will hardly take it from the tax-to that very war, which created gatherers that are to collect forty three-fourths of the Debt, and millions a-year. Will you take which has finally produced the any thing from the Civil List?- ruin and famine that we behold. and will you begin with the pen-Yet, even that most extravagant sions to Burke's Executors? As to and most profligate of all things the Army, do you really propose that ever was heard of, was necesto collect forty millions of taxes sary to the Debt and Boroughevery year without an army? system; and, as long as that sysOh, no; no man, out of Bedlam tem last, the same things must entertains any notion quite so continue to be. mad! It is useless, therefore, to cry out against the extravagance about reducing taxes, unless you of the Government, or to say, that begin with the debt. To call It is in vain, therefore, to talk you do not pity the country gentle-upon the Ministers to pay the men who have supported that ex-interest of this debt, and, at the travagance. These things are all same time, to take from them the necessary to uphold the Debt and army, the taxgatherers, and all the Boroughs; the debt is neces- the rest of what you call extrasary to the boroughs; and all the vagant expenditure, is going be above-mentioned things are neces-yond the Corinthian, it is going sary to both. The pensions of back to the Egyptian, and being BURKE and those to his Executors like Pharaoh, who would have are amongst the most extravagant the same quantity of bricks with and profligate things that have out any allowance of straw. But ever been witnessed by this oppressed nation, whom they have cost more than seventy thousand pounds already, given to that venal borough, Higham Ferrers, and scribe for being the trumpeter all those other sweet sink-holes, . (and here is the rub), the debt cannot be reduced without a reduction of the boroughs. Peter 66 that produce us the benefit of subject before the House: but, in the wisdom arising from the "edu- the course of your Lordship's cation of the country;" sweet Win- speech, there dropped out an obchelsea, Knaresborough, Calne, servation, in which I myself, and all the other sweet places, though of the Brick-wall and Pavemust be laid open, and, in short, ment Order, cannot help feeling. no longer bless us with such bun- some little personal interest. dles of wisdom; or, the interest Speaking of PEEL'S Bill, you of the debt cannot be reduced. said, that, "the effect of that It is the debt which upholds the " measure had been anticipated boroughs, and the boroughs have" by him (you) in a speech made created the debt. Your Lordship "at the time; by the London seems to smell (which is full as Tavern Petitioners; by Dr. correct as to say that you feel) "COPPLESTON; and others." Now that these dear companions are as to the speech made by your inseparable. Like Saul and Jo- Lordship at the time, in the first nathan they have lived sweetly place, I never heard of it before; together; and in their deaths they I can find no traces of it any will not be divided. This your Lordship seems to smell; but I can assure you, that you will never get twenty millions of taxes taken off as long as they live; In the next place, this speech, the conclusion therefore is, and Corinthian though doubtless it happy I am that it is such, there was, certainly produced no effect must be a Reform of the Parlia- upon the Parliament, who voted ment, or, the total ruin of the the measure unanimously; nor did present race of Farmers and it produce any effect upon your Landlords. own party, who, it is perfectly I need say no more as to the notorious, were not only the chief where, and yet, if there be a man, that has kept a sharper look out than myself for things of this sort, I should be glad to see that man. supporters, but even the inventors ever describe it. But there were of the measure; and who found "OTHERS;" and why did your fault of it only because it was not | Lordship not name those others? more rapid in its operations! As It was beneath a Corinthian Ito the Petitioners at the London Pillar, I suppose, to say, that in Tavern, their interference I very 1811, from Newgate the first well recollect; and I did, "at the warning came forth in " Paper time," or as soon as possible against Gold;" that the "Reafterwards, notice the sensible gister" contained warning upon speech of Mr. ATTWOOD in mov-warning from 1814 to 1818, and ing that Petition. Dr. COPPLES that in the month of July 1818, TON wrote his pamphlet late in the "Twopenny Trash," in a the year 1818, or early in the year Letter to TIERNEY, depicted, be1819; that is to say, just before fore-hand, not only the ruin, but the measure was brought forward; the measure of it, and the manen but let it be observed that this of it, just as it has now come to humbug was an advocate for the pass; to say this might have been measure! He did, indeed, say, beneath a Corinthian Pillar; but, there would be distress, but he then, you may be well assured, did not contemplate distress like that the public will agree with me, the present. He did not talk about that the Corinthian Pillar would the ruin of Landlords and Parsons. have done better to say nothing at He did not talk about the transfer all about anticipation; and, let -of estates. This húmbug thought me observe, in conclusion, that, it that nothing but paper-money does seem a little strange, that you people were about to be pulled should have thought it proper (and down, and that Farmer's were at this time of day too) to refer to about to be lowered; and never a speech of your own making, dreamed of what was about to which never found its way into take place; much less did he print, while you seem to have Sir, I am, wholly forgotten writings that have the rest of the nation do not follow passed through edition after edi- the sensible example, the suffertion, and have been read, and are ing in consequence will belong read, with great attention by so much more to the Corinthian Pilvery large a portion of the people. lars than to the Order of BrickAh! Lord Milton, your stomach wall and Pavement. must come down, or, the consequences will be such as, with all your powers of foresight, you do not seem to "anticipate" in the smallest degree. It is a strange thing that none of you can perceive how much credit you would get by acting the manly part as to this matter; and, which is of full as much importance, what a triumph you give me every time you act a part of a contrary character. I am more than half convinced, that your disapprobation of the Kentish Petition arose from the same identical feeling, which made you recollect your own and Dr. Cop-to agree in opinión as to what the PLESTON's anticipations; but I am also convinced, that the county of Kent, participating in no such feeling, will remain satisfied with what it did, your Lordship's disapprobation notwithstanding; and this I know to a certainty, that if To the Representatives in Parliament of the County of Kent. As one of your constituents and one who attended the Meeting of the. County on Tuesday last, I make no scruple of addressing you on what took place at that meeting. Both of you appear by the report in the Morning Chronicle on the Petition being presented to the House of Commons, Meeting appeared to consider, although last, not the least valuable part of it; viz. the rider to it, calling on the Honourable House, as soon as it had reformed itself, to make a just reduction of the National Debt; it was, I believe, by no means expected it would do so before. You both protest against it in the name of the County; why not its object twofold, namely, to did not you do so at the Meeting? consider of a Petition to Parliabut I believe if you had, and ment on the distressed state of the with the assistance of that very country, and the defective repremodest Gentleman the Member sentation of the people? Well for Wareham, and in addition all then, was not the National Debt the great leading characters of contracted by Parliaments conthe County, both Whigs and To-stituted in the same way as the ries, I much doubt if you would present one, which the Meeting have deterred the Meeting from thought wanted reforming; as such passing the resolution. But, Sirs, was it not very natural for those the idea of a reduction of the Na- at the Meeting to think it necestional Debt is not new in the sary that after the reform had County of Kent, and both of you taken place it would be right that must be aware of it; at least I the immense debt should undergo know that a pamphlet was written an investigation, to see if at least by a Man of Kent, and on the some part of it might not in juscommencement of the present Ses- tice be reduced, for that was the sion of Parliament printed and substance of the Resolution? I published by Mr. SMITH, of Maid-for one should be very sorry that stone, recommending first a Re-justice were not done to the pubform in Parliament, and then a lic creditor, but at the same time, reduction of the National Debt. I also wish to see justice done to I also know that one of them was the public debtor, who is how sent to each of you; but whether paying, and has been almost ever you took the trouble of reading it since the passing of Mr. Peel's or not I do not know, or whether Bill in 1819, at least 30s. for 20s. Mr. Cobbett has read that pamph--That the country was brought let I cannot say, but his resolution into its present state by the holy runs on all fours with that part of crusade against Revolutionary it respecting the reduction of the France, does not admit of a doubt, National Debt. Far from con- and I wish to God that those who sidering the county disgraced by were the authors of that crusade passing the resolution, I am very only had to suffer for it, but (as it glad it has taken the lead on such is too generally) in this case the innocent suffer with the guilty. an occasion. Let me ask you what the Meeting was called for, was Where is the justice of one class |