VOL. 82.-No. 9.] LONDON, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30TH, 1833.

last Session of Parliament, to in- there are so many labourers out of quire into the doings of POPAY, the work. Spy, and into the Spy system ge- There, sir; look at those facts: nerally. please to remember that this is in Eng8. The two letters which I did my-land; and please to remember, that a self the honour to address to your-select committee of the reformed House self, the first of which was dated of Commons have not ventured to exon 31. of October, and the second press even an opinion as to the causes of on the 14. of November of this this strange and unnatural state of present year. things; and that as to a remedy, they have not had the courage even to hint On each of these I shall here offer that it is proper to entertain the thought you some reasons which I hope will in- of a remedy. And so much for this duce you to read them all. From our famous report, made by thirty-seven newspapers and other periodical publi- men, chiefly consisting of noblemen, cations, you can gain no real informa- baronets, and gentlemen, great owners tion. There are some few exceptions of the land of England. with regard to the weekly newspapers of London; and, perhaps, there may be five or six newspapers published in the country, which ought to be included in the exception: but these do not form a sixtieth part of the whole of that mass, which is called the ENGLISH PRESS, from which, generally speaking, little besides falsehood is to be obtained. The far greater part of this press is either under the immediate influence of persons in power, or of those aspiring to power; or, like a large part of your press, under the discounting power of the paper-money people.

For Paper against Gold," I, being the author, should be loath to call for any great portion of your attention; but it really is the only true history of the workings of the paper system in England; and it exposes the rogueries and the follies of its supporters and carriers on, in the fullest and most complete manner. It was intended for the immediate purpose of exposing the folly of the bullion committee of 1810. It strips the lion's skin off from HUSKISson, HORNER, TIERNEY, CANNING, and all the whole crew, who have been so long living on the life's blood of the I have not addressed you, sir, in ma- country, while complimenting each nuscript, nor in my capacity of Member other on account of their wisdom. If of Parliament, but merely as the writer you can bestow the time to read this of a public journal. As such I beseech little book, you will want nothing to your attention to the foregoing books explain all our subsequent blunderings and papers. With regard to the report about it. I beg you particularly to look of the Select Committee, I beg you to at the 25. letter of Paper against Gold; have the patience, if you possibly can, and, when you have read that letter, Í to go through the whole of the evidence, think you will be satisfied that this which will show you what this com- great kingdom owes a considerable part mittee was told by the, farmers and of its present troubles and calamities to others who were brought before it. You a desire, on the part of the rulers of will perceive that these extraordinary that day, to thwart a private individual facts are established beyond all ques-like me.

tion: FIRST, that the land is become The Curse of Paper Money and less productive in consequence of a Banking," being the republication of an want of its former good cultivation : SE- American work, you have, doubtless, COND, that there is a great want of em-read; but you cannot have read my introployment for the agricultural labourers: duction to that work, and particularly THIRD, that whole parishes are lying un-my dedication to the Speaker of the House cultivated, on account of the burden of of Commons. That dedication, consisting the poor-rates : FOURTH, that these poor-of one complete sentence, divided into rates are so enormously high, because several members, describes with great

accuracy the progress of the financial indefatigable in the application of that confusion of England. It reminds the skill; so accustomed to be content with speaker of the several measures of the enjoyment of the fruits of their which he had been a witness; of the own property or labour, and to whose successive monstrous absurdities, pro- minds and hearts vindictiveness and mulgated and adopted by the assembly cruelty are utter strangers. But, over which he had presided. The re- sir, with all these advantages of chapublication of this book has done, and racter in the people; with all the almost must continue to do, great good in boundless natural resources of the England; because it contains the un-kingdom; with all its various blessings questionable truth of the curse of paper- attendant on its geographical situation; money, of the enormous mischiefs it is with all these, my fixed opinion is, that capable of doing, even in a country this form of government, venerated as which is comparatively untaxed. The it has been, for so many ages, will not price of this book puts it beyond the stand for many years, unless the King's reach of men who work for their bread; servants and the Parliament have the but it has been, and will be, read by resolution now to come to a determinmany of those who have something to ation to make an adjustment with regard say in the making of the laws. You to this debt and paper money, and to will perceive that the agricultural com- all the contracts between man and man. mittee observe on the gradual annihila- Mr. FIELDEN'S Letters on the Mistion of the little gentry, and the yeo- chiefs of Paper Money and Banking manry of England. In this book it is are particularly worthy of your atshown how the usurers strip the Ame- tention. Mr. FIELDEN and his brothers, rican farmers of their farms; how they in one partnership, are said to manuhave turned out the ancient proprietors facture one hundredth part of all the raw of lands of nearly whole counties at cotton that is imported into England. once, merely by the shuffling of little On this score, therefore, he is entitled to bits of paper. They are doing exactly great attention. That he is a man of the same thing here, only by more slow and imperceptible degrees, having so many entails and unalienable tenures coming in their way.

great integrity would be, I hope, nothing to point him out as singular amongst the great number of persons engaged in the same pursuit; but, in point of My three letters to the Hon. JoHN talent, and extent of understanding, STUART WORTLEY, you will find to go and depth of reflection, and in his over the whole ground of the subject, acuteness in discovering causes, and that is quaintly denominated "NATIONAL aptness in pointing out effects, he is a FAITH;" and you will find from the rare man in every rank of life. You same letters, that the grand question will see, sir, that he regards paper money upon which the fate of this Government not only as not necessary to the carryturns, is, whether the interest of this debt ing on of manufactures on an immense shall or shall not be reduced? If the scale; but, that he regards it as misMinistry and the Parliament have the chievous to the carrying on of manucourage to make an equitable adjust- factures; and that he clearly traces to ment of the whole affair, and of it, the ruin of thousands of employers all contracts between man and man and the oppression of millions of workupon the same scale, all will soon ing people. This collection of letters, be put to rights, amongst a people I, therefore, beg leave to recommend to so little disposed to haste in their your particular attention, as belonging proceedings, so accustomed to weigh immediately to the great evil which you every thing scrupulously in the scales have now undertaken to repress; and as of justice, and according to the rules affording facts and arguments the most of settled law; so fair and open powerful in support of the principles in their dealings; so firm to their word; that you have determined to act upon. so skilful in all sorts of labour, and so "Flash in the Pan" is worthy of

your attention, as something very clearly | able, what will you think of that of showing the hostility which both par-Lord ALTHORP, who proposed to vioties have to the thought of ever mak- late, and actually did produce a violaing ministerial responsibility a practical tion of, rules of the House, established thing; as showing, that the word re- for centuries. Mine was an original sponsibility, as applied to them, is in-motion; it ought to have been put tended to be mere sound, and to have upon the minutes of the proceedings of no meaning in it; that it is intended to the House; it was introduced by a noamuse the people, and to make them tice in due order; it was regularly made believe, that they can, when they please, according to the notice; it was, in law, call the Ministers to account, through as I may say, on the minutes of the the means of their representatives. I proceedings; it was recorded; and it was well aware of this, before I brought could not be taken from the record, forward the RESOLUTION, my notice to without a vote of the House to that exdo which, Sir ROBERT PEEL called a press amount; and that vote could not "flash in the pan." But I was deter- he come to, without a motion made for mined to bring forward, in a tangible that express purpose; and that motion shape, my charge against the author of could not be made, according to the the bill of 1819, which had done more present rules of the House, without a mischief than any other fifty measures notice of the motion, given one day be which had been adopted in my recol-fore the making of it at the least. In lection. In this present number of my this manner it might have been "ExRegister, I republish the resolution, PUNGED." But, instead of all this, the Sir ROBERT PEEL's speech, and an ac-moment Sir ROBERT PEEL had finished count of the curious (not to give it a what he called his defence, up got the harsh epithet) conduct of Lord AL-Minister, up got the Chancellor of the THORP, and of the Speaker. With re- Exchequer, up got the man who has gard to the speech by which I introduced the management of fifty millions of the motion, and supported it, and the pounds a year, drawn from this people; speech of my excellent colleague who and, without notice, moved, not any seconded me, in a most able manner, amendment to the resolution; not the I leave these out in this republication, order of the day; not the previous quesmy object being to show, and to keep tion, but made the original motion at in the minds of the people, the conduct once, that this resolution be not inserted of Lord ALTHORP on that occasion. in the minutes of our proceedings." This As to Sir ROBERT PEEL, his anger was was his motion; but the Speaker put a natural enough, though his manner of different question. Instead of putting seeking to gratify that anger was not the question, "that this resolution be such as any man of good taste and of not inserted in the minutes,” he put this justice will approve of. No man could question, "that this resolution BE EXdeny the truth of any fact stated in the PUNGED from the minutes!" So that it resolution; no man could charge either is the Speaker's motion, after all. the RESOLUTION, or my speech by which For my part, sir, nothing puts me out it was preceded, with any indecorum, of temper, especially of the violent or with any want of personal respect kind, and especially when I know that towards the privy-councillor against I am in the right, and that my oppowhom the resolution was directed. nents are stung; and I do not recollect There was, therefore, no ground what-that I ever met with any thing to ever for the gross aspersions and foul please me more than the uproarious insinuations contained in the speech of opposition that I met with during that Sir ROBERT PEEL. There was fair ground evening. The truth is, that it was enough for him to proceed upon, with- thought, and even said (not by gentleout resorting to these unjustifiable effu- men belonging to the House, of course), "that the best way was, to join and to But, if his conduct was not justifi-crush him at once." I happened to hear

sions of resentment.

of this having been said at the Chapter | harbour no resentment; mine was a Coffee House in the city, or somewhere great personal triumph, if I had cared a or another, a fortnight or more before straw about such triumph, and in that the discussion came on; and, having light it was viewed from one end of the this in my mind, and knowing how de-country to the other. I bear no resentceived the crushers in the city would ment against Lord ALTHORP, any more be (this city is a sad place, sir), I was than I should against a jackdaw that laughing amidst the marks of disappro- had chackled in my ear; for he, if he bation of four hundred men, apparently had the inclination, has no more power convulsed down to their toes with to harm me, nor to detract from my anger. Some of the politicians in the character, than a jackdaw has; but, it city had, I heard, recommended the let- is right and just, that this nation, and ting of me die a natural death, to sink that America, should know, and should down out of sight by my own lumpish-remember, his conduct upon this occaness, remarking, that they had always sion; and, therefore, I repeat my acobserved the greater the fury with count of it in this letter to you, and which I was attacked, the more reso- in another part of this Register. lute, persevering and damnable, I be- But, sir, after all, my great object in came; that I was a sort of political sala- sending you this "Flash in the Pan" mander, most lively and energetic is, that you may see, that even Sir amidst the flaming fury that surrounded ROBERT PEEL himself had nothing to me. The two parties at the Chapter say in defence of his measure; and I Coffee House did, however, by a great do assure you, that the subject must be majority, determine, to "damn him, a pretty barren one, on which the right and crush him at once." honourable Baronet cannot find a pretty However, sir, these circumstances are deal to, say. You will also perceive, all insignificant, when compared with that, in justification of himself, he said the breach of the rules of Parliament which here took place: for, sir, what was established by the proceedings of that evening?

1. That a member, if he have a majority with him, may make an original motion without notice. 2. That the Speaker may change a motion made, for another motion of his own. 3. That by a vote of the House, any motion, made by a member who has a majority against him, may be prevented from being entered on the minutes of the proceedings of the House.

nothing; that all that he did in that respect amounted to nothing more than excuse and apology, and that even here the total amount was, that he had plenty of associates in the affair. But, in de-fence of his measure he uttered, as you will see, not one single word. This is the interesting part of the matter; that my resolution did not censure the measure, merely on account of what it did, but on account of what it did not do. And this was the grand point; at that point we still are; and, whether there will be resolution enough in the King's servants and the Parliament to get over that point, is the grand question upon the decision of which the fate of this Government turns.

It is a

These three propositions stand recognised in the proceedings of the House of that night; and this extraordinary POPAY the spy and the spy system innovation took place, in consequence will be clearly understood by you, when of a resolution being tendered to the you have read that pamphlet. House, which resolution contained a copy of the report which I, as a memstring of well-known truths, and con- ber of the committee, proposed to be cluded with a proposition in accordance presented to the House. The majority with the constitution of the country, of the committee did not think so with a hundred legal precedents, and elaborate an analysis of the evidence with all the usages of Parliament for necessary to be laid before the House, four hundred years. I, for my part, A short report was, therefore, agreed to