Even within the limits of our own what are we to think of you, who, of your speech, talk, wretched during the jocund season of Six-jester, in the following style: Acts, defended every harsh proposition, and expressed your hope of seeing "that accursed torch of time, it is singular to observe the various modes in which Reform discord extinguished for ever," has been advocated. Six years meaning the almost only publica- ago great and oppressive calami tion, which was calculated to ties befel the country. The price of ppen the eyes of the people to the corn became high, and food became true state of their affairs? If the so dear that it was unattainable by public press" be such a great the lowest classes of society. What thing for us, look at the forty-two was the remedy proposed then? Part acts which have been passed, liamentary Reform. Parliamentary Reform was pointed out to the surwithin these thirty years, for the fering people as a remedy for every purpose of cramping it, and mak-grievance. They were told that the ing it the slave of power. Look great landholders had passed the at Sidmouth's Circular; look at Corn Bill, and that the only remedy the Act that compels the printer to left was to put down those tyrannical give bail even before he begins to landholder's, which could be effected print; look at the act which loads only by Parliamentary Reform. this very Register with paper and Well, the times are come round, the markets are glutted, the people price; and look at that other act, are feeding in comfort and affluwhich exposes to banishment for ense; we see the happy effects of life any one who may utter any this in the steady employment vent of law thing, having a tendency to bring bour at something of a reduced rate into contempt the passers of these of wages certainly, but still more acts! Impudent as we all know than sufficient to procure the ne you to be, we could scarcely, cessaries of life; we see it in the reduction of poor's rutes, and in the without these things before our eyes, have believed you impudent rather hard, if those who, seven diminution of crime. It would be! enough to assert that we stood years ago, thought the country in no need of Reform because the ruined, and declared the Parlia press was become so free. Cor-ment good for nought for having ruption, in all her works, has passed the Corn Bill, who saw the inbeen no where so successful as crease of crime consequent upon the with the press. This has been scarcity; it would be rather hard, the most powerful of all her means, in that prosperity which had grown I say, if they did not sympathise except those tranchant means out of the reverse of what they had that I need not minutely decomplained of. (Laughter). Well, seribe. Had it not been for low prices came, and landlords bethat corrupt press, of which the came distressed, and what was Anti-Jacobin newspaper formed then the remedy? Parliamentary a part, never could this kingdom Reform again (laughter); so that by have been in its present state. It a Parliamentary Reform they were is this very press that has brought which times a Parliamentary Reto restore the good old times of 1817, us to behold miseries such as no form had been called for to remedy. nation on earth ever beheld be-(Laughter). I do not wish to underfore; and of which miseries you, rate either evil; God forbid I should. in conclusion of the reform-part In both there is much which I la 3 grown when pampered and fed in his cage. (Laughter). 66 What; did we, in our petitions of 1817, pray for Reform in order to make corn low-priced? Do we now pray for it, in order to make corn high-priced? Do we now pray for it, in order to see “re"stored the good old times ment and could wish to cure, but as to a Reform in Parliament curing both, I leave to the judgment of any man who has seen it prescribed as tiles would have laughed, if you, Laughter: Yes, and the repa specific for such opposite evils. Reform is prescribed as a panacea for as Casca says of Cæsar, hack every thing. I remember having a cut their mothers' throats." short time since somewhere read of But, who besides these mean and an artist who had attained con- greedy hounds would have" cheersiderable eminence in painting, ed" a scurvy jest like this, when but who for some unaccountable they saw hundreds of thousands reason confined himself to one of people actually starving, in the branch of his art, that of painting midst of plenty, only on the other a red lion (Laughter). He was side of the narrow channel that employed by the landlord of a pub-divided them from the native land lic-house, for whom he painted a red lion, in such excellent style, of the jester who was operating as considerably raised his pro- before them? fessional reputation, and he was in consequence sent for by a gentleman, who showed him a large pannel in his parlour, upon which he wished to have some painting executed. The artist, after grave consideration, recommended that the vacant pannel -should be filled up with a large red" 1817?" Thou impudent mounte Jion (laughter), and a large red bank! Thou jack-pudding of the lion was accordingly painted, In Liverpool stage! Thou at once a short time after, he was called the most impudent and most mean upon by a neighbour in more hum- of all creatures, when did we pray ble circumstances, who had a small pannel in which he wished to have any of these things? You painted a landscape, or some pretty are a pretty fellow to be the trifle in water colours. The painter "leader" of a legislative assemopposed this plan, and warmly bly! Go: away with you! This urged that, in order to produce a alone shows that you could never pleasing effect, the pannet should be tolerated. Mr. PEEL is, at have depicted on it a small red any rate, no jack - pudding: no lion. (Cheers and laughter). This "Mr. Merryman:" he may be, is the case with the advocates of and he will be, unable to suggest Reform, in whatever direction you meet them, and the most you can any remedy without a Reform of get from the most moderate of them the Parliament; but we shall not, is, that they will introduce only the as we read his speeches, figure to small red lion. (Laughter). Gen- ourselves a fellow with ruddled tlemen, I wish these things were cheeks and jacket with buttons as only entertaining; but there is mis- big as plum-cakes. chief in them, and the country must be on its guard; for, believe me, if the small red lion once gets in, he will only be a precursor to the whole menagerie (cheers), and we shall have not only to turn him out as he came in, but as he will have for 4 how Reform is connected with the I shall, by-and-by, have to show state of the country. But, I must first notice your little side-wind dissertation on our foreign politics. U - 1.3. POLICY WITH REGARD TO say, but this I well know, that it FOREIGN NATIONS. This is a has already cost all this to prevery curious part of your per-vent Reform; and this is now the formance, and I beg the public general opinion, and will remain attention to it. to be the general opinion, in spite of all that can be said or done by you and all the rest of the political mountebanks. "This subject becomes the more important, when we consider that in the age in which we live there exists in some countries an open, and “Umpire!" We the Umin others a secret struggle against pire! Do you hear of any people monarchy and aristocracy-God be praised we have not our part to take in appealing to us? The first step even of Portugal, a sort of prosuch a struggle-God be praised we have already derived all the benefit vince of England, was to chase which can be derived from the conflict, away all Englishmen in authority, and therefore it is our duty not to and to show, in the most marked side in the assault with those who ask manner, a resolution not to suffer too much, or with those who will us to show our noses in their congrant nothing. We ought not to sticerns. In the several countries mulate either parly, we ought to stand where there has been, or is, a upon a firm basis as spectators inte- struggle for freedom, there have rested in the contest, and perhaps been divers projects of governultimately the umpire. But if we prematurely make ourselves a parment on foot, and in many cases ty, we shall lose the commanding foreign aid has been sought; but, position which we hold; we shall in no one instance has there been also lose the power of doing much a single projector to propose an good, and perhaps run the risk of imitation of your " tripartite Goharing our own institutions not al-vernment," and in no one intered but overthrown." (Cheers.) stance has there been an applica Now, if this be sound and good, tion to that Government for aid. what was that which was held Oh, no! The nations of the forth to us in the case of the world know too well what your French War, or, rather, the war tripartite" is. It is " as notoagainst the French people, and rious as the sun at noonday," and for the restoration of the Bour- the nations cast it from them; keep bons, the Pope and the Inquisi- it out, as they would the yellow tion? Oh! but, "we have al- fever or the plague. ready derived all the benefit "which can be derived from the 4. DISTRESS OF THE COUNTRY. conflict." Yes; eight hundred-On the day of your great benemillions of debt in one shape; and fit; the day of your last performabout a hundred millions in ano-ance, you said nothing upon this ther shape (the dead charge!) subject, though it was one to which And, besides these, a standing a would be "leader" might have Live charge of about ten millions been expected to allot a consi-year for army and other things. derable portion of his remarks. These are the benefits" which Upon the minor stage, however, we have already derived from the Little Theatre of your the conflict." What other bene- Club, you made this distress a fits may be in reserve, I cannot part of your performance; and, a very pretty part it was, as we are perance of feeling, to correct prenow going to see. judice, and to discountenance faction. The suffering was, ere-while,' Gentlemen, you embodied your-in those classes of society with selves at a time when the country whom suffering naturally begets was in great difficulties, both at impatience, and absorbs reflection, home and abroad.-The councils and delivers over the sufferer, in to which we gave our cordial sup-pardonable and pitiable delusion, port have gloriously surmounted a prey to every designing demagogue the external difficulties; and sur- who points out resistance as a reamounted them not as those who medy. It exists now, I am grieved were then opposed to us recom- to acknowledge, in higher classes mended-by compromise, by truck- of society, not less entitled to syming, or by a mere accidental lucky pathy, not less objects of compasescape, but by perseverance, by sion, and, where practicable, of steadiness, by confidence in ourselves, relief; but who know that their in our country and our cause, by a safety, as well as their prosperity, is triumph without example, as our ex-bound up with the peace of the kingertions were without precedent or dom; and who, when they are parallel. Unfortunately, great ef-satisfied that the privations which forts are not to be made without they now endure are such as neither great sucrifices, and as the over-laws nor governments can cure, will strained exertion of the political as be cautious not to lend their auwell as of the physical body, pro-thority to any schemes, which, duces lassitude and exhaustion; un-under pretence of alleviating prefortunately, the conclusion of our sent and partial evils, may lead to dangers from without was followed the disturbance of their country. I by internal dangers, which if not am confident, that, having, during more difficult to overcome, were a great struggle of so many years, equally more painful to combat. In preached patience to the humbler classes combating such dangers, we were of the community, the higher will animated by none of the feelings not now desert their duty, by rewhich sustained us during the con- fusing, in their turn, to practise the. flict with the foreign foe; we felt same degree of patience which has that we were at war with those who been generally displayed by those ought to have been our fellows in beneath them. For, Gentlemen, sentiment as in country; and our apart from the interests of separate triumph was painful in its execution, classes, we have all a common inthough just und merciful in its pur-terest in the conservation of that order pose. Long may those over whom of things which is the security of it was achieved share, in peace and the whole. We must feel, I am tranquillity, the benefit of its achieve-sure, and none feel more than those ment! I would fain hope, indeed, whom I am addressing, that it Gentlemen, that we have no more would be a peevish and unthinking such struggles, no more such spirit, which, under the irritation triumphs to apprehend. Looking of a temporary inconvenience, should abroad through Europe, I see no quarrel, not with the immediate near prospect of a call upon this sources of immediate suffering, but country for any foreign exertion with all that surrounds them, with At home, I do not disguise from my all that is contemporary with them, self that I see great difficulties and with passive circumstances as well great distress, but I see those diffi- as with active causes; as a child, culties and that distress in quarters in its anger, beats the ground, bewhere education and intelligence may cause for a moment it has fallen. be expected to counteract intem-To maintain to our native land that supremacy which it has long exer-leagues must absolutely muzzle cised, we must look to the main-you, or prepare for making their tenance of its institutions; and if, exit from Whitehall; and that in a moment of uncomfortable they certainly would not do withpressure, we lay hold, in anger, on out many a and many broken heart-string |