! "Nottingham, 11. August, 1834. " able to burn the houses and the people, "I send you a Nottingham Review "of DOVER, in order to get out the "of the 21. of March last, which con- "French?"" The French were his ene.... "tains the report of the trial of William mies. To be sure, in war you may, by "Gilbert, for setting fire to Parson a great stretch of the laws of war, burn, "Lowe's stacks at BINGHAM. From your enemies, and the dwellings of your "what is remarked in your last Regis- enemies; but this magnanimous em"ter, relative to the system of treating peror, instead of doing this, burnt his "the poor at BINGHAM, you do not own people, and the "high-blooded" seem to be aware, that the Rev. Par- of this nation applauded him to the skies+ "son Magistrate, in enforcing his fa- for the deed. "vourite scheme of non-relief to out- To be sure all just persons in England. "door paupers, had thus exposed him- expressed their abhorrence of the deed;; "self to incendiarism. Perhaps it would a deed which no emergency could jus"be well, at this juncture, to give the tify. Any argument made use of to "proceedings in the Register; particu- justify such an act would apply to a "larly since you have been so repeat- monster who should slaughter the whole -"edly contradicted in the House of of his people, under pretence that the "Commons, when you have stated the slaughtering of them was necessary to "fact that assistant overseers, and those preserve them from being conquered.... magistrates who have sided with them, Even the setting fire to a town or a "are, most of all men, liable to the at- village can never be justified, except "tacks of the incendiary. You ought under very peculiar and pressing cir"also to know, that William Gilbert cumstances. If such an act be, indeed,.. was not executed. When the scheme absolutely necessary to prevent somet " of refusing relief to all but to the poor prodigious evil, it may admit of justifi "dwelling in workhouses is carried into "effect, there is too much reason to "fear, that England will become, like "Moscow, an ocean of flames.' " 66 cation; but I do not recollect reading One cannot think of Moscow with-out shuddering. While the nobility, However, I always lamented, and inthe gentry, the ladies," tax-eating deed reprobated this atrocious act on ladies, and particularly the parsons, were the part of the magnanimous, and I praising the magnanimous ALEXANDER reprobated still more the applause beup to the skies, for burning a city con- stowed upon it by the high-blooded in.. taining three hundred thousand souls, this country, who did not, I dare say, while the country was covered with then anticipate that which they have snow six or ten feet deep; while they since beheld upon a small scale. were praising the magnanimous empe- Getting out of the heat of Moscow, ror for this act, by which he must have let me come back to the cooler region... burnt alive at least two or three thousand of England, and remind your lordship women in child-birth; and perhaps not that the basely calumnious poor-law less than ten thousand persons confined commissioners, with a couple of bishops to their beds; while the aforesaid gen- at their head, have sent to the Parliateel persons were applauding him to the ment what they call wisdom, and some skies for this act, I, as your lordship of which evidence tells the House, that erver may remember, begged of them to con- I was the cause of the riots and the fires. sider a little what they were about, and Whether this was told them by the to reflect upon the danger of justifying ruffians, under whose name it is given, an act like this. I was told that it was or hatched by themselves, I care not: necessary, in order to secure his domi- they are the promulgators of the libels, 66 -nions against the French. What, and them I will make answer for them, then," said I, " if the French were to in some shape or another. Your lord "get into DOVER, would it be justifi- ship's evidence tells them that the low wages and ill-treatment of the labourers for judgment! How the chucklecaused the riots and the fires; and that headed squire must have been diswas true: and I had always deprecated appointed! I know the beggar well, these low wages and this harsh treat- and I trust I shall live to see him want ment. At any rate, however, I might a dinner, from which he is at no great operate upon the mind of the famous distance at this moment. THOMAS GOODMAN of BATTLE (of whose affair we have not heard the last yet), I did not operate upon the minds of GILBERT and FEARNS! It was Parson LOWE and his "cool-tempered" man CROOK, that operated upon their minds; and have you not observed, that in all the trials that have taken place for arson, not one fragment of evidence The good of it is, that Sir HARRY VERNEY, Mr. BENETT, and all these people, say, that I put it into the labourers' heads to fire the corn-fields and the woods; just as if nobody ever thought of it before! When it is notorious that the thing has not only been thought of but actually acted, from the days of SAMPSON down to the present has ever been screwed out, that any one day, and when there is hardly a counof the fire-setters had ever even heard tryman in England who has not seen of me. One member of Parliament heaths and bogs and fields of stubble from Buckinghamshire boldly asserted set fire to and burnt by orders of the in the House that I instructed them how proprietors themselves. DENMAN'S to apply the torch to the standing corn. mouth watered, I dare say; but, if This was Sir HARRY VERNEY: and these magistrates (for they are all mayour neighbour, Mr. BENETT, told my gistrates) did not know that the setting attorney, Mr. FAITHFUL, that my fire to corn-fields and woods is minutely writings had induced him to insure his described in the recent statute laws, standing crops. These gentlemen must DENMAN was lawyer enough to know have discovered that they were in error; that, at any rate; and, therefore, it but as they have never acknowledged would never do for him to tell a jury their error, I proceed upon the supposi- that I had put these species of burnings into the heads of the people. I had no design to put any thing into their heads. I was writing an essay, addressed to the Ministers, with a view of prevailing on them to soften the laws which pressed upon the working people, in order to tion that they accuse me still. Mr. GORING entangled himself with Mr. THOMAS GOODMAN, who said not a word about Mr. " Cobet" "Cobet" upon his trial, nor in his confession to the prosecutor in the condemned cell; but being conscience-smitten in prayer with prevent their being disposed to set fires. the Reverend HENRY RUSH, curate of I was endeavouring to show the inutiCrowhurst, and having his piety lity of any force that they could employ strengthened by the halter put round against the labourers to prevent their his neck at HORSHAM, confessed, "that Mr. Cobet Cobet' did so inflame my mind," that he felt impelled to communicate the inflammable matter to barns and stacks! I have been told, and I believe the fact, that a Hampshire squire wrote to DENMAN, to get him to put into his indictment an article of mine, in which I had shown the great danger which might arise from setting fire to extensive coppices and timber lands, and, I am told, that DENMAN answered him by saying, setting fires; and, in the course of my arguments, I described the different sorts of property to which fire might be set, and amongst others I copied almost literally out of the statutes, the firing of corn-fields and woods. How, then, could I put it into their heads ? Oh, no! my lord! it is not putting it into their heads; it is putting it into their hearts, that is the mischief; and I was wanting to induce the Ministers to do those things which would have taken it out of their hearts. This is the great that that would not do to make part of point, after all, my lord; for while the the indictment; but that it might be thing is in their hearts, all force will be pleaded in aggravation on bringing up in vain. The Duke of WELLINGTON 1 may talk of the "RURAL CONSTA- and to insure their adoption by all the BULARY," and find in the seeming parishes. I have laid before you the assent of Lord MELBOURNE, reason for effects of that plan in one parish: feeldiminishing his "regret" at the dis- ings of revenge openly declared; arson, placing of the "VIGOROUS" Lord proceeding directly and avowedly from GREY: there may be workhouses those feelings; a man condemned to like fortresses; in short, do what you death for that arson. There are about will, if the thing be put into the hearts thirteen thousand parishes; does your of the people, it is in the power of God lordship wish to see thirteen thousand alone to restrain their hands. That the gentlemen marked out in this way? famous Parson Lowe and "cool-tem- thirteen thousand stack-yards in a blaze; pered" overseer-system has a tendency thirteen thousand men condemned to to put it into their hearts, you have full the gallows! Oh, no! You shudder at proof now before you; and you have proof, the thought of things so horrible: I too, that nothing can stay their hands verily believe that you would yield your when the thing is once got into their own life rather than behold it. Well, hearts; and, as you perceive, it gets then, is it not time to pause; and can into the hearts of good men; for you be angry with me for holding these THORLEY, who was a master brick- consequences up to your sight? maker, says that FEARN had worked for I now turn to another view of this him for three years, and was a very honest lad. Your lordship observes, too, that Mr. THORLEY heard FEARN say, that "he should like to see LOWE'S GREY for his introduction of this mea matter; and to observe, that it has appeared very curious that the Duke of WELLINGTON should have so eulogized "stacks on fire, and Lowe and CROOK "in the middle of them"; and yet Mr. THORLEY never said any thing about this till this trial came. Then you see FEARN is asked openly, before many persons, whether he has helped to put the fire out in the parson's stack-yard; and he said he had not, and that "he wished it had been Lowe's house." All this proves that this meditated revenge was the common talk of the parish, and the country round about; and who, my lord, can wish, then, to see this system of Parson Lowe, which it was a sorrow ful thing to hear praised by you; who can wish to see this system put into general execution? And above all the men living, can you wish it, who, in your evidence, ascribe the riots and the fires to the low wages and the harsh treatment of the labourers; when you must know, too, that this scheme has a direct and inevitable tendency to bring "an afflicted and affrighted country? down wages lower than they are; and "Is he so madly moved to break any when you must know that the system of " fond dream which may have shadowthis Lowe is the harshest that ever was "ed the minds of men respecting his heard of or dreamt of? The report of "sympathy with the people, and espeyour speech makes you say, that the "cially the humbler classes, that he feels board of commissioners is wanted to "it necessary to volunteer a declaration establish rules and regulations like those " in favour of the Martineau poor-bill; of Lows and his cool-tempered man, "the most odious and the most oppressive sure; while every newspaper, and every writer of any ability, who has been labouring to get the duke back into power, has perseveringly opposed this measure from first to last. These gentlemen do not seem to have perceived what the duke has perceived; namely, that power and he have parted never to meet again; and that he really wished for GREY to keep his post, merely on account of his "vigour"; and vigorous enough he was, God knows, as far as related to the working people. I will give your lordship a treat in an article from the Age newspaper, upon the subject of the DUKE's praises of GREY and of this bill. "Is the Duke of WELLINGTON afraid "of being too popular at this anxious "period? Is he afraid that the cares "of office may be forced upon him unwillingly, by the unanimous call of "measure with the threat of which the " as they were concerned, and conse" British nation was ever yet insulted? "quently that whether they were ground We hope he has been misunderstood; "to the dust by Ministers calling them"for, if rightly reported, there was a "selves Whigs or calling themselves "cruel mockery in combining the Coer- "Tories, it was not a matter of the "cion Bill for Ireland and the Poor- slightest consequence." "Law Bill for England as measures of Now, I would pledge my existence, "Lord GREY, which enjoyed his cordial that if all the writers in favour of the "approbation, and should receive his bill were to club their talents, they "strenuous support. Gracious Hea- would not produce any thing of literary "vens! why this offensive union? A merit equal to this; and as to the poli"Coercion Bill of some kind or other tics of it, putting aside what is said " is necessary for Ireland. The native about the necessity of coercing Ireland, "population of that country are not yet they are sound, and expressed in a " fully civilized; they possess the vices, manner so good that one can hardly "the passions, and the blind ignorance speak of the article with too much "of savages; they are the easy prey of praise. Certainly the Tories have now "the trading demagogue; it is a mercy done that which damns them as a party "there to prevent that crime by the forever; and that too without giving any "strong hand, which it would be strength to their half-friends amongst "scarcely justice, except in the eye of the Whigs. It was wonderful, and it "the law, to punish. But the people appeared wonderful to everybody, that "of England are not in this condition; the Duke should fling away his power "the only sin which can be brought in his uncalled-for declaration about "home to any large body of Englishmen parliamentary reform; more wonderful " is that they are poor. The Duke of that he should not have seen a time "WELLINGTON, according to the report, between that and this, for the retrieving "is willing to punish them for being of that blunder; above all things won"poor; but not alone this, he appears derful that he should now volunteer to "to confound them in his mind with cut himself off from power for ever, by "the robber, the incendiary, the mur- as good as telling the people, that while " derer, whom he was willing to assist he opposes alınost every thing of change "Earl Grey in trampling to the earth which they deem to be in their favour, "Now, is not this, if it should indeed he is ready to assist GREY in this mea" be true, too bad? Is it not wonderful sure to which they have such an inflex"that men who are not fools will not ible dislike. But how does this affect "do that which even foo's do, learn from your lordship? Will those who have "experience? The Duke of WELLING- had so much confidence in you think "TON must feel that he wrought infinite that it is a good sign for you, that you " evil to the people of England by his are here hand-in-hand with the Duke of " inconsiderate and uncalled-for decla- WELLINGTON ? "ration about Reform. Why is it that There seemed to be, for some time, " he loses not a moment to commit the great unfixedness in the minds of the " same error with respect to another Tories as to this measure. They ap"measure, which is more cordially and peared to hesitate on the division on " more generally abhorred than at the the third reading; at last the main "time the other was desired in the body, with their leader at their head, " dreams of the most sanguine projec- went over to the ministers. On the "tors of change? It would really seem amendments, Lord GRANVILLE SOMER" as if he wished to grace the fall of old SET and Mr. PALMER of Berkshire "GREY, by intimating to the people spoke and voted against the bill; and "that they had no interest in any change I did not observe any others of the "of Government; that for them there party that were present. This, however, " would never be more than a change of retrieves nothing; the die is cast, and " names, and none of measures, so far it was cast by the duke; and, as in al 1 most every other case, because he knew amply develop, and will show this peo nothing at all about the state of the ple what they have to expect, and what people, or the sentiments of the people. are the laws which God and man have He seems always to think that he is in given them to be appealed to in cases acamp, and that every thing can be like this for their protection. It would effected by force. In one year of the not be right, however, it would not be war, the prodigious, the monstrous, sum just; it would not be acting an honest of thirty-four millions was expended. part, if, after having written these last A man having the absolute power over sentences, without inserting here, to ac such a sum may do any thing where company this address to your lordship, there is nobody but mercenaries em- the PROTEST of the Lords against this ployed on both sides; but even that bill; and here it is, reflecting the highest sum, expended every year, would not ensure success to this project. honour on the noble lord who drew it up, and great honour on all the others. THE POOR-LAWS AMENDMENT BILL.. "Dissentient, The Duke of WELLINGTON must, however, have known how unpopular "PROTEST AGAINST THE PASSING OF this measure was: he must have known that it was become unpopular even in the House in which it originated. By "1. Because this bill is unjust and rejeeting this bill; by arraying the cruel to the poor. It imprisons in Lords to reject this bill, he might, at workhouses, for not working, those once, have turned out the ministers and who cannot procure employment, and taken their places amidst the shouts of others for not maintaining their families the people; but then he knew that he who cannot, by the hardest labour, could not keep their places without obtain wages sufficient to provide necesdoing more to relieve the people from saries for their wives and children, altheir burdens than the Ministers now though the want of employment and the propose to do; this he was not willing low rate of wages have been occasioned to do; and, therefore, he gave his sup- by the impolicy and negligence of the port to the Ministers in this, the most Government. disliked of all their measures. How- "2. Because the present rate of ever, though the Tories have done for wages, insufficient as it is, cannot be themselves with the people, the Whigs sustained, or employment found for the have by no means gained; together poor, or their condition materially imthey have given another blow to ARIS- proved, without ameliorating the condiTOCRACY in this kingdom; and that tion of the Irish poor. is all that they have done. The very "3. Because we think that no neces -great had the very little; the great few sity or sufficient expediency has been had the little many for their fast allies: established to justify the withdrawing they will have them for allies no longer: of the power of executing the Poorthe little many have now seen how that matter stands; and they will feel and act accordingly. laws from the local authorities, and transferring them to a Board so constituted as proposed by the bill, and possessing the arbitrary powers conferred on three Commissioners appointed, and removable, by the Crown. In another letter, I will go more fully than I hitherto have done into an inquiry as to the RIGHTS of the people in this case; and will settle the question " 4. Because we think the system sugof RIGHT TO THE LAND, which is gested in the bill, of consolidating imnow become a PRACTICAL question; mensely extensive unions of parishes, and and, if the discussion lead to conclusions establishing workhouses necessarily at of a disagreeable tendency, your lord- great distances from many parishes, and -ship and your coadjutors will have to thereby dividing families, and removing thank yourselves for it. The REAL children from their parents, merely be OBJECTS of the bill, too, as now cause they are poor, will be found justly elucidated more fully than before, I will abhorrent to the best feelings of the |