coalition was broken up; he had self! To be sure, Wood's congreat bands of attorneys in his duct had been such; it had been service; he spent money broad-so mean, so dastardly, especially cast; but with all this, he felt, in the case of the BOOK OF even at the moment of his apparent WONDERS; there had been victory, that his majority was, in such work going on about the reality, fictious; that even those challenges, and about the arrestvotes which I have called his own ings and bindings over to keep the were so only by accident; and peace; there had been such pretty that he never could count upon work with the dirty fellows from them again. He knew, in fact, Liverpool, and a nasty filthy felthat there were but two persons low of a newspaper printer from to whom the two classes of voters Manchester, who was one of were firmly attached, and those Wood's great friends; in short, were Barrie and I. Barrie's Wood had proved himself to be so voters went heartily with their mean a creature, and he was so man. Mine went heartily with generally despised and scoffed at me; Stanley and Wood were objects of perfect indifference with the whole mass of the people, except as the means of keeping Barrie and me out. The two members that have been returned may be called the negatives, the ciphers; but they will bear in mind, that negatives and ciphers do not answer when they come to stand by themselves and upon their own bottom. Stanley seems to have been very well aware of this; for at the bustings, when the return was declared, he took infinite pains to conciliate the friends of Barrie, while he said no more about Wood than if the creature had not been in exist ence. He called Barrie his ex-was that he took such pains to cellent and "gallant friend"; disclaim him, and to express such and, in short, praised him to the friendship for Barrie; and, herein skies. It is the custom, at Pres- Cocky Wood may read his fate: ton, not to ride in a chair, but on never will he again be elected for a horse; and the successful mem- Preston, and he will not now sit bers, when friendly, ride side by two months in the seat, into which side, and have one common pro- he has been jostled by these concession to follow them. Stanley tending elements. It will be the would not do this with Wood. dearest undertaking that old OttiHe refused to ride with him. He well ever entered upon; and most had a procession of his own, richly does he merit the cost of it. leaving Cocky to ride by him- It will take away some part, at by the people, that Stanley, though he had been so copiously spitten upon himself, might well be ashamed to share in any thing bestowed upon such a thing. But, the real motive for shunning Wood was, Stanley's certain knowledge that Wood had no interest of his own in the Borough; that he was a mere fungus; and that he never could appear in the borough again with any chance of success; that the people laughed at him as a poor inefficient creature; and, above all things, that to appear to rejoice at Wood's present success would be to destroy him, Stanley, with the Corporation and with the high church people. Hence it least, of what he amassed out of the sweat of the spinners and weavers; and this is of itself a positive and great good. Thus ended the mere matter of election. The election ended on the scenes until the last moment of my remaining upon it; and I now, with the greatest sincerity, repeat the words of my last speech at Preston, namely, that, "whether absent or present, distant or 66 till the last moment of my life., always be amongst the objects most dear to my heart." Monday the 26th of June. I staid" near, the people of Preston will, at Preston during the 27th, until about eight in the evening. At" that hour I addressed the people at the usual place. There were From Preston we pushed on to from ten to fifteen thousand assem- BLACKBURN, which is at about bled. At the conclusion of my ten miles' distance. Here we speech, I said that the whole town found a people equal to those was there assembled; and there- that we had left. It was nearly fore I called upon them to signify, dark, when we got to the enby a show of hands, whether they trance of Blackburn. An adwould still wish to have me for vance guard had come out to their member. Never was there meet us, and to inform us: that such a show of hands; never ap- there were thousands assembled probation so unanimous, cheers so at the entrance of the town. I cordial, and honour so great. recollected what had lately hap After this Mr. CLARKE of Nor-pened at Blackburn and its neighfolk (Sir Thomas Beevor having hourhood; and, which was not to set off for Norfolk in the morn-be overlooked, I recollected that ing) and myself, together with two Parson Whitakre lived at Blackof my sons, took our departure burn. However, on we went, and from Preston in an open carriage we soon found ourselves surand pair. We were preceded by rounded by not less than ten or a volunteer band of music; by fifteeen thousand people. Such the same flags which had been buzzaing, such shaking of hands, carried before me when I entered such congratulation, such praises, the town; and we were accom-such blessings, from hundreds panied by not less than ten or and thousands of lips! Why, a fifteen thousand people, and greet- day of life like this is better than ed with cheers and blessings until a whole age of the life that a we got quite beyond the boun- tyrant or a log has to live. I daries of the town. From the would not exchange the recollecmoment of my entering this town tion of what passed at Blackburn to the moment of my quitting it, for all the riches that the world no one ever heard my name pro-has to bestow. Excellent good nounced in public unaccompanied fellows at Blackburn, say 1! The by applause; and I can truly streets of Blackburn are narrow, say, that the zeal, that the testi-and the houses lofty. The peomony of public regard for me, ple were so thick in the street, that every demonstration which I the weather was so hot, the evencould wish to behold, became more ing so close, and the exertion of general and more ardent from the the people to squeeze along to first moment of my appearance on get to me to shake hands with me was so great, that the sweat and Our next town was BoLTONthe breath together made a sort LE-MOORS, at which town, in the of fog through which we rode for year 1819, John Hayes had been more than half a mile. For fear of imprisoned ten weeks for going accidents, I had allowed the horses round the town with a bell to anto be taken from the carriage. and nounce that William Cobbett had we were thus conducted to a house arrived at Liverpool in good health. called the Bull, into which, for Here we were again met at about some reason or other, we could two miles from the town by an adnot get admittance; but, the peo-vance guard. A band of music ple took the carriage to another was ready for us a mile further house, where we were very well on; and we entered Bolton amidst received, and very well entertain- immense multitudes of people. ed. I made a speech to the peo- Being in uncertainty as to the time ple that night, and told them the of our arrival, the band of music time at which I should depart in had been waiting for us nearly all the morning. In the morning night. This circumstance, howthey assembled again, and again ever, did not appear to have I did myself the honour to ad- slackened the zeal of these most dress them, beseeching them, to ardent and most grateful people. bear in mind that they had a right The great and general desire of to relief from the land, if they both men and women was to shake could not gain a livelihood by hands with me. I put my arm their labour. I had been told over the side of the carriage, and that the overseers and magistrates sometimes both arms together, and had advised them to emigrate. I let them squeeze and pull my advised them not to emigrate by hands about just as they pleased, any means; for that they had a till my hands were sore from my right to be maintained out of the wrists to the points of my fingers. land, and that the landlord had no My right arm was so much pulled right to his rent until the poor and shaken between Blackburn rates were fully paid. After a and Bolton, that I could not, the little while we got into our car- next morning, lift it up to tie on riage again, and were escorted out my cravat. At Bolton, the peoof Blackburn by the excellent, ple led us to the Commercial Inn, brave, and zealous people of that which very conveniently stands town, who had prepared a band with a large open space opposite of music at their own expense to it. Here we were very hospitably accompany us. In short, there is received. After making a speech no possible way, in which they to the people, and telling them I could express their gratitude to- should set off in the evening, I wards a man, in which these gal- first got something to eat, and then lant people of Blackburn did not went to sleep on a bed, in order to express their gratitude towards fetch up a little of the lost time, me. I shall always remember and to be ready for the future. In them with the greatest satisfaction the evening my friends assembled and shall never, I am sure, neg- again. I gave them another short lect any means within my power speech, and off we came towards to render them service. Manchester, first taking, however, a turn through the main streets of ing up the sash I told them, that Bolton, amidst an immense multi- if I had the honour to be the obtude of people. The best pleased, ject of their curiosity, their cuthe best humoured, the gayest, riosity might be gratified the next and the most joyous that imagina- evening at about half-past seven tion can conceive. As we came o'clock, when I should set off tothrough the streets, to the sound of wards London. During the next the music, silenced every now and day I did not quit the house; but then by the shoutings of the peo- MR. CLARKE and my sons did. ple, who should we see amongst Many friends called during the the rest, but the BELLMAN of day. It was my intention to make Bolton, the real Bellman, in his a speech from one of the windows state dress, every now and then of the inn before my departure; ringing his bell by way of saluta- but, in the afternoon, I heard that tion! By way of welcome to the the 'police had sent word to the town of Bolton! The Bellman landlord of the inn, not to permit seemed to enjoy the sport himself; me to make a speech from one of for every time that he rang his his windows. I inquired of the bell, he looked up at us, and landlord whether this were true. bowed and laughed. In short, I The result of this inquiry was, a quitted Bolton so much delighted, note, of which the following is a so well pleased, so deeply pene- copy, which was sent by me to the trated with gratitude for all these famous Boroughreeve and Conmarks of kindness, that I almost stables of this horrid place. forgave, though I never could forget, Bolton Fletcher. GENTLEMEN, Albion Hotel, Manchester, 29th June, 1826. We had now to approach the scene of the 16th of August. The Having asked leave of the landlord scene where the Manchester of this inn to address the people from Yeomanry trampled upon women one of the windows of it at seven and children, and were thanked o'clock this evening, and having for their deeds by Sidmouth: We been informed by him, that he had had now to approach, what I al-received your instructions, or reways called that hell-hole, Man- quest, not to permit me so to do, I chester; and, we found it quite inform me, by the bearer, whether beg you to have the goodness to worthy of all that I had ever this report made to me by the landheard or said of it. I was deter-lord be correct in this respect.-I mined to do and to say nothing in think it right to add, that the landManchester that should furnish a lord himself says he has no objection handle for the committing of eru- to such speaking. elties upon the people. I was determined to go on, like a common traveller. With this view, I went to an inn, called the Albion Hotel, where I arrived about eight or nine o'clock. Very soon a great number of persons collected in front of the house. I was tired, and wished to go to bed; and lift I am, Gentlemen, I could get no written answer to this, but a verbal answer was sent me, that, if I attempted to speak I should be made answer-their own hells, and where cotton able for all the consequences. goods are now made which these at once resolved upon coming Manchester ruffians try to imitate away, without any attempt to in order to obtain a market in speak; but, at the same time, I America. I meant to prove to resolved to come openly, from the the ruffians who live so safely front door, where I had alighted, under a Boroughreeve and constato come away with my carriage bles, and under the guardianship open, and to let the Boroughreeve of a late London thief-taker; I and Constables do what they meant to prove to the at once pleased. By half after seven mean and haughty reptiles, that o'clock, the crowd was enormous: their day is gone, never to return; not less than twenty or thirty thou- that they will never again see that sand people were assembled toge- which they call prosperity; that ther; and I really was very sorry they are not now worth a fifth part to miss so fine an opportunity of of what they were worth this day having a laugh at the Cotton twelvemonth. I meant, in short, Lords upon their own dunghill. to bid the people to remember I had got a few notes put upon the Yeomanry Cavalry of Manpaper. I meant to remind them chester, and, so remembering, to of their saucy petition for acknow-rejoice in the scenes that now ledging the independence of South exist, and those more melancholy America. I meant to ask them scenes to these ruffians, which whether they were yet satisfied scenes are now approaching. All with the prosperity brought to this I was prevented from doing them from that part of the world. by my resolution, not to expose I meant to inquire of them which to vengeance, not to expose to they now looked upon as the most dangers which I could not obvaluable things, power-looms or viate; and to injuries that I could Colombian Bonds. I meant to not redress; not thus to expose congratulate the good people of good, and kind, and grateful peoManchester upon the buckrample, who had been brought togehaving been taken out of these in-ther by their feelings of respect solent ruffians, who want to give for and admiration of me. What freedom to South Americans, while was intended for these good peothey themselves fatten on the sweat ple the public will guess from the of the white slaves of England. following circumstances. As the I meant to jibe the once haughty time of my departure approached, vagabonds, and to ask them, what the passage, and hall, and the they now thought about national yard of the hotel, began to be debts and parliamentary reform. very much crowded with persons I meant to point at their hells, that I looked upon as being of a from which the smoke ascendeth sort of ruffian gentility. At one for evermore, and to bid them say time, a column of them wanted to how much less those hells were crowd into our room. We put now worth, than the mere labour them out, and guarded the door. of erecting them. I meant to bid At last the appointed time arrived. them look to the United States of The carriage was at the front America, where the hells now rival door, and my two sons upon that |