was it sal; these have, at one time or other, not it, and it alone, which rescued the all existed before. Scot and lot voting; French nation from the hands of those pot-walloping voting; nothing is quite whose heads you, in one of your speeches untried but the ballot; that effectual in Yorkshire, said, and justly said, remedy; that only effectual and safe" ought to have rolled in the dust"?. remedy, upon which the people have Say not, I pray, your Lordship, that set their hearts. This is the "untried it is a theory here, though a practice in theory;" this the restless, the vain, the other countries; because, then, the ill-founded thing which is to be re-paper-making and block-making inajected. chines, which we imported from France, were theories when they arrived in England; our power-looms are theories when they go to America; the American steam-boats were theories when the builders set to work upon them here, a Now, my Lord BROUGHAM, taking it for granted that you have this ballot in view, upon what ground, I pray your Lordship, is it that you call the ballot, vain, ill-founded and untried; for, as to "restless" theory, that being non-At this rate every-thing is a theory on sense, I ascribe it to the reporter and every spot where it has not been pracnot to you. Upon what ground, I again tised before; and my neighbour's beg your leave to ask, do you charge the drilling machine, I having none of my ballot with being a vain, an untried own, though I see the good effects of and an ill-founded theory? Nay, I it, I must still deem a "theory," and venture to ask you upon what ground ridicule it as vain, ill-founded, untried, it is that you call it a THEORY at all?" and yet subsisting only in the mind!" Your Lordship knows the meaning of My Lord, my Lord, before you make words, and you must, upon reflection, use of theory again, as applied to the well know that the ballot, a proposi-ballot, pray be pleased to recollect that tion of the ballot, is no theory. What the people are not totally ignorant of is a theory? The word, with all its the meaning of words, and, that they derivatives, are very handy words in the are not to be persuaded that the ballot, mouths of those who have an object in any more than a barrel of flour, is to be misnaming and casting a slight on any deemed a 'theory" because it comes change which is proposed, and which it from America; because it is sent to us is their interest not to see adopted. by the sons of those who had more But, what does the word theory mean? spirit or better fortune than their Ti means, according to LORD BACON, and brethren who were left behind them in according to every man who knows the England. meaning of words, a plan, or system, get subsisting only in the mind." This 66 66 Dismissing, my LORD BROUGHAM, this string of sarcastic epithets, as being, along with the term to which of the means of keeping out the wind, they are applied, completely demolish-or of preserving the bodies of the miseed, let me now warn you against the rable inmates from perishing by night. danger of believing, and especially And the whole of the people ascribe against acting on the belief, that a this state of ruin, beggary, and misery, mere trifling reform will now satisfy to the intolerable burden of taxation. the people. When LORD GREY pre- It is found necessary to maintain a sented his petition in 1793, the con- standing army in time of profound cessions which he proposed in that pe- peace, amounting to nearly an hundred tition would have satisfied the people; thousand men. We have a fleet equal, and if it had been adopted, the aris- in point of annual cost, to that with tocracy would have required no war to which we carried on war against France, crush the young liberties, and to pre- Spain, Hollaud, and the United States, vent the effects of the example of the all combined, fifty years ago; and yet people of France. But that which we now see Russia overrun Turkey, and LORD GREY then proposed would not establish a naval power in the Meditersatisfy the people now, because it mani-ranean; we see the Bourbons, even the festly would not be efficient to effect feeble imbecile Bourbons, march into the purposes for which the people de- Spain and take possession of Cadiz ; we mand reform. Your Lordship having see even these Bourbons oust the Dey of such a dislike to theory, let me beg Algiers, and make a settlement, if they permission to point out to you three choose, in Africa; we see the Amerigreat and powerful practical circum-cans take the Floridas from Spain, and stances; three great practical changes become absolute masters of the Mexican in the situation of this Government, Gulf; finally, we see Belgium, Water which have all arisen, which have all loo and all, about to become part of the come into existence, since the year French Republic; and here we stand, 1793. I beg to be permitted to endea- with military and naval establishments vour to nail down, to rivet, your best costing pretty nearly twenty millions of attention to these three circumstances; pounds sterling a year, without daring and if I succeed in doing that, I will not to lift our hand or wag our lips against believe that any one will prevail on you any of the proceedings of any one of to be the advocate of any scheme that these powers; these disgraces the na shall not embrace a total abolition of tion feels most acutely, and it knows rotten boroughs, a great extension of well that they have arisen from a want the suffrage, and, above all things, a of a reform in the Parliament. voting by ballot. THE SECOND great circumstance, which has arisen since the year 1793, is the actual creation of that great power the United States of America, which, under the cheapest of all governments that ever were heard of, has seen their population increase from three millions THE FIRST of these circumstances is the fearful addition which has been made to the taxes of the nation. From fifteen millions a year, the taxes raised by the Government (including expense of collection) have risen to upwards of sixty millions a year. From two mil- to twelve; has seen, from possessing lions and a quarter a year, the poor- scarcely a gun-boat, a navy rise up, rates have been raised to seven millions capable of fighting that of England herand a half a year. From easy circum-self; and ready, in case of war between stances and comfortable life, the middle England and any third power, to side class has been plunged, generally speak with that power, unless we abandon the ing, into dubious solvency and constant most precious of all our maritime rights. racking anxiety. From bread and meat This example of a most prosperous and decent clothing and comfortable free and happy people, under a governdwellings, the working class has been ment, the salary of the chief magistrate reduced, generally, to potatoes and rags, of which does not equal the amount of and to hovels destitute, in many cases, many a single sinecure in England, and and |