66 They had drained it to such an extent self, he was continually induced to act that the farmers were unable to pay an insincere part, continually making wages to the labouring people; the promises and continually breaking them. land was falling out of cultivation; This, however, only tended to urge the people of property emigrating in all nation on, step by step, till at last, the directions, and a half starvation was National Assembly, which now represeen to spread itself over whole pro-sented all the people, proceeded to the vinces. making of a new constitution, which This monstrous oppression the people should deprive their arrogant enemies,for traced to the unjust power of the ever, of their power of oppression. The noblesse who, and whose families and King gave his consent to this constitudependents, were wallowing in luxury, tion; but, in secret, "made a protest while the industrious classes were pe- against the sanction which he had rishing. Therefore, to take from the" already given, against the present noblesse this usurped and mischievous" sanction, and every sanction that power, was the great object of the " should be obtained from him in people of France, It was, too, the" future by what he called violence." object of LA FAYETTE and numerous This was in the month of June, 1791. others of the nobility themselves, who The emigrants had already obtained a saw, not only that the people must coalition of the despots; and the French continue to suffer, but that their country people ascribed these to the influence of must sink into a state of insignificance, the Queen and the feebleness and insinunless some great change were adopted. cerity of the King, who had refused his The main body of the noblesse, however, assent to several decrees against the unable to bring themselves to give up emigrants; but who was now about to the prey which they had so long en- be put to the trial by accepting or rejoyed, opposed themselves to this fusing the constitution itself. reform; insisted that only some slight To avoid this, he was advised to take corrections of abuses were necessary; a step that determined his fate; namely, dwelt on the antiquity and sacredness of that of escaping out of the territories of their rights and privileges; and, unable France, and joining the enemies of his to make impression on the minds of the people. He and his whole family people by means like these, many of secretly departed from his palace in the them emigrated into Germany and the night of the 20th of June; but, by the Netherlands, intrigued with foreign vigilance of the country people, he was despots, and made preparations for stopped on the road at a short distance forming an alliance of those despots, to from the frontiers, and brought back to compel the French people, by force of Paris, his two brothers having got safe arms, to desist from their efforts to ob- out of France by another road. After tain the grand reform which they this, no soul in France ever placed consought. But, the great resource of this fidence in his word. He accepted the wicked and tyrannical aristocracy was, constitution, signed it, and swore to their influence over the mind of the poor maintain it; but nobody ever believed king, who appears to have been an him sincere. He was continually accused honest and humane man; but a man of of secretly siding with the enemies of mind too weak to resist the seductions France. His brothers and their friends' by which he was beset. His Queen, a formed part of an army at Coblentz,' princess of the house of Austria, to ready to invade France. I was in' whom haughtiness of the Luciferian France from February, 1792, till Sepstamp was natural, had great power tember in that year. The emigrants over him. His two brothers, since and the despots were hovering with LOUIS XVIII. and CHARLES X., were their armies on the borders of France; also bitter enemies of all reformation. and though the King signed declaraSo that, however good and sincere a tions against them, every soul in man the king might have been in him- France, down to the little carter boys year 1788 was, that they should give up the power which they had usurped. Their titles and estates they might still have enjoyed; but by resolving to preserve the powers that they had usurped; by their efforts to preserve these, they not only lost these, but their titles and estates into the bargain! What a lesson! and shepherd boys, believed him to wish success to their enemies, and to be aiding them to the utmost of his power, by listening to others than his own Ministers, and by acting, in fact, contrary to the pledges which he had given to his Ministers and to the people. At last the people, with one accord, seemed to demand his dethronement, which took place on the 10th of After this, one is astonished to hear August, 1792, while I was in Picardy, people referring to the French Revoluon my road from St. Omer's to Havre tion for arguments against reform. Arde Grace. It is well known that he guments for it that Revolution furnishes was beheaded in January, 1793; and the most cogent in the world. An atthus ended this King, not a victim to tempt to bring back the ancient usurpaeither vice or folly; for he was not a tions of the aristocracy, and to restrict fool, and by no means a vicious man; the people in the enjoyment of their not a victim to a tyrannical disposition, political rights, produced the fall of nor a disposition to waste the means of CHARLES X. An endeavour, or rather, his people, for he was a mild and a series of endeavours, to prevent the humane man, and not a luxurious and people of France from freely choosing profligate squanderer; not to any ob- their representatives, are producing all stinacy in resisting the just claims of his the troubles of Louis-PHILIPPE, who suffering people, for it appears to have must finally yield to the reasonable debeen his most anxious desire to accedemands of the people, or share the fate. to them. But a victim he fell to the of his predecessors. All Europe is in a incessant importunities, the false repre- state of commotion, every-where are sentations, the insidious advice, of a the people on foot to obtain a just share crafty, a greedy, an arrogant, an insolent in the government of their country; and and cruel aristocracy, who could not is it to be believed that England is the endure the idea of stooping from their only country in which the people are usurped height, and of withdrawing not to succeed! their ever-grasping hands from the pockets of the industrious parts of the community. In every view that one can possibly take of the matter, it appears to be madness in the English aristocracy, From the melancholy fate of this de- above all men living, to resist this Bill luded King, let us turn with feelings very or to attempt to chip it to pieces. The different from those which that fate in- Bill is essentially a whole: take away spires, to the well-merited fate of that one part, you spoil all the rest. When aristocracy. Let us behold them, and one looks at the magnitude of its oblet those who revile the Reform Bill of jects, and the number of its provisions, Lord GREY behold them, scattered, like one can hardly believe one's eyes at the blaspheming Jews, over every perceiving so much matter so clearly country upon earth, and every-where expressed and in so small a compass. pursued by the curses of their own There is deep reflection imprinted on. country and the contempt and scorn of every line of it. It is all that we want, all the rest of mankind. Even when and we want it all. "THE BILL," as crept back again into their native land, some gentleman said, at the Surrey those of them who survived their Meeting, "THE WHOLE BILL, AND ignominious exile, were stripped of NOTHING BUT THE BILL," let this their estates, and restored to their title be the unanimous cry of the people of as it were in mockery, and to per- England; and, the people will then be petuate their treason to their country safe, the King great and happy, and the and to their King. Alas, all that the aristocracy safe and rich in spite of French people wanted of them in the themselves. 66 66 66 66 This Bill, which I inserted at full" of a much more extensive nature. It length in the last number of the Regis- was, that the remaining four hundred ter, will be one of the great constitu-" members should be returned by one tional landmarks of England; and, bare" description of persons, which were justice will always demand that, as "householders. If it were possible, one "PEEL'S Bill" stands inseparable from " person should not be permitted to the name of its author, so ought this" vote for more than one member of Bill, the one as famous for the mis-"Parliament. In order to prevent exchiefs it has done as the latter for the " pense, the poll ought to be taken good which it will inevitably do. I" through the whole kingdom at one have before distinctly stated that this" time: this was the outline of his Bill was proposed to the Parliament" plan; to state that it could be obtained thirty-four years ago, by LORD Grey; "at first with exactness, or was not but, in a matter of such importance," liable to difficulties, would be preand especially in a case where justice is" sumptuous and absurd. But he flatto be done to one who has conferred so "tered himself there would be found no great a benefit on his country, it is "insuperable or fundamental objections right to produce indubitable proof of" to it. The landowner would find his the correctness of the statement, which" property suitably represented; the I here do in an extract from the AN-"merchant support in the householders; NUÁL REGISTER for the year 1797. "and men of respectability and talents "On the twenty-sixth of May, Mr." in the different professions would find "GREY rose, in pursuance of previous" a fair door open for admission into "notice, to move for a reform in the" Parliament. The only persons whom representation of the people. After" he wished to exclude from that House, an exordium, contrasting our former were men who were neither possessed "prosperity with our present distress," of landed property, nor engaged in "and also asserting the purity and pa-" commercial enterprise, nor professors "triotism of his present intentions, he" of any particular science, and who, expressed his wish that our establish- " without property, without industry, "ment should remain as it was, com- "and without talents, obtained seats in 66 posed of Lords and Commons. He" the House of Commons, by the inproposed, that the county representa- "fluence of great men, for the purpose, "tion should remain nearly on the same "not of consulting the good of the "footing: only, that instead of ninety-two people, but of promoting their own "county members, there should be one "interests." "hundred and thirteen. For instance, And is this nobleman, now that he “instead of two for the county of York, has the whole of the people at his back, "there should be two for each Riding; going to abandon this measure? "and so in other counties, where the he going to suffer it to be chipped present representation was not pro-away in a committee? Oh, no! The "portionate to the extent of population. only question, as I said before, is, will "In order to put an end to compro- the King consent to dissolve the Par"mises, each county, or riding, should liament, or will he not; or rather, that "be divided into grand divisions, each is the only question with those who "of which should return one repre- oppose the Bill; but with me, and with "sentative. With regard to the quali- the rest of the King's dutiful and tax-pay"fications of electors, instead of con- ing subjects, it can be no question at "fining the right of election to free-all. But a king is still but a man, and “holders, it should be extended to copy- is liable to importunities, blandish"holders and lease-holders, who were "bound to pay a certain annual rent, a "certain number of years. But the re"form which he had to propose, in the "other branch of representation, was 66 66 Is ments, and delusive statements, like other men. It is therefore the duty of the people now humbly to pray him to dissolve this present Parliament, and by that exercise of his undoubted preroga tive, to give them an opportunity, in uses his utmost endeavours to cause a legal and constitutional manner, the passing of this bill, which, in every to support his Ministers on this great line of it, promises security to the and important occasion, when the riches of the rich, and peace and plenty honour of their country, as well as its to the labourer's dwelling. Once more, peace and happiness, are so manifestly therefore, my friends, and with this Í at stake. That every man of you, my conclude, "the Bill, the whole Bill, and friends, will discharge your duty in this nothing but the Bill;" and, in order respect, I have no doubt; and if the that we may ensure to ourselves and people in general imitate your laudable our children this great blessing, humble example, we shall have what has al- and earnest supplications ought to be ways been the first wish of my heart, a made to his Majesty, that, in justice reform of Parliament by peaceable and mercy to his suffering and dutiful people, he will be graciously pleased to dissolve this Parliament. I am means. Your faithful friend, And most obedient servant, TWO-PENNY TRASH for April, containing instructions to LABOURERS for planting COBBETT'S CORN, will be published 1st April. No 4 of GEORGE IV will be published next Saturday. PRESTON COCK, like Swift's bug, must wait till I have leisure to give him a last squeeze; or perhaps the dissolution On the bit-and-bit reform patronised by Lord CARNARVON, while his son is, bythe-by, sharply looking out for the county of Hants, it is unnecessary to say anything to you, who have read the pretty little sharp, biting speech of Lord P. S. From a speech of Lord Grey, BROUGHAM, except perhaps just to men- last night (it is now Friday), I think it tion, that a HERBERT never was known is evident that the Parliament will be to deviate from a certain point, any dissolved. This is the only thing, to more than the needle from the pole. which we have now to look. But, there was another lord, an Irish lord, who said that the effects of Lord GREY'S reform might be judged of by the persons who most loudly applauded it; and his Lordship was pleased to hint that the radicals, or jacobins, were the loudest of those applauders. Now I am looked upon as not the least of the jacobins, or those who have been accused of revolution, confusion, aud anarchy. I deny the accusation; but if I did wish for revolution, confusion, and anarchy, I should, so help me God! wish for the rejection of this Bill! wish to see Lord GREY once more driven from power, and wish to see WELLINGTON and PEEL back again at the head of affairs. There has been a great talk about "political suicide; but of all the acts of self-destruction ever committed by mortal man, not excepting that of CASTLEREAGH, at North Cray, in Kent; of all the acts of insanity, co-operating with ungovernable rage, none ever equalled the act of that man, who, being desirous to see anarchy and confusion in the country, being desirous to see the complete overthrow of every ancient Ackland, Sir T. D. institution, to see all property spread Adeane, H. J. abroad for a scramble, nevertheless Althorp, Viscount may do it better ! Mr. RIDGWAY, of Piccadilly, has published a correct List of the Division, on the Reform Bill, on an open sheet in Red and Black. Every one should have it stuck up in his house. The following Lists are taken from The Morning Chronicle of the 24th inst. List of the Majority and Minority, on the 1831. MAJORITY. ENGLAND. Devonshire |