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Hagerman  Collection 


tllSTORV  AND  POLITICAL  SCIENCE 


JAMES  i.  HAGERMAN  OF  CLASS  OF  '61 

Proftuor  Chiriu  Kendall  Adanu 

IS83. 


I 


THE 

ANNUAL   REGISTER 

OR  A  VIEW  OF  THE 

HISTORY, 
POLITICS, 


LITERATURE, 

OF    THE  YEAR 

1831. 


LONDON: 

PRINTED   FOR  BALDWIN   AND   CRADOCK; 

J.  G.    &  F.  RIVINGTON; 

LONGMAN,  REUS,  ORME,  AND  CO.  1  E.  JEFFERT  AND  SOKj  I.  M.  RlCHAl 
SON;  J.  BOOTH:  J.  BOOKER;  J.  RODWEU.;  E.  LLOYD;  SHERWOOD,  C 
BERT,  AND  PIPER;  HAUILTON.  ADAMS,  AND  CO.;  G.  LAWTOKD;  J.  DOV 
ING;  WHITTAKBR,  TREACHER,  AND  ARNOT;  SFMPXItl  A^D  HARSHAI 
T.  LATCOCK  ;  J.  MARTIN  ;  8-  W.  fVlfrBNANCS  i  *NP  RiNBHAW  AND  RUSH 

1833. 


T.  C.  HaOMiTd,  Piinler,  Si,  Paternotter-row,  London. 


,w^  ^i/^-^^— 


CONTENTS. 


HISTORY    OF   EUROPE. 

CHAPTER    I. 

iState  of  the  Reform  Question — Reform  Bill  introduced  by  Ministers  into 
the  House  of  Commons — Debate  of  seven  nights  on  the  Motion  for  leave 
to  bring  in  the  Bill— Speech  of  Lord  John  Russell— Sir  R.  H.  Inriis-- 
Mr.  Twiss— The  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer— Mr.  Hume— Rfr.  B. 
Ward— Mr.  Macaulay— Mr.  Hunt— Sir  Charles  Wetherell— The  Attor- 
ney-General        [I 

CHAPTER    H. 

Continuation  of  the  Debate  on  the  Motion  for  leave  to  bring  in  the  Re- 
form Bill— Speech  of  Mr.  Bankes — Mr*  Hobhouse — Mr.  Baring — Lord 
Palmerston— Sir  Robert  Peel— Mr.  Stanley— The  Lord  Advocate— Mr. 
Croker— Mr.  Hope — Mr.  R.  Grant— Mr.  (yConnell- Mr.  Attwood— 
Sir  James  Graham — ^Bill  allowed  to  be  brought  in  without  a  Division, 
and  read  a  First  Time [34 

CHAPTER    m. 

Effects  of  the  Reform  Bill  on  the  Public  Mind— Conduct  of  the  Reformers 
— London  Declaration — ^The  Press,  and  Complaint  of  Breach  of  Privi- 
lege— Debate  on  the  Motion  that  the  Bill  be  read  a  Second  Time,  and 
Amendment  moved  that  it  be  read  a  Second  Time  that  day  six  months — 
Speeches  of  Sir  R.  Vyvyan— Mr.  Shell — Mr.  C.  Grant — ^The  Solicitor- 
General — Sir  E.  Sugden — Mr.  Ward — ^The  Second  Reading  carried  by  a 
Majority  of  One — Irish  Reform  Bill  brought  in  and  read  a  First  Time — 
Statements  of  Ministers  regarding  the  Numbers  of  the  House        .    [77 

CHAPTER    IV, 

Alterations  in  Reform  Bill  subsequent  to  the  Second  Reading — Motion 
that  the  House  go  into  Committee — General  Gascoyne  moves  that  the 
existing  number  of  Members  for  England  and  Wales  shall  not  be 
dimini^ed,  which  is  carried  against  Ministers  by  a  Majority  of  Eight — 
Nature  and  Effect  of  the  Division — ^Lord  Wharncliffe  ^ives  notice,  in  the 
House  of  Peers,  of  a  Motion  for  an  Address  to  the  Kmg  not  to  Dissolve 
— In  the  Commons,  a  Motion  of  Adjournment,  pending  the  Ordnance 
Estimates,  carried  against  Ministers — Scene  in  the  Commons  on  the 
22nd  of  April— In  the  House  of  Peers,  Lord  Wharncliffe's  Motion  inter- 
rupted by  the  entrance  of  the  King  to  Prorogue  Parliament — Proroga- 
tion and  Dissolution — Case  of  Privilege  in  the  House  of  Lords,  con- 
nected with  tlie  Press       [103 


iv  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER    V. 

The  Budget — Proposed  changes  in  Taxes — Opposition  to  a  proposed  T 
on  Transfers  in  the  Funds — Ministers  abandon  it — Proposed  aiminutl 
of  Duties  on  Baltic  Timber,  and  augmentation  of  those  on  Canac^^ 
Timber — Ministers  defeated  on  a  Division — Arrangement  of  the  Ci^^Y 
List — Ministers,  r^fusi^  to  Abide  by  a  liedudtidn  litommended  by  tl^e 
Select  Committee — Increase  of  the  Army         .        .        .        .         [126 

CHAPTER    VI. 

General  Election — Popular  Excitement  in  Favour  of  the  Bill — Pledges 
demanded  from  Candidates — Election  Riots — Result  of  the  Election — 
Opening  of  the-NeVirPaHiament-^DisctisAiOfts  on  thi  Address — Reform 
Bill  brought  in,  and  read  a  First  Time — Clamour  of  the  Reformers 
against  the  limitation  of  the  £\0  Franchise*— Ministers  yield  the  point — 
Debate  on  the  Second  Reading  of  the  Bill — Second  Reading  carried  by 
a  Minority  of  13&-^-4)i80u«8ti>ti  in  regard  to  Applteby^Th^  HoUte  det«N 
rainefi  that  it  bhall  not  be  allowed  to  bring  Eviaence  of  its  FopulatioA — 
Debate  lind  Divisions  on  the  Motion  for  going  Into  Comtnittee^-^DiicUs- 
sio^  in  Comtnittee  on  an  Amendmeiit  that  the  Enfran^ieihg  Clauses 
should  be  fint  cOto^idered  —  Diyition  on  the  Question  Whe^er  all 
Boroughs  having  fewpr  than  2,000  Inhabitants  should  b^  diefraBekiBed 
— Motion  that  the  Boroughs  proposed  to  be  disfranchised  shall  be 
divided  into  Districts  returning  Memberr--Motion  that  the  Population 
be  taken  according  to  the  Census  of  1831  instead  of  1821  .        [149 

CHAPTER    VIL 

Continuation  of  the  Committed  on  the  Reform  Bill — Diieussion  regarding 
Appleby— T;^he  Borpug^h  of  Dovirnton — ^The  Borougk  o^  St  Germain's — 
The  fiorough  of  Sallash — Complaints  of  the  fteformers  that  ailment 
^SLS  alfowed  upon  the  Bill — Proposal  of  Ministers  thiEit  tlie  Bill  should 
take  the  lead  of  all  other  Business — Proceedings  of  the  Reformers — 
Motion  that  the  Boroughs  tn  Schedule  B  should  retain  both  Members — 
Boroughs  of  Chippenham — ^Dorchester-^Guildfbrd — Sudbury^— Motion 
that  Greenwich  be  excluded  from  the  new  Boroughs-^Molion  that  Stoke 
upon  Trent  have  two  Members — ^Motion  of  Lord  Milton  that  the  new 
Boroughs,  to  which  the  Bill  gave  only  one  Member,  shoidd  have  two- 
Motion  against  the  Enfranchisement  of  Gateshead  as  separate  from 
Newcastle — Motion  that  a  Member  be  given  to  Merthyr-Tyavil— 4)ebate 
on  the  Clause  of  the  Bill  for  dividing^  large  Counties — Discussion  on  the 
Clause  enacting  that  ^freeholders  m  Boroughs  should  vote  for  the 
County — Amendment  moved  that  tenants  at  will  of  land  should  have 
a  vote  for  Counties,  and  carried  against  Ministers        .        .        .     [178 

CHAPTER    Vm. 

CbntintiatSon  of  C\)tnmittee  on  Reform  Bill-^Mr.  Hunt's  Amendment  on 
the  £10  Pranthlse,  to  the  eflfect  of  admitting  Universal  Sutfhige— 
Amebdmeht,  that  Freeholders  iii  Boroughs  shall  vote  for  the  BofoUjfh, 
a^d  not  for  the  County-^Motion^  th&t  the  £  lO  rent  (^hall  not  be  playable 
moi^e  fretjueAtly  than  quarterly — Disi^ttssioM  fe|fahlin^  existing  lights 
of  Franchlse^Diicussioni  on  thte  Clauses  dltiftctrng^the  tttode  of  Regis- 
ttatibn  and  r^^lating  Electiotts-^Oonstdertttioh  ot  the  Ret>6tt  of  the 
Bill— Motloh,  that  Aldborough  be  totally  Disfhmchised— Altertitions 
made  oh  considering  the  Report— Debate  bn  Motit^n  that  the  Bill  |>ass— 
Mbtion  carried  by  a  Majority  of  109        .....       [216 


n 


CONTENTS,  T 

CHAPTER    IX. 

Il6f6irm  Bill  read  a  Mrst  tlrnte  in  the  House  of  Lords— Threats  of  the 
tlefbrmers  a^itist  the  Peers^-^bate  on  the  Second  Reading;  of  the  Bill 
in  the  tiousfe  of  Lords—Speeches  of  Lords  Grey,  Whamclifie,  Winchil- 
sea,  Harrowby,  the  thike  Of  Wellington,  Lord  Eldon,  the  Lord  Chan- 
edllor,  Lord'Lyndhurst,  &c; — ^The  Bill  is  thrown  out  by  a  Majority  of 
forty-one— Motion  carried  in  the  House  of  Commons  that  Ministers 
ought  not  to  resign — Lofd  Howe  dismissed  from  his  office  of  Queen's 
Chamberlain,  oii  acCbunt  of  his  yote>  and  disclosures  thereupon  in  the 
House  of  Oouimons— --^Attacks  on  the  persons  and  houses  of  the  Peers — 
Riots  at  Derby  and  Nottingham — Correspondence  of  Ministers  with  the 
P^itieal  Unions,  and  discussions  thereon  in  the  House  of  Commons — 
Flnatieial  Statement-^Prorogation  of  Parliament-^ Riots  in  Bristol — 
Pdnnatioa  of  a  National  Political  Union  in  London^— Proposed  general 
meeting  of  the  Working  Classes^-^Proclamation  a|^ainst  Illegal  Associa- 
tions-^Appearance  of  the  Cholera  Morbus  in  the  North        .        .    [252 

CHAPTER    X. 

Ireland. "— La wies6  state  of  the  Peasantry  in  Ireland— Distress  of  the 
Population  —  Associations  in  Dublin  for  a  Repeal  of  the  Union  — 
0*t!onneirs  intended  Procession  of  the  Trades  prohibited  by  Proclama- 
tion— ^O'Connell  Summons  his  assemblies  under  a  new  name,  and  they 
are  again  prohibited  by  Picoclamation — Proposal  that  O'Connell  himself 
dhail  be  declared  to  be  an  association — He  renews  his  meetings  in  the 
shape  of  a  Public  Bl-eakfasl— The  Breakfasts  are  prohibited  by  Procla- 
mation— New  devices  of  the  Agitators  to  evade  the  law,  followed  by 
another  Proclamation — Partial  run  upon  the  Banks — O'Connell  convokes 
another  meeting,  which  is  dispersed  by  the  Magistrates — O'Connell  and 

'  his  eoa^Uto'rs  apptehended  for  illegal  proceedings — True  Bills  are  found 
against  them'— He  puts  in  a  demurrer,  then  withdraws  it,  and  pleads 
Not  Guilty — Attempts  to  delay  his  Trial— Withdraws  his  plea,  and 
pleads  Guilty — Discussions  in  Parliament  whether  Government  had 
made  a  Cbtnpfomise  with  the  Agitators — None  of  the  Agitators  brought 
up  for  Judgment — Declarations  against  a  Repeal  of  the  Union — Dis- 
cussions in  Pai'liament  on  the  Same  suWect — C/ontinued  disturbances  in 
tlfeland—  tnsurrection  Act  enfbrced  by  Proclamation  in  several  Counties, 
aftd  Special  Commissions  to  try  the  offenders — Fatal  collisions  between 
the  Peasantry  and  the  Authorities  at  Castle  Pollard — At  Newton-barry 
—In  County  Kilkenny [300 

CHAPTER    XL 

FkANCiv-^State  of  Parties— Turbulence  of  the  Students— Rlot«  in  Paris 
against  the  Clet*gy-*-Proceeding6  against  the  Bourbonists — In«ecurity 
of  the  Ministry — Resignation  of  Ministers^  and  formation  of  a  New 
Mlalstry-^Policy  Of  the  New  Ministry— Riot  Act  passed — New  Electoral 
LaW>-4Expenditure — Attempt  to  raise  a  Loan  by  Public  Subscription — 
Prorogation  of  the  Chambers — Tumults  in  Paris — Quarrel  between  the 
Ministry  and  the  Heroes  of  July — Tour  of  the  King  in  the  Provinces — 
Disorderly  state  of  Paris — Dissolution  of  the  Chambers — General  Elec- 
tion— Rfots  in  Paris— Expedition  against  Portugal — Opening  of  the 
Session  of  the  New  Chamber— Celebration  of  the  Revolution — Exhibi- 
tion of  Austrian  banners  in  the  Chamber  of  Peers — Small  Majority  in 
j^vour  of  the  Ministerial  Candidate  for  the  Presidency  of  the  CnamDers 
-Ministers  Resign— They  withdraw  their  Resignatious  on  the  Invasion 


vi  CONTENTS. 

of  Belgium  by  Holland — Expedition  to  Belgium— Great  Majority  ii 
favour  of  Ministers  on  the  Address — Bill  for  altering  the  Institution  o 
the  Peerage— Creation  of  Peers  to  carry  it  through  the  Upper  Chambe 
— Riots  in  Paris — Complaints  against  the  Bourbonists — Act  banishiuj 
from  France  all  Relations  of  the  Bourbon  Family,  or  of  Napoleon- 
Serious  Disturbances  at  Lyons         .        .        .        ^        .        .         [32! 

CHAPTER    XH. 

Holland  and  Belgium. — Candidates  for  the  Belgic  Crown — Franc 
declares  that  it  will  not  recognize  the  Duke  of  Leuchtenberg — The  Duk 
of  Nemours  is  chosen — Decision  of  the  Five  Powers  in  regard  to  th 
Sovereign  of  Belgium — The  Duke  of  Nemours  refuses  the  Crown — ^Th 
Belgians  elect  a  Regent — Proceedings  of  the  Conference — Disputes  n 
garding  the  Scheldt — Warlike  spirit  of  the  Belgic  Congress — ^'Fhc  Coi 
ference  lays  down  Bases  of  Separation — Belgium  rejects  and  protest 
against  them — Waverin<j  Policy  of  France — Holland  accepts  of  th 
Bases — Answer  of  the  Conference  to  the  Belgian  Protest — The  Confe 
ence  declares  the  terms  accepted  by  Holland  to  be  **  fundamental  an 
irrevocable*' — Belgium  refuses  them»  demands  War,  and  calls  on  Luxen 
burg  to  rise  against  the  decision  of  the  Five  Powers — Anarchy  througl 
out  Belgium^  and  Riots  in  the  principal  Towns — Belgium  is  allowed  ti 
the  1st  of  June  to  accept  of  the  Bases,  under  the  pain  of  all  relatioi^^ 
between  her  and  the  Five  Powers  being  broken  off— The  Conference 
endeavours  to  compass  the  Election  of  Prince  Leopold  of  Saxe  Coburg, 
and  promise  their  good  offices  with  Holland  in  favour  of  Belgium,  on 
the  latter  accepting  the  Bases — Belgium  endeavours  to  negociate  directly 
with  Holland,  under  a  threat  of  renewing  hostilities— Breach  of  the 
Armistice  by  the  Belgians  at  Antwerp — Letter  of  Lord  Ponsonby,  on  the 
part  of  the  Conference,  to  the  Belgian  Government — The  Congress, 
without  accepting  the  Bases,  elects  Prince  Leopold  King — Holland  de- 
mands the  execution  of  the  fundamental  and  irrevocable  Bases — The 
Conference  again  promise  to  enforce  them,  and  order  their  Representa- 
tives to  quit  Brussels — Prince  Leopold  delays  accepting  the  Crown— 
The  Conference  recede  from  the  irrevocable  Bases,  and  propose  new 
terms  at  the  expense  of  Holland — ^The  Belgian  Congress  accepts  them — 
Holland  rejects  them,  and  demands  the  performance  of  the  existing 
Agreements — Prince  Leopold  accepts  the  (Jrown,  and  he  is  installed  at 
Brussels  with  the  concurrence  of  the  Conference — Holland  declares  the 
Armistice  at  an  end,  and  the  Dutch  Army  enters  Belgium— Rout  of  the 
Belgians  at  Hasselt — Their  Army,  commanded  by  the  King,  defeated  at 
Louvain,  and  Lou  vain  eapturea — A  French  Army  arrives  at  Brussels, 
and  the  Dutch  troops  retire — Proceedings  of  the  Conference  in  reference 
to  the  march  of  the  Dutch  and  French  Armies — ^The  French  troops  are 
recalled — Opening  of  the  Session  of  the  Belgic  Chambers — The  Confer- 
ence frames  another  new  set  of  Articles,  and  declares  that  their  accept- 
ance shall  be  compulsory — Belgium  accepts  them  —  Holland  rejects 
them,  but  offers  to  negociate— Negotiation  refused — Treaty  signed  be- 
tween the  Five  Powers,  and  the  King  of  Belgium        .        .        .      [372 

CHAPTER   XIIL 

Germany. — Insurrections  in  Hanover,  at  Osterode,  and  Gottingen — ^Ac- 
cession of  Duke  William  of  Brunswick  in  place  of  his  brother — Public 
movements  in  Hesse  Cassel  and  Saxony. — Switzerland. — Insurrections 
and  military  operations  in  the  Canton'of  Basle — ^The  insurgents  are  put 
down— and  again  take  arms  — A  federal  army  occupies  the  Can« 


CONTENTS.  vu 

ton— Insurrection  in  Schwyz — Insurrectipn  in  Neufchatel — Changes  in 
the  other  Cantons — Proceedings  of  the  Diet. — Poland. — ^The  Dictator 
attempts  to  negociate — He  resigns  and  a  Committee  of  Government  is 
appointed — ^Pohsh  Manifesto  against  Russia — ^The  Throne  of  Poland 
deckred  vacant — ^Preparations  for  war — ^The  Russian  army  approaches 
Warsaw — Battles  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Warsaw — The  Russians 
retire — The  Poles  attack  and  carry  their  positions — Defeat  of  the  Poles 
in  Volhynia  and  Podolia — ^The  Russian  army  again  advances  and  again 
retreats — ^The  Poles  assume  the  offensive — ^Battle  of  Ostrolenko— The 
Polish  army  falls  back  upon  Warsaw — Operations  in  Volhynia — ^The 
Poles  defeated  in  Lithuania— The  Russians  prepare  tq  cross  the  Vistula — 
Dissensions  in  Warsaw — ^The  Russians  establish  themselves  on  the  left 
bank  of  the  Vistula — Insurrections  and  outrages  in  Warsaw — The  Com* 
mittee  of  Government  resigns,  and  a  Dictator  is  appointed — Progress  of 
the  Russians — Storming  of  the  fortifications  of  Warsaw— Warsaw  sur- 
renders— Dispersion  of  the  Polish  army — Progress  of  the  Cholera 
Morbus.  .......  [417 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Spain.— Insurrection  at  Cadiz — Defeat  of  the  rebels — ^Arrests  and  execu- 
tions at  Madrid — Unsuccessful  attempt  of  General  Torijos. — Portugal. 
—Complaints  of  the  British  Government,  and  demands  for  satisfaction 
r—A  fleet  is  sent  to  the  Tagus,  and  satisfaction  obtained— Complaints  of 
the  French  Government — Satisfaction  is  refused — France  makes  reprisals 
pn  the  Portuguese  flag — Britain  refuses  the  application  of  Portugal  to 
interfere — ^A  French  fleet  dispatched  to  Lisbon — ^The  demands  of  the 
French  Admiral  refused,  till  he  forces  the  Tagus — ^The  French  carry  off 
the  Portuguese  fleet — State  of  Lisbon — Return  of  Don  Pedro  from 
Brazil  to  Europe  —  He  makes  preparations  for  a  descent  on 
Portugal  —  Unsuccessful  Insurrection  by  part  of  the  garrison  of 
Lisbon — British  men  of  war  sent  to  Lisbon  and  Oporto— The  forces 
of  the  Regency  of  Terceira  capture  the  Island  of  St.  George,  and 
the  Island  of  St.  Michael — Defensive  preparations  of  Don  Miguel. — 
Italy. — ^Election  of  a  Pope — Plan  of  general  Insurrection — Insurrection 
at  Modena — The  Duke  leaves  it  and  a  provisional  Government  is  esta- 
blished— Insurrection  and  establishment  of  a  provisional  Government  at 
Bologna — ^It  becomes  general  in  the  Legations — Insurrection  at  Parma 
— Proclamations  of  the  insurgents  to  the  inhabitants  of  Austrian  Lom- 
bardy — and  of  Naples — Differences  between  France  and  Austria — The 
Austrian  troops  cross  the  Po  against  the  insurgents,  who  immediately 
disperse — The  insurrection  put  down,  and  the  former  Government  re- 
stored in  Modena,  in  Parma,  and  in  the  Papal  States — New  troubles  in  the 
Papal  Legations — Death  of  the  King  of  Sardinia. — Greece. — Unpopu- 
larity of  the  President — Maina  and  Hydra  revolt— The  Hydriots  take 
possession  of  the  Greek  fleet  at  Poros — Tlie  Russian  fleet  blockades 
them,  and  demands  the  surrender  of  the  ships — ^llie  President  attacks 
Poros  by  land,  and  is  repulsed— Its  inhabitants  are  removed  to  Hydra — 
The  Russian  Admiral  prepares  to  attack  the  Greek  fleet — Its  commander 
Miaulis  blows  it  up — Proceedings  of  the  Mainotes — Assassination  of  the 
President.  .....  [440 

CHAPTER  XV. 

United  States  —  South  America. — State  of  Brazil  —  Disturbances  at 
Rio  Janeiro — ^The  Emperor  abdicates  in  favour  of  his  son. — Buenos 
Atrbs — Military  operations — Colombia — Death  of  Bolivar — Insurrec- 
tion in  Panama— Mexico— Peru. — Disturbances  at  Lima.       .        [460 


•  •• 


vm 


CONTENTS. 


CHRONICtE         .  *      1 

APPENDIX  TO  C^HOKici^B. 

King^s  Ministers     .      ...  196 
Members  of  the  House  of  Com- 
mons        .  .  .       .  197 
Sheriffs        .       .           .  .201 

Births 202 

Marriages  .  .  .  204 

Promotions    ,        .        .  .210 

Deaths    .  .  ,        .  216 

Public  Income  ,  ,  ,262 
I'ublic  Expenditure      ,  .  264 

Disposition  of  Grants  •  .  266 
Ways  and  Means        .  .  272 

Public  Unfunded  Debt  ..  .  273 
Public  Funded  Debt    .  .  274 

Trade  of  the  United  Kingdom  276 
Navigation  of  the  United  King- 
dom .  .  .277 
Public  General  Acts         .  279,  284 
Public  Acts  of  a  Local  and  Per* 

sonri  nature  .  •  280,  286 
Stocks       4  .  ,  .291 

Pricts  of  Corn,  Hay,  and  But- 
cher's Meat .        .        ,        .292 
Bllh  of  Mortality-^Bankrupts 

^and  Meteorological  Table  293 
Table  of  Number  of  Houses 
rated  for  the  Inhabited  House* 
Tax  .  .  .  294 

Ditto,  for  the  Metropolis  .  295 
Committals,  Convictions,  &c.  ibid. 
tState  of  Savings'  Banlis  and 

Charitable  Societies  .  ,  296 
University  Intelligence     •       .  297 

LAW  CASES  AND   NARRA- 
TIVES. 

Contempt  of  Court— Privilege 

of  Parliament  .  .301 

Court    of    Justiciary,     Edin- 

burgh.^Riot  at  Dundee  .  307 
Ditto,  Riots  at  Haddington  .310 
Ditto,  Rioting  at  Edinburgh  .311 
Ditto,    Murder  of  Alexander 

Ross  .313 

Old  Bailey.— Trials  of  Bishop, 


Williams,  and  May,  Murder, 
for  the  purpose  of  selling  the 
bodies  .  ,         ,  31^ 

PUBLIC  DOCUMENTS, 

I.  Domestic,  r.- Abstract  of  the 
Reform  Bill  •  .  336 

Instructions  and  Regulations 
regarding  Cholera,  issued 
under  authority  of  the  Privy 
Council        .  •  .357 

II.  Foreign.— Documents  eoiu 
qeoted  with  the  separation  of 
Belgium  from  HoU^id        .  361 

Speech  of  King  Leopold  on 
opening  .the  Belgic  Congress  403 

Speech  0?  the  King  of  Holland 
on  opening  the  Sessions  of 
the  States  General     .  .  406 

Manifesto  of  the  Polish  Estates  407 

Circular  of  the  Polish  Govern^ 
ment  to  Foreign  Cabinets     .414 

MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS. 

Present  State  qf  the  Fewantry 

of  LivQuia       ,       ,  ,432 

Russian  Miiit(try  Colonios  ,  433 
The  Pay  of  a  PhitadelpUian 

Lady     ,  .       .  .435 

American  Society  ,  ,  .  437 
American  Servants  .  ,  438 
American  C^mp  Meeting        .  440 

ARTS. 

The  Life-buoy  now  In  use  in 

the  Navy        ,  ,  ,445 

PATKNT3  ?        ,        •  ,446 

POETRY. 

Parental  Love  .         .         ,463 

Evening    .  .           ,         ibid. 

Night  ,  .  .  ihid. 
Spring  Hymn  .  .  .  ,  4M 
Naples  :  ^  The  Song   of   the 

Syren    ,  .          .          .455 

Vouih  ,  ^s 
Index. 


THE 


ANNUAL    REGISTER, 

FOR   THE    YEAR 


1831. 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


CHAP.    I. 

State  of  the  Reform  question — Reform  Bill  introduced  by  Ministers 
into  the  House  of  Commons — Debate  of  seven  nights  on  the  Motion 
for  leave  to  bring  in  the  Bill — Speech  of  Lord  John  Russell — Sir 
R,  H.  Inglis — Mr.  Twiss-^The  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer — Mr, 
Hume — Mr,  B,  Ward — Mr,  Macaulay — Mr,  Hunt — Sir  Charles 
Wetherell — The  Attorney -General, 

THE  ministry  which  succeeded  far  they  would  be  satisfied  with 

that  of  the  Duke  of  Welling-  diffusing  t'le  elective  franchise  over 

ton,    had    entered     office    under  places  which  had  grown  up  in  the 

express    declarations    that     they  course  of  years^  and  still  remained 

would  forthwith  apply  themselves  unrepresented,  or  how   far   they 

to  what  was  termed  the  reform  of  would  allow  themselves  to  be  se- 

tbe    representation^     that   is>    to  duccd  by  the  love  of  making  consti- 

streDgtnen  and  enlarge  the  demo-  tutions,— remained  unknown;  nei- 

craticpart  of  the  Constitution.  To  theV  was  there  any  thing  in  the  com* 

this  they  were  gledged^  both  by  position  of  the  ministryfrom  which 

their  general  principles  as  a  party,  its   measures   could  be  predicted. 

and  by  the  opinions  to  which  they  If  at   its   head  was  Earl   Grey^ 

bad  given  utterance  regarding  the  whose  opinions  were  favourable  to 

political  events  which  had  agitated  changes  of  no   moderate  kind^  it 

Europe  during  the  preceding  year,  contained  Lord  Melbourne,  Lord 

What  might  be  the  extent  oi  the  Palmerston^  and  Mr.  Grant,  the 

dtanges  which  they  meant  to  intro-  disciples  of  Mr.  Canning,  the  most 

duoe^  how  much  they  would  destroy  inveterate  and  unyielding  foe  of 

and  how  much  reconstruct;  how  changes  in  the  Constitution.    The 
Vol.  LXXHL  [B] 


2] 


ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


fact  tbat  tliey  had  accepted  office 
under  a  ministry  pledged  to  change, 
was  sufficient  evidence  that  tliey 
were  prepared  to  depart  from  their 
former  opinions;  but  it  was  not  to 
be  anticipated  that  they  would 
readily  rush  into  the  opposite  ex- 
treme. It  was  clear,  too,  that  the 
whigs  themselves  were  not  all  of 
one  mind.  Lord  Brougham's  mo- 
tion on  parliamentary  reform  had 
stood,  in  the  House  of  Commons^ 
for  the  very  day  succeeding  that  on 
which  the  Duke  of  Wellington  had 
retired.  His  plan,  therefore,  if  not 
iti  all  Its  details,  yet  in  its  broad 
principles  and  general  arrange- 
ments, must  have  been  ready  for 
presentation ;  but  the  long  ad-* 
journment  till  the  third  of  Febru- 
ary, confessedly  on  the  ground  that 
much  time  and  many  inquiries  were 
necessary  to  settle  the  intended 
ministerial  constitution  of  the  com-* 
mpns,  gave  reason  to  believe  that 
this  plan  would  be  very  different 
from  that  of  the  Lord  Chancellor, 
which,  if  his  colleagues  had  ap- 
proved of  it,  courted  their  accept- 
ance. 

While  the  members  of  the  min- 
istry were  occupied  in  framing  the 
new  parliamentary  constitution, 
meetings  were  held  in  all  parts  of 
the  country,  in  counties,  in  towns, 
and  in  parishes,  for  the  purpose  of 
getting  up  petitions,  which  were 
at  once  to  be  the  result  and  the 
support  of  the  declared  intentions 
of  the  government.  Such  expres* 
sions  of  opinion  are  at  all  times 
easily  obtained ;  and,  in  reference 
to  such  a  topic,  they  bear  on  the 
solution  of  the  question  only  in 
so  far  as  they  pfove  the  fact  of  the 
existence  of  an  unsatisfied  desire 
in  masses  of  the  population,  in 
regard  to  their  political  condition. 
Ileform>  in  all  the  thousand  mo- 
difications of  meaning  which  were 


included  under  this  general  term, 
comprehended  an  extension  of  the 
elective  franchise:  to  extend  the 
franchise  was  to  confer  political 
power;  to  petition  for  reform, 
therefore,  was  merely  the  very 
natural  expression  of  a  desire  to 
possess  political  power — a  desire 
which  it  is  always  difficult  to  con- 
trol and  repress,  but  the  excite- 
ment of  which,  into  even  its  most 
extravagant  expression,  is  an  ex- 
ploit of  absolutely  vulgar  facility. 
That  thousands  of  men  declare 
political  power  to  be  their  riffht, 
does  not  make  it  a  right ;  that  tney 
unanimously  demand  to  be  put  in 
possession  of  it,  no  more  touches 
the  reason  of  the  question — is  it 
fitting  and  expedient  that  they 
should  possess  it  ? — than  their 
unanimous  de.mand  to  be  put  in 
possession  of  the  estates  of  their 
neighbours,  or  to  be  exempted  from 
taxation,  would  prove  that  what 
they  souffht  was  useful  and  proper. 
No  difficulty,  therefore,  was 
found  in  bringing  forth  all  over 
the  country,  loud  and  violent  de- 
mands that  the  democratical  part 
of  the  constitution  should  be 
strengthened  and  extended;  and 
the  task  was  the  more  easy,  as  the 
reformers  were  aided  by  the  con- 
tagion of  foreign  example.  The 
revolution  of  the  preceding  year  in 
France  was  the  origin  of  tne  out- 
cry for  reform  in  Britain.  Previous 
to  that  event,  reform,  a  standing 
topic,  to  some  extent  or  other,  in 
every  session  of  parliament,  had 
excited  less  attention  than  usual ; 
even  the  restless  spirit  of  pe- 
titioning had  fallen  into  a  slumber  ; 
in  the  public  mind  there  was  no 
agitation.  In  1821  there  had  been 
nineteen  petitions  for  reform  ;  in 
1622  there  had  been  twelve ; 
twenty-nine  in  1 823  :  during  the 
following  six  years  there  had  not 


-        HISTORY  OF  EUROPE.  [3 

been  a  single  petition^  and  in  the  tbem^  that  the  power  and  efficacy 
session  of  1830,  only  fourteen.  No  of  the  democratical  part  of  the 
domestic  causes  had  sprung  into  constitution  should  be  increased. 
Operation  to  produce  a  sudden  and  Therefore,  if  the  British  constitu- 
general  change  in  the  people,  or  tion  was  to  be  preserved,  the 
the  populace  of  Britain ;  no  rights  answer  to  the  question  whether 
had  been  infringed;  no  grievous  reform  should  be  granted,  depended 
and  wide  malversations  had  been  entirely  on  the  degree  to  which 
newly  detected ;  in  nothing  had  the  control  of  the  great  body  of 
the  government  come  into  violent  the  people,  acting  by  the  House 
collision  with  public  opinion.  But  of  Commons,  over  the  measures  of 
the  populace  of  Paris  rose  sue-  government,  should  be  increased 
oe»fuliy  in  arms  to  resist  an  and  extended.  The  efficiency  of 
open  and  outrageous  attack  by  the  the  democratic  branch  of  the  con- 
crown  upon  the  rights  which  the  stitution  might  be  so  augmented, 
constitution  had  secured  to  the  overwhelming  property  and  educa- 
country.  They  rose,  not  to  seize  tion  beneath  the  weight  of  mere 
power  which  tney  did  not  possess,  numbers,  as  to  render  the  govern- 
but  to  resist  an  attempt  to  deprive  ment  a  democracy  in  every  thing 
the  people  of  the  power  of  which  but  in  name  ;  or  the  change  might 
it  was  already  legally  in  possession,  be  so  limited,  by  extending  the 
The  triumph  of  popular  resistance  franchise  to  places,  which,  though 
to  tyrannical  aggression  in  France  wealthy  and  populous,  had  not  yet 
roused  the  spirit  of  popular  en-  received  members,  as  to  render 
Oroachment  upon  established  insti-  it  nothing  more  than  the  intro- 
tutions  in  Britain.  The  crown  duction  of  an  additional  quan- 
had  made  no  assault  on  the  recog-  tity  of  the  mixed  representation 
nized  rights  of  the  people ;  there  which  already  existed.  The  de- 
had  been  no  attempt  to  govern  by  grees,  by  which  the  power  of  the 
proclamations,  to  raise  money  by  popular  body  might  be  increased, 
orders  in  council,  to  establish  a  were  infinite;  and  the  question, 
censorship  over  the  press,  or  to  how  far  its  increase  was  fitting 
alter  the  representative  system  of  and  safe,  or  how  far  necessary  to 
the  country.  But  the  exhibition  secure  the  objects  of  good  govern- 
6f  popular  power,  in  full  possession,  ment,  was  a  question  to  be  decided 
for  a  time,  of  the  government  of  by  sound  reason — not  by  the  mere 
one  country,  excited  all  the  popular  fact  that  certain  bodies  of  men 
propensities  of  the  other ;  and  as  desired  political  power.  The  peti- 
the  excitement  thus  produced  tions,  however,  which  were  now 
found  no  tyrannical  attack  against  industriously  manufactured  in 
adcnowledged  rights  on  which  it  every  part  of  the  country,  were 
could  fix  as  its  object,  it  sought  for  almost  uniformly  found  wanting 
itself  an  object  in  rights  which  it  in  this,  the  only  intelligible  ques- 
did  not  possess,  and  found  vent  in  tion  that  could  arise.  Thus  one 
a  cry  for  parliamentary  reform.  set  of  petitioners  prayed  for  **  the 
Tne  men  who  raised  or  pro-  equalization  and  extension  of  the 
pagated  this  cry,  might  diflfer  as  to  right  of  suflTrage," — but  whether 
the  means  by  which  the  object  was  they  meant  such  an  extension  and 
to  be  attained :  biit  the  cry  itself  equalization  as  would  convert  the 
tflnified.  in  the  mouths  of  all  of  government  into  a  democracy,  or 

CB2] 


4]         ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


some  more  modified  degree  of 
change^  they  either  did  not  know^ 
or  were  afraid  to  declare.  Others 
annouDced  that  ^<  for  the  sake  of 
every  thing  that  is  truly  valuable 
in  society^  a  real^  substantial  and 
effectual  reform  in  the  representa- 
tion of  the  people  is  become 
absolutely  necessary/*— but  what 
would  amount^  in  the  opinion  of 
the  petitioners^  to  a  real,  substan- 
tial^ and  effectual  reform,  and 
whether  a  reform,  meriting,  in 
their  eyes,  the  honour  of  these 
epithets,  would  not  be  inconsistent 
with  the  permanent  and  useful 
existence  of  the  other  branches  of 
the  constitution,  was  left  to  con- 
jecture. When  the  petitioners  de- 
parted from  these  unmeaning 
generalities,  the  demands  which 
they  put  forward  were,  the  an- 
nihilation of  all  influence  on  the 
part  of  the  aristocracy  in  returning 
members  to  the  House  of  Commons 
— the  shortening  theduration  of  par- 
liaments— the  extension  and  equal- 
ization of  the  elective  franchise; 
but  how  it  was  to  be  extended 
was  left  untold;  except  in  those 
petitions  which  demanded  that  the 
right  of  suffrage  should  be  univer- 
sal. A  large  proportiqn  of  these 
petitions  further  set  forth,  that  no 
measure  of  reform,  however  radical 
might  be  the  changes  which  it 
would  introduce,  would  prove  an 
effectual  remedy,  unless  it  provided 
that  all  votes  in  future  should  be 
given  by  ballot.  The  evils  sup- 
posed to  have  been  inflicted  on  the 
community  by  the  absence  of  some 
full  and  substantial  reform,  were 
found  in  the  existing  commercial 
and  manufacturing  distress;  the 
frequency  of  unjust  and  unneces- 
sary wars ;  the  profligate  expendi- 
ture of  the  public  money ;  and  the 
amount  of  taxation,  kept  up,  it  was 
s^id^  merely    to    impoverish  the 


country  by  squandering  its  rew 
resources  on  pensioners  and  place- 
men. These  were  assertions  in 
which  no  sober-minded  or  well- 
informed  man  reposed  any  con- 
fidence. The  most  popular  of  them 
all,  the  abuse  of  paying  public 
money  to  pensioners  and  placemen^ 
was,  at  the  same  time,  the  most 
ridiculous.  No  man  could  believe 
that  the  amount  of  the  pension 
list,  even  if  every  item  it  contained 
were  unjustifiable,  could  be  felt  as  a 
pressure  on  the  country;  and  the 
new  ministers  themselves  not  only 
did  not  diminish  it,  but  refused  to 
accede'  to  a  recommendation  to 
reduce  the  civil  list,  contained  in  a 
report  of  their  own  committee^ 
Another  feature  in  some  of  the 
petitions  was,  that  they  recom- 
mended a  reform  of  property  as 
well  as  of  representation,  by  de- 
manding that  the  possessions  of  the 
church  should  be  seized,  and  ap- 
propriated to  what  they  called  the 
necessities  of  the  state.  In  many 
places  again,  the  petitioners,  satis- 
fied with  announcing  the  general 
proposition,  that  the  country  was 
ruined,  and  could  be  restored  only 
by  reform,  left  it  to  his  Majesty's 
ministers  to  declare  what  kind  and 
quantity  of  change  would  best 
answer  the  purpose.  The  true 
result  to  be  obtained  from  gene- 
ralities which  meant  nothing,  or 
particular  propositions  which  all 
rational  men  disliked,  was  simply 
this,  that  the  great  mass  of  the 
people  were  desirous  to  be  put  in 
possession  of  political  power,  and 
having  come  to  consider  that  pos- 
session as  a  matter  of  abstract 
right— a  thing  which  does  not 
exist  in  political  institutions — they 
did  not  willingly  bring  their  reason 
to  weigh  consequences,  or  when 
they  did,  that  reason  was  easily 
bribed  to  the  belief  that  their  pos* 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[5 


session  of  power  must  be  beneficial 
to  the  community,  and  that  all 
resistance  to  what  they  deemed 
and  called  a  rights  must  be  treated 
as  oppression  and  usurpation. 

Besides  the  usual  machinery  of 
petitions,  permanent  political  as- 
sociations had  already  begun  to  be 
formed  in  different  parts  of  the 
country,  for  the  purpose  of  organ- 
izing large  numbers  of  individuals 
into  one  body,  to  act  on  the  mind 
of  the  public  around  them  and 
press  upon  the  government.  These 
«elf-constituted  organs  of  popular 
opinion  took  the  name  of  Political 
Unions.  They  had  a  regular  array 
of  officers,  and  a  council  which 
transacted  the  ordinary  business. 
Their  objects  were,  to  push  on  po- 
litical changes  to  any  extent,  by 
any  means  3  to  insist  on  whatever 
they  chose  to  demand,  as  a  right 
which  could  not  be  refused  with- 
out a  crime ;  to  repress,  by  their 
display  of  force,  any  expression, 
in  their  neighbourhood,  of  opinions 
of  an  opposite  tendency ;  and  to 
make  even  the  government,  which 
they  pretended  to  be  supporting, 
feel,  by  their  violence,  that  they 
eiisted  in  order  to  dictate,  not  to 
•obey.  They  did  not  even  conceal 
the  effects  which  they  would  pro- 
duce by  their  mere  physical  power, 
and  used  language  of  abuse  and 
intimidation  which  had  no  mean- 
ing except  upon  the  idea  that  they 
were  prepared  and  resolved  to  ex- 
tort  by  force  the  possession  of  that 
•power  which,  in  their  hands,  was 
to  save  the  country.  The  great 
object  of  all  their  deliberations 
was  to  excite  incurable  enmity  in 
the  middling  and  lower  classes 
against  those  who  stood  above 
them  in  the  order  of  society.  The 
latter  were  uniformly  represented 
ks  persons  who  had  robbed  the 
former  of  tbeir  rights  and  their 


comforts,  and  whose  resistance  to 
the  intended  new  order  of  things 
must  be  put  down  by  force,  if  they 
were  not  timeously  frightened  into 
submission. 

It  was  in  this  state  of  matters 
that  parliament  met,  pursuant  to 
adjournment,  on  the  3rd  of  Feb- 
ruary. Ministers  had  hitherto 
veiled  in  profound  secrecy  the  plan 
of  Reform  which  they  intended  to 
introduce.  All  that  was  known 
was,  that  neither  the  acts  nor  tlie 
language  of  their  partisans  had  in 
any  degi'ee  tended  to  repress  or 
allay  the  excited  feeling  which  ex- 
isted all  around  them,  and  than 
which  nothing  could  be  more  un- 
favourable to  the  calm  discussion 
of  so  grave  a  question.  All  extra- 
vagant demagogues  styled  them- 
selves, and  were  treated  as,  the 
friends  of  Ministers ;  Ministers  on 
the  other  hand  could  not  venture 
to  cool  the  attachment  of  dema- 
gogues who  guided  the  voice  of 
the  populace.  Ministers  alone 
knew  the  length  to  which  they  had 
resolved  to  go ;  and  seemed  al- 
ready to  be  aware  that  no  expedi- 
ent was  to  be  neglected  which 
might  keep  up  the  flood  of  excita- 
tion, the  only  tide  to  which  they 
could  trust  for  floating  through 
their  perilous  project.  On  the 
first  day  of  the  meeting  of  Parlia- 
ment, earl  Grey  stated,  that,  al- 
though it  had  been  a  work  of  con- 
siderable difliculty,  ministers  had 
at  last  succeeded  in  framing  a  mea- 
sure which  would  be  effective, 
without  exceeding  the  bounds  of  a 
just  and  well-advised  moderation. 
It  had  received  the  unanimous  as- 
sent of  the  government,  and  would 
be  introduced  into  the  House  of 
ComTmons  at  as  early  a  period  as 
possible.  Although,  however,  the 
measure  was  thus  declared,  on  the 
3rd  of  February  to  have  been  al- 


6] 


ANNUAL   REGISTER,   1831. 


ready  framed^  aod  sanctioned  hy 
the  unanimous  approbation  of  all 
the  members  of  the  government^  it 
was  not  till  the  Ist  of  March^  that 
it  was  introduced  into  the  House 
of  Commons.  It  was  introduced 
by  lord  John  Russell,  to  whom^ 
although  not  a  cabinet  minister, 
this  duty  had  been  intrusted,  in 
consideration  of  his  lordship  hav- 
ing made^  on  many  occasions^  many 
motions  for  many  partial  changes 
in  the  existing  state  of  the  repre- 
sentation. 

His  lordship  declared  in  the 
outset  that  the  measure  which  he 
was  about  to  propose  had  been 
formed  in  the  mind  of  earl  Grey 
himself:  the  world  believed  that 
the  greater  portion  of  the  premier's 
mind,  had  been  founds  on  this  oc- 
casion, to  reside  within  the  body 
of  his  son-in-law,  lord  Durham. 
His  lordship  farther  declared^  that 
the  object  of  ministers  had  been, 
while  they  discarded  the  notion  of 
complying  with  violent  and  extra- 
vagant demands^  to  frame  a  mea- 
sure with  which  every  reasonable 
man  in  the  country  would  be  satis- 
fied :  that  they  wished  to  take  their 
stand  between  two  hostile  parties, 
neither  agreeing  with  the  bigotted 
on  one  hand,  that  no  Reform  was 
necessary,  nor  agreeing  with  the 
fanaticism  of  others,  that  only  one 
particular  reform  could  be  whole- 
some or  satisfactory,  but  taking  a 
firm  and  steadfast  ground  between 
abuses  which  were  to  be  amended^ 
and  convulsions  which  were  to  be 
averted.  These  were  all  most  ex- 
cellent general  expressions. 

His  lordship  next  laid  it  down 
as  one  principle  on  which  he  and 
his  colleagues  agreed,  that  the 
question  of  riglU  was  in  favour  of 
the  reformers ;  for  the  ancient 
constitution  of  the  country  declar- 
edj  that  no  man  should  be  tax«d 


for  the  support  of  the  state  who 
had  not  consented,  by  himself  or 
his  representative  to  tne  imposition 
of  the  taxes.  The  statute  de  Tallu" 
gio  non  concedendo  spoke  the  same 
language  j  and,  although  some  his- 
torical doubts  had  been  thrown 
upon  it,  its  legal  meaning  had 
never  been  questioned.  It  includ- 
ed ^^all  the  Ireemen  of  the  land  ;*' 
and  it  provided  that  each  county 
should  send  to  the  Commons  two 
knights,  each  city  two  burgesses, 
and  each  borough  two  members; 
About  an  100  places  sent  repre- 
sentatives, and  thirty  or  forty 
others  occasionally  enjoyed  the 
privilege ;  but  it  was  discontinued 
or 'revived  as  they  rose  or  fell  in 
the  scale  of  wealth,  and  importance. 
No  doubt,  at  that  early  period,  the 
House  of  Commons  did  represent 
the  people  of  England ;  but,  added 
his  lordship,  there  is  likewise  no 
doubt,  that  the  House  of  Commons, 
as  it  presently  subsists,  does  not 
represent  the  people  of  England. 

The  right  bemg  thus  in  &- 
vour  of  reform,  the  house  would 
find  that  the  result  would  be  the 
same,  when  they  looked  to  what 
was  reasonable  \  for  it  would  be 
impossible  to  keep  the  constita« 
tion  of  the  House  as  it  at  present 
existed.  Who  had  not  heard  of 
the  fame  of  this  country,  that  in 
wealth  it  was  unparalleled,  in  civi- 
lization unrivalled,  and  in  freedom 
une(}ualled,  in  the  history  of  the 
empires  of  the  world  ?  iSow  sup« 
pose  that  a  foreigner,  well  ac- 
quainted with  these  fact^  were 
told,  that  in  this  most  wealthy, 
most  civilized,  and  most  free  coun« 
try,  the  representatives  of  the 
people,  the  guardians  of  her  liber- 
ties, were  chosen  only  every  six 
years,  would  he  not  be  very  curi- 
ous and  very  anxious  to  hear 
in  what  way  ti)at  operation  wa^ 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


19 


perfbrmed^  by  wliicli  this  great  ami 
wise  nation  selected  the  members 
who  were  to  represent  them^  and 
upon  whom  depended  their  fortunes 
and  their  rights  ?  Would  not  such 
a  foreigner  be  much  astonished  if 
lie  were  taken  to  a  green  mound 
and  informed  that  it  sent  two 
members  to  the  British  parlia- 
ment ? — if  he  were  shown  a  stone 
wail,  and  told  that  it  also  sent  two 
Members  to  the  British  parliament 
—or,  if  he  walked  into  a  park^ 
without  the  vestige  of  a  dwelling, 
and  learned  that  that  too  sent  two 
members  to  the  British  parliament? 
—He  would,  be  still  more  asto- 
nished were  he  to  go  into  the 
northern  part  of  the  country,  and 
were  to  see  flourishing  towns,  con- 
taining immense  manufiEiCtories  and 
depositories  of  every  sort  of  mer- 
ehandize,  and  be  informed  that 
these  places  sent  no  representatives 
to  parliament.  He  would  be  still 
more  astonished,  were  he  taken  to  a 
great  and  opulent  town — Liverpool 
for  instance — and  were  to  observe 
the  manner  in  which  general  elec- 
tions were  there  conducted.  He 
would  see  bribery  prevail  to  the 
greatest  extent ;  he  would  see  men 
openly  paid  for  their  votes ;  and  he 
would  be  astonished  that  a  nation, 
whose  representatives  were  so 
chosen,  should  be  at  all  competent 
to  perform  the  functions  of  legisla- 
tion. The  people  called  loudly 
for  reform,  saying  that  whatever 
good  existed  in  the  constitution  of 
this  House — whatever  confidence 
was  placed  in  it  by  the  people,  was 
completely  gone.  Whatever  might 
be  tnougnt  of  particular  acts>  the 
confidence  of  the  country  in  the 
constitution  of  the  House  had  long 
ceased ;  and  so  long  as  towns  like 
Leads  and  Manchester  elected  no 
representatives!  while  such  places 
aa  Ontton  and  Old  Smxm  did;  it 


was  impossible  to  say  that  the  repre- 
sentation was  fairly  and  properly 
carried  on .  From  these  premises  h  is 
lordship  arrived  at  this  conclusion 
— if  the  case  be  one  of  right,  it  is  in 
favour  of  reform — if  it  be  a  question 
of  reason  it  is  in  favour  of  reform — 
if  it  be  a  question  of  expediency, 
expedience  calls  loudly  for  it. 

His  lordship  then  stated  the 
plan  by  which  ministers  proposed 
to  meet  and  satisfy  the  demand  for 
reform  which  they  averred  them- 
selves to  believe  could  no  longer 
be  resisted.  That  plan  had  been 
so  framed  as  to  remove  the  reason- 
able complaints  of  the  people,  and 
these  complaints  again  were  prin- 
cipally directed, first,  against  nomi- 
nation by  individuals;  secondly, 
elections  by  close  corporations; 
tbirdlv,  the  expenses  of  elections. 
In  so  tar  as  concerned  the  first  two 
grounds  of  complaint,  the  plan  of 
ministers  consisted  first  of  disfran- 
chisement, in  order  to  get  rid  of 
places  which  had  hitherto  sent 
members  to  parliament :  secondly, 
of  enfranchisement,  in  order  to  en- 
able places  which  had  hitherto  been 
uilrepresented,  to  elect  members : 
thircfly,  of  an  extension  of  the  fran- 
chise, in  order  to  increase  the  num- 
ber of  electors  in  those  places  which 
were  to  be  allowed  to  retain  in  whole, 
or  in  part,  their  existing  privilege 
of  sending  members  to  the  House 
of  Commons. 

The  part  of  the  plan,  which 
related  to  disfr.anchisement,  pro- 
ceeded on  a  very  plain  rule,  viz. 
to  disfranchise  all  boroughs  whose 
population  did  not  exceed  a  cer- 
tain number.  Lord  Jolm  Rus- 
sell allowed  it  would  be  ana  x- 
tremely  difficult  task  to  ascer- 
tain the  wealth,  trade,  extent, 
and  population  of  a  given  number 
of  places.  We  h^ve  therefore  been 
gov^erned,  said  he^  hy  what  is  a 


9] 


AN  J?  UAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


public  record — ^the  population  re-i 
turn  of  1821^  and  we  propose  that 
every  borough  which  at  that  date 
contained  fewer  than  2,000  in- 
habitants>  shall  be  deprived  en- 
tirely of  the  privilege  of  sending 
members  to  parliament.  This 
would  utterly  disfranchise  sixty 
boroughs,  and  get  rid  of  119 
members.*  This,  he  was  perfectly 
aware,    was  a  bold  and  decided 

.  *  The  following  were  the  Boroughs 
thus  to  be  disfranchised,  and  their  po- 
pulation according  to  the  census  of 
1821.    They  formed  Schedule  A  of  the 

bill:— 

Population. 

Aldborough  (York)  . .  484 

Aldeburgh  (Suffolk)  . .  1 ,2 1 2 

Appleby           ..  •.  824 

Bedwin         1,928 

Beeralston  ••  ..         

Bishop's  Castle       ..  ••  1,616 

Bletchingley       ..  ..  1,187 

Boroughbridge       ••  ••  860 

Bossiney         ••  ••  877 

Brackley             ..  ..  1,851 

Bramber        98 

Buckingham       ».  ••  1,495 

Callington 1,321 

Camelford          ••  ••  1,256 

Castle  Rising         •  •  •  •  343 

Corfe  Castle       •  •  •  •  1 ,465 

Dunwich"^       ..  ..  200 

•  Eye         ..             ..  ..  1,882 

Fowey              ..  ••  •  1,455 

.  Gatton     ..           ..  ••  \35 

Haslemere       ..  ..  887 

Hedon         .•        ..  ..  902 

Heytesbury        ..  ..  1,329 

Higham  Ferrers     • .  •  •  877 

Hindon            ••  ..  830 

Ilchester            ,.  ..  802 

Looe,  Bast 770 

Looe,  West        . .  . .  539 

Lostwithiel            ..  ..  933 

Ludgershall       ••  ••  477 

Malmesbury        ••  ••  1,322 

Midhurst        ••  ••  1,335 

Milborne            ,•  ..  1,440 

Minehead        1,239 

Newport  (Cornwall)  .  •  977 

Newton  (Lancashire)  ••  1,643 

Newton:(l8le  of  Wight)  . .  767 

Okehampton        *•  ••  1,907 

Orford             ..  ..  1,119 

Petersfield            ,.  .,  1,446 

Plympton       #•  tt  7 


measure ;  he  knew  that,  on  ordin« 
ary  occasions,  no  interest,  however 
trifling,  should  be  touched.  But 
this  was  no  ordinary  occasion ;  and 
the  interests  to  be  touched  were 
not  private  interests,  but  public 
trusts.  The  House  had  done  the 
very  same  thing,  when,  under  the 
former  ministry,  it  disfranchised 
the  forty-shilling  freeholders  of 
Ireland.  All  the  boroughs  to  be 
thus  totally  disfranchised  were 
nomination  boroughs,  in  the  gift 
of  individual  patrons,  and  the  in* 
terest  of  the  latter  certainly  was 
not  deserving  of  more  considera-* 
tion  than  had  been  the  franchise 
of  the  Irish  peasant.  *'  Shall  we 
say  that  the  principle  of  allowing 
no  partial  interests  to  stand  in  the 
way  of  the  public  good  is  to  be 
maintained^  when  the  poor  peasant* 
ry  of  Ireland  are  concerned,  but 
that  when  it  touches  the  great  and 
wealthy,  we  are  not  to  venture  to 
treat  the  question  as  the  public 
interest  demands  ?  Shall  we  at 
once  deprive  the  freeholder  of  Ire- 
land of  that  right  which  he  merely 
exercised  as  the  constitution  gave 
it  to  him,  and  shall  we  be  afraid 
to  touch  the  right  of  the  noble 
proprietor  of  Gatton,  who  returns 


PopnlAtion. 

Queenborough       . .      , , 

881 

Reigate 

1,328 

.   Romney       ••         «•      .. 

962 

St.  Mawes         •  • 

1,648 

St  Michael  (Cornwall)  .. 

1,893 

Saltash 

1,548 

Old  Sarum            ..     _.. 

Seaford         ..         ..     .. 

1,047 

Steyning 

1,324 

Stockbridge          . ,       , , 

715 

Tregony 

1,035 

Wareham            .  •        , , 

1,931 

Wendover 

1,602 

Weobley 

739 

Whitchurch            •  •     . , 

1,434 

Winchelsea        •  •          .  • 

817 

Woodstock 

1,455 

Wootton  Bassett      ••   .• 

1,701 

Yarmouth  (Islo  of  Wight) 

m 

HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[9 


two  members  to  parliament,  al« 
:  though  he  derived  no  such  power 
from  the  constitution  ?  ShaJl  we 
say  that  a  strictly  constitutional,  a 
strictly  legal  right  shall  be  abo- 
lished^ because  the  convenience, 
the  necessity  of  the  country,  de- 
niaDds  it — and  that  a  right  which 
is  mere  usurpation,  with  no  sanc- 
tion of  law,  and  sapported  only  by 
usage^  shall  be  respected  and  left 
untouched,  though  the  public  in- 
terest requires,  and  the  public  voice 
demands  its  abolition  !  Shall  we 
make  this  glaring  distinction  be- 
tween rich  and  poor,  high  and 
low,  disfranchise  the  peasant,  and 
prop  the  falling  fortunes  of  the 
peer  1  '* 

But  disfranchisement  was  not  to 
stop  here.  There  were  boroughs 
which  should  be  blotted  out  alto- 
gether. ,  There  were  others  which, 
although  more  flourishing  in  point 
of  population,  were  too  low  to  have 
any  good  title  to  retain  their  pre- 
sent privilege  of  sending  two 
members  to  the  House  of  Commons. 
It  was,  therefore,  farther  pro- 
posed, that  all  boroughs,  whose 
population,  according  to  the  cen- 
sus of  1821,  though  it  exceeded 
2,000,  was  under  4,000,  should  in 
future  send  only  two  members 
instead  of  one.  The  number  of 
these  boroughs  was  forty-seven,* 

•  Population  of  the  47  Boroughs,  in 

each  of  which  there  was  to  be  a  reduction 

of  one  Member : — 

Population. 

Amersham       ••  ••  2,612 

Arundel 2,511 

Ashburton         ••  ..  3,403 

Bewdley 3,725 

Bodmin  ..  ..  2,902 

Bridport 3,742 

Chippenham    • 8,201 

Clithcroe     ..       ..        ..  3,213 

Cockermouth        ..       ••  3,790 

Dorchester        ..  ..  2,743 

Downton    ••  •     ••  3,114 

Proitwich         «,         ••  2,176 


and  thus  forty-seven  members 
more  were  disposed  of.  Wey- 
mouth likewise,  which  had  hitherto 
sent  four  members  was,  in  future, 
to  send  only  two. 

This  process  of  disfranchise- 
ment, proceeding  on  the  simple 
fact  of  numbers,  and  necessarily 
utterly  arbitrary  in  its  very  prin- 
ciples, having  deprived  the  House 
of  Commons  of  1 68  members,  then 
began  the  work  of  enfranchisement, 
by  giving  members  to  places  which 
had  hitherto  been  unrepresented, 
and  giving  more  members  to  other 
places  which  had  always  enjoyed 
them.  In  the  first  place  it  was 
proposed  that  each  of  seven  con- 
siderable towns  should  send  two 
members,  and  twenty  others,  one 

Popalation. 

Evesham  •.  ..  3,487 

Grimsby       ..         ••     ••  3,064 

(xrinstead  ••  ..  3,153 

Guildford  ••  ••  3,161 

Hclston       2,671 

Honiton  ..  ..  3,296 

Huntingdon  ..       ..  2,806 

Hytbe 2,181 

Launceston 2,183 

Jjeominstcr  •.         ••  3,651 

Liskeard         2,423 

Lyme  Regis         •  •         . .  2,269 

Lymington 3,164 

Maldon  ..  ..  3,198 

Marlborough         ••       ..  3,038 

Marlow  ..  ..  2,532 

Morpeth  ..       '     ..  3,415 

Northallerton        ..      ..  2,626 

Penryn  ..  ..  2,933 

Richmond  . .  *       •  •  3,546 

Rye     ..         ..       ..      ..  3,599 

St.«Germain's    ••  ••  2,404 

St.  Ives         3,526 

Sandwich  ..  ..  2,912 

Sudbury     ..         .."      ..  3,950 

Shaftesbury       ..  ..  2,993 

Tamworth  ••       «•  3,574 

Thetford  ..  ..  2,922 

ThirsTc         ..        ..       ..  2,533 

Totness  ..  ..  3,128 

Truro     ' 2,712 

Wallihgford    ....     . .        2,093 

Westbury  ..  ..  2,117 

Wilton 2,058 

Wycombe       ••  ••       2,864 


loj 


ANNUAL   REGISTER,  1831. 


member  each.*  This  restored 
thirty-four  members.  Next  were 
selected  twenty-seveD  of  the  largest 
countieSyt  includiDg  Yorkshire, 
each  of  which  was.  Id  future»  to 
return  four  members  instead  of 
two>  with  this  exception  that 
Yorkshire,  already  possessing  four, 
was  now  to  return  an  additional 
member  for  each  riding.  The 
representation  of  London  likewise 
was  to  be  more  than  doubled.  The 
Tower  Hamlets,  containing  a  po- 
pulation of  28,000  inhabitants, 
were  to  return  two  members;  the 
district  of  Holborn  (218,000)  two 
members;  Finsbury  and  its  dis- 
trict   (162,000)    two    members; 


Lambeth,  and  the  places  beyond 
the  river,  ( 1 28,000)  two  members ; 
and  the  parish  of  Marylebone,  two 
members. 

The  most  important  part  of  the 
ministerial  new  constituticm  still 
remained  behind.  The  cities,  bo- 
roughs, and  counties  which  were 
to  send  members,  and  the  number 
of  members  to  be  elected,  being 
thus  ascertained,  the  existing  right 
of  franchise  in  ail  of  them  was  to 
be  altered,  and  a  new  franchise 
introduced,  extending  .  equally  to 
those  which  remained  untouclied, 
with  the  declared  purpose  of  in- 
creasing the  number  of  electors, 
and  having  but  one  uniform  right 


•  Population  of  the  proposed 

new  Boroughs : 

Population 

No.  of  HocuM 

of  lOl,  Bout 

And  upw&Tds. 

To  send  (wo  Members* 
Manchester  and  Salford 

133,788 

4.288 

Birminghom  and  Aston 

104»60£ 

4,561 

Leeds         ..            ••            ••            •• 

86,746 

3,492 

Greenwich,  Deptfofd,  and  Woolwich 

56^93 

4.177 

Wolverhampton,  Bilston,  and  Sedgeley     . . 

66,036 

1,052 

Sheffield             . .             .  •              •  • 

62,105 

1,556 

Sunderland  and  the  Wearmouths 

33,911 

1,153 

To  send  one  Member^ 

Isle  of  Wight 

31,616 

Brighton              ..              ••               •• 

24,429 

2,763 

Blackburn 

21,940 

410 

Macclesfield 

17,745 

659 

South  Shields  and  Westoe            •• 

14.000 

Warrington                .  • 

10,000 

494 

Huddersfield 

20,000 

427 

Halifax            •  •             •  • 

^^ 

12,628 

461 

Gateshead 

11,767 

Whitehaven,  Workington,  and  Harrington 

16,000 

468 

Kendal           •  •               . .               • . 

8,000 

Bolton                •  •                 • .               .  • 

22,037 

766 

Stockport        .  • 

10,100 

546 

Dudley 

18,211 

437 

Tynemouth  and  North  Shields            •« 

11,000 

Cheltenham              ..                ••              •• 

13,396" 

1,939 

Bradford        ••               ••               •• 

12,411 

444 

Frome               ••               ,.               . . 

12,411' 

256 

Wakefield              ;.               .,               .. 

10,764 

657 

Kidderminster                .. 

10,709 

262 

JNbie  i-'-^QSi  of  the  foiegoSng  enumerated  towns  had  increased 
fottftb  to  oiie«hftift  in  popuUtiOD|  9iQC«  182U 


Iromone* 


flISTORY  OF  EUROPE.. 


[11 


-af  clectioo  tbrotighont  tlie  empire. 
That  right  was  to  be  as  follows : 
the  elective  franchise  was  to  be 
extended  to  all  persons  paying  a 
rest  of  lot  per  annum,  wnether 
tliej  occupied  the  premises  or  not. 
Eusting  reddest  electora  were  not 
to  be  deprired  of  their  right,  dur- 
ing their  life-time,  but  do  non- 
nndent  elector  was  to  be  allowed 
to  retain  hie  fiiwchise.  Copy- 
holders wtiose  property  was  of  the 
Tearlj' value  of  lOA,  audallhouse- 
Bolders  to  an  equal  amount,  were 
to  be  electora  for  counties.  All 
Jiolders  of  leases  for  twenty-one 
yean,  which  had  not  been  renewed 
within  two  years,  were  to  have  the 
{trivilege  of  voting  in  towns  ;  and 
all  leaseholders  for  twenty  yeare, 
9f  pn^ierty  worth  50/.  per  annum. 


were  to  vote  for  counties.  In  tlie 
towns  to  be  named  to  send  niem- 
here  to  parliament,  the  property 
which  entitled  a  man  to  vote  for 
the  town,  was  not  likewise  to  en- 
title him  to  vote  for  the  county  ; 
so  that  where  the  towns  had 
renresen  tat  Ires  chosen  by  them- 
selvea,  they  would  not  interfere 
with  the  county  representatives, 
and  the  two  classes  of  voters  would 
be  kept  as  distinct  as  possible.  No 
alteration  was  to  be  made  in  regard 
to  the  forty-^shilling  freeholders. 

Thenew  constituency  being  thus 
formed,  the  remaining  part  of  the 
ministerial  plan  regarded  the  ac- 
tual election.  All  electors  were 
to  be  registered.  The  church- 
wardens and  overseers  of  each 
pariah  were  to  make  a  return,  at 


t  Population  or  the  Countiet  wbich  i 

Conilia. 

Popul.ltoB. 

No.dlAi^™. 

No.DfHan™ 
ol  101.  HoiX 
and  gpl.a.d=. 

CbaFhire         

Coinivoll             

Derbyshire        

SevooabirB            

DnrbftiQ         

Eaaex         

<;iouceeter!diiie            

Kent 

Norfolk 

Shropf^ire          

Somersetshire            

StaSbrdBhire 

HoBblk        

Sussex 

M'ftmrickshire 

Wiltshire            

Yorlahlre 

270.093 
257,447 
156,194 
213333 
439.040 
307,473 
SeiS,424 
335.843 
3S3,i9S 
134,014 

I,0fi2,8fi8 
174^71 
283,058 
344,349 
J98.96S 
1SS,4S3 
W6,S73 
204,lfi3 
355,314 
341,040 
BJ0,543 
396,658 
333,019 
274.392 
233,167 
184,434 

1.173,167 

673,230 
B45.92U 
958.680 
eS6.640 

1,650,560 
678.040 
SB  1,480 
803.840 

1,819,000 
983,630 

1,171,848 
514.660 

1. 756.720 

l,333,8t«) 

1.197,440 
650,680 
636.680 
BSe,240 

1,050.830 
734,730 
967,680 
485,120 
936,320 
577,980 
889,660 
466.500 

3,816,040 

4.784 
2,fi52 
9.400 
8,287 
13.397 
4,2W 
6,264 
9,080 
6,Mi 
16,129 
38,406 
3,3S7 
4,026 
6,333 

6,140 
9,237 

3,i97 
3,403 

16,569 
6.110 
3,586 

33,866 

S.37Z 
3.6S3 
4373 

ao.iBo 

12]         ANNUAL   REGISTER,  1831: 


a  certain  period  of  every  year,  of 
•all  persons  occupying  houses  of 
10/.  a  year.  An  officer  still  to  be 
appointed  was  to  hear  and  decide 
upon  all  objections  to  the  return 
so  made.  The  return  itself  was 
then  to  be  made  public  every  year 
on  the  1st  of  December  ;  and  every 
person  whose  name  appeared  in  it 
was  to  be  entitled  to  vote,  without 
being  asked  any  other  question 
than  what  was  necessary  to  ascer- 
tain his  identity.  In  counties,  the 
list  was  to  be  affixed  to  the  doors 
of  every  parish  church  -,  in  all 
cases  of  dispute^  a  barrister  was 
to  be  appointed  by  the  Judge  of 
Assize  to  examine  into  the  ques- 
tion, whose  judgment  should  be 
final ;  and  the  list^  signed  by  such 
barrister,  was  to  be  sufficient  evi- 
dence of  the  party  applying  being 
entitled  to  vote.  Lastly,  in  order 
to  diminish  the  expense  of  elections^ 
the  duration  of  tne  poll  was  to  be 
diminished^  and  the  poll  was  to  be 
taken  simultaneously  in  different 
places.  In  towns>  the  poll  was  to 
be  limited  to  two  days,  or,  if  ne- 
cessary, to  four.  In  counties,  the 
poll  was  to  be  taken  simultaneously 
in  different  hundreds,  and  even  at 
different  places  in  the  same  hundred. 
In  this  way  it  was  expected,  that 
a  county  might  be  polled  in  one 
day;  but  if  any  dispute  should 
arise  regarding  votes,  power  was 
to  be  given  to  adjourn  the  decision 
till  next  day.  The  arrangements 
were  to  be  such  as  that  no  voter 
should  have  more  than  fifteen 
miles  to  travel ;  and  the  counties, 
which  were  to  receive  addition^ 
members,  were  to  be  divided  into 
two  districts.  These  arrangements 
were  to  be  made  by  a  committee 
of  the  privy  council,  named  by  his 
majesty;  and  whenever  the  number 
of  lO/t  voters  in  any  boroughs, 
retainiDg  its  francbise,  should  be 


below  300,  the  same  committee 
was  to  have  power  to  bring  up  the 
number  to  that  point  by  including 
the  adjoining  parishes  and  chapel- 
ries.  His  lordship  admitted  that 
these  were  vast  and  extensive 
powers ;  but  ministers  had  felt, 
that  the  only  guarantee,  which 
could  be  proposed  for  the  due  per- 
formance of  the  important  auty 
that  would  devolve  on  these  com- 
missioners, must  be  sought  for  in 
the  known  resiiectability  and  in- 
tegrity of  the  persons  to  whom  it 
should  be  confided. 

This  was  the  general  outline 
of  the  reform  bill,  in  so  far  as 
England  was  concerned.  In  Wales 
the  only  alteration,  besides  intro- 
ducing there  the  same  uniform 
franchise  about  to  be  created  in 
England,  was  to  consist  in  adding 
to  the  towns  in  Wales  which  al- 
ready sent  members  to  parliament 
the  neighbouring  unrepresented 
towns  ;  for  instance,  Holyhead  to 
Beaumaris ;  Bangor  to  Carnarvon  ; 
Wrexham  to  Denbigh;  Holywell 
and  Mold  to  Flint ;  Llandaff  and 
Merthyr  Tydvil  to  Cardiff;  Welch- 
pool,  LlanviUing,  apd  three  other 
places  which  returned  members  of 
parliament  formerly,  but  which 
had  been  disfranchised  by  a  deci- 
sion of  the  House  of  Commons^  to 
Montgomery ;  St.  David's,  Fish- 
guard, and  Newport  to  Haverford- 
west; Milford  to  Pembroke ;  Pres- 
teign  to^Radnor,'  A  new  district 
of  boroughs  was  to  be  erected,  con- 
sisting of  Swansea,  Cowbridge, 
Laugharn  and  three  other  places, 
which  should  have  the  privilege  of 
returning  one  member  to  parlia- 
ment— the  only  additional  member 
which  it  was  proposed  to  add  to 
the  representation  of  Wales, 

His  lordship  next  gave  a  general 
outline  of  the  changes  to  be  intro- 
duced into  the  represeDtatioa  of 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[13 


Scotland  and  Ireland.  In  the 
former^  the  existing  county  fran- 
chise^ which  depended^  not  on  the 
possession  of  land^  but  on  a  mere 
feudal  right  of  superiority  over 
lands  belonging  to  others^  was  to 
be  annihilated  5  the  election  of 
members  for  boroughs  was  to  be 
taken  from  the  town-councils^  and 
vested  in  the  citizens  at  large; 
and  both  in  counties  and  in  bo- 
roughs^ the  new  English  franchise 
was  to  be  introduced.  Every  re- 
sident owner  of  lands  or  houses 
worth  10/.  yearly,  and  every  te- 
nant^ under  a  written  lease  for  nine- 
teen years  or  upwards,  paying  50/. 
a  year,  was  to  have  a  vote  in  county 
elections.  In  towns  the  franchise 
was  to  attach  to  the  occupancy  of 
a  dwelling-house  rented  at  10/. 
per  annum .  To  some  of  the  larger 
towns,  which  hitherto  had  elected 
only  in  conjunction  with  others, 
as  Glasgow  and  Aberdeen,  or 
which,  not  being  royal  boroughs, 
had  enjoyed  no  share  in  the  repre- 
sentation, as  Paisley  and  Greenock, 
separate  or  new  members  were 
conferred,  while  the  Fife  district 
of  Burghs  was  annihilated,  and 
thrown  into  the  county,  and  some 
counties  were  conjoined.  The  de- 
tail of  these  arrangements  belongs 
more  properly  to  the  history  of 
the  Scottish  bill :  the  result  of 
them  was,  that  Scotland  was  to 
have  fifty  members  instead  of  forty- 
five.  In  Ireland  the  principal  al- 
terations were  to  be,  the  introduc- 
tion of  the  10/.  qualification,  and 
that,  in  towns,  the  franchise  should 
be  taken  out  of  the  hands  of  the 
corporations, and  given  to  all  quali- 
fied resident  citizens.  Belfast  was 
to  return  one  member,  and  Limer- 
ick, and  Waterford  two  each,  thus 
making  an  addition  of  three  mem- 
bers to  the  representation  of  Ireland* 


The  general  result  of  the  whole 
measure,  his  lordship  said,  would 
be  to  create  a  new  constituency  of 
about  500,000  persons.  The  in- 
crease for  the  towns  already  repre« 
sented  would  be  about  110,000; 
for  the  new  towns,  50,000 ;  for 
London  95,000;  for  Scotland 
60,000 ;  and  for  Ireland,  perhaps, 
40,000.  In  counties  100,000^  at« 
least,  would  be  entitled  to  vote 
under  this  bill,  who  never  had  the 
advantage  of  voting  before;  and, 
upon  the  whole,  the  constituency 
of  the  Commons'  House  of  Parlia- 
ment would  certainly  be  increased 
by  half  a  million  of  persons,  and 
half  a  million  of  persons,  be  it  ob^ 
served,  connected  with  the  pro- 
perty of  the  country,  persons  hav- 
ing themselves  a  valuable  stake  in 
the  country,  and  upon  whom  it 
would  depend  in  any  future  strug- 
gle which  this  country  might 
have  to  sustain,  to  support  par- 
liament, and  to  support  the 
throne  in  carrying  that  struggle 
to  a  successful  termination.  The 
probability  of  the  possession  of  this 
franchise  would  be  an  inducement 
to  good  conduct.  When  a  man 
found,  that  by  being  rated  to  a  cer- 
tain rent,  and  by  paying  rates,  he 
became  entitled  to  a  vote  in  the 
election  of  a  member  of  that  House, 
it  would  be  an  inducement  to  him 
to  be  careful,  frugal,  and  punctual 
in  his  dealings — to  preserve  his 
character  amongst  his  neighbours, 
and  the  place  which  he  might  hold 
in  society.  To  add  this  large 
constituency  provided  for  the  po- 
litical and  moral  improvement  of 
the  people. 

It  was  true  that  the  necessary 
result  of  the  arrangements  which 
he  had  detailed  was  to  diminish 
the  total  number  of  members  in 
the  House,  but  that  was  not  a  re* 


U]       ANNUAL   R  E  O I S  T  E  R,  1831. 


suit  i^bicb  ministers  considered  as 
a  disadvantage.  The  present  num^ 
ber  of  members  was  6h  S.  Of  tbese 
1 68  were  to  be  struck  out  by  dis- 
franchisement, while  there  would 
be  added^  thirty-four  for  English 
towns  and  fifty-fire  fbr  counties, 
eight  for  London^  one  for  Wales^ 
five  for  Scotland,  three  for  Ireland^ 
in  all  106>  leaving  an  absolute 
diminution  of  sixty-two^  which 
diminution  was  inflicted  exclusive* 
ly  upon  Engknd.  Lord  John 
Russell,  however,  stated  the  opi- 
nion of  ministers  to  be,  that  this 
reduction  in  the  number  of  mem- 
bers would  only  enable  the  House 
to  transact  the  public  business 
more  efi^ctually  and  conveniently. 
This  being  what  the  new  bill  in- 
tended to  do,  his  lordship  adverted 
to  two  charges  which  might  be 
brought  against  it  on  account  of  what 
it  did  not  do.  In  the  first  place  it 
contained  no  provision  for  shorten- 
ing the  duration  of  parliaments. 
That  question  had  been  anxiously 
considered  by  ministers,  and  they 
had  thought  it  better  to  leave  it 
entire  as  a  separate  question,  than 
to  bring  it  m  at  the  end  of  a 
bill  which  afiected  the  franchise, 
and  other  matters  totally  separate 
from  that  question,  without  saying 
what  was  the  opinion  of  ministers 
upon  that  question — a  question  of 
itself  of  the  utmost  importance, 
and  deserving  the  utmost  consider- 
ation. It  was  thought  better  to 
present  the  large  measure  of  reform 
by  itself,  and  leave  the  other  mea- 
sure as  to  the  duration  of  parlia- 
ments, either  to  be  brought  in  by 
some  other  member,  or  to  be 
brought  in  at  a  future  time  by 
ministers  for  future  consideration. 
"For  my  own  nart,  I  can  only  say 
that  though  I  think  it  most  desira- 
ble that  constituents  should  have  a 


proper  control  over  their  represent* 
atives,  I  yet  think  that  it  would 
be  inexpedient  to  make  the  dura- 
tion of  parliaments  so  short  that 
members  of  this  house  should  be  in 
a  state  of  perpetual  canvass  with 
the  opinions  of  their  constituents, 
and  therefore  unable  to  advise,  de- 
liberate, and  decide  upon  any  great 
question  which  might  be  brought 
before  them  with  that  freedom 
which  should  prevail  in  the  legis- 
lature of  a  great  empire,  with  tnat 
confidence  which  a  generous  people 
of  a  great  country  ought  to  grant, 
when  that  question  is  brought  for* 
ward.  The  government  has  no 
measure  of  the  kind  to  propose,  sa- 
tisfied, that  if  they  can  provide  for 
the  constituents  tne  means  of  elec- 
ting their  own  representatives,  it 
would  be  better  not  to  narrow 
that  question  by  another  which  has 
its  own  doubts,  difiSiculties,  and 
obstacles  to  contend  with,"  The 
other  obiection  would  be,  that  the 
proposed  bill  made  no  provision 
for  voting  by  ballot,  an  expedient 
which  of  late  had  obtained  many 
advocates,  and  much  general  sup- 
port. It  no  doubt  had  much  to 
recommend  it ;  but  he  hoped  the 
House  would  pause  before  ven- 
turing on  its  adoption.  While,  on 
the  one  hand,  it  favoured  the  con- 
scientious voter,  it  furnished,  on 
the  other,  a  corer  to  fraud  and 
crime;  it  exposed  a  man  to  the 
influence  of  bad  passions ;  it  pre- 
vented bad  influence  over  the  good^ 
but  it  likewise  prevented  good  in- 
fluence over  the  bad.  He  also 
thought  it  very  doubtful  whether 
the  people  of  this  country,  who 
had  always  been  accustomed  to 
vote  openly,  and  to  state  their 
opinions  in  the  face  of  day,  would 
ever  resort  to  concealment  in  the 
exercise    of    a    most    important 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE,  [III 

privilege^  At  all  events  he  thought  arisen  fi'om  the  examples  of  France 

it  doubtful  whether  there  ought  and  Belgium.  It  was  all  to  be  found 

to  be  in  the  community  any  class  in  the  three  days  of  Paris,  and  the 

of   persons    wholly  irresponsible,  events  which  had  followed  those 

and   that    the    ballot  did   create  three  days.     When  there  was  any 

an   irresponsible  power^   no  man  excitement  of  insurrection  in  other 

could  doubt.     He  did  not  think  it  countries^  it  had  been  found  to  be 

would  counteract  the  influence  of  an  epidemic  disease ;  as  such^  it  was 

different  classes  of  society^  the  in-  brought  to  this  country  also ;  and 

fluence  of  the  ci^own^  or  the  influ-  simultaneous  popular  tumults  were 

ence  of  the  aristocracy ;  but  even  produced.   It  had  been  so  in  1 793, 

if  it  did,  he  would  not  like  to  see  and  the  French  legislators  of  that 

irresponsible  power  confided  to  the  day  reckoned  upon  the  efficacy  of 

hands  of  any  one  man,  or  of  any  the  conta^on.     As  to  the  measure 

body  of  men.     The  formal  motion  itself^  he  aenied  that  it  was  in  any 

with  which  his  lordship  concluded  one  ppint^  what  ministers  wished 

was,  for  leave  to  bring  in  a  bill  to  it  to  be  considered,  via.,  a  restora- 

amend  the  Representation  of  the  tlon   of   the   Constitution    to  its 

people  in  England  and  Wales.  pristine  purity,   which   had   been 

This  motion  introduced  a  debate  obscured  and  polluted  by  successive 

which  lasted  for  seven  nights^  hav*  accumulations  of  abuses.  The  very 

ing  begun  on  Tuesday  the  1st  of  foundation  of  it,  that  representa* 

March^  and  terminated  on  Wed*  tion    should    depend    merely    on 

nesday  the  9th.     In  the  course  of  population  and  taxation,  had  at  no 

it  between    seventy    and    eighty  time  been  a  principle  of  the  Eng^ 

members  delivered  their  opinions,  lish  constitution.     Our  sovereigns 

The  debate  would,  of  itself,  form  a  first  called  parliaments  together, 

volume;    but,    as   it    terminated  because   they    wanted    men    and 

without   a    division,   and  as  the  money,  and  their  appeal  was  made 

subsequent  fate  of  the  bill  occa-  to  the  liberi  homines*    The  next 

sioned  the  renewal  of  the  whole  thing  that  took    place    was   the 

discussion,   we  shall  confine  our-  calling  on  the  '*  communities "  to 

selves  to  such  an  outline  as  may  assist  at  these  Parliaments  3  but  in 

give  some  idea  of  the  sentiments  this  case  each  community  had  but 

called  forth  by  this  the  first  an«  one   vote;    so  that  even    if  two 

nouncement  of  a  new  paper  Consti-  members  were  returned,  they  had 

tution  for  the  United  Kingdom.  but  one  vote  between  them.     At 

Sir  Robert  H.  Inglis,  member  that  time  the  county  of  Cornwall 
for  the  University  of  Oxford,  who  had  but  eight  members.  If  it 
followed  Lord  John  Russell,  ad-  could  be  shown  that  places  were 
mitted  that  there  was  excitement  called  on  to  return  members  which 
and  expectation  among  the  people,  were  neither  parishes  nor  market 
but  neither  to  the  extent  which  his  towns,  it  would  be  admitted  that 
lordship  seemed  to  suppose,  nor  to  those  places  could  not  be  very  con- 
any  extent  greater  than  at  former  siderable.  Now,  there  were  Hasle* 
periods,  when  the  firmness  of  the  mere.  West  Looe,  and  others, 
government,  opposing  instead  of  fo-  which  had  never  been  one  or  the 
menting,  had  been  able  to  repress  other,  and  yet  they  had  been  called 
it,  and  the  country  had  seen  it  pass  on  to  send  representatives  to  Far- 
away.   The  present  excitation  had  liament.      How  could  it  be  con- 


16]        ANNUAL   REGISTER,  1831. 


tended  that  population  or  taxation 
was  the  basis  on  which  the  prin* 
ciple  of  representation  had  been 
grounded^  when  not  only  small 
towns  had  been  called  on  to  send 
representatiFes^  but  large  towns  had 
been  left  unrepresented  ?  He  de- 
fied the  noble  Lord  to  show  in  the 
former  precedents  of  England^  a 
trace  of  what  he  had  that  night  laid 
down— that  any  town  or  borough 
had  been  called  into  parliamentary 
existence  because  it  was  large  and 
populous^  or  excluded  from  it^  be* 
cause  it  was  small.  Old  Sarum^ 
had  always  been  the  great  stum-^ 
bling  block  with  those  who  pursued 
the  same  line  of  argument.  In 
one  and  the  same  year — the  23rd 
of  Edward  I. — a  writ  had  been 
issued  to  both  Old  and  New  Sarum^ 
and  in  neither  case  had  it  been  con- 
ferred with  reference  to  population 
or  taxation.  On  the  contrary, 
it  had  been  given,  in  the  first  in* 
stance,  to  oblige  some  Earl  of 
Salisbury^  by  putting  his  friends  in 
the  house.  And  in  an  account  of 
the  borough  it  was  stated  that  it 
had  lately  been  purchased  by  Mr. 
Pitt,  the  possessor  of  the  celebrated 
diamond  of  that  name,  who  had 
thus  obtained  an  hereditary  seat  in 
the  House  of  Commons,  as  much 
as  the  Earl  of  Arundel  possessed 
one  in  the  House  of  Peers  by  being 
the  owner  of  Arundel  Castle.  How, 
then,  was  it  to  be  said,  that  ac- 
cording to  the  constitution  of  the 
country,  noblemen  were  not  to  be 
represented  and  their  interests  re* 
garded  in  that  house?  The  cause  of 
the  creation  of  many  boroughs  was 
obscure ;  but,  on  the  other  hand, 
the  origin  of  some  was  as  clear 
and  as  well  ascertained  as  possible. 
It  was  known  that  two  writs  to  re- 
turn members  had  been  issued  by 
Elizabeth  at  the  desire  of  one  of 
her   favourites,    Sir    Christopher 


Hatton  ;  and  Newport,  in  the  Isle 
of  Wight,  had  received  its  franchise 
to  please  Sir  G.  Carew.    This  was 
the  history  of  many  of  the  small 
boroughs;   and,   in   fact,  all   the 
Cornish    boroughs     had    sprung 
up     in     that     manner,     rifteen 
Cornish  boroughs  had  at  one  time 
received  the  right  of  representa- 
tion,  some  of   which   were    only 
small  villages,  and  none  of  them 
entitled  to  rank  as  considerable 
among  the  towns  of  England.     It 
was  in  vain  after  this  to  talk  of  the 
purity  of  representation  in  former 
times :  nay,  many  of  the  towns,  to 
which  it  was  now  proposed  to  give 
members,  were  considerable  places 
at  the  period  when  the  right  of 
representation  was  given  to  other 
places,    and  yet  they  had    been 
omitted.     Halifax,  three  hundred 
years  ago,  was  known  to  contain  a 
population   of  8,400 ;    Wakefield 
was  a  very  considerable  town  at  the 
same  time ;  Manchester,  according 
to  tradition,   had   not  less    than 
5,400  inhabitants  for  nearly  two 
centuries  before  1580,  and,  at  all 
events   it  was   certain,    that,    at 
the  latter  period,  it  possessed  that 
amount  of  population.     Since  the 
dates  at  which  Halifax  and  Man« 
Chester  possessed  that  population^ 
fifty-one  boroughs,  in  the  former 
case,  and  fourteen  in  the  latter,  had 
received  writs  to  send  members  to 
parliament,  while  these  two  places, 
had  been   overlooked.     He  must 
confess  he  did  not  know  how  much 
Manchester  had  lost  by  not  having, 
every  five  or  six  years,  such  election 
scenes  as  had  lately  taken  place  at 
Liverpool.     Both  places  enjoyed  a 
high  degree  of  prosperity ;  Liver- 
pool   was    prosperous    with    two 
representatives;    Manchester  was 
prosperous  without  any;   and  he 
had  never  heard,  that  any  of  the 
commercial  interests  of  the  latter 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[17 


had  suffered  from  the  want  of 
hanng  advocates  in  that  house  who 
were  able  and  willing  to  maintain 
its  rights. 

Or  was  this  pretended  renova- 
tion of  the  constitution  to  be 
found  in  restoring  the  Commons 
house  to  some  former  independence 
of  the  crown  which  it  had  lost  by 
the  lapse  of  time  ?  It  was  easy  to 
show  that  it  had  been  at  all  times 
much  more  dependent  upon  the 
crown  and  the  aristocracy  than  at 
present.  Was  the  influence  exer- 
cised over  the  house  now  greater 
than  in  the  reign  of  James  II.  ? 
Would  the  house  now  submit  to 
be  treated  as  it  would  have  been 
treated  by  Henry  VIIL?  What 
was  the  state  of  things  when  the 
Queen's  Majesty  directed  the 
sheriffs  to  return  to  parliament 
such  men  only  as  were  of  a  par- 
ticular faith  in  matters  of  religion^ 
and  of  known  compliance  in  matters 
of  politics?  In  the  reign  of  Ed- 
ward VI.,  the  sherifl^s  were  di- 
rected to  select  only  such  members 
as  had  been  previously  recommend- 
ed by  the  privy  council.  Or  would 
they  refer  to  the  reign  of  Henry 
IV.,  or  the  time  of  Richard  II., 
when  a  member  of  parliament  was 
threatened  to  be  executed  for 
merely  making  a  motion  on  the 
civil  list?  Time  was,  when  the 
Duchess  of  Norfolk  determined 
not  only  who  should  sit  for  the 
county  of  Norfolk,  but  likewise 
who  should  represent  Maldon ; 
when  Lord  Essex  could  return  his 
kinsman  for  the  county  of  Stafford, 
and  his  servant  for  the  borough  of 
Tamworth.  What  period,  in  short, 
would  ministers  select  as  the 
period  of  that  greater  independence 
than  now  existed,  to  which  their 
new  constitution  was  to  restore  the 
House  of  Commons  ? 

The  influence  exercised  by  means 

VOL.  LXXIIL 


of  small  boroughs,  while  it  was  not 
new,  had  to  the  people  been  any 
thing  but  prejudicial.    Had  it  not 
been  for  these  boroughs,  many  of 
those  who  had  been  the  boast  of 
the  country,  and  the  chief  orna« 
ments  of  that  house,  would  never 
have  appeared   within  its    walls. 
The  first  borough  for  which  Lord 
Chatham  sat,  had  been  Old  Sarum. 
Mr.  Pitt  had  sat  for  Appleby :  Mr. 
Fox  had  come  in  for  a  close  borough, 
and,  when  rejected  by  a  populous 
place,  had  again  sought  refuge  in 
a  close  borough.     Mr  Burke  had 
first  sat  for  Wendover,  and,  when 
his  talents  had  been  made  known, 
was   transferred   in   his  glory  to 
Bristol.      Mr.  Canning,  too,  had 
fixed  his  fame  as  a  member   for 
Wendover,  before  he  was  called  for 
and  accepted  at  Liverpool.   It  was 
only   thus  that  young  men,   not 
connected   with  large    towns    by 
birth  or  residence,  could  ever  hope 
to  enter  that  house,  unless  they 
were   cursed  with  that  talent  of 
mob  oratory,  which  was  used  for 
the  purpose  of  inflaming  the  lowest 
and  most  debasing  passions  of  the 
people. 

In  truth,  the  whole  essence  of 
the  scheme  was,  not  reform,  in  any 
common  and  sensible  meaning  of 
the  word — it  was  revolution.  It 
forgot  the  immense  power  which 
public  opinion  had  been  gaining  by 
the  press ;  it  forgot  that  the  peo- 
ple were  daily  becoming  more  in-  . 
telligent,  and  the  sympathy  be- 
tween them  and  their  represent- 
atives greater,  and  that  all  public 
men  were  infinitely  more  under  the 
control  of  public  opinion  than  at 
any  former  period.  He  believed 
that  in  the  history  of  civilised 
man,  there  was  not  to  be  found 
any  system  of  representation  so 
completely  popular  as  that  now 
proposed^  co-existing  with  a  free 


18]        ANNUAL   REGISTER,  1831. 


press  OD  the  one  hand^  and  a  mo- 
narchy, on  the  other  ;— there  was 
no  instance  upon  record  of  a  free 
press  being  placed  in  juxta-posi- 
tion  with  a  monarchy  and  a  system 
of  representation  sucn  as  that  which 
the  noble  Lord  had  just  explained. 
Before  ten  years  passed  away^  all 
the  institutions    of   the    country 
would  sink  under  the  effects  of  the 
present  measure.    An  attempt  at 
such  an  experiment  as  this  had 
been  made  by  the  National  Assem- 
bly in  France.     Something  of  the 
sort  had  been  attempted  in  Switzer. 
land  also^  and  a  similar  trial  was 
now  being  made  in  France.     In 
France  it  was  too  obvious  to  escape 
observation^  that   the  attempt  to 
produce  a  purely  popular  represen- 
tation had  interrupted  that  country 
in   the   fairest   course  of  liberty^ 
arts^  domestic  trade,  and  foreign 
commerce,  to  which  she  had  ever 
attained :  and  he  entertained  not 
the  slightest  doubt  that  were  the 
calamity  proposed  by  the  noble  lord 
to  be  inflicted  on  this  land,  a  similar 
result   would  ensue.     When   the 
noble  Lord, from  whose  government 
the    present  measure    proceeded, 
forty  years  ago  made  a  proposition 
in  that  house  for  a  much  more 
moderate  reform^  he  did  not  conceal 
that  that  very  moderate  reform  in- 
volved a  fundamental  change  in  the 
government  of  the  country.  What, 
then,  was  he  not  bound  to  admit 
with  respect  to  a  reform,  which 
went,  at  a  blow,  to  sweep  away 
one- third  of  the  House  of  Com- 
mons?     Were  it  agreed  to,  the 
House  of  Lords,  before  ten  years, 
would  have  but  a  nominal  exis* 
tence.      If  the  representation   of 
the  people  was  complete  and  per- ' 
feet  in   all   parts,   nothing  could 
withstand  its  power  and  authority. 
An   unreformed  House  of  Lords 
would  not  for  a  moment  be  toler- 


ated by  a  reformed  House  of  Com« 
mons.  Mr.  Canning  more  than  once 
had  expressed  his  fiill  conviction 
that  the  House  of  Lords  could  not 
continue  as  at  present  constituted, 
if  the  measure  of  reform  were  once 
carried  with  reference  to  the  House 
of  Commons;  and  yet  the  ministry, 
which  proposed  the  present  mea- 
sure, contained  the  men  who  had 
been  called,  and  had  held  them* 
selves  out  as  being  Mr.  Canning's 
chosen  disciples  and  peculiar 
friends. 

Mr.  Horace  Twiss,  too,-  main- 
tained, that  the  proposed  measure 
went  to  nothing  less  than  to  re- 
move from  the  House  of  Commons 
every  alloy  of  monarchical  or  aris- 
tocratical  principle,  and  convert  it 
into  a  pure  and  resistless  demo- 
cracy, which  it  never  had  been, 
and  which,  consistently  with>  the 
British  constitution,  it  never  ought 
to  be.  The  most  radical  specula- 
tor that  ever  existed  could  scarcely 
have  expected  to  see  the  ministers 
of  the  crown  destroying  all  the 
proportions  of  the  legislature — re- 
moving all  the  landmarks  of  the 
constitution— calling  on  the  house 
to  sweep  away,  he  would  not  say 
the  charters  of  corporations,  but 
all  the  charters  of  the  realm  itself. 
They  had,  to  be  sure,  one  prece- 
dent for  their  conduct — that  of 
James  IL;  who  by  the  assistance 
of  unprincipled  judges,  had  des- 
troyed the  charters  of  the  boroughs. 
But  this  grossly  illegal  and  un* 
constitutional  conduct  cost  him 
his  throne; — and  what  was  done 
at  the  revolution?  Those  who 
effected  it  again  placed  the  boroughs 
and  corporations  on  their  proper 
footing;  and  the  declaration  sent  out 
by  King  William,  even  before  his 
landing  in  this  country,  after  re* 
probating  the  illegal  acts  of  James, 
declared,  ''that  all  the  boroughs  of 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[19 


r 


Engltnd  sliall  return  again  to 
their  ancient  prescriptions  and 
dbarters  ;'*  —  and  the  convention 
parliament  which,  at  the  ReFolu-* 
tion,  settled  the  country^  never 
dresuned,  that  part  of  their  labours^ 
as  restorers  of  its  liberties^  ought 
to  consist  in  destroying  charters, 
and  remodelling  the  representative 
^rstem.  Yet  the  first  parliament 
of  William  IV.  was  now  to  declare, 
that  the  first  parliament  of  William 
III.,  instead  of  re-establishing  our 
free  constitution,  had  ratified  its 
destruction. 

The  new  constitution  rested  on 
some  supposed  necessity  for  in- 
creasing the  power  of  the  peo- 
ple; but  the  time  danger  to  be 
dreaded  in  our  mixed  government 
arose  from  the  influence  of  the  peo- 
ple, not  from  any  influence  of  the 
Crown,  or  of  the  aristocracy. 
Neither  would  this  increase  of  the 
power  of  the  people  be  eflected  in 
a  beneficial  manner.  There  were 
a  variety  of  interests  connected 
with  the  country  which  required 
to  be  represented,  and  were  now 
represented  by  means  of  the  bo- 
roughs that  were  to  be  disfran- 
chised— and  the  representation  of 
those  interests  would  be  annihi- 
lated. Neither  would  the  new 
constituency  be  one  which  this 
country  required.  He  had  no  ob- 
jection to  any  increase  of  the  re- 
presentation of  great  trading  in- 
terests, or  of  those  interests  which 
might  be  considered  necessary  to 
support  the  executive  in  times  of 
difficulty  or  danger,  but  he  could 
not  see  the  policy  of  calling  to  the 
aid  of  the  country,  in  such  times, 
the  wisdom  of  householders  paying 
10/.  of  rent.  The  measure  would 
let  in  no  great  interests :  it  would 

Cmote  the   influence    of  shop- 
pers   and  country    attornies ; 


the  leader  of  the  country  dub 
would  now  be  the  important  man 
in  his  district,  and  these  interests, 
however  respectable  in  their  way, 
were  not  the  interests  which  re- 
quired additional  representation. 
They  were  interests  which  would 
be  represented,  under  the  pro- 
posed change,  by  those  shallow,  but 
dogged  politicians,  with  whom  re- 
lief from  taxation  was  every  thing, 
and  public  credit  and  national 
faith  were  nothing— who  looked 
upon  rent  and  tithe  as  useless  in- 
cumbrances. And,  when  half 
the  constitution  had  thus  been 
suiTendered,  would  the  violent 
reformers  be  satisfied  ?  They 
themselves  had  avowed  that  they 
would  not;  and  that,  having  ob- 
tained so  much,  they  would,  at  a 
convenient  time,  demand  more. 
This  measure  might  create  a  sen- 
sation, and  excite  intrigue,  in  some 
parts  of  the  country,  to  take  ad- 
vantage of  the  new  power  which 
it  would  create ;  but,  for  the  pro- 
motion of  our  great  domestic  or 
foreign  interests,  it  would  do 
nothing,  or  worse  than  nothing. 
If  it  could  be  shewn  that  it 
would  relieve  the  distress  which 
existed,  or  that  its  refusal  would 
aggravate  the  evils  of  the  coun- 
try, the  argument  might  be  listened 
to.  But  ministers  themselves  knew 
well,  that  no  change  in  the  consti- 
tution would  afford  them  the  means 
of  retrenching  the  expenditure  of 
the  country  to  any  considerable 
extent ;  their  own  financial  mea- 
sures must  have  convinced  every 
one  that  such  relief  was  hopeless. 
Earl  Grey  himself  had  said,  in 
1819,  "that  he  did  not  believe 
that  reform  would  make  the  coun- 
try less  inclined  to  war,  which  was 
the  chief  cause  of  our  burdens.  A 
fondness  for  war  was  not  the  fault 

CC23 


20]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


of  an  oligarchical^  but  of  a  popu- 
lar government."  Another  au- 
thority on  the  same  point  wsls,  the 
conduct  of  the  people  of  France, 
who  planted  the  tri-coloured  flag 
in  the  summer  of  1 830,  and  were 
waring  it  for  war  in  the  spring  of 
1831.  If  this  were  the  true  state 
of  the  case,  he  trusted  that  hon. 
members  would  not  be  induced,  by 
the  excited  and  irritated  state  of 
the  public  mind,  to  yield  their  own 
well-considered  opinions  with  re- 
spect to  a  matter  of  so  much  im- 
portance. He  did  not  agree  with 
the  noble  lord  in  thinking,  that  the 
danger  which  he  had  so  obscurely 
glanced  at,  was  so  near  as  it  had 
been  pictured.  The  reformers, 
who  menaced  revolution  if  reform 
should  be  refused,  would  hardly 
think  the  proposed  measure  good 
enough  to  run  a  risk  for  it.  It 
was,  indeed,  nothing  but  a  mere 
evasion  of  their  claims.  But  there 
was  a  better  security  than  their 
moderation  for  the  preservation  of 
order.  The  widely-spread  indus- 
try of  the  country,  the  stored-up 
savings  even  of  the  lower  orders, 
the  whole  dividends  even  of  the 
public  stocks,  were  solid  grounds 
for  coniidence  in  the  security  of 
the  institutions  of  the  country. 
By  the  special  blessing  of  Provi- 
dence, the  burdens  of  the  coun- 
try formed  some  sort  of  security 
for  the  welfare  of  the  country. 
The  superincumbent  weight,  while 
it  pressed,  gave  stability.  There 
would  be  no  revolution  to  fear,  nor 
any  permanent  dissatisfaction  to 
dread.  But,  if  surrendering  the 
free  privileges  of  the  legislature, 
we  blindly  obeyed  the  will  of  the 
people  instead  of  consulting  their 
welfare — -if  we  decided  on  this  great 
question,  not  acco]*ding  to  experi- 
ence and  wisdom^  but  led  away  by 


the  cry  of  the  day — then  we  should , 
let  in  danger— then  we  should  let 
in  revolution,  of  which  the  noble 
lord  had  spoken,  by  teaching  the 
people  that  their  will  would  alone 
direct  the  course  of  the  legislature* 
Lord  Althorp,  the  chancellor  of 
the  Exchequer,  maintained,  on  the 
other  hana,  that  there  was  no 
symptom  or  appearance  of  agitation 
in  the  country;  but  there  was 
wide-spread  dissat]s£su;tion  with 
the  state  of  the  representation, 
and  a  loudly-expressed  desire  that 
it  should  be  reformed.  These 
opinions  were  universal  among 
the  great  body  of  the  middling 
classes ;  and,  if  the  middling 
classes  in  this  or  any  other  country 
were  hostile  to  the  form  of  go- 
vernment under  which  they  lived, 
that  government  would  never  be 
safe,  whatever  the  state  of  the  re« 
presentation  might  be.  These  classes 
possessed  a  degree  of  intelligence 
which  fully  qualified  them  to  re- 
turn members,  whose  honesty  and 
ability  would  be  useful  to  the  coun- 
try. They  prized  the  present  go- 
vernment, a  government  by  King, 
Lords,  and  Commons — but  not  with 
a  House  of  Commons  constituted 
partly  by  nomination,  and  partly 
by  the  purchase  of  seats.  They 
desired,  and  he  himself  was  one  of 
those  popular  theorists  who  thought 
them  right  in  desiring,  that  the 
popular  branch  of  the  legislature 
should  be  a  real  and  genuine  re- 
presentation of  the  people.  Go- 
vernment, therefore,  had  pledged 
themselves  to  bring  forward  a  full 
and  efficient  reform,  and  that  pledge 
tliey  had  endeavoured  to  redeem, 
by  annihilating  the  nomination 
boroughs,  and  diminishing  the 
temptation  to  corruption,  by  plac- 
ing the  franchise  in  the  hands  of 
the  middle  classes.    The  nomin- 


mSTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[21 


ation  boroughs  mighty  no  doubts 
be  occasionally  useful,  by  introduc- 
ing distinguished  men  into  parlia- 
ment^  though  it  did  not  follow  that 
they  would  not  have  got  in  some 
other  w^y ;  but  any  advantage  of 
tbis  nature  was  more  than  coun- 
terbalanced by  tbeir  putting  it  in 
tbe  power  of  persons  of  large  pro- 
perty to  dictate  to  the  ministry  of 
the  day — a  dictation  which  must 
constantly  interfere  with  good  go- 
vernment. The  total,  or  partial^  dis- 
franchisement of  the  small  boroughs 
could  never  be  placed  side  by  side 
with  the  attacks  made  on  their 
charters  by  James  II.  The  latter 
attacked  the  boroughs  for  the  pur- 
pose of  subverting  the  constitution ; 
but  the  present  measure  was  to  es- 
tablish^ not  to  destroy,  freedom  of 
election ;  not  to  curtail  or  impair^ 
but  to  improve  and  enlarge  the  re- 
presentation of  the  people.  Neither 
ought  the  proposed  bill  to  be  re- 
garded as  merely  a  first  step — as 
something  which  was  not  to  be 
final.  In  so  far  as  he  was  con- 
cerned^ he  did  propose  it  as  a  final 
settlement.  It  might  be  supposed 
that  his  own  opinion  would  have 
been  favourable  to  a  somewhat  dif- 
ferent measure;  but  he  thought 
the  best  way  to  succeed  in  what 
be  had  long  aimed  at  as  the  great 
object  of  his  political  life,  was  to 
sacrifice  some  of  his  own  opinions. 
Havings  therefore^  united  with  his 
colleagues^  and  agreed  upon  thie 
measure,  he  felt  himself  pledged 
to  support  it^  and  not  to  go  beyond 
it.  He  thought  that  great  advant- 
age would  be  secured  to  the  coun- 
try by  the  proposition,  and  that  the 
measure  would  be  sufficient  to  place 
4:hat  House,  as  it  ought  to  be,  under 
the  influence  of  the  great  body  of 
the  intelligent  and  respectable 
classes  of  the  community. 
Mff   Hume  frankly    declared 


that^  radical  reformer  as  he  was, 
the  plan  proposed  much  exceeded 
what  he  had  expected ;  that,  with 
all  his  disposition  to  put  confidence 
in  ministers,  he  was  not  prepared 
to  find  them  come  forwara  with  so 
manly  a  measure.  They  had  fiilly 
redeemed  their  pledge;  and  though, 
in  his  own  opinion,  the  omission  to 
shorten  the  duration  of  parliaments, 
and  to  introduce  the  ballot,  were 
deficiencies,  yet,  as  these  were 
points  on  which  a  large  portion  of 
the  members  had  not  been  able  to 
make  up  their  minds,  ministers  had 
acted  wisely  in  not  encumbering 
the  present  measure  with  them,  as 
they  could  be  brought  forward  at 
any  time  as  entire  questions.  In 
regard  to  the  measure  itself,  a  few 
of  the  details  might  be  objected  to, 
but  there  was  so  much  good,  so 
much  advantage  to  the  crown  and 
to  the  aristocracy  in  this  bill,  that 
he  would  not,  m  consequence  of 
any  of  the  details,  throw  the  least 
objection  in  the  way  of  the  success 
of  any  part  of  the  measure.  Un- 
doubtedly^ in  the  course  of  the  pro- 
ceedings through  which  the  mea- 
sure had  to  pass,  suggestions  would 
be  oflTered  to  government  of  moder- 
ate alterations  in  the  details,  which 
they  might  be  satisfied  would  ren- 
der the  plan  more  efficient ;  minis- 
ters would  act  properly  in  adopting 
those  suggestions,  with  the  view 
of  perfecting  their  own  plan  of  re- 
form. With  these  statements,  he 
could  assure  the  House,  that  all 
those  with  whom  he  had  conversed 
were  satisfied  with  the  measure. 
Even  many  whom  he  knew  to  be 
the  strongest  reformers  in  Eng- 
land, were  perfectly  satisfied,  and 
allowed  that  they  had  the  utmost 
reason  to  be  delighted.  It  was 
the  perfection  and  wisdom  of  every 
government  to  meet  the  rising 
wishes  of  the  country,  {^nd  to  e& 


22]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


feet,  by  degrees,  those  changes 
which  circumstances  required,  gra- 
dually and  properly,  under  the 
legal  authorities  calculated  to  ef- 
fect them,  and  not  to  risk  those 
useful  changes  by  substituting  any 
thing  such  as  had  been  brought 
forward  at  former  times,  and  in 
other  places,  having  all  the  pre- 
tensions of  entire  and  infallible 
wisdom.  He  had  no  doubt,  though 
many  might  think  the  qualifica- 
tions for  voting  too  high,  there 
was  too  much  good  sense  in  the 
British  community  not  to  feel  that 
vast  good  was  to  be  obtained  by 
this  measure,  that,  though  some 
might  not  immediately  participate 
in  its  benefits,  yet  great  advantage 
would  result  to  the  community. 

Mr.  Baring  Wall  stated,  that 
he  was  decidedly  opposed  to  the 
measure,  and  looked  upon  any  plan 
of  reform  proceeding  from  the  pre- 
sent government  with  suspicion. 
The  House  had  been  told,  that  the 
cabinet  was  unanimous  5  but  when 
had  that  unanimity  been  made  ap- 
parent, and  how  had  it  been  brought 
about  ?  There  had  been  none  till 
the  eleventh  hour ;  and  even  then 
it  had  been  effected,  according  to 
the  statements  of  ministers  them- 
selves, by  compromise  and  shifting. 
One  member  of  the  cabinet  gave 
up  the  ballot;  another  sacrificed 
the  close  boroughs ;  a  third  threw 
overboard  the  Scottish  counties. 
Unanimity,  in  proposing  such  a 
measure,  was  to  him  no  recommen- 
dation. He  would  have  looked  at 
it  with  less  doubt,  if  the  cabinet 
had  come  to  so  momentous  a  ques- 
tion with  anxiety,  fear,  and  trem- 
bling, instead  of  rushing  to  a  rash 
and  extravagant  conduiuon.  That  it 
would  satisfy  the  reformers,  whose 
clamours  were  now  made  to  con- 
stitute its  justification,  was  a  glar- 
ing fallacy.    No  measure  had  erer 


been  brought  forward,  with  the 
professed  intention  of  meeting  the 
views  of  the  people,  in  which  the 
discrepancies  were  so  great  between 
the  measure   and    the    petitions. 
The  Examiner  newspaper,  and  the 
Westminster    Review    spoke    the 
sentiments  of  one  class  of  reform-* 
ers»  certainly  not  the  most  modern 
ate,  nor  the  least  daring  and  cla- 
morous, ^d  the  House  would  be 
able  to  judge  how  far  the  proposed 
change  would  meet  the  views  of 
these  persons.    *'  Ballot,"  said  the 
Examiner,    '^  is    the    instrument 
that  will  break  our  bonds  asunder, 
and  dash  to  the  dust  all  the  foul 
powers  of  the  oligarchy.    We  must 
not  omit  to  mention,  that  we  ob- 
served this  significant  circumstance 
at  the   Middlesex  meeting,   that 
fervent  loyalty  to  the  throne  was 
expressed,  together  with  the  choice 
of  civil  war,  in  preference  to  sub- 
mission   to    existing    grievances. 
Efficient  reform  will  turn  the  pri- 
vileges of  the  peers  to  dust  and 
rottenness."      The    Westminster 
Review    was    equally    energetic. 
''  Anarchy  is  fearful,   but  it  is  a 
passage  sharp  and  short;    while 
the  misrule,  under  which  the  na* 
tion    has    suffered   every  injury, 
moral «  political,  and  financial,  b  a 
chronic  disease,  a  continuous  af- 
fliction,  spoiling  the  health,   the 
temper,  and  spirit  of  the  commu- 
nity ;  and,  should  it  come  to  the 
question    of  passing  through  the 
fiery  ordeal  of  anarchy,  or  support- 
ing the  system  that  threat^s  us 
with  it»  we  speak  the  sentiments 
of  tens  of  thousands,  when  we  as- 
sert that  the  crisis  would  be  pre- 
ferred to  the  maintaining  the  oli- 
garchy in  its  accursed  domination. 
The   aristocracy  have   had  their 
long  and  disastrous  day ;  it  is  now 
the  time  of  the  Demos.  The  choice 
is  momentoust    Reform  in  parlia^ 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


t23 


ment^  with  the  ballot,  and  a  na- 
tional guard,  or  the  aristocracy  and 
anarchy."  The  House  would  thus 
iee^  that^  if  its  object  was,  to.  meet 
popular  claims^  the  measure  pro- 
posed  would  not  be  efficient.  Then 
came  the  class  of  moderate  re- 
formers. If  they  were  asked  what 
they  wanted^  they  gare  no  direct 
reply;  they  dwelt  in  generalities 
-—they  could  not  say  what  they 
wanted^  or  how  far  they  were  pre- 
pared to  go.  Of  that  class  he 
qpoke  with  much  respect,  for  he 
was  one  of  it.  What  they  required 
it  was  difficult  to  say ;  but  much 
that  they  objected  to  had  been  ex- 
cellently well  set  forth  in  a  speech 
of  extraordinary  ability,  which  was 
made  in  that  House  by  the  present 
lord  Dudley,  in  1817,  and,  strange 
to  say,  had  not  been  answered  up 
to  the  present  time,  1831.  But, 
before  these  moderate  reformers  at- 
tempted todevelope  their  own  plans 
and  wishes,  there  was  one  thing 
which  was  absolutely  necessary, 
and  that  was,  to  get  rid  of,  destroy, 
and  turn  out,  the  measure  brought 
forward  by  the  noble  lord.  That 
measure,  m  fact,  could  not  stand ; 
it  was  impossible  it  should  do  so ; 
and  to  get  rid  of  it  should  be  the 
first  object  of  the  moderate  re•^ 
former.  That  done,  he,  for  one, 
should  be  ready  to  inquire  and  see 
what  improvements  could  be  made 
in  the  representation.  There  was 
DO  possibility  of  saying  what  plan 
had  regulated  the  disposal  of  the 
right  of  returning  members  to  that 
house.  This  he  felt  to  be  the  case, 
and  he  should  say  that,  as  there 
was  no  system  in  the  represent- 
ation, so  there  was  no  system  in 
his  reform.  Even  if  the  harshness 
and  injustice  of  disfranchising  so 
many  boroughs  could  be  over- 
looked; one  consequence  of  the 


prindple  of  the  proposed  bill 
would  be,  that,  as  they  grew  old, 
the  southern  part  of  the  kingdom 
would  be  left  almost  without  re- 
presentation. In  the  county  to 
which  he  belonged,  three  boroughs 
were  to  be  disfranchised.  Two 
members  were,  however,  to  be 
added  to  the  county;  but  that 
would  be  but  a  poor  return  for  the 
loss  of  six  members ;  and  Ports- 
mouth was  to  be  thrown  open. 
Portsmouth  had  hitherto  been  a 
Whig  borough,  but,  thrown  open, 
it  would  return  two  junior  loras  of 
the  Admiralty,  let  who  would  be 
ministers.  Then  a  part  of  the 
measure  was  to  divide  the  counties, 
as  they  would  police  districts ;  but 
how  would  all  the  principle  of  the 
measure  operate?  It  was  well 
known,  from  the  great  advantages 
the  north  enjoyed  in  possessing 
coals  and  machinery,  that  the  po- 
pulation would  travel  northward, 
and  the  consequence  would  be, 
that,  in  a  short  period,  Hants, 
Wilts,  Dorset,  aye,  and  Surrey 
too,  would  be  left  almost  without 
representatives.  Look  to  another 
part  of  the  measure.  Certain  dis- 
tricts in  the  metropolis  were  to 
have  representatives,  and,  among 
others,  Marylebone  was  to  be  thus 
distinguished.  Why,  in  two  years, 
Paddington  would  be  requiring 
delegates,  and  Hampstead  would 
be  factious  for  representatives. 
This  was  evident,  and  yet  the 
noble  lord  talked  of  the  nnal  set- 
tlement of  the  question.  The 
measure  was  one  of  constant 
change.  Supposing  the  plan  had 
been  adopted  in  1 800,  what  would 
have  become  of  Brighton  and  of 
Cheltenham  ?  In  some  places,  the 
growth  of  population  was  extraor- 
dinary; and  yet  ministers  had 
been  in  00  much  baste,  that  they 


24]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


could  not  wait  for  the  result  of  the 
census  which  their  own  officers 
were  then  making. 

Lord  Newark  confessed,  that  the 
measure  was  more  sweeping  than 
he  had  expected^  and  he  hoped  it 
would  be  modified.  He  would  sup- 
port  any  reasonable  reform  ;  but, 
if  the  question  came  to  be,  this  re- 
form, or  none  at  all,  he  would  vote 
for   the   bill.      Lord   Darlington, 
too,  though  he  would  not  go  the 
length    of  saying    that    no   con- 
cession should  be  made,  and  ad- 
mitted the  necessity  of  giving  re- 
presentatives to  the  large  towns, 
was  unwilling  to  accede  to  an  al- 
teration so  sweeping  and  so  general 
as  that  now  proposed,  which  af- 
fected the  vexy  vitals  of  the  consti- 
tution, and  raised    the  question, 
whether  the  sovereign  power  was 
to  be  lodged  in  King,  Lords,  and 
Commons,  or  to  be  transferred  to 
the  people  alone .     Lord  Stormont 
said,    he  would    not   oppose    the 
bringing  in  of  the  bill,  in  order 
that  the   country  might  have  an 
opportunity  of  knowing,  and  fully 
considering,  this  most  extraordi- 
nary proposition — a  measure  which, 
calling  itself  reform,  was  to  end  in 
revolution,  as  it  began  with  set- 
ting up  spoliation  in  the  place  of 
possession.     Lord    Ebrington,   on 
the  other  hand,  expressed  his  full 
approbation  of  the  whole  plan.    It 
was  efficient  an^d  full ;    and,  be- 
cause it  was  so,  it  was  safe.     He 
owed  his  seat,  and  he  was  proud 
of  owing  it,  to  persons  belonging  to 
the  middle  classes ;  but  he  was  ne- 
vertheless connected  with  the  aris- 
tocracy, and  he  should  be  the  last  in 
the  world  to  desire  to  see  that  body 
overthrown;  but  he  apprehended 
no   such  result  from  the  present 
measure,  and  he  hailed  with  great 
satisfaction  a  bill^  the   object   of 


which  was,  to  increase  the  num- 
bers and  influence,  amongst  the 
constitutional  body,  of  the  class  to 
whom  he  owed  his  seat.  He  had 
been,  he  confessed  it,  for  many 
years  a  moderate  reformer ;  he  was 
for  paring  off  gradually  a  few  at  a 
time  of  the  imperfections  which 
had  arisen  upon  the  body  of  the 
representation,  getting  ria  at  in- 
tervals of  some  of  the  decayed  and 
rotten  boroughs ;  but  he  since  had 
reason  to  change  his  opinions.  On 
the  most  mature  reflection,  he  had 
arrived  at  the  full  persuasion,  that, 
if  the  principle  were  once  conceded, 
the  removal  of  one  portion  of  the 
abuses  existing  would  leave  the  re« 
maining  parts  without  defence. 
He  therefore  hailed  with  satisfac- 
tion a  measure  which  would  give 
due  weight  to  all  the  several  por- 
tions of  the  constitutional  body, 
and  to  every  interest  in  the  state ; 
and  he  hoped,  that,  when  the  bill 
was  passed,  it  would  have  the  ef- 
fect— as  far  as  any  human  law 
could  have  such  an  efl^ect — of  con- 
ciliating the  |ieople  of  the  empire ; 
and,  in  a  great  degree,  revive  that 
sympathy  and  confidence  which 
had  subsisted,  and  ought  to  sub- 
sist, between  the  constituency  and 
their  representatives* 

Mr.  Macaulay  commenced  a 
very  spirited  piece  of  rhetoric  in 
defence  of  ministers,  under  whose 
patronage  he  sat  in  the  House,  by 
declaring  that  he  supported  the 
measure,  because  he  was  opposed 
to  universal  suflrage ;  because  he 
looked  with  horror  on  the  thought 
of  any  thing  in  the  shape  of  revo- 
lution, and  believed  that  the  pro- 
posed change  was  the  best  security 
against  all  possibility  of  revolu- 
tion. If  he  wished  to  set  before 
the  House,  in  the  strongest  light, 
the  evils  of  the  present  system  of 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[25 


representation,  he  would  refer  to 
the  northern  part  of  this  city.  If 
he  wished  to  make  that  foreignei'^ 
who  had  been  introduced  first  into 
the  debate  by  the  noble  lord  who 
opened  it,  fully  sensible  of  the  pe- 
culiar evils  of  our  system,  he  would 
conduct  him  to  that  great  city 
which  lies  to  the  north  of  Oxford- 
street,  and  the  west  of  Russell- 
square.  There  he  would  shew  him 
a  city  exceeding  in  size  the  capitals 
of  many  kingdoms^  and  even  su- 
perior in  intelligence  and  know- 
ledge to  any  city  on  the  face  of  the 
globe.  He  would  there  show  him 
long  lines  of  interminable  streets 
and  spacious  squares^  filled  with 
well-built  magnificent  houses,  in- 
habited by  opulent  and  intelligent 
men^  some  of  the  first  citizens  of  the 
state.  He  would  show  that  stranger 
the  magnificent  shops^  the  splendid 
apartments  ^  he  would  like  to  carry 
him  to  the  palaces  that  stretch 
along  each  side  of  the  Regent's- 
park^  and  he  would  tell  him  that 
the  rental  of  these  palaces  and 
houses  exceeded  the  rental  of  all 
Scotland  at  the  time  of  the  Union 
—and  then  he  woUld  tell  the 
stranger^  that  all  this  wealth  and 
intelligence  were  unrepresented. 
He  should  not  need  to  refer  him 
to  Leeds  or  Manchester^  or  Mac- 
clesfield^ or  to  tell  him  that  Scot- 
land had  only  the  shadow  of  a  re- 
presentation. The  principle  of 
the  Property-tax  was,  that  no  in- 
come below  a  certain  amount  per 
annum  should  be  taxed ;  and  he 
doubted,  should  he  include  only 
the  property  assessed  to  that 
tax^  if  ne  should  find  one-half 
of  the  persons  who  paid  that 
tax  had  any  votes  for  represent- 
atives. One-fiftieth  part  of  those 
persons  returned  a  greater  num- 
ber of  representatives    than  did 

the  other  io^%Y^mue  partst    Oursj 


then,  was  not  a  government  on  the 
principle  of  property ;  it  was  only 
a  government  founded  on  some 
fragments  of  property,  and  no 
principle  whatever  presided  over 
its  formation.  It  had  been  said, 
that  it  was  never  better  than  at 
present;  but  the  House  was  there 
to  inquire  into  what  it  ought  to 
be,  not  into  what  it  had  been ;  they 
were  legislators,  not  antiquaries. 
They  could  not  possibly  think  it 
right,  that  the  seat  of  government 
should  be  transferred  from  London 
to  York,  because  York  was  the  ca- 
pital of  the  country  in  the  time  of 
Constantius  Chlorus  ?  Was  the 
representation  of  the  country, 
adapted  for  two  millions  of  people, 
to  be  kept  now  as  it  had  been  in 
the  13th  century?  New  property 
had  been  called  into  existence ;  so- 
ciety  had  assumed  a  different  form; 
much  wealth  and  much  capital, 
which  were  formerly  unknown, 
were  now  unrepresented.  Some 
towns  had  sunk  to  villages;  others 
had  remained  stationary;  but  many 
had  risen  from  villages  to  be  as 
large  as  London  in  the  time  of  the 
Plantagenets.  Society  had  grown 
the  form  of  the  government  must 
be  renewed  to  make  it  accord  with 
that  on  which  it  depended ;  and 
it  was  time  that  our  old  institu- 
tions should  be  new-modelled. 

If  it  was  true,  as  had  been  said 
on  the  other  side,  that  a  House  of 
Commons,  reformed  according  to 
the  proposed  plan,  would  destroy 
our  king  and  peers  in  ten  years — 
that  the  property  and  intelligence 
of  the  middle  classes  could  not  be 
adequately  represented  without  the 
result  bf  !ng  to  pull  down  the  ma- 
jesty of  the  throne,  and  the  dignity 
of  the  aristocracy — if  that  were  a 
true  representation,  it  spoke  vo* 
lumes  against  the  monarchy  and 

the  peerage*    Monarchy  mi  aris^ 


26]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


tocracy  were  not  valuable  in  tbem- 
selres :  they  were  only  means  to  an 
end ;  and  if  the  bill  should  pro* 
duce  a  republic  by  improving  the 
representation  —  tnough  he  was 
convinced  it  would  have  no  such 
effect— what  did  that  imply  but 
that  the  peerage  and  the  crown 
were  opposed  to  the  welfare  of  the 
nation.  If  the  subversion  of  the 
kinff  and  peers  were  the  only  ob* 
jection  to  the  measure^  then  there 
was  no  ground  for  opposing  it. 
But  the  people  did  not  forget  what 
was  due  to  the  king,  and  what  was 
due  to  the  peers ;  it  was  against 
that  House  that  the  popular  voice 
was  raised.  They  had  not  lost 
their  respect  for  the  king — they 
had  not  lost  their  respect  for  the 
aristocracy^  so  long  as  the  arista- 
cracy  remained  in  its  proper  sphere; 
but  they  had  lost  their  respect  for 
the  representative  system  of  the 
country ;  and  there  was  good  rea- 
son why  they  should^  for  corruptio 
optimi  pesstma. 

Further^  it  was  said  that  many 
great  and  eminent  men  had  been 
returned  for  nomination  boroughs. 
True ;  but  in  estimating  such  facts, 
you  must  look  at  general  tendencies, 
not  at  accidents.  It  would  scarcely 
be  possible  to  hit  on  any  mode  of 
election  which  would  not  bring 
some  able  men  into  the  House  ;  and 
if  the  boroughs  were  done  away 
with  J  able  men  would  still  find 
their  way  into  it.  If  one  hundred 
of  the  tallest  men  in  the  kingdom 
were  to  be  elected  members  of  par- 
liament, some  among  them  would 
be  eminent.  If  one  hundred  men 
of  a  tawney  complexion  were  to  be 
representatives,  men  of  eminence^ 
too^  would  be  found  amongst  them. 
In  ancient  tiroes,  a  king  was  chosen 
by  the.  neighing  of 'a  horse  ^  and, 
though  nobody  would  recommend 

that  mod^  of  election^  it  might 


happen  that  the  one  so    chosen 
might  be  a  good  king.     In  Athens 
public  officers  were  chosen  by  lot 
— not  a  rational  mode  of  election  ; 
yet  it  once  caused  Socrates  to  be 
chosen.     Whatever  might  be  our 
system    of  representation,  clever 
men  would  find  their  way  into  the 
House.     They  might  not  be  the 
same  men  as  would  come  in  under 
the  borough   system  ;     but  they 
would  be  men  of  talents,  and  no 
one  man  was  indispensably  neces- 
sary*    Give  a  country  good  insti- 
tutions, and  it  will  be  sure  to  find 
good  and  great  men.     The  feeling 
of  the  people^  which  could  not  be 
denied,  was  said  to  be  temporary 
— to  have  sprung  from  the  events 
which  had  taken  place  in  France 
and  Belgium.     On  the  contrary, 
it  possessed  all  the  symptoms  of  a 
deeply-rootedmalady,  and  had  been 
growing  for  two  generations.    The 
legislature  had  tried  every  means 
in  its  power  to  put  an  end  to  it. 
Was  it  to  be  supposed  that  any 
probable    measure    of   cure    had 
escaped  the  subtlety  of  Burke,  or 
the  sagacity  of  Windham  ?     Had 
not  every  species  of  coercion  been 
tried  by  lord  Londonderry  }    Had 
not  laws  been  passed  to  put  down 
public  meetings  and    to  enthral 
the  press,  and  was  not  the  evil  still 
in  existence^  increasing  from  day 
to    day  ?     What  new  palliatives 
could  they  try  ?    Now,  then,  when 
every  thing  was  alarming  around 
us,  when  the  spirit  of  the  age  had 
just  crushed  the  proudest  crown  in 
£urope,    and  the  palace  of  our 
monarch  was  suppling  an  igno- 
minious asylum  to  the  expelled 
heir  of  forty  kings— -but  while  the 
heart  of  £ngland  was  yet  sound 
•—while  the   national  ieelings  of 
many  old  associations  were  yet  re- 
tained bound  to  the  honour  and 
Gbam^ter  of  the  cpuntaryi  and  which 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[27 


might  soon,  too  soon,  pass  away— 
now  was  the  accepted  time^this  was 
the  day  of  our  salvation,  when,  if 
we  acted  with  a  due  regard  to  the 
signs  of  these  portentous  times, 
the  great  debt  due  from  the  aris- 
tocracy to  the  people  should  be  paid : 
and  if  it  were  paid^  the  deed  would 
never  be  forgotten  by  the  people, 
whose  happiness  it  would  insure. 

Mr.  Hunt,  member  for  the  pot- 
wallopping  borough  of  Preston, 
and,  after  Mr.  Hume,  the  most 
ultra-reformer  in  the  House,  de- 
clared he  had  not  heard  a  single 
word  that  was  new  to  him  :  all 
that  had  been  said  in  the  House 
had  been  said  twenty  years  ago  by 
the  weavers  of  Lancashire.  As 
the  bill  was  not  to  touch  the  rights 
of  his  constituents,  he  would  give 
it  his  support ;  but  he  was  sorry 
that  so  little  was  said  about  the 
ballot,  and  the  duration  of  par- 
liaments.  The  suffrage  was  not 
widely  enough  extended  If  the 
rabble,  as  they  were  called, 
were  not  to  have  votes,  he  wished 
to  know  whether  they  were  still 
to  be  liable  to  pay  taxes,  and  to 
serve  in  the  militia  ?  The  people 
fought  the  battles  of  the  country, 
and  were  they  to  be  denied  repre- 
sentation, merely  to  transfer  it  to 
the  middle  classes  ?  No  man,  how- 
ever poor  or  low,  could  infringe 
the  law  with  impunity ;  his  ignor- 
ance would  be  no  excuse;  why  then 
should  he  not  have  a  vote  in  the 
election  of  those  who  made  the  law? 

After  lord  Morpeth  had  ex- 
pressed his  intention  of  supporting 
the  bill,  as  being  a  sure  means  of 
escaping  the  dangers  which  sur- 
rounded the  pountry  if  it  remained 
where  it  was.  Sir  Charles  Wether- 
ell  addressed  the  House.  It  was 
astonishing,  he  said,  to  observe  the 
difference  produced  on  a  man  by 
oitting  on  one  side  of  the  House 


rather  than  on  the  other.     The 
noble  mover  of  this  bill  had  been 
only  six  or  eight  weeks  in  office  as 
paymaster  of  the  forces,  yet  he  had 
acquired  military  habits,  and  pro- 
posed to  cashier  120  corporations 
unheard,    thus    uniting    military 
proscription    with    parliamentary 
reform.     One  hundred  and  sixty- 
seven  members  were    to  be  dis- 
missed by  a  species  of  proceeding, 
which,    in    compliance    with   the 
recommendation  of  Locke—  to  give 
every  thing  its  true  name-^he  would 
call  a  corporation  robbery.     The 
total  result  was  to  be,  that,  by 
pursuing  a  system  of  pillage  and 
plunder  towards  some,  and  of  gene- 
rosity   and   munificence    towards 
others,  the  number  of  members  in 
the  House  was  to  be  diminished 
by  sixty-two.      This  diminution, 
he  must  confess,  appeared  to  him 
an  odd  proposition.     It  had  never 
occurred  as  desirable  to  those  re- 
formers whom  Mr.  Hunt  took  un- 
der his  special  charge ;  it  had  never 
been  proposed  by  the  reforming 
population,  but  had  been  reserved 
for  a  reforming  cabinet.     Yet  it 
had  not  the   merit    of    original- 
ity.    Ministers,    in  reducing  the 
number   of  members,  were   only 
imitating  the  conduct  of    Crom- 
well, Fairfax,  and  Co. ;   and,  in- 
deed, the  reforming  plan  of  the 
present   government  was    almost 
the  same  in  form  and  substance 
as    the   reforming    plan  of    that 
government,  which,  after  the  com- 
mission of  regicide,  proceeded  to 
establish  a  commonwealth  in  Eng- 
land.     Ministers    professed    that 
they  wished  to  preserve  the  in- 
stitutions of  the  counti-y — to  up- 
hold the  principle  of  conservation, 
to  avoid  every  thing  calculated  to 
degrade  the  church,  diminish  the 
rank  and  dignity  of  the  House  of 
Lordi;  or  wwen  the  crown ;  bat 


28]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


still  it  did  80  happen  tbat  this  con- 
senratiFe  plan  of  theirs  was  similar 
to  that  of  Cromwell^  after  the  assas- 
sination of  the  monarchy  and  the 
destruction  of  the  peerage.  Yet 
the  House  was  told^  that  all  who 
opposed  this  measure  must  be  pre- 
pared to  negatiFe  all  reform.  He 
was  not  one  of  those  who  were 
ready  to  negative  all  possible  re- 
form ;  he  had  never  maintained 
that  no  improvement  could  be  made 
in  the  state  of  the  representation  ; 
he  had  never  argued^  that  the 
election  laws  were  incapable  of 
amendment,  or  that  there  were 
no  places  in  the  kingdom  at  pre- 
sent unrepresented,  on  which  the 
elective  franchise  could  be  bene- 
ficially conferred  ;  yet  ministers 
said,  ^'unless  you  agree  to  our 
terms,  you  will  show  yourselves 
the  enemies  of  all  possible  reform.*' 
That  might  be  thought  very  good 
logic  in  Downing-street,  but  he 
was  sure  it  would  not  be  reckoned 
so,  either  in  that  House,  or  in  the 
country.  The  measure  had  been 
characterized,  too,  as  being  merely 
an  experiment ;  but  did  the  men 
who  so  characterized  it  reflect  that 
there  were  rather  too  many  expe- 
riments making  on  governments 
at  the  present  moment — that  there 
was  a  smithy  where  political  black- 
smiths were  at  work,  forging  new 
constitutions  for  all  Europe  ?  Did 
they  recollect  the  endeavours  to 
make  a  new  government  for  Greece  ? 
Did  they  remember  that  a  new 
charter  had  been  tried  in  Portugal  ? 
Did  they  recollect  the  unsettled  re- 
lations of  Belgium,  or  the  condi- 
tion of  France  }  Had  they  forgot- 
ten that  the  states  of  South  America 
had  been  for  eight  or  ten  years  en- 
deavouring to  form  stable  institu- 
tions, and  that  in  no  one  instance  had 
they  been  successful?  Yet  this  was 
the  time  which  ministers  bad  select** 


edto  sketch  out  a  new  constitution; 
as  if  the  existing  constitution  of 
Great  Britain  had  not,  from  age 
to  age,  been  undergoing  improve- 
ment and  emendation.  At  a  time 
when  all  the  states  of  Europe  were 
in  so  disturbed  a  condition,  this 
country  was  to  put  to  sea,  under 
the  flag  of  the  noble  lord,  on  a 
voyage  of  experiment  and  discovery 
in  quest  of  a  new  constitution. 

He  repeated,  that  tlie  provision, 
by  which  the  constituents  of  160 
members  were  to  be  deprived  of 
their  franchises,  was  a  corporation 
robbery.  He  by  no  means  asserted 
that  the  omnipotence  of  parlia- 
ment was  not  CO -extensive  with 
any  purpose  to  which  it  might  be 
required  to  be  applied ;  but  it  had 
hitherto  been  thought,  that  any 
act  of  parliament  destructive  of 
popular  privileges  was  as  liable  to 
censure  as  a  similar  act  on  the 
part  of  the  crown.  If  the  viola- 
tion of  any  chartered  rights  by 
ministers  were  a  criminal  deed, 
the  same  principle  rendered  the 
deed  equally  criminal  when  perpe- 
trated by  parliament;  and  those 
rights  which  were  established  by 
prescription  were  as  valid  as  those 
which  were  established  by  charter. 
No  parliamentary  conflscation  of 
any  charter  had  ever  before  been 
attempted,'  except  in  cases  of  de- 
linquency ;  but  now,  without  any 
trial,  without  anv  conviction,  with- 
out  any  fault,  the  civil  and  con- 
stitutional rights  of  numerous 
bodies  of  men  were  to  be  taken 
away  by  the  arbitrary  edict  of  a 
theorist;  while  those  who  truly 
adhered  to  the  constitution  were 
stigmatized  as  bigots,  because  they 
did  not  forthwith  give  their  un- 
compromising adhesion  to  the  new 
laws  proclaimed  by  a  consolidated 
and  unanimous  cabinet,  which  went 

upon  the  norel  principle  in  the 


f 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[2a 


admioistration  of  justice^  of  con- 
demning without  trial  and  decid- 
ing without  hearing.     The  prjn- 
ciple    upon    which    the    govern- 
ment were  proceeding  was,  he  con- 
tended, perfectly  false.    It  would^ 
unless  he  were^indeed^  most  grossly 
mistaken,  appear  from  the  journals 
of  ihe  House^  that  never  since  the 
days   of   Richard    11^    had  any 
minister  presumed  to  propose  to 
that  House  the  confiscation  of  any 
charter.     Perhaps  the  noble  lord 
had  in  his  view  the  confiscations  of 
church  property  in  the  times  of 
Henry  VIII,  and  wished  to  call 
them   into   precedent.     Certainly 
they  had  been  suffered  to  sleep  in 
the  accumulated  dust  of  ages,  and 
would  in  all  probability  never  have 
been  again  drawn  into  light,  except 
by  a  combined,  or  united,  and  an 
unanimous  cabinet.   But  now  there 
did  certainly  seem  to  be  a  mar- 
vellous similarity  in  the  system  of 
proceeding  adopted  by  the  military 
I'aymaster  and  Harry  the  Eighth, 
when  he  was  minded  to  get  pos- 
session of  the  property  of  the  Ec- 
clesiastical Corporations.  All  those 
charters,  whicn  were  freely  sur- 
rendered, were  greedily  accepted ; 
but  the  abbots  of  large  monasteries, 
who    would  not    surrender  their 
charters,  were  indicted   for  high 
treason,  as,  for  instance,  the  abbots 
of   Reading,  of  Glastonbury,  and 
of '  Winchester ;    and    when   the 
charters  were  thus  wrung  from 
them,  it  was  called  a  surrender. 
Now,  this  robbery  was  perpetrated 
secundum  artem,  and  it  was,    no 
doubt,  an  admirable  model  to  be 
followed  under  the  new  system  of 
military  law,    whereby    charters 
were  to  be  forfeited  without  a  trial, 
and  much  less  without  proof  of 
delinquency    in    those  who  held 
them.    But  he  was  really  curious 
to  hear  by  what  sound  argument 


—by  what  show  of  reason — by 
what  apparition  of  authorities— > 
by  what  shadow  of  facts — by  what 
strain  of  sophistry — they  could  ac« 
count,  or  pretend  to  account,  for 
their  invasion  of  long-received  and 
time-honoured  principles,  the  ex- 
tinguishing of  established  rights, 
and  the  confiscation  of  property 
which  that  House  had  always  es« 
teemed,  and  was  bound  to  esteem, 
sacred.  Did  ministers  mean  that 
the  violence  they  now  were  minded 
to  perpetrate  against  the  elective 
rights  of  the  corporations  should  be 
exclusively  confined  to  this  branch 
of  the  constitution  ?  If  they  con- 
fiscated charters  for  one  object, 
they  might  with  equal  ease  ao  so 
for  another ;  if  they  acted  upon 
a  principle  of  spoliation  in  one 
quarter,  they  might  freely  extend 
it  to  all.  The  churchy  neld  its 
property  under  charter.  The 
peerage  enjoyed  its  rights  under 
instruments  granted  under  the 
Great  Seal — the  Bank  of  England, 
the  East-India  Company,  the  cor- 
porations, all  exist  under  charters, 
and  enjoy  their  property,  their 
privileges,  their  municipal  autho- 
rity, under  the  faith  of  charters. 
All  of  them  could  be  reached  by 
the  mischievous  principle  now  pro- 
mulgated, which  left  no  safety  for 
the  monied  interests,  the  landed 
interests,  the  peerage,  or  the 
church.  He  who  broke  in  and 
bore  away  the  archives  of  a  town 
house,  would  not  hesitate  much 
about  plundering  a  cathedral. 

It  was  instructive,  too,  to  mark 
the  difference  between  the  noble 
mover  and  the  radicals  behind  him, 
in  regard  to  the  character  and  con- 
sequences of  the  proposed  bill. 
The  former  describea  it  as  a  pacific 
measure — one  that  was  to  heal  all 
wounds,  and  allay  all  irritation; 
one  that  was  to  be  of  themostaospi- 


30]        ANNUAL   REGISTER,  1831. 


cious  augury  to  the  middle  classes 
•^holding  forth  to  them  good 
promise  of  comfort,  and  happiness, 
and  prosperity,  that  was  to  say>  to 
all  who  could  prove  a  clear  pos- 
session of  ten  pounds  a-year.  But 
the  radicals^  on  the  contrary,  ex- 
claimed that  there  was  nothing 
done,  and  that  the  community 
would  be  split  into  two  classes, 
which  would  be  placed  in  hostile 
array  .against  each  other  j  for 
the  multitude  under  this  system 
would  have  no  vote  at  all ;  and 
therefore,  it  was  argued,  would  be 
in  no  degree  gainers  by  it.  It  was 
clear  at  least  from  this,  that  the 
people  would  be  divided  into  two 
classes  of  different  and  opposing 
pretensions ;  and  yet  this  was  the 
pacification  the  noble  lord  held  out 
to  the  House  of  Commons.  Aye, 
truly  :  was  that  the  healing  mea- 
sure— was  that  the  oil  which  was 
to  be  poured  into  the  wounds,  and 
at  once  destroy  their  virulency, 
and  abate  all  irritated  feelings. 
And  this,  forsooth,  was  the  great 
remedy  for  all  the  ills  the  country 
laboured  under.  He  should  like 
to  hear  how  the  right  hon.  the 
first  lord  of  the  Admiralty  would 
explain  at  Cockermouth  to  his  con- 
stituents his  conduct  since  he  last 
addressed  them.  On  that  occasion 
retrenchment  unlimited  was  to  be 
the  order  of  the  day; — all  taxes 
burdensome  to  the  middle  and 
poorer  classes  were  to  be  removed, 
and  the  constitution  was  to  be  re- 
stored to  its  ancient  splendour,  by 
a  full  and  satisfactory  measure  of 
reform.  Now  what  answer  could 
the  right  hon.  baronet  make  to  one 
of  his  agricultural  constituents,  if 
thus  accosted  by  him,  *'  Well,  sir 
James,  have  you  taken  off  the  malt- 
tax  ?'  ''  No,"  quoth  the  right  hon. 
baronet.  •  *  Have  you,"  rejoins  the 
ikriner,  ''  at  least,  taken  off  the 


assessed  taxes  ?*'  ^^  No,"  again 
quoth  the  first  lord  of  the  Ad- 
miralty, 'Hhe  House  of  Commons^ 
and  a  sense  of  duty  prevented 
me."  *^Then,"  again  quoth  the 
farmer,  '*  since  you  have  neither 
repealed  the  malt-tax,  nor  the  a8<* 
sessed  taxes,  what  the  d-— 1  have 
you  done  V  "  Why,  we  have  not 
to  be  sure,  much  reduced  taxes, 
but,  to  make  amends,  we  have 
taken  off  sixty-two  members." 
And  the  merry  conceit  might  pass 
on  the  hustings,  as  a  redemption 
of  all  his  pledges  of  retrench- 
ment and  economy.  They  most 
certainly  proposed  a  pretty  con- 
siderable ana  somewhat  novel 
species  of  retrenchment  as  a  re- 
medy for  the  ills  of  the  country* 
reminding  one  of  the  process  of 
that  eminent  practitioner,  Mr.  St. 
John  Long.^  They  found  one  sore 
a  grievance,  and  they  established 
a  raw,  by  which  they  made  the 
whole  surface  a  mass  of  sores — and 
this  they  called  reform.  He  hoped 
that  some  member  of  the  cabinet 
would  rise  and  explain  the  system 
of  reform  which  was  to  ampu-* 
tate  no  less  than  sixty- two  mem- 
bers of  Pari  lament.  There  existed 
in  Cromwell's  time  a  purge  of  the 
House  of  Commons.  The  purge 
was  called  colonel  Pride's  purge. 
The  gentlemen  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  House  were  close  imitators 
of  the  Cromwellian  system,  not 
only  of  his  system  of  parliament- 
ary reform,  but  also  of  his  sana- 
tory purgative  system  ;  for  they 
were  prepared  to  expel,  by  one 
strong  dose,  no  less  than  168 
members  of  that  House.  He  did 
not  know  what  name  he  ought  to 
to  attach  to  this  specific ;  for  he 
had  not  conceived  it  possible  that 
the  country  would  see  a  repetition 

*  See  Cbroniole  p.  34. 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[31 


ot  such  a  process  a  second  time. 
Within  the  last  three  days,  how- 
CTer,  the  House  had  been  promised 
a  purge,  to  which,  as  no  name 
haa  yet  been  attached,  he  would 
attach  the  name  of  Russell's  purge. 
He  would  call  this  bill  Russell's 
Purge  of  Parliament.  Its  princi- 
ple was  republican  in  its  basis :  it 
was  destructive  of  all  property,  of 
all  right,  of  all  privilege  :  and  the 
same  arbitrary  violence^  which  ex- 
pelled a  majority  of  members  from 
that  House,  in  the  time  of  the 
Commonwealth,  was  now,  after  the 
lapse  of  a  century  from  the  Revo- 
lution, during  which  we  had  en- 
joyed greater  happiness  than  was 
ever  enjoyed  by  any  population 
under  Heaven,  proceeding  to  ex- 
pose the  House  of  Commons  again 
to  the  nauseous  experiment  of  a 
repetition  of  Pride's  Purge. 

The  Attorney-general  denied 
that  any  parallel  could  be  drawn 
between  the  measure  now  presented 
to  the  House,  and  the  reformations 
of  Cromwell.  There  had  been 
two  alterations  in  the  House  in 
Cromwell's  time ;  at  the  earlier  pe- 
riod, the  change  was  effected  by 
violence;  at  the  later  by  a  plan 
brought  forward  on  a  conservative 
principle— a  plan  by  which  the 
three  estates  were  to  be  retained 
mutilated  in  some  respects,  indeed, 
but  still  preserved  in  form  as  the 
government  of  the  country.  There 
was,  perhaps,  the  same  object  in 
view — namely,  a  change  in  the 
House  of  Commons;  but  that  was 
the  only  point  in  which  the  two 
cases  resembled  each  other,  for  the 
plan  now  proposed  went  on  conser- 
vative and  restorative  principles, 
while,  on  the  other,  the  Protector 
brought  in  his  soldiers,  and  forci- 
bly took  away  the  mace.  Still  less 
could  it  be  said  there  was  any  simi- 
larity in  the  present  to  the  prin- 


ciple of  the  cases  of  quo  warranto  ? 
Was  this  case  to  be  put  upon  a 
parallel  with  the  interfering  with 
the  rights  of  corporations  ?  Was 
it  an  attempt  to  deprive  them  of 
their  legitimate  municipal  powers  ? 
Surely  the  power  of  voting  for 
members  of  parliament  was  not  a 
municipal  privilege  ;  still  less  so 
was  the  power  of  selling  to  some 
duke  or  lord  this  valuable  privi- 
lege. 

The  Attorney-general  went  on 
to  say,  that  not  one  argument  had 
been  used  by  the  opponents  of  the 
measure  which  did  not  go  the 
length  of  declaring  that  no  reform 
whatever  was  necessary.  These 
members  had  not  taken  any  prac- 
tical view  of  the  subject  till  this 
moment,  when  they  were  actually 
driven  into  doing  so.  What  plan 
of  reform  had  they  ever  proposed, 
or  what  plan  did:  they  even  now 
propose  ?  He  knew  of  none,  unless 
they  called  that  a  plan  which  con- 
sisted in  introducing  ex  post  facto 
laws  against  Evesham  and  East 
Retford — unless  they  called  that 
a  plan  which  was  only  a  bill  of 
pains  and  penalties,  agreed  upon 
by  some  committee,  no  one  mem- 
ber of  which  owed  his  seat  to 
means  more  pure  than  those  which, 
as  a  member  of  that  committee, 
he  was  formally  to  condemn.  If  that 
were  a  plan,  against  any  such  plan 
he  protested,  as  one  of  needless 
expense,  great  waste  of  time,  and 
insulting  hypocrisy.  Even  the 
duke  of  Wellington,  who  declared 
at  the  commencement  of  the  pre- 
sent Session  that  no  reform  was 
necessary,  had  been  willing,  dur- 
ing last  Session,  to  disfranchise 
East  Retford :  he  had  been  ready 
to  make  that  miserable  sacrifice  in 
the  expectation  that  it  would 
satisfy  the  wishes  of  the  people. 
That  readiness  admitted  in  effect 


32]         ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 

that  some  reform  was  necessary^  state  of  the  representation  should 
but  the  people  would  not  be  satis-  be  put  on  a  sounder  footing, 
fied  with  reform  to  that  extent ;  For  the  necessity  of  reform  they 
and  those  who  admitted  reform  to  had  the  authority  of  Chatham^ 
that  extent,  were  bounds  having  Pitt,  Fox,  and  Burke.  Mr.  Pitt 
admitted  the  principle,  to  carry  it  had  declared  that,  with  such  a 
farther  than  by  merely  applying  it  House  of  Commons,  no  honest  man 
to  the  passing  of  an  ex  post  facto  could  be  minister  of  the  country ; 
law,  the  institution  of.  committees,  and  Mr.  Fox  had  afterwards  adopted 
or  the  punishment  of  abuses  ac-  the  sentiment,  when,  on  Mr.  Pitt 
cidentally  discovered.  It  was  said,  taking  office,  he  said,  with  great 
thattalent  and  rank,  the  wealthy  in  bitterness,  that  Pitt  seemed  des- 
trade,  and  others  who  had  elevated  tined  to  prove  the  truth  of  his  own 
themselves  in  the  world,  made  their  prophecy.  In  the  year  1780,  Mr. 
entry  into  the  House  by  means  of  Pitt  introduced  a  plan  to  get  rid 
the  impure  boroughs.  It  might  of  forty  boroughs,  and  then  a 
be  very  true,  that  they  did ;  but  compulsory  compensation  was  pro- 
then  it  was  notorious  that  that  posed :  but  he  believed  that  none 
object  was  gained  by  seats  in  the  of  those  who  were  to'  have  b^n 
House  being  bought  and  sold,  called  on  to  receive  it  would  have 
Why,  then,  was  not  East  Retford,  considered  themselves  well  used  in 
or  any  other  borough  to  be  allowed  being  forced  to  accept  it.  He  did 
to  drive  the  same  traffic  ?  Why  not,  however,  know  that  any  com- 
prohibit  the  poor  man  to  sell  his  pensation  was  constitutional  for 
solitary  vote,  while  you  allow  the  property  so  bought,  or  whether  any 
rich  man  to  sell  all  the  votes  of  all  act  of  that  sort  was  not  itself  ille- 
the  electors  ?  Who  could  expect  gal,  and  liable  to  prosecution  under 
the  people  to  submit  to  this  ?  If  the  bribery  laws.  If  a  peer,  or 
it  was  necessary  that  peers  should  any  other  holder  of  a  borough, 
return  their  nominees,  why  was  made  a  bargain  to  admit  a  man  to 
it  that  every  peer  had  not  his  that  House  for  a  certain  stipulated 
nominee,  like  his  chaplain  or  his  sum,  or  on  condition  of  voting  in 
steward  ?  The  privilege  was  not  a  certain  manner,  he  would  not  only 
granted  to  his  rank  or  station,  but  be  guilty  of  a  gross  breach  of  the 
belonged  to  him  through  the  acci-  privileges  of  that  House,  but  would 
dent  of  having  purchased  the  bo-  be  liable  to  an  indictment  for  his 
rough   which    returned    the    two  offence. 

members;  and  thus  he  acquired  the  To  the  argument  that  the  system 

power  of  influencing  the  delibera-  had  been  productive  of  no  practical 

tions  of  that  House,  and  made  it  evil,  it  was  enough  to  say,  that  the 

worth  the  while  of  the  crown  to  people,  for  a  century,  had  not  been 

consult  his  interests  and  his  wishes,  happy  under  it.     They  had  been 

Was  it  possible  that  any  thing  a    suffering  people — suffering  by 

could  be  worse  ?     Under  "such  cir-  the  acts  of  that  House,  injuries 

cumstances  the  question  was,  whe-  inflicted  on  them  by  means  which 

ther  the  House  should  wait  for  an-  the  constitution  condemned,   and 

other  instance  of  particular  delin-  which  the  people  required  to  be  re- 

quency,  or  whether  the  boroughs  formed.     As  to  the  allusions  made 

shoulu  no  longer  be  permitted  to  to  occurrences  in  France  of  modern 

send    representatives,     and    the  or  of  more  ancient  date^  he  would 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[33 


ask^  whether  it  was  possible  that 
that  dynasty  should  remain  upon 
the  throne,  which  had  ordered  the 
military  to  fire  upon  the  people? 
Was  that^  too,  a  revolution  to  be 
viewed  with  horror  and  disgust^ 
which  was  merely  a  resistance  to 
arbitrary  power  and  the  resort  of 
self  defence  ?  There  might  be  some 
reason  to  lament  that  the  French 
people  did  not  so  well  know  how 
to  improve  a  victory  as  to  gain 
it :  but  in  whatever  situation  he 
might  be  placed^  he  never  would 
consent  to  put  the  recent  events  in 
Belgium  in  comparison  with  the 


achievements  of  those  three  glori- 
ous days  when  the  French  people 
defended  their  fire-sides  and  their 
families^  and  not  only  asserted  but 
maintained  their  rights  against  a 
degrading  and  detestable  tyranny. 
But  what^  in  fact^  had  the  fiitiJe 
efforts  of  arbitrary  monarchy^  or 
the  illegal  violence  of  an  excited 
population,  to  do  with  a  question 
like  the  present,  which  related 
to  a  measure  which  had  the 
high  sanction  of  the  government, 
and,  above  all,  the  intelligent  ap- 
proval of  a  great,  free,  and  en- 
lightened people  ? 


•VoIh  LXXIII. 


CD] 


34]      ANNUAL  REGISTER,  1831. 


CHAP.  II. 

Continuation  of  the  Debate  on  the  Motion  for  leave  to  bring  in  the 
Reform  Bill — Speech  qf  Mr,  Bankes — Mr.  Hobhouse — Mr,  Baring 
*— jLord  Palmerston^^Sir  Robert  Peel  —  Mr,  Stanley —  The  Lord 
Advocate'^Mr,  Croker — Mr,  Hope^-^r.  R,  Or  ant — Mr,  O'Connetl 
•^Mr,  Attwood — Sir  James  Graham — Bill  allowed  to  be  brought 
in  without  a  Division,  and  read  a  First  Time, 


THE  third  night*s  debate  was 
opened  by  Mr. .  Bankes,  who 
complained  of  the  profound  secrecy 
in  which  ministers  had  most  un- 
accountably thought  it  necessary 
to  wrap  up  their  scheme,  till  the 
very  moment  when  it  was  pre- 
sented to  the  House.  If  the  mea- 
sure was  so  popular,  what  had  they 
seen  to  fear?  What  danger  did 
they  expect  to  aroid^  what  advan- 
tage did  they  hope  to  gain,  by  hav- 
ing recourse  to  so  unusual  a  con- 
trivance. He  complained  likewise 
of  the  use  which  had  been  made 
of  the  king's  name  to  gain  sup- 
porters to  the  bill,  and  of  a  very 
intelligible  hint  which  had  been 
given  by  sir  James  Graham,  the 
first  lord  of  the  Admiralty,  that 
if  the  House  refused  to  pass  the 
bill,  the  king  would  dissolve  them. 
He  repeated  the  arguments  which 
had  been  already  urged  against 
the  wholesale  spoliation  of  the 
boroughs,  unjustified  by  any  one 
precedent  to  which  a  good  citizen 
would  ever  wish  to  refer.  The 
Attorney-general  had  talked  of 
one  of  Cromwell's  reforms  being 
founded  on  a  conservative  principle, 
and  if  members  would  only  look  to 
the  history  of  that  parliament, 
they  would  see  the  value  of  bodies 
so  constituted.  It  was  only  two 
years  iince  a  part  of  our  parlia* 


inentary  debates,  contain  ing  that 
period,  had  been  rcfcovered,  and  it 
appeared  that  every  thing  absurd, 
futile,  and  ridiculous  had  taken 
place  in  this  reformed  parliament. 
Cromwell  had  given  that  parlia- 
ment two  trials,  the  first  of  five 
months,  and  the  second  of  sixteen 
days,  at  the  end  of  which  he  dis- 
solved them,  with  the  following 
speech  :  "  I  had  very  comfortable 
expectations,  that  God  would  make 
the  meeting  of  this  parliament  a 
blessing ;  and  the  Lord  be  my 
witness,  I  desired  the  carrying  on 
the  aflfairs  of  the  nation  to  these 
ends.  Having  proceeded  upon 
these  terms,  and  finding  sucn  a 
spirit  as  is  too  much  predominant, 
every  thing  being  too  high  or  too 
low,  where  virtue,  honesty,  piety, 
and  justice  are  omitted,  I  thought 
I  had  been  doing  that  which  was 
my  duty,  and  thought  it  would 
have  satisfied  you  ;  but  if  every 
thing  must  be  too  high  or  too  low, 
you  are  not  to  be  satisfied.  You 
liave  not  only  disjointed  yourselves, 
but  the  whole  nation,  which  is  in 
likelihood  of  running  intomorecon- 
fusion  in  these  fifteen  or  sixteen 
days  that  you  have  sat,  than  it 
hath  been  from  the  rising  of  the 
last  Session  to  this  day.  And  if 
this  be  the  end  of  your  sitting, 
and  if  this  b«  your  carriag«|   I 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[36 


tbink  it  high  time  that  an  end  be 
put  to  your  sitting,  and  I  dissolve 
this  parliament^  and  let  God  judge 
between  me  and  you."  That  was 
the  parliament  which  had  be^n  re- 
formed and  amended  according  to 
what  the  Attorney-general  called^ 
**  a  conservative  principle,"  unable 
to  protect  either  itself  or  the  coun- 
try. The  proceedings,  which  had 
terminated  in  the  framing  of  this 
parliament^  had  surely  been  revo- 
lutionary enough ;  ana  the  essence 
and  tendency  of  the  measure  now 
proposed  were  equally  entitled  to 
be  so  characterized.  He  should 
like,  at  least,  to  know  how  those 
members  and  adherents  of  the 
present  ministry,  who,  while  Mr. 
Huskisson  lived,  had  been  his 
followers  and  associates,  could  re- 
fuse to  give  it  that  name,  without 
renouncing  all  their  former  creed. 
No  farther  back  than  the  23rd  of 
February,  1830,  Mr.  Huskisson 
bad  said  in  that  House,  ''  as  to  a 
more  extensive  parliamentary  re- 
form, a  measure  founded  upon 
the  principle  of  a  general  revision^ 
reconstruction,  and  remodelling 
of  our  present  constitution — to 
such  a  general  revision  and  change 
of  our  constitution,  he  had  been 
always  opposed,  and  while  he  had 
a  seat  in  that  House,  he  should  give 
it  his  most  decided  opposition. 
He  conceived,  that  if  such  an  ex- 
tensive reform  were  effected,  they 
might  go  on  for  two  or  three  Ses- 
sions in  good  and  easy  times,  and 
such  a  reformed  parliament  might 
adapt  itself  to  our  mode  of  govern- 
ment, and  the  ordinary  concerns 
of  the  country;  but  if  such  an 
extensive  change  were  effected  in 
the  constitution  of  parliament,  sure 
he  was  that  whenever  an  occasion 
arose  of  great  popular  excitement 
or  reaction,  the  consequence  would 
be  a  total  subveraion  of  our  con* ' 


stitution,  followed  by  a  complete 
confusion  and  anarchy,  terminate 
ing  first  in  the  tyranny  of  a  fierce 
democracy,  and  then  in  that  of  a 
military  despotism,  these  two  great 
calamities  maintaining  the  natural 
order  of  succession  which  they 
have  been  always  hitherto  seen  to 
observe.'*  Not  more  than  twelve 
months  ago,  Mr.  Huskisson  had 
denounced  in  this  strong  and  em- 
phatic langua^,  any  measure  of 
such  a  description.  Such  measures 
were  so  denounced  by  a  man  who 
belonged  not  to  the  aristocracy  of 
the  country  —  who  had  sprung 
himself  from  the  people,  and  who 
felt  with  them  and  for  them.  With 
the  weight  of  such  an  authority 
against  them,  even  those  who  had 
been  always  friendly  to  such  mea- 
sures should  pause  and  reflect,  be- 
fore they  proposed  them  ;  but  that 
the  political  associates  of  Mr.  Hus- 
kisson—  that  the  men  who  had 
been  bred  up  under  him,  and  who 
held  the  principles  which  had  been 
held  by  him — should.  So  soon  after 
his  death,  be  parties  to  the  intro- 
duction of  sucn  a  measure  as  the 
present,  was  certainly  a  most  ex- 
traordinary and  unaccountable  fact. 

Mr.  Hobhouse  said,  that  the 
example  which  Mr.  Bankes  had 
selected  of  Cromwell's  reformed 
parliament  was  the  very  worst, 
for  the  opponents  of  the  bill,  on 
which  he  could  have  fixed.  If  he 
had  only  looked  into  a  page  of 
Hume,  he  would  have  found  that 
Cromwell  dismissed  that  parlia- 
ment for  the  very  reason  that  some 
persons  would  wish  for  such  a 
parliament  now — because  it  did 
represent  the  people  of  England — 
because  he  found  that  the  mace 
was  hardly  laid  on  the  table,  when 
they  began,  not  to  exert  them- 
selves in  &vour  of  tyrrany,  not 
to  flatter-  the  Protector,    not  f 

[D2] 


36]       ANNUAL   REGISTER,   1831. 


prove  complying  tools  in  the 
bands  of  ambition^  but  to  pull  to 
pieces  the  instruments  of  the  go- 
vernment. This  was  the  offence 
committed  by  that  representation 
which  lord  Clarendon  had  declared 
to  be  worthy  of  better  times,  and 
which  Cromwell  found  to  be  in- 
compatible with  the  tyranny  he 
meditated.  In  like  manner  the 
examples,  which  had  been  referred 
to  in  order  to  frighten  the  House 
with  the  idea  that  they  would 
render  parliament  too  pure  for  the 
safety  of  the  crown,  were  misre- 
presentations of  history.  Charles 
the  1st  had  not  received  his  doom 
from  the  democracy  of  England^ 
nor  in  consequence  of  their  aver- 
sion to  monarchical  power^  but  be- 
cause^ when  an  attempt  was  made 
by  the  party  uppermost  to  come 
to  terms  with  the  king,  they  dis- 
covered that  he  had  a  mental  re- 
servation^ by  means  of  which  he 
was  determined  not  to  keep  his 
bargain.  It  was  the  usurping 
army,  not  the  people^  that  put 
Charles  to  death.  Moreover  the 
parliament  of  that  time  was  a  bo- 
rough parliament.  It  contained 
but  sixteen  members  for  counties^ 
and  six  for  cities;  the  remainder 
were  all  for  boroughs.  The  exam- 
ple of  Spain^  too^  had  been  quoted 
to  shew  the  impossibility  of  a  purely 
democratic  assembly  co-existing 
with  a  monarchy.  But  it  was  not 
the  Cortes  that  dethroned  Ferdi- 
nand VII.  Ferdinand  dethroned 
himself^  with  the  aid  of  a  French 
army  marched  into  Spain  contrary 
to  the  law  of  nations.  Sicily^ 
likewise^  had  been  pointed  at. 
But  why  had  the  two  principles 
not  been  found  compatible  there  ? 
Because  lord  Castlereagh  had  made 
his  famous  settlement  of  Europe^ 
the  consequences  of  which  were 
before  their  eyes  every  day.    Last- 


ly^ the  late  French  revolution  had 
again  been  called  up  to  haunt  them. 
He  thought  it  was  agreed  on  all 
hands  that  the  revolution  of  1830 
was  an  experiment  which  the 
French  people  were  justified  ia 
making;  and  it  was  not  because 
the  Chamber  of  Deputies  repre« 
sented  the  people  too  much  that 
the  two  parties  in  France  were 
ready  to  go  to  war — it  was  because 
it  did  not  represent  the  people 
enough. 

To  the  argument  that  parlia« 
ment^  in  disfranchising  the  bo« 
roughs^  would  be  guilty  of  some 
unjustifiable  act  of  confiscation — a 
corporation  robbery^  as  it  had  beea 
called — he  would  only  oppose  an 
authority  which,  to  the  opponents 
of  reform^  ought  to  be  unanswer- 
able, that  of  Mr.  Pitt.  Mr.  Pitt, 
in  a  speech  delivered  on  the  31st 
of  January,  1798,  on  the  legisla- 
tive union  between  England  and 
Ireland,  spoke  thus  regarding  the 
power  of  parliament  to  take  away 
corporate  rights,  and  disfranchise 
such  borou^s  as  it  might  think 
fit :  ^^  If  this  principle  of  the  in- 
competency of  Parliament  to  the 
decision  of  the  measure  be  admit- 
ted, or  if  it  be  contended  that  Par- 
liament has  no  legitimate  author- 
ity to  discuss  and  decide  upon  it, 
you  will  be  driven  to  the  necessity 
of  recognising  a  principle  the  most 
dangerous  that  ever  Was  adopted 
in  any  civilized  state.  I  mean  the 
principle  that  Parliament  cannot 
adopt  any  measure  new  in  its  na- 
ture, and  of  great  importance^ 
without  appealing  for  airections 
to  the  constituent  and  delegat- 
ing authority.  If  that  doctrine 
be  true,  look  to  what  an  extent  it 
will  carry  you.  If  such  an  argu- 
ment could  be  set  up  and  main- 
tained, you  acted  without  any  le- 
gitimate authority^  when  you  ere- 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[37 


ated  the  representation  of  the  prin- 
cipality of  Wales,  or  of  either  of 
the  counties  palatine  of  England. 
Every  law  that  Parliament  erer 
made,' without  that  appeal^  either 
as  to  its  own  frame  and  constitu- 
tion, as  to  the  qualifications  of  the 
electors  or  the  elected,  as  to  the 
great  and  fundamental  point  of  the 
succession  to  the  Crown,    was  a 
breach  of  treaty,  and  an  act  of 
usurpation.     If  we  turn  to  Ireland 
Itself,  what  do  gentlemen  think  of 
the    power   of  that    Parliament, 
which,  without  any  fresh  delega« 
tion  from    its  Protestant  consti- 
tuents, associates  to  itself  all  the 
Catholicelectors,  and  thus  destroys 
a  fundamental  distinction  on  which 
it  was  formed  ?     God  forbid,  that 
I  should  object  to,  or  blame  any  of 
these  measures.     I  am  only  stat- 
ing the  extent  to  which  the  prin- 
ciple, that  Parliament  has  no  au- 
thority to  decide  upon  the  present 
measure,  will  lead  3  and,   if  it  be 
admitted  in  one  case,  it  must  be 
admitted   in  all.     Will  any  man 
say,  that  (although  a  Protestant 
Parliament  in  Ireland,  chosen  ex- 
clusively by  Protestant  constitu- 
ents,   has,   by   its  own   inherent 
power,    and    without    consulting 
those  constituents,  admitted  and 
comprehended  the  Catholics,  who 
were  till  then,  in  fact,  a  separate 
community)  Parliament  cannot  as- 
sociate   itself  with   another   Pro- 
testant community,  represented  by 
a  Protestant  Parliament,  having 
one  interest  with  itself,  and  simi- 
lar in  its  law,  its  constitution,  and 
its    established   religion  ?     What 
must  be  said  by  those  who  have  at 
any  time  been  friends  to  any  plan 
of  Parliamentary  Reform,  and  par- 
ticularly such  as  have  been  most 
recently   brought  forward,  either 
in    Great    Britain    or     Ireland  ? 
Whatever  may  have  been  thought 


of  the  propriety  of  the  measure,  I 
never  heard  any  doubt  of  the  com- 
petency of  Parliament  to  consider 
and  discuss  it.     Yet   I  defy  any 
man  to  maintain  the  principle  of 
those  plans,   without  contending 
that,  as  a  member  of  Parliament, 
he  possesses  a  right  to  concur  in 
disfranchising  those  who  sent  him 
to  Parliament,  and  to  select  others, 
by  whom  he  was  not  elected,  in 
their  stead."     Mr.  Pitt  still  more 
strongly  expresses  himself  against 
the  principle  insisted  upon  by  sir 
Charles  Wetherell,  in  the  imme- 
diately  succeeding  passage  :    ^'  I 
am   sure,*'   continued    Mr.    Pitt, 
^'  that  no  sufficient  distinction,  in 
point  of  principle,  can  be  success- 
fully maintained  for  a  single  mo- 
ment ;  nor  should  I  deem  it  ne- 
cessary to  dwell  upon  this  point  in 
the  manner  I  do,  were  I  not  con- 
vinced that    it  is  connected,    in 
part,  with  all  those  false  and  dan- 
gerous notions  on  the  subject  of 
government  which  have  lately  be- 
come too  prevalent  in  the  world. 
It  may,  in  fact,  be  traced  to  that 
gross  perversion  of  the  principles 
of  all  political  society,  which  rests 
on  the  supposition,  that  there  ex- 
ists continually,  in  every  govern- 
ment, a  sovereignty  in  abeyance, 
as  it  were,  on  the  part  of  the  peo- 
ple 3  ready  to  be  called  forth  on 
every  occasion,  or  rather  on  every 
pretence,   when  it   may  suit  the 
purposes  of  party  or  faction,  who 
are  the  advocates  of  this  doctrine, 
to  support  an  occasion  for  its  exer- 
tion."    After  an  argument  so  mas- 
terly and  overpowering,  the  House^ 
he  should  think,  must  now  have 
done   with   the   arguments  about 
corporation  robbery,  and   the  in- 
competence of  Parliament  to  deal 
with  corporate  franchises. 

Still  more  clear,  in  his  opinion, 
was  the  justice,  the  expediency. 


18]       ANNUAL   REGISTER.    1831. 


tht  oeeeMity  of  dealing  witb  these 
boroughs,  as  this  bill  did  deal  with 
them.  It  was  not  from  the  exten- 
sion of  the  franchise  that  danger 
was  to  be  apprehended.  Danger^ 
he  believed^  there  was^  but  it  came 
from  a  totally  different  and  dis- 
tinct quarter  to  that  to  which  some 
honourable  gentlemen  were  most 
ready  to  ascribe  it.  The  danger,  as 
he  conceived^  arose  from  that  blind, 
benighted^  selfish  class  of  politi- 
cian8-*^if  politicians  they  could  be 
called-— who^  in  spite  of  what  had 
passed^  and  was  still  passing  around 
them,  were  still  left  in  the  double 
night  of  ignorance  and  presump- 
tion^ and  would  rather  that  thrones 
should  be  subverted,  and  empires 
crumbled  into  dust^  than  forego 
one  iota  of  their  own  petty  inter- 
ests and  long-cherished  prejudices. 
The  last  speaker  had  taunted  the 
friends  of  Mr.  Huskisson  with 
abandoning  his  principles;  but  he 
ought  rather  to  hare  learned  wis- 
dom from  the  example  of  his  own 
former  leader  (sir  R.  Peel).  When 
that  right  hon.  gentleman  was 
doing  himself  immortal  honour  by 
carrying  through  the  Catholic  Re- 
lief Bill>  the  House  had  heard  one 
of  his  own  relations  read  against 
him  one  of  his  own  speeches.  Did 
that,  however,  deter  him  from  per- 
severing in  his  object  ?  If  it  had, 
instead  of  earning  the  high  cha- 
racter which  he  now  enjoyed,  and 
having  entitled  himself  to  the  gra* 
titude  of  the  country,  he  would 
have  held  himself  up  as  a  politi- 
cian who  had  not  studied  the  signs 
of  the  times,  and  who  had  not  the 
magnanimity,  or  the  patriotism,  to 
prefer  the  good  of  the  country  to 
his  own  consistency.  Let  not  such 
men  entertain  the  idea  that  Reform 
would  exclude  them  from  the 
House.  His  own  opinion  was,  and 
it  formed  one  of  his  reasons  for 


supporting  Reform,  that  be  did 
not  think  the  complexion  of  thai 
House,  individually,  would  be  much 
changed  by  the  success  of  the 
question.  Let  them  make  any 
change  consistent  with  the  princi* 
pies  of  the  constitution,  and  they 
would  have  the  best  men  in  that 
House  whom  the  constituency 
could  find  to  advocate  their  riffhts. 
Capacity  was  certainly  one  of  the 
qualifications  for  a  member  of  Par* 
liament,  but  capacity  might  be 
employed  in  the  wrong  way  at 
well  as  in  the  right  Great 
talents  had  done  more  harm  than 
good  in  the  history  of  this  coun- 
try ;  and  the  great  quality  neces* 
sary,  above  all,  was,  the  resolution 
to  speak  the  sentiments  of  their 
constituency  honestly,  or,  if  ther 
could  not  do  so,  consistently  wita 
their  own  opinions,  to  resign  their 
seats. 

Mr.  Baring  declared  that  the 
measure  now  proposed,  was  not  a 
reform  of  the  manner  in  which  the 
House  was  elected,  but  was,  in 
fact,  a  new  constitution.  Minis-i 
ters  might  say  that  the  old  consti- 
tution was  worn  out,  that  it  worked 
ill,  that  it  had  produced  among 
the  people  misery  and  discontent^ 
to  which  they  would  no  longer  sub-^ 
mit,  and  must  therefore  be  re- 
modelled on  new  principles.  Thie 
would  be  intelligible ;  it  would  be 
calling  things  by  their  right  name. 
But  sure  he  was,  that  what 
the  government  now  presented  as 
a  measure  of  Reform »  was  as  essen- 
tially a  qew  constitution,  as  if  it 
had  come  fresh  from  the  pigeon* 
holes  of  the  Abb^  Sieyes.  During 
a  long  course  in  Parliament,  he 
had  been  known  by  his  principlea 
to  be  almost  a  party  man  attached 
to  the  men  who  at  iiresent  formed 
the  government,  n'om  his  high 
opinion  of  their  chwactersi  and 


HISTORY  OP  EUROPE. 


[>9 


hit  belief  in  tb«  •incerity  of  tbeir 
iotontiont ;  but,  fond  of  liberty  as 
he  was — and  be  bad  been  as  con- 
stant and  as  warm  a  friend  of  li- 
berty as  any  man  in  tbat  house — 
no  consideration  could  induce  him 
to  support  the  measure  which  that 
government  had  now  proposed  for 
the  adoption  of  the  legislature. 

We  possessed  a  constitution^  in 
wbicbj  he  would  not  say  by  the 
wisdom  of  our  ancestors^  but  by  a 
long  course  of  accidental  circum- 
stances, which  might  be  more  pro- 
perly called  the  gifts  of  Providence^ 
improvement  had  been  going  on 
from  its  earliest  existence,  through 
all  its  subsequent  changes,  until  it 
bad  acquired  that*  state  which 
made  it  the  envy  of  the  world, 
and,  as  he  had  been  accustomed  to 
believe^  until  of  late  years,  the 
pride  and  glory  of  the  people  of 
this  country.  He  had  been  taught 
that  this  constitution  consisted  of 
three  estates — King,  Lords,  and 
Commons.  Pass  this  bill^  and  you 
must  reverse  the  order :  you  will 
have  a  constitution  consisting  of 
Commons,  Lords,  and  King.  Under 
the  constitution,  so  long  as  it  had 
existed,  the  contents  of  the  House 
of  Commons  had  formed  a  popular 
representation,  arising,  indeed,from 
varied  materials^  but  essentially 
representing  the  popular  interests 
of  the  country.  So  long  as  the 
Constitution  had  existed^  they  had 
bad  in  the  House  of  Commons  the 
influence  of  the  popular  body, 
mixed  up  with  mucn  of  the  influ- 
ence of  the  Crown,  and  much  of 
the  influence  of  the  aristocracy, 
with  the  influence  of  property,  of  the 
dsrgy,  and  of  all  the  variea  inter- 
ests of  which  the  public  body  is 
composed.  But  the  principle  now 
inculcated  was^  let  the  Crown  keep 
to  itself,  let   the  peers  keep  to 

tli9misl?ei|  and  1st  the  peojde  nave 


the  House  of  Commons  to  them- 
selves. That  might  be,  in  the 
opinion  of  ministers,  something 
better  than  the  constitution,  but 
assuredly  it  was  not,  and  never  had 
been,  the  constitution  ;  it  was  not 
that  constitution  which  had 
brought  us  through  three  centuries 
of  progressive  freedom  and  pros- 
perity. He  knew  well  that  it  was 
very  easy  for  shallow  minds  to  find, 
in  this  mixed  representation,  de- 
fects and  imperfections  at  which  to 
goint  their  scoffing  and  sarcasm  ; 
ut,  if  all  the  constitution-mongers 
in  the  world  had  never  been  able 
to  set  up  one^  under  which  any 
thing  approaching  to  the  same  de- 
gree of  rational  liberty^  of  order, 
and  of  happiness,  had  been  en- 
joyed b^  the  community,  then 
he  felt  himself  warranted  in  say- 
ing, that  there  was  something  in 
the  forming  such  a  constitu- 
tion, above  the  reach  of  any  body 
of  men,  and  depending  on  accident 
alone ;  and  if  we  had  been  so  fa- 
voured as  to  have  such  a  jewel 
placed  in  our  possession^  let  neither 
the  clamours  of  demagogues,  nor 
the  vain  and  self-satisfied  fancies 
of  constitution-makers,  induce  us 
^'  to  throw  a  pearl  away,  richer 
than  all  their  tribe." 

What  were  the  practical  objec- 
tions to  the  existence  of  this  mixed 
representation  in  the  House  of 
Commons?  Had  the  peers  been 
interfering  to  restrain  or  lessen  the 
freedom  of  speech,  or  to  take  from 
them  any  of  the  privileges  they 
had  formerly  possessed  ?  Had  the 
peers  been  exercising  their  influ- 
ence to  oppress  them,  and  to  pass 
laws  for  tneir  own  exclusive  ad- 
vantage against  the  interests  of 
other  classes?  He  knew  of  no 
such  thing.  On  the  contrar|r, 
while  the  mixture  of  aristocratic 
and  popular  iufluenoe  in  tbat  Houss 


40]       ANNUAL   REGISTER,    1831. 


had  been  the  greatest  promoter  of 
just  and  equal  laws ;  he  knew  of 
no  oppression  or  grievance  which 
had  sprung  from  their  union.  Was 
popular  influence  losing  its  weight 
m  the  House  by  the  increase  of 
other  influences  ?  No  ;  the  House 
of  Commons  now  responded  to  the . 
popular  wishes  more  than  at  any 
other  period  since  its  existence. 
The  popular  feeling  was  never 
more  truly  represented  there  than 
at  the  present  moment.  There 
had  been  of  late  much  restlessness 
abroad^  and  the  spirit  had  extend- 
ed itself  to  the  people  of  this 
country ;  and  let  him  ask  whether 
that  feeling  of  the  public  had  not 
shown  itself  in  that  House  ?  The 
people  did  not  know  much  what 
they  wanted^  and  he  believed  that 
House  knew  as  little  what  it  would 
have.  It  turned  out  one  ministry 
and  chose  another^  and  was  not^ 
perhaps,  very  much  disposed  to 
support  either.  The  existing  re- 
presentation was  one  upon  which 
the  opinions  of  the  people  did 
duly  act.  No  difficulty  could 
arise  to  any  interest  in  the  coun- 
try— no  branch  of  trade  or  manu- 
facture suffered  a  temporary  de- 
pression— but  committees  were  set 
afloat,  and  applications  were  forth- 
with made  to  the  government  and 
to  the  House  5  and  he  would  ven- 
ture to  assert,  that  never  were  the 
distresses  of  the  people,  under  any 
form  of  government  whatever,  con- 
sidered  with  more  parental  feeling 
and  anxiety  to  afford  them  relief. 
This  had  been  the  state  of  the  re- 
presentation, and  these  had  been 
Its  effects.  Formerly,  they  had 
been  appreciated  ana  beloved  by 
all  Englishmen.  But  it  seemed 
t}iat  new  lights  had  broken  in  upon 
them,  and  what  his  hon.  friends 
now  proposed  was,  that  the  whole 
influence  of  the  aristocracy  in  the 


representation  should  go.  The 
pnnciple  of  these  market-place  re- 
formers was,  that  the  present  con- 
stitution of  the  House  was  illegal  ; 
that  the  influence  of  the  peers, 
their  nominations,  and  their  pa- 
tronage, were  all  good  for  nothing, 
and  must  be  got  rid  of. 

After  objecting  to  the  proposed 
qualiflcation  as  being greatlyt(^  low, 
especially  for  counties,  and  stating 
that  in  France,  under  all  the  effer- 
vescence of  the  revolution  of  last 
year,  nobody  had  thought  of  going 
nelow  a  sum  equal  to  at  least  100/. 
per  annum  in  this  country,  Mr. 
Baring  (who  sat  for  Callington) 
said,  he  could  not  help  observine 
that  lord  John  Russell  had  passed 
over  Tavistock,  and  put  his  mark 
upon  Callington.  He  did  not 
know  why  Callington  should  be 
selected  more  than  Tavistock. 
There  had  been  no  corruption  in 
Callington.  He  had  never  ex« 
pended  one  shilling  in  his  election 
which  he  should  be  unwilling  to 
submit  to  the  inspection  of  any  re- 
forming member  of  that  House. 
He  did  not  charge  his  noble  friend 
with  partiality ;  but  it  was  remark- 
able, that,  when  Tavistock  was  on 
one  side,  and  Callington  on  the 
other,  Tavistock  should  escape. 
He  wished  to  know  who  drew 
the  line,  and  why  it  was  drawn  ? 
They  were  both  small  towns, 
within  ten  miles  of  each  other. 
At  the  last  election,  everything 
was  fair.  He  polled  200  votes, 
and  his  election  bill  amounted  to 
no  more  than  150/.  His  noble 
friend  said  these  objectionable  bo- 
roughs went  to  the  Treasury.  He 
did  not  know  why  Callington 
should  go  to  the  Treasury  more 
than  Tavistock,  or  why  the  duke 
of  Bedford  might  not  direct  its  two 
members  to  the  Treasury.  There 
could  be  no  doubt;  whatever  might 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[41 


be  the  fate  of  the  plan  proposed  by 
ministers^  that  Tavistock  would 
still  belong  to  the  duke  of  Bedford. 
He  thought  he  could  ensure  the 
maintenance  of  the  present  inter- 
est. If  his  grace  the  duke  of  Bed- 
ford gave  him  half-a-crown^  he 
would  ensure  the  noble  duke  the 
return  of  two  members  for  Tavis- 
tock, and  both  should  be  in  the  in- 
terest of  the  house  of  Russell. 

Lord  Palmerston^  a  disciple  of 
Mr.  Canning  and  Mr.  Huskisson^ 
followed  in  defence  of  the  ministry 
and  their  bill.  He  admitted  that^ 
however  important  had  beel|  the 
subjects  which  had  heretofore  been 
submitted  to  the  attention  of  the 
House,  there  never  had  been  one 
of  so  great  importance,  and  involv- 
ing so  many  difficulties,  as  the 
present.  Measures  heretofore 
brought  forward  had  been  single 
measures,  the  consequences  of 
which  might  be  judged  of  from 
past  experience  3  but  the  present 
was  one  which  could  not  be  tried 
upon  such  guesses;  it  was  one 
which  must  be  influential  on  the 
character  of  the  government  and 
the  people  to  all  future  time,  and 
one  which  would  have  a  direct  in- 
fluence upon  the  existence  of  the 
empire.  He  had  no  wish  to  dis- 
semble its  importance,  or  to  at- 
tempt to  underrate  it  -,  for  so  to  do 
would  be  to  declare  his  incompe- 
tence to  judge  upon  a  proposition 
which  went  to  make  a  material 
change  in  a  constitution  that  had 
so  long  been  productive  of  great 
beneflt  to  the  country.  A  love  of 
change  was  no  part  of  the  charac- 
ter of  the  people  of  England ;  pn 
the  contrary,  they  were  remark- 
able for  their  tenacious  adherence 
to  old  institutions.  When,  there- 
fore, the  public  mind  called  for  a 
change,  and  that  not  suddenly,  but 
at  the  calm  and  steady  instance  of 


those  whose  property  and  station 
put  them  in  a  position  to  judge 
wisely,  then,  he  would  say,  there 
must  exist  some  evil,  for  which  it 
became  the  serious  duty  of  Parlia- 
ment to  And  a  remedy.  Now,  in 
point  of  fact,  public  opinion  did 
call  for  a  change  in  the  Constitu- 
tion ;  and,  for  proof  of  this,  he 
need  merely  refer  to  himself  and 
his  colleagues  now  sitting  as  minis- 
ters on  the  benches  so  recently  oc- 
cupied by  thjB  present  opposition. 
It  was  his  firm  opinion,  that  no- 
thing but  the  unbending  notions 
of  a  few  men  in  power,  on  the  sub- 
ject of  Reform,  had  been  fatal  to 
the  late  ministry. 

The  present  measure  was  said 
to  go  too  far— to  be  pregnant  with 
danger  3  and  those  who  had  for- 
merly proposed,  or  supported,  more 
partial  measures,  were  now  taunted 
with  extravagance  and  inconsis- 
tency. But  he  would  tell  such 
persons  that,  if  they  foreboded 
danger,  it  became  them,  three 
years  ago,  to  have  looked  forward 
to  the  consequences  of  resisting 
those  moderate  and  necessary  re- 
forms, which,  at  that  period  more 
particularly,  lay  within  their  power. 
If  they  had  convicted  the  corrupt 
boroughs  which  were  then  brought 
under  the  cognizance  of  the  House 
— if  government,  admitting  the 
principle,  had  agreed  to  carry  it 
further,  as  circumstances  might 
arise,  and  had  transferred  the  fran- 
chise to  large  manufacturing  towns, 
the  more  general  reform  now  in- 
troduced would  not  have  become 
necessary.  He  had  supported 
these  measures  because  he  thought 
them  good  in  themselves,  and  be- 
cause he  was  convinced  that  such 
a  mode  of  proceeding  would  have 
afforded  well-grounded  hopes  of 
seeing  the  franchise  conferred  in 
time  on  all  large  manu&cturing 


i%]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1631. 


townt^  as  well  a«  on  counties  not 
sufficiently  represented.  His  pre- 
dictions^  at  that  time^  were  con- 
demned by  the  members  opposite, 
for  the  same  reasons  for  which  they 
now  condemned  the  present  mea« 
sure  I  and  he  could  only  say  in  re« 
turn>  that  he  supported  that  limit- 
ed  proposition  for  the  same  rea- 
son for  which  he  now  supported 
the  more  extensive  measure  intro- 
duced by  the  government. 

As  to  that  measure  itself,  the 
more  it  was  examined^  the  more  it 
would  be  found  to  apply  a  sound 
and  safe  remedy  to  the  points  in 
which  the  existing  representation 
was  defective,  and  these  were^  that 
a  single  individual  could  return 
members — that  the  grossest  cor- 
ruption prevailed  both  in  great 
and  in  small  boroughs — that  manu- 
facturing and  trading  towns  had 
no  representatives— that  elections 
were  expensive — that  the  franchise 
was  unequally  distributed  among 
the  middle  classes.  That  nomina* 
tion  boroughs  had  their  partial 
advantages  by  giving  seats  to  per^ 
sons  of  splendid  talent  and  great 
capacity,  who  could  not  otherwise 
have  got  in  ;  and  that  they  had 
not  injured  popular  interests^  as 
many  of  the  individuals  returned 
for  such  boroughs  had  been  the 
champions  of  popular  rights,  might 
be  very  true;  but  the  question 
wa8>  how  can  you  provide  for  large 
towns  without  disfranchising  bo- 
roughs ?  It  seemed  to  be  admitted 
on  the  other  side  that  the  large 
manufacturing  towns  ought  to  be 
brought  in;  but  room  could  not 
be  made  for  them>  unless  the  smaller 
boroughs  were  excluded —for  the 
House,  as  it  now  existed,  was 
already  too  numerous  for  business. 
It  had  been  insinuated,  if  not  openly 
stated^  that  the  line  between  the 
boroughs  to  be  disfranchised^  and 


those  to  be  preserved,  had  been  to 
drawn  as  to  preserve  the  influence 
of  some  particular  party,  and  Tavi^ 
stock  had  been  pointed  at  as  having 
suspiciously  escaped  proscription. 
Whoever  could  seriously  believe 
that  any  such  partial  considera** 
tions  had  been  regarded,  only 
shewed  that  his  views  on  the 
question  were  not  entitled  to  much 
weight.  It  was  necessary  to  draw 
a  line  somewhere,  and  the  difficulty 
was  to  determine  what  point  of 
population  it  ought  to  pass  through 
-•-neither  was  it  true  that  the  bill 
was  founded  merely  on  population. 
Population  had  been  adopted  to 
ascertain  what  places  ought  to  send 
members ;  but,  among  the  popula- 
tion of  these  places,  it  was  property 
which  regulated  the  distribution 
of  the  franchise ;  and  the  eifect  of 
the  plan  would  be,  to  extend  tho 
franchise  to  the  great  body  of  re- 
spectable householders,  who  had  an 
interest  in  preserving  the  institu- 
tions of  the  country.  Instead  of 
separating  the  respectable  and  in- 
telligent classes  of  society  from  the 
aristocracy,  it  would  unite  j^hem, 
while  it  would  likewise  form  a 
bond  between  the  former  and  the 
government.  He  would  not  deny 
that  the  House,  as  at  present  con- 
stituted, contained  much  intelli* 
gence  and  ability ;  but  still  it  was 
not  that  House  of  Commons  which 
the  people  of  England  wished,  nor 
that  which  they  would  be  most  likely 
to  regard  with  respect.  If  there 
were  any  classes  who  required  more 
than  others  proper  representation, 
they  were  the  inhabitants  of  large 
manufacturing  towns  j  they  needed 
representatives  who  understood 
their  interests,  and  who  might  be 
ready  to  watch  over  them.  For 
this  purpose  the  government  had 
proposed  to  give  thirty-six  mem^ 
bers  to  the  manufacturing  towns  j 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[43 


and  bioaui«  this  was  done>  a  cry 
was  raised  that  the  system  was 
destroyed.     But  how  could  such 
an  assertion  bear  a  hearings  when 
it  was  known  that,  to  counter- 
balance this,  fifty-five  members  had 
been  added  to  the  counties,  and 
that  those  who  voted  for  towns 
were  to  have  no  vote  for  the  county 
members?      The  landed  interest 
well  merited  this    consideration, 
and  he  looked  upon  it  as  the  basis 
on  which  the  best  interests  of  so- 
ciety and  the  sacred  institutions  of 
the  country  rested.     In  making 
this  ebservation,  he  meant  no  dis- 
paragement to  the  manufacturing 
and  trading  community,  because, 
be  was  well  aware  that  wherever 
there  was  property,  there  must  be 
a  co-existing  interest  in  the  insti- 
tutions  of  the  country.     The  ten- 
dency of  the  bill,  too,  to  prevent 
corruption     was    obvious.       The 
present    mode   of    election    was 
the  most  offensive  and  disgusting 
that  could  be  imagined.      At  a 
general  election,  a  third  man  was 
always  wanted  -,   but  10/.  or  12/. 
a-head  must  be  paid,  one  half  down, 
and  the  other  at  tJie  close  of  the 
election.     This  species  of  abuse 
was  chiefly  practised  bv  the  non- 
resident voters;  and  by  doing  away 
with  that  class,  the  evil  would  at 
least  be  diminished.  Electors,  again, 
in  most  cases,  consulted  not  so  much 
the  fitness  of  the  candidates  as  the 
length  of  their  purses.     The  man 
who,  whatever  were  his  endow- 
ments, could  not  pay  his  agents, 
his  houses,  and  post-horse  charges, 
till  the  fourteenth  day,  was  obliged 
to  retire.    This  evil  the  bill  would 
remedy  by  shortening  the  duration 
of  elections,  and  empowering  voters 
to  poll  at  different  places  at  the 
same  time. 

Sir  Robert  Peel>  who  was  now 
loudly  called  for^  said  that  he  caxne 


to  the  consideration  of  the  tremtn« 
dous  subject    before   the  House, 
with  feelings  of  pain  and  humilia- 
tion beyond  any  thing  he  had  ever 
experienced  in  considering  a  ques<i 
tion  of  this  description.     He  was 
asked  to  adopt  a  new  constitution^ 
and  he  was  not  asked  to  do  this, 
after  a  calm  and  dispassionate  in- 
quiry,  but   was  called   upon    to 
take  this  hasty  step  by  an  appeal 
to  motives,  to  act  on  which  would 
be  subjecting  his  judgment  to  his 
fears,  instead  of  controlling    his 
fears  by  his  judgment.    Why  had 
the  king's  name  been  introduced } 
Why  had  it  been  atated  in  an- 
other place    that  this  plan  had 
received  the    particular   sanction 
of   the    king?      AVas    it    necet« 
sary,   day  i^ter   day,  to  state  in 
both   Houses  of  parliament,  and 
from  the  public  press,   that  this 
measure  was  brought  forward  with 
his  majesty's    express    sanction? 
He  held  it  to  be  no  imputation 
upon  his  respect  and  loyalty  to  the 
crown^  if  he  disregarded  the  inti- 
mation that  the  king  had  stamped 
the  measure   with   the   royal  ap-> 
probation ;  and  if,  as  a  member  of 
parliament,  he  exercised  his  judg.* 
ment  on  the  merits  of  the  question 
as  unreservedly  as  if  no  such  inti-* 
mation  had  been   obtruded  upon 
them  day  after  day.     Then  the 
House  was  menacea  with  dissolu- 
tion— an  event  equally  probable  if 
the  measure  were  earned.     But 
he  cared  not  whether  the  House 
were    dissolved    or    not,   and  he 
would  be  unfit  for  the  performance 
of  a  single  legislative  duty,  if  he 
permitted  any  such  menace  to  influ- 
ence him.     He  cared  not  whether 
he  was  returned  again  or  not ;  but 
if  he  felt  any  anxiety  on  that  head, 
he  would  go  to  his  constituents 
with  this  bill   in   his  hand,  and 
would  plead  special  claims  to  their 


44]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


renewed  confidence  in  his  deter- 
mined opposition  to  it.  He  would 
tell  them  that  the  bill  had  been 
brouffht  in  to  deprive  them  of  their 
constitutional  privileges^  without 
any  allegation  of  necessity^  without 
any  case  being  made  out  against 
them,  and  that  he  had  opposed  it. 
He  knew  they  had  never  abused 
their  rights — that  the  humblest 
man  amongst  them  had  never  asked 
or  received  a  bribe — and,  till  the 
necessity  of  the  measure  was  es- 
tablished by  more  cogent  argu- 
ments than  he  had  yet  heard,  he 
would  never  consent  to  deprive 
them  of  rights  which  the  constitu- 
tion gave  them,  and  which  they 
had  innocently  and  honestly  ex- 
ercised. 

But  he  was  told  that  he  must 
adopt  the  new  constitution  as  the 
only  alternative  to  prevent  civil 
commotion :  he  was  to  be  scared 
from  the  exercise  of  his  deliberate 
judgment  on  a  peculiai'ly  complex 
and  important  question,  by  the 
apprehension  of  a  threatened  massa- 
cre. If  it  was  so—which  no  man 
who  knew  the  people  of  England 
could  believe — let  those  answer  for 
it,  who  had  preferred  manifesting 
their  ability  to  destroy,  rather  than 
their  capacity  to  govern.  "I,  at 
least,  am  not  one  who  has  industri- 
ously laboured  to  excite  the  stormy 
multitude,  and  employed  all  his 
faculties  to  foster  discontent.  I, 
at  least,  have  never  uttered  the 
language  used  by  a  noble  lord  in 
1827>  who  found  the  people  peace- 
ful, quiet,  and  contented,  ana  com- 
plained that  he  could  not  rouse 
their  indignation  against  the 
House  of  Commons,  and  grieved 
that  they  were  so  apathetic  as  to 
be  deaf  to  the  voice  of  the  charmer, 
charm  he  never  so  wisely.  I,  at 
least,  have  never  called  for  a  list 
of  privy  councillors^  in  order  to 


direct  against  them  the  torrent  of 
popular  resentment  on  account  of 
the  remuneration  which  they  re- 
ceived for  their  services.  I  have 
never  encouraged  any  body  of  men 
to  display,  under  the  very  eyes  of 
the  government,  a  foreign  emblem 
of  revolution.  I  have  never  been 
the  person  to  excite  the  people  to 
phrensy,  or  to  spur  on  their  lazy 
indifference  to  an  emulous  compe- 
tition in  revolutionary  clamour.  If, 
therefore,  this  extraordinary  mea- 
sure, which  common  prudence 
would  have  forborne  to  introduce 
at  such  a  crisis  of  our  foreign  and, 
domestic  relations,  when  every 
fresh  cause  of  excitement  ought  to 
have  been  studiously  avoided — if 
it  should  be  defeated,  I  shall  never 
allow  that  any  responsibility  for 
the  consequences  attaches  to  my- 
self or  to  those  who  have  thought 
and  acted  like  me.'* 

Sir  Robert  went  on  to  say  that 
he  must  repeat  the  question,  to 
which  no  answer  had  yet  been 
given  by  the  other  side;  what 
practical  evils  has  the  constitution 
inflict^  on  the  country,  to  render 
it  deserving  of  a  sentence  of 
proscription.  -  If  the  constitution 
as  it  existed,  existed  exclusively 
for  the  benefit  of  those  whom  it 
was  the  fashion  to  term  borough - 
mongers,  and  if  in  them  only  all 
its  benefits  centered,  argument  in 
its  defence  would  be  nugatory; 
but  no  such  assertion  could  be 
ventured,  and  it  would  not  be 
difficult  to'  make  a  calm  and 
temperate  appeal  to  the  people  of 
England  on  behalf  of  their  old 
English  constitution.  It  was  in 
vain  to  say  that  this  or  that  par- 
ticular part  appeared  to  answer  no 
rational  end.  The  question  was, 
what  mischief  has  it  done,  and 
what  is  its  action  as  apart  of  the 
whole?      Who  would  pretend  to 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[45 


judge  of  the  symmetry  and  pro- 
portions of  the  human  frame,  of 
its  organs,  faculties^  and  endow- 
ments, which  fell  so  little  short  of 
angelic  existence  itself,  by  merely 
examining  an  isolated  member  or 
detached  feature  of  the  fabric  when 
perfect  as  created }  It  was  the 
form  of  government  to  which  all 
ancient  wisdom^  and  all  mode'rn 
experience  had  borne  testimony, 
and  of  which  all  that  wisdom  and 
all  that  experience  proved,  that  no 
sagacity^  of  any  one  body  of  men, 
could  bring  it  into  existence.  The 
House  had  already  heard  stated 
the  opinions  of  our  most  distin- 
guished modern  statesmen ;  but 
one  still  remained  to  be  adduced^ 
and  that  one  was  the  noble  mover 
himself  of  the  present  bill.  In  the 
session  of  1819^  that  noble  lord, 
when  speaking  on  the  disfranchise- 
ment of  a  corrupt  borough  in 
Cornwall,  had  said,  that  he  would 
consider  a  general  disfranchisement 
of  the  unconvicted  boroughs  as  a 
re-construction  of  the  House 
of  Commons  altogether,  and  he 
went  on  thus  : — "  Old  Sarum 
had  existed  when  Montesquieu 
pronounced  the  constitution  of 
England  the  nearest  to  perfection 
of  any  which  the  most  enlightened 
states  had  ever  before  experienced. 
When  lord  Somers,  and  the  other 
great  legislators  and  philosophers 
who  flourished  with  him^  bore 
attestation  to  its  merits^  it  was 
open  to  the  same  objections  which 
were  since  urged  against  it  3  and 
when  Hampden  lost  his  life,  Rut- 
land returned  the  same  number  of 
representatives  as  Yorkshire.  He 
was  not  inclined,  with  the  pseudo 
merchant  in  the  fable^  to  cry,  '*  new 
lamps  for  old,"  and  would  not  con- 
sent to  exchange  the  instrument 
which  had  created  so  much  national 
prosperity    for  a  burnished    and 


tinselled  article  of  modem  manu- 
facture. Neither  would  he  will- 
ingly throw  our  political  system 
into  the  wheel  on  the  chance  of 
obtaining  a  prize  in  the  lottery  of 
constitutions."  Such  had  been  the 
noble  lord's  judicious^  and,  at  the 
present  moment^  seasonable  warn- 
ing against  the  danger  of  rashly 
departing  from  the  practical  wis- 
dom of  mankind  during  centuries 
of  historical  experience — proffered, 
too,  at  the  critical  juncture  of  the 
year  1819,  when  the  Six  Acts  had 
passed,  when  the  seizure  of  arms 
bill,  the  blasphemous  libel  bill,  and 
the  newspaper  stamp  bill,  were 
in  actual  progress  through  the 
House.  If  such  was  the  line  of 
argument  of  the  noble  lord  in 
1819,  he,  in  his  lordship's  lan- 
guage, would  now  call  upon  the 
House  to  prefer  the  solid  ancient 
lamp  of  the  constitution  to  the 
tinsel  of  modern  sophistry. 

Looking  at  such  opinions  as  con- 
trasted with  the  proposed  bill,  he  de- 
clared that  he  could  see  in  the  latter 
only  the  instrument  of  men  endea- 
vouring to  retain  power.  If  minis- 
ters had  felt  it  necessary  to  propose 
a  safe  and  moderate  measure  of  re- 
form of  some  branches  of  our  repre- 
sentation, he  would  most  probably 
have  acted  on  the  views  taken  by 
some  other  members,  of  the  danger 
to  be  apprehended  from  all  resist- 
ance to  change,  and  have  given  it 
his  support  as  a  private  individual, 
though  he  might  not  have  thought 
it  fit  to  originate  it  in  an  official 
capacity.  He  would  not  have  ob- 
jected to  a  measure  for  extending 
the  elective  franchise  to  some  places 
not  at  present  possessing  it.  But 
he  could  not  consent  to  a  measure, 
which,  in  the  words  of  its  very 
mover,  went  to  reconstruct  that 
House ;  and,  be  the  consequences 
what  they  might,  so  wholly  did  he 


46]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


despair  of  being  able  to  modify  the 
noble  lord's  bill  into  a  kind  oi  mo- 
derate  measure  less  objectionable^ 
that  he  would  oppose  the  plan  alto- 
gether. And  why  would  he  act 
thus?  Because^  having  atten^ 
tively  listened  to  the  noble  mover's 
statement^  and  to  all  that  had  been 
subsequently  said  for  and  against 
it^  he  felt  convinced  that  if  the 
noble  lord's  argument  was  good  for 
anything^  the  measure  which  he 
then  proposed  could  not  be  a  final 
one)  but  a  mere  precedent  to  still 
more  dangerous  innovations.  The 
noble  lord  had  told  them  that  he 
found  the  ancient  constitution  of 
this  country  in  25  Edward  I.^  and 
in  the  statute  de  tallasio  non  cou" 
cedendo.  But  what  did  these  sta- 
tutes express  ?  Simply  that  "taxes 
should  not  be  levied  without  the 
oonsent  of  the  commonalty  of  the 
realm."  And  then,  argued  the 
noble  lord^  if  reform  be  a  question 
of  right,  which  he  held  it  to  be^ 
here  was  the  right  anciently  esta- 
blished. If  this  were  the  right 
principle  of  the  case^  how  far  had 
the  proposer  of  this  bill  consulted 
it^  when  he  proposed  to  disfran- 
chise so  many  thousands  of  those 
upon  whom  taxes  are  levied  ?  Did 
he  assume  that  the  law  admitted 
of  such  a  distinction  ?  It  did  not; 
yet  he  would  at  once  disfranchise 
all  tax  payers  rated  under  1 0/.  How 
could  he  justify  this  his  distinction^ 
particularly  upon  his  own  premises? 
Where  was  there  here  any  regard 
to  principle  and  right  ? 

But  practical  consequences  were 
still  more  important  than  abstract 
principles;  and  one  of  the  worst 
things  about  this  bill  was^  its  ine- 
vitable tendency  to  sever  every  link 
of  connexion  between  the  poorer 
classes^  and  that  class  from  which 
representatives  were  commonly 
dhosen.    The  great  characteristic 


feature>  and  the  practical  working 
of  the  present  system  of  represent- 
ation was,  that  it  enabled  every 
class  in  the  community  to  have  a 
voice,  in  some  way  or  other^  in  the 
election  of  the  members  of  that 
House.  He  did  not  mean  to  say 
that  the  franchise  should  be  ex- 
tended to  all  the  members  of  all 
the  classes  of  the  community^  but 
that  the  constitution  worked  well 
from  having  here  and  there  an  en* 
trance  channel  for  the  broadest 
principle  of  popular  representation. 
If  it  was  proposed  to  him  to  make 
a  selection  between  the  franchise 
in  force  in  Windsor  and  that  in 
force  in  Preston,  he  would  not 
hesitate  to  prefer  the  former;  but 
he  would  not  therefore  abolish  the 
Preston  franchise  and  assimilate  it  to 
that  in  Windsor  :  all  that  he  would 
do  was  to  take  care  not  to  take  it 
as  the  model  for  his  plan  of  ex- 
tending the  franchise  to  other 
places ;  but  not  so  the  present 
bill.  It  would  disfranchise  all 
those  open  boroughs,  the  voters  of 
which  were  not  rated  at  10/.^ 
though  no  reason  had  been,  or 
could  be,  adduced  for  depriving 
the  freemen  of  Coventry,  or  the 
pot-walloppers  of  Preston,  of  their 
franchise.  Would  not,  he  put  it 
to  the  noble  lord  and  the  House^ 
the  effect  of  this  disqualifying 
principle  be  the  affixing  a  politicid 
stigma  upon  those  not  eligible  to 
vote  under  the  10/.  qualification  ? 
He  could  not  consent  to  the  mea- 
sure, were  it  only  on  this  ground ; 
for  he  could  not  consent  to  a  stig- 
ma upon  from  200  to  300  of  his 
constituents  whom  the  bill  would 
disfranchise;  to  be  left,  forsooth,  to  a 
privy  council  arrangement  by  which 
others  might  possibly  be  enabled 
to  vote  from  an  adjoining  parish. 
Lord  Palmerston  bad  talkea  much 
of  the  great  check  which  would  h% 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[47 


giren  to  corruption  by  disfran* 
chising  nOD-resident  voters ;  yet 
his  lordship  represented  the  Uni- 
yersitv  of  Cambridge,  and  what 
would  his  nonoresident  constitu- 
ents say  to  such  an  arrangement  ? 
[Here  it  was  intimated  across  the 
House,  that  this  provision  would 
not  be  applied  to  the  universities, 
on  which  sir  R.  Peel  exclaimed] 
"No!  what!  is  this  their  general 
rule  that  has'no  exception  ?  the  rea- 
son, the  peculiar  beauty  of  which  is, 
that  it  applies  unflinchingly  and 
without  exception  to  all  classes  and 
places.  What  does  it  do  ?  It  makes 
an  exception  of  a  body— the  clergy, 
the  very  men  who  least  need  being 
made  an  exception ;  while  it  de- 
prives the  less  protected  poor  man  of 
the  privilege  of  voting,where  he  does 
not  possess  a  house  rated  at  1 0//' 

To  the  convincing  fact,  that  the 
close  boroughs  were  advantageous, 
by  bringing  in  men  who  had  no- 
thing  but  ability  to  recommend 
them,  nothing  liKe  an  answer  had 
yet  been  given,  though  two  had 
been  attempted.  The  *  answer  of 
Mr.  Hobhouse  was,  that  it  was  not 
desirable  that  men  of  splendid  ta- 
lents should  be  members  of  that 
House— that  in  a  reformed  parlia- 
ment solid  sense  and  integrity 
would  be  more  highly  valuecf. 
Now,  on  the  other  hand,  he  main- 
tained, nothing  tended  more  to 
foster  the  public  respect  for  that 
House  than  its  being  the  great 
arena  of  talent  and  eloquence,  and 
that  nothing  would  lower  it  more 
in  public  estimation  than  that  it 
should  be  below  the  average  ability 
of  educated  gentlemen.  Mr.  Mac- 
aulay>  again,  argued  that  the  intro- 
duction of  able  and  useful  men  was 
only  an  accident,  and  you  must 
judge  of  the  fitness  of  institutions, 
not  by  their  accidents,  but  by  their 
ttodencies.    Now>  he  was  content 


to  judge  by  the  tendency,  and  not 
by  the  accident,  of  the  close  bo- 
rough system,  and  would  maintain 
that  the  tendency  was  essentially 
favourable  to  the  entrance  of  men 
of  ability  into  that  ^ouse.     He 
had  that  morning  turned  over  the 
names  of  from  twenty  to  twenty- 
five  of  the  most  distinguished  men 
that  had  graced  that  house  for  the 
last  thirty  or  forty  years ;  and  he 
found  that,  with  three  exceptions, 
they  were  all  returned  for  boroughs 
which  the  present  bill  would  wholly 
disfranchise.  There  was  Mr.  Dun- 
ning,   lord  North,  J.   Townsend, 
Mr.  Burke,  Mr.  Flood,  Mr.  Pitt, 
Mr.  Fox,  lord  Granville,  the  mar- 
quis Wellesley,  Mr.  Percival,  lord 
Plunkett,  Mr.  Canning,  Mr.  Wind- 
ham, Mr.  Horner,  Mr.  Huskisson, 
Mr.  Brougham,  sir  S.  Romilly,  lord 
Castlereagh,  Mr.  Tierney,  sir  W. 
Grant,  lord  Grey,  and  the  late  lord 
Liverpool — all   first  returned  for 
close  boroughs,  and  but  three  of 
them  ever  members  for  counties. 
Nor  was  the  mere  facility  of  ad- 
mission the  only  benefit.     The  in- 
troduction, by  affording  them  an  op- 
portunity of  displaying  their  legis- 
lative ability,  recommended  them, 
at  a  more  mature  age,  to  places 
enjoying  a  more  extensive  fran- 
chise ;  and  when,  again,  from  ca- 
price, from  the  loss  of  popularity 
— a  loss  so  easily,  and  how  often 
most    honourably  incurred — they 
were  deprived  of  these  latter  seats, 
the  close  boroughs  secured  to  the 
country  the  continuance  of  their  in- 
valuable services.    Burke  had  been 
repelled  from  Bristol,  to  take  refuge 
in  Malton ;    when   Sheridan  was 
defeated    at    Stafford,    he    found 
shelter  at  Ilchester  j   Mr.  Wind- 
ham,  having  failed    at  Norwich, 
sat  for   Higham   Ferrers.     Lord 
Castlereagh  lost  his  election  in  the 
county  of  Down,    and  was    r^f^ 


48]         ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


turned  for  Oxford.  Mr.  Tierney, 
when  he  lost  Southwark^  was  re- 
turned for  Knaresborough ;  and 
lord  Grey  for  Tavistock,  when  de- 
feated in  Northumberland.  And 
yet  this  system,  working  so  adran- 
tageously  for  the  public  weal,  so 
fostering  of  talent  and  statesman- 
like ability,  was  to  be  destroyed 
for  the  sake  of  a  new  theory  and 
an  untried  experiment ! 

Against  these  untried  theories, 
we  had  long  experience  of  the  con- 
stitution as  it  is,  and  in  what  re- 
spect had  it  failed  to  attain  all  the 
desirable  ends  of  good  government  ? 
It  had  been  in  force,  in  its  present 
form,  for  a  century  and  a  half,  and 
he  had  not  yet  found  a  man  bold 
enough  to  declare  that  the  expcr 
rience  of  history  had  produced  any 
form  of  government,  so  calculated  to 
promote  the  happiness,  to  secure 
the  rights  and  liberties,  to  foster 
all  that  ought  to  be  the  boast  and 
glory  of  a  free  and  enlightened 
people.  Many  other  experiments 
had  been  tried  to  engraft  democra- 
tical  upon  monarchical  institutions. 
In  France,  in  Spain,  in  Portugal, 
in  the  Netherlands,  in  almost  every 
country,  the  experiment  had  been 
tried  of  uniting  democracy  with 
monarchy,  and  in  all  of  them  it 
had  signally  failed.  In  England 
alone  had  that  mixed  constitution 
succeeded.  During  the  last  150 
years,  England,  under  its  protec- 
tion, had  stood  the  shock  of  a  dis- 
puted succession— of  long  wars— 
of  almost  every  evil  that  could  be- 
fal  a  state.  During  that  period, 
every  other  country  in  Europe  had 
suffered  invasion-^had  submitted 
to  a  change  of  dynasty,  or  been 
compelled  to  bow  the  neck  to  a 
foreign  power.  England,  by  the 
free  hearts  which  her  constitution 
alone  created  and  encouraged,  had 
stood    untouched.      Did  not   all 


history  teach  us,  that  the  great 
danger  of  great  nations  was  the. 
danger  of  a  successful  military 
chieftain  attaching  to  himself  the 
affections  of  his  legions,  and  being 
misled  by  vanity  to  turn  the  arms, 
which  he  had  first  employed  for  the 
defence  of  his  country,  to  his  own 
ambition  and  aggrandizement.  Had 
not  the  presentconstitutionof  Eng. 
land  saved  it,  for  more  than  a  cen- 
tury and  a  half  of  military  glory, 
from  that  unfortunate  accident?, 
The  staff  of  Marlborough,  the 
greatest  chieftain  of  his  age,  had 
been  broken  in  this  country  with 
impunity ;  and  had  not  the  baton 
of  the  duke  of  Wellington,  the  most 
illustrious  commander  of  the  pre- 
sent age,  before  whose  culminat- 
ing star  even  the  fortunes  of  Na- 
poleon had  quailed — had  not  that 
baton  crumbled  into  atoms  before 
the  vote  of  that  very  House  ?  All 
this  had  been  done  by  the  con- 
stitution which  we  enjoyed :  it  had 
served  all  the  purposes  of  govern- 
ment, as  no  constitution  had  ever 
done ;  and,  up  to  the  present  mo- 
ment, no  one  practical  advantage 
had  been  held  out  as  the  natural 
result  of  the  proposed  change.  AH 
the  reasons  which  had  been  urged 
to  the  House  centered  in  this,  that 
it  was  necessary  to  conciliate  public 
opinion.  No  better  way,  it  seemed, 
of  conciliating  public  opinion  could 
be  devised  than  increasing  the  con- 
stituency of  the  country  by  half  a 
million  of  electors.  Well,  then,  if 
another  government,  equally  anx- 
ious to  participate  in  the  favour  of 
what  was  made  the  public,  should 
propose  to  add  another  half  million, 
their  argument  must  be  entitled  to 
the  same  success.  Formerly,  when 
reform  was  proposed,  some  practical 
tangiblegain  was  promised;  now  no 
such  consequence  was  proclaimed. 
We  used  to  be.promised  that;  when? 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[49 


the  constitution  of  the  House  of 
Commons  should  undergo  a  change^ 
securities  could  be  taken  to  pre- 
vent it  from  engaging  us  in  ruin- 
ous wars.  All  persons  who  knew 
any  thing  of  history  were  well 
aware  that,  of  all  governments,  po- 
pular governments  were  the  most 
warlike.  Mr.  Fox  had  left  it  on 
record,  that  the  American  war  was 
highly  popular  at  its  commence- 
ment. At  a  later  period,  it  had 
been  asserted  by  other  statesmen, 
inferior  only  to  him,that  all  the  wars, 
in  which  we  had  been  subsequent- 
ly engaged,  were  popular  at  their 
outset,  but  had  lost  the  favour  of 
the  people  on  the  first  appearance 
of  failure.  We  used  to  be  told, 
that  retrenchment  of  the  expendi- 
ture would  be  the  first  step  of  a  re- 
formed parliament  -,  but  now  this 
reforming  government  itself  had 
already  declared  that  farther  re- 
trenchment was  impossible.  We 
used  also  to  be  told,  that  reform 
was  necessary  to  check  the  enor- 
mous power  of  the  crown  in  the 
House  of  Commons.  That,  too, 
was  no  longer  repeated — and  with 
good  reason.  Would  any  member 
venture  to  state  it  as  his  grave 
opinion  that  any  influence  could 
successfully  contend  in  that  House 
with  the  influence  of  public  opi- 
nion } 

And  what  was,  in  truth,  the  cha- 
racter of  those  public  wishes  which 
were  to  be  gratified  even  by  the 
destruction  of  the  constitution  .?  If 
members  would  only  look  at  the 
history  of  the  reform  question,  they 
would  find  that  it  was  the  mere  play- 
thing of  foreign  example,  or  do- 
mestic distress,  and  that  when- 
ever it  was  much  agitated,  some 
dire  misfortune  lurked  behind.  It 
came  forth  with  great  pomp  of  cir- 
cumstance in  the  year  of  rebellion 

Vol.  LXXIII. 


of  1745  ;  it  was  brought  promi- 
nently forward  during  the  Ameri- 
can war  ;  it  was  brought  forward 
at  the  commencement  of  the  French 
war;  and,  to  come  to  our  own 
times,  it  was  brought  prominently 
forward  in  the  years  1817,  1819, 
and  1 822 ;  in  a  word,  at  every  pe- 
riod when  there  was  either  great 
commercial  or  great  agricultural 
distress  in  the  country,  reform  was 
brought  conspicuously  forward, and 
was  certain  to  find  favour  in  the 
eyes  of  the  people.  It  was  brought 
forward,  too,  at  periods  when  the 
excitement  of  foreign  revolutions 
misled  the  judgment  of  the  British 
public,  and,  deluding  them  with 
a  false  love  of  liberty,  rendered 
them  discontented  with  the  mo- 
derate freedom  which  they  enjoyed. 
Mr.  Pitt  was  its  advocate  and 
champion  in  1780,  when  the  esta- 
blishment of  American  independ- 
ence, after  a  successful  struggle 
with  this  country,  had  deluded  the 
enthusiastic  lovers  of  freedom  with 
notions  of  liberty  which  it  was  dif- 
ficult to  comprehend.  From  the 
year  1785  to  the  year  1790,  the 
question  of  reform  slept  in  lethargy 
like  that  of  the  grave ;  but  in  the 
latter  year  the  appalling  events 
of  the  French  revolution  recalled 
it  into  life,  and  inspired  it  with 
new  power.  When  the  present 
lord  Durham  brought  it  forward 
in  the  year  1821,  he  appealed  to 
the  events  which  then  had  just 
taken  place  in  Spain,  as  the  dawn 
of  liberty  over  this  benighted 
country.  Again,  with  the  events 
of  the  last  French  revolution  fresh 
in  the  recollection  of  the  country, 
he  had  no  hesitation  in  saying, 
that  the  same  experiment  was  again 
in  agitation,  and  the  country  was 
again  expecting  that  it  could  im- 
prove its  own  liberty  from  the  ex- 
[E] 


50]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


ample  of  what  had  recently  passed 
in  France.  "  Oh !  let  us  wait 
until  we  see  the  result  of  that  ex- 
periment, for  it  is  proper  that  we 
should  pause  before  we  make  it  in 
our  own  happy  country.  Before 
we  venture  upon  it,  let  us  feel 
assured  that  the  liberty,  which  now 
exists  in  France,  if  it  be  the  off- 
spring of  a  just  revolution,  is  that 
liberty  which  has  justice  and  virtue 
as  its  companions,  and  peace  and 
prosperity  as  its  attendants.  I  see 
at  present  no  reasons  for  expect- 
ing such  consequences  to  ema- 
nate from  the  late  revolution  in 
France,  and  I  deprecate,  above  all 
things j  making  the  revolution  in 
•France  a  precedent  for  a  revolu- 
tion in  this  country.  Let  us,  there- 
fore^  remain  content  with  the  well- 
tempered  freedom  which  we  now 
enjoy,  and  which  we  have  the 
means  of  securing,  if  we  act  with 
ordinary  discretion.  I  lament  ex- 
ceedingly that  government  should 
have  determined  to  agitate  such  a 
question  as  that  of  reform  at  this 
particular  crisis;  it  would  have 
been  wiser,  in  my  opinion,  to  have 
avoided  these  new  causes  of  excite- 
ment, for,  depend  upon  it,  that 
by  this  process  throughout  this 
land  the  first  seeds  of  discontent 
and  disunion  are  sown.  In  every 
town  there  will  be  a  conflict — a 
moral  conflict,  I  mean — between 
the  possessors  of  existing  authority 
and' existing  privileges,  and  those 
to  wliom  the  existing  authority  and 
the-  existing  privileges  are  to  be 
transferred.  Oh  !  sir,  I  lament  be- 
yond measure  that  government  had 
not  the  prudence  to  adhere  to  that 
temperate  course  of  policy  which 
they  have  pursued  elsewhere.  I 
lament  that,  if  they  did  think  it 
necessary  to  propose  a  plan  of  re- 
form in  this  excited  state  of  the 


public  mind,  they  did  not  confine 
it  within  those  narrow  limits  which 
are  consistent  with  the  safety  of 
the  country,  and  the  dignity  of 
their  own  characters.  They  have 
thought  proper,  however,  to  adopt 
another  course:  they  have  sent 
through  the  land  the  fire-brand  of 
agitation :  and  it  is  easy  so  far  to 
imitate  the  giant  enemy  of  the 
Philistines,  as  to  send  fire-brands 
tl^rough  the  country,  carrying  dan- 
ger and  dismay  in  all  quarters;  but 
it  is  not  easy,  when  the  mischief 
is  done,  to  find  a  remedy.  In  the 
present  difiiculties  of  your  situa- 
tion, you  should  take  care  that  you 
do  not  signalize  your  own  destruc- 
tion by  bowing  down  the  pillars  of 
the  edrifice  of  your  liberty,  which, 
with  all  its  imperfections,  still 
contains  the  noblest  society  of  free- 
men known  to  the  habitable  world/' 

Mr.  Duucombe  said,  he  was  one 
of  those  who  had  taken  part  in  put- 
ting in  the  present  ministers; 
and  he  had  been  desirous  to  afford 
them  his  utmost  support,  and  to 
stand  by  them,  especially  in  any  ra- 
tional and  practical  reform.  But  no 
friendly  feelings  which  he  might 
entertain  towards  them  could  ever 
justify  him  in  supporting  them 
in  a  bill  like  this,  which  was  re- 
volutionary as  regarded  the  con- 
stitution, insulting  as  regarded 
the  House,  unprincipled,  partial, 
and  oppressive  as  regarded  the 
country.  Mr.  John  Smith,  al- 
though proprietor  of  the  borough 
of  Midhurst,  declared,  that  when 
the  proposed  measure  was  first  ex- 
plained to  the  House,  "  it  almost 
took  away  his  breath,  so  much  had 
he  been  delighted  with  it;"  and 
if  any  member  would  move  the  dis- 
franchisement of  MJdhur8,the  would 
give  him  his  cordial  support. 

Mr.  Calcraft  had  been  thought 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[51 


ft  pretty  good  reformer^  but  now 
found  himself  "  a  puny  whipster." 
He  had  often  expressed  his  opinion^ 
he  said^  that  the  present  system 
did  not  work  well  -,  but  he  was 
sure  that  the  new  one  would  work 
a  great  deal  worse.  He  had  been 
prepared,  before  the  measure  was 
opened^  to  support  ministers  in 
their  reform^  never  imagining  it 
possible  that  they  could  fall  upon 
what  they  were  now  attempting  5 
and  the  present  difference  between 
him  and  them  was  this^  that  he  was 
for  reform,  and  they  were  for  revo- 
lution. He  never  would  agree  to 
a  measure  which  would  render  the 
legislature  the  mere  slave  of  popu- 
lar opinion^  and  enable  one  estate 
to  destroy  the  others.  If  this  bill 
were  passed,  they  might  depend 
upon  it  that  the  change  would  not 
stop  where  the  government  wished 
it  to  stop :  the  end  would  be,  that 
they  must  convert  the  monarchy 
into  a  republic. 

Mr.  Stanley,  secretary  for  Ire- 
land, the  most  adroit  debater 
whom  ministers  had  to  fight  their 
battle  in  the  lower  House,  main* 
tained  that  it  was  a  mere  abuse 
of  words  to  call  the  measure  a 
revolution.  The  distinction  be- 
tween the  word  '*  revolution*'  and 
the  phrase  **  new  constitution,'* 
meaning  thereby  a  new  consti- 
tution of  the  Commons  house  of 
parliament,  was  very  evident.  By 
revolution,  he  understood  a  great 
change  effected  in  the  constitution 
of  a  country  by  the  application  of 
unconstitutional  force.  The  very 
lowest  and  mildest  sense  in  which 
it  could  be  used  was,  the  infringe- 
ment, by  the  exercise  of  power 
by  one  class  of  the  community,  of 
tne  rights  belonging  to  another. 
But  what  was  the  case  here? 
Ministers  proposed  an  alteration 
with  respect  to  one  estate  of  the 


realm.  The  plan  was  to  be  can- 
vassed in  all  its  parts :  it  was  sub- 
jected to  the  control  of  public 
opinion ;  it  must  be  submitted  to 
the  other  two  estates  of  the  realm  ; 
and  yet,  forsooth,  this  was  called 
revolution.  At  every  turn,  too, 
ministers  had  been  met  with  the 
cry,  that  they  wished  to  carry 
this  measure  by  intimidation.  But 
suiely  it  was  allowable  to  advert 
to  the  state  of  the  country  as  a 
collateral  argument,  to  relieve  the 
timid  and  hesitating  from  their 
doubts,  and  clearly  pointing  out 
to  them  whence  the  greater  dan- 
ger was  to  be  apprehended, — from 
the  refusal  or  from  the  concession 
of  reform.  For  this  there  was 
the  authority  of  sir  Robert  Peel 
himself,  who,  when  arguing  in 
favour  of  the  late  Catholic  bill, 
spoke  thus:  '^We  have  also  had 
the  experience  of  civil  discord  and 
bloodshed.  Surely  it  is  no  unman- 
ly fear  that  shudders  at  its  re- 
currence— no  degenerate  impulse 
that  prompts  one  to  exclaim  with 
lord  Falkland,  Peace !  peace !  peace ! 
— that  looks  out  with  anxiety  for 
the  alternatives  by  which  civil  war 
may  be  honourably  averted,  which 
may  rescue  the  natives  of  the  same 
land,  the  fellow-subjects  of  the 
same  king,  from  the  dire  necessity 
of  embruing  their  hands  in  each 
other's  blood.*'  Now,  he  asked  the 
House,  whether,  in  the  course  of 
this  debate,  there  had  been  made  so 
direct  and  strong  an  appeal  as  to 
the  danger  which  might  result  from 
the  refusal  of  this  great  and  heal- 
ing measure  which  he  had  intro- 
duced }  That  right  hon.  baronet 
had  likewise  complained  that  the 
measure  was  brought  forward  at  an 
unfortunate  and  unfitting  season. 
But  ministers  had  come  in  upon 
the  pledge  that  they  would  intro- 
duce a  measure  of  reform.  If,  with 
[E2] 


52]       ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1881. 


this  pledge  upon  their  lips^  they 
had  told  the  people^  as  soon  as  they 
found  themselves  seated  in  office^ 
that  this  was  no  convenient  time 
for  reform^  then,  indeed,  would 
have  rested  upon  them  the  fearful 
responsibility  of  the  consequences 
arising  from  disappointed  hopes, 
and  of  high-raised  expectations, 
blighted  and  falsified  by  the  mean 
conduct  of  those  upon  whom  the 
people  had  relied.  Procrastina- 
tion in  such  matters  was  always 
mischievous.  All  these  cases  of 
tardy  political  concession  were  like 
the  old  Sybilline  books — the  longer 
you  delay  the  purchase,  the  higher 
IS  the  price  you  must  pay,  and 
the  less  the  advantage  you  receive. 
fiy  selecting,  one  after  another, 
the  most  notorious  cases  of  delin- 
quency, not  as  technically  proved, 
but  those  great  cases  in  regard  to 
which  moral  conviction  prevailed, 
though  legal  evidence  could  not 
reach  them,  they  might  have 
shewn  a  desire  to  reform,  by  de- 
grees, the  abuses  of  the  system, 
and  then  the  public  would,  have 
been  satisfied  with  a  less  sudden 
change^than  was  now  contemplated. 
But  let  the  House  look  back  on 
the  few  last  years,  and  mark  the 
time,  the  money,  and  the  talent 
which  had  been  wasted  in  discuss- 
ing useless  questions  regarding 
boroughs  charged  with  malprac- 
tices— inquiring,  for  instance,  whe- 
ther one  voter  received  one  guinea, 
and  another  five,  when  it  was  no- 
torious that  boroughs  were  bought 
and  sold  by  their  proprietors.  And 
after  all  this  labour  and  minute 
inquiry,  what  had  been  gained  for 
the  cause  of  reform  ?  Not  one  great 
town,  not  one  great  district  had 
been  added  to  those  represented  in 
that  House :  not  one  corrupt  borough 
had  been  deprived  of  the  means  of 


corruption.  The  opponents  of  the 
present  measure  said.  We  don't 
object  to  the  disfranchisement  of 
delinquent  boroughs :  prove  cor- 
ruption, and  we  shall  give  them  up. 
fiut  how  was  it  possible  for  the  in- 
genuity of  man  to  discover  delin- 
quency in  the  wall  at  Midhurst,  or 
detect  corruption  in  the  green 
mound  at  Old  Sarum  ?  If  delin- 
quency were  to  be  the  rule  of 
cashiering,  as  it  had  been  called, 
how  was  the  disfranchisement  of 
the  Irish  40^.  freeholders  to  be  de- 
fended? He  agreed  that  that 
disfranchisement  was  a  beneficial 
measure ;  but  still  the  40^.  free- 
holders had  been  guilty  of  no  de- 
linquency. Their  franchise  had 
been  taken  from  them,  not  on  ac- 
count of  any  delinquency  of  theirs, 
but  because  the  right,  while  nomi- 
nally exercised  by  the  many,  was 
really  wielded  by  the  few  for  their 
own  purposes.  Why  not  make  a 
beneficial  change  on  the  franchise 
in  England,  as  much  as  in  Ireland  f 
and  it  was  to  be  observed,  that  the 
new  proposed  qualification  of  10/. 
was  the  very  qualification  which 
the  former  ministry  had  introduced 
into  Ireland,  with  this  difference, 
that,  under  the  present  bill,  no 
man  would  be  deprived,  during  his 
life,  of  the  franchise  which  he  now 
enjoyed. 

As  to  the  accusation  that  the 
bill  was  a  robbing  and  despoiling 
of  the  corporations,  it  had  already 
been  sufficiently  disposed  of ;  and 
he  would  only  add,  that  it  was 
strange  to  hear  such  charges 
coming  from  men  with  whom  Mr. 
Pitt  was  the  great  authority,  con- 
sidering how  distinctly  Mr.  Pitt 
had  maintained  that  boroughs 
ought  to  be  disfranchised  and  en- 
franchised as  they  decayed  or  rose 
into  importance.     In  one  of  his 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[63 


speeches  on  parliamentary  reform, 
Mr.  Pitt,  adverting  to  the  earlier 
periods  of  the  constitution,  obser- 
ved, ''  that  as  one  borough  decayed 
and  another  rose,  the  franchise  of 
the  one  was  abolished,  and  the 
other  was  invested  with  the  right. 
That  the  same  system  should  still 
prevail,  but  that  it  should  be  rescu- 
ed from  the  accident  and  ca- 
price in  which  it  had  before  been 
involved ;  that  the  alteration  should 
be  made  on  principle;  and  that 
they  should  establish  this  as  a 
clear  axiom  in  representation — 
that  it  should  depend,  not  upon 
locality  or  name,  but  upon  number 
and  condition.  He  would  submit  to 
the  world  which  of  the  two  was  most 
anxious  for  the  preservation  of  the 
original  principle  of  the  constitu- 
tion ;  he  who  was  for  maintaining 
the  exterior  name  of  representation, 
when  the  substance  was  gone,  or 
he,  who,  preferring  the  substance 
and  reality  of  representation  to  the 
name  and  exterior,  was  solicitous  of 
changing  its  seat  from  one  part  of 
the  country  to  another,  as  one  place 
might  flourish  and  another  decay. 

This  ought  likewise  to  be  a 
sufficient  answer  to  the  fears  of 
those  who  apprehended  from  the 
bill  the  destruction  of  the  proper 
influence  of  the  aristocracy.  Were 
the  present  ministers  the  men  who 
could  possibly  be  suspected  of  a 
wish  to  strike  down  the  aris- 
tocracy ?  Was  he  himself  likely 
to  be  a  party  to  such  a  scheme? 
Was  the  noble  lord  who  had  intro- 
duced the  measure  to  the  house  a 
man  without  any  stake  in  the 
country  ?  Was  not  the  name  he 
•bore,  in  itself  a  guarantee  against 
any  such  intention?  Was  the 
noble  earl  at  the  head  of  the 
government — one  said  to  be  strenu- 
^ously  attached  to  the  privileges  of 


his  order — and  who  had  on  more 
than  one  occasion,  been  made  the 
object  of  attack  on  that  ground — 
was  he  likely  to  advocate  a  mea- 
sure which  was  to  involve  those  pri- 
vileges, along  with  the  monarchy, 
in  one  common  ruin  ?  Look  round 
at  the  other  members  of  his  majes- 
ty's government,  and  those  who 
had  come  forward  to  support  them 
on  this  occasion  ^  were  they  men 
of  no  fortune,  mere  adventurers, 
who  would  have  every  thing  to 
gain  and  nothing  to  lose  by  a 
revolution  ?  Or  were  they  not 
men  who  had  large  stakes  m  the 
country,  and  whose  individual  in- 
terests were  bound  up  with  the 
permanent  peace  and  security  of 
the  state  ?  What,  then,  could  they 
gain  by  a  revolution  ?  Their  ob- 
ject was  the  promotion  of  the  true 
interests  of  the  country.  For  his 
own  part,  he  felt  no  alarms  of  the 
kind  for  the  results  of  the  bill. 
By  that  bill  would  be  upheld  the 
influence  of  the  aristocracy  as  it 
was  before — he  meant  that  legiti- 
mate influence  which  they  ought 
to  possess — the  influence  which  it 
was  always  within  their  power  to 
secure — the  natural  influence  of 
property  —  the  influence  arising 
from  that  respect  to  high  rank 
which  was  nowhere  greater  than 
in  this  country — the  influence  of 
affection  generated  by  kindness  and 
good  offices  to  those  around  them. 
Mr.  C.  Wynn,  likewise  a  mem- 
ber of  the  government,  said  that, 
when  he  accepted  office,  he  did  so, 
although  convinced  of  the  necessity 
of  reform,  only  on  the  understand- 
ing that  he  should  be  at  liberty  to 
hold  and  maintain  his  own  opin- 
ions as  to  any  particular  measure 
of  reform  which  the  cabinet  might 
propose.  He  now  found  that  in 
the  proposed  bill>  while  there  was 


54]        ANNUAL  REGISTER,  1831. 


much  which  he  approved^  there 
was  likewise  much  from  which  he 
must  dissent.  In  its  present  form 
he  could  not  support  it^  nor  could 
he  expect  that  such  modifications 
would  be  made  in  it  as  would 
meet  his  views.  He  was  aware 
that  a  member  of  a  government 
differing  materially  on  an  inipor« 
tant  measure  from  the  administra- 
tion to  which  he  belonged^  could 
not  expect  to  remain  long  in  office  ^ 
but  he  had  acted  conscientious! y> 
and  was  ready  to  take  the  con- 
sequences. 

Mr.  Jeffrey,  who  had  been  ap- 
pointed by  the  new  ministry  Lord 
Advocate  of   Scotland,  next  ad- 
dressed himself  to  the  question. 
The  European   reputation   which 
this  gentleman  had  long  enjoyed  as 
the  editor  of  the  Edinburgh  Re- 
view,  and   the  author    of   many 
articles  displaying  great  acuteness 
of  thought,  and  the  happiest  felici- 
ties of  expression,  joined  to  the 
more  popular  and  business  talents 
of  skill   and  oratory,   which  had 
raised    him    to    the     undisputed 
leadership  of  the  bar  of  Scotland, 
had  rendered  his  maiden  speech  in 
parliament  a  subject  of  consider- 
able .expectation.      Although   by 
his  office  he  was  more  particularly 
charged  with  the  bill  which  was 
to  remodel  the  representation   of 
Scotland,  he  very  prudently    ab- 
stained from  attempting  to  engage 
the   House    in    a    matter  which 
would  much  less  interest  it  than 
the  general   principles   applicable 
to   England,  in  the  discussion  of 
which  it  had  hitherto  been  engaged. 
The  constantly  repeated  assertion, 
that  the  present  system  ought  not 
to  be  changed,  because  the  country 
had  prospered  under  it  was,   he 
said,    a    mere   paralogism.      The 
country  had  prospered  under  the 


government  of  the  Tudors  and  the 
Stewarts ;  but  who  would  maintain 
that  it  ought  therefore  to  have  re« 
mained.  satisfied  with  the  civil 
liberties  which  it  then  enjoyed? 
Political  freedom  was  the  daughter, 
and  not  the  mother  of  wealth. 
How  had  the  Italian  republics,  and 
the  free  towns  of  Germany  arisen  ? 
At  their  outset,  as  in  all  Europeaa 
communities  which  had  prospered, 
absolute  rulers  had  bestowed  some 

Privileges  on  the  honey-bees  of  the 
ives,   whose  combs    they    found 
useful.      Under   these  privileges, 
industry    had    brought    wealth  } 
wealth  had  brought  infiuence;  and 
in   the  end,  despotic  power  had 
been  cast  aside,  and  political  liberty 
had  been  established.  This  country 
had  been  prosperous  and  splendid^ 
while  saddled  with  the  star  chamber, 
with  purveyance,  and  with  6hip« 
money.     At  that  time  there  were 
merchants  of  great  opulence  ',  men 
of  honour  and  intelligence;   im- 
mortal works  of  genius  were  then 
composed,  as  now;  England  then 
bore  as  proud  a  name  among  other 
nations  as  at  any  other  period. 
But,  as  wealth  multiplied,  intelli- 
gence appeared  to  spread  among  the 
population  ;  and,  in  the  same  pro- 
portion,   the  basis  on  which  the 
constitution  rested  was   widened, 
to  provide  room  for  the  multiplied 
children  of  freedom.    We  all  knew 
how,  in  feudal  times,  the  barons 
extorted  charters  from   the  sove- 
reign, and  how  towns  were  taken 
under  the  protecting  wings  of  the 
barons    or    sovereigns,     to    give 
strength  to  the  one  or  to  the  other 
of  these  parties.     Then  came  the 
burgesses,  gradually   rising    into 
wealth ;  and,  last  of  all,  the  serfs 
and    villains    were    emancipated. 
Where  was  the  man  who  would 
say  that^  at  any  of  those  periods. 


HISTORY  0^  EUKOPE. 


[55 


concession  ought  to  have  stopped 
short  ?  By  what  criterion  could  a 
judgment  be  formed  as  to  the 
point  beyond  which  it  would  be 
impossible  to  go  without  ruin? 
He  knew  no  limits  to  improvement^ 
except  the  limits  to  the  desires  of 
intelligent  men,  craving,  and  ren- 
dering reasons  for  craving  more,  or 
the  want  of  those  arguments  by 
which  their  desires  must  be  de- 
fended and  explained  ?  Now,  was 
it  true  or  not,  that,  within  the 
last  thirty  years,  there  had  been 
manifested  among  the  people  a 
great  capacity  to  understand,  and 
intelligence  to  comprehend,  civil 
rights  and  obligations,  compared 
with  which  all  that  had  existed  in 
the  most  glorious  days  of  our  for- 
mer history  was  insignificant  ? 
Look  to  the  greater  number  of 
persons  of  wealth,  intelligence,  and 
respectability  belonging  to  the 
middle  ranks  who  were  now  un- 
represented. Was  it  true,  in  point 
of  fact,  that  that  great  body  of 
citizens  was  discontented,  and 
alienated  from  a  system  which  ex- 
cluded them  ?  The  answer  to  that 
question  was  to  be  found  in  the 
petitions  already  on  the  table  in 
favour  of  reform,  signed  by  hun- 
dreds of  thousands,  while  the  only 
petition  he  could  find  on  the  other 
side  was  one  from  Bristol,  mimic- 
ing  the  language  of  the  iron  barons 
of  Merton  '^  we  wish  not  the  laws 
of  England  to  be  changed." 

Much  had  been  said  of  the  ad- 
vantage conferred  by  the  present 
system  in  so  far  as  the  hereditary 
aristocracy  and  the  democracy  were 
beneficially  blended  in  the  House 
of  Commons.  Now  he  conceived, 
in  the  first  place,  that  the  here- 
ditary aristocracy,  in  their  indi- 
vidual capacity,  possessed  no  pre- 
rogatives or  privileges  at  all,  except 
that  of  bein^  hereditary  legislators 


and  magistrates,  and  these  pri- 
vileges they  could  not  exercise  any 
where  but  in  their  own  house. 
But  even  of  the  peers,  it  was  only 
the  rich  proprietors  who  enjoyed 
this  influence  in  the  lower  House  : 
peers  who  had  no  boroughs  had  no 
such  influence.  This  influence, 
therefore,  did  not  belong  to  the 
peerage ;  it  belonged  merely  to 
wealth.  Wealth,  again,  undoubt- 
edly ought  to  possess  influence ; 
but  were  all  wealthy  persons  pro- 
prietors of  boroughs.^  Were  the 
landed  and  mercantile  interests  pos- 
sessed of  this  influence  ?  A  man 
of  small  property  might  lay  out 
his  money  in  this  way,  and  manage, 
by  the  purchase  of  a  borough,  to 
get  a  kind  of  stock  in  trade ;  but 
whatever  was  done  in  this  way 
ought  to  be  done  openly.  If  it 
were  desirable  that  peers  should 
have  boroughs,  as  some  of  them 
had  at  present,  not  because  they 
were  peers,  but  because  they  were 
rich  men  who  had  laid  out  their 
money  just  as  a  commoner  might 
do,  it  would  be  better  to  pass  an 
act,  that  every  peer  with  a  certain 
income  should  have  a  member,  or, 
with  a  certain  larger  income,  a 
couple  of  members,  in  that  House. 
Then  there  would  be  insured  a 
proper  appendage  to  their  rank, 
instead  of  a  monopoly  conceded 
to  those  among  them  who  were 
wealthy. 

In  truth,  the  objections  to  the 
proposed  measure  were  singularly 
contradictory.  Some  objected  to 
it  as  too  popular  and  democratic, 
and  yet  others  objected  that  it 
excluded  the  lower  classes.  Mr. 
Hunt  called  out  for  a  broad,  pot- 
wallopping,  almost  pauper  fran- 
chise, like  that  which  was  in  force 
in  his  own  borough  of  Preston  ; 
while  sir  R.  Peel,  in  the  same 
breathy  condemned   the   Preston 


56]       ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


francbise^  and  appealed  to  it  as  a 
proofs  and  as  a  triumphaDt  boast^ 
that  every  order  of  the  state  was 
in  some  way  or  other  represented 
in  that  house.  To  both  these,  for 
the  nonce  auxiliaries^  there  was 
the  one  answer — a  true  and  lasting 
representative  system  must  have 
property  for  its  basis;  and  you 
must  have  some  minimum  stand- 
ard, by  which  you  can  ascertain^ 
whether  the  individual  seeking 
the  possession  of  the  elective  fran- 
chise has  so  much  permanent 
property,  as  will  give  him  an  in- 
terest in  observing  the  decisions  of 
the  legislature.  But  the  quali- 
fication was  said  to  be  too  low. 
On  the  contrary,  it  was  increased 
fivefold;  for,  at  present  it  was 
only  forty  shillings.  The  10/. 
qualification,  too,  comprehended  all 
above  iO/.,  and  that  might  be  an 
hundred  or  a  thousand  fold.  Was 
this  to  inundate  the  land  with  a 
democracy?  Really  if  the  40*. 
freeholders  and  the  pot-wallopers 
of  the  present  system  did  pot 
produce  that  effect,  it  was  extra- 
ordinary how  it  was  to  be  pro- 
duced by  raising  the  qualification. 
Would  it  be  said  that  a  compara- 
tively poor  man  was  less  interested 
in  the  security  of  his  little  pro- 
perty, than  the  rich  man  who  was 
dying  of  ennui,  or  gloating  upon 
his  useless  hoards  ?  On  the  con- 
trary, a  man  who  had  acquired  a 
certain  degree  of  competency  looked 
with  the  greatest  anxiety  on  what 
affected  the  security  of  his  pro- 
perty, and  was  of  all  others  the 
most  likely  to  rally  round  the 
authority  by  which  that  property 
would  be  defended.  He  felt  him- 
self lifted  above  that  want  which 
he  once  endured;  and  though  he 
felt  pride  in  contemplating  his  own 
elevation,  and  his  exaltation  in 
the  scale  of  society^  he  looked  down 


with  affection  upon  those  who  were 
still  struggling  with  adversity. 
No  thinking  man,  who  reflected 
upon  the  subject,  would  contend 
that  the  safety  of  the  country 
rested  upon  any  other  basis  than  a 
regard  for  the  security  of  property; 
and  when  society  was  founded  upon 
that  basis,  the  coronet  was  in  no 
danger  of  being  touched,  nor  a 
jewel  of  the  diadem  of  being  soiled. 
The  Lord-Advocate  admitted 
that  there  were  numbers  of  discon- 
tented, whom  nothing  but  destruc- 
tion would  satisfy ;  but  that  fact 
was  the  strongest  possible  rea- 
son for  adopting  this  measure. 
There  were  two  classes  of  dis- 
affected persons  in  the  country. 
One  consisted  of  industrious  per- 
sons, in  comfortable  circumstances, 
who,  though  an  almost  uncount- 
able number,  were  excluded  from 
what  they  considered  to  be  their 
right,  and  therefore  felt  vexation 
and  resentment.  The  second  class, 
from  what  cause  he  could  not  say, 
perhaps  by  distress  operating  upon 
their  passions,  perhaps  excited  by 
the  scenes  which  had  taken  place 
in  a  neighbouring  country,  cer- 
tainly incited  by  infamous  publica- 
tions, were  ready  to  proceed  to 
greater  lengths.  There  was  a  set 
of  doctrinaires,  who  were  against 
all  law,  for  they  hated  law  and 
hated  authority,  and  would  plot 
against  them  when  they  could, 
and  would  be  ready  to  riot  in  the 
licence  of  disorder.  He  admitted 
that  there  were  such  men  in  the 
country ;  but  would  any  man  tell 
him  that  these  were  the  men  who 
petitioned  for  Reform  ?  Not  they ; 
they  cared  not  for  Parliamentary 
Reform ;  they  went  far  beyond 
that.  They  cared  nothing  for 
King,  for  Lords,  or  for  Commons. 
Their  maxim  was,  every  man  for 
bimselfj  and  God — or  some  other 


HISTORY    OF    EUROPE. 


[57 


being,  whom  it  would  not  be  seemly 
to  name  there — for  all.  There 
being  then  such  a  set  of  men  in 
the  country,  and  there  being  also 
a  body  of  persons  reasonably  discon- 
tented, the  lattter  had  a  tendency 
to  graduate  into  the  former ;  and 
men,  who  were  only  desirous  to 
seek  their  own  just  rights,  were 
tempted^  by  the  refusal  of  those 
rights,  to  coalesce  with  the  others, 
who  did  all  they  could  to  be  identi- 
fied with  them.  It  was  only  com- 
mon prudence,  therefore,  to  con- 
cede to  men  who  asked  nothing 
whatever  but  their  rights,  and 
thereby  segregate  them  from  the 
others,  and  not  by  a  refusal,  alienate 
them,  and  create  that  just  excite- 
ment, which  would  make  them 
listen  to  those  who  said  that  this 
House  was  a  mockery — that  it  was 
confined  to  creatures  of  its  own — 
that, whilst  it  took  exorbitant  taxes 
out  of  the  pockets  of  the  people,  it 
would  not  admit  the  tax-payers 
amongst  the  constituents  of  the  re- 
presentation. If  he  was  asked 
what  was  the  evil  which  the'exist- 
ing  system  generated,  he  would 
say,  the  evil  was  the  growing  and 
imminent  peril  of  driving  a  great 
proportion  of  the  distressed  popu- 
lation into  excess,  by  the  denial  of 
their  just  demands,  or  generating 
among  them  feelings  of  reproba- 
tion and  contempt.  He  granted 
that  no  reform  would  satisfy  the 
artfully  bad  and  desperate  class. 
A  reasonable  reform  would  not  sa- 
tisfy unreasonable  men,  but  from 
the  very  force  of  the  terms,  it  would 
satisfy  reasonable  men  ;  and  if  the 
reasonably  dissatisfied  were  made 
contented,  should  we  not  be  better 
able  to  deal  with  the  unreasonable  ? 
The  evil  was  great  and  imminent  5 
and  he  wished  to  draw  a  firmament 
between  the  pure  waters  above  and 


the  impure  surges  of  corruption 
below. 

To  the  question,  therefore,  which 
had  been  so  often  put,  what  prac- 
tical good  was  to  result  from  the 
intended  reform,  he  would  answer 
at  once,  that  it  was  the  only  means 
of  averting  the  danger  he  had  de- 
scribed, of  discontent  graduating 
into  disaffection,  and  disaffection 
into  insurrection.  Another  ad- 
vantage of  a  reformed  Parliament 
would  be  the  great  practical  influ- 
ence which  it  would  exercise  on 
the  minds  of  the  people  in  opening 
their  eyes  to  a  conviction  of  their 
best  interests,  and  this  it  would 
acquire  from  its  afifording  greater 
facilities  for  the  conveyance  to  it 
of  the  feelings  and  wants  of  the 
people.  He  did  not  mean  by  this 
that  that  House  should  be  a  mere 
echo  of  the  popular  will — that  its 
discussions  and  decisions  should  be 
guided  by  every  enthusiasm,  in- 
dignation, or  zeal,  of  the  public 
mind — but  that  the  public  mind 
should  possess  a  ready  audience 
within  its  walls.  Would  any  man 
tell  him  that  such  was  the  case 
under  the  present  system  ^  Had 
not  abuses  been  habitually  perse- 
vered in,  on  account  of  the  tardy 
influence  which  public  opinion  had 
on  the  acts  of  the  legislature.^ 
Was  it  not  true  that  wars  had 
been  protracted  for  years  after  the 
people  were  sick  of  them,  and  were 
pining  after  peace?  Was  it  not 
true  that  a  system  of  oflicial  mis- 
application of  the  public  money 
had  been  persevered  in,  for  want 
of  an  efficient  popular  control  .'*  Was 
it  not  true,  that  the  Slave-trade 
had  been  persevered  in  for  years 
after  public  opinion  had  held  it  up 
to  scorn  and  indignation  ?  Was  it 
not  true  that  abuses  in  the  Crimi- 
nal-law were  persevered  in,  till  the 


581      ANNUAL   REGISTER,   1831. 

feeJiDgs  of  the  people,  long  awake  But,  unfortunately  for  its  oppo- 
to  their  enormity,  were  roused  to  nents,  that  boon  had  not  been 
such  a  pitch,  that  a  remedy  could  granted ;  and  now,  the  cup  being 
not  be  longer  withheld  ?  Were  full,  a  single  drop  made  it  overflow, 
not  all  these  facts  true  of  the  pre-  The  House  had  been  told  by  sir 
sent  system,  and  were  they  not  in-  R.  Peel,  that  ministers  called  on 
compatible  with  a  reformed  Parlia-  them  to  surrender  their  judg- 
ment ?  He  was  not  so  absurd  as  ments  to  their  fears,  instead  of 
to  hold  out  the  reform  he  was  then  their  fears  to  their  judgments, 
advocating  as  the  panacea  for  the  Now,  in  the  first  place,  it  was  im- 
ills  of  the  country.  By  no  means  ;  possible  not  to  see  that  grave  de- 
they  who  thus  represented  it,  and  ductions  must  be  made  from  the 
there  were  such,  were  mischievous  judgments  of  many  members  who 
pretenders,  if  not  designing  traders  were  opposed  to  the  bill.  Those 
in  public  delusion.  But  he  consi-  who  sat  for  boroughs,  which  were 
dered  it  the  essential  condition  of  to  be  wholly,  or  partially,  disfran- 
the  future  safety  and  prosperity  of  chised,  were  not  the  most  impar- 
the  country — one  which  could  not  tial  judges  of  the  justice  or  expe- 
be  much  longer  delayed,  and  of  diency  of  that  disfi*anchisement. 
which  every  delay  was  a  tenfold  They  had  such  an  interest  in  the 
aggravation  of  the  evils  which  all  question,  that  the  application  of 
must  admit  called  for  remedy.  It  even  the  strict  principles  of  law 
was  worse  than  idle  to  say  the  would  disqualify  them  from  having 
present  cry  for  Parliamentary  Re-  a  voice  in  its  decision.  But,  far- 
form  was  but  a  temporary  ebulli-  ther,  said  the  Lord  Advocate,  the 
tion  of  popular  excitement— it  was  difference  between  the  right  hon. 
the  expression  of  a  long-felt  public  baronet  and  us  is  this : — We  are 
grievance,  to  which  existing  cir-  afraid  of  the  consequences  to  the 
cumstances  might  communicate  a  country  of  denying  the  people 
force  of  tone,  but  which  they  could  their  just  rights  j  they  are  afraid 
not  generate.  It  was  true,  that  of  the  consequences  to  themselves 
the  demand  for  Reform  was  usually  of  granting  them.  We  are  afraid 
louder  in  periods  of  distress  and  not  to  do  justice  to  the  people; 
political  excitement,  as  it  was  also  they  are  afraid  to  do  it,  lest  the 
true  that  the  late  memorable  trans-  doing  of  justice  should  produce  in 
actions  in  neighbouring  states  the  people  a  perversion  of  moral 
might  have  added  to  that  excite-  feeling.  We  would  grant  the  peo- 
ment.  But  it  was  no  less  true,  that  pie  their  just  demands,  were  it 
the  demand  for  reform  was  never  only  to  prevent  our  being  com- 
dead  even  in  the  calmest  periods,  polled,  at  a  later  period,  to  grant 
and  that,  when  renewed,  it  came  them  unjust  ones ;  they  would  per- 
forth,  like  a  giant  after  sleep,  with  petuate  a  system  which  must  end 
increased  strength  and  influence,  in  greater  evils  than  any  man  can 
They  had  been  told,  and  he  be-  foresee." 

lieved  truly,  that  had,  no  later  than  Mr.  Croker  rose  after  the  Lord 
1 828,  the  franchise  of  East  Retford  Advocate  —  the  Quarterly  Re- 
been  transferred  to  Birmingham,  view  after  the  Edinburgh.  He 
there  would  not  exist  the  present  said,  that  he  could  not  think  it 
excitement  with  respect  to  reform,  either  prudent  or  parliamentary 


HISTORY    OF   EUROPE. 


[50 


in  tlie  Lord  Advocate^  who  was 
no   doubt    a  great  legal   author- 
ity, to  lay  it  down,  that  even  the 
strict  rules  of  the  courts  of  law 
would  exclude  from   this  discus* 
sion  the  majority  of  the  opponents 
of     the     ministerial    proposition. 
Such,  at  least,  was  not  the   law 
of    Parliament,    nor   of   common 
sense  ;   and,  idthough,   if  it  had 
come  from  any  other  quarter,   he 
would  have  treated  it  with  what  it 
better  deserved  than   an  answer, 
yet,  as  being  given  with  the  weight 
due  to  the  learned  lord's  profes- 
sional station,  it  could  not  be  over- 
looked ;    and  he  would  take  the 
liberty  of  adding,  that,  if  he  was 
surprised  at  such  an  observation 
from  a  professional  person,  he  was 
doubly  surprised  at  its  coming  from 
one  in  the  situation  of  the  learned 
lord,  whose  sole  seat  in  that  House 
was  from  a  place  of  the  sort  now 
to  be  disfranchised,  and  moreover 
was  suspected  to  be  more  than  fic- 
titious.* 

The  most  remarkable  feature  in 
the  speech  of  the  learned  lord, 
continued   Mr.   Croker,   was   the 

*  The  circumstances  to  which  Mr. 
Croker  here  alluded  were  these.    Short- 
ly after  Mr.  Jeflfery  had  heen  appointed 
Lord  Advocate,   and  before  a  seat  in 
parliament  had  been  obtained  for  him,  a 
vacancy  occurred  in  the  representation  of 
the  Perth  district  of  Scotch  boroughs,  in 
consequence  of  the  decision  of  an  election 
committee  in  December.    The  Lord  Ad- 
vocate immediately  became  a  candidate. 
The  district  contained  five  boroughs,  of 
which  Dundee  was  one.    Of  the  other 
four,  the  Lord  Advocate  and  his  oppon- 
ent had  each  secured  two.    If  Dundee 
was  entitled  to  votej  it  was  in  the  inter- 
est of  the  former;  if  it  was  not,  the 
remaining   four  were   equally  divided, 
and  the  casting  vote  belonged  to  Forfar, 
which  was  in  the  interest  of  his  anta- 
gonist.   But  Dundee  had  been  disfran> 
chised  not  long  before  by  a  judgment  of 
the  Court  of  Session  ;  and  the  committee 
had  ruled  iu  December  that  it  had  no 
ri^ht  to  vot9.  There  was  no  legal  magis- 


boldness  with  which  he  assailed, 
and  the  ability  with  which  he  over- 
came, the  propositions  maintained 
by  the  noble  lord  who  introduced 
the  bill.  The  latter  had  gone 
back,  not  only  to  the  Tudors  and 
Stuarts,  but  to  the  times  of  Ed- 
ward ].,  and  to  the  statute  de  taU 
lagio  non  concedendo,  to  find  the 
principles  and  foundation  of  his 
plan,  and  had  conjured  the  House 
to  return,  without  delay,  to  the 
ancient  constitution  of  their  ances- 
tors in  those  venerable  periods. 
But  the  Lord  Advocate  had  dis- 
covered, with  no  small  justice, 
though  without  much  difficulty, 
that  all  this  was  folly.  He  had 
begun  with  asking,  whether  it  was 
possible  that  they  could,  at  this 
time  of  day,  devote  their  consider- 
ation to  questions  agitated  so  long 
ago  as  the  times  of  the  Tudors  and 
the  later  Stuarts,  and  whether 
they  did  not  know,  that,  within 
the  last  twenty-five,  or,  at  the  ut- 
most, forty  years,  new  lights  and 
new  principles  had  got  abroad — 
new  elements  of  consideration  had 
been  opened,  and,  on  this  experi- 
ence of  the  last  forty  years,  they 

tracy  in  existence  to  elect  a  commis- 
sioner; there  were  no  persons  entitled 
to  choose  a  new  magistracy.  The  Lord 
Advocate's  party,  however,  prevailed  on 
the  old  magistracy  of  Dundee  to  meet 
and  elect  a  commissioner,  as  if  no  judg- 
ment annulling  their  very  existence  as 
magistrates  had  been  pronounced.  The 
commissioner  appeared  and  voted  at  the 
election;  and, the  returning ofl&cer, under 
the  election  statutes,  holding  himself  not 
entitled  to  look  at  any  thing  but  the  com- 
mission, the  Lord  Advocate  obtained  the 
return.  He  was  petitioned  against.  A 
few  days  after  the  discussion  recorded 
in  the  text,  the  committee  to  whom  the 
petition  was  referred,  at  once  unseated 
him,  and  earl  Fitzwilliam  then  brought 
him  in  for  the  borough  of  Malton,  where 
sir  James  Scarlett  had  just  vacated  his 
seat  in  consequence  of  finding  himself 
unable  to  support  the  reform  billt 


60]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


were  required  to  decide  ?  He  had 
told  the  House  in  plain  terms,  that 
they  must  concede  what  was  pro- 
posed, because  they  were  compel- 
led by  necessity,  and,  for  his  proof, 
he  had  referred  to  the  petitions  on 
the  table,  which,  according  to  him, 
did  not  come  from  the  dangerous 
classes — oh,  no  ! — those  were  not 
the  men  who  petitioned  for  Reform 
—  but  from  the  more  favoured, 
peaceable,  and  moderate  orders  of 
society,  whom  this  bill  was  to  call 
into  life  and  activity.  Now,  he 
had  read  two  or  three  hundred  of 
these  petitions,  and  he  defied  the 
members  opposite,  who  wielded 
these  petitions  as  arms  against  the 
enemies  of  the  bill,  to  produce  any 
one  from  which  it  appeared  that 
the  people  would  be  satisfied  with 
the  measure  now  proposed.  Of  the 
many  hundreds  that  he  had  read, 
there  were  only  two  or  three  which 
did  not  demand  infinitely  more 
than  the  bill  conceded.  These  two 
or  three  were,  indeed,  distinguish- 
ed by  a  happy  generality,  that  left 
them  to  expect  any  thing  or  no- 
thing. He  would  select  one,  be- 
cause it  was  well  and  moderately 
worded,  and  afforded  the  best  spe- 
cimen of  the  sort  of  demands  made 
by  the  people.  It  was  the  petition 
from  Merthyr  Tydvil.  That  town 
was  a  large  manufacturing  place, 
with  a  numerous  and  intelligent 
population.  The  petition  asked 
for  four  things.  The  first  was  the 
right  —  the  just  right  (as  they 
termed  it)  of  having  all  placemen 
dismissed  from  the  House  of  Com- 
mons. The  second  was  for  the 
right  of  annual,  or,  at  most,  trien- 
nial parliaments.  The  third  was  the 
only  point  which  the  measure  of  the 
noble  lord  met,  and  that  was,  the 
right  of  having  all  the  large  towns 
and  populous  districts  represented 
in  the  House  of  Commons^  mi 


that  those  places  which  came 
within  the  class  of  close  and  de- 
cayed boroughs,  containing  few  in- 
habitants, should  be  disfranchised. 
The  fourth  claimed  the  right  of 
every  man  to  vote  at  elections,  who 
was  called  on  in  any  way  to  contri- 
bute either  to'national  or  local  taxa- 
tion, directly  or  indirectly.  "These 
are,"  said  the  petitioners,  "  the 
principal  rights  which  we  at  present 
demand."  All  the  other  petitions, 
or,  at  least,  the  majority  of  them, 
used  the  same  language.  When  it 
was  answered  to  the  hon.  member 
for  Preston,  who  objected  to  the 
limitation  of  10/.  a-year  as  a  quali- 
fication for  a  voter,  that  some  line 
must  be  drawn,  he  thought  that 
a  rational  reply.  That  line,  how- 
ever, must  be  arbitrary — it  must 
be  subject  to  the  discretion  of  those 
who  drew  it,  and  for  that  reason 
he  knew  not  a  better  than  that 
drawn  by  the  petitioners,  for  there 
was  some  foundation  for  that  in  the 
ancient  constitution  of  the  country, 
and  it  did  not  seem  to  be  drawn 
arbitrarily  and  without  reference 
to  principle.  Their  principle  was, 
that  every  man  who  was  called  on 
to  contribute  to  the  exigencies  of 
the  State,  should  have  a  right  to 
vote.  He  said,  therefore,  that  the 
measure,  so  far  from  satisfying  the 
petitioners,  would  but  increase  the 
alarm  and  disappointment  of  the 
people. 

Such  was  the  character  of  the 
demands  made  by  the  petitioners, 
and  it  was  not  useless  to  remark 
how  the  crop  of  petitions,  always 
referred  to  with  so  much  triumph, 
had  been  called  into  existence,  the 
more  especially  when  the  House 
was  told  that  there  was  nothing 
new,  or  temporary,  or  artificial  in 
the  excitement  which  had  been 
stirred  up.     The   very  history  of 

this  petitiouiDg  proved  th^  con« 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[61 


trary,  and  shewed  that  the  outcry, 
of  whi(5h  ministers  now  took  ad- 
vantage, had  been  called  forth  by 
themselves,  aided  by  the  infection 
of  foreign  example,  that  they  might 
take  advantage  of  it.  In  1821, 
there  were  nineteen  petitions  for  re- 
form J  in  1822,  there  were  twelve ; 
in  1823,  there  were  twenty  nine  : 
in  1 824,  there  were  none ;  in  1 825, 
none;  in  1826,  none;  in  1827, 
none;  in  1828^  none 3  in  1829; 
still  none  ;  in  the  Session  of  1830, 
there  were  fourteen,  and  then  came 
the  dissolution  of  parliament.  The 
noble  lord  and  the  several  gentle- 
men who  were  with  him  then 
went  down  to  the  general  election, 
under  circumstances  which  gave 
them  no  reason  whatever  to  expect 
or  hope  that  they  should  be  in  their 
present  situation ;  they  according- 
ly looked  about  for  a  political  lever 
to  move  the  then  existing  govern- 
ment, and  on  the  hustings,  from 
bow- windows,  and  from  their  differ- 
ent abodes  in  all  parts  of  the  coun- 
try, they  addressed  the  people  on 
the  subject.  The  people  answered 
the  appeal  of  the  noble  lord,  and 
650  petitions  were  the  result. 
What  could  prove  more  clearly  the 
action  of  extraneous  and  factitious 
influence  in  calling  forth  this  ex- 
pression of  political  sentiment  ? 

After  arguing  on  the  practical 
advantages  of  that  variety  in  the 
existing  representation  which  it 
was  proposed  to  replace  by  one 
uniform  standard,  and  answering 
the  objections  urged  against  the 
complexity  of  the  present  system, 
which  he  described  as  being  like 
the  complexity  of  the  universe, 
"  complex  only  in  appearance,  but 
within  all  order,  working  out  the 
most  beautiful  and  magnificent 
results,'* — ^Mr.  Croker  went  into  a 
more  particular  examination  of  the 
manner  in  which  it  was  now  in- 


tended to  distribute  the  franchise. 
It  appeared,  he  stated,  from  the 
returns  laid  before  the  House,  that 
there  were,  in  all,  378,000  houses 
in  England  and  Wales,  and  that, 
if  they  were  divided  into  sixteen 
classes,  the  three  lowest  of  these 
classes  would  contain  250,000. 
Thus  it  clearly  appeared,  that  ac- 
cording to  the  new  system  pro- 
perty would  not  be  fairly  repre- 
sented. It  had  been  stated,  that, 
in  framing  the  new  plan,  it  was 
necessary  to  draw  a  line  somewhere. 
Let  the  House  then  mark  the  ef- 
fects of  the  line  which  had  been 
drawn.  The  noble  lord  drew  his 
first  line,  without  even  attempting 
to  assigli  any  reason  for  it,  except 
the  sic  volo,  sicjubeo,  and  disfran- 
chised all  boroughs  whose  population 
was  under  two  thousand.  He  then 
drew  his  second  line  in  like  manner, 
without  assigning  any  reason  ;  and 
giving  a  single  member  to  the 
boroughs  with  a  population,  be- 
tween the  2,000  and  the  4,000,  he 
generously  bestowed  two  members 
on  those  whose  population  exceeded 
the  4,000.  The  third  line  was 
drawn  at  10,000,  and  the  fourth  at 
20,000.  Then  to  all  places  having 
10,000  inhabitants  was  given  only 
one  member,  as  to  places  between 
2,000  and  4,000,  and  to  places 
whose  population  was  20,000  was 
given  only  the  same  number  of 
members  which  was  retained  for 
such  boroughs  as  Knaresborough 
and  Tavistock.  Now,  he  could  not 
conceive  how  ministers,  according 
to  their  own  arithmetical  princi- 
ples— and  here  they  gave  the  House 
no  other — could  account  for  giving 
a  representative  to  a  borough 
whose  population  was  under  4,000, 
when,  in  the  creation  of  electoral 
rights,  they  went  upon  the  princi- 
ple that  one  member  was  enough 
for  a  population  of  10,000.    He 


62]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


did  not  mean  to  impute  any  im- 
proper motives^  but  certainly  the 
line  ^drawn  was  in  some  respects 
extraordinary^  and  for  certain  in- 
terests singularly  felicitous.  Here 
was  the  whig  borough  of  Malton  in 
Yorkshire^  and  the  House  would 
be  amused  to  see  how  very  nicely, 
in  regard  to  it,  the  line  had  been 
drawn.  The  inhabitants  of  Malton 
in  1821,  were  precisely  4,005,  and 
the  line  enabled  it  to  retain  its  two 
members; — and  thus,  while  the 
rest  of  the  country  was  disfran- 
chised, while  the  counties  (except 
a  few  of  the  manufacturing  coun- 
ties in  the  north)  were  curtailed  of 
their  fair  proportions,  and  ampu* 
tated  of  their  limbs,  the  fortunate 
borough  of  Malton  escaped  un- 
scathed— so  near  was  the  line,  and 
yet  so  conveniently  distant.  But 
there  was  more  than  this.  In  the 
north  riding  of  Yorkshire  were 
Malton,  Richmond,  and  Thirsk, 
making  up  amongst  them  a  popu- 
lation of  10,084  inhabitants ;  in 
the  west  riding  were  Halifax,  Hud- 
dersfield,  and  Wakefield,  making 
up  amongst  them  a  population 
more  than  three  times  as  large, 
viz.  36,000 ;  yet  the  former  were 
to  have  four  representatives,  and 
the  latter  only  three.  He  would 
tell  the  noble  mover,  that  he  would 
be  compelled  to  explain  this  fact  to 
the  country;  the  country  must 
know,  whence  came  this  strange 
departure  from  his  own  principles. 
Take  another  example.  Calne, 
Tavistock,  Bedford,  and  Knares- 
borough,  all  of  them  whig  bo- 
roughs, made  up  amongst  them  an 
aggregate  population  of  1 9,400  :— 
yet  they  were  to  return  no  fewer 
than  eight  members;  while  Hali- 
fax, Huddei*sfield,  and  Wakefield, 
with  nearly  double  the  population, 
were  to  return  only  three !  Black- 
burne,  which  bad  five  times  the 


population  of  Tavistock,  was  to 
have  only  one  representative,  while 
the  latter  had  two;  and  Bolton, 
with  a  population  of  22,000,  was 
to  have  only  one  while  Bedford 
was  to  have  two;  and  Brighton, 
with  30,000  inhabitants  was  to 
have  only  one,  and  be  no  better  off 
than  if  its  population  had  been 
only  2,000.  He  would  only  add 
that  the  result  was,  that  there 
was  a  vast  majority  of  representa** 
tives  in  favour  of  a  set  of  towns 
whose  aggregate  population  was 
20,000,  over  a  boay  of  seventeen 
great  towns  whose  aggregate  popu- 
lation amounted  to  1 70,000.  No- 
thing so  monstrous  as  this  plan 
had  ever  been  heard  of;  and  were 
he  ever  so  favourable  to  the  gene- 
ral principle  of  reform,  he  should 
feel  it  his  duty  to  resist  so  blind 
and  unjust  a  disproportion.  But 
he  had  in  vain  waited  to  hear  some 
intelligible  statement  of  practical 
evils  to  justify  even  that  general 

Srinciple.  He  had  been  told,  in- 
eed,  that  the  times  demanded  it 
— that  the  deluge  of  public  opin- 
ion was  rising,  and  that  all  who 
expected  safety  must  fiy  to  this 
frail  and  slippery  raft.  He  would 
answer, 

''  Trust  not  that  fatal  and  perfidious 
bark, 
Built  in  th'  eclipse,  and  rigged  with 
curses  dark  '*— 

'*  Remain  where  you  are,  and  wait 
till  the  threatening  waters  sub- 
side. What  you  hear  is  not  only 
a  fictitious,  but  a  factitious  cla- 
mour. Be  patient,  and  the  people 
will  recover,  becoming  sensible  of 
the  value  of  what  they  would  lose, 
and  the  uselessness  of  what  they 
would  gain." 

Mr.  J.  T.  Hope  said,  that  as  yet 
he  had  been  able  to  detect  only  one 
argument  used  to  shew  the  House 
that  this  refoi*m  was  necessary,  and 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[63 


that  argument  was,  that  the  voice 
of  the  people  required  a  reform^ 
and  therefore  reform  must  be 
granted.  This  was  but  feeble 
reasoning.  If  it  proved  any  thing, 
it  proved  too  much.  It  proved 
that  the  House  of  Commons  was 
no  longer  a  deliberative  assem- 
bly, but  was  on  all  occasions,  and 
under  all  circumstances,  to  give 
way  to  the  demands  of  the  people. 
Cambyses  once  demanded  a  change 
utterly  subversive  of  the  fixed  cha- 
racter of  the  laws  of  the  Medes 
and  Persians^  and  his  council  were 
at  a  loss  how  to  conduct  themselves. 
They,  however,  discovered  a  law 
by  which  it  was  provided  that  the 
king  could  do  no  wrong,  and,  ac- 
ting upon  that,  they  made  the 
change  required.  So  now,  with 
respect  to  reform,  no  argument 
was  urged  in  its  favour,  but  that 
the  sovereign  people  required  it, 
and  they  required  it  because  they 
required  it ;  and  he  supposed  the 
ministers  had,  like  Cambyses^s 
council,  discovered  a  law  which 
said  that  the  people  could  do  no 
wrong.  He  would  admit  that  out 
of  doors  a  feeling  in  favour  of  re- 
form did  exist ;  he  would  even  go 
farther,  and  allow  that  it  was 
strongly  pressed  upon  that  House, 
and  allow  that,  too,  without  desig- 
nating the  expression  of  it  as  cla- 
morous, or  by  any  of  those  harsh 
terms  which  had  been  so  freely  used 
against  the  people  when  they  im- 
plored that  house  not  to  pass  the 
Catholic  relief  bill.  But  he  denied 
that  the  expression  of  the  public 
feeling  in  favour  of  reform  went  at 
all  to  the  extent  represented  ;  and 
also  that  it  was  of  that  durable 
character  which  some  hon.  mem- 
bers contended  it  was.  Two  classes 
were  said  to  demand  reform.  One, 
the  radicals,  who  looked  only  to 
plunder  and  anarchy,  and  they  had 


been  given  up ;  the  other  consist* 
ing  of  intelligent  respectable  per- 
sons of  the  middle  classes.  Did 
the  middle  classes  call  for  a  theo- 
retical reform  because  it  would  be 
beneficial  merely  assuch  ?  Assured- 
ly not.  For  every  petition  from  those 
classes  praying  for  reform  prayed 
also  for  a  reduction  of  taxation  and 
for  retrenchment ;  and  it  must  be 
evident  to  every  one  who  paid  the 
slightest  attention  to  those  peti- 
tions that  reform  was  regarded 
merely  as  the  means  of  obtaining 
the  end  desired,  which  was  a  re- 
lief from  present  burthens.  Nor 
did  this  conduct  astonish  him. 
There  were  unquestionably  many 
taxes  which  pressed  heavily  on  the 
middle  classes — as  the  assessed  taxes 
and  the  malt  tax  ;  and  when  the 
public  mind  was  inflamed  by  exag- 
gerated statements — when  it  had 
been  said  by  hon.  members  now  on 
the  other  side  of  the  House,  but 
who  had  changed  places  since  they 
made  such  statements,  that  the 
public  money  had  been  squandered 
— ^and  when  false  lists  of  salaries 
and  emoluments  had  been  publish- 
ed— it  was  not  at  all  extraordinary 
that,  in  a  moment  of  discontent  and 
dissatisfaction,the  people  should  call 
for  reform  as  a  remedy  for  all  their 
supposed  grievances.  The  case  had 
materially  changed  since  the  hon. 
gentlemen  opposite  came  into  power. 
They  had  examined  into  the  ex- 
penditure, and  they  had  found  that 
they  could  not  make  any  reductions. 
And  that  being  the  case,  they  were 
bound  not  only  to  tell  the  people 
that  fact,  as  he  confessed  they  had 
done,  but  also  to  state  how  a  reform 
of  that  House  would  enable  them 
to  meet  the  desires  of  the  country 
with  respect  to  retrenchment  ana 
a  reduction  of  taxation.  Would  a 
reform  in  that  House  amend  the 
condition  of  Ireland  ?    Ireland  was 


641 


ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


hardly  touched  by  the  projected 
measure.  Would  a  reform  in  that 
House  better  the  condition  of  the 
labouring  agriculturist  ?  It  would 
take  some  old  privileges  away,  but 
it  would  not  confer  a  single  new  one. 
But  what  were  the  circumstances 
which  would  enable  the  government 
to  make  the  reductions  required  ? 
Why,  a  material  reduction  of  the 
national  debt,  and  the  breaking  up 
of  our  colonial  empire.  These  were 
the  sacrifices  which  would  enable 
the  administration  to  effect  a  re- 
duction in  taxation  commensurate 
with  the  notions  and  desires,  which, 
however  unconsciously  and  unin- 
tentionally, had  been  raised  in  the 
public  mind ;  and  what  portion  of 
the  middle  classes  of  the  commu- 
nity would  consent  to  such  an  aban- 
donment of  justice,  of  power,  and 
dignity  ?  Then  what  answer  was 
to  be  given  to  the  middling  classes } 
Let  those  in  power  give  utterance 
to  the  truth.  Let  these  things  be 
fairly  stated.  Let  the  people  be 
told  by  the  government  that  a  re- 
form in  that  House  would  not  en- 
able them  to  reduce  the  taxation 
to  any  serious  amount,  and  it  would 
speedily  be  apparent  that  reform 
was  not  asked  as  a  theoretical  mea- 
sure, and  the  cry  for  it  would  die 
away. 

Mr.  Tennyson,  member  for 
Bletchingley ;  lord  Dudley  Stuart, 
for  Arundel;  Mr.  Long  Wellesley, 
for  St.  Ives;  lord  Howick  for 
Higham  Ferrers,  although  these 
boroughs  were  all  to  be  totally  or 
partially  disfranchised,  supported 
the  bill,  on  the  ground  which  had 
been  previously  stated  by  other 
speakers — that  a  more  extensive 
share  in  the  representation  was  the 
right  of  the  people  who  demanded 
it,  and  would  restore  peace  and 
strength  to  the  country.  Lord 
Howick^    the  son  of   the  prime 


minister,  said  that  the  proposal 
before  the  House  had^  in  his 
opinion,  been  wise  and  patriotically 
made.  At  all  events,  it  would  not 
be  prudent  to  disappoint  the  ex- 
cited hopes  of  the  people.  Whe- 
ther it  was  proper  to  have  excited 
these  hopes  so  far,  he  would  not 
stay  to  inquire.  He  begged  the 
House  to  remember  that  the  thing 
was  done.  The  proposal  had  been 
made,  and  it  was  now  too  late  to 
recall  it.  It  was  impossible  to  sup- 
pose that  the  reformers  would  be 
satisfied  with  any  thing  short  of 
what  was  now  intended.  More 
they  might  have,  but  less  they 
would  never  accept. 

Mr.  Russell,  a  member  for  the 
county  of  Durham;  sir  J.Johnston, 
a  representative  of  the  county  of 
York;  Mr.  Wood,  the  colleague 
of  Mr.  Hunt  in  representing  the 
universal  suflfrage  of  Preston,  took 
the  same  side.  On  the  other  hand 
colonel  Sibthorp,  who  sat  for  Lin- 
coln ;  colonel  Tyrrel,  for  the  county 
of  Essex ;  sir  George  Clerk,  for 
the  county  of  Edinburgh;  sirGeorge 
Warrender,  one  of  the  members 
forHoniton;  and  Mr. William  Peel, 
one  of  those  for  Yarmouth,  repeated 
the  arguments  which  had  already 
been  put  forward  against  either  the 
necessity  or  the  expediency  of  the 
measure. 

Mr.  North  said,  if  there  was 
any  man  who  had  believed  that 
the  spirit  of  moderation  actuated 
his  majesty's  government,  the 
speech  of  lord  John  Russell  must 
have  undeceived  him.  He  knew 
there  were  many  reformers,  all 
differing  in  opinion;  but  he  had 
not  thought  there  was  any  gentle- 
men who  could  destroy  the  British 
constitution  even  in  the  hope  of 
producing  something  better,  with- 
out feeling  deep  regret  for  our 
ancient  institutioDS.  But  the  noble 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[65 


lord  had  insulted  the  victim  which 
he  was  about  to  sacrifice ;  he  had 
admitted  that  that  assembly  was 
the  noblest  in  the  world,  and  yet 
had  found  it  necessary  to  maintain, 
that  there  was  nothing  disgraceful 
and  injurious  with  which  it  might 
not  be  charged.  He  wished  they 
had  learned  what  was  the  found- 
ation for  this  tremendous  charge 
against  parliament.  What  had  it 
done,  to  make  them  all  at  once  dis- 
cover in  1831,  that  they  were 
convicted  in  the  face  of  the  coun- 
try )  and  unfit  to  legislate  ?  What 
was  this  new  corruption — this  ma- 
lignant disease  which  had  seized 
on  the  constitution  ?  The  only 
answer  uniformly  vouchsafed  was, 
there  is  a  clamour  for  reform  out 
of  doors :  if  it  is  not  yielded  to, 
there  will  be  violence — a  convulsion. 
He  could  never  believe  that  that 
House  ought  to  yield  to  such  in- 
timidation. No  man  would  be 
more  ready  than  himself  to  sup- 
port the  aeliberate  voice  of  the 
people  of  England,  but  he  did  not 
hola  that  every  feverish  symptom, 
every  hobby  of  the  people,  was 
to  be  considered  the  real  current 
of  popular  opinion.  They  had  a 
free  press,  and  every  system  was 
brought  forward  with  great  ability 
and  fecility.  It  was  the  duty  of 
parliament  to  look  calmly  on  the 
effervescence  of  public  opinion,  and 
expect  those  transitory  gusts  of 
popular  feeling;  above  all,  they 
should  beware  of  mistaking  them 
for  the  real  manifestation  of  popu- 
lar opinion.  If  ever  there  was  a 
time  when  public  men  deserved  the 
gratitude  of  their  fellow  subjects, 
it  was  in  Ireland  in  1 782.  Mr. 
Grattan  and  Mr.  Flood  had  then 
contended  for  a  free  constitution. 
They  justly  obtained  popularity, 
and  had  done  nothing  to  forfeit  it 
in  1 783,  when  the  parliament  was 
Vol.  LXXIII. 


dissolved.  After  the  dissolution  of 
parliament,  the  counties,  cities,  and 
towns  did  not  prove  their  grati- 
tude. The  men  who  had  so  glori- 
ously led  them  to  independence 
became  unpopular.  Mr.  Flood 
and  his  illustrious  colleague  were 
rejected.  At  that  time  they  had 
demagogues  clamorous  for  parlia- 
mentary reform,  yet  the  people, 
whom  they  supported,  were  found 
rejecting  those  illustrious  patriots, 
and  they  made  their  way  again 
into  pai'liament  through  the  bo- 
roughs of  a  liberal  gentleman. 

Mr.  North  called  the  attention 
of  the  House  particularly  to  one 
effect,  which  would  be  produced  in 
Ireland  by  the  bill.  Its  franiers 
had  evidently  forgotten  the  great 
change  produced  there  by  the 
emancipation  act.  When  they 
admitted  the  Roman  Catholics  to 
the  privileges  of  the  constitution, 
it  was  necessary  to  guard  against 
their  interest  becoming  too  power- 
ful, and  in  that  view  the  House 
had  disfranchised  the  40^.  free- 
holders. But  if  the  new  plan 
came  into  a  law,  the  whole  of  that 
arrangement  would  be  upset,  and 
the  Protestants  of  Ireland  would 
be  bound  hand  and  foot,  and  thrown 
out  of  their  elective  rights. 

Mr.  Robert  Grant,  who,  like 
lord  Palmerston,  had  been  the  dis- 
ciple of  Mr.  Canning  and  Mr. 
Huskisson,  and  was  now  joined  to 
a  ministry  resolved  to  carry  mea- 
sures to  which  these  distinguished 
men  had  declared,  at  every  period 
of  their  public  lives,  irreconcile- 
able  enmity,  as  a  marked  and 
leading  part  of  their  political 
creed,  was  compelled  to  admit, 
that  he  had  been  hostile  to  reform  ; 
but  recent  events,  he  said,  both 
in  this  country  and  in  others,  had 
induced  him  to  change  his  opinion. 
Much  eKcitement  on  this  question 


66]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


there  certainly  was,  and  it  was  the 
misgovernment  of  the  late  minis- 
try alone  which  had  produced  it. 
He  then  proceeded  to  justify  the 
different  parts  of  the  scheme,  and 
particularly,  the  total  or  partial 
disfranchisement  of  the  smaller 
boroughs,  upon  grounds  which 
might  be  right  or  wrong,  in  point 
of  argument,  but  certainly  were 
not  to  be  ranked  among  recent 
events.  The  House  of  Commons, 
he  said,  ought  to  be  the  House  of 
the  whole  Commons,  and  nothing 
but  the  House  of  Commons.  This 
was  not  such  a  House,  although  it 
was  said  that  the  close  boroughs 
constituted  a  beauty  in  our  system. 
If  any  other  influence  than  that  of 
the  people  was  exercised  in  that 
House,  it  could  not  be  said,  con- 
stitutionally speaking,  that  the 
members  of  parliament  were  the 
fair  and  legitimate  representatives 
of  the  people.  What  was  the 
theory  of  our  constitution  ?  What 
its  practice  ?  Decidedly  different, 
and  he  regretted  it ;  but  the  House 
might  rest  assured  that  the  time 
had  now  gone  by,  when  the  people 
of  [ilngland  were  unacquainted  with 
the  nature  and  value  of  their  rights 
and  interests.  Where  could  any 
authority  be  found  for  the  dictum 
that  other  influences  than  those  of 
the  people  should  be  admitted  into 
the  -House  ?  Neither  in  Black- 
stone,  nor  De  Lolme.  On  the 
contrary,  they  both  contended,  in 
the  beautiful  theory  of  our  consti- 
tution, that  the  House  of  Com- 
mons was  to  be  nothing  else  than 
the  direct  representatives  of  the 
people.  By  the  express  terms  of 
our  constitution,  by  the  regula- 
tions and  orders  of  this  House, 
peers  were  not  allowed  to  interfere 
in  the  election  of  members  of  par- 
liament. The  people  out  of  doors 
knew  this,  as  well  as  the  members 


of  the  House ;  and  in  the  present 
state  of  knowledge  it  would  be  a 
ridiculous  attempt  to  blind  them 
by  new  theories  or  fanciful  specu- 
lations, however  ingenious  they 
might  be.  Delusion  had  long  been 
tried  and  had  failed ;  the  power  of 
knowledge  was  every  day  making 
itself  known,  and  it  would  be 
worse  than  futile  upon  the  part  of 
any  government  to  resist  it.  Such 
times  had  existed,  and  had  passed 
away,  and  it  would  be  wild  in  the 
extreme  to  talk  of  their  return. 
The  general  diffusion  of  knowledge 
enabled  the  people  to  know  their 
rights,  and  they  were  now  in  a 
condition  to  assert  them. 

Mr.  O'Connell,  the  most  selfish 
and  mischievous  of  all  demagogues, 
commenced  a  long  speech  by  as- 
suring ministers  that  they  would 
have  in  support  of  their  plan, 
not  only  his  vote,  but  what- 
ever influence  he  might  possess 
elsewhere,  and  that,  too,  although 
he  had  many  objections  to  the  bill. 
He  was  an  advocate  for  universal 
suffrage,  for  shortening  the  dur- 
ation of  parliaments,  and  for  vote 
by  ballot,  in  all  of  which  points 
the  bill  was  defective.  But  still  it 
was  a  liberal  and  extensive  mea- 
sure ;  and  by  its  operation  it  would 
either  demonstrate  that  the  other 
measures,  to  which  he  was  favour- 
able, would  be  of  no  farther  ad- 
vantage, or  it  would  furnish  the 
means  of  obtaining  them  safely 
and  certainly  j  as  a  radical  reformer, 
therefore,  he  heartily  accepted  the 
bill. 

The  extension  of  the  franchise 
to  copyholders  and  leaseholders, 
he  highly  applauded.  Though 
copy-holders  held  by  copy  of  court- 
roll,  their  property  was  as  valu- 
able and  as  saleable  as  if  it  were 
freehold.  By  introducing  lease- 
holders,  too,   they  avoided    this 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[67 


absurdity^  that  hitherto  a  man 
might  have  a  lease  of  1,000  acres 
for  1,000  years,  but  could  not 
vote,  although  his  next  neighbour, 
who  owned,  perhaps,  a  single  acre 
upon  an  old  life,  enjoyed  the  fran- 
chise. He  was  delighted,  too, 
at  the  unsparingness  with  which 
the  pruning  knife  had  been  applied 
to  the  boroughs,  and  he  directed 
against  them  the  usual  arguments. 
Was  it  not  the  first  order  of  the 
House,  even  before  the  king's 
speech  was  delivered,  that  it  was 
a  breach  of  privilege  for  any  peer 
or  prelate  to  interfere  with  the 
freedom  of  election  ?  and  could 
they  be  told,  in  the  face  of  this, 
that  the  duke  of  Newcastle  had 
the  right  of  appointing  a  member 
of  the  Commons'  House  of  Parlia- 
ment ?  Would  gentlemen  tell  him, 
in  the  teeth  of  that  House,  that 
the  giving  that  power  to  a  lord 
was  *'  the  old  constitution  V*  Yet 
these  were  the  gentlemen  who 
denied  hypocrisy.  The  hypocrisy 
of  that  resolution  was  theirs,  or 
they  were  parties  to  it.  If  any 
gentleman  attempted  to  violate 
that  resolution  clandestinely,  it 
was  the  duty  of  the  Speaker  to 
defeat  the  attempt.  But  if  the 
violation  of  it  was,  as  gentlemen 
insisted,  the  '^  old  constitution," 
let  the  question  be  regularly 
brought  before  the  House,  and  let 
the  resolution  be  rescinded.  But 
let  them  not  be  told  that  a  bill 
to  enforce  its  observance,  whilst  it 
stood  upon  their  books,  was  a 
revolution. 

The  learned  member,  having 
insisted  at  great  length  on  the 
open  corruption  practised  in  the 
smaller,  half-closed  boroughs,  and 
the  practice  of  beating  up  for  a 
third  man,  to  com|)el  the  two  can- 
didates to  be  liberal,  asked,  if  there 
was  any  conscientious  man,  who 


would  give  his  voice  for  the  pre- 
servation of  a  system  which  opened 
such  a  field  for  profligacy,  cor- 
ruption, and  the  violation  of  the 
privileges  of  that  House — every  six 
years,  almost  every  year  ?  Would 
any  one— at  least,  would  any  one 
out  of  that  House — deny  that  such 
was  the  case  in  all  the  half- open 
boroughs.^  Nobody.  Would  any 
one  in  that  House  deny  it  ?  Cer- 
tainly,  no  one ;  except  those  who 
in  sophistical  speeches,  which  said 
nothing  distinctly,  and  deceived 
the  speakers  themselves,  insinu- 
ated what  they  dared  not  assert. 
Who  would  deny  that  the  votes  of 
those  burgesses  were  sold  as  oxen 
were  sold  in  Smithfield,  and  that 
the  seats  which  represent  them 
were  sold  and  let  as  the  stalls  in 
Leaden  hall- market  ?  Did  any  man 
suppose  that  the  people  of  Eng- 
land would  not  resist  and  destroy 
that  system  of  corruption  }  He 
didmot  mean  by  any  sudden  vio- 
lence, but  by  the  force  of  opinion 
rising  gradually,  calmly,  and  irre- 
sistibly, as  a  giant  rising  from  bis 
sleep.  Was  it  fit,  then,  that  gen- 
tlemen with  the  full  knowledge 
that  corruption  is  so  common  m 
those  boroughs,  and  tolerating  that 
corruption  themselves,  should  come 
into  that  House  and  gravely  vote 
a  resolution,  that  any  person  ob- 
taining a  seat  there  by  bribery  is 
guilty  of  a  gross  violation  of  the 
rights  of  the  Commons  of  Eng- 
land ?  An  outcry  had  been  raised 
against  corporation  robbery.  Now 
he  had  looked  into  thirty-six  of 
these  cases,  and  of  these  only  six- 
teen were  corporations ;  the  other 
twenty  had  never  been  corporations 
at  all.  *'  I  farther  insist,  said  Mr. 
0*Connell,  that  all  those  members, 
who  denounce  this  corporation 
robbery,  shall  join  with  me  in  pro- 
curing the  repeal  of  the  union  be- 
[F2] 


68]         ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


tween  Britain  and  Ireland  -,  for,  if 
the  proposed  bill  contained  such 
a  seizure  of  the  franchise  as 
parliament  had  no  right  to  make, 
what  would  they  say  to  the  seizure 
of  the  franchises  of  100  corpo- 
rations by  the  act  of  union.  Par- 
liament^ too,  had  not  done  this^ 
because  the  boroughs  were  corinipt; 
it  admitted  that  they  were  inno- 
cent^ for  it  voted  13,000  guineas 
a-piece  to  the  proprietors  of  forty 
of  them.  He  was  entitled  there- 
fore to  demand  the  assistance  of 
his  present  antagonists^  either  in 
carrying  through  this  bill,  or  in 
carrying  through  a  repeal  of  the 
union. 

Mr.   O'Connell,    however,    was 
not  equally  satisfied  with  the  in- 
tentions of  the  framers  of  the  new 
scheme  in  so  far  as  regarded  Ire- 
land.    In  the  propositions  regard- 
ing   that    kingdom    he  saw  the 
malign  influence  prevailing  M'hich 
seemed   to   control    every    thing 
that    related    to    Ireland.      The 
capital  of  England  was  to  double 
the  number  of  its  representatives, 
having  sixteen    instead  of  eight; 
the  capital  of  Scotland  was  to  be 
proportionally  benefitted;  but  no 
such  boon  was   intended  for   the 
capital  of  Ireland.      Of  those  Eng- 
lish counties  to  which  an  additional 
number    of    representatives     was 
given,  there  were  fifteen  inferior  in 
population  to  the  county  of  An- 
trim ;    nineteen    inferior    to    the 
county  of  Down ;  twenty-two  in- 
ferior to  Tipperary  3  and  there  was 
not  one,    with    the   exception   of 
Lancashire  and  Yorkshire,  but  was 
inferior  to  the  county  of  Cork.     It 
might  be  said,  indeed,  that  Cork 
contained  a  considerable  number  of 
boroughs;     but,    even    excluding 
them,  its  population  was   greater 
by   100,000  than  anj  of  the  fa- 
voured English  counties,  with  the 


exceptions  he  had  mentioned.  He 
demanded,  therefore,  an  additional 
member  for  each  of  the  counties  of 
Antrim,  Cork,  Down,  Galway, 
Kerry,  Mayo,  and  Tyrone,  for  fie 
could  shew  that  every  one  of  them 
was  above  the  line  of  200,000.  He 
demanded  another  for  the  town  of 
Galway,  and  another  for  Kilkenny 
and  its  vicinage,  which,  before  the 
union,  had  sent  four  representa- 
tives to  parliament :— and  he  was 
the  better  entitled  to  make  these 
demands,  as  there  confessedly  were 
sixty-two  members  in  the  bank. 

There  was  another  provision  of 
the  bill,  of  which,  on  behalf  of  Ire- 
land, he  thought  he  had  a  right  to 
complain.     It  was  that  by  which 
borough  freeholders  were  deprived 
of  votes  in  the  county.   That  was 
taking  the  privilege  from  a  very 
respectable  and  excellent  class  of 
electors — men  who  had  the  inde- 
pendence and  intelligence  to  think 
for  themselves,  and  the  sturdiness 
to  act  upon  the  suggestions  of  their 
own  consciences.     A  large  class  of 
th6  respectable  inhabitants  of  Bel- 
fast were  thus  excluded  from  any 
share  in  voting  for  the  representa- 
tion of  Antrim ;  and  the  inhabit- 
ants of  Tralee,  in  a  similar  way, 
from  their  proper  shai-e  in  the  re- 
presentation of  Kerry.    Then  copy- 
holders were  enfranchised,  or  to  be 
enfranchised,  by  the  present  bill, 
and  so  were  leaseholders  for  years  in 
England.     Why  were  persons  of  a 
similar  description  in  Ireland  not 
to  be  enfranchised  also  ?    A  very 
large  proportion  of  the  property  of 
Ireland  was  of  necessity  let  upon 
leases  for  years;    and   surely,    if 
the  principle  were  good  in  Eng- 
land, there  was  nothing  in  Ireland 
which  went  to  vitiate  it.     A  very 
large    proportion    of    the   church 
lands   in   Ireland   were   let  upon 
leases  for  years,  and  he  might  be 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[69 


asked^  with  what  consistency  did 
he  demand  the  enfranchisement  of 
bishops'  tenants  ?  Did  not  that  go 
directly  to  increase  the  influence  of 
the  church  }  Gentlemen^  he  trust- 
ed,  would  remember  that  the  reve- 
rend and  right  reverend  persons 
to  whom  those  lands  belonged  took 
especial  care  to  have  the  leases  re- 
newed as  often  as  they  possibly 
could^  and  to  procure  the  highest 

S rices  that  the  tenants  could  he  in- 
uced  to  pay ;  for  this  reason  the 
tenants  were  independent  of  their 
landlords  -,   and  therefore  to  give 
them  the  franchise  was  to  bestow 
it  upon  a  large  body  of  intelligent 
and  independent  men.  Ireland,  too, 
he  thought  had  a  right  to  complain, 
that  the  50/.  and  20/.  freeholders, 
being  non-resident,  werrto  be  de- 
prived of  their  votes.     He  would 
select  Dungarvon,   merely  as    an 
instance ;    there,    the  5/.   house- 
renters  were^to  be  disfranchised  as 
well  as  the  50/.  and   20/.   free- 
holders.    Those  instances,  he  con- 
ceived, ought  to  be  enough  to  sa- 
tisfy the  House  that  the  present  bill 
had  been  prepared  without  sufficient 
knowledge  of  the  state  of  represent- 
ation in  the  different  counties  and 
boroughs  in   Ireland.     Was    the 
House  prepared  to  get  rid  of  the 
old   established  system  of  the  5/. 
liouse-renters  in  the  Irish  boroughs. 
Then,  why  was  there  not  disfran- 
chisement in  Ireland,  as  well  as  in 
England.^     In  Ireland,   they  had 
seventeen,  if  not  nineteen,  nomi- 
nation boroughs.     The  borough  of 
Portarlington,    for  example,   was 
brought  openly  into  the  market, 
and  it  was  announced  that   any 
gentleman  might  be  returned  for 
it  who  would  lend  lord  Portarling- 
ton 40,000/,  or  50,000/.,  at  legal 
interest,  upon  good  security ;  the 
person  who  lent  the  money  became 
the  hon.  member  for  Portarlington. 


It  had  been  argued  by  Mr. 
North,  that,  in  Ireland,  the  effect 
of  the  bill  would  be,  to  increase 
the  power  of  the  Catholics  at  the 
expense  of  the  Protestants.  Was 
there  never,  then,  to  be  an  end  of 
religious  feuds  and  animosities  ? 
Was  every  improvement  to  be  met 
by  the  same  old  cry  of  Catholic 
and  Protestant — the  one  set  against 
the  other  ?  And  was  it  not  enough 
to  have  kept  the  Catholics  for  cen- 
turies from  religious  freedom,  but 
now  to  make  them  pay  for  the  to- 
leration they  enjoyed,  by  a  for- 
feiture of  their  civil  rignts?  It 
was  time,  at  length,  to  break  down 
the  long-continued  monopoly  which 
had  originated  with  Cromwell  and 
his  party,  a  power  which  had  been 
cemented  by  the  blood  of  the  fol- 
lowers of  Charles  I.,  men  who  after- 
wards were  betrayed  by  his  son 
Charles  II.  There  was  no  one  who 
had  the  slightest  acauaintance  with 
those  subjects,  who  aid  not  perfectly 
well  know  that  every  borough  in 
Ireland  was  one  of  the  closest  and 
most  compact  monopolies  that  could 
be  imagined.  Forty  boroughs  were 
createof  by  James  I.  in  one  day,  for 
the  purpose  •f  furthering  his  de- 
signs upon  the  property  of  two  en- 
tire provinces — those  boroughs  con- 
sisted each  of  only  twelve  bur- 
gesses, and  some  of  them  were  so 
poor  and  so  deficient  of  inhabit- 
ants, that  they  found  difficulty  in 
procuring  even  that  number. 

Mr.  (5'Connell,  adverting  to 
the  argument  in  favour  of  the 
close  boroughs,  derived  from  the 
fact  of  their  having  sent  into  the 
House  of  Commons  so  much  talent, 
which  would  not  otherwise  have 
found  an  entrance,  maintained, 
that  the  argument  was  supported 
by  simply  shewing  up  the  stars, 
and  concealing  all  that  was  mean 
and   obscure  — thereby  shewing, 


70]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


that  he  did  not  uuderdtand  the  way 
in  which  the  argument,  whatever 
might  be  its  intrinsic  Worth,  was 
put :  viz.,  ''  Has  any  equal  num- 
ber of  boroughs,  enjoying  a  popu- 
lar franchise,  and  a  numerous  con- 
stituency, introduced  into  p<irlia- 
nient  an  equal  number  of  distin- 
guished men  ?"  Then  he  abused 
Mr.  Canning  and  Burke,  two  of 
the  names  in  that  heart- stirring 
list,  saying  of  the  latter,  in  the 
face  of  the  House  of  Commons, 
^'  Burke  was  a  man  who  thought 
the  people  ought  to  be  contented, 
if  the  rich  and  great  were  well 
and  comfortably  provided  for.  Burke 
got  a  pension,  paid,  he  believed, 
till  the  present  hour ;  and  the  peo- 
ple, if  they  could  get  rid  of  the 
pension,  would  give  a  receipt  in 
full  for  any  eulogium  pronounced 
upon  his  name." 

Mr.  Attwood  thought  the  House 
would  agree  with  him,  that,  before 
consenting  to  destroy  the  present 
system,  they  ought  to  ascertain 
distinctly  what  that  was  which 
they  were  called  on  to  cure,  and 
what  means  they  possessed  of 
guarding  against  the  consequences 
of  concession.  It  was  said,  that 
the  existing  system  of  represent- 
ation did  not  conform  itself  to  the 
existing  state  of  society,  that  new 
towns  had  sprung  up  into  wealth, 
which  were  excluded  from  parlia- 
ment, and  thus  the  trading  and 
commercial  interests  of  the  coun- 
try did  not  enjoy  their  due  share 
in  the  representation.  Now  it  did 
not  appear  to  him,  in  point  of  fact, 
nor  had  it  yet  been  shewn,  that 
the  commercial  and  trading  inter- 
ests were  not  duly  represented, 
and  he  requested  that  members 
would  not  take  that  for  granted, 
without  examining  the  question. 
Whence  had  the  real  represent- 
ation of  the  commerce  of  the  coua^* 


try  originated  ?  Liverpool  sent 
two  members,  but  many  of  her 
merchants,  who  had  sat  in  that 
House,  had  sat  for  boroughs.  Man- 
chester, under  this  change,  was  to 
have  two  representatives;  but  at 
what  time  hitherto  had  not  that 
place  had  at  least  three  times  two 
members,  who  protected  its  inter- 
ests and  spoke  its  demands  ?  Eight 
members  were  to  be  added  to  the 
metropolis.  But  would  they  be 
merchants  ?  What  merchants  had 
Westminster  or  South wark  ever 
returned  ?  And,  with  respect  to 
the  city  of  London  itself,  though 
he  had  every  respect  for  the  mem- 
bers who  sat  for  it,  yet  it  could 
not  be  denied  that  they  were  not 
really  the  men  that  represented  its 
commerce.  Who  were  these  men  ? 
The  two  hon.  members  for  Calling- 
ton — the  member  for  Bramber— . 
the  member  for  Midhurst  —  the 
member  for  Wendover — and  the 
members  for  Old  Sarum — those 
were  the  men  in  that  House  who 
represented  the  commercial  inter* 
ests  of  the  metropolis.  What  they 
were  about  to  do  was,  to  give  up 
a  practical  representation,  and  in-i 
troduce  on  the  contrary  a  nominal 
one — the  very  thing  the  ministry 
pretended  that  they  were  trying 
to  avoid.  The  reason  why  men 
wished  to  sit  in  that  House  was, 
for  the  sake  of  distinction ;  and  did 
any  one  suppose  that  the  wealthy 
merchants  of  Manchester  would  be 
content  with  the  two  members 
whom  that  place  was  to  have  ? 
No  such  thing  3  they  had  always 
sat  in  the  House  to  a  much  greater 
extent,  and  this  bill  would  be  the 
means  of  preventing  that  in  fu- 
ture. They  were  to  be  shut  out 
by  the  very  door  that  it  was  pre- 
tended would  open  the  way  to  them. 
The  case  against  the  boroughs 
bad  s^lways  been  put  thus.    Is  it 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[71 


not  monstrous  that  the  miserable 
occupiers  of  a  few  miserable  houses 
should  send  two  members  to  par- 
liament ?  But  that  was  not  a  cor- 
rect statement  of  the  case  :  it  was 
the  owners,  and  not  the  occupiers 
of  those  houses^  that  returned  the 
members^  and  that  right  had  de^ 
scended  to  them  with  their  pro- 
perty, as  a  means  of  protecting 
that  property  itself.  He  would 
say  that  their  boroughs  were  as 
inviolable  as  their  land ;  but  it  was 
a  fair  question,  whether,  as  their 
property  ran  so  great  a  risk,  such 
a  representation  was  not  required 
to  secure  it  against  that  risk.  He 
thought  the  noble  lord,  in  the  his- 
tory of  his  own  family  and  ances- 
tors, might  have  learned  that  pro- 
perty was  exposed  to  all  sorts  of 
risks,  and  that  cupidity  and  profli- 
gacy were  ever  ready  to  make  a 
snatch  at  it.  That  noble  lord  had 
admitted,  indeed,  that  the  bo- 
roughs were  vested  rights — that, 
however,  they  were  merely  trusts 
— and,  because  they  wel*e  trusts, 
and  not  property,  he  would  destroy 
them.  *'  I  do  not  know,"  said  Mr. 
Attwood,  "  whence  that  noble  lord 
drew  his  wisdom,  when  he  spoke 
of  sacrificing  any  kind  of  trust. 
What,  I  wish  to  ask,  is  property 
of  any  kind  but  a  trust  ?  All  pro- 
perty is  of  the  nature  of  a  trust, 
and,  for  that  reason,  I  will  not  sji- 
crifice  Old  Sarum — on  that  ground 
I  will  protect  all  property,  and,  on 
that  ground,  the  noble  lord,  in  sa- 
crificing the  rotten  boroughs,  may 
find  that  he  is  not  giving  security 
to  Woburn.  The  only  ground  why 
property  should  be  protected  is, 
that  it  is  for  the  good  of  the  com- 
munity, and,  on  the  same  ground, 
I  am  prepared  to  defend  all  the 
trusts  it  is  proposed  to  destroy." 
He  regrettea  much^  that  ministere 


should  have  brought  for  ward  a  mea- 
sure of  such  a  nature  in  these  times 
of  agitation,  when  there  was  a  sort 
of  national  convention  sitting 
throughout  the  land ;  when  the 
whole  country  was  agitated;  and 
when  it  was  not  improbable  that 
by  setting  the  example  of  confis- 
cating trusts,  they  might  lead  to  a 
confiscation  of  property. 

When  the  proposers  of  this  mea- 
sure represented  it  as  a  renovation 
of  the  constitution,  they  were  im- 
posing on  themselves,  and  attempt- 
ing to  impose  upon  others  by 
words ;  for  the  constitution,  which 
they  meant  to  restore,  must  be  one 
which  had  never  existed,  either  in 
this  or  in  any  other  country.  He 
knew  well  that,  in  the  minds  of 
the  reformers,  the  constitution  was 
supposed  to  consist  of  three  co- 
equal and  co-extensive  powers,  each 
of  them  disconnected  from,  and 
independent  of,  the  others,  which 
it  was  to  check  and  control.  This 
was  their  theory ;  but  it  was  ut- 
terly impracticable  to  any  other 
purpose  than  producing  a  demo- 
cracy. Into  what  measure,  on  this 
theory,  could  not  the  two  Houses 
of  Parliament  drive  the  Crown  ? 
into  what  measure  could  not  the 
Commons,  on  this  theory,  drive 
the  Crown  and  the  peers,  by  re- 
fusing the  supplies,  leaving,  if  the 
former  resisted  the  democratic  part 
of  the  constitution,  no  alternative 
save  a  dissolution  of  all  govern- 
ment }  He  defied  any  man  to  in- 
vent a  constitution  less  capable  of 
being  carried  into  execution,  and, 
if  it  was  carried  into  execution, 
less  capable  of  promoting  the  ge- 
neral welfare.  Accordingly,  it 
never  had  been  attempted  to  be  so 
carried  into  execution,  except  by 
some  men  bigotted  to  a  theory. 
The  men  who  iiad  actually  carried 


72]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


our  coDstitution  into  effect,  were 
not  of  that  class.  They  were  not 
men  disposed  to  sacrifice  to  a 
theory  the  public  happiness,  and 
also  the  interests  of  the  people. 
They  were  men  who  were  con- 
vinced that  the  people  were  not 
made  for  a  theory  of  government, 
but  that  government  was  made  for 
the  people ;  and,  according  as  their 
interests  demanded  it,  and  according 
to  circumstances,  these  statesmen 
made  one  part  of  the  constitution 
yield  to  another ;  one  part  supply 
the  deficiencies  of  another;  one 
part  do  that  which  was  necessary 
to  the  happiness  of  the  others,  and 
so  kept  them  all  moving  together 
in  harmony,  giving  the  people  pro- 
tection for  their  liberty,  and,  for 
their  property,  the  security  of  fixed 
and  stable  laws.  But,  under  this 
novel  and  impracticable  theory, 
the  House  pf  Commons  was  to  be 
made  something  which  it  never 
had  been.  The  secretary  for  Ire- 
land had  said  that  the  new  consti- 
tution would  be  only  a  new  consti- 
tution of  the  House  of  Commons, 
not  of  the  whole  frame  of  govern- 
ment. Be  it  so  ;  yet  this  new 
constitution  of  the  House  of  Com- 
mons was  to  create,  under  that 
name,  a  power  with  which  neither 
the  spirit  nor  the  practice  of  the 
constitution  had  ever  before  brought 
the  other  two  estates  into  connec- 
tion, and  was  thus  to  alter  radically 
and  essentially  the  relation  in  which 
the  three  estates  had  hitherto  stood 
to  each  other,  and  in  which  alone 
the  only  practical  balance  of  a 
mixed  constitution  was  to  be  found. 
The  House  of  Commons  was  to  be 
freed  from  every  trace  of  any  thing 
other  than  democratic  creation  ;  it 
was  to  consist  of  an  elected  body, 
always  changing — having  no  at- 
tachment to  stability— composed. 


of  necessity,  of  men  the  most  am- 
bitious and  most  enterprising — of 
men  of  the  greatest  talents  and  in- 
telligence to  be  found  in  the  age 
and  in  the  country ;  and  that  was, 
in  theory,  to  be  the  result  of  the 
new  elections,  and  this  was  to  be  a 
pure  House  of  Commons.  He  should 
be  glad  to  learn  from  the  noble 
lord  who  had  introduced  the  bill, 
where  he  could  find  a  single  ex- 
ample in  history,  having  the  gua- 
rantee of  experience,  of  any  body, 
purely  democratic,  elected  by  the 
great  body  of  the  people,  and  deri- 
ving its  existence  from  the  popular 
voice,  existing  in  conjunction  with 
hereditary  monarchy  and  the  peer- 
age ?  There  were  no  such  exam- 
ples, except  such  as  taught  them 
a  serious  lesson.  Let  them  direct 
their  eyes  to  the  new  constitutions 
formed  in  neighbouring  kingdoms 
— let  them  look  to  the  Chamber  of 
Deputies  in  France,  and  they  would 
find  that  the  Chamber  of  Peers 
never  rejected  a  measure  which  had 
been  agreed  to  by  the  Chamber  of 
Deputies,  when  the  latter  body 
did  not  immediately  question  the 
utility  of  the  other  Chamber.  Did 
the  House  of  Commons  and  the 
House  of  Jjords  differ,  the  dispute 
went  off  quietly ;  but  it  was  not 
so  in  France.  In  France,  the  re- 
sult of  the  Chamber  of  Peers  re- 
jecting a  measure  was,  that  the 
other  Chamber  immediately  in- 
quired if  the  Chamber  of  Peers 
ought  to  exist.  These  appeared 
to  him,  at  least,  the  kind  of  dangers 
which  we  might  expect  from  this 
untried  bill,  which  had  no  experi- 
ence to  sanction  it,  but  which  we 
were  warned  against  by  the  dangers 
of  another  country.  It  was  not  a 
measure  of  restoration ;  for  what 
it  was  about  to  create  never  ex- 
isted:  it  was  not  a  measure  of 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[73 


conservation  ;  it  was  not  a  measure 
for  repairing  the  structure ;  it  was 
a  measure  tearing  up  the  found- 
ations of  the  constitution  and  lay- 
ing  them  anew. 

ISir  James  Graham,  the  first 
Lord  of  the  Admiralty,  again  re- 
ferred to  the  act  disfranchising  the 
40^.  freeholders  of  Ireland,  as  a 
precedent  more  than  justifying 
every  thing  which  this  bill  pro- 
posed to  do  in  the  way  of  disfran- 
chisement, if  a  proper  case  of  rea- 
sonableness and  expediency  were 
made  out.  On  this  point,  too, 
the  authority  of  Burke  was  deci- 
sive, who  had  said,  that  as  char- 
ters had  originally  been  granted 
for  specific  purposes.  Parliament 
had  a  clear  right  to  deal  with  them 
when  they  ceased  to  conduce  to 
these  specific  purposes.  The  right 
being  clear,  a  glance  at  the  actual 
state  of  the  representation  would, 
he  thought,  satisfy  every  rea- 
sonable man,  that  it  was  such  as 
now  required  the  efi^cient  applica- 
tion of  that  right.  It  would  be 
found  that  twenty-eight  boroughs, 
the  electors  of  which  were  under 
1 000,  sent  above  fifty  members  to 
parliament.  There  were  ninety- 
seven  boroughs  where  the  electors 
did  not  exceed  100,  nine  where 
they  were  under  ten,  and  twenty- 
seven  where  the  uumber  was  be- 
tween ten  and  twenty-five,  which 
returned  a  great  proportion  of  the 
representatives.  Of  all  the  bo- 
roughs enjoying  the  franchise,  there 
were  115,  in  none  of  which  did  the 
number  of  electors  exceed  200. 
Although,  therefore,  all  the  bo- 
rough electors  were  pure  and  in- 
dependent electors,  the  system 
brought  into  play  a  mere  miserable 
fraction  of  the  citizens.  But  how 
stood  the  fact  as  to  their  indepen- 
dence ?  Out  of  22 1  borough  mem- 
bers^ more  than  one  half  yiz.  127 


were  nominated  by  1 1 1  peers  and 
commoners ;  1 43  peers  and  com- 
moners returned,  m  one  way  or 
other,  1 93  members ;  and  it  was 
capable  of  proof  that  there  were  six- 
teen peers  who  filled,  by  their  mere 
nomination,  7(i  seats  in  that  House. 
Such  was  the  cause  of  complaint  on 
the  part  of  the  people;  and  no 
man  who  fairly  considered  the 
subject  could  come  to  any  satisfac- 
tory conclusion  but  this — that  it 
was  necessary  to  make  a  strenuous 
eflfort  for  the  redress  of  so  great  a 
grievance. 

'  Sir  James  Graham  then  applied 
himself  to  the  remarks  of  Mr. 
Croker  upon  the  manner  in  which 
the  line  of  disfranchisement  had 
been  drawn.  He  admitted  that,  if 
ministers,  in  drawing  that  line, 
had  been  influenced  by  such  feel- 
ings as  appeared  to  be  insinuated 
against  them,  then  would  they 
not  only  be  unworthy  of  the  situa- 
tion in  which  they  were  placed, 
but  they  would  be  unfit  to  associate 
with  any  body  of  private  gentle- 
men. Ministers  had  acted  not 
from  sinister  views,  but  proceeded 
on  the  principles  of  men  of  honour. 
He  should  surprise  the  House  if 
he  read  the  list  of  boroughs  which 
must  have  been  interfered  with,  if 
ministers  had  drawn  the  line  so  as 
to  aflfectKnaresborough,  Tavistock, 
and  Calne.  Ministers  had  no 
other  document  to  refer  to  than 
the  statistical  returns  of  the  year 
1821.  He  did  not  mean  to  say 
that  it  was  a  perfect  document ;  he 
knew  that  it  contained  errors  j  but 
there  was  one  advantage  connected 
with  it,  namely,  that  its  details 
were  evidently  favourable  to  the 
extension  of  the  franchise.  Now, 
if  the  line  had  been  drawn  with 
reference  to  the  population  of  Calne, 
they  would  have  been  obliged  to 
disfranchise  eleven  other  boroughsi 


74]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


VIZ.  Malton,  NeM7)ort,  Andover, 
Grantham^  Devizes,  Hertford,  St. 
Alban's,  Dartmouth,  Bridgewater, 
Ponifret,  and  Chippenham,  each 
of  which  was  smaller  than  Calne. 
If  they  had  taken  as  the  line  of  dis- 
tinction the  population  of  the  bo- 
rough of  Knaresborough,  they 
would  have  had  to  disfrancliise, 
wholly  or  partially,  twenty-three 
other  boroughs,  including  Calne, 
Tavistock,  Rippon,  Chichester, 
Peterborough,  Shrewsbury,  Tewks- 
bury,  and  Barnstaple,  which  were 
inferior  in  extent  to  Knaresbo- 
rough.  Therefore  it  was,  that 
Calne,  Tavistock,  and  Knares- 
borough,  were  not  interfered  with  ; 
since,  if  ministers  had  included 
them  in  their  plan,  they  must  have 
disfranchised  a  far  greater  num- 
ber of  boroughs  than  they  thought 
it  expedient  to  interfere  with.  He, 
however,  was  quite  sure  that,  let 
ministers  have  drawn  the  line 
wherever  they  would,  objections 
of  a  similar  nature  would  have 
been  advanced  by  those  who  were 
unfriendly  to  reform.  Again,  if 
they  looked  at  the  tax  returns, 
they  would  find  that,  in  the  sixty 
boroughs  to  be  disfranchised,  there 
were  only  1471  houses  rated  at 
1 0/.,  while  in  Sheffield  there  were 
1556  houses  so  rated — that  was 
more  than  100  houses  above  all 
those  in  the  sixty  boroughs. 
There  were  forty-seven  boroughs 
which  ministers  proposed  to  leav© 
with  one  member  each,  in  which 
the  number  of  houses  rated  at 
10/.  was  6323,  while,  in  the 
parish  of  Mary-le-bone,  which  did 
not  now  send  members  to  parlia- 
ment, there  were  10,4-21  houses 
rated  at  and  above  that  sum,  being 
nearly  one-third  more  than  was 
contained  in  all  these  boroughs. 
The  house  would  be  able  to  decide 
whether  ministers  had  been  ac« 


tuated  by  any  partial  and  unfair 
motives  in  selecting  the  boroughs 
which  were  to  be  disfranchised. 

Neither  was  it  true  that  they 
had  been  goaded  on  to  the  adop- 
tion of  the  plan  itself  by  any  ex- 
traneous excitement.  It  was  not 
on  account  of  the  great  excite- 
ment which  prevailed,  that  minis- 
ters were  anxious  to  carry  this 
measure,  but  because  they  could 
not  overlook  considerations  of  pru- 
dence and  expediency.  He  found- 
ed himself  in  supporting  this  pro- 
position on  the  principle  of  justice 
which  was  the  ground-work  of  all 
good  policy ;  and,  adhering  to  that, 
at  the  same  time  that  he  did  not 
overlook  the  signs  of  the  times,  he 
was  thoroughly  disposed  to  make 
this  large  concession.  That  it  was 
calculated  to  remove  the  crown 
from  the  brow  of  the  sovereign,  and 
shake  the  stability  of  the  House  of 
peers,  was  contrary  to  reason ;  for  he 
could  not  understand  how  monar- 
chy could  be  endangered  by  making 
it  rest  on  the  affections  of  a  loyal 
people.  On  the  contrary  all  expe- 
rience shewed,  that  the  throne  of 
England  never  ran  the  risk  of  inva- 
sion, much  less  of  subversion,  ex- 
cept when  attempts  were  made  for- 
cibly to  overbear  the  just  wishes  of 
the  people,  and  to  stifle  their  as- 
pirations after  liberty.  That  this 
reform  would  be  a  cure  for  all  the 
evils  which  afflicted  the  country, 
he  did  not  believe.  But  when  par- 
liament should  be  freely  chosen  by 
the  people,  though  it  might  not 
work  for  them  all  the  benefits 
which  they  expected,  yet  they 
would  know  that  all  would  be  done 
for  them  that  was  possible;  and 
they  would  then  be  more  tranquil, 
more  contented,  and  more  peace- 
able :  the  safety  of  the  country 
would  be  put  on  a  safer  basis,  for 
he  knew  none  so  safe  as  the  exten<< 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[75 


sion  of  the  suffrage  to  the  most 
intelligent  and  industrious  classes 
of  the  communitv. 

Various  other  memhers  address- 
ed the  House  on  both  sides  of  the 
question  ;  but  to  give  even  an  ab- 
stract of  what  was  farther  said, 
would  only  be  loading  our  pages 
with  tiresome  repetition.  For  the 
same  reason  we  pass  over  the  reply 
of  lord  John  Russell,  in  which  he 
summed  up  answers  which  had 
already  been  given  to  objections 
which  had  already  been  stated. 
To  the  charge  that  ministers  had 
not  acted  with  consistency  even  on 
their  own  principles,  in  so  far  as 
they  gave  a  town  of  14,000  or 
15,000  inhabitants  no  more  mem- 
bers than  a  borough  of  3,000  or 
4,000,  his  lordship  answered,  that 
he  had  never  intended  his  bill  to 
be  a  measure  of  symmetry  by 
which  the  House  was  to  be  re- 
duced to  a  certain  number  of  mem- 
bers for  each  county.  Such  a  j)lan 
of  reform  might  be  better  or  it 
might  be  worse;  but  it  had  not 
been  intended  to  go  by  it.  West- 
minster, with  180,000  inhabitants, 
returned  no  more  members  than 
St.  Alban's,  or  Reading,  or  other 
places  containing  not  one- tenth  of 
the  population.  That  was  an 
anomaly  with  which  he  did  not 
interfere— as  he  found  it,  so  he  left 
it.  The  measure  of  dividing  the 
country  into  districts,  and  appor- 
tioning to  each  district  a  certain 
number  of  persons,  might  be  a 
great  and  a  wise  scheme,  but  it  had 
not  been  thought  so;  and  if  the 
hon.  members  opposite  thought 
otherwise,  let  them  bring  that 
measure  forward,  and  show  them- 
selves more  extensive  reformers 
than  the  present  ministers. 

The  motion  for  leave  to  bring 
in  the  bill,  as  well  as  those  for  Scot- 
land and  Ireland,  was  not  resisted. 


The  bill  itself,  however,  was  not 
ready,  nor  brought  in,  till  the  1 4th, 
a  delay  which  gave  occasion  to  some 
members  of  the  opposition  to  ex- 
press their  surprise,  that  a  plan, 
which  ministers  were  stated  to 
have  so  long  carefully  pondered  and 
concocted,  and  which  had  already 
been  subjected  to  a  longer  discussion 
than  any  measure  had  ever  receiv- 
ed in  that  House,  should  be  even 
now  in  so  incomplete  a  state  as  to 
be  unfit  to  be  presented  to  parlia- 
ment. On  the  14th  the  bill  was 
brought  in,  and  read  a  first  time 
profwma  without  opposition.  On 
bringing  it  in,  lord  John  Russell 
mentioned  that  one  or  two  altera- 
tionsand  corrections  had  been  made, 
one  of  which  was  that  he  had  dis- 
covered that  the  borough  of  Bewd- 
ley,  which  he  had  placed  in  sche- 
dule B,  as  a  borough  to  be  de- 
prived of  one  of  its  two  memb«rs, 
did,  in  truth,  send  only  one  mem- 
ber to  parliament — a  striking  proof 
of  the  carelessness  and  haste  with 
which  the  details  had  been  thrown 
together.  He  added,  that  in  some 
instances,  large  suburbs  would  be 
joined  to  their  neijrhbouring  towns, 
as,  Chatham  and  Stroud  to  Roches- 
ter, Scullcoates  to  Hull,  and  Portsea 
to  Portsmouth.  Devonport  and 
Stonehouse  were  to  be  conjoined, 
with  the  right  of  electing  two 
members,  and  Plymouth  was  to  be 
left  as  it  was. 

It  was  not  certainly  known  why 
the  opponents  of  the  bill  allowed 
so  keen  and  lengthened  a  contest 
to  terminate  without  dividing  the 
House.  Ministers  afterwards  ad- 
mitted that,  if  a  division  had  taken 
place,  they  expected  to  have  been 
left  in  a  minority.  But  the  opposi- 
tion did  not  form  a  combined  body; 
they  had  no  regular  plan  of  party 
operations,  and  were  guided  by  no 
leader.      Several    members  while 


76]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


Strenuously  opposing  the  bill,  liad 
at  the  same  time^  expressed  their 
wish  that  it  should  be  allowed  to 
be  brought  in^  so  that  a  division 
would  not  have  enabled  its  oppo- 
nents to  have  the  advantage  of  their 
whole  strength.   Perhaps  too,  they 


did  not  wish  to  have  the  appearance 
of  actiug  prematurely  or  unreason- 
ably ;  and  therefore  reserved  them- 
selves for  the  second  readings  that 
stage  at  which,  according  to  the 
forms  of  the  House,  the  fate  of  the 
principle  of  a  bill  is  decided. 


HISTORY   OF   EUROPE. 


[77 


CHAP.  III. 

Effects  of  the  Reform  Bill  on  the  Public  Mind — Conduct  of  the 
Reformers-^London  Declaration — The  Press,  and  Complaint  of 
Breach  of  Privilege — Debate  on  the  Motion  that  the  Bill  he  read  a 
Second  Time,  and  Amendment  moved  that  it  be  read  a  Second  Time 
that  day  six  months — Speeches  of  Sir  R.  Vyvyan — Mr,  Sheil — Mr. 
C*  Grant — The  Solicitor  GeneraU^Sir  £.  Sugden — Mr.  Ward — The 
Second  Reading  carried  by  a  Majority  qf  One — Irish  Reform  Bill 
brought  in  and  read  a  First  Time — Statements  qf  Ministers  regarding 
the  Numbers  of  the  Hotise, 


THE  second  reading  of  the  re- 
form bill  had  been  fixed  for  the 
21st  of  March.  From  the  moment 
that  the  general  outlines  of  the 
plan  had  been  discussed  in  parlia- 
ment^ the  public  excitement  had 
been  daily  on  the  increase.  The 
first  effect  produced  was,  that,  al- 
though in  point  of  fact,  it  did  con- 
tain none  of  those  things  which  the 
most  noisy  and  violent  sections  of 
reformers  called  for  as  essential 
parts  of  any  efficient  change,  yet 
these  men  immediately  altered  their 
tone,  and  professed  to  receive  it 
with  open  arms.  The  secret  of  their 
conduct  was  not  difficult  to  be  un- 
derstood. Though  the  bill  gave  less 
than  they  wished  and  demanded, 
it  granted  more  than  they  had  ever 
expected.  They  were  told  by  their 
leaders,  even  by  their  parlia- 
mentary leaders,  too,  that,  as  min- 
isters were  resolved  to  go  no 
further,  the  proposed  measure 
would  be  lost,  unless  they  were 
manfully  supported  by  all  who 
longed  after  a  change.  They  were 
exhorted,  therefore,  to  forget  in 
the  meantime,  the  defects  of  the 
plan,  to  be  silent  regarding  the 
ballot,  universal  suffrage,  or  annual 
parliaments;  and  to  unite  in  ac« 


clamations  for  the  bill,  which,  while 
it  would  give  to  the  people,  by  its 
direct  operation,  a  great  accession 
of  political  power,  would  thereby 
furnish  to  tnem  the  surest  means 
of  making  their  way  to  other  and 
ulterior  objects.  The  passing  of 
the  bill  would  be  the  first,  and  a 
mighty  step,  made  in  their  own 
path,  and  they  ought  therefore  to 
present  no  obstacle  to  its  being 
taken.  To  all  the  lovers  of  change 
whose  views  had  never  been  so  ex- 
travagant, it  was  still  more  welcome, 
for  it  held  out  that  bribe  which 
human  nature  can  never  resist,  a 
bribe  to  the  vanity  and  desire  of 
power  over  large  bodies  of  men.  The 
reformers  agreed  that  the  minis- 
terial measure  should  be  their 
standard :  "  the  bill,  the  whole 
bill,  and  nothing  but  the  bill,'* 
became  their  watch -word,  at  the 
sound  of  which  all  liberality  of 
sentiment,  all  liberty  of  thought, 
all  sobriety  of  reason,  all  regard  to 
the  peace  of  the  community,  and 
the  orderly  course  of  society,  were 
set  at  defiance.  Ministers  were 
invested  for  a  time  with  more  than 
papal  infallibility  ;  it  was  received 
as  a  first  truth  that  no  part  of 
their  measure  could  be  wrong,  or 


78]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


ought  to  be  questioned.  They 
themselves  had  not  manifested 
much  wisdom  in  declaring,  that 
no  argument  would  make  them 
recede  from  one  inch  of  the  ground 
which  they  had  taken,  and  that  by 
this  measure  they  would  stand  or 
fall;  for  such  declarations  neces- 
sarily implied^  that  discussion  was 
useless— that  they  did  not  submit 
their  propositions  to  parliament  as 
propositions  which  the  wisdom  of 
parliament  might  alter,  but  as  al- 
ready forming  a  plan  framed  by 
the  wisdom  of  the  cabinet,  and 
which  parliament  must  receive  and 
sanction  such  as  it  was.  Whether 
the  line  of  total  disfranchisement 
should  be  drawn  at  1 ,500,  or  2,000, 
or  2,500,  or  3,000;  and  that  of 
partial  disfranchisement,  at  a  thou- 
sand, or  five  hundred,  higher  and 
lower ;  whether  the  new  franchise 
should  be  fixed  at  10/.,  or  20/.,  or 
]  5/.  • — these,  and  many  other  things 
seemed  to  be  questions  not  beyond 
the  reach  of  argument  and  reason. 
But  in  regard  to  all  of  them  the 
Cabinet  declared  that  the  measure 
was  already  fixed  as  fate ;  in  none 
of  them  would  it  allow  the  slightest 
alteration.  *' This  bill  as  we  have 
framed  it,  or  no  bill  at  all  and 
civil  convulsion,*'  was  the  language 
which  the  cabinet  council  of  the 
king  addressed  to  the  great  coun- 
cil of  the  nation.  By  thus  binding 
themselves  down  to  their  own  first 
plan  in  a  matter  in  which  dogma- 
tism and  obstinacy  are  any  thing 
but  wisdom,  though  they  rendered 
it  impossible  for  themselves  after- 
wards to  recede  with  safety  to  their 
honour  or  their  places,  they  secured 
the  unflinching  support  of  the  refor- 
mers, who  united  all  their  efforts 
to  force  upon  parliament  the  minis- 
terial constitution. 

And  at  no  period  of  our  history 
had  the  efforts  made  to  carry  any 


great  measure  been  so  far  removed 
from  the  exercise  of  sober  reason, 
and  the  conduct  of  peaceable  citi- 
zens. So  soon  as  the  proposition 
was  unfolded,  the  manufacturers  of 
petitions  were  again  set  to  work, 
and  the  same  places,  which  a  month 
before  had  petitioned  for  much 
more,  now  joined  in  praying  that 
the  bill  might  pass  untouch^  and 
unimpaired.  Bodies  of  men  who 
had  craved  reduction  of  taxation 
and  retrenchment  of  expenditure, 
and  had  desired  a  more  democratic 
House  of  Commons  as  the  only 
means  of  securing  those  good  ob- 
jects, now  conjured  the  House  to 
enact  a  measure  of  which  it^  very 
patrons  declared,  that  it  would  re- 
duce BO  tax,  and  cut  off  no  expense. 
The  number  of  petitions  was  large, 
but  their  value  was  immensely 
over-estimated.  Every  where  a 
large  proportion,  if  not  the  ma- 
jority of  names,  were  those  of  the 
lowest  classes  of  society,  to  whom 
even  ministers  declared  no  -^Mwer 
must  be  granted.  The  more  popu- 
lous the  place  from  which  the 
petition  came,  the  greater  was  the 
impure  mixture  of  universal  suff- 
rage. Considering  that  ministers, 
whenever  hard-pressed,  uniformly 
threw  themselves  back  on  the  al- 
leged voice  of  the  country,  it  would 
not  have  been  an  uninstructive 
labour  to  have  ascertained  how 
much  of  that  Toice  came  from  per- 
sons whose  opinions  resolved  them- 
selves merely  into  this;  this  bill  is 
to  give  us  power,  or  the  means  of 
obtaining  power,  and  therefore  it  is 
good.  Of  the  better  classes,  the 
same  individuals  multiplied  their 
persons.  There  would  be  a  petition 
from  a  town  —  a  petition  from 
different  bodies  in  that  town — a 
petition  from  its  political  union — 
and  all  this  was,  to  a  great  extent, 
nothing  more  than  the  voice  of  the 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[79 


same  men  thrice  repeated.  Neither 
the  quality  nor  the  quantity  of 
names  was  ever  examined.  Lord 
Brougham^  in  presenting  to  the 
House  of  Lords  a  petition  from 
certain  inhabitants  of  Edinburgh^ 
said,  that  upwards  of  30^000  names 
were  attached  to  it,  and  the  House 
might  therefore  take  it  for  granted, 
that  they  had  here  the  opinion  of 
every  male  inhabitant  of  Edinburgh 
of  lawful  age;  for  by  the  rules  of 
statistics,  the  population  of  that 
capital  would  not  yield  a  greater 
number  of  such  individuals.  His 
lordship  did  not  see,  that  if  it 
was  so,  he  was  laying  before  the 
House  the  opinions  of  the  very 
bff-scourings  of  the  Scotch  capital, 
to  say  nothing  of  the  voices  of  the 
very  lowest  orders,  certainly  not 
those  on  which  he  and  his  col* 
leagues  wished  to  build,  nor  those 
which  any  prudent  man  would 
follow  in  moulding  political  insti- 
tutions. Neither  did  his  lordship 
see  that,  if  his  statistics  were 
right,  the  parchments  of  his  peti- 
tion must  be  filled  with  forgeries ; 
for  they  contained  not  the  name  of 
a  single  respectable  individual,  who 
could  not  have  reckoned  scores 
of  his  own  acquaintances  who  dis- 
approved of  the  bill,  and  hundreds 
who  would  neither  utter  a  word, 
nor  give  a  signature  in  its  favour. 

Petitioning,  however,  was  regu- 
lar, and  constitutional ;  but,  sub- 
ject to  all  its  drawbacks,  it  did  not 
promise  to  be  efiFectual.  Ministers 
had  threatened  convulsions  as  the 
consequence  of  refusing  their  bill, 
and  the  reformers  resolved  to  sup- 
port them  by  opinions  which  indi- 
cated its  approach,  and  exhibitions 
of  mere  physical  mob  force  which 
might  be  used  as  its  means.  At 
their  assemblies  for  petitioning,  at 
the  meetings  of  their  political 
unions,  the  language  of  undisguised 


menace  was  used  against  all  who 
should  oppose  the  bill.  The  oppo- 
nents of  the  measure  were  not 
treated  as  men  entitled  to  enter- 
tain their  own  opinions,  and  differ- 
ing on  a  question,  with  which,  by 
possibility, reason  might  have  some- 
thing to  do.  They  were  all  dealt 
with  as  being  profligate  oppressors 
who  wished  to  trample  on  and 
plunder  the  people;  creatures, 
therefore,  to  be  hunted  down  as 
beasts  of  prey,  if  they  did  not 
voluntarily  fly  from  before  the  face 
of  their  pursuers.  Was  there  a 
man  who  was  distinguished  for 
nothing  but  having  discharged  all 
his  duties  in  the  world  ;  who  had 
borrowed  nothing  from  aristo- 
cratical  patronage,  and  was  in- 
nocent of  the  receipt  of  one  farthing 
of  the  public  money ;  who,  stand- 
ing on  no  other  foundation  than 
that  of  his  own  honest  industry 
and  honourable  aspirations,  had 
gained  for  himself  a  decent  reputa- 
tion in  his  profession,  or  a  decent 
competency  of  fortune  in  the  un- 
polluted exercise  of  his  calling; 
and  did  he,  the  most  estimable  of 
all  citizens,  doubt,  as  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  such  citizens  did 
doubt,  whether  the  ends  of  good 
government  would  be  served  by 
increasing,  as  ministers  wished  to 
increase,  the  efliciency  of  a  pure 
democracy  in  the  constitution ; 
such  a  man  was  placed  beyond  the 
pale  of  citizenship.  He  was  a 
betrayer  of  the  rights  of  the  people; 
he  was  a  corrupt  plunderer  of 
the  humble  and  the  poor  —  he 
was  the  mean  and  crawling  slave 
of  the  wealthy  few — he  was  en- 
titled to  no  opinion,  or  his  opinion 
was  of  no  use  except  to  degrade 
his  character ;  for  it  was  diflerent 
from  the  opinion  of  those  who 
thought  otherwise,  and  who  had 
determined,  in  accordance  with  the 


80]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


ministry^  tbat  to  doubt  the  un- 
mixed wisdom  of  "  the  bill/*  was 
to  manifest  a  corruption  of  heart, 
and  an  incapacity  of  understanding, 
which  unfitted  the  men  whom 
they  disgraced  for  any  exercise  of 
judgment  on  political  institutions, 
and  which  invited  and  justified  the 
reformers  to  impose  upon  them  by 
force  the  changes  to  which  they 
could  not  be  seduced  by  vanity, 
self-interest,  and  love  of  power. 

Such  were  the  menaces  of  the 
reformers — and  the  means  of  exe- 
cuting them  were  paraded  with 
still  more  ostentation.  Every- 
where, the  political  unions  boasted 
of  the  numbers  whom  they  could 
bring  into  the  field.  The  chairman 
of  that  of  Birmingham  openly  de- 
clared, that  they  could  supply  two 
armies,  each  of  them  as  numerous 
and  brave  as  that  which  had  con- 
quered at  Waterloo,  if  the  king 
and  his  ministers  should  require 
them  in  the  contest  with  the  bo- 
roughmongers — under  which  ap- 
pellation were  comprehended  all 
who  differed  from  them  in  opinion. 
At  a  reform  meeting  held  in  Lon- 
don, while  the  debate  was  going 
on,  a  colonel  Evans  announced  that 
he  had  just  arrived  from  the  coast 
of  Sussex  where  two  reform  meet- 
ings had  taken  place,  and  he  knew 
that  ten  thousand  men  were  ready 
to  march  up  from  Ryegate  to  Lon- 
don to  the  support  of  his  majesty's 
ministers,  if  they  should  be  defeated 
in  the  measure  now  before  the 
House.  In  what  way  were  the 
armies  to  support  ministers  against 
an  anticipated  vote  of  the  House  of 
Commons?  The  proceedings  of 
Cromwell  and  his  army  were  the 
only  thing  that  rendered  such 
language  intelligible.  In  most 
of  the  great  towns,  large  bo- 
dies of  men  actually  assembled. 
The  mass    was  composed   of  the 


lowest  classes  of  the  community. 
In  regular  array,  attended  with 
banners  and  music,  they  marched 
in  procession  through  their  towns, 
which,  for  the  moment,  were  en- 
tirely at  their  mercy.  They  did 
this  to  manifest  theu:  attachment 
to  the  bill;  it  was  a  new  mode 
of  petitioning ;  but  the  true  object 
was,  to  exhibit  the  physical  force 
which  would  be  employed  to  seize 
political  power  by  violence,  if  it 
was  not  conceded  by  act  of  parlia- 
ment. They  were  guilty  of  no 
actual  outrage,  for  the  question 
was  yet  pending.  It  was  a  review 
of  the  force  to  be  brought  into 
action,  if  the  negotiations  should 
fail. 

The  alarm  and  intimidation, 
which  were  thus  excited,  served 
the  purposes  of  the  reformers  in 
two  ways.  On  the  one  hand,  many 
persons,  who  loved  not  the  violent 
changes  which  were  proposed,  were 
driven  into  acquiescence,  from  the 
apprehension  that  resistance  would 
produce  only  confusion.  Mer- 
chants of  London  put  their  names 
to  petitions  in  favour  of  the  bill, 
allowing  that  they  thought  it  bad, 
but  saying  they  were  afraid  that  its 
rejection  would  terminate  in  some- 
thing worse.  On  the  other  hand, 
the  citizens,  who  would  actively 
have  resisted  the  change,  were 
overawed  from  any  public  expres- 
sion of  their  sentiments.  They 
belonged  to  classes  always  less 
noisy  and  violent,  though  not  less 
valuable,  than  the  crowds  which 
assembled  at  the  command  of  de- 
magogues :  they  would  have  been 
blamed  for  adding  to  the  excite- 
ment by  imprudent  opposition ; 
they  would  have  been  held  out  to 
the  fury  of  the  mob  as  objects  of 
hatred  and  abhorrence.  Never- 
theless many  petitions  were  pre- 
sented against  the  bill ;  and  a  de- 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE.  [81 

claration  was  put  forth,  signed  by  "  The  silence  whicli  the  oppo- 
several    hundreds  of   merchants,  nents  of  this  project  hare  hitherto 
bankers,   and  influential   citizens  felt  to  be  imposed  on  them  by  their 
of   London,    in  which   they  ex-  res|)ect    for  the    authority    from 
pressed  themselves  thus : — ''  While  which  it  emanates,  so  long  at  least 
we  should  have  been  far  from  op-  as  it  was  not  before  them  in  a  de- 
posing ourselves  to  the  adoption  of  fined  and  tangible  shape,  having 
any  proposition  so  recommended,  been   misconstrued   by  the  ill-in- 
.  of  a  temperate  character,  gradual  formed  into  an  universal  acquiesc- 
in  its  operation,  consistent    with  ence  in  its  principles  and  provi- 
justice  and  the  ancient  usages  of  sions,  we  deem  it  a  duty  which  we 
this  realm,  and  having  for  its  ob-  owe  to  ourselves,  to  our  country, 
ject  the  correction  of  acknowledged  and   to  posterity,  at  the  earliest 
abuses,  or  any  amelioration  in  the  practicable  period  after  the  print- 
administration    of    public    affairs  ing  of  the  bill,  to  protest  against 
which  might  seem  to  be  called  for  it  by  this  public  declaration,  and 
by  the  changes  or  necessities   of  to  invite  our  fellow-citizens  of  all 
the  times,  we  feel  it  impossible  to  classes,  participating  in  our  sen- 
regard  in   that   light  a  measure  timents,  to  unite  with  us  in  every 
which,  by  its  unprecedented  and  practicable    and    lawful   effort   of 
unnecessary  infringement  on  the  temperate  but  determined  resist- 
rights  and  privileges  of  large  and  ance  to  the  further  progress  of  a 
wealthy  bodies  of  people,  would  go  measure  which,  in  our  consciences, 
far  to  shake  the  foundations  of  that  we  believe  to  be  rash   and  inex- 
constitution   under  which  our  so-  pedient  in  its  origin,  and  tending 
vereign  holds  his  title  to  his  throne,  to  consequences  equally  pernicious 
his  nobles  to  their  estates,  and  our-  and  irretrievable,  menacing  to  the 
selves  and  the  rest  of  our  fellow-sub-  peace  of  the  country,  fraught  with 
jects  to  the  various  possessions  and  alarm  and  peril  to  public  and  pri- 
immunities  which  we  enjoy  by  law ;  vate  credit,  and  calculated  eventu- 
a  measure  which,  while  it  professes  ally  to  undermine  and  destroy  all 
to  enlarge  the  representation  of  the  those   venerable    institutions   and 
kingdom  on  the  broad  basis  of  pro-  establishments  under  whose  influ- 
perty,  would  in  its  practical  oper-  ence  and  protection  England  has 
ation  have  the  effect  of  closing  the  hitherto  enjoyed  a  prosperity,  and 
principal  avenues  through  which  maintained  a  station,  unexampled 
the    monied,    the     funded,     the  among  the  nations  of  the  world/* 
commercial,  the  shipping  and  the  These  were  the  sentiments  of  an 
colonial  interests,  together  with  all  immense   mass   of  the   more  en- 
their  connected    and  independent  lightened  orders  of  society,   who 
interests  throughout  the  country,  had  no  interest  in  the  existence  of 
or  dispersed  throughout  our  vast  corruption,  or  the  perpetuation  of 
empire  abroad,  have  hitherto  been  abuses ;  but  those  who  held  them 
represented  in  the  legislature,  and  were  timid  and  backward,  while  the 
would  thus  in  reality  exclude  the  reformers,   placing  themselves  by 
possessors  of  a  very  large  propor-  the  side  of  government,  were  noisy, 
tion  of  the  national  wealtn  from  violent,  and  menacing.     The  for- 
all  effectual  voice  and  influence  in  mer  had  to  address  the  reason  of 
the    regulation    of   the    national  their  fellow  citizens;  the  latter  had 
affairs.  only  to  flatter  their  passions.    The 
Vol.  LXXIII.  [G] 


89]       ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


former^  too,  kept  back  from  ex- 
hibiting an  open  resistance,  which 
might  be  mischierous,  and>  they 
believed,  would  be  unnecessary ,  as 
they  were  confident  that  the  House 
of  Commons  would  never  pass  such 
a  bilU  and  that  it  would  be  so 
changed  and  modified  in  its  pro- 
gress as  to  deprive  it  of  the  most 
dangerous  parts  of  its  influence. 
The  two  parties  had  now  changed 
places.  All  the  influence  of  go* 
vernment  was  on  the  side  of  the 
reformers,  whose  vagaries  and  ex- 
travagances ministers  dared  not  to 
discountenance,  lest  they  should 
disgust  or  displease  them ;  and  one 
of  the  most  common  reproaches 
dii*ected  by  the  bill-men  against 
their  antagonists  was  that  of  dis- 
lovalty,  in  daring  to  oppose  the 
will  of  the  king,  and  the  king's 
ministers. 

The  press  supplied  the  daily 
fuel  by  which  the  flame  of  excite- 
ment was  kept  up.  It  preached 
doctrines  subversive  of  all  order 
and  government.  Not  in  direct 
words,  but  by  that  indirect  style 
of  allusion  and  remark,  which  is 
the  most  artful  of  all  exhortations, 
it  justified  and  encouraged  every 
threatened  appeal  to  force.  Indi- 
viduals who  distinguished  them- 
selves in  opposing  the  change,  were 
attacked  with  every  species  of 
abuse  which  falsehood  can  invent 
and  which  blackguardism  delights 
to  use.  The  .property  of  tlie 
church,  and  the  rights,  of  the 
peerage  were  held  out  as  illegally 
amassed  treasures  which  the  peo- 
ple, in  the  exercise  of  their  due 
rights,  would  soon  have  the  plea- 
sure of  rifling.  Pretended  lists  of 
the  names  of  pensioners  and  place- 
men were  circulated,  in  which 
were  to  be  found  men  set  down  as 
receiving  large  sums  of  the  public 
money  whose  fingers  had  never 


touched    one   farthing    from   the 
purse  of  the  state;  but   to   the 
lower  classes  they  were  part  of  the 
new  gospel  of  the  constitution,  and 
furnished  to  their  more  craftv>  but 
less  honest,    agitators,    the  texts 
and  the  burthens  of  an  hundred 
discourses.     Parliament  itself  was 
the  object  of  incessant  and  abu- 
sive attack.     Privilege  seemed  no 
longer  to  exist.     The  Lord  Advo- 
cate of  Scotland  had  said  in   his 
speech,  that  the  members  of  the 
House  of  Commons  who  sat  for 
boroughs  which  the  bill  intended 
wholly  or  partially  to  disfranchise, 
were   interested  parties,   and  dis- 
^ualifled  from  judging.    A  London 
newspaper    gave    the   doctrine   a 
practical  application  in  the  follow- 
ing terms: — '*  When,  night  after 
night,    borough  nominees   rise   to 
in^st  the  proceedings  of  the  House 
of  Commons  with  arguments  to 
justify  their  own  intrusion  into  it, 
and  their  continuance  there,  thus 
impudently  maintaining  what  the 
lawyers  call  an  ^'  adverse  posses- 
sion" in  spite  of  judgment  against 
them,  we   really  feel  inclined  to 
ask  why  the  rightful  owners  of  the 
house  should  be  longer  insulted  by 
the  presence  of  such  unwelcome 
inmates.     It  is  beyond    question 
a  piece  of  the  broadest  and  coolest 
etirontery  in  the  world,  for  these 
hired  lacquies  of  public  delinquents 
to  stand  up  as  advocates  of  the 
disgraceful  service  they  have  em- 
barked in.*'     Sir  R.  Inglis  brought 
this  publication  before  the  House, 
as  a  breach  of  privilege,  by  moving 
a  resolution,  bearing  that  it  was  a 
false  and  scandalous  libel  on  the 
House,  directly  tending  to  deter 
members  from    the  discharge  of 
their  duty,  and  calculated  to  alien- 
ate from  them  the    respect    and 
confidence  of  their  fellow  subjects. 
Ministers  did  not  defend  the  pub- 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[83 


iicatioii>  the  Chancellor  of  the  Ex- 
chequer admitting  that  it  was  a 
breach  of  privilege,  but  they 
thought  it  would  not  be  pru- 
dent to  go  too  nicely  to  work  in 
the  present  excited  state  of  the 
public  mind>  and  therefore  moved 
the  previous  question.  Sir  Robert 
Inglis^  as  some  members  of  his 
own  way  of  thinking  seemed  to  feel 
coldly  towards  raising  a  question 
of  privilege)  and  thought  it  would 
serve  a  better  purpose  to  show  by 
their  votes  that  such  a  language 
was  despised,  did  not  press  his 
motion  to  a  division. 

It  was  in  this  state  of  the  pub- 
lic mind  that  the  second  reading 
of  the  bill  was  moved  in  the  House 
of  Commons  on  the  2 1  st  of  March. 
The  debate  lasted  only  two  days, 
for  in  truth  the  subject  had  already 
been  exhausted  by  the  seven  days 
debate  on  the  motion  for  leave  to 
bring  in  the  bill ;  but  it  presented 
some  new  speakers.  It  was  opened 
by  Sir  R.  Vyvyan,  one  of  the  coun- 
ty members  for  Cornwall,  who 
moved  as  an  amendment,  that  the 
bill  should  be  read  a  second  time 
that  day  six  months.  He  declared 
that  the  bill  affected  no  {Personal 
advantage  of  his  own,  fur  he  had 
no  interest,  direct,  indirect,  or  con* 
tingent,  in  any  boroueh,  and  in 
some  points  its  operation,  in  so  far 
as  he  himself  was  concerned,  would 
rather  be  beneficial  than  otherwise; 
but  it  was  a  measure  full  of  danger 
to  the  institutions  of  the  kingdom 
and  which,  therefore,  his  conscience 
bound  him  to  oppose.  It  proposed 
to  change  the  influence  on  which 
the  authority  of  the  House  of 
Commons  was  founded,  and  to 
admit  an  overwhelming  addition  of 
democratic  influence,  to  which,  in 
the  course  of  no  very  distant  time, 
the  authority  of  the  other  branches 
of  the  state  would  be  compdled  to 


yield.   He  would  not  enter  into  any 
abstract  question,  neither  Would  he 
contend  tnat  the  constitution  as  it 
stood,  should  go  down  from  century 
to  century  without  any  modifica- 
tion, or  that  parliament  had  not  the 
power  to  make  such  changes  as  it 
saw  expedient;    but   however   he 
might  be  disposed  to  affirm  these 
abstract  propositions,  he  took  his 
stand  on  the  question  of  the  poli- 
cy of  the  proposed  change,  and  on 
that  alone  he  would  be  justified  in 
voting  against  the  measure.     The 
experience    of   every  country    in 
which  the  attempt  had  been  made 
would  fully  show,  that  a  general 
reform,  which  greatly  increased  the 
democratic    influence,  had    never 
been  made  without   producing   a 
revolution,  dangerous  to  the  secu- 
rity of  property  in   the  country. 
They  were  asked,  was  there  to  be 
no  chan^  to  adapt  the  constitution 
to  the  altered  circumstances  of  the 
country  ?     They  were  told  of  the 
danger  of  popular  commotion   in 
refusing  the  demands  of  an  excited 
people.     He  was  nware  of  that  ex- 
citement, and  knew   how   it   had 
been   produced.     They   all   knew 
how  the  name  of  the  king  had  been 
used :   they   had  seen  the  king's 
ministers   defending    the    foulest 
libels  on  their  opponents,  till  the 
mob  believed, that,  in  using  violence 
and  intimidation,  they  were  only 
supporting  the  influence  of  the  mon- 
arch and  his  government.     But,  in 
defiance  of  all  this,  if  asked  whether 
he  would  run  the  risk  of  revolution 
by   refusing    reform,    his  answer 
would  be,  this  reform  is  revolution. 
Every  man  must  lament  the  cir- 
cumstances which  had  pressed  for- 
ward this  desire  of  change.     But 
what  were  they,   and  how  would 
they   be  aflfected   by  concession  ? 
One  was,  that  the  people  saw  their 
property  going  fpom  them  by  tjie 
[G2] 


84J         ANNUAL   REGISTER,  183i; 

violent  change  that  had  been  made  any  change  in  our  monetary  sys« 
in  our  currency.  Another  was,  tem,  that  system,  the  adoption 
tliat  at  the  time  when  the  country  of  which  had  been  productive  of 
was  labouring  under  the  most  se-  so  much  distress  in  the  country, 
vere  distress,  the  existence  of  that  — not  a  word  upon  that,  a  proper 
distress  was  denied  by  the  late  attention  to  which  might  have 
House  of  Commons.  The  denial  produced  so  much  benefit  to  the 
on  the  part  of  the  late  House  of  people.  Now  he  would  ask,  sup« 
Commons  of  the  distress  which  the  posibg  the  ministers  able  to  carry 
country  felt  so  severely  was  one  this  question,  what  would  be 
cause  which  had  produced  the  cry  gained  ?  What  was  it  that  every 
against  tithes,  and  would  produce  man  who  spoke  at  public  meetings 
it  against  rent.  After  that  denial  — those  who  petitioned  that  House 
by  the  late  House,  came  the  —had  cried  out  for?  Retrench- 
general  election.  That  election  ment — ^reduction  of  the  public 
took  place  under  the  influence  of  burdens.  Did  the  noble  lord  who 
the  late  Cabinet,  and  one  of  its  introduced  this  measure  believe 
earliest  votes  was  that  which  ere-  that  by  it  the  government  would 
ated  the  present  ministers,  he  be  enabled  to  reduce  the  public 
feared  for  the  destruction  of  the  expenditure  to  a  greater  extent 
constitution.  Yet  he  heard  the  than  the  noble  lord  (the  Chancellor 
noble  lord  (John  Russell)  state  the  of  the  Exchequer)  had  already 
other  evening,  that  all  that  he  and  stated  in  his  plan  of  finance  ? 
his  iriends  wanted  was  a  reform  of  Did  he  believe  that  it  would  add 
that  corrupt  House  to  which  they  to  the  prosperity  of  the  people, 
owed  their  elevation  to  office,  that  it  would  give  a  greater 
The  declaration  of  the  duke  of  power  of  production,  or  sup- 
Wellington  against  reform,  and  the  ply  the  means  of  employment  to 
changes  in  France  and  Belgium,  those  who  sought,  and  were  un- 
might  have  had  some  effect ;  but  able  to  obtain  it.  None  of  all 
he  thought  that  the  main  causes  these  things  would  it  in  &ny  de- 
of  the  present  excited  state  of  the  gree  effect. 

country,  and  the  cry  for  reform.  Even  if  large  towns  were  to  be 
were  to  be  found  in  the  denial  of  admitted,  why  so  pure  a  demo- 
the  distress,  and  the  consequent  cracy.^  The  bill  would  lead,  in  these 
refusal  of  inquiry  by  the  late  par-  places,  to  alAost  universal  suffrage, 
liament,  and  the  declarations  and  In  Liverpool  alone  between  1 5,000 
acts  of  the  present  ministry  on  and  1 6,000  persons  would  be  ad- 
coming  into  office;  They  had  come  mitted  to  the  franchise.  Would  a 
into  office  pledged  to  retrenchment,  population  vested  with  such  powers 
and  had  found  that,  in  relation  stop  short  at  what  it  had  gained  } 
to  that,  they  could  do  nothing.  Did  the  House  believe  that  the 
They  had  come  in  pledged  also  to  ballot  would  not  be  carried,  and 
reform.  Reform  was  to  effect  every  that  cutting  down  the  duration  of 
thing  ;  and,  if  carried  in  the  parliaments,  to  perfect  the  theory, 
proposed  shape,  it  would  un-  by  keeping  parliament  at  every 
doubtedly  effect  much,  but  much  moment  the  mere  speaking  trumpet 
to  the  destruction  of  the  esta-  of  the  multitude,  would  not  fol- 
blished  institutions  of  the  coun-  low  ?  Excitement  there  was ;  but 
try.     Not  ,a  word  was  said  about  that  was  the  sort  of  influence  to 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE.  [85 

the  attainment  of  which  the  ex-  rent.     In  such  a  case  he  held  it 
citement  was  directed.     He  could  would  be  both  just  and  expedient 
tell   ministers^   that^   in   different  to  apply  to  the  wants  of  the  state 
parts  of  the  country^  the  outcry  that  which  the   state  itself  had 
against  tithes  was  at  least  as  loud  created,  and  he  thus  transferred 
as  the  clamour  for  reform.     The  it  from  the  imaginary  case  to  the 
animosity  against  tithes  and   the  real  condition  of   things  in  this 
established  church,  which  had  been  country ;    *'  By  all  those  measures 
first  displayed  in  Ireland^  seemed  which    increased   the  amount   of 
tohavetravelled  into  Great  Britain  3  population   and    the   demand  for 
and  that  part  of  the  press^  which  food,  the  legislature  does  as  cer- 
was  opposed  to  the  institutions  of  tainly  increase  the  net  produce  of 
the  country^  talked  about  making  the  land,  as  if  it  had  the  power  of 
the  first  attack  on  this  outwork  of  doing   so    by    a  miraculous  act. 
the  constitution.     If  tithes   were  That  it  does  so  by  a  gradual  pro- 
attacked,  what  security  would  there  gross  in  the  real,  would  do  so  by 
be  for  rent,  for  the  national  debt,  an  immediate  operation  in  the  im- 
and   funded   property?     Did  any  aginary  case,  makes  no  difference 
one  suppose,  that  if  the  House  con-  with  regard  to  the  result.     The 
sen  ted,  by  passing  the  bill,  to  de-  original  rent,  which  belonged  to 
clare  itself  a  corrupt  and  abomin-  the  owner,  upon  which  he  regu- 
able  assembly,  a  reformed  parlia-  lated  his  purchase  if  he  did  pur- 
ment   would  allow  those  obliga-  chase,  and  on  which  alone,  if  he 
tions,  which  a  corrupt  parliament  liad  a  family  to  provide  for,   his 
had  imposed  on  the  country,  to  arrangements  in  their  favour  were 
remain  ?     If  any  one  considered  to  be  framed,  is  easily  distinguish- 
the  subject  properly,  he  must  see  able  from  any  addition  capable  of 
that  tithes,  rent,  funds, — all  were  being  made  to  the  net  produce  of 
involved   in    the    measure.     Nor  land,  whether  it  be  made  by   a 
was  the  danger  kept  a  secret.  ^  The  slow  or  sudden   process.     If   an 
apostles  of    reform  were  already  addition  made  by  the  sudden  pro- 
propagating  the  doctrine,  that  rent  cess  might,   without  injustice   to 
was  a  thing  created  by  the  state,  the  owner,  be  appropriated  to  the 
and  therefore  might  be  seized  by  purposes  of  the  state,  no  reason 
the  state,  that  it  was  a  tax  .im-  can  be  assigned  why  an  addition 
posed,  and  therefore  a  tax  which  by  the  slow  process  might  not  be 
might   be  repealed   by   directing  appropriated."      Such    were    the 
that  it  should  not  be  paid.     Mr.  principles,  the  assertion  of  which 
Mill,  one  of  their  high  priests—-  was  to  be  the  recommendation  of 
one  of  the  men  held  out  as  a  proper  members  of  a  reformed  parliament, 
representative    in    parliament  of  Who  can  believe,  it  was  asked, 
popular  rights  and  designs,  when  that  his  majesty,  whose  name  had 
the  omnipotence  of  the  democracy  been  so  abundantly  used,  and  his 
should  have  been  declared  by  this  ministers,   themselves  among  the 
bill — had  laid  it  down  distinctly,  noble  proprietors  of  the  country, 
IVfr.  Mill  took  the  fancied  case  of  would  lend  themselves  to  a  plan 
the  legislature  by  an  act  of  its  own,  dangerous  to  the  crown,   to  the 
all   things    remaining  the   same,  aristocracy,  and  to  wealth?     But 
doubling  that  portion  of  the  land  their  station  only  shewed  that  they 
which  was  strictly  and:  properly  did  not   apprehend  such   conse* 


86]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


quences ;  and^  alas  !  Europe  had 
seen  kings  and  nobles  as  wise  fall- 
ing into  that  tremendous  error. 
When  the  notables  of  France  were 
assembled,  they  advised  the  convo- 
cation of  the  states-general,  which 
was,  in  fact,  a  reform  of  the  French 
parliament^  and  a  new  set  of  men 
then  came  into  power.  The  double 
vote  was  given  to  the  tiers  Hat, 
which  presently  changed  itself  into 
a  National  Convention.  Then  came 
intimidation ;  and  he  called  the 
attention  of  his  majesty's  ministers 
to  this  part  of  the  case.  The  most 
nefarious  means  were  employed  to 
excite  the  people's  minds.  News- 
papers and  pamphlets  were  pub* 
lished  for  that  purpose^  and  the 
whole  press  was  bribed  to  effect  the 
same  object.  Persons  were  paid  to 
read  inflammatory  publications  to 
those  who  could  not  read  them- 
selves ;  and  every  means  were  em- 
ployed to  excite  the  passions  of 
the  multitude  against  those  who 
were  denominated  tyrants.  These 
proceedings  led  on  to  the  4th  of 
August^  1789>  when,  upon  a  single 
debate,  by  one  vote^  and  under  the 
influence  of  panic,  the  National 
Convention  abolished  at  once  tithes, 
manorial  rights,  the  right  of  fishery, 
the  right  of  chase,  or  game-laws, 
which  were  really  only  an  imagin- 
ary evil ;  and  tne  patriotic  king, 
the  saviour  of  his  country,  went  to 
sing  a  te  deum  for  this  blessed  re« 
form  —  this  happy  regeneration. 
No  one  was  so  popular  on  that 
day  as  the  king;  and  yet  that 
very  same  king  was,  within  three 
months  afterwards^  dragged  in  his 
carriage  to  Paris,  and  the  heads  of 
two  of  his  faithful  gendarmes,  who 
had  nobly  died  in  defending  his  per- 
son, were  paraded  before  him.  Thus 
was  treated  the  popular  sovereign 
— such  was  the  gratitude  shown 
to  the  patriot  king.    There  was 


QO  safety  to  a  sovereign  in  trusting 
to  the  passing  breeze  of  popularity. 
Forced  alterations,  coming  from 
below,  had  never  had  any  other 
effect  than  revolution.  The  revo- 
lution of  1688  was  a  revolution 
effected  by  the  aristocracy,  and  was 
regular  and  orderly ;  but  what  was 
now  wanted  was  a  revolution  of  the 
democracy.  He  had  no  objection, 
he  said,  to  give  representatives 
to  large  and  flourishing  towns, 
though  he  would  not  go  the  length 
of  disfranchising  at  once  sixty  bo- 
roughs, nor  would  he  adopt  the 
arbitrary  rule  of  disfranchisement 
which  ministers  had  introduced ; 
and  it  was  his  intention,  so  soon 
as  the  bill  was  rejected,  to  move  a 
resolution,  which  would  give  an 
assurance  to  the  country  that  the 
House  was  willing  to  strengthen 
the  representation.  He  would  not 
presume  to  offer  any  detailed  plan 
of  reform,  but  would  propose  a  re- 
solution which  would  show  an  in- 
clination on  the  part  of  those 
members  who  rejected  the  proposed 
bill,  because  it  was  revolutionary, 
and  had  a  tendency  to  destroy  the 
king's  authority,  to  effect  what  re- 
form was  necessary.  The  resolu- 
tions which  he  should  propose 
would  go  to  the  full  extent  of  that 
which  he  understood  was  the  plan 
of  Government,  before  certain  indi- 
viduals made  suggestions  which 
induced  them  to  alter  it. 

The  motion  having  been  second- 
ed by  Mr.  Cartwright,  who  stated 
that  Mr.  Hume  had  actually  writ- 
ten to  the  radical  reformers  of 
Glasgow,  entreating  them  not  to 
say  a  word  about  the  ballot  in  the 
mean  time,  Mr.  Shell,  an  Irish 
barrister,  agitator,  and  rhetorician, 
whom  ministers  had  brought  into 
the  House  for  Milbome  Port,  one 
of  the  sixty  boroughs  which  wer« 
to  be  disfranchised;  repeated  the 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[87 


usual  arguments  in  favour  of  the 
bilJ,  adorned  with  much  rhetori- 
cal embellishment^  but  without  ap- 
proaching for  a  moment  the  rea- 
sonable views  of  philosophy  and 
experience,  by  which  alone  such  a 
proposition  could  be  attacked  or  de- 
fended. He  adverted^  like  those  who 
had  preceded  him  in  the  argument^ 
to  the  disfranchisement  of  the  Irish 
boroughs  at  the  time  of  the  union, 
and  the  later  disfranchisement  of 
the  Irish  40s.  freeholders,  as  justi- 
fying in  principle  every  thing  that 
was  now  proposed,  and  to  the  just 
and  deep-rooted  discontent  which 
prevailed^  as  furnishing  its  com- 
plete defence  on  views  of  expediency 
and  necessity.  It  was  insisted^  he 
said,  that  the  country  prospered 
— that  England)  with  that  fiscal 
prodigy  a  debt  of  a  thousand  mil- 
lions on  her  back^  still  stood  ej*ect 
and  firm — that  the  expenditure  of 
countless  treasure,  and  the  spend- 
thrift prodigality  of  her  life-bloody 
were  not  too  large  a  price  for  free- 
dom— that  she  might  proudly  con- 
trast her  condition  with  that  of 
the  Continent^  and  survey  the 
mighty  labour  of  other  nations,  who 
were  tempest-tost  in  revolution- 
ary agitation,  with  a  pleasurable 
consciousness  of  her  own  security. 
To  all  this  he  answered,  that  there 
existed  within  herself  a  settled 
and  general  discontent,  which  was 
derived  from  causes  of  permanent 
creation,  and  which,  instead  of 
being  the  mere  ebullition  of  tran- 
sitory passion,  flowed  out  of  a  deep 
and  constant  source.  It  was  idle 
to  say  that  it  had  not  long  exist- 
ed, because  it  had  only  recently 
appeared.  The  sudden  force  with 
which  it  had  burst  forth,  was  a 
proof  that  the  materials  of  eruption 
nad  been  long  accumulating.  It 
was  of  little  avail  to  say  tbat  it 
WM  connected   with   the   events 


on  the  continent.  Were  we  to 
omit  to  strengthen  oor  own  insti- 
tutions, because  this  island  had  felt 
the  tremor  of  that  great  shock 
which  had  levelled  the  govern- 
ments of  France  and  Belgium  to 
the  ground  ^  It  was  equally  nuga- 
tory to  say  that  the  press  had  done 
all  this.  Would  the  press  relin- 
quish its  natural  vocation  ?  and 
was  it  not  much  wiser  to  consider, 
instead  of  inveighing  against  its 
influence,  the  materials  in  the  shape 
of  abuses,  upon  which  it  exerted  its 
powerful  operation  ?  Was  the  dis- 
content well  founded  ?  That  was 
the  main  question  —  almost  the 
only  one.  This  single  broad  fact 
was,  in  his  mind,  sufficient  to  call 
forth  the  national  repudiation  of 
the  House  of  Commons— that  its 
majority  was  returned,  not  bv  the 
people,  but  by  150  individuals. 
Some  four  or  five  great  proprietors 
of  boroughs  were  enabled  to  con- 
trol the  minister,  and  by  their 
oligarchical  coalition  to  dictate  to 
their  sovereign,  and  to  lord  it  over 
the  people.  That  such  a  system 
should  exist  was  a  great  calamity 
in  itself,  but  the  evil  was  heighten- 
ed by  many  sordid  accompaniments. 
Seats  in  parliament  were  made  the 
subject  of  bargain  and  sale,  and  an 
almost  open  mart— ^  common  sta- 
ple—a parliamentary  bazaar,  was 
established  for  the  vendition  of  the 
franchises  of  the  people :  a  parlia- 
mentary broker  was  a  customary 
phrase ;  nay,  matters  had  been 
carried  to  such  a  pitch,  that  l)o- 
roughs  had  been  made  the  subject 
of  marriage  settlement,  and  had 
been  put>  by  the  ingenuity  of  con- 
veyancers, through  uli  the  diversi- 
ties of  matrimonial  limitation.  The 
House  had  all  heard  that  a  sultana, 
on  her  marriage,  usually  had  one 
province  awarded  to  her  for  her 
neck^lace,  another  for  her  braceletSi 


88]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


and  a thirdfor her  girdle:  under  the 
system  of  parliamentary  proprie- 
torship, it  would  be  no  matter  of 
surprise  to  see  a  ladyi  of  fashion 
receiving  Old  Sarum  for  pin-mo- 
ney, and  Gatton  for  her  dower. 
The  people  thought  it  a  perfect 
mockery  to  call  this  a  national  re- 
presentation; and,  instead  of  seeing 
in  members  of  parliament  the  mir- 
rors of  the  public  mind,  they  be- 
held in  them  pocket  glasses,  in 
which  the  images  of  a  few  great 
nominators  were  faithfully  reflect- 
ed. By  these  means  the  moral 
as  well  as  the  political  interests  of 
the  country  were  affected.  The 
notorious  sale  of  boroughs  generat- 
ed a  general  habit  of  venality. 
When  lords  transmuted  their  in- 
terest in  parliament  into  money, 
by  what  an  easy  process  of  imita- 
tive alchymy  the  humbler  voter 
would  convert  his  miserable  suf- 
frage into  gold!  How  could  we 
condemn  bribery  in  the  one,  when 
we  gave  it  a  countenance  in  the 
other  ?  Was  the  grossness  of  the 
prostitution  palliated  by  the  large- 
ness of  its  wages?  and  was  the 
enormity  of  the  offence  in  the  in- 
verse ratio  with  the  magnitude  of 
its  remuneration  ?  He  admitted 
that  a  splendid  catalogue,  an  em- 
blazoned muster-roll  of  genius,  had 
been  produced  by  the  advocates  of 
the  borough  system  as  one  fruit  of 
its  operation.  Mark,  however,  over 
what  a  vast  space  they  were  dis- 
persed— in  how  black  a  firmament 
they  sparkled  !  and  was  it  not  very 
remarkable  that  so  many  of  these 
illustrious  persons,  who  were  cradled 
in  close  boroughs,  and  who  preserved 
their  political  soundness,  although 
they  were  nursed  by  corruption, 
were  themselves  opposed  to  the  very 
system  to  which  it  was  alleged  that 
they  owed  their  parliamentary,  ex- 
istence ?     What  would  J)e  said  of 


Chatham,  Dunning,  Pitt,  Fox, 
Sheridan,  Grattan,  and  so  many 
others  ?  Try  this  case,  not  by  the 
votes  of  the  living,  but  by  the  votes 
of  the  dead:  enter  the  sacred  reposi- 
tory within  whose  echo  the  House 
deliberated — count  the  graves  of 
the  illustrious  men  who  were  op- 
posed to  reform,  and  of  those  who 
were  its  advocates,  and  on  that 
division  it  would  be  found,  that  the 
majority  of  sepulchres  was  in  its 
favour  ?  But  even  if  he  were  to 
admit  that  they  were  against  it, 
and  that  the  House  would  lose  the 
chances  (for  they  were  but  contin- 
gencies) of  receiving  men  like  them 
through  the  medium  which  was  the 
theme  of  so  much  panegyric,  yet 
what  would  be  the  loss,  compared 
with  the  certain  deprivation  of  the 
public  confidence  ? 

Mr.  Sheil  treated  as  ridiculous 
the  idea  that  this  bill  could  be  dan- 
gerous to  the  crown  or  the  aris- 
tocracy. It  gave  fifty-five  new 
county  members.  From  what  class 
were  they  likely  to  be  selected  ? 
Would  they  seek  to  build  their 
fortunes  out  of  the  ruins  of  their 
country?  Members  were  to  be 
given  to  large  towns :  would  their 
inhabitants  show  no  regard  to  opu- 
lence— to  hereditary  dignity,  to 
ancient  neighbourhood;  and,  in- 
stead of  looking  for  representatives 
amidst  noble  demesnes  and  vener- 
able halls,  would  they  accept  everj 
wandering  knight-errant  of  sedi- 
tion, and  itinerant  visionary  in  co- 
dification ?  There  was  a  singular 
variance  between  the  logic  of  the 
non -reformers  and  their  sarcasms. 
They  spoke  of  Tavistock  with  em- 
phatic signification.  They  meant 
that  the  influence  of  the  house  of 
Bedford  would  continue.  If  so, 
why  should  not  the  influence  of 
other  great  families  continue  else- 
where?    Thus    their    syllogisms 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[89 


were  overthrown  by  their  satire> 
and  their  arguments  evaporated  in 
their  vituperation.  This  bill  would 
wrench  their  despotism  from  the 
oligarchy,  but  it  would  not  touch 
the  legitimate  influence  of  property, 
and  birth,  and  station,  and  all  ^the 
other  circumstances  which  create  a 
title  to  respect.  It  would  take 
power  from  individuals,  and  give 
it  to  a  class.  It  would  cut  off  the 
secret  and  subterraneous  conduit- 
pipes  through  which  aristocratic 
influence  was  now  conveyed  to  that 
House,  and  would  make  it  flow  in 
a  broadj  open,  constitutional,  and 
natural  channel.  Away  with  the 
charge  that  it  would  weaken  the 
monarchy.  The  throne  would  be 
built  on  the  confidence  of  the  peo- 
ple, and  find  new  pillars  in  the  no- 
bility ;  and,  so  far  from  the  crown 
being  loosened  on  the  head  of  the 
king,  the  diadem  would  be  fasten- 
ed by  another  band  6n  the  royal 
brow. 

Mr.  Charles  Grant,  one  of  the 
disciples  of  Mr.  Canning  and  Mr. 
Huskisson  who  had  resisted  to 
their  last  breaths  such  a  change 
as  this,  followed  on  the  same  side, 
stating  various  considerations  why 
reform  should  be  granted,  but  not 
stating  how  any  one  of  them  had 
risen  to  his  mind,  till,  after  having 
been  the  friend  of  many  Tory  ad- 
ministrations, he,  and  the  knot  of 
his  companions,  had  been  trans- 
muted into  the  members  or  the 
partisans  of  a  Whig  government. 
He  might  now  assume,  he  said, 
that  the  question  of  reform  and 
anti-reform  had  at  last  fairly  fallen 
to  the  ground,  for  scarcely  one,  who 
opposed  ministers  on  the  policy  of 
their  proposition,  had  been  induced 
to  stand  on  the  principle  of  anti- 
reform.  When  the  hon,  baronet 
opened  the  debate  of  the  present 
^vening^  he  had  certainly  expected 


that  he  would  intrench  himself  in 
some  impregnable  position ;  biit 
that  expectation  was  at  once  set  at 
rest  by  the  assurance,  that  the  hon. 
baronet  himself  entertained  a  plan 
of  reform,  which  he  did  not,  how- 
ever, think  fit  to  divulge  to  the 
House.  In  the  necessity  of  some 
such  policy  all  who  were  now  in 
opposition  professed  to  agree.  The 
question,  therefore,  was  no  longer 
one  of  reform,  or  no  reform  ;  that 
was  absolutely  decided.  The  only 
points  at  issue  were,  what  should 
be  the  nature  of  the  reform,  and 
when  it  should  be  proposed.  No 
public  man  who  had,  with  an  ob- 
servant eye,  regarded  the  state 
of  the  country  for  the  last  four  or 
^ve  years,  could  be  blind  to  the 
fact,  that  the  subject  would  be 
soon  forced  upon  the  attention  of 
parliament,  and  that  the  time 
would,  ere  long,  arrive,  when  a  de- 
cision would  be  inevitable,  perceiv- 
ing that  the  present  sentiments  of 
the  public  were  grounded  on  a 
principle,  of  the  truth  of  which 
they  were  convinced.  Public  opin- 
ion^ properly  so  called,  was  never 
to  be  disdained  in  a  free  country 
like  this;  and  it  should  always  form 
a  main  element  in  the  deliberations 
of  such  an  assembly  as  the  House 
of  Commons.  During  the  last 
fifteen  years  much  had  been  done 
to  open  the  way  for  parliamentary 
reform,  but  that  which  chiefly 
conduced  to  its  advancement  was, 
the  removal  of  the  prejudice  which 
taught,  that  aflfectiou  for  the  con- 
stitution ought  to  resist  any  at- 
tempt at  the  amendment  of  its 
acknowledged  defects.  The  pro- 
gress of  knowledge  had  removed  a 
fatal  barrier  to  improvement,  and 
the  late  Home  Secretary  had  al- 
ready shown,  that  a  regard  for  ex- 
isting institutions  was  perfectly 
compatible  with    au  enlighteneu 


90] 


ANNUAL  REGISTER,   1831, 


perception  of  their  defects.  A  firm 
but  reverential  hand  had  lately  re- 
moved even  the  sacred  veil  of  Bri- 
tish justice^  and  the  ecclesiastiea] 
establishments  of  the  country  had 
likewise  received  the  advantages 
which  a  liberal  policy  alone  could 
impart.  An  enlightened  people 
complained  that  their  rights  were 
invaded,  that  the  interference  of 
the  two  other  branches  of  the  le- 
gislature was  directly  condemned 
by  the  standing  orders  of  the  House 
of  Commons,  yet  that  the  constitu- 
tion-was rendered  a  dead  letter  by 
the  habitual  violation  of  those  rules 
—an  infraction  of  which  was  never- 
theless held  to  be  a  high  contempt 
of  the  privileges  of  the  Commons. 
What  answer  but  one  could  they 
offer  to  an  unanimous  and  indig- 
nant nation  thus  expostulating  at 
their  bar  ?  They  were  desired  not 
to  yield  to  intimidation^  and  this 
had  also  been  the  language  held  to 
the  duke  of  Wellington  on  a  former 
occasion  5  but  he  would  rather  say, 
delay  not  concession  until  it  shall 
be  wrested  from  the  legislature  as 
a  right)  not  received  as  a  boon. 
The  tone  of  the  opponents  of  re- 
form was  far  from  conciliatory. 
Was  not  the  country  told  that 
those  evils>  of  which  all  complained 
and  sought  the  abolition,  were 
beauties,  not  deformities,  and  had 
contributed  to  the  splendour  and 
prosperity  of  the  empire  .'^  The 
people,  however,  were  happily  too 
enlightened  to  be  so  easily  de- 
ceived ;  and  it  was  therefore  to  be 
hoped  that  those  who  could  suggest 
no  more  specious  argument  would 
abandon  their  opposition.  So  far 
from  thinking  that  the  state  of 
Europe  ought  to  have  deterred 
ministers  from  proposing  this  mea- 
sure till  the  political  agitation  of 
our  neighbours  should  have  sub- 
sided,   he    thought    the   present 


moment  peculiarly  opportune  for 
the  interests  of  the  cause  of  re- 
f  )rm,  and  trusted  that  the  decision 
of  the  House  would  prove  at  once 
gratifying  to  the  people  and  ho- 
nourable to  themselves. 

The  Solicitor  General  said,  that 
the  whole  argument  against  the 
bill  seemed  to  proceed  on  the  as- 
sumption that  there  was  something 
in  the  British  constitution  incon- 
sistent with  change,  and  that  to 
make  an  alteration  would  be 
nothing  less  than  to  effM;t  its  com- 
plete destruction.  But  the  history 
of  this  country,  and  its  institutions, 
shewed  that  there  had  been  an 
almost  uninterrupted  series  of  con- 
flicts between  the  principle  of  de- 
mocracy and  despotism,  with  al- 
ternations of  success,  and  the  in- 
evitable consequence  of  that,  a 
system  of  perpetual  change.  The 
present  bill  was,  therefore,  in 
every  point  of  view,  in  perfect 
harmony  with  the  whole  current 
of  our  legislation.  He  believed 
that,  with  respect  to  the  period 
antecedent  to  the  revolution  of 
1 688,  there  would  be  no  difference 
of  opinion.  In  six  years  after  the 
Revolution,  the  triennial  act  was 
passed,  distinctly  admitting,  on 
the  part  of  the  legislature  of  that 
period,  that  the  Revolution  was 
not  a  settlement  to  be  permanently 
unchangeable;  neither  was  the 
triennial  act  itself  treated  with 
undeviating  respect,  for,  in  the 
year  1715,  its  repeal  was  sanctioned 
by  some  of  those  identical  states- 
men who  brought  about  the  Revo- 
lution itself :  then  the  septen- 
nial act  was  passed,  and  another 
great  change  effected  in  the  con- 
stitution of  parliament.  Did  any 
one,  at  that  period,  hold  that  the 
septennial  bill  was  a  revolutionary 
measure  ?  So  far  from  any  such 
character  being  imputed  to  it^  the 


HISTORY  OP  EUtlOPE. 


[91 


measure  had  always  been  treated 
as  one  within  the  constitution  of 
parliament  to  enact.  It  must  even 
be  in  the  recollection  of  many  mem- 
bers, that  attempts  had  been  made 
to  disfranchise  corrupt  boroughs^ 
which  was  never  held  to  be  an  at- 
tempt beyond  the  legitimate  pow- 
ers of  parliament ;  yet^  in  his  opin- 
,  ion,  a  general  and  sweeping  mea- 
sure of  reform  would  be  infinitely 
preferable  to  such  occasional  dis- 
franchisements, for  he  conceived 
that  nothing  could  be  more  danger- 
ous to  the  liberties  of  the  state,  and 
the  interests  of  justice,  than  to 
mix  oftener  than  absolute  necessity 
demanded,  the  legislative  with  the 
judicial  functions.  The  borough  of 
Cricklade  had  been  disfranchised 
in  1781.  Sotne  of  the  voters  were 
tried  for  corruption,  and  convicted  j 
others  were  tried  and  not  convicted ; 
others  were  not  even  tried.  The 
last  two  classes  were  entitled  to  be 
considered  as  innocent  persons ; 
yet  they  were  punished,  for  the 
House  disfranchised  the  borough, 
proceeding  upon  a  principle  of  gene- 
ral expediency,  not  so  much  to  in- 
flict penalties  for  what  was  past, 
as  iu  order  to  prevent  abuses  for  the . 
future.  Now,  with  regard  to  the 
boroughs  to  be  disfranchised  by  the 
bill,  although  there  might  not  be 
legal  proof,  there  was  moral  cer- 
tainty, that  they  were  the  subjects 
of  sale.  The  members  whom  they 
returned,  represented,  not  their 
constituents,  but  the  nominee,  or 
the  seller.  Of  that  mode  of  elec- 
tion the  people  of  England  com- 
plained, and  the  government  had 
determined,  as  it  was  bound,  to  re- 
medy it.  The  complaint  had 
grown,  till  every  member  must  feel, 
that  the  House  was  already  under 
an  external  pressure  as  strong  as 
was  consistent  with  the  law,  or 
the  public  peace)  and  if  tbey  did 


not  satisfy  the  expectations  which 
had  been  raised,  that  pressure 
would  become  so  strong  as  to  en- 
danger the  tranquillity  of  the  state. 

Sir  Edward  Sugden,  to  whose 
office  the  solicitor-general  had  suc- 
ceeded, complained,  that  the  latter 
had  gone  back  to  the  bill  of  rights, 
instead  of  attempting  to  explain 
and  justify  the  provisions  of  this 
bill  of  wrongs.  The  septennial 
bill,  it  was  perfectly  true,  did  not 
spring  from  the  Revolution.  It 
was  brought  in  by  Whig  min- 
isters, for  the  same  purpose  for 
which  the  present  bill  was  brought 
in  by  Whig  ministers — as  the  only 
means  by  which  they  could  retain 
their  places.  Then  as  now,  they 
took  possession  of  popular  ferment 
to  retain  their  power.  It  was  im- 
prudent, forsooth,  according  to 
the  solicitor-general^  to  mix  up 
the  legislative  with  the  judicial 
functions ;  yet  he  proposed  that  the 
legislature  should  at  once  pro- 
nounce sentence  on  all  the  bo- 
roughs, and  that,  too,  on  some- 
thing  called  moral  evidence. 

The  bill  itself,  and  the  reasons, 
which  must  be  imagined,  for  none 
had  been  given,  for  its  capricious 
and  arbitrary  provisions,  he  profess- 
ed himself  unable  to  understand. 
England  was  to  be  deprived  of 
sixty-two  members.  Why  that  ? 
Who  had  petitioned  for  that — 
what  outcry  had  been  raised  for 
that }  What  excitement  had  been 
raised  against  the  numbers  of  the 
House  .•*  Why  this,  when  popu- 
lation was  daily  increasing ?  There 
were  multitude^  unrepresented, 
and  why  not  give  them  these 
sixty-two  representatives?  The 
adoption  of  population,  too,  as  the 
rule,  led  to  strange  ];esults.  In 
one  place  there  was  only  one 
house  sufficient  to  give  a  title  to 
vote.     Tbey  vrere  told  the  bili 


92]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


would  increase  the  power  of  the 
aristocracy,  and  yet  every  one  of 
its  friends  declared,    in  the  same 
breath,  that  its  great  object  was,  to 
protect  the  people  against  the  aris- 
tocracy.    How  was  this  to  be  un- 
derstoody    or  did  ministers  them- 
selves know  what  they  really  meant  ? 
Mr.  Shell  maintained  the  power  of 
the  aristocracy  would  be  increased, 
because   there  would  be  a  great 
number  of  additional  county  mem- 
bers ?     This  would  be  intelligible, 
if  the  bill  had  done  this,  and  no- 
thing else ;    but  taking  this  along 
with  all  the  other  provisions  of  the 
bill,  he  would  again  ask  Mr  Sheil, 
or  any  other  man,  to  state  intelligi- 
bly what  was  meant  by  saying  that 
it  would  increase  the  weight  of  the 
higher  classes  of  society  in  the  re- 
presentation ?  Moreover,  the  mem- 
bers returned  for  counties  would 
not  resemble  those  who  had  hith- 
erto represented    them.     As  the 
freeholders    in    cities  and    towns 
were  not  to  vote,  county  members 
would  be  returned  by  a  smaller 
constituency   than   that  of  many 
towns,  losing  in  individual  weight 
while  they  were  increasedin  aggre- 
gate number.     Would  the  mem- 
bers for   Yorkshire  stand  equally 
high  in  that  House,  and  in  the 
country,    when   the    constituency 
was  reduced,  by  depriving  all  the 
freeholders  of  Leeds,  Huddersfield, 
Halifax,Wakefield,  and  other  large 
towns,  of  the  right  of  voting  for 
county  members?   and  such  free- 
holders were  excluded,  while  copy- 
holders and  leaseholders  were  ad- 
mitted. 

The  power  which  was  to  be  given 
to  the  crown,  of  sending  forth 
itinerant  committees  of  the  Privy 
Council,  to  portion  out  the  consti- 
tuency of  England,  he  strongly 
condemned,  as  being  utterly  incon- 
sistent with  the  principles  of  the 


constitution.  It  was  a  power  which 
the  king  might  exercise  or  not,  as 
he  pleased,  or  rather  as  the  govern- 
ment might  be  pleased  to  advise. 
The  constitution  had  never  given 
such  authority  to  any  body  of  men ; 
and  heknew  nothing  in  the  conduct 
of  the  present  ministers  to  entitle 
them  to  so  large  a  confidence. 
He  objected  likewise  to  the  mode  * 
of  ascertaining  the  validity  of 
claims  made  to  be  registered.  The 
judge  of  assize  was  to  nominate  a 
barrister,  and  this  nomination  was  to 
be  confirmed  by  the  lord  chancellor. 
This  was  a  most  extraordinary 
power  to  vest  in  the  lord  chan- 
cellor. A  barrister,  under  the  in- 
fluence of  the  Chancellor,  was 
therefore  to  decide  what  was  to  be 
the  constituency  of  the  country. 
The  barrister  was  declared  liable 
to  a  civil  action,  but  this  proved 
that  he  was  intrusted  with  a  power 
open  to  abuse. 

Mr.  Pendarvis,  the  colleague  of 
sir  R.  Vyvyan  in  the  representa- 
tion of  Cornwall,  warmly  supported 
the  bill.  He  stated,  that  it  would 
deprive  that  county  of  two-thirds 
of  its  members,  yet  the  inhabit- 
ants had  already  shewn  by  their 
petitions  that  they  were  willing  to 
make  this  sacrifice,  because  they 
were  convinced  that  the  change 
would  be  for  the  benefit  of  the 
county,  as  well  as  of  the  country 
in  general.  Mr.  Cavendish,  one 
of  the  members  for  the  university 
of  Cambridge,  declared  his  inten- 
tion of  voting  for  the  bill,  although 
his  constituents  had  petitioned 
against  it;  many  of  them,  he 
stated^  not  being  hostile  to  the 
whole  measure,  approving,  for  in- 
stance, of  the  disfranchisement  of 
the  decayed  boroughs,  but  object- 
ing to  the  new  qualification  as 
being  too  low.  Mr.  Ward,  on  the 
Other  band^  one^  of  the  members 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[93 


for  the  city  of  London^  the  Com- 
mon Council  of  which  had  peti- 
tioned in  favour  of  the  bill,  stre- 
nuously opposed  it.  He  had  been 
entrusted  with  a  petition  signed  by 
600  merchants,  bankers,  and 
others,  against  the  bill.  The  sig- 
natures to  it,  he  said,  were  those 
of  men  qualified  to  judge,  inde- 
pendent, and  having  much  at  stake 
in  the  country.  He  agreed  with 
them,  that  there  was  no  one  prac- 
tical good  to  be  accomplished  by 
this  measure,  to  atone  for  all  the 
positive  mischief  and  certain  dan- 
ger which  it  would  produce ;  and 
unless  it  could  be  shown  that  the 
parliament  to  be  called  into  ex- 
istence by  the  new  scheme  would 
minister  to  the  wants  of  the  people 
in  a  greater  degree  than  that  which 
now  existed,  every  thing  which 
had  been  said  in  its  favour  must 
fall  to  the  ground.  He  had  passed 
the  earlier  years  of  his  life  princi- 
pally in  two  close  boroughs,  and 
among  the  representatives  of  those 
boroughs  had  been,  during  his  re- 
membrance, Mr.  Fox,  Mr.  Pitt, 
Mr.  Canning,  Mr.  Perceval,  the 
noble  lord  at  present  at  the  head  of 
Foreign  Affairs,  and  the  duke  of 
Wellington.  Such  had  been  the 
representatives  of  those  close  bo- 
roughs, and  he  very  much  doubted, 
if  by  a  reformed  system  more  able 
members  would  be  given  to  that 
House ;  indeed,  the  country  would 
be  fortunate,  if  as  good  were  re- 
turned. Again,  when  he  first 
entered  that  Ho^se,  he  naturally 
looked  at  both  side^  to  see  who  were 
the  most  infiuential'members.  On 
the  ministerial  side  he  saw  Mr. 
Canning,  the  right  hon.  baronet 
lately  at  the  head  of  the  Home 
Department,  and  Mr.  Huskisson 
— ^all  of  whom  had  been  members 
for  close  boroughs.  On  the  oppo- 
sition side  of  the  House^  he  found 


the  most  influential  members  to  be 
the  present  lord  high  chancellor 
(then  Mr.  Brougham),  Mr.  Tier- 
ney,  and  the  right  hon.  baronet  the 
member  for  Knaresborough  (sir  J. 
Mackintosh),  all  of  whom  were  at 
that  time  members  for  close  bo- 
roughs. Such  was  the  case,  and 
fortunate  would  it  be,  if  large 
and  populous  places  always  found 
and  returned  men  of  such  abilities. 
On  the  other  hand,  in  his  experi- 
ence but  three  members  had  been 
called  to  account  by  that  House  in 
consequence  of  their  conduct.  It 
mattered  not  whether  that  con- 
duct had  been  right  or  wrong; 
into  that  question  he  did  not  go- 
he  merely  stated  a  fact ;  and  those 
members  were  the  hon. baronet^  the 
D;ember  for  Southwark ;  the  hon. 
baronet,  the  member  for  Westmin- 
ster *,  and  lord  Cochrane,  and  all 
three  members  were  the  represent- 
atives of  populous  places.  Thus 
he  had  found  upon  examination, 
that  during  his  time,  on  the  one 
hand,  the  only  members  who  had 
been  called  to  account  for  their 
conduct  by  the  House  were  the 
representatives  of  populous  places ; 
while,  on  the  other  hand,  the  most 
influential  members  on  both  sides 
of  the  House  had  sat  for  close  bo- 
roughs. Still,  it  was  said,  how- 
ever eminent  and  useful  may  be 
the  members  returned  for  close- 
boroughs,  they  are  not  the  repre- 
sentatives of  the  people.  But 
what,  was  meant  by  the  term  re- 
presentative ?  Was  the  physical 
force  of  the  country  to  be  repre- 
sented, or  was  the  good  sense  of 
the  country  to  be  represented,  or 
werob  the  passions  of  the  people 
to  be  represented }  On  the  good 
sense  of  the  country  he  hlid  great 
reliance— on  the  passions  none. 
And  if  there  was  a  moment  when 
the  passions  of   the  people  were 


94]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


more    liable  to  excitement    than 
an  otheri   that   moment  was   the 
period  of   an   election.     If  upon 
•uch  an  occasion  the  passions  were 
moTed  in   behalf  of  a  particular 
candidate^  whatever  might  be  the 
character  of  his  pretensions^  up  he 
went  to  the  top  of  the  poll.    A  per- 
son so  returned  was  not  at  liberty 
to    exercise    his    own    judgment. 
He  was   necessarily  but  the  echo 
of  the  passions  of  those  who  had 
sent  him  there.     Philosophers  had 
found  oMtf  that  by  certain  mixtures 
of  metals  a  compound  was  formed 
which  was  perfect  to  all  known  uses; 
but  he  had  yet  to  learn,  that  any 
one  had  ever  discovered  what  pro- 
portion of  the  feeling  and  the  pas« 
sions  of  the  people  ought  to  be  re- 
presented in  that  House^  or  to  be  al- 
lowed to  act  upon  it.     He  objected 
to  the  bill^  therefore^  upon  these 
grounds  ;  but  the  strongest  reason 
he  had  for  giving  his  decided  ne- 
gative to  it  was  the  fact,  that  that 
which  the peopleprincipally  desired, 
had  in  a  great  degree,  been  already 
enforced.     The    people    required 
relief  from  taxation,  and  retrench- 
ment.    Since  the  commencement 
of  the  peace,  31,000,000/.  of  taxes 
had  been  repealed.     The  country 
was  often  reminded  of  the  remain- 
ing 50,000,000/.  of  taxes,  but  it 
had  never  been  sufficiently  made 
acquainted  with    the    fact,    that 
31,000,000/.    had  been   removed. 
As  to  patronage  and  retrenchment, 
it  was  right  the  people  should  at- 
tend to  the  expenditure  of  their 
money;  but  while  so  much  was 
said  about  sinecures  and  pensions, 
it  ought  not  to  be  forgotten,  that 
during  the  last  nine  years,  4,000 
places  or  pensions  had  been  abo- 
lished, lifty-eight  of   which   had 
salaries  attached  to  them  of  from 
1,000/.    to    3,000/.    a- year.      Of 
these  facts  the  public  had  not  been 


sufficiently  told.  He  could  not 
admit,  then,  that  the  Parliament 
had  not  done  its  duty.  On  the 
contrary,  lie  contended  it  was  im- 
possible for  it  to  have  been  more 
assiduously  or  more  beneficially 
employed  than  it  had  been. 

Among  the  other  members  who 
delivered  their  opinions,  several 
stated,  that  although  they  would 
vote  for  the  second  reading  of  the 
bill,  they  were  not  prepared  to  go 
all  the  lengths  to  which  it  went, 
and  hoped  to  see  it  modified  in 
the  committee.  Sir  Thomas  Ac- 
land  declared,  that  the  disfranchise- 
ment was  a  great  deal  too  sweeping, 
but  he  would  not  resist  the  second 
reading.  The  most  startling  an- 
nunciation was  that  of  the  change 
of  opinion  in  Mr.  Calcraft,  pay- 
master of  the  forces  under  the  late 
administration.  In  the  debate  on 
the  motion  for  leave  to  bring  in 
the  bill,  he  had  expressed  the 
most  unqualified  disapprobation  of 
its  principles.  He  now  astonished 
both  sides  of  the  House  by  declar- 
ing that  he  intended  to  vote  for 
the  second  reading. 

The  House  at  length  divided. 
Including  the  Speaker  and  the  four 
tellers,  there  were  608  members 
present,  the  largest  number  that 
had  ever  divided  on  any  question 
in  the  House  of  Commons.  On 
the  division,  the  numbers  were,  for 
the  original  motion  302,  for  the 
amendment  301  ;  the  second  read- 
ing of  the  bill  being  thus  <;arried 
by  a  majority  of  one,  in  the  fullest 
House  of  Commons  that  had  ever 
been  assembled. 

This  division  was  a  defeat  of  the 
ministers  in  substance.  The  popu- 
lace, indeed,  who  knew  no  better, 
believed  that  a  victory  had  been 
gained ;  in  many  places  illumina- 
tions were  called  for  and  ordered, 
in  celebration  of  the  imaginary 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[96 


conquest ;  and  the  mob  vented  its 
vengeance  on  the  houses  of  all  citi« 
zens  who  would  not  join  them  to 
do  honour  to  the  triumph  of  the 
reform  bilJ,  at  the  very  moment 
when  it  virtually  had  been  lost. 
In  Edinburgh^  where  the  most  re- 
spectable part  of  the  city  was  in 
darkness^  the  mob  was  allowed  to 
traverse  the  principal  streets  for 
hours  undisturbed,  and  to  destroy, 
to  the  extent  of  several  thousand 
pounds,  the  windows  of  those  citi- 
zens who  differed  from  them  in 
opinion  regarding  the  merits,  or 
the  prospects,  of  the  ministerial 
measure.  Ministers  themselves 
could  labour  under  no  delusion,  and 
could  now  entertain  no  expectation 
of  carrying  through  their  bill  with 
the  existing  House  of  Commons. 
Parliamentary  history  presented  no 
example  of  a  ministry  even  at- 
tempting to  proceed  with  a  mea-* 
sure,  the  principle  of  which  had 
been  carried  by  so  insignificant  a 
majority;  and  no  measure  that  a 
ministry  had  ever  presented  could 
compete  in  importance  with  the 
one  which  was  now  in  question. 
But  even  if  they  brought  them- 
selves to  be  satisfied  with  the 
quantity  of  support  that  had  bare- 
ly sufiiced  to  send  their  bill  into  a 
committee,  they  not  only  had  no 
security  that  they  would  be  able 
to  maintain  it  essentially  unaltered 
in  that  committee,  but  thev  had 
the  means  of  knowing  that  there 
they  would  fail.  The  principle  of 
reform,  as  embodied  in  this  bill, 
had  been  carried  only  by  a  majority 
of  one ;  but  the  numbers  forming 
the  majority  contained  many  who 
had  already  expressed  their  deter- 
mination not  to  support  all  the 
provisions  of  the  bill.  There  were 
many  more  who,  too  timid  to  re« 
sist  the  principle,  were  equally  re^ 
solved  to  modify  the  measure  in  the 


committee,  although  their  inten- 
tion was  not  declared.  The  ma- 
jority contained  many  of  the  mo- 
derate reformers ;  and  they  looked 
to  the  committee  as  the  place  in 
which  the  bill  was  to  be  changed 
to  something  very  difiPerent,  while 
they  escaped,  or  thought  they  es- 
caped, the  odium  of  appearing  to 
reject  all  alteration.  Ministers 
had  no  reason  to  believe,  that,  on 
the  very  first  division  in  the  com- 
mittee, on  the  clause,  for  instance, 
for  disfranchising  the  sixty  bo- 
roughs, they  would  not  be  left  in 
a  minority  3  and  they  had  volun- 
tarily placed  themselves  in  a  situa- 
tion in  which  they  could  concede 
nothing  that  would  meet  the  views 
of  any  one  of  their  opponents.  In 
forming  their  plan,  they  had  gone 
farther  than  even  their  own  ori- 
ginal intention.  Lord  Grey  stated 
in  the  House  of  Lords,  on  the  28th 
of  March,  that  ^*  the  first  disposi- 
tion of  his  mind  undoubtedly  had 
been  to  limit  the  reform  within  a 
much  narrower  compass  ;**  and  all 
who  had  ever  heard  lord  Brough- 
am's opinions  on  reform^  had  not 
yet  recovered  from  their  amaze- 
ment that  such  a  scheme  should 
ever  have  received  his  sanction. 
Having  gone  so  far,  they  had 
pledged  themselves,  again  and 
again,  to  stand  or  fall  by  this  in- 
dividual bill  {  "and  we  are  com- 
mitted to  it  heart  and  soul,''  was 
the  language  of  their  leader.  By 
going  so  far,  and  binding  them- 
selves never  to  recede,  they  gained, 
in  the  meantime,  at  least,  the  su|)- 
port  of  the  radical  and  extreme 
reformers,  the  most  noisy  and 
threatening  portion  of  the  popula- 
tion, and  the  only  one  to  which, 
if  they  spoke  rationally,  they  could 
ever  refer,  as  the  probable  sources 
of  those  dreaded  convulsions  which 
supplied  so'  much  of  their  logic  in 


96]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


support  of  the  bill.  They  had  thus 
shut  the  door  against  all  compro-r 
mise.  They  had  pledged  them- 
selves, not  merely  to  the  principles 
of  disfranchisement,  enfranchise- 
ment, and  uniform  qualification, 
but  to  those  degrees  of  disfran- 
chisement and  enfranchisement, 
to  that  special  rate  of  qualification, 
and  to  those  special,  though  con- 
fessedly arbitrary  lines  of  dis- 
tinction, which  were  to  be  found 
in  this  particular  bill.  Any  modi- 
fication in  committee  would  to 
them,  therefore^  be  as  fatal  as  a 
defeat  on  the  principle  -,  and  as  it 
did  not  well  appear  how  they  could 
hope,  after  the  last  division,  to 
carry  the  bill  through  a  committee, 
without  important  modifications, 
it  was  believed  that  they  must 
either  resign,  or  execute  the  threat 
of  dissolving  parliament,  with  which 
they  had  prefaced  all  discussion. 
No  one  expected  that  they  would 
adopt  the  former  expedient;  but 
the  general  opinion  awaited  the 
secodd.  Ministers  themselves, 
however,  had  determined  other- 
wise, and  resolved  to  try  their  for- 
tune in  the  committee,  which  was 
delayed  till  the  18th  of  April. 

In  the  meantime,  the  bill  for 
Ireland  was  brought  in,  and  it 
merited  at  least  equal  consideration 
with  the  bill  for  England,  from  the 
immense  change  which  it  would 
produce  in  the  relative  situations 
of  the  Protestants  and  Catholics. 
The  bill  was  brought  in  by  Mr. 
Stanley,  the  Irish  Secretary,  on 
the  24th  of  March.  Passing  by 
any  discussion  of  the  principles  or 
expediency  of  the  ministerial  pro- 
jects, he  came  at  once  to  the  detail 
of  their  application  to  Ireland.  In 
the  first  ^ace,  the  right  of  voting 
for  counties  would  be  left  to  free- 
holders, as  they  already  stood,  but 
leaseholders  of  50/.  a-year,  under 


leases  for  twenty<one  years,  would 
be  added  to  them.  Clergymen, 
likewise,  were  to  vote,  not  as  bene- 
ficed clergymen,  but  as  freeholders, 
if  they  were  freeholders  to  the  ex- 
tent of  50/.  Of  copyholders  nothing 
was  said,  there  being  only  one  copy- 
hold estate  in  Ireland.  House- 
holders who  occupied  a  house  let 
at  the  yearly  rent  of  1 0/.,  or  which, 
if  let  to  a  solvent  tenant,  would 
yield  that  rent,  were  to  vote  for  the 
towns  or  boroughs  in  which  they 
resided.  The  bill,  however,  was 
not  to  interfere  with  any  existing 
right  of  suffrage  in  cities,  towns, 
or  boroughs,  while  the  present 
possessors  lived ;  but,  on  their  ex- 
tinction, the  franchise  was  to  be 
limited  to  the  10/.  householders. 

The  machinery  was  to  be  much 
the  same  with  that  proposed  for 
England.  The  Privy  Council  was 
to  settle  the  limits  of  boroughs; 
lists  of  electors  in  counties  and 
towns  were  to  be  made  up  by  the 
churchwardens,  or,  where  there 
were  no  such  ofiicers,  by  a  person 
to  be  named  by  the  lord  lieu- 
tenant, and  disputed  claims  were 
to  be  decided  by  the  assistant 
barrister.  In  each  county,  fifteen 
places  were  to  be  appointed  for 
polling ;  not  more  than  600  voters 
were  to  poll  at  any  one  of  them, 
and  the  poll  was  not  to  be  kept 
open  longer  than  two  days. 

The  necessary  result  of  the 
measure  would  be,  to  take  the 
franchise  out  of  the  hands  of  the 
corporations  who  had  hitherto  mo- 
nopolized it,  and  the  propriety  of 
doing  so,  Mr.  Stanley  thought, 
could  not  be  denied  by  any  person 
who  compared  the  small  number  of 
voters  with  the  population  of  the 
places  for  which  they  elected  the 
members.  Thus,  Armagh  had  be- 
tween 8,000  and  9,000  inhabit- 
ants;   Bandonbridge  upwards  of 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[97 


10.000;  Belfast  more  than  37,000 ; 
Carlow,8,000;  Ennis,  6,700;  Sligo, 
more  than  9,000 ;  Tralee  upwards 
of  7,500 ;  and  yet  in  each  of  all 
these  places^  the  number  of  voters 
was  denoted  by  the  same  mystic 
number,  thirteen.  Some  of  these 
towns^  as  well  as  other  places,  were 
daily  increasing  in  population^ 
wealthy  and  intelligence;  and  go- 
vernment^ therefore,  proposed  to 
give  to  each  of  four  large  towns 
an  additional  member.  These  four 
were  Belfast,  with  37,000  inhabit- 
ants, Waterford  and  Galway,  with 
each  28,000,  and  Limerick  with 
59,000.  The  English  bill  made 
no  change  in  the  election  of  the 
members  for  the  Universities ;  but 
an  alteration  was  to  be  made  in 
regard  to  the  university  of  Dublin. 
In  future  it  was  to  return  two 
members  instead  of  one,  and  the 
number  of  electors  was  to  be  in- 
creased, by  bringing  back  the  right 
of  voting  to  what  it  originally  had 
been.  By  the  original  charter,  the 
right  was  given  to  the  provost  and 
scholars,  and  the  election  was  to 
take  place  '^  juxta  formam  Univer- 
sitatis  Oxoniensis  et  Cantabrigien- 
sis.**  At  Oxford  and  Cambridge, 
the  Masters  of  Arts  had  always 
voted ;  but  in  Dublin,  a  subsequent 
charter  having  excluded  scholars 
from  receiving  their  siipendia  after 
the  expiry  of  five  jears,  it  had 
been  held,  by  a  forced  construction, 
that  they  lost  their  right  to  vote 
for  the  University  member,  after 
the  same  period,  though  they  still 
continued  to  be  scholars.  The  pre- 
sent bill  would  restore  the  original 
right,  by  extending  the  academic 
franchise  to  all  persons  who,  at  any 
time,  had  been  scholars  of  the  Uni- 
versity, provided  they  placed  their 
names  on  the  books,  as  claimants 
of  the  right,  within  six  months 
after  the  passing  of  the  act.  Min- 
Vol.  LXXIII. 


isters  had  likewise  adopted  one 
part  of  a  bill  introduced  by  colonel 
Trench,  enacting,  that  where  a  per- 
son held  two  freeholds,  each  under 
10/.,  i)ut  equal  to  that  value  when 
taken  together,  he  should  be  entitled 
to  vote  as  for  one  J  0/.  freehold. 

Mr.  O'Connell  (whom  sir  C. 
Wetherell  designated  as  the  mem- 
ber for  Ireland)  admitted,  that  the 
bill  would  be  a  great  boon  to  Ire- 
land, and  would  produce  a  very 
effective  constituency  5  but  there 
were  parts  of  it  which  he  hoped 
would  be  altered,  as  they  implied 
no  departure  from  the  principle  of 
the  measure.  In  the  first  place, 
a  greater  number  of  members  ou^ht 
to  have  been  given  to  Ireland.  The 
increase  was  to  be  five,  and  Scot?- 
land'was  to  receive  five.  But  the 
population  of  Scotland  was  not 
much  more  than  2,000,000,  while 
that  of  Ireland  was  6,800,000; 
therefore,  if  Scotland  deserved  five, 
Ireland  deserved  three  times  ^ve. 
Dublin,  too,  ought  to  have  more 
members,  especially  as  Edin- 
burgh was  to  have  two;  its  po- 
pulation, including  the  limits  of 
the  county  of  the  city  of  Dublin 
was  not  less  than  250,000.  The 
north  part  ought  to  have  one  mem- 
ber, and  the  south  part  two.  He 
objected,  likewise,  to  the  arrange- 
ment concerning  the  University, 
because  it  still  left  to  the  franchise 
an  exclusive  character.  No  Roman 
Catholic  could  have  a  vote  there, 
for  he  could  not  become  a  scholar 
of  that  Protestant  University.  The 
scholarships,  therefore,  ought  to  be 
thrown  open  to  Catholics  as  well 
as  Protestants,  and  the  right  of 
voting  extended  to  Masters  of  Arts. 
Neither  did  the  Irish  counties  re- 
ceive all  the  justice  which  they 
deserved.  Many  counties  in  Eng- 
land, because  their  population  ex- 
ceeded 200,000,  were  to  receive 

[H] 


98]         ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831; 


two  members  each  ;  while,  in  Ire« 
land,  there  were  twelre  counties, 
with  a  population  above  that  pointy 
whose  representation  was  not  to  be 
increased.  This  he  hoped  would 
be  considered  in  the  committee, 
and  with  this  hope  he  expressed 
himself  satisfied  with  the  measure. 
It  was  one  for  which  the  people  of 
Ireland  would  be  thankful ;  it 
would  satisfy  their  minds;  and 
hereafter  persons  who  might  desire 
to  effect  other  changes  would  find 
themselves  mistaken.  He  him* 
self  was  one  of  those  who  had 
thought  that  certain  other  changes 
were  necessary  for  Ireland ;  but  he 
owned  that,  if  this  bill  passed,  the 
necessity  for  such  changes  would 
no  longer  exist. 

To  the  demand  for  opening  the 
University  scholarships  to  Catho- 
lics, and  making  all  Masters  of 
Arts  voters,  the  Irish  solicitor- 
general  announced,  that  the  charter 
did  not  allow  it.  The  right  stood 
on  a  different  footing  in  Dublin 
from  t)xford  and  Cambridge.  In 
the  latter,  the  charters  gave  the 
right  to  the  Masters ;  in  the  former, 
only  to  the  Fellows  and  Scholars. 
Now  it  was  the  principle  of  the 
bill  to  preserve  vested  rights  and 
settled  institutions,  so  far  as  could 
be  done  consistently  with  an  effi^ 
cient  reform.  To  admit  the  mas- 
ters, would  bring  in  a  body  of  5,000 
electors.  Under  the  bill,  the  con- 
stituency would  be  increased  from 
300  to  400.  To  admit  the  masters, 
moreover,  would  introduce  Catho- 
lics; and  government  thought 
that  the  University  voters  ought 
always  to  be  Protestants,  since  the 
charter  had  been  granted  for  the 
avowed  and  exclusive  purpose  of 
promoting  the  Protestant  religion. 
To  open  the  scholarships  to  Catho- 
lics would  be  still  more  inconsist- 
ent with  the  charter.    That  was  a 


part  of  the  constitution  of  Trinity 
College  with  which  ministers  did 
not  intend  to  interfere,  in  truth 
they  interfered  with  no  part  of  it ; 
but  merely  restored  it  to  its  true 
and  original  meaning,  freed  from 
a  comparatively  modern  innova'- 
tion. 

Mr.  Bankes,  sir  C.  Wethere1l> 
and  sir  H.  Hardinge,  argued,  that 
the  giving  of  additional  members 
to  Ireland,  no  less  than  to  Scotland, 
was  unjust  towards  England ;  and 
inconsistent,  in  this  respect,  with 
the  fundamental  pinciples  of  the 
two  legislative  unions.  If  any  one 
thing  in  these  unions  was  intended 
to  be  more  permanent  than  another, 
it  was  the  relative  proportion  of 
the  numbers  which  each  country 
was  to  send  to  parliament.  An 
addition  was  now  to  be  made, 
though  not  a  large  one,  to  the 
representation  of  Scotland  and  Ire« 
land,  while  that  of  England  was 
diminished.  If  the  latter  were 
to  be  reduced,  so  ought  likewise  the 
former,  in  order  to  maintain  the 
proportions  established  at  the  union, 
and  the  number  of  members  for 
Ireland,  instead  of  being  raised  to 
104  or  105,  should  be  brought  down 
to  84  or  85.  The  inviolability  of 
the  numerical  ratio  and  aggregate 
sum  of  the  representatives  of  the 
three  countries,  had  been  laid  down, 
over  and  over  by  the  advocates  of 
the  Catholic  question  as  an  argu- 
ment against  those  who  contended 
that  the  admission  of  Catholics  to 
civil  power  would  be  fraught  with 
danger  to  existing  institutions. 
Such  was  the  line  of  argument 
urged  by  Mr.  JPitt,  by  Mr.  Fox, 
and  by  Mr.  Windham,  that,  the 
numerical  aggregate  being  invio- 
late, the  infusion  of  a  few  Catholic 
members  could  not  affect  the  Pro- 
testant excess  of  the  entire  body 
of  representatives   in  that  House. 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


All  this  wad  now  to  be  changed ; 
and  sir  C*  Wetherell  stated,  that 
he  would  bring  the  point  beibre  the 
committee  in  the  distinct  form  of  a 
resolution^  that  the  lopping  off 
8ix.ty-two  English  Protestant  mem- 
bers, while  they  were  adding. to 
the  Irish  and  Scotch  representa-^ 
tion,  was  fraught  with  aanger  to 
the  interests  of  the  established 
church  in  this  country. 

A  still  more  impc^tant  conse- 
quence of  this  bill^  they  said,  was 
to  be  found  in  its  sure  effects  upon^ 
the  Protestants  of  Ireland.  It  so 
happened^  that  five  sixths  of  the 
property  in  Ireland  belonged  to 
Protestants,  while  about  the  same 
proportion  of  its  population  were 
Catholics.  It  would  be  perfectly 
impossible,  if  this  bill  passed,  for 
an  Irish  Protestant  to  be  returned 
to  parliament^  unless  two-thirds  of 
the  Catholic  population  chose  to 
vote  for  him.  The  number  of  voters 
for  Dublin  was,  at  present,  about 
6,000 ;  the  operation  of  this  bill 
would  increase  them  to  18,000, 
of  whom  14,000  would  be  Catho- 
lics. What  man,  then,  could  ex- 
pect that  the  House  would  ever 
again  see  a  Protestant  representa- 
tive of  Dublin  ?  At  the  time  of 
the  union  with  Ireland  it  had  been 
fixed,  that,  while  seventy-six  places 
were  to  be  popular  representations, 
twenty-four  boroughs  were  express- 
ly reserved  in  order  to  protect  the 
Protestant  interests;  and  they  had 
been  called  close  boroughs,  and 
had  been  treated  as  such,  in  all  the 
debates  on  that  subject.  But  by 
the  operation  of  the  bill,  there 
would  scarcely  Be  a  borough  in 
which  the  voters  would  not  be  in 
the  proportion  of  two  Catholics  to 
one  Protestant.  This  was  a  virtual 
exclusion  of  all  Protestants  from 
the  representation  of  Ireland ;  not 
one  of  them  would  get  into  parlia- 


ment unless  he  became  an  agitator, 
pledged   himself  to  all  that  was 
demanded,  and  basely  pandered  to 
the    passions    and    views  of  the 
Catholic  electors. 
.  The    chancellor    of    the    Ex- 
chequer answered,  that  the  bill  did 
not  interfere  with  the  unions,  any 
more  than  the  union  with  Ireland 
had  violated  the  union  with  Scot- 
lalid ;  for,  by  the  former,  the  aggre- 
gate of  members  to  which  forty-five 
^r  Scotland  had  been  fixed  on  as  a 
fair  proportion,  wiw  increased  by 
no  fewer  than  100,  brought  from 
Ireland.      That  was  a  complete 
change  in  the  proportions.     As  to 
the  different  circumstances  in  which 
Protestants  in  Ireland  would  now 
find  themselves,  his  only  answer 
was,  that  he   and  his  colleagues 
entertained    no   apprehensions   of 
their  opponents  being  able  success- 
fully to  raise  against  them  a  no- 
popery  cry.    The  public  mind  was 
now  too  enlightened  to  be  affected 
by  such  idle  clamours. — The  bill 
was  brought  in  and  read  a  first 
time,   the    second    reading  being 
fixed  for  the  1 8th  of  April. 

When  the  House  met,  on  the 
12th  of  April,  after  the  Easter 
recess,  lord  John  Russell  commu- 
nicated to  it  certain  alterations 
which  it  had  been  found  necessary 
to  make  in  the  schedules  of  bo- 
roughs to  be  disfranchised,  in  con 
sequence  of  inaccuracies  in  the 
population  returns  of  1821^  on 
which  the  whole  plan  had  been 
founded;  thus  shewing,  that  no  small 
degree  of  crudeness  had  entered 
into  its  concoction,  and  proving  the 
necessity  of  diligent  and  careful 
inquiry  into  each  individual  case. 
He  mentioned  that  ministers,  after 
fixing  on  the  census  of  1821,  had 
addressed  letters  to  the  returning 
officers  of  the  boroughs,  to  ascer- 
tain   whether    the   limits  of  the 

[H2] 


100]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


borough  continued  to  be  the  same 
as  at  the  time  of  taking  the  popu- 
lation in  1 821 .  Tliey  likewise  had 
given^  and  would  give^  the  most 
anxious  attention^  to  any  memorial 
from  any  particular  place^  pointing 
out  errors  in  the  returns^  and  they 
had  likewise  carefully  considered 
the  petitions  from  particular  places 
which  had  been  presented  to  the 
House.  There  were^  then,  four 
data  on  which  they  meant  to  pro- 
ceed in  ascertaining  the  number  of 
inhabitants  in  different  boroughs  : 
—1.  The  original  population  re- 
turns;— 2.  The  corrected  popula- 
tion returns; — 3.  Memorials  laid 
before  the  Secretary  of  State,  by 
persons  well  known,  complaining 
of  inaccuracy  in  the  existing  re« 
turns  ;--and  4.  The  petitions  pre- 
sented to  the  House  on  this  sub- 
ject.  Carefully  looking  to  all  the 
documents,  ministers  hoped  that 
they  would  be  able  to  make  an 
efficient  correction,  with  reference 
to  the  places  contained  in  the 
schedules  A  and  B :  so  that  a  fair 
and  equal  course  should  be  adopted 
with  respect  to  the  different  bo- 
roughs concerned.  There  was,  for 
instance,  before  the  House,  a  peti- 
tion from  the  burgesses  of  Buck- 
ingham, shewing  very  clearly  that 
certain  parts  of  the  town  of  Buck- 
ingham were  not  contained,  as  they 
ought  to  have  been,  in  the  popula- 
tion return — and  which,  if  added 
to  the  existing  return,  would,  they 
believed,  raise  the  population  to 
3,000.  The  whole  of  this  state- 
ment was  so  particular  and  so 
clear,  that  it  contained,  in  his 
opinion,  sufficient  reasons  for  taking 
the  borough  of  Buckingham  out  of 
schedule  A.  Again,  with  respect 
to  the  borough  of  Truro,  a  memo- 
rial had  been  presented  to  the 
secretary  of  state,  which  would 
also  be  laid  before    the    House^ 


showing,  that  the  whole  population 
of  the  town  of  Truro  was  not  fairly 
represented  in  the  returns  of  1821 . 
On  the  other  side,  a  memorial  had 
been  presented  from  the  town  of 
Guildford,  stating  that  it  con- 
tained a  greater  number  of  inha- 
bitants than  was  set  forth  in  the 
returns.  That  document  averred 
that  some  streets,  which  ought  to 
have  been  included  in  the  returns, 
were  omitted.  The  memorialists 
did  not,  however,  state  what  part 
of  the  town  those  streets  were 
situated  in,  neither  did  they  say 
what  was  the  total  amount  of  the 
population,  according  to  their  view, 
in  1821.  Under  these  circum- 
stances, unless  some  other  petition 
was  presented  to  the  House,  or  a 
different  or  more  explicit  memorial 
was  laid  before  the  secretary  of 
state,  it  would  be  impossible  to 
omit  Guildford  from  the  schedule 
B.  He  thus  gave  notice  to  such 
boroughs  as  could  make  out  a  clear 
case,  that  their  population  had  been 
under-rated,  and  that  they  con- 
tained more  than  2,000,  or  more 
than  4,000  inhabitants  in  1821,  in 
order  that  they  might  apply,  in 
proper  form,  to  the  House.  With 
respect  to  taking  the  population, 
in  relation  to  the  borough  or 
parish,  ministers  thought  it  right 
to  adopt  the  same  rule  with  regard 
to  all  boroughs;  because,  in  many 
places,  it  was  impossible  to  dis- 
tinguish the  borough  from  the 
parish,  especially  when  the  parish 
bore  the  same  name  as  the  bo- 
rough. The  whole  bill  had,  during 
the  recess,  been  maturely  con- 
sidered by  his  majesty's  ministers. 
They  had  examined  it  most  at- 
tentively, to  see  whether  they 
could  make  any  improvement 
in  it.  With  regard  to  the  wording 
of  the  bill,  considerable  alterations 
had  been  made,  but  nothing  what- 


■   • 
« • 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[101 


ever  had  been  done  to  alter  the 
principle  of  the  measure  as  it  had 
been  originally  laid  down. 

Ministers^  also,  further  explained 
their  views  upon  another  pointy 
their  declarations  regarding  which 
became  of  importance  frdm  what 
followed.  According  to  their  plan^ 
as  it  had  been  opened  by  lord  John 
Russell^  the  number  of  members 
in  the  House  was  to  be  reduced  by 
sixty- two;  and  this  reduction  was 
to  fall  exclusively  upon  England. 
The  only  reason  urged  for  it  was, 
that  the  numbers  were  too  great 
for  the  efficient  performance  of  the 
public  business.  This  was  too 
general  and  arbitrary  a  reason 
to  satisfy  many  even  of  their  own 
friends;  and  the  reduction  ac- 
quired a  more  serious  air  from  the 
fact^  that^  in  all  likelihood^  every 
member  from  Ireland  would  in  fu- 
ture be  a  Catholic.  Lord  John 
Russell,  therefore,  declared,  that 
although  ministers  had  not  changed 
their  opinion  regarding  the  pro- 
priety of  reducing  the  numbers  of 
the  House,  and  would  try  to  carry 
through  that  opinion,  still  '*they 
were  not  prepared  to  say,  that  this 
was  a  question  of  such  essential  and 
vital  importance,  that,  if  the  feeling 
of  the  House  were  strongly  shewn 
in  a  desire  to  keep  up  the  present 
number,  they  might  not  be  induced 
to  relax  their  determination  on 
that  point.  If  it  should  appear 
to  be  the  sense  of  the  House  that 
the  whole  number  of  658  members 
should  be  retained,  the  government 
would  not  feel  that  they  were 
altering  a  vital  or  essential  part  of 
the  measure  by  agreeing  to  that 
proposition."  On  the  13th  of 
April,  Mr.  Stanley,  when  adverting 
to  the  same  topic,  to  prevent 
any  misconception  that  mmisters, 
though  they  might  consent  to  re- 

%9in  the  numl^i^Si  would  leave 


them  to  the  boroughs,  stated,  that 
they  were  determined  to  adhere,  in 
all  circumstances  to  the  total  dis- 
franchisement of  every  borough 
whose  population  did  not  reach  a 
particular  standard,  and  the  partial 
disfranchisement  of  every  borough 
falling  beneath  a  certain  other 
standard.  But  if  it  were  the  feel- 
ing of  the  House  that  the  numbers 
would  be  unnecessarily  or  extrava- 
gantly reduced  by  this  bill ;  and  if 
it  were  deemed  proper  by  the 
House  that  its  numbers  should  be 
farther  augmented  beyond  what 
was  contemplated  by  the  bill,  then 
that  augmentation  should  not  be 
the  means  of  restoring  those  dis- 
franchised boroughs,  but  the  num- 
ber of  members  to  be  added  should 
be  given  to  such  great,  populous, 
and  important  towns  as  might  be 
considered  to  have,  in  that  event, 
a  fair  claim  to  representation.  Mr. 
North  having  observed,  that  as 
the  measure,  in  its  original  shape, 
gave  five  members  to  Ireland,  and 
took  sixty-two  from  England,  the 
retention  of  those  sixty-two  mem- 
bers was  a  change  which  would 
materially  affect  Ireland,  Mr.  Stan- 
ley rejoined,  that  he  had  not  said 
a  word  of  any  intention  of  govern- 
ment to  retain  the  sixty-two  mem- 
bers :  all  he  had  said  was,  ''  that 
if  the  House  should  be  of  opinion 
that  the  number  should  be  con- 
tinued, government  would  recom- 
mend that  they  should  be  given  to 
large  bodies."  And  the  chancellor 
of  the  Exchequer  said,  ''  as  to  the 
exact  number  of  members  which 
should  constitute  the  House,  min- 
isters do  not  hold  it  to  be  essential  • 
to  the  principle  of  the  bill ;  though 
they  are  determined  to  carry  the 
measure  with  respect  to  numbers 
if  they  can.  But  if  it  should 
be  the  opinion  of  the  House  that 
the  peseut  Dumbei;  was  not  tog 


102]    ANNUAL   REGlStER,    1831. 


greats  and  if  it  should  decide  to 
retain  the  whole^  ministers  would 
not  think  it  such  a  deviation  from 
the  principle  of  the  bill  as  would 
induce  them  to  abandon  it.  On 
the  contrary,  they  would  then  be 
prepared  to  recommend  to  the 
House  the  manner  in  which  those 
members  should  be  disposed  of; 
adhering  to  their  original  principle^ 
that  no  members  should  sit  for 
boroughs  which  came  within  the 
line  of  disfranchisement  which  they 
had  felt  it  their  d  uty  to  draw.  The 
members  thus  to  be  disposed  of, 
should  the  House  so  decide,  they 
would  recommend  to  be  given  in 
many  cases  to  large  towns,  but  in 
all  to  large  bodies,  adhering  as 
much  as  possible  to  that  balance  of 
interests  which  was  at  present  kept 
up  in  the  country;  but  he  begged 
to  be  distinctly  understood,  that 
the  retaining  the  whole  number  of 
members  was  in  no  one  degree  to 
touch  that  principle  which  went  to 
the  disfranchisement  of  the  rotten 
boroughs.  If,  after  the  govern- 
ment had  proposed  the  number  of 


which  they  thought  the  House 
ought  to  consist,  the  House  should 
compel  ministers,  by  a  dWiiion,  to 
increase  that  number,  then  they 
would  take  in  populous  towns,  or 
populous  bodies  of  constituency, 
and  bestow  the  elective  franchise 
on  them.**  These  declarations 
could  not  be  misunderstood.  The 
only  reduction  of  members  proposed 
by  the  government  was,  the  cutting 
off  sixty-two  members  from  the 
representation  of  England;  no 
proposal  to  prevent  that  reduc- 
tion could  have  reference  to  any 
thing  else  ;  and  they  had  declared 
that  they  would  not  consider 
a  successful  proposal  to  avoid 
that  reduction  any  encroachment 
on  the  vital  and  essential  parts 
of  the  bill ;  while  they  were 
perfectly  right  in  saying,  that  to 
retain  the  sixty^two  members, 
for  the  purpose  of  restoring  them, 
in  whole,  or  in  part,  to  the  decayed 
boroughs,  was  a  very  different  mea« 
sure,  to  which  they  never  would 
accede. 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[103 


CHAP.    IV. 

Alterations  in  Reform  Bill  subsequent  to  the  Second  Reading '^Motion 
that  the  House  go  into  Committee — General  Gascoyne  moves  that 
the  existing  number  of  Members  for  England  and  Wales  shall  not 
be  diminished,  which  is  carried  against  Ministers  by  a  Majority  of 
Eight-^Nature  and  Effect  of  the  Division-^Lord  Wharncliffe  gives 
notice,  in  the  House  of  Peers,  of  a  Motion  for  an  Address  to  the 
King  not  to  Dissolve^^In  the  Commons,  a  Motion  of  Adjournment, 
pending  the  Ordnance  Estimates,  carried  against  Ministers — Scene 
in  the  Commons  on  the  22nd  of  April — In  the  House  of  Peers,  Lord 
Whamcliffe^s  Motion  interrupted  by  the  entrance  of  the  King  to 
Prorogue  Parliament — Prorogation  and  Dissolution — Case  of 
Privilege  in  the  House  of  Lords,  connected  with  the  Press^ 


ON  the  1 8th  of  April,  lord  John 
Russell  moved,  that  the  House 
should  resolve  itself  into  a  com- 
mittee on  the  reform  bill ;  and 
stated  the  alterations  which  was 
made  upon  it  in  the  mean  time. 
These  were  not  inconsiderable. 
Five  boroughs  had  been  transferred 
from  schedule  A  to  schedule  B, 
and  allowed  to  retain  one  member^ 
and  seven  of  those  in  schedule  B, 
were  allowed  to  retain  their  two 
members,  in  consequence  of  its 
having  been  ascertained  that  the 
population  returns  had  not  accu- 
rately represented  the  number  of 
their  inhabitants,  or  that  the  re- 
turns themselves  had  been  mis- 
understood.* On  the  other  hand, 
eight  members  were  to  be  added 


*  Amendments  proposed  in  the  Reform  of 
Parliament  BUI,  hy  iord  John  liusssit* 

Boroughs  to  be  withdrawn  from  schedule 
A  and  placed  in  schedule  B  : — 

Aldborough  (York)  Okehampton 
Buckingham  Riegate 

Mftlinetbiir^ 


to  the  following  counties,  having  a 
population  from  100,000  to  150,000 
inhabitants : — Bucks,  Berks,  Cam- 
bridge, Dorset,  Hereford,  Hert- 
ford, Oxford,  Glamorgan.  Seven 
members  were  added  to  the  fol- 
lowing large  towns :  —  Oldham, 
Bury,  Rochdale,  Whitby,    Wake- 


Boroughs  to  be  withdrawn  from  schedule 
B  and  return  their  present  number 
of  Members  :— 


Leominster 
Morpeth 
Northallerton 
Tamworth 


Truro 

Westbury 

Wycombe 


Towns  to  be  placed  in  schedule  D,  to 
have  one  member  : — 

Bury  Stoke-upon-Trent 

Halifiix,  taken  from  Salford 

Schedule  C  Wakefield 

Oldham  Whitby 

Rochdale 

Counties  to  have  an  additional  member 
each,  undivided : — 

Berks  Glamorgan 

Bucks  Hereford 

Cambridge  Hertford 

Dorset  Oxon 


104]       ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


field  Salford,  Stoke  on  Trent 
(Potteries),  while  Halifax  was  re- 
stricted to  the  township,  and  to 
return  only  one  member,  the  parish 
being  twenty-five  miles  in  extent. 
Sons  of  freemen,  entitled  to  the 
privilege  of  freemen,  on  their 
coming  of  age,  born  before  the 
introduction  of  the  bill^  and  ap- 
prentices^ having  entered  into  in- 
dentures in  the  same  manner, 
were  to  retain  their  franchise^  on 
taking  out  their  freedom,  being 
resident^  and  registered  under  the 
provisions  of  the  bill. 

General  Gascoyne  moved  as  an 
instruction  to  be  given  to  the  com- 
mittee,—"That  it  is  the  opinion 
of  this  House,  that  the  total  num- 
ber of  knights,  citizens,  and  bur- 
gesses, returned  to  parliament  for 
that  part  of  the  united  kingdom 
called  England  and  Wales,  ought 
not  to  be  diminished."  His  mo- 
tion, he  said,  was  not  founded  on 
any  superstitious  attachment  to  a 
particular  number,  but  was  directed 
against  the  principle  of  the  reduc- 
tjipn.  Neither  was  it  founded  on 
any  hostility  to  an  increase  of  the 
representation  of  Ireland  and  Scot- 
land, but  to  their  aggrandizement 
at  the  expense  of  England.  Let 
Ireland  and  Scotland  obtain  their 
additional  members,  but  let  it  not 
be  at  the  expense  of  England. 
The  proposed  reduction  of  the 
English  representation  could  not 
be  defended  on  any  principle  of 
necessity,  or  justice,  or  expediency. 
It  could  not  be  defended  on  the 
ground  of  the  population  of  Ire- 
land having  increased  so  much  as 
to  warrant  such  an  increase  of  the 
relative  number  of  its  represent- 
atives in  that  House ;  for,  if  popula- 
tion were  taken  as  the  basis  of  the 
Irish  representation,  it  ought  also 
to  be  taken  as  the  basis  of  the 
Irish  taxation.     That  it  was  not 


so  was  plain,  and  had  been  urged 
as  an  argument  in  favour  of  the 
legislative  union  with  Ireland  by 
Mr.  Pitt.  At  that  time  the  po- 
pulation of  Ireland  amounted  to 
4,200,000  persons — the  taxation 
was  4,600,000/.  3  while  the  popu- 
lation of  England  was  10,700,000, 
and  the  taxation  27,700,000/.  At 
present  Ireland  did  not  contribute 
more  than  one-tenth  of  taxes  in 
proportion  to  its  population  as 
compared  with  this  country,  so 
that,  if  population  were  taken  as 
the  ground  for  adding  to  the  re- 
presentatives of  that  country,  it 
ought  also  to  be  made  the  basis  of 
a  more  equal  taxation.  What 
would  be  the  feelings  of  Ireland 
and  Scotland,  if  the  bill  proposed  to 
add  to  the  English  representation 
at  the  expense  of  the  representa- 
tion of  Ireland  and  Scotland? 
y\nd  was  England  to  be  stripped 
of  her  relative  share  without  re- 
monstrance ?  Were  they  blind  to 
the  unanimity  with  which  the  re- 
presentatives of  Scotland  and  Ire- 
land resisted  every  plan,  emanate 
where  it  might,  which  tended  to 
equalize  the  burthens  of  the  state 
in  all  parts  of  the  united  kingdom  ? 
In  the  divisions  on  the  property 
tax,  on  the  assessed  taxes,  on  the 
spirit  duties — in  fact,  on  every  new 
impost  whatever — the,  Irish  and 
Scotch  members  always  voted  so  as 
to  throw  the  weight  of  the  taxes 
off  their  own  shoulders  on  the 
people  of  England;  and  yet  here 
was  a  proposition  which  took  from 
the  English  representation  and 
added  to  that  of  Scotland  and 
Ireland.  Did  they  forget  that 
ministers  were  compelled  to  ex- 
empt Scotland  and  Ireland  from 
the  operation  of  the  metallic  cur- 
rency bill,  in  conse(|uence  of  the 
opposition  of  the  members  of  those 
countries  ?— that  eighty-1thre«  out 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[106 


of  100  Irish  members  came  to 
a  resolution  to  oppose  ministers 
altogether^  if  they  persisted  in  de- 
priving Ireland  of  its  small -note 
currency,  and  that  they  succeeded 
in  their  object }  Look  how  the 
Irish  members  contrived  to  throw 
the  burthen  of  supporting  their  own 
poor  on  this  country,  as  indeed 
they  would  every  other  burthen,  if 
the  relative  superiority  of  the  re- 
presentation of  this  country  were 
destroyed,  as  the  bill  intended. 
Ireland  might,  if  the  House  so 
pleased,  receive  an  increase  ^f 
members,  but  let  them  not  there- 
fore diminish  the  number  of  Eng- 
lish members.  If  the  bill  were 
altered  so  as  to  transfer  the  fran- 
chise of  the  boroughs  in  the  sche- 
dule A  to  places  in  England,  he 
should  not  object  to  it ;  but  if  it 
were  retained  in  its  present  form, 
he  would  offer  it  every  opposition 
in  his  power. 

The  motion  was  seconded  by 
Mr.  Sadler,  who  delivered  a  long, 
argumentative,  and  learned  speech 
against  the  general  principles  of 
the  whole  plan  of  reform  ;  and  he 
was  immediately  followed  by  the 
chancellor  of  the  Exchequer,  who 
declared  he  was  quite  sure  that  the 
object  of  the  amendment  was,  *"  to 
destroy  the  bill."  The  proposition 
now  made  was  not  merely,  he  said, 
that  the  members  of  the  House 
should  be  kept  as  they  were,  but 
that  they  should  either  be  in- 
creased, or  that  Scotland  and  Ire- 
land should  not  receive  the  addi- 
tional members  proposed  to  b^  given 
them  by  the  bill.  It  was  impossi- 
ble to  misunderstand  the  nature  of 
this  amendment.  It  was  the  first 
of  that  series  of  motions  by  which 
it  was  intended  to  interfere  with 
the  progress  of  the  committee,  and 
which,  if  agreed  to,  would  be  fatal 
to  t|ie  Villi  or,  at  leasts  so  detri- 


mental to  it,  as  to  render  it  im- 
possible it  should  be  proceeded 
with.  It  could  not  proceed  from 
any  dread  of  danger  to  England ; 
for  the  members  for  Britain  would 
be  to  those  from  Ireland  as  five  to  one. 
The  debate  was  "adjourned  till 
next  day.  Byfar  the  greater  portion 
of  it  was  occupied  with  discussions 
on  general  principles,  which  had 
already  been  argued  to  satiety,  and 
in  attacking  and  defending  the 
changes  which  ministers  had  in- 
troduced into  the  bill  since  the 
second  reading.  Very  little  of  it 
was  devoted  to  the  jprecise  point 
in  dispute,  and  still  less  to  the  new 
point  raised  by  the  chancellor  of 
the  Exchequer,  that  to  agree  to  the 
amendment  would  be  to  defeat  the 
bill.  Of  the  members  who  opposed 
it,  some  did  not  see  how  it  could 
be  considered  hostile  to  the  prin- 
ciple of  the  bill,  even  if  it  were 
carried;  and  not  one,  except  minis- 
ters themselves,  pretended  it  would 
be  a  good  reason  for  abandoning 
the  bill,  every  essential  part  and 
principle  of  which  remained  un- 
touched. Mr.  Bulwer,  who  sup- 
ported the  bill,  thought  that  this 
question  regarding  the  number  of 
members,  would  make  no  differ- 
ence in  the  general  character  of 
the  measure.  Mr.  J.  Campbell, 
on  the  same  side,  though  he  saw 
no  good  reason  against  reducing 
the  number,  still  hoped  the  bill 
would  go  on,  though  the  amend- 
ment should  be  carried.  Mr. 
Wynn,  who  was  opposed  to  the 
bill,  and  had  resigned  office,  be- 
cause he  was  opposed  to  it,  to  whom 
the  plans  and  intentions  of  govern- 
ment had  previously  been  commu- 
nicated, and  who  must  have  known 
what  they  deemed  important,  and 
what  not,  did  not  consider  this 
motion  of  much  consequence  one 
way  or  another.    Sir  Goorge  Waft 


106]       ANNUAL   HEGISTER,  1831. 

render^    though    opposed   to  the  of  the  measure  of  reform;  and  that^ 
bill^  would  resist  the  amendment^  therefore^  though  he  might  oppose 
on  the  idea  that    the  effect  of  it  the  former^  it  did  not  follow,vbut 
would  be^  in  the  erent  of  the  bill  he  mighty  as  he  would,  vote  for  the 
going  on^  to  prevent  the  giving  of  latter.      What  had  been  said  by 
additional   members   to   Scotland,  lord  J.  Russell  and  the  chancellor  of 
Sir  Greorge  Clerk  said^  he,  too^  the  Exchequer^  on  the   12th  and 
would  vote  against  it  if  he  could  1 4th  instant^  confirmed  him  in  this 
anticipate  that  such  would  be  its  view,  for  both  distinctly  stated,  that 
result,  but  he  could  see  no  reason  ministers  would  bow  to  the  de« 
why  England  should  not  retain  its  cision  of  the  House  on  the  question 
members,  and  yet  Scotland  get  its  of  reducing   the    entire   numbei^ 
five.     Even  sir  Robert  Wilson,  a  of  its  members— they  individually 
member  for  Southwark,  so  much  being  favourable   to  a  reduction, 
of  a  reformer  as  to  be  almost  a  Judge,    then,  of  the  amazement 
demagogue^  was  utterly  astounded  with    which    he    had    heard   the 
at  the  view  which  ministers^  after  noble  chancellor  of  the  Exchequer 
all  that  had  passed,  chose  to  take  stigmatise  the  proposition  of  the 
of  this  amendment.    He  said,  that,  member  for  Liverpool,  as  insidi- 
from  the  first  moment  the  measure  ously  and  mischievously  designed 
had  been  broached,  he  had  been  against  the  main  measure  of  re- 
opposed  to  that  part  of  it  which  form,  and  that  to  vote  for  it  would 
went  to  diminish  the  number  of  be  to  declare  himself  an  enemy  of 
members^  convince<l  as  he  was,  that  that  measure.     In  voting  for  this 
parliament  would  soon  be  called  amendment,   he   was  not    voting 
on,  rather  to  add  to  the  represent-  against  increasing  the  represent- 
ation as   the  ])eople   increased  in  ation  of  Scotland  or  Ireland^  for  it 
wealth  and  intelligence,  and  that  had  never  yet  been  explained  how 
a  contrary  principle  was  oppose<l  that  increase   was  irreconcileable 
to  reform.     Accordingly,  on  the  with   preserving  the  integrity  of 
very  night  the  proposition  was  first  Ihe  representation  of  England,  nor 
broached,    he    communicated   his  did  he  believe  that  the  fate  of  the 
misgivings  to  some  members  con-  bill  depended,  in  the  slightest  de* 
nected  with  the  government,  and  gree;  on  the  success  or  the  failure 
had  with  them  a  confidential  com-  of  the  present  motion, 
munication,  the  result   of  which  Mr.  Stanley  threw  out  against 
was,  that  he  was  led  to  believe  that  the  amendment  a  torrent  of  abuse, 
ministers  did  not  consider  the  pro-  and  declared,  that  this  discussion 
posed    reduction    as  an    essential  would  decide  the  fate  of  the  bill, 
portion  of  their  measure  of  reform^  without  uttering  one  sentence  to 
but  as  a  suggestion  for  improve-  shew  how  it  ought  to  have  that 
ment  in   the  machinery   of  that  effect.     He  described  it  as  being 
House,  which  they  thought  would  concoi^ted  in  a  spirit  of  hostility  to 
be  worthy  of  adoption.     He  also  the  bill,  brought  forward  to  em« 
was  induced  to  believe,   from  his  barrass  "  the  great  measure/'  cau- 
confidential  communications  with  tiously  framed,  after  much  deliber^*^ 
certain  gentlemen,  whom  he  had  ation,  so  as  to  catch  the  greatest 
reason  to  regard   in   the  light  of  number  of  votes,  and  continue  to 
organs  of  the  government,  that  the  defeat,  under  the  flimsy  pretext  of 
r^uction  formed  no  essential  part  a  discussion  of  the  r^latiye  proper* 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[107 


tions  of  the  English,  Scotch^  and 
Irish  representatives^  a  proposition 
which  they  did  not  dare  to  oppose 
openly ;  but  Mr.  Stanley  did  not 
deign  to  show  how  one-  of  these 
effects  was  to  follow,  or  to  explain 
in  what  sense^  and  in  what  way> 
a  vote  not  to  diminish  the  number 
of  English  members,  was  a  vote 
trenching  on  any  one  principle  of 
his  bill :  and  a  simple  recurrence 
to  the  ministerial  majority  of  one, 
on  the  second  reading,  would  have 
taught  him  the  value  of  his  re- 
mark, that  the  antagonists  of  the 
bill  did  not  dare  to  oppose  it  open* 
ly.  However,  ♦*  he  warned  those 
hon.  members,  who,  while  they  pro« 
fessed  themselves  friendly  to.  re« 
form,  supported  this  amendment, 
that  it  would  decide  the  fate  of  the 
bill,  and  that  by  their  votes  on  this 
occasion  they  would  be  judged  by 
their  constituents,  and  by  the 
country;  that  in  voting  on  this 
question  they  would  be  considered 
as  voting  either  for  or  against  re« 
form ;  that  in  now  giving  their 
votes,  they  would  vote  either  for 
or  against  the  carrying  of  that 
question,  for  the  carrying  of  which, 
if  now  lost,  an  opportunity  so  fa- 
vourable might  not  again  soon 
return,  and  that  the  result  of  that 
night's  division  would  be,  either  to 
carry  that  great  question,  or  to 
defeat  the  highly  raised  and  fondly 
excited  hopes  of  the  people  of  this 
country."  There  was  determina- 
tion here — determination  of  min* 
isters  to  abandon  the  bill,  merely 
because  they  chose  to  abandon  it 
if  they  were  defeated  in  even  the 
most  unimportant  matter;  but 
there  was  no  reason  why  they 
should  do  so  on  any  other  ground 
than  the  stei  pro  raiione  voluntas. 
Accordingly,  sir  James  Graham 
added,  '^  he  did  not  say  that,  if  this 
amendment  was  carried,  ministert 


would  abandon  the  bill ;  but  he 
did  say,  that  ifthe  amendment  were 
canriea,  it  would  be  a  matter  of 
very  grave  consideration  to  minis* 
ters,  whether  the  bill  had  been  so 
impugned  that  they  ought  not  to 
attempt  to  carry  it  through  its  other 
stages  I  and  he  therefore  warned 
the  friends  of  the  bill  not  to  concur 
in  the  amendment."  Sir  James 
seemed  to  feel  the  necessity  of  at* 
tempting  at  least  to  show  how  the 
success  of  this  amendment  would 
affect  the  principle  of  the  bill,  and 
he  asked,  "  if  they  were  not  to  re- 
duce the  number  of  members  in 
England  and  Wales,  how  were  they 
to  carry  the  principle  of  the  bill 
into  effect  ?**  that  principle  being 
the  disfranchisement  of  decayed 
boroughs,  and  the  enfranchisement 
of  more  populous  and  flourishing 
places,  fiut  this  only  increased 
the  darkness;  for  his  colleagues 
had  already  declared,  that,  in  their 
opinion,  the  retention  of  the  num« 
ber  of  members  had  nothing  to  do 
with  the  distribution  of  these  mem- 
bers, and  that  they  would  And 
ways  and  means  to  dispose  of  all 
the  sixty-two,  if  the  House  decided 
on  retaining  them^  without  depart- 
ing from  the  great  principles  of 
their  bill.  General  Gascoyne  had 
some  reason  for  expressing  his  sur« 
prise  at  being  now  told  that  his 
motion  to  keep  these  sixty-two 
members  was  inconsistent  with  the 
essence  and  principle  of  the  bill. 
He  stated,  in  his  reply,  "  if  I  un- 
derstood right,  the  noble  lord  who 
brought  in  the  bill,  in  a  conversa- 
tion which  I  had  with  him  only 
yesterday,  (this  was  said  on  the 
second  day  of  the  debate,)  he  dis- 
tinctly admitted  to  me  that  my 
amendment  would  not  touch  the 
principle  of  the  bill."  His  lordship 
answei*ed,  that  the  amendment 
now  moved  was  different  from  that 


108]       ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


to  which  general  Gascoyne  had 
alluded  a  week  before  -,  but  he  said 
nothing  as  to  what  had  taken  place 
the  day  before ;  and^  like  the  rest 
of  his  colleagues^  while  he  hinted 
that^  ministers^  if  defeated  on  this 
diirision,  would  have  recourse  to  a 
dissolution^  he  left  the  House  in 
profound  darkness  as  to  the  only 
question  before  it,  viz.,  how  does 
the  keeping  up  of  the  number  of 
English  representatives  interfere 
with  the  essential  principles  of  the 
bill  ?  On  the  division,  there  was 
a  majority  of  eight  against  minis- 
ters, the  numbers  beings  for  the 
original  motion  291,  and  for  ge- 
neral Gascoyne*s  amendment  299. 
If  ministers  had  said,  that  the 
result  of  this  division  against  them 
would  convince  them  of  what  they 
ought  to  have  seen  from  the  mo- 
ment that  the  second  reading  was 
carried,  viz.,  that  the  committee 
would  not  be  under  their  manage- 
ment, and  that  they  had  no  more 
confidence  of  success  in  regard  to 
essential  parts  of  the  bill,  than  in 
regard  to  this  question  which  they 
hsud  declared  not  to  be  essential^ 
they  would  have  laid  at  least  an  in- 
telligible ground  for  refusing  to 
proceed  with  the  existing  House  of 
Commons.  It  was  not,  indeed,  a 
ground  which  they  could  ha^e 
pleaded  with  a  good  grace;  because 
they  had  foreseen  the  probability 
of  an  attempt  being  made  to  retain 
the  sixty-two  members ;  they  had 
announced  their  determination  to 
oppose  it;  they  had  anticipated 
the  possibility  of  an  unfavourable 
division;  and  had  declared  that, 
in  that  event,  they  would  bow  to 
the  decision  of  the  House.  They 
could  not^  therefore,  without  a  total 
change  of  plan^  and  a  departure 
from  all  their  declared  intentions, 
make  that  result,  when  it  did  ar- 
irire^  9,  cause  of  quarrel,    But  they 


placed  themselves  in  a  still  more 
awkward  situation^  by  selecting,  as 
the  pretext  of  quarrel,  an  alleged 
character  of  the  amendment,  in- 
consistent equally  with  fact  and 
reason,  and  with  their  own  repeat- 
ed declaration^  that  to  keep  the 
numbers  of  the  House  undimin- 
ished, would  not  trench  on  the 
principles  of  the  bill.  They  might 
say,  indeed^  that  they  had  always 
spoken  of  the  members  of  the  whole 
House,  while  the  amendment  was 
confined  to  the  members  for  Eng- 
land ;  so  that  they  could  not  act 
upon  it,  and,  at  the  same  time 
give  five  additional  members  to 
Scotland,  and  five  to  Ireland,  with- 
out increasing  the  present  number 
of  the  House  by  ten,  to  which  they 
never  had  agreed.  But  it  was 
impossible  that  the  House  of  Com- 
mons, in  the  previous  conversations 
which  had  taken  place  regarding 
the  keeping  up  the  numbers,  could 
have  supposed  any  other  members 
to  be  meant  than  those  for  Eng- 
land. It  was  from  England  alone 
that  they  were  proposed  to  be 
taken  ;  distinct  reference  had  been 
made  to  "  the  sixty-two  members/' 
described  by  Mr.  O'Connell  as 
forming  the  bank  on  which  they 
might  draw ;  it  was  England  alone 
which  had  paid  them  in ;  and  men 
anticipating  an  attempt  to  prevent 
the  reduction  could  anticipate  it 
only  in  regard  to  that  quarter  in 
which  the  reduction  had  been 
threatened.  But  even  on  the  as- 
sumption that  ministers  had  con- 
templated only  the  possibility  of 
keeping  the  numbers  of  the;iwhole 
House  at  658,  and  not  those  of  the 
English  members  at  513,  what  did 
it  end  in  ?  They  had  declared  it 
would  be  no  infringement  of  their 
principles  to  keep  all  the  65  S 
members;    they  would  distribute 

the  sixty^two  according  to  their 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[109 


principles.  They  had  already  dis- 
posed  of  about  twenty  of  them  by 
the  alterations  made  in  the  bill 
between  the  second  reading  and 
the  motion  for  going  into  a  com- 
mittee. The  remainder  were  in 
their  hands,  to  be  disposed  of  in 
the  same  way.  By  this  vote  they 
were  to  be  all  retained  for  Eng- 
land :  but  how  did  that  affect  any 
principle  of  the  bill  ?  It  could  do  so 
only  if  it  prevented  them  from 
giving  the  additional  ten  members 
to  Scotland  and  Ireland.  Even  in 
that  case,  they  had  never  declared 
it  to  be  an  essential  principle  of 
their  bill,  that  the  proportions  of 
representatives  from  the  three 
countries  should  be  altered.  How 
could  it  be  essential  to  reform,  not 
merely  to  give  Scotland  arid  Ire- 
land new  members,  but  to  give 
them  at  the  expense  of  England  } 
How  could  the  substance  and  use- 
fulness of  their  plan  for  purifying 
parliament  be  touched,  by  applying 
it  to  668  members  instead  of  658? 
Thus  they  so  managed  matters  as 
to  place  their  quarrel  with  the 
House  of  Commons  on  this  narrow 
and  untenable  footing,  that,  if  they 
complied  with  the  vote,  they  would 
have  to  add  ten  members,  for  the 
purpose  of  supplying  the  deficien- 
cies of  Scotland  and  Ireland.  They 
admitted,  that  the  House  might 
consist  of  658  without  any  im- 
peachment of  their  own  principles; 
and  it  is  not  surprising  that  not 
one  of  them  attempted  to  show  how 
the  ten  members  more  would  in- 
fuse corruption  into  the  whole 
scheme^— and  that  was  the  point 
to  which  their  own  conduct  and 
declarations  had  brought  their  case. 
If  parliament  was  dissolved  on  ac- 
count of  this  vote,  it  would  be  dis- 
solved— not  because  it  had  refused 
to  disfranchise  totally,  or  partially, 
the    bomighs    which    had    been 


marked  out  for  partial  or  total 
condemnation  —  not  because  it  had 
refused  to  give  more  members  to 
large  counties,  or  extend  the  rights 
of  election  to  places  which  had 
hitherto  been  unrepresented — not 
because  it  had  rejected  an  uniform 
qualification,  or  had  raised  it  to  a 
rate  higher  than  the  ministerial 
standard — not  because  it  had  spurn- 
ed any  one  of  the  great  principles 
or  arrangements  by  whicn  this  bill 
was  to  call  into  existence  a  reformed 
and  renovated  House  of  Commons; 
but  solely  because  it  had  expressed 
an  opinion,  which,  taken  in  con- 
junction with  the  sentiments  of 
ministers,  would  have  required  that 
this  reformed  and  renovated  par- 
liament should  consist  of  668  mem- 
bers instead  of  658.  So  little  did 
the  country  expect  this,  that  the 
most  influential  journals  of  the  re- 
formers spoke  of  the  division,  next 
morning,  as  an  advantage  gained.* 
Ministers  themselves  did  not  yet 
seem  determined  to  put  their  case 
on  this  footing.  The  division  took 
place  on  the  1 9th  of  April.  On 
the  20th  nothing  transpired  in  the 
House  of  Commons  regarding  their 
designs.  Mr.  Hume,  however,  de- 
clared, "  that  he  would  oflTer  no 
opposition  to  the  ordnance  esti- 
mates because,  after  the  vote  of 
last  night,  he  was  anxious  to  assist 
ministers  in  getting  through  the 
necessary  business,  in  order  that 
a  dissolution  might  take  place. 
Running  neck-and-neck  as  parties 
were  in  the  House,  it  was  delusion 
to  suppose  that   the  reform   bill 

•  The  Times  of  April  20th  said, 
'*  general  Gascoyne's  motion,  though 
meant  in  opposition  to  ministers,  and 
springing  from  a  Tory,  will  have  the 
singular  effect  of  increasing  the  number 
of  places  possessing  popular  represent- 
ations. It  is  giving  the  reformers  mor« 
of  a  good  thing  than  they  wanted." 


110]        ANNUAL   REGISTER,  1831. 


could  pass  in  the  present  parlia* 
ment."  On  the  2 1  st,  Lord  Wharn- 
clifFe,  in  the  House  of  Lords^  slU 
luding  to  certain  reports  in  circu- 
lation, put  the  question  to  Lord 
Grey,  whether  mi  nisters  had  ad?ised 
his  majesty  to  dissolve  parliament, 
and  whether  it  had  been  resolved 
that  that  course  should  be  adopted  ? 
He  put  the  question,  he  8aid>  be« 
cause,  if  he  received  a  certain  an- 
swer, it  was  his  intention  to  adopt 
tome  measure  in  relation  to  that 
subject.  Lord  Grey  replied,  that 
he  declined  answering  the  question. 
Lord  Wharncliffe  then  gave  notice 
that  he  would  next  day  move  an 
address  to  the  king,  praying  that 
his  majesty  would   be  graciously 

S leased  not  to  exercise  his  un- 
oubted  prerogative  of  dissolving 
parliament.  On  the  same  day, 
Sir  R.  Vyvyan  asked  ministers  in 
the  House  of  Commons,  whether 
it  was  their  intention  to  proceed 
with  the  reform  bill,  or  whether 
they  would  advise  his  majesty  to 
dissolve  parliament  because  the 
House  of  Commons  would  not  con* 
sent  to  reduce  the  number  of  Eng- 
lish members  ?  Lord  Al thorp  re- 
plied, '*  that  he  had  no  hesitation  in 
answering  one  of  the  questions,  and 
to  say,  that  ministers  having  consi- 
dered the  necessary  consequence  of 
the  division  of  the  House  the  other 
evening  on  the  bill,  it  was  not  their 
intention  to  proceed  farther  with 
the  bill.  It  would  not  be  consist- 
ent with  his  duty  to  answer  the  se- 
cond question.'*  There  immedi- 
ately arose  a  long  and  irregular  de- 
bate, in  which  much  was  said,  on 
both  sides,  regarding  the  propriety 
of  a  dissolution,  and  still  more  upon 
the  general  merits  of  the  reform 
question ;  but  although  the  mem- 
bers who  supported  the  propriety 
of  a  dissolution,  agreed  that  there 
was  no  likelihood  of  the  bill  passing 


uninjured  through  the  pre^nt 
House,  the  ground  which  minis- 
ters might  have  taken—not  one  of 
them  maintained  that  the  vote  of 
the  1 9th  was  in  itself  any  infringe- 
ment on  the  great  principles  of  the 
bill— the  ground  to  which  minis- 
ters had  narrowed  themselves. 
The  debate,  or  rather  discussion, 
having  been  continued  till  half* 
past  on&.  in  the  morning,  an  ad- 
journment till  next  day  was  moved 
from  the  opposition  side  of  the 
House.  It  was  strenuously  resisted 
by  the  chancellor  of  the  exchequer 
on  the  ground  that  the  topic  which 
had  occupied  so  much  time,  was 
not  a  question  before  the  House, 
and  that  he  wished  to  get  on  with 
the  report  of  the  committee  of  sup- 
ply on  the  Ordnance  estimates. 
The  house  divided,«and  ministers 
were  left  in  a  minority  of  twenty-* 
two. 

Ministers  it  was  clear,  had  now 
to  decide  on  more  than  the  reform 
question  ;  they  had  to  struggle, 
not  merely  for  their  bill,  but  for 
their  places.  Lord  Wharncliffe's 
motion  stood  for  discussion  in  the 
House  of  Lords  next  day;  that 
discussion  they  determined  to  avoid 
by  dissolving  parliament  in  such 
haste  that  there  was  scarcely  time 
for  making  the  necessary  prepara- 
tions. When  the  House  of  Com- 
mons met  on  the  22nd,  the  pre- 
senting of  a  petition  connected  with 
parliamentary  reform,  furnished  oc- 
casion for  another  discussion  on 
the  projects  and  conduct  of  minis- 
ters. Sir  R.  Vyvyan  inveighed 
with  great  earnestness  against  the 
desperation  with  which  they  were 
believed  to  be  urging  on  a  dissolu- 
tion in  the  present  state  of  the 
country,  but  as  that  dissolution 
was  every  moment  expected,  there 
reigned  in  the  House  a  confusion 
andf  disorder  which  St.  Stephen's 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[Ill 


Chapel  had  never  witnessed^  since 
Cromwell  ordered"  the  bauble*'  to 
be  removed  from  the  table^  and  the 
House  to  be  locked  upon  the  mem- 
bers. Even  the  authority  of  the 
Speaker^  so  soon  to  expire^  did  not 
retain  all  its  usual  weight.  Sir 
Francis  Burdett  having  called  Sir 
R.  Vyvyan  to  order,  the  Speaker 
declared  that  the  latter  was  not  out 
of  order,  and  requested  that  mem- 
bers would  in  the  mean  time  take 
the  law  as  he  had  laid  it  down.  Mr. 
Tennyson  insisted  notwithstanding 
this  decision,  that  the  baronet  was 
not  in  order.  Again  the  Speaker 
declared  that  he  was,  and  Mr.  Ten- 
nyson, amid  tremendous  calls  of 
chair,  exclaimed  that  he  would 
maintain  the  baronet  had  been  out 
of  order  "  even  though  the  Speaker 
should  gainsay  it."  The  noise  and 
confusion  increased,  and  the  sound 
of  the  artillery  announcing  his 
majesty's  approach,  was  but  a  new 
source  of  excitement.  Sir  Francis 
Burdett  and  sir  Robert  Peel  rose 
together.  The  latter  began  ;  the 
former  continued  standing,  and 
the  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer 
appeared  at  the  same  time  on  the 
floor,  moving  that  sir  Francis 
should  be  heard.  The  Speaker 
himself  with  difficulty  obtained  a 
hearing.  He  had  called,  he  said, 
on  sir  R.  Peel,  who  first  caught  his 
eye ;  and  lord  Althorp  immediately 
rose,  as  he  had  a  right  to  do,  to 
put  the  question  that  sir  Francis 
Burdett  should  be  now  heard.  He 
apprehended  that  it  was  according 
to  the  orders  and  rules  of  the  House, 
that  the  hon.  baronet  (sir  R.  Peel) 
had  a  right  now  to  speak  on 
any  matter  before  the  House. 
Having  said  this,  he  should  only 
further  observe,  that  when  hon. 
members  called  on  him  to  decide 
on  questions  of  order,  and  he  had 
endeavoured  to  give  his  opinion 


impartially  and  satisfactorily,  it  was 
not  perfectly  consistent  with  the 
respect  which  was  due  to  the  chair 
to  proceed  farther  with  the  matter. 
Sir  R.  Peel  went  on  :  ''  These  were 
the  rules  under  which  that  House 
had  hitherto  acted,  although  they 
might  not  be  the  rules  that  would 
suit  a  reformed  parliament.  He, 
for  one,  would  never  agree  to  set 
at  defiance  that  authority  ^as  had 
that  day  been  done),  to  which  the 
House  of  Commoiis  had  long  been 
accustomed  to  bow.  He  did  not, 
he  was  happy  to  say,  share  in  the 
desponding  feelings  of  his  hon. 
friend,  the  member  for  Cornwall. 
He  did  not  desire  the  people  of 
England  to  sit  quietly,  with  their 
hands  before  them,  patiently  ex- 
pecting the  confiscation  of  the 
funds,  and  the  destruction  of 
tithes.  He  had  that  confidence  in 
the  power  of  the  property  and  the 
intelligence  of  this  country,  that 
if  they  would  unite  in  the  support 
of  a  JU8%  and  an  honest  cause, 
he  did  not  despair  of  a  successful 
and  prosperous  issue  to  their  joint 
exertions.  If  their  reformed  par- 
liament was  to  be  elected, — if"  the 
bill,  the  whole  bill,"  were  to  be 
passed, — it  did  appear  to  him  that 
there  would  then  be  established 
one  of  the  worst  despotisms  that 
ever  existed.  They  would  have 
a  parliament  of  mob  demagogues, 
not  a  parliament  of  wise  and  pru- 
dent men .  Such  a  parliament,  and 
the  spirit  of  journalism,  to  use  a 
foreign  phrase,  had,  as  they  must 
have  seen,  brought  happy  countries 
to  the  brink  of  destruction.  At 
that  moment,  society  was  wholly 
disorganized  in  the  west  of  Ire- 
land ;  and  that  disorganization,  he 
was  grieved  to  say,  was  rapidly 
extending  elsewhere.  Landed  pro- 
prietors, well  aflected  to  the  state 
and  loyal  to  the  king,  anxious  to 


112]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


enjoy  their  property  in  security, 
were  leaving  their  homes  to  take 
refuge  in  towns^  abandoning  the 
country  parts,  as  no  longer  afford- 
ing a  safe  residence.  At  this  cri- 
tical conjuncture,  instead  of  doing 
their  duty,  and  calling  for  mea- 
sures to  vindicate  from  the  visita- 
tion of  lawless  and  sanguinary 
barbarians  the  security  of  life  and 
the  safety  of  property,  his  majes- 
ty's minist«rs^  anxious  only  to  pro- 
tect themselves,  'and  fearful  of  the 
loss  of  power,  were  demanding  a 
dissolution  of  parliament.  Alas! 
he  already  perceived  that  the  power 
of  the  crown  had  ceased.  It  was 
no  longer  an  object  of  fair  ambition 
with  any  man  of  equal  and  consist- 
ent mind  to  enter  into  the  service 
of  the  crown.  Ministers  had  come 
down  there^  and  had  called  on  the 
sovereign  to  dissolve  parliament, 
in  order  to  protect  themselves. 
But  they  had  first  established  the 
character  of  having  shown,  during 
their  short  reign  of  power,  more 
incapacity,  more  unfitness  for  oflice, 
more  ignorance  of  theirduties,  than 
ever  was  exhibited  by  any  set  of 
men  who  had  at  any  time  been 
called  on  to  rule  the  proud  destinies 
of  this  country.  After  having 
accused  their  predecessors,  during 
the  last  two  years,  of  having 
done  nothing  —  of  having  ex- 
pended much  time  in  useless  de- 
bates— not  one  single  measure  had 
they  themselves  perfected.  What 
had  they  done  in  the  last  six 
months  ^  They  had  boasted  much 
of  the  good,  which,  by  acting  on 
liberal  principles,  they  would  pro- 
duce. But  what  had  they  done — 
where  were  their  works  to  be  seen  } 
They  had  laid  on  the  table  certain 
bills — the  emigration  bill  and  the 
game  bill^  for  instance,  founded  on 
their  so  much  boasted  liberal  prin- 
ciples^— and  what    then  ? — why, 


there  they  had  left  them."  At  this 
moment  the  Serjeant  -  at  -  arms 
knocked  at  the  door,  and  the  usher 
of  the  black  rod  summoned  the 
Speaker  and  the  members  to  the 
House  of  Peers,  to  hear  the  proro- 
gation of  parliament. 

In  the  House- of  Peers,  the  pro- 
ceedings had  scarcely  been  more 
orderly  or  satisfactory.  The  order 
of  the  day  was  lord  Wharncliffe's 
motion  for  an  address  to  his  ma- 
jesty against  the  dissolution.  His 
lordship  had  uttered  only  a  few 
words,  when  the  duke  of  Rich- 
mond rose  to  complain,  that  all  the 
peers  were  not  sitting  in  their  pro- 
per places^  as  was  usual  on  such 
occasions.  This  being  dissented 
from,  his  grace  insisted  that  he 
would  enforce  the  standing  order, 
"  that  their  lordships  should  keep 
their  places,  and,  likewise,"  as  he 
observed,  "persons  present,  who 
were  not  members  of  that  House," 
he  would  move  that  they  should 
be  ordered  to  withdraw.  Noise 
and  confusion  ensued,  amid  which 
a  peer  was  heard  to  say,  that  mi- 
nisters were  taking  the  crown  oflT 
the  king's  head.  His  grace  of 
Richmond  would  then  move  an- 
other standing  order,  "that  against 
the  use  of  abusive  language," 
while  the  marquis  of  Londonderry 
denied  that  any  ofi^ensive  language 
had  been  used,  "though  the  noble 
duke  seemed  to  think  himself  the 
hero  of  this  coup  d'etatt  and  to  be 
able  to  smother  the  expression  of 
their  lordships'  sentiments  on  this 
most  extraordinary  occasion."  Lord 
Wharncliffe,  being  at  length  al- 
lowed to  proceed,  stated,  that 
without  wishing  to  provoke  a  dis- 
cussion on  the  subject,  he  was 
anxious  that  it  should  be  entered 
on  the  journals  of  the  house,  that 
he  in  his  place  yesterday  did  give 
notice  that  be  would    move   an 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[113 


humble  address  to  his  majesty  not 
to  exercise  his  undoubted  preroga* 
tive  of  dissolving  parliament.  His 
lordship  then  moved^  *Hhat  an 
humble  address  be  presented  to  his 
Majesty,  humbly  to  represent  to 
his  Majesty,  that  we>  his  Majes- 
ty's most  dutiful  and  loyal  sub- 
jects, the  Lords  spiritual  and  tern- 
i>oral  in  Parliament  assembled, 
think  ourselves  bound  in  duty 
humbly  to  represent  to  his  Ma- 
jesty^ that  alarming  reports  of  an 
intended  dissolution  of  Parliament 
have  gone  forth :  that^  dutifully 
acknowledging  the  wisdom  of  the 
constitution  in  trusting  to  the 
Crown  that  just  and  legal  prero- 
gative^ and  fully  confiding  m  his 
Majesty's  royal  wisdom  and  pa- 
ternal care  or  his  people^  for  the 
most  beneficial  exercise  of  it^  we 
desire,  with  great  humility,  to  re- 
present to  his  Majesty,  that  it  ap- 
pears to  us  that  a  prorogation  or 
dissolution  of  Parliament  at  the 
present  juncture,  and  under  the 
present  excitement  of  the  public 
mind,  both  in  Great  Britain  and 
Ireland,  is  likely  to  be  attended 
with  great  danger  to  his  Miyesty's 
Crown  and  dignity,  and  to  every 
institution  of  the  state,  •  by  pre- 
venting that  calm  and  deliberate 
consideration  of  any  question  tend- 
ing to  the  reform  of  the  represent- 
ation of  the  people,  which  the  im- 
portance of  that  subject  so  espe- 
cially requires,"  The  Lord  Chan- 
cellor exclaimed,  ^'  My  lords,  I 
have  never  yet  heard  it  doubted, 
that  the  king  possessed  the  prero- 
gative of  dissolving  parliament  at 
pleasure,  still  less  have  I  ever 
known  a  doubt  to  exist  on  the 
subject,  at  a  moment  when  the 
lower  House  has  thought  fit  to  re- 
fuse the  supplies.''  His  lordship 
having  uttered  these  words,  in  re- 
lation to  an  address  which  expressly 
Vol.  LXXin. 


recognised  the  prerogative,  and  at 
a  moment  when  no  human  being 
was  casting  a  doubt  upon  it,  hur« 
ried  out  of  the  House  to  receive 
his  Majesty,  whose  near  approach 
was  now  announced,  and  lord 
Shaftesbury  being  cdled  to  the 
woolsack,  amid  such  discordant 
noises  as  the  peers  had  never 
witnessed,  succeeded  in  restor- 
ing some  degree  of  order.  Lord 
Mansfield  then  addressed  the 
House.  Such  a  scene  as  this,  he 
said,  he  had  never  before  wit- 
nessed in  their  lordships*  House, 
and  he  hoped  never  to  see  any 
thing  like  it  again.  He  had  heard 
from  the  noble  and  learned  lord  on 
the  woolsack,  with  the  utmost  sur- 
prise, that  the  House  of  Commons 
refused  the  supplies.  The  noble 
and  learned  lord  had,  indeed,  per- 
haps with  wilful  ignorance,  de- 
clared this  to  be  the  case.  He 
would  use  no  intemperate  language, 
but  he  would  nevertheless  assert, 
as  far  as  God  Almighty  gave  him 
the  means  of  understanding,  that 
the  Crown  and  the  country  were 
now  about  to  be  placed  in  a  most 
awful  predicament,  unparalleled  at 
any  previous  period.  He  would 
not  accuse  his  majesty's  ministers 
of  any  evil  intentions,  but  he  did 
accuse  them  of  weakness  and  inca- 
pacity, of  conspiring  together 
against  the  safety  of  the  state  and 
the  dignity  of  the  Crown,  by  act- 
ing in  such  a  manner  upon  such  a 
question.  He  had  not  stated  his 
opinions  generally  on  the  Reform 
Bill,  because  it  was  not  before  the 
House,  and  he  really  was  always 
of  opinion  that  the  bil  I  would  never 
come  there,  and  that  it  would  ne- 
cessarily end  in  a  complete  and 
entire  abortion.  He  would  assert 
that  a  ministry  more  distinguished 
by  incapacity  than  the  present  had 
never  before  existed.    This  preci- 


1141     ANNUAL   REGISTER,    1831. 


pitate  dissolution  of  parliaraent 
was  one  of  tliose  precious  things 
suggested  by  the  factions  existing 
in  this  country.  It  was  certain 
that  a  plan  of  reform  had  been 
brought  forward  by  ministers, 
which  they  never  hoped  to  carry 
into  effect^  and  which  they  had 
presented  to  parliament  like  men- 
dicants for  popularity,  merely  for 
the  purpose  of  redeeming  their  in- 
considerate pledges.  He  was  al- 
ways ready,  as  a  peer,  to  give  his 
advice  to  the  king,  and  if  inter- 
ested views  were  attributed  to  him 
for  doing  so,  in  reference  to  this 
question,  he  should  not  complain, 
well  knowing,  as  he  did,  that  simi- 
lar imputations  had  been  already 
cast  upon  much  more  worthy  per- 
sons. He  felt  a  pleasure  in  stat- 
ing to  the  House  the  advice  which 
he  had  tendered  to  his  majesty  on 
this  subject.  He  had  stated  to 
his  majesty,  that  if  he  should  be 
unfortunately  advised  to  the  adop- 
tion of  that  measure^  and  that  if, 
with  a  view  to  the  revival  of  the 
bill,  he  should  give  his  assent  to  a 
dissolution  of  parliament,  it  was  a 
measure  so  pregnant  with  danger, 
that  he  was  certain,  though  he 
could  not  predict  either  the  man- 
ner or  the  gradations  of  the  attack, 
that  an  attack  would  immediately 
afterwards  be  made  upon  the  cre- 
dit of  the  country,  on  the  national 
debt — then  upon  the  privileges  and 
the  very  existence  of  that  House-— 
and,  at  last  upon  the  privileges  and 
the  very  existence  of  the  crown  itself 
— those  privileges  which  the  crown 
held  not  for  its  own  benefit,  but  for 
the  happiness  and  interests  of  the 
people  with  which  it  was  so  inti- 
mately connected. 

Further  discussion  was  inter- 
rupted by  the  entrance  of  the  king. 
T)be  Ho        of  Commons  having 

d,  bis  majesty  pro- 


rogued parliament  with  the  fol- 
lowing s|)eech : 

^'  My  Lords  and  Gentlemen ; 

"I  nave  come  to  meet  you  for 
the  purpose  of  proroguing  this 
Parliament,  with  a  view  to  its  im* 
mediate  dissolution. 

'*  I  have  been  induced  to  resort 
to  this  measure  for  the  purpose  of 
ascertaining  the  sense  of  my  peo« 
pie,  in  the  way  in  which  it  can  be 
most  constitutionally  and  autben« 
tically  expressed,  on  the  expedi- 
ency of  making  such  changes  in  the 
representation  as  circumstances 
may  appear  to  require,  and  which, 
founded  upon  the  acknowledges! 
principles  of  the  constitution,  may 
tend  at  once  to  uphold  the  just 
rights  and  prerogatives  of  the 
Crown,  and  to  give  security  to  the 
liberties  of  the  people. 

'*  Gentlemen  of  the  House  of 
Commons; 

''  I  thank  you  for  the  provision 
you  have  made  for  the  main- 
tenance of  the  honour  and  dignity 
of  the  Crown,  and  I  offer  you  my 
special  acknowledgments  for  the 
arrangements  you  have  made  for 
the  state  and  comfort  of  my  royal 
consort.  I  have  also  to  thank  you 
for  the  supplies  which  you  have 
furnished  for  the  public  service.  I 
have  observed  with  satisfaction 
your  endeavours  to  introduce  a 
strict  economy  into  every  branch 
of  that  service,  and  I  trust  that 
the  early  attention  of  a  new  Par- 
liament, 'which  I  shall  forthwith 
direct  to  be  called,  will  be  applied 
to  the  prosecution  of  that  import- 
ant subject. 

"  My  Lords  and  Gentlemen ; 

^'  I  am  happy  to  inform  you, 
that  the  friendly  intercourse  which 
subsists  between  myself  and  Fo- 
reign Powers  affords  the  best 
hopes  of  the  continuance  of  peace, 
to  the  preservation  of  which  my 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[115 


«c 


cs 


moBt  anxious  endeavours  will  be 
constaotlj  directed. 

My  Lords  and  Gentlemen ; 
In  resolving  to  recur  to  the 
sense  of  my  people  in  the  present 
circumstances  of  the  country^  I 
have  been  influenced  only  by  a 
paternal  anxiety  for  the  content* 
ment  and  happiness  of  my  sub* 
jects^  to  promote  which^  I  rely 
with  confidence  on  your  continued 
and  xealous  assistance.'* 

The  Lord  Chancdlor  then  de« 
clared  parliament  to  be  prorogued 
to  the  10th  of  May.  Next  day 
appeared  the  proclamation^  an- 
nouncing the  dissolution,  and  di- 
recting a  new  election.  The  writs 
were  made  returnable  on  the  14th 
of  June. 

The  dissolution  was  celebrated 
in  many  places  by  illuminations. 
No  authority  can  prevent  persons 
from  illuminating  who  think  pro- 
per to  do  so ;  an  illumination  not 
general  only  lights  the  populace  to 
the  destruction  of  those  who  re- 
fuse to  join  it ;  a  small  number  of 
persons  of  one  opinion  can  always 
compel  a  great  number  who  differ 
from  them  to  illuminate  —  more 
especially  if  party  spirit  or  weak- 
ness induces  a  magistrate  to  lend 
them  the  sanction  of  his  author- 
ity. The  lord  mayor  authorized 
an  illumination  in  London.  The 
conseauence  was^  that^  in  the  west 
end  of  the  town^  the  unrestrained 
rabble  vented  their  furyon  the  houses 
of  individuals,  p^rs  andcommoners, 
who  had  expressed  sentiments  un- 
favourable to  the  Reform  Bill. 
Among  them  were  those  of  the 
duke  of  Wellington  and  Mr.  Bar- 
ing, the  one  the  first  of  British 
warriors,  and  the  other  the  first  of 
English  merchants.  In  political 
disputes,  to  place  candles  in  win- 
dowsi  8  no  proof  of  political  opin- 
ion, or  of  any  thing  else  than  a 


prudent  desire  to  avoid  the  out- 
rages of  a  mob.  But  these  illu- 
minations were  made  use  of  by 
the  reformers  to  keep  up  their 
incessant  cry,  that  the  inhabit- 
ants of  the  country,  from  one  end 
to  another,  were  animated  by  one 
universal  feeling  of  enthusiasm  for 
the  Reform  Bill,  and  ibr  the  act 
which  got  rid  of  a  parliament  that 
would  never  have  passed  it. 

If  it  was  the  conscioiisness,  that 
nothing  had  yet  happened  in  re- 
gard to  the  Reform  Bill  which 
could  justi^  ministers  in  adopt- 
inff  the  resolution  to  dissolve,  that 
led  the  Lord  Chancellor  to  place 
that  resolution  on  the  ground  of 
an  alleged  refusal  of  the  supplies, 
his  loroship  was  not  more  fortunate 
than  his  colleagues.  He  referred,  of 
course,  to  the  adjournment  of  the 
House  of  Commons  on  the  21st,  or 
rather  on  the  morning  of  the  22nd, 
when  the  ordnance  estimates  were 
among  the  orders  of  the  day.  No 
one  vote  had  been  refused,  or  even 
questioned ;  no  man  had  made 
any  allusion  to  the  supplies ;  mi- 
nisters were  not  entitled  to  invent, 
for  the  adjournment,  a  meaning 
which  no  person  entertained,  or  to 
say  that  supplies,  which  they  could 
have  got  on  Friday  or  Saturday, 
but  which  they  did  not  attempt  to 

fet,  were  refused  because  the  House 
id  not  go  through  all  its  orders  on 
Thursday.  But  the  conclusive 
answer  lay  in  this,  that  the  disso- 
lution must  have  been  resolved 
upon  before  the  debate,  which  ter- 
minated with  the  adjournment, 
began.  It  began  with  lord  Al- 
thorp's  statement,  on  the  21st, 
that  ministers  had  determined  not 
to  proceed  with  the  bill.  If  they 
had  then  come  to  that  deter- 
mination, they  had  determined 
to  dissolve ;  for  neither  they, 
nor  any  of  their  partisans;  ever 
[12] 


116]    ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


pretended,  that^  pledged  as  they 
were,  they  could  possibly  remain 
in  office,  if  they  either  abandoned 
reform,  or  receded  from  any  part 
of  their  bill.* 

One  .of  the  last  acts  of  the 
House  of  Peers  was  to  vindicate 
its  dignity  in  a  question  of  pri- 
vilege, connected  with  the  in- 
temperate abuse  which  the  press 
was  daily  pouring  forth  against 
bodies,  as  well  as  individuals,  who 
chose  to  entertain  their  own  opin- 
ions on  political  questions,  in  a 
conversation  in  the  House  of  Peers, 
the  earl  of  Limerick  had  expressed 
himself  unfavourable  to  the  esta- 
blishment of  a  compulsory  provi- 
sion for  the  poor  in  Ireland.  Next 
day  (April  16th),  the  following 
paragraph  appeared  in  the  Times 
newspaper:  ''Mean,  cruel,  and 
atrocious  as  every  civilized  mind 
must  consider  the  doctrine  that 
Ireland  has  no  need  of  Poor-laws, 
or   some  equivalent    for    them — 


*  This  assertion  of  lord  Brougham, 
the  only  minister  who  made  it,  called 
forth  next  day  the  following  puhlic 
statement,  in  the  shape  of  a  letter  to  the 
Editor  of  the  Times,  from  Mr.  S.  Per- 
ceval, a  member  of  the  House  of  Com- 
mons :  *'  In  your  paper  of  to-day,  the 
lord  chancellor  is  made  to  assert  that 
the  House  of  Commons  had  stopped  the 
supplies.  Now  if  any  person  made  such 
an  assertion,  he  uttered  a  direct  and 
unqualified  falsehood.  The  House  simply 
adjourned  at  half.past  one  o'clock  on 
Thursday  night,  upon  the  motion  of  Mr. 
William  Bankes,  which  was  opposed  by 
lord  Althorp.  It  is  just  as  rational  to 
say  that  in  so  adjourmng  they  threw 
out  all  the  bills  pending  before  them  in 
the  orders  of  the  day,  as  to  say  that 
they  stopped  the  supplies.  It  has  been 
the  conimon  practice  of  Mr.  Hume  and 
others  to  oppose  any  vote  of  money 
after  twelve  o'clock,  and  however  iucon> 
venient  an  obstruction  of  business  this 
was  felt  at  any  time,  no  one  ever  dreamt 
of  the  absurdity  of  accusing  him  of  stop- 
ping   the  supplies.   .  Undoubtedly   the 


hateful  and  abominable  as  is  such 
a  screen  for  inhumanity — there 
are  men,  or  things  with  human 
pretensions,  nay,  with  lofty  privi- 
leges, who  do  not  blush  to  treat 
the  mere  proposal  of  establishing  a 
fund  for  the  relief  of  the  diseased 
or  helpless  Irish  with  brutal  ridi- 
cule, or  almost  impious  scorn. 
Will  any  man  credit  that  an  Irish 
absentee  lord  could  say  what  he  is 
reported  to  have  uttered  in  the 
House  of  Peers  last  night,  when 
lord  Rosebery  presented  a  peti- 
tion, praying  that  a  ODmpufsory 
tax  on  land  might  be  introduced 
into  Ireland  towards  alleviating 
her  poor.r^  We  shall  not  name 
him,  because  the  House  of  Lords 
is  armed  with  a  thing  called  a  bar, 
and  other  disagreeable  appendages'; 
but  there  are  members  of  that 
House  who  surprised  nobody  by  de- 
claring their  indifference  to  popular 
odium,  especially  when  they  are  at 
such  a  distance  from  Ireland  as  to  en- 


motive  for  the  motion  of  Mr.  William 
Bankes  was,  that  ministers  should  not  get 
forward  with  their  business  that  night, 
but  why  ?  The  case  stood  thus — the 
rumour  of  intended  dissolution  was  gene- 
ral ;  ministers,  when  questioned,  refused 
to  declare  theii^  intentions  :  it  was  known 
that  a  notice  had  been  given  in  the 
House  of  Lords  for  an  address  to  the 
throne  not  to  dissolve ;  and  the  inten- 
tion of  Mr.  Bankes  and  of  the  House  of 
Commons  was  simply  to  afford  the  op- 
portunity for  that  debate,  or  rather  not 
to  help  forward  government  on  their 
road  to  dissolution  before  that  debate 
could*  take  place.  True  it  is,  that  the 
supplies  are  stopped ;  but  by  whom  ? 
By  his  majesty's  ministers,  who  had 
chosen  thus  precipitately  to  dissolve 
parliament,  rather  than  fac-e  the  discus- 
sion in  the  Lords --rather  than  suffer  the 
loyal  aud  faithful  expostulation  of  the 
peers  of  the  realm  to  reach  the  royal 
ear,  which  royal  ear,  if  your  report  be 
correct,  is  approached  by  a  man  who 
scruples  not  at  falsehood  to  serve  the 
purpose  of  the  moment." 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[117 


sure  the  safety  of  their  persons." 
On  the  18th,  the  eari  of  Limerick 
brought  the  matter  before  the 
House  as  a  question  of  privilege^ 
stating  there  could  be  no  doubt 
that  the  paragraph  applied  to  him, 
as  he  was  the  only  peer  who  had 
spoken  on  the  occasion^  except 
lord  Rosebery  himself^  who  pre- 
sented the  petition.  The  question 
being  put>  ^'that  the  paragraph 
was  a  libel  on  the  House,  and  a 
breach  of  its  privileges/'  the  lord 
chancellor  saia,  that  if  the  motion 
were  persisted  in^  he  could  not  op- 
pose it^  but  it  appeared  to  him 
that  it  would  not  be  prudent 
to  proceed  farther  in  the  matter. 
He  must  state^  in  the  way  of 
earnest  and  not  injudicious,  and^ 
he  trusted^  not  unacceptable  ad- 
vice, that  all  such  courses  as 
that  on  the  brink  of  which  they 
now  stood,  brought  their  lord- 
ships into  very  painful  dilemmas^ 
and  ended  in  regrets  that  they 
had  ever  been  embraced.  The 
whole  result  of  all  his  experience, 
whilst  he  had  held  a  seat  in  an- 
other place — a  place  in  which  com- 
plaints of  a  similar  description 
were  much  more  frequent  than  in 
their  lordships'  House— -was,  that 
without  any  one  exception,  in  no 
case  was  a  step  taken  of  such  a 
description  as  that  now  proposed, 
without  their  afterwards  repent- 
ing of  it.  He  did  not  see  any 
occasion  to  strengthen  the  privi- 
leges of  the  House  in  the  way  now 
proposed.  If  there  were  a  clear 
and  undoubted  case  of  pffence—  if 
there  were  a  plain  and  manifest 
infringement  of  the  privileges  of 
their  lordships'  House— if  there 
were  an  indisputable  outrage — an 
outrage  manifest  to  the  House 
itself— no  man  could  doubt  that  it 
was  a  fit  subject  of  investigation 
(tt  l^eir  l9rodiip8'  bar^  and  op 


man  could  hesitate  to  say  that 
it  was  in  their  lordships'  power 
to  deal  with  such  an  offence  in 
the  way  which  they  might  think 
necessary  for  the  defence  of  their 
privileges,  and  the  support  of 
their  dignity.  If,  however,  the 
conduct  of  a  noble  lord  was  made 
the  subject  of  an  attack  bv  the 
press  or  otherwise,  he  could,  only 
observe,  that,  in  citing  the  of- 
fender to  the  bar,  he  got  into 
great  difficulties  by  the  rules  of 
proceeding,  and  by  the  privileges 
of  the  House  in  their  strict  letter 
as  they  now  stood."  The  earl  of 
Limenck,  however>  and  the  House, 
having  shewn  no  disposition  to  al- 
low the  matter  to  drop  so  easily, 
his  lordship  expressed  a  hope  that, 
if  the  noble  earl  did  ''  drag"  them 
into  such  a  proceeding,  their  lord- 
ships would  adopt  a  prudent,  mo- 
derate^ and  temperate  course.  The 
earl  of  Limerick  answered,  '^  I 
wish  to  'drag'  no  one  into  this 
proceeding.  I  consider  myself  the 
guardian  of  my  own  honour ;  I  am 
determined  to  protect  my  honour, 
and  I  conceive  it  my  duty  to  bring 
before  the  House  that  which  I  look 
upon  as  an  insult  to  their  lordships. 
'The  noble  and  learned  lord  has  re- 
ferred to  the  first  part  of  the  para- 
graph as  the  worst ;  now  I,  as  an 
Irisnman,  would  refer  to  the  con- 
cluding sentence  of  it,  in  which  it 
is  meant  to  be  conveyed,  that  I 
have  hazarded  in  this  House  an 
opinion  which  I  would  be  afraid  to 
express  elsewhere." 

The  motion  having  been  unani- 
mously agreed  to,  uie  printer  of 
the  Times  was  ordered  to  appear 
at  the  bar  next  day.  Mr.  Law- 
son,  the  printer  of  the  paper,  hav- 
ing accordingly  appeared  (April 
19th),  and  s^mitted  that  he  had 
printed  the  paper  containing  the 
paragraph  in  questimi^  yma  iq* 


118]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


formed  by  the  lord  chaDcellor^  that 
their  lordships  had  determined  that 
paragraph  to  be  a  false  and  scan- 
dalous libelj  and  were  ready  to  hear 
any  thing  which  he  might  have  to 
urge  in  his  defence.  Mr.  Lawson 
expressed  "  his  regret,  that  there 
should  have  appeared  in  the  news- 
|)aper^  of  which  he  was  the  printer, 
any  paragraph  calculated  to  give  of* 
fence^  either  to  their  lordships  in 
general,  or  to  the  noble  earl  in 
particular.  Their  lordships  must 
be  aware  that,  owing  to  tne  rapi- 
dity with  which  a  journal  like  the 
Times  must  be  printed,  and  the 
multiplicity  of  articles  which  neces- 
sarily found  their  way  into  it,  it 
was  almost  impossible  for  him,  using 
every  diligence  in  his  power,  to 
peruse  every  separate  paragraph 
which  appeared  m  the  paper.  The 
paragraph,  of  which  their  lordships 
complained^  had  found  its  way  in- 
advertently into  the  paper,  and  he 
bad  only  to  repeat  his  deep  re- 
gret that  it  had  done  so."  Several 
questions  were  then  put  to  him  by 
some  of  their  lordsnips,  through 
the  lord  chancellor,  who  informed 
him,  that  he  was  not  bound  to  an- 
swer them,  unless  he  pleased, 
though,  at  the  same  time,  their 
lordships  would  form  their  own 
opinions  regarding  his  reasons  for 
declining  to  answer.  He  was 
asked,  whether  he  had  the  su- 
preme control  of  the  paper  of 
which  he  was  the  printer?  He 
replied  that  he  had  not.  He  was 
then  asked,  if  he  knew  who  had  ? 
He  replied,  that  he  considered 
himself  to  be  holding  a  confidential 
situation  in  the  Times  newspaper- 
office,  and  that  he  therefore  could 
not  answer  that  question  without 
a  breach  of  trust  to  his  employers, 
and  a  loss  of  character  to  himself. 
A  noble  lord  then  asked  whether  a 
gentleman^  whose  name  h^  men* 


tioncd,  was  not  the  editor  of  the 
Times  newspaper?  Mr,  Lawson 
replied,  that  this  was  only  another 
mode  of  putting  to  him  the  last 
question,  and,  therefore,  with  all 
respect  to  their  lordships^  he  must 
decline  giving  any  answer  to  it. 
— To  a  question^  whether  he  was 
the  person  whose  name  was  enter- 
ed as  the  printer  at  the  Stamp- 
office^  he  answered  in  the  affirm- 
ative. Certain  questions  were 
then  put  to  him  respecting  the 
proprietors  of  the  paper,  whose 
names  were  entered  at  the  Stamp- 
office  ;  but  his  reply  was,  that  he 
did  not  know  who  they  were.  The 
printer  having  been  ordered  to 
withdraw,  lord  Wynford  suggested 
that  he  should  pay  a  fine  of  lOOL, 
and  be  committed  to  Newgate  till 
it  was  paid.— This  was  resisted  by 
the  lord  chancellor,  the  duke  of 
Wellington,  the  marquis  of  Lans- 
downe,  and  earl  Grey.  It  was 
agreed  and  carried,  that  Mr.  Law- 
son  should  be  committed  to  the 
custody  of  the  Usher  of  the  Black 
Rod,  and  attend  their  lordships 
next  morning. 

When  the  House  met  next  morn- 
ings Lord  King  presented  a  peti- 
tion from  Mr.  Lawson  stating, 
^^  your  petitioner  feels  the  sincerest 
regret  at  having  given  offisnee  to  the 
right  honourable  House,  and  to  the 
earl  of  Limerick  in  particular,  and 
craves  pardon  for  the  same;  and 
humbly  begs,  in  consequence  of 
his  acknowledgement  of  nis  error 
and  regret,  that  he  may  be  set  at 
liberty.*'  The  feeli  ng  of  the  House 
seemed  to  be,  that  the  petitioner 
should  be  reprimanded  and  dis- 
charged ;  but  as  fine  and  imprison- 
ment had  been  mentioned,  the  lord 
chancellor  threw  doubts  on  the 
power  of  the  House  to  inflict  such 
a  penalty.  '^  That  I  should  ever 
agree/'  said  his  ^ordahip,  <^  to  fin« 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[no 


a  man   1 00/.  and  commit  him  to 
Newgate  for  six   months^    for  a 
breach  of  privilege  such  as  this^ 
is  altogether  impossible.     I  must 
first   have   this  question  of  your 
lordships'    privileges    debated    at 
length.     I  must  open  up  the  ques- 
tion of  the  right  of  the  House  to 
imprison  for  six  months  and  inflict 
a  fine — it  may  be  of  10,000/.   on 
an    individual,  tried  by  no  jury, 
and  defended  by  no  counsel,  be- 
cause a  noble  lord  may  complain 
of  his  feelings  being  injured  by  a 
newspaper  paragraph.     Why,  my 
lords,  if  such  a  principle  were  to 
be  admitted,  one  noble  lord  would 
complain  of  one  newspaper,   an- 
other would  direct  your  attention 
to    a    breach   of    privilege   in   a 
second,  and  the  practice  might  be 
extended  till  your  lordships'  house 
would  be  converted  into  an  inqui- 
sition instead  of  a  court  of  justice. 
My  lords,  before  I  can  admit  such 
a  principle,  I  must  have  this  mat- 
ter argued ;  and  if  any  noble  lord 
thinks  it  a  mere  motion  of  course, 
that  the  king's  subjects  shall  be 
sentenced    to    imprisonment   and 
fines,  he  is  very  much  mistaken, 
and  will  find,  that  every  time  such 
a  thing  shall  be  proposed,  he  and 
I  must  meet  and  kittle  first  the 
point  of  law,  secondly,  the  point 
of  privilege ;   and  if,    upon  these 
points,  the  right  of  fine  and  im- 
prisonment be  established,  then  we 
must  dispute  the  point  of  justice 
to  the  public,  of  humanity  to  the 
individual,    and  of  prudence  and 
discretion  in  your  lordships."  Lord 
Wynford  said,  it  was  a  mistake  to 
say  he  had  proposed  fine  and  im- 
prisonment. "  I  proposed  that  what 
another  noble  lord  threw  out  on 
the  subject  of  fine  should  be  adopt- 
ed ;  and,  as  usual  in  all  such  cases, 
that  the  party  should  be  imprisoned 
until  the  fiae  waa  paid^  coDaistent** 


ly  with  the  practice  adopted  in  all 
the  courts.     But   J   never  dreamt 
of  uniting  the  two  punishments  of 
fine  and  imprisonment,  and  I  never 
thought  of  inflicting  a  fine  till  the 
person  at  the  bar  had  refused  to 
disclose  who  was  the  pai*ty  con- 
cerned in  the  publication  in  ques- 
tion.    I  certainly  thought  that  his 
refusal,  and  his  putting  himself 
upon  his  confidential  situation,  in 
justification   of  that  refusal,  had 
aggravated  the  case,  and  on  that 
account  I  proposed  a  fine.     The 
noble  and  learned  lord  on  the  wool- 
sack, although  he  did  not  directly 
dispute  the  authority  of  the  House 
to  inflict  fine  and  imprisonment, 
appeared  disposed  to  throw  some 
doubt  upon  it.     For  my  own  part, 
I   should  tremble    to  hazard  an 
opinion   contrary   to  that  of  the 
noble  and  learned  lord  upon  this 
or  any  other  subject,  were  I  not 
fortified  by  some  decided  authority. 
Such  an  authority  does  exist  in  the 
present  instance ;  I  allude  to  the 
case  of  **  the  King  and  Flower  ;" 
the  defendant  having  been  com- 
mitted by  the  House,  applied  to 
the   Court  of   King's  Bench   by 
Habeas  Corpus,  and  no  case  was 
ever  argued  with   greater  ability 
than  this  by  the  defendant's  coun- 
sel ;  yet  tKe  court,  without  hear- 
ing any  answer,  at  once  confirmed 
the  authority  of  Parliament.   This 
decision  sets  at  rest  the  question  of 
right,  and  I  thought  it  due  to  the 
House  to  quote  it,  as  the  privi- 
lege seems  to  have  been  questioned 
by  my  noble  and  learned  friend. 
But  although  I  stand  up  for  the 
]>ower  of  the  House,    and  insist 
upon  its  authority  to  fine  and  im- 
prison, I  would  disclaim  any  in- 
tention of  acting  up  to  the  extent 
of  the  power,  or  any  thing  like  it ; 
on  the  contrary,  I  shall  be  quite 
coQtent  with  whatever  may  be  done 


120]        ANNUAL   REGISTER,  1831. 


on  Ihis  occasion  which,  in  the 
opinion  of  those  more  conversant^ 
than  so  young  a  member  of  the 
House  can  possibly  be  with  the 
practice  and  privilege  of  Parlia- 
ment, shall  appear  fit." 

There  being  a  general  call  for 
lord  Tenterden,  his  lordship  ex- 
pressed a  clear  opinion  in  favour  of 
the  power  claimed.  '^  I  think  my- 
self bound  to  inform  your  lordships" 
he  said,  <'  that  it  is  the  constant 
practice  of  all  courts  of  law^  in 
inflicting  a  fine,  to  add,  that  the 
party  shall  be  imprisoned  until  he 
pay  the  fine.  I  speak  of  the  su- 
perior courts  in  Westminster-hall ; 
and  1  am  sure  that  instances  of 
this  practice  will  be  found  in  all 
of  those  courts.  Now  I  cannot 
bring  myself  to  think,  that  while 
the  courts  of  Westminster-hall 
possess  this  privilege,  it  can  pro- 
perly be  denied  to  your  lordships. 
In  what  cases,  under  what  cir- 
cumstances, and  to  what  extent, 
your  lordships  should  exercise  that 
privilege  is  quite  another  question^ 
and  one  upon  which  I  do  not  pro- 
pose to  say  one  word ;  but  I  must 
declare  that  I  think  the  right  of 
your  lordships  to  the  exercise  of 
that  privilege  is  clear,  distinct,  and 
indisputable.  And  why  was  this 
power  conferred  ?  It  was  conferred, 
my  lords,  not  for  the  protection  of 
those  who  possess  it, — not  for  the 
sake  of  the  House  of  Lords^ — not  for 
the  sake  of  the  House  of  Commons, 
—not  for  the  sake  of  the  courts 
of  IsLW,  all  of  whom  are  in  equal 
possession  of  the  power, — but  for 
the  sake  of  the  nation  at  large,  for 
whose  welfare  and  well-govern- 
ment it  was  absolutely  necessary 
that  all  men  should  be  taught  to 
pay  due  reverence  to  the  great 
legislative  council  of  the  kingdom, 
and  to  those  tribunals  of  justice  in 
which  th9  laws  of  the  land  are 


administered.  These  are  the  rea- 
sons why  the  two  Houses  of  Par- 
liament, and  why  courts  of  law, 
possess  this  power ;  these  are  the 
reasons  why  each  of  them  ought  to 
possess  it :  and  I  am  quite  sure  that 
if  they,  and  especially  the  two 
Houses  of  Parliament,  did  not 
possess  this  power  of  vindicating 
themselves,  it  would  be  impossible 
that  their  respective  duties  could 
be  performed  with  dignity  to  them- 
selves, or  with  advantage  to  the 
country." 

The  Lord  Chancellor  immedi- 
ately rose,  and  attacked  the  Chief 
Justice  for  having  given  this  power 
to  the  House  of  Commons  as  well 
as  to  the  peers.  "My  lords,  I  am 
once  more  compelled  to  embark 
in  this  unfortunate  discussion.  I 
say  compelled,  because,  after  what 
has  fallen  from  my  noble  friend 
the  lord  chief  justice  upon  the  sub- 
ject of  Parliamentary  law,  I  feel 
myself  under  the  necessity,  the 
ali^lute  necessity,  for  the  sake  of 
the  dignity  and  the  character  of 
Parliament, — for  the  sake  of  the 
country  and  of  the  subjects  of  the 
king,  as  well  as  out  of  kindness  to 
my  noble  friend, — first  of  all  to  set 
my  noble  friend  right  upon  a  point 
of  so  much  importance,  and,  next, 
to  give  my  noble  friend  an  oppor- 
tunity of  reconsidering  what  he 
has  said,  and  then  of  explaining 
himself  to  your  lordships.  I  have 
said  my  lords, — and  I  repeat  it 
now  once  more, — that  I  do  very 
much  doubt  the  existence  of  this 
power  with  which  your  lordships 
are  said  to  be  invested,  and  to 
which  some  of  your  lordships  ap- 
pear to  cling  with  so  much  and 
such  fond  tenacity ;  and,  my  lords, 
if  I  do  entertain  this  doubt,  I  have 
at  least  the  consolation  of  knowing 
that  I  am  countenanced  in  my 
ecepticism  by  some  of  the  verjr 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[121 


highest  constitational  authorities^ 
and  by  some  of  the  greatest  law- 
yers that  ever  the  bar  produced^ 
or  that  ever  adorned  the  senate^  or 
that  ever  added  weight  and  dignity 
to  the  bench.  But^  my  lords,  in 
spite  of  the  support  which  I  receive 
from  such  great  and  learned  men,  I 
believe  that  I  am  quite  wrong,  and 
I  believe  so,  my  lords,  because  you 
tell  me  so.  The  Lord  Chief  Justice 
may  be  very  right — and  I  know 
your  lordships  think  he  is — in  say- 
ing that  you  have  this  fk)wer ;  but 
he  cannot  be  right  in  the  reasons 
which  he  has  given  for  the  posses- 
sion of  that  power.  What  were 
those  reasons  ?  I  heard  them,  my 
lords,  with  wonder  and  amazement. 
He  tells  you,  that  because  the 
courts  of  law  in  Westminster-hall 
have  the  power  to  fine  and  im- 
prison, so  also  must  the  Houses  of 
Lords  and  Commons  have  that 
power.  Good  God !  My  Lords, 
who  ever  heard  till  this  moment 
— ^when  were  you  ever  told  till 
this  day,  when  you  have  been  told 
it  by  a  lord  chief  justice  of  Eng- 
land— ^that  the  House  of  Commons 
has  the  right  to  inflict  fines  and 
imprisonment  upon  his  majesty's 
subjects  in  vindication  of  their  pri- 
vileges ?  No  one  who  knows  any 
thing  about  the  law  and  the  con- 
stitution of  the  country  can  hesi- 
tate for  a  moment  in  saying  that 
the  lord  chief  justice  is  grievously 
in  error  here  ;  and  until  I  am  told 
by  my  noble  friend,  in  terms  the 
most  clear  and  the  most  explicit, 
I  will  not  believe  that  he  is  pre- 
pared to  defend  and  justify  in  law 
what  he  has  thus  said ;  for  he  has 
thereby  conferred  upon  the  House 
of  Commons  a  power,  which  none 
of  his  least  learned,  none  of  his 
worst,  none  of  his  most  corrupt, 
none  of  his  least  calm,  his  least 
tempen^te,  or  his  least  respectably 


predecessors,  ever  dreamed  of  arm- 
ing the  Commons  with.  It  is  quite 
clear  that  my  noble  friend  sup- 
poses that  the  Speaker  of  the 
House  of  Commons  may  summon 
a  man  to  the  bar  of  the  House, 
fine  him  1 00/.,  and  imprison  him 
till  the  fine  be  paid.  This  must 
have  been  his  opinion,  which  I 
hereby  give  him  an  opportunity  of 
retracting,  as  I  have  no  doubt  he 
will ;  for,  upon  reflection,  he  must 
see  that  that  opinion  is  utterly 
untenable,  although  his  whole  ar- 
gument was  intended  to  support 
and  demonstrate  it, — that  argu« 
ment  being,  that  as  the  courts  in 
Westminster-hall  had  the  power, 
so  also  must  the  Houses  of  Lords 
and  Commons  have  it.  If  the  lord 
chief  justice  adheres  to  this  opin- 
ion, let  him  make  a  motion  upon 
the  subject,  and  bring  his  store 
of  legal  research  to  bear  upon  it, 
and  support  it  if  he  can.  Let  him 
do  this,  and  if,  in  doing  this,  he 
should  succeed  in  persuading  your 
lordships  that  the  House  of  Com- 
mons has  this  power  and  privilege, 
your  lordships  will  have  the  satis- 
faction of  knowing  that  you  have, 
by  the  sanction  of  your  lordships' 
high  authority,  invested  the  House 
of  Commons  with  a  power  which 
the  stoutest  friend  of  parliament- 
ary privileges  never  before  ven- 
tured to  arrogate  to  the  Commons* 
House  of  Parliament." 

Lord  Tenterden  said,  he  had 
never  been  a  member  of  the  House 
of  Commons,  and  therefore  must 
be  far  inferior  in  the  means  of  in- 
formation on  this  subject  to  his 
noble  and  learned  friend  on  the 
woolsack,  who  was  for  so  long  a 
time  one  of  the  most  distinguished 
ornaments  of  that  House.  He 
had  spoken  from  recollection, — it 
might  be  from  imperfect  recollec- 
tion; but  be  was  strongly  impress^ 


laaj 


ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1881. 


ed  with  the  notion  that  there  were 
instances  in  which  the  House  of 
Com mons  had  exercised  th  is  power.* 
*'  I  was  mistaken,  I  dare  say  :  but 
with  regard  to  this  House,  I  think 
there  can  be  no  doubt  that  it  has 
the  power." 

The  Lord  Chancellor.  — "  I  am 
very  glad,  that  I  have  given  my 
noble  and  learned  friend  an  oppor- 
tunity of  making  this  explanation, 
because  these  things,  though  very 
familiar  to  members  of  the  House  of 
Commons,  may  not  be  so  well  known 
here,  where  still  there  can  be  no 
rnconvenience  in  having  them  un- 
derstood. The  fact  is,  that  the 
House  of  Commons  has  the  power 
of  commitment,  but  not  for  any 
certain  time  ;  they  have  the  power 
to  commit  as  a  means  of  removing 
^n  obstruction;  but  the  confine- 
ment  of  the  person  so  committed 
can  last  no  longer  than  the  end  of 
the  session.  The  House  of  Lords, 
on  the  other  hand,  being  a  court 
of  justice, — a  court  of  i-ecord, — 
nay,  the  highest  court  of  justice 
is  said  to  have  the  power  of  com- 
mitting for  a  time  certain,  and  of 
fining;  but  that  power  has  been 
disputed  by  many  sound  lawyers. 
I  know  very  well  that  the  Court  of 
King's  Bench  has  decided  other- 
wise." 

The  petition  of  Mr.  Lawson 
was  ordered  to  be  taken  into  con- 
sideration next  day,  when  Lord 
King  moved,  that  he  should  be 
called  to  the  bar,  reprimanded  by 
the  Lord  Chancellor,  and  dis- 
charged on  payment  of  his  fees. 
No  peer  moved  for  any  severer 
punishment,  but  lord  Wynfordand 
lord  Eldon  re-asserted  the  power  of 
the  House  to  fine  and  commit  till 


•  And  there  are  such  cases. — See 
Hales  on  Parliaments,  176,  177:  also 
the  c^se  of  Arthur  Hall,  on  4th  of  Fe- 
Invtaryy  in  the  23rd  of  Elizabeth. 


payment,  as  a  power  on  which  no 
judge  in  Westminster-hall  could 
entertain  a  doubt.  It  was  a  set« 
tied  point.  The  earl  of  Mansfield, 
from  the  part  which  the  lord  chan- 
cellor had  taken,  first  in  attempt- 
ing to  crush  the  matter  at  the  out- 
set and  then  in  ^lestioning  the 
power  of  the  House,  was  induced 
to  ask,  whether  it  was  likely  that 
his  lordship  would  administer  the 
reprimand  with  that  severity  befit- 
ting, the  nature  of  the  case  and 
their  lordsnips'  dignity.^  Would 
it  not  be  right  for  the  House  to 
move  an  instruction  to  his  lord- 
ship that  he  would  not,  in  the 
reprimand,  take  occasion  to  hint 
any  doubt  of  the  authority  of  the 
House,  and  that  he  would  impress 
upon  the  offender  the  full  magni- 
tude of  his  offence  against  t£eir 
lordships*  privileges.  Lord  Bldon 
disapproved  of  this.  He  would 
give  the  lord  chancellor  credit  for 
administering  the  reprimand  with 
due  solemnity;  and  if  he  failed, 
the  House  had  the  means  of  anim- 
adversion in  its  power.  The  Chan- 
cellor himself  exclaimed.  ^^  Is  it 
not  monstrous  to  suppose  that  I 
shall  be  so  wanting  in  a  sense  of 
the  respect  due  to  the  dignified 
office  which  I  hold,  so  wanting  in 
respect  to  the  House,  so  wanting 
in  self-respect,  as  to  pervert  the 
occasion  of  administering  the  re- 
primand ordered  by  the  House  into 
a  paltry  medium  of  spitting  my 
spite  against  their  privileges? 
Whatever  doubt  I  may  individu- 
ally entertain  as  to  one  branch  of 
those  privileges,  is  it  likely  that 
when  called  upon,  as  the  official 
organ  of  your  lordships,  to  declare 
your  will,  I  should  be  at  once  so 
base  and  so  foolish  as  to  disgrace 
my  important  functions  by  aban- 
doning the  plain  line  of  my  duty* 
The  imputation  is  unworthy  of  the 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[123 


noble  earl — it  is  unworthy  of  me-^ 
and  I  fling  it  back  with  difldain." 

Mr.  Lawson  having  appeared  at 
the  bar,  the  Lord  Chancellor  ad* 
dressed  him  as  follows :  ''  The  pa* 
ragraph  of  which  you  have  acknow« 
ledged  yourself  to  be  the  printer 
and  publisher,  has  been  pronounced 
by  the  unanimous  voice  of  this 
House  to  be  a  gross  and  scandalous 
libel  upon  Edmund  Henry  Earl 
of  Limerick^  a  member  of '  this 
House^  and  it  has  also  been  pro- 
nounced to  be  a  high  breach  of 
the  privileges  of  this  House.  Those 
privileges  of  this  House  are  con- 
ferred upon  it  by  the  constitution 
of  the  country,  and  they  have  been 
recognized  most  amply  in  all  times 
by  the  law  of  the  land.  Those  pri- 
vileges are  possessed  by  this  House 
not  for  the  benefit  of  any  indi- 
vidual member  of  the  House,  nor 
to  confer  power  or  aggrandizement 
upou  the  members  of  the  House 
collectively,  but  they  are  possessed 
for  the  protection  and  for  the  de- 
fence of  this  assembly,  and  for  the 
belter  execution  or  those  high 
functions  which,  for  the  benefit  of 
the  state,  the  constitution  has 
conferred  upon  it.  It  would  be  a 
strange  thing,  indeed,  if  these  pri- 
vileges which  ai'e  enjoyed,  not  only 
by  the  other,  the  inferior  branch  of 
the  legislature,  but  also  by  every 
court  of  record  in  the  realm,  should 
have  been  denied  either  by  the  po- 
licy or  the  justice  of  the  law  to 
this  illustrious  assembly,  which 
combines  in  itself  the  character  of 
being  the  hereditary  counsellors  of 
the  Crown,  of  being  the  superior 
branch  of  the  legislature,  and  of 
being  the  highest  court  of  judica- 
ture in  the  kingdom.  These  func- 
tions, that  of  hereditary  advisers  of 
the  Crown,  that  of  enacting  laws, 
and  that  of  deciding  as  judges,  in 
the  last  resortj  and  withiout  appeal 


to  any  human  authority,  on  all 
cases  as  well  eriminal  as  civil, — 
these  high  functions,  these  great 
powers,  and  this  solemn  and  im- 
portant duty,  are  enjoyed  by  this 
assembly  for  the  sake  of  the  whole 
people  of  England;  and  in  order 
that  they  may  be  exercised  with 
advantage,  and  in  such  a  manner 
that  the  country  may  enjoy  the 
benefits  which  result  therefrom,  it 
is  absolutely  necessary  that  the 
undoubted  privileges  of  such  an 
assembly  should  be  unquestioned 
and  inviolate.  It  is  therefore,  the 
duty  of  this  House,  to  deal  with 
you,  a  self-acknowledged  culprit,  in 
such  a  manner  as  the  grave  offence 
which  you  have  committed  merits, 
in  order  that  you  may  be  deterred 
from  the  repetition  of  it,  and  in 
order  also — which  is  the  sound  end 
of  all  punishment — that  others 
may  be  aeterred  from  the  commis- 
sion of  a  similar  offence.  But  the 
House  mingles  mercy  with  justice 
and  is  anxious  to  take  into  consider- 
ation the  mitigating  circumstan- 
ces which  are  connected  with  the 
situation  in  which  you  are  placed. 
You  have  freely,  and  at  once  ac- 
knowledged that  you  are  guilty  of 
the  offence;  you  have  acknow- 
ledged that  you  are  guilty,  in  fact, 
by  admitting  that  you  are  the  pub- 
lisher of  the  libel ;  and  you  have 
acknowledged  that  you  are  guilty 
in  law  and  in  substance,  because 
you  have  expressed  your  contrition 
for  that  publication.  You  have 
also  most  amply,  by  petition,  and 
in  your  own  person  at  that  bar, 
maHe  submission  to  the  House, 
and  to  the  noble  earl  who  was  the 
object  of  the  slander.  Moreover 
you  have  suffered,  not  a  long  but 
a  close  confinement,  by  the  au- 
thority of  this  House,  and  in  the 
custody  of  the  officers  of  this 
House.     For  th^se  reasons^  and 


124]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 

because  the  House  is  anxious  to  tell  you  that  you  will  be  forthwith 

temper  justice  with  mercy^  their  discharged  out  of  custody,  upon 

lordships  have  thought  proper  to  payment  of  your  fees."     On   the 

impose  on  me  the  painful  duty —  motion  of  Lord  Farnham^  the  re- 

which  I  have  now  performed-^of  primand  was  ordered  to  be  entered 

reprimanding  you ;    and    having  on  the  journals, 
thus  reprimanded  you^   I  have  to 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[136 


•Ai  < 


CHAP.  V. 

The  Budgets-Proposed  changes  in  Taxes — Opposition  to  a  proposed 
Tax  on  transfers  in  the  Funds — Ministers  (wandon  it — Proposed 
diminution  of  Duties  on  Baltic  Timber,  and  Augmentation  of  those 
on  Canada  Timber — Ministers  defeated  on  a  Division — Arrange^ 
ment  of  the  Civil  List — Ministers  refuse  to  abide  by  a  Reduction 
recommended  by  tite  Select  Committee — Increase  of  the  Army, 


THE  other  business  of  the 
session^  which  was  thus  sud* 
denly  terminated^  related  princi- 
pally to  financisd  matters ;  re- 
trenchment of  expenditure  having 
been  one  of  the  pledges  and 
promises  under  which  the  new 
ministers  had  come  into  office.  On 
the  1 1th  of  February^  lord  Althorp 
opened  the  budget.  He  esti- 
mated the  charge  for  the  year  at 
46,850,000/.  The  revenue  for 
1830  had  been  50,060,000,  but, 
making  allowance  for  the  taxes 
which  had  been  already  repealed, 
it  could  not  be  assumed  as  likely 
to  yield  more,  during  the  present 
year,  than  47,150,000/.  The 
revenue,  therefore,  would  exceed 
the  charges  of  the  year  only  by 
about  300,000/.,  a  ver^  scanty 
allowance ;  and  not  affording  mucn 
room  for  reduction  of  taxes,  al- 
though he  was  well  aware  that  the 
popular  expectations  awaited,  and 
the  necessities  of  the  country  re- 
quired, large  reductions. 

Still,  however,  his  lordship  was 
of  opinion  that  something  might 
be  done,  not  indeed  by  directly  re- 
pealing those  taxes  which  were 
supposed  to  press  particularly  on 
the  lower  classes,  for  these  classes 
consumed  few  taxable  commodities 
— but  indirectly,  by  reducing  the 


taxes  which  pressed  on  the  in« 
dustry  of  the  country;  by  re- 
lieving trade  from  fiscal  embarrass- 
ments, and  thus  adding  to  the 
means  of  employing  industry ;  by 
improving  the  general  system  of 
our  revenue,  witibout  detriment  to 
its  real  productiveness,  and  yet 
with  great  benefit  to  the  country— 
here  repealing,  here  reducing,  snA 
there  introducing  a  more  equal 
distribution; — and  he  avowed  that 
he  had  taken  his  principles  and 

feneral  views  from  sir  Henry 
ameH's  work  entitled,  ''Financial 
Reform."  Taxes  he  divided  into 
three  classes.  First,  taxes  on 
commodities  of  which  there  would 
be  an  increased  consumption,  and, 
by  that  means,  an  increased  re« 
venue  in  consequence  of  the  reduc- 
tion. Secondly,  taxes  which,  instead 
of  being  equally  and  impartially 
distributed  amongst  all  classes, 
pressed  more  severely  on  one  part 
of  the  community.  The  third  class 
consisted  of  those  taxes  which,  be- 
sides interfering  with  commerce, 
took  more  out  c?  the  podcets  of  the 
people  than  was  furnished  to  the 
revenue.  The  reductions,  which  he 
proposed  under  each  head  were  as 
follows. 

Under  the  first  head  he  intended 
to  reduce  the  duty  on  tobaoeo. 


126]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


The  duty  at  present  levied  was  3*. 
per  pound  on  th^  tobacco  as  im- 
ported^ and  9s*  on  the  manufactured 
article  (snufF  and  cigars).  He  pro- 
posed to  reduce  the  first  to  1^.  6d., 
and  the  last  to  4^.  6d.  The  amount 
of  revenue  derived  from  that  tax  was 
at  present  2,800,000/.  The  loss 
to  the  revenue,  however,  would  not 
be  so  much  as  the  half,  or 
1,400,000/.;  for  he  calculated  on 
such  an  increased  consumption  as 
would  reduce  that  loss  to  800,000/. 
Thus,  while  the  relief  extended  to 
the  consumers  of  the  article  would 
be  1,400^000/.,  the  exchequer 
would  only  suffer  a  diminution  of 
income  to  the  extent  of  800,000/.; 
and,  which  was  a  matter  of  para- 
mount importance,  the  Irish  smug- 
gling trade  in  tobacco  would  be 
destroyed.  Another  duty  to  be  re- 
duced was  one>  which  he  admitted 
did  not  seem,  at  first  sight,  to  bear 
80  immediately  on  the  comforts  of 
the  people^  but  which  neverthe- 
less was  felt  as  a  burthen — the  duty 
on  newspapers,  stamps^  and  adver- 
tisements. At  present  the  duty  on 
each  stamp  was  4d.y  with  a  dis- 
count of  20  per  cent.  He  pro- 
posed to  make  it  2d.,  without  any 
discount.  All  advertisements  at 
present  paid  a  duty  of  3s.  6d. :  he 
proposed  to  reduce  it  to  ls»  for 
each  advertisement  of  less  than  ten 
lines;  and  2s,  6d.  for-  all  above. 
The  saving  to  the  public  would  be 
190,000/.,  and  the  loss  to  the 
revenue  he  calculated  at  1 00,000/., 
the  difference  being  made  up,  ac- 
cording to  hi^  lordship's  calcula- 
tion, by  an  increase  in  the  circula- 
tion of  papers,  and  in  the  number 
of  advertisements  which  the  di- 
minished rate  was  expected  to 
produce. 

Under  the  second  head  of  taxes, 
those  which  bore  with  unequal 
pressure  on  particular  parts  of  the 


community,  he  intended  to  touch 
only  one,  but  he  intended  to  repeal 
it  entirely.  It  was  the  duty  on 
sea-borne  coal,  amounting  to 
830,000/.  No  tax  pressed  more 
immediately  on  the  lower  and  less 
wealthy  orders  j  its  repeal  would 
not  only  diminish  the  expense  of 
what  was  a  necess^y  of  life,  but, 
by  diminishing  the  cost  of  manu- 
factures, in  which  fuel  was  of 
essential  importance,  it  would  re- 
move an  impediment  to  industry, 
and  increase  the  demand  for  labour. 
The  last  class  of  taxes  contained 
those  which  interfered  with  the 
interests  of  commerce,  and  took 
more  money  from  the  pockets  of 
the  people  than  the  revenue  was 
benefitted.  The  tax  on  tallow  and 
candles  came  under  this  head,  and 
therefore  was  one  of  those  which 
he  proposed  for  reduction.  Many 
benefits  to  the  less  wealthy  classes 
of  society  would,  he  expected, 
accrue  from  this  reduction.  If  the 
farmer,  for  example,  made  use  of 
the  raw  material  which  came 
into  his  possession  in  his  domestic 
arrangements,  and  made  his  own 
candles,  M'ithout  the  excise  duty 
and  the  manufacturer's  profits,  it 
was  evident  he  would  be  a  con- 
siderable gainer.  And  so  with 
respect  to  other  persons  engaged 
in  industry,  from  whom  a  greater 
amount  of  duty  was  taken  under 
the  present  arrangement  than  was 
counterbalanced  by  the  benefit  de- 
rived by  the  exchequer.  The 
amount  was  420,000/.  a  year;  but 
in  the  present  year,  the  revenue 
would  not  suffer  to  that  extent,  as 
he  had  yielded  to  the  advice  of  the 
manufacturers,  not  to  let  the  aboli- 
tion take  effect  for  half  a  year,  in 
order  that  their  stock  might  be 
consume^L  Another  tax  of  this 
kind  was  that  on  printed  calicoes. 
It  not  only  operated  as  an  impedi- 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


im 


metit  to  our  manufactures^  Imt  was 
partial  in  its  pressure  and  most 
ex^QsiFe  in  its  collection ;  thus 
uniting  the  greatest  objections  that 
could  be  oiFered  to  the  imposition 
of  any  tax.  Its  amount  was  actu- 
ally 2,000,000/.  per  annum,  while 
but  500,000/.  went  into  the  ez« 
chequer;  and  it  fell  almost  ex« 
clusively  on  the  poor  class  of 
consumers.  He  would  abolish  it 
entirely.  Under  the  same  head 
came  the  duty  on  glass,  yielding 
600^000/.,  which  he  proposed  to 
repeal.  It  discouraged  industry,— 
it  presented  the  extension  of  an 
important  manufacture,  for  the  in- 
crease of  which  this  country 
offered  every  facility.  He  had  no 
doubt  that  when  the  tax  was 
abolished,  our  possession  of  the  raw 
materia],  our  command  of  fuel,  and 
the  cheapness  of  labour  in  this 
country,  would  render  glass  an 
article  of  export. --Lastly,  under 
this  head  came  several  smaller 
miscellaneous  duties,  which  were 
t.0  be  repealed  or  reduced.  Of 
these  the  chief  was  the  auction 
duty  on  the  sale  of  land,  which  he 
meant  to  repeal  altogether,  as  the 
revenue  derived  very  little  from  it, 
while  it  operated  very  incon- 
veniently in  sales  of  landed  pro- 
perty. —  These  were  the  taxes 
which  he  intended  to  deal  with  in 
the  way,  and  for  the  reason  he 
had  mentioned.  The  result  stood 
thus— 

Taxes  Reduced.    Estimated  Loss. 

Tobacco. 

1,4.00,000  800,000 

Newspapers. 

190,000  100,000 

Coals  and  Slate. 
830,000  830,000 

Candles  from  October. 
420,000  200,000 


Cottons. 
500,000  500,000 

Glass. 
600,000  600,000 

Auctions. 
60,000  60,000 

Miscellaneous. 
80,000  80,000 


£4,080,000 


£3,170,000 


But  this  was  a  reduction  which 
the  revenue  could  not  bear ;  and 
the  next  point  was,  how  to  make 
good  this  loss,  without  imp>sing 
an  equal  burthen  on  the  people.  In 
the  first  place,  he  intended  to  alter 
and  equalize  the  duties  on  foreign 
wines.  French  wines  at  present 
paid  ?*•  3d-  a  gallon,  other  foreign 
wines  4#.  lOd.,  and  Cape  wine^ 
2s,  3d,  He  proposed  to  equalize 
them  at  one  stanaingduty  of  5^.  6d. 
per  gallon.  So  &r  from  the  con- 
sumption being  diminished  by  this 
change,  there  was  every  reason  to 
believe  it  would  be  increased.  The 
present  rate  of  consumption  would 
yield,  at  the  equalized  duty,  about 
1,830,000/,  while  the  present  re- 
ceipt was,  in  round  numbers,  only 
1,590,000/.  From  this  source 
therefore  he  expected  an  increase 
of  240,000/.  The  next  tax  which 
he  intended  to  modify  was  that  on 
timber.  The  duty  on  foreign 
European  timber  in  the  rough 
whole  state  was  5#.  per  load ;  that 
on  Canada  timber  10^.;  while  the 
dutv  on  the  same  timber,  cut  up 
in  oeals,  for  example,  was,  on  the 
European  45^.,  per  load ;  and  that 
on  the  Canada  but  5«.  9d,  The 
tax,  evidently,  as  it  stood,  was  one 
on  the  manufactured  article  in  the 
one  case  in  favour  of  the  Canada, 
.upon  which,  nevertheless,  a  higher 
raw  duty  was  levied.  He  proposed 
not  to  actually  equalize  tjhe  dutiesj 


128]      ANNUAL  REGISTER,  1831. 


but  to  place  them  nearer  such  a  level 
as  would  conduce  to  the  general 
interests  of  the  country,  without 
injury  to  any  particular  class  or 
individuals^  while  the  revenue  de- 
rived from  the  tax  would  be  con- 
siderably increased.  Timber  was 
an  article  not  easily  smuggled,  so 
that  an  equalizing  duty  was  not  so 
necessary  as  it  would  be  with  a  less 
bulky  commodity.  He  proposed, 
therefore,  to  raise  the  duty  on 
European  timber  to  50^.  per  load, 
and  that  on  the  Canada  timber  to 
10*.;  rates  which  would  bring 
them  nearer  to  an  equality  in  the 
market  than  those  unacquainted 
with  the  timber  trade  could  readily 
imagine,  while  the  preference 
which  we  bestowed  on  the  produce 
of  our  own  colony  would  be  main- 
tained. He  was  warranted  from 
existing  data  to  calculate  the  in- 
crease of  revenue  from  this  change 
of  duty  at  760,000/.  j  but  to  pre- 
vent disappointment  and  needless 
controversy,  he  would  take  it  but 
at  600,000/.  The  repealed  duty 
on  printed  calicoes,  he  proposed  to 
replace  by  a  duty  on  cotton.  He 
had  repealed  the  former,  because  it 
fell  more  particularly  on  the  less 
wealthy  classes.  Now  he  proposed 
to  throw  the  tax  over  all  the  con- 
sumers of  cotton,  instead  of  on  one 
part,  as  the  duty  at  present  press- 
ed, and  thus  save  the  revenue,  and 
relieve  the  poor  consumer  of  the 
article.  This  would  be  accom- 
plished by  a  duty  of  Id,  per  pound 
on  all  raw  cottons  imported,  with 
a  drawback  duty  to  the  same 
amount  on  all  manufactured  cotton 
exported.  He  admitted  there 
were  objections  to  this  draw- 
back duty,  and  that  the  tax  was 
one  on  the  raw  material  of  indus- 
try, but  it  was  small,  and  these 
objections  were  counterbalanced  by 


its  advantages.  He  estimated  that 
it  would  produce  500,000/.  He 
frirther  reckoned  on  an  increase  of 
100,000/.,  by  altering  the  duties 
on  the  export  of  coal.  They 
amounted  at  present  to  a  prohi- 
bition, being  17*.  6^^.  on  large 
coal,  and  4s.  6d,  on  the  smaller. 
He  would  make  the  duty  10*.  on 
both. 

The  balance  of  the  loss  occa- 
sioned by  reduction  was  to  be  made 
up,  not  by  modifying  existing  taxes, 
but  by  imposing  new  ones.  First, 
a  tax  on  passengers  by  steam-boats, 
varying  m  its  rate  according  to  the 
distance  travelled,  and  which  might 
be  taken,  in  the  meantime,  at 
1 00,000/.  The  other  new  tax  was 
more  important.  A  duty  of  one- 
half  per  cent  was  to  be  imposed  on 
the  bona  Jide  sale  or  transfer  of 
landed  property,  but  not  to  extend 
to  such  transfers  as  were  made 
merely  for  the  purpose  of  security. 
This  being  a  tax  of  one-half  per 
cent  laid  on  the  landed  interest 
alone,  it  was  contrary  to  justice, 
as  well  as  to  every  sound  principle 
of  finance,  that  any  species  of  pro- 
perty should  be  taxed  more  than 
another,  and  he  therefore  proposed 
a  duty  of  one-half  per  cent  on 
every  bona^fide  transfer  of  funded 
property,  with  a  similar  exemption 
in  the  case  of  mere  transfers  in 
security.  It  might,  perhaps,  be 
objected  that  funded  property  was 
expressly  protected  from  taxes  of 
this  kind  by  acts  of  parliament. 
He  admitted  that  the  words  of 
the  acts  creating  this  species 
of  property  admitted  of  that 
interpretation,  that  funded  pro- 
perty should  be  exempt  from  all 
'"  other  (than  those  expressed) 
charges  and  impositions  whatever;" 
but  Mr.  Pitt  himself  contended, 
since  that  act  was  passed,  that  it 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE, 


[129 


could  not  be  construed  into  a 
breach  of  the  public  faith^  that  the 
holder  of  funded  property  should 
be  compelled  to  contribute  his  just 
share  towards  the  exigencies  of  the 
country.  Why  should  it  be  ex- 
empt from  burdens^  to  which  land, 
and  every  other  species  of  pro- 
perty were  subjected  ?  He  ad- 
mitted, that  his  proposed  tax  on 
the  transfer  of  funded  property 
would  be  but  a  beginoiog,  but 
then  it  was  a  beginning  that 
could  not  be  cited  as  a  mischievous 
precedent ;  for  all  it  went  to  ac- 
complish was,  to  place  it  and  land- 
ed property  on  a  fair  and  equal 
footing  with  respect  to  the  public 
burdens.  From  these  taxes  on 
transfers  of  landed  and  funded  pro- 
perty, he  expected  1 ,200,000/. ; 
from  the  former,  400^000/.,  and 
from  the  latter,  800,000/.  The 
result  of  the  modified  and  new 
taxes  would  stand  thus : — 


£. 

Wine 

...     240,000 

Timber 

...     600,000 

Cotton 

...     500,000 

Coals 

...     100,000 

Steam 

...     100,000 

Transfers 

...  1,200,000 

2,740,000 

« 

On  the  other  hand,  the  amount  of 
the  taxes  repealed,  or  reduced, 
was  4,080,000/.,  so  that  the  tax 
payers  gained  1,340,000/.,  while 
the  public  service  would  not  suffer. 
The  whole  revenue  for  the  year 
would  stand  as  follows: — 

£. 
Income  of  1830      ...     50,060,000 
Deduct  loss  by  taxes 

taken  off,  I  «i50  ...      2,9 1 0,000 


Arrears  of  Excise  more 
in  January,  18^1^ 
than  in  1830      ... 


580,000 


47,730,000 
Deduct  taxes  taken  off 

as  estimated       ...       3,1 70,000 


44,560,000 
Add  taxes  to  be  laid  on    2,740,000 


47,300,000 
Deduct  estimated  ex- 
penditure for  1 83  i    46,850,000 


Income  left  for  1831     47,150,000 
VOL.  LXXIII. 


Surplus  for  1 83 1  450,000 
The  financial  project  thus  open- 
ed by  Lord  Althorp,  was  vehe- 
mently attacked  from  all  sides.  It 
was  the  most  hazardous  of  all  ex- 
periments, it  was  urged,  to  com- 
mence a  financial  year  with  arrange- 
ments which  furnished  merely  a 
possibility  that,  at  its  close,  there 
might  be  a  surplus  of  450,000/. ; 
even  that  trifling  surplus  being 
brought  out,  not  by  taking  known 
sums  from  known  amounts,  but  by 
proceeding  speculatively  on  the 
suppose<l  result  of  new  taxes,  and 
new  arrangements  of  old  ones. 
The  probability  was,  that,  instead 
of  a  surplus,  it  would  be  found 
necessary  to  raise,  by  Exchequer 
bills,  a  sum  to  meet  the  charges  of 
the  year,  gratifying  the  country, 
for  a  time,  by  an  apparent  relief 
from  taxation,  only  to  produce  the 
necessity  of  afterwards  imposing 
taxes  heavier  than  those  which  had^ 
been  taken  off.  This  dangerous^ 
expedient,  too,  was  the  less  justi- 
fiable, as  not  one  shilling  was  in- 
cluded in  the  budget  as  being  ap- 
plicable to  the  diminution  of  the 
debt.  Ministers  might  easily  re- 
duc(j  taxes  when  they  refused  to 
provide  for  paying  off  any  portion 
of  the  debt ;  but  that  was  neither 
[K] 


130]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


retrenchment  nor  prudence.  There 
still  stood  OB  the  journals  of  the 
House  the  unrescinded  resolution 
of  1819,  "that  to  provide  for  the 
exigencies  of  the  public  service,  to 
make  such   progressive  reduction 
of  the  national  debt  as  may  ade- 
quately 8tip|M)rt  public  credit,  and 
to  afford  to  the  country  a  prospect 
of  future  relief  from  a  part  oi  its 
present  burdens,  it  is  absolutely 
necessary  that  there  should  be  a 
clear  surplus  of  the  income  of  the 
country,  beyond  the  expenditure, 
of  not  less  than  5,000,000/."    The 
finance    committee    had    thought 
3,000,000/.  sufficient  for  a  sinking 
fund,  instead  of  5,000,000/. ;  and 
even  in  1830,  the  former  amount 
had  been  realized  as  a  surplus, 
within  a  very  small  sum.     It  was 
by  means  of  this  surplus  income 
that  ministers  were  able  to  operate 
in  reduction  of  the  debt  when  the 
rate  of  interest  was  low — had  re- 
duced the  interest  of  it  this  year  by 
half  a  million,  and  a  year  or  two  ago 
by  a  million  and  a  half.     Why  was 
this  course  to  be  in terru pted  ?   Was 
this  the  performance  of  the  minis- 
terial promises  to  reduce  ex{)end- 
iture— the  expedient   which  they 
had  discovered  not  to  take  money 
from  the  people.^      No  doubt,  if 
the  sums  applicable  to  the  reduc- 
tion of  the  debt  were  no  longer  to 
be  raised,  they  would  remain  in 
the  pockets  of  the  tax-payers;  but 
to  call  this  a  reduction  of  expend- 
iture was  to  cheat  with  words  the 
popular  expectations  which  min- 
isters knew,  though  they  had  raised 
them,  they  could  not  meet  with 
realities.     To  provide  no  contribu- 
tion towards  the  diminution  of  the 
debt  was  not  retrenchment,  in  any 
honest  meaning  of  the  word,  and 
was    conducive,    neither    to    the 
honour,  the  credit,  nor  the  security 
of  the  country. 


It  was  almost  admitted,  that  the 
budget  was  not  one  of  reduction  ; 
it  was  one  of  mere  transposition. 
Taxes  were  reduced  or  repealed, 
and,  to  make  up  the  loss,  new  ones 
were  imposed^  the  sole  merit  claim- 
ed ioT  the  budget  being,  that  the 
taxes  modified  and  imposed  were 
of  a  better  kind  than  those  which 
were  repealed.  But  it  was  denied 
that  the  changes  were,  in  any  im« 
portant  point,  justifiable  or  toler^ 
able.  The  taxes  repealed  were, 
with  few  exceptions,  the  lightest, 
and,  according  to  all  sound  prin- 
ciple, the  most  unexceptionable 
that  could  be  imagined.  They 
were  not  direct  and  compulsory,  but 
optional  on  consumable  articles, 
and  were  to  be  removed,  while 
taxes  were  allowed  to  remain  which 
bore  on  the  lower  orders,  not  only 
severely,  but  directly  and  una- 
voidably.  The  whole  kingdom 
must  be  in  amazement  at  seeing 
ministers  set  out  by  selecting  as  a 
tax,  to  be  reduced,  the  duty  on 
tobacco — a  mere  superfluity,  the 
reduction  on  which,  moreover, 
would  be  too  trifling  to  aflfect  any 
man*s  comfort.  Who  had  ever 
called  for  a  reduction  like  that  ? 
The  relief  given  in  the  article  of 
newspaper-stamps  and  advertise- 
ments, would  scarcely  be  felt,  and 
would  aid  nobody  but  newspaper 
proprietors — if  it  did  even  that  to 
any  degree  that  could  be  estimated. 
Was  it,  that  something  must  ap- 
pear to  be  done  to  flatter  the  press? 
And  what  was  to  be  said  of  a  min- 
istry pretending  to  aid  newspaper 
learning  and  philosophy,  from  their 
love  of  knowledge,  and  yet  imposing 
a  tax  on  the  most  ready  and  useful 
of  all  means  of  communication  ? 
How  was  the  poll-tax  on  steam-boat 
passengers  to  be  regulated  and 
collected?  Why  tax  intercourse 
which  was  not  optional^  but>  in 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[131 


a  thousand  instances^  necessary? 
Why  tax  a  man  because  nature 
had  unfortunately  placed  an  arm 
of  the  sea>  or  the  Irish  channel  be- 
tween his  residence  and  the  spot 
to  which  business,  necessity,  or 
even  pleasure  called  him  ?  Why 
fetter  the  internal  communications 
of  the  country  for  the  paltry  sum 
of  100,000/.?  It  would  have 
been  desirable,  too,  to  hare  had  it 
stated  at  what  expense  this  sum 
was  to  be  raised^  for  the  very  na« 
ture  of  the  tax,  reaching  each  in- 
dividual passenger,  and  varying 
with  the  distance  he  intended  to 
go,  seemed  to  threaten  a  costly 
mode  of  collection.  Above  all^  what 
rational  man  could  ever  have  taken 
up  the  idea  of  reducing  the  duty 
on  the  luxury  of  tobacco,  and  sup- 
plying its  place  by  a  tax  on  the 
necessary  act  of  travelling  ?  Still 
less  would  the  lower  orders,  whose 
comfort  was  declared  to  be  the 
great  object  of  the  budget,  be 
gainers  bv  the  equalization  of  the 
wine  duties.  French  wines,  which 
they  never  used,  were  to  be  made 
cheaper;  the  men  who  indulged 
in  Burgundy  and  Claret  were  to 
be  benefittea;  but  Port,  which 
was  in  universal  use  as  a  medicine, 
wherever  the  poor  man  could  reach 
it,  was  to  be  made  dearer;  and 
Cape  wine,  the  product  of  our  own 
colonies,  was  to  be  laid  under  a  duty 
which  would  amount  to  a  prohi« 
bition.  The  alteration  of  the  tim- 
ber duties,  would  not  only  injure 
the  colonies,  but  be  detrimental  to 
the  shipping  interest,  already  so 
low,  without  any  corresponding 
benefit;  and  whatever  was  gained 
in  houses  by  the  removal  of  the 
fluty  on  glass,  would  be  found  to 
be  counterbalanced  by  the  increased 
price  of  wood. 

In  alj  these  respects,  it  was  said, 
the  budget  was  merely  a  pretext 


of  doing  something,  while,  in  truth, 
it  did  nothing,  or  did  mischief. 
But  all  these  matters  were  passed 
over  slightly  in  comparison  with 
the  proposed  tax  on  the  transfers 
of  funded  property,  to  which  the 
chancellor  of  the  Exchequer  trust- 
ed for  800,000/.,  nearly  one-third 
of  his  substituted  taxation.  Mem- 
bers in  opposition,  and  members 
enlisted  among  the  friends  of  min- 
isters, joined  equally  in  denouncing 
it  as  a  proposition  which  betrayed 
utter  practical  ignorance — imprac- 
ticable if  it  were  just,  and  a  foul 
breach  of  the  national  faith,  if  it 
were  practicable.  The  holder  of 
stock  was  the  public  creditor.  He 
had  acquired  his  property  under 
an  express  condition,  that  no  mea- 
sure like  this  should  affect  him ; 
but  ministers  seemed  never  to  have 
even  read  the  solemn  contract 
which  they  deliberately  proposed 
to  violate.  The  acts  of  parliament 
laid  down  certain  forms  to  be  ob- 
served in  assigning  or  transferring 
stock,  and  declared  that  no  other 
form  should  be  valid,  and  added, 
''  that  no  stamp  duties  should  be 
charged  on  any  transfer  or  assign- 
ment of  stock."  The  same  provi- 
sions were  in  all  the  acts.  This 
was  the  express  stipulation  with 
the  country,  on  the  faith  of  which 
the  public  creditors  had  advanced 
their  money  for  the  use  of  the  state, 
in  times  of  great  difficulty  and 
peril.  What  words  could  be  more 
explicit?  How  were  they  to  be 
evaded — what  honest  man  could 
wish  to  evade  them  ?  The  House 
might  adopt  the  ministerial  propo- 
sition, but  it  could  i\o  so  only  by 
violating  the  public  faith,  and  de- 
scending from  that  proud  distinc- 
tion which  Britain  had  hitherto 
maintained  over  every  other  coun- 
try of  the  world.  "  If,"  said  sir 
Robert  Peel,  "in  times  when,  ac- 
[K  2] 


132]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


cording  to  the  admission  of  the 
government,  tlie  productive  indus- 
try of  the  country  is  in  a  state  of 
steady  and  progressive  improve- 
ment— if  in  a  time  of  peace,  and 
with  no  pressure  upon  the  produc- 
tive industry  of  the  country — if  at 
such  a  time,  and  under  such  cir- 
cumstances, in  direct  violation  and 
contempt  of  numerous  acts  of  par- 
liament, you  shall  impose  a  duty 
upon  the  transfer  of  ninded  pro- 
perty, what  security  will  the  public 
creditor  have  if  times  shall  return 
like  those  of  1797  or  1798— times 
when,  unappalled  by  the  dangers 
which  surrounded  us,  we  fearlessly 
adhered  to  the  maintenance  of  the 
public  faith,  and  by  doing  so  were 
enabled  to  surmount  all  the  diffi- 
culties by  which  we  were  encom- 
passed, I  say,  sir,  if  such  times 
shall  again  return,  what  security 
will  the  public  creditor  have,  if  in 
the  present  circumstances  of  the 
country  we  impose  a  duty  in  vio- 
lation of  the  condition  of  the  act 
of  parliament,  upon  the  transfer  of 
his  property — what  security  will 
he  have  that  we  shall  not,  under 
the  pressure  of  a  foreign  war,  and 
of  more  adverse  circumstances,  re- 
sort to  him,  and  quote  this  viola- 
tion of  the  public  faith  as  a  justi- 
fication for  our  violating  it  again  ? 
This  is  not  a  question  of  policy  or 
prudence :  it  is  a  question  of  mo- 
rality. If  the  state  is  not  prepared 
to  keep  its  engagements  with  the 
))ublic  creditor,  shut  up  your  courts 
of  justice  at  once,  and  do  not  call 
upon  individuals  to  fulfil  theirs." 

But,  even  if  the  House  could 
ever  so  far  forget  what  was  due  to 
honesty  and  the  character  of  the 
country  as  to  entertain  the  propo- 
sition, the  impolicy  of  the  mea- 
sure ought  to  condemn  it.  Were 
ministers  aware  of  the  causes  which, 
in  addition  to  the  dependence  on 


the  national  faith  which  was  now 
to  be  cut  down,  gave  our  funds 
their  superiority  over  the  funds  of 
other  countries  ?  They  were  the 
rapidity  with  which  transfers  could 
be  made,  and  the  facility  with 
which  the  fundholder  could  bring 
his  property  into  the  market,  and 
dispose  of  it,  without  loss,  that 
made  our  funds  a  source  of  con- 
tinually increasing  wealth  and 
prosperity  to  the  country.  Did 
ministers  supjiose,  in  their  ignor- 
ance, that  the  intended  tax  would 
not  interfere  with  the  arrange- 
ments of  the  stock-market  ?  and, 
if  it  did,  would  it  not  inter- 
fere with  the  facilities  of  transfer 
which  were  so  essential  to  the  or- 
dinary transactions  of  commerce  } 
The  consequence  of  the  measure 
would  be,  to  send  an  immense 
quantity  of  capital  out  of  this 
country  into  the  stocks  of  foreign 
governments.  Mr.  J.  Smith,  him- 
self a  banker,  and  a  declared  friend 
of  the  ministry,  whose  formation, 
and  pledges  for  reform  he  stated 
himself  to  have  witnessed  with  en- 
tire satisfaction,  said,  it  must  be 
recollected  that  the  funds  presented 
a  very  convenient  mode  of  invest- 
ing money,  so  as  to  render  it  con- 
vertible for  the  purposes  of  credit ; 
but,  if  they  were  to  lay  on  so  heavy 
a  tax,  that  a  gentleman  could  not 
make  a  transfer  of  100,000/.  con- 
sols without  paying  500/.  for  it, 
he  would  venture  to  say  that  no 
such  transfer  would  be  made.  He 
need  hardly  remind  the  House 
of  what  large  advances  bankers 
were  in  the  habit  of  making  upon 
stock.  This  practice,  however, 
would  cease  with  the  commence- 
ment of  such  a  tax  as  that  now 
proposed.  It  was  to  be  laid,  in- 
deed, upon  hondjide  transfers  only : 
but  God  knew  how  the  chancellor 
of  the  Exchequer  would  be  able  to. 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[133 


distinguish  between  what  were,  and 
what  were  not,  bond  fide  transfers. 
He  must  say,  as  a  banker,  that  if  he 
could  not  sell  stock  without  paying 
such  a  tax  as  this,  he  should  think 
a  long  while  before  he  lent  any 
money  at  all;  and  he  was  quite 
sure  that  those  with  whom  he  was 
connected   would  think    quite   as 
long.     At  a  time  when  there  were 
contracts  in  London  for  a  million 
stand  of  arras,  and  for  a  million 
yards  of  cloth,  what  prudent  mau 
would  have   undertaken   them    if 
he  were  deprived  of  that  species  of 
accommodation  which  the  present 
untaxed   nature   of  the  funds  af- 
forded  them.     *'  I    had   heard  of 
this   proposition,"   continued  Mr. 
Smith,  ^^  before  it  was  made  to  the 
House,  and  I  communicated  it  to 
a  friend  of  mine — the  member  for 
Callington    (Mr.    Baring).      His 
answer  to  me  was,   *  Nonsense,  it 
can't  be  true;  you   are  imposed 
upon  by  some  stock-jobbing  lie.'    I 
replied,  '  I  am  not  imposed  upon, 
and  it  is  not  a  stock -jobbing  lie : 
1  am  well  informed,  depend  upon 
it,  for  1  received  my  information 
from  a  gentleman  who  never  de- 
ceived me  yet,  and  who  has,  per- 
haps, some  means  of  his  own  of  ob- 
taining information  respecting  the 
iinancial    operations     of    govern- 
ment.'"    He  was  very  sorry  to  op- 
pose any  measure  of  the   present 
government,  but  this  measure  he 
would  oppose  in  every  stage,  be- 
cause it  was  injurious  to  the  best 
interests  of  the  country.    It  should 
never  be  forgotten,  that  any  em- 
barrassment of  the  monied  inter- 
est would  lead  to  general  embar- 
rassment ;  that  if  the  funds  were 
to  fall,  so  would  all  other  species 
of  property ;  and  that,  what  was 
worse  than  all,  an  inglorious  stigma 
would  be  cast  upon  the  hitherto 
unsullied  honour  of  England.    He 


would  earnestly  recommend  mi- 
nisters to  consult  with  those  who 
understood  this  subject,  and  who 
had  no  interest  in  it. 

Mr.  Charles  Grant,  and  Sir  J. 
Wrottesley  defended  the  proposi- 
tion  from    the    charges   brought 
against  it,  their  argument  being, 
that  it  was  no  more  a  violation  of 
public  faith  than  the  including  the 
incomes  of  fund-holders  under  the 
property   tax,  and   was   a    coun- 
terpart to  the  tax  on   the  transfer 
of  land  which  was  to  accompany 
it.     They  referred  to  the  author- 
ity of  Mr.  Pitt  to  shew  that  the 
principle  of  taxing  the  fundholdcr 
was  no  breach   of  contract   with 
him.     Mr.  Pitt  had  said,  ^*  When 
a  general  assessment  upon  income 
is   to   take   place,    no   distinction 
ought  to  be  made  as  to  the  sources 
from  which  that  income  may  arise. 
There   can   be   no   fair   objection 
taken  by  the  stockholder  upon  the 
occasion ;  there  can  be  no  question 
of  a  breach  of  good  faith,  of  na- 
tional stipulation  with  the  public 
creditor   by  thus  imposing    upon 
him  what  every  other  subject  of 
the  realm  is  to  incur.     The  public 
creditor  enjoys  his  security  under 
the  most  sacred  obligations  of  the 
state,  and  whenever  an  idea  has 
been  started  in  debate,   of  impos- 
ing upon  the  stockholders,  separ- 
ately and   distinctly,   any  sort  of 
tax,  I  have  been  prepared  to  re- 
probate the  attempt  as  utterly  in- 
consistent with  good  faith  and  pub- 
lic engagements.     The  public  cre- 
ditors are  to  be  secured   against 
any  imposts  distinctly  levelled  at 
them  as  annuitants  of  the  public.** 
Nevertheless,    Mr.    Pitt    argued, 
that,  as  members  of  the  commu- 
nity, stockholders  were  liable  to  be 
taxed  upon  their  incomes  derived 
from  the  public  fiinds,  when  a  tax 
was  to  be  levied  upon  the  income 


134]       ANNUAL   REGISTER,  1831. 


of  every  description  of  persons  in 
the  realm ;  and,  when  it  was  no 
longer  in  the  power  of  the  fund- 
holders  to  say  they  could  avoid 
this  tax  by  removing  their  pro- 
perty from  the  funds  to  landed  se- 
curity, &c.,  every  argument  against 
including  them  in  the  assessment 
was  withdrawn.  In  like  manner, 
the  government  now  said,  the 
stockholder  should  not  be  able  to 
say,  "  I  will  escape  the  tax,  by  in- 
vesting my  funds  in  some  other 
species  of  property,"  because  he 
would  find  other  descriptions  of 
property  alike  subject  to  taxation. 
That  was  in  accordance  with  the 
view  taken  by  Mr.  Pitt  of  the  in- 
come tax,  a  view  in  which  the  par- 
liament of  the  day  coincided.  Had 
the  question  been  a  new  one,  there 
might  have  been  something  in  the 
arguments  now  urged ;  but,  after 
the  exemption  from  taxation  had 
once  been  broken  in  upon,  by  the 
property  tax,  no  other  tax  of  a 
similar  kind  could  be  considered  a 
violation  of  the  acts  of  parliament. 
It  should  be  recollected,  too,  that 
the  proposed  tax  was  accompanied, 
in  the  present  instance,  by  a  tax 
on  the  transfer  of  all  landed  pro- 
perty. 

To  all  this  it  was  answered,  in 
the  first  place,  that  no  precedent, 
even  if  one  had  existed,  could  pos- 
sibly justify  injustice.  But  far- 
ther, there  was  no  trace  of  simi- 
larity between  the  two  cases,  and 
still  less  could  there  be  any  thing 
fair  in  taxing  the  transfer  of  the 
funds,  because  the  transfer  of  land 
was  to  be  taxed  at  the  same  time, 
and  at  the  same  rate.  The  income 
tax  fell  upon  the  incomes  of  all  the 
subjects  in  the  empire.  The  in- 
comes derived  from  professions 
and  from  oiHces,  and  the  incomes 
derived  from  land,  were  equally 
iubject  to  it  m  the  incomes  de- 


rived from  the  funds.  But  the 
difference  here  is,  that  the  present 
tax  is  proposed  to  be  laid  upon  the 
transfer  of  funds.  Land,  it  is  well 
known,  could  not  be  transferred 
easily ;  and  the  policy  of  our  laws 
had  thrown  many  difficulties  in 
the  way  of  it.  There  were  many 
large  estates,  no  transfer  of  which 
had  taken  place  during  a  very  long 
period.  The  result  would  be,  that 
prosperous  estate i  would  not  be 
subject  to  the  tax.  I^fsmd  was  ge- 
nerally sold,  either  on  the  demise 
of  the  head  of  a  family,  to  pay  the 
fortunes  of  the  younger  children  ; 
or,  as  unfortunately  had  been  more 
generally  the  case  of  late  years* 
land  was  sold  under  adverse  cir- 
cumstances, to  pay  off  debts  and  in« 
cumbrances,  and  it  was  no  recom- 
mendation of  a  tax  that  it  oper- 
ated principally  in  circumstances 
like  these.  Transfers  of  funds 
must  be  incomparably  greater  and 
more  frequent  than  those  of  land, 
and  therefore  a  duty  of  half  per 
cent  upon  such  operations  bore  no 
proportion  as  a  per  centage  on  the 
value  of  the  property  to  the  same 
rate  of  duty  when  imposed  on  trans- 
fers of  landed  property;  and  the 
parties,  who  would  bear  the  chief 
burden  of  this  tax,  were  not  those 
who  possessed  a  superabundance, 
but  a  moderate  amount  of  pro- 
perty, transfers  of  stock  being  made 
much  oftener  by  them,  tlian  by  the 
more  wealthy.  To  bring  the  tax 
even  ostensibly  within  the  princi- 
ple of  the  property  tax,  the  propo- 
sition ought  to  have  been,  to  im- 
pose a  tax  on  transfers  of  property 
of  all  kinds.  Even  then,  it  would 
be  found  impossible  to  get  over  the 
distinct  words  of  the  acts  of  parlia- 
ment, protecting  specially  transfers 
of  property  of  this  kind,  which  de- 
clared expressly,  that  on  such  trans- 
fers no  duties  should  be  charged* 


HISTORY   OF   EUROPE. 


[135 


"While  these  words  exist/*  said 
sir  Edward  Sugden^  ^<  it  is  impos- 
sible to  pass  a  bill  imposing  this 
duty^  without  reciting  and  repeal- 
ing those  clauses  in  the  acts  under 
which  the  money  was  borrowed — 
and  this  he  believed  no  minister 
would  venture  to  do." 

The  expression  of  public  feelings 
and  the  result  of  farther  inquiries^ 
induced  ministers  to  abandon  the 
measure^  which  it  was  very  p^ain 
they  could  not  press  without  being 
defeated.     On  the  1 4th4  the  chan- 
cellor of  the  Exchequer  told  the 
House  that,  of  course^  it  had  not 
been    in   his  power,   consistently 
with  the  dignity  of  his  office^  and 
the  interests  of  the  country,  previ- 
ously to  institute  any  very  minute 
or  extensive  inquiry  into  the  pro- 
bable effects  of  liis  proposed  mea- 
sures;   such  an  inquiry,   in  fact, 
might  not  only  defeat  its  own  ob- 
ject, but  prove  detrimental  to  the 
public  service.     He  had,  however, 
inquired,  so  far  as  was  then  possi- 
ble for  him,  more  particularly  with 
respect  to  his  proposed  duty  of  half 
per  cent  on  the  transfer  of  stocks — 
first,   as  to   the  practicability  of 
such  a  tax,  and  next,  as  to  the 
practicability  of  at  all  times  ascer- 
taining  whether  the   transfer  of 
funded  property  was  a  bond  Juie, 
or    merely   made    for    the  sake 
of  security.      His   inquiries   had 
been   made    of   the    governor    of 
the   Bank  of  England,   who  had 
given  him  his  opinion  that  such  a 
tax  was  practicable,  and  that  the 
distinction   between   a  bond  Jlde 
transfer  of  stock,  and  others  of  a 
different  kind  was  easily  ascertain- 
able.    But,  although  he  had  this 
authority,  and  although  he  could 
not  at  all  admit  the  weight  of  the 
objections  brought  against  his  pro- 
posed duty,  as  to  it-s  being  a  breach 
^  paUic  ffdth  (if  it  was,  he  would 


not  be  the  man  to  propose  it),  he 
thought,  after  what  had  taken 
place,  and  after  the  result  of  more 
extensive  inquiry,  it  woOld  not  be 
just  nor  expedient  to  press  the 
imposition  of  it.  He  therefore 
took  advantage  of  that  first  occa- 
sion of  relieving  the  public  mind 
from  all  further  suspense  on  the 
subject,  by  declaring  that  ministers 
did  not  intend  to  propose  a  trans- 
fer duty  on  stock.  They  neces- 
sarily gave  up,  too,  the  correspond- 
ing intended  tax  on  the  transfer  of 
land  ;  for,  having  abandoned  it  as 
to  one  species  of  property,  it  would 
not  be  just  to  impose  it  on  the 
other  which  was  already  so  heavily 
taxed.  As  thisconcession,  however, 
struck  off  1,200,000/.  of  the  reve- 
nue which  ministers  had  intended 
to  substitute  for  the  reduced  and 
repealed  taxes,  it  would  now  be 
necessary  to  retain  part  of  the  lat- 
ter; and  government  had  deter- 
mined not  to  carry  into  effect  the 
proposed  reductions  in  the  duties 
on  tobacco  and  glass,  which  re- 
placed 1  AOOsOim. 

Another  item  in  the  budget, 
from  which  the  chancellor  of  the 
Excheauer  had  assumed  an  ad- 
ditional revenue  of  600,000/,  was 
the  proposed  alteration  in  the  tim- 
ber duties,  in  regard  to  which  mi- 
nisters were  not  so  prudent  or  so 
fortunate.  From  the  moment  it 
was  proposed,  ministers  had  been 
warned  that  it  would  be  strenu- 
ously resisted,  as  unjust  to  Canada, 
and  most  injurious  to  the  shipping 
interests.  After  much  deliber- 
ation and  many  inquiries,  they  re- 
solved to  alter  their  plan  so  far,  as 
not  to  propose  any  change  during 
the  present  year,  and  to  make  the 
alteration,  when  it  did  come,  gra- 
dual. On  the  18th  of  March,  in  a 
committee  on  the  Customs  acts,  the 
chiiQcellor  of  the  Exchequer  stated^ 


136]     ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


that  he  had  as  yet  seen  no  reason 
to  depart  from  the  change  of  which 
he  had  formerly  given  notice^  but 
he  felt  disposed,  on  considerations 
of  general  convenience,  to  make  it 
more  gradual  in  its  operation  than 
he  had  at  first  intended.  That 
Canada  timber,  though  cheaper, 
was  much  inferior  to  that  brought 
from  the  Baltic,  no  man  would 
deny.  Sir  A.  Seppings  had  de- 
clared that  it  was  not  fit  to  be  used 
in  the  navy,  and  it  was  entirely 
excluded  from  all  timber  contracts. 
The  duty  on  Canada  timber  was 
about  one-third,  and  that  on  Baltic 
timber  two-thirds,  amounting  al- 
most to  a  prohibition.  Thus  the 
effect  of  the  system  was,  to  compel 
the  consumer  in  this  country  to  use 
an  inferior,  instead  of  abetter  arti- 
cle, on  the  erroneous  idea  of  bene- 
fitting the  Cauadas  at  the  expense 
of  the  mother  country.  The  north 
of  Europe  could  give  us  only  tim- 
ber for  our  manufactures,  while  the 
soil  of  the  Cauadas  could  be  ap- 
plied to  other  beneficial  purposes. 
Why,  then,  exdjude  the  better  ar- 
ticle of  the  countries  of  the  north , 
when  they  undoubtedly  would  take 
a  much  larger  quantity  of  our  ma- 
nufactures, if  the  almost  prohibitory 
duty  were  removed  from  the  only 
production  which  they  had  to  give 
us  in  return  ?  Two  reasons  had 
been  assigned  for  maintaining  the 
present  system.  It  was  said,  that 
the  alteration  would  be  injurious 
to  the  shipping  interests ;  but  he 
would  not  admit  that  government 
would  be  justifiied  in  sacrificing  to 
that  interest  all  other  classes  of 
the  community.  In  a  country  like 
this,  men  must  look  rather  to  its 
general  commerce,  than  to  any  par- 
ticular branch,  however  important 
it  might  be  individually.  The 
other  objection  was,  that  the  altera- 
tion would  injure  the  Canadas^-and 


so  it  would,  if  the  capital  now  em- 
ployed there  in  the  timber  trade 
could  not  be  easily  and  profitably 
diverted  into  other  channels  of  em- 
ployment, and,  in  that  case,  he 
admitted,  his  proposed  plan  should 
not  be  enforced.  But,  from  the 
best  information  he  could  obtain, 
no  such  result  could  fairly  be  an- 
ticipated. On  the  contrary,  he 
was  convinced  that,  if  the  capital 
employed  in  the  timber  trade  were 
diverted  to  agriculture,  the  change 
would  be  of  tlie  most  essential  bene- 
fit to  the  colony.  With  Nova  Scotia 
and  New  Brunswick  the  case  was  dif- 
ferent ;  and,  if  their  timber  trade 
was  to  be  annihilated  by  the  change, 
it  became  necessary  to  proceed  as 
gradually  as  the  general  benefit  of 
the  country  would  permit.  There- 
fore, and  to  diminish  likewise,  even 
to  the  shipping  interest,  any  in- 
convenience which  might  arise,  he 
had  resolved  not  to  press  for  the 
immediate  increase  of  the  duty  on 
Canada  timber,  and  decrease  of 
that  on  timber  from  the  Baltic, 
but  to  make  both  gradual,  and  not 
to  begin  till  next  year.  He  meant, 
therefore,  to  propose,  "  that,  after 
the  1st  of  January,  1832,  the  duty 
upon  Baltic  timber  should  be  de- 
creased by  6s. ;  after  the  1st  of 
January,  1 833,  a  like  sum  of  6s, ; 
and  after  the  1  st  of  January,  1 834, 
a  farther  sum  of  3^.,  making  a 
total  decrease  of  15^.,  and  then 
the  difference  between  the  duty 
upon  Baltic  and  Canada  timber 
would  be  30*.  in  favour  of  the  lat- 
ter." The  duty  upon  Baltic  deals 
was  to  be  reduced  within  the  same 
years,  as  those  upon  timber,  from 
49*.  to  43*.,  and  in  1 834  to  40*. ; 
but  no  alteration  was  intended  to 
take  place  upon  the  deals  or  planks 
from  Canada.  He  then  moved  the 
following  resolution  : — ^'  That  in 
place  of  the  duties  in  customs  bow 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[137 


payable  upon  the  import  of  Baltic 
timber  and  deals  into  this  country, 
the  duty  upon  deals  shall  be,  from 
and  after  the  1st  of  January,  1832, 
at  49^. ;  and  from  and  after  the 
1st  of  January,  1833,  43^.;  and 
from  and  after  the  1st  of  January, 
1834,  at  40*.  per  load." 

Mr.  Attwood  and  Mr.  Robinson 
opposed  the  principle  of  the  pro- 
posed change  as  an  emanation  of 
the  theories  which  had  injured 
the  country  in  many  ways,  and  in 
this  instance  added  positive  injus- 
tice to  practical  mischief.  It  was 
not  now  time  to  ask  whether  colo- 
nies were  entitled  to  protection;  we 
had  adopted  the  principle  of  pro- 
tection, and  no  act  of  the  legislature 
ought  to  be  held  more  sacred  than 
that  which  gave  them  protection. 
Previous  to  1810,  our  supply  of 
foreign  timber  was  principally 
from  the  Baltic  ports;  but  in 
1809  and  1810  we  had  recourse  to 
our  Canadian  colonists.  What 
was  the  object  of  the  difiei'ence 
in  the  duties  then  adopted  ?  Was 
it  in  order  to  obtain  cheap  timber, 
or  to  derive  a  greater  revenue? 
Neither.  The  duty  was  protective, 
and  it  was  intended  to  be  protect- 
ing and  prohibitory.  The  price 
and  quality  of  Canadian  timber 
were  as  well  known  then  as  now. 
It  ^vas  not  to  enable  this  country 
to  purchase  cheap  timber,  but  in 
order  to  guard  against  the  danger 
which  then  threatened  us  from 
Europe,  and  which,  as  it  might 
occur  at  a  future  period,  it  would 
not  be  proper  to  place  us  entirely 
at  the  mercy  of  the  northern  pow- 
ers for  the  supply  of  timber,  which 
might  be  interrupted  by  the  same 
political  danger.  This  was  the 
language  of  a  committee  on  the 
trade  in  1 82 1 .  The  case  was  no 
less  than  this — that  at  a  time  of 
perils  when  all  Europe  was  leagued 


against  us,  we  adopted  the  measure, 
and,  on  the  faith  of  an  act  of  Par- 
liament, our  merchants  embarked 
their  capital,  on  a  pledge  as  sacred 
as  Parliament  could  give,  that  it 
should  be  safe.  The  danger  had 
passed  away,  but  was  the  House 
prepared  to  sacrifice  the  men  who 
nad  saved  us  from  danger  ?  The 
trade  was  in  a  precarious  state, 
and  on  the  faith  of  the  protection 
offered  to  them  our  merchants  ex- 
erted the  enterprise  which  always 
belonged  to  them ;  they  invested 
their  fortunes  in  the  recesses  of  the 
Canadian  forests,  erected  mills  and 
machinery,  cut  canals,  and  built 
whariB  and  warehouses,  all  of  which 
would  be  useless  if  this  protection 
were  withdrawn.  The  principle 
on  which  Ministers  defended  the 
measure  applied  to  the  whole  of 
our  colonial  system ;  and  if  ap^ 
plied  to  all  our  colonies,  it  would 
loosen  every  link  by  which  the 
empire  was  bound  together.  The 
same  principle,  which  applied  to- 
day  to  the  timber  duties,  would 
be  applicable  tt  the  abolition  of 
all  protections  to  our  domestic 
industry.  Even  if  it  were  agreed 
that  it  would  be  better  to  abandon 
the  system  of  protection,  the  reso^ 
lution  should  be  carried  into  prac- 
tice in  a  period  of  universal  pros- 
perity at  home  and  of  tranquillity 
abroad.  But  was  this  such  a  time  ? 
What  market  could  we  rely  upon 
for  three  months?  It  was  said, 
that  the  capital  might  seek  em- 
ployment elsewhere ;  but  when  it 
deserted  its  old  channel  and  opened 
a  new  one,  some  political  event 
might  occur  to  close  up  the  new 
market,  and,  after  all  this  ruin, 
we  might  be  driven  back  to  the  old 
system  which  we  had  abandoned. 
The  advantages  of  the  proposed 
change,  even  if  they  could  be  justly 
sought  aftefi  were  merely  conjeo 


J38]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


tural^  while  the  injury  ioAicted 
was  certain  and  incurable.  The 
promised  benefit  to  tlie  consumer 
Lad  already  vanished,  the  price  of 
Baltic  timber  having  risen  more 
than  the  difference  of  the  duty, 
even  from  the  anticipation  of  the 
change.  It  was  said,  that  if  we 
Jbought  our  timber  of  the  Northern 
Powers^  they  would  be  compelled  to 
take  our  manufactures  in  exchange. 
Now  they  had  eleven  years'  expe- 
rience to  guide  them  in  deciding 
that  question.  During  that  period 
of  the  timber  trade  of  Sweden^ 
Norway,  Denmark,  and  Prussia, 
our  exports  to  other  countries  had 
decreased, — In  the  year  1822  the 
exports  to  those  countries  amounted 
to  1,510,040/.,  and  in  1829  they  had 
decreased  to  1,234,678/.,  while  our 
exports  to  Canada,  the  trade  of 
which  they  were  about  to  destroy, 
were  in  1822, 1,597,261/.;  in  1829, 
2,206,913/.  Were  the  mere  asser« 
tions  of  theorists  to  be  taken 
against  these  facts,  and  the  system 
of  free  trade  applied  thus  to  one  in* 
terest  after  anotl^,  until  all  the 
elements  of  the  wealth  and  great- 
ness of  the  country  were  destroyed .? 
Mr.  Poulett  Thomson,  Vice- 
president  of  the  Board  of  Trade« 
entered  into  a  long  detail  to  shew 
that  the  duties  in  favour  of  Canada 
had  never  been  considered  perma- 
nent— that  greater  alterations  than 
those  now  proposed  had  formerly 
been  recommended  by  a  committee 
of  the  House  of  Lords — that  the 
Canada  timber  trade  had  been  a 
losing  one  for  the  country — that 
Baltic  timber  was  carried  to  Ca- 
nada, and  imported  thence  as  Ca- 
nadian timber — and  that  if  any  con- 
siderable quantity  of  shipping 
ceased  to  find  employment  in  the 
Canada  trade,  it  would  find  it  in 
the  coasting  trade,  and  even  in  the 
increased  timber  trade  pf  the  Baltic, 


for  it  could  be  shewn  that  more 
timber  was    imported    thence  in 
British   than   in    foreign   vessels. 
But  the  question  was  taken  up  on 
the  complete  and  sudden  change 
which   ministers  had  made  their 
measure   undergo,     converting   it 
without  notice,  upon  a  mere  finan- 
cial item  of  the  budget,  into  what 
was  substantially  a  question  of  free 
trade — for  it  now  formed  no  part 
of  the  budget  of  the  year — a  ques- 
tion requiring  much  investigation 
and  yet  to  be  discussed  and  deter- 
mined extempore.      Mr.  Herries 
stated  that  he  would  undertake  to 
say  that  such  an  example  of  political 
trick  had  never  been  attempted  to 
be  practised  on  the  House  of  Com- 
mons.    What  had  they  come  down 
for  that  night  ?     Why  to  consider  a 
measure  which  had  been  introduced 
by  the  noble  lord  as  a  part  of  his 
budget.     But  instead  of  that  mea- 
sure they  had  been  surprised  by 
the  substitution  of  another  in  its 
place.     That  change  must  have 
been    induced    by  causes  which 
operated  with  a  wonderful  celerity. 
He  had  only  the  other  night  put  a 
question  respecting  the  manner  in 
which  the  timber  duties  were  to  be 
levied  in  Ireland.     The  answer  of 
the  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer 
implied,  that  up  to  that  time  his 
intentions  with  regard  to  the  mea- 
sure remained  the  same.     What, 
then,  was  the  reason  of  the  sudden 
change   which   had    taken    place, 
as  he  believed,  within  a  few  hours? 
Why  the  Chancellor  of  the  Ex- 
chequer had  ascertained  that,  whe- 
ther he  would  or  no,  he  could  not 
carry  the  measure  as  it  had  origi- 
nally been   proposed.    ^He  knew 
that  the  majority  was  against  him ; 
Ministers    had,     therefore,    come 
down  and  changed  their  front  as  it 
were  in  a  moment,  and  met  the 
House  with  the  long  statement  dl. 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[18> 


the  Vice-president  of  the  Board  of 
Trade^and  a  perfectly  new  measure, 
new  in  its  purpose^  in  its  condi« 
tions,  and  in  its  terms  3  and  such 
a  measure  they  called  upon  the 
House  to  sanction  at  such  an  hour 
of  the  nighty  and  on  such  a  dis- 
cussion as  must  take  place  when 
members  were  wholly  unprepared  to 
enter  upon  it ;  and  this,  too^  upon 
a  subject  of  the  very  last  importance 
to  the  very  highest  interests  of  the 
country.  He  coukl  scarcely  express 
his  astonishment  at  hearing  such  a 
proposition  made  to  the  House  of 
Commons.  He  did  not  say  what 
his  opinion  might  be  on  the  policy 
of  the  measure^  or  how  far  it  might 
be  adviseable,  at  a  proper  time  and 
u  nder  proper  circumstances^  to  adopt 
that  policy.  That  was  a  question 
of  large  importance  to  the  country, 
and  one  upon  which  he  believed  the 
House  would  notdecide,  until  after 
it  should  have  undergone  a  full, 
and  deliberate,  and  long  discussion. 
He  did  not  say  he  was  opposed  to 
the  policy  of  the  measure,  but  he 
should  never  have  dared  to  propose 
it  to  the  House  under  circumstances 
like  those  which  attended  it  that 
night.  No  man,  no  government, 
hs^  a  right  to  make  such  a  propo« 
sition  in  such  a  manner,  and  on 
such  an  occasion. 

The  Chancellor  of  the  Exche- 
quer admitted  that  he  had  changed 
his  mind  on  this  subject  only  lately, 
but  imputed  it  to  a  proper  atten- 
tion to  deputations  of  merchants 
who  had  waited  on  him.  He  would 
consent  to  no  farther  inquiry,  not 
even  to  the  appointment  of  a  select 
committee,  wnich  Mr.  Herries  had 
recommended.  That  being  the 
case,  Mr.  Attwood  moved  an 
amendment,  that  the  chairman 
do  leave  the  chair,  the  effect  of 
which  would  be  to  prevent  the 
measure  being  farther  proceeded 


with,  and  to  reserve  it  for  future 
examination  when  and  how  the 
House  should  think  fit.  Sir  Robert 
Peel  insisted  on  the  absolute  ne- 
cessity of  careful  inquiry  on  this 
new  question  so  unexpectedly 
raised  ;  and  a  select  committee 
would  discharge  that  duty  much 
more  satisfactorily  than  the  whole 
House.  They  stood  upon  the  re- 
port of  a  committee  of  the  House 
in  1821,  which  went  fully  into 
the  subject,  recommending  the 
existing  scale.  Ministers  were 
bound  to  show  that  that  report 
was  unfounded ;  but  not  even  one 
cogent  argument  had  been  urged 
to  prove  such  to  be  the  case,  and 
yet  they  were  to  be  excluded  from 
that  farther  inquiry  which  they 
desired — and  this  too  M^hen  the 
resolution  referred  only  to  a  future 
year,  and  could  not  require  imme- 
diate or  instant  decision.  Why 
was  this  new  measure  so  long  de« 
layed?  Why  postpone  the  dis- 
cussion to  the  day  preceding  the 
question  of  reform,  which  must 
necessarily  occiuiy  several  nights  ? 
Why,  too,  not  begin  till  nine  at 
night,  when,  on  all  other  occa- 
sions, the  important  business  of 
the  evening — and  this  would  not 
be  the  least  important  question  of 
the  session — always  began  at  five  ? 
He  could  not  help  thinking  that 
this  singular  delay  was  intentional  ? 
and  he  could  not  consent  to  allow 
all  those  important  interests  in- 
volved in  this  question  to  remain 
in  a  state  of  suspense,  till  it  accorded 
with  the  pleasure  of  the  noble  lord 
to  fix  some  subsequent  day  for 
continuing  the  adjourned  debate. 
Would  the  Chancellor  of  the  Ex- 
chequer either  allow  this  question 
to  have  precedence  of  reform  on 
Monday,  or  would  he  agree  to  the 
appointmentof  a  select  committee  } 
(f  he  would  do  neither  of  thest) 


140J      ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


things,    he   would    vote    for  th^ 
amendment. 

The  Chancellor  of  the  Exche- 
quer refused  to  agree  to  either  of 
tnese  proposals.  The  House  di- 
vided, and  ministers  were  left 
in  a  minority  of  forty-six,  the 
numbers  being,  for  the  amendment 
236,  and  for  the  original  motion 
190. 

Other  items  of  the  budget,  like- 
wise, ministers  found  it  prudent 
to  modify  or  to  abandon.  The 
proposed  tax  on  steam-boat  pas- 
sengers, which  was  denounced  from 
all  sides  of  the  House  and  peti- 
tioned against  by  all  parts  of  the 
country,  was  given  up.  The  in- 
tended increase  of  the  duty  on 
Cape  wines  was  diminished ;  the 
proposed  duty  of  Id.  per  pound  on 
the  importation  of  raw-cotton  was 
reduced  to  |  of  a  penny,  or  5*.  lOd, 
|)er  cwt.,  and  the  export  drawback 
duty  was  abandoneu.  The  whole 
aifairhad  produced  a  strong  impres- 
sion of  the  practical  inefficiency  of 
the  government ;  and,  in  any  other 
circumstances,  it  «could  not  have 
survived  the  defeats  which  it  had 
already  experienced.  It  had  avoided 
one  discomfiture  in  appearance,  but 
had  suffered  it  in  reality,  by  with- 
drawing the  proposed  tax  on  trans- 
fers in  the  funds,  the  most  im- 
portant item  of  the  budget.  It 
anticipated  another  on  the  ques- 
tion of  the  timber  duties — would 
not  seek  it  by  pressing  the  original 
question — ^would  not  acknowledge 
its  weakness  by  dropping  the  mea- 
sure entirely — and  was  again  de- 
feated. Haa  there  been  nothing 
else,  ministers  must  have  gone 
out.  But  amidst  all  their  failures 
and  disasters,  they  remained  in 
possession  of  one  sure  pretext  to 
retain  their  power.  The  reform 
bill  was  the  anchor  by  which  they 
Iield ;  the  gloom  of  their  defeats 


was  lost  in  the  glare  of  popular 
innovation.     They  held  out  large 
bribes  of  political  power  to  the 
people,  which  would  all  be  with- 
drawn if  they  were  driven  from 
office.     The  people  lost  all  concern 
for    other     measures,     regarding 
either  foreign  pr  domestic  policy, 
in    exclusive    attention    to     the 
more  popular    constitution  which 
had    been  promised    them,    and 
treated  as  paltry  all    deficiencies 
of    the     ministers     from     whom 
this    constitution    was  expected. 
Ministers,   on    tlie    other    hand, 
were    bound   still    more    strictly 
to  extend  the   popularity  of  the 
reform  bill,   which  furnished  the 
only  chance  by  which  they  could 
remain   in   power,  and  to  refuse 
every   concession   that  might  di- 
minish  the    popular  demand  for 
change  by  which  alone  they  were 
supported.      In   a  question   with 
parliament  it  was  very  plain  they 
would    be    found    wanting:    the 
policy  imposed  by  the  necessity  of 
their  situation  was,  either  to  re- 
sign, or  to  place  themselves  at  the 
head   of  the  popular  excitement 
against  the  parliament.     The  re- 
form bill  became  more  than  a  mere 
measure  of  policy  ;  it  had  become 
the  sole  tenure  of  their  own  power. 
The  late  ministry  had  gone  out 
of  office  after  a  vote  by  which  the 
House  of  Commons  declared  its 
opinion  that  the  civil  list  should 
be  referred  to  a  select  committee, 
avowedly  for  the  purpose  of  sepa- 
rating the  proper  expenditure  of 
the  crown  from  that  large  expen- 
diture of  which  no  part  was  occa- 
sioned by  the  crown,  and  bringing 
the  latter,  in  whole  or  in  part,  annu- 
ally under  the  power  of  parliament. 
The  new  ministers  lost  no  time, 
after  the   meeting  of  parliament, 
in  bringing  forward  their  ideas  as 
to  the  manner  in  which  th^  civil 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[141 


list  ought  to  be  arranged.  They 
were  stated  by  the  Chancellor  of 
the  Exchequer^  on  the  4  th  of  Feb- 
ruary, when  moving  that  the  new 
estimates  of  the  civil  list  should  be 
referred  to  the  committee.  He 
had  left  out  of  that  estimate,  he 
said,  every  thing  not  connected 
with  the  personal  comforts  of  his 
majesty,  and  the  proper  dignity  of 
the  crown;  and  these  latter  expenses 
he  divided  into  five  classes.  The 
first  class  contained  the  amount 
of  the  privy  purse  and  of  the  al- 
lowance granted  to  her  majesty, 
and  that  charge  he  intended  to 
retain,  as  it  had  been  fixed  by  his 
predecessors  at  1 1 0,000/.  j  60,000/. 
being  for  the  privy  purse,  and 
50,000/.  for  the  queen's  allowance. 
The  amount  of  the  second  class 
containing  the  salaries  of  the  differ- 
ent officers  of  the  household,  he 
intended  to  reduce  from  1 40,546/. 
to  130,300/.  But  the  difference 
of  10,000/.  was  not  to  be  con- 
sidered a  reduction  to  that  amount, 
as  he  had  removed  from  this  class 
the  salaries  granted  to  the  different 
officers  of  the  Board  of  Works, 
which  he  thought  ought  to  be 
placed  under  the  control  of  Parlia- 
ment, and  he  had  abolished  en- 
tirely the  office  of  auditor  of  the 
civil  list.  The  third  class,  including 
the  expenses  of  the  household, 
had  been  fixed  by  the  ministry 
at  210,500/.  -  He  proposed  to 
assign  to  it  161,500/.  But  this, 
too,  was  no  reduction,  as  he  had 
carried  many  of  the  items  formerly 
included  under  this  class  to  a  dif- 
ferent class.  When  he  first  looked 
at  this  class  of  expenditure,  he 
was  surprised  at  finding  that,  whilst 
all  the  articles  of  life  had  dimin- 
ished so  much  of  late  years  in  price, 
the  expense  of  maintaining  the 
Royal  Household  had  considerably 
increased.    On  looking  more  close- 


ly into  the  matter,  he  had  come  to 
this  conclusion,  that  no  reduction 
could  be  made,  without  compelling 
his  majesty  either  to  alter  the  style 
of  his  living  or  to  incur  debt,  and 
he  was  convinced  that  the  house  had 
no  wish  to  compel  his  majesty  to 
do  either.  The  expense  under  this 
head  had  increased  greatly,  from 
the  circumstance  of  there  being  at 
present  a  Queen  Consort.  The 
4th  class,  which  included  the 
Royal  bounties  and  charities,  M^ould 
remain  as  before,  at  23,200/.  In 
the  5th  class,  which  comprised  the 
pensions  granted  on  the  civil  list, 
he  had  made  the  greatest  altera- 
tions. In  the  proposition  of  the 
late  chancellor  of  the  Exchequer 
the  pensions  charged  on  the  civil 
list  for  England  were  stated  to 
amount  to  74,200/. ;  on  the  civil 
list  for  Ireland  they  were  stated  to 
amount  to  53,920/.,  and  on  the 
civil  list  for  Scotland  to  31,050/.— 
making  a  total  of  159,170/. ;  but 
the  former  government  had  in- 
tended to  reduce  the  sum  granted 
in  the  last  reign  for  that  object- 
to  leave  the  English  pension  list  at 
its  present  amount  of  74,000/.,  and 
to  reduce  the  Irish  pension  list  to 
40,000/.,  and  the  Scotch  pension 
list  to  30,000/. — making  a  total  of 
144,000/.  Even  that  sura  he  con- 
sidered too  large.  The  proposition 
which  he  should  submit  would  be, 
for  uniting  into  one  list  these  three 
distinct  and  separate  pension  lists, 
for  he  could  see  no  advantage  de- 
rivable from  keeping  them  distinct; 
and  that  for  the  one  pension  list 
which  he  would  have  established 
in  future,  the  house  should  grant 
75,000/.  Thus  as  the  pension  list 
of  his  predecessor  was  to  have  been 
144,000/.,  and  as  his  own  was  only 
to  be  75,000/.,  there  would  be 
a  reduction  of  69,000/.,  on  the 
amount  of  this  class.     There  were. 


144]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


determine.  The  Chancellor  of  the 
Exchequer  had  taken  credit  to  him- 
self for  having  removed  all  mysti- 
fication from  the  subject,  and  Mr. 
Hunt  admitted  that  he  had  done 
so  effectually ;  he  had  frankly  told 
the  people  that,  in  the  way  of  re- 
duction of  expenditure,  and  relief 
of  their  wants,  they  were  to  ex- 
pect nothing.  But  if  so,  why  was 
the  late  administration  broken  up, 
and  on  what  principle,  or  for  what 
object,  was  the  present  adminis- 
tration called  to  their  places,  if  it 
was  not  that  they  intended,  upon 
the  vote  on  the  civil  list,  to  make 
great  deductions?  Even  sir  H. 
Parnell  expressed  his  disappoint- 
ment, that  the  estimate  effected  no 
real  reduction  below  that  of  the 
late  government,  and  he  regretted 
that  ministers  had  exhibited  a  want 
of  attention  to  the  strict  principles 
of  economy. 

The  select  committee  on  the 
civil  list,  to  which  the  estimate 
was  referred,  had  no  power  to  ex- 
amine witnesses,  or  send  for  papers, 
and  for  their  information  on  the 
points  to  which  they  directed  their 
inquiries,  they  had  to  be  princi- 
pally indebted  to  the  Chancellor  of 
the  Exchequer,  while  it  was  the 
evident  interest  of  ministers  to 
prevent  any  reduction  on  an  esti- 
mate whicli  they  declared  had  been 
long  and  carefully  considered,^  and 
in  which  they  had  stated  they 
would  make  no  alteration.  The 
committee,  however,  recommended 
reductions  on  the  estimate  as  laid 
before  them,  amounting  to  1 1,529/. 
Of  that  sum  10,955?.  fell  upon 
the  salaries  of  the  officers  of 
the  household,  and  574/.  on  the 
grants  for  the  royal  bounty,  and 
alms  and  charities.  The  minis- 
terial estimate  was  510,000/. ;  the 
estimate  approved  of  by  the  com- 
mittee was  498,470/.     When  the 


report,  however,  was  brought  be- 
fore the  House,  the  Chancellor  of 
the  Exchequer  moved  the  full 
amount  of  the  original  estimate, 
and  refused  to  accede  to  the  re- 
commendation of  the  committee. 
The  reduction,  he  said,  was  too 
trifling  to  be  of  any  service  to  the 
country,  and  to  agree  to  it  would 
not  be  treating  his  majesty  in  the 
way  he  deserv^ed.  He  did  not 
believe  the  country  wished  ^he 
civil  list  to  be  diminished  by  means 
which  would  be  of  no  benefit  to 
themselves.  He  was  supported  by 
his  predecessor  Mr.  Goulburn, 
by  Mr.  Baring,  sir  R.  Inglis,  and 
other  members  in  opposition,  who 
thought  it  would  be  in  the  highest 
degree  imprudent,  not  to  say  un- 
seemly, after  the  crown  had  sur- 
rendered, at  the  opening  of  the 
Session,  so  much  of  the  heredit- 
ary revenue,  to  pare  down  its  ex- 
penditure so  very  closely  as  was 
now  proposed,  and  encountering 
the  risk  of  compelling  it  to  run 
in  debt.  On  the  other  hand,  not 
only  the  uniform  supporters  of  the 
word  "  reduction,"  to  whatever, 
and  in  whatever  circumstances  it 
was  applied,  like  Mr.  Hume  and 
Mr.  Hunt,  but  many  members  who 
acted  on  more  moderate  and  ra- 
tional principles,  like  Mr.  Bankes 
and  sir  George  Warrender,  held 
that  the  House  was  bound,  in  com- 
mon consistency,  to  adopt  the  re- 
port of  its  committee,  unless  some 
special  reason  could  be  alleged  for 
rejecting  it.  Where  was  the  dif- 
ference between  refusing  a  com- 
mittee, and  pre-determining  to 
reject  its  suggestions  ?  The  late 
ministry  had  presented  an  esti- 
mate, and  refused  a  committee. 
They  would  stand  by  their  esti- 
mate; the  House  would  have  a 
committee,  and  they  went  out. 
The  new  ministers  brought  dovra 


HISTORY    OF   EUROPE. 


[145 


their  estimate,  or  rather  identi- 
cally the  same  estimate,  in  a  dif- 
ferent shape ;  it  was  sent  to  a  com- 
mittee ;  the  committee  reduced  it ; 
but  these  ministers,  too,  would 
stand  by  their  estimate,  and  would 
not  allow  the  committee  to  re<luce 
a  shilling.  To  have  refused  it 
would  have  been  more  respectful. 
The  reductions  could  not  be  ob- 
jected to  in  themselves;  they  took 
away  nothing  of  what  was  neces- 
sary for  the  dignity  of  the  crown, 
or  the  personal  comfort  of  his  ma- 
jesty. They  merely  diminished 
the  salaries  of  certain  great  officers. 
The  opinion  of  the  committee  must 
be  taken  as  decisive  that  the  re- 
duction was  reasonable  and  proper, 
at  least  to  this  extent,  that  those 
who  maintained  that  the  judgment 
of  the  committee  was  erroneous, 
were  bound  to  show  in  what  re- 
spect it  was  improper  •  and  un- 
reasonable ;  but  that  had  not  even 
been  attempted.  The  sum  was 
said  to  be  small  -,  but  the  principle 
was  important  both  to  the  country, 
and  to  the  character  of  the  govern- 
ment. 

The  resolution  was  allowed  to 
pass  ;  but  on  the  third  reading 
of  the  civil  list  bill,  founded  on 
the  resolutions,  after  an  amend- 
ment which  went  to  confirm  the 
report  of  the  committee,  in  deduct- 
ing 1 1 ,500/.  from  the  class  which 
contained  the  salaries  of  the  great 
household  officers,  and  transferring 
it  to  the  third  class,  and  which, 
therefore,  effected  no  reduction, 
had  been  withdrawn,  another  was 
moved,  that  the  same  sum  should 
be  absolutely  deducted ;  but  the 
sentiments  of  the  House  being 
decidedly  against  it,  it  was  not 
pressed  to  a  division.  On  the  same 
occasion,  Mr.  Hume  who,  as  a 
member  of  the  committee,  Iiad  in 
vain  tried  to  induce  it  to  recom- 

VoL.  LXXIII. 


mend  a  deduction  of  75,000/.  on 
the  pension  list,  moved  it  as  an 
amendment  in  the  House.  But, 
on  a  division,  his  motion  found  only 
seventeen  supporters  against  se- 
venty-two. He  then  moved,  when 
the  allowances  to  the  dukes  of 
Cumberland,  Sussex,  and  Cam- 
bridge came  in  question,  that  the 
sum  proposed  should  be  diminished 
one  third,  because  the  salaries  of 
]>ublic  officers  were  in  the  course 
of  being  reduced,  and  prices  were 
returning  to  the  rates  of  1 792,  and 
were  already  below  those  of  180Gi 
at  which  period  these  allowances 
had  been  increased;  and  he  was  in 
no  small  degree  siu'prised,  when 
the  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer 
informed  him,  that  what  he  pro- 
posed could  not  be  done  without 
repealing  an  act  of  Parliament,  as 
the  1 0th  George  HI.  empowered 
his  majesty  to  divide  60,t)00/.  per 
annum  among  his  younger  children. 
That  sum  had  been  charged  on  the 
hereditary  revenue,  and  it  was  not 
in  the  king's  power  to  give  it  up 
witliout  a  similar  provision  being 
made  on  the  civil  list.  No  oppo- 
sition was  offered  to  a  resolution,- 
moved  in  consequence  of  a  royal 
message,  assigning  to  the  queen, 
in  case  she  should  survive  his  ma- 
jesty, 100,000/.  \}er  annum,  with 
Bushey-park  and  IVJarlborough- 
houseas  town  and  country  resi- 
dences. 

Another  point  on  which  minis- 
ters had  to  encounter  the  oppo- 
sition of  old  friends,  and  received 
the  support  of  former  antagonists 
was,  a  proposition  which  they  found 
themselves  bound  in  prudence 
to  make  to  increase  the  army  by 
7,680  men.  At  first  sight  it 
was  a  strange  mode  of  fulfilling 
the  pledges  to  retrenchment  by 
which  they  had  bound  themselves- 
on  accepting  office,  and  there  was 

[L] 


146]        ANNUAL   REGISTER,  1831. 


none  more  capable  of  being  abused 
to  cover  them  with  odium.  1'hey 
were  the  more  entitled,  therefore, 
to  credit  for  doing  what  they  be- 
lieved the  public  safety  required, 
and  they  were  in  this  happy  situa- 
tion, that  they  had  only  to  speak 
of  the  reform  which  they  were  to 
introduce,  and  which  would  be  en- 
dangered by  opposing  them,  in 
order  to  make  errors  appear  irirtues, 
or  at  least  to  secure  for  them  silent 
acquiescence.  In  moving  the  in- 
crease, Mr.  Wynn,  the  secretary 
at  war,  stated  that  it  had  no  con- 
nection with  continental  affairs.  It 
arose  from  no  wish  on  the  part  of 
ministers  that  this  country  should 
interfere  in  the  affairs  of  foreign 
nations;  it  was  not  thd  result  of 
any  thing  that  had  taken  place  on 
the  Continent,  nor  was  it  proposed 
under  the  contemplation  of  the 
necessity  of  any  interference  on  the 
part  of  tnis  country,  in  consequence 
of  the  events  that  had  happened 
there;  but  no  man  could  look  to  the 
state  in  which  £ngland,  and,  he 
would  add,  Ireland,  were,  when 
ministers  were  called  to  the  ad- 
ministration of  public  affairs,  and 
deny  that  the  state  of  both  king- 
doms afforded  sufficient  cause  for 
the  proposed  addition  to  our  mili- 
tary force.  The  House  had  only 
to  recollect  the  scenes  which  were 
going  forward  in  several  parts  of 
the  kingdom  during  the  fast  few 
months.  In  such  a  state  of  things 
as  then  existed,  the  first  considera- 
tion and  the  paramount  duty  to 
which  government  had  to  attend, 
was  to  afford  protection  to  the  loyal 
portion  of  the  population  who  were 
exposed  to  attacks^  and  had  been 
placed  in  imminent  peri  I.  Heshould 
rejoice,  if  the  causes,  which  justified 
the  present  increase  in  the  army, 
should  soon  cease  to  exist ;  and  if 
w9  should  be  enabled,  eveo  before 


the  expiration  of  the  present  year, 
to  effect  a  diminution  in  the  army 
estimates.  In  the  present  state  of 
the  country,  however,  he  felt  that 
the  Government  would  not  do  their 
duty,  if  they  did  not  call  for  an 
augmentation  of  our  military  force, 
i^ir  H.  Hardinge  entirely  con- 
curred in  the  proposition,  both  as 
to  the  increase,  and  the  mode  of  re* 
cruiting,  and  thought,  moreover, 
that  government  deserved  great 
credit  for  the  encouragement  which 
they  seemed  inclined  to  give  to  the 
yeomanry.  Therewassufficientrea- 
^n  to  justify  the  augmentation  both 
at  home  and  abroad.  When  he  found 
it  stated  by  the  French  minister, 
in  the  chamber  of  deputies,  that 
of  an  expenditure  of  47,000,000/. 
sterling,  9,000,000/.  were  for  the 
army, which  was  to  consist  of 4  34,000 
infantry,  besides  46,000  cavalry,  he 
saw  in  that  extraordinary  speech, 
which  represented  France  as  a 
camp,  some  cause  for  increasing  an 
establishment: — but  Mr.  Wynn 
again  stated,  that  government  put 
it  solely  on  account  of  the  internal 
state  of  the  United  Kingdom. 
Colonel  Davies  moved,  that  the  vote 
should  be  granted  for  only  three 
months,  in  order  that  the  estimates 
might  be  investigated  by  a  com- 
mittee, and  he  entered  into  various 
details  to  shew  that  many  reduc- 
tions of  expense  might  be  made, 
without  diminishing  improperly  the 
effective  strength  of  the  army;  but 
he  withdrew  his  motion  on  the 
chancellor  of  the  Exchequer  stating 
that,  although  the  secretary  at  war 
whohad  justentered  on  office,*  could 
not   be  expected   to  take  decisive 

*  And  he  did  not  hold  it  long.  Mr. 
Wynn  conid  not  l>e  brouffbt  to  support 
the  ministerial  reform  bill.  He  there- 
fore resigned,  and  was  succeeded  by  sir 
H.  Parnell,  who  bad  disapproved  of  tb« 
rainisttrial  civU  lift. 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE.  [147 

stepsatonceonhisownsiiggestionsj  came  forward  with  an  augmenta- 
ana  contrary  to  high  military  au«  tion  of  our  military  force,  for  which 
thority,  still  he  pledged  himself  that  the  increased   charges,   including 
the  strictest  inquiry  should  be  insti-  the  charge  for  the  yeomanry,  would 
tuted,  every  part  of  the  estimates  amount  to  nearly  half  a  million 
examined,  and  every  effort  made  sterling,    could  not  Ml  to  excite 
to  reduce  them.     Mr.  Hume,  too,  general  dissatisfaction  throughout 
said  that  he  was  sure  that  the  peo-  the  country.     They  had  pleaded, 
pie  would  hear  with  sorrow  of  an  as  an  excuse  for  this  augmentation 
increase  of  500,000/.  in  the  expense  the  disturbed  state  of  the  country, 
of  the  army  by  an  economising  go-  and  others  had  pleaded  the  agitated 
vernment :  that  he  could  not  con-  condition  of  the  Continent.     The 
ceive  how  ministers  could  propose  army  was   to  be  increased  from 
an  addition  of  8,000  men,  and  yet  81,000   to   88,000  men,   and  the 
talkof  the  army  as  being  on  a  peace  navy  was   to.be  increased  by  an 
establishment:   that,  in  reality,  he  additional    force  of    3,000    men. 
believed   the  late  government   to  Now,  how  could  such  an  increase 
have   been  more  economical   than  be  required  for  the  maintenance  of 
the  present:  and  that  the  speeches  peace  in  the  disturbed  districts? 
of  ministers  reminded  him  of  the  If  it  were  wanted  to  overawe  the 
good  old  times  of  Castlereagh.  How-  Continent,  it  was  clear,  that  such  a 
ever,  he  would  not  divide  the  House  force  was  quite  inadequate  to  such 
<'as  he  trusted  that  government  a  purpose.      He  appealed  to  the 
would  yet  retrace  their  steps,  and  House  on  the  part  of  the  people  of 
atone  for  their  errors  by  a  liberal  re-  England,  he  appealed  to  every  man 
form,  which  would  correctallabuses,  who  valued  the  tranauillity  of  the 
and  eventually  obliterate  every  just  country,  and  asked  them  to  consi- 
cause  of  complaint."  der  what  would  be  the  feelings  of 
Mr.  Hunt,  who,  though  the  most  those  men  who  declared  their  suf- 
radical  of  all  reformers,  was  a  much  ferings  to  be  now  almost  beyond 
less  ardent  admirer  of  the  ministerial  the  tolerance  of  human  beings,  on 
reform,  which  he  declared  would  be  hearing  that  an  augmentation  of 
any  thing  but  satisfactory  to  the  force  was  to  be  made,  which  would, 
"people,"  wasnot  so  easily  satisfied,  of   course,    render    necessary   an 
He  not  only  would  not  consent  to  augmentation  of  taxation  P     As  to 
increase  the  army,   but  moved  to  the  pledees  of  the  present  minis- 
reduce  it  to  71,000  being  10,000  ters,  he  had  heard  the  right  hon. 
men  less  than  it  had  consisted  of  baronet  below  him  (sir  R.  Peel) 
the  year  before.    He  supported  his  congratulate  the  present  ministers 
proposition  in  his  ordinary  style  of  upon  having  taken  up  all  his  mea- 
plain  and  fearless  remark,  of  which  sures ;  he  had   seen  him,  with  a 
it  is  right  some  memorial  should  be  sarcastic   smile,  rally   them  upon 
preserved,  especially  as  Mr.  Hunt  being  converts  to  all  his  principles 
had  conducted  himself  much  more  — he  had  heard  him  tell  them  that 
reputably    and    sincerely   in    the  they  agreed  with  him  in  all  his 
House  than  had  been  expected  from  propositions, — he  had  heard  him 
his  former  political  habits.      The  say,  "  You've  interfered  with  other 
conduct  of  ministers,  he  said,  who  nations,  though  you  gave  a  pledge 
took    oifice   under    the   strongest  of    non-intervention.      You   have 
pledges  of  retrenchment,  and  now  increased  the   estimates,    though 

[L2] 


148]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


you  gave  a  pledge  of  retrenchment ; 
and  therefore  I  cannot  help  feeling 
some  astonishment  to  know  how  it 
was  that  I  was  turned  by  you  out 
of  place."  He  could  not  help  join- 
ing in  that  surprise ;  and  what  was 
the  defence  which  ministers  offered 
to  this  taunting  charge  of  the  right 
hon.  baronet?  As  to  the  charge 
of  intervention.,  some  of  them  ad- 
mitted^ others  denied  it.  If  they 
were  to  believe  public  documents, 
there  could  be  no  doubt  that  mi- 
nisters had  been  dictating  a  king 
to  Belgium.  The  only  fault  that 
he  had  to  find  with  the  Belgians 
was,  that  they  did  not  appoint  a 
king  from  their  own  country,  or 
that  they  did  not  choose  a  president, 
and  form  themselves  into  a  repub- 
lic. That  was  the  fault,  too,  of  the 
people  of  France.  After  fighting 
as  they  did  during  the  three  glori- 
ous days  of  July,  and  sacrificing 
8,000  valuable  lives  in  defence  of 
their  liberties,  he  was  only  sorry 
that  they  had  not  reverted  to  a 
republic.  He  would  move  that  the 
number  of  men  should  be  reduced 
to  71,000,  unless  he  should  hear 
stronger  reasons  than  had  hitherto 
been  alleged  to  prove  the  neces- 
sity of  the  proposed  augmentation. 
He  would  move  that  amendment 
at  all  events;  and  if  any  gentle- 
man would  second  it,  he  would 
divide  the  House  upon  it.  He 
had  already  divided  m  one  small 
minority,  and  he  had  no  objec- 
tion to  do  so  again ;  for  he  was 


anxious  that  the  people  of  England 
should  know,  who  the  parties  were 
who  would  continue  our  present 
establishments  at  an  expense  of 
15,000,000/.  and  who  would  not. 
It  was  a  singular  spectacle  to  see 
how  gentlemen  who  went  from  the 
opposition  to  the  ministerial  side 
of  the  House  changed  their  opin- 
ions with  their  seats,  just  as  if 
there  had  been  some  atmosphere 
about  the  ministerial  benches  which 
rendered  such  a  change  inevitable. 
He  had  not  heard  one  word,  from 
any  member  who  had  yet  spoken, 
that  convinced  him  of  the  neces- 
sity either  of  increasing  the  army 
or  of  keeping  it  up  to  its  present 
amount.  If  we  were  in  such  a 
dreadful  state  at  home  as  to  re- 
quire 88,000  men  to  keep  the 
l)eople  of  England  in  quiet  sub- 
jection, what  was  the  cause  which 
had  produced  such  an  effect  ?  Were 
the  people  of  England  so  altered 
that  the  government  durst  not 
trust  them  with  arms;  the  peo- 
ple of  England  were  not  altered, 
but  such  alterations  had  been 
made  in  their  habits,  and  their 
institutions,  by  the  bad  laws  of 
chat  House,  that  the  governnient 
durst  not  put  arms  into  their  hands. 
Place  arms  in  their  hands,  and 
you  would  have,  to  a  certainty,  re- 
form in  three  months.  Mr.  llunt's 
amendment  was  seconded,  and  the 
House  divided;  but  he  could  muster 
only  6  votes  against  250  for  the 
original  motion. 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[149 


CHAP.   VI. 

General  Election — Popular  Excitement  in  Favour  of  the  Bill-^ 
Pledges  demanded  from  Candidates — Election  Riots — Result  of 
the  Election — Opening  of  the  New  Parliament — Discussions  on  the 
Address — Reform  Bill  brought  in,  and  read  a  First  Time — Clamour 
of  the  Refamners  against  the  limitation  of  the  £10  Franchise — 
Ministers  yield  the  Point — Debate  on  the  Second  Reading  of  the 
Bill — Second  Reading  carried  by  a  Majority  of  136 — Discussion 
in  regard  to  Appleby — The  House  determines  that  it  shall  not  be 
allowed  to  bring  Evidence  of  its  Population — Debate  and  Divisions 
on  the  Motion  for  going  into  Committee — Discussion  in  Committee 
on  an  Amendment  that  the  Enfranchising  Clauses  should  be  first 
considered — Division  on  the  Question  whether  all  Boroughs  having 
fewer  than  2,000  Inhabitants  should  be  disfranchised — Motion  that 
the  Boroughs  proposed  to  be  disfranchised  shall  be  divided  into 
Districts  returning  Members — Motion  that  the  Population  be  taken 
according  to  the  Census  o/  1831  instead  q/'1821. 


THE  election  of  the  new  par- 
liament took  place  amid  a 
general  excitement,  which  insured 
the  success  of  the  ministry.  The 
declared  intention  of  the  dissolu- 
tion had  been,  to  obtain  from 
the  people  a  House  of  Commons 
pledged  to  support  the  reform  bill, 
and  the  only  test  by  which  candi- 
dates were  tried  was,  their  deter- 
mination to  support  that  particular 
measure.  The  large  bribe  of  poli- 
tical povrer  which  it  held  out — th  j 
inefficiency  to  which  it  was  to  re- 
duce the  aristocracy — the  unde- 
iined,  but  most  groundless  notions, 
of  plenty  and  comfort,  which  were 
artfully  connected  with  its  enact- 
ment— the  infallible  means  which 
its  success  would  create  of  attain- 
ing ulterior  objects  still  more  flat- 
tering to  vanity  and  passion — the 
sure  prospect  of  seizing  the  wealth 
of  the  church  to  apply  it  to  what 
popular  justice  might  reckon  more 


useful  purposes — the  light  in  which' 
even  its  most  educated  supporters 
uniformly  taught  unthinking  men 
to  consider  it,  as  being  merely  a 
generous,  a  reasonable,  and  a  mo- 
derate, though  firm,  attempt  to 
recover  ancient  rights  from  the 
grasp  of  profligate  and  usurping 
oppressors — these  were  all  consi- 
derations which,  addressing  tlieni- 
selves  to  ignorance,  prejudice,  and 
selfishness,  roused  in  its  favour  the 
enthusiasm,  or  rather  the  fury,  of 
the  multitude;  The  people  were 
told,  that  the  political  power  which 
the  bill  would  bestow  was  their 
unalienable  right — and  no  propo- 
sition can  men  be  brought  more 
easily  to  credit.  They  were  called 
on  to  vindicate  these  rights  by 
breaking  their  chains  on  the  op- 
pressors heads— and  to  no  call, 
especially  when  it  is  not  a  suni-~ 
mons  to  any  dangerous  exploit, 
will  men   more  readily  respond* 


460]     AN  N  UIA  L    BEG  1  ST  EB.1 1831. 


They  were  assured,  that  the 
choice,  which  they  were  now  to 
make,  was  one  between  freedom,  and 
peace,  and  plenty,  if  the  bill  were 
carried  ;  and  slavery,  confusion, 
and  miserable  poverty,  if  his  ma- 
jesty's ministers  should  be  dis*> 
missed  from  their  offices.  No 
limits  can  be  fixed  to  the  effects 
which  may  be  produced  on  the 
large  mass  of  any  population  by 
the  promise  of  power,  founded  on 
the  assurance  that  they  have  all 
the  qualities  which  deserve  it  -, 
when  they  are  assured  that  to 
obtain  it,  they  have  only  to  de- 
mand it ;  and  when,  in  doing  so, 
they  are  not  resisting  the  govern- 
ment of  the  country,  but  have 
that  government  itself  for  their 
leader  in  pressing  onwards  to  the 
political  Eldorado. 

Of  the  men,  again,  who  under- 
stood truly  the  state  of  the  ques-, 
tion,  viz.  will  the  proposed  increase 
of  the  efficiency  of  the  democratic 
part  of  the  constitution  better  serve 
the  ends  of  good  government  ? 
from  what  practical  evils  will  it 
save  us,  and  what  hitherto  un- 
known practical  good  will  it  be- 
stow ? — the  men  who  would  have 
treated  it  as  a  question  to  be  de- 
termined, not  by  declamatory  ap- 
peals to  passion  and  prejudice,  but 
by  the  principles  of  calm  reason 
and  the  results  of  experience — of 
these,  great  numbers  were  too 
timid,  and  disinclined  to  exertion, 
to  engage  actively  in  a  contest 
which  they  thought  would  be 
hopeless,  and  many  even  joined, 
against  their  own  convictions,  the 
ranks  of  the  reformers,  because 
they  believed  the  popular  enthu- 
siasm to  be  now  so  highly  excited, 
however  recklessly  and  ruinously, 
that  disappointment  would  ter- 
minate in  some  civil  commotion 
still  more  mischievous  than  any 


effects  which  could  follow,  at  least 
in  their  time,  from  the  passing  of 
the  bill.  Among  the  lower  class 
of  electors,  again^  more  especially 
in  the  counties,  their  old  and  souna 
feelings  of  loyalty  were  made  to 
produce  the  effect  which  could  not 
have  been  brought  out  by  any 
theory  of  reform.  From  the  mo« 
ment  the  bill  was  introduced, 
ministers  had  taken  care—- and 
their  organs  of  the  press,  and 
their  partisans  at  reform  meetings, 
had  well  seconded  their  efforts — to 
announce,  that  the  bill  was  not 
merely  their  msasure,  but  a  mea- 
sure of  the  king.  The  antagonists 
of  the  bill,  therefore,  were  repre- 
sented, not  merely  as  the  corrupt 
and  profligate  enemies  of  the  liber- 
ties of  the  people,  but  as  dangerous 
and  audacious  contemners  of  the 
loyalty  which  they  owed  to  the 
monarch.  By  an  unprecedented 
change  of  position,  the  demagogues 
of  the  people  made  the  king's  will 
their  watchword;  and  the  men  who 
opposed  this  measure,  because  they 
saw  in  the  democracy  which  it 
constituted,  the  highest  peril  of 
the  crown,  were  hunted  down  by 
the  avowed  champions  of  popular 
sovereignty  as  being  guilty  of  the 
atrocious  crime  of  resisting  the 
personal  wishes  of  the  sovereign. 
To  one  division  of  the  people,  the 
king  was  blown  up  into  popularity, 
because  he  approved  of  the  bill; 
and  to  another,  the  bill  was  blown 
up  into  popularity,  because  it  was 
the  bill  of  the  king.  Electors  said 
to  candidates  who  had  long  repre- 
sented them,  that  they  could  no 
longer  vote  for  them,  not  because 
they  were  against  the  bill,  but  be- 
cause they  were  against  the  king ; 
that  they  themselves  did  not  know 
much  about  the  bill,  but  it  was 
the  king's  bill,  and  they  must  have 
uo  disloyal  representatives. 


HtSTORY  Ot  EUROPE. 


tl<5l 


Nor  was  it  sufficient  to  save  a 
candidate  fVom  the  storm  which 
had  been  raised,  that  he  should 
be  willing  to  lend. his  mind  to  the 
reform  of  the  representation.  It 
was  demanded  of  him,  that  he 
should  pledge  himself  in  every 
thing  to  this  particular  measure. 
The  Shibboleth  now  was,  *'  the 
bill,  the  whole  bill,  and  nothing 
but  the  bill."  The  candidate  was 
not  to  be  sent  to  parliament  to 
exercise  his  understanding,  as  a 
reformer,  on  the  principles  of  re- 
form which  ought  to  be  applied, 
and  the  manner  of  their  applica- 
tion. He  was  taken,  specially 
bound  to  give  up  the  power  of 
thinking,  to  renounce  all  exercise 
of  the  understanding,  if  he  should 
be  burdened  with  such  an  incum- 
brance, and  to  retain  merely  the 
power  of  saying  yes  to  every  pro- 
position which  ministers  might 
make  in  order  to  carry  through 
the  particular  plan  which  had  been 
already  proposed.  The  new  House 
of  Commons  was  not  to  be  a  deli- 
berative body,  chosen  to  decide  on 
great  measures  of  public  policy ; 
it  was  to  be  nothing  more  than  an 
assembly  of  delegates,  nominated 
as  a  mere  organ  by  which  the 
popular  sanction  might  be  given 
to  a  mhiisterial  proposal*  One 
consequence  of  this  was,  that  can- 
didates decidedly  favourable  to  re- 
form, were  placed  at  the  hustings, 
on  the  same  level  with  men  opposed 
to  all  reform.  Printed  lists  of  the 
majority  and  minority  on  general 
Gascoyne's  motion  were  assiduous- 
ly circulated  through  the  country, 
and  every  candidate,  whose  name 
was  found  in  the  majority,  was 
denounced  as  an  enemy  of  reform, 
in  defiance  of  the  fact,  that  the 
majoritv  had  been  made  up  by  the 
votes  of  members  who  were  aeter- 
mined  to  support  the  bill,  and  who 


certainly  had  not  deserted  any  one 
of  its  principles  in  wishing  that 
the  number  of  the  representatives 
should  not  be  diminished.  But 
such  a  vote,  though  not  hostile  to 
reform,  was  a  vote  in  favour  of 
something  which  ministers  would 
rather  have  had  otherwise  ;  and 
their  policy  was,  to  be  supported 
by  a  majority  which  should  have 
no  power  of  differing  from  them 
in  aught,  or  of  shewing,  by  leaving 
them  in  a  minority  on  any  one 
point,  that  they  might  be  fallible.* 
The  question  raised  at  the  election 
was  not,  whether  the  power  of  the 
democracy  ought  to  be  increased, 
but  whether  it  ought  to  be  in- 
creased in  the  manner  proposed  by 
ministers.  The  electors  were  re- 
quested, not  to  choose  legislators, 
but  to  be  legislators  themselves; 
not  to  elect  men  to  whose  under- 
standings they  could  trust,  but  to 
select  speaking-trumpets,  en  whose 
voices  they  could  rely.  A  ques- 
tion, requiring  more  than  any 
other  the  calm  deliberation  of 
enlightened  and  educated  minds, 
accustomed  to  weigh  the  merits, 
and  watch  the  results,  of  political . 
institutions,  was  decided  by  large 
bodies  of  excited  electors,  amid  the 
tumult,  riot,  and  license,  of  the 
unexpected  Saturnalia. 

The  official  influence  of  the  mi- 
nisters, too,  which  never  wants  its 
weight  under  any  government,  was 
put  forth  so  unsparingly  and  un- 

•  Hence  the  words  Reformers  and 
Anti-reformers  are  the  farthest  possible 
removed  from  correctly  designating  the 
tenets  of  the  parties  as  they  now  existed ; 
for  a  man,  so  far  from  being  an  ami* 
reformer,  might  have  been,  all  his  (layj«, 
a  friend  to  rendering  the  representation 
more  popular,  though  he  might  be  much 
disinclined  to  the  provisions  of  this  bill. 
The  question  raised,  in  regard  to  the 
bill,  was  one  of  degree  and  manner  ; 
the  words  Reformer  and  Anti-reformer 
marked  a  question  of  quality. 


162]      ANNUAL    REGISTER.    1831. 


blushingly,  as,  in  some  instances^ 
to  defeat  its  own  object.  In  Ire- 
land, two  pledged  supporters  of 
the  bill  were  elected  for  the  city 
of  Dublin.  The  losing  candidates 
petitioned  against  the  return,  and 
it  came  out  in  the  proceedings  be- 
fore the  committee,  that  the  vice- 
regal government  had  interfered 
directly  to  ensure  the  success  of  the 
sitting  members.  The  oHicials  of 
the  lord  lieutenant  had  been  di- 
rected to  inform  the  electors,  that 
all  persons  employed  by  him  were 
requested,  and  all' persons  in  the 
pay  of  his  majesty's  government 
were  expected,  to  vote  for  the  re- 
form candidates.  The  decision  of 
the  committee  found  that  the  sit- 
ting members  had  not  been  duly 
elected,  and  that  there  had  been 
an  unconstitutional  interference  of 
the  servants  of  government.  On 
a  new  election,  two  members  were 
returned,  hostile  to  ministers  and 
to  the  bill.  All  over  the  kingdom, 
the  tumult  and  license  which 
usually  characterize  a  general  elec- 
tion were  more  than  ordinarily 
rampant  and  intolerant,  and  those 
whose  occupation  it  is,  on  such 
occasions,  to  indulge  in  high  ex- 
cesses were  all  on  one  side.  Anti- 
-'^^  bill  candidates  and  their  supporters, 
were  exposed  to  the  most  lawless 
violence,  wherever  they  dared  to 
shew  themselves  at  the  hustings ; 
denounced  on  the  one  hand  as  op- 
pressors of  the  people,  and  on  the 
other  as  disloyal  opponents  of  the 
crown.  In  some  instances,  as  at 
Wigan  in  Lancashire,  the  life,  as 
well  as  the  property,  of  unpopular 
men  was  sacrificed.  In  Scotland, 
however,  more  than  any  where  else, 
were  the  elections  attempted  to  be 
controlled  by  the  violence  of  riot- 
ous mobs.  On  the  days  of  elec- 
;'  tion,  the  county  towns  were  occu- 
pied by  large  bodies  of  the  lowest 


orders  of  the  people,  marching  in 
regular  array,  for  the  ostensible 
purpose  of  merely  manifesting 
their  anxiety  tl]at  a  reform  candi- 
date should  succeed,  but  with  the 
true  object  of  intimidating,  by  the 
dread  of  violence,  the  defenceless 
electors  who  might  be  otherwise 
inclined.  If  the  election  termi- 
nated favourably  for  a  candidate 
hostile  to  the  bill,  the  assembled 
mob  forthwith  resorted  to  acts  of 
violence  against  the  voters:  at  the 
election  for  the  county  of  Lanark, 
the  late  member,  who  as  such  pre- 
sided at  the  meeting,  and  was  ad- 
verse to  the  bill,  was  attacked  with 
stones  and  other  missiles,  from  the 
gallery  of  the  church  in  which  the 
election  was  taking  place,  during 
the  very  time  that  the  proceedings 
were  going  on  ;  he  was  re-elected. 
After  the  election,  the  voters  for 
the  successful  candidate  were  de- 
tained prisoners  for  some  hours, 
unable  to  encounter  the  ferocious 
mob  which  awaited  them  without, 
til!  they  obtained  security  by  the 
sheriff  calling  in  the  assistance  of 
the  military.  /  At  Dumbarton 
where,  likewise,  the  successful  cau-i 
didate  for  the  county  was  opposed 
to  the  bill,  he  bad  to  lie  for  seve- 
ral hours  concealed  in  a  garret,  till 
the  mob,  believing  he  had  escaped, 
gradually  dispersed.  At  Ayr, 
notwithstanding  the  presence  of 
military,  the  successful  candidate 
andhis  voters  were  severely  wound- 
ed by  the  showers  of  stones  with 
which  the  rabble*  assailed  them, 
and  when  they  had  at  last  escaped, 
the  popular  patriots  paraded  the 
city  and  suburbs,  venting  their 
vengeance  on  the  houses  and  pro- 
perty of  the  electors  who  had  voted 
against  the  bill -man.  The  elec- 
tion for  the  Haddington  district  of 
boroughs  depended  on  the  nomi- 
nation of  a  delegate  for  Lauder. 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[163 


The  town-council  of  that  borough 
were  supposed  to  be  equally  divided. 
On  the  day  of  nomination,  the  re- 
forming rabble  beset  the  town- 
ImU,  seized  one  of  the  councillors 
in  the  opposite  interest  when  on 
his  way  to  discharge  his  duty, 
forced  him  into  a  post-chaise  which 
had  Ijeen  prepared  for  the  purpose, 
and  carried  liim  oif.  The  result 
was,  tiie  reform  candidate  carried 
the  nomination  of  a  delegate,  and 
consequently  the  election.  Som€ 
of  the  parties  engaged  in  this  out- 
rage having  been  apprehended,  the 
mob  again  rose,  and  compelled  the 
civil  authorities  to  set  their  com- 
panions at  liberty.  In  Edinburgh , 
Mr.  Dundas,  the  late  member,  had 
secured  a  majority  of  the  council. 
The  Lord  Advocate  had  start- 
ed as  a  candidate  on  the  bill  in- 
terest, and  on  the  much  better 
ground  of  his  own  professional  and 
literary  eminence ;  meetings  were 
held,and  petitions  to  the  magistrates 
in  his  favour  were  gotten  up  by  his 
friends.  A  Lord  Advocate  ought 
never  to  expose  himself  to  the  vio- 
lence of  a  contest,  especially  in 
times  of  great  public  excitement ; 
for  his  office  imposes  on  him  the 
peculiar  charge  of  preserving  the 
public  peace ;  and,  if  outrages  are 
committed,  he  is  expected,  and, 
by  his  duty  he  is  bound,  to  prose- 
cute the  violence  which  has  been 
used  by  his  own  supporters  on 
his  own  behalf.  The  Lord  Ad- 
vocate, although  he  must  have 
been  aware  that  the  election  was 
decided,  attended,  surrounded  by 
his  friends,  while  an  outrageous 
mob  crowded  the  street  without. 
After  the  election,  the  populace 
waited  the  coming  forth  of  the  lord 
Provost,  attacked  him  with  great 
personal  violence,  attempted  to 
hurl  him  over  the  parapet  of  the 
north  bridgey  and  were  prevented 


from  proceeding  to  farther  outrages 
only  by  the  interference  of  the 
military.  The  mob  continued  con- 
gregated during  the  evening,  and 
shewed  themselves  bent  on  further 
mischief.  The  military  were  again 
called  out,  but  the  lord  Advocate 
ordered  them  to  be  withdrawn, 
pledging  himself  that,  in  that 
event,  the  populace  would  be  quiet. 
The  populace  drew  him  home  in 
his  carriage,  and  immediately  band- 
ed themselves  for  new  disorders 
and  fresh  attacks  upon  property, 
which  continued  to  keep  the  city 
in  tumult  and  alarm  till  late  in 
the  night,  and  wore  at  last  jnit 
down  only  by  the  renewed  inter- 
ference of  the  military. 

Amid  an  excitement  M'hich, 
among  the  rabble  of  reformers,  led 
to  scenes  like  these,  and  which  re- 
duced even  the  better  classes  of 
reformers  to  speak  of  these  scenes 
in  very  palliating  language,  it  was 
not  surprising  that  the  great  ma- 
jority of  the  elections  terminated 
every  where  in  favour  of  the  minis- 
terial and  reforming  candidates. 
In  the  counties  and  open  boroughs 
it  was  a  triumph  to  the  anti-re- 
formers if  they  could  carry  one  out 
of  two  members  j  even  that  w^as, 
ill  the  great  majority  of  instances^ 
beyond  their  |>ower ;  and  where 
they  succeeded,  their  candidate  had 
sometimes  to  declare  himself  a  re- 
former, though  not  a  bill-man. 
General  Gascoyne  found  it  impos- 
sible to  make  head  in  Liverpool. 
Sir  R.  Vyvyan  was  expelled  from 
Cornwall ;  Sir  Edward  K natch - 
bull  resigned  the  county  of  Kent. 
Sir  Robert  Wilson,  an  ultra- re* 
former,  but  who  had  dared  to 
think  that  it  was  not  reform  to 
diminish  the  number  of  the  repre- 
sentatives, durst  not  shew  his  face 
in  Southwark,  where  he  was  sue- 
ceeded  by  a  brother  of  the  new 


IMJ        ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


lord  Chancellor.  In  Dorsetshire, 
Mr.  Bankes  was  defeated  by  Mr. 
Calcraft,  whose  sudden  and  unex^ 
plained  conversion  to  the  doc* 
trines  of  Ministers  had  carried  the 
second  reading  of  the  bill.  His 
inglorious  triumph  iras  soon  after* 
wards  followed  by  a  death  inflicted 
by  his  own  hand.  Without  a  con- 
test four  bill- men  were  returned 
for  Yorkshire,  the  conservative 
party  dreading  either  the  expense 
or  the  tumult  of  a  conflict.  In 
Westmoreland,  lord  Lowther  could 
carry  only  one  seat,  and  none  at  all 
in  Cumberland  or  in  Carlisle.  In 
London,  all  the  four  members  were 
pledged  to  the  bill ;  Mr.  Ward, 
notwithstanding  all  his  character 
and  talent,  being  compelled  to 
withdraw  by  his  committee,  who 
trembled  for  their  own  personal 
safety  and  his.  The  whole  influence 
of  the  Duke  of  Newcastle  was  over- 
turned at  Newark,  as  well  as  in 
Bassetiaw  and  the  county  of  Notts. 
Even  Sir  Thomas  Acland,  not  be- 
cau  e  he  was  an  anti-reformer,  but 
because  he  would  not  bind  himself 
down  to  •*  the  bill,"  was  compelled 
to  retire  from  the  county  of  Devon. 
On  the  other  hand,  two  anti-re- 
formers kept  possession  of  the  mi- 
nisterial borough  of  Harwich ; 
while  the  university  of  Cambridge 
expelled  its  bill  members,  Lord 
Falmerston  and  Mr.  Cavendish, 
and  returned  Mr.  Goulburn,  and 
Mr.  W.  Peel.  Out  of  the  eighty - 
two  county  members  for  England, 
all  were  pledged  to  the  bill  with 
the  exception  of  about  half  a  dozen, 
returnecf  by  the  counties  of  West- 
moreland, Monmouth, Bucks,  Hun- 
tingdon and  Salop,  But  the  re 
formers  fell  into  a  great  mistake 
when  they  repi'esented  the  issue  of 
the  county  elections  as  decisive 
evidence  of  the  unanimity  of  the 
couoty«    The  returns  were  secured 


by  the  majority,  however  smalf; 
but  the  question  of  unanimity  de- 
pended on  the  comparative  num- 
bers of  the  majority  and  minority  ; 
and  the  state  of  tne  polls,  in  the 
contesteil  counties,  left  in  favour 
of  the  bill-men  a  preponderance  of 
about  2,000,  which  rendered  the 
very  idea  of  any  thing  like  unani- 
mity ridiculous.  Ministers,  how- 
ever, had  thus  succeeded  in  obtain* 
ing  a  House  of  Commons  fashioned 
after  their  own  mind ;  but  one  con* 
sequence  of  its  being  a  mere  as- 
semblage of  pledged  delegates,  de- 
prived before  hand  of  all  right  to 
think,  while  it  gave  them  a  ma- 
jority, gave  them  one  than  which 
no^equal  number  of  men  had  ever 
sat  in  the  British  parliament  pos- 
sessing so  small  a  quantity  of  ag- 
gregate character  and  talent.  He 
was  the  man  of  the  people  who 
would  tie  himself  down  to  implicit 
obedience;  and  that  quality  was 
easily  found  among  the  servile,  the 
ignwant,  and  the  stupid,  x 

The  new  parliament  met  on  the 
14th  of  June,  being  opened,  in  the 
mean  time,  by  commission,  till  the 
preliminary  forms  necessary  to  be 
gone  through  in  the  House  of 
Commons  should  have  been  com- 
nleted.  On  the  same  day  Mr. 
Manners  Sutton  was  re-elected 
Speaker  without  opposition.  On 
the  followinff  day  his  election  was 
confirmed,  m  the  usual  manner, 
by  the  Lord  Chancellor  in  the  name 
of  his  Maiesty  in  the  House  of 
Lords,  when  the  newly  chosen 
Speaker  made  the  usual  demand 
for  the  protection  of  the  rights  and 
privileges  of  the  Commons,  and 
received  the  usual  answer.  The 
intervening  days  till  the  2ist  were 
occupied  in  swearing  in  members  \ 
and,  on  the  21st,  the  session  was 
opened  by  his  Majesty  in  person, 
the  following  Speech : 


HISTORY  OJF  EUROPE. 


[Ul 


t< 


My  Lords  and  OentlenieD ; 

**  I  have  availed  mywlf  of  the 
earliest  opportunity  of  resorting  to 
your  advice  and  assistance,  after 
the  dissolution  of  the  late  Parlia* 
roent. 

'^  Having  had  recourse  to  that 
measure  for  the  purpose  of  ascer- 
taining the  sense  of  my  people  on 
the  expediency  of  a  Reform  in  the 
representation  J  I  have  now  to  re- 
commend that  important  question 
to  your  earliest  and  most  attentive 
consideration  J  confident  that  in  any 
measures  which  you  may  propose 
for  its  adjustment  you  will  care- 
fully adhere  to  the  acknowledged 
principles  of  the  Constitution^  by 
which  the  prerogative  of  the 
Crown^  the  authority  of  both 
Houses  of  Parliament,  and  the 
rights  and  liberties  of  the  people^ 
are  equally  secured. 

*^The  assurances  of  a  friendly 
disposition  J  which  I  continue  to 
receive  from  all  Foreign  Powers, 
encourage  the  hope  that,  notwith- 
standing the  civil  commotions, 
which  have  disturbed  some  parts 
of  Europe^  and  the  contests  now 
existing  in  Poland,  the  general 
peace  will  be  maintained.  To  the 
preservation  of  this  blessing  my 
most  anxious  care  will  be  con* 
stantly  directed. 

'^The  discussions  which  have 
taken  place  on  the  affairs  of  Bel- 
gium have  not  yet  been  brought  to 
a  conclusion,  but  the  most  com* 
plete  agreement  continues  to  sub- 
sist between  the  Powers  whose 
Plenipotentiaries  have  been  en* 
^ged  in  the  conferences  of  Lon- 
don. The  principle  on  which 
these  conferences  have  been  con- 
ducted, has  been  that  of  not  inter- 
fering with  the  right  of  the  people 
of  Belgium  to  regulate  their  in- 
ternal affairs,  and  to  establish  their 
Government  according  to  their  own 


views  of  what  may  be  most  con4 
ducive  to  their  future  welfare  and 
independence,  under  the  sole  con- 
dition, sanctioned  by  the  practices 
of  nations,  and  founded  on  thd 
principles  of  public  law,  that,  io 
the  exercise  of  that  undoubted 
right,  the  security  of  neighbour* 
ing  states  should  not  be  endanger* 
ed. 

*'  A  series  of  injuries  and  in« 
su1t«,  for  which,  notwithstanding 
repeated  remonstrances,  all  repara* 
tion  was  withheld,  compelled  me 
at  last  to  order  a  squadron  of  my 
fleet  to  appear  before  Lisbon,  with 
a  peremptory  demand  of  satisfac*- 
tion.  A  prompt  compliance  with 
that  demand  prevented  the  neces- 
sity of  further  measures,  but  I 
have  not  yet  been  enabled  to  re- 
establish my  diplomatic  relations 
with  the  Portuguese  Gk)vernment. 
'"  Gentlemen  of  the  House  of 
Commons, 

"  I  have  ordered  estimates  of  the 
expenses  of  the  current  year  to  be 
laid  before  you,  and  I  rely  with 
confidence  on  your  loyalty  and  zeal 
to  make  adequate  provision  for  the 
public  service,  as  well  as  for  the 
future  application  of  the  sum 
granted  by  the  last  parliament; 
always  keeping  in  view  the  neces- 
sity of  a  wise  and  wholesome  eco- 
nomy in  every  branch  of  the  pub- 
lic expenditure. 

•*  My  Lords  and  Gentlemen, 

''It  gives  me  great  satisfaction 
to  state  to  you,  that  the  large  re- 
duction of  taxes  which  took  place 
in  the  last  and  in  the  present  year, 
with  a  view  to  the  relief  of  the  la- 
bouring classes  of  the  community, 
has  not  been  attended  with  a  pro- 
portionate diminution  of  the  public 
income.  I  trust  that  such  addi- 
tional means  as  may  be  required 
to  supply  a  part  of  the  deficiency 
oocasionod   by  these   reductionsj 


166]       ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


may  be  found  without  any  abridg- 
ment of  the  comforts  of  my  people. 

*'  To  assist  the  industry,  to  im- 
prove the  resources^  and  to  main- 
tain the  credit  of  the  country  on 
sound  principles,  and  on  a  safe  and 
lasting  foundation,  will  be  at  all 
times  the  object  of  my  solicitude, 
in  the  promotion  of  which  I  look 
with  confidence  to  vour  zealous  co- 
operation. 

'  '*  It  is  with  deep  concern  that  I 
have  to  announce  to  you  the  pro- 
gress of  a  formidable  disease,  to 
which  my  attention  had  been  early 
directed,  in  the  eastern  parts  of 
£urope.  Information  having  I)cen 
recently  received  that  it  hnd  ex- 
tended its  ravages  to  ports  in  the 
Baltic,  from  whence  there  is  a 
great  commercial  intercourse  with 
my  dominions,  I  have  directed  that 
all  the  precautions  should  be  taken 
which  experience  has  recommend- 
ed as  most  effectual  for  guarding 
against  the  introduction  of  so  dan- 
gerous a  malady  into  this  country. 

"  Great  distress  has  unhappily 
prevailed  in  some  districts,  and 
more  particularly  in  part  of  the 
western  counties  of  Ireland,  to  re- 
lieve which,  in  the  most  pressing 
cases,  I  have  not  hesitated  to  au- 
thorize the  application  of  such 
means  as  were  immediatelv  avail- 
able  for  that  purpose.  But  assist- 
ance of  this  nature  is  necessarily 
limited  in  itsamonnt,  and  can  only 
be  temporary  in  its  effect. — The 
possibility,  therefore,  of  introduc- 
ing any  measures  which,  by  assist- 
ing the  improvement  of  the  natu- 
ral resources  of  the  country,  may 
tend  to  prevent  the  recurrence  of 
such  evils,  must  be  a  subject  of 
the  most  anxious  interest  to  me, 
and  to  you  of  the  most  grave  and 
cautious  consideration.  Local  dis- 
turbances, unconnected  with  poli- 
tical causes,  have  taken  place  both 


in  this  part  of.  the  United  King- 
dom and  in  Ireland.  In  the  county 
of  Clare,  and  in  the  adjoining  parts 
of  Roscommon  and  Galway>  a  sys- 
tem of  violence  and  outrage  had 
for  some  time  been  carried  on  to 
an  alarming  extent,  for  the  repres- 
sion of  which  the  constitutional 
authority  of  the  law  has  been  ri- 
gorously and  successfully  exerted. 
By  these  means,  the  necessity  of 
enacting  new  laws  to  strengthen 
the  executive  Government  with 
further  powers  will,  I  trust,  be 
prevented.  To  avert  such  a  ne- 
cessity has  been,  and  ever  will  be, 
my  most  earnest  desire ;  but  if  it 
should  unfortunately  arise,  1  -do 
not  doubt  your  firm  resolution  to 
maintain  the  }ieace  and  order  of 
society  by  the  adoption  of  such 
measures  as  may  be  required  for 
their  most  effectual  protection." 

To  the  Address,  which  was 
moved  in  the  House  of  Lords  by 
the  Duke  of  Norfolk,  and  seconded 
by  Lord  Mulgrave,  no  amendment 
was  proposed.  Earl  Grey  stated, 
that,  in  framing  the  Speech  and 
Address,  Ministers  had  felt  de- 
sirous of  raising  as  few  objections 
as  possible,  and  they  had  therefore 
omitted  all  debat cable  matter  that 
could  be  avoided.  -  The  discussion 
which  did  take  place  turned  more 
on  what  was  not  contained  in  the 
speech  —  the  dissolution,  the  al- 
leged inattention  of  government 
to  the  security  of  property  during 
the  London  illuminations,  and  the 
arts  used  to  inflame  the  public 
mind  during  the  election.  Lord 
Wharncliffe  adverted  particularly 
to  the  statement  of  the  Lord  Chan- 
cellor, at  the  moment  of  the  dis- 
solution, that  that  event  had  be- 
come necessary  as  the  House  of 
Commons  had  refused  the  supplies. 
This  statement,  Lord  Wharncliffe 
said^  must  be  presumed  to  have 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[167 


obtained  credence  with  the  Lord 
Cliancellor  through  some  unac- 
countable perversion  of  mind^  for 
it  was  entirely  contrary  to  the 
fact.  It  was,  in  reality,  as  un- 
true as  any  thing  which  had  ever 
been  uttered  in  either  House  of 
Parliament ;  aiid  he  had  therefore 
looked  forward  with  some  anxiety 
to  the  time  when  he  could  legiti- 
mately call  on  him  for  an  explana- 
tion. *'  What !"  said  the  noble 
and  learned  Lord,  ''  shall  any  one 
pretend  to  assert  that  the  king  has 
not  an  undoubted  right  to  resort 
to  his  royal  prerogative  of  dissolv- 
ing Parliament,  when  the  House 
of  Commons  have  adopted  the  un- 
precedented course  of  refusing  the 
supplies  V  Now  this  was  decidedly 
untrue,  for  they  were  not  even 
presented  with  an  opportunity  of 
refusing  the  supplies.  The  ord- 
nance estimates  were,  indeed,  to 
have  been  brought  forward  on  that 
day,  but  they  had  not  come  on 
prior  to  the  division  against  Mi- 
nisterd  ;  so  that  the  imputation  of 
such  an  o£fence  (for  an  offence  it 
would  be,  if  they  were  influenced 
by  factious  motives)  was  unde- 
servedly prejudicial  to  the  anti- 
reform  members  in  its  efl^ects. 
False  as  it  was,  it  had  served  the 
turn  at  the  general  election ;  for 
a  number  of  cases  had  occurred, 
within  his  own  knowledge,  in 
which  it  had  been  objected  to  can- 
didates, who  had  been  in  the  ma- 
jority in  that  division,  that  they 
had  refused  the  supplies.  If  there 
had  been  any  intemperance  of  feel- 
ing, said  the  marquis  of  London- 
derry, displayed  on  the  day  of  the 
dissolution,  it  was  impossible  for 
any  of  their  lordships  to  forget 
that  it  arose  from  the  Chancellor 
having  rushed  out  of  the  House, 
crying  that  the  House  of  Commons 
had  stopped  the  supplies.    Now 


what  was  the  fact  r  His  Majesty 
had  stated,  that  the  reason  why  Jie 
dissolved  the  late  Parliament  was, 
his  desire  to  appeal  to  the  sense  of 
his  people  on  tlie  subject  of  the 
reform  bill.  Their  lordships  found 
the  same  assertion  made  in  the 
speech  which  his  majesty  had  de- 
livered that  day.  They  found  in 
both  those  speeches  a  direct  con- 
tradiction to  the  assertion  of  the 
noble  and  learned  lord  on  the 
woolsack  ;  and  if  they  wanted  any 
further  contradiction  to  it,  they 
had  it  in  the  notorious  fact  that 
some  of  the  ministers  in  the  other 
House  of  Parliament  had  written 
down  to  their  partisans  in  thecoun- 
try,  two  or  three  days  before,  stat- 
ing that  Government  had  then  de- 
termined upon  a  dissolution.  Was 
it,  then,  to  be  wondered  at  that, 
when  they  found  the  noble  lord, 
who  ought  to  be  an  example  of 
decorum  to  that  House,  departing 
in  this  manner  from  the  honest 
truth  of  the  transaction,  that  others 
should  feel,  and  be  roused  from 
their  ordinary  meekness  on  such 
an  occasion  ?  The  Earl  of  Mans- 
field asked,  whether  Ministers,  be- 
fore the  dissolution,  had  communi- 
cated to  the  king  that  on  that  very 
day  an  address  against  that  step 
was  to  he  moved,  and  would,  as 
they  well  knew,  be  carried  by  a 
considerable  majority?  If  they 
did,  the  advice  they  gave  the  king 
to  dissolve  the  Parliament  was 
bold  and  politic,  but  still  indefen- 
sible ;  but  if  they  did  not,  they 
were  unfaithful  servants,  and  de- 
ceived his  Majesty.  He  well  re- 
membered the  manner  in  which 
the  noble  and  learned  lord  left  the 
Woolsack  on  the  day  of  the  disso- 
lution of  parliament,  and  the  look 
whicb  he  gave  their  lordships  on 
that  occasion,  when  he  left  theiu  to 
join  his  Parthian  band.     The  no- 


168]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


Ue  and  learned  Lord  told  them 
that  he  was  obliged  to  leave  them 
to  be  in  attendance  on  his  majestyr, 
who  was  at  that  moment,  as  was 
afterwards  reported,  as  far  distant 
as  the  Horse  Guards.  Before  the 
noble  and  learned  lord  left  the 
house  on  that  occasion,  he  said 
that  he  had  never  before  heard  it 
doubted  that  the  king  had  a  right 
to  dissolve  the  parliament,  and  that 
the  measure  was  absolutely  neces- 
sary when  the  Commons  resorted 
to  the  unprecedented  proceeding  of 
stopping  the  supplies.  Lord  Mans« 
field  doubted  whether  the  dissolu- 
tion of  Parliament,  was  the  only 
measure  to  which  ministers  could 
have  resorted.  One  of  two  things 
was  necessary — either  the  dissolu- 
tion of  parliament  or  the  dismissal 
of  ministers.  It  was  rather  sin- 
gular that  ministers  grounded  the 
dissolution  on  the  only  measure  in 
the  session  on  which  they,  and  not 
their  political  adversaries,  had  the 
majority.  The  statement  relative 
to  stopping  the  supplies  was  cir- 
culated through  the  country,  and 
produced  a  great  effect.  The  topic 
nad  been  dwelt  upon  by  the  Chan- 
cellor of  the  Exchequer  and  the 
right  hon.  member  for  Cumber- 
land in  their  addresses  to  their 
constituents. 

The  same  peers  animadverted 
strongly  on  the  conduct  of  go- 
vernment in  neither  interfering 
to  prevent  the  illumination,  nor 
in  taking  any  measures  for  the 
protection  of  property,  n'hich 
proved,  if  not  their  willingness 
to   identify  themselves   with   the 

{propagators  of  public  alarm,  at 
east  a  great  unwillingness  to  act 
with  promptitude  and  energy  in  re- 
pressing intimidation,  or  to  expose 
themselves  to  the  risk  of  seeing 
themselves  depreciated  in  the  mar* 


ket  of  vulgar  popularity.  The 
lord  mayor  had  not  done  his  duty 
in  lending  his  authority  to  public 
rejoicings  in  a  matter  of  political 
differences,  where  the  necessarv 
result  could  not  but  be,  that  all 
who  thought  one  way  would  be 
compelled,  either  to  belie  their  opi* 
nions^  or  have  their  property  ae- 
stroyed.  The  lord  mayor  was^  no 
doubt,  an  important  personage  in 
the  city ;  but  still  there  was  power 
enough  in  the  executive  govern- 
ment to  have  compelled  him  to  act 
with  prudence.  The  Earl  of  Mans- 
field stated,  he  had  himself  called 
on  the  Home  Secretary,  on  learn- 
ing that  an  illumination  was  in- 
tended :  the  Home  Secretary  even 
then  expressed  to  him  his  disap* 
probation  of  illuminations,  and  the 
tyranny  with  which  they  were  ac- 
companied, but  said,  he  l^d  no  con* 
trol  over  the  lord  mayor.  In  one 
sense  that  might  be  true ;  but  it 
was  equally  true  that  the  execu- 
tive government  could  give  even 
the  lord  mayor  of  London  good 
advice  in  such  a  manner  as  would 
not  fail  to  be  effectual.  This  ad- 
vice, if  given  at  all.  Had  not  been 
pressed  as  it  ought  to  have  been, 
the  more  especially  as  the  lord 
mayor  on  the  one  hand  had  ad- 
mitted his  inability  to  protect 
houses  in  the  city,  and  the  Home 
Secretary,  on  the  other,  had  ex- 
pressed his  belief,  that  the  police 
would  be  insufficient  to  prevent 
windows  from  being  broken  in  the 
west  end  of  the  town.  It  was 
their  bounden  duty,  not  only  as 
public  officers,  but  as  good  citizens 
and  honourable  combatants,  to 
have  done  all  in  their  power  to 
prevent  an  exhibition  of  party 
spirit,  even  though  that  party  was 
tneir  own,  which  they  knew  would 
terminate  in    violating^  all    law. 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[159 


breaking  the  public  peace,  and 
destroying  the  property  of  their 
political  opponents. 

Viscount  Melbourne,  the  Home 
Secretary,  defended  the  govern- 
ment from  the  imputation  ofhaving 
either  encouraged  the  illumination^ 
or  been  inattentive  to  the  protec- 
tion of  property  when  it  did  take 
place.  He  had  learned^  on  the 
Monday,  from  the  lord  mayor^  that 
there  was  a  strong  and  general 
desire  among  the  citizens  to  have 
an  illumination  in  the  city,  in  con- 
sequence of  his  majesty  having 
dissolved  the  Parliament,  and  the 
lord  mayor  in  reply  had  declared 
his  readiness  to  illuminate  the 
Mansion  house.  This  was  to  be 
on  the  Monday.  It  appeared,  how- 
ever, subsequently  that  the  pre- 
parations for  the  illumination  could 
not  be  completed  on  the  Monday ; 
and  then^'  at  the  desire  of  his  fel- 
low citizens,  the  lord  mayor  issued 
a  notice  that  the  illumination  should 
be  postponed  to  the  Wednesday. 
That  was  the  only  notice  which 
was  issued  from  the  Mansion-house. 
There  had,  indeed,  appeared  in 
one  of  the  papers,  a  proclamation, 
professing  to  be  issued  by  the  lord 
mayor,  which,  if  it  had  been  is- 
sued by  him,  would,  beyond  all 
question,  have  beema  flagrant  de- 
reliction of  his  duty.  In  that  pro- 
clamation it  was  stated  as  by  the 
lord  mayor,  that  the  police  of  the 
city  haa  received  orders  to  give 
no  protection  to  the  property  of 
those  persons  who  refrised  to  illu- 
minate. That  proclamation,  be  it 
observed,  the  lord  mayor  never 
issued :  who  did  issue  it  was 
a  matter  of  uncertainty.  The 
only  notice  that  the  lord  mayor  is- 
sued was  that  which  postponed  the 
illumination  from  the  Monday  to 
the  Wednesday.     He,  the  Home 


Secretary,  had  communicated  with 
the  lord  mayor  on  this  subject,  and 
the  lord  mayor  had  told  him  that 
there  was  such  a  desire  in  the  city 
for  an  illumination,  that  he  did 
not  think  that  he  should  be  able  to 
control  it,  and  that  he  therefore 
considered  it  better  to  yield  to  it. 
At  the  same  time  he  (lord  Mel- 
bourne) did  not  know  how  he  could 
control  the  illumination.  An  il- 
lumination was  not  illegal :  it  was 
a  ceremony  he  disliked  to  see ;  he 
disliked  the  arbitrary  tyranny 
which  generally  took  place' during 
its  progress.  He  had  never  seen 
any  illuminatioti  without  the  same 
destruction  of  property  which  had 
taken  place  at  ttie  last :  and  he  did 
not  recollect  that  this  morbid  sen- 
sibility had  ever  been  displayed 
about  it  before.  He  had  given  in« 
structions  to  the  police  t-o  protect 
the  persons  and  property  of  all 
persons  who  were  unwilling  to  lU 
juminate,  and  he  had  every  reason 
to  believe  that  they  performed  that 
duty  as  weW  as  circumstances  and 
their  numbers  would  permit.  It 
was  difficult  to  prevent  windows 
from  being  broken,  especially  when 
there  was  some  darkness  in  a 
neighbourhood  from  a  number  of 
houses  being  un lighted.  At  the 
same  time  with  the  difficulty  of 
preventing  the  oflence,  the  diffi^ 
culty  of  securing  the  offender  was 
increased. 

The  Lord  Chancellor  proceeded 
to  defend  himself  against  the  charge 
of  having  stated  the  refusal  of  the 
House  of  Commons  to  vote  the 
supplies  as  the  reason  for  dissolv- 
ing Parliament,  and  he  was  pro- 
ceeding, to  the  no  small  surprise 
of  the  House,  to  deny  that  he  had 
ever  made  any  such  statement. 
^'  If  I  did  make  that  statement/' 
said  he,  ^*  I  must  havt  been  the 


160]       ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


veriest  idiot  that  ever  yet  rose  to 
address  a  public  assembly,  for  a 
debate  had  raged  in  the  House  of 
Commons  on  the  subject  of  tlie 
expected  dissohition  of  Parliament 
for  five  hours  before  the  vote  in 
question  occurred.  Did  I  not  know 
that  I  had  previously  advised  the 
king  to  dissolve  the  Parliament? 
Was  not  the  fact  known  to  half-a- 
dozen  people  in  this  room  ?  Had 
I  not  issued  orders  for  preparing  a 
commission  the  night  before,  it 
being  very  much  on  the  cards  that 
Parliament  woukl  be  dissolved  that 
evening  ?  I  shall  tell  the  House 
what  I  said.  The  words  made  use 
of  were  so  obvious,  their  meaning 
was  se  distinct  and  plain,  that  it 
was  astonishing  they  could  be  niis- 
imderstood.  The  only  meaning 
which  my  words  conveyed  was, 
that  the  dissolution  being  a  thing 
resolved  ui>on)  if  any  justification 
of  that  step  were  necessary,  it 
might  be  found  in  the  conduct  of 
the  House  of  Commons  on  the  pre- 
ceding evening.  Tliough  I  am 
not  bound  to  do  so,  yet  I  will 
adopt  the  report  of  my  observations 
which  has  been  read.  His  lord- 
ship then  took  the  printed  report 
and  read  as  follows: — *'  I  never 
until  now  heard  that  the  king  had 
not  the  right  to  dissolve  Parliament 
when  he  saw  fit,  the  more  parti- 
cularly when  the  House  of  Com- 
mons have  considered  it  pro])er  to 
take  the  extreme  and  unprecedent- 
ed step  of  refusing  the  supplies.'* 
I  am  sure  that  any  twelve  men 
who  read  those  words,  and  who 
were  acquainted  with  the  circum- 
stances under  which  they  were 
spoken,  would  put  the  same  con- 
struction upon  them  that  I  do.  It 
matters  little,  whether  in  technical 
terms  the  House  of  Commons  re- 
fused the  supplies  or  M'hether  they 


adjourned  without  discussing  them. 
The  effect  was  the  same.  If  a 
man  went  to  borrow  money  from 
another,  it  was  the  same  to  him 
whether  the  latter  shut  the  door 
in  his  face  and  told  him  he  woukl 
lend  none,  or  whether,  without 
saying  a  word,  he  walked  away, 
adjourned  himself,  and  left  his 
friend  to  look  at  the  walls  instead 
of  the  cash." 

In  the  House  of  Commons,  where 
the  address  was  moved  by  the  lion. 
Charles  Pelham,  and  seconded  by 
sir  J,  Johnstone,  one  of  the  mem- 
bers for  Yorkshire,  the  same  topics 
were  discussed ;  the  conduct  of  mi- 
nisters in  advising  the  dissolution 
being  attacked  by  sir  R.  Peel/  Mr. 
Attwood,  Mr.  Dawson,  and  other 
members,  and  defended  by  the 
Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer,  sir 
James  Graham,  and  Mr.  Stanley. 
The  ministers  admitted  Uhat  the 
majority  against  them  on  ti»c  ques- 
tion of  adjournment  was  not  a  re- 
fusal of  the  supplies,  though  it  went 
to  delay  the  voting  of  the  ordnance 
estimates,  and  they  admitted  that 
it  was  not  the  cause  of  the  dissolu- 
tion, which  had  been  previously 
resolved  on.  ''I  do  not  state," 
said  the  Chancellor  of  the  Exche- 
quer,  "  that  the  adjournment  was 
the  actual  cause  of  the  dissolution  ; 
but  it  proved  that,  with  a  House 
in  such  a  state  it  was  impossible 
for  ministers  to  go  on,  and  if  it  was 
not  the  cause,  it  was  at  least  a 
justification  of  the  dissolution." 
On  the  other  hand,  the  statement 
of  sir  James  Graham  seemed  to 
imply  that  the  adjournment  would 
have  delayed  the  execution  of  the 
resolution  to  dissolve  already  adopt- 
ed, if  ministers  had  not  unexpect- 
edly found  themselves  in  possession 
of  monies  which  enablea  them  to 
go  on  without  the  ordnance  votes. 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[161 


He  admitted  that  ministers  had 
determined  to  dissolve  even  before 
the  discussion  which  terminated  in 
the  adjournment  being  carried  had 
been  stated;  and  that  impression  was 
strengthened  by  the  vote  in  favour 
of  adjournment  which  followed. 
On  the  following  mornings  the 
morning  of  the  day  on  which  the 
dissolution  actually  took  place, 
they  found  that  there  was  an  un- 
appropriated surplus  of  money 
voted  in  the  preceding  year  on 
account  of  the  ordnance  estimates^ 
which  they  were  enabled  to  make 
use  of,  and  thus  they  avoided  that 
exigency  to  which  they  would 
otherwise  have  been  exposed.  Lord 
Stormont  asked  for  a  direct  answer 
to  the  question,  whether  the  dis- 
solution had  not  been  adopted,  in 
ordei"  to  avoid  the  motion  in  the 
House  of  Lords,  of  which  lord 
Wharncliffe  had  given  notice,  of 
an  address  to  the  king  against  a 
dissol  u tion  ?  No  answer  was  given ; 
and  it  was  clear  enough  that  the 
objection  of  ministers  to  the  ad- 
journment, did  not  lie  in  its  delay- 
ing, for  a  day  or  two,  the  ordnance 
estimates,  but  in  this,  that  a  day's 
delay  would  have  left  time  for  the 
discussion  of  lord  Wharncliffe  *8 
motion,  on  which  they  were  sure 
to  be  defeated. 

The  House  of  Commons  having 
been  elected  for  the  very  purpose 
of  passing  a  measure  on  which 
ministers  were  dependent  for  their 
continuance  in  power,  no  time  was 
lost  in  bringing  it  forward.  On 
the  24th  of  June,  lord  John  Rus- 
sell moved  for  leave  to  bring  in  a 
bill  to  amend  the  representation  of 
England.  It  is  unnecessary  to  re- 
peat the  grounds  on  which  his 
lordship  maintained,  that  it  had 
become  absolutely  necessary  to 
change  the  existing  state  of  the 
representation,  that  the  principles 

Vol.  LXXin. 


on  which  he  proposed  to  change  it 
would  only  bring  it  back  to  what 
it  once  had  been,  and  that  the 
plan  which  ministers  had  con- 
cocted was  in  all  its  parts  Infallibly 
pure,  rational,  ana  useful.  All 
the  arguments  which  were  now 
brought  forward  had  been  fully 
stated  and  discussed  during  the 
proceedings  in  the  former  Parlia- 
ment. Neither  did  his  lordship 
enter  into  any  minute  detail  of  the 
particular  provisions  of  the  bill, 
as  they  were  already  sufficiently 
known,  and  would  be  more  parti- 
cularly examined  in  the  committee. 
Some  minor  points  had  been  alter- 
ed, he  said,  but  not  such  as  to 
touch  the  great  principles,  or  de- 
tract from  the  efficiency  of  the 
leading  provisions  of  the  measure. 
Leaseholders  for  a  long  term  of 
years  were  to  be  entitled  to  vote 
for  counties,  thus  remedying  a 
defect  in  the  former  bill,  and  the 
term  necessary  t(5  give  the  fran- 
chise to  leaseholders  paying  50/. 
a  year  was  to  be  seven  years  in- 
stead of  fourteen.  Two  new  bo- 
roughs, likewise,  were  to  be  dis- 
franchised, although  lord  John  Rus- 
sell himself  admitted  that  their 
disfranchisement  was  a  violation  of 
the  rule  laid  down  as  the  found- 
ation of  the  bill.  He  confessed 
that,  according  to  the  bill,  their 
population  ought  to  save  them  from 
the  loss  of  their  members;  but 
ministers  nevertheless  had  resolved 
to  disfranchise  them,  fliecause  they 
were  too  much  under  the  influence 
of  individuals.  They  were  Down- 
ton  and  St.  Germain's. 

On  this  occasion  no  debate  took 
place,  sir  R.  Peel  having  stated 
that  he  did  not  wish  to  divide  the 
House  on  the  first  reading,  that 
he  wished  still  less  to  have  a  long 
debate  without  a  division,  and  that 
the  discussion  would   take  place 

[M] 


162}   ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


most  conveniently  on  the  second 
reading.  For  his  own  part,  he 
wished  but  for  one  effectual  dis- 
cussion on  the  principles  of  the 
bill,  previously  to  its  going  into 
committee:  he  spoke,  however, 
merely  as  an  individual.  He  hoped, 
likewise,  that,  before  that  discus- 
sion, the  bills  for  Scotland  and 
Ireland  would  be  brought  in,  for  it 
was  material,  that  the  House,  before 
it  discussed  the  English  bill  should 
know  the  intentions  of  ministers 
with  regard  to  Scotland  and  Ire- 
land. The  king's  speech  had  re- 
commended the  House  to  consider 
the  general  question  of  reform  with 
reference  to  Ireland  and  to  Scot- 
land, as  well  as  to  England  -,  and 
if  the  House  proceeded  to  fiilfil 
the  promises  they  had  given  in  the 
address,  that  they  would  j)roceed 
immediately  to  take  into  consider- 
ation the  question  of  reform,  they 
werebouna  in  compliance  with  that 
address,  not  certainly  to  proceed 
with  the  bills  pari  passu,  but  still 
to  seek  to  know  what  was  to  be 
done  with  respect  to  Ireland  and 
Scotland. 

The  second  reading  accordingly 
did  not  take  place  till  the  4th  of 
July,  the  Irish  bill  having  been 
brought  in,  and  read  a  first  time, 
on  the  ;50th  of  June,  and  the  Scotch 
bill  on  the  1st  of  July.  During 
the  interval  a  good  deal  of  notice 
was  excited  by  the  mode  in  which 
ministers  dealt  with  a  very  im- 
portant clause  which  now  appeared 
in  the  bill.  The  franchise  was  still 
a  10/.  franchise,  but  the  bill,  as 
brought  in,  provided  that  per- 
sons paying  a  yearly  rent  of  !()/. 
should  not  be  entitled  to  vote, 
if  their  rent  was  payable  of^ner 
than  half  yearly.  The  effect  of 
this  would  have  been  twofold — it 
would,  to  a  certain  extent,  have 
limited   the  constituency,   and  it 


might  have  given  landlords  the 
power  of  conferring  the  franchise 
on  their  tenants  or  refusing  it,  by 
accepting  half  yearly,  or  insisting 
on  more  frequent  payments.  A 
clamour  was  immediately  raised 
against  the  clause  by  the  reformers, 
and  the  clause  was  immediately 
sacrificed  by  ministers,  who  pre- 
tended it  had  crept  in  by  inadver- 
tence, or,  at  least,  that  they  had 
not  been  aware  of  its  probable 
eflfects.  If  it  was  deliberately  in- 
troduced into  the  bill,  it  was  in 
vain  to  tell  the  world  that  they 
had  not  weighed  its  consequences  j 
and  even  if  that  had  been  true,  the 
confession  that  they  had  made  so 
important  a  provision  in  utter  ig- 
norance of  its  plain  consequences, 
was  not  fitted  to  conciliate  con- 
fidence to  their  handy  work.  When 
it  was  first  noticed  in  the  House  of 
Commons,  on  the  29th  June,  mi- 
nisters ascribed  it  to  some  technical 
**  defects"  in  the  wording  of  the 
clause.  The  ministerial  organs  of 
the  press,  to  remove  suspicion  from 
their  patrons,  threw  the  blame  on 
Mr.  Gregson,  the  gentleman  who 
had  been  employed  to  draw  up  the 
bill.  This  was  imprudent ;  for  Mr. 
Gregson's  defence  brought  out  the 
fact  that  what  ministei*s  now  ex- 
cused as  an  inadvertence  had  been 
deliberately  resolved  on,  after  their 
attention  had  been  specially  drawn 
to  its  necessary  effects.  Lord  Al- 
thorpe,  to  whom  Mr.  Gregson  had 
complained  of  the  statements  in  the 
ministerial  journals,  had  promised 
to  absolve  him  from  all  blame  be- 
fore the  house.  An  opportunity 
for  doing  so  not  having  occurred, 
or  not  having  been  taken,  Mr.  Est- 
court  (4th  July)  drew  the  atten- 
tion of  the  House  to  the  subject, 
when  lord  Althorpe  admitted,  that 
the  alteration  in  the  bill  had  been 
made  by  the  directions  of  ministers. 


HISTORY  OP  EUROPE. 


[163 


It  bad  been  made  be  said  only  witb 
a  view  to  render  more  effective  the 
value  of  ten  pound  bouses,  but 
ministers  bad  committed  a  great 
mistake  from  not  being  aware  that 
the  alteration  would  disfranchise  a 
number  of  voters,  and  they  had 
abandoned  it  as  soon  as  they  dis** 
covered  that  such  would  be  the 
effect  of  it.  Mr.  Estcourt  thinking 
this  explanation  only  partially  sa- 
tisfactory, asked  whether  he  was  to 
understand,  that  Mr.  Gregson  had 
stated  to  ministers  the  objections 
which  lay  against  the  alteration, 
and  that,  notwithstanding  this 
warning,  ministers  had  directed 
him  to  draw  up  the  bill  as  it  now 
appeared.  In  answer  lord  John 
Russell  admitted  that  Mr.  Gregson 
did  state  bis  objections,  and  that 
he  certainly  did  understand  him  to 
say  what  effect  the  alteration  would 
have  upon  persons  paying  a  rent 
sufficient  to  qualify  them  for  the 
franchise,  but  paying  it  quarterly  ; 
but,  at  the  same  time,  Mr.  Greg- 
son did  not  convey  to  his  mind  the 
idea  that  the  alteration  would  cut 
so  deeply  as  it  had  been  found  it 
would  do.  Various  objections  had 
been  stated  to  parts  of  the  bill,  in 
the  course  of  preparing  it,  but 
many  of  them  did  not  seem  to  him 
of  any  importance,  and  among 
these  was  the  alteration  in  question^ 
which  had  not  made  a  greater  im- 
pression on  his  mind  than  others. 
The  second  reading  of  the  bill 
was  moved  on  the  4th  of  July. 
Sir  John  Walsh  moved  as  an 
amendment  that  it  should  be  read 
a  second  time  that  day  six  months. 
The  debate  which  followed  was 
continued  during  the  5th  and  6th. 
It  consisted  almost  entirely  of  a 
.re}}etition  of  the  views,  the  argu- 
ments, and  anticipations,  which 
had  been  brought  out  at  such  great 
length  in  the  preceding  parliament, 


and  with  which  it  is  unnecessary 
again  to  load  our  pages.  The  new 
matter  of  the  supporters  of  the  bill 
consisted  principally  in  enlarging 
on  what  they  termed  the  triumph- 
ant evidence  with  which  the  general 
election  had  furnished  them,  that 
all  room  for  doubt  or  hesitation 
was  now  at  an  end ;  that  the  voice 
of  the  people,  whose  representatives 
the  House  ought  to  be,  had  finally 
decided,  not  merely  that  there 
must  be  reform,  but  that  kind  and 
degree  of  reform  contained  in  the 
ministerial  bill ;  that  this  voice  had 
been  pronounced  unanimously — for 
the  returns  from  close  boroughs, 
and  some  counties  not  much  better 
were  not  things  that  could  justly 
be  taken  into  account  in  estimat- 
ing the  will  and  the  wishes  of 
those  who  formed  the  people.  To 
this  the  opponents  of  the  bill 
answered,  that  the  argument  drawn 
from  the  mere  fact  of  a  popular 
clamour  having  been  raised  in 
favour  of  this  measure  was  fit  only 
for  'legislators  who  had  been  in- 
vested with  that  character  on  no 
other  terms  than  those  of  pledging 
themselves  to  discharge  feithfiilly 
the  humble  duty  of  delegates,  and 
not  to  act  according  to  any  opin- 
ions which  their  own  minds  might 
form  regarding  the  necessity  or 
the  benefits  of  the  measure  to  be 
proposed  by  government.  No  man 
could  deny  the  violent  excitement 
which  had  taken  place  -,  most  men 
would  not  hold  that  large  bodies 
of  electors  were  the  fittest  persons 
for  deciding  on  the  merits  of  so 
complicated  and  delicate  a  ques- 
tion ;  and  every  man  must  concede 
that,  least  of  afl,  could  the  decision 
of  such  assemblages  be  regarded, 
when  made  under  the  influence  of 
temporary  and  violent  agitation, 
sedulously  cherished  by  false  pre- 
texts, and  supported  by  so  many 
[M3g 


164]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


groundless  anticipations.     The  re- 
turns could  not  even  be  considered 
as  shewing  the  opinion  of  the  coun- 
try on  this  plan  of  reform,  so  much 
had  they  been  influenced  by  con- 
siderations not  connected  with  the 
merits  of  the  proposition  itself,  and 
by  identifying  it  with  consequences 
to  which  those  even  of  its  fiends, 
who  were  rational  and  candid,  ad- 
mitted that  it  never  would  lead. 
Take  from  the  polls  those  who  be- 
lieved that  in  this  bill  were  to  be 
found  the  abolition  of  tithes  and 
the  seizure  of  church  property — 
the  much    greater   numbers    who 
saw  in  it  a  vast  reduction  of  taxes 
and  the  immediate  increase  of  their 
personal  comforts — all  those  who, 
deaf  to  such  motives,  but  bribed 
by  their  very  loyalty,  ranged  them- 
selves round  a  measure  which  they 
were  told  was  that  of  the  king, 
and  was  opposed  only  by  the  ene- 
mies of  the  king  — and,  after  such 
deductions,    the   reformers   would 
have  little  cause  to  boast  of  the 
existence  of  that  kind  of  public 
voice  to  which  alone  a  wise  and 
conscientious  man  ought  to  listen. 
Where  had  been  the  loudness  and 
unanimity,    now   so   vaunted,    in 
favour  of  reform,  before  the  pro- 
mulgation of  the  present  measure, 
and  the  triumphs  of  the  democracy 
of  France  }     What  reforming  riots 
had  disgraced  the  country — what 
political    unions   had    banded    the 
people,   and  usurped  the  govern- 
ment—what pledges  had  been  de- 
manded  from    candidates    at .  the 
preceding   election  ?     How   little 
ministers  could  trust  to  reason  and 
calmness   among  the  people,    and 
how  much  they  reckoned  on  every 
thing  that  was  the  reverse,   was 
manifest    from    the   delicacy   and 
respect  with  which   they  treated 
bodies   that  ought  to  have   been 
unknown  to  them  as  a  government. 


except  for  the  purpose  of  discoun- 
tenancing  them.      Ministers  had 
wisely  resolved  not  to  entrust  the 
franchise  even  to  10/.  voters,  who 
paid   weekly,   for  instance.     But 
this  resolution  displeased  the  Bir- 
mingham   political    union ;    they 
addressed  a  letter  on  the  subject 
to  the  prime  minister,   and  that 
noble  lord  honoured  them  with  the 
most  friendly  recognition.     ''  May 
I  be  permitted   to  ask/'  said  sir 
Charles  Wetherell,  "  of  the  quoters 
of  Selden  and  other  great  consti- 
tutional   authorities,    whether   it 
was  the  practice  of  the  times  to 
which  they  referred  for  the  first 
minister  of  the  crown  to  recognize 
and  acknowledge  an  usurping  body 
of  men — a  self  elected  corporation  ? 
When  was  it  considered  in  accord- 
ance with  the  practice  and  prin- 
ciples of  the.  constitution  for  the 
king's  minister  to  recognize  those 
who  wielded  an  unauthorized  and 
arbitrary  power  ?     If  the  Birming- 
ham   political  union   presented   a 
petition  to  the  House  of  Commons 
in  that  name,  he  might  safely  ap- 
peal  to   the   Speaker   whether  it 
would  be  received  by  the  House — 
whether  it  would  not  be  rejected, 
because   the   parties  transmitting 
it  assumed  a  corporate  character, 
which  they  had  no  right  to  take. 
In  their  individual  character  they 
had  a  right  to  state  their  opinion 
to  the  House,  but  the  House  would 
not  receive  a  petition  from  them 
in  the  assumed  capacity  of  a  cor- 
poration that  was  not  knoTWn  to 
the  law.     He  did,  in  the  face  of 
the  House,  charge  the  prime  mi- 
nister with  a  great  and  glaring  im- 
propriety, in  recognizing,  by  his 
letter,  the  existence  of  an  illegally- 
constituted,    and   falsely-assumed, 
corporation." 

On  the  other  hand,  it  was  main- 
tained, in  the  first  place^  that,  even 


HISTORY  OF   EUROPE. 


165 


admitting,  in  the  general  case,  the 
inexpediency  of  tying  down  repre- 
sentatives by  specific  pledges,  yet, 
if  ever  there  was  a  time  when 
pledges  might  be  admitted,  it  was 
the  present.  The  subject  of  reform 
had  now  been  so  fiilly  discussed, 
that  the  greater  number  of  men 
were  as  well  able  to  judge  of  its 
merits  as  most  of  those  who  were 
returned  to  parliament.  The  pub- 
lic had  had  the  opportunity  of 
reading  all  the  debates  upon  the 
subject.  Pledges  might,  there- 
fore, be  fairly  required  from  candi- 
dates as  to  the  support  of  a  mea- 
sure so  well  understood.  Neither 
was  it  true  that  the  elections  had 
been  effected  by  violence  and  ex- 
citement. Never  had  less  of  either 
accompanied  any  election  ;  and 
even  if  it  had  been  otherwise,  how 
could  that  affect  the  justice  and 
expediency  of  the  present  measure  ? 
And  if  violence  was  feared,  was  it 
not  true  that,  whenever  the  people 
had  a  legal  vent  for  their  feelings, 
they  were  less  likely  to  be  violent 
than  when  they  were  obliged  to 
suppress  them.  Give  them  liberty 
of  voting,  and  they  would  seek  no 
licence  of  action. 

On  the  principle  of  the  measure 
ministers  and  their  friends  repeated 
that,  although  it  went  farther  than 
they  had  been  pledged  to  go,  it 
went  no  farther  than  they  were 
convinced  it  was  necessary  and 
wise  to  go ;  that  it  was  merely  an 
application  of  the  true  principles 
of  the  constitution,  in  order  to 
render  it  what  it  ought  to  be  5 
that,  instead  of  being  dangerous 
to  the  stability  of  property,  tb- 
the  prerogative  of  the  crown,  or 
the  due  influence  of  the  aristocracy, 
it  would  strengthen  and  consolidate 
them  all ;  that,  moreover,  be  it 
what  it  might,  the  country  de- 
manded it^would  be  satisfied  with 


nothing  less — and,  if  this  was  re- 
fused, would  soon  take  more.  The 
opponents  of  the  bill  repeated,  that 
the  people  had  never  thought  of 
demanding  this  bill,  until  it  was 
offered  to  them  as  a  bribe  to  rouse 
them  in  support  of  a  ministry 
which,  but  for  that,  would,  soon 
after  its  creation,  have  paid,  by  its 
dissolution,  the  penalty  of  its  radi- 
cal and  incurable  incapacity ;  that, 
in  itself,  it  was  not  reform,  but 
the  fabrication  of  a  new  constitu- 
tion. It  did  not  contain  any  one 
rule  which  had  ever  before  been 
known  to  exist  in  the  constitution. 
It  did  not  remove  abuses,  but  dealt 
in  total  destruction  -,  it  did  not 
purify  a  representation  which  was 
to  support  a  throne,  but  laid  the 
deep  foundations  of  a  pure  demo- 
cracy, with  which  neither  mon- 
arch nor  aristocracy  could  long 
co-exist  as  independent  parts  of  a 
political  constitution.  It  justified 
its  necessity  by  existing  anomalies, 
and  itself  teemed  with  anomalies 
in  all  and  each  of  its  parts.  It 
pretended  to  be  founded  on  the 
rights  of  the  people,  and  yet  pro- 
ceeded on  no  principle  which  was 
not  admitted  to  be  so  absolutely 
arbitrary,  that  its  very  framers 
could  not  tell  why  they  had  drawn 
the  lines  which  defined  its  o|)era- 
tion.  It  was  the  creation  of  vain 
and  selfish  men,  seeking  what  they 
termed  sound  principle,  without 
having  detected  any  practical  evil, 
or  being  able  to  promise  any  prac- 
tical good — conceited  enough  to 
imagine  that  their  unaided  wisdom 
could  produce  something  far  more 
favourable  to  human  happiness  and 
virtue  than  the  British  constitu- 
tion, and  conciliating  favour  to 
their  speculations,  not  by  address- 
ing themselves  to  wisdom  and  rea- 
son, but  by  stooping  to  flatter  and 
bribe   the   btina   prejudices    and 


1«6]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


selfishness  of  multitudes  and  of 
demagogues. 

The  division  shewed  a  majority 
of  136  in  favour  of  ministers ;  the 
votes  for  the  second  reading  being 
3d7>  and  those  for  the  amendment 
231. 

The  committee  had  been  fixed 
for  the  r2th  of  July.  On  the 
motion^  that  the  Speaker  should 
leave  the  chair,  lord  M aitland,  one 
of  the  members  for  Appleby,  called 
the  attention  of  the  House  to  the 
case  of  that  borough,  which,  he 
contended,  was  included  in  schedule 
A-— which  contained  the  boroughs 
to  be  totally  disfranchised— solely 
in  consequence  of  a  mistake  in  the 
population  returns  of  1821)  which 
were  taken  as  the  basis  of  the  pre- 
sent bill.  The  population  of  this 
borough,  including  the  parishes  of 
St.  Michael  and  St.  Lawrence, 
amounted,  according  to  the.  re- 
turns of  1811^  to  2,616  ;  but  the 
returns  of  1821  had  reduced  this 
number  considerably  below  2,000, 
by  the  accidental  omission  of  the 
parish  of  St.  Lawrence.  He  mov- 
ed, that  his  constituents  should  be 
heard  at  the  bar  by  themselves 
and  their  counsel  against  the  bill, 
in  m  far  as  it  affected  them,  and 
in  support  of  the  allegations  in 
their  petition. 

Ministers  declared  they  would 
resist  any  such  inquiry  to  the 
uttermost.  Was  the  progress  of 
this  great  bill  to  be  stopped,  to 
enter  into  an  examination  of  the 
particular  case  of  so  insignificant 
a  place  as  Appleby?  Would  the 
mafority  of  that  House  allow  them- 
selves to  be  trifled  with  ?  The  bill 
was  not  one  of  {)ains  and  penalties, 
and  members  would  be  heard,  in 
committee,  in  regard  to  this  and 
every  other  borough  j  but,  if  the 
House  was  to  hear  counsel  in  the 
cas«  of  Appleby^  they  might  like- 


wise be  called  on  to  hear  them  in 
the  case  of  the  other  condemned 
boroughs,  and  that  would  be  vexa- 
tious. The  House  had  the  in- 
formation furnished  by  the  popu- 
lation returns,  which  was  sufficient. 
If  witnesses  were  examined  at  the 
bar,  they  must  necessarily,  if  they 
had  not  been  engaged  in  taking 
the  census,  be  unable  to  furnish 
any  other  evidence,  and  if  they 
had  been  so  engaged,  they  would 
furnish  just  the  same  evidence. 
In  answer,  Mr.  C.  Wynn,  Mr. 
Praed,  Mr.  Attwood,  sir  E.  Sug- 
den,  and  Mr,  Croker,  maintained, 
that  iBere  never  had  been  an  in- 
stance of  so  arbitrary  and  uncon- 
stitutional an  attempt  as  ministers 
were  now  making.  The  second 
reading  had  carried  the  principle 
of  the  bill ;  but  these  petitioners 
were  not  objecting  to  the  principle ; 
they  only  maintained  that,  adopt- 
ing that  principle,  the  rule  laid 
down  by  the  bill  itself,  and  founded 
on  a  matter  of  fact,  could  not  apply 
to  them.  Ministers  must  know, 
that  petitions  of  this  kind  could 
be  received  only  on  the  second 
reading ;  and  that,  in  the  com- 
mittee, no  petitions  could  be  re-* 
ceived  except  such  as  were  directed 
against  particular  enactments.  Was 
this  bill  not  a  bill  of  pains  and 
penalties  ?  They  were  proposing 
to  take  a  valuable  right  (be  it  pro« 
perty  or  trust)  from  a  borough 
upon  certain  grounds,  which  that 
borough  declared  not  to  be  applic- 
able to  it,  and  claimed  to  bo 
heard  on  the  subject  by  counsel 
at  the  bar.  Was  it  not  just  that 
they  should  be  heard  ?  Had  it 
been  usual,  in  former  cases,  for  the 
House  to  point  out  the  mode  of 
defence  to  be  adopted  by  parties 
attacked,  and  restrict  them  in  that 
particular,  instead  of  allowing  them 
to  take  their  own  course  i    Wbea 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[167 


the  cases  of  corrupt  boroughs  bad 
becu  brought  before  the  House, 
counsel  were  allowed  to  defend 
them  at  the  bar  ;  why  should  not 
a  similar  privilege  be  allowe<l  here? 
Because,  it  was  said,  if  they  ad- 
mitted the  right  of  the  borough  to 
being  heard  in  this  case,  they  must 
also  admit  the  right  in  other  cases 
of  a  similar  nature.  Undoubtedly : 
and  why  not  ?  Whether  borough- 
right  involved  a  right  of  projierty^, 
or  whether  it  was  simply  a  duty, 
parties  ought  to  be  heard  in  de- 
fence of  it.  This-  borough  was 
pure,  but  only  asked  the  same 
advantage  as  it  would  be  entitled 
to  if  it  were  corrupt.  Let  the 
House  treat  it  as  well  as  if  it  had 
qualiiied  itself  for  indulgence  by 
being  impure.  The  borough  was 
blameless  ;  treat  it  as  if  it  were 
culpable,  that  was  all  that  was 
required.  It  was  the  bounden 
duty  of  ministers  to  have  rendered 
themselves  masters  of  the  case  of 
every  borough  included  in  either 
of  the  schedules  before  bringing  in 
the  bill.  That  they  had  not  done 
so,  the  repeated  changes  made  in 
the  schedules  proved — cases  such 
as  the  present  proved  it — nay,  that 
provision,  by  which  three  months 
were  to  be  allowed  for  the  purpose 
of  enabling  commissioners  to  parcel 
out  boroughs  and  counties,  proved 
ministers'  ignorance  of  the  details 
of  their  own  measure.  Did  go- 
vernment claim  to  itself  an  exclu- 
sive use  of  the  unlicensed  practice 
of  making  mistakes  ad  libitum,  and 
likewise  the  practice  of  curing 
those  mistakes  nd  Ubilnm  ?  Was 
nobody  else  to  point  out  an  error, 
(h:  suggest  a  remedy  ?  There  was 
sufficient  evidence  already,  for- 
sooth, in  the  population  returns. 
It  was  admitted,  that  these  re- 
turns might  be  erroneous ;  minis- 
ters allowj^  that;  in  rarioua  in« 


stances,  they  had  proved  to  be 
erroneous,  and  to  require  correc- 
tion. The  allegation  offered  to  be 
established  was,  that,  in  relation 
to  this  borough,  they  were  errone- 
ous ;  and  how  could  that  be  made 
out  by  evidence,  if  the  |>etitioners 
were  not  allowed  to  produce  it  ? 
The  evidence  was  tendered,  too, 
at  the  only  time  at  which  it  could 
be  tendered.  It  was  certain,  that 
the  Committee  could  not  hear  evi- 
dence at  the  bar  without  the  pre- 
vious permission  of  the  House, 
granted  on  a  formal  motion.  The 
present  motion  was  merely  that 
the  petitioners  should  be  thus 
heard;  and,  if  it  were  rejected, 
it  was  plain  that  the  thorough 
investigation  held  out  as  awaiting 
them  in  the  committee  would  be 
impossible.  The  petitioners  had, 
weeks  ago,  addressed  two  memo- 
rials to  ministers ;  they  had  stated 
their  case  as  soon,  and  in  the  same 
manner,  as  Buckingham  and  Truro, 
and,  as  the  cases  were  perfectly 
identical,  expected  to  have  been 
equally  successful.  But  ministers 
would  not  listen,  and  that  was  now 
to  be  a  reasion  why  the  House 
should  not  even  inquire,  whether 
the  statements,  on  which  a  borough 
was  to  be  deprived  of  the  elective 
franchise,  were  true  or  false.  Min- 
isters were  bringing  down  their 
pledged  majority  to  vote  in  the 
dark,  and,  trusting  to  numbers, 
M'ere  setting  at  defiance  all  argu- 
ment, precedent,  and  justice. 

The  motion,  however,  was  re- 
jected by  a  majority  of  97  (284  to 
187)>  although  several  supporters 
of  the  bill  ventured  to  vote  in  the 
minority.  Among  these  "was  al- 
derman Thompson,  one  of  the 
members  iot  Loitdon,  who  stated, 
from  his  locAl  knowledge  of  Apple- 
by, that  the  petitioners  were  justly 
estitied  (o  8b«w  cause  why  they 


168]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


should  not  be  disfranchised,  and 
that  justice  would  not  be  done  if 
the  motion  were  rejected.  The 
alderman  was  immediately  called 
before  a  junta  of  his  constituents, 
to  answer  for  his  audacity  in  hav- 
ing dared  to  support  what  he 
thought  just,  in  opposition  to 
ministers.  In  vain  he  assured 
them  that  he  was  as  faithful  as 
ever  to  his  pledge  to  the  bill — that 
he  had  duly  voted  for  the  second 
reading — that  the  point  in  dispute 
had  not  involved  any  principle, 
but  simply,  whether  or  no  the  facts 
on  which  it  proceeded  were  to  be 
taken  at  random,  or  ascertained 
by  evidence;  that  the  bill  itself 
said,  no  borough  should  be  totally 
disfranchised  if  its  population  ex- 
ceeded  2,000,  and  he  had  merely 
wished  to  know  whether  Appleby 
did  or  did  not  contain  that  num« 
ber.  His  hard  taskmasters  com- 
pelled him  to  express  his  regret 
for  having  been  guilty  of  so  great 
an  '^  inadvertence"  as  to  vote 
against  ministers,  and  only  on  that 
condition,  they  continued  their 
favour  to  the  weeping,  repentant, 
and  degraded  alderman.  Such  was 
the  state  of  trembling  servility  to 
which  legislators  so  elected  were 
reduced,  and  such  was  the  mean- 
ing  of  the  pledges  by  which  they 
were  bound.  Here  was  an  English 
merchant  compelled  to  express  his 
sorrow  for  having  opposed  the 
commission  of  what  he  believed  to 
be  injustice,  perpetrated  for  the 
purpose  of  suppressing  what  he 
believed  to  be  the  truth. 

This  motion  having  been  lost^ 
a  new  discussion  arose,  before  the 
Speaker  left  the  chair,  on  the 
general  principles  and  tendencies 
of  the  bill.  There  being  still  se- 
veral members  who  wished  to  ex- 
press their  sentiments,  and  the 
majority  seeming  impatient  to  cut 


all  argument  shorty  Mr.  Gordon, 
who  had  been  interrupted  by  their 
cries  for  a  division,  moved  an  ad- 
journment. The  chancellor  of  the 
Exchequer  refused  to  consent ;  he 
would  have  no  further  general  ar- 
gument on  the  bill  after  that  night, 
for  sir  Robert  Peel,  when  the  bill 
was  brought  in,  had  distinctly 
stated,  that  one  discussion  on  the 
second  reading  would  be  sufficient. 
That  was  true ;  but  sir  Robert  had, 
at  the  same  time,  distinctly  stated 
that,  in  saying  so,  he  expressed 
only  his  individual  opinion.  The 
motion  for  the  Speaker  leaving  the 
chair  was  carried  by  a  majority  of 
328  to  102;  but  the  minority, 
thinking,  more  especially  from  the 
treatment  of  Appleby  in  the  earlier 
part  of  the  evening,  that  there  was 
a  determination  to  hurry  on,  by 
means  of  the  majority,  independent 
of  all  inquiry  or  argument,  resolved 
to  shew  at  once  that  they  were 
prepared,  on  their  side,  to  make 
good  the  protection  which  the 
forms  of  the  House  afford  to  a 
minority.  Seven  different  times 
they  moved  an  adjournment,  as  an 
amendment  to  the  as  often  repeated 
motion,  that  the  Speaker  should 
leave  the  chair,  and  divided  the 
House.  Each  division  was  pre- 
ceded by  angry  skirmishing,  the 
majority  insisting  that  the  opposi- 
tion was  factious  and  unreasonable, 
and  that  the  minority  were  bound 
to  submit  \  the  minority,  again, 
maintaining  that  the  privilege  of 
moving  an  adjournment  meant  just 
the  reverse,  and  that  it  was  used  at 
present  for  its  constitutional  and 
useful  purpose  of  preventing  a 
majority  from  stifling  all  discus- 
sion, and  of  shewing  that  this  bill 
was  not  to  be  hurried  through  in 
the  way  which  some  gentlemen 
had  anticipated.  Some  ministerial 
members  advised  government  to 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[169 


yield,  as  the  power  of  moving  an 
adjournment  was  the  only  protec- 
tion which  a  minority  enjoyed 
against  a  majority,  and  it  always 
had  been  the  practice  of  govern- 
ment, on  similar  occasions,  to  give 
way.  Others  urged  the  chancellor 
of  the  Exchequer  not  to  yield  an 
inch  of  ground.  The  Attorney- 
general  said  it  was  important  that 
the  government  should  persevere 
in  opposing  the  amendment,  in 
consequence  of  the  manner  in  which 
the  minority  were  abusing  their 
privilege  in  moving  it ;  for  the 
objection  to  proceeding  with  the 
debate  was  not  founded  on  any 
constitutional  objections  to  the  re- 
form bill,  but  on  the  simple  fact 
that  an  individual  had  felt  that 
he  had  not  been  heard  with  suffi- 
cient attention  at  twelve  o'clock 
at  night.  But  the  Attorney-ge- 
neral forgot,  that  it  was  just  this 
fact,  coupled  with  the  Appleby 
discussion,  which  had  induced  the 
minority  to  shew  their  resolution 
not  to  be  trampled  down.  One 
member  desired  the  opposition  to 
remember,  that  a  day  of  retribu- 
tion was  coming — but  still  an  ad- 
journment was  moved.  Mr.  Sheil 
declared,  that  when  this  debate 
went  forth  next  day,  the  whole 
metropolis  would  be  m  a  ferment  5 
a  Mr.  James  announced  that  the 
artisans  might  now  hoist  their 
black  flag  ;  and  ministers  them- 
selves were,  in  truth,  much  more 
conciliatory  than  their  adherents. 
This  foolisn  language  produced  no 
effect.  The  minority,  headed  by 
sir  C.  Wetherell,  stood  upon  their 
right,  and  justified  the  object  for 
which  they  were  using  it.  Sir 
Charles  said,  that  never  were 
amendments  moved  on  more  con- 
stitutional grounds.  He  and  his 
friends  were  determined  to  secure 
the  independence  of  the  House^ 


and  prevent  freedom  of  debate  from 
being  stifled.  He  would  continue 
to  pursue  the  path  which  he  had 
hitherto  followed,  being  convinced 
that  in  that  House  he  should  .be 
deemed  to  have  acted  the  part  of 
an  independent  member  of  parlia- 
ment, though  he  was  only  the 
member  of  a  rotten  borough.  The 
noble  lord  and  his  majority  should 
have  frequent  opportunities  of  quit- 
ting the  House,  like  a  comet  with 
its  tail,  and  returning  to  a  renewal 
of  the  same  exercise.  He  and  his 
friends  would^  conduct  their  cause 
with  the  genuine  sincerity  of  men 
who  conscientiously  believed  them- 
selves to  be  engaged  in  protecting 
the  best  interests  of  the  country. 
He  had  already  made  up  his 
mind  to  perseverance,  and  perse- 
vere he  would.  Government,  in 
possession  of  exulting  majorities, 
should  have  taken  for  its  motto, 
Parcere  suhjectis  et  debellare  SU" 
perbos.  But  it  would  do  no  such 
thing.  It  was  not  content  with 
dancing  in  and  out  of  the  House 
with  a  comic  train  of  attendants, 
exulting  and  triumphing  in  their 
superiority — it  must  also  clamour 
its  opponents  into  silence.  Some 
gentlemen  then  present  recollected 
twenty  of  these  divisions  taking 
place  in  a  night.  When  he  had 
equalled  that  number,  and  had  got 
a  drawn  battle,  he  might  perhaps 
give  way;  but  certainly  not  till  then. 
On  the  last  division  the  majority 
counted  1 87  votes,  and  the  mino- 
rity 24  ;  but  as  the  latter  kept  un- 
flinchingly to  their  point,  and  seven 
o'clock  in  the  morning  was  ap- 
proaching, the  Chancellor  of  the 
Exchequer  declared  that  he  was, 
and  always  had  been,  anxious  that 
the  House  should  have  the  fullest 
opportunity  to  discuss  the  question 
on^  the  evening  of  the  day  the 
morning  of  which  was  sdready  so 


170]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


fkr  advanced.  If  the  House^  there- 
fore,  would  allow  him  to  go  into 
committee  pro  format  the  chair- 
man might  report  progress,  and 
ask  leave  to  sit  again  to-morrow, 
when  the  discussion  might  go  on 
as  before ;  this  arrangement  was 
agreed  to,  and  the  House  adjourned 
at  half-past  seven  o'clock. 

'  On  the  13th,  accordingly,  when 
the  motion  was  made  for  the  speaker 
leaving  the  chair,  some  discussion 
on  the  general  principles  of  the  bill 
took  place,  but  it  was  very  brief, 
the  opposition  apparently  being 
satisfied  with  having  shewn  that 
they  had  resolution  enough  to  in- 
sist on  full  and  free  discussion.  In 
the  committee,  when  the  first 
clause  was  read,  declaring  that  the 
boroughs  contained  in  schedule  A 
should  cease  to  return  members, 
Mr.  C.  W.  Wynn  moved  that  the 
consideration  of  this  clause  (and, 
if  he  succeeded,  likewise  of  the 
partially  disfranchising  clause  ap- 
plicable to  schedule  B)  should  be 
delayed,  till  the  clauses  which 
bestowed  members  on  places  hither- 
to unrepresented  should  have  been 
settled.  He  thought  the  first 
thing  the  House  should  do  was  to 
see  what  places  ought  to  be  en- 
franchised, and  then  how  far  other 
alterations  must  be  made  in  order 
to  admit  them.  He  was  disposed 
to  agree  to  a  considerable  addition 
of  new  members ;  but  he  would 
first  determine  upon  the  proper 
number,  and  afterwards  consider 
how  room  was  to  be  made  for 
them.  He  thought  it  best  to  make 
room  for  them,  rather  than  to  add 
them  to  the  present  amount  of 
members,  because  it  was  generally 
acknowledged  that  any  increase  of 
the  numbers  of  that  House  would 
not  be  attended  with  convenience* 
He  was  inclined  to  think  that  t^he 
best  way  of  making  room  for  the 
new  members  was  by  uniting  bo^ 


roughs  rather  than  disfranchising 
them.  Why  might  not  the  bo- 
roughs of  Aldborough  and  Orford 
be  joined,  and  allowed  to  send  re- 
presentatives to  Parliament  con- 
jointly, instead  of  being  entirely 
extinguished  ?  He  did  not  see 
why  this  plan  of  uniting  boroughs 
might  not  be  acted  upon  as  well  in 
this  country  as  in  Scotland.  This, 
however,  could  not  be  done,  until 
the  number  of  new  members  to  be 
provided  for  was  known. 

Sir  E.  Sugden,  Mr.  Croker,  and 
sir  R.  Peel  spoke  in  favour  of  the 
amendment,  but  insisted  much  more 
largely  on  other  points  of  the  pro- 
posed  measure,  more  particularly 
on  the  impossibility  of  discovering 
on  what  principle  the  disfranchise- 
ment was  founded,  and  the  folly  of 
proceeding  to  disfranchise  on  the 
ground  of  population,  upon  in- 
^rmation  confessedly  imperfect. 
Ministers  at  one  moment  had  de- 
clared, that  the  number  of  the 
House  should  be  diminished  by 
sixty-two,  and  in  another  they 
turned  round,  stated  that  they  had 
changed  their  minds,  and  now  de- 
clared their  will,  relying  on  a  ma- 
jority to  back  them,  that  the  de- 
crease should  be  limited  to  thirty- 
one.  They  had  •taken  care  to  ex- 
clude from  the  present  bill  the 
grounds  upon  which  it  proceeded  ; 
and  when  posterity  came  to  inquire 
for  what  reasons  this  great  measure 
was  introduced,  in  vain  would  the 
bill  be  examined  to  discover  one 
single  ground  upon  which  disfran- 
chisement had  taken  place.  When 
the  House  looked  into  schedule  A, 
it  would  find,  that  ministers  had 
made  an  alteration  in  that,  in 
consequence  of  information  which 
they  had  received,  of  the  loosest 
description,  and  upon  which  if 
the  members  of  the  House  acted, 
they  would  be  trifling  with  the 
feelings  and  the  rights  of  the  people 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[171 


of  England.  Upon  the  strength 
of  certain  information  which  mi- 
nisters  had  laid  upon  the  table, 
they  had  taken  fiFe  boroughs,  which 
had  been  condemned  to  entire  ex- 
tinction, out  of  schedule  A,  and 
placed  them  in  schedule  B,  by  which 
transposition  they  would  gain  a 
member  each  ;  and  then^  as  a  sort 
of  counterpoise,  they  took  two  bo- 
roughs out  of  schedule  B  and  placed 
them  in  schedule  A.  Now  when 
ministers  brought  in  their  first  bill, 
did  they  or  did  they  not  proceed 
upon  sufficient  grounds  with  re- 
spect to  disfranchisement?  That 
they  did  not,  was  now  perfectly 
evident  from  the  alterations  whicn 
had  been  made  ;  and  certainly  more 
caution  ought  to  b&  used  in  pro- 
posing so  great,  so  radical,  a  change 
in  the  constitution.  The  present 
principle,  it  was  said,  was  to  abo- 
lish nomination  boroughs,  but  the 
principle  of  the  bill  originally  was, 
that  inconsiderable  and  decayed 
boroughs  only  were  to  be  disfran- 
chised ;  but  it  would  be  found,  that 
several  boroughs  were  to  be  dis- 
franchised which  were  not  nomin- 
ation boroughs,  whilst  several  were 
not  to  be  disfranchised  which  were 
nomination  boroughs.  Ministers 
had  formerly  been  told,  that  they 
were  retaining  nomination  bo- 
roughs, and  thereby  giving  to  them 
an  increased  value.  What  was 
their  answer?  That  they  never 
intended  to  interfere  with  the  rights 
of  legitimate  property.  So  that, 
in  point  of  principle,  it  was  not 
nomination  boroughs  they. were  to 
do  away,  but  small  and  decayed 
boroughs.  They  had  boasted  that 
property  was  the  basis  of  this  bill. 
While  ministers  were  hatching 
the  bill  in  the  cabinet,  the  member 
for  Shrewsbury,  unaware  of  what 
would  be  put  into  this  great  exem- 
plar of  wisdom,  introduced  a  bill  to 


exempt  from  the  payment  of  poor- 
rates  the  inhabitants  of  10/.  houses, 
— the  very  persons  who  were  to  be 
raised  to  the  distinction  of  electors. 
That  bill  stood  '  for  the  second 
reading  the  very  night  on  which  the 
noble  lord  brought  in  a  bill,  by 
which  10/.  householders  were  to  be 
raised  from  the  state  of  paupers, 
and  erected  into  independent  legis- 
lators of  the  country.  And  now  to 
the  farce  of  the  transaction.  The 
^hon.  member's  bill,  as  it  originally 
stood,  provided  that  the  occupier 
of  houses  under  12/.  rent  should 
not  be  called  on  to  pay  poor-rates, 
and  that  the  payment  of  these 
rates  should  be  transferred  to  the 
landlord.  This,  of  course,  was  in- 
tended to  include  houses  of  10/. 
But  the  limit  had  been  sincealtered 
to  10/.,  and  there  were  actually  two 
bills  going  through  the  House  pari 
passu,  by  one  of  which  a  1 0/.  house- 
holder had  a  legitimate  vote  for  a 
representative  in  the  reformed  par- 
liament, and  by  the  other  bill  he 
was  declared  a  pauper,  or  only  one 
degree  above  a  pauper.  For  the  sake 
of  the  bill  itself,  said  sir  R.  Peel,  it 
would  have  been  prudent  in  minis- 
ters to  have  avoided  calling  the  at- 
tention of  the  House  so  immedi- 
ately to  those  provisions ;  for 
whilst  the  bill  proceeded  on  the  doc- 
trine of  population,  it  was  guilty  of 
the  inconceivable  absurdity  of  hav- 
ing recourse  to  the  returns  of  1 82 1 , 
when  in  one  fortnight  the  House 
would  have  been  in  possession  of 
the  census  of  1 83 1 .  This  alono 
would  make  the  difference  of  ex- 
cluding many  boroughs  which 
otherwise  woUld  have  been  inclu- 
ded  in  the  different  schedules. 
Ministers  take  population  as  their 
basis,  and  yet  admit  that  the  re- 
turns of  1821  are  imperfect.  Nay, 
more,  they  not  only  admit  that 
they  areiroperfect,  but  agentlemao. 


172]       ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


whom  they  sent  since  the  bill  was 
iirst  promulgated  in  the  last  parlia- 
ment to  ascertain  the  exact  popu- 
lation of  the  towns  to  be  enfran- 
chised as  well  as  disfranchised^  says 
that  '*  if  more  time  were  afforded 
him,  he  should  be  able  to  procure 
information  which  would  essenti- 
ally illustrate  the  operations  of  the 
bill  on  twenty-five  of  the  large 
towns  set  down  in  schedule  C,"  and 
adds  his  regret  that  '^  he  had  ex- 
ceeded the  period  prescribed  for  his 
mission  one  day."  What  was  the 
inference  to  be  drawn  from  all 
this?  Simply  this — that  ministers 
were  not  only  acting  on  imperfect 
information,  but  would  neither 
themselves  procure  the  requisite 
information  nor  allow  us  (the  Op- 
position) to  procure  it.  And  yet, 
forsooth,  they  plume  themselves  on 
their  above-board  policy.  Minis- 
ters said,  that  they  did  not  reckon 
it  of  much  importance  whether  dis- 
franchisement or  enfranchisement 
came  first,  because,  according  to 
their  principles,  they  were  altoge- 
ther independent  of  each  other. 
They  did  not  propose  disfranchise- 
ment as  a  consequence  of,  or  a 
thing  rendered  necessary  by,  pro- 
spective enfranchisement ;  but  as  a 
measure  necessary  and  proper  in 
itself.  They  took  away  the  fran- 
chise from  a  small  and  corrupt  bo- 
rough, because  it  was  not  of  suffi- 
cient importance  to  hold  such  a 
right;  and  they  gave  it  to  a  great 
town  because,  without  any  refer- 
ence to  the  disfranchisement  of  the 
small  borough,  its  wealth  and  popu- 
lation entitled  it  to  be  represented. 
Ministers  were  prepared  to  assume 
the  principle  that  close  boroughs 
were  evils  in  themselves,  and  ought 
to  be  got  rid  of.  The  course  which 
the  House  ought  to  pursue  was,  to 
ascertain  what  boroughs  ought  to 
be  disfranchised,  for  the  primciple 


of  the  bill  was  to  disfranchise  bo- 
roughs which  ought  not  to  return 
members  to  that  House,  and  to 
give  representatives  to  those  bo- 
roughs which  ought  to  possess  them. 
The  amendment  was  lost  by  a  ma- 
jority of  1 1 8. 

In  the  committee,  next  day,  the 
question  of  total  disfranchisement 
in  regard  to  the  boroughs  contained 
in  this  first  schedule  was  again 
raised  by  sir  Robert  Peel.  The  sche- 
dule, he.  said,  included  fifty-seven 
boroughs. upon  each  of  which  it  was 
competent  for  any  member  to  raise 
a  discussion,  involving  the  consi- 
deration of  the  whole  bill.  He 
thought,  therefore,  the  best  course 
would  be,  to  take  the  sense  of  the 
House  on  this  question,  whether 
all  boroughs  containing  fewer  than 
2000  inhabitants  should  be  disfran- 
chised 3  and  when  the  will  of  the 
House  was  clearly  manifested  by 
decided  majorities,  he  for  one 
would  not  be  disposed  to  repeat. the 
division  in  the  case  of  each  pai'ticu- 
lar  borough,  upon  the  understand- 
ing that,  with  respect  to  every 
borough,  where  a  prima  facie  case 
could  be  established  that  it  did  not 
fall  below  the  line  drawn  by  minis- 
ters, an  opportunity  for  full  discus- 
sion would  be  afforded.  He  there- 
fore moved  that  the  word  '^each  " 
should  be  left  out  of  the  clause. 
The  question  thus  raised  was  to 
bring  out  the  gi'ouuds  on  which  this 
arbitrary  disfranchisement  wasrest- 
ed,  it  having  been  very  difficult  to 
discover  from  the  statements  of 
ministers  whether  they  aimed  at 
nomination  boroughs,  or  at  bo- 
roughs of  a  smaller  population  than 
2000,  whether  they  were  close  or 
independent,  or  at  population  as  a 
test  of  nomination.  The  chancellor 
of  the  Exchequer  stated  very  briefly, 
that  the  principle  which  ministers 
had  in  view  was  to  disfranchise  cer« 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[173 


tain  nomination  boroughs.  Some  of 
them  were  large,  some  of  them  small . 
All  under  2000  inhabitants  were  to 
be  disfranchised  entirely.  The 
others  were  to  retain  the  franchise 
to  a  certain  extent,  but  they  would 
be  thrown  open.  Lord  John  Rus- 
sell declared^  that  the  test  was  po- 
pulation ;  but  if  he  were  asked  the 
object  of  the  measure^  he  would  say, 
it  was  to  destroy  nomination  in 
every  respect,  and  give  every  10/. 
householder  a  vote.  The  test  was, 
whether  the  boroughs  did  or  did 
not  contain  2000  inhabitants.  It 
was  a  notorious  fact  that  all  the  bo- 
roughs in  schedule  A  were  nomina- 
tion boroughs. 

These  statements,  it  wasanswered, 
only  shewed  that  the  disfranchise- 
ment did  not  rest  on  any  one  fixed 
principle.  The  object  was  to  get 
rid  of  nomination  boroughs  ;  well, 
let  the  object  be  assumed.  How 
came  the  circumstance  of  a  place 
containing,  or  rather  having  con- 
tained in  1821,  one  human  being 
less  or  more  than  2000  to  be  a  test 
whether  it  was  an  independent  or 
a  subject  borough?  Nomination  was 
a  fact  independent  of  population  ; 
it  might  not  exist  in  a  borough  of 
1 ,500  inhabitants,  while  it  might 
exist  in  a  borough  of  3000.  It 
might  be  true  as  a  fact,  though  it 
was  not,  that  all  the  boroughs  in 
schedule  A  were  nomination  bo- 
roughs :  but  they  were  not  so,  6e- 
cause  they  contained  only  2000  in- 
habitants. Whether  or  not  a  bo- 
rough was  a  nomination  borough 
was  a  fact  to  be  ascertained  in  every 
case  by  evidence.  If  this  was  the 
principle,  ministers  were  bound  to 
exempt  every  borough  which  they 
could  not  shew  to  be  in  fact  a  no- 
mination borough.  If  they  said, 
no,  we  shall  disfranchise,  if  it  have 
fewer  than  2000  inhabitants,  whe- 
ther it  be  a  nomination  borough  or 


not,  then  they  brought  in  popula- 
tion, not  as  a  test  of  something  else, 
but  as  being  in  itself  a  substantive 
ground  of  disfranchisement.  They 
said  that  all  the  boroughs  in  sche- 
dule A  were  nomination  boroughs; 
yet  they  admitted,  that,  if  any  of 
them  could  be  shewn  to  have  con- 
tained, in  1821,  2,0()1  inhabitants, 
it  would  be  saved.  But  would  that 
access  of  population  make  it  less  a 
nomination  borough  ?  It  was  to  be 
saved,  then,  not  on  the  ground  of 
its  independence,  but  solely  on  the 
ground  of  population,  without  re- 
gard to  its  political  character. 
But,  say  ministers,  whatever  line 
we  may  draw  must  he  in  its  nature 
arbitrary.  Not  if  you  are  speaking 
truth  when  you  announce  your  prin- 
ciple. If  population  is  your  prin- 
ciple, which  you  say  it  is  not,  then 
to  be  sure  you  must  be  arbitrary  ; 
but  if  your  object  be  to  exclude 
every  nomination  borough,  that  is 
an  inquiry  of  fact  independent  of 
population,  and  requiring  the  ap- 
plication of  no  arbitrary  rule. 

If  the  destruction  of  nomination 
boroughs  be  the  object  and  princi- 
ple, and  population  only  the  test, 
what  becomes  of  the  one  or  the 
other  in  boroughs  of  l)etween  three 
and  four  thousand  inhabitants } 
They  are  to  lose  one  member :  they 
are  to  be  disfranchised  thus  par- 
tially because  they  are  nomination 
boroughs.  But  why  partially?  The 
principle  is,  to  get  rid  of  them ; 
and  yet  the  sentence  pronounced  by 
the  principle  of  the  bill  is  immedi- 
ately reversed  by  the  pretended 
test  of  that  principle — population. 
The  admission  of  ministers  that 
there  were  nomination  boroughs 
above,  as  well  as  below,  2000,  p^t 
an  end  to  population  as  a  test ;  for 
no  human  ingenuity  could  conceive 
of  2000  and  4000  being  equally 
tests.     The  one  must  be  too  low. 


J74]       ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831: 


or  the  other  must  be  too  high. 
But  these  boroughs^  it  was  said^ 
were  to  be  thrown  open.  If  so, 
then  the  whole  of  the  pretended 
groundwork  of  disfranchisement 
fell  away; — for  that  was  a  distinct 
admission  that  disfranchisement 
was  not  necessary  in  order  to  pu- 
rify a  nomination  borough.  If  a 
borough  containing  2001  inhabit- 
ants could  be  rendered  worthy  of 
its  privileges  by  the  new  constitu- 
ency, why  was  not  the  same  re- 
medy applied  to  a  borough  with  a 
population  of  1999?  How  could 
the  total  disfranchisement  of  the 
one,  and  the  partial  salvation  of  the 
other,  rest  on  the  same  principle  ? 
That  partial  salvation  itself  was 
utterly  inconsistent  with  the  a- 
vowed  object  and  principle  : — for, 
if  the  borough^is  to  be  independent 
with  its  remaining  member,  on 
what  principle  is  it  disfranchised 
quoad  the  other  ;  and  if  it  is  still 
to  be  a  nomination  borough,  with 
its  one  member,  on  what  principle 
has  it  not  been  deprived  of  botli  ? 
There  was  no  principle  either  fixed 
or  followed  out,  and  ministers 
would  take  sometimes  the  fact  of 
population  and  sometimes  the  as- 
sumption of  nomination,  as  best 
suited  their  own  views  and  wishes, 
while  they  proceeded  with  no  trust- 
worthy information  as  to  either. 
Greater  absurdity,  said  sir  Robert 
Peel,  there  could  not  be  than  to 
allow  numbers  to  become  the  test 
of  disfranchisement.  All  the  world 
knew  that  there  were  parodies  on 
university  examinations,  contain- 
ing such  questions  as  this,  given 
the  name  of  the  vessel  and  the 
height  of  the  mast,  to  find  out  the 
ship's  destination.  No  less  absurd 
was  the  declared  principle  of  this 
bill,  if  principle  it  might  be  called, 
viz.  given  the  number  of  men,  wo- 
men and  children  in  a  certain  place, 


to  find  the  political  independence 
of  its  inhabitants.  This  profound 
problem  ministers  had  not  at- 
tempted to  solve.  Would  they 
give  a  plain  answer  to  these  plain 
questions — is  the  House  asked  to 
afiirm  this  pro[^sition  ;  all  bo- 
roughs containing  from  50  to  2000 
inhabitants,  necessarily  are,  sim- 
ply on  account  of  their  population, 
nomination  boroughs  which  cannot 
be  purified,  but  must  be  destroyed ; 
and  all  boroughs  containing  from 
2000  to  4000  inhabitants,  necessa- 
rily are,  in  respect  of  their  popu- 
lation alone,  nomination  boroughs, 
which  can  be  purified  as  to  one  half 
but  cannot  be  purified,  and  must 
be  destroyed,  as  to  the  other. 
Let  these  propositions,  the  neces- 
sary result  of  thie  declared  princi- 
ples of  the  bill,  be  distinctly  stated, 
and  the  committee  and  the  country 
would  know  what  to  think  of  the 
wisdom  of  the  men  who  brought 
them  forth.— The  argument  was 
answered  by  a  division  which  gave 
ministers  a  majority  of  97 • 

When  Mr.  Wynn  proposed  the 
postponement  of  the  disfranchise- 
ment clauses  till  after  it  should 
have  been  determined  what  new 
boroughs  were  to  be  introduced, 
he  had  stated  that  room  might  be 
made  for  their  representatives  by 
uniting,  as  in  Scotland,  several  of 
the  smaller  boroughs,  instead  of 
visiting  them  with  disfranchise- 
ment. In  pursuance  of  the  same 
idea,  Sir  A.  Agnew,.  a  supporter 
of  the  bill,  moved  in  the  commit- 
tee, on  the  15th,  an  amendment 
to  the  effect,  "  that  the  boroughs 
in  schedule  A  should  have  a  share 
in  the  election  of  a  member  or 
members  to  serve  in  parliament  as 
shall  be  hereinafter  provided." — 
the  intended  subsequent  provision 
being,  the  conjunction  of  these 
boroughs  for  purposes  of  represent- 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[175 


ation.  To  this  proposition  it  was 
objected,  in  the  first  place,  that 
the  question  was  already  settled. 
The  effect  of  it  would  be,  that 
there  would  be  no  total  disfran- 
chisement of  the  boroughs  in- 
cluded under  this  first  clause, 
while  the  House  had  already  deter- 
mined, particularly  on  the  amend- 
ment moved  by  sir  Robert  Peel, 
that  total  disfranchisement  was 
here  to  be  the  rule.  Next,  it  was 
hostile  to  the  principle  of  the  bill, 
which  was  the  destruction  of  all 
nomination  boroughs.  The  pro- 
posed union  would  make  the  fran- 
chise depend  on  a  small  society  of 
borough  proprietors.  These  places 
were  consigned  to  destruction,  be- 
cause they  had  no  constituency, 
and  how  could  any  good  be  ef- 
fected by  combining  several  of 
them.  It  was  impossible,  by  the 
numerical  addition  of  such  boroughs, 
to  obtain  a  pure  constituency;  they 
might  as  well  attempt  to  form 
a  whole  man  out  of  so  many  un- 
grown  babies.  No  doubt  opposite 
influences  might  tend  to  neutral- 
iztfTBach  other,  but  the  result  would 
never  be  a  true  and  faithful  repre- 
sentation of  the  interests  of  the 
people :  the  extent  of  certain  in- 
fluences might  be  lessened,  but  the 
character  of  the  influence  would 
not  be  changed.  Although,  there- 
fore^ the  bill  itself  did  contain 
several  instances  of  unions,  for  the 
purpose  of  sending  members  to 
parliament^  they  furnished  no  ana- 
logy, because  these  were  populous 
districts.  But  the  eflfect  of  the 
present  proposal  would  be,  to  en- 
able the  patrons  of  two  or  three 
boroughs  to  carry  the  election  for 
the  district,  and  disappoint  the 
country  of  the  good  whicti  was  ex- 
pected from  the  destruction  of  the 
nomination  boroughs. 
.    Ou  the  other  side  it  was  main* 


tained,  that  these  objections  rested 
on  a  total  misconception  of  the 
proposition.  They  would  be  good, 
if  tne  boroughs  were  to  remain  as 
they  were,  the  influence  of  each 
patron  remaining  untouched,  ex- 
cept in  so  far  as  it  might  be  aflPect- 
ed  by  that  of  his  co-patrons.  But 
these  boroughs  were  not  to  be 
withdrawn,  by  this  proposal,  from 
those  clauses  of  the  bill  which  re- 
garded the  constituency.  In  all 
of  them  a  new  constituency  was 
to  be  formed  of  1 0/.  householders. 
It  was  impossible^  therefore,  that 
the  predominating  influence  could 
remain  in  the  manner  which  was 
objected  to.  By  the  bill  itself,  a 
borough  containing,  for  instance, 
2,400  inhabitants,  was  to  retain  a 
member,  its  constituency  being 
placed  on  a  certain  footing.  Why, 
then,  should  the  same  privilege  be 
refused  to  the  united  population 
of  four  containing  600  each,  or  of 
two  containing,  the  one  1,500,  and 
the  other  600,  their  constituency 
being  placed  on  the  same  footing  ? 
The  principle  of  schedule  B  was, 
that  nomination  could  be  destroy- 
ed by  changing  the  constituency. 
If  that  could  be  done  in  the  one 
case,  why  not  in  the  other  ?  It 
was  said,  that,  in  many  of  these 
boroughs,  the  number  of  1 0/.  voters 
was  altogether  trivial.  But  when 
had  the  number  of  1 0/.  houses  be- 
come the  principle  on  which  these 
boroughs  were  to  be  dealt  with  ? 
This  was  a  new  test.  Nomination 
had  been  a  principle;  population 
had  been  a  principle ;  now  came  a 
third,  hitherto  unheard  of.  What 
number  of  such  houses  was  to  save 
or  damn  a  borough  ?  This,  if  it  was 
to  be  adopted,  opened  up  an  en- 
tirely new  inquiry.  The  bill  de- 
clared, that  2, 100  inhabitants,  liv- 
ing in  a  borough,  should  retain  a 
member^  without  saying  one  word 


176]      ANNUAL   REGISTER,  1831. 


about  the  number  of  10/.  house- 
holders among  them ;  and  tlie  ques  > 
tion  was,  why  2,100  inhabitants, 
living  in  two,  or  three,  or  five 
boroughs,  should  not  have  the  same 
privilege  ?  Will  union  and  a  new 
constituency  secure  against  nomin- 
atiop  ?  That  was  the  point.  Minis- 
ters themselves  had  answered  una- 
nimously in  the  affirmative,  in 
their  own  Reform  Bill  for  Scot- 
land. There  the  boroughs  elected 
by  districts ;  there  a  new  consti- 
tuency was  created  on  the  very 
ground  that  the  boroughs  were 
close,  and  for  the  purpose  of  de- 
stroying the  partial  and  predomi- 
nating influences.  Yet  the  dis- 
tricts were  retained,  and  new  con- 
junctions formed ;  that  is,  it  was 
admitted,  and  acted  on,  as  the 
foundation  of  the  ministerial  re- 
form, that,  with  a  new  constitu- 
ency, places  might  vote  in  dis- 
tricts, without  any  danger  from 
former  nominating  influence. 

The  objection,  that  this  point 
had  been  already  settled,  especially 
by  the  discussion  on  sir  R.  Peel's 
motion,  was  unfair,  as  well  as  un- 
meaning. The  mover  of  the 
present  proposition  had  actually 
voted  against  that  motion,  so 
little  were  they  alike.  That  mo- 
tion had  merely  decided  that  there 
should  be  disfranchisement,  but 
not  to  what  extent  that  disfran- 
chisement should  go,  and  the  pre- 
sent motion  was  merely  a  corollary 
to  that  principle— that  the  disfran- 
chisement should  not  be  of  the 
sweeping  and  general  character 
contemplated  by  the  bill,  but  that, 
in  certain  cases,  there  should  be  an 
union  of  the  boroughs — a  majority 
of  1 1 1  rejected  the  motion. 

The  only  other  general  question 
discussed  by  the  committee,  before 
it  proceeded  to  consider  the  cases 
of  the  individual  boroughs,  regai'd- 


ed  the  rule  for  taking  the  popula- 
tion. In  the  original  bill  minis- 
ters had  adopted  the  population 
returns  of  1821.  To  that  rule 
they  still  adhered,  although  a  new 
census  had  been  going  on,  and  was 
already,  if  not  finished,  on  the  very 
eve  of  being  completed.  On  the 
19th  of  July,  Mr.  M*Kinnon 
moved,  that  it  should  be  an  in- 
struction to  the  committee  to  con- 
sider the  population  of  the  boroughs 
in  schedules  A  and  B,  as  it  stood 
in  the  new  census,  instead  of  that 
of  1 82 1 .  He  could  conceive,  he  said, 
no  sound  reason  why,  even  taking  po- 
pulation as  the  test  of  nomination, 
the  House  should  disfranchise,  not 
the  nomination  boroughs  which 
now  existed,  but  only  those  which 
had  existed  ten  years  ago,  or  why, 
looking  at  the  boroughs  on  any 
principle  of  selection,  whether  for 
disfranchisement  or  enfranchise- 
ment, the  House  should  not  regard 
them  as  they  were  at  present  If 
the  census  of  the  present  year  were 
adopted,  retaining  the  lines  which 
ministers  had  drawn,  the  result 
M'ould  be,  that  six  or  eight  boroughs 
would  be  taken  out  of  schedule  A, 
and  transferred  toscheduleB;  that 
three  or  four  boroughs  now  placed 
in  schedule  B  would  be  taken  out ; 
that  one  or  two  boroughs  would  be 
transferred  from  schedule  B  to 
schedule  A,  and  that  one  borough, 
not  at  present  mentioned  in  schedule 
B  would  be  placed  there.  He  was 
aware  of  the  argument  which  was 
used  against  taking  the  censu3  of 
1831  as  the  criterion  of  popula- 
tion— namely,  that  it  might  be 
considered  as  not  impartial.  This 
argument,  however,  reflected  but 
a  poor  compliment  upon  those  in-i> 
dividuals  who  were  employed  to 
make  up  the  returns.  But,  if  so 
much  suspicion  of  partiality  was 
entertained  against  the  returning 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[177 


officers,  how  could  the  House  feel 
confident,  that,  when  the  Reform 
Bill  came  into  operation,  great 
frauds  M^ould  not  be  practised  in 
the  registration  of  the  10/.  house- 
holders ?  He  was  sure,  that,  if 
ministers  opposed  his  motion,  the 
only  answer  which  they  could 
make  must  be  of  a  similar  kind  to 
that  which  cardinal  Ximenes,  when 
preparing  to  overturn  the  consti- 
tution of  Spain,  gave  to  a  Spanish 
nobleman,  who  inquired  by  what 
means  he  intended  to  effect  his 
object.  The  cardinal  replied  by 
pointing  to  a  well -organized  and 
disciplined  body  of  troops ;  and,  in 
like  manner,  the  only  argument 
which  ministers  could  employ 
against  the  present  motion  would 
be  the  majority  at  his  back. 

Lord  John  Russell  and  the  chan- 
cellor of  the  Exchequer  stated,  that 
when  the  reform  measure  was 
brought  forward  in  the  preceding 
March,  the  latest  census  which 
the  government  could  make  use  of, 
was  that  of  1821 — it  was  the  only 
sure  document  with  respect  to  po- 
pulation which  they  possessed.  If 
the  government  had  chosen  to  wait 
for  a  new  census,  they  might  have 
taken  that  of  1831  ;  but  such  a 
course  would  only  have  led  to  an 
alteration  of  the  line  of  disfran- 
chisement. Much  inconvenience 
would  result  from  the  House  act- 
ing upon  the  census  of  1831 ;  and 
the  only  advantage  which  could 
be  gained,  was,  to  see  that,  while 
some  boroughs  had  increased, 
others  had  decreased  in  population. 
On  the  other  hand,  it  was  to  be 
considered,  that  the  census  of  1 82 1 
was  taken  without  any  knowledge 
that  it  was  to  form  the  test  of  dis- 
franchisement, and  might  therefore 
be  considered  as  an  impartial  do- 
cument.    But  what  would  be  the 

Vol.  LXXIII. 


result,  if  the  census  of  1831  was 
taken  as  the  test  ?  Those  boroughs, 
where  no  sort  of  fraud  or  manage- 
ment was  practised,  would  suffer  ; 
while  those,  in  which  management 
had  j)revailed,  by  sweeping  a  num- 
ber of  persons  int^  them,  would  be 
gainers,  in  consequence  of  the  state- 
ment which  ministershad  published 
that  2,000  was  to  be  the  line  of 
disfranchisement.  They  believed, 
moreover,  that  the  new  census 
would  not  prove  any  of  the  con- 
demned boroughs  not  to  be  insig- 
nificant and  inconsiderable. 

The  motion  was  supported  by 
Mr.  G.  Bankes,  Mr.  Trevor,  and 
Mr.  Praed,  who  expressed  his  sur- 
prise that  any  debate  should  have 
arisen  on  a  proposition  so  plain 
and  just,  or  that  the  House  should 
actually  be  called  on  to  shut  its 
eyes  to  the  essential  fact  of  what 
had  occurred  in  regard  to  popu- 
lation during  the  last  ten  years.  It 
would  be  inconvenient,  forsooth, 
because  it  might  occasion  numer- 
ous changes  in  the  bill ;  and  was  it 
possible  to  induce  the  House  to 
overlook  the  increase  of  popula- 
tion during  ten  whole  years,  be- 
cause the  state  of  the  bill  would 
require  to  be  altered?  It  was 
next  asserted  that,  by  taking  the 
returns  of  1831,  some  partial  un- 
fairness might  probably  be  com- 
mitted. But,  even  supposing  them 
to  be  partially  unfair,  were  they 
not  better  than  those  of  .1821, 
which  were  universally  inapplic- 
able }  Was  the  House,  because 
the  returns  of  1831  might  here 
and  there  be  erroneous,  to  take 
those  of  1821,  which  were  uncer- 
tain in  every  single  case  ? 

The  House,  by  a  majority  of 
75,  resolved  to  adhere  to  the  re- 
turns of  1821. 


178]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


CHAP.    VII. 

Continuation  of  the  Committee  on  the  Reform  Bill — Discussion  regard' 
ing  Appleby — The  borough  of  Downton — The  borough  ofStt  Ger- 
main's— The  borough  of  Saltash — Complaints  of  the  reformers  that 
argument  was  allowed  upon  the  Bill — Proposal  of  Ministers  that 
the  Bill  should  take  the  lead  of  alt  other  business — Proceedings  of 
the  reformers — Motion  that  the  boroughs  in  schedule  B  should  retain 
both  members — boroughs  of  Chippenham — Dorchester — Ouilford'^ 
Sudbury — Motion  that  Greenwich  be  excluded  from  the  new  boroughs 
— Motion  that  Stoke  upon  Trent  have  two  members — Motion  of  Lord 
Milton  that  the  new  boroughs,  to  which  the  bill  gave  only  one  mem- 
ber,  should  have  two — Motion  against  the  enfranchisement  of  Gates- 
head as  separate  from  Newcastle —Motion  that  a  member  be  given  to 
Merthyr-Tydvil — ^Debate  on  the  clause  of  the  bill  for  dividing  large 
counties — Discussion  on  the  clause  enacting  that  freeholders  in  bo- 
roughs should  vote  for  the  county — Amendment  moved  that  tenants 
at  will  of  land  should  have  a  vote  for  counties,  arid  cafried  against 
Ministers, 

ON  the  15th  of  July,  the  Com-  present  instance.     Mr.  O'Connell 

mittee  entered  on  the  consi-  said  the  simple  question  was,  whe- 

deration  of  the  particular  boroughs  ther  Aldeburgh  was,  or  was  not, 

contained  in  schedule  A,  but  pro-  a  nomination  borough  ?  who  doubt- 

ceeded  no  farther  than  the  first  of  ed  that  fact  ?  and  who,  knowing 

them,  Aldeburgh,  Suffolk,  which  that  fact,  would  listen  to  special 

it  was  agreed  should  stand  part  of  pleading  about  parishes  and  num- 

the  clause.   There  was  no  division,  bers  ?     He   was   not  disposed  to 

and  no  remark  except  what  shewed  inquire   minutely    regarding    the 

that  the  house  was  not  yet  agreed  limits  of  rotten  boroughs.    To  dis** 

on  the  principle  according  to  which  franchise  a  borough,  it  was  suflici- 

these  boroughs  were  to  be  dealt  ent  for  him  to  know  that  it  was  a 

with.      Ministers  were   asked   to  place  where  the  right  of  legislating 

explain  what  was  meant  by  a  bo-  was  bought  and   sold.      On  this 

rough,  in  regard  to  this  clause,  for  Sir  R.  Peel  observed,    that  here 

it  appeared  that  in  some  instances  was  a  doctrine  which  set  them  all 

the  population  of  parishes  on  which  at  sea  again  ;  for,  while  ministers 

a  borough  touched  was  included  in  said,  that  population  was  to  be  the 

that  of  the  iiorough,  and  in  others  test  of  disfranchisement^  their  ad- 

uot.     The  answer  was,  that  the  herents  would  listen  to   nothing 

committee  would  apply  the  rule  of  but  the  supposed  amount  of  influ- 

2000  to  each  particular  case,  and  ence,  independent  of  population, 
it  did  not  appear  that  there  was         The  next  borough  in  the  list, 

any  room  for  any  question  i&  the  which  was  taken  up  on  the  19th, 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[179 


led  to  more  discussion.  It  was 
Appleby,  which  had  already  offer- 
ed to  prove  that  the  returns  of 
1 82 1 ,  admitted  to  be  erroneous  and 
unsatisfactory  in  other  instances, 
were  erroneous  in  regard  to  it, 
while  the  house  had  determined 
that  this  should  not  be  allowed  to 
be  proved,  even  if  it  were  true. 
Lord  John  Russell  now  stated, 
that  Applebv  was  a  borough  lying 
in  two  parishes.  There  was  a  dif- 
ference, however, between  a  borough 
comprising  two  parishes,  and  one 
extending  into  two  parishes,  but 
not  including  the  whole  of  both. 
If  he  was  rightly  informed,  the 
borough  of  Appleby  extended  into 
two  parishes,  part  being  in  the 
parish  of  Appleby  St.  Lawrence, 
but  not  comprising  the  whole  of 
the  parish,  and  another  part  be* 
ing  in  the  parish  of  St.  Michael, 
otherwise  Bondgate,  an  extensive 
parish,  going  seven  or  eight  miles 
from  the  town,  and  about  fifteen 
miles  long.  Therefore,  there  woulc^ 
be  a  great  abuse  of  the  rule  of  com* 
prehending  the  parish,  if  they  com- 
prised two  country  parishes,  of 
which  the  borough  took  in  only  a 
part.  The  mayor  of  Appleby,  in  a 
letter  to  the  Secretary  of  State, 
said  that  the  limits  of  Appleby 
were  not  quite  correctly  stated  in 
the  population  return  of  1 82 1 ,  be<« 
cause  it  did  not  state  that  the  bo- 
rough extended  over  some  part  of 
the  parish  of  St.  Michael,  the  prin- 
cipal part  being  in  the  parish  of 
St.  Lawrence.  He  added,  that 
the  boundaries  had  not  been  peram- 
bulated in  the  memory  of  any  living 
person.  In  a  recent  letter,  the 
mayor  stated  that  *'the  borough 
of  Appleby  consisted  of  two  pa- 
rishes, Appleby  St.  Lawrence,  and 
St.  Michael,  otherwise  Bondgate ; 
that  the  parish  of  y\ppleby  St. 
Lawrence  contained  1,359  inhabit- 


ants; the  parish  of  St.  Michael, 
otherwise  Bondgate,  1,264  inha- 
bitants $  that  part  of  the  borough 
which  was  in  St.  Lawrence  con- 
tained 851  inhabitants;  that  part 
of  the  borough  which  was  in  St. 
Michael,  203 ;  making  in  all 
1 ,054."  So  far  his  lordship  stated 
nothing  but  what  was  relevant  to 
the  question  of  population;  but 
he  started  away  from  the  test  esta* 
blished  by  the  bill,  and  shewed  an 
inclination,  like  Mr.  O'Connell,  to 
adopt  nomination  as  a  fact  that 
might  be  assumed,  when  he  added, 
that  Appleby  was  beyond  all  doubt 
a  nomination  borough — that  its  dis- 
franchisement would  injure  nobody 
except  the  two  patrons,  who  hail 
no  right  to  complain  of  injustice 
— ^and  that  this  was  not  a  case  in 
which  a  serious  doubt  could  long 
be  entertained,  whether  Ministers 
were  wrong  in  placing  the  borough 
where  it  was. 

Mr.  Croker  maintained  that  the 
mode  in  which  ministers  were  deal- 
ing with  this  borough,  more  espe- 
cially when  compared  with  the 
manner  in  which  they  treated 
others,  sometimes  taking  in  a 
parish,  sometimes  leaving  it  out, 
and  thus  swelling  or  diminishing 
the  population,  as  it  suited  their 
pleasures,  without  rule  and  with- 
out principle,  manifested  not  mere- 
ly error  and  inconsistency,  but 
positive  partiality.  One  great  ad- 
vantage, he  said,  which  would  have 
been  gained  by  adopting  the  census 
of  1831,  would  have  been,  that 
these  returns  separated  the  popu- 
lation of  the  boroughs  from  that 
of  the  parishes  in  which  they  were 
situated ;  it  was  otherwise  in  those 
of  1821,  and  yet,  if  the  rule  was 
to  be  affected  by  taking  such  a 
distinction,  what  was  the  house 
doing  in  legislating  without  any 
authentic  informfitioQ  on  tht  tub* 

CN23 


180] 


ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


ject  ?  Thus,  in  the  return  for 
Calne,  in  Wilts,  the  borough  and 
imrish  were  lumped  together,  and 
he  now  begged  to  ask  the  noble 
lord  whether  he  knew  the  popula- 
tion of  the  l)orough  and  parish  re- 
spectively ?  Several  ministerial 
members  called  to  lord  J.  Russell 
not  to  answer  the  question ;  but 
his  lordship,  after  a  pause,  ad- 
mitted, he  had  made  no  inquiry — 
But,  continued  Mr.  Croker,  he 
would  tell  the  noble  lord,  that  the 
truth  must  be  known  about  Calne, 
and  about  every  one  of  those  bo- 
roughs that  had  escaped  the  in- 
quiry which  it  hud  been  thought 
proper  to  make  about  Appleby. 
Why  80  much  trouble  about  Ap- 
pleby, when  Calne,  regarding  which 
information  could  so  easily  be  pro- 
cured, was  staring  them  in  the 
face  unnoticed.^  Appleby  was 
200  or  300  miles  from  town  ;  but 
Calne  was  only  a  few  hours'  drive, 
and  well  known  to  the  Secretary 
of  State  for  the  Home  Department. 
Either  there  was  here  a  case  of 
blind  piurtiality  or  of  the  grossest 
ignorance;  and  it  was  the  more 
extraordinary,  since  the  noble  lord 
had  notice  that  there  would  be  a 
question  about  the  treatment  of 
Calne  in  comparison  with  other 
places.  He  believed  that,  in  the 
present  case,  the  noble  Lord  had 
erred  through  ignorance — that  he 
had  had  no  idea  that  the  parish  of 
Bondgate  was  St.  Michael's,  and 
ought  to  be  added  to  Appleby.  He 
was  convinced  of  this  because,  in 
the  first  paper  which  was  the 
foundation  of  the  noble  lord's  bill, 
he  found  it  stated,  not  that  it  was 
in  the  parishes  of  St.  Michael  and 
St.  Lawrence,  but  generally  that 
Appleby  had  a  population  of  824 
persons ;  the  population  return 
of  1821  stating  it  to  consist  of  one 
parish,  the  other  parish  being  lost 


sight  of  in  the  name  of  Bondgate« 
The  house  had  got  an  admission 
that  the  first  return  was  false,  an 
error  in  fact,  and  he  doubted  not 
that  his  bill  originated  in  this  error 
in  fact.  It  might  be  convenient 
to  look  at  the  returns  of  1811. 
They  were  classed  according  to 
towns;  the  returns  of  1821,  ac- 
cording to  parishes.  In  the  returns 
of  1811,  Appleby  town  and  the 
parish  of  St.  Michael,  otherwise 
Bondgate,  were  stated  together; 
and,  would  the  house  believe  it } 
in  the  returns  of  1811,  the  popu- 
lation amounted  to  more  than 
2,000  5  so  that  even  at  that  re- 
mote period,  Appleby  was  a  bo- 
rough in  a  condition  not  to  be  dis- 
franchised. It  could  not  be  pre- 
tended that  Appleby  should  be 
dealt  with  on  the  ground  of  the 
parishes  not  adjoining  close  enough 
to  be  combined  into  one  constitu- 
ent body;  for  though  the  noble 
lord  says  that  Bondgate  runs  some 
seven  miles  from  Appleby,  he  ad- 
mits that  parishes  running  from 
fourteen  to  fifteen  miles  asunder 
have  been  included  under  his  riding 
commission.  Then  let  the  com- 
mittee consider  the  conduct  of  mi- 
nisters with  respect  to  Malmes- 
biu-y,  as  contrasted  with  their 
conduct  towards  Appleby.  In  the 
original  bill  submitted  to  the  last 
parliament,  Malmesbury  was  placed 
in  schedule  A,  because  the  popu- 
lation of  the  borough,  apart  from 
the  parish  at  large,  was  but 
1,300.  But  it  was  found  that  if 
the  population  of  the  parish  and 
borough  were  taken  together,  the 
sum  would  be  above  the  line  of  dis- 
franchisement, and  so  in  it  goes  into 
schedule  B,  while  Appleby,  with 
a  population,  on  the  same  principle 
of  parish  and  borough,  still  more 
above  that  line,  is  wholly  disfran- 
chised.    Was  this  feir?— was  it 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[ISl 


defensible  on  any  principle  of  truth 
or  justice  ?  Oakham pt on  also,  was 
originally  set  down  in  schedule  A, 
because  its  borough  population  was 
only  1,9003  but  was  afterwards 
transferred  to  schedule  B,  because 
the  population  of  the  parish  at  large 
amounted  to 2, 023,  that  is,  because, 
by  considering  it  as  ministers  were 
now  asked  to  consider  the  case  of 
Appleby,  they  found  that  taking 
the  parish  and  borough  population 
together,  the  sum  would  be  twenty- 
three  above  the  line ;  therefore  the 
great  magician  with  his  presto- 
pass  celerity  transfers  it  to  sche- 
dule B ;  while  the  borough  of  Ap- 
pleby, with  its  population  of  2,600, 
is  wholly  disfranchised.  Even 
this  was  not  all.  There  was  an- 
other place  quite  parallel  to  Ap- 
pleby in  every  thing  but  its  treat- 
ment by  the  franiers  of  the  bill, 
the  borough  of  Horsham.  Hors- 
ham was  permitted  to  retain  its 
two  members,  though  not  entitled 
to  them,  if  truth  and  fact  only  in- 
fluenced ministers  in  their  select- 
ion. And  how  did  ministers  pre- 
tend to  justify  this  unfair  treat- 
ment }  Simply  by  the  misappli- 
cation of  the  rule  which  they  re- 
fuse to  be  applied  to  Appleby.  By 
the  census  of  1 82 1 ,  Horsham — bo- 
rough and  parish — contained  4,507 
inhabitants;  but  there  M^as  a  no- 
tice appended  to  the  returns  of 
1S21,  which  referred  to  the  pre- 
ceding returns  of  1811,  and  which 
showed  that  the  sum  of  the  popu- 
lation which  ministers  took  for 
their  basis  was  made  up  of  three 
separate  divisions  or  townships? 
In  181 1,  the  number  of  inhabitants 
in  the  borough  of  Horsham  was 
1,714,  in  the  north  division  1,11 1, 
in  the  south  930;  making  a  total, 
according  to  that  census,  of  3,755 
souls.  And  how  did  they  suppose 
the  increase  of  700  since  1811  was 


accounted  for  in  the  ]«i6r  returns  ? 
Of  course  the  iucreaie  would  be 
exclusively  within  tlie  Walls  of  the 
borough,  otherwise  the  ministers, 
who  refused  to  annex  St.  Michael's 
parish  to  Appleby,  would  not  have 
let  it  influence  them  in  allowing 
Horsham  to  retain  its  right  of  re- 
turning two  members.  By  no 
means :  the  increase  is  ascribed 
to  the  circumstance  of  some  800 
acres  of  adjoining  waste  land  hav- 
ing been  enclosed  and  cultivated. 
But  another  case  would,  if  possible, 
still  more  show  the  one-sided  view 
which  ministers  took  in  their  se- 
lection of  boroughs  for  disfranchise- 
ment or  preservation.  Horsham 
belonged  to  a  noble  personage 
rather  attached  to  whig  politics. 
So  did  the  borough  of  Morpeth, 
which  was  originally  set  down  in 
schedule  B — that  is,  was  to  lose 
one  of  its  members  ;  but  ministers 
having  since  discovered  that  by 
embracing  the  population  of  the 
entire  parish,  the  sum  would  be 
4,130,  did  so,  and  thus  the  whig 
borough  of  Morpeth  retains  its  two 
members  And  what  more  did 
members  on  his  side  of  the  house 
seek  with  respect  to  Appleby,  but 
that  the  population  of  the  adjoin- 
ing parish  of  St.  Michael  should 
be  in  a  similar  manner  included  ? 
But  ministers  without  the  shadow 
of  a  reason,  why  or  wherefore,  re- 
fused, and  thus  Appleby  with  a 
population  of  500  above  the  line 
of  disfranchisement,  was  to  be 
wholly  deprived  of  the  right  of  re- 
turning representatives.  Again, 
there  was  the  case  of  Aldborough, 
which  having  but  800  inhabitants, 
was  originally  set  down  in  sche- 
dule A;  but*  for  some  reason  or 
other  as  yet  unexplained,  it  was 
since  annexed  to  the  adjoining  pa- 
rishes— as  he  asked  them  to  act 
towards  Appleby— and  transferred 


m]       ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


to  schedule  B.  There  was  no 
argument  to  justify  all  these 
changes  and  selections,  which  did 
not  a  fortiori  apply  to  the  case  of 
Appleby*  V^arious  other  members 
enforced  the  same  views,  and  asked 
was  there  or  was  there  not  a  rule 
to  be  followed  in  including,  or  ex- 
cluding the  population  of  the  pa- 
rish in  which  the  borough  was 
situated,  and  if  so^  what  was  it  ? 

On  the  part  of  ministers^  Mr. 
B.  Carter  stated  the  rule  to  be, 
that^vwhere  the  population  of  a  bo- 
rough and  of  the  parish  in  which 
the  borough  lay,  amounted  to 
more  than  2,000  or  4,000,  then 
the  entire  population  should  be 
taken  as  the  standard ;  but  that 
where  the  parish  or  parishes  lay 
altogether  beyond  the  boundary  of 
the  borough,  then  the  population 
of  the  borough  was  taken  by  itself^ 
and  this  rule,  he  said,  disfranchised 
Appleby,  while  it  did  not  touch 
the  other  boroughs  which  had  been 
mentioned.  This  was  a  mistake 
as  to  the  facts,  because  the  parish 
of  St.  Michael  was  not  a  parish 
lying  *' altogether  beyond  the 
boundary  of  the  borough  :"  on  the 
contrary  it  was  admitted  that  the 
borough  partly  lay  in  it,  and  that 
part  of  the  proper  borough  popu- 
lation were  residents  in  that  parish. 
Lord  John  Russell  allowed  all  this, 
but  still  said,  that  the  numbers 
which  would  raise  the  population 
above  2,000,  though  taken  from 
parishes  in  which  the  borough  lay, 
would  be  taken  from  a  rural  popu- 
lation. But  so  it  was  likewise  in 
all  the  other  cases  in  which  the 
parish  had  been  included.  The 
chancellor  of  the  Exchequer  took 
another  view.  He  said  that  mi- 
nisters had  admitted  the  rural 
population  into  the  borough  where 
only  one  parish  was  concerned,  but 
never  where  there  were  two.    It 


was  immediately  answered,  in  the 
first  place,  that  was  a  mistake  in 
point  of  fact.  Truro  contained 
only  1800  inhabitants,  and  stood 
in  this  schedule  in  the  first  bill ; 
but  it  had  now  been  removed  from 
the  schedules  altogether,  because  it 
extended  into,  though  it  did  not 
comprehend,  two  particular  pa- 
rishes, by  the  addition  of  which, 
the  population  had  been  raised 
above  4,000.  Secondly,  it  served 
no  good  purpose  to  say,  even  if 
true,  that  ministers  bad  deter- 
mined to  join  the  remainder  of  a 
parish  to  a  borough  only  where  there 
IS  one  parish,  but  not  where  there 
are  two  parishes  ;  what  was  wanted 
was,  the  intelligible  statement  of 
some  ground  of  reason,  justice,  or 
expediency,  why  such  a  distinction 
should  be  adopted.  A  borough 
lying  in  one  parish,  and  contain- 
ing perhaps  1,300  inhabitants,  was 
to  be  allowed  to  borrow  700,  or 
800  inhabitants  of  the  extra-bur- 
ffal  part  of  the  parish,  in  order  to 
Its  salvation  ;  but  another  borough, 
containing  perhaps  1,900  inhabit- 
ants, and  lying  partly  in  two  pa- 
rishes, was  not  to  be  allowed  to 
borrow  one  single  individual  from 
the  extra-burgal  population  for  the 
purpose  of  avoiding  utter  damna- 
tion. The  question  was  not  whe- 
ther ministers  had  so  resolved, — 
that  was  plain  enough— but  whe- 
ther any  one  sound  consideration 
could  be  pointed  out,  why  just  and 
reasonable  men  should  so  resolve. 

This  discussion  afforded  a  strik- 
ing instance  of  the  ignorance  in 
which  the  house  was  legislating. 
Sir  Robert  Peel  said,  he  believed 
the  facts  to  be,  that  the  burgal 
population  of  Appleby  was  1,050, 
but  the  burgal  population  joined 
to  the  extra-burgal  population  of 
the  parishes  in  which  the  borough 
lay,  amounted  to  2,600,    Now  the 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


tl^ 


question  was,  shall  these  two  pa- 
rishes be  combined  into  one  bo- 
rough ?  He  thought  that  justice 
would  be  more  effectually  done  by 
combining  these  two  parishes  with^ 
than  by  separating  them  from  the 
borough.  Let  the  committee  con- 
sider in  the  first  place  how  the 
jurisdiction  ran  in  the  two  parishes. 
He  understood  that  the  corporate 
jurisdiction  of  the  borough  ex- 
tended all  over  the  two  parishes. 
Mr.  J.  Brougham  stated  that  on 
that  point  the  right  hon.  baronet 
was  misinformed.  The  jurisdiction 
certainly  was  not  the  same.  Sir 
R.  Peel  said  one  of  the  evils  of 
which  the  committee  had  a  right 
to  complain  was,  that  it  had  not 
suificient  information  on  this  and 
several  similar  points  before  it.  He 
was  given,  however,  to  understand^ 
that  the  coroner  for  the  borough, 
and  not  the  coroner  for  the  county, 
took  inquests  in  these  two  parishes. 
Mr.  J.  Brougham  contradicted  this 
statement  also.  Then^  said  Sir 
Robert,  these  interruptions— not 
unfair  interruptions — just  shew 
that  ministers  would  have  acted 
much  better  had  they  taken  the 
advice  tendered  to  them  on  a 
former  occasion,  and  appointed  a 
select  committee  to  ascertain  fiicts 
as  to  each  particular  borough^  in 
order  that  the  house  might  here- 
after decide  upon  them.  Ue  scarce- 
ly knew  how  to  legislate  in  such  a 
dearth  of  all  authentic  information. 
LordMaitJand  said,  he  wasinstruct- 
edthat  the  jurisdiction  of  the  mayor 
of  Appleby  extended  over  the  wbole^ 
extent  of  both  the  parishes  of  St. 
Lawrence  and  St.  Michael^  and 
that  the  licences  for  pablic-hooses 
in  the  remotest  parts  of  both  al- 
ways came  from  the  mayor  of  Ap- 
pleby. Mr.  J.  Brougham  stated 
that  be  was  otherwise  informed  on 
this  pobt,  too*    Sir  Q,  Wetberell 


and  Sir  E.  Sugden  put  it  to  the 
house,  how  it  possibly  could  proceed 
to  condemn  in  such  circumstances, 
without  evidence  and  without 
inquiry.  Lord  John  Russell  saw  no 
necessity  for  evidence.  The  chan- 
cellor of  the  Exchequer  said,  that 
even  if  it  were  ascertained  that  the 
jurisdiction  of  the  borough  magis- 
trates extended  over  the  whole  of 
the  two  parishes,  the  case  would 
not  be  altered,  because  the  borough 
itself  did  not  extend  over  them  : 
and  a  division  sealed  the  disfran- 
chisement of  Appleby  by  a  major- 
ity of  74. 

The  discussion  on  the  remain- 
ing boroughs  in  this  schedule  was 
continued  on  the  20th,  21st,  22nd, 
and  ^6th  of  July.  Not  one  of 
them  was  saved  ;  only  one  of  them 
was  consigned  to  destruction  with- 
out some  conversation  or  remark 
respecting  the  grounds  on  which 
disfranchisement  was  proposed ; 
but  to  record  these  conversations, 
which,  though  they  sometimes 
contained  a  good  deal  of  smart 
skirmishing,  brought  out  and  es- 
tablished no  leading  principle, 
would  only  be  accumulating  use- 
less details.  We  shall  confine  our- 
selves to  those  cases  in  which  the 
opinion  of  the  house  was  taken  by 
a  division  as  involving  a  serious 
question  on  the  application  of  the 
alleged  principles  of  the  bill. 

On  the  21st  of  July,  the  com- 
mittee, in  the  course  of  the  sche- 
dule, came  to  the  borough  of 
Downton,  the  population  of  which 
was  admitted  on  all  hands  greatly 
to  exceed  2,000.  Accordingly,  it 
bad  not  been  included  in  the  first 
bill,  and  could  not,  with  any  re- 
gard to  the  avowed  principle  on 
which  the  schedule  in  the  present 
bill  was  framed,  be  made  a  part  of 
it.  But  ministers  had  docmied  it 
to  disftrsoc^iseineDt  upon  another 


184]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


ground,  which  had  no  connection 
with  population,  the  test  of  the 
bill^  viz.  the  small  number  of  10/. 
houses^  which  amounted  in  1821 
to  only  nine,  though  they  had  now 
increased  to  somewhat  above  100. 
Mr.  Croker  moved  that  the  bo- 
rough should  be  transferred  from 
schedule  A  to  B  as  confessedly 
containing  a  population  approach- 
ing more  nearly  to  4,000  than  to 
2,000.  Ministers,  he  said,  now 
spoke  of  the  number  of  electoral 
houses,  though,  in  introducing  the 
bill,  and,  hitherto,  in  discussing  it, 
papulation  alone  had  uniformly 
been  stated  as  the  test  of  disfran- 
chisement. In  justice  to  the  bo- 
roughs that  were  to  be  disfran- 
chised, and  to  the  electors  whose 
rights  were  to  be  confiscated,  he 
demanded  that  the  severe  and 
stringent  rule,  which  the  noble 
Lord  had  himself  laid  down,  should 
be  impartially  acted  upon.  With 
respect  to  population,  the  case  of 
Downton  was  so  strong,  that  it 
might  almost  claim  to  be  taken  out 
of  both  schedules.  In  1821  the 
population  was  3, 1 1 4.  The  noble 
lord  said,  that  the  number  of  elec- 
toral houses  in  the  borough  at 
that  period  was  only  nine.  On 
that  point  he  was  misinformed. 
The  number  of  electoral  houses 
was  then  thirty- eight,  which  ex- 
ceeded in  number  the  electoral 
houses  possessed  by  seven  boroughs 
which  were  contained  in  schedule 
B.  Therefore  upon  the  noble 
lord's  own  showing,  it  appeared 
that  the  borough  of  Downton  had 
a  greater  population  than  fourteen 
or  fifteen  of  the  preserved  boroughs, 
and  a  greater  number  of  electoral 
houses  than  seven  preserved  bo- 
roughs, and  yet,  for  no  reason  that 
he  knew  of,  it  was  proposed  to  dis- 
franchise it.  The  noble  lord  ad- 
mitted that,  at  the  present  mo« 


ment,  the  borough  contained  108 
electoral  liouses.  If  that  were  the 
case,  it  ought  to  stand  very  high 
on  the  list  of  preserved  boroughs. 
Out  of  the  forty-seven  boroughs 
contained  in  schedule  B,  thirty- 
three  had  less  than  1,50  electoral 
houses  each.  Out  of  the  boroughs 
which  were  to  be  retained,  eighty- 
four  had  not  300  electoral  houses 
each  ;  therefore,  if  the  bill  should 
pass,  there  would  exist  eighty- 
four  boroughs  requiring  outvoters. 
They  would  come  fresh  from  the 
hands  of  their  maker,  deformed 
with  an  imperfection  in  their  con- 
stituency. If  there  was  to  be  any 
principle  in  this  bill  at  all,  if  it 
was  true,  as  ministers  had  stated 
an  hundred  times  over,  that  ]K)pu- 
lation  was  to  be  the  test,  Down- 
ton  must  be  removed  from  the 
schedule  of  total  disfranchisement, 
and  restored  to  the  place  which  it 
had  held  in  the  first  bill. 

Lord  John  Russell  and  Mr. 
Stanley  admitted  distinctly,  that 
disfranchisement,  in  this  case,  was 
'not  justified  by  the  line  of  popula- 
tion  which  ministers  had  drawn  ; 
that  to  restore  the  borough  to 
schedule  B  would  not  violate  any 
principle  of  the  bill,  and  that  it 
would  to  them  be  no  disappoint- 
ment, if  the  committee  should  de- 
termine so  to  restore  it.  But  they 
had  placed  it  where  it  was,  from 
the  difficulty  of  forming  a  proper 
constituency,  notwithstanding  its 
population.  The  number  of  10/. 
houses  at  present  in  the  borough 
might  be  taken  at  about  100,  or 
very  little  more.  It  then  became 
a  question  how  the  number  of  300 
houses,  rented  at  10/.  each,  was  to 
be  made  up.  The  surrounding 
district  was  composed  principally 
of  downs,  and  it  would  be  necessary 
to  proceed  to  a  considerable  dist- 
ance, in  order  to  obtain  the  requi* 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[185 


site  number  of  constituents.  It 
would^  indeed,  be  impossible  to 
complete  the  number  without  pro- 
ceeding to  Fordingbridge,  a  town 
which  contained  a  considerable 
number  of  inhabitants ;  but^  in 
that  case>  Downton  would  merely 
have  a  share  in  the  election  of 
Fordingbridge,  instead  of  Fording- 
bridge  having  a  share  in  the  elec- 
tion of  Downton.  It  would  be 
very  diliicult  to  make  Downton  a 
free  and  independent  borough. 
Could  they  find  a  constituency  in 
the  middle  of  Salisbury -plain? 
They  would  have  to  go  four  miles 
and  a  half,  and  into  another  coun- 
ty, to  add  to  the  constituency^ 
and  then  they  would  perhaps  pro- 
cure thirty  or  forty  additional 
votes.  It  was  very  true,  that,  by 
the  population  return  of  1821,  the 
inhabitants  of  Downton  amounted 
to  3 , 1 1 4.  But  the  inconsiderable- 
ness  of  the  borough  might  be  in- 
ferred from  the  amount  of  taxes 
which  it  paid.  The  borough,  in 
1828>  paid  54/.  annually,  the 
whole  parish  116/.  In  1830,  the 
borough  paid  72/.,  and  the  whole 
parish  110/.  Taking  thes^  cir- 
cumstances into  consideration,  look- 
ing at  the  small  number  of  electors, 
and  knowing  it  to  be  avowedly  a 
nomi  nation  borough,he  had  thought 
they  had  sufficient  reason  for  plac- 
ing it  in  schedule  A. 

Sir  Robert  Peel,  and  other  mem- 
bers, who  supported  Mr.  Croker's 
motion,  could  not  see  how  these 
circumstances,  or  any  others,  could 
justify  a  departure  from  a  princi- 
ple deliberately  adopted.  Nomin- 
ation, as  a  ground  of  disfranchise- 
ment, independent  of  population, 
was  admitted  not  to  be  the  princi- 
ple of  the  bill.  If  it  was  to  be  ap- 
plied at  all,  the  instances  of  pre- 
served boroughs,  to  which  it  would 
be  applicable^  were  many^  yet  mi« 


nisters  announced  no  intention  of 
applying  it  there.  What  was 
meant  by  saying  that  it  would  be 
necessary  to  go  four  or  five  miles 
to  make  up  a  constituency,  when, 
in  the  case  of  Morpeth,  they  went 
fifteen  miles  for  the  same  purpose? 
The  more  extensive  the  district,  the 
more  widely  situated  the  electoral 
houses,  the  more  independent  of 
any  patron  must  the  voters  be.  Ad- 
hering to  the  principle  of  the  bill, 
why  should  not  the  renter  of  a  1 0/. 
house  upon  Salisbury-plain  have  a 
right  to  be  included  in  the  franchise 
for  Downton  ?  It  was  useless  to 
talk  of  distance,  since  it  appeared 
that  different  places  were  to  be  ap- 
pointed for  the  poll.  Those  who 
were  favourable  to  the  extension 
of  the  franchise  would  surely  vote 
for  this  amendment,  which  would 
bring  forward  a  class  of  voters,  the 
1 0/.  farmers,  who  were  never  called 
into  operation  before.  Though 
Downton  was  now  a  nomination 
borough,  it  would  cease  to  be  so,  if 
placed  in  schedule  B.  No  influ- 
ence could  then  be  exercised  with 
respect  to  it,  beyond  that  fair  in- 
fluence which  property  always  must 
command.  Much  mistake  a])pear- 
ed  to  be  entertained  with  respect 
to  the  localities  of  the  borough. 
The  neighbourhood  of  Downton 
was  populously  inhabited,  was  as 
well  cultivated  as  the  o|)en  parts 
of  Wiltshire ;  and  in  that  neigh- 
bourhood a  sufficient  number  of 
electors  could  be  found,  without 
travelling  into  Hampshire. 

Other  members  oeclared  them- 
selves satisfied  with  the  fact,  that 
this  was  a  nomination  borough, 
and  would  make  no  inquiries  about 
population,  or  the  possibility  of 
making  it  independent,  or  the  ap- 
plication of  any  principle  but  this, 
that  what  they  believed  to  be  a 
nomination  borough  must  be  dc« 


18C]       ANNUAL   ftEGlSTER,  1831. 


^troyed.  It  was  not  true,  said  Mr. 
O'Connell,  that  no  principle  of  the 
bill  would  be  violated  by  |)reaerv- 
iug  Downton.  That  principle^ 
which  consisted  in  annihilating  no- 
mination boroughs  would  ^be  vio- 
lated-^altogether  forgetting  that 
the  declared  principle  of  the  bill 
was  not  simply  the  disfranchise- 
ment of  boroughs  de  facto  in  the 
power  of  patrons,  but  only  the  dis- 
franchisement of  boroughs  under  a 
certain  line  of  population,  as  being 
nomination  boroughs,  and  a  change 
of  constituency,  with  a  partial  dis- 
franchisement^ in  nomination  bo- 
roughs^ above  that  line.  Would 
any  member  deny,  said  Mr.  O'Con- 
nell, that  Downton  belonged  to  the 
earl  of  Radnor  ?  Would  any  man 
deny  that  he  sent  two  members 
into  that  House  ?  The  constitu- 
ency of  Downton  was  composed  of 
twenty  thatched  cabins.  The  peo- 
ple of  England  wanted  no  numeri- 
cal calculations.  The  knowledge 
of  the  number  of  inhabitants  in 
boroughs  was  of  use  only  as  show- 
ing that  they  were  likely  to  be  cor- 
rupt ;  but,  if  the  House  arrived  at 
the  fact  of  corruption  by  other 
means,  where  was  the  use  of  nu- 
merical calculations?  He  hoped 
that  all  real  reformers  would  rally 
on  this  occasion,  and  not  suffer 
the  borough  of  Downton  to  escape 
on  any  pretence  whatever. 

Ministers  themselves  voted  for 
the  disfranchisement^  but  they 
were  deserted  by  about  forty  of 
their  usual  supporters,  and  their 
proposition  was  carried  only  by  a 
msyority  of  SO  in  a  House  of  518 
members. 

One  acknowledged  principle  on 
which  the  bill  proceeded  was^  that 
where  a  borougn,  containing  fewer 
than  2,000  inhabitants^  lay  within, 
and  formed  part  of,  a  parish,  the 
extra*bur|^  populatioa  of  which 


would  raise  the  number  above  that 
line,  the  whole  was  to  be  taken, 
and  the  borough  excluded  from  the 
list  of  total  disfranchisement.  In 
consequence  of  this  rule,  or  prin- 
ciple, the  borough  of  St.  Germain's 
had  been  placed,  in  the  first  bill, 
in  schedule  B.  It  was  now  re- 
moved to  schedule  A,  and  Mr. 
Ross  moved  (26th  July),  that  it 
should  be  restored  to  its  former 
position.  This,  he  said,  was  not 
only  not  a  violation  of  any  princi- 
ple of  the  bill,  but  any  thing  else 
would  be  a  departure  from  those 
principles.  It  was  true  that  the 
borough  itself  had  not  2,000  inha- 
bitants, but  then  it  came  under 
another  principle  laid  down  by  mi- 
nisters, that  where  the  borough 
was  included  in  the  parish,  the  po- 
pulation of  both  should  be  in- 
cluded. It  was  admitted,  that,  if 
this  plan  had  not  been  adopted, 
many  boroughs  would  be  disfran- 
chised which  were  now  allowed  to 
send  members.  By  the  population 
returns  of  1821,  St.  Germain's  had 
a  population  of  2,400,  and  at  pre- 
sent it  was  rather  more.  He  men- 
tioned this  fact  to  show  that  the 
borough  was  not  declining.  In 
this  return  the  population  of  the 
parish  was  includea.  In  the  ques- 
tion of  population  it  resembled 
Downton,  but  it  differed  from  it 
in  these  respects-<-tbat  it  was  im- 
|K)8sible,  in  the  latter,  in  any  con- 
venient distance,  to  get  the  required 
number  of  electors,  and  that  in  the 
amount  of  assessed  taxes  it  was 
much  below  it.  Now  St.  Germain's 
was  not  in  a  poor  and  thinly  in- 
habited district — it  was  in  one  of 
the  richest  parishes  in  Cornwall ; 
it  contained  in  the  borough  alone 
1 00  houses,  and  it  would  be  easy 
to  make  up  the  required  number 
of  300  in  the  neighbourhood.  It 
paid  341/.  in  assessed  tazes^  more 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[187 


than  was  |>aid  by  St.  Ives  or 
Malroesbury,  as  much  as  Oak« 
hanipton,  and  treble  the  amount 
paid  by  Downton.  As  to  the  re- 
turns^ all  the  information  they 
contained  was  known  to  ministers 
last  session.  One  of  the  returns, 
which  stated  that  there  was  no 
house  in  the  parish^  exclusive  of 
the  borough,  rated  to  the  poor 
rates  at  1 0/.  a  year,  was  erroneous. 
There  were  many  respectable  houses 
in  the  parish,  exclusive  of  the  bo- 
rough, which  were  worth  more 
than  10/.,  and  many  others  might 
be  found  in  the  place  which  would 
make  up  the  required  constituency. 
He  thought  there  was  a  fair  claim 
on  the  part  of  the  borough  not  to 
be  included  in  schedule  A*  and  he 
put  it  to  the  committee  as  a  case 
which  did  not  at  all  affect  the 
principle  of  the  bill. 

Ministers  argued  their  case  by 
again  introducing  a  new  principle, 
of  which  nothing  had  hitherto  been 
heard,  viz.  that  the  borough  popu- 
lation was  small  in  comparison  with 
the  extra-burgal — a  principle  re^ 
quiring  this  to  have  been  fixed,  of 
which  not  a  word  had  ever  been 
heard,  viz.  what  is  the  proportion 
that  must  exist  between  the  two 
to  entitle  them  to  be  united  ? 
They  stated  that  there  were  only 
thirteen  houses  in  the  town  and 
parish  assessed  at  10/.  and  up- 
wards. The  population  of  the 
town  and  borough  was  under  700  ; 
the  town  contained  only  fifty  acres; 
the  whole  parish  exceeding  9,000 
acres.  If  the  borough  was  as  the 
lion,  gentleman  had  represented, 
it  might  not  be  proper  to  make  it 
an  exception  to  the  rule ;  but  they 
had  no  evidence  before  them  which 
would  lead  them  to  that  conclu- 
sion, and  from  all  that  had  reached 
government  on  the  subject,  they 
had  reason  to  believe  that  a  cou- 


stituency  could  not  be  made  out 
without  going  a  distance  of  seven 
or  eight  miles,  and,  in  that  case, 
it  might  be  said,  that  it  would  be 
transferring  the  franchise  to  the 
next  town,  for  St.  Germain's  was 
of  itself  too  small  and  insignificant 
to  bear  a  part  in  the  representa- 
tion. There  were  only  eight  houses 
in  the  borough,  and  four  in  the 
parish,  rated  to  the  house  duty  at 
10/.  and  upwards,  and  this  at  two- 
thirds  of  their  annual  value,  and 
only  fifteen  houses  in  the  borough 
of  the  annual  value  of  10/.  and 
upwards.  In  such  a  town  and 
neighbourhood,  it  would  be  im- 

?os8ible  to  get  a  constituency, 
'he  object  of  ministers  was  to 
disfranchise  nomination  boroughs 
as  a  system  ,*  and,  though  there 
might  be  a  departure  in  some  in- 
stances from  the  strict  letter  of 
the  bill,  minister's  justified  them- 
selves by  their  adnerence  to  the 
principle.  According  to  the  re- 
turns made  by  the  portreeve  in 
January,  1831,  when  that  officer 
had  no  knowledge  of  the  purpose 
for  which  they  were  wanted,  it 
appeared  that  the  borough  of  St. 
Germain's,  and  the  parish  in  which 
it  was  situated,  were  not  co^exten- 
sive.  The  borough  contained  forty 
acres,  the  town  of  St.  Germain's 
fifty  acres,  and  the  parish,  into 
which  it  was  proposed  to  swamp 
the  borough,  contained  no  less  than 
9^029  acres ;  nor  was  the  popula- 
tion of  the  place  concentrated  in 
the  borough.  By  the  population 
returns  of  1821,  whicli  were  cor- 
rect, with  the  exception  that  the 
town  and  borough  were  considered 
as  co-extensive,  it  appeared  that 
the  number  of  houses  in  the  town 
was  ninety-nine,  and  the  number 
of  male  inhabitants  247,  so  that 
the  male  and  female  ppulation 
might  be  tftken  as  being  under 


188]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


500.-  But  what  was  the  popula- 
tion of  the  remaining  part  of  the 
parish  }     The   remainder   of  the 

?arish,  including  the  village  of 
lessenford^  contained  no  less  than 
1 ,800  or  1 ,900  inhabitants.  The 
same  difference  of  population  was 
apparent  in  the  returns  for  the 
present  year.  According  to  them, 
the  town  contained  672^  inhabit- 
ants, and  the  other  part  of  the 
parish  1,914.  Now,  if  this  borough 
were  to  be  thrown  into  the  parish, 
what  was  to  prevent  such  a  prin- 
ciple being  carried  to  an  absurdity  ? 
According  to  the  same  rule,  why 
should  not  a  circle  be  drawn  round 
Old  Sarum,  which  did  not  contain 
one  inhabitant,  and  the  elective 
franchise  distributed  in  the  sur- 
rounding district  ?  In  truth,  the 
House  had  already  disposed  of  this 
case  by  its  decision  on  the  question 
of  the  borough  of  Down  ton. 

Mr.  Praed,  sir  Robert  Peel,  and 
Mr.  Croker,  maintained,  on  the 
other  hand,  that,  if  there  was 
doubt  as  to  facts,  sense  and  justice 
demanded  they  should  be  ascer- 
tained. Ministers  were  making 
an  exception  from  an  acknowledged 
rule,  and  were  bound,  therefore,  to 
shew  the  accuracy  of  the  data  on 
which  they  rested  it.  But  enough 
was  known  to  decide  this  case, 
because  their  conduct  in  regard 
to  other  boroughs^  where  every 
thing  they  now  stated  equally  ap- 
plied, shewed  that  the  proposed 
exception  was  indefensible.  The 
disfranchisement  of  this  borough 
was  said  to  be  no  departure  from 
the  principle  of  the  bill,  though  a 
violation  of  its  letter.  If  so,  then 
no  man  could  tell  what  the  prin- 
ciple was.  Even  take  the  principle, 
that  nomination  boroughs  should 
be  destroyed,  without  regard  to 
population,  ministers  were  bound 
to  shew  that  St.  Germain's  would 


continue  to  be  a  nomioation  bo- 
rough, even  with  a  new  constitu- 
ency. This  they  did  not  say,  but 
they  said  it  would  be  difficult  to 
obtain  a  new  constituency.  It 
was  just  here  that  the  violation  of 
all  principle  was  to  be  found ;  for 
thev  created  the  difficulty  by  re- 
fusing to  apply  to  St.  Germain's 
the  true  spirit  of  the  bill,  and  the 
rules  by  which  they  had  treated 
other  boroughs.  The  bill,  or  the 
makers  of  the  bill,  said,  a  borough 
within  a  parish  shall  have  the 
benefit  of  the  extra-burgal  popula- 
tion, and  many  boroughs  had  thus 
been  saved.  St.  Germain's  claimed 
the  same  advantage,  and  the  answer 
was,  you  must  be  excepted,  because 
the  borough  is  small,  and  the  parish 
large.  But  when  had  ministers 
discovered  or  declared  that  the 
benefit  of  the  general  rule  was  to 
depend  on  the  proportion  between 
the  burgal  and  extra-burgal  popu- 
lation ?  Even  now  they  did  not 
pretend  to  say  what  that  propor- 
tion ought  to  be.  Was  it  then  to 
be  matter  of  mere  caprice  ?  or 
when  had  they  discovered  this 
other  new  condition^  that  the  be- 
nefit of  the  rule  was  to  depend  on 
the  number  of  acres  covered  by 
the  borough  as  compared  with  the 
number  of  acres  in  the  parish 
which  it  did  not  cover  ?  These 
had  never  been  principles  of  the 
bill ;  they  were  suggestions  devised 
on  the  spur  of  the  moment  to  ex- 
cuse a  violation  of  its  principles. 
The  conduct  of  ministers  in  regard 
to  other  boroughs  proved  this  to 
demonstration.  How  had  thev 
acted  with  respect  to  the  borough 
of  Christchurch  ?  The  area  of 
Christchurch  was  twenty-seven 
square  miles,  or  upwards  of  1,700 
statute  acres.  The  total  number 
of  10/.  houses  in  the  borough  of 
Christchurch    was    eight;    andj 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[189 


therefore^  the  surroundiog  district 
was  to  be  included,  in  order  to 
make  up  the  requisite  nuuiber  of 
300.  Then  how  could  ministers 
contend  that  the  spirit  of  the  bill 
was  not  to  swamp  small  towns  into 
country  districts  ?  If  what  was 
now  proposed  was  according  to  the 
principles  of  the  bill,  said  Mr. 
Croker,  then  Calne,  which  is  to  be 
saved,  ought  to  have  stood  in  this 
schedule.  Among  the  documents 
on  the  Table,  laid  there  as  furnish- 
ing information  to  the  House,  was 
a  paper,  dated  in  January,  1831, 
which  told  the  House  and  minis- 
ters, "  The  borough  of  Calne  is 
only  part  of  the  parish  in  which 
it  stands,  but  the  parish  includes 
8,000  acres."  He  begged  the  com- 
mittee to  observe  that  this  very 
same  number  of  acres  in  the  case 
of  St.  Germain's,  was  t^^  exclude 
that  borough  from  the  represen- 
tative system.  The  same  paper 
stated  the  male  population  of  Calne 
at  996 ;  therefore,  taking  the  females 
to  be  in  equal  number,  the  gross 
population  would  be  under  2,000, 
and  the  borough  should  have  been 
placed  in  schedule  A.  "  Oh,"  said 
the  framers  of  the  bill,  *'  that  must 
never  be  j  we  must  proceed  upon 
some  other  principle.  Let  us  put 
the  borough  and  the  parish  toge- 
ther, and  make  8,000  acres  of  it, 
and  give  it  a  population  of  4,500 
inhabitants,  so  that  it  may  return 
two  members."  "But,"  said  some 
friend  of  ministers,  ''  if  you  put 
the  parish  and  borough  together 
in  the  case  of  St.  Germain's,  that 
will  return  two  members,  like- 
wise." Ministers,  however,  disre- 
garded that  suggestion,  trusting 
doubtless  that  some  lucky  accident 
would  allow  them  to  escape  from 
their  inconsistencies.  In  the  case 
of  Downton  their  excuse  was,  that 
the  earl  of  Radnor  met  the  noble 


lord  opposite  in  the  library,  and 
told  him  Downton  ought  to  go 
into  schedule  A ;  and  so,  because 
two  lords  met  in  the  library  of  the 
House  of  Commons,  the  new  con- 
stitution of  England  was  changed. 
Aldborough,  which  was  preserved, 
was  more  inconsiderable  in  popu- 
lation, in  the  amount  of  taxes,  and 
in  every  point,  than  St.  Germain's. 
The  population  of  disfranchised  St. 
Germani's  was  2,400,  whilst  the 
population  of  landisfranchised  Ald- 
borough was  2,129.  The  number 
of  male  inhabitants  in  despicable 
St.  Germain's  was  247,  and  the 
number  in  the  flourishing  and 
dignified  borough  of  Aldborough 
was  236.  The  number  of  houses 
in  St.  Germain's  was  446,  and  in 
Aldborough  408.  Thus  it  ap- 
peared, that  Aldborough  was  in 
every  respect  inferior  to  St.  Ger- 
main's, and  yet  the  former  was 
preserved,  whilst  the  latter  was 
destroyed. 

In  the  case  of  Downton  minis- 
ters had  declared,  that  they  made 
no  point  of  carrying  the  vote.  In 
the  case  of  this  Tory  borough  they 
conceded  nothing,  but  the  disfran- 
chisement of  it  was  carried  by  a 
majority  of  only  48. 

The  only  other  division  on  this 
schedule  took  place,  on  the  same 
day,  on  Mr.  Croker's  motion  that 
Saltash  should  be  transferred  to 
schedule  B.  He  did  soon  the  ground 
that  it  was  a  case  in  which  the  bo- 
rough and  parish  ought  to  be  taken 
together.  The  borough  was  nearly 
connected  with  the  parish  of  St. 
Stephen,  in  the  church  of  which  pa- 
rish its  inhabitants  were  christened, 
married,  and  buried.  The  popu- 
lation of  the  borough  was  nearly 
1 ,500,  and,  with  the  parish,  the  pi 
pulation  would  be  nearly  2,800. 
It  ought,  therefore,  to  go  to  sche- 
dule B.  Lord  John  Russell  agreed^ 


190]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


that  as  there  was  not  a  separate 
chapel ry>  St,  Stephen's  appearing 
to  be  intimately  connected  with 
Saltash^  it  would  perhaps  be  the 
most  just  course  to  exclude  the 
borough  from  schedule  A.  The 
chancellor  of  the  Exchequer,  too, 
admitted^  that  the  case  of  Saltash 
was  one  of  the  weakest  that  had 
come  under  the  cognizance  of  nH«> 
nisters.  .It  should,  however,  be 
observed,  that  in  all  the  official 
records,  a  distinction  was  made 
between  the  parish  of  St.  Stephen 
and  the  borough  of  Saltash.  The 
parish  was  spoken  of  as  "  St. 
Stephen's  juxta  Saltash."  Minis- 
ters had,  therefore,  considered  this 
as  a  case  where  the  borough  and 
parish  were  distinct  and  separate. 
Saltash,  he  admitted,  contained  no 
inconsiderable  portion  of  the  popu- 
lation, and  he  believed  that  much 
of  the  wealth  connected  with  the 
neighbourhood  was  to  be  found 
there.  Unquestionably  the  case 
was  one  of  considerable  doubt  and 
difficulty ;  and  whether,  under  all 
the  circumstances,  the  borough 
should  be  left  where  it  was,  must 
be  determined  by  the  House.  The 
division  gave  a  majority  of  8 1  for 
removing  it  from  schedule  A.  The 
concessions  of  ministers  could  not 
alter  reason  or  justice ;  yet,  had 
they  been  less  candid,  the  majority 
would  undoubtedly  have  been  the 
other  way.  Mr.  Hunt  called  the 
vote  a  rank  cross. 

Even  Old  Sarum,  for  years, 
along  with  Gatton,  the  standing 
text  of  reformei*8,  was  not  consign* 
ed  to  oblivion  in  silence,  nor  with- 
out some  note  of  the  great  changes 
which  had  taken  place  in  opinion. 
Amidst  the  laughter  which  accom- 
panied the  motion  that  it  should 
stand  part  of  the  clause,  sir  Charles 
Forbes  desired  the  House  to  bear 
n  mind,  that  the  noble  lord  who 


introduced  this  bill  had  stated  de* 
liberately,  in  a  publication  com- 
posed in  the  retirement  of  his 
study,  that  he  would  no  more 
thinK  of  touching  Old  Sarum  than 
of  touching  the  ground  on  which 
it  stood.  That  noble  lord  had  not 
only  touched  it,  but  annihilated 
it,  and  he  begged  to  ask  of  him 
what  he  intended  to  do  next } 
Another  member  added,  that^  in 
the  same  work^  and  not  in  the 
heat  of  debate,  liis  lordship  had 
declared,  that  Old  Sarum  ought 
not  to  be  touched,  except  upon 
grounds  as  strong  as  those  which 
had  expelled  king  James  from  the 
throne. 

While  these  discussions  were 
going  on,  the  reformers  out  of 
doors,  and  the  reforming  press, 
eager  to  possess  the  power  which 
was  promised  to  them,  were  lash- 
ing themselves  into  fiiry,  because 
any  discussion  was  allowed,  and 
manifesting  with  how  little  mo- 
deration or  virtue  that  power  was 
likely  to  be  exercised.  They 
blamed  ministers  for  not  hurrying 
through  the  bill  without  a  day's 
delay.  The  people,  they  told  them, 
hud  given  them  a  majority  for  the 
very  purpose  of  completing  a  mea- 
sure which  the  people  themselves 
had  already  considered  and  sanc- 
tioned. No  other  consideration 
was  necessary,  or  could  be  tolerat- 
ed, and  they  would  become  justly 
suspected  to  an  indignant  people, 
if  they  permitted  time  to  be  spent 
in  discussing  questions  raisea  by 
the  profligate  tyrants  and  usurpers 
who  dared  to  suppose  that  the  re- 
form bill  was  a  thing  to  be  examin- 
ed and  discussed,  or  that  parlia- 
ment sat  for  the  purpose  or  deli- 
beration. This  was  the  amount 
of  the  daily  language  of  the  press, 
and  of  the  political  unions ;  and 
ministers  allowed  themselves  to  be 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[191 


80  far  affected  by  this  external  and 
unprincipled   pressure^    that    the 
chancellor  of  the  Exchequer  moved, 
on  the  21st  of  July,  that,  in  future, 
the  ord«r  of  the  day  for  going  into 
committee  on  the  reform  bill  should 
take  precedence  of  all  other  public 
business  whatever.     He  admitted 
that  his  proposition   was   unpre- 
cedented, and  one  which,  in  Aiture, 
might  be  inconvenient,  if  followed 
as  a  precedent,  but  he  justified  it 
on  the  ground  of  the  paramount 
importance  of  the  reform  bill,  and 
the  endless  multiplicity  of  details 
regarding  it  into  which  the  House 
must  necessarily  enter,  which  made 
it  an  exception  from  all  ordinary 
rules.     If  the  question  were  only 
of  half  the  importance  that  it  was, 
and    yet   equally    interested    the 
country,  it  would  be  wise  in  the 
House  to  give  up  the  consideration 
of  all  other  questions,  and  to  attend 
to  this  question  alone,  until  it  was 
carried  to  a  complete  termination. 
The  country  had  a  right  to  expect 
this  course  from  its  representatives ; 
for,  as  the  country  was  looking  with 
l>reathless  anxiety  to  their  deter- 
mination,  it  had  a  right  to  call 
upon  them  to  postpone  the  consi- 
deration of  all  questions  of  minor 
importance  to  the  consideration  of 
this  question,  which  was  so  im- 
portant to  all.     He  did  not  pro- 
pose this  motion  for  the  sake  of 
creating  any  unnecessary  haste  in 
the  discussion  :    on  the  contrary, 
he  made  it  in  order  to  give  more 
opportunity  for  consideration,  and 
to  prevent   the    discussion    from 
being  spread  over  so  much  time 
as   to    distract   the   House  from 
coming  to  any  satisfactory  conclu- 
sion.    The  proposition  which  he 
had  to  make  was,  to  pass  a  general 
resolution  tha^  the  order  of  the 
day  for  the  committee  on  the  re- 
form bill  do  tal^  precedence  of  all 


public  business,  whether  petitions, 
notices  of  motions,  or  orders,  on 
each  day  for  which  it  might  be 
appointed.  There  were,  however, 
certain  petitions  which  must  be 
an  exception  to  this  resolution'-— 
he  meant  those  petitions  which 
related  to  the  reform  bill.  He 
had  communicated  his  ideas  upon 
this  subject  to  the  Speaker,  and 
the  Speaker  had  consented  to  take 
the  chair  every  day  at  three  o'clock, 
and  also  to  sit  on  Saturday  for  the 
reception  of  petitions,  as  in  the 
early  part  of  the  year.  By  this 
means  time  would  be  allowed  for 
the  reception  of  petitions  on  Satur- 
day ;  and  he,  therefore,  hoped  that, 
on  all  other  days,  they  would  be 
able  to  proceed  to  the  considera- 
tion of  the  reform  bill  by  four 
o'clock.  They  would  thus  be  able 
to  give  up  to  it  eight  hours  at 
least  every  night. 

Mr.  C.  Wynn  declared  that,  if 
ministers  could  carry,  and  give 
effect  to,  this  motion,  which,  he 
thanked  God,  they  could  not  do- 
all  the  independence  of  the  House, 
all  the  power  of  the  minority  to 
resist  the  majority  was  gone,  and 
gone  for  ever.  If  the  king's  minis- 
ters, backed  by  a  majority,  were 
empowered  to  say  that  a  particular 
business,  which  was  to  be  discussed 
de  die  in  diem^  should  always  be 
entitled  to  precedence  over  all 
other  business  whatsoever — that 
no  member  of  parliament,  without 
their  consent,  should  bring  forward 
any  motion — then  the  House  must 
abdicate  its  fimctions  as  the  grand 
inquest  of  the  nation.  One  day 
in  the  week— Saturday  forsooth— 
was  to  be  set  aside  for  the  recep- 
tion of  petitions,  and  petitions  on 
the  reform  bill  were  to  be  excepted 
from  that  rule.  Now,  if  there 
should  be  a  petition  charging  mi- 
nisters^ or  any  one  of  the  nunistert) 


1921     ANNUAL   REGISTER,    1831. 


with  a  grave  offence,  and  if  some 
member  should  be  desirous  to  lay 
it  befon  the  House^  was  the  con- 
sent of  ministers  to  be  asked  to 
the  waiving  of  this  resohition  ?  If 
what  was  now  proposed  was  really 
attempted^  there  remained  to  the 
minority  cmly  their  power  of  mov- 
ing successive  amendments,  in  order 
to  defeat  the  aiTangement ;  and^ 
sorry  as  he  should  be  to  see  that 
alternative  adopted,  no  other  course, 
he  confessed^  appeared  to  present 
itself  to  members  who,  like  the 
member  for  Aid  borough,  had  really 
motions  of  importance  in  contem- 
plation. It  would  certainly  be 
exceedingly  unpleasant  to  witness 
the  contentious  spirit  and  the  tem- 
per of  irritation  in  which  business 
must  necessarily  thenceforward  be 
carried  on.  Neither  was  there  the 
least  occasion  for  resorting  to  this 
motion,  for  he  had  not  yet  wit- 
nessed any  attempt  whatever  to 
obtrude  notices,  or  press  on  other 
subjects  of  discussion  in  the  way 
of  the  reform  bill.  Had  such  a 
disposition  been  evinced  by  the 
opponents  of  that  measure,  it  might 
indeed  have  supplied  a  weak  ex- 
cuse for  the  course  now  about  to 
l)e  pursued ;  but,  as  matters  stood, 
it  was  perfectly  unjustifiable.  He, 
therefore,  put  it  to  his  majesty's 
ministers^  whether  it  would  not  be 
infinitely  better  rather  to  trust  to 
the  good  sense  and  good  feeling  of 
the  House,  than  to  call  upon  them 
to  vote  for  a  specific  regulation,  of 
which  nobody  could  imdertake  to 
determine  how  far  it  might  be 
carried  as  a  precedent  hereafter. 

'*  I  am  satisfied,"  said  sir  R. 
Peel,  "  that  the  noble  lord  would 
have  found  it  much  better  to  de- 
pend upon  his  own  judgment  and 
discretion,  instead  of  reading  news- 
papers, and  obsequiously  adopting 
their  tyrannical  suggestions.     He 


should  have  treated  their  proffer 
of  advice  with  the  same  contempt 
and  indifference  with  which  I  and 
others  view  the  shameful  and  auda- 
cious menaces  daily  put  forth  in 
order  to  deter  us  from  the  con- 
scientious performance  of  our  duty. 
Hitherto  he  has  wisely  trusted 
somewhat  to  his  own  discretion^ 
and  the  result  has  shown  him  that 
there  is  no  disposition  in  the  House 
to  interfere  with  the  reasonable 
progress  of  the  reform  bill^  or  of 
any  other  measure  which  forms  a 
part  of  the  public  business  of  the 
nation.  We  are  here  assembled 
late  in  the  month  of  July  ;  and,  if 
people  imagine  that  we  will  con- 
sent to  make  a  new  constitution 
without  inquiry  or  deliberation^ 
I  can  assure  them  they  will  find 
themselves  grievously  mistaken. 
I  will  not  sanction  any  improper 
or  undue  delay,  because  I  think 
such  tactics  must  eventually  recoil 
on  those  who  act  upon  them.  But 
when  I  see  that  ten  out  of  the  six- 
teen notices  of  motion  to  be  con- 
sidered in  the  committee  emanate 
from  members  who  voted  for  the 
second  reading,  and  M'ho^  it  ap- 
pears, think  it  necessary  that  it 
should  undergo  the  fullest  discus- 
sion, I  do  think  it  rather  hard  to 
impute  factious  motives  to  mem- 
bers on  my  side  of  the  House  who 
venture  to  suggest  other  matters 
no  less  closely  connected  with  the 
details  of  the  self-same  measure. 
I  certainly  will  not  consent  that 
any  motion  shall  be  unfairly  inter- 
posed to  prevent  the  adequate  ex- 
amination of  the  reform  bill  j  but 
I  wish  that  the  House  would  agree 
to  that  amicable  understanding  on 
which  they  had  acted  last  session^ 
to  the  effect  that  public  business 
should  begin  at  five  o'clock." 

The  chancellor  of  the  Exche- 
quer replied;  that  though  it  was 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[193 


true  that  members  had  Dot  actu* 
ally  interfered  with  the  progress  of 
the  bill  by  interposing  notices  of 
motions,  yet  other  discussions  had 
always  incidentally  arisen,  so  as  to 
prevent  the  house  from  going  into 
the  reform  debate  until  near  seven 
o'clock,  although  six  o'clock  had 
been  the  hour  previously  agreed 
upon,  according  to  an  arrangement 
which  members  opposite  had  not 
opposed.  All  he  wanted  was,  to 
begin  the  consideration  of  the  bill 
daily  at  an  early  hour,  and  he 
would  therefore  withdraw  his  mo- 
tion on  the  understanding,  that 
the  house  should  go  into  committee 
on  the  bill  daily  at  four  o'clock, 
which  he  had  changed,  on  the  sug- 
gestion of  several  members,  for  five. 

It  was  not  to  be  expected,  that 
this  would  satisfy  the  press  and 
the  associations,  whom  nothing 
would  please  except  the  absence  of 
all  consideration;  but  it  was  a 
striking  feature  in  the  public  cha- 
racter of  the  time,  although  not 
one  whose  existence  could  occasion 
surprise,  considering  the  temper 
in  which  the  elections  had  taken 
place,  that  much  of  this  anxiety 
for  breathless  hurry  was  manifested 
in  the  house  itself,  and  was  en- 
forced even  there  by  undisguised 
intimidation.  The  new  arrange- 
ment  had  been  acted  on  only  for 
four  or  five  nights,  when  a  colo- 
nel Evans  complained  that  it  did 
not  satisfy  the  people.  There  was, 
he  said,  a  strong  and  alarming 
feeling  excited  through  the  coun- 
try in  consequence  of  the  delays 
which  the  bill  had  encountered. 
"A  conference  has  been  held  be- 
tween the  political  unions  of  Bir- 
mingham, Manchester,  and  Glas-> 
gow,  as  to  the  steps  which,  accord- 
ing to  their  sense  of  duty^  they* 
ought  to  take,  in  case  the  urogress 
of  the  bill  were  protracted  in  the 

VOL.  LXXIII. 


same  tardy  manner;" — and,  if  a 
different  mode  of  proceeding  was 
not  adopted,  he  would  move  to  ex- 
amine witnesses  at  the  bar  to  point 
out  to  the  house  the  danger  arising 
from    these    delays.      Mr.    John 
Smith,   too,    assured    the  house, 
'^  the  anger  of  the  population  in 
Scotland,"  at  the  delays  thrown  in 
the  way  of  the  bill,  was  such,  that, 
if  the  house  did  not  alter  its  course, 
that  anger  would  "  shortly  shew 
itself  in  something  stronger  than 
words;"  the  House  ought  to  meet 
at  mid-day  for  the  consideration  of 
the  bill.     Other  members  spoke  in 
the  same  strain,  and  the  chancellor 
of  the  Exchequer  answered  them 
all  by  stating,   that  this  very  dis- 
cussion, when  they  ought  to  have 
been  in  committee,  was  hot  much 
calculated  to  expedite  the  progress 
of  the  bill.     He  should  be  happy 
to  accede  to  any  arrangement  which 
should  clearly  be  better  than  that^ 
upon  which  they  were  then  act- 
ing, but  nothing  could  be  more 
improper  than   to    endeavour    to 
stifle    discussion.      By  the    pre- 
sent arrangement    they  now   sat 
from  five  o'clock  to  one  o'clock  in 
the  morning.     They  thus  sat  eight 
hours  on  the  bill,  and  he  thought 
it  impossible  that  by  any  arrange- 
ment they  could  sit  a  longer  time. 
If  the  House  met  in  the  morning, 
as  was  now  proposed,  be  was  not 
aware  that  they  would  not  lose  as 
much  time  as  they  did  at  present. 
Throughout  the  whole  discussion, 
ministers  themselves,  and  particu- 
larly the  chancellor  of  the  Exche- 
quer, were  much  more  moderate 
and  conciliatory  than  many  of  their 
pledged  and  unthinking  adherents, 
who  reckoned  all  those  discussions 
unnecessary,    in  which  they  felt 
themselves  to  be  utterly  unquali- 
fied for  taking  any  useful  or  re^ 
spectable  part. 

[O] 


194]     ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


On  the  27th  of  July  the  com- 
mittee entered  on  the  considera- 
tion of  schedule  B^  the  boroughs 
contained  in  which  were^  in  future^ 
to  be  limited  to  one  member^  be- 
cause their  population  did  not  ex- 
ceed 4,000.  Sir  R.  Peel,  to  raise 
the  question  of  the  principle  on 
which  this  clause  proceeded,  moved 
that  these  boroughs  should  send 
two  members  instead  of  one,  a  pro- 
position for  which,  he  said,  the 
firmest  supporter  of  the  bill,  if 
convinced  by  reason,  might  freely 
give  his  vote.  There  was  nothing 
contained  in  the  preamble  of  the 
bill  which  made  the  disfranchise- 
ment of  the  boroughs  enumerated 
in  schedule  B  a  necessary  measure. 
The  preamble  declaretl  the  expe- 
diency of  disfranchising  the  bo- 
roughs in  schedule  A,  but  not 
those  in  schedule  B.  The  bo- 
roughs in  schedule  B  had  nothing 
to  do  with  the  principle  of  dis- 
franchising nomination  boroughs ; 
because,  if  they  were  nomination 
boroughs,  they  ought,  according 
to  the  principle  of  the  bill,  to  be 
entirely  disfranchised.  The  com- 
mittee had  already  determined,  that 
iifty-six  boroughs,  and  1 1 1  mem- 
bers, should,  for  the  future  be 
struck  out  of  the  constituency  of 
England;  and  to  shew  how  this  dis- 
franchisement would  operate,  he 
would  divide  England  into  two 
districts,  marked  by  essentially  dif- 
ferent characters.  He  held  in  his 
hand  a  small  map  which  had  been 
lately  published,  entitled,  "  a  map 
shewing  the  places  in  England 
and  Wales  sending  members  to 
parliament  heretofore,  with  the 
alterations  proposed  to  be  made  by 
the  bill  for  amending  the  repre- 
sentation." In  this  map  he  would 
di*aw  a  line,  not  exactly  across  the 
centre  of  the  country,  but  from  the 
indenture  made  in  th^    coast  by 


the  Severn  to  the  indenture  made 
on  the  opposite  coast  by  the  Wash. 
This  line  would  leav«  Lincolnshire 
to  the  north,  and  the  county  of 
Norfolk  to  the  south.  A  line 
drawn  in  this  direction  to  Bristol 
would  effect  the  division  to  which 
he  wished  to  direct  the  attention 
of  the  House.  This  line  was  not 
a  fanciful  one,  but  one  which  di- 
vided with  tolerable  accuracy  the 
agricultural  from  the  manufactur- 
ing districts.  On  the  north  of 
this  line  w^re  situated  the  great 
coal-fields  of  England,  with  all  the 
manufactures  which  depended  on 
them.  Taking  this  line  for  his 
guide,  he  would  attempt  to  prove 
that  the  bill  gave  an  immense  pre- 
ponderance to  the  northern  or 
manufacturing  district,  and  greatly 
and  unduly  lessened  the  weight, 
and  distinction  of  the  southern 
district,  which  comprised  the  chief 
agricultural  counties  of  England. 
Schedule  A  comprised  fifty-six 
boroughs,  returning  1 1 1  members. 
How  were  these  boroughs  situated 
with  respect  to  the  districts  north 
and  south  of  the  line  ?  The  dis- 
trict north  of  the  line  lost  only 
five  boroughs,  out  of  the  fifty- six. 
The  district  to  the  south  of  the 
line  lost  fifty-one.  The  district 
to  the  north  of  the  line  lost  ten 
members,  and  the  district  to  the 
south  lost  101.  Schedule  B,  again, 
since  the  decision  of  the  committee 
with  respect  to  Saltash,  might  be 
assumed  to  comprise  forty- one  bo- 
roughs. Out  of  these  forty-one 
boroughs  eight  were  to  the  north 
of  the  line,  and  thirty-three  to  the 
south.  By  the  combined  operation 
of  schedules  A  and  B,  the  manu- 
facturing district  lost  eighteen 
members,  and  the  agricultural  dis- 
trict lost  134.  The  constructive 
V  clauses  furnished  no  compensation 
for  the  loss  which  the  destructive 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[195 


clauses  occasioned  to  the  agricul- 
tural division.     Schedule  C  con- 
tained twelve  new  boroughs,  each 
of  which  was  to  return  two  mem- 
bers.    Every  one  of  these  new  bo- 
roughs, with  the  exception  of  the 
metropolitan  districts  and  of  the 
town  of  Devonportj  was    in  the 
northern  division.      It  was  clear 
that  the  increase  of  members  for 
the  metropolitan  district  would  be 
an  injury  instead  of  an  advantage 
to  the  agricultural  interest.     The 
bill   created   twenty- six  new  bo- 
roughs with  one  member  each,  and 
of  these  twenty-four  were  to  the 
north  of  the^line,  and  two  to  the 
south.     He  had  hoped  that  these 
two  would  at  least  be  of  some  ad- 
vantage to  the  agricultural  inter- 
est ;  but  what  was  his  disappoint- 
ment   when^    on   looking  at   the 
clause,  he  found  that  in  these  in- 
stances the  privilege  of  representa- 
tion was  conferred  on  Cheltenham 
and  Brighton  !     The  result  of  his 
statement  was,  that  the  southern 
division  of  the  kingdom  sustained 
a  total  loss  of  134  members,  whilst 
the  northern  division  sustained  a 
loss  of   only  eighteen.      On   the 
other  hand,  the  southern  district 
gained   seven  members,    and  the 
northern  district  thirty-three.     If 
the  House  would  give  two  members 
to  the  boroughs  contained  in  sche- 
dule B,  the  agricultural  interest 
would    have    a    chance    of    pos- 
sessing   its    due   weight    in    the 
representative    system.       At    all 
times  it  was  necessary  to  protect 
the  agricultural  interest  from  the 
augmenting  influence  t)f  the  manu- 
facturing districts.      The  consti- 
tuency  of   populous    places   had 
greater  power  of  combining  than 
the  scattered  constituency  of  agri  • 
cultural  districts.     The  influence 
of  the  press  and  of  clubs  was  much 
more  powerful  amongst  the  former 


than  amongst  the  latter  body.  He 
therefore  earnestly  entreated  the 
House  to  pause,    and  to  inquire 
whether  they  might  not,  consistent- 
ly with  the  principle  of  the  bill, 
suflfer  those  forty  boroughs  which 
were  included  in  schedule  B  to  re- 
tain the  right  of  sending  two  mem- 
bers to  parliament.     But,  above  all 
things,  he  would  entreat  and  im- 
plore of  the  House  not  to  innovate 
and  destroy  further  than  was  abso- 
lutely necessary  —  not  to  be  too 
active  in  the  work  of  destruction. 
The    very    extensive   destruction 
which  was  already  effected,  must 
call   upon    those  who  were  most 
ardent  in  the  cause  of  reform,  to 
pause  and  ask  themselves  seriously, 
whether  the  system  of  the  repre- 
sentation of  this  country  was  really 
so  defective,  as  to  call  for  a  farther 
and  a  more  sweeping  destruction  f 
Lord  John  Russell  contended, 
that  the  charge  of  having  neglected 
the  southern  or  western  counties, 
or  overlooked  the  interests  of  the 
agricultural  districts,  was  the  very- 
last    that   ought  to   be    brought 
against     ministers.       Instead    of 
taking  the  course  now  recommend- 
ed, they  had  rather  looked  to  the 
great  population  of  the  northern 
counties.     They    found,    for    in- 
stance, that  Lancashire  contained 
more  than  a  million  of  inhabitants, 
while  Dorsetshire   had  a  popula- 
tion of  only  140,000,    ana   Lan- 
cashire would  have  nineteen  mem- 
bers while  Dorsetshire  would  hare 
nine.    Ministers  wished  to  give  to 
those  vast  dep6ts  of  manufacturing 
wealth,    which    during   the    last 
thirty  years  had  been  constantly 
increasing,     that    importance    to 
which  they  were  entitled.     The 
individuals  connected  with  them 
were  in  the  habit  of  trading  with 
every  quarter  of  the  world ;  they 
kept  up  the  relations  of  this  cotin-^ 
[0  23 


196]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


try  with  every  portion  of  the  globe; 
they  were,  wheresoever  they  went, 
admired  for  their  mechanical  skill, 
and  envied  for  their  increasing  and 
secure  prosperity.  Having  found 
their  way  into  every  part  of  the 
habitable  world, — having  for  years 
maintained  the  character  and  power 
of  this  country,  yet,  strange  to 
say^  they  had  never  found  admit- 
tance into  that  house^  which  should 
have  been  their  proper  place.  In 
proceeding  as  they  had  done,  mi- 
nisters felt,  that  the  representation 
should  not  be  a  representation  of 
a  particular  ckss  of  men,  strongly 
addicted  to  a  specific  set  of  opi- 
nions. They  thought  that,  if  they 
adopted  such  a  course,  those  so 
selected  might  give  to  the  machine 
of  government  an  impetus  and  a 
velocity  not  consistent  with  the 
established  state  of  things.  There- 
fore it  was,  that  they  stopped  their 
career  at  a  particular  point,  and 
had  laid  down  a  line  beyond  which 
they  would  not  go.  There  were 
forty  boroughs  in  this  schedule 
which  would  send  one  member 
each  to  parliament,  and  there  were 
thirty  others  that  would  still  re- 
turn two  members.  These  latter 
did  not  contain  any  great  body  of 
constituents,  but  still  they  would 
send  members  to  parliament  to  re- 
present certain  portions  of  the  peo- 
ple, who  had  as  fair  a  right  to  be 
represented  as  any  other  body.  By 
taking  this  course,  they  would 
add  to  the  stability  of  the  repre- 
sentation, and  obtain  an  equili- 
brium which  was  not  to  be  found  in 
any  other  scheme  of  legislation 
which  ministers  could  devise.  They 
had  left  to  the  boroughs  in  this 
schedule  the  right  to  send  one 
member  each  to  parliament.  They 
had  not,  in  doing  this,  acted  from 
partial  or  personal  views,  but  be- 
cause they  thought  it  right  and 


just  to  stop  where  they  conceived 
that  total  disfranchisement  was  no 
longer  necessary. 

'To  this  the  opposition  replied, 
that  it  was  a  gross  paralogism  to 
say  that  these  boroughs  ought  to 
have  only  one  member,  because 
other  boroughs,  not  yet  repre- 
sented, ought  to  have^  some  one^ 
and  others  two.  To  say,  that  the 
boroughs  in  schedule  B  should  have 
two  members  did  not  mean  or 
imply  that  the  boroughs  in  sche- 
dules C  and  D  were  to  have  none 
or  fewer  than  the  bill  contemplated, 
and  ministers  had  not  so  treated 
the  proposition.  Where  then  was 
the  logic  of  declaiming  about  the 
unrepresented  wealth  and  enter- 
prise of  the  northern  manufactures, 
as  if  the  question  had  been  whe- 
ther they  should  be  excluded  from 
the  representation  ?  But  ministers 
said^  they  had  looked  at  the  great 
population  of  these  "  vast  depots.*' 
If  they  had,  what  did  they  find 
in  it  to  justify  their  giving  it  so 
tremendous  a  preponderance  ?  The 
census  shewed  that  the  town  popu- 
lation did  not  amount  to  more  than 
4,500,000  persons,  whereas  the 
rural  population  amounted  to  up- 
wards of  7,000,000.  Suppose  that 
property  was  selected  as  the  basis 
of  this  new  constitution  5  how  did 
that  stand  ?  The  houses,  accord- 
ing to  the  last  return  of  property, 
averaged  1 5,000,000/.  per  annum, 
while  the  land  reached  30,000,000/. 
per  annum.  Again,  if  they  looked 
to  contribution,  they  would  find 
the  same  inequality.  The  houses 
in  this  kingdom,  including  mills 
and  manufactories,  according  to 
the  last  report  made  to  that 
House,  paid  2,000,000/.  to  the 
poor  rates,  while  the  land  paid  no 
less  than  6,800,000/.  What, 
then,  was  the  rational  course  for 
those  to  pursue,  who  were  now  at- 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[197 


tacking  the  constitution  with  such 
zeal  ?  They  ought  to  have  done 
that  which  they  had  neglected  and 
refused  to  do — they  ought  to  have 
laid  before  parliament  some  just, 
clear^  and  intelligible  plau^  instead 
of  a  scheme  which  was  absurd  and 
contradictory.  Ministers  called 
this  measure  an  adjustment  of  the 
system  of  representation  ;  but  let 
the  House  see  what  was  the  nature 
of  this  adjustment.  It  gave  about 
300  members  to  the  towns,  and 
about  150  to  the  country  popula- 
tion— that  was  to  say,  it  adjusted 
the  representation  in  such  a  man- 
ner that  one  body  should  have  just 
half  as  much  of  it  and  no  more,  as 
the  other  body  had. 

Sir  Robert  Peel's  motion  was  re- 
jected by  a  majority  of  sixty-seven, 
and  the  committee  entered  on  the 
consideration  of  the  individual  bo- 
roughs, i^ich  were  all  disposed  of 
in  the  course  of  four  days.  In  the 
case  of  Chippenham,  an  unavailing 
attempt  was  made  to  be  allowed 
to  prove  the  gross  inaccuracy  of 
the  return  in  regard  to  its  popu- 
lation. One  of  its  members  stated, 
and  offered  to  prove  at  the  bar, 
that,  in  1821,  it  had  contained 
4,41 1  inhabitants,  though  the  cen- 
sus of  that  year  gave  it  only  3,506. 
By  parochial  returns  which  had 
been  made  out  wi£h  a  view  to  levy- 
ing the  poor  rates,  it  could  be 
proved  that  155  houses  had  been 
entirely  omitted  from  the  return, 
and  hence  the  apparent  deficiency 
of  population.  Ministers  resisted 
the  admission  of  any  evidence  or 
the  entering  upon  any  inquiry. 
The  chanceller  of  the  Exchequer 
said,  that  there  might  have  been 
a  mistake  as  to  the  number  of 
houses,  but  it  did  not  follow,  that 
there  had  been  any  mistake  as  to 
the  population ;  and  even  if  there 
were;  bow  could  these  returns  now 


be  corrected  ?  The  inquiry  would 
be  endless.  The  opposition  com- 
plained that  this  was  a  direct  vio- 
lation of  the  repeated  declarations 
of  ministers,  that  if  any  borough 
could  bring  itself  fairly  above  the 
line,  its  claims  would  be  listened 
to.  Here  proof  was  offered  that 
Chippenham  did,  in  point  of  fact, 
contain  in  1821  more  than  4,000 
inhabitants ;  and  the  answer  made 
was,  it  may  be  so,  but  we  will  not 
allow  you  to  prove  it,  and  it  w^ 
made  on  this  very  logical  and  na- 
tural presumption  that,  although 
it  was  admitted  that  a  very  large 
number  of  houses  had  been  omitted, 
in  making  up  the  returns,  yet  it 
must  be  assumed  that  the  persons 
living  in  these  houses  had  not  been 
omitted!  The  returns  of  1821 
contained  only  576  houses,  while 
those  of  even  1811  contained  668 
inhabited  houses.  This  alone  af- 
forded a  reasonable  presumption 
that  some  great  mistake  had  been 
committed.  Where  the  case,  on 
the  first  blush  of  it,  appeared  so 
probable  in  itself,  and  so  easily 
susceptible  of  proof,  let  ministers, 
if  they  would  not  hear  evidence  at 
the  bar,  at  least  allow  this  borough 
to  stand  over  till  inquiry  should  be 
made,  since  it  was  plain  that,  as 
matters  stood,  it  was  impossible 
for  the  House  to  decide,  without 
deciding  in  the  dark.  But  minis- 
ters thought  *'  no  good  could  pos- 
sibly arise  from  delay,"  and  on  a 
division  a  majority  of  seventy  in 
their  favour  determined  the  ques- 
tion. A  larger  majority  continued 
in  the  schedule  the  borough  of 
Cockermouth,  which  the  opposi- 
tion contended,  deserved  as  well 
to  be  exempted  from  it,  as  the 
whig  boroughs  of  Morpeth  and 
Horsham.  The  opposition  endea- 
voured, likewise,  to  save  both  its 
raembersfor  Dorchester,  the  county 


196]       ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1631. 


town  of  Dorsetshire,  on  the  ground 
that,a1  though  it  fell  within  the  strict 
line  of  population  selected  by  mi- 
nisters, it  had  500  electors,  and  no 
fewer  than  333  ten  pound  houses. 
Among  the  boroughs  which  were 
still  to  send  two  members,  there 
were  at  least  six,  the  number 
of  10/.  houses  in  which  was  smaller 
by  sixty  than  in  Dorchester,  and 
the  latter  neither  was,  nor  ever 
had  been,  a  nomination  borough. 
Moreover  Fordington  was  as  much 
a  part  and  parcel  of  Dorchester  as 
any  one  place  could  possibly  be  of 
another  ;  the  united  population  of 
both  would  exceed  4,000,  and  why 
should  not  the  same  principle,  on 
which  Falmouth  was  joined  to 
Penryn,  and  Walmer  and  Deal  to 
Sandwich,  not  so  intimately  con- 
nected together,  be  applied  to  a 
case  like  this  ?  It  was  answered 
that  Fordington  was  not  Dorches- 
ter, and  Porchester  admittedly 
did  not  contain  4,000  inhabitants. 
It  might  not  be  a  nomination  bo- 
rough, and  there  were  other  bo- 
roughs in  this  schedule  in  the  same 
situation,  but  the  proposed  change 
would  effectually  put  a  stop  to  the 
system  out  of  which  nomination 
boroughs  had  arisen. 

An  attempt  was  likewise  made 
to  save  Guildford,  by  a  reform 
member,  and  on  the  ground  that 
the  returns  were  erroneous  which 
stated  its  population  in  1821  to 
be  only  3161.  Guildford  compre- 
hended three  parishes,  including 
which,  but  excluding  the  rural 
population  extending  two  miles  in 
the  environs  of  the  town,  the  popu- 
lation of  1821  amounted  to  4212. 
It  contained  upwards  of  315  ten 
pound  houses,  and  almost  the  whole 
town  consisted  of  freeholds.  If  the 
number  of  houses  in  Guildford,  and 
which  ought  to  have  been  included 
in  the  return^  had  been  included, 


the  population,  even  according  to 
the  return,  would  have  exceeded 
4,000  and  nowhere  could  there 
be  found  a  purer  constituency 
than  in  this  borough.  Ministers, 
however,  would  admit  of  no  in- 
quiry, and  considered  it  just  such 
a  case  as  Dorchester,  where  you 
would  have  to  go  out  of  the  bo* 
rough  to  make  up  the  4,000,  the 
borough  population  being  only 
3,723.  It  was  answered,  that  it 
was  just  the  reverse  of  Dorchester. 
In  the  latter,  the  houses  to  be  in« 
eluded  were  not  in  the  town ;  but 
in  the  present  case  the  houses, 
which  it  was  sought  to  include  in 
the  return,  were  within  the  town. 
A  majority  of  seventy-seven  de- 
cide<l  that  Guildford  should  lose 
one  of  its  members.  Sudbury, 
with  a  returned  population  of 
3.950  shared  the  same  fate,  from 
the  refusal  to  admit  a  suburb  dis- 
trict forming  a  continuation  of  one 
of  its  streets,  on  the  ground  that 
it  was  not  included  in  a  local  act 
for  paving  and  lighting  Sudbury. 

The  enfranchising  clauses  came 
next,  by  which  members  were  to 
be  given  to  places  hitherto  unre- 
presented, and,  in  regard  to  them, 
there  was  less  diversity  of  opinion. 
The  first  set  consistedi  of  those  to 
which  two  members  were  to  be 
given.  Among  them  was  '*  Green- 
wich, including  the  parishes  of 
Greenwich,  St.  Nicholas,  and  St. 
Paul,  Deptford,  and  Woolwich." 
Sir  R.  Peel  moved  that  Green- 
wich should  be  erased  from  this 
schedule,  on  the  ground  that,  to 
give  it  two  members,  would  only 
be  adding  to  a  power  already  too 
great — the  representation  of  the 
metropolitan  district,  to  which  this 
very  clause  gave  eight  new  mem- 
bers besides.  He  was  unacquaint- 
ed, he  said,  with  any  particular 
circumstances  which  suould  entitle 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPfi. 


ii§9 


Greenwich,  and  the  other  places 
which   it  was  proposed   to  unite 
with  it,  to  this  privilege.     He  was 
not  aware  of  any  trade  which  was 
carried  on  in  those  places  which 
required    protection.     Their    sole 
claim  to  representation  depended 
on  the  amount  of  their  population, 
which  varied  according  to  changes 
in  the  circumstances  of  the  esta- 
blishments which  government  main- 
tained in  those  localities.    The  po- 
pulation returns  of  1821  showed 
that  the  population   of  Deptford 
had  decreased,  whilst  that  of  Green- 
wich had  increased.     The  former 
circumstance  was  attributed  to  a 
reduction  which  took  place  in  the 
dock-yard,  and  the  latter  to  the 
establishment  of  the  Naval  Asylum, 
and  an  increase  in  the  number  of 
resident  pensioners.      It  was   an 
admitted  blot  in  the  representative 
system,  that  such  towns  as  Leeds, 
Manchester,  and  Birmingham,  had 
no  shjtre  in  the  representation  ;  but 
it  could  not  fairly  be  alleged  that 
any  defect  of  representation  existed 
with  respect  to  the  metropolitan 
district.     The  members  returned 
for  the  city  of  London,  the  city  of 
Westminster,  and  the  borough  of 
Southwark,  were  eight  in  number. 
The  representatives  of  the  county 
of  Middlesex  were  returned  under 
town  influence,  and  not  under  the 
agricultural  interest.     According 
to  the  population  returns,  it  ap- 
peared  that   there   were    in    the 
county  of  Middlesex  9,393  families 
employed  in  agricultural  pursuits, 
whilst  there  were  161,356  families 
employed  in  trade  and  manufac- 
tures.    The  whole  rural  popula- 
tion of  Middlesex  could  not  exceed 
70,000,  out  of  a  total  population 
of  1 , 1 40,000.    It  was  evident  from 
this  statement  that  the  members 
for  the  county  must  be  returned 
under  the  town  interest.  The  total 


population  of  the  county  of  Surrey 
was  398,000,   of  which  268,000 
were  engaged  in  trade  and  manu- 
factures, so  that  he  was  justified 
in  assuming  that  one  member  for 
this  county  was  returned  on  the 
town  interest.     The  conclusion  to 
which  these  facts  led  him  was,  that 
the  metropolitan   district  was  at 
present  amply  represented,  it  hav- 
ing no  less  than  eleven  members 
in  the  House  of  Commons.    It  was 
to  him  a  just  cause  of  surprise, 
that  ministers  should  propose  *to 
add  ten  members  more-to  this  num- 
ber.    On  the  grounds  of  popula- 
tion, and  of  the  amount  of  assessed 
taxes  paid  by  this  district,  minis- 
ters might  be  able  to  make  out  a 
case ;  but  those  were  not  the  prin- 
ciples on  which  the  bill  proceeded. 
Liverpool,    with   a  population  of 
200,000,  was  to  have  only  two  re- 
presentatives.    Why  were  not  the 
same    principles  applied   to   that 
great    town   as   were  applied    to 
the  metropolitan  district  ?      The 
three  propositions  which   he  had 
thus  attempted   to  establish  were 
these  —  1  St,   That   the  metropo- 
litan   district   of   London,    with 
reference   to   other  parts   of  the 
country,  was  amply  provided  with 
members,   as   it  returned  no  less 
than  eleven  members ; — 2nd,  That 
the  ancient  usage  of  England,  with 
respect  to  the  representative  sys- 
tem, gave  an  equal  right  to  all 
places  to  return  representatives; — 
and  3rd,  That  the  same  was  the 
case  with  respect  to  this  bill,  as 
was  seen  in  the  instances  of  Calue 
and  Manchester,  the  former  conti- 
nuing to  return  members  on  ac- 
count of  ancient  right,  and  the  lat- 
ter being  allowed  that  privilege  in 
consequence  of  its  great  popula- 
tion.    The  one  place  retained  its 
old  right,  the  other  became  pos- 
sessed of  a  new  one.    Now,  from 


200]       ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


the  positions  which  he  had  laid 
down^  he  inferred  that,  unless 
some  special  case  were  made  out 
for  the  metrojwlitan  district,  the 
plan,  which  it  was  proposed  to 
pursue  respecting  it,  ought  not  to 
be  approved.  Could  those  who 
proposed  this  alteration  show,  that, 
either  with  reference  to  popula- 
tion or  contribution,  the  metro- 
politan district  deserved  this  addi- 
tional number  of  members  ?  A 
case,  he  knew,  could  be  made  out, 
but  it  was  a  case  against  those  who 
called  for  these  additional  mem- 
bers. In  his  opinion,  ministers 
were  about  to  concede  this  boon  to 
Middlesex,  not  on  account  of  any 
peculiarity  in  its  local  situation, 
but  merelv  in  accordance  with  the 
arbitrary  line  which  they  had  laid 
down.  In  doing  so,  they  were 
guilty  of  a  departure  from  ancient 
usage,  and  even  from  the  principle 
of  the  bill  itself.  For  the  various 
reasons  he  had  stated,  he  should 
strenuously  oppose  the  insertion  of 
Greenwich  in  schedule  C. 

In  regard  to  the  new  members 
to  be  given  to  the  metropolis,  the, 
chancellor  of  the  Exchequer  said, 
that  it  was  impossible  to  leave  large 
districts,  overflowing  with  popula- 
tion, wealth,  and  intelligence,  un- 
represented. Ministers,  therefore, 
had  to  decide,  whether  they  should 
give  these  districts  new  members, 
or  join  them  with  the  parts  of  the 
metropolis  that  were  already  re- 
presented ;  they  had  believed  the 
former  to  be  the  wiser  course,  and 
they  had  adopted  it.  London  being 
one  immense  town,  was,  in  conse- 
quence, divided  into  several  separ- 
ate boroughs,  each  having  the  right 
to  return  representatives  j  and 
therefore  ministers  did  not  wish  to 
depart  from  that  principle.  If 
they  joined  those  places  named  in 
the  schedule  with  other  roetropo* 


litan  districts  that  now  returned 
members,  it  would  have  the  effect 
of  nearly  disfranchising  the  latter. 
If  they  added  those  places  to  West- 
minster, for  instance,  the  weight 
and  importance  of  that  place  would 
be  considerably  reduced.  They 
could  not,  therefore,  in  common 
fairness  or  justice,  add  those  im- 
mense places  enumerated  in  the 
schedule  to  other  districts  which 
already  returned  members.  There- 
fore the  course  which  they  deemed 
it  most  advisable  to  take  was,  to 
consider  them  as  separate  boroughs  j 
just  as  the  city  of  Westminster 
and  the  borough  of  Southwark 
were,  at  the  present  time,  distin- 
guished as  separate  boroughs.  That 
was  the  course  which  appeared  to 
ministers  to  be  most  consistent  with 
reason,  and  with  the  present  state 
of  the  representation.  Now,  when 
they  were  giving  representatives 
to  different  places,  they  could  not, 
when  they  saw  such  population 
and  wealth  as  Greenwich  and  its 
neighbourhood  boasted,  avoid  tak- 
ing its  claims  into  consideration, 
and  they  decided,  when  they  had 
done  so,  on  placing  it  in  this  clause. 
It  was  said,  that  the  population  of 
Greenwich  and  Deptford  was,  in  a 
great  degree,  composed  of  persons 
employed  by  government.  There 
were  undoubtedly  persons  there 
who  were  employed  by  govern- 
ment ;  but  the  amount  was  such, 
that  it  could  not  have  any  very 
material  weight  in  influencing  the 
return  of  a  member  to  serve  in 
parliament.  The  observation,  how- 
ever, was  rather  a  strange  one  to 
come  from  the  other  side  of  the 
House,  since  the  gentlemen  seated 
there  had  all  along  declared  that 
ministers  were  destroying  the  just 
and  necessary  influence  of  the 
Crown.  If  they  supposed  that 
Greenwich  would  hereafter  be  a 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[201 


mere  Domination  borough,  he  could 
only  say  that  it  would  be  a  most 
enormous  one,  as  its  population  was 
not  less  than  40,000.  So  far  as 
government  was  concerned^  some 
influence  might  be  retained^  but 
that  influence  would  not  have  the 
eflfect  of  placing  in  the  hands  of 
government  any  undue  or  unfair 
degree  of  power. 

Mr.  Wynn,  Mr.  Baring,  Mr. 
Groker,  and  Sir  C.  WethereU  en- 
forced the  views  which  had  been 
taken  by  Sir  R.  Peel,  contending, 
that  the  proposition  was  not  only 
a  most  inexpedient  addition  to  the 
metropolitan  representation,  but 
that,  in  itself,  it  set  all  sense  ^d 
principle  at  defiance,  proceeding  on 
the  mere  basis  of  population,  and 
of  lumping  together,  in  order  to 
make  up  that  population,  totally 
distinct  masses,  an  operation  against 
which  ministers  had  set  their  faces 
in  every  instance  where  their  anta- 
gonists had  proposed  it.  It  was 
easy  to  foretel,  from  what  hap- 
pened to  Alderman  Thompson  in 
London,  and  to  Sir  U.  Wilson  in 
South wark,  for  voting,  not  against 
the  bill,  but  against  ministers,  how 
such  an  influence  M^ould  be  exer- 
cised .  If  a  clamour  arose  in  West- 
minster, it  was  not  too  much  to 
say  that  it  was  sure  to  spread  to 
London,  Southwark,  Greenwich, 
Deptford,  and  all  these  new  me- 
tropolitan boroughs,  and  their  re- 
presentatives would  be  compelled 
to  obey  it,  instead  of  exercising 
their  own  reason  and  judgment. 
The  addition  of  ten  members  to  the 
metropolitan  union  of  eleven,  which 
the  district  of  the  capital  already 
enjoyed,  would  constitute  an  union 
of  twenty-one  members,  an  inno- 
vation in  the  constitutional  system 
of  representation  which  had  never 
existed,  and  ought  not  to  exist. 
Sir  C.  Wetherell  did  not  mean  to 
say,  that  such  an  union  as  tbis; 


within  the  walls  of  parliament, 
would  be  as  dangerous  as  the  Bir- 
mingham Political  Union,  with 
which  a  minister  of  state  had 
thought  it  fitting  and  proper  to 
correspond ;  but  it  did  appear  to 
him,  that  such  a  number  of  gentle- 
men thus  confederated  together 
would  be  a  novel  thing  in  the  con- 
stitution of  that  House  3  and  that 
such  a  novelty  would  be  productive 
of  mischief  to  an  extent  which  he 
should  not  at  present*  predicate. 
They  had  already  seen  how  the 
city  of  London,  which  would  form 
a  portion  of  that  metropolitan 
union  to  which  he  alluded,  had 
thought  proper  to  erect  itself  into 
a  judge  of  their  proceedings,  and 
to  interfere  in  a  most  unconstitu- 
tional manner  with  the  privileges  . 
of  parliament.  To  be  sure,  as  the 
worthy  alderman  had  said,  the 
Livery  of  London  had  not  as  yet 
pronounced  their  judgment  on  that 
House— they  had  not  as  yetjlatea 
their  decree — they  had  not  as  yet 
thought  proper  to  determine,  in 
regard  to  a  matter  which  was  still 
under  the  consideration  of  parlia- 
ment, and  in  regard  to  proceed- 
ings which  wjere  only  in  transitu, 
that  the  House  of  Commons  must, 
nolens  vokns,  pass  the  bill  in  the 
shape  that  would  please  them — 
they  had  not  as  yet  come  to  that 
redoubtable  civic  determination  j 
but  their  resolution  was  only  sus- 
pended, and,  like  the  sword  of 
Damocles,  it  was  ready  to  fall  upon 
their  devoted  heads  at  the  given 
signal  from  those  city  sages.*  He 
referred  to  such  proceedings  merely 

•  This  had  reference  tj  a  meeting 
which  had  been  held  by  some  of  the 
livery  of  London,  for  the  purpose  of  tak- 
ing measures  to  compel  a  more  rapid 
progre:'8  of  the  bill.  The  meeting  had 
adjourned,  however,  without  adopting 
any  resolution  ;  but  the  press  took  care 
to  tell  ministers  and  the  House,  that  it 
was  BtlU  hanglDg  over  them  in  tmvremt 


i02]       ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


as  an  illustration  of  what  might  be 
expected  from  that  metropolitan 
union  which  this  bill  went  to  esta- 
blish. Again,  if  population  was 
to  be  the  principle  by  which  they 
were  to  be  guided,  why  had  that 
principle  been  abandoned  in  so 
many  glaring  instances  in  schedule 
B  ?  Why  hud  they  partly  disfran- 
chised Guildford  by  intersecting 
and  transecting  houses^  so  as  to 
reduce  its  population  below  the 
mark^  while,  in  order  to  bring 
Greenwich  up  to  that  point  of  po- 
pulation, which  would  entitle  it  to 
two  members^  they  had  added  to  it 
several  of  the  neighbouring  places^ 
such  as  Deptford  and  Woolwich  ? 
Would  the  noble  lord  opposite  con- 
descend to  give  a  satisfactory  an- 
swer to  that  question  ?  Or,  when 
the  population  of  Greenwich  was 
not  sufficient,  why  were  other 
places  added  to  it  in  order  to  make 
It  sufficient  to  entitle  it  to  return 
two  members  to  parliament,  while 
from  several  boroughs,  with  a 
larger  population,  one  of  their 
members  had  been  taken  ?  Was  not 
that  a  most  notorious  abandonment 
of  the  principle  of  the  bill  ?  Why 
had  Chelsea  been  left  out  of  the 
list  ?  No  reason  had  been  assigned 
why  unrepresented  Chelsea  should 
have  been  omitted.  The  only  rea- 
son which  he  could  give  for  the 
omission,  if  he  were  asked  for  one, 
was,  that  Greenwich  was  below  new 
London  bridge,  and  that  Chelsea 
was  above ;  and  as  the  one  place 
contained  a  naval,  and  the  other  a 
military  asylum,  the  only  dis- 
tinction that  could  be  made  out 
between  them  was  the  distinction 
between  a  red  coat  and  a  blue  coat. 
Why  had  Tooting  been  omitted  in 
this  list  of  fortunate  places  ?  why 
omit  Battersea,  renowned  in  stor^  ? 
why  omit  Fulham  }  why  omit  pic- 
turesque Petersham  ?   why  leave 


out  Rotherhithe?  and,  above  all* 
why  omit  thrice-celebrated  Garrett 
— Garrett,  with  regard  to  which, 
at   least,    no  difficulty  could    be 
started  on  the  score  of  a  returning 
officer ;  for,  as  the  hon.  members 
were  probably  aware,  a  mayor  was 
elected  there  every  year?     Why 
had  all  those  places  been  omitted 
in  the  distribution  of  favours  ?    To 
give  the  preference  to  Greenwich, 
appeared  to  him  a  most  arbitrary 
and  indefensible  selection.     It  had 
been  said  that  Greenwich  had  for- 
merly returned  members  to  parlia- 
ment;  but  was  that  any  reason 
that  they  should  take  one  of  its 
members  from   Guildford,   which 
had  always  returned  two  members 
to  Parliament,  and  that  they  should 
give  two  members  to  Greenwich, 
after  having  accumulated  two  or 
three  parishes  together,  in  order 
to  furnish  forth  a  population  suffi- 
cient to  entitle  it  to  that  privilege  ? 
Was  this  the  way  in  which  such 
important  matters  were  to  be  dealt 
with  .?     What  answer  could  they 
give  to  the  people  of  England,  if 
they  should  ask  them   why  they 
had  dealt  in  such  an  inconsiderate 
manner  with  privileges  and  rights 
which   had    been   established    ibr 
centuries  ?     They  might  depend 
upon  it  that  the  time  would  come, 
wnen  the  people  of  this  country 
would  look  to  see  whether  this 
measure  had  been  founded,  not  only 
on  the  principles  of  justice,  but 
upon  the    principles  of   common 
sense.     For  his  part,  he  could  see 
no  particular  merit  in  Greenwich 
to  entitle  it  to  the  privilege  of  re- 
turning members  of   parliament. 
Pix)bably  it  was  intended,  that  the 
next   time    the   Admiralty   barge 
went  down  to  Greenwich,  it  should 
take  down  two  members  of  parlia- 
ment there;  and  a  very  precious 
cargo  they  would  be^  indeed.    No 


HISTORY   OF   EtTROPE. 


[^ 


one  principle^  parliamentary,  mo- 
ral^ or  meritorious,  had  been  as- 
signed why  two  members  should 
be  granted  to  Greenwich. 

On  the  division,  Greenwich  was 
allowed  to  keep  its  place  in  the 
schedule  by  a  majority  of  107 • 

The  want  of  any  fixed  and 
steady  principle  was  still  more  ap- 
parent on  the  occasion  of  Mr.  Lit- 
tleton moving  that  Stoke-upon- 
Trent,  which  stood  in  the  list  of 
new  boroughs  which  were  to  receive 
one  member,  should  be  transferred 
to  the  schedule  now  under  discus- 
sion^ and  receive  two.  He  stated, 
that  it  consisted  of  a  cluster^ four 
towns,  containing  a  population  of 
53,000  persons.  The  inhabitants 
were  principally  employed  in  the 
manufacture  of  earthenware  and 
china ;  and  from  their  numbers, 
the  extensive  and  important  na- 
ture of  their  trade,  and  the  capital 
it  employed,  they  were  fiiUy  en- 
titled to  have  two  representatives. 
It  not  only  contained  a  much 
larger  population  than  the  boroughs 
in  schedule  B,  but  much  larger 
than  most  of  those  in  this  very 
schedule  C.  This  schedule  con- 
tained towns  having  a  population 
of  43,000  or  44,000,  and  here  was 
one  with  53,000,  the  flourishing 
seat  of  a  great  manufacture,  one 
of  the  '<vast  d6p6t8*'  that  had 
been  spoken  of,  which  was  to  be 
degraded  to  an  inferior  rank.  Mi- 
nisters answered,  that,  after  the 
inquiries  they  had  made,  they 
thouglitone  member  quite  enough 
for  Stoke-upou-Trent.  llie  popu- 
lation was,  no  doubt,  very  great  $ 
they  did  not  diink  it,  however,  a 
case  of  town  mres^tation,  ^but  of 
an  unconnected  district,  thou^, 
in  appearance,  it  might  resemble  a 
large  town.  Besides,  the  county 
in  whidi  it  was  situated,  Stafford 
shiroi  bad  ak«iidy  more  tbaii  its 


due  proportion  of  members ;  and, 
if  this  motion  wer^  carried,  two 
members  must  be  given  to  se- 
veral places  in  Lincolnshire  and 
Yorkshire,  which  now  had  only 
one.  Staffordshire,  with  a  po- 
pulation of  only  340,000  persons, 
had  already  received  six  new  mem* 
bers,  and  would  return  altogether 
fifteen  or  sixteen  representatives, 
while  Lancashire,  with  a  popula- 
tion of  1,221,000,  had  only  four- 
teen. The  question  was  to  be  con* 
sidered  in  its  relation  to  the  general 
interests  of  the  country,  and  not 
in  reference  to  any  interests  purely 
local.  If  the  motion  were  carried, 
it  would  create  great  jealousies  in 
other  places,  and  so  mr  injure  the 
bill.  The  motion  was  lost  by  a 
majority  of  101. 

A  still  larger  majority  supported 
the  ministry  in  resisting  a  motion 
made  by  one  of  their  own  adherents 
in  regard  to  schedule  D,  contain- 
ing new  boroughs  which  were  to 
receive  only  one  member.  Lord 
Milton  moved  that  they  should 
have  two.  It  appeared  to  his  lord- 
ship, that,  by  adopting  the  princi- 
ple of  bavins  one  member  only, 
they  were  departing  from  the 
ancient  practice  of  the  constitution, 
whereas,  in  his  opinion,  they  ought 
to  base  themselves,  as  much  as  pos- 
sible, on  ancient  foundations.  Wher- 
ever representation  existed, '  it 
seemed  to  have  been  the  rule  that 
it  should  be  confided  to  two  repre- 
sentatives. There  were,  doubt- 
less, some  exceptions;  but  these 
were  exceptions  merely.  Where 
there  were  two  members  to  be 
elected,  the  system  of  compromise 
led  to  the  avoidance  of  contests, 
and  to  a  more  accurate  represent- 
ation of  the  people  in  pariiament ; 
for  it  was  not  to  be  denied,  that, 
finr  an  accurate  representation  <k 
the  fw>fh  in  padiament,  tlMi  m* 


204]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


nority  out  of  doors  should  find  a 
minority  in  that  House.  Suppose 
there  were  100  electors  for  a 
liorough,  and  fifty-one  voted  on 
one  side,  and  forty-nine  on  the 
other,  if  there  was  but  one  mem- 
ber, a  majority  of  two  would  en- 
gross the  representation,  and  the 
borough  would  not  be  fairly  repre- 
sented in  parliament.  The  neces- 
sary result  of  this  system  would 
be,  that,  in  periods  of  popular  ex- 
citement, the  minority  might  be 
entirely  excluded  from  the  walls  of 
that  House,  into  which  it  was 
highly  de8ira})le  that  it  should  find 
a  way.  He  did  not  view  schedule 
A  with  peculiar  favour,  though  he 
voted  for  it  as  the  means  of  re- 
moving the  corrupt  parts  of  the 
representation  ;  but  he  would  ask 
the  House,  he  would  ask  his  hon. 
friends  who  sat  on  the  benches  be- 
side him,  whether,  if  they  adopted 
schedule  D  in  its  present  state,  in 
the  remodelling  of  the  constitu- 
tion they  were  now  making,  the  ar- 
rangement could  by  possibility  be 
final?  There  would  be  perpetual 
claims  from  populous  and  wealthy 
places  having  one  member,  which 
would  consider  themselves  equally 
entitled  with  other  places  to  have 
two.  It  was  impossible  it  could 
be  final,  unless  they  departed  from 
the  principle  of  schedule  D  ;  and 
he  was  prepared  to  give  to  each  of 
the  towns  an  additional  member. 
He  was  a  friend  to  the  bill ;  he 
would  support  it  iotis  viribus,  and 
had  not  the  slightest  wish  to 
distract  its  supporters.  But  this 
subject  had  pressed  greatly  on 
his  mind,  and  he  did  not  see  that 
the  principle  of  his  hon,  friends, 
which  professed  to  be  founded 
on  population,  was  adhered  to 
in  this  schedule.  The  principle 
of  the  schedule  was  a  principle 
miscbievous  in  its  effects  on  the 


constitution,  and  which,  when  its 
character  was  calmly  considered  by 
the  constituency  of  the  country, 
would  lead  to  considerations  of  an 
almost  painful  nature.  He  had 
lately  had  an  interview  with  per- 
sons from  one  of  these  towns,  in- 
cluding tor  ies,  reformers,  and  anti- 
reformers,  who  concurred  in  stat- 
ing that  they  would  rather  have 
no  representative  at  all  than  one. 

Sir  Francis  Burdett,  on  the  other 
hand,  considered  single  represent- 
ation, if  attainable  consistently 
with  the  interests  of  the  people,  to 
be  more  convenient  ana  aavant- 
ageous  for  all  practical  purposes, 
and,  for  his  own  part,  he  would 
rather  see  the  number  of  repre- 
sentatives diminished  than  in- 
creased. He  did  not  believe  that 
double  representation  would  be  at- 
tended with  the  benefits  which  were 
anticipated ;  and,  at  all  events,  he 
thought  it  would  be  better  for 
the  friends  of  reform  to  forego 
their  own  wishes,  however  reason- 
able, with  respect  to  mere  mat- 
ters of  detail,  than  endanger,  in 
any  degree,  the  success  of  the 
great  measure  before  them.  The 
chancellor  of  the  Exchequer  ad- 
mitted, that  the  exclusion  of  the 
minority  from  a  share  in  the  re- 
presentation would  be  unfair  and 
unconstitutional.  He  admitted, 
likewise,  as  a  general  proposition, 
that  two  members  were  better  than 
one ;  but  the  question  was,  in  this 
case,  would  the  evils  that  had  been 
predicted,  arise  from  having  one 
member  instead  of  two  in  those 
twenty-six  boroughs  ?  The  largest 
number  of  places  would  still  be  re- 
presented by  two,  and  in  that  way 
the  minority  in  the  kingdom  would 
be  represented.  If,  too,  the  House 
considered  the  sort  of  agreement 
that  had  been  made  as  to  the  prin- 
ciple of  the  billj  be  thought  it 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[206 


would  be  considered  as  a  breach  of 
faith  to  the  agriculturists  to  add 
twenty-six  to  the  commercial 
towns.  Lord  Milton's  motion  was 
lost  by  a  majority  of  128. 

Among  those  boroughs  on  which 
one  member  was  to  be  bestowed, 
was  Gateshead,  in  the  county  of 
Durham.  The  proposal  for  allow- 
ing it  to  remain  in  the  schedule 
was  attacked  by  the  opposition  as 
the  worst  instance  that  had  ,yet  oc- 
curred of  all  want  of  consistent 
principle,  and  Mr.  Croker  moved, 
that  Gateshead  should  be  omitted. 
Gateshead,  he  said,  was  merely  the 
southern  suburb  of  Newcastle,  which 
already  possessed  two  members.  To 
these  it  was  entitled,  as  it  contain- 
ed 35,000  inhabitants,  but  he  could 
imagine  no  reason  why  this  suburb 
should  be  allowed  to  send  an  addi- 
tional member.  The  latter  was 
not  distinguished  from  the  former 
by  any  difference  in  the  pursuits  of 
the  population,  and,  if  they  were 
joined,  the  united  population  of 
both  would  not  equal  that  of 
Bolton,  which  was  to  return  only 
one  member.  There  were  already 
three  newly-created  boroughs  in 
this  very  quarter — namely,  Sun- 
derland, which  was  about  ten  miles 
from  Gateshead;  South  Shields, 
which  was  at  a  still  smaller  dis- 
tance ;  and  Tynemouth,  which  was 
even  nearer.  So  that  here,  within 
the  circuit  of  ten  miles  of  Gates- 
head, three  additional  boroughs  had 
been  created,  two  of  them  so  small, 
that  they  had  attracted  the  notice 
of  one  of  the  most  zealous  support- 
ers of  the  bill.  With  respect  to 
Sunderland,  how  had  ministers 
proceeded.'*  They  added  to  that 
town  Bishop  Wearmouth  and  Monk 
Wearmouth  to  raise  the  popula- 
tion to  33,000,  and  to  that  popu- 
lation two  members  were  given, 
while,  in  three  different  instances. 


representatives  were  refused  to 
places  in  Lancashire,  which  con- 
tained more  than  40,000  inhabit- 
ants. On  what  principle  did  mi- 
nisters refuse  to  give  represent- 
atives to  these  gigantic  places, 
while  they  were  obliged  to  add 
three  places  together  to  procure  a 
population  of  33,000  in  Durham  ? 
He  really  began  to  doubt  his  un- 
derstanding, when  he  found  the 
good  cases,  for  such  he  conceived 
them  to  be,  which  he  brought  for- 
ward, fall  of  producing  any  effect. 
But  he  and  his  friends  had  the 
consolation  of  knowing  that  they 
were  defeated  by  majorities,  and 
not  by  reasoning.  South  Shields 
contained  only  8,885  souls:  of 
course  a  representative  could  not 
be  given  to  that  number.  But 
was  there  no  hamlet,  no  chapelry 
adjoining,  which  might  be  added  to 
South  Shields  ?  This  latter  place 
might  have  been  thrown  into  Sun- 
derland, or  into  Gateshead ;  but  no : 
ministers  found  there  was  the  cha- 
pelry of  Westoe,  containing  7,600 
inhabitants,  which  they  joined  to 
South  Shields,  thusmakingthe  po- 
pulation amount  to  1 6,000.  Now, 
he  would  ask,  had  that  place  a  right 
toaseparate  representation,  when  it 
was  so  near  Sunderland  and  Gates- 
head, and  so  intimately  connected 
with  another  borough  which  they 
were  about  to  create  }  With  respect 
to  the  real  population  of  the  district, 
it  would  stand  thus — ^Tynemouth, 
9,000,  North  Shields,  8,205,  and 
South  Shields,  8,885,  making  al- 
together a  population  of  27,000 
for  the  three  places.  Now,  he 
could  not  conceive,  if  they  were 
joined,  that  a  population  of  27^000 
persons  would  have  any  right  to 
be  dissatisfied  with  two  repre- 
sentatives, when  a  population  of 
47,000  had  only  one.  Ministers 
did  not  confine  themselves  strictly 


206]      ANNUAL   REGISTER,   1831. 


#*«j 


to  the  towns  of  North  Shields^ 
South  Shields,  or  Tyneniouth^  but 
to  bolster  up  the  account^  they  took 
in  the  parishes.  If,  however,  Cli- 
theroe  and  other  parishes  were 
rejected  in  making  up  the  popula- 
tion of  certain  boroughs,  he  could 
not  see  upon  what  fair  principle 
the  parish  of  Tyneraouth  should 
be  included. 

Ministers,  and  other  members 
who  spoke  on  the  same  side,  denied 
that  Gateshead  ought  to  be  treat- 
ed as  a  suburb  of  Newcastle,  for  it 
was  separated  from  it  by  the  Tyne 
and  a  bridge,  and  lay  in  a  different 
county,  the  river  being  there  the 
boundary  between  the  counties  of 
Durham  and  Northumberland.  To 
join  it  to  Newcastle  would  be  un- 
fair towards  the  latter  -,  it  con- 
tained in  itself,  a  population  of 
15,000  or  16,000  inhabitants,  and 
was  well  entitled  to  a  member. 
Ministers,  moreover,  had  not 
thought  it  right  to  tie  themselves 
strictly  to  any  particular  rule  in 
the  enfranchising  clauses.  Cer- 
tainly, they  had  kept  population 
in  view,  but  there  were  other  points 
of  which  they  had  not  thought  it 
right  to  lose  sight.  One  of  these 
points  was,  how  far  different  in- 
terests were,  or  ought  to  be,  re- 
presented ;  and  they  had  satis- 
fied themselves  that  the  ship- 
ping interest  was  not  largely  re- 
presented. It  was  for  that  reason 
that  they  had  given  members  to 
Sunderland,  including  Bishop- 
AVearmouth  and  Monk  •  Wear- 
mouth,  to  South  Shields  and  to 
Tynemouth,  and  it  was  with  a  view 
to  the  proper  representation  of  the 
same  interest,  that  they  now  pro- 
posed giving  a  member  to  Gates- 
head. 

The  opposition  replied,  that  this 
pretended  attachment  to  the  ship* 
ping  interest  would  not  explain 


the  contradiction  between  what 
ministers  were  now  doing,  and 
what  they  had  done  in  other  cases. 
Thus,  Kingston  upon  Hull  had 
32,000,  and  near  it  was  the  bo- 
rough of  Scullcoates  with  11,000. 
Yet  ministers,  amid  all  this  regard 
to  the  shipping  interest,  placed 
Kingston  in  another  schedule,  and 
joined  Scullcoates  to  it.  Assuredly 
Kingston  upon  Hull  was  as  im- 
portant a  town  as  Gateshead  ;  yet 
It  was  thrown  in  along  with  Scull- 
coates, while  ministers  now  refused 
to  adopt  the  same  course  in  regard 
to  Newcastle  and  Gateshead.  Even 
the  shallow  pretext  for  making  the 
latter  a  separate  borough,  at  the 
very  doors  of  Newcastle,  viz.  that 
particular  interests  must  be  duly 
represente<l,  only  brought  out  more 
clearly  the  glaring  partiality  with 
which  ministers  were  acting.  The 
town  and  district  of  Merthyr  Tyd- 
vill  was  the  chief  seat  of  the  iron 
manufacture  of  the  kingdom.  By 
this  bill  Glamorganshire  was  to 
return  four  members,  the  county 
of  Monmouth  three,  and  that  of 
Brecknock  two ;  so  that  those  three 
counties  would  have  nine  members. 
Now,  when  they  were  told  that 
particular  interests  ought  to  be 
sufRciently  represented,  that  new 
bodies  of  electors  ought  to  be 
created  for  that  purpose,  and  that 
even  Gateshead,  at  one  end  of  a 
bridge,  should  have  a  member, 
while  Newcastle,  at  the  other  end 
of  it,  had  two,  how  would  the  iron 
interest  of  South  Wales  be  repre- 
sented under  this  bill  ?  Merthyr 
Tydvill  contained,  in  1821, 17,000 
or  18,000  inhabitants,  a  greater 
number  than  Gateshead,  and  its 
immediate  suburbs  contained  up- 
wards of  2,000  more.  The  popu- 
lation was  now  greatly  increased. 
It  was  the  seat  of  a  great  and  most 
important  uanujfacture ;  and  yet 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[207 


it  was  refused  even  a  single  mem- 
ber,  but  was  sent^  as  a  paltry  ad-> 
junct^  to  a  sea-port^  twenty  miles 
distant^  which  had  previously  re- 
turned representatives.  On  what 
principle  of  common  sense  or  jus* 
tice,  or  even  of  the  bill,  could  a 
member  be  given  to  Gateshead* 
and  refused  to  Merthyr  Tydvill  ? 
It  was  a  case  either  of  gross  par- 
tiality^ or  of  gross  ignorance,  ob- 
stinately persisted  in,  from  a  pre- 
determination that,  cost  what  it 
might,  Gateshead  must  have  a 
member,  and  supported  by  a  ma- 
jority with  which  it  was  in  vain 
to  reason.  *'  When  men,"  said  sir 
C.  Wetherell,  *'  are  congregated 
together  in  large  numbers,  they 
are  usually  bold  ;  but  such  parlia- 
mentary and  ministerial  audacity, 
such  effrontery,  such  appalling 
boldness,  had  never  perhaps  been 
witnessed  until  now."  Sir  R.  Peel 
said,  that  he  knew  well  that  the 
members  on  his  side  of  the  House 
were  a  minority,  but  they  were 
not,  therefore,  to  be  insulted  with 
mock  argument.  There  was  not 
a  borough  in  the  united  kingdom 
which  might  not  be  enfranchised 
by  the  ^fiat  of  certain  commission- 
ers, at  the  direction  of  his  majesty's 
ministers'  quarter-master-general. 
•'  1  know  that  I  am  in  a  minority; 
but  if  1  stand  alone  upon  this 
point,  J  will  still  record,  in  a  more 
emphatic  manner  than  I  could  by 
speech,  my  protest  against  the 
conduct  of  his  majesty's  ministers, 
in  giving  an  additional  member  to 
Newcastle,  which  has  but  a  i>opu- 
lation  of  46,000  at  most,  whilst 
they  leave  Chelsea  and  other  po- 
pular places  unrepresented.  If  I 
am  alone,  I  will  say  '  No,*  and  sit 
and  record  my  opinion  on  this  side 
of  the  House." 

In  the   course  of  the   discus- 
sion it  was  very  strongly  urg^ 


that  inequalities,  to  give  them  no 
harsher  name,  like  those  referred 
to,  put  an  end  to  all  idea  of  the 
measure  being  a  final  one.  The 
House  would  necessarily  be  beset 
with  applications  from  boroughs 
which  could  not  but  feel  that  they 
had  been  harshly  and  unjustly 
dealt  with  in  the  distribution  of 
the  spoil,  and  it  would  puzzle  any 
man  who  supported  the  present 
bill  to  find  a  reasonable  answer  to 
them.  But  lord  John  Russell  de- 
clared, that  ministers  never  pre- 
tended the  present  measure  of  re- 
form would  be  final ;  for  it  would 
not  be  final,  unless  it  were  found 
to  work  for  the  benefit  of  the 
people,  which  he  certainly  expect- 
ed it  would.  Now  ministers  had 
always  declared,  not  only  that  they 
believed  the  measure  would  be  a 
final  one,  but  that  they  had  ex- 
ceeded their  original  intentions  for 
the  very  purpose  of  anticipating 
ulterior  demands  ;  and  then  the 
question  was,  whether  they  were 
not  making  their  arrangements  so 
partially  and  unequally  as  neces- 
sarily to  produce  those  very  ulterior 
demands  which  they  professed  it 
was  their  object  to  avoid.  Mr. 
Hunt,  however,  congratulated  mi- 
nisters on  the  new  view  of  the  bill 
which  had  thus  opened  to  them, 
and  on  his  lordship's  frank  avowal 
of  it ;  and  he  would  cheerfiilly  vote 
with  government,  convinced  that, 
in  a  very  short  time,  members 
must  be  given  to  Chelsea,  and 
other  places,  on  the  same  princi- 
ples. On  the  division,  ministers 
had  a  majority  of  1 04. 

In  another  part  of  the  same  sche- 
dule, Whitehaven,  with  a  population 
of  17,000,  considerablvgi-cater  than 
Gateshead,  was  not  allowed  a  whole 
member,  but  was  joined  to  Work- 
ington,  a  place  eight  miles  off,  and 
separated  from  it  by  an  inttrveniog 


208]       ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


parish^  which  was  not  to  be  in- 
cluded. Lord  Althorp  said,  in 
justification  of  this  proceeding, 
that  though  the  principle,  on  which 
ministers  went,  in  bestowing  the 
franchise,  was,  not  to  interfere 
with  the  legitimate  influence  of 
property,  yet,  in  their  opinion, 
there  was  too  much  of  the  influ- 
ence of  property  at  Whitehaven 
in  the  hands  of  one  individual,  and 
they  had  wished  to  neutralize  it, 
and  their  majority  thought  they 
were  quite  right. 

The  case  of  Merthyr  Tydvill, 
which  had  stood  in  such  strong 
contrast  to  that  of  Gateshead,  was 
again  brought  forward  on  the  mo- 
tion that  *'  Llandaff,  Cowbridge, 
Merthyr  Tydvill,  Aberdare,  and 
Llanfrissent,  sharing  with  Cardiflf, 
in  Glamorganshire,  stand  part  of 
the  bill."  Colonel  Wood  moved 
an  amendment,  which  was  to  have 
the  eflfect  of  giving  Merthyr  Tyd- 
vill a  member  of  its  own,  and  was 
supported  by  lord  J.  Stuart,  sir 
H.  Hardinge,  sir  George  Murray, 
and  Mr.  Croker.  Merthyr  Tydvill, 
they  stated,  along  with  the  ham- 
let, which  was  separated  only  by 
a  brook,  contained,  according  to 
the  census  of  1821,  a  population 
of  19,021  souls,  and  it  had  not 
less  than  680  houses  letting  at 
10/.  a  year  and  upwards.  Minis- 
ters had  given  representatives  to 
twelve  towns,  not  one  of  which 
possessed  so  large  a  population. 
Glamorganshire  had  received  an 
additional  county  member,  but 
still  that  county  would  not  be 
adequately  represented  in  the  ratio 
of  its  population  ;  and,  by  this 
clause,  the  inhabitants  of  Merthyr 
TydviJl  would  be  deprived  of  the 
right  of  voting  for  the  county. 
Merthyr  Tydvill,  besides,  was  not 
less  than  twenty-five  miles  from 
the    town    to    which    it    was    to 


be  annexed,  and,  what  aggravat- 
ed that  distance,  an  almost  impas- 
sable barrier  of  mountains  in- 
tervened between  the  two  places. 
By  bestowing  ui>on  Merthyr  Tyd- 
vill a  direct  voice  in  the  legis- 
lature, while  Cardiff  was  per- 
mitted to  retain  its  member,  the 
iron  interest  of  Glamorgan  would 
receive  that  share  of  representation 
to  which  it  was  entitled,  and  which 
Staffordshire,  the  other  great  iron 
manufacturing  county,  was  so 
eminently  to  enjoy  under  the  bill. 
Cardiff,  too,  contained  of  itself  360 
houses  of  1 0/.,  which,  with  about 
100  more,  in  the  immediate  neigh- 
bourhood, which  might  be  conve- 
niently annexed  to  it,  entitled  it 
to  retain  its  present  member.  How 
could  ministers  possibly  justify 
uniting  this  town  with  another 
twenty-five  miles  distant,  when 
Gateshead,  a  much  smaller  town, 
within  a  gun-shot  of  Newcastle, 
was  to  have  a  separate  member. 
It  would  be  a  case  of  great  par- 
tiality and  injustice.  Lord  Althorp 
said,  he  was  willing  to  admit  the 
principle,  that  a  place  so  populous 
and  important,  with  respect  to 
manufactures  as  Merthyr  Tydvill, 
should  have  a  direct  voice  in  the 
legislature ;  but  he  contended  that 
it  would  be  enabled  by  the  bill  to 
exercise  that  virtual  influence  in 
the  election  of  the  additional  county 
member  which  Glamorganshire  was 
to  receive  under  its  provisions. 
Besides,  to  invest  Merthyr  Tydvill 
with  the  right  involved  in  the 
present  motion  would  be  to  destroy 
that  uniformity  and  fair  equality 
of  footing  on  which  the  bill  placed 
all  the  counties  without  distinc- 
tion. The  majority,  which  rejected 
the  amendment,  was  41. 

By  the  10th  of  August,  the 
clauses  regarding  the  boroughs 
had  been  disposed  of,  excepting* 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE.  [209 

that  which  regarded  thq  returning  and  his  constituents^  and  the  latter 
officers  of  the  newly-created  bo-  would  vote  much  more  conscienti- 
roughs.  That  clause  was  with-  ously,  when  they  had  to  choose  only 
drawn,  in  consequence  of  its  being  two  representatives  instead  of  four, 
pointed  out  that,  unless  amended.  The  most  thorough-going  sup- 
it  would  not  answer  the  purpose,  porters  of  the  bill  opposed  this 
Next  came  the  counties.  The  scheme  of  division,  and  moved  an 
clause  giving  six  members  to  York-  amendment,  for  the  purpose  of 
shire,  viz.  two  to  each  riding,  to  getting  rid  of  it,  both  on  the 
be  elected  as  if  each  riding  were  ground  that  no  commissioners 
a  county,  was  agreed  to.  ought   to   be   intrusted  with   the 

On  the  clause  for  dividing  cer-  power  of  division,  and  that  the 
tain  counties  to  which  additional  scheme  itself  was  inconsistent  with 
members  were  given  by  the  bill,  the  true  principles  of  the  bill.  The 
and  intrusting  the  process  of  divi->  House  had  been  disfranchising 
sion  to  certain  commissioners,  a  largely,  for  the  purpose  of  putting 
greatdiversityof  opinion  prevailed,  down  the  nomination  boroughs; 
and  the  two  parties  became  inter-  but,  by  the  present  clause,  they 
mixed  with  each  other.  Ministers  would  convert  the  county  districts 
stated,  that  the  general  principle  into  nomination  divisions,  com- 
to  be  followed  by  the  commission-  pletely  under  the  influence  of  the 
ers  in  dividing  the  counties  would  rich  landholder.  So  paramount 
be,  to  divide  them  so  as  that  the  would  be  this  influence,  that  the 
numberof  inhabitants  and  of  square  ballot  would  be  indispensable  as 
miles  in  each  division  should  be  as  a  protection  to  the  less  wealthy 
nearly  equal  as  possible;  although,  freeholders;  and  it  would  be  better 
in  many  cases,  divisions  had  al-  to  retain  a  certain  number  of  the 
ready  been  so  firmly  established  close  boroughs,  than  to  create  close 
by  custom,  as  to  render  it  inex-  county  districts.  This  clause  would 
pedient  to  press  the  rule  very  neutralize  the  influence  which  the 
strictly — to  the  division,  for  in-  middle  and  industrious classesought 
stance,  of  a  hundred.  The  elec-  to  possess  in  county  elections,  and 
toral  body  in  each  half  of  the  coun-  would  defeat  the  great  object  of 
ties  to  be  divided  would  still  be  the  bill,  which  professed  to  give  a 
taken  out  of  a  very  large  popula-  full,  fair,  and  free  representation 
tion.  The  least  populous  of  the  to  the  people.  Those  who  had 
counties  which  were  to  be  thus  voted  against  the  disfranchisement 
treated  was  Cumberland,  and  yet  of  the  rotten  boroughs  would  be 
the  half  of  its  inhabitants  would  consistent  in  supporting  the  pre- 
be  78,000.  On  the  other  hand,  sent  proposition ;  but  the  people 
the  division  would  render  elections  of  England  would  be  deceived, 
much  less  expensive  both  to  the  and  the  bill  would  be  a  mockery, 
candidates  and  to  the  electors.  Others,  again,  of  the  adherents 
Under  the  present  system,  the  of  ministers,  while  they  expressed 
electors  were  frequently  compelled  their  disapprobation  of  the  clause 
to  choose,  not  the  iJest  or  the  considered  in  itself,  expressed  like- 
wisest,  but  him  who  had  the  long-  wise  their  determination  to  sup- 
est  purse.  The  division,  moreover,  port  it  as  part  of  a  whole  which 
would  allow  of  a  more  frequent  it  was  most  desirable  to  see  carried 
intercourse  between  the  member  through,  and  which  the  people  had 

Vol-  LXXliL  [P] 


210]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


sanctioned,  knowing  that   his  was 
a  part  of  it. 

Lord  Althorp,  although  h*  would 
not  say  that,  if  the  arnendrnent 
were  carried,  the  bill  \^ould  be 
lost,  was  determined  to  give  it  all 
the  opposition  in  his  power,  be- 
cause it  would  materially  affect  a 
leading  feature  in  what  had  been 
sanctioned  by  the  country,  and 
the  r8form-maj(»rity  would  not  be 
acting  up  to  their  duty  if  tliey 
supported  it.  He  had  yet  heard 
no  reason  for  believing  the  pro- 
position, that  the  county  districts 
would  become  like  so  many  close 
b<»roughs  in  the  hands  of  rich 
landed  proprietors.  No  doubt  the 
influence  of  property  would  tell  in 
the  proposed  divisions,  particularly 
so  far  as  it  was  in  the  hands  of 
some  one  or  two  large  landholders 
— that  is,  these  individuals  would 
have  a  much  greater  chance,  in- 
deed certainty,  of  being  returned 
for  the  divisions  in  which  their 
property  lay,  than  they  could  have 
of  being  returned  for  the  whole 
county  at  large  ;  but  he  was  sure 
tliat  that  influence  could  not  be 
so  preponderating  as  to  warrant 
the  apprehension  of  its  being  abus- 
ed, and  that  it  would  be  neutral- 
ized by  the  other  divisions  into 
which  the  county  would  be  par- 
celled. The  arrangement,  besides, 
he  was  pretty  certain,  would  pre- 
clude those  partial  compromises 
which  took  place  between  the  large 
pifoprietors  and  the  independent 
int^est  in  the  larger  counties. 
At  present  it  was  too  much  the 
case  that  half  was  returned  by 
th«  individual  holding  the  largest 
property  in  the  county,  and  the 
other  by  the  independent  voters. 
But  the  objection,  that  the  clause 
Would  tdnA  to  increase  the  aris- 
tocratic influ0nc^  in  the  repre- 
MntAtiMi  of  &»ani\M9,  mrta,  in  the 


eyes  of  the  framera  of  the  bill, 
no  objection  at  all.  On  the  con- 
trary, while  they  were  adding  to 
the  democratic  share  of  the  repre- 
sentation, bv  extending  the  fran- 
chise generally,  and  adding  to  the 
members  of  the  large  towns,  they 
felt  the  necessity  of  preserving  the 
balance  of  the  aristocratic  share, 
by  increasing  the  influence  of  the 
great  landed  proprietors  in  the 
counties.  In  saying  this,  he  did 
not  mean  that  it  was  an  object 
with  ministers  that  the  great 
landed  proprietors'  influence  should 
entirely  prevail  in  the  proposed 
divisions,  for  he  was  c(»nvinced 
that  some  degree  of  popularity 
would  be  necessary  to  the  candi- 
date. All  he  meant  was,  that  it 
was  expedient  that  the  aristocracy 
should  preserve  their  due  influence 
in  the  representation  of  that  House. 
The  clause  would  effect  this  by, 
in  a  great  degree,  confining  the 
representation  of  the  county  divi- 
sions to  the  gentlemen  of  property 
resident  in  them,  and  therefore 
best  acquainted  with  their  wants 
and  interests.  He  considered  it 
an  evil  of  the  present  system,  that 
mere  popularity  should  be  the 
means  of  returning  members  for 
counties,. oftentimes,  too,  strangers, 
to  the  exclusion  of  gentlemen  of 
retiring  habits  holding  large  pro- 
perty in  the  county,  and  well 
qualified  to  represent  its  interests ; 
and  he  knew  not  how  that  evil 
could  be  entirely  got  rid  of,  so 
long  as  the  freeholders  of  a  wide 
surface  of  country  were  distracted 
in  their  choice  of  the  candidates 
proposed  by  the  districts  best 
acquainted  with  their  respective 
merits — a  distraction  that  almost 
inevitably  ended  in  their  choosing 
some  popular  individual,  whose 
chief  merit  was,  that  his  name  was 
best  known  to  all  The  tesult  pf  th« 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[211 


amendment  would  be,  in  counties 
returning,  say,  four  members,  that 
at  least  three  of  them  would  be 
persons  of  this  popular  description, 
while  the  fourth  would  only  come 
in  on  a  kind  of  compromise. 

Mr.  D.  Gilbert,  Mr.  Goulbum, 
and  sir  R.  Peel,  spoke  in  fevour 
of  the  ministerial  proposition.  The 
latter  said  that,  looking  at  it,  \nth- 
out  reference  to  the  bill,  he  could 
not  approve  of  it,  because  he  was 
sorry  to  see  the  unity  of  anciently 
connected  places  destroyed.  But, 
assuming  that  the  bill  was  to  pass 
into  a  law,  containing  the  schedules 
of  total  and  partial  disfranchise- 
ment, he  had  to  consider  how  he 
could  best  create  a  countervailing 
influence  which  might  consist  with 
such  a  measure ;  and  he  thought 
there  were  solid  arguments  for 
dividing  the  counties,  as  the  means 
of  preserving  the  wrecks  of  aristo- 
cratical  influence.  He  was  glad 
to  hear  that  it  was  not  intended 
entirely  to  destroy  aristocrat ical 
representation  ;  and  he  thought 
that  the  small  remains  of  that 
representation  might  be  better 
maintained  by  dividing  the  coun- 
ties, than  by  continuing  them  as 
they  were  at  present.  Those  who 
thought  the  bill  did  not  go  far 
enough, -might  very  consistently 
be  hostile  to  such  a  plan  ;  but  he 
avowed  that  his  reason  for  sup- 
porting it  was  because  he  agreed 
with  the  noble  lord,  that  the  popu- 
lar influence  was  greatly  increased 
by  this  bill,  and  he  thought  that 
the  division  of  the  counties  would 
give  a  kind  of  counterpoise.  He 
regretted  much,  however,  that  the 
important  work  of  division  should 
be  intrusted  to  commissioners,  or 
to  any  authority  other  than  that 
of  the  House.  They  had  details 
enough  before  them.  Why  could 
not  a  committee  of  the  House  con- 


sider and  report  the  facts,  and  the 
House  make  the  final  decision  ? 
He  saw  no  reason  why  the  House 
was  not  perfectly  competent  to 
decide  on  this  point ;  and,  if  it 
was  so,  on  what  constitutional 
grounds  was  the  important  func- 
tion devolved  on  another  authority, 
without  appeal  to  that  House,  of 
deciding  what  should  be  the  future 
representation  of  England  ?  Much 
difliculty  arose  from  the  mode  in 
which  England  was  to  be  divided, 
which  would  throw  considerable 
discretion  into  the  hands  of  the 
commissioners ;  and  it  was  extra- 
ordinary, that,  after  this  House 
had  struggled  so  hard  against  the 
interference  of  another  branch  of 
the  legislature  with  their  elections, 
they  should  devolve  so  great  a 
power  of  interference  on  gentlemen 
of  whom  the  House  could  know 
nothing. 

Sir  C.  Wetherell,  again,  and  sir 
£.  Sugden,  separated  from  sir  R. 
Peel,  and  opposed  the  clause,  prin- 
cipally on  a  ground,  in  which 
sir  Robert  himself  concurred 
—  the  committing  the  division 
of  the  counties  to  commissioners. 
Ministers,  said  the  former,  had 
proposed,  in  their  first  bill,  to 
commit  this  power  to  certain  privy 
councillors;  but,  as  that  proposi- 
tion was  too  monstrous  and  gross 
to  be  entertained,  they  now  in- 
trusted it  to  a  commission  of  their 
own  appointment,  whose  acts  were 
to  be  irresponsible  and  without 
appeal.  He  objected  to  this  ar- 
rangement, because  he  did  not 
know  but  that  the  commissioners 
would  be  guilty  of  ^oss  partiality, 
corruption,  and  all  sorts  of  blun- 
ders and  mistakes.  His  objection 
to  the  proposition  was  insuperable, 
and  he  could  not  obtain  the  ad« 
vantage^  if  advantage  it  was,  of 
balandng  tht  •  democratic  pdctlMi 

[P2] 


212]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 

of  the  bill^  by  surrendering  the  constituency  would  be  by  so  much 
power  of  cutting  up  the  counties  diminished ;  therefore^  in  proposing 
of  England  to  an  irresponsible  to  invest  districts^  instead  of  the 
commission^  who  were  to  act^  in  county  at  large^  witli  the  right  of 
the  execution  of  their  duty^  ac-  representation^  they  were^  in  point 
cording  to  their  own  fancy ;  for  of  fact^  legislating  on  a  consider- 
the  bill  laid  down  to  them  no  ably  lessened  constituency, 
principle  or  rule  of  dividing  the  The  original  clause  was  carried 
counties^  whether  by  equality  of  by  a  majority  of  119.  Another 
population^  property,  space,  or  clause,  which  directed  the  manner 
payment  of  taxes.  Ministers^  said  in  which  the  county  of  Lincoln 
sir  £.  Sugden^  had  legislated  all  should  be  divided^  was  carried 
through  from  the  wrong  end — in-  without  a  division^  although 
stead  of  beginning  with  facts  and  strongly  opposed  on  the  same 
details^  they  were  going  to  end  ground — that  it  would  now  be- 
with  them.  Would  it  not  be  better  come  two  nomination  boroughs, 
that  the  commissioners  should  in«  In  consequence,  however^  of  the 
stitute  a  full  inquiry  into  the  dis-  objections  urged  against  the  powers 
tricts  and  divisions  which  it  might  intended  to  be  granted  to  these 
be  expedient  to  adopts  leaving  it  commissioners,  who  were  to  define 
to  the  House  ultimately  to  pro-  the  new  boroughs^  as  well  as  to  di- 
nounce  a  final  opinion  on  the  cor-  vide  the  counties^  ministers^  during 
rectness  of  the  grounds  for  the  the  progress  of  the  bill,  altered  it 
proposed  divisions  ?  The  House  so  far^  as  to  provide  that  the  report 
should  be  put  in  possession  of  each  of  the  commissioners^  which  was  to 
particular  case^  and  should  judge  be  made  within  three  months  after 
of  each  case,  and  not  decide  in  the  their  appointment^  should  be  laid 
gross.  No  expense  or  trouble  ought  before  both  Houses  of  Parliament 
to  have  been  spared  in  collecting  for  their  approbation.  It  would 
facts  with  respect  to  each  county,  be  extremely  difficult,  they  said, 
before  ministers  required  the  vote  to  frame  any  declaratory  clause  re- 
of  the  committee.  If  the  borough  gulating  the  mode  in  which  they 
and  town  population  were  ab-  should  proceed,  consistently  with 
stracted,  several  counties,  such  the  discretion  which  necessarily 
for  instance  as  Durham,  would  must  be  left  to  them,  and. this  pro- 
be left  with  little  or  no  consti-  vision  rendered  such  instructions 
tuency  at  all.  If  the  towns  were  less  imperative.  Ministers  resist- 
not  taken  out  of  the  counties,  they  ed,  likewise,  a  suggestion  which 
would  often  dominate  the  county  was  actually  made  by  a  supporter 
completely.  He  would  maintain  of  the  bill,  that  the  commissioners 
that,  in  this  respect,  the  measure  should  have  power  to  separate  from 
was  more  fraught  with  evil  than  any  borough,  places  in  which  they 
any  other  clause  of  the  bill.  They  might  think  an  undue  local  infiu- 
should  recollect  that,  by  their  ence  predominated, 
clauses  enfranchising  certain  towns  By  the  15th  clause  of  the  bill  it 
and  boroughs^  in  the  arrangement  was  enacted,  that  freeholders  in 
of  which  the  householders  of  the  cities  and  towns  forming  counties  of 
adjoining  districts  were  included,  themselves,  should  vote,  not  for  the 
for  the  purpose  of  insuring  an  ex-  town  or  city,  but  for  the  county  in 
tended  constituency^   the  county  which  it  was*  situated;    This  pro* 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[213 


position,  too,  was  resisted,  both  by 
many  supporters  of  the  bill,  and 
the  opposition.  Among  the  former, 
colonel  Davies  contended,  thai  un- 
less this  clause  were  rejected,  and 
many  other  amendments  intro- 
duced, the  bill,  notwithstanding 
all  the  good  which  it  contained, 
would  be  comparatively  useless. 
This  clause  would  produce  two 
mischiefs:  on  the  one  hand  it  would, 
in  many  instances,  prevent  the 
formation  of  so  large  a  borough 
constituency  as  would  be  desirable, 
and  on  the  other,  it  would  give  bo- 
roughs too  great  an  influence  in 
elections  for  counties.  The  coun- 
ties were  to  be  divided,  and  where 
the  freehold  borough  constituency 
was  very  large,  that  constituency 
must  have  a  powerful  effect  in  de- 
ciding county  elections.  In  Bir- 
mingham, for  instance,  there  were 
nearly  2,000  freeholders  ;  and  it 
was  clear  that  Birmingham  would 
thus  return,  at  least,  one  of  the 
county  members,  in  addition  to 
its  own  two  members.  Of  the 
nineteen  towns  and  cities,  it  was 
stated  by  sir  R.  Peel,  which  were 
counties  within  themselves,  the 
freeholders  of  ten  of  them  had  no 
right  of  voting  either  for  the  county 
or  the  city,  or  for  what  might  be 
called  the  parent  county  ;  in  four 
of  them,  the  freeholders  had  a  right 
to  vote  for  the  parent  county ;  and 
in  the  remaining  five,  they  had  a 
right  to  vote  for  the  city,  in  con- 
junction with  the  burgesses.  Now, 
although  these  anomalies  existed 
in  the  rights  of  freeholders  in  cor- 
porate towns,  yet  he  did  think, 
when  the  House  was  overturning 
the  ancient  fabric  of  representation, 
and  constructing  a  new  one,  it 
would  be  more  convenient,  and 
more  analogous  to  the  constitution, 
to  give  to  the  freeholders  of  such 
places  the  right  of  yoting  for  the 


city,  rather  than  for  the  county. 
It  appeared  to  him  most  absurd  to 
send  forty  -  shilling  freeholders, 
of  the  lowest  scale,  thirty  or  forty 
miles  to  vote  at  the  election  for 
the  parent  county.  Such  free- 
holders should  be  allowed  to  vote 
at  elections  for  the  city  in  con« 
junction  with  the  householders, 
and  the  freemen  who  were  allowed 
to  vote  under  the  bill ;  and  he 
would  not  admit  into  such  consti- 
tuencies any  one  who  had  a  vote  for 
a  different  election.  He  was  sure 
that  great  abuses  would  result  from 
the  present  arrangement.  If  a  man 
attached  a  piece  of  ground,  ever 
so  small,  to  his  warehouse, — a  gar- 
den, for  instance, — he  would  thus 
acquire  a  right  to  vote  for  the  coun- 
ty. This  facility,  of  creating  a 
double  right  of  voting  was  pregnant 
with  abuse,  and  he  had  no  doubt 
that  Birmingham  and  Coventry 
would  find  means  to  return  the 
county  members  for  Warwickshire, 
as  well  as  their  own  members. 

Ministers  defended  the  clause  on 
the  ground,  that  they  did  not 
think  the  consequences  which  had 
been  referred  to  would  follow  from 
it,  while  they  held  that,  to  allow 
such  freeholders  to  vote  for  their 
boroughs,  would  be  an  arrange- 
ment most  dangerous  to  the  inde- 
pendence of  the  constituency.  Such 
an  arrangement  would  enable  any 
individual  who  possessed  large  free- 
hold property  in  a  borough  to  con- 
vert it  into  a  nomination  borough. 
There  might  be  boroughs  with  not 
more  than  300  votes;  and  if  a  man 
had  freehold  property  to  the 
amount  of  only  300/.  a  year,  he 
could  obtain  a  command  over  150 
forty-shilling  freehold  votes,  and 
carry  every  election  as  he  chose. 
There  were  places  in  which  the 
multiplication  of  freeholds  had  be- 
come a  great  evil «  as  in  Noltiog^ 


214]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


ham ;  it  would  be  remedied  by 
this  clause^  because  the  object  for 
which  they  were  created  in  towns 
would  no  longer  exist.  The  danger 
of  freeholders  abusing  the  franchise 
would  be  much  lessened  by  sending 
them  to  the  larger  constituency  in 
the  county,  instead  of  retaining 
them  in  the  smaller  constituency 
of  the  towns;  and  the  mere  fact 
that  a  freeholder  resided  within  the 
jurisdiction  of  a  city  or  borough 
was  not  in  itself  any  good  reason 
why  he  should  vote  lor  it  and  not 
for  the  county.  The  clause  was 
retained  by  a  majority  of  40. 

When    the   committee  reached 
the  clause  which  gave  a  right  of 
voting  for  counties  to  leaseholders 
for  a  certain  period,   and  a  defined 
rent,     the    marquis    of    Chandos 
mo?ed  an  amendment,    that   the 
same  right  should  belong  to  all  oc- 
cupiers of  land  paying  a  rent  of  not 
less  than  50/.,  although  without 
any  specific  tenure  of  his  land,   in 
other  words  that  tenants  at  will, 
paying  50/.   a  year  should   have 
votes.     There  was  no  reason,  be 
said,   why,   when  they  were  fra- 
ming a  new  constitution,  the  inter- 
ests of  the  farmer  should  be  disre- 
garded ;  and  still  less  could  reason 
or  justice  allow,  that  while  a  tenant 
at  will  of  a  house  paying  much  less 
rent  was  to  vote  for  a  borough,  a 
tenant  at  will  of  a  farm  paying  50/. 
should  not  vote  for  a  county.   Many 
farmers  in  the  country  held  large 
tracts  of  land  without  any  lease ; 
and  if  the  amendment  was  rejected, 
the  clause  would  exclude  not  only 
men  who  held  lands  at  a  rent  of 
50/.,   but,    in  many  instances,  of 
500/.  a  year.     The  country  did  not 
contain  a  more  intelligent  and  re- 
spectable class  of  men,  than  the 
farmers  who  were  thus  shut  out. 

Their  exclusion,   however,  was 
justified  by  ministers  on  the  ground^ 


that,    however    respectable    th%j 
might  be,  they  were  not  indepeno* 
ent,    and  their  admission   would 
only  increase  the  influence  of  the 
landholders.     There   was  a  great 
distinction  between    householders 
in  a  borough  and  tenants  in  the 
country:  it  was  in  the  power  of 
the  landlord  in  the  country  to  do 
his  tenant  much    greater  injurjr 
than  a  landlord  in  a  town.     1% 
might  be  true,  that  a  tenant  at  will 
was  often  a  man  of  substance,  and 
might  have   five  or  six  hundred 
))ounds  vested  in  a  farm  for  which 
he  paid  50/.  a  year ;  but  this  made 
him    the    more    dependent   upon 
his  landlord.     If  he  were  turned 
out,  he  would  not  lose,  of  course, 
his  stock  or  his  crops,  but  he  would 
lose  what  he  had  expended  in  the 
improvement  of  the  land  ;  and  all 
who  were  acquainted  with  the  em- 
ployment  of   capital    U]K)n   land, 
must  be  aware  of  the  inconvenience 
and  loss  to  which  a  tenant  was  put> 
if  obliged  to  quit  at  a  short  notice, 
when   he  had  calculated  upon   a 
longer  period  of  possession.    But 
although  it  woula  no  doubt  be  an 
inconvenience  to  a  10/.  householder 
in  a  town,  to  be  removed  from  his 
shop,  he  could  remove  his  whole 
stock,  carry  with  him  all  or  nearly 
all  his  business,  and  would  suffer 
little  or   nothing.     Moreover,    if' 
you  put  tenants  at  will  in  a  situ- 
ation where  they  might  vote  against 
their  landlords,  you  were  taking  a 
step  towards  the  ballot. 

A  large  number  of  the  usual 
supporters  of  ministers  dififered 
from  them  on  this  occasion.  They 
thought  the  amendment  would  be 
in  furtherance  of  all  the  principles 
of  the  bill.  It  would  increase  the 
constituency  in  counties,  which 
had  become  necessary  in  conse-* 
quence  of  the  creation  of  large  bo* 
roughs  ia  the  counties.    The  bill 


HISTORY  OF  EURQPIL 


Elii 


intended  to  give  the  rigbt  of  Tot- 
ing in  boroughs  to  all  persons  oc- 
cupying a  house  for  which  they 
paid  four  shillings  a  week,  and  was 
it  meant  to  be  contended  that  t|ie 
man  who  paid  50/.  a  year  for  a  farm 
was  not  as  worthy  of  the  ^ntndiise 
as  such  4  householder  ?  Thft  in- 
fiiieiice,  which  might  b^  exercised 
by  a  landloi^>  would  he  ten  time^ 
stronger  in  the  case  of  %  tiouse- 
holder  than  of  a  ianner.  The 
former  might  be  turned  opt  of  hi* 
tenancy  at  a  week's  i^otiiie— -on 
the  Tery  eve  of  an  election  |  bi|t 
the  yearly  renter  of  a  fsurtp  eou|4 
not  be  turned  out  on  less  than  »x 
months' notice.  |n  fiiQt,  aa  oiaf tem 
stood^  a  good  tenant  w«s  aif  imps' 


sary  to  the  landlord,  as  agoodfkrm 
or  landlord  was  to  the  tenant. 
Other  supporters  of  the  bill^  again, 
declared  that  this  amendment  ooo- 
pfed  wi^h  the  division  of  the  coon- 
ties  would  destroy  the  independence 
•f  ihe  county  sepresenUitioii-r-tb^t 
they  never  would  have  sppported 
the  divuHoa  of  the  countHH!,  if  ti^ey 
had  suspected  that  tenants  at  will 
wei«  to  be  intiodi«ppd>  9n4>  if  this 
ameodm^pt  wevp  ^^^rriedj  they 
would  vote  for  sny  motiovi  to  get 
nd  of  the  dividing  clause. 

Qn  the  division^  nijiiister^  were 
left  in  a  minority  of  eightyrfiHir. 
They  then  adopted  the  amend- 
meat,  ipanrpoFitiBf  H  with  their 
OWpd^UMf 


/216]       ANNUAL  REGISTER,  1831. 


CHAP.   VIII. 

Continuation  of  Committee  on  Reform  Bill — Mr.  Hunt's  amendment  on 
the  £10  franchise,  to  the  ejfect  of  admitting  universal  suffrage^^ 
Amendment,  that  freeholders  in  boroughs  shall  vote  for  the  borough, 
and  not  for  the  county — Motion,  that  the  £lO  rent  shall  not  he  pay- 
able more  frequently  than  quarterly — Discussions  regarding  existing 
rights  of  franchise — Discussions  on  the  clauses  directing  the  mode  of 
registration  and  regulating  elections — Consideration  of  the  report  of 
the  Bill — Motion,  that  Aldborough  be  totally  disfranchised — Alter- 
ations tnade  on  considering  the  report — Debate  on  motion  that  the  bill 
pass — Motiofi  carried  by  a  majority  of  109' 


BY  the  24th  of  August,  the 
committee  had  reached  the 
clause  I  which  went  to  create  the 
new  and  uniform  constituency  for 
the  boroughs,  enacting,  that  the 
franchise  should  belong  to  every 
male  person  of  full  age,  and  not 
subject  to  any  "legal 'incapacity,*' 
who  should  have  occupied,  as  owner 
or  tenant,  for  twelve  months  next 
previous  to  the  1st  of  February, 
1832,  or  the  last  of  August  m 
any  succeeding  year,  "  any  house 
assessed  to  the  duty  on  inhabit-* 
ed  houses  upon  a  yearly  value  of 
not  less  than  1 0/.,  or  any  house, 
warehouse,  or  counting  -  house, 
being  either  separately  or  jointly 
with  any  land  owned  and  occupied 
therewith,  or  occupied  therewith 
under  the  same  landlord,  of  the 
clear  yearly  value  of  not  less  than 
lOZ.  or  rated  to  the  relief  of  the 
poor  upon  the  yearly  value  of  not 
less  than  10/.,  or  any  house,  ware- 
house, or  counting-house,  for  which, 
whether  separately  or  jointly  with 
any  land  occupied  therewith  under 
the  same  landlord,  he  shall  be  bond 
fide  liable  to  a  yearly  rent  of  not 
less  than  10/.,  if  diily  registered 
according  to  the  provisions  herein- 
after contaiaed."   This  clause,  and 


arran^ments  connected  with  it, 
occupied  a  week ;  many  of  the  pro- 
posed amei)idments  coming  from 
the  reformers  themselves. 

Mr.  Hunt  took  the  lead,  by 
moving  an  amendment  for  the  in« 
troduction  of  universal  suffrage, 
Tiz.,  that  ^'  every  male  person  of 
full  age,  and  not  subject  to  any 
legal  incapacity,  being  a  house- 
holder, and  paying  rates  and  taxes, 
shall  have  a  right  to  vote"  in  elec- 
tions for  the  places  in  which  he 
was  a  householder.  He  main- 
tained that  this  scale  of  fran- 
chise, far  from  being  visionary,  had 
been  the  ancient  practice  of  the 
constitution,  the  purity  of  which 
ministers  had  declared  it  was 
their  object  to  restore.  Till  the 
reign  of  Henry  VI.,  every  free- 
man was  entitled  to  vote,  without 
any  other  qualification.  It  was 
only  the  8th  Henry  VI.  which 
disfranchised  three-fourths  of  the 
electors,  by  requiring  possession  of 
a  40s.  freehold.  Even  the  present 
bill  had  a  good  deal  of  universal 
sufirage.  The  clause,  as  it  now 
stood,  would  be  universal  suflrage 
to  householders  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  London,  for  the  lowest 
houses  let  for  from  10/.  to  12/.;  but 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[217 


in  Manchester,  Bolton,  Preston,  and 
similar  towns,  the  lower  houses, 
such  as  weavers  lived  in,  let 
for  from  5/.  to  71  Therefore  the 
clause  dealt  differently  with  house- 
holders near  London,  and  house- 
holders in  large  towns  in  the  coun- 
try. In  the  latter,  there  was  a 
class  of  persons  holding  5/.  houses, 
who  were  superior  to  the  occupiers 
of  10/.  or  12/.  houses  in  London.  He 
was  satisfied  the  measure  of  minis- 
ters would  not  give  the  satisfaction 
that  was  anticipated,  and  there- 
fore he  proposed  his  own  plan,  as 
being  much  more  simple,  intelli- 
gible, and  effective,  than  their  par- 
tial and  yet  complicated  scheme. 

Lord  Althorp  admitted  that  the 
plan  was  a  very  simple  one,  but  it 
was  equally  true  that  it  was  con- 
trary to  the  principle  of  this  bill, 
which  had  been  approved  of  by  a 
large  majwity  of  the  country.  It 
would  alter  the  whole  character  of 
the  bill,  and  make  the  elective 
franchise  depend  upon  mere  per- 
sonal rights.  It  would  be  impos- 
sible to  carry  through  parliament 
any  bill,  founded  on  the  principle 
of  universal  suffrage,  or  a  princi- 
ple next  to  that  of  universal  suf- 
frage ;  and  the  adoption  of  such  a 
proposition  would  alarm  a  very 
large  class  of  sincere  and  honest 
reformers.  He  objected  to  it  as 
being  one  that  would  extend  the 
elective  franchise  too  far  in  this 
country,  and  because  the  adoption 
of  such  a  proposition  would  effect- 
ually prevent  the  success  of  any 
reform  at  all.  Mr.  Hunt,  how- 
ever, divided  the  committee,  but 
found  nobody  to  vote  with  him. 

The  next  amendment  proceeded 
from  colonel  Davies,  likewise  a  re- 
former, who,  having  formerly  op- 
posed the  incorporation  of  borough 
freeholders  with  the  counties,  now 
again  moved,  ^^  that  the  owners  of 


freeholds  within  cities  or  boroughs, 
shall  vote  at  the  election  of  mem- 
bers for  such  cities  or  boroughs, 
and  shall  not  vote  at  the  election 
of  the  members  for  the  county.'* 
His  object  was,  to  provide  for  some 
boroughs  a  sufficient  constituency 
within  their  own  limits,  without 
invading  that  of  the  county;  and 
now  that  tenants  at  will  had  been 
admitted,  it  was  of  infinitely  great- 
er importance  than  it  formerly  had 
been,  to  preserve  untouched,  the 
more  independent  freehold  consti- 
tuency of  the  counties,  and  prevent 
its  being  drafted  away  to  make  up 
that  of  boroughs.  As  the  bill  now 
stood,  the  county  of  Devon  pos- 
sessed seven  boroughs  which  would 
require  seven  districts  to  be  taken 
out  of  the  county,  in  order  to  give 
those  boroughs  the  requisite  num- 
ber of  10/.  houses.  In  Sussex, 
there  were  six  of  such  cases  -,  in 
Wiltshire,  eight ;  and  in  other 
counties  there  were  similar  cases, 
in  the  lowest  of  which  fifty  consti- 
tuents, at  least,  would  be  lost  to 
the  county.  According  to  the  bill, 
there  were  ninety- three  boroughs 
which  did  not  contain  300  electors 
each,  and  to  make  up  that  num- 
ber, voters  were  to  be  taken  from 
the  district  parishes.  This  provi- 
sion of  the  bill  would  occasion 
endless  disputes,  litigation,  and 
heart-burnings.  East  Grinstead 
would  have  to  take  250  electors 
from  the  county  to  make  up  a  con- 
stituency^ and  Amersham  would 
require  210,  whilst  other  places 
were  in  proportion.  The  opmions 
of  the  public  were  cool  upon  the 
bill,  and  those  who  were  strong 
advocates  for  reform  did  not  think 
it  possible  that  the  bill  could  ever 
be  brought  into  practical  operation. 
He  could  positively  assert  that  the 
bill  had  very  much  fallen  in  the 
estimation  of  the  city,  where  there 


218]      ANNUAL   REGISTER,  1831; 


was  a  C(mstituency  and  a  public 
voice  wliich  he  was  inclined  to  re- 
spect. He  was  satisfied  with  sche- 
dules A  and  B  ;  but  when  he  saw 
the  other  parts  of  the  bill  went  to 
counteract  those  schedules,  al- 
though he  did  not  wish  to  throw 
out  the  bill^  he  wished  much  to 
see  it  amended.  Other  members^ 
M'ho  supported  the  amendment^ 
took  a  aifferent  ground,  contend- 
ing that  the  rejection  of  it  would 
leave  the  counties  to  be  over- 
whelmed by  a  flood  of  borough  free- 
holders. It  was  answered  by  mi- 
nisters^ that)  in  large  towns^  the 
amendment  would  serve  no  practi- 
cal purpose,  because  in  them  there 
would  always  be  a  sufficiently  large 
constituency ;  and  in  small  ones  it 
would  be  mischievous^  for  in  them 
its  only  effect  would  be  to  give  the 
large  proprietors  of  freeholds  a 
complete  control  over  the  elections. 
The  number  of  towns,  to  which 
the  proposed  arrangement  would 
apply»  had  been  stated  at  ninety- 
three,  while,  in  point  of  fact,  they 
would  not  be  more  than  one-third 
the  number;  and  of  this  one- 
third,  the  instances  of  the  annexed 
rural  electors  outnumbering  the 
town  voters  would  be  so  very  rare 
as  to  be  the  exception  to  the  rule. 
It  was  besides  a  mischievous  fal- 
lacy to  suppose  that  the  town  and 
the  rural  electors  would,  in  these 
cases,  be  influenced  by  such  clasli- 
ing  motives  in  the  choice  of  repre- 
sentatives, that  the  latter  would 
prevail,  unless  the  former  received 
the  aid  of  this  amendment.  There 
was,  and  would  be,  in  point  of 
fact,  no  such  contrariety  of  inter- 
ests ;  for  the  fanners  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood being  the  best  customers 
of  the  tradesmen  in  the  towns, 
there  would  be  but  one  common 
interest  between  them.  Besides, 
it  was  always  considered  and  ad- 


mitted, that  the  smaller  towos,  (a 
which  a  rural  elective  populatiQn 
was  to  be  annexed,  tmould  r€i« 
turn  on  what,  for  brevity^  hi 
would  call  the  agricultural  inter* 
est ;  so  that  the  very  argument  for 
strengthening  the  town  electors 
against  that  interest  was,  in  point 
of  fact,  a  valid  objection  to  itt 
being  adopted.  The  original  mo« 
tion  was  carried  by  a  majority  qf 
89,  on  which  colonel  Davies  gave 
up  a  series  of  amendmenta,  to  se** 
cure  to  boroughs  a  constituency 
within  their  limits,  which  he  in<^ 
tended  to  have  moved,  if  this  one 
had  been  carried. 

Another  reformer  moved,  that, 
instead  of  10/.,  5/.  should  be  in« 
serted,  but  it  was  received  with 
so  little  favour,  that  it  was  with- 
drawn. Another  proposal  to  ex^ 
cept  from  the  clause  the  boroughi 
in  schedule  C,  the  new  boroughi, 
that  is,  which  u^re  to  receive  tWQ 
members,  for  the  purpose  of  rai8-» 
ing  the  franchise  in  them  to  20/, 
was  negatived  without  a  division, 
A  similar  fate  awaited  a  motion  by 
Mr.  M^Kinnon,  that  the  qualifica- 
tion should  be  10/.,  where  the  city 
or  borough  contained  from  SOO  to 
500  10/.  houses,  15/.  where  it  coa<« 
tained  from  500  to  1,000,  and  201. 
where  it  contained  more  than 
1,000.  One  alteration  was  pro- 
posed by  ministers  themselves.  A« 
the  clause  originally  stood,  it  waa 
necessary  that  a  10/*  householder, 
in  order,  to  he  entitled  to  vote, 
should  have  paid  up  his  rent,  his 
taxes,  and  his  rates.  It  was  now 
altered  to  this  effect,  that,  if  he 
claimed  to  vote  as  occupying  a 
1 0/.  house,  it  should  be  necessary 
for  him  to  shew  that  his  rent  had  been 
paid ;  but,  if  he  claimed  to  vote  as 
being  assessed  for  taxes  and  rates 
on  a  house  valued  at  10/.,  it  should 
be  sufficient  to  have  paid  up  hie 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[310 


rates  and  taxes^  without  shewing 
that  he  had  paid  his  rent.  This 
alteration  was  agreed  to,  although 
the  opposition  characterized  it  as  a 
direct  encouragement  to  brjLbery. 
A  candidate  would  only  have  to 
pay  up  the  rates  and  taxes  of  an 
insolvent  tenant,  who  could  not 
pay  his  rent,  and  bring  him  to  the 
poll.  Mr.  Hunt  moved  that  pay- 
ment of  rent  should  not  be  neces- 
sary in  any  case,  but  he  found  only 
nine  members  to  support  him. 

Another,  and  an  important 
amendment  was  moved  by  Mr.  J. 
Campbell,  who  declared  himself  to 
be  one  of  those  who  were  for  the  bill, 
the  whole  bill,  and  nothing  but  the 
bill.  But  the  bill  to  which  this 
response  had  been  given,  had  pro- 
vided that  the  10/.  householders  en-< 
titled  to  vote,  should  pay  their 
rents  at  more  distant  intervals 
than  were  now  proposed.  The 
resent  bill,  as  0]:iginalIy  drawn, 
ad  required  that  the  rent  should 
be  paid  half-yearly.  To  the  cla- 
mour raised  against  this  provision, 
ministers  had  not  only  yielded,  but 
had  gone  so  far  in  the  other  direc- 
tion, that,  as  the  clause  now  stood, 
householders,  who  paid  weekly, 
would  be  entitled  to  vote.  Such 
an  enactment  would  give  undue 
power  to  the  landlords,  who  were 
not  the  aristocracy  of  the  country. 
Suppose  an  individual  held  an 
hundred  houses  let  to  persons  who 
paid  weekly  rents,  the  landlord, 
by  giving  them  notice  to  quit  on 
the  eve  of  an  election,  might  influ- 
ence it  materially.  To  prohibit 
landlords  from  giving  their  tenants 
notice  to  quit  on  the  eve  of  an  elec- 
tion was  impossible,  and  the  only 
remedy  was,  not  to  allow  such 
tenants  to  enjoy  the  franchise. 
He  therefore  moved  —  and  the 
amendment  would  only  restore  the 
clause  to  what  ministers  tbem« 


I 


selves  had  originally  thought  it 
ought  to  be — that  no  person  should 
have  a  vote  by  occupying  premises 
at  a  yearly  rent,  "if  such  rent  shall 
be  payable  more  frequently  than 
four  times  in  a  year." 

Mr.  C.  Ferguson,  another  friend 
of  the  bill,  supported  the  amend- 
ment, because  the  power,  which  this 
clause  would  put  in  the  landlords' 
hands,  would  give  rise  to  many 
abuses,  and  lead  to  more  bribery 
and  corrupt  influence  in  manufac- 
turing towns  than  existed  at  present. 
The  object  of  the  bill  was,  to  create 
a  numerous^and  independent  con- 
stituency; but,  if  he  were  to 
choose  between  numbers  and  in- 
dependence, he  would  sacriflce 
numbers  for  an  independent  con- 
stituency. He  had  no  doubt  that 
if  this  clause  passed,  three-flfths  of 
the  House  would  be  returned  by 
constituents  who  were  under  the 
influence  of  their  landlords.  On 
the  other  hand,  the  amendment 
was  resisted  by  ministers  on  the 
ground,  that  it  would  disfranchise 
the  whole  of  the  operative  classes 
in  large  manufacturing  districts^ 
which  was  contrary  to  the  princi- 
ple of  the  bill.  The  landlords* 
power  of  removing  a  weekly  tenant 
was  certainly  an  objection  to  the 
clause,  but  it  was  only  under  par- 
ticular circumstances,  and  in  in- 
dividual cases,  that  the  objection 
applied.  A  landlord  who  held  a 
hundred  houses,  occupied  by  weekly 
tenants,  might  certainly  turn  them 
all  out,  but  it  was  not  likely  that 
he  would  be  willing  to  have  an 
hundred  empty  houses  on  his 
hands.  The  amendment  would 
exclude  thousands  of  intelligent 
persons^  well  qualified  to  be  in- 
trusted with  the  franchise,  and 
whom  it  was  of  importance  to  con- 
ciliate in  favour  of  the  institutiona 
of  %h9  country.    It  would  introm 


220]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


duce  a  most  invidious  distinction. 
Was  it  to  be  endured  that,  when 
the  elective  franchise  had  been  ex- 
tended in  counties,  and  when  t)ie 
object  of  the  bill  was,  to  enlist 
the  feelings  of  the  mass  of  society 
in  favour  of  government,  they 
should  refuse  that  franchise  to  a 
most  resj)ectable,  independent,  and 
intelligent  class  of  voters  ? 

Sir  R.  Peel  asked,  if  it  was  true 
that  these  persons  formed  a  class 
of  most  respectable,  independent, 
and  intelligent  voters,  how  did  it 
happen  that,  within  six  weeks 
of  the  time  at  which  they  were 
thus  described,  a  bill  had  been  laid 
on  the  table  of  the  House  to  dis- 
franchise the  whole  of  them  ?  At 
what  period  had  it  been  discovered 
that  they  were  a  most  respectable 
and  intelligent  class  of  voters? 
Government  proposed  to  give  them 
the  right  of  voting  by  the  original 
bill  J  but,  after  three,  or,  at  least, 
two  months  of  mature  deliberation, 
they  became  alarmed  at  the  monster 
which  themselveshadcreated.  Like 
the  monster  in  the  novel,  it  was 
endowed  with  powers  of  vitality, 
but  when  it  opened  its  eyes,  and 
ministers  found  that  they  could  not 
infuse  judgment  and  discretion  into 
it,  they  shrunk  appalled  from  the 
work  of  their  own  hands;  Minis- 
ters then  came  down  with  another 
bill,  by  which  they  attempted  to 
establish  a  more  discreet  class  of 
voters — namely,  those  who  paid 
their  rent  half-yearly.  The  real 
reason  of  the  introduction  of  the 
clause,  which  gave  the  right  of  vot- 
ing to  this  intelligent  and  re- 
spectable class  was,  that  govern- 
ment had  excited  hopes  which 
they  were  afraid  to  disappoint. 
That  was  the  reason,  and  the 
only  reason,  which  could  justify 
the  introduction  of  the  clause, 
but  ministers  shrank  from  acknow- 


ledging it.  When  the  government 
told  the  artisans  of  Birmingham 
and  Manchester  that  they  should 
have  the  right  of  voting,  and  when 
the  proposition  became  the  subject 
of  discussion  in  the  political  unions, 
it  was  not  to  be  wondered  at  that 
ministers  introduced  the  clause 
into  the  bill.  But  why  did  they 
not  maturely  consider  their  plan 
in  the  first  instance.?  Why  did 
they  first  propose  to  give  the  right 
of  voting  to  hundreds  of  thousands 
of  persons  which  was  now  said  to 
be  their  number,  and,  six  weeks 
after,  bring  in  a  bill  to  take  it 
away,  and  then  once  more  propose 
it  again  ?  In  his  opinion,  there 
was  no  class  of  voters  more  likely 
to  be  under  the  influence  of  their 
landlords  than  tenants  who  were 
liable  to  be  ejected  at  a  week's 
notice.  Manchester,  Norwich,  Bir- 
mingham, and  other  large  towns, 
would  have  a  sufficiently  large  con- 
stituency without  this  extension  of 
the  franchise.  Surely  a  constitu- 
ency of  4,000  or  5,000  voters 
would  be  quite  enough  to  express 
the  sense  of  a  town.  That  sense 
would  never  be  more  efficiently 
expressed  by  having  20,000  or 
30,000  voters.  In  fact,  such  a 
constituency  would  only  have  the 
effect  of  overbearing  the  more  intel- 
ligent and  respectable  class  of 
electors.  The  system,  which  this 
clause  would  establish,  would  be  an 
imitation  of  the  elective  franchise 
of  the  United  States  in  its  worst 
feature. 

The  division  shewed  a  majority 
of  68  in  favour  of  the  original 
motion. 

To  guard  against  the  conse- 
quences which  had  been  pointed 
out,  Mr.  H.  Hughes  moved, 
that  a  weekly  tenant,  who  should 
receive  notice  to  quit,  between 
the  dissolution  of  one  parliament 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[221 


and  the  election  of  anotk^r^ 
should  still  have  a  right  to  vote ; 
but  the  amendment  was  negatived, 
as  doing  away  with  all  qualifica- 
tion^ and  giving  a  right  to  vote 
without  possession  of  a  house^ 
which  was  contrary  to  the  princi- 
ples of  the  bill.  An  amendment^ 
however,  was  agreed  to^  which  pro- 
vided that  no  person  should  vote 
who^  within  the  twelve  months 
prior  to  any  last  of  August,  had 
received  parochial  relief. 

By  the  twenty-second  clause  of 
the  bill,  all  existing  rights  of  elec- 
tion were  preserved  to  existing 
freemen  during  their  lives,  if  they 
resided  within  seven  miles  of  the 
place  for  which  they  voted:  all 
others,  as  being  non-residents, 
were  disfranchised  at  once.  It 
was  moved  as  an  amendment,  that 
all  such  existing  rights  of  franchise, 
arising  from  birth,  servitude,  or 
marriage,    should    remain   unim- 

f paired,  and  not  be  limited  to  the 
ifetime  of  those  who  now  enjoyed 
them.  It  was  argued,  that  the 
clause,  as  it  stood,  was  contrary  to 
justice  and  to  the  principle  of  the 
bill,  narrowing  the  franchise  in 
many  places,  instead  of  extending 
it.  In  the  smaller  boroughs,  the 
numbers  of  the  electors  would  be 
diminished,  in  consequence  of  the 
smaller  number  of  10/.  houses,  oc- 
cupation of  which  alone  was  to 
give  the  franchise,  when  the  ex- 
isting rights  should  have  died  out* 
One  of  the  members  for  Lancaster, 
and  a  supporter  of  the  bill,  stated, 
that  his  constituents  at  present 
amounted  to  between  3,000  and 
4,000  voters,  while  there  were 
only  550  10/.  houses.  In  Great 
Grimsby,  according  to  the  state- 
ment of  one  of  its  representatives, 
the  voters  would  be  jpeduced 
from  400  to  100.  One  of  the 
membm  for   GloMcesto  stated^ 


that,  among  those  whom  he  termed 
'*  the  free  women,"  there  was  a  very 
strong  feeling  against  this  clause. 
In  that  city,  there  were  various 
valuable  charities  for  the  main- 
tenance of  the  widows,  and  the 
education  of  the  children  of  f^-ee- 
men.  To  acquire  a  right  to  the 
benefit  of  such  charities,  the  hus- 
band or  the  father  must  have  taken 
up  the  freedom,  for  which  there 
was  a  trifling  fee,  amounting  to  a 
few  shillings.  No^,  the  ladies 
feared,  and  he  thought  these  fears 
were  well  grounded,  .that  if  the 
right  of  voting  were  taken  away, 
the  freemen  would  frequently  neg- 
lect to  take  up  their  freedom,  and 
that  even  those  who  might  save  a 
pittance  from  their  weekly  earn- 
ings to  enable  them  to  do  so,  would 
be  tempted,  from  various  causes,  to 
spend  the  money  so  saved  in  other 
ways;  and  before  a  second  suffi- 
cient saving  could  be  made,  the 
wife  might  be  a  widow,  and  the 
children  orphans,  cut  off  for  ever 
from  the  benefit  of  such  charities. 
Sir  M.  Ridley,  a  reforming  mem- 
ber for  Newcastle,  declared  that 
the  right  of  resident  freemen  was 
the  right  which  the  House  should 
be  most  anxious  to  preserve,  and, 
in  common  justice,  he  must  vote 
for  the  amendment. 

Lord  John  Russell,  Mr.  Stan- 
ley, and  the  Attorney-general  con- 
sidered the  amendment  utterly  in- 
admissible. If  the  rights  of  free- 
men were  to  be  preserved  for  ever, 
the  House  would  next  be  asked  to 
preserve  the  right  <^  the  scot  and 
lot  voters;  if  they  did  so,  then 
the  freeholders  would  have  a  right 
to  complain  that  their  rights  had 
not  been  preserved  to  them.  So 
that  one  by  one,  each  of  those 
classes  of  voters  would  claim  to  be 
excepted  from  the  operation  of  the 
dtsfraadusiog  dause  of  this  MU. 


222]      ANNUAL   REGISTER,  1831. 


They  would  not  deny  that  the  resi- 
dent freemen  were  a  respectable 
class  of  voters  in  such  boroughs  as 
Newcastle  andGlocester,  and  places 
of  that  description  ;  but  while  their 
rights  were  preserved  to  all  exist- 
ing freemen  under  this  clause  dur- 
ing their  lives,  there  would,  in  all 
those  places^  be  soon  produced, 
under  the  operation  of  the  twenty- 
first  clause^  a  sufficient  constitu- 
ency, and  a  better  regulated  and 
more  extended  franchise,  than 
hitherto  existed  there.  It  was  ne- 
cessary that  some  limits  should  be 
placed  to  numbers,  and  ministers 
had  taken  their  stand  upon  giving 
privileges  whereVer  they  could  be 
safely  given,  and  in  withholding 
them  only  where  the  balance  of 
the  public  convenience  required  it. 
Because  independence  was  secured 
by  numbers,  it  did  not  follow  that 
ail  numbers  were  to  be  admitted  3 
and  the  question  was,  whether  mi- 
nisters had  drawn  a  judicious  line .^ 
A  triumphant  appeal,  moreover, 
bad  been  made  to  the  existing 
electors,  and  they  had  loudly  de- 
clared, by  their  conduct  in  the 
elections,  their  acceptance  of  the 
bill  which  contained  this  very 
clause. 

Sir  Robert  Peel  thought  it  would 
be  difficult  to  conceive  a  more  mi- 
iMrable  case  than  that  on  which 
the  House  was  desired  thus  to 
decree  a  total  forfeiture  of  an- 
cient corporate  rights.  The  free- 
men were  said  to  be  good  and 
honourable  men,  and  yet  all  their 
reward  was  to  be  a  forfeiture  of 
their  privileges.  They  were  said 
to  be  sucli  disinterested  advocates 
of  reform,  as  to  be  willing  to  sa- 
crifice their  own  franchises  rather 
than  endanger  the  bill ;  but  they 
were  reduced  to  no  such  alterna- 
tive, for  it  was  not  inconsistent 
With  the  bill  that  the  corporate 


right  should  be  preserved  inviolate; 
and,  moreover,  ministers  would 
not  feel  themselves  jus'tified  in 
withdrawing  the  bill,  if  they  were 
defeated  upon  this  clause.  ^The 
amendment  steered  clear  of  the 
objection,  that  out- voters  of  bo- 
roughs were  exposed  to  bribery ; 
for  it  gave  no  freedom,  but  only 
confirmed  it  to  those  who,  by  the 
existing  law,  were  entitled  to  it  by 
birth,  marriage,  or  service,  and  who 
resided  within  seven  miles  of  the 
town.  The  time  would  come,  when 
all  who  had  held  corporate  privi- 
leges would  not  be  satisfied  with 
their  being  utterly  excluded  from 
their  rights,  and  that,  too,  in  a 
constitution  where  all  other  here- 
ditary rights  are  maintained.  The 
10/.  a- year  householders  in  small 
towns,  from  the  value  of  property 
would  be  more  educated  and  re- 
spectable than  the  same  class  of 
persons  in  large  towns,  and  this 
inequality  might  be  corrected  by 
continuing  the  corporate  rights. 
Sir  C.  Wetherell,  too,  thought  it 
impossible  to  defend  this  clause  on 
any  principle,  moral,  political,  or 
legal.  "The  preceding  clause  gave 
the  right  of  voting  to  persons  who 
at  present  did  not  possess  it,  while 
this  one  disfranchised  those  who, 
as  freemen,  now  enjoyed  it;  and 
this  disfranchisement  involved  a 
principle,  which  went  equally  to 
subvert  every  other  species  of  pri- 
vilege enjoyed  under  the  constitu- 
tion. The  country  knew  that  the 
right  of  freemen  to  vote  for  the  re- 
presentatives of  towns  and  boroughs 
was  an  hereditary  right,  and  that, 
the  principle  once  adopted  of  at- 
tacking and  spoliating  hereditary 
rights,  no  man  could  take  it  upon 
him  to  say  where  it  would  end. 
There  were  two  iiiodes  of  destroy- 
ing hereditary  right8-;-either  to 
bti^in  at  the  t<q[>  and  go  down  to 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE.  [223 

the  bottom,  or  to  begin  at  the  bot-  tem  of  spoliation  of  the  hereditary 
torn  and  ascend  to  the  top.  If  they  rights  of  the  democratic  portion  of 
looked  to  the  proceedings  of  a  the  community.  But  Jet  them  be- 
neighbouring  state— that  is,  to  the  ware :  the  principle  of  spoliation 
reformers  of  that  country — they  once  adopted,  those  corporate  privi- 
would  see  a  striking  illustration  of  leges  which  were  expressly  secured 
the  former  mode  of  attacking  here-  by  Magna  Charta  being  thus  tram- 
ditary  rights  and  privileges:  the  pled  upon,  they  mightsoon  be  called 
present  clause,  by  which  the  here-  upon  to  join  the  present  opponents 
ditary  rights  of  the  freemen  of  of  the  bill,  in  defending  not 
England  were  to  be  at  one  fell  only  the  hereditary  rights  and 
swoop  destroyed  for  ever,  was  an  privileges  of  the  peerage  of  Eng- 
instance  of  the  inverse  mode  of  land,  but  of  the  monarch  him- 
attack,  preferred  by  the  popu-  self.  In  this  clause  was  plant - 
lar  reformers  of  this  country,  ed  the  seed  of  the  destruction 
He  should  like  to  know  on  what  of  our  monarchical  institutions  ; 
ground  ministers,  havingonce acted  for  the  right,  on  which  the  here- 
upon the  monstrous  principle  of  ditary  succession  to  the  throne  was 
robbing  the  freemen  of  England  founded,  and  by  which  the  peers 
of  the  elective  rights  which  they  enjoyed  theii*  titles  and  property, 
had  enjoyed  and  inherited  for  was  the  same  in  kind  and  degree 
centuries,  could  refuse  to  their  as  that  by  which  the  freemen  of 
*' movement"- allies  the  spoliation  England  enjoyed  the  right  of  fran- 
of  the  other  hereditary  rights  and  chise  in  corporations.  The  ori- 
privileges,  which  were  at  present  ginal  clause  was  retained  by  a  ma- 
part  and  parcel  of  the  constitu-  jority  of  79. 
tion  ?  The  Paymaster  of  the  All  the  clauses  which  seemed  to 
Forces,  and  the  Chancellor  of  the  involve  matter  of  principle  having 
Exchequer  belonged  to  the  here-  been  now  discussed,  the  remaining 
ditary  peerage  of  England,  and  clauses,  relating  principally  to  the 
if  they  wrested  from  the  bo-  registration  of  the  electors,  and 
roughs  and  corporate  towns  their  the  manner  of  taking  the  poll, 
most  cherished  hereditary  rights,  were  much  more  rapidly  gone 
on  what  ground  could  they  refuse  through,  sixteen  of  them  having 
their  assent  to  a  proposition  which  been  disposed  of  in  one  day.  The 
would  reduce  them  to  citizen  Rus-  whole  machinery  of  the  proposed 
sell  and  citizen  Spencer  ?  Minis-  system  of  representation  was 
ters  disfranchised  the  smaller  bo-  strongly  opposed  as  being  cumber- 
roughs  for  no  reason  but  because  some  and  inconvenient;  laying  un- 
they  were  small,  and  now  most  in-  necessary  expense  on  the  county, 
consistently  proposed  to  disfran-  on  parishes,  and  on  the  candi- 
chise  the  corporations  of  the  large  dates ;  tending  necessarily  to  cre- 
towns  merely  because  they  were  ate  and  foster  endless  litigation, 
large.  Then  let  them  look  at  the  and  useful  only  to  the  crowd  of 
monstrous  inconsistency  of  apply-  unfledged  barristers  who  were  to 
ing  the  same  principle  to  the  non-  perform  the  duty  of  judges,  and 
resident  and  the  resident  freemen,  from  whom  there  was  to  be  no  ap- 
and  the  inconsistency  of  a  minis-  peal,  but  to  a  committee  of  the 
try  vaunting  of  its  attention  to  House.  Some  condemned  the  sys- 
popular  rights^  beginning  the  tys-  Um  oi  registration  altogether,  M 


224]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


an  expensive  and  unnecessary  en- 
cumbrance ',  others  thought  a  good 
plan  of  registration  both  a  desir- 
able and  an  attainable  object,  but 
could  not  concede  that  character  to 
the  scheme  which  was  now  pro- 
posed. It  was  said  to  be  copied 
verbatim  from  a  plan  which  had 
been  submitted  to  the  consider- 
ation of  a  committee  in  1827, 
which  Mr.  Tierney  had  described 
as  being  ''  impracticable — as  mere 
moonshine,"  and  which  accordingly 
had  been  dropped.  It  was  to  be 
observed,  however,  that  the  intro- 
duction of  one  uniform  franchise 
might  afford  facilities  for  registra- 
tion which  did  not  previously  ex- 
ist. 

The  barristers,  who  were  annu- 
ally to  revise  and  decide  upon  the 
electoral  lists,  receiving  a  fee  of 
five  guineas  a-day,  were  to  be 
named  by  the  judges  of  assize 
for  the  time,  the  lord  Chancellor 
having  a  veto.  Sir  C.  Wetherell 
complained,  that  these  would  be 
political  ap])ointments,  as  the 
Chancellor  would  have  his  way  ; 
and  te  say  that  the  nominatiou 
would  rest  with  the  judges,  was 
mummery.  The  judges  ought  to 
refuse  to  exercise  the  functions  of 
appointing  these  barristers,  and 
each  ought  to  exclaim — nofi  est 
mihu  But  these  barristers  were 
to  be  restrained  from  being  candi- 
dates for  Parliament  for  eighteen 
months  after  the  termination  of 
their  functions ;  and  yet  the  com- 
missioners under  the  bill  were 
under  no  such  restraint,  though 
he  should  say,  what  was  sauce  for 
the  goose  was  sauce  for  the  gander. 
He  objected  to  the  appointments 
altogether  as  unconstitutional.  The 
whole  measure  was  a,n  unconstitu- 
tional delegation  of  the  privileges  of 
the  House  to  inferior  persons.  But 
one  provision  of  the  clause  was,  that 


if  any  of  these  barristers  were  to  de- 
part wilfully  from  the  law,  he  was  to 
be  liable  to  an  action  of  debt,  and 
afterwards  to  be  amenable  at  the 
suit  of  the  attorney-general.  What 
respectable  person  would  accept  of 
appointments  under  such  degrad- 
ing and  onerous  conditions?  The 
pay  of  these  persons  was  to  be  low 
enough,  and  yet,  as  there  were  to 
be  about  65  of  them,  though  their 
pay  was  much  too  small,  they  would 
cost  the  country  20,000/.  a- year. 
This  was  a  source  of  patronage  to 
ministers,  who  claimed  a  popularity 
for  not  creating  appointments,  and 
for  diminishing  the  expenses  of  the 
country.  Sir  E.  Sugden  suggest- 
ed, that  no  barrister  should  be  em- 
ployed on  the  circuit  on  which  he 
practised,  and  could  not  see  why 
the  chancellor  should  have  a  veto, 
when  not  only  the  high  character 
of  the  judges,  but  their  practical 
knowledge  of  the  attainments  of 
the  profession,  so  much  better  qua- 
lified them  to  form  an  accurate 
opinion  as  to  the  merits  of  tlie 
functionaries. — The  attorney-gen- 
eral admitted  that  the  remunera- 
tion to  be  given  was  not  great,  but 
that  in  itself  was  not  surely  an  ob- 
jection, since  it  could  not  concern 
the  legislature  whether  the  fee 
were  sufiicient  or  not,  if  the  par- 
ties themselves  were  satisfied  with 
their  remuneration,  and  competent 
to  the  discharge  of  the  functions 
imposed  on  them.  Undoubtedly 
none  who  were  incompetent  would 
be  employed  -,  but  there  were  many 
barristers  of  great  legal  attain- 
ments without  business,  who  would 
gladly  apply  themselves  to  the  task 
for  the  consideration  of  which  others 
spoke  so  lightly.  The  station  of 
the  bar  itself,  the  discrimination 
of  the  judges  who  made  the  se- 
lection, and  the  veto  of  the  Lord 
Chancellor  who  controlled  themf^i 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[225 


were  satisfactory  guarantees  for  the 
propriety  of  the  appointments.  It 
was  objected,  too,  that  these  bar- 
risters were  not  armed  with  suffi- 
cient authority,  as  they  had  no 
power  by  the  bill  to  compel  the  at- 
tendance of  witnesses  whose  evi- 
dence might  be  necessary;  to  which 
it  was  answered,  that  such  a  power 
was  unnecessary,  as  the  parties  in- 
terested would  be  ready  enough  to 
appear  without  the  use  of  compul- 
sory measures. 

To  the  clause,  likewise,  which 
enacted  that,  at  an  election,  the 
polling  should  be  finished  in  two 
days,  various  objections  were  stated, 
and  that  not  by  the  opposition 
alone.  There  were  many  non- 
resident freeholders  who,  if  the 
time  were  not  extended,  would 
be  prevented  from  voting.  This 
would  be  particularly  the  case  in 
the  larger  counties.  One  of  the 
members  for  Yorkshire  stated,  that 
in  the  West  Riding  of  that(*ountv, 
it  would  be  impossible  to  poll,  in 
two  days,  one  half  of  the  electors 
who  would  exist  under  the  present 
bill.  Others  thought  that  the  poll 
might  be  taken  in  two  days,  but 
that  the  intervening  day  which  the 
clause  allowed,  between  the  first 
day  of  the  election  and  the  com- 
mencement of  the  polling,  would  not 
afford  sufficient  time,  where  a  con- 
test suddenly  arose,  to  give  notice 
throughout  a  county,  and  to  pre- 
pare the  machinery  which  the  bill 
rendered  necessary  in  a  county 
election.  Lord  Althorp  thought 
that  no  difficulty  would  arise,  so 
great  would  be  the  facilities  cre- 
ated by  the  new  arrangements. 
In  the  West  Riding  of  Yorkshire, 
for  instance,  there  would  be  fifteen 
places  for  taking  the  poll.  At  each 
of  those  fifteen  places,  as  many 
booths  for  receiving  the  votes  of 
the  electors  as  might  be  thought 

Vol.  LXXIII. 


necessary,  might  be  opened.  Thus 
the  polling  would  go  on  fifteen 
times  quicker  than  at  present; 
and  the  unlimited  number  of  booths 
which  might  be  opened,  combined 
with  the  facility  aflforded  by  the 
register,  would  enable  all  the  voters, 
even  in  that  large  district,  to  re- 
cord their  votes  in  the  space  of  two 
days.  It  had  been  shewn,  by  the 
case  of  Norwich,  that  it  was  pos- 
sible, even  with  a  large  constitu- 
ency, to  close  the  poll  in  two  days ; 
and  if  the  arrangements  for  the 
same  purpose  could  be  a*s  easily 
made  elsewhere,  the  House  should 
pass  the  clause  in  its  present  shape, 
in  order  to  compel  them  to  be 
made. 

On  the  7  th  of  September,  the 
committee  finished  its  labours, 
which  had  begun  on  the  1 3th  of 
July,  and  the  bill  as  amended  was 
reported  to  the  House.  The  13th, 
14th,  and  15th,  were  occupied  in 
considering  the  report,  to  which 
the  House  agreed,  with  certain 
alterations  which  were  chiefly  ver- 
bal. Ministers  had  placed  the  bo- 
rough of  Aldborough  in  schedule 
B,  because  its  population  entitled  it 
to  be  there ;  but  one  of  their  ad- 
herents now  moved  as  an  amend- 
ment, that  it  should  be  transferred 
to  schedule  A,  and  totally  disfran- 
chised, as  .being  the  *'  prototype 
of  insignificance  and  corruption," 
which  must  be  destroyed  in  justice 
to  Gat  ton  and  Old  Sarum.  Lord 
John  Russell  opposed  the  amend- 
ment, as  being  hostile  to  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  bill,  and  to  the  rules 
by  which  the  disfranchising  sche- 
dules had  been  framed.  Ministers, 
in  framing  this  schedule, had  adopt- 
ed a  well-known  rule,  and  as  that 
rule  excluded  all  boroughs  which 
had  more  than  2,000  inhabitants, 
this  borough  obtained  the  benefit 
of  the  exception.     It  was  true  that 

:q3 


226]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


Aldborough  in  the  first  iostance 
stood  in  this  schedule  ;  but  it  hav- 
ing been  subsequently  represented 
to  ministers  that^  by  adding  the  bo- 
rough and  the  parish  together,  the 
population  would  amount  to  more 
than  2^000,  and  they  having  found, 
on  consulting  the  population  re- 
turns, that  that  representation  was 
correct,  Aldborough  was  excluded 
from  schedule  A,  and  transferred  to 
schedule  B.  There  was  no  suffici- 
ently precise  or  accurate  statement 
to  warrant  the  House  incoming  to 
the  conclusion  that  in  this  borough, 
in  the  parish,  and  in  the  immedi- 
ate neighbourhood,  there  was  not 
a  sufficient  number  of  10/.  house- 
holders to  entitle  it  to  send  one 
member  to  Parliament,  The 
amendment  was  lost  by  eighty-five. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  wishes  of 
several  members  who  had  com- 
plained that  Wales  was  not  allowed 
Its  proper  share  of  county  repre- 
sentation, induced  ministers  to  give 
an  additional  member  to  Denbigh- 
shire, with  76,00i)  inhabitants  and 
to  Carmarthenshire  with  96,000. 
But  as  this  addition  interfered  with 
the  adjustment  between  the  agri- 
cultural and  commercial  interests, 
whjch  ministers  contended  was  to 
be  found  in  their  bill,  they  placed 
two  new  towns  among  those  which 
were  to  receive  one  member— Ash- 
ton-under-Line  in  Lancashire,  and 
Stroud  and  Miochinhampton  in 
Gloucestershire. 

The  third  reading  was  carried 
by  a  majority  of  fifty-five,  in  a 
rtouse  which  consisted  of  only  171 
members,  in  consequence  oi  the 
division  taking  place  unexpectedly, 
without  any  discussion.  On  the 
motion,  however,  that  the  bill  do 
pass,  arose  a  debate  which  con- 
tinued during  the  19th,  20th,  and 
2 1  St  of  September.  The  opposition 
described  the  tchemd  eontain^d  in 


the  bill,  now  that  it  had  receired 
the  last  finishing  touches  of  its 
fashioners,  as  being  no  less  incon- 
sistent and  ruinous  than  when  they 
had  put  forth  their  first  roagn 
draft,  having  only  superadded  to 
the  extravagance  of  its  original 
principles,  a  mass  of  crudities^ 
contradictions,  and  partialities  in 
their  application.  In  its  essence^ 
it  was  venturing  upon  a  new  and 
untried  state  of  being,  by  way  of 
a  gigantic  experiment  not  only 
more  than  hazardous,  but  the  very 
scale  of  which  was  an  insuperable 
objection  to  its  adoption.  PoUow- 
ins;  a  more  moderate  course,  you 
might  stop,  or  you  might  return ; 
but  the  course  now  pursued  was  of 
that  kind,  that,  however,  mischiev- 
ouB  it  might  be  found  in  its  re- 
sults, to  retreat  was  impossible. 
On  the  contrary,  while  ministers 
declared  that  they  had  now  done 
all  that  well-ordered  liberty  re- 
auired,  downward  progression  in 
tne  path  of  pure  democracy  was  the 
inevitable  consequence  of  every 
thing  they  had  done.  This  re- 
form was  proposed,  with  the  osten- 
sible object  of  bringing  back  the 
constitution  to  what  it  had  been 
before  it  was  deformed  by  an  accu- 
mulation of  abuses,  and  of  render- 
ing the  House  of  Commons  what 
was  called  a  pure  and  independent 
representation  of  the  people  ;  but, 
in  the  constitution  of  England,  the 
House  of  Commons  never  had  been, 
never  was  intended  to  be,  and 
never  ought  to  be,  a  pure  and  in- 
dependent representation  of  what 
was  called  the  people,  free  from 
any  intermixture  of  the  influence 
of  the  crown  and  of  the  aristocracy. 
And  yet  this  change  was  to  be 
made  at  a  time  when  no  living  man 
could  deny,  that  not  only  were  the 
people  more  influential  in  the 
House  of  Commons  than  at  any 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[227 


former  period^  but  when  no  influ- 
ence could  there  resist  its  deliber- 
ate and  reasonable  voice.  Of  this 
folly  there  was  only  one  aggrava- 
tion— that  all  these  changes  were 
to  be  introduced  for  the  purpose  of 
getting  rid  of  a  constitution  un- 
der which  the  country  had  Out- 
stripped the  whole  civilized  globe 
in  every  thing  that  constitut- 
ed the  happiness  and  the  honour 
of  a  nation.  The  bill  was  out  and 
out  a  democratic  bill,  framed^  if 
not  with  the  design,  yet  with  the 
inevitable  effect^  according  to  its 
natural  tendencies^  of  overthrow- 
ing every  thing  that  might  stand 
in  the  way  of  a  levelling  demo- 
cracy, and  of  the  wild  passions  in 
which  a  democracy  loves  to  revel — 
of  putting  an  end  to  the  mon- 
archy and  aristocracy,  and  of  form- 
ing a  Parliament  out  of  delegates 
for  districts,  who,  repeating  the 
ebullitions  of  the  public  voice, 
miffht  overpower  any  accents  rsused 
in  defence  of  the  other  branches  of 
the  constitution.  It  was  demon- 
strable, that  if  you  so  constitute 
the  popular  branch  of  the  legisla- 
ture, possessing  as  it  did  the  power 
of  stopping  every  movement  of  the 
government,  as  to  render  it  an  echo 
of  the  voice  of  the  multitude,  you 
take  the  first  and  most  certain  step 
to  a  republic — ^to  a  government  con- 
sisting of  as  many  tyrants  as  there 
might  be  members  in  the  majority  of 
the  House  of  Commons.  The  very 
clamour,  by  the  existence  of  which 
the  measure  was  attempted  to  be 
justified,  and  which  had  itself  been 
artfully  encouraged  by  all  manner 
of  popular  delusion,  was  a  fore- 
taste of  the  unthinking  violence 
to  which  government  must  come  to 
be  subjected.  This  was  the  first 
occasion  on  which  any  government, 
swaying  the  destinies  of  a  great 
and  prosperous  nation,  had  thrown 


down  before  the  people  the  right 
of  settling  all  the  principles  by 
which  they  would  choose  to  be  go- 
verned. By  this  monstrous  bribe 
they  had  roused  their  passions  and 
prejudices,  and  had  called  them 
not  to  decide  what  reason  would 
suggest,  but  what  would  gratify 
their  own  imagined  interests. 
-  The  consequence  was«  that  the 
bill  went  directly  to  place  govern- 
ment in  the  hands  of  numl^rs  in- 
dependent of  property :  such  would 
necessarily  be  the  eflect  of  the  10/. 
qualification.  In  Manchester  for 
instance  the  number  of  persons 
occupying  houses  of  from  10/. 
•to  20/.  rent  was  greater  by  one 
third  than  that  of  persons  occupy- 
ing more  valuable  houses ;  thus  the 
real  property  of  the  town  would 
not  only  not  be  represented,  but 
would  be  borne  down  by  the  ma- 
jority of  the  lower  classes  of  in- 
habitants and  such  would  be  the 
case  in  all  the  great  manufacturing 
towns.  The  incessant  references 
which  ministers  made  to  the  major- 
ity they  had  secured,  and  their  ge- 
neral answer  to  all  objections — that 
the  bill  was  one  which  the  people 
had  accepted — was  the  best  proof  of 
the  small  quantity  of  wisdom,  and 
the  superabundance  of  blind  preju- 
dice and  vague  theory  which  had 
presided  over  this  piece  of  legisla- 
tion. It  was  the  most  ridiculous 
of  all  things  to  pretend,  that  the 
multitudes  of  electors  who  had  re- 
turned this  majority  could  weigh 
or  could  even  understand,  all  the 
provisions  of  this  new  constitution, 
many  of  which  still  continued  unin- 
telligible even  to  the  House.  The 
ablest  lawyers  on  both  sides  had 
admitted  their  inability  to  expound 
its  principles  or  provisions,  and 
yet  every  parish  officer  in  the  king- 
dom was  expected  to  make  hims^f 
roaster  of  both  at  a  glance.  The 
[Q2] 


228]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


support  of  the  people  had  been 
gained  by  artfully  cherished  delu- 
sions, that  this  measure  would  re- 
move all  their  grievances  and  bur- 
dens, reduce  the  taxes,  and  remove 
the  national  debt.  In  one  way  these 
expectations  might  be  partially  ful- 
filled, for  a  democratic  legislature 
was  to  be  created,  turning  round 
blindly  at  every  breath  of  popular 
will,  which  would  soon  find  the  way 
to  injustice  and  confiscation. 

On  the  part  of  ministers,  Mr. 
Macauley  denied  that  the  framers 
or  supporters  of  the  bill  had  ever 
held  out,  that  it  would  remove  the 
burthens  which  affected  the  work- 
ing classes,  by  giving  them  higl^ 
wages,  while  it  materially  lowered 
the  amount  of  their  taxes.  This  was 
a  mere  artful  assertion  of  the  sworn 
foes  of  reform,  and  had  no  found- 
ation in  fact  or  reason.  Neither 
ministers  nor  the  unofficial  sup- 
porters of  the  bill  attempted  to  de- 
lude the  i)eople  into  its  acceptance 
by  such  an  unworthy  artifice.  No ; 
they  knew  too  well  that  no  mi- 
nistry—no legislative  measure — 
could  accomplish  such  results,  and 
were  too  honest  in  their  purpose 
to  pretend  to  acts  beyond  their 
capacity.  The  end  of  government 
was  not  to  make  the  people  rich 
by  irregular  or  illegal  means,  but 
to  protect  them  in  the  acquisition 
and  possession  of  their  riches,  and 
to  remove  all  unnecessary  obsta- 
cles to  that  acquisition.  No  hoi\e^t 
government  could  affect  to  do  more, 
— no  honest  government  could  af- 
fect to  do  less..  No  ministry  could 
presume  to  do  more  than  direct 
and  provide  for  the  general  weal, 
and  could  not  take  upon  them  the 
office  of  the  prophet  in  the  wilder- 
ness, and  bv  their  official  wand 
make  water  to  flow  from  the  rock 
to  ease  the  burthens  of  the  people. 
It  was  never>  then^  pretended  that 


the  reform  bill  would  necessarily 
of  itself  do  away  with  the  bur- 
thens which  oppressed  the  working 
classes  and  industry  of  the  country; 
all  that  was  asserted  was  the  unde- 
niable fact,  that  had  we  had  a  re- 
formed parliament  fifty  years  ago, 
the  national  embarrassments  would 
not  have  been  a  tithe  of  their  pre- 
sent amount.  He  believed  the 
present  bill  would  ultimately  im- 
prove the  physical  condition  of 
the  people,  because  its  first  result 
would  be  a  more  equal  and  judicious 
distribution  of  the  public  burthens 
than  at  present  existed.  To  re- 
proach it  for  not  doing  more  was 
to  reproach  it  for  not  accomplish- 
ing what  no  constitutional  legisla- 
tive measure,  nor  any  ministry  in 
the  world,  could  accomplish ;  and 
any  ministry  or  legislature  that 
professed  to  do  more,  by  the  very 
fact  of  profession  proved  themselves 
to  be  arrant  quacks.  The  sup- 
porters of  the  bill  had  been  much 
taunted  with  having  shut  their 
eyes  on  facts  and  experience,  and 
been  guided  solely  by  the  mere 
abstractions  of  theory.  The  very 
reverse  was  the  truth  j  facts 
and  experience  were  the  ground- 
work of  the  bill,  while  hypotheti- 
cal assertions  were  the  only  wea- 
pons with  which  its  opponents  had 
condescended  to  oppose  it.  For 
example,  look  at  all  their  bugbear 
assumptions  with  respect  to  the 
dangers — democratic  dangers — of 
enabling  the  inhabitants  of  a  large 
town — Manchester  to  wit — to  re- 
turn their  own  representatives. 
Were  they  not  all  in  the  very  teeth 
of  the  facts  and  experience  for 
neglecting  which  those  members 
opposite  were  so  loud  in  charging 
ministers  ?  No  public  man,  it  was 
said,  whatever  his  pretensions,  can 
have  a  chance  under  the  bill  to  re* 
present  a  large  town ;  the  repre- 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[229 


sentatives  of  the  populous  towDS 
will  be  chosen  on  exclusively  local 
considerations.      Now  what .  said 
*^  facts  and    experience'*  on   this 
point?   Let  Nottingham — let  Lei- 
cester,—let   Chester  answer    the 
question.    To  come  nearer  home, 
the  representation  of  the  metropolis 
was  a  clear  proof  that  non-resident 
public  men  had  a  chance  in  populous 
districts,  and  that  local  consider- 
ations were  not  the  sole  guide  in 
these  places.     Did  hon.  members 
recollect  the  great  men  who,  with- 
in all  or  most  of  their  recollections, 
had  represented  Westminster  and 
Southwark?     Mr.  Fox,   Mr.  She- 
ridan, Mr.  Tierney,  Sir  S.  Romilly 
— surely  no  mob-orator —no  hust- 
ings  demagogue.      The   dangers, 
which,  it  was  apprehended,  would 
flow  from  passing  the   bill,  were 
chimerical,  but  those  which  would 
result     from    a    different    course 
were    real.      He   had    supported 
the   bill    on    a  former    occasion, 
because    he    had    believed   there 
was  danger  in  refusing  it,   in  the 
then  state  of  public  opinion,  and 
he  supported  it  still  more  cordially 
now,  because  that  danger  had  been 
much  augmented.     It  was  deplor- 
able infatuation  to   suppose   that 
the  public   mind   had   cooled,   or 
would  cool,  on  this  subject,  till  the 
object   had  been  achieved.     The 
people,  having  given  vent  to  their 
joy  when  the  reform  measure  was 
first  introduced,  became  tranquil 
and  contented,  as  natural  to  those 
who  anticipated  a  triumph.     After 
this.   General  Gascoyne's  motion 
evinced  to  them  their  danger,  and 
again  were  they  roused,  and  they 
showed  their  sentiments  in  every 
possible  manner.     Again  did  they 
triumph  gloriously  as  far  as  they 
were  concerned,  and  as  far  as  re- 
form depended  upon  their  repre- 
sentatives.    They  placed  the  bill 


in  security,  and^gain  did  they  re- 
turn to  their  repose.     At  this  mo- 
ment the  people  were,  as  they  had 
been  on  the  very  eve  of  General 
Gascoyne's  motion,  waiting  with 
anxious  interest  and  resolution  the 
result  of  the  measure ; — but,  be- 
cause they  were  not  violent,  they 
were   again  told  that  there  was  a 
re-action  in  the  public  mind.  Those 
who  thought  that  there  could  be 
any  such  re-action   were   utterly 
ignorant  of  the  public  mind,  they 
were   utterly   unacquainted  with 
the   very   nature   of   that   people 
whom  they  aspired  to  govern.    The 
measure  of  Catholic  emancipation 
had  broken  the  last  link  of  attach- 
ment on  the  part  of  the  people  to 
their  Tory  leaders,  and  reform  be- 
came the  first  question  that  occu- 
pied the  minds  of  all  men.     The 
people  of  England  had  long  been 
disposed  to  move  in  its  favour  upon 
the    slightest    impulse;    and    he 
should   as   soon  think   of  seeing 
them   revert  to  the  drowning  of 
witches,  or  to  the  burning  of  here- 
tics, as  to  find  a  re-action  in  favour 
of  Old  Sarum.     It  was  as  probable 
that  the  people  should  go  back  to 
their  attachment  to  Thor  or  Odin, 
as  that  they  should  revert  to  any 
attachment  to  the  old  system  of 
representation.     Revolutions  pro- 
duced by  the  excitement  of  feelings 
would  produce  re-actions,  but  the 
victories  of  reason  once  gained  were 
gained  for  ever.    The  calmness  of 
the  people  of  England  was  not  the 
calmness  of  indifference,  it  was  the 
calmness  of  confident  hope,  and  in 
proportion  to  the  confidence  of  hope 
was  the  bitterness  of  disappoint- 
ment.    In  that  house,  continued 
Mr.  Macauley,  the  dread  of  disap- 
pointment was  gone ;  but  members 
who  opposed  the  measure  expressed 
their  hope  that  the  barons  of  Eng-. 
land  would  interfere  to  curb  the  Qa« 


^}       ANNUAL   REGISTER,  183i. 


rMr  (^  what  ihey  tetmned  tbis  de« 
roecratfc  frefnzy.  Ifthet>eersva]ded 
thd  f(^ice  of  eiample  and  expe- 
rienoe,  let  them  look  to  the  long 
line  of  deMrrted  halls  and  desolate 
iisansions  of  a  certain  quarts  of  a 
neighbouring  capitaL  From  those 
mansions  and  castles  of  the  aris- 
tocracy of  France^  as  protid  and  as 
powerful  a  body  of  nobles  as  ever 
existed  were  driven  forth  to  exile 
and  to  beggar v>  to  implore  the 
charity  of  hostile  religions  and  of 
hostile  nations.  And  why  did  such 
destruction  fall  npoti  them  ?  Why 
were  they  swept  away  with  such 
utter  destruction  ?  Why  was  their 
heritage  given  to  strangers^  and 
their  |Milaces  dismantled^  but  be- 
cause they  had  no  sympathy  with 
the  people  ?  Because  they  reviled 
those  who  warned  them  of  their 
danger,  when  they  might  have 
been  saved ;  and  because  they  ab- 
solutely refused  to  make  any  con* 
cessions^  until  all  concessions  were 
too  late.  Those  who  would  tell 
the  aristocracy  of  England  to  keep 
the  body  of  the  people  from  power, 
would  place  them  lu  the  exact  si- 
tuadon  in  which  the  aristocracy  of 
Franoe  had  been  placed.  It  was 
the  duty  of  that  house  to  treat 
with  respect  the  privileges  of  the 
House  of  Peers,  but  it  was  Hke« 
wise  their  duty  not  to  neglect 
their  own.  Many. who  heard  him 
thought  that  the  rejection  of  the 
bill  would  be  the  means  of  their 
being  restored  to  power.  Dark 
was  the  day  of  their  flight  from 
power^  and  darker  for  £ngland 
would  be  the  day  of  their  return^ 
for  they  would  retiun  in  triumph 
over  the  people  of  the  British 
empire,  united  as  firmly  as  when 
the  armada  had  sailed  up  the 
channel^  or  as  when  the  army  of 
Napoleon  was  encamped  at  Bou- 
logne.    They  coidd  sustain  them* 


selves  only  10  the  utter  soom  ol 
public  opinion^  and  if  they  UU, 
they  raight  involve  in  their  nil  tlw 
whole  firame  of  society.  It  would 
be  the  dutj  of  that  House  to  ooa« 
vey  the  wishes  of  the  pec^le  to  a 

Striot  ktn{f.  The  place  of  that 
ouse  was  m  froot  of  the  natMMif 
and  whatever  prejudices  mif^t 
exist  elsewhere^  in  that  Houae^ 
when  freely  elected,  would  be  found 
the  virtue,  the  wisdom,  the  energy^ 
and  courage  that  would  save  the 
country* 

Mr.  Croker  thought  that  the 
boldness  of  Mr.  Macaukty  in  tea^ 
ing  the  peers  of  Enguuid  what 
they  ought  to  do  was  only  equalled 
bv  the  magnanimous  disregard 
of  history  and  fact  on  whidi  the 
lesson  had  been  founded.  The 
nobility  of  France  fell,  forsooth,  be- 
cause  they  refused  concessions  till 
concessions  were  too  late.  All 
men  knew  that  precisely  the  re« 
verse  was  the  truth  of  the  case. 
The  French  nobility  made  extra* 
vagant  concessions  to  the  people ; 
and  it  was  those  concessions  which 
had  involved  them  in  ruin.  Was 
not  the  hon.  member  aware  that 
the  peers  of  France  had  conceded 
the  point  of  joining  the  Tiers 
Eiatf  Was  he  not  aware  that  it 
was  a  Montmorency  who  prc^posed 
the  abolition  of  nobility  |  and  a 
Noailles  that  moved  for  the  de- 
struction of  signorial  rights^  whilst 
the  archbbhop  of  Paris  barought 
forward  the  {Man  for  yielding  up 
the  titheS'-Hk  measura  so  strong, 
thilt  even  the  Abb^  Gregoire  o(m- 
sidered  it  t(>o  bold  for  him  to  sup« 
port  ?  The  French  noMesse  may 
have  fallen  because  they  yielded 
too  far  to  democratic  intimidation, 
or  they  might  not  have  stood  if 
they  had  refused  to  yield ;  but  to 
tell  men  who  could  read  history, 
that  they  fell  because  they  refused 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[dSi 


conoessiongj  was  a  m^ra  dnve- 
gard  of  all  facts  for  tbo  purpotes 
of  rhetorical  declamation,  A  simi- 
lar disregard  of  fact  was  manifested 
in  setting  forth^  that  modern 
abuses  had  converted  the  House 
of  Commons  into  a  mockery  of  re- 
presentation for  all  practical  pur- 
poses. It  was  still  that  system  under 
which^  from  its  first  regular  esta- 
blishmentj  the  country  had  be- 
come what  it  was ;  for  it  was  not 
even  pretended  that  there  bad  been 
any  change  in  the  constitution  of 
the  House  of  Commons  since  the 
Revolution.  Not  a  single  county, 
not  one  rotten  borough^  had  been 
added  to  the  representation.  Not 
a  hint  had  been  given  that  the 
power  of  the  Crown  had  increased 
in  that  House — and  the  very  ma- 
jority now  arrayed  in  favour  of 
the  reform  bill  proved  that  the 
bill  was  unnecessary^  for  it  was 
difficult  to  conceive  of  an  intellect 
so  frame<l  as  to  look  at  the  major*- 
ity  now  ruling  the  House,  return- 
ed^ too,  as  they  were  told  it  bad 
been  returned,  by  the  mere  con- 
stitutional action  of  popular  sen- 
timent, and  yet  maintain  that 
popular  sentiment  was  so  utterly 
incapable  of  being  represented 
under  the  existing  system*  that 
the  government  had  been  turned 
over,  in  defiance  of  the  jpeople^  into 
the  hands  of  an  oligarchy. 

In  regard  to  the  bill  itself,  be 
would  not  charge  ministers  per- 
sonally with  partiality  and  favour- 
itism ;  but  he  would  say,  that  bad 
they  been  actuated  by  those  mo- 
tives^ they  would  have  done  just 
what  they  had  done.  He  would 
mention  one  instance — ^there  were 
twenty  others.  St.  Germain  s  had 
2,400  inhabitants,  and  thirteen 
lOZ.  houses ;  but  was  to  send  no 
member.  There  was  another  bo« 
roughs  which  bad  really  not  2^000 


inhabltanti^  ^faut  nominally  2,600, 
and  fourteen  10^*  houses;  and  what 
bad  been  done  with  this  other  bo- 
rough }      Was  it  disfranchised  ? 
No.    Of  course,  then,  it  had  been 
left  in  schedule  B.    No  such  thing  ; 
it  had  been  removed  from  schedule 
Bj  and  remained  in  the  body  of 
the  bill,  and  was  to  send  two  mem- 
bers.    This  was  the  borough  of 
Westbury;    and    a    vacancy  had 
been  maae  in  that  borough ;  and 
a  gentleman  who  had  an  interest 
in  the  bill  had  been  elected  mem- 
ber for  Westbury.      Suffolk  had 
70,000  inhabitants  more  than  Pur- 
ham^  it  was  double  the  siae,  and 
the  taxes  paid   by  SuQblk    were 
four  times  the  amount  of  those  of 
Durham  j  yet  Suffolk  was  mulcted 
of  nine  members,  and  the  repre- 
sentation of  Durham  had  been  in*' 
creased.     Then  there  was  North- 
umberland, the  prime  minister's 
county  :  the  representation  in  that 
county  bad  been  raised  ixom  seven 
memblers  to  eleven j  whilst  that  of 
Norfolk   had  been  reduced  from 
twelve   to  eleveuj    although    the 
population  of  Norfolk  was  more 
than  double  that  of  Northumber- 
landj  and  the  taxes  paid  by  the 
latter  country  were  only  22,000/. 
a  year  whilst  Norfolk  paid  53,000/. 
Just  in  the  same  manner  the  repre- 
sentation of  Cumberland  was  to  be 
increased!  and  that  of  Essex  ^dimi- 
nished, though  the  population  of 
Cumberland  was  only  156,000,  or 
excluding  the  represented  towns, 
which  was  the  fairest  way,  only 
115,000,  whereas  the  population 
of  Essex  was  268,000.     Essex  was 
greats  in  extent^  and  her  taxes 
amounted  to  nearly  seven  times 
those  of  Cumberland.  The  changes 
and  alterations  which    bad    been 
made  in  the  bill  bad  imported  into 
it  a  greater  mass  of  absurdity  than 
was  cmdible  by  those  who  had  not 


232]      ANNUAL   REGISTER,    1831. 


examined  it  attentively.  Instead 
of  twenty-six  great  counties  there 
were  to  be  fifty- two  small  counties, 
so  that  the  counties  which  were 
not  to  be  favoured  with  four  mem- 
bers were  to  be  put  off  with  two, 
whilst  the  little  counties  which 
had  three,  were  to  keep  their 
three  5  the  electors  in  Oxford, 
Berks,  Bucks,  Hertford,  and  Here- 
ford, were  to  have  their  three  votes 
for  three  members,  but  those  of 
Lancashire  were  to  have  only  two 
votes  for  two  members.  The  re- 
sult of  this  was,  that  the  West 
Riding  of  Yorkshire,  which  was 
to  return  two  members,  had  more 
electors  than  five  counties  together, 
which  returned  fifteen  members. 
This  was  the  rule  of  proportion 
adopted  by  ministers.  Cumber- 
land was  to  get  four  members,  two 
for  each  of  its  parts ;  whilst  Bol- 
ton-le-Moors,  which  had  a  popu- 
lation greater  than  one  of  the  parts, 
was  to  have  only  one,  and  Chelsea 
none  at  all.  He  did  not  charge 
it  against  ministers,  but  it  appear- 
ed to  him  that  this  mode  of  treat- 
ing Cuinberland  was  a  trick,  and 
he  should  believe  it  to  be  so,  till  he 
heard  an  answer.  There  was  not 
a  single  page  of  the  bill  which  did 
not  contain  anomalies,  absurdities, 
and  grounds  for  suspicion  of  par- 
tiality. One  great  object,  professed 
to  be  sought  after  by  many  clauses 
and  great  variety  of  complicated 
arrangements,  was  the  diminution 
of  the  expenses  of  elections ;  but 
it  appeared* to  him  to  be  demon- 
strable that  the  expenses  would  be 
increased.  At  present  the  law 
allowed  of  no  more  than  one  poll 
of  fifteen  days'  duration  ;  but  by 
this  bill  they  might  have  polls  in 
fifteen  different  parts  of  the  county 
for  two  days,  which,  according  to 
his  arithmetic,  was  equivalent  to 
thirty  days'  polling.     Then,  too, 


they  must  have  fifteen  lawyers, 
fifteen  agents,  fifteen  sets  of  poll- 
clerks,  fifteen  booths,  fifteen,  ay, 
perhaps  thirty  taverns ;  and  thus 
every  county  contest,  which  cost 
at  present  10,000/.,  would  cost 
1 00,000/.  for  the  future.  It  had 
been  argued,  that  by  taking  the 
poll  in  districts,  voters  would  not 
have  to  travel  so  far,  nor  to  eat  so 
much.  But  ministers,  when  it 
was  proposed  on  that  side  of  the 
House,  to  take  the  poll  in  parishes, 
argued  that  the  saving  of  distance 
would  be  greatly  counterbalanced 
by  the  additional  number  of  poll 
clerks  and  agents  which  it  would 
be  necessary  to  employ.  He  had, 
therefore,  their  authority  for  set- 
ting off  poll  clerks  and  agents 
against  travelling  expenses.  But 
would  any  saving,  in  fact,  be 
made  in  travelling  expenses  ?  The 
bill  would  actually  double  the  tra- 
velling expenses.  There  was  to  be 
a  nomination  day,  and  then  a  day 
was  to  intervene  before  the  com- 
mencement of  the  poll.  Thus  the 
voters  would  have  to  go  to  the  place 
of  nomination,  and  having  eaten 
their  dinner,  which,  as  well  as 
their  travelling  expenses,  the  can- 
didates must  pay  for,  it  would  be 
necessary  to  carry  them  back .  to 
the  places  from  which  they  came, 
and  thence  to  the  fifteen  polling 
places.  Neither  would  the  coun- 
try escape  a  large  expenditure,  in 
paying  the  barristers  who  were  to 
preside  over  the  inconvenient  and 
impracticable  scheme  of  registra- 
tion, by  which  expenditure  was  to 
be  purchased  an  increase  of  patron- 
age to  the  Crown,  and  the  subjec- 
tion to  government  of  the  bar  of 
England.  He  revered  and  honour- 
ed the  profession  of  the  law,  be- 
cause he  had  always  seen  it  fore- 
most in  the  battles  for  civil  and 
religious  liberty  5  and  therefore  it 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[233 


was  that  he  could  not  refrain  from 
holding  up  this  part  of  the  bill  to 
public  contempt  and  indignation. 
By  the  proposed  division  of  the 
counties,  by  the  separation  of  the 
Isle  of  Wight  from  Hampshire, 
and  by  that  trumpery  which  we 
were  now  going  to  substitute  for 
all  that  was^enerable  in  our  con- 
stitution, we  had  created  sixty- 
eight  counties,  and  to  these  sixty- 
eight  counties,  sixty-eight  barris- 
ters were  to  be  appointed  annually 
to  decide  votes  and  try  causes  : 
ay,  and  these  barristers  were  only 
to  have  five  guineas  a  day.  He 
would  undertake  to  say,  that  a 
whisper  would  soon  be  heard,  that 
these  five  guineas  ought  to  be 
made  ten,  and  then  that  they  ought 
to  be  made  fifteen,  and  then,  per- 
ad venture,  that  they  ought  to  be 
made  twenty  guineas,  and  twenty 
guineas  they  soon  would  be  made, 
and  twenty  guineas  they  ought  to 
be  made.  On  one  occasion,  whilst 
he  was  in  office,  having  a  great 
many  official  documents  to  sign, 
he  had  determined  to  see  how 
many  of  them  he  could  sign  on  a 
long  summer  8  day  foregoing  his 
breakfast  and  dinner ;  and  he  found 
that,  work  as  hard  as  he  could  he 
could  not  get  through  more  than 
5,000  or  6,000.  Now  the  barris- 
ter must  be  able  to  register  the 
votes  faster  than  he  could  sign  his 
name,  if  he  could  get  through  the 
task  of  registration  in  less  than 
ten  days.  That  being  the  case, 
these  barristers  would  soon  be  made 
permanent  officers  in  their  re- 
spective counties,  with  salaries  of 
400/.  or  500/.  a  year,  and  in  course 
of  time  would  become  most  im- 
portant political  functionaries  and 
all  this  was  by  way  of  diminishing 
the  influence  of  the  Crown, 

After  discussing  at  great  length 


the  list  of  the  commissioners  by 
whom  the  counties  were  to  be  di- 
vided, and  the  boroughs  defined, 
many  of  whom  he  contended  were 
most  unfit  persons  to  be  named, 
from  the  relation  in  which  they 
stood  to  the  bill,  or  to  government, 
Mr.  Croker  proceeded  to  say,  that 
the  measure,  in  its  essence  and 
tendency,  went  to  overturn  the 
ancient  constitution  of  the  country. 
He  was  satisfied,  that  if  they  passed 
the  present  bill,  and  if  the  House 
of  Lords  should  be  intimidated  into 
an  adoption  of  it,  the  revolution 
would  have  commenced,  and  a  re- 
public would  be  near  at  hand.  Let 
him  not  be  understood  to  say,  that 
a  republic  could  be  established  in 
this  country — no  such  thing ;  he 
only  meant  to  say,  that  a  republic 
would  be  attempted,  and  would 
fail.  But  in  that  failure,  what 
might  happen, 

'*  Through    what    variety    of   untried 

being — 
''  Through  what  new  scenes  and  changes 
.  might  we  pass.'' 

There  might  be  blood,  there  might 
be  plunder.  He  believed  that  there 
might  be  both.  Such  allusions 
were  oi'iginally  none  of  his.  He 
only  echoed  the  words  which  had 
fallen  from  the  noble  lord  opposite. 
He  repelled  the  supposition.  He 
believed  that  there  was  safety  for 
England  even  though  the  reform 
bill  was  rejected.  It  was  the  vote 
of  the  House  of  Commons  in  the 
late  Parliament — it  was  the  vote 
and  voice  of  the  king,  which  had 
created  the  present  excitement. 
The  people  of  England  were  not 
turbulent  5  they  were  only  obedi- 
ent to  a  misguided  cause.  The 
people  of  England  were  not  revolu- 
tionary 5  they  only  followed  thj 
commands  of  the  constitutional  au- 
thorities.   The  i)eople  of  England 


334]       ANNUAL    REGISTER.    1831. 


were  not  inclined  to  blood  and 
plunder }  but  they  were  told  from 
that  Hou8e>  and  they  were  told 
from  the  throne,  that  their  enthu- 
siasm was  patriotism,  and  that 
their  violence  in  support  of  the  re- 
form bill  was  an  imperative  duty. 
If  the  two  Houses  of  Parliament 
only  did  their  duty^  the  constitu- 
tion would  be  saved^  and  tranquil- 
lity would  not  be  injured.  The 
gentlemen  on  his  side  of  the  House 
had  performed  their  duty  to  the 
best  of  their  power;  and  if  oppro- 
brium were  to  attach  to  any  portion 
of  that  House,  it  would  not  be  to 
himself  and  his  friends  near  him, 
who,  without  any  prospect  of 
place — without  any  hope  of  po- 
pularity— without  expectation  of 
other  reward  than  the  approbaliou 
of  their  own  consciences^  had  de- 
fended to  the  uttermost  the  consti- 
tution of  their  country,  which  had 
been  linked  with  its  prosperity  for 
the  last  century  and  a  half.  They 
had  been  there,  night  after  night, 
fighting  against  majorities  always 
fluctuating,  but  the  greater  part  of 
which  always  consisted  of  men  de- 
barred from  thinking;  and  of  these 
majorities  he  would  only  say,  that 
he  would  rather  be  in  the  minority 
for  ever  than  form  a  part  of  them, 
when  they  voted  first  for  keeping 
Aldborough  in  schedule  B,  and 
then  within  five  minutes  afterwards 
voted  in  a  manner  diametrically 
opposite,  in  order  to  keep  Downton 
in  schedule  A.  He  admitted  that 
if  the  members  of  those  majorities 
wished  to  carry  the  bill,  they  must 
not  examine  too  closely  into  its  de- 
tails. If  they  wished  to  concur  in 
their  votes  upon  it,  they  must  con- 
sent to  shut  their  eyes  and  not 
open  their  mouths,  for  if  the^  did 
either  the  one  or  the  other,  m  all 
probability  a  collision  of  opinion 
would    take  place  among    them, 


Nor  had  he  th«  dightast  doubt,  that 
the  House  of  Lords  would  perform 
their  duty  in  8pit«  of  the  dangtra 
with  which  weak-minded  indivi- 
duals were  attempting  to  terrify 
them.  So  far  was  he  from  saying 
to  the  House  of  Lords  that  by  suo* 
cumbing  they  would  save  them- 
selves, that  he  would  go  so  fttms 
to  say  that,  if  they  did  succumb^  he 
should  be  opposed  to  a  House  of 
Lords.  For  what  purpose  was  it 
they  had  hitherto  preserved  that 
House?  for  what  purpose  was  it 
that  they  had  attended  its  growth, 
and  given  to  it  the  dearest  pledges 
of  their  love  and  confidence  ?  Why 
was  it  that  until  the  last  few  days 
every  public  man  had  looked  up  to 
a  seat  in  it  as  the  greatest  triumph 
which  he  could  achieve,— «8  the 
greatest  reward  which  could  be 
tendered  him  for  his  services  to 
his  country?  Was  it  not  because 
the  House  of  Lords  was  looked 
upon  as  the  conservative  branch  of 
the  constitution,  and  as  its  surest 
protection  against  the  madness  of 
temporary  violence,  and  the  enthu- 
siasm of  reckless  innovation  ?  He 
would,  therefore,  say  to  their  lord« 
ships  '^  Now  or  never  must  you 
make  your  stand."  What  he  would 
ask,  was  the  use  of  the  House  of 
Lords?  Was  it,  to  register  the 
edicts  of  the  Commons,  or  to  give  a 
blind  assent  to  their  resolutions? 
If  it  had  a  will  of  its  own  and  could 
differ  from  the  Commons,  when  was 
the  time  for  expressing  that  difiTer-* 
ence  of  opinion  ?  Was  it  only  to 
arrive  when  they  could  differ  with 
safety?  On  the  timber  duties,  on 
the  wine  duties,  on  a  mere  turn- 
pike bill,  the  House  of  Commons 
allowed  the  House  of  LcMrds  to 
throw  out  any  bill  of  which  they 
disapproved ;  but  it  was  not,  for- 
sooth, to  allow  the  House  of  Lords 
such  an  exercise  of  its  undoubted 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE.  [S36 

|>rtvikgeiy  wHen  a  quettion  of  im-  empty  bauble.    'For  there  it  no  in-* 

portant   magnitude  was  tHroogbt  stance  to  be  found   in  history  in 

before  it^— *a  question  which  divi*  which^   after  a  body  of  men  had 

ded   the  public  mind  more  than  excited  the  mob  to  violence^  the 

any  other  question  which  had  oc*  mob  have  not  subsequently  turned 

curred  in  his  day^^^a  question  on  upon  their  agitators,  and  pulled 

which  public  opinicm  was  so  nearly  down  those  who,  at  the  commence- 

balanced,  that  out  of  36,000  voters  ment  of  their  misconduct,  deemed 

who  polled  at  the  last  election,  themselves  superior  to  all  external 
there  was  only  a  majority  of  1,600  ^violence. 

found  in  favour  of  it,-*-a  question  Mr.  Stanley,  in  attempting  to 
on  which  the  House  ot  Commons  break  the  force  of  Mr.  Croker's 
was  divided  to  an  extent  to  which  ^  speech,  remai'ked  that  the  latter 
it  had  never  been  divided  previous*  gentleman's  use  of  ridicule  in  some 
ly,  -^a  question  on  which  the  late  parts  of  it,  was  scarcely  reconcile- 
Parliament  was  divided  in  the  pro-  able  with  the  mighty  interests  and 
portion  of  302  to  301,  the  unit  by  ruinous  consequences  whidi  other 
which  the  majority  was  gained  parts  represented  as  being  involved 
being  of  a  character  on  which,  if  in  the  question — that  he  had  treated 
this  were  the  time,  he  had  much  the  House  to  a  tune  on  his  fiddle, 
to  say,— a  question  on  which  the  even  though  he  believedRome  to  be 
minority  was  still  unexampled  in  burning  :  and  he  repelled,  *^  with 
amount,  although  they  haid  been  indignation  and  contempt,"  the 
sent  to  their  constituents  with  the  charge  of  ministers  havmg,  been 
king's  name  used  against  them,-^  guided  by  partial  motives  either 
a  question  whicli  was  more  import-  in  taking  away,  or  in  bestowing 
ant  than  any  which  had  come  be*  the  franchise — a  charge  by  the  bye, 
fore  Parliament  since  the  questions  which  the  Irish  Secretary  might 
of  the  Revolution  and  of  the  Han-  have  seen,  was  to  be  repelled,  not 
over  succession.  If  this  bill  came  by  simply  treating  it  with  indigo 
back  to  that  House  from  the  Lords,  nation  and  contempt,  but  by 
modified  in  all  its  objectionable  explaining  it  on  some  rational 
parts,  the  House  of  Commons,  in-  and  consistent  principle,  the  facts 
fluenced  by  its  constitutional  afiec-  upon  which  it  was  founded.  He 
tion  to  the  ancient  institutions  of  denied  that  any  clumge  of  any  im« 
the  country,  would  say,  "  This  portance  had  been  introduced  into 
bill,  so  modified,  we  will  not  re-  the  bill  since  ''  it  had  first  received 
ject ;  for  if  we  deprive  the  lords  of  the  sanction  of  the  public.*'  Had 
their  privileges,  the  mob  will  soon  schedule  A  been  changed  ?  Had 
deprive  us  of  our  privileges  as  a  schedule  B  been  altered?  And 
House  of  Commons."  Depend  upon  was  not  the  franchise  to  be  ex- 
it, that  any  violence  which  that  tended  as  at  first  proposed,  to  the 
House  might  exercise  against  the  great  towns,  to  wnich  hon.  gen- 
House  of  Lords,  would  only  be  the  tiemen  opposite  would  now  con- 
prelude  to  a  similar  example  of  vio-  cede  the  privilege,  when  they  found 
lence  exercised  upon  the  House  of  that  it  was  impossible  any  lonser 
Commons.  Shut  up  the  House  of  to  withhold  it  ?  In  short,  what 
Lords,  and  it  will  not  be  long  one  alteration  had  been  made,  which 
before  the  mace  now  on  the  table  could  in  any  degree  affect  the  ori- 
will  be  carried  away  as  a  mere  ginal  merits  of  the  bill  which  had 


236]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


found  favour  and  acceptance  with 
the  people  when  first  presented  to 
them  ?  It  had  been  mentioned 
that  there  was  only  a  majority  of 
1,C00  in  support  of  it  out  of 
36,000  polled  votes.  That  at  least 
showed  that  immense  exertions  had 
been  made  to  procure  a  nominal 
advantage  on  the  side  of  the  anti- 
reformers  at  the  late  elections, 
knowing  as  they  did,  that  great  per- 
sonal interests  were  involved  in  the 
result.  But  if  they  included  the 
numbers  that  would  have  voted  for 
reform  in  all  the  large  towns  and 
important  counties  throughout  the 
kingdom,  could  it  be  doubted  for 
a  moment,  that  the  majority  out 
of  doors  would  be  even  still  greater 
in  proportion  than  that  which  ex- 
isted within  the  walls  of  that 
House  }  Had  not  the  party  been 
obliged  to  fly  at  the  general  elec- 
tion, without  a  shadow  of  chance, 
from  every  popular  hustings  which 
they  had  ventured  to  contest  ? 
And  were  there  not  at  that  mo- 
ment but  six  county  members 
out  of  the  whole  representation  of 
England,  who  offered  any  opposition 
to  the  bill  ?  But  united  though  the 
people  were,  he  did  believe,  that 
even  if  the  Peers  threw  out  the  bill, 
there  would  be  no  republic,  nor 
would  there  be  any  attempt  to  es- 
tablish one ;  for  the  people  of  Eng- 
land were  not  actuated  by  a  re- 
publican spirit,  nor  did  they  foster 
republican  principles.  But  when 
th^  right  hon.  gentleman  demanded 
what  was  our  security  that  we 
should  not  be  carried  to  much 
more  desi)erate  lengths  than  any 
which  this  bill  sanctioned,  he 
made  answer, — we  had  the  same 
security  which  guaranteed  the  suc- 
cess of  the  bill  itself,  the  deep-root- 
ed conviction,  the  indomitable  en- 
ergy, the  resistless  voice  of  public 
opinion  throughout  the  country. 


They  had  the  same  securities,  he 
repeated,  which  entitled  them  to 
expect  the  consummation  of  the 
bill,  and  the  sooner  the  safer, — 
which  would  maintain  the  sove- 
reign in  all  the  fulness  of  his  royal 
supremacy,  and  which  would  pre- 
serve to  the  peers  the  legitimate 
exercise  of  their  privileges.  The 
people  of  England  were  attached 
to  a  monarchical  form  of  govern- 
ment ;  they  revered  aristocracy 
^generally,  but  looked  up  to  their 
own  aristocracy  in  particular,  be- 
cause here  there  was  no  line  of  de- 
marcation drawn  between  the  aris- 
tocratical  classes  of  society  and  the 
people  themselves,  properly  so  call- 
ed. There  were  in  this  country 
none  peculiarly  invested  with  spe- 
cial privileges  to  the  prejudice  of 
others;  no  order  was  exempted  from 
taxation ;  and  the  House  of  Peers, 
as  such,  would  be  suffered  at  all 
times  to  enjoy  to  the  utmost  all 
their  legitimate  hereditary  rights. 
Of  their  privilege  of  legislation  the 
people  by  no  means  desired  to  de- 
prive them  ;  but  the  result  of  their 
rejection  of  this  bill — if  they  did 
reject  it,  which  he  could  not  con- 
template —  would  be  a  constant 
pressure  on  the  peers  as  a  body. 
Instead  of  being  venerated  and 
esteemed  as  the  safe-guards  and 
ornaments  of  the  country,  they 
would  be  regarded  with  aversion 
and  distrust:  no  longer  esteemed 
the  patrons  and  benefectors  of  the 
poor,  they  would  be  looked  upon 
as  hard  and  oppressive  task-mas- 
ters, who  wrested  from  the  people 
a  power  which  they  had  no  right 
to  enjoy,  and  assumed  that  which 
they  were  not  entitled  to  claim. 

The  debate  was  enlivened  by  an 
episode  arising  out  of  the  doc- 
trines laid  down  by  Mr.  Crampton, 
the  Solicitor-general  for  Ireland, 
brought  into  Parliament  by  minis^ 


240]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


the  time  when  there  were  no  close 
boroughs,  and  no  nominees.  But 
the  nomination  of  members  in  ear- 
lier times  was  by  the  barons,  who, 
before  the  Tudors,  were  really 
fighting  the  battles  of  the  people, 
and  the  dose  boroughs  were  part  of 
their  means  of  offence  and  defence. 
A  very  efficient  House  of  Commons, 
at  one  period,  might  be  a  very  de- 
ficient one  at  another ;  for  that  was 
the  best  House  of  Commons  which 
represented  the  actual  state  of  pub- 
lic opinion  at  any  given  period.  It 
had  been  urged,  that  not  a  single 
close  borough  had  been  added 
since  the  Revolution  ;  but,  he  held 
that,  just  for  that  reason,  the  sys- 
tem must  be  bad.  The  change  in 
the  state  of  society  had  been  so 
great,  that,  instead  of  the  fact 
of  the  framework  of  the  constitu- 
tion continuing  the  same,  proving 
that  it  must  be  right,  he  would 
conclude  that  it  must,  therefore, 
be  unquestionably  wrong.  Consi- 
dering how  much  the  population, 
wealth,  and  intelligence  of  the 
country  had  increased  since  that 
period — how  much  velocity  the  im- 
provement of  mind  had  acquired — 
that  full  one- third  of  all  that 
ought  to  be  represented  had  sprung 
up  since  the  Revolution,  and  that, 
in  regard  to  representation,  no 
more  change  had  taken  place, 
than  if  that  mass  of  mind  and  ini- 
proveable  matter  had  never  ex- 
isted;— he  must  contend,  that  the 
so  long  continued  system  of  repre- 
sentation could  not  be  a  just  and 
perfect  representation  of  the  feel- 
ings of  the  community.  Great  as 
the  quantity  of  unrepresented 
power  had  become,  he  would  not 
go  the  length  of  maintaining  that 
there  was  absolute  danger  in  ex- 
cluding it ;  yet,  whoever  watched 
the  signs  of  the  times,  must  be 
be  convinced^  that  it  could  not  be 


ultimately  shut  out,  though  it 
might  be  for  this  year  or  the  next; 
while,  by  this  bill,  a  power,  so  for- 
midable, would  be  reduced  to  a 
safe  and  manageable  force,  for  no 
great  political  power  in  a  state 
could  be  safely  subdued  except  by 
being  conciliated.  He  denied,  too, 
that  a  House  of  Commons,  such  as 
this  bill  was  intended  to  create, 
would  be  mere  pupjiets  in  the  hands 
of  their  constituents,  deprived  of  all 
independence  of  opinion,  or  power 
to  act  according  to  their  own.  The 
members  would  only  be  subject- 
ed to  that  due  and  proper  de- 
gree of  influence  which  constitu- 
ents ought  to  exercise  over  their 
representatives.  The  effect  of  the 
measure  would  be,  to  introduce  a 
greater  infusion  of  the  popular 
mind  and  feeling  into  the  House— 
a  thing  which  it  much  wanted; 
but  it  did  not  follow  that  mem- 
bers, on  every  occasion,  would  be 
obliged  to  act  on  the  instructions 
of  their  constituents.  They  would 
only  have  to  act  on  the  declared 
wishes  of  their  <;onstituents,  or  to 
explain  their  reasons  for  differing 
from  them. 

Sir  C.  Wetherell  could  not  but 
observe  that,  up  to  this  closing  dis- 
cussion, ministers  and  their  friends 
had  been  much  more  liberal  of  their 
votes  than  of  their  reasons;  but 
now,  when  the  bill  was  as  good  as 
passed,  forth  they  all  rushed,  pour- 
ing out  their  penned  up  eloquence 
without  mercy  or  consideration; 
and  as  logic,  though  an  useful  arti- 
cle, was  not  a  shewy  one,  they 
could  not  be  expected  to  encumber 
themselves  with  it  in  their  tri- 
umphal parade.  The  population 
and  commerce  of  the  country,  said 
Mr.  Grant,  and  along  with  them 
its  knowledge  and  intelligence,  had 
mightily  increased  since  the  Revo- 
lution; and^  therefore,  as  the  un- 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE.  [241 

deniable  conclusion  from  these  pre*-  tuled>  '^  What  will  the  Lords  do/'* 
mises,  the  number  of  represent-  Was  it  there  that  moderation  was 
atives  must  be  diminish^— aye^  to  be  found?  or  was  it  in  the  news- 
and  a  House  of  Commons  must  be  papers  ?  Had  he  read>  within 
dissolved,  too^  because  it  thought  these  two  days>  the  language 
that  a  good  reason  against  diminu-  which,  had  been  held  at  a  public 
tion.  For  his  own  part^  he  be-  meeting,  where  it  had  been  said 
held  in  the  new  system  deformities  that,  if  the  House  of  Lords  should 
as  great  as  any  tnat  existed  in  the  presume  to  throw  out  th«  bill,  mu« 
old;  and,  in  proof  of  this,  itwasonly  tiny  and  treason  were  to  be  recom- 
necessary  to  refer  to  the  boroughs  mended  to  the  country  ?  When 
of  Calne,  Tavistock,  Horsham,  he  talked  of  the  moderation  of  the 
Malton,  and  several  other  places,  organs  of  the  public  voice,  he  must 
which,  though  undeniably  as  much  have  shut  his  eyes-rno,  he  was  a 
nomination  boroughs  as  any  that  member  of  the  government,  and 
had  been  totally  disfranchised,  and  must  have  read  in  the  columns  of  a 
certainly  not  less  capable  of  being  journal  devoted  to,  and  in  the  spe- 
purified  by  the  creation  of  a  new  cial  confidence  of,  the  government 
constituency  than  those  which  had  —a  journal  which  arrogated  to  itself 
been  partially  disfranchised,  were  (hewould  not  deny  on  just  grounds) 
allowed  to  retain  all  their  privi-  the  lead  of  public  opinion— -a  jour- 
leges.  Motives  he  would  not  im«  nal,  moreover,  to  which  it  was  no- 
pute ;  but  he  would  state  fact&^  torious  some  of  the  most  active 
and  nothing  would  be  a  prouder  spirits  of  the  government  contri- 
testimony  to  the  inference  which  buted — he  must  have  read  in  that 
men  would  draw  from  them,  than  journal,  and  that  not  in  a  small 
ministers  treating  facts '' with  in-  type  paragraph,  on  a  back  page, 
dignation  and  contempt*'  —  the  but  in  a  conspicuous  column,  in 
fact  that  every  one  of  these  bo-  large  Roman  capitals,  an  article 
roughs,  preserved  in  its  privileges  which  was  neither  more  nor  less 
in  defiance  of  the  proscription  of  than  an  appeal  to  the  soldiery  to 
anomalies,  was  a  nomination  bo-  commit  mutiny  and  treason.  And 
rough  under  the  influence  of  per-  if  so,  how  could  he  talk  of  the  mo- 
sons  whose  interest  it  was  not  that  deration  of  the  supporters  of  the 
his  majesty's  ministers  should  lose  Reform  Bill?  Haa  he  also  read 
their  offices.  Mr.  Macauley  had  those  appeals  in  other  journals,  de- 
talked  much  of  the  opponents  of  voted^to  the. cause  or  reform,  in 
the  bill  being  infatuated  men — al-  which  certain  hints  were  thrown 
together  unendowed  with  the  spirit  out  with  respect  to  the  inno- 
of  moderation,  and,  as  always  nap-  cent  practice  of  setting  fire  to 
pened  with  men  who  were  sure  of  haggards  and  barns  ?  Were  these, 
only  one  thing  upon  earth,  viz.,  forsooth,  "  moderate"  opinions— 
that  all  who  differed  from  them  calm  and  deliberate  reflections  on 
must  be  knaves  or  fools,  he  had  a  great  political  question  ?  Nor 
tumbled  into  that  forgetfulness  was  this  language  confined  to 
of  all  facts  which  enabled  rhetori-  one  <^  two  of  the  exoteric  friends 

clans  to  frame  sentences  untram«    .« 

melled  by  tbe  uiirefonn^.«diti«.  ,  ^j,               ^  „„t«r«lly  be- 

of  truth  and  reason.    Had  Mr.  ji^^gj  ^  be  the  production  of  the  lord 

Macaiuey  seen  a  pauiAIet  intU  chmeellor  Braachanu 

Vol.  LXXIII.  pi] 


242]    ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


of  the  periodical  press,  or  to 
one  or  two  of  their  disinterested 
friends  either  in  that  House  or  out 
of  doors.  Had  they  not  read  the 
speeches  of  their  exoteric  friends 
at  some  of  those  public  meetings 
which  their  great  organ,  or  rather 
their  great  dictator,  The  Times, 
had  summoned  into  existence? 
Had  not  a  member  of  that  House, 
at  one  of  those  meetings,  gi^en  ut^ 
terance  to  expressions  which  had 
no  other  meaning  than  sweeping 
away  the  House  of  Lords,  or  put- 
ting it  in  a  schedule  A  of  a  new 
ref(»*m  bill  ?  No  doubt  this  lan- 
guage was  just  now  indiscreet,  on 
the  part  of  a  supporter  of  the  bill 
— was  a  kind  of  letting  the  cat  out 
of  the  bag  before  his  time;  and 
therefore  its  perpetrator's  acquaint- 
ance would  very  judiciously  be  dis- 
claimed by  the  noble  lord  (Althorp) 
opposite.  But  an  enlightened  pub- 
lic would  not  be  deluded  by  the 
disavowal,  and  would  feel  what 
ministers  must  feel,  that  they  were 
under  the  dominion  of  a  des{)otic 
press,  and  that  their  acts  were 
suicidal  to  themselves  as  a  minis- 
try^ and  must  inevitably  lead  to 
that  worst  species  of  terrorism,  the 
terrorism  of  the  press.  But  Mr. 
Macauley  had  likewise  told  the 
peers  of  England  to  take  a  lesson 
from  what  had  befallen  the  noblesse 
of  France,  and  had  drawn  pictures 
of  the  dilapidated  state  of  French 
noblemen's  mansions,  and  of  their 
rural  chateaux,  which  would  have 
done  honour  to  the  most  perfect 
melo-dramatic  abortion  of  the  Mi- 
nerva press,  in  order  to  impress 
upon  the  peerage  of  England  the 
danger  of  not  at  once  yielding,  with- 
out deliberation,  to  the  demands  of 
tlie  popular  will.  Take  a  lesson,  said 
he,  nrom  that  conduct  and  that  fate, 
you  English  House  of  Lords,  and 
yield  in  time,  ^nd  with  grace,  to 


the  constitutional  demands  of  the 
people.  Were  ministers  aware  that 
the  parallel  which  their  crack  orator 
had  attempted  to  draw  between 
the  English  and  the  French  peer- 
age had  no  foundation  ?  Was  that 
eloquent  gentleman  himself  ac- 
quainted with  the  facts  on  which 
he  so  glibly  rung  the  changes?  Cer- 
tainly not,  or  hecould  not  have  over- 
looked the  fact,  tliat  there  was  this 
striking  difference  between  theEng- 
lish  and  the  French  peerage— that 
whereas  the  latter  made  no  resbt- 
ance  to  the  demands  of  the  peo- 
ple, and  yielded  every  thing  to 
the  tiers  etat,  the  House  of  Lords 
here  had  as  yet  expressed  no  opin- 
ion whatever,  certainly  not  one  on 
the  side  of  concession.  The  French 
peers  yielded  every  thing,  and 
were  extirpated  root  and  branch, 
and  yet  the  hon.  member  would 
induce  the  English  barons  to  follow 
their  fatal  example.  This,  indeed, 
was  logic  and  "  friendly  advice  to 
the  Lords"  with  a  vengeance ! 
But,  added  Mr.  Macauley,  it  is  a 
consolation  to  think,  that  the  Lords 
have  received  from  the  ancient 
houses  of  Howard,  and  Talbot,  and 
Stanley,  an  excellent  example  of 
yielding  in  time  to  the  just  de- 
mands of  the  people.  Perhaps  this 
was  the  case  ;  but,  certainlv,  so  far 
as  the  bill  enabled  them  to  Ibrm  an 
opinion,  the  fact  appeared  not  so 
self-evident.  For  example,  the 
ancient  and  populous  borough  of 
Tavistock,  which  belonged  to  the 
ancient  and  popular  house  of  Bed- 
ford, was  still  to  return  two  mem- 
bers, notwithstanding  the  Russell 
anxiety  to  purge  itself  of  such  an 
excrescence.  Then  there  was  the 
ancient  and  populous  borough  of 
Malton  still  to  be  encumbered  with 
representatives,  though  its  proprie- 
tor happened  to  be  a  member  of  an 
aocient   reform  family.     In  like 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


tS43 


manner  the  ancient  house  of  Petty 
was  forced  to  retain  its  two  mem- 
bers, no  doubt  to  secure  the  talents 
of  its  present  eloquent  represent- 
ative, though  it  was  self-erident 
that  the  circumstance  must  make 
the  heart  bleed  of  the  most  noble 
marquis  of  Lansdowne.  And»  last 
of  all,  the  illustrious  head  of  the 
illustrious  and  pincely  house  of 
Howard  was  stiU  to  be  thwarted 
and  pestered  with  nominating,  fi>r 
the  good  of  the  country,  the  mem- 
bers for  the  borough  of  Horsham. 
These,  if  put  together,  would  make 
a  very  pretty  schedule  O  to  the 
bill— would  make  a  very  nice  series 
of  ciphers— -a  kind  of  algebraic 
negative  quantities,  and  would  be 
a  very  interesting  subject  of  dis- 
cussion for  a  reform  parliament. 
Mr.  Macauley,  moreover,  had 
talked  much  of  the  fatal  folly  of 
opposing  the  popular  will,  and, 

r  contra,  of  the  wisdom  of  time- 
^  yielding  to  it.  But,  if  he 
referred  to  his  own  darling  era  oi 
1 792,  in  the  French  revolution,  he 
would  see  a  man,  a  pe^,  a  prince 
of  the  blood  royal,  courting,  nay, 
worshipping  mob  popularity,  by 
every  means  in  his  power,  and  yet 
whose  ultimate,  and  certainly  just 
reward — the  usual  reward  of  mobs 
— was  having  his  head  paraded  on 
the  top  of  a  pike,  amid  the  jeers  uf 
his  once  laudatory  followers ;  and 
he  deserved  his  doom.  It  was 
right  to  call  on  the  peers  of  Eng- 
land to  look  at  the  &te  of  the 
French  nobility^  to  teach  them  not 
to  imitate,  but  to  resist.  It  was 
now  September,  and  the  friends  of 
this  democratic  bill  would  perhaps 
be  proud  of  the  title  of  S^tem- 
briaers.  But  if  it  was  fortnwith 
carried,  as  thev  seemed  to  expect, 
let  them  recollect  how  surely  all 
history,  and  especially  that  history 
from  which  they  lectured  the  £ii^ 


lish  peersy  taught  them,  that  1832 
might  see  a  race  of  Septemteriaers 
exulting  in  doing  a  stiU  more  glo- 
rious work— in  destroying  the  cre- 
ation of  1831,  and  in  making  a 
newer  constitution  than  the  new 
constitution  which  it  was  now  at- 
tempted to  thrust  upon  the  coun- 
try. 

Lord  Althorp,  who  followed, 
admitted,  in  n^rd  to  the  ques- 
tion whether  this  bill  did  not  intro- 
duce a  new  constitution,  that,  if  the 
House  looked  to  the  mere  letter  of 
the  law,  and  to  the  mode  of  repre- 
sentation under  the  law,  they  could 
not  find  an  instance  of  any  such  re- 

gresentation  as  was  now  proposed ; 
ut,if  they  looked  to  the  principle  on 
which  ministers  proposed  to  form  a 
House  of  Commons  representing 
the  people,  not  merely  in  theory 
but  also  in  fact,  they  would  find 
that,  in  the  best  periods  oi  our 
history,  this  principle  was  dearly 
established  by  law'— that  the  House 
of  Commons'  should  represent  the 
property,  the  wealth,  the  intelli- 
gence, and  the  industry  of  the 
country.  Undoubtedly,  the  enact- 
ments, by  which  that  object  was 
effected  in  former  time9»  were  the 
same  in  princijf)le  ae  those  now 
proposed;  for,  in  former  times, 
those  boroughs,  which  retomed 
members  to  parliament,  did  in- 
dude  all  the  wealth,  all  the  intel* 
ligence,  and  all  die  property  niiich 
tfa^n  existed  in  the  country.  But 
now,  when  many  of  thbee  boroughs 
had  decayed-«^hen  Ijum  masses 
of  wealth  and  property  nad  risen 
in  other  parts  of  the  country — 
when  intelligence  had  extended  to 
a  much  lower  grade  of  iod^y — 
when  new  vot^rihad  sprung,  up  in 
that  lower  grade»  posses^ni^  more 
inf<H*mation  as  lo  the  prinaples  of 
the  constitution  than  the  nigher 
grade  of  socfety  which  used  to  vote 

[R2] 


244]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 

in  those  boroughs  formerly  pos«  untry  would  stand,  after  this 
sessed ;  when  all  this  was  the  case,  hill,  as  it  did  at  present^  in  all  its 
he  contended  that  they  were  act-  relations  with  the  country.  It 
ing,  if  not  in  the  letter^  strictly  in  would  still  consist  of  King,  Lords, 
the  spirit  of  the  constitution,  when  and  Commons  ;  and  as  to  the  just 
they  proposed  to  extend  the  elect-  influence  of  property  and  the  aris« 
iFe  franchise  to  the  constituency  tocracy,  there  was  nothing  in  that 
formed  by  this  bill.  The  argu-  bill,  or  in  any  other  bill,  ^hich 
ments  which  had  been  used  by  could  diminish  that  due  influence, 
many  gentlemen  in  this  debate.  Undoubtedly  it  would  spread  that 
tended  to  prove  that  there  was  no  influence  more  over  the  body  of  pro- 
use  in  representation  at  all.  Those  prietors  than  it  was  spread  at  pre- 
arguments  were^  that  the  constitu-  sent;  for  at  present  the  influence  of 
tion  of  that  House  contained  a  sam-  pro})erty  over  that  House  was  only 
pie  of  every  class  in  the  commu-  exercised  by  such  proprietors  as 
nity^  and  that  every  interest  found  were  also  proprietors  of  close  bo- 
a  representative  in  that  House,  roughs.  By  the  bill  it  was  pro- 
But  did  it  follow,  that  because  posed  that  the  latter  influence 
there  were  in  the  House  samples  of  should  be  destroyed,  and  that  the 
every  class,  and  members  of  every  influence  of  property  should  be 
interest,  those  persons  were  the  re-  exercised  by  the  mass  of  proprie« 
presentatives  of  the  interests  with  tors, — not  by  an  oligarchy  of  tnem. 
which  they  were  connected?  If  A  multitude  of  members,  he 
they  were  to  ask  an  individual  whe-  said,  friendly  to  reform ,  had  resisted 
ther  he  would  have  his  interest  re-  the  bill  as  going  too  far.  But 
presented  merely  by  a  man  of  his  ministers  thought^  that  if  they  did 
class>  or  whether  he  would  himself  not  give  to  the  country  an  extensive 
choose  a  representative  for  that  plan  of  reform,  they  would  only  be 
class,  he  thought  that  the  indivi-  makinga  change  in  the  constitution 
dual  would  reply^  that  he  thought  of  the  legislature  which  would  not 
it  preferable  to  be  represented  by  a  give  satisfaction .  He  had  every 
man  of  his  own  choice,  than  by  a  reason  to  hope^  from  the  satisfaction 
person  who  found  his  way  into  which  it  had  already  given^  that  the 
parliament  through  a  borough  over  change  which  they  had  proposed 
which  he  had  no  control.  Even  would  be  permanent.  He  did  not 
supposing  the  people  to  have  see  that  any  of  the  grounds  which 
formed  extravagant  and  unfound-  had  been  stated  in  order  to  shew 
ed  hopes  of  the  good  to  be  eflected  that  it  would  not  be  permanent, 
by  this  measure^  would  they  not  were  likely  to  raise  discontent  in 
be  less  discontented  when  they  had  the  country.  He  did  expect,  that 
confidence  in  members  elected  by  the  bill  would  inspire  the  people 
themselves,  than  they  would  be  with  confidence  in  their  represent- 
when  represented  by  men  over  atives ;  and  if  so  they  would  not 
whom  they  had  no  control }  call  hereafter,  as  they  had  called 
It  had  been  assumed,  continued  lately,  for  a  large  and  important 
his  lordship,  in  the  course  of  the  change.  Another  objection  urged 
debate,  that  by  this  bill  they  were  against  the  general  tendencies  of 
going  to  establish  a  democracy,  the  bill  was,  that,  while  it  was 
and  entirely  change  the  constitu-  founded  on  the  increased  wealth, 
tion.   Now,  the  constitution  of  the  population,  and  intelligence  of  the 


HISTORY   OF   EUROPE. 


[245 


country,  the  number  of  represent- 
atiFes  was  to  be  diminisbed.  Now, 
he  could  not  see  why  an  increase 
in  the  number  of  elections  should 
lead  to  an  increase  in  the  number 
of  the  elected.  The  real  question 
was,  would  the  number  of  members 
continued  in  Parliament  by  this  bill 
be  sufficient  to  perform  the  busi- 
ness of  the  country,  extended  as  it 
was  by  the  increase  of  its  wealth  and 
population.  He  should  answer  that 
question  in  the  affirmative;  but  if 
he  were  obliged  to  answer  it  in  the 
negatircr  a  difficulty  far  greater 
would  stare  him  in  the  face;  for 
the  only  mode  of  increasing  the 
number  of  members  of  the  House 
beyond  the  number  fixed  by  these 
bills  would  be  by  preserving  some 
of  the  boroughs  which  the  House 
had  said  ought  no  longer  to  send 
members  to  Parliament.  It  had 
been  urged,  too,  that  the  bill 
still  retained  many  cases  of  de- 
formity, as,  for  instance,  the 
boroughs  of  Calne,  Horsham, 
and  Tavistock.  But  the  House 
ought  not  to  look  so  much  at  the 
present  as  at  the  future  state  of 
constituency  of  these  boroughs. 
The  constituency  of  these  towns 
would  be  altered,  and  the  influence 
which  now  nominated  the  repre- 
sentatives for  them,  (for  he  did 
not  mean  to  blink  the  fact  that 
they  were  nomination  boroughs), 
would  be  entirely  changed.  Of 
this  he  was  confident,  that  the  in- 
fluence of  the  proprietors  of  these 
boroughs,  if  not  entirely  destroyed, 
would  be  materially  diminished. 

Lord  Althorp  fairly  admitted 
that  the  bill,  in  its  most  important 
relation  to  the  constitution,  viz. 
its  effect  on  the  House  of  Lords, 
was  an  untried  experiment.  It  had 
been  urged,  he  said,  that  there  was 
no  instance  in  the  history  of  man- 
kind of  a  purely  popular  assembly 


coexisting  with  a  peerage  and  a 
monarchy :  that  was  true  5  but  he 
believed  it  was  true  only  because 
the  experiment  had  never  been 
tried,  and  not  because  any  rational 
man  had  ever  thought  that,  if  tried, 
it  would  not  succeed.  The  experi- 
ment of  a  purely  popular  assembly 
had  never  been  tried.  Something 
like  it  had  been  attempted  in  this 
country,  and  the  effects  had  been 
beneficial.  They  would  be  still 
more  so,  when  the  representation 
of  that  House  was  more  correctly 
a  representation  of  the  wealth  and 
intelligence  of  the  country  j  and 
therefore  he  could  not  agree  with 
the  argument  that,  because  that 
House  was  to  be  in  future  the  real 
representative  of  the  people,  it 
would  set  about  overturning  all  the 
institutions  of  the  country,  which 
in  point  of  fact,  existed  only  be- 
cause the  people  were  attached  to 
them.  The  power  of  the  House  of 
Lords  consisted,  not  in  the  physical 
force  of  its  members,  but  in  the 
attachment  of  the  people  ;  it  con- 
sisted in  public  opinion,  and  when 
it  was  unsupported  by  public  opi- 
nion, fall,  lie  was  afraid,  it  must. 
At  present  no  one  proposed  to  take 
from  that  House  its  share  in  legis- 
lation. Its  influence  depended, 
not  only  on  its  share  of  legislation, 
but  on  the  knowledge  of  the  people 
of  the  advantages  they  derived 
fi*om  having  one  branch  of  the  le- 
gislature conservative  and  inde- 
pendent of  popular  commotion. 
The  House  of  Lords  was  in  no 
danger  whilst  it  performed  its 
duties,  and  therefore,  if  this  bill 
passed,  there  was  no  danger  of 
that  House  losing  the  influence 
which  it  always  had  possessed, 
and,  he  trusted,  it  always  would 
possess,  in  the  government  of 
this  country.  The  nobility  of 
England  had  noUiiog  to  feair  from 


246]       ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


what  had  happened  to  the  French 
noblesse.  The  latter  had  no  doubt 
surrendered  their  exclusive  privi- 
leges, but  they  did  not  make  the 
surrender  till  after  the  revolution 
had  commenced.  There  was  dan- 
ger in  resisting  the  demands  of  the 
people  at  a  right  period,  and  grant- 
ing them  at  a  wrong  one;  for  resist- 
ance at  an  early  stage  to  just  de- 
mands excited  indignation^  and 
concession  at  a  late  period  gave 
rise  to  contempt. 

Connected  with  the  charge^  that 
the  bill  would  overturn  the  House 
of  Lords,  was  another  equally  un- 
tenable objection,  that  it  gave  a 
preponderance  to  mere  population 
collected  within  towns.  On  the 
contrary,  it  increased  the  county 
representation  much  more  in  pro- 
portion than  the  town  represent- 
ation .  So  far  from  being  obnoxious 
to  the  charge  of  wishing  to  destroy 
the  landed  interests,  ministers  had 
exposed  themselves  to  a  reproach 
of  an  entirely  different  kind.  The 
division  of  the  counties  was  said  to 
be  a  contrivance  for  adding  to  the 
influence  of  the  landed  proprietors* 
What  ministers  had  really  main- 
tained was,  that  the  division  might 
possibly  increase  the  influence  of 
the  landed  interest ;  but  the  prin- 
cipal argument  used  by  them  was, 
that  the  power  of  the  landed  in- 
terest, was  really  increased,  not  by 
the  division  of  counties,  but  by 
doubling  the  number  of  the  county 
representatives,  who,  whether  elect- 
ed by  whole  counties  or  by  the  di- 
visions^ would  equally  tend  to  in- 
crease the  power  of  the  landed  in- 
terest. He  did  not  think  that  the 
representatives  of  the  landed  inter- 
ests were  in  danger  of  being  di- 
minished to  such  an  extent  as  to 
render  them  powerless  in  that 
House.  The  case  had  been  argued, 
as  if;  under  the  new  system^  no 


person  would  be  found  to  defend 
the  lauded  interests  except  the 
county  memberS)  while  one  of  the 
great  objections  made  against  mi- 
nisters for  producing  this  bill  was, 
that  they  were  about  to  localize 
representation.  The  representa^ 
tives  of  the  smaller  towns  would  be 
country  gentlemen ;  and  therefore 
there  was  no  reason  to  anticipate 
that  the  only  influence  of  the  land" 
ed  interests  in  that  House  would 
be  exercised  through  the  medium 
of  county  members.  Finally,  said 
his  lordship,  now  that  we  are  ar- 
rived at  the  close  of  the  discussion, 
if  I  were  to  give  a  description  of 
the  discussions  which  have  taken 
place  on  this  important  measurei 
with  respect  to  which  the  party 
feelings  of  gentlemen  ran  very 
high^  I  should  say  that  they  have 
been  conducted  with,  comparatively 
speaking,  very  little  personal  vio« 
lence.  Undoubtedly,  hard  words 
have  been  used ;  and  I  think  quite 
as  much  on  the  opposite  side  as  on 
this.  We  have  heard  every  epi- 
thet-- >but  to  quote  violent  expres- 
sions is  not  a  good  way  to  produce 
conciliation.  I  do  not  think  that, 
upon  the  whole^  gentlemen  on 
either  side  have  great  right  to 
complain  of  violent  language.  If 
there  have  been  any  violent  expree- 
sions  employed  against  the  govern- 
ment, I  am  perfectly  r^y  to 
forget  them^  and  I  hope  and  trust 
that  gentlemen  on  the  other  side 
of  the  House  will  meet  me  in  the 
same  spirit  of  conciliation." 

Sir  R.  Peel  followed^  who,  while 
he  declined  any  discussion  of  the 
details  of  the  bill,  on  which  all  that 
reason  could  do  had  already  been 
expended,  and  cordially  joined  with 
lord  Althorp  in  the  hope  that,  if 
any  angry  expressions  had  been 
made  use  of  in  the  course  of  the 
discussion,  they  would  now  be  for^ 


HISTORY  OF  fiUROPB.  [247 

gotieBj  could  not  Imt  lay  thai  lie  kfiat  neoMtttv,  In  tiio  first  plaoe^ 
had  expacted  that^  even  atthiaak*  tkia  ehaoga  far  «ioaadfd  aven  the 
venth  bour^  some  mamber  oj^Kwita  prinotpk  of  tha  autbot^  of  it.  If 
would  have  inforiBed  the  Houta  it  were  takao  for  granted  that  the 
what  were  the  practical  avUa  which  tima  had  arrived  when  nomiQatiou 
tliis  change  in  the  constitution  waa  boroughs  nuat  be  destroyed^  and 
intended  to  remedy.  Ha  had  ex*  schadules  A  and  B  paasad)  atiU 
pected  to  hear  a  grave  and  atatea*  where  was  tha  naeasaity  of  altering 
manlike  discussion  as  to  whether  tha  coostituancjr  of  e?«r^  oounty, 
those  evils  were  evils  inherent  in  cityi  and  town  m  tha  united  king- 
human  institutions,  and  whether,  dom»  and  of  altering  tha  limits,  or 
if  they  were  proved  to  exist,  they  giving  the  power  to  idler  tha  Haiita, 
really  resulted  from  defects  in  the  of  every  place,  however  extant ive, 
representation.  In  this  expecta«  except  from  tha  desire  of  wanton 
tion  he  had  been  disappointed*  The  chan||e  and  innovation  ?  He  and 
House  had  had  no  proof  offered  it  his  firiandahad  laboured  to  miti- 
of  the  existanoe  of  such  evils.  In  gate  its  evils,  and  bad  &ilad,  and 
one  single  sentence  lord  Althorp  be  must  do  ministarf  thaiBsalvaa 
had  disposed  of  them,  and  proposed  tha  iustica  to  say  tbiat  thay  also 
a  most  extraordinary  change  in  the  had  laboured  to  mitigate  its  evils, 
constitution.  It  was  true,  that  his  They  had  tried  toreo^from  their 
lordship  left  the  House  of  Lords  weekly  tenancy.  They  knew  tha 
and  the  monarch  as  be  found  them ;  danger  of  it ;  but  there  was  an  e^f 
butwhat  wasittotheooBstittttiony  trinsic  power  greater  than  any 
that  the  existence  of  a  nominal  au**  which  tney  could  exerciaaj  which 
thority  was  left  to  the  Lords  and  o^ntrolled  them  in  the  first  stage, 
the  sovereign,  unless  it  could  be  Here>  then,  they  gave  this  uni« 
shown  that  they  would  also  pre«  form  right  of  voting  through  the 
serve  that  substantial  authority  country  to  tha  occupiers  of  lOL 
which  they  had  hitherto  possessed  houses,  and  by  a  strange  perversion 
in  the  government  of  the  country  ?  of  reasoning  they  increased  the 
At  what  time  in  the  history  of  any  pqmlar  influence  where  it  was 
country,  could  it  be  shown  that,  most  dangerous.  In  larga  towns, 
when  power  was  usurped  either  by  where  large  bodies  of,  man  could 
an  indfividual  tyrant,  or  by  a  po«  be  easily  collected  "*^  where  their 
pular  assembly,  the  specious  form  feelings  could  be  easily  excited, — 
of  old  institutions  was  not  permit*  where  the  influence  of  the  press 
ted  to  exist.  If  ever  there  was  a  was  greatest,  '^  in  those  places 
change  whidi  tended  to  increase  where  there  was  the  least  neces- 
democratic  influence  by  positive  sitj  fisNT  the  extension  of  the  Iran- 
addition  on  the  cme  hand  to  that  dnaa,  and.the  greatest  danger,  did 
influence,  and  on  the  other  by  re-  they  find  out  this  class  of  weekly 
moving  every  check  which  bad  tenants^  paying  3s.  1(M.  a  week, 
hitherto  contrdled  that  influence,  and  to  thoBe  d£l  they  extend  the 
it  was  the  change  which  was  now  franchise.  But  had  they  aver  in- 
proposed.  It  was  the  greateat  quired  in  what  estimatioQ  that 
change  that  had  ever  been  deliber-  cksa  was  heUl  in  the  towns  by 
atelymade  in  the  constitution  of  the  local  administrators  of  the  law, 
any  country,  and  from  his  con-  who  must  know  them  well,  and 
science  be  belia?ad  mada  with  the  who  invariably  zafosad  to  oooaider 


248]       ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


them  as  responsible  persons  in  cases 
where  householders  paying  annual 
rent  of  10/.  by  quarterly  payments 
would  be  readily  admitted?  In 
Manchester  so  lightly  did  they  hold 
weekly  tenure,  that  the  magistrates 
invariably  refused  the  security  of 
persons  of  this  description. 

While  the  bill  gave  a  positive 
increase  to  democratic  influence  on 
the  one  hand^  it  removed^  on  the 
other,  all  those  countervailing  re- 
straints from  which  mere  demo- 
cracy had  received  a  salutary  check. 
Corporation  rights  were  to  be  no 
more.  The  representation  of  Scot- 
land, which,  whether  capable  of 
improvement  or  not,  had  been,  for 
a  century,  an  useful  check  upon 
popular  feeling,  was  to  be  changed ; 
and  the  Irish  representation,  on 
which  was  founded  the  security  of 
property  and  of  the  established 
church,  was  likewise  to  disappear. 
More  than  all,  the  influence  of  the 
peerage  in  the  House  of  Commons 
was  to  be  destroyed.  He  would 
not  say  to  what  length  such  influ- 
ence ought  to  go,  but  he  mentioned 
its  removal  to  show  that,  while  the 
popular  influence  was  increased, 
in  the  same  proportion  the  checks, 
which  had  heretofore  moderated 
its  violence,  were  removed.  But, 
in  addition  to  this,  it  was  that 
night,  for  the  first  time,  avowed, 
and  with  menaces  not  to  be  mis- 
taken, that  if  the  Lords  exercised 
their  independent  authority,  and 
ventured  to  judge  for  themselves, 
they  ran  the  risk  of  sealing  their 
own  doom.  Did  not  this  show 
the  progress  of — he  would  not  say 
revolutionary  opinions,  for  he  did 
not  wish  to  give  offence  by  calling 
hard  names — but  did  it  not  show 
the  progress  of  opinion  amongst 
men,  when  one  of  the  sworn  legal 
advisers  of  the  Crown  gave  it  as 
his  deliberate  opinion,    that  the 


House  of  Commons  was  competent 
to  act  without  the  House  of  Lords, 
and  that  if  the  Lords  should  exer- 
cise their  independent  judgment 
and  reject  this  bill,  the  House  of 
Commons  should  advise  the  Crown 
to  dissolve  parliament,  and  to  omit 
to  send  writs  to  any  number  of 
boroughs  it  should  think  fit,  and 
that  it  was  competent  to  the  Crown 
to  act  on  that  advice?  If  this 
were  so,  where  were  the  limits  of 
the  power  ?  This  doctrine,  he 
admitted,  was  most  candidly  dis- 
avowed by  government  as  uncon- 
stitutional, but  the  fact  that  it  was 
avowed  by  any  man  in  the  situation 
of  the  member  who  maintained  it, 
showed  the  change  that  had  been 
brought  about  in  opinions.  The 
restraints,  which  the  influence  of 
the  House  of  Lords,  and  of  the 
Crown  had,  through  that  House, 
imposed  upon  the  vehemence  of 
public  feeling,  were  thus  all  to 
be  removed.  And,  looking  at  the 
attempts  made  to  improve  the  go- 
vernment in  other  countries,  and 
their  complete  failure,  he  was  not 
prepared  to  make  such  a  radical 
change  as  was  now  proposed  with- 
out some  better  argument  than 
any  he  had  yet  heard. 

For    what  argument   had  the 
House  yet  heard  but    *^the  peo- 

?le  will  have  it  so  ? "  Unless  the 
louse  was  convinced  that  what 
the  people  desired  was  for  the 
national  good,  the  fact  that  they 
desired  it  ought  not  to  induce  the 
Hous^to  concede  it,  for  the  mo- 
ment they  yielded  implicitly  to 
the  commands  of  the  people,  that 
moment  they  resigned  their  cha- 
racter and  functions  as  a  delibera- 
tive body.  It  was  easy  to  say, 
that  the  people  would  not  desire 
any  thing  that  was  not  for  their 
own  good,  and  it  was  unpopular 
to  deny  it j  but  he  did  deny  it* 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE.  [24^ 

If  lie  saw  that  men  in  tbeir  indf-  experience  bad  shown  the  great 

vidual  capacities^  who  spent  their  advantages  of  a  hereditary  mon* 

days  in  consulting  their  own  in-*  archy  and  a  body  of  hereditary 

terests^  were  always  influenced  by  senators    We  should  refer  to  the 

reason,  and  not  by  passion  ana  practical  working  of   the  thing, 

feeling ;  if  he  saw  the  gambler  and  before  we  allow^  ourselves  to  be 

the  speculator  take  reason  for  their  influenced    by  the    name   of   an 

guide,  and  not  passion ;  if  he  saw  anomaly,  ana  liefore  we  gave  up 

that   large  bodies  of  men  acting  that  which  had  hitherto  worked 

together  were  influenced  by  reason  so  well.     Many  of  those  things 

on];p',  and  not  by  passion  or  pre-  which  were  called  anomalies  had 

judice,  and  that  when  heated  and  so  interwoven  themselves  with  our 

excited,  they  were  the  best  judges  habits  and  feelings,  and  even  with 

of  their  own  interests ; — then  he  the  state  of  property  in  the  coun- 

might  admit  that  a  legislative  body  try,    that    they  were*  no  longer 

might  not  be  wrong  in  yielding  to  looked  upon  as  anomalies ;  but  if 

the  commands,  on  all  occasions,  of  he  were  to  make  choice  of  ano- 

their  constituents :  but  when  he  ihalies — and  it  was  admitted  that 

saw  that  the  reverse  of  all  this  was  there  were  anomalies  in  the  new 

the  case,  he  must  pause  before  he  constitution  as  well  as  in  the  old, 

yielded  to  public  feeling,   solely  in  that  which  we  were  about  to 

because  it  was  public  feeling,  and  receive  as  well  as  in  that  which 

not  founded  on  what  he  considered  we  were  about  to  give  up-— he 

to  be  reason  and  justice.     Then,  would  prefer  the  ancient  anomaly, 

forsooth,  our  present  system  was  that  which  had  worked  well  for 

full  of  anomalies — ^nomination  by  centuries  to  that  of  which  he  had 

peers  was  an  anomaly.     So  be  it.  yet  no  experience.    *^  It  may  be 

Suppose  he  were  to  tell  a  foreigner  prejudice,"  said  sir  Robert,  ^^  but 

unacquainted  with  our  laws,  that  the  people  will  view  these  ven^« 

cases  sometimes  of  the  most  dif&-  able  anomalies,  as  contrasted  with 

cult  and  complicated  nature  were  those  of   to-day,   with  as  much 

submitted  to  the  decision  of  twelve  diflerence  of  respect  as  they  would 

men,  selected   indifferently,    and  look  upon  the  ancient  peerages  of 

that  these  men,  if  they  aid  not  the  house  of  Russell  or  of  Caven- 

agree  at  first;  were  to  be  starved  dish  compared  with  my  patent  of 

into  agreement,  would  he  not  think  nobility,  if  I  were  transferred  to 

that  a  great  anomaly  ?    But  would  the  House  of  Lords  to  support  the 

any  man  give  it  up  on  that  ground^  reform  bill.*' 

when  he  found  that,  on  the  whole^  It   had   been   f&irly  conceded, 

the  system  worked  well  ?     One  of  even  by  Mr.  Macauley,  that  this 

the  greatest  anomalies  in  the  world  bill  would  not  work  out  for  the 

was  hereditary  monarchy.    Look«  jteople  the  blessings  which  they 

ing  at  it  without  any  experience  expected  ;  that  all  it  could  give 

of  its  practical  results^  what  could  would  be  perfect  freedom  in  the 

be  a  greater  anomaly  than  to  say,  acquisition  of  property,  and  secu-* 

that  in  a[  nation,  which  possessed  rity  in  its  enjoyment.    But  when 

many  able  generals,  an  infant  in  was  it  discovered  that  these  were 

its  cradle  should  be  the  head  of  wanting  ^   He^  had  never  heard 

the  state  ?    Hereditary  peerage  was  that  any  impediments  were  thrown 

liable  to  a  similar  objeetion.    But  in  the  ^ay  either  of  aoquirinj; 


250]     ANNUAL   REGISTER,    1831. 


property^  or  enjoying  it  with  se- 
curity. Or  was  it  meant  that  the 
diange  was  necessary  to  secure  the 
triumph  of  iree-traae  ?  On  the 
contrary,  if  Loudon  and  West- 
minster  were  polled,  the  system 
of  free- trade  would  be  abolished^ 
and  the  old  system  of  restrictions 
restored.  The  present  House  of 
Commons  had  shown  no  indispo- 
sition to  adopt  the  principles  of 
free-trade.  One  of  the  measures 
which  had  been  most  earnestly 
recommended  by  the  organ  of 
liberalism  (the  ''  Edinburgh  Re- 
view") was  a  free-trade  in  beer. 
The  House  of  Commons  resolved 
there  should  be  a  free- trade  in 
that  article,  and  the  present  minis* 
ters  had  introduced  a  measure  to 
remedy  the  evils  which  had  resulted 
from  the  liberality  of  the  House. 
When  the  present  government  was 
formed,  he  certainly  expected  that 
some  very  enlightened  system  of 
jurisprudence  would  have  been 
adopted — that  all  Mr.  Bentham's 
suggestions  would  have  been  acted 
on — that  penalties  would  have  been 
abolished,  and  appeals  made  only 
to  the  feelings  of  mankind.  But 
what  was  his  astonishment  to  find 
that  the  only  measure  which  mi- 
nisters had  proposed  relative  to 
the  criminal  laws  was  a  revival  of 
the  law  which  allowed  the  setting 
of  spring  guns.  Great  complaints, 
too,  were  made  of  the  taxes  which 
had  been  imposed  by  an  unreformed 
parliament.  When  the  question 
of  taxes  was  considered,  it  was 
necessary  to  look  at  the  capability 
of  the  persons  who  had  to  pay 
them.  Mr.  Ricardo  and  sir  Henry 
Parnell  said,  that  England  was  less 
taxed  than  any  other  country  in 
proportion  to  her  means.  Sir  H. 
Parnell  declared  that  the  diihcul-. 
ties  under  which  the  country  la- 
boured were  of  a  temporary  nature. 


Why,  then,  should  he  be  called 
upon  to  consent  to  the  proposed 
measure  on  the  ground  of  the  diffi- 
culties of  the  country  and  its  great 
taxation?  For  these  reasons  he 
could  not  consent  to  the  change 
which  the  bill  proposed.  He  had 
nothing  to  do  with  any  other  mea- 
sure of  reform.  He  had  none  to 
propose  himself.  He  opposed  the 
bill,  because  it  would  effect  too 
extensive  a  change.  It  was  not 
making  an  addition  to  an  existing 
structure  to  accommodate  an  in- 
creasing family,  but  uprooting  all 
the  foundations  of  an  ancient  edi- 
fice, and  attempting  to  construct 
a  new  one.  He  did  not  believe 
that  the  new  structure  would  be 
permanent.  The  arguments  which 
were  now  adduced  in  f&vour  of 
change  would,  in  seasons  of  dis- 
tress, be  applied  with  equal  force 
against  the  new  system.  The  in- 
struments of  destruction  had  been 
employed  with  complete  success 
against  the  constitution  ^  but  he 
would  implore  those  who  had  used 
them,  before  they  retired  from  the 
intrenchments  from  which  their 
fatal  attacks  had  been  made,  for 
God*s  sake !  to  spike  their  guns, 
and  to  remove  from  the  sight  of 
the  future  occupiers  of  those  places 
every  instrument  of  destruction  by 
which  the  success  had  been  ol^* 
tained ;  for  there  was  not  one  of 
them,  from  the  highest  to  the 
lowest  —  from  the  twenty-four 
pounder  to  the  smallest  sparrow- 
shot — ^whlch  might  not  be  applied 
against  the  new  system,  wnich 
was  to  be  created  by  the  bill.  He 
felt  it  his  duty  to  continue,  at  the 
last  stage  of  the  bill,  the  opposition 
which  he  had  offered  to  it  at  the 
commencement.  He  continued  his 
opposition  on  precisely  the  same 
grounds,  with  no  increased  predi- 
lection for  changing  the  constitu- 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[25 1 


tion  of  his  country.  Popular  opin- 
ion had  been  sufficiently  demon- 
strated in  favour  of  the  measure 
to  induce  him  to  treat  that  opinion 
with  the  utmost  respect,  and  to 
consider  maturely  whether  he  was 
justified  in  opposing  it.  He  re- 
gretted to  say,  that  his  deliberative 
judgment  was  against  the  measure. 
He  did  not  think  that  it  would 
cox^duce  to  the  permanent  interests 
of  the  country.  On  that  ground^ 
and  that  ground  only,  and  not  for 
the  purpose  of  maintaining  the 
interests  of  peers  or  other  persons, 
he  felt  himself  bound  to  oppose 
the  wishes  of  the  people*  *'  I 
cheerfully  submit  to  pay  the 
penalty  to  which  that  diderence 
of  opinion  subjects  me.     With  re- 


luctance I  surrender  the  hold  which 
I  may  have  on  the  people's  esteem. 
That  is  a  penalty  which  they  have 
a  right  to  inflict,  but  they  have 
no  right  or  power  to  compel  me 
to  acquiesce  in  their  error — for  I 
believe  them  to  be  in  error.  I 
will  not  involve  myself  in  the 
responsibility  of  the  measure,  and 
being  with  others  a  life-renter  only 
in  the  admirable  constitution  which 
has  hitherto  secured  the  peace  and 
happiness  of  my  country,  I  will 
not  be  instrumental  in  cutting  off 
the  inheritance  of  those  who  are 
to  succeed  me." 

On  the  House  dividing,  the 
majority  in  favour  of  the  motion 
for  passing  the  bill  was  109,  the 
ayes  being  345,  and  the  noes  236. 


252]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


CHAP.    IX. 


Reform  Bill  read  a  first  time  in  the  House  of  Lords — Threats  of  the 
Reformers  against  the  Peers — Debate  on  the  Second  Reading  of  the 
Bill  in  the  House  of  Lords — Speeches  of  Lords  Grey,  Whamcliffe, 
Winchilsea,  Harrowby,  the  Duke  of  Wellington,  Lord  Eldon,  the 
Lord  Chancellor,  Lord  Lyndhurst,  S^c. —  The  BUI  is  thrown  out  by  a 
Majority  of  forty-one — Motion  carried  in  the  House  of  Commons 
that  Ministers  ought  not  to  resign, — Lord  Howe  dismissed  from 
his  office  of  Queen's  Chamberlain,  on  account  of  his  vote,  and  dis- 
closures thereupon  in  the  House  of  Commons — Attacks  on  the  per- 
sons  and  houses  of  the  Peers — Riots  at  Derby  and  Nottingham-^ 
Correspondence  of  Ministers  %vith  the  Political  Unions,  and  discus- 
sions  thereon  in  the  House  of  Commons — Financial  statement — Pro- 
rogation of  Parliament — Riots  in  Bristol — Formation  of  a  National 
Political  Union  in  London — Proposed  general  meeting  of  the  Work- 
ing Classes — Proclamation  against  Illegal  Associations — Appearance 
of  the  Cholera  Morbus  in  the  North. 


THE  reform  bill  having  passed 
the  Commons  on  the  2l8t  of 
September,  was  carried  up,  next 
day,  to  the  Lords^  by  lord  John 
Russell,  attended  by  about  an  hun- 
dred of  its  staunch  supporters  in 
the  lower  House,  These  gentle- 
men adopted  the  unusual  mode  of 
exciting  the  attention  of  the  peers, 
and  giving  to  the  function  which 
they  were  performing  a  striking 
and  theatrical  character,  by  accom- 
panying the  delivery  of  the  bill  to 
the  lord  chancellor  with  *'  hear, 
hear."  A  cry  of  '*  order,"  recalled 
them  to  a  sense  of  the  presence  in 
which  they  stood.  The  bill  was 
then  read  a  first  time^  on  the 
motion  of  earl  Grey,  without  any 
remark  being  made^  and  was  di- 
rected to  be  read  a  second  time  on 
the  3rd  of  October. 

In  the  mean  time  the  reformers 
out  of  doors  had  been  vigorously 
employing  all  their  engines  to  in** 


timidate  the  peers  into  submission. 
It  has  been  seen  that  the  idea  of 
their  being  bound  to  touch  only 
with  a  delicate  and  trembling 
hand  a  bill  which  merely  affected 
the  constitution  of  the  other  House, 
had  found  its  way  into  parliament. 
The  language  used  by  the  political 
unions,  by  the  press,  and  by  the 
reformers,  in  theu:  public  meetings, 
was  equally  absurd,  and  infinitely 
violent.  The  peers,  it  was  said, 
are  merely  trustees  for  the  people ; 
the  latter  are  the  persons  bene- 
ficially interested  in  the  trust 
which  the  former  hold;  and  the 
peers,  therefore,  are  not  entitled 
to  have  an  opinion  of  their  own 
different  from  the  will  of  those  for 
whose  benefit  alone  the  trust  exists; 
much  less  are  they  entitled" to  re- 
sist that  will  for  the  purpose  of 
managing  their  trust  in  a  way 
more  conducive  to  their  own  par- 
ticular interests  than  that  which 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[253 


the  people  has  decided  to  be  most 
desirable  for  the  common  good. 
But  the  language  of  plain  intimi- 
dation was  much  more  frequent 
than  the  language  of  even  bad 
argument.  The  press  called  on 
the  reformers  to  renew  their 
meetings  ;  the  political  unions 
again  sent  forth  their  addresses 
and  petitions ;  the  House  of  Lords 
were  given  plainly  to  understand, 
that  they  must  pass  the  bill,  if  they 
wished  to  avoid  being  sacrificed 
amid  convulsion  and  revolution ; 
and  the  bishops^  in  particular, 
were  warned  against  provoking 
the  destruction  of  the  whole  esta- 
blishment by  shewing  that  its 
heads  were  the  enemies  of  the 
public  liberties.  Every  idea  of  the 
constitution  was  lost  sight  of.  No 
reformer  ever  remembered  that,  in 
the  eyes  of  the  constitution,  a 
measure  to  which  the  peers  say 
no,  is  thereby  as  much  ascertained 
to  be  an  inexpedient  measure^  as 
if  the  negative  had  proceeded  from 
the  House  of  Commons.  The 
House  of  Lords  was  treated  as  a 
body  of  mere  delegates  to  confirm 
the  deliberations  of  the  Commons; 
all  the  multifarious  forms  of  threat 
and  abuse  terminated  in  this^  '^  you 
must  pass  this  bill,  however  unjust 
and  ruinous  you  may  hold  it  to 
be,  because  it  has  already  been 
passed  by  the  House  of  Commons." 
Meetings  were  convened  to  warn 
the  peers  of  ^^  the  tremendous  con- 
sequences'* of  rejecting  it,  and  to 
inmrm  them  how  ^'  deeply  and 
fearfully  the  security  of  commer- 
cial as  well  as  of  all  other  property 
was  involved"  in  passing  it  with- 
out delay.  If  the  peers  are  bent 
on  opposing  the  people,  what,  it 
was  asked,  will  they  gain  by  it  ? 
*'  Ninety-nine  hundredths  of  the 
people  will  begin  to  look  upon  the 
power  of  the  peers  as  a  power 


hostile  to  the  nation,  and  the  Tory 
peers  may  prepare  themselves  for 
speedy,  as  well  as  unambiguous 
demonstrations  of  the  hold  which 
such  an  impression  has  obtained 
on  the  minds  of  twenty-two  mil* 
lions  of  men."  "  In  spite  of  all 
lovers  of  law,  and  all  sticklers  for 
constitutional  forms,  a  question 
will  arise,  and  men,  aye,  sober  and 
honest  citizens  will  ask  it,  shall 
we  be  without  a  constitution,  or 
shall  the  Lords  be  made  to  do 
without  those  powers  which  enable 
them  to  deprive  us  of  it  V  ''  If 
the  Lords  reject  or  mutilate  the 
bill,^  they  are  in  effect,  though  in- 
disputably not  by  design,  guilty, 
first,  of  throwing  the  empire  into 
confusion  ;  secondly,  of  more  than 
endangering  their  own  existence.'^ 
"  The  question,  what  will  the 
Lords  do  }  is  one  to  be  answered, 
not  by  the  House  of  Lords,  but 
by  the  people  of  England.  What 
the  Lords  will  do  depends  on  the 
people.  When  they  are  publicly 
and  unambiguously  told,  that 
which  it  seems  they  are  unable  to 
conjecture — the  determination  of 
the  country  that  the  bill  shall 
pass— they  will  pass  it."  Such 
was  the  daily  language  of  the 
press ;  and,  of  that  which  prevailed 
at  the  public  meetings,  the  senti- 
ments expressed  in  the  common 
hall  of  London,  may  serve  as  a 
sample.  There,  one  speaker  said, 
«^  Should  this  bill,  by  any  unfore- 
seen possibility,  be  defeated,  how 
did  the  noble  conservators  of  rotten 
boroughs  propose  to  retain  their 
countrymen  in  allegiance  to  a  de- 
fective political  system  }  If  it 
were  to  be  negatived,  would  its 
foes  answer  for  the  existence  of 
trade  and  the  prosperity  of  the 
realm  }  Did  they  flatter  them- 
selves  into  the  belief  that  they 
could  induce  the  people  to  pay 


264]       ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


taxes  at  the  bidding  of  the  reptiles 
io  schedule  A^  and  the  Jiat  of  the 
half-palsied  schedule  B^  of  which 
one  part  was  dead  while  the  other 
still  maintained  its  vitality  P  The 
peers  could  not  be  insane,  and  he 
therefore  presumed  that  it  was 
their  intention  to  pass  it,  rather 
than  imperil  their  own  existence 
by  supporting  a  power  as  invidi- 
ous as  it  was  unjust— as  danger- 
ous to  them  as  it  was  hateful  to 
the  people.**  Another  said,  <<  The 
lords  would  assuredly  pass  the  bill^ 
if  they  were  not  actually  smitten 
blind ;  they  would  pass  it,  as  they 
hoped  to  transmit  their  honours 
to  their  children ;  they  would  pass 
it,  if  they  desired  to  retain  their 
rank  and  legitimate  privileges  ; 
and  they  would  moreover  pass  it 
without  delay^  for  the  public  would 
not  submit  much  longer  to  see 
trade  at  a  stand-still,  and  business 
in  a  state  of  stagnation,  on  account 
of  such  tediouslv  protracted  ex- 
pectation. If  the  lords  rejected 
the  bill^  they  would  not  be  taken 
by  surprise  when  they  came  to 
discover  the  unavoidable  results. 
The  people,  he  would  forewarn 
their  lordships,  would  not  thence- 
forward pav  taxes,  nor  would  they 
be  justified  in  doing  so,  when  the 
country  had  decided  that  the  con- 
stitution was  not  what  it  ought 
to  be."  "  Let  the  lords,"  said 
colonel  Torrens,  '^  refuse  this  bill, 
if  thev  dare ;  and  if  they  do,  dearly 
will  they  rue  their  obstinacy  here- 
after. You  all  remember  the 
sibyl's  story.  She  presented  her 
oracles  to  Tarquin  and  his  court, 
and  her  oracles  were  rejected. 
She  burned  a  portion,  and  again 
oftered  them,  but  they  were  again 
rejected.  After  diminishing  their 
number  still  further,  she  once  more 
returned,  and  the  remaining  vo- 
lumes were  gladly  purchased  at 


the  price  which  she  had  originally 
demanded  for  the  entire.  We, 
however,  mean  to  reverse  the 
moral,  for  should  the  present  bill 
be  defeated,  we  shall  bring  their 
lordships  another  bill  demanding 
a  little  more,  and  then,  should 
they  still  dare  to  resist  the  might, 
and  insult  the  majesty  of  the 
people  of  England,  which  Heaven 
foHend  I  united  as  one  man  will 
we  come  forward  with  a  bill  of 
reform,  in  which  their  lordships 
will  find  themselves  inserted  in 
schedule  A."  And  these  senti- 
ments were  received  with  loud 
applause.  In  their  enthusiasm, 
the  reformers  seemed  entirely  to 
forget,  that  such  a  constraint  upon 
the  peers  was  as  efiTectual,  and  a 
far  more  de^ading,  abolition  of  the 
House  of  Lords,  than  a  formal 
declaration  that  it  should  no  longer 
assemble.  Still  less  did  they  see, 
that  they  were  excluding  from  the 
legislature  the  largest  portion  of 
the  real  property  of  the  country. 
The  peers  were  to  have  no  indi- 
rect influence  in  the  deliberations 
of  the  Commons,  and  now  they 
were  to  have  no  deliberate  voice 
even  in  their  own  house. 

Amid  these  violent  remarks,  earl 
Grey  moved,  on  Monday,  the  Srd 
of  October,  the  second  reading  of 
the  bill. 

After  some  prefatory  observa- 
tions, he  said  that,  being  called  to 
form  a  new  administration,  he  stated 
candidly  to  his  majesty,  that  the 
only  condition  on  whicn  he  would 
accept  office  was,  that  he  should 
bring  forward  the  question  of  par- 
liamentary reform  as  a  measure  of 
government.  That  condition  was 
sanctioned  by  the  monarch,  as- 
sented to  by  the  Commons,  and 
received  witn  unmixed  satisfaction 
by  the  great  body  of  the  people. 
^^  I  lost/'  said  be>  **  no  time  io 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[265 


framing,  in  conj unction  with  my 
colleagues^  a  measure,  the  result 
of  which  forms  the  subject  of  this 
night's  deliberation.  There  is 
nothing  in  this  measure  which  is 
not  founded  on  the  acknowledged 
principles  of  the  constitution^  and 
which  may  not  be  adopted  with 
perfect  safety  to  all  the  interests 
and  orders  of  the  state^  and  more 
particularly  to  that  order  to  which 
we,  as  members  oi  this  House, 
belong.  A  measure  of  a  partial 
xmd  limited  nature  would  satisfy 
no  party.  The  best  measure  to 
l>e  adopted  was  a  bold  one — ^one 
which  should,  upon  reasonable 
terras,  satisfy  the  general  desire, 
and  place  in  a  strong  position  the 
true  principle  of  reform.  In  this 
view  of  the  case  it  was  impossible 
not  to  look  at  the  state  of  what 
were  called  nomination  boroughs, 
against  which,  in  particular,  the 
public  feeling  was  directed.  We 
first  proceeded  to  consider  what 
were  the  boroughs  that  ought  to 
be  abolished.  As  most  of  them 
retained  nothing  except  their  an- 
cient sites,  they  appeared  only  as 
a  gangrene  in  the  frame  of  the 
constitution,  defying  every  method 
of  cure,  except  excision.  It  was 
therefore  determined  that  the 
whole  of  them  should  be  disfran- 
chised, and  placed  in  schedule  A. 
We  ftirther  proposed  that  the 
census  of  1821  should  be  taken,  as 
that  best  calculated  to  answer  the 
object  in  view.  We  found  another 
class  of  boroughs  of  a  higher  quali- 
fication, and  to  these  we  thought 
it  advisable  to  continue  the  repre- 
sentation on  a  modified  scale,  their 
constituency  being  enlarged,  but 
their  representation  diminished. 
Some  may  argue  that  a  diminished 
representation  is  inconsistent  with 
the  principle  upon  which  we  pro- 
fess to  actj  but  our  object  has  been 


to  make  as  little  change  as  pos- 
sible, since  every  change,  except 
what  is  inevitable,  ought  to  be 
avoided.  The  next  question  was, 
how  the  vacant  seats  weYe  to  be 
supplied  ?  and  it  was  proposed 
that^  in  the  first  place,  sixty-five 
additional  members  should  be  given 
to  the  counties — in  the  next,  that 
twenty-four  members  should  be 
returned  bv  twelve  large  towns, 
which  should  hav«  two  each  ;  and 
twenty-eight  representatives  by 
the  twenty- eight  towns  next  in 
rank  and  population.  These,  with 
one  additional  member  for  Wales, 
would  leave  a  diminution  for 
England  and  Wales  of  thirty- 
six  members.  The  plan  was,  af- 
ter having  removed  the  decayed 
branches,  to  cause  new  shoots 
to  spring  forth,  and  to  restore 
health  and  vigour  to  the  body  of 
the  tree." 

His  lordship  then  went  into  the 
minuter  details  of  the  bill,  in  ex- 
plaining which  he  stated,  that  he 
did  not  approve  of  the  extension 
of  the  franchise  for  counties  to 
tenants  not  having  leases :  his  ob- 
jection to  that  provision  was,  that 
if  landlords  should  exercise  the 
power  they  would  thus  acquire  in 
such  a  way  as  it  l^d  been  exercised 
in  some  places,  it  might  produce 
a  general  demand  throughout  the 
country  for  a  regulation  to  which 
he  was  opposed,  and  in  favour  of 
which  there  was  not  one  petition 
on  their  lordships*  table — the  vote 
by  bal]ot. 

He  then  proceeded  to  argue, 
that  the  system  of  nomination  not 
only  was  no  part  of  the  British 
constitution,  but  was  absurdly  in- 
consistent with  its  acknowledged 
principles.  In  every  session  it  was 
a  standing  order  that  the  interfer- 
ence of  peers  in  the  elections  of 
members  of  parliament  was  uncon- 


256]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


stitutional ;  there  was  a  statute  of 
the  realm  declaring  that  no  taxes 
were  to  be  levied  on  the  people, 
except  such  as  were  imposed  by 
their  representatives  ;  —  and  the 
House  of  Commons  was  so  jealous 
of  its  privileges  in  this  respect, 
that  it  would  not  suffer  the  inter- 
ference of  the  lords  to  correct  the 
most  trifling  mistake.  Such  was 
the  principle  of  the  constitution. 
As  to  the  practice,  was  it  not  the 
fact  that  it  had  ever  been  the  pre- 
rogative of  the  Crown  to  summon 
members  to  parliament  for  such 
towns  as  it  deemed  competent  to 
the  power  of  election  ?  How,  then, 
could  it  be  said,  that  to  do  away 
with  decayed  boroughs  was  a  course 
unknown  to  the  constitution  ?  The 
disfranchisement  of  certain  bo- 
roughs had  been  described  as  spo- 
liation and  robbery.  But  the 
right  to  send  representatives  to 
parliament  was  a  trust,  and  there 
could  be  no  greater  mistake  than 
to  confound  the  obligation  of  a 
trust  with  the  right  of  property. 
A  trust  is  ever  confided  upon  cer- 
tain conditions,  and  may  be  resum- 
ed if  they  be  broken.  There  was 
no  lapse  of  time,  no  prescription 
of  abuse,  which  could  convert  that 
which  was  originally  a  trust  for 
the  people  into  a  property.  But 
if  the  resumption  of  a  trust 
after  manifest  abuse,  was  an  act 
of  spoliation,  had  it  not  taken 
place  over  and  over  again  ?  There 
are  now  forty -four  boroughs  and 
one  city,  which  formerly  sent  re- 
presentatives to  parliament,  but 
which,  in  consequence  of  the  dis- 
continuance of  the  writs,  do  not 
now  send  members.  This  was 
disfranchisement  nearly  equal  in 
amount  to  that  of  schedule  A,  and 
effected  by  the  ordinary  process 
of  the  constitution.  The  Union 
with  Scotland  reduced  the  repre- 


sentatives of  boroughs  in  Scotland 
from  sixty-five  to  fifteen  ;  and 
the  Irish  Union  struck  off  at 
one  blow  100  boroughs,  returning 
200  members.  Was  this  spoliation 
and  robbery  ?  Oh  !  but  compen- 
sation was  given,  and  interests  in 
those  boroughs  were  thus  treated 
as  a  right  of  property.  That 
compensation  was  scandalous  bri- 
bery and  corruption  ;  but  twenty- 
eight  of  these  boroughs  were 
struck  off  without  compensation. 
The  disfranchisement  of  the  bo- 
roughs in  schedule  A,  therefore, 
was  merely  the  exercise  of  a  con- 
stitutional power,  in  the  resump- 
tion of  a  trust  which  was  no  longer 
beneficially  exercised.  The  system, 
it  was  said,  had  worked  well ;  and 
were  we  to  do  away  with  that 
under  which  the  country  had  at- 
tained its  present  high*  degree  of 
power  and  prosperity  ?  It  had 
not  the  confidence  of  the  people^ 
and  if  that  were  most  essential  to 
the  support  of  every  government, 
then  so  far  from  working  well, 
the  system  had  worked  very  ill. 

Earl  Grey  next  proceeded  to 
consider  how  far  the  system  of  no- 
mination boroughs  contributed  to 
the  real  weight  and  influence  of 
the  House  of  Lords.  In  the  first 
place,  said  he,  it  is  to  be  considered 
that  the  power  of  nominating  mem- 
bers to  sit  in  parliament  is  not  en- 
joyed by  this  House  in  general,  by 
your  lordships  as  a  body  in  the 
state;  but  by  a  few  wealthy  indi- 
viduals amongst  you,  who  exercise 
the  power  for  their  own  separate ' 
interests.  The  power,  therefore, 
is  exercised  and  enjoyed  only  by  a 
few,  whilst  the  odium  falls  upon 
the  whole  body :  so  that,  by  get- 
ting rid  of  the  system,  you  remove 
the  odjum  -,  and  the  peerage,  as  a 
body,  loses  nothing.  Then  the 
power  of  nomination  is  liable  to 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[257 


coDtinual  transfer  and  change.  It 
may  leave  your  lordships'  hands 
altogether,  or  it  may  accumulate 
in  an  individual  to  such  an  extent^ 
as  to  be  not  only  odious  to  the  coun- 
try but  inconvenient  to  the  go- 
vernment, by  rendering  it,  in  a 
great  degree,  dependent  upon  the 
person  who  possesses  this  power. 
Though  I  am  the  last  man  to  pro- 
pose to  retain  the  influence  which 
enables  any  member  in  this  House 
to  interfere  in  the  elections  of 
members  of  the  House  of  Com- 
mons— an  interference  that  can- 
not be  too  strongly  condemned, 
yet  do  I  propose  that  your  lord- 
ships should  be  deprived  of  any 
part  of  your  legitimate  power  or 
influence  ?  God  forbid  !  The  re- 
spect due  to  your  rank,  and  the 
influence   which,    from   property, 

}^ou  necessarily  possess,  will  be- 
ong  to  you  after  the  passing  of 
the  bill  as  fully  and  in  as  great  a 
degree  as  they  now  do.  The  odious 
power  which  is  possessed  by  some 
of  you  does  not  help  to  increase 
that  legitimate  influence;  but  if 
you  resolve  to  maintain  the  nomi- 
nation boroughs,  the  whole  voice 
of  the  united  kingdom  will  be 
raised  against  you.  You  are  asked 
only  to  give  up  that  which  is 
odious^  unjust,  and  unconstitu- 
tional, and  by  retaining  which 
the  security  of  this  House  may  be 
shaken.  The  influence  which  your 
lordships  possess,  in  the  represent- 
ation of  sixty-five  old  boroughs, 
may  be  taken  from  you  by  this 
bill ;  but  the  peers  and  the  landed 
interest  are  not  thereby  deprived 
of  their  influence  in  the  repre- 
sentation :  on  the  contrary,  that 
influence  is  increased." 

He  next  contended,  that  this 
measure  had  received  the  appro- 
bation of  the  country.     He  was 
one  of  the  last  men  in  that  House 
Vol.  LXXIH. 


who  would  grant  any  thing  to  in- 
timidation. He  would  say  "Re- 
sist popular  violence — do  not  give 
way  to  popular  commotion  !"  But 
here  there  was  no  violence,  there 
was  no  commotion.  The  opinion 
of  the  people  was,  however,  fairly 
and  unequivocally  expressed;  no 
government  could  turn  a  deaf  ear 
to  it,  and  least  of  all  could  a  go- 
vernment founded  on  free  princi- 
ples take  such  a  step.  He  flung 
aside  all  idea '  of  menace  and  also 
intimidation ;  but  he  conjured 
them,  as  they  valued  their  rights 
and  privileges,  and  wished  to 
transmit  them  unimpaired  to  their 
posterity,  to  consider  well,  before 
they  came  to  a  decision  on  this 
question — with  reference  to  which 
nine-tenths  of  the  people  had  ex- 
pressed their  opinion  in  a  tone  too 
loud  not  to  be  heard,  and  too  de- 
cisive to  be  misunderstood.  Let 
not  their  lordships  think  that,  if 
this  measure  were  rejected,  a  more 
mitigated  and  less  comprehensive 
one  might  be  substituted  in  its  place 
with  safety.  The  time  was  passed 
for  taking  half-measures.  They 
must  either  adopt  this  bill,  or  they 
would  have,  instead  of  it,  some- 
thing infinitely  stronger  and  more 
extensive.  The  measure  thus 
brought  forward  in  the  first  in- 
stance at  the  recommendation  of 
the  Crown — (Cries  of  order  from 
Lord  Wynford  and  several  other 
noble  lords) — He  was  not  aware 
that  he  had  said  any  thing  out  of 
order :  he  had  alluded  to  the  speech 
from  the  throne,  and  to  which  he 
was  perfectly  justified  in  alluding, 
as  a  matter  on  the  journals  of  the 
House.  He  would  speak  of  it, 
then,  not  as  the  recommendation 
of  the  Crown,  but  as  the  speech 
from  the  throne ;  and  though  he 
admitted  that  even  in  this  sense  it 
must  be  considered  as  the  produc- 
[S] 


268]       ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


tion  of  ministers^  yet  still  it  vas 
not  to  be  supposed  that  it  would  foe 
deliFered  by  the  Sovereign,  unless 
it    had    previously   received    the 
sanction  of    his   private    opinion. 
The  measure  was  one  which   had 
been  earned  by  an  overwhelming 
majority  of  the  other   House ;  it 
was  supported  by  the  prayers  of 
millions  who  respectfully  knocked 
at  their  lordships  door,  and  askdd 
for  that  which  they  considered  to 
be  the  restoration  of    their   just 
rights.     Were  their  lordships  pre- 
pared to  reject  a  bill  so  supported, 
and  that,  too,  on  its  second  read- 
ing i^     He  did  not  believe,  that  the 
rejection  of  the  bill  would  be  pro- 
ductive of  a  civil  war  :  still  he  could 
not  conceal  his  apprehension  that 
the  result  of  its  rejection  would  be 
most  dangerous  to  the  best  inter- 
ests of  the  country.      He  would 
venture  for  a  moment  to  address 
himself  to  one  part  of  their  lord- 
ships* house,  the  right  rev.  pre- 
lates on  the  benches  near  him  ;  and 
while  he  assured  that  body,   that 
no   man    was  more    sincerely  at- 
tached than  he  was  to  the  main- 
tenance of  all  the  rights  and  privi* 
leges  of  the  church, -^qo  man  held 
in  higher  veneration  the  purity  of 
its  doctrines  and    discipline,-^no 
man  was  more  ready  to  admit  the 
2eal,  and  learning,  and  piety  of 
those  who  presided   over  it,»— let 
him  at  the  same  time  respectfully 
en  reat  those  right    rev.  prelates 
to  consider,  that  if  this  bill  should 
be  rejected  by  a  narrow  majority 
of  the  lay  peers,  and    if  its  fete 
should  thus,  within  a  few  votes^  be 
decided  by  the  votes  of  the  heads 
of  the  church,  what  would  then  be 
their  situation  with  the  country? 
Those    right    rev.    prelates    had 
shown  that  they  were  not  indif- 
ferent or  inattentive  to  the  signs 
of  the  times.      Thay  had  intro« 


duced  measures  for  effecting  some 
salutary  reforms  in  matters  relat-* 
ing  to  the  tempcnralities  of  the 
church,  and  in  this  they  acted 
with  wise  forethought.  Let  them, 
he  implored,  now  follow  up  the 
same  prudent  course".  The  eyes 
of  the  country  were  now  upon 
them.  He  called  upon  them  to 
set  their  house  in  order,  and  pre- 
pare to  meet  the  coming  etorm,— 
to  consider  seriously  what  would 
be  the  opinion  of  the  country 
should  a  measure,  on  which  the 
nation  had  fixed  its  hope,  be  de- 
feated by  their  votes.  They  were 
the  ministers  of  peace :  earnestly 
did  he  hope,  that  the  result  of 
their  votes  would  be  such  as 
might  tend  to  the  tranquillity, 
peace,  and  happiness  of  the  coun* 
try.  As  i^egarded  the  whole  of 
their  lordships,  spiritual  and  tem- 
poral>  he  hoped  that  the  conse- 
quences of  the  rejection  of  the  bill 
would  be  seriously  considered,  for 
its  consequences  could  be  no  other 
than  serious.  As  to  the  effect 
which  the  rejection  or  adoption  of 
the  measure  might  produce  to  him, 
or  the  administration  of  which  he 
formed  a  part,  it  was  not  neces- 
sary for  him  to  say  much,  for  that 
was  perhaps  a  matter  of  insigni* 
ficance.  He  would  only  say,  that 
by  this  measure  he  was  prepared 
to  stand  or  fall.  The  question  of 
his  continuance  in  office  far  one 
hour  would  depend  on  the  pros- 
pect of  being  able  to  carry  through 
that  which  he  considered  so  im- 
portant to  the 'tranquillity,  the 
safety,  and  the  happiness  of  the 

oountrv. 

Lord  Wharncliffe  next  addressed 
the  House.  He  defended  nomi- 
nation, not  because  it  was  made 
by  peers  or  other  influential  indi- 
viduals, but  because  its  effect  in 
the  House  of  Commons  was,  that 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[269 


U  acted  as  a  check  on  those  places 
which  were  popularly  represented. 
It  prevented  the  ebullitions  of 
popular  feeling  from  having  too 
great  an  influence  on  the  decisions 
of  a  deliberative  body,  and  saved  it 
from  being  merely  an  assembly  of 
delegates,  sent  only  to  express  the 
opinions  of  the  people  as  they  dic- 
tated from  without.  The  nomina- 
tion might  in  itself  be  irregular, 
but  had  not  the  whole  system 
worked  in  that  way  which  made  it 
worth  preserving?  One  party, 
and  that  by  no  means  a  small  one, 
supported  this  measure,  because 
they  considered  that,  if  it  ^ere 
carried,  it  would  in  a  short  time 
be  impossible  to  stop  the  torrent 
of  popular  opinion.  These  men 
anticipated,  that  by  this  bill  the 
power  of  the  House  of  Lords  would 
be  given  up  to  them ;  already  did 
they  exult  in  its  fancied  result; 
and,  to  use  the  words  of  Cromwell, 
when  speakingof  his  enemies  at  the 
battle  of  Dunbar,  they  said,  '*  The 
Lord  has  delivered  you  into  our 
hands.  If  you  pass  this  bill,  you 
at  once  part  with  all  your  power." 
This  measure  was  one  of  the 
gi'eatest  delusions  ever  practised 
on  the  public,-«-a  measure  more 
full  of  anomalies  than  any  that  had 
ever  before  been  introduced  into 
parliament.  The  bill,  in  order  to 
captivate  certain  classes  of  persons 
who  constituted  the  great  body  of 
people  within  the  large  towns, 
gave  the  elective  franchise  to  1 0/. 
householders.  But  this  qualifi- 
cation was  much  too  low,  and  he 
was  sure  that  the  noble  lord  oppo- 
site, and  the  bon.  gentlemen  who 
had  first  introduced  this  plan  of 
reform,  had  got  firightened  at  this 
monster  of  their  own  creation. 
Everybody  recollected  how  the 
qualification  was  changed  from  a 
rent  of  10/.  mej^ly,  to  a  rent  of 


10/.  reserved  on  leases  payable 
half* yearly.  A  powerful  press  was 
looking  on  every  operation  con- 
nected with  this  bill ;  and  as  soon 
as  this  alteration  was  perceived  by 
It,  a  loud  demand  was  raised  that 
it  should  be  withdrawn.  The 
authors  of  it  immediately  saw  the 
dilemma  in  which  they  had  in- 
volved themselves,  and  became 
most  anxious  to  be  extricated  from 
it.  It  was  therefore  said,  that  the 
alteration  was  an  inadvertence. 
Was  he  to  be  told  that  a  govern- 
ment, which  was  making  the  most 
important  changes  ever  proposed 
in  any  constitution,  was  acting  on 
inadvertence  ?  It  was  their  duty 
to  have  considered  minutely,  not 
only  every  clause,  but  every  word 
and  every  letter  of  every  clause  in 
the  bill.  He  next  objected  to  the 
number  of  great  towns  to  which 
this  bill  gave  the  privilege  of  hav- 
ing representatives.  That  showed 
that  the  principle  of  the  bill  was 
not  property,  but  population.  It 
was  impossible  for  any  man  who 
saw  the  great  wealth  embarked  in 
the  manufactures  of  the  country, 
and  the  great  interest  which  the 
manufacturing  towns  had  in  t\\e 
proper  expenditure  of  the  state, 
to  ueny  that  those  towns  were  en- 
titled to  have  some  share  in  the 
representation  of  the  state  j  but  it 
was  a  very  different  thing  to  give 
every  town  with  a  population  of 
15,000  inhabitants  the  privilege 
of  returning  members  to  parlia- 
ment. In  the  county  of  Lancas- 
ter, and  in  the  west  riding  of  the 
county  of  Yorkshire,  for  instance, 
there  were  certain  trades  and 
manufactures  confined  to  certain 
towns  only.  Admitting,  however, 
■that  the  noble  earl  was  acting  on 
a  fair  principle,  he  was  bound  to 
give  to  the  landed  interest  some- 
thing to  balance  the  pressure  of 
'     [S23 


260]     ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


the  towns ;  and,  in  this  respect,  the 
bill  was  likely  to  prove  a  delusion  on 
the  landed  proprietors.     If  minis- 
ters had  really  wished  to  balance 
the  representation  of  towns,  they 
ought  to  have  sought  the  means 
of  obtaining  that  balance  not  in 
those  counties  where  the  manu- 
facturing interest   preponderated, 
but  in  those  counties  where  the 
agricultural  interest  predominated. 
No  one  could  as   yet  tell   what 
would  be  the  effect  of  giving  addi- 
tional members    to  the    different 
counties.    For,  in  the  first  instance, 
the  bill  did  not  give  these  addi- 
tional members  to  the  counties  di- 
rectly: it  enacted  that  the  counties 
should  be  divided,  and  ministers 
had  sent  down  commissioners  to 
divide  them.     The  commissioners 
had  already  begun  their  labours, 
although,  in  point  of  fact,  the  bill 
which  called  them  into  existence 
had  not  yet  been  read  a  second 
time  in  their  lordships'  House.  He 
must  know  something  of  the  pro- 
ceedings  of  these  commissioners, 
before  he  could  pretend  to  speak 
decisively  of  the  influence  which 
the    new    county  representatives 
would  exercise  in  the  other  House 
of  parliament.      He   must   know 
how  the  counties  were  to  be  di- 
vided, before  he  could  know  any 
thing  of  the  influence  which  would 
predominate  in  the  different  dis- 
tricts.    Thus,   if  in  Staffordshire 
the  line    were    drawn,   where    it 
most    naturally  would  be   drawn, 
the  four  members  for  that  county 
would  be   returned  by  one   class 
of  the  population  alone.     Again, 
in     Warwickshire     the     division 
might  be  so   made,    as  fx)  place 
the  representation  entirely  in  the 
hands  of  the  manufacturing  inter- 
est.    Then  came  the  provisions  as 
to  the  increase  of  voters  for  the 
representatives  of  counties,     First, 


the   copyholders  were  taken   in; 
then  the  leaseholders ;  then,  last  of 
all,  the  tenants  at  will.     In  his 
opinion,  this  last  addition  to  the 
county  constituency  was  any  thing 
but  an  improvement.  Prima  facie, 
it  gave  an  appearance  of  weight  to 
the  landed  proprietary ;  but  con- 
nected with  the  1 0/.  qualification 
clause,    it  would   place   a   great 
number  of  the  new-made  voters 
entirely  at  the  mercy  of  their  land- 
lords ;  and  the  exercise  of  such  a 
power  on  the  pJEu:t  of  the  landlords 
would  lead  almost  instantly  to  the 
vote  by  ballot.     It  was  impossible 
that  this  bill  should  be  a  final  set- 
tlement of  the   reform  question. 
Ministers  had  already  opened  a 
door  to  the  demands  of  the  people, 
— ^they  had  told  the  people  that 
they  were  entitled  to  a  full,  fair, 
and  free  representation  in  parlia- 
ment; and  the  people  would  in- 
sist on  having  that  representation 
in    perfect    conformity  with   the 
ideas  which  they  entertained  of  a 
full,  fair,  and  free  representation. 
These   were   some   of   his   prin- 
cipal objections  to  the  bill.    Many 
persons  had  voted  for  the  second 
reading  in  the  House  of  Commons  in 
the  hope  of  amending  it  afterwards 
in  committee;   but  every  person 
who  had  the  slightest  experience 
in  parliament  was  well  aware  that, 
when  a  bill  brought  in  by  govern- 
ment was  read  a  secona  time,  it 
was  a  matter  of  extreme  difliculty 
to  make  any  alterations  in  it  in 
committee.     He  thought  that  this 
bill  was  dangerous  in  the  extreme 
— and   that  in   spite  of  all    the 
petitions    which    had    been    sent 
up  in  favour  of  it,  the  people  were 
deluded  and   not  satisfied  by  it. 
The  noble  earl  had  told  their  lord- 
ships to    look  at    the    petitions 
which  were    now  coming  up  to 
them  every  day  from  the  country. 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[261 


He  had  looked  at  them ;  he  had 
looked  at  them  with  respect ;  and 
his  view  of   these  petitions  was, 
that  their  object  was  not  so  much 
this  bill  of  reform  as  reform   of 
some  description  or  other.     Their 
cry  was,  "  We  must  have  parlia- 
ment reformed ;"  but  it  was  not, 
"  We   must   have  parliament  re- 
formed by  this  bill/'     The  feelings 
of  the  people  were  changed  with 
regard    to   this    bill,    and    their 
meetings  no  longer  retained  the 
character  which  they  lately  bore. 
There  was  a  certain  portion  of  the 
press  which  still  trumpeted  forth 
these  meetings  as  an  expression  of 
the  feelings  of  the  people  5    and 
yet  those  who  had  got  them  up 
were  perfectly  ashamed  of  the  man- 
ner in  v^-hich  they  had  turned  out. 
If  a  House  of  Commons,  he  further 
argued,  were  once  elected  on  the 
principles  of  this  bill,  it  would  in- 
evitably cramp  the  Crown  in  the 
exercise  of  its  prerogatives,    and 
create   a  body  in  the  House   of 
Commons  so  irresistible  as  to  make 
the  decisions  of  their  lordships  on  all 
public  questions   nugatory.      Hi- 
therto, when  any  man  had  been 
chosen  minister,  he  must  have  been, 
previous  to  that  choice,  a  membei 
of  parliament.     Now  if  he  should 
have  to  stand,  in  the  borough  or 
county  which  he  represented,  the 
expense  of  a  contested  election,  and 
if  he  should  be  unable  to  bear  the 
expense  of  that  contest,  or  if  he 
should  happen  to  be  unpopular,  he 
would   then    have    no  means    of 
getting  into  parliament  through  a 
nomination  borough  3    and  if   so, 
he  would  have  some  difficulty  in 
finding  his  way  into  parliament  at 
all.     As  members  of  the  House  of 
Peers,  their  lordships  might  not 
feel  personally  interested  in  such 
a  matter;  for  they  might  think 
tbat  in  that  caae  the  ministers  of 


the  Crown  must  in  future  be  all 
peers.  He  was,  however,  con- 
vinced, from  long  experience  in 
public  affairs,  that  the  business  of 
the  country  could  not  be  well 
transacted,  unless  the  ministers 
had  seats  in  the  House  of  Com- 
mons. He  would  further  say,  that 
this  House  of  Commons  would  be- 
come too  much  the  image  of  the 
people.  The  danger  which  at  this 
moment  surrounded  their  lord- 
ships proved  the  accuracy  of  his 
position.  They  had  now  a  popu- 
lar House  of  Commons — a  dele- 
gate House  of  Commons.  That 
House  had  passed  this  measure, 
and  their  lordships  were  now  told 
that  nothing  was  left  for  them  to 
do  but  to  record  and  register  the 
decree  of  the  Commons.  He  con- 
cluded by  moving  that  **  this  bill 
be  rejected." 

After  lord  Mulgrave  had  spoken 
in  support  of  the  bill,  and  lord 
Mansfield  against  it.  Lord  Wharn- 
cliffe  rose  to  «ary  the  form  of  his 
amendment.  *OEIe  had  just  been 
informed  that,  as  it  then  stood, 
his  amendment  might  possibly 
be  interpreted  as  an  affront  to 
the  House  of  Commons.  No- 
thing could  be  farther  from  his 
intentions  and  wishes,  and  he 
therefore  begged  leave  to  with- 
draw it,  and  to  propose  in  its  stead 
that  the  bill  be  read  a  second  time 
that  day  six  months.  Lord  Hol- 
land felt  it  would  be  improper  for 
their  lordships  to  assent  to  this 
proposition.  Lord  Wharncliffe  re- 
peated that,  so  far  was  he  from 
wishing  or  intending  to  show  any 
disrespect  to  the  House  of  Com- 
mons, that  he  would  not  divide  the 
House  upon  his  amendment,  and 
therefore  in  courtesy  he  hoped  he 
should  be  permitted  to  withdraw  it 
in  its  present  form.  Lord  Holland 
and  lord  Flunket  would  not  ac- 


262]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


cede  to  the  withdrawal.  Lord 
Grey  was  desirous  that  it  should 
be  recorded  oii  the  journals  that 
a  bill  sent  up  by  the  House  of 
Commons  had  been  met  with 
the  most  unusual  and  harsh>  and 
most  extraordinary  motion  of  an 
u  nqualified  rejection .  But^  at  last^ 
after  some  disoussiou,  lord  Wharn- 
cliffe  was  permitted  to  withdraw 
his  amendment  and  to  move  that 
the  bill  be  read  a  second  time  that 
day  six  months. 

The  debate  was  resumed  on  the 
4th  of  October  by  lord  Winchil- 
sca>  who  opposed  the  bill.  He  was 
of  opinion  that  the  influence,  which 
some  individuals  exercised  through 
the  means  of  the  decayed  boroughs, 
was  a  great  evil ;  that  representa- 
tives ought  to  be  given  to  the 
principal  manufacturing  towns^ 
and  additional  representatives  to 
the  larger  and  more  important 
counties.  To  accomplish  these 
latter  purposes  he  was  ready  to 
agree  to  the  disfraj^chisement  of 
boroughs,  which  had'ij'either  houses 
nor  inhabitants,  but  he  was  not 
prepared  to  assent  to  the  sweeping 
extinction  which  was  to  be  effect- 
ed by  schedule  A.  A  more  judi- 
cious course  would  have  been  to 
have  allowed  many  of  the  places 
included  in  it  to  retain  one  mem- 
ber, and  to  have  created  a  suffi- 
cient constituency  by  extending 
the  franchise  to  the  adjacent  pa- 
rish or  hundred.  He  objected  to 
many  of  the  details  of  the  measure^ 
especially  to  the  provision  for  con- 
ferring members  on  various  dis- 
tricts in  and  about  the  metropolis  } 
and  he  was  convinced  that  it  would 
give  to  the  popular  power,  an  un- 
due preponderance  which  would 
be  fatal  to  the  equilibrium  of  the 
constitution. 

The    present    bill^    said    lord 
liarrowby,  would  throw  aside  a 


constitution  Vhich  had  proved 
beneficial,  and  adopt  theoretical 
views  as  a  substitute.  The  peo- 
ple fiincied  there  existed  bad  go- 
vernment. This  was  impossible ; 
good  government  produced  pros- 
perity and  the  country  was  pros- 
perous. The  noble  lord  contend- 
ed that  the  bill  was  too  democratic, 
and  had  misled  the  people,  who 
expected  from  it  cheap  bread,  and 
a  repeal  of  the  taxes.  If  the  taxes 
were  repealed  to  the  extent  de** 
'  sired,  it  must  be  at  the  cost  of  the 
honour  and  credit  of  the  country. 
It  was  argued  that,  if  the  parlia- 
ment was  reformed,  we  should  not 
have  war ;  but  in  truth  demo- 
cratic governments  were  the  most 
warlike,  and  the  wars  in  which  the 
country  had  been  engaged  were 
carried  on  by  the  wishes  of  the 
people.  He  was  willinp^  to  dimi- 
nish the  number  of  mcxMisider- 
able  places  which  sent  members  to 
parliament  $  and  he  believed  it 
was  desirable  to  give  representa- 
tives to  large  towns.  Though  all 
interests  were  efficiently  represent- 
ed in  parliament,  as  now  consti- 
tuted, a  change  of  some  sort  was 
necessary  to  ensure  attachment  ta 
the  government :  but  a  reasonable 
method  ought  to  be  adopted  to  se« 
cure  such  attachment,  and  not  the 
proposed  noeasure.  The  whole  of 
the  bill  was  founded  upon  such  a 
principle  %\i9X  it  was  impossible 
that  their  lordships  could  nass  it. 
He  had  tried  to  mend  it  and  found 
it  impossible.  The  |irinciple  of 
population  was  not  the  true  basis 
upon  which  representation  ought 
to  be  established.  The  lines  drawn 
in  the  boroughs  and  towns  were 
liable  to  much  objectiouj  and  the 
greatest  anomalies  existed  in  the 
bill.  The  existing  constitution  was 
not  established  upon  any  one  parti- 
cular principlej  but  was  created  by 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[263 


circumstances  and    the  wants  of 
the  people  at  various  periods.     A 
balance  ought  to  exist  between  the 
agricultural    and     manufacturing 
interest,  and  those  interests  were 
equally  and  fairly  represented  by 
the  present  system.     He  objected 
also  to  the  enormous  numbers  of 
voters  which  were  created  by  the 
bill.     In  no  country  did  such  a 
number  of  votes  exist  as  in  this 
country  at  present.      In  France, 
with  a    population  of   thirty- two 
millions,  there  were  only  200,000 
voters.     In  England,  with  a  popu- 
lation of  twelve  millions,   the  bill 
created  one  million  of  electors :  one 
class  of  voters  alone  would  govern 
the  whole  elections,    and  it    was 
easy  to  know  what  class  of  per- 
sons would  be  elected,  where  the 
qualification    was    brought    down 
to  3s,  6d»  per  week.     Lord  Har- 
rowby  concluded  by  stating  that, 
when  he  found  that  the  adminis- 
tration of  the  Duke  of  Wellington 
could  not  stand,  he  hailed  with 
satisfaction    the    calling   of    lord 
Grey  to  the  councils  of  the  state, 
because  he  looked  not  to  Mr.  Grey, 
but  to  lord  Grey,  and  he  had  hoped 
that  he  should  have  been  able  to 
support  him .     Had  the  noble  lord 
steered  a  middle  course,  he  would 
have  had  the  support  of  all  those 
who  were  favourable  to  a  measure 
of  reform.     But  what  was  the  use 
of  supporting  the  second  reading 
of  this  bill  with  a  view  to  its  being 
amended  in  the  committee  ?     The 
other  House  said,  that  they  would 
admit  amendments  which  did  not 
interfere  with  the  general  princi^ 
pie  of  the  bill.     But  how'  did  they 
keep  their  promise  ?     They  might 
talk    of   bribery   and   corruption, 
but    never   was  there    any  thing 
experienced  equal  to  the  bribery 
thrown  out  by  this  bill  to  at  least 


500,000  persons.     He  contended 
that  the   majority  of  the   people 
knew  nothing  of    what    this  bill 
would  do ;  they  supported  it  be- 
cause they  believed  it  would  give 
them    cheap   food.     And   he  also 
contended  that  both  Houses  of  par- 
liament were   there    to    legislate 
upon    measures     brought     before 
them,  and  not  to  be  led  away  by 
the  popular  cry  to  pass  this  or  that 
measure.     It  was  asked  what  did 
they  expect    from    opposing   this 
measure.^     Why,    there   was    al- 
ways something  to  be  got  by  de- 
ciding honestly.      But  there  was 
another  object  in  this  opposition ; 
it  would  give  the  other  House  and 
the    country    an    opportunity   of 
more  fully  considering  this  mea- 
sure of  reform. 

Lord  Melbourne  supported  the 
bill.  The  duke  of  Wellington, 
after  some  introductory  remarks, 
referred  to  the  language  in  which 
lord  Crrey  had  spoken  of  the  House 
of  Commons  in  February,  1817. 
'  Constituted  as  it  now  is,'  said 
lord  Grey  at  that  time,  'he  in  his 
conscience,  believed^  that  the  House 
of  Commons  was^  of  all  institu- 
tions, in  all  countries  in  the  world, 
the  best  calculated  for  the  general 
protection  of  tlie  subject."  In 
1 830  he  the  duke  of  Wellington, 
had  [H*onouHced  an  opinion  in 
parliament,  on  the  subject  of  re- 
form, of  which  the  noble  earl  had 
pronounced  his  disapprobation. 
What  he  said  on  that  occasion, 
was,  that  he  approved  of  the  con- 
stitution of  parliament ;  and  if  he 
were  to  invent  a  constitution  for 
parliament  over  again,  he  would 
not  say,  that  he  would  adopt  the 
same  as  it  now  existed,  because 
the  invention  of  man  could  not 
accomplish  it,  but  he  would  en- 
deavour to  ftmme  one  like  it,  in 


264] 


ANNUAL    REGISTER,  IB31. 


which  property  should  preponder- 
ate. He  had  made  this  statement 
as  a  minister  of  the  Crown  ;  and 
as  a  minister  of  the  Crown  he  con- 
ceived that  he  was  hound  to  resist 
all  projects  of  parliamentary  re- 
form. The  noble  earl  had  said, 
that  it  was  this  sentence^  delivered 
by  him,  which  had  created  that  spi« 
rit  of  reform  which  now  pervaded 
the  whole  country.  Not  so:  that 
spirit  of  reform  had  originated  last 
year  with  the  French  revolution. 
Ever  since  the  American  war,  the 
minds  of  the  people  of  this  coun- 
try had  been  occasionally  disturbed 
by  this  spirit  of  reform.  When  any 
insurrection  grew  up  in  Europe,  a 
desire  of  reform  was  exhibited  in 
England.  But  he  thought  that^ 
for  some  years  past,  there  had  been 
fewer  manifestations  of  any  de- 
sire for  reform,  previous  to  the 
French  revolution  in  July  1830, 
than  in  former  periods.  Unhappily 
two  days  after  the  issue  of  the  or- 
dinances of  Paris,  his  majesty  dis- 
solved the  parliament  in  a  speech 
from  the  throne  in  that  House : 
and  the  elections  were^  no  doubt, 
conducted  with  a  stronger  spirit 
of  parliamentary  reform,  and  se- 
veral candidates  who  refused  to 
give  a  pledge  upon  that  question 
lost  their  seats.  But,  neither 
what  occurred  in  parliament  in 
November,  1830,  nor  what  had 
happened  afterwards  respecting 
his  majesty's  visit  to  the  city,  was 
at  all  attributable  to  the  question 
of  parliamentary  reform.  As  to 
what  occurred  in  London,  as  far 
as  he  was  concerned,  he  had  spoken, 
on  the  2nd  of  November,  the  words 
referred  to ;  he  had  placed  certain 
papers  in  the  king's  hands,  on 
Friday,  the  5th,  and  received  his 
majesty's  commands  on  Sunday, 
the  7th ;  therefor^  to  attribute  to 


him,  or  to  the  subject  of  parlia- 
mentary reform,  merely  as  parlia- 
mentary reform,  the  effects  ascrib- 
ed to  them,  was  inconsistent  with 
facts.  The  state  of  the  public 
mind  in  London,  and  generally 
throughout  the  country,  both  in 
the  south  and  in  the  north  of 
England,  was  to  be  attributed  to 
the  French  revolution  and  that  of 
Belgium,  and  not  to  the  question 
of  reform.  The  noble  earl  had 
thought  proper  to  blame  him  and 
his  colleagues  for  having  written 
to  the  lord  mayor  the  letter  in 
which  his  majesty  declined  his 
promised  visit  to  the  city.  But 
he  begged  to  know  why  his  ma- 
jesty had  not  yet  gone  to  the  city  ? 
Were  he  and  his  colleagues  ri^ht 
or  wrong  in  what  they  did  on  that 
occasion  }  The  noble  lord  at  the 
head  of  the  home  department  had 
papers  which  would  enable  him  to 
judge  whether  the  late  ministers 
had  been  right  or  wrong  in  the 
advice  they  had  given  his  majesty. 
If  they  were  wrong,  he  should  like 
to  know  why  his  majesty  had  not 
yet  been  to  visit  his  loyal  citizens  ? 
It  was  plain,  then,  that  the  disso- 
lution of  the  late  government  had 
nothing  to  do  with  the  question  of 
parliamentary  reform.  *^We  re- 
tired,'* said  he,  ^*  not  because  we  did 
not  declare  ourselves  advocates  of 
reform,  but  because  we  had  lost 
the  confidence  of  the  House  of 
Commons."  The  noble  earl  was 
called  upon  to  form  an  administra- 
tion ;  and  it  was  important  to  bear 
in  mind,  that  when  he  first  an- 
nounced to  their  lordships  that  he 
had  obtained  his  majesty's  permis- 
sion to  propose  a  plan  of  reform  as 
a  government  measure,  he  stated 
that  ^'  he  wished  to  stand  as  much 
as  he  could  upon  the  fixed  and 
settled  institutions  of  the  country ; 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[265 


feeling  that  some  reform  was  ne- 
cessary, the  principle  on  which 
he  wished  to  regulate  it — ^for  the 
task,  he  believed^  would  on  all 
sides  be  considered  as  one  of  no 
small  difficulty — would  be  that  of 
doing  as  much  as  was  necessary  to 
secure  to  the  people  a  due  influ- 
ence in  that  council  in  which  they 
were  nominally  considered  to  be 
peculiarly  represented^  and  of  re- 
storing by  that  means  a  satisfac- 
tion and  confidence  in  the  deter- 
minations of  parliament^  without 
which  the  government  could  not 
long  proceed  in  comfort  and  safety. 
A  reform,  extensive  to  this  degree 
— and  if  it  were  not  extensive  to 
this  degree,  it  would  be  inefficient, 
he  wished  to  see  adopted ;  limited, 
however,  by  a  due  regard  to  the 
settled  institutions  of  the  country, 
and  not  accompanied  by  those  great 
and  sudden  changes,  which  must 
produce  their  disturbance,  if  not 
their  destruction."  The  question 
was,  then,  whether  the  noble  earl 
had  adhered  to  these  his  solemn 
declarations — whether  the  present 
bill  was  founded  on  the  principles 
and  practice  of  the  constitution  } 
He  (the  Duke  of  W.)  answered. 
No.  For  the  bill  violated  both  the 
principles  and  practice  of  the  con- 
stitution. It  went  to  establish  a 
new  system  of  representation  in 
every  county,  borough,  and  town  in 
the  united  kingdom,  withtheexcep- 
tion  of  the  two  universities.  The 
town  representation  would  be  placed 
in  the  hands  of  close,  self-elected 
committees,  like  that  which  had 
appointed  itself  in  the  metropolis 
at  the  close  of  the  last  session, 
and  which  dissolved  itself  only  in 
consequence  of  the  notice  which  its 

f proceedings  had  attracted  in  par- 
iament.  The  undue  enlargement 
of  the  powers  of  the  town  consti-* 
tuency  would  entirely  destroy  the 


balance  of  the  agricultural  repre- 
sentation of  the  counties,  which, 
even  under  the  existing  system, 
was  not  quite  equal  to  what  the 
national  interests  required.  The 
towns  already  exercised  an  extra- 
ordinary influence  in  the  election 
of  the  county  representatives :  and 
the  evil  would  be  aggravated  ten- 
fold by  the  clause  of  the  bill  which 
gave  votes  to  leaseholders  and  copy- 
holders. He  could  not  say.  how 
the  measure  would  aflect  the  re- 
presentation of  Scotland:  but  he 
could  not  forget  the  emphatic  de- 
claration of  the  late  lord  Liver- 
pool, that  no  country  was  better 
governed,  or  had  advanced  more 
in  commerce,  wealth,  intelligence, 
and  prosperity,  than  Scotland^ 
within  the  last  sixty  or  seventy 
years.  And  yet  the  system  which 
had  produced  these  admirable  re- 
sults was,  forsooth,  about  to  be 
done  away  with,  to  make  room  for 
one  wholly  alien  to  the  habits  of 
the  Scotch  people,  and  which,  as 
in  England,  would  give  the  town 
constituency  a  preponderating  in- 
fluence in  county  elections.  Then 
in  Ireland,  of  which  he  could  speak 
with  more  confidence,  the  schemes 
of  ministers  would  eflect  changes 
which  were  still  more  extensive. 
He  and  the  supporters  of  the  Ca- 
tholic relief  bill  had  vainly  sup- 
posed, some  two  years  ago,  that 
they  had  settled  for  ever  the  ques- 
tion of  political  collision  between 
the  Catholic  and  Protestant  inha- 
bitants of  that  country.  But  the 
bill,  by  giving  a  vote  to  all  leasehold- 
ers of  a  certain  rate  in  counties,  and 
every  10/.  town  householder,  would 
place  the  whole  elective  power  in 
the  hands  of  the  Catholics.  The 
bill,  besides,  would  do  away  with 
the  system  of  non-resident  freemen. 
In  Ireland,  this  provision  would 
be  fatal  to  the  Protestant  infiu«< 


26^]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


encc  in  the  twelve  close  corpora- 
tions which  had  been  established 
there  in  the  time  of  James  I^  for 
the  security  of  the  Protestant  es- 
tablishments in  church  and  state. 
At  present  the  members  of  those 
corporations  were  generally  Pro- 
testants and  non-resident ;  and  it 
was  plain  that  if  the  inhabitants, 
chiefly  Catholics,  were  entitled  to 
rote,  and  the  franchise  of  the  non- 
residents were  abolished,  the  consti- 
tuency must  fall  into  the  hands  of 
the  Catholics.  This  grievance 
would  be  particularly  felt  by  the 
corporations  of  towns,  which  were 
counties  in  themselves ;  because 
when  they,  on  the  passing  of  the 
Catholic  relief  bill,  pressed  for  the 
abolition  of  the  40^.  freeholders, 
in  these  towns  as  well  as  in  coun- 
ties, they  were  told  there  was  no 
occasion,  as  they  had  and  would 
retain  the  power  of  adding  ae/  libi- 
tum to  the  number  of  their  non- 
resident freemen.  In  Ireland,  as 
in  Scotland  and  England,  the  con- 
stituency would  be  essentially  de- 
mocratic, and  their  representatives 
would  be  a  fierce  and  violent  de- 
mocratic assembly.  How  was  a 
constitutional  government  to  man- 
age such  a  body  ?  How,  for  ex- 
ample, could  ministers  refuse  to 
bestow  members  on  the  great  un- 
represented towns  omitted  in  sche- 
dules C  and  D  ?  If  some  towns 
were  to  return  two  members  mere- 
ly because  their  population  hap- 
pened to  be  something  above  4,000, 
how  would  they  refuse  a  town  with 
30,000  or  40,000  inhabitants  at 
least  one  representative  ?  And  if 
the  principle  of  population  and 
numbers  were  once  adopted,  must 
not  a  sweeping,  violent,  levelling 
democracy  be  the  result  ?  *'  No," 
say  ministera,  *'  there  is  no  fear  of 
a  democracy,  because  the  people  of 
this  country  are  uoalterabiy  at« 


tached  to  the  conatitation  of  King, 
Lords,  and  Commons."  If  so,  then, 
he  would  ask,  why  hesitate  to  go 
the  full  length  of  popular  reform, 
and  grant  at  once  universal  suf- 
frage and  annual  parliaments  ?  If 
ministers  had  such  trust  in  the 
rooted  aflPections  of  the  people 
for  a  limited  monarchy,  with 
Lords  and  Commons,  why  not 
trust  them  with  a  still  more  ex- 
tensive system  of  sufllrage  ?  He 
should  like  to  know  how  the  king 
could  exercise  his  constitutional 
pr^ogative  of  choosing  his  own 
ministers  in  a  House  of  Commons 
constituted  as  all  future  houses 
must  be  under  the  bill?  The 
king  was  the  head  of  all  the  civil 
and  religious  establishments  of  the 
state,  and  no  political  appointment 
could  be  made,  or  tax  expended,  bat 
by  his  mandate.  How  could  the 
king  freely  exercise  these  preroga- 
tives, if  parliament  were  tne  mere 
creature  of  the  peopIe*s  will,  and 
ministers  wholly  dependent  upon 
its  favour  for  the  means  of  car- 
rying on  the  government  ?  He 
would  contend  that  the  govern- 
ment of  the  country  must  pos- 
sess a  certain  decree  of  influence 
in  the  House  of  Commons,  in 
order  to  conduct  and  carry  on 
the  administration  of  puMic  af- 
fairs. The  mere  confidence  and 
support  of  its  friends  would  not 
do.  The  executive  government 
must  possess  the  means,  the  power, 
of  carrying  its  determinations  into 
eflect.  Instances  occurred  every 
week,  even  with  the  House  of 
Commons  which  had  been  chosen 
under  the  existingsystem,in  which 
that  influence  was  manifestly  re- 
quired. If  this  question  should  be 
carried,  a  discussion  would  follow 
quickly  with  regard  to  the  exist- 
ence of  the  church  of  England  in 
Ireland,    That  diurch  in  Ireland^ 


HISTORY   OF   EUROPE. 


[267 


they  were  bound  to  maintain  by 
the  articles  of  the  union  between 
the  two  countries.  When  they 
should  have  1 05  members  returned 
to  parliament  by  the  Roman  Ca- 
tholic hierarchy— -did  the  noble 
lord  imagine  that  under  such  cir- 
cumstances, it  would  be  possible 
to  find  any  means  to  enable  the  king 
to  maintain  the  church  of  Eng- 
land in  that  country  ?  Who  were 
the  persons,  he  would  ask,  who  al- 
ready made  constant  attacks  on  the 
church — who  carried  on  a  descrip- 
tion  of  opposition  in  parliament, 
which  occasioned  serious  difficult- 
ies to  the  present  government? 
Why,  the  very  members  who  sat 
in  parliament  for  large  towns  and 
popular  counties  in  Ireland,  and 
who  had  been  returned  by  that 
particular  influence  to  which  he 
had  called  their  lordships'  atten- 
tion. He  would  ask  the  noble 
earl  (Grey)  whether  he  had  not 
already,  in  the  course  of  the  pre- 
sent session  of  parliament,  felt  some 
inconvenience  from  the  communi- 
cations which  he  had  had  with 
those  Irish  members  who  bad  in 
a  certain  degree  erected  themselves 
into  a  distinct  and  independent 
body  ?  Was  it  not  true,  that  the 
secretary  for  Ireland,  in  the  House 
of  Commons,  was  under  the  ne- 
cessity, even  in  the  present  state 
of  parliament,  of  yielding  to  the 
particular  influence  of  these  men, 
and  of  abandoning  a  measure  which 
he  had  brought  forward  connect- 
ed with  the  government  of  Ire- 
land ?  If  this  measure  should  be 
carried,  the  influence  to  which  he 
had  referred  would  become  so  pre- 
dominant in  theHouse  of  Commons, 
that  it  would  render  the  conduct 
of  the  government  of  the  country  ab- 
solutely impossible ;  and  force,  or 
something  like  it^  would  be  necessary 


to  carry -the  ordinary  operations  of 
the  executive  into  effect.  A  small 
step  taken  in  this  matter  could 
never  be  retraced.  In  taking  a 
single  step  they  might  go  too  far, 
but,  if  they  once  took  that  step, 
they  must  proceed  in  a  course, 
which,  after  exposing  them  to  all 
the  horrors  of  a  democratic  revolu- 
tion, would  most  probably  termin- 
ate in  the  establishment  of  a  mili- 
tary despotism,  with  all  the  evils 
attendant  upon  that  system  of  go« 
vernment.  There  was  no  country 
in  the  universe  in  which  so  much 
happiness,  so  much  prosperity,  and 
so  much  comfort  were  diffiised 
amongst  all  the  various  classes  of 
society ;  none  in  which  so  many  and 
such  large  properties,  l)oth  public 
and  private,  were  to  be  found  as  in 
England.  Such  was  the  condition 
of  this  country  under  that  system 
which  was  now  so  greatly  con- 
demned. We  enjoyed,  under  that 
system,  the  largest  commerce,  and 
the  most  flourishing  colonies  in  the 
world.  There  was  not  a  position 
in  Europe  in  any  degree  important 
for  military  purposes,  or  advanta- 
geous for  trade,  which  was  not  un- 
der our  control,  or  within  our  reach. 
All  those  great  and  numerous  ad- 
vantages we  possessed  under  the 
existing  system  3  but  it  would  he 
impossible  that  we  should  any 
longer  retain  them,  if  we  once  esta- 
blished a  wild  democracy,  a  com- 
plete  democratic  assemk^y,  under 
the  name  of  a  House  of  Commons. 

On  the  two  following  evenings, 
lord  Dudley  and  Ward,  lord  Had- 
dington, and  lord  Carnarvon,  were 
the  principal  speakers  against  the 
bill ;  and  lord  Lansdowne,  lord 
Goderich,  and  lord  Flunkett,  in 
its  favour. 

On  the  fifth  and  last  night  of 
the  debate  the  discussion  was  be-. 


268]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


gun  by  lord  Wynford.  He  was 
followed  by  lord  Eldon,  who  con- 
demned the  measure  as  subversive 
of  the  rights  of  property  as  well  as 
of  the  monarchy,  and  of  every 
principle  acknowledged  by  the  con- 
stitution. ''  When  we  come/'  said 
the  venerable  peer,  *'  to  a  sweeping 
disfranchisement,  without  know- 
ing whether  any  or  all  of  these 
boroughs  have  been  guilty  of  mal- 
administration, give  me  leave  to 
ask,  what  security  is  there  for 
property  of  any  description  ?  Are 
there  no  corporations  in  the  coun« 
try  but  close  corporations?  Are 
not  corporations  as  well  entitled  to 
the  privileges  which  they  hold  by 
charters  under  the  Great  Seal  of 
England,  as  your  lordships  are 
to  your  peerages?  Has  it  ever 
been  heard  of,  or  will  it  ever 
be  heard  of  in  the  history  of  this 
country,  that  the  lords  of  this 
House  should  take  upon  them- 
selves to  destroy  that  constitution, 
which  it  has  been  found  expe- 
dient to  preserve  from  age  to  age, 
and  which  it  lias  been  thought  ex- 
pedient never  to  destroy  until  this 
experiment  was  proposed?  Are 
you  now  to  sweep  away  all  the  cor- 
porations in  the  kingdom,  because 
they  are  close,  and  there  may  be 
abuses  in  them  ?  The  humble  in- 
dividual who  now  stands  before 
you  has  some  connexion  with  one 
of  these  corporations.  I  desire  to 
ask  any  one  who  knows  the  practice 
of  that  place,  with  respect  to  re- 
turning members  to  parliament, 
whether  there  is  any  place  in  the 
world  which  has  sent  more  proper 
members  to  the  House  of  Com- 
mons than  that  ?  Well  then,  my 
lords,  what  is  this  sweeping  dis- 
franchisement that  you  propose  ? 
It  is,  first,  to  put  an  end  to  all  the 
boroughs  in  schedule  A ;  secondly^ 


it  is  to  destroy  all  the  corporations 
in  the  country  3  and  thirdly,  if  it 
does  not  destroy  the  corporations, 
which,  to  a  certain  extent,  it 
does,  it  introduces  persons,  who 
have  no  connection  with  the  cor- 
poration, toj  vote  along  with  the 
corporators,  and  thus  to  destroy 
the  rights  of  those  corporators.  I 
am  a  freeman  of  Newcastle-upon- 
Tyne.  I  hold  it  to  be  one  of  the 
highest  honours  which  I  possess, 
and  I  consider  it  ought  to  be  an 
encouragement  to  all  the  young 
rising  men  of  that  place,  that  any 
man  in  this  country  possessing 
moderate  abilities,  improved  by  in- 
dustry, may  raise  himself  to  the 
highest  situation  in  the  country. 
For  God's  sake,  my  lords,  never  part 
with  that  principle.  I  received  my 
education  in  the  corporation  school 
of  that  town  on  cheap  terms.  As 
the  son  of  a  freeman  I  had  a  right 
to  it ;  and  I  had  hoped  that,  when 
my  ashes  were  laid  in  the  grave, 
I  might  have  given  some  memo- 
randum, that  boys,  situated  as  I 
was,  might  rise  to  be  chancellors  of 
England,  if,  having  the  advantage 
of  education,  they  were  honesty 
faithful,  and  industrious  in  their 
dealings.  But  this  bill  says,  that, 
although  the  king  gave  to  the  cor- 
poration of  Newcastle-upon-Tyne 
certain  privileges  which  have  never 
before  been  touched,  2,700  three- 
and-sixpence  a-week  men  shall  be 
brought  to  co-operate  with  these 
700  corporators.  Mr.  Fox  laid 
it  down,  that,  to  disfranchise  any 
place  because  even  a  majority  of 
the  electors  were  corrupt  would 
not  be  just,  unless  an  act  was  pre- 
viously passed,  declaring  that  it 
should  be  the  law,  that,  if  corrup- 
tion were  proved  against  a  majority, 
the  place  should  therebjr  be  disfran- 
chised.    About  the  time  of  the 


HISTORY   OF    EUROPE. 


[269 


French  revolution,  there  existed  in 
this  country  three  associations  of  a 
political  character — the  Friends  of 
the  People,  the  Corresponding  So- 
ciety, and  the  Constitutional  So- 
ciety. They  all  professed  them- 
selves friendly  to  reform,  but  none 
of  them  went  so  far  as  to  put  an 
end  to  all  existing  franchises. 
Two  of  these  societies  were  pro- 
ceeding pretty  nearly  in  the  same 
way  as  the  Unions  of  the  present 
day.  Dangerous  and  inflamma- 
tory publications  were  in  general 
circulation ;  delegates  were  sent 
over  to  France ;  and  had  steps  not 
been  taken  to  arrest  the  progress 
of  their  proceedings,  your  lord- 
ships would  not  now  be  sitting 
here.  Let  your  lordships  consent 
to  deprive  but  one  corporation,  nay, 
one  individual,  of  his  rights,  with- 
out proof  of  delinquency,  unac- 
cused and  unheard — sacrifice  your 
honour  but  in  one  case,  and  your 
glory  was  gone  for  ever.  The  pro- 
posed system  of  representation  is 
utterly  inconsistent  with  the  ex- 
istence of  the  House  of  Lords,  and 
if  this  measure  passes,  there  is  an 
end  to  the  monarchy. 

The  Lord  Chancellor,  after  re- 
viewing the  different  courses  taken 
by  the  principal  opponents  of  the 
bill,  denied  that  the  bill  was 
founded  upon  population,  and  not 
property.  How  could  it  be  said  that 
population  was  the  principle  of  the 
county  representation,  when  a  free- 
hold interest,  or  the  possession  of 
some  other  species  of  real  property, 
was  the  qualification.  Even  in  the 
boroughs,  property  alone  was  the 
principle  of  the  proposed  represent- 
ation. The  10/.  franchise  for 
country  towns  would  limit  the 
right  to  a  class  of  persons  in  whose 
hands  their  lordships  generally 
woidd  be  satisfied  to  see  it  placed. 
There  might  be  a  di^rence  of 


opinion  as  to  the  same  qualification 
for  London  and  some  other  large 
towns,  but  that  was  a  subject  for 
the  committee  to  consider  and  de- 
termine. His  opinions  upon  that 
part  of  the  measure,  and  he  now 
declared  it,  fearless  of  whom  it 
might  offend,  were  far  from  being 
satisfactorily  concluded.  He  would 
not  then  enter  into  any  explan- 
ation of  what  induced  him  to  con- 
sent to  the  introduction  of  a  uni-  i 
form  qualification  in  the  bill,  nor 
would  he  say  any  thing  that  should 
bind  him  to  adopt  any  proposed 
change ;  but  he  would  say,  that, 
whoever  was  favourable  to  a  modi- 
fication of  that  part  of  the  mea- 
sure, should  find  nim  ready  to  give 
it  his  deepest^consideration ;  and  be 
now  declared  that  it  was  empha- 
tically a  subject  for  deliberation  in 
committee,  and  for  such  alterations 
as  their  lordships  should  think 
fitting.  Another  objection  had 
been  made  to  the  working  of 
the  bill,  which  he  confessed  he  did 
not  find  it  easy  to  answer.  The 
right  of  the  crown  to  appoint  its 
ministers  was  undisputed  ;  and  it 
had  been  asked  how,  under  the 
bill,  could  that  right  be  exercised  ? 
He  did  not  see  how  the  defect  was 
to  be  remedied.  But  this  he  would 
say,  that,  if  he  had  to  choose  be- 
tween perpetuating  corruptions, 
which  had  been  exposed  and  de- 
precated by  every  writer,  from 
Dean  Swift  downwards,  and  run- 
ning the  risk  of  suffering  under 
the  inconvenience  apprehended,  he 
would  adopt  the  latter.  But  he 
was  not  in  so  hopeless  a  condition. 
If  any  plan  could  be  devised  which 
would  remedy  the  evil  and  steer 
clear  of  the  great  abuses  now  com- 
plained of,  such  plan  should  have 
his  most  serious  and  friendly  con- 
sideration ;  but,  if  no  such  plan 
cotild  be  discovered,  tlien  be  was 


270]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 

content  to  take  the  lesser  rather  lie  took  a  bye  way.    He  ffot  in 

than  the  greater  eFil^   and  make  with  as  little  dirt  as  he  could.    He 

the  change  proposed  by  the  bill,  bribed  not— he  corrupted  not*-* but 

It  had  been  said^  that  the  mem-  still  the  way  was  dirty>  and,  know-> 

bers  returned  under  this  bill  will  ing  it  to  be  dirty  from  experience, 

be  delegates.     In  the  first  place,  a  that  very  fact  made  him  the  more 

member  might  happen  to  be  a  de-  desirous  to  cleanse  it.      But    it 

legate,  although  there  was  but  one  was  said  the  system  worked  well  ? 

delegator.     Surely  there  could  be  Did  the  people  think  so  ?     If  it 

no  more  mischief  in  a  person  being  worked  well,  their  lordships  would 

delegated  by  4,000  persons,  than  not  at   this  moment    have    been 

by  one  or  fourteen.     A  noble  lord,  called  upon  to  alter  it,  and  there 

an  attorney,  or  a  Jew  jobber  and  would    not    have    been    Political 

loan  contractor,  who  sent  a  mem-  Unions  t&roughout  the  country  ? 

ber  through  a  rotten  borough,  was  It  had  been  asked,   what  benefit 

as  much  a  delegator  as  any  consti-  might  be  expected  to  result  from 

tuency  could  by  possibility  be.     A  the  change  ?     He  could  enumerate 

member  returned  by  a  real  consti-  many.     A  noble  earl  (Winchilsea) 

tuency,   if  a   delegate,    was  still  had  pronounced  a  long  and  severe 

honest ;    whereas  the  nominee  of  invective  against  the  licentiousness 

an  individual  was  returned  under  of  the  press,  and  had  sfud  that  the 

false   and   hypocritical    pretences,  worst    tyranny  that   was  experi- 

for  he  was  called  the  representative  enced  in  the  present  day  was  the 

of  the  people,  and  the  guardian  of  tyranny  exercised    by  the   press, 

their  interests,  while,  in  fact,  he  1  here  certainly  could  be  no  aoubt 

was    only    a    representative    and  that  the  press  exercised  a  great 

guardian  of  the  particular  inter-  sway  over  the  opinions  of  the  peo- 

ests  of  the  individual  who  had  dele-  pie.    But  he  was  convinced  that,  if 

gated  him.     It  was  monstrous  to  the  people  were  represented    by 

suppose  that  the  same  law  would  their  legitimate  organs,    namely, 

apply  to  parliament  at  the  present  parliamentary  representatives,  the 

time  as  formerly.  Formerly,  seats  in  press  would  lose  the  objectionable 

parliament  were  a  burthen,  but  now  portion  of  its  ascendancy.    When 

they  were  sought  after,  and  bought  the  people  obtained  proper  chan« 

and  prized.      Circumstances   had  nels  of  representation,  then,  and 

changed ;  and  the  real  innovators  not    until   then,    their   lordships 

were  those  who  proposed  to  main-  might  expect  to  see  the  press,  in- 

tain  the  laws  unaltered,  and  not  stead  of  exercising,  as  it  did,  an 

those  who  wished  to  adapt  them  unlimited  sway,  solely  engaged  in 

upon    old    principles    to    altered  correcting  the  errors  of  the  people, 

circumstances.      But   their  lord-*  the  errors  of  the  government,  and 

ships  had   been   told,  that  great  the  errors  of  the  representatives  of 

men,   under   the  present  system,  the  people.     All  that  was  unwhole- 

found  their  way  into  the  House  of  some  would  be  destroyed,  while  all 

Commons,    Because   a  way  was  that  was  desirable  would  be  pre- 

dirty,  and  people,  from  necessity,  served.     The  learned  lord  conclud- 

crossed  it  while  dirty,  was  that  a  ed  a  speech  of  brilliant  rhetoric,  by 

reason  why  it  should  not  be  swept?  emphatically  calling  on  their  lord- 

If  he  could  not  get  into  the  House  ships  not  to  disappoint  the  anxious 

of  Commons  by  a  direct  open  way«  expectations  of  tl^  people,  but  by 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[271 


allowing  the  bill  to  go  into  a  oom- 
mittee,  to  give  themselves  an  op* 
portUDity  of  judging  more  lei- 
surely  of  its  probable  effects. 

Lord  Lyndhurst  resisted  the 
bill,  because  it  appeared  to  him 
not  consistent  with  the  prerogative 
of  the  crown,  not  consistent  with 
the  authority  of  thejr  lordships' 
House — but,  above  all,  because  it 
was  detrimental  to  the  rights  and 
liberties  of  the  people.  It  was,  he 
said,  a  satisfaction  for  his  noble 
friends  and  himself  to  know,  that, 
if  they  erred  at  all,  they  erred 
under  high  authority.  The  prin- 
ciple which  they  were  supporting, 
had  been  advocated  by  the  most 
profound  philosophers  and  wisest 
statesmen.  On  this  point  great 
names  had  been  quoted,  and  others, 
the  highest  authorities  of  former 
times,  might  be  added ;  but  he 
should  pass  from  the  dead  to  the 
living,  and  state  that,  if  he  then 
erred,  he  erred  from  the  authority 
of  the  noble  lord  opposite  (lord 
Grey).  He  should  never  forget  a 
S[)eech  made  on  the  first  day  of  the 
last  parliament  by  the  noble  lord  at 
the  head  of  his  majesty*s  govern- 
ment. The  noble  lord  then  stated 
that  he  had,  in  early  life,  pursued 
this  subject  with  the  warmth,  per- 
haps rashness,  of  youth,  and  that,  in 
those  times,  he  had  gone  further 
than  at  a  later  period  he  w^as  pre- 
pared to  go.  Now  the  present 
measure  far  transcended  the  most 
extravagant  plans  of  his  early  cre- 
ation ;  and,  in  this  career,  one  false 
step  in  advance  was  irretrievable. 
The  learned  lord  on  the  woolsack 
had  frequently  maintained  opinions 
similar  to  those  which  he  (lord 
Lyndhurst)  then  supported.  Much 
reliance  had  been  placed  by  the 
supporters  of  the  bill  on  the  ma- 
jorities by  which  it  was  carried  in 
the  House  of  Commons*    No  man 


was  more  inclined  than  he  was  to 
treat  the  opinions  of  the  other 
House  of  Parliament  with  every 
possible  deference;  but  he  could 
not  forget  their  decisions  upon 
former  occasions.  During  the  last 
session,  the  second  reading  of  the 
bill  was  carried  by  a  majority  of 
only  one,  and  it  was  quite  clear 
from  other  divisions,  that  a  major- 
ity of  Uiat  House  wei^  men  lately 
adverse  to  the  bill.  In  looking  at 
the  votes  of  this  session,  he  took 
them  in  connexion  with  former 
votes,  and  it  was  by  judging  of  them 
together  that  he  could  best  ascer- 
tain the  real  opinions  of  the  Com- 
mons. Besides,  the  time  of  the 
dissolution  was  most  unseasonable, 
and  the  mode  of  putting  the  ques* 
tion  to  the  people  was  unwise.  In 
effect,  ministers  told  the  people 
that  they  were  defrauded  of  their 
rights,  and  they  asked  them — were 
they  willing  to  have  more  power  ? 
Could  there  be  any  doubt  of  the 
answer?  For  the  excitement 
which  had  prevailed,  ministers 
were  responsible.  They  had  put 
the  tranquillity  of  the  country  at 
peril,  and  upon  their  heads  rested 
the  responsibility.  He  rec(»llected 
an  article  in  the  government  press, 
in  which  excitement  was  urged ! 
The  language  was  unequivocal :  it 
recommended  the  supporters  of  re- 
form to  strike  in  the  face  of  their 
opponents.  This  was  a  part  of 
their  system,  and  it  was  not  to  be 
wondered  at,  under  these  circum* 
stances,  that  there  should  be  a 
large  return  of  reforming  mem- 
bers. The  most  unjustifiable  use 
ha<l  also  been  made  of  the  king's 
name.  It  was  held  out  at  the  elec- 
tions, that  the  reformers  were  con- 
tending for  an  object  in  which  his 
majesty  had  a  personal  interest. 
He  had  heard  it  asked  how  the 
bill  would   operate  ?     Some  an* 


272]       ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


swered  in  a  whisper^  that  it  would 
increase  the  aristocratic  influence ; 
others  said  it  would  be  impossible 
to  guesS;  until  the  experiment  was 
tried.  The  theory  of  the  constitu- 
tion was  formed  upon  practice,  and 
those  who  thought  that  the  con- 
stitution was  the  result  of  theory- 
inverted  the  order  of  things.  He 
did  not  mean  to  defend  the  consti- 
tution of  the  present  House  of 
Commons  in  all  its  parts  ;  but  he 
would  say,  that  he  felt  a  reluct- 
ance to  change  a  system  which  had 
existed  without  any  material  change 
for  the  last  1 60  years.  The  House 
of  Commons  was  now  the  same  as 
it  had  been  for  two  centuries,  and 
it  became  them  to  inquire  what 
this  stigmatised  House  of  Com- 
mons had  done.  What  had  not 
the  House  of  Commons  accom- 
plished in  gradually  working  out 
advantages  for  the  people  ?  The 
right  of  granting  monopolies,  the 
oppressive  and  inconvenient  rights 
of  purveyance,  that  of  levying  taxes 
without  the  consent  of  parliament, 
the  dispensing  power,  all  had  been 
overthrown  by  the  energy  and  pub- 
lic virtue  of  that  House  of  Com- 
mons which  they  were  now  so  de- 
sirous to  abolish.  So  far  from  any 
change  to  the  disadvantage  of  the 
House  of  Commons  having  taken 
place  in  modern  days^  at  no  period 
had  that  assembly  been  composed 
of  more  able,  intelligent,  virtuous, 
patriotic,  and  independent  men, 
than  during  the  last  fifteen  years. 
Whither  did  this  bill  lead?  At 
present  they  could  give  a  good  rea- 
son to  those  who  called  upon  them 
to  new-model  the  constitution. 
They  could  now  advance  the  argu- 
ment of  prescription.  But  when 
Horsham,  with  4,000  inhabitants, 
was  to  have  two  members,  and 
Huddersfield,  with  40,000,  was  to 
have  only  one,  how  were  they  to 


answer  the  reasonable  complaints 
of  Huddersfield  ?  The  bill  was  a 
measure  of  extensive  disiranchiie- 
ment,  transferring  by  wholesale  the 
representation  from  one  part  of  the 
country  to  another,  and  for  this  no 
reason  was  assigned.  The  elective 
franchise  was  said  to  be  a  trust 
coupled  with  an  interest.  And 
who  could  deny,  that  the  interest 
was  a  roost  valuable  one?  The 
office  of  Earl  Marshal  was  a  trust 
coupled  with  an  interest:  and  would 
it  not  be  hard  if  the  noble  duke 
were  deprived  of  this  hereditary 
trust  and  interest,  and,  when  called 
upon  to  divest  himself  of  it,  would 
it  not  be  reasonable  on  his  part  to 
ask  why?  Oh,  but  perhaps  it 
would  be  said,  the  privilege  was 
abused.  Why  this  was  wholly  in- 
consistent with  the  provisions  of 
this  very  bill.  The  right  was  pre- 
served by  the  bill  to  all  existing 
voters.  But  the  defects  and  ano- 
malies of  the  bill  all  vanished  into 
nothing  in  comparison  with  that 
consideration  which  had  pressed 
upon  his  mind  ever  since  he  be- 
came acquainted  with  the  minis- 
terial plan.  What  would  be  the 
new  composition  of  the  House  of 
Commons?  He  knew  what  the 
House  of  Commons  was.  He  had 
served  a  pretty  long  apprentice- 
ship there.  Even  at  present 
it  was  an  unmanageable  body. 
Then  what  would  it  become  after 
the  passing  i(>f  this  bill  ?  An  un- 
manageable democratic  assembly, 
too  much  for  the  Lords  and  too 
much  for  the  crown.  From  the 
moment  this  bill  came  into  oper- 
ation>  the  government  of  England 
would  be  essentially  a  republic. 
He  had  been  sworn  to  maintain 
the  monarchical  constitution  of 
Great  Britain.  To  that  constitu- 
tion he  was  seriously  attached,  from 
habit  and  reflection.     He  thought 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE.  [273 

a  republic  an  unceitaiD,  precaii-  and  learniDg,  who  GODtended  that, 
OU9,  fluctuating,  and  violent  system  by  law,  the  tithe  might  be  takea 
of  ^remment,  and  he  would  not  away  from  the  chunh,  and  ap- 
willingly  substitute  it  for  the  an-  plied  to,  what  they  called,  its 
cient  constitutional  monarchv  of  original  purposes.  What  waa  the 
England.  Would  the  Churcn  of  next  point  with  the  reformers  P 
Ireland  stand?  The  Protestants  Funded  property.  They  demand- 
of  Ireland  were  a  small  community;  edareductiooof  taxes  to  an  amount 
but,  hitherto,  they  had  possession  wholly  incompatible  with  the  pi'e- 
of  the  wealth  and  the  political  iiervation  of  national  faith.  Was 
power  of  the  country,  and  this  en-  this  visionary  ?  Who  was  the  fa- 
ahled  them  to  make  a  stand  against  vourite  candidate  for  Manchester? 
the  encroachments  of  the  Roman  Mr.  Cobbett.  He  had  alreadyex- 
Catholics.  It  was  impossible  that,  plained  his  views  tuhis  future  con- 
after  the  passing  of  this  bill,  the  stituents,  and  they  fiilly  concurred 
Church  of  Ireland  could  exist.  A  in  them.  But  who  supported  him  ? 
noble  lord,  on  presenting  a  petition  He  iias  siij:)[)ortc(l,  and  this  was 
the  other  night,  had  boasted  that  a  most  awful  sign  of  the  timeSf 
the  petitioners  desired  only  the  hill,  by  a  peer  of  great  talent  andexcel- 
and  had  abandoned  all  their  other  lentprivate  character,  who  wrote  a 
objects.  Couldhebesoiuuocentanil  letter  to  Mr.  Cobbett 'a  committee, 
simple  as  to  be  taken  in  by  this?  offering  a  subscription  to  secure  his 
Did  he  know  so  little  of  human  return,  and  approving  of  all  his 
nature  as  to  imagine  that  every  views,  and  particularly  of  every 
other  object  tvas  abandoned?  Were  word  of  tlieNorfolkpetition.  Then 
men  grown  all  at  once  so  rooder-  what  were  the  points  upon  which 
ate,  and  reasonable,  and  mild,  that,  this  Norfolk  petition  principally 
when  you  had  given  tlicra  power,  insisted  ?  The  firat  was  the  ap- 
they  would  not  use  it  for  the  at-  plication  of  church  property  in  di8> 
tainment  of  their  own  objects?  charge  of  the  publicdebt;  and  the 
The  noble  lords  who  opened  the  second,  an  equitable  adjustment 
flood-gates  of  insurrection  would  with  the  public  creditor,  or,  in 
be  swept  away  by  the  torrent,  not  other  words,  a  scandalous  and 
even  excepting  his  noble  and  flagrant  violation  of  public  faith, 
learned  iriend  on  the  woolsack,  who  Then  their  lordships  were  thrcat- 
though  he  might  be  enitbled,  by  ened  in  all  imaginable  ways,  in 
hia  peculiar  dexterity,  elasticity,  newspapers  and  pamphlets,  and  by 
aati  vigour,  to  float  for  a  time  upon  hypocritical  advisers,  who,  in  the 
the  tide,  and  play  his  gambols  on  garbofanonymouspamphlcts, Tent- 
its  surface,  would  at  last  sink  with  ed  their  menaces,  their  insults,  and 
the  rest.  When  men  cried  out  for  theirmalice;  and  within  the  walls 
reform,  it  was  not  a  barren  reform  of  that  House,  though  the  noble 
that  they  desired.  They  did  not  earl  and  his  learned  friend  upon 
wish  for  reform  for  its  own  sake,  the  woolsack  had  not  employed  di- 
butforthe  sakeof  its  consequences  rect  terms  of  menace,  their  lan- 
— the  subversion  of  church  pro-  guage  implied  it  as  strongly  as  any 
perty,  particularly  tithes.  It  was  of  their  incendiary  supporters  of 
one  of  the  most  remarkable  signs  of  the  public  press.  If  he  thought 
the  tiroes,  that  there  were  to  be  their  lordships  capable  of  bending 
found  lawyers  of  great  eminence  to  the  ignoble  motive  of  fear,  he 
Vol.  LXXIIl.                                [TJ                          


274]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


would  be  asAmmed  of  the  dignity  he 
had  acquired^  would  bury  hiiusdf 
in  obscurity,  aud  avoid  to  show  his 
face  within  these  desecrated  wall«. 
Their  lordships  were  placed  there 
as  a  barrier  a^inst  the  Crown,  and 
bound  to  protect  it  against  its  own 
imprudence  and  folly,  if  such  quali- 
ties should  unfortU£iate)y  ever  foe 
exhibited.  They  were  f^aced 
there  as  a  barrier  against  the 
ministers  of  the  Crown  in  case 
they  should  betray  the  €Overeign, 
or  seek  to  subvert  the  liberties 
of  the  people,  or  attempt  any  inva- 
sion of  the  rights  of  any  otiier  order 
of  the  state.  They  were  placed 
there  as  a  barrier  against  rash,  dan- 
gerous,  and  hasty  legislation,  when- 
ever attempted  by  the  other  House 
of  Parliament.  This  was  the  crisis 
of  their  fate.  If  they  now  timidly 
abdicated  their  trust,  they  would 
never  be  able  to  resume  it.  The 
rights  and  liberties  of  the  people, 
together  with  their  own  pro})erties 
and  titles,  would  be  trampled  in 
the  dust.  Their  properties  and 
titles  they  had  receivea  as  a  trust, 
and,  if  they  suffered  them  to  be 
disgraced  in  their  hands,  they 
would  be  degraded  for  ever.  Peril- 
ous as  their  position  was,  he  felt 
that  they  stood  upon  a  pinnacle  be-* 
fore  the  face  of  the  world,  and,  if 
they  did  their  duty  as  became  them, 
they  would  receive  the  approbation 
of  their  own  conscience,  and  the 
applause  of  an  enlightened  and 
honourable  community. 

Lord  Tenterden  could  not  view 
without  great  dissatisfaction  the 
rights  of  all  corporate  bodies, 
M'hether  acquired  by  charter  or 
prescription j  treated  with  the  con*- 
tempt  which  was  shown  towards 
them  by  this  bill.  If  it  had  been 
intended  only  to  transfer  the  right 
of  representation  from  the  unsound 
to  the  more  healthy  parts  of  the 


community,  he  cliould  not  hmn  tuf^ 
posed  the  scheme.  He  reePQetod 
the  middle  ranks  of  sodety ;  Le  was 
bound  todo  so,  Cor  he  apraogfixNn 
among  them.  But  he  could  not 
consent  to  confer  upon  then  power 
going  infinitely  beyoftd  any  thing 
they  had  ever  desired ;  Boreouidiie 
agree  to  put  the  whole  taslatutMW 
dr  the  eouatr  y  upon  aa  ^itirdy  new 
looting,  In  oe^eveiioe  to  aaf  riews 
of  expediency. 

Tiie  Ardibiskop  id  Ctfiter»- 
bury  opposed  the  hill,  be  aaid, 
from  an  honest  pereuasloii  of  its 
misditevous  tendency,  and  of  the 
danger  to  which  it  would  ex- 
pose the  fabric  af  die  eonstitution. 
rhe  Duke  of  (Sussex  supported  the 
bill :  and  the  Duke  of  Gloucester, 
thou^  he  had  long  desired  to  see  a 
safe  and  temperate  plan  of  reform 
brought  forward,  considered  the 
preeent  scheme  to  be  a  pronositioa 
for  a  new  constitution,  ana  there* 
fore  opposed  it. 

Lord  Grey,  in  his  reply,  am. 
plained  that  the  opposition  to  the 
measure  seemed  to  be  carried  on, 
less  with  a  view  to  defeat  the  bill, 
than  to  drive  its  advocates  from 
office.  He  repeated,  that  to  the 
present  measure,  or  to  one  id  equal 
extent,  he  was  pledged :  and  if  a 
more  moderate  scheme  would 
satisfy  the  people,  although  no 
qnan  could  be  more  happy  (o  see 
that  result,  he  would  not  be  the 
{lerson  to  introduce  such  a  mea- 
sure. As  to  what  course  be  should 
follow  under  those  circumstances, 
it  was  for  him  to  consider.  But 
this  much  he  would  say,  that  he 
should  be  culpable  if  he  were  to 
resign  his  office,  and  abandon  his 
king)  so  long  as  he  could  be  of  use 
to  nim  ;  for  he  was  bound  to  him 
by  gratitude  as  great  as  ever  sub** 
ject  owed  a  sovereign* 

The  House  then  proceeded  to 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPl. 


[275 


divide  )-»>the  numbara  were,  Coii«> 
tents,  Pk«sent  128-^Proxies  30 1 
1 58  :    Not-Contents,  Pf^eent  ]  50 


«<*Proxie8  49;    199.     Leaving  a 
majority  of  41  against  the  bill.* 
The  dirtston  in  the  House  of 


List  of  thb  CaHTa|iT8. 


His  R,  H.  the  Duke  of 

Sussex. 

DiiXret, 

Brandon  and  Hamillpn 

Devonshire 

Grafton 

Norfolk 

Richmond 

St.  Alban's. 

Marquesses. 

Anglesey 

Cleveland 

Hastings 

Lansdowne 

Queensberry 

VVestmeath 

Westminster 

Winchester. 

Eurh. 

Albemarle 

Amherst 

Camperdown 

Carlisle 

Cawdor 

Charlemont 

Chichester 

Clarendon 

Comwallls 

Cowper 

Craven  • 

Denbigh 

Essex 

Gosford 

Grey 

Hillsborough  (MarquUof 

Dovnshire) 
Ilchester 
Lichfield 
Manven 
Minto 
Morley 
Mulgrave 
Munster 
Onslofv 
Oxford 
Porafret 
Radnor 
Romney 
Suffolk 
Thanet. 


Bolingbroke  . 

Falkland 

Goderich 

Granvillet, 

Hood 

Leinster  (D,  of  Leintter). 

Barons, 

Abercromby 
Alvanley 
Attdl^ 
Barbara 
Belhaven 

Boyle  (Earl  of  Cork) 
Braybrooke 
Brougham 
Byron 

Chaworth  (£.  of  Maath) 
Clements  (E.  of  Leitrim) 
Clifton  (E.  of  Daniley) 
Clinton 
Cloncurry 
Dacre 

Davnay  (ViscDowne) 
De  Clifford 
De  Saumarez 
Dinorben 
Dormer 
Dover 
Ducie 
Dunalley 
Dundas 

Dunmore  (E.  of  Dunnort) 
Fife  (E.  of  Fife) 
Fingall  (Earl  of  Pintail) 
Fisherwick  (Mar^ucM  of 
.  Donagall) 
Foley 
Gardner 
Gower 
Holland 
Howden 

Howard  de  Walden 
Howard  of  Efllngbam 
Kenlis  (M.  of  Hndforti 
Kilmarnock  (E.  ofBrrojl) 
King 
MUSrd 

Ludlow  (Earl  of  Lndlow) 
Lynedoch 
Littleton  « 


Milboume  (Viscount  Mel- 
bourne) 

Mendip  (ViM.  CHfden) 

Montfort 

Mount  Eagle  (Maroueif 
of  Sligo) 

Mostyn 

Napier 

Oakley 

Ormonde    (Marquess    of 
Ormonde) 

Panmure 

Pet  re 

Poltimore  

Ponsonby  of  Icookilly 

Ponsonby  (Earl  of  j3ei»* 

■   borough) 

Plunkett 

Rossie  (Lord  Kinnaird) 

Rosebery  (Earl  of  Rose 
bery) 

Saye  and  Sele 

Seaford 

Sefton  (Earl  of  S«fion) 

Segrave 

Sherborne 

Somerhill    (MarqueM    of 
Clanricarde) 

Stafford 

Stourton 

Suffield 

Sundridge  (D.  of  Argyll) 

Templemore 

Teynham 

Vernon 

Wellesley  (M.  WeUeeley) 

Wenlock 

Willoughby  of  Ercsby 

Yarborough. 

« 

Chichester. 

Teller. 
Lord  Auckland. 

PROXIES. 

DuJlr0S» 

Bedford 
Portland 
Somerset.       i   .       . 


276]       ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 

Lords  took  place  at  a  Quarter  past    October.  When  the  House  of  Corn- 
six  on  the  morning  or  the  8tn  of    mons  met  on  Monday  the  10th, 


Mar^ueiset, 

Nelson 

Erskine 

Ailsa 

Shrewsbury 

Glenlyon 

Bredalbane 

Spencer. 

Granard  (£.  of  Granard) 

Northampton 
Stafford. 

Vi9ewnU, 

Hawke 

Lovell  and  Holland  (Earl 

EarU. 
Buckinghamshirt 

Lake 

St.  Vincent 

of  Effmont 
Ranfuriy  (Eari  of  Ran- 

furly) 
Selsey 
Sondes. 

Burlington 
Derby 

Baront, 

Ferrers 

Cariton  (E.  of  Shannon) 

Bithcp. 

Fortescue 

Clifford  of  Chudlelgh 

Huntingdon 

Durham 

Norwich. 

List  of  the  Not-Contents. 

His  R  H.  the  Duke 

of    Delaware 

Westmorland 

Cumberland. 

Digby 

Wicklow 

His  R.  H.  the  Duke 

of    Doncaster  (Duke  of  Buc- 

Wilton 

Gloucester. 

cleugh} 

Winchilsea 

Duket, 

Dudley 
Eldon 

Fiicounis, 

Beaufort 

Enniskillen 

Arbuthnott 

Buckingham 

Falmouth 

Beresford 

Dorset 

Glengall 
Guildford 

Combermere 

Leeds 

Doneraile 

Manchester 

Harewood 

Gordon  (B.  of  Aberdeen) 

Newcastle 

Hardwicke 

Hereford 

Rutland 

Harrowby 

Lorton 

Wellington. 

Home 

Maynard 
Melville 

Howe 

Biarquestet. 

Jersey 

Sidmouth 

Ailesbury 

Limerick 

Sydney, 

Bath 
Bristol 

Liverjpool 
Longford 

Baroni, 

Bute 

Lonsidale 

Arden 

Camden 

Mansfield 

Arundel 

Cholmondeley 

Mayo 

Bayning 

Exeter 

Morton 

Bexley 

Hertford 

Mountcashel 

Bolton 

Salisbury 

Norwich  (D.  of  Gordon) 

Boston 

Thomond. 

Orford 

Carbery 

wy      f 

Plymouth 

Carteret 

EarU, 

Poulett 

Clanbrassill  (E.  of  Roden) 

Abingdon 

Fowls 

Clanwilliam  (Eari  of  Clan« 

Aylesford 

Rosslyn 

William) 

Bathurst 

Selkirk 

Colville 

Beauchamp 

Shaftesbury 

Cowley 

Beverley 

St.  Germain's 

Delamere 

Bradford 

Talbot 

De  Roos 

Brownlow 

Tsnkerville 

Douglas 
Duiierin 

Caernarvon 

Vane  (M. of  Londonderry) 

Caledon 

Verulam 

Dynevor 

Coventry 

Waldegrave 

Ellenborough 

Dartmouth 

Warwick 

Famborough 

HISTORY  OF  EUROPE* 


[27r 


lord  Ebrington  brought  forward  a 
motion,  the  object  of  which  was  to 
prevent  ministers  from  resigning, 
by  pledging  the  House  of  Com- 
mons to  support  them,  which 
amounted  to  a  pledge  to  resist  any 
successor.  He  tounded  the  claims  of 
minislers  to  public  confidence,  not 
merely  on  what  they  had  done  for 
the  question  of  reform,  but  likewise 
on  other  measures  which  had  dis- 
tinguished their  course,  the  relief, 
in  particular,  granted  to  the  poor 
by  the  repeal  of  the  duty  on  soap 
and  candles;  the  improvement 
which  they  had  introduced  into 


criminal  jorispradence  by  altera- 
tions in  the  game  laws ;  and  the 
cleansing  of  the  Augean  stable  of 
chancery  by  the  gigantic  efforts 
of  lord  Brougham.  They  had 
found  the  country  in  a  condition 
which  made  thinking  men  despair 
of  its  ever  being  restored  to  a 
healthy  state ;  yet  they  had 
speedily  brought  back  peace  to 
the  country,  and  had  done  so, 
without  having  recourse  to  coer- 
dve  measures,  or  to  any  new  penal 
enactment,  by  pledging  themselves 
to  bring  forwara,in  their  official  ca- 
pacity, a  measure  of  parliamentary 


Fevenhain 

Forbes 

Forester 

Gage  (Viscount  Gage) 

Gambler 

Grantham 

Hay  (Earl  of  Kinnoul) 

Kerr  (M.  Lothian) 

Lyndhurst 

Manners 

Maryborough 

Meldrum  (E.  of  Aboyne) 

Meiros  (E.  of  Harrington) 

Monson 

Montagu 

Northwick 

Pea8hur6t(V.  Strangford) 

Prudhoe 

Ravensworth 

Redesdale 

Ribblesdale 

Rodney 

Rolle 

Saltoun 

Sheffield  (E.  of  Sheffield) 

Skelmersdale 

Southampton 

Stuart  de  Rothsay 

Tenterden 

Wallace 

Walsingham 

Whamclifie 

Willoughby  de  Broke 

Wynford.  . 

Bishops. 

Canterbury  (Archbishop) 
Bath  and  Wells 
Bristol 


Exeter 

Gloucester 

Llandaff 

Lincoln 

Lichfield 

Oxford 

Rochester 

&ilisbury 

Winchester. 

Teller. 
Lord  Kenyon. 

PROXIES. 

Dukes. 

Marlborough 
Northumberland. 

MSarfuis, 
Tweeddale. 

Earls, 

Cardigan 

Carridc 

Charleville 

Chesterfield 

Elgin 

Graham  (D.  of  Montrose) 

Leven  and  Melyille 

Lucan 

Macclesfield 

Malmesbury 

Mount  Edgecumbe  ^ 

Scarborough 

Stamford. 

Viscdunts. 

Clancarty  (Earl  of  Ckn^ 
carty) 


Exmouth 

Gort 

Stxatballan* 

Barons* 

Bagot 

Calthorpe 

Carrington 

Churchill 

Colchester 

De  DunstaoTille 

Famham 

Grantley 

Gray 

Harris 

Hopetoun  (E.  of  Hope- 
toon) 

Ldftus  (Marquess  of  Ely) 

Lauderdale  (E.  of  Lau- 
derdale) 

Rivers 

Ross  (Earl  of  Glasfow) 

Saltersford  (E.  orCour- 
town) 

Scarsdale 

St.  Helen's 

Stowell 

Wigan  (Earl  of  Balcarras.) 

Bishops* 

Tumm  (Archbishop) 

Bangor 

Carlisle 

Cloyne 

Cork 

Durham 

Leighlin  and  Ferns 

Peterborough 

St.  Asaph. 


S78]       ANT?UAL  REGISTER.  183L 


rtfmrtD.  That  pledge  th^y  had  re<* 
dtemed :  and  wnetlier  they  should 
be  enabled  to  carry  their  work 
through  now  depended  on  that 
House.  The  passing  of  the  reform 
bill  into  a  law,  could  not  be  long 
delayed ;  ministers  had  only  to  per- 
sist firmly,  for  they  had  the  coun- 
try unalterably  on  their  side :  and 
the  present  motion  was  intended 
to  give  them  the  confideoee  which 
only  that  House  could  impart^  and 
support  them  against  the  numer- 
ous and  designing  enemies  whu 
beset  them  in  every  hole  and  cor- 
ner, and  hardly  any  where  else. 
He  therefore  moved  the  following 
resolution,  ''  That,  while  this 
House  laments  the  present  state 
of  a  bill  for  introducing  a  reform 
into  the  Commons  House  of  Parlia- 
ment, in  favour  of  which  the 
opinion  of  the  country  stands  un- 
equivocally pronounced,  and  which 
has  been  matured  by  discussions 
the  most  anxious  and  the  most 
laborious,  it  feels  itself  most  im- 
peratively called  upon  to  re-assert 
its  firm  adherence  to  the  princi- 
ples and  leading  provisions  of  that 
great  measure,  and  to  express  its 
unabated  confidence  in  the  in- 
tegrity, perseverance,  and  ability 
of  those  ministers,  who,  in  intro- 
ducing and  conducting  it,  so  well 
consulted  the  best  interests  of  the 
country.** 

Mr.  Macauley,  Mr.  Sheil,  Mr. 
0*Connell,  Mr.  T.  Duncombe,  and 
some  other  members  spoke  in  fa- 
vour of  the  motion,  all  arguing 
that  the  continuance  of  ministers 
in  oflice  was,  as  matters  stood,  the 
only  thing  that  would  secure  public 
tranquillity,  and  that  perseverance 
for  a  short  time  was  sure  to  make 
reform  triumphant,  while  the  re- 
signation of  ministers,  by  dis- 
appointing all  the  hopes  of  the 
people^  would  produce  a  state  of 


things  where  demagoguMWoold  be 
above  the  law.  The  conttitutkNi 
would  be  practically  sii8ptoded« 
the  authorities  deriaed>  the  calls 
of  the  tax-gatherers  disregardedt 
property  insecure,  public  cradit 
shaken,  and  the  whole  fraue 
of  society  in  hourly  iukgtr  of 
being  resolved  into  its  first  d«« 
ments.  Both  the  temporal  aad 
spiritual  members  of  the  upper 
House,  were  spoken  of  in  language 
which  did  any  thing  but  tend  to 
peaceful  submission  under  the  law- 
ful exercise  of  a  constitutional 
right }  and  resistance,  by  all 
means  short  of  open  violence, 
while  it  was  predicted  without  re- 
probation, was  indirectly  esooiir- 
aged.  Mr.  Sheil  advised  the  mln-* 
isters  not' to  allow  ''the  mitre  to 
rest  oo  one  Iscariot  brow."  Mr* 
HuuM  described  the  vote  of  the 
House  of  Lords  to  be  the  um^ea* 
sonable  and  wilful  blindness  of  a 
miserable  minority  withholding 
from  the  maiority  their  '^just 
rights:**  as  if  the  peers  had  already 
b^n  lumped  Into  one  body  with 
the  Tiers  Etat ;  and  others  insist- 
ed that  government  should  not 
hesitate,  if  it  seemed  necessary,  to 
create  as  many  new  peers  as  might 
be  required  to  secure  a  triumphant 
majority,  ''  If  there  be  a  minority 
of  41  in  the  Lords,  why  not  areata 
82?"  The  people  '*have  sent  a 
sweeping  majority  of  reformers 
into  this  House :  why  dU)uId  not 
ministers  send  an  equally  decisive 
majority  into  the  other? ' 

The  nation  was  opposed  by  Mr. 
Goulburn,  Sir  C.  Wetherell,  Mr. 
Croker,  and  Sir  R.  t^eel,  and 
other  members,  as  being  uniMOCS- 
sary  and  unfounded.  If  agreed 
to,  it  would  be  a  mere  repetition 
of  former  votes.  It  was  so  worded, 
as  of  set  purpose,  though  osten- 
sibly meant  to  quiet  the  country^ 


HISTORY   OF  EUROPE. 


[2<a. 


thiit  it  was  uftposaiUe  for  aqy  vk^xt, 
who  had  ccMBbScie&tioiisIy  ej^j^tmii 
tii«  Ulljt  to  support  it.  it  only 
forced  the  House  back  ieto  angry 
debates,  wkile  all  tbat  cmild  be 
necessary  simply  was>  fear  natnistera 
to  ba¥e  dedared  that  they  were  de* 
termiaed  to  persevere  with  the 
bill.  The  language  already  used 
shewed  plainly  how  little  discus* 
sions  like  the  present,  could  tend 
to  produce  a  peaceful  submission 
to  the  law  ;  for  all  advice  to  obey 
the  law  was  accompanied  with  as« 
surances  that  the  law  would  be 
powerless.  If  ever  there  were  pro* 
phecies,  the  making  of  which  led  to 
realizing  their  own  fulfilment^  it 
was  those  prophetic  declarations^ 
which  were  likely  to  produce  the 
very  result  they  pi^icted.  If 
the  people  were  so  determined  in 
favour  of  the  bill,  for  Good's  sake 
let  ministers  be  satisfied  with  that, 
instead  of  urging  them  on.  Whilst 
they  proclaimed  their  adherence  to 
this  bill,  they  ought  to  be  cautious 
of  inflaming  the  passions  of  tlie 
peof^e ;  tbat  was  the  duty  of  them 
all.  They  ought  not  to  represent 
to  the  pei^le  that  it  was  a  slight 
matter  to  refuse  the  payment  of 
taxes,  nor  to  exaggerate  the  num« 
hers  of  popular  meetings.  They 
ought  to  be  sure,  when  they  talked 
of  150,000  at  this  place,  and 
40,000  at  that,  that  they  were 
correct  as  to  the  fact,  for  the  men« 
tion  of  numbers  added  con^dence. 
They  ought  to  tell  those  who  were 
eager  to  defy  the  law,  and  to  refuse 
the  payment  of  taxes,  that  they 
were  paralyzing  industry,  aud  act- 
ing as  the  bitterest  enemies  of  the 
lower  classes.  They  ought  to  tell 
them  that  the  privileges  of  the 
House  of  Lords  were  not  private 
privileges,  granted  for  tlie  gratifi- 
cations mere  personal  feelings^  but 


that  they  exis^  fef  the  benefit  of 
the  peop^. 

linrd  Althorp  declared  that  the 
present  measure  had  been  brought 
forward  without  any  suggestion  on 
the  part  of  ministers.  For  him- 
self, unless  he  felt  a  reasonable 
hope,  thi^t  a  measure  equally  effi- 
cieot  would  be  brought  forward 
and  canried,  he  would  not  remain 
in  ol&ce  a  single  hour.  He  did 
not  mean  to  say  that,  after  discus- 
sion, modifications  might  not  be 
made,  which,  without  diminishing 
the  efficiency  of  the  measure,  might 
make  it  more  perfect.  But  he 
would  not  be  a  party  to  anyr  mea- 
sure, which  he  did  not,  in  hi»  con- 
science, believe  would  give  a  full, 
&ir,  and  free  representation  of  the 
people  in  parliament,  and  effect  all 
the  omects  which  would  have  been 
effected  by  this  bill  Having  said 
this,  be  need  not  say  that  govern- 
ment did  not  contemplate  making 
any  other  propositipn  to  the  House. 
The  opponents  of  reform  had  cer- 
tainly gained  a  great  triumph,  and 
might  doubtless  rejoice  in  their 
success ;  not  that  he  thought  that 
any  great  triumph  would  events 
ually  be  gained,  for  he  was  confi- 
dent that  the  measure  was  only 
postponed.  If  the  people  of  Eng- 
land remain^  firm  and  deter- 
mined, but  peaceable,  he  hoped  and 
believed  that  there  waa  no  doubt 
of  their  ultimate  and  q;>eedy  suc- 
cess. There  was  only  one  diance 
of  fiiilure^if  their  disappointment 
led  them  into  acts  of  violence,  w 
to  unconstitutional  measures  of 
resistance. 

The  Bkotion  was  carried  by  329 
votea  against  198,  beinga«M<»>ity 
of  131. 

While  the  discussion  was  going 
oo  in  the  Lords,  the  House  of 
CommoDd  had  gone  tfarouf  b  such 


2^]      ANNUAL   REGISTER,   1831. 

matters  of  business  as  were  neces-  allowed^  by  the  King's  own  com- 
sary  to  be  disposed  of  preparatory  munication^  to  act  and  vote  exactly 
to  a  prorogation.  The  reform  as  I  pleased.  Nothing,  thereforei 
meetings  and  the  reform  press  had  but  the  positive  request  of  lord 
already  laid  down  to  ministers  Grey  and  his  colleagues  to  the 
the  course  which  they  must  adopt,  King  for  my  removal^  in  conse- 
if  they  wished  to  retain  the  confi-  quence  of  my  vote  the  other  night, 
dence  of  the  country — ^the  proro-  has  been  the  cause  of  my  being  no 
gation  must  be  a  brief  one^  only  suf-  longer  in  her  Majesty's  household." 
iicient  to  allow  the  necessary  num-  Ministers  were  then  asked^  whether 
ber  of  peers  to  be  created.  Lord  lord  Howe  had  been  dismissed 
Howe,  the  Queen's  Chamberlain,  ou  account  of  his  vote,  notwith- 
was  immediately  dismissed  from  his  standing  the  positive  assurance  of 
office,  because  he  had  voted  against  his  majesty,  that  he  might  vote  on 
the  biU,  although  he  had  received  the  Reform  Bill  as  he  chose  ?  Lord 
the  assurance  of  his  majesty  him-  Althorp  declined  to  answer  the 
self,  that  his  office  was  to  have  no  question.  No  successor  to  lord 
connection  with  any  vote  which  he  Howe  was  appointed, 
might  give.  A  question  being  In  London,  any  symptoms  of 
put  to  ministers  regarding  this  oc-  the  anarchy,  which  the  demagogues 
currence,  in  the  House  of  Com-  had  uniformly  threatened  would  be 
mons,  on  the  13th  of  October,  lord  the  necessary  consequence  of  the 
John  Russell  answered,  that,  so  fir  loss  of  the  bill,  were  exhibited 
as  he  was  informed,  it  was  not  till  only  by  the  lowest  of  the  rabble, 
after  his  vote  against  the  Reform  The  more  respectable  reformers 
Bill,  that  earl  Howe  had  tendered  held  their  meetings,  made  vio- 
his  resignation,  and  his  resignation  lent  speeches,  abused  the  bishops, 
had  been  accepted.  This  assertion  and  voted  addresses  to  the  king 
called  forth  a  letter  from  lord  Ho  we,  for  the  levying  of  a  new  regi- 
which  was  read  in  the  House  of  ment  of  reform  peers.  The  lower 
Commons,  giving  it  a  direct  con-  reformers,  who  clamoured  still  more 
tradiction,  as  being  inconsistent  loudly  for  all  these  things,  broke 
with  fact.  His  lordship  stated,  the  windows,  and  picked  the  pocket 
'<  In  the  month  of  May  last,  and  for  of  the  duke  of  Newcastle,  and  as- 
the  second  time,  I  submitted  to  his  saulted  the  duke  of  Cumberland^ 
majesty  my  intention  of  opposing  the  duke  of  Wellington,  and  the 
the  Reform  Bill,  and  ray  perfect  marquis  of  Londonderry— the  lat- 
readiness  to  resign  my  situation  of  ter  nobleman  being  struck  senseless 
Chamberlain  to  the  Queen,  at  any  from  his  horse.  On  the  12th, 
moment  that  he  might  be  pleased  what  was  called  a  procession  of 
to  fix  on.  I  received  in  reply  a  the  parishes  of  London  marched, 
most  gracious  command  to  retain  with  great  variety  of  flags,  to  St. 
my  office,  and  a  distinct  recog-  James's  palace,  to  present  ad- 
nition  of  my  privilege  of  being  per-  dresses  which  had  been  voted  to 
fectly  independent  of  any  govern-  his  majesty.  The  Home  Secretary 
ment,  from  the  circumstance  of  ray  advised  them  to  deliver  the  ad- 
being  in  her  Majesty's  househola.  dresses  for  presentation,  to  the 
My  having  offered  to  resign  again  county  members,  Mr.  Byng  and 
was  out  of  the  question,  as  I  was  Mr.  Hume.  Those  gentlemen  forth** 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[281 


with  performed  that  duty^  and  the 
mob^  in  the  mean  time,  amused 
themselves  with  breaking  the  win- 
dows of  the  marquis  of  Bristol^ 
proceeding  afterwards  to  pay  a 
similar  compliment  to  those  of  lord 
Dudley  and  the  duke  of  Welling- 
ton. 

Throughout  the  country,  no 
approach  to  political  disturbance 
was  any  where  exhibited,  except 
at  Derby  and  Nottingham.  At  the 
former  place^  the  reforming  mob 
attacked  the  houses^  and  demo- 
lished the  windows  of  many  of  the 
inhabitants  who  were  known  or 
suspected  to  be  adverse  to  the 
bill.  Some  of  these  rioters  having 
been  committed  to  the  borough 
gaol,  the  mob  assaulted  and  car- 
ried the  gaol,  liberating  all  the 
prisoners.  They  next  attacked  the 
county  gaol ;  but  being  there  re- 
sisted with  fire-arms,  they  were 
repulsed,  and  the  arrival  of  mili- 
tary put  a  stop  to  their  outrages^ 
though  not  before  several  lives  had 
been  lost,  great  injury  inflicted 
upon  property,  and  all  business 
suspended  for  nearly  two  days.  At 
Nottingham,  the  first  object  of  the 
fury  of  the  rabble  was  the  ancient 
castle  of  Nottingham,  once  a  royal 
residence,  now  the  property  of  the 
duke  of  Newcastle.  They  forced 
an  entrance,  and  set  the  building 
on  fire ',  all  attempts  to  render  as- 
sistance were  frustrated;  in  a 
short  time,  the  whole  of  the  im- 
mense edifice  was  a  pile  of  smoking 
ruins.  A  regiment  of  Hussars 
which  hastened  into  the  town,  ar* 
rived  too  late  to  prevent  the  mis- 
chief, but  prevented  the  rioters 
from  acting  seriously  on  any  other 
point.  Detachments  of  them,  how- 
ever, marched  against  the  seats  of 
individuals  in  the  neighbourhood, 
whose  politics  were  obnoxious. 
They  found  the  residence  of  lord 


Middleton  so  well  prepared  for  de- 
fence, that  they  abandoned  their 
intended  attack.  That  of  Mr. 
Musters  was  less  fortunate.  It 
was  sacked  and  pillaged.  His 
wife,  he  himself  being  absent,  had 
to  seek  concealment  under  the 
bushes  of  the  shrubbery  in  a  cold 
and  rainy  October  evening.  The 
terror  and  exposure  cost  the  un- 
fortunate lady  her  life. 

These  were  the  consequences  of 
the  House  of  Peers  having  dared  to 
exercise  its  undoubted  privilege  of 
forming  its  own  opinions  on  a  mat- 
ter of  legislation,  and  to  maintain 
its  rights  as  an  independent  part 
of  the  constitution.  It  was  plain 
enough,  too,  that  the  wishes  or 
opinions  of  the  mobs,  who  could  be 
guilty  of  outrages  like  these,  were 
not  things  to  be  taken  for  a  mo- 
ment into  account,  in  deciding 
on  a  great  political  question.  In 
both  Houses  of  Parliament,  mi- 
nisters loudly  expressed  their  dis- 
approbation of  such  proceedings; 
but  their  opponents  charged 
them  with  having  indirectly  en- 
couraged them  by  the  language 
which  they  themselves  held,  and 
the  connection  in  which  they  had 
placed  themselves  with  bodies  of 
men  acting  illegally.  While  the 
bill  was  before  the  Lords,  the  Poli- 
tical Union  of  Birmingham  held  a 
meeting  in  the  open  air,  to  which 
were  collected  large  multitudes 
from  the  neighbouring  towns.  The 
number  of  persons  present  was 
said,  by  the  reformers,  to  have 
amounted  to  1 50,000  men — a  gross 
exaggeration  which  nobody  be- 
lieved. The  meeting  voted  an  ad- 
dress to  the  king,  setting  forth 
their  alarm  at  <'  the  awful  conse- 
quences" which  might  arise  from 
the  failure  of  the  bill — ^their  pain 
at  imagining  it  possible  "  that  the 

House  of  Lords  should  be  so  fiw  iu^ 


28a]      ANNUAL  REGISTER,  1831. 


£»tuaUdM  to  reject  it" — aod their 
etroMt  d«Mre  that  bismajestysboukl 
create  as  many  peers  as  might  be 
necessary  toinsure  its  success.  The 
speaker  who  moved  one  of  the  re- 
solutions thus  expressed  himself: 
'*  They  were  all  acquainted  with  a 
peaceful,  oirderly,  and  most  respect* 
able  body  of  men  called  Quakers, 
to  wbote  example  he  wished  spe- 
cially to  call  tie  attention  of  the 
meeting.  This  respectable  sect  of 
Christians  refused  to  support  a 
parson,  but,  in  their  opposition, 
they  did  not  knock  out  the  brains 
of  the  tithe-collector— they  simply 
suffered  a  distress  to  be  levied 
upon  their  goods.  Now,  if  the 
Quakers  refusec.  to  pay  the  tithes, 
the  people  generally  might  refuse 
to  pay  the  taxes  >  and^  if  the 
bailiff  came,  he  should  like  to 
knew  where  they  would  find  the 
auctioneer  who  would  dare  to  sell. 
Of  the  people  who  would  dare  to 
buy.  The  voice  of  the  auctioneer, 
he  conceived,  would  be  passive,  not 
active )  and  rather  than  knocking 
down,  he  would  be  himself  knocked 
down.  While  upon  this  point,  he 
could  not  but  think  of  another 
glorious  patriot,  whose  name  and 
dbaracter,  during  a  long  night  of 
despotism,  shone  bright  as  the  day- 
star  of  British  liberty,  whose  ex- 
ample ought  to  be  as  an  encourag- 
ing beacon  for  their  future  guid- 
ance. When  Hampden  refused 
the  payment  of  ship-money,  his 
gallant  conduct  electrified  all  Eng- 
land, and  pointed  out  tlie  way  by 
which  the  people,  when  unanimous 
and  combined,  might  rid  them- 
selves of  an  odious  ami  oppressive 
oligarchy.  He  declared  before  God, 
that,  if  all  constitutional  modes  of 
obtaining  the  success  of  the  reform 
measure  failed,  he  should  and  would^ 
be  the  first  man  to  refuse  the  pay- 
inent  of  taxes,  except  by  a  levy 


upon  bis  goods  ^trewtfdtm*  ehttr* 
ing,  which  lasted  some  mimui§iy 
I  now  call  upon  all  who  hear  m*, 
and  who  are  prepared  to  join  me  in 
this  step,  to  h<Md  up  your  baoda 
[jin  immeiMe  foresi  <f  hands  mas 
immscUaiely  elevated,  acuumpaniad 
by  vehement  cheering^.  I  now  call 
upon  you  who  are  not  prepared  to 
ad(^t  this  course,  to  hold  op  your 
hands  and  signify  your  dissent  [moi 
a  single  hand  appeorhigt  loud  shouts 
and  cheers  were  repeaietT^  Mark 
my  words — failing  all  other  mora 
constitutional  means."  Another 
speaker  said,  ''  It  is  said  that  the 
Reverend  Fathers  in  Ood^  the 
Biahops,  will  q>pote  thia  bill  :  if 
they  do,  their  fate,  which  even  now 
is  exceedingly  doubtful,  will  be 
irrevocably  sealed.  The  haughtv 
pinnacles  of  the  estaUtshment  wiU 
be  buried  in  the  dust,  with  a 
nation's  execration  for  their  epi- 
taph; the  afi^endid  mitre  %k  ill  tall 
from  the  heads  of  the  bishops;  their 
crosses  will  fall  as  if  from  a  palsied 
hand ;  their  robes  of  lawn  may  be 
turned  into  the  garb  of  mourning ; 
and  my  lord  the  Bishop  of  London 
may  shut  np  his  episomal  palace, 
ana  take  out  a  license  Ant  a  hew- 
shop." 

One  of  the  resolutions  agreed  to 
by  the  meeting  which  so  eagerly 
ad(^ted  these  illegal  doctrinea,  and 
applauded  this  violent  language* 
was  a  vote  of  thanks  to  lord  Al- 
thorp  and  lord  Jdin  BussdJ.  The 
letters  of  these  noblemen,  contain- 
ing their  answers  to  that  vote,  were 
written  to  the  chairoaan  of  the 
meeting  immediately  after  the  di- 
vision in  the  House  of  Lords.  Lord 
Altborp's  was  in  the  following 
terms :  ''  I  beg  to  acknowledge  the 
receipt  of  your  letter  containing  a 
vote  of  thanks  to  me  from  the  great 
meeting  at  which  you  presided.  The 
unanimous  approbation  of  150,000 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


im 


of  my  fellow-couDtrymim  is  Ho 
triAiog  honour;  I  feel  sinccrtly 
tbank&l  for  it,  and  I  b^  to  assure 
you  that  it  gives  me  the  highest 
gratification.  The  large  niigortty 
by  which  the  bill  has  been  lost  in 
the  House  of  Lords  is,  I  iear>  a 
▼ery  serious  calamity.  It  can 
only,  however,  postpone  the  suo- 
cess  of  our  cause;  but  I  beseech 
you  to  use  all  your  influence,  not 
merely  to  prevent  any  acts  of  open 
violence,  but  any  sudi  resistance  to 
the  law  as  is  threatened  by  the  re* 
fttsal  to  pav  taxes.  Such  a  course 
as  this  is  the  one  least  likely  to  pro* 
mote  our  success."  It  may  be  rea- 
sonably doubted>  whether  his  locd- 
ship  would  not  better  have  odd« 
sulted  the  duty  and  dignity  of  his 
(^ce  by  declining  all  thanks  frooij 
or  any  communication  with^  a 
body  of  men  who  had  openly  ex* 
pressed  tlieir  willingness  to  have 
recourse  to  illegal  proceedings*  His 
answer,  however,  was  caution  itself 
compared  with  that  of  lord  John 
Russell,  who  wrote  thus :  "'  I  beg 
to  acknowledge^  with  heartfelt  gra- 
titude, the  undeserved  honour  £>oe 
me  by  150^000  of  my  ciwntrymen. 
Our  prospects  are  now  obscured 
for  a  moment,  and  1  trust  only  for 
a  moment.  It  is  impossible  that 
the  whisper  of  faction  should  pre- 
vail agaunst  the  voice  of  a  nation/' 
This  Lmguage,  used  in  regard  to 
one  of  the  branches  of  the  bgida^ 
ture,  and  that  branch  against  which 
every  exertion  was  making  to  stir 
up  popular  fury,  occasioned  a  warm 
conversation  in  the  House  of  Com- 
mons on  the  Vah  of  October.  A 
Mr»  Ruthven,  a  reforming  mem- 
ber, took  the  c|»pertunitv  of  pre- 
senting a  petition^  to  abuse  the 
bishops,  and  he  added^  referring  to 
the  procession  to  St.  James's  PfiLce 
already  mentioned,  that  be  was 
cofiviiiced  the  bUl  must  be  passed. 


^'  by  the  peaceable  manner  in  which 
the  people  had  conducted  them- 
selves that  day  in  a  procession, 
which,  though  itsnumbersrendered 
it  formidable,  was  deprived  of  all 
terrcHT  by  its  quiet,  tranquil,  and 
regular  demeanour."  Sir  Henry 
Hardinge  immediately  expressed 
his  astonishment  at  a  declaratioui 
that  the  people  had  that  day  con- 
ducted themselves  in  a  quiet,  and 
regular,  and  peaceable  manner, 
when  it  was  notorious  that  the  mar- 
Quis  of  Londonderry,  in  coming 
aown  to  the  House,  bad,  in  the 
most  cowardly  and  dastardly  maQ«* 
ner,  been  struck  off  his  horse  by 
a  shower  of  stones,  and  been  so 
wounded  as  to  be  obliged  to 
be  taken  home  in  a  hackney** 
coach.  Though  he  admitted^ 
that  many  honest  and  respectable 
men  might  join  these  prooessions^ 
nothing  could  be  more  illegal^  or, 
indeed^  mofe  unconstitutioaal,  than 
this  mode  of  bearding  the  king  in 
his  very  palace.  He  contendiad, 
that  this  system  of  letting  the  pecH 
pie  assemble,  and  march  about  in 
processions  of  large  masses,  to  pre- 
sent their  petitions  to  the  king, 
must,  if  continued,  lead  to  great 
confusion.  Where  was  this  peace* 
able  conduct  of  the  people  to  be 
found  ?  Was  it  to  be  found  in  the 
attacks  which  the  populace  were 
making,  day  after  da^,  on  the  win- 
dows of  the  duke  of  Wellington  B 
What,  however,  must  the  country 
expect,  when  it  found  ministers  in 
the  cabinet  corresponding  with  the 
Political  Unions  of  Birmingham 
and  Manchester?  As  he  saw  in 
his  place  the  noble  lord  who  had 
renuered  himself  fomous-*-he  would 
not  use  the  other  word^  for  he  did 
not  think  the  noUe  lord  deserved 
ii«-4»y  the  introduction  of  this  bill 
of  reiorm,  and,  as  he  had  seen  in 
tbo  puUic  journals  the  correspond* 


284]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


ence  of  that  noble  lord  with  the 
Political  Union  of  Birmingham^  he 
would  avail  himself  of  the  present 
opportunity  to  offer  a  few  comments 
upon  it.  The  noble  lord  said,  that 
"  he  acknowledged  with  heartfelt 
gratitude  the  undeserved  honour 
which  had  been  done  him  by 
150,000  of  his  countrymen."  The 
noble  lord^  alluding  to  the  rejection 
of  the  bill  by  the  House  of  Lords, 
then  added^  that  ^^  though  their 
projects  were  obscured  for  a  mo- 
ment^ he  trusted  that  it  was  only 
for  a  moment^  for  it  was  impossi- 
ble that  the  whisper  of  a  faction 
should  prevail  against  the  voice 
of  the  nation."  The  use  of  lan- 
guage like  this  completely  identi- 
fied the  cabinet  with  all  the  politi- 
cal unions,  and  the  noble  lord,  in 
calling  the  decision  of  the  House  of 
Peers  the  whisper  of  a  faction^  en- 
couraged the  passions  and  feelings 
by  which  such  masses  of  men  were 
unfortunately  actuated.  When  he 
was  told^  that  the  processions  of  that 
day  had  passed  off  peaceably  and 
oraerly,  and  when  he  saw  a  letter 
from  the  noble  lord  expressive  of 
the  heartfelt  gratitude  which  he 
felt  for  the  vote  of  thanks  which  he 
had  received  from  a  meeting  of 
1 50,000  persons,  which  the  noble 
lord  on  the  woolsack  had  described 
as  guilty  of  sedition  and  a  capital 
felony,  he  could  not  understand 
on  what  principles  this  government 
was  conducted.  He  hoped  that 
hon,  members  would  not  be  de- 
terred— he,  at  least,  would  not 
himself  be  deterred — from  the 
honest  discharge  of  his  duty,  by 
the  dastardly  attacks  which  any 
portion  of  the  misguided  populace 
might  make  upon  him.  He  did 
not  mean  to  say,  that  the  noble 
lord  opposite  had  either  origin- 
ated or  sanctioned  such  attacks, 
but  this  he  must  say^  that  the 


noble  lord  adopted  a  very  extra- 
ordinary  way  to  allay  the  temper 
of  the  people,  when  he  entered 
into  a  correspondence  with  them, 
and  declared  his  heartfelt  gratitude 
for  the  thanks  which  they  had  be- 
stowed upon  them. 

Lord  John  Russell  admitted  at 
once  that  the  dangerous  attack 
which  had  been  that  day  made, 
for  the  second  time,  on  the  mar- 
quis of  Londonderry,  was  cowardly 
and  disgraceful  -,  that  to  attack  the 
House  of  any  of  the  peers  was 
base  and  disgraceful ;  that  such  an 
attack  was  doubly  base  and  dis- 
graceful when  made  on  the  duke  of 
Wellington  to  whom  the  country 
was  so  deeply  indebted ;  that  the 
continuance  of  such  outrages  could 
be  looked  on  in  no  other  light  than 
a  declaration  of  hostility  against 
all  good  government,  and  would 
alienate  the  minds  of  all  sober  and 
respectable  men  from  the  cause  of 
reform.  But  it  was  scarcely  less 
unfair  to  couple  his  letter,  in  any 
degree,  with  these  proceedings. 
He  would  not  enter  into  the  ques- 
tion of  the  propriety  of  correspond- 
ing with  the  Birmingham  Political 
Union,  for,  in  this  case,  no  such 
question  could  arise.  Mr.  Att- 
wood,  the  banker  of  Birmingham, 
had  written  to  him  stating  that 
there  had  been  a  great  meeting  at 
Birmingham,  at  which  he  believed 
150,000  persons  were  present.  He 
would  not  say  that  the  meeting 
was  so  large  as  Mr.  Attwood  had 
represented  it,  but  still  it  was  a 
large  meeting,  and  that  meeting 
had  thanked  his  majesty's  govern- 
ment for  the  manner  in  which  they 
had  conducted  the  bill  through  the 
Commons'  House  of  Parliament. 
In  such  a  resolution  on  the  part  of 
the  meeting,  he  saw  nothing  un- 
constitutional, nothing  inconsist- 
ent with  the  rights  which  as  £ng«* 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[285 


Hshmen  they  possessed,  and  more 
especially  nothing  inconsistent  with 
that  right  which  they  had  enjoyed 
from  their  ancestors — ^he  meant  the 
right  of  pronouncing  an   opinion 
upon  the  conduct  either  of  govern- 
ment or  of  opposition.     He  had 
therefore  thought  that  it  was  a 
duty  which  he  owed  to  the  people 
of  Birmingham   and  himself^    to 
express  his  gratitude  to  them  for 
the  TOte  of  thanks  which  they  had 
given  to  his   majesty's  ministers 
generally,  and   to  himself  indivi- 
dually ;  and  he  had  yet  to  learn 
that  there  had  been  any  thing  in 
the  (Conduct  of  that  meeting  which 
ought  to  lead  him  to  re&se  ac- 
cepting a  vote  of  thanks  from  it. 
He  saw  no  reason  why  he  should 
say  to  the  thousands  who  had  been 
awaiting  with  interest  the  result 
of  this  bill,  "  You  are  unfit  to  be 
consulted   by  the  king's  govern- 
ment^  and  I  therefore  repudiate 
your  praise."     On  the  contrary,  he 
thought  that  he  might  notice  the 
loyalty  and  good    sense    of   the 
people  of   Birmingham;   and  he 
imagined  that,  when  he  stated  that 
the  success  of  the  reform  bill  was 
only  deferred  for  a  time^  but  was 
still  certain,  he  was  expressing  a 
sentiment,  which,  so  far  from  lead- 
ing to  tumult,  would  induce  the 
people  to  wait  with  patience  for 
the  re-introduction 'of  that  measure 
to  which  they  attached  so  much 
importance.     He  had  undoubtedly 
said,   and  he  now  repeated  the  as- 
sertion,  ^'  it  was  impossible  that 
the  whisper  of  faction  should  pre- 
vail against  the  voice  of  a  nation." 
It  was  a  sentiment  which  he  had 
expressed  on  first  receiving  Mr. 
Att wood's  letter,  and  he  now  saw 
no  reason  either  to  retract  or  to 
withdraw  it.     He  thought  that  the 
number  of  those  who  supported  the 
reform  bUl^  compared    with  the 


small  number  of  those  who  opposed 
it,  justified  him  in  stating  that  the 
reformers  were   the    nation,    and 
that  the  greater  part  of  the  op- 
ponents to  the  bill  did  belong  to, 
and  might  justly  be  denominated,  a 
faction.   Such  being  his  sentiments 
he  could  not  think  of  retracting  any 
expression    in    that    letter.      Sir 
Henry  Hardinge  immediately  said 
this  sort  of  interpretation  would 
never  do.  The  only  meaning  of  the 
letter  was,  that  the  determination 
of  a  great  majority  of  the  House  of 
Lords  was  the  whisper  of  a  faction 
— and  the  question  was,   to  which 
question  lord  John  Russell  had  not 
said  a  word,  how  could  lord  John 
Russell  justify  himself  for  hav- 
ing used  such   language?    That 
expression  he  had  used ;  from  the 
use  of  it  it  was  impossible  for  him 
to  escape ;  and  in  using  it  he  had 
identified  himself  as  a  minister  of 
the  crown^  with  illegal  combina* 
tions  declaring  their  readiness  to 
commit  illegal  acts.     Sir  R.  Vy- 
vyan  enforced  the  same  views.   He 
asked,if  lord  John  Russell,  in  using 
the  words  "the  whisper  of  faction/' 
did  not  allude  to  the  majority  in 
the  House  of  Lords,  what  dia  he 
mean  by  them  .^     Did  he  mean  to 
notice  the  fact,  that  sums  of  money 
had  been  promised  and  paid  to  par- 
ticular noble  individuals  for  their 
votes  ?     Did  he  mean  to  acknow- 
ledge that  certain  balls  were  to  be 
placed  higher  or  lower  on  certain 
coronets,  and  that  balls  were  also 
to  be  taken   off  altogether    and 
strawberry-leaves    substituted    in 
some  coronets  as  a  reward  for  the 
partisanship   of    their   wearers  ? 
Did  he  allude  to  the  bench  of 
bishops  who  were  now  so  reviled 
for  their  opposition  to  government^ 
although  it  had  always  hitherto 
been  the  fiishion  to  vituperate  them 
for  habitually  paying  court  to  the 


286]        ANNUAL  REGISTER,  1831. 


powers  that  be  ?  Surely,  by  op« 
posing  ministers,  those  right  rev. 
prelates  could,  at  all  events,  gain 
nothing,  whatever  they  might  have 
lost.  But  was  the  noble  lord  quite 
sure  that  the  voice  of  public  opi- 
nioQ  was  really  in  favour  of  this 
bill?  The  contest  which  was  now 
proceeding  with  such  vigour  in 
the  county  of  Dorset,  he  thought 
might  at  least  induce  them  to  I&  a 
little  diffident  as  to  the  correctness 
of  their  assumption  in  the  affirma* 
tive.  Had  they  any  right  to  talk 
of  the  voice  of  public  opinion  as 
being  exclusively  in  their  favour> 
when  the  anti«bill  candidate  at 
this  moment  had  brought  as  many 
votes  to  the  poll  as  his  opponent  }* 
If  more,  the  case  was  so  much  the 
stronger;  but  if  as  many,  it  was 
sufficient  for  his  argument,  which 
was,  that  the  country  was  at  least 
divided  upon  the  question,  and 
that  was  a  sufficient  refutation  of 
the  assertion  of  gentlemen  opposite, 
that  a  contested  election  would  be 
attended  with  the  same  results  in 
every  other  county  in  England,  if 
opportunity  were  affi>rded  for  so 
extensive  a  demonstration  of  opi- 
nion. « Did  the  House  remember 
the  triumphant  chuckling  of  the 
piess  at  the  approach  of  the  election 
for  Dorset  ?  No  anti-reformer, 
forsooth,  could  think  of  coming  for- 
ward,  and  yet  lord  Ashley,  .who 
had  not  declared  himself  till  two 
days  before  they  went  to  the  bus- 
tings,  occupied  bis  present  station 
upon  the  poll,  after  more  freehold- 


■pi^   i>M^^^^« 


*  An  unexpected  vacancy  had  uken 
place  in  the  representation  of  Dorset- 
shire, in  consequetice  of  the  death  of 
Mr.  Cal craft  who,  by  dedaring  himsHf 
a  convert  to  the  hill,  had  ousted  Mr. 
Bankea  at  the  general  election*  Mr. 
Ponwnby  now  9tarted  an  the  reformer, 
and  lord  Ashley  became  his  antagonist 
as  an  opponent  of  the  bill.  Lord  Ashley 
carriea  the  election. 


era  had  voted  than  perhaps  had 
ever  before  been  polled  upon  any 
similar  occasion.  Once  more  he  de- 
manded what  party  the  noble  lord 
meant  by  the  expressions  in  his  let* 
ter.  But  he  wished  also  to  direct 
the  attention  of  the  House  to  the 
processions  of  that  day  through 
the  streets  of  London,  consisting  of 
crowds  with  white  ribands  tied  on 
their  arms,  on  which  were  iiMorib* 
ed  the  words  ^^  national  union." 
Had  not  these  unions  been  in  ex* 
istence  prior  to  1793,  and  were 
they  not  suppressed  by  the  inter- 
position of  the  legislature,  and 
were  they  not  also  put  dow^  in 
like  manner  on  their  revival  in 
1819? 

Lord  John  Russell  again  de- 
clared that  he  had  not  the  majority 
in  the  House  of  Lords  in  view 
when  he  spoke  of  *'  the  whisper  of 
a  &ctiou ;"  that  the  lords  undoubt* 
edly  had  as  good  a  right  to  reject 
the  bill  as  the  Commons  had  to 
agree  to  it,  and  were  perfectly  en- 
titled to  vote  in  what  way  they 
thought  proper;  but  that  there 
might  still  be  factions  in  Parlia* 
mentwho,in  opposing  the  bill,  were 
only  seeking  to  promote  their  own 
interests.  He  indignantly  repelled 
any  idea  that  ministers  did  not  feel 
and  perform  the  duty  of  assuaging 
and  suppressing  all  attempts  at 
disorder :  but,  added  his  lorashjp, 
at  the  ''same  time  I  cannot  imagine 
a  more  ungrateful  task  than  what 
is  now  imposed  upon  government 
which  first  gave  its  sanction  to  so 
important  a  measure,  and  is  after- 
wards constrained  to  coerce  the 
people  into  acquiescence  in  a  deci- 
sion  which  retards,  for  a  time, 
their  just  and  reasonable  expecta- 
tions." Now  the  objects  of  minis- 
terial coercion  were  the  destroyers 
of  li&  and  the  pillagers  of  property. 
Were  these  the  men  whose  ''just 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


lUSff 


to  be  gmtiAed  by  tke  refersi  Ml  ? 
did  minitters  nallf  fed  tlie  dii^ 
of  preventing  or  punishing  witroei^ 
on$  erittiet  «q  lundeaMot  duty> 
becatue  the  cnmiaaM  w€i«  poittiead 
partiaaacondieiravaeide?  orwankl 
it  be  rigbt  to  trii  theee  erinraitle^ 
that  die  i«r,  if  eofaeed  «t  all  fer 
the  pfoteetiea  ef  the  |iertoae  and 
firofMrtf  of  thote  who  diftrad  from 
then  in  opinMNi,  weuld  becafomed 
onif  gmdgingljr^  aa  the  pofteaa- 
anee  of  a  reiy  ungrateful  task? 

Sir  Chariee  Wetherdi  maia* 
taioed  that  the  meetiogf  to  vhaae 
Totet  of  thanfca  loud  Althorp  and 
lord  X  RiftMell  had  retomecl  ana- 
wera,  vaa  in  ttaeif  aa  illegal  meet* 
lag.  He  defied  the  lawyers  oa  the 
other  side  oi  the  Hoiiae-— if  there 
were  aoy  lawyers  there— to  deny 
that  a  meeting  of  150,000  perscms, 
assembling  together  with  symbols 
of  ooneert^  was  guilty  of  a  miade* 
meanour.  He  had  lord  Holts 
authority  for  sayings  that  ^*  an 
army  of  people,  consisting  of  un- 
usual numbers,  ooogre^ited  to* 
gether^  is  a  terror,  and,  as  it  wesre, 
an  assault  upon  the  people"— *and 
still  less  could  any  man  deny  that, 
for  a  number  of  persons  to  agree 
and  conspire  to  refuse  payment  of 
taxes  was  to  be  guilty  of  a  Tery 
grare  offence.  Yet  it  was  with  the 
chairman  ef  such  a  meeting,  pledge 
ing  itself  to  such  an  agreement  and 
conspiracy,  that  ministers  had  been 
corresponding.  The  chancellor  of 
the  Exchequer,  indeed,  had  told 
the  people  of  Birmingham  not  to 
commit  acts  of  violence,  not  to 
re^se  to  pay  taxes«-but  for  what 
reason?  Not  because  such  pro« 
ceedings  were  contrary  to  law,  and 
would  be  repressed  by  the  law;  but, 
forsooth,  because  they  would  tend  to 
endanger  the  success  of  the  reform 


bill ;  aad  thea  lord  J.  anssell,  with 
hia  milk  aikl  water  execntire  go- 
vernment, talked  of  its  heiag  the 
duty  of  the  admiaistraticm  to  caha 
thepeo];^  He  thought  that  aohle 
lord  might  have  used  eoaie  stronger 
eqmssioD,  when  he  heard  of  the 
?ioleiiee  and  outrage  which  were 
going  oa  out  of  doSms  9Mid  the  at* 
tadcs  aiade  oa  peers  heoauae  thqr 
did  what  the  ooastitution  author- 
ised aad  requirsd  them  to  do.  It 
was  the  duty  of  gorenuaeat  not 
menely  to  talk  ci  calming  the 
pec^ile,  but  to  puniah  and  repress 
these  outrages,  and  pat  the  law  in 
force  against  every  person  who 
exdted  to  riolenoe.  But  it  waa 
his  idea,  that  the  goremment  had 
long  connived  at  Siose  attad»  on 
the  constitutional  authority  of  the 
state  which  the  newspapers  were 
dealing  out,  as  daily  rqwrts,  to 
the  people.  Looking  at  the  inces- 
sant provocations  to  violence  and 
outrage  which  were  allowed,  all 
and  each  of  them,  to  go  unpunished, 
one  would  think  that  the  office  of 
Attorney-general  was  vacant.  He 
did  not  accuse  the  noble  paymaster 
of  the  forces  of  any  wish  to  palliate 
those  crimes ;  but  he  diarged  the 
noble  lord  and  the  government  with 
taking  no  measures  to  suppress 
them.  He  had  no  confidence  in 
the  exertions  of  government  to  re- 
press disturbances,  and  what  was 
more,  he  did  not  believe  that 
the  public  had.  The  public  opin- 
ion was«  that  the  government  con- 
nived at  these  disturbances,  as  a 
means  of  carrying  on  the  reform 
bill.  He  did  not  believe,  that  mi- 
nisters would  manfully  and  ener- 
getically use  the  legal  and  consti- 
tutional powers  of  government  in 
repressing  these  scandalous  and 
aoti-  socid  outrages.  He  repeated, 
that  the  conduct  of  government  was 


288]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


highly  censurable  in  permitting 
attacks  to  be  made  not  only  on  that> 
but  on  the  other  House  of  Par- 
liament, in  a  publication  which 
contained  the  most  illegal  threats 
of  intimidation,  at  the  propagation 
of  which  his  majesty's  ministers 
sedulously  and  industriously  con- 
nived; and  in  his  opinion  there 
was  but  little  difference  in  point  of 
responsibility  between  the  principal 
in  any  proceeding  and  the  conniver. 
He  begged  to  remind  the  right 
hon.  gentlemen  opposite,  that 
though  the  duke  of  Newcastle's 
property  was  burning  to  -  day, 
to-morrow  Woburn  Abbey,  and 
Knowsley-house  might  be  marked 
out  for  destruction. 

Lord  Althorp  denied  that  he 
had  written  any  letter  to  a  body 
known  under  the  name  of  the  Bir- 
mingham Political  Union.  He  had 
merely  addressed  a  letter  to  the 
chairman  of  a  meeting  held  at  Bir- 
mingham, consisting  of  150,000 
persons,  expressing  his  sense  of  a 
vote  of  thanks  with  which  so  large 
a  number  of  his  fellow  countrymen 
had  thought  fit  to  honour  his  pub- 
lic conduct.  He  valued  highly 
this  testimony  to  his  character  ; 
and  he  was  not  the  man  to  disdain 
returning  a  courteous  answer  to 
such  a  communication,  nor  could 
he  think  that,  in  so  doing,  he  had 
acted  in  a  manner  by  any  means 
unworthy  of  his  station.  In  ac- 
knowledging to  the  chairman  the 
honour  thus  conferred  on  him,  he 
had  taken  the  opportunity  to  re- 
commend that  gentleman  to  use  his 
influence  for  the  prevention  of  acts 
of  violence,  or  illegal  and  uncon- 
stitutional excesses.  He  had  also 
stated  that  the  rejection  of  the  re- 
form bill  was  a  great  calamity,  for 
as  a  calamity  his  colleagues  and 
himself  had   considered  it.     But 


how  the  letters  of  his  noble  friend 
and  himself  could  be  said  to  en- 
courage riot,  he  was  totally  unable 
to  divine. 

Mr.  Trevor  mentioned  as  a  spe- 
cimen of  the  peaceable  conduct,  on 
that  day,  of  those  who  were  now 
lauded  as  the  tranquil  people^  that 
he  had  witnessed  the  attack  on  the 
marquis  of  Londonderry  at  the 
very  doors  of  the  palace,  where  he 
had  been  struck  down  from  his 
horse  amid  cries  of  "  murder  him," 
"  cut  his  throat.'*  Colonel  Trench, 
too,  said,  he  had  followed  the  pro- 
cession along  Piccadilly.  When 
they  reached  the  House  of  the  duke 
of  Devonshire,  the  mob  gave  a 
great  shout;  and  when  they  arrived 
at  that  of  the  duke  of  St.  Alban's, 
they  also  gave  a  shout,  but  it  was 
more  feeble.  When  he  got  near 
the  house  of  the  duke  of  Wel- 
lington, he  saw  a  number  of 
respectable  looking  persons — ^per- 
sons very  well  dressed,  walking 
four  and  four,  and  with  ribands 
tied  round  their  arms — ^leave  the 
main  body,  while  those  who  fol- 
lowed them  rushed  into  the  gate. 
Those  well-disposed  persons  made 
room  for  the  individuals  whom 
they  headed,  and  who  immediately 
began  breaking  the  windows.  The 
mere  breaking  of  a  pane  or  two 
of  glass,  under  ordinary  circum- 
stances, was  of  no  importance; 
but  this  appeared  to  him  to  be  a 
regular  and  organized  outrage.  He 
confessed  that  it  gave  him  very 
great  pain  to  And  that  any  set  of 
men  could  offer  insult  to  an  indi- 
vidual whose  warlike  achievements 
had  immortalized  the  British  name, 
and  who  he  believed  to  be  the 
most  upright  and  honest  man  that 
ever  ornamented  private  society  or 
dignified  public  station.  One  in- 
dividual there  was  whom  he  could 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[289 


identify  as  giving  orders.  This 
individual  was  a  remarkably  well- 
dressed  man.  The  well  -  dressed 
people^  of  whom  he  had  already 
spoken  as  being  present  on  the  oc- 
casion, if  not  inciting  to  outrage, 
did  not,  at  any  rate,  attempt  to 
prevent  it.  It  was  a  question  on 
a  former  occasion  whether  these 
processions  were  legal  or  not :  but 
he  feared  that  the  permission  given 
ill  so  many  instances  to  such  pro- 
cessions would  take  away  all  doubts 
on  the  subject  from  the  minds  of 
the  people. 

On  the  following  day  (Oct.  1 3) 
another  angry  discussion  of  the 
same  topics  took  place  on  a  motion 
of  sir  C.  Wetherell,  for  an  address 
to  the  crown,  praying  that  a  sj>ecial 
commission  might  be  issued,  with- 
out delay,  for  the  trial  of  the  Not- 
tingham rioters,  which,  however, 
sir  Charles  said,  he  would  not  press, 
if  government  would  give  an  assur- 
ance that  such  a  commission  would 
be  issued.  Lord  Althorp  refused 
to  give  any  such  assurance,  but 
he  would  give  this  assurance,  that 
tlie  property  of  every  individual  in 
the  country  would  be  protected,  so 
far  as  government  could  protect  it. 
The  attorney-general  stated  that 
of  the  persons,  who  set  fire  to 
Nottingham -castle,  unfortunately 
not  one  was  yet  in  custody ; 
so  that  if  a  special  commission 
were  to  issue,  there  were  no  pri- 
soners to  try.  Some  persons,  who 
had  been  seen  wandering  about  the 
outskirts  of  the  town,  had  been 
taken  by  the  yeomanry.  There 
were  about  15  persons  in  custody, 
whose  trials  would  be  disposed  of  at 
the  ensuing  sessions.  He  felt  con- 
vinced that  no  further  outrages 
would  take  place  in  that  quarter. 
When  the  first  ebullition  appeared 
at  Nottingham,  the  cavalry  were  at 
Derby,  where,  he  was  sorry  to  say, 

Vol.  LXXIII. 


greater  outrages  had  been  commit- 
ted  than  at  Nottingham,  and  be- 
fore a  sufficient  force  could  be  pro- 
cured, unfortunately  Nottingham- 
castle  was  burnt.  The  magistracy, 
however,  of  the  town  and  the  coun- 
ty had  been  active  and  alert,  the 
yeomanry  had  been  ordered  out,  a 
military  force  was  brought  to  bear 
upon  the  rioters,  and  the  respect- 
able inhabitants  were  sworn  in  as 
special  constables  for  the  protection 
of  the  town.  This  had  proved 
sufficient;  the  disturbances  were 
checked,  and  the  repetition  of  such 
outrages  was  now  exceedingly  im- 
probable. Sir  C.  Wetherell  allow- 
ed his  amendment  to  be  negatived, 
without  dividing  the  House. 

On  October  3rd,  the  chancellor 
of  the  Exchequer  laid  before  the 
House  of  Commons  his  view  of  the 
finances  of  the  year.  This  was,  in 
fact,  the  second  statement  within 
the  year ;  but  almost  every  part  of 
the  original  budget  had  been  ex- 
ploded, and  his  lordship  had  ne- 
cessarily been  driven  to  change  his 
intended  operations.  He  now  pro- 
ceeded first  to  shew  the  difference 
between  the  revenue  of  the  present 
and  of  the  preceding  year.  The 
amount  of  the  receipts  under  the 
head  of  customs,  for  the  year  1830, 
had  been  17,540,000/.  Taking 
this  as  the  calculation  for  1831,  in 
the  quarter  to  the  24th  of  Sep- 
tember, there  had  been  a  decrease 
of  644,000/.,  which  reduced  the 
amount  to  16,896,000/.  There 
was  a  further  loss  of  210,000/.  from 
the  reduction  of  the  coal  duties  ; 
but  there  was  an  increase  on  ac- 
count of  the  duties  on  raw  cottons 
and  on  wines  of  100,000/.,  so  that 
the  nett  amount  of  the  customs 
was  16,786,000/.,  or  he  would 
take  it  at  16,750,000/.  The  ex- 
cise duties  for  1830  had  amounted 
to  18.644,000/. ;   but,  in  calcula- 


980]         ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


ting  for  1831,  there  had  been  a 
decrease  in  the  quarter^  to  the  S^th 
of  September,  of  l,9()f).000/.;  and 
lie  estimated  a  further  loss  of 
100,000/.  on  the  reduction  of  the 
beer  duties,  so  that  he  took  the  ex- 
cise at  about  1 6,64^2,6(^0^  To  this 
he  was  to  add  the  sum  of  157)000/. 
received  on  the  stock  of  wines  in 
hand,  so  that  the  Excise  duties 
for  1831  would  amount  to  the  sum 
of  16\800,000/.  In  the  last  two 
years  taxes  had  been  reduced  by 
3,357,000/.  under  the  head  of  Ex- 
cise. The  reduction  in  the  Cus- 
toms had  been  1,120,000/.  The 
amount  of  reductions  in  these  two 
branches  in  1831  was  4,477,000/., 
and  the  decrease  in  the  receints 
had  been  only  2,634,0(W)/.,  so  tnat 
there  had  bepn  a  real  increase  of 
1,842,5293/.  He  should  take  the 
revenue  of  the  present  year  as 
follows  : 

Customs     £16,750,000 

Excise      1(),800,000 

Stamp  duties  ...       0,8.50,000 

Taxes         5,000,000 

Post-office      1,500,000 

Miscellaneous         ...  250,000 

And  a  receipt  from  the 

hereditary  revenue  of 

Scotland  of         ...  100,000 


Total  ...  £47,250,000 
He  would  now  proceed  to  the  ex- 
penditure, and  he  felt  himself  fully 
justified  in  estimating  what  the 
expenditure  would  be.  He  should 
take  it  up  to  the  24th  of  Septem- 
ber, at       £35,221,6*43 

For  the  remainder  of 

the  year         ...  11,534,578 

Total  for  the  year  £46,756,221. 
He  had  to  allow  for  200,000/.  more 
received  from  the  account  of  the 
last  year,  so  that  he  would  take 
the  surplus  of  reveime  over  ex- 
penditqre  at  49^,000/.   IJe  felt  con- 


fident that  he  did  not  make  any  ex- 
aggerated statement,  and  be  begged 
leave  toobserve,  that  the  surplus  was 
larger  than  he  had  anticipated  in 
February  last^  notwithstanding  he 
had  not  succeeded  in  carrying  se- 
veral of  the  taxes  he  had  proposed. 
In  the  present  quarter  there  had 
been  a  fulling- off  in  thp  customs, 
but  he  had  every  reason  to  believe 
that  it  would  not  continue.  In 
regard  to  the  sinking  fund  he  had 
acted  thus: — at  the  commencement 
of  each  quarter,  he  had  taken  an 
average  of  the  four  preceding 
quarters,  and  that  sum  he  had  afv- 
plied  to  the  reduction  of  the  debt 
in  the  succeeding  quarteri  if  the 
revenue,  at  least,  was  not  mani- 
festly falling.  The  act  allowed 
the  commissioners  for  the  reduction 
of  the  national  debt  to  apply  the 
surplus  revenue  to  the  purcuase  of 
excnequer  bills,  or  deficiency  bills, 
as  well  as  stock,  and  since  the  re- 
venue had  been  diminished  so 
much  by  the  reduction  of  taxes, 
the  surplus  had  been  applied  in  the 

Eurchase  of  deficiency  bills  of  the 
iank.  He  had  acted  in  this  man- 
ner in  order  to  diminish  the  num- 
ber of  securities  in  the  hands  of  the 
Bank  :  and  although  the  plan  was 
o|)erose,  the  effect  was,  that  the 
debt  was  not  reduced,  unless  there 
was  a  rpal  surplus  of  revenue. 

On  the  20th  of  October,  the 
king  in  person  prorogued  Parlia- 
ment witn  the  following  speech  :  — 
*'  My  Lords  and  Gentlemen, 
"  I  atn  at  length  enabled  to  put 
an  end  to  a  session  of  unexampled 
duration  and  labour,  in  which 
matters  of  the  deepest  interest 
have  been  brought  under  your  con-, 
sideration. 

**  1  have  felt  sincere  satisfaction 
in  confirming  by  my  Royal  assent 
bills  for  the  amendment  of  the 
game  laws,  and  for  the  reduction 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[291 


of  taxes  which  pressed  heavily  on 
the  interests  of  my  people  ;  and  J 
have  observed  with  no  less  pleasure 
the  commencement  of  important 
improvements  in  the  law  of  bank- 
ruptcy^  from  which  the  most  be- 
neficial effects  may  be  expected. 

"  I  continue  to  receive  the  most 
gratifying  proofs  of  the  friendly 
disposition  of  Foreign  Powers. 

'^  The  Conference  assembled  in 
London  has  at  length  terminat- 
ed its  difficult  and  laborious  dis- 
cussions, by  an  arrangement  un- 
animously agreed  upon  by  the  ple- 
nipotentiaries of  the  five  Powers 
for  the  separation  of  the  states  of 
Holland  and  Belgium^  on  terms  by 
which  the  interests  of  both^  toge- 
ther with  the  future  security  of 
other  countries^  have  been  care- 
fully provided  for. 

''  A  treaty  founded  on  this  ar- 
rangement has  been  presented  to 
the  Dutch  and  Belgian  plenipo- 
tentiaries, and  I  trust  that  its  ac- 
ceptance by  their  respective  Courts, 
which  I  anxiously  expect,  will 
avert  the  dangers  by  which  the 
peace  of  Europe  was  threatened 
whilst  this  question  remained  un- 
settled. 

"  Gentlemen   of  the  House  of 

Commons, 
"  I  thank  you  for  the  provi- 
sion made  for  the  future  dignity 
and  comfort  of  my  royal  consort,  in 
the  event  of  her  surviving  me; 
and  for  the  supplies  which  you 
have  granted  for  the  service  of  the 
present  year.  You  may  be  assured 
of  my  anxious  care  to  have  them 
administered  with  the  strictest 
attention  to  a  well-considered  eco- 
nomy. 

''The  state  of  Europe  has  made 
it  necessary  to  incur  in  the  various 
establishments  of  the  public  service 
an  increased  expenditure,  which  it 
will  be  roy  earnest  desire  to  re- 


duce,   whenever  it  can   be  done 
with  safety  to  the  interests  of  the 
country.      In   the    mean   time   I 
have  the  satisfaction  of  reflecting 
that  these  demands  have  been  pro- 
vided for  without  any  material  ad- 
dition to  the  public  burthens. 
*'  My  Lords  and  Gentlemen, 
'^  In  the  interval  of  repose  which 
may  now  be  afforded  to  you,  I  am 
sure  it  is  unnecessary  for  me  to  re- 
commend to  you  the  mostcareful  at- 
tention to  the  preservation  of  tran- 
quillity in  your  respective  counties. 
The  anxiety  which   has  been  so 
generally  manifested  by  my  people 
for  the  accomplishment  of  a  con- 
stitutional reform  in  the  Commons' 
House  of  Parliament,  will,  I  trust, 
be  regulated  by  a  due  sense  of  the 
necessity  of  oraer  and  moderation 
in  their  proceedings. 

'*  To  the  consideration  of  this 
important  question  the  attention  of 
parliament  must  necessarily  again 
be  called  at  the  opening  of  the  en- 
suing Session;  find  you  may  be 
assured  of  my  unaltered  desire  to 
promote  its  settlement  by  such 
improvements  in  the  representa- 
tion as  may  be  found  necessary  for 
securing  to  my  people  the  fiill  en- 
joyment of  their  rights,  which,  in 
combination  with  those  of  the  other 
orders  of  the  state,  are  essential  to 
the  support  of  our  free  constitu- 
tion." 

Parliament  was  then  prorogued 
to  the  22nd  November,  and  subse- 
quently, by  proclamation,  to  the 
6th  of  December. 

Throughout  the  reform  debates  , 
in  the  House  of  Commons,  the  bill 
had  encountered  from  no  one  a  more 
unyieldipg  and  distinguished  op- 
position than  from  sir  Charles  / 
Wetherell.  Sir  Charles  was  re- 
corder of  Bristol.  He  proceeded 
to  that  city  on  Saturday  the  29th 
October  to  discbarge  his  judicial 
tU2] 


292]      ANNUAL   REGISTER,    1831. 


duty  by  opening  the  king's  com* 
mission  on  the  following  Monday. 
He  was  received  as  usual  by  tlie 
civic  bodies^  but  a  reforming  po- 
pulace likewise  awaited  his  ap- 
proach, to  make  him  the  object  of 
their  violence  and  insult.  As  he 
entered  the  city,  the  rabble  assailed 
the  recorder  with  all  possible  ex- 
pressions of  dislike  ;  and  stones 
were  thrown  at  his  carriage,  and 
at  the  constables  who  attended  it. 
Accompanied  by  this  outrageous 
rabble^  the  cavalcade  reached  the 
Guild  Hall^  into  which  likewise 
the  populace  made  their  way. 
The  royal  commission  was  read, 
and  the  further  proceedings  ad- 
journed till  the  following  Monday, 
amid  wild  clamour  and  uproar. 
The  recorder  and  the  municipal 
authorities  then  proceeded  to  the 
Mansion-house,  where,  according 
to  custom,  they  were  to  dine.  On 
his  way  he  was  greeted  with  the 
same  continuance  of  groans  "and 
hisses  from  the  populace,  except 
at  the  Commercial  Rooms,  where 
stood  an  assemblage  of  more  re- 
spectable citizens,  who  hailed  them 
with  three  cheers.  They  arrived 
in  safety  at  the  Mansion-house : 
the  crowd  iilled  the  square :  stones 
began  to  fly;  and  some  windows 
were  broken.  The  constables  seiz- 
ed, or  attempted  to  seize,  some  of 
the  delinquents.  The  mob  armed 
themselves  with  sticks  and  blud- 
geons; but  the  constables,  by  a 
simultaneous  attack,  drove  them 
back.  They  still,  however,  kept 
possession  of  the  square,  and  con- 
tinued to  discharge  their  missiles 
at  the  police  and  the  windows.  So 
little  was  more  serious  danger  ap« 
prehended,  that  a  large  division  of 
the  constables  was  allowed  to  re- 
tire. The  mob,  seeing  themselves 
opposed  by  a  smaller  force,  became 
more  bold.     The  mayor  came  for-< 


ward,  entreating  them  to  disperse, 
as  he  must  otherwise  call  out  the 
military.  Their  violence  only  in- 
creased. The  riot-act  was  read : 
the  reply  to  it  was  an  instantane- 
ous attack  upon  the  constables, 
who  were  overpowered,  disarmed, 
and  driven  from  the  ground. 
The  Mansion-house  itself  was  then 
stormed ;  the  doors  were  forced  ; 
the  sashes  and  shutters  of  the  win- 
dows torn  down ;  the  furniture  on 
the  ground-floor  demolished;  the 
iron  palisades  were  converted  into 
weapons,  and  preparations  were 
made  for  firing  the  building. 

The  recorder  and  magistrates 
had  escaped  by  the  back  of  the 
Mansion-house,  and  murder  was 
prevented.  The  recorder  imme- 
diately left  the  city  :  the  magis- 
trates ordered  out  the  military, 
consisting  of  two  troops  of  cavalry. 
The  latter  walked  their  horses 
about  among  the  mob,  to  whom 
the  commanding  officer  gave  fair 
words.  They  would  not, disperse  : 
no  attempt  was  made  effectually 
to  disperse  them  :  they  were  al- 
lowed to  remain,  after  all  the 
crimes  they  had  committed,  in 
possession  of  the  square,  in  the 
face  of  the  law,  and  of  the  military 
force  which  had  been  brought 
there  to  enforce  the  law.  They 
proceeded  to  break  the  windows  of 
the  Council-house.  The  cavalry 
then  charged,  and  drove  them  out 
of  the  square.  They  retreated  i  n to 
the  bye  streets  and  passages,  from 
which  they  pelted  the  military 
with  stones.  Any  farther  mischief, 
however,  was  prevented  during 
the  night  between  Saturday  and 
Sunday.  But  Sunday  morning 
brought  back  the  populace,  great- 
ly increased  in  numbers  and  dar- 
ing, while  the  troops  had  been 
sent  home  to  their  barracks,  al- 
though every  thing  prognosticated 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[293 


a  renewal  of  the  disturbance.    Th^ 
mob  again   filled    the    Mansion- 
house  :    all  its  depositories^  from 
top   to  bottom^   were   ransacked^ 
and   every  article  which  it  con- 
tained was  carried  off,  or  wantonly 
destroyed.     What  was  worse,  the 
populace  made  their  way  into  the 
cellars,  where  they  found  a  large 
stock  of  wines  and  spirits.     These 
were  next  plundered,  and  to  the 
common  violence  of  a  lawless  mob 
was  now  added  the   reckless  and 
brutal  fury  of  intoxication.     One 
troop  of  cavalry — a  troop  of  the 
14th — was  called  out.     It  so  hap- 
pened that  this  troop  had  been  the 
most  active  in  the  discharge  of  its 
duty  on  the   preceding  evening, 
and  was  therefore  fully  as  unpopu- 
lar as  the  recorder.     The  mob  at- 
tacked it  with  showers  of  stones 
and  brick-bats,  seriously  wounding 
many  of  the  men ;    yet  they  did 
nothing:    no  magistrate  gave  or- 
ders to  act,  and  the  commanding 
officer  seemed  not  to  know  that  a 
soldier,   when  actually  assaulted, 
and  more  especially  when  assaulted 
on  duty,  is  entitled,  like  every  other 
citizen,  to  put  down  the  assailant, 
without  the  command  of  any  ma- 
gistrate.     He    acted   still    more 
madly :  he  attempted  to  coax  and 
negociate  a  truce  with  the  mob : 
he  asked  them  if  they  would  be 
quiet,  provided  he  withdrew  this 
unpopular  troop !     On  an  assur- 
ance  to   this   effect,    he   ordered 
the  14th  away.      The   mob    fol- 
lowed all  the  way   to  their  bar- 
racks, making   upon   them,    with 
dangerous  missiles,    such    violent 
attacks,  that  the  men,  at  last,  in 
self-defence,  turned  and  fired. 

The  other  troop  replaced  them 
at  the  Mansion-house,  which  was 
thus  protected  when  there  was  no 
longer  any  thing  to  protect.  But 
th^  druul^en  pppulace  immediately 


selected  new  objects  :  one  detach- 
ment proceeded  to  the  Bridewell ; 
arming   themselves   with    sledge- 
hammers   from    a    neighbouring 
smith's   shop,  which  they  broke 
open,  they,battered  down  the  gates, 
rushed  into  the  interior,  liberated 
all  the  prisoners,  and  then  set  fire 
to  the  building.     This  was  about 
two  o'clock  on  Sunday,  and  not  the 
slightest  molestation  was  offered 
to  their  proceedings,  a  troop   of 
cavalry  being  kept,  in  the  mean- 
time, useless  in  its  barracks,  mere- 
ly because  it  had  done  its  duty. 
The  consequences  were  inevitable. 
The  unresisted  mob,  increased  in 
numbers    and   security,   attacked 
the  new  jail,  while  thousands  look- 
ed on.     They  carried  and  gutted 
the  governor's  house,  made  their 
way  into  the   yard,   armed   with 
hammers  to  break  open  the  doors : 
all  the  prisoners — criminals  as  well 
as  debtors — were  forthwith  set  at 
liberty,  amid  the  exulting  shouts 
of  the  populace  ;    and   the    jail, 
being  thus  emptied,   was  imme- 
diately  set  on   fire,  with   all  its 
adjuncts  of  tread-mill,  chapel,  and 
governor  8  house.  While  the  libera- 
tion of   the  prisoners  was  going 
on,  and  before  the  conflagration 
had    commenced,    but  when   the 
jail   was  in  the  possession  of  the 
rioters,  a  party  of  the  troop  of  the 
3rd  guards,  which  had  replaced  the 
unpopular  troop  at  the  Mansion- 
house,   appeared  on   the  ground. 
The  mob  cheered  the  military  j 
the    military    acknowledged    the 
compliment,  wheeled  round,  and 
marched  off.     The  rioters  leaving 
the  jail  burning,  and  setting  fire, 
on  their  way,  to  various  toll-houses, 
next  carried,  without  resistance, 
the  Gloucester  county  prison,  li- 
berated its  inmates,  and  then  set 
it  on  fire — sending  off  a  detach- 
ment to  aid  the  conflagration  of 


294]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


the  Bridewell^  one  wing  of  which 
seemed  otherwise  likely  to  es« 
cape.  It  was  now  8unaay  after - 
ternoon.  The  Bridewell,  the  new 
jail,  and  the  county  jail,  were  all 
burning  at  the  same  time.  No  man 
daretl  to  bring  assistance ;  no  force, 
civil  or  military,  was  interfering 
with  the  populace ;  and  the  rioters 
were  masters  of  the  city :  the  go- 
vernment of  the  mob  had  begun. 

The  reformers  in  parliament  and 
out  of  parliament  had  held  up  as 
objects  of  hatred  and  contempt  the 
bishops  of  the  church  of  England, 
because  they  had  voted  against 
a  bill  believed  by  them  to  be  utter- 
ly ruinous  to  a  church  of  which 
they  were  the  heads.  The  Bristol 
mob-reformers,  therefore,  proceed- 
ed next  to  attack  the  bishop's  pa- 
lace. They  effected  an  entrance, 
but  were  stopped  by  the  appear- 
ance of  the  military,  who  had  beea 
hastily  called  away  from  the  Man- 
sion-house. The  mob,  which  re- 
mained in  the  square  before  the 
Mansion-house,  again  entered  it, 
and  in  an  instant  it  was  in  flames ; 
the  drunken  rioters,  as  they  iired 
the  apartments  one  after  another, 
cheering  from  the  front  windows 
at  the  progress  of  their  unopposed 
triumph.  The  solitary  troop  of 
the  guards  hastened  back  to  the 
Mansion-house  from  the  bishop's 
palace.  The  episcopal  dwelling 
was  immediately  in  a  blaze,  and 
was  soon  a  heap  of  ashes.  The 
bishop  himself  had  tranquilly  per- 
formed all  the  clerical  duties  of 
the  day,  and  had  then  withdrawn 
from  the  ftiry  of  the  miscreants. 

The  unresisted  rioters  now 
crowded  back  to  Queen  square,  to 
exult  in  the  conflagration  of  the 
mansion  house,  and  extend  the 
flames.  They  set  fire  to  the  houses 
round  tlie  square,  one  after  an- 
other, having  first  plundered  them* 


They  rejichcd  the  Custom-house, 
an  immense  building,  left  utterly 
unprotected.  Its  whole  extent  was 
forthwith  added  to  the  burning 
mass.  It  was  now  mid-night ;  and 
Monday  morning  was  hailed  by 
proceeding  to  another  side  of  the 
square.  The  first  building  there 
was  the  Excise-ofiice.  It  shared, 
unprotected  and  unresisted,  the 
fate  of  the  Custom-house.  The 
adjacent  buildings  were  next  set  on 
fire,  and  the  unrestrained  flames 
extended  to  the  housesin  the  neigh-' 
bourhood. 

The  frightful  extent  of  this  un- 
checked destruction  recalled  the 
magistrates  and  the  militarv  offi- 
cers to  some  sense  of  duty  m  the 
course  of  Monday  morning.  The 
unpopular  troop  of  cavafry  was 
again  ordered  to  appear,  and  soon 
succeeded  in  clearing  the  streets. 
Thenn^strates,too,  called  out  their 
posse,  and  received  the  aid  of  all 
good  citizens.  New  troops  were 
poured  into  the  town.  The  riot- 
ing was  over,  and  at  length  fire- 
engines  were  brought  fijrth  to  ex- 
tinguish the  dying  embers  of  de- 
stroyed buildings.  Before  Tues- 
day, the  1st  November,  order  had 
been  restored,  and  the  police  were 
busily  occupied  in  recovering  the 
stolen  property,  and  apprehending 
the  criminals.  Several  of  the  latter 
had  lost  their  lives,  but  only  few 
of  them  from  the  operations  of  the 
military.  The  greater  number  of 
those  who  perished  did  so,  in  con- 
sequence of  intoxication  disabling 
them  from  escaping  from  the  flames 
which  they  themselves  had  kindled. 
The  property  destroyed  was  esti*- 
mated  at  nearly  half  a  million.* 

•  The  following  was  the  return  pub- 
lished  of  the  Jtilled  and  wounded  :— 
Dead, — Ai  the  Infrmary, 

From  shots % 

sword'cais  ««        •«        1 


HlStORY  OF  tUROPE. 


[295 


Since  the  tiots  in  Ixmdoti  cont- 
monly  called  Lord  Georgtf  Gor- 
don's riots,  no  part  of  the  United 
Kingdom  had  exiiibited  such  scenes. 
The  reformers  laid  the  blanie  of  all 
that  had  happened  on  sir  C.  We- 
therell.  He  knew,  they  said,  or  he 
ought  to  have  known,  that  he  was 
hateful  to  the  people  of  Bristol  as 
an  an ti -reformer,  and  he  oUglit 
not  to  have  provoked  thfem  by  ap- 
pearing amongst  them.  In  the 
very  same  breath,  they  declared 
most  clamorously  that  the  people 

burnt  ..  ..         ..1 

excessive  drinking     ..      1 

At  St,  Peter's  Hospital, 
From  sviord  cuts         ..         ..1 
burnt  ..  ..         5 

excessive  drinking       . .  1 


Total 

\2 

rybunded  and  Injured, — j4t  the 

hiflr- 

mary. 

From  shots 

6 

sword  cuts  and  contu- 

sions from  the  horses 

of  the  military     . . 

30 

other    causes    uncon- 

nected with  the  mi- 

litary 

21 

apoplexy  from  exces- 

sive drinking         •  • 

2 

At  St.  Pcter^s  liospitat. 

From  sword  cuts 

« 

other  causes 

2 

At  the  Dispensaries  and  the  Hmues  of 

Private  Surgeons, 

From  shots 

2 

sword  cuts 

16 

other  causes 

11  ' 

Total  ..     ..     94 

Total. — Wounded  and  Injured, 

From  shots         ..  ..  10 

sword  cuts      .  •         * .     4^ 

drunkenness        • .  2 

other  ctinses   • .         . .     34 

Total    ..     ..     94 

The  body  of  a  boy,  and  parts  of 
several  other  bodies,  found  among  the 
ruins  in  the  square,  were  taken  to  St. 
Peter's  Hospital,  in  addition  to  those 
includ<^  in  the  above  list. 


of  Bristol  had  n6  concern  in  the 
outrages,  and  that  ithat  had  hap- 
pened was  no  consequence  of  any 
reform  spirit.  More  sober  meli 
asked, — '  Is  it  true,  then,  that  a 
judge  of  the  land  is  not  to  be  allow- 
ed to  perform  the  high  duties  of  his 
office,  because  he  differs  from  us  in 
political  opinion?  Was  the  fact 
of  the  recorder  of  Bristol  being  an 
anti-reformer  any  good  reason  for 
placihg  him  beyond  the  pale  of  the 
Jaw,  and  settilig  the  city  in  flames  ? 
Do  we  reformers  conciliate  the 
good-will  of  good  citizens  by  shew- 
ing that  such  conduct  is  that  in 
which  our  followers  love  to  find 
their  gratification  ?  Or,  if  those 
outrages  had  nothing  to  do  with 
the  opinions  and  practices  of  re- 
formers, if  those  By  whom  they 
were  perpetrated  are  not  to 'be 
considered  as  rankibg  amdng  re- 
formers, and  if  we  say  that  no  sudi 
crimes  wei^  to  be  dreaded  from  I'e- 
formers,  what  do  we  mean  by  say- 
ing that  an  anti-reforttiing  judge 
should  have  deserted  his  duty, 
and  not  ventured  into  reforming 
Bristol,  where,  according  to  out: 
account  of  ourselves  and  our  doc- 
trines, no  disturbance  was  to  be 
dreaded  from  reformers  ?*  Never- 
theless, the  reforming  journals 
daily  poured  forth  their  obloquy  on 
sir  C.  Wetherell,  until  they  were 
all  at  once  silenced  by  the  dis- 
covery that  he  had  gone  down  to 
Bristol  only  after  consulting  the 
go^urnmetit,  and  after  receiving 
the  sanction  of  his  majesty's  minis- 
ters that  there  was  no  impropriety 
in  his  proceeding  to  fulfil  the  du- 
ties of  his  judicial  station.  To  have 
sought  that  Sanction  may  have 
been  prudent ;  but  in  what  times 
do  men  live,  when  a  judge  of  the 
land  must  suspend  the  Juties  of 
his  offioe  at  the  commanil  of  pre- 
ptn«d  (lod  i)«MM  orimiadis !    Oa 


296]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


the  3rd  of  December,  a  special 
commission  was  issued  for  the 
trial  of  the  rioters^  and  on  the  20th, 
similar  commissions  issued  to  try 
the  rioters  at  Nottingham  and 
Derby. 

The  political  unions  now  became 
bolder,  and  it  was  determined^  in 
order  to  give  greater  unity  to  their 
proceedings  to  give  them  a  central 
point  by  forming  in  London,  a  *'  Na- 
tional Political  Union."  The  meet- 
ing was  held  in  Lincoln 's-inn-fields 
on  the  31st  of  October,  and  Sir 
Francis  Burdett  took  the  chair. 
After  the  usual  speeches,  it  was 
resolved  that  a  National  Political 
Union  should  be  formed,  to  be 
guided  by  a  council,  to  which  should 
be  intrusted,  in  the  first  place,  the 
formation  of  its  rules;  that  it 
should  give  its  assistance  in  the 
formation  of  branch  unions,  and 
that  the  chairman  of  a  branch 
union,  so  soon  as  he  became  a  mem- 
ber of  the  national  union,  should 
be  a  member  of  the  council.  Some 
discord  was  raised  among  these 
legislators  by  a  proposal  that  a  cer- 
tain part  of  the  council  should  con- 
sist of  persons  from  the  working 
classes.  Sir  Francis  Burdett  op- 
posed this,  ostensibly  because  it 
assumed  a  distinction  of  classes  to 
exist,  having  separate  interests. 
There  were,  to  be  sure,  rich  and 
poor,  but  they  all  formed  only  one 
class,  the  people  of  England.  But 
the  friends  of  the  lower  orders 
would  not  be  so  satisfied.  The 
middle  classes,  said  a  workman, 
merely  wish  to  make  us  the  tools 
of  their  purposes ;  we  are  not  even 
to  have  votes,  and  they  tell  us  it 
would  be  impolitic  now  to  demand 
that.  There  is  no  use  in  preach- 
ing up  policy  and  patience,  when 
tve  are  starving ;  it  is  a  mockery 
of  us.  If  the  middle  classes  be 
really  sincere^  they  should  take  care 


that  the  working  classes  were  bet- 
ter clothed  and  fed.  If  that  be  the 
end  of  reform,  then  we  may  unite 
with  them,  but  they  rather  seek  po- 
licy and  expediency.  There  should 
be  a  resolution  that  the  National 
Union  would  never  cease  its  efforts, 
till  complete  enfranchisement  w<is 
obtained  for  every  man  capable  of 
bearing  arms ;  and  the  middle  class 
must  recognize  this  principle,  if 
they  wished  the  working  classes  to 
unite  with  them.  This  resolution 
was  not  adopted,  but  the  matter 
was  compromised  by  its  being  car- 
ried that  the  half  of  the  council  of 
the  National  Political  Union  should 
be  composed  of  members  of  the 
working  classes.  Sir  F.  Burdett 
shortly  afterwards  withdrew  his 
name  from  the  association.  Per- 
haps he  thought  there  was  too 
strong  an  intermixture  of  the  de- 
mocratic principle. 

The  working  classes  having  thus 
acquired  a  persona  standi  proceeded 
to  action.  They  had  their  own 
Union,  and  its  office-bearers  called 
a  general  meeting  of  the  working 
classes,  to  be  held  at  White  Con- 
duit House,  on  the  7th  November, 
to  ratify  a  bill  of  rights  which  they 
publicly  put  forth.  This  docu- 
ment, besides  demanding  universal 
suffrage,  annual  parliaments,  and 
vote  by  ballot,  declared  *'  That  all 
property  honestly  acquired^  is  sa- 
crea  and  inviolable ;  that  all  men 
are  born  equally  free,  and  have 
certain  natural  and  unalienable 
rights ;  that  all  hereditary  distinc" 
tions  of  birth  are  unnatural,  and 
opposed  to  the  equal  rights  of  man, 
and  ought  to  he  abolished;"  and 
they  declared  that  they  woifld 
never  be  satisfied  with  any  law  or 
laws  which  stopped  short  of  these 
principles.  They  called,  likewise, 
on  their  fellow-workmen,  in  all 
parts  of  the  country,  to  meet  for 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[297 


the  same  pur{)osc^  on  tlie  same 
day.  This  proclamation  was  ac- 
companied with  certain  very  elo- 
quent facts.  Information  was 
given  that^  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  Bethnal-green,  an  immense  num- 
ber of  staves,  with  the  tri-colour 
device  painted  on  them,  had  been 
sold ;  that  sticks  with  concealed 
swords  were  in  the  market,  and 
that  the  stick-shops  had  been  ex- 
posed to  a  demand  for  bludgeons 
which  they  could  scarcely  supply. 
Government  became  alarmed.  Or- 
ders were  given  to  swear  in  special 
constables  in  the  different  parishes  : 
the  whole  police  force  was  ordered 
to  be  in  readiness;  a  very  large 
body  of  troops,  both  infantry,  and 
cavalry,  were  drawn  round  London ; 
military  and  cannon  were  stationed 
ill  the  different  prisons.  Still, 
however,  government  did  not  pro- 
hibit the  meeting;  the  only  warn- 
ing came  from  the  magistrates  of 
Hatton-garden,  who,  on  the  5th, 
issued  a  notice,  stating  that  the 
intended  meeting  would  be  sedi- 
tious and  illegal,  and  strictly  en- 
joining all  loyal  and  well-disposed 
subjects  to  refrain  from  attending 
it.  Thereupon  a  deputation  of  the 
working  classes  repaired  to  the 
Home  Secretary.  Lord  Melbourne 
admitted  them  to  an  interview. 
He  told  them  that  their  declara- 
tion was  not  only  highly  seditious, 
but  perhaps  treasonable,  and  that 
any  person  attending  the  meeting 
with  the  object  for  which  it  was 
professedly  called,  would  be  guilty 
of  an  act  of  treason.  The  leaders 
of  the  plot  then  agreed  to  abandon 
the  meeting ;  but  no  step  was 
taken  against  them  either  for  their 
seditious  publications,  or  for  their 
misdemeanour  in  calling  such  a 
meeting. 

On  the  22nd  of  November  a  pro- 
clamation was  at  length  issued^  de« 


signed  to  give  a  check  to  the  spirit 
of  political  combination.  It  pro- 
ceeded on  the  statement  that  ''  cer- 
tain of  our  subjects  in  different  parts 
of  our  kingdom  have  recently  pro- 
mulgated plans  for  voluntary  asso- 
ciations, under  the  denomination 
of  Political  Associations,  to  be  com- 
posed of  separate  bodies,  with 
various  divisions  and  sub-divisions, 
under  leaders  with  a  gradation  of 
ranks  and  authority,  and  distin- 
guished by  certain  badges,  and  sub- 
ject to  the  general  control  and  di- 
rection of  a  superior  committee  or 
council,  for  which  associations  no 
warrant  has  been  given  by  us,  or 
by  any  appointed  by  us,  on  that 
behalf:  and  according  to  the  plans 
so  promulgated,  as  aforesaid,  a 
power  appears  to  be  assumed  of 
acting  independently  of  the  civil 
magistrates,  to  whose  requisition 
calling  upon  them  to  be  enrolled 
as  constables  the  individuals  com- 
posing such  associations  are  bound, 
in  common  with  the  rest  of  our 
subjects  to  yield  obedience.'*  It 
described  such  associations  as  being 
incompatible  with  the  performance 
of  the  duty  of  subjects,  at  vari- 
ance with  the  acknowledged  prin- 
ciples of  the  constitution,  and  sub- 
versive of  his  majesty's  authority 
as  supreme  head  of  the  State.  The 
proclamation  therefore  declared, 
*'  all  such  associations,  so  consti- 
tuted and  appointed  as  aforesaid, 
to  be  unconstitutional  and  illegal," 
and  commanded^  all  the  lieges  to 
abstain  from  joining  them.  The 
royal  proclamation  called  forth  a 
declaration  of  the  newly  constitut- 
ed National  Union  "  that  the  pro- 
clamation does  not  apply  to  the 
National  Political  Union,  nor  to 
the  great  majority  of  Unions  now 
in  existence."  Excepting  that  the 
Birmingham  Union  abandoned  a 
proposed   plan    of    organizatiooj 


298]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 

things    rcmaiiied    as    tlicy   \rere.  led,  shrivelled,  and  folded;  thfe  hails 

The  proclamation  may  hare  pre-  put  on  a  blucish  pearly  white  hue; 

vented  the  spread  of  a  spirit  of  af-  tlie  larger  superficial  veins  were 

filiation,     connected    action,    and  marked  by  flat  lines  of  a  deepei* 

graduated  control,  and  that,  per-  black  ;    the   pulse  became  eithet 

haps,  in  the  existing  state  of  the  law,  smjlll  as  a  thread,  or  else  totally 

was  all  that  a  proclamation  codld  extinct  ;    the   voice  stink   into   a 

do.  The  existing  unions  continued,  whisper;  the  respiration  i^'ascjUiek, 

new   ones   were  created,  and   no  irregular,  and  imperfect ;  and  the 

check  was  given  to  the  weight  with  secretion  of  urine  was  totally  SuS- 

which   these   pseudo  -  parliaments  pnded.     Death  took  place  ofteh 

pressed   upon   the  government  of  in  ten  or  twelve,  generally  within 

the  country.  eighteen  or  twenty  hours,  after  thfe 

appearance  of  decidfed  add  i^ell- 
Towards  the  end  of  the  year  the  formed  symptoms.  In  thfe  space 
cholera  morbus  made  its  appedr-  of  a  few  wbeks  10,000  persons 
ance  in  the  noHh  of  England,  fell  victims  to  this  malady  in  the 
Whether  the  tnalady  known  by  single  district  of  Jessore.  It  dooh 
this  name  was  contagious  or  epi-  extended  its  ravages  throughout 
demic,  was  a  matter  on  which  there  Bengal ;  few  toivns  or  villages  in 
liad  hoeh  much  discussion  ;  but,  an  area  of  several  thousand  miles 
though  the  cause  of  the  disease  escaped  the  invasion.  The  cities 
and  its  laws  of  transmission  could  of  Decca  and  Patna,  the  towns 
not  be  Satisfactorily  explained,  its  of  Balasore,  Burrishol,  Bur- 
history  at  least  was,  to  a  consider-  davan,  and  Malda,  suffbrcd  se- 
able  extent,  known.  In  August,  verely  ;  and,  throughout  the 
1817,  a  malady  of  a  peculiar  clia-  Gangetic  Delta,  the  mass  of  the 
racter  made  its  appearance  at  Jes-  population  was  sensibly  diminished, 
sore,  in  Bengal.  The  first  serious  It  extended  also  eastward  along 
manifestations  of  it  consisted  gene-  the  coast  of  the  Asiatic  continent, 
rally  in  violent  vomitings  and  dis-  and  through  the  islands  of  the 
charges  of  the  bowels ;  the  evacua-  Indian  ocean,  to  China,  and  to 
tions  presenting,  for  the  most  part,  Timor.  In  1818,  it  appeared  in 
numerous  mucous  flakes  floating  Arracan  ;  in  1819,  in  Penang, 
in  a  liquid*  resembling  rice-water  the  island  of  Java,  &c.  ;  in 
or  whey.  Spasmodic  contractions.  Canton,  in  October,  1820;  and 
beginning  in  the  fingers  and  in  Pekin,  in  1821.  Before  the 
toes,  gradually  extended  them-  end  of  1823,  it  had  traversed  the 
selves  to  the  Jtrunk  :  the  pulse  Molucca  islands  and  the  island  of 
sunk;  the  skin  became  cold  ;  the  Timor;  abd,continiiing  for  several 
lips,  face,  neck,  hands,  and  feet,  years  to  ravage  the  interior  of 
and  soon  after  the  thighs,  arms,  China,  it  had,  by  1827,  passed  to 
and  whole  surface  assumed  a  leaden,  the  north  of  the  Great  Wall,  and 
blue,  purple,  black,  or  deep  brown  desolatbd  several  places  in  Mon- 
tint,  according  to  the  complexion  golia. 

of  the  individual,  and  varying  in        At  the  Same  time  it  was  extend- 

shade   with   the  intensity  of  the  ing  to  the  West  as  Well  as  to  the 

attack.    The  fingers  and  toes  were  east.'    In  1818,  it  made  its  appcar- 

reduced  in  size ;  the  skin  and  soft  ance  at  Bombay ;  and  broke  out 

parts  covering  them  became  wrink*  anew  in  1819>  1820^  and  1821* 


HISTORY  OP  EUR0P£. 


i2m 


Ascending  the  Persian  Gulpli,  it 
spread,  on  one  haud^  from  Busheer 
into  Persia;  on  the  other,  it  passed 
through  Bassora,  along  the  course 
of  the  rivers  Tigris  and  Euphrates 
into  Asiatic  Turkey.  After  tra- 
versing Baku  and  other  ports  on 
the  western  border  of  the  Caspian 
sea,  it  appeared  in  Astracan  in 
September,  1823,  but  died  away 
in  the  course  of  the  winter.  It 
continued  during  the  succeeding 
years  to  wander  about  in  different 
provinces  of  Persia,  and  the  adja- 
cent districts ;  and,  in  1830,  it 
broke  out  with  renewed  violence 
on  the  western  shores  of  the  Caspian 
sea.  It  soon  ravaged  Georgia,  and 
made  its  appearance  in  Astracan  ; 
thence  it  ascended  the  Volga,  and 
crossed  over  to  the  Don,  spreading 
northwards  so  as  in  the  month  of 
June  to  reach  St.  Petersburgh  and 
Archangel.  Holding  also  a  west- 
ern course,  and  entering  Poland,  it 
broke  out  in  Warsaw,  in  April, 
1 83 1  ;  in  Dantzic,  in  May ;  in 
Be»rlin,  in  the  beginning  oi  Sep- 
tember ;  and  in  Hamburgh,  in  the 
month  following.  It  made  its  ap- 
pearance in  Jassy,  in  June,  1831  ; 
in  Bucharest  and  Pest,  in  July ; 
and  in  Vienna,  in  September. 

Precautions  had  been  taken,  by 
enforcing  quarantine  regulations, 
to  protect  Great  Britain  and  Ire- 
land from  the  malady.  However, 
on  the  26th  of  October,  it  made 
its  appearance  in  Sunderland.  It 
was  alleged  that,  a  few  days  pre- 
viously, three  vessels  from  Ham- 
burgh had  been  allowed  to  pass 
up  the  river  to  perform  quaran- 
tine above  the  harbour,  and  that 
their  crews  had  held  free  commu- 
nication with  the  shore :  but 
there   was    no    evidence    of  the 


existence  of  the  disease  on  board 
these  ships.  There  was  great  con- 
trariety of  opinion  among  medical 
men.  Some  alleged,  that  the  malady 
which  had  broken  out  at  Sunder- 
land was  contagious,  and  identical 
with  the  Asiatic  cholera  ;  othei's 
asserted,  that  it  was  totally  dis- 
similar, and  was  merely  epidemic. 
This  much,  however,  was  certain, 
that  a  malady  had  made  its  ap- 
pearance, presenting  an  assemblage 
of  symptoms  not  hitherto  observed 
in  ordinary  conjunction  in  this 
country ;  resembling,  in  their  ge- 
neral character,  the  symptoms  of 
the  disease  which  had  spread  from 
Bengal  to  the  Baltic,  and  accom- 
panied with  a  degree  of  mortality, 
less  indeed  than  had  been  experi- 
enced in  most  places  which  the 
cholera  had  assailed,  but  greatly 
surpassing  the  ordinary  mortality 
of  any  similar  ailment,  with  which 
medical  practitioners  here  tvere  pre- 
viously acquainted.  Between  the 
26th  of  October  and  the  28th  of 
December,  when  only  seven  ca^s 
remained,  528  persons  were  at- 
tacked in  Sunderland,  of  whom 
197  died.  In  the  beginning  of 
December  it  spread  to  Newcastle ; 
and,  by  the  28th  of  the  month, 
ninety-nine  had  died  out  of  286 
who  were  attacked.  On  Christ- 
mas day  it  made  its  appearance  in 
Gateshead ;  and,  within  forty-eight 
hours,  upwards  of  120  cas^^  oc- 
curred, of  which  fifty- two  proved 
fatal.  In  the  course  of  iJecem- 
ber  North  Shields,  South  Shields, 
WestOB,  Houghton  Le  SpriiSg,  and 
Penther,  Were  attacked ;  and,  by 
the  28th  of  that  month  eight  cases, 
out  of  which  six  were  fatal,  had 
occurred  in  Haddington,  in  Scot- 
land. 


300]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,   183L 


CHAP.    X. 


IiiELAND. — Lawless  state  of  the  Peasantry  in  Ireland — Distress  of 
the  Population — Associations  in  Dublin  for  a  Repeal  of  the  Union 
— O'ConneWs  intended  Procession  of  the  Trades  prohibited  by  Pro- 
clamation  —  O'Connell  summons  his  assemblies  under  a  new  name^ 
and  they  are  again  prohibited  by  Proclamation — Proposal  that 
O'Connell  himself  shall  be  declared  to  be  an  association — He  renewii 
his  meetings  in  the  shape  of  a  Public  Breakfast — The  Breakfasts 
are  prohibited  by  Proclamation — New  devices  of  the  agitators  to 
evade  the  law,  followed  by  another  Proclamation  —  Partial  run 
upon  the  banks — O'Connell  convokes  another  meeting,  which  is  dis- 
persed by  the  Magistrates — 0*Connell  and  his  coadjutors  appre- 
hended for  illegal  proceedings — True  Bills  are  found  against  tJiem 
— He  puts  in  a  demurrer,  then  withdraws  it,  aiid  pleads  Not  Guilty 
— Attempts  to  delay  his  Trial — Withdraws  his  plea,  and  pleads 
Guilty — Discussions  in  Parliament  whether  Government  had  made 
a  compromise  with  the  agitators — None  of  the  agitators  brought  up 
for  judgment — Declarations  against  a  Repeal  of  the  Union — Dis- 
cussions in  Parliament  on  the  same  subject — Continued  disturbances 
in  Ireland — Insurrection  Act  enforced  by  Proclamation  in  several 
counties,  and  Special  Commission  to  try  the  offenders — Fatal  colli- 
sions between  the  peasantry  and  the  authorities  at  Cattle  Pollard — 
At  Newton-barry — In  county  Kilkenny. 


Ill 


DURING  the  discussion 
parliament  of  the  bill  which 
extended  to  the  Roman  Catholics 
of  Ireland  all  the  civil  rights  en- 
joyed by  their  Protestant  fellow- 
subjects,  it  had  been  predicted  by 
its  opponents  that  the  proposed 
concessions,  instead  of  restoring 
])cace  and  tranquillity  to  that  por- 
tion of  the  empire,  would  only  lead 
to  new  demands,  to  be  enforced  by 
the  same  instruments  of  agitation 
and  defiance,  the  efficacy  of  which 
would  have  been  proved  by  the 
very  measure  that  was  then  in  con- 
templation. The  prediction  was 
already  verified.  Instead  of  the 
re-appearauce  of  any  tolerable  de- 


gree of  harmony  and  good  will, 
submission  to  the  law,  and  the 
prosecution  of  industrious  labour, 
many  parts  of  the  country,  and 
more  particularly  the  southern 
counties,  had  become  equally  un- 
safe for  property  and  for  life.  The 
peasantry  set  up  their  own  uncon- 
trolled law  of  force ;  they  banded 
themselves  in  large  bodies,  as  well 
as  in  small,  but  numerous,  parties, 
'to  enforce  it;  and,  to  gain  their 
ends,  they  shrunk  from  no  deed  of 
blood,  whether  perpetrated  in  mere 
open  riot,  or  by  private  assassina- 
tion. They  directed  themselves 
against  the  tithes  of  the  church, 
and  the  rents  and  property  of  the 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[301 


laity.  Marching  armed  to  the 
residences  of  the  clergy,  they  com- 
pelled them  to  reduce  the  legal 
rate  of  the  tithes,  or  to  abandon  it 
altogether.  Vengeance  was  de- 
nounced, by  all  manner  of  threat- 
ening notices,  not  only  against  the 
persons  who  should  exact,  but 
against  the  farmers  who  should 
pay,  it ;  and  the  menaces  were 
carried  into  execution  by  murder, 
rapine,  and  arson.  In  the  face  of 
day,  under  the  eyes  of  the  pro- 
prietor, and  in  defiance  of  all  the 
resistance  which  the  security  of 
his  life  }>ermitted  him  to  make, 
they  would  cut  down  his  trees  in 
order  to  arm  their  bands  with  the 
weapons  which  were  to  be  the 
instruments  of  new  crimes.  Ac- 
cording to  custom,  wherever  their 
more  numerous  assemblages  were 
likely  to  come  in  contact  with  the 
military  or  police,  they  shrouded 
themselves  under  a  legal  covering : 
they  had  met  to  petition  parlia- 
ment, amuse  themselves  with  some 
rustic  and  national  game,  or  to 
celebrate  a  local  festival — while 
their  true  occupation  was,  to  ar- 
range or  execute  schemes  of  lawless 
violence.  By  the  month  of  Decem- 
ber, 1 830,  the  lord  lieutenant  was 
besieged  by  applications  from  the 
magistrates  of  different  parts  of 
the  country,  giving  information 
that  meetings  of  a  mischievous 
tendency,  under  various  pretexts 
of  political  discussion  or  of  public 
amusement,  were  continually  going 
on  around  them,  and  expressing 
the  difficulties  which  they  found 
in  determining  how  to  proceed  in 
regard  to  them.  The  answer  of 
the  government  was  contained  in 
a  circular  from  the  Irish  secretary, 
which  declared,  that  while  govern- 
ment had  no  wish  to  interfere  witli 
the  fair  exercise  of  the  right  of 
petitioniog,  it  was  resolved  to  put 


down  every  meeting  which  abused 
that  right  as  a  pretext  for  mis- 
chievous purposes. 

"  The  law  recognizes  the  fair 
and  legitimate  exercise  of  the  right 
of  petition  ;  it  acknowledges  also 
the  right  of  the  people  to  meet 
for  the  purposes  of  innocent  recrea- 
tion, and  protects  them  in  the  full 
and  free  exercise  of  that  right. 
But  the  law  does  not  warrant  any 
assemblies  having  a  manifest  ana 
direct  tendency  to  a  violation  of 
the  public  peace,  under  whatsoever 
name,  or  for  whatsoever  professcjd 
purpose,  they  may  be  convened ; 
and,  therefore,  any  assemblies  of 
persons,  whether  collected  under 
the  pretence  of  petitioning,  or  of 
public  exhibitions  of  strength  or 
skill,  or  under  any  other  pretence 
whatsoever;  if,  from  their  num- 
bers, acts,  place,  or  times  of  meet- 
ing, or  other  circumstances  pre- 
ceding or  accompanying  them, 
they  excite  in  the  minds  of  his 
majesty's  well-disposed  and  peace- 
able subjects  reasonable  fear  that 
the  public  peace  will  be  thereby 
violated,  and  the  lives  or  properties 
of  the  king*s  subjects  thereby  en- 
dangered ;  or,  if  they  be  so  con- 
stituted or  conducted  as  to  induce 
reasonable  and  well-founded  appre- 
hensions, that  the  motives  and  ob- 
jects of  the  persons  so  assembling 
are  not  the  fair  and  legal  exercise 
of  constitutional  rights  and  privi- 
leges, but  the  accomplishment  of 
alterations  in  the  laws  and  consti- 
tution of  the  realm,  by  means  of 
intimidation,  and  by  demonstration 
of  physical  force,  or  by  any  other 
than  legal  and  constitutional  means; 
in  these,  and  in  all  such  like  cases, 
such  assemblies,  however  composed, 
or  with  whatsoever  professed  view 
collected,  are  illegal,  and  are,  by 
the  law,  denominated  *  unlawful 
assemblies.* 


302]      ANNUAL   REGISTER,    1831. 


^^  And  it  18  the  duty  of  all  ma- 
gistrates, within  whose  jurisdiction 
such  assemblies  are  called  together 
(b^ing  first  duly  satisfied  of  their 
illegal  nature),  by  all  lawful  means 
within  their  power  to  prevent  such 
meetings,  and  to  suppress  and  dis- 
perse them." 

The  exposition  of  the  law  was 
clear  enough  ;    the  difficulty  lay 
in  applying  it.     The  very  offence 
threw  an  obstacle  in  the  way  of 
pfinishment  or  prevention ;  for  an 
active  magistrate,  like  an  obnoxious 
landlord,  was   not  secure   of  his 
life  for  a  single  night.     The  exer- 
ti(9ns  of  the  police  and  the  magis- 
trates placed  no  effectual  restraint 
upon  the  population ;  illegal  assem- 
blages and  atrocious  crimes  con«< 
tinijed   to  disgrace  the    country. 
Thp  peasantry  marched  in  bands 
through  the  counties,  demanding 
reduction  of  rents,  and  increase  of 
wages ;  threatening  destruction  to 
the  magistrates  and  gentry  who 
should  disobey,   or  endeavour   to 
resist.     In   some  instances,   they 
called  on  the  proprietors,  at  the 
peril  of  their  lives  and  property, 
to   meet  at  a  certain  time,   and 
make    regulations   in    accordance 
with  these  commands.     In  others, 
they  deterred  the  tenants  of  the 
refractory  proprietor  from  proceed- 
ing with  their  agricultural  opera- 
tions.     In   others,   they   insisted 
that  no  mode  of  agriculture  should 
be  used  but  that  which  should  em« 
ploy  the  greatest  number  of  hands, 
sucli  as  spade-husbandry.     In  the 
qounty  of  Meath,  they  marched 
from  house  to  house,  taking  the 
labourera  from  their  work,  and  tlie 
horses  from  the  plough  ;    and  so 
soon  as  the  military  had  dispersed 
an  assemblage  at  one  point,  a  new 
one  started  up  at  another.     Arms 
were   procured    by  breaking   into 
houses  during  the  night,  and  com- 


pelling the  inmates  to  surrender 
the  weapons  without  which  no 
man  in  Ireland  was  safe.  Murder 
was  not  spared.  In  the  month 
of  January,  a  Mr.  Blood,  in  the 
county  of  Clare,  was  murdered  by 
ruffians  introduced,  for  the  pur- 
pose, by  his  own  servants.  About 
the  middle  of  February,  a  Mr. 
Synge,  who  unfortunately  had 
tenants  upon  church  lands,  whose 
demands  were  very  different  from 
his  rights,  was  pierced  with  four 
bidlets  in  the  neighbourhood  of  his 
own  house  :  and  only  a  week  after- 
wards, a  magistrate  in  the  county 
of  Tipperary  was  murdered  by  a 
band  who  entered  his  house  to 
search  for  arms. 

To  the  alarm  which  these  disor- 
ders   spread    among    the    better 
classes  of  society,  was  added,  in 
many  places,  great  distress  among 
the  lower.     In  the  country  as  well 
as  in  the  large  towns,  crowds  were 
famishing  for  want  of  food,  and 
sinking  into  bodily  sickness  from 
want  of  clothing  during  the  incle- 
mency of  the  winter.     In   only 
two  baronies  of  the  county  of  Mayo 
there  were  stated  to  be,  by  the 
middle  of  Februaiy,   upwards   of 
twenty  thousand  persons,  without 
any  visible  means  of  procuring  food. 
The  potatoe  crop  had  failed  all 
along  the  western  coast  of  Ireland, 
and  it  was  estimated  that  in  that 
district  of  the  island  there  would 
almost   immediately  be    at  least 
200,000  persons  in  want  of  food, 
and  of  the  means  of  obtaining  it. 
This  miserable  distress  was  by  no 
means  confined  to  Mayo,  although 
it  first  appeared  there  in  its  most 
alarming  degree.     Much  of  it  pre- 
vailed likewise  in  the  counties  of 
Galway  and  Sligo,  and  it  gradually 
began  to  make  its  appearance  in 
other  parts  of  the  island.     Peti- 
tions were  presented  to  parliament 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[308 


praying  for  relief,  and  the  chan- 
cellor of  the  Exchequer  proposed 
a  vote  of  50,000/.  to  be  advanced 
to  certain  commissioners,  who 
should  lend  it,  on  proper  security, 
to  be  used  in  giving  employment 
to  the  starving  population,  in 
making  roads  and  similar  public 
works. 

This  state  of  things  furnished  at 
once  the  materials  and  the  causes 
of  civil  insubordination  j  and  it 
was  amid  those  scenes  of  piteous 
destitution  and  criminal  excesses 
that  the  men,  who  arrogated  to 
themselves  the  title  of  the  true 
friends  of  Ireland,  prosecuted  their 
schemes  for  dislocating  the  whole 
state  of  society,  and  interrupting 
the  relations  which  enable  all  its 
ranks  to  contribute  to  the  well- 
being  of  each  of  the  others.  While 
the  peasantry  were  agitating  in 
the  counties,  by  crimes  of  all  de- 
grees of  atrocity,  the  wore  distin- 
guished disciples  of  that  creed 
were  pursuing  the  same  object  in 
Dublin,  justifying,  by  their  ex- 
ample, the  disregard  of  law,  in 
whieli  all  those  miseries  had  their 
origin.  The  rustic  agitators, 
nursed  in  ignorance,  and  often 
rendered  desperate  by  w-ant,  de- 
manded the  abolition  of  tithes,  the 
reduction  of  rents,  and  the  in- 
crease of  wages :  the  Dublin  agi- 
tators, blessed  with  education,  liv- 
ing in  comfort,  and  some  of  them 
in  luxury,  held  up  tithes  as  a 
cruel  persecution,  and  landlords 
as  tyrannical  hard-hearted  oppres- 
sors, and  demanded,  in  effect,  that 
in  their  own  hands  should  be  de- 
posited all  the  powers  of  govern- 
ment. The  men  who  had  thrown 
Ireland  into  confusion,  and  brought 
her  to  the  borders  of  rebellion,  to 
gain  the  privilege  of  being  eligible 
to  the  parliament  of  the  united 
kingdom,  now  extended  their  views 


to  higher  objects.  They  demand- 
ed that  that  parliament  should  be 
destroyed :  tney  insisted  on  a  re- 
peal of  the  union  between  Britain 
and  Ireland;  they  clamoured  as 
loudly  that  a  separate  legislature 
was  essential  to  the  welfare  of  the 
latter,  as  they  had  clamoured  for 
the  removal  of  their  civil  disabili- 
ties. There  was  nothing  unna- 
tural in  the  progress  which  they 
were  thus  making:  it  was  the 
point  to  which  Irisli  demagogues 
and  a  Catholic  priesthood  neces- 
sarily tended.  Irish  demagogues 
were  lost  or  diluted  in  the  large 
mass  of  the  united  parliament,  but 
would  be  powerful  potentates  in 
an  Irish  house  of  commons,  creat- 
ed and  controlled  by  their  own 
furious  partizans.  The  Popish 
hierarchy,  even  if  it  shoula  be 
able  to  return  only  Catholics  from 
Ireland,  could  never  hope  to  wield 
to  its  own  purposes  the  Protestant 
House  of  Commons  of  the  united 
empire;  but  its  influence  would 
be  immeasurable  over  an  Irish 
house  of  commons  which,  now  that 
the  exclusion  of  Catholics  was  re- 
moved, would  be  a  Catholic  house 
of  commons,  armed  with  power, 
and  animated  with  inclination,  to 
bring  down  a  h9avy  though  a  late 
punishment  on  the  heresies  of  the 
Church  of  England,  and  to  build 
up  the  ruined  altars,  and  restore 
once  more  the  gorgeous  omnipo- 
tence of  their  own  infallible  hier- 
archy. 

The  declared  object  of  the  agi- 
tators, therefore  (for  in  that  ap- 
uellation  the  demagogues  of  Ire- 
land now  gloried),  was  the  reyiesd 
of  the  Union ;  agitation  was  once 
more  the  instrument  to  be  employ- 
ed, and  Mr.  O'Connell  was  again 
the  great  agitator.  He  proceeded 
at  once  Ui  parade  in  the  eyes  of 
government     the    physical    force 


304]       ANNUAL   REGISTER,   1831. 


which  he  was  about  to  direct,  the 
accumulation  of  ignorant  passion 
by  which  he  was  to  produce  his 
irresistible  confusion.  It  was  an- 
nounced that  the  trades  of  Dublin 
were  to  march  through  the  streets 
of  tlie  city,  on  the  27th  December 
(1830),  in  solemn  procession,  in 
honour  of  Mr.  0*Connell  ;  that 
is,  that  the  streets  of  a  peaceful 
city  were  to  be  occupied  by  a  body 
of  many  tliousand  men,  banded 
together  in  regular  array  for  a  po- 
litical object,  and  possessing  the 
power,  if  they  should  think  fit  to 
exercise  it,  of  wrapping  the  capi- 
tal in  plunder  and  confusion.  Ire- 
land, more  fortunate  in  this  re- 
spect, than  some  other  parts  of  the 
empire,  possessed,  in  the  act  for  tlie 
suppression  of  dangerous  assem- 
blies and  associations,  the  means 
of  repressing  this  form  of  the  mis- 
chief. By  virtue  of  the  powers 
wliich  that  act  vested  in  him,  the 
Lord  Lieutenant  issued  a  procla- 
mation, on  the  25th  of  December, 
prohibiting  the  intended  proces- 
sion, on  the  ground  tliat  it  was 
"  calculated  to  lead  to  a  disturb- 
ance of  the'  public  peace,  and 
had  excited  serious  appreliensions 
thereof  in  the  minds  of  his  Majes- 
ty's peaceable  subjects,  and  that 
language  of  a  highly  inflammatory 
nature  had  been  used  by  some  of 
the  persons  who  had  signified  their 
intention  to  attend." 

The  populace,  who  were  thus  to 
be  deprived  of  their  raree-show, 
and  the  great  showman  himself, 
immediately  met,  to  deliberate 
whether  it  would  be  safe  and  pru- 
dent to  set  the  government  at  de- 
fiance. 0*Connell  advised  tlie 
mob  to  obey  the  proclamation, 
while  he  told  them  above  all 
things  to  condemn  it.  He  assured 
tliem  that  the  repeal  of  the  Union 
was  inevitable,  if  they  would  only 


obey  the  law,  and  he  left  them  in 
no  doubt  as  to  what  he  meant  by 
"obeying  the  law."  They  were 
to  proceed  to  agitate  precisely  as 
they  had  done  in  the  cause  of 
emancipation ;  and  all  the  world 
knew  what  was  that  honest  obedi- 
ence to  the  law  which  had  induced 
a  reluctant  cabinet  "  to  break  in 
upon  the  Protestant  constitution 
of  the  empire."  "  At  one  time," 
said  he,  "  Catholic  emancipation 
was  far  more  hopeless,  in  appear- 
ance, than  is  the  repeal.  However, 
the  unitedforce  of  a  class  achieved 
that  measure— the  united  force  of 
a  people  will  achieve  the  other. 
By  force  I  mean  the  force  of  opi- 
nion, the  force  of  reason,  the  force 
of  justice :  physical  force  we  abhor 
and  abjure.  By  agitation,  Ireland 
has  obtained  civil  and  religious 
freedom — by  agitation  we  have 
escajHid  an  increase  of  taxation — 
by  agitation  we  have  prevented 
the  abolition  of  the  vice-royalty, 
and  by  agitation  we  will  obtain  a 
repeal  of  the  Union.  It  is  idle  to 
talk  of  our  being  governed  by  a 
foreign  parliament.  My  object  in 
seeking  a  repeal  of  the  Union  is, 
to  make— to  induce  every  man  who 
has  property  in  Ireland — or  re- 
ceives pensions  or  salaries  out  of 
our  taxes,  to  spend  his  income  at 
home.  If  the  people  continue  to 
obey  my  counsel — to  follow  my  ad- 
vice— I  promise  them  to  have,  be- 
fore three  months,  established  some 
club  or  society  in  Dublin  as  will 
make  the  English  government  re- 
store to  us  our  rights."  At  the 
end  of  many  three  months,  this 
promise  was  as  far  from  being 
recollected  or  fulfilled,  as  any 
of  the  thoi\sand  other  promises 
with  whiclr  ne  practised  on  the 
gullibilities  of  his  gaping  and 
believing  rabble.  In  place  of 
the  intended  procession,    it    was 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[305 


resolved  that  two  deputies  from 
each  of  the  trades  should  march  to 
his  house,  and  there  deliver  to  him 
their  complimentary  address.  This 
limited  exhibition  was  allowed  to 
take  place.  O'Connell  snuffed  up 
the  vulgar  incense,  and  replied  to 
his  worshippers,  **  You  are  now 
petty,  paltry,  provincial  slaves; 
but,  with  the  help  of  God,  and  the 
will  of  good  men,  you  shall  be  free, 
and  agitation  shall  never  be  put 
down  till  the  king's  speech  is  pro- 
nounced by  an  Irish  lord  lieute- 
ant  in  the  parliament-house  in 
College-green.  I  am  one  of  the 
trades;  and  my  trade  is  agita- 
tion." 

But  O'Connell,  like  every  other 
artizan,  could  do  nothing  in  his 
trade  without  his  tools.  The  es- 
sential tools  of  an  agitator  are  as- 
semblages of  blind  and  unreasoning 
men.  Thinking  that  by  avoiding 
processions  he  would  evade  the 
charge  of  endangering  the  public 
peace,  he  convoked  his  followers 
to  make  arrangements  for  forming 
a  society,  to  be  styled  "  The  Gene- 
ral Association  of  Ireland  ^br  the 
Prevention  of  Unlawful  Meetings^ 
and  for  the  Protection  and  Exer- 
cise of  the  sacred  Right  of  Peti- 
tioning for  the  Redress  of  Griev- 
ances," an  appellation  which  might 
be  privileged  in  an  Irishman,  but 
which,  when  translated  into  Eng- 
lish, meant  an  association  for  the 
prevention  of  its  own  Meet- 
ings. O'Connell  seemed  to  be 
weak  enough  to  believe  that,  by 
assuming,  in  words,  so  laudable 
a  character,  he  would  prevent  the 
law  from  reaching  the  substantial 
mischief  of  his  mob  assemblages. 
Every  person  who  chose  was  to 
become  a  member  of  this  society, 
on  payment  of  five  shillings  ; 
and  it  was  to  hold  its  first  meet- 
ing so  soon  as  1 00  members  had 

Vol.  LXXIII. 


entered,  which  was  sure  to  be  the 
work  of  a  few  minutes.  These 
preparations  were  made  on  the  6th 
of  January :  on  the  7th  the  Lord 
Lieutenant  issued  a  proclamation, 
setting  forth  that  this  new  society, 
'*  under  the  shift  and  device  of 
preventing  unlawfril  meetings,  and 
protecting  the  right  of  petitioning, 
had  been  really  established  for  the 
purpose  of  intimidating  the  magis- 
tracy of  Ireland,  and  controlling 
the  exercise  of  lawful  authority, 
and  for  other  dangerous  purposes; 
that  the  existence  of  such  an  asso- 
ciation was  dangerous  to  the  pub- 
lic peace,  and  inconsistent  with  the 
due  administration  of  the  law." 
The  proclamation,  therefore,  pro- 
hibited ''the  meeting  of  the  said 
association,  assembly,  or  body  of 
persons;  and  all  adjourned,  re- 
newed, or  continued  meetings  of 
the  same,  or  of  any  part  thereof, 
under  any  name,  pretext,  or  de- 
vice whatsoever." 

The  government  and  O'Connell 
were  now  at  issue  on  the  question, 
whether  the  former  would  be  able 
effectually  to  follow  him  through 
the  subterfuges  and  windings  by 
which  he  sought  to  evade  the  law, 
or  whether  he  was  to  succeed  in 
setting  at  defiance  its  spirit  and 
object,  under  a  hypocritical  re- 
spect to  its  words.  The  ministry, 
having  gone  so  far,  could  not  now 
be  foiled  without  disgrace.  The 
first  idea  of  the  agitator,  when  he 
found  himself  thus  resisted,  was  a 
singular  one.  He  assembled  the 
elite  of  his  friends  5  one  bond  of 
union  among  whom  was,  their  be- 
ing subscribers  to  what  was  called 
the  Parliamentary^nt^Uigence  Of- 
fice ',  he  denounced  the  proclama- 
tion as  an  act  of  despotism — ^a  new 
crime'against  the  country;  and  he 
proposed  that  he  himself  should  be 
declared  to  be  in  his  own  person 


806]       ANNUAL    REGISTER.   1831. 


an  Irish  asfooiatioii.  ^'  I  propose," 
said  he,  *'  that  the  association  in« 
tendad  to  have  heisn  formed  ias  the 
preventiou  of  illegal  meetings,  and 
protecting  the  exercise  of  the  right 
of  petition,  stand  dissolved,  and 
that  1  act  in  the  place  of  that  asso* 
ciation.  I  substitute  myself  for 
that  society,  because  the  law  can- 
not readi  me  as  an  individual.  I 
appoint  Mr.  Dwyer  my  secretary, 
and  I  tell  the  people  to  submit  to 
the  law.  Before  they  go  to  any 
meeting  where  they  intend  to  pe-f 
tition  parliament,  let  five  of  the 
steadiest  amongst  them  be  appoint •> 
ed,  who  can  speak  to  any  magis* 
trate  about  to  disperse  them  ;  let 
them  say  to  him,  "  If  you,  sir,  are 
going  to  disperse  our  meeting, 
only  send  in  a  policeman,  send  in 
an  unarmed  child,  so  that  he  will 
lay  his  hand  on  each  individual, 
we  will  all  part  quietly/'  Let 
this  be  done,  and  it  will  be  follow-* 
ed  by  500  actions  against  the  ma- 
gistrate. I  am  quite  ready,  and 
will  try  the  question  with  them. 
They  may  try  to  put  us  down  by 
proclamation,  but  they  cannot  dis- 
perse me.  I  will  be  the  Pacifica' 
tor  of  Ireland,  \^Cheersl  I  will 
put  a  letter  in  the  public  news- 
papers,  calling  upon  any  person 
who  chooses  to  pay  5*.  to  Mr. 
Dwyer — for  I  will  not  take  more 
.— «nd  with  this  money  I  think  I 
shall  be  able  to  protect  the  right 
of  petitioning.  The  people  will 
have  Protestant  and  Catholic  at- 
tornies  enough.  Thus,  indivi- 
dually, I  shall  be  able  to  do  that 
which  otherwise  a  society  would 
have  performed.  We  must  also 
have  two  new  societies :  one  a 
club,  to  meet  at  Home's,  to  look 
to  all  matters  connected  with  elec- 
tions, and  which  will  take  care 
that  no  men  be  returned  to  par- 
liament but  those  who  are  anti- 


unionists  ;  the  second  is  a  sociatyi 
in  the  words  of  the  marquis  of  An* 
gleaaa  to  Mr.  Kertland,  ^^  to  dis- 
cuss the  merits  of  the  Union  qae«« 
tion,  and  petition  thereupon." 

Mr.  O'Connell  was  now  a  cor- 
poration sole ;  but  notwiihitand<» 
mg  this  metaphorical  multiplica- 
tion of  character,  he  was  only  one 
man,  while  there  could  be  no  sue- 
oeeefttl  agitation  without  plans 
adopted  and  arranged  by  numbers, 
to  act  upon  numbers  greater  sUU» 
and  without  assemblages  to  fill  the 
public  ear,  keep  up  puUic  atten- 
tion, and  give  tne  cause  importance 
in  the  public  eye.  He  and  his 
friends,  therefore,  transferred  their 
discussions  to  a  meeting  which 
they  were  in  the  habit  of  holding, 
once  a  week,  at  a  hotel  in  Dublin* 
A  public  breakfast  was  the  pre- 
text of  their  assembling  at  Home's 
hotel,  but  the  arrangement  and 
furtherance  of  their  anti-union 
schemes,  and  turbulent  politics 
formed  their  true  object,  and  their 
sole  and  serious  occupation.  From 
this  subterfuge,  too,  they  were 
forthwith  driven.  The  Lord  Lieu- 
tenant issued  a  proclamation,  on 
the  10th  of  January,  setting  forth 
'^  that  a  body  of  persons  has  been 
in  the  habit  of  meeting  weekly  at 
a  place  in  the  city  of  Dublin  called 
Home's  Hotel ;  and  that  the  said 
assembly  has  been  designed,  and 
the  meeting  thereof  held,  for  the 
purpose  of  disseminating  seditious 
sentiments,  and  of  exciting  among 
bis  majesty's  subjects  disaffection 
against  the  administration  of  the 
law,  and  the  constituted  authori- 
ties of  the  realm,"  and  prohibiting 
the  further  meeting  of  that  body, 
or  any  part  of  it,  under  any  name 
or  device  whatsoever.  On  the 
same  day  O'Connell  put  forth  his 
proclamation,  in  the  form  of  a'^let- 
ter  to  the  people  of  Lrelaud,"  advis« 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE,  p07 

iqg  ^k^m  to  obey  ih«  Lofd  X4ftt«  tbafc  ^'  wi  Htooiali(»i«  ii0«imbly«  fm 
tepant^  «ltboygh  be  bad  gmt  did  bodjf  of  persoos  MgumiBg  Ibe  fo]« 
£quUy  in  vmtmning  bis  iRdig«a«  lowing  d^ominatioiis^  or  ao»e  of 
tioQ  ^'  ^t  livUig  IP  an  eadav^  tboiii>  tbat  ia  to  aay»  *  Tbo  fikH 
nation,  wbero  a  proclamatioii  ia  oiaty  of  tbo  Frbndf  of  Ireland  of 
law.  Another  aet  of  legal  daapo*  all  lUligloua  Penuaaiona  j'  <  The 
tiim  ba^  bee^  cioraroitled.  We  Iriab  Sooiaty  for  Lagal  and  hfii^^ 
are  tbe  bound  slftyea  of  a  powof  latifo  Relief,  or  tbe  Anti'^uiiion 
created  by  law,  and  wbieb«  ibare-r  AawKnatios  i'  ^  Tbe  Aa^WHatiou 
fpre>  tbould  be  aulanitted  to.  A  of  Iriah  Volttiila«»  for  tba  Repeal 
ain^IeRnglifihmaacaibip  tbiaoQf  of  tbe  Unios;'  'The  General 
nativ(9  land,  di^te  to  ua.  Ha  Aaieoiatton  of  Irdaod  ftt  tba  Fra^ 
can  \jm  tba  m(m%  fa]«e  jftod  aada«  ?eiitiop  of  Unlawfol  Maattngat  and 
oio\i<  galuninias  with  impunity  i  for  tba  Protaction  and  Exerciee  of 
but.  abo?e  all  thiega,  bia  will  ia  tbe  jSaorad  Right  of  PatitioBing 
made  the  arbiter  of  our  eonduot.  f(ff  the  Bedrata  of  GrkvaiiQaa  ;* 
Another  proclamation  has  been  '^  Tbe  Snbacribere  to  tbe  Par1ia>< 
issued  bv  tbe  veraoious  Lord  Ao«*  mentary  IntelHgeneeroffioe,  8te-i 
glesey:  he  has  prohibited  break-  pbeu-streeti'  and  other  deeigoa« 
fmU  at  Home's*  This  veraoioui  tions^  have  (rom  time  to  time  held 
Lord  Anglesey's  proclamation  must  meetings  at  dilferent  places  in  tbe 
be  obeyed.  Let  us  obey  it  readily  city  of  Dublin^  hr  tbe  nurpose  of 
— let  no  man  breakfast  at  Home's*  promulgating  and  eiroulating  se- 
AlasI  poc^Homel  But  at  break-  ditious  dootrinea  and  sentiments^ 
fast^  dinner^  and  sup|)er,  let  erery  and  have  eodeavourad«  bymaaniof 
Irishman  recollect  tnat  be  lirea  in  inflemmatory  baranguea  and  mibli- 
a  country  where  one  Englisbmau'a  cations>  to  excite  and  keep  afifa  in 
will  is  law."  Nothing  certainly  the  minds  of  his  mi^jeaty'a  aul^jeete 
could  match  the  assurance  of  this  in  Irelund  a  spirit  of  disaffeotion 
mauj  in  advising  his  countrymen  and  hostility  to  the  existing  laws 
to  obey  the  law«  while  every  act  and  government  t  that  other  meet.* 
of  hisj  which  called  forth  the  re«  ings  of  the  said  association^assem* 
peated  exertions  of  leg^  autbori"  bly«  or  body  of  persona  for  such 
ty,  was  a  defiance  of  the  law^  not  purposes  under  the  i^oresaiddeaig- 
mended  by  being  wrapt  In  tha  nations^  or  some  of  tbem«  or  some 
flimsy  and  paltry  disguise  of  an  other  name  or  names »  and  under 
attempted  erasion  of  the  law.  various  pretexts  and  devicaa«  are 
Accordingly  he  followed  up  bia  intended  to  be  held  :*'  and  it  pro- 
advice  to  obey  the  laW|  by  immedi*  hibitedj  under  any  name,  or  in  any 
ately  proceeding  to  disregard  it,  shape  whatever^the  meeting  of  the 
The  objects  which  were  to  ha?e  saia  association^  assemblyi  or  body 
been  compassed  by  the  prohibited  of  persons*  government  being  de- 
association  were  transferred  toother  termined  to  suppress  the  same, 
meetings^  and  new  onea  were  form*  The  proclamation  was  followed* 
ed,  still  the  same  in  substancoj  but  next  dav«  according  to  enstomj  by 
differing  in  name.  The  govern-  a  manimto  of  Mr.  O'Connell  to 
ment|  not  yet  wearied  out)  pounced  his  fellow-countrymen.  He  seemed 
upon  them  all  at  one  fdl  swoop,  to  be  now  visited  with  awkward 
A  proclamation  was  issued  on  the  misgivings  regarding  his  success 
13th    of   January,    which  stated  in  this  contest  of  lawless  usurpation 

[1X23 


308]         ANNUAL   REGISTER,   1831. 


with  legal  and  necessary  authority, 
and  the  blindness  of  his  wrath 
hurried  him  on  towards  projects 
still  more  extravagant.  He  sub- 
mitted to  the  people  the  propriety 
of  ruining  themselves,  destroying 
credit,  and  throwing  the  country 
into  confusion^  by  making  a  sud- 
dei^  run  upon  the  banks  for  gold. 
**  The  object  of  this  proclamation," 
said  he,  "  is  to  gag  the  Irish 
people ;  we  are  not  deemed  worthy 
of  liberty  of  speech,  and  you  will 
find,  I  am  told,  sage  political 
hypocrites,  and  still  more  base  and 
time-serving  Catholics,  to  applaud 
the  Algerine  measures  which  would 
silence  the  voice  of  Ireland.  It  is 
said  that  one  of  the  principal  man- 
agers of  the  provincial  bank  in 
this  country,  in  conjunction  with 
the  slavish  Catholic  of  the  bank  of 
Ireland,  has  stipulated  to  support 
the  despotic  proclamation.*'  He 
declared  it  necessary,  therefore,  to 
be  prepared  to  punish  these  sup- 
posed delinquents,  and  all  others 
of  the  same  kind,  by  shaking  their 
banks,  suggesting  that  the  con- 
cealed intention  was,  to  attack  the 
press,  and  put  in  motion  the  monied 
men  who  might  have  influence 
upon  special  juries.  He  told  the 
people  to  wait  to  see  whether  the 
press  should  be  assailed,  which,  in 
his  mouth,  meant,  to  see  whether 
any  notice  would  be  taken  of  the 
libels  and  calumnies  which  he  was 
every  day  disseminating  against 
the  government.  "  If  that  should 
take  place,  that  instant  I  will  use 
all  the  energies  of  my  mind,  and 
whatever  inHuence  I  possess,  to 
lessen  the  power  of  the  paper 
makers,  and  produce  a  general 
gold  currency.  I  do  hope  that  if 
my  fears  are  realized  and  the  press 
shall  be  assailed,  there  will  not  be, 
in  one  week  after,  a  single  bank 


note  in  circulation."  Yet  while  he 
thus  undisguisedly  spoke  of  this 
atrocious  absurdity  as  a  mere  in- 
strument of  political  vengeance, 
he  attempted  to  throw  over  it  the 
protest  of  a  deep  conviction,  "  that 
it  was  essentially  necessary  for  the 
permanent  good  of  Ireland,  that 
the  present  anomalous  state  of  the 
currency  should  be  corrected,  and 
that  England  should  not  have  the 
advantage  of  a  gold  circulation, 
while  Ireland  had  only  paper," 
not  knowing,  or  rather  wilfiillv 
forgetting,  that  when  the  small 
notes  were  withdrawn  from  circu- 
lation in  England,  it  was  the  de- 
termined resistance  of  Scotland  and 
Ireland  which  preserved  them  for 
these  countries,  as  necessary  to 
the  proper  support  of  credit,  and 
the  beneficial  course  of  their  mer- 
cantile transactions. 

It  was  clear  that  even  if  this 
extravagant  scheme  had  been  prac- 
ticable, its  consequences  would  have 
been  ruinous  to  those  who  were 
required  to  be  the  instrument  of 
its  execution.  The  interruption 
of  all  credit  would  have  been  fol- 
lowed by  an  interruption  of  all 
important  branches  of  industry; 
every  form  of  want  and  distress, 
which  already  stalked  through 
Ireland,  would  have  been  multi- 
plied and  armed  with  new  horrors. 
It  is  possible  that  O'Connell  did 
not  see  these  consequences ;  but  it 
is  likewise  perfectly  possible  that 
he  saw,  in  the  aggravated  distress 
which  must  have  thence  arisen, 
only  a  new  and  prolific  manufac- 
ture of  the  materials  of  that  com- 
motion and  fermentation,  on  whose 
impure  surface  his  vulgar  and 
noisy  popularity  was  to  be  floated 
along.  However  that  might  be, 
the  very  possibility  of  such  an  oc- 
currence as  he  threatened  began 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[809 


immediately  to  produce  its  neces- 
sary effects.  To  some  extent^  but 
only  amongst  the  ignorant^  appli- 
cations were  made  to  the  banks  for 
gold.  They  were  instantly  com- 
plied with  ;  but  the  banks^  at  the 
same  time^  both  from  its  being  im- 
possible to  foretel  how  far  these 
demands  might  go^  and  to  take  the 
best  means  of  stopping  them,  im- 
mediately restricted  their  discounts, 
or  refused  them  altogether.  A 
sort  of  panic  ensued.  It  was  not 
confined  to  Dublin,  but  spread  to 
all  parts  of  Ireland  to  which  the 
threats  and  projects  of  the  agita- 
tor reached.  Merchants  found 
themselves  at  once  in  as  bad  a  con- 
dition as  if  their  credit  had  been 
gone.  The  usual  transactions  of 
buying  and  selling  were  interrupt- 
ed, and  even  the  country  people 
did  not  remain  long  ignorant  of 
the  mischief,  when  they  suddenly 
found  themselves  compelled  to  carry 
back  from  Dublin,  Limerick,  or 
Kilkenny,  the  productions  which 
they  had  brought  to  market.  The 
banks,  in  the  mean  time,  stood 
firm,  no  apprehension  was  enter- 
tained. The  gentry  in  some  of 
the  counties  put  forth  circulars, 
condemning  the  panic  which  had 
gone  abroad,  and  declaring  them- 
selves as  willing  to  take  bank  notes 
from  their  tenantry  as  ever.  The 
merchant,  shopkeeper,  artizan  and 
labourer  were  equally  involved  in 
embarrassment;  there  was  an  in- 
stant  stagnation  in  trade ;  a  rapid 
decline  in  the  value  of  all  articles 
of  consumption,  including  pro- 
visions and .  agricultural  produce, 
on  which  Ireland  is  so  very  de- 
pendent. The  effects  opened  the 
eyes  of  all  the  world  to  the  ab- 
surdity of  the  project.  Every 
man  saw  and  felt  that  the  injury 
was  done,  not  to  the  banks,  but  to 
the  peoplci  and  that  the  proposed 


measure  instead  of  shaking  the 
stability  of  the  former,  only  dimi- 
nished the  resources,  and  hampered 
or  ruined,  the  business  of  the  latter. 
In  the  course  of  ten  days  the  panic 
was  no  more,  the  demand  for  gold 
had  ceased,  and  confidence  was 
restored.  In  one  respect  it  had 
done  good,  by  shaking  in  n^any 
persons  their  blind  confidence  in 
their  great  leader.  All  the  anti- 
unionists  who  depended  on  other 
professions  than  agitation,  were 
wroth  at  his  blindness  and  igno- 
rance. A  few  days  afterwards  he 
proposed  another  scheme  of  a  si- 
milar character,  viz.  that  the  go- 
vernment should  be  compelled  to 
surrender,  by  all  Ireland  refusing 
to  consume  exciseable  commodities; 
but  the  proposition  came  too  soon 
after  his  other  experiment  in  poli- 
tical economy,  to  produce  any 
effect. 

In  one  of  his  addresses  to  the 
people,  after  the  proclamation  of 
the  13th  of  January  had  been  is- 
sued, he  affirmed  that  it  tvent  be- 
yond the  law;  that  it  was  an  exer- 
cise of  despotic  authority  which  the 
law  had  not  vested  in  any  person  ; 
that  it  was  in  itself  an  impeachable 
offence,  and  that  the  moment  he 
saw  *'a,  popular  House  of  Com- 
mons,*' he  would  bring  it  before 
that  House,  with  a  view  to  saluta- 
ry punishment.  Notwithstanding 
the  proclamation,  therefore,  he 
convoked  another  meeting,  but  in- 
stead of  doing  so  manfully,  like  a 
person  who  is  determined  to  assert 
a  legal  right  against  lawless  power, 
he  tried  another  of  his  sneaking 
subterfuges.  An  assembly  merely 
for  the  purpose  of  petitioning  was 
innocent;  and  the  new  convocation 
was  ostensibly  a  meeting  of  n  com- 
mittee of  thirty-one  persons,  to 
make  arrangements  for  a  great  ag- 
gregate assembly^  at  which  a  peti- 


aid]      ANNUAL    REGlSTEH,  1831. 


iioh  fbi^  the  repeal  of  thd  Unioh  Was 
to  be  voted.  Tliis  preteiided  com- 
mittee^ however,  met,  as  it  fof  mer- 
]y  had  done^  Uhder  the  disguise  of 
a  public  bi^akfiist,  and  every  per^ 
sou  \Vho  chose  to  pay  fo^  his  break- 
fkst  titket  was  admitted.  While 
OlDoUneH  was  haraUguibg  con- 
cerning the  proclamations,  and  the 
alct  of  parliaineUt  in  virtue  of  which 
they  had  been  issued,  two  magis- 
trates enteted  the  room  to  disperse 
the  meeting.  By  the  Statute  a 
magistrate  must  give  a  meeting 
fiilteeh  minutes  to  separate,  after 
reading  to  them  a  c^ftain  notice 
therein  ptedcribed ;  if  any  person 
remains  longer,  he  may  be  iih- 
prSsoned.  O'Connell  insisted  that 
all  the  formaiities  should  be  ob- 
serVTed,  he  took  out  his  watch,  and 
had  some  difference  with  the  ma- 
gistrate whether  the  notice  had 
been  given  at  eight  or  ten  minute)) 
past  eleven.  He  employed  the 
fleeting  moments  in  assuring  the 
magistrates  that  nobody  then  pre- 
sent had  any  connection  with  any 
of  the  societies  mentioned  in  the 
proclamation,  and  in  assurihg  his 
own  friends,  that  the  proicieeding 
was  utterly  illegal,  although  it  had 
the  appearance  of  law.  The  fifteen 
minutes  expired,  and  the  meeting 
dispersed. 

The  only  vent  which  he  now 
found  for  his  wrath  and  vitupera- 
tion was  in  industriously  attending 
the  meetings  held  in  difibrent  pa- 
rishes and  districts  for  the  putpose 
of  voting  petitiohs  fbr  the  repeal 
of  the  union,  and  he  went  into 
mourning  for  the  fete  of  Ireland. 
A  day  or  two  after  the  dispersion 
of  his  last  assemblage,  he  appeared 
at  a  meeting  of  some  inhabitants  of 
St.  Thomas's  parish,  stripped  of  his 
ordinary  emblem  of  faction,  and 
wearing  cn^,  which  he  had  re- 
solved liot  to  lay  aside  till  the  re« 


peal  of  ''the  A]|e^iiie  tiet,*'  Ifat 
act,  that  is,  Which  prevented  him 
fh)m  assembliug  mobs  te  overawe 
the  government.  He  again  defied 
the  govertimeht  to  put  dbWn  agita« 
tiou;  '*  No,  ttevei*  While  I  live  ^  and 
if  tomorrow  I  Were  togto  to  tht^ 
grave  or  to  the  icaflbld,  1  Will  be^ 
qUeath  to  my  ehildreh  eternal  hatred 
of  the  UiiioH.  I  have  made  a  re^ 
solution  td  Wear  crape  ottidy  hat, 
till  that  most  obiioxidus  aet^  uuder 
which  oUr  asdociatiohs  were  put 
down,  ishall  he  ret^ealed;  I  hate 
resolved  not  to  taste  of  any  etciee- 
able  article,  till  that  evenl  ahall 
hate  taken  plaee;  aud  thin  verjr 
morning,  when  the  lea  and  coflbe 
were  placed  before  me  at  breakfest 
I  put  them  aside,  and  contented 
myself  with  milk.'*  His  leading 
disciples  made  themselvea  cOU"- 
temptibie  by  similar  fooleries.  Mr. 
Lawle^i,  when  speaking  at  a  meet- 
ing of  the  same  kind,  of  a  loytl  ad- 
dr^6  presented  to  the  lord-lieuten- 
ant by  the  Dublin  chamber  of  eom- 
mercc)  containing  all  the  mercan- 
tile respectability  of  the  d^tal, 
said)  '*  we  will  beggar  the  rasealB. 
I^ome  of  them  are  concerned  in  the 
whisky  trade— we  will  not  taste  li 
diiop  of  whisky  ;  We  will  join  a 
tem))eranDe  so<ciety^  There  is  no 
man  more  Ibnd  of  a  tumMer  of 
punch  than  I  am  (a  voice  fh)m  the 
crowd  cried,  '*Jack>  I  think  you 
eould  take  two>")  but  if  they  per- 
severe, we  tHll  nxyt  take  a  sup.*' 
At  the  same  meeting  Mr;  Sheil 
said>  '^  If  the  Union  is  not  repealed 
within  two  years,  I  am  determined 
that  I  will  pay  neither  h»)t,  tithes, 
nor  taxes.  They  may  distrain  my 
g^ds^  but  who'll  buy,  boyS?  that's 
the  wwd— who'll  buy  ?  Mind,  I 
dont  tell  any  man  here  to  foltow 
my  advice  j  but,  So  help  me  €rod, 
if  I  dont  do  it,  you  may  call  me 
Sheil  of  the  silk  gown/'    Tkm 


ttlSTORY  OF  EtJROPE. 


[81 1 


\r«ire  to  be  t!ie  mountebank  legisla- 
tors of  Ireland!  And  this  very 
Mr.  Shell,  in  the  course  of  a  few 
weeks,  was  actually  brought  into 
Parliament  by  his  majesty's  min- 
isters, that  they  might  make  uae 
of  his  moderation  and  sagacity  in  re- 
modelling the  English  constitution. 
It  was  impossible  for  O'Connell 
to  admit,  if  he  valued  his  popular- 
Hty,  that  the  law  was  too  strong 
for  him :  the  vulgar,  whose  igno- 
rance he  abused,  believed  him  to 
be  impregnable  in  law,  because  on 
every  occasion  he  said  so.  They 
could  not  imagine  how  any  powei* 
should  interfere  actually  to  dis- 
perse a  meeting  held  under  his 
sanction,  and  he  was  compelled  to 
maintain  that  the  dispersion  was 
illegal.  At  the  meeting  of  St. 
Thomas's  parish  already  mentioned, 
he  said,  *^  I  have  now  thirty  years 
experience  in  criminal  law  prac*- 
tice,  and  I  pledge  myself,  that  it 
Is  plain  to  the  clearest  demonstra* 
tion,  that  the  act  of  the  magis*- 
trates  which  dispersed  the  commit- 
tee, was  utterly  illegal,  and  that 
those  who  sent  them  for  that  pur^ 
pose  were  guilty  of  a  high  misde'- 
meanour.  If  I  be  asked,  why  I 
did  not  appeal  to  a  jury  on  this 
point>  tny  answer  is,  that  the 
act  does  not  allow  an  appeal  to  a 
jury.  If  the  meeting  does  not  dis- 
perse in  fifleet)  minutes  aHei*  being 
summoned  so  to  do,  the  niagistr«tte 
»iay  immediately  commit  those 
present  to  Newgate  for  three 
months.'*  Nothing  could  be  more 
itiGoaceivable  than  the  absurdity  of 
thUi,  e^c^  t^  mweral^e  <ktusioii 
of  the  popidaioe>  or  th«  cdlusiv« 
blindness  of  the  knaves  who  still 
followed  in  his  tnUn,  apparently 
fdiq^ting,  as  readily  ais  he  did 
himself,  the  huge  niass  ^  u««^ 
^med  pledges  whidi  he  had  been 


He  had  declared  openly,  when  he 
constituted  himself  into  a  corpora- 
tion, that  if  a  single  meeting  were 
dispersed,  it  would  be  fbllowed  im- 
mediately by  five  hundred  actions. 
A  meeting  of  his  own  had  actually 
been  dispersed:  he  declared  that 
the  illegality  of  that  dispersion  was 
clear  to  demonstration ;  but  the 
value  of  this  declaration  he  would 
not  put  to  the  test  of  an  action. 
He  IS  asked,  why  he  does  not 
appeal  to  a  jury,  and  his  answer 
is  the  nonsense  of  saying  that  he 
could  not  appeal  to  a  jury,  because 
the  meeting  must  disperse  in  fif- 
teen  minutes.  But,  in  the  first 
place>  if  there  was  no  room  fbr  an 
action,  why  had  he  pledged  him- 
self to  the  believing  tsmh,  that 
a  single  case  of  dispersion  would  be 
fbllowed  by  hosts  of  actions,  and 
begged  their  five-billing  contribu^ 
tions  to  enable  him  to  fight  these 
battles  ?  And,  secondly,  the  ques« 
tion  was  not,  whether,  during  the 
interval  of  fifteen  minutes,  he 
could  try  before  a  jury  the  point  of 
his  meeting  being  bound  to  disperse 
when  the  fifteen  niinutes  haa  e^- 
pir^,  but  whether  the  dispersion 
at  the  end  of  the  interval  was  le* 
gal.  The  question  put  to  kim^  was 
Siis-^*  how  comes  it,  Mr.O*€onnell> 
that>  af^r  obeying  an  ordef  which 
you  sny  Is  iliega1>  and  which  yt»u 
pledged  yourself  to  try  at  law 
whenevet*  it  should  be  enforced,  you 
did  not  bring  the  question  to  issue 
belbre  a  pr&pet  tilbunal !  Why 
did  you  not  bring  the  magistrate 
to  account  for  ba^ng  iliegally  dis'* 
pensed  your  meeting  ?  And  O'Con* 
neil's  answer  vi^as  Uiis — ^  since  he 
did  disperse  us  illegally,  that  pre- 
vents tfte  tr^m  shewing  that  lie  did 
.so;  but  if  he  had  Jet  lialone>  tlien 
t  Would  have  Imd  him  before,  a 
jnry  for  illegally  dispersing  us. 
9«t4iltiioue)il(r.Ot>omieil>w«ii« 


312]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


he  abused  his  followers  with  pledges 
''false  as  lovers'  oaths,"  knew  the 
law  too  well  to  have  any  wish  to 
appear  before  a  jury,   the  govern- 
ment determined  that  before  a  jury 
he  should  go.      On  the  18th   of 
January,  he,  and  his  leading  par- 
tisans.   Lawless,    Steele,    Barret, 
Dwyer,  Reynolds,  Redmond,  and 
Clooney,  were  apprehended  on  in- 
formations which  charged  them  with 
having     held     various    meetings 
(which  were  specified)  in  violation 
of  the  lord-lieutenant's  proclama- 
tion issued  under  the  authority  of 
the  statute,  and  with  having  con- 
spired to  violate  and  evade  the  said 
proclamation,   and   the  mandates 
thereof.     O'Connell,  when  carried 
before  the  magistrates,   inquired, 
whether  it  was  by  orders  from  their 
superiors,  or  on  their  own  respon- 
sibility, that  they  had  dared  to  is- 
sue a  warrant  against  him,  a  house- 
holder of  Dublin,  and  a  member  of 
Parliament  !       The    magistrates, 
who  ought  to  have  given  no  answer 
to  any  such  question,  told  him  that 
they  had  acted  upon  instructions. 
He  then  went  into  an  argument 
(for  he  argued  every  where  except 
in  the  right  place)   to  convince 
them,   that  the  warrant  contained 
no  offence  for  which  he  could  le- 
gally be  held  to  bail ;   but  he  was 
under  the  necessity  of  closing  his 
argument  by  giving  bail,  himself 
in  1,000Z.  and  two  securities  in 
5001.  each.     His  satellites  found 
bail  for  200/.,  and  two  securities 
for   100/.  each.     The  occurrence, 
intelligence  of  which  immediately 
spread  through  Dublin,  had  col- 
lected   a    crowd    in  the  streets. 
O'Connell  forthwith  made  a  speech 
to  them.     "  Yesterday  I  was  only 
half  an  agiAtor ;  henceforth  I  am, 
a  whole  one.    Day  and  night  will 
I  now  strive  to  fling  off  despotism, 
to  redeem  my  country,  to  repeal 


the  Union,  and  to  establish  on  a 
permanent  basis,  the  happiness  and 
legislative  independence  of  my 
native  land.  Many  an  honest  man 
who  was  yesterday  opposed  to  the 
present  agitation,  will  be,  before 
the  close  of  this  day,  a  determined, 
unflinching  friend  to  Repeal."  At 
a  meeting  next  day,  at  which  he 
delivered  one  of  his  usual  vitu- 
perative orations,  he  actually  pro- 
posed going  over  to  hold  his  as- 
semblies in  Liverpool.  He  con- 
tinued to  speak,  and  to  publish 
letters,  pretending  to  laugh  at  the 
prosecution,  and  the  absurdity  of 
the  charge,  while  the  nonsense 
which  he  spoke  and  wrote,  utterly 
disgraceful  to  him  as  a  lawyer, 
showed  clearly  that  he  felt  there 
was  no  ground  on  which  the  charge 
could  be  successfully  met.  The 
universal  theme  of  nis  argument 
was,  that  he  was  called  in  question 
for  having  disobeyed  a  proclama- 
tion, while  every  tyro  knew,  and 
he  quoted  lord  Coke  to  prove  it, 
that  the  king  could  not  create 
an  offence  by  proclamation  ;  *'  I 
therefore  laugh  to  seam  the  charge 
against  me  of  disobeying  a  pro- 
clamation." O'Connell  himself 
must  either  have  been  the  most 
ignorant  blunderer  that  ever  dis- 
graced the  name  even  of  tyro,  or 
he  must  have  been  of  all  men  the 
most  pitifully  dishonest.  If  he 
was  not  the  former,  he  knew 
that  the  proclamations  which  he 
was  charged  with  having  disobeyed, 
were  proclamations  issued  by  au- 
thority of  an  act  of  Parliament, 
and  not  in  the  exercise  of  any 
imagined  prerogative  in  the  crown ; 
and  if  he  was  not  the  latter,  he 
would  not,  knowing  this,  have  in- 
dulged in  the  endless  nonsense  with 
which  he  inundated  the  public  day 
after  day,  till  the  approach  of  the 
serious  combat  compelled  him  to 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[313 


drop  the  mask,  and  shrink  into 
nothing  in  the  presence  of  law  and 
reason.  The  Freeman's  Journal^ 
in  which  one  of  these  diatribes  ap- 
peared,  under  the  title  of  a  letter 
to  his  constituents,  was  brought  by 
the  Attorney-general,  before  the 
King's  Bench,  as  a  contempt  of 
court  5  it  being  an  endeavour,  when 
the  charge,  under  which  the  par- 
ties had  been  held  to  bail,  was 
about  to  be  submitted  to  the  legal 
tribunals,  to  poison  the  public 
mind,  and  the  mind  of  any  jury 
that  might  go  into  the  box,  by  in- 
ducing them  to  believe,  that  the 
charge  was  ridiculous  and  ground- 
less, that  the  prosecutors  were 
actuated  by  the  basest  motives, 
and  that  the  sole  object  of  govern- 
ment in  issuing  the  proclamations 
was  to  secure  the  punishment  of 
the  persons  proceeded  against, 
whether  they  were  guilty  of  an 
offence  against  the  law,  or  not. 
An  attachment  was  granted  against 
the  proprietor  of  the  paper. 
O'Connell  would  not  come  forward 
to  declare  himself  the  author. 

On  the  25tbr  of  January,  indict- 
ments were  ready  to  be  laid  before 
the  grand  jury.  Mr.  Justice  Jebb 
in  his  charge  to  the  grand  jury,  gave 
a  very  different  version  of  the  of- 
fence and  of  the  statute,  from  that 
with  which  the  agitator  had  know- 
ingly been  deluding  his  followers. 
"  If  the  lord-lieutenant,  by  his  pro- 
clamation, has  prohibited  the  assem- 
bly of  a  number  of  persons,  and  has 
signified  his  intention  to  prohibit 
them  under  a  proclamation  by  a 
name  and  denomination,  and  if 
persons  should,  notwithstanding 
that,  and  with  the  knowledge  of 
the  proclamation,  assemble  and 
meet  together  for  the  purposes  pro- 
hibited— ^if  they  assemble  as  such 
assemblies  and  associations^  so  pro- 


hibited by  the  lord-lieutenant's 
proclamation,  they  commit  a 
breach  of  the  law ;  they  are  subject 
to  an  indictment,  and  to  be  pun- 
ished as  persons  guilty  of  a  misde- 
meanour, with  such  term  of  pun- 
ishment as  the  common  law  pro- 
vides for  those  guilty  of  a  misde- 
meanour. The  oiFence  of  assem- 
bling in  breach  of  the  act,  may  be 
committed,  although  the  persons 
guilty  of  it  may  not  have  been  cal- 
led upon  by  the  magistrates  or  the 
civil  power  to  disperse,  or  being 
called  upon  by  the  civil  power  to 
separate,  may  have  dispersed  with- 
in the  time  prescribed  by  law. 
The  second  breach  of  the  law  for 
which  I  am  informed  the  officers 
of  the  crown  are  to  send  up  bills 
of  indictment  to  you  is  this,  a  con- 
spiracy to  commit  a  breach  of  this 
particular  act  of  Parliament ;  which 
is  in  itself  an  unlawful  act.  The 
informations  go  to  establish  this 
fact>  that  persons  assembled  as  a 
meeting  or  association,  forbidden 
by  proclamation,  did,  when  called 
upon  by  the  civil  powers,  or  when 
they  were  under  the  apprehension 
that  they  would  be  so  called  upon, 
conspire  so  as  to  do  the  particu- 
lar act  which  they  were  forbidden 
by  the  proclamation  ^o  do.  If  per- 
sons constituting  an  assembly  pro- 
hibited by  proclamation  agree  to 
meet  under  another  denomination, 
but  for  the  same  purpose,  that  is 
'  a  shift  or  device ;  it  is  a  meeting 
of  the  same  men,  of  the  same 
persons,  and  may  be  called  an  ad- 
journment of  the  same  meeting; 
and,  being  so,  it  is  a  breach  of  the 
act  of  parliament.  But  if  it  should 
appear  to  you  that  the  assemblage 
or  meeting  was  reallj^given  up — 
that  the  object  for  ^lich  such 
meeting  was  held  was  abandoned, 
and  that  the  persons  forming  it  had 


S141    ANNUAL   REGIStER,     1831. 


ftgM^  to  tlfiperse^  aud  thereby 
obey  the  lord  llcutenftot'*  procla- 
niatioti,  but  that  for  other  purposes 
really^  aud  6ona.^efe  distinct,  they 
^tisenibled  together^  then  that  is 
lint  a  breach  of  the  act  of  parlia- 
ment. But  if  you>  by  witnesses^ 
be  AatisBed  that  th6  persotis  charg- 
i!d,  or  any  of  them,  were  at  such 
meeting  and  assembly  forbidden  by 
the  prodamatiob  to  meet  together^ 
though  they  did  afterwards  under 
H  difierent  name  assemble,  then  it 
is  you^  duty  to  find  the  bills  on 
the  counts  charging  them  with  so 
mieeting  as  th^t  particular  associ- 
Alion  ;  and  if  ydu  should  be  of 
opinion  that  they  did,  with  a  change 
of  toame^  but  with  the  same  pur- 
pose^ agree  to  assemble  together^ 
theti  the  construction  that  We  give 
to  the  act  is,  that  the  agreeing  and 
fuiiiembling  of  the  same  body  to 
meet,  with  a  change  of  name,  is 
only  a  *  shift  and  device ;'  and  if 
theise  persons  (Confederated  together 
fbr  that  purpose>  then  tlmt  is  a 
conspiracy." 

llie  grattd  jury  found  true  bills 
i^inst  all  the  parties;  andO'Con- 
»^ll,  (h^tead  of  manfully  meetitog 
the  charge,  set  to  work  to  intent 
ievery  possible  expedient  by  which 
he  might  gain  d^ay.  To  some  of 
thl3  countii  he  pleaded  not  guilty, 
while  to  ethers  of  them,  in  ordei* 
to  gAin  time,  and  throw  the  case 
out  d(  the  term,  which  would  pro- 
tract the  period  Sit  which,  if  con- 
vieted,  he  would  be  called  up  ifor 
judgment^  he  put  in  a  demurrer. 
The  other  defendants  followed  hiis 
e^mple,  except  that  Redmiind 
pleaded  not  guilty  to  all  of  the 
oount«)  and  Steele  pleaded  nnl  Hd 
reteri  ou  the  prodamation  stated 
in  some  of  the  couhts.  The  pleiE^ 
were  filed  on  the  19  th  of  January. 
Ofe  the  1  St  of  February  the  Court 
of  King's  Bench^  on  the  applica- 


tion of  th^  Attorney^ceneral,  (for 
O'Cottnell  and  his  fnends  never 
moved  in  adduce)  ordered  the 
demurrer  to  be  argued  ou  the  7th. 
To  argue  the  demurrer>  however, 
was  uo  part  of  O'Ctmneir^  plan  ; 
he  knew  it  was  Untenable  in  law, 
and  that  a  demurrer  admitted  the 
truth  of  the  facts  stated  in  th<^ 
indictment,  so  that  a  decision 
disallowing  the  demurrer>  would 
amount  to  a  Oonvictlon»  The  ar« 
gument,  moreover,  in  the  Court 
of  King's  Bench  I  Would  require 
very  different  materials  fhmt  those 
which  Were  reckoned  wt^rthy  of 
all  acceptation  al  the  Com  £x^ 
chauge>  or  th^  Parliamentary  In* 
telligence-oiftce.  AcCord)&gly4  on 
the  5th  of  PebruarTi  two  dayn 
beft>fe  the  day  appmnled  i^  aiv 
guing  whether  th«  indictment  did 
or  did  not  contain  a  legd  diartte, 
O'Gonbell  applied  to  the  court  m 
permissiou  to  withdraw  his  de* 
murrer,  and  plead  not  guilty  to 
the  whole  ioaictment,  tmt  ]8>  to 
Cotifbss  that  what  he  was  alleged 
to  have  done  was  a  violati^  of  the 
laW)  but  that  he  hirfl  not  dode  it. 
8o  far  tie  gained  his  object^  but 
the  court  Would  not  allow  hiln  to 
withdraw  his  demurrer  as  a  matter 
of  course,  or  to  place  himself  i^ 
the  same  situation  as  if  he  had 
pleaded  not  guilty  at  iir«t.  The 
demurrer  was  allowed  to  be  wtth<- 
drawn,  and  the  «tew  plea  was  re- 
ceived, idbly  on  the  condition  of 
— ^'*  the  traveraers  uiiidertaking  to 
aticept  notice,  930A  go  to  trial  in 
the  sittings  afber  term)  and  coib- 
dittotting,  in  case  of  a  verdict  of 
guilty,  to  mibtnit  to  s  judgment 
instanter — not  to  tnove  in  aff«Bt 
of  judgment,  nor  ht  a  wew  triai  ^ 
the  tr^ver«^s,  at  the  «ame  time, 
being  bound  to  appear  personally/* 
The  Attoittey^geueral  acoord^* 
iDgly  seemed  determined  to  push 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[816 


th%  cause  ImiAediately  to  triftl^  and 
im  the  9th  of  Febrtiarv  ih«  Cmtt 
of  King's  Bench  fi^ed  it  ht  th« 
]7tk  of  th^  month.  The  ivhol^ 
country  looked  6)rward  with  j^isat 
eicpectation  to  the  fesult*  i\i1 
good  and  reasonable  men  hoped 
that  the  iaW  would  be  found  too 
powerful  fot  the  agitator^  but 
there  was  a  general  apprehension 
that  it  would  be  difficult  to  obtain 
a  contiction  from  an  Irish  jury> 
while  a  defeat  of  the  government, 
now  60  deeply  committed^  Would 
bdd  new  rigour  to  the  turbulence 
which  they  wel^  striving  to  put 
down.  Un  the  other  hand^ 
O'Connell  seemed  to  be  tied  to 
the  stake,  bounds  by  every  regard 
to  character  and  popularity^  to 
fight  out  the  battle  to  the  last, 
and  maintain,  in  his  own  person, 
the  illegality  of  those  proceedings 
of  the  administration,  which  he 
liiad  BO  often  denounced  to  others 
as  demonstrable  violations  of  the 
law :  it  seemed  impossible  that  he 
Should  now  belie  all  his  profes- 
sions, acknowledge  the  emptiness 
and  Utility  of  all  his  blusterings, 
and  sink  into  craven  submission^ 
without  descending  for  ever  from 
the  bad  eminence  to  which  he  had 
climbed.  The  new  expedients, 
however,  to  which  he  had  re- 
course, in  order  to  delay  tiie  trials 
were  new  proofs  of  his  unwilling- 
ness to  encounter  a  juryv  The 
trial  was  fixed  for  the  17th,  A 
special  jury  must  be  summoned 
six  dear  davs  before  the  triaK  other- 
wise  they  cannot  foe  fined  for  non- 
attendance«  O'Gonneli  set  bo 
work  to  render  this  impossible. 
He  i*eceived  notice  to  attehd  the 
striking  of  the  jtiry  oh  the  9th. 
He  attended^  but  refused  to  pro- 
ceed, objecting,  that  although  he 
had  received  the  notice  at  sudi  a 
Hm^Df  ih^  jH-eoeding  day  ab  gave 


him  mofe  thati  fmit  and  twenty 
hours  notiooi  he  was  entitled  to  a 
**  free  day'* "  notioi^)  and  <BOUld 
not  be  called  OA  to  proc^,  upon 
this  notice,  to  strike  th(^  jury  till 
the  10th.  He  was  allowed  to  hav« 
it  his  own  way  i  but>  on  the  10th3 
when  he  attended  to  seis  tH\e  pa** 
nel  of  forty-eight  spedat  jurors 
reduced  to  twent^.four>  by  eaoh 
party  striking  off  twelvi^,  he  In* 
sisted  that  he  ought  to  be  allowed 
till  next  day>  the  iUh,  to  d^ 
liberate  what  names  he  should 
strike  ofH  The  sheriff  yielded 
likewise  to  this  app]ication>  and 
the  consequence  was,  that  the 
jury  could  not  foe  summoned  sit 
free  days  befbire  the  l^th,  and  on 
that  day,  therefore^  the  trial  could 
not  proceed.  Acc^ingly,  on  the 
IJth,  the  Attorney-geneiral  gave 
notice  that  he  would  next  day 
move  the  court  to  fix  a  later  day 
fbr  the  trial.  O'Connell's  eolicitor 
then  made  a  request  that  the  trial 
should  be  delayed  till  the  follow-^ 
ing  term,  to  which  the  Attorney- 
general  gave  a  peremptory  refusal. 
The  Attorney-general  was  now 
convinced  that  O'Connell  would 
submit  to  anything  rather  thaA 
go  befofe  a  iiiry,  and  tdd  his 
counsel,  on  *^e  ntoming  of  Uie 
i2th,  heiote  movine  the  delay  of 
the  trial,  that  as  the  disallowing 
the  afoandoned  demurrers  Would 
have  entitled  the  crown  to  judged 
ment  on  the  first  fourteen  icaoiiBts 
to  whidi  they  had  been  pleaded^ 
in  which  case  he  WouM  have  etii> 
tered  a  noU  prose^  as  to  the 
others^  whteh  wel«  in  their  nature 
only  i^bsidiary  ;  he  Was  stili 
willing  to  be  satisfied  with  a  con- 
viction insuring  to  the  crown  the 
same  extent  of  advantage  of  which 
it  had  beeti  deprived  by  the  court 
allowing  the  demurrers  to  be  with- 
drawn; and  the  plea  of  petfuiity 


316]       ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


on  these  counts  to  be  recorded. 
This  proposal  was  immediately  ac- 
ceded to,  and  O'Connell  ana  his 
co-defendants>  on  the  1 2th  of  Fe- 
bruary, withdrew  their  plea  of  not 
guilty,  as  they  had  formerly  de- 
serted their  demurrers,  and  plead- 
ed guilty  to  the  first  fourteen 
counts  in  the  indictment.*  These 
were  counts  charging  the  actual 
holding  of  meetings  in  violation  of 
the  various  proclamations ;  the 
other  counts,  to  which  they  still 
pleaded  not  guilty,  charged  them 
with  having  conspired  to  hold 
meetings  contrary  to  the  procla- 
mations. On  these  latter  counts 
the  Attorney-general  entered  a 
fioli  prosequi,  stating  that  the  plea 
of  guilty  to  the  others  would 
answer  all  the  purposes  of  the 
prosecution,  and  that  he  would 
reckon  it  both  unnecessary  and 
unjust,  now  that  he  was  entitled 
to  have  judgment  upon  these,  to 
follow  out  the  remaining  charges 
in  the  indictment. 

By  withdrawing  his  demurrer, 
0*Connell  had  admitted  that  the 
law  was  against  him,  and  by  plead- 
ing guilty  he  had  confessed  that 
the  fact  was  against  him.  Nothing 
remained  but  judgment.  Yet 
scarcely  had  his  plea  of  guilty 
been  entered,  when  he  hastened  to 
a  public  meeting  in  Dublin,  where 
he  denied  that  he  had  pleaded 
guilty  to  anything.  '*  In  last 
night's  Dublin  Evening  Post,** 
said  he,  *4t  is  stated  that  I  have 
pleaded  guilty  to  fourteen  counts  of 
the  indictment.  A  greater  false- 
hood was  never  stated  even  in  that 
paper.  I  would  rather  that  the 
arm  was  cut  off   from  this  body 


•  These  facts  were  stated  in  a  letter 
from^  the  Attorney-general  for  Ireland, 
which  Mr.  Stanley  read  in  the  House  of 
Commons. 


than  plead  guilty  to  one  count. 
Though  I  have  allowed  judgment 
to  go  by  default  on  fourteen  counts, 
it  is  because  I  dispute  the  con- 
struction of  the  law  by  the  At* 
torney-general,  and  that  I  have 
the  liberty  of  carrying,  through 
the  twelve  judges,  to  the  House  of 
Lords,  the  question  of  law,  which 
I  shall  not  discuss  till  then.'*  He 
had  demurred  to  the  indictment 
for  the  very  purpose  of  raising  the 
law :  why  had  he  not  gone  on  to 
try  it,  instead  of  withdrawing  his 
demurrer  ?  If  judgment  went 
against  him  on  the  demurrer,  he 
could  have  taken  the  opinion  of 
the  superior  courts  just  as  well  as 
by  keeping  back  the  matter  of  law 
to  move  it  in  arrest  of  judgment. 
Very  possibly  his  object  had  been 
to  gain  time  by  demurring,  and 
afterwards,  in  the  event  of  con- 
viction, urging  the  same  matter 
of  law  in  arrest  of  judgment— 
the  only  form  in  which,  after  con- 
viction, he  could  get  a  judgment 
upon  the  law.  But  the  court  and 
the  Attorney-general  had  foreseen 
and  prevented  this  piece  of  trick- 
ery ;  and  he  had  not  been  allowed 
to  withdraw  his  demurrer,  except 
on  the  express  condition,  not  only 
that  he  should  immediately  go  to 
trial,  but  that,  in  the  event  of  a 
conviction,  there  should  be  no 
motion  in  arrest  of  judgment  or 
for  a  new  trial,  to  raise  again  the 
matter  of  law,  which,  if  he  meant 
to  insist  upon  it,  he  ought  to  have 
argued  under  the  demurrer  already 
on  record.  Delay  was  his  sole 
object,  and  one  reason  why  he 
fought  hard  to  gain  time  seems  to 
have  been,  to  prevent  his  being 
called  up  for  judgment  till  the  ex- 
piry of  the  act  under  which  he 
was  prosecuted,  and  which  had 
been  passed  only  for  a  limited 
period.    He  tmtted  that  govera« 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[317 


ment  might  be  disposed  to  lay 
hold  of  the  expiry  of  the  act  as 
a  reason  for  not  calling  him  up 
for  judgment  at  all,  ^nd  the  erent 
shewed  that  his  anticipations  were 
not  ill-founded.  At  the  com- 
mencement of  the  proceedings 
against  him^  he  told  an  aggregate 
meeting,  assembled  to  petition  for 
the  repeal  of  the  union,  *'  The 
proclamation  act  expires  next 
June.  It  shall  never  be  renewed, 
I  tell  you  that  O'Gorman  Mahon 
and  I  will  alone  be  able  to  prevent 
'  its  renewal.  He  and  I  will  make 
it  impossible  to  pass  it,  for  we 
shall  keep  the  House  adjourned 
for  twelve  months  together  before 
it  shall  become  a  law.  When  it 
expires,  we  shall  be  able  to  form 
election  clubs  in  every  county; 
and  no  man  shall  go  to  Parliament 
who  is  not  a  decided  friend  to  the 
repeal  of  the  Union,  or  who  shall 
not  pay  very  dear  for  his  seat." 

The  pitiful  termination  in  the 
King's  Bench  of  O'Connell's  loud 
boastings,  and  the  confession  that 
his  proceedings  had  been  contrary 
to  a  law  too  strong  for  him  to  con- 
tend with,  were  so  little  expected 
from  his  reckless  boldness,  and 
seemed  so  fatal  even  to  his  mob- 
popularity,  that  a  very  general 
belief  prevailed  of  his  having  been 
induced  to  plead  guilty,  in  con- 
sequence of  some  private  under- 
standing with  the  government, 
which  had  thus  purchased  an  ap- 
parent triumph  by  a  compromise 
which  would  have  betokened  real 
weakness.  In  the  House  of  Com- 
mons, on  the  14  th  of  February, 
the  marquis  of  Chandos  put  the 
question  to  Mr.  Stanley,  the  Se- 
cretary for  Ireland,  whether  there 
was  any  truth  in  a  statement  in 
general  circulation,  that  Mr.O*Con- 
nell  had  pleaded  guilty  on  condi- 
tion that  th«  proceedings  would. 


by  a  sort  of  compromise  with  the 
Irish  government,  pass  over }  Mr. 
Stanley  answered,  that  he  had 
heard  the  rumour  with  pain,  but 
it  was  unfounded.  "1  do  not 
mean  to  say  that  Mr.  O'Conneirs 
friends  have  not  exerted  them- 
selves to  avert  from  him,  if  pos- 
sible, the  probable  punishment  of 
the  law  3  but  I  do  most  explicitly 
declare,  that,  in  doing  so,  they 
acted  without  the  connivance  or 
the  knowledge  of  any  member  of 
the  Irish  government.  Nay  more, 
I  declare,  that  the  only  answer 
given  them  by  the  authorities  in 
Ireland  was,  that  we  can  enter  into 
no  negotiation  with  Mr.  O'Con- 
nell ;  that  when  we  take  into  con- 
sideration the  impression  which 
that  gentleman's  conduct  has  pro- 
duced on  both  sides  of  the  Irish 
Channel,  the  Irish  government  feel 
it  would  be  impossible  for  them, 
consistently  with  their  own  dig- 
nity as  a  government,  to  enter 
into  any  negotiation  implying  the 
remotest  compromise  with  the  tra- 
versers, or  that  might  lead  them  to 
suppose  that  the  government  would 
abate  one  inch.  This  declaration 
I  repeat  here,  and  I  have  only  to 
add,  that,  let  Mr.  O'Connell  act 
as  he  thinks  most  expedient  for 
himself — of  that  he  is  himself  the 
best  judge — it  is  the  unalterable 
determination  of  the  law-officers  in 
Ireland  to  let  the  law  take  its 
course  against  him"  A  few  days 
afterwards,  Mr.  Stanley  reverted 
voluntarily  to  the  same  topic :  he 
stated  to  the  House  more  in  detail, 
and  on  the  authority  of  the  At- 
torney-general for  Ireland,  the 
facts  which  have  been  already 
narrated  as  connected  with  the 
plea  of  guilty,  and  added,  "  I 
think  the  House  will  agree  with 
me,  that  this  statement  completely 
bears    »«    out    in    the  assertioft 


318]     ANNVAlv   REGISTER,  1831. 


vbich  I  mado  on  a  forioer  QveQing, 
tihat  the  government  bad  entered 
into  no  negotiation  with  Mr. 
O'Connell ;  tnat  it  had  not  made 
any  oompromiaej  or  even  the 
aljghteat  shadow  of  any  com* 
promise  with  Mr.  O'Connell  j  and 
that  it  had  expressed  its  unaltev' 
able  determination  to  be,  that,  let 
Mr*  Q Council  act  041  he  pleased, 
judgment  should  be  pressed  against 
him.  liie  crown  having  thus  ob« 
tained,  without  the  sligntest  com* 
promisGi  a  conyiction  against  Mr, 
O'Connell  and  his  associates  on  the 
first  fourteen  counts  of  the  in* 
dictment,  did  not  think  it  right 
to  proceed  against  them  on  the 
last  sixteen  counts,  which  charged 
them  with  a  conspiracy.  In 
adopting  that  course  of  procedure^ 
the  crown  acted  upon  the  lenient 
principle  adopted  by  ordinary  pro- 
secutors at  the  ordinary  assizes; 
and  I  am  of  opinion  that  if  such 
lenity  be  advisable  towards  the 
culprits  at  ordinary  assizes,  it  is 
still  more  advisable  and  expedient 
when  exhibited  towards  a  political 
opponent.  Indeed^  I  am  sure  that 
it  the  crown  had  persevered  in  its 
original  intention  of  going  to  the 
jury  on  the  last  sixteen  counts  of 
the  indictment,  it  would  have  given 
to  the  transaction  an  appearance 
not  of  justice  but  of  persecution. 
In  pursuing  the  course  which  it 
has  done,  the  crown  has  treated 
Mr.  O'Connell  as  it  would  have 
treated  any  other  individual — it 
has  vindicated  the  outraged  law  -, 
and  by  so  doing,  has  inspired  the 
discontented  with  awe,  and  the 
well-affected  with  confidence.  It 
has  procured  a  verdict  against  Mr. 
O'Connell,  atid  itjvill,  undoubtedly, 
call  him  up  to  receive  judgment 
upon  it. 

These  declarations  were  perfect- 
ly satisfactory  to  the  House  and  to 


the  country;  ^  they  aeemed  to 
render  any  subseouent  arrange* 
ment  to  prevent  O'Connell  from 
being  brought  up  for  judgment  aa 
impossible  as  they  made  it  certain 
that  none  had  been  gone  into  to 
save  the  crown  from  the  risk  of 
encountering  a  jury.  But  to 
0*Connell  himself  they  were  not 
at  all  satisfactory,  l)ecause  the 
language  used  bv  Mr.  Stanley  on 
the  14tb  impliea>  that  exertiooa 
bad  been  made,  on  the  part  of  the 
agitator,  to  negociate  a  treaty  with 
the  ^vernment.  When  the  pro* 
ceedings  were  terminated^  O'Con* 
nell  proceeded  to  London  to  attend 
his  duty  in  Parliament ;  and  on 
the  28th,  he  put  the  question-** 
whether  any  persons  on  his  behalf 
had  proffered  a  compromise  ?*-^to 
Mr.  Stanley,  in  the  House  of 
Commons.  He  declared,  at  the 
same  time,  that  he  had  authorized 
no  person  to  offer  a  compromise, 
and  that,  so  far  as  he  knew,  none 
had  been  offered.  The  answer  to 
this  mad  question^  and  these  un- 
bhishing  assertions,  brought  out 
the  fact,  that  he  actuauy  had 
attempted  a  compromise^  being 
guilty  of  the  additional  meanness 
of  dictating  the  letter  to  his  8on> 
instead  of  writing  it  himself.  Mr, 
Stanley  now  stated  farther,  that 
he  had  been  waited  on  by  two 
personal  friends  of  Mr.  O'Connell^ 
lord  Glengall  and  Mr.  Bennett, 
the  latter  being  both  a  private  and 
a  professional  friend ;  that  they 
laia  before  him  a  certain  letter, 
which  letter  had  been  dictated  by 
Mr.  O'Connell  himself  to  his  son, 
and  was  inclosed  in  one  addressed 
by  his  son  to  Mr.  Bennett;  that 
the  purport  of  the  letter  was  to 
induce  the  Irish  government  to 
compromise,  on  certain  terms,  the 
prosecution  against  Mr.  O'Connell; 
that  the  answer  returned  was^  that 


HISTORY  OF  EUKOPE, 


[310 


DO  luoli  compromise  oauld  for  % 
momoQt  be  entertained,  th^^t,  no 
negotiation  could  bo  entered  into 
with  any  person  on  the  part  of 
Mr.  O'Connell,  and  that  the  law 
must  take  its  course.  "  For  tha 
truth  of  these  facts/'  said  Mr* 
Stanley, "  I  refer  Mr.  O'Connell  to 
Mr.  Bennett  and  the  earl  of  Glen<« 
gall,  who  have  authorised  me  to 
make  me  of  their  Qaipes,  and  I 
hope  that  I  have  given  thia  que8«* 
tion  a  mo^t  explicit  answer." 

Mr.  O'Connell  admitted  dis. 
tinctly  that  the  government  had 
not  compromised  the  prosecution, 
and  he  admitted  distmctlv,  that 
every  thing  Mr.  Stanley  had  stated 
was  true,  even  to  the  fact  of  the 
terms  of  compromise  having  been 
dictated  by  O'Connell  himself  to 
his  own  son.  Notwithstanding 
this,  he  set  to  work  to  explain 
away  the  facts,  and  kept  the 
House  in  a  roar  of  unextinguish- 
able  laughter,  at  the  absence  of  all 
sense  of  shame,  with  which  he  de-* 
nied  having  attempted  a  compro« 
mise,  while  every  sentence  he  ut- 
tered contained  the  terms  on  which 
he  wished  to  have  obtained  it.  He 
even  could  not  deny,  that  he  offered 
to  give  up  agitation  for  the  repeal 
of  the  Union,  if  government  would 
abandon  the  prosecution,  and  in* 
form  him  what  measures  they  in., 
tended  to  propose  for  the  benefit  of 
Ireland.  Yet  he  denied  having  of* 
fered  a  compromise,  and  referred 
to  his  son's  note  to  Mr.  Bennett, 
accompanying  the  letter  of  com- 
promise, every  sentence  of  which 
note  was  compromise  through  and 
through.  ''  What, "  said  Mr. 
O'Connell,  ^*  does  my  son  say  ? 
Why  he  writes— ^  My  father  has 
been  so  much  deceived  and  deluded 
by  the  present  Administration,  that 
he  will  not  enter  into  any  nego- 
tiation with  any  of  its  members. 


till  it  fir^t  GOQfleata  to  abandon  thci 
prosecution  against  him  without 
any  equivocation,  [  Laughter  ] 
And  my  son  adds,  that '  as  \t  mar 
not  be  exactly  eonfc^rmable  witfi 
the  dignity  ot  the  Irish  govern- 
ment to  formally  abandon  the  prose^ 
Gution,  my  father  will  not  insist  on 
a  formal  abandonment/  IContinued 
laughter]  My  son  then  speci6ed 
the  terms  on  which  alone  b^  would 
consent  [a  laughr\  to  a  compromise 
-^namely  firstj  that  the  prosecu** 
tion  should  be  unequivooally  with- 
drawn, and,  secondly,  that  the 
Irish  government  should  state 
what  measures  of  relief  were  in* 
tended  towards  Ireland.  While  I 
admit,  tlierefore,  that  the  govern- 
ment did  not  compromise  the  pro* 
secution,  I  deny  that  I  entered 
into  any  compromise  with  the  go- 
vernment." But  Mr,  O'Connell 
was  not  charged  with  having  ac- 
tually made  a  compromise ;  he  was 
charged  with  having  unsuccess- 
fully attempted  it*  He  was 
charged  with  having  proposed 
terms  which  the  government  re- 
jected. He  had  averred,  that  he 
had  authorized  no  compromise  to 
be  proffered,  and  that  none  had 
been  proffered  with  his  knowledge; 
and  he  had  now  been  compelled  to 
acknowledge  that  every  part  of 
that  denial  was  inconsistent  with 
fact. 

From  the  declarations  of  the 
Irish  secretary,  so  pointed  and  so 
strong,  the  public  had  a  right  to 
expect  that  the  prosecution  would 
be  brought  to  a  termination  in  due 
course  of  law,  by  the  convicted 
agitators  being  brought  up  to  re- 
ceive the  judgment  of  the  court. 
In  this  the  public  was  disappointed, 
and  O'Connell  and  his  associates 
were  allowed  to  escape,  as  if  they 
had  never  been  convicted.  The  re- 
form bill  was  brought  in ;  and  Mr. 


320]         ANNUAL   REGISTER,  1831. 


O'Conneil,  though  it  gave  neither 
aoDual  parliaments^  nor  universal 
sufirage^  nor  vote  by  ballot,  and 
though  he  wished  that  it  should 
give  to  Ireland  six  or  eight  mem- 
bers more  than  were  intended  to 
be  conceded,  became  a  staunch 
voter  and  speaker  for  the  ministry. 
Opposition  membtrs  hinted  in  the 
House  that  there  seemed  to  be 
symptoms  of  an  amicable  approx- 
imation between  him  and  his  pro- 
secutors. The  Act  for  suppressing 
illegal  and  dangerous  associations 
under  which  O'Conneil  and  his 
co-agitators  had  been  convicted, 
was  allowed  to  expire ;  the  minis- 
try did  not  call  for  its  renewal, 
and  they  made  the  fact  of  its 
expiring  their  justification  for 
not  proceeding  to  demand  judg- 
ment  against  the  convicted.  The 
pledges  which  they  had  given  ad- 
mitted of  no  such  subterfuge. 
They  had  declared,  again  and 
again,  that  it  was  their  unaltera- 
ble determination  that  the  law 
should  take  its  course — that  judg- 
ment would  be  pressed  against  Mr. 
O'Conneil — that  they  would  "un- 
doubtedly "  call  him  up  to  receive 
judgment  upon  the  conviction. 
When  they  made  those  declara- 
tions, they  knew  that  they  could 
or  could  not  compel  him  to  appear 
for  judgment,  before  the  expiring 
of  the  Act.  If  they  knew  that 
they  could  not,  then,  by  those  de- 
clarations they  pledged  themselves 
to  press  judgment  against  him, 
even  though  the  Act  should  have 
expired.  If  on  the  other  hand 
they  could  have  compelled  him 
so  to  appear,  but  did  not  exert 
their  power,  they  were  then  guilty 
of  creating  a  pretext  to  get  rid  of 
their  pledges,  and  one  which,  even 
after  it  had  been  created,  was  too 
flimsy  to  serve  any  good  purpose. 
The  disorders  which  prevailed  in 


the  country,  and  the  turbulent 
proceedings  of  O'Conneil,  had  the 
good  effect  of  drawing  forth  ex- 
pressions of  opinions  of  a  contrary 
tendency,  from  the  more  respecta- 
ble and  influential  portion  of  so- 
ciety. Among  men  of  weight  and 
education,  the  repeal  of  the  Union 
had  not  as  yet  found  many  abet- 
tors. The  agitators  were  anxious 
to  represent  it  as  being  an  Irish 
question,  in  which  all  distinctions 
between  catholic  and  protestant 
ought  to  be  forgotten ;  and  one  of 
their  many  falsehdods  was,  to  de- 
clare that  all  intelligent  protest- 
ants  were  on  their  side.  The  pro- 
testants  knew  too  well  what  they 
would  have  to  expect  from  a  ca- 
tholic parliament  sitting  in  ^^  Col- 
lege Green,"  to  be  misled  by  the 
pretended  love  of  liberty  which 
formed  the  text  of  the  tools  of  the 
popish  priesthood.  Even  the  ca- 
tholic laity  of  the  better  classes 
kept  aloof  from  the  agitators ;  and 
Lord  Cloncurry,  who  had  been  a 
main  pillar  to  the  cause  of  eman- 
cipation, drew  down  upon  himself 
the  wrath  of  O'Conneil,  because 
he  would  not  play  the  same  cha- 
racter in  obtaining  a  repeal  of  the 
union.  A  loyal  address,  reprobat- 
ing the  proceedings  of  the  dema- 
gogues, was  presented  to  the  Lord- 
lieutenant,  signed  by  almost  every 
respectable  name  of  the  Irish  bar. 
A  similar  address  was  voted  by  the 
corporation  of  Dublin;  and  one 
still  more  important,  as  coming 
from  independent  men,  of  all  par- 
ties except  that  of  universal  con- 
fusion, was  presented  by  the 
bankers,  merchants,  and  tracers  of 
Dublin,  expressing  their  detesta- 
tion of  the  spirit  of  lawless  turbu- 
lence which  had  gone  abroad^  ge- 
nerated by  popular  delusions,  and 
inflamed  in  the  pursuit  of  im- 
practicable schemes^  and  declaring 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE.  [321 

^^  their  iBxed  determination  to  sup-  of  the  empire  which  Britain  would 
port,  with  their  utmost  means,  the  resist,  even  at  the  expense  of  a 
measures  which,  in  tlie  existing  civil  war.  On  the  8th  oi  February, 
state  of  the  country,  might  be  ne-  a  motion  for  copies  of  all  procla- 
cessary  to  re-establish  order  and  mations  issued  by  the  Lord-lieute- 
protect  property,  to  maintain  the  nant,  was  made  by  Mr.  0*Gorman 
authority  of  the  laws,  and  to  pre-  Mahon,  who  had  succeeded  O'Con- 
serve  inviolate  the  integrity  of  the  nellin  the  representation  of  thecoun- 
United  Kingdom."  That  men  of  ty  of  Clare. ,  This  gentleman  was  one 
education,  property,  and  character,  of  the  mob  orators  of  Ireland ;  he 
should  dare  to  entertain  such  transferred  to  the  House  of  Corn- 
opinions  was  enough  to  draw  mons  the  slang  and  vulgar  abuse 
down  upon  them  the  denunciations  with  which  he  had  been  accus- 
of  the  agitators,  and  it  was  in  tomed  to  amuse  his  mobs,  and  gave 
language  like  the  following  (which  the  speaker  inlBnite  trouble,  till  the 
actually  appeared  in  one  of  the  in-  nuisance  was  abated  in  consequence 
surgent  newspapers  in  reference  of  the  Chairman  of  a  committee, 
to  the  above  address)  that  these  li-  named  to  try  a  petition  against 
beral  minded  patnots  argued  a  Mahon's  return,  reporting  that 
great  political  question : — *'  Some  this  patriotic  and  reforming  agi- 
wretches,  whose  trade  is  adulation  tator  had  obtained  his  seat  by 
—  whose  creed,  subserviency  —  bribery,  and  the  Speaker's  nod  re- 
whose  god,  their  money — whose  moved  him  from  the  House  amid 
altar,  the  desk — ^whose  temple,  the  the  loud  laughter  of  its  members, 
counting-house — and  whose  coun-  On  the  present  occasion  the  ob- 
try,  self — have  been  going  about  ject  of  his  motion  was,  in  the  first 
for  some  days,  kidnapping  the  un-  place,  to  abuse  ministers  because 
wary  into  a  requisition  for  a  meet-  they  had  enforced  the  law  against 
ing  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  O'Connell,  and  secondly,  to  assiure 
to  adopt  a  congratulatory  address  them  and  the  House,  that  it  was 
to  the  marquis  of  Anglesey.  Slaves,  in  vain  for  them  to  oppose  the  re- 
base,  degraded  slaves,  beware  of  peal,  because  Ireland  was  deter- 
what  you  do!  We  know  your  names  mined  to  have  it.  **Itwas  said, 
— we  will  keep  close  watch  upon  that  England  and  Ireland  must 
you — and  now  we  forewarn  you,  stand  or  fall  together;  but  England 
protestant  bankers,  you  recreant  had  hitherto  been  standing  with 
catholic  barristers  (not  lawyers),  her  foot  on  Ireland's  back :  by  this 
and  cotton-spinners,  and  pauper-  means  she  had  raised  herself  m  the 
dealers,  that  if  you  persevere  in  estimation  of  the  world ;  but  when 
this  course,  we  shall  put  a  brand  Ireland  was  removed  from  beneath 
upon  you,  that  when  you  walk  her,  she  would  find  her  level;  and 
along  the  streets,  despised,  abhor-  her  iron  heel  would  press  the 
red,  and  shunned,  the  very  dogs  cold  soil.  Men  of  all  classes  and 
themselves  shall  bark  and  flee  your  parties  were  now  united  in  fa- 
contact."  vour  of  a  repeal  of  the  union  ; 

In  parliament,  too,  the  repeal  of  the  repeal  of  the  union  was  not 

the  union  was  denounced,  even  by  popular  here ;  it  was  not  popular 

government,    as     an     occurrence  with   absentees,   who  drew  their 

which  was  not  to  be  treated  as  a  rents  from  Ireland,  and  spent  them 

possibility — as  a  dismemberment  in  England  or  Italy  j  it  was  not 

Vol.  LXXIII.  [Y] 


322J      ANNUAL    REGISTER.   1831. 


popular  with  some  bankers,  who 
lived  by  their  discoiints>  but  it  was 
popular  with  the  millions,  the  mass 
of  the  population  of  Ireland.  It 
was  unpopular  with  all  who  wished 
to  keep  up  the  connexion  of  the 
two  countries ;  but  it  was  justly 
popular  with  all  who  were  opposed 
to  the  continuance  of  that  con- 
nexion. England  might  send  her 
cohorts  to  Ireland^  but  that  would 
not  do.  The  time  for  deliberation 
was  gone  by,  and  the  people  were 
determined  to  carry  tlie  measure. 
He  was  sure  that,  until  lately,  an 
appeal  to  force^  in  order  to  get  rid 
of  ttie  union,  was  the  last  thing 
which  the  people  of  Ireland  dream- 
eel  of  j  but  whether  it  would  be  so 
now,  he  would  not  venture  to  say. 
EngLand  would  have  enough  to  do 
abroad,  without  breaking  her  spears 
on  the  bodies  of  the  Irish^  who  had 
not  yet  either  forgotten  or  forgiven 
the  days  of  ninety-eight.  He  him- 
self— and  he  now  avowed  it — had 
been,  for  the  last  eleven  years  and 
a  half,  a  member  of  a  secret  society 
for  accomplishing  the  repeal :  but 
they  had  now  dissolved  their  secret 
meetings,  and  were  determined  to 
press  it  openly."  The  following  pas- 
sage, however  unspeakably  ridicu- 
lous, was  a  good  illustration  of  the 
mode  in  which  the  agitators  worked 
on  their  ignorant  rabble.  '*  Ireland 
had  no  confidence  in  England. 
This  country  must  now  endeavour 
to  effect  a  compromise  through  the 
instrumentality  of  one  man,  be- 
tween a  total  repeal  of  the  union, 
and  tlje  holding  of  sittings  alter- 
nately in  the  capitals  of  the  two 
countries.  Did  hon.  members 
imagine  that  they  could  prevent  the 
unfortunate  men  who  were  ^ve 
feet  under  the  snow  from  thinking 
that  they  could  l>etter  their  condi- 
tion by  a  repeal  of  the  union? 
[_Great  liiughter.\    It  might  be  said 


that  England  had  not  caused  the 
snow,  but  the  people  had  the  snow 
on  them,  and  they  thought  that 
their  connexion  with  England  had 
reduced  them  to  the  state  in  which 
they  now  were  [A  laugK\,  Whe- 
ther that  was  true  or  not,  they  be- 
lieved it  to  be  80,  and  would  act  on 
their  belief."  And  assuredly  Mr. 
0*Connell,  or  Mr.  Mahon  would 
have  been  the  last  men  in  Ireland 
to  have  told  them  that  they  were 
acting  on  an  ignorant  and  errone- 
ous belief. 

To  these  threatening  rhodo* 
montades.  Lord  Althorp  replied, 
that,  in  regard  to  the  pro- 
ceedings against  O'Connell,  they 
had  been  not  merely  justifiable^ 
but  necessary.  His  occupation 
had  been  to  excite  the  people  of 
Ireland,  and  though  at  the  conclu- 
sion of  almost  every  sentence  he 
exhorted  them  to  peace,  there  could 
be  no  doubt,  in  the  mind  of  any 
unprejudiced  man,  that  all  his  ha- 
rangues tended  to  insurrection  and 
rebellion.  Agitation,  which  had 
for  its  object  the  repeal  of  the 
union,  could  lead  to  nothing  else. 
There  could  be  no  doubt,  that  with 
separate  legislatures,  it  would  be 
impossible  that  the  two  countries 
should  continue  long  connected. 
'*  It  is  the  duty  of  the  Irish  go- 
vernment to  act  with  decision  and 
firmness  to  prevent  such  a  danger. 
They  are  bound  to  abstain  from 
force  where  that  is  avoidable ;  but 
while  they  are  bound  to  put  down 
sedition  and  rebellion,  they  are  also 
called  upon  to  do  every  thing  in 
their  power  to  promote  the  pros- 
perity of  Ireland,  and  they  are 
prepared  to  take  that  course.  I 
sincerely  hope  that  the  object  of 
those  who  are  in  favour  of  the  re- 
peal of  the  union  will  not  succeed ; 
and,  l^nowing  that  they  cannot 
succeed  except  by  successful  war. 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[323 


I  must  say,  that  though  no  man  is 
more  averse  from  war,  and  parti* 
cularly  a  civil  war,  than  I  am,  yet 
I  must  confess,  that  t^  me  even 
civil  war  would  be  preferable  to 
the  dismemberment  and  destruc- 
tion of  the  empire."  Lord  Palmer- 
ston,  too,  said,  that  the  conduct 
they  had  lately  witnessed  would 
lead  one  to  doubt  the  expediency 
of  catholic  emancipation,  if  any 
thing  could  shake  their  conviction 
on  that  subject.  They  were  now 
assembled  but  a  few  months  after 
liaving  passed  the  greatest  act  of 
concession  ever  granted  by  a  legis- 
lature,  and  yet  were  told  that 
they  had  trodden  down  those  to 
whom  they  had  made  that  conces- 
sion with  "  an  iron  heel.*'  The 
noble  Lord,  who  filled  the  office 
of  Viceroy,  had  acted  in  per- 
fect accordance  with  the  wishes  of 
government,  and  not  only  would 
he  be  undeserving  of  his  situation, 
but  the  government  would  merit 
the  severest  censure  and  condem- 
nation, did  they  allow  themselves 
to  be  imposed  upon  by  the  shallow 
artifices  of  the  factious  and  rebel- 
lious plotters  against  the  best  in- 
terests of  the  empire.  Ireland,  he 
would  confidently  affirm,  did  not 
desire  the  repeal  of  the  union.  He 
spoke  not  of  the  wretched  creatures 
who  submitted  to  the  guidance  of 
a  demagogue,  but  of  the  intelli- 
gence, the  property,  and  the  re- 
spectability of  the  country.  All 
who  had  any  thing  to  lose  had 
sided  with  the  friends  of  the  un- 
divided empire ;  but  if,  neverthe- 
less, it  was  fated  that  Ireland 
should  be  deluged  with  blood,  as- 
suredly that  blood  would  be  visited 
oa  those  who  had  malignantly  and 
guiltily  brought  about  such  a  ca- 
tastrophe; while  government,  who 
had  done  their  utmost  to  avert  it 
in  the  eyes  of  God  and  their  coun- 


try, would  stand  absolved  from  re- 
sponsibility. From  the  other  side 
of  the  House,  Sir  R.  Peel,  and  Sir 
C.  Wetherell  bestowed  high  praise 
on  government  for  the  manner  in 
'  which  they  had  met,  and  expressed 
their  determination  to  contmue  to 
meet  the  agitators.  The  latter 
said,  he  could  scarcely  believe  it 
possible  that>  within  eighteen 
months  after  they  had  been  called 
on  to  pass  the  relief  bill,  as  the 
only  preventive  against  civil  war, 
they  should  now  hear  the  very 
same  threat  thrown  out  in  other 
quarters  as  the  consequence  of  re- 
fusing to  repeal  the  union.  '  Sir 
Robert  Peel  said,  he  should  for 
ever  feel  ashamed  of  himself,  were 
he  to  be  deterred  by  party  spleen, 
or  political  animosity,  from  prof- 
fering on  this  occasion  his  cordial, 
steadfast,  and  sincere  support  to  the 
existing  ministers  of  England.  He 
would  not  now  look  out  jealously 
for  any  slips  or  trifling  oversights 
which  those  ministers  might  have 
in  other  respects  committed;  for 
the  artifices  and  unworthy  evasions, 
by  which  their  exertions  to  pro- 
mote the  tranquillity  of  the  coun- 
try had  been  met,  rendered  it  ob- 
ligatory on  every  man  of  loyalty 
and  honour  to  make  common  cause 
with  any  government  so  circum- 
stanced. It  was  his  duty  to  sup- 
port them  in  all  extremities^  even 
in  that  dreadful  one  to  which  the 
noble  lord  had  so  energetically  al- 
luded. There  was  manifestly  no 
alt4irnative  before  them  but  the 
maintenance  of  the  union,  and  if  in 
securing  that,  it  would  be  justifia- 
ble to  resort  to  force  eventually, 
how  much  more  justifiable  was  it 
to  adopt  every  practicable  expedi- 
ent which  might  possibly  prevent 
so  deplorable  a  consummation  ? 
Nay,  more,  they  would  be  deeply 
and  awfully  responsible,  if  they 
[Y2] 


324]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


moistened  the  plains  of  Ireland  with 
bloody  unless  they  could  show  that 
they  had  previously  employed  every 
available  means  by  which  a  rational 
man  might  hope  to  avert  what  no 
one  could  think  upon  without 
horror.  The  compliment  in- 
tended to  be  offered  by  the  trades 
of  Dublin  to  Mr.  O'Connell  might 
have  been  passed  unquestioned  and 
uninterrupted^  had  not  that  learned 
gentleman  given  special  notice  and 
clear  warning  that  his  object  was  so 
to  combine  physical  force  as  to 
render  it  after  a  time  overpowering 
and  irresistible.  'They  now  heard, 
for  the  first  time,  of  secret  societies 
having  been  long  in  existence,  en- 
tered  into  with  a  view  to  the  re- 
peal of  the  union ;  but  the  great 
object  which  the  catholics  sought 
to  obtain,  as  he  had  always  under- 
stood, was  an  equalization  of  rights, 
and  not  a  repeal  of  the  union.  The 
fact  was,  that  the  late  agitation  of 
this  subject  was  to  be  ascribed  to 
the  recent  events  in  Paris  and 
Brussels  acting  on  the  feelings  of 
an  excitable  people;  but  he  did 
not  rely  on  force  or  the  revival  of 
religious  warfare  as  a  means  for 
silencing  such  discussions.  He 
rather  trusted  to  the  good  sense  of 
the  catholics,  who,  he  hoped,  would 
be  convinced^  before  long,  that  it 
would  be  utter  madness  to  attempt 
to  carry  their  projects  into  execu- 
tion by  force,  or  the  subtler  frauds 
of  conspiracy  and  sedition.  They 
might  rest  assured  that  England, 
so  long  as  she  desired  to  retain  her 
post  of  honour  amongst  the  nations 
of  Europe,  would  never  be  per- 
suaded to  yield  to  such  a  demand, 
except  in  the  very  last  extremity ; 
and  after  Ireland  had  been  reduced 
by  perhaps  twenty  years  of  civil 
war,  to  a  moral  wflderness,  she 
would  be  in  a  sorry  condition  to 
enjoy  the  advantages  in  the  pre- 


sent day  so  insidiously  set  forth. 
He  was  firmly  convinced  that  more 
danger  was  to  be  apprehended  there 
from  the  abuse  of  liberty  than  from 
that  of  power,  and  was  quite  will- 
ing to  strengthen  the  hands  of  go- 
vernment still  ftirther,  should  they 
deem  an  application  to  the  legisla- 
ture for  that  purpose  in  any  degree 
necessary. 

In  the  mean  time  the  misery 
and  the  crimes  of  the  people  were 
increasing.  In  the  counties  of 
Clare,  Roscommon,  Gralway,  and 
Tipperary,  the  law  seemed  no 
longer  to  exist.  Murder,  robbery, 
searching  for  arms,  these  things, 
too,  done  by  bodies  of  men  who 
could  be  met  only  by  military  force, 
were  the  ordinary  occurrences  of 
every  day.  The  police,  even  though 
armed,  was  altogether  insufficient 
to  meet  the  mischief  on  the  thou- 
sand points  in  which  it  shewed  it- 
self, and  their  duty  in  all  instances 
was  a  dangerous  one.  On  one  oc- 
casion, while  following  a  body,  who 
confessedly  were  proceeding  to  at- 
tack a  house,  they  were  themselves 
attacked,  and  five  of  them  shot 
dead.  To  the  usual  modes  of  Irish 
outrage  was  now  added  another. 
The  peasantry,  men  and  women, 
armed  themselves  with  their  agri- 
cultural implements,  and  declared 
war  against  pasture  land.  In  open 
day-light  they  entered  upon  the 
fields  and  dug  them  up.  In  the 
county  of  Clare  in  particular,  all 
decent  persons,  of  all  opinions,  de- 
clared that  the  county  was  no  long- 
er tolerable  as  a  place  of  residence. 
The  serving  of  threatening  notices, 
the  levelling  of  walls,  the  driving  off 
cattle,  the  beating  of  herdsmen,  the 
compulsory  removal  of  tenants,  the 
levying  of  contributions  in  money, 
the  robbery  of  dwelling  houses,  the 
reckless  commission  of  murder, 
were  driving  the  better  classes  of 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[325 


inhabitants  to  desert  their  houses, 
and  seek  refuge  in  some  other 
quarter.  A  committee  of  Roman 
Catholic  priests,  which  had  been 
formed  at  Ennis  for  the  purpose  of 
endeavouring  to  restore  tranquilli- 
ty, dissolved  themselves  in  utter 
hopelessness  of  being  able  to  effect 
their  object,  publishing  their  opi- 
nion, that  no  effort  within  the 
power  of  the  well-disposed  inhabi- 
tants could  put  an  end  to  the  con- 
tinued system  of  outrage  and  plun-* 
der  which  was  spread  far  and  wide. 
Even  Mr.  Thomas  Steele,  the  fidus 
Achates  of  O'Connell,  posted  up 
in  Ennis  the  magnificent  denun- 
ciation : 

"  Unless  you  desist,  I  denounce 
you  as  traitors  to  the  cause  of  the 
liberty  of  Ireland.  I  and  the  other 
friends  of  the  people  will  advise 
you  no  more,  since  you  follow  the 
counsels  of  miscreant  villains,  and 
not  the  advice  of  0*Connell,  your 
clergy,  and  the  other  friends  of 
the  country. 

"  I  leave  you  to  the  government, 
and  the  fire  and  the  bayonets  of  the 
military. 

"  Your  blood  be  on  your  own 
souls.*' 

The  lord-lieutenant  now  made  a 
progress  through  the  disturbed 
districts,  in  the  vain  hope  that  his 
halcyon  presence  would  restore 
tranquillity.  He  was  neither  as- 
saulted nor  murdered ;  but  the 
mischief  remained  as  it  was.  Mr. 
M.  0*Connell  afterwards  sta- 
ted in  the  House  of  Commons 
(April  13th)  that  his  lordship's 
visit  had,  in  some  instances,  done 
harm.  More  vigorous  measures 
were  adopted.  On  the  10th  of 
May  a  proclamation  was  issued, 
applying  the  insurrection  act  to 
the  county  of  Clare,  and  certain 
baronies  in  the  counties  of  Galway, 


Roscommon,  and  Tipperary,  and 
a  special  commission  was  sent  down 
to  try  the  offenders  in  these  dis- 
tricts.   The  commission  sat  at  Li- 
merick, Ennis,  Galway,  and  Ros- 
common.   A  great  number  of  mi- 
serable wretches,  were  convicted, 
but  capital  punishment  was  very 
rarely  inflicted.    The  cases  con- 
sisted of  some  very  atrocious  mur- 
ders, robberies,  searching  for  and 
carrying  off  arms,  sending  threat- 
ening notices,  administering  ille- 
gal oaths,  and  digging  up  ground. 
In  a  case  of  the  la£ter  kind  tried 
at  Limerick,  it  was  proved  that, 
while  the  banded  miscreants  prose- 
cuted their  labours,  they  cheered 
themselves  by  shouting  for  '*  Clare 
and  0*Connell."     After  the  com- 
mission   had    issued,    and    while 
it  was  sitting,  domiciliary  visits 
were  paid  even  to  the  poor  to  com- 
pel them  to  give  money  for  con- 
ducting, as  the  offenders  pretended, 
the  defence  of  the  criminals  who 
were  to  be  tried.     O'Connell  at- 
tended some  of  the  trials,  but  ren- 
dered himself  more  conspicuous  by 
his  speeches  to  the  people.     He 
urged  them   to  deliver  up  their 
arms,  but  merely  on  the  ground 
that  they  would  thereby  propitiate 
the  law  officers  of  the  crown,   and 
render    milder    the    sentences  of 
those   who    might   be  convicted. 
He  seemed  to  think  that  they  were 
only  agitating  indiscreetly,  and  he 
took  care  to  exasperate  and  embit- 
ter them  by  telling  them  that  many 
of  the  convicts  would  have  been  ac- 
quitted,  if  the  evidence  had  been 
fairly  considered,  but  that  the  ju- 
ries were  afraid  to  pronounce  any 
other  verdict  than  guilty.    , 

The  ferocity  of  character,  which 
these  scenes  fostered,  led  to  constant 
fatal  rencontres  between  the  popu- 
lace and  those  bodies  to  whom  the 


326] 


ANNUAL   REGISTER,  1831. 


maintenance  of  the  public  peace 
was  intrusted ;  and  on  every  occa- 
sion on  which  the  former  suffered, 
however  atrocious  might  have  been 
their  conduct,  and  however  indis- 
pensably the  mode  of  resistance 
adopted  by  the  police  and  yeoman- 
ry, the  Irish  demagogues,  in  and 
out  of  Parliament,  let  loose  their 
hundred  tongues  of  calumny  and 
falsehood  to  increase  exasperation 
by  representing  the  populace  as 
the  innocent  and  unoffending  vic- 
tims of  armed  butchers  who  de- 
lighted to  revel  in  the  blood 
of  Catholics.  These  were  the 
constant  representations  of  men 
whose  lips  uniformly  declared 
their  great  object  to  be,  to 
abolish  all  animosities  arising  from 
religious  distinctions.  On  the  23rd 
of  May,  at  the  fair  of  Castle  Pol- 
lardj  in  the  county  of  Westmeath, 
the  police  had  occasion  to  seize  an 
offender.  The  mob  attacked  the  po- 
lice^ the  prisoner  was  rescued  and 
carried  off  in  triumph  ;  renewed 
assaults  were  made ;  the  chief  con- 
stable was  knocked  to  the  ground ; 
the  police  fired ;  and  nine  or  ten 
persons  were  killed.  At  the  Mul- 
Itngar  assizes,  in  the  month  of 
July  following,  bills  of  indictment 
for  murder  were  presented  to  the 
grand  jury  against  several  of  the 
police.  The  grand  jury  ignored 
all  the  bills  for  murder,  but,  in 
four  cases,  found  bills  for  man- 
slaughter. The  prisoners  were 
then  put  upon  their  trial,  and 
were  all  acquitted.  The  prosecu- 
tions were  conducted  by  the  govern- 
ment, for  which  government  was 
visited  with  the  displeasure  of  Mr. 
O'Connell,  who  insisted  (11th  of 
July)  that  the  prosecutions  should 
have  been  left  in  the  hands  of  the 
aggrieved  parties.  If  ministers 
had  adopted  the  latter  course,  he 


would  then  have  abused  them  for 
sitting  by  with  folded  hands,  while 
armed  protestants  were  murdering 
unoffending  catholics. 

On  the  18th  of  June^  certain 
cattle  which  had  been  impounded 
for  the  payment  of  tithe  were  to 
be  sold  at  Newton-barry^  in  the 
county  of  Wexford.  On  the  day 
of  the  intended  sale,  which  hap« 
pened  to  be  market  day,  the  popu<« 
lace  were  called  to  act  by  the  lol- 
lowing  placard : 

<'  Inhabitants  of  the  parish  of 
St.  Mary,  Newtownbarry,  there 
will  be  an  end  to  church  plunder : 
your  pot,  blanket,  and  pig,  will 
not  hereafter  be  sold  by  auction, 
to  support  in  luxury,  idleness,  and 
ease^  persons  who  endeavour  to 
make  it  appear  that  it  is  essential 
to  the  peace  and  prosperity  of  the 
country,  and  your  eternal  salva- 
tion, while  the  most  of  you  are 
starving. 

'*  Attend  to  an  auction  of  your 
neighbour's  cattle,  on  Saturday 
next,  the  18th  instant,  seized  for 
tithe  by  the  rev.  Alexander  M'Clin- 
tock." 

The  police  were  thus  put  on 
their  guard,  and  a  body  of  yeo- 
manry was  in  readiness.  The  po- 
pulace interfered  with  the  sale,  and 
the  police  with  the  populace.  The 
yeomanry  again  had  to  act  in  sup* 
port  of  the  police.  The  conse- 
quence was,  that  twelve  or  thir- 
teen of  the  populace  were  killed, 
by  the  fire  of  the  yeomanry,  and 
about  twenty  wounded.  The  co- 
roner's jury,  after  sitting  foj^  nine 
days,  returned  no  verdict,  six  Pro- 
testants who  were  upon  it,  and  six 
Catholics,  being,  it  was  said,  di- 
rectly opposed  to  each  oilier  in 
opinion.  The  crown  directed  its 
oncers  to  make  an  investigation, 
in  consequence  of  wbleh>  UUs  of 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[321 


iDdictment  were  presenterl^  at  the 
Wexford  Assizes  in  July  against 
certain  of  the  yeomanry,  including 
the  captain  who  commanded  them^ 
and  a  sergeant.  The  prosecution 
was  conducted  by  the  crown  in  con-» 
junction  with  the  next  of  kin  of 
the  parties  killed.  The  bills 
charged  murder ;  the  grand  jury 
ignored  them  all,  but  expressed 
their  readiness  to  entertain  bills 
for  manslaughter  against  the  cap- 
tain and  sergeant.  The  counsel 
for  the  next  of  kin  refused  to  co- 
operate with  the  crown  in  trying 
for  the  minor  charge,  but  the 
crown  counsel  declared  that  the 
case  must  be  gone  through,  what- 
ever the  next  of  kin  might  choose 
to  do.  Bills  for  manslaughter 
against  the  captain  and  Serjeant 
were  then  sent  up.  The  bill 
against  the  former  was  ignored  ; 
a  true  bill  was  found  against  the 
latter.  He  was  put  upon  his  trial, 
but  the  witnesses  had  disappeared. 
The  trial  was  postponed  to  the 
following  day,  but  then,  too,  not 
one  of  them  was  forthcoming,  and 
the  case  was  delayed  till  the  next 
assizes. 

As  the  year  advanced,  this  fright- 
ful mixture  of  lawless  violence  on 
the  one  hand,  and  bloody  repres- 
sion on  the  other,  lost  little  of  its 
horrors.  Payment  of  tithe  had 
long  been  unpopular.  During  the 
discussion  produced  by  the  reform 
bill,  the  church,  and  more  espe- 
cially the  church  of  Ireland,  had 
been  spoken  of  in  terms,  which  ren- 
dered it  impossible  for  a  populace, 
otherwise  perfectly  disposed  to  such 
ideas,  to  regard  her  in  any  other 
light  than  that  of  an  unrighteous 
and  wicked  oppressor.  Payment 
of  tithes  was  almost  everywhere 
refused ;  the  usual  system  of  threats 
and  murder  was  again  set  in  mo- 
tion ;  the  clergymen  dared  not  ask^ 


the  willing  occupier  dared  not  pay. 
The  law  was  powerless,  and  where- 
erer  the  officers  of  the  iaw  inter- 
fered, open  and  bloody  war  was  de- 
clared against  them.  On  the  25th 
of  November,  a  body  of  police 
having  apprehended  a  band  of 
armed  ruffians  in  the  county  of 
Kilkenny,  required  the  assistance, 
not  of  the  yeomanry,  but  of  a  party 
of  military,  to  prevent  a  rescue. 
Even  the  attendance  of  regular 
troops  did  not  prevent  an  attack  : 
the  military  were  under  the  neces- 
sity of  firing,  and  five  persons  were 
shot  dead.  In  the  same  county, 
on  a  more  bloody  occasion,  the  for- 
tune of  war  turned  the  other  way. 
On  the  14th  of  December,  a  chief 
constable,  with  a  strong  party  of 
police,  went  out  to  protect  a  pro- 
cess server  in  the  execution  of  his 
legal  duty,  in  serving  the  usual 
process  for  refused  tithe.  There 
were  neither  yeomanry  nor  mili- 
tary. The  population  prepared  for 
murder.  The  sides  of  the  road 
and  the  adjacent  fields  were  cover- 
ed with  people  armed  with  blud- 
geons, scythes,  pitchforks,  and 
other  deadly  weapons.  They  fero- 
ciously demanaed  that  the  process- 
server  should  be  delivered  up  to 
them.  The  police  having  refused, 
the  crowd  closed  upon  them  in  a 
narrow  lane,  overpowered  them, 
and  murdered  twelve  or  thirteen  of 
them,  besides  leaving  several  of 
the  party  dangerously  wounded. 
Among  the  killed  was  the  captain 
of  the  police.  The  accounts  bore 
that  his  son  about  ten  years  old, 
who  accompanied  his  father,  riding 
on  a  pony,  was  inhumanly  butcher- 
ed. The  pony  which  the  child 
rode  was  stabbed  to  death  !  Five 
of  the  police,  who  showed  some 
symptoms  of  life  after  being  bar- 
barously beaten  with  bludgeons, 
bad;  as  they  lay  insensibly  on  the 


328]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


ground^  their  brains  knocked  out 
by  a  peasant's  son^  not  more  than 
twelve  or  fourteen  years  old,  who 
was  armed  with  a  scythe.  The 
country  people,  after  satiating 
their  vengeance  on  the  bleeding 


bodies  of  the  murdered  police,  by 
kicking  and  stabbing  them,  retired 
to  their  homes  and  usual  occupa- 
tions with  as  much  indifference  as 
if  they  had  just  performed  some 
meritorious  deed. 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[329 


CHAP.    XL 

Frasc^.^^ State  of  Parties^^Turbulence  of  the  Students-^Riois  in 
Paris  against  the  Clergy — Proceedings  against  the  Bourhonists^ 
Insecurity  of  the  Ministry — Resignation  oj  Ministers ,  and  Jbrmatiofi 
of  a  New  Ministry — Policy  of  the  New  Ministry-'^Riot  Act  passed-^ 
New  Electoral  Law — Expenditure — Attempt  to  raise  a  loan  by 
public  subscription  —  Prorogation  of  the  Chambers  —  Tumults,  in 
Paris^'Quarrel  between  the  Ministry  and  the  Heroes  of  July — Tour 
of  the  King  in  the  Provinces — Disorderly  state  of  Paris — Dissolution 
of  the  Chambers''^ General  Electum^^Riots  in  PariS'-^Expedition 
against  Portugal — Opening  of  the  Session  of  the  New  Chamber — 
Celebration  of  the  Revolutions—Exhibition  of  Austrian  banners  in  the 
Chamber  of  Peers — Small  Majority  in  favour  of  the  Ministerial 
Candidate  for  the  Presidency  of  the  Chambers'—Ministers  Resign — 
They  withdraw  their  Resignations  on  the  Invasion  of  Belgium 
by  Holland-^Expedition  to  Belgium — Great  Majority  in  favour  of 
Ministers  on  the  Address— 'Bill  for  altering  the  Institution  of  the 
Peerage— ^Creation  of  Peers  to  carry  it  through  the  Upper  Chamber- 
Riots  in  Paris— 'Complaints  against  the  Bourbonists^^Act  banishing 
from  France  all  Relations  of  the  Bourbon  Family 9  or  of  Napoleon—' 
Serious  Disturbances  at  Lyons. 


IN  France,  Paris  continued  to 
be  the  scene  of  ever-renewed 
disturbances,  under  the  vacillating 
ministry  of  M.  Lafitte.  Too  feeble 
in  itself  to  control  either  of  the 
two  great  parties,  the  administra- 
tion attempted  the  task  of  navi- 
gating between  both.  Unfortu- 
nately it  was  weakest  precisely  on 
that  point  in  which  strength  and 
firmness  were  required  to  bring 
back  the  kingdom  to  an  orderly 
political  condition.  The  popular 
party,  or  the  party  of  the  move- 
ment, as  they  were  called,  headed 
by  all  tlie  demagogues,  and  backed 
by  all  the  violent  journals,  con- 
sidered the  revolution  merely  as 
the  commencement  of  a  progres- 
sion which  was  to  place  them  in  a 
new  condition  both  at  home  and 
abroad.  They  insisted^  that  unless 


the  system  of  domestic  change 
were  carried  to  much  greater 
lengths,  and  power  more  abun- 
dantly lodged,  in  various  respects, 
in  the  hands  of  the  people,  that 
people  would  be  disappointed  of 
every  thing  which  it  was  entitled 
to  have  expected  horn  the  resolu- 
tion pf  July.  Their  foreign  policy 
was  still  more  extravagant.  In 
their  opinion,  as  the  government 
ought  to  foster  every  possible  com- 
bination of  more  popular  power  at 
home,  so  it  ought  to  take  arms  in 
the  cause  of  every  insurrectionary 
people  abroad.  Poland  was  to  be 
protected ;  French  armies  were  to 
be  marched  into  Italy  to  support 
the  rebels  of  Lombardy  and  Ro- 
magna;  while  Belgium,  again,  as 
it  had  thrown  off  the  yoke  of 
Holland^   ought   to   be  at  onc9 


330]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


united  to  France,  and  tlie  frontier 
of  the  regenerated  kingdom  ex- 
tended to  its  natural  barrier,  the 
Rhine.  It  was  true,  that  these 
things  could  not  be  done  without 
violating  treaties^  and  plunging 
into  a  general  war ;  but  the 
treaties  had  been  concluded 
under  the  government  of  the 
Bourbons;  these  Bourbons  had 
been  overthrown;  and  it  was  an 
insult  to  *'the  New  France"  cre- 
ated by  the  revolution  of  July,  to 
keep  it  fettered  by  treaties  formed 
by  its  old  rulers.  These  men  did 
not  conceal  their  opinion,  that  the 
duty  of  France  was  to  consider 
the  treaties  of  1^14  and  18J5,  as 
injuries  which  France  had  suffered, 
and  that  the  time  had  now  come 
when  a  new  career  of  conquest  and 
of  glory  should  be  begun. 

The  affairs  of  Belgium  more 
particularly  furnished  them  with 
the  materials  of  almost  daily 
attack.  A  considerable  party  in 
that  country  leatred  towards 
an  union  with  France,  and  the 
ministers  were  blamed  for  not 
having  immediately  overrun  it. 
The  Belgian  congress  elected 
as  their  sovereign,  the  duke  de 
Nemours,  a  son  of  the  king  of  the 
French.  The  proffered  crown 
was  refused^  and  this  was  another 
article  of  grave  impeachment 
against  the  ministry.  The  duke 
of  Leuclitenberg,  a  son  of  Beau- 
harnois,  had  been  proposed  as  a 
candidate;  but  the  French  min- 
isters had  declared  that,  if  he  was 
elected,  they  would  not  acknow- 
ledge him.  Now^  as  the  loud 
lovers  of  war  and  liberty  happened 
likewise  to  be  devotees  of  Napo- 
leon, this  interference  was  a  new 
sin  of  government.  <^  When  we 
areasked,''  said  General  Lafayette, 
**  whether  we  would  go  to  war  in 
violation  of  treatiesj  I  answer^  Yes^ 


both  for  France  and  for  Belgium ; 
and  the  kiug*s  government  ought 
to  make  the  same  reply.  For  I 
take  upon  me  to  say  that  these 
treaties  have  not  been  entered  into 
between  the  chief  of  France  and 
her  enemies,  but  imposed  upou 
France  by  her  enemies,  who,  by 
force  of  foreign  bayonets,  placed 
one  of  their  own  society  in  the 
Tuilleries,  to  traffic  with  our  inde- 
pendence, and  convert  it  to  their 
own  profit.  When  called  upon  to 
explain  in  this  chamber,  and  in 
the  presence  of  ministen,  my 
notions  of  the  system  of  non-inter- 
vention, I  said,  that  whenever  the 
right  of  sovereignty  was  claimed 
by  the  people,  every  intervention 
in  the  affairs  of  that  people  should  • 
be  considered  as  a  aeclara.tion  of 
war  against  France.  As  to  the 
re-union  of  Belgium  with  France, 
I  would  not  have  stopped  to  in- 
quire whether  it  might  be  displea- 
sing to  this  or  that  power ;  all  the 
inquiry  I  should  have  made  would 
have  been,  whether  it  was  the 
desire  of  the  majority  of  the 
Belgian  people  to  effect,  and  the 
will  of  the  representatives  of  the 
French  nation  to  accede  to,  the 
union ;  for  it  is  not  within  the 
province  of  the  government  of 
either  country  to  offer  or  ac- 
cept it.  I  should  not  have  been 
restrained  by  the  fear  of  offend- 
ing England,  who  aooeded  to 
the  treaties  of  Luneville  and 
Amiens,  which  secured  the  union 
of  Belgium  with  France,  under 
Napoleon,  for  whom  it  cannot  be 
imagined  she  had  more  regard  than 
she  nas  for  Louis  Philippe."  Ano- 
ther great  apostle  of  the  sect,  M . 
Mauguin,  exclaimed,  '^  if  Belgium 
should  offer  herself,  I  would  say, 
even  at  the  risk  of  war,  accept 
her.  It  would  be  a  deadly  war  I 
know,  but  it  would  bd   to  the 


HISTORY    OF    EUROPE. 


[331 


honour  and  glory  of  France.  And^ 
besides,  who  would  dare  to  attack 
us?  Wou]d  it  be  Russia?  She 
has  Poland  and  Turkey  to  contend 
with.  Would  it  be  Austria  ?  She 
knows  that  with  50,000  men  we 
should  give  her  occupation  in 
Italy.  Would  it  be  England? 
With  steam-boats  we  could  carry 
arms  and  battalions  into  Ireland. 
I  here  speak  upon  the  supposition 
of  war  3  but  I  speak  only  to  in- 
duce ministers  to  collect  all  their 
forces  for  the  moment  of  danger. 
Nations  have  their  treacherous 
sleep;  this  sleep  is  death;  and 
death  is  foreign  invasion  and  par- 
tition." This  latter  was  another 
favourite  theory  of  the  men  of  the 
movement ;  that  the  continental 
))owers  were  only  waiting  a  favour- 
able opportunity  to  attack  the  new 
order  of  things  at  Paris,  and  that 
France  ought,  without  delay,  to 
strike  the  first  blow.  These  re^ 
proaches  were  urged  the  more 
bitterly,  that  the  opposition,  when 
they  succeeded  in  driving  M. 
P^rier,  and  those  who  thought 
like  himself,  from  the  cabinet,  be- 
cause they  were  inclined  to  adopt 
towards  Europe  the  conduct  which 
peace  and  honour  dictated,  had 
expected  that  M.  Lafitte  would  at 
once  proceed  to  act  on  their  favour- 
ite doctrines.  Ministers  repeated 
day  after  day,  that  no  power  in 
Europe  had  the  meet  distant  idea 
of  attacking  France,  and  if  any 
did,  that  France  was  so  well  pr^ 
pared,  as  to  be  impregnable.  The 
armaments  in  the  nwth  had  been 
considerable,  and  France  had  de- 
manded an  explanation,  declaring, 
that  if  a  Russian  soldier  shoum 
pass  the  frontier,  and  enter  Austria, 
Prussia,  or  any  other  part  of  Ger- 
many, France  would  consider  it 
her  duty  to  take  counsel  of  her 

honour  akme.   She^  no  doobt^  was 


fettered  by  treaties  which  were 
prejudicial  to  her  interest,  but 
they  were  treaties  by  which  all 
Europe  was  equally  bound.  To 
break  those  ties  would  be  to  draw 
down  upon  themselves  the  united 
forces  of  all  the  European  powers; 
and  if  this  was  the  condition  on 
which  war  was  demanded,  it  ought 
to  be  openly  avowed,  instead  oi 
pretending  that  what  was  cla- 
moured for  could  be  done,  and  yet 
peace  be  maintained.  ^  What  can 
we  do  for  Poland?"  asked  the 
foreign  minister.  '^  We  are  separ- 
ated from  that  unfortunate  nation 
by  a  distance  of  400  leagues.  If 
even  the  interest  of  France  should 
allow  her  to  risk  in  its  favour  the 
chances  of  war,  and  to  violate  the 
principle  of  non-intervention,  how 
could  we  reach  that  country  with 
arms  in  our  hands?  Should  we^ 
then,  attempt  the  conquest  d 
Europe  ?  They  are  the  campaigns 
of  Napoleon  that  are  proposed  to 
us.  We  say  with  grief  that  we 
can  do  nothing  for  Poland  by  force 
of  arms.  As  to  Belgium,  she  is 
not  situated  beyond  the  sphere  of 
France.  As  soon  as  the  grand 
revolution  which  separated  France 
from  the  ancient  dynasty  waa 
consummated,  without  consulting 
our  force,  of  whidbi  we  alone  pos- 
sessed the  secret,  we  proclaimed 
the  principle  of  nonintervention : 
we  declared  that  if  a  single  foreign 
soldier  should  set  foot  on  the  Bel- 
gian territory!  the  government 
would  take  up  the  cause  of  Bel- 
gium. On  that  day  France  saved 
Belgium  from  the  foreign  powers. 
We  have  now  to  save  Belgium 
from  herself,  and  for  that  what 
mnst  we  do?  It  has  been  said 
that  Belgium  should  be  re-united 
to  France.  Belgium  offers  herself; 
why  hafe  you  refused  her  ?   I  will 

9Xf,  firvt^  that  Belsiom  iM  not 


332]       ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


ofitsred  herself;  the  national  wish 
legally  expressed  has  not  been  ad- 
dressed to  our  government^  and 
consequently  we  have  not  refused 
what  has  not  been  offered  to  us. 
I  admit  sincerely  that,  in  my 
opinion^  this  reunion  is  desired  by 
a  great  majority  of  the  Belgians^ 
and  would  tend  to  the  repose  of 
Europe  and  grandeur  of  France. 
But  Europe  does  not  partake  of  my 
conviction;  time  and  experience 
will  probably  produce  it.  In 
the  mean-while  ancient  prejudices 
subsist ',  the  recollections  of  great 
empires  pre-occupy  the  minds  of 
kings  and  nations^  and  if^  in  their 
alarm^  only  one  should  fly  to  arms^ 
the  whole  world  would  be  once 
more  threatened  with  falling  again 
into  a  chaos.  What  were  we  able 
to  say  to  Belgium  ?  *  You  wish 
to  elect  a  chief? — but  in  this  im- 
portant choice  do  not  forget  what 
you  owe  to  France,  who  has  pro- 
tected you  when  you  could  not 
stand  alone ;  do  not  deprive  her  of 
her  repose,  which  might  be  com- 
promised; do  not  call  a  prince 
whose  name  might  serve  for  ma- 
levolence and  intrigue.*  The  ob- 
jections are  followed  up,  and  we 
are  told — '  You  incessantly  pro- 
claim the  principle  of  non-inter- 
vention, and  yet  what  do  you  do  ? 
Is  it  not  to  intervene  to  impose 
upon  the  Dutch  and  the  Belgians  an 
armistice,  threatening  whichever 
should  refuse  it  with  all  the  wrath 
of  Europe  ?  Is  it  not  to  intervene 
to  restrain  Belgium  in  the  choice  of 
a  sovereign?'  I  do  not  seek  to 
weaken  these  objections.  They 
would  have  some  force  if  they  were 
addressed  to  us  in  the  name  of  the 
Dutch,  an  ancient  and  independent 
people,  who  for  ages  have  figured 
m  the  annals  of  history ;  but  in 
the  name  of  the  Belgians  I  cannot 
comprehend  them.    Belgium  has 


never  been  an  independent  nation, 
but  has  ever  formed  a  part  of  some 
empire.  For  the  first  time  the 
Belgians  now  appeal  to  the  world 
to  become  an  independent  people. 
France,  attentive  to  this  generous 
resolution,  supported  it  in  the  con- 
ferences at  London.  France,  by 
her  useful  intervention,  has  ob- 
tained the  recognition  of  the  inde- 
pendence of  Belgium  by  Europe. 
But  to  this  recognition  Europe  at- 
taches the  condition  that  the  peace 
shall  not  be  disturbed.  Is  this 
intervention  ?  It  is  counsel ;  and 
when  has  counsel  been  interdicted  ? 
To  intervene,  is  to  constrain  by 
violence  and  force.  When  a 
Prussian  army  entered  Holland, 
to  re-establish  the  family  of  the 
Stadtholder,  Prussia  intervened  in 
the  afiPairs  of  Holland.  As  to 
fettering  Belgium  in  the  choice  of 
her  monarch,  France  demands  of 
Belgium  a  reciprocity  of  good  Will 
— ^that  her  territory  may  not  be- 
come a  focus  of  intrigues,  disquiet- 
ing our  internal  tranquillity — 
and  we  make  this  demand  in  re- 
turn for  what  we  have  done  for 
her." 

The  majority  of  the  existing 
Chamber  of  Deputies  did  not  con- 
cur in  the  sentiments  of  Lafay- 
ette and  his  party,  and  did 
not  allow  the  government  to  be 
forced  to  adopt  them;  but  they 
knew,  nevertheless,  that  it  was 
more  inclined  towards  them  than 
to  more  peaceable  doctrines,  and 
that,  whether  from  identity  of 
opinion,  or  from  a  love  of  popu- 
larity, it  did  not  set  itself  with 
firmness  to  repress  the  tumultuary 
influence  to  which  it  was  perpetu- 
ally exposed.  Thus  it  was  only 
tolerated  by  the  one  party,  while 
by  the  other,  who  complained  of 
having  been  deserted,  it  was  cor- 
dially disliked.     The  opposition^ 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[333 


though  not  the  most  numerous  in 
the  Chamber,  was  by  far  the  most 
active  and  significant  out  of  doors. 
Its  schemes  of  popular  rights, 
foreign  interference,  and  military 
conquest,  flattered  the  populace, 
and  the  students  of  the  schools, 
who,  since  the  days  of  the  pre- 
ceding July,  had  considered  them- 
selves as  constituting  France,  and 
as  being  the  only  guides  to  liberty 
and  glory.  On  the  slightest  oc- 
casion, or  on  no  occasion  at  all, 
Paris  was  made  the  scene  of 
tumultuary^  movements,  which, 
though  not  serious  in  their  direct 
and  immediate  consequences,  be- 
trayed the  weakness  of  the  govern- 
ment, and  threatened,  by  their 
continuance,  to  destroy,  in  the 
minds  of  the  populace,  the  idea  of 
any  repressing  power  whatever. 
The  minister  of  public  instruction, 
looking  back  to  the  conduct  of  the 
students  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
preceding  year,  issued  a  sort  of 
proclamation,  putting  them  in 
mind  that  it  was  illegal  for  them 
to  form  among  themselves  any 
associations,  and  to  act  or  write  in 
a  collective  capacity.  A  number 
of  young  men  published  an  answer, 
setting  the  minister  at  defiance, 
and  calling  upon  their  fellow-stu- 
dents to  join  them  in  forming  as- 
sociations prohibited  by  the  law. 
They  were  cited  before  the  aca- 
demic council,  to  whose  jurisdic- 
tion, by  the  existing  ordinances, 
they  were  subject.  They  refused 
to  answer ;  they  put  forth  a  pro- 
test against  the  jurisdiction  of 
what  they  called  a  *'  prevotal 
court,  *  declaring  that  'Hhey  knew 
not  the  pretended  tribunal  which 
assumed  the  name  of  the  royal 
council  of  public  instruction,  and 
which  had  referred  the  matter  to 
another  pretended  tribunal,  calling 
itself  the  academic  council."    The 


meaning  of  this  was,  that  the  mi- 
nister of  public  instruction,  and 
the  academic  jurisdiction,  with 
their  powers  and  privileges,  were 
not  creations  of  the  revolution  of 
July.  The  friends  of  these  young 
agitators  surrounded  the  Sorbonne, 
where  the  court  was  sitting;  they 
forced  themselves  into  its  presence, 
and  raised  a  tumult.  The  minister 
of  public  instruction,  and  the  at- 
torney-general attempted  to  pacify 
them,  but  were  answered  with 
mud  and  stones,  and  made  their 
way,  the  proceedings  being  sus- 
pended, as  secretly  as  possible 
from  the  violence  with  which  they 
had  been  assailed. 

The  public  excitement  was  kept 
alive,  at  the  same  time,  by  con- 
stant rumours  of  conspiracies 
hatched  by  the  adherents  of  the 
exiled  family,  or,  as  they  were 
termed,  Carlists.  They  were  said 
to  be  spreading  ramifications  of 
their  plots  through  the  provinces 
of  the  west  and  the  south,  manu- 
facturing and  wearing  white  cock- 
ades, and  even  venturing  to  dis-^ 
play  the  Bourbon  banner^  At 
Bordeaux  this  belief  led  to  various 
arrests,  but  in  the  capital  it  ter- 
minated in  much  more  serious 
scenes.  On  the  15th  of  February, 
the  anniversary  of  the  assassina- 
tion of  the  Duke  de  Berri,  some  of 
the  friends  of  the  exiled  family  re- 
solved to  celebrate  a  religious  ser- 
vice in  the  church  of  St.  Germain 
I'Auxerrois.  The  police  were  aware 
of  what  was  intended  to  be  done ; 
they  expressed  no  dissatisfaction  ; 
they  took  no  measures  to  prevent 
it.  A  funeral  catafalque  was 
placed  in  the  church,  as  part  of 
the  proper  apparatus  of  the  cere- 
mony, and  when  the  ceremony 
had  been  quietly  completed,  with- 
out attracting  any  crowd,  or  ex- 
citing the  slightest   disturbance. 


334]       ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


some  person  affixed  to  the  cata- 
falque a  lithographic  print  of  the 
youDg  Duke  of  Bordeaux^  the  ex- 
iled son  of  the  prince  whose  death 
had  been  commemorated^  and  some 
other  individual  placed  above  the 
print  a  chaplet  of  flowers^  This 
trifling  occurrence  was  sufficient  to 
render  Paris  the  scene  of  unre- 
strained riot.  The  report  spread 
that  the  Carlists  had  been  openly 
crowning  a  Bourbon,  and  that  the 

Sriests,  accomplices  in  the  plot, 
ad  allowed  a  religious  service  to 
be  prostituted  to  the  purposes  of  a 
political  conspiracy.  A  riotous 
mob  stormed  the  empty  church, 
and  vented  their  wrath  on  its 
antique  magnificence.  The  whole 
of  the  interior  was  destroyed  :  the 
ornaments  of  the  altars,  the  Gothic 
decorations  of  the  building,  even 
the  fixtures  of  the  place,  were 
broken  down  or  torn  up,  till  the 
temple  was  only  the  enclosure  of  a 
niass  of  rubbish.  Even  the  exte- 
terior  did  not  escape;  Carlism  and 
religion  were  denounced  together; 
the  fleur-de*lys  was  the  emblem  of 
the  one,  and  the  cross  was  the 
symbol  of  the  other,  and  were  re- 
moved or  defaced  in  every  part  of 
the  building  by  the  increasing  and 
furious  rabble,  who  persever^  in 
the  work  of  demolition,  regardless 
of  the  injury  that  might  attend 
the  coarseness  of  their  operations. 
From  the  church  they  repaired  to 
the  palace  of  the  Archbishop,  al- 
though it  was  subsequently  stated 
in  the  Chamber  of  Deputies,  by 
the  minister  of  public  instruction, 
that  the  Archbishop  had  disap- 
proved of  the  ceremony,  and,  along 
with  that  minister,  had  success- 
fully applied  to  the  curate  of  St. 
Roch,  where  it  was  originally  in- 
tended to  take  place,  not  to  allow 
it  to  be  performed.  The  palace 
was  sacked;  the  ecclesiastical  re- 


cords,  the    costly  furniture,  the 
magnificent  library,  were  carried 
ofif  as  plunder,   or  wantonly  de- 
stroyed, and  cast  into  the  Seine. 
The   mob  then   marched  to   the 
church  of  the  Assumption,  and  the 
church  of  St.  Roch,  to  break  down 
the  crosses  adorned  with  fieurs-de- 
lys  which  surmounted  those  edi- 
fices.   Their  attempts  were  only 
partially  successful,  from  the  want 
of  the  necessary  implements;  but 
the  ministry  itself  now  adopted 
their  spirit,  and  executed  tneir 
plans.      By  order  of  the  govern- 
ment, workmen  were  immediately 
employed    to    remove    from    the 
churches,  and  other  public  build- 
ings, the  obnoxious,  political,  and 
religious  emblems,  perhaps,  a  very 
efifectual    mode    of   soothing  the 
mob,  but  a  melancholy  display  of 
subserviency  to  mob  power.     The 
greater  part  of  the  wholesale  de- 
vastation which  already  had  taken 
place,  had  been  allowed  to  go  on 
under  the   eyes    of  the   national 
guards,  and  apparently  with  the 
open  connivance  of  the  authorities, 
all   arising   from   one  lamentable 
weakness,  the  dread  of  losing  the 
favour  of  the  populace.     Even  in 
the  courts  of  law  a  veil  was  hung 
over  the  pictures  and  images  ^ 
the    Founder      of     Christianity, 
which  were  placed  above  the  judg- 
ment seat.     The  government  an- 
ticipated the  populace,   and    re- 
moved,  in   all    haste,  the   reliefs 
commemorating  the  campaign  of 
the  Duke  d'Angouleme  in  Spain, 
which  adorned  the  triumphal  arch 
of  the  Place  de  Carousel.    As  it 
was  a  campaign  which  did  not  lead 
to  glory,  they  ought  never  to  have 
been  there ;  but  the  vanity  of  the 
government  which   placed    them 
was   infinitely  less  dangerous  to 
good  order  than  the  weakness  of 
the    government    which,    at    the 


HISTORY  OF   EUROPE. 


1335 


command  of  a  lawless  mob,  had 
remoFed    them.      The    laogoage, 
too,   of  the  proclamations,  which 
the  authorities,  according  to  cus- 
tom, addressed  to  the  rioters,  was 
that  of  sympathy,  or,  at  least,  of 
impotence  afraid    to  offend,   and 
anxious  to  invent  excuses  for  the 
outrages  which  it  could  not  punish, 
rather  than  the  voice  of  r^^ar 
power  asserting  the  omnipotence 
of  law  and  of  order.    The  minister 
of  the  interior  told  them,  ''a  feel- 
iog  of  indignation,  for  which  there 
is  unhappily  too  much  cause,  has 
m-oduced     melancholy     disorders. 
Forgetting  the  justice  of  the  king, 
some  citizens  took  upon  themselves 
to  execute  justice.     The  prindpal 
authors  of  the  factious  ceremony, 
which  took  place  yesterday  at  St. 
Germain  I'Auxerrois,  are   in  the 
hands  of  justice.     It  is  the  duty 
of  us  all  to  await  in  silence  the 
sentence  which  they  will  soon  re- 
ceive.  At  present,  no  new  disorder 
can  find  any  excuse.     Respect  the 
public  monuments !     These  words 
addressed  to  a  civilized  nation  will 
not  be  uttered  in  vain.  The  Parisian 
|)eople,  offended  by  demonstrations 
hostile  to  a  citizen  king,  and  the 
revolution  of  July,  will  never  belie 
their  noble  sentiments,   so   often 
tried."     These  were  the  harshest 
words    that    the    government  of 
France  dared  to  address  to  *'  the 
civilized  nation,"   the   '^  Parisian 
people,"  the  men  "of  noble  sen- 
timents,*'   who    had    thrown   the 
capital  into  confusion,   with  riot 
and  pillage,  and  were  assured  by 
their  governors,  that,  in  doing  so, 
they  had  only  "  executed  justice." 
The  ministry  lent  themselves  to 
keep  up  the  delusion  that  the  tri- 
vial incident,  which  had  been  made 
the  pretext  of  these  disorders,  was 
the  out-breaking  of  a  deep,  dan- 
gerous, and  wide-spread  Bourbon 


conspiracy,  the  root  of  which  was 
to  be  found  in  Holyrood.     They 
ordered  arrests,    and   domiciliary 
visits,  for  the  purpose  of  seizing 
papers  with  all  the  industry  and 
recklessness  of  alarm  ;   and  their 
journals  put  forth  lying  accounts 
of  all  manner  of  pretended  disco- 
veries,    llie  government  did  every 
thing  necessary  to  create  a  belief 
in  this  terrific  plot,  except  pro- 
ducing evidence  of  its  existence. 
Nor  were  their  exertions  confined 
to    the    capital.      At    Bordeaux, 
Nantes,  Lyons,  Dieppe,  and  other 
places  in    the    provinces,   arrests 
were  directed,  and  the  removal  of 
crosses  and  fieurs-de  lys  enjoined, 
even  where  no  symptom  of  popular 
commotion  had  appeared.  Another 
consequence  was,  that  a  bill  was 
brought  in  for  the  perpetual  exile 
of  the  ex^royal  family,  which  was 
carried,  in  the  Chamber  of  Depu- 
ties, by  a  majority  of  332  to  122, 
the    minority    including    various 
members  of  the  extreme  left.     In 
the  other  Chamber  the  opposition 
was  more   violent  and  animated, 
and    the    minority    greater.      It 
passed  the  peers  by  a  majority  of 
29-     lu  the  course  of  the  discus- 
sion, it  was  openly  maintained  by 
the  opponents  of  the  bill,  that  it 
was  a  law  which  the  Chambers 
had  no  power  to  pass ;    that  it 
could  derive  validity  only  from  an 
appeal  to  the  people ;  and  some  of 
them  hinted,  not  obscurely,  what 
Chateaubriand  maintained  at  great 
length  from  the  press,  that  if  the 
people  had  been  appealed  to,  in- 
stead of  its  rights  being  usurped 
by  an  existing  legislature,  called 
together  by  an   authority  which 
itself  had  destroyed,  the  Bourbons 
would  never  have  been  dethroned, 
and  Louis  Philippe  would   never 
have  been  crowne<i. 

In   the   Chamber   of    Deputies 


336]       ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


these  occurrences  exposed  the  mi- 
nisters to  blame  from  all  sides. 
They  were  blamed  for  having  per- 
mitted^ since  they  acknowledged 
that  they  knew  of  it  before  hand^ 
a  ceremony  which  was  likely  to  pro- 
duce public  disturbance^  and  they 
answered  that  they  had  no  reason 
to  expect  anything  more  than  a  re- 
ligious service.  As  the  minister  of 
public  instruction,  however^  allowed 
that  the  Archbishop  of  Paris  had 
dreaded  evil  consequences^  and  had 
attempted  to  prevent  the  ceremony, 
they  were  asked  why,  with  such 
warning,  they  had  not  been  pre- 
pared, either  to  forbid  it,  or  to 
meet  its  consequences.  From  one 
quarter  they  were  blamed,  and 
with  far  greater  justice,  for  order- 
ing the  removal  of  all  crosses,  be- 
cause* one  act  in  a  church  had 
given  offence,  and  following  tamely 
in  the  train  of  the  populace,  armed 
and  unarmed,  which  was  not  the 
place  of  a  government ;  from  ano- 
ther they  were  accused  of  allowing 
to  escape  with  impunity  insults 
which  had  been  offered  to  the  na- 
tional guards,  the  only  true  estates 
of  the  kingdom.  Here  they  were 
denounced  as  having  violated  per- 
sonal liberty  by  their  imprison- 
ments and  searches;  there  they 
were  condemned  for  having  delayed 
them  too  long,  and  at  last  dismissed 
many  of  the  suspected,as  soon  as  they 
were  seized.  The  party  of  the  resist- 
ance complained  that  the  spirit  in 
which  ministers  were  acting  would 
prevent  for  ever  the  formation  of 
a  strong,  a  firm,  and  a  tranquil 
government ;  the  men  of  the  move- 
ment  made  the  same  complaint, 
but  in  a  different  sense,  and  for  a 
very  different  reason,  because  mi- 
nisters had  not  yet  given  to  the 
country  the  government  promised 
in  July,  viz.,  *'  a  popular  throne, 
surrounded  by  republican  institu- 


tions," and  Lafayette  favoured  the 
Chamber  with  his  definition- of  re- 
publican institutions,  describing 
them  to  consist  in  this,  ^'a  nation- 
al guard,  formed  of  all  the  armed 
citizens,  and  appointing  their  own 
officers."  It  appeared,  moreover, 
that  ministers  were  not  in  harmony 
among  themselves.  The  Chamber 
learned  from  the  mutual  recrimi- 
nations of  the  minister  of  the  in- 
terior, and  the  prefect  of  the  Seine, 
that,  during  the  disturbaaces,  while 
the  former  was  issuing  proclama- 
tions, and  attending  to  what  he 
called  the  preservation  of  order, 
the  latter  remained  in  a  state  of 
inaction,  and  afterwards  complain- 
ed that  his  advice  and  his  aid  had 
never  been  asked.  The  minister, 
again,  was  angry  at  the  prefect, 
whose  duty  he  maintained  it  was, 
to  present  himself  for  instructions, 
but  who  had  never  offered  himself 
for  any  share  of  the  work.  M. 
Baude,  too,  the  prefect  of  the 
police,  declared  that,  in  his  opin- 
ion, all  these  disturbances  arose 
from  the  fact  of  nothing  having 
been  done^  during  the  last  six 
months,  to  satisfy  the  wants  of  the 
people,  either  political  or  physical. 
The  people  were  without  work, 
and  therefore  constantly  at  the 
mercy  of  agitators,  and  they  had 
not  yet  obtained  either  a  new  elec- 
toral law,  or  a  new  municipal  law. 
The  existing  legislature  was  not 
80  constituted  as  to  meet  the 
wishes  of  the  country. 
'  The  prefect  of  the  Seine  and  the 
prefect  of  the  police  were  imme- 
diately dismissed,  but  it  was  im- 
possible that  so  ricketty  a  govern- 
ment could  stand.  M.  Lafitte 
complained  that  the  state  of  the 
Chamber  itself  had  been  injurious 
to  the  government ;  it  was  so  di- 
vided on  all  questions  of  import- 
ance, that  ministers  were  never 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[337 


able  to  see  clearly  what  was  the 
majority.  If  he  could  find  out 
where  it  was,  he  would  obey  it ; 
and  as  the  declaration  of  the  pre- 
fect of  police,  that  the  existing 
legislature  was  not  such  as  the 
country  required,  seemed  to  have 
been  received  with  great  approba- 
tion, he  would  take  the  orders  of 
the  king  regarding  a  dissolution 
and  a  new  election.  This  an- 
nouncement seemed  to  give  satis- 
faction to  both  sides  of  the  Cham- 
ber. The  majority,  who  by  no 
means  lielonged  to  the  party  of  the 
mouvement  demagogues,  seemed  to 
feel  that  the  weight  of  its  numbers 
was  neutralized  by  the  want  of 
moral  influence  in  the  capital, 
where  it  was  the  object  of  daily 
attack,  as  being  both  illegal  in  its 
origin,  and  hostile  in  its  proceed- 
ings, to  the  power  of  the  people. 
It  was  incessantly  maintained  in 
journals  and  clubs,  and  preached 
by  mobs  in  the  streets,  that,  hav- 
ing been  elected  under  Charles  X, 
the  existing  Chamber,  since  the 
revolution,  was  as  unconstitutional 
as  any  thing  which  had  then  been 
destroyed;  and,  although  it  had 
acted  from  necessity  for  the  imme- 
diate settlement  of  a  government, 
it  had  no  right  to  sit,  after  the 
immediate  necessity  had  ceased. 
The  demagogues,  again,  taking  the 
prevailing  tone  of  Paris,  and  the 
spirit  which  actuated  its  constant 
mobs,  for  that  which  would  prevail 
all  over  thekingdom,  flattered  them- 
selves with  obtaining,  at  a  general 
election,  an  inqrease  of  strength 
which  would  overpower  all  resist- 
ance. 

Before  a  dissolution,  however, 
could  take  place,  it  was  necessary 
that,  at  least,  a  temporary  new 
electoral  law  should  be  enacted. 
It  was  to  the  infinitely  greater 
extension  of  the  right  of  suffrage 

Vol.  LXXIII. 


which  this  law,  to  be  framed  under 
such  a  state  of  public  feeling, 
might  be  expected  to  bestow,  that 
the  popular  party  trusted  for  suc- 
cess; while,  on  the  other  hand, 
the  majority  of  the  Chamber  were 
determined  that  the  extension 
should  be  the  smallest  which  cir- 
cumstances could  justify.  The 
bill  had  been  introduced  and  re- 
ferred to  a  committee,  before  the 
disturbances  of  February,  and  the 
discussions  which  followed  them, 
but  the  ministry  did  not  live  to 
carry  it  through.  On  the  13th  of 
March,  M.  Lafitte  and  most  of 
his  colleagues  resigned,  and  M. 
Casimir  Perrier  was  authorized  to 
form  a  new  ministry.  M.  Perrier 
himself  took  the  office  of  minister 
of  the  interior,  along  with  that  of 
president  of  the  council,  in  place  of 
M.  Lafitte  and  count  Montalivet, 
the  latter  remaining  as  minister  of 
public  instruction,  in  place  of  M. 
Barthe.  Baron  Louis  took  the 
port-feu ille  which  had  been  held 
by  M.  Lafitte,  as  minister  of 
finance.  Admiral  Rigny  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  admiralty,  in  the 
room  of  count  d'Argout,  and  the 
count  became  minister  of  com- 
merce. Sebastiani  and  Soult  re- 
tained their  places  at  the  head  of 
the  foreign  and  war  departments. 
All  the  new  ministers  were  men  de- 
cidedly opposed  to  yielding  any 
thing  to  mob-government,  or  po- 
pular tumult ;  and  the  two  mem- 
bers of  the  former  ministry  who 
remained,  were  not  disposed  to 
provoke,  on  slight  grounds,  war 
abroad.  The  premier  was  a  person 
of  much  stronger  and  firmer  mind 
than  Lafitte,  and  was  not  likely, 
from  his  temper,  to  truckle,  at 
least  willingly,  to  congregations  in 
the  streets  of  Paris. 

On  his  first  appearance  in  the 
Chamber  as  premier,  M.  Perrier 


338]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


declared  the  principles  on  which 
he  was  determined  to  govern  to  be, 
to  put  down  all  irregular  power 
at  home,  and  refrain  from  any 
armed  interference  abroad.  *'  The 
revolution  of  July,"  he  said,  "  was 
founded  on  a  principle,  not  of  in- 
surrection, but  of  legitimate  re- 
sistance to  the  oppression  of  power ; 
it  had  only  changed  the  political 
system,  but  had  not  destroyed 
social  order ;  it  had  founded  a  go- 
vernment, not  inaugurated  anarchy. 
In  the  interior,  our  duty  is  ])lain 
and  simple ;  we  have  no  great 
experiments  to  try,  the  nature  of 
our  institutions  has  been  fixed  by  _ 
the  charter  of  1 8.30.  Several  great 
legislative  questions  have  been  de- 
cided by  you  in  the  j)rescnt  ses- 
sion ;  the  Chamber  that  will  suc- 
ceed you,  will  have  to  determine 
others.  Until  the  new  Chamber 
shall  assemble,  what  will  France 
require  from  her  government? 
Activity :  that  order  be  maintained, 
that  the  laws  be  executed,  and 
that  authority  be  respected.  Order 
is  the  chief  of  all  our  wants.  We 
entreat  all  well-disposed  citizens 
not  to  abandon  the  government, 
for  the  government  will  not  aban- 
don them.  The  maintenance  of 
tranquillity  is  the  maintenance  of 
liberty.  Our  ambition  is  to  re- 
establish public  confidence,  and  we 
adjure  all  good  citizens  to  co-ope- 
rate with  us  for  that  pur|)ose.  The 
government  repeats,  that,  far  from 
abandoning  them,  it  will  be  always 
ready  to  place  itself  at  their  head. 
Above  all,  let  them  trust  in  our 
firm  resolution  not  to  suffer  any 
attack  upon  the  public  tranquillity, 
any  encroachment  upon  the  au- 
thority of  the  law.  We  must 
prevent  those  excesses  which  seem 
to  accuse  the  insufficiency  of  the 
law,  and  the  feebleness  of  power. 
All   sedition    is    a  crime,    under 


whatever  flag  it  in  arrayed  ;  every 
act  of  violence  is  the  beginning  of 
anarchy.  We  shall  propose  to  you 
laws  to  repress  sedition  and  vio- 
lence. These  guilty  disturbances, 
if  renewed  with  impunity,  would 
one  day  make  enemies  to  the  go« 
vernment  of  all  those  whom  they 
disturb,  in  the  liberty  of  their  in. 
dustry,  in  the  liberty  of  worship, 
which  we  are  bound  \jo  protect^  as 
the  most  precious  right  which  con- 
science invokes.  In  regard  to  fo- 
reign affairs,  the  principle  of  non- 
intervention has  been  laid  down 
by  the  ministers  who  preceded  us, 
and  we  have  adopted  it.  We 
maintain  that  no  foreign  power  has 
the  right  to  interfere  by  force  of 
arms  in  the  internal  affairs  of  other 
nations ;  but  is  this,  at  the  same 
time  to  declare,  that  we  will  inter- 
pose with  our  arms  for  this  or  that 
form  of  government,  wherever  this 
principle  is  not  respected  ?  This 
would  be  an  interference,  though 
of  a  different  nature ;  it  would  be 
falling  into  the  system  of  the 
Holy  Alliance;  it  would  be  to 
raise  the  chimerical  ambition  of 
those  who  would  submit  Europe  to 
the  yoke  of  one  single  idea — that 
of  realizing  a  universal  monarchy. 
This  interpretation  of  the  princi- 
ciple  of  non-intervention  would 
serve  as  a  cloak  to  the  spirit  of 
conquest.  We  will  sustain  the 
principle  by  negotiations;  but  the 
interest  or  the  dignity  of  France 
ought  alone  to  call  u|K)n  us  to  take 
arms.  We  do  not  concede  to  any 
]>eople  the  right  to  force  us  to  com- 
bat in  their  cause,  and  the  blood  of 
Frenchmen  belongs  alone  to  France. 
The  cabinets  which  have  preceded 
us  have  repelled  any  armed  inter- 
vention in  Belgium.  This  policy 
shall  be  ours  ;  this  example  Me 
adopt.  In  similar  questi(»ns  do 
nut  doubt  that  France  will  always 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[339 


hold  the  language  which  becomes 
her  name.  Never  shall  we  forbid 
a  lively  sympathy  for  the  progress 
of  European  societies  5  but  their 
destiny  is  in  their  own  hands,  and 
liberty  ought  always  to  be  national. 
Every  foreign  provocation  impairs 
and  compromises  it.  On  the  part 
of  private  individuals^  it  is  a  bad 
service  to  render  to  people  ;  on 
the  part  of  Governments,  It  is  a 
crime.  France  does  not  exhort 
the  world  to  liberty,  but  by  the 
pacific  example  of  the  regular  de- 
velopement  of  her  institutions,  and 
by  lier  respect  for  the  rights  of  all 
other  states/* 

To  the  liberals  these  principles, 
which  left  them  little  to  expect  in 
the  way  of  their  vocation,  were 
still  less  satisfactory  than  the  va- 
cillation of  the  former  ministry  on 
whose  fears  they  could  always  ope- 
rate J  and  the  discontented  jour- 
nals M'hich  sent  forth  their  angry 
strains  of  condemnation  were  al- 
most as  loud  and  as  numerous  as  if 
they  had  been  denouncing  the  go- 
vernment of  prince  Polignac.  The 
new  ministry  was  designated  as 
something  little  better  than  the 
return  of  the  old  government-*-a 
combination  against  the  spirit  and 
blessings  of  the  revolution,  ready 
to  sacrifice  Poland,  Belgium,  and 
Italy  to  foreign  aggression.  Se- 
bastiani,  the  foreign  minister, 
found  himself  somewhat  embar- 
rassed by  declarations  which  had 
been  made  under  the  yielding  mi- 
nistry of  M.  Lafitte.  He  ad- 
mitted, in  answer  to  a  question 
from  Lafayette,  that  he  had  writ- 
ten, but  whether  to  the  Austrian 
government,  or  to  the  Italian  in- 
surgents, (lid  not  appear,  that 
France  *'  would  never  consent  *' 
that  Austrian  troops  should  enter 
Italy  to  repress  the  popular  re- 
volts ;  but  he  now  explained,  that 


*'  not  to  consent,'*  was  something 
very  different  from  making  war  to 
prevent;  while  the  opposition  main- 
tained, that  to  France  and  to  the 
world,  not  to  consent,  meant  not 
to  permit.     As  it  was  assu med  that 
the  government  could  no  longer  be 
trusted  with  the  safety  and  glory 
of  the  country,  an  association  was 
formed  for  the  patriotic  purpose  of 
resisting,  without  the  aid  of  go* 
vernment^  the  Bourbons  and  the 
foreigners  who  were  represented  to 
be  ready  to  take  arms  in  their  be- 
half.    The  members  of  the  asso- 
ciation were  to  pay  twopence. a- 
month  to  ensure  the  independence 
of  France,  and  the  perpetual  ex- 
clusion of  the  fallen  dynasty,  and 
pledged  their  lives  and  honour  to 
the   same    glorious   cause.      The 
ofiices   of  the  opposition  journals 
became  its  subscription  rooms,  and 
all  who  were  their  readers  became 
its  members.     Among  them  were 
numbered  many  who  had  figured 
in  politics,  and  held  ofiice.   Though 
immediately  directed  against  the 
new  ttiinistry,  its  successful  deve- 
lopment would  have  made  it  too 
powerful  for  any  government ;  but 
ministers,  though  convinced  that 
it  would  be   difficult  to  conduct 
the  public   business,   or    long  to 
maintain  either  internal  tranquil- 
lity or  external  peace,  in  the  face 
of  such  a   league,   extending  its 
branches  all   over  France,  would 
not  venture  on  any  measure  for  its 
suppression.    M.  rerrier,  however, 
had  recourse  to  every  means  of  in- 
direct discouragement.  Every  man 
who  joined  it,  and  held  any  situa- 
tion under  government  was  imme- 
diately dismissed,  without  regard 
to  rank  or  station.     M.  Laborde, 
the  private  friend   of   the   king, 
having  refused   to  withdraw   his 
name,  ceased  to  be  his  majesty's 
aide-de-camp,  and  a  counsellor  of 
[Z2] 


340]      ANNUAL   REGISTER,   1831. 


state.  Odillon  Barrot,  who  still 
retained  the  office  of  a  counsellor 
of  state,  was  deprived,  for  the  same 
reason,  of  this  last  fragment  of 
oflfice.  General  Lamarque,  the 
most  extravagant  of  incendiaries 
in  the  tribune,  and  commander  of 
the  forces  in  the  departments  of 
the  west,  put  his  name  upon  its 
lists  :  that  command  was  sup- 
pressed in  order  to  get  rid  of  him. 
A  number  of  lawyers,  holding  ju- 
dicial situations  in  Paris  and  the 
provinces,  were  deprived,  on  the 
same  ground,  of  their  official  ap« 
pointments.  They  were  thus  in- 
fluential men  and  influential  classes 
that  the  league  was  to  compre- 
hend 'y  but  the  unflinching  vigour 
with  which  M.  Perrier  set  himself 
against  all  who  joined  it,  the  grow- 
ing strength  of  the  government 
itself,  and  the  speedily  detected 
delusion  of  supposed  danger  from 
foreign  invasion,  threw  the  whole 
scheme  into  a  rapid  and  mortal 
decline. 

One  of  the  first  measures  of  the 
new  ministry  was  the  introduction 
of  a  bill  for  the  prevention  of  those 
crowds  and  commotions  which  kept 
Paris  unceasingly  in  a  state  of  fe- 
verish excitement.  It  enacted  that 
all  those  persons  forming  part  of 
any  assemblage  in  public  places, 
though  not  indulging  in  any  act 
of  outrage  or  violence,  should  be 
bound  to  disperse,  on  being  re- 
quired so  to  do  (Sammation)  by 
the  mayor  or  prefect  of  police,  and 
if  the  summons  was  repeated  thrice 
in  vain,  force  was  to  be  used,  and 
the  persons  whose  obstinacy  ren- 
dered it  necessary,  were  to  be  liable 
to  such  punishments  as  would  be 
inflicted  by  the  tribunal  of  simple 
police.  \i,  again,  the  assemblage 
had  gone  the  length  of  disturbing 
the  public  tranquillity,  the  punish- 
ment was  to  be  imprisonment,  not 


exceeding  three  months,  except  in 
the  case  of  arms  having  been  car- 
ried, whether  concealed  or  not; 
when  the  imprisonment  might  be 
extended  to  two  years.  If  the  in- 
dividuals convicted  happened  to  be 
persons  who  were  not  domiciled  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  scene  of  the  dis- 
turbance, they  were  further  to  be 
ordained  not  to  come  within  ten 
royriometers  of  that  spot  for  a  year, 
under  the  penalty  of  being  impri- 
soned during  the  period  by  which 
they  had  shortened  the  year  of  in- 
terdiction. The  bill,  as  it  threat- 
ened to  deprive  the  opposition  of 
that  imposing  display  of  public 
opinion  which  consists  in  the  riots 
and  terrors  of  a  tumultuous  mob, 
was,  of  course,  resisted  manfully 
by  them,  and  by  their  press ;  but 
the  ministry  urged  it  on,  and  it 
speedily  became  law. 

In  the  middle  of  April,  new  tu- 
mults arose  which  it  seemed  diffi- 
cult to  ascribe  to  any  more  definite 
cause,  than  the  habit  which  the 
Parisian  populace  had  acquired  of 
thinking  themselves  entitled  to  do 
whatever  they  deemed  proper. 
From  the  14th  to  the  17th  of  that 
month,  crowds  of  idle  and  mis- 
chievous men  assembled,  day  after 
day,  at  diflerent  points,  and  stalked 
about  the  streets,  armed  with 
stakes  and  bags  of  stones,  uttering 
all  manner  of  republican  and  se- 
ditious cries,  breaking  windows, 
pulling  down  lamps,  disarming 
isolat^  military  posts,  insulting 
individuals  of  the  national  guard, 
robbing  the  capital  under  the  very 
eyes  of  the  government,  of  all  se- 
curity and  all  tranquillity.  The 
growing  mischief  was  allowed  to 
go  on,  for  two  or  three  days,  un- 
heeded ;  but,  at  last,  orders  were 
given  to  enforce  the  law  which  had 
just  been  enacted,  and  military  of 
the  line,  both  infantry  and  cavalry. 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


1341 


as  well  as  the  national  guards^ 
were  employed  to  execute  it. 
Commissioners  of  police  were  sent 
forth^  backed  by  the  troops^  to  read 
the  new  riot  act,  with  sound  of 
trumpet.  The  mobs,  instead  of 
obeying  the  summons,  answered  it 
witii  shouts  of  insult^  and  showers 
of  stones^  insisting  on  their  right 
to  remain  in  the  streets  and  public 
squares.  The  cavalry  immediately 
charged,  and  a  single  exertion  of 
vigour  scattered  in  an  instant 
these  vagabond  assemblages^  which 
owed  their  power  to  nothing  so 
much  as  the  servility  with  which 
they  had  been  coaxed  and  flatter- 
ed^ instead  of  being  punished. 

Before  the  ministry  of  M.  La- 
fitte  resigned^  their  new  electoral 
law  had  been  fully  brought  before 
the  Chamber.  The  bill  presented 
by  the  government  increased  the 
number  of  persons  who  should  be 
qualified  to  vote>  but  did  not  fix 
any  pai'ticular  amount^  either  of 
property  or  taxation^  as  a  neces- 
sary  qualification.  As  the  law  stood^ 
the  qualification  consisted  in  the 
payment  of  300  franks  (12/.)  in 
taxes.  That  rate  yielded  about 
94,000  electors  for  the  whole  king- 
dom* The  project  of  ministers  was 
to  double  the  existing  number  of 
votes  in  each  electoral  college^  and 
to  take  the  whole  number  from 
those  who  paid  the  greatest  amount 
of  taxation,  beginning  at  the  highest 
in  the  scale^  and  gradually  descend- 
ing, till  the  fixed  number  should 
be  completed.  There  would  thus 
have  been  about  188,000  electors. 
The  committee,  however,  to  which 
according  to  the  practice  of  the 
French  Chamber,  the  bill  was  refer** 
red^  rejected  this  mode  of  ar- 
ranging the  franchise^  -  on  the 
ground  that  the  electors  whom 
it  would  create  would  be  in  a 
very  imperfect  proportion  to  the 


wealth  and  population  of  the  king- 
dom, would  render  the  electoral 
capacity  extremely  variable^  might 
be  rendered  subservient  to  minis- 
terial frauds^  and  because  it  was 
repugnant  to  the  decided  and  una- 
nimous opinion  of  the  public.  They 
resolved,  therefore,  to  adopt  taxa- 
tion as  the  rule,  that  i^,  to  retain 
the  rule  which   already  existed, 
but  to  reduce  the  amount  necessary 
to  confer  a  qualification.     Thcpre- 
sent  amount  was  300  franks.  They 
assumed  that  experience  had  shown 
that  this  qualification  had  not  in- 
troduced any  improper   class  of 
electors,  even  when  the  rights  and 
powers  of  a  representative  consti- 
tution were  new  to  the  country ; 
itwas  therefore  to  be  inferred,  that, 
after  sixteen  years  constitutional 
education,  the  sign  of  electoral 
fitness  might  safely  be  set  at  a 
point  lower  by  at  least  one-third. 
Independently  of  such  considera- 
tions, the  sign,  while  apparently 
remaining  fixed,  had  actually  been 
rising,   in   consequence   of  other 
changes.     The  various  reductions 
which  had  favoured  property  since 
1814,   had  nroduced  uiis  effect, 
that  the  independence  of  fortune 
formi^ly  indicated  by  paying  300 
franks,  was  now  indicatea  by  pay- 
ing 240  01^50,  so  that  the  number 
of  electors  had  been  diminished. 
Besides  as  the  spirit  of  the  French 
law  was,  unceasingly  to  divide  pro- 
perty, it  was  uniformly  increasing 
the  number  of  those  who  paid  the 
imposts  on  prop^y,  and  just  as 
uniformly  reducing  the   number 
of  large  quotas.     The  committee, 
therefore,  had  at  first  resdved  to 
propose  that  thequalification  should 
be  fixed  at  200  franks  of  taxation  ; 
but  the  majoritv  had  come  after- 
wards to  be  or  opinion  that  it 
might  be  dangerous  to  make  at 
ouce  80  great  A  cfaangei  of  which  it 


342]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


was  dilHcult  to  foresee  the  results; 
that  it  would  be  wiser  and  safer  to 
act  progressively^  aud  enlarge  the 
]M)litieal  qualification^  if  necessary, 
by  degrees.  The  members,  too, 
who  formed  this  majority  regard- 
ed with  apprehension  the  number 
of  electors  that  the  reduction  of 
the  qualification  to  200  franks 
might  produce :  not,  they  said^  that 
they  were  doubtful  of  the  nation, 
which  had  given  too  many  proofs 
of  wisdom^  moderation,  and  attach- 
ment to  order,  to  excite  any  fears 
on  that  account ;  but  they  dreaded 
the  confusion  which  might  result 
from  it,  as  well  as  the  change  that 
the  real  character  of  the  election 
might  receive.  They  were  appre- 
hensive of  the  action  of  parties, 
which  must  always  be  deeply  felt 
ut>ou  masses,  when  it  exercises  an 
iuHuence  on  a  more  limited  and 
intelligent  number.  The  commit- 
tee, therefore,  proposed,  that  the 
electoral  qualification  should  be 
fixed  at  240  franks  (about  Ql.  10s,) 
in  taxes,  with  this  addition,  that 
in  all  the  electoral  arondissements 
where  the  number  of  electors  pos- 
sessing this  qualification  should 
not  be  in  the  proportion  of  one 
out  of  200  inhabitants,  those  most 
heavily  taxed  beneath  the  qualify- 
ing amount  should  be  included  to 
make  up  the  proportionate  number. 
The  latter  combination  would  yield 
at  first  162,000  electors;  and  as  in 
seventeen  departments  the  number 
of  electors  paying  240  francs  would 
exceed  one  out  of  200  inhabitants, 
this  difference  would  afford  up- 
wards of  29,000  electors  more. 
Thus  the  system  presented  by  the 
majority  of  the  committee  would  af- 
ford a  total  of  about  one  hundred 
and  ninety-one  thousand  electors 
more  than  double  the  existing  num- 
ber,  deriving  their  qualification  from 


the  |>ayment  of  a  certain  amount 
of  taxes:  the  number  of  them  at 
Paris  would  be  1 9fO00.  As  the  law 
stood,  there  were  departmental  col- 
leges, which  elected  a  certain  num- 
ber of  the  members,  without  the 
intervention  of  the  colleges  of  the 
arondissement.  In  the  former,  the 
electors  consisted  of  the  fourth  part 
of  the  electors  in  the  latter,  who 
paid  the  highest  amount  of  taxes. 
They  thus  enjoyed  a  double  vote,  aud 
the  intention  of  the  arrangement 
had  been,  to  give  a  preponderance, 
or  at  least  a  countervailing  power, 
to  the  wealthier  classes*  The 
double  vote,  and  the  department- 
al colleges,  were  now  abolished. 
Under  the  existing  law  no  elector 
could  vote  till  he  was  thirty  years 
old ;  the  age  required  was  now 
reduced  to  twenty-five.  Members 
of  the  institute,  and  retired  ofiicers 
of  the  array  and  navy,  enjoying 
half-pay  to  the  amount  of  about  50/. 
a-year,  were  to  be  allowed  to  vote 
on  a  qualification  of  100  francs, 
or  4*/.  The  qualification  for  being 
elected  was  to  be  500  francs,  20/. 

So  far  from  these  alterations 
wearing  the  character  of  extrava- 
gant sacrifices  to  popular  clamour, 
a  reasonable  man  is  inclined  to 
be  surprised,  when  he  looks  at  the 
far  more  radical  changes  which  the 
ministers  of  Britain  were,  about 
the  same  time,  effecting  in  her 
constitution,  that  no  more  danger- 
ous experiment  should  have  been 
made,  where  society  was  still  dis- 
turbed by  the  slowly  subsiding 
tempest  of  actual  insurrection 
which  had  overturned  a  throne. 
They  were  far,  however,  from  sa- 
tisfying the  demands  of  the  mouve- 
merit  party — who  had  not  the  cun- 
ning of  our  own  radicals  to  be 
prudently  silent  as  to  what  they 
wanted,  in  order  to  make  sure  of 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[343 


what  was  offered.  Tliey  succeeded 
in  bringing  back  the  franchise  to  the 
rate  which  the  committee  itself  had 
originally  adopted,  viz.  200  francs 
of  taxes,  instead  of  240,  and  that 
the  next  highest  payers  below  that 
point  should  be  included,  not  when 
the  number  of  electors  was  smaller 
than  one  in  200  inhabitants,  but 
when  it  was  smaller  thaiijone  in 
150.  This  reduction,  it  was  anti^ 
cipated,  would  raise  the  number  of 
electors  con8idei*ably  above  200,000 
in  a  population  of  more  than 
,^0,000,000. 

The  elections  being  thus  pro- 
vided  for,   nothing  remained    to 
prevent  the  dissolution  but    the 
necessity  of  making  financial  ar- 
rangements for  the  public  service 
in  the  interim.     M.  Lafitte  had 
opened  his  budget,  but  the  supplies 
uf  the  year  had  not  been   voted, 
when  he  resigned.     The  extraor- 
dinary services  alone  of  the  year 
amounted  to  nearly  220,000,000 
of  francs,  or  nearly  8,000,000/., 
and    he    had   proposed    to    raise 
200,000,000  by  sales  of  the  na- 
tional forests.     M.  Perrier  wished 
to  raise   a  loan    of  120,000,000, 
nearly   5,000,000/.,   in   rentes  at 
live  per  cent,   and  an  ordinance 
was  issued  to  that  effect.     But  he 
was  afraid  to  negociate  it  en  the 
lui favourable  conditions  which  the 
depression  of  the  funds  would  have 
imposed  upon  the  government,  and 
some  speculator  who  had,  perhaps, 
heard  of  the  English  loyalty  loan, 
suggested  the  easy  expedient  of 
getting    a    sufHcient    number    of 
patriotic  Frenchmen  to  subscribe 
the  required  loan,  at  five  per  cent 
at  par,  in  such  sums  as  they  might 
choose ;  in  other  words,  that  in- 
dividual   subscribers    should   ad- 
vance    to      govern  iDent      nearly 
5,000,000/.  for  the  same  nominal 
amouat  of  five  per  ceat  stocka  th« 


five   per  cents  varying,  at    that 
time,  between  seventy  seven  and 
eighty.       The    plan    struck    the 
public  fancy ;  a  few  great  names, 
such  as  Marshal  Jourdan,  setting 
the  example.    They  were  followed 
by  about  seventy  deputies,  by  rich 
capitalists,     by     wealthy     i)eers, 
by  bankers,    generals,  advocates, 
artists,   doctors,   and  professional 
people   of  all   kinds,    journalists, 
and     shopkeepers.       Motives    of 
vanity,    ambition,  or    patriotism, 
combined   to   the  success  of  the 
scheme.     It  was  brilliant,  senti- 
mental, and  theatrical.     On  some 
it  conferred  the  merit  of  making 
a  sacrifice  for  the  good  of  their 
country  j   for  others  it  procured 
the   reputation  of  patriots  at    a 
cheap  rate ;  and  to  others  it  sup- 
plied an  opportunity  of  at  once 
showing  their  wealth  '  and  their 
lilKjrality — of  being  talked  of  in 
the  saloons,  and  celebrated  in  the 
journals.     The  societjr  of  brokers 
and  exchange  agents  joined  their 
exertions  to  those  of  individuals. 
The  journals  were  filled  with  lists 
of  subscribers  having  the  amount 
of  their  advances  placed  opposite 
their  names.    Subscriptions  to  the 
loan  became  the  fashion   of  the 
moment,  and  supplanted  subscrip- 
tions to  the  patriotic  society.    All 
classes  would  have  their  names  on 
the  *^  Great  Book ;''  and  a  pecu- 
niary sacrifice  of  twenty  per  cent, 
which     the    operation     required, 
added  more  than  twenty  per  cent 
to    the    fame    of    their    anterior 
patriotism.     But,  just  because  it 
took  the  Parisian  fancy,  as  being 
something  new,  sentimental,  and 
theatrical,  it  was  only  the  fashion 
of  a  day.    By  the  time  the  stock 
of  patriotism  had  been  exhausted, 
only  about  240,000/.  had  been  sub- 
scribed, barely  one^twentieth  of  tiie 
sum  which  toe  minister  required^ 


344]         ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


and  he  was  thrown  back  upon  his 
own  resources^  and  compelled  to 
negociate  the  loan  in  the  usual 
way. 

Tlie  necessary  votes  having  been 
passed^  the  king,  on  the  20th  of 
Apri],  closed,  by  a  prorogation, 
this  first  session  of  his  first  Par- 
liament, which  had  taken  a  crown 
from  the  head  of  an  ancient  dy- 
nasty, to  place  it  upon  his  own. 
His  nuijesty  addressed  to  them  the 
following  speech. 

"  Gentlemen,  Peers,  and  De- 
puties,— eight  months  have  passed 
since,  in  this  assembly,  and  in  your 
presence,  I  accepted  the  throne,  to 
which  the  national  will,  of  which 
you  were  the  organs,  called  me,  and 
since  I  swore  to  observe  faithfully 
the  constitutional  charter,  with 
the  modifications  expressed  in  the 
declaration  of  the  7th  of  August, 
1830,  not  to  govern  except  by  the 
laws,  and  according  to  the  laws,  to 
cause  good  and  exact  justice  to  be 
rendered  to  every  man  according 
to  his  right,  and  to  act  in  every- 
thing with  the  sole  object  of  the 
interest,  the  happiness,  and  the 
glory  of  the  French  people.  I 
then  told  you,  that,  profoundly 
impressed  with  the  full  extent  of 
the  duties  which  this  great  act 
imposed  upon  me,  I  was  conscious 
that  I  should  fulfil  them,  and  that 
it  was  with  this  full  conviction  I 
accepted  the  compact  proposed  to 
me. 

^'  I  like  to  repeat  those  solemn 
words  which  I  pronounced  on  the 
9th  of  August,  because  they  are 
at  once  the  invariable  rule  of  my 
conduct,  and  the  expression  of  the 
principles  upon  which  I  aspire 
to  be  judged  by  France  and  by 
posterity. 

'^  Your  session  opened  in  the 
midst  of  great  dangers.  The  ter- 
riblQ  contest  in  which  the  nation 


had  just  defended  its  laws,  its 
rights,  and  its  liberties^  against  an 
unjust  aggression,  had  broken  in 
pieces  the  resources  of  authority ; 
and  it  was  necessary  to  secure  the 
maintenance  of  order  by  the  re- 
establishment  of  public  power. 
France  was  instantly  covered  with 
National  Guards,  formed  spon- 
taneously by  the  patriotic  zeal  of 
all  the  citizens,  and  organized  by 
the  authority  of  the  government. 
That  of  Paris  appeared  again  finer 
and  more  numerous  than  ever,  and 
this  admirable  institution  offered 
at  once  the  means  of  stifiing  an- 
archy in  the  interior,  and  of  re- 
pelling all  aggression  from  with- 
out, to  which  our  national  inde- 
pendence might  have  been  exposed. 
At  the  same  time  with  the  Na- 
tional Guard  our  brave  army  of 
the  line  was  recomposed,  and 
France  may  now  look  upon  it  with 
pride.  Never  was  the  levy  of  our 
young  soldiers  efiected  with  so 
much  promptitude  and  facility ; 
and  such  is  the  patriotic  ardour 
with  which  they  are  animated, 
that,  scarcelv^  ranged  under  our 
standards,  wfaose  glorious  colours 
recall  so  many  recollections  dear 
to  the  country,  they  are  no  longer 
distinguishable  from  our  veterans, 
and  in  no  time  were  the  French 
troops  finer,  l)etter  disciplined, 
and,  I  say  it  with  confidence,  ani- 
mated with  a  better  spirit  than 
they  are  now. 

*^  The  labours  of  this  great  or- 
ganization have  not  retarded  the 
accomplishment  of  the  promises  of 
the  charter.  Already  the  greater 
part  has  been  realized  by  the  laws 
which  you  have  voted,  and  which 
I  have  sanctioned.  I  have  follow- 
ed with  anxiety,  gentlemen,  the 
course  of  your  important  labours, 
the  whole  of  which  exhibit  talents, 
zeal,  and  courage^  which  will  make 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[345 


the  epoch  remarkable  in  history. 
France  will  not  forget  your  devo- 
tion to  the  country  in  the  moment 
of  danger;  and  I  shall  always  pre- 
serve the  memory  of  the  assist- 
ance which  I  have  found  in  you, 
when  the  necessities  of  the  state 
imposed  on  me  the  duty  of  re- 
quiring it.  The  next  session  will> 
I  am  confident^  have  but  to  con- 
tinue your  work,  by  completing  it, 
and  by  preserving  always  the  cha- 
racter of  that  great  event  of  July, 
which  guarantees  for  the  future, 
by  legal  means,  all  the  improve- 
ments which  the  country  has  a 
riglit  to  expect,  and  which  sepa- 
rates for  ever  the  destinies  of 
France  from  a  dynasty  excluded 
from  the  nation's  will. 

"  After  the  shock  which  the 
social  body  underwent,  it  was  dif- 
ficult not  to  experience  some  new 
crisis,  and  we  have  passed  through 
some  painful  ones  during  this  ses- 
sion ;  but,  thanks  to  the  constant 
efforts  which  you  have  made  to 
second  mine,-^thanks  to  the  ener- 
getic devoted ncss  of  the  people,  to 
its  patriotism,  and  to  the  indefati- 
gable zeal  of  the  National  Guard 
and  of  the  troops  of  the  line,  we 
have  passed  through  them  success- 
fully ;  and  if  we  have  had  to  regret 
lamentable  disorders,  at  least  the 
consent  of  the  country  has  approved 
the  intentions  of  the  authorities. 
The  internal  peace  of  the  king- 
dom is  gradually  re-established, 
and  the  strength  of  government 
has  progressively  increased  in  pro- 
portion as  the  reign  of  the  law 
has  resumed  its  empire,  and  public 
safety  has  been  consolidated.  My 
government  will  continue  to  follow 
with  firm  steps  this  course  in 
which  you  have  so  worthily  sup- 
ported it. 

<'  My  ministers  have  constantly 
acquainted  you  with  the  state  of 


our  diplomatic  relations,  and  you 
have  been  informed  of  the  circum- 
stances which  have  determined  me 
to  make  extraordinary  armaments; 
like  me  you  have  recognized  the 
necessity  of  them,  and  you  will 
also  participate  in  my  sincere  de- 
sire to  see  them  speedily  cease. 
The  assurances  which  I  receive 
from  all  quarters  of  the  pacific 
dispositions  of  foreign  Powers,  give 
me  the  hope  that  their  armies  and 
ours  may  soon  be  reduced  to  the 
proportions  of  the  state  of  peace  ; 
but  till  the  negotiations  which  are 
on  foot  have  acquired  the  deve- 
lopement  necessary  to  render  this 
reauction  possible,  the  attitude  of 
France  must  be  strong,  and  we 
must  persevere  in  the  measures 
which  we  have  taken  to  make  her 
respected,  for  peace  is  safe  only 
with  honour. 

*'  Our  support,  and  the  con- 
currence of  the  Great  Powers  of 
Europe,  have  secured  the  inde- 
pendence of  Belgium,  and  its  se« 
paration  from  Holland.  If  I  have 
refused  to  yield  to  the  wishes  of 
the  Belgic  people,  who  offered  me 
the  crown  for  my  second  son,  it  is 
because  I  believed  that  this  refusal 
was  dictated  by  the  interests  of 
France,  as  well  as  by  those  of  Bel- 
gium itself.  But  this  people  has 
a  peculiar  right  to  interest  ns, 
and  it  is  of  importance  to  us  that 
it  should  be  happy  and  free. 

"  If,  during  the  absence  of  the 
Chambers,  unforeseen  circumstan- 
ces should  oblige  me  again  to  ap* 
peal  to  your  patriotic  zeal,  I  shall 
do  it  with  entire  confidence.  Al- 
ways devoted  to  my  country,  no 
sacrifice  will  be  too  great  in  my 
eyes  to  maintain  its  honour  or  to 
defend  its  independence;  but  I 
have  reason  to  hope  that  our  state 
of  peace  will  be  consolidated,  and 
that;  fiur  from  my  government  re« 


346]     ANNUAL    REGISTER.     1831. 


quiring  uew  resources>  we  shall 
see  credit,  manufactures,  and  com- 
merce, soon  restore  to  us  the  pros- 
))erity  which  the  country  desired 
to  reconquer  with  liberty,  and 
which  liberty  cannot  produce  hut 
with  the  aia  of  a  Power  that  is 
strong,  generous,  and  always  na- 
tional." 

The  prorogation  was  till  the 
15th  of  Juno,  and  although  it  was 
settled  that  it  was  to  be  followed 
by  a  dissolution,  the  dissolution 
was  not  announced  for  more  than 
a  months  M.  Perrier's  first  step 
being  to  acquire  information  by 
queries  contained  in  a  circular  to 
the  prefects,  in  which  he  candidly 
told  them,  *'  that  the  government 
did  not  mean  to  be  neutral  in  the 
elections,  and  did  not  wish  the 
administration  to  be  so  any  more 
than  itself.*"     The  Parisians,  de- 

*  The  minister's  queries  were  the  fol- 
lowing : — 

"  I  have  to  request  you  to  communi- 
nicatc  to  mc  your  opinion  upon  the  pro- 
liable  result  of  the  ensuing  election.  I 
must  beg  of  you,  on  this  point*  the  most 
explicit  frankness*  The  government 
should  knonr  all  things  that  may  enlight- 
en, and  not  those  that  may  tiatter  It. 

t*  1 .  What  is  the  general  state  of  the 
public  mind  in  your  department,  and 
what  is  the  respective  strength  of  the 
opinions  which  divide  it,  without  count- 
ing the  partisans  of  the  fellen  govern- 
ment ;  who  have  the  greater  influence 
and  credit,  those  who  adopt  the  princi- 
ples professed  by  the  government,  or 
those  who  attack  them,  and  form  the 
opposition  ? 

"  2.  What  do  you  anticipate  particu- 
larly in  this  respect  from  the  electoral 
body,  such  as  it  is  constituted  by  the 
new  law  ? 

'*  3.  Who  are  the  candidates  brought 
forward  either  by  the  different  localities 
or  by  the  opposed  parties?  What  is 
your  opinion  upon  the  chances  of  success 
of  each  of  them?  Upon  their  merits 
their  social  position,  their  political  dis- 
position? Conceal  notliing  from  me  upon 
the  subject,  and  speak  to  mc  with  a 
fnnkneM  equal  to  my  diicr^tiont''     He 


prived  of  the  Chambers,  amused 
themselves  in  doing  honour  to 
Napoleon,  and  listening  to  the 
complaints  of  the  heroes  of  July. 
The  government,  while  it  removed 
the  emblems  of  the  Bourbons,  had 
further  condescended  to  humour 
the  populace  by  resolving  to  re- 
place tne  statue  of  Buonaparte  on 
the  pillar  of  the  Place  Vendonie. 
Until  the  design  should  be  ful- 
filled, the  populace  thought  it  but 
right  to  act  in  Che  same  spirit.  It 
was  the  month  of  May,  and 
fiowers  were  plentiful.     The   po- 

Eulace  collected  round  the  pillar, 
ung  |;arlands  and  crape  upon  the 
mouldings  of  its  pedestal,  one  of 
the  artistes  being  a  lamplighter, 
and  placed  beside  it  two  cypress 
trees,  bearing  inscriptions,  one  of 
which  called  for  the  restoration  of 
the  effigies  of  Napoleon  to  the 
insignia  of  the  Legion  of  Honour, 
and  the  other  for  the  repeal  of 
the  law  which  banished  his  family 
from  France.  This  mummery 
formed  the  nucleus  of  a  crowd,  and 
was  the  cause  of  detached  assem- 

added  in  a  subsequent  passage  of  the 
circular,  <'  ft  is  our  wish  that  the  disso- 
lution should  produce  a  Chamber  of 
which  (he  mfyority  will  adopt  and  sup- 
port them,  and  will  taithfuliy  follow  the 
examples  of  the  Chamber  which  perfect- 
ed the  charter,  offered  the  crown  to  the 
king,  shared  the  danger  and  honour  of 
the  gix^at  events  of  July,  the  benefits 
of  which  it  consolidated.  This  rule 
should  determine  the  preference  of  the 
administration  between  the  divers  can- 
didates. You  are  aware,  however,  that 
an  exclusive  preference  is  not  to  be 
given  to  shades.  An  honest  man,  de- 
voted to  the  king  and  to  tiic  charter, 
is  always  a  good  deputy;  and  should 
there  even  be  deputies  apparently  pre- 
ferable, yet,  when  they  have  litUe 
chance  of  being  elected,  the  administra- 
tion must  not  insist  upon  supporting 
them.  Guided  by  general  interests,  it 
is  not  to  take  the  initiative  of  hostility 
against  any  one,  but  admit  all  such  as 
doootattMkit*" 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[347 


binges,  which  danced  round  the 
column^  singing  the  Marsellois 
hymn,  or  raising  shouts  for  '^  the 
republic, "  and  the  *^  Sovereign 
j)eople."  The  government  jour- 
nals maintained  that,  under  all 
this,  lay  hid  some  deep  political 
conspiracy;  but,  at  all  events,  if 
no  other  mischief  was  done,  it  was 
intolerable  that  industrious  people 
should  be  compelled  to  shut  up 
their  shops  whenever  mobs  chose 
to  turn  out.  The  military  at 
last  interfered,  and  the  National 
Guards  mercilessly  swept  away 
the  faded  chaplets  of  mob  gra- 
titude. 

Amid  the  immediate  efierves-* 
cence  of  the  revolution,  the  Cham- 
ber had  decreed  that  the  surviving 
*' heroes  of  July"  should  receive 
an  honourable  decoration,  as  one 
had  formerly  been  given  to  the 
conquerors  of  the  Bastile.  The 
commission  appt)intcd  to  manage 
the  details,  had  returned  the  names 
of  no  fewer  than  1,500  persons  as 
entitled  to  this  mark  of  distinction. 
The  distribution  was  to  be  made 
by  the  hands  of  the  king  himself. 
The  knights  of  the  new  order, 
like  all  other  knights,  were  to  take 
an  oath  ;  the  reverse  of  the  legend 
of  the  cross  bore  that  it  was  given 
by  the  king  ;  and  government  had 
even  changed  the  colour  of  the 
riband  as  proposed  by  the  com- 
mission, to  prevent  confusion  with 
the  ribands  of  some  other  and 
older  orders.  All  these  alterations 
roused  the  republican  wrath  of  the 
heroes.  They  would  accept  of  no 
honours  from  the  hand  of  a  king, 
who  had  nothing  to  do  with  what 
preceded  his  own  elevation  to 
power ;  they  had  been  conquerors, 
before  he  was  a  king.  The  oath, 
again,  was  an  act  of  feudal  homage, 
a  symbol  of  vassalage,  while  the 
inscriptioa  was  an  arbitrary  change 


of  a  national  recompense,  decreed 
by  the  representatives  of  the 
people,  into  a  mere  royal  favour, 
bestowed  by  a  king.  The  insulted 
heroes  convened  a  public  meeting 
of  their  own  body.  They  unani- 
mously voted  that  the  king's  order 
should  be  rejected  j  and,  as  they 
happened  to  find  an  old  soldier  of 
the  guards  who  wore  the  medal 
awarded  to  the  victors  of  the  Bas- 
tile, they  resolved,  with  equal 
unanimity,  that  to  his  hands  the 
distribution  of  the  new  decoration 
should  be  intrusted.  As  the 
crosses  were  beyond  his  power  and 
theirs,  they  satisfied  themselves 
with  a  simple  riband.  The  royal 
decorations  were  delivered  to  the 
mayors  of  the  different  quarters, 
to  be  duly  distributed,  and,  ac- 
cording to  the  Moniteur,  more 
than  four-fifths  of  the  heroes  dis- 
claimed the  mad  proceedings  of 
their  companions.  The  latter, 
however,  celebrated  their  inde- 
pendence by  a  public  banquet,  at 
which  they  toasted  the  speedy  ar- 
rival of  a  republic.  One  of  them 
was  said  to  have  given  "  Death  to 
Louis  Philippe."  After  the  din- 
ner, they  got  up  a  riot,  which  was 
put  down  by  the  military  and  fol- 
lowed by  arrests. 

The  king  quitted,  for  a  time, 
these  unpleasant  scenes,  and  cul- 
tivated his  popularity,  during  a 
great  part  of  May,  by  making  a 
tour  through  the  eastern  depart- 
ments of  the  kingdom.  His  pro- 
gress was  accompanied  by  reviews, 
addresses,  festivals,  and  balls.  It 
was  only  at  Metz  that  anything 
occurredi  to  mar  the  harmony  be- 
tween the  citizen  king  and  his 
subjects.  The  National  Guards, 
in  their  ^med  capacity,  as  well  as 
the  civic  and  municipal  authorities, 
had  their  addresses,  in  which  they 
treated  of  all  manner  of  pditiciu 


348]        ANNUAL  REGISTER,  1831. 


questions.  Those  of  Metz  read 
his  majesty  a  lecture  on  the  laws 
which  France  still  required  to  con- 
solidate her  liberties,  and  particu- 
larly the  destruction  of  the  peer- 
age. "  Among  those  laws,  the 
most  decisive  for  the  future  pros- 
pects of  France,  is  that  which  is 
to  organize  the  second  branch  of 
the  legislative  power.  The  almost 
unanimous  wish  of  our  city  is — " 
Here  the  king  interrupted  the 
reader  with,  '^  The  national  guard 
ought  not  to  occupy  itself  with 
political  questions ;  these  did  not 
concern  them  ;  upon  them  they 
have  no  advice  to  give."  The 
officer  answered  they  were  giving 
no  advice,  but  only  expressing  a 
wish.  His  majesty  rejoined,  "The 
national  guard  can  have  no  wish 
on  this  subject.  They  are  for- 
bidden to  deliberate  on  such  mat- 
ters. I  will  hear  nothing  more  of 
this  kind." 

The  capital  still  continued  to  be 
subject  to  perpetually-recurring 
disturbances,  requiring  the  in- 
cessant interference  of  the  military 
and  the  national  guards.  Even 
the  courts  of  justice  were  not 
saved  from  scenes  of  disgrace- 
ful riot.  They  were  regularly 
filled,  on  the  trials  of  persons 
charged  with  having  been  en- 
gaged in  former  disturbances, 
with  numerous  friends  of  the  ac- 
cused, who  insulted  the  judges, 
terrified  the  witnesses,  and  some- 
times compelled  an  adjournment 
of  the  proceedings.  They  ap- 
]>lauded  such  speeches,  testimonies, 
and  opinions,  as  were  favourable 
to  their  friends ;  interrupted  with 
groans  and  hisses  what  displeased 
them.  The  judges  frequently 
ordered  the  courts  to  be  cleared, 
but  the  next  crowd  that  entered, 
repeated  the  same  conduct,  while 
insulted  justice  did  not  venture  to 


punish  the  contempt.  From  the 
13th  to  the  18th  of  June,  was  one 
continued  scene  of  commotion. 
Mobs  of  unemployed  men  paraded 
the  streets,  raising  sometimes  se- 
ditious and  sometimes  absurd  cries, 
now  shouting  the  name  of  Na- 
poleon, instead  of  that  of  Orleans, 
now  bawling  for  work  and  bread, 
attacking  the  houses  and  persons 
of  all  whom  they  chose  to  deno- 
minate Jesuits  or  Carlists.  When 
driven  from  one  street,  they  moved 
into  another,  quitted  a  quay  for  a 
faubourg,  or  a  faubourg  for  a  quay, 
and  resisted,  with  sticks  and  stones, 
the  interference  of  the  military  to 
execute  the  riot  act.  Many  arrests 
took  place ;  but  the  courts  were 
mobbed,  and  the  juries  almost  uni- 
formly acquitted.  These  riotous 
assemblies  were  attributed,  in  a 
great  measure,  to  the  want  of 
work,  which,  ever  since  the  revo- 
lution of  the  preceding  year,  had 
filled  Paris  with  a  host  of  idle 
men,  while  the  events  and  spirit  of 
that  revolution  itself,  which  they 
believed  to  have  been  their  own 
work,  had  taught  them  to  consider 
their  own  class  as  the  very  last 
that  ought  to  be  disregarded. 
They  held  that  the  government 
which  they  created  was  good  for 
nothing,  if  it  did  not  furnish  them 
with  employment,  or  comfort  with- 
out employment.  But,  among 
these  mobs,  were  always  to  be 
found  young  men  of  a  better  con- 
dition of  life,  frequently  decorated 
with  the  riband  of  July,  and  pal- 
pably instigating  the  angry  pas- 
sions of  the  populace.  On  these 
ringleaders  the  police  became  at 
last  unwilling  to  lay  their  hands, 
as  it  was  useless  to  arrest  them  ; 
they  would  only  make  inflam- 
matory speeches  on  their  trial,  and 
be   sure  to   be  acquitted,   for   it 

would  iiot  be  safe  to  condemn  a 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[349 


hero  of  the  revolution.  After  a 
five  nights*  riot,  the  populace  at 
length  got  tired^  and  allowed  the 
capital  and  the  national  guards 
to  enjoy  another  interval  of  re- 
pose. 

In  the  mean  tinie^  on  the  1st  of 
June,  a  royal  ordinance  had  ap« 
peared,  dissolving  the  Chamber^ 
and  directing  a  general  election, 
under  the  new  law.  The  electoral 
colleges  were  to  assemble  on  the 
5th  of  July ;  the  Chamber  was  to 
meet  for  the  despatch  of  business, 
on  the  9th  of  August.  The  op- 
position, who  had  already  found 
themselves  in  a  minority,  hoped 
that  the  greater  extension  now 
given  to  the  franchise,  though 
much  more  confined  than  their 
policy  had  recommended^  would 
enable  them  to  secure  an  indis« 
putable  preponderance.  The  jour- 
nals and  associations  of  Paris 
brought  into  action  all  the  re- 
sources of  violence  and  abuse,  as 
well  as  their  lists  of  favouritism 
and  proscription,  which  had  been 
played  off  so  successfully  against 
the  ministers  of  Charles  X.  They 
strained  every  nerve  to  rouse  the 
desire  of  unbounded  popular  power 
— the  love  of  glory  to  lead  to  war, 
— the  love  of  freedom  to  march  into 
Italy  and  Belgium — ^the  sense  of 
shame  that  the  opportunity  had 
not  yet  been  seized  to  wipe  off  the 
past  disasters  of  France^  and  ex- 
tend her  power  once  more  over 
former  conquests.  Democracy  at 
home,  and  war  abroad,  were  the 
objects  of  all  their  vows.  They 
found  themselves,  however,  greatly 
disappointed  in  their  expectations. 
The  elections  gave  a  decided  ma- 
jority in  favour  of  the  ministry, 
or,  at  least,  in  opposition  to  the 
party  of  the  mouvement.  Of  the 
thirteen  deputies  returned  for 
Paris,  the  ministerial  party  carried 


eight.  Pledges,  however,  were 
very  generally  demanded  of  the 
candidate,  and  as  generally  given, 
to  abolish  the  hereditary  peerage. 
The  minister  himself  when  asked 
to  pledge  himself  on  this  point  by 
the  electors  of  Troyes,  for  which 
place  he  was  returned,  declined  to 
make  any  declaration  of  his  opi- 
nions, and  several  other  supporters 
of  his  government  followed  his  ex- 
ample ;  but  the  current  of  popular 
opinion,  or  of  popular  prejudice, 
ran  so  strong  against  the  peerage, 
that  few  candidates  ventured  to 
declare  themselves  in  its  favour. 
On  the  other  hand  a  very  large 
proportion  of  them  volunteered 
their  services  to  abolish  the  peer- 
age, or,  where  they  would  fain  have 
remained  silent,  found  it  necessary 
to  speak  out,  and  bind  themselves 
to  become  fellow-labourers  in  the 
same  work.  The  bar  of  Paris, 
with  M.  Mauguin  at  its  head,  de- 
termined, after  solemn  delibera- 
tion, that  the  system  of  the  peer- 
age must  be  entirely  altered.  Ex- 
cept upon  this  point,  the  general 
election,  and  the  new  constituency 
did  not  add  perceptibly  to  the  par- 
liamentary strength  of  the  war 
and  republican  party. 

To  the  excitement  of  the  elec- 
tions succeeded  immediately  new 
disorders  in  Paris.  The  14th  of 
July  being  the  anniversary  of  the 
destruction  of  the  Bastile,  the  po- 
pulace and  students  resolved  to  ce- 
lebrate it  by  planting  trees  of 
liberty  ;  while  the  government, 
made  acquainted  with  these  de- 
signs, determined  to  resist  and 
prevent  them.  The  military  in 
the  capital  were  increased ;  the 
national  guards  were  again  under 
array.  They  occupied  in  great 
force  the  site  of  the  Bastile,  and 
the  Place  de  Greve,  which  the  po- 
pulace had  intended  to  be  two  of 


350]     ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


the  principal  sites  of  their  liberal 
horticulture.  The  police,  more- 
over, carried  off  the  trees  which 
young  men  were  dragging  in  from 
the  neighbourhood  for  tlie  cere- 
mony. A  more  resolute  body  cut 
down  a  tree  in  the  Champs  filysees, 
and  had  brought  it  to  the  Place 
J^uis  XVI,  to  plant  it  on  the  S]>ot 
where  a  guillotine  once  had  stood, 
before  the  police  and  national  guards 
could  reach  them.  They  were 
forthwith  despoiled  of  their  tree^ 
which  was  thrown  into  the  Seine, 
but  it  was  only  by  force,  and  not 
until  wounds  had  been  inflicted, 
that  they  were  dispersed.  Among 
the  rioters  were  persons  in  the 
uniform  of  the  national  guards, 
and  armed.  The  riot,  like  all 
others,  was  followed  by  a  multi- 
tude of  arrests,  but  the  arrests, 
as  usual,  were  not  effectively  fol- 
lowed up.  In  the  provinces,  the 
attempts  of  the  populace  thus  to 
commemorate  one  of  the  greatest 
triumphs,  were  more  successful .  In 
many  places  lawless  mobs  planted 
their  trees  of  liberty,  in  the  pre- 
sence of  the  civil  and  military  au- 
thorities, who  were  either  unable 
or  unwilling  to  prevent  them.  In 
one  instance  the  military  refused 
to  obey  the  orders  of  the  civil 
power  to  disperse  the  bands  who 
erected  and  danced  around  this 
memorial  of  revolutionary  excesses, 
and  who  proceeded  from  these 
orgies  to  attack  a  body  of  peace- 
able citizens  who  entertained  a 
different  opinion  from  themselves 
regarding  the  propriety  of  such 
proceedings.  It  was,  perhaps,  from 
an  apprehension  that  this  spirit  of 
the  populace  might  show  itself  in 
still  more  serious  forms  during  the 
anniversary  of  the  great  week  of 
July  which  was  now  approaching, 
and  from  a  wish  to  have  the  pre- 
sence  of  the   legislative   body  to 


overawe  it,  or  supply  it  with  other 
materials  to  distract  its  attention, 
that  ministers  resolved  to  assemble 
the  Chambers  sooner  than  had 
been  originally  announced.  They 
had  been  convoked  for  the  9th  of 
August ;  they  were  now  called  to- 
gether for  the  23rd  of  July.  Pos- 
sibly, too,  the  ministry  may  have 
wished  to  open  the  session  before 
the  pleasant  feeling  inspired  by  a 
sort  of  foreign  conquest  had  died 
away.  In  the  beginning  of  the 
year  the  French  government  had 
found  occasion  to  complain  of  the 
maltreatment  of  certain  French 
subjects  at  Lisbon  by  the  Portu- 
guese authorities.  Complaints  of 
the  same  sort  had  been  made  by 
Britain,  and  the  British  ministry 
had  demanded  and  obtained  satis- 
faction by  sending  out  an  armed 
squadron.  France  followed  the 
example,  but  to  much  better  pur- 
pose. A  French  fleet  was  dis- 
patched to  Lisbon.  Having  re- 
ceived, instead  of  immediate  re- 
paration for  the  alleged  injuries, 
an  offer  to  treaty  the  admiral 
forced  the  entrance  of  the  Tagus. 
The  Portuguese  government  was 
then  compelled  to  yield  to  the 
terms  which  he  dictated,  and,  as  a 
punishment  for  what  he  termed 
their  obstinacy^  he  actually  carried 
off  their  fleet.  Of  all  the  events 
that  could  have  happened  to  France, 
that  of  seeing  an  enemy's  fleet 
brought  into  her  ports,  was  by  far 
the  most  novel,  and  excellently 
calculated  to  form  a  clap-trap  in  a 
royal  speech.  Ministers  had  like- 
wise brought  about  other  events, 
connected  with  foreign  politics, 
which  promised  to  be  useful  to 
them  with  the  new  Chamber.  When 
M.  Lafitte  resigned,  Austrian 
troops  Mere  marching  towards  the 
papal  states  to  put  down  the  in- 
surrections which  had  broken  out 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


P51 


in  the  dominions  of  his  holiness^ 
as  well  as  those  which  had  appear- 
ed in  Lombardy.  M.  Perrier  had 
obtained  by  negotiation^  that  they 
should  not  continue  to  occupy  the 
papal  territory,  while  the  pope  was 
to  introduce  amelioration  into  his 
civil  policy;  and  the  Austrians, 
after  restoring  his  authority,  had 
retired  from  Romagna.  It  so  hap- 
pened, too,  that  the  Conference  of 
London,  on  whose  deliberatiotis  de*" 
pended  the  fate  of  Belgium^  had 
determined  that  part  at  least  of  the 
fortresses  which  had  been  raised, 
at  great  expense,  for  the  Very  pur« 
])ose  of  protecting  her  against 
France,  should  be  demolished,  on 
the  ground  that  the  new  kingdom 
would  be  too  poor  to  maintain 
them,  and  that,  as  its  neutrality 
was  to  be  guaranteed,  they  would 
be  unnecessary.  Although  France 
was  no  party  formally,  at  leasts  to 
that  determination,  it  was  very 
capable  of  being  represented  as  a 
tribute  paid  to  her  power,  and  a 
positive  advantage  gained  towards 
any  military  measures  in  that 
quarter,  which  she  might  choose  to 
undertake. 

On  the  23rd  of  July,  the  king 
opened  the  session  of  the  new 
chamber  with  the  fbllowing  speech. 

''  Messieurs  Peers  and  Deputies 
— I  am  happy  to  be  among  you  in 
this  place  :  here  France  has  re«* 
ceived  my  oaths.  Deeply  impress* 
ed  with  the  duties  which  they  im«» 
pose  upon  me,  I  shall  always  rest 
upon  the  national  will,  of  which 
you  are  the  constitutional  organs ; 
and  I  expect  from  you  that  frank 
and  entire  co«operation  which 
must  give  to  my  government  the 
strength,  without  which  it  cannot 
answer  the  expectation  of  the  na- 
tion. 

'*  I  said,  gentlemen,  that  the 
charter  would  be  a  truth  ;  what  I 


have  said  has  been  acoomplished. 
The  charter  is  the  constitutional 
monarchy,  with  all  its  conditions 
loyally  maintained,  with  all  its 
consequences  frankly  accepted*  It 
is  true,  that  by  the  uniform  action 
of  all  the  powers  of  the  state,  we 
should  put  an  end  to  those  pro« 
longed  agitations  which  feed  the 
criminal  hopes  of  those  who  dream 
of  the  return  of  the  late  dynasty, 
or  of  those  who  still  dream  of  the 
chimera  of  a  rtpublio.  Divided 
respecting  the  object,  they  agree 
in  the  will  to  overturn,  no  matter 
at  what  price,  the  political  order 
founded  by  the  revolution  of  July* 
Their  efforts  will  be  disconc^'ted 
or  punished. 

"  In  calling  me  to  the  throne, 
France  desired  that  the  royal  au<* 
thority  should  be  nationaL  It  did 
not  desire  that  it  should  be  feeble. 
A  government  without  strength 
cannot  suit  a  great  nation*  I  have 
just  taken  a  tour  through  France. 
The  testioionies  of  affection  which 
I  have  received  in  these  journeys 
have  deeply  affected  my  heart.  Its 
wishes  are  present  to  my  mind ; 
you  will  assist  me  in  fulfilling 
them.  Order  will  be  protected, 
liberty  guaranteed,  every  factious 
attempt  confounded  and  repressed. 
Thus  will  revive  ^hat  confidence 
in  the  futurci  which  alone  can  re« 
store  the  confidence  of  the  country. 
It  is  to  attain  this  end— to  conso- 
lidate more  and  m<nre  the  consti- 
tutional monarchy,  that  I  have 
caused  the  several  projects  of  law 
to  be  prepared  which  will  be  laid 
before  you. 

*'  In  that  which  has  for  its  ob- 
ject the  decision  of  a  great  consti- 
tutional question  reserved  by  the 
charter  for  the  examination  of  the 
chambers,  you  will,  I  hope,  per- 
ceive that  I  always  seek  to  make 
our  institutions  harmonize  with 


352]       ANNUAL   REGISTER,   1831. 


the  interest  and  the  wishes  of  tlie 
nation,  enlightened  by  experience, 
and  matured  by  time. 

"  You  will  also  have  to  examine, 
conformably  to  the  promises  of  the 
charter,  the  projects  of  law  de- 
stined to  complete  the  depart- 
mental and  municipal  organiza- 
tion^  to  determine  the  responsibi- 
lity of  ministers,  and  of  the  other 
agents  of  government,  and  to  re- 
gulate the  liberty  of  instruction. 

'^  Other  projects  of  law — on  the 
recruiting  of  the  army,  on  the 
penal  code,  on  the  finances,  and 
divers  public  interests — will  also 
be  laid  before  you.  I  acknowledge 
the  whole  extent  of  the  distresses 
which  the  present  commercial 
crisis  causes  the  nation  to  suffer. 
I  am  afflicted  at  them,  and  admire 
the  courage  with  which  they  are 
supported.  I  hope  they  are  ap- 
proaching to  their  close,  and  that 
the  consolidation  of  order  will  soon 
produce  the  security  necessary  for 
the  circulation  of  capital,  and  will 
resti^re  to  our  commerce  and  manu- 
factures that  activity  which,  un- 
der a  government  always  guided 
by  the  national  interests,  can  never 
be  interrupted  except  for  a  mo- 
ment. 

*'  The  situation  of  our  finances 
is  satisfactory;  if  our  wants  are 
great,  abundant  resources  are  pre- 
pared to  provide  for  them. 

'*  The  budgets,  for  the  service 
of  1831  and  1832,  will  be  present- 
ed to  you  early  in  the  session. 
Reductions  have  been  made  in 
several  branches  of  the  administra- 
tion. They  would  be  more  im- 
portant, if  the  increase  of  our 
means  of  defence  and  the  develop- 
ment of  our  military  force  had  not 
hitherto  imposed  on  us  great  sa- 
crifices. I  shall  hasten  to  dimi- 
nish the  burden  of  them,  as  soon 
as  I  shall  liave  acquired  the  cer- 


tainty of  being  able  to  do  so  with- 
out risking  the  dignity  and  safety 
of  France.  This  certainty  de- 
pends on  a  general  disarming. 
France  desires  it,  the  governments 
of  Europe  feel  the  necessity  of  it, 
the  interest  of  all  requires  it. 

*'  I  have  the  satisfaction  to  an- 
nounce to  you  already,  that  I  have 
not  had  occasion  to  employ  all  the 
resources,  which  the  chambers  had 
placed  at  my  disposal. 

*'  Since  the  revolution  of  July, 
France  has  resumed  in  Europe  the 
rank  which  belongs  to  her,  and 
henceforth  nothing  can  deprive 
her  of  it.  Never  was  her  inde- 
])endence  better  guaranteed.  Our 
national  guards,  who  are  equal  to 
our  army ;  our  armies,  the  worthy 
depositories  of  the  inheritance  of 
our  ancient  glory,  would  defend 
that  independence,  as  they  have 
lately  protected  internal  peace  and 
liberty.  I  have  only  to  congratu- 
late myself  on  the  friendly  rela- 
tions, which  foreign  governments 
maintain  with  mine. 

*'  It  was  our  duty  to  seek  to 
draw  closer  the  natural  and  an- 
cient bonds  of  friendship  which 
unite  France  and  the  United 
States  of  North  America.  A 
treaty  has  just  put  an  end  to  dis- 
putes which  have  been  too  long 
carried  on  between  two  countries 
connected  by  so  many  recollections 
and  sympathies.  Other  treaties 
have  been  concluded  with  the  re- 
publics of  Mexico  and  Hayti.  All 
these  acts  will  be  communicated 
to  you  as  soon  as  they  shall  be 
ratified,  in  order  that  the  financial 
stipulations  which  they  contained 
may  be  submitted  to  you  for  your 
inspection. 

"  I  have  given  orders  to  increase 
the  number  of  vessels  employed  to 
insure  the  execution  of  the  law 
passed  in  the  last  session,  for  the 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[353 


effectual  suppression  of  the  negro 
slave  trade. 

"  Conformably  to  my  demands^ 
the  troops  of  the  emperor  of  Aus- 
tria have  evacuated  the  Roman 
states.  A  real  amnesty — the  abo- 
lition of  confiscation  —  important 
changes  in  the  administrative  and 
judicial  system  ;  such  are  the  ame- 
liorations which,  being  secured  to 
these  states — make  us  hope  that 
their  tranquillity  will  not  be  again 
disturbed  —  that  the  balance  of 
Europe  will  be  strengthened  by 
the  maintenance  of  their  independ- 
ence. 

"  The  kingdom  of  the  Nether- 
lands, as  constituted  by  the  treaties 
of  1814  and  1815,  has  ceased  to 
exist.  The  indejiendence  of  Bel- 
gium, and  its  separation  from  Hol- 
land, liave  been  recognized  by  the 
great  Powers.  The  king  of  the 
Belgians  will  not  be  a  member  of 
the  German  Confederation.  The 
fortresses  erected  to  threaten 
France,  and  not  to  protect  Bel- 
gium, will  be  demolished.  A  neu- 
trality recognized  by  Europe,  and 
the  friendship  of  France,  insure  to 
our  neighbours  an  independence 
of  which  we  have  been  the  first 
support. 

'^  The  power  which  governs  in 
Portugal  had  insulted  French  sub- 
jects— it  had  disregarded,  with 
respect  to  them,  the  rights  of  jus- 
tice and  of  humanity ;  to  obtain 
reparation,  demanded  in  vain,  our 
ships  of  war  have  appeared  before 
the  Tagus.  I  have  just  received 
the  news  that  they  have  forced 
the  entrance.  The  satisfaction 
hitherto  refused  has  been  offered 
to  us.  llie  Portuguese  men-of- 
war  are  in  our  power,  and  the  tri- 
coloured  flag  flies  on  the  walls  of 
Lisbon. 

''  A  sanguinary  and  inveterate 


struggle  is  prolonged  in  Poland. 
This  struggle  causes  lively  emo- 
tion in  the  midst  of  Europe.  I 
have  exerted  myself  to  hasten  the 
termination  of  it.  After  having 
offered  my  mediation,  I  have  invited 
that  of  the  great  Powers.  I  have 
desired  to  stop  the  effusion  of 
blood,  to  preserve  the  south  of 
Europe  from  the  scourge  which 
war  propagates,  and  above  all,  to 
secure  to  Poland,  whose  courage  has 
revived  the  ancient  affections  of 
France,  that  nationality  which  has 
resisted  time  and  its  vicissitudes. 

^*  You  will,  doubtless,  judge 
that  in  these  difficult  negotiations, 
the  true  interests  of  France — the 
interests  of  its  prosperity,  of  its 
power,  and  of  its  honour,  have 
been  defended  with  perseverance 
and  dignity.  Europe  is  now  con- 
vinced of  the  rectitude  of  our  in- 
tentions, and  of  the  sincerity  of 
our  wishes  for  the  maintenance  of 
peace;  it  is  also  convinced  of  our 
strength,  and  it  knows  how  we 
should  support  a  war  if  we  were 
driven  to  it  by  unjust  aggressions. 

"It  is  by  persisting  in  the  sys- 
tem of  policy  hitherto  pursued  that 
we  shall  succeed  in  securing  and 
in  making  our  country  enjoy  the 
benefits  of  the  revolution,  which 
has  secured  its  liberties ;  and  shall 
preserve  it  from  new  commotions, 
which  would  endanger,  at  the 
same  time,  its  own  existence,  and 
the  civilization  of  the  world. 

^'We  are  on  the  eve,  gentle- 
men, of  great  anniversaries.  I  shall 
see  you  with  satisfaction  join  me 
in  their  solemnities.  May  these 
serious  and  affecting  commemora- 
tions awaken  sentiments  of  union 
and  concord,  which,  a  year  ago, 
alone  decided  the  triumph,  the  re- 
membrance of  which  they  cele- 
brate.*' 


Vol.  LXXIII. 


pA] 


354]       ANNUAL  REGISTER,  1831. 


'•The  great  anniversaries  *'  men- 
tioned by  his  majesty  referred  to 
tlie  ceremonies  and  rcjoicinp^s  with 
which  all  Paris  was  preparing  to 
commemorate  the  rerolution  of  the 
preceding  July,  and  they  were 
cehibratcd  with  all  the  variety 
which  French  fancy  could  invent. 
The  27th  was  dedicated  to  a  fune- 
ral service  to  the  memory  of  those 
who  had  fallen,  and  the  king  him- 
self assisted  at  laying  the  founda- 
tion stone  of  a  monument  in- 
tended to  record  their  fame.  The 
following  days  were  given  up  to 
all  manner  of  amusements,  and 
care  was  taken  to  provide  it  abun- 
dantly for  the  populace.  There 
was  unceasing  firing  of  cannon, 
waving  of  banners,  and  military 
music;  there  were  boat  races  on 
the  Seine,  horse  races,  foot  races, 
and  races  of  horses  without  riders, 
in  the  Champ  dc  Mars.  Agile 
performers  crossed  the  river  on  the 
tight  rojx} ;  temporary  theatres 
were  erected  in  different  ])art8  of 
th^  city,  for  exhibiting  military 
pantomimes,  gymnastic  exercises, 
rope- dancing,  puppets,  vaudevilles, 
and  farces ;  various  localities  were 
set '^ipart  for  dancing,  and  provided 
with  magnificent  orchestras.  All 
these  entertainments  were  con- 
tinued through  the  night  by  the 
glare  of  illuminations  adorned  with 
the  discharge  of  fire-M'orks.  Hread, 
wine,  and  sausages  were  distri- 
buted to  the  poor.  The  whole 
terminated  with  a  review  of  the 
garrison  and  national  guards  of 
Paris,  and  without  any  riot. 

The  opening  of  the  Chamber  of 
Paris  exhibited  another  display  of 
triumph,  of  a  much  more  question- 
able character.  When  the  peers 
met,  they  found,  to  their  asto- 
nishment, placed  on  the  platform 
of  the  president's  chair,  a  group 
of    Austrian   standards,    hanging 


over  statues  of  victory.  It  turned 
out  that  these  were  the  standards 
which  Buonaparte  had  sent  to  the 
conservative  senate,  after  the  sur- 
render of  General  Mack  at  Ulm 
in  1805.  When  the  allies  were  in 
Paris  in  181.5,  all  the  Austrian 
standards  had  been  reclaimed.  The 
answer  was,  that  they  had  been 
burned  by  the  soldiers  at  the  Hotel 
des  Invalides.  This  bad  been  a 
mean  and  paltry  lie.  The  mar- 
quis de  Semonville,  the  grand  re- 
ferendary, now  made  a  speech,  in 
which  he  informed  the  peers,  that, 
while  the  Austrians  had  been  told 
the  standards  had  been  destroyed, 
he  himself,  cognizant  of  the  fraud, 
had  concealed  them  in  a  cellar 
under  the  Luxemburg  palace,  where 
they  had  remained  liidden  for  six- 
teen years,  till  he  now  brought 
them  forth  to  regenerated  France. 
'*  The  conqueror,"  said  he,  •'  sus- 
pended them  from  this  vault,  under 
which  were  seated  at  the  command 
of  his  voice  so  many  companions 
of  his  glory.  They  had  every 
right  to  {)artake  in  the  spolia  opima, 
which  the  temple,  wherein  our  ve- 
terans prayed  for  the  fortune  of 
France,  was  not  sufficiently  capa- 
cious to  contain.  On  one  day  for- 
tune was  faithless,  and  the  flames 
of  blazing  altars  raised  by  their 
grief  devoured  that  harvest  of 
laurels  which  their  mutilated  arms 
were  too  weak  to  defend*  Gentle- 
men, at  this  hour  of  adversity  a 
courageous  foresight  preserved  for 
this  palace  its  noblest  ornament, 
and  placed  it  in  the  hands  of  your 
referendary.  He,  after  a  lapse  of 
seventeen  years,  now  renders  up 
his  trust.  An  inviolable  asylum 
formed  in  the  vaults  of  this  hall 
has  protected  this  treasure  from 
every  search.  Vainly  during  this 
long  space  of  time  have  the  most 
authoritative  researches  endeavour- 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[355 


ed  to  penetrate  the  secret.  It 
would  have  been  culpable  to  reveal 
it,  as  long  as  we  were  liable  to  the 
demands  of  haughty  foreigners. 
No  one  in  this  atmosphere  of  ho- 
nour is  capable  of  so  great  a  weak- 
ness, and  the  idea  of  such  an  in- 
discretion in  any  one  of  my  col- 
leagues never  entered  my  mind. 
But,  gentlemen,  when  France 
has  re-assumed  her  arms,  a  thou- 
sand times  more  difficult  was 
it  to  defer  the  restoration  of 
these  trophies."  The  most  me- 
lancholy thing  was,  that  a  prince 
of  the  blood,  the  duke  of  Orleans, 
had  been  tutored  to  play  a  part  in 
this  despicable  exhibition,  and  to 
make  a  speech  in  "  a  concatenation 
accordingly.'*  His  royal  highness 
followed  the  referendary,  declaring, 
'^  to  remind  me  of  my  duties  to- 
wards my  country,  I  shall  have  no 
occasion  to  turn  my  eyes  to  these 
trophies,  the  imperishable  monu- 
ments of  the  former  victories  of 
our  armies,  and  the  pledges  of  the 
future  successes  that  await  them, 
if  we  are  again  compelled  to  fight 
for  our  institutions  and  independ- 
ence, or  for  the  maintenance  of  our 
interests  or  national  sympathies. 
Whenever  France  makes  an  appeal 
to  her  children,  she  will  find  me 
the  first  among  them,  at  the  head  of 
that  youth  of  whom  I  am  so  proud 
of  being  a  contemporary,  and  who 
will,  I  am  confident,  realize  the 
hopes  placed  in  them  by  .their 
country,  and  maintain  its  glory 
and  its  grandeur.  May  these 
standards,  gained  by  several  who 
now  hear  me,  and  preserved  by  the 
patriotic  solicitude  of  the  grand 
referendary,  remind  every  one, 
both  within  and  out  of  this  Cham- 
ber, of  the  efforts  France  is  capa- 
ble of  under  the  cohmrs  which  the 
country  has  so  gloriously  recon- 
quered,   and   of    which    I,    after 


the  king,  will  ever  be  the  firni^ 
est  supporter  and  the  most  zea- 
lous defender."  Austria  might 
well  have  taken  offence  at  so  deli- 
berate an  insult,  had  not  the  mean 
trickery,  and  immeasurable  ab- 
surdity of  the  whole  story,  ren- 
dered the  ridicule  and  contempt 
which  it  excited  the  fittest  punish- 
ment for  those  who  were  concerned 
in  it.  It  was  anxiously  declared 
that  it  had  been  the  unauthorized 
exploit  of  a  few  individuals.  The 
king  himself  was  said  to  have  been 
ignorant  of  it,  and  not  to  have 
known  even  that  his  own  son  was 
to  play  a  part  in  this  political  farce 
on  so  public  a  stage ;  and  his  royal 
highness  was  made  to  explain  to  the 
president  of  the  council  now  he  had 
been  drawn  into  the  absurdity. 

The  election  of  the  bureaux,  that 
is  of  the  president  and  secretaries  of 
the  standing  committees  which  is 
the  first  occupation  of  the  Chamber 
of  Deputies,  showed  the  strength  of 
the  ministerial  party.  Out  of 
eighteen,  the  opposition  carried 
omy  six.  But  the  great  trial  of 
strength  was  to  take  place  in  the 
choice  of  the  president  of  the 
Chamber  —  although  not  a  trial 
between  the  ministry  and  the  op- 
position. The  friends  of  M.  La- 
fitte,  who  could  not,  on  general 
questions,  be  ranked  with  the 
party  of  the  mouvement,  had  deter- 
mine to  make  him  speaker.  M. 
Perrier,  on  the  other  hand,  made 
it  a  point  that  M.  Lafitte  should 
not  be  speaker,  and  declared  that 
he  would  resign^  if  the  late  minis- 
ter was  chosen.  Tlie  i*easons  why 
he  chose  to  stake  his  power  on  such 
a  question,  were  not  clearly  ex- 
plained, but  they  probably  arose 
partly  from  the  shades  of  differ- 
ence in  |>olicy  between  M.  La- 
fitte and  himself,  and  still  more 
from    the    particular    relation   in 

[2  A  2] 


356]       ANNUAL   REGISTER,  1831. 


which  they  had  formerly  stood  to 
each  other.     They  had  both  been 
in  the  ministry  immediately  after 
the  revolution  of  July.     They  had 
divided  the  honours  of  the  Cham- 
ber, the  one  being  president,  and 
the  other  vice-president.     The  C.i- 
binet   had   split  in   opinion;    M. 
Perrier,  the  more  moderate  of  the 
two,  had  retired  from  office,  along 
with  his  friends,  and  left  the  go- 
vernment in  the  hands  of  M.  La- 
iitte,   whose   stronger  inclination 
not  openly  to  resist  the  mouvement 
faction,    had    since    produced  so 
many  symptoms  of  weakness,  and 
had  finally  led  to  his  own  resigna- 
tion.    M.  Perrier  might  therefore 
feel  himself  justified  in  deciding 
not  to  continue  minister  with   a 
Chamber  so  constituted,  as  to  sup- 
port, in  opposition  to  him,  even 
for  the  president's  chair,  a  poli- 
tician, for  differing  from  whom  he 
himself  had  ceased  to  be  a  minis- 
ter.     His  triumph   would    have 
been  easy  and  certain,   if  a  pure 
mouvement  candidate  had  been  pro- 
posed ;  but  against  M.  Lafitte  his 
task  was  more  diflUcult,  that  gen- 
tleman being  supported  not  merely 
by  all  the  regular  opposition,  be- 
cause  in    this    question    he   was 
against  the  ministry,  but  likewise 
by  a  large  number  of  members  who 
could   not    justly  be   accused   of 
being  adherents  of  the   extrava- 
gant party,  and  who  did  not  think 
that  M.  Lafitte's  conceding  spirit 
towards  it,  arising,  as  they  ima- 
gined, more  from  policy  than  opi- 
nion, should  unfit  him  for  presiding 
in   the   Chamber.     The   minister 
was  not  even  very  fortunate  in  his 
candidate,  M.  Girod  de  I'Ain,  who 
hitherto  had  filled  only  the  sub- 
ordinate ofllice  of  prefect   of  the 
metropolitan  police.     The  election 
took  place  on  the  1st  of  August. 
On  the  first  scrutiny  neither  of 


the  two  candidates  had  an  absolute 
majority  of  the  members  present, 
and  the  ministerial  candidate  had 
a  majority  of  only  three  above  his 
opponent.  The  number  present 
being  355,  the  absolute  majority 
was  178.  M.  Girod  de  I'Ain  had 
171,  and  M.  Lafitte  I68,  the  re- 
maining votes  having  been  thrown 
away  upon  other  candidates.*  On 
the  second  scrutiny,  the  number 
of  voters  had  increased  to  358, 
the  absolute  majority  of  which 
was  180.  The  ministerial  can-* 
didate  had  181  votes,  and  M.  La- 
fitte 176,  one  vote  having  been 
thrown  away.  M.  Girod  de  I'Ain 
was  thus  elected  president,  but  he 
had  only  one  vote  more  than  the 
absolute  majority,  and  only  five 
votes  more  than  his  antagonist. 
Of  the  four  vice-presidents,  the 
first  elected,  M.  Dupont  de  TEure, 
approached  nearer  to  the  party  of 
M.  Lafitte  than  to  the  ministry, 
and  had  one  vote  more  than  had 
carried  the  election  of  the  presi-< 
dent.  The  other  three,  M.  Be- 
ranger,  M.  Dupin,  and  M.  Deles- 
sert  were  mucn  more  ministerial 
men. 

M.  Perrier  considered  the  ma- 
jority by  which  the  election  of  his 
candidate  had  been  carried  as  a 
defeat,  while  his  friends  complained 
of  treachery  among  those  on  whom 


*  A  vote  was  disregarded  on  account 
of  an  ill-natured  impertinence  which  it 
contained,  the  deputy  who  gave  it  in, 
having  written,  instead  of  M.  J.  Lafitte, 
M.J.  Faillitte,  in  allusion  to  the  pecuni- 
ary embarrassments  in  which  that  gentle- 
man's banking  establishment  had  become 
involved.  It  is  a  good  illustration  of  the 
secrecy  of  the  ballot,  tliat  this  circum- 
stance was  mentioned  in  the  Chamber, 
so  soon  as  the  result  of  the  scrutiny  was 
declared,  and  a  member  moved,  that 
the  vote  should  Ite  read.  Nobody  sup- 
ported him. 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[357 


they  were  entitled  to  rely.    He 
gave  in  his  resignation  which  was 
fbllowed   by  those  of  Sebastiani, 
baron  Louis^  and  count  Montali- 
vet.     Soult  was  willing  to  remain 
at  the  war-office,  and  die  Rigny  in 
the  admiralty.  The  king  was  mise- 
rably perplexed ;  he  entreated  the 
minister  to  reconsider  the    step 
which  he  was  taking.     The  minis- 
ter did  so,  but  persevered  in  it. 
Count  Mole  was  charged  on  the 
2nd  of  August  to  form  a  new  mi- 
nistry.    On  the  third  of  August, 
while  the  port-fcuilles  were  in  the 
course  of  distribution,  intelligence 
was  received  of  the  Dutch  govern- 
ment having  given  notice  that  the 
armistice  with  Belgium  was  at  an 
end,   and  that   the  Dutch    army 
would  immediately  invade  the  hos- 
tile territory.      Along  with  this 
intelligence   came  a  letter    from 
Leopold,  the  newly  elected  king  of 
the  Belgians^  praying  immediate 
succour  from  France ;  and  in  truth 
it  was  soon   seen,  that,  without 
such  assistance  his  royalty  and  his 
kingdom  were  at   an   end.     This 
occurrence,  which  held  out  to  the 
French  government  the  opportu- 
nity of  doing  a  very  popular  thing 
in  marching  an  army  to  the  assist- 
ance  of  Belgium,   a  proceeding, 
moreover,  not  in  opposition  to  the 
other  great  Powers,  but  in  execu- 
tion of  their  united  determination 
that  there  should  be  no  lighting 
between  Holland  and  her  neigh- 
bour, induced  M.  Perrier  and  his 
friends  to  recal  their  resignations. 
On  the  4.th  of  August  they  were 
reinstated    in    their    offices,   and 
within  a  very  brief  space  of  time, 
an  army  of  40,000  or  50,000  men 
under   the  command  of  marshal 
Gerard  crossed  the  frontier  to  in- 
terpose between   the  combatants. 
Notwithstanding  all  their  expedi- 
tivoj  the  French  troops  did  not 


arrive  a  single  day  too  soon.     The 
Dutch   army,  wherever  the  Bel- 
gians waited  to  face  them,   had 
scattered  them  in  utter  route,  al- 
most without  the  necessity  of  fight- 
ing.    King  Leopold  himself  has- 
tened to  the  field,  but  only  to  see 
his  new  subjects  iiy,  and  his  towns 
fall.    The  invader  had  forced  his 
way  to  the  immediate  vicinity  of 
Brussells,  without  serious  opposi- 
tion, and  the  fall  of  the  capital 
and  of  Leopold   could  not  have 
been  delayed  for  twenty-four  hours, 
when   the  arrival  of  the   French 
divisions  changed   the  scene.     A 
convention  was  immediately  con- 
cluded, by  which  the  king  of  Hol- 
land, who  declared  he  had  no  wish 
to  go   to  war  with  any    of  his 
allies,  recalled  his  army  within  the 
limits  which  it  had  previously  oc- 
cupied.    Nothing  could  have  been 
more  favourable  in  itself  for  the 
French   ministry,  and  they  were 
entitled  to  the  praise  of  having 
acted  with  great  decision ;  but  its 
beneficial    consequences  to    them 
were  in  a  great  measure  neutral- 
ized, by  the  jealousy  with  which 
the    other    powers    regarded    it. 
They  admitted^ .  it  was  true,  that, 
although    France,    who    had    no 
right  to  execute  the  determination 
of  the  Conference  at  her  own  hand, 
had  marched  an  army  without  re- 
ceiving any  authority,  or  making 
any  communication,  she  was  jus- 
tified in  doing  so  by  the  urgent 
nature  of  the  crisis,  which  did  not 
admit,  as  the  event  proved^  of  a 
single  day's  delay.     But,  at  the 
same  time,  as  the  Dutch  troops 
had  immediately  retired,  the  Con- 
ference Insisted  that  the  French 
army,  likewise,  should  be  instantly 
recalled.      The   French   ministry 
had  no  fair  ground   for  refusal. 
The  return  of  the  troops  not  only 
removed  the  gag  which  the  con- 


358]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


tinued  occupation  of  Belgium  must 
have  put  on  tlic  declarations  of  the 
war  party,  but  exposed  the  go- 
vernment to  tlie  new  reproach  of 
giving  up,  from  dishonourable  re- 
spect to  foreigners,  an  advantage- 
ous position  which  it  had  actually 
gained. 

The  ofticial  announcement  of  the 
determination  of  M.   Perrier  and 
his  colleagues  to  remain  in  oflict; 
stated  that  they  had  resolved  to 
await  the  decision  of  tlic  Chamber 
on  the  address  to  the  royal  speech 
before  renewing  their  resignation. 
The  result   shewed   that,   if    the 
election  of  the  speaker  had  made 
the  minister  doubtful  of  his  pre- 
ponderance in   the   Chamber,   he 
liad  himself  to  blame  for  the  se- 
lection of  such  a  question  for  the 
trial    of  strength.     Undoubtedly, 
too,  all   tlbc  moderate  nten  must 
have  felt  that  the  moment  at  which 
military  movements  were  actually 
taking  place,  was  not  the  time  to 
weaken  a  government,  whose  de- 
clared policy  was  to  prevent  the 
conflagration  which  might  easily 
be  lighted  up  in  circumstances  so 
delicate.     The  opposition   moved 
a  variety  of  objections  which  were 
all  rejected.     They  principally  re- 
lated to  the  foreign  policy  of  the 
government,  and  they  all  went  to 
pledge  France  more  or  less  directly, 
to  take  arms  on  the  side  of  every 
insurrection  that  might,  break  out 
in  any  state.     One  amendment,  on 
which  ministers,  it  was  said,  were 
resolved   to  peril  their  existence, 
turned  on  a  single  word.     The  ad- 
dress, as  proposed,  sj)oke  thus  of 
Poland ;  ^'  A  sentiment  inspired  by 
the  fate   of  unhappy  and   heroic 
Poland     profoundly     moves     us. 
France   thanks  your  majesty  for 
liaving   tendered  your  mediation. 
The  voice  of  your  diplomacy  can- 
not make  itself  heard  too  often  or 


with  too  much  energy  in  behalf  of 
a  |)eoplc  whose  restoration  to  the 
rank  of  nations  is  desired  so  earn- 
estly by  all  generous  souls,  and  is 
demanded    by    the     interests    of 
France  and  by  idl  the  true  friends 
of    European    civilization."      M. 
Bignon    moved    an    amendment : 
*'  In  your  majesty's  affecting  ex- 
pression as  to  the  misfortunes  of 
the  Poles,  the  Chamber  of  Depu- 
ties finds  with  satisfaction  a  cer- 
tainty most  grateful  to  their  feel- 
ings, that  the  nationality  of  the 
Poles  will  not  be  destroyed."     M. 
Bodiu,  again,  moved  that,  in  the 
amendment  itself  the  word  *'  hope*' 
should  be  substituted  for  certain- 
ty."    M.  Perrier  declared,  "  that 
he  had  no   objection   to   '  hope,' 
but  he  must  insist  on  ^  certainty* 
being  expunged.    The  government 
had  done  all  in  its  power  to  ter- 
minate desirably  the  struggle  in 
Poland.     To  go  farther  would  be 
to  determine  a  \f ar  before  hand ; 
for  the  government  could  not,  with 
any  regard  to  its  dignity,  abandon 
what  it  had  affirmed  as  a  certainty, 
till  it  had  exerted  every  possible 
means  of  making  it  a  certainty. 
Nay,   suppose  wai*  to  take  place, 
what  man^  or  what  body  of  men, 
would  declare  its  result  to  be  a 
certainty.      While    the   Chamber 
was  divided   between    these    two 
words,  a  middle  term  was  happily 
struck  out,  viz.  the  word,  "  assur- 
ance," and  was  ultimately  adopted, 
with  the  consent  of  ministers,    as 
being  thought  much  weaker  than 
"  certainty,'*  somctliing    stronger 
than  "  hope.'*     The  vote  upon  the 
whole    address  gave   ministers  a 
majority  of  282  against  73. 

In  the  course  of  the  discussions 
on  the  address  M.  Perrier  stated 
distinctly  the  principles  on  which 
he  intended  to  conduct  his  domestic 
policy^  and  his  idea  of  what  the 


HISTORY   OF   EUROPE. 


[359 


late  revolution  was,  and  required. 
**  It  is  to  the  sacred  boundaries  of 
the  charter  of  1 830,  that  we  have 
limited  the  exercise  of  our  au- 
thority J  we  arc  desirous  of  going 
to  its  utmost  limits,  but  never  to 
go  beyond  them.  Did  the  revolu- 
tion of  July  desire  more  than  the 
charter  r  No  one  dares  say  so. 
It  came,  not  to  recommence,  but 
to  terminate  our  first  revolution  j 
nor  was  it  a  signal  given  to  France 
and  to  the  world,  calling  u|)on  all 
to  engage  in  hazardous  experi- 
ments, and  interminable  combats. 
It  ought  to  assure  us  a  definitive 
government,  and  the  charter  is  the 
only  programme  of  that  govern- 
ment. What,  then,  is  necessary  to 
be  faithful  to  the  object  of  the 
revolution  of  July?  To  put  the 
charter  loyally  and  frankly  into 
execution.  That  is  what  we  have 
done.  Let  us  not  deceive  our- 
selves ;  beyond  the  Charter,  be- 
yond the  constitutional  royalty, 
that  is  to  say,  beyond  the  govern- 
ment of  the  three  Powers  which 
concur  in  the  making  of  all  the 
laws  and  institutions,  there  is  no« 
thing  which  really  belongs  to  the 
revolution  of  July.  It  stopped 
there,  and  all  that  is  sought  to  be 
given  you  beyond  this,  as  the  con- 
sequences of  that  revolution,  are 
only  the  first  fruits  of  a  new  one. 
Now  France  loudly  and  daily  de- 
clares that  it  entertains  a  horror 
for  all  new  revolutions.  In  pro- 
ceeding thus  from  consequence  to 
consequence,  where  should  wc  ar- 
rive ?  At  the  destruction  of  so- 
ciety. Unfortunate  are  we,  if 
obedient  to  a  blind  logic,  our  eyes 
constantly  fixed  on  a  chimerical 
futurity,  we  neglect  the  fruit  of 
our  victories  to  run  incessantly 
after  impracticable  conquests  !  It 
is  only  in  resisting,  while  it  is  yet 
time^  this  iuvasiou  of  consequences, 


always  demanded  by  imprudent 
friends,  that  a  new  government 
can  establish  for  itself  a  firm  futu- 
rity.  France  has  this  desire,  for 
she  has  now  need  of  repose  and 
stability.  After  the  immense  in- 
terval she  has  passed  through  dur- 
ing the  space  of  a  year,  what  she 
has  need  of  is  to  take  breath.  Her 
habits,  as  you  may  often  remark, 
are  yet  in  ai:rear  of  her  laws,  and  it 
is  only  in  a  distant  futurity  that  she 
will  find  insufficient  the  institu- 
tions which  she  has  just  obtained. 
It  is,  then,  necessary  to  preserve  her 
from  that  too  precocious  increase 
which  enervates  and  destroys  the 
social  b(xly.  In  that  lies  the  duty 
my  colleagues  and  I  have  imposed 
on  ourselves,  and  it  is  to  the  severe 
and  laborious  mission  we  have  de- 
voted ourselves.  Now,  Gentle- 
men, it  is  for  you  to  complete  our 
work.  During  your  absence  we 
have  been  able  to  undertake  and 
maintain  a  difiicult  contest;  but 
now  when  you  are  assembled,  we 
can  do  nothing  without  the  con- 
currence of  your  efforts  and  con- 
fidence." 

M.  Guizot  attacked  still  more 
intrepidly  the  movement  party, 
and  indirectly  the  wavering  minis- 
try Of  Lafitte.  ^^  They  call  for  an 
interregnum,  —  for  a  provisional 
government,  for  a  constitution  al- 
together new,  having  nothing  in 
common  with  the  charter,  not  even 
the  name ; — for  universal  suflTrage, 
— for  contempt  of  all  existing  laws, 
and  the  necessity  of  making  tlieni 
all  anew, — and  finally,  for  a  com- 
plete reconstruction  of  social  order. 
As  to  external  affairs,  they  ex- 
claim loudly  for  war, — general  war, 
— war  of  principles.  On  these  men 
has  been  conferred  the  title  of  the 
republican  party.  I  will  none  of 
them:  for  monarchy  is  the  only 
government  congenial  to  France ; 


360]       ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


but  I  will  not  do  a  republic  the 
injury  of  giving  its  name  to  such 
a  party,  incapable  alike  of  amend- 
ment or  repentance.  The  revolu- 
tion of  July  contains  every  thing 
that  was  good^  legitimate^  and 
national^  in  our  first  revolution; 
and  it  had  moreover,  converted  all 
that  into  government.  Sec,  then, 
gentlemen,  the  contest  to  which 
you  have  to  lend  yourselves.  It  is 
a  contest  between  the  revolution  of 
July,  —  that  is  to  say,  between 
every  thing  good,  legitimate,  and 
national,  from  1789  to  1830,  on 
the  one  hand, — and  between  the 
bad  revolutionary  party,  that  is  to 
say,  the  Rump  of  our  first  revolu- 
tion, or  every  thing  bad,  illegiti- 
mate, and  anti-national,  from  1789 
to  1830,  on  the  other  hand.  Do 
not  delude  yourselves  by  investing 
such  bad  things  with  fine  names. 
These  are  really  the  two  contend- 
ing parties,  and  it  is  for  you  to 
deciue  which  of  them  shall  be  vic- 
torious. Among  the  sincere,  en- 
lightened, honest  friends  of  the 
revolution  of  July,  there  are  some 
who  think  that  we  ought  to  keep 
measures  with  this  party, — that 
there  is  need  of  its  alliance, — that 
it  is  necessary  to  have  it  iq  our 
ranks  as  far  off  as  we  can,  even  at 
the  extremity  if  it  be  possible, — 
that,  in  a  word,  we  must,  of  ne- 
cessity, make  concessions  to  it^  in 
order  not  to  alienate  it  from  us. 
There  are,  on  the  contrary,  those 
who  think  that  these  are  men  whose 
challenge  we  must  accept;  that 
this  party  in  our  ranks  will  cor- 
rupt, ruin,  dishonour  us,  in  the 
eyes  of  Europe.  These,  gentle- 
men, are  the  two  courses  between 
which  you  have  to  choose.  You 
have  no  middle  course  open  to  you. 
That  which  has  tormented  France 
for  a  year  past  is  uncertainty  and 
indecisiou^-'the  doubt  as  to  who  is 


the  friend  of  the  revolution,  who 
the  enemy  of  it.  France  expects 
that  you  will  choose  frankly  and 
directly  between  these  two  courses. 
Upon  the  manner  in  which  you 
make  this  choice  depends  the  ac- 
complishment of  your  mission.  If 
you  do  not  make  the  choice  which 
France  expects,  if  you  do  not 
adopt  aplam  and  distinctly  marked 
system,  you  fall  again  into  all  the 
uncertainties,  the  vacillations,  the 
pelemele  with  wliich  France  has 
been  tired  and  wearied  for  the  last 
year.'* 

The  question  of  the  peerage 
next  engaged  the  attention  of  the 
Chamber.  At  the  settlement  of 
the  government  subsequent  on  the 
revolution  of  the  preceding  year, 
the  peers  had  been  treated  with 
very  little  respect  at  the  hands  of 
the  Deputies,  who,  by  a  simple 
vote  of  their  own,  had  annulled  all 
the  peerages  created  bv  Charles  X. 
The  popular  spirit  which  had  gone 
abroad  was  unfavourable  to  any 
thing  hereditary  in  political  ar- 
rangements. That  quality  had 
been  secured  for  the  crown  ;  but 
the  cry  of  the  day  had  been  for 
"  republican  institutions "  to  sur- 
round and  support  that  hereditary 
throne ;  and  not  even  the  example 
of  the  Roman  Senate  could  have 
brought  France  to  regard  a  here- 
ditary peerage,  vested  with  privi- 
leges of  legislation,  as  a  republi- 
can institution.  The  Chamber  of 
Deputies,  however,  did  not  think 
the  period  of  popular  excitement 
and  control  at  wnich  they  framed 
the  new  charter,  a  fit  occasion  for 
examining  this  question  ;  but  they 
had  added  to  the  charter  a  supple- 
mentary provision  that  those  or  its 
articles,  which  regulated  the  cre- 
ation of  peers,  and  the  duration 
of  their  privileges,  should  be  re- 
vised  in  the   Session   of    183U 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


1361 


This  was  a  constitutional  engage- 
ment^ which  could  not  be  evaded. 
Although  it  did  not  point  out  any 
particular  extent  of  change^  popu- 
lar opinion  had  decided  that>  at 
leasts  the  abolition  of  the  hereditary 
quality  of  the  peerage  was  a  neces* 
sary  "  developement "  of  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  late  revolution.  This 
opinion  had  been  fully  manifested 
during  the  general  election^  and 
the  minister  found  himself  com- 
pelled to  yield  to  it,  though  he 
yielded  reluctantly.  Proposals  had 
already  been  made  in  the  Chamber 
that  the  very  name  of  peers  should 
be  abolished  j  that  the  second 
Chamber,  if  there  was  to  be  a 
second  Chamber^  should  be  called 
a  senate^  and  that  it  should  be,  in 
part^  at  leasts  if  not  wholly^  an 
elective  body.*    The    ministerial 


•  Two  individuals  petitioned  the 
Ciiatnber  of  Deputies  for  permissiou  to 
cite  one  of  its  members  before  a  tribunal 
of  correctional  police,  to  answer  some 
complaint  which  they  had  against  him. 
The  member  was  the  marquis  Gaetan  de 
Rochefoucauld,  descended  from  one  of 
the  oldest  and  noblest  families  of  France. 
All  titles,  not  previously  restored  by 
Napoleon,  had  been  revived  by  the 
Bourbons,  although  tliey  bestowed  no 
legislative  privileges.  When  the  re- 
port of  the  committee  on  petitions  was 
brought  up,  recommending  that  the 
prayer  of  the  petitioners  should  be 
granted,  a  M.  Marchal  said, ''  I  propose 
a  slight  change  in  the  wording  of  the 
resolution  of  the  committee.  In  a  coon- 
try  where  equality  is  so  dear  as  in  France, 
and  above  all,  after  the  revolution  of 
1830,  I  believe  we  must  introduce  a 
slight  change.  The  proposition  of  your 
commission  is  thus  couched.  The 
Chamber  authorizes  Mouret  and  Camus 
to  proceed  against  the  marquis  Gaetan 
de  la  Rochefoucauld.  I  propose  to  put  it 
thus  : — '  Authorizes  Sieurs  Mouret  and 
Camus  to  proceed  against  Sieur  Gaetan 
de  la  Rochefoucauld,  and  to  leave  out  the 
title  of  marquis.'  " 

This  amendment  was  put  to  the  vote 
and  adoptedf 


project  went  no  farther  than  cir- 
cumstances rendered  imperative. 
In  introducing  the  bill^  M.  Pefrier 
called  on  the  Chamber  to  remem- 
ber, that  all  that  the  new  charter 
had  reserved  for  revision  was  the 
twenty-third  article.  Every  thing 
else  was  already  determined  by  the 
charter.  They  could  not  enter- 
tain  any  question  whether  a  House 
of  Peers  should  exists  or  what 
should  be  its  powers  in  legislation. 
It  was  already  established  in  the 
body  of  the  constitution ;  its  re- 
lations and  attributes  were  defined 
by  twelve  other  articles  of  the 
charter,  and  the  task  of  revision 
was  confined  to  these  three  points, 
the  mode  of  creating  peers — their 
number — the  hereditary  transmis- 
sion of  their  powers  and  privileges. 
In  regard  to  the  first,  the  bill  en- 
acted^ that  the  nomination  of  the 
peers  should  belong  to  the  king^ 
for  an  elective  peerage  would  he 
inconsistent  with  the  constitutional 
monarchy.  **  Constitutional  mon- 
archy/' said  the  minist^r^  "  carries 
within  itself  a  principle  of  dura- 
bility^ and  a  pnnciple  of  change, 
and  to  each  of  the  two  legislative 
estates,  it  entrusts  the  keeping  of 
one  of  these  principles.  To  in- 
sure durability  is  the  characteris- 
tic duty  of  the  first ;  change  be- 
longs to  the  second.  Hence  the 
essential  distinction  in  their  origin 
and  composition.  Instead  of  rea- 
soning ^m  the  one  to  the  other 
on  principles  of  analogy,  we  ought 
to  reason  upon  a  principle  of 
opposition.  If  popular  election  be 
the  natural  parent  of  the  one>  a 
royal  creation  is  the  proper  source 
of  the  other.''  In  regard  likewise 
to  the  number  of  the  peers,  the 
bill  proposed  that  it  should  be  un- 
limited, for  the  power  of  guiding 
the  Chamber  of  Peers  by  new  cre- 
ations was  to  be  held  as  corte^ 


362]       ANNUAL   REGISTER,   1831. 


sponding  to  the  power  of  dissolv- 
ing the  Chamber  of  Deputies. 

Ou  tlie  third  and  most  im|>ort- 
ant  topic,  the  bill  pro|M)scd  to  enact 
that  ''the  dignity  of  the  |)ecrage 
is  not  transmissible  by  descent/*  a 
sacritice  which  M.  Perricr  frank- 
ly acknowledged  ministers  had 
brought  themselves  to  make  with 
regret^  and  only  from  a  necessity 
which  they  could  not  control. 
He  considered  it  to  be  fully  proved 
both  by  the  theory  of  limited  mo- 
narchy, and  by  all  experience,  that 
the  hereditary  succession  of  the 
})eeragc  contained  in  itself  a  con- 
servativc  principle,  the  most  solid 
support  of  the  throne,  and  a  prin- 
ciple of  independence  which  was 
the  best  guarantee  for  liberty. 
But  unfortunately  a  government 
could  not  confine  itself  to  the 
wisdom  of  theory  and  the  results  of 
general  experience,  '*  or  march 
across  a  country,  like  a  blind  ab- 
straction.*' It  was  necessitated  to 
reffai'd  not  only  what  it  might  con- 
siuer  to  be  in  itself  good  for  a  free 
state^  but  what  practical  policy 
best  suited  the  state  such  as  it 
existed.  ^^  A  wise  government 
consults  the  facts  wliich  exist 
around  it,  and  in  place  of  immola- 
ting realities  to  principles,  or 
principles  to  realities,  it  exerts 
itself  to  mingle  them  together  by 
approximation.  One  reality  then 
is  manifest  to  us  all  at  present, 
that  is  the  universal  repugnance 
to  the  hereditary  succession  of  the 
peerage.  Just  or  unjust,  rational 
or  irrational,  it  exists,  it  presses 
upon  us,  it  will  be  satisfiecl.  An 
opinion  has  been  pronounced — an 
opinion  by  far  too  widely  spread 
to  be  either  overlooked  or  despised, 
when,  in  other  resi)ects,  it  proposes 
no  violation  of  justice.  It  is  such 
an  opinion  as  when  it  relates  to 
the  affairs  of  goveromeut  always. 


})erhap8  im|)eratively,  commands 
some  8|)ecies  of  deference*  It  is 
more  especially  due  at  a  period 
when  institutions,  as  yet  scarcely  . 
brought  forth,  want  the  public 
favour,  for  which  no  reverend  an- 
tiquity supplies  the  substitute.  It 
is  at  such  a  jxiiriod  that  we  ought 
to  reflect  that  institutions,  however 
excellent,  cannot  be  imposed  upon 
a  people  by  mere  force,  and  against 
its  will.  It  were  a  roost  dangerous 
and  unprofitable  experiment  which 
would  extinguish,  at  the  risk  of 
the  greatest  calamities,  that  sym- 
pathy which  henceforth  ought  to  ^ 
exist  between  the  nation  and  its 
government.  Since  a  constitu- 
tional independence^  which  ought 
to  be  regai'ded  in  theory  as  the  pro- 
tectress of  public  liberty,  is  con- 
founded in  the  imagination  of  the 
people  with  the  ancient  aristocratic 
])()wer,  the  o])pressor  of  our  civil 
liberties— since  our  duty,  our  ab- 
solute necessity,  is  to  consult  the 
popular  impression,  we  propose 
to  you,  as  ministers  charged  to 
collect  the  public  ojlinions,  and  to 
satisfy  them  in  all  that  is  not  con- 
trary to  justice— we  propose  to 
you,  as  the  depositaries  of  the  in- 
terests of  public  order,  but  at  the 
same  time  throwing  upon  you,  as 
legislators,  a  part,  a  great  part  of 
the  rcs[>onsibility  of  that  deter- 
mination— we  propose  to  you  to 
declare — ^that  the  peerage  has 
ceased  to  be  hereditary-"  In  order, 
at  the  same  time,  that  the  new 
law,  instead  of  taking  the  place  of 
a  fundamental  and  unchangeable 
article  of  the  constitution,  might 
be  kept  open  for  future  alteration^ 
if  public  opinion  should  become 
more  favourable  to  the  hereditary 
principle^  the  bill  contained  a 
clause  enacting  that  its  provisions 
might  be  afterwards  modified,  no 
proposition^  however,  to  that  effect 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[363 


being  submitted  for  cxaminatiou 
to  one  legislature,  unless  the  pre- 
ceding should  have  entertained  and 
remitted  it  for  that  purpose. 

In  the  committee  to  which  the 
bill  was  referred,  live  out  of  its  nine 
members  were  in  favour  of  the  abo- 
lition of  the  hereditary  quality  of  the 
peerage;  four  were  opposed  to  it, 
including  M.  Beranger  the  report- 
er of  the  committee,  M'ho  stated  at 
great  length,  in  his  report,  the  rea- 
sons for  holding  that  a  chamber  of 
])eers,  that  had  ceased  to  be  heredit- 
ary coidd  not  fulfil  the  great  political 
object  of  its  creation — the  furnish- 
ing of  a  permanent  moderating  and 
restraining  power.  The  committee 
proposed  some  alterations  in  other 
parts  of  the  bill.  The  ministerial 
bill  left  to  the  crown  the  unre- 
strained power  of  nomination ;  but 
the  committee  recommended  that 
this  power  should  be  limited  to 
particular  classes  of  persons — cate- 
gories as  they  were  called — which 
were  enumerated  in  the  report, 
and  comprehended  all  the  grades 
of  society,  from  which,  in  any  cir- 
cumstances, peers  were  likely  to 
be  selected,  coupled,  however,  with 
conditions  regarding  length  of 
service  or    amount  of   fortune.* 

•  The  clause  suggested  by  the  com- 
mittee was  the  following  ; — 

^'  None  can  be  called  to  the  dignity  of 
poor  except — 

**  The  presidents  of  the  Chamber  of 
Deputies  and  other  legislative  bodies  ; 
de{)uties,  after  three  elections,  or  six 
years  of  service ;  marshals  and  admirals 
of  France  ;  lieutenjint-generals  and  vice- 
ad  mi  ra  Is  of  the  armies,  by  sea  and  land  ; 
Alinisters,  having  a  department ;  am- 
bcissadors,  after  three  years  of  sei^vice  ; 
counsellors  of  state,  after  ten  years  of 
ordinary  service ;  prefects  of  the  de- 
partments, and  maritime  prefects,  after 
ten  years'  service;  colonial  governors, 
after  live  years'  service ;  members  of 
the  elective  councils  general,  after  three 
re-elections  to  the  presidencv ;  mayors 
of  to\vu9  of  30,000  souls  auu  upwards, 


The  committee  likewise  recom- 
mended that  the  measure  should 
be  final ;  and  that,  therefore,  the 
clause  declaring  it  to  be  capable  of 
future  modification,  guarded  as  it 
was,   should  be  omitted. 

The  chamber  itself  was  much 
less  equally  divided  on  the  heredi- 
tary principle  than  its  committee 
had  been.  The  proposed  change 
was  vehemently  and  ably  opposed 
by  M.  Beranger,  Royer  Collard, 
Thiers,  Guizot,  and  Berryer.  Mi- 
nisters themselves  said  nothing  in 
its  favour,  except  that  the  major 
part  of  the  elections  had  imposed 
as  a  condition  that  it  shoula  be 
carried ;  "  the  legislature,  in  fact, 
has  nothing  to  do,  but  to  fulfil." 
The  clause  abolishing  the  heredita- 
ry peerage  was  carried  by  a  ma- 
jority of  324  against  86.  A  very 
limited  recognition  of  the  principle 
implied  in  an  amendment  of  M. 
Teste,  who  moved,  that  the  eldest 
sons  of  peers  sliould  be  admitted 
to  succeed  to  their  father's  seat,  on 
obtaining  the  approval  of  the  elec- 
toral college  of  the  department  in 
which  they  were  assessed  at  the 
highest  amount  of  direct  taxes. 


taken  from  the  elective  municipal  coun- 
cils, after  five  years  of  service  j  presi- 
dent of  tlie  court  of  cassation  and  court 
of  accounts  I  the  procureurs 'general  be- 
fore these  two  courts,  after  five  years' 
service  in  that  character ;  counsellors  of 
the  court  of  cassation,  and  counsellor- 
masters  of  the  court  of  accounts,  after 
five  years'  service  ;  the  first  presidents 
of  the  royal  courts,  after  five  years  of  ma- 
gistracy in  these  courts  ;  the  procureurs- 
general  before  the  said  courts,  after  ten 
yeai-s  of  service ;  the  members  of  the 
four  academies  or  the  institute;  citizens, 
to  whom  by  a  law,  and  on  acoount  of 
eminent  services,  a  national  reward 
shall  have  been  specially  awarded ;  pro- 
prietors, heads  of  manufactories  and 
commercial  or  banking-houses,  paying 
5,000  francs  of  direct  contributions  for 
their  pateuts  during  five  years. 


364]       ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


was  supported   by  a  still  smaller 
number. 

The  party,  Iiowever,  to  whose 
power    the    hereditary    priuciplc 
had  been  sacrificed,  wore  far  from 
considering    this   concession    suf- 
ficient.    They  made  innumerable 
attempts   against    the    provisious 
that   the   peerage  once  conferred 
should  endure  for  life^  and  should 
be  conferred  by  the  king,  striving 
to  limit  its  duration   to  a  fixed 
period,  and  to  make  the  nomina- 
tion depend,   in   some  degree   or 
other,  on  popular  election.     One 
amendment  was  moved,  that  the 
chamber  of  peers  should  consist  of 
200  members,  elected  for  fifteen 
years,  in  certain  proportions,  by 
various  electoral  colleges,  consist- 
ing respectively  of  deputies,  mem- 
bers of  general  councils  of  depart- 
ments,  and   the   judges    of    the 
various  courts,   the   members    of 
the    Institute,    and    some    other 
scientific  bodies,  and  superior  of- 
ficers   of    the    army    and    navy. 
Another  member  proposed,    that 
the  electors  of  the  peerage  should 
be  all  persons  paying  500  francs 
(20/.)   in   direct   taxes;  a   third, 
that  they  should  be  chosen  by  the 
ordinary  electoral  colleges,  but  the 
payment  of    1,500   francs    direct 
taxes  should  be  a  condition  of  eli- 
gibility ;  a  fourth,  that  the  num- 
Ijer  should  be  240,  to  be  nominated 
for  life,  but  by  departmental  col- 
leges composed  of  electors  paying 
400  francs  of  direct  taxes ;  a  fifth, 
that  one-half  of  the  peerage  should 
be  elective,  leaving  to  the  king  the 
nomination  of  the  othef  half;  and 
a  sixth    proposed,  that  not  only 
should  the  future  peerage  be  elect- 
ive, but  that  the  existing  Chamber 
should  be  compelled  to  submit  to 
the  same  ordeal.     All  these  pro- 
positions, founded  on  the  principle 
of  election,  or  of  temporary  dura^i 


tion,  or  of  both,  things  utterly  in- 
consistent with  the  only  rational 
purposes  of  a  peerage,  were  either 
not  seconded,  or  were  rejected  by 
large  majorities.     All  attempts  to 
introduce   direct   election   having 
thus  failed,   the  opposition  com- 
bined its  whole  strength  to  limit 
the  prerogative  by  confining  its 
exercise  to  lists  of  candidates  to 
be  presented  by  diflerent  municipal 
or  electoral  bodies.     This  propo- 
sition was  defeated  by  a  majority 
of  58.     The  categories,  however, 
which  had  been  proposed  by  the 
committee,  were  adopted,  and  the 
opposition  succeeded  m  engrafting 
on  one  part  of  them,  the  indirect 
exercise    of  popular    nomination. 
The  list   of  eligible   classes,    as 
settled  by   the    committee,    con- 
tained all  proprietors  paying  5,000 
francs  of  direct  taxes.     This  sum 
was    reduced     to     3,000    francs. 
Then  an  amendment  was  moved 
requiring  as  a  condition,  that  such 
proprietor  should   have  been   for 
six  years  a  member  of  a  municipal 
or  departmental  council.     These 
councils  had  hitherto  been  filled 
up  by  royal  nomination ;  in  future 
they  were  to  be  constituted  by 
popular   election,   and    thus    the 
effect  of  the  amendment,  in  so  far 
as  proprietors  were  concerned,  was 
to  give  indirectly  to  the  electors  of 
the  municipal   and   departmental 
councils  the  power  of  nominating 
the  candidates  for  the  peerage.    A 
more  important  consequence  of  the 
amendment,  and  the  principal  ob- 
ject of  its  promoters  was,  to  pre- 
vent the  son  of  a  peer  from  being 
named  to  his  father's  dignity  im- 
mediately on  his  father's  death,  in 
consequence   of  his    merely    pos- 
sessing the   requisite  amount  of 
fortune.     The  amendment,  though 
resisted  by  ministers  more  vigour- 
ously  than  even  the  original  pnn 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[365 


position  of  the  committee,  was 
carried  against  them  by  a  majority 
of  nine  votes.  The  categories  con» 
tained  no  class  of  churchmen.  M. 
Meynard  moved  that  archbishops, 
bishops,  and  the  heads  of  protest- 
ant  consistories,  should  be  admis- 
sible to  the  peerage.  The  propo- 
sition was  received  with  laugh ter, 
and  cries  of  ^^The  rabbis,  too, 
the  rabbis," — certainly  the  only  re- 
ception it  could  expect  from  an 
assembly  which  had  already  de- 
clared that  Judaism  and  its  teachers 
were  as  much  entitled  to  the 
countenance  of  the  state,  and  the 
support  of  the  public  purse,  as 
Christianity  and  its  pastors.  On 
the  other  hand  it  was  proposed  to 
exclude  from  the  capability  of  be- 
coming j)eers,  all  who  had  ever 
borne  arms  against  France;  but 
the  opposition  could  not  agree 
about  it  among  themselves,  one 
section  maintaining  that  such  a 
provision  would  be  inconsistent 
with  that  oblivion  of  the  past 
which  it  was  desirable  to  see 
adopted  universally.  M.  de  Tracy 
wished  every  ordinance  creat- 
ing a  peer,  to  be  a  biographical 
sketch  of  his  life,  and  moved 
that  it  should  contain  a  detailed 
account  of  the  services  rendered 
by  him,  or  of  the  other  causes 
which  may  have  determined  the 
royal  choice  in  his  favour ;  which 
account,  signed  by  all  the  members 
of  the  council,  should  be  inserted  in 
the  Moniteiir  and  the  Bulletin  des 
Lois.  He  considered  the  pub- 
licity attaching  to  a  biographical 
sketch  of  a  new  peer  as  the  best 
guarantee  for  the  choice  being 
carefully  made;  and  he  thought 
that,  when  services  were  sufficient- 
ly great  to  call  for  such  a  recom- 
pense, it  could  not  be  very  difficult 
to  particularize  them.  The  pro- 
position was  rejected  in  this  par- 


ticular form,  but  a  clause  was  in- 
serted in  the  following  words, 
'*  the  ordinances  naming  the  peers 
shall  be  individual,  and  shall  in- 
dicate the  services  and  titles  on 
which  the  nomination  shall  be 
founded."  Ministers  endeavoured 
to  get  rid  of  the  amendment  of  the 
committee  which  declared  that  the 
present  measure  should  be  a  fun- 
damental part  of  the  constitution, 
unalterable  by  any  subsequent  law, 
and  to  restore  to  the  Bill  their 
own  original  clause  which  declared 
that  its  provisions  might  be  mo- 
dified by  future  legislatures.  But 
the  minority  which  supported 
them  was  very  feeble,  although 
the  Chamber  had  agreed  that  the 
qualifications  for  the  peerage 
should  be  liable  to  subsequent 
modifications.  In  truth,  the  mat- 
ter was  not  of  much  importance, 
except  as  shewing  the  inconsist- 
ent spirit  of  men,  who,  living  in 
change  as  their  essential  element, 
assumed  the  power  of  arrogating 
to  themselves  what  they  had 
denied  to  all  their  predecessors, 
and  were  now  denying  to  all  their 
successors.  How  did  they  per- 
suade themselves  that  a  legislature 
inclined  to  revise  this  matter, 
whether  in  a  more  popular  or  a 
less  popular  direction,  would  be 
bound  up  by  a  declaration  like 
this  ;  or  that  the  charter  of  1830 
would  be  safer  from  the  deputies 
of  ia.40,  than  that  of  1815  had 
been  from  the  deputies  of  1 830  ? 
A  clause  was  linewise  inserted, 
declaring  that,  ''for  the  future, 
no  pension,  salary,  or  donation, 
can  be  attached  to  the  dignity  of 
a  peer."  In  this  shape  the  bill 
passed  the  Chambers  by  a  ma- 
jority of  38(5  votes  against  40. 

The  proposition  to  subject  even 
the  existing  Chamber  to  a  new 
organization  had  not  been  enter- 


366]       ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


tainedy  though  made  more  than 
once ;  but  it  was  not  a])prehended 
that  the  |)eers  would  dare  to  re- 
fuse any  one  thing  demanded  by 
the  deputies.  M.  fiignon  had 
propo8e<l  a  clause  declaring  that 
the  bill,  when  accepted  by  the 
king,  should  become  part  of  the 
constitution,  and  this,  iis  he  said, 
to  prevent  any  collision  with  the 
peers ;  while  M.  Mauguin  declared 
such  special  provision  to  be  un-* 
necessary,  as  all  constituent  power 
was  inherent  in  the  chamber  it- 
self, and  could  not  be  affected  even 
l^  the  rejection  of  such  a  clause. 
This  just  meant,  that  whatever 
the  Chamber,  in  the  exercise  of 
this  '^constitutional  |)ower,"  chose 
U}  declare  to  be  law,  forthwith  be- 
came law,  whether  the  king  and 
peers  chose  to  approve  or  to  reject 
it.  Before,  however,  the  bill  was 
carried  up  to  the  House  of  Peers, 
it  was  sufficiently  ascertained  that 
there  would  be  a  majority  against 
the  abolition  of  the  hereditary 
principle,  and  it  appeared  from 
the  sentiments  expressed  by  the 
leaders  of  the  majority,  that  they 
were  not  inclined  to  shrink  from 
any  of  the  consequences  to  which 
their  maintenance  of  what  they 
reckoned  due  to  the  constitution 
c»f  the  country  might  expose  them. 
In  the  state  of  things  which  had 
existed  in  France  for  more  than 
twelve  months,  the  result  pro- 
bably would  have  been  a  new  ex- 
ercise of  the  despotism  of  Parisian 
tumults,  and  a  resolution  of  the 
deputies  to  exclude  the  peers  for 
exercising  their  constitutional 
rights,  in  the  same  way  as  they 
had,  without  the  ])eers,  excluded 
the  fallen  dynasty  for  usurping 
])owers  which  the  constitution 
denied  to  it.  The  minister,  who 
had  himself  yielded  to  necessity  in 
proposing   the  bill,  and  acceding 


to  the  changes  made  upon  it,  could 
not  be  expected  to  allow  the  peers 
to  challenge  that  necessity,  while 
he  i)os8esscd  the  means  of  control- 
ling them.  M.  Perrier  resolved  to 
create  as  many  peers  as  might  be 
found  necessary  to  carry  through 
the  bill.  The  intimation  that 
such  a  proceeding  was  intended, 
brought  down  upon  the  govern- 
ment a  storm  of  indignation,  not 
from  the  enemies  of  the  bill^  whose 
power  of  resistance  was  thue  to  be 
neutralized^  but*  from  the  liberals 
and  radicals,  whose  only  complaint 
was,  that  the  bill  did  not  go  far 
enough.  The  ostensible  ground, 
on  which  they  found  fault  with 
the  creation  of  peers,  was,  that  it 
was  an  exercise  of  illegal  power ; 
as  the  article  of  the  former  charter 
which  gave  the  king  the  right  of 
creation,  must  be  held  to  have 
been  suspended  since  the  revolu- 
tion of  ISSCy,  by  the  mere  fact 
that  it  was  then  declared  to  be 
reserved  as  the  subject  of  con- 
sideration and  revision  in  the  pre- 
sent session.  But  it  was  dif- 
ficult to  conceive  of  even  party- 
spirit  shutting  its  eyes  to  so  plain 
an  inference  as  that  every  thing,  in 
which  change  had  been  delayed, 
remained  unchanged,  or  to  the 
notorious  fact  that  the  present 
king,  since  the  revolution,  and  in 
virtue  of  this  very  article,  had 
conferred  peerages  unquestioned 
on  Marshal  Soult  and  Admiral 
Duperrey.  The  true  reason  of 
the  clamour  now  raised  seemed  to 
be  in  this,  that  the  opposition 
would  rather  have  witnessed  the 
exercise  of  despotic  popular  au- 
thority, which  would  have  been 
a  further  advance  in  the  theory 
and  practice  of  "  movement,"  than 
the  use  of  a  remedy  M'hich  would 
render  unnecessary  the  application 
of  their  specific,     in  the  Chamber 


HISTORY   OF   EUROPE. 


[367 


of  Deputies  they  moved  an  address 
to  the  crown  against  the  nomina^ 
tion  of  the  new  peers,  but  it  was 
rejected  by  a  large  majority.  The 
peers  submitted  to  the  multipli- 
cation of  their  members  in  silence. 
The  number  of  new  peers  was 
thirty-six,  and  yet  it  Happened, 
that  the  committee  of  fourteen 
appointed  to  examine  the  bill,  was 
equally  divided,  and  delivered  no 
opinion,  on  the  most  important 
part  of  the  measure.  Seven  of 
them  were  for  the  abolition  of  the 
hereditary  peerage,  and  seven 
against  it.  Even  tlie  former  sup- 
ported the  proposition,  not  as  a 
measure  of  legislative  wisdom,  or 
a  political  improvement,  but  as  a 
dangerous,  or,  at  least,  a  question- 
able  change,  demanded  by  a  po- 
pular prejudice  to  which  they  were 
compelled  to  yield.  The  only 
alteration  proposed  by  them  on 
the  other  clauses  of  the  bill  was, 
to  omit,  in  regard  to  proprietors 
paying  3,000  francs  of  taxes,  the 
condition  that  thev  should  like- 
wise have  been,  for  six  years, 
members  of  a  general  council  or  of 
a  chamber  of  commerce.  The 
doubts,  however,  and  the  proposed 
alteration  of  the  committee,  van- 
ished before  the  presence  of  the 
new  peers  in  the  house.  The  dis- 
cussion in  favour  of  the  bill  was 
left  almost  enjirely  to  ministers, 
who  took  their  stand  on  the  same 
ground  as  before— we  do  not  ap- 
prove of  it,  but  wo  cannot  help  it ; 
while  their  opponents  accused 
them  of  not  having  even  the  merit 
of  making  an  useful  sacriiice,  for, 
in  sacrificing  the  hereditary  prin- 
ciple, nothing  remained  of  any  |K)- 
litical  value.  "  The  peerage,*' 
said  Haron  Mounier^  "  in  spite  of 
this  law,  will  still  be  heredit<4ry, 
because  the  principle  of  hereditary 
descent  is  accordant  with  the  man- 


ners of  the  country.  There  will 
be  an  hereditary  succession  (71 
fact  in  place  of  an  hereditary  suc- 
cession of  right;  but,  being  an 
object  of  suspicion  for  complaisance 
and  servility,  it  will  possess  no 
power  to  inte]*fere  with  effect  be- 
tween the  popular  bo<ly  and  tlie 
throne."  The  bill  was  carried  by 
a  majority  of  thirty-six,  exactly 
the  number  of  new  peers  that  had 
been  created. 

The  course  of  the  grave  discus- 
sions on  this  great  change  in  the 
political  institutions  of  France  had 
been  iutemipted  by  the  ordinary 
episode  of  two  or  three  days  riot- 
ing in  the  streets,  and  two  or  three 
days  violent  debate  and  vague  de- 
clamation in  the  Chamber,  in  ho- 
nour of  Poland.  The  intelligence 
of  the  triumph  of  Russia,  and  the 
surrender  of  Warsaw,  was  known 
in  Paris  on  the  1 6th  of  September. 
Mobs  were  immediately  got  up,  to 
express  their  sorrow  and  indigna- 
tion at  the  failure  of  the  Polish 
insurrection,  by  indulging  in  a 
little  noise  and  insurrection  of 
their  own.  Crowds  hastened  to 
the  Palais  Royal,  decorated  with 
cra|)e,  as  an  emblem  of  their  grief 
— shouted  Poland  for  ever,  down 
with  the  ministry,  death  to  the 
Russians — broke  some  windows  in 
the  residence  of  the  minister  for 
foreign  a^airs,  and  plundered  a 
jeweller's  shop.  The  same  scenes 
were  repeated,  by  increased  crowds, 
on  the  following  day.  An  attempt 
was  made  to  form  a  barricade  at 
the  entrance  of  the  faubourg 
Montmartre :  for  this  purpose,  se- 
veral trees  were  rooted  up  on  the 
boulevards;  the  performances  at 
some  of  the  theatres  were  inter- 
rupted, and  the  shops  began  to  be 
shut  up,  two  gunsmiths  having 
been  already  plundered.  The 
military  and  national  guards  had 


368]      ANNUAL   REGISTER,  1831. 


been  called  out,  without  being  able 
to  repress  tliese  exhibitions.  On 
account  of  the  dangers  appre- 
hended from  tlie  idleness  of  Sun- 
day, the  18th,  their  numbers  were 
increased,  and  directed  to  act  with 
decision.  The  mobs  assemble<l  as 
usual,  with  all  manner  of  seditious 
and  savage  cries,  in  the  garden 
and  court  of  the  Palais  Royal. 
They  were  speedily  dispersed  by 
the  military,  though  not  without 
resistance,  but  the  inexplicable 
thing  remained,  why  they  had 
been  allowed  to  congregate.  It 
was  necessary  to  disperse  them 
more  than  once  in  the  course  of 
the  day  ;  but  tranquillity  was  re- 
stored by  next  morning,  without 
any  bloodshed,  or  any  very  serious 
injury  to  property.  In  the  Cham- 
bers ministers  were  again  exposed 
to  the  furious  reproaches  of  the 
war-party^  for  having  allowed 
Poland  to  perish,  while  not  one 
of  these  declaimers  pointed  out 
how  it  could  have  been  saved  ex- 
cept by  a  general  war  j  and  France 
was  told  that  she  must  now  pre- 
pare for  invasion — that  her  fore- 
most bulwark  had  been  broken 
down,  and  the  victorious  Russians 
would  forthwith  be  marching  west- 
ward to  overturn  the  revolution  of 
July. 

Alarms,  too,  still  continued  to 
be  propagated  of  the  formation  of 
Cfirlist  conspiracies,  in  the  de- 
partments of  the  south  and  west. 
In  particular,  a  petition  was  pre- 
sented from  La  Vendee,  invoking 
the  interference  of  the  Chamber 
to  urge  the  government  to  take 
effectual  measures  for  dispersing 
the  armed  bands  of  disaffected 
persons  which  infested  several  de- 
partments of  the  west.  According 
to  the  statements  of  the  petitioners, 
and  of  the  members  for  La  Vendee, 
the  conscripts  refused  to  join  the 


army,  and  formed  themselves  into 
bands  to  disturb  the  public  peace. 
Though  they  could  not  commence 
a  civil  war,  or  oppose  a  regular 
army  in  the  field,  they  were  strong 
enough,  it  was  alleged,  to  render 
civil  tranquillity  impossible,  to  at- 
tack in  detail  separate  detachments 
of  the  king's  forces,  and  to  scour  the 
country  in  open  day,  frightening 
their  ))olitical  antagonists  into  the 
towns  from  their  residences  in  the 
country,  and  defying  the  efforts  of 
the  civil  authorities,  though  back- 
ed with  an  army  of  forty  fiiousand 
men,  to  repress  their  growing  in- 
solences. Mayors,  it  was  added, 
and  many  other  functionaries,  were 
re  sgning  their  offices,  partly  from 
fear,  partly  from  disgust  at  not 
being,  as  they  supposed,  duly  sup- 
ported by  the  government.  Go- 
vernment, again,  maintained  that 
these  representations  were  at  least 
greatly  exaggerated ;  that  if  there 
were  sources  of  disturbance,  the 
government  would  be  found  strong 
enough  to  cut  them  off,  but  it  did 
not  think  that  any  extraordinary 
powers  were  necessary  for  that 
purpose. 

A  bill,  however,  was  passed, 
banishing  from  France  for  ever, 
all  the  members  of  the  elder  branch 
of  the  Bourbons,  and  their  descend- 
ants. Although  disapproved  of  by 
the  minister,  it  was  carried  by  a 
very  large  majority,  with  this  al- 
teration,  that  the  penalty  of  death 
which  the  bill  attached  to  a  viola- 
tion of  the  prohibition  against  en- 
tering the  kingdom,  was  omitted. 
The  same  bill,  by  its  second  clause, 
denounced  the  same  sentence  of 
perpetual  exclusion  against  all  the 
family  of  Napoleon.  Yet  the 
Chamber  had  just  been  doing  ho- 
nour to  that  very  Napoleon,  whose 
relations  it  would  no  longer  allow 
to  pollute  the  French  soil.    A  pe- 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[369 


tition  bad  been  presented  to  the 
Chamber,  praying  that  the  remains 
of  Bonaparte  should  be  claimed 
from  Britain,  for  the  purpose  of 
being  deposited  under  the  pillar 
on  the  Place  Vendome.  The  com- 
mittee on  petitions  disapproved  of 
the  proposal,  and  recommended 
that  it  should  be  gently  set  aside 
by  the  order  of  the  day ;  but  the 
Chamber,  almost  by  acclamation, 
voted  that  it  should  be  sent  to  the 
Council  of  Ministers  5  thus  leaving 
to  them  to  determine  on  the  ex- 
pediency of  making  the  application 
to  the  British  government.  In 
the  same  spirit,  a  petition  from 
certain  inhabitants  of  the  depart- 
ment of  the  Moselle,  praying  that 
a  monument  should  be  erected  to 
the  memory  of  marshal  Ney  at  the 
public  expence,  was  referred  to  the 
consideration  of  the  government, 
without  any  opposition  from  the 
ministry,  and  accompanied  by  un- 
bounded abuse  of  the  allies,  and, 
above  all,  of  the  duke  of  Welling- 
ton. General  Lamarque  proposed, 
as  the  inscription  of  the  intended 
monument,  "  To  Ney,  judicially 
assassinated  while  his  enemies 
commanded  in  Paris."  Was  there 
no  one  to  tell  these  men,  that  such 
a  monument  would  commemorate 
only  the  shame  of  the  country 
which  erected  it  ?  that  Ney  had 
been  tried  and  condemned  by  a 
certain  chamber  of  peers  —  and 
that,  even  if  it  were  true,  that  a 
numerous  assemblage  of  men  of 
high  station  had  been  found,  with 
so  little  conscience  as  to  shed  blood 
unjustly  at  the  command  of  mere 
power,  that  assemblage  had  been 
an  assemblage  of  French  noble* 
men  ? 

The  crowds  that  produced  the 
ever-recurring  riots  which  so  fre- 
quently disturbed  the  peace  of 
Paris  during  the  year  were  prin- 

VoL.  LXXIII. 


cipally  furnished  from  the  multi- 
tudes of  unemployed  men,  whom 
the  unsteadiness  of  all  relations 
consequent  on  the  revolution  had 
deprived  of  the  means  of  support. 
Credit,  trade,  and  manufactures 
had  all  equally  suffered.  These 
very  riots  a^in,  by  increasing  the 
feeling  of  insecurity,  augmented 
the  mischief.  During  the  autumn^ 
the  Chamber  of  Deputies  voted 
eighteen  millions  of  francs,  to  be 
applied  to  the  relief  of  the  manu- 
facturers, and  in  providing  em- 
ployment for  the  people.  In  ask- 
ing this  grant,  the  Minister  of 
Commerce  stated,  that  the  existing 
distress  arose,  in  a  great  measure, 
from  the  riots  so  frequent  in  the 
capital.  But  it  existed  likewise 
in  the  provinces ;  and,  at  Lyons, 
it  led  to  disturbances  infinitely 
more  serious  than  those  which  had 
molested  Paris.  After  the  revolu- 
tion, the  manufacturers  of  Lyons 
had  found  it  necessary  to  reduce 
the  wages  of  their  workmen.  The 
latter  determined  to  oppose  this 
reduction  by  combinations.  They 
agreed  upon  a  tariff  of  their  own, 
fixing  the  prices  which  should  be 
paid  for  the  various  descriptions 
of  work,  and  demanded,  that  it 
should  be  sanctioned  and  enforced 
by  the  civic  authorities.  The 
prefect  granted  their  demand,  and 
gave  his  ministerial  approbation  of 
the  tariff,  by  which  the  manufac- 
turers were  to  pay  wages  about 
one-third  higher  than  the  existing 
rate.  The  new  tariff  was  to  come 
into  operation  on  the  1st  of  No- 
vember, but  when  that  day  arrived, 
the  manufacturers  refused  to  give 
out  work  at  the  increased  prices. 
The  prefect  authorized  a  meeting 
which  they  convoked  at  the  Hotel 
de  '  Ville.  A  deputation  of  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce  and  of  the 
manufacturers  attended,  and,  as 
[2B] 


370]     ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


they  declared  their  inability  to 
pay  the  prices  demanded^  the 
meeting  separated  without  any 
agreement.  The  mayor  imme- 
diately called  a  meeting  of  the 
wearers  alone,  inviting  them  to 
name  other  delegates ;  but  the  dif- 
ference was  irreconcileable.  Thou- 
sands of  workmen  being  conse- 
quently thrown  out  of  emplov- 
ment,  they  resolved  to  imitate  the 
three  glorious  days  of  Paris,  and 
to  repel,  bv  force,  this  encroach^ 
ftient  on  their  tariff.  Early  in 
the  morning  of  the  21st  of  Novem- 
ber, the  whole  working  population 
of  the  Croix  Rousse,  a  suburb  of 
Lyons,  rose  in  open  rebellion, 
many  of  them  bearing  the  arms, 
and  wearing  the  uniform  of  the 
National  Guard.  They  secured 
their  own  position  with  barricades, 
and  prepared  to  make  themselves 
masters  of  the  city.  The  garrison, 
and  some  battalions  of  the  National 
Guards,  consisting  of  the  better 
classes,  were  led  against  them. 
The  commander  of  the  troops,  and 
the  prefect,  having  advanced  to 
remonstrate  witlr  them,  were  seised 
and  made  prisoners*  The  second 
in  command,  general  Roguet,  then 
ordered  the  troops  to  attack.  A 
brisk  firing  was  kept  up  on  both 
sides ;  but  the  rioters,  notwith- 
standing the  reinforcements  which 
had  l)een  sent  against  them,  re- 
tained their  position  till  night. 
By  breaking  open  the  armourers' 
shops  within  their  reach,  they  were 
now  very  generally  armed ;  and, 
next  morning,  the  contest  recom- 
menced. The  rioters  were  now 
aided  by  a  large  body  of  their 
fellow  workmen,  who  had  risen, 
during  the  night,  in  another  po- 
pulous suburb  beyond  the  Loire, 
had  taken  possession  of  all  the 
bridges,  and  opened  their  fire  on 
dififerent  parts  of  the  city.     The 


efforts  of  the  troops  being  thus 
divided,  the  original  army  of  in« 
surs^ents  gained  ground,  and  made 
good,  berore  nigiit,  a  partial  en- 
trance into  the  city.  On  the 
morning  of  the  S.^rd,  with  in- 
creased numbers  and  vigour,  they 
attacked  the  Hotel  de  Ville,  and 
the  powder  magazine.  Houses 
began  to  be  set  on  fire  >  furniture 
and  the  contents  of  wafehoaseei  to 
be  destroyed ;  shops  and  cellam  to 
be  plundered ;  and  the  fiiry  of  in- 
toxication to  be  added  to  the  tu- 
mult. The  Hotel  de  Ville  and 
the  magasine  were  carried.  Suc- 
cessful resistance  by  the  military 
became  impossible  ,*  to  continue  it 
was  only  insuring  wider  havoc. 
On  the  evening  of  the  S3rd,  the 
troops,  and  those  of  the  national 
guards  who  had  remained  ^ithful, 
withdrew  fW)ro  the  city,  and  the 
rioters  were  left  in  triumphant 
possession  of  the  second  city  c£  the 
kingdom,  just  as,  .the  year  before, 
a  similar  mob  bad  made  itself  mas- 
ter of  the  capital.  This  intelli- 
gence being  communicated  in  a 
proclamation  by  the  civic  author- 
ities who  remained,  the  fury  of 
the  rioters  subsided.  Another  pro- 
clamation invited  their  leaders  to 
join  the  magistrates  in  taking  such 
measures  as  might  prevent  ^rther 
plunder.  The  insurgents  imme- 
diately organised  a  civic  guard ; 
issued  severe  denunciations  against 
pillage,  and  placed  sentinels  at  the 
spots  where  disturbance  might  be 
apprehended.  Although  the  d6- 
})6ts  of  some  silk^merchants  were 
plundered  and  destroyed,  outrages 
were  successfully  restrained  within 
much  narrower  limits  than  could 
have  been  expected  after  the  tri- 
umph of  lawless  and  armed  vio- 
lence. The  loss  of  life  was  much 
more  severe.  The  number  of  those 
who  had  fallen^  on  both  sides,  was 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[371 


variously  estimated  at  from  600 
to  800  men. 

TJiese  events,  when  they  were 
known  at  Paris,  excited,  great 
alarm,  in  consequence  of  its  being 
at  first  believed,  that  they  were 
the  result  of  political  machinations. 
The  duke  of  Orleans  was  immedi- 
ately dispatched  to  Lyons,  accx)ra<* 
panied  by  the  war-minister  him- 
self, marshal  Soult,  who  was  in- 
vested with  extraordinary  powers 
for  quelling  the  revolt.  A  large 
body  of  troops  were  ordered  to 
inarch  upon  the  city ;  the  national 
guards  of  the  neighbouring  depart- 
ments were  called  out ;  and  a  force 
was  collected,  in  the  course  of  two 
or  three  days,  which  rendered 
continued  resistance  unavailing, 
though  it  might  have  been  de- 
structive. The  insurgents,  how- 
ever, had  given  up  all  thoughts  of 
resistance.  The  disturbance  had 
been  merely  local ;  the  neighbour- 
ing districts  and  towns  remained 
tranquil.  The  leaders  of  the  re- 
volted silk-weavers  issued  procla- 
mations, disclaiming  all  connec- 
tion with  *'  political  or  seditious 
insinuations,*'  and  declaring  them- 
selves to  be  "  entirely  devoted  to 
iiouis  Philippe,  king  of  the  French, 
and  to  the  constitutional  charter.*' 


The  authority  of  the  magistrates 
had  never  been  suspended  in  point 
of  form,  though  the  real  power  was 
id  the  hands  of  the  insurgents. 
When  the  duke  of  Orleans  and 
marshal  Soult  approached  with 
their  army,  they  demanded  ancon« 
ditional  submission  j  and,  instead 
of  at  once  attacking  the  (aty>  they 
lingered^  for  a  few  days,  in  the 
neighbourhood,  receiving  deputa- 
tions and  issuing  proclamations, 
knowing  well  that  now,  when  all 
was  ready  for  acting  with  vigour, 
delay  would  only  shew  the  rioters 
more  clearly  the  hopelessness  of 
their  situation.  The  latter  ac- 
cordingly very  soon  abandoned  all 
attempts  at  negotiation.  The  duke 
and  the  marshal  entered  Lyons  on 
the  Srd  of  December  at  the  head 
of  26,000  men.  The  tariff  was 
abolished.  The  national  guard  of 
Lyons*  and  the  adjacent  communes, 
was  disbanded,  and  itd  men  were 
ordered  forthwith  to  return  to  the 
arsenal  the  arms  of  every  kind 
which  had  been  entrusted  to  them 
in  their  military  capacity.  These 
measures  were  carried  into  execu- 
tion without  opposition,  atid  a  nu- 
merous garrison  remained  to  ensure 
the  tranquillity  of  the  city 


[2B2] 


372]     ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


CRAP.    XII. 

Holland  and  Belgium. — Candidates  for  the  Belgic  Crowii'-'^ranee 
declares  that  it  will  not  recognize  the  Duke  of  Leuchtenherg^-^The 
Duke  of  Nemours  is  clmsen — Decision  of  the  Five  Powers  in  regard 
to  the  Sovereign  of  Belmum — The  Duke  of  Netnours  refuses  the 
Crown — TAc  Belgians  ekct  a  Regent — Proceedings  of  the  Conference 
'^Disputes  regarding  the  Scheldt '^Warlike  spirit  of  the  Belgic  Con- 
'  gress-^The  Conference  lays  down  Bases  of  SeparaHon^^Be&ium  re-* 
jects  and  protests  against  them  —  Wavering  Policy  of  France'—' 
Holland  accepts  of  the  Bases — Answer  of  the  Conference  to  the  BeL 
gian  Protest — The  Confer etice  declares  the  terms  accepted  by  Holland 
to  he  ^* fundamental  and  irrevocable" — Belgium  refuses  them,  demands 
War,  and  calls  on  Luxemburg  to  rise  against  the  decision  of  the 
Five  Powers-— 'Anarchy  throughout  Belgium,  and  riots  in  the  principal 
towns — Belgium  is  allowed  Hu  the  1st  of  June  to  accept  ff  the  Bases, 
under  the  pain  of  all  relations  between  her  and  the  Five  Powers 
being  broken  off- — The  Conference  endeavours  to  compass  the  election 
of  Prince  Leopold  of  Saxe  Coburg,  and  promise  their  good  offices  with 
Holland  in  favour  of  Belgium^  on  the  latter  accepting  the  Bases—' 
Belgium  endeavours  to  negociate  directly  with  Holland,  under  a  threat 
of  renewing  hostilities — Breach  of  the  Armistice  by  the  Belgians  at 
Antwerp — Letter  of  Lord  Ponsonby,  on  the  part  of  the  Conference 
to  the  Belgian  Government — The  Congress,  without  accepting  the 
Bases,  elects  Prince  Leopold  King — Holland  demands  the  execution  of 
the  fundamental  and  irrevocable  Bases — The  Conference  again  pro- 
mises to  e) force  them,  and  order  their  Representatives  to  quit  Brussels 
— Prince  Leopold  delays  accepting  the  Crown — The  Conference  re- 
cedes from  the  irrevocable  Bases,  and  proposes  new  terms  at  the  expense 
of  Holland — The  Belgian  Congress  accepts  them — Holland  rejects 
them,  and  demands  the  performance  of  the  existing  Agreements— ^ 
Prince  Leopold  accepts  the  Crown,  and  he  is  installed  at  Brussels 
with  the  concurrence  of  the  Conference — Holland  declares  the  Arm- 
istice at  an  end,  and  the  Dutch  army  enters  Belgium — Bxmt  of  the 
Belgians  at  Hasselt — Their  army,  commanded  by  the  King,  d^eated 
at  fjouvain^  and  Louvain  captured — A  French  Army  arrives  at  Brus- 
sels, and  the  Dutch  troops  retire — Proceedings  of  the  Corferencein 
reference  to  the  march  of  the  Dutch  and  French  armies^— The  French 
troops  are  recalled — Opening  of  the  Session  of  the  Belgic  Chambers — 
The  Conference  frames  another  new  set  of  Articles,  and  declares 
that  their  acceptance  shall  be  compulsory— Belgium  accepts  them — 
Holland  rejects  them,  but  offers  to  negociate — Negotiation  refused—^ 
Treaty  signed  between  the  Five  Powers,  and  the  King  of  Belgium, 

THE  national  Congress  of  re-     ceding  year,  with  fixing  the  con- 
volted  Belgium  had  occupied     stitution  by  which  the  new  state 
themselves^  in  the  close  of  the  pre-     was  in  future  to  be  governed.  A1- 


HISTORY  Of  EUROPE. 


[373 


though  inclined  of  themselves  to 
favour  a  republic,  they  had  deter- 
mined, in  deference  to  the  influ- 
ence of  the  great  Powers  on  whom 
they  were  dependent,  that  the 
form  of  their  government  should 
be  monarchical,  and  they  were  now 
to  be  occupied  w^ith  the  choice 
of  a  sovereign.  The  variety  of 
candidates  proposed  to  the  Con- 
gress by  its  own  members,  or  in 
petitions,  was  amusing  and  em- 
barrassing. A  petition  signed  by 
forty  persons  proposed  the  prince 
of  Orange  5  but  it  was  not  pre- 
sented, because  a  law  had  already 
been  passed  excluding  the  whole 
family  of  Nassau  from  all  power 
in  Belgium.  One  of  the  members 
for  Ostend  having  named  his  royal 
highness  in  the  Chamber  as  a  pro- 
per person  to  be  elected,  was  visited 
with  so  much  lofty  indignation  for 
having  failed  in  the  respect  due  to 
the  house,  that  he  resigned  his 
seat.  Petitions  calling  for  a  union 
with  France  were  treated  with 
much  greater  delicacy,  although 
the  provisions  which  declared  Bel- 
gium to  be  an  independent  king- 
dom were  just  as  solemn  and  irre- 
vocable as  those  which  had  excluded 
the  family  of  Orange.  Some  pro- 
posed a  Neapolitan  prince ;  others 
proposed  Louis  Philippe  himself, 
king  of  the  French;  othe&'his 
son,  the  duke  of  Nemours;  others, 
his  minister  for  foreign  affiurs^.Se- 
bastiani  ^  even  Chateaubriand  was 
named.  Some  called  for  a  prince 
from  Sweden ;  some  for  the  prince 
of  Savoy-Carignan  ;  some  for  the 
pope ;  some  for  an  Austrian  arch- 
duke ;  many  for  prince  Otho  of 
Bavaria ;  but  the  favourite  seemed 
to  be  the  duke  of  Leuchtenberg,  a 
son  of  Eugene  Beauharnois,  and,  on 
his  mother's  side,  a  relation  of  the 
royal  family  of  Bavaria. 
The  Congress^  amid  this  variety 


of  objects,  fell  into  the  mistake  of 
supposing  that  their  freedom  of 
election  would  be  left  untouched 
by  the  great  Powers  who  had  as- 
sumed the  direction  of  all  their 
most  important  affairs.  The  ma- 
jority of  voices  would  undoubtedly 
unite  in  favour  of  the  duke  of 
Leuchtenberg,  and  the  Congress 
were  foolish  enough  to  suppose, 
that  his  relationship  to  Napoleon 
would  be  one  great  recommenda- 
tion in  the  eyes  of  France,  on 
whom  they  were  more  immediately 
dependent  than  on  any  other  of  the 
parties  to  the  Conference  of  Lon- 
don. But,  80  soon  as  it  was  known 
at  Paris,  that  the  election  was 
likely  to  terminate  in  favour  of  the 
duke,  the  French  government  in- 
timated to  the  Belgian  Commis- 
sioners, that  France  would  not  ac- 
knowledge him  as  a  sovereign.  The 
foreign  minister  informed  them, 
according  to  the  report  which  their 
diplomatic  agents  made  to  the 
Congress,  that  such  a  choice  would 
be  an  injurious  and  even  fatal  com- 
bination for  the  Belgians.  France 
would  never  recognize  him  as  chief 
of  that  country ;  and  the  English 
cabinet  would  also  refuse  to  recog- 
nize him.  The  king  of  France 
would  not  give  his  daughter  to  the 
son  of  a  Beauharnois,  and  his  go- 
vernment, instead  of  entering  into 
the  closest  possible  communication 
with  Belgium,  would  be  obliged  to 
surround  itself  with  barriers,  and 
to  alienate  itself. 

*'  The  kinff,  more  than  any 
body,  desires  that  Belgium  may  be 
free,  happy,  and  independent.  He 
will  readily  assent  to  every  thing 
'that  may  contribute  to  its  pros- 
perity. He  would  with  pleasure 
have  seen  the  election  of  prince 
Otho ;  he  would  not  hesitate  to 
give  him  his  daughter,  as  soon  as 
the  constitutional  education  6f  the 


3T4]     ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


pi*iuce  should  be  completed.  The 
Kiqg  does  not  uqdersUnd  what 
rei^sou  the  Congress  could  have, 
to  give  the  preference  to  the  duke 
do  Leuchteuherg.  The  prudent 
nicinbcrs  of  the  Congress,  who  are 
the  great  majority,  will  understand 
the  reasons  of  the  Frepch  govern- 
ment for  desiring  that  no  prince  of 
the  family  of  Napoleon  should 
reign  at  its  doors.  These  reasons 
are  too  evident  to  make  it  neces- 
sary to  detail  them;  what^  how- 
ever^ is  very  certain,  and  irrevuca-* 
bly  decided^  is,  that  France  will 
never  recognize  the  duke  de  Leuch- 
tenberg  as  king  of  the  Belgians ; 
aud,  above  all,  that  king  Philippe 
will  never  give  him  one  of  his 
daughters  for  his  consort.  Of  all  pos- 
sible combinations  Louis  Philippe 
docs  upt  hesitate  to  declare,  that  to 
propose  the  young  duke  of  Leuch- 
tenberg  for  the  king  of  Belgium 
would  be  the  most  disagreeable  to 
France,  and  the  least  favourable  to 
the  tranquillity  and  indepeadcMce 
of  the  Belgians/  " 

The  French  diplomatists  were 
highly  offended  at  the  want  of  deli- 
cacy and  knowledge  of  business^ 
which  at  once  communicated  to  the 
Congress,  and  thereby  to  s^U  Eu- 
rope, verbal  communications,  only 
the  general  results  of  which  re- 
quired, or  were  fitted,  to  be  so 
publicly  proclaimed ;  but  the  fact 
remainea  certain,  that  France 
would  not  acknowledge  the  duke 
of  Leuchtenberg  as  king  of  Bel- 
gium, The  Congress  complained 
loudly  that  this  was  intervention 
Avith  their  national  affairs,  and  a 
tyraqnical  encroachment  upon  their 
rights  as  an  independent  state, 
forgetting  altogether  that  they 
had  no  national  affairs^  and  no 
independence,  except  in  so  far  as 
France  and  her  allies  might  be 
pleased   to  secure  them.     They 


would  Mot  even  retract  from  the 
nomination  of  the  duke  of  Leuch* 
tenberg,  notwithstanding  this  Wk" 
plicit  declaration  of  the  French 
government.  Ou  the  contirary,  M. 
Lebeau  moved,  on  the  lOth  of 
January,  that  the  clul^e  should 
be  forthwith  requested  to  acpept 
the  vacant,  or  rather  the  intended 
throne,  and  the  proposition  was 
referred,  amid  loud  applauses,  to 
the  sections  of  the  Congress.  Leas 
violent  men,  however,  saw,  th?it  ta 
persist  in  electing  a  deuounoed 
candidate,  would  only  involveBeU 
gium  in  a  hopeless  contest  with  her 
high  protectors.  Theyqowpropose4 
the  duke  of  Neniour^  the  second 
soq  of  th^  king  of  the  French.  They 
thought  th^t  this  selection  would 
flatter  the  French  governmeptji 
and  they  were  sure  that,  as  a  mea-r 
sure  of  French  aggraqdiaement^  it 
would  be  fevourea  by  the  French 
people,  apd  th^  most  active  an4 
noisy  portion  of  the  Fi^nch  Cham^ 
hers.  But  the  advantageous  nature 
of  this  nomination  for  France  was 
the  very  circumstance  which  co^]4 
not  fail  to  render  it  inefiectual.  Pa 
the  one  hand,  France  favoured 
every  thing  which  could  perpetuate 
the  separation  of  Belgiui^  from 
Holl^q,  because  that  separatiou 
incre^^  infinitely  her  prospeqts 
of  adding  Belgium  to  her  own  dof 
mipjfips :  she^  therefore,  thr^tened 
wm*,  if  any  attempt  were  m^ide 
by  ftoTM^  Powers  to  restore  the 
broken  union — an  attempt  which, 
but  for  this  consideration^  Jprussia 
and  Austria  would  probably  have 
made.  On  the  other  hand,  the 
great  European  Powers,  althougbj 
to  avoid  warj  they  consented  to  tne 
separation^  would  not  consent  that 
Belgium  should  become  part  of 
France  either  in  forin  or  in  effect. 
France  sacrificed,  n  the  mean 
time^  at  leasts  ber  desire  of  ei^*" 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[376 


tended  territory ;  the  other  Powers 
had  sacrificed  their  desire  of  main- 
taining the  kingdom  of  the  united 
Netherlands.  France  would  not 
allow  Russia,  Prussia,  or  Austria, 
to  interpose,  because  that  would  be 
an  intervention  in  the  affairs  of  a 
foreign  state ;  but  all  the  Powers, 
while  proclaiming  the  principle  of 
non-intervention,  immediately  set 
it  at  defiance,  by  not  only  compel- 
ling Holland  to  follow  their  own 
policy  towards  her  revolted  pro- 
vinces, but  by  compelling  these 
provinces  themselves  to  submit  to 
such  arrangementSj  and  to  select 
such  governors,  as  the  contradic- 
tory interests  of  the  allies  might 
allow.  The  election  of  the  duke 
oP  Leuebtenberg  would  have  been 
an  obnoxious  proceeding  towards 
France,  and  the  other  Powers  bad 
refused  to  give  it  any  countenance. 
The  election  of  the  duke  of  Ne- 
mours would  have  been  almost  the 
completion  of  the  policy  dictated 
by  the  hardly  restrainea  ambition 
of  France;  and  just  for  that  reason, 
it  could  not  be  permitted  by  the 
other  Powers,  with  whom  France 
could  not  come  to  a  rupture  on 
such  grounds,  without  proclaiming 
pi'ojects  which  would  have  justi- 
fied, and  probably  would  have 
roused,  an  European  warfarei^paost 
iter  aggressions.  WheD>  ttNpmlDare, 
tho  Belgian  agents  sounded  the 
French  government  ou  thefffgfiOflBd 
election  of  the  king's  80ik»  tbey 
were  plainly  todd  that  the  choice 
would  be  useless,  for  tlte  proffered 
crown  would  not  be  accepted.  *'  I 
have  been  directed,'*  said  Sebas- 
tiaai  to  tl>em»  on  the  31st  of  Janu- 
ary, '[  to  inform  you  in  a  clear  and 
distinct  manner,  of  the  iBtentioos 
of  the  king's  government.  He 
caauot  consent  to  the  re-union  of 
Belgiwa  to  France,    He  will  not 


accept  the  crown  for  the  duke  of 
Nemours,  even  were  it  offered  to 
him  by  the  Congress.  His  majes- 
ty's government  is  of  opinion  that 
the  choice  of  the  duke  of  Leueb- 
tenberg would  be  likely  t^  inter- 
rupt the  tranquillity  of  France. 
We  have  not  the  slightest  idea  of 
restricting  the  liberty  of  the  Bel- 
gians in  their  choice  of  a  sovereign, 
but  we  shall  exercise  our  right  in 
declaring,  in  the  strongest  manner, 
that  we  shall  not  recognize  the 
election  of  the  duke  of  Leuebten- 
berg. No  doubt  the  other  Powers 
will  not  be  very  favourable  to  that 
choice ;  for  our  part,  we  are  only 
influenced  in  this  refusal  by  state 
reasons^  to  which  every  other  con- 
sideration ought  to  yield,  when  it 
does  not  interfere  with  the  rights 
of  any  individual." 

This  first  interference  with  their 
supposed  independence  renewed 
the  indignation  of  the  Belgic  Con- 
gress. They  exclaimed  that  this 
refusal  to  recognize  any  king 
whom  they  might  chooee,  was  nei- 
ther more  nor  less  than  an  inter- 
vention, a  direct  avowal  by  the 
French  government,  that  they  dis- 
owned the  principle  of  the  free 
election  of  a  sovereign— that  France 
had  a  secret  object,  which  she  was 
afraid  to  express  openly — that  slie 
wished  to  conquer  the  6e%ians, 
and  lead  them^  through  the  ordeal 
of  anarchy,  to  the  yoke  she  was 
preparing  for  them.  Others  in- 
sisted that  this  intervention  was 
part  of  a  plot  to  bring  back  the 
House  of  OraDge*  Others  declared 
that  the  determination  of  the 
French  govenxment  was  not  that 
of  the  French  people,  and  a  few 
weeks  would  probably  overturn 
the  former,  and  give  full  room  to 
the  wishes  of  the  latter.  All 
6«em€d  to  agreo  that  they  ou^ht 


376]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


to  proceed  to  their  election  witli- 
out  consideration  of  refusals  or  re- 
solutions. 

The  day  of  election  had  already 
been  fixed  for  the  28th  of  January  j 
and,  though  the  discussion  began 
upon  that  day,  it  was  interrupted 
by  so  many  incidental  digressions, 
that  it  did  not  close  till  the  3rd  of 
February.  The  two  candidates^ 
between  whom  the  Congress  seem- 
ed to  be  divided,  were  precisely 
the  duke  of  Lcuchtenberg  and  the 
duke  of  Nemours.  The  Belgians 
seemed  to  have  made  this  selection 
for  the  very  purpose  of  shewing 
how  completely  they  could  exclude 
every  possibility  of  acting  like 
sensible  men.  During  the  discus- 
sion, a  note  from  the  French  mi- 
nister for  foreign  affairs  to  the  re- 
presentative of  his  court  at  Brus- 
sels was  publicly  read,  directing 
him  to  inform  the  provisional  go- 
vernment, that  the  French  minis- 
try would  regard  the  election  of 
the  duke  of  Lcuchtenberg  "  as  an 
act  of  hostility  towards,  France," 
and  ordering  him,  if  the  duke  was 
elected  in  defiance  of  this  declara- 
tion>  immediately  to  quit  Brussels. 
To  this  communication,  likewise^ 
the  duke's  party  paid  no  regard, 
but  increased  their  taunts  and 
reproaches  against  those  members, 
who,  having  originally  been  friend- 
ly to  their  candidate,  had  aban- 
doned him,  because  he  was  disap- 
proved of  by  a  forpign  court,  to 
support  the  duke  of  Nemours ; 
and  certainly  the  men  who  had 
done  so  had  not  bettered  their 
claims  to  prudent  or  intelligible 
conduct,  for,  if  the  duke  whom 
they  had  forsaken  was  not  to  be 
recognized  by  France,  the  duke  to 
Ivhom  they  now  adhered,  would 
not,  as  they  were  expressly  told, 
be  allowed  even  to  accept  the 
crown  which  they  might  offer. 


If  the  Congress  had  contained 
any  number  of  men  wise  enough 
to  see,  and  modest  and  frank 
enough  to  declare,  the  true  rela- 
tion in  which  Belgium  stood  to  the 
other  powers  of  Europe,  and  the 
relation  in  which  she  would  speedily 
again  stand  even  to  Holland,  if  their 
restraining  power  was  withdrawn, 
they  might  have  saved  that  as- 
sembly from  the  ridicule  of  deter- 
mining to  do  one  of  two  things, 
neither  of  which,  they  had  been  in- 
formed in  very  plain  language,  they 
would  be  permitted  to  do.  AH 
the  speakers  agreed  that  the  choice 
between  these  two  candidates  was 
merely  a  choice  of  difficulties;  but 
not  one  of  them  gave  an  intelligi- 
ble reason  why  they  should  volun- 
tarily entangle  themselves  in  these 
difficulties,  or  why,  after  what  had 
passed,  both  these  candidates 
should  not  be  omitted.  If  they 
meant  to  show  their  independence 
by  electing  a  king  without  regard 
to  the  wishes  of  foreign  Powers, 
they  ought  to  have  been  prepared 
to  maintain  that  election.  If  they 
thought  that  they  could  maintain 
it,  they  betrayed  egregious  vanity, 
and  immeasurable  ignorance  of 
their  own  situation.  If  they  were 
prepared  to  depart  from  it  as  soon 
as  made,  and  wished  to  make  an 
useteas  election,  knowing  it  would 
be  useless,  merely  to  shew  that 
they  would  vote  as  they  pleased, 
they  manifested  only  puerile  silli- 
ness. The  supporters  of  the  duke 
of  Leuchtenberg  maintained,  that^ 
if  his  rival  were  elected,  war  was 
unavoidable,  while  his  success  would 
render  it  only  possible,  but  perhaps 
not  even  probable.  It  was  not 
likely  that  the  French  nation, 
which,  not  many  months  before, 
had  chosen  their  own  sovereign, 
when  other  powers  would  willingly 
have  prevented  »  change^  would 


HISTORY   OF   EUROPE.  [377 

allow  war  to  be  made  on  the  Bel-  tion  to  France,  but  not  a  cause  of 
gians  for  merely  following  their  war,  and  it  would  give  to  the 
example.  Nemours  was  France,  other  great  Powers  an  interest 
in  the  eyes  of  the  four  great  different  from  that  of  their  too 
Powers,  and  his  election  would  be  powerful  neighbour.  In  truth, 
only  another  form  of  an  union  with  France  did  not  wish  to  see  a  prince 
France.  That  union  Europe  would  on  the  throne  who  might  teach 
not  permit :  England  would  never  Belgium  to  look  forward  to  future 
allow  the  Scheldt  to  belong  to  her  power  and  prosperity  free  from 
enemy,  nor  would  the  continental  French  protection  ;  she  wished  to 
nations  tamely  submit  to  see  the  keep  Belgium  weak  in  all  its  rela- 
boundaries  of  France  once  more  tions,  in  order  that  it  might  the 
advanced  to  the  Rhine.  If  Bel-  more  easily  become  her  own. 
gium  was  given  to  her  royal  family  The  partisans  of  the  French 
she  would  assuredly  attempt  to  prince,  again,  maintained  that  it 
regain  these  limits,  and  from  that  would  be  a  great  advantage  to  Bel- 
instant  a  coalition  would  be  formed  gium  to  have  the  support  of  a  na- 
against  her.  Her  defeat,  or  her  tion  with  30,000,000  of  population, 
triumph,  in  such  a  war  would  be  which  would  be  obtained  by  mak- 
equally  fatal  to  Belgium.  If  she  ing  alliance  with  the  French  peo- 
were  triumphant,  adieu  to  in-  pie,  through  the  election  of  the 
dependence ;  if  she  were  defeated,  duke  of  Nemours.  The  choice  of 
hail  to  the  House  of  Orange,  the  duke  of  Leuchtenberg  would 
brought  back  under  the  shadow  of  put  Belgium  in  a  state  of  hostility 
foreign  bayonets.  The  election  of  with  the  French,  the  Poles,  and 
the  French  prince,  moreover,  would  the  Greeks — he  would,  at  length, 
necessitate  a  continuance  of  that  fall  himself,  and  give  pl^tce  to  the 
provisional  system,  consisting  in  an  prince  of  Orange.  There  was 
administration  without  unity  or  every  reason  to  believe  that,  if  he 
method,  and  a  government  with-  became  king  of  Belgium,  he  would 
out  force,  which  had  already  pro-  'not  be  recognized  by  the  great 
duced  so  many  evil  consequences.  {Powers,  and  then  what  would 
Even  if  the  French  ministry  should  happen  ?  The  armistice  between 
be  willing  to  depart  from  the  posi-  Belgium  and  Holland  depended 
tive  refusal  which  they  had  already  upon  a  convention  concluoed  be- 
given,  months  would  probably  tween  the  five  great  Powers, 
elapse  before  a  decisive  answer  wa^j-.  France  would  repudiate  the  con- 
obtained.  In  the  mean  time  Ho"^  tract  and  retire ;  Holland  would 
land  would  intrigue;  civil  war  would  recommence  the  contest  against 
devastate  the  country  j  and  its  in-  the  Belgians  without  any  one  in- 
dustry would  wither  under  a  fo-  terfering,  and  they  would  be  over- 
reign  war,  when  the  European  come  by  the  closing  of  the  Scheldt, 
powers  had  discovered  that  France  and  by  their  intestine  diHsions, 
had  falsified  her  assurances,  and  whilst  the  Powers  of  the  North 
that  all  her  protestations  of  disin-  would  either  replace  Belgium 
terestedness  had  been  assumed  only  under  the  domination  of  the  House 
to  conceal  schemes  of  unjust  am-  of  Orange,  or  partition  it.  ^  The 
bition.  On  the  other  hand,  the  fate  of  Belgium  must  be  linked 
election  of  the  duke  of  Leuchten-  with  that  of  France ;  but  by 
berg  might  be  a  source  of  irrita-  choosingthe  duke  of  Leuchtenberg, 


378]       ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


recollections  of  the  empire  and  of 
BuooHpartism  would  be  recalled ; 
France  would  see  in  it  a  Napoleon 
restoration,  and,  in  Belgium,  the 
centre  of  all  the  intrigues  and  bad 
l^assions  of  the  partisans  of  the 
imperial  dynasty.  The  first  ob- 
ject of  Belgium  should  be  to  at- 
tach France^  whose  good  will  was 
of  far  more  importance  to  her  com- 
merce than  that  of  the  other 
Powers,  even  if  the  latter  were 
supposed  willing  to  concur  in  an 
election  against  which  France  pro- 
tested. But  that  concurrence  was 
not  to  be  expected ;  and,  in  that 
event,  the  new  l^iug  would  be  iso- 
lated} without  connection,  without 
influence,  without  resources. 

At  last  they  came  to  the  vote. 
The  number  of  members  present 
was  191.  Of  these  89  voted  for 
the  dCike  of  Nemours,  67  for  the 
duke  of  Leuchtenberg,  and  S5  for 
the  archduke  Charles.  As  none  of 
the  candidates  had  thus  au  abso- 
lute majority,  it  was  necessary  to 
vote  again.  On  this  second  occa- 
sion 19^  members  were  present, 
the  absolute  majority  of  which  was 
97.  The  result  of  the  scrutiny 
gave  97  votes  for  the  duke  of 
Nemour3>  7^  for  the  duke  of 
Leuchtenberg,  and  21  for  the 
Austrian  ArcMuke.  The  first, 
having  thus  the  absolute  majority, 
and  not  a  single  vote  more,  the 
president  announced  that  Louis 
Cbarles  Philippe  of  Orleans,  duke  of 
Nemours,  was  bow  king  of  the 
Belgiaas,  and  would  be  duly  re« 
ceived>  on  taking  au  oath,  '^  to 
observe  tlic  constitution  and  laws 
of  the  Belgian  people,  and  main- 
tain the  national  independence  and 
the  integrity  of  the  territory."  A 
deputation  of  ten  members  was 
appointed  to  proceed  to  Paris  to 
inform  his  majesty  of  his  promo- 
tiO<». 


The  obstinacy  of  this  legislative 
body  in  persevering  to  elect  a 
prince  whom  France  had  pledged 
herself  to  all  Europe  to  refuse  to 
them,  might  have  excited  suspi- 
cions regarding  the  good  faith  of 
the  French  ministry.  NaVi  du- 
ring the  discussion,  a  M.  Van  de 
Weyer,  who  was  a  member  »rf  the 
diplomatic  committee,  and  had 
be^n  one  of  the  agents  of  the  new 
government  at  London,  declared, 
that  he  knew  the  duke  of  Nemours, 
if  elected,  would  accept  the  crown, 
and  that  he  had  just  received  ofiicial 
notice  of  the  rerocation  of  the  re- 
fusal formerly  given.  The  thing 
was  false-^but  the  diplomatists  of 
Belgium  conducted  themselves,  in 
their  communications  to  Congress, 
precisely  like  the  editor  of  a  gossip- 
ping  newspaper.  The  Couferenoe 
of  London  had  decided  the  matter 
in  the  month  of  January  by  a  pro- 
tocol  which  bore,  that  the  five 
Powers,  without  deciding  any 
thing  relative  to  the  sovereignty  of 
Belgium^  declare^  thatj^  in  their 
eyes,  the  sovereign  of  that  country 
must  suffice,  by  his  personal  posi- 
tion, for  the  safety  of  the  neigh- 
bouring states,  must  accept  the 
fundamental  bases  agreed  on  hy 
the  Conferences  aud  he  placed  in  a 
situation  to  assure  the  peaceable 
enjoyment  of  them  to  the  Belgians. 
The  election  having  taken  place, 
another  protocol  was  sign^,  ou 
the  7th  of  February,  hewring  the 
declaration  of  the  French  pleuiiio- 
tentiary  that  his  court,  in  confor* 
mity  with  the  principles  already 
established  by  tkie  ConiereQce,  had 
determined  to  reject  the  throne 
now  ofiered  to  the  duke  of  Ne- 
mours. As  it  was  likely  that  the 
abused  Congress  would  now  fall 
back  ou  the  duke  of  Leuchtenberg, 
the  same  document,  in  return  for 
the  fidelity  (^FraB9^de«laredj(that 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[379 


if  the  sovereignty  of  Belgium 
dtQMld  be  offered  to  th<it  prince^ 
Hod  if  he  Accepted  it^  none  of  the 
five  greftt  Powers  would  recQgqive 
lum.  The  Congress  tres^ted  these 
resolutions  as  betng^i  not  aqts  of 
n^ediation,  but  direct  and  tyranqi? 
cal  iuterventions-rr-and  perhaps  they 
were  right :  but  \t  was  difiicult  to 
^yuipathize  with  luen  who  were 
daily  exhibiting  only  ignorapt  iin^ 
pertiuence.  Their  diploniatic  Qom* 
inittee  answered  to  this  con^ipuui- 
cation^  that  it  regarded  s^  matter 
on  whi^U  they  could  receive  no  iu- 
formatipu  from  the  Conference  at 
London^  and  that  they  awf^ited  the 
return  of  their  own  deputation 
from  London.  As  if  this  had  not 
been  enough^  they  added,  *'  Oi^e 
of  our  agents  at  JParis.bas  writtep 
to  us>  that  we  ought  to  receive 
>vith  gre^t  distrust  all  papers  which 
speak  of  the  refusal  of  the  duke  d^ 
Nepaours !  *'  A^^d  this  in  the  face 
of  an  official  communic^^tiou  by  the 
plenipoten  tidies  of  France^  Bri- 
tf^in^  Austria^  Russia,  and  Prussia, 
that  the  refusal  of  his  royal  high- 
uess  was  already  fixed  and  final. 

The  deputation^  which  had  Wen 
received  ^t  Pari^with  great  civility^ 
was  s^dinitted  to  the  royal  presence 
on  the  17th  of  February,  and  re- 
ceived from  his  i^sycsty's  own 
mouth  the  assurance  which  their 
stupid  diplomatists  had  refused  to 
take  from  the  ambassadors,  inclu- 
ding his  own.  He  expressed  in 
very  polite  terms^  his  good  wishes 
for  the  iudependeoce  and  prosperity 
of  Belgium,  and  the  grateful  seQse 
which  ne  entertained  of  the  ho^o^r 
conferred  upQu  his  family  by  this 
vote  of  its  CpAgress ;  but  infori^ed 
them  that  his  regard  for  the  peage 
of  Europe,  and  the  happiness  of 
its  nations,  rendered  it  imperative 
that  this  honour  sliould  be  decliu- 
ed.    ^'  H  will  QCYcr  be  the  thkst 


of  conquest,  or  the  honour  of  see- 
ing a  crown  placed  upon  the  head 
of  my  son>  that  will  lead  me  to 
expose  my  country  to  the  i?enewal 
of  the  evils  which  war  brings  in  its 
traip^  aud  for  which  the  advantages, 
which  we  might  derive  fipQin  it, 
however  great  they  might  otherwise 
be,  cannot  compensate,  The  exam*- 
ples  of  Louis  XIV.  and  Napoleon, 
would  suffice  to  preserve  me  from 
the  fatal  temptatiofi  of  erecting 
thropes  for  my  soqs,  and  to  mfike 
me  prefer  the  h^ppipess  of  having 
maiutained  pe^ce  to  all  the  splen- 
dour of  the  victories,  which,  in  cmne 
of  war,  French  yalouy  woujd  not 
fait  again  to  secure  to  our  glorious 
standards."  The  leturn  pi  the 
deputation  to  Brussels  having  sa- 
tisfied the  Congress  that  the  pro;- 
tocols  of  the  Conference  might  be 
believed,  and  that  ^f  the  7th  of 
February  assuring  tb^m  that  the 
dyke  of  Iteuchte^berg  would  90t 
be  recognized,  they  oet^win^  to 
elect  a  regent,  until  they  should 
learn  to  follow  the  suggestions  of 
the  ereat  Powers-^the  ppiqt  to 
which  it  had  b^n  plaia  h^im  the 
begiupiug  they  must  fyi^ly  con^. 
The  ])ersoi\  selected  to  diischfU^ge 
the.  duties  of  Regent  w^  a  M* 
Surlet  de  Chokier,  who  h%A  been 
a  violent  oppouent  of  the  forager 
sovereign  Mi  the  States  Qeneral, 
and  the  head  of  the  late  deputation 
to  Paris.  I^e  was  ia$;tatled  op  the 
2^th  of  February,  ^d  assumed, 
without  any  pwer  to  do  goodj  thie 
partial  direction  of  %li&  ^iffiurs  of  a 
country  in  which  a  regular  govern- 
meut  could  scarcely  be  said  to 
exist.  The  oply  shape  ^p  whidi 
authority  appeared  was  that  of  ex* 
travagfUit  speeches,  and  sounding 
decrees  in  the  Copgre^  What 
was  called  a  gov^mm^ut  was  ne^ 
ther  loved,  respected,  nor  fear^, 
Xh^  Im  had  lost  {dl  forqQ  to  prQ« 


380]     ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


tect  either  property  or  persons : 
every  thing  was  at  the  mercy  of 
the  ebullitions  of  a  dominant  fac- 
tion ;  and  the  commands  of  clubs 
were  more  powerful  than  a  body  of 
legislators  which  was  utterly  help- 
less except  in  so  far  as  it  followed 
the  popular  excitement  of  which 
it  was  the  creature. 

In  the  mean  time  the  Confer- 
ence  of  London^  composed  of  the 
plenipotentiaries  of  Austria,  Bri- 
tain>  France^  Russia,  and  Prussia, 
was  persevering  in  the  task  which 
it  had  imposed  upon  itself  of  fi- 
nally arranging  the  terms  of  sepa- 
ration between  Holland  and  Bel- 
gium. Having  compelled  both 
sides  in  the  month  of  November, 
1830,  to  consent  to  an  armistice, 
or  rather  a  suspension  of  arms, 
they  put  forth  a  protocol  on  the 
20th  December,  declaring  them- 
selves ready  to  proceed  to  the  final 
determination  of  all  disputed  mat- 
ters, and  requesting  the  provisional 
government  at  Brussels  to  send  to 
London  commissioners  provided 
with  full  powers.  The  Dutch 
minister  was  already  on  the  spot. 
The  two  most  difficult  points  to 
arrange  were  the  apportionment 
of  the  debt,  and  the  territorial 
boundaries.  In  regard  to  the 
latter,  Belgium  insisted  on  receiv- 
ing not  only  the  province  of  Lim- 
burg,  but  the  left  bank  of  the 
Scheldt  below  Antwerp,  and  the 
whole  grand  duchy  of  Luxemburg, 
a  constituent  part  of  the  Germanic 
Confederation,  the  sovereignty  of 
which  belonged  to  his  Dutch  Ma- 
jesty, not  as  king  of  the  Nether- 
lands^ but  as  grand  duke  of  Lux- 
emburg. The  principal  founda- 
tion of  their  claims  seemed  to  be, 
that  their  emissaries  had  stirred 
up  insurrection  against  the  grand 
duke  as  well  as  against  the  king, 
and  that  the  rebels  of  Luxemburg 


had  sent  members  to  Congress. 
By  the  protocol  of  20th  Decembw, 
the  Conference  claimed  from  the 
Belgic  authorities  the  immediate 
and  formal  cessation  of  all  inter- 
ference in  the  afiairs  of  the  grand 
duchy,  and  required  it  to  issue 
the  necessary  proclamations  for 
communicating  this  resolution  to 
the  inhabitants.  To  the  applica- 
tion  desiring  commissioners  to  be 
sent  to  London,  the  Belgian  go- 
vernment answered,  that  its  com- 
missioners, who  were  already  there, 
had  sufficient  instructions,  adding, 
''they  cannot  conceal  from  the 
Conference  that,  in  the  critical  cir- 
cumstances in  which  the  Belgian 
nation  is  placed,  it  will  doubtless 
appear  impossible  for  Belgium  to 
form  an  independent  state,  with- 
out an  imroeaiate  guarantee  of  the 
freedom  of  the  Scheldt,  of  the  pos- 
session of  the  left  bank  of  that 
river,  of  the  whole  of  the  province 
of  Limburg,  and  of  the  grand 
duchy  of  Luxemburg,  reserving 
its  relations  with  the  Germanic 
Confederation." 

The  complaint  regarding  the 
Scheldt  was  founded  on  its  being 
an  alleged  breach  of  the  armistice, 
and  a  positive  act  of  hostility, 
while  Holland  maintained  that 
she  could  not  justly  be  called  on 
to  open  up  to  her  enemy,  during 
a  mere  suspension  of  arms^  a  pas- 
sage through  her  own  dominions, 
and  a  military  line  of  defence. 
She  was  only  exercising  a  right 
belonging  to  her  as  an  independ- 
ent state.  .  Belffium,  on  the  other 
hand,  had  not  given  up  even  active 
operations.  The  cessation  of  hos- 
tilities had  beien  faithftilly  observed 
by  the  Dutch,  ^commanders,  but 
the  insurgents  *r0p$atedly  infring- 
ed it  both  in  noiW  Brabant  and 
in  Zealand,  and  ilklasti  in  the  be- 
ginning of  Jantiary^^feMiiruiced  from 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[381 


the  lines  to  which  the  armistice 
confined  them,  and  made  an  un* 
successful  attack  upon  Maestricht. 
The  Conference,  by  a  protocol  of 
the  9th  January  1831,  endeavour- 
ed to  remove  these  mutual  causes 
of  complaint.  They  declared  that 
they  considered  any  measure  which 
impeded  the  navigation  of  the 
Scheldt  an  act  of  hostility ;  that 
its  free  navigation  must  be  restored 
without  any  other  duties  than  ^ch 
as  had  been  payable  by  neutrals 
before  the  union ;  and  that,  if  it 
was  not  placed  on  this  footing  in 
regard  to  the  Belgians  by  the  20th 
January,  the  Conference  would 
adopt  means  to  compel  a  prompt 
execution  of  this  provision.  They 
ordered,  likewise,  that  the  Efel- 
gian  troops,  which  had  advanced 
towards  Maestricht,  should  retire, 
by  the  20th  of  January,  within  the 
position  which  they  had  occupied 
at  the  date  of  the  armistice. 

The  Dutch  government  com- 
plied with  the  order  thus  issued, 
while  protesting  against  its  jus- 
tice and  the  right  of  the  Conference 
to  issue  it.  *^His  majesty  is 
aware,"  said  Holland,  "  it  would  be 
inconsistent  with  his  dignity  to 
cause  any  remonstrance  to  be  made 
to  the  Conference  in  London,  on 
account  of  the  parallel  drawn  be- 
tween the  manifest  infraction  of 
the  suspension  of  hostilities  by  the 
insurgents,  and  the  defensive  mea- 
sures of  police  and  interior  secu- 
rity, which  he  has  been  under  the 
necessity  of  maintaining  on  the 
Scheldt.  When  applying  for  the 
good  offices  of  his  allies  to  reduce 
his  rebellious  subjects  to  their 
duty,  and  to  remove  the  difficul- 
ties that  had  arisen,  his  majesty 
certainly  could  not  foresee  that 
the  London  Conference  would  have 
placed  his  lawful  auth6rity,  gua- 
ranteed as  it  was  by  treaties,  and 


strengthened  by  the  closest  ties  of 
friendship  and  good  understand- 
ing, on  tne  same  footing  with  that 
of  the  usurped  authority  which 
has  erected  itself  in  Belgium .  But, 
overlooking  this  assimilation  of 
two  matters  of  a  nature  so  entirely 
different,  the  form  and  tenor  of 
that  part  of  the  protocol  in  ques- 
tion, his  majesty  cannot  express 
himself  satisfied  with.  Unques- 
tionably the  Conference  that  gave 
birth  to  the  protocol,  was  engaged 
in  the  consideration  of  a  subject 
specially  connected  with  the  con- 
cerns of  the  kingdom  of  the  Ne- 
therlands, and  without  the  king's 
plenipotentiaries  having  had  any 
direct  participation  therein,  as  they 
were  entitled  to  by  the  4jth  paragraph 
of  the  protocol  of  Aix-la-Chapelle 
of  November  the  15th,  1818,  in 
which  the  right  was  reserved.  The 
reservation  of  this  right  at  Aix-la- 
Chapelle  was  indeed  unnecessary 
to  establish  the  principle,  that  no 
meeting  of  plenipotentiaries,  in 
whatever  number  thev  may  assem- 
ble, and  how  powerml  soever  the 
states  they  represent  may  be,  is 
qualified  to  regulate  the  particular 
and  territorial  concerns  of  other 
states.  It  was,  no  doubt,  in  ac- 
cordance to  the  wishes  of  the  king 
of  the  Netherlands,  that  the  Lon- 
don Conference  assembled,  but  the 
object  was  the  restoration  of  legal 
order  in  a  part  of  his  dominions; 
and  in  no  way  to  circumscribe  his 
means  of  defence,  or  to  make  any 
inroad  upon  the  independence  of  the 
old  united  provinces  of  the  Nether- 
lands. Neither  the  law  of  nations, 
the  protocol  of  Aix-la^Chapelle, 
nor  the  object  for  which  the  Con- 
ference was  assembled,  namely,  the 
defence  of  the  king's  rights,  gave 
authority  to  the  Conference  to  dis- 
cuss the  question  of  the  Scheldt. 
As  to  the  principal  point  of  that 


382]       ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


question,  the  protocol  of  Novem- 
ber the  4th  says^  that  hostilities 
shall  entirely  cease  on  both  sides. 
Now  the  government  of  the  Ne- 
therlands^ after  having  notified  its 
adhesion  to  the  said  protocol, 
strictly  complied  with  its  stipula- 
tions; but  a  cessation  of  hostili- 
ties^ the  only  effect  of  which  is  a 
suspension  of  aggressive  measures^ 
never  deprives  a  power  of  the  fa- 
culty of  maintaining^  on  her  own 
territory,  her  military  lines  of  de- 
fence, and  of  preventing  that  ter- 
ritory being  traversed  by  the  enemy 
or  neutrals ;  and  no  precedent  is 
recorded  in  history  of  a  distinction 
having  ever  been  made  in  this  re- 
spect between  the  roads  that  lead 
tn rough  or  to  such  defences,  and  the 
rivers.  It  is  an  unjust  assertion 
to  say,  that  travellers  or  merchant 
vessels  are  molested^  or  that  hosti- 
lities are  committed  against  them^ 
when  they  are  hindered  from  pass- 
ing through  a  fortress,  or  through 
a  line  of  defence  established  on  a 
river  within  the  country.  In  short, 
the  mention  made  of  toll-duties, 
and  a  right  of  visitation  in  the 
protocol  of  January  the  9th,  1831. 
substantiates  the  fact)  that,  in  this 
matter,  the  domestic  concerns  of 
the  kingdom  of  the  Netherlands 
are  affected.  His  majesty  deems 
the  said  demand  and  declaration  of 
the  Conference  derogatory  to  his 
sovereignty,  and  the  inde])endence 
of  the  old  united  provinces  of  the 
Netherlands,  subversive  of  the  law 
of  nations,  and  in  no  way  compat- 
ible with  the  sentiments  of  friend- 
ship which  the  five  Courts  have 
hitherto  professed  for  his  majesty. 
Nevertheless,  the  king,  taking  into 
consideration  that  Europe  cannot 
expect,  from  the  exertions  of  a 
single  state,  however  glorious  its 
annals,  a  return  to  the  true  sys- 
tem of  non-intervention,  founded 


on  the  regard  due  to  the  rights  of 
every  people,  has  determined  not 
to  set  himself  in  opposition  to  over- 
whelming power,  but  for  the  pre- 
sent to  remain  a  spectator  of  the 
navigation  of  the  Scheldt,  from  the 
30th  inst.,  by  neutral  or  Belgian 
vessels,  under  the  most  formal  re« 
servation  and  protestation,  with  re- 
spect both  to  the  said  navigation 
itself^  and  to  the  duties  which  his 
mwjnty  has  the  right  to  levy  on 
the  vessels  that^  navigate  that 
river.** 

In  the  Belgian  Congfess,  again, 
where  men  were  perfectly  willing 
thatHolland  should  be  compelled  to 
give  up  every  thing,  but  that  Bel- 
gium, as  an  independent  nation, 
should  be  allowed  to  do  whatever 
it  might  think  proper,  this  order 
of  the  Conference  was  angrily  de- 
nounced as  a  violation  of  right. 
They  actually  seemed  to  think 
that,  if  left  to  themselves,  they 
could  carry  their  point  against  Hol- 
land by  force  of  arms,  and  were 
indignant  that  their  imagined 
prowess  should  be  restrained*  M. 
Robaux  pro)K)sed  to  the  Congress 
to  declare,  that  Belgium  would 
not  recognize  any  right  in  the  five 
Powers  to  make  themselves  arbiters 
of  its  differences  with  Holland, 
especially  if  their  determinations 
were  to  be  executed  by  force- 
that  the  protocol  of  the  9t]i  of 
January,  m  providing  for  compel- 
ling the  belligerents  to  observe  the 
armistice,  laid  down,  in  violation 
of  the  rights  of  nations,  the  |»in- 
ciple  of  a  direct  and  armed  inter* 
vention— that,  ''if  the  govern- 
ments league  together  at  London 
to  stifle  the  germs  of  liberty,  wher- 
ever they  appear,  the  holy  alliance 
of  nations  will  find  means  to  break 
the  fetters  which  despotism  is  pre- 
paring for  them — and  that  Bel- 
gium, confiding  in  the  sympathy 


HISTORY  OP  EUROPE. 


[383 


of  nations  for  the  Belgians^  and  the 
sacred  cause  which  they  defend,  de- 
clares that  the  nation  will  rise  en 
masse  to  preserve  its  rights  and  its 
independence."  Notwithstanding 
these  sounding  words,  the  Con- 
gress knew  well,  that  submission 
was  unavoidable^  and  the  answer 
of  their  diplomatic  committee  con- 
sented to  the  withdrawal  of  the 
troops  from  before  Maestricht, 
adding,  however,  that  Belgium 
admitted  this  interference  only 
because  it  was  a  temporary  mea^* 
sure,  and  would  by  no  means  al- 
low of  a  similar  interference  in  the 
permanent  settlement  of  its  rela- 
tions. "  Every  convention,"  they 
said,  'Hhe  effect  of  which  would  be 
to  determine  questions  of  territory 
or  finance,  or  to  affect  the  inde- 
pendence or  any  other  absolute 
right  of  the  Belgic  nation,  is  essen- 
tially one  of  the  attributes  of 
the  National  Congress,  and  it  alone 
has  a  right  finally  to  decide. 
Accordingly,  it  is  because  the  pro- 
posals of  the  Powers  did  not  affect 
any  of  these  rights  or  great  inter* 
csts,  because  they  had  for  their 
object  a  situation  merely  tempo* 
rary,  and  transitory  as  the  nature 
itself  of  its  attributes,  that  the  Bel- 
gic government  has  been  able  to 
give  its  assent  to  them.  Thecom'* 
mittee  will  add,  the  very  serious 
consideration  that  any  other  inter- 
pretation of  the  spirit  of  the  nego« 
tiations  that  have  hitherto  been  car* 
ried  on,  and  of  their  results,  would 
really  transform  the  friendly  pro* 
ceeding  of  the  Powers  into  direct 
and  positive  intervention  in  the 
affairs  of  Belgium — an  interven- 
tion, the  principle  of  which  the 
Congress  has  formally  rejected, 
and  which  would  appear  to  the 
committee  no  less  incompatible 
with  the  general  peace  of  Europe, 
tbau  with  the  independence  of  the 


nation."  Thus  Balgiom  formally 
declined  the  junsdiction  of  the 
Conference  on  those  two  very  points, 
the  debt  and  the  territory,  on 
which  the  most  irreconcileoble  dif- 
ferences had  already  arisen  between 
the  parties. 

The  Conference,  however,  had 
no  intention  of  allowing  the  powers 
which  it  had  assumed  to  be  ques* 
tioned  by  one  of  the  parties  to- 
wards whom  they  were  to  be  ex* 
erdsed.  On  the  20th  of  January, 
they  issued  a  protocol^  containing 
*'  the  fundamental  bases''  on  which 
the  treaty  of  separation  was  to  be 
founded.  It  was  agreed  that  Hol- 
land should  comprise  all  the  terri- 
tories which  had  belonged  to  the 
United  Provinces  in  1790,  while 
Belgium  was  to  consist  of  the 
other  territories  which  had  been 
formed,  in  1815,  into  the  kingdom 
of  the  Netherlands,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  the  grand  duchy  of  Lux* 
emburg,  ^' which,"  said  the  Con«* 
ference,  ^' being  possessed  by  the 
princes  of  the  house  of  Nassau 
under  a  different  title,  forms  part, 
and  \inll  continue  to  form  part,  of 
the  Germanic  Confederation."  As 
this  demarcation  of  limits  would 
give  to  each  of  th^  states  portions 
of  territory  isolated  in  the  territo- 
ries of  the  other,  the  five  Powers 
were  to  aiTange  such  exchanges  ea 
would  produce  continuity  of  pos«« 
session,  and  a  free  communication. 
The  streams  and  rivers  traversing 
the.  territories  of  the  respective 
states  were  to  be  subject  to  the 
provisions  of  the  general  act  of  the 
Congress  of  Vienna  relative  to  the 
free  navigation  of  rivers.  Lastly  it 
was  settled,  that  Belgium,  thus  de^ 
fined,  '*  shall  form  a  state  perpe-* 
tually  neutral,  the  ^ve  powers 
guaranteeing  to  it  that  perpetual 
neutrality,  as  well  as  the  ipviola* 
bility  and  integrity  of  its  terti- 


384J      ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


tory,**  a  reciprocal  obligation  to 
observe  this  neutrality  being  laid 
upon  Belgium  itself.  These  ter- 
ritorial arrangements  were  followed, 
on  the  27  th  of  January,  by  another 
protocol  which  laid  down  the  basis 
for  the  apportionment  of  the  pub- 
lic debt.  The  Conference  tooK  for 
their  euide  the  treaties  of  1815, 
and  the  financial  resources  and 
contributions  of  Holland  and  Bel- 
gium, as  ascertained  by  the  budgets 
for  three  years  preceding  the  re- 
bellion. Of  the  common  debt, 
Belgium  was  to  pay  ^f,  and  Hol- 
land ^-,  the  Belgians  being  to 
participate  in  the  trade  of  the  co- 
lonies, so  long  as  these  remained 
subject  to  Holland,  but  being 
bound  to  contribute  towards  their 
defence. 

With  these  arrangements,  how- 
ever, and  more  especially  with 
those  which  marked  out  its  terri- 
tory, Belgium  would  have  nothing 
to  do.  Although  they  obtained 
the  province  of  Liege,  to  which 
they  could  have  laid  no  claim,  they 
insisted  that  their  independence 
was  treated  with  disrespect,  unless 
Holland  were  robbed  in  order  to 
give  them  the  whole  of  the  left 
bank  of  the  Scheldt,  Limburg, 
and  Luxemburg.  The  Congress 
resolved  to  protest  against  the 
protocol  of  the  20th  of  January, 
and  a  committee  was  appointed  to 
draw  up  a  sufficiently  wise  and 
energetic  remonstrance.  The  elec- 
tion of  the  king,  which  had  already 
begun,  was  interrupted  for  the 
purpose  of  hastening  it,  and  the 
protest  was  agreed  to  on  the  1st 
of  February.  There  could  be  no 
doubt  that  the  possession  of  Lim- 
burg, and  the  left  bank  of  the 
Scheldt  to  the  sea,  would  be  a  great 
advantage  to  newly-created  Bel- 
gium :  and  in  that  view,  perhaps, 
they  should  have  been  thanked  for 


demanding  so  little.  The  whole 
course  of  the  Meuse,  for  instance, 
with  Rotterdam,  would  have  been 
highly  beneficial  to  their  com- 
merce, and  even  Amsterdam  would 
have  done  them  no  injury.  Lux- 
emburg, again,  they  claimed  by 
what  they  termed  the  jus  post* 
liminii,  ''and  the  facts  of  their 
revolution>"  which  latter  meant, 
that  they  were  entitled  to  the  so- 
vereignty of  every  part  of  the 
king  of  Holland's  dominions  in 
which  they  could  incite  the  popu- 
lation to  insurrection.  The  pro- 
test declared,  in  the  name  of  the 
Belgic  people,  that  the  great 
Powers  had  proposed  an  armistice 
only  to  prevent  the  effusion  of 
blood,  without  prejudice  to  what 
should  be  subsequently  determined 
regarding  the  boundaries,  but,  by 
fixing  the  limits  of  Belgium,  they 
had  violated  the  principle  of  non- 
intervention :  That  negotiations 
on  this  subject  belonged  exclusively 
to  the  Congress,  which  therefore 
protested  against  any  demarcation 
of  the  Belgian  territory  made 
without  its  participation,  and  that 
it  would  never  submit  to  what 
would  affect  the  integrity  of  the 
state. 

The  Belgians  were  encouraged 
for  a  time  in  their  resistance  by  a 
circumstance  which  was  calculated 
to  excite  great  doubts  regarding 
the  designs  of  France,  more  espe- 
cially as  it  occurred  just  when  the 
majority  of  the  Congress  were  per- 
severing in  electing  for  their  king 
a  French  Prince.  The  plenipoten- 
tiary of  France  had  signed  the  pro- 
tocol of  the  20th  January  along  with 
the  ministers  of  the  other  Powers ; 
but,  on  the  1st  of  February,  Sehas- 
tiani,  the  French  foreign  minister, 
wrote  to  the  French  agent  at 
Brussels,  requesting  him,  if  that 
protocol  had  not  yet  been  comma- 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[385 


nicated  to  the  Belgian  government, 
to  oppose  its  communication,  "he* 
cause  the  king's  government  has 
not  yet  assented  to  it.  In  the 
question  of  the  debt,  as  well  as  of 
the  limits  of  the  Dutch  and  Bel- 
gian territory,  we  have  always  un- 
derstood that  the  concurrence  and 
consent  of  both  states  were  neces- 
sary. The  Congress  at  London  is 
a  mediation,  and  it  is  the  intention 
of  the  king's  government  that  it 
should  never  lose  that  character." 
This  letter  was  immediately  read 
in  the  Congress  at  Brussels,  where 
it  diffused  a  general,  but  short- 
lived joy.  If  the  vacillating  cabinet 
of  M.  Lafitte  ever  entertained  the 
design  of  taking  the  part  of  Bel- 
gium, and  separating  from  the 
other  Powers,  the  firmness  of  these 
Powers  triumphed  over  the  tempo- 
rary seduction.  That  there  had 
been  some  danger  of  a  schism  was 
evident  from  the  fact,  that,  on  ,the 
accession  of  M.  Perrier  to  power, 
the  Congress  demanded  a  special 
act  of  adhesion,  on  the  part  of 
France,  to  the  bases  laid  down  in 
the  protocol  of  20th  of  January, 
which  France  had  thus  questioned. 
The  terms  of  this  act  bore,  that 
"  the  plenipotentiary  of  France 
declared,  by  the  express  command 
of  his  sovereign,  that  France  ac- 
ceded to  the  protocol  of  20th  Ja- 
nuary ;  that  she  approved  of  the 
boundaries  fixed  by  that  act  for 
Belgium  ;  that  she  recognized  the 
neutrality  as  well  as  inviolability 
of  the  Belgic  territory;  that  she 
would  acknowledge  the  sovereign 
of  Belgium  only  when  he  should 
have  acceded  to  all  the  conditions 
of  that  protocol,  and  that,  ac- 
cording to  the  principles  there  laid 
down,  the  French  government  con- 
sidered the  grand  duchy  of  Lux- 
emburg as  completely  separated 
irom  Belgium  to  continue  under 
Vol.  LXXIIL 


the  sovereignty  and  in  the  rela- 
tions assigned  to  it  by  the  treaty 
of  1815.**  The  other  plenipoten- 
tiaries expressed  their  high  satis- 
faction with  this  assurance,  re- 
gretting that  there  should  have 
been  even  a  momentary  difference 
of  opinion  between  them  and 
France ;  and  they  declared  that, 
^^as  the  main  principle  of  the  five 
Powers  is,  to  respect  treaties,  it  is 
evident  that  the  stipulations  of 
treaties  relative  to  the  grand  duchy 
of  Luxemburg  must  be  observed." 

Even  before,  however,  this 
formal  ratification  of  the  bases  had 
been  obtained,  the  Conference  of 
London,  including  the  plenipoten- 
tiary of  France,  had  given  an  an- 
swer to  the  Belgian  protest,  in 
terms  which,  if  they  were  not 
sufficiently  bound  already,  rendered 
it  impossible  for  them,  with  any 
regard  to  honour  and  justice,  to 
draw  back.  Holland  had  given  in 
her  adhesion  to  the  terms  of  the 
20th  of  January,  on  the  18th  of 
February.  By  a  protocol  bearing 
date  the  following  day,  the  Con- 
ference pledged  themselves  anew 
to  the  execution  of  these  articles, 
and  fiilly  exposed  the  folly  and 
absurdity  of  the  Belgian  demands. 
The  Belgian  protest,  they  therein 
said,  claimed  a  riffht  of  post-limits 
which  belonged  only  to  independent 
states,  and  which  consequently 
could  not  belong  to  Belgium,  as  she 
had  never  been  reckoned  among 
these  states.  It  founded  likewise 
upon  cessions  made  to  third  par- 
ties, not  to  BeFgium,  which  had 
never  b«en  in  possession  of  them, 
and  could  not  found  upon  them. 
'^  Far  from  making  any  attack  on 
the  ancient  provinces  of  Belgium, 
the  Powers  nave  only  maintained 
and  declared  the  integrity  of 
neighbouring  states.  Instead  of 
narrowing  the  limits  of  these  pro« 

[2  0] 


386]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


vinceS)  tliey  have  included  within 
them  the  principality  of  Liege 
which  had  never  formed  a  part  (if 
them.  Belgium  has  obtained  all 
that  she  could  require,  separation 
from  Holland,  independence,  ex- 
ternal safety,  guarantees  of  her 
territory  and  neutrality,  the  free 
navigation  of  the  rivers  for  the  use 
of  her  commerce,  and  peaceable 
enjoyment  of  her  national  liberties. 
Such  are  the  arrangeroeifts  op* 
posed  by  a  protest  which  publicly 
avows  that  it  respects  neither  the 
possession  nor  the  rights  of  ad- 
joining states/'  The  protocol 
having  thus  disposed  of  the  de- 
mands of  Belgium  proceeded,  in 
the  following  terms,  to  re-enact  the 
bases  already  laid  down,  to  which 
Holland  had  consented  only  on  the 
faith  that  they  were  to  be  observed 
and  enforced,  and  all  the  objections 
to  which,  urged  on  the  part  of 
Belgium,  had  been  heard  and  con* 
sidered.  The  Conference  declared. 
♦'  1.  That  it  remains  understood, 
as  it  has  been  from  the  beginning, 
that  the  arrangements  resolved  on 
by  the  protocol  of  January  20, 
1881,  are  fundamental  and  irre< 
vocable  arrangements.  2.  That 
the  independence  of  Belgium  shall 
be  recognised  by  the  five  Powers 
only,  upon  the  conditions  and 
iu  the  limits  which  result  from 
the  said  arrangements  of  January 
20,  1831.  3.  That  the  principle 
of  the  neutrality  and  the  inviola- 
bility of  the  Belgian  temtory  in 
the  above  mentioned  limits  remains 
in  vigour,  and  obligatory  upon  the 
five  Powers.  4.  That  the  five 
Powers,  faithful  to  their  engage- 
ments, claim  the  full  right  of  de- 
claring that  the  sovereign  of  Bel- 
gium must  answer  by  his  personal 
situation  to  the  principle  even  of 
the  existence  of  Belgium — satisfy 
th«  security  of  the  other  states — 


accept  without  restriction,  as  his 
majesty  the  king,  of  the  Nether- 
lands had  accepted  the  protocol  of 
July  21,  1814,  all  the  fundamental 
arrangements  contained  in  the  pro- 
tocol of  January  20,  1831, — and 
have  it  in  his  power  to  secure  to 
the  Belgians  the  peaceable  enjoy- 
ment thereof.  5.  That  these  first 
conditions  being  fulfilled,  the  five 
Powers  will  continue  to  employ 
their  care  and  their  good  offices  to 
lead  to  the  reciprocal  adoption  and 
execution  of  the  other  arrange- 
ments rendered  necessary  by  the 
separation  of  Belgium  from  Hol- 
land. 6*.  That  the  five  Powers 
admit  the  right  in  virtue  of  which 
the  other  states  may  take  such 
measures  as  they  may  judge  neces- 
sary to  enforce  respect  to,  or  to  re- 
establish, their  legitimate  author- 
ity in  all  the  countries  belonging 
to  them,  to  which  the  protest  men- 
tioned above  sets  up  pretensions, 
and  which  are  situated  out  of  the 
Belgian  territory  declared  neutral. 
7.  That  his  majesty  the  king  of 
the  Netherlands  having  acceded 
without  restriction,  by  the  protocol 
of  February  18,  1831,  to  the  ar- 
rangements relative  to  the  separa- 
tion of  Belgium  from  Holland, 
every  enterprise  of  the  Belgian 
authorities  upon  the  territory 
which  the  protocol  of  January  20 
has  declared  Dutch,  will  be  regard- 
ed as  a  renewal  of  the  struggle  to 
which  the  five  Powers  have  re- 
solved to  put  an  end."  No  en- 
gagement could  be  more  binding 
and  express.  These  articles  were 
declared  to  be  irrevocable,  and  the 
demands  of  Belgium  to  be  incon- 
sistent with  the  rights  of  neigh- 
bouring states;  therefore  they 
could  not  be  abandoned  without  a 
breach  of  faith,  and  a  perpetration 
of  what  the  Conference  itself  had 
declared  beforehand   to  be  injuB« 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[387 


tice.  Belgium  might  elect  a  king, 
but  the  five  Powers  pledged  them- 
selves uever  to  acknowledge  him, 
except  on  his  adhesion  to  these 
specific  articles,  and  it  was  impos- 
sible^ therefore^  to  suspect  that  they 
would  ever  acknowledge  a  sove- 
reign elected  for  the  purpose  of 
setting  them  at  defiance*  These 
engagements^  too^  were  now  en- 
gagements contracted  towards  Hol- 
land^ which,  on  the  faith  of  themi 
had  left  herself  in  their  hands. 
Neither  was  there  any  want  of 
power  to  enforce  them  j  the  idea 
of  resistance  by  Belgium  excited 
laughter  every  where,  except  in  the 
Congress  at  Brussels.  Or  if  the 
Conference  should  not  wish  to  em- 
ploy force,  and,  in  defiance  of  every 
thing  by  which  men  could  be 
pledged,  should  change  these  '^  ir- 
revocable" bases  in  favour  of  Bel- 
gium, it  could  only  be  the  most 
glaring  partiality  to  use  or  threaten 
force  to  compel  Holland  to  submit 
to  an  alteration. 

The  wrath  of  the  revolutionary 
Congress  of  Belgium  now  knew  no 
bounds  ;  their  language  and  their 
proposals  were  equally  extrava- 
gant ;  they  set  Holland  and  the 
Congress  at  defiance ;  they  cla- 
moured for  war  with  all  Europe. 
On  the  11th  of  March,  the  regent, 
who  was  the  mere  tool  of  the  do- 
minant faction,  issued  a  proclama* 
tion  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  grand 
duchy  of  Luxemburg,  calling 
upon  them  to  throw  off  their  go- 
vernment, and  assuring  them  that 
Belgium  would  remain  true  to 
their  cause.  *'  Do  not  suffer  your- 
selves to  be  seduced  by  promises, 
or  terrified  by  threats,  llie  Con- 
gress has  protested  against  the  acts 
of  the  Congress  of  London.  The 
nation,  which  has  been  able  to  van- 
quish the  Dutch  armies,  will  main- 
tain the  protest  of  its  representa- 


tives.    We  began  our  revolution 
in  spite  of  the  treaties  of  1815; 
we  shall   finish  it  in  spite  of  the 
protocols  of  London."     This  was 
a   declaration    of  war,    not    only 
against  Holland,  but  against  the 
allies.       M.    Robaulx,    the    true 
representative  of  the    clubs    and 
mobs  who   now  governed,   spoke 
thus  in  the  Congress ;    ^*  M.  Se- 
bastian!   has    said    openly,    that 
France  accepts  the  protocol  of  the 
20th  of  January,  which   deprives 
us  of  Luxemburg.     Thus  the  can-*. 
didate  announced  to  us  was  only 
a  lure.     Louis  Philippe  has  joined 
the  holy  alliance  of  despots :  we 
must  declare  war,  for  we  cannot 
suffer  our  territory  to  be  violated. 
France  abandons  us :  we  are  left 
to  ourselves.   Let  us  appeal  to  the 
nation^  for  it  is  a  war  of  nations 
against  despots.     As  a  reward  for 
what   we    have   done  to    respect 
the  tranquillity  of  Europe,  it  is 
attempted    to    tear    Belgium    to 
pieces,  gold  is  lavished,  riots  are 
excited.     Since  kings  declare  war 
against   us,    let    us  declare   war 
against  kings.     The  constitution 
which    we   have    all   voted,    con- 
siders Luxemburg  as  part  of  Bel- 
gium.    The  regent  has  sworn  to 
maintain  the  integrity  of  the  ter- 
ritory."     Even   the   minister  for 
foreign   afiairs  declared   that    he 
considered  war  inevitable,  for  it 
was  a  point  of  honour  to  defend 
Luxemburg.    A  motion  was  made, 
and  actually  referred  to  the  sec- 
tions for  consideration,    in  these 
terras:  ''The  Belgian  government 
declares  to  king  William^  that  if 
he  does  not,  within  a  month,  re- 
nounce the  possession  of  Limburg, 
Luxemburg,  the  left  bank  of  the 
Scheldt,  and  the  citadel  of  Ant- 
werp,  he  shall  be  compelled  by 
force  of  arms,"  and  this  at  » time 
when  they  had  not  a  regiment 
[2  C  2] 


388] 


ANNUAL   REGISTER,  1831. 


which  would  have  looked  Dutch 
troops  in  the  face,  and  neither 
money  nor  credit  to  support  an 
army.  The  ministry  allowed  that 
the  treasury  was  empty,  and  they 
knew  not  how  to  fill  it.  There 
was  a  large  deficiency  even  for 
1830,  and  they  could  not  get  pay- 
ment of  taxes.  No  less  than 
600,000  florins  of  the  excise  on 
wine  remained  unpaid,  and  340,000 
more  were  due  by  the  manu- 
facturers, but  could  not  be  re- 
covered from  them.  It  was  ab- 
solutely necessary  to  borrow : 
Congress  authorized  a  loan  of 
12,000,000  of  florins,  as  }f  their 
name  could  be  received  on  any 
exchange  in  Europe,  "  or  even 
among  the  capitalists  of  Belgium 
itself.  The  minister  of  finance, 
accordingly,  soon  afterwards  de- 
clared that  he  had  been  unable  to 
negociate  a  loan,  and  proposed  that, 
as  no  other  means  of  raising  money 
existed,  the  sum  required  should 
be  procured  by  compelling  the 
subjects  to  advance  it  as  a  forced 
loan — subjects  whom  they  had  no 
authority  to  compel  to  do  any- 
thing. 

For  now  every  shadow  of  a  go- 
vernment seemed  to  be  at  an  end, 
except  what  was  to  be  found  in  the 
populace  and  the  clubs,  who,  during 
the  last  days  of  March,  repeated 
the  very  scenes  which  had  dis- 
graced the  capital  in  the  precieding 
August.  They  began  with  plun- 
dering the  office  of  an  obnoxious 
journalist.  They  then  attacked 
the  houses  of  obnoxious  manu- 
facturers, that  is,  of  men  who  did 
not  join  in  all  the  phrenzies  of 
these  mad  republicans.  The  im- 
potent regent  was  helpless.  He 
and  his  ministers  could  print 
proclamations,  and  make  wild 
speeches,  but  they  could  not  save 
the  property  of  peacefxil  citizens 


from  popular  pillage.  In  one  in* 
stance  the  civic  guard  allowed  the 
work  of  destruction  to  go  on  for  a 
whole  night,  without  offering  to 
interfere;  in  another,  they  de- 
livered up  their  arms  in  obedience 
to  the  summons  of  the  mob.  From 
the  capital  the  spirit  spread  to 
other  towns.  At  Li^ge,  the  po- 
pulace made  equally  free  with  the 
property  of  the  merchants,  return* 
mg  in  the  morning  to  complete 
the  destruction  which  the  weari- 
ness and  intoxication  of  the  pre« 
ceding  night  had  left  imperrect, 
and  that,  too,  in  presence  of  the 
civic  guard,  and  a  detachment  of 
cavalry.  At  Antwerp,  although 
the  merchants,  apprehending  si- 
milar scenes,  haa  called  on  the 
military  ofiicers  to  take  proper 
precautions  against  their  occur- 
rence, and  had  been  assured  by 
these  persons,  that  all  riotous  as- 
semblies would  be  met .  with 
promptitude;  yet,  while  one  house 
was  plundered  after  another,  the 
military  and  civic  guard  looked 
tranquilly  on,  or  followed  cautiously 
in  their  rear.  At  Ghent,  the  mob 
was  allowed  to  proceed  the  length 
of  murder,  an  unfortunate  mdnu- 
facturer  having  fallen  beneath  mul- 
tiplied wounds.  ■  Namur,  Ypres, 
and  other  towns,  were  p'bllut^  by 
similar  exhibitions  of  unrestrained 
riot  and  pillage.  The  bonds  of 
society  seemed  rent  asunder  ;  au- 
thority had  lost  its  power ;  and  a 
ragged  rabble  lorded  it  ovei^  the 
citizens.  Nothing  could  be  more 
ludicrously  expressive  of  the 
weakness  of  all  legal  power,  than 
the  language  of  a  motion  made  to 
Congress,  to  pass  an  act  declaring 
''  that  the  authors  of  the  scenes 
of  pillage  shall  be  sought  out,  and 
in  future  the  authorities  shall  be 
obliged  to  oppose  such  excesses  by 
force  of  arms."    But  where  the 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[389 


populace  reigned,  no  such  laws 
could  be  allowed.  Not  one  man 
was  punished  on  account  of  these 
outrages.  The  Belgic  association— 
a  twopenny  subscription  club — 
ruled  the  government,  dictated 
war,  directed  the  populace  against 
all  moderate  sentiments  and  the 
men  who  espoused  them,  and  sent 
forth  their  emissaries  to  propagate 
riot  and  plunder  in  the  provinces, 
under  the  pretext  of  punishing 
persons  suspected  to  be  well-in- 
clined to  the  house  of  Orange. 
In  the  capital  itself,  they  ordered 
to  be  seized  and  imprisoned,  by 
their  own  authority,  an  officer 
whom  they  chose  to  suspect  of 
Orangeisra.  The  government  did 
not  dare  either  to  guard  the  deed, 
or  to  liberate  the  prisoner.  The 
Congress  having  passed  to  the 
order  of  the  day  on  the  mad  pro- 
posal to  declare  war  against  Hol- 
land if  it  did  not  grant  all  they 
demanded  within  a  month,  the 
Belgic  Association  declared  that  it 
would  itself  raise  men  and  under- 
take the  vindication  of  the  national 
honour.  Its  emissaries  were  with 
the  troops,  as  well  as  among  the 
populace,  inciting  incessant  pro- 
vocation, and  rendering  the  pre- 
servation of  peace  a  matter  of 
supreme  difficulty.  It  was  not 
wonderful  that  all  wise  and  mo- 
derate men  retired  from  scenes 
where  vanity,  ignorance,  violence, 
and  extravagance  were  triumph- 
ant. Great  part  of  the  mem- 
bers of  Congress  resigned,  and  a 
great  part  of  the  remainder  ceased 
to  attend,  leaving  the  wildness  of 
the  legislature,  and  the  fooleries  of 
the  regency,  in  the  hands  of  a 
small  number  distinguished  by 
nothing  but  the  absence  of  all 
wisdom  in  conducting  human  af- 
fairs, and  who  gratified  their  mi- 
^rable  self-conceit  by  being  the 


pup^)ets  of  factious  mobs,  despised 
at  home^i  and  laughed  at  abroad. 
The  men  who,  before  the  final  se- 
paration of  the  provinces,  had  pe- 
titioned for  redress  of  grievances, 
and  would  have  been  satisfied  with 
legislative  and  administrative  in- 
dependence, had  retired  from  the 
scene,  for  they  were  marked  out  to 
plunder  and  murder,  and  left  the 
ground   clear    for    even    a    more 
wretched  set  of   intriguers   than 
the  knot  who  had  first  seized  the 
reins  of  government,  or  had  ren- 
dered themselves  and  their  coun- 
try ridiculous  by  running  to  Paris 
and  Loiulon  under  the  idea  that 
they    were    diplomatists.      They 
could  not  even  agree  among  them- 
selves.    The  cabinet  of  the  regent 
was  broken  up,  before  he  had  been 
a  fortnight  in  office,  because  each 
of  its  members,  having  a  journal 
at  his  command,  proceeded  from 
the  council-table  to  the  office  of 
the  journal,  revealed  the  secrets  of 
the  council,  and  abused  his  coU 
leagues.     M.  de  Brouckere,  there- 
fore, said,   he  could  not  sit  with 
M.  Van  de  Weyer,  and  M.  Van 
de  Weyer  said,  he  could  not  sit 
with  M.  de  Brouckere ;  while  M. 
Gendebien  paid  the    same    com- 
pliment to  M.  Tielmans,  and  M. 
Tielmans  to  M.  Gendebien,  each 
accusing  the  other  of  treachery, 
slander,    and    defamation.      This 
Van  de  Weyer,    the  diplomatist, 
who  had  declared  in  the  Congress 
that     he     had     received    official 
notice    of   the    readiness  of   the 
French  court  to  accept  the  crown 
for  the  duke  of  Nemours,  if  he 
should  be  elected,  and  who  had  de- 
clared in  the  same  place,  on  his 
])ersonal  knowledge  as  a  commis- 
sioner in  London  for  the  Belgian 
government,  that  a  hundred  thou- 
sand Englishmen  had   stated    to 
Parliament  they  would  not  pay 


390]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


the  taxes^  if  Belgium  were  inter- 
fered with^  informed  the  Congress^ 
after  losing  his  office,  that  his  col> 
league,  M.  Brouckere,  had  pro- 
posed in  the  council  a  plan  for 
throwing  Belgium  into  the  arms 
of  France ;  and  his  colleague, 
though  very  wrath  that  the  de- 
liberations of  the  council -table 
should  be  disclosed,  did  not  deny 
tlie  charge. 

It  was  clear  to  all  the  world, 
that  the  injustice  and  obstinacy  of 
Belgium  rested  in  no  small  mea- 
sure on  the  belief  that  France 
would  at  last  support  them  in  all 
their  demands,  and  that  the  other 
Courts  would  take  no  active  mea- 
sures against  them,  lest  any  at- 
tempt to  perform  what  Holland 
was  entitled  to  demand,  should 
lead  to  an  union  between  Belgium 
and  France,  which  could  not  have 
been  removed  without  a  war.  The 
former  of  these  impressions  had 
been  greatly  strengthened  by  the 
letter  of  Sebastian i,  disavowing 
the  protocol  of  the  20th  of  January, 
a  disavowal  which  remained  too 
long  undisclaimed.  It  was  only 
on  the  17th  of  April  that  France 
gave  the  pointed  and  s{)ecial  adhe- 
sion which  the  other  Courts  re- 
quired, and  even  then  the  Belgian 
authorities  seemed  not  one  whit 
more  inclined  to  yield.  Men  be- 
gan to  suspect  that  some  secret 
game  was  going  on^  and  that  means 
would  still  be  found  to  make  the 
Conference  of  London  revoke,  in 
favour  of  Belgium,  those  articles 
which  it  had  pledged  itself  sliould 
be  irrevocable.  The  protocol  of 
the  10th  of  May  gave  no  counte- 
nance to  these  suspicions.  The 
members  of  the  Conference  there 
declared  that  they  would  allow 
Belgium  till  the  1st  of  June,  but 
no  longer,  '*  to  place  itself,  accord- 
ing to  its  evident  interest,  in  the 


same  position  as  the  king  of  the 
Netherlands  by  the  acceptance*'  of 
the  articles  already  agreed  on.  If 
Belgium  should  not  by  that  time 
accede,  then  the  Conferenoe  de- 
clared, that  a  total  rupture  should 
take  place  of  all  relations  between 
the  five  Powers,  and  the  author- 
ities who  governed  Belgium ;  that, 
so  far  from  interfering,  as  they  had 
hitherto  done,  to  prevent  the 
Germanic  Confederation  from  oc- 
cupying the  grand  duchy  of  Lux- 
emburg for  its  defence,  they  would 
consider  such  measures  absolutely 
necessary  ;  and  that  if  Belgium 
attacked  Holland,  the  Conference 
would  take  steps  to  oppose  such 
aggressions.  The  five  Powers  were 
thus  once  more  solemnly  pledged 
to  execute  the  engagement  on 
which  Holland  was  relying,  or  to 
allow  her  to  compel  its  execution 
by  her  own  means.  They  could 
not  possibly  tell  Holland  that  they 
would  neither  settle  her  quarrels 
for  her,  nor  allow  her  to  settle 
them  herself. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  five 
Courts  had  agreed,  that  Prince 
Leopold  of  Saxe-Coburg  would 
be  a  proper  king  for  Belgium,  if 
the  Belgians  could  be  brought  to 
elect  him.  The  choice  could  not 
be  pleasing  to  France,  whose  mi- 
nisters were  sure  to  be  represent- 
ed as  having  succumbed  to  the  in- 
fluence of  England  in  allowing 
Belgium  to  fall  into  the  hands  of 
a  prince  so  intimately  connected 
with  the  latter  country.  Agents 
from  Brussels  had  already  sounded 
the  inclinations  of  the  prince,  but 
found  that  he  would  not  accept  a 
crown,  so  long  as  Belgium  insisted 
that  its  king  should  quarrel  with  all 
Europe  by  maintaining  all  their 
demands.  From  that  moment 
there  seemed  to  commence  a  series 
of  practices  for  oyercoming  the 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE.  [391 

diificuUy  by  receding  from  engage-  the  dispositions  of  the  protocol  of 
ments  so  repeatedly  and  distinctly  the  lOtn  of  May  were  to  be  forth- 
con  firmed.  The  first  mention  of  the  with    followed   out.     Conciliatory 
])rince  in  connection  with  the  Bel-  as  all  this  was  towards  Belgium> 
gic  policy  was  made  in  the  proto-  who   had  been   treating  the  five 
colof  the  21st  of  May.  That  docu-  Courts  with  mere  arrogance  and 
ment  purported  to  proceed  on  in-  violence,  there  was  not  perhaps  any 
formation  derived  from  lord  Pon-  thing  in  it  to  rouse  the  suspicious 
sonby  the  British  minister  at  Brus-  of  Holland,  that  a  change  of  plan, 
sels.     It  stated  the  Conference  had  or  a  breach  of  faith,  was  in  con- 
learned,  that  the  assent  of  Belgium  templation.     The  cession  of  Luk- 
would  be  greatly  facilitated,  if  the  emburg  was  to  be  '^  negotiated  " 
five  Powers  would   support  it  in  with  her;  it  would,  therefore,  re- 
getting  Luxemburg  for  an  indem-  main  for  herself  to  accept  or  refuse 
liity,  and  that,  ^'as  the  choice  of  a  the  terms  which  might  be  offered, 
new  sovereign  had  become  indis-  The  language  used  was  utterly  ir- 
peusable  to  arrive  at  this  final  ar-  reconcileable   with   the  idea  that 
I'augement,  the  best  means  of  ob-  the    five   Powers    could    possibly 
taining  the  proposed  object  would  mean  to  force  upon  her  the  cession 
be,  to  remove  the  difficulties  which  of  the  grand  duchy  for  any  indem- 
would  impede  the   acceptance  of  nity  -which    they    might    think 
the  sovereignty  by  prince  Leopolds  proper  to   be   given.     That   idea 
in  case,  as  there  is  every  reason  to  would  have  been  inconsistent  with 
believe,  that  sovereignty  should  be  all  good  faith.     The  cautious  Ian- 
offered  to  him."     It  therefore  au-  guage  used  bv  the  members  of  the 
thorized  lord  Ponsonby  to  declare,  Conference,   in    representing    the 
that  though  the  five  Powers  would  giving  up  of  Luxemburg,  even  in 
not  enlarge  the  time  for  Belgium  exchange  for  an  indemnity,  as  only- 
accepting  the  bases  already  settled,  a  contingent  concession  which  they 
and  by  which  Holland  was  already  might  possibly  obtain  from  Hol- 
bound,  yet  ''  they  would  open  a  land    by    means    of    negotiation, 
negotiation  with  the  king  of  the  showed  plainly  their  own  convic- 
Netherlands,  in  order  to  secure,  (f  tion,  that  they  could  not,  in  honour 
possible^    to   Belgium,  for  a  just  or  justice,  propose  such  a  change 
compensation,  the  |M)ssession  of  the  of  agreement  to  Holland  as  a  new 
grand  duchy  of  Luxemburg,  pre-  and  imperative  condition.     IfHol- 
serviug  always  its  relations  to  the  land  refused  to  cede,  she  and  they 
Germanic  Confederation."     They  were  still  bound  by  their  ratified 
furtherdeclared,  that,  on  obtaining  engagements.     Accordingly,  they 
the   assent  of  Belgium   to  '*  the  still  insisted  on  the  unqualified  ac- 
bases  of  separation,"   they  would  cessionofBelgiumtothese  engage- 
inform  the  Germanic  Confederation  ments  as  an  indispensable  condi- 
of  the  engagement  now  undertaken  tbn  even  to  the  opening  of  a  nego- 
to  commence   a  negotiation,  and  tiation  whose  object  was  to  be,  to 
would  invite  that  body  to  suspend,  prevail  on  Holland  to  allow  part  of 
during  the  negotiation,  the  execu-  them  to  be  changed, 
tion  of  the  measures  resolved  upon  In  the  mean  time  the  Belgian 
for  the  military  occupation  of  the  government  had  attempted,  during 
grand  duchy,   but  if  this  assent  a  brief  adjournment  of  the  Con- 
was  ii<^  given  by  the  Ist  of  Juoe^  sre9^  to  throw  off  all  Qonuection 


392]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


with  the  ConfereDce^  and  to  obtain 
directly  from  Holland^  what  the 
five  Powers  had  declared  it  would 
be  injustice  to  ask.  On  the  9th 
of  May^  M.  Lebeau^  the  Belgian 
foreign  minister^  addressed  a  com- 
munication to  the  government  of 
the  Hague,  proposing  that  it 
should  name  three  commissioners 
to  meet  with  three  Belgic  com- 
nyssioners^  who  should  be  em-i 
powered  to  settle  the  basis  of  a 
scheme  of  arrangement^  which 
should  then  be  submitted  to  the 
legislative  bodies.  This  proposal 
was  made  under  a  threat^  that>  if  it 
wasnotaccepted,  "  Belgium  would 
immediately  proceed  to  a  renewal 
of  hostilities."  The  threat  was 
ridiculous ;  the  proposal  itself  was 
unmeaning.  The  bases  of  separa- 
tion had  been  irrevocably  fixed  by 
the  Conference;  to  these  bases 
Holland  had  agreed  ;  and  even  if 
she  could  have  been  asked  to  nego- 
tiate directly  with  revolted  sub- 
jects whom  no  power  in  Europe 
had  yet  recognized^  it  was  useless 
to  ask  such  a  negotiation  for  the 
purpose  of  making  demands  which 
the  Conference  had  declared  to  be 
too  imjust  to  be  made  even  by 
them.  There  was  not  much  mo- 
desty in  requesting  the  king  of 
Holland  to  yield  to  Belgium  what 
the  five  great  Powers  had  secured 
to  him  as  against  Belgium — and 
that  such  alone  could  be  the  na- 
ture of  the  demands  now  to  be 
made  was  manifest  from  the  fact, 
that  the  refusal  of  these  demands 
by  the  Conference  was  the  only 
reason  why  Belgium  wished  to 
open  up  this  direct  intercourse. 
The  king  of  Holland  had  early 
taken  his  ground,  by  accepting  the 
terms  proposed  by  the  Conference, 
however  much  he  might  feel  that 
they  were  too  favourable  to  the 
revolted  provinces.    The  Confer^ 


ence  was  bound  either  to  enforce 
these  terms,  or,  withdrawing  from 
the  scene  altogether,  leave  Hol- 
land and  Belgium  to  settle  their 
dififerences  by  negotiation  or  by 
arms,  as  they  themselves  might 
prefer.  Looking  at  what  Holland 
had  done,  and  the  relation  in 
which  the  Conference  stood  both 
to  her  and  to  Belgium,  there  could 
be  no  greater  impertinence  than 
this  threat  to  declare  war,  if  Hol- 
land should  refuse  to  disclaim  the 
Conference,  and  enter  into  a  direct 
negotiation. 

War,  however,  did  not  follow, 
although  the  Belgians,  at  various 
points,  and  especially  at  Antwerp^ 
where  the  Dutch  still  occupied 
the  citadel,  did  every  thing  in 
their  power  to  provoke  it.  Tn  de- 
fiance of  the  armistice,  the  Bel- 
gian military  authorities  advanced 
their  troops  and  posts  beyond  the 
line  of  demarcation,  and  began  to 
erect  works  against  the  fort  of  St. 
Lawrence ;  general  Chasse  imme- 
diately occupied  it  with  a  body  of 
troops.  The  Belgians  had  the 
impudence  to  complain  of  this  de- 
fensive movement  as  a  violation  of 
the  armistice  —  nobody,  forsooth, 
was  entitled  to  take  militi^ry  mea- 
sures except  themselves.  •  Some 
firing  took  place,  and  general  Bel- 
liard,  the  French  agent,  along  with 
an  English  agent,  hastened  from 
Brussels  to  inquire  into  the  afilair. 
The  Dutch  commander  told  them 
at  once,  that,  if  the  Belgians  would 
be  quiet,  he  would  be  quiet,  as  he 
had  been;  but  he  could  not  sit 
still,  and  allow  them  actually  to 
carry  on  a  siege.  The  Belgian 
officers  promised  that  their  pro- 
ceedings should  be  stopped,  but 
no  sooner  had  the  Frendi  and  Bri- 
tish agents  returned  to  Brussels 
than  the  hostile  operations  were 
renewed^  and  wero  only  suspended 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[393 


by  these  agents  insisting  on  the 
interference  of  the  regent.  As  the 
Belgians^  in  Congress  and  in  their 
state  papers^  uniformly  accused  the 
Dutch  of  being  the  violators  of  the 
armistice^  general  Belliard  and 
his  colleague  gave  direct  testi- 
mony that  the  truth  lay  precisely 
the  other  way.  In  communicating 
to  general  C basse  that  they  had 
applied  to  the  regent^  so  soon  as 
they  learned  that  the  Belgians  had 
renewed  their  operations  against 
the  citadel  "  in  infraction  of  the 
law  of  nations^  and  of  all  military 
rules,"  they  added,  "  We  admired 
your  prudence,  and  will  make  known 
your  noble  conduct  in  these  diffi- 
cult circumstances.  The  regent 
sends  his  most  positive  orders  that 
every  operation  for  a  siege  shall 
cease  immediately,  and  that  in 
future  there  shall  be  an  absti- 
nence from  all  hostile  demonstra- 
tions against  the  lunette  St.  Lau- 
rent, which,  by  the  capitulations 
of  Antwerp,  belongs  to  the  citadel, 
and  forms  part  of  its  defence. 
Should  it  happen,  general,  that 
the  orders  of  the  regent  are  not 
executed  as  promptly  as  may  be 
desired,  we  believe  that  you  will 
not  regard  this  delay  as  a  con- 
tinuation of  attack  and  menace, 
and  that  the  prudence  which  cha- 
racterizes you,  as  well  as  the  love 
of  country  with  which  you  are  ac- 
tuated, and  of  which  you  have  just 
given  such  striking  proofs,  will 
also  induce  you  to  delay  the  exe- 
cution of  the  measures  of  defence 
which  you  may  be  forced  to  adopt. 
We  shall  owe  it  to  your  prudence 
that  peace  has  not  been  disturbed/' 
The  suggestion,  that  the  general 
should  not  expect  the  immediate 
execution  of  the  regent's  orders, 
marks  distinctly  the  miserable  im- 
potence of  the  government.  Tem- 
porary   obedience   was   all    that 


could  be  obtained.  Firing  with 
musketry  at  the  military  in  the 
fortress  was  an  every  day  occupa- 
tion of  the  Belgian  volunteers,  and 
it  passed  unpunished  only  because 
the  Dutch  commander,  seeing  the 
total  want  of  discipline  and  obe- 
dience in  what  was  called  the  Bel- 
gian army,  was  averse  to  punish 
peaceful  citizens  on  account  of  the 
violence  of  these  military  ruffians, 
who  were  but  the  tools  of  a  party 
eager  .{o  raise  the  conflagration  of 
a  general  war.  The  commerce  of 
Antwerp  was  at  a  stand.  Aware 
that  the  conduct  of  the  Belgians 
might  at  any  time  provoke  repri- 
sals from  the  cannon  of  the  citadel, 
the  better  class  of  the  inhabitants 
removed  in  great  numbers  fi'om  a 
city  where  they  were  sitting  on 
gunpowder.  General  Chasse,  how- 
ever, bore  the  teazing  of  the  Bel- 
gian hornets  with  exemplary  pa- 
tience. 

During  the  short  recess  of  the 
Congress,  agents  of  the  govern- 
ment had  been  dispatched  to  Lon- 
don, to  ascertain  the  inclinations 
of  Prince  Leopold,  if  the  Crown 
should  be  offered  to  him.  While 
Congress  retained  its  present  ob- 
stinacy and  opinions,  no  prince  in 
his  sober  senses  could  accept  their 
throne.  They  pertinaciously  re- 
fused to  accept  the  conditions 
fixed  by  the  Conference ;  and  the 
Conference  was  irrevocably  pledged 
to  acknowledge  no  king  of  Belgium 
who  did  not  accede  to  these  condi- 
tions. The  Belgic  government 
was  in  direct  opposition  to  the 
great  ^  Powers  of  Europe  on  the 
question  of  limits.  By  an  article 
in  the  Belgic  constitution,  Lux- 
emburg was  included  in  the 
Belgic  kingdom ;  and  the  Sove- 
reign had  to  take  an  oath  on  his 
accession  to  preserve  this,  as  well 
as  the  other  parts  of  the  Belgic 


394]         ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


territory^  inviulate.     Thus^  while 
Europe     had   declared    that    the 
grand    duchy  did  uot    beloug  to 
Belgium,   and    the   prince  would 
have  to  swear  to    preserve  it   as 
an   integral  portion  of   its  terri- 
tory,  his  oath  would  involve  him 
in  a  war  with  his  allies.     Regard- 
less of   this,    when  the   Congress 
re*as8enibled  on  the  18th  of  May, 
the  election  of  the  prince  seemed 
already  to  he  certain.      The  war 
party,   indeed^  was  as  violent  as 
ever,  and  made  various  proposals 
for  immediately  using  arms  to  en- 
force  all    their  demands — and  it 
was    to  be  lamented^    that   they 
were  not  allowed  to  indulge  their 
braggard  humour.     Their  anxiety 
for   War  was   explicable    on   only 
one  principle,  viz.  that  they  trust- 
ed,  in  the  event  of  war,   to   the 
support  of  France,  and  that  the 
rest  of  the  courts,  labouring  un- 
der the    same  impression,   would 
recede    from    their   engagements 
with  Holland,  rather  than  risk  a 
war  which  might  call  France  into 
action.     On    the    other  hand,  as 
the  great  majority  were  willing  to 
elect  a  king  whose  acceptance  was 
inconsistent  with  the  repeated  de- 
clarations of  his  electors,  their  con- 
duct led  to  a  suspicion  that,    in 
choosing  a  prince    on  whom   the 
allies    were    agreed,    they  might 
claim  merit  with  the  Conference, 
and  more  particularly  with  Eng- 
land, with  whose  royal  house  that 
prince  was  neorly  allied,  and  whose 
present  ministers  were  supposed  to 
have  been,  on  other  occasions,  his 
private  and  confidential  advisers. 

On  the  25th  of  May,  a  proposal, 
signed  by  ninety  four  members 
was  submitted  to  Congress,  that 
prince  Leopold  should  be  elected 
king  of  the  Belgians,  and  it  was 
urged,  at  the  same  time,  that 
the  election  should  take  place  with* 


out  delay.    The  Ist  of  June  was 
the  last  day  fixed    for   giving  in 
their  unqualified  adhesion  t(»  the 
terms  of  the  protocol  of  SOth  Jan- 
uary,  with  the  contingent  possi- 
bility of  having  them    modified, 
with  the  consent  of  Holland,  by 
negotiation.     Their  determination 
to  reject  these  terms  remained  un- 
altered ;  instead  of  taking  any  step 
to  adhere  to  these  terms  on  tlie  lat 
of  June,  they  resolved  to  proceed 
with  the  choice  of  a  king  in  de- 
fiance of  them,  and  to  carry  through 
this  election  at  the  very  tim^  which 
had  been  allowed  them  for  a  dif- 
ferent    purpose.      The    pro]K)Wil 
made  on  the  25th,  that  prince  Leo- 
pold should  be  king,  had  been  re- 
ferred,  in   common   form   to  the 
sections.    Their  report  was  made 
on  the  27th,  and  the  result  was, 
that  ninety-six  members  of  these 
sections    Toted    for    the     prince, 
twenty-four  reserved  their  votes, 
and  two  were  negative.    As  the 
Congress,  even  when  fully  assem- 
bled, consisted  of  only  200  mem- 
bers, and  no  other  candidate  was 
in  the  field,  the  fate  of  the  elec- 
tion, in  so  far  as  the  electors  were 
concerned,   seemed  to   be    deter-* 
mined. 

Before  they  had  proceeded  fur- 
ther, they  .received  the  communi- 
cation made  by  lord  Ponsonby,  in 
virtue  of  the  protocol  of  the  2 let 
of  May.  His  lordship,  however, 
gave  the  whole  transaction  a  much 
more  favourable  colouring  for  Bel- 
gium than  what  it  bore  on  the  face 
of  the  protocol.  He  represented 
the  cession  of  Luxemburg,  not  as  a 
possibility  which  the  five  Powers 
would  endeavour  to  efifect  by  ne* 
gotiation,  but  as  a  certainty  which 
they  would  make  good  at  all  events, 
and  the  great  motive  by  which  he 
tried  to  persuade  Belgium  to  give 
in   )ier   unqualified   adhesion   to 


HISTORY    OF   EUROPE 


[395 


^  the  btses  of  separation/'  was, 
that  the  Conference  would  irnme* 
diately  take  care  to  Qualify  them. 
In  his  official  letter,  oated  S7th  of 
May,  his  lordship  wrote,  ^'The 
Conference  would  see  with  plea- 
sure the  Belgian  Congress  elect 
some  sovereign  who  might  not 
personally  interfere  with  the 
rights  of  other  governments,  and 
it  will  recognise  with  particular 
satisfaction  the  prince  on  whom 
the  Belgians  seem  specially  to  hare 
turned  their  eyes,  provided  the 
Congress  will  enable  him  to  take 
his  place  in  the  common  circle  of 
the  governments"«-^that  is,  by  an 
unqualified  acceptance  of  the  terms 
to  which  they  had  pledged  them- 
selves over  and  over.  Then  came 
the  assurance,  that  this  unquali- 
fied acceptance  would  be  only  os- 
tensible. *'  Belgium  is  excited  to 
have  recourse  to  arms,  and  why  ? 
To  retain  Luxemburg.  But  she 
may  possess  it  in  peace  and  secur- 
ity for  a  thousandth  part  of  the 
price  which  an  attempt  to  keep  it 
by  force  of  arms  would  cost.  The 
hesitation  which  prince  Leopold 
has  manifested  in  his  answer  to  the 
deputies  who  sounded  his  opinion, 
sufficiently  shows  the  disinterested 
nature  of  his  motives,  and  that  he 
will  not  accept  a  crown  if  he  can* 
not  wear  it  with  honour  to  Belgium 
and  to  himself.  However,  he  is 
now  convinced  that  he  is  suffi- 
ciently authorised  to  expect  with 
confidence  the  equitable  and  speedy 
execution  of  the  measures  by  whien 
the  Conference  will  assist  in  the 
satisfactory  arrangement  of  the 
afiairs  of  Luxemburg,  and  the 
prince  is  ready  to  take  upon  him- 
self, as  sovereign,  the  completion 
of  this  affair.  Can  there  be  a  bet- 
ter proof  of  the  change  which  has 
taken  place  in  the  opinions  eaad  re- 
solutions of  the  CoDfisrenoe  ?    A 


week  ago,  they  considered  the  pre- 
servation of  that  duchy  to  the 
House  of  Nassau  to  be,  if  not  ne- 
ceesary,  at  least  extremely  de- 
sirable ;  and,  at  present,  it  is  in- 
clined to  a  mediation,  with  tlie 
avowed  intention  of  obtaining  it  for 
the  sovereign  of  Belgium.  The 
honour  of  Belgium  consists  in  ob- 
taining Luxemburg,  not  in  fighting 
for  it.''  This  language  seemed  to 
imply,  that  the  rights  of  Holland, 
and  the  pledges  of  the  Conference, 
were  to  be  sacrificed  to  the  election 
purposes  of  prince  Leopold.  He  was 

S reposed  to  the  Belgians  as  a  candi- 
ate  who  would  secure  to  them 
their  great  -object— the  possession 
of  Luxemburg;  as  a  pnnce  who 
was  authorised  to  expect  with  con- 
fidence the  execution  of  the  mea-- 
sures  which  would  produce  that 
desirable  result.  Nay,  he  knew 
so  much  of  the  intentions  of  the 
five  Powers,  that  he  could  take  the 
settlement  of  that  affisiirupon  him- 
self as  sovereign,  which  could  only 
mean,  that  he  knew  they  were  de- 
termined to  compel  the  submission 
of  Holland  to  the  "  change  which 
had  taken  place  in  their  opinions 
and  resolutions ;"  for  if,  while  such 
language  was  held  to  Belffium,  no- 
thing more  was  intended  than  an 
attemjpt  at  negotiation,  the  success 
of  which  depended  entirely  on  Hol- 
land, Belgium  was  deceived. 

By  the  French,  the  war^  and  the 
republican  party  in  the  Belgic  Con* 
gross,  this  communication  was  re- 
ceived with  every  term  of  insult 
and  indignation.  They  would  have 
it  rejected  at  once,  because  there 
ought  to  be  no  negotiation  about 
Luxemburg,  and  because  it  did 
not  bold  out  the  prospect  of  even 
negotiation  as  to  Limburg  and  the 
left  bank  of  the  Scheldt.  The  ma- 
jority, however,  either  saw  the  folly 
of  re»sting  what  wae  now  offer^i 


396]     ANNUAL    RE  GI  STER,  1831. 

or  bad  reason  to  8up{>ose  that  the  them  Belgium  on  easy  conditions, 

promised  negotiation  would  be  con-  even  against  the  will  of  Holland, 

verted,  as  the  reward  of  their  com-  The  count  de  Merode^  who  had  been 

pliance,  into  something  more  cer-  one  of  the  commissioners  in  Lon- 

tain  and  satisfactory.     On  the  1st  don  to  consult  the  wishes  and  as- 

of  June^  the  Congress  passed  a  de-  certain  the    opinions  of  the  pro- 

cree,  authorizing  the  government  posed  sovereign^  said,  ^'  In  a  few 

to  open  negotiations  for  the  pur-  words  I  may  state,  that  the  cause 

pose  of  terminating  all  questions  o/'  Luxemburg  is  gained,  and  we 

relative  to  territory  by  means  of  have  found  for  our  rising  kingdom 

pecuniary  sacrifices,  the  arrange-  a  chief  disposed  to  come  among  uji, 

ments  which  might  be  made  being  whom  all  the  Powers  are  ready  to 

afterwards  to  be  submitted  to  Con-  acknowledge,  because  he  offers  to 

gress  for  its   ratification.     They  |  each  the  guarantees  thought  ne- 

then  determined  to  proceed  imme-  cessary  for  their  security  :*'    and 

diately  to  the  choice  of   a  sove-  M.  Lebeau,  the  foreign  minister, 

reign.     In  all  this  they  still  set  the  said,  ''  The  Conference  knew  that 

Conference,  and   its  engagements  no  negotiations  would  be  entered 

witb  Holland,  at  defiance.     It  was  into  except  on   the  basis  of  the 

not  a  consent  to  negociate  for  a  inviolability  of  the   Constitution, 

purchase    of    Luxemburg,  which  and  the  integrity  of  the  territory, 

had  been  requested  from  them  by  In  lord  Ponsonby*s  letter,  in  which 

the  1  st  of  June^  but  an  unquali-  the  words  '  the  prince  is  willing  to 

fied  accession  to  the  terms  already  take   upon  himself,  as  sovereigo, 

fixed,  which  excluded  them  from  the  settlement  of  this  affair,' would 

Luxemburg,  subject  to  the  mere  be  found  the  true  meaning  of  the 

possibility  of  obtaining  it  by  negotia-  future  negotiations.     If  the  king 

tion,  if  Holland  should  be  willing  of  Holland  be  obliged  to  yield  on 

to  accept  a  pecuniary,  or  any  other  this  question,  no  objection  would 

equivalent.     They  were  as  far  as  be   urged   by   the  German  Diet, 

ever  from  giving  this  accession  5  which  would  certainly  not  support 

nay,   the  member  of  the  govern-  king  William,  who  was  the  oppo« 

ment   who   proposed    the    decree  nent  of  their  interests,  in  throwing 

took  care  to  inform  them,  that  even  obstacles  as  to  the  navigation  of  the 

the  election  of  Prince  Leopold  would  Rhine." 

be  no  adhesion  to  the  fundamental  The  election  took  place  on  the 
bases — ^language  which  was  utterly  3rd  and  4th  of  June.  No  rival 
unintelligible,  if  the  Conference  was  named.  Some  members  de- 
meant  to  act  honestly  towards  Hoi-  clared  that  they  would  vote  for  a 
land.  To  elect  a  sovereign,  while  they  native  prince,  and  gave  their  voices 
refused  to  admit  these  bases,  was  for  raising  to  the  throne  their  tool 
to  elect  a  sovereign  whom  the  five  and  impotent  regent,  M.  Surlet  de 
Powers  were  bound  to  refuse  to  Chokier.  Of  I96  members  who 
abknowledge.  In  the  face  of  this,  were  present,  152  gave  their  votes 
the  Congress  proceeded  with  the  in  favour  of  prince  Leopold,  and  he 
election ;  and  it  was  not  concealed,  was  declared  king  on  the  4th  of 
that  to  make  prince  Leopold  their  June.  The  very  decree,  which 
king  would  secure  such  an  inter-  contained  his  election,  rendered  ac-- 
ference  of  the  Conference,  in  defi-  ceptance  impossible.  It  bore  that 
ance  of  its  pledges^  as  would  give  he  was  not  to  take  poasession  of  the 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[397 


throne,  till  lie  should  have  sworn 
to  observe  the  Constitution,  and  to 
maintain  the  integrity  of  the  ter- 
ritory. Now  that  (constitution  ex- 
pressly declared  that  Luxemburg, 
as  well  as  the  other  disputed  ter- 
ritories, formed  part  of  the  state. 
A  deputation  of  ten  members  was 
appointed  to  proceed  to  London 
to  offer  his  royal  highness  the 
crown. 

While  these  things  were  going 
on,  the  Dutch  govern ment>  having 
learned  the  contents  of  lord  Pon- 
sonby's  epistle,  forthwith  com- 
plained to  the  conference  of  its 
statement  and  tendency.  The 
time,  by  which  the  five  Powers  had 
demanded  the  unqualified  acces- 
sion of  Belgium  as  a  condition  of 
even  attempting  any  thing  farther 
in  her  favour,  had  expired.  Even 
the  protocol  of  21st  May  had  ex- 
pressly declared,  that  if  this  was 
not  done  by  the  1st  of  June,  all 
communication  between  the  five 
Powers  and  Belgium  was  to  cease, 
and  the  measures  agreed  upon  in 
that  of  the  10th  of  May,  were  to 
be  executed.  The  1st  of  June 
had  passed,  and  instead  of  any  one 
of  those  things  being  done,  matters 
seemed  to  be  taking  a  more  favour- 
able turn  for  Belgium,  though  she 
persisted  in  refusing  that,  without 
which  it  had  been  declared  all  re- 
lations between  her  and  the  five 
Powers  were  to  be  suspended. 
The  Dutch  plenipotentiaries  bad 
already  given  notice,  on  the  21st 
of  May,  that  if  Belgium  did  not 
consent  to  what  had  now  been 
fixed  as  irrevocable  bases,  the  king 
would  consider  himself  free  to  act 
on  his  own  account,  in  order  to  put 
an  end  to  a  state  of  uncertainty 
highly  injurious  to  the  interests  of 
his  subjects.  On  the  5th  of  June, 
when  the  appointed  time  bad  ex- 
pired^ they  again  applied  to  the 


Conference,  stating  that  fact,  and 
requesting  an  explanation  as  to 
any  information  that  might  have 
been  obtained,  *Mn  order  that 
their  sovereign,  on  learning  the 
result,  may  take  such  measures  as, 
in  the  present  state  of  things,  the 
dignity,  as  well  as  the  safety  of  Hol- 
land, may  require."  Before  next 
day,  they  had  learned  the  terms  of 
lord  Ponsonby's  letter  to  the  Bel- 
gic  government,  and  immediately 
gave  in  another  note,  objecting  in 
the  strongest  manner  '*  to  every- 
thing which  the  agent  of  the  Con- 
ference has  thought  fit  to  introduce 
regarding  an  eventual  cession  of 
the  grand  duchy.  He  has  there- 
by fiattered  the  engrossing  spirit 
which  has  distinguished  the  revolt, 
and  has  encroached  on  the  inalien- 
able rights  of  the  king,  by  pro- 
mises directly  opposed  to  the  de- 
cided and  unvaried  language  of 
his  majesty's  government."  They 
then  declared,  ''The  king  abides 
by  the  act  of  separation  proposed 
by  the  five  Powers  and  accepted 
by  him  without  reservation.  By 
article  second  of  that  act,  the 
grand  duchy  is  expressly  acknow- 
ledged as  belonging  to  the  house 
of  Nassau.  It  is,  therefore,  dif- 
ficult to  comprehend  how  any 
idea  should  have  arisen  of  a  nego- 
tiation respecting  that  sovereignty, 
which,  even  after  the  uncondi- 
tional acceptance  of  the  bases  of 
separation  by  Belgium,  would  have 
been  still  subject  to  the  greatest 
difficulties,  because  the  duchy  was 
granted  to  the  king  and  the 
princes  of  his  house  in  place  of 
their  hereditary  possessions,  and 
is,  in  his  eyes,  of  inestimable 
value."  To  both  of  these  notes 
the  Conference  returned  answers 
on  the  7th  of  June,  and  the  an- 
swers were  just  another  formal  ra- 
tification of  all  that  had  hitherto 


398]      ANNUAL    REGISTER*   1831. 


been  done.  The  five  plenipoten- 
tiaries there  stated^  that,  accord- 
ing to  the  information  which  they 
had  received,  Belgium  had  not  ac- 
cepted the  bases  of  separation ; 
that  lord  Ponsonby  had,  therefore, 
been  recalled;  that  the  French 
agent  at  Brussels  would  receive 
orders  to  quit  it  at  the  same  time; 
and  that  the  Conference  was  em- 
ployed in  concerting  those  mea- 
sures which  their  engagements 
with  the  king  of  the  Netherlands 
might  require.  Professing  to  be 
ignorant  of  lord  Ponsouby's  letter, 
which  thev  described  to  be  con- 
fidential, tfiough  it  had  appeared 
in  every  newspaper  in  Belgium, 
they  referred  to  and  confirmed  the 
provisions  of  the  protocol  of  21st 
May,  *^  In  that  state  paper  these 
principles  are  laid  down,  viz.,  in 
the  first  place,  that  the  arrange- 
ments which  might  give  Belgium 
possession  of  Luxemburg  should 
be  entered  into  bv  mutual  consent ; 
secondlvy  that  its  possession  should 
be  obtained  only  in  exchange  for 
reasonable  equivalents;  and,  in 
the  third  place,  that  the  ^ve 
Powers  would  make  no  proposition 
regarding  the  proposed  arrange- 
ment, until  the  Belgians  had  sub- 
mitted to  the  fundamental  con- 
ditions of  separation,  with  which 
the  king  of  the  Netherlands  had 
complied.  These  principles  are, 
and  shall  always  continue  to  be, 
those  of  the  nve  Powers.  They 
in  no  way  shackle  the  king  of  the 
Netherlands  in  acting  as  he  thinks 
fit  regarding  that  object."  Thus 
it  was  again  distinctly  contracted 
with  Holland,  that  all  relations 
with  Belgium  should  be  broken 
off,  unless  she  gave  in  her  un- 
qualified accession  to  the  condi- 
tions of  20th  January,  as  the 
irrevocable  bases  of  separation ; 
and   that   even  when   she  should 


have  done  so,  any  exchange  of 
Luxemburg,  being  a  departure 
from  these  irrevocable  conditions^ 
was  to  be  sought  for  only  by  ne- 
gotiation and  mutual  consent;  and, 
if  rejected  by  Holland  on  the  one 
hand,  or,  on  account  of  the  equi- 
valents demanded,  by  Belgiuna  on 
the  other,  was  to  be  dropped,  leav- 
ing the  separation  of  the  two 
countries  standing  on  the  bases 
which  had  thus  been  so  often  and 
so  solemnly  declared,  and  which 
Belgium  was  to  recognixe,  as  the 
sine  qua  non  of  any  attempts  at 
farther  negotiation. 

Scarcely  had  the  just  complaints 
of  Holland  drawn  from  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Conference  this  new 
assurance  that  they  would  adhere 
to  their  engagements,  and  break 
off  all  communication  with  the 
refractory  Belgians,  when  the  de- 
putation from  Brussels  arrived  in 
Loudon  to  offer  the  crown  to  a 
prince  elected  in  violation  of  every 
thing  which  these  engagements 
contained.  Prince  Leopold  de- 
clined the  unmeaning  honour— «t 
least  he  did  not  accept  it,  and,  in 
conformity  with  the  answer  ffiven 
to  the  Dutch  plenipotentiaries  on 
the  7th  of  June,  lord  Ponsonby 
and  general  Belliard  quitted  Brus- 
sels. The  case  had  now  come  to  a 
simple  issue  between  Belgium  and 
the  Conference.  The  former  had 
refused  to  recognize  those  condi- 
tions which  the  latter  had  pled^ped 
itself  must  precede  the  recognition 
of  any  independence  or  sovereign 
in  Belgium^  or  the  maintenance  of 
any  political  relations  with  its  au- 
thorities, and  without  which  it 
had  declared  that  the  Germanic 
Confederation  must  take  military 
measures  for  the  protection  of  Lux- 
emburg as  Dutch  territory.  Its 
course  therefore  was  plain — either 
to  enforce  obedience  itself,  or  to 


HISTORY    OF    EUROPE. 


[309 


leave  unfettered  the  hands  of  Hoi* 
land^  which  had  been  reposing  so 
confidently  in  the  sense  of  honour 
and  justice^  and  the  efficacy  of 
their  own  repeated  pledges.  But 
instead  of  following  either  of  these 
courses^  a  new  series  of  negoti- 
ation was  commenced  in  London^ 
which  terminated  in  actually  mak- 
ing to  Holland  a  new  set  of  pro- 
posals for  the  separation  of  the  two 
countries^  favourable  to  Belgium 
in  every  things  in  which  they 
varied  from  those  which  had  been 
so  frequently  declared  irrevocable, 
and  'all  intended  to  secure  the 
crown  to  Leopold  free  from  those 
terms  without  which  the  Confer- 
ence stood  engaged  to  acknowledge 
no  crown  in  Belgium.  On  the 
26th  of- June,  the  prince  informed 
the  Belgic  deputation  that  he  at 
last  accepted  the  proffered  throne, 
and  the  same  day  produced  a  pro- 
tocol containing,  under  the  title 
of  "  Preliminaries,"  the  new  terms 
of  a  treaty  to  be  concluded  between 
\\^illiam  of  Holland  and  Leopold 
of  Belgium.  In  these  prelimin- 
aries, the  express  exception  of  the 
grand  duchy  of  Luxemburg  from 
Belgium,  on  the  clear  ground  that 
it  belonged  to  the  House  of  Nas- 
sau by  a  different  title  from  that 
on  which  they  had  held  the  Belgic 
provinces,  and  had  been  given  to 
them  in  return  for  other  patri- 
monial inheritances  of  which  they 
had  been  deprived  for  European 
purposes,  was  altogether  omitted. 
It  was  to  be  made  the  subject  of  a 
negotiation  between  the  two  so- 
vereigns •'  distinct  from  the  ques- 
tion of  boundaries,"  thus  revoking 
the  positive,  final,  and  irrevocable 
judgment  which  had  been  pro- 
nounced in  favour  of  Holland,  and 
had  been  ratified  again  and  again. 
Even  Maestricht,  on  which,  by  that 
same  judgment,  not  a  doubt  had 


been  allowed  to  rest,  was  now  left 
a  disputable  matter  by  a  provision 
that,  '^  if  it  is  found  that  the  re- 
public of  the  United  Provinces  did 
not  exclusively  exercise  the  sove- 
reignty of  Maestricht  in  1790,  the 
two  parties  shall  consider  of  means 
of  making  an  amicable  arrange- 
ment on  this  subject."  Besides 
other  changes^  the  worst  thing  was, 
that  Belgium  was  set  free  fr^  the 
obligation  to  admit  the  original 
bases,  before  she  could  be  received 
into  political  relationship.  The 
Conference  had  declared^  that  if  she 
did  not  admit  them,  as  a  condition 
of  trying  to  negociate  an  exchange 
of  Luxemburg,  which  they  de- 
clared to  belong  to  Holland,  Lux* 
emburg  must  be  occupied  by  the 
troops  of  the  Confederation.  Now  ^ 
they  recalled  the  declaration  that 
Luxemburg  belonged  to  Holland ; 
and  they  not  only  left  Belgium  at 
liberty  to  press  her  demand,  which 
they  themselves  had  determined  to 
be  unjust,  unfettered  by  any  prior 
condition,  but  declared  they  would 
take  care,  that,  while  the  question 
was  pending,  the  military  occupa- 
tion of  the  Grand  Duchy  should  re- 
main in  statu  quo.  It  was  expressly 
agreed,  however,  that  these  pro- 
posed preliminaries  were  to  be  null 
and  void,  if  rejected  in  whole,  or 
in  part,  by  Holland  or  by  Belgium. 
In  the  latter  country  they  were 
not  likely  to  encounter  much  op- 
position. Their  acceptance  was  a 
condition  of  the  acceptance  of  the 
crown  by  Leopold,  while  their 
very  existence  proved  to  the  Bel- 
gians how  powerfully  the  desire  of 
the  Conference  to  see  that  prince 
at  their  head  had  already  operated 
in  their  favour.  They  were  ac- 
cepted, in  defiance  of  the  agitators 
of  the  Belgie  association  by  126 
votes  against  70.  tn  defending 
them  the  foreign  minister  stated  as 


4001      ANNUAL   REGISTER,  1831. 


one  of  their  greatest  recommend- 
ations^ that  there  was  no  simi- 
larity between  them  and  the  ar- 
rangements contained  in  the  former 
protocols.  He  could  not  have  used 
other  language,  if  he  had  intended 
to  satirize  the  vacillation  of  the 
five  Powers^  and  this  dissimilarity 
necessarily  prevented  their  accept- 
ance by  Holland^  which  all  along 
had  been  foolishly  trusting  to  the 
engagements  and  pledges  embodied 
in  these  former  documents.  The 
members  of  the  Conference  them- 
selves seem  to  have  felt  that  they 
were  acting  unworthily  in  now 
breaking  asunder  every  obligation 
they  had  contracted;  for,  instead 
of  communicating  these  prelimin- 
aries in  the  usual  way,  one  of  their 
own  number,  M.  Weissenberg,  a 
plenipotentiary  of  Austria,  was 
dispatched  to  the  Hague,  to  ex- 
plain and  justify  their  conduct, 
and  urge  their  new  proposals.  The 
Dutch  court,  as  might  have  been 
expected,  refused  to  accept  them, 
and  called  for  the  execution  of  the 
agreement  to  which  it  had  trusted, 
or  the  unfettered  power  of  com- 
pelling its  execution  at  its  own 
hand.  His  Dutch  majesty  pointed 
out  in  detail,  the  changes  made 
upon  former  articles,  and  the  en- 
tirely new  terms  which  were  intro- 
duced,— ^all  of  them  unfavourable 
to  Holland,  and  all  of  them  incon- 
sistent with  the  previous  stipula- 
tions.'^    On  these  stipulations,  so 

•  The  following  was  the  statement  of 
the  Dutch  foreign  minister  in  regard  to 
these  preliminaries : — 

"  The  Appendix  A  to  the  12th  proto- 
col, since  the  time  of  the  assent  of  his 
majesty,  and  in  connexion  with  the  11th 
and  12th  protocols,  of  which  this  Ap- 
pendix contains  the  result  or  summary, 
having  become  the  unalterable  basis  of 
the  negotiations,  his  majesty's  first  care 
was  to  compare  that  Appendix  with  the 
18  articles  now  proposed  as  preliminaries 


lately  confirmed,  Holland  took  its 

of  a  treaty  of  peace  between  Holland  and 
Belgium.  From  this  comparison  it  ap- 
pears that  there  is  a  very  essential  differ- 
ence between  the  bases  of  the  separation 
adopted  by  the  king  and  the  18  articles, 
and  that  all  the  changes  which  the  Con- 
ference now  proposes  to  make  in  those 
bases  are  to  the  advantage  of  Belgium 
and  the  prejudice  of  Holland.  A  short 
developement  will  suffice  to  prove  both 
these  facts. 

'*  The  second  article  of  the  Appendix 
A  expressly  excludes  from  the  Belgian 
territory  the  grand  duchy  of  Luxemburg. 
*  which  the  princes  of  the  House  of  Nas- 
sau possess  by  virtue  of  a  different  title, 
and  which  makes,  and  shall  continue  to 
make,  a  part  of  the  German  Confedera- 
tion ;'  the  proposed  articles  leaving  the 
right  of  the  grand  duke  doubtful  or  si- 
lent in  respect  to  this  exclusion,  in 
which  not  only  the  House  of  Nassau,  but 
Holland,  is  interested,  whose  military 
defence  -is  powerfully  seconded  by  the 
support  which  the  sovereignty  of  the 
House  of  Nassau  or  Luxemburg  gives  it, 
but  would  be  weakened  by  the  union  of 
the  grand  duchy  with  Belgium. 

'*  Nay, more,  in  the  third  article  of  the 
proposed  preliminaries,  the  five  Fbwers 
announce  that  they  will  employ  their 
good  offices  to  maintain  the  status  quo 
in  the  grand  duchy  during  the  course  of 
the  separate  negotiations  which  the  so- 
vereign of  Belgium  will  open  with  the 
king  of  the  Netherlands,  and  with  the 
German  Confederation,  respecting  the 
grand  duchy.  Now  this  status  qtto  is  an 
essential  grievance,  the  redress  of  which 
his  majesty  has  long  since  required. 

"  With  respect  to  the  unhindered  in- 
tercourse of  the  fortress  of  Luxemburg 
with  Germany,  as  the  maintenance  of  it 
belongs  exclusively  to  the  German  Con- 
federation, the  king,a8grand  duke,  would 
be  wanting  in  his  duties  towards  the 
Confederation,  if  he  recognized  in  this 
respect  the  competency  of  any  foreign 
power.  Besides,  if  the  Belgians  did 
not  accede  to  Appendix  A,  the  third  ar- 
ticle of  the  preliminaries  is  at  variance 
with  the  note  sent  on  the  17th  of  July, 
by  the  Conference, to  the  king's  plenipo- 
tentiaries, in  which  it  is  said  '  that  the 
five  Powers  would  not  propose  to  the 
parties  interested  the  exchange  (or  bar- 
ter) of  the  grand  duchy,  till  the  Belgians 
shall  accede  to  the  basis  of  the  separation 
laid  down  by  the  Conference,  and  al- 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[401 


stand.     It    recalled    to    the   five  uphold  these  engagements^  even  to 

Powers  that,  so  late  as  the  7th  of  the  length  of  withdrawing  their 

June,     they  had  declared  to  its  representatives  from  Brussels;  that 

minister   their    determination    to  it  now  appeared  the  interval  had 


ready  assented  to  by  his  majesty.  It  is 
true,  according  to  the  same  note,  the 
arrangement  for  securing  the  possession 
of  the  grand  duchy  to  Belgium  shall  be 
made  with  mutual  consent ;  that  posses- 
sion shall  not  be  had  but  for  a  reasonable 
indemnity ;  these  principles  are  those  of 
the  five  Powers,  and  will  always  remain 
so  ;  they  by  no  means  fetter  the  resolu- 
tions of  the  king :  far  from  violating  his 
rights,  they  respect  them,  and  only 
tender  in  return  for  equivalents  what  his 
majesty  judges  acceptable,  and  on  the 
basis  of  reciprocal  advantages  to  make 
arrangements,  the  only  object  of  which 
should  be,  to  confirm  the  duration  of 
peace. 

^'  It  is  again  true  that  such  an  ex- 
change (in  barter)  wherein  it  may  be 
brought  forward,  exclusively  appertains 
to  the  king  and  to  the  German  Confede- 
ration,— a  principle  imequivocally  ex- 
pressed by  the  two  most  powerful  states, 
and  other  members  of  it.  But  these 
considerations  do  not  do  away  with  the 
fact  that  Art.  2  and  3  of  the  prelimina- 
ries contain  an  essential  alteration  to 
the  prejudice  of  his  majesty. 

''  Of  Appendix  A,  the  abandonment 
of  Art.  9,  of  the  Appendix,  seems  again 
to  have  decided  the  question  in  favour  of 
Belgium.    It  was  reserved  in  it  whether 
it  might  be  possible  to  extend  to  the 
neighbouring  countries  the  benefit  of  the 
neutrality  pi*onounced   to  Belgium,— a 
reserve  that  seems  to  be  applicable  to 
Luxemburg,   but  which  seems  to  have 
been  thought  unnecessary  in  the  new 
articles,  in  consequence  of  the  proposed 
union  of  the  grand  dnchy  with  Belgium. 
**  The  4th  article  of  the  preliminaries 
is  new.   It  calls  in  question  the  exclusive 
exercise  of  the  sovereignty  in  the  town 
of  ^faestricht  by  the  republic  of  the 
United  Netherlands  in  1790.    If  these 
doubts  were  well  founded,  which  cannot 
be    acknowledged,     the    circumstance 
would  prove  nothing  tp  Belgium,  which 
has  no  more  right  than  Holland  to  the 
bishoprick  of  Liege. 

** According  to  article  4,  Appendix  A, 
such  exchanges  and  arrangements  be* 
tween  the  two  countries  shall  be  made 
by  the  law  of  the  6ve  Powers,  that  they 

Vol.  LXXIII. 


'Shall  secure  the  reciprocal  advantage  of 
a  connected  territory  and  an  unimpeded 
intercourse  between  the  towns  and  places 
included  within  the  frontiers.  Now  as 
Belgium  has  some  enclaves  in  the  anci- 
ent territory  of  the  United  Provinces, 
it  was  evidentlyadvantageous  to  Holland. 
The  preliminaries,  however,  merely 
speaking  of  amicable  negotiations  be- 
tween Holland  and  Belgium,  for  the  ad- 
vantage of  both,  no  mention  is  made  of  a 
continuous  territory,  of  unimpeded  inter- 
course, or  of  the  obligations  of  the  five 
Powers  to  obtain  arrangements  which 
shall  secure  these  advantages  to  both 
countries. 

*'  The  6tli  article  of  the  preliminaries 
is  not  in  appendix  A. 

•*  It  says, — *The  reciprocal  evacuation 
of  the  towns  and  places  shall  be  made 
independently  of  the  arrangements  rela- 
tive to  the  exchanges.'  Now  this  evacu- 
ation before  all  is  settled,  would  de- 
prive Holland  of  the  chief  security 
that  it  possesses  against  a  country  in  a 
stite  of  revolution,  to  see  that  which 
shall  be  determined  carried  into  effect. 
This  security  is  confirmed  to  Holland  by 
the  Conference  itself,  which  in  Appendix 
A  to  protocol  No.  10,  declared  to  the 
persons  holding  power  in  Belgium,  that 
if  the  Belgic  troops  had  not  returned  on 
the  20th  January  to  the  positions  which 
they  occupied  on  the  21st  of  November, 
the  citadel  of  Antwerp  should  not  be 
evacuated,  and  it  is  proved  that  on  the 
20tb  of  January  tiM  Bel^c  troops  had 
not  returned  to  tlicise  positions. 

''  Accor4iiig  ta  the  7th  article  of  the 
preliminariet,  the  right  of  Belgium  to 
partake  in  the  navigation  of  the  Rhine 
along  the  inland  waters  between  that 
river  and  the  Scheldt,  shall  be  the  sub- 
ject of  a  particular  negotiation  between 
the  parties  interested,  in  which  the  five 
Powers  will  employ  their  good  offices. 
It  .is  important  to  observe  how  impossi- 
ble it  is  to  accept  this  proposal,  which  is 
not  mentioned  in  appendix  A.  Indeed, 
however  ready  the  king  is  immediately 
to  enter  into  negotiations  to  regulate  the 
free  navigation  of  the  Scheldt,  accord- 
ing to  the  act  of  the  Congress  at  Vienna, 
his  majesty  cannot  accept  in  these  ne- 

C2D3 


402]       ANNUAL  REGISTER,  1831. 


been  employed  in  contriving  means  terly  at  variance  with  the  first,  ex- 

to  escape  from  these  engagements,  tremely  injurious  to  the  acknow- 

and  unexpectedly  to  send  rorth  the  ledged  rights  of  Holland,  flowing 

project  of  a  new  arrangement  ut-  apparently  from  an  agreement  with 


gotiationft  the  p^ood  offices  of  other 
l*ou'era,  especially  when  they  are  them- 
selves parties  interested  in  the  point  to 
be  decided.  Tliis  consideration  too  near- 
ly aflVots  his  nugesty's  dijpfiity,  the  in- 
dependence  of  Holland,  and  the  respect 
which  the  Powers  have  for  the  independ- 
ence of  nil  nations,  to  hosilentany  longer. 

'*  The  use  of  the  Dutch  canals  is  free 
to  all  nations;  the  same  is  the  case  in 
Belgium.  A  special  agreement,  which 
should  declare  the  use  of  the  canal  from 
Ghent  to  Temeuze,  and  of  t'le  Zuid, 
Willems  Vaart,  common  to  the  inhahit- 
ants  of  hoth  countries,  would  be  a  devi- 
ation from  the  general  principle. 

*•  The  8th  article  of  the  preliminaries 
pusses  over  in  silence  articles  of  appeii. 
dix  A,  according  to  which  the  five 
Courts,  in  case  there  should  he  any 
difference  between  the  (H)mmiKsioners 
appointed  to  fix  the  frontier  line,  which 
could  not  he  amicably  adjusted,  should 
employ  their  intervention  to  remove 
those  differences  in  such  a  manner  as 
should  be  most  conformable  to  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  separation.  A  simple  re- 
fusal on  the  part  of  the  Helgian  commis- 
sioners would,  therefore,  have  been  suifi- 
cient  to  stop  every  thing. 

**  The  9th  article,  though  nearly  si- 
milar to  the  6th  of  Appendix  A,  is  not 
so  precise  with  respect  to  the  exclusion 
of  the  grand  duchy  of  Luxemburg, 
which  is  not  mentioned  in  article  2. 

**  The  12th  and  13th  articles  are  in- 
stead of  the  nine  laat  articles  of  appen- 
dix A  respecting  the  partition  of  the 
debt.  They  are  wholly  iooomplete,  and 
lay  down  a  very  different  Iwsis,  by 
which  the  indemnification  and  the  mani- 
fold sacrifices  of  Holland  appear  to  have 
been  lost  sight  of.  The  Hague  is  no 
longer  mentioned  as  the  place  for  the 
meeting  of  the  commisitioners.  No  more 
is  said  of  the  intervention  of  the  five 
Powers,  in  case  of  differences  that  cannot 
ho  amicably  adjusted,  to  arrange  them 
in  a  manner  conformable  to  the  deter- 
mination already  made, — an  omission 
which  will  give  the  Belgian  commis- 
sioners an  op|H)rtunity  to  avoid  all 
airanuemeuts.  According  to  article 
13,    the    tirst    business  of    tfte   united 


commissioners  for  liquidating  the  debt 
shall  be  to  determine  the  share  which 
the  Belgians  are  to  pay  provisionally,  in 
expectation  of  the  final  settloment,  on 
account  of  the  interest  of  the  debt 
mentioned  in  the  preceding  article. 
Article  17  of  appendix  A,  on  the  con- 
trary, malces  this  payment  wholly  inde. 
pendent  of  the  meeting  of  the  commis- 
sioners, by  determining  that  Belgium 
shall  l>e  bound  to  pay,  provisionally,  its 
sliare  for  discharging  the  interest,  and 
for  tlie  redemption  of  the  debts  of  the 
kingdom  of  tlie  Netherlands,  according 
to  the  proportion  of  articles  10  and  II, 
till  the  business  of  these  commissioners 
shall  be  completed.  This  diflPerence  ap- 
pears to  be  very  important,  since,  ac- 
cording to  article  13  of  the  prelimi- 
naries, it  wilt  l>e  sufficient  for  Belgium 
to  delay  sending  the  commissioners,  to 
defer,  at  the  same  time,  the  payment  of 
its  share  of  the  interest  of  the  debt. 

**  These  important  considerations  have 
more  weight  when  we  refer  to  the  piin- 
ciples  which  guided  the  Conference  in 
regulating  the  debt  of  the  kiDg^om  of 
the    Netherlands,    and    which    are  so 
clearly  expressed  in  the  introduction  to 
the  protocol  of   the  27th  of  January. 
Among  the  considerations  to  come  to  in 
dividing  the  debt,  there  were  undoubt- 
edly points  which  depended  only  on  the 
option  of  Belgium,  &c.  &c. ;  but  what 
g:ive  Holland  a  security,  and  by  which 
his  majesty  vras  particularly  induced  to 
accede,  not  only  to  the  basis  of  separa- 
tion as  far  as  the  frontiers  were  concerned, 
but  also  to  the  arrangements   '*  which 
were  proposed ''  for  the  partition  of  the 
debt,  was  the  assurance  ^that  the  future 
sovereign  of  lielgium,'  as  the  conclusion 
of  the  1  I2tli  protocol  expresses  it, '  should 
be  obliged  to  accede  to  the  arrangements 
contained  in  that  protocol  ;*  that  is  to 
8(iy,  those  which  relate  to  the  division 
of  the  debt.     How,    then,    after  these 
facts,  can  the  king  be  now  satisfied  with 
an  arrangement  which  shall  exclude  the 
debts  that   Holland  has  incurred,  solely 
as  a  consetpieuce  of  the  union,  and  the 
value  of  the   sa<'riAces   which    Holland 
has  made  to    obtain  it,  and  thus  accept 
an  agreement,  which,  far  from  fulfilling 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[403 


those  who  exercised  power  in  Bel- 
gium, and  bearing  the  stamp  of 
the  successful  endeavours  made  by 
the  Belgians  in  London,  as  well  as 
of  the  ardent  wish  to  agree  to 
every  thing  which  might  secure 
them  a  favourable  reception  in  Bel- 
gium. •'  After  the  example  of  the 
most  powerful  sovereigns,  the  king 
will  yield  to  the  necessity  of  leav- 
ing to  their  fate  those  of  his  sub- 
jects who  have  withdrawn  them- 
selves from  his  authority,  but  he 
will   never  sacrifice  to  them  the 


the  just  expectations  of  its  faithful  sub- 
jects, would  expose  their  property  to  a 
severe  shock  ? 

*•*  Article  15  supposes  a  fact  which 
does  not  exist  ia  Holland,  where  no 
person's  property  has  been  sequestrated 
in  consequence  of  the  Belgian  insurrec- 
tion. By  accepting  this  new  article  we 
should  acknowledge  ourselves  guilty  of 
an  injustice  which  the  Belgian  govern- 
ment alone  had  committed.  The  new 
article  is  besides  defective,  and  when  it 
is  compared  to  article  14  of  the  appen- 
dix, it  is  almost  doubtful  whether  the 
patrimonial  property  and  domains  of 
the  House  of  Orange  are  not  to  be  ex- 
cluded from  the  removal  of  the  seques- 
tration. 

'■'  Your  excellencies  will  allow  me  to 
close  this  parallel  with  a  general  obser- 
viilion,  that  is  applicable  to  several  es- 
sential articles  of  the  proposed  preli- 
minaries :  it  is,  that  instead  o(  the  pre- 
cision and  clearness  of  the  appendix  A, 
we  here  find  indefinite  and  vague  phrase- 
ology, which  is  doubly  dangerous  when 
arrangements  are  to  be  made,  not  with 
a  government  established  upon  firm 
foundations,  but  with  a  country  in  a 
state  of  revolution,  whose  neutrality 
being  once  recognized,  may  hinder  the 
recourse  to  arms  in  case  a  reasonable 
declaration  respecting  disputed  points 
should  be  evaded,  atid  in  respect  to 
which  the  five  Powers  are  contented,  in 
article  17,  with  offering  their  good 
offices,  if  they  should  be  required  by  the 
parties  interested,  without  engaging, 
and  without  expressing,  whether  these 
good  oflices  will  be  given  at  the  desire 
of  one  of  the  two  parties*,  and  without 
positively  declaring,  as  in  appendix  A, 
that  they  will  interpose  with  their  medi- 


rights  of  Holland.  A  mature  ex- 
amination having  convinced  him 
that  the  preliminary  articles  would 
sacrifice  the  dearest  interests  of 
Holland  to  the  insurrection,  he 
cannot  Accept  them,  and  he  again 
demands  oi  the  five  Powers  the 
execution  of  the  reciprocal  en- 
gagements between  the  five  Powers 
and  himself,  which  the  Conference 
has  already  declared  to  be  irrevo- 
cable." He  puts  them  in  mind, 
that  the  preservation  of  peace  did 
not  depend  upon  Belgium  alone, 

ation,  to  settle  disputed  points  in  the 
manner  most  conformable  to  the  princi- 
ples laid  down  in  that  appendix.  Thus, 
very  far  from  furnishing  any  data  what« 
ever  for  the  division  of  the  debt,  the 
frontiers  and  other  objects  which  must 
be  regulated,  the  preliminaries  give,  on 
the  contrary,  me^ns  to  Belgium  to  throw 
every  thing  into  confusion  by  partial  in- 
terpretations. The  discussion,  to  which 
these  preliminaries  have  already  given 
occasion  in  Brussels,  have  but  too  fully 
confirmed  this  truth,  and  the  language 
held  by  him  who  in  fact  directs  the 
foreign  affairs  of  Belgium,  sufficiently 
proves  v^hat  Holland  would  have  to  ex- 
pect from  the  assent  of  his  majesty  to 
the  proposed  preliminaries.  The  deve- 
lopements  and  declarations  into  which 
he  entered,  are  the  more  remarkable, 
as  it  is  he  who  by  his  situation  has  ne- 
cessarily directed  the  negotiations  and 
endeavours  of  the  Belgian  commission- 
ers at  London,  and  must  be  considered 
as  acquainted  withjilKhe  circumstances. 
Besides  these  obtor0ition8  on  the  spirit 
of  these  artlAlir' i Win ust  be  observed, 
that  the  new  rorni  which  has  been  chosen 
of  preliminaries  of  a  treaty  of  peace 
contains  an  implied  determination  of 
the  point  of  sovereignty,  which  was  left 
untouched  in  the  12th  protocol  and  its 
appendix  A,  in  which  only  the  separa- 
tion is  treated  of.  But  even  on  the  sup- 
position that  the  king  should  agree  that 
the  solution  of  this  important  question 
should  be  laid  in  the  scale  of  the  ar- 
rangement between  Holland  and  Bel- 
gium, his  majesty  would  never  assent  to 
this  without  reasonable  equivalents — 
tiiat  is  to  say,  upon  conditions  which 
the  rights,  the  good  cause,  and  the  in- 
terests of  Holland  require. 

[2  0  2] 


404J     ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


and,  above  all,  that  the  election  or 
recognition  of  a  king  in  violation 
of  the  concluded  agreement,  could 
be  notliing  less  than  a  declaration 
that  Belgium  was  determined  to 
support  by  arms  Avhat  the  Powers 
unanimously  had  determined  to  be 
unjust,  "  With  respect  to  the 
choice  of  a  sovereign,  the  king  re- 
fers to  the  declaration  of  the  five 
Courts  in  the  12th  and  19th  pro- 
tocols, that,  in  their  opinion,  the 
sovereign  of  the  country  must 
answer  the  principles  of  the  ex- 
istence of  the  country  itself, — must 
furnish,  by  his  personal  situation, 
a  guarantee  for  the  safety  of  the 
neighbouring  states,  —  and  must 
accept,  without  reserve  or  distinc- 
tion, the  arrangements  which  had 
been  laid  down."  In  consequence 
of  this  declaration,  which,  by  his 
majesty's  acceptance  of  the  bases 
of  separation  to  wliich  it  applied, 
be(!ame  an  engagement  with  him, 
his  majesty,  in  case  a  prince 
should  be  called  to  the  sovereignty 
of  Belgium,  and  take  possession  of 
it  M'ithout  first  accepting  those 
conditirms,  could  not  but  consider 
such  prince,  as  by  this  fact  alone, 
]) laced  in  a  state  of  hostih'ty  with 
liim,  and  as  being  an  enemy. 

It  was  difficult  to  see  how  the 
five  Powers  could  answer  these 
demands  of  Holland,  nor  does  it 
appear  that  they  attempted  it. 
The  preliminaries  were  to  fall,  if 
not  approved  of  by  both  Holland 
and  Belgium.  M,  Lebeau  had 
taken  care  to  flatter  the  Belgian 
Congress,  by  announcing  that  either 
state  was  at  liberty  to  reject  them 
in  whole,  or  in  part ;  and  that  if 
either  refused  them  in  Avhole  or 
in  part,  they  Mere  to  be  null  and 
v()i<l.  Holland  had  rejected  them 
entirely.  They  were,  therefore, 
at  an  end  —  having  never  been 
more  than  proposals  that  Holland 


should  depart  from  her  claims 
under  irrevocable  engagements. 
Those  engagements  remained  in 
their  full  vigour,  and  the  five 
Powers  were  bound  to  proceed  to 
execute  every  thing  they  had  sti- 
pulated to  perform  on  the  20th 
and  27th  of  January,  19th  of  Fe- 
bruary, 10th  and  21st>of  May,  and 
7th  of  June.  Above  all  they  were 
bound  to  tell  prince  Leopold^  that, 
as  Belgium  had  not  acceded  to  the 
fundamental  and  irrevocable  bases 
of  separation,  it  was  impossible 
they  could  recognize  either  him  or 
his  intended  kingdom — that  they 
could  maintain  no  political  rela- 
tions with  him —that  military  mea- 
sures would  immediately  be  adopted 
to  secure  the  territories  which  the 
injustice  of  his  electors,  in  defiance 
of  all  Europe,  threatened  with  in- 
vasion. The  Conference  thought 
otherwise.  They  gave  their  solemn 
engagements  with  Holland  to  the 
wind ;  they  authorized  Leopold  to 
proceed  to  take  possession  of  the 
throne,  without  one  of  the  condi- 
tions which  tliey  were  pledged  to 
enforce,  and  to  swear  to  a  con- 
stitution fi*amed,  as  regarded  the 
territory  of  the  new  state,  in  con- 
tempt of  these  conditions.  It  now 
appeared  plain  that,  to  secure  his 
election,  they  had  resolved  to 
trample  honour  and  justice  under 
foot. 

The  prince,  proceeding  by  Calais, 
Ostend,  Ghent,  and  Bruges,  arrived 
at  Brussels  on  the  19th  of  July. 
In  the  towns  through  which  lie 
passed  he  was  received  with  loud 
acclamations,  wise  men  rejoicing 
at  the  apparent  approach  of  some- 
thing resembling  a  fixed  govern- 
ment, and  all  men  feeling  confident 
that  the  Powers  who  liad  allowed 
him  to  be  installed  would  maintain 
the  work  of  their  hands — a  confi- 
denceti-eudered  not  the  less  pleas- 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[405 


iDg  by  tho  conviction  that,  in 
gaining  a  king,  they  had  compelled 
all  the  great  courts  of  Europe  to 
treat  Holland  with  insult  and  in- 
justice. On  the  21st  he  was  for- 
mally installed  king  of  the  Bel- 
gians, in  presence  of  the  Congress, 
who  having  thus  effected  a  revo- 
lution, and  created  and  filled  a 
throne,  resigned  their  power  to 
make  way  for  the  representative 
body  which  was  to  be  elected 
under  the  new  constitution.  Leo- 
pold took  the  oath  required  by 
that  same  constitution,  swearing 
to  observe  the  laws  of  the  Belgians, 
"  and  to  maintain  the  national  in- 
dependence, and  the  integrity  of 
the  territory." 

Holland,  thus  deceived  and  de- 
serted by  the  Conference,  relied  on 
her  own  resources.  By  the  re- 
peated declarations  of  the  Confer- 
ence itself,  Leopold  was  a  king  not 
to  be  acknowledged  either  by  them 
or  by  her ;  he  had  accepted  the 
crown  on  terms  which,  by  their 
own  confession,  made  him  an  enemy 
of  Holland,  and  an  enemy  against 
whom  they  were  bound  to  lend 
her  all  aid  and  encouragement. 
If  they  would  not  interfere  to  com- 
j>el  the  execution  of  their  own  irre- 
vocable decrees,  how  could  they 
prevent  Holland  from  enforcing 
them,  if  she  would  ?  The  new  king, 
by  swearing  to  the  constitution, 
had  SAVorn  to  retain  territory  which 
the  five  Powers  had  secured  to 
Holland,  and  the  Belgian  claim  to 
which  they  themselves  had  ac- 
knowledged to  be  inconsistent  with 
the  safety  of  neighbouring  states. 
The  Dutch  government^  in  conse- 
quence both  of  the  daily  chance  of 
war  from  the  wanton  attacks  of 
the  Belgic  soldiery,  and  of  the 
probability  that  arms  alone  would 
bring  down  the  braggard  perti- 
nacity of  the  Belgian  autfeMritiesi 


had  maintained  and  increased  its 
military  force.  It  was  supjwrted 
by  the  unanimous  spirit  of  the 
people,  indignant  at  the  duplicity 
and  injustice  with  which  they  had 
been  treated,  and  at  the  wanton- 
ness with  which  engagements  and 
rights  had  been  violated  to  gratify 
the  unprincipled  encroachments  of 
the  rebel  provinces,  and  soothe 
down  the  ambition  of  France.  On 
the  12th  of  July,  in  its  answer  to 
the  Preliminaries,  Holland  had  de- 
clared that  the  receiving  in  Bel- 
gium of  a  king,  who  did  not  adt>|)t 
the  final  bases  of  separation,  would 
be  an  act  of  hostility,  and  that  king 
would  be  an  enemy.  Such  a  sove- 
reign had  been  received  j  he  had 
been  received  with  the  sanction, 
and  attended  by  the  agents,  of 
those  very  Powers,  whose  word 
was  violated  by  his  appearance : 
they  could  not,  therefore,  plead 
ignorance  of  the  necessary  conse- 
quences. The  king  of  Holland, 
on  the  1st  of  August,  declared  the 
armistice  at  an  end,  and  prepared 
to  enforce  by  arms  the  rights  which 
Europe  had  declared  to  be  his.  A 
despatch,  bearing  that  date,  was 
addressed  to  the  five  Powers,  stat- 
ing, that,  while  he  was  still  willing 
to  ncgociate  a  definitive  treaty  on 
the  terms  which  had  been  con- 
cluded between  them  and  himself, 
'*  he  was  determined  on  supporting 
these  negotiations  by  military  mea- 
sures, a  determination  which  the 
recent  events  in  Belgium  have 
rendered  imperious,  since  a  prince 
has  put  himself  in  possession  of 
the  sovereignty '  of  that  country, 
without  having  previously  fulfilled 
the  conditions  established  by  the 
Conference,  and  has  taken  an  un- 
restricted oath  to  a  constitution 
derogatory  to  the  territorial  rights 
of  Holland."  His  operations  were 
only  to  be,  ''for  the  purpose  of 


406]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


arriving  at  that  state  of  things, 
which  the  act  of  separation  had 
acknowledged  to  be  just  and  con- 
venient.'* 

Accordingly,  the  king  of  Hol- 
htnd,  while  he  authorized  his  re- 
presentatives in  London  to  con- 
clude a  definitive  treaty  whenever 
the  allies  should  return  to  the  con- 
ditions from  which  they  could  not 
recede  without  disgrace,  gave  no- 
tice tln^t  the  sus|)ensioD  of  arms 
would  terminate  on  the  4th  of 
August,  and  that  he  would  then 
jiroceed  to  compel,  by  force,  the 
execution  of  the  terms  which  the 
Conference  had  declared  to  be  the 
only  terms  that  reason  or  justice 
allowed.  The  Belgians,  whose  voice 
had  ever  been  so  loud  for  war — 
who,  in  the  pride  of  their  wordy 
violence^  had  not  merely  threatened 
to  inflict  signal  punishment  upon 
Holland,  but  had  dared  the  com- 
bined powers  of  Europe,  had  now 
the  amplest  field  for  exhibiting 
their  valour.  The  contest,  which 
they  had  so  earnestly  desired,  took 
place ;  and,  forthwith,  amidst  the 
loud  ridicule  of  all  Europe,  their 
wordy  champions  proved  mere 
braggard  cowards.  The  popula- 
tion of  Antwerp,  whose  city- lay  at 
the  mercy  of  the  guns  of  the 
citadel,  though  in  the  greatest 
danger,  escaped  unhurt.  The 
Dutch  commander  attacked  and 
carried  some  forts,  and  spiked  the 
cannon,  the  Belgian  volunteers 
and  civic  guards,  when  it  came  to 
actual  fighting;  presenting  no  seri- 
ous resistance ;  but  not  a  shot  was 
fired  to  endanger  the  city.  General 
Belliard,  the  French  agents  has- 
tened from  Brussels  ;  general 
Chass^  having  secured  himself, 
agreed  to  a  suspension  of  arms^ 
till  he  should  receive  farther  in- 
structions from  the  Hague,  and 
Antwerp    was    left    unmolested. 


The  main  body  of  the  Dutch  army 
entered  Belgium  in  the  direction 
of  Turnhout  and  Diest.  It  was 
commanded  by  the  prince  of 
Orange.  One  body  of  the  Belgian 
troops  was  concentrated  at  Mech- 
lin, whither  Leoi>old  had  repaired 
In  person.  The  main  body,  called 
the  army  of  the  Meuse^  under  the 
orders  of  general  Daine^  was  sta- 
tioned towards  Maestricht^  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Hasselt.  Be-* 
tween  these  two  points  the  Dutch 
army  approached  the  Geele.  On 
the  5th  of  August,  it  made  itself 
master  of  Diest,  the  Belgians  hav- 
ing abandoned  the  town  without 
offering  to  resist,  and  extending 
its  right  to  Haelen,  while  the  left 
occupied  Sichem^  had  thus  com- 
pletely prevented  any  junction 
between  the  army  commanded  by 
Leopold  at  Mechlin,  and  the  army 
of  the  Meuse.  The  latter  was  the 
first  object  of  the  Dutch.  On  the 
8th,  they  attacked  it  in  its  position 
near  Hasselt.  There  was  no  battle ; 
it  was  an  instantaneous  and  dis« 
graceful  rout.  The  ''brave  BeU 
gians,"  as  they  had  been  styling 
themselves  for  twelve  months^  dar-* 
ing  Holland  to  encounter  their  pa* 
triotic  valour  in  defence  of  liberty^ 
fled  almost  without  firing  a  shot. 
Hie  cavalry,  which  was  the  first 
to  fly,  ran  away  through  the  in-« 
fan  try  scattering  their  own  crowds 
of  civic  guards.  The  race  from 
one  place  to  another  immediately 
began,  and  neither  the  dispersed 
army,  nor  their  general^  stopped  till 
they  reached  Liege>  having  been 
altogether  cut  off  from  Brussels. 

The  Dutch  immediately  turnea 
towards  Brussels,  which  had  no 
protection  but  the  tro(^  collected 
at  Mechlin,  under  the  command  of 
Leopold  in  person.  On  the  day 
of  the  rout  of  the  army  of  the 
Meuse^  the  prince  had  advanced 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[40? 


to  Aerschot,  in  the  direction  of 
Diest.  On  learning  that  defeat> 
he  moved  upon  Louvain^  to  cover 
the  capital^  taking  up  a  position 
io  front  of  the  former.  On  the 
12th>  the  Dutch  attacked  him> 
turned  liis  position^  and  he  was 
forced  to  commence  a  hasty  retreat 
u])on  Louvain.  While  one  division 
of  the  Dutch  army*  by  moving  to 
the  Icft^  cut  him  off  from  Brussels^ 
the  main  hody  followed  him  on  the 
road  to  Louvain.  In  the  pursuit 
the  prince  of  Orange  was  met  by 
a  British  messenger  from  the 
Hague,  bringing  intelligence  that 
a  French  army  had  entered  Bel- 
gium to  support  the  new  king, 
and  requesting  a  suspension  of 
hostilities.  The  prince  refused  to 
consent,  except  on  condition  that 
I^ouvain  should  be  surrendered  to 
his  troops ;  and«  obtaining  un- 
doubted assurance  of  a  French 
army  having  interfered^  he  dis- 
patched an  officer  to  ascertain  this 
fact,  and  in  the  meantime  attacked 
prince  Leopold  in  a  new  and  strong 
position  which  he  had  taken  up  in 
front  of  Louvain.  One  point  was 
carried  after  another,  ana  the  Bel- 
gians^ to  avoid  total  defeat,  agreed 
to  evacuate  Louvain  by  next  day. 
They  obtained^  till  that  period,  a 
suspension  of  hostilities,  it  being 
certain  that  a  large  division  of  the 
French  army  was  already  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  Brussels. 
On  the  13th  accordingly,  Louvain 
was  delivered  up  to  the  Dutch 
troops  —  which  terminated  the 
campaign.  On  the  same  day,  the 
prince  of  Orange  received  orders 
from  the  Hague  to  retire,  with  his 
army,  within  the  Dutch  frontiers, 
tlie  Conference  having  determined 
that  Holland  should  not  be  allowed 
to  enforce  the  engagements  the 
fulfiknent  of  which  they  were 
themselves  bound  to  litre  oom^ 


pelled.  Prince  Leopold,  who  had 
retreated  from  Louvain  to  Mechlin, 
returned  to  Brussels,  his  army  co- 
vered with  disgrace,  himself  filled 
with  disgust,  and  indebted  to  the 
interposition  of  foreigners  for  the 
preservation  of  his  crown  and  his 
capital,  if  not  of  his  personal  free- 
dom. Nine  days  had  dissolved  all 
the  dreams,  and  struck  down  all 
the  vauntings  of  his  boasting  sub- 
jects, and  had  proved  to  Europe, 
that,  if  Belgium  and  Holland  had 
only  been  allowed  to  settle  their 
own  affairs,  the  latter  would  have 
been  found  a  much  more  decisive 
negotiator  than  the  Conference  of 
London. 

The  march  of  the  French  army 
had  been  the  act  of  the  French  g(»- 
vernmcnt  without  any  communi- 
cation with  her  allies.  Prince 
Leo}K)ld,  when  he  learned  that 
hostilities  were  to  be  renewed,  in- 
stantly hurried  off  to  Paris  a 
supplication  for  assistance,  and  the 
French  cabinet  immediately  or- 
dered 50,000  men  under  Marshal 
Gerard,  accompanied  by  two  of  the 
king's  sons,  to  enter  Belgium,  and 
drive  back  the  Dutch.  The  first 
division  of  this  army  arrived  at 
Brussels  on  the  12th  of  August, 
and  stopped  by  its  approach  the 
triumphant  course  of  the  Dutch 
army  j  for  the  king  of  Holland, 
once  informed  that  the  five  Powers, 
not  satisfied  with  refusing  to  exe- 
cute by  military  measures  the  sti- 
pulatioMi  by  which  they  were 
bound  to  him,  had  resolved  to  em- 
ploy force  to  prevent  their  execu- 
tion, yielded  to  necessity,  and 
withdrew  his  troops.  The  Cou- 
foreace  addressed  a  letter  to  him 
on  the  5th  of  August,  pretending 
that  although  the  dispatch  of  his 
minister  of  1st  August  bad  dis- 
tiitctly  informed  them  of  the  kings 
iateotioa  to  support  ^'  by  military 


408]       ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


measures"  the  negotiations  for  de- 
finitively coucJuding  a  treaty  on 
the  terms  already  settled,  ''  they 
would  have  supposed  that  these 
measures  would  be  adopted  only 
in  Ike  ifiterior  of  the  terrilortj  of 
Holland,  if  public  report  did  not 
inform  us  that  they  had  been  ex- 
tended beyond  its  frontiers — that 
hostilities  have  been  resumed 
against  the  Belgians  by  the  king's 
orders,  and  that  the  armistice  con- 
cluded at  Antwerp  has  just  been 
denounced,"  and  that  they  could 
not  believe  '*  that  the  king,  at  the 
very  moment  when  lie  communi- 
cated his  intention  of  iiegociating 
a  definitive  treaty  of  j)eace,  can 
have  taken  the  resolution  to  re- 
kindle the  flames  of  war."  They 
therefore  requested  that  the  Dutch 
troops  should  retire  within  the 
frontiers  of  Holland,  and  that 
Antwerp  should  not  be  made  the 
object  of  any  hostile  attack.  The 
attempt  to  accuse  Holland  of  du- 
plicity^  as  if  she  had  sent  an  am- 
bassador to  negociate  at  the  very 
time  when  she  was  secretly  re- 
solved upon  war,  was  a  new  insult 
to  her  government.  The  Con- 
ference had  been  distinctly  told 
that  the  treaty  which  this  ambas- 
sador was  sent  to  negociate  was  to 
be,  not  a  treaty  founded  on  the 
preliminaries — for  these  had  been 
unhesitatingly  rejected — but  on 
the  ^*  irrevocable  bases"  already 
fixed  3  and  this  negotiation  they 
had  been  as  distinctly  told  would 
be  supported  by  military  measures. 
Besides  the  dispatch  of  1st  of  Au- 
gust, they  had  before  them  another 
stating  that  "his  majesty,  after 
nine  months  of  fruitless  negotia- 
tions, which  have  been  without  the 
slightest  advantage  to  Holland, 
and  during  which  he  has  never 
ceased  to  give  proofs  of  his  sin- 
cere desire  to  terminate  amicably 


his  dispute  with  Belgium,  has 
judged  that,  unless  he  were  to  sa- 
crifice the  most  vital  interests  of 
Holland,  without  the  maintenance 
of  which  indeed  she  would  be 
unable  to  exist,  he  must  renounce 
all  hope  of  obtaining  from  the 
Belgians  reasonable  terms  of  sepa- 
ration, except  through  coercive 
measures,  to  which  it  was  likewise 
the  more  indispensable  for  his  Ma- 
jesty to  have  recourse,  because  the 
existing  crisis  could  not  be  pro- 
longed without  at  once  endanger'- 
ing  our  public  spirit,  our  finances, 
our  army,  and  our  political  ex- 
istence. His  majesty.,  on  the  other 
hand,  has  reason  to  believe,  that 
the  appearance  of  his  troops  in 
Belgium  will  have  a  tendency  to 
restore  the  balance  of  the  nego- 
tiations overturned  by  those  means 
which  the  insurrection  has  suc- 
cessfully employed,  whilst  Holland 
remained  in  a  purely  defensive  at- 
titude. Therefore,  unquestionably, 
the  king's  resolution  to  throw  his 
army  into  the  scale,  simultaneously 
with  the  negotiations  carrying  on 
in  London,  for  the  sake  of  obtain- 
ing equitable  terms  of  separation, 
— an  object  too  precisely  pointed 
out,  and  too  frankly  avowed,  to 
give  pretence  for  the  slightest 
doubt, — ought  not  to  inspire  un- 
easiness." Sebastiani,  the  French 
foreign  minister,  at  the  moment  he 
was  ordering  French  troop  to 
march,  forgot  still  further  the  re- 
lation in  which  the  five  Powers 
stood  to  Holland.  He  character- 
ized the  movement  of  the  Dutch 
army  as  an  '*  unjust  aggression" — 
*'  a  violation  of  the  independence 
and  neutrality  of  Belgium  which 
had  been  recognized  by  the  great 
Powers  of  Europe,"  and  he  ordered 
the  French  minister  to  quit  the 
Hague,  if  the  Dutch  army  did  not 
immediately  return  within  the  line 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[409 


of  the  armistice.  This  was  not 
true.  The  neutrality  and  inde* 
pendencc  of  Belgium  had  never 
been  declared,  except  as  a  condi- 
tion of  lier  acceding  to  the  irrevo- 
cable terms  which  had  been  im- 
])oscd  upon  Holland  ;  that  condi- 
tion Belgium  had  constantly^  con- 
temptuously, and  finally  rejected ; 
and  the  five  Powers,  at  the  very 
moment  v^hen  they  spoke  of  the 
violation  of  Belgian  independence 
and  neutrality,  were  solemnly 
])ledgcd  to  acknowledge  neither 
the  one  nor  the  other.  It  was 
impossible  therefore,  to  make  any 
reply  to  the  answer  of  the  Dutcn 
government,  '^  We  are  not  aware, 
that  the  independence  and  neu- 
trality of  Belgium  have  been  re- 
cognized by  the  five  Powers,  unless 
Belgium  accepted  the  conditions 
of  separation  established  by  those 
Powers  themselves,  and  so  far 
from  endangering  that  independ- 
ence and  neutrality,  the  march 
of  the  Dutch  troops  has  no  other 
object  than  to  realize  the  coer- 
cive measures  announced  by  the 
five  Powers,  in  the  event  of  Bel- 
gium refusing  to  acx;ept  Appendix 
A  of  the  12th  Protocol.  To  call 
this  march  an  unjust  aggression 
is  tantamount  to  declaring  that 
the  five  Powers  have  committed 
an  injustice  in  establishing  the 
basis  of  a  separation  contained  in 
the  said  Appendix,  and  in  adopting 
the  principle,  that  in  order  to  gain 
their  acceptance  by  the  Belgians, 
coercive  measures,  if  necessary, 
would  be  resorted  to."  It  was 
added,  however,  that  as  the  Dutch 
army  was  never  intended  to  act 
against  any  of  his  majesty's  allies, 
if  a  French  army  should'  present 
itself,  the  former  would  retire 
within  the  limits  of  Holland. 
*  This  was  the  triumph  of  might ; 
for  the  Conference  of  London, 
however  uneasy  at  first  at  tlie  to« 


luntary  haste  of  France,  had  ap- 
proved of  her  proceedings,  and  a 
British  fieet  Yiad  been  ordered  to 
assemble  in  the  Downs  to  act,  if 
necessary,  in  furtherance  of  the 
same  object.  By  a  Protocol  of  6 1 h 
August,  the  explanation  was  ad- 
mitted as  satisfactory,  that  France, 
from  the  extreme  urgency  of  the 
case  'Miad  not  had  time  to  fulfil 
the  obligation,  which  she  was 
fully  desirous  to  do,  of  acting  in 
concert  with  her  allies.  It  was 
declared,  however,  that  the  French 
troops  should  not  pass  the  ancient 
frontiers  of  Holland,  that  their 
operations  should  be  confined  to 
the  left  bank  of  the  Meuse,  that, 
under  no  circumstances,  should 
they  invest  the  fortress  of  Maes^ 
tricht,  or  that  of  Venloo,  because 
then  the  war  would  be  carried  too 
near  the  frontiers  of  Prussia  and 
Germany,  and  might  give  rise  to 
serious  ana  complicated  questions, 
and  that  they  should  return  to 
France  so  soon  as  the  Dutch  should 
have  returned  to  Holland.  Tlie 
last  of  these  provisions  was  not 
agreeable  either  to  « the  fears  and 
necessities  of  Leopold,  or  to  the 
pride  and  ambition  of  France. 
Although  it  was  thus  a  positive 
stipulation,  the  French  minister 
of  war,  while  informing  the  Cham- 
ber of  Deputies  (August  13)  that 
he  had  received  ofiicial  intelligence 
of  the  Mrithdrawing  of  the  French 
troops,  added,  "however,  our 
troops'^^llll  not  return  to  France  on 
that  account.  They  will  take  up 
convenient  positions,  in  order  to 
afford  us  the  certainty  that  the 
Dutch  will  not  return."  The 
Conference,  however,  saw  no  reason 
to  doubt  the  good  faith  of  Holland, 
and  could  not  but  suspect  bad 
faith  in  a  French  army  occupying 
these  "convenient  positions."  'I'hey 
insisted  successfully  that  the  sti- 
pubtioQ  to  recal  the  French  army 


410]       ANNUAL   REGISTER,   1831. 


should  be  fulfil  led,  although  this 
much  was  conceded,  that  it  should 
not  retire  all  at  once,  1 2,000  men 
having  been  allowed  to  remain  for 
a  couple  of  weeks  longer,  and  that 
a  number  of  French  officers  should 
be  permitted  to  cnt^ir  the  service 
of  Leo)M)ld,  to  assist  in  organizing 
a  Belgian  army.  At  the  same 
time,  the  Conference,  by  a  Protocol 
dated  23rd  August,  proposetl  to 
Holland  and  Belgium  a  suspension 
of  hostilities  for  six  weeks,  to  be 
guaranteed  by  the  five  Powers,  who 
would  t4ike  advantage  of  it  to  bring 
about  a  final  settlement.  Both 
states  accepted  the  proffered  armis- 
tice. 

Temporary  peace  being  thus  re- 
stored, the  Belgiansoccupied  them- 
selves with  the  election  of  their  first 
representative  body  under  their 
new  constitution.  The  Belgian 
minister  had  the  confidence  to 
apply  to  the  Germanic  Diet  for  an 
order  on  the  military  commandant 
at  Luxemburg  that  he  should  pre- 
sent no  obstacle  to  the  election  of  its 
deputies,  as  if  it  had  been  already 
declared  a  portion  of  the  Belgic 
kingdom.  The  Diet  knew  Lux- 
emburg only  as  a  territory  belong- 
ing to  its  grand  duke  the  king  of 
Holland,  and  would  grant  no  such 
])ermission. 

The  Congress  assembled  on  the 
8th  of  September,  prince  Leopold 
opening  the  session  with  the  fol- 
lowing speech. 

'^Gentlemen, — I  am  happy  to 
lie  for  the  second  time  amidst  the 
representatives  of  the  nation. 

*'  The  proofs  of  affection  and 
devotedness  which  the  Belgic  na- 
tion has  not  ceased  to  give  nie 
from  the  moment  that  I  set  my 
foot  on  the  territory  of  ray  adopt- 
ed country,  have  filled  my  heart 
with  lively  gratitude.  This  vo- 
luntary transport  of  a  whole  na- 
tioo^  white  it  inspires  me  with  very 


allowable  pride,  has  made  me  sen- 
sible of  the  full  extent  of  the 
duties  that  are  imposed  on  me.  I 
do  not  dissemble  to  myself  any  of 
the  numerous  difiiculties  of  my 
situation ;  but  with  the  aid  of 
your  knowledge  and  experience 
I  shall  be  able  to  overcome  them. 

^^  When  the  principles  laid  down 
in  the  constitution  which  I  have 
sworn  to  observe  shall  have  re- 
ceived, by  the  projects  of  law  which 
will  be  submitted  to  your  con- 
sideration, the  developement  which 
they  still  require,  Belgium  will 
enjoy  a  greater  degree  of  liberty 
than  any  other  nation  in  Europe. 
The  crisis,  tlirough  which  the 
country  has  had  to  pass,  in  order 
to  attain  its  political  regeneration, 
has  for  a  moment  affect^  its  ma- 
terial interests. 

'*  It  must  henceforth  be  the  ob- 
ject of  our  united  efforts  to  pro- 
mote their  interest,  by  encouraging 
manufactures  and  opening  new 
channels  to  commerce. 

^'  The  relations  already  so  hap- 
pily established  with  France  and 
England,  and  which  I  hope  will 
soon  be  extended  to  the  other 
Powers,  will  facilitate  the  per- 
formance of  this  task. 

^^  Negotiations  have  just  been 
opened  to  effect  a  definitive  ar- 
rangement of  our  differences  with 
Holland.  The  honour  and  in- 
terests of  the  Belgian  nation  will 
be  defended  in  them  with  per- 
severance and  dignity.  With  you, 
gentlemen,  and  the  whole  nation, 
I  look  with  confidence  to  the  issue 
of  those  negotiations,  the  result 
of  which  will  be  laid  before  you. 

•'The  neutrality  of  Belgium, 
guaranteed  bir  the  five  Powers, 
has  suggested  the  possiMlitv  of 
modifications  in  its  tystem  or  de- 
fence. This  possibility,  the  prin- 
ciple of  which  18  admitted  by  the 
Powers  cooomed  in  the  era^ioo 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[411 


of  the  fortresses  of  1815>  will,  I 
doubt  not^  be  acknowledged  by  the 
nation.  Negotiations  will  take 
place  to  regulate  the  execution  of 
the  measures  connected  with  the 
demolition  of  some  of  these  for- 
tresses. Happy  in  being  able  to 
draw  closer  the  ties  which  unite 
the  two  people^  Belgium  will,  on 
this  occasion,  give  a  proof  of  its 
gratitude  to  France, — Europe,  a 
striking  pledge  of  its  just  con- 
fidence in  the  honour  of  the  king 
of  the  French. 

'^  The  eminent  services  render- 
ed by  France  involuntarily  call 
our  attention  to  a  recent  event, 
the  consequences  of  which  I  must 
say  have  been  too  much  exagger- 
ated. Belgium  confiding  t-o  excess 
in  the  engagements  contracted  by 
Holland  towards  the  five  Powers, 
to  which  it  had  itself  subscribed, 
was  suddenly  surprised  by  an 
army,  the  force  of  which  far  ex- 
ceeded that  which  Belgium  could 
oppose  to  it. 

'^  In  these  painful  circumstances 
the  succour  of  friendly  powers  be- 
came urgent  and  indispensable. 
You  know  with  what  eeneious 
promptness  it  was  afforded  us. 

^'  If  individual  courage,  if  the 
bravery  which  has  never  been  de- 
nied the  Belgic  soldier,  could  have 
made  up  for  the  want  of  organiza- 
tion and  union  which  was  felt  in 
our  young  army,  without  doubt — 
(ancl  you  will  believe  my  tes- 
timony)— without  doubt  we  should 
have  victoriously  repulsed  an  un- 
just aggression^  contrary  to  all  the 
principles  of  the  law  of  nations. 
The  nation  will  be  but  the  more 
sensible  of  the  absolute  necessity 
of  the  reforms  already  commenced^ 
and  which  are  prosecuted  with  a 
degree  of  activity,  the  results  of 
which  will  be  soon  apparent.  In 
a  few  days  Belgium  will  have  an 


army,  which,  if  it  should  be  again 
necessary,  would  be  able  to  rally 
round  its  king  to  defend  with  ho- 
nour and  with  success  the  inde- 
pendence and  the  rights  of  the 
country. 

"  Projects  of  law  will  be  laid 
before  you  during  this  session,  to 
give  to  the  government  its  legi- 
timate share  of  influence  in  the 
composition  of  the  army,  to  restore 
confidence  to  the  soldier,  and  to 
secure  a  just  recompense  to  those 
who  shall  distinguish  themselves 
in  the  day  of  danger. 

*^  Gentlemen,  I  will  call  your 
particular  attention  to  the  state  of 
our  finances.  I  know  the  care 
which  this  essential  part  of  the 
public  service  requires^  The  pre- 
vailing desbe  of  my  government 
will  always  be  successively  to  in- 
troduce in  the  public  expenditure 
the  economy  which  it  so  loudly 
called  for  by  the  state  of  society, 
and  by  the  .aid  of  which  it  will  be 
practicable  graduallv  to  lessen  the 
burdens  of  the  peo{Me. 

"  At  present,  nevertheless,  sa- 
orifices  are  still  necessary^  on  the 
one  hand,  to  defray  the  expenses  of 
the  reorganization  of  the  army ; 
on  the  other,  to  make  up  for  a  di- 
minution in  the  revenues,  which 
the  circumstances  in  which  we  are 
for  |i  time  placed  indicate  aa  in- 
evitable. The  nation  has  proved 
that  it  did  not  shrink  from  the  sa- 
crifices which  the  honour  and  the 
intevMt  of  the  country  required. 
It  will  also  know  how  to  bear 
those  <^  which  the  government 
shall  have  proved  the  necessity. 
The  confidence  with  which  the 
whole  nation  has  hitherto  met  its 
king,  giv^  me  a  right  to  reckon 
on  its  representatives  in  all  the 
measures  which  may  contribute  to 
the  good  of  the  country.  My 
hopes  will   not  be  dis»ppointed« 


412]      ANNUAL   REGISTER,  1831. 


Belgium  will  sec  us  auimated  by 
tlie  same  desires  to  labour  iu  con- 
cert for  the  happiness  and  glory  of 
this  country,  to  which  i  shall  not 
cease  to  devote  all  my  solicitude, 
as  I  have  already  devoted  to  it  my 
dearest  affections." 

The  statement  of  the  prince, 
that  Belgium  had  been  surprised 
in  consequence  of  her  confidence 
"  in  engagements  contracted  by 
Holland  towards  the  five  Powers," 
and  the  proposition  which  these 
words,  if  they  had  any  meaning, 
involved,  that  Holland  hud  taken 
arms  in  violation  of  her  engage- 
ments, could  be  explained  only 
from  the  necessity  under  which 
the  new  king  found  himself  of  sa- 
crificing the  truth  to  soothe  the 
wounded  vanity  of  his  new  sub- 
jects. The  Congress  proceeded  to 
try  to  contr+ve  means  for  raising 
money  to  support  an  army  and  the 
expenses  of  being  governed.  The 
government  applied  itself  to  or- 
ganizing an  army,  and  other  ne- 
cessary means  of  military  defence. 
Fortifications  were  raised,  and  en- 
trenched camps  Mere  formed,  on 
different  points  towards  the  Dutch 
frontier,  and  the  troops  were  ex- 
ercised in  sham  battles,  in  which 
one  side  was  uniformly  victorious. 
But  enough  had  already  been  done 
to  convince  all  Europe  that  Bel- 
gium could  not  maintain  herself 
against  Holland,  with  only  about 
one-half  of  the  population  of  the 
former.  The  Conference  again  in- 
terfered to  prevent  the  dethrone- 
ment of  Leopold'on  the  expiring  of 
the  suspension  of  arms,  which  was 
t^  terminate  on  the  25th  of  Oc- 
tober. They  demanded  that  Hol- 
land should  inform  them,  what  she 
meant  to  do  when  the  truce  should 
be  at  an  end.  The  king  of  Hol- 
land answered,  that  *^  the  Powers 
were  at  liberty  to  arm  themselves 


against  his  measures,  when  he 
should  have  adopted  any,  and  that 
they  were  equally  at  liberty  to  arm 
themselves  against  his  silence  j 
that  he  was  not  under  any  obliga- 
tions to  let  them  know  before  hand 
his  intentions  for  the  moment  of 
the  expiration  of  the  armistice, 
and  that  even  if  he  should  be 
thereunto  obliged,  very  many  cir- 
cumstances might  in  such  times  as 
the  present  occur,  which  would 
change  the  intentions  which  his 
majesty  should  have  communi- 
cated." The  Conference,  there- 
fore, determined,  by  a  protocol  of 
24th  October,  that  Britain  should 
immediately  station  a  naval  force 
on  the  coasts  of  Holland,  that  it 
should  have  orders  not  to  act,  till 
hostilities  were  resumed  by  Hol- 
land against  Belgium,  but  should 
take,  on  their  being  resumed,  the 
measures  best  adapted  for  bringing 
about,  in  the  speediest  manner,  a 
complete  cessation  of  hostilities. 
Thus,  while  the  Conference  would 
neither  itself  use  force,  nor  allow 
Holland  to  use  force,  for  executing 
the  engagements  existing  betweeu 
them,  it  did  not  hesitate  to  abuse 
its  poMer  to  render  effectual  its 
own  breach  of  faith  towards  that 
Holland  which  alone,  throughout 
the  whole  truckling  affair,  had 
acted  with  any  degree  of  spirit,  of 
honesty,  and  of  fair  plain-dealing. 
Holland,  avoided  the  ridiculous 
bravados  of  Belgium,  and  yielded 
to  the  impossibility  of  resisting 
unjust  power. 

The  Conference,  in  the  mean 
time,  had  again  been  labouring  to 
arrange  the  terms  of  |)acification. 
They  had  already  departed,  by  ten- 
dering the  preliminaries,  from  the 
original  terms  which  they  bad  bound 
themselves  to  procure  for  Holland* 
By  the  latter  the  preliminaries 
themselves  had  been  rejected.  The 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[413 


five  Powers  now  agreed  on  a  third 
set  of  conditions,  different  from 
both,  declaring  that  they  would 
listen  to  no  proposal  for  any  alter- 
ation, and  would  make  the  accept- 
ance of  them  by  both  parties  com- 
pulsory. These  terms  were  com- 
prehended in  twenty-four  articles, 
forming  what  was  styled  a  defini- 
tive treaty.  Luxemburg  was  to 
be  divided,  Holland  giving  up  more 
than  one  half  of  it,  and  receiving, 
in  return,  as  "a  territorial  indem- 
nity," a  portion  of  those  parts 
of  the  province  of  Limburg  which 
otherwise  would  have  belonged  to 
Belgium  ^-  the  exchange,  which 
had  never  been  proposed  but  as  a 
matter  to  be  negociated  with  the 
consent  of  Holland,  being  thus  im- 
posed upon  her  against  her  will, 
while  it  was  estimated  that  she  re- 
ceived a  population  less  by  50,000 
souls  than  that  which  she  was 
called  on  to  surrender.  The  left 
bank  of  the  Scheldt  with  Maes- 
tricht  were  still  to  remain  with 
Holland  as  had  been  originally 
proposed,  along  with  Venloo.  The 
navigation  of  the  Scheldt  was  to 
be  regulated  according  to  the  j)rin- 
ciples  laid  down  in  the  general  act 
of  the  Congress  of  Vienna,  but 
Belgium  was  to  have  the  right  of 
navigating  certain  of  the  internal 
canals  of  Holland,  lying  wholly 
within  the  territory  of  the  latter 
country.  I n  apportioning  the  debt, 
the  Conference  assumed  the  amount 
of  interest  payable  at  27,700,000 
florins,  of  which  Belgium,  as  ap- 
peared from  the  budgets  of  1827, 
1828,  1829,  had  paid  ^,  and  Hol- 
land ^^.  It  found  that  the  inter- 
est of  the  debt  which  had  been 
incurred  since  the  union  amounted 
to  ten  millions  and  a  half  of  florins, 
which  was  to  be  divided  equally 
between  Holland  .  and  Belgium. 
The  latter  was  to  have  exclusively 
the  Austro-Belgic  debt;  which  had 


existed  before  the  union,  and  the  in- 
terest of  which  was  taken,  in  round 
numbers,  at  700,000  florins.  There 
was  another  debt  inscribed,  on  ac- 
count of  Belgium,  in  tlie  great 
book  of  the  French  empire,  the 
interest  of  which  amounted  to 
2,000,000  of  florins,  and  this,  too, 
was  laid  upon  the  new  state.  A 
further  sum  of  6'50,000  florins  was 
added,  in  consideration  of  ^*  the  ad- 
vantages of  navigation  and  com- 
merce which  Holland  is  called 
upon  to  concede,  and  the  sacri- 
fices, of  various  kinds  to  which,  on 
her  side,  the  separation  leads." 
The  result  was,  that  of  27,700,000 
florins  of  interest,  annually  paid 
by  the  kingdom  before  the  separa- 
tion, and  of  which  rather  more 
than  one-half  had  been  raised  in 
Belgium,  she  was  in  future  to  pay 
only  8,400,000. 

The  conditions  now  promulgated 
were  to  be  inserted  verhaiim  in  a 
direct  treaty  between  Holland  and 
Belgium,  which  treaty  would  be 
placed  under  the  formal  guarantee 
of  the  five  Powers.  The  Confer- 
ence further  declared  that  they 
were  "  the  final  and  irrevocable 
decisions  of  the  five  Powers,  who, 
of  common  accord,  are  resolved  to 
bring  about  their  full  and  entire 
acceptance  by  any  party  adverse  to 
them ;  *'  and  on  their  acceptance 
by  Belgium,  they  were  to  have  the 
force  and  effect  of  a  solemn-  con- 
vention between  the  Belgian  go- 
vernment and  the  Powers  who 
were  parties  to  tlie  Conference. 
This  was  the  very  relation  in 
which  Holland  had  stood  to  them 
on  the  acceptance  of  the  original 
articles ;  these,  too,  had  been  de- 
clared final  and  irrevocable ;  it  was 
admitted  that  Holland's  accept- 
ance of  them  had  bound  the  ive 
Powers  in  engagements  towards 
her  ;  they  were  as  able  to  compel 
their  acceptance  then  as  they  were 


414]     ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


now— with  this  difference  that 
force  would  have  been  used,  in  the 
former  instance,  to  do  right,  while 
it  was  to  be  used,  in  the  present 
case  to  support  injustice.  When 
the  question  was,  whether  Belgium 
should  be  forced  to  obey  their  de- 
crees, all  compulsory  measures 
were  carefully  avoided,  and  con- 
cession took  their  place.  Now, 
when  the  question  was,  whether 
Holland  should  be  forced  to  grant 
what'  they  had  pledged  them* 
selves  they  would  not  allow  to  be 
even  demanded  without  her  own 
voluntary  consent,  the  envoy  of 
Belgium  was  informed  by  the  Con- 
ference that  its  members  would 
take  upon  themselves  the  task  of 
obtaining  the  acceptance  ot  the 
articles  by  Holland,  "  even  though 
she  should  begin  with  rejecting 
them/' 

In  the  Belgian  Congress  these 
definitive  articles  were  scarcely 
more  favourably  received  than  any 
of  their  predecessors ',  and,  submis- 
sive as  Leopold  might  be,  he  could 
not  accede  without  legislative  au- 
thority, for  the  constitution  had 
included  all  the  disputed  territory 
as  forming  part  of  the  state,  and 
had  declared  that  no  cession  or 
exchange  of  any  part  of  it  could 
be  made  without  the  sanction  of 
the  law.  To  give  up  the  left  bank 
of  the  Scheldt,  part  of  Limburg, 
and  part  of  Luxemburg,  was  sa- 
crificing, in  the  opinions  of  the  Bel- 
gians, their  rights  and  their  inde- 
pendence ;  nor  were  they  less  dis- 
satisfied with  the  apportionment 
of  the  debt.  Private  motives  were 
added  to  public  considerations. 
The  territory  which  Holland  was 
to  retain  comprehended  the  pro- 
perty of  various  members  of  the 
Belgic  legislature,  who  could  not 
regard  with  pleasure  the  prospect 
of  returning  under  the  sway  of 
their  former    master,    of   whom. 


during  their  new  career,  they  had 
in  general  been  angry  and  violent 
opponents.  Among  them  was  Leo- 
*pold*s  minister  of  war.  In  intro- 
ducing a  bill  to  authorize  the  sove- 
reign to  accept  of  the  treaty,  the 
foreign  minister  admitted  that  he 
was  performing  ''a  melancholy  and 
painnil  duty,*'  but  he  counselled 
the  passing  of  the  bill  as  an  un-i 
avoidable  necessity,  the  five  Powers 
having  determined  that  it  should 
be  so,  and  not  otherwise,  and  hav- 
ing closed  the  door  against  even 
remonstrance.  The  member,  who 
had  been  Belgic  envoy  at  London, 
stated,  that  when  he  asked  lord 
Palmcrston,  whether,  in  the  event 
of  Belgium  refusing  the  proffered 
terms,  the  five  Powers  would  actu- 
ally attack  her,  his  lordship  an* 
swered  "not  five,  but  six  will." 
Members  were  not  wanting,  how« 
ever,  still  to  advise  resistance, 
maintaining  that  the  European 
Powers  would  never  risk  a  general 
war,  and  that  beyond  all  doubt 
Belgium  might  reckon  on  France, 
whenever  the  question  became  one 
that  was  to  be  settled  by  arms. 
To  diminish  the  chances  of  rous- 
ing popular  excitement  the  dis- 
cussion was  conducted  in  a  secret 
committee,  but  the  war  parfv 
immediately  transmitted  their 
speeches  to  the  newspapers.  After 
a  strong  discussion  of  several  days, 
the  representative  body,  on  the  1st 
of  November,  accepted  the  prof- 
fered terms,  by  a  majority  of  nfty- 
nine  to  thirty-eight  votes.  In  the 
senate,  out  of  forty- three  members, 
only  eight  voted  against  them. 

The  Dutch  government,  on  the 
other  hand,  refused  either  to  de- 
part, at  the  word  of  command, 
from  the  engagements  which  had 
been  contracted  in  her  favour,  or 
to  admit  the  right  of  the  Confer- 
ence to  determine,  without  the 
participation  of  his  majesty,  mat^ 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


{415 


ters  which  could  only  form  the  sub- 
ject of  negotiation  between  the  five 
Powers  and  himself.  He  denied, 
as  an  independent  monarch  of  an 
ancient  and  independent  state,  the 
title  of  the  five  Powers  to  dispose 
of  the  interests  and  territories  of 
his  subjects  by  treaties  and  discus- 
sions to  which  he  was  not  admitted. 
Except  in  so  far  as  the  mere  power 
successfiilly  to  perpetrate  wrong 
could  convert  it  into  right,  no 
departure  from  the  obligations  in 
which  the  Conference  was  bound 
to  Holland  could  be  effective,  unless 
by  negotiation  with  Holland  her- 
self. On  these  negotiations  his 
majesty  was  ready  to  enter.  He 
had  given  his  plenipotentiaries  the 
necessary  powers  and  instructions 
for  discussing  with  the  Conference, 
how  far  the  original  terms  might 
be  varied  or  what  modification  of 
these  new  conditions  might  satisfy 
the  acknowledged  rights  of  Hol- 
land ;  but  he  would  not  submit 
to  terms  which,  to  a  breach  of 
faith,  added  the  insult  of  dictating 
to  him  as  an  inferior,  or  the  sup^ 
pliant  head  of  an  un-recognized 
state. 

The  Conference  refused  to  admit 
any  negotiation;  they  demanded  a 
simple  adhesion  to  their  articles — 
and  referred  to  their  declaration 
that  these  articles  were  irrevocable. 
The  original  fundamental  bases 
had  likewise  been  declared  irrevo^ 
cable ;  and  just  men  laboured  in 
vain  to  discover,  how  an  irrevocable 
decree  in  favour  of  Belgium  should 
be  sacred,  while  an  equally  irrevo- 
cable decision  in  favour  of  Holland 
was  treated  as  capable  of  being 
departed  from  to  any  extent  at  the 
pleasure  of  those  who  made  it. 
When  Holland  accepted  and  Bel- 
gium refused,  Belgium  was  ad- 
mitted to  negociate,  and  to  nego- 
ciate  successfully,  for  alterations 


unfavourable  to  Holland  in  the 
unchangeable  decree.  Now  that 
Belgium  accepted,  and  Holland 
refused,  claiming,  on  infinitely 
stronger  grounds,  the  same  right, 
she  was  met  with  the  stern  answer 
that  the  Conference  never  admitted 
modifications  on  what  it  had  de- 
clared to  be .  irrevocable— which 
plainly  was  subject  to  this  limita- 
tion— except  in  80  far  as  the  re- 
calling of  what  is  irrevocable  shall 
be  demanded  by  Belgium  or  her 
patron  France.  It  was  impossible 
to  conceal,  that  the  whole  of  these 
transactions,  in  which  Holland 
met  with  so  much  harshness,  bad 
faith,  and  positive  injustice,  and 
the  extravagance,  the  impudence, 
and  the  pertinacity  of  Belgium, 
with  so  much  indulgence,  were 
negotiations  turning  upon  this 
question— how  fiau*  is  it  necessary 
to  sacrifice  Holland  in  order  to 
prevent  France  from  making  her- 
self mistress  of  Belgium  ? 

Belgium  having  acceded  to  the 
terms  proposed,  the  plenipotentia- 
ries of  the  five  Courts  concluded, 
on  the  1 5th  of  November,  a  treaty 
with  Leopold,  recognizing  him 
and  his  kmgdom.  It  set  forth  at 
length  the  24  definitive  articles, 
and  guaranteed  to  him  the  execu- 
tion of  them.  The  treaty  was  to 
be  ratified,  and  the  ratifications 
exchanged  within  two  months. 
Against  this  treaty  the  Dutch 
plen ipo ten tiaries protested ;  no  pro- 
gress was  made  in  the  direct  treaty 
between  Holland  and  Belgium, 
contemplated  in  the  articles ;  and 
the  state  of  possession  remained 
undisturbed,  the  king  of  Holland 
having  declared,  that  although  he 
would  not  desist  from  his  military 
armaments,  he  would  employ  them 
in  the  mean  time,  only  for  the 
purposes  of  defence. 


>■ 


416]        ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831 


CHAP.  XIII. 

Germany. — Insurrecltons  in  Hanover,  at  Oslerode,  and  Gotiingen^^ 
Accession  of  Duke  William  of  Brunswick  in  place  of  his  brother'-^ 
Public  movements  in  Hesse  Cassel  and  Saxony* — Switzerland. 
Insurrections  and  militanj  operations  in  the  Canioti  of  Basle — The 
insurgents  are  put  down — afid  again  take  arms — A  federal  army 
occupies  the  Caption  —  Insurrection  in  Schwyz,  —  Insurrection  in 
Neufchatel — Changes  in  the  other  CantoJis^^ Proceedings  of  the  Diet. 
— Poland.  27ie  Dictator  attempts  to  negociate — He  resigns  and  a 
Committee  of  government  is  appoinied — Polish  Manifesto  against 
Russia — The  Throne  of  Poland  declared  vacant — Preparations  for 
war — The  Russian  army  approaches  Warsaw — Battles  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Warsaw — The  Russians  retire — The  Poles  attack  and 
carry  their  positions — Defeat  of  the  Poles  in  Volhynia  and  Podolia 
-^The  Rtissian  army  again  advances  and  again  retreats — The  Poles 
assume  the  offensive — Battle  of  Ostrolenko — The  Polish  anny  falls 
back  u]xm  Warsaw — Operations  in  Volhynia — The  Poles  defeated  in 
Lithuania — The  Russians  prepare  to  cross  the  Vistula — Dissensions 
in  Warsaw-^The  Russians  establish  themselves  on  the  left  bank  of  the 
Vistula — Insurrections  and  outrages  in  Warsaw — The  Committee  of 
Government  resigns,  and  a  dictator  is  appointed — Progress  of  the 
Russians  —  Storming  of  the  forti ^cations  of  Warsaw — J^arsaw 
surrenders — Dispersion  of  the  Polish  army — Progress  of  the  Cholera 
Morbus. 


EVEN  in  Germany  the  spirit 
of  popular  commotion,  excited 
by  the  French  revolution  of  1830, 
did  not  pass  away  without  stirring 
up  some  temporary  agitation. 
Hanover,  since  its  formation  into 
a  kingdom,  had  enjoyed  a  represent- 
ative constitution;  but  it  pos- 
sessed, likewise,  men  who  thought 
this  constitution  not  sufficiently 
democratic,  and  had  fallen  in  lore 
with  the  system  of  barricades  and 
national  guards  as  the  most  effici- 
ent instruments  of  reform.  On 
the  7th  of  January  a  band  of  these 
persons  all  at  once  assumed  au- 
thority in  the  town  of  Osterode  in 
the  Harz.  They  issued  a  procla- 
mation announcing  that  they  had 


already  proceeded  so  far  in  forming 
a  communal-guard,  as  to  have 
elected  its  officers,  and  that  their 
object  in  thus  arming  themselves 
and  their  fellow  citizens  was,  to 
protect  persons  and  property,  while 
they  proceeded  to  lay  their  griev- 
ances before  the  governor  general  of 
the  kingdom.  This  newly  created 
protection  for  persons  and  proper- 
ty was  offered  in  a  peaceful  city, 
where  neither  the  one  nor  the 
other  was  in  any  danger  except 
from  the  movements  of  these  per- 
sons themselves.  The  military 
commander  of  the  district  immedi- 
ately entered  the  city  with  troops. 
Two  of  the  ringleaders,  both  of 
them  practitioners  of  the  law,  were 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE.  [417 

apprehended^  and  the  commotion  surgents  of  Gottiogen^  In  this  ex- 
forthwith  disappeared.  But  the  pectation  they  were  disappointed, 
same  spirit  had  now  shewn  itself  Nobody  moved  but  themselves, 
in  Gottingen,  if  indeed,  the  partial  So  soon  as  the  government  was 
insurrection  at  Osterode  was  not  informed  of  these  disorders,  it 
part  of  the  same  plot.  On  the  issued  a  proclamation,  requiring 
8th  of  January  a  band  of  citizens  all  good  subjects,  and  especially  the 
and  students  assembled  in  arms,  students,  to  separate  themselves 
headed  by  two  men  bearing  the  from  the  disturbers  of  the  public 
dignity  of  doctors  of  law.  They  peace.  A  royal  commissioner  like- 
marched  to  the  town-house,  de-  wise  was  despatched  to  Gottingen, 
throned  the  civic  authorities,  and  to  accomplish  this  object,  and  to 
compelled  an  obnoxious  police-corn-  institute  proceedings  against  the 
missioner  to  resign  his  office.  They,  rebels.  He  was  admitted  into  the 
too,  issued  a  proclamation  declaring  city,  and  to  an  interview  with  the 
that  they  had  thus  formed  them-  provisional  government ;  but  he 
selves  into  a  national  guard  to  had  no  authority  to  grant  their 
maintain  public  order,  which  they  demands,  and  they  would  listen  to 
alone  were  violating  and  endanger-  no  other  terms.  They  therefore 
ing,  and  that  their  only  object  was,  declared  that  his  powers  to  treat 
to  obtain  from  the  king  the  convo-  were  too  limited,  and  they  even  had 
cation  of  what  they  called  a  free  the  impudence  to  request  him  to 
assembly  of  representatives  elected  use  his  influence  to  prevent  military 
by  the  people,  and  the  establish-  from  being  brought  against  the  city, 
ment  of  a  perfectly  free  constitu.  They  answered,  too,  the  royal  pro- 
tion.  They  asserted  that  2,000  citi-  clamation  with  one  of  their  own, 
zens  and  500  students  had  already  in  which  they  declared  it  a  gross 
been  enrolled,  and  announced,  with  calumny  to  speak  of  them  as  dis- 
French  brevity  "  The  national  turbers  of  public  order,  for  they 
guard  is  completely  formed.*'  A  had  risen  in  arms  only  to  prevent 
professor  of  the  university  was  re*  their  rising  in  arms  from  producing 
quested  to  take  the  command.  He  confusion.  Any  separation  among 
consented,  in  the  hope  of  being  able  them,  until  they  had  gained  their 
to  detach  the  students  from  the  object,  and  any  inquiry  into  their 
townsmen ;  but  finding  this  im-  conduct  in  thus  seeking  to  obtain 
practicable,  and  that  the  matter^  it,  was,,  they  said,  entirely  out  of 
was  likely  to  be  more  serious  than  the  question ;  and  any  proceeding 
he  had  imagined,  he  resigned  the  against  their  resolutions  thus  an- 
ofHce  in  the  course  of  next  day,  nounced  they  would  consider  as 
and  the  dignity  was  conferred  on  a  using  force — in  which  case  they 
young  man,  one  of  the  private  declared  themselves  free  from  all 
lecturers.  On  the  9th  of  January  responsibility  for  the  consequences 
the  rebels  appointed  a  provisional  which  might  then  ensue.  The 
government.  Its  members  imme-  government  immediately  issued 
diately  issued  another  proclama-  orders  to  the  professors  to  close 
tion,  expressing  their  hope  that  their  classes  till  after  Easter.  All 
every  commune  throughout  the  students  belonging  to  the  kingdom 
kingdom  would  likewise  form  a  were  commanded  forthwith  to  quit 
national  guard,  and  place  it  in  the  city,  under  the  penalty  that, 
communication  with  the  armed  in-  if.  they  remained,,  they  would  be 
Vol.  LXXni.  [2  E] 


418]      ANNUAL   REGISTER,   1831. 


far  ever  excluded  from  all  public 
situations.  All  foreigners,  like- 
wise, attending  the  university  were 
ordered  to  leave  Gottiugen.  A 
motley  deputation,  consisting  part- 
ly of  the  dethrone<l  magistrates, 
partly  of  the  members  of  the  pro- 
visional government,  and  partly 
of  students,  proceeded  to  Hanover, 
where  they  were  admitted  to  an 
audience.  Their  demands  were, 
that  the  insurgents  should  be  al- 
lowed to  present  a  petition  directly 
to  the  governor-general  the  duke 
of  Cambridge ;  that  his  royal  high- 
ness should  visit  Grottingen  in  per- 
s^on  ;  and  that  the  troops  now  ad- 
vancing against  the  city  should  be 
recalled,  as  the  national  guard  was 
determined  to  resist.  His  royal 
highness,  doomed  thus  to  hear 
open  treason,  answered  that  he 
would  receive  any  petition  proceed- 
ing from  a  constituted  authority, 
and  respectfully  expressed;  that 
lie  would  come  to  Gottingen  as 
soon  as  the  national  guard  was 
disbanded,  and  the  provisional  go- 
vernment dissolved ;  and  that  the 
first  of  all  conditions  must  be  the 
quiet  reception  of  the  king's  troops 
into  the  town.  The  insurgents 
continued  in  their  blind  obstinacy, 
apparently  without  perceiving  that 
they  were  not  joined  by  another 
human  being.  The  only  military 
in  Gottingen  were  some  eighty 
men  of  a  jager-corps.  The  pro- 
visional government  demanded 
their  acrms  for  the  use  of  the  citi- 
aens.  The  men  refused,  and 
marched  out  of  the  town,  drums 
beating,  and  the  royal  colours  fly- 
ing, to  meet  the  advancing  army. 

Every  thing  was  ready  for  an 
attack ;  but  the  government  still 
tried  to  avoid  the  necessity  of  over- 
coming by  force  a  resistance,  which 
could  not  but  be  useless,  though 
it    might    be    mischievous.   'The 


great  bod^  of  the  citizens  hsA  taken 
no  share  in  the  tumult  j  but  they 
were  under  the  control  of  Um 
armed  and  violent  feW|  who>  led 
by  newly  fledged  doctors  of  law^ 
and  self-conceited  advocates  who 
had  nothing  else  to  do,  seemed  re- 
solved to  expose  the  city  to  tlie 
dangers  of  a  forcible  entry  by  the 
royal  troops.  They  iasued  an  ad« 
dress  to  the  soldiery^  warning  thom 
against  attacking  their  MIow  dti- 
aens,and  informing  them  that  who« 
ever  should  dare  to  give  them  such 
an  order  was  their  bittersat  enemy, 
and  deserved  the  most  signal  pun- 
ishment. They  summoned,  like- 
wise, all  the  villages  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood to  send  them  men,  piro- 
visions,  and  arms ;  but  they  called 
in  vain :  neither  men,  nor  saUsages, 
nor  pitchforks  appeared.  They 
tried,  likewise,  to  get  some  money 
into  their  hands,  by  calling  on  the 
citizens  to  pay  them  their  taxe8» 
^'  for,'^  said  they,  "  money  is.  the 
vital  principle  of  a  state^  and  to 
refuse  us  money  is  to  paralyse  our 
efforts  to  form  a  better  state." 
This  was  probably  the  work  of 
some  of  the  more  crafty  heads 
among  them,  who  saw  the  near 
bursting  of  the  bubble,  and  thought 
there  would  be  no  harm  in  robbing 
the  exchequer,  if  they  could  first 
find  one.  The  gates  were  secured 
with  beams  and  waggons)  the 
w&lls  were  manned,  not  only 
against  the  enemyi  but  to  prevent 
the  town's-people  from  departing. 
It  was  even  proposed  to  pour  ecald- 
ing  oil  on  the  troops  as  they  enter- 
ed, and  to  set,  if  not  the  city,  at 
least  the  university  buildings,  on 
fire.  But  all  this  violent  and 
wordy  opposition  terminated  in  no- 
thing. The  troops  drew  nearer 
and  nearer.  Their  commander 
general  Busche  sent  the  insurgents 
notice>  on  the  l^th  of  January^ 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[419 


that  he  allowed  them  twelve  hours 
to  lay  down  their  arms^  and  admit 
his  army.  At  the  expiration  of  that 
time,  he  would  attack.  The  citi- 
zens exclaimed  loudly  against  the 
ruin  to  which  these  hot-heads  were 
exposing  them.  The  members  of 
the  provisional  government  quar* 
relied  among  themselves.  One 
after  another  forsook  his  post  in 
the  city ;  the  national  guard  dis- 
solved  almost  unobserved ;  the  for- 
mer  magistrates  resumed  their  au* 
thority ;  and,  next  day>  the  gates 
were  thrown  open  to  the  royal 
troops. 

The  duke  of  Brunswick  who  had 
brought  himself  under  the  ban  of 
the  Germanic  diet^  and  had  subse- 
quently been  compelled^  by  his 
own  subjects^  to  flee  from  his  states, 
wasj  in  the  course  of  the  year, 
formally  dethroned.  The  Diet,  on 
the  Snd  of  December  1830,  had 
authorized  his  younger  brother, 
duke  William,  to  assume  the  go- 
vernment in  the  mean  time,  and 
had  referred  it  to  the  princes  related 
to  the  House  of  Brunswick,  to 
decide  on  the  best  mode  of  finally 
arranging  the  affairs  of  the  duchy. 
But  this  was  not  an  easy  task. 
The  king  of  Hanover  could  not 
help  being  convinced,  by  notorious 
facts,  that  duke  Charles  was  abso- 
lutely incapable  of  holding  the 
reins  of  government,  and  duke 
William,  notwithstanding  his  love 
for  his  brother,  could  not  avoid 
coming  to  the  same  conclusion 
They  wished,  however,  to  be 
spared  the  necessity  of  openly  pro- 
claiming this  incapacity  of  their  re- 
lation, but  all  attempts  having  fail- 
ed it  was-  now  found  -necessary  to 
declare  that  the  government  of  the 
duchy  of  Brunswick  was  vacant, 
and  to  give  it  to  duke  William  as 
the  nearest  in  the  order  t)f  suc- 
cession.    His  highness  accordingly 


assumed  the  government,  and  fixed 
the  25th  of  April  fco*  taking  the 
oath  of  allegiance  to  him,  to  which 
his  subjects,  happy  in  the  change, 
willingly  consented. 

In  Hesse  Cassei,  notwithstand- 
ing the  changes  whidi  the  elector 
introduced  into  the  political  in- 
stitutions of  the  country,  partial 
disturbances  took  place,  occasion* 
ed  in  a  great  measure,  as  it  ap* 
peared^  by  dislike  of  the  parsonal 
character  and  conduct  of  the  rul- 
ing prince  ;  and  his  royal  high- 
ness consented,  in  the  month  of 
October,  to  admit  his  eldest  sou 
and  heir  apparent,  to  a  share  in 
the  government,  by  assuming  him 
as  co-regent  of  the  electorate.-»- 
Royal  Saxony,  too,  was  not  with- 
out its  clubs  and  agitations^  and 
the  king  and  the  prince  co-regent 
promised  the  speedy  promulgation 
of  an  altered  constitution,,  and  of 
a  law  to  allow  the-  redemption  of 
feudal  rights  f  and  the  king  of 
Denmark,  as  duke  of  .Holstein, 
announced  the  general  outline  of 
new  and  liberal  institutiobs  for 
his  states. 

In- Switzeriand,  :in  the  end  of 
the  preceding  year,  some  of  the 
country  communes  of  the  canton 
of  Basle  had  insisted  that,  instead 
of  being  the  subjects  of  the  capital, 
they  should  be  placed  on  the  sai^e 
footing  with  its  citizens,  enjo3ring 
an  equal  share  in  the  representa- 
tion, and  in  the  composition  of 
the  councils.  These  demands  being 
refused,  the  country -people  rose 
in  arms  to  enforce  them.  They 
established  a  provisional  govern- 
ment at  Liechstalli  and  mai'ched 
against  Basle,  which  they  threat- 
ened with  a  siege.  The  citizens, 
among  whom  they  found  no  friends, 
prepared  fbr  war,  while  deputies 
were  sent  to  the  insurgents,  but 
in   vain,   to  prevail  on  them   to 

[2  E  2] 


420]       ANNUAL   REGISTER,  1831. 


return  to  their  duty.  The  army 
of  the  city  then  marched  out  to 
attack  them,  and  gained  decisive 
successes  over  them,  in  the  middle 
of  January.  The  armed  bands  of  the 
insurgents  were  dispersed  ;  Liech- 
stall  itself  was  occupied,  almost 
without  resistance ;  the  provisional 
government  was  dissolved,  and  the 
authority  of  that  of  the  Canton 
seemed  to  be  restored.  Two  of 
the  leaders  of  the  rebellion  were 
pardonefl  at  the  request  of  the 
diet ;  but  all  the  other  most  active 
agitators  Yiad  sought  refuge  in  the 
neighbouring  cantons  from  which 
they  carried  on  their  intrigues  to 
renew  disturbances,  and  to  prevail 
on  the  government  to  espouse  their 
cause.  Basle  complained  loudly, 
that  the  neighbouring  canton  of 
Soleure,  gave  them  almost  open 
encouragement  and  assistance  to 
revive  the  insurrection.  It  broke 
out  anew  in  the  middle  of  August, 
at  Liechstall,  Tissach,  and  Walden- 
burgh,  iill  of  them  places  in  the 
same  district  of  the  Canton,  and 
that  district  conterminous  with 
Soleure.  The  government  of  Basle 
was  declared  to  be  no  longer  re- 
cognized, and  a  provisional  one 
was  again  established.  The  troops 
of  the  capital  again  marched 
against  Liechstall  on  the  21st  of 
August.  The  insurgents  refused 
to  surrender ;  the  town  was  at- 
tacked ;  the  regular  troops  succeed- 
ed ill  entering,  and  pulling  down 
the  tree  of  lil)erty  which  had  been 
planted,  but  being  exposed  to  a 
fire  from  the  windows  of  the  houses, 
and  recesses  of  the  streets,  they 
again  retired.  Intelligence  of  these 
renewed  disorders  had  reached 
Lucerne  on  the  21st  of  August. 
The  federal  diet  immediately 
met,  and,  after  expressing  its 
most  decided  detestation  of  the 
renewal   of  anarchy,    resolved   to 


send  four  deputies  to  Basle,  with 
orders  to  the  insurgents  to  ]ay 
down  their  arms,  and  return  to 
their  duty,  desiring,  at  the  same 
time,  that  the  government  should 
cease  from  the  effusion  of  blood  and 
every  hostile  measure.  The  ne- 
gotiations of  these  deputies  failed 
to  restore  order.  The  insurgents 
insisted  on  remaining  in  arms 
against  the  government  of  the 
canton,  and,  being  too  weak  to 
make  any  impression  on  the  city, 
directed  their  operations  against 
the  country  communes  which  re* 
mained  faithful  to  the  capital. 
These  the  capital  was  bound  to 
defend  and  support,  and  thus  a 
great  portion  of  that  quiet  and 
industrious  canton  was  given  up 
to  outrage  and  anarchy.  The  diet 
at  last  marched  a  federal  army 
into  the  canton,  to  maintain  peace,' 
while  negotiations  should  proceed 
under  the  mediation  of  federal  de- 
puties. 

The   Mountain    Shepherds    of 
the  canton   of  Schwyz    were  In-' 
volved  in  similar  scenes.  '  There," 
too,   what  are  called  the  exterior 
districts  demanded  to  be  put  on  a 
level,   in   the  government  of  the 
canton,  with  the  capital  and  the' 
original  districts.    '  They  collected' 
in  arms  near  Ensiedlen.    The  diet 
recommended  to  the  cantonal  go-' 
vernment  to  comply  with  sonie  of 
the  demands  of  the  insurgents; 
but  the  Landesgemeindeof  Schwyz, 
a  pure  democracy,  (for  this  very 
meeting  consisted  of  more  than 
2000  men)  with  one  voice,  rejected 
the  recommendations  of  the  diet, 
declaring  that  they  would  know 
how  to  repel  with   force  any 'at- 
tempt to  prevent  them  from  using 
force  to  reduce  to  obedience  their 
rebellious    subjects.      The  latter, 
however,  did  not  bring  the  quarrel^ 
the  length  of  actual  collision. 


Hli^TORY  OF  EUKOPE. 


[421 


The  flame  uext  reached  the  can* 
ton  of  Neufchatel.  Here  the  peo- 
ple had  ho  pretext  of  not  enjoying 
a  sufficiently  fi'ee  constitution ; 
but^  then^  though  they  lived  under 
what  was  the  next  thing  to  a  de- 
mocracy, they  were  subject  to  the 
nominal  sovereignty  of  the  king 
of  Prussia,  who,  by  right  of  de^ 
scent,  is  prince  of  Neufchatel  and 
Valengin.  A  plot  was  formed  to 
get  up  what  was  called  an  eman- 
cipation revolution.  The  conspira- 
tors were  found  only  in  some  of 
the  thickly-peopled  rallies  of  the 
Jura,  and  the  whole  scheme  came 
across  the  frontier  from  France. 
On  the  morning  of  the  l3th  of 
September,  the  town  of  Neufchatel 
was  frightened  from  its  repose,  by 
the  intelligence  that  an  army  of 
rebels  was  advancing.  The  city 
guard  was  called  to  arms,  but  the 
menjbers  of  the  government,'  un- 
willing to  occasion  immediate  blood- 
shed, withdrew  to  Valengin,  while 
the  insurgents  occupied  Neufchatel 
and  its  castle  with  a  force  of  700 
or  800  men.  On  the  other  hand, 
the  faithful  districts  immediately 
supplied  an  army  nearly  equal  in 
numbers,  which  took  post  at  Valen- 
gin for  the  protection  of  the  go- 
vernment. The  latter  convoked 
the  legislative  body,  which,  on  the 
19th  of  September,  declared  its 
sittings  permanent,  "  not  to  make 
laws,  but  to  restore  order  and 
tranquillity,"  The  intervention 
of  the  diet  was,  at  the  same  time, 
demanded.  The  mediators  forth- 
with appeared  on  the.  spot ;  the 
castle  was  occupied  by  a  garrison 
of  federal  troops,  detachments  of 
which  were  likewise  marched  into 
some  of  the  vallies  which  had  sent 
forth  the  insurgents.  A  royal 
commissioner,  having  arrived  from 
Berlin,  informed  the  diet  and  the 
legislative  body  of  the  inteotiona 


of  the  king  of  Prussia.     He  would 
not  consent  to  any  discussion  of 
the  question  of  the  sovereignty  of 
his  master,  which,  worthless  as  it 
might  be,  was  not  to  be  wrested 
from  him  by  force.     His  majesty 
was  desirous  that   the  people  of 
Neufchatel     should    enjoy    every 
freedom  compatible  with  good  or- 
der; and  his  sovereignty  had  never 
stood   in  their  way.     He  would 
consent  to  any  changes  tliat  were 
really  useful,  sudi  as  the  imme- 
diate renewal   of  the  council   of 
state,    if  this  body  had  lost  the 
public  confidence,  a  free  discussion 
of  the  budget,   and  tlie  right  of 
voting   for    the  civil    list.      The 
king   was    even  .willing,    if   re- 
quired, to  sacrifice  the  revenue  he 
derived  from  the  principality ;  but 
his    majesty  could  not,    without 
making  himself  liable  to  the  impu- 
tation of  cowardice,  entirely  relin- 
quish the  sovereignty  of  Neufcha« 
tel,  and  it  was  the  more  out  of  his 
power  to  make  so  great  a  ooncessiou , 
as  it  would  appear  that  he   had 
been  forced  to  it  by  the  capture  of 
the  castle  by  the  insurgents.     Di- 
vided as  parties  were,   to  put  the 
question  to  a  vote  in  the  legislative 
assembly  would  only  plunge  the 
country  into  anarchy  and  civil  war. 
The  king  was  about  to  claim  the 
intervention  of  the  diet  to  bring 
back  the  country  to  obedience  to 
its  lec^timate  government ;  and,  if 
the  oiet  refused  to  perform  this 
duty,   his  majesty  was  resolved  to 
submit  the  question  of  Neufchatel 
to  the  conference  at  London.   The 
diet  was  too  much  perplexed  tocome 
to  a  speedy  decision  3   and  in  the 
mean  time,  the  insurgents  threat- 
ened a  new  attack  upon  the  capital, 
where  all  was  now  •  prepared  for 
resistance,   both  the  civic  guard, 
and  the  federal  army  of  occupation 
being  oonstantiy  under  arms.    All 


422]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1631. 


that  the  country  had  as  yet  gained 
hy  this  foolish  miniature  rerolution, 
the  very  first  step  of  whicti  had 
been  to  march  in  arms  against  a 
))caGcful  city,  without  even  previ- 
ous complaint  or  remonstrance^ 
was  the  burthen  of  supporting  the 
troops  sent  by  their  neighbours  to 
maintain  that  tranquillity  which 
they  were  not  able  to  preserve 
among  themselves. 

In  the  Cantons  of  Berne,  Lu- 
cerne^ and  the  Pays  de  Vaud,  the 
alterations  which  were  demanded 
in  the  existing  constitutions  were 
conceded  without  the  occurrence  of 
any  scenes  of  similar  violence.  In 
all  of  them>  the  object  of  these 
alterations  was,  to  deprive  the 
existing  institutions  of  aristocrnti- 
cal  tendencies  which  they  were 
thought  to  possess,  and  to  place  a 
larger  share  of  power  directly  in 
the  liands  of  the  great  mass  of  the 
jieople;  commissioners  were  named 
to  frame  the  new  political  regula- 
tions, which  were  then  laid  before 
primary  assemblies  of  the  people 
for  their  approbation  and  sanction. 

The  spirit  of  change  did  not 
limit  its  innovations  to  the  consti- 
tution of  the  particular  diets.  It 
aifected  likewise  the  federal  govern- 
ment itself.  The  reformers  of 
Switzerland  demanded,  that  the 
citizens  of  each  canton  should  have 
a  full  liberty  of  trade  within  the 
territories  of  every  other,  that 
every  Swiss  should  be  at  liberty  to 
establish  himself  in  whatever  can- 
ton he  might  think  proper,  and 
that  the  representation  in  the  diet 
should  be  in  proportion  to  the  ex- 
tent or  population  of  each  canton. 
These  claims  were  resisted  by  the 
diet,  which  was  thus  exposed  to 
unpopularity,  while  it  was  per- 
plexed with  quarrels  and  insurrec- 
tions in  particular  cantons.  It 
thought  proper  likewise  to  alarm 


itself  with  the  apprehensions  of 
foreign  war.  The  movement  of 
Austrian  troops  to  put  down  the 
insurrections  in  Lombardy  teemed 
to  have  filled  them  with  a  sutpi- 
cion  that  their  territory  might  be 
violated.  The  diet  addreMed  a 
not«  on  this  subject  to  each  of  the 
great  Powers^  and  received  from 
all  of  them  the  same  assurance^  that 
no  state  entertained  the  most  dis- 
tant design  of  interfering  with  their 
'neutrality.  They  prooeeded  how« 
ever  to  make  warlike  preparationa; 
their  whole  military  force  was  pot 
into  a  disposable  condition^  though 
not  actually  called  out ;  and  acmie 
of  the  most  difficult  parts  of  the  pas- 
sage of  the  Simplon  were  fiirtined. 
This  year  saw  the  insorrectioii 
of  Poland  against  the  domination 
of  Russia  brought  to  a  dose. 
The  heads  of  the  insurrection  had 
not  at  first  declared  any  intention 
to  throw  off  all  subiection  to  the 
Russian  autocrat :  they  had  mdy 
demanded  the  preservation  of  the 
national  rights,  and  the  independ- 
ence of  the  separate  constitution^ 
under  the  sovereignty  of  the  em- 
peror, whidi  had  been  guaranteed 
to  them,  as  they  avened,  by  the 
Congress  of  Vienna.  The  em- 
peror, however,  would  not  treat 
with  armed  rebels:  he  demanded 
unconditional  submission  before  hs 
would  consider  their  complaints, 
and  prepared  to  maintain  his  su- 
premacy by  his  armiefti  Poland, 
likewise,  armed  herself  for  the 
contest,  and  now  formally  exp^ed 
the  dynasty  of  the  czar.  The  two 
Chambers  of  the  diet,  having  as- 
sembled at  Warsaw  on  the  18th  of 
December,  continued  Chlopicki  in 
his  office  of  dictator,  which  he  was 
to  retain  until  he  should  hisoaelf 
resign  it^  or  until  the  diet  should 
elect  another  commander-in-chief. 
'Chlopicki  again  attempted  nsgoci«i 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[423 


ations^  repeating  tlie  declaration 
that  Poland  wished  only  *'  a  rea- 
sonable liberty/'  and  *'  that  the 
nation  was  very  far  from  the 
thought  of  dissolving  the  ties 
which  bound  it  to  his  majesty." 
He  added  that  he  had  consented  to 
assume  the  executive  authority, 
to  prevent  it  from  falling  into  the 
hands  of  turbulent  and  dangerous 
men  and  to  put  a  stop  to  anarch y> 
which  already,  within  a  few  days, 
had  overturned  three  different  go- 
vernments—and  to  supply  more 
efficiently  the  place  of  the  diet, 
which,  notwithstanding  the  talent 
and  popularity  of  its  members, 
was  too  exaggerated  in  its  decisions, 
and  yet  too  weak  to  restore  or 
maintain  public  order.  The  em- 
peror approved  highly  of  these 
sentiments,  but  insisted  on  obedi- 
ence to  the  terms  of  his  proclama-' 
tious.  The  attempt  to  negociate 
was  not  received  by  the  diet  with 
approbation ;  they  particularly  dis- 
liked the  language  which  the  die* 
tator  had  used  in  speaking  of  their 
own  body;  and  one  member  pro- 
posed that  the  dictator  should  be 
declared  a  traitor — as  if  on  pur- 
pose to  justify  the  description 
which  Chlopicki  had  given  of  their 
"  exaggerated  decisions/'  They 
resolved,  however,  to  elect  a  new 
commander-in-chief.  The  choice 
fell  on  prince  Radzivill,  and  the 
dictator,  thereupon  resigning  his 
power,  returned  to  the  ranks  of  the 
army.  The  executive  authority 
was  then  committed  to  five  persons 
Darned  by  the  Chambers  of  the 
diet,  of  whom  prince  Adam  Czar- 
torisky  was  appointed  president. 

As  there  no  longer  remained  any 
alternative  but  war  or  uncondi- 
tional submission,  the  diet  put 
forth  a  manifesto  stating  the 
grounds  on  which  it  had  engaged 
io  the  contest,  and  justified  the  iu* 


surrection.  The  Congress  of  Vienna, 
they  said,  impressed  with  the  ne- 
cessity, as  well  as  justice,  of  repair- 
ing some  part  of  the  wrongs  which 
Poland  had  suffered  from  unjust 
partitions,  had  stipulated  that  Po- 
land should  form  a  kingdom  under 
the  sovereignty  of  the  Russian 
autocrat,  with  a  separate  charter 
and  constitution,  reciprocal  free- 
dom of  commerce,  and  a  recog- 
nized nationality ;  and,  at  the 
same  time,  the  hope  had  been  lield 
out  that  to  the  new  kingdom  might 
be  added  those  Polish  provinces 
which  were  still  retained  as  proper 
Russian  dominions.  The  emperor 
Alexander  accordingly  had  granted 
a  constitution  to  the  kingdom  ; 
but  it  was  soon  discovered  that  it 
was  never  intended  it  should  re- 
ceive effect.  The  Russian  govern- 
ment soon  saw  that  Poland  must 
either  be  kept  under  the  same  iron 
despotism  with  its  other  dominions, 
or  would  itself  infect  them  with 
liberal  institutions,  and  Alexander 
became,  instead  of  the  defender, 
the  persecutor  of  the  rights  of  Po- 
land, '*  Russia  lost  all  hope  of  ever 
seeing  the  yoke  by  which  she  was 
oppressed  taken  off  by  the  hand  of 
her  sovereign,  and  Poland  saw  her- 
self successively  deprived  of  all  her 
privileges.  No  time  was  lost  in 
carrying  this  design  into  execution. 
Public  education  was  corrupted,  a 
system  of  concealmont  and  mystel-y 
was  adopted,  the  people  were  left 
without  means  or  instruction,  a 
whole  palatinate  was  deprived  of  its 
representation,  and  the  Chambers 
were  no  longer  allowed  the  faculty 
of  voting  the  supplies.  New  bur- 
thens were  imposed,  new  monopo- 
lies created  to  dry  up  the  sources 
of  national  wealth  j  and  the  trea- 
sury, enriched  by  these  measures, 
became  the  pasture  of  salaried  sjr- 
cophants^  infamous  hireling  iusti« 


424J    ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


^atiM'H,  fiiid  vil»  and  (l(*H|ii<;a)>ltfHpi4*H. 
ItiHtiMul  of  till?  cMUHioiiiy  HO  re|)(*ut- 
iMy  (•alJ«'(l  for,  |K*iihioiiH  w<*ru  au/(- 
iiHMi<r<l  ill  a  iiioHi  wraiidalouH  <lc« 
^n*<%  to  wliifdi  wviv.  addud  cnor- 
iiioiiH  ^ratiiiiirHi  and  oni(!CH  created 
holely  M'itli  the  view  of  anf^inent- 
iiitf  the  iitiinlK*r  of  tlie  governnienl 
HatrapN.  Individual  iilierty,  whieh 
had  iK-eii  Holeiiinly  guaranteed,  wan 
vinhited,  and  the  priHoiiM  of  the 
htate  Imuniiik^  (Towded  ;  eouneilH  of 
war  wt*re  authorised  to  pronounee 
judgment  in  eivil  eases ;  and  eiti- 
/euH,  whose  oidy  faidt  was  a  wish 
to  save  the  spirit  and  (^iiaraeter  (»f 
tiie  nation  from  (Mirrtiptioii,  M'ere 
suhjeeti^l  t(t  infamous  punish- 
ments. It  was  in  vain  that  somo 
t)f  the  authorities  of  the  kiiifcdom, 
and  the  n»prt»sentatives  of  the  ih»o- 
ph^  laid  iR'fon^  the  king  u  fuitiiful 

Idetuiv  (»f  the  ahtises  eummittctl  in 
lis  nanus  f(»r  not  only  were  the 
abuses  sutfered  to  rtMiiaiii  iinsup- 
pressvd,  but  the  ros]H)nsihility  of 
the  ministers  and  the  ndininistra- 
live  authorities  was  iwralyscil,  by 
the  immediate  interference  of  the 
brt»ther  of  the  em|H*n»r,  and  by 
tlio  exereise  of  that  disi*rt»tionary 
jH^wer  with  which  he  was  invosteil." 
Nor  had  the  ti\*atment  exiHJ- 
riem\Hl  by  the  IVHsh  piwinivs  in- 
eortHtrattni  with  Uussia  been  less 
faitliless  and  tyrannical.  Instead 
of  being  i^'-uaited  to  the  kiiigtlom, 
and  admit ti'^l  to  the  enjoyment  of 
the  lilteral  institutions  stipulutinl 
by  the  Congrt^ss  of  N'ienna,  the 
uatioual  l'\\^dhvtions  awakeueil  in 
theui>  tirst  by  (u\uuis;<'s  and  em\ni- 
fiigt^aient*  and  then  by  a  long  ex- 
|Hvtation.  Uvaine  a  crime  against 
the  state,  and  the  king  of  Polatul 
cau!5»:Hi  to  be  pr\>sei'ute^L  iu  the 
ancient  prv>viu«.\»s  of  that  state, 
such  IMes  as  hud  dareil  to  call 
themselves  ToU's.  The  vouth  of 
(h«  schv.K.J$  w^r«  (Kurtkttiariy  the 


objects  of  persecution  $  the  issue 
of  the  first  families  were  tran- 
sported  to  Siberia^  or  were  forced 
to  enter  into  the  ranks  of  a  corrupt 
Hohliery.  In  official  documents  aud 
judicial  examinations,  the  Polish 
language  was  suppressed ;  the  Po- 
lish tribunals  and  civil  lavr  were 
annihilated  by  ukases ;  abuses  of 
administration  reduced  the  landed 
])n»prietors  to  misery;  and  since 
the  accx*ssion  of  Nicholas  to  the 
throne,  this  state  of  things  had 
constantly  liecn  growing  worse. 
KeRgious  intolerance  itself  cm-« 
ployed  every  means  to  consoli- 
<late  the  united  Greek  ritual  upon 
the  ruins  of  the  catholic  ritual. 
In  the  kingdom  itself,  the  very- 
constitution  which  had  been  grants 
ed  was  violently  infringed  iu  1825, 
by  the  emi)eror  annihilating  the 
publicity  of  the  proceedings  of  the 
diet,  thus  asserting  the  nrinciple 
that  he  might  abolish  at  nis  plea« 
sure  any  provision  of  the  charter. 
The  in*surrei*tion  at  St.  Peters- 
burgh  on  the  death  of  Alexander, 
and  the  accession  of  Nicholas  only 
brought  fresh  aud  more  unwar- 
rantable exeriMses  of  despotic  power. 
The  most  distinguished  members 
of  the  diet,  of  the  army,  of  the 
citixens,  were  arbitrarily  deprived 
of  their  liberty.  In  contempt  of 
every  law,  a  s}>ecial  committee  of 
inquiry  \i*as  instituted,  composed 
of  Russians  and  Poles,  most  of 
them  military  men,  wh<>,  by  pro- 
tracteil  tortures,  by  promises  of 
l>anlon.  and  insWtbus  questions, 
only  sought  to  extort  firom  the  ac- 
cuseil  the  confession  of  an  ima^u* 
iurv  crime.  It  was  only  after  an  im« 
prisuniment  of  one  year  and  a  half, 
that  the  higli  national  court  was 
estublislieil.  The  accused,  who  hail 
been  groaning  iu  prisMtt  for  two 
years,  were  acquitted  i«f  any  crime 
against  the  state;  yet^  laMttd  cC 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE 


[425: 


being  set  at  liberty,  they  were  con- 
veyed to  St.  Petersbiirgh,  where 
they  were  imprisoned  in  forts,  and 
up  to  this  moment  several  had  not 
been   restored    to  their   faniilies. 
The  publication  and  execution  of 
the  sentence  was  stopped.     It  was 
submitted  to  the  examination   of 
the    executive     authorities,     and 
when,  at  length,  out  of  some  re- 
gard for  Europe,  it  was  found  ne- 
cessary to  publish  it,  a  minister 
carried  his  audacity  so  far  as  to 
degrade  the  national  majesty,  by 
reprimanding,  in  the  name  of  the 
sovereign,  the  highest  magistracy 
of  the   state,   in   the  exercise  of 
their  most  exalted  functions.     At 
the  same  time,  all  hope  was  de- 
stroyed of  seeing  the  other  pro- 
vinces incorporated  with  the  king- 
dom.    From  that  moment,  dislike 
of  the  Russian  yoke,  and  a  deter- 
mination to  throw  it  off,   on  the 
first  favourable  opportunity,  had 
been     rapidly    spreading.       The 
French  revolution   of   July  took 
place,  followed  by  the  insurrection 
of    Belgium   and  of   the   Italian 
states.      ^*  In  consequence  of  re- 
ports daily  corroborated,  of  a  war 
against    the    liberty    of   nations, 
orders  were  given  to  put  upon  the 
war  establishment  the  Polish  army 
destined  to  march  3    and,  in  its 
place,  the  Russian  armies  were  to 
occupy   the  country.      Consider- 
able sums,  proceeding  from  loans 
and  the  sale  of  the  national  do- 
mains, deposited  at  the  bank,  were 
to  cover  thd  expenses  of  this  deadly 
war  against  liberty.  Arrests  again 
took  place  :    every  moment  was 
precious.*   Our  army,  our  trea- 
sure, our  resources,  our  national 
honour,  averse  to  rivet  chains  upon 
the  necks  of  other  nations,  and  to 
figlit  against  liberty  and  our  former 
companions  in  arms,  were  at  stake. 
Every  one  shared  this  feeling  3  but 


the  heart  of  thie  nation,  the  focus 
of  enthusiasm,  the  youth  of  the 
army  and  of  the  colleges,  as  well 
as  a  great  part  of  the  garrison  of 
Warsaw,  and  of  the  citizens,  im- 
pressed with  this  sentiment,  re- 
solved to  give  the  signal  for  insur- 
rection. An  electric  spark  in  a 
moment  inflamed  the  army,  the 
capital,  and  the  whole  country. 
In  one  day  the  capital  was  de- 
livered :  in  a  few  days  all  the  divi- 
generosity  of  the  Poles,  and  owing 
sions  of  the  army  were  united  by  the 
same  sentiment,  the  fortresses  occu- 
pied,'the  natives  armed,  the  brother 
of  the  emperor,  was  dismissed  with 
the  Russian  troops,  relying  upon  the 
his  safety  to  this  step  alone."  On 
these  grounds  they  had  taken  up 
arms,  which  they  declared  they 
would  never  lay  down,  till  they 
had  not  only  secured  their  liber- 
ties as  an  independent  kingdom, 
but  had  likewise  conquered  the 
freedom  of  the  Polish  provinces 
already  incorporated  with  Russia. 
This  manifesto  was  followed  up, 
on  the  25th  of  January,  by  a  de- 
cree of  the  diet,  declaring  the 
throne  of  Poland  vacant,  thus  re- 
jecting even  that  sovereignty  of  the 
em]>eror,  as  over  a  state  separate 
from  Russia,  which  had  been  re- 
cognized by  the  Congress  of  Vi- 
enna. 

Unequal  as  the  struggle  threaten- 
ed to  be,  the  Poles  had  the  advantage 
of  being  already  prepared  with  an 
army  rendered  extremely  eflective 
by  the  careful  military  organization 
of  the  very  power  to  which  it  was  to 
be  opposed.  Great  exertions  were 
used  in  training  and  arming  the 
})eople,  both  that  they  might  be 
formed  into  regular  troops,  and  be 
eflective  as  a  levy  en  masse.  The 
Polish  army  already  in  the  field 
was  stated  to  consist  of  30,000  in-* 
fantry  and  6^000  cavalry,    A  na^ 


426]         ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831, 


tional  guard  was  formed  for  the 
maintenanoe  of  order  iu  Warsaw. 
The  Jews  were  admitted  to  its 
ranks,  but  only  on  condition  of 
sliaving  off  their  beards.  The 
greatest  drawback  on  the  part  of 
the  Poles,  lay  in  the  narrow  circle 
to  which  the  insurrection  wa3  con- 
iined.  Apprehensitm  of  the  over- 
whelming power  of  Russia  pre- 
vented it  from  extending  with  any 
marked  or  continued  effisct,  into 
the  surrounding  provinces.  In 
those  parts  of  Poland  which  be- 
longed to  Austria  and  Prussia 
every  thing  remained  quiet;  nor 
could  the  government  even  attempt 
to  rouse  them,  because  such  a  step 
would  have  driven  these  two 
Powers  to  make  common  cause 
with  Russia.  On  the  other  hand, 
Poland  was  assured  that  these 
powerful  neighbours  would  not  in- 
terfere against  her,  and  she  proba- 
bly expected  as  much  good  from 
the  aid  of  the  free  states  of  Europe 
as  from  her  own  exertions.  Tne 
marshal  of  the  diet  told  the  Cham- 
ber of  representatives,  on  the  19th 
of  January,  '^The  constitutional 
states  of  Europe  wait  only  for  our 
declaring  Poland  independent.  Ere 
long  troops  will  come  from  the 
banks  of  the  Thames  and  the 
Seine.'* 

The  Russian  emperor,  in  the 
mean  time,  determined  to  put 
down  the  insurrection  by  force, 
had  hastened  forward  his  troops  to 
support  his  proclamations.  The 
main  army  had  been  assembled, 
during  the  month  of  January,  in 
the  government  of  Grodno,  imme- 
diately to  the  north  of  Warsaw, 
ready  to  advance  at  once  against 
the  capital,  and  the  main  body  of 
the  Polish  forces.  It  was  com- 
manded by  marshal  Diebitsch,  the 
surmounter  of  the  Balkan,  and 
tbe  oonqueror  of  Turkey.    Along 


with  him  waa  the  arch-duke  Cob- 
Stan  tine,  whose  violent  and  cruel 
personal  character  had  borne  no 
small  share  in  producing  this  re* 
volution  against  his  family.  An- 
other division  of  the  Russians, 
under  the  orders  of  generals  (veia- 
mar  and  Kreua,  crossing  the  Busp 
in  another  direction,  advanced 
against  Lublin  and  Zamosc,  to  the 
south  of  Warsaw.  Their  move- 
ments were  watched  by  a  Polish 
corps  under  general  Dwernicki. 
The  main  Polish  army,  commanded 
by  prince  Radaivill,  was  stationed 
to  the  northward  of  Wanaw,  be- 
tween that  capital  and  Grodno, 
the  Russian- head  quarters*  War-* 
saw  itself,  and  Praga,  its  suburb 
on  the  right  bank  of  the  Vistula, 
had  been  hastily  fortified. 

On  the  5th,  6th,  and  7tk  of 
February,  the  Russian  wnoiv  en<« 
tered  the  kingdom,  at  dimreot 
points  along  a  large  extent  of  fron- 
tier. As  they  advanced,  converg- 
ing towards  Warsaw,  t^e  Polea, 
wisely  declining  a  general  engage- 
ment, withdrew  from  their  postSt 
and  fell  back  towards  the  capital. 
Their  plan  seemed  to  be,  in  that 
position  to  keep  the  enemy  at  bay, 
till  the  flooding  of  the  country,  on 
,  the  breaking  up  of  the  ice  on  the 
Vistula,  the  Bug,  and  their  tri- 
butary rivers,  should  impede  his 
communications,  endanger  hb  aup- 
plies,  and  render  diiScult  tne 
movements  of  his  heavy  troops  and 
artillery.  Although,  therefore, 
some  skiroiishing  took  place,  and 
isolated  posts  which  had  been  aban- 
doned were  sometimes  recovered 
by  the  Poles,  Diebitsch  encoun- 
tered no  serious  resistance  in  croes- 
ing  .  the  Bug,  and  apuroaohing 
Warsaw.  In  these  occasional  ren- 
contres the  Polish  soldiers  dis- 
played no  want  of  oouraae,  or  their 
office,  of  9kiU.    The  metf  in  the 


HISTORY   OF   EUROPE.  [4ftt 

mean  time  declared^  that  the  inva*  found  in  the  fact  thai,  for  the 

sioD  was  uo  sufficient  reason  for  three  following  days,  he  wa^  ud« 

discontinuing    its    sittings,    and  able  to  act  as  the  aggressor,  but 

spent  days  in  long  discussion  in  remained  repairing  his  losses,  and 

settling  the  form  of  oath  bj  which  collecting    re-inforcements    for    a 

fidelity  was  to  be  sworn   to  the  new  attack.     He  admitted  a  loss  of 

uew  institutions.   As  the  Russians  2,000  men,  killed  and  woundodi 

approached,  the  Polish  forces  con**  in  the  battle  of  the  20th  alone, 

centrated  themselves  in  advance  of  among  whom  were  several  generals. 

Praga;  and  Warsaw,  on  the  19th  The  Russian  commander  having 

of  February,  was  declared  by  the  been  joined  by  strong  reinforce-* 

government  to  be  in  a  state  of  ments,  resumed  operation!  on  the 

siege.     On  the  same  day  the  Rus~  24<th,  and  carried  a  villafle  on  the 

sians,   having   reached    Grochow,  left  of  the   Polish   position.     On 

within  a  short  distance  of  the  capi«  the  morning  of  the  26 th,  he  made 

tal,  came  at  last  upon  the  Polish  a  more  general  and  vigorous  attack, 

positions,  and   a  furious  combat  directing,  in  the  first  plaoe,  all  his 

followed.      It    raged  during  the  force  against  a  wood  which  was 

whole  day ;  many  men  were  sacri-  ocoupied  by  the  Poles,  in  front  of 

ficed  ;  but  the  Russians  failed  to  Praga.   After  a  murderous  combat 

secure  any  advantage.  Next  morn*  of  two  hours,   during  which  the 

ing  they  renewed  the  attack  in  two  Poles  lost  one  of  their  generalf, 

divisions^  one  commanded  by  gene-  the    Russians,    supportea   by  an 

ral   Rosen,  the  other    by  count  overwhelming  artillery,  made  good 

Pahlen.     In  the  early  part  of  the  their  point.     Chlopicki  the,  ex-dic* 

day  the  advantage  was  on  the  side  tator,    and    general    Skrsynecki, 

of  the  Poles.     According  to  the  rallying  the  troops,  advanced  to 

admission    of    the   Russian   com-  retake  the  wood.    Amid  a  miu:- 

mander  himself,  count  Pahlen,  in-»  derous  fire  they  made  themselves 

stead  of  being  able  to  make  any  masters  of  part  of  it.    llie  Rus- 

impression    on    the    enemy,  was  sians,  too,  renewed  their  efforts, 

obliged  to  retreat.     New  troops,  A  fresh  reserve  was  brought  up ; 

however,  being  brought  up,  and  a  new  batteries  were  erected,  and 

formidable  artillery  brought  into  the  Poles  were  finally  obliged  to 

play,  the  battle  was  restored.  The  abandon  this  important  post.    On 

Poles,  vvith  devoted  bravery,  con-  the  other  points,  they  had  been 

tested  every  inch  of  the  ground,  more  successful   in  repelling  the 

and  strained  every  nerve  to  drive  attacks  of  the  Russians;  but  the 

the   Russians  from   the  woods  in  Polish  commander  now  retired,  in 

which  they  sought  shelter  from  the  good  order,  under  the  fortifications 

cavalry.    Night  alone  put  an  end  of  Praga,     There,  too,  before  day 

to   the    contest.      The    Russians  dosed,  the  enemy  again  attacked 

claimed  the  victory  on  the  ground  him,  but  were  repulsed  with  great 

that  they  were  somewhat  nearer  loss.    I'he  Poles,  however,  quitted 

Warsaw  than  they  had  been  in  the  Praga,  and  crossing  the  Vistula, 

morning.     But  between  them  and  entered  Warsaw,   still  occupying 

the  capital  still  stood  the  Polish  the    t^te    du    pont    beyond    the 

army,  firm  and  undefeated ;  and  river.     The  commander  attributed 

the  best  proof  of  Diebitsch  having  this  movement  to  the  danger  of  the 

gained  m  decisive  advantage,  was  approaching  breaking   up  of  the 


428]        ANNUAL  REGISTER,  1831. 


ice  on  the  Vistula  carrying  away 
the  bridge,  and  thus  cutting  off 
his  communication  with  tlie  city. 
Part  of  the  suburb  was  ordered  to 
be  destroyed  to  give  room  for  the 
iire  from  the  fortifications  of  the 
city. 

In  tliese  engagements  the  Poles^ 
according  to  their  own  statements, 
had  lost  9000  men  in  killed  and 
wounded.  The  loss  of  the  Russians 
certainly  was  not  smaller ;  and 
although  they  had  now  ]>]aced 
themselves  in  a  situation  to  attack 
Warsaw  itself,  they  seemed  to  have 
suffered  too  severely  to  attempt  at 
once  so  serious  an  operation,  and 
had  learned  with  what  vigour  they 
were  likely  to  be  resisted.  If  it 
was  the  intention  of  Diebitsch  to 
carry  Warsaw  by  a  sort  of  coup- 
de-main,  his  plan  had  failed. 
Though  he  -  might  still  carry 
Praga,  the  Poles  had  only  to  burn^ 
or  cut  away  the  bridge  of  boats  to 
separate  him  from  Warsaw.  He 
found  himself  com|)elled  to  remain 
inactive,  awaiting  reinforcements, 
and  preparing  means  for  crossing 
the  Vistula.  The  main  body  of 
the  army  was  drawn  back  towards 
Plozk,  to  be  joined  by  the  new 
troops  hastening  forward  from 
Russia.  Strong  divisions  however 
were  left  in  front  of  Warsaw,  to 
coop  up  the  Poles,  and  watch  their 
operations.  One  of  them,  under 
general  Geismar  was  stationed  at 
Wawer,  and  another  under  general 
Rosen,  at  Dembiewilkic,  both  of 
them  to  the  eastward  of  Praga  and 
"NVarsaw  on  the  road  to  Minsk.  A 
more  advanced  corps  observed 
Praga  itself.  The  division,  too, 
under  general  Kreuz,  which  had 
crossed  the  Vistula,  to  the  south 
of  Warsaw,  in  the  hope  of  district- 
ing the  attention,  and  drawing  off 
part  of  the  forces  of  the  Poles, 
after  suffering  some  repulses  from 


the  Polish  corps  under  general 
Dwernicki,  was  recalled  to  the  right 
bank  of  the  river,  lest,  by  the  ex- 
pected thaw,  it  should  be  altogether 
cut  off  from  the  main  army.  The 
melting  of  the  ice  which  soon  en- 
sued, and  the  consequent  inun- 
dations of  the  Vistula,  rendered 
extensive  operations  impossible,  so 
that  the  month  of  March  passed 
in  inaction,  with  the  exception  of 
occasional  and  unimportant  skir- 
mishing in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Praga. 

After  the  battle  of  the  25th  of 
February,  Prince  RadziviU-  had 
resigned  the  chief  command  of  the 
army  in  favour  of  General  Skrzy- 
necki  who  had  displayed  great  cou- 
rage and  conduct  in  that  conflict 
and  in  the  engagements  which  pre- 
ceded it.  The  general  endeavour- 
ed to  open  negotiations  with  Die- 
bitschjbu t  theyfailed  in  consequence 
of  the  latter  adhering  to  his  master's 
demand  of  unconditional  submis- 
sion. Tiie  Polish  commander, 
therefore,  having  employed  the  re- 
spite allowed  him  by  the  forced  in- 
activity of  the  Russians  in  re- 
cruiting his  troops  and  renewing 
his  materiel,  resolved  to  assume  the 
offensive,  by  attacking  unexpect- 
edly the  scattered  cantonments  of 
the  enemy,  who  seem  to  have  been 
unprepared  for  such  vigorous  ope- 
rations. On  the  night  of  the  30th 
of  March,  he  led  25,000  men  from 
Warsaw,  through  Praga,  to  assault 
general  Geismar  at  Wawer.  .  The 
road  was  covered  with  straw,  so 
that  the  artillery  and  cavalry, 
aided,  too,  by  the  darkness  of  the 
night,  advanced  without  being 
perceived.  The  advanced  guard, 
under  Geismar,  consisting  of  eight 
or  ten  thousand  men,  was  surprised 
at  Wawer :  its  entrenchments  were 
stormed,  and  it  was  forced  to  fall 
back;  by  aprecipitate  retreatj  on  tb« 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[429. 


stronger  force  of  general  Rosen, 
posted  at  Derabe-Wielkie.  The 
Poles  pressed  on :  attacked  tbem 
again,  and  after  a  struggle  which 
lasted  from  five  in  the  afternoon 
till  ten  at  night,  carried  the  posi- 
tion of  General  Rosen,  and  com- 
pelled him  to  a  hasty  flight.  The 
loss  of  the  Russians  was  estimated 
at  5000  men  by  the  Poles,  who 
likewise  claimed  6000  prisoners, 
two  standards,  and  fifteen  pieces  of 
cannon,  besides  a  number  of  am- 
munition waggons.  The  cannon 
were  carried  to  Warsaw,  covered 
with  green  boughs,  amid  the  ac- 
clamations of  the  people.  General 
Rosen  abandoned  Minsk,  and  fell 
back  upon  the  reserve,  the  Poles 
still  moving  northwards  after  him, 
and,  throvFing  bodies  of  their  troops 
across  the  Bug,  approaching  the  po- 
sit ion  of  Marshal  Diebitsch  himself. 

These  brilliant  exploits  were  ac- 
companied by  a  partial  insurrec- 
tion in  Lithuania,  particularly  in 
the  government  of  Wilna.  At  the 
head  of  it  were  some  of  the  nobi- 
lity ;  but  the  presence  of  Russian 
troops  at  every  point,  prevented  it 
from  spreading,  and  the  severest 
measures  were  adopted  to  repress 
it. 

After  the  victories  of  March, 
general  Sierawski  had  been  dis- 
patched to  aid  Dwernicki  in  the 
south,  for  the  purpose  of  raising  an 
insurrection  in  Volhynia.  At  first 
their  operations  were  successful. 
They  cleared  the  right  bank  of  the 
Vistula  of  the  enemy,  and  Dwer- 
nicki even  crossed  the  Bug.  But 
they'  advanced  too  incautiously  and 
acted  too  far  asunder.  On  the 
l/th  of  April,  Sierawski  fell  in 
with  the  much  more  numerous 
Russian  corps  of  General  Kreuz. 
Instead  of  making  a  timely  retreat, 
he  persisted  in  pressing  on  during 
the  whole  day  an  unequal  combat. 


He  was,  however,  atlast  compelled 
to  retreat  to  Razimierz,  where  on 
the  following  day  he  was  again  at- 
tacked, and  found  himself  under 
the  necessity  of  repassing  the  Vis« 
tula,  with  a  loss  of  1,200  men 
killed;  among  whom  were  two 
Lieutenant-Colonels.  The  fate  of 
Dwernicki  was  still  more  disas- 
trous. His  successful  career  was| 
stopped,  on  the  20th  of  April  by 
the  Russian  general  Rudiger,  who, 
having  brought  him  to  action, 
compelled  him  to  commence  a  re- 
trograde movement,  while  the  de- 
feat of  Sierawski,  setting  free  the 
troops  which  had  been  opposed  to 
the  latter,  cut  off  the  retreating 
army  from  the  Vistula  and  Warsaw. 
The  Polish  general  directed  his 
march  towards  Podolia,  keeping 
close  to  the  Austrian  frontiers^ 
while  Rudiger  followed,  and  the 
Russian  troops  were  closing  round 
him.  On  the  29th  of  April,  they, 
were  prepared  to  attack  him  at  all 
points,  when,  instead  of  risking  an 
engagement,  he  sought  refuge  in 
the  Austrian  territory,  where  his 
troops  were  disarmed,  and  removed 
from  the  frontier,  by  the  Austrian 
authorities,  as  their  neutrality  re- 
quired. 

As  the  annihilation  of  this 
corps  left  the  forces  of  Rudiger 
and  Kreuz  at  liberty  to  support 
the  operations  of  the  main  army, 
general  Chrzanowski  was  immedi-* 
ately  dispatched  by  the,  Polish 
commander  towards  Volhynia,  at 
the  head  of  8000  men,  to  supply 
the  place  of  Dwernicki  and  Sieraw- 
ski. Chrzanowski  approached  the 
Russians  by  forced  marches,  car- 
ried some  of  their  posts,  and,  on 
the  6th  and  8th  of  May,  gained 
advantages  over  detached  divisions 
of  their  troops,  which  left  in  his 
hands  a  considerable  number  of 
prisoners.      The   Russians,   how- 


430]       ANNUAL   REGISTER,    1831. 


%yr%T,  having  concentrated  their 
forcM  compeHed  him  to  retreat, 
and  attacked  him,  on  the  9th  at 
Lubartow,  from  which,  after  an  ob- 
stinate resistance^  the  Poles  were 
driyen^  with  the  loss  of  some  of 
their  ammunition,  and  600  pri- 
soners. '^^^Y  ^^  across  the 
Wieprz^  and  found  refuge  in  Old 
Zamoic. 

Towards  the  north,  in  the  mean 
time,  where  the  main  armies  were 
stationed,  no  general  engagement 
took  place,  though  there  was  some 
severe  fighting  between  detached 
corps,  taking  and  retaking  parti- 
cular towns ;  the  Poles  generally 
claimed  the  advantage^  though 
these  contests  had  little  influence 
on  the  result  of  the  campaign. 
Diebitsch  having  completed  his 
preparations,  and  received  his  re* 
inforoements,  again  mored  in  ad- 
vance towards  Warsaw,  and  the 
Polish  army  gradually  retired. 
On  the  S8th  of  April  the  Russian 
head-quarters  were  again  at  Minsk, 
where  the  Poles  intended  to  make 
a  stand,  but  they  found  it  prudent 
to  retire  before  the  superior  num- 
bers of  the  enemy.  They  avoided 
a  general  battle,  and  immediately 
saw  the  Russians,  in  their  turn, 
retire.  The  country  was  so  ex- 
hausted, the  Poles  having  destroy- 
ed or  carried  off  in  their  retreat 
every  thing  which  could  be  useful 
to  the  enemy,  that  Diebitsch,  un- 
able to  procure  even  straw  for  his 
horses,  was  compelled  to  retire 
from  Minsk,  almost  as  soon  as  he 
had  reached  it,  to  his  former  po- 
sition behind  Siedlec.  The  Polish 
army  again  followed  him,  and  re- 
sumed, in  the  end  of  April  and 
beginning  of  May,  their  former 
positions  in  front  of  him.  After 
some  days  spent  in  unimportant 
skirmishing,  the  Polish  general  be- 
gan a  series  of  movements  against 


the  right  wing  of  the  Russiaii 
army,  whose  head  quarters  were 
at  Ostrolenka,  on  the  left  bank  of 
the  Narew.  The  object  which  he 
afterwards  declared  he  had  in  view 
in  this  movement  was,  to  obtain 
the  opportunity,  by  forcing  back 
the  Russian  right  wing,  of  throw- 
inff  a  body  of  troopa  into  Lithu- 
ania, who  might  conoentrate  and 
organise  the  partial  insuirectioii 
which  had  broken  out  in  that  an« 
ciont  province  of  Poland,  and  thus 
place  a  hostile  force  in  the  enemy's 
rear.  At  the  same  time  he  might 
hope  that,  if  the  right  wing  were 
driven  back,  the  rest  of  the  Rus- 
sian army  would  be  compelled  to  a 
retrograoe  movement  in  order  to 
maintain  its  communications.  The 
dangers  were,  that  Warsaw  was 
left  uncovered,  that  the  Poles^  by 
advancing  too  fkr,  might  be  ex- 
posed to  an  attack  from  the  greatly 
superior  numbers  of  the  whole 
Russian  army ;  and  that,  in  cue 
of  a  reverse,  the  corps,  which 
might  be  thrown  into  Lithuania, 
would  be  cut  off  from  all  tuppart. 
The  movements  of  the  Poles  were 
at  first  unsuccessful.  Taking 
their  march  along  the  right  bank 
of  the  Narew,  they  advanced  from 
Sierock  to  Pultusk,  on  the  same 
side  of  the  river,  without  encoun- 
tering much  serious  opposition. 
On  the  18th  they  crossed  the  Na- 
rew at,  and  carried  Ostrolenka, 
the  Russian  troops,  though  among 
them  were  the  flower  of  the  im- 
perial guards,  abandoning  the  for. 
tiflcations  which  they  had  raised, 
avoiding  a  battle,  and  falling  back 
in  the  direction  of  Bialystock. 
On  the  20th,  a  division  of  the 
Polish  army  still  pushing  forward, 
made  themselves  masters  of  Lomaa ; 
while  the  commander-in-chief  him- 
self advanced  on  the  road  of  Ty- 
kocin  to  cut  off  the  retreat 


«  ly- 
of  the 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[481 


RuBsian  column  by  ivhich  LoniBa 
had  been  abandoned.  In  this  ob- 
ject he  failed ;  but,  on  the  2Ht  he 
assaulted  Tykocin  itself.  The  Rus» 
sians,  aided  by  the  difficulty  of 
approaching  the  place,  maintained 
it  during  the  day,  but  evacuated 
it  in  the  course  of  the  following 
night.  Their  whole  right  wing 
hi^  now  been  driven  so  far  back, 
that  the  road  to  Lithuania  was 
open,  and  a  corps  of  the  Polish 
army,  under  the  command  of  ge- 
neral Chlapowski,  marched  into 
that  province.  At  the  same  time^ 
marshal  Diebitsch,  who  had  hi- 
therto remained,  with  the  main 
body  of  the  army,  on  the  south  of 
the  Bug,  re-crossed  that  river, 
putting  himself,  by  this  retrograde 
movement  in  immediate  connection 
with  his  right  wing.  Thus  the 
whole  kingdom  of  Poland  was  once 
more  cleared  of  the  enemy. 

But  it  appeared  as  if  it  had  bean 
the  plan  of  the  Russian  commander 
to  allow  the  Poles  to  advance,  while 
even  his  retrograde  movements  con^ 
centrated  his  troops,  that  he  might 
attack  them  with  his  whole  army. 
On  the  21st  of  May  he  had  re- 
crossed  the  Bug,  and  next  day  his 
whole  array  was  in  full  march 
against  the  roles,  who  immediately 
began  a  retreat.  On  the  23ra, 
their  rear  guard,  commanded  by 
general  Lubinski  was  nearly  sur- 
rounded ;  but  it  cut  its  way 
through  the  Russian  columns  and 
rejoined  the  array.  At  the  same 
time  the  advance  of  the  right  wing 
from  Tykocin,  had  cut  off  the  corps 
of  general  Gielgud.  Weakened  by 
this  separation,  as  well  as  by  hav- 
ing sent  a  corps  into  Lithuania, 
and  being  now  exposed  to  the  over- 
whelming numbers^  of  the  whole 
Russian  array,  Skrzynecki  re- 
treated to  Ostrolenko:  where  he 
intended  to  re-cross  to  the  right 


bank  of  the  Narew.  On  the  eve- 
ning of  the  25th  of  May,  the 
greater  part  of  his  army  had  cross- 
ed in  safety ;  but  the  rear  guard 
was  attacked  by  the  Russians,  on 
the  morning  of  the  36th.  They' 
were  unable  to  maintain  Ostro- 
lenka,  which  was  set  in  flames  by 
the  Russian  artillery.  Under  the 
fire  of  the  Russians,  they  passed 
the  river,  and  joined  the  rest  of 
the  army,  but  they  had  time  nei<* 
ther  entirely  to  desta^  the  bridge^ 
nor  to  prevent  the  Russians  from 
repairing  its  partial  injuries.  Some 
divisions  of  the  latter  immediately 
crossed,  covered  by  the  fire  of  bat- 
teries on  the  left  bank.  The  Poles, 
who  had  formed  to  receive  them, 
i^ow  attacked,  to  prevent  them 
from  gaining  a  firm  footing  on  their 
side  of  the  river.  The  contest  was 
long,  obstinate,  and  murderous, 
the  Russians  making  constant  ex- 
ertions to  bring  over  fresh  masses, 
and  the  Poles  striving  no  less 
anxiously  to  regain  the  bridge,  the 
undisturbed  possession  of  which 
by  the  enemy,  for  bringing  over 
his  army,  would  have  been  their 
ruin.  Night  put  an  end  to  the 
combat.  At  its  termination,  the 
Russians  maintained  the  bridge, 
and  had  their  poetff  on  the  farther 
side,  though  the  main  body  of  their 
army  still  continued  on  the  left 
bank.  The  Polish  commander, 
however,  claimed  the  victory,  as 
he  had  not  been  driven  from  the 
position  which  he  occupied  when 
the  Russians  first  began  to  pass 
the  river;  but  in  the  course  of 
the  following  day,  he  continued 
his  retreat  undisturbed  to  Pultusk, 
and  thence  to  Praga,  the  Polish 
army  lieing  thus  once  more  drawn 
back  for  the  de&noe  of  the  capital. 
The  Poles  admitted  a  loss  in  the 
battle  of  nearly  5»000  men  killed, 
among   whom  were    thirty   staff 


432]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


officera  and  225  of  inferior  grades. 
Two  of  their  generals  were  also 
killed.  The  loss  of  the  Russians 
was  not  supposed  to  have  been 
smaller.  This  was  the  last  of  the 
battles  of  field-marshal  Diebitsch. 
On  the  10th  of  June^  he  was  sud- 
denly cut  off  by  an  attack  of  the 
Cholera,  which  not  long  before  had 
commenced  its  ravages  in  Europe, 
and  had  already  cut  off  numbers 
of  men  both  in  the  Russian  and 
Polish  armies,  whose  movements 
again  extended  its  effects  wider 
and  wider.  On  the  marshal's  death. 
Count  Paskewitsch,  the  humili- 
ator  of  Persia,  was  appointed  to  suc- 
ceed him  as  commander-in-chief. 

During  the  greater  part  of  June, 
the  active  operations  of  the  main 
armies  were  suspended.  The  Polish 
commander  remained  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Warsaw,  apparently 
awaiting  the  result  of  the  efforts 
which  had  been  made  to  stir  up 
insurrection  in  the  neighbouring 
provinces.  In  Podolia  and  Kiew 
there  were  partial  movements : 
small  bodies  of  the  insurgents 
sometimes  captured  detached  posts, 
or  ovei*powered  a  few  men ;  but 
they  were  utterly  unable  to  keep 
the  field  against  the  Russians, 
and  the  popular  commotion  failed 
to  become  general.  In  Volhynia, 
general  Rudiger,  after  the  defeat 
of  Dwernicki,  had  again  approach- 
ed the  Vistula.  A  strong  corps 
was  detached  against  him  under 
the.  command  of  the  Polish  general 
Tankowski,  while  Chrzanowski, 
proceeding  from  Zamosc,  was  to 
throw  himself  in  his  rear.  The 
Russian  general  would  thus  be  sur- 
rounded by  troops  greatly  superior, 
and  the  Poles  counted  on  the  an- 
nihilation of  his  army.  Rudiger, 
however,  instead  of  waiting  the 
united  attack,  suddenly  made  his 
appearance  before  Jankowsky,    at- 


tacked him,  and  compelled  him  to 
retreat,  with  the  loss  of  some  pri. 
soners  and  artillery.  He  then 
marched  to  Lublin,  which  Chrza* 
nowski  had  reached  in  the  execu- 
tion of  his  part  of  the  design,  re- 
covered the  town,  and  compelled 
the  Polish  general  to  return  to  the 
left  bank  of  the  Vistula. 

In  Lithuania,  the  encouragemeot 
of  an  insurrection,  in  which  had  oc- 
casioned the  battle  of  OstroleDka,- 
the  two  corps  of  Chlapowski  and 
Gielgud  were  now  completely  se- 
parated from  Poland,  by  the  results 
of  the  battle,  and  the  position  of 
the  Russian  army.  The  former  of 
these  commanders,  immediately 
after  leaving  the  main  army,  march- 
ed towards  Bialystock;  and,  on 
the  26th  of  May,  routed  at  Na- 
rewka  a  body  of  Russians  who 
opposed  his  advance.  He  put  to 
death  four  peasants  of  the  province, 
subjects  of  Russia,  who  had  acted 
as  guides  to  the  Russian  troops 
and  these  murders  were  perpetra- 
ted under  the  pretext  that  the  vic- 
tims were  ''  four  degenerated  in- 
habitants of  the  country."  He 
then  proceeded  to  Minsk, and,  being 
joined  by  Gielgud,  who  had  en- 
countered, in  his  march,  no  serious 
opposition,  they  advanced  together 
against  Wilna,  round  which  the 
Russian  forces,  intended  to  act 
against  them,  had  been  assembling 
under  the  command  of  general 
Sacken.  The  Russians  had  not 
sought  seriously  to  stop  them,  ap- 
parently willing  that  they  should 
be  drawn  forward  to  a  point  where 
defeat  would  be  ruin.  The  Polish 
generals  attacked,  with  their  com- 
bined forces,  the  positions  of  the 
enemy  at  Wilna.  They  were  re- 
pulsed, were  attacked  in  their 
turn,  and  driven  across  die  river 
Wilna  in  such  haste^  that  they 
were  unable  to  destroy  the  bridge. 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[433 


General  Sacken  pursued^  iocreasing 
the  confusion  of  their  flighty .  and 
rendering  it  hopeless  by   cutting 
them  off  from  the  road  southward 
into  Poland.     They  fled  towards 
the  Prussian  frontier.     The  Rus- 
sians overtook  them  at  Kovno^  a 
frontier   town.     There    they    at- 
tempted to  rally,  but  were  driven 
from  it,  and  forced  into  Prussia, 
where  they  were  disarmed.     Gene- 
ral Gielgud  was  shot  by  one  of  his 
own  officers.     The  body  which  was 
thus  dispersed  did  not  amount  to 
3,000  men.     Anbther  division  of 
nearly  equal  numbers,  instead  of 
entering  Prussia,  to  be  disarmed, 
preferred  attempting  to  manoeuvre 
and  fight  its  way  back  to  Warsaw. 
It   was    commanded    by    general 
Dembienski.     His    bold    attempt 
was  aided  by  the  circumstance  of 
the  main  Russian  army  having  by 
that  time  moved  westward  from  the 
Narew  to  cross  the  Vistula  below 
Warsaw.     He  conducted  it  like- 
wise with  great  skill  and  intrepi- 
dity ;  and,  on  the  2nd  of  August, 
he  brought  his  corps  and  his  cannon, 
amid  the  acclamations  of  the  popu- 
lace, safely   into   Warsaw,  under 
whose  walls  the  struggle  was  now 
to  be  terminated.     The  Poles  called 
Gielgud  a  traitor ;  but  the  truth 
was,    they  had    sent  men  where 
they  were  cut  off  from  all  resources, 
in  blind  confidence  in  an  insurrec- 
tion which   they  were  unable  to 
organize.     The  troops  of  Gielgud 
and  Chlapowski  might  have  been 
useful  at  Ostrolenka ;  the  Joss  of 
the  latter  sealed  their  ruin. 

Count  Paskewitsch  had  arrived 
at  the  army  in  the  last  days  of 
June,  and  lost  no  time  in  resuming 
active  operations.  He  departed 
from  the  plan  of  his  predecessor, 
who  had  approached  Warsaw  from 
the  right  bank  of  the  Vistula.  On 
that  side  the  strongly  fortified  sub- 

VoL.  LXXHI. 


urb    of   Praga    had    first    to   be 
carried.    Even  when  it  should  be 
carried,  yet,  as  the  bridge  could 
easily    be    destroyed,     the    river 
would   still   remain   between    the 
capital  and  the  invading  force,  and 
the  latter  wc^uld   have  to  pass  it 
under  the  fire  of  the  city.     The 
new  commander  resolved  to  cross 
the  Vistula  further  down  the  river, 
and  having  thus  gained  more  easily 
the  bank  on  which  Warsaw  stood, 
to  attack  the  city  from  the  west« 
ward,   where  no  deep  and  rs^iid 
river  would   intervene.     On   the 
7th  of  July  his  army  broke   up 
from  Pultusk  and  Prassnitz,  and 
moved  in  three  divisions  towards 
the  Vistula.     Plock  was  selected 
as  the  principal  point  of  passage. 
A  bridge  was  constructed,  and  the 
army  carried  across  without  any 
attempt  at  opposition.   The  Polish 
general   had   indeed  moved  .from 
Warsaw,   but  he  did  not  move  to 
dispute  the  passage  of  the  Vistula. 
He  marched  along    the    Narew,' 
into  the  neighbourhood  which  the 
Russians   had   quitted,    thus,   no 
doubt,  (Jireatening  their  rear,  but, 
threatening  it  with  a  force  which 
did  not   inipede  their  operations^ 
which  woiTldnoteven  be  troublesome 
so  soon  as  the  Vistula  was  between 
them,   and  which  they  knew  well 
their  approach  to  the  capital  would 
immediately  recal  for  its  defence. 
Warsaw  itself,  had  prepared  for  a 
siege.     On  the  first  of  July  the 
government  called  out  the  levy  en 
masse;    the   populace  were  em- 
ployed night  and  day  in  forming 
entrenchments  and  strong  fortifi- 
cations on  the  side  from  which  the 
city  was  how  threatened.     But  as 
the    crisis    approached,    want    of 
confidence  and  harmony  began  to 
be  manifested.     Adverse  fortune, 
as  commonly  happens,  was  ascribed, 
in  the  popular  mind,   to  dishonest 
L2t] 


434]       ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


or  unskilful  conduct.  The  failure 
<if  all  attempts  to  raise  insurrection 
in  the  neiffhbouring  provinces — 
the  defeats  tn  Volhynia— the  anni- 
hilation of  all  their  ho|)es  in  Lithu* 
ania — so  many  Imttles  fought  and 
Huecesses  gained,  and  yet  coopeil 
up  at  last,  ap^mrontly  helpless, 
within  tlie  walls  of  WarBaw-^oo(*a- 
sioned  doubt  and  discontent. 
£?«n  conspiracies  were  said  to 
hare  been  discovered  among  some 
of  their  generals,  and  the  Russiun 
prisoners  of  war,  to  seiie  the  city, 
and  deliver  it  to  the  enemy. 
The  |K>pularity  of  Skrxynet^ki  gave 
way ;  lor  he  iiad  been  unable  to 
render  talent  8U})erior  to  equal 
talent  and  overwhelming  numbers. 
Like  a  skilful  soldier,  he  would 
not  promulgate  his  plans  to  the 
memlwrs  of  the  government,  and 
the  populact^  of  the  city.  The 
government  appointed  a  council  of 
war,  *to  receive  from  him  an  ac- 
count of  his  intended  military 
operations,  and  to  report  whether 
tliev  seenuHl  Atting  to  be  adopted. 
This  was  done  by  the  same  people, 
who,  a  few  months  befivt^,  had 
upiMuntetl  a  dictator,  with  unlimi- 
tetl  and  irresiMnsiMe  |)ower,  when 
no  enemy  was  near,  and  the  crisis 
of  their  mte  was  not  e\*en  ex|)ecte4l. 
While  these  doubts  and  di^veu- 
sions  reiguetl  in  War^w,  the  Rus- 
sian army,  amounting,  it  was 
stated,  to  60,iKH)  men,  had  es- 
tablislieil  itsielf  on  tlie  left  hank  of 
the  Vistula,  and  cimiroenceti  its 
advance  against  the  city.  The 
ivr|Wi  of  Hudiger,  at  tlie  same 
tin>e«  t^ing  letf  at  liberty  by  the 
Polish  forccst,  who  had  watched 
him  in  Volhynia,  being  called  in 
for  the  defence  4>f  the  capital, 
ofti»se«i  the  Vistula  above  Warsaw, 
and  mo\tHi  nmml.  to  the  south- 
ward of  it.  to  j»>iu  the  maiu  anu\ . 
The  Polish  army  had  taken  up  a 


position,  a  few  leagues  to  the 
westward  of  the  capital,  between 
Kolo  and  Lowics.  They  were 
attacked  and  drive^  from  it|  with- 
out much  serious  fightinff,  and 
took  up  a  new  position  behud  the 
Kawka  and  Bsura,  still  nearer  to 
Warsaw.  The  Russians  continued 
to  spread  themselves  on  all  sides, 
their  commander  apparently  being 
unwilling  to  make  tne  last  assault, 
till  he  should  be  joined  by  the 
corps  which  he  was  daily  expecting 
from  the  souths  It  a|^iearea, 
likewise,  that  the  heads  of  the 
government  at  Warsaw,  now  con« 
vinced  that  further  resistanoe  was 
hopeless,  had  been  attempting  iie« 
gotiation,  but  this  only  1m  to 
resolution  and  confusion,  while 
the  enemy  was  at  the  gates.  A 
patriotic  club,  joined  by  some 
unprincipled  o^oerS}  excited  the 
populace  to  throw  off  all  re* 
straint.  General  Skraynecki^  find* 
ing  himself  an  object  of  odium, 
resigned  the  command,  on  the 
18th  of  August,  and  was  succeeded 
by  Dembienski,  whose  retreat  from 
Uthuania,  after  the  discomfiture  of 
Gielgud  and  Chlapowski,  was  still 
in  the  freshness  of  its  popularity. 
This,  was  not  enough  i  the  popu- 
lace, headed  by  membeis  of  the 
club,  proceeded  to  the  palace  of  the 
government,  and  demanded  that 
the  general  should  be  brought  to 
trial.  The  goveroment,  in  the 
foolish  hope  w  soothing  them,  had 
the  weakness  to  promise  it.  With 
success,  their  numben  and  vio- 
lence increased.  They  proceeded 
to  the  royal  prison,  where  a  guard 
of  ^00  men  made  no  resistance ; 
the  gates  were  fbroed  openj  the  pri- 
soners, some  of  them  FVilee  suspect- 
ed of  political  offences^  and  some  of 
them  Russians,  were  dragged  into 
the  streets  and  murdeiva  in  cold 
blood.  Antong  them  were  funerals 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE.  [436 

Jankowsky  and   Bukowsky^  who  saw^  and  by  the  position  of  his 
had  commanded  the  unsuccessful  army,  the  capital  and  the  troops 
operations    against     Rudiger    in  now  collected  under  its  walls,  were 
Volhynia :   they  had  been  accused  surrounded  on  almost  every  side, 
of  treason  to  gratify  the  populace  and  deprived  of  all  resources  from 
and  the  clubs  -,     tlhey  had   been  the  country.     Several  days,  how- 
tried  and  acquitted ;    they  were  ever,  still  passed  in  inaction,  Paske- 
now    assassinated.      The    prisons  witsch  waiting  the  junction  of  the 
contained  some  ladies,  whom  po-  corps  which  had  been  clearing  and 
litical  jealousy  had  confined   on  securing  the  country  to  the  south, 
suspicion    of    Russianism !     they  and  employing  himself  in  the  mean 
shared  the  same  fate,  and  their  time  in  making  the  necessary  pre- 
mutilated  bodies  were  thrown  out  parations  for  storming  the  lines 
to  outrage  in  the  public  streets,  which   were  the  last    defence  of 
The  same  treatment  was  extended  Warsaw.     Probably,  too,  he  might 
to  the  inmates  of  other  prisons,  expect,  that  the  gradual  approach 
Upwards  of   sixty   persons  were  of  famine,  when  he  should  have 
stated    to  have  perished   by   the  cut  off  all  supplies,  might  subdue 
hands  of  the  populace.     The  go-  the  obstinacy  of  the  garrison  or  of 
vernor  of  the  city,   left  without  the  inhabitants.    These  hopes  hav-^ 
regular  troops,  was  unable  to  check  ing  failed,  and  the  terms  of  sur- 
these  atrocities,   which  were  con-  render  which  he   offered  having 
tinned    during    the    l6th,     even  been    rejected,   he    attacked  the 
some  of  the  Russian  prisoners  of  Polish  lines  on  the  morning jof  the 
war  being  put  to  death.   At  length  6th   of   September.     They  were 
several  regiments  were  sent  into  furiously  assaulted,and  as  furiously 
the  city  from  the  army,  and  some  defended  5  but,  by  the  close  of  the 
degree  of  order  was  restored — the  day,  the  Russians  had  made  them- 
Polish  troops  being  thus  required  selves  masters  of  the  first  line  of 
against  their  fellow  citizens,  when  entrenchments.     The  earlier  part 
they  ought  to  have  been  facing  the  of  the  7th  having  been  spent  in 
Russians.  The  government, feeling  new  and  unavailing  attempts   to 
its  weakness,   resigned  its  powers  arrange  the  terms  of  a  surrender, 
into  the  hands  of  the  diet,  and  the  the  second  line  of  entrenchments 
diet  immediately  invested  general  was  attacked.     The  combat  was 
Krukowiecki  with  almost  dictat-  now  even  more  murderous  than  on 
orial  authority.  the  preceding  day.     Fresh  bodies 
Amid  this  change  of  command-  of  Poles,  taking  the  place  of  those 
ers,  want  of  plan,  and  confusion  of  who  were  swept  away  by  the  Rus- 
all   government,    Paskewitsch  ad-  sian  artillery,  contested  evety  inch 
vanced,  on  the    16th   and   17th,  of  ground,  fighting  to  the  very 
against  the  Polish  position  behind  edges  of  the  ditches,  and  for  a  mo- 
the  Bzura.     The  Poles  immediate-  ment,  seemed  about  to  regain  the 
ly  retreated,  and  retired  at  length  advantage.     But  the  Russians  ral- 
within  the  entrenchments  imm^i-  lied,  pressed  on  with  irresistible 
atelybeforeWarsaw,  where  the  last  fiiry,  carrying  every  thing  before 
stake  was  to  be  played  for.     On  them  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet, 
the  1 8th  of  August,  the  head  quar-  and  before  evening  they  had  carried 
ters  of   the   Russian   commander  all  the  entrenchments,  and  War- 
were  within  three  miles]  of  War-  saw  lay  at  their  mercy.     Had  they 

[2  F  2] 


436]       ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


been  compelled  to  enter  it  amid 
continued  resistance^  or  even  been 
admitted  as  conquerors^  wlieu 
scarcely  cooled  from  tlie  attack^ 
the  consequences  would  probably 
have  been  frightful  j  but,  the  city 
having  capitulated  on  the  evening 
of  the  7th,  Paskewitsch  agreed  not 
to  enter  it  till  next  day,  the  re- 
mainder of  the  Polish  army  being 
allowed^  in  the  mean  time,  to  retire 
to  Plozk.  The  Russian  army,  ac- 
cordingly, accompanied  by  the 
emperor's  brother,  the  grand  duke 
Michael,  entered  Warsaw  on  the 
morning  of  the  8th  of  September, 
and  persons  and  property  were 
saved  from  outrage.  Of  the  loss 
of  the  Poles  during  these  two  days' 
fighting  among  entrenchments,  no 
account  was  given,  except  that  the 
Russians  claimed  3,000  prisoners^ 
including  60  staff  and  superior 
officers.  Their  own  loss  they  stat- 
ed at  3,000  killed,  including  63 
officers,  and  7^500  wounded,  among 
whom  were  445  officers. 

The  Russian  commander  main- 
tained that,  when  he  consented  that 
the  Polish  army,  on  the  evening 
before  he  entered  Warsaw,  should 
retire  to  Plozk,  he  considered  them 
to  have  submitted,  and  that  they 
were  there  to  await  the  pleasure 
of  the  emperor.  The  Poles,  how- 
ever, who  were  now  commanded 
by  general  Rybinski,  stopped  short 
at  the  fortress  of  Modi  in,  and 
began  to  make  preparations  for 
military  movements.  The  enter- 
prise was  desperate.  Paskewitsch 
at  length  directed  his  troops 
against  them.  Finding  them- 
selves hemmed  in  on  every  side, 
rather  than  submit  to  the  Rus- 
sians, they  crossed  the  frontier  into 
Prussia,  laid  down  their  arms,  and 
sought  refuge  in  exile.  In  the 
south,  too,  some  detached  corps 
of  what  had  been  the  Polish  army. 


endeavoured  to  maintain  an'un« 
availing  resistance,  but  were  com- 
l)elled,  one  after  another^  either  to 
capitulate,  or  to  pass  into  Austria 
and  the  territory  of  Cracow^  to  lay 
down  their  arms.  In  the  course 
of  a  month  from  the  surrender  of 
Warsaw,  the  whole  of  Poland  was 
again  reduced  under  unconditional 
subjection  to  its  former  master, 
and  an  insurrection  was  extin- 
guished which,  though  origin- 
ating from  no  previous  concert, 
had  assumed  at  once  an  attitude 
of  defiance,  trusting,  from  the 
condition  of  European  politics^  to 
foreign  aid  that  was  never  granted 
— which  had  astonished  Europe 
by  the  boldness  and  unexpected, 
though  temporary,  success  of  its 
resistance  to  the  colossal  power 
of  Russia — which  had  exhibited, 
during  its  progress,  much  heroism, 
and  much  devoted  willingness  to 
expend  life,  and  liberty,  and  for- 
tune, for  the  independence  of  the 
country,  but  had  closed  in  dis- 
content, distrust,  and  confusion.  • 
The  evils  of  war  in  this  part  of 
eastern  Europe,  were  accompanied 
by,  and  assisted  in  propagating,  a 
much  more  mortal  and  extensive 
calamity,  which  had  gradually  been 
moving  westward  from  the  interior 
of  the  Russian  empire.  A  pesti- 
lential disease,  denominated  cho- 
lera morbus,  of  which  the  sjrmp- 
toms  have  been  described  and  the 
hi^ry  traced  in  a  former  part  of 
this  volume,*  had  appeared  at 
Moscow  towards  the  close  of  the 
preceding  year,  and,  outliving  the 
winter,  again  manifested  itself  in 
spring,  and  spread,  not  only  to 
the  capital,  but  into  Poland,  Mol- 
davia, Gallicia,  and  Hungary.  In 
all  of.  these  countries,  where  the 
lower  orders  of  the  people  live  on 


*  See  page  [998]. 


HISTORY   OF   EUROPE. 


[487 


scanty  food^  and  amid  uncleanly 
habits,   the   mortality  was  great. 
In  Moscow,  out  of  nearly  7»000 
persons  who  were  attacked,  abou^ 
4,000  died.     In  the  beginning  of 
March  it  showed  itself  in  the  go- 
vernment of  Minsk,  and  cut  off, 
by  the   1st  of  June,  1,246  out  of 
2,268  persons  who   had  been  at- 
tacked.    It  came  in  contact  with 
the  armies  of  Russia  and  Poland, 
thinned  their  numbers,  and  draw- 
ing food  from   the  misery  which 
attended    their    movements,    ad- 
vanced, on  the  one  side  to  War- 
saw and  Cracow,  then  spreading 
itself  into  Gallicia,   and,   on   the 
other,  descended    the    Dwina  to 
Riga  and  its  neighbourhood.     It 
raged  in  the  latter  place,  from  the 
month  of  May  to  the  end  of  July, 
during  which  period,  out  of  about 
5,000  cases  of  disease,  more  than 
2,000  terminated  in  death.  Revel, 
and  various  other  places  between 
Riga  and   St.   Petersburg,    were 
likewise  attacked,  till,  towards  the 
end  of  June,  the  pestilence  entered 
the    capital   itself.      During    the 
first  four  or  five  days,  it  did  not 
occasion  much  alarm  ;  but  at  the 
commencement    of   July,    it    in- 
creased with  such  frightful  vigour, 
that  the  numbers  seized  exceeded, 
for  some  time,  500  persons  a-day, 
more  than  one-half  of  whom  died. 
From  the  middle  of  July  its  vio- 
lence diminished  ;  and  by  the  end 
of  October,  it  had  almost  entirely 
disappeared,  having  occasioned,  up 
to   that   date,    more   than   4,000 
deaths  out  of  within  very  nearly 
10,000  cases,  exclusive  of  its  ra- 
vages in  Cronstadt  and  other  places 
in   the    neighbourhood.      In    the 
mean  time,  it  had  entered  Prus- 
sia,   both    by    Koenigsberg    and 
Dantzic,  and  by  Pozen,  which  it 
seemed    to    have     reached     from 
Poland  by  the  Warta.  In  Konigs-* 


berg  it  had  carried  off,  by  the  3 1st 
of  August,  705  out  of  1,215  per- 
sons attacked,  and  in  Dantzic,  by 
the  11th  of  September,  1,028  out 
of  1,411.     In  Pozen,  the  number 
attacked  amounted,  on  the  2nd  of 
September,  to  749,  out  of  whom 
453  had  died.     The  Prussian  ca- 
pital had  been  preparing  itself  for 
the   approach   of  this  formidable 
invader,  whose  most  powerful  al- 
lies seemed  to  be  want  of  food  and 
of  cleanliness.     It  appeared  within 
the  walls  of  Berlin   in   the  first 
days  of  September,  but  the  num- 
bers who  were  attacked  by  it  were 
much  smaller,  as  compared  with 
the  population,  than  in  the  large 
towns  of  Russia  and   Poland,  or 
even   of  the   Prussian   provinces. 
By  the  end  of  October,  when  its 
power  was  expiring,  1,274  cases 
had     terminated    fatally   out     of 
2,005,     At  Hami)urgh,  where   it 
next  appeared,  on  the  8tli  of  Oc- 
tober, it  was  still  more   lenient. 
In  the  course  of  six  weeks,  with- 
^in  which  the  violence  of  the   dis- 
ease seemed  generally  to  exhaust 
itself,  only  about  300  individuals 
had  been  attacked  ;  nearly   two- 
thirds    of  them    died.     It    then 
crossed  the  sea  to  England. 

While  taking  this  north-westerly 
course,  the  pestilence  had  moved 
still  more  rapidly  in  another  di- 
rection into  Moldavia,  from  which 
it  penetrated  into  Hungary,  and 
ascended  the  Danube.  In  this  di- 
rection it  was  still  more  destruc- 
tive than  in  the  north.  In  the 
end  of  June  and  beginning  of 
July,  the  deaths  at  Jassy  were, 
for  some  time,  at  the  rate  of  300 
a-day,  and,  by  the  beginning  of 
August,  it  had  swept  away  7,000 
inhabitants.  At  Limberg,  in  the 
course  of  May  and  June,  more 
than  3,000  persons  had  been  at* 
tackedj  of  wbom  lone-balf  perishedt 


438]        ANNUAL  REGISTER,  1^1. 


But  eveQ  this  was  trifling  com- 
pared with  the  mortality  in  Hun- 
gary. The  disease  appeared  in 
that  kingdom  in  the  month  of 
June,  manifesting  itself  in  the 
north,  and  spreading  rapidly, 
partly  to  the  south,  but  much 
more  decidedly  to  the  west.  It 
raged  till  the  end  of  September, 
by  which  time  256,000  individuals 
had  been  attacked,  of  whom 
102,657  had  died.  It  followed 
the  course  of  the  Danube  up- 
wards, and  broke  out  in  Vienna  on 
the  loth  of  September,  in  de- 
Hance  of  all  the  military  and  )>o- 
lice  regulations  which  had  been 
adopted  to  cut  off  all  communica- 
tion between  Hungary  and  the 
capital.  Here,  too,  however,  it 
was  less  destructive  than  the  fears 
of  the  gay  and  voluptuous  Vien- 
nese had  led  them  to  apprehend. 
During  two  months  which  elapsed 
before  the  pestilence  took  its  leave, 
about  3,500  individuals  were  at- 
tacked, and  the  deaths  were  less 
than  one- half.  Vienna  seemed  to  be 
the  limit  of  its  march  in  this  direc- 
tion. The  other  provinces  of  the 
empire^  and  all  to  the  westward 
and  south  of  them,  escaped  the  de- 
stroyer. The  disease,  while  raging 
in  Europe,  was  equally  destructive 
in  Egypt,  where  it  was  said  to  have 
swept  off  four  per  cent  of  the  po- 
pulation. In  the  month  of  May 
It  carried  off  5,500  persons  from 
among  the  pilgrims  of  Mecca 
alone,  in  little  more  than  three 
weeks. 

In  some  of  the  infected  coun- 
tries, the  physical  malady  was  at- 
tended by  a  moral  pestilence  still 
more  deplorable.  The  disease  uni- 
formly sought  its  victims  prin- 
cipally among  the  lower  classes  of 
the  people.  Medical  skill  seemed 
equally  unavailing  to  detect  its 
nature^  or  to  repel  its   attacks. 


Whether  it  was  contagious,  coin« 
municated  by  an  infected  person 
and  by  infected  goods,  or  whether 
it  was  epidemic,  professional  men 
were  unable  to  ctecide.  Without 
waiting  the  determination  of  such 
qnuestions,  the  public  authorities  of 
the  countries  which  it  threatened 
to  approach,  or  had  already  enter- 
ed, provided  hospitals  into  which 
the  sick  were  immediately  re* 
moved.  The  populace,  finding 
themselves  thus  exposed  to  an 
enemy  who  made  what  amieared 
to  them  so  invidious  a  distinction 
between  the  rich  and  the  poor,  and 
falling  beneath  the  attacks  of  a  dis- 
ease unlike,  in  the  rcToltine  nature 
of  its  symptoms  and  the  mdbtful 
rapidity  with  which  it  pnrauced 
death,  to  any  ailment  known 
among  them,  took  up  the  idea, 
that  the  pretended  disease  was  the 
result  of  a  conspiracy  of  the  upper 
classes  to  sweep  away  by  poison  their 
miserable  inferiors.  In  Hungary, 
where  the  disease  was  most  yio« 
lent,  and  the  ignorance  of  the  peo« 
pie  profound,  the  peasantry^  under 
the  influence  of  this  extravagant 
notion,  rose  in  open  insurrection^ 
sacked  the  castles  of  the  nobility, 
imprisoned  and  outraged  their  per« 
sons,  and  perpetrated  the  most 
brutal  excesses  and  atrocious  mur« 
ders.  Their  vengeance  extended 
to  the  oflicers  employed  in  en- 
forcing the  quarantine  regulations, 
and  to  all  medical  men,  who  were 
believed  to  be  the  prime  instru- 
ments of  the  conspiracy.  Chlorate 
of  lime  having  been  brought  into 
general  use  as  a  preventive  against 
infection,  the  peasantry,  finding 
quantities  of  this  preparation  in 
many  of  the  houses  which  they 
plundered,  felt  all  their  convictions 
strengthened  by  thus  detecting,  as 
they  imagined,  the  very  material 
witn   which    the    waters    wero 


HIStORY  Of  EUROPE. 


t4dd 


poisoned  to  insure  their  destruc- 
tion. It  was  only  by  placing  con- 
siderable bodies  of  military  in  the 
disturbed  districts  that  peace  was 
restored.  St.  Petersburg  wa«,  for 
several  days,  the  scene  of  riots 
proceeding  from  similar  causes. 
The  populace  believed  that  the 
sick  were  carried  off  to  the  hos« 


pitals^  only  that  they  might  be  the 
more  conveniently  dispatched  by 
the  medical  attendants;  and  a  pru- 
dential regulation^  that  dead  bodies 
should  be  immediately  inteiTed^ 
produced,  in  the  minds  of  the  vul- 
var, a  firm  belief,  that  their  uu- 
fortunate  mates  were  buried  alive. 


440]    ANNUAL    REGISTER,     1831. 


CHAP.  XIV. 

Spain. — Insurrection  at  Cadiz^^Defeat  of  the  rebels — Arrests  and 
executions  at  Madrid^^Unsuccessful  attempt  of  General  Torrifos, — 
Portugal. — Complaints  of  the  British  Govcrtunent,  and  demands  Jin- 
satisfaction — A  Jleet  is  sent  to  the  Tagus,  and  satisfaction  obtained'^ 
Complaints  of  the  French  government — Satisfaction  is  refused — France 
makes  reprisals  on  the  Portuguese  Jlag — Britain  refuses  the  applica- 
lion  of  Portugal  to  interfere — A  French  feet  dispatched  to  Lisbon — 
21ie  demands  of  the  Frejich  admiral  refused,  till  he  forces  the  Tagus 
— The  French  carri/  off  the  Portuguese  Jleet — State  of  Lisbon^Re^ 
turn  of  Don  Pedro  from  Brazil  to  Europe — He  makes  preparations 
for  a  descent  on  Portugal — Unsuccessful  hisurrection  bi^  part  of  the 
garrison  of  Lisbon — British  men  of  war  sent  to  Lisbon  and  Oporto — 
The  forces  of  the  Regency  of  Terceira  capture  the  island  of  St.  George, 
and  the  island  of  St,  Michael — Defensive  preparations  of  Don  Miguel. 
Italy. — Election  qf^  a  Pope — Plan  of  general  Insurrection — Insur- 
rection at  Modena — The  Duke  leaves  it  and  a  provisional  government  is 
established — Insurrection  and  establishment  of  a  provisional  government 
at  Bologna — //  becomes generalin  the  legations — Insurrection  at  Parma 
'-^Proclamations  of  the  insurgents  to  the  inhabitants  of  Austrian  Ixmu 
bardy  and  of  Naples — Differences  between  France  and  Austria — The 
Austrian  troops  cross  the  Po  against  the  insurgents,  who  immediately 
disperse — The  insurrection  put  down,  and  the  former  governmetU  re- 
stored  in  Modena,  in  Parma,  and  in  the  Papal  States — New  troubles 
in  the  Papal  Legations- — Death  of  the  King  of  Sardinia. — Grbbce. 
-^Unpopularity  of  the  President — Maina  and  Hydra  revolt — The 
Hydriots  take  possession  of  the  Greek  fleet  at  Poros — The  Russian  fleet 
blockades  them,  and  demands  the  surrender  of  the  ships — The  PresL 
dent  attacks  Poi'os  by  land,  and  is  repulsed — Its  inliabitants  are  re~ 
moved  to  Hydra — The  Russian  admiral  prepares  to  attack  the  Greek 
fleet — Its  commander  Miaulis  blows  it  up — Proceedings  of  the  Mai* 
notes — Assassination  of  the  President, 


THE  fate  of  the  insufficient  and 
ill-concerted  attempt  of  Mina 
and  Valdez  to  revolutionize  Spain 
in  1830,  did  not  prevent  the  king- 
dom from  being  tiie  scene,  during 
the  present  year  of  two  similar  at- 
tempts, still  more  hasty  and  fool- 
ish. The  first  was  prepared  by  a 
band  of  the  refugees  at  Gibraltar, 
at  whose  head  was  a  general  Tor- 
rijos,  who  had  succeeded  in  corrupt- 
ing the  garrison  of  the  Isle  de  Leon 


at  Cadiz.  Their  first  exploit  was 
the  assassination^  on  the  3rd  of 
March,  of  the  Governor  of  Cadiz  : 
five  or  six  of  the  patriots  lay  in 
wait  for  him  in  one  of  the  streets 
of  the  city  and  stabbed  him  in  the 
back.  On  this,  as  a  signal,  the 
military  and  marines  in  the  Isle 
de  Leon,  rose  in  mutiny,  arrested 
the  constituted  authorities,  and 
proclaimed  the  constitution.  But 
they  were  disappointed  in  the  ex« 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE.  [441 

pectation,  if  they  ever  entertained  beyond  the  Pyrennees,  had  been 
it^  of  being  joined  by  the  populace  distributed  among  the  troops ;  and 
and  garrison  of  Cadiz.  On  the  that  everything  had  been  prepared 
contrary,  general  Quesada,  the  for  un  insurrection  for  which  the 
governor  of  Andalusia,  having  has-  explosion  in  the  Isle  of  Leon  and 
tened  thither  on  the  same  day  from  at  Cadiz  was  to  be  the  signal.  1  o 
Xeres,  put  it  in  a  state  of  defence  eradicate  the  conspiracy,  a  perma. 
against  any  possible  attack.  The  nent  military  commission  was  esta« 
rebels,  to  save  themselves  from  blished  at  Madrid,  and  power  was 
being  immured  in  the  Isle,  were  given  to  the  captains  general  to 
thus  compelled  to  leave  it.  They  establish  similar  courts  in  the  pro- 
quitted  it  on  the  4th,  and  landing  vinces,  where  they  should  think  it 
on  the  opposite  coast,  marched  in  useful.  The  jurisdiction,  of  the 
the  direction  of  Tarifa,  with  the  commission  extended  to  every  pos- 
intention  of  seizing  that  place,  and  sible  shade  of  political  offence,  in- 
effecting  a  junction  with  a  band  eluding  even  the  writing  of  pas- 
of  their  confederates  who  were  quinades,  and  the  circulating  of 
mai'ching  through  the  mountains  alarming  intelligence  regarding 
from  Gibraltar,  under  the  command  the  strength  of  real  or  imagined 
of  one  Manzanares,  to  join  them,  rebels;  and  all  persons  were  sub- 
But  the  royal  troops  were  already  jected  to  it,  of  whatever  rank, 
in  pursuit  of  them  from  all  quar-  state,  or  condition.  By  a  subse- 
ters.  They  were  overtaken  at  quent  decree,  robbery  was  likewise 
Bejer;  they  scarcely  attempted  to  placed  under  the  cognizance  of 
fight ;  400  of  them  surrendered ;  the  commission.  The  erection  of 
the  others  dispersed  themselves  in  this  tribunal,  and  the  activity  of 
the  mountain.  Of  those  who  the  police,  spread  terror  among  all 
were  made  prisoners,  the  more  dis-  in  Madrid,  who  were  liberally  in* 
tinguished  personages  were  imme-  clined;  for  suspicion  exposed  its 
diately  shot.  The  corps  of  Man-  object  to  evils  only  short  of  the 
zanares,  on  learning  the  failure  of  death  which  would  have  followed 
the  enterprise,  likewise  dissolved,  certain  guilt ;  though  executions 
having  lost  its  leader  in  a  scufHe  were  few,  there  was  no  deficiency 
with  some  peasantry  in  the  moun-  of  arbitrary  imprisonments.  One 
tains.  man  was  hanged  for  having  utter- 
This  insurrection  was,  or  was  ed  some  obnoxious  expressions 
represented  by  the  government  to  when  drunk.  .  One  of  his  judges, 
be,  only  one  branch  of  a  widely  having  refused  to  sign  the  sen- 
extended  conspiracy  the  secret  in-  tence,  as  being  inhumanly  severe, 
stigators  of  which  were  in  the  ca-  was  dismissed,  for  his  recusancy, 
pital.  Numbers  of  seditious  pi  a-  A  bookseller  exposed  .  himself  to 
cards  were  found  every  morning  suspicion,  by  visiting  the  wife  of  a 
scattered  in  the  streets  j  it  was  very  obnoxious  lib^al,  who  had 
said  that  the  police,  in  domiciliary  escaped.  On  his  house  being 
visits  to  the  houses  of  suspected  searched,  a  tri-coloured  flag  and 
persons,  had  discovered  large^col-  a  private  printing  press  were  found 
lections  of  tri-coloured  cockades,  in  his  cellars.  He  was  forthwith 
inscribed  with  legends  in  honour  hanged*  After  the  execution,  a 
of  France,  liberty,  and  the  consti-  priest  mounted  the  steps  of  the 
tutioQj  that  money/ brought  from  ladder,  and  delivered  to  the  ad« 


442]        ANNUAL  REGISTER,   1831. 


miring  multitude  a  discourse  on 
the  peculiar  care  which  hearen  be- 
stowed on  discovering  and  punish- 
ing the  enemies  of  the  church  and 
of  his  most  faithful  m2\)esty.  The 
military  commissions,  however, 
employed  themselves  more  actively, 
and  far  more  usefully,  with  robbers 
and  assassins,  who  were  rendering 
the  streets  of  Madrid  unsafe,  than 
with  political  offenders.  The  latter 
were  allowed  to  linger  in  their 
dungeons,  probably  because  they 
had  been  consigned  to  them  for  no 
better  reason  than  the  apprehen- 
sions of  the  government. 

But  neither  the  blood  shed  in 
actual  conflict,  nor  the  executions 
and  imprisonments  which  were 
sure  to  follow  its  unsuccessful  ter- 
mination, could  deter  hot-headed 
men  from  renewing  these  hope- 
less insurrections,  which  seem, 
ed  to  be  perpetrated  with  a  wil- 
ful want  of  all  concert  and  prepa- 
ration, and  a  wilful  blindness  to 
the  power  against  which  those  en- 
gaged in  them  deliberately  dashed 
themselves.  After  the  railure  of 
the  attempt  at  Cadiz  in  March, 
Torrijos,  its  prime  instigator,  had 
employed  himself  in  framing  the 
plan  of  a  new  invasion.  This 
could  not  be  permitted  on  the 
territory  of  a  friendly  power. 
Obliffed.  to  leave  Gibraltar,  he 
sailed  on  the  28th  of  Novem- 
ber for  Malaga,  along  with  his 
companions,  among  whom  was  an 
Irish  gentleman,  in  all  fifty-three 
in  number.  It  was  alleged  that 
he  was  induced  by  the  promise 
of  the  governor  of  Malaga,  to 
join  him— which,  even  if  true 
would  have  little  palliated  the 
rashness  of  the  attempt,  after  what 
had  happened  not  many  months 
before.  The  Spanish  authorities, 
however,  seem^  to  have  been  in- 
formed of  their  motions.    Pursued 


by  a  number  of  Guarda-cottaSt 
they  were  compelled  to  run  their 
small  vessels  on  shore  not  fkt  from 
Malaga,  on  the  2nd  December. 
The  party,  on  their  landings  were 
followed,  and  surrounded  in  alarm 
house,  by  a  considerable  body  of 
troops,  against  whom  resistance 
was  hopeless.  They  surrendered ; 
on  the  dth  they  were  marched  into 
Malaga,  where^  so  soon  as  orders 
could  be  received  from  Madrid, 
every  one  of  them  was  shot,  under 
the  authority  of  the  prodamation 
which  had  been  issaea  by  Ferdi- 
nand in  October  of  the  preoeding 
year  to  meet  the  threatened  inva« 
sion  of  Mina. 

Portugal,  whilst  Spain  was 
exposed  to  these  disturbances  from 
within,  encountered  more  serious 
dangers  and  disgraces  from  with- 
out.  From  the  moment  of  the 
suppression  of  the  unfortunate 
Opotto  expedition  in  1828,  the 
government  of  Don  Miguel  had 
given  just  cause  of  offence  to  the 
British  ministry  by  its  lawleis  pro- 
ceedings towards  various  Bntish 
subjects,  and  against  British  pro- 
perty. The  privileges  of  the  judge 
conservator,  under  whose  proteo- 
tion  British  subjects  were  placed 
by  treaty,  had  been  violated,  to 
expose  them  to  the  insults  and  op- 
pressions of  Don  Miguel's  pdioe. 
When  accused  of  offences  which 
entitled  the  Portuguese  govern- 
ment to  interfere— »and  theee  al- 
leged offences  were  always  con- 
nected with  supposed  political 
trespasses — they  were  not  Imnight 
to  any  fair  trial,  even  according  to 
the  laws  of  Portugal,  but  detained 
in  loathsome  and  unhealthy  dun- 
geons, where  they  were  compelled 
to  submit  to  every  indignity  which 
the  subordinate  agents  of  a  brutal 
government  cbose  to  inflict,    la 


MISTOHY  OF  EUROPE. 


[443 


the  Autumn  of  1 830  was  added  to 
these  offences  the  illegal  seizure  of 
British  vessels  by  the  Portuguese 
squadron  cruising  off  Terceira. 
One  of  their  frigates  boarded  the 
St.  Helena  packet^  subjected  its 
crew  and  passengers  to  the  most 
cruel  and  unmanly  treatment,  al- 
though among  them  were  officers 
and  invalided  seamen  in  the  Bri- 
tish service.  For  all  these  out- 
rages and  offences^  reparation  had 
been  incessantly  and  indignantly 
demanded,  but  in  vain.  The  Por- 
tuguese minister  expressed  his 
sorrow  at  their  occurrence,  and  dis- 
claimed any  share  in  them  on  the 
part  of  the  government;  but  no 
mark  of  disapprobation  was  set  on 
the  perpetrators,  and  no  means 
adopted  to  prevent  their  repeti- 
tion. In  the  beginning  of  the  pre- 
sent year,  the  outrages  offered  to 
British  residents  became  even  more 
alarming  than  before.  A  Mr, 
O'Neile,  a  British  merchant,  was 
thrown  into  prison  without  any 
cause  being  assigned.  The  house 
of  a  Mr.  Roberts,  another  mer- 
chant, was  forcibly  entered  dur- 
ing the  night  by  a  civil  and  mili- 
tary force.  The  manufactory  of  a 
third,  a  Mr.  Caffary,  was  entered 
in  the  same  manner,  and  his  fore- 
man carried  to  prison  ostensibly  by 
the  express  order  of  Don  Miguel 
himself.  These  were  accompa- 
nied and  followed  by  other  excesses, 
which  threw  the  British  residents 
into  the  greatest  alarm  for  their 
jiersons  and  property.  The  consul- 
general  at  length  assured  the  go- 
vernment at  home,  that, ''  so  long  as 
the  authorities  of  this  country  are 
permitted  to  entertain  the  convic- 
tion that  his  Majesty's  govern- 
ment will  be  appeased  by  the  mere 
protestations  of  their  regret  for 
acts  which  are  unparalleled  among 
any  other   people  pretending  to 


civilization,  neither  the  persons 
nor  the  property  of  British  sub- 
jects can  be  considered  as  secure  in 
this  country,  nor  must  we  be  sur- 
prised if  not  a  week  passes  with- 
out a  repetition  of  similar  insults." 
In  consequence  of  this  communi- 
cation, the  consul-general  was  in- 
structed to  demand,  within  tea 
days,  satisfaction  for  certain  spe- 
cified grievances,  and  the  particu- 
lar satisfaction  itself  was  set  down. 
It  was  demanded,  1,  that  the 
commander  of  the  Portuguese  fri- 
gate who  captui'ed  the  St.  Helena 
packet,  and  maltreated  her  crew 
and  passengers,  should  be  dis- 
missed from  the  service;  2,  pay- 
ment, within  a  month,  of  compen<rf 
sation  to  the  owners  of  vessels 
which  had  been  capture<l  or  boarded 
and  injured  by  the  Portuguese 
squadron  off  Teroeira :  S,  the  dis- 
missal of  the  magistrates  who  had 
entered  Mr.  O'Neile's  bouse,  and 
particularly  of  a  noted  agent  of 
police,  named  Verissimo,  by  whose 
orders  that  gentleman  had  been 
treated  like  a  criminal,  in  violation 
of  his  privileges  as  a  British  sub- 
ject :  4,  the  public  disavowal  and 
dismissal  of  the  officer  who  had 
entered  the  premises  of  Mr.  Caf- 
fary, and  imprisoned  his  foreman, 
with  a  specified  sum  as  compensa- 
tion to  the  latter  for  his  illegal 
confinement ;  5,  a  similar  disa- 
vowal and  dismissal  of  the  magis- 
trate who  had  forcibly  entered  the 
house  of  Mr.  Roberts.  In  all 
these  instances,  the  dismissal  of 
the  individuals  was  to  be  forthwith 
notified  in  the  Lisbon  Gazette, 
with  a  statement  of  the  causes 
which  occasioned  it,  and  an  assur- 
ance that  they  should  not  again  be 
em{^oyed  in  any  way,  or  under 
any  pretence.  It  was  further  de- 
mandedy  6,  that  the  illegal  exac« 
tion  of  exoessive  duties  on  the  im« 


444]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


portation  of  articles  of  British 
iiianufacturc^  should  immediately 
cease :  7>  that  c<>m|)eiisation  should 
be  made  to  a  British  gentleman 
who  had  been  unwarrantably  con-i 
veyed  across  the  frontier  at  £lvas^ 
and  compelled  to  travel  to  Seville 
to  procure  a  Portuguese  signa- 
ture to  his  passport^  and  that 
sure  means  should  be  taken  to 
prevent  the  recurrence  of  any  si- 
milar treatment  of  a  British  sub- 
ject :  8,  a  severe  and  public  repri- 
mand of  an  officer  who  had  at- 
tempted to  levy  on  British  sub- 
jects certain  dues  from  which  that 
character  exempted  them ;  9,  the 
immediate  dismissal  of  the  person 
whom  the  government  had  appoint- 
ed to  the  office  of  judge  conserva- 
tor of  the  British  privileges,  and 
the  recognition  of  the  gentleman 
who  had  been  duly  chosen  by  the 
British  merchants  at  Oporto ;  and 
10>  a  positive  engagement  that  the 
rights  of  British  subjects  would 
henceforth  be  duly  and  strictly 
observed.  It  was  added  that  none 
of  these  demands  admitted  of  the 
slightest  negotiation  or  modifica- 
tion. The  government  of  Don 
Miguel^  however,  would  probably 
have  treated  them  with  the  same 
contempt  which  it  had  bestowed 
on  previous  remonstrances^  had 
they  not  been  supported  by  force. 
They  were  carried  out  by  a  squa- 
dron of  six  ships  of  war,  which 
cruised  ofiF  the  mouth  of  tlie  Ta- 
gus,  while  the  Portuguese  minis- 
ter was  deliberating  on  his  reply. 
The  nature  of  that  reply  was  de- 
termined by  the  notice  with  which 
the  consul  concluded  his  demands, 
that,  in  the  event  of  their  being 
refused,  he  had  instructions  to  quit 
Lisbon,  and  the  squadron  would 
forthwith  execute  reprisals  by  de- 
taining and  sending  to  England  all 
vessels   bearing   the  Portuguese 


flag.  Before  the  limited  time 
elapsed,  every  demand  was  com- 
plied with,  and  the  Lisbon  Gazelle 
announced,  on  the  2nd  of  May^  the 
dismissal  of  all  the  obnoxious  ma- 
gistrates and  officers  for  having 
been  guilty  of  oppressive  conduct 
towards  British  subjects. 

This  example  was  not  lost  upon 
France,  who  had  causes  of  com- 
plaint somewhat  similar,  although 
her  subjects  did  not  enjoy  in  Por- 
tugal the  same  peculiar  privileges 
which  belong  to  British  residents. 
M.  Bonhomme,  a  French  stu- 
dent at  Coimbra,  was  condemned 
to  be  publicly  whipped  through  the 
streets  of  the  capital,  and  then 
transported  to  Africa,  for  commit- 
ting a  breach  of  public  decency  in 
the  cathedral  during  passion  week. 
M.  Sauvinet,  a  French  mer- 
chant in  Lisbon,  was  accused  of 
having  been  engaged  in  a  conspi* 
racy  which  was  to  have  exploded 
in  the  month  of  February.  The 
signal  of  rebellion  was  to  be  the 
discharge  of  sky-rockets,  and  on 
the  testimony  of  a  sergeant  that 
a  rocket  was  seen  to  ascend  from 
Mr.  Sauvinet's  garden,  this  gentle- 
man was  sent  to  a  horrible  dun- 
geon, kept  in  secret  confinement 
for  weeks,  and  afterwards  banished 
for  life  to  the  burning  coast  of 
Africa.  No  farther  evidence  cou« 
nected  M.  Sauvinet  with  the  rocket 
conspiracy,  or  justified  the  terrible 
sentence  pronounced  against  him. 
Other  subjects  of  France  had  been 
arbitrarily  arrested  at  Oporto  and 
Jjisbon,  but  had  suffered  no  other 
indignity  than  their  confinement. 
The  French  government,  after  re- 
peated remonstrances  had  failed, 
sent  a  small  squadron  to  Lisbon  to 
su])port  their  consul  in  demanding 
redress.  The  Portuguese  govern- 
ment, on  the  other  hand,  actually 
hastened  M.  JBonhomme's  punish^ 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[446 


ment  on  learning  that  a  French 
brig  of  war,  having  despatches  on 
board  for  the  consul,  had  been  off 
the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  was 
driven  to  sea  again  by  contrary- 
winds  ;  and  it  was  said  that  Don 
Miguel,  upon  being  told  that  her 
object  was  to  claim  the  imme- 
diate liberation  of  this  individual, 
replied,  *that  they  should  have 
him,  but  with  his  back  well  flayed.' 
The  demands  of  the  consul,  *  who 
claimed  the  liberation  of  Mes- 
sieurs Bonhomme  and  Sauvinet, 
as  well  as  of  the  other  imprisoned 
Frenchmen,  with  large  pecuniary 
indemnities  to  each  of  them,  were 
evaded,  on  the  pretext  that  a  con- 
sul was  not  an  agent  with  whom 
negotiations  could  be  carried  on, 
and  it  was  the  fault  of  France  that 
there  was  no  Portuguese  minister 
at  Paris.  The  consul  quitted  Lis- 
bon. The  French  squadron,  con- 
sisting of  two  frigates,  and  some 
smaller  craft  soon  afterwards  ap- 
peared, and  its  commander  repeat- 
ed the  demands,  forty-eight  hours 
being  allowed  for  a  categorical  an- 
swer, at  the  end  of  which  time,  if 
the  conditions  offered  were  not 
agreed  to,  he  would  leave  the  Ta- 
gus  with  the  French  subjects  at 
Lisbon  on  board.  The  expected 
concession  did  not  arrive;  the  squa- 
dron finally  sailed  without  it,  and 
immediately  began  reprisals  on  the 
Portuguese  flag.  Don  Miguel 
then  claimed  the  aid  of  the  British 
government,  apparently  in  the  idea 
that,  as  he  was  not  at  war  with 
Britain,  the  latter  was  bound  by 
treaty  to  defend  him  against  all 
aggressors.  -  The  application,  of 
course,  was  unavailing.  Lord  Pal- 
merston's  answer  was,  that  his 
Britannic  Majesty  was  perfectly 
aware  of  all  the  obligations  to- 
wards Portugal  imposed  "by  the 
treaties    which    subsist    between 


the  two  countries,  treaties  which 
are  not  abrogated  or  suspend- 
ed by  the  present  discontinu- 
ance of  diplomatic  relation  be- 
tween the  two  governments,  or  by 
the  circumstance  that  the  person  in 
whose  name  the  government  of 
Portugal  is  now  administered^  is 
not  recognized  by  the  king  of  Por- 
tugal. But  his  majesty's  govern- 
ment do  not  admit,  that  the  true 
meaning  of  those  treaties  can  com- 
pel them  blindly  to  take  up  any 
quarrel  into  which  a  Portuguese 
administration  may  in  its  infatua- 
tion plunge  its  country,  or  to  de- 
fend that  administration,  right  or 
wrong,  against  all  whom  it  may 
choose  to  injure  or  aflront.  His 
Majesty's  government  take  a  deep 
interest  in  the  welfare  of  Portugal, 
and  would  sincerely  lament  any 
misfortune  which  might  befall  that 
country.  But  if  those  who  now 
govern  Portugal,  despising  all  con- 
siderations of  ordinary  prudence, 
and  neglecting  and  rejecting  the 
counsels  which  may  be  given  them, 
rush  without  just  grounds  into  a 
contest  with  a  Power  with  which 
they  are  utterly  unable  to  cope, 
upon  those  persons  must  lie  the 
heavy  responsibility  of  all  the  ca- 
lamities which  may  ensue.'* 

As  the  capture  of  Portuguese 
merchantmen  produced  no  redress, 
France  resolved  on  more  energetic 
operations.  A  squadron  consisting 
of  three  sail  of  the  line,  two  frigates, 
a  corvette,  and  three  brigs,  under 
the  command  of  admiral  Roussin, 
accompanied  by  transports  and 
steam  vessels  carrying  a  consider- 
able body  of  troops,  arrived  off  the 
mouth  of  the  Tagus  on  the  8th  of 
July.  A  flag  of  truce  was  sent  in, 
demanding  the  immediate  conces- 
sion of  all  the  conditions  which  had 
previously  been  insisted  on  by  the 
French  government,  with  an  addi- 


446]     ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


tional  demand  of  a  pecuniary  in- 
demnity to  France  to  cover  the  ex- 
penses of  the  expedition.  The 
Portuguese  government,  either  re- 
lying on  the  prudent  fears  of  the 
]french  squadron,  or  the  unascer- 
tained strength  of  its  own  defences, 
evaded  the  demand,  and  proposed 
to  treat  for  satisfaction  under  the 
mediation  of  England.  On  receiv- 
ing an  answer  to  that  efifect,  the 
French  admiral  forced^  on  the  1 1th 
of.  July,  tlie  entrance  of  the  Tagus« 
and  passing  through  the  fire  of  the 
fortresses  which  line  its  banks^ 
anchored  his  squadron  within  gun- 
shot of  the  Royal  Palace,  on  the 
heights  below  Lisbon.  From  this 
station  he  wrote  to  the  government, 
**  Here  I  am  before  Lisbon ;  but 
France^  ever  generous,  will  treat 
on  the  same  conditions  as  before 
the  victory.  In  gathering  its 
fruits,  however,  I  reserve  to  my- 
self the  right  of  adding  thereto 
indemnities  for  the  victims  of  the 
war."  This  letter  was  written  on  the 
11th,  when  the  war — if  a  war  ex- 
isted— had  ceased,  and  the  admiral 
declared  in  the  plainest  terms^  that 
he  will  ^'  treat  on  the  same  condi- 
tions as  before  the  victory."  These 
conditions  had  all  been  set  forth  in 
the  ultimatum  of  the  8th^  three 
days  before  the  hostile  visit. 

Two  hours  more  were  allowed 
to  Don  Miguel  to  accede  to  the 
propositions  which  had  been  made 
before  the  fleet  entered  the  I'agus ; 
and  before  they  elapsed,  arrived  the 
answer  of  the  Portuguese  govern- 
ment, announcing  its  consent  to 
every  thing  that  had  been  demand- 
ed. No  sooner,  however,  had  these 
terms  been  agreed  to^  than  the 
French  admiral  seemed  to  think 
that  he  had  gained  an  excellent 
opportunity  of  making  a  show  of 
a  naval  victory  cheaply  purchasetl. 
On  the  following  day,  he  claimed 


the  whole  Portuguese  fleet,  lying 
in  the  Tagus^  as  prises  of  war. 
'*  As  the  late  event  has  given  to 
France  those  rights  which  military 
success  confers  among  all  nations, 
it  is  mv  duty  to  exercise  them.  I 
have  therefore  the  honour  to  de- 
clare to  your  excellency,  that  I 
consider  as  French  property  the 
Portuguese  men  of  war  which  low- 
ered Uieir  flag  under  the  fire  of 
my  squadron."  The  **  late  event" 
was  the  forcing  the  entrance  of  the 
Tagus,  and  coming  up  to  Lisbon 
in  defiance  of  the  ibits.  All  this 
had  happened  before  he  made  his 
demands  on  the  Portuguese  govern- 
ment on  the  11th,  and,  m  that 
communication,  he  had  even  boast* 
ed  of  the  generosity  of  France  in 
tendering  the  same  terms  after  vic- 
tory which  she  had  offered  before 
the  conflict.  To  seize  the  fleet, 
therefore,  was  an  after  thought,  in 
violation  of  the  terms  whidb  the 
one  party  had  proposed,  and  the 
other  had  accepted,  as  the  final 
termination  of  the  dispute.  Ad- 
miral Roussin,  in  fact,  immediately 
brought  forth  an  entirely  new  series 
of  negotiation.  He  proposed  that 
as  the  commerce  of  Britam  enjojred 
particular  advantages  in  Portugal, 
the  Portuguese  government  should 
agree,  that,  in  the  event  of  any  re- 
newal of  the  treaties  with  foreign 
powers,  France  should  be  placed  on 
the  same  footing  with  the  most 
favoured  nation.  The  Portuguese 
government  refused  this  article, 
and  merely  agreed  that,  in  the 
event  of  future  commercial  arrange- 
ments, it  would  be  disposed  to  treat 
in  a  manner  reciprocally  advan- 
tageous to  both  countries.  It  was 
likewise  stipulated  and  acceded  that 
there  should  be  established  at  Lis- 
bon a  judge  conservator,  who  should 
be  an  agent  of  the  French  govern- 
ment, to  watch  ovjcr  the  liberty 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[447 


and  safety  of  French  subjects.  The 
admiral  even  offered  to  restore  the 
fleet,  if  the  Portuguese  govern- 
ment would  set  at  liberty  400  pri- 
soners to  be  named  by  him>  and 
who  should  engage,  on  their  parole, 
not  to  take  part  in  any  hostile  ex- 
pedition which  might  be  directed 
against  the  existing  government  of 
Portugal.  To  this  tney  would  not 
accede^  and  the  ships  of  war  were 
conveyed  to  Brest,  to  flatter  the 
vanity  and  swell  the  pride  of  the 
people  of  France,  to  whose  liberal 
politicians  some  substitute  was  due 
for  a  gratification  which  they  had 
expected,  but  had  not  received, 
from  this  expedition-— that  of  see- 
ing the  French  fleet  employed  in 
stirring  up  and  assisting  a  revolu- 
tion in  Portugal. 

Nor  did  Don  Miguel,  while  thus 
receiving  chastisement  from  fo- 
reigners, remain  undisturbed  by 
internal  conspiracies  among  the 
people  whom  he  ruled  with  a  rod 
of  iron.  The  plot,  for  a  supposed 
connection  with  which  the  French- 
man, Sauvinet,  had  been  con- 
demned, had  been  discovered,  and 
counteracted  before  it  broke  out. 
Its  discovery  was  followed  by  the 
institution  of  a  special  commission 
at  Lisbon,  consisting  of  four  judges, 
and  three  superior  military  officers, 
to  try  all  persons  accused  of  excit- 
ing to  revolt,  sedition,  or  tumul- 
tuous assemblages,  in  Lisbon  or 
Oporto.  The  proceedings  were 
to  be  ''summary  and  merely  ver- 
bal, without  the  legal  formalities 
of  which  persons  guilty  of  such 
execrable  acts  are  unworthy,"  and 
the  sentences  were  to  be  executed 
in  four  and  twenty  hours  after  being 
passed.  This  tribunal  was  declared 
to  have  been  rendered  necessary  by 
attempts  which  had  been  made  to 
corrupt  the  fidelity  of  the  garrison 
of  Lisbon,  and  seven  persons  were 


speedily  executed  for  having  been 
concerned,  as  was  pretended,  in 
these  seditious  designs.  The  pri- 
soners were  first  strangled,  then 
beheaded,  and  then  the  head  and 
the  trunk  were  publicly  burnt, 
and  their  ashes  thrown  into  the 
Tagus.  The  visits  of  the  English 
and  French  squadrons,  but  parti- 
cularly the  capture  of  the  fleet  by 
the  latter,  exposed  the  suspected 
natives  to  still  more  indiscriminat- 
ing  oppression.  Miguel  and  his 
party,  humbled  in  the  dust  before 
the  strong,  took  vengeance  on  the 
weak  who  were  within  their  pow- 
er. They  had  dreaded  that  the 
French  expedition  was  in  league 
with  concealed  conspirators  in  Lis- 
bon, and  that  it  had  entered  the 
Tagus,  in  the  expectation  that  a 
rising  would  take  place.  Their 
measures  of  precaution  consisted 
in  letting  loose  the  fury  of  their 
brutal  adherents,  under  the  pro- 
tection of  cannon  placed  in  the 
principal  streets,  and  double  guards 
at  all  important  points,  and  strong 
detachments  of  troops  parading  the 
city.  Persons  suspected  of  being 
averse  to  the  existing  order  of 
things  were  attacked  and  beaten  by 
bands  of  ruffians,  who  strolled 
about  with  bludgeons  in  open  day, 
winked  at  by  the  police>  if  not 
actually  in  its  employment.  The 
police  itself  followed  its  usual  course 
in  filling  the  dungeons  with  crowds 
of  prisoners. 

6ut  a  more  formidable  opponent, 
and  a  more  serious  danger  were 
now  approaching.  In  the  early 
part  of  the  year,  in  consequence  of 
a  revolution  in  Brazil,  Don  Pedro 
had  resigned  his  South  American 
crown  in  favour  of  his  son,  and  had 
returned  to  Europe,  in  the  end  of 
May,  bringing  along  with  him  his 
daughter  Donna  Maria,  in  the 
character  of  whose  regent  as  queen 


448]       ANNUAL    R  EG  I  S  TE  R,"  1831. 


of  Portugal,  Miguel  had  first  ob- 
tained the  power  which  he  had 
immediately  transferrt'd  to  his  own 
person,  and  had  ever  since  been 
abusing.  Don  Pedro  expressed  no 
intention  of  re-clainiing  the  crown 
for  himself;  but  dechired  his  reso- 
lutioui  as  guardian  of  his  daughter, 
to  make  every  effort  for  the  resto- 
ration of  her  rights^  and  the  re- 
establishment  of  the  constitution 
which  had  l)een  his  parting  gift  to 
Portugal.  He  and  his  daughter 
proceeded  to  France,  where  they 
were  amicably  received  by  the 
government:  and  he  began  to 
collect,  in  that  country  and  in 
Kngland,  such  an  armament  in 
ships  and  men  aswould  enable  him, 
when  joined  to  the  force  already 
at  the  command  of  the  regency  and 
at  Terceira,  to  make  a  descent 
on  Lisbon  or  Oporto.  Neither  the 
government  of  Britain  nor  that  of 
France  gave  him  open  assistance ; 
they  professed  to  maintain  a  strict 
neutrality ;  but  neither  of  them 
op])Osed  any  obstacle  to  his  mea- 
sun»8  of  recruiting.  In  the  ranks 
of  those  whom  he  had  collected 
were  to  bo  found  officers  of  both 
nations,  and  many  British  seamen. 
In  the  end  of  December  800  half- 
pay  officers  and  volunteers  sailed 
from  Liverpool  for  Belleisle,  on 
the  coast  of  France  which  had 
hoon  appointed  the  place  of  rendez- 
vous. 

The  effect  M-hich  the  re-appcar- 
ance  of  Don  Pedro  might  have  on 
the  Portuguese  M*as  to  Don  Miguel 
a  source  of  gn^ater  uneasiness  than 
the  force  which  he  might  bring  to 
support  an  invasion,  and  the  break- 
ing out  of  the  most  alarming  in- 
surrection to  which  he  had  vet 
l)een  exposed,  convinced  him  that 
there  were  even  masses  of  his  mili- 
tary in  whom  he  i*ould  not  trust. 
On  the  night  of  the  ^Ist  of  August 


about  800  men  of  one  of  the  regi- 
ments in  garrison  at  Lisbon  turned 
out  in  mutiny,  and  divided  them- 
selves into  three  columns,  the  first 
marching  towards  Val  de  Pereiro, 
to  the  (quarters  of  the  l6th  regi- 
ment; the  second,  to  Alcantara^ 
those  of  the  first  cavalry ;  and  the 
last,  to  the  liochio.  Their  bands 
played  the  constitutional  hymn, 
and  they  shouted  '  Vivas'  for  Don 
Pedro  and  Donna  Maria  11^  and 
'Death  to  the  Tyrant/  Nearly 
the  whole  of  the  guards  whom 
they  passed,  and  who  did  not 
declare  in  their  favour,  were  shot ; 
but  the  first  column,  instead  of 
meeting  with  allies  in  the  16th 
regiment,  as  they  had  expected, 
were  received  with  a  destructive 
volley  of  musketry.  It  was  re- 
turned, and  after  a  good  deal  of 
fighting,  they  proce^ed  to  the 
Kochio,  where  they  joined  their 
comrades  who  had  succeeded  in 
reaching  it.  The  party  despatched 
for  Alcantara  was  met  by  royalists 
and  police  forces,  and  overwhelmed 
by  ninnbers,  not  however  without 
a  severe  struggle  and  killing  many 
of  their  opponents.  At  the  Ilochio, 
the  nuitineers  had  to  encounter 
the  whole  of  the  l()th,  and  heavy 
bodies  of  royalists  and  police.  A 
brisk  fire  was  kept  up  for  about 
twohours;  but  the  insurgents  were 
comi)elled  to  give  way  mainly  in 
consequence  of  a  want  of  ammuni- 
tion.  A  major  of  police  was  killed  3 
and  it  was  stated  that  the  lives  of 
upwards  of  SOO  individuals  had 
been  lost  in  the  afi^ir.  The  officers 
of  the  insurgents  refused  to  accom- 
pany their  men,  and  a  captain, 
who  called  to  arms  when  the  place 
which  contained  the  colours  of  the 
regiment  was  broken  open,  was 
instantly  shot  dead.  Tne  survi- 
ving soldiers  were  nearly  all  taken. 
A  court  martial  was  immediately 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[449 


convoked  for  the  trial  of  the  of- 
fenders, forty  of  whom  were  soon 
afterwards  shot.  The  suppressed 
insurrection  only  increased  the 
fears  of  the  government^  and  the 
brutality  of  its  partizans.  AU^  who^ 
it  might  be  supposed,  would  lean 
to  the  cause  of  Don  Pedro  and  his 
daughter,  were  openly  maltreated, 
or  secretly  imprisoned.  Every 
fortress,  and  the  prisons  in  every 
town,  were  said  to  be  filled  with 
alleged  state  criminals.  At  Lis- 
bon alone,  the  dungeons  and  prison 
ships  were  represented  to  contain, 
by  the  middle  of  September,  no 
fewer  than  3,000  persons,  confined 
on  account  of  their  supposed  opi- 
nions. 

Amid  the  lawless  violence  which 
reigned  in  the  capital,  the  fears  of 
the  foreign  residents  were  again 
excited.  On  the  25th  of  August, 
the  British  merchants  addressed  a 
representation  to  their  Consul-ge- 
neral, in  which  they  complained, 
not  of  personal  injuries,  but  of 
injuries  inflicted  on  Portuguese 
subjects  who  were  their  customers, 
and  of  which  they  said  that,  though 
not  amounting  to  a  direct  attack 
on  their  property,  they  were 
equally  ruinous  in  their  conse- 
quences. "Several  native  mer- 
chants and  shopkeepers,"  they 
said,  '*  indebted  to  us  to  a  consider- 
able amount,  have  of  late  been  ar- 
rested, not  in  the  regular  course  of 
justice,  nor  even  for  crimes  alleged 
— far  less  proved — against  them, 
but  apparently  at  the  caprice  of  a 
set  of  ruffians  of  the  lowest  descrip- 
tion, supported  by  the  police. 
There  is  every  likelihood  of  this 
system  being  carried  to  still  great- 
er lengths,  and  we  have  therefore 
the  strongest  reason  to  fear  that 
the  majority  of  our  debtors  will  be 
ruined  ;   and  as  it  is  well  known 

Vol,  LXXIII. 


that  they  trade  principally  on  our 
capital,  it  is  evident  that  we  shall 
eventually  be  the  real  sufferers  by 
the  excesses  we  complain  of,  and 
from  which  the  laws  of  every  coun- 
try are  bound  to  protect  those 
who  live  under  their  jurisdiction. 
Within  the  last  few  days  these 
outrages  have  been  earned  to  a 
pitch  hardly  ever  equalled  in  a 
civilized  country,  armed  men  hav- 
ing entered  the  shops  of  our  custom- 
ers, assaulting  und  wounding  the 
owners,  and  destroying  their  proper- 
ty— injuries  undoubtedly  brought 
upon  them  in  a  great  measure  by 
their  known  friendship  to  the  Eng- 
lish." On  this  representation 
being  transmitted  to  the  govern- 
ment at  home,  a  couple  of  men  of 
war  were  despatched  immediately 
to  Oporto,  and  two  others  to  Lisbon, 
to  protect  the  persons  and  property 
of  British  subjects  from  actual 
violence.  The  injury,  which  their 
mercantile  interests  might  suffer 
from  Miguel's  tjrrannical  treatment 
of  his  own  subjects,  was  too  indirect 
to  justify  new  demands  or  actual 
intervention. 

While  Don  Pedro  was  collecting 
means  for  the  re-establishmient  of 
his  daughter's  rights,  the  regency, 
which  governed  in  her  name  at 
Terceira,  and  the  Azores,  was  not 
inactive.  On  the  9th  of  May,  an 
expedition  from  Angra,  commanded 
by  Villa  Flor,  succeeded  in  cap- 
turing another  of  the  islands,  St. 
George.  This  was  followed  by  an 
expedition  against  St.  Michael's, 
which  was  garrisoned  by  3000  men, 
and  was  expected  to  present  a 
more  vigorous  resistance.  Villa 
Flor  again  took  the  command  him- 
self. He  sailed  from  Angra  on 
the  30th  of  July  with  1500  men, 
on  board  of  nineteen  vessels  of 
small  size,   with  a  number  of  still 

C2G] 


450]       ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


lighter  craft  for  the  purpose  of 
diaemberking;  and  three  gun  boatft. 
On  the  fnllowing  day  they  came 
in  night  of  St.  Michael's  and  lauded 
on  the  morning  of  the  1st  of  Au- 
gust, at  a  point  on  the  nortliem 
onast  of  the  island,  where  there 
were  no  troops.  They  proceeded 
towards  the  interiorj  and  in  tlie 
coune  of  the  same  day  met  the 
advanced  guard  of  the  Miguelite 
army,  cnmpoaed  of  :200  Ca9adQres 
and  infantry,  some  militia,  and  a 
piece  of  artillery.  It  was  immedi* 
ately  attacked  by  two  companies  of 
Cag adores,  and  routed,  learing  the 
piece  of  artillery  and  two  captains, 
and  eight  soldiers  dead,  and  'iO 
men  prisoners,  with  all  the  poMrder 
in  reserre.  On  the  :2nd,  at  day- 
break, the  inraders  began  their 
inarch  to  Ribeira  Grande,  where 
the  enemy  was  awaiting  them  with 
his  whole  united  force,  in  a  chosen 
]H)sition.  Thev  had  in  the  field 
'■^,600  men,  eiglit  pieces  of  artillery, 
and  two  howitxers,  the  whole 
commanded  bv  a  lieutenant-colonel 
of  artillerv,  named  Sylva  Re  is. 
Villa  Fltir  had  only  1 .500  men,  and 
the  single  gun,  captured  the  pro- 
lyl ing  day,  as  his  own  could  not 
be  landeti.  He  divided  his  forces 
into  two  columns,  one  to  attack 
t!ie  ntad  which  was  defended  with 
four  pieces,  and  a  strong  intrench- 
ment;  the  other,  composed  of  the 
biitallion  of  the  oth  Cayadores, 
was  to  at  tick  the  right  flank  of  the 
enemy.  The  Ca^adores  began  the 
attack,  and  the  action  continued 
till  ^  o'clock,  without  their  being 
able  to  force  the  road.  At  :2  how- 
ever, tliey  made  a  general  attaik 
with  such  vigour  that  the  Miguel- 
ites  o>uld  no  longer  keep  the  tield, 
and  liegan  their  flight,  leaving  a 
great  number  of  dead  and  wuuiideil, 
fuur  field  pieces,   and  upwards  of 


sixty  barrels  of  gonpcywder.  The 
victors  entered  Ribein  Grande  at 
6  in  the  evening,  nearly  at  the 
same  time  with  the  enemy,  of 
whom  a  great  number  were  'mede 
prisoners.  Belbre  night  oewa  ar* 
rived  that  the  town  of  Fonte  d'  £1- 
gado  had  the  same  day  prodained 
Donna  Maria  II ;  that  the  gotemor 
Prego  had  fled  oo  bond  an  English 
ship ;  and  that  many  eoUien  were 
entering  the  city,  and  had  given 
up  their  arms.  '  In  the  ooune  of 
another  day,  the  whole  iahuid  waa 
in  possession  of  the  regency. 

Alarmed  at  these  aucoeaset,  ob« 
taincd  with  such  small  means,  the 
government  of  Don  Miguel  became 
apprehensive  that  Madeira  itself 
would  be  the  next  olyect  of  attack, 
and  two  frigates  and  a  oorvettey 
with  three  hundred  troops  00  board 
were  dispatched  from  the  Tagos, 
in  the  end  of  September,  to  rein- 
force its  garrison.  The  apprehend* 
ed  invasion  by  Don  Pedro,  as  well 
as  the  late  exhibition  of  dianser  in 
the  capital  itself,  rendered  it  im- 
prudent to  despoil  Lisbon  of  troopa 
to  any  great  extent.  On  the  con- 
trary, every  exertion  waa  made  to 
put  the  forts  of  the  Tagua  into  a 
state  of  complete  preparation  to 
repel  the  expected  attack.  But  all 
elforts  were  greatly  weakened  by 
the  want  of  money  under  a  govern- 
ment which  had  long  ago  lost  every 
particle  of  credit,  and  all  whose 
proceedings  had  tended  only  to 
impoverish  the  country.  In  tlie 
month  of  November,  a  royal  decree 
onlered  a  forced  loan,  amounting 
to  about  ^240,000/.,  which  was  to 
bear  5  per  cent  interest,  and  to  be 
levied  acconling  to  the  means  of 
those  who  were  subjected  to  it. 
Two  thinls  were  to  be  raised  in 
Lisbon ,  and  the  reuaining  third 
iu  Oporto,  Figueira,  and  Coimbn. 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[451 


A  commission  was  appointed  to 
assess  the  ralue  of  each  individual's 
income^  and  the  whole  amount 
was  to  he  paid  into  the  treasury 
within  twelve  days. 

Italy.  The  vacancy  of  the  pa* 
pal  throne  occasioned  by  the  death 
of  Pius  VII.  in  December  of  the 
preceding  year^  was  not  filled  up 
till  the  beginning  of  February^ 
when  the  conclave  elected  as  his 
successor  Cardinal  Mauro  Capel* 
lari.  The  new  pope  was  an  Italian 
by  birth^  had  belonged  to  a  monas- 
tic order^  had  received  the  Cardi- 
nal's hat  in  1826,  and  had  been  a 
}>opular  candidate^  at  least  with 
thecitizensof  Rome>  at  the  election 
in  1828.  He  assumed  the  title 
of  Gregory  XVI.  The  first  in- 
telligence that  reached  him  after 
his  election  was  that  of  great  part 
of  his  states  being  in  successful 
revolt  against  the  authority  of  the 
tiara  which  he  had  just  put  on. 

There  was  no  part  of  £urope  to 
which  the  revolutionary  party  in 
France  looked  with  more  longing 
eyes  than  Italy.  It  was  an  object 
of  national  ambition  to  expel  the 
Austrians  from  Lombardy ;  to  en- 
courage the  Italian  states  in  re- 
bellion against  even  their  native 
sovereigns  was  part  of  their  creed 
in  favour  of  the  cause  of  insur- 
rection all  over  the  globe.  Ever 
since  the  revolution  of  July,  their 
emissaries  had  been  busily  employ- 
ed in  collecting  and  fanning  the 
sparks  of  discontent.  A  conspiracy 
had  gradually  been  formed  against 
the  existing  governments,  which 
was  to  explode  on  various  points  at 
the  same  time,  and  the  result  of 
which  was  to  be  the  union  of  the 
different  states,  under  republican 
governments,  and  an  Italian  fede- 
ration. The  attempt  was  hope- 
less, if  Austria  were  allowed  to  act 


against  it;  but  the  conspirators 
trusted  that  the  French  govern* 
ment  would  prevent,  and  by  its 
principles  was  bound  to  prevent, 
any  armed  interference  between 
princes  and  their  subjects.  They 
even  declared  that  they  had  acted 
on  the  assurances  of  a  French  mi- 
nister to  that  efiect ;  and  there  was 
no  doubt  that  they  had  received 
all  manner  of  encouragement  and 
assurances  from  the  leaders  of  the 
movement  party  at  Paris,  who, 
although  not  the  government, 
were  led  by  their  vanity  to  believe 
that  they  could  compel  the  govern- 
ment to  adopt  their  own  principles 
of  the  propagation  of  insurrec- 
tion. 

The  conspiracy  broke  out  first  at 
Modena  on  the  3rd  of  February. 
On  that  day  a  number  of  young 
men  had  assembled  in >  arms  at  the 
house  of  a  citizen  named  Menotti, 
who  was  at  the  head  of  the  design, 
to  arrange  their  final  measures. 
The  police  having  learned  what 
was  going  on,  the  house  was  sur- 
rounded by  military.  The  con- 
spirators barricadoed  the  doors, 
and  firing  from  the  windows,  de- 
fended themselves  vigorously,  trust- 
ing to  some  popular  movement  in 
their  favour.  Cannon  were  al  last 
brought  up,  and  then  they  sur- 
rendered to  the  number  of  thirty, 
among  whom  was  Menotti  himself. 
The  plot  seemed  to  have  failed : 
but  the  calm  was  only  momentary ; 
for,  the  branch  of  the  conspiracy, 
which  had,  been  laid  in  the  papal 
states,  having  proved  completely 
successful  at  the  neighbouring  Bo- 
logna, the  infection  of  example, 
and  the  certainty  of  support,  re- 
stored the  courage  of  the  Modenese 
plotters,  and  they  again  raised  a 
much  more  general  popular  move- 
ment. It  instantly  extended  to 
Keggio.    The  duke,  thinking  him- 

[2  G  2] 


452]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


self  unsafe  at  Modena,  retired  with 
his  family  to  Mantua^  having  first 
appointed  a  council  of  regency^ 
and  carrying  along  with  liim  the 
conspirator  Menotti.  The  insur- 
gents were  now  triumphant.  The 
regency  was  compelled  to  take 
to  flight ;  the  palace  was  plun- 
dered ;  the  custom  houses  on  the 
frontiers  towards  Parma  and  the 
Papal  states  suppressed^  and  a 
provisional  government  established^ 
at  the  head  of  which  were  a  dic- 
tator and  three  consuls. 

In  Bologna^  a  city  which  had  a 
garrison  of  only  700  men  with  a 
population  of  60,000  inhabitants^ 
the  insurrection  broke  out  on  the 
4th  of  February.  The  conspira- 
tors who  first  shewed  themselves 
were  principally  young  men,  who 
were  immediately  joined  by  num- 
Ijers  of  the  students  of  that  famed 
university.  The  archbishop -le- 
gate being  absent  at  Rome  at- 
tending the  conclave  for  the  elect- 
ion of  the  pope,  the  pro-legate  has- 
tily assembled  the  principal  nobi- 
lity, and  the  most  eminent  citizens, 
to  consult  on  the  dangers  that 
threatened  them.  While  he  was 
delil)erating  with  them,  about  mid- 
night, the  young  men  advanced 
in  arms  towards  the  palace.  The 
pro-legate  had  already  given  orders 
to  the  little  garrison  to  remain 
passive,  from  a  fear  that  military 
aid  would  be  of  no  avail,  as  the 
conspiracy  was  so  widely  extended ; 
and  the  conspirators,  who  were 
prepared  for  a  serious  resistance, 
did  not  find  even  a  sentinel  on 
duty  at  the  palace.  They  required 
the  pro-legate  to  sign  a  paper,  by 
which  he  resigned  the  adminis- 
tration to  a  provisional  government. 
Fie  at  iirst  refused,  but  the  in- 
creasing tumult  without  doors, 
and  the  threat  to  throw  him  out  of 
the  window,  if  he  persisted  in  his 


rcfiisal,  obliged  him  to  yield  to  this 
demands  of  the  insurgents.  By 
this  document  all  the  troops  of  the 
Legation  were  placed  under  the 
provisional  government.  On  the 
following  day  (Feb.  5),  the  pro- 
legate  and  the  dismissed  colonel 
of  the  troops  of  the  line  set  out 
with  an  escort  to  Florence.  A 
provisional  government  was  in- 
stalled ;  the  authority  of  the  pope 
as  a  temporal  sovereign  was  oe- 
clared  to  be  at  an  end ;  and  the 
people  were  called  on  to  form  them- 
selves into  a  national  guard  for  the 
defence  of  their  newly  acquired 
liberties.  The  success  of  the  en- 
terprise at  Bologna  was  the  signal 
for  similar,  and  equally  suco^ful 
risings,  throughout  all  the  lega- 
tions from  Bologna  to  Anoona.  In 
all  the  principal  towns  the  papal 
soldiers,  who  have  never  been  hmed 
for  deeds  of  valour,  submitted  at 
once,  or  were  speedily  disarmed. 
Even  the  Austrian  garrison  of  Fer- 
rara,  shutting  itself  up  in  the  ci- 
tadel, opposed  no  resistance  to  the 
insurrection.  Ancona,  with  its 
citadel,  threatening  'some  oppo- 
sition, what  was  called  an  army 
was  sent  against  it  by  the  insur- 
gents. They  had  scarcely  appeare<l, 
when  it  capitulated.  In  the  course 
of  four  days  the  power  of  the  pope 
on  the  north  of  the  Appenines  was 
at  an  end.  The  insurgents  even 
entered  the  Appenines,  as  if  in- 
tending to  march  upon  Rome  $  and 
as  their  forces  were  organized 
pushed  forward  their  advanced  de- 
tachments as  far  as  Otricoli.  Butno 
movement  took  place  in  the  capital, 
and  the  fortune  that  awaited  them 
elsewhere  soon  deprived  them  of 
all  desire  to  proceea.  The  exam|)1e 
of  Bologna,  Modena,  and  Reggio, 
was  followed  by  Parma  on  the  10th 
of  February.  A  deputation  of  in- 
surgents waited  on  the  duchess. 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE.  [453 

and  civilly  informed  her  it  was  no-  of  foreigners,   who   enrich   thein- 
cessary   she   should   withdraw,  as  selves  by  despoiling  you,  and  ren- 
they  intended  to  join  the  Italian  der  you  daily  more  miserable.    On 
federation,  and  would  have  no  far-  the  day  of  your   rising,  40,000  of 
ther  occasion  for  any  other  govern-  our  patriots  will   march   to  assist 
ment.    Her  highness  refused ;  but  you    in   crushing  the    Austrians. 
was   told   that   her  carriages  and  Let  there  be  no  delay,  for  there  is 
escort    were  already  in    waiting,  danger    in    hesitation.       Display 
No   alternative   being    left,   since  your  courage,  fellow-countrymen, 
force  was  to  be  used,  she  made  a  and  despotism  will   flee  from  our 
virtue  of  necessity,  and  took  her  country.      Our  country,   liberty, 
departure  for  Piacenza.     Her  de-  and     national     independence    for 
parture  was  followed  by  the  convo-  ever !"     A  similar  exhortation  was 
cation  of  a  civic  congress,  consisting  addressed  to  the  subjects  of  Naples, 
of  90  persons,  and  the  installation  "  In  1820  you  won  your  liberty, 
of  a  provisional  government.     Si-  and  obtained  a  constitution  without 
milar  scenes  were  apprehended  in  bloodshed.     Your  king,  and  all  the 
Tuscany   and  Piedmont ;  and  the  civil  and  military  authorities,  swore 
insurrectionists  employed  all  their  to  observe  it,   but  treachery  and 
means  to  render  the  conflagration  perjury  have  deprived  you  of  it. 
general ;  but    these   countries,  as  The  enlightened  nations  have  re- 
well   as  the    whole    of   Austrian  presented  you  as  having  lost  your 
Lombardy,  remained  tranquil.  constitution    by  your   cowardice. 
It  was  on  the  conduct  of  Austria  Avenge  the  national  honour ;  do 
that  the  fate  of  the  insurrection  not  suffer  yourselves  to  be  deceived 
in  a  great  measure  depended,  yet  by  fallacious  promises  and  aoinesr 
its  leaders  had  the  madness  to  do  ties  which   are  only   snares.     To 
what  was  equivalent  to  declaring  arms !  Neapolitan  patriots :  shake 
war  against   her.      Not    satisflea  oflT  the  yoke ;  become   free  again, 
with  working  on  the  field  which  for  you  have  it  in  your  power.' 
they  had  cleared,  they  resolved  to        Austria  required  no  such  pro- 
incite    Austrian   Lombardy,    and  vocation  to  induce  her  to  put  down 
even  Naples,  to  revolt,  as  necessary  a  system,  the  existence  of  which, 
parts  of  their  intended  federation,  on  the  south  of  the  Po,  was  scarcely 
From    Bologna,   which    was    now  compatible  with  the  existence   of 
tacitly  regarded  as  the  head  of  the  her  own  power  on  the  north  of  it. 
enterprize,  went  forth  a  proclama-  She  had  never   considered  Italy 
tion   to   the    ^'  Brave    patriots  of  secure  from  even  more  direct  at- 
Lombardy,"    summoning  them  to  tempts   on   the    part  of    France, 
rise  against  the    Austrian   yoke,  after  the  revolution  of  1830,  and 
'*  Fellow-countrymen     of     Lorn-  had  filled  Lombardy  with  nearly 
bardy,"  it  was  there  said,  "  follow  100,000  men.     Her  means,  there- 
the  example  of   France — imitate  fore,  were  abundant.    His  holiness 
the  patriots  of  central  Italy — burst  the    pope,     the     emperor's     own 
asunder  the  degrading  chams  which  daughter  the   duchess  of  Parma, 
the   Holy  Alliance    has    rivetted  and  the  exiled  duke  of  Modena, 
upon   you.     We  were  slaves,  and  all  demanded  the  aid  of  the  im- 
wretched   under   the  despotism  of  perial  arms  against  their  rebellious 
priests,  but  our  oppressors  were  subjects.     France,  on   the  other 
Still  Italians.    You  are  the  slaves  hand^  had  declared  that  she  would 


454]       ANNUAL   REGISTER,    1831. 


not  permit  Austrian  troops  to  in- 
terfere in  any  quarrel  between  an 
Italian  prince  and  his  sul^ects. 
The  French  minister^  however, 
afterwards  explained,  that  this  was 
not  intended  to  bind  France  to  take 
any  measures  to  prevent  such 
interference— certainly  the  only 
meaning  which  the  Italian  insur- 
gents could  have  attached  to  it. 
They  clearly  had  speculated  upon 
this,  that  they  would  not  have 
Austria  against  theni^  without 
having  the  whole  power  of  France 
behind  him.  France,  however^ 
could  not  have  marched  an  army, 
except  through  Switzerland  or 
Piedmont;  and  a  forced  march 
through  either  of  these  countries 
would  have  been  an  aggression  re- 
volting to  all  Europe.  The  court 
of  Sardinia^  being  naturally  ruled 
by  Austrian,  rather  than  by  French 
influence^  made  extensive  military 
preparations,  which  the  violent 
party  in  France  employed  as  a 
reason  for  trying  to  compel  their 
government  to  pick  a  quarrel  with 
Sardinia^  because  she  only  did 
what  was  justified  by  every  word 
they  uttered^  and  every  measure 
they  recommended. 

The  negotiations  between  France 
and  Austria  seemed  to  have  ter- 
minated in  this,  that  the  latter 
should  march  into  the  disturbed 
districts  to  put  down  the  insurrec- 
tion^  but  should  not  continue  to  oc- 
cupy them.  The  Austrian  troops 
crossed  the  Fo  in  the  beginning  of 
March.  One  division  proceeded 
to  Parma  and  Modena,  while 
baron  Frimont,  the  commander- 
in-chief,  advanced  at  the  head  of 
about  20^000  men  against  Bolog- 
na. Not  even  an  attempt  at 
serious  resistance  was  made.  The 
proud  promises  of  the  insurgents 
to  defend  to  the  last  by  their 
valoui'  the  liberty  which  they  had 


won  by  their  machinatious>  were 
forgotten.  The  armies  which 
were  to  spring  up  from  the  boast- 
ed enthusiasm  of  the  people  were 
no  where  to  be  found.  Their 
leaders^  instead  of  joining  in  any 
plan  of  action,  began^  aa  usually 
happens  in  such  cases^  to  aocuie 
each  other  of  lukewarmnesa  and 
treachery.  The  governments  of 
Modena  and  Parma  were  instantly 
restored,  and  the  restoration  was 
not  followed  by  more  punishment 
than  those  who  stake  their  lives 
on  such  a  venture  ought  to  reckon 
on.  Menotti^  the  head  of  the 
Modenese  insurrection,  and  who 
had  been  a  prisoner  during  the 
whole  period  of  even  its  epheme- 
ral success,  was  executed,  after  a 
regular  trial,  along  with  another  ^ 
of  Ins  co-conspirators.  The  duchess 
of  Parma  granted  a  ftree  pardon  to 
all  the  persons  who  had  attended 
the  civic  Congress  which  appoint- 
ed the  provisional  government, 
only  excluding  them,  for  three 
years,  from  public  offices.  Two  of 
the  members  of  the  provisional 
government  itself  were  brought 
to  trial,  but  were  acquitted,  and 
set  at  liberty.  One  of  them  had 
been  president  of  the  court  of  ap« 
peal  before  the  revolution.  The 
ground  on  which  their  judges  ac- 
quitted them  was  said  to  be,  that, 
as  the  duchess  had  retired  from 
her  states  without  delegating  her 
authority  to  any  regency,  the 
civic  Congress  was  warranted  in 
providing  and  creating  authorities 
for  causing  the  laws  to  be  respect- 
ed i  that  it  was  an  act  of  necessity, 
since  without  the  establishment  of 
a  provisional  government  complete 
anarchy  would  have  reigned. 

It  was  at  Bologna  alone,  that 
any  demonstrations  were  made  of 
opposing  force  to  force.  There 
the  armed  insurgents  were  more 


HISTORY  OF  EUllOPE. 


[465 


numerous,  and  better  organized; 
and  they  had  amongst  them  the 
hottest  heads  of  Italy,  who  had 
been  assembled  at  Bologna  to  form 
a  convention  of  deputies^from  the 
intended  United  Provinces.  They 
had  some  of  their  troops  at  Ra- 
venna^ and  others  farther  ad-t 
vanced  towards  the  Po.  As  baron 
Frimont  approached,  they  all  re- 
tired without  firing  a  shot.  The 
papal  government  was  re-establish- 
ed in  Ferrara  without  opposition. 
The  Austrians  moved  on  without 
finding  an  enemy,  and  entered 
Bologna  on  the  2l8t  of  March. 
The  convocation  of  deputies  had 
dispersed  j  those  who  were  in  arms 
and  did  not  throw  them  away« 
took  the  direction  of  Romagna. 
The  Austrians  followed,  and  the 
towns  along  the  whole  line  of 
inarch  surrendered^  one  after  ano< 
thor.  Some  attempt  at  resistance 
was  made  between  Kimini  and 
Cattolica^  but  was  speedily  de-* 
feated.  The  armed  insurgents  had 
now  remaining,  of  all  their  con- 
questSj  only  Ancona  $  they  were 
shut  up  in  a  corner  from  which 
there  was  no  hope  of  escape ;  the 
Austrian  army  was  close  upon 
them.  They  endeavoured,  there- 
fore, to  make  terms  with  cardinal 
Benvenuto,  whom  they  carried  off 
from  his  residence  at  Osimo^  in 
the  commencement  of  the  revolt^ 
and  had  still  detained  as  a  prisoner 
in  Ancona.  The  principal  con- 
ditions which  they  demanded 
were,  that  none  of  the  insurgents 
should  be  molested  in  person  or 
property  for  what  they  had  done  ; 
that  thosoj  who  chose  to  leave  the 
papal  states,  should  have  passports 
for  thatjHirpose,  If  demanded  with- 
in a  fortnight ;  that  even  such  of 
them  as  had  been  in  the  pay  of 
the  papal  government  at  the  out- 
breakinf  of  the  revolution^  ebould 


sustain  no  injury  in  their  rights 
for  having  joined  the  insurgents — 
which  seemed  to  moan  that  they 
were  to  be  allowed  to  keep  their 
places;  and  that  all  foreigners^  who 
had  taken  part  with  them,  should 
be  allowed  to  depart  unmolested. 
In  the  document  which  contained 
these  conditions,  the  heads  of  the 
revolt  described  themselves  as 
'^  The  members  of  the  provisional 
government  of  the  united  Italian 
provinces,*"  On  the  26th  of 
March,  the  imprisoned  cardinal 
put  his  name  to  these  terms,  and 
the  insurrection,  which  four  and 
twenty  hours  must  have  ter- 
minated at  any  rate,  was  at  an 
end.  The  pope  refused  to  ratify 
the  convention,  on  the  ground  that 

*  On  the  same  day  thev  put  forth  the 
following  <  notification  by  the  provi- 
sional governments  of  the  uAited  Italian 
provinces.' — "A  principle  proclaimed  by 
a  great  nation,  which  had  solemnly  pro- 
mised not  to  permit  its  violation  by  any 
European  PouTer,  and  the  declaration  of 
guarantee  given  by  a  minister  of  that 
nation,  induced  us  to  second  the  move- 
ment of  the  people  of  these  provinces. 
All  our  efibrts  were  directed  to  tiie  far 
from  easy  task  of  maintaining  order, 
amidst  the  agitation  of  an  insurrection ; 
and  we  experienced  a  pleasure  most 
grateful  to  our  hearts,  in  seeing  the  re- 
volution eot^ducted  with  all  the  tranquil- 
itv  of  a  constitutional  government,  and, 
unthout  shedding  a  single  drop  of  blood. 

**  Bnt  the  violation  of  this  principle, 
consented  to  by  the  nation  which  had 
promulgated  and  guaranteed  it,  the  im- 
possibility of  resisting  a  great  Power 
which  has  already  occupied  part  of  the 
provinces  with  an  armed  force,  and  our 
wish  to  prevent  bloodshed  and  disorder, 
are  the  circumstances  which  have  in- 
duced ui,  with  a  view  to  the  public 
safety,  which  ought  always  to  be  the  su- 
preme law  of  every  state,  to  treat  with 
his  eminence  the  most  reverend  cardinal 
Qian  Antonio  Benvenuto,  legate-8«latertt 
of  hii  holiness  Gregory  XVI.,  and  to 
resign  to  him  the  government  of  these 
provinces,  which  has  been  accepted  by 
his  eminence  under  the  subjoined  con* 
dtUont,*' 


456]     ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


it  had  been  extorted  from  tlie  car- 
dinal by  coercion  when  detained 
in  durance  by  the  rebels.  A  con« 
siderable  number  of  the  latter  were 
arrested ;  and  commissions  appoint- 
ed for  their  trial.  The  proceedings 
of  these  tribunals  were  to  be  con- 
fined to  persons  accused  ''  of 
having  signed  the  act  of  the  pre- 
tended provisional  government  of 
Bologna,  which  dared  to  declare 
the  abolition  of  the  temporal  power 
of  the  Roman  pontiffs;  or  of 
having  broken  their  military  oath 
by  enrolling  themselves  in  the 
troops  called  national  guards;  or 
of  having  published  irreligious  and 
seditious  writings,  and  especially 
of  having  signed  the  periodical 
journals  of  the  rebellious  provinces. 
To  all  other  Roman  subjects  not 
included  in  the  above  classes,  his 
holiness,  by  an  act  of  his  clemen- 
cy, grants  an  entire  and  generous 
amnesty,  in  the  hope  that,  repent- 
ing their  iaults,  they  will  repair 
them  by  their  attachment  to  the 
holy  see.**  In  no  instance  was  a 
capital  punishment  inflicted.  The 
French  government  interested  it- 
self for  the  defeated  insurgents, 
and  as  a  recompense  for  not  having 
disturbed  the  operations  of  Aus- 
tria, stipulated  that  his  holiness 
should  bestow  upon  his  subjects 
some  fiscal  and  administrative  re- 
form. Tranauillity,  however,  being 
now  restorea,  they  insisted  on  the 
withdrawal  of  the  Austrian  troops, 
who  forthwith  retired  beyond  the 
limits  of  the  legations,  the  papal 
forces  occupying  their  place. 

On  the  7th  of  July  appeared  an 
edict  of  the  pope,  dividing  the 
papal  state  into  delegations,  and 
these  again  into  communes,  in  each 
of  which  there  was  to  be  a  com- 
munal council,  to  be  elected  two- 
thirds  from  among  proprietors,  in- 
cludbg  ecclesiastical  proprietors^ 


and  one-third  from  among  literary 
men,  merchants,  and  professors, 
and  to  be  renewed  every  second 
year.  Each  delegation  was  to  be 
under  a  delegate,  who  should  ex- 
ercise jurisdiction  over  all  acts  of 
administration.  To  the  communal 
council  was  annually  to  be  pre- 
sented estimates  of  the  receipts 
and  expenses  of  the  following  year: 
and  for  a  fixed  time  befinre  the 
budget  of  the  preceding  year 
should  be  presented  for  examina- 
tion, every  citizen  miffht  invest- 
igate whether  the  puolic  afiairs 
were  properly  managed.  The 
council  was  afterwards  to  examine 
the  accounts,  and  transmit  them 
to  the  delegate.  Every  year  there 
was  to  be  assembled  in  each  dele- 
gation, a  provincial  council,  com* 
posed  of  councillors  in  the  propor- 
tion of  one  for  a  population  of 
20,000  souls,  presented  by  -  the 
communal  deputies,  and  approved 
bj  the  pope.  The  provincial  coun- 
cils were  to  be  renewed  every  se- 
cond year ;  but  the  government 
might  dissolve  them,  by  ordaining 
a  new  election,  and  convoke  them 
extraordinarily.  The  provincial 
councils  were  to  assemble  on  the 
1  st  of  October  next. 

But  these  fiscal  reforms  gave  no 
satisfaction  to  the  agitating  spirit 
which  was  abroad  in  the  legations. 
The  truth  was,  that  the  with- 
drawal of  the  Austrians,  and  the 
re-establishment  of  civic  guards  in 
the  different  towns^  seemed  about 
to  produce  a  new  explosion.  In 
many  places  the  pontifical  officers 
were  powerless ;  in  others,  the  tri- 
coloured  flag  was  again  hoisted^ 
and  the  militarv  resisted  in  at* 
tempting  to  pull  it  down.  The 
papal  army  of  five  or  six  thousand 
men^  advanced  from  Ancona  as 
far  as  Rimini;  the  civic  guards 
threatened  to  attack  it^  if  its  march 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[457 


were  continued.  The  agitators  of 
the  legations,  emboldened  by  the 
interposition  of  France  in  their 
favour  after  the  suppression  of  the 
insurrection,  held  Conferences,  and 
sent  deputations,  as  if  they  had 
been  independent  of  Rome. 

Amid  the  confusion  of  Italy, 
Charles  Joseph,  king  of  Sardinia, 
died  on  the  27th  of  April,  in  the 
eleventh  year  of  his  reign.  Al- 
though not  distinguished  by  any 
brilliant  quality,  he  was  a  popular 
prince  among  his  own  people.  He 
was  succeeded  by  his  nephew, 
Charles  Albert,  prince  of  Carig- 
nan,  who  had  once  been  a  liberal. 
In  the  Piedmontese  revolution  of 
1821,  he  had  been  placed  at  the 
head  of  the  provisional  govern- 
ment, and  took  the  oath  to  the  ex- 
otic constitution  of  the  Spanish 
Cortes,  the  only  one  which  hap- 
pened at  the  time  to  be  ready  for 
use.  On  the  suppression  of  the 
revolt,  he  joined  the  Due  d'An- 
gouleme  to  fight  against  the 
Cortes  and  their  Constitution  in 
Spain.  His  most  active  associates 
in  the  insurrection  of  1821  had 
been  driven  into  exile ;  the  royal 
amnesty  did  not  reach  them.  They 
hoped  that,  as  king,  he  would  now 
recal  those  who  had  shared  in  his 
errors  as  prince.  But  he  seemed 
to  think  that  to  do  so,  especially 
at  such  a  moment,  would  naturally 
only  expose  his  own  crown  to  the 
same  danger  with  which  he  and 
his  advisers  had  threatened  his 
uncle's,  and  satisfied  himself  with 
renewing  the  amnesty  of  his  pre- 
decessor. 

Greece,  for  whose  pacification 
the  powers  of  Europe  had  laboured 
so  long,  was  now  a  scene  of  vio- 
lence and  mortal  civil  war.  '  The 
President  Capo  d*  Istrias,  whether 
from  his  too  great  attachment  to 


Russian    interests,   or    from    the 
mere  jealousy  and   discontent  of 
chiefs,  all  of  them  unused  to  con- 
trol,   and   eager  for  power,   had 
rapidly   become  unpopular.     The 
opposition   to   him  comprehended 
A^iaulis,    Maurocordato,  Conduri- 
ottis,  and  many  others  of  the  most 
distinguished  and  popular  leaders. 
They  demanded  the  convocation  of 
the   national  assembly,  which  he 
refused;  they  demanded  the  full 
establishment  of  the  liberty  of  the 
press,  to  which  he  would  not  con- 
sent ;    and   they  accused  him   of 
violating  every  principle  of  their 
constitution   by  infiictinir  on   his 
opponents  arbitrary  impfisonment 
and  exile,  and  ruling,  by  the  assist- 
ance of  his  army,  like  the  despotic 
deputy  of  Russia,  not  as  the  elected 
head  of  a  free  state.  Among  others, 
Pietro  Mauromichaeli,  the  Bey  of 
Maina,  one  of  the  most  constant 
and  least  selfish  of  the  Greek  lead* 
ers  throughout  the  whole  period  of 
the  insurrection,  was  still  lingering 
in  prison  at  Napoli  di   Romania. 
The   discontents    propagated    by 
theseleaders,  gradually  undermined 
the  president's  authority,  particu- 
larly in  the  islands,  and  broke  out 
in  open  resistance  to  his  govern- 
ment.    In   the   month   of  April, 
Maina,  the  native  territory  of  the 
captive  Mauromichaeli,  threw  off 
its  allegiance,  and  established  a 
local    government.      Its  example 
was  immediately  followed  by  Hydra, 
the  most  important  of  the  islands, 
which  effected  its  revolution  with 
much  order,  and  thus  deprived  the 
fleet  of  its  best  seamen.     It  sub- 
jected itself  to  a  provisional  govern- 
ment at  the  head  of  which  were 
Miaulis  and  Conduriottis.    These 
new  authorities  demanded  of  the 
president  the  convocation  of  the  na- 
tional assembly — a  constitution— 
the  freedom  of  the  press — and  the 


458]     ANNUAL    REGI STER,  1831. 


examination  of  the  accounts.  None 
of  these  things  would  the  president 
concede.  Addresses^  requesting 
the  convocation  of  this  so  much  de- 
sired national  asscmblVj  poured  in 
from  all  sidcs^ — from  roroSj  Syra, 
and  other  islands  of  the  Archipe- 
lago^ and^  on  the  mainland^  from 
different  places  both  of  the  Morea 
and  Rumelia.  The  president^  whe- 
ther apprehensive  that  such  a  body 
would  shake  his  own  power,  or  be 
hostile  to  the  interests  of  Russia^ 
retained  his  determination  and 
multiplied  arrests. 

The  Hellas,  the  only  frigate 
which  Greece  possessed,  and  the 
rest  of  their  fleet,  lay  at  Poros. 
It  was  discovered^  or,  at  least,  was 
believed,  that  the  president  was 
preparing  to  embarK  on  board  of 
It  an  expedition  against  the  is* 
lands  which  had  thrown  off  his 
authority,  or  condemned  his  go- 
vernment. The  provisional  govern- 
ment of  Hydra  resolved  to  deprive 
him  of  the  means.  In  the  end  of 
July,  they  sent  between  two  and 
three  hundred  men  during  the 
night  to  Poros,  who  boarded  and 
took  possession  of  the  Hellas. 
Miaulis  followed  next  day,  with  a 
reinforcement,  and  took  under  his 
orders  all  the  vessels  in  the  har- 
bour of  Poros.  The  inhabitants  of 
the  town  received  them  as  deliver- 
ers and  espoused  their  cause.  The 
president  made  the  foreign  resid- 
ents at  Napoli  address  a  note  to 
him  expressing  their  disapproba- 
tion of  these  insurrectionary  move* 
menta,  and  their  hope  that,  in  the 
absence  of  the  commander  of  the 
French  and  English  squadrons, 
tiiis  declaration  would  bring  back 
the  chiefs  who  had  taken  part  in 
the  revolt  to  their  duty.  This  was 
too  weak  an  expedient,  and  the 
president  despatched  the  Russian 
lleet  to  Poros,  while  he  prepared 


to  combine,  with  the  attack  of  the 
latter,  a  movement  of  his  own 
troops  against  the  town.  Miaulis 
refused  to  surrender  the  fleet  at  tho 
summons  of  tho  Russian  admiral 
M.  Ricord,  who  now  blockaded 
Poros.  A  Greek  vessel,  coming 
from  Syra  with  provbions,  was  sunk 
by  the  Russians,  and  in  return  a 
Russian  brig  of  war  was  fired  into 
by  one  of  the  Greek  Corvettes. 
In  the  mean  time  1,200  men  of  the 
president's  troops  had  arrived  to 
attack  Poros.  These  men  soon  got 
possession  of  the  watering  place  on 
the  side  of  the  main  land;  and,  pasfr* 
ingoverin  Russian  boats,  andassist- 
ed  by  Russian  soldiers,  they  made 
themselves  masters  of  the  watering 
place  at  the  monastery  also :  the 
Russians  in  the  mean  time  having 
erected  four  batteries,  which  they 
worked  against  the  town,  and  from 
which  they  fired  even  upon  the 
women  and  children  going  to  en* 
deavour  to  get^  water.  Poros  had 
not  above  500  men  to  defend  it ; 
yet  the  attack  failed,  the  Russians 
and  the  president's  troops  being 
driven  back  with  a  heavy  loss  of 
men,  several  officers  being  killed, 
with  about  100  men,  and  some  of 
the  Russian  boats  with  troops  in 
them  sunk.  But  the  want  of  water 
and  the  total  failure  of  provisions 
rendered  it  impossible  to  hold  out 
the  town.  The  fleet  was  in  the 
same  condition.  Boats  were 
brought  over  from  Hydra,  which 
conveyed  to  that  island  the  popu- 
lation of  Poros,  who,  rather  than 
await  the  tender  mercies  of  the 
Russians  and  the  president's  troops, 
quitted  their  homes  and  their  pro- 
i)erty«  Miaulis,  likewise,  sent 
back  his  seamen  to  Hydra,  retain- 
ing only  a  handftil  of  men  to  ex. 
ecute  the  design  which  he  had 
formed.  On  the  1 3th  of  August 
the  Russian  fl^t  weighed^  to  stand 


mSTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[45d 


in  and  attack  the  Greek  ships^ 
while  the  president's  army  again 
advanced  against  the  town.  Mi- 
aulis  and  his  half  dozen  seamen 
were  seen  to  take  to  their  boat  as 
the  Russian  squadron  drew  near ; 
and  within  a  few  minutes  after  he 
had  quitted  the  Hellas,  the  frigate* 
and  the  other  armed  vessels  in  the 
harbour,  blew  up.  The  old  admiral, 
having  sent  them  into  the  air, 
rather  than  allow  them  to  fall  into 
the  hands  of  Russia  or  the  presid- 
ent, found  his  way  back  to  Hydra. 
The  troops  of  Capo  d*  Istrias  then 
entered  the  town,  which— a  city  of 
Uieir  countrymen— -»t hey  reduced  to 
a  heap  of  ashes. 

The  Malnotes,  on  the  other 
hand,  acted  against  the  government 
by  land.  Descending  firom  their 
mountains,  they  drove  the  govern* 
nient  troops  from  Calamata,  on  the 
gulph  of  Coron,  where  they  retail* 
ated  in  some  measure,  by  their  pil« 
lage,  the  destruction  with  which 
Poros  had  been  visited.  The  pre- 
sident reinforced  his  army;  but 
the  French  troops  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood took  possession  of  the 
town,  to  prevent  the  parties  from 
coming  to  blows.  A  squadron  of 
small  Hydriote  vessels,  which  had 
accompanied  the  operations  of  the 
Mainotes  was  lying  in  the  gulph. 
A  French  frigate,  too,  was  there, 
and  gave  them  no  disturbance. 
But  the  Russian  admiral  came 
round  from  Poros,  stood  into  the 
gulph,  and  summoned  them  to 
surrender.  Instead  of  submitting, 
the  Hydriotes  blew  up  the  largest 
of  their  vessels,  and  ran  the  others 
ashore,  with  the  exception  of  one 
which  escaped.  Throughout  all 
these  dissensions,  the  Russians 
alone  were  the  active  allies  of  the 
president.  The  English  and  French 
commanders  strove  to  mediate  be« 


tween  the  parties ;  and  the  presi- 
dent's obstinacy,  coupled  with  the 
Russian's  violence,  increased  the 
belief  that  a  Russian  interest  was 
at  stake. 

From  the  commencement  of 
these  troubles,  and  particularly 
after  the  arming  of  the  Mainotes, 
whose  Bey,  Mauromichaeli,  had 
been  imprisoned  since  the  month  of 
January,  the  president  had  received 
various  warnings  that  his  life  was 
in  danger.  He  disregarded  them, 
and  the  blow  was  struck*  George^ 
the  son,  and  Constantine,  the  bro- 
ther, of  the  Bey,  repaired  to  Napoli 
di  Romania  for  the  purpose  of  as- 
sassinating  the  head  of  tne  govern- 
ment. On  the  9th  of  Octo^r  they 
lurked  for  him  at  the  door  of  th^ 
church  which  they  had  learned  be 
was  to  visit.  On  the  threshold  of 
the  temple  they  attacked  him. 
The  one  discharged  a  pistol  at  his 
head  j  the  other  stabbed  him  with 
a  dagger.  The  president  fell  dead 
upon  the  spot.  The  deed  was  per- 
petrated under  the  very  eyes  of  the 
people.  One  of  the  assassins,  Cou« 
stantine,  was  immediately  put  to 
death  by  the  by-standers ;  George 
escaped  into  the  house  of  the  French 
consul,  who  refused  to  give  him  up 
to  the  fury  of  the  military  or  the 
rabble,  but  promised  to  surrender 
him  on  a  regular  demand  being 
made  by  the  magistracy.  The 
crime  seemed  to  have  been  the  re« 
suit  of  private  revenge  rather  than 
of  political  hostility.  It  produced 
no  immediate  political  consequence, 
much  less  an^  violent  convulsion. 
The  Senate  immediately  named  a 
commission  of  government,  consist- 
ing of  Colocotroui,  Coletti,  and 
August! n  Capo  d'  istrias,  the  pre- 
sident's brother,  the  latter  o{  whom 
was  placed  at  its  head. 


460]     ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


CHAP.     XV. 

United  States — South  America — Stale  of  Brazil — Dislurhances 
at  Rio  Janeiro —  The  Emperor  abdicales  in  favour  of  his  son.  Buenob 
Ayres— 3/t7f7«ry  operalions — Colombia — Death  of  BoHvar-^Insur" 
rection  in  Prt/iawa— Mexico — Peru.     Disturbances  at  Lima, 


IN  the  Congress  of  the  United 
States^  the  tariff  of  duties  on 
importation^  of  which  the  commer- 
cial states,  and  the  producers  of 
exportable  productions  had  never 
ceased  to  complain,  was  again  made 
the  subject  of  discussion.  The 
President,  in  his  message,  had  ex- 
pressed himself  favourable  to  a  re- 
examination of  its  principles,  or 
even  a  modificatiou  of  some  of  its 
provisions.  That  part  of  the  mes- 
sage had  been  referred  by  the  House 
of  Representatives  to  a  committee. 
The  report  was  hostile  to  any  al- 
teration or  modification  of  the  ex- 
isting tariff,  the  committee  express- 
ing their  belief,  that,  '*  the  tariff 
having  been  so  recently  revised,  any 
attempt  to  change  its  provisions, 
at  this  time,  -would  spread  alarm 
among  the  great  interests  of  our 
country, — shake  confidence  in  the 
plighted  faith  of  government,— 
destroy  the  supposed  well-founded 
hopes  of  millions  of  our  fellow- 
citizens,  reduce  them  to  penury, 
and  expose  the  whole  country  to 
the  dangers  of  ^  a  most  selfish 
policy  which  might  be  adopted  by 
foreign  nations.*  "  The  minority 
of  the  committee,  according  to  the 
modern  usage  of  the  Congress, 
published  acounter-report,  in  which 
they  took  a  view  of  the  question 
respecting  the  tariff  diametrically 
opposite  .to  that  taken  by  the  ma- 
jority. A  convention  of  deputies 
from  fifteen  states,  who  had  been 
appointed  to  procure^  if  possible^ 


an  alteration,  likewise  put  forth  a 
long  report,  denouncing  the  tariff 
as  being  at  once  injurious^  unjust, 
and  unconstitutional. 

Brazil^  at  length  followed  the 
example  which  had  been  so  long 
and  so  repeatedly  held  out  to  it  by 
the  rest  of  South  America,  and 
indulged  in  a  revolution.  The 
emperor  had  closed  the  onlinary 
session  of  the  assembly  in  the  pre* 
ceding  September,  in  no  happy 
humour  with  its  proceedings.  An 
extraordinary  session  was  convoked 
immediately  afterwards.  But  its 
proceedings  were  not  much  more 
satisfactory.  A  committee,  having 
been  appointed  to  investigate  the 
conduct  of  the  late  and  present 
ministers  of  war,  reported  both  of 
them  to  have  issued  orders  for  re- 
cruiting without  an  act  of  the  le- 
gislature ;  and  another  committee 
was  immediately  named  to  prepare 
an  impeachment  against  tllem  for 
violating  the  constitution.  The 
emperor  had  recommended  the 
state  of  the  finances  and  the  circu- 
lating medium  to  their  particular 
attention.  A  multitude  of  pro- 
jects for  ameliorating  both  had  been 
presented  to  Congress  by  different 
members,  and  had  been  referred  to 
a  committee,  to  select,  or  combine^ 
the  scheme  which  might  appear 
most  expedient.  The  committee 
reported,  that,  considering  the  fects 
whicli  had  lately  occurred— -the 
purchase  of  copper  blanks  to  coiO| 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[461< 


when  the  general  voice  cried  out 
against  such  a  measure — the  arri- 
val of  arms  from  London^  when 
the  nation  was  enjoying  the  bles- 
singsof  peace — the  loan  of  400,000/. 
for  illegal  purposes — the  retaining 
of  some  public  officers,  and  the 
nomination  of  others  professed  ene- 
mies to  the  constitution— and 
above  all,  the  general  suspicion  of  the 
existence  of  a  secret  administra- 
tion, independent  of  the  ostensible 
and  constitutional  one,  had  caused 
the  greatest  general  mistrust  of  the 
present  ministry,  they  could  not 
propose  under  existing  circum- 
stances, any  measure  calling  upon 
the  nation  for  fresh  sacrifices,  from 
the  fear  that  through  mal-adminis- 
tration  they  would  be  misapplied, 
and  converted  to  the  prejudice  of 
the  people  and  their  rights.  The 
two  houses  of  Congress  likewise, 
quarrelled  with  each  other,  in  con- 
sequence of  certain  alterations  made 
by  the  senate  in  the  bill  fixing  the 
income  and  expenditure  of  the  year. 
The  deputies  refused  to  accede  to 
these  alterations,  and  demanded, 
as  the  constitution  provided  in  the 
event  of  a  disagreement  between 
the  two  houses,  that  both  chambers 
should  meet  in  one.  The  senate 
consisting  of  only  30  members, 
while  the  deputies  were  80,  the 
former  was  always  averse  to  this 
mode  of  proceeding,  and  now  re- 
quested that  the  bill  should  be 
sent  back,  in  order  that  they 
might  take  their  amendments  into 
further  consideration.  The  depu- 
ties refused — insisted  on  their  con- 
stitutional privilege — and  carried 
their  point.  The  £mperor  closed 
this  unpleasant  session  on  the  30th 
of  November,  expressing  his  regret 
that  the  most  pressing  matters 
had  been  left  where  they  were* 

There   was    thus  abundance  of 
irritation  and  want  of  confidence  a 


state  of  things  which  had  been  in  a 
great  measure  produced,  and  was 
still  more  effectually  kept  alive,  by 
the  consequences  of  the  events  in 
Portugal  during  the  three  prece- 
ding years.  When  Don  Pedro 
made  his  choice  between  the  throne 
of  Brazil  and  that  of  Portugal,  he 
had  carried  along  with  him  to  his 
transatlantic  possessions  a  host  of 
European  friends  and  attendant-s. 
The  reverses  of  the  constitutional 
party,  which  drove  so  many  Por- 
tuguese into  exile,  and'  an  exile 
aggravated  by  poverty,  increased 
their  numbers,  and  their  demands 
upon  the  emperor's  purse.  The 
pride  of  the  native  Brazilians  was 
wounded  by  seeing  the  king  and 
his  government  almost  exclusively^ 
as  they  alleged,  in  the  hands  of 
foreigners ;  towards  foreigners 
against  whom  they  were  thus  ir- 
ritated, they  could  not  be  expected 
to  entertain  very  generous  feelings^ 
and  they  complained,  therefore, 
that,  while  their  finances  were  con- 
fessedly in  confusion,  money  was 
expeudeil  on  aliens  to  the  state. 
They  found  a  still  more  tangible 
ground  of  similar  complaint  in  the 
alleged  appropriation  of  Brazilian 
funds  to  support  the  claims  of  Don 
Pedro's  daughter  against  his  brother 
Miguel.  The  funds,  which  the  Bra- 
zilian government  had  set  apart 
for  the  payment  of  the  di?idends 
on  its  acknowledged  debt  in  Eng- 
land, were  appropriated  by  the 
envoys  of  the  emperor  for  the  sup- 
port of  his  daughter's  rights ;  and 
the  country,  which  supplies  us 
with  precious  metals  and  pre- 
cious stones,  became  bankrupt  on 
the  exchange  of  London,  bcK^ause 
the  emperor's  daughter  was  obliged 
to  send  an  expedition  to  Oporto, 
and  to  support  a  regency  at 
Terceira.  This  was  not  the 
only    expenditure  to  which    the 


462]      ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


unfortunate  issue  of  his  affairs  in 
£urope  compelled  the  emperor. 
His  daughter  was  recalled  from 
Europe,  and  established  as  queen 
of  Portugal  in  a  palace  at  Rio 
Janeiro^  with  a  court  and  court 
pageantry  of  her  own,  out  of  the 
Brasilian  Budget.  All  these  things 
were  daily  exposed  to  the  irritated 
public  mind.  The  press  never 
ceased  to  haraneue  on  the  incapacity 
of  ministers-* the  misapplication  of 
the  English  loan-— the  war  against 
Buenos  Ayres— the  yoke  of  the 
Portuguese  party — the  luxury  and 
immorality  of  the  court  and  court- 
iers. 

The  emperor  returned  to  Rio 
Janeiro,  from  a  tour  in  the  pro- 
vinoes  in  the  middle  of  March,  and 
was  received  with  every  apparent 
testimony  of  loyalty  and  affection. 
On  the  13th,  an  affray,  attended 
with  bloodshed,  had  occurred  be- 
tween the  Portuguese  and  the 
Brazilians.  On  the  1 5th  of  March, 
at  the  solemn  entry  of  the  emperor, 
the  excesses  were  continued.  Some 
of  the  persons,  who  accompanied 
him  on  horseback,  committed  va- 
rious insolent  acts,  threatening  the 
citizens  with  their  whips  if  they 
did  not  cry  out  '*  Long  live  the 
emperor,"  **  Death  to  the  repub- 
lic." The  police  were  accused  of 
conniving  at  the  rioters,  and  the 
conviction  of  the  generality  of  the 
Brazilians  was,  that  the  whole  was 
caused  bv  the  influence  and  under 
the  auspices  of  the  agents  of  the 
executive. 

In  consequence  of  these  events, 
twenty-four  members  of  the  Cham- 
ber of  Deputies  presented  to  the 
emperor,  on  the  17th,  a  remon- 
strance which  announced  loudly 
and  vigorously  the  state  of  public 
feeling.  They  stated  that  the  re- 
joicings in  honour  of  his  majesty's 
return  had  been  converted  into  an 


occasion   *'of  insulting  and  mal- 
treating the  Brazilians — ^friends  of 
liberty  and  the  country— who  were» 
in  fact,  covered  with  opprobrium 
by  the   Lusitanian  party,  which 
has  again  arisen  in  the  midst  of 
us,  with  cries  of  ''  Live  the  Por- 
tuguese," and  of  committing  sedi- 
tious and  anarchical  aicts  and  out- 
rages of  every  description,  of  which 
the  victims   have    been   patriot! 
whose  blood  has  been  ihaa  by  a 
perfidious  and   premeditated  ag- 
gression by  men  who,  in  all  the 
delirium  of  theii'  crimes,  have  been 
clearly  protected  by  the  govern- 
ment and  subaltern  authorities,  of 
which  they  themselves  boast,  thus 
compromising  with  incredible  au- 
dacity the  august  and  respectable 
name  of  your  imperial  and  oonsti-i 
tutional  majesty.     The  seditious 
continue,  under  the  shade  of  the 
august  name  of  your  imperial  and 
constitutional  majesty,  to  prose* 
cute  their  dark  designs.   The  out* 
rages  increase,  national  spirit  suf- 
fers, and  no  people  could  tolerate 
without  resistance,  that  foreigners 
should  impose  upon  them  in  their 
own  country  an  ignominious  yoke. 
Foreigners  who  have  the  honour  of 
being  the  subjects  of  Don  Miguel, 
others  who  are  the  subjects    of 
the    Senhora    Donna   Maria  IL, 
chieflycomposed  thosegroupswhich, 
"^in  the  nights  of  the  13th  and  14th, 
vilified  the  Brazilian    name,  and 
alarmed    and   wounded    many  of 
our  fellow-citizens.     The  Brazili- 
ans so  cruelly  ofiended— the  Bra- 
zilians, who  are  threatened  with 
partial  and  unjust  imprisonments 
— cherish  in  their  breasts  the  most 
well-founded  and  profound  indig« 
nation,  the  consequences  of  which 
it  is  impossible  to  calculate,  if  the 
government  do  not  henceforth  re- 
press similar  disorders,  and  take 
measures  to  redress  as  far  as  pos*^ 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[463 


sible  tlie  insult  wliich  the  nation 
has  received.  Circumstances  ar6 
urgent,  and  the  least  delay  may,  in 
such  a  case,  be  fatal.  The  confi* 
dence^  which  oi^ht  to  be  placed  in 
the  Government^  is  almost  entirely 
extinguished,  and  if  the  aggres- 
sions against  which  the  under- 
signed make  this  representation 
should  remain  unpunished^  such 
neglect  will  attiount  to  a  declara- 
tion that  it  is  for  the  Brazilian 
people  themselves  to  avenge,  by  the 
means  in  their  own  power^  the 
stain  so  unworthily  cast  on  their 
honour  and  high  character." 

To  this  address  the  emperor 
returned  an  answer  next  day,  de«* 
('Jaring  that  measures  had  been 
adopted  to  maintain  order  and 
tranquillity.  He  dismissed  likewise 
the  greater  part  of  his  ministers, 
but  the  successors  whom  he  named 
turned  out  to  be  still  more  unpo- 
pular. Even  a  decree  issued  on 
the  3rd  of  April  for  convoking  an 
extraordinary  meeting  of  Congress 
failed  to  soothe  the  public  mind. 
The  people — led,  no  doubt,  by  per- 
sons who  contemplated  more  than 
a  change  of  ministry—- refused  to 
be  satisfied,  till  they  saw  the  throne 
surrounded  with  different  counsel- 
lors. A  perpetual  cry  was  kept 
up  against  the  expenses  of  the 
court,  and  the  insolence  of  the 
Portuguese — or  what  the  Brazil- 
ian reformers  called,  by  terms 
coined  for  the  occasion,  Aulismo 
and  Lusitanismo.  The  people  were 
flattered  with  the  title  of  Pow 
hermco,  and  reminded  of  the  late 
}>opular  insurrections  of  Europe, 
with  their  results  on  public  liberty. 
As  in  France  and  Belgium,  the 
representatives  of  the  nation,  the 
public  press,  and  the  most  stirring 
spirits  of  the  capital,  were  for  a 
change ;  and,  acted  upon  by  the 
united  force  of  these  bodies,  the 


a^my  could  not  long  remain  faith« 
ful.  The  emperor  was  repeatedly 
summoned,  but  in  vain,  to  sur- 
render his  ministry.  The  dis- 
affection broke  out  into  open  tu* 
mult,  and  threatened  the  palace. 
He  called  on  his  guards  to  act  against 
the  populace,  but,  with  the  excep- 
tion 01  a  very  small  number,  they 
laid  down  tneir  arms,  or  joined 
their  fellow«citiBenB.  The  Emperor 
then  issued  a  proclamation  an- 
nouncing, in  brief  terms,  that  he 
abdicated  the  crown  in  favour  of 
his  son  Don  Pedro,  and  next  day, 
the  7th  of  April,  embarked  with 
his  family  on  board  a  British  fri- 
gate, leaving  behind  him  the  young 
emperor,  to  whom  he  had  named 
one  of  his  friends  guardian.  His 
daughter,  the  queen  of  Portugal, 
was  received^  at  the  same  time,  on 
board  a  French  frigate,  and  both 
proceeded  forthwith  to  Europe. 

The  departure  of  the  emperor 
having  left  the  country  without  a 
government,  all  the  members  of  the 
Chamber  of  Deputies^  who  were  in 
Rio,  collected  hastily  together,  to 
deliberate  on  the  proper  course  to 
be  pursued.  They  determined  to 
appoint  a  regency,  to  be  composed 
of  three  individuals  of  their  own 
body.  The  persons  elected  were, 
Francisco  de  Lima,  the  marquis  of 
Caravellas,  and  Vergueino.  They 
immediately  took  upon  themselves 
the  supreme  power,  and  appointed 
a  ministry.  Their  first  act  was  to 
issue  a  decree,  in  the  name  of  the 
new  emperor,  declaring  that  all 
persons  who  had  been  condemned 
for  political  offences,  or  were  even 
accused,  were  thereby  pardoned. 
This  was  followed  by  the  perform- 
ance of  a  solemn  Te  Deum,  by 
order  of  the  Regency,  to  render 
thanks  to  heaven  for  the  departure 
of  Pedro  I.,  and  the  accession  of 
Pedro  n.    As  yet  nobody  seemed 


464]      ANNUAL   REGISTER,   1831. 


inclined    to    question    the    boy's 
rights. 

Tlie  Congress  assembled  on  the 
3rd  of  May,  and  a  si>eech  was  de- 
livered by  the  regency  of  the  son, 
congratulating  the  country  on  the 
remoFal  of  his  father,  which  was  de- 
scribed as  the  removal  of  ignorance, 
and  undue  intrigue  and  influence. 
The  army  was  kept  up.  at  the  num* 
ber  which  had  been  voted  for  the 
preceding  year,  and  a  civic  guard 
was  organized  for  the  preservation 
of  order^  which  was  found  to  be  by 
no  means  restored  by  the  absence  of 
the  causes  which  had  disturbed  it. 
This  civic  guard  itself  led  to 
serious  disturbances  in  the  month 
of  July,  in  consequence  of  a  spirit 
of  hostility  entertained  against  it  by 
the  lower  orders,  and  a  portion  of 
the  troops.  On  the  12th  the  people 
rose  in  a  body,  and  insisted  on  the 
civic  guard  being  immediately  dis- 
armed and  broken  up,  requesting, 
at  the  same  time  that  the  old  po- 
lice system  should  be  re-established. 
Some  of  the  government  troops 
were  employed  to  put  down  the 
rebels,  and  several  actions  were 
fought  in  the  streets.  Consider- 
able slaughter  on  both  sides  took 
place,  but  the  government  troops 
ultimately  succeeded  in  securing 
the  principal  rioters,  and  in  re< 
storing  order.  The  civic  guard, 
however,  was  disbanded,  and  those 
of  the  troops  that  had  taken  part 
with  the  populace  were  sent  off  to 
Bahia. 

In  Buenos  Ayres  the  war  be- 
tween the  capital  and  the  interior 
provinces  still  continued,  leading 
to  a  multitude  of  pigmy  military 
operations,  and  interrupting  all 
peaceful  pursuits.  The  fortune  of 
the  campaign,  however,  which  to- 
wards the  close  of  the  preceding 
year  had   been   in  favour  of  the 


Unitarians,  became  more  &vour- 
able  to  the  Federalists.  Greneral 
Lavalle,  who  had  been  driven  from 
Buenos  Ayres  oh  the  triumph  of 
the  latter  party , 'effected  alanding  at 
Estremadura,  but  was  immediately 
defeated,  and  his  forces  dispersed. 
The  Federalists  were  equally  suc- 
cessful against  the  forces  of  Jor- 
dan in  Entre-rios;  the  Uiiitari<- 
ans  were  dispossessed  of  the  govern- 
ment of  that  province^  and  the 
preponderance  of  Buenos  Ayres 
restored.  Paez,  too,  who  had 
maintained  againdt  the  capital  the 
province  of  Cordova,  was  worsted 
by  general  Lopez ;  while  Quiroga, 
pursuing  the  Unitarians,  as  they 
fell  back  towards  the  Andes,  gained^ 
over  them  and  their  allied  Indians, 
a  succession  of  advantages.  These 
events,  trifling  in  themselves,  pro- 
mised to  prepare  the  way  for  a 
more  tranquil  state  of  things ;  and 
although  nothing  like  a  solid  peace 
reigned  throughout  the  Argentine 
republic,  the  intercourse  between 
the  provinces  became  more  regular 
and  frequent,  and  those  of  Corrlova 
and  San  Juan  again  entrusted  to 
the  governor  of  Buenos  Ayres,  the 
head  of  the  Feileralists,  the  con- 
duct of  their  foreign  relations,  of 
which  they  had  none. 

In  Colombia,  the  only  import- 
ant event  of  the  year,  or  rather 
of  the  conclusion  of  the  preceding 
year  was  the  death  of  Bolivar, 
whose  name  had  been  so  long  iden- 
tified with  that  portion  of  the 
South  American  Continent.  On 
withdrawing  from  public  afi&irs, 
after  the  adoption  of  the  new  con- 
stitution in  tlie  preceding  year,  he 
had  retired  to  the  province  of  Car- 
thagena,  broken  down  both  in  body 
and  mind ;  and  he  expired  at  Santa 
Martha  on  the  1 7th  of  December. 
It  was  vain  to  deny,  that  in  the 


HISTORY  OF  EUROPE. 


[460 


Struggle  which  Colombia  had  to 
maintain  in  working  out  her  inde- 
pendenccj  she  owed  much  to  him 
whom  she  designated  her  Liberator. 
Among  a  people  where  ignorance 
was  universa];i  his  superior  acquire- 
ments, such  as  they  were,  backed 
by  his  ambition  ana  his  large  for- 
tune, soon  raised  him  to  an  as- 
cendancy among  the  adventurers  of 
independence.  He  was  euthusi** 
astic  in  the  great  cause  of  throwing 
off  the  yoke  of  the  mother  coun- 
try ;  he  was  therefore  trusted,  and 
worthy  of  being  entrusted.  Pro- 
bably no  other  native  could  so  suc- 
cessfully have  kept  together,  till 
the  contest  was  over,  the  materials 
with  which  he  had  to  operate.  The 
liberation  of  the  extensive  pro- 
vinces composing  the  republic,  and 
their  union  into  one  state — the  or- 
ganization of  its  government,  and 
the  establishment  of  its  political 
relations  with  foreign  states,  were, 
in  a  great  measure,  his  work.  But 
his  qualities  as  a  statesman  to  go- 
vern the  country  during  peace,  fell 
infinitely  below  his  qualifications 
to  secure  her  independence  by  war. 
His  political  institutions  were 
founded  on  vague  and  hazy  ideas, 
whose  origin  was  to  be  sought  any 
where  but  in  experience.  Even  in 
his  own  time  the  building  was  falU 
ing  in  pieces  around  him.  Whe* 
ther  he  really  entertained  the  am* 
bition  which  was  imputed  to  him 
of  aiming  at  supreme  and  royal 
authority,  may  be  doubtful  5  but 
the  belief  of  his  entertaining  such 
designs,  widely  spread  and  firmly 
rooted,  produced  as  much  mischief, 
as  if  it  had  been  true.  He  went 
down  to  the  grave  complaining 
that  he  had  been  hunted  into  it  by 
calumniators.  On  the  1 0th  of  De- 
cember, a  week  before  his  death, 
he  put  forth  his  last  address  to  the 
citizens  of  the  republic :  "  Colom- 
biftQ9«***You  have  aided  me  in  con- 

VoL.  Lxxni. 


centrating  my  forces  to  cherish  li- 
berty where  tyranny  had  fixed  its 
abode.  I  have  unceasingly  and 
disinterestedly  exerted  my  energies 
for  your  welfare.  I  have  even 
abandoned  my  fortune  and  my  per* 
sonal  tranquillity  in  your  cause. 
My  enemies  abuse  your  credulity, 
and  endeavour  to  destroy  my  repu- 
tation by  questioning  ray  love  of 
liberty;  and,  fellow-cJtUieos,  I 
grieve  to  say  it^  I  am  the  vie* 
tim  of  my  persecutors,  who  have 
now  conducted  me  almost  to  my 
grave ;  but  I  pardon  them.  My 
aflfection  for  my  country  will  not 
permit  me  to  sanction  any  extraor- 
dinary funeral  obsequies.  My  last 
desire,  my  last  hope,  is  to  see  the 
consolidation  of  my  beloved  coun- 
try. Let  all  unite  for  the  good  of 
the  union  5  let  the  people  confide 
in  the  actua]  government  to  save 
them  from  anarchy;  let  the  priests 
offer  up  their  orison^  to  heaven, 
and  the  soldier  regard  h\»  swprd 
as  the  best  guarantee  for  preserving 
the  institutions  of  his  country. 

"  Columbians, — I  leave  you :  but 
my  last  prayers  are  offered  up  for 
the  tranquillity  of  Columbia,  and 
if  my  death  will  contribute  to  this 
desirable  end,  by  a  discontinuance 
of  party  feeling,  and  consolidate 
the  union,  I  shall  descend  with 
feelings  of  contentment  into  the 
tomb  which  will  soon  be  prepared 
for  me." 

The  consequences  of  his  death, 
when  past  cfissensions  were  for 
a  time  partially  stilled,  and  the 
government  for  a  while  had  been 
going  on  without  him,  were  less 
momentous,  than  if  he  had  dis- 
appeared when  the  whole  unity  of 
the  machine  depended  on  his  single 
person.  The  reins  of  authority 
were  no  doubt  loosely  held,  but  so 
they  had  long  been.  The  pro- 
vinces began  again  to  talk  of  chang- 
ing their  constitutions,   but  there 

C2h: 


466]       ANNUAL  REGISTER,  1831. 


was  nothing  in  South  America 
which  had  any  idea  of  permanence 
attached  to  it.  An  insurrection 
was  got  up  in  Panama^  for  the 
purpose  of  separating  it  from  the 
rest  of  the  republic  5  but  in  that 
it  only  followed  the  example  of 
other  provinces.  The  insurrection 
was  headed  by  general  Urduneta, 
and  countenanced  by  Luoque  who 
commanded  in  Carthagena.  Flores 
marched  from  Bogota  against  the 
insurgents^  routed  their  forces^  and 
having  taken  their  leaders  prison- 
ers, put  them  to  death. 

Mexico  presented,  during  the 
year,  no  event  of  importance,  ex- 
cept the  rare  occurrence  that  it 
was  not  visited  by  a  revolution. 
Bustamente  and  his  party,  who 
had  raised  themselves,  in  1830, 
on  the  ruins  of  Guerrero  and  San- 
tana,  maintained  their  ascendancy. 
Guerrero  himself  was  betrayed  in- 
to their  hands,  and  the  flying  hos- 
tilities kept  up  by  some  of  his  par- 
tisans, were  repressed  by  the  opera- 
tions of  general  Bravo. 

Peru,  was  less  tranquil,  in 
consequence  of  a  military  in- 
trigue to  dispossess  La  Fuente 
of  the  vice-presidency,  during 
the  absence  of  the  president 
Guerrero.  The  plot  was  said  to 
have  been  the  work  of  Guerrero's 
own  wife,  who  apprehended  that 
the  vice-president  was  under- 
mining her  husband.  A  part  of 
the  garrison  forced  their  way  into 
the  house  of  La  Fuente  while  he 
was  in  bed.  The  general  sprang 
up  undressed,  made  his  way  past 
several  of  the  soldiers,  and  by  the 


assistance  of  a  servant  escaped  up 
a  kitchen  chimney,  to  the  flat  roof 
of  the  house.    The  officer  nearest 
in  pursuit  was  shot  dead  by  one  of 
his  own  party,  the  ball  being  pro- 
bably intended  for  La  Fuente.  The 
mutineers  then  returned  to  their 
barracks,  carrying  off  as  captives 
two  or  three  friends  and  an  aid-de- 
camp. The  city  now  resounded  with 
the  cry  of  'revolution.*     General 
Miller  rode  to  La  Fuente*8  house. 
Having  ascertained  what  hadpassed, 
he  repaired  to  the  barracks  of  three 
companies  whom  La  Fuente,  not 
altogether  ignorant  of  what  was 
intended,  had  brought  up  from  Cal- 
lao  for  his  protection  a  few  days 
before.    Miller,  however,  finding 
the  revolt  too  powerful,  retreated 
to  Callao.     When  he  arrived  there, 
he  found  that  the  garrison  was 
on    the   same  side  with  that  of 
Lima,  and  he  was  refused  admit- 
tance.   He  then  took  possession, 
with  his  three  companies,  of  a  dis- 
mantled fort,  while  a  fresh  body 
of  the  mutineers  from  Lima  was 
admitted  into  the  castle.     Rather 
than  commence  a  contest  which 
appeared  hopeless,  general  Miller 
agreed  to  have  an  interview  with 
general  Benavides,  who  had  joined 
the  revolutionists.  The  result  was, 
that  the  officers,  who  had  accom- 
panied general   Miller,  were   aU 
lowed   to  return   to  Lima  ;    the 
troops  were  allowed  to  join  the  gar- 
rison in  the  castle ;  and  the  general 
himself,   at  his  own  request,  re- 
ceived permission  to  go  on  board  a 
North  American  ship.     Reyes,  the 
president  of   the    Congress,   was 
placed,  in  the  meantime,  at  the 
head  of  the  executive. 


CHRONICLE. 


f . 


CHRONICLE. 


JANUARY. 


I.  "VTACHINE  BREAKING. 

XtjL  — Special  Commission 
AT  Salisbury. — James  Bland- 
ford,  aged  28 ;  Samuel  Barrett, 
30  ;  R.Pitman,  29  -,  James  Mould, 
of  Tisbury,  23  ;  Samuel  Banstone, 
4 1  ;  Thomas  Vining,  1 9  ;  James 
Mould,  of  Hatch,  39  ;  Thomas 
Topp,  20  ;  Samuel  Eyres,  30  j 
Thomas  Rixen,  45 ;  Edmund  White, 
20 ;  John  Barrett,  24  j  Charles 
Jerrard,  20  ;  William  Snook,  22  ; 
Tliomas  Birt,  John  Targett,  and 
Andrew  Moxam,  23,  were  charged 
with  having  riotously  and  tumul- 
tuously  assembled,  and  broken  and 
destroyed  the  thrashing-machine 
of  John  Benett,  esq.,  at  Pyt-house- 
farm,  in  the  parish  of  Tisbury,  on 
the  25th  of  November  last. 

John  Benett,  esq.,  M.P.,  ex- 
amined by  Mr.  Serjeant  Wilde. — 
I  reside  at  Pyt-house,  in  the  parish 
of  Tysbury.  Was  in  the  county 
of  Wilts  on  the  25th  of  November. 
In  consequence  of  information  which 
I  received,  I  left  my  house  about 
nine  or  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning 
of  that  day.  I  rode  out  and  met 
upwards  of  400  persons  coming 
from  the  town  of  Hindon,  at  a  lime- 
kiln, in  FonthiU  Giffard.  They 
carried  hatchets,  hammers,  very 
large  sticks,  and  weapons  of  dif- 
ferent descriptions.  The  sticks 
were  general,  the  axes  were  con- 
lined  to  forty  or  fifty  persons.  I 
met  Charles  Jerrard  the  elder,  who 

Vol.  LXXIII. 


is  not  in  custody ;  he  wore  a  party- 
coloured  sash  across  his  body,  and 
carried  a  very  large  stick.    Charles 
Jerrard  the  younger  was  similarly 
equipped.     I  spoke  to  them  both. 
I  inquired  of  the  mob  their  object. 
I  spoke  first  to  the  elder  Jerrard  ; 
he  had  often  been  before  me  as  a 
magistrate.     I  spoke  to  him  with 
firmness  and  good  temper,  and  as 
loudly  as   I  could  speak.     I  told 
him  that  I  was  very  sorry  to  see 
him  at  the  head  of  such  a  riotous 
assembly,  and  warned  him  that  he 
was    placing   himself   in   greater 
danger  than  any  that  he  had  ever 
been  in  before.    I  sjpoke  then  to 
the  younger  Jerrard.     I   said  to 
him,  '^  I  am  sorry  to  see  you  with 
that  sash  on.    I  entreat  you  to  get 
into  the  rear,  for  an  example  will 
be  made  of  some  of  you,  and  I 
should  be  sorry  to  see  so  young  a 
man  as  you  in  a  sad  scrape."     I 
said  to  him,  "Young  man,  that 
sash  will  hang  you."     He  came  up 
with  a  large  stick  to  my  horse, 
and  said  to  me,    "  I   don't   care 
about  hanging."      I   then   asked 
them  what   they  complained  of? 
They  told  me  that  they  were  going 
to  break  all  the  thrashing-machines 
in  the  county,  and  that  they  would 
have  2s,  a  day  for  wages.     That 
was  the  general  cry  of  the  whole 
party ;  it  was  said  by  more  than 
100  persons.     I  told  them  that  I 
had  just  come  from  London — that 
B 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


[1831. 


a  proclamation  from  the  king  had 
come  out  only  a  day  before.  I 
offered  to  read  it  to  them,  but  they 
would  not  let  me.  I  explained  its 
nature.  I  told  them  that  it  offered 
a  reward  of  50Z.  for  every  man  de- 
tected in  breaking  a  machine,  and 
of  500/.  for  the  discovery  of  any 
person  who  should  set  fire  to  pro- 
perty. They  said,  *'  We  don't 
burn — we  have  nothing  to  do  with 
the  fires.'*  I  replied,  that  I  M'as 
quite  convinced  that  they  did  not, 
and  I  really  feel  that  conviction.  I 
then  pointed  out  to  them  that  they 
could  not  trust  each  other,  "for  any 
man,"  I  said,  ''byinformingagainst 
tenof  you,  will  obtain  at  once  500/." 
I  told  them,  that  if  they  would  go 
home  and  preserve  their  own  lives 
and  the  peace  of  the  district,  I 
would  take  care,  as  far  as  depended 
on  me,  that  they  should  procure 
by  their  good  conduct  all  that 
othera  might  obtain  by  their  mis- 
conduct. The  first  body  then  left 
me,  and  went  to  their  work  of  de- 
struction. The  mob  passed  me  in 
three  divisions.  I  spoke  to  each 
of  them.  When  they  passed  me, 
I  followed  them.  They  stopped 
at  Mr.  Candy's  farm,  in  Fontiiill 
Giffard.  They  rushed  into  a  black- 
smith's shop;  but  before  that,  I 
saw  them  break  Mr.  Candy's  thrash- 
ing-machine to  pieces.  Irodealong- 
side  the  mob  for  a  mile  and  a  half, 
until  they  came  to  a  Mr.  Lam- 
pert's  house,  at  Lawnorm.  In  con- 
sequence of  something  that  occurred 
there,  I  sent  to  my  own  premises 
at  Pyt-honse-farm.  The  mob,  con- 
sisting of  500  persons,  afterwards 
came  to  me  there.  I  can  only 
identify  Blandford  as  being  present 
with  the  mob  at  Pyt-house-farm. 
I  had  observed  him  breaking  ma- 
chines before,  at  Mr.  Lampert's 
farm.  I  had  a  thrashing-machine 
at  Pyt-house-farm  :    it  is  worked 


by  six  horses.  Part  of  it  is  in  the 
barn,  part  of  it  is  out.  I  rode  out 
of  the  farm-yard  to  meet  the  mob. 
I  told  them  that  mv  force  was  not 
sufficient  to  resist  them,  but  that  I 
would  punish  them  if  they  broke 
into  my  premises.  I  tola  them^ 
"  You  break  open  these  bams  at 
your  peril ;  they  are  locked.  I 
would  resist  you  if  I  could  ;  I  can<« 
not ;  but  mind,  you  break  the  ma- 
chines without  my  consent,  and  at 
your  peril."  All  who  were  near 
my  premises  must  hare  heard  what 
I  then  said.  They  then  forced 
their  way  into  the  barn.  They 
broke  the  machine,  which  was  botfi 
inside  and  outside  of  it,  and  began 
to  pull  off  part  of  the  roof.  I  re- 
mained about  ten  minutes  with 
them,  sitting  quietly  on  my  horse. 
On  a  sudden  the  whole  party  at 
work  stopped  :  that  surprised  me^ 
and  immeaiately  afterwards  I  re- 
ceived a  blow  on  my  head,  which 
deprived  me  of  sense  for  a  short 
time.  How  it  was  given  me, 
whether  by  a  stick  or  a  stone,  I 
cannot  say  of  my  own  knowledge. 
When  I  recovered,  I  found  myself 
about  fifty  yards  off  my  yard  in  the 
lane,  entangled  in  a  team  of  my 
own  cart-horses.  My  horse  had 
carried  me  out  of  the  yard  into  that 
lane,  and  would  have  carried  me 
home,  if  he  had  not  been  stopped. 
I  then  found  stones  coming  in  every 
direction  at  me  from  the  mob.  1 
was  with  that  mob  for  three  hours. 
During  that  time  I  saw  them  break 
machines  at  three  places  before  they 
came  to  my  barn. — Several  other 
witnesses  were  examined,  whoftiUy 
proved  the  case,  except  against 
White  and  Moxam.  Some  of  tlie 
prisoners  alleged  in  their  defence, 
that  they  had  j^n  forced  to  join  tlie 
mob;  others,  that,  though  present, 
they  had  done  ndthing ;  others,  that 
they  had  been  encouraged  by  the 


JAN.] 


CHRONICLE. 


formers.  The  Jury  found  them 
all  Guiltifi  except  White  and 
Moxam. 

Arson. — Kingston  Assizes. 
—James  Warner,  labourer,  was  in- 
dicted for  wilfully  and  maliciously 
setting  fire  to  a  flour- mill,  at 
Albury,  in  the  occupation  of  James 
Franks. — James  Franks;  I  am  a 
miller  at  Albury,  and  have  a  dwell* 
ing-house  on  tne  side  of  the  road 
leading  from  Albury  to  Sheer.  The 
mill  is  next  to  the  dwelling-house, 
and  the  grounds  of  Mr.  Smallpiece 
are  nearly  opposite.  On  the  13th 
of  November  I  retired  to  bed  about 
eleven  o*clock  at  night,  having  pre- 
viously ascertained  that  the  pre- 
mises were  all  right.  About  four 
o*clock  next  morning,  I  was  awoke 
by  a  loud  cracking  noise,  and  upon 
getting  out  of  bed,  I  discovered 
that  the  mill  was  on  fire.  I 
alarmed  my  two  brothers  and  the 
servants,  and  proceeded  to  dress 
myself,  and  had  just  left  my  bed- 
room window,  when  I  heard  the 
report  of  a  gun,  and  at  the  same 
moment  the  window  was  shattered 
to  pieces.  The  blind  was  down, 
but  I  pulled  it  on  one  side  and 
looked  out.  I  then  ran  down 
stairs,  and,  on  going  out  at  the 
door,  I  saw  a  man  running  along 
Mr.  Smallpiece's  pleasure-grounds. 
He  had  on  a  brown  round  frock  or 
jacket.  It  was  light  at  the  time, 
and  I  could  see  any  person  dis- 
tinctly ;  the  mill,  which  was  then 
burning,  made  every  object  visible. 
The  prisoner  was  m  my  service 
two  years  last  October,  and  he 
lived  at  Albury-heath,  about  three- 
quarters  of  a  mile  from  my  house. 
Before  this  fire  took  place,  my 
windows  had  been  shot  at  three 
times.  I  had  never  any  dispute 
with  the  prisoner  about  a  horse, 
but  I  had  accused  him  of  having 
beaten  my  horse.     I  discharged 


the  prisoner  because  I  had  no  work 
for  him.  From  the  pleasure-ground 
of  Mr.  Smallpiece  to  my  window 
is  about  seventy  feet,  i  was  not 
able  to  distinguish  whether  the 
man  whom  I  saw  running  wore  a 
frock  or  a  jacket.  The  prisoner 
was  permitted  to  go  at  large  until 
the  next  Tuesday,  apd,  after  he 
knew  that  suspicion  attached  to 
him,  he  might  have  gone  away. 
He  was  apprehended  at  his  own 
house.  The  mill  was  worked  at 
all  hours,  and  sometimes  by  candle-* 
light.— 'Richard  Tidy;  I  was  in 
the  employment  of  Mr.  Franks 
when  the  prisoner  was  in  his  service. 
After  he  left,  I  met  him,  and  he 
asked  me  how  Mr.  Franks's  horse 
was.  I  inquired  why  he  asked^ 
and  he  replied,  ''Because  Mr. 
Franks  has  been  making  a  row, 
and  sayinff  I  beat  his  horse,'*  add- 
inff,  ''  he'll  get  no  good  by  it  j  he 
will  get  served  out  for  it.  I  told 
Mr.  Franks  of  this  conversation.-— 
Matthew  Mansell ;  I  saw  the  pri- 
soner in  company  with  two  young 
men,  named  Moore  and  Challing, 
about  seven  o*clock  on  the  evening 
in  question.  They  were  standing 
together  near  Mr.  Bampton's  shop 
in  Guildford.  The  prisoner  said, 
*'  Young  men,  I  can  tell  you  some- 
thing for  your  good."  He  then 
patted  his  breast,  and  said  he  had 
got  something  there  which  every 
person  was  not  going  to  know  $  and 
then  he  said  that  they  should  hear 
something  to  be  talked  of  before 
night. — Three  other  witnesses  con- 
firmed the  statement  of  this  person. 
—Thomas  Myon  ;  I  live  at  Sheer, 
and  was  at  Guildford  on  the  night 
of  the  13th  of  November,  and  saw 
the  prisoner  there.  He  came  to 
the  Queen's-head,  and  we  started 
toffether  towards  Albury,  at  twelve 
o'dock  that  night,  and  went  as  far 
as  Mr.  Dnimmond's  park,  about 
B2 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


[1831, 


four  miles  from  Guildford,  and 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  Mr. 
Franks's  mill,  and  we  parted  at 
Albury-park.  I  had  about  a  quar- 
ter of  a  mile  to  go  home,  and  it 
was  two  o'clock  when  I  got  home. 
The  prisoner  was  able  to  walk: 
and,  although  he  was  tipsy,  he  ap-i 
peared  to  know  what  he  was  about. 
— Cross-examined  by  Mr.  Dow- 
ling;  1  have  known  the  prisoner 
for  eight  or  ten  years.  Before  we 
parted,  he  said  he  had  got  a  bad 
pain  in  his  side,  and  did  not  know 
that  he  should  be  able  to  walk  home. 
— Henry  Franks ;  I  am  the  prosecu- 
tor's brother,  and  slept  at  Albury  on 
the  night  of  the  1 3th  of  November, 
I  was  roused  at  four  o'clock  in  the 
morning  by  jin  alarm  of  fire,  and 
came  down  stairs  immediately,  and 
unfastened  the  front  door.  As  I 
opened  the  door,  I  observed  a  man 
on  the  shrubbery  side  of  Mr. 
Smallpicce's  pales.  —  John  Rich- 
ardson ;  I  am  bailiff  to  Mr.  Drum- 
mond,  and  know  the  prisoner  at 
the  bar.  I  went  to  his  house  on 
Sunday,  the  14  th  of  November,  and 
saw  him  near  the  hog-sty  talking 
to  his  wife.  I  heard  him  say,  ^'  I 
shall  go  and  see  how  they  get  on 
at  the  fire."  I  then  went  up  and 
told  him  he  must  go  with  me.  He 
came  with  me,  and  in  crossing 
the  heath  he  said,  '^  You  have 
liad  one  of  your  ricks  on  lire."  I 
said  that  was  not  the  case.  He 
then  said,  "  You  have  had  a  fire 
at  the  park."  I  told  him  no.  He 
then  said  his  wife  told  him  that 
Portmouth  (one  of  Mr.  Drum- 
mond's  servants)  had  said  he  saw  a 
man  with  a  gun  shoot  a  fire-ball 
into  the  rick*  I  said  I  had  not 
heard  of  it.  In  crossing  that  part 
of  the  park  from  which  he  could 
see  the  smoke  issuing  from  the 
fire,  he  turned  his  head  and  said, 
'^  Y'ou  have  had  a  fire  in  the  vil- 


lage." Itoldhimthat  Mr.  Franks's 
mill  was  burnt  down  to  the  ground. 
He  then  said,  there  had  been 
several  fires  in  Kent.  I  was  then 
directed  to  go  to  the  cottage  of 
the  prisoner,  where  I  saw  a  frock 
hanging  by  the  fire.  It  was  wet 
below  the  elbow  and  on  the  side, 
and  there  was  the  mark  of  yellow 
sand  on  the  hip.  The  other  marks 
appeared  like  what  comes  off  in 
shrubberies  after  rain  or  thaw.  The 
frock  was  dark  brown.  I  saw  a 
gun  hanging  over  the  fire-place, 
and,  upon  examining  it,  I  found 
the  pan  moist,  and  also  the  inside 
of  the  barrel.  There  was  a  mai'k 
on  the  steel,  and  some  moss  on  the 
plate  of  the  lock.  The  moss  was 
fresh.  The  gun  appeared  to  have 
been  recently  discharged.  I  brought 
the  gun  and  frock  to  Mr.  Drum- 
menu's,  after  which  the  prisoner 
took  them  back  again.  On  the 
evening  of  the  same  day  I  went 
again  to  the  prisoner's.  He  had 
the  frock  on  then,  and  I  told  him 
he  must  take  it  off.  I  then  took 
the  gun  from  the  same  place  where 
it  was  in  the  morning,  and  when 
I  took  the  frock  to  Mr.  Drum- 
mond's,  I  observed  that  the  stains 
were  not  so  visible.  Part  of  the 
moss  remained  on  the  gun. — Se- 
veral other  witnesses  M'ere  called 
to  corroborate  the  main  facts  al- 
ready deposed  to. — ^The  Jury  found 
the  prisoner  Guilty,  and  he  was  sen- 
tenced to  be  hanged. 

2.  Earthquake. — Naples. — 
To-day,  at  three  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,  a  severe  shock  of  an 
earthquake  alarmed  the  inhabit- 
ants of  Lago  Negro,  in  the  pro- 
vince of  Bassilicata.  It  lasted 
twenty  seconds.  Almost  all  the 
buildings  in  the  commune  felt  its 
effects.  Ten  houses  were  entirely 
destroyed.  The  church  of  the 
Capuchins,  which  adjoins  their  con-* 


JAN.] 


CHRONICLE. 


vent,  and  is  at  the  distance  of  a  mile 
from  the  town,  was  also  thrown 
down,  and  the  remainder  of  the 
convent  was  left  in  a  very  danger- 
ous state.  It  does  not  appear  that 
any  persons  lost  their  lives,  except 
an  old  woman,  who  was  crushed 
by  the  fall  of  a  house. 

3.  Machine  Breaking.  — 
Salisbury  Special  Commission. 
—William  Bartlett,  aged  30 ;  Wil- 
liam  Munday,  38;  Joseph  Bemin- 
ster,  26;  Richard  Watley,  40; 
James  House,  23  3  Samuel  Harford, 
22 ;  Joseph  Hunt,  20;  Wm.  Bevan, 
30;  William  Farley,  27;  Henry 
Potticary,  30 ;  James  Wheeler, 
25  ;  and  William  Smith,  33  ;  were 
charged  with  having  riotously 
and  tumultuously  assembled,  and 
forcibly  destroyed  a  thrashing- 
machine,  the  property  of  Ambrose 
Patient. — Ambrose  Patient;  On 
the  25th  of  November  I  had  two 
thrashing-machines  on  my  estate, 
but  I  had  taken  them  down.  One  of 
them  was  placed  near  my  house.  I 
could  have  putthem  togetheragain, 
if  I  had  pleased.  About  1 2  o'clock  on 
the  25  th  of  November,  300  persons, 
armed  with  sticks,  and  hammers 
and  axes,  and  other  weapons,  came 
to  my  house.  Several  of  them  had 
in  their  hands  parts  of  thrashing- 
machines.  I  saw  all  the  prisoners 
but  Bartlett  in  that  mob.  They 
were  most  of  them  agricultural  la-, 
bourers.  When  they  came  to  my 
house,  I  went  and  met  them.  I 
knew  that  they  wanted  to  break  my 
machine,  and  I  asked  what  reason 
they  had  for  doing  so.  They  gave 
no  reason.  Harford  said,  he  had 
come  to  break  it,  and  break  it  he 
would.  He  asked  me  where  the  cy- 
linder was.  I  said  that  it  was  with 
the  rest  of  the  machine.  I  advised 
them  not  to  break  the  machine.  I 
told  them  that,  if  they  did  break  it, 
they  would  repent  it«  They  did  not 


mind  this,  and  broke  it  all  to 
pieces.  I  saw  Wheeler  very  active 
with  a  coal-hammer  beating  the 
machine.  I  saw  Potticary  active 
in  striking  the  machine.  I  saw 
all  the  rest  of  the  prisoners,  save 
Bartlett,  crowding  so  thick  about 
the  machine,  that  I  could  not  dis- 
tinguish what  each  was  doing. 
When  I  found  that  they  were  de- 
termined to  break  the  machine,  I 
went  to  my  house  where  I  had  left 
my  wife  and  children.  They  came 
after  me  to  my  house,  and  demanded 
beer  and  cider.  I  refused  to  give  them 
any  for  a  considerable  time;  but 
afterwards  I  gave  them  some,  for 
my  wife  and  children  were  much 
frightened.  They  said,  that  they 
had  half-a-hogshead  of  cider  from 
another  farmer  whose  machine  they 
had  broken,  and  they  must  have  it 
from  me.  I  said  that  that  was  no 
reason  why  I  should  give  them 
any.  Whilst  they  were  talking 
with  me,  Colonel  A'Court  came  up. 
— Colonel  Charles  Ashe  A'Court; 
I  am  a  magistrate  for  this  county. 
J  remember  a  mob  assembling  at 
Heytesbury  on  the  morning  of  the 
25th  of  November.  I  read  the 
proclamation  in  the  riot  act  to 
them,  and  when  I  had  concluded  it, 
I  saw  that  it  was  then  about  twenty- 
five  minutes  past  seven.  At  that 
time,  there  were  only  eighty  or 
ninety  persons  standing  in  a  dense 
mass.  There  were  other  persons 
assembled  loosely  about  them.  I 
saw  in  that  mob  Bartlett,  Munday, 
Beminster,  Watley,  House,  Har- 
ford, Hunt,  and  Farley.  I  think 
Bevan  was  there,  but  I  am  not 
certain.  Not  only  on  that  morn- 
ing, but  on  the  previous  night,  at 
ten  o'clock,  I  had  spoken  to  these 
people  on  the  illegality  of  their 
proceedings.  I  spoke  to  Bartlett, 
Munday,  and  Beminster,  on  the 
previous  eyeqing;  also  to  Hunt 


6 


ANNUAL    REGISTER.       [i83i. 


and  Harford.  I  warned  them  of 
the  illegality  of  their  conduct.  It 
was  an  hour  and  a  half  after  I  had 
read  the  proclamation  in  the  morn- 
ings that  the  mob  started  from 
Heytesbury.  They  went  to  Knook, 
to  gets  as  they  said^  some  cider 
from  a  ^rmer  of  the  name  of 
Parham^  who  had  promised  them 
some.  From  something  they  said, 
I  doubted  their  intentions,  and 
followed  them.  Knook  is  about 
one  mile  and  a  half  from  the  place 
of  their  assembly.  I  left  them  at 
Knooks  because  they  promised  that 
they  would  keep  the  peace^  and 
separate  after  drinking  their  cider. 
In  consequence  of  information  I 
afterwards  received^  I  went  to 
Gorton.  I  got  there  at  a  quarter 
before  twelve.  I  found  the  mob 
at  a  turn  of  the  road  leading  to 
Corton.  They  were  then  consult- 
ing which  turn  they  should  lake. 
They  took  the  road  to  Mr.  Pa« 
tient's  farm.  I  saw  Bartlett  there, 
taking  the  lead  in  the  party.  He 
cheered  them  on  and  gave  the 
word  of  command.  I  am  not  sure 
whether  he  had  any  thing  in  his 
hand  at  firsts  but  he  had  after- 
wards a  clubs  which  he  held  up  in 
a  menacing  manner.  I  saw  Mun- 
day  repeating  the  word  of  com- 
mand after  Bartlett,  and  acting 
with  great  violence.  Bemiuster 
was  there,  and  very  noisy.  At 
this  time  there  was  a  great  change 
in  the  temper  of  the  mob  from 
that  which  they  had  exhibited  in 
the  morning.  I  begged  them  to 
desist.  I  told  them  that  I  would 
mark  every  man.  The  more  I 
spokCs  the  more  they  hooted.  I 
went  with  them  to  Patient's  and 
told  them  that  I  was  there  on  pur- 
]K>se  to  mark  them.  They  did  not 
mind  me,  but  formed  a  crowd 
round  the  machine.  It  was  broken  in 
a  minutei  evidently  by  persons  who 


understood  the  trade;  I  should  think 
by  blacksmiths  and  carpenters. 
On  breaking  it^  they  said  that  it 
was  the  seventh  machine  they  had 
broken.  I  heard  something  said 
at  that  time  about  cider.  I  pushed 
my  horse  as  well  as  I  could  through 
the  mobs  and  told  Mr.  Pktient  at 
his  peril  not  to  give  them  any.  He 
said  that  he  was  forced  to  do  so.  I 
then  followed  the  mob  to  another 
farm.  They  broke  a  machine 
thercs  but  they  broke  it  so  quickly 
that  at  the  time  I  did  not  know 
that  it  was  broken.  I  then  tamed 
round  to  go  away.  The  mob  then 
cheered.  I  turned  round  and  I  saw 
them  raise  their  sticks.  I  poshed 
my  horse  back  into  them  and 
marked  Bartlett  as  one  of  the  men 
who  so  raised  a  stick.  Witness 
here  identified  all  the  prisoners  as 
having  been  present  at  this  second 
farm.  William  Smith  was  there, 
I  was  much  shocked  at  seeing  him. 
He  is  a  labourer  of  my  own.  I 
saw  him  with  a  bill-hook.  I  then 
left  the  mob.  I  heard  them  say 
that  they  would  go  to  Sutton^ 
which  is  about  a  mile  and  a  half 
from  the  place  where  they  then 
were.  I  had  sent  for  the  yeomanry 
cavalry  and  the  special  constables 
to  meet  me  at  a  certain  point.  The 
cavalry  and  special  constables  took 
all  the  prisoners  but  two.  I  took 
afterwards  the  other  two*,  whom  I 
had  noticed,  in  their  own  houses. 
The  river  was  much  swollen,  but 
when  the  cavalry  camcs  the  mob 
took  the  river  to  get  out  of  their 
way.  There  was  not  a  man  in 
the  mob  intoxicated. 

Many  of  the  prisoners,  in  their 
defences  saids  that  £urmer  Parham 
had  told  them  thai  if  they  wouM 
come  and  break  his  machine  on  the 
25th  of  November,  he  would  give 
them  half-a-h<^shead  of  cider,  and 
if  that  was  not  enough,  be  woaU 


JAN.]                CHRONICLE.  7 

give  them  more.    Tbey  went  to  in  the  Apethorne^milL     Knows 

i^mer  Parham's  accordingly;  they  that  three  men  were  diecharged 

got  the  cider^  the  cider  got  into  about  six  weeks  ago  from  the  mill, 

their  head8>  and  thus  it  happened  in  consequence  of  irregularity  in 

that  they  were  placed  at  the  bar.  their  general  conduct ;  their  names 

^he  Jury  then  returned  a  rerdict  Were  Ralph  Stapford^ThomatPlatt^ 

of    Guilti/    against    all   the  pri**  and  Matthew  fioth  t  gave  them 

soners,   tmt  recommended  Bevan  notice  under  the   order    of  Mr. 

and  Farley  to  mercy^  on  account  James  Ashton ;  but  Mr.  James  al-* 

of   the  excellence  of  their  cha-  lowed  the  two  latter  to  remain 

i*acters,  unemployed.    Piatt  was  ultimately 

3.    AssASSiNATioK.*— Mr*  Tho«  discharged^  and  not  taken  in  again< 

mas  Ashton^  son  of  one  of  the  James  Stanfield^  a  youth,  was  dts« 

principal  cotton<«spinner8  and  ma«  charged ;  but  ^t  was  previously 

nufacturers  at  Hyde^  in  the  neieh*  to  the  others^  and  he  had  since  ap* 

bourhood  of  Manchester^  was  shot  nlied  to  be  taken  on  at  the  Wood* 

through  the  heart  when  returning  ley-mill.     Does  not  recdlect  any 

in  the  evening  from  his  father's  threatening  language  used  by  tlve 

factory;  the  following  evidence  was  two  men  discharged  towards  Mr. 

given  before  the  Coraneri  James  Ais^ton. «^ Richard  Wain* 

Hannah  Hidebotham ;    Is  ser*  wrf|^t  ^     Is   manager   over    the 

vant  to  Samuel  Ashton,  esq.,   of  sjnnners.  Piatt  and  Stanfield  were 

Pole  Bank,  in  the  township   of  discharged  because  of  their  being 

Wemeth.     Deceased  left  his  fa*  members  of  the  Trades'  Unicm. 

tber's  bouse  after  tea,  about  half-  Flatt  thought  he  was  paid  too 

past  seven  on  Monday  night.    He  little  for  his  work,  which  led  him 

was    officiating    for    his    brother  to  join  the  Union.    He  said  there 

James  that  evening  at  the  Ape-  was  going  to  be  a  turn-out  in 

thorne  factory,  in  consequence  of  S^vbridge,  and  a  great  advance 

his  brother's  absence  at  Mr.  Bar-  would  take  |^ace.     This  was  in 

low's,  at  Highfield.    He  had  just  November*    Witness  endeavoured 

before  arrived  from  the  factory  at  to  prevail  opon  bim  to  fore^  his 

Woodley,  of  which  he  had  the  determination  of  joiuii^  the Unioa 

management.     In  a  quarter  of  an  as  he  bad  tben  a  omifcTtabie  sito- 

hour  after  bis  absence,  information  ation,  and  he  could  not  better  bin* 

was  given  to  the  fbmily  of  the  me-  self  >  but  Piatt  was  resolute,  and 

landioly event.  The  Apethorne  mill  he  left.     He  has  three  or  four 

is  less  than  half-a^mile  from  tiie  little  dnldren.   Mr.  James  Ashton 

house  of  his  father.    Mr.  Thomas  directed  his  disdiarge*— Martha 

seldom  attended  at  that  mfitl.    The  Percival,  aged  nine  years^  stated, 

messenger  who  brought  the  intclli-  that,  on  Monday  evenings  as  she 

geneeaskedfor  Mr.  Thomas  Ash  ton:  was  returaiog  alone,  abMit  seven 

he  was  told,  that  he  was  gone  out.  o'ckck,  from  the  Apetbeme  fae- 

He  said  he  believed  Mr.  Thomas  tory    to   her   ^itiier^s    boose    at 

was  down  in  the  lane,  and  h«rt ;  Oerrard'si^ollow,  she  net  three 

be  then  went  away^  and  two  of  the  men  near  the  gale  wlii<^  leads  by 

female  servants  went  with  Imn.  in  the  private  road  to  Mr.  Ashton's 

ten  minfites  after  he  left  die  boose  resiaence.     She  distiaetly  heard 

he  was  brougbt  in  q»te   dead,  persons   waBaag  backw^    and 

-^Jame^Anmws;  ItbookJceeper  ferwnrd  belwetff  Swiadriri  hmn 


8 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


[1831. 


house  and  Cheetham's  old  factory, 
for  a  sliort  period  before  they  came 
up  to  her,  which  ( according  to 
the  distance  which  had  been  mea- 
sured for  the  purpose)  is  about 
100  yards.  |^  This  portion  of 
the  lane  is  that  part  which  the 
deceased  had  to  pass  tli rough  on 
his  way  to  the  mill,  after  leaving 
the  private  road  through  the  field, 
and  which  is  the  greatest  length 
without  a  house  in  the  whole  dis- 
tance to  the  mill.]  When  witness 
met  them,  she  observed  one  of 
them  carrying,  as  she  called  it,  a 
gun,  and,  on  her  attempting  to 
pass  on  the  right-hand  side  of 
them,  one  of  them  prevented  her, 
by  stepping  further  to  the  right, 
and  thereby  forcing  her  to  pass 
between  them  ;  evidently  in  order 
to  conceal  the  weapon,  which  she 
plainly  saw  by  afterwards  turning 
her  head,  that  he  carried  in  his 
right  hand.  She  said  she  thought 
it  was  a  gun,  as  she  had  often  seen 
^'Jud  Bennet*'  carry  one  in  the 
same  way.  They  were  all  grown- 
up men.  Said,  she  told  her  mother 
of  the  circumstance,  and  the  alarm 
it  occasioned  her. — Several  other 
witnesses  were  examined,  but  as 
there  was  no  evidence  directly 
tending  to  criminate  any  one,  the 
Jury  returned  a  verdict,  "  Wilful 
Murder  against  three  persons  at 
present  unknown."  The  father 
of  Mr.  Ashton  offered  a  reward  of 
500/.  for  the  discovery  of  the 
offenders;  another  of  500/.  was 
offered  by  his  other  relatives ;  and 
the  Secretary  of  State  offered  1 ,000/. 
more,  with  pardon  to  any  accom- 
plice, excepting  the  hand  that  ac- 
tually fired  the  pistol,  who  would 
come  forward  and  give  the  desired 
information. 

5.  Affray  with  Smug- 
glers.—A  Coroner's  Inquest  was 
held  on  the  bodies  of  William 


Crittenden  and  George  Harold, 
who  had  been  killed  in  an  afiray 
on  the  beach,  about  two  miles 
to  the  eastward  of  Hastings. 

William  Rixon^  ex-seaman,  be- 
longing to  the  Hyperion,  was  on 
duty  on  the  beach  about  3  o'clock 
in  the  morning  of  Wednesday  last, 
near  Gover*s-cottage.  A  sloop 
showed  a  light  about  two  miles 
from  the  shore,  to  the  southward 
and  westward.  In  about  ten  mi- 
nutes afterwards  a  boat  left,  her, 
which  was  making  for  the  shore. 
As  soon  as  she  came  near,  could 
see  three  men  pulling,  and .  one 
man  in  the  stem  steering.  He 
went  up  under  the  cliff,  and  saw 
thirty  or  forty  men  with  sticks 
nine  or  ten  feet  long  ;  they  looked 
like  soldiers  with  muskets.  So 
soon  as  he  hailed  them,  another 
party,  which  he  had  not  seen  .be« 
fore,  ran  to  attack  the  two  men 
who  were  on  duty  near  him.  .  The 
first  party  which  he  had  seen 
threatened  his  life,  and  said,  if 
he  did  not  fire,  they  would  not 
hurt  him ;  but  if  he  fired,  they 
would  cut  his  throat.  He  imme- 
diately fired  his  musket  for: assist- 
ance ;  did  not  recollect  which  way 
he  fired ;  he  might  have  fired  in 
the  direction  in  which  the  men 
stood.  They  sprang  on  him ; 
about  a  dozen  handled  him,  struck 
him  on  the  side  of  the  head  with 
their  sticks,  which  forced  him  to 
the  ground,  and  stunned  him, 
after  which  he  was  senseless  for 
some  time ;  and  as  he  was  recover- 
ing, they  struck  him  again.  Some 
of  his  comrades  came  to  his  assist- 
ance^ After  the  men  had  left  him, 
he  found  he  had  been  dragged  a 
considerable  way  up  the  cliff. 
They  had  torn  his  clothes  in  try- 
ing to  disarm  him.  He  then  went 
down  to  the  boat,  and  stood  by  her, 

until  his  office^  <(Vne  down  and 


JAN.] 


CHRONICLE. 


9 


seized  lier.  The  smugglers  took 
his  pistols  and  musket  from  him. 
The  duty  imposed  on  him^  in  case 
of  an  attempt  to  land  contraband 
goods,  was,  to  resist  to  the  utmost 
of  his  power.  He  fired  as  a  signal 
for  assistance.  The  men  were  on 
the  cliff  rather  above  him.  He 
fired  once  before  he  was  knocked 
down  3  but  afterwards  discharged 
four  or  five  pieces  as  signals  for  as- 
sistance. The  men  went  down  to 
the  boat  to  take  the  goods  out. 
He  could  hear  them  run  down  and 
up  the  beach  while  the  people  were 
beating  him.  There  were  93  tubs 
in  the  boat.'— William  Bocock,  sea- 
man of  the  Hyperion,  was  on  duty 
on  the  beach,  near  Gover's-cottage, 
about  3  o'clock  on  the  morning  of 
the  5th  ;  a  sloop,  about  two  miles  to 
the  southward  and  westward,  put  up 
a  light,  and  a  boat  soon  afterwards 
came  from  her,  making  for  the 
shore.  He  said  to  William  Rixon, 
"Here's  a  boat  coming  in;" 
which  we  took  to  be  a  galley. 
She  came  pretty  close  to  the  shore, 
and  lay  on  her  oars.  A  man,  named 
Devorce,came  to  relieve  me.  Rixon 
slewed  round,  and  went  nearer  to 
a  party  of  men  in  the  cliff.  We 
then  were  twenty  or  thirty  yards 
asunder.  •  The  party  sung  out, 
"  Don't  fire,  and  we  will  not  hurt 
you."  Another  said,  "  If  you  do 
fire,  we  will  cut  your  throats  ; " 
or  something  to  that  effect.  They 
then  came  down  off  the  cliff  to- 
wards usy  with  great  bats  in  their 
hands,  as  thick  as  my  arm,  and 
Rixon  fired  his  musket.  He 
(Bocock)  then  fired  also,  but  could 
not  see  Rixon  for  the  people  who 
were  round  him,  but  fired  amongst 
them.  Could  not  tell  who  he  hit, 
neither  did  he  see  what  they  did 
to  Rixon.  The  party  followed 
him,  and  three  or  foiur  of  them 
knocked  him  down  at  the  water's 


edge  with  their  bats.  His  arms 
and  ammunition  were  taken  from 
him,  and  thrown  into  the  sea,  when 
the  men  called  out  fqr  the  boat  to 
come  in,  which  she  did.  He  did 
not  know  what  happened  after- 
wards, as  he  was  insensible  from 
the  blows  which  he  received.  He 
had  fired  one  pistol  and  his  musket. 
They  were  loaded  with  a  ball  each* 
He  did  not  fire  at  all  until  Rixon 
was  knocked  down,  and  the  men 
with  bats  were  coming  down  on 
him.  Did  not  know  whether  his 
shot  took  effect  or  not.  Two  ofiicers 
of  the  preventive  service  confirmed 
several  of  the  above  statements. 

The  Jury  brought  in  their  ver- 
dict that  <'  William  Crittenden  and 
Joseph  Harrod  died  from  gun-shot 
wounds  inflicted  by  some  person  or 
persons  unknown ;  but  that  it  was 
justifiable  homicide  on  the  part  of 
those  who  shot  them.'*    . 

Erroneous  Verdict.  —  At 
the  Special  Commission  at  Salis- 
bury, Isaac  Looker  veas  indicted 
for  sending  a  threatening  letter  to 
John  Rowland,  in  these  words : — 

''  Mr.  Rowland,  Haxford  Farm, 
— Hif  you  goes  to  sware  against  or 
a  man  in  prisson,  you  have  here 
farm  burnt  down  to  ground,  and 
thy  bluddy  head  chopt  off.'* 

Some  evidence  was  produced  to 
shew  that  theprisoner,  in  his  conver- 
sation, had  justified  the  machine- 
breakers  and  fire-raisers,  and  that 
the  magistrates  and  military,  who 
disturbed  the  proceedings  of  the 
mobs,  were  the  only  breakers  of  the 
peace  5  but  the  case  turned  on  the 
question,  whether  the  letter  was 
in  the  hand-writing  of  the  pri- 
soner.    The  witnesses  were — 

Philip  Watts  5  I  know  the  pri- 
soner. I  have  often  seen  him 
write.  I  have  no  doubt  these 
papers  are  his  writing.  The  other 
two  pieoea  are  also  his  writiiig««->i 


10 


ANNUAL   REGISTER. 


[1831. 


Cross-examined  ;  It  is  four  or  five 
years  since  I  saw  him  write.  I 
bare  lired  near  the  prisoner  for  a 
long  time.  We  have  not  been 
friends  for  three  or  four  years. 
We  have  not  spoken  to  each  other 
for  three  or  four  years.  We  had  a 
dispute  about  some  grounds  be- 
longing to  the  marquis  of  Ailes- 
bury.  Should  not  be  sorry  or  glad 
at  the  result  of  this  trial. — Mr. 
Woodman  ;  I  know  the  prisoner. 
I  was  acquainted  with  his  hand- 
writing SIX  or  seven  years  ago^  but 
not  since.  I  believe  those  letters 
to  be  his  hand-writing.  I  received 
them  from  Watts.  —  Cross-ex- 
amined ;  I  have  not  been  in  the 
habit  of  speaking  to  prisoner  for 
the  last  five  or  six  years.  I  don*t 
know  the  cause :  he  did  not  speak 
to  me.  I  can't  say  why;  but  I 
had  never  any  quarrel  or  difference 
with  him.  —  Edward  Vaisey ;  I 
have  known  the  prisoner  a  long 
time.  I  have  seen  him  write.  I 
have  not  seen  him  write  since 
1 824.  I  have  had  many  bills  and 
letters  of  his,  and  have  some  of 
his  writings  in  my  possession  now. 
(The  papers  already  referred  to 
banded  to  witness.)  I  know  this 
hand-writing ,  it  is  that  of  the 
prisoner.  I  received  one  of  these 
papers^  while  a  nephew  of  tlie  pi- 
Boner's  was  in  custody,  on  a  charge 
by  me  of  breaking  a  thrashing- 
machine.  It  was  about  the  2ist 
oi  December.  —  Cross-examined ; 
I  have  not  spoken  much  to  the  pri- 
soner. I  never  had  much  of  a 
quarrel  with  him.  I  have  not 
spoken  to  him  for  a  twelvemonth. 
He  cut  a  road  through  a  meadow 
of  mine  about  three  years  ago, 
which  had  been  stopped  up  six- 
teen years  before.  1  don't  think 
we  have  spoken  since. — Mr.  Smith ; 
(A  ledger  and  other  books  belong- 
ing to  the  prisoner  pat  ku)  Thcoe 


books  the  prisoner  acknowledffed 
before  the  magistrate  to  be  his, 
and,  for  the  greater  part>  in  his 
hand-writing.  I  was  sworn  a 
special  constable  in  November  last. 
1  went  in  that  character  along 
with  Taunton,  the  Bow-street 
officer,  to  the  house  of  the  prisoner, 
having  received  a  warrant  to  search 
his  premises,  where  I  found  this 
blauK  piece  of  paper,  which  1  have 
no  doubt  is  part  of  the  same  sheet 
of  paper  on  which  the  letter  is 
written.  It  was  in  his  bureau. 
There  was  a  peculiar  irregQianty 
in  the  edges  of  each,  and  the  three 
pieces  fitted  exactly  into  each  other. 
At  the  time  I  searched  the  house, 
I  had  those  three  letters  in  my 
possession,  and,  I  should  say, 
they  formed  part  of  the  sheet 
found  in  the  possession  of  the 
prisoner,  as  the  rough  edges  of  one 
])art  fit  into  the  other.  The  bhmk 
paper  is  also  a  part  of  the  mmt 
sheet.  Tiie  water-mark  is  di- 
vided; one  part  of  it  is  on  the 
blank  piece,  the  other  on  the 
letter.  The  prisoner  said,  the 
bureau  was  his,  and  that  he  kept 
his  papers  there.  It  was  not 
locked.  The  bureau  was  in  the 
kitchen  where  the  family  sate.— - 
For  the  defence  were  called; 
William  TuUy ;  I  have  known  the 
prisoner  twenty-five  years.  I  have 
often  seen  him  write.  I  saw  him 
write  as  lately  as  March  last  (the 
letter  to  Rowland  was  here  handed 
to  witness).  That  is  not  the  pri- 
soner's hand- writing,  nor  like  it.  I 
have  no  doubt  it  is  not  his  hand- 
writing.— The  other  papers  handed 
to  witness. — I  dont  think  these 
papers  are  his  hand-writing.  (Pri- 
soner's ledger  was  here  handed  to 
witness.)  1  believe  this  to  be  his 
hand-writing.  The  letters  nom 
produced  are  in  n  better  hand 
than  the  priaoner's^iwOiOfge  Sd« 


JAN.]  CHRONICLE.  11 

wards ;  I  am  vestry-clerk  of  the  wrote  the  name  ^' Isaac/'  but  in 

parish    of  Wimbourne,      I    have  such  a  scrawl  that  Isaac  hiiQself 

known  the  prisoner  eleven  yeanu  could  not  know  it.  —  Cro6s-ex« 

I  have  seen  him  write^  and  know  amined ;  I  am  a  labourer  in  the 

his  hand-writing;    I    have   seen  service  of  the  prisoner,  and  have 

him  write  within  thi^  year  or  two.  be^i  so  for  nine  years.      I  was 

(The  letter  to  Rowland  was  handed  taken  up  for  some  of  the  riots,  but 

to  witness.)    From  what  I   have  was  let  go  again  the  next  day.     I 

seen  of  his  writing,  I  don't  think  was  bound  over  to  keep  the  peace 

that  is  the  prisoner's  hand-writing,  for  twelve  months«< — Several  other 

— Cross-examined ;  I  have  been  a  witnesses   gave    similar  evidence^ 

schoolmaster.     I  don't  think  this  and  it  was  proved  that  the  desk  <Hr 

is  prisoner's  hand-writing.     His  is  bureau  was  always  open.     In  sum^ 

a  systematic  round  hand,  but  this  miug  up,  Mr.  Justice   Alderson 

is    angular    and    pointed.      The  called  the  attention  of  the  jury  to 

character  of  the  writing  is  very  the  hct  of  the  fitting  of  the  pieces 

different  from  his.— Robert  Evely.  of  paper   written   on    with    that 

I  have  had  dealings  with  the  pri-  found  in  the  prisoner's  bureau,  of 

soner  for  eleven  years.    I  have  seen  which  the  prisoner  had  offered  no 

him  write  ^ve  or  six  weeks  succes-  explanation.     The  Jury  returned 

sively,  at  market.     (The  letter  to  a  verdict  of  Guilty.    Mr.  Justice 

Rowland  was  put  in.)    This  is  not  Alderson  proceeeded  to  pass  sen* 

his  hand-writing,  and  nothing  like  tence :  "  The  Jury  have  found  you 

it.    This  is  much  better  than  his.  guilty,  <m  evidence  which   must 

(Another  paper  handed  to  witness.)  satisi^  every  reasonaUe  man,  tkit 

This  is  not  prisoner's  writing ;  it  — Prisoner ;   My  Lord,  I  am  i»- 

is  not  so  good  as  his.  —  Cross-  nocent.      I    never    t<niched    the 

examined ;  Prisoner  frequents  my  paper.     I  never  wrote  a  line  of  it. 

house  when  he  comes  to  Marl-  My  Lord,   I* am  innocent. — ^Mr 

borough  on  market-days.     I  have  Justice  Alderson ;   You  have  been 

seen  him  write  a  hundred  times,  found  guilty  of  a  crime,   which 

The  last  time  I  saw  him  write  is  certainly  not  mitigated  by  your 

was  about  five  or  six  weeks  ago.  denial,  after    such    evidence— -a 

I  have  not  seen  any  of  his  writing  crime  which  strikes  at  the  very 

since  he  has  been  in  custody. —  root  dl  society,  by  tendii^  to  ob» 

John  Bnstow  White  -,  I  have  seen  struct  the  due  admkiistratioB  of 

the  |)risoner  write,  and  know  his  justice. — The  jmsoaet  here  again 

writing.    (The  letter  to  Rowland  interrupted  his  Lordship,  and  said» 

handed  to  him.)     This  is  not  the  My  Lord,  I  declare  I  am  innocent; 

hand-writiog  (^  the  prisoner.     It  I  never  wrote  the  paper ;  I  never 

is  a  much  heavier  hand-writing,  put  my  hand  to  it.     The  desk  in 

I  think  prisoner's  writing  is  better,  which  the  piece  of  blank  paper  was 

— John  Lewington ;  I  am  a  la-  found  was  open  to  five  or  »x  per- 

bourer.     I  live  at  Axfbrd.     I  have  sons  in   the  house,  as  well  as  to 

seen    prisoner   write  very  often,  myself.    My  Lord,  the  law  may 

This  (Rowland  8  letter)  is  not  the  find  me  guilty,  but  it  cannot  mal4 

prisoner's  writing.    Witness  was  me  so^     I  now  declare  s^mnly, 

here  asked  whether  he  could  write,  that  I  am  innocent  of  this  crime»— 

and  was  UAd  to  write  the  prisoner'is  The  learned    Judge    proceeded : 

name*    With  »om^  diiSkulty  he  I  eaoa^l  attend  to  tb^K  asseveift^ 


n 


ANNUAL    REGISTER 


tl831. 


tioos^  for  wp  all  know  that  a  man 
who  can  be  guilty  of  such  an 
offence  as  that  of  which  you  have 
been  convicted,  will  not  hesitate 
to  deny  it  as  you  now  do.  I 
would  rather  trust  to  such  evidence 
as  has  been  given  in  your  case^ 
than  to  the  most  solemn  declara- 
tion even  on  the  scaffold ;  for  we 
know  that  they  are  persisted  in 
by  men  in  whose  case,  from  all 
that  has  come  before  the  Court, 
there  can  be  no  doubt  whatever ; 
and  sitting  to  administer  justice, 
I  must  not  be  deterred  by  your  re- 
peated denials,  from  doing  my  duty, 
in  passing  on  you  the  sentence  of 
the  law,  which  is  Transportation 
for   Ufe. 

The  Jury  now  obtained  permis- 
sion to  leave  Court  for  a  time  to 
get  some  refreshment,  and  the 
Judge  also  retired.  During  their 
absence,  a  young  man,  apparently 
about  seventeen  or  eighteen  years 
old,  the  sou  of  the  prisoner,  was 
brought  to  the  table  bv  the  solici- 
tor who  conducted  the  defence. 
He  there  acknowledged,  that  it  was 
he  wrote  the  letters,  and  not  his 
father.  A  piece  of  paper  was  then 
given  to  him,  and  he  wrote  from 
memory  a  copy  of  the  letter  sent 
to  Rowland.  When  compared  with 
the  original,  there  could  be  no 
doubt  that  the  handwriting  was 
the  same.  The  copy  was  not  a 
verbatim  transcript  of  the  original, 
but  there  was  very  little  difference, 
and  in  all  the  words  badly  spelt  in 
the  original,  the  same  spelling  was 
adhered  to  in  the  copy.  He  then 
was  shown  the  original  and  told  to 
copy  it,  which  he  did  verhatm. 
The  hand-writing  in  both  were  ex- 
actly similar. — On  the  return  of 
the  learned  judge  to  Court,  these 
iacts  were  made  known  to  him, 
and  the  copies  of  the  letter  were 
Ifdd  before  him  by  Mr.  Ev^rett^  the 


Counsel  for  Looker.  The  Court 
was  also  informed,  that  the  son 
had  acknowledged  that  he  wrote 
the  letters,  and  did  so  in  order  to 
save  his  cousins,  who  had  been 
accused  of  breaking  machines.  His 
lordship  expressed  his  surprise  that 
these  facts  had  not  been  brought 
forward  at  the  trial,  or  at  least 
before  he  passed  sentence.  He 
could  not  account  for  it ;  and  with- 
out meaning  to  impute  that  it  was 
so,  he  must  say  that  it  looked  like 
a  trick.  However,  he  would  have 
all  the  facts  laid  before  him,  and 
would  give  them  due  consideration, 
for  though  the  application  came 
late,  yet  it  never  was  too  late  to  do 
what  was  right.  It  was  at  last 
determined  to  try  the  prisoner  on 
one  of  the  other  two  indictments 
against  him  for  sending  similar 
letters,  to  give  him  an  opportunity 
of  bringing  before  the  jury  the  new 
facts.  He  was  accordingly  tried, 
on  the  7th,  for  sending  a  threaten- 
ing letter  to  Mr.  Woodman.  The 
evidence  on  both  sides  was  the 
same  as  on  the  previous  trial,  ex- 
cept that  the  prisoner  called  his 
son  Edward  Looker,  who  was  first 
cautioned  by  the  «Tudge  that  he 
need  not  answer  any  question  to 
criminate  himself.  I  am  the  sou  of 
the  prisoner.  I  am  about  eighteen 
years  old.  I  lived  with  my  father 
in  December  last.  []The  three 
letters  handed  to  witness.]  I  wrote 
those  papers  on  the  21st  of  Decem- 
ber last.  I  wrote  them  standing 
at  the  desk  or  bureau.  It  is  al- 
ways kept  open.  My  brothers  were 
present  when  I  wrote  those  let- 
ters. George  Vivash  was  also  pre- 
sent. My  father  was  not  at  home 
then.  He  left  home  at  six  that 
morning.  He  went  to  Draycot, 
to  sell  some  wood.  Draycot  is 
about  ten  or  twelve  miles  off.  My 
father  did  not  return  till  ten  at 


JAN.] 


CHRONICLE. 


13 


night.  I  borrowed  the  sheet  I 
wrote  on  at  my  uncle's.  It  was 
only  one  sheet ;  I  did  not  use  the 
whole,  and  I  put  the  remainder  in 
my  father's  bureau.  When  my 
father  came  home,  I  did  not  tell 
him  what  I  did.  I  went  that  night 
and  dropped  the  three  letters  near 
the  houses  of  the  persons  to  whom 
they  were  directed.  The  first  (that 
to  Woodman)  I  dropped  near  the 
arch  of  the  bridge,  near  Woodman's 
mill.  The  second  (to Vaisey),  and 
the  third  (to  Rowland),  I  dropped 
near  their  houses.  This  was  about 
nine  o'clock  on  the  same  night. 
I  told  my  brother  Isaac  of  it;  but 
I  never  told  my  father  a  word 
about  it. — Cross-examined  by  Mr. 
Serjeant  Wilde.  I  had  some  cousins 
in  gaol  then,  Robert  Vivash  and 
George  Coleman.  They  had  been 
in  gaol  about  a  week.  One  of 
them  was  at  Devizes,  and  the  other 
at  Marlborough.  The  imcle  from 
whom  I  borrowed  the  paper  is 
Coleman's  father.  He  lives  quite 
close  to  my  father.  I  had  not  seen 
my  cousins.  I  had  not  heard  who 
took  them  up,  but  I  knew  they 
were  in  trouble  about  mobbing  and 
breaking  machinery  belonging  to 
Woodman  and  Vaisey.  My  cousins 
were  not  talked  about  at  home.  I 
don't  know  that  I  did  hear  my 
father  and  uncle  talk  about  this 
affair.  I  don't  know  that  I  talked 
to  my  father  about  it.  I  don't  re- 
collect that  I  heard  my  father  talk 
about  it.  I  might,  but  I  don't 
recollect  it.  I  never  heard  him 
speak  of  it.  I  know  that  he  knew 
my  cousins  were  in  prison.  I 
heard  my  brothers  Isaac  and  Laban 
speak  about  it  to  my  father.  I 
heard  my  father  say  it  was  a  bad 
job.  It  was  seven  or  eight  in  the 
evening  when  I  wrote  the  letters. 
I  heard  people  talk  that  it  would 
get  my  cousins  off,  if  threatening 


letters  were  written,  and  I  did  it 
without  a  thought  of  the  conse- 
quences. I  did  not  know  it  would 
be  any  harm.  I  did  not  know  the 
consequences.  I  don't  know  any 
of  the  persons  who  spoke  about  my 
cousins.  I  don't  know  I  said  much 
to  my  fatlier  about  it.  We  talked 
about  how  they  would  be  punished, 
and  how  they  would  get  off.  I 
mean  how  they  would  get  off  in 
punishment.  My  father  said,  they 
would  be  transported.  I  don't 
know  when  I  spoke  to  my  father 
about  it.  I  did  not  talk  to  my 
brothers  about  writing.  My  bro- 
ther Laban  knew  it,  for  he  saw  me 
at  the  desk  and  saw  what  I  wrote. 
I  can't  say  what  I  said  to  my  father. 
I  don't  know  whether  it  was  before 
or  after  the  letters  were  written 
that  1  spoke  to  my  father  about 
how  my  cousins  would  get  off  in 
punishment.  I  got  the  paper  from 
my  aunt-  There  was  no  paper  in 
my  father's  house,  but  what  was 
written  upon.  My  father  did  not 
know  that  I  wrote  those  letters. 
He  did  not  know  it  till  he  was  in 
prison.  I  did  not  know  what  the 
persons  came  to  the  house  for  until 
after  they  came.  I  did-  not  hear 
from  a  person  named  Martin,  that 
a  Bow- street  officer  had  come  down 
about  it.  I  never  heard  it  talked 
about.  It  was  my  uncle  who  first 
told  my  father  about  the  letters. 
I  told  my  uncle  when  my  father 
went  to  prison.  I  told  my  father's 
lawyer  of  this  about  a  week  ago. 
I  did  not  intend  to  disguise  my 
hand.  I  did  not  give  it  a  thought 
whether  it  would  be  known  or  not. 
— Re-examined.  The  bureau  was 
three  or  four  yards  distant  from  the 
fire  where  my  brothers  were.  My 
back  was  turned  to  the  table. — By 
the  Court.  I  dried  the  letters  at 
the  fire :  my  brother  Isaac  asked 
me  what  it  was.  My  brother  Labau 


14 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


[18S1. 


knew  it  before.  I  did  not  tell  my 
aunt  what  tlie  paper  was  for.  I 
told  my  brother  Isaac,  that  I  should 
not  tell  him  what  the  letter  was 
about.  J  did  not  tell  him  till  next 
day.  My  uncle  knew  it  before  I 
wrote  them.  I  first  conceived  the 
notion  of  writing  the  letters  from 
hearing  people  speak  about  it  in 
Axford-street.  I  don't  know  the 
names  of  those  persons. — His  lord- 
ship here  directed  the  witness  to 
write  from  memory,  a  copy  of  what 
he  wrote  on  that  occasion.  He 
did,  and  it  was  handed  up  to  his 
lordship. — ^Mr.  Christopher  Day  ; 
I  am  the  solicitor  who  conducted 
the  defence  of  the  prisoner.  Ed- 
ward Looker  communicated  to  me 
on  Tuesday,  the  28th  of  December 
last^  the  fact  of  his  having  written 
the  letters.  It  was  stated  in  Court 
at  the  trial,  that  the  sons  were  in 
the  house  at  the  time  the  desk  was 
examined.  It  was  not  stated  that 
the  prisoner  had  sons  living  with 
liim  capable  of  writing. — ^Mr.  Jus- 
tice J.  Parke.  There  can  be  no 
doubt  that  the  facts,  as  they  came 
out  on  this  and  on  the  former  trial, 
made  so  strong  a  prima  facie  case 
against  the  prisoner,  that  the  public 
prosecutors  would  not  have  been 
justified  if  they  had  not  brought 
the  case  forward.  The  case  of  the 
Crown  has  now  been  answered,  and 
if  the  Jury  believe  the  evidence  of 
the  son,  there  is  no  reason  what- 
ever to  think,  that  the  prisoner  had 
any  guilty  knowledge  of  sending 
the  letter. — The  Jury  returned  a 
verdict  of  Not  Guilly, — The  learned 
Judge,  with  reference  to  the  con- 
viction which  took  place  on  the 
former  trial,  said,  that  no  time 
should  be  lost  in  making  the  proper 
representation  to  the  Secretary  of 
State  for  the  Home  Department, 
who  would,  of  course,  take  care 
that  justice  should  be  done. 


An  indictment  was  immediatdy 
prepared  and  found  against  the 
son,  to  which  he  pleackd  guilty, 
and  was  sentenced  to  transportation 
for  seven  years. 

7.  Burglary  committed  in 
1 825.  —  At  the  Glasgow  winter 
Circuit,  David  Little  was  charged 
with  having  on  the  19th  of  Sep* 
tember  1825,  broken  into  the  house 
of  Gartloch,  parish  of  Cadder, 
then  occupied  by  Mrs.  Margaret 
Kippen,  or  Hill,  and  stole  8/.  in 
notes,  silver  tea-spoons,  a  gold- 
mounted  and  a  silver-mounted  eye- 
glass, a  silver- watch,  and  several 
other  articles.  The  prisoner  plead- 
ed Not  Guilty, — Mrs.  Tait  ex- 
amined ; — In  1825,  she  resided  at 
Gartloch  with  her  mother,  Mrs. 
Hill,  and  was  at  that  time  un- 
married. In  September  of  that 
year  the  house  was  broken  into. 
On  the  night  the  house  was  broken 
into,  she  was  sleeping  in  an  upper 
bed-room,  which  communicated 
with  the  room  in  which  her  mother 
slept.  She  heard  a  noise,  as  if 
some  one  was  up,  or  a-stir  in  the 
house  ;  witness  got  up  and  opened 
the  door,  and  then  returned  again 
to  bed,  because  the  noise  had  sub- 
sided. The  dining-room  was  on 
the  ground- fioor,  immediately  be- 
neath her  bed-room.  The  noise 
was  not  such  as  created  alarm. 
The  next  noise  she  heard  was  a 
scream  from  her  sister;  witness 
again  got  up,  and  thought  she 
saw  a  light  gleaming  beneath  the 
door ;  witness  went  into  the  dress- 
ing-room, and,  on  looking  into  the 
passage,  she  saw  several  men  with 
a  light,  and  witness  returned  im- 
mediately to  her  room  and  locked 
the  door.  The  next  thing  slie 
heard  was  the  bell  of  her  sister's 
room  ringing  violently,  then  the 
voice  of  one  of  the  men  saying— 
«'  You  need  not  ring — ^your  servants 


JAN.] 


CHRONICLE. 


15 


are  bound.'*  The  men  came  into 
the  dressing-room,  and  said  to  the 
witness  and  her  sister  that  they 
need  not  be  afraid.  It  appeared  to 
be  the  same  voice  that  spoke.  It 
was  money  they  wanted^  and  they 
wished  witness  to  come  out  and 
give  it^  or  tell  them  where  the  money 
was  to  be  found;  witness  told 
them  ;  they  got  the  keys^  and  the 
drawer  containingthe  money.  Does 
not  recollect  if  they  asked  for  the 
keys^  and  does  not  think  they  used 
threatening  language  ;  but  they 
said  immediately  afterwards  that 
they  would  break  the  door,  and 
named  some  of  the  instruments 
they  intended  to  use.  Witness 
was  under  great  alarm,  and 
it  was  under  that  influence  she 
told  them  about  the  keys.  Wit- 
ness refused  to  leave  the  room,  as 
she  was  undressed,  and  the  same 
man*s  voice  said  there  was  no  time 
to  be  scrupulous.  Witness  told 
them  the  keys  were  in  her  own 
pocket  in  the  dressing-room.  The 
chest  of  drawers  stood  in  the  dress- 
ing-room, to  which  she  directed 
them  as  the  place  where  the  money 
was.  They  committed  a  mistake 
in  going  to  the  wrong  drawer,  and 
informed  witness  of  the  circum- 
stance, when  witness  directed  them 
to  the  proper  drawer.  There  was 
between  1 0/.  and  1 1  /.  in  the  drawer. 
After  they  got  the  money,  they 
said  something  as  if  they  did  not 
believe  it  was  all  that  was  in  the 
house  ',  one  of  them  said,  don^t 
touch  any  bills  or  letters.  During 
some  part  of  that  time,  witness 
went  to  the  window,  and  called 
upon  the  grieve  and  the  gardener. 
Witness's  intention  in  calling  was 
with  the  view  of  frightening  the 
party  in  the  dressing-room.  It 
was  at  that  time  the  men  threat- 
ened to  break  the  door  and  use  a 
pistoL     Before  the  men  left  the 


room,  witness  heard  them  tell  each 
other  to  lift  up  their  daggers  and 
pistols.  Soon  after  leaving  the 
room,  they  said  if  she  went  down 
stairs  or  called  for  assistance  within 
an  hour,  they  would  return ;  and 
then  made  use  of  threatening  lan- 
guage about  a  pistol .  Witness  left 
the  room  almost  immediately,  and 
went  into  her  sister's  room,  and 
afterwards  proceeded  to  her  mo- 
ther's apartment.  *  At  the  open 
window  she  heard  the  cries  of  mur- 
der from  the  lawn.  She  went  down 
stairs  shortly  afterwards  to  see 
what  state  the  servants  were  in. 
She  entered  the  dining-room,  and 
saw  the  window  open,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  the  maid-servant's  apart- 
ment, in  which  she  thinks  she  ob- 
served the  maids  but  does  not  re- 
collect the  state  they  were  in  ;  they 
were  not  in  bed  5  their  names  were 
Catherine  Ferguson  and  Christian 
Lawson.  One  of  them  went  with 
witness  to  the  door  of  the  man-ser- 
vant's apartment  ;  a  noise  was  made 
at  the  door,  but  no  answer  was 
made.  They  afterwards  returned 
to  the  dining  room,  and  observed 
one  of  the  large  panes  of  the  win- 
dow and  the  shutter  broken  ;  there 
was  tar  on  the  broken  pane.  A 
glove  was  found  in  the  house,  but 
she  had  no  particular  recollection 
of  its  description.  Witness  missed 
between  10/.  and  ll£,  a  silver- 
mounted  opera-glass,  and  other 
articles,  which  had  been  in  the 
dressing-room  on  the  previous  even- 
ing, and  to  the  best  of  her  recol- 
lection, the  opera-glass  produced 
was  the  one  stolen.  —  Christian 
Lawson,  or  M'l^an,  was  servant 
at  Gartloch  when  the  house  was 
broken  into  on  the  20th  of  Septem- 
ber, 1825.  The  first  thing  she  re- 
collected was  the  door  being  opened 
and  shut,  locked  and  unlocked  ;  she 
then  heard  feet  in  the  lower  lobby> 


16 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


[1831. 


near  where  she  slept^  and  from 
which  her  room  door  opcucd.  A 
small  passage  was  off  the  lobby- 
to  the  room.  A  })erson  came  into 
her  room  holding  a  caudle  in  one 
hand  and  something  like  a  sol- 
dier*s  bayonet  in  the  other.  An- 
other came  in  with  a  woman's 
cloak  round  his  shoulders^  and  both 
had  night-caps  over  their  faces^ 
with  holes  near  the  eyes.  A  third 
entered,  who  had  on  a  coarse  great 
coat,  of  a  black  colour,  something 
like  the  one  produced.  lie  had  on 
an  old  black  hat  drawn  down  on  his 
face.  Witness  got  up  on  her  elbow 
in  bed,  and  asked  what  they  wanted. 
Catherine  Ferguson  was  in  the 
same  bed  with  witness.  The  first 
man,  said,  '^  hold  your  peace — 
not  a  word,  or  Til  run  you 
through,  or  1*11  take  your  lives. — " 
Witness  could  not  say  which.  She 
then  lay  down  and  covered  herself 
with  the  bed  clothes.  The  man 
with  the  candle  stood  at  the  head 
of  the  bed,  the  one  with  the  wo- 
man's cloak  stood  between  tlie  two 
chairs,  and  the  third  was  at  the 
foot  of  the  bed.  Tliey  took  her 
hands  from  under  the  clothes,  and 
put  them  together  across,  and  tied 
them  with  a  piece  of  small  twine. 
The  other  girl  was  tied  in  a  similar 
manner.  They  said  they  were  men 
come  into  the  house  for  the  pur- 
pose of  getting  a  little  money. 
They  soon  left  the  room,  and  shut 
the  door  after  them.  Shortly  after 
they  had  left  them.  Miss  Hill 
came  to  their  room.  About  a 
minute  after  the  men  left  the  room, 
the  bed-room  bells  were  rung.  When 
Miss  Hill  came  into  the  lobby,  their 
hands  were  still  tied.  Ferguson 
untied  witness's  hands.  Miss  Hill 
had  called  repeatedly  on  James 
Wilson,  the  footman.  Before  she 
entered  the  servant's  apartment, 
witness  proceeded  to  Mrs.  Hill'is 


bed-room.  In  the  dressing-room 
she  saw  a  glove  and  a  quantity  of 
spunks.  Mrs.  Hill  was  in  bed^ 
and  considerably  alarmed.  It  hap« 
peued  between  two  and  three  o'clock 
in  the  morning.  The  drawers  in 
the  dressing-room  were  shut.  Wit- 
ness entered  the  dining-room,  and 
saw  the  window  open,  and  some  of 
the  panes  broken.  Recollects  one 
of  the  men  turned  round  and  named 
the  witness,  and  thinks  it  was  he 
who  carried  the  candle.  The  pa- 
nel resembles  the  man  with  the 
great  coat,  and  the  hat  over  his 
face.  He  was  nearly  of  the  pri- 
soner's size.  The  other  two  men 
were  taller  than  the  man  with  the 
great  coat.  She  did  not  see  hats 
on  the  other  two  men.  Both  of 
the  men  spoke. — Catherine  Fer- 
guson, or  Campbell,  another  ser- 
vant, who  was  sleeping  in  the  same 
apartment  with  the  preceding  wit- 
ness, corroborated  the  greater  part 
of  Christian  Lawson's  statement- 
James  Wilson  was  a  servant  at 
Gartloch,  on  20th  September,  1825, 
when  the  house  was  robbed.  His 
room  was  next  the  kitchen.  The 
first  thing  he  heard  was  one  say- 
ing to  another,  ^'  Bind  him,  bind 
him  ;  tie  him,  tie  him."  The  men 
said  something  else,  but  he  did  not 
understand  it.  He  thinks  they  did 
not  observe  that  he  was  awake. 
They  were  in  the  attitude  of  leav- 
ing the  room  and  shutting  the 
door,  when  he  got  up  and  ob^rved 
the  shadows  from  the  candle.  They 
then  shut  the  door,  and  locked  it. 
Witness  rose  and  opened  the  door, 
and,  after  remaining  for  some  time 
in  the  room,  went  out  by  the  back 
window  with  part  of  his  dress  on. 
After  he  got  out,  he  proceeded  to- 
wards the  offices,  and,  while  he  was 
on  his  way,  he  saw  a  person  follow- 
ing him,  and  witness  ran,  and  ar- 
rived at  the  offices^  calling  out^ 


JAN.] 


CHRONICLE. 


17 


"  Robbers,  robbers."  Witness  con- 
tinued running  for  nearly  a  mile, 
and  returned  to  the  house  in  about 
twenty  minutes  thereafter  with  two 
men.  The  men  were  away,  and 
witness  missed  his  ^atch  from  the 
room.  He  did  not  observe  the 
figures  of  the  robbers.— James  Ro- 
bertson, jun. :  heard  cries  of  "  rob- 
bers" on  that  night;  witness  took 
the  handle  of  a  rake ;  two  men 
started  from  the  shrubbery,  before 
the  dining-room  window,  and  ran 
off.  He  ran  after,  and  overtook 
one  of  them,  whom  he  knocked 
down  with  the  stick  in  his  hand. 
He  struck  him  on  the  side  of  the 
head.  His  father  then  came  for- 
ward, and  the  man  told  his  father 
that  two  men  had  attacked  him  on 
the  Stirling  road  with  pistols,  and 
had  ordered  him  to  follow  them. 
He  got  on  his  feet  again,  but  his 
father  knocked  him  down  with  a 
poker;  they  left  him  lying  and 
returned  to  the  house.  He  cried 
out  that  he  was  done.  The  man 
had  on  a  large  coat,  like  a  watch- 
man's, of  a  white  colour.  That  is 
like  the  coat.  Did  not  see  his 
countenance,  it  being  dark,  but  he 
appeared  to  be  five  feet  eight  or 
nine,  the  same  height  as  thej)ri- 
soner.  They  afterwards  went  back 
to  where  the  man  had  been  left, 
but  he  was  gone. — ^Mary  M'Kie, 
or  Laing ;  lived  five  years  ago  at 
John  Little's  house  in  Drygate, 
Glasgow.  Recollects  Mrs.  Hill's 
house  being  robbed  at  that  time. 
Little  had  some  sons,  of  whom 
David,  the  prisoner,  was  one. 
Thinks  the  prisoner  and  Mathias 
his  brother  were  in  the  house  on 
the  Monday  night  before  the  rob- 
bery, at  ten  o'clock.  Saw  David 
next  morning  with  his  head  tied 
up  in  a  napkin  :  he  was  cut 
somewhere  about  the  nose :  but  he 
had  a  cut  above  which  she  did  not 
Vol.  LXXin. 


see.     His  head  was  not  tied  up  the 
night  before. — Charles  Kerr  was 
then  called.     He  lodged  in  John 
Little's  house  at  the  time  of  the 
Gartloch    robbery.     He  believed 
Mathias   and  David  Little  were 
not  in  the  house  on  the  night  of 
the  robbery.     He  saw  David  next 
night  in  his  father's  house,  with 
some  cuts  on  the  fore  part  of  his 
head,  and  sticking-plaister  on  them, 
which  he  took  off,  and  closed  them 
up  a  second  time.     He  had  been 
taken,  he  said,  to  a  house  some- 
where out  of  town,  and  that  some- 
thing had  been  taken  out  of  it. 
He  said  he  had  got  the  blows  at 
that  house,  and  acknowledged  being 
in  the  house,  and  witness  under- 
stood that  he  had  got  the  blow 
about   the  door.     The  man  who 
gave  him  the  blow,  as  he  under- 
stood,  had  run   away  from  him 
after  the  others,  and  left  him  stupid 
and  senseless.     Prisoner  shewed 
him  a  seal  he  had  got  in  the  house  ; 
he  was  shown  5/.  in  notes,  and  31, 
in    silver,    but    cannot    recollect 
whether  it  was  by  prisoner  or  not. 
Understood  that  Mathias  and  David 
Little  had  been  together. — Thomas 
Williamson,  police  ofiicer  in  Man- 
chester :  apprehended  the  prisoner, 
on  31st  July,  in  a  ^Eictory  in  Mil- 
ler's-lane,    Manchester.     Prisoner 
asked  why  ?    Witness  said  he  could 
not  tell,  but  he  said  it  was  for  some- 
thing done  in   Glasgow,   or  the 
neighbourhood.    Ahmt  two  hours 
after,  while  on  the   way  to  the 
New  Bailey,  prisoner  said,  it  was 
needless   to  deny  it;   and  asked 
what  they  could  do  to  him.     The 
old  woman,  he  said,  would  know 
him,  as  he  had  saved  her  life.    He 
said  they  did  not  take  above  7/., 
but  gave  no  particulars  about  the 
robbery.     The  Jury  found  the  pri- 
soner Guilty,  but,  in  consideration 
of  his  youth  at  the  time  the  offence 
C 


18 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


[ISSU 


was  committed,  and  it  appearing 
that  this  was  the  only  public  of- 
fence of  which  he  had  been  guilty, 
unanimously  recommended  him  to 
mercy.  He  was  executed  on  the 
27th  of  January. 

10.  Sedition. — Old  Bailey. 
•^The  King  v.  Car/i/e— Richard 
Carlile  was  indicted  for  having 
written  and  published  two  seditious 
libel»— one  tending  to  bring  the 
Crown  into  disrepute^  and  the 
other,  wliich  was  addressed  to  the 
insurgent  agricultural  labourers, 
tending  to  produce  insurrection 
among  the  labouring  and  agricul- 
tural population.  The  libel  was 
as  follows :— *^  To  the  Insurgent 
Agricultural  Labourers— You  are 
much  to  be  admired  for  every 
thing  you  are  known  to  have  done 
during  the  last  month  ;  for,  as 
yet,  there  is  no  evidence  before  the 
public  that  you  are  incendiaries,  or 
even  political  rebels.  Much  as 
every  thoughtful  man  must  lament 
the  waste  of  property — much  as 
the  country  must  suffer  by  the 
burnings  of  farm  produce  now 
going  on — were  you  proved  to  be 
the  incendiaries,  we  should  defend 
you  by  saying,  that  you  have  more 
just  and  moral  cause  for  it  than 
any  king  or  faction,  that  ever  made 
war,  had  for  making  war.  In  war, 
all  destructions  of  property  are 
counted  lawful,  upon  the  ground 
of  that  which  is  called  the  law  of 
nations.  Yours  is  a  state  of  war- 
fare, and  your  ground  of  quarrel  is 
the  want  of  the  necessaries  of  life 
in  the  midst  of  an  abundance.  You 
see  hoards  of  food,  and  you  are 
starving.  You  see  a  government 
rioting  in  every  sort  of  luxury  and 
wasteftil  expenditure,  and  you,  ever 
ready  to  labour,  cannot  find  one  of 
the  comforts  of  life.  Neither  your 
silence  nor  your  patience  has  ob- 
tained for  you  the  least  respectful 


attention  from  that  govemment. 
The  more  tame  you  have  grown, 
the  more  you  have  been  oppressed 
and  despised,  the  more  you  have 
been  trampled  on ;  and  it  is  only 
now,  that  you  beffin  to  display  your 
physical  as  well  as  your  moral 
strength,  that  your  cruel  tyrants 
treat  with  you,  and  ofier  terms  of 
pacification.  Your  demands  have 
been,  so  far,  moderate  and  just,  and 
any  attempt  to  stifle  tliem,  by  the 
threatened  severity  of  the  new  ad- 
ministration, will  be  so  wicked  aa 
to  justify  your  resistance  even  to 
death,  and  to  life  for  life." 

The  publication  beingproved,  the 
defendant,  who  was  his  own  coun« 
sel,  contended,  in  a  speech  of  five 
hours  and  a  half,  that  the  charac« 
ter  of  the  writing  charged  as  libel- 
lous was  not  calculated  to  produce 
any  pernicious  effects.  He  denied 
that  he  had  ever  countenanced  the 
destruction  of  property  by  fire»  or 
the  breaking  of  machinery;  bat» 
although  he  did  not  wish  to  see 
machinery  destroyed,  he  would  not 
have  the  working  population  starve. 
He  then  went  on  to  defend  his  own 
libels,  by  endeavouring  to  prove 
that  other  publications  were  equally 
libellous ;  and  contended,  at  consi- 
derable lenffth,  that  he  had  merely 
exercised  the  right  of  a  freeman^ 
in  delivering  a  free  opinion  uponpo* 
litical  questions.  He  called  on  the 
Jury  not  to  attend  to  the  comments 
of  the  Judge,  who  would  sum  up  the 
case,  nor  to  the  Counsel  who  would 
be  heard  in  reply  ;  but  to  judge 
themselves  both  of  the  law  and  hct, 
and  return  a  verdict  of  acquittal.-— 
The  Jury  having  retired  at  nine 
o'clock  in  the  evening,  returned 
into  court  at  eleven,  with  a  verdict, 
««  Guilty  of  publishing,"  but  that 
one  or  two  of  them  could  not  agree 
whether  the  publication  was  libel* 
lous.     The  Recorder  told  them 


JAN.] 


CHRONICLE. 


19 


they  must  agree  upon  that  before 
he  could  receive  their  verdict. — A 
Juror.     Are  we  to  decide,  my  lord, 
as  to  whether  the  publication  be 
libellous  or  not  ?    This  is  the  point 
upon  which  we  disagree. — Recorder. 
I  have  explained  to  you,  pretty 
plainly,  the  law  upon  the  subject, 
and  you  must  give  a  verdict  upon 
the  whole  case.— The  Jury  again 
retired.  —  At  twelve  o'clock  the 
Recorder  again  entered  the  Court, 
and  directed  an  officer  to  go  for  the 
Jury,  who,  in  a  few  minutes,  re- 
turned to  the  box,  and  their  names 
being  again  called  over, — The  Clerk 
of  the  Arraigns  'said.  Gentlemen, 
are  you  now  agreed  ? — Foreman. 
No.*~Rccorder.    I  again  ask  you, 
gentlemen,  if  there  is  any  point  on 
which  the  Court  can  assist  you  ?-— . 
A  Juror.    My  lord,  our  objections 
remain  the  same.     I  cannot,  con- 
scientiously with  my  oath,  agree  to 
find  the  defendant  guilty;  and  I 
am  now  ready  to  state  my  reasons. 
—Recorder.     I  cannot  ask  for  a 
juryman's  reasons,  because  I  am 
bound  to  believe  that   they  are 
conscientious  and  sood.   You  must 
retire    again. — They   accordingly 
did  so,  and  at  one  o'clock  returned 
into    Court  again,    but  declared 
that  they  could  not  agree.    Again 
they    retired,    and,    after    again 
consulting   together,    returned  a 
verdict,    acquitting    the    defend- 
ant on  the  first  count  in  the  in- 
dictment, but  finding  him  guilty 
on  the  second  and  third  counts, 
which  charged  the  defendant  with 
addressing  inflammatory  language 
to  the  labouring  classes.    The  sen- 
tence was,  that  ''he  should  pay  a 
fine  to  the  king  of  200/.,  be  impri- 
soned in  the  Compter  of  the  city 
for  the  space  of  two  years,  and,  at 
the  expiration  of  that  time,  should 
find  sureties  for  ten  years  to  come, 
himself  in  500/.^  and  two  sureties 


In  250/.  each,  and  should  be  im- 
prisoned until  such  fine  were  paid, 
and  such  sureties  provided." 

10.  Burning  of  Greenwich 
Theatre. — About  twelve  o'clock 
at  night,  the  little  theatre  in 
London-street,  Greenwich,  was 
discovered  to  be  on  fire.  On  the 
arrival  of  the  engines  every  ex- 
ertion was  used  to  preserve  the 
theatre  from  total  destruction.  The 
interior  was,  however,  completely 
gutted,  and  the  whole  of  the 
scenery,  machine^,  dresses,  and 
decorations,  were  destroyed.  The 
fire  communicated  to  the  premises 
of  Mr.  Wheatley,  the  Greenwich- 
coach  and  omnibusproprietor,  wh  ich 
were  much  injured.  The  horses 
and  carriages  were  removed  in 
safety.  Mrs.  Wheatley,  who  was 
labouring  under  illness,  was  taken 
out  of  her  house  by  one  of  her  sons 
in  an  insensible  state.  How  the 
fire  originated  was  not  known. 

21.  Salvage.  —  Admiralty 
Court. — ^This  was  an  action,  the 
circumstances  of  which  were  rather 
important,  inasmuch  as  they  in- 
volved a  serious  charge  against  the 
Blakeney  pilots.  The  City  of  Edin- 
burgh steam-vessel,  of  450  tons, 
with  fifty  passengers  and  a  car^o, 
from  Leith  to  London,  in  the  be- 
ginning of  January  last,  met  with 
mul  weather  off  Flamborough  Head, 
and,  after  reaching  the  Humber, 
on  the  12th  she  took  shelter 
under  a  shoal  at  the  mouth  of  the 
river :  the  gale  increasing,  she  was 
driven  from  her  anchor,  and  pro- 
ceeded towards  Blakeney,  on  the 
coast  of  Norfolk,  but  was  unable 
to  cross  the  bar,  and,  on  the  13  th, 
anchored  about  three  miles  from 
the  coast,  in  nine  fathoms  water. 
Here  the  circumstances  took  place, 
which  formed  the  subiect  of  the 
action.  On  the  part  of  the  salvors 
(boatmen  of  Blakeney,*  twenty-five 
C2 


20 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


.[1831. 


in  number),  it  was  charged,  that 
the  steani- vessel,  when  first  seen, 
was  in  great  distress,  driving  to- 
wards alec-shore,  the  wind  E.N.E.; 
that  she  made  signals  of  distress, 
and  the  salvors,  after  endeavouring 
in  vain  to  get  out  the  life-boat, 
kept  watch  all  night  on  the  deck ; 
that  the  steamer  manifested  an  in- 
tention of  running  on  shore,  which 
would  have  been  sure  destruction, 
but  the  salvors,  waving  a  jacket, 
warned  her  oflf;  that  the  weather 
continued     extremely    boisterous 
after  the  vessel  had  got  off  Blakc- 
ney-bar,  the  salvors  endeavouring 
still  to  get  to  her  assistance,  and 
the  steamer  still  showing  signals 
of  distress,  night  and  day;  that, 
on  the  15th,  they  succeeded  in  get- 
ting to  her,  and  found  that  a  boat 
from  Wells  had  reached  her ;  that 
the  mate  of  the  City  of  Edinburgh 
had  admitted,  that  her  engine  was 
ruined,  that  she  was  *^  strained  to 
pieces,"  and  that  *^  her  seams  were 
so  open,  that  you  might  sec  the 
green    sea    through   the   engine- 
room;"  that  the  master  told  the 
salvors  that  the  vessel  and  cargo 
were  worth  33,000/.,  and  that  they 
should  be  well  rewarded  for  their 
assistance;  that  they  exerted  them- 
selves, at  the  risk  of  their  lives, 
and  got  her  into  Blakeney  harbour 
that  day,  and  continued  on  board 
till  the  17th,  when  the  storm  had 
abated ;  that  the  master  (Eraser) 
refused  then  to  make  any  remuner- 
ation beyond  the  sum  of  lOZ.  for 
pilotage,  which  had  since  been  in- 
creased to  a  tender  of  15/.     On 
the  part  of  the  owners  of  the  ship 
and  cargo,    a  very  different  case 
was  set  up.     They  alleged,  in  the 
first  place,  that,  when  the  vessel 
was    approaching   Blakeney,    the 
wind  was  not  E.N.E.,  but  E.  by  S., 
which  did  not  blow  direct  upon  the 
land ;  and,  further,  that,  upon  Hear- 


ing Blakeney,  the  flag  was  hoisted 
on  the  church  to  denote  that  there 
was  sufficient  water,  but,  being 
unable  to  see  the  buoy,  owing  to  a 
sudden  fall  of  snow,  the  master  was 
obliged  to  haul  off,  and  remained 
all  the  ensuing  day  (the  13th) 
within  three  miles  of  the  shore; 
that  no  signal  of  distress  had  ever 
been  shown,  the  only  colour  shown 
was  the  union  jack  at  the  fore-top- 
mast-head, the  usual  signal  for  a 
pilot,  which,  in  the  evening  (as 
was  customary),  was  exchanged 
for  a  light ;  that,  on  that  and  the 
following  day,  no  pilot  came  out 
(though  a  boat  might  have  come 
with  perfect  safety),  notwithstand- 
ing an  additional  (customary)  signal 
shown  in  the  mizen  rigging ;  that 
at  daylight  on  the  15th,  the  vessel 
having  rode  out  the  ^e  during 
the  night,  a  boat  from  Wells  came 
to  the  vessel  and  tendered  aid; 
that  the  master  was  warned  of  the 
extortionate  character  of  the  Blake- 
ney men;  that  the  only  engage- 
ment made,  when  the  Blakeney 
boat  came  up  (which  claimed  the 
right  of  piloting),  was  for  piloting 
the  steamer  into  Blakeney  har- 
bour ;  that,  when  in  the  harbour, 
the  master  was  informed  that,  dur- 
ing the  gale,  some  sailors  had  vo- 
lunteered to  man  the  life-boat,  and 
go  to  the  assistance  of  the  vessel, 
but  the  Blakeney  men  had  taken 
it  from  the  sailors,  saying,  that  it 
would  not  pay  them  for.  their, 
trouble,  but  if  the  storm  increased^ 
the  vessel  would  go  on  shore^  and 
then  they  should  get  well  paid; 
that  the  master  never  stated,  that 
the  value  of  the  ship  and  cargo 
was  33,000/.,  or  any  amount ;  that 
it  was  in  fact  only  13,000/.,  and  he 
denied  that  he  had  promised  any 
remuneration  beyond  the  pilotage. 
The  salvors  had  demanded  1 ,000/., 
and   took  bail  for  the   action  in 


JAN.] 


CHRONICLE. 


21 


1,500/.  — Sir  C.  RflbinsoD,  after 
some  observations  upon  the  case, 
propos^  to  tlie  two  Trinity  Mas- 
ters, by  whom  lie  was  assisted,  the 
follon'  i  ng  questions: — I  st.  Whether, 
regard  being  had  to  the  state  of 
the  wind  and  weather  on  the  l3th 
and  14th  of  January,  it  was  in  the 
power  of  the  salFors  to  go  off  to 
the  vessel  as  pilots,  and  bring  her 
into  the  harbour  ? — 2nd,  Whether 
their  serTiccs,  on  the  ISth,  were  so 
enhanced  by  the  danger,  as  to 
establish  a  claim  to  a  rewai-d,  in 
addition  to  their  pilotage,  on  that 
account  ? — The  two  gentlemen  de- 
clared their  opinion  to  be,  that,  al- 
lowing there  was  difficulty  and 
danger  Jn  getting  off  on  the  13th 
and  14th,  there  had  been  a  want 
of  eitertion  on  the  par  t  of  the  sal  rors, 
and  that  the^  had  made  no  fair 
trial,  which  it  was  their  duty  to 
make  as  pilots,  and  that  there  was 
no  danger  whatever  on  the  15th  ; 
all  the  service  rendered  that  day 
being  simple  pilotage,  the  weather 
being  moderate,  and  the  wind  fair 
for  the  harbour. — Sir  C.  Robinson 
declared  that  such  was  his  opinion, 
and  he  therefore  pronounced  against 
the  claim  for  remuneration.  With 
regard  to  the  charge  against  the 
salvors  of  refusing  to  go  out,  in 
expectation  of  reaping  an  advant* 
age  from  the  expected  augmented 
peril  of  the  vessel,  he  observed  that 
the  charge  ought  to  have  been 
more  specific,  and  brought  in  a 
different  form.  As  to  Wie  costs, 
be  was  not,  under  all  the  circum- 
stances, disposed  to  give  them 
against  the  salvors.  He  could  not 
by  any  means  extenuate  their  con- 
duct ;  it  was  wrong,  it  was  foolish, 
but  it  was  a  way  in  which  persona 
in  their  situation  were  too  apt  to 
act,  and  he  could  not  put  that  in- 
terpretationuponittosaythatitwas 
tnutcioas.  On  tbe  otiier  tiwd,  the 


master's  conduct  had  been  negli- 
gent, to  say  the  least,  in  not  bring- 
ing forward  the  charge  in  a  more 
specific  shape,  and  not  making  any 
complaint  upon  the  subject  in  his 
protest.  By  giving  costs  against 
the  salvors,  he  should  throw  upon 
these  poor  people  a  burden  greater 
than  their  pilotage.  He  should 
pronounce  for  the  tender,  and  de- 
cree all  the  salvors'  esiwnses, 

24.  I''iTiE. — Between  eleven  and 
twelve  o'clock  at  night,  the  church 
of  St.  Peter,  Birmingham,  was  dis- 
covered to  be  on  fire.  The  fire- 
engines  made  little  impression  on 
thefiames,  which  were  not  checked, 
after  the  whole  of  the  interior,  in- 
cluding the  magnificent  organ,  had 
been  destroyed,  by  the  falling  in 
of  the  roof,  leaving  nothing  stand- 
ing but  the  outside  walls.  8t,  Pe- 
ter's was  a  very  beautiful  costly 
church.  It  had  been  built  only 
three  years  before. 

'27.  Imhuest. — An  inquest  wiis 
held  on  the  body  of  the  right  hon. 
Lord  Rivers,  which  had  been  found 
in  the  Serjientine  River,  Hyde 
Park,  two  days  before.  Mr.  John 
Ambrose,  his  lordship's  stewainl, 
stated,  that  on  Friday  last  he  re- 
ceived a  letter  from  his  lordship 
requesting  him  to  come  to  bis  lord- 
ship's town  residence.  No.  10, 
Grosvenor-place,  on  the  following 
Tuesday,  for  the  purpose  of  paying 
over  the  rents.  He  arrived  there, 
about  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
for  that  purpose,  and  found  the 
family  in  the  Iiighest  state  of  alarm 
and  excitation.  On  inquiring  the 
cause,  he  learned  that  Lord  Rii-crs 
had  been  absent  since  Sunday  even- 
ing, and  that,  notwithstanding 
every  search  and  inquiry  had  been 
instituted,  no  tidings  could  be 
learnt  of  his  lordship.  On  being 
informed  that  persons  were  then 
dragging  the  iSerpeatine  Birer^  in 


22 


ANNUAL    REGISTER.         [lesi. 


expectation  of  finding  the  body,  lie 
repaired  tliither.     He  found  the 
men   dragging  at   the   cast   end, 
near  the  WBterfall,  and  in  about 
five  minutes  the  body  of  his  lord** 
ship  was  raised  to  the  surface  and 
drawn  out.     Tiie  body  was  about 
two  or  three  yards  from  the  foot- 
patli.     It  was   immediately  con- 
veyed to  the  house  in  which  they 
were  assembled;    there  were   no 
signs  of  life,  and  the  body  appeared 
to  have  been  immersed  two  or  three 
days.    The   deceased   ]ive<l   upon 
good  terms  with  his  lady  and  fa- 
mily, and  always  appeared  most 
happy  in  their  society.     Witness 
knew  of  no  occurrence  which  could 
)N)6sibly  havederangedhislordship's 
mind  so  as  to  have  caused  him 
to  commit  suicide.     On  the  con- 
trary, his  lordship's  affairs  were  in 
the  most  prosperous  state,  and  he 
lived  uiM>n  the  most  affectionate 
terms  with  Lady  Rivers*     He  was 
very  near-sighted,  so  as  not  to  be 
able  to  discern  an  object  at  any 
distance  without  the  help  of  his 
glass,  which  he  always  carried  with 
him,  and  when  shooting  he  always 
wore  spectiicles.    It  was  extremely 
probable,  that,  from  this  defect  in 
his  vision,  his  lordship  had  fallen 
off  the  footpath  into  the  river  by 
accident. 

James  Basten,  Superintendent 
of  the  Humane  Society's  Receiv- 
ing-house, de|>oscd  to  finding  the 
body  in  the  presence  of  the  last 
witness ;  and  produced  a  gold  re- 
peating watch»  with  the  appen* 
dages,  and  1/.  3s.  Gd,  in  money, 
which  he  took  out  of  his  lordship's 
}>ockets.  The  witness  adde<l,  that 
this  ymrt  of  the  river  was  so  ex- 
tremely dangerous^  that  no  less 
than  ten  persons  fell  in  from  the 
causeway  one  foggy  night,  a  short 
time  agO|  and  were  with  difficulty 
saved. 


John  Baker»  a  footman  to  Ladf 
Rivers,  said,  that  his  lordship 
dined  with  Lady  Rivers  and  his 
family,  consisting  of  two  daugh* 
ters  and  a  son,  on  Sunday  afternoon 
last.  He  appeared  much  as  usual, 
and  witness  observed  noihing  about 
him  indicative  of  aberraUon  of 
mind.  He  left  hit  residence  on 
foot  about  9  o'clock  on  the  same 
evening,  which  was  customary  with 
him. 

The  Jury»  after  a  short  coo« 
sultation,  returned  the  following 
verdict : — '^Found  dromned  near 
the  public  path  at  the  head  of  the 
Serpentine  River,  considered  very 
dangerous  for  want  of  a  rail  or 
fence,  where  many  persons  have 
lately  fallen  in/' 


FEBRUARY. 

i.  Railway  Accidents.— On 
the  Liverpool  and  Manchester 
railway,  the  enffines  are  employed 
during  the  night,  as  well  as 
throughout  the  day,  in  conveying 
goods  to  and  firom  LiverpoM. 
An  engine  arrived  at  three  o'dodc 
on  Tuesday  morning  with  a  train 
of  waggons  loaded  with  merduui- 
dise>  and  after  conducting  the  train 
to  the  dep6t  at  the  termiiuitioii  of 
the  line,  the  engine  was  returning 
to  the  engine-house,  which  is  about 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  Manchee-i 
ter.  While  doing  so,  one  of  the 
guards,  who  had  accompanied  the 
train  from  Liverpool,  lemd  care« 
lessly  upon  tlie  step  of  the  tender 
(which  carries  a  supply  of  water 
for  the  engine),  where  he  stood  for 
a  few  seconds,  but  his  foot  alif^ng 
he  fell  upon  the  ground  acroes  one 
of  the  rails,  and  five  of  the  wheels 
of  the  engine  and  tender  passed 
over  his  body,  at  the  pit  of  the 

stomach.    The  eogino  was  'mm^ 


FEB/1                  CHRONICLE.  ^3 

diately  stopped^    but  the  young  fiiLed,  and  when  his  companion  ap< 

roan    had    already    expired,    his  peared  to  waver,  he  slung  the  bags 

body  being  nearly  severed  in  two.  over  his  own  shoulders,  and  told 

Another  fotal  accident  took  place  him  he  might  return  to  Moffat  if 

on  the  Bolton  and  Leigh  railway  he  chose.    In  these  circumstances 

on  Sunday,  the  30th  of  January  the  driver  said,  he  neither  could 

last.     Some  children  were  playing  nor  would  leave  him,  and  both 

upon  the  railroad,  when  one  of  the  proceeded  bearing  the  mails,  which 

carriages,  which  they  were  pushing  unfortunately,  what  with  double 

forward  in  sport,  passed  over  one  arrivals  and  newspapers,  weighed 

of  their  number,  a  little  boy  about  very  nearly  seven  stone;    which, 

six  years  of  age,  and  crushed  him  considering  the  state  of  the  roads, 

so  dreadfully,  that  he  expired  the  the  wind,  the  drift,  the  bogs,  and 

same  night.  mosses,  before  and  around,  was  a 

Snow-storm.  —  On  the  night  load  for  horses  rather  than  men. 

between  the  31st  of  January,  and  Early  next  morning,  the  inspector, 

1 8t  of  February,  came  on  a  violent  having  gone  out  to  examine  the 

snow-storm,   which  continued  for  state  of  the  road,  found  the  bags 

four  davs;  extending  over  the  north  hanging  on  a  snow  post — the  far* 

of  England,  and  the  whole  of  Scot-  thest  of  the  range— five  miles  and 

land,  and  interrupting  the  usual  three  quarters  beyond  Mofiat,  and 

mode  of  communication.  The  mails  within  one  mile  and  a  quarter  of 

from   England  to  Scotland,   and  Tweedshaws.     The  road-surveyor 

from  the  South  to  the  North  of  instantly  collected  a  party  of  men, 

Scotland,  were  two  days  behind  who,  by  means  of  lanterns,  poles, 

their    time,     and    were    carried  and  the  assistance  they  rendered 

through  by  the  guards,  with  great  one  another,  succeeded  in  forcing 

diificulty  and  danger,  on   horse-  their  way  to  Tweedshaws  3    and 

back  or  on  foot ;  it  being  impossible  there  learnt,  that   neither  guard 

for  coaches  to  proceed.     The  mail  nor  driver  had  been  seen  or  heard 

from  London  to  Edinburgh,  made  d.     The  anxiety  of  the  people  of 

its  way  as  far  as  a  mile  and  a  half  Moffat  was  now  extreme,  and  a 

north  of  Moffat;  when  the  coach  party  of  nearly  one  hundred  and 

stuck  fast  in  a  wreath  of  snow,  fifty  persons  immediately  left  the 

from  which  six  horses  could  not  village  to  search  for  the  unfortu- 

move  it.  The  passengers  returned  nate  men.    Some  were  armed  with 

to  Moffftt;  the  guani  and  driver  poles,  and  others  with  spades;  but 

mounted  two  of  the  horses,  and  though  they  continued  the  search 

proceeded    through    the    storm,  till  fairly  spent,  all  they  discovered 

which  was  hourly  increasing,  with  was  the  driver's  hat,  which  was 

the  mail  bags.     It  was  soon  found  found  in  a  moss  adjoining  the  snow 

impossible    to    proceed    even    on  post.     On  the  following  day,    a 

horse-back.  They  dinnounted,  and  second    unsuooessfbl    s^rch    was 

the  guard  detomined  to  carry  his  made,  and  so  persevering  were  the 

mails  through  the  storm  on  foot,  pei^le,  that  they  again  went  out  on 

The  driver  regarded  the  attempt  Saturday,  accompanied  by  a  num- 

as  hopeless,  and  the  road  inspeo-  ber  of  Ac^herds*  dogs.    otOl  they 

tor,  and  some  of  the  roadmen  who  discoverea  nothing,  and  had  begun 

were  near,  repeatedly  urged  him  to  despair  of  success,  when  some  of 

to  desist.    But  his  reaolutiMi  wm  them  retorniiig  by  what  they  ocm* 


24 


ANNUAL    REGISTER.         [isai. 


sidered  a  nearer  cut,  between  the 
new  and  old  lines  of  road,  across  a 
place  called  Glencrosh-moor,  ob- 
served, about  half  a  mile  beyond 
the  snow  post,  the  points  of  a 
man's  shoes  sticking  through  the 
snow.  On  removing  the  snow, 
they  found  the  driver  stretched  on 
his  back,  a  stiffened  corpse.  About 
a  hundred  yards  farther,  they  came 
upon  the  remains  of  the  guard, 
half  erect,  and  in  the  attitude  of 
sleep.  His  lips  and  chin  were 
free  from  snow,  which  appeared  to 
have  been  thawed  by  his  breath ; 
and  from  this  it  was  inferred,  that 
he  had  been  alive  for  some  time 
after  he  sunk,  faint  and  exhausted. 
4.  Shipwreck. — During  the 
continuance  of  the  snow  storm  in 
the  first  days  of  the  month,  severe 
losses  were  sustained  at  sea.  The 
Czar,  one  of  the  smacks  sailing 
between  London  and  Leith,  was 
totally  lost  near  North  Berwick. 
She  had  sailed  from  theNoreon  the 
1st,  where  there  was  no  appearance 
of  an  approaching  storm.  On  the 
afternoon  of  the  3rd  a  fresh  breeze 
from  the  ESE.  sprung  up.  At 
midnight  they  shortened  sail,  and 
at  four  o'clock  of  the  following 
morning  the  storm  sails  were  set — 
the  smack  being  then  off  Whitby. 
About  noon  they  passed  Holy  Is- 
land, it  then  blowing  very  hard, 
with  snow,  and  the  sea  running 
tremendously  high.  At  four  they 
bore  up  for  the  Frith;  the  wind 
about  this  time  came  suddenly 
round  to  ENE.  The  vessel  was 
then  steering  about  north  by  west; 
the  land  was  supposed  to  be  occa- 
sionally visible,  but  very  indistinct, 
as  the  sleet  and  frozen  snow  which 
fell  thickly,  and  the  wind  blowing 
a  hurricane,  prevented  any  object 
at  a  distance  of  more  than  twice 
the  length  of  the  vessel  being  seen 
accurately.    The  sailors,  however, 


were  aware,  from  the  change  in 
the  colour  of  the  water,  that  they 
were  close  in  shore ;  but  from  the 
violence  of  the  wind  and  sea, 
there  was  not  the  least  hope  of 
getting  off — and  in  an  instant  they 
^und  themselves  amongst  breakers. 
The  vessel  struck,  but  so  great  was 
the  force  of  the  wind  and  sea,  that 
she  drove  over  the  rocks  for  a  con- 
siderable way.  At  last  she  ran 
alongside  a  ledge,  swung  round 
with  her  head  towards  the  swell, 
sat  down  and  bilged,  falling  over 
M'ith  her  deck  towards  the  sea, 
which  now  broke  with  dreadful 
violence  on  her  starboard  bow,  and 
swept  every  thing  from  the  deck. 
The  passengers,  who  had  gone 
below  to  take  shelter  from  the 
storm,  became  clamorous,  and  the 
captain.  Smith,  who  till  this  mo- 
ment had  been  on  deck,  went  to 
the  cabin  to  endeavour  to  allay 
their  fears,  with  the  assurance  that 
the  ship  being  a-ground  all.  was 
safe,  and  that,  though  the  vessel 
was  beating  with  much  violence  on 
the  rocks,  as  she  was  strongly 
timbered,  there  was  little  doubt  of 
her  holding  together  till  the.  tide 
receded.  The  tide,  however,  con- 
tinued to  flow  till  about  seven 
o'clock  ;  and  the  vessel  beat  on  the 
rocks  for  some  hours  later.  The 
mast  was  forced  through  her  bot- 
tom. The  mate  and  those  on  deck 
sought  shelter  in  the  larboard  bow. 
The  captain  and  passengers  were 
collected  about  the  cabin  door,  the 
water  being  up  to  their  knees. 
About  midnight  the  storm  some- 
what abated ;  and  the  mate  again 
crept  aft,  and  called  to  those  who 
he  believed  were  below;  butreceiv- 
ing  no  answer,  he  went  down,  and 
finding  no  person,  came  to  the 
conclusion  that  they  had  reached 
the  shore  unobserved.    The  idea' 

of  their  being  drowned  never  oo« 


FEB.] 


CHRONICLE.  26 


curred  to  those  on  declt,  for  al-  The  alleged  unsoundne&s  or  vice 
though  the  criea  had  ceased,  their  was,  that  the  horse  was  a  crib- 
not  being  heard  was  attributed  to  hiter.— Sir  J.  Scarlett,  in  opening 
the  noise  of  the  storm.  The  stera  the  case  for  the  plaintiff,  read  an  ex- 
boat  was  also  washed  away,  and  tract  from  Dr.  Itees's  Cyclopedia, 
the  one  od  deck  broken  to  pieces  by  in  which  crib-biting  was  described 
the  force  of  tlie  sea.  Supposing  that  as  "one  of  the  worst  vices."— Itwaa 
those  in  the  cabin  had  escaped  to  proved  that  the  horse  was  a  crib- 
the  shore,  those  on  the  forecastle  biter ;  that  the  defendant  bad  bad 
began  to  think  of  attempting  to  get  notice  to  take  bim  back,  but  re- 
to  land  aUo,  where  they  now  could  fused,  stating  that  crib-biting  was 
see  lights,  a  great  fire  having  been  "  no  vice ;"  and  that  he  admitted 
kindled  on  the  beach  by  Mr,  Weir'a  that  he  knew  the  horse  was  a  crib- 
servants.  A  young  lad  leapt  into  biter  at  the  time  when  he  sold  it 
the  water,  got  on  shore,  and  was  to  the  plaintiff. — Mr.  Sewell,  pro- 
followed  by  the  others,  who  were  feasor  of  the  veterinary  art,  stated 
all  treated  in  the  most  kindlyman-  that  crib- biting,  whichwasavicious 
ner  by  Mr,  Weir's  femily ;  and  not  habit  in  horses,  was  considered  as 
hearing  of  their  companions,  the  an  nnsoundneBS,  It  was  treated 
thought  of  their  being  drowned,  as  a  disease.  It  frequently  led  to 
for  the  first  time  occurred  to  indigestion,  and  was  curable  in  its 
them.  As  far  as  could  be  learned  early  stages. — Mr.  Clark,  the  au- 
there  was  every  reason  to  suppose,  thor  of  several  treatises  on  horses, 
that  the  persons,  who  were  in  the  was  of  opinion  that  crib-biting  was 
cabin,  had  been  suddenly  drowned  one  of  the  worst  vices  of  a  horse, 
or  hilled;  a  hatchway  in  the  cabin  Forthedefendant,  the  Attorney- 
floor  was  found  forced  up,  the  general  called,  among  other  wit- 
baulk-heads  stove  in,  and  the  nesses.  Professor  Coleman,  who 
whole  cabin  furniture  broken  to  stated,  that  horses  had  the  babit 
pieces.  The  bodies  were  found,  of  crib-biting  in  very  different  de- 
some  in  the  cabin  and  some  in  the  grees.  He  was  inclined  to  thiiUc 
hold,  and  several  were  mangled,  in  that  the  true  meaning  of  the  word 
consequence  of  being  washed  about  "  vice"  was  some  vicions  quality, 
by  the  violence  of  the  sea.  The  which  was  tlangenius  to  the  owner 
passengers,  ten  in  number,  and  five  of  the  horse,  or  to  others  who  rode 
of  the  crew,  including  the  captain,  or  drove  it,  and  not  merely  a  defect 
were  all  drowned.  or  fault,  because,  if  that  were  the 
5.  Wariiantv  op  a  Horsb,—  case,  tripping  or  shying  would  be 
Kino's  Bench. — Paul  v.  Hard-  avice,  andfew  horseswerefrcefrom 
nick. — This  was  an  action  on  the  some  defect  or  fault.  A  erib-biter 
warranty  of  a  horse,  sold  by  the  might  bo  a  vicious  horse,  but  was 
defendant  to  the  plaintiff,  Mr.  not  necessarily  so  because  he  was  a 
Paul,  the  banker,  iu  July  last,  crib-biter,— Is  crib-biting  an  un- 
The  warranty  wai  contained  in  the  soundness  ? — That  depends  on  the 
receipt  given  by  the  defendant  for  definition  of  the  word  "uusound- 
the  price  of  the  horse,  and  was  in  ness."  I  have  alw.tya  considered, 
these  terms  ; — '*  Received  of  J.  B.  that,  wherever  there  is  an  alteration 
Paul,  esq.,  the  sum  of  sixty-five  of  fuuctlon  in  any  part,  so  as  to 
pounds,  for  a  bay  gelding,  war-  influence  the  entire  fuuctiona,  and 
ranted  sound,  and  &ee  from  rice."  ju^veub  the  tuunal  fvom  perforiua 


26 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


tissi. 


ing  the  common  duties  of  a  borse^ 
he  is  unsound.  According  to 
that  definition,  a  crib-biter  may 
or  may  not  be  unsound.  If  the 
habit  exists  in  a  slight  degree^  that 
is^  if  the  horse  only  occasionally 
bites  his  crib^  but  supports  his  con- 
dition^ and  can  perform  all  the 
duties  of  a  hoi*8e^  then  I  should 
say  he  was  not  unsound.— On  his 
cross  -  examination^  the  witness 
stated  that  the  habit  of  crib-biting 
frequently  produced  a  disordered 
function,  which  was  the  effect  of 
swallowing  the  air  in  the  attempt 
to  lay  hold  of  some  fixed  object. 
Thence  arose  indigestion,  and  a  dis- 
ordered stomach,  with  a  difficulty 
of  breathing,  spasms  and  inflam- 
mation ;  and  if  the  disorder  got 
lower  down,  it  produced  a  disorder 
of  the  bowels.  The  habit  of  crib- 
biting  might  be  acquired  from  imi- 
tating other  horses,  but  that  was 
by  no  means  the  most  frequent 
cause.  It  frequently  attached  to 
high-bred  horses,  and  others  that 
were  kept  long  without  food.  In 
ninety-nine  cases  out  of  a  hundred 
that  was  the  main  cause  of  crib- 
biting.  As  the  horse  in  question 
had  been  stated  to  be  in  good  con- 
dition, witness  should  infer  that 
none  of  its  functions  were  im- 
paired, and  that  its  health  was 
not  affected  by  this  habit :  and  his 
opinion  was,  that,  in  general,  crib- 
biting  did  not  affect  the  health  of 
the  animal.— Lord  Tenterden.  Sup- 
pose a  crib-biter,  sold  to-day  in 
good  condition,  is  found,  six  months 
hence,  to  have  inflammation  in  the 
stomach  or  bowels,  with  a  difficulty 
of  breathing,  or  any  of  the  other 
symptoms  you  have  described, 
should  you  say  it  was  unsound,  or 
not  ? — Witness.  Unsound  when 
sold,  inasmuch  as  you  would  be 
able  to  trace  the  effect  from  the 
cause««— Mr.  James  Turner^  a  yete* 


rinary  surgeon,  stated  that  crib- 
biting  in  his  opinion  was,  in  the 
greater  number  of  instances,  a 
habit  contracted  by  imitation. 
Whether  it  was  or  was  not  iniuri- 
ous  to  the  health  of  the  animal, 
depended  upon  the  degree  in  which 
it  attached.  Witness  belieyed,  that 
a  horse  might  be  a  crib-biter,  and 
yet  be  perfectly  sound  $  but  he  be- 
lieyed, also,  that  it  was  a  decided 
unsoundness  in  many  cases.  It 
showed  itself  more  pa^icularly  by 
the  animal  distending  its  body  with 
Mrind  5  but  all  crib-biters  did  not 
distend  their  bodies  with  wind  in 
the  same  degree.  It  could  not  be 
considered  as  a  yice,  inasmuch  as 
crib-biters  were  generally  perfectly 
tractable  to  ride  or  driye,  and  they 
did  no  danger  to  their  owners.—- 
Greorgc  Gosden  stated,  that  he  had 
been  a  veterinary  surgeon  for  six- 
teen or  seventeen  years.  Had 
known  the  habit  of  crib-lntiDg  to 
exist  in  various  degrees.  It  was 
not  necessarily  either  a  vice  or  an 
unsoundness.  —  Have  you  known 
horses  to  have  that  habit  in  a  con- 
siderable degree,  and  yet  to  be  ex- 
tremely healthy  for  a  number  of 
years,  and  to  be  capaUe  of  doing 
their  work  ?  I  have.  I  have 
known  the  best  of  horses  to  be 
crib-biters. — Do  you  know  that 
the  horse  called  the  Ck)lonel  had 
the  habit  of  crib-biting.'  I  have 
heard  he  had  it  for  a  number  of 
years.-^ohn  Lythe,  a  veterinary 
surgeon.  Have  you  known  horset 
to  have  the  habit  of  crib-biting, 
and  yet  their  general  health  not 
affected  by  it?  Many,  in  the 
army  particularly.— If  they  have 
it  not  in  a  degree  to  affect  the 
health  of  the  animal,  are  they>  in 
your  judgment^  unsound  beauue 
they  are  crib-bitera?  Certainly 
not. — When  they  have  it  only  in 
a  slight  degree^  18  it  a  Tioe  ?    Ko{ 


PEB.3                CHRONICLE.  ^ 

unless  it  disposes  the  horse  to  some  that  Court  confirmed  the  dectsion 
bodily  mischief. — The  witness^  on  of  Sir  John  Nicholl.     The  conse- 
cross-examination^  stated^  that  the  quence  of  these  proceedings  was^ 
habit  arose  frequently  from  want  that  a  considerable  amount  of  costs 
of  food>  and  frequently  from  irrita-  became  due,  the  expenses  of  the 
tion;   and  he  mentioned  an   in-  original  suit  being  about  1^000^ 
stance  of  the  latter.— -Is  it  a  desir*  and  the  costs  of  the  appeal  384/. 
able  thing  for  a  horse  to  have  ?—  Both  Mr.  Walker  and  Mr.  Peddle 
It  is  not  desirable^  certainly^  but  I  became  exceedingly  alarmed  at  this 
never  cast  a  horse  for  it. — Ver-  amount  of  costs,  as  the  property 
diet  for  the  plaintiff.  in  dispute  did  not  exceed  1,800/., 
9.    Libel.— King's  Bench.-—  and  or  course  it  would  have  been 
Walker  v.  Lushington,  M.  P.,  and  better  for  all  parties,  if  the  pro- 
others.    Sir  James  Scarlett  stated,  ceeding  had  been  let  alone  alto- 
that  this  was  an  action  brought  to  gether.  Mr.  Peddle,  finding  that  so 
recover  damages  for  a  libel  con-  large  an  amount  of  costs  bad  been 
tained   in  a    speech  delivered  in  incurred,  was  induced  to  desire  to 
Parliament   by    Dr.  Lushington,  have  the  bill  taxed,  and  wished  to 
and  afterwards  published,  among  have  the  assistance  of  Mr.  Walker, 
the  other  debates,  in  the  ''  Mirror  his  solicitor,  in  attending  before 
of  Parliament,"  on  the  ground  that  the  officer  of  the  Court  on  the  tax- 
Dr.  Lushington  had  authorized  the  ation.    It  appeared,  however,  that, 
publication  of  it  in  that  work,  of  according  to  a  rule  of  the  Ecclesi- 
which  the  other  defendants  were  astical  Court,  no  one  but  the  proc- 
proprietors  and  publishers.    A  cer-  tor  in  the  cause  was  allowed  to  be 
tain  Mr.  Evans  had  died  leaving  present  at  the  taxation  of  a  bill  by 
two  wills,  one  of  which  had  been  the   Registrar  3    and  accordingly 
proved,    but  Mr.   Peddle   having  Mr.  Walker  was  told  that  he  could 
found  another,  which  he  was  ad-  not  be  permitted  to  attend.     In 
vised  was  the  genuine  will,   the  consequence  of  this,  a  petition  was 
object  was,  to  get  the  probate  of  the  presented  to  the  learned  Judge  of 
first  will  rescinded,  and  to  obtain  the  Court,  and  a  motion  made  for 
probate  to  the  second.     The  plain-  Mr.  Walker  to  be  at  liberty  to  at-> 
tiff,  an  attorney  in  Bristol,  being  tend  the  taxation.     The  appltca^ 
thus  employed  by  Peddle,  had  em-  tion  was  refused,   and  then  Mr. 
ployed  Mr.  Toller  as  his  proctor  in  Peddle  presented  a  petition  to  the 
the  suit,  which  proceeded  to  a  cer-  House  of  Commons,  stating  what 
tain  length,   and  then  Sir  John  had  occurred,  and  pra3ring  that 
Nicholl    pronounced  a  judgment  some  redress  night  be  affordcMl  him. 
against  Peddle,  but  without  costs.  Upon  that  petition  a  debate  took 
Mr.  Peddle  being  advised  by  Mr.  place,  in  the  month  of  July  ]  828  ; 
Toller,  the  proctor,  that  the  judg-  and  at  the  close  of  the  Session  of 
ment  would  be  set  aside  on  an  ap-  that  year,    which  occurred  soon 
peal  to  the  Court  of  Delegates,  afterwards,  the  publication  in  ques^ 
determined  to  carry  the  case  up  to  tion    came   out,    containing   the 
that  Court,  Mr.  Toller  undertaking  Speech  which  was  said  to  have  been 
that  the  utmost  expense  of  that  delivered  by  Dr.  Lushington,  and 
proceeding  would  not  exceed  200/.  published    with    his    corrections. 
The  appeal  was  accordin^y  prose-  The  speech,  after  a  general  vindi- 
cated before  the  Del^aissy  but  <wti<»i  of  Sir  Joho  Nicholl^  imd  a 


28 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


[1831. 


statement  that  he  had  acted  only 
according  to  the  rules  of  the  Court, 
went  on  in  these  terms  : — ''  I  will 
only  add,  that  this  is  not  the  peti- 
tion of  the  persons  whose  name  is 
affixed  to  it,  but  it  is  that  of  a 
pettifogging  attorney,  who  has  been 
guilty  of  perjury,  and  attempted 
extortion.*'  That  was  severe  enough 
to  say  of  any  man  in  the  House  of 
Commons,  and  there  could  be  no 
necessity  for  publishing  so  atroci- 
ous a  charge.  In  the  same  num- 
ber of  this  publication  was  con- 
tained another  speech  of  the  learn- 
ed doctor,  on  the  same  subject. 
The  part  complained  of  ran  thus : 
— "  In  speaking  of  the  solicitor, 
Mr.  Walker,  I  have,  I  acknow- 
ledge, used  very  strong  expressions, 
not  one  word  of  which  will  I  now 
retract,  for  I  should  be  ashamed 
to  avail  myself  of  any  Parliament- 
ary privilege  to  state  any  matter 
which  I  could  not  afterwards  fully 
substantiate."  The  learned  counsel 
said,  that  Mr.  Walker  having  seen 
this  attack  upon  his  character,  in 
what  he  supposed  to  be  an  authen- 
tic record  of  the  speeches  in  Parlia- 
ment, became  of  course  exceedingly 
uneasy,  and  applied  to  Dr.  Lush- 
ington  for  an  explanation,  but  the 
learned  doctor  was  inexorable,  and 
as  he  (the  plaintiff)  could  get  no 
satisfaction  out  of  Court,  he  had 
been  compelled  to  bring  the  present 
action.  In  the  pleadings,  the  de- 
fendants had  rendered  the  matter 
still  more  serious  by  stating  a  justi- 
fication. They  first  denied,  by 
the  general  issue,  that  they  had 
published  the  speech;  and  next, 
they  said,  '^  You  (the  plaintiff) 
have  been  guilty  of  perjury ;"  and 
Dr.  Lushington  had,  in  his  plea, 
set  forth  a  statement  of  the  parti- 
cular perjury  alluded  to.  The 
doctor's  plea  stated,  that  Mr. 
Walker  had  been  examined  by  the 


examiner  of  the  Ecclesiastical 
Court  in  the  suit  there  pending, 
and  that  in  answer  to  one  of  the 
questions  put  to  him,  he  denied 
that  he  had  any  interest  in  the 
suit.  There  was  no  justification 
on  the  part  of  Dr.  Lushington  to 
the  expression  ''  pettifogging  attor- 
ney;" but  the  defendant  Barrow 
had  gone  further  than  the  other 
defendants,  for  he  had  pleaded 
generally  that  all  the  matters 
charged  as  libellous  were  true ; 
that  the  plaintiff  had  been  guilty 
of  perjury,  and  that  he  had  been 
guilty  of  attempted  extortion. — 
Sir  James  Scarlett  admitted,  that 
the  plaintiff  could  have  no  case 
against  Dr.  Lushington,  who  was 
protected  against  being  questioned 
for  what  he  had  said  in  the  house, 
though  not  for  publishing  it  out  of 
the  house,  unless  it  were  shewn 
that  he  had  authorized  the  publi- 
cation ;  but  he  was  instructed  he 
would  be  able  to  prove  that  Dr. 
Lushington  corrected  the  speech 
with  his  own  hand,  and  that  the 
publication  of  the  work  was  de- 
layed to  have  his  corrections. 

The  publication  of  the  num- 
ber of  the  Mirror  of  Parliament 
in  question,  was  then  proved 
against  the  other  defendants.  To 
connect  Dr.  Lushington  with  it^ 
the  plaintiff  called  Mr.  Henry  Ba- 
con the  sub-editor  of  the  *'  Mirror 
of  Parliament,"  during  the  Session 
of  1 828,  who  was  examined^  with 
a  view  to  show,  that  Dr.  Lushing- 
ton had  authorized  the  publication 
of  the  speeches  in  question ;  but 
he  denied  all  knowledge  on  the 
subject. — Mr.  John  Dickens  stated, 
that  he  had  been  employed  at  the 
office  of  the  ^'  Mirror  of  Parlia- 
ment." He  remembered  the  publi- 
cation of  the  last  number  of  that 
work  for  the  Session  of  1 828.  It 
was  delayed  for  ftbout  a  week}  ia 


FEB.] 


CHRONICLE. 


29 


consequence  of  the  proofs  of  Dr. 
Lushington's  speech  having  been 
sent  to  that  gentleman.  It  was 
sent  by  a  messenger  from  the  office^ 
and  its  return  was  delayed,  as  wit- 
ness understood^  in  consequence  of 
Dr.  Lushington  being  out  of  town. 
Witness  sent  frequent  messages  to 
get  it  back.  As  soon  as  it  was  re- 
turned, it  was  sent  to  the  printers. 
There  were  two  speeches  of  Dr. 
Lushington's  contained  in  the  num- 
ber now  produced.  Witness  was 
not  aware  that  the  first  was  sent 
to  the  doctor.  The  reason  of  the 
speech  being  sent  to  Dr.  Lushing- 
ton was,  that  a  number  of  sub- 
scribers in  Doctors'  Commons  were 
anxious  to  hare  that  gentleman*s 
speech  given  correctly.  Dr.  Lush- 
ington was  a  subscriber  to  the 
Mirror,  or  he  would  not  have  been 
entitled  to  have  the  speech  sent  to 
him  for  correction. — Thomas  Cope, 
who  was  in  the  employment  of 
Mr.  Clowes,  the  printer  of  the 
Mirror,  said  he  had  some  vague 
recollection  of  the  last  number  for 
1828  havingbeen  delayed.  The  rea- 
son was,  the  lingering  wayin  which 
the  business  was  at  that  time  con- 
ducted in  the  House  of  Commons, 
which  was  about  to  adjourn.  Wit- 
ness did  not  remember  receiving 
any  proof  sheets  of  Dr.  Lushing- 
ton's speech  with  corrections  by 
the  doctor.  The  manuscripts  were 
generally  preserved,  but  those  of 
1828  had  been  destroyed  about  a 
twelvemonth  ago,  when  the  build- 
ing in  which  they  were  deposited 
was  pulled  down. — For  the  defend- 
ants, the  Attorney  General  main- 
tained, that  there  was  no  evidence 
to  touch  Dr.  Lushington.  There 
was  evidence  that  some  of  the 
proofs  were  sent  to  him,  but  what 
part  of  them  did  not  appear,  or 
that  they  were  not, returned  from 
him  in  the  v^^tiMytakl^fiC^tbey 


went  to  him;  and  there  was  no- 
thing to  show,  if  they  went  sealed 
to  his  chambers,  crowded  as  those 
chambers  were  with  the  papers  of 
his  '  numerous  clients,  that  they 
did  not  return  into  the  hands  of 
the  printers  sealed  up  in  the  same 
manner,  never  opened  and  never 
corrected  by  him.  For  the  other 
defendants  he  insisted,  that  the 
publication  was  a  true  report  of 
what  passed  in  the  House  of  Com- 
mons, and  though  the  publication 
was,  no  doubt,  a  breach  of  privilege, 
for  which  his  clients  might  have 
been  called  to  the  Bar  of  the  House, 
and  severely  reprimanded,  the 
present  plaintiff  had  no  just  ground 
of  complaint.  He  had  excited  the 
discussion  by  his  own  improper 
acts.  He  had  been  guilty  of  a  gross 
abuse  of  the  right  of  petitioning. 
The  very  contents  of  the  petition 
proved  that  the  petition  was  his, 
not  his  client's.  It  was  made  the 
vehicle  of  most  atrocious  and  un- 
founded charges  against  the  Judge, 
Sir  John  Nichol ;  and  the  House  of 
Commons,  after  the  matter  was 
discussed,  had  refused  to  receive 
it.  The  defendants  had  no  evi- 
dence in  support  of  their  plea,  that 
the  charges  were  true. — Lord  Ten- 
terden  told  the  Jury,  that  mem- 
bers of  Parliament  could  not  be 
questioned  in  that  or  any  other 
Court  of  Justice  for  any  matter, 
which  might  fall  from  them  in 
either  House.  But  the  liberty 
was  confined  to  that  which  passed 
in  the  House ;  for  if  a  member  of 
either  house  of  Parliament  thought 
fit,  after  he  had  made  a  speech,  to 
publish  it,  and  it  were  found  to  con- 
tain a  libel  upon  the  character  of  an- 
other, he  must  be  answerable,  be- 
cause his  character  as  a  member  of 
Parliament  did  not  give  him  the  pri- 
vilege of  publishing  what  he  might 
there  say.    As  the  speaker  himself^ 


30 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


[1831. 


therefore^  was  not  privileged  out  of 
the  House^  neither  could  any  other 
person  }  for  that^  which  it  was 
not  lawful  for  him  who  originally 
uttered  it  to  publish^  could  not  be 
lawfully  published  by  any  other 
person.  A  verdict  must  pass  for 
Dr.  Lushington^  as  there  was  not  a 
tittle  of  evidence  to  connect  him 
witli  the  publication.  As  to  the 
other  three  defendants^  they  were 
proved  to  be  the  editor  and  pub* 
lishers^  and  the  work  had  been 
bought  at  their  office,  and  that 
being  proved,  the  Jury  could  not 
do  otnerwise  than  find  a  verdict 
for  the  plaintiff  against  those  de- 
fendants. They  could  hardly  sup- 
pose that  the  defendants  had  any 
personal  malice  against  the  plain- 
tiff, but  at  the  same  time  they 
were  answerable  for  the  conse- 
quences of  the  publication.  The 
question  of  damages  was  entirely 
for  the  Jury.  The  Jury,  after  con- 
ferring together  for  about  ten 
minutes,  found  a  verdict  for  the 
plaintiff.  —  Damans  50/. —-Lord 
Tenterden  then  directed  the  ver- 
dict to  be  entered  for  the  defend- 
ant. Dr.  Lushington,  on  the  plea 
of  Not  GuiUy ;  and  discharged  the 
Jury  from  giving  any  verdict  on 
the  other  issues  joined  with  the  de- 
fendant. The  verdict  was  entered 
generally  against  the  other  defend- 
ants. 

Great  Floods. —*  The  Snow- 
storm in  the  first  days  of  the 
month  having  been  followed  by  a 
sudden  thaw,  the  Clyde  rose,  at 
Glasgow,  to  a  greater  height  than 
had  been  seen  for  many  years.  On 
the  morning  of  the  8th,  quantities 
of  ice  began  to  float  down  the 
river,  which  by  2  o'clock  had  in- 
creased to  an  alarming  extent. 
The  whole  surface  of  the  water, 
from  bank  to  bank,  was  covered 
with  large  shoals  of  ice,  increasing 


as  the  waters  continued  to  swell } 
and,     by  half-past  four    o'clock^ 
it  was  floating  down  in  such  im« 
mense  quantities,  that  there  was 
scarcely  room  in  the  bed  of  the 
river  for  it  to   proceed.    Imme« 
diately    below    the    Broomielaw- 
bridge,  an  immense  collection  of 
ice    became    completely    jammed 
together,    from    the    contraction 
caused  in  the  passage  by  the  ship- 
ping on  the  south  side  of  the  river ; 
and  at  last  opened  a  way  for  itself, 
by  forcing  from  its  moorings  the 
first  vessel  in  the  ranffe.      This 
vessel  struck  against  the  others^ 
till  at  last  the  whole  range  were 
violently  driven  across  the  river, 
an  iron  pall}   to  which  some  of 
them  were  attached,  having  given 
way.     The  unmoored  vessels  were 
driven  to  the  north  side  of  the 
river  with  dreadful  riolence,  where 
the  concussion  was  followed  by  be* 
twixt  30  and  40  vessels  being  suc- 
cessively forced  from  their  fiMtenings 
down  the  river ;  crash  after  crasli 
was  heard,  as  the  loosened  vessels 
came  in  collision  with  those  placed 
further  down  the  quay,  and  it,  at 
one   period,  appeared,  as    if   the 
whole  of  the  shipping  in  the  har- 
bour had  been  doomed  to  destruo* 
tion.    The  water,  which  was  at 
this  time  very  much  swollen,  bore 
away  the  vessels  with  tremendous 
velocity,  in  spite  of  every  exertion 
made  to  retain  them.    In  a  great 
many,  there  were  no    hands   on 
board.    Every  kind  of  vessel  that 
lay  in  the  way  was  borne  forwards, 
including  small  boats  as  well  as 
rafts  of  wood.     At    least   three 
vessels  were  sunk.    In  the  lower 
part  of  the  city,  the  river  rose,  in 
the  course  of  the  9th,  to  the  depth 
of  from  four  to  ^^e  feet,  and  boEtts 
and  carts  had  to  be  employed  in 
removing  the  inhabitants,  or  con- 
veying provisions  to  those   who 


FEB.] 


CHRONICLE. 


31 


lived  in  the  upper  floors.  At  3  p.  in« 
on  the  9th>  the  water  became 
stationary^  and  remained  so  for 
an  hour  and  a  halfj  when  it  began 
to  subside.  When  at  its  high- 
est, it  was  twenty-three  and  a-balf 
inches  lower  than  the  great  flood  on 
the  12th  of  March,  1782,  and  one 
inch  higher  than  the  flood  of  1823. 

On  the  9th,  the  river  Tay  rose 
to  a  greater  height  than  had  been 
known  in  the  memory  of  man.  At 
Perth,  a  fleet  of  vessels,  chiefly 
laden  with  potatoes,  were  driven 
from  their  moorings,  but,  after 
great  exertions,  were  hauled  into 
deep  water,  without  having  sus- 
tained material  injury.  The  inun- 
dation was  in  a  quarter  where  it 
was  least  expected— -the  western  or 
upper  suburbs.  The  inhabitants 
of  Clayholes,  New  Row,  and  County 
Place,  were  suddenly  raised  from 
their  slumbers,  the  waters,  in 
many  houses,  having  risen  to  the 
height  of  three  and  four  feet,  and 
many  were  rescued  with  consider- 
able difliculty.  Even  after  an  out- 
let was  effected,  the  water  in  the 
New  Row  and  County  Place  con- 
tinued, from  side  to  side  of  the 
street,  to  run  like  a  river.  In 
1814,  the  town  was  inundated  to 
a  greater  extent ;  but  that  arose, 
not  so  much  from  the  quantity  of 
water,  as  from  the  obstruction 
presented  by  the  ice. 

The  Tweed  and  Teviot  began  to 
rise  on  the  evening  of  the  8th.  On 
the  9th,  both  rivers  were  swollen 
far  beyond  the  boundaries  of  their 
highest  floods,  and  the  whole 
country  in  the  line  of  their  course, 
especially  below  their  junction, 
presented  the  appearance,  not 
merely  of  the  inundations  of  an 
ordinary  river,  but  of  an  exten- 
sive estuary ;  all  the  rich  haughs 
were  covered  with  water  many 
feet  deep,   and  in   many  places 


the  fields  on  the  water-sides  could 
not  be  defined  but  by  the  tops  of 
the  hedge-row  trees  which  were 
still  seen  above  the  water.  The 
oldest  inhabitants  on  Tweed-side 
never  before  knew  that  river  pour 
forth  such  a  mighty  torrent.  A 
great  portion  of  the  fine  park  of 
Fleurs,  and  the  whole  of  St. 
James's  Green  opposite,  were  co« 
vered  many  feet  deep;  the  outer 
wall  of  the  Duke  of  Roxburghe's 
old  gardens  was  overtopped  some 
yards,  and  the  inner  wall,  with 
the  fruit-trees  growing  amnst  it, 
were  deep  in  the  water.  At  Kelso, 
the  Twee<l  rose  fiiU  twenty  feet 
perpendicular,  and  great  fears 
were  entertained  for  the  bridge, 
the  torrent  reaching  far  above 
the  opening  of  the  arches.  The 
Coldstream-road  at  the  bridge, 
across  Eden^water,  was  impassable 
the  whole  of  the  day,  the  coaches 
being  obliged  to  go  round  by  Ednam . 

In  England,  the  Severn  rose  so 
high  on  the  9th,  that  a  barge- 
man, in  a  fishing  coracle,  sailed 
for  a  wager  over  the  town- 
walls  at  Roushill,  near  Shrews- 
bury. In  some  d  the  houses  the 
water  was  from  six  to  seven  feet 
deep  on  the  floor,  and  in  some 
cottages  at  Roushill,  it  covered  the 
first  story  almost  to  the  ceiling ; 
Hay-stacks,  timber,  and  out-lying 
agricultural  implements,  were 
swept  off  in  one  general  ruin,  and 
even  dwelling-houses  and  out- 
buildings shared  the  same  fate. 

At  York,  on  the  10th,  the  waters 
of  the  Ouse  and  Foss  rose  higher 
than  they  had  been  for  200  years, 
and  all  the  lower  parts  of  the  city 
were  completely  inundated. 

10.  Master  AND  Sbrvant.— 
Common  Plras.— Xe/^ey  v.  Bwr- 
nett. — This  was  an  action  brought 
by  the  plaintiff,  a  mariner  on 
board  the  Scaleby    Castle^    East 


32 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


[1831. 


Indiaman^  against  the  defendant^ 
who    was    the    captain     of    that 
vessel^  to  recover  compensation  in 
damages  for  havings  without  sufii- 
cient  cause,  twice  inflicted  corporal 
punishment  upon  the  plaintiff,  and 
caused   him  to  be   put  in   irons^ 
during  a  voyage  from  England  to 
China,  in    1829.     The  defendant 
pleaded  in  justification^  that  on 
the  first  occasion  when  the  plaintiff 
was  punished,  he  had  been  drunk; 
and  on  the  second,  he  had  been 
guilty  of  an  offence  against  good 
order  and  morals,  which  required 
that  he  should  be  kept  apart  from 
the   rest  of  the  crew,  as  well  as 
punished  for  his  misconduct. 
.    The    facts    were    these: — the 
plaintiff  was   one  of  the  Marine- 
society  boys,  about  sixteen  or  se- 
venteen years  of  age,  whose  first 
voyage  was  the  one   in   question. 
He  was  appointed  to  attend  on  the 
surgeon  ;  and  one  night,  when  the 
vessel  was  between  the  Line  and 
the  Cape,  he  went  to  sleep  without 
putting  up  the  surgeon's  hammock 
as  usual,  for  which  he  was  called 
to  account,  and  was  at  the   same 
time  charged  with    being  drunk. 
On  the  following  morning  he  was, 
by  the  captain's  orders,  lashed  to 
the  gang-way,  and  flogged  with  a 
cat-o'-nine-tails,  in  the  same  way 
in  which  children  are  flogged  at 
school.      When     the    boatswain's 
mate  had  given  him  a  dozen  lashes 
he  stopped ;  and  the  captain  told 
the  plaintiff,  he  hoped  that  would 
be   a  warning  to  him  in  future, 
asking  him,  at  the  same  time,  how 
he  liked  it  ?     The  boy  replied,  in 
angry  voice,   that  he  had    never 
been  served  so  before,  or  cut  about 
in   that    manner;    on  which   the 
captain    ordered  the    boatswain's 
mate   to  give  him   another  half- 
dozen,  and  lay  into  him  smartly. 
This  half-dozen  were  administered 


with  more  severity  than  the  preced- 
ing dozen,  but  still  the  skin  was 
merely  made  red,  and  not  broken. 
With  respect  to  this  part  of  the 
case  there  was  very  conflicting 
evidence;  the  witnesses  for  the 
plaintiff  swearing  tliat  he  was 
perfectly  sober  on  the  niffht  in 
question,  and  those  for  the  defend- 
ant (and  they  were  very  numerous) 
that  he  was  drunk.  The  plaintiff 
continued  to  wait  upon  the  sur- 
geon until  the  vessel  reached  Cfaina> 
when  the  surgeon  one  day  dis- 
covered two  indecent  words  written 
on  the  inside  of  the  medicine- 
chest.  Knowing  that  nobody  had 
any  right  to  enter  his  cabin  but 
his  mate  and  the  plaintiff,  he  im- 
mediately taxed  the  latter  with 
having  written  the  obnoxious 
words.  The  plaintiff  denied  it; 
and  the  surgeon  sent  for  the  sick- 
list,  and  comparing  the  plaintiff's 
writing  with  the  words  on  the 
medicine-chest,  again  taxed  him 
with  being  the  writer  of  them. 
Here  again  there  was  contradictory 
evidence;  according  to  the  sur- 
geon's testimony,  the  plaintiff  ad- 
mitted being  the  writer,  and  the 
writing  was  like  his;  whilst,  ac- 
cording to  others,  he  persisted 
in  his  denial  of  being  the  writer, 
and  the  writing  was  not  similar 
to  his.  He  was  reported  to  the 
captain,  who  put  nim  in  irons 
on  Sunday,  and  on  Monday 
caused  him  to  receive,  in  the  pre- 
sence of  the  other  marine  boys, 
two  and  a  half-dozen  lashes  in  the 
same  manner  as  on  the  former  oc- 
casion, except  that  they  appeared 
to  have  been  inflicted  with  some- 
what more  severity.  On  neither 
occasion  had  any  rorm  of  inquiry 
taken  place,  nor  was  the  second 
punishment  entered  in  the  cap- 
tain's journal.  —  The  Lord  Chief 
Justice  left  it  to  the  Jury  to  say. 


FEB.! 


CHRONIC  LE. 


33 


whether  or  not  the  pleas  had  been 
made  out  to  their  satisfaction  ;  be- 
cause if  so,  it  did  not  appear  to  him 
that  the  punishment  was  at  all 
disproportioned  to  the  offence  on 
either  occasion,  except,  perhaps,  as 
to  the  putting  the  plaintiff  in  irons, 
which  did  not  seem  to  have  been 
called  for  by  the  circumstances; 
but  even  if  the  punishment  had 
been  as  excessive  as  it  appeared  to 
have  been  moderate,  he  thought, 
that  as  the  plaintiff  had  not  re- 
plied the  excess,  if  the  pleas  of  justi- 
fication were  proved,  the  defendant 
was  entitled  to  a  verdict. — The 
Jury,  after  a  few  minutes'  deli- 
beration, returned  a  verdict  for  the 
plaintiff — Dainages  50/. 

15.  Murder  and  Suicide. — 
An  Inquest  was  held  in  Dublin, 
on  the  bodies  of  two  children  of  a 
watchman,  named  Michael  Lynch, 
said  to  have  been  murdered  by 
their  own  father,  who  immediately 
cut  his  own  throat. — Before  the 
Coroner,  the  mother  stated,  "  My 
husband  was  dismissed  a  few  days 
ago.  The  eldest  of  our  children 
was  two  years,  and  the  other  about 
eight  months  old ;  this  morning 
my  husband  got  up  for  a  short 
time,  and  went  in  again  to  bed  ;  I 
went  out  for  a  little  bread ;  when  I 
came  back  he  was  stretched  on  the 
floor,  and  my  two  children  were 
dead.  I  did  not  think  any  thing 
was  done  to  them,  till  I  saw  them 
in  their  blood  ;  I  covered  them  up 
with  a  blanket,  for  I  could  not  bear 
to  look  on  them  ;  he  asked  me  to 
get  a  glass  to  knock  the  grief  off 
of  him  ;  I  told  him  I  would,  but 
he  did  not  take  it  3  he  was  sighing 
for  the  List  two  nights ;  he  never 
was  a  passionate  man  :  he  was,  I 
think,  about  forty  years  of  age ; 
he  was  very  fond  of  his  children  ; 
it  was  with  a  razor  the  deed 
was  done ;  I  was  about  a  quarter 

VoL.LXXIII. 


of  an  hour  out;  when  I  came  back 
he  was  just  breathing,  but  the 
children  were  quite  dead ;  I  and 
my  husband  lived  quietly  together; 
we  always  lived  on  good  terms; 
my  youngest  child  I  was  just  after 
giving  the  breast  to,  when  I  went 
out,  and  I  found  her  lying  in  the 
same  way  I  left  her/* — William 
Hogan ;  About  half-past  eight  I 
heard  of  this  circumstance  ;  I  ran 
out  and  saw  Mrs.  Lynch  \  I  ran 
up ;  I  saw  him  lying  on  the  floor, 
and  the  children  in  the  bed ;  he 
was  breathing,  and  they  were  quite 
dead ;  I  sent  the  surgeons  to  them  ; 
he  was  in  gores  of  blood,  with  no- 
thing on  him  but  his  shirt ;  the 
eldest  child  was  lying  on  one  side 
of  the  bed,  and  the  other  over  near 
the  wall. — Edward  Cherry  ;  I  live 
in  the  watch-house  near  this;  I 
heard  of  this  circumstance  near 
nine  o'clock;  the  first  thing  I 
saw  was  the  man  breathing,  and 
the  children  with  their  faces  to 
me,  and  they  dead ;  Surgeon  Todd 
told  me  he  thought  Lynch  could 
speak :  on  holding  up  his  head,  he 
said  to  Surgeon  Todd,  *'  what  do 
you  want  to  say  to  me  ?  I  was 
dismissed  the  other  day."  Mr. 
Todd  said,  **  I  suppose  you  are 
sorry  for  what  you  have  done," 
and  he  said  ''  Yes.'*  I  found  the 
razor  lying  on  the  box;  it  was 
covered  With  blood,  and  appeared 
to  have  been  laid  down  quite  de- 
liberately.—Peace-officer  Cannon  ; 
On  my  arriving  at  Lynch's  house,  I 
gave  every  assistance  5  the  surgeons 
were  there ;  his  throat  was  sewed 
up  ;  he  asked  to  speak  to  his  wife  ; 
she  was  brought  in  ;  he  asked  her, 
'^  would  she  forgive  him  ?'*  she 
said  ''  she  would,  and  hoped  God 
would  forgive  him;"  he  then  said, 
''  My  children !"— "they  are  dead !  '* 
she  said;  we  then  brought  her 
away,  and  would  not  allow  her  to 
D 


34 


ANNUAL  REGISTER.       p83l. 


f*en  him  any  more. — The  Jury  re- 
turn frd  a  verdict  to  the  effect  tliat 
the  deaths  of  the  two  children 
were  caused  hy  their  father. 

M),  QcACK  Doctors.  —  Old 
Bailev  Sessions. — ^Mr.  St.  John 
I>ong  was  charged  with  feloniously 
assaulting  the  ]ierson  of  Mrs.  Colin 
(.'am  pi  jell  Lloyd,  which  caused  her 
doath.  In  another  count  he  was 
charged  with  haring  feloniously 
killed  and  slayeil  the  said  Colin 
Campljell  Lloyd  hy  nibhing  her 
witli  .some  ointment  or  mixture 
secretly  prepared.  I'here  were 
Wiveraf  other  counts  in  the  indict- 
ment, in  which  the  form  of  the 
offencx'  M'as  rarieil. — The  follow- 
ing witnesses  were  called  : — Ed- 
ward Lloyd,  E«|. ;  Is  a  jK>st- 
captain  in  the  navy  ;  the  late  I^Irs. 
Lloyd  was  his  wife.  The  first  time 
he  .saw  the  prisoner  was  in  an  even- 
ing alK>ut  the  I^tof  Junc^  when  he 
met  him  in  a  casual  manner  at  a 
private  house.  He  saw  the  pri- 
.soner  also  at  the  innuest  on  Miss 
("ashin^  who  died,  while  under  the 
])risfmer's  treatment  in  September 
last,  and  in  rcs|)ect  of  whose  death 
a  verdict  of  manslaughter  had 
l>eon  given  against  him.  Mrs. 
Lloyd  consulted  him  respecting  a 
sort  of  (!hoking  sensation  which  at- 
tacked her  occasionally,  es|>ecially 
when  she  ciiught  cold.  Witness 
accompanied  her  to  the  prisoner's 
house ;  the  first  time  might  be 
a  fortnight  before  she  put  herself 
under  his  care.  She  first  inhaled 
on  the  (Ith  of  Octolxjr.  She  went 
to  prisoner's  house  every  day  after 
the  Cthj  M'itnoHS  accronipanyinghcr. 
On  the  9th,  she  was  rubbed  upon 
the  breast,  &c. :  but  witness  did 
not  see  it.  On  tlie  night  of  the 
10th  she  complained  of  a  very  vio- 
lent, alarming  pain  on  the  chest, 
upon  which  witness  examined  it. 
There  appeared  a  great  redness  all 


orer  tlie  breast,  which  was  darker 
in  the  middle  than  any  other  part ; 
she  also  complained  of  chillinefls 
and  shivering  with  cold,  and  she 
had  a  very  restless  and  uncomfort- 
able night.  The  next  morning 
she  was  much  worse,  and  could 
scarcely  leave  the  bed ;  she  com- 
plained of  great  sickness.  Tlie 
redness  had  by  that  time  got  more 
livid^  and  the  hole  in  the  centre 
darker.  The  edges  of  the  wound 
were  much  puffed  up,  and  there 
was  a  discharge  from  the  centre. 
Cabbage-leaves  were  applied  to 
the  wound  by  the  order,  as  wit- 
ness understood,  of  the  prisoner. 
He  did  not  call  on  the  Monday; 
indeed  witness  was  not  aware 
that  he  knew  where  they  lived. 
Mrs.  Lloyd  passed  the  Monday 
night  very  uncomfortably.  On 
Tuesday  morning  witness  agnin 
saw  her  breast  «and  chest.  The 
re^lness  was  then  greater,  and  the 
wound  was  larger  and  darker,  the 
edges  of  the  wound  were  much 
puffed  up,  and  there  was  a  dis- 
charge from  the  centre.  Cabbase- 
leaves  were  still  applied  to  Uie 
wound,  by  the  order,  as  witness 
understood,  of  the  prisoner.  The 
inner  part  of  the  arms  was  also  red. 
Wherever  the  discharge  had  gone 
the  skin  appeared  very  much  ir- 
ritated. Indeed,  wherever  that 
discharge  had  gone,  the  flesh  mor- 
tified, and  was  taken  off.  This, 
however,  was  some  days  afterwards. 
At  the  end  of  a  week  or  ten 
days,  the  smell  became  very  bad. 
Mrs.  Lloyd  at  this  time  felt  very 
feverish  and  ill.  Witness  after- 
wards saw  Mr.  Long,  who  inquired 
how  it  was  Mrs.  Lloyd  had  not 
called ;  he  told  him,  that  since  the 
Sunday  she  had  been  too  ill  to  go 
out,  and  had  suffered  considerable 
pain.  The  prisoner  said,  that  he 
dared  say  that  would  soon  go  off. 


FEB.] 


CHRONICLE. 


36 


as  such  was  generally  the  case. 
I  told  him  of  the  chilliness  she  had 
suffered,  and  that  we  had  given 
her  some  hot  wine  and  water  to  re- 
lieve it.  He  said  hot  brandy  and 
water  would  have  been  a  better 
thing,  and  she  should  put  her  head 
under  the  bed-clothes.  I  also  told 
him  of  the  bad  appearance  of  the 
breast  and  chest  also;  I  did  not 
describe  it  so  minutely  as  I  have 
now.  He  said,  that  was  generally 
the  case  in  the  first  instance^  but 
that  it  would  go  off  as  she  got 
better.  I  requested  him  to  call 
upon  her  in  the  evening,  telling 
him  where  I  lived.  He  came,  ana 
I  was  present  when  he  saw  Mrs. 
Lloyd.  When  we  went  in  to  the  room 
the  prisoner  said,  that  he  was  sorry 
to  see  her  so  unwell.  She  ought 
to  have  endeavoured  to  have  got  up 
and  gone  to  him,  and  he  would 
have  relieved  her.  She  stated,  that 
it  was  impossible  for  her  so  to  do, 
she  was  in  such  pain  and  suffering, 
and  with  her  breast  open  in  that 
way  it  might  be  dangerous.  He 
then  asked  to  look  at  it,  which  he 
did.  He  said,  those  greasy  plais- 
ters  had  no  business  there  ;  the 
plaisters  he  alluded  to^  she  had  put 
on  herself ;  that  she  ought  to  have 
continued  using  the  cabbaee-leaf. 
She  replied,  that  she  could  not 
bear  the  pain.  He  then  took  off 
his  great  coat,  and  said,  he  would 
rub  it  out,  which  would  give  her 
great  relief,  and  he  turned  up  the 
cuffs  of  his  coat,  as  though  pre- 
paring to  do  so.  She  exclaimed 
with  terror,  at  the  thought  of  such 
a  thing.  He  had  something  in  a 
small  flask.  I  asked  him  if  there 
were  no  way  to  give  her  relief 
without  touching  her  breasts,  as 
she  could  not  bear  them  touched. 
He  asked,  what  she  wished  }  she 
replied,  to  be  healed.  He  said,  it 
would  never  heal  with  greasy  plais« 


ters ;  that  was  not  the  way  to  heal 
sores,  or  wounds,  I  don't  know 
which.  He  called  for  a  towel, 
which  I  gave  him,  and  he  began 
dabbing  it  on  the  bosom,  particu- 
larly on  the  centre  of  the  wound, 
from  which  the  discharge  came. 
This  discharge  came  only  from  the 
centre.  He  said,  old  linen  was 
the  best  thing  to  heal  a  thing  of 
that  kind  ;  but  she  said,  that  she 
had  always  been  in  the  habit  of  using 
the  simple  dressing  she  had  then 
applied.  He  called  again  the  next 
day.  Mrs.  Lloyd  ajb  that  time  was 
suffering  intense  pain,  and  was  in 
very  low  spirits  j  she  also  had  a 
great  deal  of  fever,  and  was  very 
nervous,  fearing  any  thing  should 
touch  her  breast.  He  did  not  see 
her  that  day  j  she  was  frightened 
at  his  very  name,  and  coula  not  see 
him !  in  fact,  he  never  saw  her 
again.  Mr.  Campbell,  a  medical 
gentleman,  was  then  called  in,  and 
he  saw  her  several  times  every  day. 
Mr.  Vance  was  also  called  in. 
Mrs.  Lloyd  died  on  the  8th  of 
November,  exactly  one  month  and 
one  day  after  she  had  been  rubbed 
by  Mr.  Long.  —  Cross-examined 
by  Mr.  Alley ;  Mrs.  Lloyd  lived 
at  Mr.  CampbelFs  mother's  house, 
during  the  whole  time  she  attend- 
ed Mr,  Long,  and  she  died  there. 
Mr.  Campbell  saw  her  on  the  day 
previously  to  the  prisoner  seeing 
her  for  the  last  time.  When  Mr. 
Long  8B.W  her,  he  complained  of 
improper  applications  being  ad- 
ministered. He  said  it  was  what 
he  was  not  in  the  habit  of  using. 
He  told  her,  that  they  would  not 
heal  the  sore.     When  Mr.  Long 

Sroposed  to  rub  it  out,  witness  un- 
erstood  him  not  to  mean  to  rub 
out  the  grease,  but  the  application 
he  had  formerly  rubbed  in.  He 
did  not  complain  of  the  effects  of 
the  plaister,  but  of  the  application 
D2 


36 


ANNUAL    REGISTER.       imt 


of  it.  lie  wished  the  cabbage- 
leaves  to  liave  been  continued. 
About  ten  or  twelve  (lays  after  Mr. 
Canij)bell  attended  Mrs  Lloyd, 
Mr.  Vance  was  called  in,  he  being 
for  that  time  her  only  medical  at- 
tendant.— By  Baron  Bayley ;  Mrs. 
Lloyd  paid  the  prisoner  two  fees  of 
one  pound  each.  I  cannot  say  how 
it  happened,  when  she  was  in  such 
a  state  of  irritation,  that  I  did  not 
send  for  the  prisoner.  I  should 
think  that  the  plaister,  of  which 
she  complained,  had  not  been  on 
more  than  two  hours.  The  cab- 
bage-leaves had  been  on  before. — 
jNIrs.  E.  Lloyd  was  then  examined ; 
She  had  known  Captain  and  Mrs. 
Lloyd  from  their  infancy.  Mrs. 
Lloyd  was  a  very  healthy  woman, 
subject,  however,  to  an  unpleasant 
attack  in  her  throat.  Kemembers 
the  Sunday  evening  shecomplained 
of  indisposition.  That  was  the 
firbt  symptom  of  illness  I  per- 
ceived. She  complained  of  great 
shivcrings.  I  sat  with  her  many 
hours  that  evening,  and  the  symp- 
toms increased,  instead  of  going 
off.  I  did  not  retire  till  about 
two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  I 
saw  her  again  about  half-past  nine 
on  the  Monday  morning.  She  then 
complained  of  soreness  on  her 
stomach,  which  I  saw.  It  was 
very  nuich  inflamed  all  over. 
The  witness  then  gave  a  similar 
description  of  the  woimds  to  that 
dcitailed  by  captain  Lloyd. — Mr. 
W.  A.  Campbell  examined  by  the 
Attorney-General ;  I  am  a  sur- 
geon. I  knew  Mrs.  Lloyd  for 
many  years.  She  a])peared  to  me 
to  be  a  very  hejilthy  person.  I 
saw  her  on  a  Tuesday  about  four 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  by  my 
mother's  request,  in  consequence 
of  her  suffering  great  pain  in  her 
breast.  She  appeared  to  be  in 
great  agony,  and  from  the  ap^iear- 


ance  of  the  breast,  she  must  have 
lieen  suffering  great  pain.  On 
examination,  I  found  a  very  ex- 
tensive wound  covering  the  whole 
material  part  of  the  breast.  I 
should  think  a  very  strong  acid 
would  produce  such  a  wound.  The 
skin  was  entirely  destroyed,  and 
laid  separated  in  folds  on  the  chest. 
There  was  a  considerable  discharge 
from  the  whole  of  the  wound, 
which  extended  nearly  from  one 
arm-pit  to  the  other;  the  skin 
was  off  both  the  breasts.  The  dis- 
charge was  of  a  dark  colour.  I 
applied  a  dressing,  having,  I  rather 
think,  removed  the  cabbie  leaves 
previously  to  doing  so.  It  was 
simple  spermaceti  ointment,  the 
usual  dressing  in  that  case. — I  saw 
her  again  on  the  following  day>  and 
daily  till  her  death,  always  twice, 
or  even  oftener.  From  the  moment 
I  saw  the  wound,  I  thought  it  very 
dangerous  to  life.  I  continued  the 
application  of  the  ointment,  which 
was  the  only  dressing  I  used  until  I 
saw  Mr.  Vance,  He  applied  the 
same  dressings,  with  the  addition 
of  a  small  quantity  of  calomel 
powder.  On  the  second  or  third 
day  Mr.  Vance  prescribed  the  ap- 
plication of  a  poultice.  It  was  a 
common  bread  and  water  poultice. 
Neither  Mr.  Vance  nor  myself  ap- 
plied any  thing  that  was  calculated 
to  increase  the  danger.  Mr.  Vance 
was  called  in  on  the  21st,  when  I 
correctly  described  to  him  the 
treatment  that  I  pursued.  At 
one  time  there  was  some  slight 
hope  entertained  of  her  recovery ; 
but,  for  my  part,  I  always  enter- 
tained great  fears.  I  administered 
some  internal  medicines — the  first 
was  a  saline  aperient  mixture- 
after  that,  barK  and  wine,  and 
mineral  acids.  That  would  tend 
to  repel  mortification.  Mortifica- 
tion began  about  a  week  after  I 


FEB.] 


CHRONICLE. 


37 


first  attended  her.  In  my  judg- 
ment Mrs.  Lloyd  died  of  the 
wound  I  saw  wlien  1  first  attended 
Jier.  Up  to  the  time  Mr.  Vance 
was  called  in  I  applied  simple 
dressings,  and  nothing  else.  The 
moment  I  saw  the  wound  I  stated 
to  her  friends  my  opinion  of  its 
dangerous  nature.  I  told  her  sis- 
ter of  it  three  or  four  days  after- 
wards. I  attended  her  on  the 
I'ith  of  Octohcr,  and  she  died  on 
the  8th  of  November,  during  which 
time  Mr.  Long  had  no  opportunity 
of  prescribing  for  her.  In  his 
opinion  it  was  not  necessary  to 
produce  such  a  wound  to  correct 
any  difficulty  in  swallowing.  He 
knew  of  no  disease  whatever  in 
which  it  could  be  proper. — Mr. 
Vance,  a  surgeon,  residing  in 
Sackville  Street.  He  was  called  in 
to  attend  Mrs.  Lloyd  on  the  21st 
of  October.  She  was  in  bed,  and 
Mr.  Campbell  was  present.  She 
complained  of  extreme  soreness  of 
the  throat,  and  ascribed  it  to 
having  inhaled  through  a  tube  at 
Mr.  Long's.  This  witness  gave  a 
similar  description  of  the  wound 
as  in  the  preceding  evidence.  When 
he  first  saw  her  he  thought  that  it 
proceeded  from  a  narrow  passage 
into  the  stomach,  but  he  ascer- 
tained after wj^rds  that  it  was  globus 
hystericus.  It  was  a  complaint 
very  usual  to  females  in  early  life; 
he  had  never  known  it  prove  fatal, 
and  he  had  seen  many  thousand 
cases  of  it.  A  wound  on  the  chest 
would  not  relieve  such  a  complaint. 
He  attended  the  opening  of  the 
body.  The  whole  body,  both  in- 
ternally and  externally,  was  in  a 
state  of  perfect  health,  with  the 
exception  of  a  disease  of  the  thy- 
roid gland,  and  affection  of  the  in- 
side of  the  windpipe,  but  there 
was  no  occasion  for  such  a  wound. 
Ja  his  opinion,  those  parts  were 


healtliy  until  the  ulcer  had  been 
created.  There  was  no  thickening 
of  the  part.  He  believed  that  her 
death  was  caused  by  mortification 
arising  from  inflammation,  which 
had  been  produced  by  some  power- 
ful application.  By  a  Juror  j 
Could  you  have  prevented  the 
death,  had  you  been  called  in  be- 
fore  the  12th  of  November? — I 
should  like  to  be  excused  giving 
any  answer — it  is  a  very  difficult 
question  ;  but  it  is  not  likely  that 
1  could  have  saved  the  patient. 
By  a  Juror ;  Could  you,  from 
what  Mr.  Campbell  told  you,  have 
prevented  her  death  if  you  had 
seen  her  sooner  } — ^I  have  admitted 
the  propriety  of  Mr.  Campbell's 
treatment ;  and,  therefore,  every 
thing  that  I  think  could  have  been 
done  was  done. — Mr.  Brodie  ex- 
amined by  the  Attorney-General ; 
Knew  of  no  disease  that  could  have 
called  for  the  application  of  any 
liniment  that  would  produce  such 
an  effect  intentionally.  From  the 
evidence  he  heard  Mr.  Campbell 
give,  it  did  not  appear  to  him  that 
any  other  treatment  would  have 
produced  a  better  effect. — Richard 
Franklin,  a  surgeon,  stated,  that 
he  saw  the  deceased  about  a  week 
previous  to  her  death,  and  also,  at- 
tended the  post  mortem  examina- 
tion of  her  body.  He  did  not 
observe  any  peculiarity  in  her  con- 
stitution to  account  for  the  violent 
effect  produced  by  the  applications 
used  by  the  prisoner. 

The  prisoner,  when  called  upon 
for  his  defence,  said,  he  had  a  writ- 
ten defence  prepared,  but  which  he, 
by  the  advice  of  his  counsel,  would 
decline  reading.  He  then  proceeded 
to  complain  of  the  publications  that 
had  issued  from  tire  press,  for  the 
purpose  of  exciting  a  prejudice 
against  him,  and  implored  the  jury 
not  to  pay  any  attention  to  them, 


38 


ANNUAL    REGISTER.      [i83l. 


He  had  succeeded  in  curing  many 
])ersonfl  who,  but  for  the  Ixincfit  of 
Ills  advice,  wouhl  long  ere  this  have 
been  in  their  graves. — He  should 
call  many  of  these  persons  as  wit- 
nesses, and  he  entreated  the  jury 
to  pay  particular  attention  to  their 
evidence.  Had  he  been  allowed 
to  continue  his  attendance  on  the 
deceased,  and  had  she  followed  the 
course  he  had  advised,  he  had  no 
doubt  he  should  have  cured  her; 
but  Mr.  Campbell  was  called,  who 
adopted  a  course  of  medicine  di- 
rectly contrary  to  his.  Mrs.  Camp- 
bell's feelings  towards  him  (pri- 
soner) would  be  evident  from  a 
declaration  she  made,  to  the  effect, 
that  it  was  a  hard  case  that  he 
should  be  getting  his  12,000/.  a- 
year,  while  her  son  could  scarcely 
get  any  thing.  He  had  treated 
the  deceased  with  all  the  skill  and 
attention  in  his  power,  and  there 
was  no  evidence  that  her  death  had 
1>een  occasioned  by  any  act  of  his. 
The  prisoner  concluded,  after  some 
general  observations  on  the  evi- 
dence, by  expressing  his  confidence 
that  the  jury  would  return  a 
verdict  in  his  favour.  A  great 
number  of  witnesses  of  the  highest 
respectability  were  then  examined, 
who  stated  that  they  had  been 
under  the  care  of  the  prisoner,  and 
each  of  them  expressed  their  entire 
satisfaction  at  his  general  mode 
of  treatment,  and  their  opinion  of 
his  skill  and  ability. — Mr.  Justice 
Bailey  told  the  Jury,  that  they 
must  be  satisfied,  that  the  ap- 
plication was  made  by  the  pri- 
soner feloniously,  by  that  he 
meant,  with  gross  and  culpable 
rashness,  before  they  convicted 
him ;  that  the  application  was  the 
cause  of  the  death  of  the  deceased, 
and  also  that  the  application  showed 
a  want  of  skill  and  attention  on  the 
part  of  the  prisoner,— The  Jury, 


after  an  absence  of  an  hour,  return- 
ed a  verdict  of  N(H  GuiUy. — Aa 
soon  as  the  verdict  was  pronounced 
several  elegantly  dressed  ladies 
went  to  the  prisoner  and  shook 
him  cordially  by  the  hand.  He 
was  ordereci  to  be  immediately 
discharged,  and  left  the  Court 
in  company  with  some  of  his 
friends. 

22.  Riots. — On  the  mornioff 
of  Tuesday  the  22nd,  a  party  of 
3000  miners,  collected  from  the 
parishes  of  Breage,  Gwennapj 
Crowan,  Wendron,  &c.,  passed 
through  Helston  in  complete  order^ 
for  the  avowed  purpose  of  prevent-* 
ing  further  shipments  of  corn  at 
Helford.  Near  Mawgan,  they  were 
met  by  H.  Grylls,  esq.,  on  his  way 
from  Bosahan,  who  entreated  them 
to  return,  but  they  would  not. 
One  of  their  leaders  said,  ''If  you. 
Sir,  will  go  with  us,  we  will  not  do 
any  mischief;  but  if  you  do  not, 
perhaps  we  shall  be  unruly/'  Find- 
ing all  his  endeavours  to  induce 
them  to  return  useless,  Mr.  Grylls 
and  Mr.  Black  accompanied  them 
to  Geer,  where  were  deposited 
about  150  bushels  of  barley,  which 
the  proprietor  promised  should  be 
sent  to  the  Helston  market  on 
Saturday.  They  next  proceeded 
to  Treath,  near  Helford,  and  found 
only  a  small  quantity ;  there,  also, 
a  promise  was  given  that  ift  should 
not  be  shii>pcd,  but  brought  to 
market.  From  thence  they  went 
to  Gilling,  where  they  found  in 
Mr.  Roskruge's  cellars,  several 
hundred  bushels  of  barley  and 
wheat.  Four  of  the  leaders  entered 
the  cellars,  and  measured  the 
depth,  length,  and  breadth  of  each 
pile  of  corn,  and  computed  the 
quantity.  Having  been  promised 
by  the  son  of  Mr.  Bosknige  that 
all  the  barley  should  be  sent  to  the 
market,  they   set   out  for  their 


FEB.] 


CHRONICLE. 


39 


homes  without  committing  any 
acts  of  violence.  Near  Mawgan, 
Mr.  Grylls  addressed  thera^  and 
begged  them  to  return  peaceably ; 
this  they  promised  to  do^  and  im*- 
mediately  gave  him  three  cheers. 
About  five  o'clock  in  the  evenings 
tliey  entered  Helston  in  perfect 
order.  They  declared^  that  their 
only  object  was  to  obtain  an  ade- 
quate supply  of  barley  at  the 
different  markets  on  the  25th.  As 
some  corn  was  beingcarried  through 
Breage,  to  Penzance,  a  great  body 
of  people,  mostly  females,  suppos- 
ing it  was  about  to  be  shipped, 
stopped  the  waggons,  from  which 
they  took  the  corn,  but  without 
committing  any  depredations  on 
it.  Subsequently,  on  finding  that 
it  was  to  be  ground  at  a  mill  at 
Penzance,  they  carefully  housed 
it,  and  on  Monday  delivered  it  to 
persons  sent  to  fetch  it,  without 
any  part  of  it  being  missing. 

22.  Combination  Riots.  — 
The  miners  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  St.  Blazey  having  formed 
combinations  for  the  purpose  of 
superseding,  in  a  great  measure, 
tlie  authority  of  the  agents  and 
the  regulations  of  the  mines,  early 
on  the  morning  of  the  22nd,  a 
great  number  of  men  collected  at 
Fowey  Consols  and  Lanescot  mines, 
and  attempted  to  seize  two  men 
who  hftd  refused  to  ent.er  into  any 
combination,  and  who,  from  the 
threats  of  summary  punishment 
being  inflicted  on  them,  had  been 
compelled  to  take  refuge  in  the 
counting-house  of  these  mines. 
The  agents,  after  waiting  a  con- 
siderable time  for  the  dispersion  of 
this  assemblage,  were  obliged  to 
appeal  to  the  magistrates.  The 
latter,  after  entreating  the  miners 
without  effect  to  disperse,  read 
the  riot  act,  and,  on  the  expiring 
of  the   hour,    as    the  mob  did 


not  disperse,  seven  of  them  were 
ordered  to  be  taken  into  custody. 
On  the  prisoners  being  put  into 
chaises  for  conveyance  to  prison, 
a  violent  attempt  to  rescue  them 
was  made  by  several  hundred  per- 
sons; but  after  a  long  conflict 
they  were  carried  to  Bodmin. 
Next  day  their  comrades  assem- 
bled in  great  numbers  to  attempt 
their  rescue  from  the  gaol  of  Bod- 
min. The  High  Sheriff  and  the 
neighbouring  Magistrates  repaired 
to  that  place  early  in  the  day,  and 
swore  in  between  thirty  and  forty 
special  constables.  The  staff  of 
the  royal  Cornwall  militia  were 
also  called  out,  and  were  placed  on 
duty  in  and  round  the  prison.  On 
the  24th,  a  motley  crowd  of  rioters 
entered  the  town.  They  sent  a 
deputation^  consisting  of  six  or 
seven  persons,  to  the  High  Sheriff, 
at  the  gaol,  to  explain  their  object. 
The  Sheriff  reasoned  with  them  on 
the  consequences  of  their  conduct, 
and  sent  them  back  to  their  com- 
rades. On  their  return  they  were 
accompanied  by  some  of  the  re- 
spectable inhabitants,  who  reasoned 
with  the  mob,  and  at  length. in- 
duced them  to  depart.  As  a 
reward  for  this  peaceable  demean- 
our, the  persons  who  spoke  to  them 
gave  each  a  pint  of  beer  and  a 
penny  loaf,  which  they  thankfully 
received. 

25.  ThundF'R  Storm.  —  On 
Sunday,  the  25th,  a  peal  of  thunder 
burst  over  the  parish  of  Kilmichael, 
of  Glassire.  The  lightning,  enter- 
ing the  spire  of  the  church,  rent  it 
from  top  to  bottom,  and  forced 
out  some  of  the  stones  from  the 
inner  side  in  its  progress.  The 
session-house  is  in  the  steeple,  and 
has  a  door  communicating  with  it 
from  the  church  :  this  also  was 
rent.  In  its  way  to  the  church, 
the  lightning  made  two  holes  in  the 


40 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


[1831. 


r(K)f,  one  on  ca(;Ii  side  of  the  pul- 
pit, and  broke  the  fijlass  of  the 
windows  on  that  side ;  it  also 
struck  the  ioft  and  sliattercd  it, 
and  c"mie  out  at  the  west  window, 
the  glass  of  which  it  likewise  de- 
stroyed. 

26     jNIuRDKu. — Durham    As- 
sizHs. — Thomas  Chirke,  a^ed  1!), 
was  indicted  for  the  wilful  mur- 
der of  Mary  Ami    Westropp,    at 
Pitlington,  in  the  county  of  l)ur- 
luim.     From  the  evidence,  it  ap- 
j)eared  that  tlie  prisoner  and  the 
deceased  lived  together  in  the  ser- 
vice of  Mr.  Oliver,  of  Hallgarth- 
nn'll,  which  is  situated  between  tlie 
villages  of  Sherbourne  and  Pitling- 
ton.    On  the  morning  of  the  14th 
of  August,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Oliver 
Avent  from  home,  leaving  the  house 
in  care  of  the  prisoner  and  the  de- 
ceased.    In  the  course  of  the  after- 
noon of  the  1 4th   they  were  seen 
by  several  persons,    and  the  pri- 
soner, in  reply  to  an  answer  which 
the  deceased  gave  him,  was  heard 
to  say,  he  thought  her  very  saucy, 
but  he  would  be  straight  with  her 
before   night.     About  six  o'clock 
the    same   evening,    the   prisoner 
alarmed  the  neighbourhood,  stat- 
ing that  six  men  had  broken  into 
the  mill,  and  killed  the  girl,   and 
very  nigh  killed  him.     The  body 
of  the  deceased  was  found  behind 
the  kitchen  door,  with  a  contused 
wound  on  the  forehead,  the  ear  cut 
through,  and  an  incision  extending 
across  the  throat,  and  dividing  the 
carotid  artery  and  jugular  vein  on 
the  right  side.     On  examining  the 
premises,   twenty-two  sovereigns, 
and  about  15/.  in  silver,  belonging 
to  Mr.  Oliver,  were  discovered  to 
have  been  stolen.     The  drawers,  in 
which  they  had  been  deposited,  had 
been  broken  open  by  means  of  a 
piece   of  metal,   which  had  been 
"white-washed,  and  was  found  near 


them,  and  fitted  exactly  the  marks 
i  n  the  drawers.  It  was  proved,  that 
the  prisoner's  room  had  been  re- 
cently white-washed,  and  that  at 
that  time  the  piec*c  of  metal  was 
lying  in  a  blank  window  in  his  room, 
'i'he  money  was  subsequently  dis- 
covered in  one  of  the  drawers  con- 
cealed in  some  standing  corn.  The 
prisoner  stated,  that  the  men  who 
entered  the  house  had  attacked 
him  with  the  poker,  and  that  he 
had  esca{)ed  with  difHculty ;  but 
the  witnesses,  who  saw  him  imme- 
diately after  the  alarm  had  been 
given,  could  not  discover  any  marks 
of  violence  on  him,  and  his  box, 
which  was  in  the  next  room  to  that 
from  which  the  money  was  taken, 
had  not  been  touched. --On  being 
called  on  for  his  defence^  the  pri- 
soner declared  that  he  was  inno- 
cent of  the  crime,  and  several  wit- 
nesses gave  him  a  good  character. 
— The  Jury  returned  a  verdict  of 
GuiUy,  and  sentence  of  death  was 
pronounced  upon  him.— 'He  was 
executed  on  the  28th.  On  the 
scaffold,  he  said  to  the  multitude, 
'^  Gentlemen,  I  am  innocent;  I 
am  suffering  for  another  man's 
crimes;*'  after  which  he  sobbed 
audibly. 

26.  TuEFT.  —  Surrey  Ses- 
sions.— Samuel  Marden,  a  coal- 
merchant,  was  indicted  for  stealing 
a  fur  tippet,  value  \7s,,  the  pro- 
perty of  Angel  Boxsius,  a  farrier. 
I'he  trial  of  the  prisoner  excited 
an  extraordinary  degree  of  inter- 
est^ owing  to  the  singularity  of  the 
circumstances  attending  the  charge, 
and  attracted  a  crowded  court  dur- 
ing the  proceedings,  which  lasted 
from  ten  until  five  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon. — Angel  Boxsius  stated, 
that,  on  the  28th  of  January  last, 
the  prisoner  called  at  his  shop,  re- 
lative to  the  delivery  of  some  coals 
with  which  he  had  supplied  bim* 


FEB.] 


CHRONICLE. 


41 


Previously  to  the  arrival  of  the  pri- 
soner, he  had  removed  a  ftir  tippet, 
which  was  on  the  counter  near  the 
door,  to  a  desk  at  the  upi)er  end  of 
the  shop,  close  to  the  parlour  win- 
dow. The  prisoner  remained  there 
about  an  hour  and  a  half  alto- 
gether^ and  was  enveloped  in  a 
cloak.  During  some  part  of  the 
time  the  prisoner  was  left  alone  in 
the  shop,  the  boy  having  been  sent 
to  an  adjoining  street  to  borrow  a 
shovel.  When  the  boy  returned, 
the  prisoner  took  the  shovel  in  one 
hand,  and,  with  the  other  under- 
neath his  cloak,  turned  over  a  few 
shovelsfull  of  coals,  in  order  to  let 
the  prosecutor  see  the  quality  of 
them,  and  he  left  the  shop  soon 
afterwards,  the  time  he  went  away 
being  about  a  quarter  after  six 
o'clock  in  the  evening :  the  shop 
was  closed  at  nine  o'clock.  There 
were  three  ladies  called  at  the  shop 
during  the  time  the  prisoner  was 
there,  but  they  did  not  approach 
that  part  where  the  tippet  was 
placed.  Prosecutor  missed  the 
tippet  the  next  morning,  and  did 
not  hear  any  thing  about  it  until 
the  afternoon  of  the  14th  inst., 
when,  while  standing  at  the  door, 
he  observed  a  young  lady  pass  with 
the  tippet  in  question  on  her  shoul- 
ders ;  and,  in  explanation  of  the 
manner  in  which  it  had  come  into 
her  possession,  she  said  that  it  had 
been  sent  to  her  by  Mr.  Harden, 
on  the  29th  of  January,  with  a 
letter,  begging  her  acceptance  of 
it.  The  prisoner  was  subsequently 
taken  into  custody,  and  then  stated 
that  he  had  purchased  the  tippet 
of  an  aged  man  on  the  morning  of 
the  29th  of  January,  near  the  Ele- 
phant and  Castle,  as  he  was  pro- 
ceeding from  his  residence  to  his 
office  in  Montagu-close,  adding, 
that  the  man  offered  it  for  10^., 
but  that  be   ultimately  Jet  him 


have  it  for  7s.  The  prosecutor 
added,  tliat  Stowell,  a  parish  con- 
stable, a  man  named  Morris,  and 
his  wife,  were  examined  at  Union- 
hall,  when  the  prisoner  was  taken 
before  the  magistrates  there. — The 
prosecutor,  in  his  cross-examin- 
ation, admitted  that  he  was  not 
present  in  the  shop  during  the 
whole  time  the  prisoner  was  there, 
neither  was  his  wife,  who  was  occu- 
pied in  the  kitchen .  The  prisoner 
did  not  use  the  large  shovel,  which 
would  have  required  both  hands, 
but  the  small  one,  with  one  hand, 
while  the  other  remained  under  his 
cloak.  Did  not  state  to  a  man 
named  Riddlestopper,thatif  Bootch, 
his  workman,  had  stolen  the  tip- 
pet, he  would  not  get  him  into  a 
scrape ;  neither  did  he  tell  Cole,  a 
policeman,  that  he  did  not  wish  to 
press  the  charge  against  the  pri- 
soner, he  being  a  respectable  man 
and  having  plenty  of  money.  Did 
not  say  to  Stowell,  the  constable, 
that  if  the  prisoner  was  not  prose- 
cuted, it  would  make  a  good  job 
for  them.  —  The  identity  of  the 
tippet  was  here  proved  by  a 
young  woman  who  had  made  the 
alterations  in  it  for  one  of  the  pro- 
secutor's customers.— Miss  Jarrod, 
the  young  lady  to  whom  the  tip- 
pet was  sent  by  the  prisoner,  de- 
scribed, as  already  detailed,  the 
manner  in  which  it  had  come  into 
her  possession. 

The  prisoner  being  called  on  for 
his  defence,  put  in  a  written  state- 
ment, which  was  read  by  the  Cleric 
of  the  Court,  declaring  that  he  was 
innocent  of  the  offence  with  which 
he  was  charged,  and  that  he  had 
purchased  the  tippet  in  the  way 
already  alluded  to. 

Mr.  Morris,  a  dyer,  was  then 
called,  and  he  stated,  that,  on  the 
morning  of  the  29th  of  January, 
an  old  man  ^ed  nt  his  sbop^  and 


42 


A  NNVAl    KtaiSTER. 


[1831. 


int  uxfit,  Wltfii'tHi  UlU'W  Mir  (i|f|N't., 
Iifffff  Hii'  II iMiMori  IImIiik  in  it, 
ivfiirfi  liiiil  ii)M;t>«  oil  il.    lliMJifl  not 

finri'i'lvM  vvliiit  ili'ii4'i'i|ftiiiii  of  I'lir 
I  WMdf  ihmI  Hip  ifiiiri  hIio  IiikI  it. for 
IM1I114  mwtiiiK  tliiit  \w  liiul  iin  (liH)iii« 
nit  Inn  In  liiiroiiM<  11  |iiiri'liiiAri',  tlii'fi 
Inn  llio  aIhi|i.  On  till*  l/itli  iiiHt., 
Nliiwiill«  IIh<  rdtiNliililis  ('iiIIihI  on 
wl(ntimi«  wlio  iliMrribiMl  to  liini  llio 
niliiiir  III'  tin*  lip)M*t  lining,  iumI 
IIMVo  liini  iiImii  h  ili*N(>ri)i(ion  ol'  (liu 
itiifHiMi  \ilin  liiul  oH'oriMl  it.  for  nhIo. 
\Vlliii>iiH  IomI  mo  ii(*i|iiitlnliiutv  wlml- 
iiviM'  \illli  Iho  priNoiior  ii|i  to  tlu* 
t imp  of  iIiIm  triiiimu'lioM,  Mini  liml 
no  iiMill\i«  on  oiirtli  ftu'  nnninif  for- 
mii'il,  i«siM»|t(  to  ntiito  that  \\\\\v\\ 
mm  tino  tvl(i(i\o  (o  all  In*  know 
alioiit  tin*  ntallor.  In  tho  wit* 
noirt'N  iMo«i«  «t\aniina(iini.  ho  Htatoili 
lliat  liu  ivtsilUvtion  of  tlio  ilav  on 
wliioli  (lio  (i|)|H'(  uaH  ollonil  l«»r 
Miilo  III  liu  iilio|K  wan  o\«  in^  to hwww 
latltov  lianng  «m11oiI  at  Imn  "liop  at 
tlio  timoi  \«lto  ,<Mi\(  tlio  artiolo  as 
\\\A\  a«  Kintm^ltt  \\\\\  lio  \\i\\\  not 
tUoir  aiUh^^M,  otlkoi\UM'  In'  wonM 
Imw  (M>mj;lit  thorn  toiAiai>l  totNMT- 
i>4K^iN«to  Im^o\  nlotux^  -  %KvM'ph  W  lU 
lumx«  tiko  |vHov  \^lio  \ij(!t  onw 
|4o\>sl  u(  »hA«tu\jf  tlio  \>mU  At  I  ho 
|M>v^s«t\M  «w  hou!«^^  %*«^  tho  At^Oin^HM) 
(ho  U|^S'I  H<^^  ^t^^UMU  MAtxsL  th^l 
tkO  MXt  (ho   |M«vSVt  u>\^   t):o  Ur^" 

.^  m^»;hm  o^v^  U^  !UiNSiUVo5>s  t^:. 

\tsS*v'\.     ;^    V.»;«k^    i,\N;;    Wv    U\Nl 

•1^    Ak«>v«  ^'k     rt\'4v'^      ■It-'Ai^  .tk>''x  .K« 
K^WVV    «»M«  A    '  ^"A^      <t'<i«Hl.  «^li^*  imOL 


lK:for«  a  inaf$iitratc«  The  witneM 
iulilitd,  that  Mr.  Morri»  had  de- 
MTiUsd  to  Jiiin  the  age  and  appear- 
Mu'v.  of  this  man  who  had  onered 
tJif!  tii»|N5t  for  nalo  at  his  shop^ 
wlinn  li(!  (StowoU)  went  there  to 
niiiki;  in<|iiir^  about  the  transac- 
tion.— fn  hiM  croHS-oxamination, 
tin*  witness  admitted  that  he  ac« 
coninuniod  the  prisoner  to  his  house 
on  tint  cvoning  ho  took  him  into 
ciutiHly,  and  that  he  drank  a  glass 
of  ^in  and  water  there  at  his  in- 
vitation. Did  not  tell  tiie  magis* 
tratoH  at  IJnion-hall  that  the  pro- 
Nocutor  hud  attomnted  to  compro- 
ndNO  the  ouso ;  diu  intend  to  do  so, 
hut  wiiH  Ntop|)od.<-*Mr.  Klyard,  who 
waa  on  tho  bench,  on  hearing  the 
M'itnoNM'a  nmly*  seemed  amaaed  at 
it,  and  rising,  Baid>  "I  M*as  ftt 
Tnion-hall  the  day  of  the  examin- 
ation, and  can  vouch  that  the  m»» 
tfiHtratoM  present  (hlr.  Hone  and 
^lr.  Murray)  wore  quite  willing 
to  H«ton  to  the  whole  of  the  wit* 
uoiwos  who  oamo  forward  on  tint 
(HXNi»imi»  and  it  is  luiwt  extr«or« 
diuciry  that  »uch  a  statmeiit  as 
thai  now  made  by  the  witmas 
Nhould  hau'  bn'U  withheld  uatii 
this  daw  It  vtHikl  haw  bmi  a 
uu^t  itti|Kwtaut  tact  on  behalf  of 
tlH"  ai\ni$«Hi«  ainl  I  repeat*  it  evlj 
Mir|Mrt^tiL  mc  it  $1hhiM  kaw  Kcm 
ko|H  l^M%  until  uow^^^^^Witaess's 
^H\«««  «  <'\amiMitMii  cMtiMML  — > 
l\<^i  fi\y^t&tvw  tku  lir  ^witeMa) 
«\>aki  ttvst  aittwttt  ;v>  litciwat  a  |wrtT 
^^  att)  ovwtfcprvwMiSiN  but  tkaa  lie 
s)(\*UAi  ^'  )u$  «JiKtv«  aasi  take  tike 

:  A^4x^  « :t  Jt  ::^w^*f  ti/  Jk  o 
4C    UkAI^IA    4C 


MAR.] 


CHRONICLE. 


48 


case." — Thomas  Cole,  a  policeman, 
into  whose  custody  the  prisoqer 
was  handed  over  by  Stowell,  stated 
tliat,  on  the  14th  inst,,  the  prose- 
cutor said  to  him,  "I  don't  wish 
to  indict  Mr.  Harden,  he  has  plenty 
of  money,  and  if  you  keep  out  of 
the  way,  you  will  be  well  paid  for 
your  trouble."  The  witness  added, 
that  he  refused  to  take  the  advice 
of  the  prosecutor,  saying  to  him 
on  that  occasion,  ''  If  it  was  a  poor 
man,  you  would  follow  up  the  case 
to  the  utmost,  but  as  Mr.  Marden 
is  rich,  you  don't  wish  to  prose^' 
cute,  for  the  sake  of  getting  m^ney 
by  it." — The  witness,  in  his  cross^ 
examination,  said,  that  he  had  not 
made  known  that  which  he  had 
now  stated,  to  the  Inspector  or 
any  body  else,  until  within  the  last 
two  or  thr^e  days.  He  had  no 
object  in  view  in  keeping  it  a  secret 
for  so  long  a  time,  neither  did  he 
mention  it  when  before  the  magis- 
trates at  Union-hall. — Some  sur-r 
prise  was  manifested  by  the  Court 
and  Jury,  that  this  witness  h^ 
also  kept  back  such  important  evi- 
dence until  within  the  last  few 
days. — Mrs.  Morris,  the  wife  of 
the  witness  of  that  name,  stated, 
that,  on  the  29th  of  January,  she 
saw  a  man  offer  a  tippet  for  sale  to 
her  huiiband  in  the  shop.  She  was 
unable,  however,  to  describe  either 
the  man  who  offered  it,  whether  be 
was  old  or  young,  or  the  kind  of 
fur  or  lining  of  the  tippet. — A  Mr. 
Riddlestopper  stated  that  he  was  a 
furrier,  and  that  the  prosecutor 
called  on  him  on  Tuesday  last,  and, 
in  allusion  to  this  case,  said,  '^  If 
poor  old  Joe  (meaning  a  workman) 
stole  the  tippet,  I  should  not  like 
to  get  him  in  trouble." — In  the 
course  of  the  trial,  a  cood  deal  had 
been  said  about  an  old  man  named 
Joe  Bootch,  who  was  in  the  prosecu- 
tor's employj  and  who  was  at  one 


period  suspected  of  being  the  per« 
son  who  was  alleged  to  have  offered 
the  tippet  for  sale,  under  the  cir- 
cumstances detailed  by  the  pri-i 
soner  in  his  defence,  and  also  as 
represented  by  the  witness  Morris. 
Bootch,  however,  appeared  on  the 
trial,  and  was  exonerated  from  the 
stigma,  neither  Mr.  Morris  nor  the 
prisoner  alleging  that  he  was  the 
person. — A  great  number  of  highly 
respectable  merchants  and  trades- 
men gave  the  prisoner  an  excellent 
character;  and,  after  the  Chair- 
man had  summed  up  the  evidence, 
the  Jury  retired  for  an  hour  to 
deliberate,  and  on  their  return  into 
Court,  pronounced  a  verdict  of  Not 
Guilty, 


MARCH. 

1.  Vicious  Dogs. — Aylbs-* 
BURY  Assize s.'*«-)^e//#  V.  Head*'-m' 
The  plaintiff  brought  his  action  of 
trespass  for  shooting  a  dog.  The 
defendant  pleaded,  that  the  dog,  at 
the  time  he  met  with  his  death, 
was  worrying  his  sheep,  and  that 
he  shot  him  in  their  necessary  pro* 
tection.  Both  the  parties  were 
farmers  at  Ellesborough,  and,  on 
the  1 1th  of  March,  1830,  the  dog 
was  in  a  field  called  the  Mile  Close, 
and  was  shot  by  the  defendant,  who 
at  the  time  he  fired  the  gun,  was 
in  an  adjoining  field  called  th^ 
Catskin. — For  the  defendant,  wit- 
nesses were  called,  who  stated  that 
the  dog  had  been  for  the  last 
twelve  months  in  the  practice  of 
chasing  and  worrying  his  sheep, 
whereof  he  had  apprised  the  plain- 
tifif,  On  the  day  in  question,  he 
bad  chased  and  seized  the  plaintifiTs 
sheep  in  the  rick-yard,  which  was 
two  fields  from  that  in  which  he 
was  shot.  After  he  had  worried 
tbem  iA  the  rick-yard^  be  left  that 


44 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


([1831. 


i)lacc,  traversed  tlio  Ciitskin,  and 
liad  got  into  tlie  Milefield,  liaviiig 
entirely  quitted  the  sheep. — Under 
these  circumstances,  Mr.  Justice 
Alderson  was  of  opinion,  that  tlie 
justification  wjis  not  made  out.  If 
the  defendant  had  found  the  dog 
worrying  liis  slieej),  and  liad 
no  other  mode  of  protecting  liis 
floi'k  at  the  time,  he  would  liave 
l)een  justified  ;  but,  as  the  dog 
had  ceased  to  worry  them,  and 
had  crossed  a  field  and  got  into  a 
third  fiehl  at  the  time  he  was 
killed,  tlie  defendant  l»ad  no  right, 
in  point  of  law,  to  follow  him  for 
the  purj>ose  of  killing  him. — \'er- 
dict  for  plaintiff — Damages,  one 
guinea. 

Arson.  —  Wixchestkr  As- 
sizes.— John  Sanson  was  indicted 
for  having,  on  the  9th  of  Decem- 
ber, 1828,  maliciously  set  fire  to 
certain  fiirm-buildings,  the  pro- 
perty of  John  Buckland.  It  ap- 
peared from  the  evidence,  that  the 
fire  had  destroyed,  not  only  the 
farm-buildings  of  Mr.  Buckland, 
but  also  eight  horses,  seven  pigs, 
some  poultry,  and  a  great  quantity 
of  corn  and  other  articles. — James 
Hatcher,  the  brother-in-law  of  the 
prisoner,  deposed,  that,  soon  after 
the  fire  of  1828,  the  prisoner,  in  an 
agony  of  remorse,  confessed  to  the 
witness  his  having  set  fire  to  the 
premises  of  Mr.  Buckland.  The 
prisoner  stated  at  the  same  time, 
and  was  repeating  it  **  for  ever- 
lasting," that  he  could  have  no  rest 
in  his  mind  in  consequence  of  the 
crime  which  he  had  committed. 
The  prisoner  also  told  the  witness 
that  he  had  set  fire  to  Farmer 
Buckland  s  premises  at  the  insti- 
gation of  three  other  farmers, 
named  George  Spencer,  Andrew 
Spencer  (George's  brother),  and 
Henry  Cozens,  who  had  come  to 
bim  at  Cozens's  l^snu,  and  told  him 


that  they  would  gi^e  him  a  so« 
vereign  each  for  committing  the 
crime.     The  jirisoucr  was  in  the 
employment  of  George  Spencer  at 
the  time  of  the  alleged  proposal^ 
and   they   recommended    to   him 
to  go  to    Cozens's  for  a  lantern. 
The  prisoner  had  further  confessed 
to  the  witness  that  he  Lad  com- 
mitted the  offence  in  company  with 
James   SjKjncer,  a  sou   of  one  of 
the  Spencers  abovenamed,  and  who 
was  at  that  time  in  the  employ- 
ment of  Henry  Cozens.     The  wit- 
ness mentioned  to  his  mother  the 
prisoner's  confession,  and  added ^ 
that     it     was    a    thing      which 
''  ought  not  to  be  concealed."     In 
answer  to  a  question  by  Mr.  Jus- 
tice Taunton,  he,  however,  admit- 
ted, that  he  never  had  stated  the 
prisoner's  confesi^ion  to  any  one  be- 
sides his  (witness's)  own  mother  for 
more    than    two    years.  —  James 
Sjuincer,    the    jwrson    abovemen- 
tioned,  deposed,  that,  on  the  night 
of  the  burning,  the  prisoner  came 
to  him  at  Cozens's,  and  asked  him 
for   the   lantern,  stating  that  he 
wanted  to  use  it  for  setting  fire  to 
farmer  Buckland's  premises.     The 
witness  attcmpte<l  to  dissuade  the 
prisoner  from  the  commission  of 
the  crime,  but,  on  the  repeated  re- 
quest of  the  prisoner,  he  gave  him 
the  lantern,  and  accompanied  him 
to  within  a  few  yards  of  the  build- 
ings, where  he  remained  until  the 
fire  broke  out,  when  he  ran  oflT,  and 
was  soon  overtaken  by  the  prison- 
er, who  de|)osited  the  lantern  in  a 
ditch.     This  witness  also  admit- 
ted that  he  had  concealed  his  know- 
ledge   of    the    transaction    until 
lately. — The  Jury  found  the  pri- 
soner Gtiiitt/,  and  lie  was  sentenced 
to  death. 

4.  Political  Tricks. — Bow 
Street. — Mr.  C.  Phillips  made 
an  application  at  this  office  for 


MAR.] 


CHRONICLE. 


45 


summonses  against  the  Chevalier 
D'Abreu-e-Lima,  Ambassador  to 
Donna  Maria  of  Portugal,  on  the 
ground  that  certain  despatches, 
which  were  forwarded  on  Friday 
last,  by  the  government  of  Portu- 
gal, to  Mr.  Sampayo,  the  Consul- 
general  of  that  country,  under  its 
present  King,  had  been  opened  at 
the  house  of  the  Chevalier,  where 
they  had  been  left  in  mistake  by 
the  post-office  messenger.  It  ap- 
pearedj  according  to  the  statement 
of  Mr.  Phillips,  that,  on  the  morn- 
ing of  the  day  in  question,  the  de- 
spatches were  delivered  at  the 
house  of  the  party  complained 
against,  and  at  ten  o'clock  on  the 
same  night  they  were  left  with  the 
seals  broken  at  Mr.  Sampayo's 
house  in  Albemarle-street,  by  a 
gentleman  who  kept  his  handker- 
chief to  his  mouth  as  he  delivered 
them  to  the  servant.  These  de- 
spatches contained  matter  of  the 
greatest  importance,  and  were  en- 
tirely of  a  secret  nature.  In  fact, 
they  related  i:o  the  revolution  in 
Portugal;  and  to  prove  in  what 
manner  the  information  had  been 
used,  it  was  only  necessary  to  refer 
to  the  columns  of  a  leading  news- 
paper, where  part  of  that  identi- 
cal correspondence  appeared,  in  the 
shape  of  a  private  letter  from  Por- 
tugal. So  clumsily  had  the  fraud 
been  effected,  that  the  despatches 
which  had  been  broken  open  were 
re-sealed  again  with  the  seal  of  the 
Ambassador  of  Donna  Maria,  thus 
affording  evidence  of  the  quarter  in 
which  the  fraud  had  been  practised. 
He,  however,  did  not  mean  to 
bring  any  direct  charge  against 
any  individual,  but  he  applied  on 
behalf  of  Mr.  Sampayo  for  a  sum- 
mons against  the  porter  at  the 
house  of  the  Chevalier  D'Abreu-e- 
l^ima,  into  whose  hands  the  de- 


spatches were  delivered  by  the 
post-office  messenger,  in  order  that 
he  should  be  compelled  to  account 
for  their  having  been  subsequently 
broken  open.  Ue  asked  also  a 
summons  against  the  Chevalier, 
to  give  evidence,  that  he  might  ac- 
count why  his  seal  should  have 
been  used  in  re-sealing  the  de- 
spatches. The  magistrates.  Sir  R. 
Birnie,  Mr.  Miushull,  and  Mr. 
Halls,  having  ascertained  that  the 
packet  was  lighter  by  a  quarter  of 
an  ounce  than  when  it  arrived  at 
the  post-office,  notwithstanding  the 
additional  wax  used  in  re-sealing 
it,  inferred  from  that  circumstance 
that  some  of  the  despatches  had 
been  purloined,  and  agreed  that 
the  summons  should  be  issued.  Mr. 
Sampayo  made  accordingly  the  ne- 
cessary affidavit,  and  obtained  sum- 
monses. The  summonses,  how- 
ever, were  afterwards  counter- 
manded by  Mr.  Minshull,  the  sit- 
ting magistrate,  who,  on  further 
consideration,  was  of  opinion  that 
the  case  was  one  in  which  a  magis- 
trate had  no  jurisdiction.  Next 
week,  the  application  for  sum- 
monses was  renewed,  ^r.  Sampayo 
founding  his  application  on  the 
42nd  of  George  3rd,  cap.  81,  sec. 
4,  which  provides,  "  that,  if  any 
person  shall  wilfully  secrete  or  de- 
tain any  letter  or  packet  forwarded 
through  the  General-post-office, 
and  left  by  accident  or  mistake  at 
the  house  of  such  person,  he  or  she 
shall  be  liable  to  be  fined  or  im« 
prisoned."  After  some  discussion, 
the  clerk  was  directed  to  write  to 
Sir  Francis  Freeling,  requesting 
him  to  allow  the  letter-carriers  and 
messengers  to  appear  to  give  evi- 
dence touching  this  matter. 

7.  Royal  Visit  to  Covent 
Garden. — This  evening  their  Ma* 
jesties  visited  Covent  Garden  The-^ 


46 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


[1881. 


atre^  where  tliey  had  commanded 
the  performances.  Tlie  doors  were 
opened  earlier  than  usual^  and  the 
liouse  was  immediately  crowded  in 
all  parts.  Soon  after  the  sixjctji- 
tors  in  the  galleries  had  taken 
their  seats,  two  printed  placards, 
headed  "  Reform/'  and  containing 
in  large  letters  the  words  "  Glori- 
ous King/'  were  displayed  in  the 
front  of  the  upper  gallery.  An- 
other placard  of  the  same  kind  M'as 
handed  from  the  upper  to  the  lower 
gallery,  and  had  been  displayed  in 
the  front  of  the  latter  only  a  short 
time,  when  a  constable  removed 
it.  The  placards  from  the  upper 
gallery  then  disappeared .  The  ap- 
pearance of  those  papers  in  no  way 
disturbed  the  good-humour  of  the 
audience.  Their  Majesties  enter- 
ed their  box,  which  was  very  splen- 
didly arranged,  shortly  after  seven 
o'clock.  The  Duke  of  Devonshire, 
Lord  Winchester,  and  some  other 
Lords,  stood  behind  their  Majesties* 
chairs. 

8.  False  Imprisonment.  — 
Lancaster.  —  Entwislle  v.  Nor^ 
cliffe. — This  was  an  action  of  tres- 
pass and  false  imprisonment.  The 
defendant  pleaded  that  he  was  not 
guilty,  and  also  a  justification,  al- 
leging that  the  plaintiff  had  been 
in  his  service  as  clerk,  and  that  he 
had  embezzled  a  sum  of  money 
which  he  had  received  in  his  ca- 
pacity as  clerk ;  for  which  reason 
defendant  caused  him  to  be  appre- 
hended and  carried  before  a  magis- 
trate. It  appeared  from  the  evi- 
dence, that  the  plaintiff  M'as  a  zinc 
merchant,  and  had  formerly  been 
in  the  employment  of  Messrs.  Hume 
&  Co.,  extensive  dealers  in  zinc, 
resident  in  London.  In  the  year 
1 828,  it  occurred  to  the  plaintiff 
that  there  M'as  a  good  opportunity 
of  establishing  himself  in  Liver- 


pool, as  there  was  in  that  town  no 
|)erson  who  carried  on  a  trade  in 
zinc.  Accordingly  the  plaintiff 
went  to  Liverpool,  and  by  means  of 
an  advertisement,  which  ne  inserted 
in  a  newspaper,  became  acquainted 
with  the  defendant.  After  some 
negotiation  they  determined  to  com- 
mence a  trade  in  zinc,  and  an  agree- 
ment was  drawn  up,  by  which  the 
defendant  (after  reciting  that  he 
had  been  appointed  agent  for 
Messrs.  Hume  &  Co.  of  London^ 
agreed  to  allow  the  plaintiff  one 
half  of  the  clear  profits  of  the 
business,  after  deducting  the  ne- 
cessary charges,  and  one  of  those 
charges  was  expressed  to  be  a 
weekly  salary  to  the  plaintiff^  which 
for  the  first  year  was  not  to  exceed 
the  sum  of  2/.  per  week.  In  con- 
sideration of  this  the  plaintiff 
agreed  to  devote  all  his  time  and 
attention  to  the  concern.  The  bu- 
siness was  accordingly  carried  on 
by  the  plaintiff  and  defendant  un- 
til September,  1830.  On  the  6th 
of  that  month  the  plaintiff  wrote 
a  letter  to  the  defendant,  in  which 
he  informed  him  that  he  had  taken 
such  steps  as  would  necedsarily 
produce  a  separation ;  and  after 
offering  to  do  anything  that  he 
could  to  serve  the  defendant  in  his 
business,  he  required  an  investi- 
gation and  a  settlement  of  the  ac- 
counts between  them.  This  letter 
was  delivered  to  the  defendant 
about  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon^ 
and,  within  an  hour  afterwards,  the 
defendant  went  to  the  Liveipool 
police-office  and  asked  for  an  officer 
to  apprehend  the  plaintiff,  who,  he 
statea,  was  a  clert  in  his  employ- 
ment, and  had  embeszled  some 
money  which  had  been  paid  to  him 
on  defendant's  account.  A  police- 
officer  of  the  name  of  Halsall  ac- 
cordingly   went     to    defendant's 


MAR.] 


CHRONICLE. 


47 


house^  and  was  there  directed  to 
a  tavern  in  Cable-street,  where 
plaintiff  was  dining  in  company 
with  some  friends.  The  police- 
officer  apprehended  plaintiff,  and 
took  him  along  Cable*street  and 
Castle-street  (which  was  described 
to  be  the  most  public  street  in 
Liverpool)  to  Bridewell,  where  the 
plaintiff  remained  during  the  night. 
On  the  following  day  the  plaintiff 
was  carried  before  a  magistrate  and 
remanded.  It  did  not  clearly  ap- 
pear on  what  account  plaintiff  was 
remanded  j  the  police-officer  stating 
it  to  have  been  at  the  request  of 
defendant,  in  order  to  give  him  an 
opportunity  of  discovering  whether 
any  other  charge  could  be  found 
out  against  plaintiff,  whilst  another 
witness  stated,  that  it  was  at  the 
plaintiff's  request  for  the  purpose 
of  enabling  him  to  procure  legal 
advice.  The  next  day  plaintiff  was 
again  taken  before  a  magistrate, 
and  a  charge  of  embezzlement 
made  against  him  by  defendant. 
Plaintiff  produced  a  copy  of  the 
agreement  mentioned  above,  and 
the  magistrate  immediately  dis- 
missed the  charge.  These  facts 
were  proved  by  the  police-officer 
who  apprehended  the  plaintiff,  and 
a  friend  who  had  accompanied  him 
to  Bridewell,  and  been  present 
during  the  subsequent  examina- 
tion.— In  cross-examination  it  was 
stated  by  both  witnesses  that  the 
charge  made  by  the  defendant  re- 
lated to  a  small  sum  of  money 
which  defendant  said  had  been  paid 
by  a  person  of  the  name  of  Sloman 
to  plaintiff,  on  defendant's  account. 
Plaintiff,  when  before  the  magis- 
trate, did  not  deny  that  he  had 
received  the  money;  but  alleged 
that  he  was  a  partner  with  defend- 
ant, and  therefore  had  a  right  to 
receive  it,  and  appropriate  it,  if  he 


pleased. — The  Jury  found  for  the 
plaintiff — Damages  100/. 

8.  Riots  to  Prevent  Ship- 
ments OF  Corn. — On  the  8th  a 
body  of  between  fifty  and  sixty 
miners,  chiefly  from  the  parish  of 
Newlyn,  entered  Newquay,  where 
a  vessel  was  taking  in  a  cargo  of 
barley,  and  insisted  that  the  ship- 
ment should  be  discontinued.  In 
consequence  of  their  threats,  some 
loads  of  grain  that  had  been 
brought  to  the  place  were  taken 
back.  The  nearest  magistrates 
speedily  repaired  to  Newquay,  and 
swore  a  number  of  persons  to  act 
as  special  constables.  This  being 
done,  they  inquired  of  the  miners, 
who  still  remained  in  a  body,  what 
their  object  was  in  thus  attempt- 
ing to  prevent  the  free  intercourse 
of  trade  between  different  parts 
of  the  kingdom. — They  were  in- 
formed that  certain  millers  (who 
were  named)  had  induced  them 
to  endeavour  to  prevent  the  ship- 
ment of  the  corn,  by  representing 
to  them  that  they  (the  millers) 
found  it  impossible  to  obtain  grain 
at  any  price,  it  being  all  bought 
up  for  exportation,  and  that  unless 
this  trade  was  stopped,  an  absolute 
famine  in  the  country  would  ensue. 
The  gentlemen  proceeded  to  }>oint 
out  the  absurdity  of  this  statement, 
and  the  serious  consequences 
of  violating  the  law  by  tne  pre- 
sent proceedings.  Finding  the 
men  were  not  disposed  to  attend 
to  their  exhortations  tO  return  to 
their  homes,  the  magistrates  read 
the  Riot  Act,  when  the  miners 
took  their  departure,  threatening 
to  return  the  next  day,  in  greater 
force.  In  consequence  of  these 
threats,  the  magistrates  thought 
it  necessary  to  send  to  Bodmin  for 
a  party  of  military,  and  twenty- 
five  men  accordingly  proceeded  to 


4H 


ANNUAL    RROISTEIl.        [issi. 


ttiiity  n(  t)if<  iVtilidlf  iffii  ;i|i|>f;ir- 
ii(l  on  nw  of  IIh'  lici/^litM  wnr  '\i*\v- 
f|iitiy,  hut.  I'-i'i'iti,";  Hi:i(  prr|)iir;itioiiH 
IiimI  tifi'ti  tfiH<lr  to  ii'mImI  iiiiy  ;it.- 
f««iii)il  flii'V  iiii'^iit  ninlii'  to  |in;- 
u'lit  tlip  loiiilin((  of  till'  vcHMi'l, 
tliry  ri«lii'ri|.  iiinl  till*  v<'H>4«'l,  liiiviii;r 
roiiipipltHl  tier  nir'/.o.  N.iiird. 

U.  llniHii.AiiY.  I.iNroi.N,---i 
.loliii  ( IriHMnvonil,  iiiMiiiii'r,  M JiH  in- 
<lirt«Ml  tor  II  liiii'^l:iry  in  tin*  Ikminc 
of  .loliii  WiMillirrlio^t  on  tin*  !Mli 
III'  l*'i«liniary  limt.  Tin*  priNoiuT.  it 
ii|t|iiMihMl,  \\i\H  niiirriiMl  to  tlio  pro- 
pu*riitor*M  (l:ni;;liltM*  tipwnnls  ot*  a 
MMir  liot'oiT.  Aliout  II  nioiitli  ixfio, 
lio  iinil  liii  uilo  MptMit  Nonip  tiiiio 
uitli  Ihm'  t'dtliiM',  nlio  is  i^M^iinN  of 
'u»M«llt\  YOJII'M  ot*  iip\  {inti  \\\\\\ 
tiloiio  in  II  liouHO  »  <|Uiirtor  of  i)  niilo 
(liHtiinl  from  iinv  otiioi*.  Oh  llio 
iii^lit  of  tlu*  tMli  of  IVhruarv.  wuwli 
M,m  t»  fv\^  tl:)\H  aftor  (hoy  liatl  ^mio 
iswik),  lUo  piOH«vulor  wan  sittiuv: 
aloiio  in  his  Iiouho,  mIuml  just  u^i 
I  ho  (iiv  \\av  K^'t'iiur  i^*>K  h%*  \\k\\v\\ 
A  noiHo.  an\l  o\vm'v\o\(  tlio  window 
Ui>»k\si  ill  hx  u  pitsv  of  \W  i^huik, 
i\\\\\  |»r\>MM\tl\  artoru,ii>ls  ii  lunii 
nnn)SHl  ui,  M\\\  \'a\U\\  out  to  t!io 
iM>v^vut>Mih;M  ho  \^o«W  >hss^thiin. 
1^0  |Mv^Mit\s^  ^«  ptstol  ;;t  hishsxMSt* 

,1l\^(  (II>nI    \t    V>  Ox\4V   a^    to    Sn^t    tl'iO 

Imuo  a  p\NV  out  of  ^^s  ja/noI, 
tl-^^MsoJ  x\,o>ty\vtt.  AJul  >*^»rl,  riio 
lUMi   fhot\    '^tMix'x    liw    x»;th    tK"* 

\*  *  A-N  Sn*  *  •<,;  ;nv\  ,vrv'^   ,  'A a;  n"^;; 

^^"1  v>  V  \.^•v  >«*\  *>»■  »  -*•  S'.\\>v 
^1  j.,1  V  i'  N^'^,  A    ji    sr  *vv    v^vti. 


liiHtkir*,  and  mmc  other  articles, 
with  u'iiich  he  decamped,  haviug 
iiM'd  a  ^niff  tone  of  voice  whenever 
h<!  had  spoken  to  the  prosecutor, 
in  (uiiim!(]ii(Mice  of  which  the  latter 
nover  ro(!o/;iiized  him.  Two  con- 
HtahloH,  however,  having  gone  in 
pursuit  of  him  next  morning,  over- 
took him  on  the  road  to  Hull,  ap« 
prohondod  him  and  brought  him 
iiack.  I  le  contrived^  when  passing 
over  a  bridge,  to  throw  the  bundle^ 
which  he  carried,  into  a  river^ 
where  it  Nunk  ;  but  there  were 
found  upon  his  |)er8on,  the  prose- 
cut  or*M  spoon,  the  buckle,  ana  some 
NJiot,  a  slug,  and  a  flint.  There 
was  no  truce,  liowever,  about  the 
piTsoii  or  ch)tlies  of  tiie  prosecu- 
tor of  any  shot  or  shigs  having 
Uvn  discIiargiMl  at  him  when  the 
pristtnor  tirotl  1iij«  pistid. — The  Jury 
found  him  (in«//i/.  and  sentence  of 
death  was  pnuiounced. 

\K  ToNSiMRACY. — At  the  coun- 
ty Moath  Assixos,  Matthew  Reilly 
and  Diristophor  Courtney  were 
indiotiHl  for  a  ivnspirau^y  against 
Miss  Smith,  a  voune  tsulv  of  se- 
uMit(Vu,  ot  ros)kvtaUo  fiimily,  and 
sxMuo  fortune.  They  vrere  char^^ 
xnth  haxing  vvnspirvHi  to  inlwnii 
asraiust  hot  a$  having  written  awl 
s«'nt  «vrt«t;n  thrMtening  iK4kes  to 
ho r  f;it hor  Mr.  Smith .  Tker  mi« 
si4::K\l  **  Kivi  and  SuvmmtI*  and 
x»*r\*  to  the  e*!Vt.  that  if  Mr. 
S::uth  uM  Uv>c  Ww  tW 
>.s\  A:^lo*erv  K\\\iv 


v: 


:s 


wvk;,- 


ItI  ateirt  tWtr 


ooAtV.. — Mr.  >K:t;i  cxjLMiMd.   He 
>^;  re;;:r;>i^  t>*.>ai  Dul&i  aK>«iC 


MAR.] 


CHRONICLE. 


49 


Courtney;  Courtney  was  a  com- 
mon labourer  J  Reilley  used  to 
mow  in  tlie  season.  The  morning 
after  he  returned  home,  he  went 
to  the  stable  to  see  his  horses ; 
Reilly  came  into  the  stable,  and  he 
said  to  him,  *'  Reilly,  what  news  V 
Reilly  said,  "  Bad  news  enough, 
have  you  not  received  a  threaten- 
ing notice  ?"  Witness  said,  "  Yes, 
a  most  diabolical  one."  Reilly  said, 
"  Then  follow  me  to  the  barn  and 
I  will  tell  you  something;"  wit- 
ness went  to  the  barn,  and  found 
Courtney  there.  After  following 
Reilly  to  the  barn,  witness  said  to 
him,  *'  Reilly,  tell  me  all  about  it, 
and  ril  give  you  money,  and  make 
a  man  of  you ;"  witness  then  went 
to  Mrs.  Smith  for  the  notice,  and 
brought  it  out ;  before  he  opened 
it,  Reilly  said,  it  had  a  cross  on  it, 
about  that  length  (measuring  it  on 
his  finger) — witness  began  to  open 
out  the  notice,  and  bcrore  he  had 
opened  it,  Reilly  said,  "  That  is 
not  it  j'*  When  it  was  opened,  and 
he  saw  the  cross  on  the  nead  of  it, 
Reilly  clapped  his  hands,  and  said, 
"  That  is  it ;"  he  then  said,  "  It 
was  a  female  wrote  it."  "  Come," 
said  witness,  ^'  tell  me  all  about 
it ;  was  it  Anastatia  O'Donoghue 
wrote  it  ?"  «  No,"  said  Reilly, 
"  would  to  God  it  was."  "  Was  it 
Miss  Savoy  ?'*  "  No^  it  was  Miss 
Smith,"  said  Reilly.  [Here  wit- 
ness became  overpowered  and  shed 
tears.]  On  the  name  of  Miss 
Smith  being  mentioned,  witness 
fell  over  against  the  wall.  He 
said,  "  how  could  Miss  Smith  be 
employed  in  writing  such  diabolical 
notices  ?**  Reilly  then  said,  that 
he  and  Courtney  were  thrashing  in 
the  barn,  that  they  overheated 
themselves,  and  that  one  had  to  go 
to  the  door,  and  the  other  to  the 
spy-hole,  to  get  air ;  and  when  he 
(Reilly)  went  to  the  spyhole,  he 
Vol.  LXXni. 


saw  Miss  Smith  with  a  paper,  and 
a  red  cross  on  it,  held  up  before 
the  window ;  he  called  to  nis  com- 
rade to  come  and  see  what  Miss 
Smith  was  doing  3  the  spyhole  was 
about  three  feet  ^om  the  ground ; 
he  called  on  Courtney  to  kneel 
down  under  him,  until  he  would 
see  her  raise  the  cross  $  he  said  he 
thought  the  cross  was  spouting  out 
blood  at  him.  He  (witness)  then 
told  Reilly,  *^  he  should  hear  more 
about  this.'*  Witness  then  went 
into  the  house,  took  a  hurried 
breakfast,  and  brought  Reilly  into 
the  parlour ;  Reilly  made  there  a 
statement  similar  to  what  he  made 
in  the  barn,  and  added  the  parti- 
culars as  to  the  writing  of  the 
notice.  He  said  Miss  Smith,  when 
she  had  finished  writing  the  notice, 
put  it  into  her  right  side  pocket : 
Miss  Smith  replied,  that  she  did 
not  wear  her  pocket  at  the  right 
side ;  Mrs.  Smith  and  witness  went 
into  the  barn,  and  sent  Miss  Savoy 
up  to  the  window  where  MissSmitii 
used  to  draw  ;  Miss  Savoy  held  the 
notice  in  dififercnt  positions,  and  in 
no  way  she  could  sit  could  they 
observe  the  cross  on  the  paper,  un- 
til she  turned  her  right  side,  and 
then  they  could,  with  difficulty, 
observe  the  red  croAS.  He  (wit- 
ness) is  particularly  sharp-siffhted ; 
brought  Reilly  to  the  spy-hde,  and 
observed  to  him  that  it  was  almost 
impossible  to  see  the  cross.  Reilly 
said,  if  the  sun  shone  it  could  be 
better  seen.  This  was  about  ten 
in  the  morning,  there  was  then  no 
sun  shining.  There  were  two 
doors  to  the  barn,  one  looking  into 
the  kitchen-yard,  and  the  other 
into  the  haggard ;  the  door  that 
looks  into  the  haggard  is  the  one 
that  is  kept  open  when  the  men 
are  working.  A  map  of  the  house 
and  premises  was  then  handed  to 
Mr.  Smith;  he  pointed  out  the 
E 


60 


ANNUAL   REGISTER. 


[I8SI. 


situation  of  the  dwelling^houte^ 
barn,  Sec.  Witness  said^  he  then 
interrogated  Rcilly  further^  and 
from  the  agitation  really  nianifest- 
c<],  he  (Mr.  Smith)  clinched  his 
fist  at  him,  and  swore,  "  By  G— d, 
lieilly,  you  are  a  conspirator." 
About  twelve  o'clock  after, -he  met 
Reillv  and  Courtney  in  the  lawn  : 
he  asked  them  what  made  them 
quit  their  work ;  they  said,  they 
were  going  to  Duleck,  to  clear 
themselres;  witness  said,  they 
might  go  to  the  devil,  that  he 
(witness)  would  go  to  Duleek  to 
have  an  investigation  of  it ;  wit- 
ness then  went  to  the  head  poltcc- 
oAice  in  Dublin.  Miss  Smith  is 
about  seventeen  or  eighteen  ;  she 
is  not  his  onlVf  but  his  eldest 
daughter.  She  Mas  indisposed  ; 
her  illness  cimimeuced  about  two 
years  ago  ;  she  recovered,  but  re- 
lapsed agiiin.  Does  not  know  how 
long  she  was  ill  altogether,  but  the 
physician  could  tell.  The  pa|)er 
on  which  the  notices  were  written 
had  the  Xavan  water-mark.  The 
pa|)er  was  produced  -,  it  bore 
(\M.D.,  as  the  water-mark. — Miss 
Smith  remembered  the  threatening 
notices ;  the  usual  hours  of  going 
to  rest  were  changeil  on  account  of 
these  notices  ;  she  often  stayed  up 
till  near  morning ;  the  first  notice 
was  found  on  the  Sunday  morning 
after  the  Christmas  of  1 829.  Was 
then  luiable  to  leave  her  room  ; 
nmhl  not  walk  by  herself;  slept 
in  the  middle  room ;  ctmld  not 
raise  a  window  or  walk  to  it.  The 
st*oond  notiw  was  left  suou  after 
the  first ;  the  fourth  notice  was 
serveil  on  a  Siuulay ;  she  M-as  at 
home  ;  her  father  and  mother  were 
at  church  on  that  Sunday.  About 
an  hour  after  they  went  to  chun*h 
heard  a  noise  $  calletl  to  the  house- 
maid, and  bid  her  look  out ;  she 
said  she  could  see  no  person.  About 


half  an  hour  after  heard  more 
noise ;  Anty  weot  then  into  ibm 
next  room.  She  begged  of  Anty 
to  come  and  assist  her  to  the  vin« 
dow*  to  see  what  it  was.  Anty 
threw  up  the  sash  of  the  window, 
and  witness  saw  a  paper  with  m  red 
direction  on  the  green  chair.  Was 
about  to  withdraw^  and  taw  a  stout 
man,  with  a  long  frieze  gray  ooat. 
She  remained  at  the  window,  and 
when  Anty  returned^  he  went 
away.  Anty  went  off  by  direo* 
tiou  of  the  witness,  leering  her  at 
the  window.  Her  father  came 
home  in  half  an  hour  afterwards  ; 
she  sent  for  him ;  the  paper  was 
shown  to  her  before  papa  came 
home,  by  her  brother  Henry's  ser- 
vant; her  governess  and  mother 
are  her  religious  instructors;  she 
attended  lectures  in  Dublin,  and 
is  aware  of  the  obligation  of  an 
oath  ',  swears  positively  she  never 
saw  the  )utper  until  it  was  shown 
to  her  on  the  green  chair )  aha 
never  wrote  a  word  of  it.  (An- 
other  notice  shown  to  her.)  Saw 
it  first  at  her  fiEither*s  house  i  they 
were  sitting  in  the  dining  parlour 
on  the  evening  it  was  found,  and 
heard  a  gentle  tap  or  noise  at  the 
window ;  heard  further  noise  ;  a 
bell  was  rung;  they  were  all  a 
little  surprised,  but  said  nothinff : 
Miss  Savoy,  two  children,  and  ue 
footman,  were  in  the  room;  she 
heard  a  noise  like  a  tap  at  the 
window;  soon  after  she  went  mit 
of  the  rt¥)m ;  the  notice  was  after* 
wards  found ;  the  two  men  at  the 
biir  have  charged  her  with  writing 
that  notice ;  she  never  saw  that 
paper  until  she  saw  it  lying  at  the 
hall-door  ;  Miss  Savoy  showed  it 
to  her ;  she  never  wrote  a  word 
of  what  is  on  that  paper,  and  never 
drew  or  manufiurtured  any  of  the 
notices  left  at  her  father's  Imuse  ; 
never  wrote  the  catechism  left  at 


MAR.] 


CHRONICLE. 


51 


her  father's  house.— Cross-examin- 
ed.  Miss  Savoy  and  she  were 
often  left  alone^  and  she  felt  a  little 
solitary ;  if  the  family  went  to 
France  or  England^  she  would  like 
to  accompany  them;  Miss  Savoy 
might  have  a  similar  taste  ;  had  no 
wish  to  leave  home. — The  Jury 
found  the  prisoners  GuiUy.  Sen- 
tence^ twelve  months  imprison- 
ment^ and  each  to  be  bound  in  his 
own  recognizance  for  100/.^  and 
two  sureties  of  20L  to  keep  the 
peace  for  seven  years. 

9.  MuBDER.-— Between  eleven 
and  twelve  on  the  forenoon  of 
Tuesday  the  9th^  an  old  woman^ 
who,  for  several  years  had  kept  a 
small  broker's  shop  in  Bethnal 
Green,  and  who  resided  alone, 
though  she  had  ^ve  children  liv- 
ing, was  found  murdered  in  her 
own  house.  About  that  time,  one 
of  her  sons  happening  to  pass  her 
house  in  company  with  a  man 
named  Robert  Moxey,  was  sur- 
prised to  find  the  door  and  shop 
closed,  and  the  blinds  of  all  the 
windows  in  front  drawn  down.  He 
knocked  at  the  door,  and,  receiving 
no  answer,  opened  it ;  it  was  fast- 
ened only  by  an  ordinary  latch.  On 
entering  the  shop  he  opened  one  of 
the  windows,  and  perceived  on 
different  parts  of  the  floor  quanti- 
ties of  clotted  blood.  His  feelings 
were  so  overcome  that  he  could  not 
proceed  further,  but  Moxey  did, 
and  on  entering  a  small  kitchen 
apart  from  the  shop,  found  the 
woman,  with  her  skull  beaten  in  in 
many  places,  (her  person,  and  the 
floor  about  her  covered  with  blood,) 
partly  suspended  by  a  piece  of  jack 
line  from  the  latch  of  a  door  which 
led  from  the  kitchen  to  a  small  yard 
attached  to  the  house.  The  cord 
was  made  so  tight  about  her  neck, 
that  he  was  obliged  to  cut  it.  In 
the  kitchen   was  found,  close  to 


where  the  body  had  been  suspend- 
ed, a  heavy  wooden  roller,  com- 
pletely covered  with  blood ;  and  on 
comparing  it  with  the  wounds  on 
the  head  of  the  deceased,  there 
could  be  no  doubt  but  it  was  the 
weapon  with  which  the  murder 
was  committed.  On  examining 
the  rooms  up  stairs,  all  the  draw- 
ers, presses,  and  cupboards  were 
found  to  have  been  ransacked,  two 
beds^  also,  had  been  taken  away, 
together  with  the  bed-clothes,  and 
various  other  articles  of  property. 
From  the  deranged  state  of  the 
deceased's  dress,  which  was  torn 
in  many  places,  and  the  disordered 
state  of  the  shop  and  kitchen,  it 
was  evident  that  she  had  made  a 
desperate  resistance.  On  the  in- 
quest, a  surgeon,  described  two  of 
the  wounds  in  the  head  of  the  de- 
ceased as  being  most  extensive  and 
mortal.  One  of  the  small  bones 
was  forced  into  the  brain,  and  he 
was  of  opinion  that  these  wounds, 
as  well  as  others,  were  inflicted  by 
the  wooden  roller  produced.  He  also 
gave  it  as  his  opinion  that  it  was 
physically  impossible  that  the  de- 
ceased could  have  inflicted  these  in- 
juries on  herself,  and  that  her  death 
was  produced  by  them.  At  first 
some  suspicion,  founded  on  alleged 
inconsistencies  in  his  conduct,  and 
falsehoods  in  his  statements,  at- 
tached to  the  son,  who  had  dis- 
covered the  murder;  but  the 
verdict  of  the  Coroner's  Jury  was, 
''  Wilful  murder  against  some  per- 
son or  persons  unknown."  An 
indictment  was  afterwards  found 
against  the  son,  on  which  he  was 
tried  and  acquitted. 

10.  MuaDER.  —  Lincoln.  — 
Michael  Lnndy  was  charged  with 
the  murder  of  Thomas  Sewards. 
The  prisoner  was  married  to  the 
daughter  of  the  deceased  ;  they 
were  both    Irish  labourers.      On 

E2 


62 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


[1831. 


tlio  morning  of  the  2f)th  of  July 
iHHt,  they  hired  themHclvcs  to  a 
farmer  nimied  Wilson,  wlio  set 
them  to  M'ork  at  heaping  and  burn- 
ing weedH  for  manure.  After  tlieir 
<hiy'H  work  waH  over,  they  had  their 
HUpiN^r,  and  VMNon  ])ro|)08cd  to 
thorn  to  nleep  in  hiH  granarv>  ob- 
Hcrving,  that, an  he  wouhl  h)CK  them 
in,  nolHMly  could  molest  them.  To 
thin,  however,  the  prisoner  ob- 
iert(Ml,  m  he  had,  he  Kaid,  a  pain 
in  his  Ntomarh.  Wilson  then  took 
them  to  his  Imrn,  furnished  them 
M'ith  straw  and  sacks,  and,  put- 
ting the  key  in  the  inside  of  the 
(h)or,  told  them  they  might  ](H*k 
themselves  in  or  not,  just  as  they 

f>l eased.  It  was  with  the  prisoner 
le  held  conversation,  the  dei*case<l 
not  iH'ing  able  to  speak  Isnglish. 
There  was  a  I>;ick  diHtr  to  the  barn, 
which  was  fastened  with  a  w(KNlen 
l>iir  inside.  When  \\'ilson  went 
away,  the  ])risoncr  was  sitting  on 
the  grass  outside  the  barn  with 
this  iKir  in  his  hands.  Alniut  eight 
oVliH'k,  Mi*s.  Wilsim  went  to  the 
yard  to  KH>k  after  her  |H)ultry»  and 
siH*  tliat  every  tiling  was  right. 
*rho  l)arn-d<H)r  was  then  o|)en,  and 
she  oKsitvihI  the  prisoner  sitting 
on  a  form  Iteside  a  UmicIi  on  which 
a  car|HMiter  had  lioen  working  there 
that  day.  The  carjKMiter  had  left 
his  tools  in  the  l^trn«  and  amongst 
them  was  an  axe,  which  lay  on  the 
gnwmd.  The  Ivarn  was  nearly 
half  a  mile  distant  from  Wilson's 
dwelling-houst>.  At  alvnit  nine 
o'cUvk»  Mrs.  Wilson  was  alarmed 
by  a  cry  of  '*  munlor.'*  Her  bus- 
Iviud  having  g\>no  up  to  the  Castle, 
she  oalle^l  hor  s<mk  and,  as  $tx»n  as 
be  came  down,  o^Kntxl  the  diVir. 
and  saw  the  pns<>iH>r  in  his  small- 
clothes and  shirt,  without  shixs 
or  st*x"kings.  Ho  was  scro,tming 
**  munler,*"  and  wcmeil  dreadfully 
frightcncil.     Uc  said  the  Englisli- 


man  would  murder  him.  In  reply 
to  questions  put  to  him^  he  8tate<l« 
that,  as  he  was  saying  his  prayers 
in  the  barn,  a  tall  black  man,  six 
feet  high,  with  a  broad-brimmed 
glazed  hat,  made  his  appearance 
at  the  door,  and  waited  until  the 
prisoner  had  finished  his  prayers, 
when  he  asked  him  if  he  wanted 
company  ?  to  which  the  prisoner  re- 
pliea,  he  should  be  very  glad  of 
company.  The  man,  who  was  an 
Englishman,  then  went  in,  and 
entered  into  conversation  with  the 

{)ri8oncr,  and  proposed  to  sleep  with 
lim.  To  this  the  prisoner  ohject- 
ed,  and  on  the  man's  pressing  his 
proposal  he  became  alarmed,  pre- 
tcncicd  he  was  going  to  shut  the 
door,  bolted  out  of  the  bam,  and 
ran  towanls  the  dwelling-house; 
but  on  his  way  he  was  pelted  by 
somebody  with  stones,  one  of  whicn 
struck  him  on  the  forehead.  He 
was  therefore  sure  that  the  Eng- 
lishman meant  to  murder  him. 
There  was,  in  point  of  fact,  a  lump 
on  bis  forehead,  about  tibe  breadth 
of  a  shilling,  but  the  skin  was  not 
broken.  Mrs.  W^ilson  asked  him 
where  his  comrade  was,  and  he  re- 
)dieil  that  he  was  asleep  in  theoomer 
of  the  barn  ;  on  which  she  repri- 
manded him  for  deserting  him,  if 
he  thought  he  was  in  cumger  of 
Ix^ing  murdered.  Young  Wilson, 
and  another  man,  then  proposed 
to  aca^mpanvhim  bade  to  the  bam, 
to  which  he  instantly  assented.  A 
lantern  was  procured,  and  they  all 
wont  to  the  barn,  but  foand  it 
liKlced,  and  could  not  find  the  key. 
^frs.  Wilson  at  length  beooming 
fcarfiil  that  there  was  somethiiig 
not  right,  sent  her  son  for  her  hus- 
band, whom  he  met  retoming 
frtun  the  Castle.  As  won  as  be 
was  como,  they  again  sought  few 
.  the  key,  but  not  findii^  it,  and  re- 
ceiving no  answer  to  tMradtsaad 


MAR.3 


CHRONICLE. 


53 


knocks  at   the  door,   they  broke 
open  the  back  door  of  the  barn. 
On  going  in,  they  found  the  de- 
ceased lying  dead.     The  prisoner 
uttered    a   yell,    and    murmured 
something  like  a  prayer,  but  did 
not   approach  any  nearer  to  the 
body.     On  examining  it,  Wilson 
perceived  the  carpenter's  axe  buried 
in  the  face,  near  the  mouth,  and 
there  was  also  a  wound  on  the 
head,  as  if  from  the  back  of  the 
axe.     They  then  went  to  Elthorpe 
(including    the     prisoner),     and 
brought  a  constable,  and  conveyed 
the  body  to  £lthorpe.     As  soen  as 
it  was  deposited  there,   the  pri- 
soner, who  accompanied  the  rest 
of  the  party  to  Elthorpe  a  second 
time,  but  had  neither  assisted  in 
drawing  the  cart,  nor  gone  near 
the  corpse,   was  taken  into  cus- 
tody.    A  few  sprinkles  of  blood, 
not  larger  than  pin-heads,  were 
observed  on  his    corduroy  small- 
clothes, and  one  drop  on  his  bare 
leg.     For  the  latter  he  accounted 
by  saying,  that  a  Hy  had  bitten 
him,  and  for  the  former,  by  stat- 
ing, that  if  he  had  any  spots  of 
blood  on  his  clothes,  he  must  have 
got  them  by  endeavouring  to  put 
a  stop  to  a  row  which  had  taken 
place  between  some  of  his  country- 
men on  the  preceding  day  (Sun- 
day).    His  hands,  which  had  been 
dirty  when  he  was  eating  his  sup- 
per, appeared  to  have  been  recently 
washed ;    and,    on   the   constable 
asking  him  if  he  had  washed  his 
hands,   he  said  he  had  not.     On 
the  following  morning  the   print 
of  a  naked  ^t  was  found  on  the 
bank  of  a  neighbouring  pond,  but, 
from  the  nature  of  the  surround- 
ing ground,  it  could  be  tra^d  no 
farther.     Six  shillings  and  a  knife 
were  found  in  the  prisoner's  pos- 
session^  and  a  hali^nny  and   a 
knifQ  in  the  pocket  of  the  deceased. 


No  indication  had  been  observed 
of  any  animosity  between  the  pri- 
soner and  the  deceased,  and  the 
former  was  described  as  being,  so 
far  as  he  was  known  here,  a  man  of 
peaceable  and  quiet  demeanour.— 
The  Jury  returned  a  verdict  of 
Guilty^  and  his  Lordship  pro- 
nounced sentence  of  death. 

11.   Salisbury. — Murder  of 
AN    Infant   by   its   Father. — 
Charles  Giles,  aged  22,  was  put  to 
the  bar,  upon  a  charge  of  having, 
on   the  18th    of  September  last, 
feloniously  caused  the  death  of  his 
own  child,  by  administering  to  it  a 
quantity  of  sulphuric  acid. — Har- 
riet Stone  deposed,  that  she  had 
"  kept  company"  with  the  prisoner 
for  a  considerable  time,  and  that 
the  result  of  their  intimacy  was 
the  birth  of  an  illegitimate  child, 
in  September  last.    Some  time  be- 
fore the  child  was  born,  the  prisoner 
one  day  told  the  witness  to  stifle 
the  child  when  it  should  be  born. 
Soon  after  its  birth,  the  child  was 
brought  to  the  prisoner,  who  said, 
'•'What  is  to  be  done  with  it  now 
that  it  is   alive?"     And,   in  the 
same    conversation,    the   prisoner 
said  to  the  witness,  ^'  You  may  as 
well  let  me  poison  the  child."    On 
a  subsequent  night,  about  a  fort- 
night after,  the  prisoner  came  home 
about  ten   o'clock,   and  sent  the 
witness  out  for  change  of  a  so- 
vereign, the  child  remaining  with 
the  father  alone.     Whilst  knock- 
ing at  the  door  of  the  next  house 
to  get  the  change,  witness  heard 
the  child  make  a  noise,  and,  on  re- 
turning,  found   the   child  in  the 
prisoner's  arms.     On  taking  and 
Kissing  the  child,  witness  perceived 
a  heat  upon  its  mouth.     She  said 
to  the  prisoner,   "  Oh,  my  God, 
Charles,   you   have   poisoned    my 
child."     He  denied  it.     The  pri- 
soner then  stept  oqt  through  9, 


64 


ANNUAL   REGISTER. 


[1881. 


wiiifloWi  tttkitif^  tliti  chihl  with 
liiin.  JJ<;HrK)ii  rrtiirijcd,  anil  gave 
the  rhihi  to  the  witiicKH,  after  which 
the  itrwmar  and  the  wituem  left 
i  he  lioijhe.  Having  gone  HOine  diH* 
iiiiicii,  the  witncHH  put  her  finger 
into  tlie  child's  throat,  and  fdiind 
it  hot  and  parched.  Hhe  Haid  she 
thought  it  wad  dying,  and  gave  it 
to  the  ])riHoner.  The  chihl  died 
tnHUi  aftiir.  Witnefts  anked  the  pri- 
Honer  what  he  would  dowith  it,  and 
he  Maid  that  he  Hhould  hurv  it  with 
hiH  hrother.  Ele  wrappeci  it  in  a 
piHow-cuHc^and  put  it  in  the  pocket 
of  hiH  iniook  frock,  and  said  that 
the  witneHH  must  not  ttdlany  thing 
alMMit  it.  WitneHs  aftiTwanlH  diH- 
chiHed  the  circuniHtanccs  to  her  sis- 
ter, by  whoHe  advice  nhe  went  to  a 
niagiHtrate.  —  Two  surgeons  de- 
pONed,  tluit,  on  disHecting  the  in- 
fant's iNKly,  and  applying  the  test 
nf  iNirytes  to  the  lUintentH  of  the 
Ntoniiuth,  they  found  them  to  con- 
si.st  in  a  large  proportion  of  sul- 
phuric acid. — The  Jury  returned 
a  voi'di(!t  of  iiuiilif. 

A  sinnlar  case  was  tried,  on  the 
1 1  th,  at  Lancaster,  where  Moses 
Kernely  was  indicted  for  the  nmr- 
tler  of  his  stepson,  scarcely  five 
years  old.  —  Alary  Ann  Sparks 
examined  ;  1  took  care  of^  the 
child,  M'hich  lived  with  the  pri- 
soner. The  evening  before  its  death, 
lie  told  me  to  ctmie  early  the  next 
morning,  as  he  wanted  to  go  eiu*ly 
to  work.  I  went  at  a  quarter,  or 
half-|mst  six.  His  wife  had  gone 
«mt.  When  1  tirst  entered  the 
liouse,  he  was  i^tuning  out  of  the 
iHH>m  whore  the  children  slept. 
S<H)n  after,  he  had  breakfast>  and 
then  again  went  into  the  children's 
rtHUu.  Alter  he  had  been  absent 
about  a  minute,  he  rt>turniHl,  and 
said,  *'  Mary  Ann,  little  .lohuny 
is  very  ilU**  1  heard  the  child 
luoiuiy  auil  say^  ^*  Fathcjr^  my  throat 


is  sore."  He  went  in  a  seoond 
time^  alx)ut  half  an  hour  after,  and 
then  brought  out  the  child  and  laid 
it  on  a  table.  I  saw  some  black 
HtuflF  come  out  of  the  child's  mouth. 
It  was  sick,  and  I  wanted  to  gire 
it  some  water,  but  priBoner  object- 
ed, and  said  it  would  do  more  harm 
than  good.  Prisoner  did  not  send 
me  for  a  doctor  ;  Jane  Barrett  did 
about  half-past  eleven.  When  I 
got  back,  the  child  was  dying. 
After  it  was  dead,  he  sent  me  ibr 
the  mother.  —  Cross-examined. 
When  prisoner  saw  the  deceased  in 
pain,  he  seemed  a  good  deal  dis- 
tressedi  and  began  to  cry.  He  did 
not  go  to  his  work,  but  remained 
at  home  all  day,  offering  assistance 
to  the  chihl. — Jane  Barrett,  I  lire 
next  door  to  prisoner.  On  the  dar 
the  child  died,  I  went  to  prisoner  s 
house  about  nine  o'clock.  The  d^ 
ceased  was  on  a  table,  with  a 
blanket  thrown  over  him,  and  pri« 
soner  was  sitting  by  on  a  stool. 
Some  stuff  was  frothing  ont  of  its 
mouth,  and  its  tongue  was  hanging 
out.  It  asked  for  water,  and  Igot 
some  and  gave  it.  The  child  coold 
not  swallow  ;  the  water  ran  oat  at 
its  nose.  Prisoner  said,  he  thought 
the  child  had  a  auiniy  in  the 
throat.  A  little  aner  twelve  the 
prisoner  came  to  my  house.  He 
seemed  quite  cheerful,  and  said, 
*'  Jane,  come  in  and  look  at  it 
now."  I  went  in ;  the  child's  tongue 
was  hanging  out  of  its  mouth,  the 
mouth  was  drawn  on  one  side,  and 
so  was  one  of  the  eyes.  I  peroeir-i 
cd  the  child  die.  I  told  him  it  was 
dead.  He  became  very  pale,  and 
said,  **  If  I  had  known  thou  would'st 
die,  I  would  not  have  used  thee  so 
cruelly.*'  He  told  me  to  wash  the 
child,*  and  I  did  so.  I  then  sent 
for  the  mother:  after  she  came,  she 
tiK>k  a  cup  off  the  shelf  to  get  some 

coffietin.    Th« prisoner Md|  ** If 


MAR.] 


CHRONICLE. 


55 


you  will  have  coffee,  you  must 
wash  that  cup  out,  it  has  had 
Johnny's  stuff  in."— John  Drink- 
water.  On  the  8th  of  November, 
I  was  confined  in  the  New  Bailey, 
at  Manchester,  for  an  assault.  On 
Tuesday,  the  9th  of  November, 
the  prisoner  was  brought  from  the 
Lock-up«house  to  the  New  Bailey. 
I  said  to  him,  '*  Well,  my  man, 
what's  your  crime  ?*'  He  said, 
*'  A  d — n  sight  worse  than  yours." 
I  asked,  "  What  is  it  ?  "  He  said, 
*'  Wilful  murder,  if  they  can  prove 
it;  but  they  cannot  prove  it,  as  they 
did  not  see  me  do  it."  He  said, 
*'  The  doctors  say  he  was  poisoned, 
but  it  was  not  poison,  it  was  oil  of 
vitriol."  He  said  they  could  not 
prove  it  against  him,  for  they  could 
not  find  the  remainder  of  the  stuff. 
He  added,  "  I  took  care  to  finish 

the  b r.     I  throttled  him,  and 

kicked  him  with  my  shoes.'*  I 
told  him  to  keep  his  own  counsel, 
but  he  said,  he  did  not  care  ad — n, 
they  could  not  prove  it.  During  this 
conversation,  a  man  of  the  name 
of  Condon,  and  two  or  three  other 
men,  were  by.  The  others  heard 
this  conversation. — James  Condon 
corroborated  the  statement  of  the 
last  witness. — On  cross-examin- 
ation, witness  said,  that  there  were 
several  persons  present,  all  of  whom 
heard  the  conversation.  Witness 
thought  so  little  about  it,  that  he 
did  not  stay  to  hear  the  whole  of 
it,  but,  feeling  sleepy>  went  to  lie 
down. — The  medical  men  who  had 
examined  the  body,  proved  clearly 
that  the  death  had  been  caused  by 
oil  of  vitriol. — ^The  Jury  returned 
a  verdict  of  GuiUy^  ana  the  pri- 
soner was  ordered  for  execution. 

11.  King's  Evidence. —  At 
Lancaster,  on  the  1 1th  of  March ; 
Thomas  Fulvey  was  indicted  for 
the  murder  of  Charles  Burn,  and 
his  brother  John  Fulre^^  aa  bdug 


a  principal,  in  the  second  degree, 
by  being  present,  aiding  and  abet- 
tmg  in  the  perpetration  of  the 
murder.  The  principal  witness 
against  them,  was  d  third  brother, 
Michael  Fulvey.  It  appeared  from 
the  evidence,  that  the  deceased 
was  a  merchant  at  Liverpool,  whose 
place  of  residence  was  two  or  three 
miles  out  of  the  town,  and  that  he 
was  in  the  habit  of  goin^  home 
every  evening.  On  the  night  of 
the  9th  of  October  last,  about  a 
quarter  before  eight,  the  deceased 
knocked  at  the  door  of  a  Mr. 
Turton,  who  lives  at  Everton, 
about  six  yards  from  the  West 
Derby  road,  along  which  the  de- 
ceased would  pass  on  his  way  to 
his  own  hous«.  Deceased  appear- 
ed to  be  much  alarmed,  and  blood 
was  flowing  from  his  body.  He 
said  he  had  been  attacked  and 
wounded,  and  desired  his  wife  to 
be  sent  for.  He  wished  Mrs. 
Turton  to  put  her  hand  to  his 
side,  and  she  did  so,  and  could 
distinctly  perceive  a  ball.  De- 
ceased said,  ''If  any  thing  happens 
to  me  before  Mrs.  Burn  arrives, 
tell  her  I  thought  of  her  and  of  the 
children.'*  Mr.  Blackburn,  a  sur« 
eeon  of  Liverpool,  arrived  in  a 
short  time,  and  accompanied  de- 
ceased to  his  own  house,  where  he 
died  in  twenty-four  hours  after. 
The  wound  made  by  the  bullet 
was  the  cause  of  his  death.  No- 
thing transpired  to  point  a  sus* 
Sicion  against  any  one  until  a  few 
ays  ago,  when  Michael  Fulvey, 
who,  with  the  two  prisoners,  was 
confined  in  Lancaster  Castle,  under 
a  charge  of  committing  several 
highway  robberies,  gave  informa- 
tion which  led  to  an  indictment 
being  preferred  for  the  murder 
against  the  two  prisoners.  Michael 
was  admitted  King*s  evidence,  and 
now  cam«  forward  m  a  witnets 


Ml 


ANNUA  L    IIEGISTER. 


[1831. 


tt{/r»'ttiHl.  Uin  \trttl\nri»  Iff*  hIhUuI 
Im'  ^ttn  ft  tiiilor  n'«ifliii^  in  \;iytor- 
MMiif,  Nil y lor  nfn-^'f,  Li\t*r]unt), 
iiimI  Hiiif  tiin  two  lirof Ikth  on  lli(; 
nifrlit  of  {Mil  of  OrtolHT  Ut^i ,  if«*ni 
out  )ti  roMi|iiitiy  Vfitli  liitn  itlNMit 
ttio  iiiiliM  on  till*  Wctf  Drrhy  nrtiil. 
'Minii'  intmtion  m.'ih  to  roli;  find 
tlin  |ii'iiiOhi'i'  'riioniii'i  riii'ricfl  a 
liotmi  )ii>itol.    wliicli    III*   IiimI   piir- 

I  liiiHi'il  II  I'l'W  iliiyN  lM<fon*t  On 
ffi>ll)ii|i  iiImmiI  tu'o  niilcH  IVoiii  H'it- 

llPna'q    nuiilliMH'r,     Hioy    OV(«l't(Nlli    II 

iiiiih.  iiiiil  ili«Miriiil  liiiii  to  Hloji.  Iln 
linu'tii  to  nin,  imhI  IIio  |iriNoii(*r 
•loliii  l''nlvity  Miiid.  *'  if  In*  rnnN. 
fijiiiiit  liiiii."  Till*  jiriioiMM'  'riioiiiiiN 
liiiiiiiMliiilrly  (liiu'liargiMl  (Iip  piNto). 
IhiI  tlio  iiiiui  ffot  invay,  Tlio  wit- 
noNn  WMN  iIhmi  r\uhiin(Ml  im  to 
No^onil  |tointN  on  wliirli  tlio  iinw- 
(Mitom  iii'iipo^iMJ  to  nllor  ovidnuv 
to  ronllvni  liini.     Ilo  Htntod,  tliut 

II  lit  I  It*  Ih^Ioiv  II  man  ow  Imrsolmrk 

lltlJ   piU'MMl  lIliMII,    tlinl  (I  MTXiUlt   of 

M)  nollniOiinl  NMoiv  tlnit  on  that 
«*iiM\in^  ho  \\m\  on  lioi-M'Kiok  imstHtnl 
tin 00  nion  ni  tlio  situ.il ion«  ami 
t^\>^^\\\  fho  tinio.  nionlioniMl  \\\ 
Miolmol  Knho)  Witnoss  aUi 
Ht.iiotl  thrtt  v»uio  tiino  at^or  tho 
pistol  li.ul  KsMi  litv«)t  a  oarria^^ 
|M'»'«^sl»  x^liix'h  tho\  oWntM  to 
M»*p.  Ms\\  tho  ^topx  of  Mhtoh 
XMMv  lot  »l\*\ui  oithor  to  lot  !»imio 
»Mio  ni  »M  out  rh»H  \tas\vu(tnmHl 
l^x  Ml  Hl.wUmru.  \\w  ^ur>^vu. 
xO\o  xt,*t^sl  th,*t,  xm  v\M\xx*\u>>:  tW 
»l,\NM^sl  hosi»%^  1 »  a  Aivn^^v.  llu*\ 
wot  a  »^n\tv»M*a  ai»J  *ao\.  tnoinU 
,'^  tSo  <K\>\<>^nL  a; si  t*u^  vAvria^* 

I  No  ^.^$\  X\;5i;\\xx  >tAV,\;  v>4.\ 
tN<<     x,uv*\^;V.*;S,    ,'.■:     i.V    sA^V 


fpifTfiiion  he  hail  lieen  attacked  on 
t\w  W'e.nt  IX'rliy  rtMul,  and  robbed^ 
and  that  a  nilvcr  jicncil-caae  had 
lf«'(rn  tak<!n  from  him.  That  pencil- 
raw!  waft  provffd  to  hare  been  ofFered 
in  pif*<lg(f  hy  the  nnntmer,  Thomas 
l''iilvi>y,on  the  folJowiug  Thursday, 
to  a  pa H'n broker  in  Liverpool,  who, 
ii|»on  M'eing  the  name  of  Arrow- 
Nniith  iijNMi  it,  detained  it,  and 
raiiw'd  the  apprehension  of  prisoner 
and  \i'itn<*HH. 

On  (ToMH-exami nation  many  fticts 
wore  elicited,  to  Hhow  that  the 
rharartor  of  tlie  witness  was  of  the 
worHt  <l(*H(Tiption.  Ho  admitted 
that  he  m'iih  under  indictment  for  a 
nnnilH'r  of  offences,  and  that  he 
ex|MM*t(Ml  to  nave  himself  by  the 
conviotiou  of  his  brothers.  Tbk 
wiiM  not  tho  first  time  he  had  been 
a  witiioHH,  Ho  had  given  evidence 
in  Indaiul  against  a  man  who  had 
Nold  him  Hotno  stolen  goods.  He 
hnd  uIko»  on  another  occasion, 
tunuHl  »ppn>ver  against  nine  men, 
with  whom  ho  had  been  concerned. 
Ho  admittoil  Iwiiig  engaged  in 
attaokini;  tho  hmise  of  a  priest  of 
t  ho  namo  of  I  laokot t8.  where  he  bad 
g\»t  Moundotl — The  Jury  returned 
a  vonliot  of  .Vitf  («ir«//jv. 

PJ,  MrauKR. — LANCASTBa.— 
Aslitoa  NWvrralL  a^rd  :23 ;  \nilian 
XWvrralK  :%S ;  and  tit^rt  Cliadder. 
loiK  «'.\  \»«^rc  indicted  for  tiM 
>i  ilful  niunWr  i>f  Sarah  lITIuiua, 
at  Kai)s\rorth.  «vi  the  ^Jtid  of 
IVcwnjlvr. 

^^f  M\t\  «tHir  t>Nur$  \>f  ;u^^*  v»  tW 

\»  i>r  x>(  a  UlvH)ria«  imm  imadi^ 
a;  Ivvrv^n.  v^n  Uie  nMWi^  ct 
t>)o  C'.^ssi  s\f  IVv^Mslvr  l»t«  jlie 

: '  OV>*xwi.  1,^  ^^t  AJbiiplner  wW 
'  ^ vv, : V^^    S<^».'o?  s4ie  W*  B#2iiw. 


MAR.] 


CHRONICLE. 


57 


ceeded  to  Manchester,  which  is 
about  twelve  miles  from  Bolton^ 
and  six  from  Oldham.  A  woman, 
whose  description  answered  that 
of  the  deceased,  was  seen  between 
eight  and  nine  o*clock  that  evening, 
about  two  miles  from  Manchester, 
on  the  Oldham  road.  The  watch- 
man observed  her  go  off  the  cause- 
way, and  he  went  and  spoke  to 
her.  She  said  that  she  was  light- 
headed, and  had  undertaken  too 
long  a  journey  for  a  woman  of  her 
years.  Whilst  they  were  talking 
together,  another  witness  of  the 
name  of  Lees  went  past,  on  his 
way  home  from  Manchester.  The 
woman  accosted  him,  and  reques- 
ted permission  to  walk  with  him 
as  far  as  he  went.  He  gave  it,  and 
they  went  on  together  for  about  a 
mile  and  a  half.  The  woman  ap- 
peared to  be  faint,  and  was  some- 
times obliged  to  run,  in  order  to 
keep  up  with  him.  He  left  her 
near  the  canal  bridge,  on  the  Man- 
chester and  Oldham  road.  The 
next  witness,  a  Mrs.  Moor,  stated, 
that,  on  the  evening  in  question, 
between  nine  and  ten  o'clock,  the 
deceased  called  at  her  house,  which 
is  on  the  Oldham  road,  about  half 
a  mile  from  the  place  where  the 
last  witness  and  his  companion 
had  parted,  and  asked  for  some 
water  to  drink.  On  the  following 
day  a  land-surveyor,  of  the  name 
of  Schoiield,  was  measuring  some 
fields  adjoining  the  road  leading 
from  Manchester  to  Oldham^-^ 
nearer  to  Oldham  than  the  house 
of  last  witness, — ^when  he  found 
the  body  of  the  deceased,  in  a 
place  called  "  The  Street,"  which, 
having  been  formerly  part  of  a 
Roman  road,  is  called  by  that 
name,  although  it  forms  no  part  of 
a  regular  road.  To  reach  that 
place  she  must  have  left  the  direct 
road  to  Oldham,  and  crosa^  oo^ 


or  two  fields.  Her  body  was 
lying  in  a  ditch,  exposed  from  the 
waist  downwards.  Her  bonnet  and 
cap  were  off,  the  former  lying  near 
her  feet.  A  little  blood  was  per- 
ceived on  her  mouth,  and  a  scratch 
upon  her  knee ;  but  there  was  no 
other  mark  of  violence.  The  body 
was  removed  to  the  adjoining  vil- 
lage of  Newton,  and  there  minute- 
ly examined  by  a  surgeon.  £x- 
travasated  blood  was  found  upon 
the  brain,  and  as  the  surgeon  did 
not  hear  that  any  violence  had 
been  suffered ;  it  appeared  to  him 
that  the  deceased  had  died  of 
apoplexy,  and  he  gave  an  opinion 
to  that  effect.  A  verdict  ot  acci- 
dental death  was  accordingly  re- 
turned by  the  coroner's  inquest^ 
and  no  further  inquiry  took  place 
at  that  time.  A  few  days  mer- 
wards,  however,  circumstances 
transpired  which  led  to  the  appre- 
hension of  two  young  men  of  the 
names  of  Ashton  Hulton,  and 
William  Mellor,  and  in  the  house 
of  the  latter  a  doak  was  found, 
which  was  clearly  proved  to  be  the 
cloak  which  the  deceased  had  worn 
when  she  quitted  Bolton.  Upon 
their  examination  before  the  ma- 
gistrates, they  made  a  statement 
which  caused  the  prisoners  to  be 
taken  into  custody.  Hulton  now 
stated,  that,  on  the  night  of  the 
22nd  of  December,  he  was  present 
with  the  two  WorraUs,  and  several 
other  persons  at  a  public-house, 
situat^  on  the  road  from  Manches- 
ter to  Oldham,  and  a  little  nearer 
to  Oldham  than  the  house  of  Mrs. 
Moor,  where  the  deceased  had  last 
been  seen.  Witness  and  the  two 
Worralls  left  the  public^house 
about  half-past  nine  o'clock  in  the 
evening,  and  crossed  over  the 
fields  leading  to  ^*  The  Street,'*  in 
the  direction  of  Ashton  WorralPs 
bovsei  to  wliich  they  were  going. 


58 


ANNUAL    REGISTER.        [issi. 


When  they  got  to  the  hedge  which 
separates  the  field  from  "  The 
Street,*'  wituess  had  occasion  to 
stop  for  a  short  time,  whilst  the  pri- 
soners Ashton  Worrall  and  Thomas 
Chadderton  proceeded.  During 
this  time  witness  heard  a  female 
voice  say  '^  Oh,  dear  me,  this  will 
never  do,"  and  immediately  after 
heard  a  cry  of  *' Murder.'  He 
then  got  over  the  hedge  into  "The 
Street/'  and  saw  that  the  two 
Worralls  had  been  joined  by  a 
third  man  who  had  not  been  in 
their  company  before.  That  man 
wituess  thought  was  the  prisoner 
Chaddertouy  whom  he  well  knew  ; 
but  although  he  afterwards  re- 
mained some  time  in  the  man's 
company,  he  never  saw  his  face, 
and  his  opinion,  therefore,  was  only 
formed  from  the  voice  and  dress. 
He  would  not  venture  to  swear 
that  Chadderton  was  the  man. 
Witness  then  stated,  that  he  saw 
the  two  Worralls  and  the  other 
man  throw  the  woman  down, 
and  then  two  of  them  held  the 
woman  down,  with  her  arms  ex- 
tended apart,  whilst  the  third 
committed  brutal  violence  on  her 
person.  This  was  repeated  by 
each  of  the  three,  the  other  two  in 
the  same  manner  keeping  down 
the  arms  of  the  woman.  In  the 
end,  witness  stated,  the  woman 
was  motionless,  and  the  three  men 
took  her  and  threw  her  into  a  ditch 
between  "The  Street,"  and  the 
hedge.  They  then  went  together 
as  far  as  the  Ashton  Canal,  when 
a  man  passed  by.  Ashton  Worrall, 
who  appeared  to  have  something 
concealed  under  his  coat,  went  up 
to  the  man,  and  witness  distinctly 
heard  him  say,  "  Here,  take  this, 
and  say  notning  about  it."  On 
cross-examination,  the  witness  said 
that  he  would  gladly  have  given 
the  woman  assistance  if  he  bad 


been  able.  He  admitted  that  he 
had  not  said  a  word  about  the 
transaction  until  he  was  taken  into 
custody,  but  accounted  for  that  by 
saying  that  he  was  afraid  of  the 
prisoners.  He  admitted  also,  that 
in  the  first  instance  he  had  given 
a  very  different  account,  saying, 
that,  after  he  and  the  Worralls  had 
left  the  public-house,  they  had 
gone  directly  to  Ashton  Worrall's 
house,  and  had  seen  no  woman  at 
all  in  their  way.  This  he  also  ac- 
counted for,  by  saying  that  he  was 
afraid  of  Ashton  Worrall.  He  was 
cross-examined  also  as  to  some  ob- 
servation which  he  had  made  to 
Mellor,  and  Mellor  to  him,  iwheti 
going  before  the  magistrate,  but 
he  firmly  denied  that  any  remark 
had  passed  between  them  on  the 
subject. 

William  Mellor  swore,  that,  on 
the  night  in  question,  between  ten 
and  eleven  o'clock  he  was  paasing 
near  the  Ashton  canal  when  he  saw 
some  men.  One  of  them,  whom 
he  believed  to  be  Ashton  Worrall, 
gave  him  a  cloak,  telling  him  to 
take  it  and  say  nothing  about  it. 
He  took  it  home,  and  it  ultimately 
turned  out  to  be  the  cloak  of  the 
deceased.  A  man  of  the  name  ci 
Berry,  an  assistant  of  Mr.  Schofield 
shortly  after  the  body  was  found 
saw  Ashton  Worrall  about  a  field's 
length  from  the  place  where  the  body 
was  lying.  Ashton  said,  '^  Where  is 
she?  and  witness  pointed  to  the 
spot.  Ashton  8aid,''D— 'U  it,  I  wish 
I  had  never  had  any  thing  to  do 
with  her."  Evidence  was  also  given 
to  show  that,  about  the  hour  men- 
tioned by  the  witness  Hulton, 
cries  of  murder  had  been  heard 
about  the  spot  in  which  he  de- 
scribed the  scene  to  have  happen- 
ed, and  that  the  two  Worralls  had 
been  seen  in  the  neighbourhood 
about  that  time,    A  mx%  button 


MARO 


CHRONICLE. 


69 


was  found  lying  near  the  dec^atecl, 
and  upon  examining  Chadderton's 
shirty  a  button  appeared  to  be 
wanting;  but  great  numbers  of 
persons  had  been  near  the  place. 
Mr.  Thornley,  the  surgeon^  who 
had  first  examined  the  deceased^ 
was  then  called*— he  stated,  tliat  in 
the  first  instance,  not  knowing  any- 
thing of  the  violence  which  ap* 
peared  to  have  been  offered^  he 
had  been  of  opinion  that  the 
death  of  the  deceased  had  been 
occasioned  by  apoplexy,  and  had 
said  that  he  believed  she  died  a 
natural  death.  After  hearing  the 
evidence^  he  was  decidedly  of  opin- 
ion that  she  had  died  of  apoplexy 
occasioned  by  violence.— Mr.  Da^ 
vies,  a  surgeon  of  great  experience^ 
stated,  that  he  had  heard  the  evi- 
dence of  all  the  witnesses^  and  in 
his  judgment^  the  deceased  had 
died  of  apoplexy^  occasioned  by  the 
violence  to  which  she  had  been  sub- 
jected. 

The  prisoners^  in  their  defence^ 
all  alleged  their  innocence.  The 
two  Worralls  stated,  that  they  had 
gone  home  from  the  Sun  Inn; 
had  reached  their  home  about  ten 
o'clock,  and  never  gone  out  after- 
wards. The  witnesses  for  Chaddeiv 
ton  established  a  satisfactory  alibL 

The  Jury,  without  leaving  the 
box,  returned  a  verdict  of  Guiltv 
against  Ashton  Worrall  and  Wil- 
liam Worrall,  and  found  Robert 
Chadderton  Not  GuiUy, 

The  Judge  then  passed  sentence 
of  death,  and  directed  the  two 
prisoners  who  had  been  convicted 
to  be  executed  on  the  following 
Monday. 

25.  Deap  and  Dumb.  York. 
— Esther  Dyson  was  indicted  for 
the  wilful  Munler  of  her  infant 
child,  by  cutting  off  its  head  with 
a  knife.  The  prisoner,  upon  being 
arraigned  and  requir^  to  pteadj 


made  no  reply,  and  the  Jury  was 
sworn  to  try  whether  she  stood 
mute  of  malice,  or  by  the  visita- 
tion  of  God.  A  witness,  of  the 
name  of  Henderson,  deposed,  that 
he  had  known  the  prisoner  from 
infancy,  and  that  she  bad  always 
been  deaf  and  dumb.  On  this 
evidence,  the  Jury  found,  that  the 
prisoner  stood  mute  through  the 
visitation  of  God.  The  same  wit- 
ness was  then  sworn  to  interpret 
the  questions  put  to  the  prisoner, 
and  her  answers,  whi^  be  did  by 
certain  signs  with  which  the  pri- 
soner was  &miliar.  The  prisoner, 
after  some  time,  signified  tliat  i^e 
had  not  committea  the  act  with 
which  she  was  charged,  and  a  plea 
of  "Not  Guilty"  was  recorded. 
The  Jury  w^re  then  desired  to 
stand  up  to  be  sworn,  when  an- 
other difficulty  presented  itself. 
There  was  no  mode  (A  making  the 
prisoner  comprehend  that  she  had 
a  right  to  challenge  the  Jury.  A 
variety  of  questions  were  put,  st 
the  suggestion  of  the  counsel  for 
the  prosecution;  but  though  she 
answered  by  signs,  that  she  knew 
she  had  been  brought  to  York  for 
what  she  was  supposed  to  havie 
done,  it  was  found  impossible  to 
make  her  understand  the  purpose 
for  which  she  had  then  been  brought 
into  court,  and  the  nature  of  a 
trial  by  jury.  Another  witness,  a 
Mrs.  Briggs,  was  then  sWcM'n,  bat 
her  efforts  were  as  fruitless  as 
those  of  the  first  interpreter ;  and 
both  the  witneeses  agreed  tha^; 
they  could  not  make  the  pri- 
soner understand  the  nature  and 
purpose  of  things  which  she  had 
not  witnessed  before.  Under  these 
drcumstances,  Mr.  Justice  Parke 
stopped  the  proceedings,  until  he 
conferred  with  Mr.  Justice  Lit« 
tledale.  The  learned  Judge  was 
absent  £poa  court  a  short  time,  and 


60 


ANNUAL   REGISTER. 


[1831. 


on  his  return  directed  a  Jury  to  be 
empanelled^  to  try  whether  the 
prisoner  was  tlien  in  such  a  state 
of  mind  as  to  be  capable  of  under- 
Btandingtheproceedings  which  were 
then  going  on.  The  two  inter- 
preters were  again  sworn,  and  put 
a  variety  of  questions  with  no 
better  success.  The  Jury  found, 
that  the  prisoner  was  not  at  that 
moment  in  a  sane  state  of  mind. 
The  prisoner  was  then  remanded. 

28.     Illumination    Riots. — 
On  the  28th,  an  illumination  took 
place  at  Edinburgh,  to  celebrate 
the  triumph  of  the  Reform  Bill, 
having  been   carried    through    a 
second  reading  by  a  majonty  of 
one.     Many  of  the  best  friends  of 
the  measure  were  of  opinion,  that 
any  demonstration  of  joy  by  illu- 
mination was  uncalled  for  and  pre- 
mature, while  the  ant i- reformers 
were  naturally  averse  to  an  ex- 
pression of  satisfaction  under  any 
circumstances.  There  was,  in  con- 
sequence, considerable    hesitation 
and  doubt,  and  in  the  forenoon  the 
magistrates  had  a  printed  notice, 
judiciously  advising  the  inhabitants 
to  defer  any  illumination  until  the 
passing  of  the  Bill.  But  this  notice 
was  not  issued.     In  the  meantime, 
many  among    the    more    zealous 
friends  of  the  measure   were  still 
determined  to  illuminate,  and  be- 
gan to  make  preparations  by  clean- 
ing their  windows,  &c. ;  and  incon- 
sequence, a  notice  was  issued  in  the 
afternoon  from  the  sheriff  and  ma- 
gistrates, intimating  to  the  inhabit- 
ants,   that,   as   a   great    number 
had  determined  to  illuminate,  it 
would  be   advisable,  in  order  to 
preserve  the  peace  of  the  city,  that 
the  illumination  should  be  general. 
Many  of  the  inhabitants  were  not 
inclined  to  concur  in  any  marked 
expression  of  joy  ;  and  they  were 
much  perplexed  by  the  vacillating 


resolutions    of   the    magistrates; 
accordingly  many  houses  in   the 
New    Town    were    not    lighted. 
In   the   Old  Town  there   was  a 
greater  appearance  of  preparation 
and  of  spontaneous  zeal ;  all  the 
humblest    dwellings    were    fully 
lighted  up.     Very   early   in   the 
evening  the  mob  began  to  mani- 
fest   symptoms    of   riot;    and  a 
crowd  of   blackguard^   collected, 
who  were  intent  on  mischief,  and 
determined,   as   usual,    to  wreak 
their  vengeance  on  the  non-illu- 
minated houses.    Having  collected 
stones  at  the  Calton-hill,  they  en- 
tered the  Canongate,  and  broke 
the  windows  of  every  unilluminated 
house  as  they  passed  along.    They 
afterwards    received    a   large  ac- 
cession of  boys  and  lads,  a  great 
proportion    consisting   of   bakers, 
glaziers,   and  others  of  the  work- 
ing-classes,   and  proceeded  along 
the  principal  streets  of  the  New 
Town,  Heriot  Row,  Moray  Place, 
and  all  the  fine  streets  adjoining, 
namely    Melville    Street,     Athol 
Crescent,    Shandwick  Place,   and 
Charlotte  Square,  pouring  voUies 
of  stones  into  every  nouse  that  was 
not    lighted,    into     many    ware- 
houses, into  houses,  many  of  them 
untenanted,    though     they    were 
protected    by  torch-bearers,  from 
whom  they  wrested  their  torches, 
and  bore  them  about  the  streets 
openly,  and  in  triumph.     Another 
band  collected  between  nine  and 
ten  o'clock  at  the  Royal  Institu- 
tion, the  windows  of  which  they 
destroyed,     and    proceeded    with 
loud  shouts  along  Hanover  Street, 
George     Street,     St.      Andrew's 
Square,     Queen     Street,      Duke 
Street,    and   Abercromby     Place, 
breaking     the   windows  as    they 
went  along;  and,  contrary  to  all 
former   precedent,   attacking  the 
torch-bearers  who  stood  its  a  pro^ 


MAR.] 


CHRONICLE. 


61 


tection   before  many   houses.     In 
several  instances  the  windows  of 
houses  that  were  illuminated  were 
broken.     One  gentleman  had  put 
himself  to  great  expense  in  pro- 
ducing a  splendid  star,  composed 
of  variegated  lamps,  with  which  he 
adorned  the  front  of  his  house; 
and,  in  order  to  give  it  full  effect, 
he  refrained  from  putting  candles 
in   his   windows.      On  came   the 
rabble,  with  their  piper  and  torches. 
The  windows  were   not  lighted  ! 
This  was  enough  ;  and  in  ten  se- 
conds  all  went   to    wreck,    star, 
windows  —  every     thing     within 
their  reach.      Several    shops  that 
were    shut   had    the    glass  above 
the     doors     smashed    to   pieces; 
and    in   many  houses  which   had 
been   lighted,  and   in   which  the 
lights  had  been  extinguished  sooner 
than  was  thought  proper  by  the 
mob,  the  windows  were  all  broken. 
The  dilapidated  state  of  numerous 
elegant  mansions  throughout  the 
New  Town,  on  Tuesday  morning, 
bore  testimony  to  the  outrages  of 
the  previous  night. 

On  the  same  day,  still  more 
riotous  scenes  took  plac^  at  Dun- 
dee. On  Sunday  the  27th,  some 
unknown  individuals  ordered  an 
illumination,  by  placards,  in  the 
following  terms :  — 

"The  boroughmongers  are  de- 
feated and  condemned,  in  spite  of 
their  own  interested  votes  !  I  The 
speedy  and  final  triumph  of  Re- 
form IS  certain  ! ! !  Let  all  Dun- 
dee be  illuminated  on  the  night  of 
Monday  first,  from  seven  till  nine 
o'clock.  There  is  to  be  an  il- 
lumination in  Edinburgh  on  that 
night." 

Every  one  inquired,  who  has 
ordered  the  illumination  ? — who 
has  published  the  placards  ?  And 
almost  all  concurred  in  denouncing 
it    as   an  impudent   trick.    The 


Justices  on  Monday  found  it  was 
too  late  to  forbid  the  illumination, 
and  accordingly  issued  a  hand-bill, 
stating  that  they  had  received  a 
requisition  to  have  the  town  illu- 
minated, and  that  an  illumination 
would  take  place.     I'he  illumina- 
tion was  general ;  people  prefer- 
ring to  be  at  the  expense  of  a  few 
candles  rather    than    have    their 
property  destroyed.     Boats,  tar- 
barrels,  &c.,  were  passed  along  the 
streets  and  burned ;  several  win- 
dows which  were  not  lighted  up 
were  broken.     Towards  midnight 
the  chief  disturbances  were  con- 
fined to  the  High  Street,  where  an 
immense  crowd  was  collected,  and 
a  bonfire  made  out  of  the  remains 
of  a  boat,  a  number  of  tar-barrels, 
and   other  combustibles.      About 
half-past  eleven  the  Police  Com- 
missioners,   observing   that     the 
crowd  shewed  no   disposition   to 
disperse,  and  that  the  fire  was  in- 
dustriously   fed    from    all    quar- 
ters, and  the  burning  faggots  oc- 
casionally   thrown    about    in    all 
directions,  interfered,  in  order  to 
prevent  the  fire  from  being  kept 
up,  and,  after  telling  the  crowd 
that  they  had  allowed  them  hither- 
to every  liberty,  exhorted  them  to 
forbear  from  throwing  on    more 
fuel,  and  to  go  home  quietly.   For 
this  purpose    the    pensioner-con- 
stables and  police-officers  formed  a 
circle  round  the  fire  for  about  half 
an  hour.     The  more  daring  of  the 
crowd  not  relishing  this,  made  an 
attempt   to  push   the    constables 
into  the  fire,  which  they  resisted, 
and   cleared  away  the   crowd  in 
that  direction    with  their  batons. 
Stones  and  other  missiles    were 
collected  and  thrown  at  the  Com- 
missioners; but  the  fire  was  put 
out,  and  part  of  the  remains  taken* 
away,  although  the  policemen  en- 
gaged in  this  duty  were  very  rough- 


62 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


[1881. 


Ijr  handled  by  the  mob.  About 
half-past  twelFe  the  crowd  had 
removed  to  the  entrance  of  tlic 
Police  Office,  where  the  contest 
continued  for  some  hours ;  the  con- 
stables then  dispersed,  leaving  the 
police-officers  to  manage  as  they 
best  could.  The  latter  retired 
into  the  lane  leading  to  the  office, 
and  occasionally  burst  out  and  se- 
cured the  most  active  among  the 
crowd;  they  were,  however,  few 
in  number  when  compared  with 
their  assailants,  and  they  were  at 
times  beaten  back,  and  the  win- 
dows of  the  office  were  smashed  to 
pieces.  About  forty  of  the  rioters 
were  apprehended  and  lodged  in 
the  Police  Office,  and  repeated 
attempts  were  made  to  force  it  and 
rescue  the  prisoners.  Next  day 
(29th)  crowds  collected  in  various 
parts  of  the  town,  and  the  deten- 
tion of  the  prisoners  in  the  Police 
Office  was  a  general  subject  of 
conversation.  In  the  evening,  an 
attack  was  made  on  the  office 
(which  is  situated  behind  the  Town 
House),  and  the  door  was  forced, 
an  old  lamp-iron  being  used  as  a 
battering  ram.  The  mob  having 
effected  an  entrance,  the  prisoners 
were  set  at  liberty;  but  not  satis- 
fied with  this  achievement,  they 
proceeded  to  gut  the  office,  and 
every  form,  book,  lantern,  or  other 
article  that  could  be  lifted  or  torn 
up,  was  carried  to  the  street  and 
burned.  A  great  number  of  the 
windows  of  the  Town  House  were 
broken  during  the  riot. 

30.  Railways  a  Nuisance. 
York. — Rex  v.  Pearse  and  others, 
— This  was  an  indictment  for  a 
nuisance,  against  the  directors  of 
the  Stockton  and  Darlington  Rail- 
way Company. — By  an  act  of  Par- 
liament, passed  in  1821,  the  de- 
fendants were  authorized  to  form 
a  railway  from  Darlington  to  ISun« 


derland,  and  by  another  act, 
passed  in  1 823,  they  were  author- 
ized  to  use  locomotive  engines 
thereon.  The  rail- way,  which  it 
was  agreed  had  been  formed  upon 
the  line  pointed  out  in  the  act 
of  Parliament,  was  opened  for  pub- 
lic use  in  1825.  Only  one  steam- 
carriage  was  at  first  used  }  but 
the  number  gradually  increased  ; 
till  there  were  seven  steam-car- 
riaffes  in  operation.  The  increase 
had  been  rendered  necessary  by 
the  increased  and  increasing  busi- 
ness on  the  rail-way.  For  about  a 
mile  and  three-quarters  the  rail- 
way runs  in  a  parallel  line  with  the 
high  road  leading  from  Yarm  to 
Stockton,  the  two  roads  being  at 
an  average  distance  of  fifty  3^ards 
from  each  other.  The  nuisance 
complained  of  was,  the  fright  fuid 
danger  which  the  noise  and  the 
smoke  of  the  steam-engines  occa^ 
sioned  to  passengers  on  this  part  of 
the  high- way.  A  variety  of  wit- 
nesses proved,  that  accidents  fre- 
quently happened  in  consequence 
of  horses  taking  fright  at  the 
steam-engines.  Mr.  Pollock  stated, 
that  he  wss  willing  to  admit  that 
the  defendants  had  been  guilty  of  a 
nuisance,  unless  their  conduct  was 
justified  by  the  act  of  Parlianaent, 
according  to  the  directions  of 
which  the  rail-way  had  been 
formed,  and  the  steam -carriages 
used.  He  suggested,  therefore, 
that  the  best  mode  would  be  for 
the  Jury  to  return  a  special  ver- 
dict, finding  the  facts  already 
proved,  and,  also,  that  the  defend- 
ants had  used  the  best  engines 
they  could  procure,  and  availed 
themselves  of  every  improvement 
that  had  been  offered.— Mr.  Wil- 
liams, for  the  prosecution,  after 
some  deliberation,  agreed  to  the 
proposal,  and  a  verdict  of  Guilty 
was  accordingly  entered. 


MAS.] 


CHRONICLE. 


es 


31.  Religious  Madness.— 
Taunton. — ^Thomas  Searle  was 
charged  with  having  cut  and 
wounded  his  daughter^  Elizabeth 
Searle,  with  intent  to  murder  her. 
It  appeared  that  the  prisoner  had 
been  in  a  state  of  religious  mad- 
ness, in  consequence,  as  he  alleged, 
of  a  sermon  which  had  been  preadi-* 
ed  at  the  parish  diurcb  of  Thorn, 
by  a  Mr.  Watts,  every  word  of 
whidi  he  thought  to  bare  been  ad- 
dressed to  himself*  He  became 
impressed  with  the  conviction  that 
he  had  committed  the  sin  against 
the  Holy  Ghost,  and  that  there- 
fore he  could  never  obtain  forgive- 
ness either  in  tbis  world  or  the 
next ;  and  for  months  before  the 
commission  of  the  offence  he  kept 
his  family  in  a  continual  state  of 
apprehension  for  his  personal  safety. 
On  the  25th  of  September  last  he 
took  his  daughter,  a  child  only 
twelve  years  old,  up  stairs  in  his 
house,  and  asked  her  if  she  would 
wish  to  go  to  Heaven  ;  and,  upou 
the  child  saying  yes,  the  father 
kissed  her  affectionately,  after 
which  he  cut  her  throat  to  a  con- 
siderable extent,  under  the  ear,  in 
the  muscular  part,  and  inflicted 
other  wounds  upon  other  parts  of 
her  body.  Another  of  his  daugh- 
ters, nine  years  old,  hearing  the 
cries  of  her  sister,  ran  to  the  room, 
and  in  attempting  to  seize  the 
knife,  was  wounded  in  the  hand. 
It  seemed,  however,  that  the  at- 
tempt to  commit  so  enormous  a 
crime  had,  in  some  degree,  awak- 
ened the  unhappy  parent  from  the 
delusion  under  which  he  had  la- 
boured, and  in  consequence  of 
which  he  believed  that  he  had  been 
commanded  to  kill  his  daughter 
by  the  express  direction  of  the 
Holy  Ghost.  Some  persons  came 
to  the  assistance  of  the  child,  and, 
on  remonstrating  with  the  father. 


he  expressed  die  greatest  borror 
at  the  attempt  which  be  had  made. 
The  child,  who  was  now  called  as 
a  witness,  stated  some  of  the  above- 
mentioned  facts.  When  her  ex- 
amination had  been  concluded,  the 
prisoner,  who  had  no  counsel,  was 
asked  by  the  Judge,  if  he  had  any 
questions  to  ask  of  the  witness  ? 
The  putting  of  the  question  in- 
duced the  little  girl  to  look  roand, 
and  her  eyes  no  sooner  had  Mien 
upon  her  father,  whom  she  had 
not  previously  seen,  than  she  burst 
into  tears  and  instantly  fainted 
away.  Another  of  the  prisoner's 
daughters  deposed  to  some  facts 
tending  to  show  the  prisoner's  in- 
sanity at  the  time  of  committing 
the  act.  She  said  that  he  was  the 
most  affectionate  of  husbands  and 
of  parents,  and  had  always  been 
peculiarly  fond  of  the  child  whom 
he  attempted  to  kill. 

The  Jury  acquitt&i  the  prisoner 
upon  the  ground  of  his  being 
insane  at  the  time  of  committing 
the  act. 

Discovery  of  Murdsr,  — - 
About  a  month  ago  there  appeared 
a  paragraph  in  the  Stamford 
Champion  and  the  News,  stating 
that  "  an  old  woman  named  Levi- 
son,  who  lately  died  at  Braunston, 
near  Oakham,  made  confession  on 
ber  death-bed  to  the  minister,  that 
she,  along  with  her  then  master, 
one  Smith,  had  been  concerned  in 
the  murder  of  a  beast-jobber,  a 
stranger,  who  had  come  to  her 
master's  residence  toreceive  money ; 
that  she  held  his  head,  while  Smith 
beat  out  his  brains  with  a  coal- 
hammer."  Mr.  W.  Hinds>  late  a 
schoolmaster,  of  Boston,  having 
nearly  thirty  years  before,  lost 
a  cousin,  named  Samuel  Johnson, 
who  disappeared  in  a  mysterious 
manner,  on  seeing  the  above  para- 
graph, immediately  wrote  to  the 


64 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


[i83i: 


minister  of  Braunston  for  fiirther 
information  relative  to  the  murder. 
The  result  Mas,  that  Mr.  Hinds 
ascertained  that  the  {>erson  tlius 
murdered  was  the  identical  beast- 
jobber,  Johnson,  who  left  Freis- 
ton  about  Christmas  1801,  with 
considerable  property,  and  a  quan- 
tity of  cattle  to  sell  at  Smithfield* 
market,  which  it  appears  he  sold. 
On  his  return  he  called  at  Oakham 
to  meet  Smith  and  a  man  named 
Hackett,  to  receive  money  for 
beasts  sold  to  them  at  the  preced- 
ing Lammas.  Hackett  settled  with 
him,  but  Smith  failed  to  come, 
and  in  consequence  Johnson  went 
to  Smith's  house  for  the  money, 
and  was  never  more  seen.  Smith 
and  the  woman  lately  dead — whose 
name  the  minister  says  is  Levi — 
robbed  and  murdered  him,  and 
buried  his  body  in  the  stack-yard. 
Smith,  who  had  previously  been  in 
indifferent  circumstances,  launched 
out  into  business  for  some  years, 
but  after  a  time  he  failed  ana  died 
a  pauper,  and  was  buried  at  the 
expense  of  the  parish  in  1825. 
He  used  annually  to  erect  hay- 
stacks upon  the  place  where  he  had 
buried  his  victim.  After  he  left 
the  place  about  twelve  years  ago, 
some  men,  who  were  digging  for 
gravel,  found  the  bones  of  Johnson, 
and  they  were  collected  and  in- 
terred in  Knossington  church-yard. 
Johnson  was  supposed  to  have  had 
about  him  property  to  the  amount 
of  1 ,600/.  or  1 ,800/.  Two  letters, 
purporting  to  be  written  by  the 
deceased,  but  which  at  the  time 
were  generally  believed  to  be  for- 
geries, were  received  by  his  friends 
at  Freiston,  stating  that  he  had 
hired  himself  to  a  butcher  at 
Epping.  They  are  supposed  to 
have  been  written  by  the  murderer 
for  the  purpose  of  diverting  the 
attention  of  the  deceased's  friends. 


APRIL. 

6.  Fire. — ^Early  in  the  morn- 
ing a  fire  broke  out  in  *the  house  of 
Mr.  Stewart,  baker.  Sermon-lane, 
Doctors'  Commons.  In  a  few 
minutes  after  the  alarm  was  given^ 
the  whole  house  was  in  a  blaze. 
The  family  and  lodgers  had  no  pos« 
sibility  of  escape  by  the  street- 
door,  as  the  names  and  smoke 
ascended  to  the  upper  part  of  the 
house.  Some  of  them,  however, 
escaped  in  their  night-clothes 
by  the  top  of  the  house,  while 
others  threw  themselves  out  of 
the  first  fioor  windows,  in  al- 
most a  state  of  nudity,  into  the 
street.  They  were,  however, 
caught  by  a  party  of  the  city- 
poliee,  who  broke  their  fell,  though 
not  without  personal  injury  to  a 
female  whose  leg  and  knee  were 
seriously  hurt.  The  fire  in  a  little 
time  communicated  to  the  house  of 
Mr.  Lee,  corn-chandler.  No.  17, 
Sermon-lane,  at  the  corner  of  Car- 
ter-lane, and  thence  to  the  houses 
of  Mr.  Sauze,  stationer,  and  Mr. 
Bouker,  boot  and  shoe-maker,  in 
Carter-lane,  and  that  of  Mr.  Gray, 
in  Knowles-court,  Sermon-lane,  all 
of  which  were  burning  at  the  same 
time.  The  speedy  arrival  of  the 
engines,  with  the  activity  of 
the  firemen  and  a  plentiful  supply 
of  water,  was  the  means  of  pre- 
serving the  whole  of  a  densely  in- 
habited neighbourhood  from  total 
destruction.  The  loss  of  property 
was  very  great  5  the  houses  and 
goods  of  Mr.  Stewart  and  Mr.  Lee, 
and  the  property  of  Mr.  »Sauze, 
as  well  as  that  of  the  Misses  Ben- 
nett, milliners  and  dress-makers, 
who  occupied  the  upper  part 
of  his  house,  and  of  Mr.  Bouker, 
being  completely  destroyed^  and 
several  houses  in  Sermon-lane,  op- 


APRIL.] 


CHRONICLE, 


65 


posite  to  the  seat  of  the  fire,  very 
much  scorched. 

Fourteen  Persons  Drowned. 
— On  Friday,  as  six  men  and  eight 
women  were  proceeding  in  a  boat 
on  Lough  Allen  to  their  homes^ 
from  the  market  of  Drumshambo, 
they  were  overtaken  by  a  heavy 
squall  of  wind,  when  within  two 
miles  of  the  canal.  The  women 
becoming  frightened  rushed  to  the 
side  of  the  boat  which  they  consi- 
dered to  be  safest.  The  effect  was, 
that  the  boat  upset,  and  every  soul 
on  board  perished  !  The  boat  was 
heavily  laden,  having  a  quantity  of 
potatoes  and  meal,  with  other  arti- 
cles on  board,  which  the  unfortunate 
sufferers  had  purchased  for  the 
use  of  their  families.  The  suffer- 
ers were  all  from  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Drumkeerin,  in  the  county 
of  Leitrim.  Eleven  of  them  left 
large  and  helpless  families. — Diih^ 
lin  Freeman's  JoiirnaL 

14.  Singular  Accident. — 
Croft  Head  Print  Works. — Robert 
Martin,  millwright,  having  occa- 
sion to  be  oiling  an  iron  shaft  which 
was  in  motion,  and  was  about  ten 
feet  from  the  ground,  a  small  hook 
attached  to  it  got  entangled  in  the 
button-hole  of  his  jacket,  and  in  a 
moment  suspended  him  from  the 
steps  he  was  resting  on,  carrying 
him  round  about  in  regular  motion, 
and  giving  a  heavy  fall  as  often  as 
he  came  undermost.  Still  the  hold 
did  not  give  way ;  and  finding  all 
attempts  to  shake  himself  clear 
unavailing,  Martin,  with  great 
presence  of  mind,  and  after  a  vio- 
lent effort,  succeeded  in  getting 
his  legs  and  arms  firmly  clasped 
round  the  shaft:  thus  he  was 
stretched  out  at  full  length,  and 
turned  round  in  regular  succession 
with  it,  but  in  a  comparatively  easier 
position  than  the  first.  A  little 
boy,  who    was   on  the  spot,    at 

Vol.  LXXIII. 


first  laughed  out  most  heartily, 
thinking  that  the  millwright  was 
trying  some  mountebank  trick; 
but  when  some  time  had  elapsed, 
and  he  could  get  no  answer  from 
Martin^  he  began  to  weep,  and 
went  in  search  of  assistance.  The 
water  -  wheel  was  immediately 
stopped,  and  soon  after  Martin 
was  found  still  clinging  to  the 
shaft,  and  in  such  an  exhausted 
state,  that  he  could  not  have  kept 
his  hold  much  longer.  He  was 
conveved  home,  and  it  was  ascer- 
tained that  two  of  his  ribs  wer^ 
broken,  but  was  soon  considered 
by  his  medical  attendant  out  of  all 
danger.  Martin  calculates  that 
he  was  nearly  an  hour  turning 
round  with  the  shaft,  which  is 
about  four  inches  in  diameter ;  nor 
could  he  ever  speak  a  word  dis- 
tinctly* though  he  often  tried  to 
tell  the  boy,  to  bring  somebody. 
He  was  very  dizzy  for  the  first  ten 
minutes,  but  after  shutting  his 
eyes,  the  dizziness  gradually  left 
him. 

16.  Erroneous  Verdict.— 
At  the  Old  Bailey  Sessions,  a  man 
named  Ellis  was  tried,  along  with 
three  others,  for  breaking  into  and 
robbing  the  house  of  an  eminent 
tailor.  He  was  found  guilty,  and 
ordered  for  execution  oh  Tuesday 
the  1 9th.  He  had  been  convicted 
on  proof  of  the  recent  possession 
of  the  goods  alone.  The  Sheriffs 
naving  received  certain  intelli- 
gence concerning  the  convict,  pro- 
ceeded to  examine  witnesses,  and 
investigate  the  case  in  every  parti- 
cular, and  they  ascertained  beyond 
a  doubt,  that  although  he  had  been 
marked  as  a  receiver  of  stolen  goods 
for  the  last  two  years,  he  had  never 
been  known  or  supposed  to  be  a 
house-breaker.  Fifteen  or  sixteen 
witnesses  were  examined,  and  fronr 
their  evidence  it  appeared  that  he 

F 


66 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


D8SK 


had  committed  the  minor  offence 
merely.  It  was  proved^  both  from 
positive  and  from  circumstantial 
testimony,  that  he  knew  nothing  of 
the  robbery  until  after  it  had  been 
perpetratetl, — that  four  young  men 
went  to  his  house  on  the  morning 
after  the  robbery^  and  invited  him 
to  a  house  in  the  Seven-dials,  to 
see  the  goods,— that  he  there  bar- 
gained for  them,  —  that  Francis 
Coy,  who  had  been  convicted  along 
with  him,  but  whose  sentence  was 
commuted,  and  a  young  man  not 
in  custody,  were  of  the  party,  and 
sent  by  him  with  the  money  for 
the  goods,  which  they  measured, 
and  accordingly  paid  for,  —  and 
that  Coy  then  went,  by  his  direc- 
tion, to  sell  the  goods  to  a  piece- 
broker,  on  whose  premises  the  pro- 
perty was  found.  When  the  order 
for  the  execution  came  down,  the 
inquiry  was  followed  up  with 
zeal  by  the  Sheriffs,  and,  fDrtu- 
nately,  the  person  who  gave  the 
information  to  the  officers  was  dis- 
covered, and  he  confirmed  the  evi- 
dence adduced  of  the  part  which 
Ellis  had  taken  in  the  transaction. 
Upon  application  to  the  magistrates 
and  officers  at  Marl  borough-street, 
the  statement  of  the  informant  was 
corroborated  as  to  its  exact  agree- 
ment with  what  he  had  commu- 
nicated to  them.  Seventeen  affi- 
davits and  statements  were  pre- 
pared and  laid,  on  Saturday  morn- 
ing, before  Lord  Melbourne,  who 
entered  immediately  into  the  in- 
vestigation. Copies  of  all  the 
documents  were  also  sent  off  by 
express  to  the  Lord  Chancellor, 
who  had  not  attended  at  the  Coun- 
cil ;  and  on  Saturday  evening  a 
respite  during  pleasure  was  re- 
ceived for  Ellis  at  Newgate. 

26.  Death  from  Stays. — An 
inquest  was  held  at  Stepney,  on 
view  of  the  body  of  Miss  Betsy 


Harris,  a  young  woman^  twenty* 
two  years  of  age.— Mr.  Richard 
Pater,  surgeon,  stated  that,  on 
Sunday  evening  last,  he  was  sent 
for  to  attend  the  deceased.  On 
going  to  her  mother's  house,  he 
found  her  lying  on  the  carpet  ia 
the  back  parlour.  She  was  then 
quite  dead,  but  the  body  was  not 
cold.  For  the  satisfiM^ioa  of  her 
friends,  he  opened  a  rein  in  the 
arm,  but  only  a  few  drops  of  Uood 
followed  the  incision.  On  that 
morning  he  opened  the  body  and 
head  of  the  deceased,  and  found 
the  brain  in  a  state  of  congestion. 
This,  he  imagined,  was  produced 
by  compression  on  the  descending 
aorta  from  a  very  hearty  meal,  and 
great  pressure  from  the  stays  of 
the  deceased,  which,  at  the  time 
of  her  death,  was  really  incredible. 
The  effect  of  the  pressure  was, 
that  the  blood  was  prevented  from 
passing  in  its  ordinary  course  to 
the  lower  extremities,  and  conse- 
quently caused  a  greater  flow  of  it 
to  the  lungs  and  brain.  The  heart, 
the  lungs,  the  stomach,  and  intes* 
tines,  were  perfectly  healthy,  but 
the  two  latter  were  consiaeraMy 
distended  with  fluids  and  food. 
There  was  an  excessive  quantity 
of  roast  beef  and  spinach  in  the 
stomach,  which  appeared  to  have 
been  but  recently  tsiken.  He  was 
of  opinion  that  the  coneestion  of 
blood  on  the  brain,  whiim  she  was 
predisposed  t-o  from  her  make,  and 
which  was  occasioned  by  the  pres-* 
sure  he  had  before  described,  pro* 
duced  apoplexy,  which  was  the 
cause  of  the  death  of  the  deceased. 
—•Mrs.  Rogers,  a  neighbour,  de« 
posed,  that,  about  half-past  eight 
o'clock  on  Sunday  evening,  she 
was  called  in  to  see  the  deceased. 
Deceased  lay  apparently  lifeless. 
She  (witness)  assisted  in  unloosing 
her  clothes^  which  were  extremely 


APRIL.] 


CHRONICLE. 


67 


tight  round  tlie  body.  Her  stavs 
were  laced  so  tight,  as  in  wit- 
ness's, opinion,  to  cause  a  very  un- 
healthy and  improper  pressure. 
Indeed,  she  did  not  know  how  the 
deceased  could  have  borne  them 
on,  and  was  not  surprised  at  their 
having  occasioned  her  death.  The 
deceased  lived  with  her  mother 
and  sister,  and,  as  far  as  witness 
was  able  tx)  judge,  they  lived  on  the 
most  friendly  and  affectionate  terms 
with  each  other.  Witness  saw  the 
deceased  on  Sunday  morning,  when 
she  appeared  in  perfect  health. — 
Mrs.  Anne  Maria  Wood,  sister  to 
the  deceased^  said,  that  she  was  at 
the  house  of  her  mother  on  Sun- 
day evening,  when  the  deceased 
died.  Throughout  the  day  she 
was  in  excellent  health  and  spirits, 
and  ate  a  hearty  dinner  about  one 
o'clock.  She  made  no  complaint 
of  illness  during  the  evening, 
but  merely  once  or  twice  said 
that  she  felt  rather  sleepy.  About 
eight  o'clock  the  deceased  was 
standing  with  her  mother  at  the 
front  door,  admiring  the  beauties 
of  the  moon,  when,  all  at  once,  she 
fell  back  in  the  hall,  exclaiming, 
*'  Oh  !  mamma,"  and  never  spoke 
more. — ^The  Jury,  without  hesi- 
tation, returned  a  verdict,  "  that 
the  deceased  died  of  apoplexy, 
produced  by  her  stays  being  too 
tightly  laceo." 

27.  Deaths  by  Fire. — Early 
in  the  morning,  a  fire  broke  out  in 
the  house  of  Lord  Walsingham, 
Upper  Harley-street,  Cavendish- 
square.  As  soon  as  the  servants 
were  alarmed,  they  hastened  to 
lord  Walsiugham's  bed-room,  but 
found  it  a  mass  of  flame  and  smoke, 
through  which  they  could  not  make 
their  way.  Lady  Walsingham, 
who  slept  in  another  room  on  the 
same  floor,  having  been  roused,  at- 
tempted to  escape  by  leaping  out 


^f  the  window  into  a  back  yard, 
where  she  was  soon  after  /ound 
lyings  with  her  arms  and  both 
tnighs  broken.  She  died  a  few 
hours  afterwards.  She  would  have 
escaped,  if,  instead  of  leaping  from 
the  window,  she  had  opened  her 
door,  and  gone  down  stairs  with 
the  servants  who  gave  her  the 
alarm. 

Aa  soon  as  the  flames  were 
partially  subdued,  the  drawing- 
room  and  lower  part  of  the  house 
having  remained  comparatively  un- 
injured, the  remains  of  lord  Wal- 
singham were  found  in  a  state  of 
almost  entire  destruction  ;  the  ex- 
tremities, hands  and  ie^i,  were 
literally  consumed  to  ashes,  and 
the  head  and  skeleton  of  the  body 
alone  presented  any  thing  like  an 
appearance  of  humanity.  The  re- 
mains were  removed  to'  the  stable 
in  which  the  mangled  body  of  lady 
Walsingham  lay,  and  there  the 
coroner's  inquest  was  held.  From 
the  Are  having  broken  out  in  his 
lordship's  sleeping-room,  shortly 
after  he  had  retir^  to  rest,  it  was 
conjectured  he  had  left  the  taper 
lighted  by  the  bed  side,  and  fallen 
asleep  without  extinguishing  it. 

Mary  Rolfe  stated,  she  was 
lady's-maid  to  the  deceased,  and 
was  with  her  ladyship  on  Tues- 
day night,  about  ten  o  clock,  when 
her  ladyship  retired  to  bed.  She 
left  her  ladyship  in  bed,  without 
Are  or  candle.  Lord  Walsingham 
slept  in  another  apartment  on  the 
second  floor,  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  staircase.  Witness  slept  in 
a  spare  room  on  the  story  over  lord 
Walsingham's  room.  Sne  went  to 
bed  about  eleven  o'clock,  and  awoke 
about  two,  when  she  was  alarmed 
by  the  noise  of  water  running.  She 
opened  her  bed-room  window,  and 
called  flre.  She  ran  down  stairs 
in  her  night-clothes  and  escaped, 

F2 


68 


ANNUAL   REGISTER. 


[1831, 


but  could  not  tell  how,  she  was  in 
such  a  state  of  terror.  There  were 
four  rooms  on  the  second  floor,  and 
witness  did  not  see  the  fire  in  his 
lordship's  room  till  some  time  af- 
terwards. She  saw  lady  Walsing- 
ham  after  she  had  leapt  from  the 
window,  in  dreadful  agony,  and 
observed  that  she  believed  her  lord 
was  burnt.  She  did  not  state  why 
she  leapt  from  the  window  instead 
of  going  down  the  staircase. — John 
Kichard  £11  more  stated,  that  he 
was  called  in,  soon  after  two  o'clock 
that  morning,  to  attend  lady  Wal- 
singham.  He  found  her  ladyship 
dreadfully  wounded  in  a  loft  over 
the  coacn man's  stable.  On  ex- 
amination, found  a  cut  on  the  fore- 
head, another  over  the  eye,  the  nose 
broken,  and  both  thigh  bones  frac- 
tured ;  the  greater  part  of  the  bone 
of  the  one  protruded  just  above  the 
knee  joint  three  or  four  inches. 
The  right  arm  was  broken,  the 
elbow  of  which  was  literally 
crushed  to  pieces.  Notwith- 
standing these  numerous  severe 
injuries,  her  ladyship  was  per- 
fectly sensible,  and  expressed  strong 
anxiety  for  the  fate  of  lord  Wal- 
singham,  continually  exclaiming, 
that  *^  he  must  be  lost,"  and  wished 
to  know  if  any  thing  had  been 
heard  of  him.  Archdeacon  de  Grey, 
the  brother-in-law  of  lord  Wal- 
singham,  was  present,  and  asked 
if  her  ladyship  had  any  wish  re- 
specting the  execution  of  a  testa- 
mentary paper,  and  she  replied  she 
was  so  confused  and  agonized,  as 
to  be  incapable.  She  was  in  a 
dying  state,  and  a  clergyman  was 
introduced,  who  prayed  with  her, 
and  a  little  before  six  o'clock  she 
emitted  from  her  stomach  a  great 
quantity  of  blood ;  she  was  suffo- 
cated. Before  she  expired,  she 
stated  that  she  was  awoke  by  the 
smoke^  which  filled  her  room,  and 


she  opened  the  window  and  threw 
herself  on  the  leads  below.  She 
said,  she  l)elieyed  the  fire  had  broke 
out  in  Lord  Walsingham's  room, 
and  she  l^id  previously  expressed 
to  Dr.  Clarke,  her  fear  that  some 
serious  accident  would  occur 
through  his  lordship's  careless- 
ness.— Jane  Mills,  housemaid  to 
the  deceased,  was  awoke  by  the 
ringing  of  bells,  about  two  o'clock, 
in  either  her  lord  or  lady's  bed- 
room. Got  up  instantly,  and 
lady  Walsingham's  maid  said  the 
house  was  on  fire.  Witness 
said,  ^'  nonsense,"  but  ran  down 
stairs  on  observing  smoke,  and 
opened  lord  Walsingham's  room- 
door.  Observed  the  bed-drapery 
and  the  clothes  in  fiames;  the 
smoke  and  heat  were  so  oppres- 
sive she  could  only  call  out,  and  re- 
ceiving  no  answer,  she  ran  through 
lady  Walsingham's  room,  who 
asked  what  was  the  matter  ?  Wit- 
ness replied,  his  lordship's  bed- 
curtains  were  on  fire.  She  ran  to 
another  room  to  get  water,  but,  be- 
fore she  could  get  it,  and  return  to 
his  lordship's  room  with  the  water, 
a  voice  called  to  her  to  escape,  and 
she  put  down  the  water  and  es- 
caped down  stairs.  There  was  no 
fire  then  in  her  ladyship's  room, 
and  she  might  have  escaped  with 
ease,  if  she  had  had  presence  of 
mind.  His  lordship  always  had  a 
candle  and  fire  in  his  room. — A 
fireman  deposed  to  fiiuding  liis 
lordship*s  body,  burnt  to  a  cmder, 
in  the  ruins  in  the  drawing-room, 
at  six  o'clock  that  morning. — The 
Jury  returned  a  verdict,  ^'  that  the 
deaths  of  the  deceased  were  caused 
accidentally,  and  by  misfortune." 

27.  Illumination.  —  Parlia- 
1  lament  having  been  dissolved  on 
the  22nd,  on  account  of  the  hos- 
tility manifested  by  the  House  of 
Commons    to    the    Reform    Bill, 


APRIL.] 


CHRONICLE. 


69 


which  had  been  introduced  by  mi- 
nisters^ the  reformers  of  London 
endeavoured  to  get  up  an  illamin- 
ation  on  Monday^  the  Sdth^  in 
honour  of  the  event ;  but  that 
having  been  a  failure,  they  pre- 
vailed on  the  Lord  Mayor  to  an- 
nounce another  for  the  evening  of 
Wednesday,  the  27th.  On  that 
evening,  accordingly,  the  illumin- 
ation took  place^  and  was  pretty 
general,  especially  in  the  city, 
and  in  those  districts  which, 
by  the  bill,  were  to  receive  new 
members  of  their  own,  all  persons 
being  compelled  either  to  illu- 
minate, or  to  see  their  property 
destroyed.  The  mobs  did  a  great 
deal  of  mischief.  A  numerous 
rabble  proceeded  along  the  Strand, 
destroying  all  windows  that  were 
not  lighted.  On  arriving  oppo- 
site Northumberland-house,  they 
instantly  demolished  the  windows. 
They  then  proceeded  to  Pall  Mall, 
where  they  broke  several  windows 
which  were  not  illuminated.  The 
United  Service  Club,  in  Waterloo- 
place,  and  several  other  club  houses 
in  the  vicinity,  were  seriously  da- 
maged. In  St.  James's-square  they 
broke  the  windows  in  the  houses 
of  the  bishop  of  London,  the  mar- 
quis of  Cleveland,  and  lord  Grant- 
ham. The  bishop  of  Winchester, 
and  Mr.  .W.  W.  Wynn,  seeing  the 
mob  approach,  placed  candles  in 
their  windows,  which  thus  escaped. 
The  mob  then  proceeded  to  St. 
James's-street,  where  they  broke 
the  windows  of  Crockford*s,  Jor- 
dan's, the  Guards',  and  other  club 
houses.  They  next  went  to  the 
duke  of  Wellington's  residence  in 
Piccadilly,  and  discharged  a  shower 
of  stones,  which  broke  several  win- 
dows. The  duke's  servants  fired 
out  of  the  windows  over  their  heads 
to  frighten  them,  but  without  ef- 
fect. The  polioemen  then  informed 


the  mob  that  the  corpse  of  the 
duchess  of  Wellington  was  on  the 
premises,  which  arrested  further 
violence  against  Apsley  -  house. 
They  turned  up  Park-lane,  and 
broke  some  windows  in  the  duke 
of  Gloucester's  house.  They  then 
demolished  the  whole  of  the  win- 
dows in  the  marquis  of  London- 
derry's mansion,  and,  having  done 
similar  damage  to  the  premises  of 
other  gentlemen,  proceeded  to  Privy 
Gardens,  and  broke  sir  Robert 
Peel's  windows.  The  house  of  sir 
Robert  Wilson,  too,  who  used  to 
be  an  idol  of  the  mob,  was  attack- 
ed, and  the  windows  broken,  be- 
cause, while  he  supported  the  bill, 
he  disapproved  of  that  part  of  it, 
which  went  to  diminish  the  num- 
ber of  English  members. 

22.  Collision  of  Steam- Ves- 
sels.—At  about  a  quarter  before 
eight,  the  Venus  steam-vessel, 
captain  Clark,  having  on  board 
280  passengers  from  Gravesend, 
arrived  in  Limehouse-reach,  when 
a  new  government  steamer,  called 
the  Firefly  (which  had  been  on 
trial  during  the  afternoon)  ap- 
peared in  sight,  standing  on  towards 
Greenwich,  on  the  other  side  of 
the  river;  but,  upon  nearing  the 
Venus,  she  altered  her  course,  and 
took  a  position,  apparently  with 
the  view  of  crossing  the  bows  of  the 
Venus,  and,  as  that  vessel  was  com- 
ing up  with  considerable  pressure, 
on  the  top  of  a  flood-tide,  she 
neared  the  Fireflv,  before  the  latter  ' 
vessel  could  eflfect  her  object ;  and, 
although  repeatedly  called  to  by  the 
captain  of  the  Venus  to  alter  her 
course,  it  was  not  attempted  until 
too  late,  and  the  consequence  was, 
she  came  with  such  prodigious  vio- 
lence against  the  Venus,  as  to  carry 
away  her  own  foremast  by  the 
board,  tearing  away  the  cutwater 
and  figure*bead  of  the  Venus;  and 


70 


ANNUAL    REGISTER 


[ifiai. 


reboundiDg  for  a  moment,  fell 
again  on  board  the  Venus,  tore 
away  her  paddle-box,  as  well  as  her 
own  ;  80  that  both  vessels  were  for 
a  time  complete  wrecks- 

24.  Rkadino. — ^Effects  of 
Lightning. — On  Tuesday  morn- 
ing last,  this  town  and  neighbour- 
hood were  visited  by  a  heavy  thun- 
der-storm. It  passed  from  the 
east  to  the  north-west,  with  vio- 
lent rain,  and  loud  and  repeated 
peals.  About  eleven,  whilst  two 
teams  were  at  plough  in  an  open 
field,  and  on  low  lands,  belonging 
to  Mr.  William  Dodd,  of  Checken- 
don,  Oxon,  the  electric  fluid  burst 
on  one  of  the  teams,  and  instantly 
deprived  of  life  two  lads,  aged  six- 
teen and  eighteen,  and  the  two 
fore  horses  ;  the  ploughman  of  the 
other  team  received  a  violent  blow 
on  the  head,  but  did  not  fall :  the 
distance  between  the  teams  was 
about  fifty  yards.  The  bodies  of 
the  unfortunate  youths  were  im- 
mediately taken  to  Mr.  Dodd's 
farm;  that  of  the  eldest,  named 
Prior,  exhibited  shocking  marks  of 
the  power  of  the  electric  fluid  j — a 
deep  wound  on  the  temple,  burnt 
furrows  on  the  chest,  the  bottom  of 
the  foot  torn,  and  toes  mutilated ; 
his  dress  torn  open  and  laid  back, 
his  high  shoes  forced  off  and  shi- 
vered; his  face  was  also  covered 
with  blood  which  had  proceeded 
from  the  ear.  The  other,  named 
Goodey,  had  not  received  so  much 
injury :  the  only  apparent  wounds 
were  on  the  temple  and  the  foot. 


MAY. 

2.  Extraordinary  Robbery. 
— An  Irish  Miser. — A  robbery 
took  place  in  Dublin  under  the 
following  circumstances :— An  old 
man,  of  the  name  of  Michael  Dud-i 


ley,  retired  Into  a  yard  at  the  rear 
of  a  house  in  Sycamore-alley,  at 
one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  There 
he  was  followed  and  attacked  by 
five  or  six  fellows^  who  seized  aod 
threw  him  down,  and,  while  one 
prevented  him  from  cryioff  out,  or 
making  any  alarm,  the  others  took 
from  his  person  a  Bank  of  Ireland 
note  for  100/.,  several  10/.  and  6/. 
notes,  amounting  in  the  whole  to 
50/.;  some  30^ .  and  1/.  notee,  to 
the  amount  of  8/.  10'.>  and  16^.  in 
silver,  together  with  some  coppers, 
making  idtogether  a  sum  of  160/. 
The  robbers  immediately  decamp- 
ed with  their  booty,  but  two  of 
them  were  apprehended  the  tame 
evening,  while  endeavouring  tooet 
one  of  the  1/.  notes  chauffed.  llis 
led  to  the  apprehension  of  two  mort 
of  the  gang  in  a  short  time  after.  A 
30jr.  note,  and  a  1  /•  note,  the  fbrmer 
of  which  one  of  the  fellows  dropped 
in  the  street  on  being  apprehended, 
was  all  of  the  property  that  was  re- 
covered. Dudley,  an  old  miserable 
looking  creature,  was  of  very  ec- 
centric character,  and  a  most  ex:- 
traordinarjr  miser.  The  1 00/.  note 
had  come  into  his  possession  leveO'* 
teen  years  ago,  when  it  fell  to  him 
as  a  legacy,  bequeathed  to  him  by  a 
relative.  Since  that  period  to  Uie 
present,  he  never  for  a  moment  let 
it  out  of  his  possession,  and  could 
not  even  be  induced  to  part  with  it 
in  exchange  for  a  note  of  the  pre- 
sent currency.  The  remaining  60/., 
which  also  kept  close  oompanion« 
ship  with  the  former,  he  accumu« 
lated  by  cleaning  shoes  at  the  Castle 
Tavern,  in  Essex-street,  and  b^y 
occasionally  begging.  With  all  this 
money,  which  he  constantly  carried 
about  him,  carefully  stowed  in  an 
old  red-pocket  book^  in  a  side  coat 
pocket,  he  has  been  known  to  deny 
himself  the  commonest  necessaries 
to  sustain  exbtenoe>  and  has  been 


MAY.] 


CHRONICLE. 


n 


frequently  seen  endearouring  to  8a« 
tisfy  the  cravings  of  nature  by  piek- 
iug  up  a  wretched  meal  amongst 
tlie  refuse  of  the  green  stalls  and 
offals  of  the  market.  Lodging  he 
had  none,  save  the  miserable  shel- 
ter, if  shelter  that  could  be  called^ 
afforded  by  a  garret  room  in  a  dis- 
mantled, deserted^  old  tenement  in 
Sycamore-alley.  About  i^ve  years 
back  he  had  been  an  inmate  of  an 
hospital,  where  he  got  a  suit  of 
clothes,  which  were  never  replaced. 
7.  Extensive  Robbery. — On 
Saturday,  the  7th,  a  hackney-coach 
drove  up  to  the  door  of  Mr.  Row- 
lands, jeweller,  Coventry-street, 
Haymarket,  and  set  down  a  well« 
dressed  man,  who,  in  an  Irish 
accent,  requested  to  look  at  several 
articles  of  jewellery,  observing,  at 
the  same  time,  that  he  wished  to 
see  some  of  a  very  superior  descrip- 
tion, as  he  wanted  to  make  a  pre- 
sent of  them  to  his  wife.  Several 
cases  of  jewellery  were  laid  before 
him,  and  he  selected  a  gold  double- 
bottomed  watch,  with  gold  dial  and 
chased  sides,  a  large  gold  neck- 
chain,  with  bright  and  dead  links, 
and  snaps  set  with  torquoise^  a  gold 
cross,  set  with  rubies  and  a  large 
emerald  in  the  centre,  and  a  giud 
curb  watch  chain,  the  whole  amount- 
ing  in  value  to  nearly  100/.  After 
making  this  selection,  he  said,  that, 
although  the  articles  met  with  his 
approbation,  perhaps  they  would 
not  meet  with  that  of  his  wife,  and, 
as  she  was  confined  to  her  bed,  he 
should  wish  her  to  see  them  before 
he  made  a  final  purchase,  and,  if 
he  left  the  money,  perhaps  Mr. 
Rowlands  would  have  no  objection 
to  return  the  amount  dqiosited,  in 
case  his  good  lady  should  be  fasti- 
dious enough  to  find  fault  with 
them.  Mr.  Rowlands  made  no<^ 
jection  to  this  proposal>  and  was 

about  to  make  oat  the  amouiit  of 


the  articles^  when  the  purchaser 
observed,  that  perhaps  it  would  save 
trouble  if  Mr.  Rowlands  would  al- 
low his  son  to  accompany  him  home^ 
as  he  only  resided  in  Jermyn-street, 
where  he  had  taken  lodgings  re- 
cently. Although  Mr.  Rowlands 
had  considerable  doubts,  from  the 
man's  appearance,  that  all  was  not 
right,  still  the  fellow's  manner  lulled 
his  suspicion,  and  he  consented  to 
allow  his  son  to  accompany  him, 
cautioning  the  young  man,  how- 
ever, not  to  part  with  the  articles 
without  having  the  amount  of  them 
handed  over  to  him.  To  make  sure 
that  no  swindling  should  take  place, 
Mr.  Rowlands,  after  the  coach  had 
gone  off  with  the  stranger,  his  son, 
and  the  valuables,  ordered  another 
of  his  sons  to  follow  it,  and  to  sta- 
tion himself  opposite  the  house  they 
should  enter,  and,  if  anythingshould 
happen  to  excite  his  suspicion,  im- 
mecliately  to  act  as  circumstances 
should  dictate  to  him.  On  the 
coach  setting  them  down  in  Jer- 
myn-street,  the  fellow  introduced 
Mr.  Rowlands's  son  into  the  dining- 
room  of  a  highly  respectable  esta- 
blishment, and  asked  him  to  wait 
while  he  stepped  into  the  adjoin- 
ing room,  to  which  there  was  a 
doorfrom  the  dining-room,  to  show 
the  jewellery  to  his  wife.  The 
swindler,  it  would  appear,  had  no 
sooner  entered  the  next  room,  than 
he  made  his  exit  bv  another  dom*, 
which  led  from  the  bed-room  to  the 
landing,  and  made  a  retreat  down 
stairs  into  the  street.  The  young 
man  who  was  standing  sentry  out- 
side observed  this  movement,  and 
instantly  running  over  to  the  house, 
pulled  the  bell  violently,  in  order 
to  ascertain  if  the  sudden  depar- 
ture dT  the  stranger  was  wilii  the 
knowledge  of  his  brother.  Not  ob- 
tabing  a  satisfectorv  answer  from 
tho  girl  who  <^etiea  tho  door^  ho 


72 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


[1831. 


made  his  way  up  stairs,  when  he 
met   his  brother,  who,  becoming 
impatient,  had  opened  the  folding- 
door  to  look  after  the  fugitive,  and, 
instead  of  finding  a  lady,  discovered 
that  his  customer  and  tlie  jewel- 
lery were  gone.     On  inquiry  being 
made   of    the    proprietor   of   the 
house,    he   said   no    such   person 
lodged  there,  but  that  the  fellow 
had   come  in    the  morning,    and 
requested    to   look    at   the   lodg- 
ings,  which   were  to  let.     After 
viewing  them  he  departed,  observ- 
ing that  he  should  call  in  the  after- 
noon, and  bring  his  brother  with 
him  to  look  at  them.     To  lull  sus- 
picion, he  had  no  sooner  reached 
the  outside  of  the  door  than  he  re- 
turned, and,  after  apologizing  for 
the  trouble  he  had  incurred,  said, 
that,  as  his  brother  kept  his  cab 
and    pair    of    horses,    he    would 
wish  to  know  if  there  were  any 
stables    near,    where   they   could 
stand  at  livery.     Upon  being  in- 
formed that  there  were  very  ex- 
cellent ones  in  York-mews,  adjoin- 
ing, he  said  that  he  had  no  doubt 
that  the  lodgings,  and  the  facility 
of  baiting  the  horses,  would  meet 
with  his  brother's  entire  satisfac- 
tion,   and  they  might  depend  on 
his    accompanying    him    to   view 
them  in  the  afternoon.     When  the 
fellow  and  Mr.  Rowlands  were  put 
down  at  the  door,  the  servant  be- 
lieving it  to  be  "  the  gentleman 
and  his  brother,"  who  had  come  to 
look  at  the  apartments,  made  not 
the  slightest  hesitation  in  allowing 
them  to  proceed  up  stairs,  without 
making  any  inquiry. 

Suicide  Pkevented. — A  young 
man  climbed  over  the  parapet  of 
Waterloo-bridge,  and  deliberately 
stripped  himself,  with  the  apparent 
intention  of  precipitating  himself 
into  the  river.  An  alarm  being 
given,  several  persons  soon  col- 


lected on  the  bridge  near  the  spot^ 
and,  climbing  on  the  parapet  en- 
deavoured to  persuade  him  to  aban- 
don his  determination.  He  was 
assured,  that,  if  distress  was  the 
cause  of  his  intention  to  drown 
himself,  he  should  be  immediately 
relieved,  and  that  every  assist- 
ance should  be  given  to  him  to 
procure  for  him  some  employment. 
He  appeared  to  be  deaf  or  insen- 
sible to  the  kindness  that  was 
shown  to  him  ;  and,  rolling  him- 
self every  now  and  then  towards 
the  e(]ge  of  the  projection  on  the 
outside  of  the  bridge,  it  was  every 
instant  expected  that  the  act  would 
be  completed.  Two  boatmen  were 
prepared  with  a  boat  near  the  arch 
below,  to  endeavour  to  save  him, 
if  he  should  throw  himself  into 
the  river.  A  waterman  at  lengthy 
at  imminent  risk,  got  over  the 
parapet,  and  partly  by  persuasion, 
but  more  by  force,  compelled  him 
to  return  over  the  balustrade. 

Deathof  Sir  Joseph  Yorke. 
— An  inquest  was  held  at  Hamble- 
rice,  on  view  of  the  bodies  of  Admi- 
ral Sir  J.S.  Yorke,  K.C.B.,  Captain 
Matthew  Barton  Bradby,  R.N» 
Captain  Thomas  Yonge,  R.N.^ 
and  John  Chandler,  seaman,  who 
were  drowned  by  the  upsetting  of 
the  Catherine,  a  yacht  of  about 
fourteen  tons  burden,  near  Brown- 
down  Point,  between  Portsmouth 
and  Hamble,  at  about  four  o'clock 
on  Thursday  afternoon.  The  un- 
fortunate gentlemen  were  return- 
ing from  Spithead,  under  a  press 
of  canvass,  when  a  sudden  squall 
took  the  vessel,  which  immediately 
went  down  stern  foremost,  in  ten 
fathoms  water.  The  accident  was 
seen  by  a  fisherman  about  half  a 
mile  ofiT,  and  he  immediately 
hastened  to  their  assistance.  He 
first  came  to  Chandler,  who  had 

not  been  in  the  wnX^v  more  tbm 


MAY.] 


CHRONICLE. 


73 


fire .  or  six  minutes,  and  was  yet 
alive  and  sensible,  but  speechless 
and  exhausted.  The  next  ten  mi- 
nutes were  occupied  in  unsuccessful 
attempts  to  preserve  the  poor  fel- 
low's life.  Meantime  the  three 
unfortunate  gentlemen  floated  with- 
out attention,  being  completely 
enveloped  in  their  cloaks  and  great 
coats,  which  so  encumbered  and 
concealed  their  bodies,  as  to  he 
mistaken  for  empty  garments.  As 
soon,  however,  as  the  fisherman 
discovered  that  they  were  bodies, 
he  took  out  those  of  Captains 
Bradby  and  Yonge,  which  had 
been  in  the  water  about  a  quarter 
of  an  hour,  but  life  was  quite  ex- 
tinct. The  body  of  Sir  Joseph 
Yorke  floated  farther  down,  and 
was  picked  up  about  the  same  time 
by  another  boat,  with  no  sign  of 
life.  The  bodies  were  conveyed 
to  Hamble  to  await  the  inquest, 
which  was  held  the  following  day. 
Verdict — Accidental  deatlh 

14.  Robbery  at  Lord  Nel- 
son's.— Bow-Street. — Applica- 
tion was  made  with  respect  to  a 
most  extensive  robbery  which  had 
been  perpetrated  between  six  and 
nine  o'clock  the  preceding  evening, 
at  the  house  of  Earl  Nelson,  Port- 
man-square.  Earl  Nelson  had  left 
town  for  the  purpose  of  attending 
the  funeral  of  the  Dowager  Lady 
Nelson,  and  this  circumstance,  it 
was  supposed,  was  known  to  the 
parties  concerned  in  the  robbery, 
who  must  have  had  some  previous 
knowledge  not  only  of  the  aflairs 
of  the  family,  but  of  the  house.  On 
Saturday  morning  Lady  Nelson 
discovered  that  a  small  morocco 
jewel-case  which  usually  lay  upon 
her  dressing-table  had  been  com- 
pletely emptied  of  its  contents, 
consisting  of  several  articles  of 
jewellery  5    and  on  going  to   her 

bureau  in  the  same  roooi^  she  found 


that  it  had  been  forced  open  by 
means  of  a  chisel,  or  some  such 
instrument,  and  she  immediately 
missed  a  large  diamond  hoop,  a 
ruby  hoop,  a  topaz  cross,  severial 
gold  chains,  gold  collars,  bracelets, 
two  large  emerald  hoops  and 
clasps,  also  six  bottles  with  silver 
tops  in  the  shape  of  coronets, 
&c.  The  servants  declared  that 
they  knew  nothing  respecting  the 
robbery,  or  by  whom  it  could 
have  been  effected.  The  premises 
were  then  examined,  and  it  was 
at  flrst  thought  that  the  thieves 
had  entered  the  house  from  the  top, 
to  which  they  had  gained  access 
by  means  of  an  empty  house  in  a 
street  adjoining.  No  trace,  how- 
ever, could  be  discovered  to  give 
colour  to  .such  a  supposition,  and 
an  inspector  of  police,  who  had 
been  subsequently  called  in,  de- 
clared that  the  thieves  could  not 
have  effected  an  entrance  by  that 
means.  The  under-butler,  on 
searching  at  the  back  part  of  the 
house,  produced  an  empty  jewel 
case  belonging  to  Lady  Nelson, 
which  he  said  he  found  on  a  para- 
pet wall  —  a  circumstance  that 
would  lead  to  the  belief  that  the 
thieves  had  left  it  there  in  effecting 
their  escape.  It  was  most  remark- 
able, however,  that  although  the 
jewel-case  must  have  been  exposed 
to  the  night  air  for  so  many  hours, 
no  appearance  of  damp  was  ob- 
served 'upon  it,  and  neither  were 
the  gold  ornaments  on  the  box, 
nor  the  brass-work  about  it,  at  all 
soiled  or  tarnished.  There  was 
another  circumstance  which  led 
to  the  belief  that  the  robbery 
was  not  the  work  of  common 
burglars.  At  about  nine  o'clock 
on  Friday  night  Lady  Nel- 
son's sister  heard  a  pull  at  the 
house-bell  ^  and  as  she  expected  a 

dress^maker  tQ  cedl   wim  «om<^ 


74 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


tl83l. 


articles  she  had  ordered^  she  went 
to  the  drawing-room  to  see  if  it 
was  she.  On  looking  out^  she  saw 
the  undcr-butler  in  conversation 
with  a  female^  the  singularity  of 
whose  dress  attracted  her  attention^ 
but  she  thought  no  more  about  the 
circumstance  at  the  time.  In  the 
mornings  however,  when  the  rob- 
bery was  discovered,  she  bethought 
of  the  strange-looking  woman, 
whom  she  had  seen  in  conversa- 
tion with  the  under-butler ;  but 
when  he  was  spoken  to  on  the  sub- 
ject, he  denied  flatly  the  lady's 
statement,  who  declared  that  she 
was  willing  to  make  affidavit  of  the 
fact.  Although  the  articles  stolen 
were  of  considerable  value,  it  was 
fortunate  that  the  thieves  had  not 
carried  off  a  much  larger  booty, 
as  her  ladyship's  diamonds,  which 
were  valued  at  80,000/.,  were  all 
in  the  same  bureau  from  which  the 
articles  missing  had  been  stolen. 
There  was  one  article  in  particular 
which  had  escaped  the  thieves,  al- 
though they  might  readily  have 
laid  their  hands  upon  it,  as  it  was 
loosely  wrapped  in  a  piece  of  brown 
paper,  and  carelessly  thrown  into 
the  bureau.  This  was  the  diamond 
aigrette  presented  by  the  Grand 
Seignor  to  Admiral  Lord  Nelson, 
who  was  in  the  habit,  on  state  oc- 
casions, of  wearing  it  in  his  hat. 

Stamps  on  Newspapers.  — 
Court  op  Exchequer.  —  The 
King  V.  WiUiam  Carjycnter, — This 
was  an  information  filed  by  the 
Attorney-general,  at  the  instance 
of  the  Commissioners  of  the  Stamp 
Duties.  The  information  con- 
tained twelve  counts,  in  some  of 
which  the  defendant  was  charged 
with  having  published  and  exposed 
for  sale  a  certain  weekly  news- 
paper, without  having  previously 
made  and  deposited  in  the  office  of 
the  commissionersj   the  affidavit 


required  in  such  cases,  by  the  38th 
George  3rd,  cap.  78.  For  every 
instance  of  publication  without 
such  affidavit,  the  defendant  be- 
came liable  to  a  penalty  of  100/, 
In  other  counts  the  defendant  was 
charged  with  having  on  divers  days 
published  a  weekly  newspaper, 
without  having  paid  the  duty  of 
4d.  imposed  upon  every  number  of 
every  such  paper,  by  the  55th  of 
the  same  King ;  for  every  omission 
in  the  payment  of  the  duty,  he  had 
incurred  a  penalty  of  20/.  The 
publication  was  charged  to  have 
taken  place  upon  the  9th  of  Oc- 
tober, 18S0,  and  en  sixteen  other 
subsequent  days,  and  the  descrip* 
tion  of  the  paper  was  varied,  bjr 
calling  it  '*  a  paper  answering  the 
purposes  of  a  newspaper,  and  con* 
taining  news,  intelligence,  or  oo 
currences."  The  defendant  had 
pleaded  that  he  was  not  guiltr» 
and  appeared  in  person  to  make  hu 
own  defence. — The  Attorney-ge- 
neral read  some  extracts  from  the 
prospectus  of  the  paper.  It  was 
headed,  *'  Liberty  of  the  Press 
asserted;"  and  aner  adverting  to 
and  denouncing  the  Acts  of  Far* 
liament  by  which  the  publicatioQ 
of  newspapers  is  regulated,  it  went 
on  to  state,  that  Mr.  Carpenter  had 
discovered  a  method  m  evading 
them  by  the  mere  circumstance 
of  bringing  out  the  paper  at  irre- 
gular periods,  and  in  such  a  fbitn, 
that  the  numbers  were  apparently 
unconnected  with  each  other.  He 
expressed  his  astonishment  that 
persons  connected  with  the  news- 
paper  press  had  not  sooner  made 
so  plain  a  discovery,  and  pro- 
posed to  carry  it  into  effect  ibr  the 
public  benefit  upon  the  9th  of  Oc- 
tober, 1 830,  on  which  day  he  pro- 
mised to  publish  a  Politicau  Letter, 
addressed  to  a  friend  or  enemy,  as 
the  case  might  be«  and  ocwitaiging  a 


MAY.j 


OHRONIdLfi. 


7« 


comprehenBire  digeit  of  important 
events,  and  passing  occurrences, 
with  original  observations  by  bim« 
self.  This  letter  he  proposed  to 
follow  up  every  week  with  a  "  simi- 
lar though  totally  distinct  and  se* 
parate  publication :"  the  price 
was  to  he  4d,  As  by  evading  the 
duty,  he  would  be  enabled  to  under- 
sell theothervendersof  newspapers, 
he  reckoned  upon  a  circulation  ex- 
tensive in  proportion  to  the  cheap*^ 
ness  of  the  paper  ;  and  after  call- 
ing the  attention  of  advertisers 
to  the  advantages  which  they 
must  derive  f^om  advertising  in 
the  Political  Letter^  he  invited 
them  to  send  in  their  advertise- 
ments to  his  ofllce  befbre  noon  on 
every  Thursday.— The  Attorney* 
general  contended,  that  the  paper 
in  question  was  a  newspaper  accord- 
ing  to  the  definition  given  of  a  news- 
paper in  the  Act  of  60  George  3rd, 
ch.9,sec.  l,whichwasin  these  words 
--^'^  All  pamphlets  and  papers  con- 
taining any  public  news,  intelli- 
gence, or  occurrences,  or  any  re- 
marks or  observations  thereon,  or 
upon  any  matter  in  church  or 
state,  printed  in  any  part  of  the 
United  Kingdom^  for  sale,  and 
published  periodically^  or  in  parts, 
or  numbersi  at  intervals  not  ex- 
ceeding twenty-six  days  between 
the  publication  of  any  two  such 
pamphlets  or  papers,  parts,  or 
numbers,  where  any  of  the  said 
pamphlets  or  papers,  partSy  or 
numbers  respectively  shall  not  ex- 
ceed two  sheets,  or  shall  be  pub- 
lished for  a  less  sum  than  6d.y  ex- 
clusive of  the  duty,  shall  be  deemed 
and  taken  to  be  newspapers,  with- 
in the  true  intent  and  meaning  of 
the  several  statutes"  before  en* 
acted  upon  the  subject.  The 
learned  gentleman  t^en  proceeded 
to  examine  particularly  the  papers 
in  queetiom    The  first,  dated  on 


the  9th  of  October,  wm  in  the 
shape  of  a  letter  addressed  to  the 
Duke  of  Wellington,  and,  after 
reciting  and  commenting  upon  the 
events  goingonat  home  and  abroad, 
the  writer  introduced  other  articles 
of  information,  in  such  a  form  as 
this : — *<  I  beg  to  acauaint  your 
Grace  that  hops  are  fallen  to-day, 
the  price  being''  (stating  the  mar- 
ket price  at  that  time).  Other 
facts,  as  the  price  of  the  public 
stocks,  of  butchers*  meat>  &c. 
were  communicated  to  the  public 
in  the  same  way.  The  letter  con- 
cluded by  stating,  that  the  writer 
had  intended  to  address  a  second 
letter  to  the  Duke  of  Wellington, 
but  that  the  position  of  Sir  Robert 
Peel  rendered  it  necessary  for  Mr. 
Carpenter  to  address  a  "  Monitory 
Letter"  to  that  right  hon.  gentle* 
man.  This  monitory  letter  ac- 
cordingly occupied  the  second 
paper,  which  was  published  on  the 
15th  of  October,  and  which,  within 
the  framework  and  form  of  an 
epistle,  included  the  usual  varie- 
ties and  news  to  be  found  in  news- 
papers, classed  under  their  respect* 
ive  heads.  The  publication  was 
conducted  in  this  manner  for  some 
time,  when  the  shape  of  the  paper 
was  changed  friom  8vo  to  4to,  the' 
subscribers  having  at  this  time  in* 
creased,  as  the  defendant  asserted^ 
fix)m  19,000  to  63,000.  It  was 
for  the  Jury  to  say  whether  the 
alteration  or  the  title  and  of  the 
sisc  of  the  paper^  together  with 
the  fact  that  the  paper  was  not 
published  on  the  same  day  in  every 
week,  was  sufficient  to  exempt  the 
paper  from  the  payment  of  the 
stamp  duties.  He  (the  Attorney- 
general)  contended,  that  such  aU 
terations  and  want  of  regularity 
could  produce  no  such  exemption. 
One  of  the  papers  was  published 
in etery weea ;  each  paperr«ferred 


76 


ANNUAL    REGISTER, 


[183K 


to  the  preceding  and  the  subsequent 
one ;  and  Mr.  Carpenter,  in  a  num- 
ber lately  published,  had  expressed 
his  intention  to  print  a  title  page  to 
the  work,  so  that  the  whole  of  the 
numbers  might  be  bound  up  to- 
gether. There  could  (the  Attor- 
ney-general said)  be  no  doubt 
whatever  that  such  a  publication 
was  '^  a  paper  published  in  parts  or 
numbers  at  intervals  not  exceeding 
twenty  six  days,  and  sold  for  a  less 
sum  than  six{)ence;**  and  that, 
therefore,  it  was  a  newspaper 
within  the  meaning  and  influence 
of  the  statutes  under  which  these 
proceedings  had  been  instituted. 
The  defendant  having  admitted  the 
facts,  addressed  the  Jury  in  a 
speech  which  occupied  six  hours, 
in  praise  of  the  liberty  of  the  press, 
and  vituperation  of  all  stamp  duties. 
— The  Lord  Chief  Baron  said,  that 
he  was  most  clearly  of  opinion, 
even  adopting  the  defendant's  own 
rule  of  construction,  that  the  pa|>er 
was  a  newspaper. — The  Jury  re- 
turned a  verdict  for  the  Crown. — 
The  Attorney-general  imjwscdonly 
one  penalty  for  each  class  of  offences, 
making  the  whole  fine  amount  to 
120/. 

Calamitous  Accident. — A 
distressing  accident  took  place  at 
the  Colbrook  Vale  Iron  Works, 
Monmouthshire,  by  which  nine 
lives  were  lost.  From  the  nature 
of  the  workings  in  one  of  the  coal 
levels,  a  very  considerable  accumu- 
lation of  water  had  been  for  some 
time  forming,  and  to  guard  against 
meeting  it  unexpectedly,  very  par- 
ticular instructions  had  been  given 
not  to  carry  on  the  work  without 
first  boring  to  the  right  and  left, 
and  also  in  advance.  For  several 
weeks  those  operations  had  been 
continued  5  but  about  mid-day,  on 
the  27th,  the  water  broke  in  upon 

that  part  of  the  works  where  four* 


teen  colliers  were  employed,  with 
such  impetuosity  that  three  only 
were  enabled  to  reach  the  pits,  and 
thereby  escape.  All  the  resources 
of  the  cx)mpany  for  clearing  the 
water,  aided  by  those  of  the 
Nantyglo  and  Blaiua  Iron  Works, 
were  promptly  brought  into  oper- 
ation, and  uninterruptedly  con- 
tinued with  complete  effect.  On 
Sunday  morning,  one  of  the  men 
who  was  found  alive,  reported  that 
some  others,  in  all  probability,  had 
also  escaped,  by  retreating  to  the 
extremity  of  their  stalls.  That 
hope  congregated  thousands  about 
the  works  the  whole  of  Sunday, 
and  although  great  expectations 
were  entertained  that  three  or  four 
would  have  been  recovered,  at  five 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  one  only 
(and  that  the  last)  was  brought 
out,  having  been  entombed  for 
nearly  fifty-five  hours  after  the 
accident.  The  whole  of  the 
bodies  were  found.  A  coroner's 
inquest  pronounced  a  verdict  of 
"Accidental  Death." 

31.      SOMNAMBCLISM.  AboUt 

three  o*clock  in  the  morning,  a 
young  man,  about  twenty  years 
of  age,  was  observed  running  at 
an  extremely  rapid  pace  alone 
Dean  Street,  Westminster,  and 
through  the  various  other  streets, 
in  almost  a  state  of  nudity,  till  he 
arrived  near  the  Thames  at  Mil- 
bank,  where  he  halted,  exclaiming 
in  an  agonizing  tone,  ^'Oh,  save 
them,  save  them  !  my  wife,  my 
child,  my  love!"  and  after  the 
pause  of  an  instant,  "  Oh,  they 
are  not  there !  they  are  gone !  1 
must  follow  P*  at  the  same  time 
running  towards  the  Thames.  The 
person,  who  had  observed  him  in 
Dean  Street,  had  (although  him- 
self a  swift  runner),  with  great 
difficulty  kept  up  with  him  :  how- 
everj  perceiviog  his  inteutionj  he 


MAY.] 


CHRONICLE. 


•n 


caught  hold  of  the  Bomoambnlist 
when  ia  the  act  of  rushing  into 
the  water.  Upon  being  stopped, 
the  latter  burst  into  tears;  but  on 
recovering  himself  in  some  degree, 
he  appeared  conscious  of  his  dan- 
gerous situation ;  and,  after  thank- 
ing his  protector  for  bis  kind 
offices,  and  assuring  him  he  had 
never  been  known  to  iralk  in  Iiis 
sleep  before,  he  hastily  retreated 
homewards. 

Inquest  and  Suspected  Mur- 
DKR.  —  An  inquest  was  held  at 
Sydenham,  on  the  body  of  a  young 
woman,  found  in  the  Croydon 
canal,  near  that  place,  on  Sunday 
the  29th.  It  appeared  that,  on 
the  evening  of  the  preceding  Mon- 
day (23rd),  the  deceased,  with 
another  female  about  her  own  age, 
went  into  tlie  shop  of  Mrs.  Stacey, 
on  Sydenliani  Common,  and  pur- 
chased articles  for  making  tea,  for 
which  slie  paid  10</.,  and  asked 
Mrs.  Stacey  if  she  could  accom- 
modate her  with  hot  water  in  the 
course  of  the  evening,  which  Mrs. 
Stacey  promised  to  do.  She  said 
she  WHS  going  to  meet  the  young 
gentleman  who  was  the  father  of 
the  child  of  which  she  vas  preg- 
nant, and  would  return  to  take 
tea,  and  then  went  away  with  her 
companion.  About  a  quarter  past 
seven  she  was  seen  in  a  boat  in  the 
broad  water  of  the  canal,  and  a 

Joung  gentleman  rowingher  about, 
er  female  friend  was  in  another 
boatwithanothergentleman.  They 
did  not  return  to  Mrs.  Stacey's, 
and  the  nest  morning  the  boats 
were  seen  floating  on  the  broad 
water,  deserted : — no  suspicion, 
however,  was  excited.  But  on 
Sunday  morning  Mrs.  Stacey's  son 
observing  a  woman's  bonnet  and 
veil  on  the  surface  of  the  water, 
procured  a  boat  and  went  to  the 
spot,  when  he  discovered  the  body 


of  the  deceased.  It  was  brought 
to  the  village,  when  it  was  instant- 
ly recognized  by  Mrs.  Stacey  and 
a  number  of  the  villagers.  There 
was  a  small  key  in  her  pocket,  but 
no  money  or  papers  of  any  kind  by 
which  her  name  might  be  dis- 
covered. There  was  a  fracture  on 
the  forehead,  and  both  eyes  were 
blackened  by  contusion,  from  which 
it  was  concluded  she  had  been 
murdered.  Inquiry  was  instantly 
set  on  foot  for  the  yoUng  man  witn 
whom  she  had  been  seen,  and  for 
her  female  companion,  hut  without 
obtaining  the  least  information 
respecting  either.  A  policeman 
stated,  that,  about  three  weeks  ago, 
late  in  the  evening,  he  observed 
the  same  female  walking  in  a  de- 
sponding state  upon  the  banksof  the 
same  canal,  and  questioned  her, 
when  she  admitted,  with  tears  in 
licr  eyes,  that  she  medilalcd  self- 
destruction.  He  took  her  to  the 
station' honse,  where  she  said  her 
name  was  Mary  Clarke,  and  that 
she  lived  at  Highgate,  but  refused 
to  give  any  account  of  herself.  In 
ber  pocket  was  then  found  the  same 
key  which  was  in  her  pocket  when 
taken  out  of  the  canal.  She  left 
the  station-house  in  the  morning, 
and  promised  to  return  home. 

The  Jury  returned  a  verdict — 
"  Found  Dran/ned,''  but  expressed 
their  hope  that  the  investigation 
would  be  continued,  as  there  was 
great  reason  to  apprehend  that 
tlie  dereased  bad  been  uufiiirly 
dealt   ivitli. 


JUNE.    - 

3.  Ektbnstvk  Seizure. — 
Early  on  the  morning  of  the  third, 
four  revenue-officers,  went  to  Bel- 
vedere-cottage, Warm -lane,  Wil- 
lesden-green,  in  conseqiieuce  of  a 


78 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


[1831. 


Ruspicion  that  illicit  transactions 
were  going  on  there.  After  con- 
siderable hesitation^  occasioned  by 
the  very  respectable  outward  ap- 
pearance of  the  place,  they  resolved 
to  do  their  duty  as  far  as  their  in- 
formation went.  No  notice  was 
taken  of  their  applications  for  ad- 
mittance at  the  front  door,  and^ 
upon  going  to  the  back  part  of  the 
premises,  they  found  that  the  only 
accessible  point  was  protected  by  a 
dog.  Ridding  themselves  of  this 
diMculty,  they  gained  an  entrance 
by  the  back  door^  and  in  the  par- 
lour, coach-house^  and  stable  (all 
connected  with  each  other),  they 
found  a  private  soap-manufactory, 
in  which  was  a  copper  capable  of 
making  at  one  boil  about  two  tons 
of  soap^  a  vast  number  of  frames, 
nearly  a  ton  of  manufactured  soap, 
twenty-two  cwt.  of  tallow,  four 
cwt.  of  rosin,  about  eight-hundred 
gallons  of  strong  lees,  and  other 
materials  and  utensils  used  in  ma- 
nufacturing soap.  It  appeared 
from  documents  found  upon  the 
premises,  that  this  business  had 
been  going  on  for  four  months. 

Riots  in  Wales.  —  Mer- 
TiiYR.  —  There  was  a  general 
''  turn  out"  of  all  the  work-men 
four  days  ago.  They  met  at  a 
place  called  Twyn-y-wain,  and  it 
was  expected  there  would  have 
been  a  disturbance  in  the  evening, 
but  they  dispersed,  and  did  not 
show  any  formidable  appearance 
till  the  next  day,  Thursday  the 
2nd,  when  they  assembled  in  con- 
siderable numbers,  and  paraded 
the  streets  all  day.  Being  insti- 
gated by  several  men  of  bad  cha- 
racter, (some  of  whom  had  had 
their  goods  seized  for  debt),  they 
proceeded  in  large  bodies  to  the 
house  of  Mr.  Coffin,  who  was  an 
officer  of  the  Court  of  Requests, 
and  demanded  the  books  belonging 


to  it,  which  being  refused,  they 
became  very  violent  and  tumul- 
tuous, threatening  to  murder  Mr. 
Coffin  and  others.  The  Magistrates 
got  upon  some  chairs,  but  were 
insulted  by  the  mob,  and  were 
obliged  to  desist.  They  then  broke 
into  Coffin's  house,  smashed  all  his 
windows,  and  gutted  the  place  of 
every  article  of  furniture,  which 
they  burnt  in  a  heap  in  the  middle 
of  the  street.  This  took  place 
about  nine  o*clock  in  the  evening. 
The  Magistrates  then  thought  it 
necessary  to  send  for  the  aid  of  the 
military  stationed  at  Brecon.  They 
arrived  at  Merthyr  on  Friday, 
about  twelve  o*c1ock,  and  marched 
to  the  Castle  Inn,  in  the  centre  of 
the  town,  where  the  Magbtrates 
were  assembled.  A  party  of  the 
soldiers  were  ordered  inside  the 
house,  and  the  remainder  kept 
guard  outside,  and  were  supplied 
with  refreshments.  The  mob  then 
threatened  the  Magistracy,  that, 
unless  they  were  allowed  some- 
thing to  eat  as  well  as  the  military, 
in  one  hour  they  would  destroy 
every  individual  in  the  inn,  an^ 
the  ringleader,  ^'Lewis,  the  hunts- 
man,"  took  out  his  watch  to  mark 
the  time.  When  the  time  had 
elapsed  within  ten  minutes,  Lewis 
again  threatened  that,  if  his  de« 
mands  were  not  complied  with,  he 
and  his  associates  were  determined 
to  destroy  both  the  military  and 
magistrates.  The  mob  then  began 
to  press  upon  the  soldiers  on  every 
side,  and  had  at  last  pressed  them 
against  the  wall,  and  jammed  them 
so  closely,  that  their  arms  were 
useless,  and  the  men  were  unable 
to  defend  themselves.  The  mob 
then  began  to  deprive  the  soldiers 
of  their  pieces  and  side-arms,  and, 
during  some  severe  struggle  which 
ensued,  many  were  wounded.  At 
this  moment  the  soldiers  stationed 


JUNE.] 


CHRONICLE. 


79 


in  the  inn  were  ordered  to  fine, 
when  the  mob  speedily  took  to 
flight,  but  not  until  they  HmI 
taken  about  thirty  stand  of  arms 
from  the  military.  Of  the  mob, 
at  least  twenty-three  were  either 
killed  on  the  spot,  or  died  after- 
wards. The  number  of  the  wound- 
ed was  uncertain,  but  8e?eral  suf- 
ered  amputation.  On  Saturday 
the  mob  had  dispersed,  and  sent 
messages  to  the  surrounding 
works  to  meet  on  Monday  at 
Merthyr,  but  by  this  time  the 
military  had  been  reinforced  by 
a  detachment  of  dragoons  and 
yeomanry,  and  marched  out  to 
meet  them.  The  riot  act  was 
read  by  a  magistrate  who  accom- 
panied the  soldiers,  and  they  were 
ordered  to  present  their  pieces,  at 
the  sight  of  which  every  man  took 
to  his  heels  and  returned  home. 

,6.  Thbft  by  a  Clergy- 
man. —  High  Court  of  Justi- 
ciary. —  The  Rev.  Duncan 
M'Caig,  minister  of  a  Gothic 
chapig]  in  Edinburgh,  and  in  high 
repute  for  his  evangelical  preach- 
ing, was  placed  at  the  bar,  charged 
with  having  stolen  from  Mr.  Rich- 
ardson, bookseller,  a  quarto  bible, 
four  volumes  of  Bunyan's  works, 
the  works  of  John  Newton,  the 
first  and  fifteenth  volumes  of  Con- 
stable's Miscellany ;  from  Mr. 
West^  bookseller,  a  Lexicon ;  And 
from  Mr.  Watson,  bookseller, 
Johnson's  Dictionary  in  8vo.,  the 
works  of  Paley  and  Josephus; 
from  Carfrae  and  Son,  booksellers, 
Johnson's  Dictionary  in  8vo.,  the 
Lady's  Poetical  Album,  Grsecum 
Lexicum  Manuale,  Gertrude  of 
Wyoming,  and  other  Poems,  by 
Thomas  Campbell,  and  Stewart's 
Philosophical  Essays,  in  8to.; 
Latin  Synonyms  and  the  works  of 
Sophocles,  in  Greek,  from  the  sale- 
room of  Maclachlan  and  Stewart ; 


from  the  shop  of  Richard  Ireland, 
the  works  of  Aristotle,  Young's 
Night  Thoughts,  Virgil's  Works, 
by  Dryden,  the  PoetioU  works  of 
John  Milton,  Kirk  White's  Re- 
mains, the  works  of  Robert  Burns, 
Outlines  of  Moral  Philosophy  in 
8vo.,  the  English  version  of  the 
Polyglott  Bible,  the  works  of 
Sallust^  and  English  Synonyms 
Explained,  by  Crabbe,  Xenophon's 
Anabasis,  Latin  and  Greek ;  from 
the  shop  of  Mr.  Tait,  the  Heart 
of  Mid->Lothian  (printed  abroad), 
Terence's  Comedies,  the  rule  and 
Exercise  of  Holy  Living,  by  Jeremy 
Taylor,  Clavis  Pentateuchi,  P. 
Vigeri  Idiotismi  Grssci,  the  first 
volume  of  Hermes,  and  Quintiliani 
lostitutiones  Oratorin;  a  Greek 
Testament  from  Messrs.  Laing; 
Thomson's  Seasons,  from  Pollock 
and  Co.;  and  the  fourth  and  fifth 
volumes  of  Ovid's  Works,  from 
Mr.  Adam  Black. 

Walter  Richardson,  bookseller, 
Leith— >had  a  sale  of  books  at  10, 
Hunter-square,  Edinburgh,  in 
March  last ;  it  began  on  the  2nd 
of  that  month,  ana  continued  for 
six  days.  On  the  first  night  of 
the  sale  he  msised  two  volumes  of 
Constable's  Miscellany—one  of  the 
v6lumes  was '' Converts  from  Infide* 
lity,"  and  the  other  ''The Rebellion 
in  Scotland  in  1 745."  On  the  3rd 
of  March  witness  missed  Newton's 
Works,  in  one  vcJume ;  was  quite 
certain  that  that  book  was  there 
at  the  commencement  of  the  sale ; 
and  that  it  was,  missing  when  they 
came  to  it  in  the  catalogue.  On 
the  5th,  missed  Bunyan's  Works, 
in  four  volumes;  that  edition  of 
Bunyan  consisted  of  six  volumes ; 
it  was  the  four  first  volumes  that 
were  taken,  the  last  two  were  left. 
Was  certain  the  volumes  were  in 
the  room  at  the  commencement  of 
the  sale.    On  the  Tuesday  follow* 


80 


ANNUAL    REGISTER.       [i83i. 


iDg,  the  last  (lay  of  the  sale^  he 
missed  a  royal  quarto  Bible  before 
the  sale  began.  It  was  seen  there 
about  twenty  minutes  before  seven  ; 
and  whilst  witness  and  his  clerk 
were  engaged  for  a  few  seconds  in 
raising  one  of  the  windows,  the 
volume  was  taken  from  the  table. 
After  the  sale  two  of  witness's 
assistants  went  down  to  a  Mr. 
Spence's  to  get  some  refreshment, 
whither  witness  soon  followed ;  and 
in  consequence  of  a  communication 
with  Mr.  Dunsmure,  he  met  a  Mr. 
James,  a  man  of  colour,  who  at- 
tends the  Reading-room  in  the 
Merchants'  Hall,  Hunter-square, 
from  whom  he  learned  that  he 
(James)  had  some  books  in  his 
keeping,  which  he  had  reason  to 
believe  were  witness's.  James 
showed  him  the  Bible,  which  he 
identified  as  his  property  ;  and,  as 
arranged,  James  took  back  the 
Bible,  and  locked  it  up.  Witness 
then  went  and  gave  information  at 
the  Police  Office ;  and  about  four 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  next 
day,  a  police-officer  brought  him 
the  same  Bible,  and  witness  went 
with  the  officer  to  M'Caig's  house, 
where  all  the  volumes  he  had  spoken 
to  were  found,  mostly  lying  on  the 
floor.  One  of  the  volumes  of  Con- 
stable's Miscellany  was  missing  for 
some  time ;  but  M'Caig  said  there 
was  another — he  had  been  reading 
it  that  day;  and  at  last  it  was 
found  between  two  octavos.  The 
books  were  put  on  a  table,  and 
marked  by  the  officers  of  police. 
Was  quite  certain  he  had  not  sold 
any  of  those  books.  —  Thomas 
James ;  Had  been  waiter  at  the 
Merchants*  Hall  for  three  years; 
Mr.  M^Caig  read  there,  whether  a 
subscriber  or  not  he  could  not  tell. 
Recollects  his  leaving  books  with 
witness  on  Saturday  the  5th  of 
March — the  books  ^'ere  four  vols. 


of  Bunyan*s  Works.  He  (witness) 
was  no  scholar — he  could  not  read 
the  names,  but  he  knew  the  books 
by  the  plates.  They  were  left 
between  seven  and  eight  in  the 
evening,  and  he  returned  in  about 
three  quarters  of  an  hour^  and  got 
them.  On  Tuesday  evening  8th 
March,  a  half  Bible  was  left — had 
no  doubt  the  Bible  produced  was 
the  same — got  it  from  him  at 
twenty-five  minutes  past  seven- 
witness  having  been  at  the  Gazette 
Office,  knew  the  hour.  On  going 
up  stairs^  Mr.  M'Caig  gave  him 
the  book  and  asked  him  to  keep  it 
for  him  as  he  did  the  others ; 
saying,  that  he  would  call  for  it. — 
Alexander  M'Gregor,  criminal 
officer,  knew  prisoner,  and  took 
him  into  custody  on  the  9th  of 
March,  as  he  was  coming  down 
the  stair  of  Merchants'  Hall  Rea- 
ding Room.  He  had  a  Bible  in 
his  possession,  and  took  him  with 
it  to  the  Police  Office.  He  was 
carrying  the  book  openly,  and  wore 
no  cloak.  He  made  no  resistance. 
— Peter  Cairns ;  Was  a  bookseller 
for  some  time  in  Edinburgh,  and 
was  employed  by  Mr.  Richardson, 
to  assist  at  a  sale  in  March  last. 
Was  there  on  Saturday  the  4th  or 
5th  March,  when  Bunyan's  Works 
were  missed.  The  work  was  in 
six  volumes,  but  only  four  were 
taken  away.  The  books  were  on 
the  table  at  the  beginning  of  the 
sale,  and  in  its  progress  M'Caig 
looked  at  Bunyan,  and  remarked 
that  they  were  not  uniform.  Wit- 
ness did  not  know  him  then,  but 
knew  him  again.  He  had  one  of 
the  volumes  under  his  arm  at  the 
time.  Witness  looked  up  to  the 
auctioneer  ^  little,  and  when  he 
again  turned  his  eyes  to  the  table 
he  exclaimed,  *' Bunyan's  works 
are  gone,  and  the  gentleman  also." 
The  prisoner  had  not  the  books  in 


JUNE.] 


CHRONICLE. 


81 


his  hand  when  witness  last  saw 
them,  but  he  had  them  certainly 
not  more  than  a  minute  before  they 
were  missed.  Saw  no  other  person 
lift  or  examine  Bunyan*s  works 
that  night.  Identified  the  vo- 
lumes.— Edward  West,  auctioneer, 
had  a  sale  of  books,  at  10,  Hunter 
Square,  in  January  last,  at  which 
a  copy  of  Johnson's  Dictionary 
was  for  sale,  but  was  certain  that 
it  was  not  sold,  as  a  person  wished 
to  buy  it,  and  it  could  not  be  pro- 
duced, but  he  did  not  know  till 
afterwards  what  had  become  of  it. 
Had  a  sale  on  the  10th  February, 
at  which  there  was  a  Greek  Lexi- 
con ;  the  sale  began  about  seven 
o'clock.  A  person  handed  the  book 
to  witness,  and  requested  that  it 
might  be  put  up,  on  which  witness 
said,  he  would  put  it  up  at  a  guinea, 
but  he  must  have  an  advance  on 
that  sum.  It  was  handed  back  to 
the  person,  and  the  book  was 
missed  in  ten  minutes  after.  The 
person  was  dressed  in  a  camblet 
cloak.  On  the  10th  March,  wit- 
ness was  sent  by  the  police  to  Mr. 
M*Caig*s  house  in  Wharton-place, 
where  he  found  Johnson's  Dic- 
tionary and  the  Lexicon  5  they 
were  on  the  floor  of  the  library, 
among  a  great  many  other  books. 
Saw  Mr.  M^Caig  there,  and  again 
in  gaol,  and  on  these  occasions  had 
a  strong  belief  that  he  was  the  per- 
son who  handed  up  the  Lexicon, 
and  the  same  impression  still  re^- 
mained  on  his  mind. — Mr.  Carfrae 
was  employed  to  sell  the  entire 
stock  of  Pollock  and  Company  in 
January  last.  On  the  28th, 
Gertrude  of  Wyoming  was  on 
the  table  at  eleven  forenoon, 
missed  by  one  ;  same  day,  a  copy 
of  Stewart's  Essays  was  taken 
away  5  it  was  on  the  table  at  three 
in  the  afternoon,  and  was  wanting 
Vol.  LXXIII. 


when  he  came  to  sell  it  between 
seven  and  nine.  On  1st  Feb.  a 
Greek  Lexicon  was  taken  away; 
it  was  seen  at  three,  and  missed  in 
the  evening.  On  the  2nd  Feb. 
Johnson's  Dictionary,  and  the 
Lady's  Poetical  Album  were  in 
the  catalogue,  and  he  saw  them  on 
the  table  in  the  morning  of  that 
day.  He  sold  Johnson's  Diction- 
ary to  a  gentleman  for  one  guinea, 
and  it  was  laid  aside  for  him,  but  re- 
moved from  the  place.  Saw  these 
books  on  the  9th  March  in  M^Caig's 
house.  The  prisoner  went  with 
witness  and  Lieutenant  Paterson, 
and  desired  witness  to  take  time 
and  see  if  there  were  any  of  his 
books.  He  found  the  copy  of 
Johnson,  with  the  number  of  his 
catalogue  on  the  back;  the  paper 
was  torn  off,  but  the  green 
cloth  had  absorbed  the  ink,  and 
1193  appeared  on  it.  He  fouiid 
Stewart's  Essays  under  the  table, 
and  the  Lexicon  in  the  book- case. 
Went  back  next  morning  and 
found  the  other  books  3  the  Album 
was  in  the  bed-room.  Went  over 
the  different  volumes,  and  iden- 
tified them  as  his  property. — ^Mr. 
Paterson,  lieutenant  of  police, 
searched  M'Caig's  bouse,  and 
found  the  different  works  libelled 
not  otherwise  spoken  to.  M^Caig 
said  to  him  that  he  had  purchased 
the  books  from  William  Stewart,  a 
printer's  lad,  in  the  street,  and  at 
different  times. — The  Jury  found 
Mr.  M'Caig  guilty  of  eleven  of  the 
various  acts  of  theft  charged,  and 
he  was  sentenced  to  fourteen  years 
transportation. 

9.  Sale  of  his  late  Ma- 
jesty's Coronation  Robes.-^ 
A  portion  of  his  late  Majesty's 
costly  and  splendid  wardrobe  des- 
tined for  public  sale,  including  the 
magnificent  coronation  robes  and 

G 


82 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


[18S1, 


other  costumes,  was  sold  by  auc- 
tion, by  Mr.  Phillips^  at  his  rooms 
in  New  Bond  Street.  There  were 
1 20  lots  disposed  of^  out  of  which 
we  subjoin  tne  principal  in  the  or- 
der in  which  they  were  put  up  :— 
No.  13.  An  elegant  yellow  and 
silver  sash  of  the  Royal  Hano- 
verian Guelphic  Order,  3/.  8s. — 
17.  A  pair  of  fine  kid-trousers^  of 
ample  dimensions^  and  lined  with 
white  satin,  was  sold  for  I2s, — 
35.  The  coronation  ruff,  formed  of 
superb  Mechlin-lace,  2/. — 50.  The 
costly  Highland  costume  worn  by 
our  late  Sovereign  at  Dalkeith  Pa- 
lace, the  seat  of  his  Grace  the  Duke 
of  Buccleugh,  in  the  summer  of 
1 822,  was  knocked  down  at  40/. — 
.'>2.  The  sumptuous  crimson-velvet 
coronation  mantle,  with  silver  star, 
embroidered  with  gold,  on  appro- 
priate devices,  and  which  cost 
originally,  according  to  the  state- 
ment of  the  auctioneer,  upwards  of 
500/.,  was  knocked  down  at  47 
guineas.— 53.  A  crimson  coat  to 
suit  with  the  above,  14/.  —  55. 
A  magniBcent  gold  body- dress  and 
trousers,  26  guineas. — C7.  An 
extraordinary  large  white  aigrette 
plume,  brought  from  Paris  by  the 
Earl  of  Fife,  in  April,  1816,  and 
presented  by  his  lordship  to  the 
late  King,  was  sold  for  15/. — 87. 
A  richly  embroidered  silver  tissue 
coronation  waistcoat  and  trunk 
hose,  13/. — 95.  The  splendid  pur- 
ple velvet  coronation  mantle, 
sumptuously  embroidered  with 
gold,  of  which  it  was  said  to  con- 
tain 200  ounces.  It  was  knocked 
down  at  55/.,  although  it  was 
stated  to  have  cost  his  late  Ma- 
jesty 300/. — 96.  An  elegant  and 
costly  green  velvet  mantle,  lined 
with  ermine  of  the  finest  quality; 
presented  by  the  Emperor  Alex- 
ander to  his  lafe  Majesty,  which 


cost  upwards  of  1,000  guineas^  was 
knocked  down  at  125/. 

10.  Riot  at  Dean  Forxst. 
Monmouth. — A  great  portion  of 
this  forest  was  inclosed  and  planted 
with  oak,  under  an  act  palssed  in 
the  48th  of  George  dru,  which 
plantations  are  now  in  a  thriving 
state.  The  act  provides^  that 
1 1,000  acres  are  always  to  be  kept 
inclosed  as  a  nursery  for  timber ; 
and  that  the  fences  can  be  legally 
•  opened  only  by  order  of  the  Lords 
of  the  Treasury,  and  then  only 
when  the  young  timber  shall  be 
safe  from  the  browsing  of  the  cattle^ 
sheep,  and  swine.  An  erroneous 
opinion,  however,  prevailed  among 
the  foresters,  that  the  inclosures 
should  be  thrown  open  at  the  ex- 
piration of  twenty-one  years ;  and 
as  the  act  was  passed  in  1808( 
several  of  the  inclosures  were  now 
of  a  longer  standing,  and  great  dis- 
satisfaction had  been  for  some  time 
felt  at  their  continuance.  About 
a  fortnight  ago,  a  portion  of  the 
embankment  was  secretly  de« 
stroyed.  A  large  reward  was 
offered  for  the  discovery  of  the 
ofi^enders  without  effect,  and  hand- 
bills were  circulated,  cautioning 
against  the  recurrence  of  similar 
outrages.  On  the  morning  of 
the  8th,  a  body  of  men,  about 
eighty,  commenced  levelling  the 
embankments.  In  the  course  of 
the  day,  their  numbers  increased 
to  500.  On  Thursday  the  9th, 
they  continued  the  work  of  de-< 
vastation,  and  their  number  in- 
creased to  2,000,  parties  being  sent 
out  in  all  directions  to  compel  the 
colliers  and  other  workmen  to  come 
and  assist  in  opening  the  indo- 
sures.  Several  miles  of  fences 
were  levelled  in  these  two  days. 
I'he  men  worked  regularly  with 
suitable  implements.   They  ofiered 


JUNE.] 


CHRONICLE. 


83 


no  injury  to  persons  or  prirate 
property,  and  were  particularly 
careful  of  the  young  timber. 

15.  Attempt  at  Suicide.— 
A  gentleman,  nearly  allied  to  a 
noble  family,  entered  the  Cigar 
Divan,  in  King  Street,  Covent 
Garden,  in  a  state  of  great  excite- 
ment. Being  personally  known  to 
the  proprietor,  he  was  advised,  as 
he  appeared  unwell,  to  retire  to 
the  garden  that  is  fitted  up  in  the 
summer-months  for  the  reception 
of  visitors.  He  did  so ;  and  hav- 
ing ordered  his  refreshment  took  a 
seat  at  the  extremity  of  the  shrub- 
bery. His  agitation  was  so  great 
as  to  render  him  nearly  inarticu- 
late, but  this  was  attributed  by  the 
waiter  to  inebriation  5  and  as  he 
was  seated  where  he  could  be  no 
annoyance  to  the  visitors  of  the 
Coffee-room,  the  attendants  retired 
and  left  him  alone.  In  a  few  mi- 
nutes the  report  of  a  pistol  was 
heard.  On  the  proprietor  of  the 
Divan  running  into  the  garden,  he 
found  the  unfortunate  gentleman 
trembling  very  violently,  holding  a 
discharged  pistol  in  his  hand,  and 
with  a  paper  inclosing  some  mineral 
substance  on  the  table  before  him. 
He  said,  that  he  always  carried  pis- 
tols for  his  personal  security,  and 
that  it  had  been  discharged  acci- 
dentally. He  was  then  asked  what 
was  in  the  paper,  and  he  replied, 
*< Salts."  The  word  "poison,*' 
however,  was  upon  the  paper;  and, 
on  the  contents  being  taken  to  a 
chymist's,  they  were  pronounced 
to  be  oxalic  acid.  The  bullet 
struck  a  tree  behind  the  seat  oc- 
cupied by  the  gentleman,  from 
which  it  is  conjectured  that  he  had 
pointed  it  at  himself,  but^from  his 
agitation,  discharged  it  over  his 
shoulder.  Under  all  the  circum- 
stances, the  proprietor  determined 


on  detaining  him  until  his  friends 
could  be  apprized  of  his  situation* 
This  he  resisted,  and  demanded 
his  liberation,  but  at  length  burst 
into  tears,  and  mentioned  the 
name  of  a  gentleman,  who  was  ac- 
cordingly sent  for.  Nearly  two 
hours  elapsed  before  this  relation 
was  found,  and  then  the  unfor- 
tunate gentleman  was  conveyed 
away  in  a  close  carriage.  He  ap- 
peared in  a  dreadful  state-of  ner- 
vous debility,  conversed  incohe- 
rently, and  was  frequently  in  tears. 

Assault.  —  Court  of  Ex- 
chequer. —  Williams  v.  HalL — 
The  plaintiff  in  this  case,  was  a 
bookseller,  and  the  defendant  a 
plumber.  From  the  plaintiff's 
evidence  it  appeared,  that,  on  the 
23rd  of  November  last,  the  parties 
in  the  action,  who  had  been  before 
that  time  unknown  to  each  other, 
met  by  accident  at  a  public  house 
in  Smithfield.  Some  conversation 
having  ensued  upon  the  subject  of 
duelling,  the  plaintiff  expressed  his 
disapprobation  of  the  practice,  and 
regretted  much  that,  when  he  was 
in  the  army,  he  had  been  engaged 
in  a  duel  with  a  brother  officer, 
whom  he  shot  dead.  He  after- 
wards, however,  said,  that  it  was 
fortunate  for  himself  that  he  had 
not  half-a-dozen  sisters,  as  they 
would  probably  be  the  cause  of  his 
fighting  so  many  duels,  for  if  any 
man  were  to  insult  any  of  them,  he 
would  certainly  challenge  him. 
The  defendant,  upon  this,  put  a 
case,  and  supposing  that  the  plain- 
tiff had  a  sister,  and  that  the  de- 
fendant had  seduced  her,  he  asked 
the  plaintiff  how  he  should  behave. 
To  this  the  plaintiff  answered, 
that  he  would  blow  out  the  de- 
fendants brains,  and  knock  off  his 
head.  After  a  little  more  wrang- 
ling of  the  same  sort,  the  plaintiff, 

G  2 


84 


ANNUAL   REGISTER.       tissi 


after  having  repeatedly  applied  a 
disgustiog  epithet  to  the  defend- 
ant, provoked  him  so  much,  that 
the  latter,  who  had  a  wooden  hand 
screwed  into  a  plate  of  iron  at  the 
end  of  the  stump  of  his  arm,  pro- 
ceeded to  unscrew  the  wooden  part 
of  the  limb^  and  assaulted  the 
plaintiff  with  the  remainder.  The 
parties  fought  for  a  considerable 
time,  and  the  plaintiff  was  at 
length  carried  home.  The  witness 
who  deposed  on  the  part  of  the 
plaintiff,  was  cross-examined  at 
great  length,  and  admitted  that 
all  the  original  provocations  pro- 
ceeded from  the  plaintiff,  and 
that  the  plaintiff  had  frequently 
referred,  in  terms  of  exultation,  to 
the  fact  of  his  having  shot  one  Cal- 
laway, at  Malta,  through  the  heart, 
and  threatened  to  inflict  the  same 
fate  upon  the  defendant.  The  wit- 
ness, in  his  direct  examination, 
swore  that  he  was  obliged  to  sup- 
port the  plaintiff  to  his  house; 
but  on  his  cross-examination  he 
said,  that  the  plaintiff  wanted,  at 
the  end  of  the  fight,  to  continue  it 
longer,  and  that  he  boasted  then  of 
being  able  to  beat  fifty  like  the  de- 
fendant. Some  descriptions  were 
attempted  of  the  peculiar  weapon 
used  by  the  defendant,  but  as  he 
was  in  court,  the  Lord  Chief 
Baron  thought  it  more  satisfactory 
that  the  thing  itself  should  be  ex- 
hibited, and  accordingly  Mr.  Hall 
stood  up,  and  unscrewing  his  hand, 
displayed  the  nature  of  the  ma- 
chinery to  the  Jury. 

The  Lord  Chief  Baron  said, 
that  the  plaintiff  was  entitled  to  a 
verdict,  but  that  it  was  for  the 
Jury  to  say,  what  damages  ought 
to  be  given  in  such  a  case. — The 
Jury  instantly,  in  a  loud  voice  ex- 
claimed, "A  farthing!  a  farthing!'* 

17.     Inquest  on  the  Welsh 


Rioters.-— The  inquest  on  Hughes, 
one  of  the  rioters  killed  at  Mer- 
ther  Tydvil,  [[See  page  79 J  was 
held  on  the  1 7th  June. 

William  Thomas  esq.,  Comb^ 
surgeon. — In  about  an  hour  after 
the  mob  had  dispersed  from  the 
front  of  the  Castle  Inn,  eight 
bodies  were  removed  into  the 
coach-house  behind  the  inn,  and 
nearly  at  the  same  time  Wil- 
liam Roberts  came  to  witness,  and 
told  him  there  was  a  wounded 
man  in  his  house,  which  was  close 
by  5  he  went  there  instantly,  and 
found  a  man,  whom  he  knew  to  be 
John  Hughes,  in  Roberts's  house  ; 
he  examined  him,  and  found  a  ball 
had  entered  the  centre  of  his  back, 
and  come  out  rather  above  his 
navel;  he  died  between  ten  and 
eleven  o'clock  that  night :  and  his 
death  was  caused  by  that  gunnshot 
wound.  About  an  hour  and  a  half 
before  he  died,  when  he  knew  that 
he  was  dying,  witness  asked  him 
how  he  came  to  be  shot ;  he  said 
he  was  running  away  with  a  sol- 
dier's musket,  but  before  he  could 
do  so  he  was  shot.  He  said  he  had 
been  an  old  soldier,  and  in  six  en- 
gagements, and  never  was  wounded 
before,  and  that  he  ought  to  have 
died  a  better  death.  Witness  was 
present  when  the  firing  at  the 
Castle  commenced  by  the  soldiers. 
He  came  to  the  Castle  Inn  just  as 
the  soldiers  halted  on  their  arrival. 
A  large  mob  accompanied  them,  a 
great  proportion  of  which  was 
armed  with  bludgeons,  some  with 
the  handles  of  mandrels,  others 
with  parts  of  miner's  pickaxes;  a 
man  amongst  them  had  a  red  flag 
on  a  pole.  The  soldiers  halted  in 
the  middle  of  the  street,  rather 
above  the  house.  The  mob  got 
close  around  them  in  a  dense  mass, 
so  that  it  was  almost  impossiUe 


JUNE.] 


CHRONICLE. 


SS 


for  them  to  use  their  arms.  Some 
bread  and  cheese  were  then 
brought  out  to  them,  after  which 
they  were  moved  to  the  pavement 
in  front  of  the  Castle  Inn^  and 
near  to  the  house.  Here  they 
were  hemmed  in  again.  Before 
this  movement  the  Sheriff  read  the 
riot-act.  He  saw  a  man,  called 
Lewis  the  huntsman,  get  up  to 
the  lamp-iron  and  support  himself 
with  the  assistance  of  the  mob 
below.  He  addressed  them,  say- 
ing "  We  are  met  here  to  have 
our  wages  raised,  instead  of  which 
the  masters  have  brought  the  sol- 
diers against  us ;  now,  boys,  if  you 
are  of  the  same  mind  as  I  am,  let 
us  fall  upon  them  and  take  their 
arms  away."  He  then  dropped 
down.  His  speech  was  in  Welch. 
In  a  minute  or  two  witness  observed 
a  movement  in  the  crowd,  when  a 
rush  was  made  on  the  soldiers. 
Several  of  them  were  disarmed. 
At  this  moment  witness  came  out 
to  the  front  door  of  the  house,  and 
there  saw  the  mob,  three  or  four 
upon  a  soldier,  wrestling  for  their 
muskets.  Four  or  Rye  of  the  sol- 
diers were  upon  the  ground,  and 
at  the  same  instant  a  volley  of 
stones,  cinders,  sticks,  &c.,  was 
sent  against  the  windows.  No 
firing  had  taken  place  at  this 
moment.  There  was  a  conflict 
on  the  steps,  the  mob  three  or 
four  times  making  their  way  into 
the  house,  and  being  as  often 
repulsed  by  two  soldiers  in  the 
passage,  and  the  special  constables 
behind  them.  The  soldiers  in  the 
passage  had  been  able  to  bring 
down  their  muskets  to  the  charge; 
a  firing  commenced  from  the  win- 
dows above,  but  not  till  several  of 
the  soldiers  had  been  struck  down. 
Some  one  in  the  passage  then  gave 
the  alarm   that    the   mob   were 


coming  in  at  the  rear  of  the  house ; 
hearing  this,  witness  led  an  officer 
and  three  soldiers  into  the  yard 
behind.     The  yard  is  very  narrow, 
the  mob  had  then  advanced  half 
way  up  the  yard,  and  were  within 
a  very  few  yards  of  the  back  door; 
they  fell  back  a  little,  and  then 
assailed  the  soldiers  with  a  shower 
of  stones  and  brick-bats  5  the  sol- 
diers  fired,   two  or  three  of  the 
mob  fell  and  then  drew  back,  and 
were   driven  through  the  stable- 
yard  into  the  street  by  the  end  of 
the  house.     It  was  then  said  the 
mob    were    approaching    by    the 
field ;  witness  went  round  to  see- 
met  Lewis  running  by  the  river 
side,  with  a  musket  in  his  hand  y 
heard  him  call  out  to  the  others  to 
stop  and  stand  their  ground.   Wit- 
ness then   went  home   by  a  cir- 
cuitous way  through  Ynisgoy  5  the 
soldiers  were  firing  in  the  street, 
and  the  mob  were  firing  from  the 
cinder-bank  in   the  rear  of   the 
house ;  he  thinks  there  was  firing 
from  thence   befpre   Lewis  could 
have  got  there. 

Several  other  witnesses  were 
examined,  and  deposed  to  the 
mob  having  attacked  and  de- 
prived some  soldiers  of  their  arms 
before  a  single  shot  was  fired  by 
the  military.  The  major  who 
commanded  the  detachment  was 
severely  cut.  Nothing  could  ex- 
ceed the  exertions  of  the  officers  to 
prevent  the  unnecessary  shedding  of 
blood.  The  Jury  brought  in  the  fol- 
lowing verdict: — "  We  unanimous- 
ly find  that  John  Hughes  came  to 
his  death  by  a  musket-shot  wound, 
fired  by  a  soldier  of  His  Majesty's 
93rd  regiment,  whose  name  is  to 
the  Jury  unknown,  and  that  it 
was  a  justifiable  homicide." — 
Similar  verdicts  were  returned  in 
the  other  cases, 


8d 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


[lasi. 


18.  Evils  of  Demanding 
Justice. — Sophia  Chapman  was 
placed  at  the  bar  of  one  of  the 
police  offices^  and  a  tall^  dark^  well- 
dressed  young  man  entered  the 
witness  box.  The  latter  was 
asked  his  name^  and  what  his 
charge  was  against  the  prisoner  ? 
He  replied,  in  broken  English, 
''  My  name  is  Ben  Hyam  ;  I  am  a 
Turk,  and  I  travel  with  goods  to 
sell;  I  met  de  woman  de  last 
night  3  I  go  home  with  her  ;  I  did 
show  her  do  half- sovereign,  which 
I  had  in  a  paper,  and  I  put  in  my 
littel  pocket  where  I  put  de  watch. 
In  the  morning  when  I  got  U]),  I 
go  to  littel  pocket,  and  no  paper 
and  no  half-sovereign  -,  but  I  nnd 
de  paper  in  de  breeches  pocket,  and 
de  money  gone.  After  de  police- 
man came,  de  prisoner  ana  land- 
lady of  de  house  say  they  will  give 
me  8.9.  if  I  go  away,  as  the  girl 
ought  to  have  5*.  j  but  de  police- 
man say,  '  No  j  give  him  nothing ; 
it  must  go  to  justice."— The  pri- 
soner said  she  never  saw  the  half- 
sovereign. — Mr.  Marriot.  You 
must  prosecute  this  woman  for  the 
robbery. — Ben  Hyam.  Me  no  want 
to  prosecute,  Sare ;  me  shall  lose 
my  business  in  de  country;  it  was 
not  de  half-sovereign  I  did  care  for 
so  much ;  no,  Sare,  me  no  wish  to 
prosecute,  though  she  did  rob  me 
very  bad. — Mr.  Marriot.  Oh,  you 
don't  wish  to  prosecute?  Then 
I  shall  compel  you  ;  for,  if  you  do 
not  find  sureties  to  prosecute,  I 
will  send  you  to  gaol  with  her. — 
Ben  Hyam.  Pray,  Sare,  let  me 
go;  I  do  not  care  for  the  half- 
sovereign.  —  Mr.  Marriot.  You 
know  your  immoral  conduct  has 
been  such,  that  you  will  not  be  al- 
lowed your  expenses  on  the  trials 
so  you  do  not  wish  to  prosecute. — 
Ben  Hyam,    I  do  not  know  what 


you  sayr,  Sare,  about  immoral ; 
out  I  wish  to  go  to  my  business, 
if  you  please,  in  de  country.-.- 
Mr.  Marriot. — Have  you  got  bail 
to  be  answerable  for  your  appear- 
ance.— Ben  Hyam.  Me  have  no 
friends  except  in  de  country. — The 
policeman  confirmed  the  Turk's 
statement,  and  the  latter,  havine 
signed  his  deposition,  was  lockea 
up,  and  afterwards  was  handcuffed 
and  taken  by  the  gaoler,  with  the 
female,  to  Kingston;  the  latter  being 
committed  for  the  felony^  and  the 
former  for  want  of  sureties,  to  ap- 
pear to  give  evidence  against  her 
at  the  next  sessions. — Ho  was  sub- 
sequently liberated  on  his  own  re- 
cognizance. 

Effacing  Stamps. — Court  or 
Exchequer. — Fluke  v.  Dukej--^ 
Both  parties  to  this  action  were 
law-stationers,  and  the  action  wae 
brought  to  recover  108/.,  which 
had  become  due  to  the  plaintiff 
under  the  following  circumstances : 
— In  January  of  the  present  year, 
the  defendant  sent  a  message  to 
the  plaintiff,  to  intimate,  that  he 
(Duke)  had  a  stamp  for  the  arti- 
cles of  an  attorney's  clerk,  which 
he  wished  to  dispose  of.  He 
stated,  at  the  same  time,  that 
he  had  received  the  stamp  from 
a  respectable  customer,  and 
would  make  Fluke  an  abate- 
ment of  1 0/.  per  cent  in  the  price 
of  it.  Fluke  agreed  to  purchase 
the  article,  and  paid,  or  secured 
the  payment  of,  108/.,  being  the 
value  of  the  stamp  after  the  dis* 
count  had  been  taken  off.  Soon 
afterwards.  Fluke  disposed  of  the 
stamp  to  an  attorney,  named  Wil« 
ton,  who  engrossea  upon  it  the 
articles  of  clerkship  of  a  young 
man  who  had  entered  his  office. 
The  articles,  after  having  been  ex- 
ecuted, were  taken  to  the  oflSoe 


JUNE.] 


CHRONICLE. 


87 


of  the  Master,  where  they  are 
required  by  statute  to  be  en- 
rolled. But^  it  having  come  to  the 
Master*s  knowledge  that  several 
sets  of  articles  had  been  some  time 
before  stolen  from  his  office^  and 
that  the  stamps  of  such  articles, 
after  the  ink  had  been  discharged 
by  a  chymical  process,  had  been 
offered  for  sale  as  unused  stamps, 
and  the  present  stamp  having,  in 
the  Master's  eye,  an  appearance  of 
being  one  of  the  stamps  stolen  from 
the  office,  the  Master  refused  to 
enrol  the  articles.  An  examin- 
ation which  took  place  at  the 
Stamp-office  confirmed  the  suspi- 
cion of  the  Master  of  the  court  of 
King's-bench  3  and  the  Commis- 
sioners of  Stamps  refused  to  give  a 
fresh  one  in  the  room  of  that  which 
had  been  used.  Mr.  Wilton  being 
obliged  to  buy  another  stamp  on 
which  to  engross  the  articles  of 
clerkship  for  his  apprentice,  re- 
claimed the  price  of  the  stamp  from 
Fluke,  who  reclaimed  it  from  Duke: 
the  latter  promised  for  some  time 
to  arrange  the  matter,  but  at  last  re- 
fused to  make  any  satisfaction^  upon 
which  the  present  proceedings  were 
commenced  against  him. — These 
facts  being  proved  by  the  plaintiff, 
the  defendant  called  the  "  respect- 
able customer"  from  whom  he  ob- 
tained the  stamp,  Abraham  Slow- 
man,  a  sheriff's  officer.  Mr.  Slow- 
man  said^  that  the  stamp  had  been 
given  to  him  by  a  person  named 
Alves,  whom  he  had  locked  up  in 
his  custody  at  the  time,  and  that 
the  proceeds  of  the  sale  of  the 
stamp  by  the  witness  to  Duke 
were  applied  in  satisfaction  of  the 
debt  for  which  Alves  was  in  cus- 
tody. In  his  cross-examination, 
Slowman  stated  that  Alves  had  no 
profession^  but  that  he  was  a  gen- 
tleman living  in  a  very  respectable 


way^  in  furnished  lodgings,  upon 
the  drawing-room  floor,  in  a  house 
in  Duke -street,  Portland -place. 
He  said  that  Alves  was  in  the  habit 
of  going  to  races;  that  he  had 
been  in  custody  in  the  witness's 
lock-up  house  about  seven  times 
within  a  year  or  two  ;  and  that  he 
had  other  stamps  for  disposal,  be-* 
sides  that  which  was  the  subject 
of  the  present  action.  One  of  these 
stamps^  a  second  one^  was  disposed 
of  by  Slowman^  as  Alves's  agent^ 
to  the  defendant,  about  a  fortnight 
after  the  inquiry  which  had  been 
instituted  at  the  Master's  office.— 
Tiie  Lord  Chief  Baron  asked  Slow- 
man  whether  Duke  had  made  any 
inquiries  of  him  concerning  the 
character  and  circumstances  of 
Alves  ? — Slowman  answered  in  the 
negative,  adding^  that  he  supposed 
Mr.  Duke  had  taken  the  stamps 
upon  the  faith  of  himself  (Slow- 
man),  and  without  any  reference 
to  the  party  from  whom  the  stamps 
ultimately  came. — The  Jury  im- 
mediately found  for  the  plaintiff 
for  the  whole  amount  of  his  de« 
mand. 

Libel.  —  Electioneering.-— 
Howe  V.  Daubeny, — This  action 
arose  out  of  certam  proceedings  at 
Great  Grimsby,  during  the  general 
election  in  1830.  The  plaintiff 
was  lieutenant  of  the  Greyhound 
revenue  cutter ;  the  defendant^  an 
attorney  at  Great  Grimsby.  The 
libel  was  the  following  letter,  dated 
from  Great  Grimsby,  and  publish- 
ed in  some  of  the  Loudon  papers. 
The  blues  were  the  Whig  party  j 
the  reds,  their  opponents: — "At 
the  late  election,  some  extraordi- 
nary interferences  took  place  on 
the  part  of  the  persons  employed  in 
his  majesty *s  revenue  service  here. 
The  collector  of  the  Customs  was 
observed  to  join  in  the  parade  of 


88 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


[1831. 


the  red  party^  and  in  its  greetings 
and  huzzas !  His  majesty's  reve- 
nue cutters,  Greyhound  and  Lap- 
wing, landed  from  seventy  to  eighty 
of  their  crews,  who  kicked  up  oc- 
casional rows,  to  intimidate  the 
peaceful  inhabitants  and  the  blue 
party ;  and  in  one  of  these,  which 
became  a  serious  riot  and  affray, 
they  were  actually  led  on  by  one  of 
the  commanders,  lieutenant  Howe, 
of  the  Greyhound.  This  gentle- 
man canvassed  for  the  reds,  at- 
tended their  parades  in  his  uni- 
form, and  wore  a  red  riband,  the 
cognizance  of  the  party  his  efforts 
were  intended  to  support.  Several 
sailors  were  employed  to  erect  a 
booth  in  front  of  the  lodgings  of 
the  red  candidates.  A  top-mast 
from  the  stores  of  the  Greyhound 
was  raised  up,  to  which  a  stage 
was  fixed,  for  the  red  candidates  to 
make  speeches  from.  Custom- 
house flags  were  carried  in  the  red 
parades,  and  hung  out  of  public- 
houses  in  the  red  interest,  and  a 
Custom-house  ensign  wassuspended 
from  the  top-mast  in  front  of  the 
red  candidates'  lodgings.  The 
Greyhound  was  laid  in  the  Hum^ 
her,  about  two  miles  from  Grimsby, 
to  receive  such  of  the  blue  party  as 
could  be  made  intoxicated,  and  kid" 
napped  on  board  her  ;  and  two  of 
them  were  actually  coiifined  there 
vntil  the  election  was  over.  Are 
such  things  tolerated  by  govern- 
ment."— ^This  letter,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  the  passage  in  italics, 
was  published  in  the  Globe  of  the 
6th  of  August  last.  A  similar  let- 
ter, with  that  passage  included, 
was  published  in  the  Courier  on 
the  20th  of  the  same  month.  There 
was,  however,  no  evidence  to  con- 
nect the  defendant  with  the  publi« 
cation  in  the  Courier. — Mr.  Gor- 
touj    the   editor    of  the    Globe^ 


proved  the  receipt  of  the  letter 
from  the  defendsudt,  and  stated, 
that  he  struck  out  the  passage 
above  alluded  to.  It  was  admit-, 
ted,  that  the  communication  to 
Mr.  Gorton  was,  in  point  of  law^  a 
publication,  for  wliich  the  defend- 
ant was  answerable. — There  was  a 
plea  of  justification  to  the  whole 
of  the  libel. 

To  prove  the  truth  of  the  libd, 
the  defendant  called, 

Charles  Wood,  esq.,  private  se- 
cretary to  earl  Grey,  who  was  one  of 
the  candidates  in  the  blue  interest^ 
and  who  stated,  that  he  saw  the 
sailors  at  the  election,  with  the 
plaintiff  along  with  them  in  an  un- 
dress naval  uniform  ;  the  plaintiff 
wore  a  red  riband,  and  the  sailors 
carried  Custom-house  flags  3  the 
blues  had  a  procession  on  the  even- 
ing before  the  election ;  some  guns 
were  fired  from  one  of  the  cutterSj 
and  then  a  row  and  fight  com- 
menced, and  the  part  of  the  pro- 
cession immediately  behind  him 
(the  blues)  was  driven  forward  by 
a  crowd  of  men,  most  of  whom  were 
sailors ;  he  observed  several  mus- 
kets at  the  door  of  captain  Harris's 
lodgings,  on  the  morning  of  the 
day  before  the  election,  when  both 
parties  walked  in  procession,  and 
the  row  took  place ;  his  carriage 
was  in  the  procession,  but  he  him- 
self was  not  in  it, — Thomas  Plas- 
kett,  the  harbour-master  of  Grims- 
by, stated,  that  he  saw  the  plain- 
tiff with  parts  of  the  crew  of  the 
Greyhound  and  Lapwing  in  the 
procession  of  the  red  candidates. 
He  also  saw  two  men  erecting  a 
top-mast  for  the  purpose  of  hoist- 
ing a  red  ensign.  The  top-mast^ 
with  the  ensign,  remained  dur- 
ing the  election.  A  booth  was 
also  erected  in  front  of  captain. 
Harris's  lodgings,  near  the  top* 


JUNE.] 


CHRONICLE. 


89 


mast.  There  were  many  Custom- 
house flags  in  the  procession  of  the 
red  party.  One  of  them  was  hung 
out  at  the  Royal  Oak,  a  public- 
house  in  the  red  interest.  On  the 
Friday  before  the  election,  the 
Lapwing  was  dressed  out  in  colours. 
The  red  party  had  a  procession, 
and,  when  they  came  opposite  to 
the  Lapwing,  guns  were  fired,  and 
then  a  row  commenced.  The  blue 
party  were  driven  forward  by  the 
red — ^A  man,  who  looked  after  the 
arms  on  board  the  Greyhoun4> 
stated,  that,  by  order  of  the  plain- 
tiff, he  sent  four  brass  blunder- 
busses, and  one  brass  musket  on 
shore  at  the  time  of  the  election, 
and  also  some  fiags  and  ensigns. 
He  also  sent  a  half  top-sail  on 
shore.  He  got  these  things  back 
again  after  the  election,  and  he  knew 
that  the  arms  had  been  used,  as 
they  were  foul,  and  one  of  the 
guns  was  burst. — Robert  Hurd,  a 
seaman  of  the  Lapwing,  saw  the 
plaintiff  on  shore  at  the  time  of  the 
election  3  the  plaintiff  once  desired 
the  sailors  to  go  about  town  and 
search  the  carriages,  and  prevent 
the  blues  from  running  away  with 
the  reds.  The  blues  attacked  the 
red  party  first,  but  the  reds  beat 
them  off;  the  plaintiff  did  not  ex- 
cite them  to  a  riot,  but  he  sent  a 
watch  to  the  toll-bar  to  prevent 
the  reds  from  being  kidnapped  by 
the  blues. — A  voter  of  Grimsby, 
named  Beaumont,  saw  plaintiff  in 
the  row  waving  his  cane,  and  en- 
deavouring to  put  the  blues  to  the 
rout ;  captain  Harris,  the  red  can- 
didate, seized  the  reins  of  the  horses 
of  Mr.  Wood's  carriage,  and  stopped 
it,  and  the  sailors  opened  the 
carriage,  and  threatened  to  throw 
Mr.  Wood's  friends,  who  were  in 
it,  into  the  river. — Another  voter 
stated^  that  the  reds  changed  their 


line  of  march,  in  order  to  meet  the 
blues.  The  sailors  fired  some  guns, 
and  then  the  fight  commenced ; 
plaintiff  ran  past  the  witness  with 
some  sailors,  and  plaintiff  was  call- 
ing out  to  them,  "  Come  on,  my 
lads,"  and  they  rushed  together 
into  the  fight  about  Mr.  Wood's 
carriage ;  after  that  fight  was  over, 
plaintiff  and  the  sailors  ran  into 
another  fight  which  was  going  on 
behind. — Charles  Martin  was  one 
of  the  musical  band  of  the  blue 
party ;  he  saw  the  plaintiff  lead- 
ing a  party  of  sailors  to  the  attack 
of  the  blues ;  plaintiff  asked  one  of 
the  sailors,  where  the  captain — • 
meaning  captain  Harris — ^was?  the 
sailor  answered,  '' Right-a-head," 
and  the  plaintiff  then  said,  ^^  Let's 
be  resolute,  and  follow  him,"  and 
they  set  off  at  a  jog  trot.  The 
sailors  had  sticks  in  their  hands. — 
Edward  Billing  heard  the  plaintifiT 
addressing  the  sailors  previous  to 
the  row.  He  said,  "At  them,  or 
after  them,  my  lads." — Another 
witness  stated,  that  he  saw  the 
plaintiff  heading  a  party  of  sailors, 
who  were  rushing  furiously  in  pur- 
suit of  the  blues,  and  plaintiff  called 
out  to  the  sailors,  *'  Douse  them, 
or  down  with  them,  my  lads."— 
John  Macgregor,  a  seaman  on  board, 
the  Greyhound,  received  orders 
from  the  plaintiff  to  take  David 
Snow,  a  freeman,  in  the  interest  of 
the  blues,  on  board  the  Greyhound. 
The  order  was  given  in  the  day- 
time, and  at  night  he  went  in  a 
boat  to  the  shore,  and  Snow  was 
brought  down  by  a  party  of  men 
and  put  into  the  boat,  and  witness 
put  him  on  board  the  Greyhound ; 
Snow  was  drunk  at  the  time. — Sa-* 
muel  Clerk,  second  mate  of  the 
Greyhound,  saw  Snow  on  board  j 
he  also  saw  Wallis,  another  free-* 
man,  brought  on  board  at  fouy 


do 


ANNUAL    REGISTER.      tissi- 


o'clock  on  Saturday  morDiog^  which 
was  the  day  of  the  election ;  Walh's 
was  very  drunk  at  the  time. — The 
Attorney-general  called^  in  reply, 
David  Snow,  who  stated,  that  he 
had  at  first  promised  to  vote  blue, 
but  afterwards  "he  did  not  like  it." 
The  reason  of  his  being  taken  on 
board  the  Greyhound  was,  that  he 
was  going  to  vote  for  the  blues.  He 
might  have  gone  on  shore  again,  if 
be  had  thought  proper.  An  offer 
was  made  to  him  for  that  purpose 
by  the  plaintiff's  servant  (Bailey), 
on  the  Saturday,  but  he  preferred 
remaining  on  board.  —  Cross-ex- 
amined bv  sir  J.  Scarlett.  He  was 
very  drunk  when  taken  on  board, 
and  was  drunk  afterwards  during 
part  of  every  day  that  he  remained 
on  board.  He  could  not  tell  who 
made  him  drunk.  He  got  very 
good  fare  on  boards  and  thought 
he  was  as  well  there  as  any  where 
else.  There  was  a  man  to  take 
care  of  him.  Bailey  wished  him 
to  go  and  vote  red,  but  he  did  not 
wish  to  return  on  shore  at  all,  as 
he  was  quite  comfortable  while  he 
remained  on  board. — Mr.  Denby, 
an  auctioneer,  stated,  that  Snow 
had  been  in  his  service.  He  had 
promised  his  vote  for  the  reds,  but 
witness  was  afraid  he  would  be 
kidnappe<l  by  the  blues,  as  he  had 
been  at  a  former  election,  and  he 
therefore  requested  the  plaintiff  to 
let  him  be  sent  on  board  the  cutter. 
The  plaintiff  said  he  would  consi- 
der of  it. — Captain  Harris  and 
colonel  Challoner,  the  red  candi- 
dates, stated,  that  they  and  the 
plaintiff  did  every  thing  in  their 
power  to  prevent  disturbance, 
though  the  attack  was  commenced 
by  the  blue  party.  These  and 
several  other  witnesses  went  into 
long  details  in  contradiction  to  the 
testimony  of  the  defendant's  wit-« 


nesses. — Lord  Tenterden,  [in  sum- 
ming  up,  observed  that  there  were 
two  questions  for  the  jury — first, 
whether  the  plaintiff  had  actually 
led  on  the  sailors  to  a  riot  and 
affray,  *'  with  a  view  to  intimidate 
the  peaceable  inhabitants  and  the 
blue  party ;"  secondly,  whether 
the  Greyhound  revenue  cutter  had 
been  brought  into  the  Humber  to 
receive  such  of  the  blue  }iarty  as 
could  be  made  intoxicated  and  kid- 
napped on  board  her,  and  whether 
two  of  them  were  actually  confined 
there. — The  Jury,  after  conferring 
together  for  about  twenty  minutes, 
found  a  verdict  for  the  plaintiff— 
Damages  y  10/. 

27.  MuRDBR.— County  Clarb. 
Special  Commission.  —  Patrick 
Connors  and  John  Cullinanc  were 
put  to  the  bar,  charged  with  the 
murder  of  William  Blood,  of  Ap- 
plevale,  in  the  county  of  Clare,  on  the 
21st  day  of  January,  by  inflicting  a 
gun-shot  wound  on  the  riffht  side 
of  his  head;  they  were  also  indicted 
for  having  aided  and  assisted  John 
Burke  in  shooting  at  the  said  Wil- 
liam Blood.  There  were  several 
other  counts  in  the  indictments.— 
Connor  Callaghan  sworn;  I  had 
been  the  last  three  or  four  months 
with  Mr.  Vokes,  in  Limerick;  I 
knew  Mr.  Blood,  who  is  dead ;  I 
was  in  his  service  minding  horses 
and  cows.  In  January  last  there 
were  living  in  his  house,  Patrick 
Connors,  who  was  butler,  Nancy 
Lyons,  Kitty  Canowles,  and  my« 
self.  John  0*Neill  was  there 
the  night  Mr.  Blood  was  killed ; 
O'Neill  is  since  dead.  Mr.  Blood 
was  killed  on  a  Friday  night. 
The  witness  here  looked  round 
twice  towards  the  dock,  for  the 
purpose  of  identifying  Connors,  and 
said  he  did  not  see  him.  I  never 
was  examined  before  in  a  court. 


JUNE.] 


CHRONICLE. 


dl 


On  the  Tuesday  night  before,  I 
had  conversation  with  Connors  in 
the  stable  -,  he  told  me  it  would  be 
a  good  plan  to  kill  Mr.  Bloody  and 
that  I  should  get  more  than  three 
years'  wages  if  I  would  keep  the 
secret;  I  told  him  I  would.  I  was 
not  four  weeks  with  Mr.  Blood. 
Connors  said,  the  first  time  Mr. 
Blood  would  go  out  he  would  call 
men  to  kill  him.  On  Friday  morn- 
ing, Pat.  Connors  went  to  Corrofin, 
which  is  about  a  mile  from  the 
house,  to  get  clothes,  which  he  got 
the  Thursday  before  from  the  mas- 
ter, re-made ;  he  rode  the  master's 
horse  to  the  forge  j  he  was  away  un- 
til evening.  When  he  returned,  I 
was  near  a  rick  of  hay  in  the  hag- 
gard, and  he  told  me  they  were  to 
come  to-night ;  I  was  not  to  speak 
a  word  about  it.  This  was  about 
night-fall  :  he  went  into  the  house, 
and  I  went  to  settle  the  cows. 
Connors  was  after  dinner  again  in 
the  stable;  we  were  both  making 
up  the  horses  ;  he  told  me  he 
would  bid  them  put  the  sheep- 
crib  that  was  in  the  grove  up  to  the 
back  of  the  wall,  that  it  might 
not  be  known  how  they  came  m  ; 
he  would  open  the  gate  for  them 
himself,  and  put  a  stone  to  the  gate; 
and  he  would  show  them  where  the 
master  himself  was  in  the  parlour, 
before  he  could  go  up  to  his  arms. 
He  told  me  to  take  John  O'Neill  up 
with  me  when  I  went  in,  and  when 
1  heard  the  least  noise  to  begin  to 
cry  in  order  to  frighten  O'Neill. 
I  went  up  to  bed  and  undressed, 
and  so  did  O'Neill;  afterwards 
Nancy  Lyons  came  up,  and  said 
that  robbers  had  entered  through 
the  kitchen.  A  little  while  after 
I  heard  a  man  desire  to  shoot 
the  master,  when  Nancy  Collins 
came  up.  I  staid  in  bed  until 
I  heard  blows,  when  I  got  up 
and  went  to  the  window  which 


looked  into  the  yard;  I  saw  the 
master,  and  four  men  hitting  him ; 
Connors  was  near  them ;  he  had 
nothing  in  his  hand;  I  did  not  see 
a  candle  with  him ;  it  was  on  the 
same  spot  the  body  was  found. 
The  room  in  which  I  slept  is  over 
the  kitchen.  I  am  sure  it  was 
Connors  I  saw;  he  had  a  short 
striped  cotton  jacket  on  ;  it  was  the 
same  jacket  he  had  on  in  the  even- 
ing ;  I  came  down  soon  after  one 
o'clock.  When  I  came  into  the 
kitchen,  John  O'Neill  and  Nancy 
Lyons  were  with  me,  and  I  saw 
Pat.  Connors  trod  near  the  grate. 
Before  the  murder,  Connors  said 
he  would  make  them  tie  him,  so 
that  he  might  not  be  suspected ; 
he  was  tied  with  carriage  or  gig 
reins  ;  his  arms  were  tied  to  his 
body,  and  he  was  stretched  on  his 
side  not  fastened  to  any  thing. 
Next  morning  Connors  and  I  went 
up  to  Mr.  Blood's  of  Rockstown ; 
he  told  me  not  to  he  afraid,  it 
would  never  be  found  out ;  and  I 
would  get  my  share  of  the  money,  as 
well  as  those  who  killed.  I  never  got 
any.  I  was  aWhiteboy;  I  was  sworn 
a  year  and  a  half  ago;  Connors 
knew  I  was  one,  and  I  knew  he  was 
another.— -Cross-examined;  I  was 
a  faithful  servant  of  Mr.  Blood's. 
I  knew  the  Tuesdav  before,  that  he 
was  to  be  murdered,  and  did  not 
tell ;  I  was  afraid.  I  was  sworn 
on  the  inquest;  it  was  a  lie  I 
swore.  I  took  an  oath  when  a 
Whiteboy  5  I  swore  not  to  tell 
what  I  was  told ;  I  broke  the  oath 
of  my  own  accord;  by  force  I  took 
it ;  I  was  afraid  not  to  take  it.— 
Thomas  Sheehan  sworn;  I  re- 
member the  night  Mr.  Blood 
was  killed ;  the  night  before, 
I  was  at  the  church  of  Ragh; 
I  met  the  prisoner,  John  Culli'. 
nane,  there ;  I  know  Pat.  Con- 
nors; we  were  met  to  throw  dowx^ 


92 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


[18S1. 


some  of  Mr.  Synge's  school-houses, 
and  to  beat  those  who  sent  scholars 
to  his  schools.  John  Cullinane  and 
others  put  an  oath  to  me  to  be 
next  night  at  George  Casey's 
house.  After  night-fail  I  went 
there  -,  Casey  gave  me  a  whisper  to 
run  out  over  the  garden  after  him. 
We  went  to  the  nursery  near  Mr. 
Blood's ;  when  I  got  there  Culli- 
nane and  six  others  were  there ; 
^ve  of  them  had  between  them  four 
guns  and  a  blunderbuss.  Culli- 
nane and  the  rest  swore  me  not  to 
tell  what  I  was  going  to  do  whilst 
I  lived ;  they  said  they  would  di- 
vide what  they  got,  and  swore  not 
to  drink  more  than  two  glasses  of 
whisky  or  half  a  gallon  of  punch  at 
a  time  in  Corrofin  for  the  next  six 
months,  that  no  money  might  be 
seen  on  them.  Pat.  Connors  came 
out  and  said,  ^*  welcome,  boys,  you 
are  long  away  j  I  was  out  here  be- 
fore." He  then  shook  hands  with 
every  one.  ''  Who  is  this  boy  ?  " 
said  he,  meaning  me.  *'  That  is  a 
good  boy,"  said  Cullinane ;  he 
shook  hands  with  me ;  he  said  he 
would  go  in  to  put  in  bed  the  men 
inside,  and  would  come  out  soon. 
I  was  desired  to  watch  the  police. 
The  party  took  off  their  shoes  on 
the  road,  and  left  them  near  the 
wall.  Shortly  after  the  party 
went  in,  I  heard  a  shot  in  the 
house,  and  saw  Mr.  Blood  running 
out  into  the  yard  through  the 
kitchen-door.  John  Cullinane  and 
Bourk  were  after  him.  There 
were  four  striking  him  with  guns. 
Pat.  Connors  was  in  the  door  hold- 
ing a  candle  out  to  them .  They  had 
light  enough  without  it.  Connors 
was  in  the  doon  Cullinane  struck 
him  first.  Mr.  Blood  said,  <'  what 
do  you  want,  boys  ?"  He  fell,  but  he 

fot    up    in    spite   of  them,    and 
nocked  one  of  them  down.    That 
was  the  boy  that  gave  it  to  him. 


George  Casey,  at  the  end,  got  a 
big  stone,  and  threw  it  on  his 
head.  They  broke  three  guns. 
They  had  the  barrels  and  stocks 
going  home  with  in  their  hands. 
He  struck  Brody  in  the  breast  and 
arm  with  a  candlestick,  or  some- 
thing, and  hurt  him  severely. 
Casey  brought  Brody  out  near  the 
wall,  and  he  recovered.  They  af- 
terwards went  into  the  house  to 
rob  it. — Cross-examined;  I  never 
was  concerned  in  a  robbery ;  this 
was  my  first  offence.  I  was  sworn 
a  Terry  Alt  man  three  weeks 
before.  I  was  at  Keefe's  robbery. 
It  was  after  the  murder.  Did 
you  hear  it  was  intended  to 
murder  Mr.  Synge  before  he 
was  fired  at  ?  I  did ;  I  know 
where  it  was  attempted,  and  was 
very  near  it  that  day.  I  heard  it 
was  intended  to  murder  Parson, 
Whitty.  I  heard  it  was  intended 
to  murder  Mr.  Francis  Macnamara. 
I  was  asked  to  do  it,  but  refused. 
— Nancy  Lyons  sworn  5  I  knew 
Mr.  Blood ;  was  in  his  service  four 
years.  I  know  Pat.  Connors,  who 
lived  in  his  service,  and  also  John 
Cullinane.  I  looked  out  of  the 
window  with  Connor  Callaghan^ 
when  Mr.  Blood  was  killing  in  the 
yard ;  saw  Pat.  Connors  there.  I 
do  not  know  if  he  had  a  candle. 
I  did  not  see  Cullinane  there,  but 
I  saw  him  in  the  house  when  the 
men  first  came  in. — The  prisoners, 
in  their  defence,  called  some  per- 
sons who  gave  them  a  good  charac- 
ter.—The  Jury  retired  for  a  few 
minutes,  and  brought  in  a  verdict 
of  GuiUy, — After  the  announce- 
ment of  the  verdict,  Connors  made 
a  solemn  declaration  of  his  inno-. 
cence. — Judge  Moore,  after  an  im- 
pressive address,  sentenced  the 
prisoners  to  be  hanged  at  the  com- 
mon place  of  execution,  and  their 
bodies  to  be  given  for  dissectipn. 


JULY.] 


CHRONICLE. 


93 


JULY. 

2.  Attempt  at  Murder  and 
Suicide.  —  At  half  past  ten  at 
Dight^  a  young  woman  named 
Hannah  Blythe,  having  gone  out 
to  make  purchases  in  company 
with  her  acknowledged  suitor,  a 
young  man  named  Fallows^  as 
they  went  up  the  Minories,  the 
young  womai)  was  accosted  by  a 
man  in  the  street,  who  inquired, 
"  Is  that  you,  Hannah  ?" — On  her 
replying  in  the  affirmative,  he  im« 
mediately  fired  a  pistol,  the  con- 
tents of  which  lodged  in  the  legs 
of  her  companion.  They  ran  across 
the  street  to  escape,  but  by  the 
time  they  had  reached  the  opposite 
pavement  another  pistol  was  dis- 
charged, the  contents  of  which 
lodged  in  the  back  part  of  the 
young  woman's  neck.  She  lay 
weltering  in  her  blood  on  the  pave* 
ment  and  cried,  '*  Moseley  has 
done  it ;"  and  on  Fallows  turning 
round,  he  perceived  a  young  man 
of  that  name  standing  at  a  short 
distance.  The  persons  in  the 
street,  lupposing  Fallows,  who  was 
in  the  act  of  raising  the  female 
from  the  ground,  to  be  the  assassin, 
conveyed  him  to  the  watch-house, 
and  Moseley  was  allowed  to  escape. 
The  remnants  of  both  pistols  were 
found  scattered  in  all  directions — 
such  had  been  the  strength  and 
power  of  the  charges,  that  the 
barrels,  as  well  as  stocks,  of  both 
pistols  were  blown  into  a  dozen 
pieces.  The  police  being  satisfied 
of  the  innocence  of  Fallows,  he 
was  liberated  at  four  o'clock  the 
following  morning,  and  every  pos- 
sible exertion  made  to  discover  the 
retreat  of  the  real  offender.  No- 
thing, however,  was  heard  of  him 
until  Monday  night,  when  Mr. 
Redfern^  of  the  Publiooffice,  re« 


ceived  a  communication  from  Dar- 
laston,  stating  that  a  young  man, 
answering  to  the  description  of 
Moseley,  had  been  found  dead 
(evidently  shot),  in  that  neigh- 
bourhood, and  then  lay  at  the 
workhouse.  Moseley's  sister,  in 
company  with  a  friend,  immedi- 
ately proceeded  to  Darlaston,  and 
identified  the  body  as  that  of  her 
brother.  It  appears  that,  on  quit- 
ting the  Minories,  be  went  into  the 
neighbourhood  of  Bilston,  and  early 
the  following  morning  entered  a 
retail  brewery,  kept  by  a  man 
named  Lowe,  at  Cock  Heath,  near 
that  place.  There  he  remained  dur- 
ing the  whole  of  Sunday,  apparently 
labouring  under  great  depression  of 
spirits.  At  a  late  hour  in  the  even- 
ing he  ordered  tea,  but  while  it 
was  preparing,  suddenly  left  the 
house,  and  never  again  returned. 
The  following  morning,  two  boat- 
men, proceeding  along  the  Walsall 
arm  of  the  Birmingham  Canal,  ob- 
served a  human  body  lying  on  the 
bank,  partly  immersed  in  the  water. 
On  taking  it  out,  the  head  ap- 
peared to  have  been  severely 
wounded  by  a  shot  -,  and  on  tracing 
footsteps  in  the  neighbourhood,  two 
pocket  pistols,  one  loaded,  the 
other  discharged,  were  found  at 
about  300  yards  distance.  The 
unfortunate  man,  after  having  at- 
tempted self-destruction,  had  ap- 
parently staggef^d  to  the  bank  of 
the  canal,  and  then,  either  inten- 
tionally, or  accidentally,  from  ex- 
haustion, pitched  himself  into  the 
water.  Jealousy  was  supposed  to 
be  the  motive. 

4.  Blasphemy. — Surrey  Ses- 
sions.—Trial  OP  THE  Rev. 
Robert  Taylor. — The  Rev.  Ro- 
bert Taylor  was  indicted  for  blas- 
phemy, to  which  he  pleaded  Not 
Guilty. — Joseph  Stevens,  a  short- 
hand writer,  was  examined  and 


94 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


D831. 


his  eridence  went  to  prove  that  he 
was  present  at  the  Rotunda  on  last 
Good- Friday,  and  also  on  Easter - 
Sunday,  on  each  of  which  occa- 
sions he  heard  the  defendant  ad- 
dress the  auditory,  and  took  a 
verbatim  account  of  what  he  said. 
The  witness  described  that  por- 
tion of  the  Rotunda  from  which 
the  defendant  spoke  as  decorated 
with  the  paraphernalia  used  in  the 
ceremony  of  the  holy  sacrament. 
The  business  of  the  evening  com- 
menced by  a  young  roan  who  read 
an  extract  from  Vdney's  Ruin  of 
Empires,  which  he  gave  out  as  the 
first  lesson  for  that  evening's  ser- 
vice, and  after  reading  extracts 
from  the  above  work  for  half  an 
hour,  his  place  on  the  platform  was 
taken  by  the  defendant,  who, 
dressed  in  the  canonicals  of  a 
bishop,  stood  forward,  and  was 
loudly  greeted  by  his  audience. 
He  then  bowed  to  the  persons  pre- 
sent, and  turning  to  a  cross  which 
was  suspended  over  the  platform, 
he  also  made  an'  obeisance;  then 
placing  his  hands  over  his  eyes  he 
affected  to  be  in  silent  adoration. 
In  pronouncing  the  word  "  holy," 
the  defendant  repeated  it  several 
times  in  an  ironical  manner,  which 
elicited  great  laughter  from  the 
audience.  The  witness  then  pro- 
ceeded to  read  from  his  short- 
hand notes  those  portions  of  the 
defendant's  discourses  which  form- 
ed the  grounds  of  the  present 
indictment.  —  Another  witness, 
named  Smith,  who  also  took  notes 
of  the  discourses  delivered  by  the 
defendant  at  the  Rotunda  was  ex- 
amined, and  his  evidence  was  con- 
firmatory of  the  preceding  witness. 
—This  witness  was  cross-examined 
by  the  defendant, .  who  endeavour- 
ed to  impress  upon  the  minds  of 
the  Court  and  Jury  that  he  cast 
no  ridicule  on  the  beity  in  any  of 


the  discourses  he  had  delivered; 
that,  so  far  from  that  being  the 
case,  he  had  delivered  all  those 
passages  which  he  quoted  from  the 
Bible  with  great  pathos,  and  odI^ 
intended  to  throw  into  ridicule  and 
contempt  those  passages  which  were 
introduced  as  counts  in  the  indict- 
ment against  him,  and  which  he 
disclaimed  being  the  author  of. — 
The  defendant  read  a  written  de- 
fence which  occupied  nearly  five 
hours,  and  deprecated  in  strong 
language  the  conduct  of  the  So- 
ciety for  the  Suppression  of  Vice, 
which  had  instituted  the  present 
proceedings  against  him.  The 
society  consisted  chiefly  of  the 
clergy,  who  were  determined,  if 
they  could,  to  crush  him  to  the 
earth.  They  were,  he  said,  a  set 
of  priests  who  were  unable  to  con- 
trovert the  tenets  which  he  pro- 
mulgated, and,  as  an  instance  of 
their  ignorance,  they  were  afraid 
to  come  forward  and  enter  into 
theological  discussion  with  him,  he 
having  given  a  public  challenge  to 
the  whole  of  the  priests,  and  had 
that  challenge  placarded  at  the 
different  colleges  in  this  country^ 
as  well  as  on  the  continent.  Per- 
sons had  endeavoured  to  throw 
obloquy  on  him,-  to  traduce  his 
character,  and  had  given  him  the 
nick-name  of  the  Devil's  Chaplain^ 
a  name  which  was  calculated  to 
impress  people  with  the  notion  that 
he  was  either  the  Devil  himself,  or 
some  emissary  of  his.  He  had  no 
more  to  do  with  his  Satanic  Ma- 
jesty than  other  people;  but  the 
name,  which  was  caught  at  at  once 
by  the  newspapers,  plainly  indi- 
cated the  spirit  of  malevolence 
which  existed  against  him.  He 
denied  that  his  discourse  was  cal- 
culated to  revile  the  Christian  re- 
ligion, and  he  declared  that  he  had 
as  high  a  veneration  for  the  beau« 


JULY.] 


CHRONICLE. 


95 


tiful  and  pathetic  language  of  the 
Scriptures  as  any  man  upon  the 
face  of  the  earth.  He  concluded 
by  trusting  that  the  Jury,  by  their 
verdict,  would  pronounce  an  ac- 
quittal, which  he  was  entitled  to, 
not  one  of  the  counts  in  the  indict- 
ment having  been  sustained. — The 
Jury  brought  in  a  verdict  of 
Guilty ;  and  the  Court  sentenced 
the  defendant  to  be  imprisoned  two 
years  in  the  county  gaol,  to  pay  a 
fine  of  200/.,  and  enter  into  his 
own  recognizance  in  the  sum  of 
500/.  for  his  good  behaviour,  and 
find  two  sureties  of  250/.,  for  the 
next  five  years. 

6.  Suicide  in  Maidstone 
Gaol.— Two  cases  of  suicide  oc- 
curred at  the  County  Prison,  Maid- 
stone, on  Wednesday  the  6th.  A 
woman  named  Ann  Say  well,  who 
M^as  imprisoned  for  debt,  rose  as 
usual,  and  took  her  breakfast  with 
the  other  females  who  were  in  the 
same  apartment,  and  afterwards 
went  up  stairs  into  the  bed-room. 
One  of  her  companions  having  oc- 
casion to  go  up  stairs  in  about  a 
quarter  of  an  hour,  found  her 
suspended  from  the  hasp  of  the 
window  by  two  silk  handkerchiefs, 
which  were  tied  together.  Assist- 
ance was  instantly  procured,  but 
life  was  quite  extinct.  The  second 
case  was  that  of  a  man  named 
James  Waller.  He  was  a  car- 
penter by  trade,  and  was  possessed 
of  considerable  property  m  houses 
and  cottages,  but  having  some 
money  left  him  a  short  time  since, 
from  that  period  he  led  an  idle 
dissolute  life,  and  was  committed 
to  prison  on  a  charge  of  stealing  a 
watch  from  a  beer- shop.  He  was 
locked  up  in  his  sleeping  ward,  as 
usual  on  the  night  of  the  6th,  and, 
on  the  turnkey  entering  the  next 
morning,  he  found  him  hanging 
by  a  small  piece  of  rope,  fastened 


to  the  hook  of  the  window  shutter. 
All  attempts  to  restore  animation 
were  useless.  An  inquest  was  held, 
when  a  verdict  was  returned,  in 
both  cases,  of  Temporary  Derange^ 
ment, 

7.  Sedition.  — Guildhall.— 
The  King  v.  CobbetL — This  was 
an  indictment  against  William 
Cobbett,  charging  him  with  the 
publication,  on  the  11th  of  De- 
cember last,  of  a  libel,  with  intent 
to  raise  discontent  in  the  minds  of 
the  labourers  in  husbandry,  and  to 
incite  them  to  acts  of  violence,  and 
to  destroy  corn,  machinery,  and 
other  property.  The  defendant 
had  pleaded  that  he  was  not  guilty. 
When  he  entered  the  Court,  at- 
tended by  his  sons,  his  attorney, 
and  two  friends,  some  persons  m 
the  gallery  immediately  greeted 
him  by  clapping  their  hands,  and, 
on  his  proceeding  to  take  his  seat, 
they  gave  three  loud  huzzas. 
The  defendant  seemed  highly  gra- 
tified, and  turning  round  and 
looking  towards  the  gallery,  said, 
"  If  truth  prevails,  we  shall  beat 
them."  The  Attorney  -  general 
stated  the  case  for  the  Crown,  ad- 
verting to  the  system  of  riot,  fire- 
raising,  and  breaking  of  machinery 
which  had  spread  destruction 
through  so  many  counties,  in  the 
end  of  the  last,  and  the  begin- 
ning of  the  present  year.  It  was 
at  this  particular  time,  when  spe- 
cial commissions  were  issued  for  the 
investigation  of  crimes  of  this  de- 
scription, that  the  defendant  pub- 
lished the  number  of  the  Weekly 
Political  Register,  on  which  the 
indictment  was  founded.  The 
paper  was  ushered  in  with  a  head- 
ing taken  from  another  paper  by 
the  same  author,  published  on  the 
20th  of  October,  1815,  in  the 
following  terms ;— "  At  last  it  will 
come  to  a  question  of  actual  star* 


96 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


C1831< 


vation^  or  fighting  for  food ;  and 
when  it  comes  to  that  pointy  I 
know  that  Englishmen  will  never 
lie  down  and  die  by  hundreds  by 
the  way  side."  Following  up  the 
idea  in  the  motto,  there  was  a 
paper  called  the  Rural  War,  as 
if  those  unhappy  persons  were 
banded  together  to  commit  acts  of 
violence,  like  troops  carrying  on 
a  war,  against  those  wlio  withheld 
from  them  provisions.  Then  the 
'*  Special  Commissions"  came  as 
the  next  general  title,  and  a  letter 
appeared,  addressed  to  those  very 
people  who  were  likely  to  be 
called  upon  to  take  their  trials  for 
the  offences  with  which  they  were 
charged.  The  first  paragraph  re- 
lated to  the  special  commissions; 
then  there  was  an  observation 
about  some  clergyman  who  had 
written  a  paper  which  ha<l  given 
great  offence  to  Mr.  Coblxjtt.  Mr. 
Cobbett  made  some  severe  remarks, 
not  only  upon  the  conduct  of  the 
clergyman  who  published  that 
paper,  but  on  the  conduct  of 
clergymen  in  general.  He  also 
made  some  strong  observations 
upon  the  title  to  tithes,  with  which 
it  was  not  necessary  for  him  (the 
Attorney-general)  to  trouble  the 
Jury.  The  particular  paragraph 
to  which  he  was  bound  to  allude, 
as  seditious  was  the  following. — 
"  In  the  meanwhile,  however,  the 
parsons  are  reducing  their  tithes 
with  a  tolerable  degree  of  alacrity  ! 
It  seems  to  come  from  them  like 
drops  of  blood  from  the  heart ;  but 
it  comes,  and  must  all  come  now, 
or  England  will  never  again  know 
even  the  appearance  of  peace. 
^  Out  of  evil  comes  good.'  We  are 
not  indeed  upon  that  mere  maxim 
•  to  do  evil  that  good  may  come  from 
it.'  But  without  entering  at  pre- 
sent into  the  motivesof  the  working 
people,  it  is  unquestionable  that 


their  acts  have  produced  good, 
and  great  good  too.  They  have 
been  always  told,  and  they  were 
told  now,  and  by  the  very  parson 
that  I  have  quoted  above,  that 
their  acts  of  violence,  and  parti- 
cularly their  burnings,  can  do  them 
no  good,  but  add  to  their  wants  by 
destroying  the  f(X)d  that  they  would 
have  to  eat.  Alas !  they  know 
better ;  they  know  that  one  thrash- 
ing machine  takes  wages  from  ten 
men;  and  they  also  know  that 
they  should  have  none  of  this  food, 
and  that  potatoes  and  salt  do  not 
burn  !  Therefore,  this  argument 
is  not  worth  a  straw.  Besides, 
they  see  and  feel  that  the  good 
comes,  and  comes  instantly  too. 
They  see  that  they  get  some  bread 
in  consequence  of  the  destruction 
of  part  of  the  corn ;  and  while 
they  see  this,  you  attempt  in  vain 
to  {)ersuade  them  that  that  which 
tliey  liave  done  is  wrong.  And  as 
to  one  effect,   that  of  making  the 

{)ar8ons  reduce  their  tithes,  it  is 
lailed  as  a  good  by  ninety-nine 
hundredths  even  of  men  of  con- 
siderable property  ;  while  there  is 
not  a  single  man  in  the  country, 
who  does  not  clearly  trace  the  re- 
duction to  the  acts  of  the  labourers, 
and  especially  to  the  fires ;  for  it 
is  the  terror  of  these,  and  not  the 
bodily  force,  that  has  prevailed. 
To  attempt  to  persuade  either 
farmers  or  labourers  that  the  tithes 
do  not  do  them  any  harm,  is  to 
combat  plain  common  sense.  They 
must  know,  and  they  do  know, 
that  whatever  is  received  by  the 
parson  is  just  so  much  taken  from 
them,  except  that  part  which  he 
may  lay  out  for  productive  labour 
in  the  parish  ;  and  that  is  a  mere 
trifle  compared  with  what  he  gives 
to  the  East  and  West  Indies,  to 
the  wine  countries,  to  the  foot- 
men, and  to  other  unproductive 


JULY.] 


CHRONICLE. 


97 


labourers.  'In ,  short,  the  tithe- 
owners  take  away  from  the  agri- 
cultural parishes  a  tenth  part  of 
the  gross  produce,  which,  in  this 
present  state  of  abuse  of  the  insti- 
tution, they  apply  to  purposes  not 
only  not  beneficial,  but  generally 
mischievous  to  the  people  of  those 
parishes."  In  another  passage,  the 
defendant  expressed  his  opinion 
that  the  criminals  ought  not  to  be 
made  to  suffer  for  any  thing  they 
had  done ;  and  speaking  of  the 
probability  of  some  of  them  losing 
their  lives,  this  language  was 
used, — "  No  j  this  will  not  be 
done.  The  course  of  these  ill- 
used  men  has  been  so  free  from 
ferocity,  so  free  from  any  thing 
like  bloody-mindedness !  they  have 
not  been  cruel  even  to  their  most 
savage  and  insolent  persecutors. 
The  most  violent  thing  that  they 
have  done  to  any  person  has  not 
amounted  to  an  attempt  on  the 
life  or  limb  of  the  party;  and  in 
no  case  but  in  self-defence,  except 
in  the  cases  of  the  two  hired  over- 
seers in  Sussex,  whom  they  merely 
trundled  out  of  the  carts  which 
those  hirelings  had  had  constructed 
for  them  to  draw  like  cattle.  Had 
they  been  bloody,  had  they  been 
cruel,  then  it  would  have  been 
another  matter ;  had  they  burnt 
people  in  their  beds,  which  they 
might  so  easily  have  done;  had 
they  beaten  people  wantonly,  which 
has  always  been  in  their  power  3 
had  they  done  any  of  these  things, 
then  there  would  have  been  some 
plea  for  severity.  But  they  have 
been  guilty  of  none  of  these  things; 
they  have  done  desperate  things, 
but  they  were  driven  to  despera- 
tion :  all  men,  except  the  infamous 
stock-jobbing  race,  say,  and  loudly 
say,  that  their  object  is  just ;  that 
they  ought  to  have  that  which  they 
are  striving  for;  and  all  men^ 
Vol.  LXXJII. 


except  that  same  hellish  crew,  say 
that  they  had  no  other  means  of 
obtaining  it."  —  The  Attorney- 
general  said,  after  reading  these 
passages,  that  he  should  think  it 
a  waste  of  time  if  he  pursued  the 
argument  further.  He  could  not 
conceive  that  there  could  be  a  doubt 
in  any  reasonable  unbiassed  mind, 
that  there  was  a  tendency  not  to 
be  mistaken, — an  inference  of  an 
intention  not  to  be  resisted, — with 
regard  to  the  conduct  which  these 
persons  were  taught  to  pursue, 
by  a  reference  to  the  success  of 
those  offences  which  they  had 
committed.  What  was  the  ten- 
dency of  all  these  things  ?  to  ex- 
cite a  suffering  people,  but  at  all 
events  a  people  whose  minds  were 
inflamed,  to  a  repetition  of  crime. 

The  publication  having  been 
proved,  Mi^.  Cobbett  addressed  the 
Jury  in  a  long  speech,  arguing 
against  the  criminal  intent  and 
tendency  imputed,  in  the  indict- 
ment, to  the  publication,  but  prin- 
cipally employing  himself  in  abu- 
sing the  government  which  had  pro- 
secuted him,  and  more  especially  the 
Attorney-general.  He  referred  to 
the  language  which  had  been  held 
regarding  him  in  parliament,  and 
complained  that  his  trial  had  been 
going  on  there  since  the  beginning 
of  the  Session,  one  member  after 
another  "  falsely,  maliciously,  and 
scandalously"  imputing  to  him,  his 
lectures  and  publications,  the 
crimes  which  had  been  committed 
in  the  agricultural  counties.  He 
next  fell  foul  of  **  the  vast  affec- 
tion which  our  present  Whig  go- 
vernment entertain  for  the  liberty 
of  the  press.  They  never  pro- 
ceeded by  information  !  O  no  ; 
and  then  their  Attorney-general, 
Sir  Thomas  Denman,  he  also  had 
a  particular  affection  for  the  liberty 
of  the  press.    0  yes,  Denman  was 

H 


98 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


[1831 


an  honest  fellow,  and  would  not, 
on  any  account,   touch  the  liberty 
of  the  press.     Yet  it  so  happened, 
that  this  Whig  government,  with 
their  Wliig  Attorney-general  had 
carried  on  more  state  prosecutions 
during  the  seven  months  that  they 
had  been  in  oflice  than  their  l^ory 
predecessors  in  seven  years.     The 
Tories— the  haughty  and  insulting 
Tories — shewed  their  teeth,  to  be 
sure,  but  they  did  not  venture  to 
bite.     Not  so  with  Whigs.   If  they 
should  happen  to  remain  in  office 
a  twelvemonth,  all  the  gaols  in  the 
liingdom    must   Ije   enlarged,    for 
they     would     not    contain    room 
enough  for  the  victims  of  this  Whig 
government.       The     government 
itself,     he    maintained,     and    its 
orsrans  were  now  the  most  atroci- 
oils  of  all  libellers.     Their  news- 
papers libelled  right  auJ  left — but 
lilMilled  on   their   own    side,     and 
tliereforc  were  allowed  to  libel  with 
impunity.      He    referred    to   the 
abuse  which   the  Times,    for   in- 
stance, was  every  d.ay  pouring  on 
the  House  of  Commons,   not  only 
with  the  tendency,  but  with  the 
loudly  proclaimed  purpose  of  bring- 
ing that  branch  of  the  legislature 
into   utter   horror  and  contempt. 
Did  Sir  Thomas  Denman   prose- 
cute ?     No — no.     That  was  on  his 
side — and  instead  of  prosecuting, 
when   Sir  R.  Inglis  brought   the 
Times  before  the  House,  he  main- 
tained that  the  libel  was  true,  and 
should  be  passed  over.     Not  even 
the  Judges  had  escaped.     Not  two 
months    before,     the     Times   put 
forth, that  Mr.  William  Brougham, 
a  candidate  for  Southwark,  said  to 
the  electors,  in  regard  to  the  Re- 
form Uill,  ^'  Among  the  devices  to 
defeat  the  measures  of  ministers  a 
canvass  is  going  on  by  Judges  of 
the  land,  who  have  degraded  them- 
selves and   their  station.**     This 


was  pretty  well,  coming  from  a 
brother  of  the  lord  chancellor,  the 
first  judge  in  the  country.     Then 
came  the  Times — a  paper  in  close 
connection  with  the  government^ 
and,  after  stating  that  the  digni- 
fied neutrality  which  the  judges 
had  observed  since  the  last  days  of 
Charles  were  now  at  an  end,  anded> 
"these  judges  expect  a  reformed 
parliament  to  ask,  why  they  should 
receive  5,500/.  a-year  each,  these 
hard  times,"thus  imputing  to  those 
learned  jicrsonages  the  kisest  mo- 
tives.  Next  day  came  the  Courier, 
the  heir-loom  of  all  administrations, 
saying  that  there  had  been  a  total 
disregard  of  decency  on  the  part  of 
the  judges  -,  that  such  men  were 
not  fit  to  preside  on  trials  of  a  po- 
h'tical  nature;  and  then  they  asked, 
*'  What  chance  has  a  reformer,  if 
tried  before  one  of  these  judges  ? 
How  is  he  to  expect  a  fair  trial  ? 
We  almost  wish  that  the  judges 
did  not  hold  their  office  for  life  ?" 
Then  came  on  the  Morning  Chro- 
nicle, stilting,  that  the  conduct  of 
Mr.  Justice  Parke,  who  was  one 
of  the  judges  who  had  acted  so 
shamefully,  was  to   be  made  the 
subject  of'^some  parliamentary  pro- 
ceeding, perhaps  even  some  motion 
for  an  imjieachment.     As  the  At- 
torney-general had  taken  no  notice 
of  the  observations  upon  the  judges 
— as  he  had  left  them  to  defend 
themselves,  to  puff  oil'  themselves,  » 
and  to  pay   for  newspaper  para- 
graphs if  they  pleased — he  ought 
not  to  have  called  upon    him  to 
answer  for  what  he  had  jHiblished. 
There  was  a  person  who  had  writ- 
ten, "  Down  with  kings,  lords,  and 
priests."     That  person  entitled  his 
pa]H?r  'i'he  Republican,  and  his  ad- 
vice to  the  people  was,  to  put  down 
kings,   lords,    Jfnd   priests.      The 
Attorney -general  had  said  in  Par- 
liament, that  he  thought  it  better 


JULY.] 


CHRONICLE. 


99 


to  leave  such  things  to  the  good 
sense  of  the  people.  Then  why  did 
he  not  leave  his  publication  to  the 
good  sense  of  the  people  ?  Was 
tliis  partial  selection  to  be  endured? 
Would  the  jury  allow  themselves 
to  be  degraded  into  the  mean  tools 
of  such  foul  play  ?  The  Attorney- 
general  himself  might  recollect  the 
circumstance  of  a  person^  who  was 
never  a  hundred  miles  distant  from 
sir  Thomas  Denman^  comparing 
the  late  king  to  Nero^  and  calling 
the  present  king  ^^aroyal  slanderer. 
But  all  these  things  were  nothing ; 
you  might  publish  as  many  libels 
as  you  chose,  but  only  don't  touch 
the  faction.  ''  That  is  my  whole 
offence.  For  years  I  have  been 
labouring  to  lop  off  useless  places 
and  pensions,  and  that  touches 
the  faction.  These  Whigs,  who 
have  been  out  of  office  for  five-and-i 
twenty  years — these  lank  Whigs 
— lank  and  merciless  as  a  hungry 
wolf — are  now  filling  their  purses 
with  the  public  money,  and  I 
must  be  crushed,  and  to-day,  gen- 
tlemen, they  will  crush  me,  unless 
you  stand  between  me  and  them." 
In  regard  to  the  tendency  of  the 
publication,  the  indictment,  he 
said,  charged,  that  he  published, 
contriving  and  intending  to  incite 
the  labourers  in  husbandry  to  out- 
rages— to  various  acts  of  violence, 
by  the  breaking  of  machinery  and 
setting  fires.  Now  the  jury  must 
be  satisfied,  not  from  what  was  set 
out  in  this  indictment,  containing 
as  it  did  garbled  extracts,  but  they 
must  be  satisfied  from  the  whole 
context — from  the  whole  scope  and 
tenour  of  the  article — that  the  in- 
tention was  that  which  the  in- 
dictment charged  it  to  be,  before 
they  could  find  a  verdict  of  guilty. 
They  had  a  right  to  look,  not  only 
to  what  was  stated  in  other  parts 
of  the  publication,  but  even  to  other 


writings  of  his.  The  Attorney- 
general  knew  this — somebody  had 
taught  him  law  enough  to  know, 
that,  if  he  set  forth  in  the  indict- 
ment the  whole  of  the  publication, 
he  would  at  once  burn  his  fingers. 
The  jury  must  be  satisfied  that  he 
(the  defendant)  put  forth  this  pub- 
lication for  the  purpose  of  inciting 
the  labourers  to  do  that  which  was 
charged  in  this  indictment ;  that 
was,  "  to  set  fire  to  ricks,  to  pull 
down  houses,  to  break  machinery, 
and  to  commit  outrages." — The 
defendant  then  proceeded  to  com- 
ment on  the  article,  and  to  read 
several  other  passages  which  had 
not  been  set  out  in  the  indictment, 
and  he  argued  that  the  tendency 
of  the  whole  article  was  the  reverse 
of  that  which  had  been  ascribed  to 
it  by  the  Attorney-general,  and 
which  the  partial  extracts  might 
lead  some  person  to  suppose.  He 
said  in  one  passage,  that  '*  out  of 
evil  came  good."  But  was  that 
evil?  But  he  had  also  said,  that 
he  did  not  wish  people  to  do  evil 
that  good  might  come  from  it. 
Having  cautioned  them  against 
coming  to  any  such  conclusion,  he 
went  on  to  say,  that  the  outrages 
had  done  good,  and  he  gave  his 
reasons  for  that;  but  it  did  not 
follow,  because  he  thought  that 
good  had  arisen,  that  he  approved 
of  the  evil ;  much  less,  that  he  in- 
tended to  incite  the  people  to  com- 
mit  the  evil,  when  he  said  just  the 
contrary.  Would  the  jury  find  a 
false  perfidious  Whig,  who  would 
not  tell  them  that  the  Revolution 
was  a  glorious  revolution,  and  yet 
it  was  the  overturning  of  a  king, 
and  the  downfall  of  his  dynasty  ? 
A  flash  of  lightning  which  set  fire 
to  a  barn  or  a  rick  might  do  much 
good.  This  trial  would  do  a  great 
deal  of  good ;  it  had  done  a  great 
deal  already,  as  it  had  enabled  him, 
H2 


100 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


[1831. 


in  the  presence  and  hearing  of  this 
great  audience  to  cast  oiF  those  vile 
slanders  wliich  had  been  circulated 
against  liini.  In  one  of  the  arti- 
cles, there  was  a  petition  to  par- 
liament signed  by  himself.  The  jury 
Mould  take  that  |)etition  and  read 
it,  for  they  were  Ijound  to  take  the 
whole  publication  together,  and 
judge  of  its  effects  accordingly.  In 
that  {)etition  he  stated  the  case  of 
the  wretched  labourers,  their  suf- 
ferings^ and  the  causes  of  those  suf- 
ferings. In  that  petition  he  had 
defended  the  farmers,  and  showed 
it  was  not  they  who  were  in  fault. 
How,  then,  could  it  be  the  ten- 
dency of  the  publication  to  stir  up 
the  labourers  to  destroy  the  pro- 
})erty  of  the  farmers,  when  it  shewed 
that  it  was  not  they  who  had  caused 
the  distress  ?  Nay,  it  even  refer- 
red to  lord  Melbourne's  circular,  a 
document  of  a  conciliatory  nature, 
and  the  only  one  of  that  character 
which  had  emanated  from  the 
Whigs;  it  had  referred  to  that  circu- 
lar to  show  the  labourers  that  they 
need  not  despair,  as  the  government 
sympathised  with  their  sufferings, 
and  directed  its  attention  to  the 
causes  of  them,  yet  now  it  was 
contended  that  his  object  was  to 
incite  them  to  acts  of  violence.  He 
now  came,  he  said,  to  the  great  and 
obvious  object  of  the  article,  and 
he  would  put  it  to  the  jury,  when 
they  should  have  cai'efully  read  it 
all  through,  whether  they  could 
entertain  the  slightest  doubt  that 
his  object  was,  to  save  the  lives  of 
those  who  were  convicted  under 
the  special  commission.  When 
that  commission  went  out,  he  anti- 
cipated great  shedding  of  blood, 
and  he  therefore  felt  himself  called 
upon  to  endeavour  to  prevent  it. 
Now  let  the  jury  read  the  article 
in  question,  from  beginning  to  end, 
and  say^  whether  they  could  possi- 


bly come  to  any  other  condusionf 
than  that  it  was  written  for  the  ex- 
])ress  purpose  of  preventing  blood 
from  being  shed.  Let  that  fact,  theii« 
be  borne  in  mind.  Now,  the  ob- 
ject being  to  save  the  lives  of  these 
unfortunate  men,  was  it  possible 
to  suppose  that  he  would  incite 
them  to  acts  of  outrage,  which 
would,  of  course,  be  the  means  of 
defeating  his  object  ?  He  repeat^ 
ed,  that  his  only  object  was,  to  save 
their  lives,  and  for  that  purpose  he 
had  availed  himself  of  the  licence 
allowed  by  Paley,  and  had  had 
recourse  to  every  means  in  his 
})ower  to  accomplish  his  object ;  he 
had  invited  all  parts  of  the  coun« 
try,  the  parishes  of  the  metropolis, 
to  i)etition  on  this  behalf.  Such 
was  his  object ;  such  the  tendencv 
of  the  article  for  which  this  foul, 
malicious,  scandalous,  and  wicked 
indictment  had  been  preferred 
against  him.  The  defendant  here 
read  over  various  parts  of  the  pub* 
lication  containing  the  alleged  libel, 
and  again  put  it  to  the  jury  whether 
it  was  possible  to  come  to  any  other 
conclusion,  than  that  his  object  in 
publishing  it  was  what  he  now 
stated ;  and  if  so,  then  he  was  per* 
fectly  satisfied  that  they  would 
pronounce  him  not  guilty,  although 
he  admitted  that,  in  so  doing,  they 
would,  at  the  same  time,  be  pro- 
nouncing a  verdict  of  guilty  on  this 
Whig  government.  He  referred 
to  his  other  publications,  such  as 
Rural  Economy,  to  show  that  he 
was  an  encourager  of  the  solid  and 
peaceful  comforts  of  the  labourer, 
not  an  instigator  to  crimes ;  and 
told  the  jury  that  he  would  give 
them,  to  that  effect,  the  evidence 
of  no  less  a  man  than  the  lord 
chancellor  of  this  very  Whig  go- 
vernment. In  the  year  1816,  he 
had  published  a  letter  to  the  Lud^ 
dites  in   Nottinghamshire.      To- 


JULY.] 


CHRONICLE. 


101 


wards  the  close  of  the  last  year, 
the  lord  chancellor  applied  to  him 
for  leave  to  re-publish  that  letter, 
in  a  work  called  the  Library  of 
Useful  Knowledge,  in  order  that  it 
might  be  circulated  amongst  the 
very  labourers  whom  he  (the  de- 
fendant) was  now  charged  with  in- 
citing to  acts  of  violence.  What 
times  were  these !  Would  the  lord 
chancellor  come  to  Cobbett's  sedi- 
tion shop  to  get  something  where- 
with to  quiet  the  labourers  I  Nay, 
the  Attorney-general  himself  was 
another  member  of  the  same  so- 
ciety that  wished  to  publish  his 
letter.  When  the  lora  chancellor 
made  the  application,  he  asked,  at 
the  same  time,  on  what  .terms  I 
would  consent  to  the  republication. 
Now  I  disliked  the  use  of  the  word 
''  terms/'  but  replied,  I  would  con- 
sent to  its  being  republished  only 
on  this  condition,  that  it  should  be 
published  altogether,  and  not 
garbled  by  extracting  any  por- 
tions of  it,  because  I  would  not 
allow  those  parts  which  set  forth 
the  rights  of  the  labourer  to  be 
left  out,  whilst  all  that  was  calcu- 
lated to  throw  censure  upon  the 
violence  which  their  wrongs  had 
goaded  them  on  to  commit,  should 
go  forth  to  the  world.  Upon  this 
condition  I  gave  my  consent  to 
the  republication,  and  lent  him 
a  copy  of  the  book.  By  so  doing, 
the  learned  judge  will  tell  you  I 
republished  the  letter.  I  do  not 
know  what  the  lord  chancellor  did 
with  it,  but  I  shall  ask  him  by-and- 
by,  as  I  intend  to  put  him  into  the 
box.  What,  then,  has  the  lord 
chancellor  done?  As  an  author, 
he  takes  my  book  to  republish  ; 
as  lord  chancellor,  he  applies  to  his 
colleague,  with  whom  "he  had 
stood  together  in  their  chivalry,** 
to  institute  a  proceeding  against 
me,  to  puqish  me  as  the  author  of 


a  libel,  calculated  to  excite  the  la- 
bourers to  outrage  and  disorder. 
Here,  then,  is  the  lord  chancel- 
lor in  November  borrowing  my 
book,  in  the  next  month  prosecut- 
ing ^me  for  libel,  and  as  a  false, 
malicious,  and  seditious  person,  to 
be  roblied  of  property,  and  of 
life,  too,  if  the  Whigs  were  to 
have  the  power  of  causing  it.  I 
huve  lived  twenty-one  years  under 
a  Tory  administration,  ^nd  under 
six  Tory  Attorney-generals,  but 
have  never  been  prosecuted,  al- 
though, if  the  present  were  consi- 
dered a  libel,  I  have  written  plenty 
of  a-  similar  description.  The  coun- 
try had  been  ruled  with  rods  by 
the  Tories,  but  the  Whigs  scourged 
them  with  scorpions.'*  The  defend- 
ant concluded  by  declaring,  that, 
whatever  might  be  the  verdict  of 
the  jury,  if  he  were  doomed  tospend 
his  last  breath  in  a  dungeon,  he 
would  pray  to  God  to  bless  his 
country ;  he  would  curse  the 
Whigs,  and  leave  his  revenge  to 
his  children  and  the  labourers  of 
England.  [Mr.  Cobbett  sat  down 
amidst  loud  demonstrations  of  ap- 
plause by  numerous  persons,  which 
the  officers  with  dilliculty  sup- 
pressed.] 

Mr.  Cobbett.  I  will  thank  your 
lordship  to  let  Henry  Brougham 
be  called. — ^Lord  Brougham  then 
entered  the  court  from  the  judges' 
private  room,  and  was  sworn  by 
the  officer  of  the  court. — Mr.  Cob- 
bett. Does  your  lordship  recol- 
lect ever  applying  to  me  for  a  copy 
of  my  letter,  addressed  to  the  Lud- 
dites, against  the  breaking  of  ma- 
chinery }  —  Lord  Brougham.  I 
recollect  making  some  application, 
I  believe,  through  the  secretaiy  to 
a  society  to  which  I  belong,  for  a 
copy  of  a  paper  written  by  you  some 
years  ago,  the  date  of  which  we  could 
not  recoUectj  and  also  applying  for 


102 


ANNUAL    REGISTER.        cissi. 


permission  to  nia1<c  use  of  it  by 
republication.     1  have  no  recollec- 
tion of  the  mode  of  application  ;  it 
is  possible  I  applied  tliroiigli  the 
nieilium   of  your  son.     I  think  I 
had  some   intercourse   with   your 
son,  res|)ecting   his   admission   to 
Lincohrs-inn.  [A  letter  was  hand- 
ed to  his  lordship,  who  admitted  it 
to  be  in  his  hand-writing.     It  was 
read    as    follows  :  —  "  Dear    Sir  ; 
though  I  could  not  attend  myself 
at  the  bench  when  you  were  called, 
being   engaged  in    the   House  of 
I^ords,   I  took  care  all  should  lie 
done  correctly,     I  want  you  to  ask 
your   ikther  about  the  date  of  a 
letter  he  has  written  against  the 
breaking  of  machinery,  as   a  so- 
ciety, with  which  I  am  connected, 
is  working  on  the  same  ground 8> 
and  he  might,  perha{)8,  on  proper 
terms,  give   us  the  benefit  of  his 
labour."]  — Lord  Afelbourne  sworn. 
— Mr.  Cobbett.     Does  your  lord- 
ship recollect  a  man  named  Thomas 
Goodman,  who  was  sentenced  to 
suifer  death  ? — Witness.     Yes. — 
Mr.  Cobbett.     Upon  what  grounds 
did  he  receive  his  majesty's  par- 
don ? — The  Attorney-general  ob- 
jected to  so  irregular  an  inquiry. 
— The  Lord  Chief  Justice  decided 
that  such  a  question  could  not  be 
put. — Mr.  Cobbett  said,  as  that 
was  his  lordship's  opinion,  he  had 
no  ftirther  questions  to  put  to  the 
witness. — I^ord  Radnor  sworn,  and 
examined  by  the  defendant.     Had 
known  him  upwards  of  thirty  years, 
and,  during  that  })eriod,  had  been 
a  constant  reader  of  his  writings. 
From  what  he  (witness)  had  seen 
of  him,  and  read  of  his  works,  he 
did   not  think  he   was  a  person 
likely  to  excite  the  working  classes 
to  outrage  against  their  masters,  or 
any  one  else,  but  quite  the  reverse. 
— Lord  Tenterdeu,  in  summing  up 
the  case,  stated,  that  the  language 


of  the  article  in  question  scemeil) 
certainly,  strongly  calculated  to  ef- 
fect the  pur|K)se  charged  against 
the  defendant,  but  that  was  a  qucs* 
tion  exclusively  for  the  jury.— The 
jury  retired  about  a  quarter  post 
six  o'clock,  and,  shortly  afterwards, 
his  lordship  withdrew  to  his  prirate 
room.  After  sending  to  inquire 
two  or  three  times  if  the  jury  were 
likely  to  agree,  and  being  answered 
in  the  negative,  his  lordship  left 
the  court  at  half-past  dido  o'clock. 
About  one  o'clock,  the  jury  sent 
out  several  notes  to  their  friends, 
apprizing  them  that  there  was  no 
probability  of  their  coming  to  a  de« 
cision,  and  that,  therefore,  thev 
need  not  expect  them  home  all 
night. — Lord  Tenterden  arrired 
at  the  court  at  eight  o'clock  next 
morning.  At  a  quarter  past  nine 
the  jury  entered  the  box,  and  were 
asked,  whether  they  were  agreed 
in  their  verdict ?— -The  Foreman 
of  the  Jury  said  they  were  not 
agreed,  nor  was  it  likely  that  tbejr 
should  come  to  a  conclusion  one 
way  or  the  other;  two  of  the  jaiy 
were  determined  one  way,  and  it 
was  evident  they  would  not  yield. 
The  jury  had  now  been  locked  up 
for  fifteen  hours,  and  many  of  them 
were  so  fatigued,  that  if  they  were 
to  be  locked  up  again,  serious  con- 
sequences might  follow.  -—  Lord 
Tentenlen  inquired  on  what  ground 
they  differed  ? — ^llie  Jury  intimat- 
ed, that  the  two  jurymen  had  de- 
clared their  sentiments  so  strongly, 
that  it  was  impossible  to  expect 
them  to  yield. — Lord  Tenterden, 
Then,  gentlemen,  you  are  dis* 
cliargcd . 

9.  Bursting  of  a  Stbam- 
BoiLER.  —  An  accident  occurred 
from  t1)e  bursting  <^  a  steam- 
boiler  at  the  works  in  progress  at 
the  new  Custom-house,  Liverpool. 
A  new  engiiie  office  fames*  power 


JULY.] 


CHRONICLE. 


103 


had  been  erected  for  the  purpose  of 
Iioistiug  and  lowering  the  stqnes 
into  their  places.  Several  of  the 
men  in  the  works  were  assembled 
in  the  engine-house  to  try  the 
strength  of  the  new  boiler,  but  they 
forgot  to  place  the  weight  on  the 
balance  -,  and  whilst  they  were 
standing  rounds  thinking  that  the 
steam  was  not  at  its  heights  the 
boiler  exploded,  and  blew  up  the 
whole  building.  One  of  the  by-^ 
standers,  the  overlooker  of  the  la- 
bourers in  the  works,  was  blown  ut 
least  thirty  yards  from  the  spot, 
and  killed  instantaneously.  Two 
other  men  were  hurt,  but  not  dan>« 
gerously.  One  of  them  was  taken 
to  the  infirmary.  Such  was  the 
force  of  the  explosion,  that  the 
bricks  and  other  fragments  of  the 
building  were  forced  up  Pool-lane 
as  far  as  King^street,  a  distance  of 
about  eighty  yards,  and  on  each 
side  as  far  as  Trafford'-street  and 
South  John^street.  The  streets 
were  covered  with  the  ruins,  and  a 
great  many  windows  in  the  ueigh<« 
bouring  shops  and  warehouses 
were  broken  by  them. 

11.  Tuunderf-Storm.— 'A  por» 
tion  of  Berkshire,  Ojtfordshire,  and 
Gloucestershire,  was  visited  by  a 
tremendous  storm  of  thunder  and 
lightning,  hail  and  rain.  In  the 
neighbourhood  of  Oxford,  Reading, 
Newbury,  Farringdon,  Cirencester, 
Wantage,  &c.,  the  rain  and  hail 
did  great  damage  to  the  crops; 
the  ears  of  wheat  were  in  many 
places  cut  off,  and  the  pods  stripped 
from  the  beans.  At  Henley,  two 
sheep  were  killed  ;  and  through 
the  whole  district  over  which  the 
storm  passed,  it  was  greater  than 
was  remembered  on  any  former 
occasion.  At  Oxford,  the  lightning 
struck  one  of  the  corner  pinnacles 
of  the  beautiful  tower  of  Magdalen 
College,  and  burnt  the  roof  of  the 


College  near  the  river :  part  of  the 
stone-work  fell  to  the  ground,  and 
when  taken  up,  it  emitted  a  strong 
sulphureous  smell.  The  house  of 
Mr.  Palmer,  of  Litcomb,  near 
Wantage,  was  struck  by  light- 
ning; his  five  children,  two  maid- 
servants, and  Mr.  John  Bennett 
druggist,  of  Wantage  were  stan-.- 
ding,  at  the  moment,  in  a  passage 
through  which  the  bell  wires 
passed,  and  were  all  struck  to 
the  ground,  but  without  serious 
injury,  though  one  of  the  servants' 
shoes  was  almost  burnt  to  tinder. 
At  Highworth,  the  lightning  en- 
tered the  roof  of  a  cottage,  shatter- 
ed a  bedstead,  and  threw  a  child, 
that  the  mother  had  just  hid  in 
bed,  on  the  floor,  but  unhurt;  the 
mother's  face  was  scorched.  Mr. 
Kinoer's  servant,  of  the  Lee,  near 
Cricklade,  got  under  a  tree  for 
shelter  3  the  tree  was  struck  by 
lightning,  and  rent  to  the  bottom, 
and  he  and  a  horse  were  killed.  The 
injury  to  hot-houses,  from  the  hail, 
was  very  considerable.  The  da* 
mage  at  Buscot  Park,  near  Read- 
ing, W4S  upwards  of  150/. 

13.  Theft  by  a  Preacher. 
— At  the  York  Assizes  Daniel  and 
Peter  Simpson  were  indicted  for 
having  on  the  10th  of  May  last, 
feloniously  stolen  nine  ewes,  thir- 
teen lambs  and  ten  sheep;  also, 
for  having,  on  the  19th  of  May, 
stolen  seven  ewes,  seven  lambs, 
and  seven  sheep;  and  on  the 
13th  of  May,  six  ewes,  eight 
lambs,  and  six  sheep.  To  each  of 
these  indictments  the  prisoners 
pleaded  Guilly. .—  The  prisoner 
Daniel,  who,  up  to  the  time  of  his 
apprehension,  was  a  local-preacher 
in  the  Wesleyau-Methodist  con- 
nexion^ addressed  the  Court  at 
considerable  length,  and  said, 
^^that  he  had  been  induced  to  take 
the  sheep  through  distress^  in  the 


104 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


[i83i: 


hope,  by  retrieving  his  circum- 
stances, of  being  able  to  satisfy  his 
creditors."  In  conclusion,  he  said. 
"  My  Lord,  I  solemnly  avow,  not 
by  way  of  justification,  that  I  took 
the  sheep,  not  with  a  view  of  en- 
riching myself,  not  to  gratify  my 
own  sensual  appetite,  as  it  is  well 
known  to  all  my  neighbours  that  I 
have  not  been  drunk  for  twenty 
years,  and  I  never  indulge  in  smok- 
ing a  pipe.  My  habits  are  known 
to  be  economical :  I  took  them  out 
of  the  love  which  1  bore  to  my 
creditors  ;  and  I  leave  myself  in  the 
hands  of  my  Judge. — Mr.  Justice 
Parke;  Is  Peter  Simpson  your 
brother  ? — Yes,  my  Lord,  and  was 
my  servant. — Sentence,  Transjwrl^ 
ation  for  life, 

13.  Burglary. — Cambridge. 
— William  Smith,  George  Baxter, 
and  William  Markham,  were  capi- 
tally indicted  for  burglariously  en- 
tering the  dwelling-house  of  Fran- 
cis Old,  at  Crawley,  on  the  26th 
of  February,  and  stealing  thereout 
sundry  articles  of  property. — Mr. 
Old  is  a  farmer  residing  at  Craw- 
ley, with  his  wife,  one  son,  and  a 
female  servant;  he  and  his  wife 
are  nearly  eighty  years  old,  and  in- 
firm. The  family  had  all  retired 
to  rest,  on  the  night  in  question, 
about  eight  o'clock,  liaving  se- 
cured the  windows  and  doors, 
and  about  one  in  the  morning  were 
alarmed  by  the  noise  of  strangers 
in  the  house  below.  The  prosecu- 
tor got  up,  and  went  down  stairs 
into  the  kitchen,  when  he  saw 
three  men  coming  towards  him 
from  the  wash-house  j  he  was  im- 
mediately knocked  down  by  one  of 
them,  and  hurt  considerably.  It 
was  a  moonlight  night,  and  he 
saw  them  distinctly.  As  soon  as 
he  got  up,  he  seized  a  large  brush, 
and  felled  one  of  the  men  by  a  vio-. 
lent  blow  on  the  face;    but  the 


fellow  quickly  got  up,  and  the 
three  then  beat  the  prosecutor  se- 
verely while  on  the  ground.  Tbey 
next  went  up  stairs,  where  they 
remained  ransacking  the  drawers, 
and  on  Mrs.  Old  speaking  to  them, 
they  all  beat  her  violently  with 
bludgeons,  and  left  her  weltering 
in  her  blood.  One  of  the  men  said 
exultingly,  as  they  went  down 
stairs,  ''  D  -  n  the  old  woman,  I've 
done  for  her  nicely ! "  In  the 
mean  time  the  servant  girl  had 
been  awakened  and  ran  to  the 
window  of  her  room,  when  she  saw 
three  other  men  on  the  outside  the 
house  watching  to  give  alarm,  had 
any  body  come  ap.  She  heard  her 
mistress  say,  ''God  bless  your 
souls,  I  have  no  money ;  pray,  spare 
my  life  ; "  but  the  men  swore  'at 
her,  and  said  they  would  have  her 
life,  and  they  accompanied  their 
oaths  with  several  blows.  Assooa 
as  the  girl  opened  the  window,  she 
heard  one  of  the  men  in  the  garden 
cry  to  the  others,  "  D — n  it.  Bob, 
come  along,  you  fool,  here's  assist- 
ance coming."  They  then  asked 
her  what  she  wanted  with  them ; 
when  she  drew  back  and  shut  the 
window,  and  immediately  she  heard 
a  gun,  as  she  imagined,  bred  at  her, 
and  her  window  was  broken  at  the 
same  time.  Baxter  was  recognised 
as  one  of  the  men  in  the  garden. 
Markham  and  Smith  were  in  the 
house,  the  former  having  a  black 
crape  mask  on  his  face.  They  all 
three  retired  into  a  back  part  of 
the  garden,  where  they  divided  a 
drawer  of  silver  and  copper  amongst 
themselves  j  and  a  drawer  of  silver 
and  copper  was  stolen  from  the 
bed-room  of  the  prosecutor.  It 
was  further  proved,  that  the  three 
prisoners  and  three  other  persons 
were  drinking  in  company  together 
at  a  public-house  about  four  miles 
from  Mr.  Old's^  which  they  left  atl 


JULY.] 


CHRONICLE. 


106 


half-past  eleven  at  night.  On  the 
following  day,  the  constable  went 
to  see  Markham,  whom  he  found 
already  in  the  custody  of  another 
constable.  On  his  person  were 
found  several  bills  and  receipts  be- 
longing to  Old,  which  had  been  in 
his  house  the  night  before  :  slugs, 
and  bolts,  and  a  pistol,  and  a  black 
crape  mask,  were  found  on  him, 
besides  a  variety  of  articles  belong- 
ing to  the  prosecutor,  and  in  the 
house  were  three  huge  clubs,  hav- 
ing blood  and  hair  upon  them. 
The  constable  then  went  in  search 
of  Smith,  whom  he  saw  entering,  a 
large  wood  with  another  man ; 
they  ran  off,  but  Smith  was  over- 
taken. On  his  person  a  quantity 
of  silver  was  found,  and  he  had  a 
cut  on  the  ridge  of  his  nose,  which 
he  said  had  been  made  by  a  girl 
whom  he  quarrelled  with,  and  who 
threw  a  pint  pot  at  him  (this  was 
probably  the  man  whom  the  pro- 
secutor struck  down  with  the 
brush).  His  coat-cufFs  and  shirt- 
sleeves were  bloody,  and  some  blood 
was  observed  on  the  corners  of  his 
cravat,  which  were  turned  in. 
The  next  day  the  prisoner  Mark- 
ham  sent  for  the  chief  constable,  to 
whom  he  made  a  full  and  voluntary 
confession  of  his  participation  in 
the  outrage.  An  accomplice  of 
the  name  of  Lee  was  called  as  a 
witness,  and  his  evidence  con- 
firmed the  testimony  of  the  wit- 
nesses for  the  Crown,  in  every  par- 
ticular.— The  Jury  found  them  all 
Guilty, 

20.  Irish  Barbarity. — En- 
Nis. — Timothy  Reilly,  a  tailor,  was 
put  to  the  bar,  on  a  charge  of  having 
aided  and  assisted  in  cutting  out 
the  tongues  of  Lynan  and  Thomas 
Doyle,  on  the  1 9th  of  December, 
at  Dromally,  herds  of  Ralph  West- 
ropp,  esq. — Lynan  Doyle ;  I  lived 
December  twelve-months,  ia  Dro^ 


mally,  with  my  brothers  Thomas 
and  Michael  Doyle.  I  was  driver 
and  herdsman  to  Mr.  Ralph 
Westropp.  John  Magrath  was  in 
my  situation  before  me.  Between 
the  hours  of  one  and  two  o'clock 
at  night,  I  heard  a  noise  outside 
the  door,  when,  shortly,  the  door 
was  kicked  in  and  broke.  I  was 
just  after  lighting  a  wisp  of  straw, 
when  my  hand  got  a  blow  of  a  gun, 
and  they  beat  me  about  the  house, 
and  then  dragged  me  out  on  the 
road,  bare  and  naked,  of  a  frosty 
night,  and  put  me  on  my  back, 
and,  with  their  thumbs,  forced  my 
tongue  out  and  cut  it  from  the 
string  out  (a  thrill  of  horror  per- 
vaded the  court);  there  were  a 
great  number  there.  After  they 
cut  out  my  tongue,  they  fired  pow- 
der into  my  breast ;  the  gentlemen 
of  the  county  saw  the  state  I  was 
in.  They  then  brought  me  in  and 
gave  me  a  kick,  which  threw  me 
flat  near  the  fire,  where  I  remained 
bleeding.  As  I  was  coming  into 
the  house  the  party  was  dragging 
out  my  brother  Thomas,  who  lay 
in  one  bed  with  me  3  my  brother 
Thomas  they  served  the  same  way 
which  they  did  me.  The  party 
stopt  some  time  longer,  and  gave 
us  more  blows  3  they  said  to  me 
not  to  be  here  on  to-morrow  night, 
but  quit  the  house ;  I  said  there 
was  no  occasion  for  them  to  say 
that,  as  I  was  sure  I  could  not 
have  life  ;  I  said  this  as  well  as  I 
could.  ( The  witness  exhibited  to 
the  Court  the  mutilated  state  of 
his  tongue).  It  was  a  bright  frosty 
night,  almost  as  lightsome  as  day. 
— Thomas  Doyle  corroborated  the 
statement  of  his  brother  the  pre- 
ceding witness.  He  deposed,  that 
the  prisoner  at  the  bar  had  come 
to  his  bedside  on  that  night ;  the 
witness  knew  him  by  eye-sight,  as 
he  bad  often  seen  him,  but  wa^ 


106 


ANNUAL    REGISTER,      [lasi. 


ignorant  of  his  name,  until  very 
recently.  Prisoner  said  to  liini, 
*'  (iet  up,  you  robber,  get  out  of 
bed."  **U|K)n  which  he  dragged 
inc  out  of  bed,  and  I  was  taken 
out  to  the  yard,  before  which  he 
gave  nie  a  blow  of  a  stick,  and  cut 
my  ear ;  he  pulled  me  out  at  once ; 
I  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing  the 
prisoner  well.  As  I  was  going 
out,  I  met  my  brother  coming  in 
bleeding,  u)K)n  which  I  fainted, 
and  fell  senseless,  and  knew  nothing 
of  what  occurred  to  me  until  the 
smarting  of  my  tongue  from  the 
cutting.  My  brother  Michael  hid 
himself  under  the  bed,  and  is  here 
to-day  ;  there  was  scarcely  an  inch 
of  my  body  which  was  not  cut." — 
This  witness  underwent  a  long 
cross  -  examination,  the  drift  of 
M'hich  went  to  establish  his  being 
mistaken  as  to  the  pci'son.  — 
Michael  Doyle  deposed  to  his  hav- 
ing seen  the  prisoner  from  under 
the  bed,  where  he  lay  concealed.— 
John  Halloran  deposed  to  the  pri- 
soner liaviug  been  at  Dillon's 
child's  wake,  on  the  night  of  the 
atrocity  5  the  prisoner  left  the 
wake-fiouse  at  teu  o'clock  at 
night,  in  company  with  M'Grath, 
who  had  been  hanged  for  this 
offence. — The  witness  had  abscond- 
ed from  his  usual  residence  since 
this  transaction. 

An  alibi  was  set  up,  which  oc- 
cupie<l  two  or  three  hours  in  inves- 
tigation.— Verdict  Guilty,  — The 
prisoner  was  sentenced  to  be  hang- 
ed, and  was  left  for  execution. 

22.  Attebipt  to  Poison. — 
DoHCHRSTBR. — Job  Nobbs,  aged 
52,  was  charged  with  having,  on 
the  9th  of  April  last,  maliciously 
and  feloniously  attempted  to  ad- 
minister to  his  infant  son,  Philip 
Nobbs,  a  large  quantity  of  lauda- 
num, with  intent  to  kill  the  child. 
•-Mary  Legge^  deposed  as  follows ; 


-«I  am  nieco  to    the    prisoper'g 
wife,    who  died  on  the   Monday 
week  after  last  Easter.    The  pri- 
soner came  for  me  about  ten  oays 
Ijefore  the  death  of  his  wife,  and 
asked  me  to  come  to  his  house  to 
take  care  of  the  child  which  had 
been  born  on  the  25 th  of  March. 
On  the  evening  of  the  9th  of  April 
I  made  some  pap  of  bread,  with 
which  [  fed  the  child.    After  I  had 
fed  it,  I  put  the  remainder  of  the 
pap  in  a  tea*cup,  which  I  placed 
u{)on  a  shelf  on  the  dresser.     The 
tea^cup  was  quite  clean,  and  had 
no  smell.     I  then  took  the  cliiid 
up  stairs,    and  came  down  acain 
between  seven  and  eight  o'clock  to 
feed  it.     The  prisoner  had  been 
in  between  five  and  six  o'clock,  and 
had  had  his  tea.  When  I  came  down 
between  seven  and  eight,  I  took 
some  biscuit  out  of  the  cupboard 
to    make     pap.       The     prisoner 
who  was  there  at  the  time,  said 
that  there  was  some  pap  on  the 
dresser  which  I   might  give  the 
child.     I  said  that  it  was  made  of 
bread,    and  that  the  biscuit  pap 
was  better  for  the  child  at  tnat 
time.     I  fed  the  child  with  the 
biscuit  pap,  and  took  it  up  stairs. 
In  the  course  of  the  evening  a  Mrs. 
Wightman  came  in  to  see  the  pri- 
soner's wife.     When  Mrs.  Wight- 
man  went  up  stairs  the  child  began 
to  cry,  and  Mrs.  Wightman  saying 
that  the  child  wanted  pap  took  him 
in   her  arms,    and  brought   him 
down   to  tlie  kitchen.     She  took 
down  the  pap   from   the  dresser, 
and  after  smelling  it,   asked  mc 
whether  I  had  put  any  spirits  into 
it  ?    I  answerea  ^'  No."   She  then 
asked  me  if  I  had  put  any  laudanum 
into  it  ?    I  said,  '<  No,  there  is  no<* 
thing  in  it  as  I  know,  Mrs.  Wight- 
man."     She  said,  '«  Sure  there  is 
laudanum  in  it?"     She   did   not 
give  any  of  it  to  the  child,  but 


JULY.] 


CHRONICLE. 


107 


took  it  away  to  her  own  house. 
She  took  the  baby  also.  The  pri- 
soner did  not  see  her  then.  About 
half-past  nine  o'clock  she  brought 
back  the  child.  The  prisoner  was 
in  the  house  when  she  came,  and 
on    her   coming   in,   he   asked    if 

^^  that  young  ^on  of  a  b was 

not  dead  yet  ?"     He  had  thought 
that  it  would  be  dead  before  this 
time.     The    prisoner    seemed    to 
have  had  some  drink,   but  was  not 
drunk.     I  had  had  the  care  of  the 
child  for  the  preceding  week,  and 
had  fed  him  every  day.     The  pri- 
soner had  never  interfered  with  me 
before   in  the  feeding  of  it,    nor 
given   me  any   directions  on   the 
subject.  —  Mrs.    Wightman   con- 
firmed the  statements  of  the  pre- 
ceding witness  so  far  as  they  re- 
lated to  the  part  which  she  had 
taken   in    the   case.      She   stated 
further,  that  the  prisoner  came  to 
her  house  at  about  ten  o'clock  of 
the  same  night.     Before  he  came, 
witness  had  shown  to  her  liusband 
the  pap  which   she  had  brought, 
and  he  had  smelled  it,  and  said 
that  he  thought  some  laudanum 
was  mixed  up  with  it.     When  the 
prisoner  came  to  witness's  house, 
witness's  husband  asked  him  if  he 
knew  how  to  make  pap.     The  pri- 
soner only  answered  this  by  asking 
what   pap   was.      Witness's  hus- 
band answered,  ^'  Tliere  has  been 
some  pap  made  for  your  child  that 
had  laudanum  in  it."     She  kept 
the  pap   which   she  had  brought 
from  the   prisoner's   house,   until 
she  delivered  it  to  Mr.  Fryer,  the 
clergyman    of    the    parish. — Mr. 
Fryer  deposed  that  he  sent  it  to 
Mr.  Davis,  of  Dorchester,  for  ex- 
amination.— Mr.  Davis,  the  drug- 
gist, and  Mr.  Wall  is,  a  druggist, 
as  well  as  coroner  of  the  county, 
deposed  that    they  had  both  ex- 
amined   the  pap,    and  found  it 


strongly  impregnated  with  lauda- 
num. It  could  not  contain  less 
than  half  a  quarter  of  an  ounce, 
and  that  quantity  was  sufficient  to 
destroy  life  in  an  ihfant  of  the  age 
of  the  deceased.  The  Jury  found 
the  prisoner  Guilty  of  the  charge, 
adding  expressly,  that  they  be- 
lieved the  laudanum  to  have  been 
administered  by  the  prisoner  with 
intent  to  murder  the  infant.  He 
was  sentenced  to  be  hanged. 

23.  Murder  fro»i  Insanity. 
—  Bury  St.  Edmund's.  —  Wil- 
liam Offord  was  indicted  for 
the  wilful  murder  of  Thomas 
Chisnall,  at  the  parish  of  Hadleigh, 
on  the  1  Cth  of  June,  by  shooting 
him  with  a  gun  loaded  with  a 
bullet  and  marble. 

James  Bickmore. — Went  to  the 
house  of  the  deceased,  on  the  1 6th 
of  June,  between  nine  and  ten 
o'clock  in  the  evening,  for  two 
bushels  of  oats.  His  corn-chamber 
was  in  a  passage  at  a  little  dis- 
tance, and  I  went  there,  when  the 
deceased  put  me  up  the  corn,  and 
assisted  me  in  putting  it  on  my 
shoulder,  and  I  left  him  in  the 
room.  The  deceased  came  out  of 
the  room,  and  when  I  got  half-way 
across  the  yard  I  heard  the  report 
of  a  gun,  and  a  woman  cried 
''murder,"  and  that  '^ Chisnall 
was  shot  dead."  The  report  was 
a  few  yards  from  me,  and  seemed 
to  come  from  the  prisoner's  cham- 
ber window.  I  turned  round  and 
saw  Chisnall  lying  on  the  ground 
seemingly  dead;  he  was  carried 
out  of  the  yard. — Charles  Cudden, 
constable.  On  the  16th  of  June 
I  heard  the  report  of  a  gun,  and 
went  immediately  to  the  prisoner's 
house  about  ten  o'clock.  I  found 
nobody  in  his  sleeping-room,  the 
shop,  or  pantry.  Afterwards  I 
went  into  the  lumber-room  up 
Stairs,  whtek  oominunieHted  witn 


108 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


L1831. 


his  sleeping-room.  In  a  liutcli^  I 
found  a  bill-hook^  a  naked  sword^ 
and  half-a-dozen  great  stones; 
there  is  a  window  opposite  to  the 
corn-chamber  of  the  deceased.  I 
then  tried  the  door  of  the  pri- 
soner's sleeping-room  ;  but  it  was 
locked,  and  we  broke  o[)en  the 
door.  When  we  got  in,  I  saw  the 
prisoner  fallen  down  and  weltering 
m  his  blood  ;  two  razors  lay  close 
by  him,  and  a  gun  which  api>eared 
to  have  been  recently  discharged, 
and  smelt  very  strong  of  powder. 
The  ram-rod  was  not  in  the  gun. 
The  razors  were  both  open,  and 
were  very  bloody,  especially  one  of 
tliem,  and  there  were  two  wounds 
in  his  throat,  one  on  each  side. 
He  had  no  neck-cloth  or  coat  on  ; 
the  coat  was  on  the  bed.  The 
surgeons  dressed  his  wounds,  and 
it  was  two  or  three  hours  before 
lie  came  to  himself.  I  sta3'ed  with 
him  all  night,  and  when  the  sur- 
geons had  dressed  him,  I  asked 
him,  '*How  came  you  to  shoot 
Chisnall?"  He  said,  "I  don't 
know  nothing  about  that."  I  then 
asked  him,  "  How  he  came  to  cut 
his  own  throat  ?  '*  He  said, 
"Chisnall  did  that ;"  and  an  hour 
afterwards  he  told  me  he  had  left 
his  watch  before  the  fire-place,  and 
he  was  afraid  somebody  had  stolen 
it.  I  looked  for  it,  but  never 
could  find  it.  This  was  at  one 
o'clock.  I  searched  his  bed-room, 
and  in  a  drawer  I  found  a  paper  of 
powder,  and  another  containing 
five  stone  marbles:  the  powder  was 
not  screwed  up  tight,  but  looked 
as  if  some  one  had  opened  it,  and 
it  was  not  full.  Below  stairs,  in 
the  shop,  I  found  a  bloody  waist- 
coat, and  in  the  pocket  some 
papers.  After  finding  them,  I 
went  up  stairs ;  and  the  prisoner 
asked  me  if  I  had  found  any  papers, 
aod  I  told  him  I  had;  wben  he 


said  they  were  his  papers,  and  I 
must  give  them  to  him ;  but  I  told 
him  I  n)ust  keep  them  till  I  had 
seen  Mr.  Wayman,  the  coroner. 
Some  five  or  six  weeks  before  that 
time  the  prisoner  told  me  that 
Chisnall  had  got  a  warrant  against 
him,  and  meant  to  take  his  life, 
and  I  (the  constable)  mieht  as  well 
serve  it  then.  I  told  him  I  had 
no  warrant  to  serve:  this  he  said 
several  times.  In  his  bed-room  I 
found  the  ramrod  standing  close  by 
the  drawers,  where  the  powder 
was.  On  the  following  Saturday 
he  asked  me  where  his  gun  was^ 
and  on  my  telling  him,  he  said  I 
might  as  well  put  the  ram-rod 
with  it.  The  chamber  window  of 
the  prisoner  may  be  seen  from  the 
corn-chamber  of  the  deceased,  from 
which  it  is  about  twenty-feet  dis- 
tant. Cross  examined. — I  never 
had  a  warrant  against  the  prisoner 
from  Chisnall  or  any  body  else. 
He  told  me  that  Mr.  Last,  the 
lawyer,  had  a  wan-ant  against  him^ 
and  meant  to  take  away  his  life. 
I  have  known  the  prisoner  several 
years,  he  talks  like  other  people 
at  most  times,  but  when  he  told 
me  about  the  warrants  against 
his  life,  I  fancied  he  was  labouring 
under  some  delusion. 

Mary  Paine.  —  I  have  heard 
Chisnall  and  the  prisoner  have 
words  together  a  good  many  times. 
He  used  bad  language  to  Chisnall. 
One  night,  in  consequence  of  see- 
ing a  light  in  Chisnall's  room,  the 
prisoner  refused  to  go  to  bed.  At 
times  he  seemed  to  me  like  a  wild 
man ;  he  worked  himself  into  a  pitch 
against  Master  ChisnalL  At  other 
times  he  was  like  other  people. 

William  Chisnall,  eldest  son  of 
the  deceased. — I  have  heard  the 
prisoner  abuse  my  father  a  good 
many  times^  and  about  nine  or  ten 
months  ago  (the  day  he  received 


JULY.] 


CHRONICLE. 


10^ 


his  pension],  I  heard  him  say  he 
would  do  for  ray  father.  He  was 
not  wild,  when  he  had  not  taken 
liquor. — The  papers  found  in  the 
prisoner's  waistcoat  were  then  read. 
The  first  was  a  summons,  dated 
1828,  against  the  prisoner  for  non- 
])ayment  of  a  poor's  rate ;  it  was 
endorsed,  in  manuscript,  ''  Chis- 
nail  drove  me  from  the  church  ; 
this  is  the  first  step  to  take  away 
my  life,  because  I  was  not  able  to 
pay  the  rate.'*  Another  was 
headed,  "Jan.  29,  1829,— Con- 
spiracy began,"  and  contained  the 
words,  '*  It  would  serve  Chisnall 
right  if  some  one  were  to  give  him 
a  few  good  knocks  on  the  head ;  I 
would  not  assist  him."  The  third 
was  headed,  '*  17th  April,  1830," 
and  contained  a  denial  of  having 
used  Chisnall's  name,  and  said 
that  "the  parish  wished  to  take 
away  his  life,  and  make  a  county 
job  of  it.'*  Another  contained  a 
threat  against  Chisnall,  and  said, 
^'  he  would  have  to  die  for  it  as 
well  as  I."  The  next  was  headed, 
"  High  conspirators  against  the 
life  of  William  Offord,"  and 
amongst  them  were  the  names  of 
"  T.  Chisnall  and  family." 

Mr.  Mudd,  a  surgeon,  said  that 
the  deceased  died  of  the  wounds 
which  the  prisoner  had  inflicted. 
After  his  death  one  of  the  wounds 
was  traced  to  the  shoulder  blade, 
where  a  marble  was  lodged.  In 
the  spine  a  leaden  ball  wrapped  in 
wearing  apparel,  was  found,  and 
this  wound  had  been  the  cause  of 
death.  There  were  several  wounds 
on  the  throat  of  the  prisoner  ; 
they  were  not  deep,  but  they  were 
in  such  a  situation  that  had  they 
been  deep  they  would  have  been 
dangerous.  On  his  cross-examina- 
tion he  said  he  should  imagine  that 
the  prisoner  had  laboured  under 
"monomania,  or  partial  derange- 


ment ;"  or,  as  he  afterwards  said, 
"hallucination  of  mind  upon  one 
subject."  From  the  wounds  on 
the  prisoner's  throat,  he  was  of 
opinion  that  he  intended  to  have 
destroyed  himself — not  that  he 
made  them  to  screen  himself  from 
the  consequences  of  the  act  of 
which  he  had  been  guilty.  The 
prisoner  in  his  defence  said,  that 
'^  he  had  been  sadly  used  for 
twenty-nine  months ;  he  had 
suffered  shipwreck,  and  had  been 
easier  since  he  had  been  in  prison, 
than  for  two  years  and  a  half 
before.  He  never  could  rest  night 
or  day."  For  the  prisoner,  various 
witnesses  were  examined  to  prove 
that  the  prisoner  laboured  under 
monomania. 

Lord  Lyndhurst  then  summed 
up  the  evidence.  The  two  points 
for  the  consideration  of  the  Jury 
were, — 1st,  whether  Chisnall  came 
to  his  death  by  the  hands  of  the 
prisoner ;  and,  2dly,  if  they  should 
be  of  opinion  that  he  did,  then 
whether  the  prisoner  was  in  such  a 
state  of  mind  at  the  time  as  to  know 
right  from  wrong;  to  know  that  it 
was  a  crime  to  take  away  the  life  of  a 
fellow  creature  ? — The  Jury,  after 
retiring  for  ten  minutes,  acquitted 
the  prisoner  on  the  grounds  of  iu^ 
sanity,  and  he  was  ordered  to  be 
detained  in  custody  until  His  Ma- 
jesty's pleasure  should  be  known. 

Scotch  Marriages.  —  Con-* 
siSTORY  Court,  Conway ,  v. 
Beazley,  —  This  was  a  suit  of 
nullity  of  marriage  promoted  by 
Emily  Frances  Conway,  otherwise 
Beazley,  against  Mr.  Samuel  Beaz- 
ley, the  architect,  under  the  foU 
lowing  circumstances: — In  May, 
18 1 0,  Mr.  Beazley  married  a  Miss 
Richardson,  in  the  parish  of  St* 
Mary  Abbots,  Kensington.  They 
cohabited  till  1813,  when  asepara* 
tion  took  place.     In   1823>  Mr. 


no 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


nasi. 


Beazley  haying  gone  down  to  Scot- 
land u{)on  business^  Mrs.  Heazley 
instituted  a  suit  against  liim  in 
the  Scotch  Courts  for  a  divorce,  by 
reason  of  adultery :  and  a  sentence 
of  divorce  was  pronounced  by  the 
Court  of  Session,  which,  under  the 
Scottish  law,  severs  the  parties  a 
vinculo  matrimonii,  and  completely 
dissolves  the  marriage.  Accor- 
dingly, in  July,  1824,  Mr. 
Beazley  married  again  the  pro- 
moter of  this  suit,  at  York-place 
Cha|>c]^  Edinburgh,  Mr.  l^az- 
ley's  former  wife,  who  died  at 
Reading  in  December  last,  being 
then  alive.  The  question  was, 
whether  (there  being  no  imputa- 
tion of  mcda^fides  or  collusion),  a 
marriage  in  England,  under  these 
circumstances,  was,  or  was  not,  to 
all  intents,  dissoluble  by  a  sentence 
of  Divorce  in  a  Scotch  Court. 

Dr.  Lushington,  after  detailing 
the  facts,  said  he  would  reject  the 
certificate  of  the  second  marriage, 
which  professed  to  have  been  ex- 
tracted from  the  registry  of 
York-place  Chapel,  Edinburgh,  as 
inadmissible  by  the  rules  of  the 
court :  but  the  marriage  was  sufii- 
ciently  established  by  the  tes- 
timony of  a  witness.  Upon  the 
point  of  law,  he  was  of  opinion 
that  there  was  no  substantial  dis- 
tinction between  this  case  and 
Lolley's  case,  decided  by  the  twelve 
judges;  but  he  begged  it  to  be 
distinctly  understood,  that  in  pro- 
nouncing the  sentence  he  was 
about  to  give,  he  did  not  mean  to 
step  in  the  slightest  degree  beyond 
the  circumstances  of  this  particular 
case.  A  number  of  circumstances 
might  arise  in  other  cases  requir- 
ing the  deepest  deliberation  of  the 
court  before  the  same  sentence 
could  be  pronounced.  To  show  the 
difficulty  of  applying  the  law  in 
these  questions,  it  might  be  suffi* 


cientfor  him  to  state,  that  attempts 
had  been  made  in  Scotland  to 
adopt  the  law  of  England,  so  &r  us 
to  substitute  the  separation  a 
incnsa  et  ihoro  for  the  dissolution 
of  marriage  in  the  case  of  di^oroe  ; 
but  that  attempt  had  been  rejected 
by  the  Court  of  Session.  The 
learned  Judge  concluded  by  pro- 
nouncing a  sentence  of  nullity. 

23.  Railway  Accidents.^ 
As  the  locomotive  engine  on  the 
Bolton  rail-way  was  going  up  the 
lower  inclined  plane^  with  a  neavv 
load  of  goods,  it  ran  off  the  road, 
was  overturned  against  the  bank^ 
and  fell  upon  the  engineer  and 
fireman,  who  were  killed  upon  the 
spot.  Two  other  men  were  riding 
on  the  tender^  one  of  whom  was 
dangerously  hurt,  the  other  scald- 
ed. The  engine  was  one  with 
wheels  of  six  feet  diameter^  a  siie 
considered  objectionable  by  Mr. 
Stephenson,  and  not  used  on  the 
Liverpool  and  Manchester  line. 
A  few  days  before,  on  the  Liver- 
])0ol  and  Manchester  railway,  the 
endless  rope,  by  which  goods  are 
drawn  up  the  great  tunnel  to  the 
station  at  Edge-hill,  broke^  and  a 
fireman  employed  at  the  stationary 
engine-house^  incautiously  went 
upon  the  wheel,  round  which  the 
rope  is  passed,  for  the  purpose  of 
taking  ofiT  the  old  rope  that  it 
might  be  replaced  by  a  new  one. 
The  wheel  was  at  the  time  unoon«< 
nected  with  the  engine,  so  that  no 
danger  was  apprehended  from  that 
quarter.  Unfortunately,  however, 
on  the  loose  end  of  the  rope  being 
extricated,  the  other  end  naturally 
became  tight,  and  caused  the 
wheel  to  revolve  with  considerable 
force,  carrying  the  unfortunate 
youth  along  with  it.  At  the  first 
revolution  his  head  was  squeezed 
between  the  wheel  and  the  frame, 
and  was  instantly  crushed  to  atoms. 


JULY.] 


CHRONICLE. 


Ill 


Only  three  days  afterwards  another 
accident  happened.  The  engine 
called  the  Mercury,  was  proceeding 
to  Manchester^  with  a  load  of 
merchandise,  and  had  reached  the 
foot  of  the  Whiston  incline.  It  is 
usual  for  the  engines  to  take  only 
half  of  their  load  up  the  inclined 
plane  at  once^  and  tnen  return  for 
the  other  half.  On  reaching  the 
foot  of  the  plane^  the  engineer 
stopped  the  engine^  and^  according 
to  the  usual  practice,  caused  it  to 
retrograde  for  a  few  feet,  in  order 
that  the  chains  connecting  the 
waggons  being  slackened,  the  first 
half  of  the  train  might  be  more 
easily  detached  from  the  rest.  Be- 
fore this  was  done,  however,  a  fire- 
man, leaned  forward  between  the 
two  centre  waggons,  and  attempt- 
ed to  detach  them,  although  the 
chains  were  not  yet  slackened.  On 
the  engine  being  backed,  the  wag* 
gons  fell  against  each  otiier,  and 
the  head  of  the  unfortunate  man, 
who  was  stooping  very  low  at  the 
time,  was  caught  between  the 
projecting  bars  of  the  two  wag- 
gons, and  crushed  so  dreadfully, 
that  he  expired  on  the  spot. 

25.  Peterborough  Cathe- 
dral.—The  new  Choir  of  this 
Church  being  completely  erected, 
the  ceremony  of  its  re*opening 
took  place  this  day.  The  interest 
which  it  had  excited  in  the  adjacent 
part  of  the  country  was  extreme. 
As  soon  as  the  doors  were  opened, 
the  church  was  filled  with  not  less 
than  3000  persons,  whose  eyes 
M'ere  gratified  by  the  spectacle  of 
as  beautiful  a  choir  as  art  ever 
produced.  HandeFs  Te  Deum 
was  performed  by  Mather,  the 
celebrated  blind  organist.  The 
Communion  Service  was  performed 
by  the  Lord  Bishop  of  the  Diocese, 
assisted  by   the   Dean )    and  the 


Sermon  was  preached  by  the  Lord 
Bishop  of  Gloucester,  who,  having 
been  the   author,  promoter,  and 
finisher  of  the  whole  scheme,  was 
invited  to  fill  the  new  pulpit.   His 
discourse  was    listened    to   with 
great  attention  and  interest  by  the 
assembled  multitude.   The  history 
of  this  work  is  somewhat  singular. 
The  old  interior  of  the  building 
having  been  destroyed,  in  the  civil 
wars,  by  troops  of  Oliver  Cromwell, 
a  very  mean    and    inappropriate 
choir  of  painted  deal  had  occupied 
its  place.     Four  years  ago,  a  sub- 
scription was  raised,   in  the  city 
and  neighbourhood,  to  erect  a  new 
organ  screen,  and  altar  screen  of 
stone,  and  a  choir  of  Norway  oak, 
under  the  auspices  of    the  late 
Dean,    Dr.    Monk,    the    present 
Bishop  of  Gloucester.  The  amount 
subscribed,  was  about  6^000/. ;  but 
the  beauty  of  the  workmanship  ex- 
ceeds    what     might    have     been 
expected  even  for  that  large  sum  ; 
and  it  is  the    general    opinion, 
that  no  church  in  the  kingdom 
presents  a  more  beautiful  interior. 
The  plans   were    made    by   Mr. 
Edward  Blore  the  Architect ;  and 
the  work  has  been  executed  with 
uncommon  skill  and  elegance   by 
persons  who  are  natives  of  tliis 
place.     A  new  organ-case  forms 
jmrt  of  it.     After  service  the  pre- 
sent Dean,  the  Very  Bev.  J^r. 
Turton,  entertained  the  subscri- 
bers, together  with  others  of  the 
nobility,  clergy,  and  gentry,  at  an 
elegant  and  sumptuous  banquet} 
laid  out  with  great  taste  in  the 
garden  of  the  Deanery,     Nearly 
300  ladies  and  gentlemen  partook 
of  this  collation.    The  poor  of  the 
city  shared  largely  in  the  liberality 
of  this  day. 

29.     SiNGULAB    CaSB.—- MUR- 

DBft.<— Maidstone. — John  Any 


112 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


[1831. 


Bircl  Bell>  aged  14,  was  charged 
with  the  murder  of  Richard  Tay- 
lor, aged  13. — Robert  Taylor,  the 
father  of  the  deceased,  receiving  an 
allowance  from  the  parish,  proved, 
that,  on  the  4th  of  March,  he  sent 
his  son  Richard  to  Aylesford,  for  the 
weekly  sum.  His  dress  was,  a  cap 
lined  with  flannel,  a  blue  jacket, 
brown  trowsers,  light  worsted 
stockings,  and  low  shoes,  a  belcher 
handkerchief  round  his  neck,  and  a 
pair  of  worsted  gloves.  "  I  gave  him 
a  bag  to  bring  the  money  home  in. 
Before  he  started,  he  asked  me  for 
my  knife,  to  cut  a  bow  and  arrow, 
which  I  gave  him.  I  never  saw 
my  son  alive  again.  Not  having 
come  home  at  his  regular  time, 
three  o'clock,  I  made  inquiries,  but 
heard  nothing  of  him  until  the 
1  1th  of  May,  and,  in  consequence 
of  information  I  received  on  that 
day,  I  went  to  Bridgewood,  three 
miles  from  my  house  at  Stroud. 
When  I  got  into  the  wood,  I  saw  the 
body  of  my  son.  I  recognized  it  by 
his  dress  and  his  marks.  The  body 
was  about  twenty  rods  from  the 
road.  There  was  a  path  leading 
to  the  spot,  but  it  was  not  much 
used,  A  particular  mark  by  which 
I  knew  the  body,  was  the  mark  of  a 
bunch  of  currants  on  his  breast,  with 
which  the  boy  was  born .  I  afterwards 
saw  a  knife  in  the  hands  of  Patterson, 
the  constable  ;  that  knife  was  the 
knife  I  lent  my  son,  and  I  saw  a 
glove,  which  was  my  son's  glove.— 
Cross-examined.  My  son  left  my 
house  at  nine  o'clock  that  morn- 
ing. We  had  breakfasted  before. 
I  was  then  at  home.  The  dress 
was  buried  with  the  body.  The 
body  was  in  a  state  of  putrefaction, 
and  greatly  consumed.  The  fea- 
tures of  the  face  were  not  visible, 
but  the  hair  remained  perfect,  and 
worms  were  crawling  all  about  it. 


The  eyes  were  not  disceroible ;  the 
body  had  not  the  appearance  of 
having  l)ecn  under  the  ground. 
There  was  a  blind  path  leading  to 
the  body,  which  was  about  a  foot 
only  from  the  path.  The  trunk  of 
the  body  was  perfectly  sounds  but 
the  thighs  and  legs  were  consumed 
by  worms.  The  only  kuife  I  saw 
was  the  knife  1  lent  my  son,  and  it 
was  found  in  the  pocket.  The 
body  was  not  shown  to  any  of  my 
friends  when  it  was  found,  but  se- 
veral persons  who  knew  the  boy 
from  a  child  saw  it.  My  son  was  a 
very  spirited  little  boy;  though 
small,  he  would  be  very  apt  to  re- 
sent an  insult,  and  take  his  own 
part.  He  was  not  near  the  sive 
of  the  prisoner.  He  was  a  deli- 
cate small  boy,  but  very  active. 
He  was  a  boy  that  never  would  go 
into  a  wood,  unless  seduced  there. 
Bows  and  arrows  might  be  cut  by 
the  road  side,  without  going  into 
a  wood.  A  "bender"  is  generally 
used,  which  might  be  found  either 
by  the  road  or  in  the  wood. — Re- 
examined. The  clothes  were  on 
the  body  when  I  first  saw  it  in  the 
wood,  i  had  previously  described 
all  the  marks  on  the  body  before 
the  body  was  found.  I  have  no 
doubt  whatever  that  it  was  the 
body  of  my  son.  When  found,  the 
glove  on  the  right  hand  was  turned 
down  to  the  wrist. 

Mary  Ann  Taylor,  sister  of  the 
deceased,  a  child  seven  years  old, 
after  answering  satisfactorily  as  to 
her  knowledge  of  the  nature  of  an 
oath,  stated,  I  went  with  my  bro- 
ther three  times  to  Aylesford  to 
get  money.  I  always  saw  John. 
Any  Bell  when  I  went.  I  recol- 
lect my  brother  going  the  day  he 
was  lost.  I  went  with  him  the 
time  before  that.  We  went  about 
nine    o'clock.     We    went    down. 


JULY.] 


CHRONICLE. 


ua 


Stoney-lane  to  Aylesford..  We 
went  on  to  Aylesford,  and  saw 
Mr.  Cuthbard  there,  and  got  9s. 
from  him ;  as  we  were  coming  back^ 
we  saw  the  prisoner  and  his  little 
brother,  James  Bell,  by  the  lime- 
kiln, as  you  go  down  the  hill.  The 
prisoner  said  to  my  brother,  '^  I 
have  got  some  sticks,  come  away 
Dick,  and  don't  mind  her."  My 
brother  said  he  should  mind  me. 
It  was  up  the  wood  he  asked  my 
brother  to  go.  We  then  went 
home,  and  John  Bell,  the  prisoner, 
went  part  of  the  way  with  us. — In 
cross-examination,  she  said,  she 
knew  that  the  prisoner's  father 
worked  near  the  lime-kiln,  where 
they  met  the  prisoner.  The  wood 
is  not  far  from  that  lime-kiln,  but 
you  must  go  round  a  little  to  get 
to  the  wood. — George  Cuthbard, 
assistant-overseer  of  the  parish  of 
Aylesford.  On  the  4th  of  March, 
the  boy,  Richard  Taylor,  came  to 
my  house  at  Aylesford,  about 
eleven  o'clock;  I  gave  him  three 
half-crowns,  one  shilling,  and  six- 
pence; I  put  the  money  into  the 
boy's  bag  myself;  the  boy  was 
usually  accompanied  by  a  little 
girl,  but  not  on  that  day. — Henry 
Lewington.  I  am  a  warrant-officer 
on  board  his  majesty's  ship  War- 
rior, at  Chatham ;  I  was  going,  on 
the  4th 'of  March  last,  from  Roches* 
ter  to  Chatham,  about  ten  o'clock 
in  the  'morning ;  I  met  the  boy, 
Richard  Taylor,  on  the  road,  and 
walked  with  him  part  of  the  way 
towards  Aylesford,  and  left  him 
(the  boy)  going  on  to  Aylesford. 
As  I  was  returning  again  in  the 
afternoon,  I  saw  the  deceased  again 
on  the  road,  in  company  with  the 
prisoner  and  his  brother,  near  the 
Bell  public-house,  but  lost  sight  of ' 
them  very  soon.  I  heard  after- 
wards of  the  loss  of  the  deceased 
boy,  and  told  his  father  what  I  bad 
Vol.  LXXIII. 


seen  of  bim*     On  the  Tuesday- 
when  the  boy  was  missing,  I  met 
the  prisoner  with  his  brother,  and 
asked  him  if  he  knew  any  thing  of 
young  Taylor,'  and  the  prisoner 
replied  that  he  parted  with  Taylor 
in   the  turnip-held,  and  that  he 
saw     him     go    towards    Master 
Hawkes's,    on  the   Benham-road. 
I  recollect  the  11  th  of  May,  when 
the  body  was  found ;  I^lventthere 
about  one   o'clock,   and  saw  the 
body,  which  I  immediately  recog- 
nized.    He  wore  a  smockfrock,  a 
bluejacket,  and  blue  trousers,  as  I 
believe,   and  a  south-wester  cap: 
this  was  the  same  dress  the  boy 
wore  when  I  met  him  on  the  4th 
of  March.     The  body  had  a  glove 
on    one   hand,   the  right  turned 
down  at  the  wrist.     The  road  to 
Hawkes's  leads  from  the  Benham- 
wood  towards  the  turnpike^  from 
the  common.    Bell's  father,  and 
ti|e   boys   themselves,    constantly 
worked  near  that  spot  to  grub  roots, 
and  take  them  to  sell  at  Roches* 
ter.     On  the  day  in  question,  I  saw 
the  prisoner  working  there,  and 
he  continued  to  work  there  until 
the  body  was  found. — John  Izard. 
On    the    nth   of  May   I    went 
into  a  wood  two  miles  "from  Ro- 
chester, on  the  left  hand  of  the  road 
from  Rochester  to  Maidstone.     I 
was  going  to  a  field  beyond  this 
wood.     There  was  a  path  or  track 
for  labourers  to  pass,  near  which  I 
found  a  body.     It  had  a  cap  on, 
lined   with  woollen,   and    a  blue 
jacket,  dark  trousers,  and  a  canvass 
frock.     The  body  was  lying  on  the 
back,   with   one  hand  across  the 
breast,   and  the  other  extended, 
with  a  glove  made  of  worsted  on  it 
turned  down  at  the  wrist,  and  the 
hand    partially    closed.      Having 
heard  that  young  Taylor  was  lost,  I 
vfent,  on  finding  this  body,  and 
gave  information  to  Mr.  Taylor^ 


114 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


{ISSV 


the  fkther.— Edward  Seaton^  asur- 
ffeoD;  deposed  to  the  cause  of  the 
aeath^  and  was  confirmed  by  an- 
other medical  practitioner. — Geo. 
Farrell  examined^  clerk  to  the  ma- 
gistrates at  Rochester.  I  was  pre- 
sent on  the  21st  of  May,  when  the 
prisoner  was  before  the  magistrates. 
The  prisoner  then  said  something 
which  I  reduced  to  writing.  There 
was  neither  threat  nor  promise  held 
out  to  him.  What  he  said,  after 
it  had  been  taken  down^  was  read 
over  to  him,  and  he  made  his 
mark^  and  the  magistrates  signed 
it.  The  paper  produced  is  the 
same  they  then  signed. — An  ob- 
jection was  made  to  the  admission 
of  this  statement  in  evidence 
against  him  ;  but  the  judges^  after 
consulting  with  lord  Tenterden^ 
heUl;  that  the  confession^  as  a 
statement,  should  be  received.  The 
paper  was  as  follows  : — '*  John 
&e\\,  the  prisoner,  said  to  his  bro- 
ther James,  on  seeing  the  deceas- 
ed, '  there  goes  young  Taylor, 
James,  let  us  kill  him  and  take 
his  money,  and  let  us  lay  him  under 
these  stones,  that  we  can't  count 
over.'  He  then  addressed  the  ma- 
gistrate, and  said,  '  It  was  I,  Sir, 
that  did  the  murder,  and,  while  I 
was  doing  it,  my  brother  Jem 
watched  at  back.'  He  did  it,  he 
said,  at  one  cut ;  and  the  deceased 
was  not  long  dying.  The  little 
boy  lost  his  way  in  the  wood,  and 
lay  down  to  cry ;  and,  while  the 
boy  was  lying  down,  he  cut  his 
throat.  He  took  the  money  from 
the  boy's  glove,  and  gave  part  to 
his  brother.  His  brother  gave  him 
his  knife  to  cut  the  boy's  throat. 
The  boy  squeaked,  when  his  throat 
was  cut,  as  a  rabbit  squeaks.  He 
only  squeaked  once.  He  gave  him  ' 
two  cuts.  He  took  the  boy  into 
the  wood  to  murder  him.  He  had 
on  the  frock  his  brother  Jem  then 


wore,  and  the  blood  went  on  itj 
and  was  on  it  still.  He  would  not 
tell  this,  he  said,  but  Jem  told 
first." — The  witness  said,  that  the 
brother  contradicted  the  prisoner 
in  a  violent  manner ;  upon  which 
the  prisoner  said^  *'  Do  you  mean 
to  say,  Jem,  that  you  did  not  giro 
me  yourknife  tocut  the  boy*t  throat; 
and  did  not  you  have  part  of  the 
money?" — Charles  Pfttterson^  oon« 
stable.  I  had  the  priBoner  in  mf 
custody,  and  was  taking  him  from 
Rochester  to  Maidstone  gaol,  andi 
in  passing  a  pond,  the  prisoner  ob- 
served, **  That  is  the  pond  where  I 
washed  my  hands  and  the  knife 
after  I  did  the  crime ;"  and  he  re« 
marked,  on  seeine  a  path  that  led 
to  the  road,  "That  it  the  road 
that  leads  to  the  spot  where  I  killed 
the  poor  boy.  Don't  you  think. 
Sir,  he  is  better  ojQT  than  I  am  f" 
The  prisoner  also  showed  me  a 
place  where  he  came  out  of  the 
wood,  with  the  bloody  knife  in  his 
hand,  he  said,  and  also  a  place 
where  he  and  the  deceased  went  into 
the  wood :  he  stated,  that  before  that 
they  had  been  together  in  a  turnip- 
field,  and  pulled  a  turnip,  which 
the  deceased  pared  with  his  knife ; 
that  then  he  took  the  deceased  into 
the  wood,  under  the  pretence  of 
showing  him  a  short  way  home; 
but,  after  they  had  got  some  dis- 
tance, he  told  the  deceased  he  had 
lost  his  way,  and  the  deceased,  on 
hearing  that,  sat  down  and  began 
to  cry,  and  on  that  be  jumped  on 
the  deceased,  and  in  an  instant  cut 
his  throat.  He  then  took  the 
money,  partly  from  the  deceased's 
hand,  and  partly  from  the  purse. 
He  had  great  difficulty  in  getting 
the  money  from  the  hand,  it  was 
closed  so  fast,  and,  after,  getting 
the  money,  he  rushed  out  of  the 
wood,  greatly  alarmed.  He  said 
also,  that  he  was  sure,  if  the  body 


JULY.] 


CHRONICLE. 


116 


of  Taylor  was  dug  up»  the  knife 
aud  the  fflove  would  be  found  in  his 
pockety  tor  he  (the  prisoner)  saw  it 
put  there.  On  taking  him  to  gaol^ 
the  prisoner  said^  he  need  not  be 
ironed  ;  he  knew  he  should  be 
hanged^  and  would  not  attempt  to 
escape.  He  said  he  had  spoken  to 
a  boy  of  the  name  of  Evendon^  on 
the  road  that  eveninff,  who  a^ed 
him  if  he  had  passed  his  father's 
horse  and  cart.  The  body^  the 
witness  said^  was  duff  up,  after  it 
had  been  buried,  and  the  witness 
saw  the  brother  of  the  prisoner 
take  the  knife  and  glove  from  the 
right  hand  breeches  pocket  of  the 
deceased.  [Here  the  witness  pro< 
duced  the  knife  and  gloye^  and 
also  another  knife,  which  he  ^ot 
from  a  boy  named  Henry  Pernn, 
who  had  purchased  it  from  the 
prisoner's  brother.  This  last  knife 
was  the  one  with  which  the  murder 
was  committed;  it  was  a  large 
new  clasp  knife,  exceedingly  strong 
and  8harp.[]-^ohn  Rail  ton^  a  linen- 
draper  at  Rochester^  recollected 
the  prisoner  coming  into  his  shop 
to  ask  for  change  of  half-a-crown. 
This  was  after  the  boy  Taylor  was 
missing. — George  Ellis.  I  went 
to  meet  my  father  on  the  Roches- 
ter-road^  about  the  time  Taylor 
was  lost^  but  I  don't  recollect  the 
month.  I  met  the  prisoner  and 
his  brother  near  the  wood,  about 
half  a  mi  e  from  where  the  body 
was  found.  The  prisoner  a^ed 
me  if  I  had  seen  his  brother^  whom 
I  had  met  just  before^  and  I  told 
him  I  had  ;  and  I  asked  him  if  he 
had  seen  my  father^  and  he  said  he 
had. 

After  a  few  minutes  consulta- 
tion the  Jury  returned  a  verdict 
of  Guilty,  but  recommended  the 

Srisoner  to  mercy   on  account  of 
is  extreme  youth,  and  the  pro- 
fligate and  unnatural  manner  in 


which  it  appeared  that  he  had  been 
brought  up. — ^The  Judge  proceeded 
to  pass  judgment  of  death  on  the 
prisoner^  and  held  out  not  the 
sli^test  hope  of  mercy. 

The  prisoner  was  remarkably 
short  in  stature^  but  thick-set  and 
strong  built,  with  an  almost  infan- 
tine countenance^  being  of  exceed- 
ingly fair  complexion>  rather  sun- 
burnt^  and  flaxen  hair.  During  the 
trial  he  showed  no  marks  of  foelin^y 
though  the  steadfiMt  manner,  m 
which  he  fixed  his  eyes  on  each 
witness  while  under  examination, 
proved  his  attention  to  the  pro- 
ceedings. The  hardihood  wnich 
the  culprit  had  displayed  at  his 
trial,  and  even  when  sentence  was 
passed,  deserted  him  as  he  entered 
his  cell.  He  wept  bitterly;  and 
when  his  mother  visited  him  on 
Sunday  afternoon,  he  accused  her 
of  being  the  cause  of  bringing  him 
into  his  '^present  scrape."  On  Sun- 
day evening  after  the  condemned 
sermon  had  been  preached  by  the 
rev,  chaplain,  he  made  a  full  confes- 
sion of  his  guilt.  His  statement  did 
not  materially  differ  from  that 
which  was  given  on  the  trial ;  but 
he  added  some  particulars  of  the 
conduct  of  his  victim  before  he 
murdered  him.  He  said,  that, 
when  he  sprung  upon  Taylor  with 
the  knife  in  his  hand,  the  poor 
bo^  fell  upon  his  knees  before  him, 
ofl^red  him  all  the  money  he  had, 
his  knife,  his  cap,  and  whatever 
else  he  liked,  and  said  he  would  love 
him  during  the  whole  of  his  life, 
and  never  tell  what  had  happened 
to  any  human  being.  This  appeal 
was  lost  on  the  murderer,  and  with- 
out making  any  answer  to  it,  he 
struck  the  knife  into  his  throat. 
On  Monday  morning,  after  the 
operation  of  pinioning,  &c.,  had 
been  oompleted>  the  culprit,  at- 
tended by  the  chaplain;  &c.j  walked 

12 


116 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


[1831. 


steadily  to  the  platform.  When 
he  appeared  there,  he  gazed  steadily 
around  him.  After  the  rope  was 
adjusted^  he  exclaimed  in  a  firm 
and  loud  tone  of  voice,  ^'  Lord 
have  mercy  upon  us.  Pray  good 
Lord  have  mercy  upon  us.  Lord 
have  mercy  upon  us.  All  people 
before  me  take  warning  by  me  !" 
Having  been  asked  if  he  had  any 
thing  farther  to  say^  he  repeated 
the  same  words,  ana  added,  ^'  Lord 
have  mercy  upon  my  poor  soul." 


AUGUST. 

1.  Opening  of  the  New 
London  Bridge. — This  ceremony 
presented  the  most  splendid  spec- 
tacle that  had  been  witnessed  on 
the  Thames  for  many  years.  The 
royal  family  and  their  majesties' 
suite  assembled  at  the  Palace  about 
two  o'clock,  and,  at  a  quarter 
before  three  o'clock,  the  royal  pro- 
cession, consisting  of  twelve  car- 
riages, was  formed  in  the  gardens 
of  the  Palace.  The  king,  who 
appeared  in  the  Windsor  uniform, 
entered  the  last  carriage,  accom- 
panied by  the  queen,  the  duchess 
of  Cumberland,  and  the  duchess 
of  Cambridge.  In  the  preceding 
carriages  were  the  duke  and  prince 
George  of  Cumberland,  attended 
by  baron  Linsingen,  the  rev.  Mr. 
Jelf,  and  lady  Sophia  Lennox  (the 
lady  in  waiting  on  the  duchess  of 
Cumberland),  the  duke  of  Sussex, 
the  duchess  of  Gloucester,  the 
duchess  and  prince  William  of 
Sax e- Weimar,  prince  George  and 
princess  Augusta  of  Cambridge, 
attended  by  baroness  Ahlefeldt,  the 
lord  Chamberlain,  the  master  of 
the  Horse,  the  earl  Marshal,  the 
groom  of  the  Stole,  the  lord  Cham- 
berlain to  the  queen^  lord  Hill  as 


gold  stick  in  waiting,  the  treasurer 
of  the  Household,  the  secretary  of 
the  Privy  Purse,  the  Clerk Marshalj 
the    marchioness    Wellesley^    the 
marchioness  of  Westmeatn,    and 
lady  Clinton^  the  ladies  in  waiting 
on    the    queen ;    lord    and    lady 
Frederick  Fitzclarence,  lords  Adol^ 
phus  and  Augustus  Fitzclarenoe,- 
Jady  Mary  Fox,  sir  Henry  Black* 
wood,     the    groom    in    waitings 
lord  A.  Beauclerk^  &c. — ^An  ea* 
cort,  composed  of   the  Life  and 
Royal  Horse  Guards,  was  in  atten- 
dance at  the  Gktrden-gate.     The 
royal  cavalcade  passed  up  the  east 
side  of  the  PaJace,  through  the 
iron  gates  by  Marlborough-house 
into   Pall-mall,    on  their  way  to 
Somerset-house. — The  appearance 
of  the  metropolis  along  the  whole 
line  through  which  the  procession 
passed,  was  in  every  respect  as  if  it 
were  a  public  holyday.    The  shops 
were  closed,  and  business  seemed 
altogether  suspended*     In    every 
place  the  streets  were  crowded  hv 
a  dense  mass,  who  loudly  cheered 
the  royal  party  in  its  progress^ — 
At  three  o'clock  the  hoisting  of  the 
Royal  Standard  of  England  over 
the  centre  of  Somerset-house  an- 
nounced the  arrival  of  their  majes- 
ties,   and   was    followed  by  dis- 
charges of  cannon  of  all  sorts  from 
the  wharfs  and  barges.    When  the 
king  and  queen  appeared  on  the 
steps  descending  to  the  platform 
from  which  they  were  to  embark^ 
the  cheers  from  the  crowd  were 
almost  deafening.     The  awnings  of 
the  barges  had  been  removed  by 
his  Majesty's  desire,  so  that  a  fdu 
view  of  the  royal  party  could  be 
obtained  throughout  the  whole  line. 
When  the  royal  barges  moved  off 
from  the  shore,  the  firing  of  can- 
non, the  shouts  and  huzzas,  the 
waving  of  hats  and  handkerchiefsj 
were  renewed^  and  kept  up  withoat 


AUG.] 


CHRONICLE. 


117 


intermission  along  the  whole  line^ 
on  the  river^  and  the   shores  at 
both  sides. — The  procession  moved 
very  slowly,  from  the  wish  of  their 
majesties  that  all  those  in  the  line 
should  have  a  full  opportunity  of 
seeing  the   royal  party.     It  was 
past  four  o'clock  before  the  royal 
barges   reached  the  bridge.     An 
awning  had  been  thrown  half-way 
over  the  bridge.     On  the  London 
side^  adjacent  to  the  site  of  the 
Old  Fishmonger* s-hall^  was  erected 
a  splendid  pavilion.     This  was  the 
position  allotted  to  their  majesties^ 
the  royal  suite^  the  civic  authori- 
ties, and  the  more  distinguished  of 
the   company.     The  pavilion  was 
constructed  of  standards  that  had 
formerly  waved  over  the  armies  of 
almost  every  civilized  nation  in  the 
world.  The  breadth  of  it  was  equal 
to  that  of  the  bridge.    Its  form  was 
quadrangular^    and    at    the  four 
corners  were  placed^   upon  raised 
broad  pedestals,  groups  of  men  in 
armour.     The  pillars  which  sup- 
ported the   royal  pavillion    were 
adorned  with    flags,   shields,  hel- 
mets, and  massive  swords.     Their 
majesties'   seats    were   beneath   a 
gorgeous  canopy  of  state,  of  crim- 
son cloth,  the  back  of  which  was 
formed  of  plate  glass.     To   the 
right  and  left  of  this  canopy  were 
places  for  the  members  of  the  royal 
family,  the  ministers^  and  many  of 
the  nobility.     From   the  ends  of 
the  principal  table,  and  at  right 
angles  to  it,  ran  two  other  narrow 
tables,    which   were  reserved  for 
the  civic  authorities  and  members 
of   Parliament.     No  other  tables 
were  placed  in  the  royal  pavilion^ 
and  thus  a  large  open  space  was 
preserved  in  front  of  their  majes- 
ties, whose  view  of  the  whole  of 
the  company  under  the  awning 
was  free  and  unobstructed,  except 
hj  the  drapery  w)iich  fonped  %he 


fi^nt  of  the  tent.     From  this  pa^ 
vilion  the  awning  extended  along 
the  narrow  part  of  the  bridge  to 
the  distance  of  about  5  00  feet.     On 
either  side  there  were  tables  for 
the  guests.      The  stairs  on  the 
London  side  of   the  bridge  had 
been  covered  with  crimson  cloth, 
and  at  the  bottom  of  these  stairs 
their  majesties  were  received  with 
all  the  formalities  usual  upon  the 
occasion  of  royal  visits  to  the  city. 
The  king  was  handed  out  of  his 
barge  by  Mr.  Routb,  who  gave  his 
majesty  his  arm.     Mr.  Jones,  as 
chairman  of  the  '^  New  London- 
bridge  Committee,"  was  present  to 
receive  her  majesty  on  her  landing. 
Upon  stepping  ashore>   the  king 
addressed  these  gentlemen  in  the 
following  words :  —  "  Mr.  Jones 
and  Mr.  Routh,  I  am  very  glad  to 
see  you  on  London-bridge.     It  is 
certainly  a  most  beautiful  edifice  ; 
and  the  spectacle  is  the  grandest 
and  the  most  delightful  in  every 
respect  that  I  ever  had  the  plea« 
sure  to  witness."      His   majesty 
then  paused  to  survey  the  scene 
around  him.     At  this  moment  the 
air  was  rent  with  the  most  deafen- 
ing cheers  from  all  sides,  and  the 
king,  taking  off  his  hat,  acknow- 
ledged this  hearty  greeting  of  his 
subjects  by  repeated  bows.     Their 
majesties  proceeded  to  the  top  of 
the   stairs,  when  the  sword   and 
keys  of  the  city  were  tendered  to 
his  majesty  by  the  lord  mayor,  and 
on  returning  them,   his  majesty 
signified  his  wish  that  they  should 
remain  in    his    lordship's  hands. 
The  chairman  of  the  committee 
then  presented  his  majesty  with  a 
gold  medal,  commemorative  of  the 
opening  of  the  bridge,  having  on 
one  side  an  impression  of  the  king's 
head,  and,  on  the  reverse,  a  view 
of  the  new  bridge,  with  the  dates 

of  ik^  pr«9^t  ceremonyi  and  of 


118 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


CiSdl. 


the  laying  of  the  first  stone.  As 
soon  as  these  formalities  were  com- 
pleted;  and  the  whole  of  the  royal 
party  had  assembled  in  the  Pa- 
vilion^ their  majesties  proceeded 
to  the  end  of  the  bridge  attended 
by  their  royal  highnesses  the  dukes 
of  Cumberland  and  Sussex,  and  by 
the  principal  members  of  the  royal 
family.  The  officers  of  the  royal 
household^  nearly  all  the  ministers, 
and  a  yast  number  of  the  nobility, 
and  of  the  members  of  the  House 
of  Commons,  composed  the  royal 
procession  ;  in  going  to,  and  re- 
turning from,  the  Surrey  end  of 
the  bridge,  their  majesties  threw 
medals  to  the  spectators  on  each 
side  of  them.  As  soon  as  it  was 
announced  that  their  majesties 
were  approaching  the  bridge,  Mr. 
Green  had  caused  his  balloon  to  be 
filled,  and  just  as  the  royal  proces- 
sion had  reached  the  Surrey  side 
of  the  bridge,  Mr.  Green,  with  a 
Mr.  Crawshay  for  his  companion, 
made  his  ascent.  His  majesty 
showed  himself  from  the  parapets 
on  either  side  the  bridge  to  the 
assembled  multitudes  below.  After 
the  conclusion  of  this  ceremony, 
the  royal  party  returned  to  the 
pavilion,  where  a  cold  collation  was 
laid  out.  A  similar  repast  was 
served  up  to  the  guests  at  all  the 
other  tables.  At  the  royal  table 
the  principal  guests  were  thus 
placed.  On  the  right  of  the  king 
were  seated  the  duchess  of  Glou- 
cester, the  duke  of  Sussex,  the 
duchess  of  Cambridge,  the  duchess 
of  Saxe- Weimar,  and  prince  George 
of  Cumberland.  On  the  left  of 
his  majesty  sat  the  duke  and 
duchess  of  Cumberland,  and  prince 
George  of  Cambridge.  Mr.  Jones 
was  in  attendance  behind  the 
king's  chair,  and  Mr.  Routh  stood 
behind  that  of  the  queen.  The 
remainder  of  the  tables  in  the 


pavilion  were  filled  with  the  other 
distinguished  ffuests.     After  the 
healths  of  the  kinff  and  queen  had 
been   drank,  amicT  loud  acclama* 
tions,  the  lord  mayor  presented  a 
gold  cup  of  great  beauty  to  the 
king,  who  said,   taking  the  ca'p, 
"  I  cannot  but  refer  on  this  occasion 
to  the  great  work  which  has  been 
accomplished   by  the  citizens    of 
London.    The  city  of  London  has 
been  renowned  for  its  magnificent 
improvements,  and  we  are  com* 
memorating  a  most  extraordinary 
instance  of  their  skill  and  talent. 
I  shall  propose  the  source  from 
whence    this    vast    improvement 
sprung,  ^  The  trade  and  commerce 
of  the  city  of  London/  '*  The  king 
then  drank  of  what  is  called  the 
loving  cup,  of  which  every  other 
member  of  the  royal  family  par- 
took.   At  six  o'clock  their  majea-* 
ties  re-embarked,  amidst  the  same 
loud  cheering,  firing  of  artillery^ 
ringing  of  bells,  and  other  marks 
of  respect  which  had  marked  their 
progress    down.    The   procession 
had  a  more  imposing  appearance 
on  its  return,  in  consequence  of  its 
being  joined  by  several  of  the  dty 
barges  including  that  of  the  lord 
ma^or.     On  landing  at  Somerset* 
stairs,  their  majesties  were  loudly 
cheered  as  before.     In  going  along 
the  platform,  the  queen,  who  leant 
on  the  king's  arm,  turned  round 
repeatedly  and  bowed  to  the  sur^ 
rounding  multitudes.   His  majesty 
remained  uncovered  the  whole  of 
the  way  along  the  platform.    In 
a  few  moments  after  their  arrival 
at  Somerset- house,  the  royal  party 
entered  their  carriages,  ana  re« 
turned  to  the  Palace  escorted  in 
the  same  way  as  on  setting  out. 
The  cheers,  as  their  majesties  pass- 
ed along  the  Strand,  were  load  and 
continued. 
2.  Fiaa  at  Feka.'^A  gmtle* 


AUG.]              CHRONICLE.  lid 

man  looking  intotheEDglishpalaGe  that  they  were  delayed,  and  they 
garden  at  Pera,  in  Constantinople^  found  the  fire  had  travelled  as  fast 
at  about  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning,  as  they  did,  and  was  actually  at 
saw  some  dry  grass  smoking,  and  the  walls  of  the  English  palace 
on  pointing  it  out  to  the  people,  garden,  and  entering  the  Pera- 
they  ran  to  extinguish  it  with  the  street  as  soon  as  themselves.  It 
greatestanxiety,  and  then  informed  was  generally  supposed,  that  the 
him,  that  there  was  a  fire  some-  English  palace,  insulated  in  the 
where,  which  had  set  the  grass  middle  of  an  open  area,  could  not 
smoking  by  the  adhesion  of  a  red-  be  reached  by  the  fire  $  but  in  a 
hot  nail.  He  immediately  went  short  time  the  flames  spread  all 
in  search  of  the  fire,  and  found  a  round ;  the  houses  on  all  ndes  of 
few  houses  in  flames  at  a  place  the  garden  wall  were  in  a  blaze, 
called  Sakiz  Aghatz,  in  a  deep  and  the  whole  area  of  the  large 
valley  between  the  Great  Burying  garden  was  canopied  by  sheets  of 
Ground,  and  the  village  of  S.  flame  and  smoke.  Several  persons 
Demetri.  The  situation  of  the  had  brought  their  furniture  and 
place  was  so  remote,  and  the  fire  eflects  thither,  as  to  a  place  of  se- 
at the  time  so  trifling,  that  he  curity;  but  the  air  became  so 
thought  there  could  be  no  possi-  heated,  and  loaded  with  fiery  par- 
ble  danger  to  the  town ;  but  he  tides,  that  every  thing  laid  tnere 
was  struck  by  the  distance  to  began  to  bum.  The  trees  now 
which  fire  may  be  communicated,  took  fire,  and  the  wind,  which  had 
The  palace  garden,  in  which  the  never  ceased,  suddenly  increased 
grass  was  on  fire,  stood  on  the  to  a  furious  gale,  and  drove  the 
summit  of  a  hill,  more  than  half  a  whole  column  of  flame  full  against 
mile  from  the  burning  houses,  the  deserted  building.  The  noise 
The  wind  which  prevailed  was  that  it  made  was  like  the  roaring  of  a 
which  periodically  returns  at  that  vast  furnace,  and  it  seemed  to 
time  of  the  year.  It  comes  very  envelope  the  whole  palace. '  In  a 
strong  from  the  N.E.  and  con-  few  minutes  the  palace  wasobeerved 
tinues  for  three  weeks  or  a  month,  to  smoke  violently ;  flames  then 
drying  up  every  substance  capable  burst  out  of  the  windows,  and  in 
of  combustion,  and  rendering  it  about  twenty  minutes  the  roof  fell 
highly  inflammable,  and  then  in^  and  nothinff  remained  of  this 
spreading  the  flames  the  moment  fine  edifice  and  all  it  contained, 
they  begin.  The  space  between  but  scorched  walls  and  smoking 
the  fire  and  the  palace  was  a  steep  ashes.  Thence  the  fire  took  the 
hill,  which  presented  a  face  of  direction  of  Pera,  consuming  every 
wooden  houses,  almost  like  a  pile  thing  before  it  with  irresistible 
of  dry  timber.  Against  this  the  and  incredible  force ;  the  fire- 
flame  was  driven,  and  it  ascended  proof  stone  houses  opposed  no  more 
with  incredible  activity.  Several  eflective  obstacle  to  it  than  the 
persons  who  stood  on  the  brow  of  wooden  sheds.  The  residences  of 
the  hill  over  the  fire,  seeing  the  French,  Dutch,  Sardinian, 
it  travelling  fast  towards  Pera,  Russian,  and  Prussian  Ambassa- 
where  thev  lived,  hastened  home ;  dors,  and  the  merchants*  houses, 
but  on  their  return,  the  streets  were  consumed :  and  in  about  six 
were  so  obstructed  by  crowds  hours  all  thepalacesof  the  European 
hurrying  away  with  their  eflbda,  missioiit  irere  deatrojrecit  except 


120 


ANNUAL   REGISTER. 


[1831. 


the  Austrian  and  Swedish^  which 
were  out  of  the  direct  line  of  the 
fire.  The  latter  had  been  burnt 
before,  and  little  remained  of  it 
but  the  gate-house ;  the  former 
had  belonged  to  the  Venetian  em- 
bassy :  it  had  stf>od  almost  since 
the  time  of  the  Crusades^  and  the 
flames  seemed  to  turn  aside  from  it 
as  if  they  knew  it  to  be  incombusti- 
ble. The  fire  continued  to  extend 
through  different  directions,  par- 
ticularly down  Casim  Pasha  till 
eight  or  nine  in  the  evening,  when 
the  wind  subsided,  and  its  pro- 
gress was  stopped,  after  extending 
orer  an  area  about  three  miles  in 
circumference,  and  consuming  all 
that  part  of  the  peninsula  that 
former  fires  had  spared.  The  next 
morning  presented  a  dismal  spec- 
tacle. The  people,  driven  from 
their  houses,  had  no  place  of  re- 
treat but  the  burying-ground  : 
there  they  were  seen  in  thousands 
stretched  on  the  earth,  with  no 
covering  but  the  sky,  and  no  bed 
but  the  graves.  The  Sultan  im- 
mediately directed,  that  barracks 
and  other  large  edifices  should  be 
appropriated  for  their  shelter,  and 
he  distributed  among  them  100,000 
piastres.  A  return  was  made 
to  him  of  the  number  of  persons 
burnt  out,  and  they  amounted  to 
80,000. 

Accident  by  a  Steam  Boat. 
•—An  inquest  was  held,  on  the 
body  of  Philip  Glcndining,  who, 
with  his  wife,  and  a  man  named 
Philip  Walker,  were  drowned  in 
consequence  of  a  sand  barge,  in 
which  they  were,  being  run  down 
by  the  Pluto  Government  steam- 
packet.  The  body,  from  the  length 
of  time  it  had  been  in  the  water, 
could  be  identified  only  by  the 
dress.  —  Robert  Glendining,  the 
brother  of  the  deceased,  deposed, 
that  the   last   time  be  aaw  his 


brother  alive,  was  on  the  moming 
of  Sunday  the  24th  of  July,  when 
he  was  m  a  barge  anchored  <^ 
Erith,  and  near  to  what  is  called 
Julian  or  Geningtree  Point.  He 
was  there  for  the  purpose  of  taking 
up  sand,  and  had  on  board  his  wire 
and  a  man  named  Walker.  Cap- 
tain Blackwood,  of  the  Freeman 
Trader,  stated,  that,  on  Monday, 
the  25th  of  July,  between  six  and 
seven  o'clock  in  the  morning,  he 
was  in  his  vessel  running  up 
against  tide.  At  the  bottom  of 
Half-way-reach  heobserveda  steam 
vessel,  which  had  passed  him  twice 
that  ebb,  coming  up  the  river. 
She  was  a  Goyemment  packet, 
and  had  naval  officers  on  board. 
She  was  running  up  at  the  rate  of 
nine  knots  an  hour,  which  was  her 
full  speed.  He  saw  a  barge  moored 
with  her  head  to  land,  and  her 
helm  a-starboard,  about  100  yards 
from  land.  There  was  another 
barge  a-head  of  her,  in  which  there 
were  ^ye  persons,  who  were  making 
preparations  to  work.  There  were 
two  men  and  a  woman  in  the  lower 
barge,  who  were  looking  at  the 
steamer  as  she  approached.  The 
witness  and  his  wife  were  looking 
at  both  the  vessels,  and  on  seeing 
their  position,  he  observed  to  her 
that  the  steamer  would  run  right 
over  the  barge.  He  had  scarcely 
spoken,  when  he  saw  her  do  so* 
The  steamer  struck  the  barge  mid- 
ship, tumbled  her  mast  overboard, 
and  she  sunk  with  the  two  men 
and  the  woman.  One  of  the  men 
clasped  the  woman  in  one  of  his 
arms,  and  held  on  to  the  steam 
boat  with  the  other  for  a  few 
seconds;  he  then  letting  go  his 
hold,  and  both  sank.  He  saw  on  the 
deck  a  person,  whom  he  supposed  to 
be  the  engineer,  take  something  in 
his  hand  for  the  purpose,  as  he 
conceived^  of  stopping  the  steamer. 


AUG.] 


CHRONICLE. 


121 


She  was,  howerer,  first  stopped 
by  the  Wolent  coucussion,  and 
slewed  round  for  four  or  fire  mi" 
nutes.  A  man  from  the  steamer 
got  into  a.  boat,  which  was  towing 
ast«rn,  but  not  until  two  boats 
from  other  vessels  had  reached  the 
spot,  to  afford  assistance  to  the 
sufferers,  but  they  were  unsuccess- 
ful. If  due  exertion  had  been 
made  by  the  perHons  on  board  the 
steamer,  the  people  might  hare 
been  saved.  He  thought  the  per- 
sons OB  board  the  steam  vessel 
were  endeavouring  to  cut  off  the 
point,  and  get  a-head  of  another 
steamer  which  was  before  her  at 
the  time  of  the  accident. 

Mr.  Charles  Beer,  who  was  on 
board  a  Heme  hoy  ou  the  evening 
of  the   25th  of  July  last,   as  a 

Eassenger  to  London,  gave  a  simi- 
ir  account  of  the  accident.  As 
the  vessel  came  nearer  the  barge, 
he  heard  the  persons  on  board  the 
latter  call  out  repeatedly  to  those 
in  the  steamer,  not  to  board 
them ;  but  though  there  were  three 
persons  on  each  of  the  paddle 
boxes,  aud  several  on  the  deck  of 
the  steamer  who  must  have  seen 
the  barge,  no  exertion  was  made 
to  keep  clear  of  her,  and  the 
steamer  did  not  in  the  slightest 
degree  change  her  course.  Her 
paddle-boses  came  on  the  gun- 
wale of  the  bargei  and  knocked  her 
mast  and  one  of  the  men  in  her 
overboard.  The  other  man  caught 
hold  of  the  woman  in  one  arm, 
aud  clung  to  the  steamer's  side  for 
some  moments,  when  the  woman 
first  fell  into  the  water,  and  he 
afterwards.  "  There  was  nothing," 
hesaid,  "toobstruct theviewofthe 
persons  on  board  the  steamer  from 
seeing  the  barge  for  at  least  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  before  they  came 
up  to  her;  he  was  sure  that 
those  on  bcnrd  must  IwTe  beard 


the  calls  of  the  persons  in  the 
barge  to  keep  clear  of  them ;  and 
the  steamer  should  not  have  ven- 
tured between  the  barge  and  the 
shore.  If  ordinary  caution  had 
been  taken,  the  accident  would 
not  have  happened.  If  the  per- 
sons on  board  the  steam  packet 
had  had  the  greatest  enmity  to- 
wards the  poor  people  who  were 
lost,  they  could  not  have  more 
uiFectivcly  have  run  them  down. 
Henry  Meirs,  said,  that  on 
Monday  week  he  went  on  board 
the  Pluto  steam  vessel,  and  was  in 
her  at  the  time  of  the  accident. 
Lieutenant  Buchanan  had  the  com- 
mand of  her,  but  her  management 
was  left  solely  to  the  direction  of  a 
pilot  named  Richard  Powell,  who 
was  on  board.  The  Pluto  had  nerer 
been  down  the  river  before,  and 
the  object  of  the  voyage  was 
merely  to  try  her  speed  and  the 
power  of  her  engines.  Previous  to 
theaecident  happen  ing.'witness  was 
walking  on  the  larboard  side  of  the 
Pluto,  and,  being  engaged  in  obser- 
ving the  working  of  the  engines, 
did  not  see  tlie  barge.  He 
heard  the  pilot  call  out  "  hai-d  a- 
atarboard"  just  before  she  strack. 
Orders  were  given  immediately  to 
stop  her  engines,  and  they  were 
atopiwd.  He  thought  they  were 
stopped  before  she  struck  the 
barge,  He  used  every  effort  to 
save  a  female  whom  he  saw  cling- 
ing to  the  side  of  the  vessel,  but 
was  unsuccessful.  The  Pluto,  by 
log,  was  going  at  the  rate  of  nine 
miles  and  three-quarters  an  hour 
at  the  time  of  the  accident,  which 
was,  he  thought,  her  full  speed. 
There  was  no  object  to  prevent  the 
pilot  from  seeing  the  barge,  and 
the  pilot  did  not  alter  the  course 
of  the  vessel  fur  some  time  before 
the  accident.  Witness  was  of 
ppinioa  that  the  aSak  ww  eatirelv 


122 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


U8SI. 


accidental^  and  unintentional  on 
the  part  of  the  pilot.  Steam  boats 
are  generally  auick  in  answering 
their  helm,  and  from  the  circum- 
stance of  the  Pluto  not  answering 
helm  at  the  time  of  the  accident^ 
she  must  have  been  aground.  The 
persons  who  were  on  the  paddle 
boxes  were  gentlemen,  and  not 
persons  to  look  out.  He  had 
observed  the  pilot,  a  few  moments 
before  the  accident,  and  he  then 
appeared  to  be  attending  to  his 
duty. 

The  Jury  returned  a  verdict  of 
Manslauehier  against  Richard 
Powell,  tne  pilot. 

Next  day,  a  Court  MaKial  assem« 
bled  at  Woolwich,  to  try  Lieu- 
tenant Buchanan,  the  commader, 
Mr.  Davis,  the  second  master  of 
the  Pluto,  and  Powell,  the  pilot,  for 
running  down  the  barge. 

Lieutenant  A.  Kennedy,  com- 
mander of  the  steam  vessel  Hermes, 
deposed  ;  I  was  on  board  the 
Pluto  on  the  25th  of  July,  when 
she  ran  down  a  barge.  About 
forty  minutes  past  six  p.  m.  I  was 
standing  on  the  starboard  side  of 
the  forecastle,  in  company  with 
Lieutenant  »Simmons,  when  he 
suddenly  observed  to  me,  '^Do 
you  see  the  barges  a-head  }  "  We 
both  immediately  turned  round, 
and  I  called  out  to  Lieutenant 
Buchanan,  who  was  standing  on 
the  starboard  paddle-box,  and 
asked  him  if  he  saw  the  barge 
a-head.  He  replied,  '•'  We  see  her 
—the  helm  is  hard  a  starboard." 
Supposing  that  the  man  at  the 
helm  had  by  mistake  put  the  helm 
the  wrong  way,  I  jumped  on  one 
side  to  get  a  sight  of  the  '^Tell- 
tale," when  I  found  that  the  helm 
was  hard  a  starboard,  as  reported ; 
and  although  the  machinery  was 
instantly  stopped,  the  tide  came  so 
very  sharp  round  the  point  where 


the  barges  lay,  that  the  vessel 
came  to  against  the  helm,  and  we 
found  that  nothing  could  prevent 
us  from  going  against  the  barffes, 
from  her  amasing  velocity.  1  im« 
mediately  ran  aft,  with  the  inten- 
tion of  jumping  overboard  to  rescue 
any  person  I  might  see  in  the 
water,  but  I  found  that  both  the 
barge  and  crew  had  sunk,  and  the 
stern-boat  had  shoved  off  to  assist. 
The  pilot  was  standing  on  the 
Quarter-deck  at  the  time  the  acci* 
dent  happened.  He  could  see  the 
barges,  but  not  sufficiently  to  judge 
of  their  distance  properly.  If  I  had 
had  the  command  of  the  Pluto^  I 
should  have  considered  her  under 
the  charge  of  the  pilot.  The  pilot 
gave  directions  to  the  helmsman. 
No  person  had  any  idea  thejpilot 
was  going  inside  the  barffes.  ETverjr 
endeavour  was  used  by  Lieutenant 
Buchanan  and  Mr.  Davies  to  save 
the  lives  of  the  people. 

Similar  evidence  was  given  by 
other  naval  persons  who  were  on 
board  the  Pluto  when  the  accident 
happened.  Lieutenant  Simmons 
stated,  he  had  commanded  a  Go* 
vemment  steam  vessel  for  three 
years,  and  when  he  first  took  tlie 
command,  being  unaccustomed  to 
steam  vessels,  he  left  every  thing 
to  his  pilot.  The  master-atten- 
dant at  Woolwich,  stated  that  he 
was  at  London  at  the  time  the 
accident  happened,  by  direction  of 
Sir  Byam  Martin.  If  he  had  been 
at  Woolwich,  Powell,  the  pih»t, 
should  not  have  taken  charge  of  the 
Pluto.  The  last  time  Powell  took 
witness  down  the  river,  witness  was 
forced  to  take  charge  of  the  vessel 
out  of  his  hands.  Powell  was  a 
nervous  frightened  creature,  and 
he  did  not  think  he  had  t>een  on 
board  a  steam  vessel  above  two  or 
three  times  in  his  life.  The 
Quarter^Master    oX   the    Pluto^ 


AUG.] 


CHRONICLE. 


1« 


stated,  that  he  wu  Kt  the  hdn 
when  the  accident  occurred ;  b« 
received  all  his  orders  from  the 
pilot;  eometiiueB  the  commander 
repeated  the  orders  after  the  pilot. 
The  witDess,  as  well  as  others, 
Btated,thatiftheFIutohadai9Swer< 
ed  her  helm,  as  might  have  been 
expected,  she  would  hare  cleared 
the  barge. 

Lieuteoant  Bucbanan  presented 
a  written  narrative  to  the  court, 
stating,  that,  on  Powell  coming  on 
board,  he  was  obliged  to  receive 
him  as  a  branch-pilot  in  preference 
to  any  person  not  having  a  branch, 
which  was  an  established  custom 
in  the  navy.  He  had  no  reason  to 
doubt  the  ability  of  his  pilot,  and 
had  he  at  the  moment  ordered  the 
helm  to  be  put  "hard  a  port,"  the 
Pluto  must  have  run  down  the 
other  barge.  From  the  rapidity 
of  steam  vessels  he  considereo  him- 
self more  in  the  hands  and  power 
of  his  pilot  than  had  he  commanded 
any  other  vessel. 

The  master  ofthe  William  and 
Mary  Royal  yatch,  stated.a  branch- 
pilot  CHn  supersede  any  other,  the 
moment  be  goes  on  board.  Had 
known  an  instance  where  a  branch- 
pilot  was  refiised,  and  recovered 
his  money  due  for  the  pilotage. 
— Mr.  Oliver  Laing.  On  Sunday 
the  25th  of  July,  he  was  on  board 
the  Pluto,  when  Mr.  Powell  came 
on  board :  he  said  that  he  was  sent 
on  board  by  order  of  Mr,  Brown, 
the  diaster  attendant,  and  that  he 
was  a  branch-pilot,  and  as  such  he 
could  supersede  thie  mate  of  the 
Comet. — Lieutenant  Buchanan  re- 
plied, that  as  he  was  a  branch- 
pilot,  he  would  allow  him  to  take 
charge. — Johu  Buxton,  cleric  to 
the  master-attendant,  stated,  that 
he  did  not  send  Powell  to  take 
charge  of  the  Pluto.  He  met 
Powdl  by  the  VEt«r>nde,  who 


•died  him,  if  bdt  pilot  had  been 
appointed  to  the  Rut».  Witness 
told  him  that  he  believed  not.  He 
then  turned  round  and  said,  that 
he  would  go  on  board  the  Pluto 
and  see,  or  words  to  that  efiect. 

After  a  short  deliberation,  the 
Judge  advocate  announced,  that 
it  was  the  unanimous  opinion  of 
the  court,  that  the  accident  arose 
from  the  ignorance  of  Richard 
Powell,  the  pilot,  and  that  no 
blame  was  attached  to  Lieutenant 
Buchanan,  or  to  Mr.  Davis,  the 
second- m aster ;  and  they  were  ac- 
quitted. 

2.  IsQVEST. — Five  Fj!rso><s 
Drowned. — An  inquest  was  held 
on  the  bodies  of  Sarah  Winter  and 
Chai'les  Edgar,  who,  along  with 
three  others,  had  been  drowned  in 
the  Thames,  by  the  ujisetting  of  a 
boat,  auppdsed  to  have  been  occa- 
sioned by  the  too  near  approach  of 
a  steam-vessel. — It  appeared  from 
the  evidence,  that,  on  Sunday 
morning  last,  a  party  of  friends, 
consisting  of  four  men,  two  women, 
and  three  children,  in  the  whole 
nine  persons,  embarked  from  a 
ivharf  near  the  old  London-bridge, 
on  board  a  jotly-boat  belonging  to 
tliu  Smith  Hoy,  proceeded  down 
the  river,  and  spent  the  day  at  the 
Barge-house,  opi>osite  the  royal 
arsenal  at  Woolwich.  About  hve 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  they  em- 
barked again,  and  having  little 
wind,  the  deceased,  C.  Edgar, 
having  the  command  of  the  boat, 
set  the  sails.  When  nearly  oppo- 
site the  Upper-sand- wharf,  on  the 
Essex  shore,  one  of  the  oars  hai>- 
pened  to  slip  overboard,  and  the 
sails  were  struck  to  recover  it. 
When  this  was  effected,  owing  to 
something  being  wrong  aloft,  the 
deceased  clambered  up  the  mast, 
at  the  time  the  Comet  government 
ateani-pscket  was  proceeding  on 


124 


ANNUAL    REGISTER.       tissi. 


Ler  \Tay  to  London,  at  a  moderate 
rate.  The  swell  produced  by  the 
Comet  struck  the  boat  ou  the 
broadside,  while  the  deceased  was 
iu  the  act  of  descending  the  mast, 
and  he  having  missed  his  foot- 
hold, his  weight  resting  on  the 
upper  part  of  the  mast,  upset  the 
boat,  the  whole  party  were  preci- 
pitated into  the  river,  and  five  of 
them  were  drowned. — The  Jury 
found  a  verdict  of  **  Accidental 
Death." 

4.  A  water -spout  burst  upon 
the  Clidagh  mountains  (co.  Kerry), 
within  two  miles  of  the  Bailey  vour- 
ney  road,  by  which  a  vast  tract  of 
ground  under  tillage  was  totally 
destroyed,  and  nine  persons  lost 
their  lives.  The  Glaufesk  bridge 
was  covered,  and  the  battlements 
swept  away.  The  bed  of  the  Flesk 
river  is  thirty-eight  feet  from  the 
centre  arch  of  the  bridge,  but,  in 
five  minutes,  the  water  flowed  over 
the  battlements.  Three  houses 
were  swept  away.  The  flood,  at 
its  height,  appeared  like  an  arm  of 
the  sea;  its  depth  in  the  valley  was 
from  fifteen  to  sixteen  feet,  and  in 
breadth  it  was  upwards  of  300  yards. 
The  ground,  which  a  few  minutes 
before  was  adorned  with  a  rich  lux- 
uriant harvest,  was  covered  with 
sand,  rocks,  stones,  &c.,  three  feet 
deep;  and  it  will  require  three 
years'  labour  before  it  will  be  pro- 
ductive to  the  owners. 

Poisoning. — Mary  Ann  Hig- 
gins,  aged  19,  and  Edward  Clarke, 
aged  21,  were  indicted  for  the  wil- 
ful murder  of  William  Higgins,  at 
Coventry,  on  the  22nd  of  March 
last,  by  administering  to  him  three 
drachms  of  arsenic.  In  a  second  count 
of  the  indictment,  the  prisoner  Hig- 
gins was  charged  as  principal,  and 
Clarke  as  accessory.  —  William 
Higgins,  the  deceased,  was  a  man 
io  an  humble  station  of  life^  whg 


had  saved  a  little  money^  upwards 
of  ]  00/.,  which  he  had  placed  out 
at  interest.    Upon  the  death  of 
his  only  brother,  who  left  four  or 
five  children  behind  him,  the  de- 
ceased, being  himself  unmarried^ 
took  one  of  the  children  (the  female 
prisoner)   to   live  with  him,  and 
reared  her,  intending  also  to  leave 
her,  at  his  death,  the  little  money 
he  possessed.     About  the  begin- 
ning of  the  present  year,  a  court- 
ship commenced  between  the  girl 
and  the  prisoner  Clarke^  who  was 
an  apprentice  at  the  watch-fieu^ry 
of  Messrs.  Vale  and  Co.,  at  Coventry, 
in  the  course  of  which  he  evidently 
acquired  considerable  influence  over 
her  mind.  He  was  observed,  within 
the  last  few  weeks,  to  be  in  pos- 
session of  more  money  than  usual, 
including  one  or  two  golden  guineas, 
a  denomination  of  coin  of  which  the 
deceased's  savings  were  supposed 
principally  tohave  consisted;  and  he 
boasted  on  more  than  one  occasion, 
that  he  had  only  to  go  to  the  old 
man's  house  whenever  he  wanted 
money.     On  Tuesday,  the  22nd 
of  March,  the  female  prisoner  went 
into  a  druggist's  shop,  and  asked 
for  twopenny-worth  of  arsenic  to 
destroy  rats.     The  young  man  in 
the  shop  told  her  that  she  could 
not  have  it,  except  in  the  presence 
of  a  witness,  upon  which  she  went 
away  and  did  not  return.     She 
afterwards  went  to  another  shop 
of  the  same  description,  and  made 
a  similar    application,    to  which 
she  received  the  like  answer.  Upon 
this  she  observed  that  she  did  not 
know  what  she  was  to  do,  as  she 
came  from  the  country.  She  added, 
however,  that  she  had  a  sister  re- 
siding at  Coventry,  and  she  would 
go  and  fetch  her.     She  then  left 
the  shop,  and,  when  passing  through 
Spon -street,  she  met  a  girl  named 
^lizal^th  Russel,  who  told  hof 


AUG.] 


CHRONICLE. 


125 


that  sbe  was  going  to  the  factory 
(Vale  and  Go's),  upon  which  the 
prisoner  said,  •*  Just  come  with  me 
as    fai'    as    Messrs.   Wyly's,    the 
druggist,  and  I  will  then  accom« 
pany  you  to  the  factory."     Eliza- 
beth  Russel  asked  her  what  she 
wanted   at    the  druggist's  ?     To 
which  she  replied,  that  she  wanted 
some  arsenic  to  destroy  rats.    The 
girl  then  accompanied  her  to  the 
druggist's,  where  she  received  the 
arsenic  in   her  presence,   with  a 
label  upon  the  paper,  having  the 
words  "arsenic,  poison,"  printed 
on  it.     She  inquired  of  the  shop- 
man how  she  was  to  use  it,  in  order 
to  destroy  the  rats,  and  he  told  her 
she  might  mix  it  up  with  some 
bread,  or  some  substance  of  that 
kind.     She  then  left  the  shop,  and, 
on  going  into  the  street,  she  tore 
off  the  label,  saying  at  the  same 
time  to  the  other  girl,  '*  What  has 
he  stuck  this  on  for?"  They  walked 
together  as  far  as  the  factory,  which 
they  reached  as  the  men  were  com- 
ing out  of  it  to  go  to  their  dinners, 
it  being  then   about  one  o'clock. 
They  here  parted,   and   Higgins 
was  joined  by  Clai'ke,  who  walked 
with    her    towards     her     uncle's 
house.      A    waggoner,    who   was 
passing  along  the   street  shortly 
afterwards,  observed  Clarke  enter- 
ing the  uncle's  house,  and    the 
niece    next    moment   closed    the 
door,  which  Clarke  had  left  open 
after  him.     At  two  o'clock  Clarke 
returned  to  his  work  at  the  fac- 
tory,  and  remained   there    until 
eight  in  the  evening.     About  nine 
he  was  observed  standing  at  the 
entry  that  led  from  the  deceased's 
hotise  to  a  yard  where  there  was  a 
certain  convenience,  from   which 
the  old  man  was  seen  apparently 
returning.      The  niece  was  also 
observed   standing  at   the  entry. 
Whilst  the  old  man  was  in  t£e 


yard,  a  particular  kind  of  noise  was 
heard,  and  the  place  afterwards  ex- 
hibited the  appearance  of  a  person 
having  been  vomiting  there.     At 
about  one  o'clock  at  midnight,  the 
female  prisoher  knocked  up  an  old 
woman,  named  Green,  who  lived 
a  few  doors  off,  and  implored  her, 
for   God's  sake,   to  come  to  her 
uncle,   who  was  taken    very   ill. 
Mrs.  Green  accordingly  got  out  of 
bed,  put  on  her  gown,  and  follow-^ 
ed  her  over  to  her  uncle's.     On 
her  way,  Mrs.  Green  was  met  by  a 
man,  who,  when  passing  by  Hig- 
gins's   door   the    moment  before, 
heard  two  voices,  as  he  thought,  in 
the   house,    but    could    not    tell 
whether  they  were  the  voices  of 
a  male  and  female.     Upon  Mrs. 
Green  going  into  the  house,   she 
found  the    deceased    lying   upon 
his   niece's  bed,    with   his   head 
resting  on   his  left  hand,  in  the 
attitude  of  a  man  who  had  been 
vomiting.     Upon  going  up  to  him, 
she  thought  at  first  she  heard  him 
breathe,  but  found,  when  she  stirred 
him,  that  he  was  stiff.     She  called 
to  him,  but  received  no  answer. 
Observing  some  water  on  the  floor 
near  the  bed,   and  knowing  that 
the  old  man  had  been  subject  to  a 
complaint  which    she   called   the 
water-swamp,  she  proposed  going 
down  stairs  and  making  some  tea 
for  him.     She  and  the  niece  went 
down  accordingly,  and  while  be- 
low, the  latter  said,  "  Oh !  I  hear 
my  uncle  groan."    They  immedi- 
ately returned  to  the  room,  but  on 
Mrs.  Green  again  going  to  the  bed, 
she  found  that  the  old  man  was 
dead,  and  also  concluded  from  a 
more  particular  examination  of  his 
body,  that  he  must  have  been  dead 
for  at  least  half  an   hour.     The 
niece   wept    bitterly,  exclaiming, 
"  Oh   my  dear  uncle !   my  dear 
uncle  I    now  .  he's  gone^  all  my 


126 


ANNUAL   REGISTER. 


[1831. 


friends  are  gone  !"  She  told  Mrs. 
Green,  that  she  and  Edward  Clarke 
were  to  have  heen  married  on  Easter 
Monday^  and  that>  had  it  not  been 
for  her  poor  uncle's  death,  they 
were  all  to  have  iiad  a  jovial  day  of 
it.  She  said,  that  they  must  still 
be  married,  however,  on  that  day, 
as  she  was  in  the  family  way ;  that 
she  would  put  on  mourning  for  her 
uncle,  but  put  it  off  on  the  day  of 
her  marriage,  and  then  resume  it 
again,  it  being  unlucky  to  be  mar- 
ried in  black.  The  statement  of  her 
being  in  the  family  way  was  un- 
true. In  answer  to  previous  ques- 
tions from  Mrs.  Green,  she  said 
that  her  uncle  had  had  some  pea- 
soup  for  supper ;  that  he  had  been 
taken  very  ill,  and  gone  to  bed ; 
but,  after  she  had  retired  to  her 
own  bed,  her  uncle  came  into  her 
room,  and,  becoming  very  sick,  she 
got  up,  and  placed  him  on  her  bed. 
Mrs.  Green  observed  the  bed  in  the 
deceased'sroom  very  much  tumbled, 
as  if  by  a  person  who  had  been 
tossing  from  side  to  side  in  great 
pain.  There  was  also  a  quantity 
of  water  on  the  floor,  with  two  lit- 
tle lumps  of  bread  in  it,  like  what 
had  been  discharged  from  the  sto- 
mach. Some  other  of  the  neigh- 
bours being  called  in  to  assist  in 
laying  out  the  deceased,  Mrs.  Green 
went  away.  In  the  course  of  the 
morning,  between  six  and  seven 
o'clock,  another  neighbour,  a  Mrs. 
Moore,  called,  and,  on  seeing  the 
niece,  asked  if  it  was  true  that  her 
uncle  was  dead  ?  She  said  it  was, 
and  that  she  was  then  going  out  to 
purchase  mourning.  She  went 
out  accordingly,  and,  when  she  wa^ 
gone,  Mrs.  Moore,  seeing  the  place 
in  a  state  of  confusion,  set  about 
putting  the  things  to  rights.  On 
going  into  the  pantry,  she  perceiv- 
ed a  basin  on  the  shelf,  about  three- 
quarters  filled  with  pea-soup.    She 


took  it  to  the  window,  and  ttinred 
it  up  with  a  spoon  that  lay  in  it  | 
upon  which  she  perceived  that  it 
was  of  a  whitish  colour  and  thick 
substance,  different  from  the  usual 
appearance  of  pea-soup.  She  re« 
placed  it  on  the  shelf^  and  then  ex- 
amined another  basin,  containing 
a  similar  quantity  of  pea-aoufip 
which,  however,  was  of  the  usual 
yellow  colour,  and  of  the  ordinary 
substance.  This  basin  she  also  re« 
placed  on  the  shelf,  and  said  no- 
thing until  the  niece  returned^ 
when  she  asked  her  the  cause  <i 
the  different  appearances  of  the 
two  soups  ?  to  which  the  latter  re« 
plied,  that  she  had  thickened  one 
with  flour,  and  the  other  with  oat- 
meal. Mrs.  Moore*s  suspicions 
having  been  excited,  she  gave  the 
soup  into  the  charge  of  a  carpenter 
who  had  come  to  measure  tor  tbe 
coflin,  who  locked  it  up  in  the  room 
in  which  the  corpse  lay.  A  sur- 
geon was  then  sent  for,  who  opened 
the  body,  and  found  the  coat  of  the 
stomach  extremely  vascular  and  red. 
He  also  found  within  the  stomach 
a  pint  and  a  half  of  fluid,  which  he 
put  into  a  bottle,  and  which  he 
sent,  together  with  the  basins  of 
soup,  in  a  basket,  to  his  surgery, 
for  the  purpose  of  having  them  ana- 
lysed. The  fluid  taken  from  the 
stomach  was  afterwards  submitted 
to  several  chymical  testS;,  in  the 
presence  of  four  or  five  professional 
gentlemen,  all  of  which  led  to  the 
same  result — namely,  that  it  was 
impregnated  with  arsenic  All  these 
tests  were  admitted  by  these  gen- 
tlemen to  be  fallacious,  taken  indi- 
vidually, except  that  of  reduction 
— a  process  by  which  small  crystals 
of  arsenic  were  extracted  from  the 
metal.  The  result  of  this  and  other 
tests,  coupled  with  the  appearances 
which  the  coat  of  the  stomach  pre- 
sented,left  no  doubt  on  the  mincU  of 


AUG.]  CHRONICLE.  lOT 

tfaeinedicalwitneBseSitliatthedeith  gated  her  to  take  her  uncle'ilife; 
of  the  deceased  bad  been  occaaioned  and  that  he  (Clarke)  had  frequently 
by  bis  having  swallowed  a  auantity  beat«n  and  ilUuaed  her,  v^en  he 
of  the  aboi-e  poison.  The  pea-  did  not  get  as  much  monev  from 
soup  was  not  aoalyeed,  but  was  her  as  he  wanted.  The  conduct  of 
given  to  a  dog,  which  immediately  the  officer  was  severely  reprobated, 
threw  it  off  his  stomach,  and  sur-  The  drcumstaaces  ^  suspicion 
vived.  When  taken  into  cus-  adduced  against  Clarke,  consisted 
tody,  Higgins  told  the  officer,  that  of  his  statements  at  the  ftchiry  the 
she  had  not  purchased  any  arsenic,  next  morning,  of  his  baring  been 
and  on  his  saying,  that  Elizabetli  present  when  the  deceased  supped 
Russell  could  prove  that  she  had,  the  night  before,  and  hia  betraying 
she  admitted  it,  but  said  that  she  a  knowledge  at  an  early  hour  that 
had  only  used  it  to  destroy  rats,  the  old  man  was  dead.  It  appear- 
and that  one  lay  dead  under  a  par-  ed,  however,  that  he  had  made  no 
ticular  chair,  A  dead  mouse  was  secret  of  having  been  present  when 
found  under  that  chair,  but,  on  its  the  deceased  had  taken  the  soup 
being  opened,  there  was  no  appear-  which  had  proved  fatal  to  him,  and 
ance  of  inflammation  in  the  sto-  that  he  had  acquired  his  knowledge 
Riach,  which  there  must  have  been,  of  his  death  by  calling  at  his  bouse 
had  it  died  from  having  swallowed  next  morning  at  an  early  hour  to 
arsenic.  She  also  denied  having  inquire  how  he  did.  There  were 
any  money  in  her  possession,  but,  no  circumstances  to  lead  to  a  posi- 
on  being  searched,  a  box  was  found  tive  conclusion  that  he  had  been 
in  one  of  her  pockets,  containing  aitare  of  the  poison  having  been 
live  guineas,  in  another  three,  and  put  into  the  saui>,  or  of  its  having 
inapurse  one  guinea,  a  half  guinea,  been  purcliased  at  all.  Several 
and  a  seven  shilling  piece.  The  uHtncsses  gave  Clarke  a  good  cha- 
otficer,  when  conTeying  her  to  racter,  but  none  appeared  on  be- 
prison,  said  to  her,  "How  could  half  uf  Higgins. — The  Jury  ret  urn - 
you  be  over-persuaded  to  do  such  ed  a.  verdict,  acquiltiitg  Edward 
a  thing?"  to  which  she  replied  Clarke,  but  linding  Mary  Ann 
that  shehad  not  been  persuaded  by  Higgins  GuUli/.—The  Judge  then 
any  person,  she  had  done  it  herself,  sentenced  the  wretcheil  girl  to  be 
She  said  she  had  put  two  tea-  executed  at  Coventry  on  the  fol- 
spoonfulls  of  arsenic  into  a  basin,  louiiig  Thursday,  and  iier  body  to 
and  poured  the  soup  over  it,  and  lie  dissected. 
tlien gave  that  to  her  uncle.  Har-  11.  Huriiicame  at  Bahba- 
ing  extracted  this  confiession  fram  does. — On  the  1 1th  of  August,  a 
her,  the  officer  then  told  her  not  to  dreadful  hurricane  visited  Bar- 
say  any  thing  that  might  crimi-  badoes,  by  whicli  almost  every 
nateher.  Wben  before  the  coroner,  house  waseilher  destroyed  or  in- 
sfae  said  at  first  that  Clarke  had  jureil.  The  government  house  was 
received  of  her  only  two  guineas  un-roofed,  and  the  governor  saved 
and  some  silver.  Sne  said  this  in  liis  life  only  by  taking  refuge  in  the 
Clarke's  presence ;  but,  aftertbey  lellar.  The  Custom-house  was 
had  both  withdrawn,  she  was  per-  blown  down  ;  all  the  churches 
suaded  by  the  officer  and  another  were  damaged,  iSt.  Paul's  and  St. 
constable  to  return  to  the  room  Mary's  being  entirely  destroyed, 
and  declare  that  Clarke  had  insti-  This  tremendous   hurricane  was 


128 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


[1831. 


felt  also  at  Dominica^  St.  Vincent's^ 
and  other  islands.  The  appear- 
ance of  the  preceding  evening  (the 
10th)  indicated  unsettled  weather, 
and  many  persons  prognosticated 
that  there  would  be  a  gale  before 
the  morni  ng.  The  wi  nd  was  rather 
high,  and  about  ten  o'clock  there 
was  a  shower  of  rain,  which  was 
succeeded  by  a  calm.  After  this, 
a  dense  mass  of  clouds  gathered 
over  the  horizon,  and  remained  for 
some  time  suspended  in  gloom. 
At  twelve,  they  burst  in  a  severe 
squall,  which  was  followed  by  a 
heavy  rain,  with  a  smart  breeze 
from  N.E.  The  wind  began  to 
increase,  and  in  two  hours  it  blew 
a  tremendous  gale,  but  moderated 
for  a  short  time,  when  it  suddenly 
became  more  violent,  and  at  three 
o'clock  was  a  i>erfect  hurricane. 
From  this  hour  until  five  o'clock  it 
raged  with  unparalleled  violence, 
whilst  the  lightning  at  intervals 
cast  a  momentary  glare  on  the  ob- 
jects around.  The  houses  were 
either  levelled  with  the  earth  or 
unroofed ;  the  largest  trees  were 
torn  from  their  roots,  or  broken  as 
reeds.  Numerous  individuals  were 
buried  under  the  ruins,  or  threat- 
ened with  instant  death  at  each 
successive  blast  that  hurled  the 
shattered  fragments  in  every  direc- 
tion. The  wind  had  now  veered 
to  E.,  back  to  N.  and  to  N.W.  j 
again  it  shifted,  and  blew  fiercely 
from  E.,  veered  to  S.E.,  and  about 
six  o'clock  burst  from  S.  W.  with 
renewed  violence,  accompanied  by 
torrents  of  rain.  For  two  hours 
the  wind  and  rain  continued  thus. 
When  the  light  of  day  dawned, 
the  howling  of  the  winds,  and 
the  crashing  of  the  falling  ruins 
having  ceased,  the  shrieks  of  the 
afifrighted,  and  the  groans  of  the 
wounded  and  dying,  broke  in  piti- 


able sounds  on  the  ears  of  the  suiv 
vivors.  The  fields,  which  the  day 
before  presented  so  luxuriant  an  ap- 
pearance, were  completely  changed 
into  a  desert— neither  canes,  com^ 
nor  provisions,  with  a  few  inconsi- 
derable exceptions,  having  been  left 
on  the  ground.  The  houses,  as  well 
as  windmills^  were  thrown  down  ; 
parts  of  them  were  conveyed  to  an 
astonishing  distance ;  and  much 
costly  furniture  was  destroyed  or. 
materially  injured. 

1 7.  Storm.  —  Liverpool  was 
visited  about  three  o'clock  a.m., 
with  a  most  appalling  storm  of 
thunder,  lightning,  and  rain^ 
which  continued  with  unabated 
violence  till  aboiit  five  o'clock 
a.m.,  when  the  thunder  and  light- 
ning ceased,  but  the  rain  still 
poured  down  in  torrents  until 
about  six  o'clock  a.m.,  when  it 
abated  a  little,  and  finely  ceased 
about  ten  o'clock.  The  poor,  who 
inhabited  the  cellars  in  White- 
chapel,  and  about  the  Custom- 
house, suffered  great  privations 
from  the  rain,  and  were  aroused 
from  their  slumbers  by  finding  their 
beds  completely  covered  with  water, 
which  accumulated  to  that  degree 
in  their  habitations^  that  many, 
stepping  out  of  their  beds, 
found  themselves  up  to  their  waist 
in  water.  Several  grocers  and 
others  suffered  considerably  from 
the  rain  getting  into  their  ware- 
houses and  destroying  their  pro- 
perty. 

Between  ^ve  and  six  o'clock  on 
the  same  afternoon,  as  a  coach  was 
passing  Hyde-park-corner,  one  of 
the  horses  was  struck  by  a  flash  of 
lightning,  and  instantly  fell  dead. 
In  the  counties  of  Kent  and  Sur- 
rey the  storm  was  equally  severe 
as  in  the  metropohs.  On  the 
Maidstone-road  a  flash  of  light- 


AUG.3 


C  HRONICLE. 


129 


ningstruck  a  tree^  whicli  it  withered 
iu  an  instant,  and  killed  eighteen 
sheep  who  were  taking  refuge  un- 
derneath  it. 

Loss   OF  THE  ROTHSAY    StEAM 

Packet.* — At  an  early  hour  on  the 
morning  of  Wednesday^  a  severe 
storm  had,  more  than  usually, 
agitated  the  waters  of  the  Mersey  -, 
so  much  so,  that  an  American 
ship,  which  had  attempted  by 
means  of  a  steam-boat  to  put  to 
sea,  was  compelled  to  return.  At 
eleven  o'clock,  the  Rothsay  Castle 
steamer  sailed  from  Liverpool  for 
Beaumaris.  Her  deck  was  throng- 
ed with  passengers.  The  precise 
number  cannot  be  known,  because, 
in  addition  to  those  who  registered 
their  names  in  the  books,  many 
individuals,  by  whom  no  previous 
application  had  been  made  at  the 
packet-office,  were  taken  immedi- 
ately from  the  pier-head.  The 
captain,  crew,  and  musicians, 
amounted  to  fourteen  or  fifteen ; 
and  besides  these,  one  hundred 
and  twenty  or  one  hundred  and 
thirty  persons  were  on  board.  The 
greater  proportion  of  the  passen- 
gers consisted  of  holiday  or  family 
parties,  residing  in  country  places. 
In  one  of  these  companies  were 
twenty-six  persons  who  set  out  on 
an  excursion  of  pleasure  from  Bury, 
in  Lancashire. 

The  weather  was  not  at  all 
tempestuous,  when  the  packet 
weighed  anchor;  but,  soon  after 
her  departure,  the  wind  blew 
strongly  from  the  North  West  5  and 
as  she  had  to  contend  with  the 
tide  which  began  to  flow  as  she 
passed  the  Rock,  and  had  but  one 
engine,  her  progress  was  slow. 
When  she  arrived  off  the  Floating- 


•  See  "  A  Narrative  of  the  Wreck  of 
the  Rothsay  Castle  Steam  Packet,"  by 
James  Hews  Bransby.     London.    1832. 

Vol.  LXXIII. 


light,  about  fifteen  miles  from 
Liverpool,  the  roughness  of  the 
sea  alarmed  many  of  the  passen- 
gers. Mr.  Tarrey,  of  Bury,  who 
had  on  board  with  him  his  wife, 
their  five  children,  and  a  servant, 
being  under  great  apprehension  for 
his  own  safety,  and  that  of  his 
family,  went  down  to  the  cabin, 
where  the  captain  was  at  dinner, 
and  earnestly  begged  that  he  wouhl 
put  back.  The  captain's  reply  was, 
*^  I  think  there  is  a  great  deal  of 
fear  among  you,  and  very  little 
danger.  If  we  were  to  turn  back 
with  passengers,  it  would  never 
do, — we  should  have  no  profit.*' 
To  another  gentleman  who  remon- 
strated with  him,  he  is  reported  to 
have  said,  in  an  angry  tone,  "  I 
am  not  one  of  those  who  turn 
back."  For  the  space  of  two  hours 
he  remained  in  the  cabin,  and 
peremptorily  resisted  all  impor- 
tunities, observing,  that,  if  the' 
passengers  knew  him,  they  would 
forbear  so  to  trouble  him.  After 
dinner,  he  became  violent  in  hiB 
manner ;  and  his  language,  especi- 
ally to  his  men,  was  coarse  and 
abusive  in  the  extreme.  When 
anxiously  questioned  by  the  pas- 
sengers as  to  the  progress  of  the 
vessel,  and  the  time  at  which  she 
was  likely  to  reach  her  destination, 
he  gave  always  trifling,  and  often 
contradictory,  answers.  During 
the  early  part  of  the  day,  he  had 
spoken  again  and  again  of  their 
being  able  to  reach  Beaumaris  by 
seven  o'clock;  but  the  evening 
wore  away,  night  drew  on,  and 
they  appeared  to  be  still  far  from 
the  termination  of  their  voyage. 
They  were  long  in  getting  from 
the  Little  to  the  Great  Ormeshead. 
One  of  the  passengers  implored 
the  captain  to  put  into  Conway. 
His  reply  wte,  '^  God  keep  me 
from  attempting  it ;  it  would  be 
K 


130 


ANNUAL    REGISTER.        [I83l. 


certain  destruction/*     In  this  in- 
stance his  judgment  was  correct. 

It  iras  nearly  mid  night  when  they 
arrived  at  the  moutli  of  the  Menai 
Strait^  within  five  or  six  miles  of 
Beaumaris.     The  tide  had  for  some 
hours  been  running  out,  and,  in 
consequence,    had   impeded    their 
progress :  but  it  was  now  just  upon 
the  turn.     According  to  the  state- 
ment of  Jones  the  fireman,  and 
two  of  the  seamen  who  were  saved, 
they  had  "  rounded  tlie  buoy/'  at 
the  extremity  of  what  is  termed 
the  *^  Spit,"  and  had  proceeded  up 
tlic  river,  as  far  as  the  tower  upon 
Priestholmc,  or,  as  it  is  generally 
called,  I^iifiu  Island  ;  when,  on  a 
sudden,  the  steam  faile<l  to  such  a 
degree,  that  the  engine  had  not 
power  to  keep  the  vessel  in  her 
proper   course.     The  fireman,  on 
])eing    asked   whv   there   was   no 
steam,  said  that  tfie  vessel  had  been 
leaky  throughout  tlie  whole  voyage, 
and   that   some   time   before    she 
reached    the    Strait,    the    bilge- 
pumps  were  choked.     The  water 
in  her  hold  overflowed  the  coals ; 
so  that,  in  renewing  the  fires,  a 
considerable  quantity  went  in  with 
the  coals,  slackened  the  fires,  and 
made  it  impossible  to  keep  up  the 
steam.     She  now  drifted,  with  the 
flood-tide  and  a  heavy  gale  from 
the  North-West,  towards  a  bank 
situated  about  three  quarters  of  a 
mile  from  Puffin  Island,  and  known 
by  the  name  of  the   Dutchman's 
bank  ;  and  on  this  spot  she  struck. 
The  vessel  rolled  in  a  terrific  man- 
ner.    Lieut.  Atkinson  directed  the 
steersman  to  put  the  helm  a  star- 
board.    The  man,  instead  of  doing 
so,  put  it  to  port ;  when  the  mate 
observing  what   had  taken  place, 
ran  aft,  seized  the  helm,  and  put 
it  to  8tarlx)ard.     'Jlie  engine  had 
previously  stopped  for  abr>ve  ten 
minutes  ;  the  reason  was,  that  the 


eoalf  were  oirered  with  water,  tlie 
pumps  were  choked  and  quite  oae- 
less,  and  the  water  had  extingiiiali* 
ed   the  fires.     Finding  that  the 
^-essel  had  struck,  the  captain  cu«- 
lessly  remarked,  "  Ob,  it  it  tmlj 
sand,  and  she  will  toon  float.'*    Od 
this,  with  the  aid  of  three  or  fimr 
of  the  iiassengers,  he  oontrired  to 
get  the  gib  up."    It  was  unqoea- 
tionably  his  intention  to  wear  the 
vessel  round  and  bring  her  head 
to  the  northward.    The  cqitain 
begged  the  passengers  to  run  aft, 
in  the  hope  that  by  reraoring  the 
pressure  from  the  tteai  of  the  Tea* 
sel,  they  might  cuiae  her  to  float; 
and  when  this  expedient  failed^  he 
ordered    them    to    run    forward. 
Every  exertion  was  fruitless^  and 
all  gave  themselves  up  for  loat. 
Several  of  the  passengers  urged 
the  captain  to  hoist  flags,  to  fire  a 
gun,  and  to  make  other  rignab  of 
distress;   he,   however,  poritireljr 
refused,  declaring  that  there  waa 
no  danger,  that  every  thing  waa 
just  as  it  should  be,  and  that  the 
packet  was  afloat  and  on  her  way. 
To  every  one  else  it  was  ohrioui^ 
that  she  was  sticking  httt  in  the 
sand,  and  her  cabins  were  rapidly 
filling  with   water.    The  alarum 
bell  was  rung ;  but  in  1ms  than  a 

Quarter  of  an  hour,  the  dapper 
ropt,  and  could  not  afterwaru  be 
found.  Some  of  the  passengers 
continued  to  strike  the  bell  for 
some  time  with  a  stone  or  a  pieoe 
of  coal,  and  it  was  taintly  heard  at 
Beaumaris,  but  as  no  lights  were 
hoisted  on  the  mast  of  the  steamer 
(a  fatal  neglect!)  it  was  imnotsi- 
ble  to  know  whence  the  souna  pro« 
cee<led. 

The  moon,  though  in  a  alight 
degree  overcast,  flung  a  pale  and 
trembling  radiance  on  the  Sttr« 
rounding  objects,  so  that  tiiey 
were  distinctly  visible.    A  stroag 


AUG.] 


CHRONICLE. 


131 


breeze  blew  from  the  North  West, 
the  tide  began  to  set  in  with  great 
rapidity>    and  a  heavy   sea  beat 
over  the  bank,  on  which  the  steam 
packet,      after    ^'  dragging     and 
lurching"  for  more  than   half  an 
hour^   was  at  length   firmly  and 
immoveably  fixed.     It  was  just  be-< 
fore  this,   that  a  Liverpool  branch 
pilot  on  board,  William  Jones,  be» 
came  aware  of  the  full  extent  of 
the  danger.     The  poor  man  had 
that  very  morning  reached  Liver- 
pool from  a  foreign  voyage,  and  had 
joined  the  packet  by  way  of  recre- 
ation.     Fatigued   by   the  labour 
that  he  had  undergone  before  en-* 
tering  the  packet,  he  had  lain  down 
in  the  forecastle  to  sleep,  when  he 
felt  the   vessel    strike.      Hastily 
rushing  upon  deck,  he  exclaimed, 
'^  We  are  all  lost  I"  and  his  courage 
and  coolness  were  for  a  moment 
quite    overcome.     "  I  saw,"  said 
he,  "  the  quality  huddled  together 
in  the  waist  of  the  vessel,  and  the 
praying  and  crying  was  the  most 
terrible  sight  to  witness.     The  sea 
broke  over  on  both  sides,  and  took 
away  numbers  at  once.   They  went 
like  flights,  sometimes  many,  some- 
times few;  at  last  the   bulwarks 
went,  and  none  were  left.'*    The 
vessel  had  scarcely  struck,  when 
two  of  the  stays  that  supported 
the  chimney,  broke.     These  with 
much  difficulty,  were  again  made 
fast.     They  soon,  however,  yielded 
a  second  time,   and  the  chimney 
fell.     It  brought  the  main   mast 
with  it :  but  all  within  its  reach 
had   timely    warning,    and  were 
careful   to  get    out  of   its  way. 
^'  Just  now,"  says  Mr.  Coxhead, 
one  of  the  most  intelligent  of  the 
sarvivors,    ^^  a    singular    circum- 
stance attracted  my  observation. 
One  of  the  seamen  came  to  the 
binnacle,  deliberately  took  out  the 
lantern  which  it  contained  to  afford 


light  to  the  helmsman,  and  threw 
it  with  great  force  upon  the  deck^ 
breaking  it  into  many  pieces,  and 
of  course  extinguishing  the  light. 
I  cannot  bring  myself  to  any  other 
conclusion  than  that  this  was  in- 
tentional, although  the  man  imme- 
diately lamented  that    the    only 
chance  of  making  a  signal  was  now 
destroyed :  for  what  purpose  it  was 
done  I  cannot  tell  5  he  instantly 
disappeared,  and  I  saw  no  more  of 
him   to  my    recollection."      The 
steward  and  his  wife  lashed  them- 
selves to  the  mast,   resolved,  as 
seems  to  have  been  the  case  with 
several  other  husbands  and  wives, 
to  abide  the  momentous  issue  to< 
gether.     They  were  found  locked 
in  each  other's    arms.     The  pa- 
rents hung  over  their   children, 
and    mothers    perished    clasping 
their  little  ones.    The  carpenter 
of  the  vessel   was  seen  embrac- 
ing his  wife  in    the   extreme  of 
agony.    The  poor  woman  had  an 
infant  at  her  breast,  and  it  appear- 
ed to  be  almost  the  only  object  of 
her  care.     She  besought  a  young 
man  who  stood  near,  to  wrap  her 
shawl    more   closely  arouncf  her 
neck,  that  it  might  prevent  the 
water    from   touching  the  child. 
The  very  next  minute  a  tremend* 
ous  wave  washed  her  and  her  babe, 
and  eleven  others,  into  the  sea. 
With  a  last  effort,  she  raised  her 
hands  above  the  water,  and  held  up 
her  infant,  as  if  to  supplicate  in 
its  behalf,  the  pitying  eye  of  Hea« 
yen  !     Soon  after  the  fall  of  tlie 
chimney,  the  captain's  voice  was 
heard  for  the  last  timei  he  and 
the  mate  were  the  early  victims  of 
their  own  lamentable  imprudence. 

For  a  short  time  the  vessel  con- 
tinued to  resist  the  action  of  the 
waves.  She  was  beaten  and  tossed 
about  with  a  violence  which  made 
tht  hearts,  «f en  of  the  stoutest, 

K2 


132 


ANNUAL    REGISTER.        [1831. 


tremble  and  faint  within  them  -, 
for  it  threatened  every  instant  to 
dash  her  into  fragments.  About 
forty  of  the  passengers  were  now 
upon  the  quarter  deck^  clinging  to 
each  other  in  expectation  of  the 
moment  when  they  were  to  share 
the  fate  which  had  overtaken  so 
many  of  their  companions,  and 
occasionally  uttering  the  most  pite- 
ous cries  for  help.  On  a  sucfden, 
a  mountain  wave  rolled  towards 
them  with  impetuous  fury,  sepa- 
rated the  ship  in  two^  and  plunged 
them  headlong  into  the  foaming 
element.  Those  who  could  pre- 
serve any  degree  of  collectedness, 
endeavoured  to  catch  at  whatever 
was  floating  around  them  :  many 
grasped  at  the  slightest  object  that 
offered  itself^  but  they  either  were 
too  weak  to  keep  their  hold,  or 
were  forced  by  the  raging  of  the 
surge  to  relinquish  it.  The  small 
number  of  those  who  attached 
themselves  to  the  portion  of  the 
wreck  which  was  left  on  the  bank, 
gradually  grew  smaller  as  they 
sunk,  one  after  another,  under 
their  fatigues,  or  were  hurled  into 
the  deep  by  the  waves.  The  lives 
of  a  very  few  were  ultimately 
snatched  from  destruction. 

The  sad  catastrophe  was  not  known 
on  shore,  until  nearly  four  o'clock 
in  the  morning  ;  when  one  of  the 
pilots  at  Penmon  point,  in  Angle- 
sey, observed  what  he  thought  to 
be  a  vessel  *'  trolling  over  the 
Dutchman's  Bank  towards  Con- 
way Bay;*'  but  what,  when  he 
viewed  it  through  a  glass,  he  dis- 
covered to  be  the  remains  of  a  ves- 
sel on  the  sands,  with  a  man  cling- 
ing to  her  mast.  By  this  time  two 
other  pilots  had  come  down  to  the 
point,  and  all  three  instantly 
launched  their  boat,  hoisted  sail, 
and  directed  their  course  to  the 
wrecks  which  was  two  miles  dis* 


tant.  On  arriving  at  the  spot, 
they  found  a  gentleman^  Mr.  John 
Duckworth,  of  Bury,  supporting 
himself  amidst  the  surf  on  a  fra«« 
ment  of  the  steamer,  called  "  the 
belfry,*'  his  head  being  above  water 
only  at  intervals.  They  rescued 
him  from  his  perilous  situation; 
and  took  four  men  off  the  foremast, 
which  was  all  but  unshipped.  The 
pilots  inquired  of  these  individa« 
als  whether  they  thought  it  would ' 
be  possible  for  them,  by  beating 
about,  to  save  any  more  liFet. 
They  answered  that  all  ezoept 
themselves  had  been  swept  away 
by  dozens  and  half  dozens,  hours 
before.  The  pilots  then  made  the  * 
best  of  their  way  to  Beaumaris. 
Shortly  after  leaving  the  wreck 
they  picked  up  Mr.  Tinn^,  of 
Liverpool,  who  was  floating  on  a 
plank.  He  was  senseless,  and  had 
nothing  on  but  his  shirt  and  waist* 
coat.  The  church  clock  was  strik- 
ing six  when  they  reached  Beau- 
maris. About  half  an  hour  before 
this,  a  young  collegian,  Mr.  Wm. 
Lewis  Walker,  happening  to  be  on 
the  Green  at  Beaumaris,  had  seen; 
a  great  way  off,  something  which  he 
imagined  to  be  a  boatdriftingamong 
the  billows,  but  which  in  the  end 
was  found  to  be  that  part  of  the 
shattered  steamer  on  which  were 
nine  human  beings,  who  had 
hoisted  a  handkerchief  as  a  signal 
of  distress,  in  the  hope  that  it 
might  attract  notice.  Mr.  Walker 
manned  the  life-boat  at  Beaumaris^ 
and  proceeded  on  his  errand  of 
mercy.  —  Mr.  Williamson  of  the 
Campeadora,  a  yacht  lying  in  the 
Bay,  under  Beaumaris  Green,  im-i 
mediately  manned  his  three  hoats^ 
and  went  himself  for  the  purpose  (^ 
bearing  a  part  in  this  work  of  oom- 
passion .  From  the  direction  of  thd 
wind  and  the  state  of  the  tide,  it 
was  natural  to  conduda  that  toch 


AUG.J 


CHRONICLE. 


133 


part  of  the  luggage  as  might  floaty 
would  be  washed  ashore  on  the 
Carnarvonshire  coast;  and  under 
this  impression^  Sir  Richard  Bul- 
keley,  with  his  agent,  Mr.  Thomas 
Williams^  crossed  the  sands  at  an 
early  hour  to  Penmaen  Mawr^  and 
ordered  his  tenants  to  secure  for 
the  rightful  owners  whatever  might 
come  into  their  possession.  Scarce- 
ly a  boat  remained  at  Beaumaris : 
all  were  despatched  to  the  fatal 
spot.  Anxiety  and  sorrow  were 
painted  on  every  countenance  -,  the 
pursuits  of  business  and  pleasure 
were  suspended ;  the  yacnts  and 
other  vessels  in  the  Bay  had  their 
flags  half- mast  high. 

The  sufferings  and  perils  of  the 
few  who  survived  were  various.  A 
Mr.  Nuttall  was  one  of  a  group 
who  were  lifting  up  their  hearts  to 
the  Almighty  in  silent  but  earnest 
prayer.  Whilst  thus  engaged,  a 
heavy  surge  rushed  upon  them^ 
and  they  occasionally  knelt  down 
to  avoid  the  fury  of  the  dashing 
waves.  Scarcely  two  minutes  had 
elapsed  before  the  side  of  the  vessel, 
near  which  they  were  stationed, 
was  forced  in  by  the  sea,  and  they 
were  all  hurried  into  the  roaring 
abyss.  The  party  consisted  of 
Mr.  Nuttall,  Miss  Lamb,  Miss 
Whittaker,  two  little  boys  of  whom 
Miss  Whittaker  had  taken  charge. 
Miss  Walmsley,  and  others.  Mr. 
Nuttall  fell  head -foremost  into 
the  sea;  not  being  able  to  swim, 
in  his  first  struggles  he  went  over 
head  three  or  four  times,  and  each 
time,  as  he  rose  to  the  surface,  his 
temples  struck  against  pieces  of 
the  wreck.  He  was  about  to  sink, 
and  reclined  his  head  upon  the 
water  in  the  hope  that  death 
would  terminate  his  sorrows ;  but 
this  feeling  was  succeeded  by 
another,  that  it  was  incumbent 
upon  bim  for  his  own  sake  and  that 


of  his  wife  and  family,  to  use  his 
best  exertions  to  save  himself  from 
a  watery  grave.  He  lifted  up  his 
head,  and  observed  floating  near 
him  the  side  of  the  packet,  which, 
by  giving  way,  had  precipitated 
himself  and  his  friends  into  the 
water.  He  seized  it  with  some 
difficulty,  got  upon  it,  and  rested 
there  for  a  few  moments  on  his 
knees.  At  this  very  time,  a  boy, 
about  ten  years  of  age,  the  son 
of  the  steersman,  mounted  upon 
Mr.  Nuttairs  back,  and  notwith- 
standing every  entreaty  and  re- 
monstrance, clung  fast  and  would 
not  quit  his  hold.  Mr*  Nuttall 
was  encumbered  with  all  his 
clothes,  with  his  great  coat,  and 
with  the  additional  weight  of  the 
boy;  so  that  he  expected  every 
moment  to  sink.  He  perceived  a 
rope  hanging  on  the  outside  of  the 
quarter  deck;  after  a  desperate 
struggle,  he  grasped  it  and  found 
that  it  was  firmly  fixed  to  the  side  of 
what  remained  of  the  vessel.  He 
clambered  up  the  rudder- wheel  with 
the  boy  still  on  his  back,  and  at 
length  succeeded  in  reaching  the 
quarter-deck.  When  he  had  ob- 
tained a  footing  upon  the  wreck — 
for  the  packet  had  separated  some 
time  before  he  had  left  her — he 
heard  a  piteous  cry;  and  looking 
down  upon  the  surface  of  the 
water,  observed  a  female  hanging 
by  the  side  of  the  wreck,  and 
apparently  about  to  sink.  He 
knew  not  who  she  was,  but  being 
anxious  to  extricate  her  from  her 
appalling  situation,  he  descended, 
by  means  of  the  rope  before  referred 
to,  and  seizing  her  by  the  hair  of 
her  head,  placed  her  safely  upon 
the  quarter-deck.  With  astonish- 
ment and  pleasure  he  discovered 
that  the  individual  whom  he  had 
thus  rescued  was  his  neighbour^ 
Miss  Whittaker.    Jones  the  stew^ 


134 


ANNUAL   REGISTER. 


[1831. 


ard>  and  his  wifc^  were  on   this 
portion   of    tlie    packet.       After 
iinrrying  to  and  fro,  and  trying  a 
variety   of    expedients,   the  poor 
man  lashed  himself  and  his  wife  to 
the   mast  which   was   then  lying 
across  the  quarter-deck.     Several 
ladies,  all  of  whom  had  their  caps 
and   bonnets    off,     were     leaning 
against  the  bulwarks,  in  the  most 
acute  anguish  of  mind.   Their  dis- 
tress was  of  short  continuance ;  for 
in  a  few  seconds  the  waves  forced 
in  the   railing,   and  all  of  them, 
together  with  Jones  and  his  wife, 
were   swept    into   the    sea.      Mr. 
Nuttall,    Miss    Whittaker,   Jones 
the  Liverpool  pilot,  the  boy,  and 
two  gentlemen,  were  preserved  on 
the  quarter  deck  at  this  time,  by 
firmly  grasping  the  rudder-wheel. 
The  fragment  of  wreck  on  which 
they  were   left   was   about   three 
yards  square,  including  the  wheel. 
It  soon  began  to  float,  and  it  con- 
tinued to  do  so,  until  the  passen- 
gers upon  it  were  delivered  by  the 
Beaumaris  life-boat.     Whilst  they 
were  tossing  about,  they  picked  up 
three  gentlemen,  one  of  whom  was 
Mr.  Henry  Wilson,  of  Manchester. 
When    day-light    appeared,    Mr. 
Nuttall  pulled  out  a  silk  handker- 
chief from  his  pocket,  and  it  was 
raised  on  a  piece  of  wood,  in  the 
hope  that  it  might  be  observed  and 
prove  the  means  of  bringing  relief. 
The   party   could    perceive    indi- 
viduals walking  in  the  fields  on  the 
Carnarvonshire   side   of  the   bay, 
but  no  eye  seemed  to  glance  at  the 
distressed   and   anxious   sufferers. 
At  length  Miss  Whittaker  resigned 
part   of  her   flannel  petticoat   to 
serve  as  a  sail,  and  it  was  hoisted 
up.      They    continued     to     drift 
towards  the  Carnarvonshire  shore, 
but  still   seemed  to  be  far  from 
effectual  aid.     Mr.  Nuttall,  and 
Jones  the  Liverpool  pilots  then  de- 


termined to  seise  the  first  fngw 
ments  of  wreck  that  should  present 
themselves^  and  to  employ  them  as 
oars.  They  almost  immediately 
picked  up  two  pieces  of  woodj  ana 
with  these  the  raft  was  propelled 
by  them  on  the  bosom  of  the  deep. 
Whilst  they  were  thus  enffaged, 
they  saw  the  Beaumaris  life-bcMit 
on  its  way  towards  them ! 

Mr.  Robert  Whittaker^  braiier» 
of  Bury,  states,  that,  when  he  left 
the  vessel,  there  were  about  fiftj 
persons  on  board ;  of  whom,  some 
were  on  the  mast,  some  on  the 
paddle-box,  and  some  on  the  cross 
pieces  of  timber  which  served  to 
connect  the  wheels.  He  saw  Mr. 
John  Wilkinson,  of  Bury,  hanffing 
by  his  hands  from  a  piece  of  Iron 
that  ran  from  one  jpaddle-wheel 
case  to  the  other.  He  had,  him- 
self, clung  for  some  time  to  tbe 
same  object.  Mr.  Wilkinson  was 
crying,  with  importunate  eameet- 
ness,  for  mercy.  Mr.  Whittaker 
was  driven  by  the  waves  throaffh 
the  paddle-box  casings  into  ue 
sea,  on  the  higher  or  lee  side  of  the 
vessel.  After  he  had  risen  to  the 
surface  of  the  water,  he  seised  part 
of  the  casing  of  the  paddle-wheels, 
and  contrived  to  pull  over  it  a 
short  broad  plank,  at  right  angles. 
He  got  astriae  on  the  narrow  piece, 
and  lay  with  his  breast  on  the  other. 
The  narrow  piece  of  timber  was 
about  nine  feet  in  length,  and  four 
inches  in  breadth  ;  and  the  trans* 
verse  plank  about  five  feet  in 
length.  He  had  on  only  his  shirt 
and  stockings.  At  an  early  part 
of  the  night,  he  had  thrown  off  his 
coat  and  waistcoat,  and  just  before 
he  was  plunged  into  the  sea>  he 
divested  himself  of  his  trowsevs,  in 
the  pockets  of  which  were  eighty 
sovereigns.  On  his  frail  support 
he  continued  to  float  about  for  nine 
hours.     The  waves  occasiooaUjr 


AUG.] 


CHRONICLE. 


135 


beat  over  him,  so  as  to  threaten 
iinmediate  destruction,  and  it  was 
not  without  the  utmost  care  that 
he  was  able  to  preserve  his  seat  on 
the  timber.  After  he  had  been  a 
short  time  in  the  water,  he  con- 
ceived that  he  had  been  there  for 
several  days.  At  the  period  when 
the  dread  of  death  was  most 
powerful^  he  heard  the  sound  of 
human  voices  hailing  him.  He 
answered  $  and  in  a  moment  some 
one  cried  out,  '*  Hold  on,  my 
hearty !  "  His  deliverers  were 
Mr.  Williamson  and  the  crew  of 
the  Campeadora  schooner.  Mr. 
Whittaker,  it  appears,  had  long 
before  entirely  lost  his  sight.  He 
imagined  that  day  would  never 
break,  and  had  a  horrid  idea  that 
the  sea-birds  would  peck  him  to 
death.  He  was  astonished  when 
the  sailors  told  him  that  it  was 
open  day.  From  the  very  first 
shock  he  had  given  up  all  hope  of 
escape.  Just  before  the  vessel 
separated,  he  kissed  his  own  little 
boy  and  his  nephew,  and  bade  them 
farewell ;  and  at  the  same  moment, 
he  saw  his  sister  sink,  as  he 
thought,  to  rise  no  more.  On 
being  carriedto  the  Campeadora,  he 
was  rubbed  with  cloths,  and  warm 
water  was  applied  to  his  feet :  and, 
after  a  short  time,  he  recovered 
the  powers  of  vision,  and  felt  him- 
self comparatively  strong.  At 
eight  o*clock  the  next  morning,  he 
was  removed  to  the  inn  at  Beau- 
maris, where  a  most  affecting  in- 
terview took  place  between  him 
and  his  sister. 

James  Martin,  another  of  the 
passengers,  gives  the  following  ac- 
count of  what  befel  him  and  his 
friend  Mark  Metcalf: — **  Observ- 
ing several  individuals  on  a  plank, 
which  reached  across  the  vessel 
and  rested  upon  the  paddle-boxes 
on  each  side^  upon  this  phink.I 


endeavoured  to  get,  and,  aft:er 
some  effort,  succeeded.  I  then  ex- 
horted Mark  to  try  and  do  the 
same;  he  made  several  attempts, 
but  failed  through  want  of  strength. 
He  then  got  near  one  of  the  paddle- 
boxes,  and  laid  hold  of  the  iron.  I 
was  situated  just  over  hin^,  and 
had  frequent  opportunities  of  con- 
versing with  him.  The  waves 
were  continually  dashing  over  us 
with  great  impetuosity,  sweeping 
away  the  passengers  at  every 
stroke.  A  short  interval  of  ease 
occurred  and  I  looked  for  my 
friend  :  I  found  him  still  at  his 
post,  clinging  to  the  iron.  I  asked 
him,  if  he  had  a  firm  grip.  He 
answered  "  Yes ;  but  I  am  nearly 
exhausted.'*  At  this  period,  all 
the  passengers  who  had  previous 
hold  of  the  iron  which  was  under 
the  plank,  had  disappeared  from  the 
violence  of  the  breakers,  except  my 
friend  Metcalf  and  another  person. 
A  short  time  only  had  elapsed, 
and  I  saw  him  carried  away  by  a 
dreadful  wave  towards  the  paddle- 
box,  poor  Metcalf  exclaiming, 
•'James,  I'm  afraid  its  all  over!'' 
I  replied,  «'0,  Mark,  Mark !  lay 
hold  of  the  paddle-box!"  He 
then  attempted  to  do  so,  and  I  saw 
his  hand  laying  hold,  when  another 
wave  came  and  swept  him  right 
away.  '<0,  James!''  said  he,  as 
he  was  carried  into  the  sea,  ''it's 
all  over  now!"  I  then  saw  him 
throw  back  bis  hands  over  his 
shoulders ; — I  saw  him  no  more* 

*'  Shortly  afterwards,  the  plank 
on  which  I  myself  and  about 
twenty  other  persons  were  situated, 
gave  way,  and  we  were  all  pre- 
cipitated into  the  deep,  in  the 
midst  of  the  breakers.  I  rose  to 
the  top  of  the  surge,  and  struck 
out  my  arms,  in  the  hope  of  laying 
hold  of  some  floating  substance, 
when  I  prondeiiti»)ly  grasped  the 


136 


ANNUAL   REGISTER.        [igsi. 


identical  plank  by  which  I  had  just 
before  been  launched  into  the  sea. 
Oil  recovering  from  the  stupor  of 
the  moment,  1  discovered  two 
others  who  had  hold  of  the  same 
plank  ',  one  of  whom  was  without 
clothes.  We  were  not  long  in 
getting  into  smooth  water,  and  the 
tide  was  taking  us  on  towards 
Beaumaris.  The  naked  person, 
after  floating  some  time,  disappear- 
ed, and  and  shortly  afterwards  the 
other  individual,  leaving  me  alone 
with  the  plank.  As  I  was 
strugglingand  floating,  I  bethought 
me  it  would  be  much  easier  for  me 
to  get  on  the  plank ;  I  accordingly 
made  an  effort,  and  succeeded, 
after  which  I  found  myself  greatly 
relieved ;  my  chief  fear  now  was, 
that  the  tide  would  turn  before 
any  one  could  perceive  me,  and 
that  I  might  thus  be  carried  back 
and  lost  after  all.  Presently  I 
came  in  sight  of  Beaumaris  har- 
bour^ could  see  several  boats,  and 
perceived  chimneys  smoking.  I 
could  distinctly  see  boats  passing 
to  and  fro^  at  a  considerable  dis- 
tance, near  to  Beaumaris.  I 
shouted,  in  the  hope  that  some  one 
might  hear  me;  and,  flnding  a 
small  spar  with  a  spike,  I  en- 
deavoured to  secure  it,  and  suc- 
ceeded. To  this  pike  I  aflixed  my 
handkerchief,  waving  it  over  my 
head,  and  shouting  with  all  the 
strength  of  my  lungs.  Presently 
I  perceived  a  boat  making  towards 
me,  the  boat  was  brought  along- 
side^ and  I  was  pulled  in,  being  the 
second  rescued,  one  having  been 
taken  into  the  boat  before  me." 

Mr.  Coxhead,  another  of  the 
passengers,  when  the  chimney  fell, 
immediately  seized  one  of  the  ropes 
attached  to  the  mast,  and  folded  it 
round  his  left  arm:  he  earnestly 
recommended  some  of  the  females 
to  adopt  the  same  plan,  and  did  all 


in  his  power  to  comfort  them.  At 
that  part  of  the  vessel  there  were 
then  perhaps  forty  or  fifty  persons; 
nor  had  any  as  yet  been  washed 
away  from  it.  A  tremendous  sea 
however,  soon  struck  over,  which 
appeared  to  split  the  vessel  from 
one  end  to  the  other;  the  vessel 
''lurched'  so  much,  that  it  was 
upon  its  side,  in  almost  a  perpen- 
dicular position  'y  the  passengers 
naturally  clung  to  one  another,  or 
to  the  side  of  the  ship.  **This/' 
says  Mr.  Coxhead,  ''was  indeed  a 
terrific  moment;  the  sea  did  not 
immediately  wash  us  over,  but  we 
remained  for  an  instant,  as  it  were 
with  our  heads  touching  the  water» 
when  our  collective  weight  carried 
away  the  side  of  the  ship,  and  we 
were  all  at  once  precipitated  into 
the  raging  element.'*  As  he  rose^ 
an  agonizing  cry  reached  his  ear; 
it  was  the  cry  of  death.  But  all 
was  soon  hushed ;  those  who  could, 
seized  the  first  thing  that  presented 
itself.  "Although  when  I  went 
into  the  water,  1  had  forgotten  tlie 
circumstance,  I  found  myself  with 
a  rope  around  my  arm,  and  a  wave 
almost  immediately  carried  me 
against  the  side  of  the  wreck.  I 
came  with  great  force,  and  was 
knocked  away  a  second  time;  I 
tried  to  recover  myself  with  the 
same  want  of  success,  and  as  I 
suflered  much  from  the  bruises 
that  I  received,  I  thought  for  a 
moment  of  releasing  myself  from 
the  rope  : — Providence,  however, 
interposed,  and  I  caught  the  rope 
with  my  right  hand.  This  I  had 
before  been  unable  to  do,  and 
making  great  exertion,  I  threw 
myself  into  the  net-work  at  the 
stern  of  the  vessel.  Here  I  ma^ 
naged  to  support  myself  a  con- 
siderable time,  tossed  about  with 
the  wreck,  and  incapable  of  shewing 
my  bead  abore  the  deck  to  procurg 


AUG.] 


CHRONICLE 


137 


assistance.  After  the  lapse^  bow- 
ever^  of  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour, 
I  did  so,  and  preTailed  upon  two 
of  my  fellow-suflTerers  to  give  me 
a  hand^  by  which  I  was  enabled  to 
throw  myelf  on  deck,  and  seize  the 
rudder  wheel."  This  portion  of 
the  vessel  almost  immediately  after 
parted  from  the  wreck,  forming  a 
sort  of  raft,  which  proved  the 
means  of  preserving  nine  persons, 
who  after  floating  about  from  seven 
o'clock,  were  picked  up  by  the 
Campeadora*s  boat. 

Of  all  who  were  on  board,  only 
twenty-two  were  saved. 

Statue  to  Mr.  Pitt.  — 
This  day  a  bronze  statue  was 
erected  in  Hanover-square,  to  the 
memory  of  the  late  right  hon. 
William  Pitt,  on  a  pedestal  com- 
posed of  the  best  Scotch  granite, 
sixteen  feet  in  height,  exclusive  of 
the  statue,  which  is  ten  feet  high, 
and  weighs  upwards  of  four  tons. 
Mr.  Chantry  is  the  sculptor. 

19.  Coroner's  Inquest. — 
Cruelty. — An  inquest  was  held 
on  Elizabeth  Cooper,  aged  75 ; 
an  inmate  of  Cripplegate  work- 
house, who  had  been  afflicted  for  the 
last  few  days  with  a  bowel  com- 
plaint. On  Monday  evening  she 
retired  to  bed  about  nine  o'clock ; 
about  three  hours  afterwards,  she 
cried  out  to  the  nurse,  "Sarah 
Hunt,  for  God's  sake  come  to  my 
assistance,  I  am  very  sick  and 
dying."  The  nurse  told  her  to 
puke  away,  and  paid  no  attention 
to  her  cries.  At  length,  after  an 
hour  had  elapsed,  another  pauper 
got  up  and  procured  a  light,  and 
prevailed  upon  the  nurse  to  come 
to  the  assistance  of  the  deceased. 
As  soon  as  the  deceased  saw  the 
nurse,  she  exclaimed — "Oh,  you 
wretch,  I  told  you  you  should 
never  tie  my  jaws  up,  but  I  was 
mistaken  i  I  have  had  something 


out  of  the  cup  which  will  be  my 
death.''  The  nurse  said  she  should 
tie  up  her  jaws,  and  shortly  after 
the  deceased  became  insensible. 
No  doctor  was  called  in ;  and  the 
nurse,  after  remaining  with  the 
deceased  about  half  an  hour,  again 
retired  to  her  bed.  About  eight 
on  the  following  morning,  Mrs. 
Cross,  the  mistress  of  the  work- 
house, paid  a  visit  to  the  deceased, 
who  remained  in  much  the  same 
state,  but  still  no  medical  man  was 
called  in.  She  continued  in  this 
state  of  stupor  until  four  o'clock  on 
Tuesday  afternoon,  when  the  nurse 
came  up  to  the  bed  on  which  the 
deceased  was  lying,  and  while  she 
continued  breathing,  pinched  her 
nose  in  the  most  violent  manner. 
She  then  deliberately  took  a  piece 
of  rag  and  tied  up  her  jaws,  then 
tying  her  legs  together,  she  left 
her  for  a  short  time,  when,  finding 
that  she  was  not  dead,  she  took  up 
the  sheet,  and  thrust  it  violently 
against  her  face  with  her  handf, 
and  when  witness  remonstrated 
with  her  against  such  cruelty,  she 
told  her  to  go  to  the  devil,  and  not 
meddle  with  her  affairs.  The 
nurse  of  the  sick  ward  came  to 
visit  the  deceased,  and  finding  that 
the  wretched  woman  was  still 
living,  untied  her  jaws  and  legs ; 
some  wine  was  then  procured  from 
Mrs.  Cross,  and  administered  to 
the  deceased,  who  lived  about  half 
an  hour  afterwards,  and  then  ex- 
pired, without  having  been  seen 
by  a  medical  man. 

The  Jury  returned  a  verdict, 
that  the  aeceased  died  by  the 
visitation  of  God,  and  requested 
the  coroner  to  censure  the  conduct 
of  Mrs.  Cross  in  not  calling  in 
medical  aid,  and  also  to  reprimand 
the  nurse  Hunt  for  her  cruelty 
towards  the  deceased. 

Du«L  Bbtwbbn  Febngh  Von 


13S 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


[18&1. 


LiTiriANS.— -A  few  days  ago  a 
hostile  meeting  took  place  in  the 
Bois  de  Boulogne  between  general 
Sebastiani^  minister  for  Foreign 
Affairs,  and  general  Lamarquc, 
arising  out  of  a  speech  of  the  latter 
in  the  Chamber  of  Deputies^  in 
which  he  represented  M.  Lebeau, 
Belgian  minister  for  Foreign  Af- 
fairs, as  the  Sebastian!  of  Belgium. 
The  seconds  present  on  this  occa- 
sion, general  Jacqueminot  and  M. 
de  Rumigny,  were  chosen  by  ge- 
neral Sebastiani,  whose  adversary 
expressed  himself  satisfied  with 
their  presence,  and  declined  ap- 
pointing any  on  his  own  behalf. 
The  affair  having  been  arranged 
without  exchanging  shots,  a  detail- 
ed account  of  the  circumstances  at- 
tendant upon  the  intended  duel  was 
published  by  the  TribunCy  the  tenor 
of  which  betrayed,  on  the  part  of 
general  Sebastian i's  seconds^  more 
anxiety  to  settle  the  difference  with- 
out fighting,  than  is  usually  con- 
sidered consistent  with  the  honour 
of  the  principal  whom  they  are 
called  upon  to  represent.  A  letter 
was  in  consequence  addressed  to  the 
editor  of  the  Tribune  by  general 
Jacqueminot  and  M.  de  Rumigny, 
in  which  they  contradicted  many 
of  the  circumstances  stated  in  that 
journal,  and  entered  into  an  expla- 
nation which  general  Lemarque 
interpreted  as  unfavourable  to 
himself.  Another  meeting,  in  con- 
sequence, took  place  in  the  Bois 
de  Boulogne,  admiral  de  Rigny 
acting  as  the  second  of  general 
Sebastian i,  and  general  Harispe, 
for  general  Lamarque.  Two  pis- 
tol shots  having  been  exchanged 
without  injury  to  either  party,  the 
seconds  interfered,  and  the  affair 
was  amicably  settled. 

19.  Manuscuipts  of  Sir  W. 
Scott's  Works.  — The  MSS.  of 
some  of  this  celebrated  writer's 


novels,  were  sold  by  auction  bjr 
Mr.  Evans,  at  his  sale-roomB 
in  Pall -Mall.  The  prices  for 
which  they  were  sold  were  as 
follows :  —  Monastery^  18/.  j  Guy 
Manncring,  27 L  10^.;  Old  Mor- 
tality, 33/. ;  the  Antiquary^  A2L  ; 
Rob  Roy,  50/. ;  Peveril  of  the  Peak^ 
42/. ;  Waverley  (very  imperfect) 
18/.;  Abbot,  14/. ;  Ivauhoe,  12/.; 
Pirate,  12/.;  Fortunes  of  Nigelj 
1 6/. ;  Kenilworthj  1 71 ;  and  Bride 
of  Lammermoor,  14/.  14^. 

Musical  Phenomeitok.  — 
There  is  a  young  man,  a  nailor,  in 
St.  Ninian's,  whose  compass  of 
voice  is  so  great,  that  he  can  with 
facility  sink  his  voice  to  low 
(double)  B  in  the  bass  scale,  a 
sound  far  below  the  coaipass  of 
the  human  voice,  and  adapted  only 
for  bass  instruments.  This,  how- 
ever, is  only  one-half  of  what  the 
young  nailor  can  perform  ;  for  he 
can  with  equal  ease  ascend  firom 
low  B  to  the  regions  of  high  C, 
a  distance  of  twenty-five  notes.— 
Stirling  Journal, 

24.  CoUUT  OF  Chanoery.""^ 
A  case  being  called  on  which  was 
partly  heard  yesterday,  Mr.  Kin- 
dersley,  the  junior  Counsel  was 
proceeding,  when  he  was  inter- 
rupted by  the  Lord  Chancellor 
inquiring  whether  he  was  to  follow 
Mr.  Rose  and  Mr.  Montagu. — Mr. 
Kindersley  replied  in  the  affirroa- 
tive.  —  The  Lord  Chancellor.  .^^ 
"  Then  I  must  request  you  to  con- 
fine yourself  to  new  matter,  and 
not  repeat  the  arguments  I  have 
already  heard.  It  is  really  no 
pleasure  to  hear  the  same  argu- 
ments repeated  by  a  third  counsel. 
I  sat  here  till  twelve  o'clock  last 
night,  and  did  not  get  through  a 
single  bankrupt  petition.  We 
have  now  arrived  at  the  24th  of 
August,  and  it  is  too  much  to 
expect  the  Court  to  bear  arg«« 


AUG.] 


CHRONICLE. 


139 


mentfl  thrice  repeated.  You  must^ 
however,  use  your  own  discretioD, 
which  I  have  do  doubt  will  be  a 
wise  one."  The  Counsel  was  pro- 
ceeding, when,  in  consequence  of 
some  confusion  in  the  boay  of  the 
Court,  the  Lord  Chancellor,  in  an 
extraordinary  loud  tone,  called  upon 
the  officer  to  clear  the  Court.  His 
lordship  re|)eated  this  command 
three  times,  and,  it  not  being  at- 
tended to,  said,  '^  Stop  sir  3  I  will 
have  the  Court  cleared  ,  there  are 
persons  talking  louder  at  this  mo- 
ment than  the  Counsel.  Officers, 
clear  the  Court  of  all  but  Counsel 
and  attorneys  immediately."  In 
consequence  of  this  peremptory 
order,  the  officers  began  uncere- 
moniously to  eject  the  audience: 
but  after  a  time,  the  Lord  Chan- 
cellor said,  that  the  individuals  at 
the  sides  of  the  Court  might  be 
allowed  to  remain,  as  it  was  not 
those  within  sight,  but  those  that 
he  could  not  see,  that  made  all 
the  noise.  ''  Clear,"  continued  his 
lordship,  ''  the  body  of  the  hall, 
and  that  immediately."  The  hall 
was  then  cleared,  and  officers  were 
stationed  at  the  doors  to  prevent 
any  persons  firom  entering,  but 
those  who  had  business  there. 


SEPTEMBER. 

A  Wild  Man. — ^A  correspond- 
ent of  the  New  York  Courier, 
writing  from  Bath  (N.  H.),  states 
that  on  the  2nd  inst.  while  tra- 
velling five  or  six  miles  into  the 
country,  he  encountered  a  wild 
man,  in  a  state  of  perfect  nudity, 
bronzed  by  the  wina  and  sun,  and 
leaping  about  the  wood  with  all 
the  playfulness  of  an  ourang 
outang.  When  called  to,  he  seem- 
ed frightened,  and  ran  off,  for  the 
space  of  fifty  yards.     After  show*. 

iog  himself  on  the  edge  of  the 


woods  and  among  the  tall  bushes, 
he  finally  disappeared.  He  ap- 
peared to  be  about  twenty-five 
years  of  age,  and  his  movements 
indicated  the  possession  of  quiet 
and  graceful  strength.  Subse- 
quently it  was  ascertained  that  he 
was  a  harmless  lunatic,  who  had 
wandered  for  years  in  the  woods. 
When  clothes  are  put  upon  him, 
he  tears  them  ofiT  and  escapes  into 
the  open  air,  and  gambols  about 
among  the  trees  and  shrubs. 

Relics  of  thb  Aborigines 
OF  Caledonia. — While  some  men 
were  digging  peat,  and  clearing 
away  part  of  the  moss  of  Kincar- 
dine, they  discovered  at  the  bot- 
tom of  the  superincumbent  moss, 
no  less  than  ten  feet  below  its  sur- 
face, a  number  of  oaken  faggots 
charred  at  the  ends,  and  arranged 
in  a  circle,  in  the  centre  of  which 
a  fire  had  been  at  some  remote 
time  kindled.  These  faggots  had 
been  cleft,  and  there  were  marks  of 
edge-tools  upon  their  exterior  ends. 
Near  to  this  ancient  fireplace,  was 
found  a  shield  or  tareet,  wonder- 
fully preserved.  It  nad  consisted 
of  a  circular  oaken  board,  covered 
with  hide,  and  secured  by  thongs 
through  apertures  perforated  in  the 
board,  at  regular  distances.  Frag- 
ments of  the  thongs  were  distinct- 
ly discernible.  I^astly,  were  disco- 
vered some  weapons  of  brass,  edged 
like  chisels,  and  having  grooves 
ixxt  handles ;  and  a  hatchet  of  a 
very  singular  kind,  also  of  brass, 
or  some  such  metal.  An  orna- 
mented pike  of  brass,  curiously 
engraved,  was  also  found. 

Slave  CoN8PiRACY.--^An  alarm- 
ing conspiracy  was  discovered 
among  the  black  population  in  the 
slave  states  in  America.  On  Sun- 
day, the  4th  inst.,  the  first  inform- 
ation of  the  contemplated  rising 
of  the  blacks  was  sent  from  Sou£ 
WMhington.    The  discloiore  \ 


140 


ANNUAL   REGISTER.       pssi. 


made  by  a  free  mulatto  man  to 
Mr.  Usher,  of  Washington,  who 
sent  the  information  to  Mr.  Kelly, 
of  Duplin.  It  appears  from  the 
mulatto's  testimony,  that  Dave,  a 
slave  belonging  to  Mr.  Morissey, 
of  Sampson,  applied  to  him  to  join 
the  conspirators ;  stating  that  the 
negroes  in  Sampson,  Duplin,  and 
New  Hanover,  were  regularly  or- 
ganized and  prepared  to  rise  on 
the  4th  of  October.  Dave  was 
taken  up,  and  on  this  testimony 
convicted.  After  his  conviction, 
he  made  a  confession  of  the  above 
to  his  master,  and,  in  addition, 
gave  the  names  of  the  principal 
ringleaders,  and  named  several 
families  whom  they  intended  to 
murder.  Their  object  was  to 
march  by  two  routes  to  Wilming- 
ton, spreading  destruction  and 
murder  on  their  way.  At  Wil- 
mington they  expected  to  be  rein- 
forced by  2000  men,  and  supply 
themselves  with  arms  and  ammu- 
nition. Dave  and  another  of  the 
ringleaders  in  Duplin  were  exe- 
cuted. There  were  twenty-three  ne- 
groes in  gaol  in  Duplin  county,  be- 
sides several  who  had  been  whipped. 
In  Sampson  there  were  twenty- five 
in  gaol.  The  excitement  among 
the  people  in  Sampson  was  very 
great,  and  they  were  taking  effec- 
tual measures  to  arrest  all  sus- 
pected persons.  A  very  intelli- 
gent negro  preacher,  named  David, 
was  put  on  his  trial,  and  clearly 
convicted  by  the  testimony  of  an- 
other negro.  The  people  were  so 
much  enraged,  that  they  scarcely 
could  be  prevented  from  shooting 
him  on  his  passage  from  the  court- 
house to  the  gaol.  The  confessions 
made  induced  the  belief  that  the 
conspirators  were  organized,  and 
their  plans  well  understood  in 
Duplin,  Sampson,  Waine,  New 
Hanover,   and  Lenoir.     Twenty- 

Qne  negroes  bad  been  imprisoued 


in  Edenton,  N.  C.»  on  a  charge  of 
being  concerned  in  a  project  of 
rebellion.  Edenton  is  100  miles 
from  Southampton  county,  the 
scene  of  the  insurrection  in  Vir- 
ginia, and  nearly  200  miles  from 
Du])lin  and  Sampson  counties,  in 
North  Carolina.  The  almost  con- 
temporaneous out-breaking  of  the 
insurrectionary  spirit,  in  places  so 
distant  from  each  other,  was  deem- 
ed the  most  alarming  feature  in 
the  whole  affair. 

Coronation  of  William 
IV  AND  THE  Queen. —  As  the 
door  of  Westminster  Abbey  was 
the  place  where  their  majesties 
were  to  alight  from  their  car- 
riages, it  was  found  desirable 
to  erect  some  retiring  rooms. 
They  consisted  of  a  tall  pointed 
arch,  between  two  gables  each  ris- 
ing over  a  window  composed  of 
two  wide  lancet  lights.  The  arch- 
way opened  immediately  into  a 
gallery  or  passage  seventy  feet 
long  by  nineteen  vide,  which  was 
prepared  in  imitation  of  stone,  a 
high  wainscoting  of  oak,  and  a 
cieling  in  oak  panels.  The  apart- 
ment for  the  king  was  on  the  right, 
and  that  for  the  queen  on  the  left, 
each  being  entered  through  a  small 
antichamber.  Along  the  nave  was 
extended  a  platform,  twenty  feet 
in  width,  covered  with  matting, 
and  the  centre  with  blue  cloth. 
The  side  ailes  were  wholly  filled 
with  two  galleries,  supported  on 
flat  pointed  arches,  the  fronts  of 
which  were  exceedingly  well  co- 
loured to  harmonize  with  the  ge- 
neral tint  of  the  building.  Seats 
were  also  erected  in  the  vaultings, 
or  nunneries,  above  the  side  ailes, 
and,  as  they  projected  in  front  of 
the  arches  (which  had  not  been  the 
case  on  any  former  occasion),  they 
appeared  suspended  in  mid-air* 
All  these  were  let  to  the  public^ 

haviog  been  erected  hj  iodiirulaal 


SEPT.] 


CHRONICLE. 


141 


speculators^  on  contract  with  the 
Dean  and  Chapter.    As  the  organ 
of  the  Abbey  was  to  remain  in  its 
usual  situation,  it  was  considered 
desirable  to  raise  the  organ  screen^ 
in  order  that  the  performance  of 
the  vocal  and  instrumental  musi- 
cians might  not  be  lost  in  the  vast 
space.     On  the  new  stone  screen, 
was  raised  a  wooden   erection  of 
about  the  same  height^  so  as  to  in- 
close the  music  within  the  choir : 
and  the  front  next  the  nave  was 
painted    to    harmonise   with   the 
stone-work.     From   the  choir  all 
the  stalls  and  reading-desks  were 
removed,    and   the  platform   was 
continued  doM'n  the  centre,  while 
live  rows  of  seats  were  raised  on 
each  side  for  the  reception  of  the 
judges,  the  knights  of  the  Bath, 
the  aldermen  of  London,  and  some 
of  those  who  took  part  in  the  pro- 
cession.    Above  these   were  two 
other  galleries,  one  even  with  the 
organ-loft,  and  the  other  above,  to 
which   admission    was    given    by 
tickets  from  the  earl  Marshal.     At 
the  north-east  corner  was  the  box 
of   the    lord    great   chamberlain. 
An  ascent  of  seven  steps  led  from 
the  choir  to  the  theatre,  which  is 
the  name  given  to  the  space  in  the 
centre  of  the  church,  at  the  inter- 
section of  the  choir  and  transepts. 
In  the  middle  of  this  space  were 
placed  the  two  thrones — that  of 
the    king  elevated  on  five  steps, 
and   the   queen's  on    three,    and 
both  covered  with  cloth   of  gold. 
In   the    transepts,    the   first  ten 
benches  on  the  north  were  appor- 
tioned to  peeresses,  and  the  first 
ten  on  the  south  to  peers ;  those 
behind  were  allotted  to  the  holders 
of  peers  and  peeresses'  tickets ;  on 
each  side  were  galleries,  and  under 
the  great  windows  galleries  were 
raised  aloft,  which  were  approach- 
ed from  the  vaultings^  much  more 


accommodation  being  thus  pro- 
vided than  on  any  previous  occa- 
sion. The  number  of  privileged 
seats  was  calculated  at  5,300.  The 
peers  who  attended  were  each  al- 
lowed three  tickets^  and  others 
were  distributed  to  the  privy  coun- 
cillors, knights  of  the  Bath,  &c. 
in  various  proportions*  The  area 
(the  space  between  the  theatre  and 
the  altar,  in  which  the  coronation 
took  place)  was  wholly  hung  with 
purple  and  gold  silk,  the  pulpit 
and  a  bench  for  the  bishops  being 
placed  on  the  north  side,  and  in  a 
recess  on  the  south,  a  box,  hung 
with  crimson,  and  crowned  with  a 
guilt  cornice,  for  the  princesses^ 
and  towards  the  altar,  a  table  for 
the  regalia.  In  the  centre  stood 
the  coronation  chair;  near  the 
south-west  ]}il]ar,  opposite  the 
pulpit,  were  a  chair  and  faldstool 
for  the  queen's  use  in  the  early 
part  of  the  ceremonies  ;  and  at  the 
altar,  a  chair  and  fddstool  for  the 
archbishop.  Above  the  altar  was 
the  gallery  for  the  House  of  Com-i 
roons,  of  which  410  members  were 
present,  the  Speaker  with  his  em« 
blems  of  office,  being  seated  in  a 
state  chair  in  the  centre.  The 
house  met  at  half-after  eight,  and 
repaired  to  the  Abbey  at  nine,  in 
the  order  in  which  the  counties 
were  drawn  by  lot  from  the  glasses. 
Three-fourths  of  the  members  were 
dressed  in  military  uniforms,  or 
in  that  of  denuty-lieutenants  of 
counties,  and  there  were  at  least 
four  in  the  Highland  costume. 
Above  the  princesses^  on  the  south, 
was  the  king's  'own  gallery ;  and 
opposite  to  it,  on  the  north,  was  the 
gallery  for  the  Foreign  ministers. 

On  the  8th  of  September,  the 
Abbey,  from  the  earliest  dawn,  pre- 
sented the  bustle  incident  to  the  ap- 
S reaching  ceremony.  Labourers, 
reissed  in  scarlet  jackets  and  white 


142 


ANNUAL    REGISTER.        [i83i 


trowsers^  wereemployedtocomplete 
the  necessary  arrangements.  The 
pages  of  the  earl  Marshal,  about 
forty  in  number^  were  in  attend- 
ance to  conduct  the  privileged 
visitors  to  their  seats.  They  were 
gentlemen  who  volunteered  their 
services^  and  were  attired  in  a 
fancy  costume,  provided  at  their 
own  expense,  consisting  of  dark 
blue  frock-coats,  white  breeches  and 
stockings,  a  crimson  silk  sash,  and 
a  small  squash  hat,  adorned  with 
black  ostrich  feathers.  Each  was 
provided  with  a  gold  staff,  bearing 
the  arms  of  the  earl  Marshal. 
The  heralds  were  also  in  attend- 
ance, to  marshal  the  procession 
and  precede  it.  Companies  of  the 
Grenadier  and  Coldstream  Guards 
lined  the  platform  on  each  side  the 
nave.  Soon  after  five  o'clock  a 
royal  salute  was  fired  by  a  detach- 
ment of  artillery  which  was  sta- 
tioned in  the  Green  Park ;  and 
about  six,  the  whole  of  the  house- 
hold troops  arrived  in  St.  James*s 
Park,  ana  were  thence  distributed 
along  the  line  of  procession ;  some 
of  the  bands  remaining  to  amuse 
the  crowds  in  the  Park.  Along 
the  whole  line  of  route,  scaffolds 
and  galleries  were  occasionally 
erected  over  the  areas  and  open 
spaces ;  in  Parliament-street  they 
were  placed  before  nearly  every 
house.  The  church -yard  of  St. 
Margaret's  and  the  open  spaces 
opposite  were  entirely  covered. 
Besides  the  line  of  the  royal 
procession,  there  were  three  dis- 


tinct routes  to  the  different  doors 
of  the  Abbey.  That  for  the 
peers  and  others  entering  by  the 
west  door  began  at  Grosvenor- 
place  and  approached  by  Tothill* 
street ;  that  for  Poets'-corfler  be- 
gan at  Knightsbridge,  and  ap« 
proached  by  Milbank ;  that  for  tbe 
north  door  began  at  the  Hay- 
market,  and  approached  by  King-* 
street.  The  members  of  tbe  Houfe 
of  Commons  were  permitted  to 
take  their  ordinary  route  by  Par« 
liament-street,  but  were  set  down 
at  the  door  of  Westminster-hall. 
A  covered  platform  was  erected 
for  their  accommodation  across  the 
street  to  Poets'-corner.  The  car- 
riages were  all  moved  off  to  dis* 
tinct  places  of  rendezvous;  and 
the  strong  barriers  which  were 
erected  at  every  avenue  of  ap- 
proach, by  preventing  a  confluence 
of  carriages  near  the  line  of  the 
royal  procession,  enabled  a  rast 
number  of  spectators  on  foot  to 
witness  it  with  little  difficulty. 
The  state  carriages  of  the  Lord 
Chancellor  and  of  the  lord  mayor 
of  London,  with  their  attendants, 
each  formed  a  minor  processioD ; 
and  the  equipages  of  prince  Ester- 
hazy,  the  Austrian  Ambassador, 
were  in  themselves  a  splendid 
show.  The  carriages,  horsemen, 
and  attendants  destined  to  form 
the  street  procession,  met  at  Con- 
stitution-hill, and  at  half-past  ten 
o'clock  the  cavalcade  moved  for- 
ward in  the  following  order : 


A  Squadron  of  Life  Guards. 

The  two  carriages  of  their  Royal  Highnesses  the  Duke  and  Duchess  of 
Gloucester,  each  drawn  by  six  horses,  with  their  proper  escort  of 
Life  Guards.  In  the  first  were  Lord  Viscount  Deerhurst,  Lord 
Edward  Thynne,  Major>Gen.  Sir  Howard  Douglas,  Bart.,  and 
Lieut.-Col.  £dmund  Currey.  In  the  second,  their  Royal  High* 
nesses,  attended  by  Lady  Isabella  Thynne. 

Tbe  two  carriages  of  her  Royal  Highness  the  Duchess  of  Cambridge^ 


SEPT.]  CHRONICLE.  143 

each  drawn  by  six  horses^  with  the  proper  escort  of  Life  Guards.    In 
the  first  were  Lord  Viscount  Villiers,  and  Colonel  Sir  James  Henry 
Reynett,  K.C.H.     In  the  second,  her  Royal  Highness,  attended  by 
Lady  Elizabeth  Murray. 
The   carriage  of  his  Royal  Highness  the  Duke  of  Sussex,  drawn  by 
six  hdrses,  with  his  proper  escort  of  Life  Guards,  in  which  were  his 
Royal  Highness,  attended  by  Lord  John-Spencer  Churchill,  Lieut.- 
Gen.  Sir  William  Hutchinson,  and  Capt.  the  Hon.  Edward  Gore. 
The  two  carriages  of  their  Royal  Highnesses  the  Duke  and  Duchess  of 
Cumberland,  each  drawn  by  six  horses,  with  their  proper  escort  of 
Life  Guards.     In  the  first  were   Lord  Viscount  Encombe,   Lord 
Ernest  Bruce,  Lieut.-Gen.    Sir  Colquhoun    Grant,   K.C.B.»  and 
Lieut.-Gen.  John  Slade.    And  in  the  second,  their  Royal  High- 
nesses, attended  by  Lady  Sophia  Lennox* 
The  King  s  Barge-Master,  and  the  King's  forty-eight  Watermen. 
Ten  Carriages  of  their  Majesties,  each  drawn  by  six  horses,  and 

attended  by  four  Grooms  on  foot. 

A  Squadron  of  Life  Guards. 

His  Majesty's  Equerries  and  Aides- de-Camp,  on  horseback, 

two  and  two  (each  attended  by  a  Groom,  and  the  King's  two 

Yeomen  Riders  on  either  side). 
The    Deputy  Adjutant-general,    Major-Gen.  John    Gardiner ;    the 
Deputy  Quartermaster-general,  Major-gen.  Sir  Richard  D.  Jackson, 
K.C.B. ;  and  the  Deputy  Adjutant-general  of  the  Royal  Artillery, 
Colonel  Sir  Alexander  Dickson,  K.C.B. 
The  Quartermaster-general,  Lieut.-Gen.  the  Right  Hon.  Sir  James  W, 
Gordon,    bt.,   K.C.B. ;    the  Adjutant-General,    Major-Gen.   John 
Macdonald ;    and   Major-Gen.    Lord    Fitzroy  Somerset,    K.C.B., 
Military  Secretary  to  the  General  commanding  in  Chief. 
The  Master  of  his  Majesty's  Buck-hounds,  Lord  Viscount  Anson,  on 

horseback,  attended  by  two  Grooms. 
Six  of  his  Majesty's  horses,  with  rich  trappings,  each  horse 

led  by  two  Grooms. 

George  Head,  Esq.  Deputy  Knight  Marshal. 

Marshal  men  in  ranks  of  four. 

The  Exons  and  Clerk  of  the  Cheque  of  the  Yeomen  of  the  Guard. 

One  hundred  Yeomen  of  the  Guard,  four  and  four. 

The  Lieutenant  and  Ensign  of  the  Yeomen  of  the  Guards 

John  Gill,  Esq.,  and  William-Conyngham  Burton,  Esq.  on  horseback. 

Twelve  Footmen,  four  and  four. 
The  State  Coach,  drawn  by  eight  horses,  attended  by  a  Yeoman  of 
the  Guard  at  each  wheel  and .  two  Footmen  at  each  door,  and  the 
horses  on  either  side  by  four  Grooms;  the  Gold  Stick,  Gen.  Lord 
Viscount  Combermere,  G.C.B.,  and  the  Captain  of  the  Yeomen  of  the 
Guard,  the  Marquess  of  Clanricarde,  riding  on  either  side,  attended 
by  two  Grooms  each  ;  conveying 
HIS  MAJESTY  THE  KING :  HER  MAJESTY  THE  QUEEN, 
attended  by  the  Duchess  of  Gordon,  in  the  absence  of  the  Duchess- 
dowager  of  Leeds,  Mistress  of  the  Robes,  and  the  Countess  Brown- 
low,  Lady  of  the  Bedchamber  in  waiting. 

A  Squadron  of  Life  Guards. 


144 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


[i8dJ. 


The  procession^  which  was  under 
the  orders  of  Lord  Frederick  Fitz- 
clarence,  Gentleman  of  the  Horse 
to  his  Majesty,  assisted  by  Ralph 
W.  Spearman,  esq.  Chief  Clerk  of 
the  Stables,  and  the  other  officers 
of  the  Master  of  the  Horse's  De- 
partment, proceeded  by  the  route 
of  Pall-mall,  Charing-cross,  White- 
hall, and  Parliament-street,  and 
arrived  at  the  great  west  entrance 
of  Westminster  Abbey,  at  a  quar- 
ter past  eleven  o'clock. 

The  Great  Officers  of  State,  the 
Archbishops  of  Canterbury  and 
York,  the  noblemen  appointed  to 
carry  the  Regalia  (all  in  their  re- 
spective robes  of  estate),  and  the 
Bishops  who  were  to  support  their 
Majesties,  as  well  as  those  who 
were  tocarrythe  Bible,  the  Chalice, 
and  the  Patina,  assembled  in  the 
Jerusalem  chamber,  adjoining  the 
Deanery,  before  ten  o'clock,  where 
the  Regalia,  having  been  previously 
laid  on  the  table,  were  delivered 
by  the  Lord  Chamberlain  of  the 
Household  to  the  Lord  High  Con- 
stable, by  him  to  the  Deputy  Lord 
Great  Chamberlain,  and  by  his 
lordship  to  the  noblemen  by  whom 
the  same  were  severally  to  be  borne. 
The   Dean    and   Prebendaries   of 


Westminster  were  in  the  Nave,  in 
readiness  to  join  the  procession 
next  before  the  Officers  of  his  Ma- 
jesty's Household. 

On  the  arrival  of  their  Majes- 
ties at  the  Abbey,  at  a  quarter 
past  eleven  o'clock,  they  were  re- 
ceived by  the  Great  Officers  of 
State  and  the  Noblemen  bearing 
the  Regalia,  and  repaired  to  their 
robing-chambers  without  the  west 
entrance.  The  Ladies  of  her  Ma- 
jesty's Household,  the  Officers  of 
the  Royal  Household,  and  of  the 
respective  Households  of  the  Princes 
and  Princesses^  as  well  as  others 
who  had  formed  part  of  the  royal 
retinue  from  St.  James's  Palace, 
and  to  whom  duties  had  not  been 
assigned  in  the  solemnity,  passed 
immediately  to  the  places  prepared 
for  them  within  the  Choir. 

Their  Majesties,  having  been 
robed,  advanced  up  the  Nave  into 
the  Choir ;  the  Choristers  of  the 
Chapel  Royal,  of  W^estminster, 
and  of  St.  Paul's,  in  the  orchestra, 
under  the  direction  of  Sir  George 
Smart,  kt.,  organist  of  his  Majes- 
ty's Chapels  Royal,  sang  the 
anthem,  '^  I  was  glad  when  they 
said  unto  me,  we  will  go  into  the 
House  of  the  Lord,"  &c. 


Proceeding  from  the  Abbey  Door  into  the  Choir* 

Pursuivants  of  Arms,  in  their  tabards. 

Blanch  Lyon  Extr.,  G.  H.  Rogers     Rouge  Croix,  Rob.  Laurie,  Gent. 

Harrison,  Gent. 
Portcullis,  James  Pulman,  Esq.     Rouge  Dragon,  F.  Townsend,  Gent. 

Heralds  of  Arms,  in  their  tabards  and  Collars  of  SS. 
Arundel  Extry.  W.  A.  Blount,  Esq.     Norfolk  Extr.  Wm.  Woods,  Esq. 
Lancaster,  Geo. -Fred.  Beltz,  Esq.      York,  Chas.-Geo.  Young,  Esq. 
Windsor,  Francis  Martin,  Esq.  Somerset,  J. Cathrow Disney,  Esq. 

Richmond,  Joseph  Hawker,  Esq.        Chester,  Geo.-Martin  Leake,  Esq. 
Kings  of  Arms,  in  their  tabards  and  Collars  of  SS., 

bearing  their  Crowns  : 
Norroy,  Edmund  Lodge,  Esq.      Clarenceux,  Ralph  Bigland,  Esq. 
Prebendaries  of  Westminster,  viz..  Lord  John  Thynne,  Henry  Vincent 
Bayley,  D.D.,  George  Holcombe,  D.D.,  James  Webber,  D.D,,  Dean 
of  Ripon  and  Sub-Dean  of  Westminster,  Joseph  Allen^  D^D.^  <^d 
Thomas  Causton^  D.D* 


SEPT.] 


CHRONICLE. 


145 


The  Dean  of  Westminster,  Jolin  Ireland,  D.D. 
His  Majesty's  Vice-Chamberlain,  the  Earl  of  Belfast. 


Treasurer  of  his  Majesty's  House- 
hold, Right  Hon.  Sir  Wm.  H. 

Freemantle,  G.C.H.,  bearing  the 
crimson  bag  with  the  medals. 

The  Lord  Steward  of  the 

Household, 

the  Earl  of  Shaftesbuiry  5 

(in  the  absence  of  the 

Marquess  of  Wellesley,  K.G. ;) 

his  coronet  carried  by  a  Page, 


The  Lord  President  of  the  Council, 

Marquess  of  Lansdowne ; 

his  coronet  carried  by  a  Page. 


Comptroller  of  his  Majesty's 

Household,  Right  Hon.  Robert 

Grosvenor. 

The  Lord  Chamberlain  of  the 

Household, 

the  Duke  of  Devonshire>  K.G. ; 

his  coronet  carried  by  a  Page, 

and  attended  by  an 

Officer  of  the  Jewel-office, 

Thomas  B.  Marsh,  Esq., 

bearing  a  cushion,  with  two 

Ruby  Rings,  and  the 

Sword  for  the  Offijring. 

The  Lord  Privy  Seal, 

Lord  Durham  3 

his  coronet  carried  by  a  Page. 

The  Lord^  Chancellor  of  Ireland,  Lord  Plunket ; 
attended  by  his  Purse-bearer,  his  coronet  carried  by  a  Page. 

The  Lord  High  Chancellor,  Lord  Brougham  and  Vaux ; 
attended  by  his  Purse-bearer,  his  coronet  carried  by  a  Page. 

The  Lord  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  William  Howley,  D.D.,  in  his 
rochet,  with  his  cap  in  his  hand,  attended  by  two  Gentlemen. 

Her  Royal  Highness  the  Duchess  of  Cambridge, 

in  a  robe  of  estate  of  purple  velvet,  wearing  a  circlet  of  gold  on 

her  head  5  her  train  borne  by  Lady  Elizabeth  Murray, 

assisted  by  Col.  Sir  James- Henry  Reynett  5 

and  her  coronet  by  Lord  Viscount  Villiers. 

Her  Royal  Highness  the  Duchess  of  Cumberland, 
in  a  like  robe  and  circlet ;  her  train  borne  by  Lady  Sophia  Lennox, 

assisted  by  Sir  Colquhoun  Grant ; 

and  her  coronet  by  Lord  Viscount  Encombe. 

Her  Royal  Highness  the  Duchess  of  Gloucester, 

in  a  like  robe  and  circlet  5  her  train  borne  by  Lady  Isabella  Thynne, 

assisted  by  Lieut.-Col.  Edmund  Ciirrey  3 

and  her  coronet  by  Lord  Viscount  Deerhurst. 

The  Queen's  Vice  Chamberlain, 
Lord  Viscount  Valletort,  in  the  absence  of  the  Hon.  William  Ashley. 

The  Queen's  Regalia,  viz.. 

The  Lord  Chamberlain  of  her 

Majesty's  Household, 

Earl  Howe; 

their  coronet  each  carried  by  a  Page. 

Her  Majesty's  Crown, 

borne  by  the  Duke  of  Beaufort,  K.G. ; 

his  Grace's  coronet  carried  by  a  Page. 


The  Ivory  Rod 

with  the 

Dove,  borne  by 

Earl  Cawdor; 

Two  Serjeants 

at 

Arms. 


The  Sceptre 

with  the  Cross, 

borne  by  the 

Earl  of  Jersey; 

Two  Serjeants 

at 

Arms. 


Vol.  LXXHL 


146  ANNUAL    REGISTER.  [issi, 

THE  QUEEN, 

The  Bishop     in  her  Royal  Robes,  with  her  Circle      The  Bishop 

of  of  Gold  ;  her  Majesty's  Train  of 

Winchester,        borne  by  the  Duchess  of  Gordon,         Chichester, 
Charles  Richard       in  the  absence  of  the  dowager         Robert  James 
Sumner,  D.D.  Duchess  of  Leeds,  Carr,  D.D. 

Mistress  of  the  Robes,  assisted  by 
six  Daughters  of  Earls,  viz. : 
Lady  Gcorgiana  Bathurst,  Lady  Teresa  Fox-Strangways. 

Lady  Mary  Pelhani.  Lady  Theodosia  Brabazon. 

Lady  Sophia  Cust.  Lady  Gcorgiana  Grey. 

On  each  side  of  her  Majesty  walked  fire  Gentlemen  Pensionen. 

Ladies  of  the  Bedchamber  in  Waiting,  viz : 
Countess  Brownlow.  Marchioness  of  Westmeath. 

Maids  of  Honour,  viz. : 

Hon.  Miss  Eden,  Hon.  Miss  Bagot,  Hon.  Miss  de  Roofi, 

Hon.  Miss  C.  Boyle,  Hon.  Miss  Seymour,  and  Hon.  Miss  Mitchell* 

Women  of  the  Bedchamber,  viz. : 
Lady  Caroline  Wood.  Lady  William  Russell. 

TuE  KiNG*s  Regalia,  viz.: 

St.  Edward's  Staff,        The  Golden  Spurs,       The  Sceptre  with  the 
borne  by  the  borne  by  the  Cross,  borne  by  the 

Duke  of  Grafton  ;      Marquess  of  Hastings ;   Duke  of  St.  Albans ; 

their  coronets  each  carried  by  a  Page. 
The  Third  Sword,  Curtana,  The  Second  Sword, 

borne  by  the  borne  by  the  borne  by  the 

Marquess  of  Cleveland;  Marquess  of  Salisbury;  Marquess  of  Downshire; 

their  coronets  each  carried  by  a  Page. 

Gentlemen  Usher  of  the  Black  Rod,       Garter  Principal  King  of  Arms, 
Sir  Tliomas  Tyrwhitt,  kt.  K.S.A.      Sir  Geo.  Nayler,  kt.  K.H.,  C.T.S. 

his  crown  borne  by  a  Page. 

The  Deputy  Lord  Great  Chamberlain  of  England, 
Marquess  of  Cholmondeley ;  his  coronet  borne  by  a  Page. 

His  Royal  Highness  the  Duke  of  Gloucester, 

in  his  robes  of  estate,  carrying  his  baton  as  Field-Marshal, 

his  coronet  borne  by  Major-Gen.  Sir  Howard  Douglas,  Bart., 

his  train  by  Lord  Edward  Thynne. 

His  Royal  Highness  the  Duke  of  Sussex,  in  like  robes ; 

his  coronet  carried  by  Lieut.-Gen.  Sir  William  Hutchinson,  kt.  • 

his  train  by  Lord  John-Spencer  Churchill. 

His  Royal  Highness  the  Duke  of  Cumberland,  in  like  robeSj 
carrying  his  baton  ;  his  coronet  borne  by  Lieut.-Gen.  John  Slade  3 

his  train  by  Lord  Ernest  Bruce. 

The  High  Constable  of  Ireland,       The  High  Constable  of  Scotland, 
the  Duke  of  Leinster ;  the  Earl  of  Erroll ; 

lu9  coropet  borne  by  a  Page.  his  CQrouet  borne  by  a  P«ge. 


J5iPT.] 


CHRONICLE. 


147 


The  Earl  Marshal  of 

England, 
the  Duke  of  Norfolk, 

with  his  staff; 
attended  by  two  Pages. 


The  Sceptre  with  the 

Dove,   * 

borne  by  the 

Duke  of  Richmond, 

K.G. ',  his  coronet 

carried  by  a  Page. 

Tlie  Patina^ 

borne  by  the 

Bishop  of  Rochester, 

George  Murray,  D.D. 


The  Sword  of  State, 

borne  by 
E^rl  Grey,  K.G.  5 

his  coronet 
carried  by  a  Page. 


St.  Edward's  Crown, 
borne  by  the 

Lord  High  Steward, 

tiie  Duke  of  Hamilton ; 

Jiis  staff  and  his  coronet 

carried  by  two  Pages. 

The  Bible, 

borne  by  the 

Bishop  of  Exeter, 


The  Lord  High 
Constable  of  England, 

the  Duke  of  Wel- 
lington, K.G.  5  with 
his  staff,  and  his 
baton  as  Field-Marshal ; 
attended  by  two  Pages. 

The  Orb,  borne 

by  the 

Duke  of  Somerset  ; 

his  coronet 
carried  by  a  Page. 


The  Chalice, 

borne  by  the 

Bishop  of  Oxford, 


Henry  Philpotts,  D.D.  Hon.  Rich.  Bagot,  D.D. 


The  Bishop 

of 

Bath  and  WeUs, 

Geo.-Henry  Law,  D.D. 


THE  KING,        The  Archbishop  of  York, 
in  his  Royal  crimson    Edw.  Harcourt,D.C.L, 
Robes,  and  in  the  absence  of  the 

Cap  of  State  3  Bishop  of  Durham, 

his  Majesty's  train 
borne  by 
the  Marquess  of  Worcester,  the  Earl  of  Euston, 

the  Earl  of  Kerry,     the  Marquess  of  Titchfield,     the  Marquess  of  Douro, 

assisted  by  the  Master  of  the  Robes, 

Capt.  Sir  Geo.  Seymour,  K.C.H. ; 

and  followed  by  the  Groom  of  the  Robes, 

Capt.  Lord  Adolphus  Fitzclarence,  R.N. 

On  each  side  walked  ten  Gentlemen  Pensioners,*  those  on  the  King's 

right  hand  headed  by  their  Lieutenant,  H.  B.  Henrich,  Esq., 

and  those  on  his  Majesty's  left  hand  by  their  Standard-  bearer. 

Sir  George-Bartholomew  Pocock,  kt. 

Groom  of  the  Stole,     Gold  Stick  of  the  Life    Master  of  the  Horse, 
Marquess  of  Winchester;     Guards  in  waiting.        Earl  of  Albemarle; 

Gen.  Lord  Viscount 

Combermere,  G.C.B. ; 

their  coronets  each  borne  by  a  Page. 

The  Captain  of  the  Yeomen.  The  Captain  of  the  Band  of 

of  the  Guard,  Geptlemen  Pensioners, 

Marquess  of  Clanric^r^e ;  Lord  Foley  ; 

his  coronet  borne  by  a  Page.  his  coronet  borne  by  a  Page. 

The  Captain  of  the  Archer-Guard  of  Scotland, 
Duke  of  Buccleugh;,  K.T.  3  his  coronet  borne  by  a  Page. 


*  Instead  of  wearing  the  costume  of  the  time  of  Henry  8th,  adopted  at  the 
former  coronation,  the  Gentlemen  Pensioners  were  attired  in  the  full-dress  uniform 
of  Otficers  of  the  Guards,  with  cocked  hat  and  feathers. 

L  2 


148 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


[1831. 


The  Master  of  his  Majesty's  Buck-hounds,  Lord  Viscount  Anson ; 

his  coronet  borne  by  a  Page. 

Two  Lonls  of  tlie  Bedchamber,  viz. : 

Earl  Amherst,  and  the  Earl  of  Denbigh  ; 

each  attended  by  a  Page  to  bear  his  coronet. 

The  Keeper  of  his  Majesty's  Privy  Purse, 
Major-General  Sir  H.  VVheatley,  K.C.H. 

Exons  of  the  Yeomen     Clerk  of  the  Cheque     Exons  of  the  Yeomen 

of  the  Guard,  to  the  Yeomen  of  of  the  Guards 

Henry  Cipriani,  esq.,  the  Guard,  Charles  Hancock,  esq. 

T.  H.  Curteis,  esq.      R.  F.  Fitzherbert,  esq.     John  Hancock^  esq. 

Twenty  Yeomen  of  the  Guard. 

[^The  Knights  of  the  several  Orders  wore  their  respective  collars.] 
The  Prebendaries,  entering  the     Guard  stood  on  the  outside  of  the 


choir,  ascended  the  theatre,  and 
passed  over  it  to  their  station  on 
the  south  side  of  the  altar,  l}eyond 
the  King's  chair.  —  The  Vice- 
Chamberlain,  Comptroller,  and 
Treasurer  of  his  Majesty's  House- 
hold, passed  to  the  seats  provided 
for  them. — The  Dean  of  Westmins- 
ter, the  Great  Officers,  and  the 
Lord  Archbishop  of  Canterbury, 
ascended  the  theatre,  and  stood 
near  the  great  south-east  pillar 
thereof. — The  Princesses  and  the 
attendants  of  their  Royal  High- 
nesses were  conducted  by  the  Offi- 
cers of  Arms  to  their  box  on  the 
south  side  of  the  area. 

The  Queen,  preceded  by  her 
Majesty's  Vice-Chamberlain,  Lord 
Chamberlain,  and  the  noblemen 
bearing  her  Regalia,  and  attended 
as  before  mentioned,  ascended  the 
theatre,  and  passed  on  the  north 


entrance  to  the  choir. 

The  Princes  of  the  Blood  Royal 
were  conducted  to  their  seats,  as 
Peers,  by  the  Officers  of  Arms.— . 
The  High  Constables  of  Scotland 
and  Ireland  were  also  conducted  to 
their  places,  as  Peers. 

The  King,  ascending  the  theatre, 
passed,  on  the  south  side  of  his 
throne,  to  his  chair  of  state  on  the 
east  side  of  the  theatre,  opposite  to 
the  altar  3  and  tlieir  Majesties^ 
after  their  private  devotions,  took 
their  respective  seats ;  the  Bishops, 
their  supporters,  standing  on  eadi 
side;  the  Noblemen  bearing  the 
four  Swords  on  his  Majesty's  right 
hand ;  the  Deputy  Lord  Great 
Chamberlain,  and  the  Lord  High 
Constable  on  his  left ;  the  Great 
Officers  of  State,  the  Noblemen 
bearing  his  Majesty's  Regalia,  the 
Dean  of  Westminster,  Garter,  and 


side  of  her  throne,  to  the  chair  of    Black   Rod,    standing  about   the 
state  provided  for  her  Majesty  on     King's  chair,  and  the  Trainbearers 


the  east  side  of  the  theatre,  below 
her  throne,  and  stood  by  the  said 
chair  until  his  Majesty's  arrival. — 
The  Serjeants-at-Arms  went  to 
their  places,  near  the  theatre. — 
The  Gentlemen  Pensioners,  who 
guarded  their  Majesties,  remained 
at  the  foot  of  the  steps  ascending 
the  theatre ;  the  Yeomen  of  the 


behind  his  Majesty. — ^The  Gold 
Stick,  the  Master  of  the  Horse,  the 
Groom  of  the  Stole,  the  Captain  of 
the  Band  of  Gentlemen  Pensioners, 
the  Captain  of  the  Yeomen  of  the 
Guard,  and  the  Captain  of  the 
Archer-Guard  of  Scotland,  passed 
to  their  seats,  as  Peers. — The 
Queen's  Ofiicers,  the   Noblemen 


SEPT.] 


CHRONICLE. 


149 


who  bore  her  Majesty's  Regalia^ 
Iicr  Supporters,  Trainbearers,  and 
Assistants,  stood  near  her  Ma- 
jesty; lier  Lord  Chamberlain  on 
the  right  hand  ;  her  Vice-Cham- 
berlain on  the  left  -,  and  the  Ladies- 
Attendants  behind  her  Majesty's 
chair. 

27ie  Recognition, —  Upon  the 
conclusion  of  the  anthem,  his  Ma- 
jesty, attended  by  the  Archbishop 
of  Canterbury,  the  Lord  Chancel- 
lor, the  Deputy  Lord  Great  Cham- 
berlain, the  Lord  High  Constable, 
and  the  Earl  Marshal,  and  pre- 
ceded by  Garter,  repaired  to  the 
east  side  of  the  theatre,  where  the 
Archbishop  made  the  Recognition, 
and  repeated  the  same  at  the  south, 
west,  and  north  sides  of  the  the- 
atre, his  Majesty  turning  towards 
the  people  on  the  side  at  which  the 
Recognition  was  made :  the  people 
replied  to  each  demand  with  loud 
and  repeated  acclamations  of  "God 
save  King  William  the  Fourth ;" 
and,  at  the  last  Recognition,  the 
trumpets  sounded  and  the  drums 
beat. 

His  Majesty  then  took  his  seat, 
and  the  Bible,  the  Chalice,  and 
the  Patina  were  carried  to  and 
placed  upon  the  altar  by  the 
Bishops  who  had  borne  them. — 
Two  Officers  of  the  Wardrobe 
then  spread  a  rich  cloth  of  gold, 
and  laid  two  cushions  on  the  same, 
for  their  Majesties  to  kneel  on,  at 
the  steps  of  the  altar. — The  Arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury  put  on  his 
cope,  and  the  Bishops  who  were  to 
read  the  litany  were  also  vested  in 
their  copes. 

The  Ojfenw^.— The  King,  at- 
tended by  his  Supporters,  and  the 
Dean  of  Westminster,  the  Great 
Officers,  the  Noblemen  bearing 
the  Regalia  and  the  four  Swords, 
going  before  his  Majesty,  passed 

to  t^e  ^twr, .  Tbea  the  Que^n^ 


supported  and  preceded  by  the 
Noblemen  bearing  her  Majesty's 
Regalia  as  before,  went  also  to  the 
altar.  His  Majesty,  uncovered 
and  kneeling  upon  the  cushion^ 
made  his  first  offering  of  a  pall  or 
altar-cloth  of  gold,  which  was  de- 
livered by  an  officer  of  the  Ward- 
robe to  the  Lord  Chamberlain,  by 
his  Grace  to  the  Deputy  Lord 
Great  Chamberlain,  and  by  him  to 
the  King,  who  delivered  it  to  the 
Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  by  whom 
it  was  placed  on  the  altar.  The 
Treasurer  of  the  Household  then 
delivered  an  ingot  of  gold,  of  one 
pound  weight,  being  the  second 
offering,  to  the  Deputy  Lord  Great 
Chamberlain,  who  having  present- 
ed the  same  to  the  King,  his  Ma- 
jesty delivered  it  to  the  Arch- 
bishop, by  whom  it  was  put  into 
the  oblation  basin. 

The  Queen,  kneeling  on  the 
left  hand  of  his  Majesty,  made 
her  offering,  namely,  a  pall  of  gold, 
with  the  like  ceremony.  Their 
Majesties  continued  to  kneel,  and 
the  prayer,  ^'  O  God,  who  dwellest 
in  the  iiigh  and  holy  place,''  was 
said  by  the  Archbishop.  At  the 
conclusion  of  the  prayer,  their  Ma- 
jesties rose.  The  King  was  con- 
ducted to  the  chair  of  state  on  the 
south  side  of  the  area,  and  her 
Majesty  to  the  chair  on  the  left 
hand  of  the  King.  The  Regalia, 
except  the  Swords,  were  delivered, 
by  the  several  Noblemen  who  bore 
the  same,  to  the  Archbishop,  and 
by  his  Grace  to  the  Dean  of  West- 
minster, who  laid  them  on  the 
altar ;  the  Great  Officers,  and  the 
Noblemen  who  had  borne  the 
Regalia^  going  to  their  respective 
places. 

The  litany  was  then  read  by 
the  Bishop  of  Lichfield  and  Coven- 
try, and  Bishop  of  Lincoln,  vested 
in  QopeSj  mi  kneeling  at  a  fald« 


« 


150 


ANNUAL    REGISTER.       [i83l 


stool  covered  witli  blue  velvet, 
placed  alxtvc  the  steps  of  the  the- 
atre* in  the  middle  Af  its  east  side. 
Then  was  read  the  beginning  of 
the  communion  service,  the  Bishop 
of  IJandafI*  reading  the  Epistle, 
and  the  Bishop  of  Bristol  the 
Ctos[k»I.  The  sermon  was  preached 
by  the  Bishop  of  London,  his  text 
was  from  1  Peter  ii,  18,  "Submit 
yourself  to  every  ordinance  of  man, 
for  the  Lord's  sake,'*  a  passage 
which  had  just  been  read  in  the 
Epistle.  During  the  sermon,  his 
Majesty  wore  his  cap  of  state  of 
crimson  velvet,  turned  up  with 
ermine,  and  sat  in  his  chair  on  the 
sr)uth  side  of  the  area,  opposite  the 
pulpit ;  his  Supporters,  the  Deputy 
Great  Chamberlain,  and  the  No- 
blemen carrying  the  Swords,  stand- 
ing by  him.  Her  Majesty  sat  in 
her  chair  on  the  left  hand  of  his 
Majesty,  supjiortcd  and  attended 
its  before.  The  Archbisliop  of 
Canterbury  took  his  seat  in  a  pur- 
j)le  \'elvet  chair,  on  the  north  side 
of  the  altar.  Garter  standing  near 
him.  The  Dean  took  his  seat  on 
the  south  side  of  the  altar.  The 
Bishops  sat  on  their  benches,  along 
the  north  side  of  the  area.  The 
Prelxjndaries  of  Westminster  stood 
on  the  south  side  of  the  area,  east 
of  the  King's  chair^  and  near  the 
altar. 

l^he  Oath, — The  sermon  being 
ended,  the  Archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury, advancing  to  the  King,  ad- 
ministered the  Coronation  Oath. 
The  King  arose  from  his  chair  of 
state,  and,  attended  by  his  sup- 
porters and  the  Deputy  Lord  Great 
Chamberlain,  went  uncoi'cred  to 
the  altar,  where,  kneeling  upon 
the  cushion  laid  on  the  steps,  and 
placing  his  hand  on  the  Holy 
Gospels,  his  Majesty  took  the  Oath, 
and  added  thereto  his  royal  sign 
manual^  the  Lord  Chamberlaiu  of 


the  Household  holding  a  silver 
stand ish  for  that  purpose,  delivered 
to  him  by  an  officer  of  the  JeweU 
office. 

I'he  King  returned  to  liis  chair, 
when  the  hymn  was  sung,  (the 
Archbishop  reading  the  first  Hnet) 
''Come,  Holy  Ghost,  our  Bouli 
inspire/'  &c. 

The  Anointing. — Upon  the  con- 
clusion of  the  nymn,  the  Arch- 
bisho[)  read  the  prayer  preparatory 
to  the  Anointing,  "  O  Lord,  Holy 
Father,  who  by  anoioting  with  oil 
didst  of  old  make  and  consecrate 
Kings,  Priests,  and  Prophets,"  &c« 
At  the  conclusion  of  tnis  prayer, 
the  choirs  sang  the  anthem,  ''Za- 
dock  the  priest,'*  &c.  During 
this,  the  King  was  disrobed  of  his 
crimson  robes  bv  the  Deputy  Lord 
Great  Chamberlain,  who  delivered 
them  to  the  Master  of  the  Robes ; 
and  his  Majesty  took  off  his  cap  of 
state,  the  Deputy  Lord  Great 
Chamberlain  delivering  the  same 
to  the  Lord  Chamberlain ;  and  the 
robes  and  cap  were  immediately 
carried  into  St.  Edward's  Chapel, 
the  robes  by  the  Groom  of  the 
Robes,  the  cap  by  the  officer  of  the 
Jewel  office.  His  Majesty  then 
took  his  seat  in  King  Ea ward's 
chair,  covered  with  cloth  of  gold, 
and  placed  in  front  of  the  utar^ 
when  four  Knights  of  the  Garter, 
viz.  the  Dukes  of  Leeds  and 
Dorset,  the  Marquess  Camden, 
and  the  Marquess  of  Exeter,  sum- 
moned by  Garter,  held  over  the 
King's  head  a  rich  pall  or  cloth  of 
gold,  delivered  to  them  by  the 
Lord  Chamberlain,  who  hsid  re- 
ceived the  same  from  an  officer  of 
the  Wardrobe  -,  and  the  Dean  of 
Westminster  stood  near  holding 
the  Ampulla,  containing  the  con- 
secrated oil,  and  pouring  some  into 
tlie  Anointing  Spoon,  the  Arch* 
bishop  anointed  his  Miyesty  oa 


SEPT.] 


CHRONICLE. 


151 


the  head  and  hands^  in  the  form  of 
a  cross,  pronouncing  the  words, 
'*  Be  thou  anointed,"  ac* 

The  King  then  kneeling,  the 
Archbishop  standing  on  the  north 
side  of  the  altar,  pronounced  the 
Benediction.  The  Knights  of  the 
Garter  returned  the  pall  to  the 
Lord  Chamberlain  (which  was  by 
him  re-delivered  to  the  officer  of 
the  Wardrobe),  and  repaired  to 
their  seats. 

The  Spurs.  »^  After  this,  the 
Dean  took  the  Spurs  from  the 
altar,  and  delivered  them  to  the 
Deputy  Lord  Great  Chamberlain, 
who,  kneeling  down,  touched  his 
Majesty's  heels  therewith,  and  re- 
turned them  to  the  Dean,  by 
whom  they  were  laid  upon  the 
altar. 

The  iS'ftforrf*— Earl  Grey  then 
delivered  the  Sword  of  State  to  the 
Lord  Chamberlain,  and,  in  lieu 
thereof,  received  from  his  Grace 
another  Sword  in  a  scabbard  of 
purple  velvet  ( presented  to  his 
Grace  by  an  officer  of  .the  Jewel- 
oflice),  which  his  Lordship  delivered 
to  the  Archbishop,  who  laid  it  on 
the  altar,  and  said  the  prayer, 
*'  Hear  our  prayers,  O  Lord,  we 
beseech  thee,  and  so  direct  and 
support  thy  servant  King  William," 
&c. 

The  Archbishop  then  took  the 
Sword  from  off  the  altar,  and, 
assisted  by  other  Bishops,  de- 
livered it  into  the  King's  right 
hand,  saying,  •'  Receive  this  king- 
ly Sword,"  &c.  and  ''With  this 
Sword  do  Justice,"  &c. 

Offering  of  the  Sword. -^The 
King  rising,  went  to  the  altar, 
where  his  Majesty  offered  the 
Sword  in  the  scabbard,  (delivering 
it  to  the  Archbishop),  and  then 
retired  to  his  chair:  the  Sw(n*d 
was  then  redeemed  by  Earl  Grey, 
who  carried  it  during  the  remm^ 


der  of  the  solemnity,  having  first 
drawn  it  out  of  the  scabbard,  and 
delivered  the  latter  to  an  officer  of 
the  Wardrode. 

The  Investing  with  the  Mantle. 
— The  King  then  standing,  his 
Majesty  was  invested  by  the  Dean 
with  the  Imperial  Mantle,  or 
Dalmatic  Robe  of  cloth  of  gold, 
delivered  to  him  by  the  officers  of 
the  Wardrobe;  the  Deputy  Lord 
Great  Chamberlain  fastening  the 
clasDs 

The  Or6.— The  King  then  sit- 
ting down,  the  Archbishop,  having 
received  the  Orb  from  the  Dean, 
delivered  it  into  the  King^s  right 
hand,  saying,  "Receive  this  im- 
perial Robe  and  Orb,'*  &c.  His 
Majesty  then  returned  the  Orb  to 
the  Dean,  who  laid  it  upon  the 
altar. 

The  Riw^.— The  Lord  Cham- 
berlain of  his  Majesty's  House- 
hold, then  receiving  from  the  offi- 
cer of  the  Jewel  office  the  Ruby 
Ring,  delivered  the  same  to  the 
Archbishop,  who  put  it  on  the 
fourth  finger  of  the  King's  right 
hand,  saying  *' Receive  this  Ring," 
&c. 

The  Sceptres.-^The  Dean  there- 
upon brought  from  the  altar  the 
two  Sceptres  with  the  Cross  and 
Dove,  and  delivered  them  to  the 
Archbishop.  In  the  meantime,  the 
Duke  of  Norfolk,  as  Lord  of  the 
Manor  of  Worksop,  presented  to 
the  King  a  glove,  for  his  Majesty's 
right  hand,  embroidered  with  the 
arms  of  Howard,  which  his  Ma-- 
jesty  put  on.  The  Archbishop 
then  delivered  the  Sceptre  with 
the  Cross  into  his  Majesty's  right 
hand,  saying,  '» Receive  the  Royal 
Sceptre'*  &c.;  and  then  the  Scep- 
tre with  the  Dove  into  his  left  hand 
*ayjng,  *' Receive  the  Rod  of 
Equity,"  &c.  The  Duke  of  Nor- 
folk;  aa   Lord  of  the  Manor  of 


% 


162        ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


[1831, 


Worksop,  supported  his  Majesty's 
right  arm^  and  held  the  Sceptre  as 
occasion  required. 

The  Cronminsr,  —  Tlie  Arch- 
bishop,  standing  before  the  altar, 
and  having  St.  Edward's  CroMn 
before  him,  took  the  same  into  his 
liands,  and  consecrated  and  blessed 
it,  saying  the  prayer,  "O  God,  who 
crownest  thy  faithful  servants  with 
mercy,*'  &c.  Tlien  tlie  Archbishop, 
assisted  by  other  Bishops,  came 
from  the  altar,  the  Dean  of  West- 
minster carrying  tlie  Crown,  which 
the  Arclibishop  took  and  placed  on 
his  Majesty's  head  ;  while  the  peo- 
ple, with  loud  and  repeated  shouts, 
cried,  '^God  save  tlie  King,"  &c. : 
the  trumpets  sounding,  the  drums 
beating,  and  the  Tower  and  Park 
guns  tiring  by  signal.  The  accla- 
mation ceasing,  the  Archbishop 
pronounced  the  exhortation,  ''Be 
strong  and  of  a  good  courage," 
&c.  The  choirs  then  sang  the 
anthem,  ''  The  King  shall  re- 
joice in  thy  strength,"  &c.  As 
soon  as  the  King  was  crowned,  the 
Princes  of  the  Blood  Royal  and  the 
other  peers  put  on  their  coronets ; 
the  Bishops  their  Caps;  and  the 
Kings  of  Arms  their  crowns. 

'The  Holy  Bible.  —  The  Dean 
then  taking  the  Holy  Bible  from 
the  altar,  delivered  it  to  the  Arch- 
bishop, who,  attended  by  the  rest 
of  the  Bishops,  presented  it  to  the 
King,  saying,  ''Our  Gracious 
King,"  &c.  The  King  then  re- 
turned the  Bible  to  the  Arch- 
bishop, who  gave  it  to  the  Dean, 
and  it  was  by  him  replaced  on  the 
altar.  The  Archbishop  then  pro- 
nounced the  Benedictions,  the 
Bishops  and  the  Peers  answering 
each  Benediction  with  a  loud 
Amen.  The  Archbishop  then 
turning  to  the  people,  said,  ''And 
the  same  Lord  God  Almighty 
grant,"  &c.    Te  Deum  was  there* 


upon  sung,  during  which  time 
the  King  removed  to  the  chair  on 
which  his  Majesty  first  sat  on  the 
east  side  of  the  throne. 

The  Itiihrofiization, — Te  Deum 
Ix^ing  ended,  the  King  ascended 
the  theatre,  and  was  enthroned  by 
the  Bishops  and  Peers :  the  Arch- 
bishop pronounced  the  Exhorta- 
tion, "Stand  firm,  and  hold  fast/' 
Sec. 

The  Homage.  —  His  Majesty- 
seated  on  his  throne,  then  delivered 
the  Sceptre  with  the  Cross  to  the 
Duke  of  Norfolk,  to  hold  the  same 
on  his  right  hand,  and  the  Sceptre 
with  the  Dove  to  the  Duke  of 
Richmond,  to  hold  the  same  on 
his  left  hand,  during  the  Homage. 
The  Archbishop  of  Canterburv 
then  knelt  before  the  King,  aoa, 
for  himself  and  the  fifteen  other 
Lords  Spiritual  then  present,  pro- 
nounced the  words  of  Homage, 
they  kneeling  around  him,  and 
saying,  after  him.  The  Arch- 
bishop then  kissed  his  Majesty's 
left  cheek,  and  the  rest  of  the 
Lords  Spiritual  did  the  same»  and 
retired.  The  like  ceremony  was 
then  performed  by  his  Royal 
Highness  the  Duke  of  Cumberland 
and  Teviotdale,  and  the  two  other 
Princes  of  the  Blood  Royal  then 
present:  by  Bernard-Edward,  Duke 
of  Norfolk,  and  fifteen  other  Dukes ; 
by  Charles  Ingoldesby,  Marquess 
01  Winchester  and  seventeen  other 
Marquesses  i  by  John  Earl  of 
Shrewsbury,  and  sixty  other  Earls; 
by  Henry  Viscount  Hereford,  and 
nine  other  Viscounts ;  and  by 
Henry- William  Lord  de  Roos,  and 
fifty -seven  other  Barons.  During 
the  ceremony,  the  choir  sang  an 
anthem,  and  the  Treasurer  of  his 
Majesty's  Household  threw  about 
the  Medals  of  the  Coronation. 

The  Anointing,  Crowning,  and 
Enthroning  ^  Me  QM^en, .—  Hey 


■*■■■ 
*  '■.' 


SEPT.] 


CHRONICLE. 


153 


Majesty  the  Queen  having  reposed 
herself  in  her  chair  on  the  south 
side  of  the  altar,  during  the  Coro- 
nation and  Inthronization  of  his 
Majesty,  arose  as  soon  as  the 
anthem  was  ended,  and,  being  sup- 
ported as  before,  went  to  the  altar, 
attended  bv  her  Trainbearer,  and 
Ladies-assistants;  and  her  Ma- 
jesty knelt  whilst  the  Archbishop 
said  the  prayer  of  consecration. 
Her  Majesty  then  rose  and  went 
to  the  Chair,  at  which  she  was  to 
be  anointed  and  crowned,  and 
which  was  placed  on  the  left  of 
King  Edward's  Chair,  somewhat 
nearer  to  the  altar ;  and  standing 
there,  the  Countess  Brownlow  took 
off  her  Majesty's  circle  of  gold, 
and  delivered  it  to  her  Lord 
Chamberlain.  The  Queen  then 
knelt  down,  and  the  Duchesses  of 
Richmond,  Montrose,  and  North- 
umberland, and  the  Marchioness 
of  Lansdowne,  having  been  sum- 
moned by  Garter,  severally  left 
their  places  and  repaired  to  the 
area,  where,  holding  a  rich  pall  of 
cloth  of  gold  over  her  Majesty,  the 
Archbishop  poured  the  consecrated 
oil  upon  her  head,  saying.  'Mn  the 
name  of  the  Father,*'  &c.  ITien 
the  Archbishop  received,  from  the 
officer  of  the  Jewel-office,  the 
Queen's  Ring,  and  put  the  same 
on  the  fourth  finger  of  her  Ma- 
jesty's right  hand,  saying,  "Re- 
ceive this  Ring."  &c.  The  Arch- 
bishop thereupon  took  the  Crown 
from  the  altar,  and  reverently  set 
it  on  the  Queen's  head,  saying, 
^'Receive  the  Crown,"  &:c.  Her 
Majesty  being  crowned,  the  three 
Princesses  of  the  Blood  Royal  and 
all  the  dowager  Peeresses,  and 
Peeresses  present  put  on  their 
coronets.  There  were  in  number 
seven  Duchesses,  thirteen  Mar- 
chionesses, twenty-nine  Countesses, 


five  Viscountesses,  and  thirty-one 
Baronesses. 

Then  the  Archbishop  placed  the 
Sceptre  with  the  Cross  in  her  Ma- 
jesty's right  hand,  and  the  Ivory 
Rod  with  the  Dove  in  her  left, 
and  offered  up  the  prayer,  *'0 
Lord,  the  giver  of  all  perfection," 
&c.  The  Queen,  being  thus  anoint- 
ed, and  crowned,  and  having,  re- 
ceived all  her  ornaments,  the  choirs 
sang  the  Hallelujah  Chorus ;  at  the 
commencement  of  the  chorus  the 
Queen  arose,  and,  supported  as 
before,  ascended  the  theatre  (re- 
verently bowing  to  his  Majesty  as 
she  passed  the  throne)  and  was 
conducted  to  her  own  throne  on 
the  left  hand  of  that  of  the  King, 
where  her  Majesty  reposed  until 
the  conclusion  of  the  chorus. 

The  Holy  Sacrament.'-' After 
the  Chorus,  the  two  Bishops,  who 
had  read  the  Epistle  and  Gospel, 
received  from  the  altar,  by  the 
hands  of  the  Archbishop,  the 
Patina  and  the  Chalice,  which 
they  carried  into  St.  Edward's 
Chapel,  and  brought  from  thence 
the  Bread  upon  the  Patina,  and  the 
Wine  in  the  Chalice,  their  Majes- 
ties then  descended  from  their 
thrones,  and  went  to  the  altar, 
where  the  King,  taking  off  his 
Crown,  delivered  it  to  the  Deputy 
Lord  Great  Chamberlain  to  hold, 
and  the  Sceptres  to  the  Dukes  of 
Norfolk  and  Richmond.  Then  the 
Bishops  delivered  the  Patina  and 
Chalice  into  the  King's  hands; 
and  his  Majesty  delivered  them  to 
the  Archbishop,  who  reverently 
placed  the  same  upon  the  altar, 
covering  them  with  a  fair  linen 
cloth.  The  Queen  also  taking  off 
her  Crown,  delivered  it  to  her 
Lord  Chamberlain  to  hold,  and  the 
Sceptres  to  those  Noblemen  who 
had  previously  borne  them.    Their 


# 


154 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


D831. 


Majesties  then  went  to  their  c1iaii*s. 
OD  the  south  side  of  the  area, 
When  the  Archhishop  and  the 
Dean  had  communicated^  their 
Majesties  received  the  Sacrament, 
the  Archbishop  administering  the 
Breads  and  tlie  Dean  of  Westmin- 
ster the  Cup.  The  King  and 
Queen  then  put  on  their  Crowns, 
and,  taking  tlie  Sceptres  in  their 
hands  us  before^  repaired  again  to 
their  t)i rones,  supported  and  at- 
tended as  before.  The  Archbishop 
then  read  the  Communion  Service, 
and  pronounced  the  blessing  ;  and, 
at  the  conclusion,  the  trumpets 
sounded  and  the  drums  beat. 
After  which,  liis  Majesty,  attended 
as  before,  the  Four  Swords  being 
carried  before  him,  descended  into 
the  area,  and  passed  through  the 
door  on  the  south  side  of  the  altar, 
into  St.  Edward's  Cha[)el ;  and  the 
Noblemen  who  had  carried  the 
Regalia,  received  them  from  the 
Dean  of  Westminster  as  they 
]>assed  by  the  altar  into  the  Chapel. 
The  Queen  at  the  same  time,  de- 
scending from  her  throne,  went 
into  the  same  chapel  at  the  door 
on  the  north  side  of  the  altar. 
Their  Majesties  being  in  the 
Chapel,  the  King,  standing  before 
the  altar,  delivered  the  Sceptre 
with  the  Dove,  which  his  Majesty 
had  borne  in  his  left  hand,  to  the 
Archbishop,  who  laid  it  upon  the 
altar.  His  Majesty  was  then  dis- 
robed of  his  Royal  Robe  of  State, 
or  Dalmatic  Robe,  and  arrayed  in 
his  Royal  robe  of  purple  velvet  by 
the  Deputy  Lord  Great  Chamber- 
lain. The  Archbisho])  then  placed 
the  Orb  in  his  Majesty's  left  hand. 
The  Noblemen,  who  had  carried 
the  Gold  Spurs,  and  St.  Edward's 
Staff,  delivered  the  same  to  the 
Dean,  to  be  by  him  deposited  on 
the  altar.    Whilst  their  Majesties 


were  in  St.  Edward's  Chapel,  the 
OiHccrs  of  Arms,  arranged  the 
returning  procession,  which  moved 
at  the  moment  when  the  King  and 
Queen  left  the  Chapel.  Their 
Majesties,  and  the  Princes,  and 
Princesses,  then  proceeded  out  of 
the  Choir,  and  to  the  west  door  of 
the  Abbey,  attended  as  before ; 
their  Majesties  wearing  their 
Crowns  ;  the  King  bearinff  in  his 
right  hand  the  Sceptre  with  the 
Cross,  and  in  his  left  the  Orb; 
and  the  Queen  bearing  in  her  right 
hand  her  Sc*eptre  with  the  Cross, 
and  in  her  left  the  Ivory  Rod  with 
the  Dove :  their  Royal  Highnesses 
the  Princes  and  Princesses  wearing 
their  Coronets;  and  the  Princes, 
who  were  Field-Marshals,  carrying 
their  batons.  The  Four  Swor£ 
were  borne  before  the  King,  in  the 
same  order  as  before.  The  Dean 
and  Prebendaries,  and  the  Bishops 
who  had  carried  the  Bible,  the 
Chalice,  and  the  Patina,  remained 
in  the  Choir.  The  Noblemen  who 
had  severally  carried  the  Crown;, 
the  Orb,  the  Sceptre  with  the 
Dove,  the  Spurs,  and  St.  Ed- 
ward's Staff,  walked  in  the  same 
places  as  before ;  those  Noblemen 
who  had  staves  and  batons  carry- 
ing the  same;  all  Peers  wearing 
their  coronets;  and  the  ArchbU 
shops,  and  the  Bishops  supporting 
their  Majesties,  wearing  their 
caps;  and  the  Kings  of  Arms 
their  crowns.  On  the  arrival  of 
their  Majesties  on  the  platform 
without  the  west  entrance.  Garter 
proclaimed  his  Majesty's  Style,  as 
follows :  — *'  The  Most  High,  Most 
Mighty,  and  Most  Excellent  Mo- 
narch, William  the  Fourth, 
by  the  Grace  of  God,  of  the  United 
Kingdom  of  Great  Britain  and  Ire- 
land, King,  Defender  of  the  Faith  : 
King  of  Hanover^  Duke  of  Brun»« 


SEPT.] 


CHRONICLE. 


155 


wick  and  of  Lunenburgh."  The 
Swords  and  the  Regalia  were  re« 
ceivtd  in  the  Robing-chambers,  by 
the  ofHcers  of  the  Jewel-ofiice  ap- 
pointed for  that  purpose*  The 
ceremonies  were  concluded  at  about 
tliree  o'clock,  when  their  Majes- 
ties, and  the  Princes  and  Princesses 
of  the  Blood  Royal,  returned  -to 
St.  James's  Palace  with  the  same 
state  as  in  their  proceeding  to  the 
Abbey.  The  Duchess  of  Kent 
and  the  Princess  Victoria,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  delicate  stat«  of 
health  of  the  latter,  remained  in 
retirement  in  the  Isle  of  Wight. 
As  the  economy  of  the  age  did  not 
allow  his  Majesty  to  give  his  Peers 
the  usupI  coronation  dinner  in 
Westminster-hall,  he  privately  en- 
tertained a  large  party  at  St. 
James's.  Earl  Grey  gave  a  dinner 
to  a  numerous  party  of  Peers; 
Lord  Palmerston  to  the  whole  of 
the  Foreign  Ministers ;  Lord  Al- 
thorp  to  the  Governor  of  the  Bank^ 
the  Chairman  of  the  several  finan- 
cial boards,  and  many  members  of 
the  House  of  Commons ;  and  the 
Lord  Mayor  to  the  Aldermen  and 
a  numerous  party.  Throughout 
the  metropolis  the  day  was  kept  as 
a  general  holiday.  All  business 
was  suspended,  and  the  shops 
closed.  The  new  entrance  to  St. 
James's  Park  from  Carlton  Ter- 
race Was  opened  for  the  first  time. 
At  about  five  o'clock  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Graham  ascended  from  the  Green 
Park  in  their  balloon,  which  was 
visible  to  the  inhabitants  of  the 
metropolis  for  a  full  hour.  Tliey 
descended  safely  at  Heringate-hall, 
Essex,  twenty-three  miles  from 
London.  In  the  evening  the  me-* 
tropolis  was  universally  illumin- 
ated. There  was  a  grand  discharge 
of  fire- works  in  Hyde-Park  from 
nine  to  eleven  o'clock ;  and  Vaiix- 
hail  and  all  the  summer  theatres 


were  opened  gratuitously  to  the 
public. 

12.  Suicide  or  John  Cal« 
CRAFT,  M.P.— A  Coroner's  Inquest 
was  held  at  the  dwelling-house  of 
John  Calcraft,  esq.,  late  paymaster 
of  the  Forces,  who  committed 
suicide  on  Sunday  last,  while  the 
family  were  at  church.  On  the 
return  of  the  unfortunate  gentle- 
man's daughter,  from  church,  on 
Sunday  afternoon,  she  went  up  to 
his  bed  room,  to  seek  her  father  | 
but  not  finding  him,  she  went  to 
his  dressing-room,  accompanied  by 
the  deceased's  footman.  On  enter* 
ing  the  room,  they  discovered  Mr. 
Calcraft  lying  on  the  fioor,  with 
his  face  downward,  in  a  complete 
pool  of  blood.  Medical  assistance 
was  obtained,  but  life  was  quite 
gone.  There  was  a  wound  across 
the  throat,  dividing  the  principal 
arteries,  and  laying  bare  the  ver- 
tebres  of  the  neck.  In  his  right 
hand  was  a  bloody  raiior,  which  he 
still  grasped  firmly.  The  footman 
deposed  to  his  naving  seen  Mr. 
Calcraft  quit  his  sitting-room,  and 
proceed  up  stairs  about  three 
o'cK)ck,  without  saying  anything, 
after  which  he  did  not  see  him,  till 
he  accompanied  his  daughter  to  his 
bed-room.  The  deceased  had  been 
unwell  for  the  last  three  months^ 
during  the  two  latter  of  which  he 
had  not  quitted  bis  residence,  and 
appeared  extremely  low  and  de- 
jected. Mr.  Freeman,  surgeon, 
of  Spring-gardens,  and  Dr.  Wil- 
son Phillip  had  both  attended  the 
family  for  the  last  three  months, 
and,  observing  the  deceased  to  foe 
labouring  under  great  depression 
of  spirits,  which  at  length  settled 
into  deep  melancholy,  they  had 
thought  it  their  duty  to  caution 
captain  Calcraft,  who  did  not  re- 
side in  the  house,  but  who  called 
occasiooallyi   that   the    deceased 


156 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


[1831. 


ought  to  be  watched.  Dr.  Phillip 
was  asked. by  one  of  the  Jury,  if  Mr, 
Calcrafb  had  ever  expressed  disap- 
l)ointmeDt  at  not  being  elevated 
to  the  peerage;  the  Doctor  answer- 
ed that  he  did  not  believe  he  ever 
entertained  any  ex]>ectation  of  such 
an  event.  He  had  latterly  fancied 
that  he  vi-as  continually  watched  by 
a  man  sitting  on  the  top  of  a  house. 
—The  Jury  returned  a  verdict  of 
—  Temporary  Mental  Derange- 
ment. 

WuoLESALE  Murder. — (From 
the  Chambersburg  Republican, 
Sept.  13.) — One  of  the  editors 
was  in  company  with  a  gentleman 
on  Wednesday  last  direct  from 
Halifax^  who  stated  that  he  had 
witnessed  the  trial  of  Henry  Gam- 
bles, captain  of  the  lady  Sherbroke, 
from  Londonderry,  shipwrecked 
near  Cape  Ray,  on  the  19th  ult., 
by  which  273  persons  lost  their 
lives.  Captain  Gambles  was  con- 
victed of  intentionally  wrecking  the 
ship  to  recover  the  insurance,  and 
sentenced  to  be  hanged;  after  which 
he  confessed  that  he  deserved  the 
punishment.  One  of  the  witnesses, 
whose  arm  was  broken,  had  lost 
his  wife  and  a  large  family  of 
children. 

1 6.  Thomas  Wakeman  and  Eli- 
zabeth his  wife,  together  with 
Joseph  Lill,  were  jointly  indicted 
for  stealing  on  the  loth  of  July 
last.,  16cwt.  of  printed  paper,  of 
the  value  of  1000/.  and  upwards, 
the  property  of  Mr.  Butterworth, 
a  law-bookseller,  in  Fleet-street. 
— Brettell,  the  warehouseman  to 
Mr,  Butterworth,  proved  that,  on 
the  15th  of  July,  on  inspecting  his 
master's  warehouse,  in  Apollo- 
court,  he  found  three  tons  of  printed 
pa]>er  had  been  abstracted,  the 
value  of  which  must  exceed  3,000/. 
The  paper  traced  to  the  prisoner 
Wc^eman  was  part  of  the  ^tock 


so    removed.       Other     witnesses 
proved,  that,  on  the  morning  in 
question,  one  of  the  prisoners  en- 
gaged a  cart  to  carry  the  paper 
from  the  premises,  and  the  otner 
was  assisting  in  removing  it.     The 
pa{>er  was  found  at  Mr.  Emblin's  in 
Leather-lane    and    other    places. 
Part  of  the  stolen  property  was 
produced    and   identified  by  the 
warehouseman. — Wakeman,  when 
called  upon  for  his  defence,  said 
that  he  was  innocent  of  any  guilty- 
participation   in   the  transaction. 
He  acted  as  an  agent  to  a  per- 
son of  the  name  of  Bowyer,  who 
had    not    been    taken ;     he    was 
to  have  a  commission  on  the  sale 
of  half-a-crown  per  cwt.     He  said 
that,  immediately  on  'his  learning 
that  Mr.  Butterworth  had  been 
plundered,  he  went  to  that  gen- 
tleman and  told  him  to  whom  he 
had  disposed  of  it,  and  also  gave 
such  information  as  led  to  the  re- 
covery of  a  large  portion  of  pro- 
perty which  had  never  passed  his 
hands. — Lill  denied  that  be  was 
seen  in  Bell-yard  on  the  morning 
in  question,  although  he  had  been 
sworn  to  by  a  person  who  conversed 
with  him,  and  had  known  him  for 
many   years.  —  Wakeman    called 
nearly  twenty  respectable  trades- 
men,  some  of  whom  had  known 
him  for  twenty  years,   and  they 
all  gave  him  an  excellent  character : 
Several  persons  also  spoke  in  favour 
of  Lill.— The  Jury  consulted  for 
several   minutes,  and  returned  a 
verdict  of  Not  Guilty ^  as  to  Eliza- 
beth Wakeman,  and  found  the  other 
two  prisoners  Guilty. — Wakeman 
was  sentenced  to  seven  years*  trans- 
portation, and  Lill  to  two  years' 
imprisonment  and  hard  labour  in 
the  House  of  Correction. 

Extensive   Smuggling. — Mr. 
Daune,     inspecting    surveyor    of 

Customs^  while  oa  board  a  Cu8« 


SEPT.] 


CHRONICLE. 


167 


tom-house  cutter  off  Gravesend, 
observed  a  pleasure  yacht  sailing 
up  the  river,  which  appeared  de- 
sirous to  avoid  the  cutter,  and 
made  all  sail.  Mr.  Daune  gave 
chase,  and  came  up  with  the  yacht 
at  Black  wall,  after  a  run  of  up- 
wards of  twenty  miles.  On  board- 
ing the  yacht,  the  crew  all  jumped 
overboard  into  a  boat  and  escaped, 
with  the  exception  of  one  man,  a 
Gravesend  pilot,  who  said  he  was 
engaged  merely  to  pilot  the  yacht 
up  the  river.  Mr.  Daune,  satis- 
fied that  he  had  made  a  prize, 
brought  the  yacht  up  to  the  Cus- 
tom-house, where  he  commenced 
a  search,  and,  under  the  flooring 
over  the  ballast,  discovered  sixty- 
six  tin  cases,  made  to  fit  the  shape 
of  the  vessel,  all  filled  with  silks 
of  different  descriptions,  ribands 
and  gauze,  said  to  be  of  the  value 
of  upwards  of  2,000/. 

An  Escape  from  Knight- 
hood. —  The  deputation  of  the 
Corporation  of  Liverpool,  headed 
by  Wiyiam  Ewart,  esq.  M.P.,  hav- 
ing attended  the  king's  levee,  to 
present  the  Liverpool  address, 
Mr.  Ewart  knelt  to  present  the 
address,  and  the  king,  seizing  the 
royal  sword,  was  about  to  confer 
the  honour  of  knighthood  on  him, 
under  the  impression  that  he  was 
the  mayor  of  Liverpool.  Mr. 
Ewart,  fearing  that  his  majesty 
was  about  to  inflict  knighthood  on 
him,  exclaimed  hastily,  *'  Not 
me  ;  don't  knight  me  ;"  on  which 
the  king  asked,  *'  Why,  which  is 
the  mayor  of  Liverpool  ?"  and  was 
informed  that  his  worship  was  be- 
hind. The  scene  excited  consider- 
able amusement  in  the  royal  circle. 
The  mayor  and  the  bailiffs  were 
then  introduced  by  lordMelboume^ 
and  the  king  was  pleased  to  confer 
on  his  worship  the  honour  of 
knighthood. 


Jewels  op  the  Princess  op 
Orange. — Two  natives  of  France, 
a  man  and  a  w;oman,  having  arrived 
at  Liverpool  in  the  Monongahela, 
from  America,  the  superintendant 
of  police  apprehended  them  at  the 
Prince's  Dock,  and  succeeded  in 
recovering  property  which  they 
had  brought  with  them,  to  the 
amount  of  20,000/ ,  bein^  part  of 
the  jewels  stolen  from  the  palace 
at  Brussels  about  two  years  ago. 
At  the  time  the  robbery  was  com- 
mitted the  thieves  made  their 
escape  by  way  of  Havre  to  Ame- 
rica, and  no  trace  of  the  property 
was  discovered  until  July  last, 
when  the  collector  at  New  York 
seized  upwards  of  21,000/.  worth, 
in  the  possession  of  a  man  who 
was  stated  to  be  an  Italian,  of 
the  name  of  Carrara.  He  suc- 
ceeded, however,  in  eluding  the 
search  of  the  police.  The  original 
value  of  the  jewels  stolen  was  about 
212,030/.  —Liverpool  Courier* 

Effective  Military  Force 
op  France  in  1831. — The  follow- 
ing is  the  oflicial  return  made  by 
the  Minister  of  War  (Marshal 
Soult)  to  the  Chamber  of  Depu- 
ties, of  the  effective  force  of  the 
French  army,  up  to  the  1st  of 
September,  upon  which  the  Mili- 
tary Estimates  in  the  Budget  for 
the  present  year  are  founded  :  — 
General  Officers,  Marshals  of 
France,  12;  Generals,  400;  Lieut.- 
Generals,  141  ;  Major-Generals, 
242:  total,  795.— Staff  Officers 
(Etat  Major),  Colonels,  33 ; 
Lieut.-Colonels,  33  ;  Majors,  109  ; 
Captains,  326  :  total,  501. — Artil" 
le^'y.  Lieut -Generals,  13  j  Major- 
Generals,  20;  Colonels,  48;  Lieut- 
Colonels,  54;  Majors,  147;  1st 
Captains,  319;  2nd  ditto,  258; 
1st  Lieutenants,  154;  2nd  ditto, 
252:  total,  1265.-— Train  d'ArtiU 
lerie.    Majors  (Chefs  d'Escadron), 


158 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


[1881 


8 ;  Captains,  33 ;  Lieutenants,  45 ; 
Sub  ditto,  43  :  total,  \29,— Train 
des  Equipages.  Colonel,  1  j  Lieut. - 
Colonel,  1  ;  Majors  (Chefs  d'Es- 
cadron),  6 ;  Ist  Captains,  13;  *2nd 
Captains,  IGj  Ist  Lieutenants, 
24  ;  2nd  ditto,  23 ;  Sub  ditto,  48  : 
total,  132. — Engineers,  Lieut.- 
Generals,  5;  Major-Generals,  10  j 
Lieutenant-Colonels,  27;  Majors 
(Chefsde  Batuillon),  82;  Captains, 
26 1  ;  Brevet  Captains  (Lieu- 
tenants), 1 6  ;  Lieutenants,  79  ; 
Sub  Lieutenants,  76 :  total,  556. 

Cavalry, 

Reserve.  Line.  Light. 

Colonels     ..     ..     13  ..  18  ..  20 

I jeut.-Colonels . .     12..  17..  20 
Majors        (('hefs 

d'ERcadron)  ..     38  ..  59  ..  C4 

Capiaina     ..     ..   197  ..  286  ..  319 

260       380       423 

Departmental  Gendarmerie,  Cols., 
1 4  ;  Lieutenant-Colonels,  1 3 ;  Ma- 
jors, 40;  Captains,  120;  Lieu- 
tenants, 314;  Sub  ditto,  187: 
total,  688. — Ifif'atitry,  Colonels, 
88  ;  Lieutenant  r  Colonels,  88  ; 
Majors  (Chefs  de  Bataillon), 
420;  Captains,  2,924:  total, 
3,520.  —  Iniendans  Mililaires, 
Chief  Intendans,  23  j  First  Class 
Sous  ditto,  25  ;  Second  Class  Sous 
ditto,  48  ;  Third  Class  Sous  ditto, 
97  ;  Adjoints  k  I'lntendance,  22  : 
tot^l,  225. — Medical  Department, 
Inspecting  Physician,  1  j  Ordinary 
ditto  (Brevet),  41  ;  Aid  ditto 
(Brevet),  6  j  Head  ditto,  10  ; 
Ordinary  ditto  (Com.),  9 ;  Aid 
ditto  (Com.),  2:  total,  69.— ^S'wr- 
geons.  Inspecting  Surgeon,  1  ; 
Surgeons  Major  (Brevet),  188 ; 
ditto  Aides  Major  (Brevet),  265 ; 
ditto  Sous  Aides  Majors  (Brevet), 
195  ;  Head  Surgeons  (Brevet), 
12;  Surgeons  Major  (Com.),  52; 
Aides  ditto  (Com.),  201  j  Sous 
ditto  (Cora.),  134:  total,  1,048.— 


Inspectorsof  Hospitals,  246;  Apo- 
thecaries, 246 :  totaU  492. 

Regiments. 

Artillery,  1 1  Regiments  of  1 6 
Batteries  each ;  1  Battalion  of 
Pontoniers  1 2  Companies  strong ; 
12  Companies  Ouvriers  d'Artil- 
leric;  13  Companies  Caunoniers 
Sedentaires.  —  Train  des  Pares 
d*  ArtHlerie.  6  Squadrons  of  6 
Troops  each — Engineers*  3  Re- 
giments.— Train  des  Equipages, 
19  Troops. — Compagnies  de  Sie" 
cij)line.  Companies  Fusileers,  4  ; 
Companies  Pioneers^  4 :  totals  8. 
—  Cavalry,  Regiments  of  Cara- 
bineers, 2;  Regiments  of  Cuiras- 
siers, 1 0 ;  Regiments  of  Dragoons^ 
12;  Regiments  of  Lancers,  6; 
Regiments  of  Chasseurs  k  Chevii], 
14;  Regiments  of  HussarSj  6: 
total,  50. — hifantry.  Regiments 
of  the  Line  of  four  Battalions  each, 
(J7 ;  Regiments  of  Light  Infantry 
of  three  Battalions  eacbj  ^1  : 
total,  88. 


OCTOBER. 

Ruins  of  an  Extensive  City 
discovered  in  central  aub-* 
BiCA.  —  Lieut.-Colonel  Galindo, 
governor  of  Poten,  in  central  Ame- 
rica, has  discovered  the  ruins  of  an 
extensive  city,  called  Palcnque, 
which  extends  for  more  than  twenty 
miles  along  the  summit  of  the  ridge 
which  separates  the  country  of  the 
wild  Maya  Indians  (included  in  the 
district  of  Poten)  from  the  state  of 
Chiapas.  The  principal  buildings 
are  erected  on  the  most  prominent 
heights,  and  to  several  of  them^  if 
not  to  all,  there  existed  remains  of 
stairs.  From  the  hollows  beneath^ 
the  steps,  as  well  as  all  the  vestiges 
which  time  has  left,  are  wholly  of 
stone  and  plaster.     The  stones,  of 


OCT.] 


CHRONICLE. 


m 


which  the  edifices  are  buiit^  are 
about  eighteen  inches  long,  nine 
broad,  and  two  thick,  cemented  by 
mortar,  and  gradually  inclining 
when  thpy  form  a  roof,  but  always 
placed  horizontally ;  the  outside 
eaves  are  supported  by  large  stones, 
which  project  about  two  feet.  The 
wood  work  has  all  disappeared^ 
the  windows  are  merely  small  cir- 
cular and  square  perforations.  Hu- 
man figures  in  (ilto  relievo  are  fre- 
quent on  small  pillars  J  and  fillagree 
work  imitati  ng  boughs  and  feathers, 
is  perceptible  in  several  places. 
Some  of  the  sculptured  ornaments 
look  very  like  the  Corinthian  foliage 
of  the  ancient  architects.  The 
ruins  are  buried  in  a  thick  forest ; 
and  the  adjacent  country,  for 
leagues,  contains  remains  of  the 
ancient  labours  of  the  people — 
bridges,  reservoirs,  monumental 
inscriptions,  &c. 

2.  KioT  IN  Rhode  Islanp. — 
A  very  serious  riot  occurred  at 
Providence  (Rhode  Island),  oc- 
casioned by  the  supposed  muirder 
of  a  white  seaman,  whose  body  was 
found  lying  in  front  of  a  brothel 
kept  by  negroes.  A  number  of  the 
white  people  assembled  to  pull 
down  the  house,  when  the  gover- 
nor and  high  sheriff  arrived,  and 
required  them  to  disperse.  They 
refused;  the  bells  were  sounded, 
the  drums  beat,  and  the  citizen 
militia  turned  out  to  assist  the  au- 
thorities. The  white  people  re- 
fused to  give  any  assistance,  and 
crowds  proceeded  to  pull  down 
various  wooden  houses  occupied  by 
the  blacks,  several  of  which  they 
quickly  demolished.  The  gover- 
nor and  sheriff  threatened  to  read 
the  Riot  Act,  but  werp  pelted  with 
stpqes.  Orders  were  then  given  to 
fire  blank  cartridges,  but  without 
effect.  The  governor  was  at  length 
compelled  to  order  the  militia  to 


fife  with  ball,  when  seven  were 
killed,  and  upwards  of  twenty 
wounded,  several  of  whom  died. 
This  dispersed  the  rioters,  and  rer 
stored  tranquillity. 

7.  RiDGWAY. — At  a  petty  ses- 
sion held  this  day,  the  right  hon. 
sir  E.  Thornton,  K.G.B.,  late 
minister  at  Lisbon,  appeared  tp 
answer  the  complaint  of  his  son, 
for  unlawfully  and  cryelly  beating 
and  assaulting  him.  Lady  Thorn* 
ton  was  likewise  summoned  to 
answer  the  same  charge,  but,  being 
prevented  from  attending  by  in- 
disposition, it  was  arranged  that 
the  case  should  proceed  as  if  she 
were  present.  The  complainant, 
a  lad  about  fifteen,  stated,  that,  on 
the  30th  of  September  last,  having 
been  ordered  by  his  mother  (lady 
Thornton)  to  sweep  the  carpet, 
and  clean  the  grate  of  her  dress- 
ing-room, he  proceeded  to  do  so, 
when,  about  three  quarters  of  an 
hour  afterwards,  her  ladyship 
came  into  the  room,  ^pd,  finding 
the  work  not  done,  took  him  by  the 
ears  with  both  her  hands,  and 
shook  him,  and  puslied  his  head 
against  the  window  shqtter,  which 
made  his  ears  bleed  and  his  face 
swell.  She  then  left  the  rooni, 
and  locked  him  in.  About  ten  mi- 
nutes after,  his  father  capie,  and 
saidi  "So  you  do  not  choose  to 
finish  the  room,*'  whereupon  he 
took  him  by  the  hair  with  his 
left  hand,  and  struck  him  five  or 
six  times  with  his  right,  thereby 
causing  his  face  to  swell.  The 
complainant  further  stated  the 
menial  offices  he  was  compelled  to 
fulfil,  which,  although  he  considered 
them  degrading,  he  never  refused  to 
execute. — Richard  Callaway,  ser- 
vant to  J.  Harris,  esq ,  deposed  to 
the  appearance  of  the  lj|d  when 
he  first  went  to  his  niaster*s  hpqse 
to  complain* — The  Counsel  for  Sir 


160 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


[1831 


E.  Thornton  contended  that  this 
was  an  inquisitorial  interference  on 
the  part  of  the  magistrates^  who 
had  no  right  to  question  the  au- 
thority of  a  father  as  to  the  correc- 
tion of  his  son ;  and  that  the  charge 
of  assault  could  not  be  substan- 
tiated against  his  clients^  than 
whom  more  fond  and  tender  parents 
did  not  exist. — Sir  George  Ma- 
grathj  M.D.,  and  Mr.  Seacombe^ 
surgeon^  were  called  to  prove  the 
affection,  kindness,  and  sym])athy> 
displayed  by  sir  Edward  and  lauy 
Tliornton  towards  their  children 
upon  all  occasions  when  profes- 
sional attendance  had  given  them 
opportunities  of  witnessing  their 
'  maternal  and  paternal  conduct. — It 
further  came  out  in  the  evidence, 
that  sir  Edward  and  lady  Thorn- 
ton  had  forcibly  held  their  daugh- 
ter's feet  in  hot  water,  regardless 
of  her  screams,  and  that  they  in- 
variably employed  the  complainant 
and  his  brother  in  the  culinary  and 
household  departments.  —The  ma- 
gistrates, after  having  retired  for 
a  few  minutes,  declared  it  their 
unanimous  opinion,  ''  that  Lady 
Thornton  be  convicted  in  the  pe- 
nalty of  5/.,  and  sir  E.  Thornton 
in  the  mitigated  penalty  of  \L,  in- 
cluding costs." 

9.  Assassination  op  Count 
Capo  d'Istrias. — For  some  time 
the  Count's  friends  had  warned  him 
that  he  would  be  assassinated  -.  his 
servants  continually  told  him  that 
it  was  reported  at  Napoli  that  he 
would  f)e  killed.  Notwithstanding 
this,  he  would  not  take  any  pre- 
cautions, and  continued  his  usual 
mode  of  life.  Several  times  he 
said  to  the  persons  who  visited 
him,  ''  I  am  continually  told  that 
my  life  is  in  danger,  but  I  am  not 
intimidated  ;  I  shall  continue  to  do 
my  duty,  and  shall  obey  the  voice 
of  my  conscience ;  fear  cannot  in- 


fluence my  determinations,  and  I 
must   oppose  those  who  want  to 
throw  the  country  into  confusion. 
My  life  is  in  the  hands  of  God,  and 
I  do  not  fear  death — it  is  often  a 
deliverance."     On  the  7th  and  8th 
of  October,  the  President  went  out 
alone  ;  he  was  again  warned  that 
it  was  intended  to  assassinate  him  ; 
disregarding   the  admonition,   he 
again  answered,  ^'  My  life  is  in  the 
hands  of  God,  I  must  answer  it  with 
my  person,  and  I  know  that  the  peo- 
])le  are  attached  to  me.*'    On  the 
9th,  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing, he  went  to  church,  and,  at  the 
door,    was    attacked    by  the  two 
Mavromichali,  who  fired  their  pis- 
tols point  blank  at  the  back  of  his 
head,  and  gave  him  a  sabre  wound 
in  his  belly ;  the  bystanders  fell 
on  Constant! ne  Mavromichali,  and 
massacred  him.     The  body  of  the 
assassin  >vas  dragged  througli  the 
streets  by  a  cord  fastened  to  the  feet, 
and  cast  into  the  common  sewer. 
The  other,  the  son  of  Pietro  Bey, 
escaped  to  the  house  of  the  French 
resident.      The  people  in  a  fury 
demanded  that  he  should  be  given 
up,  but  M.  Rouen  would  not  deli- 
ver him  up,  except  to  the  author- 
ities.    The  Senate  /assembled  im- 
mediately, and  demanded  the  assas- 
sin,   who    was  delivered  up  and 
thrown  into  prison.    A  provisional 
government  was  immedfiately  ap-  . 
l>ointed,  consisting  of  Coletti,  an 
advocate,  Colocotroni,  and  Augustin 
Capo  d'Istrias,    who   was  absent 
from  Napoli  at  the  time  of  his  bro- 
ther's assassination. 

Professor  Lee. — The  follow- 
ing account  of  Dr.  Lee,  who 
was  recently  presented  by  Lord 
Brougham  to  a  prebendal  stall  in 
Bristol  cathedral,  affords  a  strik- 
ing example  of  what  industry  and 
perseverance  are  c^ipable  of  effect- 
ing under  the  most  discoura^ng 


OCT.] 


CHRONICLE. 


161 


circumstances.  Lee  received  the 
rudiments  of  learning  at  a  charity 
school  at  Longnor,  a  village  about 
eight  miles  from  Shrewsbury,  where 
he  was  born.  There  he  remained 
till  he  attained  his  twelfth  year, 
when  he  was  apprenticed  to  a  car- 
penter and  joiner:  his  father  being 
dead,  and  his  mother  having  two 
children  to  support  by  her  labour. 
At  seventeen,  meeting,  in  the 
course  of  his  reading,  with  Latin 
quotations,  which  he  could  not  un- 
derstand, he  determined  to  make 
himself  master  of  that  language. 
**  I  had,  at  this  time,"  he  says, 
*'  but  6s.  per  week  to  subsist  on, 
and  to  pav  the  expenses  of  board 
and  clothing.  My  wages  were, 
however,  soon  after,  raised  one  shil- 
ling a  week,  and  the  next  year  a 
shilling  more,  during  which  time 
I  read  the  Latin  Bible,  Florus, 
Cicero's  Orations,  Caesar,  Justin, 
Sallust,  Virgil,  Horace's  Odes,  and 
Ovid's  Epistles.  I  never  had  all 
these  books  at  once,  but  generally 
read  one,  and  sold  it,  the  price  of 
which,  with  a  little  added  to  it,  en- 
abled me  to  buy  another,  and  this, 
being  read,  was  sold  to  procure  the 
next."  He  then  learned  Greek 
and  Hebrew,  and,  notwithstanding 
a  frequent  inflammation  in  his  eyes, 
with  every  possible  discouragement 
from  those  about  him,  he  after* 
wards  proceeded  to  acquire  theChal- 
daic,  the  Syrian,  and  the  Samari- 
tan. By  this  time  he  had  arrived 
at  his  twenty-fifth  year  ;  he  had 
now  a  good  chest  of  tools,  and, 
finding  the  study  of  languages,  in 
his  situation,  apparently  useless, 
he  resolved  to  sell  his  books,  mai*ry, 
and  apply  himself  quietly  to  his 
business.  '^  I  was  awakened,  how- 
ever," he  continues,  '*  from  these 
views  and  suggestions,  by  a  cir- 
cumstance which  gave  a  new  and 
distressing  aspect  to  my  affairs. 
Vol.  LXXIII. 


A  fire  broke  out  in  the  house  we 
were  repairing,  in  which  my  tools 
were  consumed,  and  I  was  cast  on 
the  world  without  a  friend,  a  shil- 
ling, or  even  the  means  of  subsist- 
ence." At  this  tide  in  his  affairs, 
he  applied  to  the  rev.  Archdeacon 
Corbet,  who  kindly  assisted  him  in 
his  plans,  and  Lee  shortly  after- 
wards became  master  of  a  small 
charity  foundation  in  Shrewsbury, 
whence  he  has  gradually  risen  to 
the  respectable  station  which  he 
now  enjoys.  Dr.  Lee  holds  two 
professorships  in  the  university  of 
Cambridge — those  of  Arabic  and 
Hebrew. 

8.  Riots  in  consequence  of 
THE  Rejection  of  the  Reform 
Bill. — ^'fhe  rejection  of  the  Re- 
form Bill  caused  some  partial  dis- 
turbances in  the  country.  At  Der- 
by, a  mob,  on  Saturday  and  Sunday 
the  8th  and  9th,  committed  several 
outrages,  attacked  the  city  gaol, 
set  the  prisoners  at  liberty,  and 
then  proceeded  to  the  county  gaol, 
where  they  were  resisted  and 
foiled  in  the  attempt:  on  Mon- 
day evening  quiet  was  restored, 
but  not  before  several  lives  were 
lost,  and  many  persons  wound- 
ed. One  young  man,  son  of 
Mr.  Haden,  surgeon,  was  killed  by 
the  mob. 

At  Nottingham,  the  castle,  which 
belongs  to  the  duke  of  Newcastle, 
was  burnt  down  ;  Colwick-hall, 
the  seat  of  John  Musters,  esq.,  was 
broken  into,  the  furniture  destroy- 
ed (including  several  valuable  pic- 
tures, particularly  sir  Joshua  Rey- 
nolds's whole-length  of  Mrs.  M.), 
and  the  house  set  on  fire,  which, 
however,  was  soon  extinguished. 
A  factory  at  Beeston,  belonging  to 
Mr.  Lowe,  was  burnt  down.  The 
House  of  Correction  was  attacked, 
but,  the  l5th  Hussars  arriving,  the 
mob  dispersed;   fifteen  of  them 

M 


162 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


[1831 


were  made  prisoners*  Some  trifling 
disturbances  took  place  at  Lough* 
borough. 

In  the  metropolis,  also,  fears 
were  entertained.  On  the  10th, 
the  inhabitants  of  Bond-street  were 
thrown  into  a  panic,  by  a  report 
that  a  mob  of  sereral  thousand  per- 
sons were  coming  with  the  deter* 
mination  of  breaking  all  windows 
where  the  shutters  were  not  closed. 
Although  it  was  only  six  o  clock, 
every  shop  was  instantly  closed,  and 
thestreet  presented,  from  one  end  to 
the  other,  a  very  dark  and  gloomy 
appearance.  In  Regent-street,  and 
some  other  of  the  great  thorough- 
fares, the  shutters  were  closed  ; 
and  where  there  was  property,  more 
particularly  valuable,  boards  were 
nailed  across.  Several  reform  meet- 
ings were  held  on  the  same  day, 
and  various  stratagems  were  had 
recourse  to  by  their  promoters  to 
induce  the  shopkeepers,  and  other 
inhabitants,  to  make  ft  display  of 
revolutionary  emblems. 

On  the  1  Ith,  as  three  policemen 
were  coming  through  St.  James's- 
square,  with  a  prisoner  in  their 
custody,  the  crowd  surrounded 
them,  and  rescued  the  prisoner. 
The  constables  took  out  their  staves, 
but  were  pushed  along  until  they 
arrived  at  Waterloo-place,  where 
they  were  joined  by  a  party  of  the 
])olice.  At  the  corner  of  Waterloo- 
place,  the  crowd  took  advantage  of 
a  heap  of  macadamised  stones,  wiiich 
they  flung  at  the  police  in  every 
direction,  so  that  the  latter  were 
glad  to  make  their  escape. 

Between  two  and  three  o'clock, 
a  large  assemblage  took  place  in 
Hyde  Park.  Stones  were  thrown 
at  Apsley-house,  and  a  few  squares 
of  glass  were  broken,  when  some  of 
the  duke  of  Wellington's  servants 
presented  themselves  at  the  win- 
dows.   Great  biasiDg  and  hooting 


followed,  and,  immediately  after* 
wards,  a  shower  of  stones  wm 
thrown  at  the  house,  and  almost 
every  square  of  glass  in  it  was  d«« 
molished.  Some  policemen,  who 
were  upon  the  spot  at  the  time, 
endeavoured  to  drive  the  crowd 
out  of  the  Park,  but  violent  resist* 
unce  was  made,  and  the  oonstsUeft 
were  ultimately  compelled  to  make 
a  precipitate  retreat^  and  take 
shelter  in  his  grace's  mansion. 
Notice  of  these  proceedings  haTing 
been  given  at  the  St  James's  police 
station,  a  large  party  of  the  C  and 
T  divisions,  headed  by  a  super* 
intendent  and  four  inspectors,  pro- 
ceeded with  all  possible  haste  to 
Hyde-park,  where  they  formed  in 
a  body  under  the  statue.  They 
had  not  been  tliere  many  minutes, 
before  they  were  saluted  with  se« 
veral  showers  of  ^stones ;  these 
attacks  were  for  a  time  borne  with 
exemplary  patience,  but,  at  lenffth. 
a  large  crowd  having  collected  in 
front  of  the  duke  of  Wellington's 
house,  the  police,  in  number  about 
200,  sallied  forth,  and,  in  an  in« 
stant,  the  rabble  ran  in  all  direo* 
tions.  Several  of  the  ring-leaders 
were  taken  into  custody,  and  oott* 
veyed  to  Knightsbridge-barracks. 

After  the  mob  had  been  driven 
out  of  Hyde-park,  they  proceeded 
to  the  mansion  of  earl  Dudley, 
and  commenced  throwing  stones 
at  the  windows ;  but  a  strong  body 
of  police,  who  had  been  stationed 
in  his  lordship's  stables,  suddenly 
rushed  upon  tnem  with  their  staveSj 
and  the  mob  were  beaten  off. 

Some  desperate  attacks  were 
made  upon  the  new  police  by  re- 
gularly organized  gangs  of  pick* 
pockets,  and  several  constables 
were  very  severely  beaten.  At 
the  corner  of  Charles-street,  St. 
James's-8quare,8ome  young  thievea 
were  taken  into  cuftody  by  tbno 


OCT.]  CHRONICLE,  168 

of  the  polic9»  who  wara  detached  quia  immediately  ofer  his  right 

from  the  main  body ;  the  prisonera  temple,  cut  through  hia  hat^  and 

were  rescued^  and  the  constables  inflicted  a  aerioua  wound  on  hia 

were  obliged  to  make  their  eaeape,  head^  which  rendered  his  lordship 

One  of  the  inspectors  of  the  G  nearly  insensible.     The  military 

division^  who  was  parading  in  Pall  here  mterposedj  and  the  marquis 

Mall  in  private  clothes^  was  recog-  was  placed  in  a  hackney-coach  and 

nised  by  some  of  the  rabble^  who  conveyed  home* 

kicked  and  beat  him  in  so  bru«  12.    This  evening  a  hurricane 

tal  a  manner,  that  ha  narrowly  passed  over  a  considerable  portion 

escaped  with  his  life.    After  the  of  the  park  of  Thorndon  Hall,  the 

levee  was  over,  a  vast  number  of  seat  of  lord  Petre,  near  Brentwood, 

the  lower  orders  assembled  in  the  in  Essex.    It  traversed  the  park 

Park,  awaiting  the  arrival  of  some  in  a  varying  sweep  of  about  150 

of  the  anti^reform  peers.    About  yards    breadth.    In   a  circle    of 

five  o'clock,  the  marauis  of  Lon*  nearly  forty  yards  diameter,  whole 

donderry,  accompaniea  by  a  friend,  trunks,  huge  limbs  and  branches, 

made  his  appearance  on  horseback,  with  immense  masses  of  earth,  lay 

and  was  proceeding  to  the  House  on  the  ground  in  wild  ccmfusion, 

of  Lords.    Before  the  marquis  was  mingled  in  such  a  manner,  that  it 

aware,  he  found  himself  in  the  midst  was  impossible  to  count  the  num- 

of  between  4,000  and  5,000  per*  ber  of  trees  destroyed.    Lofty  oaks 

sons.    At  first  lie  was  not  rtcog^  were  struck  near  their  summits, 

nised,  and  he  was  proceeding  with  and  immense    portions    of   their 

apparent  security,  when,  on  a  sud-  upper  limbs   and  branches  torn 

den,  a  voice  exclaimed,  ^^  There  down.    In  a  magnificent  plantation 

goes  the  marquis  of  Londonderry."  of  firs,  several  were  struck  down 

In  an  instant  he  was  assailed  with  or  torn  up  3  some  of  them  being 

pebbles.    Several  of  the  missiles  from   seventy  to  eighty  feet  in 

struck  his  lordship,  which  so  en-  length. 

raged  him,  that  he  pulled  up  his  16.    Attack  upon  Lord  Tan* 

horse,  and  solemnly  declared  that  KBRyiLL8.---As  lord  Tankerville, 

he  would  shoot  at  the  first  indivi*  who  had  voted  aeainst  the  Reform 

dual  who  again  dared  to  molest  Bill,  was  prooieding  to  Northum* 

him.     His  lordship  accompanied  berland,  his  carriage  was  attacked 

his  declaration  by  pulling  out  a  at  Darlington  by  a  mob  of  some 

brace  of  pistols.    I'his,  for  a  time,  hundred  persons.    He  had  stopped 

so  intimidated  the  mob,  that  they  for  half  an  hour  at  the  inn,  during 

gave  way  in  a  slight  degree ;  ana,  which  time  the  mob  had  aacer- 

after  the  marquis  had  converaed  tained  to  whom  the  carriage  be.- 

for  a  few  seconds  with  a  gentleman  lonffed.    A  crowd  soon  assembled 

on  horseback  near  him,  he  rode  off  und^r  the  windows  with  booting 

towards  the  HorseGuaHls.  Thither  and  hisses;  and  when  he  bad  pro- 

the  mob  followed  }  and,  believing  ceeded  some  way  down  the  atreet, 

that  his  lordship  only  endeavoured  he  was  assailed  by  a  volley  of  pav- 

to  intimidate  them,  theycommenced  ing  stones  and  other  missiles,  from 

another  attack.    The  showers  of  a  douUe  line  of  men  who  were 

stones  were  now  thicker  than  ever,  ranged  along  the  street,  with  heaps 

and  one  stone,  hurled  with  consi*  prepared  before  them.    By  good 

derable  foroe^  struck  the  noUe  mar^  fortune  tha  party  escaped  without 

M2 


164 


ANNUAL   REGISTER.        cissi 


any  severe  injury,  though  for  two 
or  three  minutes  they  were  in  im- 
minent danger  of  their  lives.  Se- 
veral paving  stones  entered  the 
carriage^  between  three  and  four 
pounds  in  weight,  besides  two 
glass  bottles,  and  other  missiles 
still  more  dangerous.  The  blinds^ 
lamps,  and  window  frames  were 
destroyed,  and  the  pannels  stove  in 
in  every  direction.  Lady  Fitz- 
harris  and  her  maid  were  in  the 
carriage,  which  they  were  seen  to 
enter,  and  a  stone  was  actually 
thrown  at  the  maid  before  they  set 
off. 

17.  Riot  at  Blandford. — 
Lord  Ashley  having  triumphed 
over  the  Reform  candidate  in  the 
election  for  Dorsetshire,  Blandford 
town  was  in  a  state  of  turbulence 
the  whole  of  the  day ;  and  the 
houses  of  his  lordship's  attorneys, 
that  of  the  vicar,  and  others  of 
the  Tory  party,  were  marked  out 
as  objects  of  violence.  A  troop  of 
the  3rd  Dragoons  arrrived  in  the 
evening.  About  seven  o'clock  the 
mob,  armed  with  bludgeons  and 
stones,  attacked  the  house  of  an 
attorney  of  the  name  of  Moore 
(who  acted  for  lord  Ashley),  de- 
molished the  windows,  pulled 
down  part  of  the  wall  before  the 
house,  and  destroyed  the  green- 
house. They  then  proceeded  to 
a  Mr.  Smith's,  another  of  lord 
Ashley's  lawyers,  and  also  smashed 
the  windows,  panes,  frames,  and 
shutters  in  the  front.  They  next 
broke  down  the  gates,  then  went 
to  the  back  of  the  house,  and  de- 
stroyed the  windows  there.  After 
this  they  visited  the  parsonage. 
In  less  than  five  minutes  the  pannels 
of  the  doors,  the  windows,  and 
sliutters,  were  beaten  in,  and  the 
house  laid  entirely  o|)en.  The 
mob  would  doubtless  have  razed  it 
to  the  ground,  \>u%  for  the  timely 


arrival  of  the  military.  The  8oI« 
diers»  after  a  short  time,  retired, 
and  the  mob  returned  to  Mr. 
Moore*8,  broke  open  the  counting- 
house,  took  out  deeds,  wills,  law 
books,  &c.,  and  threw  them  in 
fragments  into  the  streets.  They 
also  went  again  to  Smith's  and  de- 
stroyed his  books,  papers,  and 
parchments.  At  half  past  ten,  Mr. 
Portman,  oie  of  the  county  mem- 
bers, addressed  them,  beseeching 
them  to  desist  from  acts  of  violence, 
and  to  return  home:  their  numbers' 
were  much  diminished  at  eleven, 
at  which  time  they  broke  Dr.  Hey- 
wood's  windows,  and  destroyed 
part  of  his  premises.  They  tnea 
marched  away  to  a  Mr.  Cross's,  a 
clergyman,  wno  resided  near  the 
town,  with  an  intention  of  continu- 
ing their  work  of  mischief;  but,  a 
shot  being  fired,  they  returned  with- 
out doing  much  injury— one  of 
them  carrying  the  gun,  which  tbey 
had  captured.  At  half-past  twelve 
the  town  was  tolerably  quiet. 

Ann  UAL  Theatricals.  — -  M. 
Martin,  from  the  Cirque  Olympique 
of  Paris,  and  his  wild  beasts,  were 
introduced  last  night  at  Dnuy- 
lane  theatre.  In  one  scene  he  is  seen 
lying  asleep  on  a  lioness,  and  is 
afterwards  defended  by  that  ani- 
mal, and  a  very  fine  male  lioo, 
against  a  party  of  armed  soldiers.' 
Two  boa  constrictors  wind  them- 
selves round  his  children,  whom 
he  rescues  from  the  fright^  folds 
of  the  serpents.  There  is  a  pro- 
cession in  which  two  elephants 
figure ;  a  llama  is  hunted  by  In- 
dians, and  some  Indians  are  hunted 
by  a  small  tiger.  In  the  latter 
part  of  the  drama,  M.  Martin  is 
thrown  into  the  den  of  a  lioness,' 
reputed  to  be  the  fiercest  of  her 
kind,  and  after  a  long  and  ardu* 
ous  fight,  destroys  the  animal. 
The  last  scene  exhibits  the  tri« 


OCT.]  CHRONICLE.  165 

umphal  entry  of  Hyder  Ali  into  offered  to  resign  again  was  out  of 

Mysore,  with  his  elephants.     The  the  question^  as  I  was  allowed^  by 

docility  of  the  beasts  was  rery  re-  the  king's  own  communication^  to 

markable^  and  the  general  effect  act  and  vote  exactly  as  I  pleased, 

of  the  exhibition  extremely  sur-  Nothing,  therefore^  but  the  posi- 

prising  and  curious.  tive  request  of  Ioi*d  Grey  and  his 

18.      Dismissal      op      Earl  colleagues  to  the  king  for  my  re- 

HowE, — Mr.  Trevor,  on  the  14th,  moval,  in  consequence  of  my  vote 

put  a  question  in  the  House  of  the  other  night  has  been  the  cause 

Commons    to    the    paymaster  of  of  my  being  no  longer  in  her  ma- 

the  Forces,  respecting  the  dismis-  jesty  s  household.     I  feel  that  it  is 

sal  of  earl  Howe  from  the  office  of  but  common  justice  to  my  own  cha- 

Chamberlain  to  her  majesty.    The  racter  to  make  this  statement,  and 

answer  he  received  was,  that  the  to  give  you  full  authority  to  make 

noble  earl  had  tendered  his  resig-  whatever  use  of  it  you  liKe,  except 

nation,  and  that  it  was  accepted,  the  insertion  of  it  in  the  public 

Mr.  Trevor  now  read  the  following  papers. — I  have  the  honour  to  be 

letter  from  his  lordship.  your  faithful  and  obedient  servant^ 
*'  Gopsal  Aiherstone,  Oct.  l6.  "  Howe." 

<c  Sir,— Although  I  have  not  the  *^  The  Hon.  A.  Trevor." 
honour  of  your  acquaintance,  I  am 

certain  you  will  pardon  the  liberty        Mr.  Trevor,  therefore,  wished  to 

I  take  in  making  a  few  observa-  ask  whether  the  noble  earl  who 

tions  on  a  question  which  the  papers  had  lately  filled  the  office  of  Cham- 

of  yesterday  mentioned   to  have  berlain  to  her  majesty  was   dis« 

been  put  by  you  in  the  House  of  missed  in  consequence  of  the  vote 

Commons  respecting  my  dismissal  he  had  given  on  the  Reform  Bill, 

from  the  Queen's  household.     If  notwithstanding  the  previous  un« 

the  answer  lord  John  Russell  is  derstanding  that  he  should  be  at 

reported   to    have  given,   in   the  liberty  to  vote  as  he  pleased  upon 

Times,  is  the  one  he  really  made,  that  question. — The  Chancellor  of 

I  must  say  his  lordship   made  a  the  Exchequer  said,  that  nothing 

statement  at  direct  variance  with  could  be  clearer  than  the  preroga- 

the  real  facts  of  the  case,  which  tive  of  the  crown  to  retain  or  dis- 

are  these : — In  the  month  of  May  miss  its  own  servants.     It  would 

last,   and  for  the  second  time,  I  be    contrary  to   his  duty,    as  a 

submitted  to  his  majesty  my  in-  minister  of   the  crown,  to  state 

tention  of   opposing  the   Reform  any  reason  why  this  prerogative 

Bill,  and  my  perfect  readiness  to  had  been  acted  upon  in  the  in- 

resign  my  situation  as  Chamber-  stance  to  which  the  hon.  member 

lain  to  the  Queen,  at  any  moment  adverted. 

that  he  might  be  pleased  to  fix  on.  19.  The  Duke  of  Newcas- 
I  received  in  reply  a  most  gracious  tle's  Tenantry. — ^A  deputation 
command  to  retain  my  office,  and  waited  upon  the  duke  of  Newcas- 
a  distinct  recognition  of  my  privi-  tie  on  Wednesday,  with  the  foUow- 
hge  of  being  perfectly  independ-  ing  address,  containing  signatures 
ent  of  any  government  from  the  of  313  of  his  grace's  tenantry  re- 
circumstance  of  my  being  in  her  sident  upon  his  estates  in  the 
majesty's  household.    My  having  vicinity  of  Clumber  .*-— 


166 


ANNUAL    REGISTER.        tWSU 


To  His  Grate  ike  Duke  of  Nenf'^ 
castle,  Lord  Lieulefwnt  of  the 
county    of  Nottingham,    K.G.^ 

We,  the  undersigned  inhabit- 
ants of  the  parishes  of  Berercotcs^ 
Bothamsall^  Cromwell,  West  Dray- 
ton, Egmanton,  Elkslcy,  Hough- 
ton, Holme,  East  and  West  Mark« 
ham,  Milton,  Muskham,  Tuxford, 
and  Walesby,  deeply  regretting 
the  attempts  that  have  been  made 
to  destroy  your  grace's  property, 
cannot  find  terras  sufficiently  strong 
to  express  our  detestation  of  pro- 
ceedings so  revolting  to  every  good 
feeling.  Living,  as  we  do,  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  your  grace's  re- 
sidence, where  your  character  and 
virtues  are  felt  and  appreciated, 
and  sensible  as  we  arc  of  the  com- 
forts and  advantages  derived  from 
so  kind  and  liberal  a  landlord,  we 
feel  a  real  pleasure  in  coming  for- 
ward to  declare  our  respect  for^ 
and  attachment  to,  your  grace; 
and  to  ofiTer  our  united  services  to 
protect  your  person,  and  that  of 
every  individual  member  of  your 
family ;  and  at  the  same  time  to 
assure  your  grace,  that  it  is  our 
unanimous  determination  to  exert 
every  enerffy  in  our  power  to  pre- 
vent the  destruction  and  plunder 
of  your  grace's  property,  and  a 
repetition  of  outrages  so  flagrant 
and  disgraceful  to  the  county. 

Cholera. — The  Board  of  ftealth 
have  issued  the  followiuff  state- 
ment :  "  The  following  are  the  early 
symptoms  of  the  disease  in  its  most 
marked  form,  as  it  occurred  to  the 
observation  of  Dr.  Russell,  and 
Dr.  Barry,  at  St,  Petersburg,  cor- 
roborated by  the  accounts  from 
other  places  where  the  disease  has 
prevailed: — Giddiness,  sick  sto- 
mach, nervous  agitation,  in  termite 
tent,  slow,  or  small  pulse,  cramps 


beffinniug  at  the  tops  of  the  fitigpen 
and  toes,  and  rapialy  approachiag 
the  trunk,  give  the  first  waltiiiig» 
Vomiting  or  purging,  or  both  thwe 
evacuations  of  a  liquid  like  rice* 
water  or  whey,  or  barley-water, 
come    on ;    the   features  become 
sharp    and    contracted,    the   eye 
sinks,  the  look   it    exi^essive  of 
terror  and  wildnett ;  the  lipe,  fiioe> 
neck,  hands,  and  feet,  and  eooa 
after  the  thighs,  arms,  and  whole 
surface  assume  a  leaden,  blue,  pur* 
pie,  black,  or  deep  brown  tint,  ao* 
cording  to  the  complexion  of  the 
individual)  varying  In  shade  with 
the  intensity  of  the  attack.    The 
fingers  and  toes  are  reduced  in 
sizci  the  skin,  and  soft  parts  co- 
reritig  them  are  wrinkled,  shri- 
velied,  and  folded ;  the  nails  put 
on  a  blueish  pearly  white^    the 
larger  superficial  veins  are  marked 
by  flat  lines  of  deepr  black  j  the 
pulse   becomes  eitiier  small  as  a 
thread,  and  scarcely  vibrating,  or 
else  totally  extinct.    The  skm  is 
deadly  cold  and  often  dam|i|  the 
tongue  always  moist,  often  white 
and  loaded,  but  flabby  and  chilled 
like  a  piece  of  dead  fiesh.     The 
voice  is  nearly  gone :  the  reepir«> 
ation  quick,  irregular,  and  imper^ 
fectlv    performed.      The    patiettt 
speaks  in  a  whisper.    He  struffglee 
for  breath,  and  often  lays  his  hand 
on  his  heart  to  point  out  the  seat 
of  his  distress.     Sometimes  there 
are  rigid  spasms  of  the  legs,  thighA, 
and  loins.     The  secretion  of  urine 
is  totally  suspended;    yomitings 
and  purgings,  which  are  far  fhmi 
being  the  most  important  or  dan* 
gerous  symptoms,  and  which,  in  a 
very  great  number  of  cases  of  the 
disease,  have  not  been  profuse^  or 
have  been  arrested  by  medicine 
early  in  the  attack,  succeed*     It 
is  evident  that  the  most  urgmt 


6CT.] 


OttRbNlCtfi. 


let 


and  peculUf  djmpton)  at  i\\h  Al^ 
ease  is  th^  sudaeti  depir^Bdton  of 
the  rital  powers!  proved  by  the 
diminished  action  of  the  heartj 
the  coldness  of  the  surfkce  and 
extremities^  and  the  stamiant  state 
of  the  whole  circulatmn.  It  is 
important  to  adrert  to  this  fact^ 
as  pointing  out  the  instant  mea- 
sures which  may  safely  and  bene- 
ficially be  employed  where  mdii- 
cial  aid  cannot  immediately  be  pro- 
cured. All  meand  tending  to  re- 
store the  circulation  and  maintain 
the  warmth  of  the  body  should  be 
had  recourse  to  without  delay. 
The  patient  should  always  imme- 
diately be  put  t6  bed^  wrapped  up 
in  hot  blanitets^  and  warmth  should 
be  sustained  bv  other  eittetnal  ap- 
plications^ sucn  as  repeated  fric- 
tions with  flannels  and  camphor- 
ated spirits ',  poultices  of  mustard 
and  linseed  (equal  parts)  to  the  sto- 
machy particularly  where  pain  and 
vomitin?  exist;  similar  poultices 
to  the  feet  and  legs,  to  restore 
their  warmth.  Tlie  returning 
heat  of  the  body  may  be  promoted 
by  bags  containing  hot  salt  or  bran 
applied  to  different  parts  of  it. 
For  the  same  purpose  of  restoring 
and  sustaining  the  circulation^ 
white  wine  whey,  with  Spice^  hot 
brandy  and  water,  or  sal  volatile, 
in  the  dose  of  a  tea-spoonful  In  hot 
water,  frequently  repeated,  or  from 
five  to  twenty  drops  of  some  of  the 
essential  oils,  as  peppermint, cloves^ 
or  cajeput,  in  a  wine  glass  of  water, 
may  be  administered;  with  the 
same  view,  where  the  stomach  will 
bear  it,  warm  broth  with  spice 
may  be  employed*  In  very  severe 
cases,  or  where  medtcal  aid  Is 
difficult  to  be  obtained,  from  twenty 
to  forty  drops  of  laudanum  mav  be 
given,  in  any  of  the  warm  drinks 
previousljf  recommended.     These 


simple  means  ai«  j^fdpoded  as  re- 
sources in  the  incipient  stage  of 
the  disease,  where  medical  aid  has 
not  yet  been  obtained.  In  refer- 
ence to  the  further  means  to  be 
adopted  in  the  treatment  of  this 
disease,  it  is  necessary  to  8tat«  that 
no  specific  remedy  has  yet  been 
ascertained  $  nor  nas  any  plan  of 
cure  beensUmciehtly  recommended 
by  success  to  warrant  its  express 
recommendation  from  authority. 
The  Board  have  already  published 
a  detailed  statement  of  the  me- 
thods of  treatment  adopted  in 
India,  and  of  the  dtfiferent  opi- 
nions entertained  as  to  the  use  of 
bleeding,  emetics,  calomel,  opium 
8tc,  There  is  reason  to  believe 
that  more  information  on  this  sub- 
ject may  be  obtained  from  those 
parts  of  the  continent  where  the 
disease  is  now  prevailing;  but 
eVen  should  it  be  otherwise,  the 
greatest  confidence  mav  be  reposed 
in  the  intelligence  ana  zeal  Which 
the  medical  practitioners  of  this 
country  will  employ  in  establishing 
an  appropriate  method  of  cure. 
H^NRir  HAL^onn, 

President  of  the  Board. 
21.  Tub  Bishop  of  London 
ANt>  St.  Ann's,  SoMo.-^The 
church  of  St.  Ann,  in  Dean-Street, 
Soho,  having  undergone  fepail*,  was 
re- opened  on  l^unday  morning  for 
divine  service.  It  was  agreed  some 
time  since  to  solicit  the  Bishop  of 
London  to  preach  a  sermon  on  the 
occasion  for  the  benefit  of  St.  Ann's 
school,  aiid  his  lordship  consented 
to  do  so  5  but  no  sooner  was  this 
arrangement  announced  by  hand- 
bills, than  a  rumour  was  spread 
that  a  great  number  of  the  con- 

Kgation  would  leave  the  church 
nediately  on  the  bishop  aScend«> 
infi^  the  pulpit.  The  rumour 
gained  ground  until  It  reached  the 


168        ANNUAL    REGISTER.  [issi. 

ear  of  the  bishop,  vho  wrote  to  tura,  refused  to  pay  the  tax  of 
Dr.  M'Leod,  the  Rector^  and  the  four  creutzers  imjposed  on  the  late- 
result  was^  the  following  handbill^  comers.  A  scuffle  ensued^  aereral 
signed  by  the  churchwardens^  was  persons  were  wounded,  and  many 
dbtributed^  on  Friday,  throughout  windows  broken.  This  affair  toot 
the  parish  : —  place  on  the  24th.     The  governor, 

'^Si,  Ann,   Westminster" — The  alarmed  at  this   manifestation  of 

parishioners    are   respectfully    in-  public  feelings   explained  himself 

formed  that  the  Rev.  Dr.  M'Leod^  more  clearly  on  the  following  day, 

the  Rector   has  received  a  letter  and  the  gates  were  left  open  until 

from  the  Lord  Bishop  of  London^  ten.      But    the    feelings    of  the 

stating  that  his   lordship  is  un-  citizens  had  been  too  grievously 

avoidably  prevented  from  preach-  wounded  to  pass  quietly  over  the 

ing  in  this  church  on  the  morning  supposed  attack  on  their  liberties  ; 

of  Sunday  next.  and  consequently,  at  ten  o'clock 

23.     Paris  has  been  thrown  into  on  the  25th,  the  affair  assumed  a 

some  agitation    by  the  refusal   of  more  serious  aspect.  The  workmen 

the  police  to  allow  a  new  piece,  in  the  town  attacked  the  troops 

entitled  '^Le  Proces  d'un  Marechzd  on    duty  near    the    gate.      The 

de  France,  1815,"  to  be  performed  Citizens,  or  National  Guards  were 

at  the  Theatre  des  Nouveautes.  immediately    called    out.     These, 

The  marshal  was  Ney^  who  was  however^  it  seems^  under  pretext 

shot  for  treason^  and  the  piece  was  of  re-establishing  order^  sided  in 

of  a  political  character.    M.  Man-  reality  with  the  mob.    The  oon« 

guin,  a  barrister,  has  advised  the  sequence    was,    that    the    troops 

proprietor  to  try  the  case.     The  were  compelled  at  last  to  fly ;  and 

liberals  complain   that    the    new  the  National  Guard  took   imme- 

government  is  less  tolerant  than  diate  possession  of  their  post^  and  for 

that  of  Prince  Polignac^  and  that  some  time  did  duty  in  that  quarter. 

the  press  and  the  theatre  are  more  On  the  popular  side  many  persons 

crippled  by  restrictions  than  they  were  dangerously  wounded ;  the 

were  under  Charles  X.  loss  of  the  troops  was  comparatively 

26.     Riots  at  Frankfort. —  greater,  and  three  men  were  killed 

The  Vcndanges,  which  last  three  on  the  spot, 
days,  commenced  the  day  before        29.     oiR    Walter   Scott.  — • 

Jresterday.     It  is  an  old  custom  to  Portsmouth. — Sir  Walter  Soott 

eave  the  gates  of  the  town  during  and  his  daughter  embarked  this 

these  three  days  open   until  ten  morning  in  the  Barham,  52  gunSf 

o'clock  at  niglit,  although  at  this  Captain  H.  Pigott,  and  sailed  for 

season  they  are  usually  shut  at  six  the  Mediterranean.      As  soon  as 

in  the  evening.     The   Governor,  it  was   known    that   he    was    to 

however,  gave   orders   that    they  embark  here,  a  deputation  from 

should  be  shut  at  the  usual  hour,  the  Literary  and  Philosophical  So« 

The  guard,  acting  upon  this  com-  ciety^   consisting  of  D.   Howard, 

mand,  closed  the  gates  before  ten  esq..    President,    the     Rev.   Mr. 

o'clock.   This  greatly  irritated  the  Neave,  and  Mr.  J.  W.  Williams, 

people  of  the  town  who  had  been  Vice  Presidents^  and  Mr.  Julian 

out  to  view  the  fire-works;  and  the  Slight,  Secretary,  were  deputed  to 

greatest  part  of  them  on  their  re-  wait  on    this  distinguished  per« 


OCT.] 


CHRONICLE. 


169 


sonage  immediately  on  his  arriva]^ 
to  express  the  high  s^nse  the  so- 
ciety entertained  of  his  great  lite- 
rary acquirements^  and  to  request 
that  he  would  accede  to  the  wishes 
of  the  members^  and  allow  his 
name  to  be  added  to  the  list  of 
honorary  members.  Accordingly, 
on  Monday  last,  the  deputation 
had  the  honour  of  an  interview 
with  the  '^  Author  of  Waver- 
ley,"  and  were  received  with  all 
that  courtesy  and  urbanity  of 
manners  for  which  Sir  Walter 
is  so  eminetitly  conspicuous.  The 
interview  lasted  upwards  of  an 
hour;  and  although  Sir  Walter 
was  evidently  labouring  under  se- 
vere indisposition,  the  deputation 
were  highly  gratified  by  the  recital 
of  various  interesting  anecdotes, 
in  which  the  slumbering  energies 
of  his  mind  broke  through  the 
trammels  which  appeared  to  hold 
it  in  temporary  subjection.  The 
worthy  baronet  expressed  himself 
highly  flattered  at  the  attention 
shown  him  by  the  members  of  the 
society,  to  whom  he  begged,  indi- 
vidually and  collectively,  to  return 
his  grateful  thanks,  and  assured 
them  that  he  felt  great  pleasure  in 
acceding  to  their  request  in  allow- 
ing his  name  to  appear  on  the 
records  of  their  institution  as  one 
of  its  honorary  members. 

The  Season.  —  Such  is  the 
mildness  of  the  weather  at  this 
season,  that  wild  roses  were  plucked 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  Dulwich 
and  Sydenham  during  the  last 
week.  Geraniums  and  balsams, 
and  that  magnificent  flower,  the 
dahlia,  which  yearly  improves 
under  our  mode  of  culture,  are 
now  blowing  in  the  open  ground  in 
all  the  luxuriance  of  a  latter 
summer.  To  these  may  be  added 
the  many  varieties  of  the  Penster-i 

mons;  the  camelios^  ^uberoeai  the 


Tigridia  pavonia  (called  also  Fer- 
raria),  together  with .  all  our 
tender  annuals  of  the  climbing 
sort,  with  several  others  of  diflerent 
kinds,  too  numerous  to  remark 
upon.  Such  instances  are  rare  in 
our  climate  at  this  time  of  the 
year,  and  are  some  compensation 
for  the  heavy  visitations  of  frost 
that  took  place  in  the  month  of 
May  last. 

CovENT  Garden  Theatre. — 
The  following  is  a  statement  of 
the  receipts  of  this  theatre  during 
the  following  seasons : — 

8EAS0NR.  JB.         s,     d, 

1809-10  9^,051   14     4 

1810-11  106,177     8  10 

1811-12  95,001     6    2 

1812-13  78,209     3     8 

1813-14  87,160  14  11 

1814-15  9^filS  17     9 

1815-16  83,780    7    9 

1816-17  77,603     1     3 

1817-18  75,149    9     8 

1818-19  74,121  12     4 

1819-20  bbfiSS  14     0 

1820-21   69,108  15  10 

£991,811     6     6 

Average,  per  season,  82,650/. 
\Ss.   lO^rf. 

Liverpool  and  Manchester 
Railway. — Receipts  from  January 

1st    1831,    to   June    30th ^The 

coach  department  for  the  convey- 
ance of  passengers,  43,600/.  7s.  bd. 
Carriage  of  merchandise,  21,875/. 
—Ditto  of  coal,  218/.  16*.  2^.— . 
Gross  Receipts,  65,693/.  13*.  7d. — 
Expenses  attending  the  concern 
during  the  same  period  for  repairs 
of  locomotive  engines,  carriages, 
road,  police,  taxes,  salaries,  inter- 
est of  debt,  &c.  35,379/.— Net  re- 
ceipts, 30,314/.  13*.  7d.  which, 
divided  amongst  7,012  shares, 
allows  a  dividend  of  4/,  10*.  per 
^bare  for  th^  balf-ye^. 


170        ANNUAL    ftEGIStER. 


(lUL 


3 1 ,  LdKbok  Pdtttf Oal  Ukiok. 
—Id  consequeuce  of  adFcrtise- 
ments  issued  for  ho]diug  a  nieetiug 
at  the  Grown  and  Anchor  Tavern, 
for  the  purpose  of  forming  a  Po- 
litical  Union  of  the  middling  and 
working  classes,  under  the  aus- 
pices of  Sir  Francis  Burdett, 
Colonel  Jones,  Mr.  Wakley,  and 
other  persons  of  similar  political 
opinions,  a  vast  crowd  of  people 
assembled.  Before  one  o'clock  the 
great  room  was  crowded  to  excess, 
though  none  of  the  leaders  had  yet 
made  their  appearance.  One  indivi- 
dual excitecf  great  uproar,  by  stat- 
ing that  he  understood  from  a  com- 
mittee man,  that  the  Union  was 
not  to  pledge  itself  to  universal 
sutfrage,  and  that  therefore  none 
of  his  friends,  who  he  was  sure 
composed  five-sixths  of  the  meeting, 
bad  any  business  there.  Another 
individual  recommended  that  they 
should  first  wait  to  hear  the  reso- 
lutions, and  if  they  then  found 
that  "  Universal  Suffrage  and 
Universal  Ballot,"  were  not  in- 
cluded, they  should  know  how  to 
act.  Upon  something  like  order 
being  restored,  the  meeting  was 
adjourned  to  Lincoln's  Inn-fields. 
There  certain  resolutions  were 
read,  which  stated  the  objects  of 
the  Union,  and  its  rules  and  regu- 
lations, to  be  as  follows  :•— 

"Objects  of  the  National  Politic 
cal  Union, — 1.  To  support  the 
King  and  his  ministers  against  a 
small  faction  in  accomplishing  their 
great  measure  of  parliamentary 
Reform. — 2.  To  unite  all  well- 
wishers  to  their  country,  from  the 
richest  to  the  poorest,  in  the  pur- 
suit of  such  an  important  object. 
-—3.  To  afford  a  channel  for  the 
collecting  public  opinion,  in  order 
that  all  its  moral  weight  may  be 
brought  to  bear  upon  the  Legisla^ 
ture,-«4,  To  preaetre  peaoe  and 


ordef  in  the  cottfttfT,  attd  to  MUd 
against  any  convulsion  which  the 
enemies  of  the  people  may  endea- 
vour to  bring  about. — 5.  To  watch 
over  and  promote  the  interests  and 
to  better  the  condition  of  the  ifl*- 
dustrious  and  working  clasaes.-^ 
6.  To  give  opportunities,  by  fre- 
quent public  dlscussione,  fbt  elici- 
ting the  best  means  by  which  the 
above  objects  may  be  carried  into 
execution." 

"Rules  and  Regulationi  of  the 
National  Political  l7««on.— -1.  All 
persons  whatsoever  are  admitted 
as  members  of  thig  aMociation  who 
shall  cause  their  namei  to  be 
entered  in  books  appointed  tot  the 
purpose,  and  shall  conform  to  the 
following  rules  and  i^gaUtlons.-^ 
2.  All  persons  becoming  member^ 
of  this  Union,  shall  Sul»cribe  k— *«-i 
shiliinffs  quarterly:  and  are  re* 
quested  to  make  such  further  doiia« 
tions  or  annual  quarterly  sttbecrip-i 
tions  as  they  can  convenieutW 
afford.  —  3.  All  members  ahail 
strictly  observe  the  lust  and  legal 
directions  of  the  onicerft  of  tne 
association  to  whom  the  manage^ 
ment  of  its  affairs  shall  be  totti- 
mitted. — 4.  The  general  manage* 
ment  of  the  Union  is  committed 
to  a  council  of  ^  individuals,  to 
be  chosen  annually  at  a  general 
meeting,  and  subject  only  to  the 
control  of  such  annual  or  other 
general  meeting.-^.  The  general 
meetings  choose  annually  three 
auditors  for  the  ensuing  year,  to 
pass  the  accounts  of  the  oouncil ; 
a:nd  if  two  of  the  auditors  cannot 
agree  in  passing  the  accounts^  the 
subject  of  difference  is  to  be  re* 
lerred  to  a  general  meeting.*^ 
The  general  meetingi  choose  a 
treasurer  and  trustees,  in  irhoee 
hands  the  funds  of  the  assodation 
are   deposited.  -«  7*  An    annual 

getieral  meetlDg  of  the  tnembera  of 


OCTO 


CHRONtCLE. 


171 


the  Union  is  held  on  th«  firit  day 
of  — 8.  General  meetings 

may  at  any  time  be  called  to- 
gether by  an  ordeir  signed  by  the 
chairman  and  deputy  chairman, 
countersigned  by  the  secret«rv>  or 
by  an  order  signed  by  six  of  the 
members  of  coundil^  or  by  a  re« 
quisition  signed  by  200  members 
of  the  Union.  The  order  or 
I'equisition  for  such  meeting  to  be 
advertised  in  three  London  news*- 
paper8.««^9.  At  the  annual  general 
meetings  the  council,  auditors, 
treasurer,  and  trustees  are  chosen. 
Each  individual  who  shall  be  pro*- 
posed  for  office  is  put  in  nomina«^ 
tion  separately  (or  in  such  way  as 
the  general  meeting  may  direct), 
and  is  elected  by  a  majority  of  the 
members  present^  the  chairman 
deciding  on  which  side  is  the  mtt* 
Jority,  unless  a  division  be  de* 
manaed,  when  tellers  shall  be  hp* 
pointed  in  the  usual  Way.^-^IO*  At 
the  general  meetings  the  secretary 
will  produce  the  books  for  inspect 
tion,  and  in  the  whole  conduct  of 
the  union  every  species  of  conceal- 
ment or  mystery  is  to  be  carefully 
avoided.  —  11.  The  council  (of 
whom  form  a  quorum)  meets 

weekly,  or  as  often  as  they  may 
deem  necessai^y,  keeping  a  record 
of  their  proceedings  at  each  meet« 
ing.'-^]2.  The  council  appoints  a 
chairman,  deputy  chairman,  sechl^ 
tary,  collectors  of  contributions, 
ana  such  other  officers,  either  with 
or  without  salaries,  as  may  be 
found  expedient. — ^13*  The  council 
appoints  a  solicitor  tind  legal  ad-* 
viser  to  the  Union,  if  occasion 
require. -^14.  The  council  shall 
watch  closely  the  proceedings  of 
the  legislature,  shiul  call  general 
meetings  when  necessary^  present 
addresses  and  petitions  to  the 
crown  and  the  legislature  when  the 
interests  of  the  peoplo  are  «t  iHduii 


And  generally  thall  use  evei*y  ex* 
ertion  in  furthering  die  objects  of 
the  Union.'^15.  The  council  em- 
ploys the  funds  of  the  association 
solely  in  promoting  its  objects, 
according  to  their  l^st  judgment 
and  discretion. -^16.  No  part  of 
the  funds  of  the  association  shull 
be  expended  in  any  object  wherein 
a  member  (^  the  council  is  per^ 
sonally  interested^  except  by  votes 
of  two'thirds  of  a  council,  specially 
called  for  the  jmrpose  ei  consider- 
ing the  question.«^17«  The  trea- 
surer shall  nay  money  only  to 
orders  passed  by  the  coancil  and 
countersigned  by  the  secretary .«« 
18.  No  alteration  or  addition  to 
the  above  rules  and  regulations 
shall  be  made.  Unless  It  l^  recom- 
mended by  the  council,  or  unless, 
on  refusal  of  the  council  to  bring 
the  motion  forward,  it  be  adopted 
by  four'*f)fths  of  a  genered  meeting, 
specially  summon^  for  the  pur«- 
pose." 

The  other  resolutions  recom*- 
mended  that  similar  societies 
should  be  formed  throughout  the 
country,  and  that  the  president  of 
any  such  society  should  become,  on 
admission  into  the  Metropolitan 
Political  Unioui  a  member  of  its 
council,-^The  reading  of  the  reso^ 
lutions  was  received  with  great 
applause. 

The  principal  speakers  were  cer« 
tain  persons  of  the  names  of  Fox^ 
Detroissier,  Savage,  Lovett,  Olive, 
together  with  Mr.  Wakley^  Col. 
Jones,  and  Mr.  Humei 


NOVEMBER* 

RiOTS  AT  BmsroLAllO  OtHSR 

PLAOB8.-^Bristol  was  Uie  theatre 
of  the  most  disgraceful  outrages  that 
have  been  penietrated  in  this  coun« 
trysinaettienotief  Ijondanin  l780t 


174 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


[1831 


in  all  directions,  were  parsued 
through  the  streets  by  the  soldiers^ 
and  several  of  them  received  severe 
cuts  from  their  sabres.  Many 
took  refuge  in  the  various  pass- 
ages  in  Wine-street,  whence  they 
assailed  the  troops  with  stones, 
particularly  at  the  top  of  the 
IMthay,  where  one  of  the  soldiers 
having  been  struck,  immediately 
turned  round,  and  shot  a  man  dead 
upon  the  spot.  This  was  at  half- 
past  twelve,  and  the  soldiers  con- 
tinuing to  gallop  about  the  streets, 
prevented  the  re-assembling  of  the 
mob  during  the  night. 

On  Sunday  the  people  again  be- 
gan to  assemble  at  an  early  hour 
in  Queen -square,  but,  every  thing 
remaining  quiet,  the  troops  were 
withdrawn  for  some  refreshment, 
having  been  on  duty  more  than 
twenty-four  hours.  They  had 
scarcely  disappeared,  when  the 
mob  again  commenced  their  out- 
rages, and,  ascending  to  the  up- 
per rooms  of  the  Mansion-house, 
they  proceeded  to  throw  out  the 
valuable  furniture  into  the  square. 
Another  exciting  cause  now  be- 
gan to  develope  itself.  During 
the  sacking  of  the  Mansion-house, 
the  wine  cellars  were  forced,  and 
at  least  one  third  of  a  stock  of  300 
dozen  of  choice  wines  was  carried 
off,  and  wasted  or  drank  by  the 
mob.  The  result  was,  that  they 
became  madly  infuriated,  and  re- 
gardless alike  of  what  mischief 
they  committed,  or  what  risk  they 
incurred.  All  ages,  of  both  sexes, 
were  to  be  seen  greedily  swallow- 
ing the  intoxicating  liquors,  while 
upon  the  ground  the  bodies  of 
scores  were  to  be  found  dead  with 
drunkenness.  The  troops  again 
appeared,  but  the  infuriate  mob 
began  to  act  on  the  offensive,  and 
attacked  them  with  a  shower  of 
stones    and    brickbats.     In    this 


state  of  things  the  oomm&ndiDg 
officer  judged  it  prudent  to  with- 
draw the  troops  (the  l4th  Light 
Dragoons)  ana  replace  them  with 
a  body  of  the  3rd  Dragoon  Guards. 
On  tne  retirement  of  the  former, 
they  were  followed  by  a  large  por- 
tion of  the  mob,  who  continued 
their  assaults  upon  them  along  the 
quay  and  o?er  the  draw-bndge. 
On  arriving  at  St  Augustine's 
Back,  being  provoked  beyond  fur- 
ther forbearance,  they  turned  round 
and  fired  several  shots  on  their  as- 
sailants, and  a  further  loss  of  lifo 
was  the  result.  The  mob,  how- 
ever, still  continued  to  follow  them, 
and  ill  College-green  some  farther 
firing  occurred.  Still  the  mob 
continued  their  assaults,  until  the 
troops  arrived  at  their  quarters  in 
the  Boar's-head-yard,  where  they 
again  fired.  The  discharges  were, 
however,  but  partial ;  the  number 
of  killed  being  one,  and  of  wounded, 
seven  or  eight.  Immediately  after 
these  occurrences  colonel  Brereton 
rode  down  to  the  square,  followed 
by  a  considerable  number  of  men 
and  boys,  who  cheered  him  on  his 
way  thither.  Assuring  them  that 
there  should  be  no  more  firing,  and 
that  the  14th  should  be  immediktely 
sent  out  of  the  city,  again  exhortea 
them  to  return  to  their  homes. 

In  the  square,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  the  scenes  of  drunk- 
enness which  were  still  going  on, 
nothing  further  occurred  until  the 
evening,  with  the  exception  that 
an  individual  mounted  the  statue 
of  king  William,  and,  fixing  a 
tri-coloured  cap  on  a  long  pole, 
pronounced  aloud,  ^'  The  Cap  of 
Libertj !  '*  The  soldiers  were  drawn 
up  in  front  of  the  Mansion-house, 
and  the  mob  seemed  nowise  dis- 
posed to  molest  them. 

After  a  while,  however,  they  ma- 
nifested arestlessoesiforaction,and 


NOV.] 


CHRONICLE. 


175 


a  party  >  by  no  means  numerous^  pro* 
ceeded  to  the  Bridewell.  On  ttieir 
arrival,  having  procured  sledge- 
hammers from  the  nearest  smith's 
shop^  they  beat  in  the  doors^  Kbe» 
rated  the  prisoners^  and  set  the 
building  on  fire.  During  this 
operation,  not  the  slightest  moles- 
tation was  offered  them.  This 
happened  about  two  o'clock.  About 
the  same  time  a  stronger  party 
proceeded  to  the  New  Gaol ;  along 
the  New  Cut,  in  front  of  the  gaol^ 
a  dense  mass  of  the  rioters  assem* 
bled ;  and,  on  the  opposite  bank  of 
the  river,  the  people  were  posted 
in  thousands.  The  mob  succeeded 
in  forcing  an  entrance  into  the 
yard  and  the  governor's-house, 
and  threw  every  moveable  article 
into  the  New  Kiver.  They  next 
procured  hammers  from  the  adjoin- 
ing ship^yard,  with  which  the 
massive  locks  on  the  iron  doors  of 
the  cells  were  smashed  to  atoms. 
The  prisoners  were  then  released ; 
many  of  them,  both  male  and  fe- 
male, stripped  off  their  prison 
clothes,  ana  proceeded  on  their 
way  almost  in  a  state  of  nudity* 
As  they  passed  along,  the  mob 
cheered  them  and  followed  them 
with  exultations.  After  the  pri- 
soners had  been  liberated,  amount- 
ing, altogether,  exclusive  of  debt- 
ors, to  more  than  100,  the  next 
step  was  to  set  the  prison  on  fire ; 


1 

id 


and  a  black  handkerchief  was  tied 
to  the  weathercock  on  the  top  of 
the  porter's  lodge,  over  the  gate- 
way, as  a  signal  for  commenc- 
ing operations.  Immediately  dense 
clouds  of  smoke  issued  from  every 
part  of  the  building.  The  flames 
were  first  seen  to  break  out  from 
the  tread-mill,  which  burnt  with 
fury  until  it  was  quite  con- 
sumed. In  about  an  hour  the 
govemor*s-house  was  completely 
enveloped  in  flames;   the  wings. 


howsTer,  being  buUt  almost  ex-« 
clusively  of  stone  and  iron,  with 
iron  roofs,  were  but  little  injured. 
During  these  proceedings,  a  party 
of  the  3rd  Guards,  about  twenty 
in  number,  arrived ;  and  the  mob 
cheered  the  troops,  who  acknow- 
ledged the  compliment  by  taking 
off  their  caps,  and,  almost  imme- 
diately after,  wheeled  round  and  de- 
parted. As  soon  as  the  work  of 
destruction  was  completed  here, 
the  rioters  divided  themselves  into 
parties,  the  one  proceeding  to 
the  Toll-houses,  at  Prinoes-street- 
bridge,  another  to  the  Toll-house  at 
the  Wells,  and  another  to  the  one 
at  St.  Phillips !  these  were  speedily 
in  flames.  They  then  set  off, 
about  seven  o*clock,  to  the  Glou- 
cester county  prison,  and  having 
broken  into  it,  released  all  the 
prisoners,  and  set  Are  to  the 
building.  At  the  same  time,  also, 
a  party  proceeded  to  Brideweilt 
which  had  been  only  partially  de- 
stroyed, and  set  fire  to  the  wing 
occupied  by  the  keeper  ^  so  that 
the  three  prisons  were  in  flames  at 
the  same  instant. 

A  handful  of  the  miscreants  then 
proceeded  to  the  Bishop's  palace. 
Canon 's-marsh,  and  immeaiately 
commenced  the  work  of  destruction* 
A  few  individuals  succeeded  for  a 
while  in  staying  their  designs,  and 
orders  were  sentthatthemilitary,  at 
the  Mansion-house,  should  hasten  to 
the  protection  of  the  Bishop's  resid- 
ence. They  had  no  sooner  set  out 
for  that  purpose,  than  the  mob  set 
fire  to  the  Mansion-house.  On  the 
arrival  of  the  troops  at  the  Bishop's 
palace,  matters  there  were  in  a 
tolerably  quiet  state,and  having  re- 
turned to  Queen-square,  they  found 
the  whole  of  the  back:  premisesof  the 
Mansion-house  burning  with  fury, 
and  the  apartments  in  the  front 
rooms  occupied  by  wretcHet  &cili« 


176 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


[1831. 


tating  the  destruction  of  the  build* 
iug,  by  firing  the  apartments 
simultaneously.  The  infatuated 
creatures  pressed  forward  to  the 
windows  and  waved  their  handker- 
chiefs^ in  exultation  of  the  final 
accomplishment  of  their  designs. 
From  the  rapidity  of  the  progress 
of  the  fiameSj  it  is  supposed  that 
some  were  cut  oflf  from  a  retreat, 
and  that  they  thus  met  with  an 
untinaely  end.  In  about  twenty 
minutes  the  roof  fell  in,  and,  to- 
gether with  the  whole  front,  came 
down  into  the  street  with  a  tre- 
mendous crash.  In  the  mean  time 
the  Bishop's-palace  had  been  set 
on  fire,  and  the  flames  were  raging 
throughout  the  whole  pile  of  build- 
ing, which  in  a  short  period  was 
reduced  to  ashes.  The  bishop  had 
left  the  city  about  mid-day. 

After  the  destruction  of  the 
Mansion-house,  the  rioters  con- 
ceived the  plan  of  setting  fire  to 
the  adjoining  houses,  and,  by 
twelve  at  night,  the  wliolc  mass, 
from  the  Mansion-house  to  the 
middle  avenue,  including  the  Cus- 
tom-house and  all  the  Back  Build- 
ing, in  Little  King-street,  were 
one  immense  mass  of  fire.  The 
Custom-house  was  a  large  building, 
and  the  expertness  of  the  wretches 
in  lighting  it  up,  proved  the  de- 
struction of  many  of  them  who  were 
ranging  the  upper  apartments. 
Some  of  them  were  seen  to  drop 
into  the  flames,  and  others  in  des- 
peration threw  themselves  from  the 
windows.  A  small  band,  chiefly 
boys,  who  seemed  to  go  about  their 
work  as  if  they  had  been  regu- 
larly trained  to  the  hellish  employ- 
ment, proceeded  to  extend  the 
conflagration];  preceding  their  oper- 
ation by  giving  half  an  hour's  notice 
to  the  inmates  of  the  houses  to 
retire.  The  windows  were  after- 
wards smashed  in,  and  the  premises 


were  ignited  with  astonishing 
pidity.  In  this  manner  they  swept 
away  one  whole  side  of  Queen's- 
square,  and  then  proceeded  to  an 
other ;  commencing  with  the  Ex- 
cise-office) at  the  corner.  From  this 
time,  three  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
the  flames  extended  to  the  houaes 
of  the  parallel  streets  and  to  many 
of  the  principal  Mane  and  spirit 
stores.  Al  together  there  were  oom- 
pletely  destroyed  forty-two  dwell- 
ing houses  and  warehouses,  exclu- 
sive of  the  Mansion-house,  Excise- 
office,  Custom-house,  the  four  toll 
houses,  the  three  prisons,  and  the 
bishop* s-palaoe.  All  seemed  panic- 
struck,  and  but  few  cared  except 
for  their  personal  safety.  The  city 
seemed  given  up  to  plunder;  young 
fellows,  in  parties  of  four,  five,  or 
six,  repaired  to  liquor-shops  and 
public- houses,  knocked  at  thedoon» 
and  demanded  drink  or  blood. 
When  morning  dawned,  the  flames 
were  subsiding,  but  the  appear- 
ance of  Queen-square  was  appalling 
in  the  extreme.  Numerous  build- 
ings were  reduced  to  a  heap  of 
smoking  ruins,  and  others  were 
momentarily  falling  in :  while, 
around,  lay  several  of  the  rioterSi 
in  the  last  stage  of  senseless  ii^- 
t^xication,  and  with  countenances 
more  resembling  fiends  than  man. 
Meantime  the  soldiers,  who  had 
been  ordered  out  of  the  city,  were 
brought  back;  and  the  magis- 
trates, having  re-assembled,  came 
at  length  to  a  decision,  and  called 
out  the  posse  camkatus.  The  mi- 
litary were  then  ordered  to  dear 
the  streets — an  order  which  was 
fulfilled  to  the  letter  by  a  party  of 
the  troops  which  had  experienced 
some  rough  treatment,  and  had  in 
consequence  fired  upon  the  people 
on  the  previous  day.  Nothing  was 
to  be  seen  on  every  side  but  wo- 
men and  children,  running  and 


NOV.] 


CHRONICLE. 


177 


screaming  in  every  direction,  many 
were  severely  wounded  and  some 
killed.  Towards  the  evening, 
the  flames  in  several  houses  of 
the  square  broke  out  afresh,  and 
part  of  the  pavement  in  King« 
street  was  forced  up  by  the  heat 
arising  from  some  brandy  which 
was  burning  in  the  vaults  be- 
neath, but  the  engines  being  in 
readiness,  no  further  injury  oc- 
curred. An  attack  on  the  shipping 
had  been  anticipated,  and  pre- 
parations were  made  to  repel  it ; 
but  happily  those  fears  were  not 
realized. 

The  number  killed  and  wounded 
did  not  exceed  1 00.  Of  the  dead, 
as  far  as  could  be  ascertained,  6 
were  burnt,  2  shot,  2  died  of  sword 
cuts,  and  2  of  excessive  drinking ; 
— of  the  wounded,  10  were  injured 
by  shots,  48  by  sword  cuts,  2  by 
drinking,  and  34  from  other  causes. 
The  number  committed  was  180, 
50  of  whom  were  capitally  charged 
with  rioting  and  burning. 

Riots  at  Bath,  Coventry, 
AND  Worcester.  —  About  the 
same  time,  partial  disturbances  ap- 
peared in  different  parts  of  the  coun- 
try. At  Bath,  the  mob  made  an 
attempt  to  prevent  the  yeomanry 
cavalry  leaving  the  city,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  assisting  in  the  suppression 
of  the  riots  at  Bristol.  The  inn 
where  the  captain  of  the  corps 
stayed  was  almost  pulled  down. 

On  the  7th,  some  rioting  took 
place  at  Coventry.  One  factory 
was  burnt  down,  and  the  military 
and  special  constables  were  called 
out  to  suppress  the  disturbances. 

At  Worcester,  on  the  3rd  of 
November,  the  mob,  after  breaking 
the  windows  of  several  houses,  pro- 
ceeded to  the  bishop's  palace,  and 
assailed  the  doors;  but,  finding 
there  a  detachment  of  twenty-five 
special  constables  they  gave  up  the 

Vol.  LXXJII. 


attack.  They  also  went  to  Prince 
Edgar's  Tower,  which  is  the  en- 
trance to  College-green,  the  resi- 
dence of  the  Prebends,  but  a  good 
show  of  constables  induced  ^  them 
to  retreat.  Constables  were  also 
placed  at  the  gas-works  and  poor- 
houses,  to  prevent  the  town  from 
being  darkened  by  cutting  off 
the  gas.  The  Riot  act  was  read : 
the  mayor  addressed  the  niob^ 
and  every  exertion  was  made  to 
disperse  them ;  but  about  200 
itinerant  thimble-and-peamen,  and 
low  thieves,  excited  tlie  mob,  by 
every  means  in  their  power ;  and, 
had  it  not  been  for  the  timely  ar- 
rival of  the  military,  scenes  of  great 
bloodshed  must  have  ensued,  be- 
fDre  order  could  have  been  restored. 
When  they  arrived,  and  the  order 
was  given  to  clear  the  streets,  the 
soldiers  merely  paraded  up  and 
down.  The  mob,  however,  soon 
began  to  pelt  them.  More  ener- 
getic measures  were  then  resorted 
to,  and  the  soldiers  attacked  with 
the  fiat  part  of  their  swords  all  who 
appeared  active.  The  mob  then  in- 
trenched themselves  in  Bull-court, 
which  could  be  approached  only  by 
descending  a  flight  of  six  stone  steps, 
and  many  women,  as  well  as  men, 
stoutly  defended  it  with  missiles. 
Two  of  the  troopers  were  ordered 
to  fire  down  the  court.  One  of 
them,  however,  humanely  pre- 
ferred charging  it.  His  horse  de- 
clined the  experiment  of  descend- 
ing the  steps,  and  a  loud  '*  hurrah" 
from  within  marked  the  trooper's 
retreat.  The  soldier  then  said  to 
his  horse,  "  You  must  do  it.  Bob," 
and,  at  the  same  moment,  applied 
the  spur.  Bob  answered  to  the 
summons,  went  down  the  steps 
with  the  safety  of  a  cat  or  a  dog, 
and  was  immediately  followed  by 
another.  This  so  surprised  the 
rioters,  that  the  most  ridicu- 
N 


178 


ANNUAL   REGISTER. 


[ISSI. 


lous  scene  of  confusion  followed — 
women  and  men  scrambling  and 
tumblingover  each  other  ;sauve  qui 
pent  was   the    only  principle    of 
action.     After  being  routed  here, 
the  mob  assembled  in   Foregate- 
street,  and  a  proposition  was  made 
to  attack  the  county  gaol ;  but^  on 
some  person  saying,  that  the  gover- 
nor had  a  considerable  force    of 
sheriifs  javelin-men,  militia-men, 
and  constables,  with  plenty  of  am- 
munition, they  altered  their  course 
of  proceeding,  and  directed  their 
attacks  against  private  individuals. 
Procl AM  ATiON.  —  The  follow- 
ing proclamation  was  issued    on 
November     2nd  :  —  Whereas    in 
divers  parts  of  Great  Britain,  and 
more  particularly  in  the  towns  of 
Derby  and  Nottingham,    and  in 
the  city  of  Bristol,  tumultuous  as- 
semblages of  people   have   taken 
place,   and  outrages  of  the  most 
violent  description  have  been  com- 
mitted, both  upon  the  persons  and 
property  of  divers  of  our  subjects ; 
and  whereas  all  the  restraints  of 
law  and  order  have  been  overborne 
and  trodden   under  foot  by  such 
lawless  multitudes,  the  mansions 
of  individuals    violently   entered, 
pillaged,  and  set  on  fire,  the  ordi- 
nary course  of  justice  forcibly  in- 
terrupted, the  gaols  for  the  con- 
finement of  criminals  broken  into 
and  destroyed,  and  malefactors  and 
persons  charged  with  offences  let 
loose  upon  the  public,  to  the  great 
disturbance  and  danger  of  the  com- 
mon weal,  and  the  subversion  of 
established  government;  and  where- 
as the  welfare  and  happiness  of  all 
nations  do,  under  Divine  Provi- 
dence, chiefly  depend  upon  the  ob- 
servance and  enforcement  of  the 
law ;  and  whereas  it  is  our  firm 
determination    faithfully    to   dis- 
charge the  duty  imposed  on  us,  to 
preserve  the  public  peace^  and  vi- 


gorously to  exert  the  powers  whidi 
we  possess  for  the  protection  of  all 
our  subjects,  in  the  entire  enjoy* 
ment  of  their  rights  and  libertiM : 
—We,  therefore,  being  resolved  to 
suppress  the  wicked  and  fiagitioua 
practices  aforesaid,  have  thought 
fit,  by  and  with  the  advice  of  oar 
privy  council,   to  issue  this  our 
royal  proclamation,  solemnly  warn* 
ing  all  our  liege  subjects  to  guard 
against  every  attempt  to  violato 
the  law,  and  to  abstain  from  everjr 
act  inconsistent  with  the  peace  and 
good  order  of  society ;  and  we  do 
hereby  charge   and   command  all 
sheritis,  justices  of  the  peace,  chief 
magistrates  of  cities,  boroughs,  and 
corporations,   and  all  the  magis- 
trates throughout  Great  Britain^ 
that  they  do  effectually  repress  all 
tumults,     riots,     outrages,     and 
breaches  of  the  peace  within  their 
respective  jurisdictions,  and  that 
they  do  make  diligent  inquiry,  in 
order  to  discover  and  bring  to  jus* 
tice  the  movers  and  perpetratorB 
of  all  such  seditious  and  wicked 
acts  as  aforesaid ;  and  we  do  fur- 
ther earnestly  and  solemnly  ez>* 
hort,  enjoin,  call  upon,  and  com* 
mand,  all  our  liege  subjects,  of  all 
ranks  and  conditions,  that  they  do 
come  forward  upon  the  first  appear* 
ance  or  apprehension  of  any  such 
disturbances  as  aforesaid,  as  they 
are  bound  by  their  duty  to  us,  by 
their  regard  for  the  general  inter- 
est, and  by  the  obligation  of  the 
law,  and  that  they  be  actively  aid« 
ing  and  assisting  to  all  sheriflv, 
justices  of  the  peace,  and  other 
magistrates,  in  enforcing  the  law 
against  evil  doers,  and  in  protect- 
ing their  fellow-subjects- in  the  en-" 
joyment  of  their  property,  and  the 
exercise  of  their  rights,  against  all 
forcible,   illegal,  and   unconstitu** 
tional  interference,  control^  or  agv- 
gression.  * 


NOV.] 


CHRONICLE. 


170 


3.  Attack  ok  Lord  Tsntrr* 
DEN. — Johu  Hely,  of  Cleineiit*0- 
lane^  Strand^  by  trade  a  journeys- 
man  tailor^  was  placed  at  the  bar 
before  Messrs.  Gregorieand  White, 
charged  with  attempting  to  break 
the  windows  of  Lord  Tenterden's 
carriage,  as  his  lordship  was  pro- 
ceeding to  Westminster^nall.— Mr. 
Adamson,  one  of  the  inspectors  of 
the  A  division  of  police,  stated, 
that,  between  one  and  two  o'clock 
on  the  previous  afternoon^  he  was 
on  duty  near  Whitehall,  at  the  time 
the  j  udges  were  proceeding  to  West- 
minster-hall. He  saw  the  prisoner 
run  up  to  lord  Tenterden's  car* 
riage,  and,  after  using  most  abusive 
language  to  his  lordship,  attempt 
to  break  the  windows  with  his  hat. 
He  was  immediately  laid  hold  of  and 
taken  away,  but,  by  some  means, 
he  made  his  escape.  In  a  few 
minutes  afterwards  witness  was  in 
Palace-yard,  and  again  saw  the  pri- 
soner attempting  to  break  the  win- 
dows of  his  lordship's  carria^, 
when  he  secured  him  and  took  him 
to  the  station-house. — ^Police  con- 
stable Robertson,  of  the  A  divi- 
sion. No.  63,  stated,  that,  on  the 
previous  afternoon,  he  saw  the 
prisoner  run  up  to  the  carriage> 
and  attempt  to  strike  the  window 
with  his  hat.  The  witness  secured 
him,  but  was  instantly  surrounded 
by  a  number  of  notorious  thieves 
and  pickpockets,  and,  to  avoid  any 
disturbance,  he  let  the  prisoner  goy 
but  kept  his  eye  upon  him  as  far  as 
Whitehall,  when  he  again  saw  him 
run  up  to  his  lordship's  carriage. — 
The  j  udgmen  t  of  the  bench  was,  that 
the  prisoner  should  pay  a  penalty 
of  5/.,  for  assaulting  tne  constable." 

5.  Mr.Osbaldbston'sMatch^ 
Newmarket.  This  match  was 
made  previous  to  the  July  meet- 
ing, between  colonel  Charritie  and 
Mr.  Osbaldeston^for  1,000  guineas 


a-side,  the  latter  undertaking  to 
ride  200  miles  in  ten  hoars,  in  the 
ensuing  Houghton  meeting,  the 
number  of  horses  being  unlimited. 
Up  to  last  week  the  backers  of 
time  were  numerous,  the  contin- 
gencies being  all  in  their  favour. 
In  the  f^rst  place  Mr.  Osbaldeston's 
age  (forty-seven)  was  considered 
inimical  to  his  doing  200  miles  at 
a  racing  pace,  while  the  mere 
fatigue  of  mounting  and  remount- 
ing, it  was  thought^  would  be 
sufficient  to  exhaust  him ;  a  horse 
might  faM  lame,  or  turn  restive^ 
be  awkward  to  mount  or  pull  up  ^ 
the  weather,  too,  might  be  un- 
favourable. The  ground  was  mea- 
sured over  the  round  course,  be- 
ginning and  ending  at  the  duke's 
stand.  The  saddles  were  covered 
with  lamb-skin,  and  marked  with 
the  names  of  the  horses  to  be  rid- 
den, and  the  order  in  which  they 
were  to  be  brought  to  the  post ; 
refreshments  (consisting  of  weak 
brandy  and  wat«r,  warm,  jelly, 
cold  partridge,  &c.),  and  changes 
of  clothing  were  provided,— the 
latter,  however,  were  not  required, 
Mr.  Osbaldeston  preferring  con* 
tinning  in  his  wet  clothes  to  losing 
time  in  shifting  them.  The  urn* 
pires  were  Mr.  Bowater  for  colonel 
Charritie^  and  Mr.  Thelluson  for 
Mr.  Oslnddeston.  The  distance 
was  divided  into  heats  of  four  miles 
each.  At  twelve  minutes  past 
seven,  all  the  arrangements  being 
completed,  Mr.  Osbaldeston  started. 
The  following  is  a  correct  return 
of  the  fifty  four-mile  heats : 

m.   f. 
...     9     0 


••• 


1  Emma      . 

2  Paradox 

3  Liberty 

4  Coroner 

5  Obeston 

6  Don  Juan 

7  Morgan  Rattler 
N3^ 


••• 


••• 


•..     ••• 


••• 


••• 


••t 


#«• 


9  20 
9  25 
9  15 
9  40 
9  0 
9  13 


180 


ANNUAL   REGISTER. 


nssi. 


•  •• 


« •  • 


•  •  • 


8  Paradox^  2iid  time 

9  CanDon  Bull 

10  Clasber 

11  Ultima 

12  Fairy 

13  CoroDer,  2nd  time 

14  Liberty,     ditto 

15  Emma,       ditto 

1 6  Don  Juan^  ditto 

17  Obcston,     ditto 

1 8  Cannon  Ball,  ditto 

19  Ultima,  ditto 

20  Tranby 

21  Fairy 


t« 


•  • 


•*  • 


•• 


•• 


•• 


•• 


•• 


•  • 


•• 


•  • 


•• 


•  •• 


•• 


t  • 


•  • 


•• 


•• 


•• 


•• 


•• 


•• 


•• 


•• 


•• 


•• 


22  Morgan  Rattler,  2nd  time  9  28 

23  Colt  by  Tramp 

24  Dolly 

25  Acorn 
2G  A  horse  by  Smolensko 

27  Tranby,  2nd  time 

28  Skirmisher      ••• 

29  Guildford 

30  Dolly,  2nd  time 

31  Ikey  Solomons 

32  Tarn  o'Shanter 

33  El  Dorado 

34  Coventry    ••• 

35  Ringleader 

36  Tranby,  3rd  time 

37  Ipsala 

38  Skirmisher,  2nd  time 

39  Guildford,     ditto      .. 

40  Streamlet 

41  Donagani 

42  Hassan 

43  Surprise  filly 

44  Ringleader,   2nd  time 

45  Tranby,  4th  time     .. 

46  Coventry,  2nd  time  .. 

47  Ipsala,         ditto 

48  Streamlet,  ditto 

49  Donagani,  ditto 

50  Liberty,   3rd  time 

Making  seven  hours,  nineteen 
minutes,  and  four  seconds,  to 
which  must  be  added  one  hoar, 
twenty-two  minutes,  and  fifty-six 
seconds,  occupied  in  mounting, 
dismounting,  and  refreshing,  — 
total,  eight  hours  and  forty^two 


••• 


••• 


•• 


•• 


•  • 


•• 


•• 


•• 


m. 

9 

9 

9 

9 

9 

8 

9 

9 

9 

8 

9 

9 

8 

8 


s. 

6 
23 
25 
10 

5 
40 
21 
21 

8 
20 
45 

0 
10 

8 


8 
8 
9 
8 
8 
9 
8 
8 

12 
9 
9 
9 
8 
8 
8 
8 
9 
8 
9 
9 
9 
9 
8 
9 
9 
9 

10 
9 


58 
58 

2 
52 

0 
25 
25 
45 

0 
40 
20 

0 
42 
15 
20 
45 
10 
50 
12 

0 
10 
30 
50 
30 

0 

0 
15 
40 


minutes,  or  one  hour  and  eighteen 
minutes  less  than  the  time  stipu- 
lated for  the  performance  of  the 
match!  In  the  tenth  round 
Clasher  broke  down  near  home* 
and,  in  the  thirty-first,  Ikey  Solo- 
mons having  shewn  symptoms  of 
boiling,  Mr.  Osbaldeston  thxew 
himself  off,  but  retained  his  hold  of 
the  reins,and  escaped  unhurt.  The 
first  twenty-four  miles  were  done  in 
fifty-eight  minutes ;  the  forty-eight 
miles  in  two  hours,  one  minute^ 
and  ^ve  seconds ;  the  sixty  miles 
in  two  hours  and  thirty-three  mi- 
nutes ;  seventy  miles  in  two  hours 
and  fifty-nine  minutes:  eighty 
miles  in  three  hours,  twenty-fiFe 
minutes,  and  thirty  seconds ;  100 
miles  in  four  hours,  nineteen  mi« 
uutes,  and  forty  seconds ;  and  120 
miles  in  ^ve  hours,  eleven  mioutefl» 
and  thirty  seconds.  At  this  stage 
of  the  match  Mr.  Osbaldeston  pro- 
ceeded to  the  stand  and  lunched, 
stopping  six  minutes  and  twenty 
seconds.  1 36  miles  were  perform^ 
ed  in  six  hours,  and  160  in  six 
hours  and  fifty-seven  seconds.  All 
the  stoppages  are  included  in  these 
calculations ;  if  they  are  deducted 
throughout  the  match,  it  will  be 
seen  that  the  whole  distance  was 
done  at  the  rate  of  about  twenty- 
six  miles  per  hour.  Tranby  did 
his  sixteen  miles  in  thirty-three 
minutes  and  fifteen  seconds*  The 
weather  was  unfavourable :  a  dris- 
zling  rain  at  the  commencement 
increased  to  a  heavy  storm,  which 
did  not  cease  till  about  ten  o'doclr. 
Just  previous  to  commencing  the 
48th  round  a  tremendous  storm  of 
wind  and  rain  met  Mr.  Osbaldes* 
ton  in  the  face,  and  Streamlet|» 
frightened,  actually  turned  round. 
The  betting,  at  the  makinff  of 
the  match,  was  in  favour  of  tune, 
but  during  the  last  meeting  it 
changed  to  six  or  seven  on  M^; 
Osbaldeston,  increased  to  five  to 


NOV.] 


CHRONICLE. 


181 


two  on  the  Friday  night/  and  was 
four  to  one  at  the  starting ;  1 ,000 
to  1 00  was  also  betted  to  Mr.  Os- 
baldeston  and  another  gentleman, 
that  the  match  was  not  done  in 
nine   hours.      The  confidence    of 
his  backers  was  not  shaken  till  the 
31st  round,  when  he  threw  him- 
self from   Ikey  Solomons  ;  it  was 
then  even  betting  on  the  match  : 
in  the  40th  change  it  was  six  to 
four  that  he  did  it  in  the  nine,  and 
ten  to  one  that  he  did  it  in  the  ten 
hours.    Mr.  Osbaldeston  rode  from 
the  ground  to  the  town  on  one  of 
his  hacks,  and  was  loudly  cheered. 
The  following  is  a  list  of  the 
most  remarkable    feats  of  horse- 
manship on  record  : — In  October 
1741,  at  the  Curragh  meeting  in 
Ireland,    Mr.    Wilde    rode     127 
miles  in  six  hours  and  twenty-one 
minutes,   with   ten   horees.     The 
time   stipulated  was   nine  hours. 
In  1745,  Mr.  C.  Thornhill  rode 
from  Stilton  to  London  and  back, 
and  again  to  Stilton,   being  213 
miles,  in  eleven  hours  and  thirty- 
four  minutes.     In  1762,  Mr.  Shaf- 
toe  rode  fifty  miles  and  a  quarter 
in  one  hour  and  forty-nine  minutes, 
with  ten  horses,  five  of  which  were 
ridden  twice.     In  1 762,  the  same 
gentleman  undertook  to  ride  100 
miles  a  day  for  twenty-nine  days 
together,  on  any  one  horse  each 
day,  the  number  of  horses  not  to 
exceed  twenty-nine.     He  accom- 
plished it  on  fourteen  horses,  and 
on  one  day  rode  160  miles,  on  ac- 
count  of  the  tiring  of  his   first 
horse.     In  1 758,  Miss  Pond  rode 
1,000  miles  in  1,000  hours  at  New- 
market.    In  Dec.  1810,  Mr.  Mil- 
ton, the  horse-dealer,  who  weighed 
fifteen  stone,  rode  from  London  to 
Stamford  (starting  from  the  cor- 
ner of  Dover-street)  in  four  hours 
and   twenty-five    minutes,    using 
eighteen  horses. 

Railway    Accident*  — ^  The 


train,  conveying  the  mail  and  about 
100  passengers  on  the  Liverpool 
and  Manchester  railway,  had  got 
to  the  Newton  side  of  Chat  Moss, 
and  was  crossing  the  embankment 
at  the  rate  of  twenty  miles  an 
hour,  when,  in  consequence  of  the 
failure  of  an  axletree  in  one  of 
the  coaches,  the  breaking  of  a 
wheel,  and  the  injury  done  to 
others,  the  whole  train  was  forced 
off  the  rails,  proceeded  in  a  slightly 
diagonal  direction  about  600  paces, 
and  came  within  a  yard-and-a-half 
of  the  edge  of  the  embankment 
before  it  could  be  stopped.  But 
for  the  softness  of  the  ground,  in 
consequence  of  the  recent  rains, 
and  the  additional  impediment  to 
the  progress  of  the  train,  arising 
from  the  broken  wheels  of  one  of 
the  carriages,  the  whole  would 
probably  have  been  precipitated 
over  the  embankment,  with  a  loss 
of  life  and  limbs  frightful  to  con- 
template. No  person  received  the 
slightest  injury,  and  no  material 
damage  was  sustained. 

6.  The  following  Forms  of 
Prayer  were  read  to-day  in  all 
Churches  in  the  metropolis. 

''  Most  Gracious  Father  and 
God  !  who  hast  promised  forgive- 
ness of  sins  to  all  those  that  with 
hearty  repentance  and  true  faith 
turn  to  thee,  look  down,  we  be- 
seech thee,  from  Heaven,  thy 
dwelling-place,  upon  us  thy  un- 
worthy servants,  who,  under  an 
awful  apprehension  of  thy  judg- 
ments, and  a  deep  conviction  of 
our  sinfulness,  prostrate  ourselves 
before  thee:  We  acknowledge  it 
to  be  of  thy  goodness  alone  that, 
whilst  thou  hast  visited  other  na- 
tions with  pestilence,  thou  hast  so 
long  spared  us;    Have  pity,  0 


182 


ANNUAL   REGISTER. 


[18S1« 


Lord!  have  pity  on  thy  people, 
both  here  and  abroad;  Mithdraw 
thy  heavy  hand  from  those  who 
are  suffering  under  thy  judgments, 
and  turn  away  from  us- that  griev- 
ous calamity,  against  which  our 
only  security  is  in  thy  compassion  : 
We  confess,  with  shame  and  con* 
trition,  that  in  the  pride  and 
hardness  of  our  hearts  we  have 
shown  ourselves  unthankful  for  thy 
mercies,  and  have  followed  our 
own  inclinations,  instead  of  thy 
holy  laws :  Yet,  O  Merciful 
Father,  suffer  not  thy  destroying 
angel  to  lift  up  his  hand  against 
us,  but  keep  us,  as  thou  hast 
heretofore  done,  in  health,  and 
safety;  and  grant  that,  being 
warned  by  the  sufferings  of  others 
to  repent  of  our  sins,  we  may  be 
preserved  from  all  evil  by  thy 
mighty  protection,  and  enjoy  the 
continuance  of  thy  mercy  and 
grace,  through  the  merits  of  our 
only  Mediator  and  Advocate,  Jesus 
Christ.    Amen." 

•'  O,  Almighty  God  !  who,  with 
the  many  instances  of  mortality 
which  encompass  us  on  every  side, 
dost  call  upon  us  seriously  to  con- 
sider the  shortness  of  our  time 
here  upon  earth,  and  remindest  us 
that  in  the  midst  of  life  we  are  in 
death,  so  teach  us  to  number  our 
days  that  we  may  apply  our  hearts 
unto  wisdom.  Give  us  grace  to 
turn  unto  thee  with  timely  repent- 
ance, and  thus  to  obtain  through 
the  merits  of  our  Saviour,  that 
pardon  to-day  which  to-morrow  it 


may  be  too  late  to  seek  fbr ;  that 
so,  being  strengthened  by  thy 
good  Spirit  against  the  terrors  of 
death,  and  daily  advancing  in  god** 
liness,  we  may  at  all  times  h% 
ready  to  give  up  our  souls  into  thy 
hands,  O  Gracious  Fkther,  in  the 
hope  of  a  blessed  immortality, 
through  the  mediation  snd  for  thf 
merits  of  Jesus  Christ  our  Jjord. 
Amen." 

Rupture  with  tbm  Caufnan 
AT  Canton.— In  the  oouna  of  tho 
present  month,  inteUlgenoe  ar- 
rived of  the  interruption  of  ihm 
good  understandingwnioh  had  scibw 
sisted  between  the  Canton  gofwn* 
ment  and  the  British  factory.  So 
serious  was  the  rupture  oonudsredt 
that  the  select  committee  iasued  a 
public  notice,  that  unless  the  erils 
complained  of  were  redressed,  crse^ 
curity  given  against  their  reenr* 
rence,  all  commercial  interooarss 
between  Great  Britain  and  Chlim 
would  be  suspended  from  the  Isl 
day  of  August  next.  A  dr^ubur 
was  published  explaining  the  nMH 
tives  which  had  dictatea  that  ?»• 
solution.  The  case  of  the  Woo^ 
Yay,  managing  partner  of  Gov* 
Qua's  Hong,  is  tne  first  topic  id« 
verted  to  in  the  circular.  This 
innocent  man  fell  a  victim  to  the 
envy  of  his  fellow  merchants^  end 
the  malice  of  the  governor^  who 
gained  their  object  by  fidsely  aU 
leging  that  he  held  s  traitoroiis 
intercourse  with  the  Engtishj  th^ 
proof  of  which  consisted  in  his 
having  procured  for  one  of  thevft  e 
sedan  chair.  He  was  imprisoned 
in  November  1830,  was  tried  finr 
his  life,  threatened  with  tartursiy 
and  sentenced  to  banishment,  to 
£le,  but  died  on  the  1st  of  -May^ 

1 83 1  >  from  the  rigours  of  s  winter^ 


NOV.] 


CHRONICLE. 


18^ 


imprisonment,  and  mental  anxiety^ 
operating  on  a  feeble  frame.  The 
forcible  entry  of  the  Company's 
factory  took  place,  very  unex« 
pectedly,  on  the  1 2th  of  May  1 83 1 , 
about  seven  o'clock  in  the  morn* 
ing.  It  is  said,  that  even  the 
Uoppo  had  no  previous  knowledge 
of  what  was  intended,  when  the 
Foo-yuen  called  at  his  residence, 
with  two  or  three  hundred  attend-^ 
ants,  to  request  that  he  would  ac- 
company him  to  the  factory.  On 
entering  the  Public-hall,  the  Foo- 
yuen  directed  that  the  portraits 
with  which  it  was  decorated,  should 
be  uncovered,  and  when  that  of 
king  George  the  4th  was  pointed 
out  to  him,  he  deliberately  ordered 
the  back  of  his  chair  to  be  turned 
to  it,  and  seated  himself  in  a  man- 
ner plainly  indicating  contempt. 
After  the  fire  in  1 822,  the  rubbish, 
removed  from  the  ruins,  was  made 
use  of  by  the  Chinese  to  advance 
the  bank  of  the  river,  immediately 
above  the  Company's  factory,  over 
a  mud  flat,  partly  dry  at  low  water. 
This,  of  course,  occasioned  an  in- 
creased deposit  of  mud  in  front  of 
the  factory,  which  so  obstructed 
the  approach  of  boats  to  the 
bank,  that  it  became  necessary 
to  push  out  the  quay  about  forty 
yards  over  the  flat  :  and  the 
enclosing  walls,  from  the  factory 
to  the  river  were  extended  over 
the  ground  thus  saved,  with 
the  express  sanction  of  the  autho- 
rities. Two  years  ago,  a  part 
of  the  space  was  neatly  laid  out 
as  a  shrubliery.  The  aestruction 
of  this  was,  it  seems,  the  ob- 
ject of  the  Foo-yuen's  incursion. 
How-qua,  the  head  Hong  mer- 
chant, with  the  head  linguist, 
Atom,  soon  made  their  appearaaoe 
at  the  factory,  and  altenwds  some 
others  of  the  Hong-merchants.  A 
oceiiQ  of  boiiterous  aog<er  ^Mued^ 


in  which  even  the  Hoppo  came  in 
for  a  share  of  the  Foo-yuen's  vitu- 
peration for  his  supineness  in  toler- 
ating English  encroachment.  ''  Do 
yon  do  nothing  but  eat  and 'deep," 
he  obsenred,  ^^  that  you  suffer 
these  things  to  go  od  under  your 
eyes  ?  This  was  under  your  care, 
and  you  should  have  prevented  it." 
He  then  gave  orders  that  tW  bank 
of  the  river  should  be  cutvaway, 
and  the  walls  taken  down,  to  re- 
duce the  enclosure  to  the  same 
dimensk>ns  as  before  the  fire.  The 
linguist  replied  that  he  would  com- 
municate these  orders  to  the  chief 
of  the  ^eictory,  and  see  them  car- 
ried into  eflrect.  This  increased 
his  excellency's  ire.  Fetters  were 
sent  for  to  an  adjoining  Mandarin 
house,  the  linguist  was  bound,  and 
was  threatened  with  instant  deca- 
pitation. The  work  of  destruction 
commenced  next  day,  and  was 
completed,  by  the  exertions  of 
about  500  Chinese  labourers,  work- 
ing day  and  night,  when  not  pre- 
vented by  the  rise  of  the  tide. 
The  excavated  rubbish  was  convey- 
ed in  boats  to  about  fifty  yards  off, 
and  was  there  thrown  into  the 
middle  of  the  river.  On  the  2l8t 
of  May,  the  secretary  to  the  select 
committee  arrived  in  Canton,  with 
remonstrances  to  theleadingofficers 
of  the  govemmeiit,  which  were 
formally  delivered  to  the  Hong 
roercbants  in  full  meeting.  He, 
at  the  same  time,  gave  up  posses- 
sion of  the  Company's  premises,  by 
handing  over  the  Keys  in  a  sealed 
cover  addressed  to  tne  Foo-yuen. 
But  the  Hong  merchants  were 
afraid  to  present  either  the  one  or 
the  other;  his  excellency  having 
declared  that  be  would  listen  to 
nothing  on  the  subject. 

12.  llie  mayor  of  Calais  an- 
DOQOced  that  the  Commission 
SasilaifQ  hd  decreed   tM  nq 


184 


ANNUAL   REGISTER. 


[i83i: 


vessel  coming  from  Scotland,  or 
any  part  of  the  north  of  England, 
including  Yarmouth,  would  be  ad- 
mitted into  that  harbour,  and  also 
tliat  all  packet  boats  from  London 
and  Dover,  as  well  as  all  vessels  of 
commerce,  were  to  be  furnished 
with  bills  of  health,  delivered  by 
the  magistrate  at  the  place  of  their 
departure,  or  by  the  French  con- 
sul. 

15.  High  Court  of  Jus- 
ticiary, Edinburgh.  —  Elec- 
tion' RroTS  AT  Lauder, — S. 
M*Lauchlan,  W,  Badger,  and 
R.  Brown  were  tried  for  mobbing 
and  rioting  at  Lauder,  on  the  4th  of 
May,  and  assaulting  the  llon.Capt. 
Maitland  and  Charles  Simson,  of 
Thorewood,  and  feloniously  seizing 
and  carrying  off  the  said  Mr. 
Simson,for  the  purpose  of  obstruct- 
ing the  election  of  a  delegate  to 
elect  a  member  of  parliament  for 
the  Lauder  district  of  burghs. 
M'Lauchlan  and  Badger  pleaded 
Not  Guilty.  Brown  pleaded  Guilty 
to  being  concerned  in  the  abduc- 
tion of  Mr.  Simson.  He  was  the 
driver  of  the  post-chaise  in  which 
that  gentleman  was  taken  from 
Lauder.  Lord  Maitland,  Capt. 
Maitland,  and  Mr.  Bos  well,  ae- 
tailed  the  nature  of  the  riot  and 
assault.  Large  bodies  of  men 
marched  into  Lauder  in  the  morn- 
ing. The  crowd,  who  completely 
filled  the  street  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  the  Cross,  opened  a  sort 
of  lane  from  Shaw's  Inn  to  the 
Town  Hall,  but  the  party  no 
sooner  entered  it  than  an  attempt 
was  made  to  overpower  them,  and 
carry  off  Mr.  Simson.  This  being 
frustrated,  a  second  effort  was 
made  to  reach  the  Council-room, 
Mr.  Stewart,  of  Alderston,  walk- 
ing first ;  the  party,  however,  had 
not  proceeded  far  when  the  crowd 
closed  in  upon  them ;  Lord  Mait^ 


land  was  thrown  down,  and,  with 
Mr.  Simson,  drawn  for  a  consider-' 
able  way  along  the  street^  but, on  the 
parties  getting  the  latter  gentleman 
into  their  hands,  a  man  called  out, 
'^  Do  not  strike  him  (Lord  Mait- 
land), we  have  gained  our  object," 
Mr.  Johnston,  I'rocurator  Fiscal  of 
Berwickshire,  saw  a  stick  raised 
over  Mr.  Boswell,  and  on  his 
(Mr.  J.)  interfering,  he  was  sur- 
rounded and  struck.  Mr.  Boswell 
stated  that  he  received  several 
blows.  None  of  these  gentlemen 
could  identify  the  panels.  Badger 
and  ]\I'Lauchlan  were  repeatedly 
seen  during  the  day;  the  former 
was  not  seen  to  take  an  active  part, 
but  the  latter  was  recognised  from 
his  making  speeches  in  favour  of 
"  Stewart  and  Reform,"  for  being 
diminutive  in  stature,  he  was  lifted 
on  men's  shoulders  in  order  to  be 
seen .  The  crowd  obeyed  his  orders^ 
by  giving  three  cheers  for  the  Bill 
and  three  cheers  for  Lord  John 
Russell ;  but  no  i>erson  saw  him 
actively  engaged  in  the  assault 
made  on  Lord  Maitland  and  Mr. 
Simson.  The  Jury  found  Badger 
Not  Guilty,  and  the  libel  against 
M'Lauchlan  Not  Proven.  Browu 
was  sentenced  to  nine  months'  im- 
prisonment. 

16.  Bow  Street.  —  Extra- 
ordinary Charge  of  Felont.— « 
Mr.  James  Green,  of  the  firm  of 
Pellat  and  Green^  extensive  glass- 
manufacturers,  was  charged  by  a 
young  woman,  named  Rebecca 
Hodson,  with  having  robbed  her  of 
a  gold  watch,  in  the  month  of 
May,  1829.  She  deposed  that,  two 
years  and  a  half  ago,  the  defendant 
accompanied  her  to  her  lodgings, 
and  that  in  the  morning  when  he 
left  her  she  found  that  her  watch, 
which  she  had  seen  safe  a  few 
minutes  before  hequitted  the  house, 
bad  been  stolen,    She  had  neyer 


NOV.] 


CHRONICLE. 


186 


seen  defendant  from  that  time  till 
a  fortnight  since^  when  she  saw 
him  at  Drury-lane  Theatre,  and 
the  sight  of  him  had  such  an  effect 
on  her  that  she  fainted.  On  Tues- 
day evening  she  saw  him  again  at 
the  theatre,  and  gave  him  in 
charge  to  a  police  officer.  On 
cross-examination,  she  said  that 
she  was  a  native  of  Boston, 
in  Lincolnshire,  and  was  taken 
from  her  home  by  a  gentleman 
named  Hodson,  whose  name  she 
now  retained.  She  subsequently 
lived  at  Southampton  under  the 
protection  of  Sir—,  who  pur- 
chased the  watch  for  her  in  that 
place.  —  The  prisoner  declared 
solemnly  that  he  never  saw  the 
prosecutrix  to  his  knowledge  before 
the  previous  night,  when  she  ac- 
costed him  at  Drury-lane  Theatre. 
It  was  clear  that  she  had  mistaken 
him  for  some  other  person  whom  he 
had  the  misfortune  to  resemble. 

The  prisoner  was  admitted  to 
bail,  himself  in  the  sum  of  1,000/., 
and  two  sureties  in  500/.  each. 
An  indictment  was  preferred 
against  him,  but  was  ignored  by 
the  Grand  Jury. 

1 9.  CouiiT  OF  King's  Bench. 
—  The  King  on  Behalf  of 
Michael  Scales,  v.  Mayor 
AND  Aldermen  of  the  City 
OF  London.  —  The  court  of  the 
Lord  Mayor  and  aldermen  of  Lon- 
don having  made  a  return  to  a 
mandamus  commanding  them  to 
admit  and  swear  in  Mr.  Michael 
Scales,  who  had  been  elected  alder- 
man of  the  Ward  of  Portsoken, 
in  the  room  of  Sir  James  Shaw, 
the  question  as  to  the  sufficiency 
of  that  return  was  argued ;  and 
Lord  Tenterden  proceeded  to  give 
judgment.  The  important  portion 
of  the  return  was,  that  the  Court 
of  Aldermen  had  always  possessed 
and  exercised  the  right  of  d$ter« 


mining  the  fitness  or  unfitness  of 
all  persons  returned  to  them  from 
the  several  wards  to  fill  the  office 
of  alderman :  and  that,  on  petitions 
being  presented  to  them  by  the 
parties  interested,  setting  forth 
that  any  individuals  so  returned 
were  not  fit  and  proper,  and  were 
not  qualified  to  serve  in  that 
oflice,  the  Court  of  Aldermen,  in 
the  full  exercise  of  their  discre- 
tion, were  at  liberty  to  set  aside 
such  election,  and  had  done  so 
in  the  present  case.  He  was  of 
opinion  that  that  return  was 
sufiicient.  The  aldermen  set  forth 
in  their  return  that  a  petition  had 
been  presented  to  them  declaring 
that  Mr.  Scales  was  not  a  fit  or 
proper  person  to  fill  the  ofiice  of 
alderman ;  that  they  took  that 
petition  into  consideration;  that 
they  examined  witnesses ;  that 
Mr.  Scales  was  heard  by  counsel  j 
and  they  had  adjudicated  that  he 
was  not  a  competent  person  to 
support  the  dignity  and  discharge 
the  duty  of  an  alderman  of  the 
City  of  London.  Then  the  ques- 
tion presented  itself,  was  the 
custom  a  good  or  an  invalid 
custom.^  and  against  the  validity 
of  the  custom  it  was  contended 
that  such  a  custom  would  be  in- 
consistent with  the  act  of  parlia- 
ment. It  appeared  to  him  that 
the  right  of  election  and  that  of 
approval  were  perfectly  distinct. 
When  elections  took  place,  there 
surely  might  be  a  power  to  suspend 
or  annul  the  powers  exercised 
under  that  election.  There  was 
no  power  which  might  not  be 
abused,  and  the  non-existence  of 
the  power  was  not  to  be  inferred 
from  the  liability  to  abuse. 

Mr.  Justice  Parke,  Mr.  Justice 
Taunton,  and  Mr.  Justice  Patteson 
concurred. — No  peremptory  twaw** 
damus  to  issue. 


186 


ANNUAL    REGISTER.       [issi. 


21.     COLBURN    V.    HabVEY.  — • 

Lord  Tenterden  delivered  the 
judgment  of  the  court  in  this 
case.  The  question  at  issue  was 
the  validity  of  a  church-rate,  made 
by  the  select  vestry  of  a  district 
of  the  parish  of  8t.  Giles's 
Camberwell.  The  church  was 
built  under  the  act  of  the  8th 
of  George  the  Third,  the  second 
section  of  which  stated  that  all 
district  churches  or  chapels  should 
be  built  by  rates  made  in  the 
same  manner  as  those  levied  for 
repairing  parish  churches.  Ac- 
cording to  the  common  law  the 
rates  for  repairing  churches  must 
be  made  by  the  churchwardens 
and  inhabitants  in  vestry  assem- 
bled ;  and  that  principle  prevailed 
in  all  cases,  except  where  select 
vestries  were  established  either  by 
statute  or  by  usage.  According 
to  the  59th  section  of'  George  the 
Third,  it  was  enacted  that  in  all 
cases,  where  any  district  churches 
or  chapels  should  be  built  under 
the  former  act,  and  in  which  there 
should  be  no  district  vestry,  a 
select  vestry  should  be  appointed 
by  the  commissioners,  with  the 
advice  of  the  bishop  of  the  diocese, 
for  the  care  of  such  district 
churches  or  chapels.  It  was  con- 
tended, on  the  part  of  the  plaintiff, 
that  that  section  did  not  extend  to 
the  power  of  making  a  rate,  and  that 
in  all  cases  where  the  rights  of 
parties  were  to  be  abridged,  the 
statute  must  be  construed  strictly. 
The  court  would  be  governed  by 
that  principle,  it  being  one  which 
had  already  been  acted  upon  by 
Lord  Hardwicke  and  other  judges. 
There  was  no  express  authority 
given  to  the  select  vestry  to  make 
a  rate :  and  the  judgment  of  the 
court,  therefore,  was,  that  the  rate 
must  be  quashed. 
Proclamation  Against  Po« 


LiTicAL  Unions. — ^''Whereas  cer- 
tain of  our  subjects,  in  different 
parts  of  our  kingdom,  have  re* 
cently  promulgated  plans  for  yolua* 
tary  associations,  under  the  de« 
nomination  of  Political  UnioDs, 
to  be  composed  of  separate  bodies, 
with  various  divisions  and  sab* 
divisions,  under  leaders  with  a 
gradation  of  rank  and  authority, 
and  distinguished  by  certain  badges^ 
aud  subject  to  the  general  oontrol 
and  direction  of  a  superior  ooni-* 
mittee  or  council,  for  wnich  associ* 
ations  no  warrant  has  been  given 
by  us,  or  by  any  appmnted  by  lu, 
or  on  our  behalf;  and  whcraw, 
according  to  the  plans  so  pro^ 
mulgated  as  aforesaid,  a  pcnrer 
appears  to  be  assumed  of  acting 
independently  of  the  dvil  ma£ie« 
trates,  to  whose  requisition,  calnng 
upon  them  to  be  enrolled  as  con- 
stables, the  individuals  comprising 
such  associations  are  bound  in 
common  with  the  rest  of  our  sab- 
jects  to  yield  obedience:  and 
whereas  such  associations  so  cob« 
stituted  and  appointed  under  such 
separate  direction  and  command, 
are  obviously  incompatible  with 
the  faithful  performance  of  this 
duty,  at  variance  with  the  admow- 
ledged  principles  of  the  constitu- 
tion, and  subversive  of  the  au- 
thority with  which  we  are  invested 
as  the  supreme  head  of  ^he  state, 
for  the  protection  of  the  puUic 
peace ;  and  whereas  we  are  deter^ 
mined  to  maintain  against  all  en- 
croachments  on  our  Royal  Power, 
those  just  prerogatives  of  the 
crown ;  which  have  been  given  to 
us  for  the  preservation  of  the 
peace  and  order  of  societVi  and  for 
the  general  advantage  ana  security 
of  our  loyal  subjects  :  We  haye^ 
therefore,  thought  it  our  boundea 
duty,  with  and  by  the  advice  of  our 
Privy  Council^  to  issue  thia  ev 


NOVJ 


CHRONICLE, 


18^ 


Royal  Prodsmation^  dedaridg  all 
such  associations  so  constituted 
and  appointed  as  aforesaid,  to  be 
unconstitutional  and  illegal;  and 
earnestly  warning  all  our  subjects 
from  entering  into  such  unauthor« 
ised  combinations^  whereby  they 
may  draw  upon  themselves  the 
penalties  attending  a  violation  of 
the  ]aw8>  and  the  peace  and  se^ 
curity  of  our  dominions  may  be 
endangered." 

28.  Edinburgh  Conskkvativb 
Mketino.— 'This  afternoon  a  pub- 
lic meeting  was  convened  in  the 
Assembly*room8,  George-street^  by 
a  requisition  signed  by  not  fewer 
than  two  hundred  and  eighty  of 
the  most  wealthy  and  respectable 
citizens  of  Edinburgh^  for  the  pui^< 
pose  of  expressing  their  loyalty 
towards  the  King;  their  grati-* 
fication  that  no  further  creation 
of  peers  has  been  resorted  to  with 
the  view  of  carrying  the  revolu- 
tionary bill ;  and  their  detestation 
of  the  character  and  tendency  of 
Political  Unions. 

The  room,  which^  with  the 
gallery,  is  calculated  to  contain  no 
&wer  than  2>000  persons,  was 
crammed  at  an  early  hour.  The 
meeting  itself  was^  without  excep- 
tion, the  most  numerous^  the  most 
respectable,  the  most  unanimous, 
and  the  most  enthusiastic  which 
ever  met  in  the  assembly  Rooms  of 
Edinburgh.  Sir  John  Forbes  was 
in  the  chair.  Professor  Wilson,  in 
a  speech  of  splendid  eloquence, 
moved  the  first  resolution.  The 
second  resolution  was  moved  by 
Sir  George  Clerk,  member  for  the 
county  of  Edinburgh.  Mr.  Ander- 
son, Advocate ;  Professor  Cheape ; 
Mr.  Milne,  Advocate ;  Mr.  M*Neil, 
Advocate ;  Mr.  Innes,  of  Stowe ; 
Mr.  Dundas,  M.P. ;  Mr.  Pringle, 
M.P. ;  and  several  other  geortle- 
wen,    delivered    yerj   imjuressife 


speeches,  which  were  listened  to 
with  a  devoted  enthusiasm. 

The  New  Russian  Takifp.-<- 
A  new  tariff  of  duties  was  issued 
by  order  of  the  Emperor  of  Russia. 
The  document  occasioned  much 
surprise  among  the  merchants  and 
others  connected  with  the  Baltic 
trade.  On  the  I9th  instant, 
(O.  S.)  the  order  was  put  into 
force ;  it  imposed  an  additional 
duty  of  12^  per  cent  on  all  im« 
ports  not  entered  before  the  19th, 
with  the  exception  of  brimstone, 
corks,  and  corkwood;  besides  which 
the  duty  was  increased  on  a  great 
number  of  other  articles. 


DECEMBER. 

Pretbndbd  Inspiration.  «--» 
The  public  attention  has  been  at- 
tracted by  some  extraordinary 
scenes  which  have  been  going  on 
in  the  Scotch  National  Church,  in 
Regent  -  square,  of  which  Mr. 
Irving  is  the  pastor.  On  Sunday, 
the  9th  of  October,  Mr.  Irving 
delivered  two  sermons  on  the  ex* 
traordinary  gifts  of  the  Spirit,  on 
each  of  which  occasions  the  congre«< 
gation  were  disturbed  by  individu** 
als  pretending  to  the  niraculoos 
gift  of  tongues.  Daring  the  ser<« 
mon  in  the  morninff,  a  lady  (a 
Miss  Hall),  thus  singularly  en« 
dowed,  was  compelled  to  retire  to 
the  vestry,  where  she  was  unaMe 
(as  she  said)  to  restrain  herself, 
and  spoke  for  some  time  in  the 
unknown  tongue,  to  the  great  sur- 
prise of  the  congregation.  The 
rev.  gentleman  resumed  the  sub- 
ject in  the  evening,  by  discoursing 
from  (or  rather  expounding)  the 
12th  chapter  of  the  1st  of  Corinth* 
ians.  Towards  the  condusion  of 
ibe  exposition,  he  took  occasion 


188 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


L18SK 


to  allude  to  tlie  event  of  the  morn- 
iug,  and  expressed  his  doubts 
whether  he  had  done  right  in  re- 
straining the  exercise  of  the  gift  in 
the  church  itself,  and  compelling 
the  ladv  to  retire  to  the  vestrv.  At 
this  moment  a  c^entleman  in  the 
gallery  (a  Mr.  Taplin,  who  keeps 
an  academy  in  Castle- street,  Hol- 
born)  rose  from  his  soat,  and  com- 
menced a  violent  harangue  in  the 
unknown  tongue.  The  confusion 
occasioned  was  extreme.  The  whole 
congregation  rose  from  their  seats 
in  affright.  Several  ladies  screamed, 
and  others  rushed  to  the  doors. 
Some  supposed  the  building  was 
in  danger ;  others,  that  there 
had  been  a  murder,  or  an  at- 
tempt to  munler  some  jierson  in 
the  gallery,  insomuch,  that  one 
gentleman  actually  called  out  to 
the  pew-openers  and  beadle  to 
"  Stop  him,  and  not  let  him  es- 
cape." On  both  occasions  the 
church  was  extremely  crowded, 
and  it  would  bo  impossible  to  de- 
scribe the  confusion  produced  by 
this  display  of  fanaticism.  There 
was,  indeed,  in  the  strange  un- 
earthly sound  and  extraordinary 
power  of  voice,  enoiigli  to  appal 
the  heart  of  the  most  stout-hearted. 
A  great  part  of  the  congregation 
standing  upon  the  seats,  to  ascer- 
tain the  cause  of  alarm,  while  the 
rev.  gentleman,  standing  with  arms 
extended,  and  occasionally  beckon- 
ing them  to  silence,  formed  a  scene 
which  parto«)k  as  much  of  the  ridi- 
culous as  of  the  sublime.  No  at- 
tempt was  made  to  stop  tlie  indi- 
vidual, and,  after  two  or  three  mi- 
nutes, he  became  exhausted  and  sat 
down,  and  then  the  rev.  gentleman 
concluded  the  service. 

On  the  following   Sunday,    an 

unusually  numerous  congregation 

assembled,  in  the  expectation,  no 

bt,    that  similar   proceedings 


would  again  take  place.    In  this] 
however,  the  auditors  were  disap- 
pointed.    Twice,   indeed,   during 
the  rev.   gentleman's  prayer*  the 
congregation    were  startled  by  a 
voice,  which  was  understood  to  pro« 
ceed  from  the  female  endowed  with 
the  gift  of  tongues,  but  the  ndlse 
was  unaccompanied  by  any  attempt 
to  articulate  words  or  syllables,  and 
appeared  to  be  nothing  more  than 
a  kind  of  suppressed  hysterical  ay. 
Previous  to  the  usual  service  of  the 
morning,  Mr.  Irving  remarked  that 
he  had  something  to  say  on  what 
had  occurred  in  that  church  on  a 
former  occasion.     He  commenced 
by  observing,  that  manifestationa 
of  the  Spirit  in  the  gifts  of  pro- 
phecy and  of  tongues  had  been  the 
subject  of  historical  record  during 
the  first  three  centuries,  but  from 
that  period,    up  to  the  present 
time,  they  had  ceased  to  be  the 
subject  of  historical   record.     It 
had,  however,  been  the  opinion  of 
himself  and  of  others,  that  these 
manifestations  might  be  renewed^ 
and,  accordingly,  they  had  prayed 
the  Lord  to  restore  them,  and  it  nad 
at  last  pleased  Him  to  do  so.     He 
had  raised  up  among  the  brethren 
persons  who  do  so  speak  the  toneues 
and  prophecies — men  of  Cxod — holy 
persons,   ^vliom   he   (Mr.  Irving) 
knew  to  be  faithful  in  the  LfOrd. 
And  here,  alluding  to  the  pers(Hi8 
who  on  last  Lord's  day  broke  si- 
lence, he  warned  his  congregatim^ 
in  order  that,  if  such  a  thing  oc- 
curred again,  they  might  know  it 
was  no  brawling  in  the  church, 
but  the  voice  of  the  Spirit  speaking 
in  the  tongues.     The  communica^ 
tion  of  the  Spirit  on  that  occasion, 
when  interpreted,  was,  "  Why  will 
ye  flee  from  the  voice  of  the  Lord? 
The  Lord  is  with  ye ;  if  ye  flee 
now,  where  will  ye  nee  on  the  day 
of  judgment?"    '*  I  say/'  pro- 


DEC] 


CHRONICLE. 


189 


ceeded  Mr.  Irving,  '^  it  is  not  man 
that  did  this ;  it  is  the  Great  Head 
of  the  church  that  has  thrust  it 
upon  us,  and  he  ndw  waits  to  see 
whether  we  will  receive  it.  Give 
me  liberty  to  expound  the  word  of 
the  Lord;  give  not  ear  to  the 
opinion  of  the  world,  and  we  shall 
indeed  receive  the  gifts  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  The  tokens  we  have 
already  received  (and  to  which  I 
myself  have  been  a  reverend  list- 
ener for  the  last  six  months)  af- 
ford ample  evidence  of  what  we 
may  expect.  The  day  of  judgment 
and.  the  Lord's  coming  are  at 
hand  5  and  those  persons  who 
speak  not  from  their  own  minds, 
but  from  the  inspiration  of  the 
Lord,  are  sent  forth  to  announce 
the  event  to  mankind,  and  to  bid 
them  prepare.  I  hope  that  God 
will  raise  up  many  of  them  3 
nay,  I  am  sure  he  will/'  Af- 
ter these  preliminary  observa- 
tions, Mr.  Irving  proceeded  with 
his  sermon,  taking  his  text  from 
Joel,  chap.  ii.  ver,  28,  "  And 
it  shall  come  to  pass  afterwards, 
that  I  will  pour  out  my  spirit  on 
all  flesh,  and  your  sons  and  your 
daughters  shall  prophesy,  your  old 
men  shall  dream  dreams,  your 
young  men  shall  see  visions.**  In 
the  course  of  the  morning,  he 
stated  that  no  person,  with  whose 
spiritual  qualifications  he  was  not 
well  acquainted,  would  be  allowed 
to  display  the  gift  of  tongues  before 
the  congregation.  —  In  a  subse- 
quent Sunday,  after  he  had  con- 
cluded a  sermon  on  the  words, 
"  Try  the  spirit,"  a  man,  named 
E.  Cardale,  addressed  the  vast  con- 
gregation in  the  unknown  tongue, 
and  afterwards  in  the  vulgar  tongue, 
entreating  sinners  to  come  to  God, 
and  warning  them  of  the  coming 
of  Christ  to  judgment.  A  person 
in  the  gallery  called  out,  '^  Blas- 


phemy," many  hissed,  and  a  strange 
disturbance  took  place,  which  can- 
not be  described.  A  variety  of 
persons  barricadoed  the  doors  on 
both  sides  of  the  gallery.  About 
fifty  persons  then  commenced  a 
general  harangue,  calling  upon  Mr. 
Irving  to  discuss  the  subject  with 
them,  which  he  declined.  Durine 
all  this  disorder,  the  reverend 
gentleman  commenced  his  prayer, 
that  the  tumult  of  the  people 
might  be  stayed.  Previous  to 
the  immense  mass  leaving  the 
chapel,  he  stated,  that,  in  conse- 
quence of  what  had  taken  place,  he 
should  next  Sabbath  desist  from 
preaching  on  the  subject  of  '*  The 
Gift  of  the  Tongues,"  and  the  gift 
should  not  be  allowed  to  be  exer- 
cised in  the  usual  morning  and 
evening  service.  From  this  time,  the 
National  Scotch  Church  was  open- 
ed every  morning  at  half-past  six 
o'clock,  for  a  prayer-meeting,  at 
which  the  reverend  gentleman's 
deluded  followers  exhibited  the  uu" 
known  tongue.  At  one  of  these 
meetings,  the  rev.  N.  Armstrong, 
a  clergyman  of  the  Established 
Church,  publicly  stated  his  belief 
in  the  reality  of  these  displays  of 
divine  manifestation. — The  exhi- 
bition s^  also,  were  renewed  during 
the  public  worship  on  the  Sun- 
days. 

2.  In  Gibraltar  an  explosion  took 
place  in  the  laboratory,  which  blew 
off  the  roof,  and  killed  two  men 
employed  in  proving  and  cleaning 
unserviceable  hand  grenades.  The 
consternation  ~  was  great,  as  the 
magazines  were  very  near.  There 
were  three  or  four  pounds  of 
gun-powder,  which  had  been  saved 
from  the  hand  grenades,  and  it 
is  supposed,  from  the  pieces 
picked  up  of  a  shattered  gre- 
nade, that  the  accident  occurred 
from  its  imperfect  formation,  and 


190 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


[16S1. 


from  tlie  coat  of  rust  accumulated, 
which,  with  a  bit  of  iron  found 
within,  might  have  ignited  and 
caused  the  accident.  About  a  week 
after  this,  three  gunners  were  killed 
by  the  bursting  of  a  gun  in  the  ex- 
cavation of  the  rock,  and  were 
buried  in  one  grave. 

9.  Protestant  Meeting. — A 
great  Protestant  meeting  was  held 
in  Dublin,  to  consider  the  present 
state  of  Ireland,  as  regards  the 
Protestant  interest.  There  were 
about  ninety  noblemen  and  gentle- 
men of  fortune  assembled  from  the 
different  provinces  of  Ireland.  The 
earl  of  Roden  was  in  the  chair. 
On  the  first  day  (7th),  the  debate 
turned  chiefly  on  the  propriety 
and  wisdom  of  establishing  a  per- 
manent political  association.  On 
the  second  day,  the  great  majority 
of  the  meeting  resolved  to  join  the 
already  organized  Orange  Associ- 
ation. Irish  Protestants  of  all  de- 
nominations were  invited  to  form 
a  junction,  and  a  committee  was 
appointed  to  carry  these  resolu- 
tions into  eilect.  On  the  third 
day,  the  committee  brought  up 
their  resolutions,  which,  after  ex- 
pressing devoted  attachment  to  the 
king,  the  principles  of  the  House  of 
BrunswicK,  and  alarm  at  the  spirit 
of  his  majesty's  councils  and  the 
course  of  their  measures,  declared 
that  the  proposed  Irish  reform 
would  augment  the  evils  of  which 
the  meeting  complained,  and  that 
the  gallant  spirit  of  the  Irish  Pro- 
testants was  unsubdued. 

10.  Cambridge. — An  extraor- 
dinary attempt  was  made  to  blow 
up  the  letter-box  of  the  Post- 
omce,  by  means  of  gunpowder, 
but  which  happily  failed.  A  stu- 
dent of  Trinity-college,  named 
Brane,  was  taken  in  the  fact.  Some 
suspicious  circumstances  had,  for 
the  last  few  days,  induced  the  post- 


master to  set  a  vigilant  watch* 
About  half-past  eight  in  the  even- 
ing, Brane  wa^ observed  to  be  look* 
ing  about  him  at  the  letter-box;  ha 
then  applied  a  lighted  cigar  to  a 
piece  of  paper  which  he  held  in 
his  hand,  and  dropped  a  Bmall 
paper  parcel  in  the  box  *,  at  this 
moment  a  policeman  broke  a  pane 
of  glass  in  the  Post-office  win- 
dow as  a  signal,  and  the  offioere  on 
the  watch  outside  instantly  eecur* 
ed  him.  There  was  about  two 
ounces  of  powder  in  the  nafcel> 
which  was  lolded  up  like  a  lettefi 
but  sewed  at  the  ends,  with  a  touch* 
paper  about  nine  inches  long^  com* 
municating  with  the  inside;  a 
string  was  tied  round  the  middle^ 
with  which  he  suspended  it  in  the 
letter-hole  while  he  was  lighting 
the  touch-paper. 

Ma5;sACUE    op    the     P0L1CS.-W 

On  Wednesday,  the  14th  instanti 
a  party  of  poIic*e,  under  the  com* 
mand  of  Mr.  Gibbons,  police  chiefj 
stationed  at  Piltown,  went  out  to 
protect  a  process-server,  employed 
m  the  service  of  latitats  for  tithee 
due  to  the  rev.  Hans  Hamilton .  of 
Knoctopher,  in  the  county  of  SAU 
kenny.  A  large  body  oif  people 
accompanied  the  police  throughout 
the  day,  and  made  several  demandfl 
to  have  the  process-server  deliver* 
ed  to  them,  that  he  might  be 
forced  to  eat  the  latitats ;  but  they 
resorted  to  no  violence.  About  two 
o'clock,  the  party  reached  a  wild 
part  of  the  common  of  Carrick<« 
shock,  three  miles  from  Knocto^ 
pher,  and  were  proceeding  in  nar- 
row files  through  a  lane,  the  loose 
stone  walls  to  which  were  so  low^ 
that  the  lane  might  be  said  toibnn  an 
uninterrupted  part  of  the  common. 
Here  the  process-server  was  again 
demanded,  with  a  promise,  that  no 
attack  on  the  police  would  be  made; 
of  course  they  refused  to  deliver 


DEC] 


CHRONICLE. 


101 


him  urn  and  then  a  young  fellow 
darted  in^  seized  him^  tried  to  drag 
him  from  the  police^  and  was  im« 
mediately  shot.  A  numher  of  shots 
succeeded,  two  countrymen  drop- 
ped dead,  and  the  great  body  of 
the  people  instantly  closed  in  and 
killed  Mr.  Gibbons  and  eleven  of 
the  police. — ^The  next  day  an  in- 
quest was  held,  when  John  Brown, 
policemen y   was  the   first  witness 
called  up  and  sworn.     He  stated, 
that  the  men  came  by  their  deaths 
in  consequence  of  the  process-server 
they  were  guarding  being  knocked 
down,  and  an  attack  made  on  the 
police  by  a  mob  armed  with  pitch- 
forks and  other  weapons  j  an  im- 
mensity of  stones  were  thrown,  and 
eighteen  of  the  men  knocked  down, 
before  the  police  fired ;  that  it  was 
the  men  in  the  rear  ranks  who  were 
knocked    down;    that   the  front 
ranks  fired  about  twenty  shots,  by 
which  they  opened   themselves  a 
passage  to  escape  ;  that  those  shots 
were  not  fired  till  after  the  pro- 
cess-server was  left  for  dead ;  that, 
besides    stones,   the   people    were 
armed  with  pitchforks,  shovels,  and 
things   shaped  like    knife-blades, 
but  seemingly  made  for  the  occa- 
sion,  and  placed  in  the    ends  of 
sticks ;  that,  before  the  battle,  he 
heard  frequent  cries  from  the  peo- 
ple that  blood  should  be  spilled  ; 
and  that  the  attack  was  principally 
made  on  the  horse-police  in  the  rear, 
where  the  greater  portion  of  the  mob 
was. — James  Dermody,  policeman, 
having  been  desired  by  the  Court 
to  stat^  what  he  knew  of  the  trans- 
action, said  :  We  were  protecting 
the  process-server,  when  the  mob 
said  they  would  not  harm  thepolice^ 
but  would  have  the  process-server 
given  up  to  them.     Mr.  Gibbons 
expostulated  with  them,  read  the 
passage  in  the  king's  speech  rela- 
tive to  tithes,  and  requested  tbey 


would  have  patience,  &e.  Two 
stones  were  thrown,  and  an  attempt 
was  made  to  snatch  the  process- 
server  from  the  party.  One  of  the 
horsemen  was  knocked  down,  and 
then  several  stones  were  thrown. 
The  firing  took  place  in  the  rear ; 
witness  was  near  the  front. — The 
Jury  returned  a  verdict,  •'  that  the 
police  came  to  their  deaths  by  an  at<* 
tack  bya  considerable  mob  of  people 
armed  with  pitch -forks,  stones,  and 
other  weapons." — The  whole  in- 
quiry occupied  precisely  twenty 
minutes. 

14.  Teials  of  John  William 

HOLLOWAY,   AND   ANN    KennETT, 

FOR  Murder.— John  William  Hoi- 
lowav,  and  Ann  Kennett,  were  tried 
for  tlie  murder  of  Celia  HoUoway, 
lawful  wife  of  the  first- named  pri- 
soner.— The  prisoner  had  separated 
from  his  wife,  and  was  living  in 
adultery  with  Ann  Kennett,  when 
he  induced  his  wife,  on  the  24th 
of  July,  under  promise  of  again 
cohabiting  with  her,  to  leave  her 
residence,  and  accompany  him  to  a 
house  in  Donkey-row,  Brighton, 
where  she  had  no  sooner  enter- 
ed, than  he  barbarously  murdered 
her.  He  subsequently  conveyed 
the  body  to  Preston  Copse,  one 
mile  from  Brighton,  where  he 
deposited  it  in  a  hole,  leaving 
a  part  of  her  gown  protruding, 
which  led  to  a  discovery  of  the 
deed  of  blood. — After  the  evidence 
had  been  gone  through,  the  Judge 
summed  up  the  evidence  as  it  af- 
fected the  female  prisoner,  and 
stated,  that,  if  they  agreed  with  him, 
they  would  think  that  the  evidence 
was  not  suflicient  to  convict  her  on 
this  charge,  whatever  might  be 
done  afterwards.— The  Jury,  after 
a  short  deliberation,  were  of  the 
same  opinion  as  his  lordship,  and 
the  female  prisoner  was  directed 
to  be  removed  from  the  bar.-— The 


192 


ANNUAL    REGISTER.      [i8Si, 


Clerk  of  the  Arraigns  then  read 
the  following  confession^  signed  by 
Holloway :  "  Ann  Kennctt  knew 
nothing  of  this  circumstance  going 
to  happen,  until  I  had  got  the 
whole  of  Celia*8  clothes  in  that 
house.  I  went  home  and  had  her 
down  to  the  house,  and  then  I  ac- 

Suainted  her  what  I  was  going  to 
0 ;  she  said  I  had  better  not  do  it, 
for  fear  of  being  discovered  ;  I  told 
her  I  would  trust  to  that  if  she 
would  assist  me ;  she  said  yes,  she 
would,  and  then,  as  I  had  got  the 
clothes,  we  knew  not  at  first  hardly 
how  to  dispose  of  them.  I  said  we 
would  pledge  some,  and  burn  what 
would  not  pledge,  and  we  immedi* 
ately  lotted  out  what  would  pledge, 
and  Kennett  took  them  and  I  be- 
lieve pledged  them,  and  I  then 
went  and  fetched  Celia.  Celia 
came  with  me  to  the  south  end  of 
North  Steine-row.  I  left  Celia 
there,  and  told  her  to  wait  till  I 
came  for  her,  or  called  her.  I 
went  into  the  house  in  North 
Steine-row ;  I  told  Ann  she  was 
just  by  there,  and  it  was  agreed 
that  Ann  should  conceal  herself  in 
the  cupboard ;  she  did  conceal  her- 
self in  the  cupboard.  I  then  went 
and  called  Celia ;  when  she  was  in 
the  house  I  shut  the  door ;  told  her 
I  wanted  her  to  wait  a  little  while, 
because  my  partner  lived  up  stairs, 
and  he  was  in  bed,  and  must  wait 
until  he  got  up,  and,  with  that  pre- 
tence, I  kept  her  in  conversation 
for  some  time,  and  at  last  I  asked 
her  to  sit  down  on  the  stairs,  and 
then,  on  a  pretence  of  kissing  her,  I 
passed  the  line  round  her  neck,  and 
strangled  her.  As  soon  as  I  passed 
the  line  round  her  neck,  I  found 
it  was  rather  more  than  I  could 
manage,  and  I  called  Ann,  and  God 
knows  she  assisted  me  by  taking 
hold  of  each  end  of  the  rope 
with  me^  and  she  held  the  rope 


with  me  until  the  poor  girl 
dropped,  and  then  I  held  the 
cord  for  a  time  myself;  and 
Ann  made  use  of  this  expres- 
sion, '  Do  not  let  your  heart  £siil 
you.'  When  I  thought  she  was 
dead,  or  nearly  dead,  I  dragged 
her  into  a  cupboard  or  coal-hole 
under  the  stairs,  and  under  the 
stairs  there  are  some  nails.  I  did 
not  remove  the  cord,  but  took  an 
over-handed  knot,  and  I  made  the 
ends  fast  to  the  nails,  so  that  she 
was  then  hanging  by  the  neck ;  I 
proposed  then  cutting  her;  Ann 
Kennett  told  me  to  wait  until  the 
blood  was  settled ;  then,  I  believe, 
the  next  thing  we  did  was  to  burn 
the  things,  the  bonnets  particularly; 
the  people  who  went  into  the  house 
after  we  left  must  have  seen  the 
wire  in  the  grate,  which  I  took  no- 
tice of  being  there ;  either  that  or 
the  next  night,  1  cannot  call  to 
mind  which,  we  proceeded  to  cut 
the  body,  and  I  emptied  the  chaff 
out  of  the  bed,  to  have  the  tick  to 
carry  part  of  the  body  away  in, 
and  then  I  cut  off  the  head  first, 
and  I  think  the  arms  I  carried  with 
the  head.  Ann  Kennett  was  pre- 
sent ;  1  never  went  to  the  house  to 
do  any  thins  with  the  body,  but 
what  I  took  Ann  Kennett  with  me  ; 
and  the  day  that  I  brought  the 
head  and  the  other  part  away,  she 
was  to  walk  behind  me,  to  see  if 
any  blood  came  through  :  the  first 
attempt  we  made  would  not  an- 
swer, because  the  blood  came 
through  the  ticken  ;  Ann  told  me 
of  it,  and  we  went  back  and  put  it 
into  a  little  box,  and  then  into  the 
ticken  3  that  night,  after  dark, 
Ann  came  down  with  me,  and  we 
brought  a  small  tub  with  us  $  I 
went  and  got  a  light,  and  then 
some  water  in  the  tub,  and,  after 
we  had  placed  the  body  in  the  box, 
Ann  washed  the  kitchen  to  dear  it 


DEC] 


CHRONICLE. 


198 


of  the  bloody  and  the  next  day  I 
borrowed  a  wheel-barrow,  and  took 
it  down  to  the  house^  and  then  I 
borrowed  a  pick  and  shovel^  and 
that     night    Ann    and    I    went 
down  to  the  house,  and  we  took 
the  box  the  body  was  in  (I  did) 
on  the  wheel-barrow.     I  wheeled 
the  barrow^  and  Ann  Kennett  was 
to   follow  me  with  the  pick  and 
shovel.     She  did  not  know  where 
I  was  going  to.     She  kept  at  a 
small  distance  from  me,  until  we 
got  near  the  Hare  and  Hounds. 
We  turned  up  the  hill  and  then 
down  the  footpath^  that  leads  down 
to  where  the  body  was  found.     I 
made  an  attempt  to  dig  a  hole  that 
night,  but  found  it  too  dark :  we 
just    put    the    box    under   some 
bushes  near  the  spot,  and  also  the 
pick-axe  and  shovel;   Ann   Ken- 
nett  was  with    me  all  the  time. 
We   then  took  the  wheel-barrow 
home.     We  went  down  aeraiin  in 
the  morning  as   soon   as  it   was 
light,  and  I  dug  a  hole,  with  an 
intent  to  bury  box  and  all,  but  I 
found  that  would  take  up  too  much 
of  my  time,  because  of  the  roots 
of  the  trees.     I  took  the  body  out, 
and  threw   it   into  the  hole.      I 
heaved  the  body  up,  and  then  broke 
the  box  up,  and  hid  away  the  pick 
and  shovel,  and  Ann  Kennett  and 
I  went  and   fetched    them  away 
the  same  night  5  I  had  been  round 
once    since    the    body  had    been 
buried,  to  see  if  every  thing  was 
right,   and   I  sent  Ann    Kennett 
twice,  and  she  told  me  she  went. 
I    think    the    people    where    we 
lodged  must  well  remember  that 
she  went;  away  with  me  when  I 
went  away  with  the  wheel-barrow. 
She  did  not  go  the  same  road  as  I 
did;    she  went  one  road  and   I 
went  another,    and   I   think  the 
people  must  remember  Ann  went 
out  early;  the  next  morninfi:  we 
Vol.  LXXJII. 


both  went  out  early,  but  returned 
early,  before  the  people.  Leavers, 
were  up.    A  man  of  the  name  of 
Watt«,  in  North  Steyne-row,  must 
remember  Ann  Kennett  being  there 
several  times  with  me,  and  one  time 
in  particular,  when  we  were  going 
away,and  Ann  had  then  gotabundle 
of  some  kind  to  take  away  from  the 
house,  and  a  woman  that  was  talk- 
ing either  to  Master  Watts,  or  his 
wife,  abused  me  very  much,  told 
me  that  was  not  my  wife  that  I 
was  with,  and  said  that  she  had 
got  a  bundle  then  to  pawn  (mean- 
ing the  bundle  she  had  got  with 
her),     r  forget  the  person's  name 
that  I  spoke  of,  but  her  husband  is 
a  bricklayer.     I  declare  that  I  do 
not  disclose  this  out  of  any  envy 
or  malice,  and  I  have  dohe  the  best 
I  could,  ever  since  I  have  been 
confined  to  conceal  it,  but  I  find  it 
impossible  ;-I  simply  do  it  to  con- 
vince the  world  at  larse,who  are  the 
guilty  and  who  are  the  innocent. 
I  likewise  declare,  before  God  and 
you,  gentlemen,  that  I  feel,  if  it 
was  my  own  father,  it  is  out  of  my 
power  to  conceal  it." 

The  Jury  found  HoUoway 
Guilty. 

22.  Destructive  Fibb  in 
Liverpool. — A  most  destructive 
fire  broke  out  in  Fenwick-street, 
in  Liverpool.  From  Water-street, 
on  the  west  side  of  Fenwick-street, 
along  nearly  half  the  extent  of  that 
street  towards  Brunswick-street, 
was  a  vast  pile  of  warehouses,  once 
entirely  occupied  by  the  business 
of  the  great  house  of  Lowndes  and 
Co.,  and  lately  divided  into  tene- 
ments. This  entire  range  of  build- 
ings, with  the  valuable  property 
stored  in  it,  and  the  books  and  pa- 
pers of  several  of  the  parties  occu- 
pying the  premises,  has  been  con- 
sumed. A  part  of  the  exterior 
wall  only  remains  erect,  totteriifg 


194 


ANNUAL    REGISTER. 


CiMl. 


over  the  scene  of  deetraction. 
About  ten  o'clock  at  night  tlic  fire 
was  first  observed,  and  the  alarm- 
bell  was  immediately  rung.  Be- 
tween eleven  and  twelve,  the  whole 
range  of  premises  was  in  a  terrific 
blaze.  Fears  were  entertained  for 
the  safety  of  the  whole  of  the  west 
side  of  Castle-street. — The  parish 
offices  were  on  fire,  more  than 
once  or  twice,  and  were  saved 
only  by  the  most  assiduous  care, 
an(i  unremitting  and  laborious  ex- 
ertions. 

27.  Drsperatb  Affray  bb« 
TWEKN  Gamekeepers  AND  Poach- 
ers.— About  two  o'clock,  on  the 
morning  of  the  25th,  five  watch- 
ers, employed  by  sir  Francis  Lind- 
ley  Wood,  bart.,  and  T.  J.  Rim- 
mington,  esq.,  met  with  a  party  of 
from  twelve  to  fourteen  poachers,  in 
HaggWood,in  the  parish  of  Hems- 
worth,  in  Yorkshire.  The  poach- 
ers instantly  exploded  some  phos- 
phoric substance  in  the  eyes  of  the 
keepers,  and  fired  a  gun,  which  se- 
verely wounded  one  of  the  keepers 
in  the  thigh.  Upon  this  the  par- 
ties closed,  and  a  desperate  strug- 
gle took  place.  Two  other  guns 
were  fired  by  the  poachers,  and 
the  watchers,  overpowered  by  num- 
bers and  desperation,  after  some  of 
them  had  resisted  most  bravely, 
were  forced  to  retire.  One  of 
them,  however,  William  Lee  (sir 
F.  Wood's  farming-servant),  was 
left  senseless  on  the  ground,  with 
liis  arm  and  skull  fractured.  He 
was  found  so  wounded,  three-quar- 
ters of  an  hour  afterwards  (having 
been  dragged  some  way  from  the 
place  of  combat),  with  his  legs 
twisted  and  fixed  in  brushwood,  or 
what  are  termed  "binders;"  his 
clothes,  which  were  of  fustian,  were 
on  fire,  and  his  left  side  was  dread- 
fully burnt.  These  desperate  ma- 
rauders had  set  fire  to  him  in  his 


helpless  state,  and  left  bim  to 
perish  by  the  joint  operation  of 
the  combustibles  and  his  wounds. 

Prospectus  op  the  UNi7Bm<« 
siTY  OF  Durham. — The  govern^* 
ment  to  be  vested  in  the  dean  md 
chapter,  the  bishop  being  visitor. 

A  chief  officer  of  the  Collego 
or  University  to  be  appointed,  with 
the  title  of  warden ;  to  whom  will 
be  committed  the  ordinary  disci- 
pline. 

Professors. — 1.  Divinity  and 
Ecclesiastical  History.— -2.  Greek 
and  Classical  Literature.— Matho* 
matics  and  Natural  Philosophy. 

Headers.  —  1.  Law  —  2.  Medi^ 
cine.  —  3.  History,  Ancient  and 
Modern.  To  these  may  be  added 
Readers  in  other  branches  of  lite- 
rature or  science,  as  opportunities 
ofier,  or  circumstances  require. 

Teachers  of  Modem  Languages^ 
especially  French  and  German. 

Tutors. — 1.  Senior  Tutor  and 
Censor.  —  2.  Junior  Tutor  and 
Censor.  Each  to  superintend  the 
studies  of  their  respective  pupils^ 
and  to  have  the  care  of  their  gene* 
ral  conduct. 

Students.— 1.  Foundation  Sta^ 
dents,  having  lodgings  and  a  table 
provided  for  them,  free  of  expense. 
—  2.  Ordinary  Students,  main* 
tained  at  their  own  cost,  but  sub- 
ject in  all  respects  to  the  college 
rules  of  discipline,  and  to  hare 
every  academical  privilege  in  com* 
mon  with  other  students^— 3»  Oo«i 
casional  Students,  to  be  admitted, 
under  certain  restrictions,  to  at- 
tend one  or  more  courses  of  public 
lectures,  but  without  other  aca« 
demical  prinleges.  —  4.  Divinity 
Students,  specially  so  called,  who, 
though*  not  actual  members  of  the 
college,  may  be  admitted  after  due 
examination  and  inquiry,  and  sub- 
ject to  such  conditions  and  r^;ula« 
tions  as  the  chapter  may  hereafter 


DEC] 


CHRONICLE. 


195 


prescribe,  to  attend,  for  a  speci- 
fied time,  the  lectures  of  a  Divi- 
nity professor,  and  to  pursue  their 
theoretical  studies  under  his  direc- 
tion, for  the  express  purpose  of 
qualifying  themselves  for  holy 
orders. 

The  course  of  study  required  to 
complete  the  education  of  a  mem* 
ber  of  the  College  will  extend  to 
four  years.  The  academical  year 
to  commence  in  October  and  end 
in  June,  being  divided  into  three 
terms.  Terminal  and  Annual  ex- 
aminations to  be  made  in  the  pre- 
sence of  the  chapter,  and  the  stu- 
dents classed  according  to  their 
respective  proficiency.  Prizes  to 
be  instituted  for  the  revrard  of 
special  merit,  at  the  close  of  each 
annual  examination,  and  for  such 
particular  exercises  as  miay  be 
deemed  worthy  of  public  distinc- 
tion. 

The  foregoing  outline,  subject 
to  revision  as  to  its  specific  state- 
ments, may  sufifice  to  explain  the 
nature  and  design  of  the  proposed 
institution ;  for  which  the  dean 
and  Chapter,  with  the  aid  and  co- 
operation of  the  bishop,  are  pro- 
viding the  requisite  means  of  car- 
rying it  into  efl^ect.  It  is  intended 
that  the  College,  or  University, 
be  opened  in  October,  1832. 

Will  of  the  Prince  of  Conde. 
— The  Parisians  have  had  their  at- 
tention engaged  bythe  details  of  a 
trial,  in  which  their  citizen  king 
does  not  appear  to  much  advantage 
as  duke  of  Orleans.  The  late  duke 
of  Bourbon,  or  prince  of  Conde, 
died  on  the  25  th  or  26th  of  August, 
1 830— a  month  after  the  revolution 
of  that  year.  His  royal  highness 
M'as  possessed  of  extensive  landed 
property  and  immense  accumulated 
wealth.    His  nearest  relatives  were 


the  royal  family  of  France,  and  the 
princes  of  the  house  of  Rohan. 
To  the  Orleans  family  he  had  gene- 
rally testified  an  indifference  or  a 
repugnance.  Yet  the  youngest 
son  of  the  duke  of  Orleans  was 
left  the  inheritance  of  his  princely 
domains  and  of  great  accumula- 
tions. The  young  prince  owed  his 
good  fortune  to  the  influence  of 
Madame  de  Feucheres,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Dawes,  and  who 
having  been  separated  from  her 
husband,  lived  in  the  house  of  the 
duke  of  Bourbon  for  several  years 
before  his  death.  To  this  lady 
and  the  Orleans  family  the  duke*s 
property  was  almost  entirely  left. 
Madame  de  Feucheres  received  for 
her  share  the  Castle  and  grounds 
of  St.  Leu,  the  forest  of  Montmo- 
rency, other  landed  possessions, 
and  a  large  sum  of  money.  The 
duke  d'Aumale,  the  younger  son 
of  the  king  of  the  French,  was  left 
universal  legatee.  The  princes  of 
the  house  of  Rohan  now  contest 
the  validity  of  the  will,  on  the 
ground  that  it  was  extorted  from 
the  deceased  by  force  and  circum- 
vention. It  is  even  alleged  that 
the  duke  de  Bourbon  had  resolved 
to  make  his  escape  to  England,  and 
to  change  the  destination  of  his 
property,  in  favour  of  the  young 
duke  de  Bordeaux,  when  he  oppor- 
tunely died,  or  was  murdered,  as 
many  suspect,  for  the  benefit  of  his 
legatees.  The  letters  of  the  king 
of  the  French,  when  duke  of 
Orleans,  to  his  royal  relative,  the 
court  which  he  paid  to  Madame 
Feucheres,  and  his  whole  system 
of  manoeuvres  to  procure  for  his 
family  the  possessions  of  the  house 
of  Conde,  nave  brought  him  into 
much  discredit  with  his  subjects. 


O   2 


(196) 


APPENDIX  TO  CHRONICLE. 


LIST    OF   THE    KING'S    MINISTERS. 


Earl  Grey    First  Lord  of  the  Treoiury. 

Viscount  Althorp    Chancellor  of  the  Exehefuer. 

Lord  Brougham Lord  Chancellor. 

Marquess  of  Lansdown President  of  the  CounciL 

Lord  Durham Lord  Privy*SeaU 

Viscount  Melbourne Secretary  of  State  for  the  Home  Departs 

Viscount  Pftl  merston Secretary  of  State fet  Foreign  Jfairtm 

Viscount  Goderich Secretary  of  State  for  the  Calomee. 

Right  hon.  Sir  Jas.  R.  G.  Graham,  bt.  First  Lord  of  the  Admiralty* 

T     A  A.,-i,i-«A  S  Master  of  the  Mint  and  rrttideni  •/ 

Lord  Auckland    ^     the  Biard  of  Trade, 

Riglit  hon.  Charles  Grant      President  of  the  Board  of  Control. 

Duke  of  Richmond     Postmaster- General 

Lord  Holland Cfumcellor  of  the  Duchy  of  Lemcagierm 

Lord  John  Russell « •  •  Paymaster  of  the  Forces. 

Hon.  Edward  G.  S.  Stonley  Chief  Secretary  for  Ireland. 

Earl  of  Carlisle 

The  above  form  the  Cabinet. 

Right  hon.  Sir  Henry  Pamell,  barL ....  Secretary  at  War. 

Sir  James  Kempt   Mcuter' General  qfthe  Ordnance* 

Dnke  of  Devonshire   Lord  Chamberlain 

Marquess  Wellesley    Lord  Steward. 

Earl  of  Albemarle   Master  of  the  Horse. 

Marquess  of  Winchester    • Groom  if  the  Stole. 

Viscount  Duncanon First  Commissioner  of  Land  Retfenug* 

Right  hon.  Charles  Poulett  Thomson . .       \  '^^rT  ?L  !t^  ^""^'J^jy^ 
^  C     president  of  the  Board  if  Trade. 

Sir  Thomas  Denman,  kt Attorney  General. 

Sir  William  Home,  kt Solicitor  General. 

IRELAND. 

Marquess  of  Anglesey Lord' Lieutenant  of  Ireland, 

Lord  Plunkett Lord- Chancellor. 

Lieut.-General  sir  John  Byng Commander  of  the  Forces. 

Right  hon.  Francis  Blackburn Attorney-  General. 

Philip  Crampton,  esq #......• .  Solicitor-  General. 


APPENDIX  TO  chronicle: 


197 


ALPHABETICAL  LIST  OF  THE  MEMBERS 

OF  THE 

HOUSE   OF   COMMONS, 

Returned  for  the  tenth  Parliament  of  the  United  Kingdom  of 

Great  Britain  and  Ireland. 

Elected  June  14/^,  1831. 


ENGLAND  AND  WALES. 

Abingdon — J.  Maberley 
Alban's  St.—Sxv  F.  Vincent,  R.  Godson 
Aldbarough—C,  J.  F.  Clinton,  T.  M.  Sadler 
Aldeburgh — Marq.  of  Douro,  rt.  hon.  J. 

W.  Croker 
Amersham—T.  T.  Drake,  W.  T.  Drake 
Andover—H.  A.  W.  Fellowes,  R.  Etwall 
Angleseashire — Earl  of  Uxbridge 
Appleby — Hon.  A.  Tufton,  Id.  Maitland 
Arundc'l-^IA,  D.  C.  Stewart,  J.  Atkins 
Ashburion — ^W.  S.  Poyntz,  R.  Torrens 
Aylesbury — Lord  Nugent,  W.  Rickford 
Banbury — J.  Easthope 
Barnstaple — F.  Hodgson,  J.  P.  B.  Chichester 
Basset  law — Ld.  Newark,  hon.  A  Duncombe 
Bath — Gen.  C.  Palmer,  lord  J.  Thynne 
Beaumaris — Sir  B.  Williams,  bart. 
Bedfordshire — Marq.  of  Tavistock,  Sir  P. 

Payne,  bart. 
Bed/ord--W,  H.  Whitbread,  F.  Polhill 
Bedwin — Sir  J.  Nicholl,  J.  J.  Buxton ' 
Beeralston — Lord  Lovaine,  D.  Lyon 
Berkshire — C.Dundas,  K.G.  Throckmorton 
Berwick — Marcus  Beresford ,  sir  F.  Blake,bt. 
Beverley — H.  Burton,  W.  Marshall 
Bewdley — W.  A.  Roberts 
Bishop*s  Castle — E.  Rogers,  J.  L.  Knight 
Blechingley — Visc.P&lmerston,T.H.Villiers 
Bodmin — D.  Gilbert,  H.  B.  Seymour 
Boroughbridge — Sir     C.     Wetherell,     M. 

Attwood 
Bossiney — J.  S.  Wortley,  E.  R.  Tunno 
Boston — G.  J.  Heathcote,  J.  Wilks 
Brack  ley — R.  H.  Bradshaw,  J.  Bradshaw 
Bramber — J.  Irving,  VV.  S.  Dugdale 
Breconshire — Col.  T.  Wood 
Brecon — C.  M.  R.  Morgan 
Bridgenorth—W,  W.  Whitmore,  J.  Foster 
Bridgewater —yf .  Astell,  C.  K.  Tynte 
Bridport— Sir  H.  St  Paul,bt.,  H.  Warburton 
Bristol— J,  E.  Bailie,  E.  Protheroe 
Buckinghamshire — Marquis    Chandos,    J. 

Smith 
Buckingham— S\t  G.  Nugent,  bt.,  sir  T.  F. 

Fremantle,  bt. 
Bury  St,  Edmund's — Earl  of  Euston,  C.  A. 

Fitzroy 
Callington^mA,  H.  B.  Baring,  hon.  E*C.H. 

Herbert 

QUnt'T'T.  B.MacauUiy,  C.  R.  Fox 


Cambridgeshire — H.   J.    Adeane,    R.    G. 

Townley 
Cambridge  University — Rt.  hon.  H.  Goul- 

bum,  W.  Y.  Peel 
Cambridge-^MMq,  Graham,  col.  Trench 
Camel/ord — Col.  Cradock,  M.  Milbank 
Canterbury — Hon.  R.  Watson,  Id.  Fordwich 
Cardiff— lAtdi  P.  J.  H.  Stuart 
Cardiganshire— Co\,  W.  E.  Powell 
Cardigan — P.  Pryse 
Carlisle — P.  H.  Howard,  W.  James 
Carmarthenshire— Sir  J ,  Williams,  bart. 
Carmarthen — ^J.  Jones 
Carnarvonshire — C.  W.  6.  Wynne 
Carnarvon — Sir  C.  Paget 
Castle  Rising — ^Lord  H.  Cholmondeley,  hon. 

F.  G.  Howard 
Cheshire — Lord  Belgrave,  G.Wilbraham 
Chester — Hon.  R.  Grosvenor,  F.  C.  Offley 
Chichester — ^Lord  A.  Lennox,  J.  Smith 
Chippenham — J.  Neeld,  H.  G.  Boldero 
Christchurch— Sir  G.  H.  Rose,  G.  P.  Rose 
Cirencester^-hord  Apsley,  J.  Cripps 
Clithero— Hon,  R.  Curzon,  hon.  P.  F.  Cust 
Cockertnouth—J»  H.  Lowther,  sir  J.  Scarlett 
Colchester— D.W,  Harvey,  W.  Mayhew 
Qfr/e  Castle — G.  Banks,  P.  J.  Miles 
Cornwall — E.  W.  Pendarves,  sir  C.  Lemon 
Coventry — E.  Ellice,  H.  Lytton-Bulwer 
Cricklade—R.  Gordon,  T.  Colley 
Cumberland  County — Rt.  hon.  sir  J.  Graham, 

bt.,  W.  Blamire 
Dar/motfM—Capt.  J.  Bastard,  A.  H.  Holds- 
worth. 
Denbig/uhireSir  W.  W.  Wynne,  bt. 
Denbigh— R.  M.  Biddulph 
Derbyshire ^LA,  G.  H.  Cavendish,  hon.  G. 

J.  Vernon. 
Derby— H,  F.  C.  Cavendish,  E.  Strutt 
Devizes — J.  Pearse,  G.  W.  Taylor 
Devonshire — ^Lord  Ebrington,  rt.  hon.  lord 

J.  Russell 
Dorsets/iire — E.  B.  Portman,  lord  Ashley 
Dorchester — R.    Williams,    hon.    A.    H. 

Ashley  Cooper 
Dover — Rt.  hon.  C.  P.  Thompson,  R.  H. 

Thompson 
Downton — T.  Creevey,  hon.  P.  P.  Bouverie 
DroUwich—3.  Foley,  sir  T.  Winnington 
Dunwich — ^F.  Barne,  earl  of  Brecknock 
Durham    Cotmfy'^W*    RuQselli    sir     H. 

WUliamsoQ 


198 


ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


Durham  Cify-^W,  R.  C.  Ciiaytor,  bon.  A. 

Trevor 
Eeutt  Looe — H.  T.  IIo])e,  T.  A.  Kemmis 
Essex— C,  C.   Western,   hon,    W.   P.  T. 

Lon^  Wellesley 
Evesham — SirC.  Cockerel],  bt.,  T.  Hudson 
Exeter— ^.,  W.  Buck,  J.  W.  Buller 
Eye—^\T  E.  Kerrison,  bt.,  W,  Burge 
Flintshire— Va»  M.  L.  Mostyn 
Flint— U.  Glyniie 

Fowcy — Lord  Brudcnell,  J.  C.  Severn 
Gatton — Vt.  PoUinf^ton,  hon.  J.  Ashley 
Germans,  St. — C.  Ilosji,  W.  M.  Praed 
Gtamorgatuhire—C,  K.  M.  Talbot 
Gloucestershire — Sir  W.  B.  Guise,  bt,  hon, 

H.  (;.  F.  Moreton 
Gloucester  Citj^—Coh  E.  Webb,  M.  F.  F. 

Berkeley. 
Grantham— G.  E,  Welby,  J.  Hughes 
Great  Grimsby^-Lord  Loughborough,  hon« 

H.  Fitzroy 
Gr  instead,  Bast — Ld.  Holme8dale,F.  ILWest 
Guild/ord-^J.  Mangles,  C-  F»  Norton 
Hampshire— Sir  J.  Macdonald,   bt.  C.   S. 

Ijftfevre 
Harwich — Rt.hon.J.C.  Herrie8,G.R.Dawson 
Haslemere — Sir  J.  Beckett,  bt.,  W.  Holmes 
Hftstins[s—F ,  North,  J.  A.  Warre 
liavcr/ordivest— Sir  R.  B.  P.  Phillips 
Hedon-^S'ir  T.  Constoble,  bt.,  R.  Ferrand 
Helston^Lord  J.  Townshend,  J.  Pechell 
Jfere/onishire^S'ir  R.  Price,  bt.,  K.  Hoskins 
Hereford-^LovA  Rastnor,  E.  B.  Clive 
Hertfordshire— ^\T  J.  S.  Sebright,   bt.,  N. 

Calvert 
Hertford— T,  S.  Duncombe,  J.  Currie 
Heyiesburj^—Sir  G.   Staunton,  bt.,   E.  H. 

A*Court 
Highnm  Ferrers— Hoti,  J.B.  Ponsonby 
HifidoH—J,  Weyland,  E.  J.  Stanley 
Honi ton— Sir  G.  Warrender,  bt.,  H.  B.  Lott 
Horsham— IL,  of  Surrey,  N.  W.  R.  Colborne 
Huntingdonshire— hordi  Mandeville,  J.  B. 

Rooper 
Huntingdon— 3,  Peel,  F.  Pollock 
Hi/the—S,  Marjori banks,  J.  Loch 
Jlchcstcr—T)r,  Lushington,  hon.  E.  R.  Petre 
Ipswich— J.  Morrison,  R.  Wason 
Ive's,  St,— J,  Hulse,  E.  E,  Lytton  Bulwer 
Kent—T.  L.  Hodges,  T.  Rider 
King's  Lf/nfi— Lord  W.  P.  Lennox,  Id.  G, 

F.  C.  Bentinck 
Kingston-upon-Hull — G.  Schonswar,  W.  B. 
Wrightson 

Knaresborough — Sir   J,    Macintosh,    lord 

Waterpark 
Lancashire— Loid  Stanley,  B.  Heywood 
Lancaster— T,  Greene,  P.  M.  Stewart 
Launceston — J.  Brogdeo,  sir  J.  Malcolm 
Leicesiersh, — C.  M.  Phillips,  T.  Paget 
Leicester— W,  Evans,  W.  Ellis 
Leomitister — W.  B.  Evaos,  T.  Brayea 
Lewes'^T.  R.  Kemp,  sir  C.  E.  Bluat^  bU 


LiclifieUiSit  G.  Hanioo,  sir  E.  D.Scott 
Lincolnshire-^9\r  W.  A.  Ingilby,  bt.,  hon, 

C.  A.  W.  Pelham 
Lincoln— C,  D.  Sibthorp,  G.  F.  Heneage 
Liskeard'-'lMd  Elliot,  sir  W.  Pringle,  bt. 
Liverpool — Lord  Sandon,  W.  Ewart 
Loiuro;!— 'Alderman  Wood,  aldermmn  Wtltt- 

man,   alderman    Thompson,    alderman 

Venables 
Lostwithiel— Hon.  E.  Cast,  lord  Valletort 
Ludgershall—^'ir  S.  Graham,  bt.£.T.  Foley 
Ludlow— Xjotd  Clive,  hon.R.  H.  C3ive 
Lyme  Regis — Hon  S.  H.  Fane,  col.  J.  T.  Fuie 
Lymington — G.  Burrard,  W.  A«  MaeUniMB 
Maidstone^ A.  W.  RoberU,  C.  J.  BnnMtt 
Maiden— T,  B.  Leonard,  Q.  Dick 
Afatmesbury— Sir  C.  Forbes,  bt*,  J.  Forbes  - 
MaltonSir  H.  G.  Knight,  C.  C.  Pbpye 
Marl'bro'^W.  J.  Banks,  T.  H.  8.  B.  Eii. 

court 
Mar  low,  Oireal— 0.1iniliamf,T.P*  WilliHH 
Mawes,St^—G.G.W,  Pigott»urE.B.8ii8d« 
MerionetAshire-^ir  R.  W.  Yaogban,  bt 
Michael's  J  S^— Hon.  L.  KenyoD>  hoik  W.  % 

Best 
Middlesex — G.  Byng,  J.  Hume 
Medhurst-G.  Smith,  M.T.  Smith 
Milbome  Port—G.  S.  Byng,  P.  C.  CimnplMi 
Mineketui—J.  F.  Luttreil,  lord  Villlen 
Monmouthshire— 'Lord  Q.  C.  H.  Soneiael; 

W.  A.  Williams 
Monmouth — Marquess  of  Woroeiter 
Montgomeryshire — Rt.  hon.C.  W*  W«  Wyoft 
Montgomery — H.  Clive 
M9rpeth— Ron.  W.  Howard,  W.  Ord 
Newark— T.  Wilde,  W.  Handley 
Newcastle^under^Lyne^mmW,  H.  MUler,  K* 

Peel 
Newcastle-upon-Tyne-^Slr  M.  W.  Ridley^ 

bt,  J.  Hodgson     - 
Newporty  Cormoall — Rt.  hon.  air  H»  Hai^ 

dinge,  bt.,  Lord  Grimston 
Newport,  Isle  of  fFight—Yf.  Moait»  J.  4« 

H.  Vere 
NewtoH,  Lane. — ^T.  Leigh,  T.  Holdewerth 
Newtown,  Isle  of  fFigJU^-H*  Gui«ey»  lb 

W.  Home 
Norfolk  Co.— T.  W.  Coke,  sir  W.Folkca.  bC 
Northallerton — Hon.  W,  S.  LasceUeSb  sir  4» 

Beresford,  bt. 
Northamptonshire— hd.  Althorp|ld.  MilfeM 
Northampton— Sit  O.  RobhMon,  bt  R.  T. 

Smith 

Northumberland— 'T,   W.  BeaaillOftt»  bvi 

Howick 
Norwich— R.  H.  Gurney,  rt  hon.  R.  Gimat 
Nottinghamshirt-^.    &   Lumley,   J.  K« 

Dennison 
Nottingham'-^ir    R.    Fergonoo,  air  T» 

Denman 
Ohehampton—Sii  R.  R.  Vyvyan^  J.T,  U&m 
Orford—S.  H.  Kilderbee,  sir  H.  F.  CoolDe 
O'/orc^M^v-O.  Oi  ttmrnt,  R.  Wtyte« 


APPENDIX  TO  CHRONICLE. 


m 


Oxford  Vniveriity^T*  G.  B.  fistcdilrti  Sir 

R.  Inglis,  bt. 
Ojcford  City— J,  H.  r^angstoa)  W*  Hughes 

Hughes 
Pembrukeshirif—S\r  J,  Ovrttit  bt« 
Pembroke — H«  O.  Owen 
Penryn—i,  W.  Freshield,  C*  Stewart 
Peterboro'—'^xv  R*  Her&n,  bt  J.  N.  FftJttokeN 

ley 
Pe/tfr4/?c/rf— Sir  W.  Jolliil^,  bt..  H.  Jolliflfe 
Plymouth— ^xtT,  B.Msrtin,  G.  Cockbufh 
Plymptm—^\r  C.Doinvillc,  0.  C.Ahtfohus 
Pmtefract-^Vji^vX  of  Mexbofough^  hot)*  H. 

V.  S.  Jerningham 
Poole^B,!,,  Lester,  Right  hOn.Sir  J.Bj^hg 
PoritmoMth-^J*  B.  Carter^  F.  BaHngi  Jutii 
Preston — J.  Wood,  H,  Hunt 
Quecnborough^^J.  Clipel,  C.  Qrhtit 
Radnorshire — Right  hon.  T.  F.  LewiS 
Radnor  (J^cw) — R.  Price 
Reading — C,  F*  Palmer,  C»  Russell 
Richmond — Hon.  sir  R.  L  ^Dutida9,bt*faoil* 

J.  C.  Dundas 
Ripon — G.  Spence,  L.  H.  Petit 
Rochester — R.  Bernal,  J.  Mills 
Romney  COW^— SirE.C.Dcring,  W.MIfes 
Ruthmdshire^Sh  G.  Noel,  bt.s5r  O.  H«ath- 

cote,  bt. 
Rye — D.  L.  Evans,  T.  Pemberton 
Ryegate--^:,  P.  YoTk<*,  J.  York* 
Saltash—f.  Villiers,  B.  Walrond 
Sandwich*— 3.  Marryatt,  sir  E«  T.  TfOU* 

bridge 
Sarum  (NewJ-^Hon.  D.  P#  Bouyerie,  W# 

VVyndharn 
Surum  (OldJ^J.  Alexander,   J.  D.  Alex- 
ander 
Scarborough — Right  holi*  C.  M.   Sotton, 

gen.  Phipps 
Sea/ord—^.  Fitzgerald,  VV.Lyon 
Shaftesbury— E,  Penrhyn,  W.L*Maberftfy 
Shmeham — Sir  C. M.  Burrell,bt.  H.  Howaid 
Shrewsbury — R.  Jenkins,  R.  A*  Slaney 
Shropahire^SiT  R.  Hill,  bt.,  J.  C«  Pelhftiil 
Somersetshire — W.  G.  LangtoA,  B.  A*  Sail- 
ford 
Southampton — A.  Atherley,  ^tH,  PeBleaze 
Sfmlhwark — C.  Calvert,  W«  Brougham 
Staffordshire — Sir  J.  VVrottesley,  bt.  E<  J. 

Littleton 
Stafford— J,  CampbcU,  T.  6)«bon>e 
SUmford^hox^  T.  Cecil,  C.  TvtittfWtk 
Steyning — G.  R.  Philips,  E.  Blount 
Stoekbridge — ^.  Bafbam,  righl  hon#  str  S. 

Canning. 
Sudbury— B\vi,  B.  Walsb,bMrt*D.  CrWnw»g« 

ham 
Suffolk— ^\v  H.  Bunbury,  bt.  C.  Tyrell 
Surrey — W.  J.  Denison,  J.  L  Briscoe 
Sussex — H.  Curteis,jun.  Lord  J.  G.  Lennox 
Tamicorth—Sxx  R.  Peel,  bt.  lord  C.  Town- 
abend 


TaviHuek^^i  U.  Hawkins,  F.  tlUMell 
Taunttm^^,  Lftbmithi>r^,  E;  1%  Balnbrid^ 
Tewkesbury — 3.  E.  Dowflefcwcll,  J.  MatrUn 
rAff(/br</— -Lord  J.  Flt*i^,  F.  BariHg 
rA/rtfA— Sir  R^  Fmhkland,  st^  R.  G^  Russell 
Tiverton— Hon,  O.D.  Ryder,  Speh*  PferClVrtl 

'iW«^#— Right  hrni,  Ti  Pi  CdUf  lebay,  c*  fl. 

Baldwin 
Tregony-^C.  G.  J*  Afbuthtitit,  J;  Mtttklll6|* 
Truro— hotd  Elicothbe,  N.  W.  P^ftch 
Walfineftrd—T.  C.  Leigh,  H.  tCnlght 
fFareham—G.  H.  CalCrtlfli  C.  Wood 
Wanvickshire—F.  LAWley,  Sli-  d;  SklpwRh 
Warwick— T4  Thoftis,  B.  B.  King:. 
ff^ellf^-^.  te.  Vaughat),  J.  L.  Lee 
fVendover—X,  SWilb,  8*  Smith 
fnfnhck-^Hon,  O.  C.  Wi  Fori-cstfeti  P.  B. 

Thompsdti 
Weobley—Ld^  ll.  Thynrtej  lof  d  W.  Thynne 
ff^estbury—9\t  R.  F*  Ldpes,  tt.  F.  Slepheri- 

son 
fFest  Looe*^ii\r  C,  HulsPjbt.  C.Buller, jUft. 
fVestmifiHer'^ffth  Fi  BUfddtf,  bt.  iit  J.  C. 

Hobhouse 
fFestmoreland--  Lord  LowthCf,  A.  Nowell 
fVeymtiuih  if  Melcombe  Regit — Col.Gcrrdon, 

M.  Ure,  T.  F.  Buxtcm,  C.  B.  Wall 
fFhitechUrch^^\t  8*  Scott,  bt.  hotl.  J.  R. 

Townshend 
PFigan—n,  Thickfifesse,  J.  U.  K^afSley 
/Villon— 3.  H.  Penrtiddoeke,  Ji  Dawkltts 
Wiltshire— ^\t  J.  P.  Atii^y  bt.  J.  Bennet 
fVincheUeor^B ,  WilliaifiS,  J.  Brougham 
JVinchestef'^P.SU  J.  Mildftiay,  J.B.  Flast 
Windsor — ^J.  Ramsbottoiri,  R)gbt  faom.  fi. 

G.  S.  Stanley 
Woodstock-:^ljord    d  Bt   Churchill,    lord 
Stormont  ' 

Wffikfn  J^eset^JA*  Mahotf,  M.  Pof  chested 
Worcestershire— Hon,  T.  H.  Foley,  hon.  F. 

Spender 
Worcester^-QfA.  Davl*,  (^.  R.  RdMlttort 
Wycombe-^u  T.  Bar1f}g>  iHm.  R.  J.  Smith 
yannoti#^H>^flon.  G«  Ails(m,  C.E.  Rumbold 
Yannonthy  Isleof  Wight— B\t  H.  Wrllough- 

bjr,  b«rt«  C<  C«  Cftveildish 
Yorkshire— Ijcrtd  M#f  ^tb,  tfifJJV.  B*  Johft- 

stone,  J.  €*  Ramsdell,  G.Stftddaiid 
York—S.  A.  Bayntun,  bon.T^Diifidns 

SCOTLAND. 

Aberdeenshire  *^lim,  WilRUm  Oordon 
Aberdeen-^^t«Xio  RoSa 
Argplethife-^^93Ut  F.  Camphell 
Ayf8hir9—^\mmh  Blafr 
Ayr — Thomas  Francis  Kennedy 
Banffshire — John  Morison 
Bertoickshire — Hon.  Anthony  Maitland 
Bute  and  Caithness-shire — George  Sinclair 
Cromarty  and  Nairn — Duncan  Davidson 
Crait  and  Afutruther^AndTevf  Johnston 


200 


ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


Dumbartonshire — Lord  M.  W.  Graham 
Dum/ries'thire — J.  J.  Hope  Johnstone 
Duffies— \y»  R.  K.  Douglas 
/>y*ar^— Robert  Ferguson 
Edinburghshire — Sir  George  Clerk,  hart. 
Edinburgh — R.  A.  Dundas 
Elginshire — lion.  Francis-William  Grant 
Elgin — Sir  W.  G.  Cummins,  bart. 
jFY/*e*/*/rtf— James  Lyndsay 
Fi/rfarshire — Hon.  Donald  Ogilvie 
Forfar  and  P^M— Right  hon.  F.  Jeffery 
Farirose — C.  L.  Bruce 
G/a*^ow— Joseph  Dixon 
Haddingtonsh  ire — James  Bal  fou  r 
Haddington — Sir  Adolph.-J.  Dalrymple,  bt. 
■  Inverkeithing — James  Johnston 
Jnvemess-shtre — Right  hon.  Charles  Grant 
Kincardineshire — Hon,  Hugh  Arbuthnot 
Kinross  'shire — Charles  A  dam 
Kirkcudbright — R.  C.  Ferguson 
Kirkuf all— -James  Loch 
Lanarkshire — Hon.  Charles  Douglas 
Linlithgowshire — Sir  Alexander  Hope 
Orkneyshire — George  Trail 
Peebles -shire — Sir  John  Hay 
Perthshire — Right  hon. sir  (Jeo.  Murray,  bt. 
Ren/reioshire—Sir  M.-Shaw  Stewart,  bt. 
Ross-shire — James  Alex.  S.  Mackenzie 
Roxburghshire — Henry  Francis  Scott 
Selkirkshire — Alexander  Pringlc 
Selkirk  and  Peebles^-W.  Downe  Gillon 
Stirlingshire — W.  R.  Ramsay 
Siftherlandshire — Roderick  M'  Leod 
frigtonshire-'Sir  Andrew  Agnew,  bt 
fTigton — Edward  Stewart 

IRELAND. 

Antrim  Co,— Hon,  J.  B.  R.  O^Ncil,  earl  of 

Belfast 
Armagh  Co. — Tjord  Acheson,  C.  Brownlow 
Armagh — Sir  J.  W.  H.  Brydges 
Athlone — R.  Handcock 
Bandon  Bridge—Sh  A.  W.  Clifford 
Belfast — Sir  A.  Chichester,  bt. 
Carlow'Co. — W,  Blackney,  sir  J,  M.Doyle 
Carlow — ^Viscount  Tullamore 
Carrickfergtis — Lord  G.  A.  Hill 
Cashel — Philip  Pnsey 
Cavan  Co» — H.  Maxwell,  John  Young 
Clare  Co.— W.  N.  M'Namara,  M.  O'Connell 
Clofimetl — Eyre  Coote 
Coleraine — W.  Taylor  Copeland 
Cork  Co. — Hon.  R.  King,  lord  Boyle 
Cork  City — Hon.  J.  Boyle,  D.  Callaghan 
Donegall  Co, — Sir  E.  S.  Hayes,  E,  M.  Co- 

nolly  . 


Down  Co«— Lord  A.  Hill,  vise.  Casttereagh 
Downpatrick — E.  S.  Ruthven 
Drogheda — Thomas  Wallace 
Dublin  Co, — Lord  BrabazoD,  col.  White 
Dublin  City — F.  Shaw,  vise,  log^trie 
Dublin  University — ^T.  Lefroy 
Dundalk — J.  E.  Gordon 
Dungannon-^-Hou,  J.  J.  Knox 
Dungarvon — Hon.  G.  Lamb 
-Knnw— Right  hon.  W.  F.  V.  Fitigerald 
Enniskillen — Hon.  A.  H.  Cole 
Fermanagh — M.  Archdall,  vise.  Cole 
Galway  Co. — J.  S.  Lambert,  Sir  J.  Burke*  bt 
Galway — J.  J.  Bodkin 
Kerry  Cb.— Dan.  O'Connell,  F.  W.MoUini 
KiMare  Co.— R.  M.  O'Ferral,  sir  Jonah  W. 

Hart,  bt. 
Kilkenny  Co, — Earl  of  Ossory,  lord  Ocm« 

cannon 
Kilkenny — N.  P.  Leader 
King's  Co. — T.  Bernard,  lord  Oxmantown 
Kinsale — J.  Russell 

Leitrim  C&.— J.  M.  Clements,  S.  White 
Limerick  Coc*Hon.  R,  H.  Fitsgibbon,  eol. 

O'Grady 
Limerick — T.  Spring  Rice  , 
Litbume — H.  Heynell 
Londonderry  Co, — Sir  R.  Bateson,  bt»  T. 

Jones 
Londonderry  City — Sir  A.  R.  Fergruwn 
J^ngford  Co.— Vise.  Forbes,  A.  Lefroy 
iMuth  Co.— R.  L.  Shell,  sir  P.  Bellew,  bt. 
Mallow — C.  D.  O.  Jephson 
Mayo  Co. — J.  Browne,  D.  Browne. 
Meath  Cb.— Lord  Killeen,  K.G. 
Monagan  Co, — Hon.  C.  D.  Blaney,  hon.  H. 

R.  Westenra 
Newry — Hon.  J.  H.  Knox 
Portarlington — Right  hon.  sir  W.  Rae,  bt. 
Queen's  Co.— Sir   H.  Pftmell,  bt.  sir  C. 

Coote,  bt. 
Roscommon  Co. — O.  O'Connor,  A.  French 
New  Ross-^yf,  Wigram 
Sligo  Co. — E.  S.  Ccwper,  Alex.  Percival 
Sligo — John  Wynne 

Tipperary  Co. — T.  Wyse,  J.  H.  Hutchinson 
Tralee — Walker  Ferrand. 
T)frone  Co, — Hon.  H.  L.  Corry,  sir  Hugh 

Stewart 
JVaterford  Co.^Sir  R.  Musgrave,  R.  Power 
Waterford — Right  hon.  sir  J.  Newport,  bt. 
Westmeath  Cs^— G.  Rochfort>  M.  L  Chap- 
man 
Wexford  Co, — H.  Lambert,  R.  Sliapland 
/Te^orrf— Charles  Arthur  Walker 
fVickloto  Co, — J.  Grattan,  R.  Howard 
FoM^Aa//— Hon.  G.  Ponsonby 


APPENDIX  TO  CHRONICLE. 


SHERIFFS  FOR  THE  YEAR  1831. 


BedforiUhire Samuel  Cbaries  Whitbread,  of  Cardington,  eiq. 

Berkshire Chaiiea  Eyston,  of  Eait  Hendred,  esq. 

Backs Henry  And rewes  Utbmtt,  of  Great  Linford,  eeq. 

'^"hS^'hi^,  *.".'"  \  •'''*'"  BendjBhe,  of  Kn*«7.orth ,  «q. 

Cheshire Sir  Thomas  Stanldy  MiisBny  Slanley,  of  Iloolon,  I  art, 

Cvmherland John  Taylor,  of  Docktay  liall,  esq. 

Comaall Joba  Hearle  TremEyne,  of  Heligan,  esq. 

Der&yehire  ,..: Sir  Charles  Henry  Colvlle,  of  Dufficld,  knt. 

Deinmahin Sir  Bourchier  Palli  Wray,  of  Tavistock,  bart. 

DBTteltkire The  Hon.  Henry  Dawson  Damcr,  of  Milton  Abbey. 

Essex WilliamDavis,  of  r.eyion,  esq, 

GloucesteTshire Sir  Thomas  Crawley  Bovey,  of  Flaxley  Abhey,  bart. 

Hampshire Sir  Hen.  Jos.  Tichbomc,  of  Ticbborne  Park,  hart. 

Herejbnfshire John  Arkwright,  of  Hampton  Court,  esq. 

Hertfordshire Augustus  Smitli,  of  Ashlyn's  Hall,  eaq. 

Kent    BaiieD  Powell,  of  Speldhurst,  esq. 

Leicestershire George  John  Butler  Danvers,  of  Swithland,  esq. 

Lincoltuhire   ..  , Henry  Bacon  Hicknmn.oFThonaock-bouBe,  esq. 

Monmouthshire Willinm  Hollis,  of  Mounlon,  esq. 

Nor/bli Jolin  Anfterstein,  of  Weeting,  esq. 

NorlhamptoBthire   Bcriah  BoCfield  of  Norton  Hall,  esq. 

NorthtanieTlcind  ~ . ......  George  Silvcitap,  of  Minster  Acres,  esq. 

Notlinghamthire    Tbomns  Moor*!,  of  Ruddington,  esq. 

Oxfordshire    Sir  Henry  John  Lambert,  of  Aston,  bart. 

Rutlandehir» Tbomns  llirch  Reynanlson,  of  Euendine,  esq. 

Shropshire   .. ,. Sir  Edward  Josepli  Smytbe,  of  Acton  Burnell,  bart. 

Samerselshire ,  Thomas  Sbewell  Baiiward,  of  HoiElngton,  esq. 

Stuffiirdsbire    Thomas  FiWberbctt,  of  Sumnerlon  Park,  e«q. 

Stigolk JoboH«Bd,ofPrimpofieHill,  Hollrook,  esq. 

Storey Harvey  Cooibe,  of  Cobham,  Park,  esq. 

Sussex William  Conrtborpe  Mabott,  of  Uckfield ,  esq. 

fFarieiclcehire. George  Lucy,  of  Charlceote,  esq. 

ffiltsbire Paul  Melhuen,  of  Corsbam  House,  e.iq. 

fforeestershire  , Osman  Ricardo,  of  Bromsberrow,  esq. 

Yorkshire.. ,.  Sir  Henry  JameB  Goodiicke,  ofRibstonc  Hall,  bart. 

SOUTH  WALES. 

Brecmihire Ebeneier  Fuller  Maitland,  of  Garth,  esq. 

Go^igansAire    John  PulmerBruceCliicheatcr,  ofLlaoliadarn  Faur,esq. 

Canuarthemhire    Eflward  ilaralyn  Adams,  ofMiddlelon  Hall,  esq. 

Gtaamrgttiuhire Richard  Hoa re  Jenkins,  of  lanharrao,  esq. 

PemhrAeshire    John  MirohoiiBe,  ofBrownelad,  esq. 

RadnorMT»    .....,,...  Tiiomas  Duppa,  of  Llanshay,  esq. 

NORTH  WALES. 

Anglesa/ihlre Onen  Owen,  of  Llanfigacl,  esq. 

CamarmnsAire Rice  Thomas,  of  Cocdhelen,  esq. 

Denbighshire Wilnon  Jones,  of  Gellygynan,  esq. 

Fliatthire   Sir  Stephen  Richard  Glynne,  of  Hawardcn  CaBtle,  bflrt, 

ikrionethihire   Hugh  Lloyd,  of  Cefobodig,  esq. 

MentgimtTysAirt   RobertMaurieeBcniiorMaurice,  of  Bodynful,  esq. 


i02       ANNUAL   REGISTER,   1831. 


BIRTHS. 

JANUARY. 

1.  At  Dan-y-Graig  House,  Newton, 
Glamorganshire,  the  wife  of  the  Rev.  H. 
Elliot  Graham,  a  son. 

2,  At  Bloxworth  House,  Dorset,  the 
wife  of  John  Hesketh  Lethbridge,  esq.  a 
son. 

—  At  Westhorpe,  Nottinghamshire, 
the  wife  of  R.  Warrand,  esq.  late  major 
6th  Drai;oon8,  a  son. 

10.  The  wife  of  J.  T.  Justice,  esq.  of 
Parliament-street,  a  daughter. 

—  At  Sledmere,  the  lady  of  sir  Tatton 
Sykes,  hart,  a  son. 

ll.Saville-street, Burlington  Gardens, 
the  wife  of  Henry  Bosanquet,  esq.  a 
daughter. 

—  At  Walbury,  Essex,  the  wife  of  col. 
Johnson,  a  son. 

13.  At  Beaufort  Castle,  county  Inver- 
ness, hon.  Mrs.  Fraser,  of  Lovat,  a  son. 

lo.  At  Bishop's  Penn,  Jamaica,  the 
wife  of  the  Bishop  of  Jamaica,  a  son. 

16.  At  Brighton,  lady  Frances  San- 
don,  a  son  and  heir. 

—  In  Torrington- square,  the  wife  of 
K.  R.  Daniell,  esq.  barrister-at-law,  a 
daughter. 

—  The  lady  of  George  Fortescue 
Tiirvile,  esq.  a  son  and  heir. 

1 7*  The  wife  of  lieutenant-col.  Standish 
O 'Grady,  a  daughter. 

--  At  Hatchlands,  the  wife  of  W. 
Holme  Sumner, esq.  a  daughter. 

20.  At  Chicknell,  Salop,  hon.  Mrs. 
Taylor,  a  son. 

21.  At  Abbot's  Leigh,  county  Somer- 
set, the  wife  of  R.  Bright,  esq.  a  son. 

25.  At  Tenby,  South  Wales,  the  wife 
of  col.  Mason  Boyd,  Bengal  army,  a 
son. 

31  At  Bath,  the  right  hon.  lady  Spen- 
cer Churchill,  a  daughter. 

FEBRUARY. 

7.  At  the  Ray,  Berkshire,  the  wife  of 
capt.  sir  John  Phillimore,  C.  B.  a  sod. 

8.  At  his  Prebendal  House,  Canter- 
bury, the  wife  of  the  Rev.  J.  Peel,  a 
son* 

12.  At  Arundel,  the  wife  of  the  hon. 
and  rev.  Edward  J.  Turner,  a  daughter, 
his  fifteenth  child. 

15,  In  Bol ton-street,  the  lady  of  sir 
Philip  Sidney,  M.P.  a  daughter. 

16.  The  wife  of  the  rev.  Dr.  Bridges, 
president  of  Corpus  Christi  College,  Ox- 
ford; a  daughter 


19.  At  Mersham -hatch,  the  lady  of  str 
Edward  Knatchbull,  a  son. 

22.  A  t  Waterford,  the  lady  of  lieut.- 
col.  W.  Vincent,  E.  1.  C,  a  son. 

24.  In  Harley-strect,  tlie  wife  of  cape 
Berkeley  Maxwell,  R.N.,  a  son. 

25,  The  lady  of  captain  sir  J.  Gordon 
Sinclair,  hart.  ItN.,  of  Stevenson,  near 
Haddington,  a  daughter. 

36.  At  Badminton,  ilie  right,  hon. 
lady  Isabella  Kingscoce,  a  daughter* 

MARCH. 

1.  At  Dunstable-house,  Richmond,  the 
lady  of  sir  II.  Loraine  Baker,  bftrt.  ft 
daughter. 

—  At  Brighton,  the  lady  of  li6at.«coI. 
Baillie,  a  daughter. 

4.  At  Calverton,  near  Stoney  Stmt- 
ford,  the  hon.  Mrs.  Charles  Permfftl,  a 
daughter. 

o.  At  Serlby-hall,  NotU,  the  tIs- 
countess  Galway,  a  daughter. 

6.  AtBushmead  Priory,  Bedford,  the 
wife  of  Hugh  Wade  Gery,  esq.  a  Mm  and 
heir. 

7*  The  wife  of  G.  Henesge,  esq«  of 
Compton  Basset  House,  Devon^  a  Mn 
and  heir. 

-^  In  Whitehall-place,  lady  Henley,  a 
son. 

—  The  lady  of  lieut-col.  Alez«  Stew- 
art, E.I.C.  a  son. 

—  At  sir  William  OuseIey*s,  Foley* 
place,  the  wife  of  W.  G.  Ouseley,  eif|«  of 
his  majesty's  legation  in  the  United 
States,  a  son. 

9.  At  Worthing,  the  wife  of  the  hon« 
capt.  A.  R.  Turner,  R.N.,  a  son. 

12.  At  Clifton,  the  lady  of  sir  S. 
Stewart,  hart,  a  daughter. 

22.  At  Edinburgh,  the  oounteea  of 
Hopetouo,  a  son  and  heir. 

31.  At  Coleorton-hall,  Leicestershire, 
the  lady  of  sir  George  Beaumont,  bart.  a 
son. 

—  In  Harley-street,  the  hon.  Mrs.  W. 
Rodney,  a  daughter. 

—  In  Eaton-phice,  the  wife  of  C. 
Brownlow,  esq.  M.P.  a  son  and  heir. 

—  In  Charles-street,  Berkeley-square, 
lady  Julia  Hobhouse,  a  daughter. 

—  The  lady  of  the  hon.  capt  Maude, 
C.B.,  R.N.  a  daughter. 

—  In  Gower-street)  the  wife  of  Mt. 
serj.  Russell,  a  son. 

APRIL. 

2.  At  Stonor  Park,  Ozfordshire^  the 
ffffe  of  Thomas  9tenor,  Jmr.  o«q*  a  ion. 


APPENDIX  to  CHRONICLE.        ft03 

BIRTHS. 

^.  The  Wife  of  the   re?.  Wadham  Derby,  the  wife  of  the  boo.  and  rev.  A1- 

Knatchbull,  prebendary  of  Wells,  a  eon.  fred  Curzon,  a  son. 

16.  In  Whitehall-place,  lady  H.  Choi-  25.  In  Grosvenoivstreety  the  countess 

mondeley,  a  daughter.  of  Kinnoul,  a  son. 

20.  At  Shortgrove,  Essex,  the  seat  of  28.  In  Wilton-crescent,  lady  Catherine 

sir  John  St.  Aubyn,  bart  the  wife  of  th'e  Bulkeley,  a  son. 

rev.  D.  B.  Lennard,a  daughter.  —  On  Richmond-hill,  the  wife  of  B. 

22.  At  Brayfield  House,  Bucks,  the  J.  L.  Pmed,  esq.  a  son. 
wife  of  lieut.-col.  BourcLier,  a  son. 


—  At  Anne's  Grove,  the  hon.  Mrs. 
Arthur  G.  Annesley,  a  son. 

24.  In  North  Audley-streeti  the  wife  of 
W.  Bulwer,  esq.  a  daughter. 

27.  At  Cambridge,  the  wife  of  the  rev. 
professor  Scholefield,  a  son. 

29.  In  Portland-street,  the  wife  of 
lieut-col.  Healy,  a  daughter. 

Lately,  At  Southampton,  the  wife  of 
lieut.-col.  G.  Hely^  a  daughter. 

—  At  Coolhurst,  Horsham,  the  right 
hon.  lady  Eliz.  Dickins,  a  son. 

MAY. 

2.  In  Grosvenor-square,  the  conntess. 
of  Wilton,  a  son. 


AUGUST. 

13.  At  Great  M^ees,  the  viscountess 
Chetwynd,  a  daughter. 

13.  AtBetchworth-castle,  neaf  Dork- 
ing, the  wife  of  D.  Barclay,  esq. a  son. 

16.  TnCharles-street,BerkeIev-8quare, 
the  lady  of  Chas.  Douglas  Halford,  esq. 
a  son. 

1 9.  At  Brighton,  the  wife  of  col.  Payne, 
a  son. 

—  In  tlie  Regent's  Park,  the  la^y 
of  sir  J.  B.  Johnstone,  M^.  a  daughter. 

20.  At  Addlestrop,  Gloucestershire, 
the  hon.  Mrs.  Frederick  Twisleton,  a 
son. 

At  Salisbury,  the  hon.  Mrs.  Pare, 


8.   At   Bromley  House,    lady  Sarah     wife  of  the  rev.  Mr.  P^re,  of  Cranbourne, 


county  Dorset,  a  daughter. 

21.  In  Eaton-square,  lady  Agnes 
Byng,  a  son. 

22.  At  Dale  Castle,  county  Pembroke, 
the  wife  of  J.  P.  A.  Lloyd  Phfpps,  esq. 
a  daughter. 

26.  At  ihe  Rosery,  Barnes  Common, 
the  wife  of  T.  Cro&on  Croker,  esq.  a 
son. 

31.  In  Eaton-place,  Belgrave-square, 
lady  Augpista  Baring,  a  son. 


Murray,  a  son. 

18.  In  Upper  Harley -street,  the  wife 
of  Rich.  Jenkins,  esq.  M.P.  a  son. 

—  At  the  Palace,  Fulham,  Mrs. 
Blomfield,  the  lady  of  the  bishop  of  Lon- 
don, a  son. 

19.  At  the  Rectorv,  East  Horsley, 
hon.  Mrs.  Arthur  Percival,  a  son. 

20.  At  Hails,  Holt,  Wilts,  the  wife  of 
Iieut.-col.  T.  W.  Forster,  a  daughter. 

21.  In  Park-place,  St.  James's,  the 
marchioness  of  Worcester,  a  daughter. 

22.  At  the  Rectory,  East  Lavant,  Sus- 
sex, the  wife  of  the  rev.  Henry  Legge, 
a  son. 

26 

street, « ««„.  ,      .  ^ 

a  daughter. 

9.  At  Montagu  House,  the  duchess  of 
Buccleugh,  a  son  and  heir. 

13.  At  WindBrill-hill,  Sussex,  the  seat 
of  her  &ther,  E.  J.  Curteis,  esq.  late 
M.P.  for  the  eonnty,  the  wile  of  Howard 
Elphinstone,  esq.  a  son. 

15.  At  Mansell-bonse,  Somerset,  the 
lady  of  lieut>gen.  sir  John  fflade,  bart., 
a  son. 

90.  At  Dorebester,  the  wH(fr  of  col* 
Halyburton,  a  son. 

22.  At  Tonbridge  Wells,  the  wife  of 
col.  Hull,  WimMedoD,  a  son. 

24.  At  St.  David's  College,  Lampeter, 
3.   At  Wendover,  the  wife  of  Abel    the  wifeoftherev.  A.OlIivantjthevice 
Smith,  esq.  M.P.  a  daughter.  prinetp«),  a  daughter. 

12.  At  WcstoD  Underwood,  comity       laUfy,  At  Hyde-park-oofiieri   th^ 


SEPTEMBER. 
1.  At  Kilye   Court,  Somerset,   the 

.'  The  hon.  Mrs.  Smith,  Belgrave.    '''??^|-^;^^*l£Lf?;**?\.,^   ^ 
t  2L9(m,  8.  In  stanhope-street,  the  lady  Lilford, 

JUNE. 

2.  At  Clifton,  the  wife  of  lient-col* 
Plenderleith,  a  son. 

6.  The  wife  of  W.  Cole  Medlycott, 
esq.  of  Milbome  Port,  a  son  and  heir. 

9.  In  Bryanstone-sqnare,  the  wife  of 
Joseph  Hume,  esq.  M.P.  a  son. 

22.  At  Tunbridge-wells,  the  wife  of 
col.  Hall,  of  Wimbledon,  a  son. 

JULY. 


204       ANNUAL    R  EGI  STER,  1831. 


BIRTHS. 


lady  of  sir  Edmund  Antrobus,  bart.  a 

80D. 

—  At  the  duke  of  Beaufort's, 
Grosvcnor-squarc,  lady  Georgina  Ryder, 
a  daughter. 

—  The  right  hon.  lady  Byron,  a  son. 

OCTOBER. 

3.  At  Sidmouth,  the  wife  of  lieut.-col. 
Slesscr,  a  son. 

11.  At  Broomhall,  the  countess  of 
Elgin,  a  daughter. 

14.  At  Kneller  HalU  Whitton,  the  wife 
of  C.  Calvert,  esq.  M.P.  for  Soutbwark, 
a  daughter. 

17.  In  Devonshire,  the  lady  of  sir  R. 
Lopez,  bart.  M.P.  a  son. 

23.  At  Maidstone,  the  hon.  lady  Noel 
Hill,  a  daughter. 

24.  At  Clevc  Dale,  near  Bristol,  the 
wife  of  col.  Sealy,  E.I.C.  a  son. 

31.  At  Nottington,  near  Weymouth, 
the  wife  of  lieut-col.  Steward,  a  son. 

—  At  the  Royal  Military  Asylum, 
the  wife  of  lieut.-col.  Evatt,  a  daughter, 

NOVEMBER. 

10.  At  Radway,  Warwickshire,  the 
wife  of  lieut>col.  F:  S.  Miller,  C.B;  a 
son; 

33.  At  her  father's,  major-gen.  sir  T. 
Pritzler,  K.C.B.  Castle-lodge,  Upnor, 
Kent,  the  wife  of  Edward  Muller,  esq. 
royal  reg.,  a  son. 

30.  At  Babraham,  Cambridgeshire, 
the  wife  of  II.  J.  Adeane,  esq.  M.P.  a 
daughter. 

Laiely.  At  St.  Ililier,  Jersey,  the  lady 
of  —  De  Veullc,  esq.  daughter  of  T. 
Tindal,  esq.  of  Aylesbury,  and  niece  to 
chief  justice  sir  N.  Tindal,  of  a  boy  and 
a  girl. 

DECEMBER. 

6.  At  Aldwick  Lodge,  Bognor,  the 
wife  of  lieut-col.  Jenkins,  E.I.C.  a  son. 

9.  AtBrockley  Hall,  Somerset,  Mrs. 
Smyth  Pigott,  a  daughter.  ' 

17.  In  Portman-square,  the  countess- 
of  Chichester,  a  daughter. 

18.  At  Harrington  House,  Whitehall, 
the  countess  of  Harrington,  (late  Miss 
Foote),  a  son. 

20.  At  Bryanston  House,  Dorset,  the 
lady  Emma  Portmau,  a  daughter. 

31.  At  Brook  Lodge,  near  Wrinton, 
the  lady  of  major  O'Donnaghue,  a  son. 

28.  At  Wardour  Castle,  the  hon.  Mrs. 
Arundeli  a  son* 


—  At  Amewood  Lodge,  the  lady  of 
F.  R.  West,  esq.  M.P.  a  daughter. 

Lately.  At  Enstone,  Oxford,  lady 
Granville  Somerset,  a  son. 

.—  At  Hill  House,  Tooting,  Surrey, 
the  wife  of  aldexman  Venables,  M.P.  a 
daughter. 


MARRIAGES. 

JANUARY. 

I.  In  the  chapel  of  Warwick  Castle, 
Joseph  Neeld,  esq.  of  Grosvenor-square, 
M.P.  to  lady  C.  Ashley  Cooper,  daughter 
of  the  earl  of  Shaftesbury. 

—  At  St.  Pancras  New  Churchi  capt. 
Litchfield,  R.N.  to  liOuisa,  only  daughter 
of  the  late  H.  C.  Litchfield,  esq. 

3.  At  St  George*8,  Southwark,  Chas. 
Kershaw,  esq.  of  Stratford,  Suflfolk,  to 
Mary,  eldest  daughter  of  the  late  Clias. 
Noble,  esq.  of  Old  Burlington-street 

4.  At  Mitcham,  the  rev.  T.  Lagden 
Ramsden,)to  Sophia  Harriet,  youngest 
daughter  of  tlie  late  Iicut.«gen.  sir  H. 
Oakes,  bart. 

10.  The  rev.  W.  Pye,  to  M.  Grippe, 
daughter  of  J.  Cripps,  esq.  M.P.  for 
Cirencester. 

II.  At  Hendon,  the  rev.  John  James^ 
to  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  W.  WUber- 
force,  esq.  of  Highwood-liill,  Middlesex. 

18.  At  St.  George's,  Bloomsbury, 
Ashurst  M^endie,  esq.  eldest  son  of  L* 
Majendie,  of  Iledingham  Castle,  esq.  to 
Frances,  eldest  daughter  of  John  Grif- 
fin, esq.  Bedford-place. 

19.  At  Alexandria,  in  Egypt,  W.N. 
Peach,  esq.  only  son  of  N.  W.  Peach, 
esq.  M.P.  of  Ketteringbam  Hdl,  Nor- 
folk, to  Hester  Elizabeth,  daughter  of 
John  Barker,  esq.  his  majesty's  consul- 
general  for  Egypt. 

20.  At  Chelsea,  John  Newbery,  esq* 
late  lieut-col.  of  the  Sussex  Militia,  to 
Fanny,  eldest  daughter  of  lieut-col.  Le 
Blanc,  of  Chelsea  College. 

22.  At  Jersey,  capt.  Mark  Evans,  R.A. 
to  Ann,  relict  of  the  late  H.  T.  Ruther- 
ford, esq.  of  Redford-green,  Selkirk- 
shire. 

FEBRUARY. 

].  At  Milton,  John  G.  Hutchinion 
Bourne,  barrister,  to  Elizabeth,  eldest 
daughter  of  J«  R«  Barrettf  esq. 


APPENDIX  TO  CHRONICLE. 


205 


MARRIAGES. 

1.  AtSouthover  Lewes,  the  rev.  Tho-        8.  At  St.  George's  Hanover-square, 
mas  Wheeler  Gillham,  to  Harriet,  only     the  hon.  W.  Ashley  Cooper,  son  of  the 


daughter  of  the  late  rev.  James  Hurdis, 
D.D.  professor  of  poetry  in  the  universi- 
ty of  Oxford. 

3.  At  Aspley  Guise,  Beds,  John  Mar- 
shall, esq.  of  Coldham-house,  Cambridge- 
shire, to  Anne  Penelope,  daughter  of  the 
late  rev.  Edward  Orlebar  Smith,  of  Asp- 
ley-house. 

—  At  Uppingham,  county  Rutland, 
E.  W.  VVilmot,  esq.  fourth  son  of  sir  R. 
Wilmot,  hart,  to  Augusta  Matilda,  only 
daughter  of  Charles  Champion,  esq.  of 
Beaumont  Chase. 

5.  At  St.  George's,  Bloomsbury,  T. 
Smith  Barwell,  esq.  to  Amelia,  daughter 
of  the  late  Henry  Cline,  esq.  of  Lincoln's- 
inn-fields. 

8.  At  Brixton,  the  rev.  Thomas  Phil- 
potts,  only  son  of  J.Phillpotts,  esq.  M.P. 
to  Mary  Emma  Penelope,  only  daughter 
of  the  late  Ulysses  Hughes,  esq.  of 
Grovesend,  Glamorganshire. 

—  At  Col  ton,  Lancashire,  J.  L  Raw- 
linson,   esq.  barrister-at-law,  to   Mary, 


earl  of  Shaftesbury,  to  Maria  Anne,  eldest 
daughter  of  col.  Hugh  Bailey,  of  Morti- 
mer-street, Cavendish-square. 

9.  At  East  Down,  the  rev.  O.  H.  Wil- 
liams,  youngest  son  of  the  late  sir  J.  H. 
Williams,  to  Mary  Anne  Elizabeth,  eldest 
daughter  of  the  rev.  Chas.  Pyne  Coffin. 

14.  At  St.  Mary's,  Bryanstone-square, 
the  rev.  F.Cole,  to  Elizabeth,  daughter 

of  the  late  J.  Ewingy  esq.  and  sister  to  J. 
Ewing,  esq.  M.P. 

15.  At  Titnes  P&rk,  the  hon.  W.  Law, 
youngest  brother  of  lord  EUenborough, 
to  the  hon.  Augusta  Graves. 

16.  At  St.  George's,  Hanover- square, 
W.  Hutt,  esq.  to  Mary,  countess  of  Strath- 
more. 

17.  At  Belvoir  Castle,  the  hon.  Chas. 
Stuart  Wortley,  second  son  of  lord 
VVhamcliffe,  to  the  lady  Emmeline  Char- 
lotte Elizabeth  Manners,  second  daugh- 
ter of  the  duke  of  Rutland. 

19.  At  All-soul's  Langham-place,  the 
rev.  George  Sandby,  jun.    of  Denton 


eldest  daughter  of  the  rev.  J.  Romuey,  of  Lodge,  Norfolk,  to  Elizabeth  Catherine, 

Whitestock-hall.  second  daughter  of  lieut-gen.  Hodgson. 

\5.  At  Trinity  Church,  St.  Mary-le-  24.    At    St.    George's,   Bloomsbury, 

bone,  the  rev.  Stair  Douglas,  only  son  Marcus  Martin,  esq.  barrister-at-law,  to 

of  the  late  rear-admiral  Stair  Douglas,  Harriett  Mary,  only  child  of  the  late 

to  Maria  Edith,  youngest  daughter  of  John  Stapleton,  esq.  of  Calcutta. 

Woodbine  Parish,  esq.  commissioner  of  26.  At  St.  Georges,  Hanover-square, 

Excise.  J.  Cunninghame,  esq.  of  Hensol,  county 

17.  In  Devonshire,  Alfred  lord  Har-  Dumfries,  N.  B.  to  Eliza  Mary  Upton, 


ley,  heir  apparent  to  the  earl  of  Oxford, 
to  Eliza,  daughter  of  the  marquis  of 
Westmeath,  and  grand-daughter  the 
hon.  Mrs.  Cavendish  Bradshaw. 

—  At  Fareham,  Hants,  the  rev.  T. 
Wentworth  Gage,  to  lady  Mary  Douglas, 
second  daughter  of  the  marquis  of 
Queensbury. 

22.  The  rev.  H.  Sneyd,  of  Stone,  to 
Mary  Ann,  second  daughter  of  Thomas 
Sneyd  Kynnersley,  esq.  of  Loxley  Park, 
county  Stafford. 

24.  At  Ealing,  Alex.  Cobham  Cob- 
ham,  esq.  of  Shinfield  House,  Berks,  to 
Jane  Halse,  second 


daughter   of  the  late  capt.  Clotworthy, 
Upton,  R.N. 

31.  At  St.  Margaret's,  Westminster, 
R.  Willis,  M.D.  to  Eleanor,  third  daugh- 
ter of  the  late  Mr.  David  Watson,  of 
Whitehall. 

APRIL. 

2.  At  Manchester,  capt.  W.  D.  Davies, 
of  the  Queen's  Bays,  to  Susan  Jane 
Forbes,  only  daughter  of  the  late  John 
Aberoethie,  esq. 

5.  At  Trinity  Church,  St.  Mary-le- 
ond  daughter  of  Richard     ^^"'»^,P•  ^'  Walthew,  of  Albany-street, 

Lindfield,  Sussex. 


MARCH. 

2,  Mr.  Wood,  the  vocalist,  to  Miss 
Paton,  the  divorced  lady  of  lord  W.  Len- 
nox. 

5.  J.  M.  Bosville  Durrant,  of  the 
Priory,  Southover,  Sussex,  esq.  to  Fanny, 
second  daughter  of  J.  Hubbard,  of  Strat- 
ford, Essex,  esq. 


—  At  St.  John's,  Hampstead,  the  rev. 
Thomas  Henley  Causton,  to  the  hon.  F. 
Hester  Powys,  fifth  daughter  of  the  late 
lord  Lilford. 

7*  At  Elvaston  Hall,  near  Derby,  the 
right  hon.  Charles  Stanhope,  earl  of 
Harringtoni  to  Miss  Foote,  the  celebrat- 
ed actress. 

12.    At  Iv^r,   county  Buckingham, 


206      ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1881. 

MARRIAGES. 

lieut-col.  Bridger,  C.B.  to  Jane>  fourth  28.  In  France,  £dw«rd  Turner,  esq. 

daughter  of  John  Copeland,  esq.  eldest    son    of  the  hon.  and    rev.  £• 

15.  At  Richmond,  capt.  Henry  Jelf,  J.  Turner,  of  Arundel,  to  EHiabetb, 
third  son  of  sir  James  Jelf,  to  Miss  C.  A.  daughter  of  the  late  W.  Crease,  esq.  of 
Sharp,  of  Kincarrochy,  co.  Perth,  daugh-  D  ubiin. 

ter  of  the  late  major  Sharp.  —  At  St.  James'*,  the  hon.  R*  Pepper 

^  At  Twyford,  F.  P.  Delme  Rad-  Arden,  of  Pepper  Hall,  Yorkshire,  to 

cliffe,  ecq.  to  Emma,  only  daughter  of  lady  Arabella  Vane,  youngest   daugh- 

J.  H.  Waddington,  esq.  of  Shawford-  ter  of  the  marquis  of  Cleveland, 
house. 

—  At  St  Mary's,  Bryanston-square,  MAY. 
George  Drummond,  esq.  of  Stan  more, 

to  Marianne,  second  daughter  of  the  late  2*  Leonard  Thompson,  ern.  eldest  son 
E,  B.  Portman,  esq.  of  Bryanston,  Dor-  of  G.  L.  Thompson,  esq.  of  Sheriff  Hat- 
set,  ton  Park,  Yorkshire,  to  Mary  Wentworth 

—  At  the  hon.  Mra.Burrowes's,  Hill-  Fitxwilllam,  second  daughter  of  lord 
street,  Berkeley-square,  baron  de  Cetto,  Milton,  and  grand-daughter  of  etrl  Fits- 
minister  plenipotentiary  of  the  king  of  william. 

Bavaria,  to  Elizabeth  Catherine,  only  —  The  rev.  W.Gilson,  to  Ellai,  third 

daughter  of  the  late  col.  Burrowcs,  of  daughter  of  the  bishop  of  Chester. 

Dengen  Castle,  and  prrand-daughter  to  3.  At  Henley-on-Thames,  R.  Klog^ 

lord  Decies,  late  archbishop  of  Tuam.  esq.  of  Grosvenoi^place,  to    Georgiana 

—  At  Exeter,  W.  Mack  worth  Praed,  Ann,  youngest  daughter  of  the  late  hon, 
esq.  barrister-at-lav^,  eldest  son  of  Mr.  lieut-col.  George  Carleton,  and  sister  of 
Serj.  Praed,  to  Anne  Frances,  only  daugli-  Lord  Dorchester. 

ter  of  Treby  Hcle  Hays,  e^q.  of  Dela-  4.   At  All-souls  Church,  Langham- 

more,  Devon.  place,  Francis  Hawkins,  M.D.  of  Cnnon* 

16.  At  All-souls  church,  sir  Richard  street,  Mayfair,  to  Hester,  third  daugh- 
Annesley  0*Donel,  hart,  of  Newport-  ter  of  the  hon.  Baron.  Vaughan. 
House,  Newport,  co.  Mayo,  to  Mary,  And,  on  the  same  day,  Le  Merchant 
third  daughter  of  George  Clendining,  Thomas,  esq.  only  son  of  John  Thomas, 
esq.  of  Westport,  same  county.  esq.  of  Brunswick-square,  to  Mai^ret, 

20.   At  Caniberwell,  Edward,  eldest  fourth  daughter  of  the  same, 

son  ofCharlesBaldwin^esq.  of  Grove-hill,  5.  His  royal  highness  the  fl^i^ndDoke 

Camberwell,  to  Anne  Calcott,  youngest  of  Oldenburgh  to  her  royal  highness  the 

daughter  of  J.    Horner,  esq.  also   of  princess  Cecilia,  sister  of  prince  Gusta- 

Grove-hill.  vus  Vasa. 

27.  In  London,  S.  Clement,  esq.  to  10.  At  Wateringbury,  Kent,  mijor 
Louisa,  daughter  of  the  late  W.  Paley,  Maclean,  8l8t  regiment,  eldest  son  of 
esq.  Imrrister-at-law,  and  grand-daugh-  lieut-gen.  sir  Fitzroy  Maclean,  hart,  to 
ter  of  the  late  archdeacon  Paley.  Emily  Eleanor,  fourth  daughter  of  the 

28.  At    St.    George's,  Bloomsbury,  hon.  and  rev.  Dr.  Marsham. 

John  Edridge,  esq.  of  Pockeridge-house,  12.   At  St.  James's,  the  rev.  C.  O. 

Corsham,  Wilts,  to  Mary  Ann,  eldest  Plumer,  vicar  ofNorton,  to  Miss  Thomp- 

daughter  of  the  late  S.  Yockney,  esq.  of  son,  of  Stockton-upon-Tees. 

Upper  East  Hayes,  Bath.  —  At  Dublin,  E.  R.  Borough,  tiw\. 

—  At  Paris,  the  count  de  Montebello,  eldest  son  of  sir  Richard  Borough,  bart 
to  Mary  Teresa,  eldest  daughter  of  T.  to  lady  Elizabeth  St.  Lawrance,  sister  of 
Boddington,  esq.  of  Cumberland-place.  the  earl  of  Howth. 

—  At  Harpsden,  Vincent  Vaughan,  16.  At  Kilkenny,  R.  Fowler,  esq.  son 
esq.  of  Caversham  Grove,  to  Mary-Ann,  of  the  bishop  of*^  Ossory,  to  Harriet 
only  child  of  the  late  J.  Hussey,  esq.  of  Eleanor  Wandesford,  daughter  of  the 
Pinkney  House,  Berks.  marquis  of  Ormond. 

—  At  Poslingford,  Suffolk,  J.  Ray-  17.  At  St.  George's,  Hanover-square, 
mond,  esq.  of  Baythorn  Park,  to  Mary  the  right  hon.  Robert  Grosvenor,  young- 
Sophia,  second  daughter  of  col.  Weston,  est  son  of  earl  Grosvenor,  to  the  hon. 
of  Shadowbush  House.  Charlotte  A.  Wellesley,  daughter  of  lord 

—  At  Kingscote,  Gloucestershire,  J.  Cowley. 

Kennaway,  esq.  eldest  son  of  the  late  sir  19.  At  Brompton,  co.  York,  H.  R. 

J.  Kennaway,  of  Escot,  Devon,  to  Emily  Beaumont,  son  of  the  late  T.  R.  Bnu- 

Frances,  daughter  of  the  late  T.  Kings-  mont,  esq.  of  Bretton  Hall,  to  Catberine^ 

cote,  esq.  daughter  of  sir  G.  Cayley,  bart. 


APPENDIX  TO  CHRONICLE. 


207 


MARRIAGES. 


19.  At  Carlsruhe,  capt.  Dniromond 
(Melfort)  to  the  baroness  de  Rothberg 
Coiigny,  of  Rbeinweiler)  widow  of  gen. 
count  Rap  p. 

—  At  Craigends,  Renfrewshire,  W. 
Bonar,e8q.  banker  in  Edinburgh,  to  Miss 
Liliah  Cunninghame,  daughter  of  the 
late  John  Cunningbame,  esq.  of  Craig- 
ends. 

24.  At  Brighton,  G.  Boroughs,  esq. 
R.Art.  to  Selina,  eldest  daughter  of  the 
late  col.  Childers,  11  th  Light  Dragoons. 

—  At  Paris,  the  count  G.  M.  Pos- 
senti,  of  Rome,  to  Mary,  daughter  of  tba 
late  col.  Rogers,  of  Weston-super-Mare. 

26.  At  St  George's,  Hanover-square, 
F.  C.  Knowles,  esq.  eldest  son  of  admiral 
sir  C.  Knowlcs,  hart,  to  Emma,  fourth 
daughter  of  sir  G.  Pocock,  bait 

31.  At  Brinny,  co*  Cork,  the  bon. 
capt.  W.  Smyth  Bernard,  brother  of  the 
earl  of  Bandon,to  Elizabeth,  only  (laugh- 
ter  of  lieut-col.  Gilman,  late  81st  Foot. 

JUNE. 

2.  At  Cheltenham,  Philip  A.  Brown, 
esq.  to  Caroline  Jesscinthia,  third  daugh- 
ter of  sir  Charles  H.  Rich,  hart. 

4.  H.  Beavan,esq.  of  Sackville-street, 
to  Joanna,  fourth  daughter  of  T.  Cadell, 
esq.  of  Upper  Charlotte* street. 

7.  At  Cheltenham,  the  rev.  Thomas 
Gerard  Leigh,  to  Henriana  Matilda, 
daughter  of  the  late  lord  Henr)*  Murray, 
and  niece  to  the  duke  of  Athol. 

9.  At  Prior  Park,  Bath,  capt.  Ellis, 
4th  Light  Dragoons,  eldest  son  of  the 
late  col.  Ellis,  to  Eliza  Georgiana,  eldest 
daughter  of  co).  J.  L.  Richardson,  of  the 
Bengal  service. 

14.  At  Paris,  capt  A.  Douglas,  of  the 
Madras  establishment,  to  Emma  Money, 
eldest  daughter  of  the  late  hon.  M.  T. 
Han  is. 

15.  At  Stanford,  mi\jor  G.  Birch,  of 
Clare,  co.  Hants,  to  Lydia  Diana,  eldest 
daughter  of  the  late  rev.  S.  F.  Dash- 
wood,  of  Stanford-hall. 

21.  AtHouiton,  John  Webber,  esq.  to 
Susan,  fourth  daughter  of  gen.  Church- 
hill. 

23.  At  Newington,  near  Hythe,  the 


the  rev.  Ralph  Beraers,  youngest  son  of 
the  ven.  archdeacon  Berners,  to  Eliza, 
third  daughter  of  the  late  gen.  sir  C. 
Cuyler,  bart. 

28.  At  Bath,  sir  B.  R.  Graham,  of 
Norton  Conyers,  bart.  to  Harriet,  third 
daughter  of  the  late  rev.  Robert  Cottam. 

JULY. 

7*  At  St.  George*s,  Hanover-square, 
sir  John  Ogilvie,  of  Inverquharity,  bart. 
to  Juliana  Barbara,  youngest  daughter 
of  the  late  lord  Henry  Howard,  and  niece 
to  the  duke  of  Norfblk. 

8.  At  St.  George's,  Hanover-square, 
T.  Smith,  esq.  M.P.  to  Louisa,  third 
daughter  of  sir  M.  W.  Ridley,  bart.  M.P. 

14.  At  Paris,  baron  de  Roheck,  to 
Emily  Henry,  niece  to  the  Duke  of 
Leinster. 

—  At  St.  George's,  Hanover-square, 
Neill,  eldest  son  of  Nelll  Malcolm,  esq. 
of  Poltalloch,  Argyllshire,  to  Harriett 
Marv,  third  daughter  of  the  rev.  sir 
Clarke  Jervoise,  of  Ids  worth-park,  Hants, 
bart. 

16.  At  St.  Mary-le-bonne,  Hugh 
Tnglis,  esq.  to  Rothes  Beatrix,  second 
daughter  of  the  late  sir  John  Leslie, 
bart. 

21.  At  St.  George's,  Hanover-square, 
George  Seymour,  esq.  son  of  lord  G. 
Seymour,  and  minister  resident  at  the 
court  of  Tuscany,  to  Gertrude  Brand, 
daughter  of  the  hon.  gen.  Trevor. 

23.  At  Felbrigu;.hall,  viscount  Ennis- 
more,  to  Maria  Augusta,  widow  of  the 
late  G.  T.  Wyndham,  esq.  of  Cromer- 
ball,  Norfolk,  and  daughter  of  admiral 
Wyndham. 

31.  G.B.J. Price, esq. of Pigeonsford, 
Cardiganshire,  to  Ellen,  daughter  of  sir 
John  Owen,  bart.  M.P. 

Lately*  At  Brighton,  Fred.  Hodgson, 
esq.  M.P.  to  Amelia  Catherine,  daughter 
of  John  Erskine,  esq* 

AUGUST. 

1 .  At  Walston,  the  marquis  of  Hast- 
ings, to  the  hon.  Barbara  baroness  Grey 


rev.  Kennett  C.  Bayley,  second  son  of     de  Ruthyn,  of  Brandon-ball,  Warwick- 
the  hon.  Mr.  Baron  Bayley,  to  Charlotte,     shire. 


eldest  daughter  of  James  Brook  man,  esq. 
of  Beachborough,  Kent^ 
—  At  Delganny,  co.  Wicklow,  Wade 
Bro*'*iie,  esq.  of  Churchill,  Worcester- 
shire, to  Anne,  eldest  daughter  of  Mr. 
Serj.  Pennefather. 
27.  At  St.  Mary's,  Bryanstone-square^ 


2.  Sir  C.  M.  Lambert  Monck,  bart  to 
lady  Mary  Elizabeth  Bennet,  sister  to 
the  earl  of  Tankerville. 

—  At  Cheltenham,  C.  H.  Bell,  esq. 
third  son  of  the  late  Matthew  Bell,  esq, 
of  Woolsington-bouse,  Northumberland, 
to  Helen,  only  child  of  sir  B.  W.  Bur- 


208      ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


MARRIAGES. 


dett,  bart.  and  grand-niece  of  the  first 
marquis  of  Thomond. 

4.  At  Willesdon,  the  hon.  G.T.  Kep- 
pel,  second  son  of  the  earl  of  Albemarle, 
to  Susan,  daughter  of  sir  Coutts  Trotter, 
bart. 

9.  At  Bishop's  Lydeard,  capt.  Hugh 
Fitz-Roy,  grenadier  guards,  second  son 


20.  At  St.  George's,  Hanorer-iquare, 
the  hon.  Aug.  Villiers,  second  son  of  the 
earl  and  countess  of  Jersey,  to  the  hon. 
Miss  Elpliinstone,  only  daughter  of  vis- 
countess Keith. 

22.  At  St.  George's,  Hanover-tqiuure, 
G.  F.  Rusi^ll,  esq.  to  Louisa  Margarer, 
daughter  of  F.  Hodgskinson,  LL.D.  vice- 


of  the  late  lord  Henry  Fitz-Roy,  to  Lucy    provost  of  Trinity  College,  Dublin.' 


Sarah,  second  daughter  of  sir  T.B.  Leth- 
bridge,  bart. 

13.  At  Milton,  near  Gravesend,  sir  G. 
Noel,  bart.  to  Miss  I.  E.  Raymond. 

23.  At  Cirencester,  Edward  Bullock, 
esq.  to  Catherine,  daughter  of  Joseph 
Cripps,  esq.  M.P. 


27.  At  Quainton,  Bucks,  Richard 
Beamish,  esq.  of  Sans  Scud,  Cork,  to 
Theodosia  Mary  Heise,  of  Doddershall 
Park,  eldest  daughter  of  the  late  lieut- 
col.  Aug.  Heise. 

30.  At  St.  George's,  Hanover-aqoare, 
the  rev.  J.  Jebb,  eldest  son  of  Mr.  Justice 


—  At  Hcadington,  Oxford,  John  WiU     Jebb,  to  Frances  Emma,  daughter  of 
son,  esq.  capt.  R.M.  to  Elizabeth,  eldest     major-gen.  Rich.  Bourke. 


—  Mr.  Serj.  Goulbum,  to  the  hon. 
Catherine  Montagu,  sister  of  lord  Roke- 
by. 

OCTOBER. 

1.  Vise.  Encombe,  grandson  to  the 
earl  of  El  don,  to  the  hon.  Louisa  Dun- 
combe,  second  daughter  of  lord  Fever- 
sham. 

4.  At  Churchtovn,  Lancashire,  H. 
Hall  Joy,  esq.  of  Hartham  Park,  Wilts, 
to  Mary  Charlotte,  only  child  of  James 
Greenaigh,  esq.  Myerscough-hall,  Lan- 
cashire. 

5.  At  Weymouth,  Philip  Richardion, 
esq.  to  Georgiana,  third  daughter  of 
the  late  J.  Ford,  of  Finhaven  Castle,  For- 
farshire, esq. 

—  At  Aldingbourne,  Sussex,  J.  W. 
BuUer,  esq.  of  Downes,  M.P.  to  Char- 
lotte Juliana  Jane,  third  daughter  of  the 
late  lord  Henry  Howard,  and  niece  to 
the  duke  of  Norfolk. 

6.  At  St.  Mary's,  R.  North  Collie 
Hamilton,  esq.  eldest  son  of  sir  Fred. 
Hamilton,  bart.  to  Constance,  daughter 
of  gen.  sir  George  Anson,  M.P. 

—  At  Southampton,  Samuel  Le  Fevre, 
esq.  to  Anna  Maria,  second  daughter  of 
the  hon.B.'P.  Le  Blaquire. 

12.  At  Galmty,  J.  Gunning  Plunkett, 
esq.  of  Cloone,  cousin  to  the  duke  of 
Argyle,  to  Jane,  third  daughter  of  the 
late  F.  Kelly,  esq.  of  Liss-Kelly,  and  niece 
to  the  late  John  baron  Clanmorris. 
15.  At  Heighiogton, Durham,  M.Fal- 
Delawarr,  to  Charlotte-Margaret,  eldest  Ion,  esq.  a  counsellor  at  the  Irish  bar,  to 
daughter  of  the  late  sir  John  Lowthcr  Miss  F.  H.  Kelly,  the  celebrated  actrest. 
Johnstone^  bart.  —  At  Loughton,  Essex,  gen.  Grosve- 

17*  At  St.  George's,  Hanover-square,     nor,  to  Anna,  daughter  of  the  late  G. 
Edward  Godfrey,  esq.  to  the  right  hon.     Wilbraham,  of  Delamere  House,  Che- 
Susan  Elizabeth,  countess  dowager  of    shire,  esq. 
Morton.  18.  At  Sandbach«  Chealure,  the  rer. 


daughter  of  sir  Joseph  Lock,  of  Oxford. 

25.  At  Trinity  Church,  Mary-lc-bone, 
Charles  Tracy  Leigh,  esq.  to  Emma, 
youngest  daughter  of  G.  H.  Dawkins 
Pennant,  esq.  of  Pcnrhyn  Castle,  North 
W&les 

30.  At  Hanwell,  Middlesex,  William 
Johnson,  esq.  of  Eaton-place,  Bclgrave- 
square,  to  Sarah,  only  (hiughter  of  C. 
Turner,  esq.  of  Hanwell  Park. 

Lately,  At  Pinner,  Middlesex,  the 
rev.  J.  H.  Bright,  to  Katherine  Char- 
lotte, daughter  of  the  late  col.  Mant, 
and  grand-daughter  to  sir  George  Dallas, 
bart. 

SEPTEMBER 

5.  At  Bristol,  K.  H.  Doolan,  esq. 
second  son  of  lieut-col.  Doolan,  to  Mary, 
daughter  of  the  late  George  Leigh,  esq. 
of  Pugley  House,  Devonshire. 

7.  At  Lambeth,  sir  Ralph  Abercrom- 
bie  Anstruther,  bart.  of  Balcaskie,  to 
Mary  Jane,  eldest  daughter  of  the  late 
major-gen.  sir  H.  Torrens. 

10.  At  St.  George's,  Hanover-square, 
J.  Barlow  Hoy,  esq.  of  Midanbury, 
Southampton,  to  Marian  D'Oyley,  only 
daughter  and  heiress  of  the  late  Sheard- 
man  Bird,  esq.  of  Harold's  Park,  Essex. 

13.  At  St  Margaret's,  Westminster, 
J.  Fairlie,  esq.  to  Mios  Home  Purves, 
daughter-in-law  to  the  right  hon.  the 
Speaker. 

15.  At  St.  George's  Church,  the  rev. 
H.  Wm.  Buckley,  grandson  to  John  earl 


APPENDIX  TO  CHRONICLE. 


209 


MARRIAGES. 


H.  Spencer  Markhara,  of  Clifton  rectory, 
Notts,  to  Sophia  Cliarlotte,  daughter  of 
the  late  sir  J.  L.  Kaye,  bart.  of  Denby 
Grange,^Yorksbire. 

19.  At  Langton,  sir  John  Pringle,  bt« 
of  Sticbel-house,  Roxburghshire,  to  lady 
Elizabeth  M<iitland  Campbell,  eldest 
daughter  of  the  marquis  of  Breadal- 
bane. 

20.  At  All-souls,  Mary-la-bone,  Adam 
Ashew,  of  Redheugh,  Durham,  esq.  to 
Elizabeth,  sixth  daughter  of  the  late  sir 
R.  Rycroft,  bart.  of  Everlands,  Kent. 

24.  At  St.  George's,  Hanover-square, 
the  rev.  Frederick  Baring,  son  of  Alex- 
ander Baring,  esq.,  to  Frederica  Mary 
Catherine,  third  daughter  of  the  late  J. 
Ashton,  esq.  of  the  Grange,  county 
Chester. 

—  At  Denston,  Suffolk,  capt.  Pigott, 
of  the  Royal  Horse  Guards,  eldest  son 
of  sir  G.  Pigott,  bart.  to  Georgiana.Ann, 
youngest  daughter  of  W.  Bruramell,  esq. 
of  Wivenhoe. 

25.  At  Torquay,  the  hon.  Charles 
Trefusis,  brother  of  lord  Clinton,  to  lady 
Elizabeth  Georgiana  Kerr,  daughter  of 
the  late  marquis  of  Lothian. 

26.  At  Bath,  Edward  Horlock  Morti- 
mer, esq.  of  Studley,  Wilts,  to  Jane, 
youngest  daughter  of  the  late  col.  Wil- 
liams, and  niece  to  the  late  gen.  sir  T. 
Picton. 

27.  At  Shillinglee-park,  Sussex,  the 
seat  of  the  earl  of  Winterton,  W.  Linton, 
esq.  (the  landscape  painter)  to  Julia 
Adelina,  only  daughter  of  the  rev.  T. 
Swettenham,  of  Swettenham,  and  niece 
to  the  countess  of  Winterton. 

29.  At  Liverpool,  Henry  Roscoe,  esq. 
barrister-at-la\v,  youngest  son  of  the  late 
Wm.  Roscoe,  esq.  to  Maria,  second  dau. 
of  T.  Fletcher,  esq.  of  Liverpool. 

Lntelif.  At  Clontarf,  the  rev.  Walter 


to  Kate  Elizabeth,  eldest  daughter  of 
the  rev.  J.  S.  Ogle,  of  Kirkley,  prebend* 
of  Durham. 

20.  At  St,  George's,  Hanover-8quare» 
sir  J.  Montague  Burgoyne,  bart.  Grena- 
dier Foot  Guards,  of  Sutton  Park,  Bed- 
fordshire, to  Mary  Harriet,  daughter  of 
col.  Gore  Langton,  M.P.  of  Newton 
Park,  Somerset. 

22.  At  St.  Georgc'ss,  Hanover-square, 
Benjamin  Travers,  esq.  of  Bruton-street, 
Berkeley-square,  to  Mary  Poulett,  daugh- 
ter of  the  late  col.  Stevens,  of  Discove 
House,  Somersetshire. 

23.  At  Margate,  G.  Gunning,  esq.  of 
Frindsbury,  Kent,  to  Sarah  Tournay, 
widow  of  the  late  sir  T.  Staines,  K.C.B. 
of  Dent  de  Lion. 

Lately,  The  rev.  Henry  Dal  ton,  curate 
of  St  John's,  Wolverhampton,  to  Sophia, 
daughter  of  lord  Robert  Fitzgerald,  and 
first  cousin  to  the  duke  of  Leinster. 


DECEMBER. 

1.  At  St.  George's,  Hanover-square, 
count  Alex.  Walwski,  to  lady  Caroline 
Montagu,  sister  to  the  earl  of  Sandwich. 

6.  At  Bowood,  the  seat  of  the  mar- 
quis of  Lansdowne,  the  right  bon.  lord 
Valletort,  son  of  the  earl  of  Mount  Edg- 
cumbe,  to  Miss  Fielding,  daughter  of 
capt.  and  lady  Elizabeth  Fielding. 

8.  W.  Willis,  esq.  of  Astrop-house,  in 
the  county  of  Northampton,  to  Sophia, 
daughter  of  W.  R.  Cartwright,  esq.  of 
Aynho,  in  the  same  county. 

9.  At  Cheltenham,  C.  Kelson,  esq.  of 
the  third  Guards,  to  Anne,  daifghter  of 
R.  Holden,  esq. 

15.  At  T^amington,  the  rev.  Charles 
Thomas  Longlcy,  D.D.  head  master  of 
Harrow  school,  to  Caroline  Sophia,  eld- 


Bisliop  Mant,  eldest  son  of  the  bishop  of    est  daughter  of  sir  H.  Parnell,  bart 

■nv A     ^ ^        •«       .  ,1       .  lO       A  i.    D-!^Ui.^~     ..U,.  1 ^      A      U7 


Down  and  Connor,  to  Marianne,  eldest 
daughter  of  the  hon.  Hans  Blackwood, 
and  niece  to  lord  Dufferin. 

NOVEMBER. 

1.  At  Iffly,  near  Oxford,  rev.  H.  Sal- 
mon, rector  of  Swarvaton,  Hants,  to 
Emily  Charlotte,  daughter  of  the  late 
vice-admiral  Nowell. 

5.  At  Clifton,  in  Glou<iestl»r8hire,  R. 
W.  Elton,  esq.  E.I.C.  sixteenth  regiment 
N.L  nephew  of  the  late  admiral  sir  Wm. 


19.  At  Brighton,  the  hon.  A.  W.  Pel- 
ham,  M.P.  eldest  son  of  lord  Yarbo- 
rough,  to  the  hon.  Adelaide  Maude, 
daughter  of  the  vise.  Ha  warden. 

—  At  Brocklesby,  Lincolnshire,  the 
hon.  Charlotte  Anderson  Worsley  Pel- 
ham,  only  daughter  of  lord  Yarborough, 
to  Joseph  William,  only  son  of  sir  J. 
Copley,  bart.  of  Sprotboro.ugh,  York- 
shire. 

—  Charles  Shakerley,  esq.  of  Park- 
place,  Berks,  to  Jesse  Matilda,  daughter 
of  James  Scott,  esq.  of  the  Manor  House, 


Young,  to  Ashley,  eldest  daughter  of  Shepperton. 

H.  Evans  Holder,  esq.  M.D.  deceased.  21 .  At  Chelsea,  J.  E.  Walters,  esq.  of 

15.    At  Ponteland,  Northumberland,  Lincoln's  Inn,  to  Eleanor,  daughter  of 

capt.  Charles  Ogle  Streatfield,  R.  Eng.  A.  R.  Sidebottom,  esq.  of  Lincoln's  Tnn. 

Vol.  LXXIII.  P 


aiO     ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1881. 


PR0M0TJ0N8. 

S7.  At  Marylflhone  oburoh,  captain 
Worth,  7^th  rcg.,  to  Caroline,  daughter 
of  R.  Sfierson,  esq.  of  NottingnamT 
plac^i 


PROMOTIONS. 

JANUARY. 

Gazette  Pbqiiotioiib. 

8.  Brevet ;  lieut^cols.  hon.  tiincoln 
Stanhope  and  W.  Cross,  to  be  colonels  in 
the  army. 

1 5 .  Hojful  Artillery  —  Miuor-ffeneral 
Broke  Young,  to  be  col.  commandant. 

17.  His  majesty  has  declared  himself 
col.-in-chlef  of  the  household  brigade  of 
CaU'alry,  consisting  of  the  Ut  and  2d 
Life  Guardti,  and  Royal  Horse  Guards. 

The  Navy-^To  be  captains,  John  VVil- 
snn,  G.  B.  Maxwell,  hon.  J.  Cavendish, 
I].  £.  Napier. 

To  bt  commanders,  Charles  Blair,  G. 
W.  Matson,  F.  P.  Blackwood,  A.  Milne, 
F.  Hart,  J.  B.  B.  M'Hardy,  lieut.  J. 
Savage,  (1816). 

26.  The  duke  of  Sussex  to  be  chief 
ranger  and  keeper  of  Hyde-park  and 
St.  James's-park. — The  right  hon.  Ro- 
bert Wilipot  Horton  to  be  governor  of 
Cevlon. 

.31.  The  earl  of  Enrol,  and  earl  Howe, 
to  be  of  the  privy  council. 

MenVRS  RBTUIUfED  IN  PARLIAMENT. 

Bandon  Bridge, — Vise.  Bernard. 

BeeraMm. — Pavid  Lyon, esq, 

BletchiHgl3f»'r'Ci\9kT\t%  Tennyson,  esq. 

DnugofMon* — Lieut,  cql.  John  James 
Knox. 

Foifwr  andPerik* — Right  hon.  Francis 
Jeffrey. 

Invemesa  f?b. — Right  hon.  C.  Grant. 

PreatQtu—  Henry  Hunt,  esq. 

Civil  PaBFRRMENTS. 

I.ord  Lyndhurst,  to  be  chief  baron  of 
the  Exchequer. 

Sir  James  Shaw,  elected  chamberlain 
of  the  city  of  London. 

EcOLEaiASTICAL   PaEPEflMENTS. 

Rev.  G.  Davys,  to  be  dean  of  Chester. 
Rev.  H.  Phil  potts,  preli.  in  Durham 
«f^thedral. 


FEBRUARY. 

Gazette  pBOuoTioiiat 

7.  Viic.  Duneannon,  William  Daom 
Adams,  and  H.  Davkini,  etqrt.  to  \m 
commissioners  of  woods  and  fora«tfl. 

15.  Col.  sir  Arch.  ChrliUe  to  bo  de- 
puty-governor of  Stirling  castle. — ^M^or^ 
gen.  sir  Benj.  D*UrbaD«  K,C.B,  to  be 
governor  of  Demerara. 

S3.  Archibald  John,  earl  of  Roeebofry, 
John  Wjlliam,  visn.  DuDctBiiOQ,  9JoA  tSp 
right  hon,  Michae)  Angelo  Taylor,  appm 
of  his  miuesty'B  privy  eouncll^— TlipqNie 
Robert  Dimsdale,  of  Camfield-plfee.  «•% 
to  be  sheriff  of  the  county  of  Hertfofd^v-r 
Mor|[i^n  Jones,  of  Kilwendeego,  MOf 
sheriff  of  the  county  of  Pembrpke^<«-X* 
Duppa,  of  Llanshay,  esq.  to  be  dieiiff  of 
the  county  of  Radnor. 

84.  To  be  knighu  Grand  Croetet  of 
the  Bath,  lieut-gen.  sir  Win,HouttODt 
lieut-gen.  sir  Edward  Bamet|  liei|t*ffe|i# 
the  right  hon.  sir  John  Byng. 

85.  To  Im  grooms  of  his  muesty'l  bed* 
chamber,  vice-admiral  the  boii.  air  Hi 
Blackwood,  bart.  Tice-admiiml  elr  RU 
Otway,  capt.  the  hon.  0.  P,  ClunpbeJIj 
R.N.  and  col.  sir  J,  Reyiiett« 

MlMBIRS  BETURNKD  TO  PlRLUmHT. 

/Ieatfmari«.— Sir  R.  B.  Willbuiie.9iill(e- 
ley,  bart. 

Bletehinglj/.^%\v  W.  Home.  V^U 

Boanney. — Hon.  J.  Stewart  Woitly. 

HeliesioM.-^^ir  S.  J.  Brooke  Pecbell, 
bart. 

PFeaford  (Toumy-^ir  E.  C,  Derinf  • 
bart. 

H^iWfor,— Right  hon,  £.  O.S.8teiitey, 

Civil  PRBFBMinfn, 

John  Cowan,  esq.  to  be  eldernan  of 
Bread-street  ward. 

MARCH. 
Gazette  Promotiowb. 

2.  Knighted,  col.  Chas.  Wade  Thorn- 
ton, aide-de-camp  to  his  majesty. 

&  33d  foot,  lieut-gen.  «ir  Ghaa.  W^le. 
K.C.B.  to  be  col.^Unattacbed,  ipidor 
Robert  Burdett,  to  be  lieut-ooL  of  in* 
fan  try. 

9.  Knighted,  m(\]or«gen«  JiMmee  CvPP* 
bell,  KX:.H.,  William  H.  Polend,  esq. 
nnd  Cliapman  Marshall,  esq.  abertflib  « 
Tendon  and  Middlesex. 

1 ).  The  earl  of  Gosford,  a  lor^  of  tbt 
bedchamber. 


APPENDIX  TO  CHRONICLE- 


8U 


PROMOTIONS. 

14,  Vice-admiral  air  H.  Pigby.  to  be  col^r~^8th  foot,  Ileut-gtn.  ilr  J.  KeaAe, 

a  K.C.B.— Captain  ajr  Murray  Maxwell,  K.C.B.  to  b*  co].-»94tb«  fQi^or^gei).  sir 

C.B.  to  be  lieutf governor  of  priqqa  £d-  J,  C4mpbell>  K*C.B.  to  be  eol<  * 

ward's  Island.  Garniona. — Gen.  eir  Q.  Poui  G,C,B., 

20.  Knigbted,  maj.-gtn.  H,  Wheatley.  to  be  governor  of  Scarboroiigh  cattle. 

21.  Major-gen.  sir  Arc:b.  Campbell,  Admiral  air  W.  HarwooOi  to  b^G.C. 
G.C.B.  to    be    lieut-governor  of  U^w  of  the  Guelpbi  and  captain*  Ushar  and 


Brunswick  and  its  dependencies. 

23.  To  be  gentlemen  Ushers  of  his 
m^esty's  privy  cl^mber»  horn  Frederick 
Byng,  Chas.  Cavendish*  epq^j  T.  iihiff- 
ner,  esq.,  W.  Russell,  09qt 

—  Knigbtedi  eap^  George  Fif^cis 
Seymouri  R.N„  major-gfrni  S«i\|«  Chas. 
Stephenson,  ^nd  J,  H«Ui  ^3^<  consul- 
general  for  Hanover. 

—  MarQujs  of  Westmefitbt  to  be  a 
representative  peer  for  Irelana. 


G.  Seymour,  K.G.  of  the  a>me  ordan 

Lieut,  Stratford  to  be  aqperlntendant 
of  tho  Nautical  Almanacki 

23.  Right  hon.  H*  Montgomeryt  lord 
Belhaven,  to  be  high  commissioner  to 
the  general  ass^sgobty  of  the  Church  of 
Scotland. 

Col.  S.  R.  Chapman,  C.B.  to  be  go- 
vernor and  commander-intobief  of  the 
Bermudas. 

37*  M%jor-gen,  R,  Bourke  to  be  capt. 


14.   Captain  the  hon,  S,  Hay  tp  be     gen.  and  governojr-in-cblef  of  New  South 
one  of  her  majesty's  equerries. — Lieut*- 
col.    T.    lord-   G.antham,    ^nd    Heut- 
colonel  E.  Baker,  to  be  his  m^esty's 


aides-de-camp  for  yeomanry  cavalry. — 
Lieut-col.  Fox,  grenadier  guards,  to  be 
one  of  his  majesty's  equerries. 

MEMBEaS  RETURNED  TO  PARLIAMENT. 

Jshburton,'-W.  S.  PoyntB,  esq, 

Durham. — W.  R.  C.  Chaytor,  esq. 

Ei/e — William  Burge,  esq. 

Forfar^  fyc, — Hon.  Wm.  Ogilyy. 

Kilkenny  Co.— Vise,  Duncannen. 

La?ica^er,-^lf,  Maxwell  Stewart,  esq. 

Milbmrne  Port,—R.  Lalor  Shiel,  esq. 

..——I.  G.  S.  Byng,  esq.  (re-elected.) 

Nairn  County. — Hon.  G.  P.  Campbell, 
(re-elected.) 

Newark-upan'Trent.-^Wn  F,  H^nd- 
ley,  esq. 

Peebles  County. — Sir  G .  Montgomery, 

Homnejf.Slr  Roger  Gresly,  bart, 

Saltash. — Philip  Cecil  Crampton*  esq. 

JH^igan. —John  Hodson  Kaarsley,  esq. 

Whitechurch  ( Haw ^*).— Hon.  G.  J>. 
Townshend. 

Ecclesiastical  Prejpermbnts. 

Rev.  D.  Kyle,  to  be  bishop  of  Cork 
and  Ross. 

CiVIIi  PREVERBIEN'rS. 

C.  F.  Williams,  esq,  tp  be  r^pord^r  of 
Ipsiyich, 

APRIL- 
GA2m>B  Promotionii, 


Wales,  and  Van  Diemen's  Land. 
Members  returned  to  Parluukvt. 

Clare  Co* — Maurice  0*CopRel|,  esq. 
*  Colcketier, — William  Ml^yhew,  esq, 
Lau^e^tf/QM.-^Majorvgen,  gir  J,  MaK 

colm. 
Londonderry, -T^&ir  H.  Ferguson,  bart. 
ifa/^<m.-^Rigbt  hop.  F,  Jeffrey, 
Queen's  Co.-^Sir  H,  Parnell,  lM,Tt. 
Skfi/tesbury*-^y^,  L.  MaberUy,  esq. 
Hlnchelsea.S.  Luibington,  D.C.L. 

MAY, 

Gazette  Promotions. 
2.  Lieut  gen.  sir  W.  Houston,  G.C,B« 
to  be  lleut-govemor  of  Gibraltar* 

12.  Dr.  W.M'Michael  to  be  physician 
in  ordinary.— Right  hon.  Laurence  lord 
Dundas  to  be  lieut.  and  sheriff  principal 
of  the  shires  of  Orkney  and  Zetland. 

Col.O.Fltzdarence  to  be  baron  Tewkes- 
bury, vise.  Fitzclf^rencei  and  earl  of  Mun- 
ster. 

13.  Right  bon.  sir  F.  J.  Lamb,  G.C.B. 
to  be  ambassador  extraordinary  to  the 
Emperor  of  Austria, 

19.  Admiral  sir  H.  TroUope  to  be 
G.C.B.-^Vice-admiral  Edward  GrifHths 
Colpoys,  and  vice-admiral  E.  J.  Foote, 
to  be  K.C.B. 

24.  Col.  Fred.  Fltzc|&rence,  captain 
Adoipbus  Fitzclarence,  |i.N.,  and  rev. 
Augustus  Fitzclarence,  to  have  the  title 
and  precedence  of  the  younger  son  of  a 
marquis.— Sophia,  wife  of  sir  Philip 
Sidney ;  Mary,  wife  of  lleut-col.  the  hon. 


13.  Knighted,  George  Harrison,  ^iq.  ,           . 

15.  Captain  Pechell,  R.N.  to  be  one  of  C.  R.  Fox ;  and  Augusti*,  widojf  of  the 

the  qiieen'a  equerries.-^Adolpbua  Cot-  bon.  J,  Kennedy  Erskine,  to  bav#  the 

tin,  esq.  to  be  gentleman  u«her  quarter^  title  and  precedence  of  the  daughter  of  a 

ly  waiter  to  her  majesty.  marquis. 

22.  31  St  foot,  gen.  sir  H.  Ward^,  tob«  25.  Ifnighted,  William  Beaity,  «lg. 

P  2 


212       ANNUAL   REGISTER,   1831. 

PROMOTIONS. 


M.D.  F.R.S.,  and  W.  Burnett,  esq.  M.D. 

27.  Earl  Grey  to  be  K.G. 

28.  Margaret,  widow  of  Richard  Tal- 
bot, esq.  created  a  peeress  of  Ireland,  by 
the  title  of  baroness  TallKit,  of  Malahidc, 
and  lady  Malahide,  of  Malahide,  county 
Dublin,  with  remainder  to  her  male  heirs 
by  tlie  said  Richard  Talbot 

31.  The  right  hon.  William  George 
earl  of  Errol  to  be  baron  Kilmarnock,  of 
Kilmarnock,  county  Ayr. 

JUNE. 

GiZETTB   PROMOTION'S. 

6.  Lieut-gen.  sir  W.  Hutchinson  to  be 
equerry  to  the  duke  of  Sussex. — Admiral 
the  hon.8ir  Robert  Stopford, and  admiral 
sir  Benjamin  Hallowell  Carew,  to  be 
G.C.B. 

7.  Brevet — Lleut-gen.  sir  Edward 
Barnes,  G.C.B.  to  have  tlie  rank  of  gen. 
in  the  East  Indies  only. 

8.  Vice-adm.  Charles  Ekins,  and  rear- 
adm.  Thomas  Baker  to  be  K.C.B. 

14.  Adm.  sir  Thomas  Foley,  G.C.B. 
to  be  rear-adm.  of  Great  Britain  and 
Ireland,  and  of  the  navies  and  seas 
thereof. — John  Henry  Mandevllle,  esq. 
to  be  secretary  to  his  majesty's  embassy 
at  the  Sublime  Porte. 

15.  Major-gen.  W,  Nicolay,  to  be  go- 
vernor of  St.  Christopher,  Nevis,  and  the 
Virgin  Islands. 

16.  Created  peers  of  the  united  king- 
dom— Earl  of  Flngall,  as  baron  Fingall, 
of  Wool  ham p ton-lodge,  county  Berks  ; 
earl  of  Scfton,.as  Baron  Sefton,  of  Crox- 
teth,  county  Lancaster ;  earl  of  Leltrim 
as  baron  Clements,  of  Kilmacrenan, 
county  Donegal ;  lord  Kinnairdas  baron 
Rossie,  of  Rossie,  county  Perth  ;  right 
hon.  George  James  Welbore  Agar  Ellis 
as  baron  Dover,  of  Dover,  county  Kent. 
— Gen.  W.  Loftustobe  lieutenant  of  the 
Tower. 

22.  Knighted — the  right  hon.  Robert 
Wilmot  Horton,  governor  of  Ceylon. 

The  earls  of  Lcven  and  Selkirk,  and 
viscount  F.i]kland,are  elected  represen- 
tative peers  of  Scotland,  in  the  room  of     of  Whitehall -place. 


25.  Col.  sir  Evan  Murray  Maegr«gor 
to  be  governor  of  Dominica. — ^lieat-col. 
A.  W.  Young  to  be  lieut-govemor  of 
Prince  Edward's  Island. 

26.  Lieut-gen.  sir  F.  T.  Hammond* 
G.C.H.tobe  licut-govemorofEdinbiu^ 
castle. 

Members  beturnbd  to  PABLUMnrr. 

Bletchingly, — Vise  Palmerston,  and 

T.  H.  Villlers,  esq. 

C-atheL — Philip  Pusey,  esq. 
DiAcnton, — Hon.  D.  P.  BmiTerfe* 
Higham  Ferrars* — C.  C.  Pepya,  eaq» 
MatioH, — Wm.  Cavendish,  eiq» 
Milboume  Port. — P.  C.  Cranpton,  eti|» 
Monmouth, — Lord  Worcester* 
Okeham/tion.^Sir  R.  R.  Vyvyan;lit» 
Newport  (Comtra//).— Vise.  Grima* 

ton. 

Beigate.—CapU  C.  P.  Yorke. 
Tavistock. — J.  H.  Hawkins,  esq. 
Wettbitrtf — H.  F.  Stephensony  es^ 
Winchelsea, — J.  Brougham,  eaq» 

Ecclesiastical  PaEFERMKvn. 

Rev.  sir  G.  W.  Bisshopp,  dean  of  Lia- 
more. 

Civil  Preferiieittb. 

Mr.  Serj.  Spankie  to  be  standing  ooon* 
sel  to  the  East  India  Company* 

AUGUST. 

Gazette  Promotioiis. 

2.  Rt.  hon.  John  Key,  of  Thornbniy, 
Gloucestershire,  and  lord  mayor  of  Lon* 
don,  created  a  baronet. 

3.  Knighted — George  Hamilton^  esq. 
K.Ci.Jrl. 

8.  Knighted — Lieut-col.  the  hon.  Ed- 
ward Cust,  K.C.H. — Rear-adm.  sir  Jah- 
leel  Brenton  to  be  lieut-governor  of 
Greenwich  Hospital. 

9.  Brevet— Major  H.  Webster  to  be 
lieut-col.in  the  army. 

10.  Knighted— Lieiit-gen.  John  Brnftb, 
R.  Art.  K.CH.  and  John  Rennie,  esq. 


the  earl  of  Northesk  deceased,  the  earl 
of  Errol  created  a  peer  of  Great  Britain, 
and  lord  Sinclair  who  has  retired. 

JULY. 

14.  Ralph  Abercrombie,  esq.  to  be 
secretary  to  his  majesty^s  legation  at 
Berlin. 

21.  The  earl  of  Munster  to  be  Tieut. 
of  the  Tower. 


16.  Lieut-gen.  sir  R.  H.  Vivian,  hart* 
to  be  of  the  privy  council  in  Ireland* 
31.  Knighted— Capt.  J.  HilJ,  fLS. 

Members  beturned  to  Pirltasibiit. 

Bandon  Bridye,^S\r  A.  W.  J.  Clifc 

ford. 

i>M^/tff.— Frederick  Sliaifi  esq.,  lord 
vise.  Ingestrie. 

Gritntby, — Lord  Longhbon>ugh|  tk» 
hon.  Henry  Fitzroy. 


APPENDIX  TO  CHRONICLE. 


213 


PROMOTIONS. 

Meath  CCo»w/y>— Hen.  Grattan,  esq.    as  baron  de  Saamarez,  of  the  island  of 
Peebles  (  County)^— ^\ r  John  Hay,  bl.     Guernsey. 

~       ■  13.  Gen.  sir  H.  G.  Grey,  gen.  sir  R.C. 


Roscommon  (County)* — Dennis  O'Co- 
nor,  esq. 

Weymouth^  —  Cliarles  Baring  Wall, 
esq. 

SEPTEMBER. 

Gazette  Promotions. 

7.  To  be  peers  of  the  united  kingdom 
— Arch,  earlof  Cassilis,  K.T.  as  marquis 
of  the  Isle  of  A ilsa,  county  Ayr;  John 
earl  of  Breadalbane  as  earl  of  Ormelie 
and  marquis  of  Breadalbane;  Robert 
carl  Grosvenoras  marquis  of  Westmins- 
ter ;  lord  George  A.  H.  Cavendish  as 
baron  Cavendish,  of  Keighley,  county- 
York,  and  earl  of  Burlington;  Robert 
Dundas  vise.  Duncan  as  earl  of  Camper- 
down,  of  Lundie,  county  Forfar,  and 
Gleneagles,  county  Perth ;  Thomas  Wil- 
liam vise  Anson,  as  earl  of  Lichfield, 
county  Stafford. 

To  be  an  earl  of  Ireland — Thos.  vise. 
Northland,  as  earl  of  Ranfurly,  of  Dun- 
gannon,  county  Tyrone. 

To  be  barons  of  the  united  kingdom 
— Thomas  marquis  of  Headfort,  as  baron 
Kenlis,  of  Kenlis,  or  Kells,  co.  Meath ; 
John  Chambre  earl  of  Meath,  K.P.  as 
baron  Chaworth,  of  Eton-hall,  co.  Here- 
ford ;  George  earl  of  Dunmore,  as  baron 
Dunmore,  in  the  Forest  of  A  thole,  co. 
Perth  ;  gen.  George  James  earl  Ludlow, 
G.C.B.  as  baron  Ludlow ;  Robert  Mont- 
gomerie  lord  Belhaven  and  Stenton,  as 
baron  Hamilton,  of  Wishaw,  ca  Lanark  ; 
gen.  John  Francis  lord  Howden,  G.C.B. 
as  baron  Howden,  of  Howden  and  Grim- 
ston,  county  York;  the  hon.  William 
Maule,  as  baron  Panmure,  of  Brechin 
and  Navar,  county  Forfar ;  the  hon. 
George  Cadogan,  as  haron  Oakley,  of 
Caversham,  county  Oxford  ;  sir  George 
Warwick  Bamfylde,  hart,  as  haron  Pol- 
timore,  of  Poltimore,  county  Devon  ;  sir 
Rob.  Lawley,  hart,  as  l)aron*Wenlock,  of 
Wenlock,  county  Salop  ;  sir  Ed,w.  Pryce 
Lloyd,  hart,  as  baron  Mostyn,  of  Mostyn, 
CO.  Flint;  Wm.  Fitzhardinge  Berkeley, 
esq.  as  baron  Segrave,  of  Berkeley  Cas- 
tle, county  Gloucester ;  lieut-col.  Arthur 
Chichester,  as  baron  Templemore,  of 
Te  m  pie  more,  county  Donegall ;  William 
Lewis  Hughes?,  esq.  as  baron  Dinorben, 
of  Kenmell-park,  county  Denbigh. 

12.  To  l)e  barons  of  the  united  king 


Ferguson,  gen.  sir  H.  Warde,adm.  sir  T^ 
Williams,  adm.  sir  Wra.Hargood,  lieut- 
gen.  sir  W.  Lumley,  lieut-gen.  sir  J. 
Willough by  Gordon,  bart.  and  rear-ad  m. 
sir  T.  M.  Haidy,  bart,  to  be  knights, 
grand  crosses  of  the  order  of  the  Bath. 

Lieut-gen.  Sam.  V.  Hinde,  major-gen. 
John  W.  Guise,  major-gen.  Jas.  Bathurst, 
major-gen.  James  S.  Barns,  rear-adm.  sir 
R.  Laurie,  bart.  miyor-gen.  J.  Macdo« 
nald,  major-gen.  Alex.  Woodford,  major- 
gen.  Frederick  C.  Ponsonby,  rear-adm. 
George  Scott,  rear-adm.  Thomas  Dun* 
das,  rear-adm.  sir  Graham  Eden  Ha- 
mond,  bart.,  major-gens,  sir  John  Bu* 
chan,  sir  Hugh  Gouch,  Chas.  Ashworth, 
Chas.  Bruce,  John  F.  Fitzgerald,  John 
Ross,  Dugald  L.  Gilmour,  War.  Macbean, 
and  sir  George  Elder,  to  be  knights  com- 
manders of  the  order  of  the  Bath. — 
Marquis  of  Queensberry  to  be  a  lord  of 
the  bedchamber. 

13.  Knighted— Lieut-col. Fred.Smlth, 
commanding  engineer  of  the  London 
district,  K.H. ;  lieut-col.  Alex.  Ander- 
son, C.B.,  K.T.S. ;  Thomas  Brancker, 
esq.  mayor  of  Liveq^ool ;  Rob.  Gill,  esq. 
lieut.  of  the  yeomen  of  the  guard ;  Henry 
Cipriani,  esq.  senior  exon  of  the  same  ; 
Henry  Hinrich,  esq.  lieut.  of  the  gen- 
tlemen pensioners;  Richard  Burton,  esq. 
senior  member  of  the  band  of  gentle- 
men pensioners  ;  major-gen.  Amos  God- 
sill  R.  Norcott,  C.B  ,  K.CH. ;  major 
Francis  Bond  Head,  of  Sutton,  county 
Surry ;  Neil  Douglas,  es'q.  col.  in  the 
army,  lieut-col.  of  79th  foot,  aide-de- 
camp to  his  majesty,  C.B.,  K.CH. ;  Wil- 
liam Howe  Mulcaster,  esq.  post-captain 
R.N.,  C.B.  K.T.S.,  and  K.CH. 

15.  To  be  baronets — Lieut-gen.  John 
Slade,  lieut-gen.  sir  William  Anson,  of 
Birch-hall,  county  Lancaster,  K.CB., 
lieut-gen.  Kenneth  Mackenzie  of  Glen- 
bervie,  county  Kincardine ;  vice-adm. 
sir  Robert  Waller  Otway,  of  Brighthelm- 
stone,  county  Sussex,  K.CB. ;  major- 
gen,  sir  Arch.  Campbell,  G.C.B.  and 
lieut-governor  of  New  Brunswick ;  Au- 
gustus John  Foster,  of  Stone-house, 
Louth,  esq.  his  majesty's  minister  to  Sar- 
dinia ;  sir  James  M'Gregor,  of  Campden- 
hill,  Middlesex,  M-D.  director-gen.  of 
the  army  medical  department ;   Robert 

*-.   x«  .^  « .  ~.  -..- ^«  „...js-     Way  Harty,  of  Prospect-house,  Roebuck, 

dom— Valentine  Browne,  lord  Cloncurry,  county  Dublin,  esq.  lord  mayor  of  Dub- 
as  baron  Cloncurry,of  Cloncurry,  county  lin;  col.  John  Thomas  Jones,  of  Cran* 
Kildare;  adm.  sir  James  Saumarez,  vice-  mer-hall,  Norfolk;  Robert  Greenhill 
^dm*  of  Great  Britain,  bart»  and  G.CB,     HusselU  of  Chec(|uer8«coaTty  Bucks,  esi^ . 


214       ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 

PROMOTIONS. 

WilllBiH  Chaytor,  of  Croft,  county  York,  John  Michell,  E.  C.  Whinyfttes ;  maWin 

and  Witton-castlc,  Durham,  esq.;  Wm.  sir  J.  S.  Lillie,  kt.,  T.  A.  Pkirke,  R.M.y 

Wrixon  Becher,  of  fiallygiblin,  county  and  H.  R.  Gore. 

Cork,  esq. ;  Joseph  Birch,  of  the  Ilazlcs,         The  following  officers  in  the  aenrice  of 

county  Lancaster,  esq. ;    Robert  Camp-  the  East  India  Company,  to  be  knights 

bell,  of  Carrick  Buoy,  county  Donegal  I,  commanders  of  the  Bath — Major-g«iit. 

esq.;  Wilfrid  Lawson,  of  Brayton-housis  Alex.  Knox,  John  W.  Adams,  Henry 

rounty  Cumberland,  esq. ;  John  Nugent  Worsley,  Ilopctoun  S.  Scott,  Rob.  Scot, 

Humble,  of  Cloncoskoran,  county  Water*  and  Andrew  M*Dowall« 


lord,  esq. ;  James  Martin  Lloyd,  of 
Lancing,  county  Sussex,  esq.  ;  James 
Gibson  Craigi  of  Riccaiton,  county  Mid- 
Lothian,  esq. ;  Joseph  Barrington,  of 
Limerick,  esq.  ;    Theodore   Henry  La- 


The  following  officers  in  the  tame  aer- 
vice  to  bt  companions  of  the  Bath — 
Cols.  John  Rose,  Gervase  Penbington» 
James  D.  Greenhill,  John  DoTeton,  P, 
H.  Pierce,  Robert  Pitman,  Haitinga  M. 


vington  Broadhead,  of  Burton,  or  Monk  Kelly,  John  Mayne,  W.  C.  Faitbfbl  ; 
Brctton,  county  York,  esq. ;  John  Col*  Lieut-cols.  Francis  W.  Wilson,  Alex* 
man  Rashleigh,  of  Prideaux,  co.  Com-  Lindsay,  Henry  T.  Roberts,  Jamea  Caul- 
wall,  esq. ;  J. Campbell,  of  Balcar-  field,  Richard  Tlcknell,  Charles  Flttgt- 

dine,  county  Argyle,  esq. ;  Percy  Fitz*  raid,  Sam.  Hughes,  Robert  Smith  ;  ma* 

gerald  Nugent,  of  Donore,  county  West-  jors  Alex.  Manson,  J.  N.  Jackioii,  and 


meath,  esq. ;  John  James  Garbett  WaU 
sham,  of  Knill-court,  county  Hereford, 
esq.  Wm.  Heygate,  of  Southend,  Essex, 
esq.  alderman  of  London  ;  Thoe.  M' Ken- 
ny, esq.  alderman  of  Dublin;  Henry 
Meux,  of  Theobalds- park,  Herts,  esq. ; 
Charles  Mansfield  Clarke,  of  Dunham- 
lodge,  Norfolk,  M.D.  physician  in  ordi- 
nary to  his  mf\jo8ty. 

16.  Knighted,  by  patent,  George  Ma- 
grath,  M.D.  surgeon  R.N. 

21.  Knighted — Col.  Michael  Mac- 
Creagh,  K.C.H.;  col.  Robert  Diok,  aide- 
de  camp  to  his  majesty,  C.B.,  K.M.T. ; 
and  John  Soane,  of  Lincoln's-Inn-Fields, 
esq.  architect. 

26.  To  be  companions  of  the  Bath — 
Captains,  Richard  Curry,  the  hon.  Fred. 
P.  Irby,  Dan.  Woodriff,  Jas. Sanders,  the 
hon.  George  Elliot,  Hugh  PIgot,  S.P. 
Humphreys,  John  Tower,  William  Hen- 
nah,  William  P.  Cumby,  the  hon.  Joce- 
line  Percy,  And.  King;  Cols.  Richard 
Payne,  Charles  Nicol,  Henry  King,  Fre- 
derick Rennell  Thackeray,  J.  B.  Savage, 
J.  F.  Birch,  Henry  Phillott,  Robert 
M'Cleverty,  W.  H.  Knight  Ersltine,  the 
hon.  Lincoln  Stanhope,  John  Grey,  sir 
Henry  Watson,  knt.,  Chas.  Ashe  A'Court, 
C.  W.  Pasley,  .John  Gillies,  H.  C.  E. 
Vernon  Graham,  sir  R.  J.  Harvey,  Rob. 
Waller,  Alex.  Thomson,  John  Duffy, 
Jacob  Tonson,  William  Alex.  Gordon, 
lord  George  W.  Russell,  Jamen  Fergus- 
son,  Andrew  Creagh,  Robert  Pym,  Arch. 
Campbell ;  lieut-cols.  Richard  Gubbins, 
T.  H.  Blair,  Rol>ert  Lisle,  Wm.G.  Power, 
Wm.  Balvaiid,  John  Macdonald,  Edw. 
Fanshawe,    Wm.  Caixlon    Seton,   Elias 


Arch.  Irvine. 

28.  Knighted— Col.  Richard  Arm- 
strong, lieu t- col.  of  26th  foot,  C.B.  and 
K.T.S.,  major-gen.  Geo.  Pownall  Adama, 
K.CH. 

Members  RETuaxED  to  PAHUiUieim 

Armagh. — Sir  J.  W.  Head  Brydgea* 

CmtHorthen* — John  Jonety  aaq. 

DtMin* — Fred.  Shaw,  esqi^  lord  vkc 
Ingestrie. 

Derbjf  (County), — Lord  Cavendish. 

Meath^-^H^nvy  G rattan,  esq. 

Ro9s. — Wm.  Wigram,  eaq. 

SutAerloHduhire. — Roderick  M'Leody 
esq. 

ff^alling/ord.—ThovMS  Chaa.  Lwgb» 
esq. 

Ecclesiastical  PasrERMCiiTe. 

Right  rev.  Dr.  R.  J.  Carr,  hiahop  •€ 
Worcester. 

Rev.  Dr.  E.  Maltby,  biahop  of  Chi- 
chester. 

Rev.  Dr.  Ponsonby,  bishop  of  D^rry. 

Rev.  Dr.  J.  Torrens,  bishop  of  Kill** 
loe. 

Rev.  R.  Maude,  archdeacoii»  of  DbUUb* 

Rev.  Dr.  E.  Goodenough,  dean  of 
Wells. 

Bishop  of  Lichfield,  prebendary  of 
Westminster. 

OCTOBER. 
Gazctte  PROifonoNt. 

6.  Lord  Lilford  to  be  a  lord  of  his  ma« 
jesty'a  bedchamber,  vice  the  earl  ofWal- 


Lawrence,  Wm.  C  E.  HoUoway,  R.  Eng.,    degrave,  resigned. 

C.  S.  Campbell,  George  Turner,  T.  A.        7.  To  be  extra  knights  of  St.  Patrick 

Braadreth^  Patrick  Campbell,  Jas.  Bogle,    —Arthur  marquis  of  Dowosldre,  UHck« 


APPENDIX  TO  CHRONICLE.         214 


PROMOTIONS. 


John  marquis  of  Ctanricarde,  Francis 
William  earl  of  Charlemonf,  and  Fronclft 
James  earl  of  LandafT. 

12.  Knighted— Chas.  Bell, esq. F.R.S., 
K.H.;  John  Fred.  Wm.  Herschel,  of 
Slough,  Bucks,  esq.  M.A.,  F.R.S.  and 
K.H. ;  Nicholas  Harris  Nicolas,  e^.  of 
the  Inner  Temple,  barrister-at^-law^  K.H. 
George  Head,  esq.  deputy  knight-mar- 
shall  of  his  majesty's  household. 

16.  Knighted— >John  Hollams,  esq. 
mayor  of  Deal;  Colonel  Arch.  Mac- 
laine,  C.B.,  K.C.S. 

MbMBEBS  RBTURNCD  to  PAtttlAMeKT* 

Dorsetshire. — Lord  Ashley.     ^ 
Drogheda — T.  Wallace,  esq. 
Flint. — H.  Glynne,  esq. 
Forfarshire, — Hon.  D.  Ogilvic. 
Higham  Ferrers. ^Hon.  J.  Brabazon. 
Louth  (cottnty). — Sir  P.  Bellew,  bart. 
Malton. — Cha.  Chr.  Pepys,  esq. 
Pembrokeshire, — Sir  J.  OMren. 
Poole, — Sir  J.  Byng,  bart. 
Weaford(  County  ),-^R,  S.  Car6w,esq. 

EccteSIASnCAL  PACFBRMBflTS* 

R.  Whately,  D.D.  archbishop  of  Dub« 
lin. 

Hon.  and  right  rev.  £.  Knox,  bishop 
of  Killaloe. 


Naylor,  deceased. — Wm.  Woods,  esq.  to 
be  Clarenceux  king  of  arms,  and  princi- 
pal herald  of  the  south-east  and  west 
parts  of  England. —  George  Harrison 
Rogers  Harrison/  to  be  bluemantle  pur- 
suivant of  arms. 

21.  James  Hudson,  esq.  to  ba  resident 
gentleman  tisher  to  her  majesty. 

-  MuMBBM  nm/miiD  vo  PinuAstsirr. 

Cambridge  (Cknmty),'^1i,  C.  Town- 
ley,  esq* 

Liverpool,'^lavd  vise*  Sandon* 
Ihvistock, — Ltcut-col.  F.  Russell. 

CiTit  PtLtrttoivun. 

dir  John  Key,  to  be  the  second  time 
lord  mayor  of  London)  having  been  three 
times  elected  by  the  liverymen. 

Clinton  James  Fynes  Clinton^  esq«  to 
be  recorder  of  Newark. 

Henrv  Cockbumi  esq.  soticitor-geni 
U>r  Scotland 9  to  be  lord  rector  of  GUi^ow 
univernty. 

DECEMBER. 

Gizcrrc  PitoMOtioNs. 

2.  New  bankruptcy  coart--Tbe  iion. 

Thomas  Erskine  to  be  chief  judges  serj* 

Pell,  serj.  Crossi  and  George  Rose,  esq* 

Hon.  and   rev.  R.  Plunket,  dean  of    to  be  the  other  judges  j  C.  F#  Williams^ 

I>own.  J.  H.  Merivale,  Joshua  Evans,  J.  8.  M« 

Rev.  T.  Gaisford,  dean  of  Christ  Ch.     Fonblauque,  R.  G.  CecUFane«and  Edw. 

Oxford.  Holro^d,  esqrs.  barriscers-at-lair,  to  be 

Rev.  Sam.  Smith,  P.D.  prebendary  of    commissioners. 
Durham.  7.   Knighted-^ Ralph  Big^nd,  eeq« 

Rev.  Sydney  Smith,  prebendary  of  St<     Garter  principal  king  of  iirim  ;  Albert 
Paul's.  Pelly  esq.,  John  CrosSf  esq.,  and  Geoiige 

Rose,  esq.  Judges  in  bankruptcy* 
NOVEMBER.  The  ri^t  hon.  Thomas  Erskine  to  be 

^    „  ^  of  hie  majesty's  privy  coanelL 

Gazette  PaoMorioff s.  ^^  yV^atef  Aston  Blount,  esq.  to  be 

2.  Sir  Alexander  DulT  Gordon,  bart.  geneakigist  of  the  orderof  the  Bath,  and 

to  be  gentleman  usher  daily  waiter  assist-  BUnc  coursier  heratd< 

ant  to  the  king.  26,  George  J.  Bell,  esq.  advoealey  to 

To  form  a  Central  Board  of  Health —  be  one  of  the  sis  ordioery  derke  nf  ses'* 


the  hon.  Edw.  R.  Stewart,  cliairmao; 
sir  Wm.  Pym^  K.C.H.,  lieat*col.  John 
Marshall,Dr.  Russell, Dr. Barry,  K.T.S., 
major  R.  Macdonald,  and  Wm.  Maclean, 
secretary. 

1.5.  Ralph  Bigland^  esq.  to  be  Garter 
principal  king  of  armsi  vice  sir  George 


sion  in  Scotland. 

Crvri.  PiienBiiiiiiirre. 

Rev.  E.  Cardwelt,  to  be  prindiNi}  o( 
St.  Alban  HaU,  Oxfonl. 

Rev.  J.  Keeble»  prrofeeeor  of  poetry  in 
the  university  of  Otford» 


216        ANNUAL    R  EGI  ST  ER,  1831. 


DEATHS. 


1830- 


Sept. 2,  At  his  son's  house,  in  St. 
James's-atreet,  Bath,  after  long  and  pa- 
tiently-endtired  suffering,  from  consump- 
tion, aged  fifty-three,  Mr.  N.  T.  Car- 
rington,  author  of  "  Dartmoor,*'  "  The 
Banks  of  Tamar,"  "  My  Native  Village," 
and  other  poems.  He  was  born  at  Ply- 
mouth in  the  year  1777*  His  parents 
were  engaged  in  a  retail  grocery  busi- 
ness, and,  at  one  period  of  their  liveF, 
were  possessed  of  considerable  property. 
His  father  was  also  employed,  in  some 
capacity,  in  the  Plymouth  Arsenal. 
When  he  had  attained  his  fifteenth  year, 
his  father  proposed  to  apprentice  him  to 
Mr; Foot,  then  first  assistant  in  the  Ply- 
mouth Dock  Yard.  **  A  handsome  sum 
of  money,"  says  Mr.  Carrington,  "  was 
to  have  been  paid  down  as  the  price  of 
my  admission  into  the  Yard  as  Mr.  Foot's 
apprentice.  In  consequence,  however, 
of  some  diflerence,  I  was  finally  bound 
apprentice  to  Mr.  Thos.  Fox,  a  measurer. 
i  was  totally  unfit,  however,  for  the  pro- 
fession. Mild  and  meek  by  nature,  fond 
of  literary  pursuits,  and  inordinately 
attached  to  reading,  it  is  strange,  that  a 
mechanical  profession  should  have  been 
chosen  for  me.  It  was  principally,  how- 
ever, my  own  fault.  My  father  was 
attached  to  the  Dock  Yard,  and  wished 
to  see  me  in  it;  and  as  the  popular  pre- 


PROMOTIONS. 

knowing  whithtr  to  turn  his  steps,  1ie« 
in  a  moment  of  bitter  desperation,  caused 
by  the  injustice  with  which  he  thought 
his  parents  had  treated  him,  entered 
himself  as  a  seaman  on  board  a  ship-of- 
war,  and  served  in  the  action  which  took 
place  off  Cape  Finisterre,  Feb.  14, 1797* 
His  first  verses  on  record  were  written  ia 
commemoration  of  this  event ;  they  at- 
tracted the  notice  of  his  captain,  who, 
perceiving  that  he  deserved  a  better 
situation,  and  that  some  very  untoward 
circumstances  must  ha¥e  occurred  to  in- 
duce him  to  seek  this  line  of  life,  gave 
him  his  liberty,  and  sent  him  home  to 
his  native  town.  He  then  commenced 
the  business  of  a  public  teacher  at  Ply- 
mouth Dock  (now  Devouport),  and 
speedily  attracted  considerable  attention 
by  his  acuteness  in  his  modes  of  instruc- 
tion, lie  subsequently  went  to  Maid- 
stone, in  Kent,  where  be  opened  a  school. 
He  remained  in  that  town  about  three 
years ;  and  it  has  been  observed,  that,  in 
after  life,  he  frequently  dwelt  with  great 
delight  on  his  recollections  of  the  scenery 
around  it.  At  the  solicitations  of  a  cir- 
cle of  friends  at  Plymouth  Dock,  who 
wished  him  to  undertake  the  education 
of  their  sons,  he  returned  in  1808  to 
that  town,  after  a  residence  in  Maid- 
stone of  about  two  years ;  and  the  aca- 
demy which  he  then  established  he  con- 
tinued to  conduct  till  within  six  months 
of  his  death.  During  nearly  the  whole 
of  the  above-named  period,  Mr.  Carring- 
ton was  employed  in  his  laborious  duties 
as  a  public  teacher,  from  seven  in  the 
morning  in  summer  till  half 'past  seven 


judice  in  those  days  among  the  boys  of  in  the  evening;  in  the.  winter  his  labours 

the  town  was  in  favour  of  the  business  of  commenced  at  nine  in  the  morning  and 

a  shipwright,  I  was  carried  away  by  the  continued  till  eight  at  night.     It  Mras 

Prevailing  mania,  and  was  accordingly  after  this  hour  that  he  found  his  only 

ound  apprentice.    This,  however,  had  opportunities  for  cultivating  the  taste  for 


scarcely  been  done,  when  I  repented ; 
and  too  late  found  that  I  had  embraced 
a  calling  foreign  to  my  inclinations. 
Dissatisfaction  followed,  and  the  noise 
and  bustle  of  a  dock  yard  were  but  ill 
suited  to  a  mind  predisposed  to  reflec- 
tion and  the  quietest  and  most  gentle 
pursuits.  The  ruffianism  of  too  many 
of  the  apprentices,  and,  indeed,  of 
too  many  of  the  men,  sickened  me." 
This  occupation  in  Plymouth  Dock  Yard 
grew  every  day  more  irksome  to  him, 
and,  after  remaining  there  about  four 
years,  he  resolved  on  **  running  away," 
having  in  vain  endeavoured  to  prevail 
on  his  parents  to  place  him  in  a  situation 
more  consonant  with  his  favourite  pur- 
suits.   On  leaving  the  Dock  Yard,  not 


literature  with  which  he  had  been  gifted 
by  nature.  Although  passionately  fond 
of  composition,  he  never  suffered  it  to 
interfere  in  the  slightest  way  with  the 
more  important  duties  of  his  station. 
The  first  edition  of  the  ''  Banks  of  Ta- 
mar"  appeared  in  1820.  He  had,  pre- 
viously to  the  printing  of  that  work,  pub- 
lished many  little  fugitive  poems  of  great 
beauty.  He  next  published  ^'Dartmoor^ 
a  descriptive  poem,'*  the  first  edition  of 
which  appeared  in  1826.  This  poem 
was  written  for  the  purpose  of  being  sub- 
mitted, for  the  premium  offered  about 
two  years  before,  for  the  best  poem  on 
that  subject,  by  the  Royal  Society  of 
Literature.  By  some  accident,  the  pre- 
mium was  awarded  three  or  four  month* 


APPENDIX  TO  chronicle; 


217 


DEATHS^ 

before  Mr.  Carrington  wasaware  that  the 
time  of  presentation  had  arrived.  It  is 
needless  to  say,  that  his  poem  was  not 
forwarded  to  the  society:  the  author  threw 
it  by,  without  entertaining  the  slightest 
i  ntention  of  ever  publishing  an  effusion  on 
what  he  imagined  the  bulk  of  the  read- 
ing public  would  think  a  most  unprO' 
mising  subject.  By  some  chance,  how- 
ever, the  poem  came  under  the  notice 
of  W,  Burt,  esq.,  secretary  of  the  Ply- 
mouth Chamber  of  Commerce,  who  per- 
suaded Mr.  Cafrington  to  publish  it ;  and 
it  accordinglyappeared,  with  explanatory 
notes  by  that  gentleman.  "  Dartmoor*' 
met  with  far  greater  success  than  the 
author  had  ever  dared  to  anticipate.  It 
was  received  with  much  delight  by  the 
public,  and  a  second  edition  was  called 
for  not  more  than  two  months  after  the 
appearance  of  the  first. 

Two  or  three  years  before  the  pub- 
lication of  "  Dartmoor,"  the  town 
of  Devonport  was  seized  with  a  mania 
for  subscription  schools  ;  by  the  esta- 
blishment of  the  first  of  these  aca- 
demies Mr.  Carrington's  prosperity, 
in  common  with  that  of  several  other 
public  teachers  residing  in  the  town, 
was  materially  injured.  He  still,  how- 
ever, struggled  on,  though  the  circum- 
stance of  his  having  a  large  family  de- 
pendent on  his  exertions  rendered  the 
decrease  of  income,  caused  by  the  sub- 
scription schools,  to  be  very  severely 
felt  by  him.  Towards  the  close  of  1827 
he  was  attacked  by  incipient  consump- 
tion, and  in  a  few  months  it  was  appa- 
rent that  the  disease  would  inevitably 
be  fatal.  He  still,  however^  attended 
unceasingly  to  his  school,  and  although 
reduced  to  a  mere  skeleton,  and  weak 
as  an  infant,  he  continued  to  discharge 
his  scholastic  duties  till  March  1830 — a 
period  of  nearly  three  years — when  he 
became  so  completely  worn  out  by  the 
inroads  of  the  deadly  complaint  with 
which  he  was  afHicted,  that  he  was 
obliged  to  cease  from  all  further  efforts.  It 
was  during  his  illness,  and  in  a  most  en- 
feebled state  of  body,  that  Mr.  Carring- 
ton wrote  and  prepared  for  the  press  his 
last  publication — "  My  Native  Village, 
and  other  Poems."  From  his  grace  the 
duke  of  Bedford,  lord  John  Russell, 
lord  Clifford,  sir  T.  D.  Acland,and  other 
noblemen  and  gentlemen,  Mr.  Carring^ 
ton  received  much  kindness  and  atten- 
tion ;  and  his  late  majesty  George  IV.  was 
a  liberal  patron  of  the  poet.  In  July  1830, 
Mr.  Carrington  removed  with  his  family 
to  Bath,  in  order  to  reside  with  bis  sod. 


-Dec.  1830. 

the  then  proprietor  of  the  Bath  Chro- 
nicle. By  this  time  he  was  in  the  most 
advanced  stage  of  consumption ;  he  daily 
grew  weaker  and  weaker,  and  on  the 
evening  of  the  2nd  of  September  he  ex- 
pired, apparently  of  mere  weakness  and 
exhaustion.  As  he  always  expressed 
the  utmost  horror  of  being  buried  in 
any  of  the  "  great  charnel  houses  of 
Bath''  (as  he  used  to  term  the  burial 
grounds  of  that  populous  city),  he  was 
interred  at  Combbay,  a  lonely  and  beau- 
tiful little  village  about  four« miles  from 
Bath. 

Dec,  17*  Simon  Bolivar  expired  at 
San  Pedro,  near  Santa  Martha,  on  Fri- 
day, the  17th  of  December.  His 
excellency  met  the  announcement  of 
his  fate  with  calmness  and  resignation 
— received  the  sacrament,  and  con- 
formed to  all  the  rites  prescribed  by  bis 
religion,  and  on  the  11th  of  December 
performed  the  last  act  of  his  public  life, 
by  dictating  and  signing  an  address  to 
the  Colombian  nation.  He  shortly  af- 
terwards became  delirious,  in  which 
state,  with  occasional  lucid  intervals,  he 
remained  until  one  o'clock  on  the  17th, 
when  he  expired  without  a  groan.  All 
his  expressions  evinced  the  utmost 
anxiety  for  his  country,  and  his  horror  of 
anarchy  ;  and  his  most  frequent  excla- 
mation was,  **  Union  !  union !  or  the 
hydra  of  discord  will  destroy  as."  On 
examination  after  death,  the  lungs  were 
found  to  be  slightly  diseased,  but  the  liver 
and  other  organs  were  not  affected.  The 
age  of  the  Liberator  was  forty-seven  years, 
four  months,  twenty-three  days.  He 
was  born  in  the  city  of  Caraccas,  July  25, 
1783 ;  and  his  parentage  was  noble,  both 
his  parents  having  been  **  Mantuanas,'' 
which  in  the  Caraccas  is  the  distinctive 
title  of  rich  families  of  birth.  At  the  age 
of  fourteen,  he  was  sent  to  Spain ;  but 
although  he  devoted  some  time  to  juris- 
prudence, he  paid  more  attention  to  the 
world  than  to  study.  From  Spain  he 
travelled  into  France,  and  resisted  few 
of  the  temptations  which  surround  a 
rich  young  man  in  the  circles  of  Paris. 
"  I  have  remarked,"  says  general  Hol- 
stein,  his  biographer,  **  that  whenever 
iic  spoke  to  me  of  the  Palais  Royal,  he 
could  not  restrain  himself  from  extolling 
its  delights."  In  the  year  1802  he  re- 
turned to  Madrid,  and  married  the 
daughter  of  Don  Bernardo  del  Toro, 
uncle  of  the  present  marquis  of  that 
name.  Bolivar  was  then  but  nineteen 
years  of  age,  the  lady  but  sixteen.  In 
1809  they  returned  to  the  Caraccas,  and 


218        ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 

DEATHS.— Jaw. 

lived  retired  on  their  estate*.    The  lady  bury.    She  ma  the  eldest  daughter  of 

died  shortly  after,  without  leaving  any  Noel    first  and  late  lord  Berwick ;   was 

offspring.     General  Bolivar,  in  his  ex-  married  April  10th,  1703,  and  has  left 

terior,  had  nothing  which  would  be  no-  two  sons  and  four  daughters, 

ticed  as  imposing.    He  was  live  feet  four  2.     At  Northampton,  aged    66,   the 

inches  in  height ;  his  visage  long ;  his  rev.  Benjamin  Lloyd  Edwards,  upwards 

cheeks  hollow  ;  his  complexion  a  livid  of  45  years  Minister  of  the  Independent 

brown.    His  eyes  were  of  a  middle  size.  Congregation  assembling  at  King's  Head 

and  sunk  deep  in  his  head,  which  was  Lane  Chapel  in  that  town, 

covered  thinly  with  hair ;  and  his  whole  —    At  Bonn,  aged  53,  M.  Nlebubr, 

body  was  thin  and  meagre.    He  had  the  the  eminent  Roman  historian.    He  was 

appearance  of  a  man  Pixty-five  yearn*  a  son  of  Carsten  Nlebuhr,  the  oriental 

old,    In  walking,  his  arms  were  in  per-  traveller,  an  excellentbiography  of  whom 

petual  motion.  he  prefixed  to  the  first  volume  of  his  his- 

24.  In  Devonshire-place,  aged  72,  the  torical  and  philological  works.  The  first 


rev.  William  Holwell  Carr,  U.D.  F.K.S. 
vicar  of  Menhenniot,  Cornwall.  This 
gentleman's  paternal  name  was  Holwell. 
He  was  of  Exeter  College,  Oxford,  M.  A. 
1784,  B.D.  1790,  and  was  presented  to 
the  vicarage  of  Menhenniot,  one  of  the 
most  valuable  benefices  in  Cornwall,  by 
the  dean  and  chapter  of  Exeter.  Mr. 
Carr  was  for  many  years  one  of  the  most 
distinguished  patrons,  as  well  as  an  ex- 
quisite connoisseur,  of  the  fine  arts,  and 


portion  of  his  history  of  Rome  was  pub* 
lished  at  Berlin  in  1812.  The  work  was 
intended  to  be  continued  to  the  point 
where  (>ibbon  commences.  In  1816  M. 
Niebuhr,  then  a  professor  at  Berlin,  was 
appointed  by  the  king  of  Prussia,  his 
minister  at  Rome.  It  appears  that  this 
legation  was  created  less  from  political 
motives  than  from  personal  patronage 
towards  M.  Niebuhr.  His  Prussian 
majesty  was  anxious  to  place  the  his^ 


was  a  director  of  the  British  Institution,  torian  where  he  could  enjov  advantages 

His  own  pictures  consisted  priori  pally  of  and  facilities  in  pursuing  his  inquiries 

productions  of  the  Italian  school ;  one  of  which  he  could  not  have  had  ii^ny  other 

which  is  Leonardo  da  Vinci's  Christ  dis-  manner.     However,  he  conduded  a  sort 

Sating  with  the  Doctors,  bought  of  lord  of  Concordat  with  the  Holy  See  in  the 

orthwick,  in  1824,  it  is  said  for  2,600/.  yeJir  1821.    On  his  return^  the  profifis* 

This  valuable  collection  Mr.  Carr  has  sorship  of  history  was  founded  rarhim 

bequeathed  to  the  nation — on  this  stipu-  in  the  university  of  Berlin  ;  and  be  was 

lation,  however,  that  a  gallery  should  be  attached  as  a  supernumerary,  under  the 

provided  where  they  may  be  properly  name  of  a  Free  Associate,  to  the  Unfveiv 

seen  and  justly  appreciated.  sity  of  Bonn.    He  was  also  adorned  with 

several  orders  and  decorations,  and  eoa- 

183].  tinned  a  counsellor  of  state  until  his 

death.    The  widow  of  M.  Niebuhr  did 

JANUARY.  not  survive  him  many  days. 

—    Lieut.-general  sir  Gabriel  Mar- 

1.    At  Calais,  in  bis  92nd  year,  the  tindell,  K.C.B.,  commanding  the  garri- 

hon.  Philip  Roper,  uncle  to  lord  Teyn*  son  at  Buxar,  in  the  East  Indies, 

ham.  4.    At  Clifton,  aged  90,  lieutenant- 

—  At  St  Leonard'b,  near  Hastings,  general,  Richard  Bright,  late  of  the 
by  a  fall  from  his  horse,  in  returning  Royal  Marines,  and  many  vears  Com* 
from  hunting,  aged  17,  George  James,  mandant  of  the  Plymouth  Division, 
only  son  of  Thomas  Wood,  esq.  of  the  —  At  Thirkelby,  near  Thirsk,  aged 
Regent's  Park,  and  grandson  of  James  80,  sir  Thomas  Frankland,  the  sixth 
Burton,  esq.  of  St.  Leonard's.  baronet  of   that    place,    M.A.    F.R.S. 

—  Aged    69,    Mr.    Charles    Heath,  F.L.S.  and  F.H.S. 

printer,    Monmouth,    where    he   twice  6.    At  Aberdeen,  aged  86,  Deacon 

served  the  oflice^of  mayor.    He  was  the  Alexander  W^stson,  tailor  ;  the  author 


author  of  a  '*  Descriptive  Account  of 
Piercefield  and  Chepstow,*'  1793;  a 
"History  of  Monmouth,"  1804;  and 
**  Accounts  of  Tintern  Abbey,  and  Rag. 
land  Castle,"  1806. 

2.    In  Grosvenor-sq.,  the  most  hon. 
HenriettaoMaria  xnarcblonese  of  Ailes* 


of  that  popular  national  song,  «  The 
Kail  Brose  of  Auld  Scotland ;  '*  and 
other  similar  efiTusions. 

—  Aged  71,  lieut-general  Robert 
Lethbridge,  brother  to  the  late  Chancel- 
lor Lethbridge,  esq.  ofLaunoeston. 

0f  At  Goodwoodi  aged  0|  Irad^  Saith 


APPENDIX  TO  CHRONICLE. 


216 


DEATHS.— Jan. 

Lennox,  2nd  daughter  of  tbc  duke  of     1760,  was  a  daughter  of  iPrederick  the 
Richmond  and  Lennox,  K.O.  fifth,  king  of  Denmark,  and  Louisa  of 

7.  At  the  Castle  Priory,  Wallingford,  Great  Britain,  the  fifth  daughter  and 
aged  66,  James  Biackstone,  esq.  D.C.L.  youngest  child  of  king  George  the  second. 
Principal  of  New  Inn  Hall,  and  Deputy     She  was  married  Aug.  30,  1766,   to  the 


Steward  of  the  University  of  Oxford. 
He  was  a  son  of  the  celebrated  Judge, 
and  graduated  B.C.L.,  1787.  D.C.L.  1792. 
In  1793  he  was  appointed  Vinerian  Pro- 
fessor of  Common  Law;  and  in  1803 
Principal  of  New  Inn  Hall.  Dr.  Black- 
stone  resigned  the  Professorship  in  1824. 

—  Henry  Hatsell  esq.  of  Spring  Gar- 
den Terrace,  London,  aged  41. 

8.  At  Swinnerton-hall,  aged  59,  Mary, 
daughter  of  the  hon.  James  Dormer, 
younger  son  of  John,  7th  lord  Dormer. 

—  On  his  estate,  near  Theodosia,  in 
the  Crimea,  aged  67,  Semen  Bronevsky, 
author  of  a  '*  Geographical  and  Histo- 
rical account  of  the  Caucasus,"  two  vols. 
1823. 

9.  In  Stratford-place,  aged  60,  the 
right  hon.  Charlotte  Fitzgerald  de  Roos. 
baroness  de  Roos.  Her  ladyship  was  the 
only  surviving  child  and  heiress  of  capt. 
the  hon.  Robert  Boyle  Walsingham  (fifth 
and  youngest  son  of  Henry  1st  earl  of 
Shannon),  by  Charlotte,  daughter  of  sir 
Charles  Hanbury  Williams,  K.B.  She 
was  married  Aug.  4, 1791,  to  lord  Henry 
Fitzgerald,  uncle  to  the  present  duke  of 
Leinster.  The  ancient  barony  of  de  Roos 
had  been  in  abeyance  for  1 1 9  years,  when 
it  was  allowed  to  this  lady  in  1 806.  Hav- 
ing petitioned  the  king  to  terminate  the 
abeyance  in  her  favour,  the  petition  was, 
on  the  report  of  the  attorney  general, 
referred  to  the  House  of  Lords;  who,  on 
the  7th  of  May,  1806,  reported  that  the 
barony  was  then  in  abeyance  between  1 . 
sir  Henry  Hunloke,  bart.  (heir  general 
of  Bridget  Manners,  eldest  daughter  and 
coheir  of  George  7th  earl  of  Rutland)  J 
2.  George  earl  of  Essex  (as  son  and  heir 
of  Frances,  elder  daughter  and  coheir  of 
sir  C.  H.  Williams) ;  and  3.  the  petitioner. 
Two  days  after  the  date  of  this  report, 
the  king  was  pleased  to  terminate  the 
abeyance  in  her  ladyship's  favour. 

10.  At  the  Palace,  Cork,  aged  55,  the 
hon.  and  right  rev.  Thomas  St.  Law- 
rence, D.D.  lord  bishop  of  Cork  and 
Ross  ;  uncle  to  the  earl  of  Howth  and 
the  viscountess  Dungarvoo,  and  father- 
in-law  to  the  bishop  of  Elphin* 

12.  Aged  81,  her  rOyal  highness 
Louisa  landgravine  of  Schleswig  and 
Holstein :  aunt  and  mother-in-law  to 
the  king  of  Denmark,  ahd  first  cousin  to 
his  late  majesty  George  the  third,  king 
of  Great  Britain*   She  was  born  Jan.  30, 


landgrave  Charles  of  Hesse  Cassel, 
field  marshal  in  the  Danish  army,  and 
goveraor  of  the  duchies  of  Schleswig 
and  Holstein  ;  by  whom  she  had  issue  : 
1.  Maria-Sophia- Frederica,  born  in  1767 
and  married  in  1790  to  Frederick  the 
sixth,  king  of  Denmark :  2.  Prince 
Frederick,  general  of  infantry  in  the 
Danish  service,  and  governor  of  Rends- 
borg;  3.  Julia-Louisa- Amelia,  abbess 
of  Itzehoe ;  and  4.  Louisa -Caroline,  mar- 
ried in  1810  to  Frederick  duke  of  Hol- 
stein.Beck. 

—  Aged  80,  George  Whitelocke, 
esq.  of  Melbury  -  terrace,  Dorset-sq. 
He  was  son  of  major  John  Carleton 
Whitelocke,  of  Prioi-s  Wood,  near  Dub- 
lin, and  grandson  of  Carleton  Whitelocke, 
esq.of  London  and  Surrey,  couusellor-at- 
law,  thesixthson  of  sir  Bui  strode  White- 
locke, of  Fawley-court,co.  Bucks,  keeper 
of  the  great  seal  of  England,  and  by  the 
protector  styled  lord  Whitelocke. 

14.  In  Portland-place,  aged  30,  sir 
Charles  Joshua  Smith,  the  second  ba- 
ronet, of  Suttons  in  Essex. 

—  At  Edinburgh,  aged  85,  Henry 
Mackenzie,  esq.  author  of"  The  Man  of 
Feeling. ''  He  was  the  son  of  Dr.  Joshua 
Mackenzie ;  and  after  receiving  a  liberal 
education,  devoted  himself  to  the  law, 
and  in  1766  became  an  attorney  in  the 
Court  of  Exchequer  at  Edinburgh.  Ul- 
timately his  practice  in  that  eourt  pro- 
duced him  about  800/.  a  year ;  he  became 
comptroller-general  of  taxes  for  Scotland 
with  a  salary  of  600/.  a  year,  and  alto- 
gether his  annual  income  was  upwards 
of  2,000/.  He  married  in  1767  Miss 
Pennel  Grant,  daughter  of  sir  James 
Grant,  of  Grant,  by  whom  he  had  a  fan^- 
ily  of  eleven  children.  When  very  young 
Mr.  Mackenzie  was  the  author  of  numer- 
ous little  pieces  in  verse ;  and,  though 
of  a  kind  and  gentle  temper,  the  credit 
which  he  ei^joyed  for  wit  induced  him 
occasionally  to  attempt  the  satiric  strain. 
He  next  aspired  to  the  sentimental  and 
pathetic  novel;  and  in  1768  or  1769,  in 
his  hours  of  relaxation  from  professional 
employment,  he  wrote,  what  has  gene- 
rally been  considered  his  masterpiece, 
"  The  Man  of  Feeling.'*  At  first  the 
booksellers  declined  its  publication,  but 
difficulties  were  at  length  surmounted — 
the  book  appeared  anonymouslv— -and  the 
warmest  enthusiasm  was  excited  in  \X% 


ANNUAL   REGISTER,    1831. 


220 

DEATHS.— JiN, 
iavour.  Mr.  Eccles,  a  young  Irish  clergy-  of  which  Mr.  Mackenzie  was  the  editor* 
man,  was  desirous  of  appropriating  tlie 
fame  to  himself.  He  accordingly  was 
at  the  pains  of  transcribing  the  entire 
work,  and  of  marking  the  manuscript 
with  erasures  and  interlineations,  to  give 
it  the  air  of  that  copy  in  which  the  au- 
tiior  had  wrought  the  last  polish  on  his 
piece  before  sending  it  to  the.  press.  Of 
course  this  gross  attempt  at  deception 
was  not  long  successful.  *•  The  Man 
of  Feeling"  was  published  in  1771  i 
and  its  success  induced  the  author,  iu 
the  same  or  following  year,  to  publish 
a  poem  entitled  **  The  Pursuit  of  Hap- 
piness." Mr.  Mackenzie's  next  pro- 
duction was  **  The  Man  of  the  World  ;" 
sort  of  second    part   of  *'  The   Man 


a 


of  Feeling,  but,  like  most  second  parts, 
inferior  to  its  predecessor.  ^*  Julia  dc 
Roubigne,"  a  novel,  in  the  epistolary 
form,  was  the  last  work  of  this  class  from 


were  published  in  weekly  numbers,  at  the 
price  of  three-pence  per  folio  sheet.  The 
sale  never  reached  beyond  three  or  four 
hundred  in  single  papers,  but  the  succes- 
sion of  the  numbers  were  no  soonerclosed, 
than  the  whole,  with  the  names  of  the 
respective  authors,  were  republished  id 
three  duodecimo  volumes.  The  writers 
sold  the  copy-right,  out  of  the  produce 
of  which  they  presented  a  donation  of  lOOi, 
to  the  Orphan  Hospital,  and  purchased 
a  hogshead  of  claret  for  the  use  of  the 
Club.  To  the  "  Mirror  "  succeeded  the 
''  Lounger,"  a  periodical  of  a  similar  cha- 
racter, and  equally  successful*  Mr. 
Mackenzie  was  the  chief  and  most  valu- 
able contributor  to  each  of  these  works. 
On  the  institution  of  the  Royal  Society 
of  Edinburgh,  Mr.  Mackenzie  became 
one  of  its  members  ;  and  amongst  the 
papers  with  which  he  enriched  the  vo- 


the  pen  of  Mr.  Mackenzie.    In  1773  Mr.    liinies  of  its  transactions,  are  an  ele^^t 


Mackenzie  produced  a  tragedy  under  the 
title  of  "  The  Prince  of  Tunis,"  which 
was  performed  with  applause  forsix  nights 
at  tbe  Edinburgh  Theatre.  His  next 
dramatic  piece  was  ''The  Shipwreck,  or 
Fatal  Curiosity.''  This  was  an  alteration 
end  amplification  of  Lillo's  tragedy  of 
'*  Fatal  Curiosity,"  suggested  by  a  perusal 
of  Mr.  Harris's  Philological  Essays,  then 
recently  published.  Mr.  Colman  had 
about  the  same  time  taken  a  fancy  to  alter 


tribute  to  the  memory  of  his  friend 
Judge  Abercrombie,  and  a  memoir  cAi 
German  Tragedy.  For  this  memoir  he 
had  procured  the  materials  through  the 
medium  of  a  French  work ;  but  desiring 
afterwards  to  enjoy  the  native  beauties  of 
German  poetry,  he  took  lessons  in  Ger- 
man from  Dr.  Okely,  who  was  at  that 
time  studying  medicine  in  Edinburgh. 
The  fruits  of  his  attention  to  German 
literature  appeared  further  in  the  year 


Lillo's  play.  His  production  was  brought     1791,  in  a  small  volume  of  translations 


out  at  tlie  Haymarket,  in  1782;  and 
Mr.  Mackenzie's  at  Covent  Garden,  in 
1783  or  1784.  The  '»  Force  of  Fashion," 
a  comedy,  by  Mr.  Mackenzie,  was  acted 
one  niglit  at  Covent  Garden  Theatre,  in 
1789  ;  but,  from  its  failure  it  was  never 
printed.  The  **  White  Hypocrite,'*  ano- 
ther unsuccessful  comedy  by  Mr.Mackcn- 
zie,  was  produced  at  Covent  Garden  in  the 
season  of  1788-9.  Some  years  afterwards 
he  and  a  few  of  his  friends,  mostly  law- 
yers, who  used  to  meet  occasionally  at  a 
tavern  kept  by  M.  Bayll,  a  Frenchman, 


of  two  or  three  dramatic  pieces.  In  1793 
Mr.  Mackenzie  edited  a  quarto  volume 
of  '<  Poems  by  the  late  rev.  Dr.  Thomas 
Black! ock,  together  with  an  Essay  on 
the  Education  of  the  Blind,"  &c.  In 
political  literature  he  was  the  author  of 
a  review  of  the  proceedings  of  the  parli- 
ament which  met  first  in  the  year  1784, 
and  of  a  series  of  letters  under  the  sig- 
nature of  Bnitus.  In  all  those  exertions 
which,  during  the  war  of  the  French  re- 
volution, were  found  necessary  to  sup- 
port the  government  and  preserve  tne 


projected  the  publication  of  a  scries  of  peace  of  the  country,  no  person  was 
papers  on  morals,  manners,  taste,  and  more  honourably  or  more  usefully  zeal- 
literature,  similar  to  those  of  the  <' Spec-  ous.  Mr.  Mackenzie  was  remarkably 
tator.*'  The  society,  originally  designat-  fond  of  rural  diversions,  of  fowling,  hunt- 
ed the  Tabernacle,  but  afterwards  the  ing,  and  fishing.  In  private  life  hie 
Mirror  Club,  consisted  of  Mr.  Mackenzie,  conversation  was  ever  the  charm  and  the 
Mr.  Craig,  Mr.  Cullen,  Mr.  Bannatyne,  pride  of  society. 


Mr.  Macleod,  Mr.  Abercrombie,  Mr.  So- 
licitor-general Blair,  Mr.  George  Home, 
and  Mr.  George  Ogilvie ;  several  of  whom 
afterwards  became  judges  in  the  su- 
preme courts  of  Scotland.  Their  scheme 
was  speedily  carried  into  effect;  and  the 
papers,  under  the  title  of  the  **  Mirror," 


—  Capt.  Bridges,  of  Chessington, 
near  Kingston.  He  joined  the  hunt  at 
Riddlesdown,  on  a  sudden  pulled  up  his 
horse,  and  expired  on  his  arrival  at  a 
public-house  near  at  hand.  He  was  the 
individual  who  performed  a  feat  many 
years  ago  of  riding  full  ^op  down  tba 


APPENDIX  TO  CHRONICLE. 


221 


DEATHS.— Jan. 

Devil's  Dyke,  near  Brighton,  for  a  bet    Whitchurch.    In  June,  1795,  he   was 


of  500/. 

15.  At  Upton  Hall,  near  Northamp- 
ton, Thomas  Samwell  Watson  Samwell, 
esq.  for  upwards  of  forty  years  one  of  his 
majesty's  acting  justices  of  the  peace  for 


transferred  from  the  Admiralty  Board  to 
that  of  the  Treasury,  where  he  sat  until, 
having  succeeded  his  father  in  the  peer- 
age, June  13,  1800,  he  was  in 'July 
that  year,  appointed  a  lord  of  the  bed. 


the  county,  a  deputy-lieut.,  and  ver-     chamber.      He   resigned  that  post  in 


durer  of  Whittlebury  forest. 

1 7.  John  Bristow,  esq.  of  Beddington. 
When  following  Mr.  Jolliffe^s  hounds,  he 
was  observed  to  drop  forward,  and  ulti- 
mately fell  from  the  saddle  quite  dead. 

— '  At  Foxcote,  Francis  Canning,  esq. 
the  head  of  the  family  from  which  sprung 


1812.  His  lordship  was  twice  married  : 
firstly.  April  12,  1790,  to  the  hon.  So- 
phia Southwell,  third  daughter  of  Ed- 
ward lord  de  Clifford,  and  by  that  lady 
had  two  daughters — the  hon.  Sophia 
Mary  Townshend,  and  the  hon.  Mary 
Elizabeth,  married  in  1825  to  George 


lord  Garvagh,  and  the  late  Mr.  Canning.     James  Cholmondcley,  of  Boxley  House, 


—  At  Malta,  the  right  hon.  Elizabeth 
Jemima,  countess  dowager  of  Errol,  wife 
of  the  right  hon.  John  Hookham  Frere, 
of  Roydon,  Norfolk ;  she  was  the  second 
daughter  of  Joseph  Blake,  esq.  grand- 
father of  the  present  lord  Wallscourt,  by 
Honoria,  daughter  of  DermotDaly,  esq. ; 
was  first  married  Jan.  25, 1790,  to  George 
16th  earl  of  Errol,  who  died  without 
issue  June  14,  1798;  and  secondly  to 
Mr.  Frere,  Sept.  12,  1816. 


in  Kent,  esq.  These  ladies  are  presump- 
tive coheiresses  to  the  barony  of  de  Clif- 
ford. Having  lost  his  first  lady  Nov.  9, 
1795,  lord  Sydney  married,  secondly. 
May  27,  1802,  lady  Caroline  Clements, 
third  daughter  of  Robert,  first  earl  of 
Leitrim,  who  died  Aug.  9,  1805,  in  giv- 
ing birth  to  her  first  child,  the  right 
hon.  John  Robert,  now  third  viscount 
Sydney. 
23.  Drowned  in  the  Serpentine  river. 


17.  In  Berkeley-square,  Ellen,  wife  of     aged  53,  the  right  hon.  Horace  William 


Thomas  Legh,  esq.  M.P.  of  Lyme  Hall, 
Cheshire — late  Miss  Turner,  for  the  ab- 
duction of  whom  the  Wakefields  were 
tried  and  imprisoned. 

19.  At  Edinburgh,  Nath.  Gow,  the 
well-known  Scotish  violinist  and  com- 
poser of  many  popular  airs. 


Pitt,  third  baron  Rivers,  of  Sudeley  Cas- 
tle, in  Gloucestershire.  He  was  the 
only  son  of  Peter  Beckford,  of  Stapleton, 
in  Dorsetshire,  esq.  by  the  hon.  Louisa 
Pitt,  second  daughter  of  the  first  lord 
Rivers.  As  Mr.  Horace  Beckford,  he 
was  for  many  years  a  distinguished  mem- 


—  At  Malableshwar  Hills,  his  excel-     her  of  the  hauf  ion;   and  it  was  only 
lency    lieut-gen.    sir    Thomas    Sydney     after  his  succeeding  to  the  title  on  the 


Beckwith,  knt.  K.C.B.,  K.T.S.,  com- 
mander of  the  forces  at  the  presidency 
of  Bombay. 

20.  At  his  seat,  Frognal,  Kent,  aged 
66,  the  right  hon.  John  Thomas  Towns- 
hend, second  viscount  Sydney  of  St. 
Leonard's  in  Gloucestershire,  and  baron 
Sydney  of  Chislehurst,  in  Kent,  ranger 
of  St.  James's  and  Hyde  Parks,  high 
steward  of  Yarmouth,  M.A.  and  F.S.A., 
brother-in-law  to  the  earl  of  Chatham, 
K.G.,  the  earl  cf  Leitrim,  lord  de  Clif- 
ford, and  lord  Dyne vor,  and  uncle  to  the 
duke  of  Buccleugh  and  Queensberry, 
K.G.,  and  viscountess  Stopford.  His 
lordship,  born  Feb.  21,  1764,  was  the 
eldest  son  of  Thomas,  first  viscount  Syd- 
ney, secretary  of  state,  by  Elizabeth, 
eldest  daughter  and  coheiress  of  Richard 
Powys  of  Hintlesham  in  Suffolk,  esq.  He 
was  of  Clare  Hall,  Cambridge,  where  the 
degree  of  M.A.  was  conferred  on  him  in 


death  of  his  maternal  uncle,  July  20, 
1828,  that  he  took  the  name  of  Pitt 

24.  At  Pembroke,  in  her  80th  year, 
Corbetta,  widow  of  Joseph  Lord,  esq., 
daughter  of  the  late  gen.  John  Owen,  of 
Orielton,  and  mother  of  sir  John  Owen, 
hart.  M.P.  and  lord  lieutenant  of  the 
county  of  Pembroke. 

26.  At  his  house  in  Portland-place, 
aged  85,  Richard  Paul  Jodrell,  esq. 
D.C.L.,  F.R.S.  and  S.A.  deputy  lieute- 
nant and  justice  of  the  peace  for  the 
counties  of  Oxford,  Derby,  Norfolk,  and 
Middlesex ;  father  of  sir  Richard  Paul 
Jodrell,  hart.  Mr.  Jodrell  was  born 
Nov.  13,  1745.  He  was  educated  at 
Eton,  and  at  Hertford  College,  Oxford  ; 
and  his  attachment  to  his  classical  stu- 
dies was  evinced  by  his  compositions  in 
the  "  Musae  Etonenses,"  and  by  subse- 
quent more  laborious  publications.  To 
the  supplementary  notes  of  Potter's  i£8< 


1784.    In  1789  he  was  appointed  one  of  chylus,  printed  in  1778,  he  was  a  contri- 

the  lords  commissioners  of  the  Admi-  butor;   in  1781  he  published,  in  two 

ralty;  and,  at  the  general  elections  in  vols.  8vo,  *' Illustiations  of  Euripides,  on 

1790  and  1796,  he  was  returned   for  the  Ion  and  Bacchse;"  and  in  1790, 


222      ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 

DEATIfS.--JAN. 

anoUier  volume — "On  the  Alcestis."  those  of  Krilov  and  KbemnltMr.  hla 
**  A  Widow  and  no  Widow,  a  dramatic  fables  and  tales  acquired  for  liinif  Qot 
piece  in  three  acts,"  by  him,  was  acted  unUcHervedly,  a  considerable  degree  of 
at  tlie  Haymarket  in  177i)i  and  printed     reputation,    and  have  passed  throiigh 


in  1780,  8vo.  At  the  same  theatre,  in 
1783,  was  performed  with  success  Iiis 
**  Seeing  is  Believing,"  in  one  act, 
printed  in  1786.  11  is  tragedy,  called 
'*  The  Persian  Heroine,''  having  been 
rejected  by  the  managers  of  the  two 
great  theares,  was  printed  in  I7ti(',  8vo. 
and  4to.  In  the  following  year  he  pub- 
lished "Select  Dramatic  Pieces i  some 
of  which  have  been  acted  on  provincial 
theatres,  others  have  been  written  for 
private  performance  and  country  amuse- 
ment;" and  consisting  of,  "  Who's 
Afraid  7  a  farce  ;"  '*  the  Boarding  School 
Miss,  a  comedy;"  ''One  and  Ail,  a 

farce;''    <<the  Disguise,  a   cumedy  ;"    at  the  dissolution  in  1807.  lie  wM  •  fev 
"theMusioo,afarce ;"  and  "theBulse,     years  after  elected    for  Hytbe,  whioh 


several  editions. 

30.  In  Burton-crescent,  aged  96,  Mir 
John  Perring,  bart.>  aldermai)  of  Lon- 
don, a  commissioner  for  istuing  Ezcho- 
qner  bills,  and  F.S.A*  Sir  John  wpie  the 
eldest  son  of  Philip  Perring^  of  M^IVi- 
bland,  co.  Devon,  esq.  by  hie  wifo  Su- 
sanna, daughter  and  eventually  bfirn* 
of  Richard  Legatsicki  eeq.  fie  vnm 
elected  alderman  for  Broad^etrMi  Wwd 
in  1798 1  served  the  office  of  sborfiflif 
London  in  1800,  and  wai  elfoted  lord 
mayor  in  1803.  At  the  general  eloctiop 
in  1806  he  was  returned  to  Parliarpeqt 
for  Romney ;  and,  having  lost  his  teat 


a  dramatic  piece."  He  also  published,  in 
4to.l785,  '*  the  Knight  and  Friars,"  an 
historic  tale,  from  Iley wood's  riAUKitov; 
the  work  of  three  mornings  in  the 
Christmas  holidays. 


place  he  represented  in  tliree  parliv 
ments  until  1830.  He  was  raised  to  t^e 
dignity  of  a  baronet  by  patent  dated 
Oct.  3,  1808.  Sir  John  was  for  many 
years  an  eminent  merchant  and  bankar 


In  1784  Mr.  Jodrell  became  a  member     in  the  city  of  London.    Shortly  after  the 


of  a  club  founded  at  the  Essex  Head, 
for  the  purpose  of  cheering  the  declining 
days  of  Dr.  Johnson,  and,  it  is  believed 
that  he  and  the  late  Mr.  Chamberlain 
Clark,  who  died  a  few  days  before  him, 
were  the  last  survivors  of  that  celebrated 
literary  fraternity.  Mr.  Jodrell  was 
elected  a  fellow  of  the  Royal  Society  in 
1772,  and  of  the  Societv  of  Antiquaries 
in  1784.  He  was  created  D.C.L.  at  Ox- 
ford, July  4, 1793.  At  the  general  elec- 
tion 1790,  Mr.  Jodrell  was  returned  one 
of  the  barons  in  parliament  for  Seaford ; 


panic  in  1835,  the  bankiag  houM!,  In 
which  he  was  a  partner,  suspended  itp 
payments  ;  and  the  demands  of  the  ere- 
oitors  could  not  be  satisfied  witbout  t||f 
sacrifice  of  sir  John's  estates. 

—  At  Canterbury,  aged  76,  John 
Baker,  esq.,  for  many  years  one  of  the 
representatives  of  that  city  in  P^riia^ 
ment.  This  gentleman  w^^  a  native  of 
Canterbury;  his  father,  George  Bato, 
esq.  who  was  a  respectable  practitioner 
of  medicine  and  surgery  there,  left  bim 
a  considerable  fortune ;  which  he  hin- 


but  by  the  decision  of  a  committee,  he  self  increased  by  marriage  with  Janfii 

was  declared  not  duly  elected  on  the  10th  eldest  daughter  of  the  rev.  JamM  'J^%tr 

of  March,  1792.     However,  when  Mr.  tersall,   rector  of   St.  Paul'p,    Covent- 

Sargcnt  was  made  clerk  of  the  ordnance,  garden.    Mr.  Baker  resided  for  a  OQR^ 


in  Jan.  1794,  he  was  re-elected  for  the 
same  place ;  but  after  the  dissolution 
in  1796  he  did  not  again  sit  in  the  House. 
With  advancing  years,  the  mind  of  Mr. 
Jodrell  had  become  obscured,  and  from 


siderable  time  at  Hawkhurst-lodge,  In 
the  Weald  of  Kent,  a  house  built  qy  bia 
uncle,  John  Baker,  esq.,  who  wai  Xpt 
ceiver-general  for  the  county.  WhiUt 
resident  there,  he  became  one  of  tba 


the  year   1822  he  gradually  sunk  into  greatest  hop-planters  in  that  distriet  | 

such  absolute  incapacity,  that  it  became  he  removed  to  St.  Stephen's,  near  Can** 

necessary  to  make  him  the  subject  of  a  terbury,  on  establishing  the  Union  Bank 

commission  of  lunacy.  there.      In  1796  Mr.  Baker  became  % 

—  At  St.  Petersburg,  baron  Delvig,  candidate  to  represent  his  native  city  in 

editor  of  the    '  Sffiverpie  Tzvaeti,'   or  parliament.    He  started  on  what  wM 

Northern  Flowers,  by  far  the  best  of  the  called  the  independent  intereit»  togetjifp 

Russian  Annuals;  and  also  of  a  pcriodi-  with  John  Sawbridge,  esq.,  son  of  the 

cal  entitled  the  *'  Literary  Gazette."  alderman  of  that  name.    On  this  occa* 

38.  At  St.  Petersburg,  aged  50,  Alex-  sion  Mr.  Baker  stood  at  the  head  of  tll« 

ander  Ephiniovitch  Izmallov,  editor  of  poll ;  but  the  election  was  declared  voidi 

the  journal  entitled  the  **  Biagonama:-  on  the  ground    of  treating.     At  the 

renie."   Although  by  no  means  equal  to  election  which  took  place  «oon  AfUri 


APPENDIX  TO  CHRONICLE. 


823 


DEATHS.— Fbb. 

they  again  hftd  a  majority  of  votei,  but    late  Charles  Towneley,  esq.  directed  the 
another  coipmittee  of   the  House  de-    attention  of  Mr.  Christie  to  the  use  and 


dared  sir  John  Honywood  and  Mr,  (?ipp8 
to  be  the  sitting  members.  Jn  laOS 
Mr.  Baker  once  more  became  ^  candi- 
date, ^nd  was  returned  in  conjunction 
with  the  late  hon.  George  Watson^  unple 
to  the  present  lord  Sondes,  without  op«> 
position.  He  was  again  returaed  at  the 
general  elections  of  1806,  1807,  and 
1812,  and  retired  at  that  of  1818,  In 
politics  he  was  a  Whig. 

31.  At  Hincl^ley,  Hobart  Chessher, 
esq.  who,  fpr  upwards  pf  forty  years, 
distinguished  himself  in  every  branch 
of  the  medical  profession,  but  particu- 
larly in  the  suqcessfiil  treatpnent  of  de« 
formities  of  the  human  frame.  The 
great  number  of  wealthy  patients  com- 
niitted  to  his  care  contributed  greatly  to 
the  welfare  of  the  town  and  neighbour- 
hood. 

—  At  Hough,  Cheshire,  aged  85, 
the  rev.  Robert  Hill,  rector  of  Great 
Bolas,  Salop,  and  perpetui^l  curate  of 
Talk-o'-th'  Hill,  Statfbrdshire,  for  many 
years  a  magistrate  for  Cheshire,  uncle 
to  general  lord  Hill,  and  younger  bro- 
ther to  the  celebrated  rev.  Rowland  Hill. 

—  At  Berkhampstead  Castle,  Herts, 
aged  53,  the  hon.  Charlotte  Grimston, 
sister  to  the  earl  of  Verulam.  This  lady 
was  the  compiler  of  some  family  history, 
a  few  years  ago  privately  printed  in  litho- 
graphy. 

—  At  Greenwich,  Charles  Derrick, 
esq.  for  many  years  secretary  to  the 
committee  of  Stores,  at  the  Navy-of)ice. 
He  was  the  author  of  ^*  Memoirs  of  the 
rise  and  progress  of  the  Royal  Navy," 
published  in  4to,  1816,  some  collections 
in  continuation  of  which  he  communis 
cated  to  the  Gentleman's  Magaisine  in 
182fif  and  1829. 

FEBRUARY. 

2.  In  King-street)  St.  James's-squi^re, 
after  a  long  illness,  aged  58,  James 
Christie,  esq.     Mr.    Christie  was  the 


mefining  of  those  painted  vasea  usually 
termed  Etruscan  ;  and  in  1806  hepub-r 
lished  a  volume,  entitled  ^*  A  Disquisi* 
tion  upon  Etruscan  vases.*'  A  limited 
number  of  copies  having  been  printed, 
the  work  soon  became  searce,  and  in 
1825,  Mr.  Christie  published  a  new  and 
enlarged  edition,  adding  an  appendix,  in 
which  some  most  ingenious  reasoning  is 
employed  to  refer  the  shape  and  calour 
of  Greek  vas#s  to  the  water  lily  of  Egypt, 
and  a  elatsifioation  ip  givtn  formed  upon 
this  basts.  The  description  of  the  Isanti 
vase,  in  the  posaession  ef  the  duke  of 
Bedford,  was  written  by  Mr«  Christie, 
and  is  printed  in  the  volume  whieh  iU 
lustrates  his  grace's  coUeotioa  of  mar? 
blest  The  catalogue  of  Mr.  Hope's 
vases  is  also  from  the  same  hand.  A 
third  publication  from  the  pen  of  Mr. 
Christie  is  t^n  Essay  on  the  earliest  spe« 
oies  of  idolatry,  the  worship  of  the  ele- 
ments ;  the  purport  of  which  is*  to  shew 
for  what  purpose  the  elements  were  re- 
ferred to  by  e^rly  nations ;  what  was 
understood  of  the  Deity  by  their  means, 
and  by  what  misconstruction  they  bcoame 
objeots  of  worship.  It  is  not  surprising 
that  such  a  man  raised  his  business  of  an 
auctioneer  to  the  dignity  of  a  profession. 
In  pictures,  in  sculpture,  in  yertti,  his 
taste  was  undisputed,  and  his  judgment 
deferred  to.  Mr.  Christie  wata  memh^r 
of  the  Dilettante  Society.  He  was  for 
some  years  one  of  the  registn^rs  of  the 
Literary-fund  ;  and  was  also  a  member 
of  the  Antiquarian  Society  of  Newcastle. 
3.  At  Skreens,  near  Chelmsford,  Tho* 
mas  Gardiner  Bramsten,  esq.  late  M.P. 
for  Essex.  He  was  the  eldest  son  of  T. 
Berney  Bramston,  esq.  who  sat  in  par- 
liament for  thM  county  from  1778  to 
1802. 

—  At  Hudsutt,  Christiana  Phillppa 
Maria,  youngest  sister  to  lord  Rolle. 

—  At  Bath,  aged  84,  the  rev.  William 
Trail,  LL.D.,  chancellor  of  the  cathe- 
dral of  Connor,  F.R.S.  Ed.  and  M.R.I.A. 

eldest  son  of  an  eminent  auctioneer  of  He  was  a  son  of  the  right  rev«  James 
that  name.  He  was  educated  at  Eton,  Trail,  bishop  of  Dqwn  and  Connor  from 
and  was  originally  intended  for  the  1765  to  1783.  He  was  for  some  time 
church.  His  first  production  in  1802,  professor  of  mathematics  at  Glasgow, 
was  an  Essay  on  the  ancient  Greek  Game,  having  succeeded  Robert  Simpson,  M^D. 
supposed  to  have  been  invented  by  Pala-  the  editor  of  Euclid,  whose  life  he  pub^ 
medes  antecedent  to  the  siege  of  Troy,  lished  in  4to.  1812.  Dr.  Tn^il  was  ftlso 
It  was  an  attempt  to  prove  that  the  game  editor  of  the  **  Porisms  of  Pappus,''  and 
of  Palamedes  was  known  to  the  Chinese,  other  mathematical  works.  He  mi^rried 
and  was  progressively  improved  by  them  at  Edinburgh,  April  29, 1799,  l^dy  Fran- 
into  the  Chinese,  Indian,  Persian,  and  ces  Charteris,  aunt  to  the  presepl^rl  of 
European  chess.    An  intimacy  with  the    Wemyss  imd  March. 


224        ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 

DEATHS.— Feb. 
3.  In  Duchess-street,  Thomas  Hope,     whilst  the  more  mature  talents  of  Flax- 


esq.  The  Hopes  of  Amsterdam,  whose 
names  have  been  proverbial  for  wealth, 
and  for  their  extensive  collections  of 
works  of  art,  arc  a  younger  bnincli  of 
the  family  seated  at  Crai<;-hall  in  Fifc- 
sbire,  which  enjoys  a  baronetcy  of 
Nova  Scotia.  The  gentleman  now 
deceased  was  one  of  three  brothers,  one 
of  whom  still  resides  at  Amsterdam. 
Early  in  life,  Mr.  Thomas  Hope  tra- 
velled over  various  parts  of  Europe, 
Asia,  and  Africa;  and  having  with  a 
refined  taste,  acquired  a  facility  of  draw- 
ing, brought  home  a  large  collection  of 
sketches,  principally  of  architecture  and 
sculpture.  Soon  after  his  return,  and 
settlement  in  London,  he  published  ''  A 
Letter,  addressed  to  F.  Annesley,esq.  on 
a  series  of  designs  for  Downing  College, 
Cambridge,''  in  which,  founding  his 
judgment  on  what  he  had  seen  and  ex- 
amined during  his  travels,  he  criticised 
with  great  severity  the  desijfns  of  Mr. 
Wyatt.  Having  purchased  a  large  house 
in  Duchess-street,  Mr.  Hope  devoted 
much  time  and  study  in  finishing  and 
fitting  up  the  interior  from  his  own  draw- 
ings, and  partly  in  imitation  of  the  best 
specimens,  both  ancient  and  modern,  in 
Italy.  A  description  of  this  House  will 
be  found  in  the  first  volume  of  **  The 
Public  Buildings  of  London,'' by  Britton 
and  Pugin,  accompanied  by  two  plates 
representing  the  Flemish  Picture-gal- 
lery, which  was  an  addition  made  in 
1820.  A  view  of  the  old  picture-gallery, 
together  with  a  catalogue  of  the  pictures, 
was  published  in  Westmacott*s  **  Ac- 
count of  the  British  Galleries  of  Paint- 
ing and  Sculpture.''  Mr.  Hope's  coun- 
try mansion  was  at  Deepdenc,  near  Dork- 
ing, and  thither  he  had  removed  a  large 
number  of  his  pictures,  sculpture,  and 
books,  having  built  for  their  reception  a 
new  library,  a  gallery,  and  an  amphi- 
theatre, to  arrange  and  display  antiques. 
In  1805  Mr.  Hope  published  the  draw- 
ings which  he  had  made  for  his  furni- 
ture, &c.  in  a  folio  volume,  entitled 
'*  Household  Furniture  and  Decora- 
tions.'' Notwithstanding  the  ridicule 
attempted  to  be  cast  on  this  work  in  the 
Edinburgh  Review,  it  led  the  way  to  a 
complete  revolution  in  the  upholstery 
and  interior  decoration  of  houses.  Mr. 
Hope  was,  in  all  respects,  a  munificent 
patron  of  art.  Tliorwaldsen,  the  Danish 
sculptor,  was  chiefly  indebted  to  him  for 
the  early  support  and  patronage  which 
he  experienced.  The  genius  of  young 
Chan  trey  was  called  into  action  by  him. 


man  were  honourably  employed.  In  one 
case,  his  patronage  was  returned  by  an 
act  of  the  basest  ingratitude.  Some  dis- 
pute having  arisen  between  Mr.  Hope 
and  a  Frenchman  of  thenameof  Dubo8t« 
respecting  the  price  and  execution  of  a 
painting,  the  artist  vented  his  spleen  by 
the  exhibition  of  an  infamous  caricature 
— a  picture  which  he  entitled  **  Beauty 
and  the  Beast;"  Mrs.  Hope  being  drawn 
in  the  former  character,  and  her  hus* 
Imnd  in  the  latter,  laying  his  treasures 
at  her  feet,  and  addressing  her  in  the 
language  of  the  French  tale.  This  pic* 
ture  was  publicly  exhibited,  and  attract- 
ed such  crowds  of  loungers  and  scandal- 
lovers  to  view  it,  that  from  20/.  to  30/. 
a  day  was  taken  at  the  doors.  It  was  at 
length  cut  to  pieces  in  the  room,  by  Mr. 
Beresford,  the  brother  of  Mrs.  Hope. 
Dubost,  upon  this,  brought  an  action 
against  that  gentleman,  laying  his  da^ 
mages  at  1,000/.;  but  the  jury  gave 
him  only  5/.  as  the  worth  of  the  canvas 
and  colours.  In  1809  Mr,  Hope  pub- 
lished "  The  Costume  of  the  Ancients," 
in  two  volumes,  royal  8vo. ;  in  fixing  the 
price  of  which,  in  order  to  promote  its 
more  extensive  circulation  he  at  once 
sacrificed  1,000/.  of  the  cost.  The  fi- 
gures, which  were  chiefly  selected  from 
fictile  vases  (many  of  them  in  Mr. 
Hope's  own  collection),  are  engraved  in 
outline,  and  the  greater  part  of  them  by 
that  eminent  master  in  that  style,  Mr. 
H.  Moses.  Three  years  afterwards  Mr. 
Hope  published  his  "  Designs  of  Mo- 
dern Costumes,''  in  folio.  Mr.  Hope's 
'*  Anastasius ;  or  Memoirs  of  a  Moacm 
Creek,"  a  romance  in  three  volumes, 
evinced  at  once  the  general  knowledge, 
the  fancy,  and  powers  of  the  author. 
Besides  these  works,  Mr.  Hope  contri- 
buted several  papers  to  different  peri- 
odical publications;  and  at  the  time  of 
his  decease  was  engaged  in  passinj^ 
through  the  press  a  volume  "  On  the 
Origin  and  Prospects  of  Man."  He 
left  a  large  collection  of  drawings  and 
engravings,  illustrative  of  buildings  and 
scenery  in  Greece, Turkey,  Italy,  France, 
Germany,  &c.  and  several  plates  of  his 
antique  sculpture  and  vases.  Mr.  Hope 
married,  April  16,  1806,  the  hon.  Louisa 
Beresford,  fifteenth  and  youngest  child 
of  the  right  rev.  lord  Decies,  lord  Arch- 
bishop of  Tuam,  and  sister  to  the  present 
lord  Decies.  They  had  three  sons,  the 
eldest  of  whom,  Mr.  Henry  Hope,  was 
a  groom  of  the  Bed-chamber  to  king 
George  the  Fourth,  and  still  holds  that 


APPENDIX  TO  CHRONICLE. 


225 


DEATHS.— Feb. 

office  to  his  present  majesty.  Mr9.Hope,  considerable  talent  for  music.  Ho  re- 
also,  is  woman  of  the  Bedchamber  to  ceived  lessons  on  the  violin  from  Ant. 
her  majesty  ;  there  is  a  charming  por-  Stamitz,  and  at  the  age  of  13  played  in 
trait  of  this  lady  by  sir  Thomas  Law-     public,  at  the  Concert  Spiiituel,  a  con- 


rence.  ftJr.  Hope's  will  has  been  proved 
by  his  brother,  P.  H.  Hope,  esq.  and 
Jeremiah  Harman,  esq.  to  each  of  whom 
is  left  a  legacy  of  1000/.  The  collection 
of  Italian  pictures,  articles  of  vertu,  and 
the  furniture,  together  with  the  house 
in  Manstield-street,  are  left  to  the  eldest 
son,  who  is  likewise  residuary  legatee. 
To  his  widow  is  left  one  thousand  pounds 
in  money,  to  be  paid  immediately,  an 


certo  of  his  master's  composition,  with 
great  success.  At  nineteen  years  of  age 
be  had  already  composed  two  grand  op- 
eras, which  were  performed  before  the 
whole  court.  When  that  gay  circle  was 
violently  broken  up,  he  travelled  in 
Germany,  Holland,  and  Italy,  and  es- 
tablished his  fame  as  one  of  the  first  vio*> 
linists  in  Europe.  At  the  invitation  of 
Napoleon,  he  subsequently  returned  to 


annuity  of  one  thousand  pounds  a  year^     France,  where  he  received  the  appoint- 
in  addition  to-tbe  lady's  marriage  settle-     ments  of  first  violin  to  the  Emperor,  as 


ment  of  three  thousand  a  year;  and  du- 
ring her  life  the  mansion  and  furniture 
at  Deepdene.  Large  legacies  are  left 
to  his  other  children  and  many  of  his 
friends  are  also  remembered  in  his  will, 
especially  the  rev.  William  Harness,  son 
of  his  friend  Dr.  Harness,  to  whom  he 
has  left  5001,  Probate  was  granted  for 
180,000/.  personal  property.  The  gal- 
lery in  Duchess-street,  appended  to  Mr 


well  in  the  chapel  as  for  private  ^music, 
chef-d'  orchestre  at  the  opera,  and  pro- 
fessor of  the  violin  at  the  Conservatoire. 
Napoleon  often  conversed  with  him  in  a 
familiar  manner,  and  conferred  on  him 
the  gold  cross  (officer)  of  the  Legion  of 
Honour.  Kreutzer  continued  director 
of  the  Academic  Royale  in  Paris,  and 
principal  violin  professor  at  the  Conser- 
vatoire, until  deprived  of  the  use  of  his 


Hope's  house,in  which  his  Italian  pictures     arm  by  an  accident  in  1817*    Most  of 


are  deposited,  was  built  by  his  brother, 
Mr.  P.  H.  Hope,  and  the  splendid  as- 
semblage of  pictures  by  the  Dutch  and 
Flemish  masters,  which  are  mingled 
with  the  Italian  school,  are  the  property 
of  Mr.  P.  H.  Hope,  by  whom  they  were 
collected. 

4.  At  Woolwich  Common,  aged  60, 
lady  Robe,  widow  of  col.  sir  William 
Robe,  K.C.H.,  K.C.B.,  and  K.T.S. 

—  At  Badminton,  aged  22,  lady  Isa- 
bella Ann  wife  of  Thomas  H.  Kingscote 
esq.  and  sixth  daughter  of  the  duke  of 
Beaufort. 

5,  At  Louth ,  aged  76,  Adam  Eve,  esq. 


the  young  violin  professors  of  eminence 
in  France  are,  therefore,  his  pupils,  and 
take  great  credit  In  calling  themselves 
such.  As  a  composer,  Kreutzer  also 
greatly  distinguished  himself.  Besides 
an  immense  number  of  violin  concertos, 
quartets,  duets,  and  a  set  of  excellent 
studies  familiar  to  all  performers  on  that 
instrument  throughout  Europe,  he  wrote 
several  operas,  among  which  are  l^est 
known  Lodoiska,  Paul  et  Vixginie,  La 
Mort  d'Abel,  and  Arisippe. 

6.  Drowned  in  the  river  Chagres,  in 
the  isthmus  of  Darien,  aged  3o,  com- 
mander Henry  Foster,  of  H.M.S.  Chan- 


About  thirty  years  ago  he  established  a  ticleer,  F.R.S.     Capt.  Foster  was  one  of 

carpet  manufactory  at  Louth,  the  first  in  the  companions  of  sir  Edward  Parry  in 

the  county,  and  by  unremitting  attention  his  voyi^es  to  the  Arctic  regions,  and 

brought  it  to  such  perfection,  that  his  was  commissioned  in  1828  to  make  a  voy- 

goods  were  held  in  the  highest  estimation  age  of  scientific  discovery  in  the  Chanti- 

not  only  in  this  kingdom,  but  in  America,  cleer.    His  life  was  lost  from  the  sail  by 

where,  for  several  years,  he  had  an  ex-  which  he  was  holding  over  the  side  of  a 

tensive  contract.  canoe,  accidentally  giving  way ;  he  fell 

—  At  Durham,  aged  61 ,  Arthur  Ayl-  overboard,  and  the  rapidity  of  the  stream 

mer,  esq.  of  Walworth  Castle,  a  lieut.-  immediately  carried   htm   beyond    the 

general  in  the  army,  for  many  years  an  reach  of  assistance.    His  body,^  having 

acting  magistrate  for  the  county  of  Dur-  been  found  by  the  Indians,  was  interred 

ham  and  North  Riding  of  Yorkshire,  and  at  Chagres  where  the  following  inscri^ 

chairman  of  the  quarter  sessions  of  the  tion  has  been  placed  on  a  brass  plate  m 

county  Palatine.  Fort  St  Lorenzo;  "  This  tablet  is  erected 

6.    At  Geneva,   aged  63,    Rodolph  by  the  late  senior  lieutenant  aitd  officers 

Kreujtzer,  the  celebrated  violin  player,  of  H.B.M*  sloop  Chanticleer,  to  perpetu- 

He  was  born  at  Versailles  in  1767>  the  ate  the  memory  of  their  late  commander, 

son  of  a  musician  in  the  band  of  the  king  Henry  Fosterr  F.R.S.,  who  was  drowned 

of  France ;  and  very  early  in  life  evinced  in  the  river  Chagres  on  the  6tb  ol  Feb. 

Vol.  LXXIII.  Q 


226       ANNUAL   REGISTER,   1831. 

DEATHS.— Feb. 
1831,  while  measuring  the  difference  of    tlie  Bounty.   When  the  mutiny  occurred. 


lonnfitude  between  Panama  and  Chagres. 
This  talented  and  distinguiRhed  officer 
was  employed  in  nautical  and  astronomi- 
cal science,  having  nearly  completed  his 
mission  of  three  years'  duration.  He 
fell  at  his  post, — ripe  in  honours,  but 
young  in  years,    ^tat.  36." 

6.  At  Southampton,  aged  72,  Katha- 
line,  relict  of  admiral  sir  Richard  Grin- 
dall,  K.CB.  who  died  in  1819. 

—  At  the  residence  of  lady  Murray, 
Andover,  Fanny  Caroline,  wife  of  capt. 
Sidney  Widdrington,  53rd  regiment,  and 
daughter  of  the  late  Thomas  Strickland, 
esq.  of  Kendal. 

—  At  Hastings,  in  his2l8tyear,  the 
hon.  Frederick  William  Robinson,  only 
surviving  son  of  lord  Grantham. 

7.  At  Edinburgh,  the  rev.  Andrew 
Thomson,  D.D.  minister  of  St.  George's 
Church,  and  long  an  ornament  of  the 
Kirk  of  Scotland.  He  was  returning 
home  from  a  meetingof  Presbytery,  and 
having  met  a  friend  at  the  west  end  of 
Prince's-street,  he  was  giving  him  an 
account  of  the  proceedings  which  had 
taken  place.  This  gentleman  walked 
along  with  him  to  his  own  door,  where, 
stopping  for  a  moment,  as  if  he  wished 
to  say  something  more,  he  muttered  some 
words  indistinctly,  and  instantly  fell 
down  on  the  pavement.  He  was  carried 
into  his  own  house  in  a  state  of  insensi- 
bility, and  on  opening  a  vein  only  a  few 
ounces  of  blood  flowed,  and  he  expired. 
A  subscription  has  been  made  for  the 
benefit  of  his  family,  amounting  to  about 
8,000/.  It  is  stated  that  his  majesty, 
upon  the  representation  of  lord  Brough- 
am, ordered  a  pension  of  150/.  a-year 
for  life,  to  be  granted  to  Mrs.  Thomson, 
the  widow. 

9.  At  Eastnor  Castle,  aged  70,  the 
right  hon.  Margaret  countess  of  Somers. 

10.  In  Brompton-square,  aged  20, 
Helen  Elizabeth,  eldest  daughter  of  W^. 
Harvey,  esq.,  and  grand-daughter  of  the 
late  adm.  sir  H.  Harvey,  K.B. 

—  In  Cumberland  terrace,  Regent's- 
park,  after  a  severe  and  protracted  ill- 
ness, aged  .57,  captain  Peter  Heywood, 
R.  N.  Captain  Heywood  was  a  son  of 
Peter  John  Heywood,  esq.,  a  Deemster 
of  the  Isle  of  Man,  and  Seneschal  to  his 
grace  the  duke  of  Atholl.     His  grand- 


Mr.  Heywood,  who  had  not  then  oom« 
pleted  his  J  6th  year,  was  one  of  the  tiro 
midshipmen  who  remained  with  Chris- 
tian.  Lieut.  Bligh  and  his  compuiioiis 
were  turned  adrifl  in  the  launch  on  the 
28th  of  April.  The  mutineers  then  pro- 
ceeded with  the  ship  to  the  Islana  of 
Toobouai,  where  for  some  montht  they 
maintained  themselves  with  difficulty 
against  the  resistance  of  the  natives. 
Many  of  those  who  had  pot  been  active 
in  the  mutiny,  then  showed  themselves 
reluctant  to  end  their  days  in  this  miser- 
able exile ;  and  on  the  11th  of  Sept  It 
was  decided  on  a  show  of  hands,  sixteen 
against  nine,  that  the  former  number 
should  be  landed  at  Otaheite,  there  to 
await  the  English  vessel  which  it  was 
certain  would  be  sent  after  them,  and 
that  the  Bounty  should  then  be  relin- 
quished to  Mr.  Christian  and  his  adher* 
ents.  At  the  head  of  the  former  party 
was  Mr.  Heywood  ;  and  after  this  ar- 
rangement had  been  put  into  execution, 
the  sixteen  remained  for  six  monthi  in 
peace  with  the  hospitable  natives  of 
Otaheite.  On  the  23rd  of  March.  1791, 
the  Pandora  arrived  in  Matavia  Bay  In 
search  of  the  Bounty  ;  and  scarcely  had 
she  anchored  when  Messrs.  Heywood 
and  Stewart  (the  other  midsbipman  de- 
tained by  Christian)  paddled  off  in  a 
canoe  and  made  themselves  known  to 
her  commander,  the  late  adm.  Edward 
Edwards.  They  were  instantly  ordered 
to  be  put  in  h-ons,  and  their  subsequent 
treatment  was  attended  with  such  se* 
verity  as  shewed  that  lieut.  Bligh,  In 
reporting  the  loss  of  his  ship,  had  oiade 
no  discrimination  between  the  innocent 
and  the  guilty.  All  the  survivors  of 
the  crew  of  the  Bounty  (except  two, 
who  had  gone  to  reside  in  the  penin- 
sula of  Teiarraboo)  were  secured  In  a 
small  prison,  only  fourteen  feet  in  length 
which  was  built  on  the  quarter-declc  of 
the  Pandora.  They  had  already  passed 
four  months  in  this  condition,  wlien,  on 
the  28th  of  August,  the  Pandon  was 
wrecked  on  the  reef  between  New  Hol- 
land and  New  Guinea ;  and  midsbipman 
Stewart  and  three  others  of  the  prisoners 
were  drowned  in  their  irons  I  The  re- 
maining eight  having,  almost  at  the  last 
minute,  obtained  the  keys  of  their  shac- 


father  Thomas  Heywood,  esq.  was  Chief    kles,  reached  the  shore  (in  safety, — Mr. 


Justice  of  the  Isle  of  Man,  and  his  aunt 
was  the  wife  of  admiral  sir  Thomas  Pas- 
ley.  He  was  born  on  June  6,  1773,  and 
entered  the  navy  as  a  midshipman  Oct. 
1 1,  1786.    His  first  voyage  was  on  board 


Heywood  floated  by  the  assistance  of  a 
plank,  until  he  was  picked  up  by  a  boat 
On  mustering  the  survivors,  it  was  found 
that  thirty-nine  men  including  four  of  the 
prisoners,  had  met  with  a  watery  grave. 


APPENDIX  TO  CHRONICLE. 


227 


DEATHS.— Feb. 

Their  sufferings  and  privations  were  not,     Mr.  Heywood  did  bis  duty  on  the  quarter- 


however,  yet  concluded  ;  the  prisoners 
were  kept  at  a  distance  from  the  tents 
formed  for  the  crew,  without  the  least  co- 
vering to  protect  their  naked  bodies  from 
the  scorching  rays  of  a  vertical  sun  by 
day,  and  the  chilling  effect  of  heavy  dews 
by  night.  Their  food  was  confined  to  two 
ounces  of  bread,  and  one  gill  of  wine  or 
water  a  day  ;  and  this  was  endured  for 
three  days  on  the  sand  bank,  and  sixteen 
in  an  open  boat  at  sea,  until  they  arrived 
at  Copang  on  the  16th  of  September. 
From  thence  they  were  conveyed  to  Ba- 
tavia,  and  forwarded  to  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,  in  Dutch  vessels ;  and  the  Gor- 
gon brought  them  home  to  Spithead 
June  19.  1792.  To  these  bodily  suffer- 
ings, the  mental  anxieties  of  a  public 
trial,  affecting  both  his  honour  and  his 
life,  were  now  to  succeed.  The  inves- 
tigation took  place  in  September,  1 792. 
In  a  plain  and  unvarnished  statement, 
he  declared  that  he  was  entirely  ignorant 


deck  as  an  aid-de-champ  to  sir  A.  S. 
Douglas ;  and  after  the  return  of  the 
victorious  fleet  to  Spithead,  he  was  se- 
lected  to  be  one  of  the  two  midshipmen 
appointed  to  attend  the  side  whenever 
the  king  visited  the  Queen  Charlotte. 
In  March  1795,  Mr.  Heywood  was  ap- 
pointed lieutenant  in  the  Incendiary 
fireship,  and  in  the  following  month  to 
la  Nymphe  of  forty  guns,  captain  George 
Murray,  which  on  the  23rd  of  June  wa^ 
present  at  the  capture  of  three  French 
line-of-battle  ships,  by  lord  Brid port's 
fleet  near  TOiient  In  Jan.  1796,  lieut. 
Heywood  was  appointed  to  the  Fox,  of 
thirty-two  guns,  in  which  he  served  on 
the  North  Sea  station  until  the  ensuing 
summer,  when  she  sailed  for  India,  as 
convoy  to  the  outward-bound  trade.  On 
her  arrival  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope, 
he  became  the  senior  lieutenant.  In 
August  1800  he  was  promoted  to  the 
command  of  the  Vulcan  bomb,  which  he 


of  the  mutiny  before  the  morning  on  joined  at  Amboyna.     He  subsequently 

which  it  took  place;   that  from  all  he  commanded  the  Trincomalee  of  eighteen 

could  gather  from  those  of  the  officers  guns.    Trident  sixty-four.  Leopard  fifty, 

with  whom  he  had  the  opportunity  of  and  Dedaigneuse  frigate.    His  post  com- 

speaking,  it  was  the  general  opinion  that  mission  was  confirmed  by  the  admiralty 

certain  destruction  awaited  those  who  April  5,  1803,  and  he  remained  on  the 

were  dismissed  in  the  launch  with  lient.  East-India  station  chiefly  employed  on 

Bligh  ;  and  that  self-preservation  was  confidential  detached  services,  until  Jan. 

the  sole  motive  that  induced  him  to  re-  1805,  when  he  resigned  his  ship,  and 


solve  to  remain  in  the  ship;  to  which  al- 
ternative he  was  finally  forced  by  an  or- 
der of  Christian  to  keep  Messrs.  Hey- 
wood and  Stewart  below,  which  was  done 
until  the  launch  was  far  astern.  As  he 
stood  neuter,  the  court  did  not  hesitate 
to  pronounce  Mr,  Heywood  guilty,  but 
with  the  strongest  recommendations  to 
the  mercy  of  the  Crown.  On  the  27th 
of  October,  1792,  Mr.  Heywood  received 
the  king's  free  and  unconditional  pardon. 
Lord  Hood  who  had  presided  at  his  trial, 
earnestly  recommended  him  to  embark 
again  as  a  midshipman  without  delay,  and 
offered  to  take  him  under  his  own  patron- 
age, in  the  Victory.    This,  however,  was 


returned  home.  In  Oct.  1806,  rear- 
admiral  George  Murray  selected  capt* 
Heywood  for  his  flag-captain  in  the  Poly- 
phemus sixty- four;  which  was  employed 
in  the  unsuccessful  expedition  for  the 
recovery  of  Buenos  Ayres,  and  of  which 
he  retained  the  command  to  May  1808. 
He  subsequently  acted  as  captain  of  the 
Donegal,  during  the  absence  of  her 
proper  commander  sir  Pulteney  Malcolm, 
and  on  the  18th  of  March,  1809,  re- 
ceived the  thanks  of  the  admiralty  for 
his  gallantry  in  the  attack  on  three 
French  frigates,  which  were  destroyed 
in  the  Sable  d'Olonne.  In  May  1809 
he  was  appointed  to  the  Nereus,  a  new 


declined  by  his  uncle,  Commodore  Pas-  thirty-six  gun  frigate,  in  which  he  served 

ley,    whose  ship  the  Bellerophon,  he  for  sonie  time  on  the  Channel  and  Medi- 

joined  on  the  17th  of  May,   1793;  and  terranean  stations.     He  returned  to  Eng- 

who  soon  after  placed  him  in  the  Niger  land  with  the  remains  of  vioe-adm.  lord 

frigate,  capt.  the  hon.  A.  Legge,  with  Collingwood,  in  April   1810.    He  was 

whom  he  served  as  master's  mate  until  afterwards  employed   for  three  years  <m 

the  23rd,  Sept.  following,  when  he  joined  the  coast  of  South  America,  with  the 

the  Queen  Charlotte,  the  flag-ship  of  exception  of  a  short  visit  home  iA  Jan. 

earl   Howe's  fleet.     In  that  ship  Mr.  1812,  and  received  the  thanks  of  several 


Heywood  served  as  signal  midshipman 
and  master's  mate,  under  his  lordship's 
own  eye.  In  the  actions  with  the  French 
fleet  of  May  28  and  29,  and  June  1,  1794, 


mercantile  bodies  for  the  protection  he 
had  afforded  to  their  commercial  Inter-' 
ests.  Having  been  appointed  to  the 
Montagu  seventy-four,  h«  took  hit  intt* 
Q2 


228 


ANNUAL   REGISTER,    1831. 


DEATHS.— Feb. 


departure  in  the  summer  of  1813,  and 
after  refitting  at  Portsmouth,  was  cm- 
ployed  for  some  months  on  the  North 
Sea  station.  In  1815  captain  Hey  wood 
joined  lord  Ex  mouth's  fleet  in  the  Medi- 
terranean ;  and  he  afterguards  continued 
the  senior  officer  at  Gibraltar,  until 
ordered  to  accompany  his  lordship  on 
liis  first  mission  to  the  Barbary  States,  in 
Feb.  1816. 

12.  At  Maugersbury-park,  Glouces- 
tershire, aged  64,  Edward  John  Cham- 
berlayne,  esq.  deputy  lieut.  and  justice 
of  the  peace  for  the  counties  of  Oxford, 
Worcester,  and  Gloucester. 

13.  At  his  residence  in  Bath,  aged 
62,  rear-admiral  sir  Edward  Berry,  hart. 
K.C.B.  This  distinguished  officer  had 
been  several  years  sulering  under  severe 
illness  and  extreme  debility,  the  efl'ect 
of  paralysis,  which  rendered  him  totally 
incapable  of  taking  upon  himself  the 
active  duties  of  his  profession.  He  was 
the  only  officer  in  his  majesty's  navy 
who  had  the  honour  of  three  medals, 
having  commanded  a  line-of-battle  ship 
in  the  battles  of  the  Nile,  Trafalgar, 
and  St.  Domingo. 

]  4.  At  St.  James's-palace,  aged  87, 
Mrs.  Ann  Boscaweu,  who  was  for  above 
fifty-four  years  in  the  family  of  queen 
Charlotte.  She  was  the  eldest  daughter 
of  general  the  hon.  George  Boscawcn, 
by  Anne,  daughter  of  John  Morley 
Trevor,  of  Trevallyn,  co.  Denbigh,  esq. 

14.  At  Drylawhill,  East  Lothian,  aged 
73,  Robert  Brown,  esq.,  an  excellent 
writer  on  agriculture,  and  a  contempo-^ 
rary  and  intimate  acquaintance  of  the 
late  George  Renuie,  esq.  of  Pbantassie. 
He  was  born  in  the  village  of  East  Lin- 
ton, where  he  entered  into  business:  but 
his  natural  genius  soon  led  him  to  agri- 
cultural pursuits,  which  he  followed  with 
singular  success.  He  commenced  his 
agricultural  career  at  Westfortune,  and 
soon  afterwards  removed  to  Markle. 
His  "  View  of  the  Agriculture  of  the 
West  Riding  of  Yorkshire,"  8vo.  1799; 
his  **  Treatise  on  Rural  Affiiirs,''  2  vols. 
8vo.  1811,  and  his  articles  in  the  '*•  Edin- 
burgh Farmer's  Magazine"  (of  which  he 
was  conductor  during  fifteen  years)  evin- 
ced the  soundness  of  his  practical  know- 
ledge. 

15.  At  Gloucester,  aged  71,  David 
Walker,  esq.  forupwardsof  thirty  years 
proprietor  of  the  *^  Gloucester  Journal.^' 

—  At  Lambeth,  Henry  Maudslay, 
esq.  engineer. 

16.  In  Francis-street,  Bedford-square, 
aged  63,  William  Tucker,  esq. 


16.  In  Harley-street,  aged  77»  lady 
Earle^  widow  of  sir  James  Eiarley  of 
Hanover-square,  knt.  F.  R.S.  surgeoa 
extraordinary  to  king  George  HI*  Her 
ladyship  was  one  of  the  daughters  of 
the  late  Pcrcival  Pott,  surgeon;  tnd 
sister  of  the  ven.  archd.  Pott. 

—  At  Christ  Church,  Oxford,  aged 
18,  lord  Conyers  Osborne,  younger  son 
of  the  duke  of  I^eds.  His  death  was 
occasioned  in  wrestling,  by  extravanon 
of  blood  on  the  spinal  marrow.  A  Co^ 
roner's  inquest  returned  a  verdict  of 
death  by  chance  medley. 

17*  At  his  house  in  Brighton,  aged 
68,  William  Jones,  esq.  of  Islington,  and 
of  the  firm  of  W.  and  S.  Jones,  opticians^ 
Hoi  born. 

18.  At  Cricket  St.  Thomas,  aged  85, 
the  right  hon.  Maiy  Sophia  Dowager 
viscountess  Bridport. 

20.  At  Cocgrove,  Northamptonshire! 
aged  67,  Millecent,  widow  of  the  revi 
Joseph  Thomas,  of  Epsom,  and  only 
surviving  child  of  the  late  rev.  John 
Parkhui-st,  author  of  the  Greek  and 
Hebrew  Lexicons.  Mrs.  Thomas  was 
learned  in  the  Hebrew  and  Greek  lan- 
guages, and,  since  her  father's  death, 
when  a  new  edition  of  either  Lexicon 
i^-as  printed,  she  corrected  the  press* 
She  assisted  her  ftiend  Miss  Starke  in 
translating  Madame  de  Genlis's  Theatre 
of  Education,  in  3  vols.  12mo.  1783-6, 

21.  At  Bristol,  aged  68,  the  rer. 
Robert  Hull,  M.A.  pastor  of  the  Baptist 
church,  Broadmead,  in  thatdty,  one  of 
the  most  eminent  ministers  of  that  eoai« 
munion.  He  was  son  of  the  rev.  Robert 
Hall,  minister  of  the  Particular  Baptists 
at  Arnsby  in  Leicestershire,  some  notices 
of  whom  will  be  found  in  Nichols's 
history  of  that  county,  vol.  iv.  pp«  IS, 
417.  For  his  education  he  was  .first 
placed  under  the  care  of  the  rev.  Dr. 
Ryland,  at  Northampton,  and  then  sent 
to  the  Baptist  academy  at  Bristol,  whence 
he  proceeded  in  1781  to  the  King^ 
college  at  Aberdeen.  After  four  years 
residence  there,  he  returned  to  tiie  aca- 
demy at  Bristol  to  become  assistant  t6 
Dr.  Caleb  Evans,  in  which  situation  he 
continued  until  1791,  when  he  succeeded 
the  rev.  Robert  Robertson,  asmiidsterat 
Cambridge.  Whilst  there  resident  he 
became  known  to,  and  admired  by,  tomt 
of  the  most  distinguished  scholars  of  tha 
age.  Dr.  Parr  said  of  htm,  "  Mr.  HaU 
has,  like  bishop  Taylor,  the  Sequence 
of  an  orator,  the  fancy  of  a  poet,  die 
acuteness  of  a  sclioolman,  Uie  pro- 
foundness of  a  philosopher,  and  tha 


APPENDIX  TO  CHRONICLE, 


DEATHS.— FsB. 


?2^ 


piety  of  a  saint."  ^  It  was  said  that  he 
was  offered  ordination  by  bishop  Bar- 
rington.  From  Cambridge  about  1804 
be  removed  to  Leicester,  where  he  was 
pastor  of  the  meeting  in  Harvey-lane 
until  invited  to  succeed  Dr.  Ryland  at 
Bristol  in  1826.  Mr.  Hall's  publica- 
tions appeared  under  the  following 
titles :  **  Christianity  consistent  with  the 
love  of  Freedom,  being  an  answer  to  a 
sermon  by  the  rev.  John  Clayton,"  1791, 


Richard  Duppa,   esq.  high  sheriff  of 
CO  Radnor. 

25.  At  his  house  in  the  RoyaUcres? 
cent,  Bath,  aged  75,  sir  John  Palmer 
Acland,  of  Fairfield,  co.  Somerset,  and 
Newhouse,  eo.  Devon,  hart. 

26.  At  Dorking,  aged  82,  John  Sim?, 
M.D.y  F.R.S.,  and  F.L.S.  He  was  the 
editor  of  Curtis's  Botanical  Magazine," 
from  the  14th  to  the  42nd  volume,  and 
contributed  several  professional  papers 


8vo. — "  Apology  for   the   Freedom   of    to  the  <^  Medical  Facts,"  and  ^*  Medical 
the  Press,  and  for  general  Liberty,  with     and  Physical  Journal.'* 


remarks  on    bishop    Horsley's   sermon 
preached  13th  Jan.  1793,"  8vo.— •"  Mo- 
dern Infidelity  considered  with  respect 
to  its  influence  on  society ;   a  sermon 
preached  at  Cambridge,  1800,"  Bvo.— 
**  Reflections  on  War,  a  sermon,  on  June 
1,  1802,  being  the  day  of  thanksgiving 
for  a  General  Peace."— "  The  Senti- 
ments proper  to  the  present  crisis,  a 
Fast  sermon  at  Bristol,  Oct.  19,  1803." 
— **  The  effects  of  Civilization    on   the 
people    in    European  States,  1806." — 
**  The  advantage  of  Knowledge  to  the 
Lower  Classes,  a  sermon  at  Ijeicester, 
1810."  —  "  The   discouragements  and 
supports  of  the  Christian  minister,  an 
ordination  sermon,  1812." — "  The  cha- 
racter of  the  late  rev.  Thomas  Robin- 
son,   vicar  of   St.  Mary's,    Leicester." 
1813. — "  Address  to  the  Public  on  an 
important   subject  connected  with  the 
renewal  of  the  charter  of  the  East  India 
Company."    1813. —"  An  Address  to 
the  rev.  Eustace  Carey,   Jan.  19,  1814, 
on  his  designation  as  a  Christian  Mis- 
sionary to  India," — **  On  Terms  of  Com- 
munion ;  with  a  particular  view  to  the 
case  of  the  Baptists  and  the  Psedo-Bap- 
tists."    1815.—**  The  essential  differ- 
ence  between  Christian  Baptism  and  the 
Baptism  of  John,  more  fully  stated  and 
confirmed." — **  A  Sermon  occasioned  by 
the  death  of  the  princess  Charlotte  of 
Wales,  preached  at  Leicester,  1817." — 
"  A  Sermon  on  the  death  of  Dr.  Ryland, 
1826."    Mr.  Hall  was  for  some  time  one 
of  the  conductors  of  the  **  Eclectic.Re  • 
view."    The   name  of  Mr.  Hall  stood 
prominent  as  one  of   the  first  pulpit 
orators  of  the  day ;  his  oratory  was  not 
loud,  forcible,   and  overpowering,  but 
was  soft,  mellifluous,    rich,   deep  and 
fluent,  and  was  imbued  with  an  earnest- 
ness and  fervency  which  impressed  his 
audience  with  the  sincerity  of  his  belief. 

22.  In  Bru ton-street,  aged  82,  Martha, 
widow  of  sir  Claude  Scott,  bart. 

25,   At  Cheney  Longueville,  Salop, 


—  At  Fulham,  aged  86,  John  Bell , 
esq.  formerly  of  the  Strand,  bookseller. 
He  was  one  of  the  original  proprietors 
of  the  Morning  Post ;  and  projector  of 
that  well-established  Sunday  newspaper, 
'*  BelPs  Weekly  Messenger."  Another 
of  his  successful  projects  was  the  elegant 
monthly  -publication,  "  La  Belle  As- 
sembl^e. 

27.  Aged  24,  Annette,  youngest 
daughter  of  the  late  hon.  Robert  Molesr 
worth,  of  Beaulieu,  cou  Louth,  Ireland, 
and  niece  to  the  late  viscounts  Ranelagh 
and  Molesworth. 

Lately.  At  Lisban,  near  Kirkcubbin, 
Mr.  Bernard  Darian,  aged  100.  From 
five  years  of  age  he  er^joyed  uninterrupt- 
ed good  health  until  two  days  previous 
to  his  death. 

At  Bellevne,  near  Dublin,  Elizabeth^ 
widow  of  lieu t.- col.  Hugh  Henry* 

At  Dublin,  in  her  20th  year,  lady 
Jane  Anne  Louisa  Florence  Cole,  only 
daughter  of  the  eaii  of  Enniskillen,  and 
niece  to  the  marquis  of  Anglesea. 

At  Limerick,  Alfred  Wilson,  Trevel- 
yan,  esq.  late  of  the  32nd  reg.  fourth 
and  jTOungest  son  of  sir  John  TrevelyaOf 
bart.,  of  Nettlecombe-court,  Somerset, 
and  Wallington,  Northumberland,  by 
Maria,  daughter  of  sir  Thomas  Spencer 
Wilson,  bart. 

—  At  Bishopston,  co.  Glamoi^^n, 
aged  75,  the  rev.  Edward  Davies,  chan- 
cellor of  Brecon,  rector  of  Bishopston 
and  Llanwair  Orlledyn,  and  perpetual 
curate  of  Llanbedr  Pninscastle  ;  author 
of  '*  Celtic  Researches,"  &c.  Mr.  Da- 
vies  was  born  in  Radnorshire,  of  humble 
parentage ;  and  entered  the  churdi  with 
very  m^erate  expectations.  In  1788  he 
published  a  small  volume  of  juvenile  ver- 
ses under  the  title  of  Vacunalia;  and 
about  1796,  anonymously  in  two  vols,  a  * 
little  tale  called  Eliza  Powell,  or  Trials 
of  Sensibility.  In  1801  be  was  resident 
as  curate  at  Olveston  near  Thornbury  in 
Oloucestershirei  when  bU  essays  on  Celtic 


230        ANNUAL  REGISTER,  1831. 


DEATHS. 

anttquUied  fiitt  attracted  the  notice  of 
tie  late  Mr.  Justice  Hardinge  :  and  to 
warmly  did  Mr.  Hardinge  exert  himielf 
in  bis  favour,  that  he  not  only  procured 
for  him  a  numerous  list  of  subscribers  to 
his  works,  but  the  more  lasting  advan- 
taijrc  of  preferment  in  the  church.  His 
projected  vrork,  at  length  appeared  in 
1804,  under  the  title  of  "  Celtic  Re- 
searches on  the  origin,  traditions,  and 
languages  of  the  Ancient  Britons  ;  with 
some  introductory  sketches  on  Primitive 
Society."  In  1809  Mr.  Davies  published 
'*  The  Rights  and  Mythology  of  the  Hrit- 
ish  Druids, ascertained  by  national  docu- 
ments, and  compared  with  the  general 
traditions  and  customs  uf  Heathenism, 
as  illustrated  by  the  most  eminent  An- 
tiquaries of  our  age.  With  an  appendix 
containing  ancient  poems  and  extracts, 
with  some  remarks  on  ancient  British 
coins.*'  Mr.  Davies  was  for  some  time 
Master  of  the  Grammar  school  at  Chip- 
ping Sudbury  near  Bristol.  He  was  pre- 
sented to  LlanbedrPainscastle  in  1803  ; 
and  collated  to  Bishopston  and  to  Lland  ■ 
wair  Orlledyn  in  1816,  the  former  being 
in  the  patronage  of  the  see  of  Llandaff, 
and  the  latter  of  the  see  of  St  David's. 
In  1824  Mr.  Davies  was  nominated,  on 
the  recommendation  of  his  patron  bishop 
Burgess,  the  president,  one  of  the  Royal 
Associates  of  the  Royal  Society  of  Litera- 
ture. 

Lately,  Lord  Charles  Somerset.  In 
1814  he  was  appointed  governor  and  com- 
mander-in-chief of  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,  where  he  remained  until  about 
two  year^  before  his  death. 

—  At  Shirley,  aged  35,  Mr.  Alfred  S. 
Powell,  author  of  a  work  on  the  Battle 
of  the  Nile,  written  while  a  shepherd's 
boy,  and  dedicated  to  adm.  Otway. 

MARCH. 

3.  At  Wembury-house,  Henry  Ed- 
ward Thornton,  esq.  eldest  son  of  the 
right  hon.  sir  Edward  Thornton,  esq., 
G.C.B. 

6.  At  Pisa,  aged  33,  the  hon.  John 
Kennedy  Erskine,  captain  on  half-pay 
of  the  16th  Lancers,  and  equerry  to  the 
king.  He  was  the  younger  son  of  Arch- 
ibald earl  of  Cassilis,  by  Margaret, 
daughter  of  John  Erskine,  esq.  and  took 
'the  name  of  Erskine  after  his  paternal 
name.  He  was  married  Julyo,  1837, 
to  Miss  Augusta  Fitzclarence,  fourth 
daughter  of  his  ms^esty,  by  whom  he  had 
a  son,  bom  in  1828,  and  a  daughteri 


— MlMH. 

Amelia,  born  in  1629.    He  had 

for  some  time  abroad,  on  account  of  111 

health. 

7.  At  his  seat,  Mulgrave  Caitle,  York- 
shire, died,  in  his  77th  year,  Henry  evl 
of  Mulgrave,  viscount  Normanbv*  buoD 
Mulgrave,  G.  C.  B.,  a  geneiml  In  tiM 
army,  and  Colonel  of  the  3l8t  regiment* 
His  lordship's  first  service  was  in  the 
American  war,  where  he  acquired  oo»- 
siderable  distinction.  He  was  afterwnrda 
signalized  in  the  expedition  against 
Toulon,  in  the  year  1793,  at  the  opening 
of  the  revolutionary  war.  He  filled,  in 
succession,  the  posts  of  chancellor  of  the 
duchy  of  Lancaster,  secretary  lor  foreign 
affairs,  first  lord  of  the  Admiralty,  and 
master- general  of  the  Ordnance,  In  the 
Pitt,  Percival,and  Liverpool  ad miniatim- 
tions.  The  last-named  office  he  resigned 
in  the  year  1818. 

8.  At  his  seat,  New  Hall,  WilUhlre^ 
John  Thomas  Batt,  esq.  M*  A.  barrister* 
at-law,  and  one  of  his  majesty's  justices 
of  the  peace  and  deputy-Lieuts.  for  tint 
county.  He  was  descended  firom  m  re- 
spectable family  long  resident  in  the 
parish  of  Downton,  being  the  son  of 
John  Thomas  Batt,  M.  D.,  and  giendson 
of  William  Batt,  esq.,  by  Mailhai 
daughter  and  heiress  of  Jonathan  ClatlGe, 
of  Nun  ton-house,  esq.  Edneeted  et 
Westminster  andChrist  Church,  QzlBfd« 
he  was  called  to  the  bar,  and  f»  eene 
time  went  the  western  circuit,  wliere  be 
obtained  tlie  confidence  of  the  fiitnie 
premier  William  Pitt.  That  states- 
man, when  he  came  into  power,  gia- 
tified  his  own  feelings  of  friendahip  by 
placing  Mr.  Batt  in  the  office  of  anoltoff 
for  the  Irish  accounts.  In  this  situation 
he  remained  many  years,  enjoying  the 
society  of  archbishop  Markham,  biahop 
Barrington,  Brown,  Skinner,  Gibbon  the 
historian  (who  chose  him  for  an  execu- 
tor,) lord  Sheffield,  and  many  others 
equally  eminent  in  public  lifo. 

—  At  Sidney,  New  South  WaleSpSpd 
65,  the  rev.  Lawrence  Hynes  Halloran, 
D.D. — This  gentleman ,  who  was  Appa- 
rently a  native  of  Ireland,  was  formeriy 
master  of  Alpington  academy  near  Ex- 
eter, where  he  educated  lord  Giflwd^ 
the  late  master  of  the  Rolls.  He  pub- 
lished two  volumes  of  poetry  In  1790 
and  1791 ;  and  an  Ode  on  their  nn- 
jesties'  visit  to  that  city  in  the  latter 
year.  In  1801  he  printed  "  Lacryms 
Hibernicse,  or  the  Genius  of  Erin^ 
Complaint,  a  ballad  ;"  and  under  the 
tiame  of  Philo-Nauticus,  a  diama  entilied 


APPENDIX  to  CHR0N1CI«E.         all 


"  tbe  Female  Volunteer." 
sequently  a  chaplain  Hi  the  Navy;  and 
vrai  in  that  capacity  on  board  lord  Nel- 
son's flag-ship  the  Britannia,  at  the  bat- 
tle of  Trafalgar,  and  published  a  Poem  on 
the  battle.  He  afterwards  held  the 
appointments  of  rector  of  the  public 
grammar-school  at  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,  and  chaplain  to  tbe  forces  in  South 


DBATHS^Mamb. 
He  was  tub*  last  bop#  of  defence,  when  Mr.  Smith 
was  sent  to  demand  a  tnicei  and  after- 
wards assisted  in  securing  oneof  tbe  rebel 
chiefs.  This  man  was  Uken  at  the  im- 
minent risk  of  all  enijaged  in  tbe  task, 
and  Mr.  Smith  was  ordered  to  conduct 
him  by  sea  from  head-quarters  to  Auna- 
maboo.  Bound  to  the  bottom  o^  tbe 
canoe,  be  yet  attempted,  by  means  of  a 


Africa ;  there  he  stepped  so  far  out  of    knife  concealed  about  him,  to  scuttle  her» 


his  province  as  to  interfere  very  warmly 
on  occasion  of  a  duel  which  took  place 
between  two  officers  about  the  beginning 
of  1810,  and  when  the  affiiir  was  brought 
before  a  court  martial,  wrote  the  defence 
of  the  accused  parties.  His  conduct  was 
highly  disapproved  by  tbe  lieut.-general 
the  hon.  H.  G.  Grey,  who  ordered  his 
removal  to  an  outpost  oalled  Simon's 
Town.  The  Doctor  resigned  his  office 
of  chaplain,  but  gave  vent  to  his  anger 
in  '*  Cap-Abilities,  or  Soutli  African 
characteristics,  a  Satire,''  for  which  a 
suit  was  commenced  against  him,  and  he 
was  sentenced  to  be  banished  from  the 
colony,  and  to  pay  costs.  He  afterwards 
published  the  **  Proceedings,  Corre- 
spondence,'* &c.  8vo.l811«  In  1813  he 
circulated  '^ Stanzas  of  affectionate  re- 


and  in  one  moment  9II  would  have  sunk 
with  her ;  but  the  vigilant  eye  of  the 
young  officer  detected  the  scheme,  and 
saved  himself  and  soldiers  from  destruc- 
tion. In  consequence  of  bis  excellent 
conduct,  Mr.  Smith  was  made  the 
bearer  of  tbe  despatches  to  England. 
Shortly  after  his  return  to  Africa,  he 
succeeded  to  the  command  of  a  fortress. 
At  the  age  of  thirty  he  was  appointed 
governor-in«chief,  being  promotea  lo  that 
station  out  of  the  usual  routine*  in  con- 
sequence of  his  merits.  Tbe  mission  to 
Ashantee  took  place  during  Mr.  Smith's 
command,  when  the  uncle  and  nephew 
formed  a  treaty  of  peace  and  commerce 
with  these  barbarians,  which  would  have 
been  li  iMting  advantage  to  England,  bad 
it  not  been  overthrown  by  subsequent 


gard  to  the  memory  of  capt*  Dawson  of  interference.  On  the  resignation  of  tbe 
the  Fiedmonuise,"  4to.  In  1818  at  tbe  settlemenu  into  the  immediate  bands 
Old  Bailey  sessions  he  was  convicted  of    of  government,  Mr.  Smith  was  offered 


forging  a  frank,  and  was  sentenced  to 
seven  years  transportation. 

8.  At  St.  Lucie,  major-gen.  George 
Mackie,  C.B.  governor  of  that  colony. 

10.  At  Easton  Hall,  Lincolnshirei 
aged  58,  sir  Montague  Cholmeley,  bart. 
D.C.L. 

11.  In  Sloane-street,  Frances  Anne 


either  a  pension  of  700/.  per  annum,  or 
a  regiment,  and  the  continuance  of  hi? 
command  at  Cape  Coast,  subject  to  the 
control  of  the  Suffat  Sierra  Leone.  Mr. 
Smith's  views  but  ill  accorded  with  those 
of  tbe  late  sir  Charles  McCarthy,  aud 
accepting  the  usual  pension,  be  witb- 
jdrew  from  public  service.     A  life  of 


Mary,  wife  of  Thomas  Hoblyn,  esq.  of    tranquillity  and  retirement  was  but  little 


the  treasury,  and  daughter  of  Mr.  Cha 
worth,  who  was  killed  in  a  duel  by  lord 
Byron. 

—  At  St.  Petersburgh,  Kozlovsky,  an 
eminent  musical  composer,  whose  pro- 
ductions are  highly  popular  in  Russia. 


suited  to  his  habits  and  feelings,  and  be 
by  turns  resided  in  tbe  different  conn- 
tries  of  Europe.  A  severe  cold,  caught 
and  neglectea  in  Paris,  prompted  bis  re- 
turn to  England,  and,  after  five  weeks' 
of  suffisring,  he  expired,  in  a  rapid  con- 


12.  At  Worlitz,  in  Dessau,  in  his  71st    sumption,  at  the  age  of  forty-four. 


year,  Friedrich    Mathisson,  the  well- 
known  German  poet  and  tourist. 

U.  On  the  l£th  of  Marcb,  in  Baker- 
street,  John  Hope  Smith,  esq.  late 
governor* in-chief  of  tbe  British  settJe- 
menta  on  the  Gold  Coast  Respectably 
born  and  educated,  he  was  placed  ait 
Cape  Coast  Castle  by  bis  father,  as  a 
writer  in  the  service  of  tbe  African 
Committee,  at  the  earlv  age  of  fonrteen. 
He  was  selected  for  a  dangerous  service 


In  his  79tb  year,  Thomas  Payne, 
esq.  many  years  an  eminent  bookseller 
in  Pall-niafj,  and  highly  respected  in  the 
literary  world. 

—  At  bis  seat,  Cobham  Hall,  the  earl 
of  Damley.  His  youngest  son  was  ap- 
pointed, last  November,  his  miyesty's 
secretary  of  legation  at  Florence ;  but 
the  earl  himself  never  accepted  any  ofl|- 
cial  situation.  His  lordship  was  a  clai- 
mant of  the  Scotch  dukedom  of  Lennox, 


in  the  first  Ashantee  war.    The  enemy    a  title  at  present  borne  by  the  duke  of 

surrounded  the  fortress  of  Annamaboo,     Richmond. 

fUkd  itt  inbabiumti  were  reduced  (0  tbe       }6«  Drowned,  on  botrd  tbe  fteam* 


232 


ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


DEATHS, 
packet,  Frolic,  which  was  wrecked  be- 
tween Milford    and  Bristol,    lieut-col. 
William  Gordon,  formerly  of  the  2nd 
Dragoon  Guards. 

21.  Aged  94,  at  Bath,  the  hon.  Mrs. 
Noel,  relict  of  the  dean  of  Salisbury. 

22.  At  Cottettbrookp,  Northampton, 
Patience  Ann,  wife  of  the  hon.  and  rev. 
Paul  Anthony  Irby,  eldest  daughter  of 
the  late  sir  William  Champion  de  Cres- 
pigny,  bart,  by  lady  Sarah  Windsor, 
fourth  daughter  of  the  fourth  earl  of  Ply- 
mouth. 

23.  Aged  76,  the  ven.  Ralph  Churton, 
M.A.,  archdeacon  of  St«  David's,  rector 
of  MiddletonChcney,  Northamptonshire, 
and  F.S.A.  He  was  bom  Dec.  8, 1754, 
in  the  parish  of  Mulpas,  and  was  the 
younger  of  two  sons  of  Thomas  Churton, 
yeoman,  and  Sarah  Clemson.  At  a  pro- 
per age  he  was  put  to  the  grammar 
school  at  Malpas,  with*  wishes,  rather 
than  any  just  hopes,  of  bringing  him  up 
to  the  church.  Both  his  parents  died  ; 
but  he  continued  at  school ;  and  his 
master,  the  rev.  Mr.  Evans,  recommend- 
ed him  to  Dr.  Townson,  the  rector  of 
the  parish,  who  made  him  presents  of 
books,  and  frequently  assisted  and  di- 
rected his  studies.  By  Dr.  Townson 's 
recommendation,  he  was  entered  at  Bra- 
sen-nose  in  1772 ;  and  the  fame  generous 
hand  contributed  one  half  towards  his 
academical  expenses.  In  1778,  Mr. 
Churton  was  elected  a  fellow  of  his  col- 
lege ;  in  1785,  he  was  chosen  Bampton 
lecturer ;  appointed  Whitehall  preacher 
by  bishop  Porteiis  in  1788  ;  in  1792,  he 
was  presented  by  his  college  to  the  living 
of  Middleton  Cheney ;  and  he  was  col- 
lated to  the  archdeaconry  of  St.  David's 
by  bishop  Burgess,  in  1805.  The  pro- 
tection of  Townson,  and  his  own  rising 
merit,  procured  him,  early  in  his  aca- 
demic life,  many  valued  friends.  Among 
those  with  whom  he  was  on  habits  of  in- 
timacy, were  the  learned  and  pious  Lewis 
Bagot,  bishop  of  St  Asaph,  and  dean  of 
Christ  Church  ;  sir  Roger  Newdigate, 
bart.  a  name  now  long  endeared  to  the 
•*  Oxford  Muses ;"  the  excellent  and 
learned  Dr.  Winchester,  author  of  the 
"  Dissertation  on  the  18th  Article  of  the 
Church  of  England;"  and  the  amiable 
naturalist,  and  sincere  Christian,  Gilbert 
White,  whose  hospitable  roof  at  Sel borne, 
Hants,  generally  received  him  at  Christ- 
mas to  what  its  owner  called  a  winter 
migration.  The  archdeacon  was  the 
author  of  a  numerous  list  of  works, 
chiefly  in  divinity  and  ecclesiastical  bio> 
graphy.  The  titles  of  the  principal  of 
these  are  as  follow;—^' Bampton  Lec« 


—March. 

tures :  eight  Sermons  on  the  Propheeiec 
relating  the  destruction  of  Jeruealem, 
preached  before  the  University  of  Ox- 
ford, 1785,"  Bvo.    "  A  Memoir  of  Tho- 
mas Townson,  D.D.  archdeacon  of  Rich- 
mond, and  rector  of  Malpas,  Cheshire,'' 
&c.  prefixed  to  a  *'  Discourse  on   the 
Evangelical  History  from  the  Interment 
to  the  Ascension,*'  published  after  Dr. 
Townson*s  death  by  John  fiOveday,  esq. 
D.C.L.  Oxford,  1793.    This  memoir  has 
been  wholly  or  in  part  thrice  reprinted  ; 
in  1810,  prefixed  to  an  edition  of  Town- 
son's  whole  works,  2  vols.  8vo. ;  in  18!^ 
with  a  private  impression  of  "  Practical 
Discourses,"    bv  the  late   archdeacon 
Townson,  edited  by  the  present  distin- 
guished and   venerated  bishop  of  Li- 
merick ;  and  in  1830,  with  the  same  dis- 
courses published  by  Messrs.  Cochran 
and  Duncan.    '^  The  Lives  of  William 
Smyth,  bishop  of  Lincoln,  and  sir  Rich- 
ard Sutton,  knight,  founders  of  Braxen- 
Nose  College,  Oxford,  180a"  8vo.    To 
this  work  a  supplement  was  published  in 
1803.    <<  The  Life  of  Alexander  Nowel, 
dean  of  St.  Paul's,  &c.  Oxford,  1809," 
Bvo.   *'  The  Works  of  Thomas  Townson, 
D.D.  with  an  Account  of  the  Author,  an 
Introduction  to  the  Discourses  on  the 
Gospels,  and  a  Sermon  on  the  Quota- 
tions in  the  Old  Testament,  1810.*'  S 
vols.    The  last  publication  from  his  pen 
was  a  short  Memoir  of  his  friend  the 
classical  and  accomplished  Dr.  Richard 
Chandler,  prefixed  to  a  new  edition  of 
his  **  Travels  in  Asia  Minor  and  Greece.*' 
2  vols.  8vo.  Oxford,  \S25. 

24.  In  Berkeley-square,  aged  53,  the 
hon.  Frances  Caulfcild,  widow  of  St. 
George  Caulfeild,  of  Dunamore  Castle, 
county  Galway,  esq.  aunt  to  lord  Cn^- 
ton. 

26.  At  Sidmouth,  in  his  66tb  year,Wm. 
Mackie,  esq.  late  senior  member  of  the 
Medical  Board,  on  the  Bombay  eata- 
blishment. 

—  At  Coventry-house,  Piccadilly, aged 
72.  the  right  hon.  George  WiUiam 
Coventry,  seventh  earl  of  Coventry,  and 
viscount  Deerhurst,  coimty  Gloucester 
(1697))  lord  lieutenant  and  custos  rotn- 
lorum  of  Worcestershire,  recorder  of 
Worcester,  high  bailiff  of  Tewkesbury, 
and  high  steward  of  Evesham. 

—  At  his  seat,  Maristow  House,  in 
Devonshire,  aged  7&,  sir  Mannasfeh 
Masseh  Lopes,  bart.  a  magistrate  for  that 
county,  and  for  Wiltshire,  and  recorder 
of  Westb  u  ry.  The  ancestors  of  this  gen- 
tleman were  Spanish  Jews ;  he  was  bom 
in  Jamaica,  Jan.  27, 17^ ;  the  only  aon 
of  Mordecai  Rodriguea  Lopesi  of  Clap* 


APPENDIX  TO  CHRONICLE.         233 


DEATH. 

ham  in  Surrey,  esq.  by  Rebecca,  daugh- 
ter of  Manasseh  Perera,  of  Jamaica.  He 
was  first  returned  to  parliament  at  the 
general  election  in  1802,  as  member  for 
New  Romney  ;  and,  during  that  parlia- 
ment, was  created  a  baronet  by  patent 
dated  Nov.  1,  1805,  with  remainder  to 
his  nephew,  Ralph  Franco,  esq.  only  son 
of  his  late  sister  Esther,  wife  of  Abra- 
ham Franco.  In  the  same  year  he  ob- 
tained the  royal  sign  manual  to  take  the 
name  of  Masseh  before  his  own.  At 
the  general  election  of  1812,  sir  Manas- 
sch  was  returned  to  parliament  for  Barn- 
staple, and  he  was  re-elected  in  1818. 
On  the  18th  of  March,  1810,  he  was 
found  guilty  at  the  Exeter  assizes  of  hav- 
ing corrupted  and  bribed  the  electors  of 
the  borough  of  Grampound,  in  order  to 
get  himself  returned,  having  given  the 
voters  35/.  each.  On  the  2d  of  April, 
on  the  motion  of  Mr.  Wynn,  the  House 
of  Commons  ordered  that  the  attorney- 
general  should  prosecute  eir  M.  M.  Lopes 
for  bribery.  On  the  13th  of  November 
he  received  sentence  in  the  court  of 
King's  Bench,  **  That  for  sir  Manasseh 
Masseh  Lopes's  first  offence,  of  which 
he  had  been  convicted  in  Cornwall,  he 
should  pay  to  the  king  a  fine  of  8,000/., 
and  be  imprisoned  in  Exeter  goal  for 
twenty-one  months;  and  for  his  second 
offence  in  Devonshire,  that  he  should 
pay  to  the  king  a  fine  of  2,000/.,  and  be 
further  imprisoned  in  the  same  gaol  for 
three  months."  In  1823,  sir  Manasseh 
again  came  into  parliament  for  his  own 
borough  of  Westbury  ;  and  was  re-elect- 
ed in  1826,  but  retired  in  1829,  to  make 
room  for  the  right  hon.  Robert  Peel. 
Sir  M.  M.  Lopes  married  Charlotte, 
daughter  of  John  Yeates,  of  Monmouth- 
shire, esq.  His  daughter  Esther  died 
July  1,  1819,  aged  twenty-four.  He 
was  succeeded  in  his  title,  according  to 
the  patent,  by  his  nephew,  now  sirllalph 
Lopes,  having  taken  that  name  since  his 
uncle's  decease.  The  value  of  the  landed 
and  personal  effects  of  the  late  baronet 
was  estimated  to  exceed  800,000/. 

29.  In  Gloucester-place,  Portman- 
square,  aged  54,  sir  Henry  Hawley, 
second  baronet,  of  Leyboume-grange, 
Kent. 

31.  At  her  house  in  Curzon-street, 
May  Fair,  aged  66,  lady  Caroline  Walde- 
grave.  Her  ladyship  vras  bom  March 
1,  1765,  the  fourth  and  youngest  daugh- 
ter of  John  third  earl  of  Waldegrave, 
and  of  lady  Elizabeth  Cower,  his  wife, 
sister  to  the  late  marquis  of  Stafford. 

Laiehf,  Sir  WilUam  Payne  Gallwey, 


.^-Apwt. 

bart.  a  general  in  the  army,  and  oolonet 
pf  the  3rd  dragoon  guards;  half-brother 
to  the  late  lord  Lavington,  and  brother- 
in-law  to  the  earl  of  Dunraven. 

—  At  Sevenoaks,  the  hon.  Henrietta 
Burton,  sister  to  the  marquis  of  Conyng- 
ham. 

APRIL. 

1.  At  Ballintemple,  co.  Carlow,  by 
the  explosion  of  a  gun,  aged  10,  the 
youngest  son  of  sir  Thomas  Butler,  bart. 

2.  Aged  7i>  Susannah,  widow  of 
Joshua  Walker,  esq.  of  Clifton-house, 
Rotherham,  and  of  Bly th-ball,  Notts. 

4.  At  Islington,  aged  83,  Mr.  John 
Quick,  the  celebrated  comedian.  He 
was  born  in  ]  748,  and  left  his  father,  a 
brewer  in  Whitechapel,  when  only  four- 
teen years  of  age,  to  become  an  actor. 
He  commenced  his  career  at  Fulbam, 
where  he  performed  the  character  of 
Altamont  in  the  Fair  Penitent,  which  he 
personified  so  much  to  the  satisfoction  of 
the  manager,  that  he  desired'his  wife  to, 
set  young  Quick  down  a  whole  share/ 
which,  at  the  close  of  the  farce,  amount- 
ed to  three  shillings.  In  the  counties 
of  Kent  and  Surrey  he  figured  away  with 
great  success  ;  and,  before  he  was  eigh- 
teen«  performed  Hamlet,  Romeo,  Rich- 
ard, George  Barnwell,  Jaffier,  Tancred, 
and  many  other  characters  in  the  higher 
walk  of  tragedy.  In  a  few  years  be  suf- 
ficiently distinguished  himself  as  an  actor 
of  such  versatile  talents,  that  he  was  en- 
gaged by  Mr.  Foote,  at  the  Haymarket 
theatre,  in  the  year  1769,  where  he  be- 
came a  great  favourite  of  king  George 
the  Third  ;  and  upon  all  occasions  Quick 
was  expected  to  appear  in  a  prominent 
character.  He  was  the  original  Tony 
Lumpkin,  Acres,  and  Isaac  Mendosa, 
and  after  bis  appearance  in  these  cha- 
racters, he  stood  before  the  public  as 
the  Listen  of  the  day.  Mr.  Quick  may 
be  considered  one  of  the  last  of  the  Gar- 
rick  school.  In  1798  he  quitted  the 
stage,  after  thirty 'Six  years  of  its  toils, 
and  excepting  a  few  nights  at  the  Ly- 
ceum, after  the  destruction  of  Covent 
Garden  theatre,  he  did  not  again  act. 
The  evening  of  his  life  was  calm 
domestic  sunshine.  He  retired  with 
10,000/.  Almost  up  to  the  last  day  of 
his  life  he  was  in  the  habit  of  join- 
ing a  respectable  company  who  frequent 
the  King's  Head,  opposite  Itlington 
church,  by  whom  he  was  recognised  as 
president.  Forty  years  ago  he  was  told 
by  the  pbyn'ciant  that  panch  would  be 


234       ANNUAL    R  EGI  S  TE  R,  1831. 


DEATHS.-*ApmiL. 


the  death  of  him.  He  had  then  drank 
it  twenty  yean,  and  he  continued  the 
practice  till  the  day  of  his  death«  which 
it  did  not  appear  to  have  hastened. 

5.  At  the  Vicarage,  Hornchurch,  Es- 
sex, in  consequence  of  a  violent  cold  and 
inflammation  of  the  chest,  aged  61,  the 
rev.  John  Walker,  B.C.L.,  late  fellow  of 
New  College,  and  vicar  of  Hornchurch, 
to  which  living  he  was  presented  by  the 
warden  and  fellows  of  New  College,  in 
1819.  Mr.  Walker  was  one  of  the  origi- 
nal proprietors  of  the  Oxford  Herald, 
and  for  several  years  assisted  in  its  edi- 
torial department.  He  was  the  editor 
of  the  "  Selections  from  the  Gentleman*s 
magazine/'  in  4  vols.  Hvo.,  of  which  1000 
copies  were  sold  in  a  few  months ;  he 
also  published  letters  from  the  Bod- 
leian library,  3  vols.  8vo. ;  a  pamphlet 
entitled  *^  Curia  Oxoniensis;  or  Observa- 
tions on  the  Statutes  which  relate  to  the 
University  Court,  on  the  illegality  of 
Searching  Houses,  on  the  Procuralorial 
Office, and  on  the  University  Police  Act,'' 
of  which  two  editions  were  sold,  and  a 
third  lately  printed  ;  **  Oxoniana,"  in 
4  vols.  12mo.  and  some  other  works. 

—  In  Curzon-street,  Maria  Anne,  wife 
of  J.  H.  Penruddock,  esq.  M.P.  for  Wil- 
ton. 

7.  Aged  54,  Walter  Burrell,  of  West 
Grinstead,  esq.  knight  in  parliament  for 
Sussex,  only  surviving  brother  of  sir 
Charles  Merrik  Burrell,  and  cousin  to 
lord  WiiloughbyD'Eresby. 

—  In  Bru ton-street,  the  right  hon. 
Jane  countess  dowager  of  Carhampton. 
She  was  a  daughter  of  George  Boyd,  esq. 
was  married  June  25,  1776,  to  Henry 
Lawes,  second  earl  of  Carhampton,  and 
left  his  widow,  without  issue,  April  25, 
1821. 

8.  At  Exeter,  aged  81,  the  rev.  J. 
Bradford,  Copleston,  B.A.  a  prebendary 
of  that  cathedral,  &c.  and  father  of  the 
bishop  of  Llandail'. 

10.  At  Calgarth  Park,  Westmorland^ 
Dorothy,  relict  of  Dr.  Watson,  bishop 
of  Llandafif. 

12.  At  Paddington  Green,  aged  70, 


He  received  the  honour  of  knighthood 
April  20, 1826. 

13.  At  Buckerell,  aged  on§  hundred 
and  six,  Mrs.  Ann  Marks. 

14.  At  Paris,  M.  L'Abb^  de  PoM« 
pieres.  Father  of  the  Chamber  of  Depu- 
ties. 

—  At  Wem,  county  Salop,  aged  75, 
the  rev.  Brian  Hill,  M.A.  uncle  to  gen. 
lord  Hill,  G.C.B«and  great  uncle  to  air 
Rowland  Hill,  of  Hawkstone,  bart.  He 
was  the  author  of  the  following  publioi* 
tions :  "  Christian  Zeal  Recommended 
and  Enforced,"  a  sermon  preached  in 
St.  Chad's  church,  Shrewsbury,  at  tbe 
anniversary  meeting  of  the  Salop  Inflr- 
mary,  1780.  **  Henrv  and  Acaato,*'  m 
moral  tale,  with  a  premce  by  his  brother, 
the  late  sir  Richard  Hill,  1790.  •'  Ob- 
servations  and  Remarks  on  a  Journey 
through  Sicily  and  CalabriOy  in  the.  year 
1791 ;''  to  this  octavo  volume  is  append- 
ed a  poslcript  containing  some  account  of 
the  "  Ceremonies  of  the  Holy  Week  nt 
Rome ;"  and  of  "A  Short  Excuraion  to 
Tivoli."  The  work  is  dedicated  to  tbe 
earl  and  countess  of  Leven  and  Melvilles 
and  written  in  the  form  of  a  diary.  A 
funeral  sermon,  preached  in  St«  Alk- 
mund's,  Shrewsbury,  on  tbe  dentb  of 
the  rev.  Richard  de  Courcy,  vicar  of  that 
parish,  1803.  In  1805,  Mr.  Hill  edited 
a  volume  of  sermons  of  Mr.  De  Courcy*!, 
to  which  he  affixed  a  long  prefiuse.  In 
1822,  Mr.  Hill  printed  a  volume  of 
tifenty-four  sermons  on  practical  sub« 
jects,  published  for  the  benefit  of  a  cbarl* 
ty  school  in  the  village  of  Weston* 
where  they  were  occasionally  preached ; 
in  1826,  ''A  Sermon  preached  in  tbe 
parish  church  of  Shrewsbury,  on  tbe 
death  of  the  rev.  John  M^or,  vicar  of 
that  parish ;"  and  in  1828,  be  edited 
a  small  pamphlet  entitled,  "Cursory 
Thoughts  on  Education." 

15.^ At  the  public  office,  lAmbeth- 
streetT Matthew  Wyatt,  esq.  of  tbe  Inner 
Temple,  the  resident  magistrate  of  tbat 
district. 

17.  At  Park*place,  St.  James's,  in  tbe 
45th  year  of  his  age,  sir  T.Mostyn,  bart. 


the  rev.  Basil  Woodd,  for  thirty-eight     of  Mostyn,  in  Flintshire,  and  M.P«  for 


years  minister  of  Bentinck  chapel,  Mary- 
Je-bone,  and  rector  of  Drayton  Beau- 
champ,  Bucks. 

13.  At  Garscube,  near  Glasgow  (the 
seat  of  his  brother-in-law,  sir  Archibald 
Campbell,  of  Succoth,  bart.)  sir  John 
Connell,  knight,  procurator  of  the  church 
of  Scotland,  and  late  judge  of  the  high 
court  of  admiralty  in  that  kingdom. 


that  county  during  the  last  four  parlia- 
ments. 

18.  At  Bath,  aged  92,  Francis  Hay- 
ward,  M.D. 

—  At  Biniield,  Berkshire,  aged  67* 
the  rev.  Henry  Dison  Gabell,  D.D.  rec- 
tor of  that  parish,  of  Ashow,  Warwick- 
shire, and  of  St.  Laurence,  Winchester, 
and  formerly  head  natter  of  Wincheetiv 


At>PENmX  TO  CHRONICLE. 


^5 


DBATHS«*-Apiil. 


college.  He  was  educated  at  Winefaes* 
ter  Kchool,  and  thence  elected  a  fellow 
of  New  College,  Oxford,  where  he  pro* 
ceeded  only  to  the  degree  of  B.A.  before 
he  was  elected  master  of  Warminster 


vations,"  and  <'  Lectures  Etplaoatory  of 
Mr.  Hunter's  Opinions  of  the  Vital  Pro- 
cesses," with  a  Hunterian  Oration,  giv- 
ing a  further  account  of  Mr.  Hunter's 
labours  and  character.    He  also  wrote 


school.    In  1788  he  was  presented  to     for  Dr.  Rees'sCyclopssdia  the  anatomical 


the  rectory  of  St.  Laurence,  in  Winches- 
ter, by  Lord  Chancellor  Thurlow ;  and 
in  1793  he  came  to  make  his  permanent 
residence  in  that  city,  on  being  appoint- 
ed second  master  of  the  school.  In  1796 
he  published  a  pamphlet  "  On  the  ex- 
pediency of  altering  and  amending  the 
Regulations  recommended  by  Parlia* 
ment  for  reducing  the  high  price  of 
Corn ;''  and  in  1802  a  fast  sermon, 
preached  at  St.  Laurence,  Winchester. 
He  proceeded  to  the  degree  of  M.A.  as 
a  member  of  St.  John's  college,  Cam- 
bridge, in  1807 ;  and  succeeded  to 
the  head  mastership  of  the  school  on  the 
resignation  of  Dr.  Goddard  in  1810.    In 


and  physiological  articles  included  under 
the  letters  A  and  B.  His  publication,  of 
which  the  greatest  number  has  been 
printed,  as  he  was  accustomed  to  recom- 
mend his  patients  to  "  read  my  book," 
is  entitled  "  On  Local  Diseases,  Aneu- 
risms, and  Disorders  of  Digestire  Or- 
gans.'' His  works  are  altogether  com- 
prised in  six  octavo  volumes.  On  Dr« 
Marshall  relinquishing  hit  popular  lec- 
tures at  Thavies  Ion,  Mr.  Abemethy's 
class  increased,  as  did  bis  practice.  He 
was  some  time  professor  of  anatomy  to 
the  corporation  of  surgeons.  In  hit 
essay,  he  published  an  account  of  cases 
in  which  he  had  tied  the  external  illtac 


1812  he    was    presented   by    Chandos     artery  for  aneurism.    This  improvement 


Leigh,  esq.  to  the  rectory  of  Ashow,  in 
Warwickshire;  and  in  1820  by  Lord 
Chancellor  Eldon,  to  that  of  Binfield  in 
Berkshire.  He  resigned  the  master- 
ship of  Winchester  at  the  close  of  1823 ; 
when  the  scholars  presented  him  with 
a  magnificent  present  of  plate,  con- 
sisting of  a  candelabrum  weighing  200 
ounces. 

20.  At  Enfield,  aged  66,  John  Aber- 
nethy,  esq.  F.R.$i,  the  eminent  surgeon 
and  anatomical  lecturer.  It  is  said,  that 
he  was  himself  ignorant  of  the  place  of 
his  nativity.  Shortly  after  his  birth, 
however,  his  parents  had  taken  up  their 
abode  in  London.  After  imbibing  the 
elementary  principles  of  grammatical 
and  classiod  instruction  at  a  day-school 
in  Lothbury,  he  was  apprenticed  to  Mr., 
afterwards  sir  Charles  Ulick,  surgeon  to 
St.  Bartholomew's  hospital,  under  whose 


in  the  science  established  his  fittme,  and 
added  to  the  credit  of  the  English  school 
of  surgery  throughout  Europe.  St. 
Bartholomew's  hospital,  by  the  reputa* 
tion  of  Mr.  Abernethy,  advanced  rapid- 
ly, and  was  esteemed  ai  the  first  in  the 
metropolis*  On  the  death  of  his  former 
master,  sir  Charles  Blicki  Mr.  A.  waa 
elected  surgeon  in  his  room — and  was  at 
one  time  considered  the  best  lecturer  on 
anatomy,  soiigery,  and  path<dog^  in  Lon- 
don. He  was  opposed  to  the  division  of 
surgery  into  distinct  departments,  as 
oculist,  aurist,  &c.  He  considered  the 
whole  as  essentially  connected,  and  that 
BO  man  properly  educated  should  be 
ignorant  of  the  diseases  which  those 
divisions  embrace.  Mr.  A.  was  one  of 
the  court  of  assistants  of  the  Royal  Col- 
lege of  Surgeons,  and  one  of  the  curatora 
of  their  museum  ;  he  was  also  an  honor- 


auspices  be  pursued  his  studies  to  great     ary  member  of  the  Royal  Medical  Socie- 
advantage.    About  this  period  be  is  re-    ty  of  Edinburgh,  and  of  the  Medical 


lated  to  have  attended  the  lectures  in 
the  habit  of  a  gp'oom,  which  acquired  for 
him  the  appellation  of  "the  oeUer;'' 
notwithstanding  which,  and  his  oddities 
in  conversation  and  behaviour,  he  made 
himself  practically  conversant  with  his 
profession ;  and  without  exhibiting  any 
thing  like  uncommon  attainments,  ex- 
cited expectatkms  which  have  not  been 
disappointed.  On  the  resignation  of 
Mr.  Pott,  he  became  assistant-surgeon 


Societies  of  Paris  and  Philadelphia. 

SO.  Aged  70,  AugttStna  Lafontainei 
one  of  the  most  fruitfol  German  ro- 
mance writers.  He  was  bom  at  Bruns- 
wick, studied  divinity  in  the  first  in- 
stance, then  undertook  the  education  of 
general  Thadden's  children»and  in  1789 
became  chaplain  of  a  Prussian  regiment, 
which  he  accompanied  in  1799  in  the 
campaign  against  France.  After  the 
peace  of  Basle,    he  retired  to  Halle, 


at  St.  Bartholomew's  hospital » and  after^  where  he  lived   on  a  pension  granted 

wards  succeeded  that  gentleman  as  lee-  to  him  by  titt  king  of  Prusria. 

turer  on  anatomy  and  surgery.     Soon  21.  Aged  21,  John  Farsyde  Watson, 

after,  Mr.  Abernethy  appwed  as  an  esq.  of  BUton  Park,  near  KnarMborough. 

»utiiQr,  and  published  <^  SurgicBl  Obter«  A»  m  uuMw  peii^rmer  on  tht  yioUa« 


23fi       ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


DEATHS^  April. 


cello,  Mr.  W,  was  inferior  only  to  the 
celebrated  Linley. 

22.  In  Whitehall-place,  lady  Wether- 
ell,  wife  of  sir  C.  WcUiercU,  and  daugh- 
ter of  sir  Alexander  Croke,  of  Studley- 
house,  Oxfordshire. 

—  In  his  64th  year,  major-i^en.  sir  G. 
A.  Wood,  R.  Art.  C.B.  &c.  and  governor 
of  Carlisle. 

23.  At  Worthin(|r,  in  the  house  of  his 
son-in-law,  sir  Charles  Chad,  hart,  aged 
7*2,  the  right  hon.  Edw.  Garth  I'umour, 
second  earl  of  Winterton  and  viscount 
Tumour  (1766),  and  baron  Winterton, 
of  Gort,  county  Galway  (1761). 

—  In  Clarges-strcet,  James  WedJer- 
bum,  esq. 

—  In  Verulam-terrace,  Frances  Mary, 
second  daughter  of  sir  F.  Hastings  Doyle, 
bart. 

—  At  Pcrdistrell,  Worcestershire, 
aged  78,  sir  Henry  Wakeman,  hart. 

24.  la  his40th  year,  \V.  Oakes  Blount, 
esq.  of  Lidiard  House,  lieutenant  K.N. 
only  son  of  sir  Charles  Burrell  Blount. 

—  In  Russell -square,  T.  Smith,  esq. 
of  Wray,  Lancashire,  and  of  the  hon. 
society  of  Lincoln's-inn. 

25.  At  his  chambers  in  Lincoln's-inn, 
in  bis  78th  year,  John  Calthorpe,  esq. 
brother  of  the  Arst  lord  Calthorpe,  and 
uncle  of  the  present  lord. 

—  At  Apsley  House,  Piccadilly,  aged 
58,  thamost  noble  Catherine  duchess  of 
Wellington,  sister  to  the  earl  of  liongford. 
She  was  the  third  daughter  of  Edward 
Michael  second  lord  Longford,  by  the 
hon.  Catherine  Rowley,  second  daughter 
of  the  right  hon.  Hercules  Lringford 
Rowley  and  Elizabeth  viscountess  I^ng- 
ford.  She  was  married  to  the  illustrious 
general  April  10,  1806,  and  has  left  two 
sons.  The  duchess  of  Wellington  was 
of  retiring  habits,  but  her  domestic  vir- 
tues and  charities  have  ever  been  the 
theme  of  admiration.  Her  remains  were 
interred  at  Strathficldsay,  attended  by 
her  brother-in-law  lord  Marylx>rough, 
as  chief  mourner;  other  relations  and 
friends  of  the  duke,  in  four  carriages ; 
and  more  than  thirty  private  carriages, 
of  which  the  king,  the  queen,  the  dukes 
of  Cumberland  and  Northumberland, 
each  sent  one. 

26.  In  Harley-street,  aged  54,  the 
right  hon.  George  de  Grey,  third  lord 
Walsingham,  baron  of  Walsingham  in 
the  county  of  Norfolk  (1780),  a  lieut- 
general  in  the  army,  lieut-cd.of  the  first 
dragoons,  and  comptroller  of  the  first- 
fruits  office.    [See  Chronicle^  p.  67.] 

—    Aged  6^9  Montague  Talbot,  esq* 


for  twenty-three  yean  muiager  and  pro* 
prietor  of  the  Belfiut  Theatre ;  and  alao 
for  many  years  manager  of  the  Newry 
and  Derry  Theatres.  He  was  second 
son  of  captain  Cveorge  Talbot,  captain  of 
the  Worcester  man  of  war,  who,  with 
his  servant,  was  lost  on  the  coast  of 
Caffraria,  in  the  Grosvenor  East  Indian 
man.  The  captain  left  a  widow,  two 
sons,  and  a  daughter,  to  deplore  bla 
fiite.  M  r.  Montague  Talbot,  the  yonnger 
son,  was  bred  to  the  English  bar;  bnt 
having  been  much  flattered  on  the  dni« 
inatic  talent  he  was  thought  to  pfftwpiij 
he  was,  at  a  very  early  age,  tempted  to 
try  his  fortune  on  the  stage. 

27.  In  Southampton«rowy  in  Lis  69th 
year,  J.  Pftttison,  esq.  late  a  director  of 
the  Elast-India  Company. 

29.  At  his  seat,  Ugbrooke-park,  De- 
vonshire, aged  71  f  the  right  hon.  Cliaries 
Clifford,  sixth  lord  Clifford  of  Chndleigh 
in  Devonshire,  (1672),  F.S.A. 

—  Aged  77f  the  rev.  John  Baynas, 
rector  of  Exton,  Hants,  and  an  acting 
magistrate  for  that  county. 

—  In  Craven-street,  Strand,  aged 
57,  George  Sayer,  esq.  reamadminu  of 
tlie  Blue,  and  C.B. 

30.  At  Binfield-park,  in  her  83rd 
year,  Catherine,  last  surviving  sister 
of  the  late  lord  Sunderlin,  of  Baroistony 
county  Westmeatli. 

—  At  Richmond-park,  aged  93,  the 
right  hon.  Elizabeth  conntess  doirager 
of  Pembroke  and  Montgomery,  grand- 
mother  of  the  present  earl. 

—  At  Cliesterfield,aged  76,  Jonathan 
Stokes,  M.D.  author  of  a  Botanical  Ma- 
teria Medica,  and  Botanical  Commen* 
taries,  of  which  only  the  first  volnme 
has  been  published. 

—  In  Lower  Connaught-place,  aged 
75,  sir  Samuel  Bentham,  K.S.G.  a  bri- 
gadier-general in  the  Russian  senrioe, 
late  inspector-general  of  naval  worics, 
and  civil  architect  and  engineer  of  the 
navy. 

Lately,  At  Templemichael,  county 
Longford,  lady  Anne,  wife  of  the  rev. 
Henry  Maxwell,  brother  to  lord  Fam- 
ham. 

In  consequence  of  a  fall  in  ascend- 
ing one  of  the  Egyptian  Pyramids,  aged 
32,  James  Maze,  esq.  eldest  son  of  Peter 
Maze,  esq.  of  Ilownham-lodge,  county 
Somerset,  and  partner  in  the  house  of 
Messrs.  Peter  Maze  and  Sons,merdiantSi 
of  Bristol. 

At  Balinagar,  Owen  O'Conoiv  esq. 
commonly  called  O'Conor  Don,  M.P.  tat 
the  oottui^  of  Roioominom 


APPENDIX  TO  CHRONICLE. 


237 


DEATHS 

At  Genoa,  aged  66,  Charles  Felix 
Joseph  King  of  Sardinia,  duke  of  Savoy, 
Piedmont,  and  Genoa.  He  was  born 
April  6,  1765,  and  was  the  fifth  of  the 
six  sons  of  king  Victor  Amedeus,  and 
the  archduchess  Maria  Antonetta  Fre- 
derica,  daughter  of  the  emperor  Joseph 
the  Second.  Before  his  accession  to  the 
Throne,  he  bore  the  title  of  duke  of 
Genoa.  On  the  abdication  of  bis  bro* 
ther,  king  Victor  Emmanuel,  he  was 
declared  sovereign  of  Sardinia,  March 
13,  1821,  and  confirmed  on  the  19th  of 
the  same  month.  The  abdication  of 
Charles  Emmanuel,  the  eldest  brother, 
in  1802,  had  previously  conferred  the 
throne  on  Victor.  Two  sisters  of  this 
family  were  the  wives  of  Louis  XVIII. 
and  Charles  X.  of  France.  King  Charles 
married,  April  6, 1807f  Maria  Christina, 
daughter  of  Ferdinand  the  Fourth,  king 
of  the  Two  Sicilies,  and  sister  of  (he 
present  monarch  of  those  islands ;  but 
had  no  issue.  Charles  Amedeus,  prince 
of  Savoy  Carignan,  has  succeeded  to 
the  throne. 

At  Kensington-palace,  aged  40,  Tho- 
mas F.  Hunt,  esq.  one  of  the  labourers 
in  trust  attached  to  the  Board  of  Works. 
He  was  the  author  of  the  following  pub- 
lications,  all  printed  in  quarto :  **  Half- 
a-dozen  Hints  on  picturesque  Domestic 
Architecture,  in  a  series  of  designs  for 
gate-houses,  game-keepers'  cottages,  and 
other  rural  residences."  two  editions. 
^<  Designs  for  Parsonage-houses,  Alms- 
houses, &c.  &c.  with  examples  of  gables 
and  other  curious  remains  of  old  English 
architecture,  1827>''  containing  twenty- 
one  plates.  **  Architettura  Campestre  ; 
displayed  in  lodges,  gardeners'  houses, 
and  other  buildings,  composed  of  simple 
and  economical  forms,  in  the  modern  or 
Italian  style  ;  introducing  a  picturesque 
mode  of  Roofing,"  with  twelve  plates. 
*•  Exemplars  of  Tudor  Architecture, 
adapted  to  modern  habitations,  with 
illustrative  details  selected  from  ancient 
edifices,  and  observations  on  the  Furni- 
ture of  the  Tudor  period,  1829,"  with 
thirty  seven  plates.  In  the  literary 
part  of  the  last-mentioned  work,  where- 
in lie  its  chief  interest  and  utility,  he 
was  materially  assisted  by  Mr.  T. 
Moule,  author  of  the  '  Bibliotheca  He- 
raldica." 

At  Malta,  captain  George  Matthew 
Jones,  R.  N.,  author  of  "  Travels  in 
Russia  and  the  north-eastern  countries  of 
Europe."  Captain  Jones  commenced  his 
naval  career  under  the  late  sir  J.S.Yorke. 
He  received  bis  first  commission  in  1802, 


, — Mat. 

and  was  junior  lieutenant  of  the  Amphion 
32  guns,  when  she  conveyed  lord  Nel- 
son from  off  Brest  to  the  Mediterranean, 
on  the  renewal  of  hostilities  with  France, 
in  1803.  On  the  8th  of  Nov^  1808,  he 
was  severely  wounded  in  a  g^allant  but 
unsuccessful  boat  attack  on  the  coast  of 
Istria.  On  the  27tb  of  Aug^  1809,  he 
again  highly  distinguished  himself  at 
the  capture  and  destruction  of  six  heavy 
gun  vessels,  seven  trabacolas,  and  a 
land  battery  of  four  long  twenty-four- 
pounders,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Piavie, 
and  in  sight  of  the  enemy's  squadron  at 
Venice.  In  sir  William  Hostess  official 
letter  on  that  occasion,  *<  the  prompt 
manner  in  which  lieut.  Jones  turned  the 
guns  of  the  battery  on  the  enemy's 
vessels,*'  was  noticed  as  highly  praise- 
worthy. He  afterwards  commanded  the 
Tuscan  brig,  and  was  employed  in  co- 
operation with  the  defenders  of  Cadiz, 
during  the  siege  of  I'lsla  de  Leon,  in 
the  year  1811.  His  last  appointment 
was,  Jan.  23,  1817,  to  the  Pandora  of 
eighteen  guns,  on  <  the  Irish  station, 
where  he  remained  for  a  period  of  nearly 
two  years.  He  obtained  post  rank,  Dec. 
7,  1818.  In  1827,  captain  Jones  pub- 
lished "Travels  in  Norway,  Sweden, 
Finland,  Russia,  and  Turkey;  also  on 
the  coast  of  the  Sea  of  Azof  and  of  the 
Black  Sea,  &c.  &c."  in  two  vols.  8vo. 
Previously  to  these  travels,  which  were 
undertaken  with  a  view  to  the  acquisition 
of  professional  knowledge,  be  had  al- 
reaay  inspected  all  the  naval  arsenals 
and  ports  of  France  and  Holland :  and 
in  this  publication  he  relates  the  result 
of  his  examination  of  them,  as  well  as 
of  those  of  Russia,  Sweden,  and  Den- 
mark. Shortly  after  his  travels,  captain 
Jones  was  attacked  by  a  paralysis  of  the 
limbs,  and  repaired  to  Italy  for  the  re- 
covery of  his  health.  In  a  state  of 
great  debility,  he  had  the  misfortune  to 
fall  down  a  flight  of  steep  stone  steps  at 
Malta ;  three  of  his  ribs  were  broken, 
and  his  shouldejr  dis.located,  and  on  the 
third  day  he  expired* 

MAY. 

1  •  At  Ri voli,  on  his  way  to  Florencef 
commander  Thomas  Bury,  R.N. 

2.  At  Bath,  aged  64,  the  right  hon. 
sir  William  Johnstone  Hope,  G.C.B. 
knight  of  Malta,  and  of  the  Crescent, 
the  senior  vice-admiral  of  the  Red,  a 
Privy  Councillor,  a  commissioner  of 
Greenwich  hospital,  and  F.B«d.  Sir 
William  Hope  wm  bom  at  Finchley,  in 


238      ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1881. 


DEATHS.— May. 


MiddleMX,  Aupr.  16,  1766,  and  was  the 
third  son  of  John  Hope,  enq.  merchant 
of  London,  (grand!*on  of  Charles,  first 
earl  of  Hopetown  ,and  K  .T.)  hy  Mary  only 
daughter  of  Eliab  Breton,of  Rniield,  esq. 
At  the  early  age  of  ten  years  he  entered 
the  navy  under  the  patronage  of  his  half* 
uncle  captain  Charles  Hope ;  and,  after 
thirty  years  of  hard  and  varied  service 
he  was  in  1807  called  to  the  board  of 
Admiralty  during  the  presidency  of  lord 
Mulgrave,  and  sat  there  until  1809. 
lie  was  appointed  a  colonel  of  Marines, 
Aug.  1,  1811  ;  a  rear-admiral  Aug.  13, 
1812;  commander-in-chief  at  Leitb  in 
Nov.  1813;  a  K.C.B.  Jan.  2,  1815;  and 
re-appointed  to  the  chief  command  at 
Leith  in  the  spring  of  1816,  which  he 
retained  until  Sept  1818.    In  1819  he 


the  Society  of  Antiquaries,  of  irhich  he 
became  a  fellow  April  5, 1821,  are  u  fol- 
low :  in  ]817>  *' Observations  on  the 
Seal  of  Evesham-ahbey,  in  Worcester' 
shire  ;*'  in  1818,  "  Observations  on  the 
site  of  the  Priory  of  Holywell  in  H^nr- 
wickshire,  a  cell  to  Roucester-abbeyin 
the  county  of  Stafford  ;"  in  1820,  '•The 
Runic  inscription  on  the  Font  at  Bride* 
kirk  considered,  and  a  new  Interpretation 
proposed  ;"  in  1823,  **  Observatlont  on 
a  gold  ring  with  a  Runic  inscription,  In 
the  possession  of  the  eerl  of  Aberdeen, 
Pres.  8.A. ;''  '*  Sarcastic  Versee,  writ, 
ten  by  an  adherent  to  the  House  of 
Lancaster,  in  the  last  year  of  the  reign 
of  Richard  the  Second  ;*'  *'  Observations 
on  the  Arms  and  Seal  of  the  town  of 
Liverpool;"  in  1824,  *' Explanation  of 


Clarence  was  appointed  lord  high  ad-  Lower Stonnall,  Staffordshire;*'  in  ld29> 

mtral,  he  retained  his  seat  at  the  board  "  a  Disquisition  on  a  passage  in  Inng 

as  one  of  his  royal  highness's  council.  Athelstan'sGranttotheabbeyofWilton;" 

He  was  created  a  grand  cross  of  the  *'*  a  Comment  on  a  Penny  of  Offii  kin^ 

Bath,  Oct.  4, 1825.    In  March  1828  sir  of  Mercia;"  and  in  1830,  <<a  Disqnl- 

Wi  11  iam  Hope  was  appointed  by  the  lord  sition  on  the  member  in  architectare 


high  admiral  treasurer  of  the  royal 
hospital  at  Greenwich,  and  thereupon 
resigned  his  seat  at  the  Admiralty.  On 
the  passing  of  the  act  for  the  better  re- 
gulation of  that  noble  establishment,  by 
which  the  office  of  treasurer  was  abo- 
lished, he  was  appointed  one  of  the  five 
commissioners  for  mauap;ing  the  affairs 
of  the  institution.  Sir  W.  J,  Hope  was 
for  thirty  years  a  member  of  the  House 
of  Commons.  He  was  first  elected  in 
1800  for  the  Dumfries  district  of  Burghs, 
and  in  1804,  on  the  death  of  general  sir 
Robert  Laurie,  was  chosen  for  the  county 
of  Dumfries,  which  he  continued  to  re- 
present during  six  parliaments,  until  the 
general  election  of  1830,  when  he  was 
succeeded  by  his  son. 

3.  In  Great  Ormond-street,  in  her 
64th  year,  Selina  Anne,  wife  of  Zachary 
Macaulav,  esq.  and  third  daughter  of 
the  late  W.  T.  Mills,  of  Bristol. 

—  At  Highgate,  near  Birmingham, 
aged  54,  William  Hamper,  esq.  F.S.A. 
honorary  member  of  the  Society  of  An 


called  an  Oriel.'» 

4.  In  his  53rd  year,  colonel  J.  Nieol, 
E.I.C.  many  years  adjutant-g^nend  of 
the  Bengal  army. 

—  In  Harley-street,  aged  68,  the  riffht 
hon.  Frances  dowager  viscountess  NeU 
son,  duchess  of  Bronte.  She  was  the 
widow  of  Josiah  Nisbet,  M.D.  when 
his  present  majesty  performed  the  cere- 
mony of  giving  her  away  in  marriage  to 
Nelson,  at  the  island  of  Nevis,  March 
22,  1787.  Her  maiden  name  was  Wool- 
ward,  and  she  was  niece  to  Willfaun 
Herbert,  esq.  president  of  Nevis. 

5.  By  the  upsetting  of  a  boat>  adm. 
sir  Joseph  Sydney  Yorke,  captain  Biad* 
by,  R.N.,  and  captain  Young,  R.N. 

6.  At  Bishop's  Stortford,  llent-col. 
W.  H.Wilby. 

7.  Aged  53,  at  Welling,  lieut.-co1. 
G.  Bunce. 

11.  M.  Aubert  du  Petit  Thouars, 
member  of  the  Institute ;  of  the  Royal 
Agricultural,  Horticultural,  and  PhUo- 
raathic  Societies  of  Paris ;  and  knight  of 


tiquaries  at  Newcastle,  and  a  Justice  of    the  order  of  St.  Louis.    This  gentleman. 


the  Peace  for  the  counties  of  Warwick 
and  Worcester.  He  was  author  of  a 
quarto  tract  printed  at  Birmingham  in 
1820,  entitled  **  Observations  on  certain 
ancient  pillars  of  memorial  called  Hoar- 
stones," and  in  1827  of  "  The  Life, 
Diary,  and  Correspondence  of  sir  Wil- 


born  in  1 756,  at  the  chateau  of  Boamoia, 
in  Anjou,  was  educated  at  the  college  of 
La  Fleche.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he 
entered  the  regiment  de  laCoaronne,  as 
a  sous-lieutenant ;  but  It  was  his  taste 
for  natural  philosophy,  and  especially 
for  botany,  which  raised  him  to  the  high 


Ham  Dugdale/'    His  communications  to    degree  of  consideration  he  ttjoftd  vi 


APPENDIX  TO  CHRONICLE. 


23d 


DEATHS 
the  capital  of  France.  A  brother  of  M. 
du  Petit-Thouarsheld  the  rank  of  captain 
in  the  French  navy ;  be  was  killed  at  the 
battle  of  Aboukir.  The  brothers  had 
formed,  in  1792»  the  project  of  a  voyage 
of  discovery,  one  particular  object  of 
which  was  to  seek  after  La  Perouse ;  they 
had  sold  a  considerable  part  of  their  pro- 
perty  to  defray  the  expenses  of  the  un- 
dertaking ;  and  M.  du  Petit  Thouars  set 
out  on  foot,  for  Brest,  to  join  the  vessel 
fitted  out  for  that  purpose :  his  zeal  for 
botanical  research  inducing  him  to  walk 
through  a  country  which  he  had  not 
yet  seen.  As  be  pursued  his  course, 
deviating  at  times  into  the  woods  and 
fields,  to  look  after  new  descriptions  of 
plants,  be  was  assailed  by  the  commence- 
ment of  those  horrors  which  the  revo- 
lution brought  upon  France.  Being 
arrested  as  a  suspect,  he  was  conducted 
to  Quimper,  where  he  remained  a  con- 
siderable lime  in  prison.  On*  reaching 
Brest,  he  found  that  his  brother  had 
sailed.  He  followed  him  to  the  Isle  of 
France,  but  was  too  late  to  rejoin  him. 
As  his  means  did  not  permit  him  to  hire 
another  vessel,  he  remained  ten  years  in 
that  colony,  and  was  occupied  with  cul- 
tivation and  botany,  during  the  whole 
period,  excepting  a  few  months  that  he 
passed  in  Madagascar.  M.  du  Petit 
Thouars  returned  to  France  in  1802,  and 
for  above  twenty  years  was  director  of 
the  Pepiniere  Royale  du  Roule.  He 
has  published  the  following  works : 
"Melanges  de  Botanique;*'  "  Dialo- 
gues surl'Histoire  Naturelle;*'  "  Essai 
sur  la  Vegetation;"  and  researches  on 
the  "  Orchides ;"  besides  which  he  has 
given  public  lectures  on  botany,  and  de- 
voted the  leisure  of  ten  years  to  an  un- 
finished work  on  the  plants  of  the  south- 
ern African  islands. 

13.  In  consequence  of  Injuries  re- 
ceived at  the  Wigan  election,  Roger 
Holt  Leigh,  esq.  of  Leeds,  brother  to 
sir  Robert  Holt  Leigh,  of  Hindley-hall, 
near  Wigan,  bart. 

—  M.  Armand  Louis  Maurice  Se- 
guier,  the  French  consul  general  in  Lon- 
don, a  Chevalier  of  St.  Louis,  and  com- 
mander of  the  legion  of  honour.  He 
wrote  several  small  dramatic  pieces, 
performed  at  the  theatre  des Vaudevilles, 
which  were  extremely  popular. 

14.  In  Bedford-square,  in  his  68th 
year,  Jonathan  Raine,  esq.  M.P.  Mr. 
Raine  was  a  king's  counsel,  and  a  bencher 
of  Lincoln's  Inn,  and  a  fortnight  prior 
to  his  dissolution  he  was  returned  for  the 
duke  of  Northumberland's  borough  of 


. — Mat. 

Newport  (Cornwall),  which  be  had  repre- 
sented since  1812.  In  1816,  Mr.  Raine 
was  appointed  one  of  the  Welsh  judges, 
and  he  continued  to  discharge  the  func- 
tions of  that  judicial  office  until  the  re- 
cent alterations  in  the  judicature  of  the 
Principality,  when  he  retired  on  the 
superannuation  allowance  of  1,000/.  per 
annum. 

15.  Aged  53,  Joseph  Brookhouse, 
esq.  of  Warwick.  He  was  a  native  of 
Leicester:  and  having  early  entered 
into  the  army,  served  during  the  Ame- 
rican war.  After  his  return  he  settled 
at  Leicester,  and  was  the  first  to  intro- 
duce machinery  for  spinning  worsted  in 
the  hosiery  manufactories.  This  inven- 
tion exposed  him  at  first  to  the  mistaken 
ill-will  of  the  working  classes  ;  in  con- 
sequence of  which  he  removed  to  Bir- 
mingham, then  to  Bromsgrove,  and 
finally  to  Warwick.  There  he  success- 
fully conducted  for  many  years  the 
worsted  manuflEictory,  established  in 
1796,  under  the  firm  of  Parkes,  Brook- 
house,  and  Crompton. 

18.  Aged  62,  the  right  bon.  John 
Vaughan,  third  earl  of  Lifibume  (1776) 
sixth  visct.  Lisburne  and  baron  Vaughan 
of  Fethers  (1695);  a  colonel  in  the 
army. 

—  The  rev.  Henry  Francis  Alex- 
ander Delafite,  M.A.  evening  lecturer 
at  St.  Paul's,  Covent  Garden  (for  nearly 
thirty  years),  and  foreign  secretary  to  the 
Royal  society  of  Literature.  Having 
lived  on  terms  of  strict  intimacy  with 
the  late  illustrious  geologist,  De  Luc, 
during  the  latter  years  or  that  eminent 
man's  life,  he,  in  the  year  1812,  pub- 
lished, under  the  eye  of  the  author,  a 
translation  of  De  Luc's  "  Elements  of 
Geology."  He  had  just  completed  at  the 
time  of  his  decease,  a  new  edition  of 
De  Luc's  "  Letters  on  the  Physical 
History  of  the  Earth  ;''  to  which  he  had 
prefixed  an  introduction,  containing  a 
general  view  and  vindication  of  the  la- 
bours of  that  great  geologist. 

23.  At  Crawley,  Hants,  in  his  40th 
year,  the  rev.  Henry  Thomas  Dampier, 
rector  of  that  parish,  vicar  of  Westwrat- 
ting,  Cambridgeshire,  and  prebendary 
of  Ely.  He  was  the  eldest  son  of  the  late 
sir  Henry  Dampier,  judge  of  the  King's 
Bench. 

24.  At  Jarrow,  in  her  107th  year, 
Margaret  Fenwick,  she  retained  her  fa- 
culties unimpaired  to  the  last.  From 
the  township  of  West^te,  she  had  re- 
ceived, during  the  period  of  57  years,  not 
less  than  450A 


240 


ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


Oft 


5Dtb 


At  Watford,  in  liis 
Robert  Cliitterbuck,  esq.  B.A.  F.S.A.  a 
deputy  lieutenant  and  magistrate  fur 
Hertfordshire,  and  author  of  the  History 
of  that  county.  Mr.  Clutterbuck  was 
born  at  Watford,  June  28,  1772.  At  an 
early  age  he  was  sent  to  Harrow-school  j 
and  he  continued  there  until  he  was  en- 
tered as  a  gentleman  commoner  of  Exe- 
ter college,  Oxford.  He  subsequently 
took  the  degree  of  B.A. ;  and  was  then 
entered  at  Lincoln's  Inn,  intending  to 
make  the  law  his  profession ;  but  his  ar- 
dour in  the  pursuit  of  chemistry,  and 
in  painting  (in  which  he  took  lessons 
of  Barry)  induced  him,  after  a  residence 
of  several  years  in  London,  to  abandon 
his  original  plans.  In  the  year  1798  he 
married  Marianne  the  eldest  daughter 
of  colonel  James  Capper,  of  the  lion. 
East  India  Company's  service ;  and,  after 
a  few  years  residence  at  the  scat  of  his 
father-in-law,  Cathays,  near  Cardifl*  in 
Glamorganshire,  he  took  possession  of 
his  paternal  estate  at  Watford,  where  he 
continued  to  reside  until  his  death.  He 
employed  his  leisure  in  collecting  mate- 
rials for  a  new  edition  of  Chauncv's  His- 
tory of  Hertfordshire.  But  finding  his 
manuscripts  greatly  accumulated,  and 
having  purchased  in  1811  the  genealogi- 
cal collections  for  Hertfordshire,  made 
by  the  late  Thomas  Blore,  esq.  F.S.A. 
he  formed  the  resolution  of  publishing  a 
completely  new  History  of  his  native 
County,  making  such  use  only  of 
Chauncy's  materials  as  were  to  his  pur- 
pose. In  this  object  he  steadily  perse- 
vered for  eighteen  years,  and  the  result 
was  an  elegant  and  complete  History,  in 
three  folio  volumes. 

26.  In  his  77th  year,  Charles  Riving- 
ton,  esq.  of  Waterloo-place,  and  Bruns- 
wick-square, the  senior  member  of  thefirm 
of  Messrs.  Rivingtons,  booksellers  of  St. 
Paul's  Church-yard  and  Waterloo-place. 

27.  At  Gatcombe-park,  in  his  6tli 
year,  the  only  son  of  David  Ricardo,  esq 
He  was  taking  his  usual  exercise  in  the. 
park,  with  a  servant  attending  him,  when 
the  pony  on  which  he  was  riding  sud- 


DEATHS.— May.  , 

year,    of  thirty  years  a  judge  of  the  court  of 
Exchequer. 

—  At  Pilton,  aged  67,  Richard  Pel- 
lowe,  esq.,  a  post  captain  R.  N. 

28.  At  Paris,  the  celebrated  M.  Gre- 
goirc,  formerly  bishop  of  Blois,  and 
member  of  the  National  Convention. 

—  In  Albemarle-street,  after  a  short 
but  severe  illness,  aged  73,  the  right 
hon.  William  Carnegie,  seventh  earl  of 
Northesk  and  lord  Rosehill,  in  the  peer- 
age of  Scotland  ;  an  admiral  of  the  Red, 
rear-admiral  of  Great  Britain,  G.  C»B«, 
K.  C. ,  L  L.  D.,  and  governor  of    the 
British  Linen  Company's  Bank.     Hla 
lordship  was  descended  from  an  ancient 
family,  which  bad  been  settled  for  se« 
veral  centuries  in  the  county  of  Angus, 
North  Britain.    In  the  reign  of  Charles 
the  First,  the  eldest  of  four  brothem  was 
created  earl  of  iSouthcsk,  and  lord  Car-  . 
negie,  and  the  second  was  advanced  to 
the  dignities  of  lord  Inglismaldie,  lord 
Lour,  and  earl  of  Ethie,  which  two  latter 
titles  he  afterwards  exchanged  for  those 
of  earl  of  Northesk  and  lord  Rosehill* 
In  consequence  of  the  attachment  of  tliis 
family  to  that  unfortunate  prince,  they 
were  fined  by  Oliver  Cromwell  10,000iL 
They  were  afterwards  equally  remark- 
able for  their  support  of  the  Revolution, 
and  for  their  steady  loyalty  to  the  House 
of  Hanover.    In  the  Rebellion  of  171^, 
when  the  family  mansion  was  taken  pos* 
session  of  by  the  old  pretender,    the 
countess  of  Northesk    was  oblig^  to 
seek  refuge  in  the  castle  of  EUiinburgh, 
where  she  was    delivered  of  the  JatB 
earPs  father,  George,  earl  of  Northesk, 
so  named  after  Geoige  the  First.    He 
died  in  17i^2,  having  served  with  a  con- 
siderable degree  of  credit  in  the  royal 
navy,  and  having  attained  the  rank  of 
admiral  of  the  White.    The  late  earl, 
the  third  son  of  the  preceding,  by  lady 
Ann  Leslie,  daughter  of  the  earl  of  Leven, 
and  MelvillCf  was  bom  in  1758.    At  the 
age  of  eleven  he  embarked  with  captain 
the    hon.    Samuel    Barrington,    in  the 
Albion.    He  next  served  with  captain 
Macbride  in  the  Southampton,  at  the 


denly  turned  round  in  the  direction  of     time  he  conveyed  the  queen  of  Denmark 


the  stable,  and  threw  him  with  such  vio- 
lence on  his  head  as  to  occasion  his  death 
in  two  hours  afterwards, 

—  At  Berlin,  Christian  Adam  Gas- 
pari,  professor  of  Geography  and  Sta- 
tistics in  the  University  of  Konigsberg. 


to  Zell ;  after  being  made  acting  lieot. 
in  the  Nonsuch,  and  confirmed  by  lord 
Howe  in  1777  into  the  Apollo,  he  served 
with  sir  John  Lockhart  Ross  in  the  Royal 
George  at  the  capture  of  the  Caracca 
fleet  off  Cape  Finisterre,  and  at  the  re- 


He  was  born  in  1752,  and  was  author  of  lief  of   Gibitdtar;    then  in  the  West 

many  works  on  Geography.    &c.  Indies  with  lord  Rodney,  who  promoted 

—  At  Aghneverna,  co.  Louth,  aged  him  from  the  Flag  ship  after  the  a^ioD 

62»  the  hon.  baron  M'  Clelland,  upwards  of  the  17th  of  April,  1780,  to  be  com- 


APPENDIX  TO  CHRONICLE.         241 

DEATHS.-rJuNE. 

mander  of  the  Blast  fire  ship.    In  1788  mouth  where  he  remained  until  1830, 

he  succeeded  his  elder  brother,  as  lord  when  the  period  allowed  for  the  command 

Rosehill,  and  on  the  equipment  of  the  expired.    The  funeral  of  this  brave  and 

Russian  armament  was  appointed  to  the  distinguished  nobleman  took  place  in  St. 

Heroine  thirty-two  gun  frigate,  but  was  Paul's  Cathedral,  8th  of  June, 

paid  off  soon  after.    In  17^2  on  the  de-  29.  At  Warwick,  aged  87,  the  rev. 

mise  of  his  father  he  succeeded  to  the  John  Clowes,  rector  of  St.  John^a  church 

title  and  estate,  and  in  January  of  the  Manchester, 

following  year  proceeded  to  the  West  30.  At  the  Rectory,  Hambleden, Bucks, 

Indies  in    command  of  the   Beaulieu  aged  17,  Letitia-Matilda,  youngest  dau. 

frigate,  and  returned  with  convoy  in  the  of  the  rev.  H.  Colborne  Ridley. 

Andromeda,  which  was  shortly  after  put  31.  At  Welford-park,  aged  57»  John 

out  of  commission.    He  remained  un-  Archer  Houblon,  esq.  formerly  M.  P«  for 

employed  until  1796,  when  he  joined  Essex.    He  was  returned,  after  a  con- 

the  North  Sea  fleet  under  lord  Duncan,  test  with  Montagu  Burgoyne,  esq.    It 

and  in  1800  was  appointed  to  the  Prince  continued  during  15  days,  in  which  Mr. 

of  ninety-eight    guns  in  the  Channel  Houblon  polled  2519  and  Mr.  Burgoyne 

fleet  under  the  command  of  his  illustri-  811  votes, 

ous  relative  the  earl  of  St.  Vincent,  in  Lately*  At  Kourdefan,  in  Abyssinia, 
which  ship  he  continued  till  the  peace  capt.  Woodfall  who  had  been  sent  by  the 
in  1802,  when  he  again  retired  from  African  society  to  penetrate  into  Africa 
active  service,  and  the  same  year  was  through  Abyssinia, 
re-elected  one  of  the  sixteen  peers  of  Near  Rome,  in  her  32nd  year,  the 
Scotland.  On  the  renewal  of  hostilities  right  hon.  Mary-Lucy  lady  Clinbrd.  She 
with  the  French  Republic  in  1803  his  was  the  only  dau.  of  Thomas  Weld,  of 
lordship  was  amongst  the  foremost  to  Lul worth  Castle,  in  Dorsetshire,  esq. 
offer  his  services,  and  was  immediately  (now  a  Cardinal  of  the  church  of  Rome^ 
appointed  to  his  majesty's  ship  Britannia  by  Lucy  dau.  of  the  hon.  Thos.  Clifford  ; 
of  100  guns.  In  her  he  served  in  the  was  married  to  her  second  cousin,  the 
Channel  under  the  command  of  admiral  present  lord,  Aug.  31,  1818. 
Cornwallis  till  May  1804,  when  he  was  In  Scotland,  Brigadier-general  Alex- 
promoted  to  the  rank  of  rear-admiral  of  ander  Walker,  of  the  East  India  Com- 
the  White.  In  the  following  month  he  pany's  Bombay  establishment,  late  go- 
hoisted  his  flag  in  the  same  ship,  and  venior  of  St.  Helena. 
continued  to  serve  in  her  on  her  former  At  his  seat,  Haverholme  Priory,  near 
station  in  the  arduous  blockade  of  Brest  Newark,  in  bis  85th  year,  sir  Jenison 
during  the  trying  and  tempestuous  William  Gordon,  bart.  He  died  without 
winter  of  1804,  and  till  August  in  the  issue,  and  the  title  becomes  extinct,  the 
following  year,  when  he  was  detached  earl  of  Winchilseasucceedingito  his  ex» 
with  a  squadron  under  the  orders  of  vice-  tensive  estates: 
admiral  sir  Robert  Calder  to  reinforce 

vice-admiral  CoUingwood  off  Cadiz.  In  n tvu 
the  battle  of  Trafalgar  the  Britannia  JUNE. 
bore  his  lordship's  flag,  and  took  a  dis- 
tinguished part  in  achieving  the  victory.  1.  At  his  bouse,  St.  John's  Wood, 
For  his  brilliant  services  on  this  occasion  aged  53,  John  Jackson,  esq.  R.  A.  the 
lord  Northesk  was  created  a  knight  of  the  eminent  portrait  painter.  This  dlstin- 
Bath,  and  received  the  thanks  of  both  guished  artist  was  bom  at  Lastingham,  a 
Houses  of  Parliament ;  the  freedom  of  small  village  in  the  North  Riding  of 
the  city  of  London,  and  of  the  Gold-  Yorkshire,  May  31,  1778.  His  lather 
smith's  Company,  with  a  sword  of  the  was  the  village  tailor,  and  he  himself 
value  of  100  guineas  from  the  city  of  commenced  his  career  in  that  unambitious 
London,  an  admiral's  medal  from  his  occupation.  He  had  from  his  childhood 
majesty  to  be  worn  round  the  neck,  and  a  predilection  for  drawing;  and  by  the 
a  vase  of  the  value  of  300/.  from  the  time  he  left  school,  had  (by  the  assist- 
Patriotic  Fund  at  LIoyd*8  were  voted  to  anceof  his  master)  made  greater  profici- 
him.  On  the  death  of  admiral  sir  William  ency  than  the  slender  means  he  pos- 
Young,  21st  of  Nov.  1821,  the  earl  of  sessed  appeared  to  warrant.  In  17^7, 
Northesk  was  appointed  rear-admiral  of  at  nineteen  years'of  age,  he  ventured  to 
Great  Britain,  and  in  May  1827,  he  was  offer  himself  as  a  painter  of  portraits  In 
appointed  commander-in-chief  at  Hy-  miniature,  at  York ;  and  during  one  of 

Vol.  LXXIIL  B 


242        ANNUAL   REGISTER,  1831. 

DEATHS.— JuwE. 

his  itinerant  excursions  to  Whitby,  had    Gallery,  and  was  afterwards  honoured  by 

the  honour  of  an  introduction  to  lord     being  commissioned  to  paint  portraits  of 


Mnlgrave,  by  whom  he  was  patronized, 
and  rcrommended  to  the  notice  of  the 
r.irl  of  Carlisle.  At  Canle  Howard  he 
had  tlie  great  advantac;c  of  studying:  a 
mac^nififcnt  collection  of  pictures*,  and  lie 
copied  tlic  three  Marys,  by  AnnihalC'ar- 
rncci,  with  considerable  success.  He  held 
likewise  tiie  good  fortune  to  meet  with 
another  patron  in  the  late  sir  Georp:c 
Doaumont,  who,  as  the  iirst  trial  of  his 
abilities,  lenthimapictureoftheyounpfer 
Colmanby  sir  Joi<hua  Reynolds,  of  which 
lie  made  a  most  faithful  copy.  In  1804 
he  came  to  Tjondon,  and  in  the  following 
year  became  a  student  at  the  Royal  Aca- 
demy,sir  George  Beaumont  contributing 
l>rinci pally  to  his  support.  In  1807  he 
was  established  as  a  portrait  painter;  and 
every  succeeding  year  furnished  speci- 
mens of  his  abilities  for  the  Exhibition 
at  Somerset  House.  Although,  from  the 
field  being  occupied  by  artists  of  longer 
standing,  it  was  long  before  he  obtained 
much  employment  as  a  painter  inu)il, 
liis  portraits  in  water  colours  soon  became 
very  much  admired.  In  1816  he  was 
elected  an  associate  of  the  Royal  Academy, 
and  in  1818  a  Royal  Academician.  In  the 
former  year  he  accompanied  general  the 
hon.  Edmund  Phipps  in  a  tour  through 
Holland  and  Flanders  ;  and  in  1819,  in 
company  with  Mr.Chantrey  the  sculptor, 
he  made  the  tour  of  Italy,  by  way  of 
(loneva,  Milan,  Padua,  Venice,  Bologna, 
Florence,  and  Rome.  At  the  latter  city 
ho  was  a-^sociated  a  member  of  the  Aca- 
demy of  St.  Luke,  and  met  with  great  at- 
tention from  Cauova,  who  sat  to  him  for 
his  portrait  :  the  picture  is  now  in  the 
possession  of  Mr.  Chantrey,  and  engraved 
in  the  European  Magazine  for  Nov.  1822. 
One  of  his  last  exhibition  pictures  was  a 
portrait  of  his  intimate  friend  Chantrey, 
which  he  painted  last  year  for  sir  Robert 
Peel.  As  a  portrait  painter  Mr.  Jackson 
maybe  ranked  between  the  elegant  detail 
of  Lawrence,  and  the  vigorous  generali- 
ties of  Raeburn.  He  had  an  uncommon 
readiness  and  skill  of  hand ;  his  colouring 
was  deep,  clear,  and  splendid,  and  in  this 
he  resembled  Reynolds  more  than  any 
artist  since  his  day. 

1.  In  Newman-street,  at  an  advanced 
age,  Mather  Brown,  esq.  This  gentle- 
man was  a  native  of  America,  and  com- 
ing to  England  when  a  young  man,  be- 
came a  pupil  of  his  countryman  Mr.  West. 
He  was  empl«>yed  by  Boydell  to  paint 


their  majesties,  and  others  of  the  Royal 
Family.  Towards  the  latter  end  of  the 
last  century  be  enjoyed  considerable 
practice  as  a  portrait  painter,  and  for 
several  years  occupied  a  spacioua  houae 
in  Cavendish-square,  which  had  been 
previously  tenanted  by  Romney.  He 
also  painted  the  historical  pictures  from 
which  were  engraved  some  of  the  most 
popular  prints,  particularly  the  marquis 
Cornwallis  receiving  the  sons  of  Tip- 
poo  Saib  as  hostages.  These  prodnetioos 
had  suilicient  merit  for  public  sale;  but 
not  to  place  Mr.  Brown  in  a  very  high 
rank  in  his  profession,  A  picture  of  the 
Ressurrcction,  which  be  painted  late  in 
life,  was  considered  one  of  his  best  pro- 
ductions. 

2.  At  Paris,  the  Nestor  of  French  liter- 
ature, Felix  Nogaret,  bom  at  Versailles 
in  1740.  He  was  known  by  the  name  of 
the  French  Aristenetus,  and  his  last 
production  was  a  pamphlet,  lialf  in  prose 
and  half  in  verse,  intilled,  "  Aristenete 
a  M.  Noiret ;"  it  is  dated  Jan.  1831. 

—  At  York,  Charles  Otter,  esq.  a 
post  captain  R.N. 

3.  At  Reading,  Stephen  Maberly, 
esq.,  father  of  J.  Maberly,  esq.  M.P.  for 
Abingdon. 

—  At  Sidney-lodge,  Cambridge,  after 
many  months  of  acute  sufiering,  fifary, 
wife  of  the  rev.  Dr.  Cbafy,  master  ti 
Sidney  Sussex  College. 

4.  In  Gloucester^place,  aged  98» 
Thomas  Percy  Meade,  M.A.  Fellow  of 
All  Souls'  College,  Oxford,  second  son 
of  the  hon.  and  rev.  Pierce  Meade,  bf 
Elizabeth,  daughter  of  the  late  Dr.  Ptercy, 
bishop  of  Dromore. 

8.  In  Upper  Baker-street,  aged  75, 
Mrs.  Sarah  Siddons,. the  celebrated  ac- 
tress. This  highly  talented  lady  was 
horn  at  Brecknock,  and  was  the  eldest 
daughter  of  Mr.  Roger  Kemble,tbei 
ager  of  an  itinerant  company  of 
dians.  She  made  her  first  essay  as  a 
singer,  but  soon  abandoned  that  line  and 
attempted  tragedy.  Ea^-ly  in  life  she  con- 
ceived a  passion  for  Mr.Siddons,  in  which 
not  being  indulged  by  her  parents,  she 
quitted  the  stage,  and  engaged  herself 
as  lady's  maid  in  the  family  of  Mn. 
Greatheed,  of  Guy's-CUff,  near  War- 
wick, where  she  remained  about  a  year  ; 
and  then  resolving  to  unite  herself  with 
the  man  of  her  afTections,  she  was  mar- 
ried  to  Mr.   Siddons,   and  sodh  after 


some  of  the  subjects  for  the  Shakspeare    joined,  a  strolling  company  of  no  gieat 


APPENDIX  TO  CHRONICLE. 


243 


DEATHS.— JcnvB. 


reputation.  Both  she  and  herhushand 
had,  however,  the  good  fortune  to  be 
engaged  by  Mr.  Younger,  to  perform  at 
Liverpool,  Birmingham,  &e.;  with  him 
she  remained  a  few  years,  and  acquired 


the  summer  she  visited  Dublin,  the  fn- 
habitants  of  which  were  equally  aston- 
ished at  her  powers.  On  her  return  for 
the  winter  (1783-4,)  she  performed  for 
the  first  time  **  By  command  of  their  ma- 


a  celebrity  which  procured  her  an  en-    jestiea.'*  During  the  succeeding  summer 


gageraent  at  Drury-lane.  The  following 
Is  a  description  of  her  first  appearance 
as  Portia,  Dec.  29,  1775:—"  On  before 
us  tottered,  rather  than  walked,  a  very 
pretty,  delicate,  fragile  loolflng  young 
creature,  dressed  in  a  most  imbeooming 
manner,  a  faded  salmon-coloured  sack 
and  coat,  and  uncertain  whereabouts  to 
fix  either  her  eyes  or  het  feet.  She 
spoke  in  a  broken  tremulous  tone,  and, 
at  the  close  of  a  sentence,  her  words  ge- 
nerally lapsed  into  a  hurried  whisper 
that  was  absolutely  inaudible.  After  her 
first  exit  the  buzzing  comment  round  the 
pit  ran  generally,  *'  She  is  certainly  very 
pretty,  but  then  how  awkward!  and 
what  a  shockinig  dresser!"  Towards 
the  famous  trial  scene  she  became  more 
collected,  and  delivered  the  great  speech 
to  Shylock  with  the  most  critical  pro 


she  took  a  second  trip  to  Ireland,  and  also 
visited  Edinburgh :  in  both  places  she 
not  only  received  great  salaries  but  very 
considerable  presents.  Envy  and  malice 
as  usual,  pursued  merit ;  and  to  these 
alone  can  be  attributed  the  attack  made 
on  her  in  a  newspapefi  res|>eeting  her 
treatment  of  an  unhappy  sister,  &c. 
These  reports,  however,  bad  sueh  an 
effect  upon  the  town,  that  on  *hef  first 
appearance  on  the  stage  in  1784,  she 
was  saluted  with  the  cry  of,  **Off\  off  I  " 
Her  friends  at  length  obtained  her  a 
hearing  ;  and  her  husband  and  brother 
succeeded  in  refuting  the  calumnies  to 
which  she  had  been  exposed.  She  was 
accordingly  restored  to  public  favour* 
Their  majesties  at  this  time  paid  her 
much  attention.  Her  talent  in  reciting 
dramatic  works  had  been  highly  spoken 


priety,  but  still  with  a  faintness  of  utter-     of,  which  reaching  the  ears  of  the  Royal 
ance  which  seemed  the  result  rather  of    family,  she  was  frequently  invited   to 


an  internal  physical  weakness  than  a  de- 
ficiency of  spirit  or  feeling.  Al- 
together, the  impression  made  upon  the 
audience  by  this  first  efibrt  was  of  the 
most  negative  description." — She  was 
at  that  time  considered  merely  as  a 
second-rate  actress ;  and  being  unfortu- 
nately placed  in  an  unsuccessful  after- 
piece written  by  the  editor  of  a  news- 


Buckingham*house  and  Windsor,  where 
she  and  her  brother  ofteif  recited 
plays:  .  When  some  relaxation,  on  ac- 
count of  her  health,  was  cohsioered  ne- 
cessary, she  quitted  Drury-lane  for  a 
time,  and  performed  at  Weymouth,  Ply- 
mouth, Liverpool,  &c.  with  additional 
reputation.  She  also  visited  several  of 
her  noble  patrons,  amongst  whom  lord 


paper,  who  omitted  no  opportunity  of    and  lady  Harcourt  stood  conspicuous. 


injuring  her  reputation,  she  quitted  the 
London  boards  for  a  time,  to  return  to 
them  afterwards  with  increased  lustre. 
At  Bath,  whither  she  repaired,  she  was 
observed  to  improve  rapidly,  and  is  said 
to  have  been  usefully  assisted  by  the 
lessons  of  Mr.  Pratt,  then  a  bookseller 
in  that  city.  She  had  also  the  good 
fortune  to  be  patronised  by  the  duchess 
of  Devonshire,  who  procured  her  another 
engagement  at  Drury  Lane.  Before 
she  quitted  Bath  she  spoke  a  farewell 
address,  which  she  herself  had  written. 
Mrs.  Siddons  made  her  second  appear- 


The  remains  of  Mrs.  Siddons  were  in- 
terred at  Paddington  church  on  the  15th 
of  June.  The  funeral  procession  con- 
sisted of  a  hearse,  drawn  by  four  horses 
followed  by  two  mourning  coaches  and 
four,  containing  the  relatives  of  the  de- 
ceased; afterwards  fourteen  mourning 
coaches  drawn  by  two  horses,  each  con- 
taining four  gentlemen  belonging  to  the 
theatres  ;  two  gentlemen's  carriages 
brought  up  the  procession,  The  number 
of  persons  assembled  to  witness  the  fhne- 
ral  could  not  be  less  than  iKKK).  Mrs. 
Siddons*s    son     died     at     Edinburgh, 


ance  at  Drury-lane  on  the  10th  Oct.1782,*    where  he  was  manager  of  the  theatre, 


in  the  character  of  Isabella.  Her  feme 
was  soon  spread  abroad,  and  the  theatre 
overflowed  every  night.  Her  success 
was  the  means  of  introducing  herslstert 
Miss  F.  Kenible,  on  the  same  stage  ; 
who  played  Alicia,  to  her  sister^s  Jane 
Shore,  but  shortly  after  retired,  on  her 
marriage  with  Mr.  Twiss,  a  literary  gen- 
tleman, and  a  well  known  traveller.    In 


April  13,  1815.  She  had  also  two 
daughters,  one  of  whom  died  at  the 
time  she  was  engaged  to  marry  the 
late  sir  Thomas  Lawrence,  ' 

—  At  bis  house  in  Berkeley-square, 
aged  70,  sir  John  Edward  Harrington, 
the  eighth  baronet,  of  Ridlingtoni  co. 
Rutland. 

9.  At  Madras,  li^ut*  col.  John  Tayn- 

R2 


244        ANNUAL   REGISTER,    1831. 


DEATHS 

ton,  of  the  bon.  East  India  Company's 
establishment 

10.  At  his  bead- quarters,  Klcczcwo, 
near  Pultusk,  of  cholera  morbus,  aged 
46,  field-marshal  count  Diebitscb  Sa- 
balkansky.  This  celebrated  general 
was  descended  from  an  ancient  Silesian 
family,  and  was  born  May  13,  1785. 
In  his  earliest  years,  it  is  said,  he  had 
so  singularly  retentive  a  memory,  that, 
when  he  had  attained  bis  fourth  year,  he 
was  capable  of  resolving  arithmetical 
questions  with  greater  readiness  than 
most  adults.  The  count^s  father  was 
an  officer  of  distinguished  talent,  whom 
Frederick  the  Great,  a  short  time  before 
his  death,  appointed  on  his  personal 
staff  as  extra  adjutant.  After  Frede- 
rick's demise,  he  occupied  the  post  of 
garrison- major  at  Breslau  ;  and  when 
holding  this  post,  was  one  day  agreeably 
surprised  by  receiving  a  ministerial  dis- 
patch, addressed  to  ^*  lieut.  col.  von 
Diebitsch."  In  his  delight  at  this  unex- 
pected honour,  he  spread  the  tidings  in- 
stantly among  his  comrades,  and  so- 
licited his  commander  to  make  it  public 
on  the  day's  parade ;  the  request  was 
rafiised,  because  his  superior  had  re- 
ceived no  official  intimation  of  his  pro- 
m3tion  ;  and,  it  turned  out  that  the 
whole  arose  out  of  a  blunder  on  the 
part  of  the  office-clerk  who  had  di- 
rected the  dispatch.  Major  Diebitscb, 
deeming  that  he  had  compromised  his 
character  with  the  government,  sent  in 
his  resignation,  left  his  son  to  complete 
his  education  in  the  Academy  for  cadets 
at  Berlin,  and  entered  the  service 
of  Russia.  He  was  immediately  in- 
trusted with  an  important  command  ; 
and  his  son  having  received  an  officer's 
commission  in  the  Russian  guards,  he 
wrote  to  Frederick  William  II.  request- 
ing his  sanction  to  the  transfer  of  his 
own  services;  but  at  the  same  time 
insisting  that  as  his  child  had  been 
educated  in  a  Prussian  military  school, 
the  services  of  that  child  should  be 
devoted  to  the  Prussian  state.  Fred- 
erick, however,  refused  to  shackle  his 
sanction  with  any  such  stipulation  ;  and 
the  consequence  was,  that  the  late  field-  * 
marshal  enlisted  under  Russian  banners. 
His  stratagetic  acquirements,  as  far  as 
regards  theory,  were  perfected  in  the 
military  school  at  St.  Petersburgh. 
He  rose  rapidly  from  the  guards  to 
an  appointment  on  the  staff:  though 
young  in  years,  his  talent  was  so  em- 
inent as  to  entitle  him  to  the  grades  of 
lleut-general  and  quartermaster-gene- 


. — June. 

ral  in  the  campaigns  of  1813  and  1814  : 
and  he  berame  subsequently  Adjutant- 
general  to  the  late  emperor,  whose  con- 
fidence in  him  descended  to  his  succes- 
sor Nicholas.  In  the  conflict  at  Austcr^ 
litz  he  was  wounded  by  a  spent  ball, 
which  lodged  in  the  palm  of  his  liand. 
He  also  distinguished  himself  in  the 
actions  of  Eylau  and  Friedland,  and  in 
the  celebrated  campaign  of  1812.  At 
Dresden  he  received  a  severe  contodoo, 
and  had  two  horses  killed  under  him. 
The  appointment  of  count  Diebitach  to 
the  supreme  command  of  the  Ruaiian 
army,  at  the  commencement  of  the  cam- 
paign against  Turkey  in  18S9,  was  the 
exclusive  act  of  the  emperor.  The  nom- 
ination excited  considerable  discontent 
in  the  first  instance,  because  the  penoo 
selected  was  not  a  native  Russian.  The 
operations  of  the  campaign  and  its  re- 
sult show  that  the  choice  of  the  emperor 
was  not  misplaced.  The  emperor  tamde 
the  field -marshal  a  count,  with  the  title 
of  Sabalkansky,  or  the  Traverser  of 
the  Balkan ;  and  on  the  12th  of  Sept* 
1829,  sent  him  the  order  of  St  George 
of  the  1st  class.  Thus  possessing  the 
entire  confidence  of  Nicholas^  he  was 
selected,  on  the  breaking  out  of  the 
Polish  revolution,  to  restore  the  Rus- 
sian dominion  in  that  countrr.  On 
the  morning  of  May  28  (June  9,)  the 
field-marshal  had  felt  himself  unwelly 
but  during  the  day  he  eat  and  seemed 
n  good  spirits  as  usual.  In  the  CTening 
he  went  to  bed  at  10  o'clock,  was  soon 
called  up  to  attend  to  some  business, 
and  still  appeared  quite  well.  About 
two  o'clock  in  the  morning  he  suddenly 
felt  indisposed,  and  called  to  his  at- 
tendant<«,  but  it  was  not  till  past  three 
o'clock  that,  finding  himself  grow  worsef 
he  ordered  ths  physician  to  be  called. 
The  symptoms  of  cholera  soon  became 
very  violent,  and  after  severe  suflerings 
terminated  in  death  at  a  quarter  past  11 
in  the  morning.  In  person,  Diebitsch 
was  short,  brown,  and  walked  with  his 
bead  down  :  he  appeared  cold,  but  his 
eye  was  fiery,  and  continually  occupied ; 
his  forehead  was  high,  like  that  of  Na- 
poleon, and  his  back  bent  somewhat 
crooked.  He  was  married,  in  1815,  to 
Jane,  baroness  de  Tomau,  niece  to  the 
lady  of  prince  Barclay  de  Tdly.  The 
marshall  when  dyinff  expressed  a  with 
that  his  remains  should  be  buried  in 
Silesia. 

10.  Aged  56,  the  right  hon.  lady 
Mary  York,  wife  of  Richard  York,  esq. 
of  Wighill-park,  near  Tadcaster,  ^buig^ 


APPENDIX  TO  CHRONICLE. 


U5 


DEATHS 

ter  of  the  late,  and  sister  of  the  pre- 
sent earl  of  Harewood. 

11.  At  Clifton,  aged  69,  licut.  col. 
Hennessy,  E,  I.  C. 

12.  At  Ivy  Cottage  in  the  Isle  of  Port- 
land, baron  Gustavus  Nolcken,  eldest 
surviving  son  of  baron  Nolcken  formerly 
Swedish  ambassador  to  this  country. 

13.  At  Clifton,  aged  47,  Eliza^  wife 
of  general  sir  Hussey  Vivian,  bart. 
G.C.B.,  and  commander-in-chief  of  the 
forces  in  Ireland. 

15.  At  Chelsea,  aged  111,  Patrick 
Gibson.  He  was  a  purser  in  the  navy, 
superannuated  after  he  had  passed  his 
hundredth  year.  Gibson  was  an  Irish- 
man, and  of  a  very  strong  sinewy  frame. 

—  In  Wimpole-street,  aged  80,  gen. 
William  Loftus,  col.  of  the  second  Dra- 
goon Guards,  and  lieut.  governor  of  the 
Tower  of  London. 

—  At  Hillingdon,  aged  81,  lady  Ka- 
therine  Walpole,  aunt  to  the  earl  of  Or- 
ford,  dau.  of  Horatio  the  first  earl,  by 
lady  Rachael  Cavendish,  third  dau.  of 
William,  third  duke  of  Devonshire. 

16.  At  his  seat,  Woodend,  Hampshire, 
after  a  very  short  illness,  aged  83,  sir 
John  Knight,  K.  C.  B.,  admiral  of  the 
Red. 

—  At  tlie  Manor  house.  High  Beach, 
Essex,  aged  72,  Thomas  Sotheby,  esq. 
admiral  of  the  White. 

18.  At  his  seat,  Votes  Court,  Kent, 
aged  63,  the  right  hon.  George  Byng, 
sixth  viscount  Torrington,  in  Devon- 
shire, and  baron  Byng  of  Southill  in 
Bedfordshire,  a  baronet,  vice-admiral  of 
the  white,  D.C.L.  and  F.R.S. 

20.  At  Montrose,  aged  90,  Mrs.  Mar- 
garet Rose,  sister  of  the  late  right  hon. 
sir  G.  Rose,  treasurer  of  the  navy. 

23.  At  his  house,  in  Arlington-street, 
Piccadilly,  aged  84,  the  right  hon.  lord 
Robert  Spencer,  uncle  to  the  duke  of 
Marlborough  and  lord  Churchill. 

24.  Aged  73,  Anna,  widow  of  Robert 
(who  but  for  the  attainder  would  have 
been  the  12th)  lord  Trimlestoun,  of 
Trimlestoun  Castle,  Dublin,  cousin  of 
the  present  Peer. 

—  In  James-street,  Buckingham-gate, 
colonel  sir  Ralph  Hamilton,  knight,  of 
Olivestob,  N.B.  groom  of  the  bed- 
chamber to  the  duke  of  Gloucester. 

—  At  Mentz,  aged  64,  count  Ferdi- 
nand de  Hompesch,  lieut-general  in  the 
British  service. 

—  At  Margate,  aged  60,  G.  Crook- 
shank,  esq.  eldest  son  of  the  late  right 
hon.  A.  Crookshank,  of  Newton-park^ 
pear  Dublin. 


, — June. 

26.  Sir  Murray  Maxwell,  knight,  and 
C.B.  a  post  captain  in  the  royal  navy, 
and  F.R.S. ;  first  cousin  to  sir  'William 
Maxwell,  of  Calderwood,  county  Lanark, 
bart.,  and  to  Jane  late  Duchess  of  Gor- 
don. This  distinguished  officer  was  a 
son  of  Alexander  Maxwell,  esq.  mer- 
chant at  Leith,  (third  son  of  sir  William 
Maxwell,  the  fourth  baronet),  by  Mary, 
daughter  of  Hugh  Clerk,  esq.  He  com- 
menced his  naval  career  under  the  au- 
spices of  sir  Samuel  Hood  ;  obtained  his 
first  commission  as  a  lieutenant  in  1796, 
and  was  promoted  to  the  command  of  the 
Cyane  sloop  of  war,  at  the  Leeward 
islands,  in  Dec.  1802.  His  post  com* 
mission  was  confirmed  by  the  admiralty, 
Aug.  4,  1803.  In  Oct.  1815  he  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  Alceste,  at  the  particular 
request  of  lord  Amherst,  who  was  about 
to  proceed  on  his  celebrated  embassy  to 
China.  The  Alceste  sailed  from  Spit- 
head,  Feb.  9,  1816;  and  landed  lord 
Amherst  on  the  9th  of  August  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Peiho  river.  As  it  was 
certain  that  it  would  be  several  months 
before  his  lordship  could  return  from 
Pekin  to  Canton,  the  interval  was  em- 
ployed in  surveying  the  coasts  of  that 
part  of  the  globe.  In  the  course  of  this 
cruise,  very  considerable  accessions  were 
made  to  the  knowledge  of  the  hydro- 
grapher.  In  particular,  the  main  land 
of  Corea  was  found  more  than  a  hundred 
miles  to  the  eastward  of  the  spot  laid 
down  in  the  charts.  Lord  Amherst  hav- 
ing embarked  at  Whampoa  on  the  21st 
of  Jan.  1817,  the  Alceste  had  proceeded 
as  far  as  the  Straii9>of  Gaspar,  every 
circumstance  promising  a  speedy  passage 
into  the  Java  sea,  when,  on  the  Idth  of 
February  she  struck  on  a  sunken  and 
unknown  rock,  three  miles  distant  from 
Pulo  Leat.  A  landing  having  been  ef- 
fected on  that  barren  island,  it  was 
judged  expedient  that  lord  Amherst  and 
his  suite  should  proceed  immediately  to 
Batavia,  a  distance  of  200  miles.  This 
was  happily  effected,  by  his  lordship 
and  a  company  of  forty-six  individuals, 
in  the  barge  and  a  cutter,  after  a  passage 
of  four  nights  and  three  days,  in  which 
great  privations  were  suffered  from  the 
scarcity  of  provisions  and  water.  On 
the  following  moming  the  Company's 
cruizcr  Ternate  was  dispatched  to  cap- 
tain Maxwell  and  the  remaining  crew  ; 
but,  in  consequence  of  contrary  currents, 
she  was  not  able  to  join  them  until  a 
fortnight  had  elapsed  from  the  time 
they'  were  first  left  by  lord  Amherst. 
In  the  mean  time  their  eitqation  had 


946 


ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


DEATHS 
attracted  the  notice  of  the  Malay  proas, 
or  pi  rate  boatn,  who  had  burnt  the  wreck 
to  the  water's  edge ;  and  now  completely 
blockaded  the  shipwrecked  crew.  Be- 
fore the  approach  of  the  Tematc,  this 
swarm  of  hornets  had  increased  to  no 
less  than  sixty  in  number,  each  contain- 
ing from  eight  to  twelve  men  ;  but  im- 
mediately on  the  appearance  of  that 
vessel,  they  took  to  a  precipitate  flight. 
For  some  days  captain  Maxwell  had  been 
actively  employed  in  fortifying  a  hill, 
and  providing  his  party  with  ammuni- 
tion. The  Ternate  sailed  on  the  7th  of 
April  with  the  rescued  crew,  and  reached 
Batavia  on  the  9th;  and  three  days 
after,  the  embassy  and  crew  of  the  Al- 
ceste  sailed  together  for  England  in  the 
ship  Caisar.  Captain  Maxwell  was  no- 
minated a  C.B.  in  1815,  and  received 
the  honour  of  knighthood  May  27,  1818. 
At  the  general  election  in  the  same 
year  he  was  a  candidate  for  the  city  of 
Westminster,  and  sustained  severe  per* 
sonal  injury  from  the  rabble.  On  the 
20th  of  May,  1819,  the  East-India  Com- 
pany presented  him  with  the  sum  of 
1,500/.  for  the  services  rendered  by  him 
to  the  embassy,  and  as  a  remuneration 
for  the  loss  he  sustained  on  his  return 
from  China.  He  was  appointed  to  tl)C 
Bulwark,  a  third-rate,  bearing  the  flag 
of  sir  Benjamin  Hallowell,  at  Chatham, 
in  June  1821 ;  was  removed  to  the  Briton 
frigate  on  the  28th  of  Nov.  1822,  and 
afterwards  employed  on  the  South  Ame- 
rican station.  He  had  been  recently 
appointed  on  the  11th  of  May,  lieut.- 
governor  of  Prince  Edward's  Island ;  and 
was  preparing  to  take  his  departure, 
when  a  very  short  illness  texminatcd  his 
life. 

26,  At  Roehampton,  aged  30,  lord 
Arthur  Augustus  Edwin  Hill,  brother 
to  the  marquis  of  Downshire. 

27.  At  Witepsk,  of  the  cholera  mor* 
bus,  aged  52,  his  imperial  highness  the 
archduke  Constantinc  of  Russia,  the 
late  viceroy  of  Poland.  He  was  born 
May  9, 1779,  and  was  the  second  son  of 
the  emperor  Paul,  and  the  empress 
Maria  Feodowna,  before  marriage  the 
princess  Sophia  Dorothea  Augusta  of 
Wurtemberg.  When  not  yet  seventeen, 
Constantinc  was  married  Feb.  26,  1796, 
to  Julia  Henrietta  Ulrica,  daughter  of 
Francis  duke  of  Saxe  Coburg-Saal- 
tield,  and  sister  to  the  present  reigning 
duke  of  Saxe  Coburg.  This  marriage 
was  dissolved  by  an  imperial  ukase  of 
April  2,  1820;  and  the  grand  duke 
was  married  again,  on  the  20th  of  May 


.— sJuNEi 

following,  to  Jane,  by  birth  connteM 
Grudzinska,  and  created  princcis  of 
Lowicz. 

28.  The  right  lion.  Elizabeth  countess 
of  Eldon,  eldest  daughter  of  Aubone 
Surtees,  esq.  of  Newcastle. 

—  In  Queen  Ann-street,  aged  74,  sir 
Francis  John  Hartwell,  knight  and  ba- 
ronet, of  Dale  Hall,  in  Essex,  a  retired 
captain  in  the  royal  navy. 

—  At  Cheyae  Walk,  Chelsea,  aged  58, 
the  rev.  Weeden  Butler,  M.  A.  rector  <rf 
Great  Woolston,  Bucks,  and  minister  of 
Brompton  Chapel,  Middlesex.  He  was 
the  author  of  ^*  BaMtelles,  consisting  of 
original  Poetry  and  Translations,''  1795, 
8vo;  and  also  translated  '*  Prospect  of 
the  political  relations  which  subsist  be- 
tween the  French  Republic  and  tba 
Helvetic  body^  from  the  French  of 
Weiss,"  1794,  8vo.;  "The  Wrongs  of 
Unterwalden,*'  1799;  "  Zimao,  the  Afri- 
can," 1800,  and  1807. 

30.  At  Toxteth  Park,  Liverpool,  aged 
80,  William  Roscoe,  esq.  a  royal  asso^ 
ciate  of  the  Royal  Society  of  Literature, 
and  F.Ij.S.  Mr.  Roscoe  was  bom  at 
Liverpool,  of  obscure  parentage.  His 
father  and  mother  were  both  in  the  ser^ 
vice  of  a  bachelor,  with  whose  consent 
they  married,  and  who,  dying  without 
an  heir,  left  the  greater  part,  if  not  the 
whole  of  his  property,  to  them.  It  does 
not  appear  that  his  patron  paid  any  at- 
tention to  his  early  education,  and  bis 
father  had  no  higher  ambition  than  to 
make  him  acquainted  with  writinff  and 
ari  thmetic.  Through  an  obstinacy  of  tem- 
per, which  in  some  minds  is  the  forerun- 
ner of  genius,  Roscoe  could  not  be  pre- 
vailed upon  to  submit  to  the  drudgery  of 
scholastic  discipline;  and  consequently 
did  not  properly  avail  himself  even  of  the 
small  advantages  of  education  which  bis 
parents  were  able  to  afford  him.  It  vn», 
however,  his  merit  to  discover  in  time 
the  means  of  self-education.  He  early 
began  to  think  for  himself.  At  the  ago 
of  sixteen  his  poetical  productions  would 
have  done  credit  to  one  who  had  enjoyed 
the  advantages  of  tuition ;  and  he  was  at 
that  time  found  sufliciently  qualified  to 
be  admitted  as  an  articled  clerk  to  Mr. 
Eyes,  a  respectable  attorney  in  liver- 
pool.  While  engaged  in  the  duties  of 
the  oHice,  and  fulfllling  them  to  the 
satisfaction  of  his  superior,  he  found 
means,  by  his  own  unassisted  eflbrts,  to 
acquire  a  knowledge  of  Latin  |  and  after- 
wards of  French  and  Italian.  After  the 
expiration  of  his  articles,  he  entered 
into    partnership  with  Mrt  AspinaUi 


APPENDIX  TO  CHRONICLE,         247 


DEATHS.— JuNB. 


when  the  entire  management  of  an  office, 
extensive  in  practice,  and  high  in  repu* 
tation,  devolved  on  him  alone.  About 
this  time  he  formed  an  intimacy  with 
Dr.  Enfield,  the  tutor  of  the  academy  at 
Warrington,  to  whom,  on  the  publica- 
tion of  the  second  volume  of  that  popular 
work  '*The  Speaker,"  he  contributed  an 
Elegy  to  Pity,  and  an  Ode  to  Education. 
Mr.  Roscoe  also  became  acquainted  with 
Dr.  Aikin  another  resident  at  Warring- 
ton. In  December  1773,  he  recited 
before  the  society  formed  at  Liverpool 
for  the  encouragement  of  drawing,  paint' 
iug,  &c.  an  ode  which  was  afterwards 
published  with  **  Mount  Pleasant,''  his 
iirst  poetical  production,  originally  writ- 
ten when  in  his  sixteenth  year.  He  oc- 
casionally gave  lectures  on  subjects  con- 
nected with  the  objects  of  this  institu- 
tion, and  was  a  very  active  member  of 
the  society.  In  1788,  Mr.  Roscoe  pub* 
lished  a  work  upon  the  Slave  Trade,  en- 
titled ''A  Scriptural  Refutation  of  a 
pamphlet  lately  published  by  the  rev. 
llaymond  Harris;''  and  shortly  after- 
wards his  principal  poem,  **  The  Wrongs 
of  Africa."  Incited  by  the  enthusiasm 
of  the  same  train  of  feeling,  he  com- 
posed, about  the  commencement  of  the 
French  Revolution,  two  ballads,  *'  The 
Vine-covered  Hills,"  and  "  Millions  be 


he  was  induced  to  join  the  banking- 
house  of  his  friends  Messrs.  Clarke  ;  and 
in  the  following  year  he  was  elected  one 
of  the  members  for  his  native  town  in 
parliament.  His  senatorial  career  was 
brief;  but  during  its  continuance  he 
distinguished  himself  as  a  steadfast 
advocate  of  the  principles  he  had  always 
professed,  and  as  a  warm  partizan  of  the 
cause  of  emancipation  throughout  the 
debates  upon  the  Slave  Trade.  After 
the  dissolution,  in  1807»  he  declined  en- 
tering upon  a  new  contest,  and  from 
that  time  interfered  with  politics  only 
by  means  of  occasional  pamphlets. 
The  titles  of  the  principal  ot  these  are 
as  follow : — Remarks  on  the  Proposals 
made  to  Great  Britain  for  a  negotiation 
with  France,  1808 ;  Considerations  on 
the  Causes  of  the  present  War,  1808 ; 
Observations  on  the  Address  to  his  IV^- 
jesty,  proposed  by  earl  Grey,  1810 ;  Oc- 
casional Tracts  relative  to  the  War  be- 
twixt France  and  Great  Britain,  1811 ; 
Letter  to  Henry  Brougham,  esq.  on  a 
Reform  in  the  Representation  of  the 
People  in  Parliament,  1811  ;  Answer  to 
a  Letter  from  Mr.  J.  Merritt,  on  Parlia- 
mentary Reform,  1812 ;  Observations  on 
Penal  Jurisprndence  and  the  Reforma- 
tion of  Criminals,  1819.  Mr.  Roscoe 
evinced  his  attachment  to  botany  by 
"  An  Address  delivered  before  the  Pro- 


Free  I'*  The  great  work  on  which  Mr. 
Hoscoe's  fame  chiefly  rests,  his  **  Life  of  prietors  of  the  Botanic  Garden  at  Liver- 
Lorenzo  de'  Medici,''  was  commenced  pool,  previous  to  the  ppening  the  Gar- 
in  1790,  and  completed  in  1796.  During  den.  May  3, 1802/'  published  in  12mo. 


the  period  of  its  compilation,  the  author 
lived  at  the  distance  of  two  miles  from 
Liverpool,  whither  he  daily  repaired  to 
attend  to  the  business  of  his  office.  His 
evenings  alone  could  be  dedicated  to  the 
work ;  the  rare  books  which  he  had  oc- 
casion to  consult,  were  mostly  procured 
from  London,  although  it  was  a  consider- 
able advantage  to  him  that  his  friend) 
Mr.  Clarke,  the  banker,  had  spent  a 
winter  at  Florence.  The  work  was 
printed  at  Liverpool,  under  his  own 
superintendence.  In  1798,  Mr.  Roscoe 
published  "  The  Nurse,  a  Poem,  from 
the  Italian  of  Luigi  Tansillo,''  in  4to. 
8vo.  1800.  In  1805  appeared  his  second 
great  work,  ''The  Life  and  Pontificate 
of  Leo  the  Tenth,"  the  son  of  Lorenaa 
de'  Medici,  in  4  vols.  4to.,  the  8vo.  edi- 
tion, in  six  volumes,  1806.  After  the 
Sublication  of  his  first  historical  work, 
ir.  Roscoe  had  retired  from  his  practice 
as  a  solicitor,  and  had  entered  himself 


and  by  the  following  communications 
to  the  Twsactions  of  tlie  Linnsan  So- 
ciety:  in  1806,  Of  the  Plants  of  the  Mon- 
andrian  Class,  usually  called  Scitami- 
neae  (vol,  viii.  p.  330)  ;  in  1810,  An 
artificial  and  natural  arrangement  of 
Plants,  and  particularly  on  the  systems 
of  Linnseus  and  Jussieu  (vol.  xi.  p.  50) ; 
in  1814,  On  Dr.  Roxburgh's  description 
of  the  Monandrous  Plants  (ibid,  p*  270). 
Mr.  Roscoe  also  wrote  the  preface  to 
Daulby's  Catalogue  of  the  Etchings  of 
Rembrandt;  and  the  descriptions  to  the 
Italian  Views  in  Front's  Landscape  An- 
nual. While  Mr.  Roscoe  was  occupied 
with  his  literary  and  political  studies^  a 
series  of  unforeseen  circumstances,  parti- 
cularly several  other  failures,  obliged  the 
banking-house  in  which  he  was  engaged  to 
suspend  payment.  Time  was  given  for 
the  firm  to  recover  from  its  embarrass- 
ments. The  difficulties,  however,  in 
which  it  was  placed,  rendered  itimpossi- 


at  Gray's  Inn,  with   the  intention  of    hie  for  the  partnerrs  to  make  good  their 
practising  at  the  l^art  In  1 805^  however,    engi^ment^t   Mn  Roscoe  did  all  tliat 


948 


ANNUAL   REGISTER,   1831. 


DEATHS— July. 


could  be  expected  from  an  honest  man ; 
he  gave  up  the  whole  of  bis  property  to 
satisfy  his  creditors.  His  library,  which 
was  very  extensive,  and  consisted  prin- 
cipally of  Italian  works,  was  the  great- 
est sacrifice ;  the  books  were  sold  (at 
Liverpool)  for  5150L,  the  prints  for 
1880/.,  and  the  drawings  for  738/.  A 
portrait  of  Leo  the  Tenth  was  purchased 
for  500/.  by  Mr.  Coke  of  Holkham.  Yet, 
upon  the  whole,  Mr.  Roscoc,  could 
scarcely  be  termed  unfortunate.  Dis- 
tinguished through  life  by  the  friend- 
ship of  tlic  gifted  and  noble,  his 
days  were  spent  in  a  free  intercourse 
with  kindred  minds,  and  his  declining 
years  were  solaced  by  the  affectionate 
attentions  of  sincerely  attached  re- 
lations. He  was  regarded  as  the  head 
of  the  literary  and  scientific  circles 
of  his  native  town;  and  much  of  his 
time  was  spent  in  the  promotion  of 
public  institutions  which  he  had  contri- 
buted to  establish.  His  funeral  was 
attended  by  committees  of  the  Royal 
Institution,  the  Philosophical  Societyi 
and  the  Athenaium ;  and  by  nearly  two 
hundred  gentlemen  on  foot,  besides 
those  in  carriages. 

Lately.  At  Dublin,  lieutenant-colonel 
William  J.  Tucker,  late  of  the  Royal  Irish 
Artillery. 

—  In  Albemarle-street,  aged  58,  sir 
John  Hayford  Thorold,  the  tenth  bart. 
of  Marston, county  Lincoln  (1642),  capt. 
in  the  3rd  York  Militia. 

—  In  Welbcck-street,  Robert  Fuller- 
ton,  esq.  late  governor  of  Prince  of  Wales's 
Island,  Singapore,  and  Malacca. 

—  At  Stanborough-house,  Somerset- 
shire, aged  Q5i  major-gen.  John  Hilly 
Sy mons,  late  of  the  East  India  Company 's 
Madras  Establishment. 

—  At  Donaghadee,  aged  76,  the 
right  hon.  Harriet  countess  of  Massa- 
reene,  relict  of  Chichester  earl  of  Massa- 
reene,  and  aunt  to  the  earl  of  Roden. 


JULY. 

2.  In  Windsor  Castle,  aged  72,  col. 
James  M'Dermott,  late  of  the  Royal 
Military  College. 

—  At  Southampton,  George  Argles, 
esq.  a  post  captain  R.N.  having  been  for 
some  time  in  a  desponding  state  of  mind, 
heclosed  his  existence,  during  the  tempo- 
rary absence  of  his  wife,  by  discharging 
a  pistol  in  his  mouth,  and   stabbinfr 


himself  in  the  left  side  with  a  carving 
knife* 

2.  At  his  seat,  Merton  Abbey,  Surry, 
aged  78,  Isaac  Smith,  esq.  a  superan- 
nuated rear-admiral  in  the  Royal  Navy. 

3.  At  Cocoa  Islands,  on  his  passage 
to  Calcutta,  aged  64,  commodore  sir  J. 
Hayes. 

4.  At  New  York,  aged  72,  the  hon. 
James  Munroe,  of  Virginia,  late  presi- 
dent of  the  United  States.  He  was 
bom  on  Monroe's  Creek  in  Westmore- 
land County,  Virginia,  in  September, 
1 758 ;  was  an  officer  in  the  revolution- 
ary war ;  and  afterwards,  in  successioo, 
member  of  Congress,  governor  of  Vir- 
ginia, envoy  extraordinary  to  France 
and  Great  Britain,  secretary  at  war, 
and  for  eight  years  president  of  the 
United  States.  After  having  dispensed 
the  patronage  of  the  government  for 
twice  the  constitutional  term,  he  retired 
to  the  ranks  of  private  life  in  honourable 

Eoverty;  and  having  been  induced,  by 
roken  health  and  domestic  afflictioDB, 
to  leave  Virginia  for  New  York,  died  in 
the  bosom  of  a  daughter*s  family  in  that 
city.  He  is  the  third  president  of  the 
United  States  who  has  died  on  the  anni- 
versary of  their  independence — the  pre- 
vious instances  being  Adams  and  Jeffer- 
son. 

5.  At  Quebec,  aged  29,  Mr.  Adam 
Kidd,  a  native  of  the  county  of  Derry, 
author  of  the  "  Huron  Chief9'*and  seve- 
ral other  fugitive  poems. 

7*  In  Great  Surry-street,  of  apo- 
plexy, aged  57,  Robert  William  Ellis- 
ton,  esq.  the  eminent  actor.  Mr.  Ellis- 
ton  was  bom  April  7>  1774»  in  Orange-* 
street,  Bloomsbury.  His  &ther,  a 
watchmaker,  was  the  youngest  son  of  an 
eminent  farmer  at  Gidgrave,  near  Or- 
ford,  in  Suffolk,  and  brother  to  the  rev* 
William  Elliston,  D.D.  master  of  Sid- 
ney-Sussex college,  Cambridge.  At  nine 
years  of  age  young  Elliston  was  placed 
at  St.  Foul's  school,  and  as  he  was  accus- 
tomed to  visit  his  uncle  Dr.  Elliston  at 
Cambridge  during  the  vacations,  he 
had  before  him  good  prospects  in  the 
university,  and  also,  should  he  think 
fit  to  enter  the  clerical  profession,  in  the 
church.  It  is  said  that  his  ambition  for 
scenic  celebrity  was  first  excited  by  the 
applause  he  received  at  the  school 
speeches  in  1790,  on  delivering  of  an 
English  thesis,  the  subject  of  which  was. 
Nemo  confidat  nimium  secundis.  He 
is  remembered,  about  the  same  period, 
to  have  represented  Pierre,  in  VeDico 


At^PENDIX  TO  CHRONICLE. 


24d 


DEATHS.— July, 

Preserved,  at   some   private  perform-    and  on  Mr.  Colman's  nevr  arrangement 
ances  at  the  Lyceum,  and  hcj  shortly     in  1803,  he  became  not  only  his  princi- 


after  abruptly  quitted  school,  without 
the  knowledge  of  his  friends.  He  wan- 
dered to  Bath,  where,  to  procure  the 
temporary  means  of  subsistence,  he  en- 
gaged himself  as  clerk  in  a  lottery  of- 
fice, and  remained  in  that  capacity  for  a 


pal  performer,  but  also  bis  acting 
manager.  In  the  succeeding  year,  when 
John  Kemble  quitted  Dniry-lane,  Mr. 
Elliston  was  engaged  to  supply  his  place ; 
after  the  theatre  was  burnt^  when  the 
company  performed  at  the  Lyceum,  be 


few  weeks,  until  he  found  an  opportunity,    left  it  in  consequence  of  some  quarrel 


of  making  his  theatrical  essay,  which  was 
in  the  humble  part  of  Tressel,  in  Richard 
the  Third,  April  21,  1791.  Although 
this  performance  was  very  successful, 
the  manager  was  not  able  to  offer  him 
a  permanent  engagement;  he  obtained 


with  Thomas  Sheridan.  He  then  took 
the  Circus,  and  having  given  it  the  name 
of  the  Surry  Theatre,  commenced  per- 
forming some  of  the  best  plays  of  Shak- 
speare,  and  some  Operas,  having  so  fai; 
altered  them  as  to  bring  them  within  the 


however,  from  Mr.  Wallis,  the  father  of  meaning  of  the  license  ;  a  practice  which 

Mrs.  Campbell,  a  letter  of  recommend-  be  defended  m  a  well-written  pamphlet, 

ation  to  Tate  Wilkinson,  at  York,  who  He  acted  the  principal  parts,  and  was 

immediately  engaged  him.    The  pnnci-  equally  applauded  in  Macbeth  and  Mac- 

pal  characters  in  Wilkinson's  company  heath.  In  1806  he  published  "The  Ven- 


being  entirely  pre-occupied,  the  truant 
in  a  short  time  became  weary  of  his 
situation,  and  wrote  to  his  uncle  a  letter 
supplicating  forgiveness.  He  was  allow- 
ed  to  return  to  his  family,  but  could  not 
be  persuaded  to  relinquish  bis  taste  for 
the  stage.    In  1793  he  appeared  a  se- 


etian  Outlaw,  a  Drama,  in  three  acts," 
which  he  had  himself  adapted  from  the 
French  "  Abelino,  le  grand  bandit. '^ 
On  the  reopening  of  Drury-lane  Theatre, 
Elliston  again  formed  part  of  that  com- 
pany :  on  the  first  night  he  delivered 
Lord  Byron's  opening  address,  and  per- 


cond  time  at  Bath  in  the  character  of     sonated  the  character  of  Hamlet  When 


Romeo  ;  and  during  the  season  he  con- 
tinued to  play  a  variety  of  characters  in 
Tragedy,  Comedy,  Opera,  and  Panto- 
mime. As  his  occupation  in  life  appear- 
ed now  to  be  decisively  adopted,  another 
uncle,  the  late  professor  Martyn,  had 
the  kindness  to  use  his  exertions  to 
introduce  him  to  the  boards  of  Drury- 
lane  ;  but  the  terms  proposed  not  being 
sufficient  to  induce  Elliston  to  leave 
Bath,  he  concluded  an  engagement 
there  for  four  years*  In  1796  he  carried 
off  from  that  city  Miss  Rundall,  a  teacher 
of  dancing,  and  soon  after  their  marriage 
in  London  made  his  first  bow  to  a  London 
audience  at  the  Haymarket,  on  the  24th 
of  June  in  that  year,  in  the  very  opposite 
characters  of  Octavian  in  "  The  Moun* 
taineers  "  and  Vapour  in  **  My  Grand- 


the  theatre  was  let  out  on  a  lease  in  1819, 
he  became  the  lessee,  at  a  yearly  rent  of 
10,200/.  and  so  continued  until  declared, 
a  bankrupt  in  1826.  After  some  spe- 
culations in  the  Olympic  theatre,  be 
again  undertook  the  superintendance  of 
the  Circus,  and  until  very  lately  occa- 
sionally performed  upon  its  boards,  in 
Cumberland's  Jew,  Dr.  Pangloss,  and 
some  smaller  parts. 

9.  At  his  house,  in  George-street, 
Hanover-square,  aged  69,  the  hon.  and 
right  rev.  William  Knox,  D.D.  lord 
bishop  of  Derry,  a  trustee  of  the  Irish 
Linen  Manufacture,  &c. ;  brother  to 
lord  viecount  Northland.  He  published 
in  1799  <<  Two  Sermons  preached  in 
Trinity  College  Chapel;"  in  1800  "A 
Thanlcsgiving  Sermon  on  lord  Nelson's 


mother."      Having   performed  a   few     victory;'*   and  in  1802,    "Revelation 


nights,  he  returned  to  Bath  until  the 
latter  end  of  the  season,  when  he  again 
appeared  at  the  Haymarket  as  Sir  Ed- 
ward Mortimer  in  the  Iron  Chest,  which 
only  a  short  time  before  had  been  pro- 
duced and  condemned  at  Drury-lane, 
although  Mr.  Kemble  had  taken  the 
character  of  Sir  Edward  Mortimer. 
From  the  Haymarket  Mr.  Elliston  was 
engaged  to  perform  for  a  limited  number 
of  nights  at  Co  vent  Garden  ;  but  owing 
to  some  disagreement  with  Mr.  Harris, 
he  again  joined  the  Haymarket  corps  \ 


indispensable  to  Morality,  a  Sermon." 

—  At  Montagu-place,  aged  66,  A.  E. 
Impey,  esq. 

10.  Aged  65,  sir  George  Montgomery, 
the  second  baronet  of  Magbie-hill,  co. 
Peebles,  (1774),  knight  in  Parliament 
for  that  county ;  brother-in-law  to  George 
Byng,  esq.  M.P.  for  Middlesex,  and 
uncle  to  the  late  earl  of  Blesinton.  Sir 
George  was  not  married ;  and  his  ba- 
ronetcy is  become  extinct. 

—  Aged  86,  the  rev.  Thomas  Bur- 
rough,  rector  of  Abbot's  Anne,  Hants, 


260       ANNUAL   REGISTER,   1831. 

DKATIIS. 

Iirothcr  to  sir  James  Burrougli,  late  judge 
of  the  Court  of  Common  Picas. 

11.  In  Lincoln'ti  Inn,  Richard  Duppa, 
esq.  LL.U.  bariistcr-at-Iaw,  and  l'.S.A. 
lie  received  his  university  education  at 
Trinity  college,  Oxford,  and  afterwards 
took  the  degree  of  LL.B.  at  Trinity-hall, 
Caml)ridge,  in  the  year  1814.  He  was 
the  author  of  tiic  following  works :  "  A 
Journal  of  the  most  remarkable  occur- 
rences that  took  place  at  llume  upon  tlie 
subversion  of  the  EcclcHiastical  Govern- 
ment in  179H,"  two  editions  in  179.9. 
"  A  Selection  of  twelve  heads  from  the 
I^ast  Judgment  of  Michael  Angclo, 
1801,*'  imperial  folio  "  Heads  from  the 
fresco  Pictures  of  Raffaele  in  the  Vati- 
can, 1803."  folio.  "The  Life  and 
Literary  Works  of  Michael  Angelo 
Buonarotti,with  his  Poetry  and  Letters, 
1806,"  4to;  second  edition,  1809  ;  third 
edition,  181G.  *'  Elements  of  Botany, 
1809.*'  3  vols.  8vo.  "  Virgil's  Buco- 
lics, with  notes,  1810."  "  Select  Greek 
Sentences,  1811."  24mo.  "  An  Edi- 
tion of  Martyn's  Eclogues  of  Virgil, 
1813.*'  '•  On  the  author  of  Junius, 
1814.*'  •*  Introduction  to  Greek,  1815." 
"  Observations  on  the  price  of  Corn,  as 
connected  with  the  Commerce  of  the 
Country  and  the  Public  Revenue,  1815." 
*'  Classes  and  Orders  of  the  Linnasan 
System  of  Botany,  illustrated  by  select 
specimens,  18l(J.'»  3 vols.  8vo. ;  "  Life 
of  Raffuelle,  181C."  "Outlines  of 
Michael  Angclo^s  works,  with  a  plan, 
elevation,  and  sections  of  St.  Peter's, 
Rome,  1816."  •♦  Illustrations  of  the 
Lotus  of  the  ancients,  and  the  Tamara 
of  India,  1816."  (only  thirty  private 
copies).  **  Dr.  Johnson's  Diary  of  a 
Journey  into  North  Wales  in  1774,  with 
illustrative  notes,  1816."  (incorporated 
in  the  late  edition  of  Boswell's  Life,  by 
the  right  hon.  J.  W.  Croker).  «*  Miscel- 
laneous Observations  and  Opinions  on 
the  Continent,  1825."  *•  Travels  in 
Italy,  &c.  1828."  "  Travels  on  the 
Continent,  Sicily,  and  the  Lipari  Is- 
lands, 1829."  "  Maxims,  &c.  1830." 
and  a  pamphlet  on  the  claims  of  autliors 
to  copyright. 

12.  At  Jersey,  colonel  Alexander  Mac- 
kenzie, formerly  of  36th  foot. 

13.  While  on  a  visit  to  his  son  com- 
manding the  Coast  Guard  at  Blatching- 
ton,nearSeaford,  aged  67,  James  Walker, 
esq.  rear-admiral  of  the  Red,  C.B.  and 
K.T.S. 

14.  In  Montague-street,  Portman- 
equare,  in  bis  80th  yeari  Kenneth  Fnm« 


ULY. 

cis  Mackenzie,  esq.  formerly  attorney- 
general  for  the  island  of  Granada. 

18.  Aged  81,  sir  George  Abercromby, 
the  fourth  baronet  of  Birkenbcff,  go. 
Hanf,  (1637)  and  chief  of  the  clan  of 
Abercromby,  for  48  years  sheriff  depute 
of  the  shires  of  Elgin  and  Nairn. 

18.  At  Hampton,  aged  73,  Thomas 
Greatorex,  esq.  F.R.S.  F.L.S.  organist 
of  Westminster-abbey,  conductor  of  his 
majesty's  concerts  of  ancient  music,  &c. 
Mr.  Greatorex  was  a  native  of  Derby- 
shire. He  came  to  Tendon  in  1773,  and 
was  a  pupil  of  Dr.  Cooke,  organist 
and  master  of  the  boys  at  Westminsteiv 
abbey,  under  whose  tuition  so  many 
eminent  professors  have  received  their 
education.  In  1774, 1775,  and  1776,  he 
attended  lord  Sandiidch's  Cbristmaa  ora- 
torios at  Hincbinbrook.  At  the  esta- 
blishment of  the  ancient  concert,  in 
1776,  Greatorex  assisted  in  the  choruses  ; 
and  be  continued  a  performer  there, 
until  he  was  advised  to  try  a  northern 
air  for  the  re-establishment  of  his  health, 
when  he  accepted  the  situation  of  organist 
of  the  cathedral  of  Carlisle  in  1780. 
Here,  although  the  emoluments  were 
small,  he  has  been  heard  to  8ay»  that  he 

f>assed  some  of  the  happiest  days  of  his 
ife.  He  spent  two  evenings  of  each 
week  in  a  select  society,  in  which  were 
included  Dr.  Percy,  the  late  bishop  of 
Dromore,  then  dean  of  Carlisle,  Dr. 
Charles  Law,  the  late  bishop  of  Elphin, 
and  archdeacon  Paley.  In  1784  he  re- 
signed the  situation,  and  went  to  Italy, 
where  he  studied  vocal  music,  and  re- 
ceived instructions  in  singing  for  two 
years  from  3antarelli,the  most  celebrated 
singer  of  his  time  at  Rome.  He  alio 
visited  all  the  other  principal  cities  of 
Italy,  and  returned  to  England  tbroush 
Switzerland,  Germany,  the  NetherUnds, 
and  Holland,  at  the  end  of  1788.  He 
now  established  himself  in  London,  and 
very  soon  had  his  time  fullv  occupied  as 
a  teacher  of  singing.  In  1793,  on  the 
resignation  of  Mr.  Bates,  he  was,  with- 
out solicitation,  appointed  conductor  of 
the  Ancient  Concerts,  which  post  he  re- 
tained until  his  death.  In  1801  he  con- 
tributed to  the  restoration  of  the  Vocal 
Concert ;  and  in  1819  he  succeeded  to  the 
situation  formerly  held  by  his  master. 
Dr.  Cook  (who  died  in  1793),  as  organist 
and  master  of  the  boys  at  Westminster- 
abbey.  His  publications  consisted  of  a 
compilation  of  Psalm  Tunes,  harmonised 
by  himself,  and  dedicated  by  permission 
to  the  king  \  and  the  anftogementa  of 


APPENDIX  TO  CHRONICLE. 


261 


DEATHS 

many  musical  compositions  for  the  An- 
cient or  Vocal  Concert,  by  adding  oom* 
plete  orcliestral,  vocal,  ana  instrumental 
parts.  His  pursuits  were  not  altogether 
confined  to  music ;  he  was  no  mean  ma- 
thematician, and  was  much  attached  to 
astronomy,  possessing  several  valuable 
telescopes.  He  was  a  Fellow  of  the 
Royal  Society. 

20.  Aged  77>  William  Jemmett,  esq. 
formerly  of  Little  Milton,  and  proprie-* 
tor  of  estates  there  and  in  other  parts  of 
the  kingdom.  He  was  high  sheriff  of 
Oxfordshire  during  the  first  illness  of 
George  III.;  but  was  afterwards  reduced 
to  poverty  by  a  series  of  misfortunes,  and 
for  some  time  previous  to  his  decease 
was  supported  by  charity  and  parochial 
aid. 

21.  In  Royal-row,  Westminster-road, 
aged  54,  the  eccentric  Bob  Bradbury,  a 
well-known  clown.  He  was  originally  a 
cabinet-maker  at  Liverpool,  where  he 
made  his  debut.  He  possessed  prodi- 
gious strength,  and  some  of  his  feats 
were  more  calculated  to  terrify  than  to 
amuse  his  auditors ;  he  was  a  great 
favourite  of  the  public,  and  one  of  his 
benefits  in  Dublin  produced  him  600/. 
He  was  passionately  fond  of  dress  and 
jewellery. 

24.  At  Chelmsford,  aged  83,  John 
Badeley,  M.D. 

25.  At  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  the 
rev.  Fearon  Fallows,  F.R.S.  Astrono- 
mer Royal  at  that  Colony.  He  was  for- 
merly Fellow  of  St.  John's  College,  Cam- 
bridge, where  he  graduated  B.A.  1813, 
as  third  Wrangler,  M.A.  1816. 

27.  At  Dublin,  aged  85,  the  right 
hon.  Jghn  Toler,  earl  of  Norbury,  vis- 
count Glandine,  and  baron  Norbury,  of 
Ballyorenode,  co.  Tipperary,  a  Privy 
Councillor  for  Ireland,  and  late  chief 
justice  of  the  court  of  Common  Pleas  in 
that  kingdom.  He  was  called  to  the  bar 
in  Michaelmas  term  1770  ;  and  in  1776 
was  first  returned  to  the  Irish  House  of 
Commons  as  one  of  the  members  for 
Tralee.  In  1781  he  was  appointed  a 
king's  Counsel ;  and  in  1784  we  find 
him  chairman  of  the  Quarter  Sessions 
at  Kilmainham.  In  the  latter  year  he 
was  elected  one  of  the  representatives 
of  the  borough  of  Philipstown,  in  the 
king's  County ;  his  elder  brother,  Da- 
niel Toler,  esq.,  who  died  in  1796, 
being  chosen  one  of  the  county  members 
for  Tipperary.  He  was  at  this  period 
a  very  useful  orator  on  the  part  of  the 
Government;    nor  was  bit    personal 


.—July. 

prowess  unacceptable.  A  violent  speech, 
containing  threats  towards  Mr*  Ponsonby 
is  recorded  in  the  Debates  of  the  Irish 
House  of  Commons^  in  Feb.  1797  ;  and 
he  challenged  the  notorious  Napper 
Tandy,  who  declined  the  encounter.  In 
1789  ne  was  appointed  Solicitor-general 
of  Ireland ;  ana  at  the  general  election 
of  1790  he  was  chosen  M.  P.  for  Newbo- 
rough,  CO.  Wexford.  On  the  7th  of  Nov. 
1797,  his  wife  was  created  a  peeress  of 
Ireland.  Mr.  Toler  was  appointed  Attor- 
ney-general of  Ireland,  July  16th|  1798, 
and  sworn  of  the  Privy  Coun6il  on  the 
2nd  of  August  He  was  during  that  year 
actively  engaged  in  the  prosecution  of 
the  Irish  rebels.  He  was  advanced  to 
be  Chief  Justice  of  the  Court  of  Common 
Pleas,  Dec.  20,  1800 ;  and  on  the  29th 
of  the  same  month  was  created  lord 
Norbury.  He  retained  the  Chief  Justice- 
ship until  1827,  when,  oa  his  retirement 
he  was  rewarded  with  a  pension  of  3046A, 
and  advanced*  to  the  titles  of  viscount 
Glandine  and  earl  of  Norbury,  with 
remainder  to  his  second  son. 

28.  At  Dublin,  aged  S3,  the  right 
hon.  Margaret  Baroness  Louth,  sister  to 
lord  Dunsany. 

29.  Aged  81,  the  rev.  Joseph  Philli- 
more,  father  of  Joseph  Phillimore,  D.CL. 
judge  of  the  Cinque  Ports,  &c. 

30.  AtUshaw-coIlege,  Durham,  aged 
67,  Dr.  Thomas  Smith,  Roman  Catholic 
bishop  of  Bolina,  and  vicar  apostolic  in 
the  Northern  District. 

31.  Aged  72,  William  Browell,  esq. 
Iieut.-govemor  of  Greenwich  Hospital. 

—  At  Duneaves,  Perthshire,  Marma* 
duke  Ramsay,  esq.  M.  A.  F.L.S.,  Fellow 
and  Tutor  of  Jesus  College,  Cambridge ; 
brother  to  sir  Alex.  Ramsay,  of  Balmain, 
CO*  Kincardine,  hart.  He  was  the  fifth 
son  of  sir  Alexander  the  first  and  late 
baronet,  by  Elizabeth  daughter  and  co- 
heiress of  sir  Alexander  Bannerman, 
baronet  and  graduated  B.A.  as  15th 
Wrangler  1818,  M.  A.  1821. 

Lately,  At  Calcutta,  Dr.  Turner, 
bishop  of  that  see,  and  brother-in-law 
to  the  bishop  of  Chester  (Dr.  Sumner.) 

At  Paris,  aged  75,  lieut.-col.  James 
O'Hara. 

AtSunninghill,  the  right  hon.  Philippa 
baroness  Sunderlin. 

At  Vienna,  aged  43,  hit  imperial 
highness  the  ardiduke  Rudolph  John 
Joseph  Renter,  a  cardinal  of  the  church 
of  Rome,  prince  archbishop  of  Olmutz, 
youngest  orother  to  the  emperor  of 
Aiutriftf    He  iru  bom  at  Florenoei  Jaot 


252      ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


DEATHS— Aug. 


8;  1788  :  and  created  a  Cardinal  priest, 
June  4,  1819. 

Sir  Marcus  Somcrville,  third  baronet 
of  Somcrville,  county  Meatli  (1748), 
knight  in  Parliament  for  that  county. 

At  Kentish-town,  Mr.  Whelan,  an 
engraver.  Reading  a  newspaper,  he  was 
balancing  himself  upon  the  hinder  feet 
of  the  chair,  when  losing  his  equili- 
brium, he  fell  backward,  and  fractured 
bis  skull  against  a  marble  slab. 

At  Bath,  the  hon.  Eliza,  relict  of 
colonel  William  Baillie,  aged  70. 

In  Bolton-row,  Piccadilly,  Richard 
Reece,  M.  D.  He  published  **  The 
Medical  and  Chirurgical  Pharmacopoeia/* 
1800.—"  The  Domestic  Medical  Guide,'' 
1803. — '*  Observations  on  the  properties 
of  the  Lichen  Jslandicus,  or  Iceland 
Moss,  in  Consumption,''  1804. — *'A 
Treatise  on  the  Radix  Rhatania;,  or 
Rhatany  root,**  1808. —'*  Dictionary 
of  Domestic  Medicine,"  1808.— "  A 
Treatise  on  the  Causes,  Prevention,  and 
Cure  of  Gout,"  1810.—"  A  new  Sys- 
tem of  Physic  and  Medical  Surgery," 
1811. — "Treatise  on  pulmonary  Con- 
sumption, and  Asthma,"  1811. — Let* 
ters  on  the  present  state  of  Medicine,'* 
1811. — "  Ueecian  Pandect  of  Medicine,  or 
New  Nosological  arrangement  of  Dis- 
eases," 1 812 — Practical  Treatise  on  the 
Gratiola,  as  a  remedy  for  consumption, 
asthma,and  constitutional  cough,''  1813. 
— "  The  Medical  Guide  for  Tropical  Cli- 
mates," 1814. — Stc.  &c.  When  Joanna 
Southcott  avowed  herself  to  be  in  a 
state  of  pregnancy,  the  Doctor  suffered 
himself  to  be  deluded  into  an  interview 
with  the  pretended  prophetess,  whose 
appearance  he  declared  to  be  such  as  to 
^warrant  him  in  pronouncing  her  to  be 
pregnant.  At  length  the  fallacy  ended 
m  the  death  of  the  woman,  whose  body 
was  opened  by  the  doctor,  and  he  pub- 
lished the  result  of  his  observations  in 
'*  A  plain  Narrative  of  the  circumstances 
attending  the  last  Illness  and  Death  of 
Joanna  Southcott,''    1815. 

AUGUST. 

4.  At  Stouehouse,  near  Plymouth, 
Alexander  Robert  Kerr,  esq.  a  captain 
iu  the  Royal  Navy,  and  C.B. 

5.  At  Worcester,  aged  56,  John  Car- 
den,  esq.  for  thirty  years  first  surgeon  to 
the  Worcester  Infirmary. 

6.  At  Gloucester-place,  Portman-sq. 
aged  83,  Wm.  Rooke,  esq.  formerly  of  the 
Bengal  Civil  establishment,  and  brother 


to  the  late  sir  Giles  Rooke,  Justice  of 
the  Common  Pleas. 

9.  At  Corfu,  aged  25,  the  hon.  Charles 
Gustavus  Monckton,  capt.  88th  regt. 
second  son  of  viscount  and  viscountess 
Galway.  This  young  man,  in  the  per- 
formance of  his  military  duty  was  shot 
by  a  soldier  who  had  been  committing 
robbery,  and  had  armed  himself  to  de- 
stroy any  individual  who  might  recognise 
him. 

10.  At  Bretton-hall,  aged  68,  Diana, 
widow  of  Thomas  Richard  Beaumont, 
esq.  lieut.  col.  21st  dragoons,  and  M.P. 
for  Northumberland.  She  was  the  na- 
tural daughter  and  heiress  (by  will)  of 
sir  Thos.  Wentworth  Blackett,  of  Bret- 
ton-hall, bart.  and  was  left  a  widow  July 
31,  1829. 

11.  At  Cove,  near  Cork,  aged  77, 
Dr.  William  Coppinger,  Roman  Catholic 
bishop  of  Cloyne,  He  was  consecrated 
in  1788. 

12.  At  Cheltenham,  aged  85,  Mathias 
Hathaway,  esq. 

13.  At  Southampton,  aged  52,  lieut- 
col.  John  Oke,  late  of  the  Gist  foot 

14.  In  Berkeley-square,  aged  74,  sir 
Benjamin  Ilobhouse,  of  Westbury  Col- 
lege, CO.  Gloucester,  and  Chantry  House 
Wilts,  bart.  M.A.  F.R.S.  and  S.A.,  first 
commissioner  for  investigating  the  debts 
of  the  Carnatic,  a  banker  at  Bath,  vice- 

f  resident  of  the  Literary  Fund,  &c  Sec, 
le  was  educated  at  Brazennose  College , 
Oxford,  where  he  attained  the  degree  of 
M.A.  June  26,  1781;  and  was  after- 
wards called  to  the  bar.  At  the  general 
election  in  1796,  he  stood  on  the  inde- 
pendent interest  for  Bristol ;  but,  after 
polling  102  votes,  declined  at  the  close 
of  the  first  day.  In  the  following  Febra- 
ary  he  was  returned  on  a  vacancy  for 
Blechingley  ;  and  on  the  1st  of  May 
that  year  he  was  one  of  those  who  voted 
in  favour  of  the  hon.  Mr.  Grey's  motion 
for  a  reform  in  Parliament  In  1802  he 
was  returned  for  Grampound ;  in  1806 
for  Hindon  :  and  be  sat  for  that  bo- 
rough until  compelled  by  ill  health  to 
retire  from  public  life  in  1818.  He  first 
came  into  office  in  1803,  as  secretary  to 
the  Board  of  Control,  during  the  minis- 
try of  Mr.  Addlngton  ;  he  resigned  that 
post  in  May  1804;  and  in  1805  was 
made  chairman  of  the  committees  for 
supplies.  In  1807,  he  was  appointed 
first  commissioner  for  investigating  the 
debts  of  the  Nabobs  of  the  Carnatic, 
which  office  he  retained  until  his  de- 
cease.    He  was  created  a  baronet  by 


APPENDIX  TQ  CHRONICLE. 

DEATHS— Apo. 


«63 


patent  dated  Dec.  33,  1813.      He  H 

succeeded  by  his  eldest  son  John  Can 
HobhouBe. 

15.  Murdered  by  the  populace  at 
Warsaw,  Frederick  Fanaliawe,  esq. 
dtamberlain  to  his  late  imperial  bigh- 
ness;ihe  grand  duke  Constantlne. 

—  At  Mortfield,  Lancashire,  aged  26, 
James  Grundy  Cross,  esq.  M.  A.  of 
Donning-collegf,  and  of  the  Inner 
Temple,  barrister- at-la 


He  H 


I  forai 


16.  . 


profeeeor  of  Oriental  Tongues;  nbout 
1806  he  beisme  a  Senior  rdlatr,  and 
professor  of  MathematiL'S.  His  cele- 
brated "  Discourses  on  the  Scriptural 
Doctrines  of  the  Atonement  and  Sacri- 
fice," were  published  in  1801,  in  two 
volumes  Std.  and  were  dedicated  to 
lord  chancellor  of  Ireland. 


Stamford-hill,   aged  19,   s!r     In  consequence  of  the  great  and  n 


Daniel  Williams,  knC.  colonel  ot  the 
Tower  Hamlets'  Milrlia,  and  for  thirty- 
two  years  a  Police  Magistrate  of  Lam- 
beth-street. He  was  bnighted  in  June 
IS02. 

—  At  Exeter,  aged  7^,  John  Macdon- 
nld,  esq.  FeHow  of  the  Royal  and  Asiatic 
Societies,  and  formerly  lieut.-col.  of  the 
Royal  Clan  Alpine  regiment.  This  gen- 
tleman was  the  only  son  of  the  celebrated 
Flora  Macdonald,  who  assisted  prince 
Charles's  escape  in  1746.  He  published 
"  A  Treatise  explanatory  of  the 


riled 


ciples 


;ing    the    practi 


reputation  which  fidlowed  the  publica- 
tion of  this  boot,  Dr.  Magee  was  ad- 
vanced, iu  1813,  to  the  deanery  of  Cork. 
In  1B19  he  was  consecrated  bishop  of 
Ilaphoc,  and  in  1833  was  translated  to 
the  See  of  Dublin,  by  the  late  lord 
Liverpool.  Dr.  Magee's  oihcr  publiot- 
tiotis  consisted  of,  "  A  Thanksgiving 
Sermon  on  the  Delivery  of  this  king- 
dom from  Invasion,  I7S7,''  "  A  Ser- 
mon oocasioned  by  the  death  of  the  enrl 
of  Clare,  1802  j"  and  "  A  Memoir  of 
Thomas  Pcrciva!,  MD.  F.R.S.  and  S.A. 
printed  in  the  Gentleman's  Magazine, 
vol.  Ixxiv.  pp.  1067.  ■ 


heory  of  the  violoneello."  "  A  Trea- 
tise on  Telegraphic  communication;" 
several  articles  in  the  Philosophical  eestershirc,  the  rE.  hon.  Charles  Bragge 
""  --  1  -  -  -  Bathurst,  D.C.L.  ft  privy  councillor,  a 
bencher  of  Lincoln's  Ion,  and  formerly 
chancellor  of  the  duchy  of  Lancaster. 
He  tvBs  the  eldest  son  of  Charles  Bragge, 
of  Cleve-ball,  in  Gloucestershire,  esq. 
by  Anne,  daughter  of  Benjamin  JJn- 
thurst,  of  Lydney,  esq.  F.R.S.  and  suc- 
cessively M.F.  for  Cirencester,  Glouces- 
ter, and  Monmouth  i  nephew  to  Allen, 
lirst  earl  Bathurst.  Mr.  Bmgge  was 
educated  at  Winchester,  under  Dr. 
Wartun,  and  then  elected  lo  a  fellow- 
ship at  New  College,  Oxford,  as  of 
founder's  kin.  He  took  the  degree  of 
B.C.L.Dec.  17.  1785;  and  was  created 
D.C.L  June  16,  1614.  Having  been 
called  to  the  bar,  be  wan  for  many  years 
ft  leading  counsel  at  the  qnarter-sessiona 
at  Gloucester.  His  cousin  earl  Bathurst, 
v,'liilst  lord  chancellor,  presented  him 
with  the  office  of  clerk  of  the  Present- 
ations. At  the  general  election  of 
1796  he  was  elected  M.P.  for  Bristol ; 
and  on  Ibe  14th  of  December  that  year, 
when  Mr.  Fox  moved  a  vote  of  censure 
on  the  ministry,  Mr.  Biagge  moved  ihe 
amendment,  which  was  '— '   —   ■"■ 


lative  to  military  discipline  and  tactics, 
1)esides  vatious  commnaicatioas  in  the 
Gentleman's  Magazine,  both  on  political 
and  miscellaneous  topics. 

17.At  his  lodgings  in  South  Lambeth, 
aged  45,  Mr.  Peter  Nasmyth,  n  distin- 
guished pftinler.  He  was  the  eldest  son 
of  Alexander  Nasmyth  of  Edinburgh, 
the  landscape  painter.  At  the  age  of 
twenty  he  came  to  London,  where  liis 
talents  were  soon  appreciated,  and  he 
got  the  name  of  the  English  Hobbima. 
Hobbima  and  Ruysdael  were  bia  favour- 
ite masters.  In  a  late  IhnndeMtorm, 
when  too  weak  to  support  himself  up- 
right, he  wished  the  curtains  to  be  drawn 
aside,  and  begged  bis  sisters  to  lift  him 
up,  that  he  might  register  in  bis  memory 
the  splendour  of  the  passing  effects. 

18.  At  Deal,  Richard  Budd  Vineetit, 
esq.  a  captain  in  the  Royal  Navy,  nnd 
C.B. 

—  At  Redesdale-house,  rear  Still- 
organ,  aged  66,  the  most  rev.  William 
Mugee,  D.D.  archbishop  of  Dublin, 
bishop  of  Glandelagfa,  and  primate  of 

Ireland;  chancellor  of  Ihe  illustrious  vision  hy  aiunjorityof  104. 
Order  of  St.  Patrick,  Visitor  of  Trinity  of  the  secret  committee  of  fifteen,  no- 
College,  Dublin,  and  M.R.I.A.  Dr.  minated  Nov.  Ifl,  1797,  lo  examine  into 
Magee  was  the  son  of  parents  very  the  situation  of  the  Bank  of  England, 
humble  in  life,  and  was  a  servitor  in     and  aftermrda  brought  up  the  report  as 


264        ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


DEATHS 

chairman.  Id  1799  he  was  chairman  of 
the  committee  of  Supply.  In  1801,  on 
the  formation  of  the  ministry  of  lord 
Stdmouth,  whose  sister  Mr.  Bragge  had 
married  in  17H8,  he  was  appointed  trea- 
surer of  the  navy,  in  the  room  of  the 
bon.  Dudley  Kyder  (now  earl  of  Harrow- 
by),  and  was  sworn  a  privy  councillor. 
lie  was  re-chosen  for  Bristol  at  the 
general  election  of  1802.  In  June  1803, 
be  resigned  his  oAice  in  favour  of  Mr. 
Tierney.  On  the  12tli  of  August  follow- 
ing a  new  writ  was  ordered  for  Bristol, 
Mr.  Bragge  having  accepted  the  steward- 
ship of  the  Chiltern  Hundreds  ;  he  was 
re-eiccted,  after  having,  during  the  va- 
cancy! received  the  appointment  of  secre- 
tary at  War,  the  business  of  which  depart- 
ment he  executed  until  Mr.  Pitt*s  return 
to  power  in  May  1804.  On  the  death  of 
Anne,  widow  of  his  brother-in-law  Pool 
Bathurst,  esq.  May  o,  1804,  Mr.  Bragge 
succeeded  to  Lydney,  and  the  other 
estates  of  that  branch  of  the  family  of 
Bathurst,  and  on  the  24th  of  October 
following,  received  tlie  royal  license  to 
assume  the  name.  After  the  dissolu- 
tion of  Parliament  in  1806,  Mr.  Bathurst 
was  appointed  master  of  the  Mint; 
which  office  he  retained  until  1810, 
when  he  was  succeeded  by  his  cousin, 
the  present  earl  Bathurst.  On  the 
22nd  of  June  1812,  he  was  appointed 
chancellor  of  the  duchy  of  Lancaster, 
in  which  office  he  continued  to  Jan. 
1823.  He  was  re-elected  for  Bristol  in 
1806  and  1807 :  he  was  in  1812  for  Bod- 
min, and  in  1SI8  for  Harwich.  He  had  a 
pension  of  350/.  charged  on  the  civil  list, 
granted  him  in  1826;  and  his  widow 
enjoys  1 ,000/.  per  annum,  granted  her  at 
three  several  times,  600/.  in  1823,  300/. 
in  1825,  and  100/.  in  1829. 

23.  At  upper  Hailing,  Kent,  William 
Golding,  who  in  June  last  completed  his 
100th  year.  Up  to  that  time  be  was  in 
the  habit  of  spending  his  evenings  in  a 
public-house  in  the  \'inage,  where  he 
occasionally  favoured  the  company  with 
a  song,  which  he  sung  with  all  the  spirit 
and  vivacity  of  youth.  He  had  follow- 
ed the  occupation  of  a  wood  reeve. 

24.  At  the  house  of  Wm.  Phipson,  esq. 
£dgbaston,  Warwickshire,  aged  48,  Ga- 
briel J.  M.  de  Lys,  M.D.  one  of  the  phy- 
sicians to  the  General  Hospital  at  Bir- 
mingham. He  was  the  representative  of 
a  noble  family  in  Britanny;  was  brought 
to  this  country  when  a  child,  on  his  fa- 
ther's flying  from  the  horrors  of  the  re- 
volution, and  was  edui*ated  at  the  school 


I. — Auo. 

for  the  sons  of  the  French  emigrant  no- 
bility at  Pen,  in  Bucks.  He  settled  at 
Birmingham  in  1808.  He  was  an  able 
lecturer  at  the  Philosophical  Institution 
of  that  town. 

24.  At  Leeds,  aged  52,  John  White, 
esq.  the  celebrated  violinist,  and  for 
many  years  organist  of  the  churches  of 
Harcwood  and  Wakefield, 

25.  At  Bristol,  after  a  very  long  ill- 
ness, the  rev.  Samuel  Seyer,  M.  A. 
Rector  of  Felton,  Gloacettershire,  yice- 
president  of  the  Bristol  library  Sodotj. 
^.  In  1812,  he  published  in  a  qoarto 
volume,  *'  The  Charters  and  Letleni 
Patent  granted  by  the  Kinss  and  Quoant 
of  England  to  the  town  and  city  of  Bris- 
tol, newly  translated  and  accompanied 
by  the  original  Latin,''  in  the  prefkce  to 
which  he  first  announced  an  *^  Intended 
History  of  Bristol ;  >*  the  publication  of 
the  latter  be  commenced  in  tlie  year 
1821,  when  appeared  the  first  part  of 
volume  I.  of  what  he  entitled,  ''Memoirs 
Historical  and  Topographical  of  Bristol 
and  its  Neighbourh(x>d,  from  the  earli- 
est period  down  to  the  present  time.'' 
This  was  afterwards  extended  to  two 
quarto  volumes.  He  was  also  autlior  of 
a  popular  Latin  Grammar,  which  has 
gone  th  rough  several  editions.  He  trane- 
lated  likewise  into  English  verse  the 
Latin  Poem  of  Vida  on  Chess ;  and  in 
1808  he  published  «Latinum  Redivi- 
vum :  or  a  treatise  on  the  modem  use  of 
the  Latin  language,  and  the  prevalence  of 
tlie  French  ;  to  which  is  added  a  speci- 
men of  the  Latin  language,  accommo- 
dated to  modern  use.'' 

28.  In  bis  83rd  year,  Andrew  Stracluuiy 
esq.  printer  to  the  king. 

29.  In  Downing-street,  Alexander 
Dawson,  esq.  M.P.  for  Louth. 

Latefy.  In  Bath,  aged  86,  lady  Char- 
lotte, widow  of  Stephen  Ram,  esq.  of 
Burnsfoot,  county  Wexford,  and  POrta- 
wood,  Hants,  aunt  to  the  eari  of  Cour- 
town. 

In  Perthshire,  Clerk  Rattray,  esq.  one 
of  the  barons  of  the  Exchequer  ,in  Scot- 
land. 

At  Vienna,  in  his  92nd  year,  baron 
O'Connell,  colonel  in  the  Austrian  army, 
and  chamberlain  to  the  emperor.  In 
1762  the  baron,  with  his  cousin,  now 
general  count  O'Connell^  uncle  to  the 
member  for  Kerry,  left  Ireland,  and 
sought  promotion  in  foreign  states ;  one 
chose  the  service  of  Austria,  the  other 
that  of  France.  The  count  attained  high 
rank  in  the  French  army  previously  to 


266 


tht 


APPENDIX  TO  CHRONICLE. 

DEATHa— Sbtt. 

rerolution ;     the   «nipr«n    MkrU    ai  sbe  fn-quently  uid  (be  wu  a  good- 


(h  detaclipd  banm  O'CoddsII  from  Kizrd  girl  st  the  ineurrectian  of  the  Ca- 

hU  military   mreer  earl;  in  life,  and  romanlee  negroei,  which  happened  in 

nppointed  him  her  chHmbeilain,   wbich  Carpenter's  MountaiDti    Clnrendon,  In 

lionnumble  oiSce  be  held  for  firty-nine  the^carI6B01     She  retained  all  berfa- 

ycara,  under  the  emperorg  Joeeph,  Leo-  cultieato  the  last  mOTnent.  and  did  coarse 

pold,    and    Francis.      The   buno   be-  aeedle-woik  until  a  very  short  time  pie- 

quenthed   brs  property  to  hit  nephew,  vlous  to  her  death. 
Ueoflrey  O'Connell,  esq.  of  Cork.  4.  At  Southampton,  Otirald   Wtrge, 

Lately.    Mrs.  Elizabeth  Atherton,  of  esq.    formerly   lieuL-col.    17Ui    Ught 

Prescot.     By  her  will,  she.  pravc  --  "  -  "^  - 


'and  steward  of  Pfescot(ror1hellme 
being)  £00/.  in  trust,  for  "  old  men  am' 
widows,  being;  dpcnyed  honiekeepers  □ 
Prescot.''  To  tbe  grammar  school  ii 
DfiOO/. ;  to  the  Public  Infirmary 


;    Stnnirick,    the   eeat  of    Innl 
Prudhoe,  aged  47,  Mary,   wife  of  the 
hoD.  and  right  rev.  Hugh  Perry,  D.D. 
lord  biebop  of  Carlisle. 
S.  In  hia  palace,  at  Worcester,  aged 
It  Liverpool  1,0001. ;  lo  the  Asylum  for     77,    the  rimbt   rev.    Polllott    Herbrrt 
the  Blind,  Liverpool,  SMI. ;  to  the  Blue     Walker  Caraewall,  D.D.  lord  bishop  of 
Coat  Hospital,  Liverpool,  500/.  !*--' -     '" 


Warrington  Meetinjc,  or  the  Society  for 
theRelief  of  ClorRjmen'a  Widows  and 
Orphans,  6001. ;  lb  the  Society  for  the 
Pramoting  ChHatinn  Knottledge,  60I1(. ; 
to  the  Dlspeoeaiy  at  OmiBkiik,  lOli;.; 
--■■  ■©  the  poor  of  the  respective  parisbe- 


—  A I  Belgaiim,  Bombay,  aged  63,  Bri- 
gadier general  Michael  Kennedy.  Ills 
military  career  in  India,  which  iniH 
long  and  active,  commenced  in  ITKI, 
when  he  went  out  BE  n  volunteer,  having 
"     ■  ed  thither  by  a  relativl 


of  Ormskirk,  ScariBbrick,  Skelmersdale,     commanded  the  Madrai 


and  BickersUfi',  1 

At  Cheltenbnin,  aged  6 
Green,  knight  and  barone 

colonel  of  the  S7th  regiment, 
of   the  Consolidated  Board  of  General 
Officers,   and  a  Ctimmissioner  of   the 
Royal  Military  College, 

In  Regent^treet,  aged  67,  eir  Hugh 
Innes,  of  LochaUh,  county  of  Ross, 
M.P.  for  the  Cdunty  of  Sutherlatic}. 

At  Worcester,  aged  57.  sir  Edward 
Denny,  the  third  baconet  of  Tralce 
castle,  county  Kerry. 

Drowned  in  Loughcorrib  {with  two 
other  persons)  the  bon.  M.  Browne, 
high  sheriff  of  the  councy.  and  a  captain 
in  the  army,  brother  to  lord  Kilmaine. 

The  right  bon.  lady  Augusta,  wife  of 
colonel  Henry  M.  Clavering,  elder  sister 
to  the  duke  of  Argyll. 

At  Killarney,  lie ut. -colonel  William 
M'Carlhjf,  late  of  the  96th  regiment. 

At  Macbany.  aged  IS,  the  hon.  Elim- 
beth  Drummond,  cousin  to  viscount 
Stratballan. 

James  Dmmmotid,  e^q.  of  Drummow- 
hance,  a  genaral  in  the  army. 

SEPTEMBER. 


3.  At  Jamaica,  an  old   Creole  negro 
woman,  named  Catherine  Uiatt,  fomierly     puty 
belonging  to  tlie  late  hon.  John  Hiatt.     coiinl 
but   free   for  many   years   past,    whoni 
computed  aga 'was  upwards  of  ISO  yeart 


whose  death,  while  Mr.  Kennedy  was  on 

his  passage,   deprived   him  of  the  ad- 

yautages  that  bad  been  held  out  to  him. 

le  army,  and     He  was  actively  employed  during  the 

. ..._     jji^j  Berlngapabim  campaign  and  was 

wounded  before  that  place  in  Feb.  1793. 
Id  1803  he  pined  the  army  under  sir  W. 
Clark,  and  was  shortly  after  appointed  to 
the  command  of  Fort  Vittoria;  and  auli- 
sequently  town  major  of  Bombay.  In 
1HI8  he  captured  MuHilen-ghur,  one  of 
the  strongest  and  most  commanding  hill 
forts,  and  afterwards  Ihose  of  Panlghiir 
and  Ranghur  ;  and  following  up  these 
successes,  be  reduced  thewhole  country 
between  the  17t1i  and  18th  degrees  from 
the  sea  to  the  Ghauts,  closing  the  cam. 
peign  by  the  capture  of  Rutna  Gurry. 
His"  son  Dr.  R.  H.  Kennedy  is  ihc  author 
of  a  late  work  on  Cholera,  and  another 
son  James  Kennedy,  esq.  has  einplayed 
his  pen  in  general  lilemture. 

8.  In  Jamaini,  Frauees  Johnson,  a 
saEnhownmnn  slave,  aged  107  years.  She 
retained  all  her  faculties  to  her  decrase. 

—  At  Bristol,  aged  87,  Matthew 
Bricdale,  esq.  formerly  representative 
in  Parliament  for  that  dty. 

8.  Athiaboiise  in  BurySt.  Edmund's, 

in  bis  90th  year,  air  Thomas  Cery  Cnl- 

lum,    the  aevenlb  baronet  of  Hawated 

lud  HardwTck  house.  1u  SuSblk,  ade- 

and  magistrate  for  that 


capital  hurgeaa  for  Hury,  F.R. 
10.  At   Exeter,   aged  77,    tbe  rev. 


256       ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 

DEATHS.— Sept. 
James  Manning,  for  fifty  three  years     of  the  hon.  sir  James  Allan  Park,  justice 
minister  of  the  Independent  congrega-     of  the  Common  Pleas. 


tion  at  George's  meeting-house,  wlierc 
he  succeeded  the  celebrated  Micaiah 
Tovrgood.  Mr.  Manning  was  a  native 
of  Exeter,  and  published  "  Tiie  Life 
and  Writings  of  the  rev,  Micaiah  Tow- 
good,'*  17D2,  Bva;  "A  Sermon  on  the 
death  of   the  rev.   Rice  Harris,  D.D. 

1795,  8vo. ;  "Exercises  of  Piety,  by 
Zollikofcr,  translated  from  the  French,'' 

1796,  8vo. 

11.  In  Whitehall^place,  aged  65,  the 
right  hon.  John  Calcraft,  knight  in 
l^irliament  for  the  county  of  Dorset. 
He  was  the  son  and  heir  of  John  Cal- 
craft, esq.  an  eminent  army  agent,  who 
accumulated  a  great  fortune,  and  became 
proprietor  of  large  estates  in  Dorsetshire. 
He  died  in  177i,  heing  then  ^r.P.  for 
llochester.  The  late  Mr.  Calcraft  was 
first  returned  to  Parliament  in  I7P6  for 
the  borough  of  Wareham,  in  which  he 
possessed  considerable  property ;  and 
was  re-chosen  in  1802.  lie  generally 
\'0ted  with  the  opposition ;  but  for  a 
time  attached  himself  more  particularly 
to  the  interests  of  the  prince  of  Wales. 
On  the  formation  of  the  Grcnville  Ad- 
ministration, Mr.  Calcraft  was  appointed 
clerk  of  the  Ordnance,  Feb.  15,  IbOB. 
In  the  same  year  he  was  returned  to 
Parliament  for  Rochester,  where  he  was 
re-elected  in  1807  and  1812,  In  1818 
Mr.  Calcraft  lost  his  election  for  Roches- 
ter ;  and  from  that  time  until  the  pre- 


14.  The  day  after  he  had  completed 
his  51st  year,  at  Somer's-town,  Mr.  Wil- 
liam lionneau  Noble,  formerly  an  artiit 
of  some  promise.  Nephew  to  Mr.  Wil- 
liam Noble,  a  well-known  drawing-niai- 
ter,  who  died  in  1805,  and  who  succeeded 
to  the  connexion  of  his  latber-iD-]air» 
Mr.  Jacob  Bonneau,  tutor  in  drawing  to 
some  of  the  rojral  fkmily,  and  to  many 
of  the  nobility  of  the  time,  he  com- 
menced his  professional  career  in  the 
same  line,  and  pursued  it,  for  some  years, 
in  a  prosperous  manner.  In  two  succes- 
sive summers  he  walked  through  Wales, 
and  made  many  beautiful  sketches  of  its 
scenery.  Several  water-colour  paint- 
ings from  these,  produced  at  a  great 
expense  of  time  and  labour,  be  sent 
for  exhibition  to  the  Royal  Academy, 
about  the  year  1810.  In  previous 
years  his  drawings  had  always  been 
accepted ;  when,  therefore,  on  visiting 
Somerset-house,  he  found  that  not  one 
of  his  pictures  was  now  "  hung  up,''  the 
disappointment  sunk  deep  into  his  soul. 
He  regarded  it  as  a  sentence  of  death 
passed  upon  him  as  an  artist :  and  prac- 
tically, he  acquiesced  in  the  unjust 
doom.  Another  disappointment,  which 
he  suffered  about  the  same  time,  touched 
him  more  closely  still.  He  had  become 
deeply  attached  to  a  young  lady,  and 
sought  to  obtain  the  consent  of  her 
father.     But   the    only  result  of   his 


sent  vear  he  sat  for  the  borough  of    application  was  the  immediate  extinction 


Warebam.  In  June  1828  he  accepted 
the  office  of  paymaster  of  the  Forces, 
and  was  sworn  of  the  Privy  Council. 
He  retired  from  office  with  the  other 
members  of  the  Wellington  administra- 
tion, with  whose  views  he  appeared  to 
coincide  until  the  debate  on  the  Reform 
bill  on  the  22nd  of  last  March,  when,  to 
the  astonishment  of  all  his  acquaintance, 
he  voted  with  the  301,  which  formed 
the  majority  of  one  by  which  that  mea- 
sure first  passed  a  second  reading.  On 
the  credit  of  this  vote,  Mr.  Calcraft  be- 
came the  Reform  candidate  for  Dorset- 
shire, in  opposition  to  Mr.  Bankes;  and, 
after  a  severe  contest,  he  was  successful. 
For  the  last  three  or  four  months  of  his 
life,  he  was  remarkably  low  and  dejected, 
and  on  the  afternoon  of  the  llth  of 
September,  whilst  his  youngest  daugh- 
ter (the  only  member  of  his  fiimily  in 
town.)  was  absent  at  church,  he  termi- 
nated his  existence  by  cutting  his  throat. 
See  Chronicle  p.  155. 

la  At  £1  wick-hall,  aged  65,  the  wife 


of  his  hopes.  Nothing  now  appeared, 
in  his  eyes,  of  sufficient  importance  to 
stimulate  exertion,  and  habits  of  irre- 
gularity were  formed.  These  led  to  new 
troubles  and  anxieties,  of  which  a  tem- 
porary oblivion  was  too  often  sought  in 
dissipation,  and  he  soon  found  himself 
almost  without  employment  In  Nov. 
1825,  he  was  suddenly  seised  with  a  de- 
lirium, in  which  he  made  a  despeiate 
attempt  upon  his  own  life.  The  wound 
he  inflictcsd,  though  serious,  did  not 
prove  mortal ;  and  the  effusion  of  blcod 
carried  away  with  it  the  delusion  under 
which  he  had  shed  it.  Though  so  re* 
duced  in  his  circunastances  as  to  be  in  part 
dependant  on  his  relatives  for  support, 
he  bore  his  depressed  condition  with 
every  appearance  of  equanimity.  He 
left  behind  him  a  poem  of  considerable 
length  entitled  <'  The  Artisf 

16.  At  Chelvey,  Somerset,  aged  83, 
the  rev.  William  Shaw,  D.D.  for  thirty- 
six  years  rector  of  that  parish,  and 
F.S.A.  He  wasoneofthelastsurviTiDg 


APPENDIX  TO  CHRONICLE.         257 


DEATHS*— Oct. 


intimate  friends  of  Dr.  Johnson,  and  one 
of  the  literary  coterie  which  met  con- 
stantly at  Bolt-court  and  Streatham-park. 
He  published  **  Suggestions  on  a  plan  of 
National  Education,"  1801,  8vo. 

Accidentally  shot  by  his  own  gun, 
whilst  crossing  a  hedge,  the  rey.  Wil- 
li am  Wilson,  rector  of  Harrington,  North- 
amptonshire, to  which  he  was  pre- 
sented in  1801  by  the  earl  of  Dysart. 

16.  At  Blaneme,    near  Dunse,    Ber- 


Dr.  Lyall,  late  British  resident  at 
Madagascar,  and  author  of  "  Travels  in 
Russia.'' 

In  Jamaica,  aged  146,  Joseph  Ram,  a 
black,  belonging  to  Morice  Hall's  estate. 

Near  St.  Leonard's-hill,  aged  63,  by 
being  thrown  from  his  horse,  the  mar- 
quis d'Harcourt,  a  principal  legatee  of 
the  late  earl  Harcourt. 

At  Gran,  in  Hungary,  aged  71,  Car- 
dinal   Alexander  Von    Rudnay,  arch- 


wickshire,  aged  1 12,  Mr.  William  Car-  bishop  of  Gran  and  primate  of  Hungary, 

lyle.    He  was  born  at  Dundee,  about  In  Portman-square,  aged  68,  the  right 

the  middle  of  1719.    During  the  rebel-  hon.  Matthew  Montague,    fourth  lord 

lion  in^  1745  he  served  in  the  army  of  Rokeby,  of  Armagh ;  and  the  sitth  ba- 

sir  John  Cope,  against  the  Pretender,  ronet   of   Rokeby  in    Yorkshire.     He 


and  was  present  at  the  battle  of  Preston 
At  this  time  he  was  a  private  in  Lee's 
regiment,  in  the  troop  of  capt.  Braimer. 
19.  Of  apoplexy,  while  on  a  visit  to 
his  son-in-law  gen.  sir  John  Buchan, 


was  born  Nov.  23,  1762,;  and  was  the 
second  son  of  Morris  Robinson,  esq.  of 
the  Six  Clerks'  Office,  Chancery-lane. 
He  took  the  name  and  arms  of  Monta- 
gue by  royal  sign  manual  in  1776,  pursu- 


and 


K.C.B.,  colonel  Mark  Wilks,  of  the  Ma-  ant  to  a  petition  of  his  aunt,  the  cele- 
brated literary  character,  who  was  the 
widow  of  Edward  Montagu,  of  Aller- 
thorpe,  esq.  a  grandson  of  the  first  earl 
of  Sandwich.  He  was  elected  to  Par- 
liament for  Bossiney  on  a  vacancy  in 
1786 ;  and  in  the  next  Parliament,  from 
1790  to  1796,  sat  for  Tregony.    In  1800, 


dras    army ;    of    Portland-place, 
Kir  by  in  the  Isle  of  Man* 

20.  At  Burfield  Lodge,  Berks,  in  his 
70th  year,  the  hon.  Frederick  Lumley, 
brother  to  the  earl  of  Scarborough. 

24.  At  Brighton,  in  his  14th  year, 
the  hon.  Charles  Wm.  Lambton,  eldest 
son  of  lord  Durham,  and  grandson  of     on  the  death  of  his  aunt,  at  the  age  ot 


earl  Grey. 

26.  At  Dumbarton,  the  day  following 
the  decease  of  his  eldest  son,  Jacob 
Dixon,  esq.  Provost  of  Dumbarton. 

28.  In  Upper  Wimpole-street,  aged 
69,  lieut-general  Malcolm  Grant,  of  the 
East  India  Company's  service. 

—  At  Bury  St.  Edmund's,  aged  68, 
Charles  Bloomfield,  esq.  a  member  of 
the  Corporation  of  that  town,  father  of 
the  lord  bishop  of  London. 

29.  At  the  house  of  his  wife's  sister 
the  countess  de  Salis,  in  Carlton-gar- 
dens,  after  a  very  few  days'  illness,  aged 


eighty,  he  inherited  the  large  landed 

Eroperty  which  had  been  settled  upon 
er  by  her  husband,  and  he  subsequently 
gave  the  world  four  volumes  of  her 
Letters.  He  succeeded  to  the  family 
titles  on  the  death  of  his  brother  Morris, 
the  third  lord  Rokeby,  May  21,  1829. 


OCTOBER. 

1.  In  London,  aged  64,  the  right  hon* 
Thomas  Stapleton,  lord  le  Despencer. 

2.  At  Wheatfield,  Oxon,  aged  35,  the 
42,  John  Henry  North,  esq.  judge  of  xev.  Frederick  Charles  Spencer,  rector 
the  court  of  Admiralty  in  Ireland,  and  of  that  parish,  nephew  and  cousin  to 
M.P.  for  Drogheda.    Mr.  North  was  a     the  duke  of  Marlborough. 

member  of  Trinity  College,  Dublin,  and  8.  At  Jamaica,  sir  William  Anglin 
was  called  to  the  bar  in  1810.  He  was  Scarlett,  chief  justice  of  that  Island, 
brought  into  Parliament  in  1825  (as  a  and  younger  brother  of  sir  James  Scar- 
member  for  Milboume  Port),  under  the  lett,  the  late  attorney-general. 


auspices  of  Mr.  Canning,  of  whose  policy 
he  was  an  ardent  supporter.  He  was 
first  elected  for  Drogheda  in  1830 ;  and 
was  appointed  judge  of  the  Irish  admir- 
alty court  by  the  duke  of  Wellington,  oh 
the  removal  of  sir  Jonah  Barrington. 
Lately,  At  Northampton,  John  Hoy- 


12.  In  Beaumont-street  aged  83,  Na- 
thaniel Coffin,  esq.  elder  brother  of  adm. 
sir  Isaac  Coffin,  bart.,  34  years  collector 
of  his  majesty's  Customs  at  Basseterre, 
St.  Kitt's. 

14.  At  Florence,  the  celebrated  as- 
tronomer Louis  Pons,  keeper  of  the  ca- 


land,  esq.  formerly  of  York:  author  of  binetof  Natural  History  belonging  to  the 

**  An  Historical  Survey  of  the  Gypsies,"  grand  duke  of  Tuscany. 

and  other  works.  15.  The  rev.  Richard  Jansott,  minis* 

Vol.  LXXIIL  S 


258 


ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


DEATHS.— Nov. 


ter  of  the  new  church  at  Stratton,  Che- 
shire. He  was  killed  by  the  fell  of  a 
tree,  during  a  gnlc  of  wind,  at  Wilders- 
pool  causeway,  near  Warrington. 

18.  John  Tempest,  esq.  of  Lincoln's- 
inn,  barristcr-at-law. 

—  In  Uarley- street,  in  his  70tli  year, 
the  hon.  Charles  Fitzroy,  a  general  in 
the  army,  colonel  of  tht  25th  foot ; 
uncle  to  lord  Southampton. 

20.  Aged  5S,  George  Roots^  esq.,  re- 
corder of  Kingston-on-Thames,  and  for 
more  than  thirty  years  a  commissioner 
of  bankrupts. 

38.  At  Ken  ward-park,  Kent,  aged  75, 


2.  Aged  60,  at  Barnes,  Patrick  Ber- 
nard Foley,  esq.  mi^or  of  the  7th  Royal 
Fusilecrs. 

At  Abingdon-hall,  lieut.-col.  GeorM 
Edward  Graham  Foster  Pigott,  M.P. 
for  Kinrosshire  from  18S6  to  1830. 

(jL  At  Dundee,  Dr.  Patterson,  a  bishop 
of  the  church  of  Rome.  He  died  sua- 
denly  of  apoplexy,  having  performed 
the  services  of  the  afteraoon  in  the  cha- 
pel. 

7.  In  Cliffbrd-st.  lieut.-col.  Richard 
Rochfort,  of  Brettwell* house,  Oxon« 
late  consul-general  of  East  Friesland. 

—  At  Dover,  on  bis  way  to  Naples. 


sir  John  Gregory  Shaw,  the  fifth  baronet     aged  80,  sir  Natlianiel  WUltam  Wnoall, 

bart.  He  was  only  son  of  WilliaBi 
Wraxall,  esq.  merchant  of  Bristol,  bv 
Anne,  great  niece  to  sir  JamesTbonihiiry 
the  historical  painter.  Sir  William  had 
acquired  a  certain  degree  of  literary  ce- 


of  his  fifimlly. 

—  In  Hanover-square,  aged  66,  sir 
George  Nayler,  knight,  K.H.,  C.T.S.,and 
Chas.III.,  garter  principal  king  at  arms, 
and  F.S.A. 


31.  Accidentally  shot  by  a  play-fellow     lebrity  by  his  productions,  among  which 

^_  i:-*. II —    — J   1..    -._    T_i  _     theoneihatobtainedthemostdislinction, 

both  by  its  popularity  and  the  numeront 
attacks  directed  against  it,  was  the  latest 
of  them  all,  namely  '^  Historical  Membra 
of  my  own  Time,"  3  vols.  8vo.  181^« 
His  preceding  publications  wece  a 
'*  Tour  through  some  of  the  Northern 
parts  of  Europe,"  177^9  which  pass- 
ed through  four  editions  ;  "  MenMiirs  of 
the  Kings  of  France  of  the  Race  of  Va- 
loii,"  2  vols.  8vo.  1784;  ''The  History 
of  France  from  the  accessloo  of  Henry 
III  to  the  death  of  Louis  XIV."  3  vols. 
4to.,  17911,  and  6  vols.  8vo.,  1814,  and 
"  Memoirs  of  the  Courts  of  B«rliD« 
Dresden,  &c.  "  2  vols  8vo.  1789.  and 
1800. 

14.  At  Tumham-green,  in  his  80th 
year,  sir  John  Pinhorn,  knt,  of  Ring- 
wood  house,  in  the  Isle  of  Wight* 

15.  At  Coburg,  aged  73,  her  serene 
highness  Augusta  Caroline,  Duc}iesa. 
dowager  of  Saxe  Coburg  Saalfeld,  mother 
of  Ernest,  the  reigning  duke ;  olF  princt 
Leopold,  the  king  of  the  Belgians  i  and  of 
her  Royal  highness  the  duchess  of  Ken^. 
Besides  the  above,  her  highness  had 
also  three  other  children,  namely,  a  inn, 
who  is  a  lieutenant  field- marshal  In  th^ 
Austrian  service ;  and  two  daugbten 
(both  older  than  the  duchess  of  Kent) 
one  married  to  count  de  Mensdorfi*,  go- 
vernor of  Maycnce,  the  other  to  the  li^te 
grand  duke  Constantine  of  Russia,  but 
separated  from  him  in  1820. 

19.  At  C raster  hall,  near  Alnwick, 
aged  72,  Isabella,  wife  of  Sbafto  Craistart 
esq. 

--  At  Oxton^  Notts,  W.G.Sh<rbrookt< 


near  Eton-college,  aged  13,  sir  John 
Carmichael  Anstruther,  of  Elie-house, 
CO.  Fife.  He  was  the  only  and  posthu- 
mous child  of  sir  John  Anstruther,  (who 
assumed  the  name  of  Carmichael  in  1817 
on  being  served  heir  to  the  last  earl  of 
Ilyndford,  and  died  in  Feb.  1818)  by 
.Tesse,  3rd  daughter  of  major-general 
Dewar,  who  married,  2ndly,*Robert  Mar- 
sham,  D.C.L.  the  warden  of  Merton- 
collegc,  where  the  young  baronet's  re- 
mains were  interred  on  the  8th  Nov. 

Lately,  Arthur  Clegg,  esq.  leaving  be- 
hind him  property  to  the  value  of  up- 
wards of  half  a  millioQ,  which  he  ac- 
quired chiefly  in  the  town  of  Manchester. 

At  Edinburgh,  aged  68,  Andrew  Smith, 
esq.  senior  rear-admiral  of  the  Red. 

Josias  Walker,  M.  A.  professor  of  Hu- 
manity at  the  University  of  Glasgow. 

At  Glasgow,  David  Walker,  esq.  the 
American  consul-gen.  in  Scotland. 

At  Calais,  aged  73i  Richard  Bentley, 
esq.  grandson  of  Richard  Bentley,  D.D. 
of  Trinity-college  Cambridge. 

In  France,  aged  39.  Theobald  lord 
Walsh. 

At  Passy,  M.  Sebastian  Erard,  well 
known  in  Europe  for  his  improvement 
in  harps  and  pianos. 

At  Cheltenham,  aged  87f  the  hon. 
Roht.  Moore,  half  .uncle  to  the  marquis 
of  Drogheda. 

NOVEMBER. 

1.  At  Wapaghkonnett,  Blackhoof, 
aged  114,  one  of  the  chiefs  of  the  Sliaw- 
nessee  tribe  of  Indians. 


APPENDIX  TO  CHRONICLE.          m 

DEATHe|M,^J>jBo. 

eaq.    for  many   years  chairman  of  the  26.    Aged   77,    sir   Charles  Henry 

county  quarter  sessions.  KnowleS|  bart.  admiral  of  ihe  Had,  ana 

19.  The  fire  king,  M.  Chabert ;  the  G.C.B. 

cause  of  his  death  was  internal  inflamma-  2d.  At  St.  Petersburgh,  Jane,  princess 

tion  produced  by  taking  phosphorus.  pf  Lowicz,   widow  of  the  grand  duke 

—  In  AbingQon-street,  Joseph  Ter-  Constantine ;  she  was  by  birth  countess 
ry  Hone,  esq.  barrister-at-law  and  a  of  Grudzinaka,  and  was  married  by  the 
police  magistrate  at  Union-hall.  late  grand  duke,  May  30, 18^0. 

20.  At  Chellowes-park,  Surrey,  aged  30.  At  Clovellv  rectory,  Devonshire, 
84,  James  Donovan,  esq.  of  epilepsy,  aged  30,  the  rev*  Orlando 

—  At  Airy  hill,  near  Whitby,  in  his  Hamlyn  Williams,  rector  of  that  narish, 
73rd  year,  Hichard  Moorsom,  esq.  a  brother  to  sir  James  Hamlyn  Williams, 
justice  of  the  peace,  and  deputy-lieu t.  bart.  M.P.  for  Carmarthenshire. 

of  the  North  Riding  of  the  county  of  Lately,  In  Ulster^place,  aged  78,  Julia 

York.  Elizabeth,   widow  of  sir  Wmi9m  Con- 

21.  At  Hare-hatch,  Berks,  aged  74,  gcevet  the Urat  baroQf t. 

sir  George  Sowley  Holrovd,  knight,  late  At  bombay,  F.  W.  /ones*  taq*  of  the 
a  justice  of  the  Court  of  King's  Bench.  Civil  Service,  second  son  of  Ueut.-general 
He  formerly  went  the  Northern  Circuit,  sir  Richard  JoneSy  K.C.B. 
where  he  was  distinguished  bvhisknow«  On  his  passage  from  India,  aged  46, 
ledge  of  special  pleading.  He  was  ap-  lieut-colonel  WilUam  Wilson,  31,  Ben- 
pointed  to  his  seat  on  the  bench  in  1816,  gal  N,  I. 

and  resigned  his  judicial  functions  in  At  Bath,  aged  81,  Dorothea,  widow  of 

1829.  sir  John  Lethbridge,  of  Sandhill-park, 

22.  At  his  seat,  LuUingstone  Castle,  bart. 

Kent   aged  67,  sir  Thomas  Dyke,  bart.  At  Paris,  Pamela,  widow  of  the  un- 

23.  At  Hargham-hall,  aged  29,  Eliza-  fortunate  lord  Edward  Fitzgerald.  Slie 
beth  Budget,  lady  of  sir  T.  Beevor,  bart.  was  the  daughter  of  Madame  de  Genlis 

24.  At  his  seat.  Tali  Arias,  county  by  the  duke  of  Orleans,  and  after  the 
Carmarthen,  aged  nearly  83,  the  right  death  of  lord  Edward,  married  Nf. 
hon.  lord  Robert  Seymour,  joint  clerk  of  Pitcairn,  who  survives  her.  She  left  by 
the  crown  in  the  King^s  Bench  of  Ire-  lord  Edward  a  son,  Edward  Fox  Fitz- 
land  'y  grandfather  of  lord  Southampton,  gerald,  esq.  who  married  in  1827  Jane, 
and  uncle  to  the  marquis  of  Hertford,  youngest  daughter  of  sir  John  Dean 
K.G.,  the  late  marquis  of  Londonderry,  Paul,  bart. ;  and  two  daughters,  Pamela, 
K.G.,  the  marquis  of  Drogheda,  &c.  married  in  1820  to  lieut-oolonel  sir  Guy 

—  At  bis  prebendal-bouse^  Winches-  Campbell,  bart,  and  Lucy  Louisa,  in 
ter,  the  rev.  Richard  Cockburn,  B.D.  1825,  to  captain  George  Francis  Lyon, 
rector  of  Barming,  and  vicar  of  Boxley,  R.  N. 

Kent,  and  a  prebendary  of  Winchester.  At  Edinburgh,  the  wife  of  the  right 

He  obtained,  in   1802  and  1803,    the  hon*  John  Learmouth,  lord  Provost, 

prize  for  the  Seatonian  poem  ;  the  sub-  At  Keith-house,  near  Edinburgh,  lady 

jects  were  St.  Peter's  Denial  of  Christ,  Margaret,   wife  of  Alexander  Maclean, 

and    Christ   raising    the  daughters  of  esq.  aunt  to  the  earl  of  Hopetoun. 

Jairus,  both  published  in  4to.    In  1803  Aged  84,    Alexander   Stewart*   esq. 

he  was  chosen  to  be  the  first  to  fill  the  i^ncle  to  the  marquess  of  Londonderry, 

post  of  Christian   Advocate,   founded  At  the  Grange,  near  EUesmere,  the 

pursuant  to  the  will  of  Mr.  Hulse.    He  right  bon«  Harnet  lady  Tara* 
retained  it  for  the  period  of  six  years ; 

and  published  several  treatises  calcu-  w/^«m«n«n 
lated  to  fulfil  the  intentions  of  the  pious  DECEMBER. 
founder ;  the  first  of  which  was  <*  Re- 
marks on  Volney's  Ruins  of  Empires."  3.  At  Haggerston  Castle,  Northum- 
In  1804,  he  published  "An  authentic  berland,  aged  75,  sir  Carraby  Haggers- 
account  of  the  late  unfortunate  death  of  ton,  fifth  bart.  of  that  place, 
lord  Camelford,  with  an  extract  from  his  6.  In   CumberUmd-street,   Portman- 
lordship's  will,  and  some  remarks  upon  square,  the  right  hon*  sir  A.  Hart,  knt. 
his  character.''  late  Lord  Chanoellor  of  Ireland,  in  the 

25.  At  Brighton,  in  his  32nd  year,  72nd  year  of  his  age.'  He  was  born  in 
captain  Henry  Murray,  formerly  of  the  the  year  1759,  iii  the  Island  of  St. 
Coldstream  Guards ;  brother  to  the  bi-  Christopher.  At  an  earlv  fige  he  was 
shop  of  Rochester.  sent  to   England  for  education,   and 

S2 


260       ANNUAL    R  EGI  STER,  1831. 

DEATHS.— Dec. 
placed  at  Tonbridge  school ;   in   the    be   imprisoned  in  the  Inquisition,   lit 
year  1776  he  was  admitted  a  student  of    181 7>  where  he  continued  three  yean. 
~  In  J820  he  shared  tJie  triumph  of  the 

patriots,  and  held  a  variety  of  important 
commands,  till  he  was  called  from  the 
command  of  the  Constitutional  army  in 
Biftcay  and  Navarre,  to  fill  the  litnatton 
of  minister  of  war  in  1823.  After  the 
constitutional  government  ceased  to  ex- 
ist, he  emigrated  and  passed  some  time 
in  England,  and  was  active  in  endea- 
vouring to  overthrow  the  arbitrary  rule  oC 
Ferdinand  ;  it  was  to  his  seal  in  the  pur- 
suit of  this  purpose  that  he  owed  his  pre* 
mature  death,  at  about  the  age  in  43. 
Among  those  who  suflfered  with  himr,  was 
Mr.  Robt  Boyd,  brother  to  Mr.  W.  Boyd, 
of  the  Irish  bar. 

15.  In  the  Regent's-paric,  in  his  11th 
year,  John  Hugh,  eldest  son  of  J.  G. 
Lockhart,  esq.  and  grandson  to  sir  ITal- 
ter  Scott,  bart. 

16.  In  Hartey-street,  aged  42,  the 
hon.  James  Berkeley  Rodney,  late  Heat- 
colonel  3rd  Guards,  brother  to  lord  Rod- 
ney. 

—  At  Plymouth,  agett  78,  Robert 
Barton,  esq.  vice-admiral  of  the  Red. 

17.  At  Breda,  aged  neariy  64,  John 
Spencer,  esq.  D.C.L.  of  Wheatfield,  Ox. 
fbrdshire ;  first  cousin  and  brother-in- 
law  to  the  duke  of  Mariborough.  He 
was  eldest  son  of  lord  Charles  Spencer, 
second  son  of  the  second  duke. 

19.  In  Bridge-street,  Blackfriars,  Mn 
W".  Waithman,  third  son  of  Mr.  Alder^ 
man  Waithman,  M.P. 

20.  In  Circnccster-place,  aged  81, 
Sam.  Middiman,  esq.  the  engraver  of 
"  Picturesque  Views  and  Antiquities  of 
Great  Britain,"  complete  in  2  vols.  4vo« 
1811. 
^  22.  At   Leamington,   Warwick^   the 

right  hon.  Elizabeth  countess  dowager  of 
Darnley. 

27.  At  Chippen  Warden,  Northamp- 
tonshire, aged  73,  the  rev.  John  Ljunb, 
D.D,  rector  of  that  parish,  who  shot 
himself  through  the  breast,  having  been 
for  some  time  previously  in  a  desponding 
state  of  mind. 

—  In  Bryanstone-st.,  aged  53,  Elixs, 
wife  of  lieut.-gen.  C.  Callender. 

31.  In  London,  aged  about  70,  Mrs. 
Renaud,  the  actress,  formerly  known  as 
the  beautiful  Mrs.  Powell. 

Lately.  At  Dover,  sir  Thomas  Man-» 
tell,  F.A.L.  and  H.SS.,  author  of  a 
small  quarto  tract  on  "  Coronation  Cere- 
monies and  Customs,  relative  to  the  Ba- 
rons of  the  Cinque  Ports,"  1820,  and 
one  or  two  other  pieces. 


the  Middle  Temple,  and  called  to  the 
bar  in  1781.     He  practised  first  in  the 
West    Indies,   and  afterwards   at  the 
Chancery  bar  here.  In  1807  he  was  made 
king's  counsel,  and  in  the  same  year 
elected  a  bencher  in  tlie  Middle  Temple. 
In  1813  he  was  selected  to  fill  the  office 
of  solicitor-general  to  her  majesty  queen 
Charlotte.    In  1827  Mr.  Hart  was  ap- 
pointed Vice-chancellor,   received   the 
honour  of  knighthood,  and  was  sworn  in 
as  one  of  his  majesty's  most  honourable 
Privy  Council,  and  in  the  autumn  of  the 
same  year  on  the  retirement  of  lord 
Manners  he   was  raised  to  the   Chan- 
cellorship of  Ireland,  which  office  he 
filled  until  the  resignation  of  the  duke 
of  Wellington  in   1830,    when  he  was 
recalled.      The    great    patience,     un- 
wearied atteutlon,  and  masterly  know- 
ledge of  the  principles  and  practice  of  a 
Court  of  Equity  gained  fur  sir  A.  Hart, 
during  his  continuation  in  office  in  Ire- 
land, the  respect  and  regard  of  those 
who  practised  at  and  who  were  suitors  in 
the  Court  of  Chanceiy  there,  while  the 
upright  and  impartial  manner  in  which 
he    discharged  the  other  duties  of  his 
high  office  called  forth  general  esteem. 

8.  At  Plasnewedd,  Llangollen,  aged 
76,  Miss  Sarah  Ponsonby,  the  friend  of 
the  late  lady  Eleanor  Butler,  with  whom 
she  resided  in  that  romantic  retreat  more 
than  fifty  years.  She  was  the  daughter 
of  Chambre  Brabazon  Ponsonby,  esq., 
son  of  major-general  the  hon.  Henry 
Ponsonby,  who  was  killed  at  the  battle 
of  Fontenoy  in  1745. 

9.  At  Ashford  Staines,  aged  55,  lieut.- 
colunel  George  Russell  Deare,  late  of 
the  8th  light  dragoons. 

10.  Executed  at  Malaga,  with  fifty- 
two  companions  with  whom  he  had 
landed  there,  hoping,  from  the  treache- 
rous promises  of  the  governor  (Moreno) 
to  effiict  a  successful  insurrection  against 
Ferdinand,  general  Torrijos,  the  Span- 
ish constitutional  leader.  He  entered 
the  military  service  at  a  very  early  age, 
and  was  soon  noticed  by  the  Irish  gene- 
ral Doyle,  by  whom  he  was  selected  to 
lead  a  sortie  from  Tortosa,  in  1810. 
At  the  battle  of  Vittoria  he  commanded 
the  second  brigade  of  infantry ;  from 
which  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of 
Brigadier  general,  and  distinguished 
himself  in  the  battle  of  the  Pyrenees 
and  throughout  the  French  campaign. 
His  services  in  the  cause  of  freedom, 
and  his  lil)eral  opinions  caused  him  to 


APPENDIX  TO  CHRQNiCLE;         261 


DEATHS Dec. 


At  Chislehurst,  Kent,  John  Martin, 
esq.  bankerof  Lombard-st,  and  for  many 
years  M.P.  for  Tewkesbury. 

Robert  Alexander  Crickett,  esq.  of 
Smyth^s  Hall,  Essex,  M.P.  for  Ipswich, 
from  1807  to  1820. 

At  Liverpool,  N.  G.  Philips,  esq.  an 
amateur  artist  of  great  taste  and  skill, 
and  author  of  "  Views  in  Lancashire." 

At  Edinburgh,  Alicia,  widow  of  sir 
John  Wedderburn  (the  sixth  bart.  of 
Nova  Scotia,  but  for  the  attainder  of 
1746,)  and  step-mother  to  sir  David  Wed- 
derburn, the  present  bart.  so  created  in 
1803. 

At  Roehampton,  aged  31,  lord  Arthur 
Augustus  Edwin  Hill,  brother  to  the 
marquess  of  Downshire. 

At  Banff  Castle,  sir  Robert  Turing, 
of  Foveran,  co.  Aberdeen,  bart. 

Horatio  Cock,  esq.  of  Colchester. 
He  bequeathed  nearly  35,000/.  to  charit- 
able institutions,  including  9000/.  to  the 
British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  and 
9000/.  to  the  Society  for  promoting 
Christianity  amongst  the  Jews. 

In  St.  Giles's  workhouse.  Jack  Mit- 
ford  an  author  and  very  eccentric  cha- 
racter. He  was  originally  in  the  navy, 
and  fought  under  Hood  and  Nelson.  His 
name  will  be  remembered  in  connection 
with  lady  Percival,  in  the  Blackheath 
affair.  For  many  years  before  his  death, 
Mitford  lived  by  chance,  and  slept  three 
nights  in  the  week  in  the  open  air,  when 
his  finances  did  not  admit  of  his  paying 
threepence  for  a  den  in  St.  Giles's. 
Though  formerly  a  nautical  fop,  for 
the  last  fourteen  years  of  his  life, 
he  was  ragged  and  loathsome :  he 
never  thought  but  of  the  necessities  of 
the  moment.  He  had  some  class- 
ical knowledge,  and  maintained  his 
miserable  existence  by  literary  efforts, 
the  memory  of  which  is  not  worth  pre- 
serving. Among  them  was  a  libellous  life 
of  the  late  Recorder  sir  John  Sylvester. 
His  largest  work  was  the  history  of 
"Johnny  Newcome  in  the  Navy,"  the 
publisher  of  which  gave  him  a  shilling  a 
day  until  he  finished  it.    He  lived  the 


whole  of  this  time  in  Bayswater  fields, 
making  abedatnightof  grass  and  nettles ; 
two  pennyworth  of  bread  and  cheese,  and 
an  onion  were  his  daily  food ;  the  rest  of 
the  shilling  lie  expended  in  gin.  He 
thus  passed  forty-three  days,  washing 
his  shirt  and  stockings  in  a  pond, 
when  he  required  clean  linen.  He  edi- 
ted "The  Scourge"  and  "Bon  Ton 
Magazine."  At  the  time  of  his  death 
he  was  editing  a  penny  jproduction, 
called  the  *^  Quizzical  Gazette." 

William  Bilderdijk,  the  most  celebra- 
ted and  talented  writer  of  Holland, 
among  his  contemporaries,  and  the  patri- 
arch of  its  present  literary  generation. 
He  was  well  versed  in  the  chief  Europe- 
an languages,  and  acquainted  with  vari- 
ous branches  of  belles  Tettres  and  science. 
As  a  poet,  he  produced  several  works 
distinguished  as  well  by  the  originality  of 
thought  they  display,  as  by  tlie  elegance 
of  theirdiction,and  the  captivating  graces 
of  style.  His  "Diseases  of  studious  men" 
in  six  cantos,  1 807>  is  the  finest  descripti  ve 
poem  in  the  Dutch  language,  and  treated 
with  such  masterly  skill  as  to  be  highly 
attractive,  notwithstanding  the  some- 
what repulsive,  and  apparently  anti-po- 
etical nature  of  the  subject  itself.  Next 
in  degree  of  merit,  less  original  in  its 
materials,  but  marked  by  equal  beauty 
and  richness  of  style,  is  his  "Rural 
Life",  a  free  and  spirited  imitation 
of  Del  isle's  L'  Homme  des  Champs. 
Numerous  lyrical  pieces  scattered 
through  his  works  attest  his  ability  in 
that  species  of  composition,  nor  was  he 
less  successful  in  the  ballad,  and  in 
serious  or  playful  narrative*  In  addi- 
tion to  these  and  various  other  poet- 
ical works,  he  prodirced  several  trage- 
dies,—** Willero  van  Holland ; "  "  Cor- 
mac,"  &c.  with  a  critical  dissertation 
on  that  branch  of  the  drama ;  also  an 
Essay  on  Ossian,  serving  as  an  ap- 
pendix to  his  metrical  translation  of  the 
ancient  bard.  Bilderdijk  was  born  at 
Amsterdam  in  17^6,  and  was  buried  at 
Haarlem  on  the  23rd  of  December. 


262 


ANNUAL   REGISTER,   1831. 


FINANCE  ACCOUNTS 

Class  I.  Public  Income. 

II.  Public  Expbnditure. 

III.  Disposition  of  Grants. 


PUBLIC  INCOME  of  the  UNITED  KINGDOM, 


II  IADS  OF  REVENUE. 


OHDINAHY  REVENUES. 

Cnatonis    •••.....••••t. ••••*. ...••.. •••...•••.•••••. •! 

Exciiie   • ...•.•.....•• 

Stamps • • 

Taztv,  nmkr  the  Mamgement  of  tbe  CommlMioiiors  of  Twua   •  • . . 

Fiwl  Office 

One  ShUlinc  In  ihe  Pouid,  and  Six|)cnce  in  the  Pound  ou  Pensions 

nnd  Salanes,  and  Foar  shillings  in  the  Pound  on  Pensions  ...... 

Hackney  Coaches,  and  Ilawl&crs  and  I'edlars 

Crown  Ijindi 

Small  Branches  of  Ihe  King's  Hereditary  Revenue   .............. 

Surplus  Foes  of  Regulated  Public  Offices..... 

Poundage  Fees,  Fells'  Fees,  Casualties,  Tkeasory  Fees,  and  Hospital 

Fees .....••t.t.t.... •• ..•..•••.••.... 

TOTALS  of  Ordinary  ReTenoes.... ••...••• 


OlOfiS  RECEIPT. 


'.'1,084,534 

22,354,887 

7,M5,C66 

5401,nO 
2,301,432 

52,351 

SC3J4S 

7.260 

44,081 


d. 


16  10| 
19   9 


0 
S 
3 


4 
7 
9 


9>og6  9   ift 


R«mr«Mic»  AUmt- 


Boanties  !■  th> 


£. 

1.557,424 
2A>7>909 

soGigBi 

6,400 
89,226 

■  • 


5  71 

18  Si 

18  71 

o  s 

«  6 

•• 

•■ 


59,142,250  14    1|  4,497*547    £    8 


OTHER  RESOURCES. 

Money  received  from  the  East- India  Company,  on  account  of  Re- 
tired Pa^',  Pendous,  &e.  of  his  AlNJesty'b  Forces  serving  In  tlie 
East  Indies,  |icr  Act  4 Geo.  4,  c.71......  •••••t  .•...•.....••• 

Surplus  of  his  Majesty's  Hereditary  Revenue,  Scotland,  per  Act 
4 (ieo.  iv.  c.  vl, Sa^  ..•..•..•••.•...•.••........•...•.•... 

Surplus  of  tlic  4^  per  cent  Duties 

Imprest  Monies,  repaid  by  sundry  Public  Accountants,  and  other 
Monies  paid  to  the  Public 

Amount  of  Savings  on  the  lliird  CUm  of  the  Civil  List    

Money  brought  fk-om  the  Civil  IJ»t,  on  account  of  the  Salary  of 
Lord  Warden  of  the  Cinque  Ports 

TOTALS  of  the  Public  Income  of  the  United  Kingdom   .... 


6o/)00 

0 

0 

•  • 

•  • 

20,000 

0 

0 

•  . 

'•• 

23,860 

0 

8 

.  . 

•  • 

34,09  fc 

18 

S} 

.• 

•  • 

25,692  16 

6{ 

•  • 

•  • 

2,973  12 

6i 

.• 

•  • 

59,308,872 

2 

0* 

4,497,547 

2    8 

APPENDIX  TO  CflfitONlCLE.         263 


FOR    THE    YEAR     1831 

Class  IV.  Unfunded  Debt. 

V.  Public  Funded  Debt. 

VI,  Trade  and  Navigation. 


FOR   THE   YbAB    ENDED   5tH   JaNVABY,    1831. 


NETT  RECEIPT 
within  the  Vcaryafiter 

deducting 
REPAYMENTS  »«. 


£.         *.     d. 


19^27,100  14     1 

19,817^81  18    7 

7,248,083  14    6 

5,294,870    6 

2,^ie,206    5 


'el 


52,351  16  lOj 

67,925  19    9 

363,742    0    4 

7,260    2    7 

44,684    3    9 

9.0^6    9    li 


54,644,703  11  Hi 


TOTAL  INCOME, 


£. 


d. 


«0,054,6SK!  11  25 

20,732,432  J5  llj 

7.519,730    9  6j 

5,413,143  13  4 

2,375,925  JO  0 

55,643  11  9k 

68.131  3  11 

436.696  1  9i 

7,999  17  «I 

44,684  3  £ 

9,096  9  li 


66,718,177  r    91 


60,000  0  0 

20,000  0  0 

23,860  0  8 

34,094  18  S^t 

25,69?  16  6| 

2,973  12  61 


54,8ll,324  19  lOi  56,884,798  15    7| 


60,000  0  0 

80,000    O  0 

£3,&60    0  8 

M,og;4iiBf  2f 

25,692  16  6i 

2,973  12  6| 


Charges  of 
Colicction,and  other 

Paynenta 
ontofUiobKOiM, 

to  tiMExcbeqnor. 


£.       *.    d, 

1,056,456  19   o| 
]  ,381*503  10  1  ~ 

190,159  r  I 

303^9^9    5    6 

737,914  10 

9383  18  10 
391,42s  If    8| 

3,093  17   0 


4,875,6?4    1    9i 


«• 


PATMBKiV 
^CHEIHJBR. 


£•       t.  A, 

17,540322  14  10 

18,6M,384  19  3 

ii/>^M  3  a 

Infill  18  6 

^M96l4  li 

50^    0  0 

•A  ^      •  •  ■ 

4,653  11  8 

44,684    3  9 
9,096   9    li 


49389,99*  18    H 


BALANCES 
fitk  jMnatsTi  l8|l. 


£.       ».    d, 

657,913  i'f    * 
706,544  5  9| 
871,440  18  li 

tnjm  0  9 

3,»t»lT   i 


id|  #  i,t«u  0 


Rate  per 
Ceat  for 

which  the 


was  col- 
lected. 


£.  ».  d, 

6  8  10 

5  8    5 

8  10    4 

4  6    4 

ISO  3    4 

.8  9    3 


258    9    if 


1,952,508    7    si 


T  13    9 
15    1    1 


.. 


6  5  r 


4375,674    1    91 


60,000  0  O 

20,000    0    0 
83360    0    8 


34,094  18 
25,692  16 


2,973  12    6} 


50,056,616    6    4| 


•  • 


1,958 


508    7    5} 


.. 


264 


ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


PUBLIC   EXPENDITURE 

Of  the  United  Kingdom  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland  in  the  Year 

ended  5th  Januarf^  1831. 


EXPENDITURE. 


Payments  out  of  the  Income  in  its  Progress  to  the 

Exchequer,  £. 

Charges  of  Collection • 3,713,941 

Other  Fayments I,l6lj30 


0  3| 

1  61 


Total  Payments  oot  of  the  Incomt,  prior  to  the  Payments  into  tlic  Exchequer 
Fmided  Debt. 


Interest  and  Management  of  the  Permanent  Debt* 
Terminable  Annaities  •.. • ..< 


25,466,557    7  Uj 
2,85g,$69  14    9 


Total  Charge  of  the  Funded  Debt,  exclndve  of 
£.5,307  2s,  lid.  the  Interest  on  Donations 
and  Bequests t •••••• t ••••••  ..«•... 


Unfunded  Debt. 
Interest  on  Exchequer  Bills  ...«•..  t  t . 


28,3S5/}S7    S    8| 
793,051    1    8 


Civil  List,  to  26th  Jane  1830,  charged  on  the 
Consolidated  Fund 

Civil  List  Charges,  paid  out  of  the  Grant  of 
£.200,000,  for  defiraying  the  Charge  up  to 
5th  January  1831 • 

Civil  List,  chargeable  on  the  Hercditaiy  Keve* 
nue  of  the  Crown  t  ••••••  • • 


£m       St    d. 

502,365    7    8} 

160,415    3  Hi 
236379  11    7i 


£.       s.    d. 


4^75,674    1    9 


PAYABLE  IN 


England. 


£. 


d. 


Pensions  on  the  Consolidated 

Fund 

Salaries  and  Allowances,  do. 

Courts  of  Justice,  do 

Miscellaneous  Charges, do... 
Mint  Establishment,  do.  ... 
Bounties  granted  for  the  establishment  of  Hemp  and  Ilax  in 

Scotland,  per  27  Geo.  III.  c.  13,  s.  65 


370,018    S    3} 
66,680  10  11 
145,724    0    7| 
225,942  12    8 


Ibkland. 


S.    d. 


£. 

95,267  19    7 

24,253  13    Si 

133,507    4  lOi 

53,282    3    5 


899,660    3    3|| 


89418JB56    4    4| 


Army ••...••••••••...•. 

Navy , k , 

Ordnance 

Miscellaneous  chargeable  upon  annual  Grants  of  Parliament. . . , 


465,286    1  10} 
90,934    4    2} 

279*211    5    6 
279>224  16    1 

14,606    0    0 
2,956  13    8 


6,991,163    7  4| 

5,309,605  17  5 

1,613,906    0  0 

1,950,108  13  4 


Money  paid  to  the  Bank  of  England,  to  supply  deficiencies  in  the  Balance  received 
for  Unclaimed  Dividends,  per  Act  56  Geo.  3,  c.  97  •..«..•••.••••••.,  •.!••••• 

Surplus  of  Income  paid  into  the  Exchequer,  over  Expenditure  issued  thereout 


2,031,899  4  8 

15,864,785  18  If 
127,399  16  10 


52,018,617  •  5  M 
2,913,673  2  41 


544^,290  8  8| 


APPENDIX  TO  ^ 


DISPOSITION  OF  GRANTS. 


Ad  Account  showing  how  the  Monibb  given  tor  the  SERVICE  of 
the  Uaited  Kingdom  of  Great  Britaik  &n<l  Ireland,  for  the 
Year  1830,  have  been  dbposed  of;  distinguished  under  their 
several  Heads;  to  5th  January,  1831. 


S..V.C... 

Voltd  or  C 

«(eJ. 

P>M. 

S,554,955    5 

1,689,444     0 
7,4ftJ,6Sl     S 

7,656  15 
I0,eB6  13 
160,000     0 

30,000     0 

30,500     0 
17,000     0 

B4,000     0 

ia,oio  0 

17,000     0 
I7,n00     0 

16,83B     0 

B,000     0 
B,04S     0 
34,750     0 
10,500    0 

3,ni  0 

d. 

0 

s 

0 
0 

0 
0 
0 

0 

0 

0 

£.      >■ 

4.370,096     H 
1,105,000     0 
5.883,384    1 

7,656  19 

8,166     7 
96,664  17 

26,500     0 
17,000     0 

11,000     0 
19,010     0 
17,000     0 

n,ooo    0 

16,858     0 

8,000     0 
5,100    0 
J4,750    0 
T.OOO     0 

3,33i  IT 

d. 

For  dcfnijing  U.s  Cliirge  of  Ihfl  Boj.l  Mlli- 

tarj  College;  for  llie  jfmt  1B30  

For  defnjlng  Ibe  Charge  of  iLe  Roytl  Mill- 

6 

For  dcFrajLig  Uie  Cliirge  of  iIm  CiviJ  CodUd- 

To  df!fraj'lheEi;i»nw  ofWork.  necuUng 

ORicen  ut  the  Hddbib  of  Lords  and  Com- 

To  defn;  tlie  BkpeiiHS   of  liio  Hoqio  of 
Lords  uid  CuDimorii ;  for  Ilia  jeu  1 330 ... 

To  iDike  good  tbo  DfUcieucy   of  the   Fee 
Vniid,  ia  the  Deparbnent  of  biiHajealj's 

Twaiurj;  for  Ihe  voar  1830    

Dillo  -  -  Home  SeoTelarf  of  Sute ;  for 

0 

Dillo  --  ForeigD  -  -  -  diLto )  for  Ibe 

DiLto  -  -  SflGrelarj  of  Stale  for  the  Co- 

^ 

cil,  and  Comtdlltee  of  Frlrj  Conneil 

To  defraj  Ihe  Contingent  Expentei  and  Mb«- 

Dillo  -  -  UoDu.  Segretorj  of  SUto ;  for 

Ditto  -  .  Fomgn  -  -  -  ditto ;  for  Uis 

DUlo  -  -  SeorsUry  'df  SUta  for  iii  Co- 

Ditlo  -  -  mosl  Uonourtble  Priiy  Coun- 
cil and  ComnillOB  of  Prirj  CounoU 

fDiTrad«i  forlhejoKim 

I 

266 


ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


SERVICES. 


To  (leTraj  ibe  Silarits  to  oertaiu  Officers,  and 
the  Bxpenies  of  the  Conrt  and  Receipt  of 
Uxche<|uer;  for  tbe  jcar  1830...... 

To  pa}'  Ibe  Salaries  or  Allowances  grilled  lo 
certain  Professors  in  the  Universities  of 
Oxford  and  Cainbridg^c,  for  reading  Courses 
of  Leoturos ;  for  the  year  1830   

To  pay  the  Snlariet  of  tbe  Gooimissiooers  of 
the  Insolvent  Debtors  Court,  of  their 
Clerks,  and  the  Contingent  Expenses  of 
their  Office,and  also  the  Expenses  attendnnt 
upon  their  Circaits  ;  for  the  jear  1850   ... 

To  pay  in  the  year  1830,  the  Salaries  of  the 
Officers,  and  tbe  Contingent  Expenses  of 
the  Office  for  the  Superintendence  of  Aliens, 
and  also  the  Superannuation  or  retired  Al- 
lowances to  Officers  formerly  employed  in 
that  Service 

To  pay  tbe  usual  Allowances  to  Protestant 
Dissenting  Ministers  in  England,  poor 
French  Protestant  Refugee  Clergy,  poor 
French  Refugee  Laity,  and  sundry  small 
Charitable  and  other  Allowances  to  the 
Poor  of  St  If arlin-in-tho- Fields,  and 
others;  for  the  year  1830 

To  defray  tbe  Expense  of  Printing  Acts,  and 
Bills,  Reports  and  other  Papers  for  the 
two  Honses  of  Parliament ;  (br  the  year 
1830 

To  defray  the  Expenbe  of  Printing,  under  the 
direction  of  tbe  CommisMuners  of  Public 
Records ;  for  the  year  1830    ..i 

To  defray  the  Extraordinary  Expenites  of  the 
Mint,  in  tbe  Gold  Coinage ;  in  the  year 
1830 

To  defray  the  Extraordinary  Expenses  that 
may  be  incurred  for  Prosecutions,  &c.  re- 
lating to  the  Coin  of  this  Kingdom ;  for  the 
year  1830 

To  defray  the  Expense  of  Law  Charges  j  for 
the  year  1830 

To  defray  the  Expenses  incurred  for  tbe  sup- 
port of  captured  Negroes,  &c.  for  the  year 
1830 ;  under  tbe  several  Acts  for  tbe  Abo- 
lition of  the  Slave  Trade 

To  defray  in  tbe  year  1830,  tbe  Amount  of 
Bills  drawn  from  New  South  Wales  and 
Van  Diemen's  Land,  on  account  of  tbe  Ex. 
penditure  incurred  for  Convicts  in  those 
Settlements  

Towards  satisfying  snch  Annuities,  Pensions 
or  other  Payments,  as  would  have  been 
payable  out  of  the  Consolidated  Fund  of 
tb«  Vnilod  Kiosdom  of  Gre«t  Brittan  Mid 


SUMS 
Voted  or  Granted. 

SUMS 
Paid. 

£.        8.    d. 

£.       9.    d. 

5,000    0    0 

6,000    0     0 

958    5    0 

958    5     0 

13,778     2     0 


4,034    0    0 


5,7lt  7  10 

76,000  0  0 

8,000  0  0 

19|000  0  0 

7,000  0  0 

15,000  0  0 

35,000  0  0 


120,000    0    0 


6,310    0     0 


4,034    O    0 


9,956    3  11 

50,'i50  IS  10 

7,t89  ir    3 

19,000    0    0 

7,000    0    0 
lO/XK)    0    0 

35,000    0    O 


Ireland,  or  out  of  Uie  OItII  Llat,  in 
lliB  deiiiiw  uf  hii  Ule  Mijeilj  Ui. 
Ukfln  place  behire  the  dlfa  d*y  oF  iuiVKt} 

For  Kepairi  aiiii  Ini'pmi'einentV  or  Windmi 

Cailloi  fur  Ihi!  jear  IBM    

Fur  llio  Ridesu  CusI ;  for  Iho  jear  1S3()  ... 

Tlie  follDning  SinvicEs  are  directed  lo  b? 
paid  irilhoDl  taj  Fee  or  otlier  Drduclioi 
wliaUoerer : 

FutderrajingllieCKirGEofllieCrviLEsT,!. 
BLiBBHENTa  oaderDienliunetl ;  viz. 

Of  the  Bahama  IiUndi;  for  Iha  jcar  1B30... 

Of  NoTa  Soutia  )  for  Ihe  ;<iir  1830 

OfNen  Brunswioh  ;  for  Iho  jear  1630 

or  iLc  Inland  afBermnda;  for  tbejrarlSaO 

or  Prtaco  Edword'B  IiUaud;    for  Ibe  jeai 

lasu , 

Of  the  Iiland  of  Nnwronodland ;  for  the  jw 
1B30.,,.. , 

OrSiem  Leone;  fur  the  ^rar  1S30    

To  defiaj  Ihe  Eipenie  of  Ute  Bitablirfumol 
at  Penundei  Po  ;  fur  Ihs  jNr  1830  

To  defra;  Ike  Expenie  of  the  Forts  al  Cape 
CoBetCBSlle  and  Accra;  for  Uu)  year  1 B3C 

To  defraj  ths  eiliiuated  BxpeDdidire  of  tbt 
Brillth  Musenini  for  (lie  jsar  ending  Bl 
ChriUmM  1830 

To  defray  the  Eipenae  of  Wurki  and  Repun 
of  Public  Bui  Id  Ingi.  and  fur  Funiiluresnd 
Dtbcr  Charges  defrayed  bj    Ibe  OIBce 
Works;  for  the  year  1830  , 

To  defray  Iho  Expenie  of  WoiiieiecnLiui. 

Port  Pan  ick  Harlmur  ;  for  lbs  ynr  IS; 

Ditto --Donaghadee  Harbour;   br  the 

year  1830 

Toward!  defying  Uie  Eipeme  of  ereotinj 
Churclm  in  the  Weit  Indiei ;  for  tbs  jrea 

1830 

Ditto  .  .  anil  oompleting  the  Mar  ■ 

Hobb-B  Point,  Milford  Haren 

Ditto  -  -  the  Stale  Paper  Office  j  for  the 
yiarlBSO 

Tri  defray  ilie  Eipenies  of  the  ComniiadoMrt 
of  the  Holyhead  and  Uowlh  Kuadi  and 
Harbon™ , 

To  defray  the  Eipenu  of  the  New  Buitdlngi 
al  the  Briilsli  Miiicuni ;  for  the  jear  IB30 

To  make  CoDipDnnlian  lo  iLe  ConDibnoJ 
ippointed  hj  terenl  AclirDt  Jnqniring  i 


3,001  1 

4,000 


16(),*I5    3  11| 

13:i,SS0     0     0 


4,U0»    ■ 
J,SIO 

6,000     ■ 


10,66*  17     6 
7,000     II     0 


4,7fW    0 

5,665  18 


268      ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


SERVICES. 


the  Collection  and  Mfenagcmcut  or  llic  Rc- 
renue  in  Ireland,  and  into  certain  Revenue 
Deparlmenlfl  in  Great  Britain,  for  tlieir  aii- 
sidultjr,  caro  and  |»aint  in  the  execution  of 
the  Trusts  reposed  in  them  by  Parliament . 

To  defray  the  Charge  of  Retired  Allowances 
or  Superannuations  to  Persons  formerly 
employed  in  Public  Offices  or  Departments, 
or  in  the  Public  Service  ;  for  the  year  1 830 

To  grant  relief,  in  the  year  1830,  lo  Toulon- 
e«e  and  Corsican  Emigrants,  Dutch  Naval 
Officers,  Saint  Domingo  Sufferers,  and 
others  who  have  heretofore  received  Allow- 
ances from  his  Majesty,  and  who  from  Ser« 
vices  performed  or  Losses  sustained  in  the 
Briliith  Service,  have  special  Claims  upon 
his  Migesty^s  justice  and  liberality  

To  defray  the  Kxpense  of  the  National  Vac- 
cine Establishment ;  for  the  year  1830  ... 

To  defray  the  Expense  of  the  Establishment 
of  the  Penitentiary  House  at  Milbank  ;  for 
the  year  1830    

For  the  support  of  the  Institution  called  The 
Refuge  for  the  Destitute;  for  the  year 
1830 

For  the  relief  of  American  Loyalists ;  for  the 
year  1830 

To  defray  the  Expense  of  confining  and  main- 
taining  Criminal  Lunatics ;  fur  the  year 
1830 

For  his  Majesty's  Foreign  and  other  Secret 
Services  j  for  the  year  1830    • 

To  defray  the  Expense  of  providing  Sta- 
tionery, Printing  and  Binding  foe  the 
several  Public  Departments  of  Government 
for  the  year  1830,  including  the  Expense  of 
the  Establishment  of  the  Stationery  Office. 

To  defray  the  Expense  attending  the  con- 
fining, maintaining,  and  employing  Con- 
victs at  Home  and  at  Bermuda ;  for  the 
year  1830 .,,. 

To  pay  in  the  year  1830,  the  Salaries  and 
incidental  Ex|)enses  of  the  Commissioners 
appointed  on  the  part  of  his  Majesty,  under 
the  Treaties  with  Spain  and  Portugal  and 
the  Netherlands,  for  preventing  the  illegal 
traffic  in  Slaves , 

To  defray  the  Expense  of  Missions  and  Spe- 
cial Commissions  to  the  new  Stales  of 
America;  for  the  year  1830 

To  pay  the  Salaries  of  Consols  General  and 
Consuls,  their  contingent  Expenses  and 
Superannuation  Allowances  to  retired  Con. 
sals ;  for  the  yeiur  1830  ••.•...•••n. «...•.•• 


SUMS 
Voted  or  Unmtcd. 


SUMS 
Paid. 


«£.  *.     (i. 


6,500     0     0 


6,882  U     7 


13,647  10  0 

2,500  0  0 

21,135  0  0 

3,000  0  0 

4,000  0  0 

3,039  0  0 

45,000  0  0 


96,850     0     0 


107,986    0    0 


18,700    0    0 
28,000    0    0 

8r,970    0    0 


of. 


6,500    0     0 


2,446  17     7 


6,61)7  10  O 

2,500  0  O 

10,000  0  0 

5,000  0  O 

3,000  0  O 

2,958  r  11 

44,600  0  0 


60,000    0    0 


107,986    0    0 


5,000    0    0 
11^866     1     6} 

54^445  10    2^ 


AI 


Vottd  Of  Gmicil. 


Tn  |)Bj  in  the  jear  18.30,  llw  Pcei  due  uiil 
(iikjsLle  tu  Ifae  OScen  of  Ihe  PBrliBmei ' 
on  all  Billi  for  eanliiiuing  or  airenditi 
any  Acli  for  miking  uiid  maiulninini 
keBjjing  in  repair  or  improTinj,  Tornplfc 
RoiHa,  which  •hull  |UM  llie  two  Hoiiau  . 
Paclimnenl,  and  nwWe  the  Royal  Anaen 

'i'o  ilerrsy.  in  llw  jcar  1B30,  llie  Salaries  au 
ExpeuHa  of  llie  CamiuiBaianerHj  appuiulf 
lo  iD(|iiirB  into  tlio  Praclica  and  Proeeei 
iiigs  (if  the  Superior  CoaiU  of  ConipiD 
I^w,  ind  into  Iho  Law  of  England  rupee 
ingR«l  Properly 

To  defray  tlie-EipenBea  orUie  Society  for  tlie 
Prapagilian  of  Ihu  Gonpel  in  certain  of  I ' 
Mnjesly't  Colaniei ;  for  Ihe  year  1 830... 

Tn  defraj  the  Charge  in  the  year  1830,  for 
providing  Stores  for  tbo  Engineer  Depart- 
ment in  New  South  Walei  and  Van  Die. 
men's  Land,  Be<lding  and  Clothing  For  the 
UanFieli,  Clothing  and  Tnnla  for  the  Li- 
heralcd  Africans  at  Sierra  Leone,  and  In- 
dian preaonta  fur  Canada 

Tnr  the  ProleilanlChuter  Seliools  oF  Irelir 

For  Ihe  Auooialion  for  DiioannleDanair 
Vies  in  Ireland 

For  tlie  Society  for  ProraoUng  the  Ediicalii 
of  Ihe  Poor  nf  Ireland 

For  UiB  Foundling  HnapiUI  of  Dublin  .... 

For  the  HnnHi  of  Indualry  in  Dublin 

For  Ihe  Richmond  Lunalie  Asylnm 

For  the  Hibernian  Saciely  Tor  Soldiei 
Children   

For  Il>e  Hibernian  Marine  Soeietf 

Fur  Ibo  Female  Oqihan  Houie  in  Dublin  . 

For  Ihe  Weilmorlaod  Look  Hoipllat  in  Dub- 

For  u'le  Ljing-in  Hwi^laTin  Dublin  "'.'..'.'." 
For  Dootor  Sl«Tens'B  Hoapilal  in  Dublin  ... 
Fur  Ihe  Fever  Uoipilal  in  Cark-atreet,  Dublin 
For  the  HoapiUl  for  locntablet  in  Dublin  ... 
For  llie  Romau  Catholic  Senioary  al  Haj. 

naalh 

For  tlie  Ruyal  Cork  luMilulioD  

Far  the  Royal  Dublin  Soeiely 

For  the  Royal  Irish  Academy 

For  Uie  Comaiiuionera  of  ChariUble  Don 

tions  and  Beqaeatt  in  Ireland 

For  the  Belfait  Aoademical  Inililutian  ..-. 

For  llio  Board  nf  Worki  in  Ireland    

Fur  Printing,  SUlianrry,  Sua.  in  Uh)  Chief 

Secrelary'i  Office  in  Ireland    

For  Printing  Proclaniatiana  and  Statnl 


1G,600     l>     Q 
lU.iej     I)     O 


13,780 
)  4,500 


lf',600     0     0 
16,019  10     0 


47,500 
8,960 

I 

0 

47,S00 
6,71  S 

0 

5,000 

0 

0 

3,150 

0 

85,000 
30,900 
S1.S95 
6,700 

a 

0 

0 
0 

25.000 

311,90(1 
15,000 
6,700 

I 

7,596 

1,400 
1,375 

0 
0 

0 

7,596 
1,400 
1,37,5 

0 

3,050 
8,591 

^ 

u 

3,060 
1,943 

0 
5 

970       ANNUAL  REGISTER,   )831. 


SERVICES. 


For  Crimiiial  Proieoulioiis  in  Ireland  

For  Non-confonning  and   other  DiMenling 

Ministers  in  Ireland 

For  Salaries  to  Lottery  Officers  in  Ireland ... 

For  Inland  Na?igationi  in  Ireland 

For  the  Police  of  Dablin 

For  UieConunisaionersof.IndicUl  Inquiry  in 

Ireland  «.... 

For  the  Board  of  Public  Records  in  Ireland  . 

For  the  Public  Works  in  Ireland   ••• 

To  pay  Interest  on  Exchequer  Bills  for  the 

year  1830 


To  pay  off  and  discharge  Exchequer  Bills, 
and  that  the  same  be  issued  and  applied  to- 
wards paying  off  and  discharging  any  Ex- 
chequer Bills  charged  on  the  Aids  or  Sup 
plies  of  the  years  1829  and  1830,  now  re- 
maining unpaid  or  unproyided  for  < 

To  pay  off  and  discharge  Exchequer  Bill>« 
issued  pursuant  to  seyeralActs  for  carrying 
on  Public  Works  and  Fisheries,  and  for 
building  additional  Churches,  outstanding 
and  unproTided  for   •«.». 


SUMS 
Voted  or  Oranted. 


17,698,762    6    4j 


35,438,800    0    0 


SUMS 
Fakl. 


of.          8. 

50,000    0 

0 

48j200    0 

0 

14,860    6 

740    0 

5,300    0 

93,000    0 

0 
% 
0 
0 

9,676    3 

394    6 

3,975    6 

23,000    0 

0 

Of 
0 

0 

7,338    6 

«,909    0 

11,000    0 

t 

0 
0 

5,407    5 

«,909    0 

11,000    p 

1 

0 
0 

750,000    0 

0 

7«0,8'73    0 

2 

13,360,346    4     6^ 


168,800 


0    oj 


34,503,450    0    0 


43,306,363     6    4| 


37,933,796    4     6^ 


PAYHBNT8   FOB   OTHEB   BBKTICES, 
Not  being  part  of  the  Supplies  granted  for  the  Service  of  the  Year. 


SeoiiPiiM 

EUlpoM  ftinfaet 

Gr<»..>>or  Ct.«l«.  B«dford.  tm    ou  bit  Sa- 
l.ry,  for  •ddUluwl  Ironbld  in  vnmnaf 

Acu  57  a«o.  9.  0. 34  wd  134,  md  3  Ot». 

150    0    0 
»^    0    0 

8,000    0     0 
117^9  16  10 

^.          4.     4. 

SQ  a  p 

Ckurcliei,  per  Aol  £B  Geo.  3,  c.  45.. 

P.id  to  the  BiiiV  of  EngMfd;  «|Br»  Mwfl  "- 
ceiled  ftam  tliaqi,  lo  mkke  op  their  B«- 

1M,5«  16  10 

lMfi49  U  ID 

lSt,599  16  10 

(3,438,96*    3    Si 

272     ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1881. 


WAYS    AND    MEANS 


for  answering  the  foregoing  Services : 


Dotj  on  Sogar,  per  Act  1  Will.  4,  c.  50 

Bait  ludia  Company,  per  Act  11  Geo.  4^  o.  4 

Som  lo  be  brought  from  tlie  Consolidated  Pand,  per  Act  11  Gea 

4,  c.  2 

....    -      Ditto      ........     28 

Ditto      .     -    -     -     1  Will.  4,  c.  63 

-----      Ditto      --.-----       1 

Ditto      ........      5 

Interest  on  Land  Tax  redeemed  by  Stuck  or  Money 

Repayments  by  the  Commissioners  for  issuing  Bxcheqner  Bills 

for  carrying  on  Public  Works  and  Fisheries  in  the  United 

Kingdom • 

Surplus  Ways  and  Means,  per  Act  11  Geo.  4,  o.  4 


Exchequer  Bills  voted  in  Ways  and  Means ;  tIz. 

Per  Act  11  Geo.  4,  c.  3 ^.12,000,000     0    0 

1  Will.  4,  c.  62 13,607,600     0     0 


Total  Ways  and  Means 

Total  Grants  and  Payments  for  Services  not  voted 


Deficiency  of  Ways  and  Means 


£.        9.  d. 

3,000,000    0  0 

60,000    0  0 

4,000,000    0  0 

4,000,000    0  0 

1300,000   0  0 

.3,000,000   0  0 

1,850,000    0  0 

6,027  15  IJ 


253.221     3  11 
80,528  17     4 


17,749,777  16     4^ 


25.607,600    0    0 


43,357,377  16     4J 
43,438,962    3     2| 


81,584    6  10^ 

=  I     II 


app: 


I  I 


3i\ 


iU 


274      ANNUAL   REGISTER,    1831. 


PUBLIC 

Of  Gbkat  Britain  and  Ireland^  and  the 


DEBT. 


URKAT  BRITAIN. 
Debt  due  to  the  Eouth  Sea  J  ^^3        ^^„< 

Company    i  ' 

Old  South  Sea  Annuitiex Do 

New  South  Sea  Annuities    l*o 

South  Rea  Annuitiee,  ITM    n<i 

I)e1>t  due  to  the  Hank  of  RugUnd    Do 

Hank  An nu it ieii,  created  in  172C..  Do 

C*o!isoIiil<-ited  Annuitiea.... D«> 

Reduced  Annuities Do 


Total  at  £.  3  |>er  cent. . 

Annnitieft at  £.5}  per  cent.. 

Reduced  Annuitiei« do 

New  'i\  per  cent  Annuities   

Annnffleit  createil  18'^6,  at  4  per  cent 

New  £.ft  per  cent  Annuities   ••• 


Great  Britaiiit***.. 


CAPITALS. 


S,662»ri4  8 

2,4S9,«90  2  lU 

.'i37,l00  U  0 

14,r>86,M(H)  0  0 

M?6,-(94  0  0 

349,4'JS,75T  13  f 

1^4,491,47^  'i  7 


499,720, iUS  10     't 


I2,<104,.W9 

6l,AVJ,>f0C 

199,690,227 

10,806,966 

467,712 


2 
0 
1 
0 
19 


0 

0 

II 


726,749,379  IS     .'i 


IN   IRELAND. 

Iri>h  ConKolidated  £.  9  per  cent  Annuilie*. 
]ri<«h  Retluced  i\3  percent  Annuities  ....| 

£.3}  percent  Dt>bontiires and  Stock 

Iledui'ed  .£.3^per  cent  Annuities 

New  9^  per  cent  Annuitiei*  

Dtrbt  dtie  to  thtt  Bank  of  Ireland,  at  £-4 

per  cen  I 

N  ew  £.  ft  per  cent  Annuities    

Debt  due  to  the  Kank  of  Ireland,  at  £.6 

per  cent 


Ireland. 


Total  United  Kingdom 


2,453,317 

1A0,22H 

14,l73,49.'f 

1,289,703 
ll,42;'>,247 

1,GIA,384 
6,661 


19 

17 

7 

17 

18 

12 
1 


I 


1,0].'},384    12     4 


t.    CAPITALS 

tnnderivd  to  the 

CoBiMittioB*n. 


32,131,124     0     7 


9.^^,880,803   14     0 


£. 


9,  d. 


0 


444 

CAJ},096  18     !( 
7l9,.'i8l     a     A 


l,87.'i,l!j2     2     7 


9,414  18 
9,iA9  15 


1,393,806  16     6 


CAVlTALS 
UNREDEEMED. 


£.  ».  d. 

8,C62,T84  8  6 

S,dOI,870  2  r 

2,489,830  2  10 

Gifr,100  O  0 

14,6ti6,800  O  0 

876,049  19  0 

348,828,660  1.0  6 

133,771,890  19  8 


498,314,986     7     7 


12,804rV»9 

61,2^0,381 

138,680,967 

10,806,966 

467,712 


2  2 
I  II 
A  S 
0  u 
19  II 


725,355,572  If  II 


2,4.'i5,9l7  IS  6 

I.'S0,228   17  10 

14,173,495     r  1 

1,289,703  17  10 

11,425,247  18  8 

1,615,384  12  4 

6|661     I  0 

1,01.1,184   12  4 


32,191,424     0    T 


l,39d,«<06  16    6)757,486,996  17     6 


Tlie  Act  10  Geo.  IV.  c.  27,  which  came  into  operation  at  the  .'»th  July,  18?9,  enacts^  That  the  Sum 
thenceforth  annually  applicable  to  the  Reduction  of  the  National  Debt  of  the  United  Kingdom, 
phall  be  the  Sum  which  Mhall  appear  to  be  the  amount  of  the  whole  actual  annual  surplus  Revenue, 
beyond  the  Kxpeuditure  of  the  raid  United  Kingdom  ;  And  the  follnwinK  Sums  have  been  acroni* 
iugly  iti-Hucd  to  the  Commissioners  to  be  applied  to  the  reduction  of  the  said  Debt,  iDcliuUiig  luterett 
receivable  on  account  of  Donations  and  Bequests : — 

£.      jt,  d» 

At  6th  April  1830 428,187    1  6....  includes  300/.  receiveiHf cm  A.  H.  C. 

6th  July  1830 .i.'t^,a')7  12  6 

nth  Octolwr  1830 584,383  11  6 

5th  January  1831 747,631     f  9....  292.  I4.v.  Irf.  further  Le^cy  from  the 

-- — .  Kxecutors  received  of  the  Ute  Admiral 

2,112,259    8  3         Peter  Rainer. 


APPENDIX  TO  CHKOKICtS. 


FUNDED  DEBT. 

CuARGK  thereupon,  at  tha  5th  January,  18S1. 
CHARGE. 


- 

cre,t'bs,t«n. 

,.,»™ 

UINUAL  CIUHGB 

Lor"  A™SEi','"pV" '"V^" " 

£.       ..  d- 

I,l33,(li9     9      1 
S8S,710     0     0 
T>S,9H     5    < 

T,)00    0    0 
839,361     9    0 

f .        ..  A 

T,01S    0    « 

£.       •■  i- 

r:,. 

Annuitiw  to  tb»  I'Tialeti  ol 
hpImsS  Jlllv"9Sl'.!!...' 
L^fg  An'nultira  ^Boglllh  ,.' 

Win-  ™™ 

ml  on  Block  liiufaitid  lo  i!iF 
oneti  for  Ihf  RtdtieHoii  d(  Ihe 
Debt,  lowird.  tlia  acdemptjpn 
ru,  iiDdci  Birbeduln  CT).  i 

Bfi,2(T,10!     ]     9 
10,449    11     E 

i.na,oiT  11  » 

«B,ill,T18  19      I 

'■'"'""  '■'■  • 

ABSTRACT. 

(",•  S/iiUinga  and  Pence  omUted-} 


.™,.. 

.S!lST;yi.      CAPITALS 

ANNUAL  CHAROB. 



P„?r;:JCr.« 

«..^-. 

OrfnlBrLlntn  . 
Itdniid  

Tfl9,l!0,lM 

1,393,106 
■l,3S3,IM 

ii»,jas,3ri 

£- 
iMaioij 

£. 

rir,«e,9aa 

»T,lS9.SrS 

"'■"* 

!7,6T4,TM 

DEFBBHKD  ANNUITIES  OBTSTANDINC  ; 
Drierred  Lllb  AniidlllH,  pet  10  Gni.  «, 


276       ANNUAL   REGISTER,  1831. 


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APPENDIX  TO  CHRONICLE.        m 


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278     ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


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APPENDIX  TO  CHRONICLE. 


279 


LIST   OF    GENERAL   ACTS 

Passed  in  the  First  Session  o/Mc  Ninth  Parliament  of  the  United 
Kingdom  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland-^l  WilL  /K. 


1  Will.  IV, 

I.  AN  Act  to  apply-  the  fuin  of 
3,000,000/.  out  of  the  Coniolidated 
Fund,  to  the  service  of  the  year  1830. 

II.  An  Act  to  provide  for  the  adminis- 
ti-ation  of  the  Government  in  case  the 
Crown  should  descend  to  Her  tloral 
Highness  the  Princess  Alexandnna 
Victoria,  daughter  of  his  late  'Ito^l 
Highness  the  Duke  of  Keftt,  being 
under  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  and 
for  the  care  and  guardianship  of  her 
person. 

HI.  An  Act  to  amend  an  Act  of  the  last 
Session,  for  the  better  administration 
of  Justice,  so  far  as  relates  to  the 
essoignand  general  return  days  of  each 
Term,  and  to  substitute  other  provi- 
sions in  lieu  thereof;  and  to  aeclare 
the  law  with  regard  to  the  duration  of 
tlie  Terms  in  certain  cases. 

IV.  An  Act  to  render  valid  Acts  done 
by  the  governor  of  any  of  his  Majesty  ^s 
plantations  after  the  expiration  of  his 
commission  by  the  demise  of  his  late 
Majesty,  and  to  extend  the  period 
within  which  the  patents  of  governors 
of  colonies  shall  on  any  future  demise 
of  the  Crown  become  vacant,  and  to 
provide  for  the  longer  duration  of  the 
patents  of  governors  after  the  demise 
of  the  Crown. 

V.  AnActtoapplythe8umofl,850,000L 
out  of  the  consolidated  fund,  to  the 
service  of  the  year  1830 ;  -and  to  ap« 
propriate  the  supplies  granted  in  this 
session  of  parliament. 

VI.  An  Act  to  oontinue  for  the  term  of 
six  Calendar  months,  all  such  commis- 
sions, appointments,  grants,  or  patents 
of  offices  or  employments,  crvil  or 
military,  as  were  in  force  at  the  time 
of  the  demise  of  his  late  Majesty  King 
George  the  Fourth,  and  as  hare  not 
been  superseded,  determined^  or  made 
void  during  the  reign  of  bif  present 
Majesty, 


Vn.  An  Aot  for  the  more  speedy  judg- 
ment and  execution  in  actions  brought 
in  his  Majesty's  courts  of  law  at 
Westminster,  and  in  the  _dourt  of 
common  pleas  of  the  county  jpalatine 
of  Lancaster;  and  for  amending  the 
law  as  to  judgment  on  A  cognovit 
actionem  in  cases  of  bankrupt^. 

Vnt.  An  Act  for  enabling  his  Mi^esty 
to  appoint  a  postmastei^  general  for  the 
United  Kingdom  of  Great  Britain  and 
Ireland. 

IX.  An  Act  td  M>pt7  the  snin  6f 
5,000,0O0L  out  of  the  donsolidftted 
fund,  to  the  service  of  the  year  1851. 

X.  An  Aot  for  appropriating  certain 
sums  to  the  service  of  the  jeat  1831. 

XI.  An  Act  for  raising  Uie  sum  of 
1S,000,0002.  by  Exchenudr  biUs,  for 
the  service  of  the  year  1831, 

XII.  An  Act  for  continuing  to  his  Ma- 
jesty for  one  year,  certain  dutiel  on 
personsd  estates,  offices,  and  pensions 
in  Englandj  for  the  service  of  the 
year  1831. 

Xllt.  Ah  Act  to  amend  to  Act  pMs^d 
in  the  eleventh  jear  df  the  reign  of  his 
late  Majesty,  king  George  fhe  Fourth, 
intituled  An  Act  for  appropriating  the 
Hichmond  lunatic  asylum  in  Dublin 
to  the  purposes  <^  a  district  liihitic 
asylum. 

XI V.^  An  Aot  for  th^  regulatiott  of  his 
Majesty's  royal  marino  forces  While 
on  Shore.       ^ 

XV.  An  Act  for  punishing  mutiny  and 
desertion ;  and  kit  the  Mttet  payment 
of  the  army  and  theit  quaHers. 

XVI<  An  Act  to  ccmtinne  until  thd  5th 
day  of  July,  183IS,  an  Aot  of  the  fifty- 
fourth  yearof  his  MijestyyldngOeorge 

'  the  Third,  for  rend<»ring  the  payment 
of  creditors  more  equal  iuid  e;kp«di« 
tious  in  Scotland. 

XVIt.  An  Act  to  repeal  the  duti^  and 
drawbacks  on  pidnt^d  calicoes,  Unens, 
and  stuffs. 

XVIIIt  An  Act  to  explain  and  amend 


280      ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


an  Act  of  the  sixth  year  of  his  late 
Majesty,  kine  George  tlie  Fourth,  an 
far  as  regards  the  settlement  of  the 
poor  by  the  renting  and  occupation  of 
tenements. 

XIX.  An  Act  to  extend  the  provisions 
of  an  Act  of  the  fifty-fifth  year  of  tlie 
reign  of  king  George  the  Third,  to 
provide  for  the  taking  an  account  of 
the  population  of  Ireland,  and  for 
ascertaining  the  increase  or  diminution 
thereof. 

XX.  An  Act  to  explain  and  amend  the 
laws  relating  to  lands  holden  in  free 
and  common  soccage  in  the  province 
of  Lower  Canada. 

XXI.  An  Act  to  improve  the  proceed- 
ings in  prohibition  and  on  writs  of 
mandamus. 

XXII.  An  Act  to  enable  courts  of  law 
to  order  the  examination  of  witnesses 
upon  interrogatories  and  otherwise. 

XXIII.  An  Act  for  granting  to  his  Ma- 
jesty, until  the  5th  day  of  April,  1832, 
certain  duties  on  sugar  imported  into 
the  United  Kingdom,  for  the  service 
of  the  year  1830. 

XXIV.  An  Act  to  amend  an  Act  of  the 
sixth  year  of  his  late  Majesty,  to 
regulate  the  trade  of  the  British  pos- 
sessions abroad. 

XXV.  An  Act  for  the  support  of  his 
Majesty's  household,  and  of  the  honour 
and  dignity  of  the  Crown  of  the 
United  Kingdom  of  Great  Britain  and 
Ireland. 

XXVI.  An  Act  to  indemnify  such  per- 
sons in  the  United  Kingdom  as  have 
omitted  to  qualify  themselves  for  offices 
and  employments,  and  for  extending 
the  time  limited  for  those  purposes 
respectively  until  the  twenty-fiftJi  day 
of  March,  1832  ;  to  permit  such  per- 
sons in  Great  Britain  as  have  omitted 
to  make  and  file  affidavits  of  the  exe- 
cution of  indentures  of  clerks  to  attor- 
nies  and  solicitors  to  make  and  file  the 
same  on  or  before  the  first  day  of 
Hilary  Term,  1832  ;  and  to  allow  per- 
sons to  make  and  file  such  affidavits, 
although  the  persons  whom  they  served 
shall  have  neglected  to  take  out  their 
annual  certificates. 

XXVII.  An  Act  for  enabling  his  Ma- 
jesty's postmaster  General  to  sell  the 
premises  lately  used  as  the  post  office 
in  Lombard  Street,  Abchurch  Lane, 
and  Sherborne  Lane,  in  the  city  of 
London. 


PUBLIC    ACTS, 

Of  a  Local  and  Personal  Nature, 
to  be  noticed  by  the  Courts, 

i.  An  Act  for  more  effectually  repairing 
and  otherwise  improving  the  road  (rom 
Highgate  in  the  county  of  Middlesex, 
through     Whetstone,    to     Chipping 
Bamet  in  the  county  of  Hertford,  and 
the  road  from  Chipping  Bamet  to  the 
thirteen  mile  stone  near  Gannick  Cor- 
ner, in  the  Parish  of  South  Mims,  in 
the  said  county  of  Middlesex, 
ii.  An  Act  for  repairing,  amending,  and 
maintaining  the  roads  from  Marchwiel 
through   Bangor,   Worthenbury,   and 
Hanmer,    to   Whitchurch,  and  from 
Bangor  to  Malpas,  and  from  Redbrook 
to  Hampton,  in  the  counties  of  Den- 
biffh,  Flint,  Chester,  and  Salop, 
iiit  An  Act  for  enlarging  the  powers  of 
an  Act  passed  in  the  tenth  year  of  the 
reign  of  his  late  Majesty,  forimproving 
the  approaches  to  Lonaon  Bridge, 
iv.  An  Act  to  alter,  amend,  and  enlarge 
the  powers  of  an  Act  passed  in  the 
third  year  of  the  reign  of  his  late 
Majesty,  king  George  die  Fourth,  for 
regelating  the  poor  of  the    city  of 
Bristol,  and  for  other  purposes  con- 
nected therewith. 
V.  An  Act  for  more  effectually  repairing 
the  road  from  the  powder  miUa  on 
Hounslow  Heath,  in  the  county  of 
Middlesex,  to  the  twenty  mile  stone 
on   Egham    Hill,    in  the   county  of 
Surrey, 
vi.  An  Act  for  more  effectually  repairing 
and  otherwise  improvii^  the  road  from 
the  post  road  near   Faversham,    by  . 
Bacon's  Water,  through  Ashford,  to 
Hythe,  and  from  Bacon's  Water  to 
Castle  Street  in  the  city  of  Canterbniy, 
all  in  the  county  of  Kent, 
vii.  An  Act  for  more  effectually  main- 
taining the  road  from  Crossford  Bridge 
to  the  town  of  Manchester,  in  the 
county  palatine  of  Lancaster,  and  for 
making  a  branch  road  to  communicate 
therewith, 
viii.  An  Act  for  repairingthe  roadleading 
from   Dartford  to  Sevenoaks,  in  the 
county  of  Kent. 
ix.  An  Act  for  repairing  the  road  from 
Wimbome  Minster  to  Blandford  Forom, 
in  the  county  of  Dorset. 
z.  An  Act  for  repairing  the  road  from 
Burton  Bridge,  in  the  county  of  Staf- 
ford, to  Market  Bosworth,  in  the  coontr 
of  I^eicester* 


APPENDIX  TO  C 


li.  An  ActfbrrepBiriDg  tbe  rotd  from 
Birmingham  to  Broomsgrore. 

lii.  An  Act  for  repHuiag  the  road  Irom 
Measham,  in  the  coonty  of  Detbj,  to 
Fieldon  Bridge,  in  the  county  of 
Warwick,  and  other  roads  oommoni- 
CBting  therewith,  in  the  conoties  of 
Derby,  Leicester,  and  Warwick. 


iii.  An  Act  for  i 


ing  the  road  from  the  Eolhorlii 
Mansfield  turnpike  road,  at  or  near 
Clown,  in  the  county  of  Derby,  to  the 
^Vorksop  and  Kelliam  turnpike  road, 
at  or  near  Bndby,  in  the  oounty  of 
Nottingham. 

xiv.  An  Act  for  repairing  the  Watling 
Street  road,  the  Manchester  and  Wol- 
vey  Heath  road,  and  other  roads  com- 
municating therewith,  in  the  counties 
of  Leicester  and  Warwick, 

XV.  An  Act  for  repairing  the  njad  from 
the  Broken  Croaa  in  Macclesfield, 
to  Helher  Tabley,  in  the  county  of 
Cheater. 

XTi.  An  Act  lo  anthoriie  thi  raising  of 
further  monies  for  supplying  the  town 
of  Manchester  with  gas. 

xm.  An  Act  for  moreeffectuallyrspair- 
ing  and  improring  the  road  from  Lower 
Saint  Cross  Mill  Lane,  on  tbe  road 
from  the  city  of  Winchester,  to  South- 
ampton, to  Park  Gate,  on  the  road 
from  Southampton,  to  Gosport,  in  the 
county  of  Southampton. 

iviii.  An  Act  for  more  effectually  re- 
pairing the  road  from  Albion  Street, 
in  the  town  of  Cheltenham,  in  the 
county  of  Glouceatar,  to  Bunch  Lane 
in  or  near  the  village  of  Bishop's 
Cleeve,  in  the  said  county,  to  join  the 
turnpike  road  leading  from  the  town 
of  Evesham,  in  the  county  of  Worcei- 
tar,  to  the  said  town  of  Cheltenham. 

lix.  An  Act  to  enlarge  the  poweraof  an 
Aot  passed  in  the  seventh  year  of  the 
reign  of  his  late  Majesty,  king  Oeona 
the  Fourdi,  for  establiahing  and  well- 
governing  the  institution  called  "  the 
School  for  the  Lidigent  Blind,"  and 
for  incorporating  the  suhsoribers  there- 
to, and  tlie  better  enabling  them  to 
carry  on  their  charitable  and  useM 

XX.   An  Act  to  amend  an  Act  of  the 


xxl.  An  Ac.tfor  the  belter  BSBeSsing  and 
recoi-eriiig  of  the  rates  for  the  relief  of 
iho  poor,  and  of  the  ecolesiasticul  or 
church  rates,  upon  small  tenements 
within  the  pariah  of  Liverpool  in  the 
county  palatine  of  Lancaster. 

uii.  An  Act  for  mising  a  further  sum 
of  money  to  Je&ay  Uie  outstanding 
claima  in  respect  of  the  building  the 
erypt  and  tower  lo  the  nddilional 
church  eiBOted  in  tlie  parish  of  Saint 
Mary  Magdalen,  Bermondsey,  in  the 
county  of  Surrey,  and  of  encloBing  tim 
burial  ground  thereof. 

ixiii.  An  Act  for  building  a  oliurch 
or  oliapol,  with  a  cemetery  to  the 
same,  in  the  township  of  Liacard.  in 
the  parish  of  Wallasey,  in  the  county 
palatine  of  Cbejstor. 

sxiv.  An  Act  for  ei'eoting  a  chapel  in 
the  parish  of  Saint  I.eonard's,  witJiin 
the  liberty  of  the  town  and  port  of 
Hastings,  in  the  county  of  Sussex, 
for  the  accommodation  of  the  ioba- 
".  parish,  and  of  the 


acv.  An  Actformaking  and  maialainiag 
a  pier  or  jettr,  and  other  works,  at 
Heme  Bav,  in' tie  parish  of  Heme,  in 
the  county  of  Kent. 

^xvi.  An  Act  for  more  effectually  drain- 
ing certain  fen  lands  and  wet  grounds 
called  the  Great  West  Fen,  in  Uie 
parish  of  Hilguv,  in  the  county  of 
Norfolk. 

iivii.  An  Act  to  amend  an  Act  passed 
in  the  aloifBnfh  year  of  the  reign  of  his 
late  Majesty,  king  George  the  Fourlli, 
intituled  "  An  Act  for  improving  the 
drainage  of  the  lands  lying  m  the  north 
level,  part  of  the  great  level  of  the  fens 
called  Bedford  Level,  and  in  Great 
Forlsand,  in  the  manor  of  Crowland, 
and  for  providing  n  navigation  betweon 
Clows   Cross  and    the   Ntne   Outfall 

:iiviii.  An  Act  for  more  effectually 
amending  nnd  widening  the  road  from 
a  placB  near  the  village  of  Milford,  in 
the  county  of  Smiey,  through  llasle- 
mere,  to  the  forty-third  mile  stone  at 
Carpenter's  Heath,  and  Bom  thence 
to  a  bridge,  near  the  Blue  Belt  Inn, 
over  Houndley  "a  W  ater,  at  the  bound  aiy 
of  the  said  county  of  Surrey. 

.xix.  An  Act  for  uiuending  and  main- 
tuiniug  the  turnpike  rood  from  and  out 
uf  the  road  lending  from  {Juebee  in 
Leedj,  to  Uomefield  Lane  End  in 
Wonley,  to  commuiucate  witli  the 


2B2     ANNUAL    REGI  STER,  1831. 


rrnid  Idadin^  from  lIuddorBfitild  to 
BiratHli  at  the  Coaob  and  llomeis  public 
house  in  Hiratal,  in  the  West  Riding 
of  the  county  of  York. 

XXX.  An  Act  for  unending  and  main- 
tuiuinf;  the  roads  from  Stafford  to 
Sandon,  in  the  county  of  Stafford,  and 
from  Stafford,  throu^li  Hrid^ord  and 
Kcoleshnll,  to  Ireland's  (Jroas  near 
Woore,  in  the  county  of  Salop,  and 
from  Bridf^ford  aforeuaid,  to  tlie  stone 
which  dindes  the  liberty  of  Ranton 
and  KUenhall,  in  the  road  betvrecn 
liridj^ford  and  Newjwrt,  and  from  the 
Tiila{?(>  of  Knigfhton  to  the  turnpike 
road  leading  from  Stone  to  Woore 
Hforesaid. 

xzxi.  An  Act  for  amending  and  impror- 
in^  the  roud  from  tlie  town  of  Stone  to 
(raol  Gate,  in  the  borough  of  Stafford, 
and  from  Green  (late,  in  the  said 
borough,  through  Dunston  and  Penk- 
ridge,  to  Streetway  road,  in  the  road 
leading  to  Wolverhaqipton,  in  the 
county  of  Stnffonl. 

xizii.  An  Act  for  more  effectually  re- 
puiring  and  im])roving  the  roud  from 
the  city  of  Norwich  to  North  Walsham, 
in  the  county  of  Norfolk. 

xxxiii.  An  Act  for  mor«  effectually  re- 
pairing Ui(>  road  from  Stopham  }3ridge, 
III  tlie  ])ari8h  of  Pulborough,  to  the 
direction  post  in  tlie  i>arish  of  Steyning, 
on  the  turnpike  road  leading  from 
Steyning  to  Horsham,  in  the  county  of 
Sussex. 

xxxiy.  An  Act  for  more  effectually  ro- 
pairing  and  improying  the  roud  from 
jiiveqMK>l  to  Pruston,  in  the  county 
jHilatine  of  IjancHMter. 

XXX7.  An  Act  for  repairing  and  main- 
tnining  the  road  from  Wakefield  to 
AlM*rford,  in  the  county  of  York. 

xxxyi.  An  Act  for  more'  effectually  re- 
pairing and  imnroving  the  roads  from 
l.emsfonl  Mills,  in  the  parish  of 
Hishop's  llutfiold,  through  W^elwyn 
and  Stevenage,  to  Ilitchin,  and  from 
Welwyn,  through  ("odicot,  to  Ilitchin 
aforesaid,  nil  in  the  county  of  Hertford. 

xixvii.  An  Act  for  repairing,  improving, 
and  maintaining  the  roads  from  Bury, 
through  Haslingden,  to  Blackburn  and 
Whnlley,  and  other  roads  communis 
eating  tlierewith,  in  the  county  palatine 
of  Lancaster,  and  for  making  a  new 
piece  of  road  also  to  communicate 
therewith* 

xxxviii.  An  Act  for  more  effectually  re- 
pairing and  improving  the  road  from 
the  Moester  and  Welford  road,  near 


Foston  Lane,  to  ths  road  leading  Arom 
Hinckley  to  Ashby-de-la-Zouoh  ;  and 
for  repairing  Hunt's  Lane  and  Wood 
Lane,  in  the  parishes  of  Desford  and 
Newbold,  in  the  county  of  Leicester. 

xzxiz.  An  Act  for  more  effeotaally  re- 
pairing the  road  from  Borfon-upon- 
Trent,  in  the  oounty  of  Stafford,  to 
Abbott's  Bromley,  otherwise  Bagot's 
Bromley,  in  tlie  said  county. 

xl.  An  Act  for  making  and  maintaining 
a  turnpike  road  from  the  city  of 
Coventry  to  Stoney  Stanton,  in  the 
county  of  Leicester,  to  nnite  with  the 
present  turnpike  road  there,  leading 
through  Narborongh  to  the  borough  m 
Leicester. 

xli.  An  Act  for  repairing  the  road  from 
the  city  of  Coventrrte  Over  Whitaore, 
in  the  county  of  Warwick. 

xlii.  An  Act  for  more  effeotaally  repair- 
ing and  maintaining  the  toad  over 
Horley  Common,  in  the  county  of 
Surrey,  to  a  place  called  Black  Comer, 
and  from  thence  to  the  Brighthelmston 
turnpike  road  at  Cuokfield,  in  the 
county  of  Sussex. 

xliii.  An  Act  for  more  effeotaally  making 
and  repairing  the  road  from  the  new 
bridge  over  llie  water  of  Almond,  on 
the  confines  of  the  counties  of  Edin- 
bureh  and  LinlithgoWi  to  BaiUieeton, 
in  the  county  of  Lanaric,  and  certain 
branch  roads  connected  therewith* 

zliy.  An  Act  for improyingthe  road fimh 
the  Red  House  near  Doncaater,  to 
the  south  side  of  Wakefield  Bridge, 
and  from  Wakefield  to  P(mtofta«t, 
and  from  thenoe  to  Weeland,  and  frtMn 
Pontefract  to  Wentbridge,  all  in  the 
West  Biding  of  the  oounty  of  Yoric* 

xly.  An  Act  for  repairing  and  maintain- 
ing the  road  leading  from  the  high 
road  between  Bromley  and  Fani« 
borongh,  in  the  county  of  Kent^  to 
Beggars  Bush,  in  the  turnpike  toad 
leading  from  Tonbridge  Wells  to 
Maresfield,  in  the  county  of  Susaez. 

xlvi.  An  Act  for  improving  and  main- 
taining several  roads  leading  to  and 
frtmi  the  town  of  W^aUall,  in  the  county 
of  Stafford. 

xlvii.  An  Act  for  making  a  tui^ike 
road  from  the  north  side  of  the  Qaorry 
House,  in  the  township  of  Peny  Barr, 
in  the  county  of  Stafford,  to  the  htook 
which  divides  the  parishes  of  Aston 
juxta  Birmingham  and  Binningham, 
in  the  county  of  Warwick* 

xlviii.  An  Act  to  alter  and  amend  the 
seyeral  Acta  now  ia  fticoa  for  tb« 


APPENDIX  TO  CHRONICLE.        288 


nsMssing,  ooll60tiiig,  «lid  Ivrjrinif  of 
oountj  rates,  lO  far  M  the  saHis  Nlate 
to  the  county  of  MiddleAeX. 

xUx.  An  Act  for  better  auppljing  with 
water  the  several  Hamlets  of  Beard, 
Ollerset,  Thomset,  and  Whittle,  in  the 
parish  of  Glossop,  in  the  county  of 
Derby. 

1.  An  Act  for  making  the  river  WaVeney 
navigable  for  ships  and  other  seaborne 
vessels  from  Rosehall  Fleet,  to  the 
mouth  of  Oulton  Dyke^  and  for  making 
and  maintaining  a  navigable  Cut  from 
the  said  river  at  Carlton  Shares  Mill 
into  the  said  dyke,  leading  to  Oulton 
Broad,  in  the  county  of  Suffolk. 

li*  An  Act  for  amending  and  enlarging 
the  powers  and  provisions  of  the  se- 
veral Acts  relating  to  the  Liverpool 
and  Manchester  railway. 

lii.  An  Act  for  better  supplying  with 
water  the  several  townships  of  Hyde, 
Wemeth,  and  Newton^  in  the  eoiinty 
palatine  of  Chester. 

liii.  An  Act  for  embanking,  draining, 
improving,  and  preserving  certain  fen 
lands  and  low  grounds  lying  in  the 
parish  of  Yaxley,  in  the  county  of 
Huntingdon,  ealled  ''the  Undnoned 
Fen." 

liv.  An  Act  to  enlarge  and  amend  the 
powers  and  provisions  of  the  several 
Acts  relating  to  the  Birmingham  and 
Liverpool  Junction  Canal,  and  to 
better  supply  the  said  canal  with 
water. 

Iv.  An  Act  to  consolidate  and  extend 
the  powers  and  provisions  of  the  se- 
veral Acts  relating  to  the  navigation 
from  the  Trent  to  the  Mersey. 

Ivi.  An  Adt  for  making  and  maintaining 
a  railway  finom  tb«  borough  of  Wigan 
to  the  borough  of  Preston,  both  in  the 
county  palatine  of  Lancaster,  and 
collateral  branches  to  oommunicate 
therewith. 

Ivii.  An  Act  for  taking  down  the  parish 
church  of  Great  Marlow,  in  the  oounty 
of  Buckingham,  and  for  rebuilding  the 
same  On  or  near  the  present  site 
thereof. 

Iviii.  An  Act  for  moife  effectoaUy  keep- 
ing in  repair  several  roads  in  the 
county  of  Carmarthen,  usually  oalled 
the  Llandovery  distrietof  the  Lampeter 
roads,  and  for  making  and  maintaining 
certain  new  lines  of  nmd  to  oonmrani- 
cate  therewith. 

liz.  An  Act  for  more  effeotaaUy  keeping 
in  repair  tha  roads  firom  Lmdkmfoen 


to  the  town  of  LlanddVMy,  ind  from 
thence  to  the  river  Ammin,  in  the 
county  of  Clunnarthen,  aad  several 
other  roAds  in  the  Mid  county  commu- 
nicating therewithi  aad  for  making 
new  branches  of  road  in  the  same 
county  and  in  the  county  of  Glamor- 
gan. 

It,  An  Aot  for  maintaining  the  road  from 
Enfield  Chase,  in  the  county  of  Mid- 
dlesex, to  Leinsford  Mill»  in  the  eounty 
of  Hertford. 

Ixi.  An  Act  for  maintaining  and  improv- 
ingthe  road  from  Titehfield  to  Codiam, 
in  the  county  of  Southampton. 

Ixii.  An  Aot  for  more  effeotaallr  repair- 
ing and  improving  the  roacui  eaUed 
*'  the  Pttokleohurcn,  or  lower  district 
of  roads/'  in  the  oounties  of  Gknicester 
and  WUts. 

Ixiii.  An  Act  for  repairing  the  turnpike 
road  from  the  Salutation  Inn  to  Christian 
Malford  Bridge,  in  the  county  of 
Wilts,  called  the  Drayoot  or  Upper 
District ;  and  for  disuniting  the  same 
road  from  a  certain  other  road  oalled 
the  Puokkchurch  Lower  District,  in 
the  county  of  Gloucester. 

Ixiv.  An  Act  for  more  effeetually  repair* 
ing  and  keeping  in  repair  the  road 
from  Carlowrie  Bridge,  on  the  river 
Almond,  to  Linlithgow  Bridge,  on  the 
river  Avon  and  othM  roads  in  the 
county  of  Linlithgow* 

Ixv.  An  Act  for  more  efiSMtnaUy  repair- 
ing the  road  from  Bishopsgate  Bridge, 
in  the  otty  of  Norwich,  to  the  Caister 
Causeway,  in  the  oounty  of  Nwfolk. 

Ixvi.  An  Aet  for  more  effectually  repair- 
ing several  roads  in  and  near  the  town 
of  Bruton,  and  other  roads  in  the 
oounties  of  Somerset  and  Wilts,  and 
for  making  aad  maintaining  two  other 
roads  oominunieatiag  then^th* 

Ixvii.  An  Aot  for  mora  elfedtsaUy  re- 
pairing, widttiing,  and  odierwiee  im- 
proving the  road  from  the  south-east 
end  of  the  town  of  Loughborough,  in 
the  cotmty  of  Leicester,  eoBunencing 
at  Sooth  Field  Lane,  to  the  south  end 
of  Cavendish  Bridge,  in  the  saaie 
oountr. 

Ixviii.  An  Aot  for  oonsoUdating  the  trusts 
of  the  aerend  turnpike  rOMS  in  the 
neighbouhood  <^  Cheadle,  in  the 
county  of  Stafford,  and  for  making 
deviatioDtf  «id  aerw  branches  to  and 
from  iJie  same* 

Ixiz.  An  Aot  to  amend  an  Aet  of  the 
seveatii  and  iiffatb  yeait  «l  his  late 


284       ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 

Alajesty,  for  the  more  effectually  re-  Tanbridge   Wells,  in  the  county  of 

pairing  and  otherwise  improving  the  Kent,  to  the  Cross  Ways,  at  or  near 

roads  in  the  county  of  Glamorgan.  INlaresiield  Street,  and  nom  Florence 

Ixx.  An  Act  for  more  effectually  repair-  Farm  to  Forest  Row,  in  the  county  of 

ing    and    improving   the  roads  from  Sussex. 


GENERAL  ACTS 


Pa.fsed  in  the  First  Session  of  the  Tenth  Parliament  of  the  United 
Kingdom  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland — 1  and  2  Will.  IF.  1831. 


I.  An  Act  for  repealing  so  much  of  an 
act  passed  in  the  seventli  year  of  his 
late  majesty  king  George  the  Fourth, 
for  paving  lighting,  watching,  repair- 
ing, and  otherwise  improving  Grosve- 
nor  Place,  and  other  streets  therein 
mentioned,  as  relates  to  the  assess- 
ment of  the  boundary- fence  or  wall  of 
the  garden  belonging  to  Buckingham 
House. 

II.  An  Act  to  revive  and  continue  ex- 
pired commissions,  appointments,  pa- 
tents, and  grants  in  Ireland ;  and 
to  indemnify  certain  persons  in  rela- 
tion thereto. 

III.  An  Act  to  indemnify  persons  who 
have  acted  ns  deputy  lieutenants  in 
Scotland  without  due  qualiiication. 

IV.  An  Act  to  abolish  certain  oaths  and 
affirmations  taken  and  made  in  the 
customs  and  excise  departments  of  his 
majesty's  revenue,  and  to  substitute 
declarations  in  lieu  thereof. 

V.  An  Act  to  enable  his  majesty  to  make 
leases,  copies,  and  grants  of  offices, 
lands,  and  hereditaments,  parcel  of  the 
duchy  of  Cornwall,  or  annexed  to  the 
same. 

\'I.  An  Act  for  continuing,  until  the 
30th  day  of  June,  1832,  the  several  acts 
for  regulating  the  turnpike  roads  in 
Great  Britain  which  will  expire  at  the 
end  of  the  present  session  of  Parlia- 
ment. 

VII.  An  Act  to  continue  compositions 
for  assessed  taxes  until  the  fifth  day  of 
April,  1833,  and  to  grant  relief  in  cer- 
tain cases. 

VIII.  An  Act  to  suspend,  until  the  end 
of  the  next  session  of  parliament,  the 
making  of  lists,  and  the  ballots  and 
enrolments,  for  the  militia  of  the  united 
kingdom. 

IX.  An  Act  to  repeal  so  much  of  certain 
acts  as  requires  certain  oaths  to  be 
taken  by  members  of  the  House  of 
Commons  before  the  lord  steward  or 
bis  deputies. 


X.  An  Act  to  reduce  the  salary  of  the 
master  and  worker  of  his  majesty's 
mint. 

XI.  An  Act  for  enabling  his  majesty  to 
make  provision  for  supporting  the  royal 
dignity  of  the  queen  in  case  she  shall 
sunriye  his  majesty. 

XII.  An  Act  for  ascertaining  the  bound- 
aries of  the  forest  of  Dean,  and  for  in- 
quiring into  the  rights  and  privileges 
claimed  by  free  miners  of  the  Hun- 
dred of  Saint  Briavers,  and  for  other 
purposes. 

XIII.  An  Act  to  repeal  an  act  of  the 
19  Geo.  IIL  for  repealing  so  much  of 
several  acts  as  prohibit  the  growth  and 
produce  of  tobacco  in  Ireland,  and  to 
permit  the  importation  of  tobacco  of 
the  growth  and  produce  of  that  king- 
dom into  Great  Britain. 

XIV.  An  Act  for  raising  the  sum  of 
13,616,400/.  by  exchequer  bills,  for 
the  service  of  the  year  1831. 

XV.  An  Act  to  defray  the  charge  of  the 
pay,  clothing,  and  contingent  and 
other  expenses  of  the  disembodied 
militia  in  Great  Britain  and  Ireland, 
and  to  grant  allowances  in  certain 
cases  to  subaltern  officers,  adjutants, 
paymasters,  quartermasters,  Burgeons^ 
assistant-surgeons,  surgeons'  mates, 
and  Serjeant-majors,  of  the  militia, 
until  the  30th  da^  of  June,  1832. 

XVI.  An  Act  to  discontinue  or  alter  the 
duties  of  customs  upon  coals,  slates, 
cotton,  wool,  barilla,  and  wax. 

XVII.  An  Act  to  provide  for  the  better 
order  and  government  of  Ireland,  by 
lieutenants  for  the  several  counties, 
counties  of  cities,  and  counties  of  towns 
therein. 

XVIII.  An  Act  for  transferring  the  du- 
ties of  receivers-general  of  the  land 
and  ttese'ssed  taxes  to  persons  execut- 
ing the  offices  of  inspectors  of  taxes, 
and  for  making  other  provisions  for 
the  receipt  and  remittance  of  the  said 
tftzes. 


APPENDIX  TO  CHRONICLE. 


XIX.  An  Act  to  Tepenl  th«  dntiea  of 
Excise  and  dra^-backa  on  eandlsB. 

XX.  An  Act  to  enable  his  Majesty  U 
grant  an  wnnnql  gum  to  her  royal  high-> 
nesa  Victoria  Maria  Louiaa  ducheaa  of 
Kent,  for  a  mare  adequate  proviaionfor 
ber  said  rojal  higboeaB,  and  for  the 
honourable  sapport  and  edncattan  of 
her  royal  highneas  the  princeM  Alex- 
andrioa  Victoria  of  Kent. 

XXI.  An  Act  to  explain  and  amend  two 
acts  of  the  31  and  38  Geo.  UI.  eo 
far  aa  the  same  relate  to  doulile  aaaeaa- 
ments  of  the  land  tax. 

XXII.  An  Act  to  amend  the  lawa  relat- 
ing to  hacknej  carriegea,  and  to  wag' 
gona,  carte,  and  draja,  aaed  ia  the 
metropolia  ;  and  to  place  the  collection 
of  the  duties  on  hacEnej-  carriages  and 
on  hawkera  and  pedlars  in  England 
under  the  commiaaioners  of  atampa. 

XXIII.  An  Act  to  amend  an  act  of  the 
14  Geo.  III.  for  eatabUahing  a  fund 
towards  defraying  the  charges  of  the 
adminiatratioii  of  juatice,  and  Support 
of  the  civil  government  within  the 
province  of  Quebec  in  America. 

XXIV.  An  Act  to  amend  seveial  acta 
passed  for  authoriaii^  the  iaane  of  Ex- 
chequer billa,  and  the  advance  of 
money  for  carrying  on  public  worka 
and  hsheriea,  and  employment  of  the 
poor  ;  and  to  authorize  a  fiiilLer  issue 
of  Exchequer  billa  for  the  purposes  of 
the  aaid  acta. 

XXV.  An  Act  to  amend  the  acts  for  re- 
gulating turnpike  roads  in  England,  so 
far  as  they  relate  to  certain  exemptiona 
from  toll, 

XXVI.  An  Act  to  amend  an  Act  of  the 
fifty-second  year  of  the  reign  of  his 
majost;  king  George  the  Third,  re- 
specting the  audit  of  the  public  ac- 
counts of  Ireland  ;  and  to  appoint  the 
number  of  commiBsionera  competent 
to  grant  quietus  to  public  accoontanta, 
under  an  Act  passed  in  the  fiflj- 
sixtb  year  of  the  reign  of  hia  majes^ 
king  George  the  Third,  for  consolidat- 
ing the  public  revenues  of  Great  Bri- 


ef the  county  of  Clare  to 

rants  for  the  levying  of  th(  ,      

made  at  the  Spring  aaaiies  of  the  year 
1831.  .     . 

XXVIII.  An  Act  to  apply  the  aorplui 
ways  and  means  and  a  sum  out  of  the 
consolidated  fund  to  the  service  of  the 
year  1831. 

XXIX,  Aa  Act  to  autboiiH  and  vn- 


power  the  commiasioneta  appointed  by 
an  Act  of  the  aeventh  year  of  hia  late 
majeaty  king  George  the  Fourth,  for 
uxtencfing  to  ChatingCross,  Ihe  Strand, 
and  places  adjacent,  [he  powers  of  an 


communication  ^m  Mary-le-bcmie 
Park,  (0  make  and  form  a  new  streel 
from  the  Straiid  to  Cbarlea -street  Co- 
vent  Garden,  and  to  widen  the  north 
end  of  Bow-street  ijilo  Long  Acre  ; 
aud  for  other  puqioaea. 

XXX.  An  Act  to  equnliie  the  dutioa  on 

XXXI.  An  Act  to  improve  the  adminia- 
tration  of  justice  in  Ireland. 

XXXII.  An  Act  to  amend  the  lawa  in 
England  relatiTe  to  game. 

XXXIII.  An  Act  for  ihe  extension  and 
promotion  <if  public  works  in  Ireland. 

XXXIV.  An  Act  for  appointing  coramis- 

ceiTjing  charities  in  England  and  Wales 
for  tBO  years,  and  from  thence  to  the 
end  oCttie  then  next  session  of  Farlin- 

XXXV.  -  An  Act  to  explain  and  amend 
an  Act  for  regulating  the  receipt  and 
future  appropriation  of  fees  and  emo- 
luments receivable  by  o 


XXXVI.  An  Act  to  repeal  several  Acta 
and  parts  of  Acts  prohibiting  the  pay- 
ment of  wages  in  goods,  or  olhenvise 
than  in  the  current  coin  of  the  reolm. 

XXXVII.  An  Act  to  prohibit  the  pay- 
ment, in  certain  tradea,  of  wages  in 
goods,  otherwise  tlion  in  the  current 
coin  of  the  reslro, 

XXXVIII.  An  Act  to  amend  and  render 
more  effectual  an  Act  passed  in  fUe  se- 
veuth  and  eighth  years  of  the  reign  of 
liis  late  maiesty,  intituled  An  Act  to 
amend  the  Acts  for  building  and  pro- 
moting the  building  of  additionol 
churches  in  populous  pariidies. 

XXXIX.  An  Act  to  repeal  the  laws  re- 
lating  to  apprentices  and  other  young 

and  io  cotton  mills,  and  to  make  further 
provisions  in  lieu  thereof. 

XI,.  An  Act  to  repeal  BO  much  of  anAct 
for  the  management  of  the  ouatoma  aa 
allows  certaui  fees  to  be  taken  by  offi- 
cers of  tlie  customs  ;  and  to  make  far- 
ther regulations  tn  respect  (hereof. 

XLI.  An  Act  for  amending  the  laws  re- 
lative to  the  appointment  of  special 
eonstables,  and  for  the  better  preserva- 
tion oftiie  peace. 

XLll,  An  Act  to  amend  m  Act  of  tlia 


280 


ANNUAL   REGISTER,   1831. 


fifty-ninth  jear  of  his  majesty  king 
George  the  lliird,  for  tlie  reuef  and 
employment  of  the  poor. 

XLIII.  An  Act  for  amending  and  mak- 
ing more  effectual  the  laws  concerning 
turnpike  roads  in  Scotland. 

XLIV.  An  Act  to  amend  an  Act  passed 
in  the  parliament  of  Ireland,  m  the 
fifteenth  and  sixteenth  years  of  tlie 
reign  of  his  majesty  king  George 
the  Third,  intituled  An  Act  to  pre- 
vent and  punish  tumultuous  risings 
of  persons  within  this  kingdom,  and 
for  other  purposes  therein  mentioned. 

XLV.  An  Act  to  extend  the  provisions 
of  an  Act  passed  in  the  twen^-ninth 
year  of  the  reign  of  his  majesty  k-ing 
(bharles  the  Second,  intituled  An  Act 
for  confirming  and  perpetuating  aug- 
mentations made  by  ecolesiasticsd  per- 
sons to  small  vicarages  and  curacies  ; 
and  for  other  purposes. 

XLVI.  An  Act  to  allow  the  importation 
of  lumber,  and  of  fish  and  provisions, 
duty-free,  into  the  islands  of  Barba- 
does  and  Saint  Vincent ;  and  to  indem- 
nify the  governors  and  others  for  hav- 
ing permitted  the  importation  of  those 
articles  duty-free. 

XLVII.  An  Act  to  revive,  for  one  year, 
three  Acts  made  in  tlie  forty-seventh 
and  fiftieth  years  of  the  reign  of  his 
majesty  king  George  the  Third,  and 
in  the  tenth  year  of  the  reign  of 
his  late  majesty  king  George  the 
Fonrth,  for  preventing  improper  per- 
sons from  having  arms  in  Ireland, 
and  to  indemnify  such  persons  as  may 
have  acted  in  the  execution  of  and  pur- 
suant to  the  provisions  of  tlie  said 
Acts  since  the  expiration  thereof. 

X  L  VIII.  An  Act  to  amend  an  Act  passed 
in  the  parliament  of  Ireland  in  tlie 
fifth  year  of  his  majesty  king  George 
the  Third,  for  establishing  public  hos- 
pitals in  Ireland. 

XLIX.  An  Act  to  repeal  so  much  of  an 
Act  passed  in  Ireland,  in  the  fourth 
year  of  king  George  the  First,  for  the 
better  regulating  the  town  of  Galway, 
and  for  strengthening  the  Protestant 
interest  therein,  as  limits  the  franchise 
created  by  the  said  Act  to  Protestants 
only. 

L.  An  Act  to  enable  the  commissioners 
of  his  Majesty's  treasuiy  to  make  a 
conveyance  of  Fresh  Wharf  in  the 
citv  of  London. 

LI.  An  Act  to  amend  an  Act  of  the 
seventh  year  of  the  reign  of  his  late 
majesty  king  George  ^e  Fourth,  for 


making  provision  for  the  aniform  rtln* 
ation  of  lands  and  tenement!  in  the 
several  baronies,  perishes,  and  other 
divisions  of  counties  in  Ireland,  for  the 
purpose  of  the  more  equally  levying  of 
the  rates  and  charges  upon  the  Mme. 

LII.  An  Act  to  repeal  an  Act  pested  in 
the  fifty-second  year  of  the  leign  of  hie 
majesty  king  George  the  lliira,  to  pxo- 
vide  for  the  more  speedy  ezamin«tion, 
controlling  and  finally  anditing  Uie 
military  accounts  of  Ireland. 

LIII.  An  Aet  to  regulate  the  peysftvut 
of  the  duties  on  hope. 

LIV.  An  Act  to  apply  the  sum  of 
1,800,000/.  out  of  the  Consolidated 
Fund  to  the  service  of  the  jear  1831, 
and  to  appropriate  the  supplies  granted 
in  this  session  of  Parliament. 

LV.  An  Act  to  consolidate  and  amend 
the  laws  for  suppressing  the  illicit 
making  of  malt  and  distillation  of  spi- 
rits in  Ireland. 

LVI.  An  Act  to  establish  a  court  in 
bankruptcy. 

LVII.  An  Act  to  empower  landed  pro- 
prietors in  Ireland  to  nnk,  emlNnk, 
and  remove  obstruotionainriverSi 

LVIII.  An  Act  to  enable  courts  of  law 
to  give  relief  against  adverse  olaims 
made  upon  persons  having  no  interest 
in  the  subject  of  such  claims. 

LIX.  An  Act  to  enable  church  wardens 
and  overseers  to  inclose  land  belonging 
to  the  crown  for  the  benefit  of  poor 
persons  residing  in  the  parish  in  which 
such  crown  land  is  situated. 

LX.  An  Act  for  the  better  rep^tioB  of 
vestries,  and  for  the  appointment  of 
auditors  of  accounts,  in  certain  pa- 
rishes of  ICngland  and  Wales. 


PUBLIC  ACTS, 

Of  a  Local  and  Personal  Nature, 
fo  he  noticed  hy  the  Courts, 

i.  An  Act  for  erecting  and  maintaining 
a  pier  and  other  works  for  the  more 
conveniently  landing  and  embaiUnif 
passengers  m  the  port  of  the  town  of 
Southampton. 

ii.  An  Act  for  erecting  and  maintaining 
a  bridge  over  the  river  Lagan,  at  Bel- 
fiast ;  and  for  making  suitable  ap- 
proaches thereto. 

iii.  An  Act  for  tlie  establishment  of  a 
chapel  of  ease,  to  be  called  Grosvenor 
Chapel,  in  the  parish  of  Saint  Oeorg« 


APPENDIX  TO  CHRONICLE. 


lUnover-aiiuara  in  iha  countj  of  Mid- 
cllesei,  and  far  ]iroviduig  ibr  the  main* 
tenancB  of  the  mid  almpal,  and  ■  ati- 
lieiid  fur  the  miiiiater  thweor, 

iv.  All  Aol  for  settling  Uinpulad  riglita 
TBdpecting  titliei  wi&in  ^e  parish  o( 
^siitoD'Undec-Lina  in  tlis  aonnty  pula- 
tine  of  LanciBtar,  and  for  filing  OBrtain 
Huiiual  pujin«ntB  in  lieu  thereof. 

V,  All  Act  for  lliB  better  rsieing  and 
eecuring;  the  fund  eaiablished  fotmuk- 
nig  provision  for  UiB  M-idowB  of  the 
writers  to  his  m^eaty's  signet  in  Scot- 
land. 

vi.  An  Act  to  ammd  an  Act  for  *witing 
and  iBeuiieg  to  Idbn  SUphen  Laagton. 
eatj.  eeilaiD  pniSIa  and  emelnntnls  for 
a  limilM  time. 

vii.  An  Act  to  enable  tbe  YorlcBliim  Fire 
and  IJfe  Iniunnoa  Companj  to  auo 
and  be  (uad  id  llie  nam*  of  thei]'  aecie- 
Uay,  or  of  any  ODB  of  th»  diraabus  of 
the  raid  otmpaBj. 

Tiii.  Ad  Aet  to  amaad  oartain  Acta 
patted  in  the  teign  of  hia  laW  majeetj 
king  George  the  Foortlt,  fcr  opening 
a  atreet  ftoru  (Jie  CrOH  of  Claagow  to 
Mouteitli  Row. 

ii.  An  Act  to  alter  and  i 
paaaed  in  the  all  ~ 
of  bis  late  toaJB! 
Fotuth,  for  regulating  the  c 
ofihe  statute  labour  within  the  barony 
of  Gorbala  in  the  oi<7  of  (ilaagow  and 
county  of  Lanark' 

I.  Au  Aol  to  amend  and  e>l«nd  the 
powers  of  aa  wt  for  rwwvaring, 
draining,  and  preaeriio^eartain  lands  ; 
and  for  betlsr  auppljing  with  water 
the  milli,  manufnoloriea,  and  other 
works  situated  on  the  riTai  I^van,  in 
Ihe  counties  of  Kinross  and  Fife, 

xi.  An  Act  to  amend  and  enlaiXB  the 
several  Aota  relating  to  the  fiolton 
and  Leigh  Railway. 

lii.  An  AcCtoalterthelineoftha  Avon 
and  tilouoeater  Railwaj,  to  make  cer- 
tain branchea  from  the'aame,  and  to 
amend  the  Act  for  making  tie  aajd 
railway. 

liii.  An  Act  for  making  a  turnpike  road 
(with  a  branch  therefrom)  ihnn  the 
Angel  Inn.  near  DadinMon  in  tlie 
county  of  Durham,  to  Bartoo-lane- 
end,  in  the  county  of  Yoik. 

liv.  An  Act  for  more  efieotDally  rapeir- 
ing  the  road  from  Norwich  to  Cromer 
in  the  county  of  Norfolk,  and  two 
blanches  of  load  leading  towards  Holt, 
and  towards  Woltarton  in  the  said 
coun^. 


:r.  An  Act  for  lepaiiing  and  improving 
the  road  from  DonL-nstei,  through 
Ferrybiide;e  to  the  south  side  of  Tad- 
caalar  Cross,  in  the  west  riding  of 
the  county  of  Yoili, 

:vi.  An  Act  for  more  effectual]/  repair' 
ingund  improving  sa»efBl  roads  leading 
into  nnd  from  the  town  of  Cbeltentam 
in  the  county  of  Glouceater,  and  for 
making  new  bnmches  of  roads  to  com- 
municBtetlierewith, 

:vii.  Ad  Act  for  makini^  and  maintaining 
a  road  from  Tbomaet  in  the  ooontv  of 
Dtrby  to  Fumaee  colliery  within  l>ia- 
ter  in  tlie  county  of  Cheater,  and  two 
severat  brauohes  tberefroni. 

iviii.  An  Act  for  more  effectually  re- 
pairing end  improving  several  rood^ 
therein  mentioned,  leading  to,  tbroiifcli, 
niid  from  Che  town  of  Monmoutli,  and 
:  several  new  lines  enij  di- 


Ulou 


if  road  to  commnnii 
I  CDnnties  of  i^; 
and  Hereford. 


1  the 


L  Act  for  repairing  the  road  from 
the  briilRU  ou  ibe  old  river  at  Barton 
to  Bmridon  Bridge  in  tlie  county  of 
Suffolk. 

:x.  An  Act  fcr  mora  effeotually  r^air- 
ing  and  otliarwise  improving  tlis  save- 
tal  roads  from  tlie  South  tiata  in  the 
Ijoiuugh  of  King's  Lynn,  into  the 
paiistiea  of  Fast  Walton,  Narbotougb, 
Sitoke  I'erry,  and  Downham  Market, 
in  iba  county  of  Norfolk. 

li.  An  Act  for  more  effectually  repair- 
ing tlic  roads  from  the  borough  of 
King's  Lynn,  and  other  roads  (herein 
mentioned,  and  for  makii^  a  new  line 
of  road  nl  CaatU  llising,  all  in  Ibe 
county  of  Norfolk. 

lii.  An  Act  for  more  effectually  repair- 
ing and  improving  the  road  bBtween 
tlie  citv  of  Durlism  and  the  viUage  of 
Sbotley  Bridge  in  Che  comity  of  Uur- 

:xlii.  An  Act  for  ooQaolidating  tlie 
truBla  of  certain  road"  called  the  Brea  - 
miali  and  W'ooler  turnpike  roads,  in 
tlie  county  of  Nortliumberlaod,  i 
more  eileotunlly  imi'roving  and  luuii 
tuning  ijis  aaiiie. 

[liv.  An  Act  fur  mom  effecCusllj'  niair 
laining  and  improving  the  road  froi 
Soho  llill  in  the  parish  ""  ' 
to  the  Walaall  road  on  lue  nortne 
side  of  tlametead  Bridge,  and  unotli 
road  from  Brovni's  (ireeu  lo  thii  I'rior 
in  the  county  of. Slallord. 

[XV.  All  Act  for  repairing  end  iujim 
log  certain  noda  in  the  counties 


id  for 


■onh 


288 


ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


Stafford  and  Salop,  leading  to  and  from 
the  tov^n  of  Wolverhampton  in  the 
county  of  Stafibrd. 

xzvi.  An  Act  for  more  eflectually  re- 
pairing certain  roads  loading  to  and 
from  the  town  of  Abergavenny  in  the 
county  of  ]\lonmouth,  and  for  making 
and  maintaining  several  new  branches 
of  road  to  communicate  therewitli. 

zzvii.  An  Act  for  making  and  maintain- 
ing a  road  from  the  bottom  of  Kirkgate 
to  the  bottom  of  Westgate,  both  in  the 
parish  of  Wakefield  in  the  west  riding 
of  the  county  of  York. 

xxviii.  An  Act  to  amend  an  Act  of  his 
late  majesty  king  George  the  Fourth, 
for  more  effectually  maintaining  the 
road  from  Teignmouth  to  Dawlish,  and 
for  making  roads  from  Dawlish  to  tlie 
Exeter  turnpike  roads,  together  with 
a  road  from  South  town  to  Chudleigh, 
and  certain  branches  communicating 
with  the  same,  aU  in  the  county  of 
Devon ;  and  to  make  and  maintain 
other  roads  communicating  with  the 
said  roads. 

xxix.  An  Act  for  more  effectually  re- 
pairing, amending,  and  improving  the 
roads  from  Liverpool  to  Prescot,  Ash- 
ton,  and  W^arrington,  in  the  county  pa- 
latine of  Lancaster. 

XXX.  An  Act  to  continue  and  amend  an 
Act  of  the  fifth  year  of  his  late  majesty, 
for  repairing  the  roads  from  Durweston 
Bridge  to  Caundle  Bishop,  and  other 
roads,  in  the  counties  of  Dorset  and 
Somerset,  so  far  as  relates  to  the  Vale 
of  Blackmoor  turnpike  roads. 

xxxi.  An  Act  for  making  and  maintain- 
ing a  turnpike  road  from  the  south  end 
of  Mitford  Bridge,  in  the  parish  of 
Tedbum  Saint  Mary,  to  Chudleigh 
Bridge,  and  from  Crockham  Bridge  to 
tlie  Exeter  turnpike  road  in  Chudleigh, 
all  in  the  county  of  Devon. 

xxxii  An  Act  for  amending  certain 
roads  in  the  county  of  Somerset,  and 
for  placing  them,  and  other  roads, 
under  the  care  and  management  of 
tlie  trustees  of  the  Langport,  Somer- 
ton,  and  Castle  Cary  roads. 

xxxiii.  An  Act  to  enable  the  justices  of 
the  peace  for  the  three  divisions  of  the 
county  of  Lincoln  to  purchase  the  site 
of  Lincoln  Castle ;  and  to  empower 
the  Court  of  Gaol  Sessions  for  the 
said  county  to  maintain  and  support 
the  judge's  house,  county  hall,  and 
courts  of  assize  ;  and  for  other  pur- 
poses affecting  the  county  at  large. 

xzxiy.  An  Act  for  improyipgi  repairing, 


and  maintaining  the  harboim  of  the 
burgh  of  B^thsay  in  the  county  of 
Bute,  and  for  building  and  maintain- 
ing a  gaol,  conrt-house,  and  offices 
for  the  said  burgh  and  county. 

xxzv.  An  Act  for  making  and  maintain- 
ing a  railway  from  Rutherglen  Green 
to  Wellshott  in  the  county  of  Lanaik. 

xxxvi.  An  Act  for  draining  and  imj^y- 
ing  certain  low  lands  situate  within 
the  several  townships  of  Norton, 
Campsally  Asken,  Moss,  Fenwick, 
Little  Smeaton,  Stubbs  Walden,  Wo- 
mersley,  Whide^,  Bain,  Folling^ton, 
Snaith  and  Cowick,  and  Sykehouse, 
in  the  several  parishes  of  Campsall, 
Womersley,  Kellington,  Snaith,  and 
Fishlake,  all  in  the  west  riding  of  the 
county  of  York. 

xxxvii.  An  Act  for  maintaining  the  road 
from  Wakefield  to  Austerlands  in  the 
west  riding  of  the  county  of  York. 

xxxviii.  An  Act  for  making  and  repair- 
ing certain  roads  leading  across  the 
county  of  Stirling,  and  o&er  roads  in 
the  said  county. 

xxxix.  An  Act  to  amend  an  Act  for 
more  effectually  repairing  and  improy- 
ing  the  road  from  Wendover  to  the 
tov^-n  of  Buckingham  in  the  coonty  of 
Buckingham. 

xl.  An  Act  for  improving  and  maintain- 
ing the  road  from  the  south  side  of  a 
bridge  over  the  river  Colne,  called 
Engine  Bridge,  in  the  township  of 
Huddersfield  in  the  west  riding  of  the 
county  of  York,  to  Woodhead  in  the 
county  palatine  of  Chester,  and  from 
thence  to  a  bridge  over  the  river 
Mersey,  called  Enterclough  Bridge, 
on  tlie  confines  of  the  county  of  Der- 

xli.  An  Act  for  more  effectually  repair- 
ing and  improving  certain  roads  lead- 
ing to  and  from  the  town  of  Cirences- 
ter in  the  county  of  Gloucester,  and 
Wootton  Bassett  in  the  county  of 
Wilts. 

Ixii.  An  Act  to  continue  and  amend  an 
Act  for  more  effectually  repairing seye- 
ral  roads  in  and  through  his  majesty's 
forest  of  Dean  in  the  county  of  Glou- 
cester;  and  to  convert  certain  high- 
ways in  the  parishes  of  Staunton  and 
Newland  in  the  said  county  into  torn- 
pike  roads. 

xliii.  An  Act  for  repairing  the  road  from 
the  town  of  Wisbech  in  the  Isle  of 
Ely  in  the  county  of  Cambridgfe  to 
the  town  of  Thomey,  in  the  same  isle 
and  county. 


APPENDIX .  TO  CHRONICLE.  A      289 


xliv.  An  Act  for  improving  and  main- 
taining the  road  from  Ludlow  in  the 
county  of  Salop,  through  Wooffertoh 
and  Little  Hereford,  to  Monk's  Bridge 
in  the  said  county,  and  also  from  Lud- 
low to  Orleton  in  the  county  of  Here- 
ford. 

xlv.  An  Act  to  alter  and  amend  an  Act 
passed  in  the  seventh  and  eighth  ^ear 
of  the  reign  of  his  late  majesty,  inti- 
tuled An  Act  for  carrying  into  effect 
certain  improvements  within  the  city 
of  Edinburgh,  and  adjacent  to  the 
same. 

xlvi.  An  Act  for  extending  the  royalty 
of  the  burgh  of  Dundee,  and  for 
amending  the  sett  or  municipal  consti- 
tution of  the  said  burgh. 

xlvii.  An  Act  for  repealing,  altering,  en- 
larging, and  amending  certain  provi- 
sions of  an  act  passed  in  the  fifty-sixth 
year  of  the  reign  of  his  late  majesty 
king  George  the  Third,  intituled  An 
Act  for  the  incorporation  of  the  High- 
land Society  of  London,  for  the  better 
management  of  the  funds  of  the  socie- 
ty, and  for  rendering  its  exertions 
more  extensive  and  beneficial  to  the 
public. 

xlviii.  An  Act  for  erecting  a  county 
Iiall  and  courts  of  justice,  and  also  for 
providing  accommodation  for  his  ma- 
jesty's justices  of  assize,  in  and  for 
the  county  of  Worcester. 

xlix.  An  Act  for  endowing  a  church 
called  Saint  Bridgett,  in  the  parish  of 
Liverpool  in  the  county  palatine  of 
Lancaster. 

1.  An  Act  for  extinguishing  tithes,  and 
customary  payments  in  lieu  of  tithes, 
within  the  parish  of  Llanelly  in  the 
county  of  Carmarthen,  and  for  making 
compensation  in  lieu  tliereof. 

li.  An  Act  for  the  better  management  of 
the  poor  in  the  several  parishes  and 
Iiamlets  in  the  city  of  Norwich  and 
coimty  of  the  same  city. 

lii.  An  Act  to  consolidate  and  amend 
the  several  Acts  for  making  the  West 
India  Docks. 

liii.  An  Act  for  granting  certain  powers 
to  a  company  called  the  General  Steam 
Navigation  Company. 

liv.  An  Act  to  amend  and  enlarge  the 
powers  of  an  Act  passed  in  the  eleventh 
year  of  the  reign  of  his  late  majesty  king 
George  the  Fourth,  intituled  An  Act 
for  making  and  maintaining  a  naviga- 
ble cut  or  canal  from  Lough  Corrib  to 
the  bay  of  Galway,  and  for  the  im- 
provement of  the  harbour  of  Galway. 

Vol.  LXXIIL 


Iv*  An  Act  for  the  further  improvement 
of  the  port  and  harbour  of  Belfast  in 
Ireland,  and  for  other  purposes. 

Ivi.  An  Act  to  amend  the  several  acts 
for  making  and  maintaining  the  Ulster 
canal  in  the  counties  of  Fermanagh 
and  Armagh. 

Ivii.  An  Act  for  inclosing,  draining,  and 
warping  lands  within  the  townidiips 
or  hamlets  of  Frodingham,  Scunthorpe, 
and  Gunhouse  (otherwise  Gunnas), 
all  in  the  paricJi  of  Frodingham  in  the 
county  of  Lincoln.  ^ 

Iviii.  An  Act  for  amending  an  Act 
passed  in  the  eleventh  year  of  the 
reig^  of  his  late  majesty  king  George 
the  Fourth,  for  making  and  maintain- 
ing a  railway  from  the  lands  of  FoUoc 
and  Govan  to  the  liver  Clyde ;  and  to 
alter  and  extend  the  powers  of  the 
company  of  proprietors  of  the  said 
railway. 

lix.  An  Act  for  making  a  railway  from 
Manchester  in  the  county  palatine  of 
Lancaster  to  Sheffield  in  the  west  rid- 
ing of  the  county  of  York. 

Ix.  An  Act  to  enable  the  company  of 
proprietors  of  the  canal  navigation 
from  Manchester  to  Bolton  and  to 
Bury  to  make  and  maintain  a  railway 
from  Manchester  to  Bolton  ■  and  to 
Bury  in  the  county  palatine  of  Lan- 
caster, upon  or  near  the  line  of  the 
said  canal  navigation,  and  to  make 
and  maintain  a  collateral  branch  to 
communicate  therewith. 

Ixi.  An  Act  for  more  effectually  maldng, 
amending,  widening,  repairing,  and 
keeping  in  repair  certain  roads  in  the 
county  orFonar. 

Ixii.  An  Act  to  amend  an  Act  of  his 
late  majesty  king  George  the  Fourth^ 
for  repairing  the  several  roads  leading 
to  and  from  the  city  of  Exeter,  and  for 
making  certain  new  lines  of  road  to 
communicate  with  the  same,  and  for 
keeping  in  repair  £xe  Bridge  and 
Countess  Wear  Bridge ;  and  to  make 
and  maintain  other  roads  communicat- 
ing with  the  said  roads. 

Ixiii.  An  Act  for  more  effectually  re- 
pairing the  road  from  Aylesbu^  in 
the  county  of  Buckingham  to  Hock- 
liffe  in  the  county  of  Bedford. 

Ixiv.  An  Act  for  the  more  effectually  re- 
pairing and  otherwise  improving  the 
road  from  Sunderland  near  the  sea,  in 
the  county  of  Durham,  to  the  city  of 
Durham. 

Ixv.  An  Act  for  repairing  and  improv- 
ing the  several  roads  within  the  Kid- 

u 


290     ANNUAL    REGI  STER,  1831. 


wellr  district  of  roads  in  the  oountj 
of  Cfumtirthen,  and  for  makine  new 
lines  of  road  within  the  said  district, 
and  building  a  bridge  across  the  rirer 
Uoughor  at  Spitty  Bank,  and  a  bridge 
or  embankment  across  the  rirer  Gwen- 
draith  Fawr  at  the  ford. 

Ixri.  An  Act  for  better  repairing  and 
improring  sereral  roads  leading  to  and 
from  the  town  of  Frome  in  the  coantj 
of  Somerset. 

Izrii.  An  Act  for  better  regulating  the 
poor  within  the  parish  of  Birmingham 
in  the  county  of  Warwick:  and  for 
empowering  the  guardians  of  the  poor 
to  grant  building  leases  of  certain 
lands  vested  in  them,  or  otherwise  to 
sell  and  dispose  of  the  same,  and  to 
apply  the  monies  to  arise  therefrom 
in  the  enlargement  or  rebuilding  of 
the  present  workhouse  ;  and  for  other 
purposes. 

Iznii.  An  Aot  to  alter  and  amend  tlie 
sevend  Acts  for  making  navigable  tlie 
river  Kennet  in  the  county  of  Berks. 

Ixix.  An  Act  for  making  and  maintain- 
ing a  railroad  from  Westland  Row  in 
the  city  of  Dublin  to  the  head  of  the 
western  pier  of  the  rojral  harbour  of 
Kingstown  in  the  county  of  Dublin, 
with  branches  to  communicate  there- 
with. 

\xx.  An  Act  for  repairing  and  improving 
the  mail  coach  road  through  the  coun- 
ty of  Tyrone. 

Ixxi.  An  Act  for  more  effectually  mak- 
ing and  repairing  certain  roads  in  the 


counties  of  Fife,  Kinrow,  Perth,  and 
Clackmanan. 

budi.  An  Act  for  more  effeotoalljr  re- 
pairing the  road  from  North  Smelds 
in  the  county  of  Northnmbeiland  to 
the  town  of  Newcastle-npon-Tjney 
and  certain  branches  commnnioating 
therewith ;  and  also  for  making  and 
repairing  additional  branches  of  road. 

Ixxiii.  An  Act  to  alter,  amend,  and  en- 
large the  powers  of  the  sereral  Acts 
now  in  fence  relating  to  the  new  river 
or  cut  from  the  Eau  Brink  to  King's 
Lynn  in  the  county  of  Norfolk,  oalled 
the  Kau  Brink  eut ;  and  to  laise  fur- 
ther funds  for  catr3ring.  the  said  acta 
into  execution. 

Ixxiv.  An  Act  for  more  effectnallj  fan- 
proving  the  road  from  the  Pondyaxda 
in  the  county  of  Hertford  to  the  town 
of  Chipping  Bamet  in  the  same  coon- 

Ixxv.  An  Act  to  repeal  in  part  an  Act 
passed  in  the  parliament  of  Ireland 
in  the  thirty-second  Tear  of  the  reign 
of  king  George  the  Third,  relating  to 
a  portion  of  uie  lands  of  Balliuaspeg, 
near  the  city  of  Cork,  belonging  to  the 
see  of  ('ork,  and  to  enable  me  nidiopa 
of  that  see  to  demise  the  same,  under 
certain  restrictions. 

Izxvi.  An  Act  for  regulating  the  vend 
and  delivery  of  coals  in  the  oitiaa  of 
London  and  Westminster,  and  in  eer- 
tttin  ])arts  of  the  counties  of  Middle- 
sex, Surrey,  Kent,  Essex,  Hertford- 
shire, Buckinghamshire,  and  Beik- 
shire. 


APPEKDIX  TO  CHRONICLE. 


PRICES  OF  STOCKS  in  auh  Mootli  in  1881, 

Higher  unit  Loive^t. 


Il 

3E 

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£.d.j  c-il  a-ii  ii 

2- 

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ffi   II 

IS 

fs 

IS 

f2 

if 

ij 

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S2 

^2 

?2  iS's 

^-r 

^T|r 

22 

22 

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fi- 

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sslss 

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fs 

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31 

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if 

fB 

£3 

sf 

?f 

sf  sS" 

5? 

rf 

?f 

fs 

S8 

- 

f-s 

fi' 

SS 

rs 

sslsf 

SS 

ff 

i-f 

fi 

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SR 

I'b 

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292       ANNUAL  REGISTER,  1831. 


AVERAGE  PRICES  OF  BRITISH  CORN. 

FBOH   THE   BETURNS. 


Wheat. 

Barley. 

Oati. 

Rye. 

Beans. 

FeM. 

$•     d» 

tf.     </• 

«.    d. 

«.    d. 

«.    d. 

M.      4. 

January  25 

80    0 

48    0 

30    0 

35    0 

45    0 

39    0 

February  22   ••• 

78    0 

46    0 

30    0 

34    0 

42    0 

48    0 

March  22 

72    0 

47    0 

28    0 

40    0 

40    0 

44    0 

April  26 

May  24  

76    0 

46    0 

31     0 

34    0 

42    0 

48    0 

72    0 

46    0 

30    0 

34    0 

42    0 

48    0 

June  21   

74    0 

46    0 

30    0 

34    0 

42    0 

48    0 

July26 

72    0 

42    0 

29    0 

34    0 

42    0 

44    0 

August  23  

78    0 

42    0 

29    0 

34    0 

42    0 

44    0 

September  27*«* 

70    0 

42    0 

28    0 

34    0 

42    0 

46    0 

October  25 

59    2 

37    6 

22    5 

55    3 

40    7 

44  10 

November  22... 

60  10 

38    3 

22  10 

37    3 

40    8 

44    6 

December  27... 

61  10 

38  11 

23    1 

38    0 

43    0 

44    6 

AVERAGE  PRICES  OF  HAY  V  LOAD. 


January. 

February. 

March. 

April. 

May. 

Juno. 

2  10    0 

to 
4    0     0 

2  10    0 

to 
4    0    0 

2  10     0 

to 
4    0    0 

2  17    6 

to 
4    8    0 

2  10    0 

to 

3  15    0 

2  12    0 

to 
4    0    0 

July. 

August 

September. 

October. 

November. 

Seoeniber. 

3  10    0 

to 

4  4    0 

2  15    0 

to 
4    0    0 

2  15     0 

to 
4    0    0 

3  0    0 
to 

4  0    0 

2  10    0 

to 
4    0    0 

3    5    0 

to 
3  15    0 

AVERAGE  PRICES  OF  BUTCHER'S  MEAT, 
Average  Prices  per  Stone  of  81b.  in  Smithfield  Market,  in  1831. 


Beef. 

Mutton. 

Veal. 

Pork. 

Itfnb. 

s,    d,      9, 

d. 

s. 

d.    8»    d. 

s. 

d*    t. 

d. 

t. 

d,    tf.    d. 

#.  d.    #.    if« 

Jan  ... 

3    2to4 

8 

3 

0to4  10 

6 

Oto6 

4 

4 

2to5    2 

0    OtoO    0 

Feb.... 

3    0to5 

0 

3 

0  to5    0 

5 

Oto6 

4 

3 

2  to  5    4 

0    OtoO    0 

March 

4    0to4 

6 

4 

8to5    2 

5 

0to6 

0 

4 

4to5    2 

0    OtoO    0 

April 

3  10  to  4 

4 

4 

4  to  5    0 

5 

Oto6 

0 

4 

0to5    0 

0    OtoO    0 

May... 

2    4  to  3 

8 

2 

6to4    0 

3 

8to5 

0 

3 

4to4  10 

0    OtoO    0 

June... 

3  10  to  4 

6 

4 

6to4    6 

4 

0to5 

0 

4 

0to4  10 

4    8to5    6 

July... 

2    4to3 

8 

2 

4to3  10 

3 

2to4 

8 

3 

2  to  4    6 

3  10to4    S 

Aug... 

3    6to4 

2 

4 

0to4    8 

4 

4to5 

4 

4 

0to4  10 

5    OtoO    0 

Sept... 

3    0to4 

0 

3 

6  to  4    4 

4 

0to5 

0 

4 

0to5    0 

4    0to5    0 

Oct... 

3    6to4 

2 

4 

2to4  10 

4 

0to5 

0 

4 

4to5    4 

0    OtoO    0 

Nov... 

3    4  to  4 

2 

4 

4  to  5    0 

4 

0to4 

10 

4 

0to5    4 

0    OtoO    0 

Dec... 

3    4to4 

6 

3 

6to4    8 

3 

4to5 

4 

4 

4to5    4 

0    OtoO    0 

APPENDIX  TO  CHRONICLE. 


29S 


BILLS    OF  MORTALITY,  from  December  16,  1830,    lo 
December  16,  1831. 


LTader  two  year*  >      „ 

Between  t<ro  and  five  9647 

I^Teandten 1031 

Ten  uid  twenty 934 

Tweo^  and  thirty    1649 

Thirty  and  fbr^ 1068 

For^andfifty 2175 

FiftyandsiT^ 3169 

Sixty  and  seventy S337 


Seventy  and  eighty I7S6 

Eighty  and  ninety 836 

Ninety  and  a  bUDdreil 101 

One  hundred  and  one I 

One  hundred  and  two 1 

One  hundred  and  three 0 

One  hundred  and  five ,  1 

One  hundred  and  (eren  ,. 0 


Table  of  the  Number  of  Bahkbupts&  Dxclarationb  of  iNsoLTSNcr. 


Bjukmpl.. 

D«>.™u™ 

January 

101 
81 
110 
136 
14fi 
113 
103 
94 
104 
93 
304 
161 

10 
IS 
15 
18 
33 
13 
14 
14 
S3 
13 
33 
13 

May  ... 

1433 

188 

METEOROLOGICAL  TABLE  poa  1831. 


B„=n>«c,. 

ThfnoomKef. 

Plorin- 

WEiidl. 

1U,1,-.. 

!«...<. 

m^.... 

Li— . 

k-. 

K. 

«. 

>.■ 

s. 

S.W 

w.  ;-..T. 

Febmiry 

30*610 

" 

« 

iS 

H 

a 

^ 

SJ 

1 

^1 

• 

»*M^ 

S" 

''" 

s 

a* 

? 

a 

« 

!t 

SZ-.-;: 

"■m 

74 

4H 

m" 

i 

!* 

oao^r. 

a 

Vl 

iii 

■1 

;' 

;. 

1 

sa 

sa 

3'e80 

1! 

a 

is;| 

.i 

1> 

M6W 

C90IS 

79 

Hi 

32-9]6 

Ui 

39i 

ni 

«i 

«* 

K* 

« 

stl 

a»4      ANNUAL   REGISTER,    1831. 


A  J  ASH,  showing  tlio  Number  of  Uoiwes  nled  fw  tlie  loliabited  Houm  Tu,  tlta 
Amount  of  (lie  lUnUl  of  each,  aud  tlie  Nomberof  tba  Fuu-lloules  exeapt«d 
froH  «ueli  Tiki  in  uuak  Couniy  of  Engluul  nuI  W«1m,  Dm:  lb*  Yw  ua^ms 

JuDuncy,  1B31. 


KoHilvhllll  ,< 

Oiftmr 


Sw* 


a.tMluo 


fll.ltO 

«,STT 

«ui;Kig 


Mo.o( 


is: 


i:^ 


fifltfS 

s.oir 

'& 


1.U1 


API 


A  SIMILAR  TABLE  FO 

n  THE  METHOP0L1S 

r...... 

No.  or 

'*i™^."' 

~r 

tiirotLWod , 

ImCh,  Mrtiloii 

rHcWio  m  at.  aiie*  ii>d  si.  Omp, 
i},aiH<r»raXra"!!li:.'';.'."."i;."!;! 

TDHHdW 

Kcniinpon  dWa 

S>.UH^.k-bDH 

l«n.<rfC0Kl 

YhRcDKUaniorEutBrfuon 

Hlackhuili  

17A1 
I9,T1I 

i 

Sfiw 

1,163 

»,S0OJUT 

«t.l,DJ3 

eiiijo 
ia9,raB 

♦y 

INHABITED  HOUSE  TAX, 


n^du 

S.,.otH-m 

n.u«i. 

£10BHl™dw£li 

'ii'S 

!SJJJ 

*os,7au 

Pi 

i  :=    fc::::::::::;::::::; 

300    «0 ,. 

sia^Bfi 

ii,iol,l*j 

BiuiMO,  gi;i6i.8as. 


n  CoIDinlUid,  Couvicted,  ScnCFDciid,  0 


Conu.aa*.if«r™i....jF^„ 

P"|r™" 

IUDdalDToiyrar... 
eniairtliiuidiicHkT.,1! 

NaBnliAin^'iailwtpnin^.  li,SBr 

MUImccd  :— 

T 13^7 

296       ANNUAL   REGISTER,  1831. 


I>'pm°- 

1^'cii.I 

sir 

.i^°;»i'. 

"S'° 

"*-/" 

i.  i  tlii  Ifci!: 

is 

-fin 

1^ 
8451 

»!«' 
S^l 
6,eG6 

10,181 

1 

JIB 
IBi 

SB 

1 

i70 

1 

'i 

23 

1)0 
1(9 

TO 
37 

59 

isal 
tywt 

SOfifil 

4i3a( 
16U 

Gin 

ii 

'1^ 
S!J!! 

e«o^Bi 

9lM**3 
«M,«TO 

ue,eoB 

318,516 
165  jcS 

!!a,630 

4U,4oe 

1.398,186 
38,870 

301,772 

ii 

161,173 
!76,793 

•%iS 

S66,ot6 

1,129,0*1 

EMd 

S,B76i 

"■ffii 

10,008  ri 

,iSIS 

2,4Bai 
10«»d 

tSSi 

6,740  rf 

16  i 

in,Bliri 

66,  Ul  1 

'■SI 

(1,76(1  J 
B,g66d 

•9i 

5,0)0  rf 
]0,llMd 

l%^i 

iVlIS  j 
lifloK 
6.1S9tf 
1,570  rt 

S9 

Su'Srdil.lr";;" 

i 

38 

^^ 

31 

Wuwirkriiln .  .. 

WUMn 

MorcHrtmhlnr... 
Yurkshirc 

ES 

ifiT^lJ 

4.17 

n.7 

[IBB5I 

13,DBO,:S5 

81,064       ;           .14 

itioned  oulnber  of  Depositora  aze  thus  divided  : — 


D.t«iU«. 

». 

/^V 

lIlKkr£BOCKll 

4Mrf 

Tl 

APPENDIX  TO  <_ 


UNIVERSITY    OF    OXFORD. 


EXAMINATIONS,    term— paschal,  1831. 
In  IMeris  Humanioribus. 


Classis  I. 
Thos.  D.Acland,  Ckrat  CAun/i. 
Roliert  Browne,  Si.  JaAn't. 
Henry  ChurtoD,  Salliol. 
'I'hos.  L.  Ctaughton,  Trintts. 
Herbert  Kyiiastoo,  Chritt  Church. 
Robert  F.  Wilson,  (Mel. 
Samuel  F.  Wood,  do.  ■ 

Classis  II. 
CImrlea  BaleloD,  Corpui, 
Charles  Uunyan,  New  College , 
Arch.  Cnmeron,  Pembroke. 
Georg«  CaseoD,  Brtaen-neie. 
George  Clark,  Univerti^. 
George  E.  Deacon,  Corpuf. 
Fcederick  Holue,  Corput. 
Walter  Kttaon,  BalHal. 
William  Pennefolher,  ifa. 
Charles  Penny,  Peiabreke. 
Francii  Popham,  VniversUy, 
T.  G.  Simcoi,  Wnflain. 
Kdward  Stephens,  Exeter. 
Richard  E.  Tycwbitl,  Braten-nose 
.  William  H.  Whitworth,  Corpus. 
John  Willinms,  Jems. 
John  P,  Wilaon,  Magdalen. 

Classis  III. 
William  Boyd,  Univereily. 
Daniel  Brent,  do. 
John  S.  Broad,  Edmund  Hall. 

lit  Disciplinis 
Cl ASBIS   I. 
Tho3.D.Ad8Dd,  CArist  Church. 
Charles  Bals ton,  Corput. 
William  Boyd,  Univereity. 
Rel>ert  Browne,  SI.  John'), 
Algernon  Perkins,  Oriel. 
Thos.  G.  Slmcox,  Wadham. 

Clabbis  II. 
George  Kempe,  Exeter. 

TE  RM — «  rCHABLHAB, 


Folliot  Bough,  Exeter. 
Charles  L<Cornl«h,  do. 
Henry  DeDJKm,  Chritt  ClmrA, 


Francis  C.  Brooke,  Clirlit  Church. 
Frederick  Buremanu,  Trinity. 
Henry  Gary,  /f'oreester. 
Ednard  W.  Foley,  JVadham. 
James  Gilman,  A'^JoAn'i. 
Charles  Green,  Chriet  Chm-ch. 
Edmund  W,  Hughes,  Iforceiler. 
George  Kempe,  Exeter, 
Henry  Moncricff,  Neiu  College. 
Francis  Moote,  Chritt  CAureh. 


Wiilisi 


c  N.  Sim 


t,  Christ  ChmcA. 


Henry  Walker,  do. 

Ciu^BSia  IV. 
John  Barrow,  Wadhatii. 
Edward  Bigge,  Uiacereily. 
Thoa.  W.  Crertaer,  Pembroke. 
John  R.  Erringlon,  IVarueeler. 
Salrsliury  Evernrd,  Ballial. 
John  Fisher,  Braten'Ooie. 
Robert  Grey,  Uiuversity. 
Edward  Hardwrcke,  Qhbhi'ji 
Edward  Harlsnd,  fradham. 
Henry  Slibson,  (jueen't 
Arthur  Isbam,  Chritt  Chiircb. 
Charles  King,  Magdalen. 
"        rr  A.  M'Geachy,  Balliol. 


lly. 


.  Orde,  fni . 
Hogarth  Swale,  Q.iae»' 
George  Whidborne,  do. 

Matkemalicis  cl  Physicts. 

Henry  G.  Randall,  QueetCi. 
Robert  F.  Wilaon,  Oriel. 

Classis  III. 


1831.    In  IMeris  Humamoribur. 
I  W,  E.  Gladstone,  iln. 
Petei  S.  Payne,  Balliol, 

Classis  II. 
I  GdmrdH.  Gmt,  Ballioh 


298 


ANNUAL    REGISTER,'183l. 


John  F.  Maurice,  Kvetc^, 
Nathaniel  J.  Meriman,  Braten^note, 
John  B.  Morgan,  Trinittf. 
Isle  Grant  Overton,  Corpus, 
Kolx'rt  J.  Phillimore,  Chruit  Church, 
James  Robertson  Pcmbntkc, 
Jolin  G.  Seymcr,  iS^.  Alban*8  Hall. 
Gardiner  Webster,  Exeter. 
Edmund  D.  Wickham,  Balliol. 


CLA88I8   III. 

John  II.  Allen,  Brasen-nose* 
George  Arney,  do. 
William  Borlase,  Queen*s. 
Arthur  Browne,  Christ  Church. 
John  11.  Dewhurst,  fForcester. 
John  S.  Dolby,  Lincttln. 
Arthur  P.  Duulop,  <S^.  JuhiCs. 
John  C.  Fisher,  QuffefCs. 
John  Floyer,  Balliol. 
James  Jones,  Jesus. 
Edward  V.  Neale,  Oriel. 

In  DiscipUnis 
Classis  L 

Henry  Dcnison,  Christ  Church. 
William  E.  Gladstone,  c&. 
Henry  A.  Jeffreys,  tlo. 
Charles  G.  Prideaux»  Balliol, 
James  llobertson,  Pembroke. 


Edward  Penny,  St.  John's. 
Edward  O.  Trevelyen,  Corpus. 
Robert  Williams,  Christ  Church. 

CJLA88I8  IV. 

John  R.  Bloxam,  Magdalen. 

William  Buckler,  </o. 

Richard  R.  Dean,  C/trist  Church. 

Hencage  Drumraond,  Balliol. 

Hon.  G.  F.  Harris,  Christ  Church. 

Hon.  Sidney  Herbert*  Oriel. 

John  F.  Lees,  Brasen^nate^ 

John  Mott,  Christ  Church. 

John  R.  Nicholl,  Exeter. 

Daniel  Parsons,  Oriel. 

John  P.  Penson,  ff^orceeter. 

Richard  V.  Pryor,  Balliol. 

George  H.  Scott,  Exeter. 

Henry  L.  Stephens,  Oriel. 

Thos.  ThisUethwayte,  Christ  Vkureh. 

Richard  P.  Warren,  Bteeter. 

Edward  J.  Wiloockt,  Lincoln. 


Malkemaiicis  el  Pkydcis. 

CliA80I8   II. 

Edward  V.  Neale,  Oriel. 

Classis  III. 

Francis  J.  Ellis,  MptIoh. 
James  Mackalt,  Queen's. 
James  R.  Whyte,  Oriel. 


CHANCELLOR'S  PRIZES. 

Latin  Essay. — **  Qtuenam  /ueril  Orator  urn  Atticorttm  apml  populum  Juctoritae** 
Charles  Wordsworth,  Christ  Church. 

English  Essay.—*'  On  the  Use  mul  Jbuse  of  Theory.'*    Charles  P.  EdeD»  OriH 


APPENDIX  TO 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CAMBRIDGE. 

EXAMINATIONS,     tbum— tiupos,  1831. 


Mkiereiars.  { 

ifraHglerf 

Earoihiw JoAn'i. 

(IwkiD JaM-i. 

Budii    Cfliiw. 

Woillcdge    Trinily. 

MiIlB.Ben Pr^iroAe. 

Amphlett    Peltr. 

Peill; ftwM'j. 

Paget   Cam. 

Whjtehrad /aAn't 

Meller JWiu(y. 

Smith Sidiu'u, 

Willan JoAn'j. 

Cheadle   keen's 

ShepparJ iyjH»y. 

Rigg Caiui. 

Bates  ..Cor^ru. 


01 


, .  Pclei: 


Mills.jun Pembroke. 

Palon  TriitilM, 

Entwistle Trra%, 

BIskMley    Trmity. 

Otter   ChruPa. 

yttgfia ,Je»ut, 

Winter Ci»|nw. 

Walkw  ..,, .Cbritf,. 

Bacon Cvrpiu. 

Hildynnl Ctore, 

Nash     Trinity. 

Ceary Trinitg. 

HarrUon Caita. 

Hoare John': 

Senior  Optimei. 

Ds.  Delamare Caiu*. 

Davee Carpua, 

Colville   Trinitv. 

Tyrrell Jalm'i. 

Wliiston   Trinilg. 

Itoss-LewiD Calherinc. 

Veulria Queen's. 

Nicholson    Johii'i, 

Bonnim    Qiiem't. 

Mann   'ufin'i. 

Wxon Cotyiu. 

Owstou    Quern'). 


SlftQlon Chritt't. 

BaJliHik     Ctara. 

Swann BaamBHel, 

Dailiwood   VWiurB. 

FaveU iluee«;. 

Hotkin Pembroke. 


TbD     _  .^. 

Proctor    Claal'i. 

Stoddait Carpal. 

Slinty Cniw. 

Klan«il   Peler. 

Piekwood Pflw, 

Hannan  Caiut. 


5  Co/Amnft 
'iJoMi. 


Junitr  Opiim 
Dfl.  Venablei ,,,,,,., ..t'urMi 
Bainbridge  \  '  ~ 

Cackcitoa  J 

Whlttlnglou    /'n«4rD*e. 

Wallace    ,., Trinitg. 

GMkell    Curnu. 

Kennedy IVro;*. 

Fall Peter. 

Sharpie Smmaaucl. 

Shadirell Jain's 

Johnstone   Caivt, 

Stacye CAritl't. 

Fleming Pejalrvie, 

Steei    Qw-en'i. 

Power 'oAit't. 

Blane    Trinity. 

Jernood   John': 

Spedding Trinily. 

Vawdry   John': 

Walsh Trinily, 

Selwyn John't, 

Evans Qveeu'i. 

FosW Trinily. 

Chalfield Tri'ntfy. 

Morgan    Trinily. 

Fu«brooke    Trinity. 

Yelloly Trinity, 

Fearon Calherine 


Classical  Tbipos,  1831. 
C  John  Healb,  M.A.  King',. 
Eataineri  J  Thomas  Shclbrd,  B.D.  Cara„i. 

I  Edward  Boines,  M^.  CArwr*. 


300       ANNUAL   REGISTER,    1831. 


ShadwcU JMii*<. 

Whytehead JakmU. 

Sheppftrd TrimUm, 

Venables Emmmmmti 

Dsobwood  Ijb  5  Trimim. 

Harriaoii  \^^ 2  ^«w. 

Third  ama. 
Dt.  Fell Atar. 


EfAM v<*<m'«. 

Vawdry    Mm's. 

S«ua 


Fini  CUui. 

Dfl.  Kennedy Trinitig, 

Seiwyn J*hhwL*. 

Blaekesley Trimttf, 

Johmtone    Caiur. 

Waliib Trinity. 

Cbatlield Triiuty. 

Hoare JoAn^t, 

Serrmd  Clau. 

Dj.  Whiaton   Trmify, 

Minty CoiW. 

Spedding Trtnitf, 

Woliedge Trinity. 

CHANCELLORS  MEDALLISTS,  18S1. 

J.  W.  Blakealey Triniiy. 

\V.  U.  Hoftre Jtkm's. 

CHANCELLOR'S  PRIZE. 

G.  S.  VenaMef Jenu. 

SIR  W.  BROWNE'S  MEDALS. 

Greek  Ode) 

Latin  Ode  V  James  Hildyard CJkrtsfs. 

Epignuns  | 

PORSON  PRIZE. 
George  G.KeDiiedy....,«...,.,,,JSMlji'#. 

SEATONIAN  PRIZE. 
T.  E.  Hankinson Corjmi.    (With  a  premiom  of  100/.) 


LAW   CASES,   &c. 


301 


LAW  CASES  AND  NARRATIVES. 


CoNTBwfPT  OP   Court — Privi- 
lege OF  Parliament. 

By  a  decision  of  the  Court  of 
Chancery,  the  duchess  of  Welling- 
ton and  Mr.  Courtenay  had  been 
appointed  joint  guardians  of  the 
children  of  Mr.  Long  Wellesley. 
Since    that  time,    the  daughter, 
a  child  of  eleven  or  twelve  years, 
had  remained  with  her  aunte,  the 
Misses  Long,  by  the  direction  and 
consent  of  the  guardians.    On  the 
1 6th  of  July,  sir  Edward  Sugden 
stated  to  the  Lord  Chancellor  that 
he  had  a  motion  to  make,  founded 
on  a  most  gross  contempt  of  the 
orders  of  that  Court,     He  then 
read  an  afiSdavit  by  Miss  Long, 
which  stated,  that  the  daughter  of 
Mr.  Wellesley  had  been  removed, 
the  day  before,  from  the  house  of 
the  Misses  Long  by  her  fother ; 
that  he  was  accompanied  by  four 
persons  who  appeared  to  be  consta- 
bles, and  who   acted  under  Mr. 
Wellesley's  directions;    that  the 
young  lady  was  taken,  by  these 
persons  ana  Mr,  Wellesley,  away 
from  the  Misses  Lonff,  aJthouen 
every  effort  was  made   by  Miss 
Long*s  footman  to  prevent  it,  and 
brought  in  a  carriage  to  town,  and 
that  she  was  now,  it  was  believed, 
in  the   house  of  Mr.   Wellesley. 
Sir  Edward  Sugden  said,  he  should 
therefore  move  for  the  committal 
of  Mr.  Wellesley  immediately,  for 
the  breach  of  the  former    order 
made  in  this  case,  whereby  Mr. 
Wellesley  was  ordered  to  pe  re* 


strained  from  having  the  custody 
of  his  children,  or  from  interfering 
with  those  to  whom  that  custody 
was  committed. 

The  Lord  Chancellor  said,  he 
would  certainly  not  delay  one  mo- 
ment in  ordering  the  cnild  to  be 
restored  to  the  custody  of  Mr. 
Courtenay,  the  guardian.  There 
was  a  precedent  for  such  prompt 
interference.  The  mother  of  the 
infant  in  the  case  to  which  he  re- 
ferred was  in  the  Fleet  prison,  and 
the  latter  withdrew  from  the  cus- 
tody of  her  guardians,  and  flew  to 
her  mother.  Lord  Eldon  imme- 
diately ordered  the  serjeant-at- 
arms  to  go  to  the  prison,  bodily  to 
take  possession  of  the  child,  and 
to  convey  her  again  into  the  hands 
of  the  guardians.  In  the  present 
case  he  should  act  in  a  similar 
way.  Accordinglyhe  ordered  the 
serjeant-at-arms  to  set  off  without 
delay  with  his  lordship's  warrant 
to  Mr.Wellesley's  house,  or  where- 
ever  the  child  might  be  found,  to 
take  her,  and  bring  her  into  Court, 
when  she  should  immediately  be 
turned  over  to  Mr.  Courtenay. 
In  the  meantime  his  lordship  de- 
sired the  solicitor  of  Mr.  Welles- 
ley to  go  to  him  with  the  affi- 
davit that  had  just  been  read,  and 
to  return  as  early  as  he  possibly 
could,  because  the  Court  felt  bound 
to  justify  its  own  jurisdiction, 
which  had  undoubtedly  been  gross- 
ly violated,  and  his  lordship  was 
determined  to  dispose  of  the  con- 
tempt before  he  rose^  if  he  should 


302 


ANNUAL   REGISTER,   1831. 


sit  till  twelve  at  night.  As  re- 
garded the  child,  the  serjeant-at- 
arms  was  to  consider  that  he  was 
to  have  nothing  to  do  with  Mr. 
Wellcslcy  or  any  body  else  except 
the  child ;  he  was  to  find  the  child, 
and  to  take  her  at  oncei  without 
asking  the  permission  of  either 
herself,  or  any  other  human  being. 

Tho  serjeant-at-arms  returned 
to  the  Court  at  one  o'clock,  but 
not  accompanied  by  the  child.  He 
informed  the  Lord  Chancellor  that 
when  he  got  to  Mr.  Wellesley's 
house,  the  servant  told  him  that 
neither  Mr.  Wellesley,  nor  any 
other  person,  was  there.  He  re- 
plied to  the  servant,  that  he  caaie 
for  the  young  lady ;  that  he  had 
the  Lord  Chancellor's  order  to 
take  her,  and  that  he  must  search 
the  house.  The  servant  then  ob- 
served that  he  would  himself  go 
up  stairs,  and  see  if  there  really 
was  any  person  there.  He  soon 
came  back^  and  said  that  Mr.  Wel- 
lesley  was  up  stairs,  to  whom  he 
should  be  introduced.  On  seeing 
Mr.  Wellesley,  the  serjeant-at- 
arms  repeated  the  object  of  his 
mission,  and  stated  his  authority. 
Mr.  Wellesley  observed  that  his 
daughter  was  not  there^  nor  would 
he  tell  where  she  was;  that  be 
himself  would  be  at  the  Court  in 
a  short  time,  and  see  the  Lord 
Chancellor  on  the  subject. 

Mr.  Wellesley  accordingly  soon 
afterwards  entered  the  Court,  when 
the  Lord  Chancellor  asked  him,  if 
he  had  removed  his  daughter  from 
the  custody  of  the  Misses  Long  ; 
and  if  he  had,  what  had  become 
of  tlie  young  lady  ?  Mr,  Welles- 
ley admitted  that  he  had  removed 
his  daughter  from  the  Misses 
Long,  that  he  had  strong  rea- 
sons for  doing  so,  and  that  he  had 
come  to  the  determination  that  no 
person  but  himself  should  be  tho 


guardian  of  his  children.  He 
knew  at  the  same  time  the  conse- 
quences of  the  step  be  had  taken, 
and  he  was  ready  to  submit  to 
them.  His  Lordship  then  asked 
where  the  young  lady  was  ?  Mr. 
Wellesley  eaid,  upon  his  word  as 
a  gentleman,  he  md  not  know  the 
excict  place  in  which  she  was>  but 
at  the  same  time  he  did  not  wish  to 
conceal  from  the  knowledge  of  the 
Court  that  he  had  intrusted  her  to 
the  care  of  persons  for  the  ptirpOBe 
of  placing  her  beyond  the  Court's 
jurisdiction.  His  Lordship  then 
ordered  Mr.  Wellesley  to  be  oom* 
roitted  for  contempt  of  Court, 
leaving  him,  in  the  mean  time,  in 
the  custody  of  the  serjeant-at-arms, 
with  instructions  that  his  impri-i 
sonment  should  not  be  xendersd 
more  inconvenient  than  was  nece^ 
sary  for  his  safe  custody. 

Mr.  Wellesley  was  member  of 
parliament  for  the  county  of  Essex. 
The  Lord  Chancellor  immediately 
wrote  to  the  Speaker  of  the  Gbmse 
of  Commons,  informing  him  that 
he  had  committed  one  of  their 
members  for  a  contempt,  "con- 
fessed by  him  in  my  presenoe^  and 
in  open  court.  The  right  of  thie 
Court  to  commit  is  unquestionaUej 
and  it  has  been  enforced  jufainst 
peers  of  the  realm."  Mr.  Welles* 
ley  likewise  wrote  to  the  Spesker, 
complaining  of  his  commitment 
as  a  breach  of  privilege,  and  re- 
questing the  interposition  of  the 
House.  These  letters  the  Speaker 
laid  before  the  House ;  and,  as  the 
question  had  never  occurred  with  a 
commoner,  in  its  present  shi^, 
the  matter  was  referred  to  a  com« 
mittee  of  privileges.  The  com- 
mittee did  not  report  that  there 
had  been  any  breach  of  privilege  ; 
and  on  the  26th  of  July,  when  the 
cause  came  on  in  the  Court  of 
Chancery,  the  solicitor,  Mr.  Wek 


LAW  CASES,   &c. 

leslejr's  leading  cotintel,  dedined  Thnrpe's  case,  iu  confirmation  of 
ta  ari^e  the  question  of  mat  of  his  argument,  and  to  the  doc- 
jurisdiction.  His  junior,  how-  trine  laid  down  by  Mr.  Tidd  in 
ever,  Mr.  Beomefl,  having  prepBrad  his  practice  that  tt  cnjnnj  could 
liimself  to  argue  it,  iniiated  upon  iiot  be  Bued  init  agatust  a  member 
arguing  it.  The  Lord  Chanoellor  of  Parliament.  He  proceeded  to 
would  not  all07  him  to  argue  eIiow  that  tliis  common  law  riglit 
a  point  vhich  hit  leader  would  not  whs  recognized  by  the  statute  law, 
take  up,  but  permitted  him  to  itatfl  by  the  act  of  the  I8(h  and  13th 
bis  argument  aa  ainunu  curia.  William  HI,  by  the  1  ith  George 
Mr.  Beamet  acoordiiigly  pnx  II.  c.24'th,aDdby  the  lOthGoorge 
ceeded  to  argue,  that  the  Court  III.  c.  50th,  which  acts  had  for 
had  no  authority  to  commit  a  per*  their  object  in  some  cases  to  curtail 
son  enjoying  privilege  of  parli»>  the  priviloge,  but  still  contained 
ment  for  such  an  offence  as  was  provisos  in  farour   of  its  t 


mputed  to  Mr.  Wellealcy.  Un-  in  nil  other  cases,  and  the  present 
der  the  common  law,  innumerable  was  not  one  of  the  cases  in  which 
cases  might  be  cited  frau  the  year  it  waa  curtailed.  He  then  argued 
books,  to  shew  that  |>ocrs,  knights  that  tlie  doctrine  of  this  Court  hod 
of  the  shire,  and  burgesses,  were  always  recognized  and  supported 
not  lirihle  to  arrest,  except  in  three  the  same  operation  of  the  privilege, 
cases,  namely,  treason,  felony,  and  The  early  authorities  in  tliis  Court 
breach  of  the  peace.  This  doc-  wei-e  not  so  numerous  as  those 
trine  was  also  laid  down  by  Lord  at  common  law  ;  but  he  cited  lord 
Coke,  in  the  fourth  Institute,  page  Chief  Gilbert's  Forum  Romanum, 
23,  uhere  he  shewed  that  the  where  the  doctrine  waarecognized, 
same  rule  extended  to  the  Court  and  in  one  part  of  which  it  was 
of  Chancery  as  well  as  to  the  maintained  that  a  peer  might  abuse 
courts  of  common  law.  Tliis  was  theoflicer  whowassent toservehioi 
a  braucli  of  the  lex  parliameiilaria  with  process.  The  learned  counsel 
which  was  recognized  in  the  case  quoted  several  cases  from  the  early 
of  Ke^na  v.  Page,  reported  by  reporters,  to  show  that  attachment 
Lord  Raymond.  In  the  more  re-  would  not  issue  against  persona 
cent  case  of  John  Wilkes,  it  hod  having  privilege  of  Parliament,  hut 
been  hchl  by  tlie  Court  of  Com-  that  a  different  remedy  naa  jinx 
mon  Pleas,  in  Lord  Hardwicke's  vided  against  them — that  by  bc- 
time,  that  the  person  of  a  member  questratiou.  The  last  point  witli 
of  parliament  could  not  be  taken  which  he  should  trouble  the  Court 
except  for  the  three  sorts  of  offences  would  he  that  of  the  abstract  ques< 
mentioned  by  Lord  Coke.  In  the  tiou  of  contempt:  he  could  6nd  no 
case  of  Freeman  i>,  Aylesbury,  distinction  anywheretakenbetween 
Lord  Holt  laid  it  down  that  the  civil  and  criramal  contempt.  There 
privilege  of  parliament  was  the  was,  undoubtedlv,  a  difference  he- 
law  of  the  land  ;  and  in  a  casein  twecn  aggravated  cases  of  contempt 
Dyer  the  principle  of  the  privilege  and  simple  caaes  ;  but  even  in  ttio 
was  stated  to  be,  that  his  at-  former  class  of  cbkb,  he  conteudcil, 
tendance  was  required  iu  parlia-  the  process  of  the  Court  was  not 
ment  for  the  good  of  tlie  State.  direj:ted  against  the  offender  as  a 
llie  learned  counsel  referred  to  the  punishment,  but  a  means  of  eii- 
caae  of  Hotlges  v,  Mooie,  aod  to  fi^cing   the  perforuiauoe  of  lome 


304       ANNUAL   REGISTER,   1831. 


act  due  to  the  opposite  party^  and 
as  a  means  of  ensuring  submission 
to  the  authority  of  the  Great  Seal. 
The  process  of  the  Court,  therefore, 
did  not  punish  as  for  a  criminal 
act. 

The  Lord  Chancellor  gave  judg- 
ment. He  observed  that  the  claims 
made  in  respect  of  privilege  were, 
in  earlier  times,  infinitely  more 
extensive  than  the  good  sense  and 
love  of  freedom  that  now  prevailed 
could  admit.  In  that  very  volume 
of  the  Reports  of  Peere  Williams, 
from  which  Mr.  Beanies  had  cited, 
he  would  find,  in  another  case,  a 
dichnn  that  the  first  process  against 
a  peer  or  a  member  of  Parliament 
was  a  sequestration  ;  and  that  the 
servants  of  such  persons  were 
c{|ually  entitled  to  the  exemption 
which  their  masters  enjoyed.  The 
first  process  against  them,  also, 
was  sequestration, — sequestration 
of  their  liveries  and  chattels.  It 
was,  therefore,  little  profitable, 
and  less  satisfactory,  to  quote  au- 
thorities from  the  older  writers,  in 
order  to  apply  them  to  the  present 
period.  To  show  the  power  which 
the  law  ought  to  possess,  and 
which  power  was  the  protection  of 
the  community,  and  to  show  how 
incumbent  it  was  upon  the  courts 
to  which  the  administration  of  that 
law  was  committed  to  guard  against 
the  wily,  gross,  and  extravagant 
pretensions  which  had  been  set  up 
in  the  name  and  under  the  colour 
of  privilege,  it  was  not  necessary 
nor  expedient  to  go  back  to  the 
times  of  the  Plantagenets,  the  Tu- 
dors,  or  the  Charleses.  Recent 
cases  might  be  found  even  in  the 
times  of  that  illustrious  family, 
under  whom  the  courts  of  justice, 
the  liberties  of  the  subject,  and  the 
privileges  of  both  houses  of  legis- 
lature, had  long  been  so  happily 
enjoyed.     Even  in    the   days    of 


the  family  now  on  the  throne, 
who  claim  only  what  is  theirs  by- 
law, and  who  by  no  other  power 
than  that  of  the  same  law  protect 
their  people  from  the  injuries  of 
others, — even  in  these  times  it  had 
behoved  the  courts  of  law  to  be 
firm  and  bold,  to  see  that  the 
limits  of  their  jurisdiction  were 
not  encroached  upon,  not  only  by 
individual  members,  but  by  the 
houses  of  legislature  themselves. 
It  might  become  the  duty  of  the 
courts  to  vindicate  the  law  against 
a  portion  of  those  by  whom  the 
law  was  made.  It  was  not  under 
the  Edwards  or  the  Harrys,  but 
in  the  last  year  of  the  reign  of 
George  II.,  in  1759}  that  an  action 
of  trespass  was  tried  in  the  House 
of  Commons,  to  its  own  great 
scandal  and  disgrace,  and  to  the 
astonishment  of  all  good  men. 
Admiral  Lucas  complained  to  the 
House  that  three  men  had  entered 
upon  his  fishery,  near  Plymouth, 
and  instead  of  indignantly  reject- 
ing the  complaint,  the  House  or« 
dered  the  Serjeant-at-arms,  to 
take  the  defendants  into  custody. 
They  appeared  before  the  House 
on  their  knees,  confessed  the  charge, 
and,  on  their  promise  not  to  offend 
in  future,  they  were  discharged. 
Thus,  under  the  pretence  of  pri- 
vilege, the  plaintiff  was  the  party 
who  tried  his  own  cause,  for  the 
House  was  to  be  regarded  in  the 
same  light  as  the  complaining 
member.  This  was  enough  to 
warn  courts  of  justice  against 
leaning  to  the  unintelligible  and  ^ 
magical  influence  of  privilege.  Even 
had  committees  of  the  House,  or 
votes,  or  reports,  been  otherwise 
than  he  understood  they  were  with 
reference  to  this  case,  he  should 
have  deemed  it  his  duty  to  act  as 
he  now  acted,  if  the  facts,  as  they 
were  presented  to  the  Courts  were 


LAW    CASES,   &c. 


305 


well  founded.     If,  instead  of  wisely 
disclaiming  the  privilege  in  such  a 
case,    the  House  had  decided  in 
favour  of  it,  he  should  have  pur- 
sued his  own  course,  and  should 
have  relied  on  the  cases  for  his  au- 
tliority.     There  was  no  case  in  the 
books  to  justify  the  privilege  as- 
serted.    The  distinction   between 
one  class  of  contempts  and  another 
was  one  which  he  had  deliberately 
taken,  and  had  been  of  long  stand- 
ing in  his  mind.     Let  it  not  be 
supposed  that  he  had  rapidly  dis- 
posed of  the  case  when  it  came  be- 
fore the  Court :  cases  of  privilege 
were  familiar   to   his  mind.     He 
had  reviewed  them  in  every  form, 
in    Parliament,  and  in   courts   of 
law.     He  had  argued  the  greatest 
of   them  all, — that  of  "  Coleman 
V.  Burdett."     He  was  not,  there- 
fore, unprepared  upon  the  subject, 
when,  without  argument,  he  com- 
mitted Mr.  Wellesley  to  the  Fleet ; 
but   the  result  of  the  argument 
which  he  had  now  heard,  confirmed 
his  view  of  the  case.     He  would 
make  Mr.  Beames  a  present  of  all 
his  argument  as  to  contempt  for 
refusing  to  answer,  or  perform  a 
specific  act,  for  cutting  timber,  and 
the  like.     In  matters  such  as  these, 
referring  to  civil  transactions,   the 
court  could  not  attack  the  person 
of  the  party  disobeying.    He  might 
also   leave  that  ingenious  part  of 
Mr.  Beames's argument, which  went 
to  establish  that  there  was  no  dis- 
tinction between  a  civil  and  a  cri- 
minal contempt.      Th^  ground  on 
which  he  rested  his  judgment  was 
not  the  authority  of  lord   Coke, 
who  confined  the  privilege  to  cases 
of  treason,    felony,   and  a  breach 
of  tlie  peace, — he  drew  his  line  in 
a   diflferent   direction — higher  on 
the  scale.     If  the  only  ground  of 
committal    for    contempt    was    a 
breach  of  the  peace,  then  the  court 
Vol.  LXXHI. 


could  not  commit  for  any  con- 
tempt that  was  unaccompanied  by 
a  bleach  of  the  peace.    There  were 
many  offences  for  which  no  man 
could  doubt  the  right  of  courts  of 
law  to  commit,  which  were  not 
breaches  of  the   peace.     Perjury 
would  be  without  punishment^  as 
not  falling  within  either  of  the 
heads  of  treason^  felony^  or  breach 
of  the  peace.    A  member  of  Parli- 
ament was  liable  to  indictment,  if 
he  had  committed  such  an  act  of 
perjury    as    cotild    be    assigned. 
Now  what  qualification  was  there 
after  the  bill  was  found,   after  the 
trial  and  conviction,   to  prevent 
taking  the  member  into  custody, 
for  there  was  no  distinction  in  cri- 
minal cases  between  mesne  process 
and  execution  ?    But  if  lord  Coke's 
doctrine   were    to    prevail,    there 
would  be  no  imprisonment  of  a 
burgess  or  knight  of  the  shire  for 
perjury.    What  could  be  said  of  a 
crime  equal  to  perjury, — ^prevarica- 
tion on  oath  ?   Unless  this  occurred 
on  a  point  material  to  the  issue,  no 
perjury  would  be  committed,   and 
the  court  could  not  order  an  in- 
dictment to  be  presented  against 
the  offender  for  perjury :   but  the 
order  made  in  such  cases  was,  that 
he  stand  committed  for  contempt 
of   the  court    in  committing   so 
grave  an  offence  against  the  admi- 
nistration of  justice.     Was  it  ever 
dreamt  in  the  court  of  King*s  Bench, 
that  a  member  of  Parliament,  who 
so  grossly  forgot  his  honouir  as  a 
member,  and  his  duty  as  a  man, 
should  say  to  the  Court — **  True,  I 
have  prevaricated,  but  I  am  pro- 
tected in  doingso  by  my  privilege  V* 
Such  a  privilege  would  degrade  and 
disgrace  him  who    claimed  it  as 
a   protection  for  perpetratinff  so 
noxious  a  defeasance  of  the  admi- 
nistration of  justice^  that  he  ought 
at  once  to  be  hurried  to  a  dungeon 
X 


30G      ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 

for  it,  instead  of  being  allowed  the  person  of  the  defendant^  who 
to  gav — '^  My  ])crson  is  as  sacred  was  a  member  of  Parliament.  But 
as  the  oath  I  liave  taken  and  if  a  man  were  to  go  into  the 
broke."  Far  from  being  allowed  Conrt  of  King's  Bench,  and  in- 
Bueh  a  protection,  it  was  his  lord-  terriipt  the  business  by  addressing 
ship's  belief  and  ]ioi)e,  that  such  to  the  Court  all  the  slander  or  in- 
a  man  should  cease  to  be  a  memlxT  decency  that  wit  or  folly  could  in« 
of  Parliament  by  expulsion  from  vent,  no  doubt  could  exist  that  the 
the  House.  The  line  which  his  Court  would  order  its  oificer  to 
lordship  drew  was  this — that  in  all  seize  and  commit  the  person  so 
civil  cases,  not  accompanied  by  cri-  oifending.  The  whole  power  of 
minal  incidents,  the  principle  of  the  Court  here  rested  on  the  con- 
privilege  protected  ;  but  that  pri-  tempt.  The  man,  if  only  remorad 
vilege  could  not  be  urged  agninst  from  the  Court  by  the  bare  act  of 
acts  of  a  criminal  nature.  There  putting  him  out,  suffered  an  iin* 
WHS  no  privilege  from  the  sentence  prisonment  in  law,  which  was  as 
of  a  court  of  competent  jurisdic-  suAicient  to  establish  the  principle 
tion  after  a  conviction.  Con  vie-  as  if  he  were  confined  in  prison 
tions  were  of  two  kinds — those  for  a  long  period.  If  it  were 
which  were  had  after  a  trial,  and  otherwise,  1,100  men  in  this 
those  which  were  summary.  In  country  would  have  a  right  to 
the  Earl  of  Shaftesbury*s  c^sc,  re-  obstruct  the  proceedings  of  the 
]>orted  in  the  ''  State  Trials,"  he  courts  of  justice.  They  might 
was  committed  by  the  warrant  of  exert  the  same  right  at  seasions 
Parliament  on  a  habeas  corpus,  for  licensing,  and  might  make  it 
'i'he  Court  held,  that  it  hacl  no  the  means  of  penal  yisitations  in 
right  to  c(»nsider  the  form  of  the  cases  where  their  seal  or  local  in* 
warrant,  but  Chief  Justice  Rayns*  terests  miglit  prompt  them  to  in- 
ford  said,  if  the  party  in  contempt  terfere.  The  sheriffs'  court  of 
was  not  committed  by  the  Court,  Hustings,  which  was  held  for  po« 
there  was  no  punishment  for  him.  litical  purposes,  might  be  disturbed 
So  it  would  be  in  this  case,  if  there  or  overawed  by  upwards  of  1,000 
were  no  breach  of  the  peace,  persons  who  might  claim  the  right. 
Taking  this  line  of  cases,  some  of  individuallv^  or  in  a  mass,  and  the 
them  would  be  found  to  go  a  g(»od  Court  would  have  no  remedy;  as 
way  farther  than  M'as  necessary  they  might  do  so  with  impunity, 
for  the  present  purpose.  If  the  if  they  did  not  commit  a  breach 
act  savoured  of  criminality,  it  was  of  the  peace.  His  lordship  re- 
enough.  This  line  of  distinction  ferred  to  the  case  of  **  Wilkinson 
was  recognized   by  the  Court   of  v.  Bolton,"  which  bore  a  strong 


ity 

])orts,      1  he  former  case  was  for  bert,  in  favour  of  a  writ  de  konnne 

the  non -performance  of  an  award,  r(^pfe^iando ;  in  whicli  case  it  was 

and    the    contempt    consisted    in  held,  that  if  the  sheriff  return  that 

breaking  the  order  of  the  Court,  the  defendant  haseloigned  the  plain- 

The  Court  held,  that  the  matter  tiff's  biwly,  a  capias  in  mthei^nam 

was  of  a  civil  nature,  and  would  should   issue   to   take    the    body 

not  grant  a  rule  absolute  to  attach  qumsque;  and  it  was  held,  that  a 


LAW    C  A  S  E  S,  &c. 


807 


peer  was  not  privileeed  from  this 
writ.  He  conceived  that  in  all 
cases  of  contempt  relating  to  the 
liberty  or  security  of  the  persons 
of  wards^  lunatics,  or  officers  of  the 
Court,  there  would  be  no  privilege 
to  exempt  from  that  prompt  obe« 
dience  which  the  process  of  the 
Court  was  intended  to  compel^  and 
that  the  word  quausque,  as  ap« 
plied  to  the  capias  in  withernam^ 
applied  to  all^  whether  peers  of 
the  reahn  or  common  persons.  The 
writ  de  homine  replegiaudo  was  the 
old  writ  of  habeas  corpus*  The 
Star  Chamber,  to  whose  proceed- 
ings he  adverted  reluctantly,  had 
committed  a  peer.  On  the  au- 
thority of  all  these  cases,— -on  the 
still  higher  authority  of  principle 
and  of  reason,  he  had  no  doubt  of 
the  justness  of  the  distinction 
which  he  had  takeui— not  sud- 
denly, not  on  the  distinction  of 
Lord  Coke,  as  to  treason,  felony, 
and  breach  of  the  peace,  which  was 
inconsistent,  and  fruitful  of  bad 
consequences, — but  on  the  true 
ground,  that  privilege  coul(l  never 
extend  to  protect  from  punish- 
ment, nor  from  process,  where  its 
object  was  to  deliver  up  a  person 
wrongfully  detained.  On  this 
groilnd  the  jurisdiction,  at  all 
events,  might  safely  stand,  and  It 
would  have  been  secure,  though 
the  votes  of  the  committee  and 
its  report  had  not  been  so  wise 
and  judicious  as  they  were.  Yet 
if  in  these  times  they  had  been  less 
judicious,  temperate,  and  reason- 
able, and  had  denijid  the  jurisdic- 
tion, he  should  have  deemed  it  his 
duty  to  take  into  consideration 
the  question  of  right  and  wrong. 
The  question  of  the  Court's  juris- 
diction had  required  a  week's  dis- 
cussion, which  was  a  proof  that 
the  claim  of  privilege  was  not 
clear,  that  it  was  the  subject  of 


doubt  and  hesitation.  In  a  case 
which  seemed  so  extrenaekr  ob- 
scure, the  argument  as  to  the  in- 
convenience might  be  answered  by 
the  question,  whether  a  claim  so 
doubtftil  should  be  allowed  to  exist, 
to  the  frustration  of  all  the  courts 
of  judicature  in  this  country,  by 
1,100  persons  ;  whether  there 
should  be  a  prostration  of  justice 
at  the  feet  of  the  1>I00  •  and 
whether  this  should  be  done  for 
the  sake  of  a  doubtful,  misohievous, 
fotal  pririfege. 


mm»    m^*  ■    ■  >— <  I 


High  Court  op  Justict ary, 

JUNB    15. 
Trial  for  Rioi  at  Dundee^ 

James  Barnet,  quarrier,  John 
Jolly,  seaman,  Thomas  Kettle, 
baker,  James  Findlay,  hostler,  John 
Tomlinson,  flesher,  Frederick  Soott, 
watchmaker,  and  George  Haggart, 
painter,  were  accused  of  mom>ing 
and  rioting,  as  also  of  assauH,  at 
Dundee,  on  the  S8th  and  d9th  of 
March.  The  riots  arose  out  of 
an  illumination  to  celebrate  the 
second  reading  of  the  reform  bill. 
I^Vide  Chronicle  for  March]]. 

Barnet,  Kettle,  and  Jolly, pleading 
guilty  of  mobbing  and  rioting  on 
the  28th  of  March,  and  assaulting 
Thomas  Hardie,  as  libelled,  the 
Solicitor-general  passed  from  the 
other  charges  against  them. 

The  Court  then  proceeded  to  try 
Findlay,  Tomlinson,  Soott,  and 
Haggart,  for  mobbing  and  rioting 
on  the  S9tb  of  March,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  violently  and  illegally  effect* 
ing  the  liberation  of  Kettle,  Jolly, 
and  Barnet,  who  had  been  impri- 
soned in  the  cells  of  the  poHce- 
ofitce,  for  the  part  they  had  taken 
in  the  disturbances  of  the  previous 
day. 

Mr.  John  Sturrock,  one  of  the 

X2 


308      ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


Justices  of  the  Peace  for  the  coun- 
ty of  Forfar,  stated  that  he  granted 
a  warrant  for  the  committal  of  Bar- 
net,  Jolly,  and  Kettle  to  the  cells ; 
and  went  to  the  Police-office  about 
seven  o'clock  on  the  evenine;  of  the 
2(>th  March^  to  take  their  declara- 
tions. In  about  an  hour  after^  he 
proceeded  to  the  Town-house^  and 
on  his  way  thither  he  saw  great 
numbers  of  people  assembled  in  the 
streets,  who  afterwards  surrounded 
the  Town-ha11>  and  threw  stones 
at  the  windows;  saw  several  at- 
tacking the  Police-office.  He  spoke 
to  the  people,  stating  that  their 
conduct  was  a  disgrace  to  the  town 
and  themselves^  and  begged  they 
would  desist ;  but  they  complained 
of  the  police,  and  of  three  men 
being  made  prisoners^  and  demand- 
ed their  liberation.  The  witness 
then  went  on  to  describe  the  re- 
peated attempts  made  to  appease 
the  mob,  who  continued  to  call  for 
the  liberation  of  the  prisoners,  and 
the  dismissal  of  Mr.  Home,  the 
supcrintendant  of  Police,  and  Alex- 
ander Dow,  one  of  the  Serjeants. 
After  this  disturbance  had  con- 
tinued for  some  time,  the  justices 
present  considered  itprudent^  under 
all  the  circumstances^  to  consent  to 
set  the  prisoners  at  liberty;  and 
witness  and  major  Guthrie  went  to 
the  Police-office  for  that  purpose. 
On  reaching  the  door  of  that  office^ 
they  found  the  people  beating  it  in 
with  a  large  piece  of  wood  as  a 
battering  ram.  The  people  de- 
sisted when  they  learned  the  ob- 
ject of  his  and  the  major's  visit ; 
but  on  going  up  stairs,  the  key  of 
the  cell  in  which  the  prisoners 
were  could  not  be  found,  and 
those  outside,  becoming  impatient, 
renewed  the  assault  with  redoubled 
fury.  He  returned  to  the  Town- 
house, telling  the  people  as  he 
passed  why  the  prisoners  were  not 


set  firee,  but  the  Tiolence  continued. 
From  the  windows  of  the  Town- 
house he  saw  a  boat  containing 
burning  materials  drawn  into  the 
area  at  the  bottom  of  the  Town- 
house stair ;  and  at  this  time  sticks 
and  stones  were  thrown  in  at  the 
windows.  .The  smoke  from  the 
burning  became  so  intolerable,  that 
he  left  the  room^  and  learned  that 
an  attempt  was  to  be  made  on  the 
Jail>  which  is  within  the  same 
stair  as  the  Town-house.  Having 
made  arrangements  to  resist  this 
to  the  utmost^  he  was  forced  to  go 
to  the  street^  where  he  induced 
Mr.  Hackney  to  address  the  crowdj 
who  assured  them  that  the  touod- 
ers'  liberation  had  been  enected, 
which  by  this  time  had  taken  place. 
The  moD  were  for  some  time  incre- 
dulous, but  they  at  last  removed 
the  burning  boat  to  the  middle  of 
the  street,  where  it  continued  to 
burn  till  between  two  and  three  in 
the  morning.  Witness  did  not  see 
the  three  prisoners  actually  liber- 
ated, but  consented  to  their  liber- 
ation, because  he  was  satisfied  they 
would  be  set  free  by  the  mob.  His 
consenting  was  to  prevent  further 
mischief. 

Major  Guthrie,  a  justice  of  the 
peace  for  the  county  of  Forfar,  said, 
he  witnessed  a  great  deal  of  riot- 
ous proceedings  in  the  streets  of 
Dundee  on  the  evening  of  the  29th 
of  March.  He  went  to  the  Town- 
house between  eight  and  nine 
o'clock  ;  at  that  time  there  was  a 
gi*eat  crowd  in  the  High-street, 
and  in  about  a  quarter  m  an  hour 
the  mob  became  dense,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  throw  stones  and  break 
windows.  Shortly  after  this,  he 
saw  a  boat  dragged  from  the  di- 
rection of  Crichton-street,  towards 
the  Town-house,  close  to  which  it 
was  brought.  Nearly  about  the 
same    time  an  attack  was  OQBN 


LAW    CASES,   &c-  300 

menced  on  the  Police-office^  and  a  before  which  there  was  a  large  fire^ 
cry  set  up  from  the  mob^  to  '*  re«  composed  apparently  of  feather 
lease  the  prisoners  or  we  will  set  beds^  and  otner  furniture  from  the 
fire  to  the  Town-house."  Finding  Police-office — that  office  wa$,  at 
that  there  were  only  three  magis-  that  time,  in  the  complete  posses- 
trates  and  about  twenty  or  thirty  sion  of  the  rioters ;  thev  were,  in 
constables  opposed  to  a  mob^  Mr.  fact^  setting  fire  to  it  as  be  entered. 
Sturrock  said  they  could  not  do  On  reaching  the  door  of  the  cell 
better  than  release  the  prisoners ;  with  the  blacksmith^  he  found  Mr. 
but  he  (witness)  hesitated  for  some  Gray,  a  magistrate^  and  other  per- 
time,  though  at  last  he  agreed,  to  sons,  with  a  pick-axe,  ineffectually 
prevent  worse  consequences.  He  trying  to  force  their  way  in,  and 
and  Mr.  Sturrock  then  went  down  it  was  only  with  great  difficulty 
stairs,  the  people  crying,  '<  the  ma-  the  smith  cdvlA  open  the  door  with 
gistrates  are  going  to  liberate  the  a  chissel  and  hammer — the  lock 
prisoners,"  and  the  crowd  was  very  would  not  pick.  It  was  right  to 
civil  as  they  passed.  Major  Guthrie  state  that  the  smith  said,  before  he 
went  on  to  state,  that  the  keys  of  would  do  any  thing,  he  must  have 
the  cell  could  not  be  found,  and  an  order  from  witness,  upon  which 
that  he  and  his  brother  magis-  he  said,  '^  I  will  absolve  you  from 
t  rate  were  assaulted  by  the  people  all  blame."  On  Barnet,  «foIIy,  and 
while  getting  back  to  the  Town-  Kettle  being  liberated,  they  were 
house.  The  mob  now  pushed  the  civil  and  humble — they  were  very 
burning  boat  broadside  on  against  quiet,  and  exhibited  nothing  whicn 
the  Town-house  gate,  which  is  of  led  him  to  suppose  they  were  in 
thick  strong  wood,  and  which  they  the  most  distant  manner  in  corn- 
had  previously  got  shut;  but  fear-  munication  with  the  mob  outside. 
ing  the  house  would  be  set  on  fire,  When  he  left  the  Police-office,  the 
it  was  agahi  opened,  and  several  people  had  not  de»sted  from  de- 
of  those  inside  effected  their  escape*  stroying  it ;  he  spoke  to  them,  and 
The  actual  rioters  were  but  few  in  told  them,  that,  their  object  being 
number,  but  the  lookers-on  were  obtained,  they  ought  to  disperse. 
very  numerous,  and  among  the  Some  went  for  water  to  put  out 
latter  he  took  his  place,  finding  the  fire,  while  others  called  out  to 
that  he  could  do  nothing  as  a  ma-  burn  the  house ;  and  from  the 
gistrate.  While  there,  a  well-  windows  of  Budge's  hotel  he  saw 
dressed  tradesman  spoke  to  him  the  people  continue  to  put  fumi- 
thus,  "  Major  Guthrie,  you  are  a  ture  and  fire  buckets  taken  from 
magistrate,  why  don't  you  release  the  Police-office  on  the  fire, 
the  prisoners  and  put  an  end  to  the  Several  other  witnesses  were  ex- 
disturbance  ?"  W^itness  replied,  amined,  whose  evidence  went  to 
that  the  magistrates  were  anxious  prove  the  part  taken  by  each  of 
to  liberate  the  prisoners,  but  the  the  prisoners  in  the  riotous  pro-* 
key  was  lost.     The  tradesman  re-  ceedmgs. 

joined,  "  If  you  are  anxious,  I  am  The  Jury  found  all  the  prisoners 

a  blacksmith,  and  will  find  tools  to  guilty,  but  recommended  Scott  to 

force  open  the  door,  if  you  order  the  leniency  of  the  Court.     The 

it."    The  man  went  for  his  tools,  sentences  were,  Findlay  and  Tom- 

and  on  his  return,  he  and  the  wit-  linson  to  be  transported  for  four- 

liess  proceeded  to  the  Polioe-office^  teen  years^  and  Ha^rt  for  seven  | 


310 


ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


Scott  to  be  coil  lined  in  Bridewell 
for  eighteen  months.  BHrnet^ 
Kettle^  and  Jully,  who  had  pleaded 
guilty  to  rioting  on  the  28th,  and 
whose  liberation  was  tlie  object  of 
the  riot  on  the  29th^  were  sen- 
tenccHl  to  \yc  imprisoned  in  the  gaol 
of  Dundee  for  six  months. 

High  CoriiT  of  Justiciary, 
July   15. 

Rioig  at  Iladdhiglon. 

A  ndixiw  Graham,  Peter  M'Guirc, 
Richard  Kemp,  David  Cleghorn, 
Alexander  Neilson,  David  King- 
horn,  and  Alexander  Home,  were 
charged  with  mobbing  and  rioting, 
on  the  25th  of  May,  in  the  town  of 
Haddington,  with  the  intention  of 
rescuing  and  setting  at  liberty 
George  Murray  and  Samuel  Mac- 
lauchlan,  who  were  under  examin- 
ation before  the  sheriff^  for  a  riot 
in  Lauder. 

The  Solicitor-general  snid,  that 
from  every  inquiry  he  had  made, 
he  was  satisfied  that  Kiughorn  was 
entirely  innocent  of  the  charges, 
and  he  was  accx)rdingly  dismissed 
from  the  bar.  Andrew  Graham 
and  Alexander  Home  were  out- 
lawed for  non-ap{)earancc.  The 
))risoncr  M'Guire  pleaded  guilty ; 
Kemp,  Cleghorn,  and  Neilson,  not 
guilty. 

W.  Home,  esq.  shcrilF  of  Had- 
dington— Went  to  Haddington  in 
consequence  of  receiving  instruc- 
tions from  the  Lord  Advocate  to 
take  precognitions  regarding  the 
Lauder  business.  Took  precogni- 
tions on  Monday  the  23rd  of  May. 
On  Tuesday  the  magistrates  of 
Haddington  authorized  an  illumin- 
ation.— On  Wednesday  the  precog- 
nition went  on  till  between  seven 
and  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening, 
when  an  assemblage  of  young  per- 
sons surrounded  the  Town-house. 


Witness  remarked  the  couDtenaooe 
of  a  young  mau^  who  appeared  Co 
be   instigating  the  cron^.     Was 
not  at  first  much  disturbed  by  the 
noise,  but  the  crowd  gradually  in« 
creased — and  what  first  attracted 
his  attention  was  the  breaking  of 
one  of  the  panes  of  glass  in  the 
window.     He  sent  out  one  of  the 
officers  to  say  to  the  assemblage 
that  the  noise  was  very  annoying. 
Soon  after,  a  number  of  the  win- 
dows   in    the    Court-room    were 
broken   with   stones  thrown  from 
the  street.    The  mob  was   then 
much  increased.     The  noise  was 
increased  tenfold,  when  a  witness, 
who  had  been  under  examination, 
was  dismissed.    A  minute  or  two 
after,  a  shout  was  raised,  and  a  rush 
by  the  mob  took  phioe  into  the 
Court- room.     At  first  the  people 
did  not  come  beyond  the  bar,  and 
lie  asked  what  they  meant,  but  got 
no  answer  from  any  one.     The  mob 
subsequently  fillea  the  whole  of  the 
Court-room,  and  it  was  ascertained 
that  the  intention  was,  to  liberate 
two  men  in  the  record-room,  of  the 
names  of  M'Lauchlan  and  Murray, 
who  were  detained  for  ftirther  ex- 
amination.   The  former  had  been 
examined,  but  he  thinks  Murray 
had  not  been  examined.     The  door, 
M'hich  opened  from  Uic  oourt-room 
into  the  record-room,  was  not  at 
first  locked,  but  soon  after  heard 
it  locked  from  the  inside.    There 
were   two  doors,    botli   of  which 
were  of  cast-iron.     This  disturb* 
ance  continued  for  about  five  mi- 
nutes, and  during  that  time  Beve« 
ral  ])ersons  were  endeavouring  to 
force  the  door.     Got  upon  a  dair 
to  remonstrate  against  the  fbJly 
and  danger  of  the  proceedings  of 
the  people,  but  it  was  in  rain  to 
stop  them,  the  noise  was  so  great. 
Finding  his   remonstrance  had  no 
effect,    he  got  into  conFersntioa 


LAW    CASES,   &c.  dU 

with  several  individuals,  who  were  rator  Fiscal  of  HaddiogtoD>   aod 

endeavouring  to    force   the  door,  several  other  witnesses  gave  a  si« 

Those  he  spoke  to  said  their  inten-  milar  account  of  the  disturbance, 

tion  Mas  only  to  liberate  the  pri-*  and  proved  that  the  prisoners  had 

soner  Murray.     Had  a  good  deal  taken  part  in  it. 

of  conversation  with  Neilsou,  who  The  Jury  without  leaving  the 

said  there  was  no  intention  of  com-  box  returned  a  verdict  unanimously 

niitting  injury  to  any  one,  but  that  finding  the  libel  against  the  three 

they  must  have  Murray  liberated,  panels  proven ;  but  earnestly  and 

At  this  time   Provost  Dods  and  unanimc^psly   recommended   them 

some  other  gentlemen  came  into  to  the  leniency  of  the  Court.     The 

the   court-room,    and   used  every  sentence  was,  that  they  should  be 

exertion  in  their  power  to  induce  confined  in    Haddington  jail   for 

the  ])cople  to  desist ;  and  1by  their  eighteen    calendar  months ;   that 

exertions  and  persuasions  tlie  peo-  thereafter,    Kemp  and    Cleghorn 

pie  left  the  room  entirely  at  one  should  find  bail  to  keep  the  peace 

time.   But  they  very  soon  returned,  for  ^vc  years,  under  a  penalty  of 

more    numerous  and   noisy  than  60/.»    and  Noilson    for  the  same 

before.     Witness  observed  one  per-  period,    under  a  penalty  of  301. 

son   striking    the    door.     Provost  — ^failing  which,  they  were  to  be 

Dods,    and  the    gentlemen  with  subjected  to  six  months  farther  im- 

him,  again  remonstrated,  and  got  prisonment.     M^Guire  was  to  be 

the  people  to  retire,  but  they  soon  imprisoned  six  mojiths. 

returned,    and  were  as  noisy  as  -    - 

ever     Tbere  was  a  very  great  noiw  High  Court  OF  JosTiciABT, 

in  the  Jobby,  and  at  the  door  which  EwNBtmOH,  Jotr  11. 
opened  into  the  record-room.     Put 

a  question  to  Provost  Dods  whe-  Ralph  Forrester^  lately  a  mer- 
thcr  he  was  apprehensive  that  cantile  clerk,  was  charged  with 
there  was  danger  of  life,  if  the  mobbing  and  rioting  in  the  city  of 
door  was  not  opened,  but  the  Pro-  Edinburgh  on  the  3rd  of  May  last, 
vost  said,  he  thought  there  was  no  being  the  day  on  which  the  ejection 
danger.  Very  soon  after  he  heard  of  a  member  to  represent  the  city 
that  the  door  had  been  opened,  in  Parliament  took  place.  The 
and  that  the  prisoners  had  been  prisoner  pleaded  not  guilty. 
liberated.  On  learning  this  he  The  right  hon.  William  Allan, 
ordered  one  of  the  officers  to  open  lord  Provost  of  the  cityi  was  the 
the  other  door,  and  when  he  went  first  witness  examined.  His  lord- 
in  to  the  room  he  found  the  upper  ship  stated,  that  he  left  the  council 
part  of  the  lobby  door  broken*  chamber  alone^  immediately  after 
The  crowd  soon  left  the  room,  and  the  election,  which  closed  about 
witness.  Provost  Dods,  Mr.  Kid-  four  o'clock.  There  was  a  great 
dell,  and  other  gentlemen,  went  mob,  which  was  highly  excited, 
along  the  streets,  and  although  and  thickly  assembled  from  the 
the  crowd  was  great,  there  was  no  door  of  the  council  chamber  along 
attempt  at  assault  of  any  kind,  the  streets.  The  people  were  ill« 
The  only  one  of  the  prisoners  wit-  disposed  towards  him,  and  expressed 
ness  spoke  to  was-  Neilson,  he  did  their  disapprobation  by  loud  mur- 
not  see  the  other  two.  murs  and  the  thiowinff  of  various 
Archibald  Todrick,  esq.  Procu«  mi4«Ues,mud)4^  Hi^Iordslupwas 


314         ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


Maybole  and  Girvaii,  saw  him 
putting  the  men  in  order.  Saw 
numbers  uf  porsons  having  pistols 
and  guns,  but  did  not  know  any 
who  had  a  gun,  except  Samuel 
Waugh.  llecollects  a  message 
l)eing  brought  to  the  procession  a 
little  before  they  reached  Girvan, 
''  not  allowing  them  to  come."  They 
sto])ped  a  little,  and  it  was  then 
said  among  them  that  they  would 
go  forward  and  fight  their  way. 
They  were  then  about  a  quarter  of 
a  mile  from  Girvan ;  they  then 
went  on,  getting  the  order  to  ad- 
vance. Did  not  hear  who  gave  the 
order,  but  Ramsay  marched  them; 
and  the  men  mIio  had  arms  were  or- 
dered to  go  to  the  front.  John 
Ramsay  gave  this  order ;  saw  one 
man  who  had  a  pistol  go  from  the 
lodge.  Witness  was  ordered  to  go  in 
front  in  consequence.  Some  of  them 
said  that  John  Riimsay  should  not 
have  taken  the  armed  men  to  the 
front,  but  have  left  them  to  pro- 
tect the  Hags.  All  this  took  place 
before  they  reached  the  Bridge 
Mill-toll.  A  number  of  the  men 
had  sticks.  Witness  was  in  the 
rear  of  the  procession  ;  and  there- 
fore did  not  know  in  what  part  of 
the  procession  Mr.  Ramsay  was. 
More  lodges  than  the  two  which 
had  met  in  Ramsay^s  had  joined  ; 
there  might  be  several  hundreds  of 
the  Orangemen. 

John  Coffin, shoemaker,  Ayr,  was 
engaged  in  the  procession  as  drum- 
mer to  a  lodge  fj*om  Cross-hill  to 
Saltou-bridge.  Marched  for  Girvan 
on  the  morning  of  the  12tli  of  July, 
joined  the  Maybole  lodges  in  May- 
bole,  and  marched  out  in  proces- 
sion. Two  men  with  fowling  pieces 
guarded  the  colours  of  the  lodge  lie 
was  with.  When  the  procession 
reached  Bridge  Mill,  they  were 
formed  four  deep ;  and  shortly 
after  a  message  came  from  Girvau^ 


on  which  they  formed  six  deep. 
Saw  Ramsay  taking  an  active  part 
in  arranging  the  lodges  and  giving 
orders.     When  there   was  a  call 
''forward,   men  with  arms,'*    the 
two  that  were  with  the  colours  ran 
to   the   front.     Did  not  see   any 
armed  men   that  day  except  the 
two  who  were  with  his  lodge,  and 
never  saw  Waugh  have  a  gun  in  his 
hand  that  day.    Before  leaving  the 
Garvald-bridge  grey  paper  was  sent 
for  to  ram  down  the  ammunition 
—there  might  be  sixpenny  worth 
of  it, — and  it  was  distributed  to 
two  or  three  people  about  the  lodge. 
Saw  Ramsay  going  up  and  down 
the  line   of   the   procession,   like 
a   man   taking  a  charge.     Saw  a 
man  named  Farrell,   who  had  his 
hand  hurt  by  an  explosion  of  gun- 
powder.  Heard  a  gun  go  off  when 
near  Girvan,    but  he  left  shortly 
after.     Saw  no  gun   loaded,   nor 
any  bullet  or  slug  put  into  a  gan. 

Heard  Mr.  Ramsay  say  they 
should  keep  themselves  in  fine  re« 
gulation,  and  not  molest  any  per- 
son unless  they  were  themaelTes 
molested.  Ramsay  was  in  front 
when  the  armed  men  were  ordered 
to  the  front.  The  gun  was  fired  a 
short  distance  from  ChvRn,  and 
where  the  road  diverges  to  New 
Dailly.  Heard  no  other  gun  fired* 
Saw  one  of  the  tylers  have  his  lip  cut 
from  the  stones  thrown  by  the  Gir-^ 
vau  people.  The  stones  roll  among 
them  just  like  a  shower  of  hail,  and 
this  throwing  was  before  the  shot 
was  fired.  Had  acted  as  drummer 
to  the  same  lodge  for  eleven  years, 
and  had  been  once  before  at  Girvan 
with  them.  No  shots  were  fired 
on  the  procession  while  he  was 
with  them. 

Gilbert  Gray  went  with  the  spe* 
cial  constables  out  of  Girvan  to 
meet  the  procession,  whicli  they 
met  at  the  separation  of  the  roads* 


LAW    CASES,    &c. 


315 


Saw  both  the  prisoners  there.  Mr. 
Ramsay  came  forward  and  spoke  to 
the  constables^  and  while  in  con- 
versation a  number  of  stones  were 
thrown  from  the  Girvan  side : 
stones  were  thrown  back  again 
from  the  Orange  party.  The 
Orangemen  were  then  ordered  by 
some  person  whom  he  did  not  know 
to  go  forward;  Ramsay  was  the 
person  who  seemed  to  speak  for  the 
party.  A  little  after  a  shot  was 
fired,  as  if  in  consequence  of  an 
order.  Saw  the  shot  fired  by 
Waugh,  and  immediately  after 
saw  Ross  lean  forward  and  fall. 
That  was  the  only  shot  which  was 
fired  at  that  time. 

James  M^Lure,  was  a  special 
constable  of  Girvan,  and  went 
out  on  the  12th  July  to  the 
sheddings  of  the  road  to  Dailly, 
where  they  were  ordered  to  stop  : 
the  procession  was  coming  right 
on,  but  stopped,  when  James  Hen- 
derson had  some  conversation  with 
Ramsay.  Heard  Henderson  say 
he  would  conduct  the  men  by  the 
back  road,  and  heard  some  one  say 
they  were  to  lower  their  colours. 
The  colours  were  not  lowered,  nor 
did  the  procession  go  up  the  back 
road.  Ramsay  was  in  nront^  and 
witness  was  at  the  turn.  The 
first  stone  witness  saw  was  thrown 
among  the  Orangemen.  A  show- 
er of  stones  was  thrown  by  the 
Orange  party  among  the  consta- 
bles, and  stones  were  thrown  in 
return  from  parties  in  the  fields, 
but  the  constables  were  on  the  road. 
A  scufHe  took  place  on  the  stones 
being  thrown ;  a  man  was  struck 
with  a  stone  beside  Ramsay,  who 
called  out  *'fire."  A  shot  in  con- 
sequence went  off.  Did  not  see 
who  fired  the  shot ;  immediately 
thereafter  he  observed  Ross  put  his 
hand  to  the  lower  part  of  his  belly 
and  say,  ^^  My  God,  I  am  shot," 


and  fall  forward.  It  was  not  the 
man  that  was  struck  who  fired. 
Was  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  road 
from  Ross  wnen  he  was  struck. 
The  guns  were  not  immediately  in 
front,  but  there  were  a  number  of 
swords ;  Ramsay  had  a  sword  or  a 
staff.  It  was  the  first  shot  fired 
that  killed  Ross.  The  Girvan 
people  had  no  fire-arms.  Ross, 
when  he  was  struck,  was  doing 
nothing  violent  against  any  person. 
He  was  merely  endeavouring  to 
put  back  the  crowd. 

James  Farrell,  weaver  at  Cross- 
hill,  went  with  the  procession 
from  Maybole.  As  they  approach- 
ed Girvan,  they  saw  a  mob  of 
people  before  them,  who  threw 
stones.  Immediately  after  the 
stones  were  thrown  he  heard  the 
word  "fire"  given  by  more  than 
two  or  three  people.  Observed 
Waugh  step  to  the  front,  level  his 
piece  towards  the  crowd  and  fire. 
Saw  a  man  instantly  fall,  but  whe- 
ther from  the  effect  of  that  ahot  he 
could  not  say,  because  more  men 
fired.  It  was  not  more  than  a  se** 
cond  after  Waugh  fired,  that  he  saw 
Ross  fall.  Immediately  after 
Waugh  fired,  saw  him  struck 
with  a  stone  and  blood  on  his 
cheek ;  did  not  see  him  struck  be- 
fore he  fired,  nor  anybody  med- 
dling with  him,  only  the  stones 
flying  very  thick.  After  the  man 
felt,  the  Girvan  people  gave  way, 
and  the  Orange-men  went  into  the 
town. 

Several  other  witnesses  corrobo- 
rated these  statements. 

James  Henderson,  was  one  of 
the  councillors  of  Girvan  in  July 
last.  Was  a  little  alarmed  about 
the  procession. — There  were  some 
special  constables  sworn  in.  There 
were  no  arms  given  to  any  of  the 
Girvan  people.  Saw  none  of  them 
with  arms.     Some  of  the  special 


316       ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


constables  went  out  when  the  pro- 
cession was  near  the  town.  Witness 
followed  and  came  up  witli  them. 
Does  not  know  that  they  were  di- 
rected to  go  out.  Met  the  people  in 
procession.  Witness  went  forward 
and  conversed  with  some  of  the 
parties  in  the  procession  on  the 
impropriety  of  their  coming  into 
town  auring  the  present  agitation. 
Spoke  to  those  who  seemed  to  be  the 
leaders.  Ramsay  the  prisoner  was 
one  of  them,  and  his  conversation 
was  chiefly  directed  to  him.  Told 
liim,  that  the  sheriff  and  magis- 
trates would  take  it  as  a  favour^  if 
they  would  go  round  by  a  back 
way,  which  witness  pointed  out. 
The  answer  was,  that  they  were 
willing  to  go  any  road  he  directed, 
so  that  they  met  their  friends. 
Witness  told  them,  he  observed 
they  had  arms  in  their  hands, 
which,  the  sheriff  had  said,  was 
illegal.  Ramsay  said,  they  would 
deliver  up  their  arms ;  but  some 
parties  behind  him  cried  out  *'No!" 
and  to  "  push  forward."  Ramsay 
remonstrated  with  those  men,  and 
they  stood  still  a  little.  They 
then  all  proceeded  forward  towards 
the  town  by  the  back  road — the 
road  to  Dailly.  Witness  was  in 
front  of  the  procession,  and  his 
back  was  at  that  time  towards  it. 
He  heard  a  noise  behind  him,  and 
turning  round,  saw  stones  flying 
between  the  parties  on  both  sides. 
Turned  back  with  his  hat  in  his 
hand,  and  waived  to  the  constables 
to  drive  the  Girvan  people  back  ; 
and  turning  round  to  speak  to  the 
procession,  saw  a  gun  presented. 
Looked  round  to  see  if  it  was  aim- 
ed at  any  person ;  but  before  he 
could  do  so,  the  shot  went  off, 
and  Alexander  Ross  fell.  Waugh 
fired  the  gun.  Did  not  hear  any 
order  given  to  fire  at  that  time. 
Did  not  observe  where  R^say  was 


at  the  time.  The  Girvan  consta« 
bles  were  armed  with  batons. 
Did  not  see  any  of  them  at  first 
with  cither  fire-arms  or  swords. 
Witnesses  conversation  was  chiefly 
M'ith  Ramsay,  who  behaved  as  if 
he  was  the  leader.  The  Orange- 
men seemed  to  respect  him  as  such. 

Did  not  think  he  was  disposed 
to  excite  the  Orangemen,  but  ra- 
ther to  restrain  them.  He  readily 
went  into  the  proposal  of  going  by 
a  back  road. 

The  jury  returned  a  verdict, 
finding  by  a  plurality,  Waugh 
guilty  of  murder,  and,  unanimous* 
ly,  the  libel  not  proven  against 
Ramsay. 

Waugh  was  sentenced  to  be  ex- 
ecuted at  Ayr  on  the  19th  of  Jan- 
uary. 

Old  Bailey  Sessions, 
December  1. 

Murder  for  the  purpose  of  seUing 
the  Bodies  for  Dissection^ 

John  Bishop,  Thomas  Williams, 
and  James  May,  were  indicted  for 
the  murder  of  Charles  Ferrair, 
otherwise  called  Carlo  Ferrair,  on 
the  4th  of  November.  Another 
account  charged  them  with  the 
murder  of  a  male  person,  name 
unknown.  The  deceased  was  an 
Italian  boy.  The  prisoners,  at 
least  two  of  them,  were  resurrec- 
tion-men, and  were  understood  to 
have  committed  the  murder  for 
the  purpose  of  procuring  a  body 
to  sell  for  dissection. 

AVilliam  Hill  stated,  that  he  was 
a  porter  at  the  dissecting-room  of 
King's  College.  On  the  5th  of 
November  last,  the  bell  of  the  gate 
was  rung  at  about  a  quarter  past 
twelve  o'clock  ;  found  Bishop  and 
May  at  the  gate ;  had  known  them 
before.  When  witness  opened  the 
door>  May  asked  him  if  he  vantect 


LAW    CASES,    &c. 


SIT* 


anything ;  witness  said^  not  parti- 
cularly. Asked  him  what  he  had 
got ;  he  said  a  male  subject.  Wit- 
ness asked  of  what  size^  and  what 
price;  he  said  it  was  a  boy  of  four- 
teen, and  that  he  wanted  twelve 
guineas  for  it.  Witness  said,  he 
did  not  want  it  much,  but  he  would 
see  Mr.  Partridge,  the  demonstra- 
tor, who  came  down  to  see  the  body. 
Witness  took  them  to  aroom,  where 
Mr.  Partridge  joined  them.  They 
did  not  then  produce  any  body. 
There  was  a  difference  at  first 
about  the  price,  but  witness  after- 
wards agreed  with  them.  May 
said  they  should  have  it  for  ten 
guineas.  Mr.  Partridge  then  left 
witness  alone  with  them.  Wit- 
ness went  to  Mr.  Partridge  to 
know  whether  he  would  decide 
upon  having  it.  When  witness 
returned,  he  told  them  that  Mr. 
Partridge  would  give  them  nine 
guineas  for  it.  May  said,  he  would 
be  d— d  if  it  should  come  in  for 
less  than  ten ;  he  was  tipsy  at  the 
time.  May  went  outside  the  door. 
Bishop  then  said  to  witness,  "Never 
mind  May,  heisdrunk,  it  shall  come 
in  for  nine,  in  half  an  hour."  May 
wasnear  enough  to  hear  him.  They 
then  went  away,  and  returned  in 
the  afternoon,  all  three  together, 
with  a  porter  named  Shields.  When 
witness  then  saw  them,  the  hamper' 
was  on  the  head  of  the  porter.  They 
were  received  in  a  room,  and  May 
and  Bishop  took  the  hamper  into 
another  room,  where  they  opened 
it ;  the  body  was  in  a  sack  ;  May 
and  Bishop  said,  it  was  a  very  fresh 
one ;  May  was  tipsy,  and  turned 
the  body  carelessly  from  the  sack ; 
saw  that  the  body  was  fresh  ;  but 
saw  something  else  about  it  which 
induced  him  to  go  to  Mr.  Par- 
tridge; he  asked  them  what  the 
body  had  died  of?  May  said  it  was 
no  business  of  theirs  or  of  wit- 


ness's. It  was  not  in  such  a  form 
as  bodies  usually  are  when  taken 
from  a  coffin ;  the  left  arm  was 
bent,  and  the  fingers  were  clenched ; 
witness  told  Mr.  Partridge  what 
he  had  seen,  and  what  he  thought; 
Mr.  Partridge  returned  and  saw 
the  body,  without  seeing  them ;  he 
examined  the  body  and  went  to 
the  secretary.  He  returned  to 
May  and  Bishop,  and  shewed  them 
a  50/.  note,  telling  them  that  he 
must  get  that  changed,  and  he 
would  pay  them.  Bishop,  seeing 
that  Mr.  Partridge  had  some  gold 
in  his  purse,  said,  *'  Give  me  what 
money  you  have  in  your  purse, 
and  I  will  call  for  the  rest  on  Mon- 
day." May  also  offered  to  get 
change  for  it,  but  Mr.  Partridge 
declined  that  and  lelt  them.  He 
returned  in  about  a  quarter  of  an 
hour  or  twenty  minutes.  The  men 
remained.  In  the  interim,  a  body 
of  police  had  been  sent  for,  who 
now  apprehended  them.  When 
witness  was  leaving  the  room. 
Bishop  said  to  him  privately  "  Pay 
me  in  presence  of  Williams  only 
eight  guineas,  and  give  me  pri- 
vately the  other  guinea,  and  I  will 
give  you  half-a-crown."  The  body- 
was  taken  to  the  Police-ofiGlce  by 
Mr.  Thomas;  it  had  not  been  laid 
out ;  there  was  no  saw-dust  on 
the  back  of  the  head. 

Mr.  Richard  Partridge,  demon- 
strator of  anatomy  at  the  King's- 
coUege,  was  there  on  Saturday, 
the  5th  of  November.  His  atten- 
tion was  first  called  to  the  body  by 
Hill.  Examined  the  external  ap- 
pearance of  the  body,  and  found 
some  marks  and  circumstances  of 
suspicion.  These  were  the  swollen 
state  of  the  jaw — the  blood-shot 
eyes — the  freshness  of  the  body — 
rigidity  of  the  limbs.  There  was 
likewise  a  cut  over  the  left  temple. 
Looked  at  the  lips,    which  were 


318        ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


swollen.    Noticed  nothing  else  in 
the  apjiearance  of  the  boily.     Wit* 
ness  went  to  tlie  police  before  the 
50/.  note  was  jMrotluced.     On  hia 
return,  witness  showed  May  and 
Hishop  a  note,  at  the  bottom  of 
the  stairs  leading  to  th«  anatomi- 
cal part  of  the  college.     Pn)posc<l 
that  change  should  be  got  of  the 
r>()/.  note,  with  a  view  to  detain 
them  till  the  police  came.     Saw 
the  body  afterwards,  when  in  the 
custody  of  Mr.  Thomas,  in  com- 
^mny  with  Mr.  Beaman  and  other 
gentlemen.      The   muscles    were 
then  rigid.     The  wound  on    the 
temple  was  superficial,  and  did  not 
injure  the  bone.     That  was    the 
only  appearance    of   external   in- 
jury; at  least  there  was  no  other 
external  mark.     Between  the  scalp 
and  the  bone  there  was  some  blood 
congealed.     On  opening  the  botly, 
the  whole  of  the  contents  of  the 
chest    and    abdomen    were    in    a 
healthy  condition.     Did  not  know 
what   were  the    contents   of  the 
stomach,  which  was  filled.     The 
spinal  part  of  the  brain  at  the  back 
of  the  head,  and  the  whole  brain 
was  also  examined  ;  the  brain  was 
j)erfectly  healthy,  as  fur  back  as 
the  spiue  5  in  cutting  through  the 
skin  and  muscles  of  the  neck,  there 
was  discovered  a  great  deal  of  co- 
agulated blood,  and  upon  removing 
the  back  part  of  the  bony  canal 
which  concludes  the  spiue  of  the 
back,  a  quantity  of  congealed  bloo<l 
was  also  found  in  that;  that  \vas 
opposite  the  place  where  the  blood 
liad  been  found  in  the  muscles  of 
the   neck;    congealed    blood   was 
also  found  in  the  rest  of  the  spine  ; 
the    spinal  marrow    or   cord  ap- 
peared perfectly  healthy ;  thought 
that  those  marks  of  violence  were 
sufficient  to  have    caused   death  ; 
\ioleuce  hud    been  exerted  which- 
had  affected  the  spinal  cord.     Be- 


lieved that  those  appearances  had 
been  caused  by  some  violence 
on  the  back  of  the  neck.  Believed 
that  a  blow  from  a  stick  would 
have  ])roduccd  similar  effects.  Could 
not  say  whether  that  would  pro- 
duce instant  death,  but  it  certainly 
would  have  produced  a  rapid  one. 
Cro88-examine<l. — Saw  nothing 
the  external  appearance  that 


in 


indicate<l  a  violent  death. 

Mr.  O.  Beaman,  surgeon,  of 
James-street,  Coven t-sarden,  first 
saw  the  body  on  the  5tIiof  Novem- 
ber, at  twelve  o'clock  at  nigiit. 
Examine<l  it  carefully.  It  ap- 
l>earcd  to  have  dieil  very  recently. 
The  weather  was  then  favourable 
to  the  preservation  of  bodies.  In 
his  judgment  the  body  bad  not 
been  dead  more  than  thirty-six 
liours.  The  face  appeared  swollen  ; 
the  eyes  full,  prominent,  and  blood- 
shot ;  the  tongue  swollen,  and  pro« 
trudcd  between  the  lips ;  the  teeth 
had  all  been  extracted ;  the  gums 
bruised  and  bloody,  and  portions  of 
the  jaws  had  been  broken  out  with 
the  teeth.  There  were  also  ap<« 
pcarances  of  blood  havinff  issued 
from  the  gums.  ThougTit  that 
the  teeth  must  have  been  taken 
out  within  two  or  three  hours  after 
death.  Examined  the  throat,  neck, 
and  chest  very  particularly  ;  no 
marks  of  violence  externajly  ap- 
parent there.  Saw  a  cut  on  the 
forehead ;  it  was  a  wound  over  the 
left  eyebrow,  about  three  quarters 
of  an  inch  long,  throui^h  the  skin 
to  the  bone.  Pressed  the  part,  and 
a  small  quantity  of  blood  oozed 
from  the  wound.  Blood  might 
have  issued  from  the  wound  if  the 
latter  had  l)een  caused  by  throw- 
ing the  body  out  of  a  sack  after 
death.  It  was  serum,  tinged  with 
blood.  Saw  the  Ixxly  again  at  two 
o'chtck  on  the  Sunday  afternoon. 
The  limbs  were  decidedly  stiff  on 


LAW    C  A  S  E  S,    &c. 


819 


the   Saturday  nighty  but  not  so 
stiff  on  the  Sunday ;  should  think 
tliat  it  had  not  been  laid  out     It 
was  lying  on  a  board  irregularly 
placed  when  witness  first  saw  it  iu 
Covent  Garden  church-yard,  near 
the  station-house.  Soon  after  eight 
on  that  evening,  witness,  with  Mr. 
Partridge    and   other  gentlemen, 
further  examined  it.     He  cleansed 
with  a  sponge  the  neck  and  cheat ; 
found  no  scratch  or  any  other  mark 
of  violence  there.     He  then  re- 
moved the  scalp,  with  the  top  of 
the  skull.     They  detected  a  patch 
of  blood,  of  the  size  of  a  crown- 
piece.     Th  is  appearance  must  have 
been  caused  by  a  blow  given  dur- 
ing life.     The  brain  was  next  ex- 
amined,   and  its   appearance  was 
perfectly  healthy ;   the  body  was 
then  turned,  for  the  purpose  of  ex- 
amining the  spinal  marrow,  and 
on    removing  the  skin  from    the 
back  part  of  the  neck,  a  consider- 
able quantity  of  coagulated  blood 
(witness    thought    at    least    four 
ounces)  was  found  among  the  mus- 
cles ;  that  blood  must  have  been  ef- 
fused while  the  subject  was  alive. 
On  removing  a  portion  of  the  spine 
to  examine  the  spinal  marrow,  a 
quantity  of  coagulated  blood  was 
lying  in  the  canal,  which,  by  pres- 
sure in  the  spinal  maiTow,  must 
have   caused    death.     There   was 
no   injury   to    the    bone    of    the 
spine.    All  these  appearances,  and 
dentil,    would  have   followed  the 
blow  of  an  obtuse  instrument  of 
any   kind.     The    chest    and    the 
cavity   were   minutely  examined. 
There  was  about  an  ounce  of  blood 
in  the  spinal  canal.     The  heart  was 
empty,  which  is  very  unusual,  and 
denoted  sudden  death ;  that  is,  death 
nearly  instantaneous  —  in  two  or. 
three  minutes,  and  not  longer,  Thav 
stomach  contained  a  tolerably  full 
meal,  which  smelt  slightly  of  rum. 


and  digestion  had  been  going  on  Ht 
the  time  of  death.  Should  think  that 
death  occurred  about  three  hours 
after  the  meal,  from  the  appear* 
ances.  Removed  the  stomach.  Tlie 
centre  of  the  stomach  appeared 
perfectly  healthy.  Ascribed  the 
death  of  the  boy  to  a  blow  on  the 
back  of  the  neck  i  this  was  the 
result  of  the  whole  of  his  examin-^ 
ation,  and  was  verified  by  precisely 
the  same  appearances  as  witness 
had  seen  on  animals. 

Frederick  Tyrell,  esq.,  one  of  the 
surgeons  of  St.  Thomas's  Hospital, 
confirmed  the  opinion  of  Mr.  Bea- 
man;  he  said  he  had  never  seen 
any  case  of  serous  apoplexy  with- 
out marks  on  the  brain. 

By  the  Court. — Tlie  appearance 
described  in  the  present  case  could 
only  have  been  produced  by  vio- 
lence. 

John  Earl  Rogers,  an  inspector 
of  police,  stated  that,  on  the  5th  of 
November  last,  he  received  a  body 
from  the  witness  Hill,  and  gave  it 
into  the  custody  of  Mr.  Thomas, 
Had  also  the  hamper,  which  he 
delivered  to  Mr.  Thomas. 

Joseph  Sadler  Thomas,  superin* 
tendant  of  police -^On  the  5th  of 
November  received  information  at 
the  station-house,  which  inducted 
him  to  dispatch  a  P&f  ty  of  police  to 
the  King's  college.  They  brought 
back  with  them  Bishop  and  Shields, 
and  afterwards  May  and  Williams. 
Shields  has  been  discharged.  When 
the  body  was  in  the  hamper,  witness 
asked  May  what  he  had  to  say>  as 
he  was  charged  on  suspicion  of 
having  improper  possession  of  a 
subject.  He  said  that  he  had  no- 
thing at  all  to  do  with  it.  It  was 
the  property  of  Bishop,  whom  he 
merely  accompanied  to  get  the 
money.  Bishop  said  that  it  was 
his,  and  that  he  was  merely  taking 
it  from  St.  Thomas's  Hospital  to 


320      ANNUAL   REGISTER,   1831. 


King's  College.    Asked  Bishop^  in 
the  lirst  instance^  what  he  was; 

he  replied  that  he  was  *'  a 

body-snatcher."  Williams  said,  he 
knew  nothing  of  it,  but  merely 
went  to  see  the  King's  College. 
Bishop  and  May  api)eared  in  liquor. 
May  was  brought  in  by  all-fours, 
struggling  violently.  The  body 
was  placed  on  the  table.  It  ap- 
peared to  have  died  recently  ; 
blood  was  trickling  from  the 
mouth,  and  the  teeth  were  gone. 
Went  to  the  house  of  Mr.  .Mills 
in  Newington -causeway,  on  the 
following  Tuesday ;  received  from 
him  twelve  teeth.  (Witness  here 
produced  the  teeth  in  a  pasteboard 
box.)  Went  before  that  to  Nova 
Scotia  Gardens.  Found  in  the 
back  room  of  the  ground-floor  a 
trunk.  Went  again  on  the  20tli, 
and  made  further  examinations. 
Found  in  the  front  parlour  a  hairy 
cap  covered  with  dirty  linen,  not 
apparently  by  design.  Took  |)os- 
session  of  the  cap,  the  hamper,  and 
the  sack.  (All  these  articles  were 
produced.  The  hamper  appeared 
not  more  than  three  feet  long  by 
two  broad  and  two  deep.) 

Henry  Lock,  waiter  at  the  For- 
tune of  War  public-house,  in  Gilt- 
spur-street,  knew  the  prisoners. 
Saw  the  prisoners  there  on  the 
Friday,  with  a  man  who  was  a 
stranger  to  witness.  They  stayed 
till  twelve  o'clock,  and  then  went 
away.  The  prisoners  returned 
about  three  o'clock,  without  the 
strange  man.  They  then  stayed 
till  about  five  o'clock,  and  went 
away  again  till  about  eight  o'clock 
on  the  same  evening,  with  another 
man,  who  appeared  to  be  a  coach- 
man. The  latter  had  something 
to  drink,  and  left  them.  They 
were  until  nine  o'clock  in  the  tap- 
room ;  before  the  coachman  left, 
one  of  the  prisoners  said,  he  had 


had  a  ride  \  at  nine  o'clock  May 
went  to  the  bar,  and  had  some- 
thing in  a  silk  handkerchief,  which 
M'ituess  aftenvards  saw  to  be  teeth; 
May  found  water  on  the  outside  of 
the  handkerchief,  and  rubbed  the 
handkerchief  together;  they  looked 
like  young  teeth,  and  witness  said 
that  thev  were  worth  a  few  shil- 
lings, w^en  May  said,  that   they 
were  worth  two  pounds  to  him ; 
they  all  left  together  a  short  time 
afterwards:  on  the  next  eveninf 
he    saw   Bishop,    Williams^    and 
Shields,  at  about  eight  o'clock; 
Bishop  asked  Williams  what  they 
should  do  for  a  hamper,  and  asked 
Shields   to    go    and    fetch    one; 
Shields  refused,  and  Bishop  then 
went  and  got  one  himself. 

Thomas  Wigley — Was  at  the 
public-house  at  about  half-past 
seven  o*clock  on  the  4th  of  NoFem- 
ber. — Bishop  and  May  came  in  and 
sat  down  opposite  each  other. 
They  entered  into  conversation 
together. — Bishop  said  to  May, 
"  What  do  you  think  of  our  new 
one  }  Did  he  not  go  up  to  him 
well  ?  Was'iit  he  a  game  'un  ?  '* 
May  replied,  '<  I  don't  know  what 
you  mean."  Bishop  rejoined, 
"That's  all  right  then."  They 
saw  witness  there  in  the  corner  at 
that  time. — ^May  sat  down,  and 
had  a  handkerchief  rubbing  in  his 
hand.  Williams  came  in,  and 
Bishop  said,  ^^  There  he  is ;  I 
knew  he  would  come ;  I  kne'w  he 
was  a  game  'un.*'  Bishop  seemed 
to  have  been  drinking.  Bishop 
and  Williams  went  out  first.  Just 
after  Bishop  came  in,  he  said  to 
May,  just  before  May  went  out  for 
the  handkerchief,  '^  You  stick  to 
me,  and  I'll  stick  to  you." 

James  Seagrave,  the  driver  of  a 
cabriolet,  stated,  that  on  the  even- 
ing of  the  4th,  he  was  on  the 
stand  in  the  Old  Bailey  ^  had  pot 


LAW   CASES,    &c.  321 

his  horses'  nose-bags  on^  and  had    with  tea  at  about  ^ve  o*cIock.  Saw 
gone  to  the  watering-house  to  get    Seagrave  there ;  May  and  Bishop 
his   own   tea.     May  and  Bishop    had  half  a  pint  of  gb.     Saw.  May 
came  in  at  the  time.    May  asked     put  some  gin   into  Bishop's  tea. 
if  he  wanted  a  job^  and  said  that     He  said,  ''Are  you  going  to  hocus 
he  wanted  a  cab.  He  led  witness  by     (or   Burke)  me?'*     Had  known 
the  skirt  of  his  coat  to  the  side  of    May  and  Bishop  before, 
the  cart.   May  said^  that  he  wanted        Henry  Mann^  a  hackney-ooach- 
witness  to  fetch  a  stiff  'un>  which     man. — Was,  on  the  4th^  on  the 
witness  believes  meant  a  dead  body,     stand  in  Bridge-street^  Blackfriars. 
Witness   asked    what    he    would     Knew  May,  before  then.    Saw  him 
stand  ?     He  replied^  "  A  guinea.'-     that  night  with  a  stranger  to  wit- 
Told  him  that  he  had  not  finished     ness.     May  asked  witness  if  he 
his  tea^  and  the  horse   had  not    would  take  a  fare  to    Bethnal- 
eaten  his  corn.     May  then  said,    green?     Witness  replied  that  he 
"  We    will    take    tea    together."    M'^ould  not,  because  he  knew  what 
Bishop  then  joined  them,  and  they    JVi^y  was. 

went  into  the  house  to  tea.    A        George  Hissing,  a  boy  of  about 
person  in  the  room  nudged  witness's    twelve  years  old,  deposed  that  his 
elbow,  and  told  him  that  he  must     father  kept  the  Crab- tree  public- 
mind  what  he  was  at,  as  they  were    house,  in  the  Hackney-road.     Saw 
snatchers.     Went  out  afterwards    on  the  Friday  a  chariot  draw  up 
and  drove  to  the  bottom  of  the    opposite  his  father's  house,  which 
rank  to  get  out  of  their  way  5    is  near  the  Nova  Scotia  Gardens. 
looked  round  and  saw  May  and    Saw  Williams  standing  on  the  fore- 
Bishop    going    up    the    rank    of   wheel  of  the  chariot,  talking  with 
coaches.      Left  them   apparently    the  coachman.    The  chariot  re- 
bargaining  with  a  coachman.  mained  ten  or  fifteen  minutes.  Saw 
Thomas  Taverner,  waterman  to    Williams  at  that  time  coming  from 
the  coach -stand,  saw  on  the  above    Nova  Scotia  Gardens,  in  which  di« 
dayMayandBishopwhocametohira    rection  he  had  gone.     He  got  into 
on  the  stand,  and  asked  where  the    the  chariot.     Witness  saw  a  man, 
cab-man  was,  meaning  Seagrave.    whom  he  did  not  know,   helping 
May  asked  the  question,  and  wit-    Bishop,  whom  he  did  know,  in  car- 
ness  told  him  that  he  was  getting    rying  a  heavy  .sack.     It  was  put  by 
his  tea.      Fetched  out  Seagrave    Bishop,    Williams,    and   another 
from   the   watering-house.     Both    man,  into  the  chariot.    Bishop  and 
the  prisoners  had  smock-frocks  on.    the  other  man  then  got  in,  and  the 
It  was  just  dark  in  the  evening,    chariot  drove  up  towards  Crab-tree 
Seagrave  came  out  and  spoke  to    row,  and  Shor^itch  Church. 
them,  but  witness  did  not  know         Thomas  Trainer  corroborated 
what  it  was.     Seagrave,  however,    the  last  witness, 
said,  "  I'll  have  nothing  at  all  to        Ann  Channell  was  passing  the 
do  with  you,**  and  went  in  to  get    Crab-tree  on  the  above  night.  Saw 
his  tea.                                              three  men  get  out  of  the  chariot. 
Edward  Chandler. — Was,  on  the    They  went    down    Nova    Scotia 
4th  of  November  last,  waiter  at    Gardens.     One  stopped  and  spoke 
the  King  of  Denmark,  in  the  Old-    to  the  coachman,   and  then  ran 
Bailey,  which    is  the  watering-   after  the  others.  Did  not  see  them 
house.     Served  Bishop  and  May   afterwards.    The  first    two   had 
Vol.  LXXIII.  Y 


322 


ANNUAL  REGISTER,  1831. 


smock-frocks  on,  and  the  other  had 
a  pipe  in  his  mouth. 

Thomas  Davis,  porter  to  the 
dissecting-room  in  Guy's  Hopital, 
saw  May  and  Bishop  at  about 
seven  o'clock  on  the  Friday  even- 
ing ;  May  brought  in  a  sack^  and 
asked  him  if  he  wanted  to  pur- 
chase a  subject.  Witness  replied 
that  he  did  not,  and  they  then 
asked  him  to  let  it  remain  tiH  next 
morning.  It  was,  consequently, 
locked  up  there  during  the  night. 
Saw  them  the  next  morning  in  the 
hospital,  at  about  eleven  o'clock. 
Left  the  hospital  and  found  on  his 
return  the  sack  wliich  appeared  to 
contain  a  dead  body.  Saw  a  por- 
tion of  a  small  foot  protruaing 
through  a  hole  in  the  sack ;  it  ap- 
peared like  that  of  a  youth  or  a 
woman.  It  did  not  appear  lar^e 
enough  for  a  man's  foot.  Could 
not  swear  to  the  sack  produced. 
It  was  such  a  one. 

James  Weeks,  assistant  to  the 
last  witness,  deposed  to  having 
given  up  the  sack  to  them  —  the 
sack  was  very  like  the  one  pro- 
duced ;  when  they  took  it  away 
Williams  and  Shields  were  with 
May  and  Bishop  ;  May  and 
Bishop  had  each  requested  him 
not  to  allow  either  of  them  to  have 
it  without  the  other ;  they  took  it 
away  in  a  hamper  similar  to  that 
produced. 

James  Appleton,  curator  of 
Mr.  Grainger's  anatomical  theatre, 
W^ebb-street,  Southwark>  knew  all 
the  prisoners,  and  saw  Bishop  and 
May  at  the  theatre  on  the  I^iday 
night  about  half  past  seven  o'clock. 
They  said  that  they  had  a  yery 
fresh  male  subject,  a  boy  about 
fourteen  years  of  age.  Witness 
declined  purchasing  it.  They 
came  on  the  next  morning,  about 
eleven,  and  made  the  same  offer, 
which  was  again  declined. 


Thomas  Mills,  dentist,  of  32, 
Bridgehouse  -  place,  Newington  • 
causeway,  deposed :  on  the  5th  of 
November,  May  called  on  him 
about  nine  in  the  morning,  and  of- 
fered twelve  human  teeth,  liz 
from  the  upper,  and  six  from  the 
lower  jaw.  He  asked  m  guinea  fiir 
the  set.  Witness  said,  that  one  of 
them  was  chipped,  and  did  not  be* 
long  to  the  same  set.  He  replied, 
''Upon  my  soul  to  God  theraU 
belonged  to  the  same  head  notioog 
since,  and  the  body  was  nerer 
buried."  Afterwards  disoofered 
that  some  of  the  flesh  and  pieces 
of  the  jaw  adhered  to  the  teeth, 
and  it  appeared  that  mudi  fbra 
had  been  used  to  wrench  them  out 
Witness  said,  that  they  wen  a 
young  set.  He  replied,  "The  fiurtiiy 
that  they  belongied  to  a  boy  about 
fourteen  or  fifteen  years  of  age.** 

Augustus  Brunn  examined, 
through  the  medium  of  an  inter* 
preter.  I  knew  a  boy  named  Cerio 
Ferrier,  and  brought  him  firora 
Italy  two  years  ago;  he  was  about 
fourteen  years  old,  and  lived  with 
me  about  six  weeks  after  he  caide 
here.  The  28th  of  July,  1830^ 
was  the  last  time  I  saw  the  boy 
aliye.  He  then  liyed  at  Mr.  EU 
liot*s.  No.  2,  Charles-street,  Dmry- 
lane.— On  the  19th  of  Noyemberi 
I  saw  the  body  of  the  boy  in  St» 
Paul's  burial  ground,  Coyent-gar« 
den,  and  I  belieye  it  to  be  the  body 
of  that  boy ;  the  sise  and  the  hair 
were  similar,  but  the  face  was  die« 
figured. 

Cross-examined.— If  I  had  known 
nothing  about  this  occuirence,  aod 
had  seen  the  body,  I  should  be  of 
opinion  he  was  '^my  own."** 

By  Mr.  Justice  Littledale He 

was  in  his  fifteenth  year.  I  have 
not  seen  him  for  fifteen  montlui. 
He  might  haye  grown  a  little  ia 
that  time  but  not  much. 


L  A  W   C  A  S  E  S,    &c.  323 

By  Mr.  Curwood— At  first  eighty  patch   on  the  left  knee  of  the 

if  anybody  had  asked  me  who  the  latter. 

body  was^  the  face  was  so  dis-  (The  trowsers  which  had  been 

figured  I  could  not  tell.  Jag  up  in  Bishop*s  garden,  were 

Joseph  Peraguari  sworn.-i-I  get  here  produced.) 
a  living  by  playing  an  organ  and  The  witness  eicaminedtheni^  and 
pipes  in  the  street.  I  knew  Carlo  stated^  he  believed  them  to  be  the 
Ferrier^  and  used  to  see  him  every  same  as  those  the  deceased  had 
day  in  Charles-street,  Drury-lane.  worn^  and  he  pointed  *  out  the 
His  sister  lived  in  Scotland,  and  patch  on  the  knee  of  them. 
died  there.  He  came  to  London  John  King,  a  boy,  sworn.— I  live 
on  the  22nd  of  May,  1S30,  and  I  at  No.  S,  Crab*tree»road,  nlrar  No- 
have  known  him  all  that  time.  I  va  Scotia  Gardens.  I  remember 
last  saw  him  alive  in  the  Quad-  one  day  when  my  mother  washed, 
rant.  Regent-street,  at  two  o'clock  seeing  a  boy  near  Nova  Scotia 
on  a  Saturday,  four  weeks  before  I  Gardens.  I  believe  it  was  the 
saw  his  body  at  the  Station-house.  Thursday  befi^re  GayFawkes'sday. 
When  I  saw  him  in  the  Quadrant,  I  was  looking  out  of  the  window, 
he  had  a  little  cage  round  his  neck,  and  the  boy  had  something,  but 
with  two  white  mice  in  it.  He  my  mother  would  not  let  me  go  to 
was  in  the  habit  of  wearing  a  cap,  see  what  it  was.  I  believe  it  was 
but  I  cannot  say  whether  it  was  of  a  little  cage  that  he  had,  and  it 
cloth,  leather,  or  skin.  The  leather  was  slung  from  his  neck  by  a 
shade  of  the  cap  produced  was  of  string.  He  was  standing  still, 
foreign  manufacture.  He  had  a  brown  cap,  with  the  leaf 

Mary  Peraguari,  wife  of   the  or  shade  lined  with  green,  exactly 

preceding  witness,  stated,  that  on  like  this  cap  (the  one  produced.) 

Tuesday,  November  1,  she  saw  £he  I  was  looking  at  him  for  a  few 

deceased   in    Oxford-street,    near  minutes. 

Hanover-square.     He  had  a  cage  Martha  King,  sister  to  the  last 

like  a  squirrel-cage,  and  two  white  witness,  aged  eleven  years,  saw  the 

mice  in  it.     She  did  not  speak  to  Italian  boy,  as  described  by  her 

him.     He  wore  a  cap,  but  she  brother.    He  was  not  one  minute's 

could  not  tell  what  sort  of  one  it  walk  from  Bishop's  house,  and  she 

was.     She  had  seen  the  body  of  had  never  seen  him  since. 

that  boy  at  the  station-house  in  John  Randall,  a  labourer.*— Hive 

Covent-garden.  near  Nova  Scotia  Gardens.    On 

Andrew  Colla,  bird-cage  maker  Thursday  morning,  November  3, 1 
— I  knew  the  deceased  boy,  by  saw  an  Italian  boy,  about  nine  or 
seeing  him  in  the  streets,  and  ten  o'clock,  near  Nova  Scotia  Gan^ 
saw  him  lately  in  Oxford-street ;  dens.  He  was  standing  under  the 
I  have  seen  the  body  at  the  station-  window  of  the  Bird-cage  public- 
house,  and  believe  it  to  be  the  house,  and  had  a  box  or  cage,  with 
body  of  the  boy  I  have  seen  in  the  two  white  mice.  He  hi^  on  a 
streets.  When  I  saw  him  in  Ox-  blue  coarse  jacket,  and  a  brown  fiir 
ford-street  he  had  white  mice  in  a  cap,  but  I  did  not  notice  hit  trow- 
cage,  and  a  tortoise.  The  cap  pro-  sers.  The  cap  and  jacket  were 
duced  was  similar  to  that  which  similar  to  those  modueed. 
he  wore.  He  also  wore  a  blue  coat  William  Wooacock,  a  boy,  stated 
and  grey  trowsers,  with  a  large  that  be  lived  with  hb  ftither^  at 

Y2 


324        ANNUAL   REGISTER,  1831, 


No.  2,  Nova  Scotia  Gardens,  next 
door  to  Bishop's  house  ;  he  knew 
AVillianis,  and  had  seen  him  there 
ten  times,  and  had  also  seen  Wil- 
liiims's  wife  wasliing  in  Bishop's 
house ;  saw  Williams  there  two  or 
three  days  before  Guy  Fawkes' 
day,  walking  in  the  garden,  smok- 
ing a  pipe. 

Abraham  Kejnner,  landlord  of 
the  Feathers,  Castle-street,  Bcth- 
nal-green  —  On  the  night  of 
Thursday,  the  3rd  of  November, 
Bishop,  and  I  believe  Williams 
also,  came  to  my  house.  It  was 
near  twelve  o'clock.  My  house  is 
about  200  yards  from  Nova  Scotia 
Gardens.  They  had  a  quartern  of 
rum  and  half  a  gallon  of  beer,  and 
I  lent  them  a  can  to  carry  it.  The 
can  produced  was  that  which  he 
lent  them. 

William  AA'^oodcock. — I  went  to 
reside  at  No.  2,  No^-a  Scotia  Gar- 
dens, on  the  1 7th  of  October,  next 
door  to  Bishop.  AVilliams,  I  have 
reason  to  believe,  also  lived  with 
Bishop.  I  lived  in  No.  2,  until 
after  the  ])risoners  were  appre- 
hended. I  know  Williams,  but 
did  not  know  Bishop  until  I  saw 
him  at  Bow-street.  On  Thursday, 
the  3rd  of  November,  I  went  to 
bed  about  half-past  nine  o'clock. 
In  the  course  of  the  night,  proba- 
bly about  four  hours  and  a-half 
after  I  had  gone  to  bed,  I  was 
awakened  by  hearing  footsteps 
which  I  thought  were  at  the  back 
of  my  premises,  but  I  distinctly 
heard  thr«e  men's  footsteps  in  the 
parlour  of  No.  3,  (Bishop's  house.) 
I  remained  in  bed  and  heard  a 
sculHe»  which  lasted  for  one  or  two 
minutes,  at  the  furthest,  and  then 
a^l  was  silent.  The  scuffling  was 
in  the  same  room  in  which  I  heard 
the  footsteps.  Afterwards  I  heard 
Bishop's  Side-door  open,  and  also 
heard  the  footsteps  of  two  men. 


There  is  a  side  door  to  Bisbop's 
house.  The  persons  after  leaving 
Bishop's  house,  I  heard  come  round 
to  the  front,  and  pass  by  my  house. 
After  they  were  gone,  I  heard  the 
footstep  of  one  person  in  the  hou8& 
When  those  two  persons  returned 
to  the  house,  I  distinctly  heard 
the  voices  of  three  persons^  one  of 
which  I  knew  to  be  that  of  Wil« 
Hams.  After  that,  all  became  atfll 
again,  and  I  went  to  rest* 

Cross-examined. — I  believe  the 
wall  between  the  two  houses  is  but 
four  inches  thick.  The  struggle 
that  I  heard  I  considered  at  "Ue 
time  to  be  a  family  quarrel. 

By  Mr.  Justice  Littledale.^— Not 
more  than  a  minute  and  a  half 
elapsed  from  the  time  of  the  two 
men  leaving,  until  their  return. 

Joseph  Higgins,  a  new  pdioe 
constable. — On  the  9th  of  Nofem- 
ber,  in  consequence  of  some  Uh 
structions,  I  went  to  No.  3,  Nova 
Scotia  Gardens ;  and  on  searching 
it  I  found  two  crooked  cUselfl^ 
a  brad-awl  and  a  file.  There  i^ 
peared  to  be  blood  on  the  bract- 
awl,  which  at  that  time  looked 
fresh.  I  searched  May's  premiseSi 
No.  4,  Dorset-street,  New  Kent- 
road  on  the  11th,  and  found  a  pair 
of  breeches,  which  had^  on  the 
back  part,  marks  of  bloody  whidi 
appeared  to  be  fresh.  There  was 
also  a  waistcoat  with  marks  of 
clay  on  it.  On  the  19th  1  went 
again  to  Bishop's  house  with  James 
Wadey. 

Mr.  Mills,  the  dentist,  was  re- 
called, and  examined  by  Chirf 
Justice  Tindal.— -The  teeth  had 
been  forced  out':  I  should  think 
the  brad-awl  now  produced  would 
afford  great  facility  in  forcing  out 
the  teeth. 

The  evidence  of  Higgins  was 
then  continued.— When  we  went 
to  Bishop's  house,  on  the  19tb| 


L  A  W   C  A  S  E  S,  &c.  325 

we  searched  the  garden   behind  amination  Bishop  was  introduced^ 

the    house ;    we    first    attempted  and  after  a  suitable  caution,  made 

it  with  an   iron  rod,   but    find-  a  statement  which  the  coroner  put 

ing  something  impeding  it,  I  de-  down   in   writing.  —  I  also  told 

sired  Wadey  to  dig^  and  a  jacket^  Bishop,  before  he  said  any  thing, 

trowsers,  and  a  small  shirt,  were  that  the  inquiry  might  affect  his 

found ;  that  was  about  five  yards  life.    After  that  he  made  a  volun- 

from  the  back  door.     In  another  tary  declaration. —  (The  witness 

part  we  dug  up  a  blue  coat,  a  pair  here  read  it :  in  it  Bishop  stated 

of  trowsers  with  the  braces  attached  that  he  got  the  body  from  a  grave, 

to  them,  a  striped  waistcoat,  which  and  assigned  aaa  reason  for  not  tell- 

appeared  to  be  a  man's,  and  taken  ing  where  the  grave  was,   that 

in  for  a  boy,  with  marks  of  blood  two  watchmen  who   knew  of  it, 

on  the  collar  and  shoulder,  and  a  had    large   families.) — May    also 

shirt  that  was  torn  up  the  front,  made  a  declaration  :  he  stated  that 

(The  witness  here  produced  all  hehadbeeninto  the  country  whence 

those   things.)     The  clothes   are  he  had  brought  two  subjects  which 

those   which  would  be  useful  to  he  took  to  Mr.  Grainger's^  and 

boys  like  the  deceased.      There  thence   to  Guy*s  Hospital ;  that 

were  ashes  over  the  place  where  he  met  with  Bishop,  who  told  him 

the  clothes  had  been  buried.     '  he  had  got  a  good  subject  which  he 

Edward  Ward,  a  little  boy>  six  was  offered  eight  guineas  for^  and 

and   a  half  years  old,   was  next  if  he.  May,  could  sell  it,  he  should 

examined. —  My    father   lives    in  have  all  above  nine  guineas  for 

Nova  Scotia  Gardens.     I  remem-  himself.    This  he  agreed  to,  and 

ber  last  Guy  Fawkes'  day,  at  which  his    account    of   the    subsequent 

time  I  was  in  the  habit  of  going  transactions  was  similar  to  that 

to  school.     I  remember  my  mother  given  in   the  early  part  of  the 

giving  me  a  half  holiday.     I  went  evidence. 

to  Bishop's  house.      Bishop  has        Mr.  William  Bumaby,  clerk  of 

three  children,  two  of  them  boys.  Bow-street  police  office,  sworn.—- 

On  that  day  I  saw  the  children  in  When  the  brad-awl  was  produced 

the  house,  and  they  showed  me  a  at  Bow -street,  May  said,  '^  That 

cage  with  two  little  white  mice ;  is  the  instrument  with  which   I 

the  cage  turned  round.     I   had  punched  the  teeth  out." 
often  played  with  Bishop's  children        John  Kirkham,  police  constable, 

before,  but  never  saw  them  with  stated,  that  when  the  inquest  was 

a  cage  of  white  mice  before  that.  sitting,  he  had  charge  of  the  pri- 

John  Ward,  an  elder  brother  of  soners  in  the  station-house.     Be- 

the  preceding  witness  stated,  that  hind  where  they  sat,  there  was  a 

what  his  brother  had  just  related  printed  bill  posted,  referring  to  the 

took  place  on  Friday,  the  4th  of  matter.      Bishop   looked   at   the 

November.     His  brother  on  that  bill,  and  then  leaned  over  Williaihs 

day  told  him  what  he  had  seen.  to  speak  to  May ;  he  said  to  May, 

Mr.  Corder,  Vestry  Clerk  of  St.  "It  was  the  blood  that  sold  us." 

Paul's,  Covent-garden,  examined.  Bishop  then  got  up,  and  looked  a 

— A  coroner's  inquest  was  held  on  secona  time  at  the  bill,  and  refer* 

the  deceased  on  the  8th  of  Novem-  ring  to  the  words  '^  marks  of  vio- 

ber,  and  closed  on  Thursday,  the  lence,"  he  said  these  marks  were 

10th,    In  the  course  of  the  ex^  only  brea^gs  out  iu  the  8kiQ« 


320         ANNUAL    REGISTER,  I83I. 


Mr.  Thomas,  the  supcriutendent^ 
was  recalled  by  Mr.  Bt^kin.  — 
When  I  first  saw  the  budv,  there 
were  |)atchcs  **(  dirt  on  several 
]>arts.  There  were  also  marks  on 
the  left  arm,  as  though  they  were 
the  impression  of  fingers,  and  it 
ap|)earefl  to  me  as  if  the  chest 
had  been  pressed  in.  There  was 
a  stream  of  blood  from  the  fore- 
head down  the  face  to  the  breast. 

Mr.  Adulphus  stated  that  this 
was  the  case  fur  the  prosecution. 

The  prisoners  were  then  seve- 
rally called  upon  for  their  defence. 

Bishop  stated,  that  he  was  33 
years  old,  and  had  a  wife  and  three 
diildren.  He  was  formerly  a  car- 
rier at  Highgatc,  but  for  the  last 
twelve  years  he  had  obtained  a 
living  by  supplying  the  ^'arious 
hospitals  and  anatomical  schools 
with  dead  bodies,  but  he  declared 
that  he  never  was  in  any  manner 
concerned  in  improperly  obtaining 
subjects.  He  had  been  in  the 
habit  of  getting  bodies  from  work- 
houses, and  sometimes  with  the 
clothes  remaining  on  them.  All  the 
gardens  about  Nova  Scotia  Gar- 
dens were  easy  of  access,  and  were 
only  divided  by  a  low  dwarf  rail- 
ing. As  to  the  wearing-apparel 
found  in  the  garden,  he  knew  no- 
thing ;  but,  regarding  the  cap,  he 
said  he  should  prove  that  his  wife 
purchased  it  of  Mrs.  Doddswell, 
who  kept  a  sale-shop  in  Hoxton 
Old  Town.  As  respected  the  pri- 
soners Williams  and  May,  they 
knew  nothing  of  the  manner  in 
which  he  got  the  body,  and  he  de- 
clared that  he  only  got  it  in  the 
way  by  which  subjects  were  usually 
obtained. 

Williams,  in  his  defence,  stated, 
that  he  knew  nothing  of  the 
means  by  which  the  body  was 
procured  by  Bishop,  who  in- 
vited him  to  go  to  Kiog'6  College. 


He,  WilliamSy  was  not  in  the  habit 
of  dealing  io  subjects^  but  got 
his  living  by  working  as  a  giMS&m 
blower. 

May,  in  his  defenoCj  aaid^  he 
was  30  years  old,  and  was  marriedy 
and  formerly  was  a  butcher^  but  fixr 
the  last  six  years  he  had  follofwed 
the  trade  ot  dealing  in  sabjecto 
and  supplying  them  to  hospitals^ 
On  the  day  when  he  met  Bishop  at 
the  Fortune  of  War  publio-houae^ 
it  was  merely  by  aocidentj  when 
Bishop  asked  him  where  he  oonU 
sell  a  good  subject^  stating  that  he 
had  been  oifered  eight  gnineaa  tat 
it.  He  (May)  told  him^  as  was 
the  fiict,  that  he  had  sold  two  to 
Mr.  Davis  at  ten  guineas  eachf 
the  day  before^  and  he  would  try 
if  Mr.  Davis  would  buy  that  one. 
Bishop  told  him  he  should  haw  all 
above  nine  guineas  for  himself  and 
then  he  agreed  to  endeavour  to 
sell  it.  He  assured  the  jury  that 
he  never  asked,  and  of  oourae  he 
never  knew,  how  Bishop  got  pos- 
session of  the  body. 

Rosina  Carpenter  stated^  that 
she  lived  in  Nag's-Head- court; 
Golden-lane.  On  Thursday,  No* 
vember  3,  between  four  and  iiTC 
o'cl<KJi,  in  the  afternoon.  May 
came  to  her  house,  and  remained 
with  her  until  nearly  twelve  o'clock 
the  next  day,  not  once  going  out 
during  that  time. 

Cross-examined.— May  had  seve- 
ral times  passed  his  nights  with 
her ',  she  did  not  know  whether  he 
was  married  or  not. 

Sarah  Triesly,  who  was  ex* 
amined  for  the  prosecution,  was 
called  by  Mr.  Barry.  She  had 
never  seen  any  white  mice  in 
Bishop's  house. 

Mary  DoddsweU,  wife  of  GeoEge 
Doddswell^  of  56,  Hoxton  OM 
Town,  sworn. — I  keep  a  clothes 
and  sale-shop  for  the  saJe  of 


LAW    CASES,  la. 


coud-haDd  good».  My  imsbtind  is 
a  journeyinaDpaBtfycuuk.  I  bnuw 
Bishop's  wife,  and  ^uld  Imr  a  cap 
two  years  ago;  1  should  know  it 
again  now ;  it  was  a  cloth-cap 
with  a  black  front  (the  cap  pro- 
duced fur  the  proiecutioQ  was  a 
fur-cai>,) 

Bishop — My  wife  purchased  two 
caps  of  ner. 

Mrs.  Doddswell. — I  never  sold 
but  one  cap  to  Mrs.  Bishop.  I 
know  nothing  of  Bishop  or  hia 
family,  but  that  bjs  ilHUghtei-  lived 
servant  with  me  twelve  months 
ago. 

Mary  Aune  Hall,  of  No.  4, 
Dorset  Street,  New  Keot  Koad, 
where  May  lived,  stated,  that  on 
the  30th  of  October  May  went  into 
the  country,  and  stic  saw  uo  more  of 
him  until  the  following  Wednes- 
day night,  and  then  he  went  to 
bed.  The  next  niorniug  he  wcut 
out  and  did  not  return  until  the 
Friday  night  at  half-past  eleven 

Mr.  Thomas  stood  up,  and  ad- 
dressing the  court,  said,  he  wished 
to  repeat  somethiog  he  liad  said  at 
Bow  Street.  The  blood  on  the 
breeches  found  at  M'  v'  res'doi  cc 
was  not  perfectly  I  }  nh  u  th  j 

Chief    Justice    T  n  lal    I       ng 
summed  up,  the   i     f  f  u    1  tl  e 
three  prisoners  gi  Ity    f  u  u  1 
III  court,  the  verd      w  s  d 

with  silence,  but  in  a  moment  it 
was  conveyed  to  the  immense 
multitude  aeaeinhled  outside,  who 
evinced  their  satisfaction  at  the 
result  by  loud  and  continued 
cheering  and  clapping  of  liauds. 
To  such  an  extent  was  this  ex- 
pression of  tlie  popular  feeling 
carried,  that  the  windiiws  of  the 
court  were  obliged  to  be  closed,  in 
order  that  the  voice  of  the  i{e- 
corder  might  b«  Iteard  in  pastiag 


se  tile  nee  of  death,  which  vrn* 
ordered  to  be  caiTied  into  execu- 
tion ou  Monday  the  5tb. 

Between  tlioir  trial  and  execu- 
tion, Bishop  and  Williams,  or 
Hc»il,  made,  in  presence  of  the 
Undcr-sheritf,  the  fullowiug 

Confessions. 


I,  John  Bishop,  do  hereby  de- 
clare and  confess,  tliat  the  boy 
supposed  to  be  the  Italian  boy  was 
a  Lincolnshire  boy.  I  and  Wil- 
liams took  him  to  my  house  about 
half-past  ten  o'clock  on  the  Thurs- 
day uight,  the  3r<l  of  November, 
from  the  Bell,  in  Smithfieid.  He 
walked  home  with  us,  Williams 
promised  to  give  him  some  work. 
Williams  went  with  him  from  the 
Bell  to  the  Old  Bailey  watering, 
house,  whilst  I  went  to  the  For- 
tune of  War.  Willianis  came  frtmi 
the  Old  Bailey  water! ng-liouse  to 
the  Fortune  of  IVar  for  aie, 
leaving  the  boy  standing  at  the 
corner  of  the  court  by  the  water- 
iog-liouse  in  the  Old  Bailey,  I 
went  directly  with  Williams  ttt  the 
boy,  and  we  walked  thcu  all  three 
to  Nova  Scotia  Gardens,  taking  n 
pint  of  stout  at  a  public-houau 
near  Holloway- lane,  Slioreditch, 
on  our  way,  of  which  we  gave  the 
boy  u  part ;  we  only  stayed  just 
to  drink  it,  and  walked  ou  to  my 
house,  where  we  arrived  at  about 
eleven  o'clock.  My  wife  and  chil- 
dren and  Mrs.  Williams  were  not 
gone  to  bed,  so  we  put  him  in  the 
|)rivy,  and  told  him  to  \t'ait  there 
for  us.  Williams  went  in  and  told 
them  to  go  to  bed,  and  I  stayed 
in  the  ganlen.  Willianis  came  out 
directly,  and  wo  both  iralked  out 
of  the  garden  a  little  way,  to  give 
time  fur  the  family  getting  to  bed; 
we  returned  in  about  ten  minutes 
or  ft  quarter  of  an  hour,  and  li«U 


328 


ANNUAL   REGISTER,   1831. 


pued  outside  at  tlic  window  to 
ascertain  whether  tlic  family  were 
gone  to  be<l.  All  was  quiet,  and 
we  then  went  to  the  boy  in  the 
privy,  and  took  him  into  the  house; 
we  lighte<l  a  candle,  and  gave  the 
boy  some  bread  and  cheese,  and, 
after  he  had  eaten,  we  gave  him  a 
cup  full  of  mm,  with  about  half  a 
small  phial  of  laudanum  in  it.  (I 
had  bought  the  rum  the  same 
evening  at  the  Three  Tuns,  in 
Smithiield^  and  the  laudanum  also 
in  small  quantities  at  different 
shops.)  There  was  no  water  or 
other  liquid  put  in  the  cup  with 
the  rum  and  laudanum.  The  boy 
drank  the  contents  of  the  cup 
directly  in  two  draughts,  and 
afterwards  a  little  beer.  In  about 
ten  minutes  he  fell  asleep  on  the 
chair  on  which  he  sat,  and  I  re- 
moved him  from  the  chair  to  the 
floor,  and  laid  him  on  his  side. 
We  then  went  out  and  left  him 
there.  We  had  a  quartern  of  gin 
and  a  pint  of  beer  at  the  Feathers, 
near  Shoreditch  Church,  and  then 
went  home  again,  having  been 
away  from  the  boy  abfnit  twenty 
minutes.  We  found  him  asleep 
as  we  had  left  him.  We  took  him 
directly,  asleep  and  insensible^  into 
the  garden,  and  tied  a  cord  to  his 
feet  to  enable  us  to  pull  him  up 
by,  and  I  then  took  liim  in  my 
arms,  and  let  him  slide  from  them 
headlong  into  the  well  in  the 
garden,  whilst  Williams  held  the 
cord  to  prevent  the  body  going 
altogether  too  low  in  the  well.  He 
was  nearly  wholly  in  the  water  of 
the  well,  his  feet  just  above  the 
surface.  Williams  fastened  the 
other  end  of  the  cord  round  the 
paling,  to  prevent  the  body  getting 
beyond  our  reach.  The  boy  strug- 
gled a  little  with  his  arms  and 
legs  in  the  water;  the  water 
bubbled  for  a  minute.    We  waited 


tiirthesc  s}inptoms  were  past^  and 
then  went  in^  and  afterwards  I 
think  we  went  out,  and  walked 
down  Shoreditch  to  occupy  the 
time,  and  in  about. three  quarters 
of  an  hour  we  returned  and  took 
him  out  of  the  well,  by  pulling 
him  by  the  cord  attached  to  bis 
feet ;  we  undressed  him  in  the 
I)aved  yard,  rolled  his  clothes  up^ 
and  buried  them  where  they  were 
found  by  the  witness  who  produced 
them.  We  carried  the  boy  into 
the  wash-house,  laid  him  on  the 
floor,  and  covered  him  over  with  a 
bag.  We  left  him  thcre^  and  went 
and  had  some  coffee  in  Old  Street 
Road,  and  then  (a  little  before  tvo 
in  the  morning  of  Friday)  went 
back  to  my  house.  We  imme- 
diately doubled  the  body  up,  and 
put  it  into  a  box,  which  we  corded 
so  that  nobody  might  open  it  to 
see  what  was  in  it;  and  then  went 
again  and  had  some  more  coffee  at 
the  same  place  in  Old  Street 
Road,  where  we  staid  a  little 
while,  and  then  went  home  to 
bed — ^both  in  the  same  houae^  and 
to  our  own  beds  as  usual ;  we  dept 
till  about  ten  o'clock  on  Friday 
morning,  when  we  sot  up,  took 
breakikst  together  with  the  fkmilyi 
and  then  went  both  of  us  to  Smith-* 
field,  to  the  Fortune  of  War— we 
had  something  to  eat  and  drink 
there,  and  after  we  had  been  there 
about  half  an  hour  May  came  in— 
I  knew  May — but  had  not  seen 
him  for  about  a  fortnight  before— 
he  had  some  rum  with  me  at  the 
bar,  Williams  remaining  in  the 
tap-room ;  May  and  I  went  to  the 
door,  I  had  a  smock-frock  on,  and 
May  asked  me  where  I  had  bought 
it,  I  told  him  "in  Field  Lauc  ;*' 
he  said  he  wanted  to  buy  one,  and 
asked  me  to  go  with  him ;  I  went 
with  him  to  Field  Lane,  where  he 
bought  a  frock  at  the  comer  diopj 


LAW    CASES,  ,&c. 


329 


we  then  went  into  a  clothes  shop 
in  West  Street  to  buy  a  pair  of 
breeches^  but  May  could  not  agree 
about  the  price  5  May  was  rather 
in  liquor,  and  sent  out  for  some 
rum^  which  we  and  the  woman  in 
the  shop  drank  together ;  May 
said  he  would  treat  her  because  he 
had  given  her  a  good  deal  of 
trouble  for  nothing.  We  then  re- 
turned to  the  Fortune  of  War, 
and  joined  Williams,  and  had 
something  more  to  drink ;  we 
waited  there  a  short  time,  and 
then  Williams  and  I  went  to  the 
west-end  of  the  town,  leaving 
May  at  the  Fortune  of  War. 
Williams  and  I  went  to  Mr. 
Tuson's,  in  Windmill  Street, 
where  I  saw  Mr.  Tuson,  and  of- 
fered to  sell  him  a  subject — mean- 
ing the  boy  we  had  left  at  home. 
He  said  he  had  waited  so  long  for 
a  subject  which  I  had  before  un- 
dertaken to  procure,  that  he  had 
been  obliged  to  buy  one  the  day 
before.  We  went  from  there  to 
Mr.  Carpue's,  in  Dean  Street,  and 
offered  it  to  him  in  the  Lecture- 
room  with  other  gentlemen  5  they 
asked  me  if  it  was  fresh,  I  told  them 
yes ;  they  told  me  to  wait.  I  asked 
them  ten  guineas,  and,  after  waiting 
a  little,  a  gentleman  there  said  they 
would  give  eight  guineas,  which  I 
agreed  to  take,  and  engaged  to 
carry  it  there  the  next  morning  at 
ten  o'clock.  I  and  Williams  then 
returned  to  the  Fortune  of  War ; 
we  found  May  in  the  tap-room, 
this  was  about  a  quarter  before 
four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon ;  we 
had  something  to  drink  again,  and 
I  called  May  out  to  the  outside  of 
the  house,  and  asked  what  was 
the  best  price  given  for  "  things  " 
— he  said  he  had  sold  two  the  day 
before  for  ten  guineas  each,  1 
think.  I  told  him  I  had  a  sub- 
ject^ he  ask^d  what  sort  of  one  i  I 


said,  a  boy  about  fourteen  years 
old,  and  that  I  had  been  offered 
eight  guineas  for  it ;  he  said  if  it 
was  his,  he  would  not  take  it,  be 
could  sell  it  where  be  sold  his  for 
more.  I  told  him  that  all  he 
could  get  above  nine  guineas  he 
might  have  for  himself;  we  agreed 
to  go  presently  and  get  a  coach. 
I  and  May  then  went  to  the  bar, 
had  something  more  to  drink,  and 
then,  leaving  Williams  at  the  For- 
tune of  War,  we  went  and  tried 
to  hire  a  cab  in  the  Old  Bailey. 
The  cabman  was  at  tea  at  the 
watering-house,  and  WjC  went  in 
and  spoke  to  him  about  a  fare,  and 
hadalso  tea  ther^  ourselves.  Whilst 
we  were  at  tea,  the  cab-driver 
went  away,  and  we  found  liim 
gone  from  the  stand  when  we 
came  out.  We  then  went  to 
Bridge  Street,  Blackfri^rs,  and 
asked  a  coachman  if  he  would 
take  such  a  fare  as  we  wanted ;  he 
refused,  and  we  then  went  to 
Farringdon-street,  where  we  en- 
gaged a  yellow  chariot.  I  and 
May  got  in,  drove  to  the  Fortune 
of  War  (Williams  joining  us  by 
the  George,  in  the  Old  Bai]«y,  on 
our  way).  At  the  Fortune  of 
War,  we  drank  something  again, 
and  then  (about  six  o'clock)  we  all 
three  went  in  the  chariot  to  Nova 
Scotia  Gardens,  we  went  into  the 
wash-house,  where  I  Uncorded  the 
trunk,  and  shewed  May  the  body. 
He  asked,  *'  how  are  the  teeth  ?" 
I  said  I  had  not  looked  at  them. 
Williams  went  and  fetched  a  brad- 
awl from  the  house,  and  May  took 
it  and  forced  the  teeth  out ;  it  is 
the  constant  practice  to  take  the 
teeth  out  first,  because,  if  the 
body  be  lost,  the  teeth  are  saved  ; 
after  the  teeth  were  taken  out,  we 
put  the  body  in  a  bag,  and  took 
it  to  the  chariot ;  May  and  I 
carried  the  bofly,  and  Williams 


330      ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


got  first  iuto  the  coaclij  and  then 
assisted  in  pulling  the  body  in; 
we  all  then  drove  off  to  Guy's 
Hospital^  where  we  saw  Mr.  Davis^ 
and  offered  to  sell  the  body  to  him ; 
he  refused,  saying,  that  he  had 
bought  two  the  day  before  of  May; 
I  asked  him  to  let  us  leave  it  there 
till  the  next  morning;  he  con- 
sented, and  we  put  it  in  a  little 
room,  the  door  of  which  Mr.  Davis 
locked.  Williams  was,  during  this, 
left  with  the  chariot.  I  told  Mr. 
Davis  not  to  let  the  subject  go  to 
any  body  unless  I  was  there,  for  it 
belonged  to  me ,  and  May  also  told 
him  not  to  let  it  go  unless  he  was 
present,  or  else  he  should  be  money 
out  of  pocket.  I  understood  this 
to  mean  the  money  paid  by  May 
for  our  teas  at  the  Old  Bailey 
(about  4«.)  and  the  coach  fare, 
which  we  had  agreed  with  the 
coachman  should  be  10^.  May 
had  no  other  interest  or  right  to 
the  money  to  be  obtained  for  the 
body,  except  for  such  payment, 
and  for  what  he  could  get  above 
nine  guineas,  as  1  had  promised 
him.  May  paid  the  coachman 
\0s.  on  our  leaving  the  hospital, 
but,  before  we  discharged  the 
coach,  May  and  I  ran  to  Mr.  Ap- 
pleton,  at  Mr.  Grainger's  school, 
leaving  Williams  with  the  coach. 
We  offered  the  subject  to  Mr. 
Appletou,  but  he  declined  to  buy 
it,  and  May  and  I  then  joined 
Williams,  aischarged  the  coach, 
and  went  to  a  public-house  close 
by  and  had  something  to  drink. 
After  this  we  got  into  a  coach  in 
the  borough,  and  drove  again  to 
the  Fortune  of  War,  where  we  had 
something  more  to  drink  :  this 
was  about  eight  o'clock  in  the 
evening.  We  all  three  staid  there 
about  one  hour,  and  then  went 
out,  got  a  coach  in  Smithfield,  and 
went  towards   Old-street-road^-^ 


stopped  in  Golden-lane  with  the 
coach,  and  drank  something,  and 
then  on  to  Old-street.— At  the 
corner  of  Old-street  (the  Star 
corner)  May  got  out  of  the  coacli 
and  said  he  was  going  home,  and 
I  and  Williams  drove  to  the 
corner  of  Union-street,  Kingslaiid- 
road,  where  we  got  out  and  paid 
the  coach-fare  out  of  money  lent 
us  by  May  (he  having  advanced 
to  each  of  us  3s,)  We  then 
walked  home  and  went  to  bed  that 
night  as  usual.  We  had  agreed 
with  May,  on  his  leaving  us,  to 
meet  him  at  Guy's  Hospital  at 
nine  o'clock  the  next  morniag 
(Saturday).  I  and  Williams  went 
at  eight  o'clock  on  Saturday  mom* 
ing  to  the  Fortune  of  War,  where 
we  met  Shields,  the  porter,  and 
engaged  him  to  go  with  us  over 
the  water  to  carry  a  subject.  I 
asked  him  to  go  to  St.  Barthdo* 
mew's  Hospital  for  a  hamper 
which  I  had  seen  there;  he  re* 
fused,  and  I  fetched  it  myself. 
We  had  a  pint  of  beer  there,  and 
I,  and  Williams,  and  Shields,  went 
to  Guy's  Hospital,  Shields  carry- 
ing  the  hamper.  We  met  May 
there.  Williams  and  Shields  went 
to  a  public-house,  whilst  I  and 
May  went  to  Mr.  Appleton,  and 
offered  him  the  subject  again.  He 
again  refused  to  buy  it,  statinff 
that  he  did  not  want  it.  May  and 
I  then  joined  Shields  and  Wil- 
liams, and  had  some  drink,  and 
then  left  them,  crossed  the  water 
in  a  boat  to  the  Kind's  College, 
where  we  inquired  of  Mr.  Hill, 
the  porter,  if  he  wanted  a  subject; 
he  said  he  was  not  particularly  in 
want,  but  would  speak  to  Mr. 
Partridge,  the  Demonstrator.  Mr. 
Partridge  came,  and  asked  what 
the  subject  was.  May  said,  ''a 
male  subject."  Mr.  PMndfla 
asked    the    pioe*     Ib^    "Wi 


LAW    CASES,    Ac. 


831 


''  twelve  guineas."  Mr.  Partridge 
said  he  could  not  give  so  much, 
and  went  away.  Mr.  Hill  asked 
us  to  stay  a  few  roinutes^  whilst 
he  went  after  Mr.  Partridge,  to 
speak  to  him  again.  Hill  returned, 
and  said  Mr.  Partridge  would  give 
nine  guineas.  May  said,  he  would 
be  damned  if  it  should  go  under 
ten  guineas.  He  was  in  liquor, 
and  on  his  moving  a  little  way  off, 
I  took  the  opportunity  of  saying 
to  Hill,  that  it  should  come  in  at 
nine  guineas.  I  told  May  directly 
after,  that  I  had  sold  it  for  nine 
guineas,  and  that  I  would  out  of 
it  pay  him  what  I  had  of  him, 
and  give  him  something  besides. 
We  then  got  into  a  cabriolet,  and 
went  back  to  Williams  and  Shields 
at  the  public-house,  where  all  four 
had  some  beefsteaks  and  beer ;  and 
afterwards  went  to  Guy's  Hospital, 
packed  the  body  in  the  hamper, 
and  put  it  on  to  Shields*s  head, 
telling  him  to  take  it  to  the  King's 
College,  where  we  went,  Williams 
and  Shields  walking,  and  I  and 
May  riding  part  of  the  way  in  a 
cab.  On  reaching  the  King's 
College  we  carried  the  body  into 
the  theatre,  and  then  into  a  little 
room,  where  we  took  the  body  out. 
Mr.  Hill  looked  at  it,  and  asked 
what  it  died  of.  May  answered 
that  he  did  not  know,  and  it  did 
not  concern  him.  Mr.  Hill  asked 
how  a  cut,  which  was  on  the 
forehead,  came.  I  told  him  that  it 
was  done  by  May  throwing  it  out 
of  the  sack  on  the  stones,  which 
was  the  truth.  Hill  told  us  to 
remain  in  the  other  room,  and  he 
would  bring  in  the  money.  We 
went  into  the  other  room  and 
waited  for  some  time,  when  Mr. 
Partridge  came  to  us,  and  showed 
me  a  fifty-pound  note,  and  said,  he 
must  ^  and  get  it  changed,  for 
be  had  not  sufficient  money  with* 


out,  and  he  pulled  out  his  purse 
and  counted  three  or  four  8ov«« 
reigns.  I  said  he  might  let  us 
have  that,  and  he  oould  give  us 
the  remainder  on  Monday.  He 
said  no,  he  would  rather  pay  it  all 
together,  and  went  away.  We 
waited  some  time,  when  the 
police-officers  came,  and  took  us 
into  custody. 

John  Bishop. 
Witness,  R.  Ellis. 

I  declare  that  this  statement  is 
all  true,  and  that  it  contuns  all 
the  facts  as  far  as  I  can  recollect. 
May  knew  nothing  of  the  murder, 
and  I  do  not  believe  he  suspected 
that  I  had  got  the  body  except  in 
the  usual  way,  and  after  the  death 
of  it.  I  always  told  him  that  I  got 
it  from  the  ground,  and  he  never 
knew  to  the  contrary  until  I  oon- 
fessed  to  Mr.  Williams  rinoe  the 
trial.  I  have  known  May  as  a 
body-snatcher  four  or  five  years, 
but  I  do  not  believe  he  ever  ob- 
tained a  body  except  in  the  com- 
mon course  of  men  in  that  calling, 
by  stealing  from  the  graves.  I 
also  confess  that  I  and  Williams 
were  concerned  in  the  murder  of 
a  female  whom  I  believe  to  have 
been  since  discovered  to  be  Fanny 
Pigburn,  on  or  about  the  9th  of 
October  last.  I  and  Williams 
saw  her  sitting  about  eleven  or 
twelve  o'clock  at  night  on  the 
step  of  a  door  in  ShoinBditdi  near 
the  church.  She  bad  a  child  four 
or  five  years  old  with  her  on  her 
lap.  I  asked  why  she  was  sitting 
there.  She  said  she  had  no  home 
to  go  to,*  for  her  landlord  had 
turned  her  out  into  the  street.  I 
told  her  that  she  might  go  home 
with  us,  and  sit  by  the  fire  aU 
night  i  she  said  she  would  go  with 
us,  and  she  walked  with  us  ib  my 
house;  in  Noya  Scotia  Gardens^ 


332        ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


carrying  her  child  with  her.  When 
we  eot  there  we  fuund  the  family 
abed,  and  we  took  the  woman  in 
and  lighted  a  fire^  by  which  we  all 
sat  down  together.  I  went  out  for 
beer,  and  we  all  took  of  beer  and 
rum  (I  had  brought  the  rum  from 
Smithfield  in  my  pocket) ;  the 
woman  and  her  child  laid  down  on 
some  dirty  linen  on  the  floor,  and  I 
and  Williams  went  to  bed.  About 
six  o'clock  next  morning  I  and  Wil- 
liams told  her  to  go  away,  and  to 
meet  us  at  the  London  Apprentice 
in  Old-street  road,  at  one  o'clock. 
Tills  was  before  our  families  were 
up.  She  met  us  again  at  one 
o'clock  at  the  London  Apprentice 
without  her  child.  We  gare  her 
some  halfpence  and  beer,  and  de- 
sired her  to  meet  us  again  at  ten 
o'clock  at  night  at  the  same  place. 
After  this  we  bought  rum  and 
laudanum  at  different  places,  and 
at  ten  o'clock  we  met  the  woman 
again  at  the  London  Appren- 
tice, she  had  no  child  with  her. 
We  drank  three  pints  of  beer  be- 
tween us  there,  and  stayed  there 
about  an  hour.  We  would  have 
stayed  there  longer,  but  an  old  man 
came  in  whom  the  woman  said  she 
knew,  and  she  said  she  did  not 
like  him  to  see  her  there  with  any 
body ;  we  therefore  all  went  out ; 
it  rained  hard,  and  we  took  shelter 
under  a  door- way  in  the  Hackney- 
road  for  about  half  an  hour.  We 
then  walked  to  Nova  Scotia- gar- 
dens, and  Williams  and  I  led  her 
into  No.  2,  an  empty  house  adjoin- 
ing my  house.  We  had  no  light. 
Williams  stepped  out  into  the  gar- 
den with  the  rum  and  laudanum, 
which  I  had  handed  to  him  -,  he 
there  mixed  them  together  in  a  half- 
pint  bottle,  and  came  into  the  house 
to  me  and  the  woman,  and  gave 
her  the  bottle  to  drink ;  she  drank 
the  whole  at  two  or  three  draughts ; 


there  was  a  quartern  of  rum^  and 
about  half  a  phial  of  laudanum  ; 
she  sat  down  on  the  step  between 
two  rooms  in  the  house,  and  went 
off  to  sleep  in  about  ten  minntes* 
She  was. falling  back;  I  caught  her 
to  save  her  fall,  and  she  laid  back 
on  the  floor.  Then  Williams  and 
I  went  to  a  public-house,  got  some- 
thing to  dnnk,  and  in  about  half 
an  hour  came  back  to  the  woman  ; 
we  took  her  cloak  off,  tied  a  cord 
to  her  feet,  carried  her  to  a  well 
in  the  garden  and  thrust  her  into 
it  headlong;  she  struggled  very 
little  afterwards^  and  the  water 
bubbled  a  little  at  the  top.  We 
fastened  the  cord  to  the  pailines  to 
prevent  her  going  down  beyond  our 
reach,  and  left  her  and  took  a  walk 
to  Shoreditch  and  back,  in  about 
half  an  hour ;  wc  left  the  woman 
in  the  well  for  this  length  of  time» 
that  the  rum  and  laudanum  might 
run  out  of  the  body  at  the  mouth. 
On  our  return,  we  took  her  out  of 
the  well,  cut  her  clothes  off,  put 
them  down  the  privy  of  the  empty- 
house,  carried  the  body  into  the 
wash-house  of  my  own  house^ 
where  we  doubled  it  up  and  put  it 
into  a  hair  box,  which  we  corded 
and  left  it  there.  We  did  not  goto 
bed,  but  went  to  Shields's  house  in 
Eagle- St.,  Red  Lion-sq.  and  called 
him  up;  this  was  between  four 
and  five  o*clock  in  the  morning. 
We  went  with  Shields  to  a  public- 
house  near  the  Sessions-houae 
Clerkenwell^  and  had  some  gin, 
and  from  thence  to  my  house, 
where  we  went  in  and  stayed  a 
little  while,  to  wait  the  change  of 
the  police.  I  told  Shields  he  was 
to  carry  that  trunk  to  St.  Thomas's 
Hospital.  He  asked  if  there  was  a 
woman  in  the  house  who  could 
walk  alongside  of  him,  so  that  peo- 
ple might  not  take  any  notice. 
Williams  called  his  wife  up,  and 


LAW    CASES,    &c. 


333 


asked  her  to  walk  with  Shields^ 
and  to  carry  the  hat  box  which  he 
gave  her  to  carry.  There  was  no- 
thing in  it,  but  it  was  tied  up  as 
if  there  were.  We  then  put  the 
box  with  the  body  on  Shields'  head, 
and  went  to  the  hospital.  Shields 
and  Mrs.  Williams  walking  on  one 
side  of  the  street,  and  I  and  Wil- 
liams on  the  other.  At  St.*  Tho- 
mases Hospital  I  saw  Mr.  South's 
footman,  and  sent  him  up  stairs  to 
Mr.  South  to  ask  if  he  wanted 
a  subject.  The  footman  brought  me 
word  that  his  master  wanted  one, 
but  could  not  give  an  answer  till 
the  next  day,  as  he  had  not  time 
to  look  at  it.  During  this  inter- 
view, Shields,'  Williams,  and  his 
wife  were  waiting  at  a  public-house. 
I  then  went  alone  to  Mr.  Apple- 
ton,  at  Mr.  Grainger's,  and  agreed 
to  sell  it  to  him  for  eight  guineas, 
and  afterwards  I  fetched  it  from 
St.  Thomases  Hospital,  and  took  it 
to  Mr.  Appleton,  who  paid  me  51. 
then  and  the  rest  on  the  following 
Monday.  After  receiving  the  5/. 
I  went  to  Shields  and  Williams  and 
his  wife,  at  the  public-house,  where 
I  paid  Shields  10*.  for  his  trouble, 
and  we  then  all  went  to  the  Flower 
Pot  in  Bishopsgate,  where  we  had 
something  to  drink  and  then  went 
home.  I  never  saw  the  woman's 
child  after  the  first  time  before 
mentioned.  She  said  she  had  left 
the  child  with  a  person  she  had 
taken  some  of  her  things  to,  before 
her  landlord  took  her  goods.  The 
woman  murdered  did  not  tell  us 
her  name ;  she  said  her  age  was 
35,  I  think,  and  that  her  husband, 
before  he  died,  was  a  cabinet-maker. 
She  was  thin,  rather  tall,  and  very 
much  marked  with  the  small-pox. 
I  also  confess  the  murder  of  a  boy 
who  told  us  his  name  was  Cunning- 
ham. It  was  a  fortnight  after  the 
murder  of  the  woman.    I  and  WiU 


liams  found  him  sleeping  about 
eleven  or  twelve  o'clock  at  night, 
on  Friday  the  2l8t  of  October,  as 
I  think,  under  the  pig-boards  in 
the  pig  -  market  in  Smithfield. 
Williams  woke  him,  and  asked  him 
to  come  along  with  him  (Williams), 
and  the  boy  walked  with  Williams 
and  me  to  ray  house  in  Nova  Sco- 
tia-gardens We  took  him  into  my 
house,  and  gave  him  some  warm 
beer,  sweetened  with  sugar,  with 
rum  and  laudanum  in  it.  He 
drank  two  or  three  cups  full,  and 
then  fell  asleep  in  a  little  chair 
belonging  to  one  of  my  children. 
We  laid  him  on  the  floor,  and  went 
out  for  a  little  while,  and  got  some- 
thing to  drink,  and  then  returned, 
carried  the  boy  to  the  well,  and 
threw  him  into  It,  in  the  same 
way  as  we  served  the  other  boy 
and  the  woman.  He  died  instantly 
in  the  well,  and  we  left  him  there 
a  little  while,  to  give  time  for  the 
mixtures  we  had  given  him  to  run 
out  of  the  body.  We  then  took 
the  body  from  tne  well,  took  off  the 
clothes  in  the  garden,  and  buried 
them  there.  The  body  we  carried 
into  the  wash-house,  and  put  it 
into  the  same  box,  and  left  it  there 
till  the  next  evening,  when  we  got 
a  porter  to  carry  it  with  us  to  St. 
Bartholomew's  Hospital,  where  I 
sold  it  to  Mr.  Smith  for  eight 
guineas.  This  boy  was  about  ten 
or  eleven  years  old,  said  his  mother 
lived  in  Kent-street,  and  that  he 
had  not  been  home  for  a  twelve- 
month and  better.  I  solemnly  de- 
clare that  these  are  all  the  murders 
in  which  I  have  been  concerned, 
or  that  I  know  anything  of; 
that  I  and  Williams  were  alone 
concerned  in  these,  and  that  no 
other  person  whatever  knew  any 
thing  about  either  of  them,  and 
that  I  do  not  know  whether  there 
are  others  who  practise  the  same 


334       ANNUAL    REGI  STER,  1831. 


mode  of  obtaining  bodies  for  sale. 
I  knovr  nothing  of  any  Italian  boy, 
and  was  never  concerned  in  or  knew 
of  the  murder  of  such  a  boy.  There 
have  been  no  M'hite  mice  about  my 
house  for  the  last  six  months.  My 
son^  about  eight  months  ago  bought 
two  mice,  and  I  made  him  a  cage 
for  them  ;  it  was  flat  with  wires  at 
the  top.  They  lived  about  two 
months,  and  were  killed,  I  thinks 
by  a  cat  in  the  garden,  where  they 
got  out  of  the  cage.  They  were 
frequently  seen  running  in  the 
garaen,  and  used  to  hide  in  a 
hole  under  the  privy.  I  and  my 
wife  and  children  saw  one  of  them 
killed  by  a  cat  in  the  garden  whilst 
we  were  at  tea.  Until  the  trans- 
actions before  set  forth,  I  never  was 
concerned  in  obtaining  a  subject  by 
destruction  of  the  living.  I  have 
followed  the  course  of  obtaining  a 
livelihood  as  a  body-snatcher  for 
twelve  years,  andbave  obtained  and 
sold,  Tthink,  from  500  to  1,000 
bodies ;  but  I  declare,  before  God, 
that  they  were  all  obtained  after 
death,  and  that,  with  the  above 
exceptions,  I  am  ignorant  of  any 
murder  for  that  or  any  other  pur- 
pose* 

John  Bishop. 
Witness^    Robert  Ellis,  under- 
sheriif. 

I,  Thomas  Head,  alias  Williams, 
now  under  sentence  of  death  in 
Newgate,  do  solemnly  confess  and 
declare  the  foregoing  statement  and 
confession  of  .John  Bishop^  which 
has  been  made  in  my  presence,  and 
since  read  over  to  me  distinctly,  is 
altogether  true,  so  far  as  the  same 
relates  to  me.     I  declare  that  I  was 

*  From  subsequent  investigation, 
thero  was  every  reason  to  believe  tbat 
the  boy,  of  whose  murder  these  wretches 
were  convicted,  was  the  Italian  boy,  and 
not  a  Lincolnshire  boy* 


never  concerned  in  or  priyy  to  any 
other  transaction  of  the  like  n»« 
lure ;  that  I  never  knew  any  tbiDg 
of  the  murder  of  any  other  person 
whatever ;  that  I  was  never  a  body- 
snatcher  or  concerned  in  the  tale 
of  any  other  body  than  the  three 
murdered  by  Bishop  and  myself ; 
that  May  was  a  stranger  to  me,  and 
I  had  never  seen  him  more  than 
once  or  twice  before  Friday,  the 
4th  of  November  last ;  ana  that 
May  was  wholly  innocent  and  igu 
norant  of  any  of  those  murders  in 
which  I  was  concerned,  and  for  one 
of  which  I  am  about  to  suflhr 
death. 

Thomas  Hbad. 
Witness -R.Ellis. 

Newgate,  Dec.  4,  1831. 
The  above  confessions  taken  lite- 
rally, from  the  prisoners,  in  oar 
presence. 

T.  Wood,  R.  Ellis, 
Under  Sheriffs. 

These  confessions  strengthened 
some  doubts  which  were  enter* 
tained  whether  the  eridenoe  con- 
nected May  sufficiently  directly 
with  the  murder,  and  his  life  was 
spared.  The  communication  to  him 
of  the  intelligence  that  he  had  been 
respited,  almost  killed  him.  He 
fell  to  the  earth  as  if  shot  dead. 
His  arms  worked  with  the  most 
frightful  contortions,  and  four  of 
the  officers  of  the  prison  could  with 
difficulty  hold  him  ;  his  oounten« 
ance  assumed  a  livid  paleness^  the 
blood  forsook  his  lips,  his  eyes  ap- 
peared set,  and  pulsation  at  the 
heart  could  not  be  distinguished. 
All  persons  present  thought  that  he 
could  not  possibly  survive,  and  that 
the  warrant  of  mercy  had  proTed 
his  death  blow.  It  was  neariy  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  before  he  was 
restored  to  the  use  of  bis  facuItiesT 


LAW    CASES,   &c. 


Bishop  and  Williams  were  exe- 
cuted on  Monday  the  5th.  As 
early  as  oue  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
the  crowd  amounted  to  eereral 
thousand  persons,  and  continued 
rapidly  increasing.  By  day  break 
it  was  estimated  that  not  fewer 
than  30,000  persons  were  bmud- 
bled.  The  police  found  it  impos' 
sible  to  get  through  the  crowd  to 
their  station  at  thefootof  the  scaf- 
fold, and  had  to  be  conducted 
through  the  prison.  By  some  orer- 
sight,  three  chains  were  suspended 
from  the  gallows,  as  if  all  the 
three  prisoners  had  been  to  suffer. 
The  removal  of  one  of  them  in- 
formed the  multitude  that  May 
had  been  respited,  and  the  circlin]- 
stance  was  hailed  with  cheers. 

Before  proceeding  to  the  scaffold, 
both  prisoners  confirmed  theb  con- 
fessions. Bishop  mounted  the 
scaffold  first.  The  momeat  be 
made  his  appearance  the  most 
dreadful  yells  and  hootings  were 
heard  among  the  crowd.  The  exe- 
cutioner proceeded  at  once  to  the 
performance  of  his  duty,  and  bar- 
ing put  the  rope  round  his  neck 
and  affised  it  to  the  chain,  placed 
him  under  the  beam.  Willianis 
was  then  taken  out,  and  the  groans 
and  hisses  were  renewed.  The 
preparations  wttt  soon  completed, 


and  in  lese  than  fire  minutee  after 
they  appeared  on  the  scaffold,  the 
drop  fell.  Bishop  appeared  to 
die  instantaneously,  hut  Williams 
■truggled  several  mtnotei.  The 
moment  the  drop  fell,  the  mob,  who 
had  continued  yelling  and  shout- 
ing,  gare  several  tremendous  cheers. 
Numerous  accidents  occurred  be- 
tween St.  Sepulchre's  Church  and 
Liidgate-hill,  arising  from  the  ex- 
treme pressure  of  the  mob.  The 
number  of  dislocations  and  bruises', 
was  almost  incredible:  upwards  of 
twenty  persons,  aeriously  maimed, 
were  carried  to  St.  Bartholomew's 
Hospital  before  half-put  KTen 
in  the  morning.  Notwithstand- 
ing the  great  strength  of  the 
numerous  barriers  which  were 
erected  from  one  end  of  the  Old 
Bailey  to  the  other,  not  one  of 
them  was  sufficient  to  resist  the 
pressure.  Just  at  the  moment  the 
wretches  were  turned  off,  a  rush 
took  place  from  all  directions  to- 
warils  the  scaffold,  and  every  bnr- 
rier  between  the  gallows  and  Lud- 
gate-hill  was  almost  simultaneously 
broken  asunder,  or  torn  up.  Num- 
bers were  thus  thrown  down  and 
trampled  upon,  A  soldier  in  the 
Guards  had  bis  arm  broken,  and 
several  of  the  police  were  seriously 
injured. 


[    336    ] 


PUBLIC   DOCUMENTS, 


I.—D  O  M  E  S  T  I  C. 


ABSTRACT  OF  THE  REFORM  BILL, 

Ax  passed  in  the  House  op  Commons  on  the  21x1  of  September,  1831, 

hut  rejected  hif  the  Peers. 


Section  (1.)  Enacted  that  each 
of  the  boroughs  enumerated  in 
schedule  (A)  shall  cease  hereafter 
to  return  members  to  parliament. 

(2.)  That  each  of  the  boroughs 
enumerated  in  schedule  (B)  shall 
hereafter  return  one  member  only 
to  parliament. 

(3.)  that  each  of  the  principal 
places  named  in  the  first  column  of 
the  schedule  (C)  shall  for  the  pur- 
poses of  this  act  be  a  borough,  and 
shall  include  the  sereral  parishes, 
townships  and  places  mentioned  in 
conjunction  therewith  and  named 
in  the  second  column,  and  shall 
hereafter  return  two  members  to 
parliament. 

(,3.)  That  each  of  the  prin- 
cipal places  named  in  the  first 
column  of  schedule  (D)  shall  for 
the  purposes  of  this  act  be  a  bo- 
rough,  and  shall  include  the  seve- 
ral parishes,  townships,  and  places 
mentioned  in  conjunction  therewith 
and  named  in  the  second  column, 
and  shall  hereafter  return  one 
member  to  parliament. 

(4.)  That  the  towns  of  Wey- 
mouth and  Melcombe  Regis  shall 
for  the  purposes  of  this  act  be  taken 


as  one  borough,  and  return  two 
members. 

(5.)  That  everjr  city  and  bo- 
rough named  in  the  first  column 
of  the  schedule  (£)  shall  ibr  the 
purposes  of  this  act  include  the 
several  places  mentioned  in  con- 
junction therewith  respectively  and 
named  in  the  second  column,  and 
shall,  jointly  with  such  places, 
hereafter  return  two  members  to 
parliament. 

(6.)  That,  hereafter^  each  of  the 
places  named  in  the  first  column 
of  the  schedule  (F)  shall  have  a 
share  in  the  election  of  a  member 
of  parliament,  for  the  shire-town 
or  borough  mentioned  in  conjunc- 
tion therewith  and  named  in  the 
second  column  :  but  no  part  of  the 
parish  of  Presteigne,  Ivmg  within 
the  county  of  Hereford,  snail  for 
the  purposes  of  this  act  be  deemed 
to  be  within  the  town  of  Pres- 
teigne. 

(7.^  That  the  towns  of  Swansea, 
Lougher,  Neath,  Aberaven,  and 
Ken  Fig,  shall  for  the  purposes  of 
this  act  be  taken  as  one  borough, 
and  shall  return  one  member  to 
parliament;  and  the  portreeve  of 


PUBLIC    DOCUMENTS. 


337 


Swansea  shall  be  the  returning 
officer  ;  and  no  person  by  reason  of 
any  right  accruing  in  any  of  the 
said  five  towns  shall  have  any  vote 
in  the  election  of  a  member  for  the 
borough  of  Cardiff. 

(8.)  That  the  persons  respect- 
ively described  in  the  third  co- 
lumn of  the  said  schedules  (C) 
and  (D)  shall  be  the  returning 
officers  at  all  elections  for  the  bo- 
roughs in  conjunction  with  which 
such  persons  are  respectively  men- 
tionea  in  the  said  schedules  (C) 
and  (D),  and  for  those  boroughs 
for  which  no  persons  are  mentioned 
the  sheriff  of  the  county  in  which 
such  boroughs  are  situate  shall^ 
within  two  months  after  the  pass- 
ing of  this  act,  and  in  every  suc- 
ceeding respective  year  in  the 
month  of  March,  by  writing  under 
his  hand,  appoint  ror  each  borough 
a  fit  person,  resident  therein,  to  be, 
and  such  person  so  appointed  shall 
accordingly  be,  the  returning  officer 
for  each  borough,  until  the  nomi- 
nation in  the  succeeding  March  j 
and  in  the  event  of  the  death  of 
any  such  person,  or  of  his  be- 
coming incapable  to  act  by  reason 
of  sickness  or  other  sufficient  im- 
])ediment,  the  sheriff  shall,  on  no- 
tice thereof,  forthwith  appoint  in 
his  stead  a  fit  person,  so  resident 
as  aforesaid,  to  be,  and  such  per- 
son so  appointed,  shall  accordingly 
be,  the  returning  officer  for  the  re- 
mainder of  the  then  current  year ; 
and  no  person,  having  been  so  ap- 
pointed as  returning  officer  for  any 
borough,  shall  after  the  expiration 
of  his  office  be  compellable  at  any 
time  thereafter  to  serve  again  in 
the  said  office  for  the  same  borough; 
but  no  person  in  holy  orders,  nor 
any  churchwarden  or  overseer  shall 
be  appointed  as  such  returning  of- 
ficer, and  no  person  so  appointed 
as  returning  officer  shall  be  appoint- 

Vol.  LXXIII. 


ed  a  churchwarden  or  overseer  du- 
ring the  year  for  which  he  shall  be 
such  returning  officer  ;  and  no 
rperson  qualified  to  be  elected  to 
serve  as  member,  shall  be  com- 
pellable to  serve  as  returning  offi- 
cer, if  within  one  week  after  he 
shall  have  received  notice  of  his 
appointment  as  returning  officer, 
he  shall  make  oath  of  such  qualifi- 
cation before  any  justice,  and  shall 
forthwith  notify  the  same  to  the 
sheriff. 

(9.)  That  in  all  future  parlia- 
ments there  shall  be  six  knights  of 
the  shire  for  the  county  of  York ; 
(viz.)  two  knights  for  each  of  the 
three  ridings  of  the  said  county,  to 
be  elected  as  if  each  of  the  three 
ridings  were  a  separate  count}'-. 

(10.)  That  in  all  future  parliar 
ments  there  shall  be  foqr  knights 
of  the  shire  for  the  county  of  Lin- 
coln ;  (viz.)  two  for  the  parts  of 
Lindsey,  and  two  for  the  parts  of 
Kesteven  and  Holland; .  and  such 
four  knights  shall  be  chosen  as  if 
the  said  respective  parts  were  se- 
parate counties. 

(11.)  That  each  of  the  coun- 
ties enumerated  in  schedule  (G) 
shall  be  divided  into  two  divisions 
and  that  in  all  future  parliaments 
there  shall  be  four  knights  of  the 
shire  for  each  of  the  said  counties; 
(viz.)  two  knights  for  each  division 
of  the  said  counties ;  and  such 
knights  shall  be  chosen  as  if  each 
of  the  said  divisions  were  a  separate 
county. 

(13.)  That  in  all  future  parlia- 
ments there  shall  be  three  knights 
of  the  shire  for  each  of  the  following 
counties ;  (i.  e.)  Berkshire,  Buck- 
inghamshire, Cambridgeshire,  Dor- 
setshire, Herefordshire,  Hertfords- 
shire,  and  Oxfordshire :  and  two 
knights  of  the  shire  for  each  of  the 
counties  of  Caerniarthen,  Denbigh, 
and  Glamorgan. 

Z 


338 


ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


(14.)  That,  the  isle  of  Wight 
ill  the  county  of  Southampton, 
shall  he  a  county  of  itself,  and  shall 
return  one  knight  to  parliament ; 
and  such  knight  shall  be  chosen  as 
any  kniglit  may  be  chosen  in  any 
county  in  England ;  and  all  elec- 
tions for  the  said  county  shall  be 
holden  at  the  town  of  Newport,  and 
the  sheriff  of  the  isle^  or  deputy, 
shall  be  the  returning  officer. 

(1.5.)  That,  for  electing  a 
knight  to  parliament,  the  east  and 
north  ridings  of  the  county  of 
York,  the  parts  of  Lindsey  in  the 
county  of  Lincoln,  and  the  several 
counties  in  the  second  column  of 
the  schedule  (H)  shall  respect- 
ively include  the  several  cities 
and  towns  and  counties  of  the  same 
respectively,  mentioned  in  con- 
junction with  such  counties  at 
large,  and  named  in  the  first  co- 
lumn of  the  said  6c:hedule  (H); 
and  for  the  like  purpose  the  county 
of  Gloucester  shall  include  that 
part  of  Bristol  which  is  situate  on 
the  (irloucestcrshire  side  of  the 
river  Avon,  and  the  county  of 
Somerset  shall  include  that  part  of 
Bristol  which  is  situate  on  the 
Somersetshire  side  of  the  said  river 
Avon. 

( 1  ().)  Every  male  person  of  full 
ae:e,  and  not  subject  to  any  legal 
incapacity,  who  shall  be  seised  at 
law  or  in  equity  of  any  lands  or 
tenements  for  an  estate  for  life,  of 
at  least  the  yearly  value  of  ten 
]>ounds  above  reprises,  holden  by 
copy  of  coiu*t  roll  of  the  lord  or 
lady  of  any  manor,  or  by  any  cus- 
tomary tenure,  or  lessee  or  assignee 
of  any  lands  or  tenements  demised 
for  any  term  not  less  than  sixty 
years  (whether  determinable  on  a 
life  or  lives  or  not,)  of  the  yearly 
value  of  not  less  than  ten  pounds 
above  reprises,  or  demised  for  any 
term  not   less  than  twenty  years 


(whether  determinable  on  a  life  or 
lives  or  not,)  of  the  yearly  valae  of 
not  less  than  fifty  pounds  above  re- 
prises, or  who  shall  ha^e  occupied 
and  farmed  on  his  own  account  far 
twelve  calendar  months  next  pr^ 
rious  to  the  first  day  of  Februarys 
1 8^2,  or  next  previous  to  the  last 
day  of  August  in  any  succeeding 
year,  any  lands  for  which  he  AM 
be  bona  /fide  liable  to  a  yearly  rent 
of  not  less  than  fifty  poana%  or 
who  shall  have  occupied  as  tenant 
for  twelve  calendar  months  next 
previous  to  the  first  day  of  Fehm- 
ary,  1832,  or  next  preyioos  to 
the  last  day  of  August  in  any  soo* 
ceediug  year,  any  lands  or  tene- 
ments for  which  he  shall  be  hcma 
Jidt  liable  to  a  yearly  rent  of  not 
less  than  fifty  pounds^  shall  yote 
for  the  county,  or  fbr  the  part, 
riding  or  division  of  the  county  in 
which  such  lands  or  tenements 
shall  be  respectively  situate :  hot 
the  only  persons  who  shall  yote  ia 
such  election  in  respect  of  ths 
terms  of  not  less  than  sixty  years 
or  twenty  years  as  aforesaid  shall 
be  lessees  or  assignees  of  the  origi- 
nal  term  granted  of  the  premises 
demised,  whether  or  not  in  the 
occupation  of  th€  premises  demised 
and  also  lessees  or  assignees  of  de* 
rivative  terms  or  under-leasea,  pro- 
vided such  last-mentioned  leasees 
or  assignees  be  in  the  actual  oceu- 
pation  of  the  premises  demised. 

(A.)  That  no  person  shall  rots 
in  the  election  of  a  knight  in  re* 
spect  of  any  freehold  lands  or  tene- 
ments, unless  to  him  of  the  yearly 
value  of  at  least  ten  pounds  abors 
reprises;  and  every  person  now 
entitled  to  vote  in  such  electioDi  in 
respect  of  his  having  an  estate  or 
interest  in  any  freehold  lands  or 
tenements  for  the  life  of  himadfi 
nr  of  any  other  person  or  pcraooSy 
of  the  yearly  value  of  forty  ahil* 


PUBLIC   DOCUMENTS. 


339 


lings  above  reprises^  and  below  ten 
pounds,  shall  retain  such  right  of 
voting  so  long  as  he  shall  have 
such  estate^  or  interest  in  the 
same  lands  or  tenements :  and  no» 
thing  shall  prevent  any  person  who 
now  is  or  hereafter  may  be  seised 
in  fee-simple  or  fee-tail  of  any 
freehold  lands  or  tenements  oif 
the  yearly  value  of  forty  shillings 
above  reprises,  from  voting  in  the 
election,  as  he  might  have  done  if 
this  act  had  not  been  passed. 

(170  No  trustee  or  mortagee 
shall  vote  unless  in  actual  posses- 
sion of  the  rents  and  profits;  but 
the  mortgagor  or  cestuique  trust  in 
possession  shall  vote. 

(18.)  No  one  shall  vote  in  the 
election  of  a  knight  in  respect  of 
his  estate  as  a  freeholder  in  any 
house^  warehouse,  or  counting- 
house  occupied  by  him,  or  in  any 
land  occupied  by  him^  together 
with  any  house,  warehouse,  or 
counting-house,  if  by  the  occupa- 
tion thereof  he  might  vote  in  the 
election  of  a  member  for  any  city 
or  borough,  whether  lie  have  or 
not  actually  acquired  the  right  to 
vote  for  such  city  or  borough  ;  and 
no  person  shall  vote  in  the  election 
of  a  knight  in  respect  of  his  estate, 
as  a  copyholder  or  customary  te- 
nant, or  as  such  lessee  or  assignee, 
or  as  such  tenant  and  occupier  as 
aforesaid,  if  by  such  occupation  he 
or  any  other  person  might  vote  in 
the  election  of  a  member  for  any 
city  or  borough,  whether  he  or  any 
other  person  have  actually  acquired 
the  right  to  vote  for  such  city  or 
borough  or  not. 

(19.)  Land  tax  no  longer  neces- 
sary to  voting. 

(20.)  That  no  person  shall  vote 
in  any  election  of  a  knight  in  re- 
spect of  any  freehold,  copyhold,  or 
customary  lands  or  tenements,  un- 
less   he  shall    have  been   seized 


thereof,  and  have  also  been  in  the 
actual  possession  thereof,  or  in  the 
receipt  of  the  rents  and  profits 
thereof  for  his  own  use,  for  six 
calendar  months  at  least  next  pre- 
vious to  the  first  dav  of  February^ 
183S»  or  next  previous  to  the  last 
day  of  August  in  any  succeeding 
year,  and  shall  have  been  duly 
registered  as  hereinafter  directed ; 
and  no  person  shall  vote  in  any 
such  election  in  respect  of  any 
lands  or  tenements  held  by  him  as 
such  lessee  or  assignee  as  afore- 
said, unless  he  shall  have  held  the 
same  as  such  lessee  or  assignee,  and 
also  have  been  in  the  actual  posses* 
sion  thereof,  or  in  the  receipt  of 
the  rents  and  profits  thereof  for  his 
own  use,  as  the  case  may  require, 
for  twelve  calendar  months  next 
previous  to  the  first  day  of  Febru« 
sgry,  1SS2,  or  next  previous  to  the 
last  day  of  August  in  any  succeed- 
ing year,  and  shall  have  been  duly 
registered  as  hereinafter  directed : 
but  where  any  lands  or  tenements 
which  would  otherwise  entitle  the 
owner  or  holder  thereof  to  vote  in 
any  such  election  shall  come  to  any 
person  at  anv  time  within  such  re- 
spective periods  of  six  or  -twelve 
calendar  months,  by  descent,  mar- 
riage, marriage-settlement,  devise^ 
or  promotion  to  any  benefice  in  a 
church,  or  by  promotion  to  any 
office,  he  shall  be  entitled  to  have 
his  name  inserted  as  a  voter  in  the 
election  of  a  knight  in  the  lists 
then  next  to  be  made,  as  herein- 
after mentioned. 

(21.)  That  in  every  election  for 
any  city  or  borough,  every  male 
person  of  full  age,  and  not  subject 
to  any  legal  incapacity,  who  shall 
have  occupied  within  any  such  city 
or  borough,  or  within  any  place 
sharing  in  the  election  for  such 
city,  &C.,  as  owner  or  tenant,  fior 
twelve  calendar  months  next  per- 

Z  2 


340 


ANNUAL   REGISTER,  1831. 


vious  to  the  first  day  of  February, 
]  832,  or  next  prenous  to  tlic  last 
day  of  August  iu  any  succeeding 
year,  any  liouse  assessed  to  the 
duty  on  inhabitc<l  houses  upon  a 
yearly  value  of  not  less  than  ten 
))ounds,  or  any  house,  warehouse, 
or  counting-house  being,  either 
separately  or  jointly  with  any  land 
owned  and  occupied  therewith,  or 
occupied  therewith  under  the  same 
landlord,  of  the  clear  yearly  value 
of  not  less  than  ten  pounds,  or 
any  house,  warehouse,  or  count- 
ing-house, for  which,  whether  se- 
parately or  jointly  with  any  land 
occupied  therewith,  under  the 
same  landlord,  he  shall  be  bona 
fide  liable  to  a  yearly  rent  of  not 
less  than  ten  pounds,  shall,  if  duly 
registered,  as  hereinafter  mention- 
ed, have  a  right  to  vote  in  the 
election  of  a  member  for  such  city, 
^c,  but  no  person  so  occupying 
such  premises,  so  assessed  or  rated 
as  aforesaid,  or  of  the  yearly  value 
or  rent  sis  aforesaid,  shall  ac- 
quire a  vote  unless  he  shall  have 
paid,  on  or  before  the  twentieth 
day  of  January,  1832,  all  the  poor's 
rates  and  assessed  taxes  which  shall 
have  become  payable  from  such 
])erson  in  respect  of  such  premise 
previously  to  the  eleventh  day  of 
October  then  next  preceding  or 
shall  have  paid  on  or  before  the 
twentieth  day  of  August  in  any 
succeeding  year  all  the  poor's  rates 
and  assessed  taxes  which  shall  have 
lieen  become  payable  from  him  in 
respect  of  such  premises  previously 
to  the  respective  sixth  day  of  April 
then  next  preceding,  nor  unless 
such  person  where  his  right  to  vote 
shall  depend  upon  his  being  bond 
Jide  liable  to  a  yearly  rent  of  not  less 
than  ten  pounds  as  aforesaid,  shall 
in  addition  to  the  payment  of  the 
poor*s  rates  and  assessed  taxes  as 
aforesaid,  have  also  paid  on  or  be- 


fore the  said  twentieth  day  of  Jan- 
uary, 1832,  all  the  rent  due  firam 
sucli  ]>erson  in  respect  of  his  preh 
mises  so  rented  previously  to  the 
twenty-ninth  day  of  September 
then  next  preceding,  or  shall  have 

Said  on  or  before  the  twentieth 
ay  of  August  in  any  succeeding 
year,  all  the  rent  which  shall  have 
become  due  from  him  in  respect  of 
such  premises  so  rented  previously 
to  the  respective  twenty-fourth  day 
of  June  then  next  preoediog :  but 
no  tenant  so  occupying  such  pre« 
mises  at  a  yearly  rent  oi  not  less 
than  ten  pounds,  shall  acquire  a 
vote  if  by  any  agreement  or  oontrir- 
ance  or  by  any  act  of  parliament,  or 
otherwise,  the  landlord  shall,  be 
liable  to  the  payment  of  the  poor't 
rates:  but  that  nevertheless^  where 
by  any  act  of  Parliament  the  land- 
lord shall  be  liable  to  the  payment 
of  such  ratesj  any  such  tenant  maV 
claim  to  be  rated  in  respect  of  snen 
premises,  and  upon  fa  is  actually  pay- 
ing the  full  amount  of  the  rates 
then  due,  to  acquire  the  same  riglit 
of  voting  as  if  his  landlord  had  not 
been  so  liable  for  such  rates :  and 
the  premises,  in  respect  of  the 
occupation  of  which  any  pemn 
shall  be  deemed  entitled  to  vote  in 
the  election  for  any  dty  or  borough 
shall  be  the  same  premises^  and 
not  different  premises  respectivdy 
occupied  for  any  portion  of  tM 
said  twelve  months;  and  that 
where  such  premises  as  aforesaid 
shall  be  jointly  occupied  by  more 
than  one  person  as  tenant  or  owns, 
each  of  such  joint  occupiers  shall 
be  entitled  to  vote  in  case  the  ysnrly 
value  or  yearly  rent  of  such  prenu- 
ses,  or  the  yearly  value  m  ie« 
spect  of  whidi  they  shall  have  hem 
assessed  or  rated  as  aforesaid^  shall 
be  of  an  amount  which,  whoi  di- 
vided by  the  number  of  such  occu- 
piers, shall  give  a  sum  of  not. leas 


PUBLIC    DOCUMENTS.  341 

than  ten  pounds  for  eacb  occupier,  would  entitle  him  then  to  vote  if 
but  not  otherwise :    and  no  person  such  days  were  respectively  the  days 
shall  acquire  a  vote  in  the  election  of  election^  nor  unless  such  person 
for  any  city  or  borough  who  shall  should  have  resided  for  six  calendar 
within    twelve    calendar    months  months  next  previous  to  the  first 
next  previous  to  the  first  day  of  day  of  February  in  the  next  year> 
February,   1832,  or  next  previous  or  next  previous  to  the  last  day  of 
to  the  last  day  of  August   in  any  August  in  any   succeeding  year, 
succeeding  year  have  been  in  the  within  the  city  or  borough,    or 
receipt  of  parochial  relief.  within  the  place  sharing  in  the 
(22.)  Every  person  now  having  a  election  for  the  city  or  borough,  in 
right  to  vote  for  any  city  or  borough  respect  of  which  city,  borough,  or 
(except  those  in  the  said  schedule  place,   such   person  shall  respect- 
A)  in  virtue  of  any  corporate'right  ively  be  entitled  to  vote,  or  with- 
shall  retain  such  right  during  his  in  seven  statute  miles  thereof;  and 
life,  and  may  vote  if  duly  register-  every  person  now  having  a  right 
ed  as  hereinafter  mentioned  ;  and  to  vote  in  the  election  for  any  city' 
every  burgess  or  freeman  of  any  or  borough  (except  those  in  the 
such  city  or  borough,   or   person  said  schedule  A )  in  virtue  of  any 
entitled  to  take  up  his  freedom  or  qualification  other  than  those  here- 
to be  admitted  to  the  freedom  of  inbefore  reserved,  shall  retain  such 
any   such   city  or   borough,   and  right  so  long  only  as  qualified  bv 
every  son  of  a  burgess  or  freeman  the  customs  of  such  city  or  borougn 
born  previously  to  the  passing  of  or  any  law  now  in  force,  and  shall  be 
this  act,    and    every    apprentice  entitled  to  vote  if  duly  registered ; 
bound  to  any  person  in  any  such  but  no  Buch  person  shall  be  so  re- 
city  or  borough,  previously  to  the  gistered  in  the  next  or  in  any  sue- 
passing  of  this  act,  and  every  per-  ceeding  year,   unless  he  shall,   on 
son  who  shall  hereafter  marry  the  the  first  day  of  February  in  the 
widow  or  daughter  of  a  freeman  of  next  year,  -and  on  the  last  day  of 
any  such  city  or  borough  where  August  in  each  succeeding  year, 
the  right  of  voting  in  the  election  continue  to  be  qualified  in  such 
for  such  city  or  borough  is  acquired  manner  as  woold  entitle  him  then 
by  marriage,  such  widow  or  daugh'  to  vote  if  such  days  were  respect- 
ter  having  been  horn  previously  to  ively  the  days  of    election,    nor 
the  passing  of  this  act,  may  have  imless    such    person,    where   his 
respectively   the  right  of  voting  right  to  vote  in  the  election  for 
either  as  a  burgess  or  freeman,  or  any  such  city  or  borough  shall  de- 
in  the  city  of  London  as  a  freeman  pend  upon  his  estate  or  interest  in 
and  liveryman,    and    shall   enjoy  any  annuity  or  freehold,  shall  have 
such  right  during  their  respective  resided  six  calendar  months  next 
lives,   if  duly  registered ;  but  no  previous  to  the  first  day  of  Febru** 
person   now   having   or  hereafter  ary  in  the  next  year,  or  next,  pre- 
acquiring  such  right  shall  be  regis-  vious  to  the  last  day  of  August  in 
tered  in  the  next  or  in  any  succeed-  each  succeeding  year,  within  such 
ing  year,  unless  he  shall,  on  the  first  city  or  borough,  or  within  seven 
of  February  in  the  next  year,  or  on  statute  miles  thereof:   but  no  per- 
the  last  day  of  August  in  any  sue-  son  elected  a  burgess  or  freeman  of 
ceeding  year  be  qualified  in  respect  any  such  city  or  borough  since  the 
q(  such  rightj  in  such  manner  as  first  4ay  of  March  lastj  otherwise 


342         ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


than  ill  respect  of  birth,  marriage 
or  servitude,  shiill  vote  for  suc}i 
city  or  honnigh^  or  be  so  register- 
ed ;  and  no  person  shall  vote  for 
any  sucli  rity,  Sic,  or  be  so  re- 
gistere<),  in  respect  of  any  estate 
or  interest  in  any  burgage  tenement 
annuity  or  freehold  which  shall 
have  been  acquired  since  the  first 
day  of  March  last,  unless  the  same 
shall  have  come  to  such  person 
since  that  day,  and  previously  to 
tliis  act,  by  descent,  marriage, 
marriage  settlement,  devise,  or 
promoti<m  to  any  benefice  in  a 
church,  or  by  promotion  to  any 
office. 

(2.S.)  Nominates thirty-onecom- 
missioners,  and  provides  that  they 
or  any  sixteen  shall  determine  in 
what  manner  each  of  the  counties 
enumerated  in  schedule  (G)  shall 
thereafter  be  divided  into  two  divi- 
sions, as  hereinbefore  mentioned  -, 
and  the  said  commissioners  or  any 
sixteen  shall  also  determine  at 
what  principal  place  of  election  the 
court  for  each  division  shall  be 
holden,  and  at  what  principal  place 
the  court  for  the  election  for  each 
of  the  three  ridings  of  Yorkshire, 
and  for  the  {mrts  of  Lindsey,  and 
for  the  parts  of  Kesteven  and  Hol- 
land in  the  county  of  Lincoln,  shall 
be  holden  ;  and  the  said  commis- 
sioners or  any  sixteen  may  incor- 
porate (for  the  purposes  of  election 
only)  with  any  county,  or  with 
any  division,  any  outlying  portions 
of  any  other  county  locally  situate 
within  the  former ;  and  the  said 
commissioners  or  any  sixteen  shall 
report  in  writing  such  their  deter- 
mination, and  deliver  such  report, 
within  three  months,  to  one  of  the 
secretaries  of  state. 

(24.)  That  the  said  commis- 
sioners or  any  sixteen  may  in- 
corporate for  the  purposes  of  this 
act^  with  any  city  or  borough^  or 


with  any  place  sharing  in  tba 
election  for  any  city  or  barougii^ 
which  shall  respectively  have  the 
right  of  sendinff  a  member  to  par- 
liament, the  whole  or  any  part  of 
any  one  or  more  parisheSf  tomi* 
ships  or  other  placet^  whedier  ax- 
tra-parochial  or  otherwisej  any 
part  of  which  may  he  locally 
situate  within  one  statute  nfle  of 
such  city,  &c.,  respectiYely ;  and 
the  said  commissioners  or  any  aiz- 
teen  may  ascertain  and  declare  for 
the  purposes  of  this  act,  the  limits 
and  boundaries  of  the  several  bo- 
roughs mentioned  in  the  said  ache* 
dules  (C)  and  fD),  and  of  audi 
places  mentioned  in  schedule  (F) 
as  are  not  now  incorporated  hf 
charter,  according  to  the  true 
intent  and  meaning  of  the  said 
schedules  and  of  this  act ;  and  that 
no  fat  BS  relates  to  any  city^  dr&i 
which  shall  retain  the  right  of 
sending  a  member  to  pazliamen^ 
but  which,  in  the  judgment  of  the 
said  commissioners,  or  of  any  six- 
teen, does  not  contain,  or  whsn 
any  place  shall  share  in  the  dee- 
tion  then  with  itself  and  snch 
place  together,  300  housest,  ware- 
houses, or  coutttingbousea  in  the 
whole,  being  respectively  assesswl 
to  the  duty  on  inhabited  hooaes 
upon  a  yearly  value  of  not  Isss 
than  10/.,  or  respectively  beiiiA 
either  separately,  or  jointly,  wiS 
any  land  occupied  tberewitbi  of 
the  clear  yearly  value  of  not  less 
than  10/.,  or  ratM  to  the  rdief  of 
the  poor  upon  a  yearly  value  of  aot 
less  than  1 0/.,  or,  band  Jide,  let  at 
a  yearly  rent  of  not  less  than  lOLf 
the  said  commissioners,  or  any  aiz* 
teen,  shall  incorporate  with  everj 
such  city,  &c.,  for  the  purpoaea  of 
this  act,  the  whole  or  any  part  of 
any  one  or  more  parishes  town- 
ships, or  other  places,  whether  ez« 
tra-parochial   or   othenriaa^   any 


PUBLIC    DOCUMENTS.  343 

part  of  which  may  be  locally  si-  commissioners ;  and  from  the  date 
tuate  within  seven  statute  miles  of  of  such  proclamation  relative  to 
such  city^^&c  ;  and  the  said  com-  cities  and  boroughs,  every  such 
missionersy  or  any  sixteen,  may  city  and  borough  as  aioresaid 
determiue  what  place  within  the  shall,  jointly  with  the  wliole  or 
limits  of  any  borough  acquiring  any  part  or  parts  of  any  parish, 
by  virtue  of  this  act  the  right  of  township  or  place,  parishes,  town- 
sending  a  member  to  parliament,  ships,  or  places,  incorporated  with 
shall  be  the  principal  place  for  such  city  or  borough,  or  with  any 
holding  the  election  for  such  bo-  place  sharing  in  the  election  for 
rough,  and  in  case  they  shall  not  such  city  or  borough,  by  the  de- 
determine  such  principal  place,  termination  of  the  saia  commis- 
then  the  returning  officer  shall ;  sioners,  be  a  city  or  borough  for 
and  the  said  commissioners,  or  tlie  purpose  of  electing  a  member 
any  sixteen,  shall  report  in  writing  to  parliament ;  and  tlie  limits  and 
their  determination  on  the  several  boundaries  of  every  )3orough  men- 
matters  aforesaid,  and"  shall  de-  tinned  in  the  said  schedules  (C) 
liver  such  report  within  three  and  (D),  and  of  such  places  as 
months  after  this  act,  to  one  of  his  aforesaid  mentioned  in  the  said 
Majesty's  principalSecretaries  of  schedule  (F)  shall  be  as  declared 
State.  by  the  said  commissioners :  but  if 
(25.)  That  one  of  his  Majesty *s  either  house  of  parliament  shall, 
principal  Secretaries  of  State  shall  instead  of  voting  an  address  to  his 
forthwith  cause  copies  of  such  re-  Majesty  in  any  of  the  cases  here- 
ports  to  be  laid  before  parliament,  inbefore  mentioned,  vote  that  both 
or  if  not  sitting,  then  within  ten  or  either  of  the  said  reports  shall 
days  after  their  sitting  ;  and  if  be  referred  back  to  the  said  corn- 
parliament  shall  vote  addresses  to  missioners  to  be  revised  and 
his  Majesty,  praying  his  Majesty  amended ;  in  such  case  the  said 
to  issue  his  royal  proclamation  for  commissioners,  or  any  sixteen,  shall 
making  known  the  reports  of  the  be  required,  from  time  to  time,  as 
said  commissioners,  or  either  of  such  reports  may  be  so  refened 
such  reports,  it  shall  be  lawful  for  back  to  them  to  revise  and  amend 
his  Majesty  to  issue  such  his  royal  the  reports  so  referred  back,  and 
proclamation  accordingly,  and  from  immediately  after  Uie  revision  and 
the  date  thereof,  making  known  amendment  thereof,  to  deliver  the 
the  report  of  the  said  commission-  same  so  revised  and  amended  to 
ers  relative  to  counties,  every  one  of  his  Majesty's  principal  Se- 
county  enumerated  in  the  said  cretaries  of  State,  who  shall  forth- 
schedule  (G)  shall,  for  the  pur-  with  caus6  the  same  to  be  laid 
poses  of  this  act,  be  divided  into  before  parliament,  or  if  not  sit- 
two  divisions,  according  to  the  de-  ting,  uten  within  ten  days  after 
termination  of  the  said  commis-  their  sitting;  and  if  parliament 
sioners  ^  and  each  division  shall  shall  vote  an  address  to  his  Ma- 
return  two  knights  ;  and  every  jesty ,  praying  his  Majesty  to  issue 
county  or  division  of  a  county  his  royal  proclamation  fixr  making 
shall,  for  the  purposes  of  this  act,  known  the  reports  so  revised  and 
include  any  portions  of  any  other  amended,  his  Mi^^ty  may  issue 
county  incorporated  therewith  by  such  his  royal  proclamation  ac- 
the   determination   of   the   said  oordingly ;  from  the  date  of  which 


344       ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


proclamation  tlic  divisions,  iiiccir- 
|M>rations,  and  other  matters  re- 
spectirely  determined  in  the  re- 
|M>rt  shall  take  effect. 

(2G.)  That  for  the  purpose  of 
collecting  information  for  enabling 
the  said  commissioners  to  execute 
their  several  powers,  any  one  or 
more  of  the  said  commissioners  is 
authorized  to  issue  precepts  under 
his  hand,  requiring  any  ix^rsons 
to  attend  before  him  for  giving 
evidence,  and  to  bring  before  him 
any  books,  pa|)ers  or  other  docu- 
ments of  a  public  nature,  except 
muniments  of  title. 

(27.)  That  New  Shoreham  shall, 
for  the  purposes  of  this  act,  in- 
clude the  whole  of  the  rape  of 
Bramber,  in  the  county  of  Sus- 
sex, except  the  borough  and  parish 
of  Horsham ;  and  the  borough  of 
Cricklade  shall  include  the  hun- 
dreds and  divisions  of  High  worth, 
Cricklade,  Staple,  Kingsbridge  and 
Malmsbury,  in  the  county  of  Wilts, 
except  the  borough  and  parish  of 
Malmsbury;  and  the  borough  of 
Aylesbury  shall  include  the  three 
hundreds  of  Aylesbury,  in  the 
county  of  Buckingham  ;  and  the 
borough  of  East  Retford  shall  in- 
clude the  hundred  of  Basset  law, 
in  the  county  of  Nottingham,  and 
all  places  locally  situate  within 
the  outside  boundary  of  the  hun- 
dred of  Bassctlaw,  or  surrounded 
by  such  boundary  and  by  any  part 
of  the  county  of  York  or  county  of 
Lincoln  :  but  every  person  now 
having  a  right  to  vote  for  New 
Shoreham,  in  respect  of  any  free- 
hold situate  in  the  borough  or 
parish  of  Horsham,  and  every 
])erson  now  having  a  right  to  vote 
for  Cricklade,  in  resi)ect  of  any 
freehold  situate  in  the  borough  or 
parish  of  Malmsbury,  shall  re- 
spectively retain  sucii  right  for 
the    several    boroughs   of    New 


Shoreham  and  Cricklade  including 
as  aforesaid,  subject  always  to  the 
conditions  hereinbefore  jnentioned 
with  regard  to  the  reservation  of 
the  right  of  voting  for  any  borough 
in  respect  of  freehold. 

(29.)  That  the  overseers  of 
every  parish  and  township  shall; 
at  the  expense  of  such  parish  or 
township,  on  or  before  the  first  of 
February,  1832,  and  on  or  before 
the  last  of  August  in  each  suc- 
ceeding year,  make  out>  according 
to  a  prescribed  and  alphabeticu 
list  of  all  persons  entitled  to  be 
registered  as  voters  in  the  eleo* 
tion  for  the  county,  for  any  lands, 
&c«,  situate  within  such  parish^ 
&c.,  and  in  such  list  the  christian 
name  and  surname  of  every  person 
shall  be  written  at  full  tength, 
together  ^vith  the  place  of  his 
abode,-  the  nature  of  his  qualifies* 
tion,  and  the  name  of  the  street^ 
lane,  or  other  description  of  the 
place  where  such  landsj  &c,  may 
be  situate ;  and  the  said  overseers 
shall  sign  such  list,  and  shall 
cause  a  sufficient  number  of  copies 
of  such  list  to  be  printed  at  the 
expense  of  their  parish  or  town- 
ship, and  shall  cause  such  copies 
to  be  fixed  on  or  near  the  doors  of 
all  the  churches  and  chapels  with- 
in such  parish  or  township^  or  if 
there  be  no  such  church  or  chapelj 
then  in  some  public  and  con- 
spicuous situation  within  the  same 
respectively,  on  the  two  Mondays 
next  after  such  list  shall  have  been 
made,  there  to  continue  during 
the  remainder  of  each  week  ;  and 
the  said  overseers  shall  likewise 
keep  a  true  copy  of  such  list,  to 
be  perused  by  any  person,  free,  at 
all  reasonable  hours  during  the 
two  first  weeks  after  such  list 
shall  have  been  made;  and  the 
said  overseers  shall,  on  or  befoird 

the  twenty-fifth  day  (tf  Febnuryi 


PUBLIC    DOCUMENTS. 


345 


1832,  and  on  or  before  the  twenty- 
fifth  day  of  September,  in  each 
succeeding  year,  deliver  such  lidt 
to  the  high  constable  of  the  hun- 
dred or  other  like  district  wherein 
such  parish  or  township  lies,  who 
shall  forthwith  deliver  the  same  to 
the  clerk  of  the  peace  of  the 
county :  but  every  precinct  or 
place,  whether  extra^parochial  or 
otherwise,  which  shall  have  no 
overseers,  shall  be  deemed  to  be 
within  the  parish  or  township 
adjoining  thereto,  being  situate 
within  the  same  county,  or  the 
same  part,  riding,  or  division  of  a 
county,  as  such  precinct  or  place  ; 
and  if  such  precinci  or  place  shall 
adjoin  two  or  more  such  parishes, 
it  shall  be  deemed  to  be  within 
the  least  populous  according  to  the 
last  census ;  and  the  overseers  of 
every  such  parish  or  township 
shall  insert  in  the  list  for  their 
respective  parish  or  township  the 
names  of  all  persons  entitled  to  be 
registered  as  voters,  &c.,  for  the 
county,  in  respect  of  any  lands, 
&c.,  situate  wholly  or  in  part 
within  such  precinct  or  place. 

(30.)  That  every  person  omitted 
in  any  such  list,  and  who  shall 
claim  to  have  his  name  inserted 
therein,  shall,  on  or  before  the 
last  day  of  February,  1832,  and 
on  or  before  the  last  day  of  Sep- 
tember in  every  succeeding  year, 
give  a  notice  m  writing  to  the 
overseers  of  the  parish,  &c., 
wherein  the  lands,  &c.,  may, be 
wholly  or  in  part  situate,  in  re- 
spect of  whioh  he  claims  to  have 
his  name  inserted  in  such  list; 
and  every  person  objecting  to  any 
other  person  as  not  intitled  to  have 
his  name  retained  on  any  such 
list  shall,  on  or  before  the  last  day 
of  February,  1832,  and  on  or  be- 
fore the  last  day  of  September  in 
every  succeeding  year^  give  a  notice 


in  writing  to  the  overseers  who 
made  out  such  list,  and  shall  also, 
on  or  before,  &c.,  give  to  the 
person  objected  to,  or  leave  at  his 
usual  place  of  abode;  or  send  by 
the  post  directed  to  him  at  his 
usual  place  of  abode,  a  notice  in 
writing;  and  the  overseers  shall 
include  the  names  of  all  persons  so 
claiming,  and  so  objected  to,  in 
notices  prescribed,  and  shall  cause 
copies  to  be  fixed  on  or  near  the 
doors  of  all  the  chxurches  and 
chapels  within  their  parish  or 
township,  or  if  there  be  no  such 
church  or  chapel,  then  in  some 
public  and  conspicuous  situation 
within  the  same  respectively,  on 
the  Monday  next  preceding  the 
tenth  day  or  March,  1832,  and  on 
the  Monday  next  preceding  the 
tenth  day  of  October  in  every 
succeeding  year ;  and  the  over- 
seers shall  likewise  keep  a  copy  of 
the  names  of  all  the  persons  so 
claiming  and  so  objected  to>  to  be 
perused  by  any  person,  free,  at  all 
reasonable  hours  during  the  seven 
days  next  preceding  the  said  tenth 
day  of  March  in  the  said  year> 
and  the  said  tenth  day  of  October 
in  every  succeeding  year. 

(31.)  That  the  chief  justice  of 
the  King^s  Bench,  immediately 
after  the  passing  of  this  act^  and 
in  each  succeeding  year,  in  July 
or  August,  shall  appoint  for  Mid- 
dlesex, and  the  juages  of  any  of 
the  superior  courts  at  Westmin- 
ster, named  in  the  last  commission 
of  assize  for  every  other  county, 
immediately  after  the  passing  of 
this  act,  and  in  each  succeeding 
year,  the  judges  or  judge  of  any  of 
the  said  courts  named  in  the  com- 
mission of  assize  for  every  such 
other  county,  or  the  survivor  of 
them,  when  travelling  the  sanitner 
circuit,    shall   appoint  for  ererj 

such  county^  ana  of  YcnJnhire  for 


346       ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1881. 

each  riding)  subject   to  the  ap«  (34.)  That    for    assisting    tli« 
probatiou  of  the  lord  high  chan-  overseen  in  making  out  their  listi, 
ccllor),  a  barrister  to  revise  the  the  town*clerk  or  other  like  officer 
lists  of  voters  in  the  election  of  a  of  every  city^  or  borough  or  place 
knight  of  the  shire ;  and  such  bar-  sharinff  in  tlie  election  therewith^ 
ristcr    so    appointed,    shall    give  shall   (upon  request,  during  Ja- 
public  notice^  as  well  by  advertise-  nuary,  1 832,  or  during  the  month 
ment  in  some  of  the  newspapers  of  August  in  any  succeeding  year, 
circulating  within  the  county  or  by  any  of  the  overseers   within 
riding,  as  also  by  a  notice  to  be  such  city,  &c.)    deliver  to  such 
fixed   in   some  public    and    con*  overseer  an  alphabetical  list  of  all 
spicuous   situation    at    the   prin*  the  freemen  of  such  city,  Ac,  en* 
cipal   place  of   election    for    the  titled  to  vote  for  such  city.  SiCm,  by 
county  or  riding,  or  for  each  di-  virtue  of  any  corporate  right  here* 
vision  of  the  county,  that  he  will  by  saved,  together  with  their  re« 
make  a  circuit  of  the  county  or  spective  places  of  abode, 
riding  for  which  he  shall  be  so  ap-  (35.)  That    every  precinct    or 
pointed,  and  of  the  several  times  place,  whether  extra  parochial  or 
and  places  at  which  he  will  hold  otherwise,    having    no    oyeraoerip 
courts  for  that  purpose,  being  be-  which  now  is  or  hereafter  may  be 
tween  the  tenth  day  of  March  in-  within  any  city,  &c.,  ahallj  for  the 
elusive,  and  the  twenty-fifth  day  purpose  ot  making  out  the  Ibt  of 
of  April  inclusive,   1 832,  and  be-  voters,  be  deemed  to  be  within  the 
tween  the   tenth  day  of  October  parish  or  township  adjoining  there- 
inclusive,  and  the  twenty-fifth  day  to ;  and  if  such  precinct  or  place 
of  November  inclusive,   in  every  shall   adjoin    two  or   more  each 
subsequent  year,  and  he  shall  hold  parishes,  &c.,  it  shall  be  dewnrf 
such  courts,  &c. ;  and  where  two  to  be  within  the  least  popidoiUb 
or  more  barristers  shall  be  appoint^  according  to  the  last  cenaus ;  and 
ed  for  the  same  county  or  nding,  the  overseers  of  every  such  pariah, 
they   shall   attend    at    the    same  &c.,  shall  insert  in  the   list   the 
places  togetlier,  but  shall  hold  se-  names  of  all  persons  entitled  to  be 
parate  courts  at  the  same  time :  registered  as  voters  for  any  audi 
but  no  such   barrister    shall    be  city  or  borough  in  respect  of  any 
eligible  to  parliament  for  eighteen  property  occupied  by  such  persons 
months  from  his  appointment  for  within  such  city,  &c.,  such  pro« 
the  county,  &c.,  for  which  he  shall  perty  being  situate  wholly  or  in 
be  so  appointed.  part  within  such  precinct  or  place. 

(32.)  That  the   clerk  of    the  (36.)  Persons  omitted  in    the 

peace  and  overseers  shall  attend  borough  or  city  lists  to  give  notice 

before  the  barristers,  who  shall,  on  of  their  claims  to  overseers  ;  and 

due  proof,    insert    and    expunge  notices  as  to  persons  not  entitled 

names  fi*t)n]  the  county  lists,  and  to  be  retained  in  the  lists,  and  lista 

rectify  mistakes  therein.  of  claimants  and   of  peramia  ob- 

(33.)  That  the  overseers  of  the  jected  to,  to  be  published,  &&, 

poor  of  every  parish   and  town-  as  directed  in  counties  in  dause 

ship,  &c,  shall   prepare  lists  of  30. 

persons  entitled  to  vote  in  cities  (No.  1.)  That  for  providing  a 

or  boroughs,  in  like  manner  as  for  list  of  the  liverymen  entitled  to 

oounties  as  detailed  in  clause  29.  vote  for  the  city  of  Londoo«  the 


PUBLIC    DOGUMENTlS. 


Si7 


returning  offioer  shall^  on  or  before 
the  first  day  of  February^  1832^ 
and  on  or  before  the  last  day  of 
August  in  each  suoceediog  year, 
issue  precepts  to  the  clerks  of  the 
companies,  requiring  them  forth* 
with  to  make  out  at  the  expense 
of  the   respective  companies,    an 
alphabetical  list  of  the  said  livery- 
men  entitled  to  vote ;  and  every 
such  clerk  shall  sign  such  list,  and 
transmit    the    same,    with     two 
printed  copies  thereof,  to  such  re« 
turning  officer,   who  shall  forth- 
with fix  one    such  copy   in  the 
Guildhall,  and  one  in  the  Royui 
Exchange,  there  to  remain  four« 
teen  days ;  and  shall  cause  a  suf- 
ficient  number  of  such  lists  to  be 
printed  at  the  expense  of  the  re- 
spective companies,  and  shall  keep 
the  same  to  be  perused  by  any 
person,  free,  during  the  two  first 
weeks    after   such  lists  shall    be 
printed ;  and  every  person  omitted 
in  any  such  list,  and  who   shall 
claim  to  have  his  name  inserted' 
therein,  shall,  on  or  before  the  last 
day  of  February,   1832,  and   on 
or  before  the  last  day  of  Septem- 
ber in  every  succeeding  year,  give 
notice  in  writing,  to  the  returning 
officer,  and  to  the  clerk  of  that 
company,  in  the  list  whereof  he 
shall  claim  to  have  his  name  in- 
serted; and  the  returning  officer 
shall    include    the    names  of  all 
persons  so  claiming  in  a  notice, 
and  shall  cause  such  notice  to  be 
fixed  in  the  Guildhall  and  Royal 
Exchange  on   the  Monday    next 
preceding  the  tenth  day  of  March, 
1832,  and  on  the  Monday   next 
preceding^  the  tenth  day  of  Oc- 
tober in  every  succeeding  year; 
and  they  shall  likewise  keep  a  copy 
of  the  names  of  all  persons  so  claim- 
ing, to  be  perused  by  any  person, 
free,  during  the  seven  days  next 
preceding  the  said  tenth  day  of 


March,  1832,  and  the  said  tenth 
day  of  October  in  every  suooeed- 
ing  year;  and  every  person  who 
shall  object  to  any  other  person  as 
not  intitled  to  have  his  name  re- 
tained on  any  such  list,  shall,  on  or 
before  the  last  day  of  FelMrnary, 
1832,  and  on  or  before  the  last 
day  of  September  in  every  suc- 
ceeding year,  give  to  such  other 
person,  or  leave  at  his  usual  place 
of  abode,  a  notice  in  writing  $  and 
the  returning  officer  shall  take  the 
poll  of  such  liverymen  5  and  not 
be  required  to  provide  any  such 
booth  or  compartments,  but  shall 
take  one  poll  for  all  such  livery- 
men at  the  same  place. 

(B.)  Judges  of  Assise  to  name 
barristers  to  revise  the  lists  of  bo- 
rough and  city  voters  in  like  man- 
ner as  directed  for  counties  in 
clause  31. 

(370  The  barrister  so  appointed 
to  revise  lists  of  borough  and  city 
voters,  and,  upon  due  proof,  to  in- 
sert and  expunge  names  and  rec- 
tify mistakes. 

(38.)  That  the  overseers  of 
every  parish  or  township  ^all 
(upon  reauest  made  by  them,  or 
any  of  tnem,  at  any  reasonable 
time  between  the  first  day  of  Ja- 
nuary and  the  first  day  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1832,  and  between  the  first 
day  of  July,  and  the  last  day  of 
August  in  any  succeeding  year,  to 
any  assessor  or  collector  m  taxes, 
or  to  any  other  officer  having  the 
custody  of  any  dujdicate  or  tax 
assessment  for  such  parish  or 
township)  have  free  liberty  to  in- 
spect any  each  duplicate  or  tax 
assessment,  and  to  extract  from 
thence  necessary  names;  and  every 
barrister  holding  any  court  may 
require  any  assesscn*,  collector  oi 
taxes,  or  other  officer  having  the 
custody  of  any  duplicate  or  tax 
assessment;  or  any  overseer  kaving 


348        ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


the  custcKly  of  any  [Hxff  rate,  to 
produce  the  same  respectively  be- 
fore him. 

(30.)  That  every  barriHter  hold- 
ing any  court  may  adjourn  the 
same,  and  from  any  one  place  to 
any  other  phu*c  within  the  same 
county  or  riding,  or  within  the 
same  city  or  borough,  ike.  but  so 
as  that  no  such  adjourned  court  in 
the  year  1  S'S2,  shall  1)c  held  after 
the  'Jjth  day  of  April  in  the  said 
year,  and  that  no  such  adjourned 
court  in  any  succeeding  year,  shall 
lie  held  after  the  25th  (fay  of  No- 
vembiT  in  such  re8i)ective  year; 
and  every  such  barrister  may  ad« 
minister  an  ojith,  or  aflfirmation,  to 
tUl  |)ersons  making  objection  to 
the  insertion  or  omission  of  any 
name  in  such  lists,  and  to  all  jR^r- 
sons  objecte<l  against,  or  claiming 
to  be  inserted  in  such  lists,  or 
claiming  to  have  any  mistake  cor-i 
rectod,  and  to  all  witnesses ;  and 
at  the  holding  of  such  res{)ectivc 
courts  the  parties  shall  not  be  cit- 
tendeil  by  (*ounsel :  and  every  such 
Imrrister  shall,  upon  the  hearing 
in  o|H'n  court,  finally  determine 
U|Mni  the  validity  of  such  claims 
and  objections,  and  shall  in  open 
court  write  his  initials  against 
the  names  res}H'ctively  struck  out 
or  insi'rti'tl,  and  against  any  |)art  of 
the  siiid  lists  in  which  any  mis- 
takes shall  have  Ikhju  corrected, 
and  shall  sign  his  name  to  every 
imgi\ 

(  U).>  That  the  lists  of  voters  for 
oacli  (*ounty,  &c.,  so  signetl  by  any 
such  Iwrris'ter,  shall  be  forthwith 
transmittinl  to  the  clerk  of  the 
|K*aix»  of  the  ivunty,  who  shall  keep 
the  said  lists  among  the  records  of 
the  st^ssions,  aiTanged  with  every 
hundred,  and  parish,  and  township 
iu  alphabetical  onler,  and  shall 
cause  the  said  lists  to  be  truly 
copied  in  the  same  order  in  a 


book  to  be  by  him  provided  at  the 
expense  of  the   couDty  or  riding, 
and  shall  prefix  to  every  name  its 
proper    number,     beginning     tfae 
numbers  from  the  first  name  and 
continuing  them  in  a  regular  se* 
ries  down  to  the  last  name,  and 
sh:dl  deliver  such  book  on   or  be- 
fore the  last  day  of  April,    1832^ 
and  on  or  before  the  last  day  of 
November    in     every    sucoeediDg 
year,  to  the  sheriff  or  his  under-s 
sheriff,  who  shall  deliver  over  the 
same  to  their  respective  successors; 
and   the  lists  of  voters  for   each 
city  or  borough,  shall  be  delivered 
to  the  returning  officer  who  shall 
safely  keep  them,  and  cause  them 
to  be  truly  copied  in  a  book  pro* 
videtl  for  that  purpose  at  the  ex« 
pense  of  the  county,  with  every 
name  therein  numbered  according 
to   the  directions  aforesaid,    ana 
shall  cause  such  book  to  be  com- 
pleted on  or  before  the  last  day  of 
April,  1832,  and  on  or  before  the 
last  day  of  November  in   every 
succeeding  year,  and  shall  deliver 
over  such  book,  together  with  the 
lists  to  his  successor;   and  such 
respective   books  to  be  so  com- 
pleted on  or  before  the  last  day  of 
April,  1832,  shall  be  deemed  the 
registers  of  electors  for  the  several 
counties,  parts,  ridings,  and  divi* 
sions  of  counties,  cities  and  bo- 
roughs to  which  such  registers  re- 
spectively relate,   after  the    said 
last  day  of  April  in  the  said  year, 
and  before  the  first  day  of  Decem- 
ber in  the  next  year;  and  such 
respective  books  to  be  so  completed 
on  or  before  the  last  day  of  Nor 
vember  in  such  next  and  in  every 
succeeding  year  shall  be  the  regis- 
ters of  the  electors  to  vote  between 
the  1st  day  of  December  induaive 
in  the  year  wherein  such  registers 
shall  have  been  made, and  the  istday 
of  December  in  the  following  year. 


PUBLIC    DOCUMENTS. 

(C)  That  the  orerseers  of  every  (49.)  But  by  petition  to  the 

parish     aod    towoBhtp,    and    the  House  of  Commous,  complaining 

clerks  of  the  peace  for  the  coun-  of  an  undue  election  of  any  knight, 

ties,  ridings,  &c.,  shall  cause  to  be  citizen  or  burgess,  any  petitioner 

printed,  at  the  expense  of  their  re<  may  question  the   correctness   of 

spective  parishes,  &c.,  andcounties,  the  register,  and  prove  that  names 

&c.  copies  of  the  lists  which  shall  irere  improperly  retaiued,  inserted, 

be  gireu  to  all  persons  applying,  OD  expunged  or  omitted  in  the  lists 

payment  of  a  reasonable  price.  from    vhich    the     register    shall 

(D)  That  eiery  barrister  ap-  have  been  constituted;-  and   the 

pointed  to  revise  any  lists,   shall  committee   may  inquire   lata  the 

be  paid  at  the  rate  of  five  guineas  same,  and  alter  the  poll  and  re- 

fnr  every  da^  above  his  travelling  port  the  same  to  the  House,  and 

and  other  expenses.  the  return  shall  be  amended,  or 

(41.)  That  in  all  elections  no  the  election  declared  void,  as  the 
inquiry  shall  be  permitted  at  poll-  cnse  may  be,  iiiui  tiie  iL-gister  cor- 
ing, as  to  the  right  of  any  person  reeled  accordingly;  and  in  case 
to  vote,  except  only  whether  the  of  corruption,  partiality,  or  wilful 
person  claiming  to  vote  be  the  misconduct  on  the  part  of  such 
same  whose  name  appears  in  such  barrister,  may  order  such  costs  to 
register,  and  whether  hisqualifi-  be  paid  by  him  to  the  ])etitionVi- 
cation  stilt  continues,  and  lie  has  as  such  committee  shall  think 
previously  voted,  all  which  in-  reasonable :  and  any  person  whose 
quiries  the  returning  officer  or  his  name  may  have  been  rejected  or 
respective  deputyshall,  if  required,  expunged  by  the  barrister,  may, 
by  any  candidate,  make  from  eadi  notwithstanding,  tender  his  vote 
voter  at  tendering  his  vote,  and  not  at  such  election,  and  his  vote  may 
after,  and  shall  also,  if  so  required,  be  placed  upon  the  poll  by  the 
administer  an  oath,  or  affirmation,  committee. 

to  such  voter,  in  the  form  pre-  (.-^3.)  That  the  sheriffs  shall 
scribed,  and  no  elector  shall  be  re-  duly  cause  proclamation  to  he 
quired  to  take  any  oath  or  affirm-  mane  of  the  several  days  fixed  for 
ation,  except  as  aforesaid,  in  proof  the  election  of  a  knight  of  the 
of  his  freehold,  residence,  agej  or  aliire  for  the  several  parts,  ridings, 
other  qualification  to  vote ;  and  no  and  divisions  of  their  said  respect- 
person  claiming  to  vote  shall  be  ivc  counties,  and  shall  preside  at 
excluded  from  voting,  except  by  the  same  b]f  themselves  or  their 
its  appearing  tc  the  returning  of-  lawful  deputies, 
fleer  or  his  respective  deputy  that  (44.)  Tbatif  on  theOay  ofelec- 
the  person  so  daiming  is  not  the  tionfor  anycounty,orforanypart, 
same  person  whose  name  appears  &c.,  mure  oaiididates  shall  be  pro- 
in  such  register,  or  that  bis  qua-  posed  than  the  number  of  va- 
lification  does  not  still  continue,  or  cancies,  and  a  poll  shall  be  de- 
that  he  has  previously  polled,  or  manded,  the  jwlling  shall  com- 
by  his  refusing  to  take  the  said  meiice  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  fore- 
oath,  or  make  the  said  affirmation,  noon  of  the  next  day  but  one  after 
or  to  any  other  oath  or  affirmation  the  day  fixed  Itir  the  election,  un- 
not  hereby  dispensed  with  ;  and  less  such  next  day  but  one  shall  be 
no  scrutiny  shall  hereafter  be  al-  Siindar,  and  then  on  the  Monday 
lowed  before  anyreturnjiig  officer,  following,  at  the  principal  place  of 


350 


ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


election,  and  also  at  the  several 
places  to  be  appointed  as  herein- 
after directed  for  taking  }K)1]s; 
and  such  polling  shall  continue  for 
two  days  only,  such  two  days  being 
successive  days,  except  where  Sun- 
day shall  intervene;  (that  is  to 
say)  for  seven  hours  on  the  first 
day  of  pollings  and  for  eight  hours 
on  the  second  day  of  polling ;  and 
no  poll  shall  be  kept  open  later 
than  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
of  the  second  day. 

(45.)  That  after  such  royal  pro- 
clamation as  hereinbefore  mention- 
ed shall  have  been  issued^  making 
known  the  divisions,  the  justices 
for  every  county  at  the  quarter 
sessions  next  after  such  proclama- 
tion, or  at  some  special  sessions  to 
be  appointed  by  them  (and  of 
which  there  shall  be  given  at  least 
ten  days'  public  notice),  shall  di- 
vide their  respective  counties,  and 
parts,  ridings  and  divisions  of 
counties,  into  convenient  districts 
for  polling,  and  shall  appoint  in 
each  district  a  convenient  place 
for  taking  the  poll,  so  that  no 
person  shall  travel  more  than  fif- 
teen miles  from  the  property  in 
respect  of  which  he  claims  to  vote; 
but  no  county,  or  part^  &c.,  shall 
have  more  than  nfteen  districts 
appointed  for  taking  the  poll,  and 
the  justices  may  appoint  other  dis- 
tricts and  places  for  polling  every 
two  years  from  the  respective  pre- 
ceding appointment ;  and  a  list  of 
the  districts  and  places  for  polling 
shall  be  lodged  with  the  clerk  of 
the  peace  of  each  county,  who 
shall  forthwith  cause  copies  to  be 
printed,  at  the  expense  of  the 
county,  and  to  be  fixed  on  or  near 
the  doors  of  the  churches  and  cha- 
pels within  each  county,  or  part,  &c., 
according  to  the  last  appointment ; 
and  the  polling  shall  take  place 
according  to  the  list  last  lodged. 


(46. )  That  at  every  election  ibr 
any  county,  or  part,  &c.,  the  the* 
riff,  under-sheriiOr,  or  sheriff's  de« 
puty  shall,  if  required  thereto  on 
behalf  of  any  candidate  od  the 
day  fixed  for  the  election,  and  if 
not  so  required  may,  if  it  Bhall 
appear  to  him  expedient,  cause  to 
be  erected  a  reasonable  number  oC 
booths  for  taking  the  poll  at  each 
polling-place  so  appointed  and  to 
be  affixed  on  the  most  conspicaoue 
part  of  each  booth  the  names  of 
the  several  parishes,  townships^ 
and  places  for  which  such  booth 
is  respectively  allotted;  and  no 
person  shall  vote  in  respect  of  any 
property  situate  in  any  parish, 
township  or  place  for  which  any 
booth  is  allotted,  except  at  the 
booth  so  allotted ;  but  if  any  pa^ 
rish,  township  or  place,  shall  not 
be  included  in  any  district  the 
votes  in  respect  of  property  situate 
in  any  parish,  township  or  place  so 
omitted  shall  be  taken  at  the  prin« 
cipal  place  of  election. 

(47')  That  the  sheriff  may  ap- 
point deputies  to  preside  and 
clerks  to  take  the  poll,  and  the 
})o]l-clerk8  shall,  at  the  dose  of 
each  day's  polly  enclose  and  seal 
their  several  books,  and  publidy 
deliver  them  to  the  sheriff,  under^ 
sheriff,  or  sheriff's  deputy,  pre- 
siding at  such  poll,  who  shall  giye 
a  receipt  for  the  same,  and  shall  on 
the  commencement  of  the  poll  on 
the  second  day,  deliver  them  haxk, 
so  enclosed  and  sealed ;  and  on  the 
final  close  of  the  poll  every  such 
deputy,  shall  forthwith  transmit 
the  same  so  enclosed  and  sealed, 
to  the  sheriff  or  his  undel^•sheriff, 
who  shall  keep  all  the  poll-booka 
unopened  until  the  re-assemhling 
of  the  court  on  the  day  next  but 
one  after  the  close  of  the  poll, 
unless  such  next  day  but  one  shall 
he  Sunday,  and  then  on  the  Mon- 


PUBLIC    DOCUMENTS. 


361 


day  following  when  he  shall  openly 
break  the  seals  thereon^  and  cast 
up  the  number  of  votes  as  they 
appear  on  the  said  several  books^ 
and  shall  openly  declare  the  state 
of  the  poll,  and  shall  make  pro* 
clamation  of  the  member  or  mem* 
hers  chosen  not  later  than  two 
Q^clock  in  the  afternoon  of  the  said 
day. 

(48.)  That  at  every  election  ftxr 
any  city  or  borough  except  Mon* 
mouthy  the  poll  shall  commence 
on  the  day  fixed  for  the  election, 
or  on  the  day  next  following^  or  at 
the  latest  on  the  third  day,  unless 
'  any  of  the  said  davs  shall  be  Sun« 
day,  and  then  on  the  Monday  fol- 
lowing, at  the  discretion  of  the 
returning  officer^  in  case  the  can- 
didates do  not  agree ;  and  shall 
continue  for  two  successive  days, 
only,  except  where  Sunday  shall 
intervene;  that  is  to  say,  for  seven 
hours  at  least  on  the  first  day,  and 
for  eight  hours  on  the  second  day 
of  polling;  and  the  poll  shall  on 
no  account  be  kept  open  later  than 
four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of 
such  second  day,  but  nothing  shall 
prevent  any  returning  oiiicer,  or 
his  lawful  deputy,  from  closing 
the  poll  earlier  where  it  might 
have  been  lawfully  closed  berore 
this  act. 

(49.)  That  at  every  election  for 
any  city  or  borough  except  Mon- 
mouth, there  shall  be  appointed 
for  taking  the  poll  difierent  booths 
for  different  parishes,  districts  or 
parts  of  such  city  or  borough, 
which  booths  may  be  situated 
either  in  one  place  or  in  several 
places,  and  shall  be  so  divided  into 
compartments  as  to  the  returning 
officer  shall  seem  most  convenient, 
80  that  no  greater  number  than  600 
shall  be  required  to  poll  at  any  one 
compartment ;  and  the  returning 
officer  shall  appoint  a  clerk  to  take 


the  poll  at  each  compartment,  and 
shall  cause  to  be  affixed  on  the 
most  conspicuous  part  of  each  of 
the  said  booths^  the  names  of  the 
several  parishes*  districts  and  parts 
for  whids  such  booth  is  reKptcU 
ividy  allotted;  and  no  one  shall 
vote  except  at  the  booth  allotted 
for  the  parish,  district,  at  part 
wherein  the  property  may  be  Mtu« 
ate  in  respect  or  which  ne  claims 
to  vote,  or  whereiii  his  place  of 
abode  as  described  in  the  register 
may  be;  but  no  booth  shul  be 
provided  for  any  particular  parish^ 
district  or  part  as  aforesaid,  the 
votes  in  respect  of  property  situate 
in  any  parish,  district  or  part  so 
omittedi  may  be  taken  at  any 
booth ;  and  the  votes  of  the  free- 
men residing  out  of  the  limits  of 
the  city  or  borough,  but  with- 
in seven  statute  miles  thereof, 
may  be  taken  at  any  booth  ; 
ana  public  notice  of  the  sit* 
nation,  division  and  allotment 
of  the  different  booths  shall  be 
given  three  days  before  the  com- 
mencement of  the  poll,  by  the  re- 
turning officer;  and  in  case  the 
booths  shall  be  situated  in  differ- 
ent places,  the  returning  officer 
may  appoint  a  deputy  to  preside 
at  each  place ;  [similar  enactments 
to  those  of  the  47th  sec.  Q  but 
the  retiurning  officer,  or  his  lawful 
deputy,  may,  if  he  think  fit,  de- 
clare the  final  state  of  the  poll, 
and  proceed  to  make  the  return 
imm^iately  after  the  poll  shall 
have  been  lawfully  dosea  :  and  no 
nomination  shall  be  made,  or  elec- 
tion holdeui  for  any  city  or  bo- 
rough, in  any  churchf  chapel,  or 
other  place  of  public  worship. 

(50.)  That  all  booths  shall  be 
erected  at  the  joint  and  equal  ex- 
pense of  the  several  candidates, 
aad  by  contract  with  the  candid- 
ates, if  they  will  make  sudi  con- 


352 


ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


tracts  or  if  they  shall  not  make 
such  contract^  then,  by  tlic  sheriff 
or  other  returning  oiticcr^  at  the 
expense  of  the  several  c^indidates  ; 
and  the  deputies  apjKiintcd  by  the 
sheriff  or  other  returning  officer, 
shall  be  paid  each  two  guineas  by 
the  day,  and  the  clerks  employed 
in  taking  the  poll  shall  be  paid 
each  one  guinea  by  the  day,  at  the 
expense  of  the  candidates  :  but  if 
any  person  shall  be  pro])osed  with- 
out his  consent,  then  the  person 
proposing  him  shall  defray  his 
share  of  the  said  expenses  as  if  he 
had  been  a  candidate :  but  nothing 
shall  prevent  the  candidates  or  any 
sheriff  or  other  returning  officer 
from  hiring  houses  or  other  build- 
ings for  taking  the  poll,  subject  to 
the  same  regulations  as  booths. 

(i")!.)  That  the  sheriff  or  other 
returning  officer  shall,  before  the 
day  fixed  for  the  election,  cause  to 
be  made  for  the  use  of  each  booth 
or  other  ])ol ling- place,  a  true  copy 
of  the  register  of  voters,  and  shall 
under  his  hand  certify  every  such 
copy  to  be  true. 

(5ii.)  That  every  deputy  of  a 
sheriff  or  other  returning  officer 
may  administer  oaths  and  affirma- 
tions, and  appoint  commissioners 
as  the  sheriff  or  other  returning 
officer,  subject  to  the  same  regu- 
lations. 

(/;,S.)  That  every  person  having 
a  right  to  vote  for  the  borough  of 
Monmouth,  in  respect  of  the  towns 
of  Newport  or  Usk,  may  give  his 
vote  at  Newport  or  Usk  respect- 
ively, before  the  mayor  or  other 
municipal  officer ;  and  every  per- 
son having  a  right  to  vote  for  any 
shire-town  or  borough,  in  respect 
of  any  place  named  in  the  first 
column  of  schedule  (F)  may  vote 
at  such  place  before  the  mayor  or 
other  municipal  officer ;  and  every 
person  having  a  right  to  vote  for 


the  borough  composed  of  the  towns 
of  Swansea,  Lougher,  Neath,  Aber- 
aven,  and  Ken-ng,  may  vote  at  the 
town  in  respect  of  which  he  shall 
be   entitled  to  vote;    (that  is  to 
say,)  at  Swansea  before  the  port* 
reeve  of  Swansea,  and  at  each  of 
the  other  towns  before  the  mayor 
or  other  municipal  officer  ;  and  at 
every  election  for  Monmoath,  or 
for    any  shire-town    or    borou^ 
named  in  the  second  colunin  of  the 
said  schedule  (F)  or  for  the  bo- 
rough composed  of  the  said  five 
towns,  the  polling  shall  commence 
on  the  day  fixed  for  the  respective 
election,  as  well  at  Monmouth  as 
at  Newport  and  Usk  respectively, 
and  as  well  at  the  shire-town  or 
borough  as  at  each   of  the  places 
sharing    in    the    election    there- 
with  respectively,  and  as  well  at 
Swansea  as  at  each  of  the   four 
towns  respectively ;  and  shall  con- 
tinue for  two  successive  days  only, 
except  intervening  Sunday;   that 
is  to  say,  for  seven  hours  at  the 
least  on  the  first  day  of  polling, 
and  for  eight  hours  on  the  second 
day  of  polling,  and  shall  on  no  ac- 
count be  kept  open  later  than  four 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  such  se- 
cond day  5  and  the  returning  of- 
ficer of  the  borough  of  Monmouth 
shall  give  to  the  mayor  or  other 
municipal  officer  of  Newport  and 
Usk  respectively,  and  the  retum« 
ing  officer  of  every  shire-town  or 
borough  named  in  the  second  co« 
lumn   of   the   said  schedule   (F) 
shall  give  to  the  mayor  or  ot^er 
municipal   officer  of  each  of   the 
places  sharing  in  the  election  for 
such  shire-town  or  borough,  notice 
of  the  day  fixed  for  such  respective 
election,  and  shall  before  such  day 
cause  to  be  made,  and  to  be  deli- 
vered to  every  such  mayor  or  other 
municipal  officer,  a  true  copy  of 
the  register  of  voters  for  the  bo- 


PUBLIC    DOCUMENTS. 


353 


rough  of  Monmouth  or  for  such 
shire-town  or  borough,  and  shall 
under  his  hand  certify  every  such 
coi)y  to  be  true ;  and  the  portreeve 
of  the  town  of  Swansea  shall  give 
notice  of  the  day  of  election  to  the 
mayor  or  other  municipal  officer 
of  the  towns  of  Lougher,  Neath, 
Aberaven  and  Ken-fig,  and  shall 
in  like  manner  cause  to  be  made, 
and  to  be  delivered  to  every  such 
mayor  or  other  municipal  officer,  a 
true  and  certified  copy  of  the  re- 
gister of  voters  for  the  borough 
composed  of  the  said  five  towns ; 
and  the  respective  mayors  or  other 
municipal  officers  of  Newport  and 
of  Usk,  and  of  the  respective 
places  named  in  the  first  column 
of  the  said  schedule  (F)  as  well  as 
of  the  towns  of  Lougher,  Neath 
Aberaven,  and  Ken-fig,  shall  re- 
spectively take,  manage  and  deli- 
ver or  transmit  the  polls  in  the 
same  manner  as  the  deputies  of  the 
returning  officers  of  the  cities  and 
boroughs  in  England. 

(54.)  That  all  laws  and  usages 
respecting  elections  shall  remain 
in  full  force,  except  so  far  as  alter- 
ed or  inconsistent  herewith. 

(56.)  That  if  any  person  in  the 
enjoyment  of  any  office  now  by  law 
disqualifying  him  from  giving  his 
vote  shall  vote,  he  shall  be  liable 
to  all  penalties  to  which  he  would 
have  been  subject  at  the  passing  of 
this  act ;  and  in  case  of  a  petition 
to  the  House  of  Commons,  his  vote 
shall  be  struck  ofi^  by  the  commit- 
tee, with  costs. 

(57.)  That  if  any  person  shall 
personate  any  voter  or  vote  twice, 
he  shall  be  guilty  of  a  misdemean- 
our, and  be  for  ever  disqualified 
from  voting,  and  be  liable  to  such 
fine,  not  exceeding  50/. or  imprison- 
ment not  exceeding  six  months,  as 
the  court  shall  think  fit ;  and  in 
case  of  a  petition  to  the  House  of 

Vol.  LXXIII. 


Commons,  his  vote  shall  be  struck 
off  by  the  committee,  with  costs. 

(58.)  That  all  writs  for  elections, 
and  mandates,  precepts,  instru- 
ments, proceedings  and  notices 
consequent  upon  such  writs,  shall 
be  framed  conformably  to  this  act. 

(59.)  Nothing  shaJl  affect  the 
election  of  members  for  the  uni- 
versities of  Oxford  or  Cambridge, 
or  shall  entitle  any  person  to  vote 
for  the  city  of  Oxford  or  town 
of  Cambridge,  in  respect  of  the  oc- 
cupation of  any  chambers  or  pre- 
mises in  any  of  the  colleges  or  halls 
of  the  universities  of  Oxford  and 
Cambridge. 

(60.)  Misnomers  shall  not  vi- 
tiate any  proceedings  under  this 
act. 


Schedules  to  which  the  foregoing 
Act  refers. 

Schedule  (A.) 

Aldeburgh,  Suffolk. 
Appleby,  Westmoreland. 
Bedwin  (Great),  Wilts. 
Beeralston,  Devonshire. 
Bishop's  Castle,  Salop. 
Blechingley,  Surrey. 
Boroughbridge,  Yorkshire. 
Bossiney,  Cornwall. 
Brackley,  Northampton. 
Bramber,  Sussex. 
Callington,  Cornwall. 
Camelford,  ditto. 
Castle  Rising,  Norfolk. 
Corfe  Castle,  Dorsetshire. 
Downton,  Wilts. 
Dunwich,  Suffolk. 
Eye,  ditto. 
Fowey,  Cornwall. 
Gatton,  Surrey. 
Haslemere,  ditto. 
Hedon,  York. 
Heytesbury,  Wilts. 
Higham  Ferrers^  Northampton. 
Hindon,  Wilts. 
Ilchester,  Somersetshure. 
2  A 


354      ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831, 


East  Looo,  Cornwall. 

M'cSt  L<HH»,   iHtto 

Lostwitliicl,  ditto. 

Liidgerslmll,  Wilts. 

Midliurst,  Sussex. 

MillNirnc  Port,  Sonicrsi'tshiiv. 

Minolioad,  ditto. 

Nt»\v|K»rt,  Cornwall. 

Newton.  Lancasliiro. 

NVwtown,  Isle  of  Wiglit,  Hants. 

Orford,  Suffolk. 

Potorsfield,  Hants. 

Plynipt4»n,  Devonshire. 

(jiieenl)onmg1ij  Kent. 

Komney  (New)  ditto. 

St.  (lormain's,  CiiriiMall, 

St.  M awe's,  ditto. 

St.  Michael's  «)r  Midshall,  ditto. 

Old  Sarnni.  Wilts. 

Soaford.  Sussex. 

Steyniug,  ditto. 

Stoekhridge,  Hants, 

Trei^ony ,  ('i»rnwall . 

Warehani ,  Dorsetshire. 

Weiidover,  Bucks. 

Weohlv,  Fleretortlshirc. 

Whitehun'h,  Hants. 

AVinclu'lsea,  Sussex. 

Wj)odstiK'k,  Oxfordshire. 

Wootton  Basset,  Wilts. 

Yarmouth,  Isle  of  Wight,  Hants. 

SlIIKDULE    (B.) 

Aldhon>ugh,  York. 
Amershau).  Hueks. 
Arundel,  Sussex. 
Ashhurton,  J)evon. 
Btxlniin,  Cornwall. 
Hridport*  Dorsetshire. 
I^ickinghau),  Buckinghamshire. 
Chippenham,  Wiltshire. 
Cllllienv,  Lancashire. 
Cockorniouth,  Cumberland. 
Dorcliester,  Dorsetshire. 
I )  roi  t  wich,  Worcestersh  i  re. 
Kvesliani.  ditto. 

Cirinishy  (Great),  Lincolnshire. 
(Irinstead  (Kast),  Sussex, 
fiuildford,  Surrey- 
llebtun,  Cornwall. 


HonitOD,  Devonshire. 

Huntin^on,  Huntingdonshrre. 

Hy the,  Kent. 

Launceston,  Cornwall. 

LiskeanI,  Cornwall. 

Lyme  Kegis^  Doraetsliire. 

Lymington,  Hants. 

^faldon,  Essex. 

Malmesbury,  Wilts. 

Marlborough,  ditto. 

Marlow  (Cvreat)  Bucks. 

Okehampton,  Devonshire. 

Rcigatc,  Surrey. 

Richmond,  York. 

Rye,  Sussex. 

St.  Ives,  Cornwall. 

Saltash,  ditto. 

Shaftesbury,  Dorsetshire. 

Sudbury,  Suffolk. 

Thetford,  Norfolk. 

Thirsk,  York. 

Totness,  Devonshire. 

Wallingford,  Berkshire. 

Wilton,  Wilts. 

SciIBDUIiS   (G.) 

Principal  Places  to  be  Boroittks^ 

Manchester,  indudine  township  of 
Manchester,  townships  of  Chori- 
ton-row,  Ardwicke,  Beswick^ 
Ilulme,  Cheethaoa,  Bradford, 
Newton  and  Harpurhey,  in  the 
hundred  of  Salford,  Lancashire. 
— ReturniHg  Officer.  The  bo- 
roughreeve  and  constaMes  of 
Manchester. 

Birmingham,  including  town  of 
Birmingham,  parish  of  Frighas 
ton,  townships  of  Bordesleyj 
Duddeston  and  Nechels,  and 
Deritcnd,  Warwickshire^^A.  O. 
The  two  bailiffs  oi  the  town  of 
Birmingham. 

Leeds,  including  the  borough  and 
lil)erty  of  Leeds,  YorkAire.^- 
N,  ().  The  mayor  of  Leeds. 

(ii-eenwich^  including  the  parishes 
of  (ii-eenwich;  St.  Nicholas,  and 
St.  i'anl,  Deptford;  and  WooI« 
wich,  Kent. 


PUBLIC   DOCUMENTS. 


3ffff 


Sheftield^  including  townships  of 
Sheffield^  Ecclesall^  Brightside, 
Nether  Hallam,  Upper  Hallam, 
and  Attercliffe  -  cum  -  Darnall^ 

Yorkshire. — R*  0.  The  master 
cutler. 

Sunderland,  including  parishes  of 
Sunderlandj  Bi$hopwearmouth> 
and  Monkawearroouth^  Durham. 

Devonport,  including  the  town  of 
Devonport,  parish  of  Stoke  Da^ 
merell^  and  township  of  Stone- 
house,  Devonshire. 

Wolverhampton,  including  town- 
ships of  Wolverhampton,  Bil- 
ston^  Willenhall^  Wednesfieldi 
and  parish  of  Sedgley,  Stafford- 
shire.— JR.  O.  Constable  of  the 
manor  of  the  deanery  of  Wol- 
verhampton. 

Tower  Hamlets,  including  the 
Tower  division,  in  Ossukton 
Hundred,  and  the  liberty  of  the 
Tower,  Middlesex, 

Finsbury,  including  the  Finsbury 
division,  in  Ossulston  Hundred, 
Middlesex,  and  parishes  or  dis« 
tricts  of  St.  Andrew  Hoi  born 
and  St.  George  the  Martyr,  Saf- 
fron Hill,  Hatton  Garden,  Ely 
Rents,  Ely  Place,  Liberty  of  the 
Rolls,  St.  Giles-in-t he- Fields, 
and  St.  George,  Bloontisbury, 
Middlesex. 

Mary-le-Bone,  including  parishes 
of  St.  Mary-le-Bone,  St.  Pan- 
eras,  and  Paddington,  Middle- 
sex. 

Lambeth,  including  parishes  of  8t. 
Mary  Lambeth,  St.  Mary  New- 
ington,  Bermondsey,  Rother- 
hithe,  and  Camberwell,  Surrey. 

SCHBDULB   (D.) 

Principal  Places  to  he  Boroughs, 
Ash  ton  -  under  -  Lyne,    including 

town    of    Ashton-under^Lyne, 

Lancashire. 
Brighthelinstone,  including  town  of 

Brighthelmstone^   JSussex. — Re* 


iurning  Officer.  The  constable  of 
the  Hunarad  of  Whalesbone. 
Bolton-le«Mo(H>s,  including  town- 
ships of  Great  and  Little  Bolton, 
Lancashire.  «^/2.  O.  The  bo- 
roughreeves  of  Great  and  Little 
Bolton. 
Blackburn,     jnduding    town    of 

Blaokbum>  Lnncashire. 
Bradford,  induding  town  of  Brad- 
ford, Yorkshire. 
Bury,  indudingtownof  Burji  Lan- 
cashire. 
Cheltenham,   ioduding  town  and 
parish  of  Cheltenham,  Glouoes^ 
tershire. 
Dudley,  induding  parish  of  Dud- 
ley, Worcestershire. 
Frome,   including  town  of  Frome, 

Somersetshire. 
Gateshead,    induding    parish    of 

Gateshead,  Durham. 
Halifax,  induding  town  of  Holilax, 

Yorkshire, 
Huddersiield,  indudiqg  parish  of 

Huddersfidd,  Yorkshire. 
Kidderminster,  induding  towaof 
Kidderminster^  Worcestershire. 
—KO.    High  bailiff, 
Kendal,  including  town  of  Kendal, 
and  township  of  Kirkland,  West- 
moreland.— 22.  O.  Mayor. 
Macclesfield,    induding  town  of 
Macclesfield,  Chediire.— -jR.  O. 
Mayor. 
Oldham,    indudine  townships  of 
Oldham,  Chad<^rton|    Cromp- 
ton,  andRoyton,  LracashiFe. 
Rochdale,  induding  town  of  Rodi- 

dale,  Lancashire. 
Salford,    induding    townsbips  of 
Sal^Mrd,  Pendleton,  and  Brough- 
ton,    Lancashire. — /2.  O.     Bo- 
roughreeve  of  Salford. 
South  Shields,  induding  the  town 
iA  South  Shields,  and  towndiip 
of  Westoe,  Doi^om. 
Stockport,      induding    town    of 
Stockport,    Cheshire.  -^  R.  O. 
Mayor. 
2  As 


356      ANNUAL  REGISTER,  1831. 


Stoke-upon-Trent,  including  town- 
ships of  Longton  and  Lane  End, 
Fenton  Culvert,  Fenton  Vivian, 
Fenkhull  and  Boothen,  Shelton, 
Hanley,  Burslem,  with  the  Vill 
of  Ruston  Grange  and  the  Ham- 
let of  Sneyd,  Tunstall,  Chell, 
and  Oldcott,  Staffordshire. 

Stroud,  including  the  town  of 
Stroud,  parish  of  Minching 
Hampton,  Gloucestershire. 

Tyncmouth,  including  township 
of  Tynemouth, and  town  of  North 
Shields,  Northumberland. 

Wakefield,  including  town  of 
Wakefield,  Yorkshire, 

Walsall,  including  borough  and 
foreign  of  Walsall,  Staffordshire. 
—12.  O.  Mayor. 

Warrinffton,  including  town  of 
Warrington,  Lancashire. 

Whitby,  including  townships  of 
Whitby,  Ruswarp,  and  Haws« 
ker-cum-Stainsacre,  Yorkshire. 

Whitehaven,  including  town  of 
Whitehaven,  and  town  of  Work« 
ington,  Cumberland. 

Schedule  (E.) 

Cities  and  Boroughs. 

Kingston  -  upon  -  Hull,  including 
the  parishes  of  the  Holy  Trinity 
and  Saint  Mary,  and  Garrison 
side,  in  the  county  of  the  town 
of  Kingston -upon- Hull,  and 
Sulcoates,  Yorkshire. 

Penryn,  including  the  town  of  Fal- 
mouth, Cornwall. 

Portsmouth,  including  the  parish 
of  Portsea,  county  of  South- 
ampton. 

Rochester,  including  Chatham  and 
Stroud,  Kent. 

Sandwich,  including  the  parishes 
of  Deal  and  Wallmer,  Kent. 

Southwark,  including  the  parish 
of  Christchurch  and  Clink  Li- 
berty, Surrey. 


SCHKDULB    (F.) 


Placei  sharinur  in  the 


»««r 


Amlwch,  Holyhead,  and  Llangefiii, 

sharing  with  Beaumaris.    (An- 

glesey.;! 
Aberystwithi  Lampeter^and  Adpar, 

sharing  with  Cardigan.     (Qor. 

digan.) 
Llanelly>  sharing  with  Caennar- 

then.    (Caermarthen.) 
Pwllheli,  Nevin,  Conway^  Bangor, 

Cricceith^  sharing   with  Caeiv 

narvon.    (Caernarvon.) 
Ruthin,  Holt,  town  of  Witeham, 

sharing  with  Denbigh.     (Den- 


bi§h.) 
Rhyddlan, 

Uaergwrley,  St.  Aa^ihj  ^Miy 


Overton,      Caerwis, 


well,  Mold,  sharing  with  Hint 
(Flint.) 

Llandaff,  Cowbridge,  Merthyr 
Tydvil,  Aberdare,^  Lkntriatait^ 
sharing  with  CordiiF.  (Gbunor- 
gan.) 

Llanidloes,  Welsh  Pool^  Madiyii- 
leth,  LlanfyUin,  Newtown,  shar- 
ing with  Montgomery.  (Mont- 
gomery.) 

Narberth,  St.  David's,  Fishflnsrd, 
sharing  with  Haveiibxdwest 
(Pembroke.) 

Tenby,  Weston,  town  of  Mil^vd, 
sharing  with  Pembroke.  (Pem« 
broke.) 

Knighton,  Rhayder,  Kevinleepe, 
Knuckias,  town  of  PreatelgiM^ 
sharing  with  Radnor.  (Radnor.) 

SCEDULB    (G.) 

Counties  to  return  each  Four 
Members* 

Chester.  Durham. 

Cornwall.  Essex. 

Cumberland.  Gloucester. 

Derby.  Kent. 

Devon.  Hampshtva.  '*^ 


PUBLICDOCUM  E  N'T  S. 


357 


Lancaster.  Northamptoti.        StafFinrd. 

Leicester.  NottiDgham.  Suffolk. 

Norfolk.  Salop.  Surrey. 

Northumberland,  Somerset.  -Sussex. 


Warwick.' 

WUts. 

Worcester. 


Instructions  and  Rbgulations  regarding  ChoIiBRA,  istued  under 

the  authority  of  the  rnrnt  Council. 


Al  the  Council  Chamber,  While^ 
hall,  the  20th  day  of  October, 
1831,  by  a  Committee  of  the 
Lords  of  His  Majesty's  Most 
Hon,  Privy  Council, 

Their  lordships  this  day  took 
into  consideration  certain  rules 
and  regulations  proposed  by  the 
Board  of  Health,  for  the  purpose 
of  preventing  the  introduction  and 
spreading  of  the  disease  called 
cholera  morbus  in  the  united  king- 
dom, together  with  an  account  of 
the  symptoms  and  treatment  of  the 
said  disease ;  and  were  pleased  to 
order  that  the  same  be  printed  and 
published  in  the  Gazette,  and  cir« 
culated  in  all  the  principal  ports, 
creeks,  and  other  stations  of  the 
said  united  kingdom,  with  a  view 
that  all  persons  may  be  made  ac- 
quainted therewith,  and  conform 
themselves  thereto. 

W.  S.  Bathubst. 

"  The  measures  of  external  pre- 
caution for  preventing  the  intro- 
duction of  the  cholera  morbus  by  a 
rigorous  quarantine,  have  hitherto 
been  found  effectual,  but  as  the  dis- 
ease approaches  the  neighbouring 
shores,  not  only  is  the  necessity  of 
increased  vigilance  more  apparent, 
but  it  is  also  consistent  with  com- 
mon prudence  that  the  country 
should  be  prepared  to  meet  the 
possible  contingency  of  so  dreadful 
a  calamity.  The  intention  of  the 
following  observations,  therefore,  is 
to  submitto  thepublic  such  sugges* 


tions  as  it  appears  to  the  Board  of 
Hefdth  should  either  be  immediate- 
ly acted  upon,  or  so  Seut  carried  into 
operation  as  that,  in  any  case,  the 
country  should  not  be  found  unin- 
formed as  to  the  best  means  of  pro^^ 
vidiiig  for  its  internal  protection. 

''  To  effect  the  prevention  of  the 
introduction  of  tne  disorder,  •  the 
most  active  co-operation  not  only  of 
the  local  authorities  along  the  coast 
in  the  measures  of  the  government, 
but  likewise  the  exercise  of  the  ut- 
most caution  by  all  the  inhabitants 
of  such  parts  of  the  country,  be- 
comes indispensably  necessary. 
The  quarantine  regulations  estab- 
lished by  the  government  are  suffi- 
cient, it  is  confidently  hoped,  to 
prevent  the  disorder  from  being 
communicated  through  any  inter- 
course with  the  continent  in  the 
regular  channel  of  trade  or  passage, 
but  they  cannot  guard  against  its 
introduction  by  means  of  its  secret 
and  surreptitious  intercourse  which 
is  known  to  exist  between  the 
coast  of  England  and  the  opposite 
shores. 

^'  By  such  means  this  &tal  dis- 
order, in  spite  of  all  quarantine  re- 
gulations, and  of  the  utmost  vigi- 
lance on  the  part  of  the  govern- 
ment, miffht  be  introduced  into 
the  united  kinffdom ;  and  it  is 
clear  that  this  £uiger  can  only  be 
obviated  by  the  most  strenuous  ef- 
forts on  the  part  of  all  persons  of 
any  influence,  to  put  a  stop  to  such 
practices;   the  utmost   exertions 


358 


ANNUAL  REGISTER,  1831. 


should  be  used  to  cifoct  this  cud. 
'J1ic  niaipstratcs,  the  clergy,  and 
all  pcraons  rGsidcnt  ou  the  coasts 
it  is  ho]KHl,  will  endeavour  to  ini- 
|iross  upon  tlic  |H>])ulation  of  their 
(litferent  districts  (and  |iarticularly 
of  the  retired  villages  along  the  sea 
sliore),  the  danger  to  which  they 
expose  themselves  in  engaging  in 
illicit  intercourse  with  persons 
coming  from  the  continent;  and 
should  ap))oal  to  their  f«ars  in 
warning  them  of  the  imminent  risk 
M'hich  they  incur  bv  holding  any 
communication  with  smugglers, 
and  others  who  may  evade  the 
quarantine  regulations. 

'*  To  meet  the  other  objects  ad- 
verted to  in  the  introduction, — 
namely,  to  prepare  for  the  possible 
i*ontiugency  of  the  country  being 
visited  by  this  disorder,  as  well  as 
to  assist  in  its  prevention,  it  is  re* 
commended  that  in  every  town  and 
village,  commencing  wMth  those  ou 
the  c*oast,  there  should  be  esta- 
blished a  local  Board  of  Health,  to 
consist  of  the  chief  and  other  ma* 
gistrates,  the  clergyman  of  the 
parish,  two  or  more  physicians  or 
medicid  practitioners,  and 'three  or 
more  of  the  principal  inhabitants: 
and  one  of  the  medical  members 
should  be  ap|M)iuted  to  cori*espond 
with  the  Boartl  of  Health  in  Lon« 
don. 

*'  Every  large  town  should  be 
divided  into  districts,  having  a 
district  committee  of  two  or  three 
members,  one  of  whom  should  be 
of  the  medical  profession,  to  watch 
over  its  healtn,  and  to  give  the 
earliest  information  to  the  Board 
of  Health  in  the  town,  whose  in- 
structions they  will  carry  into  ef- 
fect. 

'*  As  the  most  effectual  means  of 
preventing  the  spreading  of  any 
|)estileucc  has  always  been  found 
to  be  the  immediate  separatiou  of 


tho  sick  from  the  healthy^  it  k  of 
the  utmost  importance  thai  the 
very  iirst  oases  of  cholera  which 
may  appear,  should  be  mada  kiMMrn 
as  early  as  possible ;  concealment 
of  the  sick  would  not  only  endan- 
ger the  safety  of  the  public^  but 
(as  success  in  the  treatment  of  the 
cholera  has  been  found  mainly  to 
depend  on  medical  assistance  hav- 
ing been  given  in  the  eatlieat  ttagie 
of  the  disease)  would  likewlie  de- 
prive the  patient  of  his  best  chance 
of  recovery. 

<'  To  carry  into  eflbct  the  antoa- 
tion  of  the  sick  from  the  heuthy, 
it  would  be  very  expedient  that 
one  or  more  houses  should  he  kent 
in  view  in  each  town  or  its  nelga- 
bourhood,  as  places  to  which  evefjr 
case  of  the  disease,  as  soon  u  de- 
tected, might  be  removed^  prori- 
ded  the  family  of  the  ailectea  per- 
son consent  to  such  removal^  iiil 
in  case  of  refusal,  a  cODSpicmai 
mark  (<<Sick")  should  be  pboed 
in  front  of  the  house,  to  WVII 
persons  that  it  is  in  quarantiB^i 
and  even  when  persons  with  tike 
disease  shall  have  been  removed, 
and  the  house  shall  have  been  pu- 
rified, the  word  "  Caution"  should 
be  substituted,  as  denoting  suspi- 
cion of  the  disease,  and  the  inhan- 
tants  of  such  house,  should  not  be 
at  liberty  to  move  out  or  coaiBO^ 
nicate  with  other  persons  until*  by 
the  authority  of  the  local  hoara, 
the  mark  shiul  have  been  removed. 

'^  In  some  towns  it  may  he  found 
possible  to  appropriate  a  puhlic 
hospital  to  this  purpose,  or  uiould 
any  barrack  exist  in  the  naghboor* 
hood,  it  might,  under  the  autlKvi* 
ty  of  the  commander  of  the  fiireesb 
be  similarly  applied. 

''  Wherever  it  may  be  allowed  to 
remove  the  sick  from  their  haUta- 
tions  to  the  previouslv  selected  and 
detached  buildiii^  tnehooaeifiniia 


PUBLIC    DOCl 


which  they  bare  boen  m  removed, 
as  uell  as  tlie  houses  Id  whld)  the 
sick  liave  clioaeu  to  rainaiD,  should 
be  thoroughly  purified  ia  the  fol- 
low! og  nMtUD«r  : — 

"  jiecayed  articles,  MkJi  as  rags, 
cordage,  papers,  tdd  clotlies,  hang- 
ings, should  be  buret;  filth  of 
every  deseriptioD  remaved,  doUi- 
iog  and  furniture  should  be  sub- 
mitted to  uopious  effusions  of  water, 
and  boiled  in  a  Btroug  lay ;  drains 
and  pririea  thorough  1 »  oIeaa»ed  by 
streams  of  water  and  cliloride  of 
lime ;  ablution  of  wood  work  sliould 
be  performed  by  a  strong  ley  of 
soap  iind  water ;  the  walls  of  tlie 
house,  from  tLe  cellar  to  the  gar- 
ret, sliould  be  hot  lime- waited, 
:ill  loose  and  decayed  i»ccea  of 
plastering  should  be  reaiorcd. 

"  Free  and  continued  admissioa 
of  fresh  air  to  all  parte  of  the  house 
and  furniture  should  be  enjoined 
fur  at  least  a  week. 

"  It  ia  impossible  to  iin{H-ew  too 
strongly  the  necessity  of  extrene 
cleanliness  and  free  rentilattea  : 
they  are  points  of  the  rery  p«ateM 
importance,  whether  in  the  houses 
of  tlie  sick,  or  generally  as  a  me^ 
sure  of  pecaution. 

"  It  IS  recommeoded  that  those 
who  may  fall  rictims  to  this  for- 
midatJe  disease,  should  be  buried  in 
a  detached  ground  ia  the  TtcJBity 
of  the  house  that  may  have  beea 
selected  for  the  reception  of  cholera 
patients.  By  this  regulation  it  is 
intended  to  confine  as  much  as  pos- 
sible every  source  of  infection  to 
one  spot ;  on  the  same  principle 
all  persons  who  may  be  employed 
in  the  removal  of  the  sick  from 
their  own  houses,  as  well  as  all 
those  who  may  attend  upon  cholera 
patients  in  the  capacity  of  nurses, 
should  live  apart  from  the  rest  of 
the  community. 


"  It  should  here  be  observed,  tliat 
the  fewer  the  number  u(  persoua 
eniployed  in  these  duties  tlie  letter, 
as  then  tiie  chance  of  spreading 
tlii^  infection  by  their  means  will 
be  ilimiuishud. 

"  Wherever  objoctiona  arise  to 
the  removal  of  the  sick  from  tlie 
healthy,  nr  other  causes  exist  to 
render  such  a  step  not  adviseable, 
the  same  prospect  of  success  in  es- 
tiuguishiiig  the  seeds  of  the  pesti- 
lence cannot  be  expected. 

"  Much,  however,  may  be  done 
even  tu  these  difficult,  circumstan- 
ces, by  following  the  same  princi- 
ples of  jirudence,  and  by  avoidiug 
all  unnecessary  commuuication. 
with  the  public  out  of  doors ;  all 
articles  of  fooil,  or  other  Dcces- 
sillies  required  by  the  fawilvi 
should  be  placed  in  front  of  the 
house,  and  received  by  one  o[  the 
inhabitants  of  the  bouse,  after  the 
[lerson  delivering  them  shall  hare 
rttired. 

"  Until  the  time  during  which 
cnntagion  of  cholera  lies  dormant 
ill  the  human  frame  has  been  more 
accurately  asccrtaincil,  it  will  be 
necessary,  for  the  sake  of  per&ct 
security,  that  convalescents  fron 
the  disease,  and  those  who  liave 
had  any  cnmmunicatiuu  with  them, 
should  lje  kept  under  observation 
fur  tt  period  of  not  less  than  twenty 

"  The  occupiers  of  each  house, 
where  the  disease  may  occur,  or 
be  supposed  to  hai'c  occurred,  are 
enjoined  to  report  the  fact  imrae-' 
diately  to  the  local  board  of  health 
in  the  town  where  they  reside,  in 
order  that  the  professional  member 
of  such  board  may  immediately 
visit,  report,  and,  if  permitted  to 
do  so,  cause  the  patient  to  be  re- 
moved to  the  place  allotted  for  the 
sick,  . 


360       ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


*'  In  every  town  the  name  and 
residence  of  each  of  the  members  of 
the  district  committee  should  be 
iisctl  on  the  doors  of  the  church, 
or  other  conspicuous  place. 

"  All  intercourse  with  any  in- 
fected town,  and  the  neighbouring 
country,  must  be  prcFcnted  by  the 
best  means  within  the  power  of 
the  magistrates^  who  will  hare  to 
make  regulations  for  the  supply  of 
provisions;  but  such  regulations 
arc  intended  only  for  extreme 
cases ;  and  the  difficulty  of  carry- 
ing such  a  plan  into  effect  on  any 
extended  scale  will  undoubtedly  be 
greats  but,  as  a  precaution  of  great 
im|)ortancc^  it  is  most  essential 
that  it  should  be  an  object  of 
consideration,  iii  order  to  guard 
aigainst  the  spreading  of  infection. 

'^  Other  measures^  of  a  more  co- 
ercive nature^  may  be  rendered 
expedient  for  the  common  safety> 
if  unfortunately  so  fatal  a  disease 
should  ever  show  itself  in  this 
country  in  the  terrific  way  in  which 
it  has  appeared  in  various  parts  of 
Europe,  and  it  may  become  ncces- 
sjiry  to  draw  troops,  or  a  strong 
body  of  police^  around  infected 
places,  so  as  utterly  to  exclude  the 
inhabitants  from  all  intercourse 
with  the  country;  and  we  feel 
sure  what  is  demanded  for  the 
common  safety  of  the  state  will 
always  be  acquiesced  in  with  a 


willing  submission  to  the  neces- 
sity which  imposes  it. 

'^  The  Board  particularly  inntes 
attention  to  a  fact  confirmed  bv  all 
the  communications  reoeiFed  mm 
abroad, — viz.  that  the  poor^  ill-fed^ 
and  unhealthy  part  of  the  popula- 
tion^ and  especially  those  who 
have  been  addicted  to  drinldng 
spirituous  liquors,  and  indalgence 
in  irregular  habits,  have  been  the 
greatest  sufferers  from  this  disease, 
and  that  the  infection  has  been 
most  virulent^  and  has  spread 
more  rapidly  and  extensively  in  the 
districts  of  towns  where  the,' streets 
are  narrow,  and  the  popnlatiMi 
crowded,  and  where  little  or  no 
attention  has  been  paid  to  clean- 
liness and  ventilation.  They  are 
aware  of  the  difficulty  of  remoriiig 
the  evils  referred  to,  but  they 
trust  that  attention  thus  awakened 
will  insure  the  most  active,  endea- 
vours of  all  magistrates,  residait 
clergymen^  and  persons  of  influcaioe 
or  authority,  to  promote  their  mi- 
tigation, and  as  the  amount  of 
danger,  and  the  necessity  of  pre- 
caution, may  become  more  iqipa* 
rent^  they  will  look  with  increased 
confidence  to  the  individual  exer- 
tions of  those  who  may  be  enabled 
to  employ  them  beneficially  in  furl 
therance  of  the  suggestions  above 
stated." 


PUBLIC    DOCUMENTS. 


ii—F  0  R  E I G  N. 


Documents  cotmecled  mth  the  Sepabation  of  Bsloium  from 
Holland. 


PhOTOCOL  of  ike  CoNFKHENPE  of 

London,     20th    of  December, 
1830,  and  accompanying  Notbb. 

Protocol   of  the  Conference  at  the 
ForeigK^office,     Decemier     20, 
1830;    present,  the  Plenipoten. 
tiarien  (^Austria,  France,  Great 
Britain,  Russia,  and  Prussia. 
*'  The   jilenipotentiaries  of  the 
five  Courts   having  received    the 
formal  itssent  of  the  Belgic  govern- 
ment to  the  armistice  which  had 
been  proposed  to  it,  and  which  the 
king  of  tlic  Netherlands  has  also 
accepted,  and  the  Congress  of  mi- 
nisters having  tlius,  by  the  stop- 
ping of  the  effusion  of  blood,    ac- 
complished the  first  part  of  the 
task  whicli  it  had  undertaken,  the 
plenipotentiaries  have  met  to  deli- 
berate on  the  further  incasureB  to 
be  taken  witli  a  view  to  remedy 
the  derangements  which  the  trou- 
bles that  have  taken  place  in  Bel- 
gium have  caused  in  the  system 
established  by  the  treaties  of  181* 
and  J816. 

"  In  forming,  by  the  treaties  in 
question,  the  union  of  Belgium 
with  Holland,  the  Powers  who 
signed  those  treaties,  and  whose 
plenipotentiaries  are  at  this  mo- 
ment assembled,  had  in  view  to 
found  a  just  equilibrium  in  Europe, 
!ind  to  secure  the  maintenance  of 
general  peace. 

"  The  events  of  the  last  four 
months  have  unhappily  demon- 
strated, that  "  the  perfect  and 
complete  amalgamation  which  the 
Powers  desiie  to  effect  between 


these  two  countries"  had  not  been 
obtained;  that  ip  would,  hence- 
forth, be  impossible  to  effect  it ; 
that,  therefore,  the  very  object  of 
the  union  of  Belgium  with  Hol- 
land is  destroyed  ;  and  that  it  now 
becomes  indispensable  to  have  re- 
course to  other  arrangements  to 
accomplish  the  intentions  which 
the  union  in  question  was  designed 
to  carry  into  execution. 

"  United  to  Holland,  and  form- 
ing an  integral  part  of  the  king- 
dom of  the  Netherlands,  Belgium 
had  to  fulfil  its  part  of  the  Euro- 
pean duties  of  tbat  kingdom,  and 
of  the  obligations  which  the  treaties 
had  caused  it  to  contract  towards 
the  other  Powers.  Its  separation 
from  Holland  cannot  liberate  it 
from  that  part  of  its  duties  and 
obligations. 

"  The  Congress  will  consequent- 
ly proceed  to  discuss  and  to  con- 
cert new  arrangements,  most  cal- 
culated to  combine  the  future  in- 
dependence of  Belgium  with  the 
stipulations  of  the  treaties,  with 
the  interests  and  the  security  of 
the  other  Powers,  and  with  the 
preservation  of  the  balance  of  Eu- 
rope. Witli  this  view  the  Con- 
gress, while  continuing  its  nego- 
tiations with  the  plenipotentiaries 
of  his  majesty  the  king  of  the 
Netherlands,  will  invite  the  pro- 
visional government  of  Belgium  to 
send  to  London,  as  soon  as  possi- 
ble, commissioners  provided  with 
instructions  and  sufiicient  powers 
to  be  consulted  and  heard  respect- 
ing every  thing  which  may  facili- 


362 


ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


tatc  tlic  deiiiiitive  adoption  of  tlie 
arraii^ciiieiits  above  ulhulod  to. 

*^  These  arraiigeineiits  cannot 
affeet,  in  any  manner,  tlic  riglits 
which  the  king  of  the  Netherlands 
and  the  German  (>)ufe<lcratiou 
exercise  over  the  Grand  Duchy  of 
Luxemburg. 

^'  The  pIeni|N)tcntiaries  of  the 
Ave  great  FoHcni  have  agreed  that 
the  present  protocol  should  be 
cominunicatc<l  to  his  migesty  the 
king  of  the  Netherlands,  and  a 
copy  sent  to  lonl  Ponsonby  and 
M.  Brasson,  with  the  annexed 
letter,  which  they  wiil  conimuui- 
cate  to  the  Prorisioual  Go^'crnmeut 
of  Belgium." 

(Signed  as  before.) 

lA'Ucr  addrexscd  (o  Lord  Ponsonhif 
ami  M,  Bresson,  accodtifMnying 
the  Proioati  of  December  20. 

"  IjOfidoN,  December  20. 

**  Gentlemen.  —  We  have  the 
honour  to  send  you  to-day  a  pro- 
tocol, relative  to  an  important  re* 
solution  taken  UMlay,  in  the  name 
(»f  the  five  allied  l^owers.  It  is 
our  intention,  that  this  document 
should  be  laid  before  the  provisional 
government,  and  that  you  should 
urge  the  s|>eeily  sending  of  the 
ixmiuiiasioners,  with  whom  we  wish 
to  confer.  This  measure,  and  the 
decision  which  snp}H>rts  it,  will 
give  you  a  double  right  to  direct 
the  attention  of  the  government  of 
lielgium  to  another  point  of  our 
|)rotoco],  whicli  relates  to  the  grand 
duchy  of  Luxemburg. 

^*  By  the  note,  of  which  a  copy 
is  enclosed,  the  German  Confeder- 
ation invited  the  Congress  at  Lon- 
don to  examine,  whether  it  did  not 
possess  the  means  to  avoid,  either 
wholly  or  in  part,  a  more  positive 
interference,  on  the  part  of  the 
Confederation,  in  the  grand  duchy 
of  Luxemburg.    The  rights  of  the 


German  Confederation^  with  re- 
s|>ect  to  that  country,  have  already 
been  recognised,  in  a  protoool  of 
the  Congress,  dated  the  17th  of 
November. 

<*  We,  therefore,  desire  you  to 
claim  of  the  Provisional  Belgie 
Government,  offering,  at  the  same 
time,  your  good  offices,  the  imme- 
diate and  formal  cessation,  on  its 
IKurt  of  all  interferenoe  in  the  aflhirs 
of  the  grand  duchy  of  Luxemburg, 
and  you  will  invite  that  government 
to  issue  all  the  neoessaiy  |mcla- 
mations  to  make  its  rseolution 
known  to  the  inhsbitants  jsf  the 
grand  duchy. 

*'  Accept,  &C 

(Signed)  ''  Estsbhasy* 

(«  WSSSBNBBSO* 
<'  TAJbLBYIUifD. 

''  Palmbhsv^in. 

''  LiSVXN. 

'^  Matuscswitocb." 

N(^e,  addressed  to  the  PknipoieM' 
iiaries  of  Atutrta  and  JPrmstm 
to  the  Congress  qf  London  .-— 

^*  The  undersigned  ^eninoleB- 
tiaries  of  Austria  and  Prussia  are 
commissioned  by  the  German  Con- 
federation to  make  the  iolloiri^g 
communication  to  the  Congress :— - 

"  His  majesty  the  king  of  the 
Netherlands,  in  his  character  nl 
grand  duke  of  Luxembur^N  daimed 
from  the  Confederation  Sbe  neces- 
sary assistance  to  qudi  the  insurr 
rection  that  had  broken  out  in  the 
Grand  Duchy.  Tliis  daim  vas 
necessarily  attended  to  by  the  Con- 
federation. Considering^  hoveverj 
that  the  insurrection  in  the  Grand 
Duchy  is  merely  a  consequence  of 
that  which  had  broken  out  in  BeU 
gium,  and  that  the  latter  is  at 
this  moment  the  subject  of  the 
Conference  of  the  plenipotentiariss 
of  the  ^vc  great  Powers  assembkd 
in  Londooj  the  Coufodemtioa  hm 


PUBLIC    DOCUMENTS, 


d6d 


judged  that  beforo  taking  the  mea- 
sures which  it  is  competent  to 
adopts  it  should  apply  to  the  Con- 
gress to  assure  itaelf  whether  the 
Congress  had  found,  or  was  endea*^ 
vouring  to  find,  suitabie  means  to 
attain  the  end  proposed,  and  to 
render  a  more  decided  intervention 
of  the<jrerman  Confederation|WhoIly 
or  in  part,  unnecessary.  The  ttn* 
dersignedi  in  executing  this  com- 
mission, request  the  Congress  to 
enable  them  to  send  to  the  Confe- 
deration the  information  desired. 

<^  £sTfiRHA2Y« 
^'  WBSSENBBRQk 
^'  BULOW/' 

Verbal  Note  of  December  SI, 

*'  Lord  Ponsonby  and  M.  Bres- 
son have  the  honour  to  communi- 
cate to  the  president  and  members 
of  the  Diplomatic  Committee  at- 
tested copies  of  the  protocol  of  a 
Conference  held  at  London  on  the 
20th  instant,  by  their  excellencies 
the  plenipotentiaries  of  the  five 
great  Powers,  and  of  a  letter  ac- 
companying it. 

"  Lord  Ponsonby  and  M.  Bres- 
son request  the  president  of  the 
Diplomatic  Committee  to  inform 
them  whether  the  Belgian  com- 
missioners sent  to  London  are  fur- 
nished with  powers  sufficiently 
ample  to  treat  on  the  rarious 
points  enumerated  in  the  protocol. 
If  these  powers  should  not  be  suffi- 
cient, the  Provisional  Government 
of  Belgium  will  be  sensible  ef  the 
necessity  of  immediately  sending 
them  fuller  powers. 

''  Lord  Ponsonby  and  M.  Bres- 
son take  this  opportunity  to  Tq)eat 
to  the  president  of  the  Diplomatic 
Committee  the  assurance  that 
their  excellencies  the  pleninoten- 
tiaries  have  spared  no  pains  to 
convince  the  Cabinet  of  the  Ha^e 
that  the  measurea  of  precaution 


whidi  etiil  impede  the  nafigatton 
of  the  Scheldt  ought  to  be  tevoked 
as  soon  aa  posstUe*  On  the  S7th 
instant^  their  exoeltondea  reaolred 
again  to  call  upon  tiie  governttient 
of  his  majesty  icing  William  to  put 
an  end  to  hostilities,  to  erery  act 
that  might  be  considered  as  hostile, 
and  their  exoellenciea  the  ambaaaa- 
dors  and  ministers  of  the  five 
courts  at  the  Hague  have  received 
from  their  exoellencieB  the  pleni- 
potentiaries the  invitation  to  urge 
his  majesty  to  comply  aa  soon  as 
possible  with  the  wisiiee  whidi 
they  formally  repeat. 

''The  Provisional  Oovemment 
cannot  M  duly  to  appreciate  the 
rc^iness  of  their  exceilencies  the 
plenipotentiaries  to  attend  to  the 
claims  which  it  has  made>  and  it 
will  doubtless  wait  with  confidenoe 
till  the  steps  which  the  five  Powers 
will  find  means  to  render  effectual 
shall  have  led  to  the  reatdt  which 
Belgium  hopes. 

''On  this  occasion  lerdPooeimby 
and  M.  Bresson  think  it  tiieir  duty 
to  observe^  that  the  protocol^  of 
the  17th  of  December  not  having 
been  accepted  by  the  Proviuonal 
Government  till  the  S5th  instant, 
not  a  moment  has  been  leal  by 
their  excellencies  in  taking  the«b- 
cisive  measures  which  they  have 
adopted. 

'^  The  uneasiness  and  ^kgsr  de- 
sires manifested  by  the  country  arc 
doubtleds  very  natural  in  the  dts- 
treased  state  in  which  it  is ;  iMit 
it  is  imposdbfe  not  to  allow  for  the 
distances  (^  place  and  time>  and  not 
to  perceive  tnat  afiairs  of  such  im- 
portance cttiimt  be  treated  with 
lureoipitation/' 

Verbal  Note  of  Jamurif  3,  ISSl . 

''The  pieaident  and  members  of 
the  Diplomatic  Committee  having 
had  the  honour  to  reoeife  from 


364        ANNUAL  REGISTER,  1831. 


lord  Ponsonby  and  M.  Bresson,  by 
a  verbal  note  of  December  31,  at- 
tested copies  of  the  protocol  of  a 
Conference  held  at  London  on  the 
20th  of  December  by  the  plenipo- 
tentiarics'of  the  five  Powers,  hasten 
to  return  the  following  answer : 

^^It  appears  to  them  that  the 
raising  of  the  blockade  and  the 
free  navigation  of  the  Scheldt, 
being  the  principal  conditions  of 
the  armistice,  and  even  of  the  sus- 
pension of  arms,  executed  already 
on  the  2l8t  of  Noveml)er,  the  first 
task  undertaken  by  the  five  great 
Powers  was  not  yet  accomplished. 

''The  balance  of  Europe  may 
still  be  secured,  and  general  })eace 
maintained,  by  rendering  Belgium 
independent,  strong,  and  happy. 
If  Belgium  were  without  strength 
and  without  happiness,  the  new 
arrangement  would  be  threatened 
with  the  fate  of  the  political  com- 
bination of  1815. 

"  Independent  Belgium  has 
doubtless  to  perform  its  part  of 
the  duties  towards  Euroj)e,  but 
it  will  be  difficult  to  conceive  what 
obligations  can  be  imposed  on  it  by 
treaties  in  which  it  took  no  part. 

*'The  commissioners  sent  to 
London  are  provided  with  suffici- 
ent instructions  to  be  heard  on  all 
the  affairs  of  Belgium,  and  they 
cannot  conceal  from  the  congress 
of  ministers  that,  in  the  critical 
circumstances  in  which  the  Belgic 
nation  is  placed,  it  will  doubtless 
appear  impossible  for  Belgium  to 
form  an  independent  state  without 
an  immediate  guarantee  of  the 
freedom  of  the  Scheldt,  of  the 
possession  of  the  left  bank  of  that 
river,  of  the  whole  of  the  province 
of  Limburg  and  of  the  grand 
duchy  of  Luxemburg,  reserving 
its  relations  with  the  Germanic 
Confederation. 

^^  Their  excellencies  the  pieuU 


potentiaries  of'  the  five  great  Pow- 
ers will  easily  conceive,  from  the 
reports  made  to  them  by  lord  Pon- 
sonby and  M.  Bresson,  the  critical 
situation  of  the  country^  and  the 
impossibility  of  prolonging  this 
state  of  uncertainty." 

After  the  reading  of  this  com- 
munication, a  debate  arose  ^  in 
which  the  choice  of  a  sovereign 
was  again  mentioned,  and  at  me 
conclusion,  M.  C.  Rodenbach  laid 
on  the  table  a  proposal  to  the  efiect 
that  the  sections  should  immedi- 
ately take  into  consideration  what 
relates  to  the  choice  of  the  head 
of  the  state.  The  congress  decided 
that  this  proposal  should  be  sent 
to  the  sections  for  examination. 


Protocol  of  January  9,  1831. 

Present: — The  Plenmotentiaries  of 
Austria,  France,  Great  Britain^ 
Prussia,  and  Russia. • 

"  The  plenipotentiaries  of  the 
five  Courts  have  assembled  for  the 
purpose  of  examining  the  remon- 
strances which  the  Court  of  I«on- 
don  has  received  on  the  part  of 
the  Provisional  Government  of 
Belgium  against  the  continuance 
of  the  measures  which  still  para- 
lyse the  navigation  of  the  Scheldt, 
and  on  the  part  of  his  majesty  the 
king  of  the  Netherlands  against 
the  acts  of  hostility  committed  by 
the  Belgian  troops. 

^'  Considering  that  the  protocol 
No.  1.  of  November,  1830,  oon^ 
tains  the  following  —  *  Oh  both 
sides  hostilities  shall  cease  en- 
tirely :  * 

"  Considering  that  by  the  do* 
cument  annexed  under  the  letter 
B.  to  the  protocol  of  No.  2,  *  the 
Provisional  Government  of  -Bel- 
gium has  pledged  itself  to  give 
orders,  and  to  take  the  necessaily 
measures  for  all  hostilities  to  oeaae 


P U B  L 1 C    D O  C  U  M EFTS;.       366 


against  Holland  on  the  part  of  the 
Belgians : ' 

"  Considering  further,  that  by 
the  document  annexed  under  the 
letter  A.  to  the  protocol  No.  3, 
dated  November  17,  1830,  his 
majesty  the  king  of  the  Nether- 
lands has  declared,  ^that  he  accepts 
the  proposition  above  mentioned 
(that  relative  to  the  entire  cessa- 
tion of  hostilities  on  both  sides), 
after  the  tenor  of  the  protocol  No. 
1.  of  the  Conference:* 

'^  Considering  that  the  protocol. 
No.  2,  of  November  17th,  states, 
that,  Hhe  armistice  having  been 
agreed  upon  by  both  parties,  it 
constitutes  an  engagement  entered 
into  with  the  five  Powers,  and 
that,  on  both  sides,  they  shall  re- 
tain the  power  of  communicating 
freely,  by  land  and  sea,  with  the 
territories,  places^  and  points,  oc- 
cupied by  the  respective  troops, 
beyond  the  limits  which  separated 
Belgium  from  the  United  Pro- 
vinces of  the  Netherlands,  before 
the  Treaty  of  Paris  of  May  30, 
1814:* 

"Considering  also,  that,  by  the 
protocol  No.  3,  of  November  17th, 
the  Powers  have  regarded  the  ar- 
mistice contracted,  as  an  engage- 
ment entered  into  with  them,  the 
execution  of  which  it  is  their  duty 
to  look  to  in  future : 

"  Considering  that,  in  the  sub- 
sequent protocol,  No.  4,  of  Novem- 
ber 30,  the  plenipotentiary  of  his 
majesty  the  king  of  the  Nether- 
lands informed  those  of  the  five 
Powers  of  the  entire  concurrence 
of  the  king  his  master  in  their 
protocols  of  November  17,  1830 : 

''  That,  consequently,  it  was  un- 
derstood that  the  hostilities  in 
question  should  cease  entirely  by 
land  and  sea,  and  that  they  should 
not  be  resumed  (in  any  case,  the 
armistice  having  been  declared  in- 


definite by  the  protocols  of  No- 
vember 17>  and  the  cessation  of 
hostilities  having  been  placed  under 
the  immediate  guarantee  of  the 
five  Powers,  by  the  protocols,  No. 
4,  of  November  30,  and  No.  5,  of 
December  10,  1830: 

*'  That  the  nature  and  value  of 
these  engagements  were  explained 
to  the  Provisional  Government  of 
Belgium,  as  early  as  the  6th  of 
December,  by  a  verbal  note  of 
lord  ponsonby  and  M.  Bresson,  in 
consequence  of  which  the  Provi- 
sional Government  of  Belgium  de- 
clared, that  it  agreed  to  the  pro- 
tocol of  November  17: 

"  Considering,  lastly,  that  on 
the  faith  of  this  assent,  a  common 
application  of  the  five  Powers  was 
made  to  his  majesty  the  king  of 
the  Netherlands,  with  the  view  of 
obtaining  the  complete  revocation 
of  the  measures  which  still  impede 
the  navigation  of  the  Scheldt,  the 
plenipotentiaries  were  unanimously 
of  opinion,  that  it  was  the  duty  of 
the  lave  Powers  to  insist  on  the 
faithful,  prompt,  and  entire  execu- 
tion of  the  engagements,  which 
they  declare  to  have  been  taken 
towards  themselves.  ' 

"In  consequence,  the  plenipo- 
tentiaries  h^e  resolved  to  sigi^ 
to  the  plenipotentiaries  of  his  ma- 
jesty  the  king  of  the  Netherlan^ds, 
that  the  five  Powers,  having  taken 
under  their  guarantee  the  cessation 
of  hostilities;  cannot  allow  on  the 
part  of  his  majesty,  the  continua- 
tion of  any  measure  bearing  a  hos- 
tile character,  and  that,  such  being 
the  character  of  those  miaasures 
which  hinder  the  navigation  of  the 
Scheldt,  the  ^ve  Powers  are  obliged 
to  require,  for  the  last  thne,  the 
revocation  of  them. 

"  The  plenipotentiaries  have  al- 
ready observed,  that  this  revoca- 
cation  should  be  entire,  and  restore 


366 


ANNUAL   REGISTER,  1831. 


the  free  nayigation  of  the  Scheldt^ 
without  any  other  duties  than 
those  which  were  established  in 
]  8 1 4,  before  the  union  of  Belgium 
and  Holland  in  favour  of  neutral 
vessels^  and  of  those  belonging  to 
the  Belgic  port;  his  majesty  the 
king  of  the  Netherlands  having 
declared,  tlirough  his  plenipoten- 
tiary,  that  vessels  belonging  to  the 
Belgic  ports  had  not  been  and 
would  not  be  molested,  so  long  as 
the  Belgians  did  not  molest  the 
vessels  and  property  of  the  north- 
crn  provinces  of  the  Netherlands : 

"  Convinced,  that  in  his  probity 
and  wisdom,  the  king  will  not  faul 
to  accede  to  all  the  points  of  their 
demand,  the  plenipotentiaries  are 
nevertheless  forced  to  declare  here, 
that  the  rejection  of  the  demand 
would  be  considered  by  the  five 
Powers  as  an  act  of  hostility 
against  them,  and  that  if  on  the 
20th  of  January,  the  measures 
which  hinder  the  navigation  of  the 
Scheldt,  do  not  cease  in  the  time 
above  mentioned,  and  conformably 
to  the  promises  of  his  majesty 
himself,  the  five  Powers  reserve  to 
themselves  the  right  of  adopting 
such  resolutions  which  they  should 
find  necessary  for  the  prompt  ex* 
ecution  of  their  engagements. 

"  With  a  just  regard  to  recipro* 
city,  the  plenipotentiaries  having 
been  informed  that  a  recommence*- 
ment  of  hostilities  has  taken  place, 
principally  between  the  environs 
of  Maestricht,  that  movements  of 
the  Belgic  troops  seem  to  an-< 
uounce  their  intention  of  investing 
that  place,  and  that  the  troops 
have  quitted  the  positions  which 
they  ought  to  have  retained  till 
the  final  determination  of  the  line, 
by  virtue  of  the  annexed  declara-* 
tion  of  the  Provisional  Govern- 
ment of  Belgium  of  the  ^Ist  of 
November,    1830,    have   resolved 


to  authorise  their  oommiMionen  at 
Brussels  to  inform  the  Provhional 
Government  of  Belgium,  that  the 
acts  of  hostility  above  mentioned 
must  cease  without  the  least  delay, 
and  that  the  Belgic  troops  must 
return  immediately,  aooording  to 
the  above  mentioned  declarationi 
to  the  position  which  they  occiu 
pied  on  the  2 1  st  of  November,  1 8S0. 

*'  The  commiseionert  will  addj 
that  if  the  Belgic  troop  thouM 
not  have  returned  to  tooie  posi* 
tions  by  the  20th  of  Janoarv*  the 
five  Powers  will  consider  the  re« 
jection  of  their  demand  in  thie  ve« 
spect  as  an  act  of  hostility  against 
tnemselves,  and  would  reserve  to 
themselves  the  right  of  adopting 
such  measures  as  they  should 
judge  necessary  to  cause  the  en* 
gagements  entered  into  with  them 
to  be  respected  and  executed. 

^^The  plenipotentiaries,  more* 
over,  renew,  in  the  present  protoeoly 
the  formal  declaration,  that  the  en« 
tire  andreciprocal  cessation  of  hos- 
tilities is  placed  under  the  guarantee 
of  the  five  Powers,  that  they  will 
not  allow  the  renewal  of  them  on 
any  supposition,  and  that  they  have 
formed  the  unchangeable  resoliu 
tion  to  obtain  the  accomplishment 
of  their  decisions,  founded  upon 
justice,  and  their  wish  to  preserve 
to  Europe  the  blessings  of  a  gene* 
ral  peace. 

(Signed)     ^*  EsTaaHAST. 
^^  Talletbanb. 

"  BULOW. 

"  Wessbnbbbo^ 

^^  PAIiMBBSOTON. 

^'  LiBVBM. 

"  MATUBOBWITSCnr." 

"  A  true  copy, 
(Signed)     "  Ponsonby. 
"  Brbsson. 
*'  A  true  copy, 
"  The  Vice-President, 

''  Count  d'ABBeGBOT." 


PUBLIC    DOCUMENTS. 


987 


Extract  of  the  Protooqi*  qf 
the  CoNFERENOB  held  at  the 
Foreign  OppiOb,  January  20, 
1 831 ;  present y  the  Plenipoten- 
tiaries of  Austria,  France, 
Great  Britain,  Prussia,  and 
Russia. 

"The  plenipotentiaries  of  the 
Courts  of  Austria,  France,  Great 
Britain,  Russia,  and  Prussia,  have 
taken  cognizance  of  the  subjoined 
letter  addressed  to  their  commis- 
sioners at  Brussels,  in  the  name 
of  the  Provisional  Government  of 
Belgium,  which  imports  that,  con- 
formably to  the  tenor  of  the  pro- 
tocol of  January  9.  1831,  the  Bel- 
gian troops  which  had  advanced  to 
the  environs  of  Maestricht  had 
received  orders  to  retire  immedi- 
ately, and  to  avoid  any  cause  for 
hostility. 

"  Having  had  reason  to  be  con- 
vinced, through  the  explanations 
of  their  commissioners,  that  this 
retreat  of  the  Belgian  troops  will 
have  the  effect  of  securing  to 
Maestricht  that  entire  freedom  of 
communication  which  it  ought  to 
enjoy,  they  cannot  doubt  that,  on 
his  side,  his  majesty  the  king  of 
the  Netherlands  has  provided  for 
the  fulfilment  of  the  protocol  of 
the  9th  of  January,  he  having, 
besides,  issued  the  necessary  orders 
with  reference  to  the  cases  pro- 
vided for  by  the  protocol;  and 
they  being  now  convinced  of  the 
complete  establishment  of  the  ces- 
sation of  hostilities,  of  whicli  they 
were  desirous,  the  Powers  have 
proceeded  to  the  examination  of 
the  question  which  they  had  de- 
termined to  resolve,  in  order  to 
realize  the  object  of  their  protocol 
of  the  20th  of  December,  1831, 
in  order  to  make  a  usefiil  applica- 
tion of  the  fundamental  principles 
which,  by  that  act,  are  connected 


with  the  Aiture  independeiice  of 
Belgium,  and  to  maintain,  also, 
the  general  peace,  the  mainte« 
nance  of  which  constitutes  the 
chief  interest,  as  it  is  the  chief 
desire  of  the  Powers  assemUed  in 
Conference  at  London. 

'*  With  this  object  in  riew,  the 
Powers  have  considered  it  indis- 
pensable to  consider  all  the  bases 
with  reference  to  the  limits  which 
ought  henceforth  to  separaite  the 
Dutch  from  the  Belgian  territery. 

^*  With  regard  to  this  object, 
propositions  have  been  transmitted 
to  them  from  both  parties.  After 
having  maturely  considered  them, 
they  have  agreed  among  them* 
selves  upon  the  following  bases :— - 

''  Art.  1 .  The  limits  of  Helland 
shall  comprise  all  the  territories, 
districts,  towns,  and  places  which 
belonged  to  the  ci-devant  republic 
of  the  United  Provinces  of  the 
Netherlands  in  the  year  1790< 

^^  2.  Belgium  shsJl  consist  of  all 
the  territories  which  receive  the 
denomination  of  the  kingdom  of 
the  Netherlands  in  the  treaty  of 
1815,  except  the  grand  Duchy  of 
Luxemburg,  whi(£,  possessed  un- 
der a  difiiBrent  title,  by  the 
Princes  of  the  house  of  Nassau, 
forms  part,  and  will  continue  to 
form  part,  of  the  Germanic  Con- 
federation. 

^*  3.  It  is  understood  that  the 
arrangements  of  the  articles  from 
108  to  117  inclusive,  of  the  gene- 
ral act  of  the  Congress  of  Vienna, 
relative  to  the  free  navigation  of 
the  rivers  and  navigable  streams, 
shall  be  applied  to  the  rivers  and 
streams  which  traverse  the  Dutch 
and  Belgian  territories. 

'^4.  As  it  will,  nevertheless, 
result  from  the  bases  laid  down  in 
articles  1  and  S,  that  Holland  and 
Belgium  will  possess  detached  por- 
tions of  land  within  their  respect* 


368 


ANNUAL   REGISTER,    1831. 


ive  territories^  such  exchanges  and 
arrangements  sliall^  through  the 
care  of  the  five  Courts  be  effected 
between  the  two  countries^  as  shall 
ensure  to  thcni,  reciprocally,  the 
advantage  of  an  entire  contiguity 
of  possession,  and  of  a  free  com- 
munication between  the  towns  and 
rivers  included  in  their  frontiers. 

^^  These  preceding  articles  being 
agreed  upon,  the  Powers  have  de- 
voted their  attention  to  the  means 
of  consolidating  the  work  of  peace, 
respecting  which  the  five  Powers 
are  most  solicitous,  and  placing  in 
their  true  light  the  principles 
which  actuate  their  common  po- 
licy. 

"  They  arc  unanimously  of  opi- 
nion that  the  Hvc  Powers  owe  to 
their  interest,  well  understood— 
to  their  union,  to  the  tranquillity 
of  Europe,  and  to  the  accomplish- 
ment of  their  views  contained  in 
the  protocol  of  the  20th  of  De- 
cember, a  solemn  manifestation,  a 
striking  proof  of  their  firm  deter- 
mination not  to  seek  in  the  ar- 
rangements relative  to  Belgium, 
imder  whatever  circumstances  they 
may  present  themselves,  any  aug- 
mentation of  territory — any  ex- 
clusive influence — any  isolated  ad- 
vantages but  to  give  to  that  coun- 
try itself,  as  well  as  to  all  the 
states  which  adjoin  it,  the  best 
guarantees  of  repose  and  security. 
It  is  in  pursuance  of  these  max- 
ims and  with  these  salutary  inten- 
tions, that  the  Powers  have  re- 
solved to  add  to  the  preceding  ar- 
ticles those  which  follow : 

''  Art.  5.  Belgium,  within  those 
limits  that  shall  be  determined, 
and  traced,  conformably  to  the  ar- 
rangements laid  down  in  articles 
1,  2,  and  4,  of  the  present  proto- 
col, shall  form  a  state,  perpetually 
neutral,  the  five  Powers  guaran- 
teeing to  it  that   })erpetual  neu- 


trality, as  well  as  the  integrity 
and  inviolability  of  its  territory, 
within  the  limits  mentioned  above. 

*'  6.  By  a  just  reciprocity  Bel- 
gium will  be  bound  to  observe  the 
same  neutrality  towards  all  the 
other  states,  and  not  to  make  any 
attempt  against  their  internal  or 
external  tranquillity. 

(Conformable  to  copy.) 

*^  PONSONBr." 


Protocol  of  London  of  the  IQtk 
of  February  : — 

Present : — The  Plenipotentiaries 
of  Austria,  France,  Great  Britain* 
Prussia,  and  Russia. 

^'  The  plenipotentiaries  of  the 
Courts  of  Austria^  France^  Great 
Britain,  Prussia,  and  Russia  hav-i 
ing  assembled,  directed  their  whole 
attention  to  the  divers  interpreta- 
tions given  to  the  protocol  of  the 
Conference  of  Lonaon,  of  Decem- 
ber 20,  1830;  and  to  the  princi- 
pal acts  that  have  followed  it.  The 
deliberations  of  the  plenipoten- 
tiaries led  them  to  admit  unani- 
mously that  they  owe  it  to  the 
position  of  the  five  Courts/  as  veil 
as  to  the  cause  of  general  peace, 
which  is  their  own  cause,  ana  that 
of  European  civilization,  to  repeat 
here  the  grand  principle  of  right, 
of  which  the  acts  of  the  Confer- 
ence of  London  have  only  pre« 
scnted  a  salutary  and  constiuit  ap- 
plication. 

^'  According  to  this  principle  of  a 
superior  order,  treaties  do  not  lose 
their  force,  whatever  changes  may 
take  place  in  the  internal  organ- 
ization of  nations.  To  judge  of 
the  application  which  the  five 
Courts  have  made  of  this  same 
principle,  and  appreciate  the*  de- 
terminations they  have  'formed 
with  regard  to  Belgium,  it  suflhses 
to  go  b^k  to  the  year  1814.     . 


PUBLIC  DOCUMENTS. 


369 


"At  that  period  the  Belgian  pro- 
vinces were  occupied  by  the  mili- 
tary forces  of  Austria^  Great 
Britain^  Prussia,  and  Russia  ^  and 
the  rights  which  these  powers  ex- 
ercised over  them  were  completed 
by  France's  renunciation  of  the 
possession  of  the  same  provinces. 
But  France's  renunciation  was  not 
made  in  favour  of  the  occupying 
powers.  It  proceeded  from  an 
,  idea  of  a  more  elevated  order.  The 
Powers,  and  France  herself,  equally 
disinterested  then,  as  at  present, 
in  their  views  upon  Belgium,  kept 
the  disposal,  but  not  the  sove- 
reignty of  it,  with  the  sole  inten- 
tion of  making  the  Belgian  pro- 
vinces contribute  to  the  establish- 
ment of  a  just  balance  of  power  in 
Europe,  and  the  maintenance  of 
the  general  peace.  It  was  this  in- 
tention that  guided  their  ulterior 
stipulations,  and  united  Belgium 
to  Holland ;  it  was  this  that  led 
the  Powers  to  secure  from  that 
moment  to  the  Belgians  the  two- 
fold blessing  of  free  institutions, 
and  a  commerce  to  them  abound- 
ing in  wealth  and  the  development 
of  industry. 

"  The  union  of  Belgium  with 
Holland  was  broken.  Official  com- 
munications ere  long  convinced  the 
five  Courts  that  the  means  prima- 
rily destined  to  maintain  it,  could 
neither  restore  it  for  the  present, 
nor  maintain  it  subsequently,  and 
that  henceforth,  instead  of  con- 
founding the  affections  and  happi- 
ness of  two  nations,  it  only  brought 
in  contact  passions  and  hatred,  and 
from  their  shock  nothing  proceed- 
ed but  war,  with  all  its  disasters. 
It  did  not  belong  to  the  powers  to 
judge  of  the  causes  whicn  had  just 
severeid  the  ties  which  they  had 
formed.  But  when  they  beheld 
these  ties  broken,  it  belonged  to 
them  again  to  accomplish  the  ob- 

VoL.  Lxxni. 


ject  which  they  proposed  to  them- 
selves in  forming  them.  It  be- 
longed to  them  to  secure,  by 
means  of  new  combinations,  that 
tranquiNity  of  Europe,  of  which 
the  union  of  Belgium  with  Hoi- 
land  had  constituted  one  of  the 
bases.  To  this  the  Powers  were 
imperiously  called.  They  had  the 
right,  and  events  rendered  it  their 
duty,  to  prevent  the  Belgian  pro- 
vinces, .become  independent,  dis- 
turbing the  general  security  and 
the  balance  of  power  in  Europe. 

"  Such  a  duty  rendered  all  foreign 
concurrence  useless.  To  act  to- 
gether, the  Powers  had  only  to 
consult  their  treaties,  and  measure 
the  extent  of  the  dangers  to  which 
their  inaction,  or  their  want  of  ac- 
cord might  give  rise.  The  steps 
taken  by  the  five  Courts  with  a 
view  to  bring  about  a  cessation 
of  the  struggle  between  Belgium 
and  Holland,  and  their  firm  reso- 
lution to  put  an  end  to  every  mea- 
sure which,  on  the  one  side  or  the 
other,  might  have  had  a  hostile 
character,  were  the  first  conse- 
quences of  the  identity  of  their 
opinions  upon  the  value  and  prin- 
ciples of  the  solemn  transactions 
which  bind  them.    ' 

"  The  effusion  of  blood  was  stop- 
ped. Holland,  Belgium,  and  even 
the  neighbouring  states,  areequally 
indebted  to  them  for  this  benefit. - 

'^  The  second  application  of  the 
same  principles  took  place  in  the 
protocol  of  December  20,  1830. 

"  To  this  exposition  of  the  motives 
which  determined  the  five  Courts, 
this  act  associated  the  reserve  of 
the  duties  with  which  Belgium 
remained  charged  towards  Europe, 
upon  seeing  her  wishes  for  separa- 
tion and  independence  accom- 
plished. 

'*  Each  nation  has  its  particular 
rights;  but  Europe  has  also  faer 

29 


370 


ANNUAL   REGISTER,    1831. 


ri;^ht ;  it  is  social  order  that  has 
given  it  to  her. 

''  Belgium,  i]|x>n  liecoming  indc' 
pendent,  found  the  treaties  which 
>;(iverned  Europe  made  and  in 
vigour. 

**  She  was  bound,  then,  to  respect 
tliom  and  rouI<I  not  infringe  them. 
By  respecting  them,  she  conformeil 
to  the  interest  and  n^pofte  of  <he 
great  community  of  European 
states ;  by  infringing  them  she 
would  have  brought  on  confusion 
and  war.  The  Powers  atone  couhl 
prerent  this,  and  as  they  could  do 
it,  it  was  their  duty  to  do  so;  it 
was  thoir  duty  to  give  ascendancy 
to  the  salutarv  maxim,  that  the 
events  which  gave  birtli  to  a  new 
state  in  Europe,  give  it  no  more 
right  to  alter  the  general  system 
into  which  it  enters,  than  the 
elianges  that  may  have  arisen  in 
tlie  condition  of  an  ancient  state 
authorized  to  lielieve  itself  absolved 
from  its  anterior  engagements— a 
maxim  of  all  civilized  nations,  a 
maxim  which  is  connected  with  the 
very  principle  by  which  states  sur- 
vive their  governments,  and  the  im- 
pres(Tiptable  obligations  of  treaties 
upon  those  who  contract  them— a 
maxim,  in  sliort,  which  is  never 
overlooked  without  making  civil- 
ixation  retrograde,  of  which  mo« 
rality  and  public  faith  are  happily 
the  first  consequences  and  the  first 
guarantees. 

"  The  protocol  of  I>eccmber  20th 
fully  expressed  these  truths.  It 
stated  distinctly  "that  the  Con- 
ference would  occupy  itself  in  dis- 
cussing and  concerting  such  new 
arrangements  as  were  best  calcu- 
lated to  reconcile  the  future  inde- 
pendence of  Belgium  with  the  stipu- 
lations of  treaties,  with  the  interesia 
and  safety  of  other  states,  and  with 
the  preservation  of  the  balance  of 
power  in  Europe."     'I'hu6  did  tho 


Powers  poiDt  out  tlie  dbjacte  their 
wished  to  attaia.  They  prooeadaa 
towards  them  strong  io  the  pmitf 
of  their  intentions  and  in  their 
impartiality.  While^  on  the  one 
handy  by  their  protocol  of  Ja* 
nuary  18»  they  repelled  the  pre- 
tensions that  ooula  never  bo  nd* 
missible,  on  the  other  band>  they 
weighed  with  the  most  acmpaloai 
care  all  the  o^nions  that  had  btn 
uttered  by  both  partiea,  aiul  aD 
the  claims  that  each  had  aat  npu 
From  R  profound  and  nsaftue 
consideration  of  the  varioua  oon- 
munications  made  br  the  ple» 
nipotentiaries  of  the  King  of  the 
Netherlands,  and  by  the  oommia* 
sioners  from  Belgium^  reaulted  the 
definiti\'e  protocol  of  January  90« 
1831. 

« It  is  to  be  foreseen  that  the  fiisfe 
ardour  of  a  nascent  and  growi^ff 
independence  would  tend  to  traae- 
gress  the  bounds  of  thoee  ofaliga* 
tions  from  which  it  was  derifidt 
The  five  Courts*  however,  eoaU 
not  admit  a  right  in  Belgiam  to 
make  conquests  from  H^fawdsr 
from  other  states.  But,  compdU 
to  settle  questions  of  territory  es- 
sentially connected  with  their  own 
conventions  and  their  own  ia^ 
terests,  the  five  Powers  did  not 
insist  with  regard  to  Belgium 
upon  any  maxims  that  they  did 
not  hold  as  rigorous  laws  for  their 
own  conduct.  They  most  awnrad« 
ly  did  not  pass  the  limits  of  juatios 
and  equity,  nor  the  rules  of  aouad 
|)oIicy,  when,  by  aflopting  impar* 
tially  the  limits  which  separated 
Belgium  from  Holland  before  their 
union,  they  refused  to  the  Edgiani 
the  right  of  invading  that  power 
they  had  rejected,  because  tliey 
considered  it  as  subversive  of  peace 
and  social  order. 

*'  The  Powers  had  also  to  ddi« 
berate  upon  other  questions  which 


PUBLIC    DOCUMENTS.        371 


were  connected  with  their  treaties^ 
and  which ^  consequently^  'coula 
not  be  subjected  to  new  decisions 
without  their  direct  concurrence. 

*'  According  to  the  protocol  of 
Dec.  20,  the  instructions  and  Ml 
powers  required  to  be  granted  to 
the  Belgian  commissioners  that 
were  to  be  sent  to  London^  wer#^ 
that  they  should  embrace  ^1  the 
objects  of  the  negotiation,  Ne^Br* 
theless^  these  commissioners  bt* 
rived  without  sufficient  powers^ 
and.  On  many  important  points^ 
without  information,  and  yet  cir<* 
cumstances  admitted  of  no  delay. 

"The  Powers,  notwithstanding, 
by  the  protocol  of  January  27, 
confined  themselves  on  the  one 
hand  to  enumerating  the  charges 
inherent  either  in  the  Belgian  or 
in  the  Dutch  territory,  andj  on 
the  other,  limited  themselves  to 
proposing  arrangements  founded 
upon  a  reciprocity  of  concessions, 
preserving  to  the  Belgians  those 
markets  which  had  most  con- 
tributed to  their  wealth,  and 
founded  upon  the  notoriety  of  the 
public  budgets  of  the  kingdom  of 
the  Netherlands. 

"  In  these  Arrangements  the  five 
Powers  must  necessarily  act  as 
mediators,  for  without  that,  the 
interested  parties  could  not  come 
to  an  understanding,  nor  could  the 
stipulations  in  which  these  Powers 
took  an  immediate  part  in  1814 
and  1815,  be  modified. 

"The  assent  of  the  King  of  the 
Netherlands  to  the  protocols  of 
Jan.  20  and  27,  1831,  Answered 
the  cares  of  the  parties  to  the 
Conference  at  London.  The  new 
mode  of  existence  attained  by  Bel- 
gium, and  its  neutrality,  thus  re- 
ceived a  sanction  which  could  not 
be  dispensed  with.  It  remained 
only  for  the  Conference  to  come  to 


restitutions  upon  the  protest  made 
by  Belgium  against  the  first  of 
these  protocols,  a  suliject  the  more 
important  as  it  is  fundamentai» 

*'  This  protest  claimed  a  right  of 
post-limits,  which  belongs  only  to 
independent  states,  and  which 
cannot,  Consequently,  belod^  to 
Belgium,  since  she  has  neter  been 
reckoned  among  those  stated.  This 
protest  mentions  also  cessions  made 
to  a  third  Power,  and  not  to  Bel- 
gium, who  never  has  been  in  pos- 
session Gf  them,  and,  theremre, 
cannot  insist  upon  them*. 

"  The  nullity  of  such  pretensions 
is  evident.  Far  from  making  any 
attack  upon  the  ancient  provinces 
of  Belgium,  the  Powers  hare  only 
declared  and  maintained  the  in- 
tegrity of  neighbouring  states.  In- 
stead, indeed,  of  compressing  the 
limits  of  these  provinces,  they  have 
comprised  in  them  the  principality 
of  Liege^  which  had  at  no  former 
period  made  part  of  them. 

<*  Moreover,  all  that  Belgium 
could  require  she  has  obtained-^- 
separation  from  Holland— inde- 
pendence—external safety^— gua- 
rantees  of  her  territory;  ^d  beu. 
trality-— the  free  navigation  of  the 
rivers  that  serve  as  the  channels  of 
her  commerce — and  peaceable  en- 
joyment of  her  national  liberties. 

"  Such  are  the  arrangements  op-> 
posed  by  the  protest  in  question, 
publicly  avowing  to  respect  neithei^ 
the  possessions  runt  the  rights  of 
adjoining  states. 

^'Theplenipotentiaries  of  thefive 
Courts,  considering  that  such  views 
are  views  of  conquest,  incompatil^e 
with  existing  treaties,  with  the 
peace  of  Europe,  and  consequently 
with  the  independence  and  nea- 
tl-ality  of  Belgium,  declare  ;— 

''  ] .  That  it  remains  understood) 
as  it  has  b^en  from  the  beginniflg, 


2  B  2 


372       ANNUAL  REGISTER,  1831. 


tbat  the  arrangements  resolved  on 
by  the  protocol  of  Jan.  20^  1831^ 
are  fundamental   and    irrevocable 
arrangements. 

*'2.  That  the  independence  of 
Belgium  shall  only  be  recognized 
by  the  five  Powers,  upon  the  con- 
ditions and  in  the  limits  which  re- 
sult from  the  said  arrangements  oi 
Jan.  20,  1831. 

**  3.  That  the  principle  of  the 
neutrality  and  the  inviolability  of 
the  Belgian  territory  in  the  above- 
mentioned  limits  remains  in  vigour 
and  obligatory  upon  the  five 
Powers. 

"  4 .  That  the  five  Powers,  faith- 
ful to  their  engagements,  claim 
the  full  right  of  declaring  that  the 
sovereign  of  Belgium  must  answer 
by  his  personal  situation  to  the 
principle  even  of  the  existence  of 
Belgium,  satisfy  the  security  of 
the  other  states,  accept  without 
restriction  as  his  majesty  the 
king  of  the  Netherlands  has  done 
for  the  protocol  of  July  21,  1814, 
all  the  nindamental  arrangements 
contained  in  the  protocol  of  Jan. 
20,  1831,  and  have  it  in  his  power 
to  secure  to  the  Belgians  the 
peaceable  enjoyment  thereof. 

^'  5.  That  these  first  conditions 
being  fulfilled,  the  five  Powers  will 
continue  to  employ  their  care  and 
their  good  ofiices  to  lead  to  the  re- 
ciprocal adoption  and  execution  of 
the  other  arrangements  rendered 
necessary  by  the  sepuration  of  Bel- 
gium from  Hollana. 

<'  6.  That  the  five  Powers  admit 
the  right  in  virtue  of  which  the 
other  states  may  take  such  mea- 
sures as  they  may  judge  necessary 
to  enforce  respect  to  or  to  re-es* 
tablish  their  legitimate  authority 
in  all  the  countries  belonging  to 
them,  to  which  the  protest  men- 
tioned above  sets  up  pretensions. 


and  which  are  situated  out  of 
the  Belgian  territory  declared 
neutral. 

"  7.  That  his  majesty  the  king 
of  the  Netherlands  having  ac- 
ceded without  restriction,  by  the 
protocol  of  Feb.  18,  1831,  to  tlie 
arrangements  relative  to  the  8e« 
paration  of  Belgium  from  Hol- 
land, every  enterprise  of  the  Bel- 
gian authorities  upon  the  territory 
which  the  protocol  of  January  20 
has  declared  Dutch,  will  be  re- 
garded as  a  renewal  of  the  stmg^ 
gle  to  which  the  five  Powers  have 
resolved  to  put  an  end. 


Protocol  of  a  Conferencb 
held  at  the  Foreign  Officb 
April  17»  1831,  between  ike 
Plenipotentiaries  of  Aus- 
tria, Great  Britain,  Pbus: 
sia,  and  Russia,  relative  to  the 
Demolition  of  the  Fortbssbbs. 

"  The  plenipotentiaries  of  Aus- 
tria, of  Great  Britab,  of  Pnissiay 
and  of  Russia,  having  met,  have 
directed  their  attention  to  the  for- 
tresses constructed  since  the  year 
1815,  in  the  kingdom  of  the  Ne- 
therlands, at  the  expense  of  the 
four  Courts;  and  to  the  deter- 
minations which  it  would  becmne 
necessary  to  take  with  respect  to 
these  fortresses,  when  the  separa- 
tion of  Belgium  from  Holland 
shall  have  been  definitively  efiect- 
ed« 

'<  Having  carefully  examined  this 
question,  the  plenipotentiaries  of 
the  four  Courts  were  unanimously 
of  opinion, — ^that  the  new  situa^ 
tion  in  which  Belgium  would  be 
placed,  with  her  neutrality  ai^ 
knowledged  and  guaranteed  by 
France,  ought  to  change  the  sys- 
tem of  military  defence  which  had 


PUBLIC  DOCUMENTS. 


been  adopted  for  the  kinffdotn  or 
the  Netherlands ;  that  die  for- 
tresses in  question  would  be  too 
numerous  not  to  make  it  difficult 
for  the  Belgians  to  provide  for 
their  mainteDance  aad  defence  : 
that,  moreover,  the  unanimously 
admitted  inviolability  of  the  Bel- 
gian territory  offered  a  security 
which  did  not  previously  exist ; 
finally,  that  a  part  of  these  for- 
tresses, constructed  under  dif- 
ferent circumstances,  might  at 
present  be  razed. 

"Iuconsequence,[theplenipoten- 
tiaries  have  finally  decided,  that 
as  soon  as  a  government  shall 
exist  in  Belgium,  recogniaed  by 
the  Powers  taking  part  in  the 
Conferences  of  London,  a  nego- 
tiation  shall  be  set  on  footbettveen 
the  four  Powers  and  that  govern- 
ment, for  the  purpose  of  selectine 
such  of  the  said  fortresses  as  slioula 
be  demolished. 
(Signed)    "  EsTSBHAzy. 

"  Wbssenbero. 

"  Paluebston. 

"  BULOIC. 
"  LiBVBN. 

"  Matuscewitsch." 


to  the  Prince  de  Talleyrand  the 
annexed  copy  of  a  Protocol  which 
they  have  issued  upon  the  subject 
of  the  fortresses  erected  since  the 
year  1815,  in  the  kingdom  of  the 
Nethfrlauds. 

"  The  undersigned  see  no  ob- 
jection to  giving  the  same  pub- 
licity to  this  Protocol  as  may  be 
^iven  to  tlie  other  acts  of  the  ne- 
gotiations which  have  taken  place 
since  the  month  of  November, 
1S30,  on  the  affairs  of  Belgium. 

"  They  take  this  opportunity 
(o  renew,  &c. 

(Signed)  "  EsTEKHAZY. 
"  Palmerston. 
"  BuLow. 

"  LlEVEN. 

"  Matuscewitsch." 


Note  addressed  by  the  Pleni- 

rOTENTIARIES      or"        AUSTBIA, 

Gbeat  Britain,  Pbussia,  attd 
Russia,  to  Ike  Plenipoten- 
tiary of  France- 

"  Foreign  Office,  July  U,  1831. 

"  The  undersigned  plenipoten- 
tiaries of  the  Courts  of  Austria, 
of  Great  Britain,  of  Prussia,  and 
of  Russia,  being  desirous  to  give  a 
further  proof  of  the  reliance  which 
they  place  on  the  disposition  shown 
by  the  government  of  his  majesty 
the  king  of  the  iVench  for  the 
maintenance  of  the  general  peace, 
think  it  their  duty  to  cointiiUDicat« 


Protocol  of  Ike  Confkrenob 
held  on  (he  nih  of  \SRIL,  1831, 
at  the  Foreign  Office,  Lon- 
don, containing  Ike  Adhesion  of 
France,  to  that  of  (he  HOth  qf 
January. 

"  Present,  the  plenipotentiaries 
of  Austria,  France,  Great  Britain, 
Prussia,  and  Russia.  Upon  the 
opning  of  the  Conference  the  ple- 
nipotentiary of  France  declared  by 
the  express  command  of  his  so- 
vereign, that  France  acceded  to 
the  protocol  of  January  20,  1831 ; 
that  she  approved  of  the  boun- 
daries fisedin  that  act  for  Belgium; 
that  she  recognized  the  neutrality 
as  well  as  the  inviolability  of  the 
Belgian  territory;  that  she  would 
acknowledge  the  sovereign  of  Bel- 
gium only  when  that  sovereign 
should  have  acceded  to  all  the  pro- 
visions and  clauses  of  the  protocol 
of  January  20,  1831;  and  that, 
according  to  the  principles  laid 
down  in  that  protocol,  the  French 
government  considered  the  grand 
duchy  of  Luxemburg  as  completely 


374      ANNUAL   REGISTER,    1831. 

separated  from   Belgium^  bo  that  governmeut^  they  now  oongratu- 
the  said  grand  duchy  should  cou-^  late  theniselveB  upon  findings  that 
tiiiucuuder  the  sovereignty  and  in  France,  by  the  aeclaration  of  her 
the  relations  which  were  assigned  ambassador,  continues  in  tlie  poai- 
to  it  by  the  treaties  of  1815.     To  tion  which  she  has  taken  with  to 
this  declaration  the  French  pleni-  much  utility  in  the  midst  of  her 
]N)tentiury    added    several    obser-  allies  at  the  London  Gonferenee8« 
vations  on  the  nature  of  the  ex-  us  she  declares  her  adherence  to 
changes  of   territory,    which,    in  the  principles  on  which  the   l^th 
conformity   with  article  4  of  the  protocol  is  founded,  and  which  are 
protocol  of  the   20th  of  JanuiU'y,  all  deduced  from  the  protocol  of 
are  to  be  effected  under  the  medi-  January  20  ;  and  as  she  thereby 
ation  of  the  five  Courts,  between  consolidates  the  union  of  the  great 
Belgium  and  Holland,  in  order  to  Powers,  which  union  presents  the 
afford  the  mutual  advantage  of  a  best  guarantee  of  a  general  peace. 
coin])1ete  contiguity  of  possessions ;  With  regard  to  the  nirther  obeer- 
<>n  the  constitutional  regime  en-  Tations    with    which  the  French 
surcd  to  the  grand  duchy  of  Lux-  plenipotentiary   accompanied    the 
omburg  by  the  treaties'  of  1815  ;  above  declaration,  the  ConferencCj 
on   the  measures  that   might  be  after  consideration,  have  unanini* 
adopted  with  regard  to  the  latter  ously  agreed — first,  that  the  die- 
country ;  on  the  peculiar  situation  cussion  on  the  exchange  of  terri« 
of  the  duchy  or   Bouillon,    and,  tory  which  might  take  place  be* 
generally,  on  the  means  for  the  tween  Holland  and  Belgium  was 
execution  of  the  protocol  of  Janu-  only  to  be  assumed  now  asa  projecti 
ary  HO,  18«'n.     The  French  pleni-  but  that  it  can  only  be  opened  with 
pjtentiary,  finally,  again  express-  advantaffe   when  the  parties  im-* 
ed  the  ardent  and  invariable  desire  mediately  interested  shall  have  ao-i 
which   his  government  has   con-  ceded  to  the  arrangements  which 
stantly  manifested  to  act  in  bar-  must  follow  the  separation  of  Bel- 
mony  with  its  allies,  and  to  con-  gium  from  Holland,  and  when  the 
cur  with  them  in  the  maintenance  labours  of  the  commissions  for  the 
of  general  peace,  and  the  treaties  demarcation  shall  have  completely 
which  form  the  basis  of  it.     This  cleared  up  the  question  relative  to 
communication    received    by    the  the  exchanges  of  territory,  and> 
plenipotentiaries  of  the  four  Courts  consequently,  have  fecilitat^  the 
with  unanimous  and  sincere  satis-  solution  of  it  td  the  five  Pdwers. 
faction, gave  them  occasion  on  their  Secondly,  that,  as  the  main  prin- 
nart  to  declare,  that  they  knew  ciple  of  the  five  Powers  is  to  re« 
Iiow  to  appreciate  duly  the  spirit  spect  treaties,  it  is  evident  that 
and  aim  of  the  same.     They  con-  the  stipulations  of  the  treaties  re^ 
sider  it  as  the  happy  result  of  the  lative  to  the  grand  duchy  of  Iaux- 
principles  laid  down  in  the  proto-  emburg  must  be  executed*     Third- 
col  of  March   17>  in  consequence  ly,    that  in  consequence  of   the 
of  the  first  observations,  to  which  same  principle,  the  plenipotenti« 
the  protocol  of  February  19  had  aries  of  the  hve  Courts  at  the  Lon* 
given  rise  on  the  part  of  France,  don  Conference  shall  proceed  to  an 
Greatly  as  they  regretted  even  a  examination  of  the  treaties  in  ex- 
momentary  difference  of  opinion  istence  relative  to  the  duchy  of 
between  them  and   tlie    French  Bouillon,  in  order  to  state  upon  tha 


PUBLIC    DOCOMENTS. 


37S 


obserTBtiona  mada  by  the  plenipo- 
tentiury  of  France,  what  may  be 
peculiar  in  the  situatioD  of  that 
duchy,  so  that  a  due  regard  for 
this  situation  may  be  observed  in 
tlie  measures,  the  application  of 
which  may  be  required  tovuda 
the  duchy  of  Luxemburg, 

"  EsTBRHAaY. 

"  WssaiiNBxna. 
"  Tai/Lrvrand. 
"  Palm'shston. 

"  BULOW. 
"  LlEVJtN. 

"  Matuscbwitooh." 


Photocoi.  of  the  Conferrnceb  nt 
Ike  FoREioN-oiFFicK,  held  May 
10,  1831,  reUtlifc  Iv  the  refusal 
of  the  Belgic  Govkrnsjbnt 
(o  adhere  to  the  basis  laid  dmvn 
ht)  the  CotfpERENCE. 

"The  plcDtpoteatiary  of  France, 
after  having  declared  the  full  and 
entire  assent  of  the  governmeRt  of 
his  majesty  the  kiog  of  the  French 
to  the  protocols  twenty-one  and 
twenty-two  of  the  17th  of  April, 
cnlls  tile  attention  of  the  plenip'>- 
tentiaries  of  Austria,  flreat  Bri- 
tain,  Huuia,  and  Prussia,  on  tlie 
means  of  combining  the  cxocutioD 
and  ethcacy  of  the  last  of  those  acts, 
with  the  precautions  beat  cakulabtd 
to  dispel  even  a  pretext  for  all 
alarm  relatire  to  the  prMarvation 
of  geoerai  peace. 

"  The  first  question  which  the 
Congress  has  liiacussed  with  this 
view,  related  to  the  time  which 
jnight  be  granted  to  Ibe  Belgian 
government  to  the  definitive  pro- 
poeitions  contained  in  protoocd  88. 

"  Considering  tiiat  the  commia- 
siooeri  of  the  live  Courts  at  BrUB> 
■ela  and  the  government  of  his 
majesty  the  hing  of  the  French 
are  of  opinion  that »  noderftt*  de* 


lay  would  otter  a  means  of  prepar- 
ing the  minds  of  the  ptraple  in 
Belgium  for  tliis  iD>|)Ortaut  com- 
muni  cat  ion,  the  pleninoteutiariea 
have  raaolvcd  that  loi'a  Ponsonby 
should  be  iLUtlioriied  to  concert 
witii  general  Balliard  the  previous 
stops  which  micht  produce  the 
must  effect  in  thiH  respect,  aud  not 
ta  L'OJiimuuicatc  the  '■MaA  protncol 
oHicially  to  the  Belgic  government 
till  uFler  empluyintf  all  their  inHu- 
eiice  to  show  generally  the  ttilvau- 
tagu  which  the  Belgians  would 
reap  from  the  immediate  and  (rank 
acceptance  of  the  bases  of  separa- 
tion to  which  hia  majesty  the  king 
of  the  Netherlands  bus  already 
completely  assented. 

"  It  has  been  agreed,  on  the 
other  hand,  that  the  official  cnni- 
niunioutiou  of  the  protocol  in 
question  sliould  take  place  at  all 
events  before  the  Ist  of  June,  this 
year,  aud  that  on  that  day  the  de- 
lay shall  expire,  grauted  by  the 
Congi'ess  at  Loudon  to  the  Belgic 
government  to  {dace  itself  accord- 
ing to  its  evident  interest  in  the 
same  position  as  his  mi^esty  the 
king  of  the  Netherlands  wiUi  re^ 
spect  to  the  live  Foircrs,  by  tha 
acceptano!  of  tbo  bnsis  of  separa- 
tion Hhovo-mentionM). 

''  The  pleuipoteutiarioshave  fur- 
ther determined,  tliat  if  on  the 
day  lised  the  Belgic  government 
declares  by  its  olticial  answer  that 
it  accedes  to  the  said  basis  of  sepa- 
ration, then  immediate  attention 
shall  ho  jHiid  to  the  measures  ne- 
cessary for  the  speedy  evacuation 
of  the  places  and  territories  occu- 
■      t 

hotindario! 
Belgium  and  Holland.  In  this 
supposition  t\\a  common  consent  of 
the  two  parties  directly  interested, 
to  which  the  fit-o  Courts  will  con- 
tribute  their  good  offices,  would 


376     ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 

afterwards  decide  the  excliauges  of  which  they  would  thus  enter  ipw 

territon'   and  arrangements,    the  facto  into  a  state  of  hostility  by 

principles  of  which  have  been  laid  a  violation  of   the    engagemeDts 

down  in  article  4  of  the  basis  of  which  they  contracted  the  21  at  of 

separation.      If,  on  the  contrary,  November,    1830,  would  have  to 

these  bases  should  not  be  accepted  concert  the  measures  which  they 

by  the  1st  of  June  by  the  Belgian  should  think  it  their  duty  to  op« 

government^  the  plenipotentiaries  pose  to  such  attacks,  and  that  the 

have  agreed  on  this  : —  tirst  of  their  measures  would  con- 

'*'  1.  That  according  to  protocol  sist  in  the  most  speedy  execution 

No.  !2,  an  absolute  rupture  of  all  of  the  determinations  indicated  in 

relations  shall  take  place  between  the  instructions  given  to  the  com- 

the  five  Powers  and  the  authorities  missioners  of  the  Congress  of  Lon- 

which  govern  Belgium.  don,    on    the    18th   of   January, 

"  2.  That  the  tive  Powers,  far  which   instructions  are  added  to 

from  interposing  further  with  the  protocol  No.  10. 
German   Confederation,     as   they        **  o.  Lastly,  that  if  these  deter- 

have  hitherto  done,  to  retard  the  minations  should  be  insufficient,  the 

adoption  of  the   measures  which  Congress  at  London,  acting  in  the 

the  German  Confederation  has  re-  name  of  the  five   Powers,  would 

solved  to  take  in  the  grand  duchy  agree  in  common  upon  the  further 

of  Luxemburg,  could  not  but  ac-  measures     which     circumstances 

knowledge  themselves  the  neces-  might  require  for  the  same  object. 
sity  of  those  measures.  ''  The     plenipotentiaries     have 

'<  S.  That  the  live  Powers,  con-  agreed  that  the  present  protocol, 

sidering    the    intimate     relations  which  completes  the  disposition  fi 

which  subsist  between  them  and  that  of  the  17th  of  April,  No.  SS, 

the  German  Confederation,  would  shall  also  serve  to  complete  the  in- 

ask  the  Diet  at  Frankfort  to  give  structions  of  lord  Ponsonby,  and 

them  a  proof  of  friendship  by  caus-  be  immediately  forwarded  to  him." 
inff   to  be  communicated  to  the  _    ,      ,    ,r     ^,    *«^*- 

Congress  at   London  confidential  Protocol,  May  21,  183L 

information  respecting  the  in  ten-        '^  Lord  Ponsonby,  after  reoeiv- 

tions  of  the  Confederation  relative  ing  the    article   No.  23,   having 

to  the  number  and  employment  of  thought  it  his  duty  to  submit  in 

the  troops  which  it  would  cause  person  to  the  Congress  the  state  of 

to  enter  into  the  grand  duchy  of  affairs  in  Belgium,  has  been  heard 

Luxemburg.  by  the  plenipotentiaries  of  the  five 

"  The  entirely  friendly  commu-  great  Courts, 
nication  in  question  would  have  no         "  Considering    that    it  results 

object  but  to  enable  the  Congress  from  the  information  given  by  lofd 

in  London  to  prevent  the  uneasi-  Ponsonby — 
ness  which   these  military  move-        ''  1.  That  the  assent  of  the  Bel- 

ments  might  excite  in  the  adjacent  gic  Congress  to  the  basis  of  sepa- 

countries.  ration  between  Belgium  and  HoU 

*'  4.  That  if  the  Belgians  should  land  would  be  essentially  fiicili- 

violate  the  armistice  which  they  tated  if  the  five  Courts  contented 

ought  to  observe  with  respect  to  to  support  Belgium  in  its  desire  to 

Holland,    and   should  attack  its  obtain,  on  giving  an   indemnity, 

territoryi    the  five    Powers  with  the  grand  duchy  of  Luxembuig.    . 


PUBLIC   DOCU 


"  9.  That  the  choice  of  a  new 
sovereign  liaviag  become  iodiBpenB- 
able  to  arrire  at  these  fioal  ar- 
rangemeDta,  the  best  means  of  ob- 
taining the  proposed  object  would 
be,  to  remove  the  difficulties  which 
would  impede  the  auceptance  of  the 
sovereignty  of  Bel^um  by  prince 
Leopold.  In  case,  as  there  is  every 
reason  to  believe,  that  sovereignty 
should  be  offered  to  him,  the  ple- 
nipotentiaries have  agreed  to  invite 
lord  Ponsonby  to  return  to  Brus< 
sets,  and  to  authorize  him  to  de-. 
dare, 

"  1.  That  the  five  Powers  can 
no  longer  delay  to  require  of  the 
Belgic  government  its  assent  to  the 
basis  of  the  separation  of  Belgium 
and  Holland,  to  which  his  majesty 
the  king  of  the  Netherlands  has 
already  assented. 

"  2.  That  paying  attention  to 
the  wish  expressed  by  the  Belgic 
government  to  obtain  the  grand 
duchy  for  an  indemnity,  the  five 
Powers  promise  to  open  a  negoti- 
ation with  the  king  of  the  Nether- 
lands, in  order  to  secure,  if  possi- 
ble, to  Belgium  for  a  just  compen- 
sation the  possession  of  that  coun- 
try, which  should  preserve  its 
actual  relations  with  the  Cierman 
Confederation. 

"  3.  That  immediately  after 
having  obtained  the  assent  of  the 
Belgic  government  to  the  basis  of 
separation,  the  five  Powers  would 
acquaint  the  German  Confeder- 
ation with  this  assent,  as  well  as 
with  the  engagements  taken  by 
them  to  commence  a  negotiation 
for  the  purpose  of  obtaining,  if 
possible,  for  Belgium,  the  posses- 
sion of  the  grand  duchy  of  Luxem- 
burg for  a  just  compensation ;  the 
five  powers  would,  at  the  same 
time,  invite  the  German  Confede- 
ration to  suspend,  durlo^  this  ne- 
gotiatioD,    the  executioa  of   the 


measure  resolved  upon  for  the  mi- 
litary occupation  of  the  grand 
duchy.   . 

"  4,  That  when  the  Belgian  go- 
vernment should  hare  given  its  as-- 
sent  to  the  basis  of  separation,  and 
the  difficulties  relative  to  the  sore-> 
reignty  of  Belgium  are  removed, 
the  negotiations  necessary  to  carry 
this  basis  into  effect  should  be  im- 
mediately opened  with  the  sove- 
reign of  Belgium,  under  the 
auspices  of  the  five  Powers.  . 

"5.  Lastly,  that  if  this  assent 
should  not  be  given  by  the  Ist  of 
June,  lord  Ponsonby,  in  concert 
with  general  Belliara,  would  hare 
to  eiecute  the  instructions  con- 
tained in  the  23rd  protocol  of  the 
10th  of  May,  and  to  acquaint  the 
Belgic  government  with  the  deter- 
mination which  the  five  Courts  have 
taken  for  this  case  by  the  said  pro- 
tocol.  The  two  protocols  ai^e  signed 

"  EsTERHlZr.  I 

"  Webbbnbdrg. 
"  Tat.lbyhand. 
"  Palhxbston. 

"  BVLOW. 
"  LiBTBH. 

"  Matusobwitsch." 
"  Brusielt  Paperi,  Jtme  4." 


Le' 


o/"  LoKD  Ponsonby  /o  the 
Bkloic  Minister  of  fobeign 
Akfairs,  dated  STMay,   IS31, 
communicated  by  the  latter  to  Ike 
Belgic  Congress,  May  28. 
"Brussels,  May  27, 
"Sir, — I  arrived  yesterday  even- 
ing, and  will  not  delay  to  commii- 
□  Lcate   to  you  some  ideas  on  the 
state  of  your  affairs,   as  far  as  the 
Congress  at  London  is  interested 
in  them.     I  therefore  rely  on  your 
indulgence,  which  I  hope  will  ex- 
cuse the  imperfections  of  a  letter 
written  in  the  greatest  haste. 
"  The  Congress  finds  the  bounds 


376       ANNUAL   REGISTER,   1831. 


aries  of  Holland^  and  treaties  con- 
stitute with  respect  to  boundaries^ 
the  }a\v^  of  nations.  The  Congress 
cannot  violate  that  law  ^  conse- 
quently it  cannot  consent  that 
Belgium  should  assume  the  right 
to  fix  the  frontiers  of  another  state; 
but  the  Congress  is  nevertheless  iii« 
clincd^  as  fur  as  it  shall  be  able, 
without  violating  the  fundamental 
principles  of  European  policy^  to 
remedy  such  things  as  may  be  con- 
trary to  the  interests  of  lielgium^ 
and  at  the  same  time  not  be  inju- 
rious to  the  interests  of  the  neigh- 
bouring nations.  Acting  with 
these  views^  the  Congress  desires 
that  Belgium  may  place  itself  in 
the  ordinary  circle  of  European 
states,  recognizing  the  common 
obligation  of  treaties^  taking  part 
in  the  burthens  and  the  benefits  of 
the  policy  received  among  nations, 
and  constituting  itself  in  such  a 
manner  that  it  may  have  a  right 
to  demand,  that  all  other  states 
should  acknowledge  and  treat  it  as 
an  associate. 

"If  Belgium  consents  to  place 
itself  in  this  situation,  the  Con- 
gress will  assist  it  by  its  powerful 
mediation  to  obtain  the  duchy  of 
Luxemburg  by  a  treaty,  and  for 
an  equitable  indemnity;  and  by 
effectual  means  the  Congress  will 
prevent  any  military  interference 
on  the  part  of  the  German  Confed- 
eration during  the  negotiation. 
It  must  be  observed,  by  tnis  mode 
of  proceeding,  Belgium  will  obtain 
this  territory  peaceablyi  and  for 
over — whereas,  it  is  at  least  uncer- 
tain whether  it  will  obtain  it  by 
war )  and  the  inhabitants  of  the 
Duchy  will  be  spared  the  calami- 
ties which  fall  on  those  whose 
country  becomes  the  theatre  of 
war. 

"  The  Congress  is  animated  by 
»  feeling  of  good-will  towards  Bel- 


gium ;  its  real  object  is  peace  now 
and  in  future,  founded^  on  the  se- 
curity and  independence  of  that 
country,  and  a  definitive  arrange- 
ment of  all  its  interests. 

'*  The  Congress  would  therefoni 
sec  with  pleasure  the  Belgian  Con- 
gress elect  some'  sovereign  who 
might  not  personally  interfere  with 
the  rights  of  other  governments, 
and  it  will  recognize  with  particu- 
lar satisfaction  the  prince  on  whom 
the  Belgians  seem  especially  tn 
have  turned  their  eyes,  provided 
that  the  Congress  will  enable  him 
to  place  himself  in  the  common 
circle  of  the  governments. 

''  On  what  principle  of  reason 
could  Belgium  pretend  to  place 
itself  in  a  situation  different  from 
that  under  which  all  other  nations 
live  ?  Why  should  it  demand  ex- 
clusively the  privilege  to  dictate 
laws  to  all  other  nations  on  ques« 
tions  of  disputed  territory^  and  to 
withdraw  itself  from  the  obligation 
of  observing  the  general  rule  of  ne- 
gotiations and  treaties,  pretending 
all  at  once  to  have  recourse  to  vio- 
lence and  war  to  secure  what  it 
considers  as  its  rights?  Is  Bel- 
gium powerful  enough  to  force  the 
military  five  great  nations  of  £u* 
vo\}Q  to  subscribe  to  iU  wishes } 

'*Do  some  persons  think  that 
the  people  of  Europe  may  be  ex- 
cited to  resistance  to  their  respect- 
ive governments  in  order  to  enable 
Belgium  to  destroy  the  authority 
of  treaties,  the  only  principle  that 
preserves  nations  from  a  perpetual 
war  ?  There  can  be  no  more  serious 
and  dangerous  error  than  such  an 
opinion. 

''  The  great  powers  are  suffici- 
ently aware  of  their  true  interests 
not  to  dispute  among  themselves 
on  the  Belgic  question — that  is  to 
say,  on  the  question  whether 
treaties  ought  to  be  observed. 


PUBLIC    DOCUMENTS. 


"  On  the  contrary,  ihvf  wiH 
ftct  with  uDaDimity,  and  they 
will  have  the  concurreoce  and  ap- 
probation of  their  people. 

"  Belgium  is  excit«d  to  have  n- 
course  to  armi,  and  why?  To 
retain  Luxemburg.  But  it  may 
postiess  it  in  peace  and  security 
for  the  thouaaodth  part  of  the  price 
which  an  attempt  to  beep  that 
country  by  forre  of  arms  would 
cost:  IS  it  not  imprudent  to  heeU 
tate  on  the  choice  i 

"Belgium  deeirea  to  ooaquer 
Maestricht,  the  left  bank  of  the 
Scheldt,  and  to  take  from  Holland 
some  other  parts  of  its  ancient  pos- 
sessions. Now  that  the  policy  of 
Europe  is  evident  even  to  the 
least  enlightened  mind,  can  it  still 
be  doubted  that  Belgium  is  uoable 
to  obtain  any  one  of  these  things 
by  force  of  arms,  unless  it  succeeds 
in  conquering  the  armies  of  France, 
of  Prussia,  of  AuRtna,  and  of 
England?  Not  an  inch  of  Dutch 
territory  will  be  left  to  Belgium, 
unless  it  has  vanquished  Europe.^ 
to  say  nothing  o£  what  it  might 
lose  of  its  own  territory  If  it  should 
happen  to  be  vanquished  itself  in 
■uch  a  contest. 

"  It  is  for  the  statesmen  who  di. 
rect  the  destinies  of  nations  to  cal- 
*'ulate  thii  chances  of  am:ct^  or 
defeat-  It  is  for  them  to  show 
their  countrymen  whether  it  is 
better  to  seek  succeea  iu  their 
views  by  such  means  iind  in  such 
circumstances,  or  to  try  the  simple, 
iiioUeuaive,  and  more  effectual 
means  which  negotiations  afford 
under  a  prince,  the  friend  of  all 
the  Governments  of  Europe,  and 
in  the  consolidation  of  whose  po^^^er 
and  security  all  may  be  interested. 

"  The  h&'jitation  which  hia  niyal 
highness  prince  Leopold  has  shown 
iu  the  answers  which  he  has  made 
to  thi^  deputies  who  sounded  his 
opisioa  witb  regpect  to  the  eovf 


reignty  of  Belgium,  sufficiently 
shows  the  disinterested  nature  of 
his  royal  highnesa's  principles,  and 
that  hia  royal  highness  would 
not  accept  a  crown  which  should 
be  offered  to  him,  if  he  could 
not  wQjir  it  with  honour  to  Belgium 
and  himself.  However,  the  prince 
is  now  convinced,  to  his  entire  sa- 
tisfaction, that  he  is  sufficiently 
authoriaed  to  ex)>ect  with  conti- 
ilencc  the  equitable  and  sjwedy 
execution  of  the  measures  by  which 
the  Congress  will  assist  in  the  sa- 
tisfactory arrangement  of  the  affairs 
of  Luxemburg  (  and  the  prince  is 
ready  to  lake  upon  himself  as  sove> 
reign  the  completion  of  this  affair. 

"  Can  there  be  a  better  proof  of 
the  change  which  has  taken  place 
ill  the  opinion  and  the  resolution 
of  the  Congress  ?  A  week  ago  the 
Congress  considered  the  preserva- 
tion of  that  duchy  to  the  House  of 
Nassau,  if  not  as  necessary,  at 
luast  us  extremely  desirable,  and 
at  present  it  is  inclined  to  a  medi- 
ation, with  the  avowed  inteotiou 
of  obtaining  that  duchy  for  the 
sovereign  of  Belgium, 

■'  The  honour  of  Belgium  cou> 
sists  in  obtaining  Luxemburg,  and 
not  in  tightijig  tn  have  it,  and  in- 
suring the  ruin  of  Belgium  by  the 
struggle. 

"  The  Congress  does  not  pretend 
to  interfere  in  what  concerns  the 
rights,  the  independence  of  Bel- 
gium, or  its  internal  organization, 
but  it  will  maintain  the  rights  of 
other  states  against  all  aggres- 
sion, under  any  pretext  whatever. 

"  There  shall  be  no  new  mode  of 
conquest  set  up  by  one  power  apart 
from  the  rest.  The  Congress  will 
remain  the  protector  of  laws  and 
of  liberty,  against  all  those  who 
should  attempt  to  become  conquer- 
ors, and  agamst  those  who  should 
disregard  any  laws  but  their  own 
wUl  wfl  plw\u«-    'i'be  B«Igi»ie 


380 


ANNUAL  REGISTER,  1831. 


canuot  consider  it  as  wise  i)olicy  to 
assert  the  right  of  force,  and  to 
recognize  it  as  supreme  and  abso- 
lute>  without  exposing  themselves^ 
at  the  same  time^  to  see  the  doc- 
trine turned  against  themselres. 

*'  What  IS  asked  of  Belgium^ 
that  it  may  find  itself  in  a  tranquil 
and  safe  situation?  All  that  is 
asked  of  it  is,  to  condescend  to 
show  itself  subject  to  the  same  po- 
litical duties  to  which  the  great 
monarchies  submit.  Can  that  which 
France^  Austria^  England^  &c.  &c. 
iind  just  and  honourable^  wound 
the  honour  of  Belgium?  I  have 
confidence  in  the  good  sense  of  the 
Belgian  government  and  of  the 
country;  I  flatter  myself  that  they 
will  consider  with  calmness  ana 
decide  with  wisdom  the  great  ques- 
tion which  is  laid  before  them,  and 
that  they  will  refuse  imprudently 
to  plunge  themselves  into  diffi- 
culties which  would  be  created 
without  need,  and  which  might 
lead  even  to  the  extinction  of  the 
Belgic  name.  As  for  the  debt,  I 
can  repeat  to  you  the  assurance 
that  the  Congress  has  never  meant 
any  more  than  to  make  proposals. 

"  Believe  me  Sir,  your  very 
humble  servant, 

(Signed)     *'  Ponsonby. 
''  To  M,  Lebcau,  Minister  for 

Foreign  Affairs,'* 


Notes  of  the  Dutch  Govern- 
MENT  relative  to  the  Refusal 
of  Belgium,  and  Answer  of 
the  Conference,  June  5,  7, 
1831. 

Protocol  of  the  Conference  at  the 
Foreign  Office,  jLondon,  June 
6th;  present,  the  Plenipoten- 
tiaries of  Austria,  France,  Great 
Britain,  Prussia,  and  Russia, 

"  Having  considered  the  reports 
made  to  them  by  lord  Ponsonby 
up  to  the  4th  of  toe  present  months 


forwarded  to  them  from  Brussels, 
as  also  the  two  notes  hereunto  ap- 
pended of  the  plenipotentiaries  of 
his  majesty  the  King  of  the  Nether-* 
lands. 

'^  After  having  examined  on  the 
one  side  of  the  said  reports  and 
notes,  and  on  the  other  side  the 
contents  of  the  protocols  No.  22, 
23,  and  24,  the  plenipotentiaries 
resolved  to  send  the  appended  let- 
ter to  lord  Ponsonby,  and  to  the 
representatives  of  his  majesty  the 
king  of  the  Netherlands,  both  the 
answers,  the  originals  of  which  are 
hereunto  appended. 

(Signed)     "  Esterhazy. 

'^  Wessenbero. 

"  Talleyrand. 

"  Palmerston. 

"  BULOW. 

"  Lieven. 

"  Matuscewitsch." 

Appendix,  No.  1. 

''The  undersigned  plenipoten- 
tiaries of  his  majesty  the  king  of 
the  Netherlands  have  the  honour  ' 
to  remind  lord  Palmerston  of  the 
contents  of  the  note  which  thev« 
on  the  21st  of  May,  laid  before  the 
London  Conference.  In  this  it 
was  declared,  that  if  the  Belgians 
did  not  at  once  consent  to  the  con- 
ditions determined  by  the  five  , 
Courts,  as  a  fundamental  princi- 
ple of  the  separation,  his  majesty 
would  consiaier  himself  free  to  act 
on  his  own  account,  that  that  te- 
dious uncertainty  might  termin- 
ate, which  is  so  highly  injurious  to 
the  interests  of  his  faithful  sub- 
jects. Taking  into  consideration 
the  resolutions  of  the  Conference  of 
the  10th  of  May,  the  undersigned 
cannot  doubt  but  that  the  22nd 
protocol  was  received  at  Brussels 
before  the  1st  of  June,  and  must 
have  directly  been  followed  by  au 
answer,    stating   either  that  the 

Belgian  govenunent  had  acceded 


PUBLIC   DOC 

to  the  aboTe-named  fundamental  conaideratioD 

conditions  of  separation,  and  placed  Wy. 

tliemselves  in  the  same  poaitioD  "  Without  alluding  to  the  other 
with  regard  to  the  five  Powers  in  jiainful  feelings  wliiS  the  jeading 
which  the  king  of  the  Netherlands  of  that  paper  has  given  rise  to, 
now  finds  himself,  or  that  the  said  the  under-mentioned  will  content 
conditions  are  not  accepted  by  that  themselves  by  objecting  in  the 
government.  strongest  way  to  every  thing 
"  Since,  however,  several  days  which  the  agent  of  the  Conference 
have  elapsed  after  the  term  grant-  has  thought  fit  to  introduce,  re- 
ed by  the  London  Conference  to  g.nrding  an  eventual  cession  of  the 
the  Belgian  government,  the  un>  grand  duchy  of  Lusemburg. 
dersigned  fulfil  an  imperative  duty  "  By  the  way  in  which  lord  Pon- 
by  requesting  an  explanation  with  sonby  in  this  letter  has  spoken  of 
regard  to  the  information  obtain-  the  proposed  cession,  he  has  arm- 
ed, in  order  that  their  sovereign,  gated  a  right  that  no  person  could 
on  learning  the  result,  which  they  delegate  to  him.  He  has  flat- 
will  immediately  have  communi-  tered,  with  a  deceitfiil  hope,  the 
cated,  may  take  such  measures  as  engrossing  spirit  which  has  distin- 
in  the  present  state  of  things  are  guishcd  the  revolt,  and  has  en-  ~ 
required,  as  well  as  regards  the  croached  on  the  inalienable  rights 
dignitv  as  the  safety  of  Holland.  of  the  king,  by  promises  directly 
"  The  undersigned  ret^uest  lord  opposed  to  the  decisive  and  un- 
Palmerston  to  communicate  the  varied  language  of  the  reprcsent- 
present  note  to  the  plenipoten-  atives  of  his  majesty's  government 
tiaries,  and,  expecting  that  he  will  here  as  well  as  in  the  Hague, 
honour  tbem  with  an  answer,  they  "  The  king  abides  by  the  act  of 
embrace  this  opportunity  of  re-  separation  which  was  proposed  by 
peating  the  assurance  of  their  high  the  live  Powers,  and  is  accepted  by 
regard.  him  without  reservation.  By  ar- 
"  Falck.  tide  2nd  of  that  act,  the  grand 
"  H,  VAN  ZuYLBN  VAN  Nykvelt.  duchy  is  expressly  acknowledged 
"  Dated  London,  Jime  5.  as  belonging  to  the  House  of  Nas- 
"  To  his  Excellency,  Lard  sau.  It  is  therefore  difficult  to 
Palmerslon,  ^c."  comprehend  how  any  idea  should 
.  .  ,T  have  arisen  of  anv  negotiation  re- 
Appendix,  No.  2.  ^^^^^^^^  t,,^t  sovereignty,  which. 
"  The  undersigned  plenipoten-  even  after  the  unconditional  ac- 
tiaries  of  his  majesty  the  king  of  ceptance  of  the  grounds  of  the  se- 
the  Netherlands  perform  an  impe-  paration  by  Belgium,  would  have 
rious  duty  in  drawing  the  atten-  been  still  subject  to  the  greatest 
tion  of  lord  Palmerston,  and,  liiHiculties,  because  that  duchy  was 
through  his  influenra,  that  of  the  granted  in  place  of  their  heredit- 
London  Conference,  to  the  letter  ary  possessions  to  the  king  and  the 
which  lord  Ponsonby  wrote  to  princes  of  the  House,  and,  in  his 
Mr.  Lebeau,  dated  the  27th  of  eyes,  is  of  inestimable  value.  Con- 
May  last,  a  letter  which  was  com-  sequently  the  undersigned  must 
municated  to  the  (so  called)  Brus-  |)roteBt  against  that  part  of  lord 
sels  Congress,  published  in  all  the  I'DOsonby'a  letter,  which  they  most 
newspapers,  and  submitted  to  the  positively  now  do  by  this,  contra- 


382 


ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


dieting  it  entirely^  and  leaving  the 
consequences  of  it  to  the  writer. 
*'  They  bayc  the  bouourj  &c. 
(Signed) 
"  Falgk. 

"  H.  VAN  ZUYLBN  VAN  NVHVBLT. 

"  Ijmdon,  June  fi. 

To  hh  Exccffcficy,  Lord 
Palmersfm,  Src," 

Appendix^  Na  3. 

"  Foreigti  Office,  June  ?• 

'*  The  undersigned  plenijioten- 
tiaries  of  the  Courts  of  Austria^ 
France^  Great  Britain,  Prussia,  and 
Ru8sia>have  taken  into  consideration 
the  note  of  Messrs.  the  plenipoten- 


Van  Zaylen  Van  Nvevelt  of  their 
distinguished  regara. 
(Signed)    <'  EarBBHAsr. 

*^  WsBflBMBBllO. 

^'  Tallbyrand. 

"  PAZilUWtTON. 
^*  BULOW. 
"  LiBVEN. 

'^  Matuscbwitscb. 
''  To  ifuir  exceOencieti  Baron  Falek  ; 
Fan  Zuffkn  Van  N^eveU**' 

Appbndix,  No.  4. 

JjOndon,  Foreign  Office,  June  7' 

"  The  undersigned  plenipnten* 

tiaries  of  the  Courts  of  Austria, 

Franoe,    Great  Britain,  Pruama, 

and  Russia,  having  taken  into 


tiaries  of  his  majesty  the  king  of    rious  consideration  the  note  of  the 


the  Netherlands,   dated  the  5th 
inst.,  communicated  through  lord 

Pousonby* 

<'In  answer  to  this  note,  the 
undersigned  consider  it  their  duty 
to  inform   their  excellencies   the 


plenipotentiaries  of  his  majesty  the 
king  of  the  Netherlands,  oatea  the 
6th  of  this  month,  communicated 
to  them  through  lord  Palmerston, 
and  which  had  reference  to  a  con-* 
fidential  letter  of  lord  Pbnioiibjrj 


plenipotentiaries  of   the   kin^  of    published  in  the    Belgian   news- 
the  Netherlands,  that,   according    papers,  the  Conference  in  its  igw 


to  information  received  yesterday 
from  Brussels,  the  Belgians  have 
not  placed  themselves,  by  accept** 
ing  the  conditions  of  separation,  in 
the  same  relation  to  the  five  Powers 


norance  of  lord  Ponsonbjr's  letter, 
cannot  do  otherwise  than  refer  to 
the  protocol  No.  24,  dated  Slat  of 
Mav  last,  which  protocol  has  al- 
ready been  communicated  to  the 


in  which  his  majesty  the  king  of    plenipotentiaries    of   his  majesty 
the  Netherlands,  having  entirely    the  king  of  the  Netherlands. 


complied  with  the  said  conditions, 
is  now  placed.  That  lord  Ponson- 
by  is  positively  recalled,  and  that 
general  Bel  Hard  had  received  or- 


''  In  that  state  paper  three 
])rinciple8  are  laid  down,  namely, 
in  the  first  place,  that  the  ar- 
rangements which  might  lead  to 


ders  from  his  majesty  the  king  of    give  Belgium  the  certain  posses- 


the  French  to  leave  Brussels  so 
soon  as  lord  Ponsonby  had  left  it ; 
and  that  the  Conference  were  em- 
ployed in  concerting  the  measures 
which  their  engagements  with  the 


sion  or  sovereignty  of  Luxembnw 
should  be  entered  into  by  mutud 
consent.  Secondly,  that  its  posses- 
sion coidd  not  be  obtained  other- 
wise than  in  exchange  for  reasonable 


king  of  the  Netherlands  may  re*  equivalents.      And   in  the  third 

quire.  place,  that  the  five  Powers  should 

'^  Tlie  undersigned  take  this  op-  make  no  proposition  regarding  the 

portunity  of  assuring  their  excel-  proi)osed  arrangement,  until   the 

lencies   Messrs.  Faick  and  baron  Belgians  had  submitted  to  the  fuB« 


PUBLIC    DOCUMENTS. 


damenMl  coBdition  of  aoparation 
which  they  (the  £re  l^m-crs)  hud 
fixed,  atul  which  the  king  of  the 
Netherlands  had  comiiHed  with. 

"  These  priaoiplea  m  thuao  of 
the  five  PoH'en,  and  shall  remaiu 
alwavs  such.  They  in  no  ways 
sh.ictie  his  m^eaty  the  king  of  the 
Netherlands  in  acting  .tslio  iliinks 
fit  i:egarding  that  object,  and  in- 
deed, far  fmm  sncTOachiDg  an  hia 
rights;  on  the  contrary,  they  give 
jiroof  of  thsir  respect  for  them, 
atid  tend  only  to  accomplish  such 
arrangements  as  woulu  promote 
the  interests  which  the  king  has  so 
much  at  heart,  and  likewise  to 
secure  that  peace,  the  maiutaiuiiig 
of  which  corresponds  with  hij  iii- 
terest  as  much  as  with  that  of 
the  five  Powers. 

"  The  undersigned  gladly  take 
this  opportunity   to   renew    their 


their  e:?cellencies  Falck  ami  Van 
Zuyleii  Van  Nyevelt. 
(Signed)    "  Estsrhazv. 

"  WsSSENBEim. 

-  "  Tailbyband. 
"  Paluxrbton. 
"  Bdloic. 

"  LiBVHN. 

"  Matuhcbwitsch." 


Prfi.iminahv  Ahtiolbs  rmntmi- 
nkaled  26lk   June,    IS.-jI,    Ay 

Ike  CoNPEBEMOB  O/'LOKDON,  to 

//'eBKLOio  CoHHiseioKERs. 
"  To  M.  Lebeau,  at  BrueseU. 

"  The  Conference,  animated  with 
a  desire  to  remove  the  dijKculties 
which  still  retard  the  conclusion  of 
the  afiUirsurUelgium,  has  thought 
that  the  following  articles,  which 
might  form  the  preliminaries  of  a 
treaty  of  pence,  would  contiibule 
to  this  end.  It  has  therefore  re- 
Rolved  to  propose  theui  to  the  two 
parties. 


"  Art.  I.  The  limits  ot  Holland 
shall  comprehend  all  the  territories, 
fortresses,  tuwuB,  and  placesi  which 
belonged  to  the  former  republic  of 
the  uuitod  provinces  of  the  Nether- 
lauds  in  the  year  1790. 

"  Art.  2.  Belgium  shall  be  form* 
ed  of  all  the  other  territories  which 
received  the  itenomiaatinn  of  the 
kingdom  of  the  Netherlands  in  the 
treaties  of  istfl, 

"  Art.  3.  The  fire  Powers  will 
employ  their  good  ofBces  that  the 
duchy  of  Lu.xemhurg  may  remuiu 
in  slalu  quo  during  the  course  of 
the  separate  negotiation  which  the 
sovei-eign  of  Belgium  will  upeu 
with  tlie  king  of  Uie  Netherlands, 
and  with  the  German  Cun feder- 
ation, rosjiecting  the  grand  duchy, 
which  uegotiation  is  distinct  lironi 
the  question  of  the  houudaries  bo> 
twcen  Holland  and  Belgium. 

''  It  is  understood  that  the  for- 
tress of  Luxemburg  shall  preserve 
a  free  cummunicatiun  with  Ger. 
many. 

"  Art-  4,  If  it  IS  found  that  the 
republic  of  the  united  provinces  of 
the  Netherlands  did  not  exclusive^ 
ly  exercise  the  sovereignty  of  Mae- 
Htricht  in  1790,  the  two  parties 
shall  consider  of  moans  of  making 
an  amicable  arrangement  on  this 
subject. 

'■  Art.  5.  As  it  would  result 
fmm  the  bases  laid  down  in  articles 
1  and  2,  that  Holland  and  Belgium 
would  possess  districts  surrounded 
by  the  respective  territories  of  each 
other,  such  exchanges  as  may  he 
thought  useful  tn  both  parties  shall 
he  amicably  made  between  Holland 
aud  Belgium. 

"Art.  ().  The  reciprocal  evacu- 
ation of  the  territories,  towns,  and 
fortresses  shall  take  place  iude- 
])endently  of  the  arrangements  re- 
lative tu  the  eKi-hange!!. 

"  Art.  7.  It  is  uudentMid  that 


384     ANNUAL    REGISTER,     1831. 


the  regulations  of  articles  108  to 
1 17  inclusive,  of  the  general  act  of 
the  Congress  of  Vienna,  relative  to 
the  free  navig;ition  of  the  naviga- 
ble rivers,  shall  l»e  applied  to  those 
rivers  which  pass  through  the  ter- 
ritories of  Holland  and  Iklgiuin. 

"  Art.  8.  Dutch  and  Belgian 
(commissioners  shall  meet  at  Mae- 
stricht  as  soon  as  possible,  for  the 
demarcation  of  the  territories. 
They  shall  also  discuss  the  ex- 
(*.hanges  to  be  made  according  to 
article  5. 

''  Arts.  <)  (ind  10.  IkOgium  shall 
1k»  a  neutral  state,  but  without 
giving  up  the  right  of  defending 
itself  against  every  lOggression. 

*'  Art.  1 1 .  The  port  of  Antwerp 
shall  continue  to  be  solely  a  com- 
mercial port,  according  to  article 
ir»  of  the  treaty  of  Paris  of  the 
:;oth  of  May,  1811. 

*'  Art.  12.  The  division  of  the 
debt  shall  l)e  made  in  such  a  man- 
ner that  the  whole  of  the  debts 
U'fore  the  union  shall  fall  U]>on  the 
country  by  which  they  were  con- 
tracted, and  those  contracted  since 
the  union  shall  be  divided  in  a  just 
proportion. 

*'  Art.  i:^  Commissioners  shall 
Ik*  immediately  appointed  to  settle 
this  matter,  so  that  Belgium  may 
])rovisionally  furnish  its  i)ortion  of 
the  interest  of  the  debt. 

*'  Art.  11.  The  prisoners  of  war, 
on  both  sides,  shall  be  set  at  li- 
berty fifteen  days  after  the  adop- 
tion of  these  articles. 

*'  Art.  ir>.  The  sequestration  of 
private  property  in  the  two  coun- 
tries shall  be  immediately  removed. 

*'  Art.  1().  No  inhabitant  of  the 
territories,  towns,  and  fortresses, 
reciprocally  evacuated,  shall  be 
molested  for  his  past  political  con- 
duct. 

'"  Art.  17.  The  five  Powers  re- 
serve to  themselves  the  right   of 


giving  their  good  offices  when  they 
shall  be  required  by  the  parties 
interested. 

**  Art.  18.  The  articles  recipro- 
cally  adopted  shall  be   converted 
into  a  dehnitire  treaty. 
(Signed)     '^  Esterhazy. 
*^  Talleyrand. 
"  Palmerston. 

"  BULOW. 

"  Matuscewitsch. 
"  A  true  copy 

(Signed)     '^  Palmerston." 


Correspondence  between  the 
Conference  and  the  Dutch 
(tovernmbnt,  regarding  the 
entrance  of  the  Troops  of  the 
tatter  into  Belgium^  I — 8  Junk, 
1831. 

To  the  Plenipotentiaries  of  Aus- 
tria^ France,  Great  Britain^ 
Prussia^  and  Russia. 


€( 


''  I  have  had  the  honour  to 
ccive  the  letters  which  your  excel- 
lencies Iiave  written  to  me  the 
25th  of  July,  and  by  which  they 
express  their  hoi)e  that,  notwith- 
standing the  declarations  contained 
in  my  despatch  of  the  12th  of  the 
same  month,  fresh  negotiations 
tending  towards  the  conclusion  of 
a  definitive  treaty  under  the  au- 
spices of  the  five  Courts,  might 
bring  about  a  satisfactory  arrange* 
ment.  You  requested  me,  at  the 
same  time,  to  propose  to  the  king 
that  Ins  plenipotentiaries  in  Lon- 
don should  be  furnished  with  the 
necessary  powers  and  instructions 
in  order  to  discuss,  conclude^  and 
sign  such  a  treaty. 

"  His  majesty,  who  has  not  ceased 
to  give  proofs  of  his  sincere  wish 
to  co-operate  in  an  arrangement, 
and  to  secure,  as  far  as  be  can,  the 
benefits  of  peace  for  his  subjects^ 
and  for  the  whole  of  Europe^   and 


PUBLIC    DOCUMENTS.  38S 

vho  is  still  animated  with  the  same  (juirc,  but  always  for  the  purpose 

feelings,  has  consequently  author-  only  of  luriving    at  the  state  of 

ized  me  to  furnish  the  said  pleni-  things  whith  the  act  of  separation 

])Otentiaries  with  the  powers  and  had  acknowledged  to  be  just  anil 

instructions  necessary  to  discuss,  conrenient. 

conclude,  and  si^n  with  your  ex-  "  The  ritli  of  June  the  Nether- 
cellencies  a  defiuitiye  treaty,  the  land  plenii>otentiaries  thought  it 
object  of  which  will  be  to  settle  their  duty  to  inquire  what  result 
the  sepai'ation  between  Holland  had  been  obtained,  in  order  that 
and  Belgium  according  to  the  prin-  the  king  miglit  take  the  measures 
ciples  laid  down  in  my  despatch  on  requisite  as  well  for  his  own  dignity 
the  12th  of  July,aQd  already  agreed  as  for  the  security  of  Holland.  'By 
upon  between  the  five  Courts  and  a  reply,  dated  June  7,  the  Confer- 
bis  majesty,  cnce  informed  them  that  it  was 

"  In  obedience  to  the  king's  in-  considering     the    measures    that 

tentions,  I  am  obliged  to  add,  that  might  be  required  by  the  engage- 

his  majesty  has  determined  upon  ments  which  the  five  Powers  had 

supporting  the  negotiations  by  his  contracted  towards  the  king;  and 

military   means — a  determination  lastly,  by  their  note  of  the  aSnd 

which  the  recent  events  in  Bel-  of  June,  the  plenipotentiaries  an- 

gium    have    rendered    imperious,  nouneed  again  that  the  king,  firiuly 

since  we  liave  seen  a  prince  putting  resolced  not  to  give  up  any  of  the 

himself  in  possession  of  the  sove-  rights  that  he  had  acquired  by  his 

reignty  in  that  country,   without  adhesion,  would  persist  in  the  re- 

having  previously  fulfilled  the  Condi-  servation  with  which  the  Confer- 

tions  establishei{  by  the  Conference  ences  had  already  become  qualified 

in  the  12th  and  igtii  protocols,  and  respecting  his  co-operation  in  the 

taking  an  unrestricted  oath  to  a  measures  the   Conference    should 

constitution  derogatory  to  the  ter-  think  fit  to  adopt ;  and  that  when 

ritorial  rights  of  his  majesty  and  the    representatives    of   the    five 

of  Holland.  Courts  at  theHaguchadexpressed 

"  As  the  plan  of  establishing  an  a  wish  that  his  majesty  might  not 
armistice  has  never  been  realized,  immediately  avail  himself  of  that 
there  exists  at  the  present  moment  reservation,  a  satisfactory  answer 
only  a  cessation  of  hostilities.  The  bad  been  given,  but  that  they,  at 
Netherlands  plenipotentiaries  have  the  same  time,  had  been  requested 
already,  by  their  note  of  the  21st  to  declare  that  this  answer  rested 
of  May,  declared  tliat  his  majesty  upon  the  su])position  that  the  Con- 
could  not  subject  his  dominions  to  ference  would,  on  their  part,  pro- 
an  indefinite  prolongation  of  the  ceed  without  delay  to  the  execu- 
provisionatstateof  things,  and  that,  tion  of  the  13th  protocol;  andthat 
from  the  IstofJunenext,  he  would  if  this  supposition  should  not  be 
considerhimself  at  libertyeitlier  to  realized,  no  alternative  would  be 
co-operate  in  the  measures  to  be  left  to  the  king  but  to  make  u 


d  by  the  five  Powers  in  order  his  own  means,  and  to  abandon  a 

to  realize  the  separation  according  system    of    condescension     which 

to  the   Appendix  A  of  the  12th  would  no  longer  be  compatible  with 

protocol,  or  to  act  on  his  own  ac-  the  safety  of  the  state,  nor  with 

count,  and  in  the  manner  which  the  interest  of  his  faithful  subjects. 

circumstances  would  seem  to  re-  The  very  step  just  mentioned  of 

Vol.  LXXni.  aC 


386        ANNUAL   REGISTER,   1831. 

the    representatives    of   the    five  tain  from  the  plenipotentiiries  tt 

Courts  at   the   Hague  evidently  the  Xetherianda  any  explanmtion  of 

shows  that  at  that  period  the  Con-  these  facts,  we  still  refiiM  to  be« 

ference  was  convinced  of  the  king's  lieve  that  the  king:,   at  tha  rwj 

right  to  recommence  hostilities.  moment  when  he  oommunioated  to 

'^  Since  the  date  of  the  diplo-  us  his  intention  of  negodatuig  a 

matic  papers  which  I  have  quoted,  definitive  treaty  of  peace,  cnn  have 

new     motives     have     arisen     for  taken  the  resolution  to  rekindle  the 

strengthening  the  disposition  al-  flames  of  war,  and  to  lead  to  the 

ready  expressed  in  the  name  of  his  destruction  of  a  commercial  city, 

majesty  ;  hut  whatever  may  he  the  — an  event  deplorable  in  itadf,  ami 

results,   they   will  never  produce  which  by  the  sentimenta  of  haticd 

the  least  alteration  in  the  king's  and  revenge  to  which  it  woald  az« 

wishes  for  the  success  of  the  efforts  cite,  might,  perhaps,  almoat  reader 

which   your  excellencies  and  his  it  impossible  to  conclude  a  peace 

own  plenipotentiaries  are  about  to  so  much  desired  by  the  king  tad 

make,  in  order  to  conclude  an  ar-  by    Holland.      Your    exceSency 

rangcment  for  the  final  seimration  knows  the  grounds  of  general  ia* 

on  principles  conformable  to  the  terest  which  led  the  five  Powers  ia 

acktiowleclged  rights  of  his  majesty  November  last  to  effect  a  BUipea* 

and  of  Holland.  sion  of  arms  between  Holland  aad 

•*  The  Ha^He,  Angiijfi  1,  1831."  Belgium.     You  know  the  engine. 

ments  which  subsist  on  this  Mib« 

''  To  fiis  Kxcelienctf  Baron  /Vr-  ject  between  the  Powers,  and  whiA 

sfM  lie  Soe/rn,  t^r.  ^r.  v«re  mentioned  in  espseas.terma 

in  the  letters  which  we  had  tha 

*'  London,  Aug.  5.  honour  to  address  to  your  exosl* 

'-  M.  le  Baron  ,-^By  the  letter  leucy  on  the  Sdthof  July.    Their 

which  your  excellency  did  us  the  motives  and  their  engagemoite  are 

honour  to  represent  to  us,   on  the  still  the  same.  The  tranqqilUty  of 

1st  of  August,   yuu  had  the  gO(NU  Europe  is  connected  with  tlwia. 

ness  to  inform  us,   that  it  is  the  We  hope  that  it  will  be  auilicieBt 

intention  of  the  king,  your  august  to  alluile  to  them  here,  aad  that 

master,  to  support  by  military  mea-  your  excellency  will  not  fail  to  ob« 

siires  {/Hir  ties  fNvsurex  miiitfitres)  tain  from  the  king  the 


the  negotiation  which  his  p1eni|)o-  orders  that  all  host ilitiefl  may 

tentiaries  are  commissioned  to  open  without  delay,  that  hia  miyetty^t 

at  London.  troops  may  retire  within  the  tran^ 

'*  We  should  have  supposed  that  tiers  of  his  territory,  and  that  the 

these  measures  would  be  adopteil  city  of  Antwerp  may  not  be  ex-i 

only  in  the  interior  of  the  territory  posed  to  a  catastrophe  which  would 

of  Holland,   if  public  report  did  be  infinitely  to  be  regretted, 

not  inform  us  that  they  have  been  *'  These  demands,  founded  oa 

exten(ie<l   beyond   its  frontiers, —  our  engagements,  will   no  doubt 


that  hostilities  have  been  resumed  be  favourably  received  by  his 

against  the  Belgians  by  the  king's  jesty.     We  take  pleasure  in  bdier* 

orders,    and   that    the  armistice,  ing  that  such  will  be  the  caae,  aad 

cniicluiled  at   Antwerp,   has  just  request  your  excellency  to  hoooor 

been  denounced.  us  witli  a  speedy  and  satisfactory 

"  Not  having  been  able  to  ob-  answer.     We  have  not  lailod  to 


PUBLIC   DOCUMENTS. 


sar 


call  on  tha  Belgians  to  cesse  th« 
hostilities  which  they  tnsy  ha*e 
resumed,  in  consequence  of  th« 
movements  made  by  the  k log's 
troops.  Accept,  Sir,  the  new  m< 
sursnce  of  our  distinguished  con- 
sul erati  on. 

(Signed)     "  BsT^iiHAsy. 

"  WBfi8KN>Smfl> 
"  TAIU.SYKAND. 
"  PALMKKVrOlf. 
"  BlTLOW. 

"  Lis  VIM. 

"  Matumpwitsoh." 

The  answer  to  this  letter  ii  in 
the  following  terms:— 

"  To  their  Excelletictet  Ike  Plan- 
potmtiariet  cf  Auilna,  France, 
Great  Britain,  Prtutta,  and 
Riiiiia,  atmnbkd  in  Conjerenee 
nt  London. 

"  The  Hague,  Aug.  8. 
"  [  have  had  the  honour  to  re. 
(«ive  the  letter  of  your  excellencies 
of  the  fifth  of  August,  in  which 
you  hsve  bean  pleased  to  Inform 
me  that  the  Conference  at  London 
had  understood  the  support  of  the 
negotiations  by  military  measures 
mentioned  In  my  letter  of  the  1st 
of  August,  as  if  it  meant  measures 
to  be  adopted  in  the  interior  of  the 
territory  of  Holland. 

"  I  must  take  the  liberty  to  ob> 
serve,  that  the  terms  in  which 
this  part  of  my  letter  is  drawn  up 
appeared  explicit  here.  '  The 
King,'  I  had  the  honour  to  say, 
'  had  resolved  to  support  the  ne- 
gotiations by  his  military  means 
(moment  mililairf*,)  —a  Hetermi- 
natioii  which  hat  become  doubly 
necessary  since  the  events  which 
have  lately  taken  place  in  Belgium.' 
We  thought  that  these  words  clear- 
ly  expreBse<l  that  a  new  determl. 
nntioii  was  meant,  not  an  intention 
of  remaining  in  the  passive  atti> 


tude  of  the  last  dIm  ii 
attitude  to  wbicli  thja  Qbserratien 
could  not  apply>  that  it  had  be- 
come nnnnetiary  alnoa  the  lUe 
event!} ;  iiur  the  exposition  wliieh 
the  latter  [>art  of  my  letter  was 
destined  to  demonstrate,  the  pow- 
er to  recommence  hostilities  which 
WHS  repeatedly  made  during  the 
negotiations  on  the  part  of  the 
king.  ]  took  the  liberty  to  add, 
that  whatever  might  be  the  result 
of  these  dispositions  of  his  uiajesty 
they  would  by  no  means  diminish 
his  desire  for  the  happy  suecese  of 
the  negotiation.  Besides,  I  made 
a  point  of  giving,  on  the  morning 
of  the  departure  of  baron  Zuylen 
de  Nyevelt,  as  well  as  in  the  even- 
ing and  followinp  morning  to  the 
represonlativt's  if  t)ie  five  Courts 
at  the  Hague,  all  the  explanations 
which  they  thought  proper  to  uk, 

"  As  tot  the  city  of  Antwerp,  I 
am  happy  to  be  able  to  confirm  th« 
opinion  of  your  excellencies  that 
the  king  has  by  no  means  taken 
the  resolution  to  oauaa  thq  de^ 
struction  of  that  commerdaf  dty, 
— a  resolution  which  would  be  at 
onoe  incompatible  with  the  exaltad 
sentiments  of  his  majesty,  and  with 
the  wishes  which  ha  has  never 
ceased  to  fbrm  for  the  happiness  of 
Belgium.  The  sally  lately  made' 
by  the  garrison  of  Antwerp  was 
intended  not  to  injure  tha  haUta* 
tions,  but  to  spike  the  cannon 
which  had  been  planted  against 
the  citadel,  and  whtdi  were  an. 
dence  of  the  abuae  that  had  been 
made  of  tha  suspension  of  arms. 
The  direction  of  the  military  op- 
erations bein^  conSded  to  the 
prince  of  Oraoge,  it  will  depend 
upon  his  royal  highness  to  detor.< 
mine  those  which  may  concent  the 
city  of  Antwerp  j  but  at  all  events 
his  royal  highneaa  will  undoubtedly 
follnvr  hia  own  natural  iocUnatioo 

2C2 


388 


ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


to  spare  the  peaceable  inhabitants 
and  their  property. 

''I  beg  your  excellencies  to  be 
conrinced  that  the  present  more- 
ments  of  the  royal  army,   far  from 
being  dictated  by  motives  of  policy 
or  Tengeanoe  must  be  considerea, 
merely  as  coercive  measures,   such 
as  the  Conference  at  London  itself 
had  manifested  its  intention  to  em- 
ploy against  Belgium,   in  case  of 
the  non-acceptance  of  appendix  A. 
to  Protocol    12,    and  which  the 
king  on  his  part  had  reserved  to 
himself   a    right    of    employing. 
Solely  destined  to  support  a  nego- 
tiation for  which  the  plenipoten- 
tiaries of  his  majesty  are  furnished 
with  the  most  extensive  instruc- 
tions and  full  powers,  favoured  by 
the  kind  co-operation  of  your  ex- 
cellencies,  and  having  for  its  ob- 
ject purely  domestic  interests  con- 
cerning the  relations  between  Hol- 
land and  Belgium,  they  are  en- 
tirely foreign  to  that  part  of  the 
Belgian  question   which  has  been 
thought   to  interest    Europe,    to 
which  the  king  has  made  the  sacri- 
fice of  the  separation  between  Hol- 
land and  Belgium.   The  conclusion 
of  the  definitive  treaty,  which  his 
majesty  hopes  is  very  near,  will  at 
once  put  an  end  to  the  military 
operations;  but  when  the  question 
is  to  save  and  secure  the  existence 
of  Holland  by  an  equitable  treaty 
of  separation,    his    majesty  as  a 
constitutional  monarch,    reigning 
over  a  free  people,  cannot  adopt  any 
course  but  such  as  is  in  harmony 
with  the  public  spirit  of  the  nation 
and  unanimously  sanctioned  by  the 
two  chambers  of  the  national  re- 
presentation.    I   beg  your  excel- 
lencies to  accept,  &c. 
(Signed) 
*'  Verstolk  van  Soelen." 
The  minister,  after  reading  the 
above  documents,    spoke  as  fol- 


lows :*-''  Upon  the  refoaal  of  Bel* 
gium  to  negociate  the  definitive 
treaty  of  peace  at  London  till  an 
agreement  should  be  made  respect- 
ing the  principles  which,  as  it  wss 
expressed  in  the  refusal^  can  be  no 
others  than  those  of  the  mioposed 
18  preliminary  articles^   the  Con- 
ference again  insisted  at  ffninwli 
on  the  sending  of  plenipotentiariei 
to  n^ociate  a  definitive  tzetty, 
with    the   remark,    that  <m    tne 
speedy  conclusion  of  such  a  traaty 
even  the  political  existence  of  tiie 
Belgians  depends.    While  this  wis 
determined    in    London,    Fkuee 
had  resolved  eventually  to  aant 
Belgium  with  an  army.     In  the 
aftmioon  of   the   8th   inst.j    the 
French  Charge  d'  Afiidxes  ooranm- 
nicated  to  me  a  letter  dated  firam 
the  minister  of  Foreign  alBdn  at 
Fans,  stating,  that  in  oonaeqpienoe 
of  the  denunciation  of  the  annistice 
on  our  side,  Belgium  had  niplied 
to  the  king  of  the  Fiend  rar  as* 
sistance ;  that  it  would  be  gifen 
if  Belgium  should  have  need  of  it 
to  repel  the  attack;   and  that  if 
the  Dutch  army  did  not  immedi- 
ately retire  within  the  line  fixed 
by  the  armistice,  it  would  have  to 
combat  a  French  army,  and  that 
the    French    Charge   d'   AflSuies 
would  leave  the  Hague. 

Almost  at  the  same  time  the 
Dutch  government  received  a  re- 
port, the  authenticity  of  which 
cannot  be  doubted,  that  the  Lon* 
don  Conference  had  assented  to  the 
assistance  eventually  to  be  given 
to  Belgium  by  a  French  military 
force,  and  had  accept^  the  oibr 
of  a  fleet  made  by  England.  The 
same  report  mentions  a  coovention 
relative  to  the  stay  of  the  F^rendi 
troops  in  Belgium;  stipnlatin^ 
among  other  things,  that  the 
French  army  shall  not  enter  Hol- 
land. 


PUBLIC    DOCUMENTS.  389 

"When  the  kin^  took  tbe  reso*  whidi  the  fire  Cotirts  now  declare, 
lution  to  support  by  arms  the  basis  without  delay,  that  they  will  pro- 
or  separation  between  Holland  and  ceed  to  apply,  for  the  advaDtage 
Belgium,  all  the  possible  conse*  of  Belgium,  that  force  which  the 
quences  of  that  important  step  king  has  in  rain  invoked  in  sup- 
were  taken  into  the  account,  port  of  his  own  just  cause. 
Even  the  present  circumstance  was  '*  In  such  a  state  of  things,  his 
calculated  upon,  though  it  was  majesty  was  advised  not  to  depart 
considered  one  of  the  leaat  probable,  from  the  system  which  he  has 
Nevertheless,  as  it  has  now  come  adopted.  Our  difference  with 
to  pass,  it  is  the  duty  of  the  go-  Belgium  is  declared  to  be  a  do- 
vernment  to  direct  its  course  ac-  mestic  difference,  and  by  no  means 
cordingly.  to  concern  Europe.      Itie  courage 

"  The  following  letter  from  me  of  our  troops  has  at  tbe  beginning 

to  the  king's  ambassador  at  Paris  gloriously  b'iumphed  in  Belgium, 

will  show  in  what  manner  his  ma-  but   the  difference  would  become 

jesCy  has   thought  himself  called  European   if  the  king  should  re- 

upon  to  act  under  these  circum-  tain  nis  arms  in  his  hand  against 

stances.     F.  I.  the  preponderance  of  tbe  Powers 

"  A  calm  consideration   of  the  represented  in  the  Conference  at 

coui-se  of  the  negotiations  leads  to  London  ;    and  it  can  never  be  the 

the  following  conclusions: —  object   of   his    majesty    to    shed 

"When  Belgium  separated  her-  the  precious  blood  of  his  Dutch 
self  from  Holland,  the  five  greatest  subjects  in  fruitless  enterprises. 
Powers  in  Europe  united  to  restore  Should,  therefore,  a  French  army 
tranquillity  in  the  kingdom  of  the  enter  Bel^um,  that  of  the  Netber- 
Netherlanas,  und  then  proceeded  lands  shall  retire  into  our  ancient 
to  ilctermtne  equitable  bases  of  se-  territory.  In  this  result,  also, 
paration  between  Holland  and  Bel-  history  and  impartial  posterity 
giuni.  Such  bases  were  laid  down  will  judge,  that  in  the  midst  of 
by  them  with  the  announcement  enervated  Europe,  Holland  unani- 
of  compulsory  measures  in  case  moualy  supported  the  head  of  the 
they  should  be  rejected.  The  re-  state,  maintained  its  ancient  re- 
jection took  place  on  the  part  of  putation  in  defence  of  its  rights; 
Belgium.  In  vain  did  Holland,  that  it  never  hesitated  to  speak 
which  had  accepted  the  basis,  call  freely  and  to  act  freely;  that  in 
during  several  montlis  for  the  ap-  the  nuMt  critical  circumstances  that 
plication  of  these  measures  to  Bel-  perhaps  ever  occurred  to  a  state,  it 
gium,  as  well  in  order  to  regulate  undertook  one  of  the  most  magna- 
the  separation  on  the  principles  uimous  enterprises  recorded  in  his- 
laid  down  as  to  check  diuly  viola-  tory,  and  was  able,  in  a  few  days, 
tions  of  the  -suspension  of  arms ;  to  compel  a  country,  containing  a 
for  instead  of  doing  this,  new  population  double  its  own,  and 
bases  were  laid  down  entirely  to  which  had  dared  to  provoke,  and 
the  advantage  of  Belgium.  Hoi-  to  calumniate,  the  courage  of  its 
land,  abiding  by  the  fir^t,  which  soldiers,  to  renounce  all  hope  of 


had  become  obligatory  between  the  saving  itself  by  its  own  resources." 

five  Powers  and  the  king,  res<Jved  A  very  long  report  of  tbe  prince 

to  employ  arms  to  make  them  ac-  of  Orange,   dated  from  his  head- 

cepted    by    tbe    BelgimiB,    upon  i^iiarterB  at  Curingen,  8th  of  Aii« 


390 


ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


•-f  A'litHa,  Frasct,  Gmt  Bri- 

*'  Tbe  ptc«ip:4eiitxaiT  «c  his 
BritanDic  majcfti-  opeocd  tkc  C«o- 
ferenae  by  zaaking  to  the  (4efu- 
piiC«fiti»rKs  (.'f  tbe  f*.«r  other 
Pi.twer*  tbe  f'.4k>viDf  declaratioo : 

*'  That  tbe  uir^atut  the  g«>- 
rerainect  of  hi«  Britannic  majestr 
received  \uUx^M<m  vf  the  re- 
nevai  i.-t'  hn«tiiitie»  betveen  H^jI- 
l.»id  and  Belgium,  it  gare  oniere 
f>  If  a  dlvi«I«:4i  c^f  the  rieet  tu  a»- 
^emble  as  ^ood  as  possible  io  tbe 
Downs,  where  it  vould  be  readr 
t*t  ctjBcur  in  anv  measure  vbicK 
might  be  deemed  Deoessarr  for  the 
re^-establishmeat  oi"  the  armistice 
\%hii.-h  the  bFe  Pover^  had  engaged 
tM  maiotain  between  Holland  and 
Belgium,  aud  that  alter  the  dis- 
l«tch  of  this  order,  the  new  sore* 
reign  of  Belgium  had  claimed  the 
a««>iatance  of  the  fire  Powers,  and, 
UKjie  especially,  naral  succour, 
fn^m  Great  Britain. 

"  'J'be  pleuipotcDtiary  of  his 
majesty  tbe  king  of  the  French 
declanid  that  tbe  iiorereigD  of  Bel- 
gium had  just  required  the  armed 
iDterrention  of  France,  in  con- 
sef|nence  of  the  renewal  of  bos* 
tilities  between  Holland  and  Bel- 
gium, and  he  bad  even  added,  that 
the  necessity  for  the  assistance  of 
the  French  govemmeat  was  eX'< 


was  iw4  a  Buute  t»  be 
prereBt  a  ccnml  ^ 

'^  TbeobBgerbcug  m 
the  king  of  the  Ywtadk 
iamcdiatelT  upoo  JJiBBiin^  y 
to  march  to  the  anoasr 
Belgians,  and  drive  the 
tnHps  bnck  upon 
ritciT. 

'-'  !nie  plenipoleiliwiei  «f  Ike 
four  other  Courta  hnvia^  ■■ii 
the  plenipjtentiary  of  FruHe  ae* 
qnainted  with  the 
Mvedon  the 
French  goremnient  to  tkc 
xnffatiTei  </  thoK  fiNir 
at  Puis,  the  pknipoteiitiHj  if 
France,  referring  to  thoae 
rations,  annoonoed  that  nn  i 
the  oljcct  thejr  pninted  nttt 
be  attained,  the  Ficndh 
would  letom  into  the 
du  Nord. 


(i 


mnde,  tbe  Confieffenoe 

that,    on    one    side, 

coming  to  the 

had  a&pted,  had  not 

fulfil  the  obligation,  vhich 

fully  desirous  to  dki^  of 

concert  with  her  allies;  hn^  en 

the  other  hand,  die  hnd 

an  intention  of  not  ai 

self  of  the  measoies  takenslHt  in 

execution  of  the  enagenMnte  nn- 

teied  into  between  we  firm  Puftia 

relatire  to  the  maintcnenoe  «f  Ae 

armistice    between   ^itHmmI   nid 

Belgium. 

"  Consequently,  the  ^ 
tiaries  of  the  fire  Powen  _ 
ed  the  entrance  of  tke  liench 
troops  into  Belgium,  nn  hniri^ 
taken  place  not  with  nnj  ii 
peculiar  to  France,  but  ftr  an 
ject  towards  whidi  the 
tions  of  the  Confierenoe  van  dfr 
rectcd,  and  it  zemained  aadamloid 
that  tbe  extent  to  b9  givoi  to  Ai 


tUftLiC    DOCUMENTS.         381 

operations  of  these  troops  and  th«ir  "  Lievxn. 
con  tit)  nance  in  Belgium  ehould  be                           "  MATUSCEtriTKH." 
tix«d  by  common   agreement  be- 
tween the  five  Courts  at  the  Con-  Protocol  of  the  CoHference  keld  at 
ference  in  London.                                   '^^  Foreign  Qffice,  m  the  ISik 

"  It  also  remained  understood,        'f  -<•¥"*'>  l^Sl. 

that  in  case  the  co-operation  of  Present:— The  plenipotentiaries  of 
the  English   fleet   shoud   be  re-         Austria,  of  France,    of  Great 
quired,  this  fleet  should  act  only        Britain,  of  Prussia,  and  of  Eus- 
lor  tbe  purpose  of  accomplishing        gjj_ 
the  same  Tieivs  and  upon  the  same 
principles.  "  The  pknipotentiaries  n(  the 

"  Residns,  it  remained  agreed  fire  Courts  having  asKDibled  ia 
that  the  French  troops  should  not  Conference,  have  read  the  annexed 
pass  the  aut;icnt  fi-ontiers  of  Hoi-  letter  of  bu-on  Veratolk  de  Soelea, 
land,  that  their  operatiMis  should  in,  answer  to  that  which  they  ad- 
be  confined  to  the  left  bank  of  tbe  dressed  on  the  5th  inst.  to  that 
Meuse,  and  that  under  no  circum-  minister,  respecting  the  hostilities 
stances  should  they  inyest  the  (br-  which  had  again  taken  place  be- 
tressof  Maestricht,orthBtofVen-  tweon  Holland  and  Belgium.  The 
loo,  because  then  the  war  would  be  plenipotentiaries  of  the  firs  Courts 
carried  too  near  the  frontiers  of  have,  moreover,  taken  into  ctin- 
Frnssia  andjGermany,  and  might  aideration  a  communication  which 
give  rise  to  serious  and  complicated  was  made  to  them  by  tbe  fdeoipo- 

3uestions  which  the  Powers  were  tentiaries  of  the  king  of  the  Ne- 
esiroUB  of  avoiding;  and  finally,  tlierl and s,  and  considering  that  it 
that  in  conformity  with  the  decla-  results  from  this  communication, 
rations  made  by  the  French  go-  as   well   as  from  infarmation  re- 
vernment  to  the  representatives  of  ceived  direct  from   Hirilaad  and 
the   four   Courts    at    Paris,    the  from  Belgium,  that  an  order  to 
French  troops  should  retire  with-  |iit(.  un  end  to  the  hu.ttilitie^,  and 
in  the  limits  of  France,  as  soon  as  to  withdraw  beyond  the  line  of  the 
'■  armistice  was    re-estaUisIied  nrmistice,  had  been  des]iatcbf>d  to 
'    '  the  troops  of  ibc  king  of  the  Nc- 
tlicrlandH,  and  that  the  cessation 
i>(  hostilities  and  the  withdrawal 
that  these   last  events  ougGt  to  of  the  troojis  must  by  this  time 
induce  it   the   more  strongly  to  have  bikcn  place,  the  plenipoten- 
occupy    itself   with    a    definitive  tiaries  of  the  five  Courts  have  re- 
treaty  calculated  to  put  an  end  to  uolvcd   to   authenticate  the  com- 
atl   dificrences    between    Holland  munication  of  the  plenipolentiarics 
and  Belgium,  and  which  was  in-  of  the  Netherlands,  by  juiniog  it 
dispensable  lor  the  maintenance  of  to  the  present  Protocol,  and  have 
the  general  peace.  reserved  to  themselves  the  option 
(Signed)     "  EsTERHJLzr.  of  fixing  interiorly,  and  according 
"  Wessenbebo.  to circum stances,  tlie  determination 
"  TaUiKTband.  that  it  may  be  necessary  tor  them 
"  Pai^hbbbtoh.  to  adopt*" 
"  BuLDV.  Signed,  So, 


392 


ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


proliK'vi  of  the  Conference  held  at 
the  Foreign  Office,  the  ISih  of 
Anisuxty  1831." 

Pros«»nt  : — The  plenipotentiaries 
of  Austria,  of  Frant-c,  of  Great 
Britain,  of  Prussia,  and  of  Rus« 

sia. 

**Tlieplenipotentiariesof  tbefire 
Courts  having  met,  the  plenijioten- 
tiary  of  Franco  made  a  communi- 
rat  ion «  stating  that  the  French 
army  which  had  entered  Belgium 
had  commenced  its  retreat^  and 
that  20,000  men  had  received 
orders  to  return  immediately  to 
France.  It  was  agreed  that  this 
communication  should  be  authen- 
ticatetl,  and  not  having  as  yet  re- 
ceived any  otHcial  information  of 
the  withdrawing  of  the  troops  of 
Iiis  majesty  the  king  of  the  Ne- 
therlands to  the  Dutch  territory, 
the  plonijx^tentiaries  reserved  to 
themselves,  conformably  to  the 
Prott>cid  No.  o  1 ,  to  agree  later  on 
the  perioil  at  which  the  occupation 
of  Belgium  by  the  French  troops 
is  to  cease  entirely." 

Signed^  &c. 

Protocof  of  the  Conference  held  at 
the  Foreign  Office,  the  23rd  of 
August.  XSSI. 

Present  : — The  p]eni|>otentiaries 
of  Austria,  of  France,  of  Great 
Britain^  of  Prussia,  and  of  Rus- 
sia. 

m 

**  The  plenipotentiaries  of  the 
live  Courts  being  assembled^  have 
taken  into  consideration  the  an- 
nexed note  by  which  the  plenipo- 
tentiaries of  his  majesty  the  king 
of  the  Netherlands  have  oflicially 
informed  them  of  the  ^vithdrawing 
of  the  troops  of  the  king  to  the 
territory  of  Holland.    After  the 


communication  of  this  documenty 
the  plenipotentiaries  of  the  fire 
Courts  have  taken  into  considen- 
tion  the  means  of  prerentiDg^  the 
renewal  of  hostilities  between  Hoi-. 
land  and  Belgium,  of  bringing 
about  a  speedy  cessation  of  the 
measure  the  adoption  of  which 
was  provoked  by  the  hostilities 
that  have  recently  taken  place, 
and  of  accomplishing  the  solution 
of  the  questions  which  remain  to 
be  regulated^  in  order  to  establish 
a  durable  peace  between  the  two 
countries.  Considering  that  for 
these  important  results  to  be 
bmught  about  afresh,  suspensioo 
of  hostilities  is  indispensable^  but 
that  a  suspension  of  hostilities  for 
a  fixed  time  would  be  more  appro- 
priate than  an  undefined  suspen- 
sion  of  hostilities,  to  the  actual 
state  of  the  negotiations,  to  the 
well-founded  hope  now  entertained 
by  the  Powers  of  bringing  about 
a  final  arrangement  between  Hol- 
land and  Belgium,  and  to  the  ne- 
cessity that  exists  for  this  arrange- 
ment, both  as  regards  the  parties 
directly  interested  in  it  and  the 
maintenance  of  a  general  peace; 
the  plenipotentiaries  have  rnolved 
to  propose  to  the  government,  of 
his  majesty  the  king  of  the  Ne- 
therlands and  to  the  Belgian  go« 
vemment — 

'^The  establishment  of  a  suspen- 
sion of  hostilities  for  six  weeks. 
This  suspension  of  hostilities  to  be 
placed  under  the  guarantee  of  the 
five  Powers,  and  if  one  of  the  two 
parties  should  violate  it,  that  party 
to  be  considered  in  a  state  ci 
hostility  with  the  said  Powers. 
During  the  suspension  of  hos- 
tilities, the  respective  troops  axe 
to  remain  beyond  the  line  that  se- 
parated them  before  the  resumption 
of  hostilities. 


PUBLIC    DOCUMENTS. 


"  They  are  to  enjoy  reciprocally 
full  liberty  of  commuaicatiOD,  and 
to  abstain  from  all  acts  of  aggres- 
sion, and  from  any  measure  that 
may  be  productire  of  iojury  to- 
wards the  adverse  party. 

"  This  said  suspension  of  hos- 
tilities to  be  taken  advantage  of 
by  the  five  Powers,  in  order  to 
bring  about  that  final  arrange- 
ment between  Holland  and  Bel- 
gium which  is  the  object  of  their 
wishes  and  of  their  eiforts. 

"  ESTERHAZV. 
"  WssSENBEBO. 

"  Tallkyband. 
"  Palmeks'ton. 
"  BuLOw. 

"  LlEVEN. 

"  Matubcbwitbch." 


Protocol  oJ  the  Conference  of 
London,  6th  Octobeh,  1831, 
apportioning  the  Debt  between 
Holland  arid  Belgium. 
"  The  plenipotentiaries  of  the 
five  Courts  having  assembled,  have 
taken  cognizance  of  the  annexed 
letter,  by  which  the  plenipoten- 
tiaries of  his  majesty  the  king  of 
the  Netherlands  hare  communi- 
cated to  the  Conference,  in  reply 
to  the  letter  which  had  been 
addressed  to  them  on  the  30th 
of  September,  tiro  tables,  the 
first  of  which  sfiows  the  amount 
and  annual  interest  of  the  debts 
contracted  since  the  Union  of  Bel- 
gium with  Holland,  bv  the  United 
Kingdom  of  the  Netherlands,  by 
virtue  of  laws  passed  by  the  states- 
general  ;  and  the  second,  the 
amount  of  the  charges  of  the  ser- 
vice of  the  total  debt  of  the 
united  kingdom  of  the  Nether- 
lands, according  to  the  last  bud- 
gets Toted  by  the  states-general. 

"  Considering  that  the  plenipo- 
tentiaries of  the  Netberlftods  gua- 


rantee the  correctness  of  the  tables, 
and  that  consequently,  if  they  are 
incorrect,  in  spite  of  such  a  ft^mal 
guarantee,  the  fire  Courts  will  by 
that  circumstance  have  the  right 
to  regard  as  well  the  results  of  the 
calculations  to  which  the  tables  in 
■Question  serve  as  bases,  the  Con- 
ference proceeded  to  the  examina-' 
tion  of  the  mode  to  be  adopted, 
with  a  view  to  insure  an  equitable 
division  of  the  debts  and  charges 
above  mentioned  between  Holland 
and  Belgium. 

"  Tn  this  labour  the  Conference 
has  had  particularly  in  view  the 
principle  of  Article  6  of  the  proto- 
col of  July  21,  1S14,  annexed  to 
the  general  act  of  the  Congress  of 
Vienna,  which,  with  respect  to 
Holland  and  Belgium,  declares — 

"  '  That  as  the  expenses  ought 
to  be  in  common,  as  well  as  the 
profits,  the  debts  contracted  up  to 
the  period  of  the  Union,  by  the 
Dutch  provinces  on  the  one  nand, 
and  the  Belgic  provinces  on  the 
other,  will  be  at  the  charge  of  the 
general  treasury  of  the  Nether- 

"  TJio  Curiferciicc  recognising 
lliat,  according  to  lliiw  principle, 
Holland  pos.sessGd,  during  the 
uniuti,  a  right  to  the  assistance  of 
Belgium,  to  the  payment  of  the 
aggregate  debt  of  the  kingdom  of 
the  Netlierlauds,  and  that  there 
ought  to  be  a  complete  reciprocity 
of  expenses  and  profits  between 
the  two  countries,  has  unanimously 
agreed  that  it  woUld  be  contrary 
to  this  fundamental  principle  to 
make  a  valuation  of  the  private 
profits  which  Holland  or  Belgium 
may  derive  from  loans  contracted 
during  the  union,  or  to  specify  the 
charges  connected  with  these  loans, 
and  that,  therefore,  it  would  only 
be  pro{>cr  to  take  as  the  share  of 
the  debts  contracted  in  common, 


394 


ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1631. 


the  proportiou  of  the  I'cspectivc 
population^  or  that  of  the  duties 
paid  by  the  provinces  of  which 
Belgium  and  Holland  will  be  com^ 
))06cd  on  separating. 

''This  last  proportion  having 
appeared  to  be  the  most  equitable^ 
as  it  is  founded  upon  the  portion 
which  each  of  the  two  countries 
has  really  contributed  to  the  pay* 
ment  of  the  debts  in  common, 
contracted  during  the  union,  the 
Conference  therefore  decided,as  well 
by  the  protocol  No.  1 2  of  27th  of 
January  183 1 ,  as  by  the  letter  here 
annexed  of  the  Dutch  plenipoteu« 
tiaries,  that  the  average  proportion 
resulting  from  the  budgets  of  the 
kingdom  of  the  Netherlands  of 
1827,  1828,  and  1829,  the  two 
great  divisions  of  this  kingdom 
have  contributed  to  the  payment 
of  the  direct  and  indirect  contri- 
butions— the  one  for  15-31,  and 
the  other  for  16-31.  The  pleni- 
potentiaries of  the  five  Courts 
have  adopted  this  calculation,  al- 
ways taking  care  that  the  average 
proportion  in  question,  according 
to  the  rules  of  equity,  should  be 
reduced  in  favour  of  Belgium,  be- 
cAUsc>  according  to  the  territorial 
arrangements  to  be  agreed  upon, 
Holland  would  possess  a  territory 
which  did  not  belong  to  her  in 
1790.  In  consequence  of  which 
the  Conference  have  considered  it 
equitable  that  the  debts  contracted 
during  the  re-union  of  the  Nether- 
lands should  be  divided  between 
Holland  and  Belgium  in  the  pro- 
portion of  15-30,  or  an  equal  por- 
tion to  each. 

**  The  interest  (rente)  of  the 
whole  of  the  debts  above  stated 
amounts  in  round  numbers  to 
10,100,000  florins  of  the  Nether- 
lands. The  result  will  be  a  sum 
for  Belgium  of  5,050,000  florins  of 
the  Netherlands, 


'<  In  addition,  the  Austro-Belgtc 
debt  having  belonged  excluBiTdy  to 
Belgium  Iwfore  the  re-union  with 
Hofland,  it  was  considered  equidly 
equitable  that  this  debt  should  be 
in  future  borne  entirely  by  Bel- 
gium. The  interest  at  2^  per 
cent  of  tliat  part  called  active  of 
the  debt,  as  well  as  the  serrioe 
of  amortissemenl  of  that  part  called 
"  deferred  "  being  estimated  ia 
round  numbers  at  700,000  Belgic 
florins  of  interest  (rente),  Belgium 
would  have  to  support  under  this 
second  head  anotner  charge  of 
700,000  florins  of  rente. 

**  The  Conference,  proceeding 
according  to  the  rules  of  equity, 
has  found  that,  in  conformity  with 
the  principles  and  views  by  which 
it  is  actuated,  another  debt,  which 
was  originally  charged  unon  Bel- 
gium before  its  union  with  Hol- 
land—namely, the  debt  inscribed, 
on  account  of  Belgium,  in  the 
great  book  of  the  French  empire, 
and  which,  according  to  its  budgets^ 
has  accumulated  to  4,000,000 
francs,  or  2,000,000  florins  of  the 
Netherlands,  of  rente,  must  again 
be  placed  to  the  account  of  the 
Belgic  treasury.  The  mxm,  theie* 
fbre,  with  which  Belgium  will  be 
charged  under  tliis  new  head,  will 
be  2,000,000  florins  of  the  Nether- 
lands, annual  rente. 

'^  Lastly,  with  regard  to  the  id« 
vantages  of  navigation  and  com* 
merce  which  Holland  is  called 
upon  to  give  up  to  the  Belgiansp 
and  to  the  saa*ifices  of  varioua 
kinds  to  which  on  her  side  the  ae- 
paration  leads,  the  plenipotentiaries 
of  the  Ave  Courts  have  ooDsidefed 
that  to  the  three  points  abore  in* 
dicated,  there  ouglit  to  be  added  a 
sum  of  6,000,000  florins  of  nut, 
which  will  form,  with  the  sums 
already    mentioned,    a    total    of 

8,400,000  floriosoftbelf otheilaMb. 


PUBLIC    DOCUMENTS. 


"  It  is,  tbererure,  att  aaniiat 
rente  of  8,400,000  florins  wiUi 
wbicK  Belgium  will  r«niiiin  defi- 
uitlvely  charged,  in  conaequeuGe  of 
tlie  division  of  the  public  debt  <^ 
the  united  kingdnm  of  the  Ne- 
thertands,  accoraing  to  the  uDAni^ 
nious  opinion  of  the  Conference. 

"  On  the  other  hand,  the  pleni- 
potentiaries of  the  fire  Courts  have 
observed,  that  tJie  ti/ndicald'atnor' 
lUiemetU  instituted  m  the  kingdom 
of  the  Netherlands,  has  contracted' 
debts,  hiilf  the  interest  of  which 
has  been  borns  to  the  charge  of 
Belgium,  but  having  also,  accord- 
ing to  the  nature  of  the  institution 
itself,  accounts  to  render,  from 
which  B  surplus  m«f  result,  Bel- 
gium is  entitled  to  participate  in 
this  surplus,  on  its  being  ascor- 
taitied  as  a  meajis  of  liquidation  in 
tlie  proportion  in  which  it  has  par- 
ticipated in  the  payment  of  direct 
and  indirect  taxes,  and  the  excise 
in  the  kingdom  of  the  Nether- 
lands. 

"  It  has  been,  therefore,  agreed, 
that  the  article  on  the  division  of 
the  debt,  in  the  definitive  ar- 
rangement of  which  the  Confer- 
cuce  is  occupied,  shall  be  prepared 
according  to  the  principles  laid 
down  in  the  present  protocol. 

"  What  has  chiefly  determined 
the  Conference  upon  this  occa^on 
is,  that,  founding  its  docisiona 
upon  equity,  and  considering  the 
amount  of  the  charge*  for  the 
service  of  the  public  debt  of  the 
united  kingdom  of  the  Nether- 
lands, it  finds  that  the  amount 
is  stated  in  round  numbers  at 
27,700,000  florine  of  rente,  and 
that,  in  consequence,  Belgium, 
during  the  union,  contributed  to 
the  paymeut  of  this  rente  in  the 
proportion  of  16-31 — that  is  to  say, 
that  instead  of  14,000,000  florins, 
it  will  now,  with  the  adTantages 


fiir  its  part,  8,400,000  florins  of 
rente,  and  on  tho  other  hand,  in 
consequence  of  the  mode  of  division 
adopted  by  the  Conferencti,  Hol- 
land obtains  a  considerable  relief 
which  may  serve  to  satisfy  the 
various  claims  which  it  has  set  up. 
(Signed)     "  EsTiaHAiT. 

"  TaltLBYRAMtk 
"  PjLtiHlBaTDN. 
"  BCLOW. 

"  Li«vkM. 

"  Matsboswitsgh." 


Articlks  rf"  a  d^fimlive  Tkbatt 
between  Hoi:.iiAND  and  Bsl. 
Oint,  agreed  on  by  the  CoMrzA- 
ENCE  ^  London,  Octobbs, 
18S1. 

"  The  undersigned  plenipoten- 
tiaries of  Austria,  France,  Great 
ISritain,  Prussia,  and  Russia,  after 
having  maturely  weighed  all  the 
considerations  which  have  been 
made  to  them  by  the  Belgian  ple- 
nipotentiai'y  upou  the  means  of 
concluding  a  definitive  treaty  re- 
lative to  the  separation  bettveen 
Belgium  and  Holland  have  expe- 
rienced the  regret  of  finding  that 
there  is  iu  these  com  muni  cations 
no  approximation  of  the  views  and 
opinions  of  the  parties  directly  in- 
terested, 

"  Being  unable  to  abandon  tn 
more  protractetl  uncertainty  ques- 
tions of  which  the  immediate  so- 
lution has  become  necessary  tu 
Europe — forced  to  resolve  them 
under  pain  of  seeing  them  produce 
the  incalculable  evil  of  a  general 
war— pe  rfecClyinfoTmcd.m  oreo  rcr, 
respecting  all  the  points  in  discus- 
sion by  the  communications  which 
have  been  made  to  them  by  the 
Belgian  plenijiolcntjary,  and  the 
plenipotentiaries  of  the    NethsT' 


396 


ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


lands,  the  undersigned  Iiavc  but 
submitted  to  a  duty  which  their 
Courts  have  to  discharge,  as  well 
towards  themselrcs  as  towards  the 
other  states,  and  which  all  attempts 
at  direct  conciliation  between  Bel- 
gium and  Holland  have  still  left 
unaccomplished  —  Ihey  have  only 
caused  to  be  respected  the  supreme 
law  of  an  European  interest  of  the 
first  order — they  have  only  caused 
a  cessation  of  resistance  to  a  neces- 
sity which  had  become  more  and 
more  imperious^when  they  fixed 
the  conditions  of  a  definitive  agree- 
ment which  Europe,  friendly  to 
peace,  and  having  a  right  to  exact 
the  preservation  of  peace,  has 
sought  for  in  vain,  during  the 
space  of  a  year,  on  the  propositions 
made  by  the  two  parties,  or  ac- 
cepted in  turn  by  one  of  them  and 
rejected  by  the  other. 

"  In  the  condition  which  the 
twenty-four  articles  hereunto  an- 
nexed contain,  the  Conference  of 
London  has  been  obliged  to  have 
regard  only  to  the  principles  of 
equity.  It  has  followed  the  im- 
pression of  the  strong  desire  which 
animated  it^  of  conciliating  inter- 
ests with  rights,  and  of  securing 
to  Holland  as  well  as  to  Belgium, 
reciprocal  advantages,  good  fron- 
tiers, a  state  of  territorial  posses- 
sion without  dispute,  a  liberty  of 
commerce  mutually  beneficial^  and 
a  partition  of  debt  which  has  been 
regulated  less  by  minute  calcula- 
tions (the  materials  for  which,  in- 
deed, have  not  been  furnished), 
less  also  by  the  strictness  of  con- 
ventions and  treaties,  than  with 
the  view  of  lessening  the  burthens 
and  of  favouring  the  prosperity  of 
the  states. 

"  In  inviting  the  Belgian  pleni- 
potentiary to  sign  the  article  of 
which  mention  has  been  made 
abovej  the  undersigned  will  observe^ 


^<  1.  That  these  articles  shall 
have  all  the  force  and  value  of  a 
solemn  convention  between  the 
Belgian  government  and  the  five 
Powers. 

'*  2.  That  the  five  powers  gua- 
rantee the  execution  of  them. 

"  3.  That,  once  accepted  by  the 
two  parties^  they  are  destined  to 
be  inserted^  word  for  word,  in  a  di- 
rect treaty  between  Belgium  and 
Holland^  which  shall,  in  addition 
to  them,  contain  only  stipulations 
relative  to  the  peace  and  friend- 
ship which  shall  subsist  between 
the  two  countries  and  their  sove- 
reigns. 

'*  4.  That  this  treaty,  signed 
under  the  auspices  of  the  Confer- 
ence of  London,  shall  be  placed 
under  the  formal  guarantee  of  the 
five  Powers, 

'*  5.  That  the  articles  in  ques- 
tion form  a  whole,  and  do  not  ad- 
mit of  any  separation. 

^*  6.  Lastly,  that  they  contain 
the  final  and  irrevocable  decisions 
of  the  five  Powers,  who,  of  com- 
mon accord,  are  resolved  them- 
selves to  bring  about  the  full  and 
entire  acceptance  of  the  said  arti- 
cles by  the  party  adverse  to  them, 
if  the  party  should  reject  them. 

'^  The  undersigned  embrace  this 
opportunitv  of  offering  to  the  Bel- 
gian plenipotentiary  the  assur- 
ance of  their  most  high  considera- 
tion. 

(Signed)     "  Esterhazy. 
"  Talleyrand. 

"  BULOW. 

"  Matuscewitsch. 
'^  Wessenbero. 
"  Palmerston. 

"  LlEVEN." 

"  1.  The  Belgic  territory,  by 
this  article,  is  to  be  composed  of 
the  provinces  of  South  Brabant, 
Liege,  Namur^  Hainault,  Western 


PUBLIC    DOCUMENTS. 

Flanders,  Eastern  Flandera,  Aat-  commutiicatJon  by  Maestridit  and 

werp,  and  Limburg,  as  made  part  Sittord. 

of  tne  kingdom  of  the  Netherlands  "  13.  Regulates  the  continua- 

iu  1815,  with  the  exception  of  the  tion  of  all  new  canals  henceforward 

districts  of  the  prince  of  Limburg  made. 

pointed  out  by  article  4.  "  13.  From  the  1st  of  January, 

"  2.  The  Belgic  territory  will  1832,  Belgium  ia  to  be  charged  a 

comprise,  besides  the  part  of  the  debt  of  8,400,000  florios  of  onnual 

grand  duchy  of  Luxemburg  indi-  rentes  ;  and  the  article  regulates 

cated  in  article  3.  the  transfer  of  the  capital  which 

"  3-     His  majesty  the  king  of  is  henceforward  to  form  a  portion 

tlie  Netherlands,   grand  duke  of  of  the  Belgic  national  debt. 

Luxemburg,  consents,  that  in  the  "  14,  Regulates  the  payment  of 

grand  duchy  of  Luxemburg  the  the  expenses  incurred  by  Holland 

limits  of  the  Belgic  territory  shall  since  November    1,    1830,  which 

be  such  as  they  are  hereafter  de-  Belgium  is  to  reimburse  in  three 

scribed.  instalments — on  the  Ist  of  .lanu- 

QThc  remainder  of  the  article  ary,  the  1st  of  April,  and  the  1st 

traces  the  line  of  frontier.]  of  July,  1832. 

"  4.  His  majesty  the   king  of  ''  ID.  Refers  to  public  works,  as 

the   Netherlands,  grand   duke   of  canals,  roads,  &c.,  which  are  to  be- 

Lu\emburg,  shall  receive,  for  the  long  to  the  country  in  which  they 

cessions  made  in  the  preceding  ar-  are  situated, 

tide,  a  territorial  indemnity  in  the  "18,  19<  30.    The  inhabitants 

province  of  Limburg.  of  both  countries  are  to  be  allowed 

[The  article  then  points  out  the  two  years  to  dispose  of  their  pro- 
limits  of  this  indemnity,]  perty,  &c.,  if  inclined  to  transfer 

"  5-  This  article  stipulates  for  their  domicile  from  one  country  to 

the  arrangement  of  the  ceded  ter-  the  other. 

ritory  with    the   Germanic   Con-  "  21,    A  general  amnesty  for 

federation.  past  political  occurrences. 

"  6.    Pending  these  territorial  "-22.  All  pensions  and  salaries 

arrangements,  the  parties  are  to  to  be  discharged  according  to  the 

resign  for  ever  all  pretension  to  the  laws  in  force  before  November  I, 

ceded   parts,    and   commissioners  ia,'50. 

from  Belgium  and  Holland  are  to  "93.  All  claims  to beexamlned 

assemble  as  soon  as   possible    in  by  a  mixed  commission  of  Jiquidn- 

Maestriclit,  to  mark  out  the  bound-  tiou. 

aries,  "  24.  Immediately  after  the  ex- 

"  7.    Belgium,    in    the   limits  change  of  the  treaty  of  interven- 

pointed  out  by  these  articles,  will  tion  between  the  two  parties,  the 

form  an  independent  and  perpetu-  necessary  orders  shall  be  sent  to 

ally  neutral  state.  the  commanders  of  the  respectirc 

"  8,  9,  and  10.  These  articles  armies  for  the  evacuation  of  the 

regulate   the    navigation    of    the  territories,     cities,     towns,     and 

rivers  of  Flanders,  of  the  Scheldt,  places,  which  change  domination, 

and  of  the  canals  which   traverse  The  civil  authorities  in  them  will  at 

both  countries,  on  a  system  of  per-  the  same  time  receive  the  necessary 

feet  equality.  ordeis  for  the  surrender  of  their 

"11.   Leaves  free  coratnercial  territories, citieis towns, ^places. 


398      ANNUAL   REGISTER,    1831. 


to  the  commisaioncre  who  shall  be 
ap]>oitited  for  that  effect  on  one 
part  and  the  other.  This  evacua- 
tion and  surrender  shall  be  so  ef- 
fected, tliiit  they  may  be  complete<l 
within  fifteen  clays,  or  sooner  if  it 
can  be  done. 

(Signed)     ''  Estrrhazy. 

*'  Wbsbhnbkro. 

"  Tallkyrand. 

*'  Palmbrbton. 

"  BULOW. 
'^  LiBVBN. 

*^  Matusobwitsoh." 

Lelier  acco7h]mnying  ilie  Treatif, 

^*  The  undersigned  plenipoten- 
tiaries of  the  Courts  of  Austria, 
France,  Great  Britain,  Prussia, 
and  Russia,  after  having  commu- 
nicated to  the  Belgian  plenipoten« 
tiary  the  twenty-four  articles  an- 
nexed to  their  note  of  this  day> 
and  after  having  declared  that 
these  articles  formed  the  final  and 
irrevocable  decision  of  the  Confer- 
ence of  London,  have  still  an  ob- 
ligation to  fulfil  towards  the  pie- 
)>otentiary,  and  they  will  do  so 
with  a  frankness,  the  motives  of 
which  cannot  fail  to  be  appreciated. 

*'  The  five  Courts  reserving  the 
task,  and  taking  on  themselves  the 
engagement  to  obtain  the  assent 
of  Holland  to  the  articles  in  ques- 
tion, even  though  it  should  begin 
by  rejecting  them,  guaranteeing  be- 
sides their  execution,  and  convinced 
that  these  articles,  founded  on  prin- 
ciples of  incontestable  equity,  offers 
to  Belgium  all  the  advantages 
which  it  has  a  right  to  claim^  can- 
not omit  to  declare  here  their  firm 
determination  to  oppose  by  all 
means  iu  their  power  the  renewal 
of  a  contest  which,  having  now  no 
object,  would  be  the  source  of 
great  disasters  to  the  two  coun- 
tries, and  would  threaten  Euroi>e 
with  a  general  war,  which  it  is  the 


paramount  duty  of  the  five  Poweri 
to  prevent.  But  the  more  calculated 
this  determination  is  to  make  Bel* 
gium  easy  with  respect  to  its  future 
situation,  and  the  circumstances 
which  now  cause  lively  alarm  therej 
the  more  will  it  authoriie  the 
five  Powers  equally  to  employ  all 
means  in  their  power  to  obtain  the 
assent  of  Belgium  to  the  above* 
mentioned  articles,  if,  contrary  to 
all  expectation.  It  diould  reniae 
them. 

''  The  undersigned  offiir,  &e. 
"  London,  October,  18S1." 

(Signed  as  before.) 


Answer  of  Ihe  Belgian  FiiSNi- 

FOTBNTIARY. 

'^  The  undersigned  plenipoten- 
tiary of  his  majesty  the  king  of  the 
Belgians  hastens  to  acknowledge 
to  their  excellencies  the  plenipoten* 
tiaries  of  Austria,  France,  Great 
Britain,  Prussia,  and  Russia,  the 
receipt — 1st,  of  tlie  twenty-four 
articles  drawn  up  and  resolved 
upon  by  the  Conference  at  Lon* 
don  ;  2nd,  of  the  two  notes  acoom* 
panying  the  twenty- four  articlei^ 
and  in  which,  after  liaving  ex- 
plained its  motives,  its  views,  and 
Its  principles,  the  Conference  in- 
vites the  undersigned  to  sign  the 
project  of  a  definitive  treaty  sent 
to  him. 

*^  However  ardent  the  desire  of 
the  undersigned  for  the  speedy  re« 
alization  of  the  views  of  the  ple- 
nipotentiaries of  the  Hve  Courts 
for  the  preservation  of  general 
peace,  it  is  his  duty  to  declare, 
that  the  twenty-four  articles  in 
question  differ  too  much  from  the 
instructions  which  he  has  received 
from  his  government,  and  the  pre- 
liminaries which  served  as  the 
basis  of  these  instructions,  for  the 
undersigned  to  affix  his  signature 


PUBLIC    DOCUMENTS. 


to  the  twenty-four  uticlac  Id 
consequence  he  has  the  honour  to 
inForm  their  excellencios,  that  he 
will  traoBRiit  without  delay  the 
twenty-four  articles,  and  the  two' 
notes  to  his  majesty  the  king  of 
the  Delgiana,  ana  that  ha  will  wait 
for  Ilia  Bovr reign  ded*ion. 

'■  The  undemigoed  begs  their 
excellencies  to  nocept,  8k, 
(Signed] 

"  St L VAIN  Van  m  Witm. 
"  London,  October  IB." 


NoTK    of  ike   Dutch  Oqvbrn- 

MKNT    rejeciing    the    proposed 

Treaty,      14^      Deoeubek, 

1831. 

Tu  Messrs.  the  plenipOteDtiaries  of 

Austria,  France,  Great  Britain, 

Prussia,  and  Ruaaiii,  assembled 

ill  Confereoce  at  Loudon. 

"  Their  excellencies  the  plenlpo* 

tetitiaries  of  the  Courts  of  Austria, 

France,    Great   Britain,    Fruasia, 

and    KuBsla,   assembled    in    Con- 

ference  at  London,  have  observed 

by  the  note  with  which  they  have 

honoured   the  undersigned  plenl- 

totentiaries  of  his  majesty  the 
iog  of  the  Netherlands,  dated 
November  10,  that  the  protocol 
of  Aix-la-Chapelle,  in  pi-oviding 
that  in  the  case  where  a  Congress 
of  sovereigns  or  of  plenipotentiaries 
shall  have  for  its  object  matters 
specially  connected  with  the  in- 
terests of  the  other  states  of 
Europe,  it  shall  only  take  place 
under  the  express  reservation  of 
their  right  of  participation,  tU. 
recti y  or  by  their  iilenipoteo- 
tiartes,  does  not  prescribe  the  form 
of  this  participation,  and  has,  con* 
sequently,  leit  to  the  Conference 
at  London  a  full  liberty  witli  re- 
spect to  the  mode  of  its  commu- 
uicatiuD  witii  the  undersigned,  and 
to  its  assembling  for  the  transac- 


tion of  busitiesB.  According  to 
the  said  note,  the  Conference  of 
London,  availing  itsdf  of  this  la- 
titude, has  called  upon  the  under* 
signed  to  declare  in  writing  the 
demands  of  their  government,  and 
to  reply,  likewise  in  writing,  to 
the  demands  and  observatiotii  of 
the  adverse  party,  without  ever 
refusing,  moreover,  the  means  of 
making  known  their  (pinions  re* 
specting  all  the  points,  the  ad« 
juttmcnt  of  which  was  in  queatioo. 
The  Court  of  the  Netherlands  con- 
^atulatcs  itself  the  more  sincerely, 
in  i«irceiviug  that  the  Conference 
at  London  has  approved  of  the 
appeal  made  to  tlie  protocol  of 
Alx-la-Chapelle,  that  the  partioi* 
pation  of  all  the  parties  to  the 
meetings,  iu  which  their  interests 
uie  involved,  should  be  reserved  in 
the  most  precise  mauuer.  This 
was  realised  in  the  early  period  of 
the  negotiation.  From  the  com- 
mencement of  tlie  operations  of  the 
Conference  of  London,  the  protocol 
of  the  4th  of  November,  1830, 
stated  that  the  king  of  the  No* 
therlands,  having  invited  the  five 
Courts  to  deliberate,  in  concert 
with  his  majesty,  on  the  best 
means  of  putting  a  stop  to  the 
troubles  which  hod  broken  out  in 
his  Btiites,  the  five  Powers,  in  t)ie 
terms  of  the  4th  section  of  their 
Protocol,  signed  at  Ais-to-Cliiu 
{telle,  on  the  ISth  of  November, 
ltll8,  invited  the  ambassador  of 
the  king  to  tako  part  in  their  de- 
liberations. The  latter,  in  eon- 
sequence,  took  his  proper  place  in 
tlie  Conference.  After  a  few 
meetings,  however,  the  Confcrcnue 
no  longer  gave  him  notice  of  their 
meetings,  and  contented  itself, 
thenceforward,  with  adroittipg, 
from  time  to  time,  the  plenipoten- 
tiaries of  the  Netljerlands  to  re- 
ceive explanations  from  tlMun,  or 


400      ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


to  accept  their  written  communi- 
cations. The  government  of  the 
Netherlands  could  not  acknowledge 
that  the  exposition  of  its  demands 
in  writing, — the  reply,  in  writing, 
to  the  demands  and  observations  of 
the  adverse  ])arty,  and  certain 
isolated  explanations, — were  equi- 
valent to  meetings^  to  the  direct 
participation  intimated  by  the  pro- 
tocol of  Aix-la-Chapelle,  seeing 
that  a  personal  and  regular  dis- 
cussion once  dispensed  with,  the 
negotiation  would  lose  its  natural 
character,  and  that  various  objects 
must  be  imjKjrfectly  explained. 
The  course  taken  in  this  respect 
by  the  Conference,  can  in  no  man- 
ner prejudice  the  right  of  the  ple- 
nipotentiaries of  the  king  to  be 
present  at  its  sittings.  With  re- 
spect to  the  means  which  the  ple« 
ni potent iaries  of  the  Netherlands 
have  had  to  make  known  their 
opinions  respecting  all  the  points 
in  dispute,  this  power  did  not  ex- 
ceed the  limit  of  a  consultative 
voice  (voix  consultative)^  and  topics 
previously  agitated,  and  of  which 
the  undersigned  were  in  possession, 
and  which  had  already  taken  place 
in  the  course  of  the  negotiations. 
It  lost  its  application  with  re- 
ference to  objects  equally  serious 
and  unexpected,  which  had  not 
been  once  under  discussion,  which 
it  was  impossible  to  foresee  would 
come  under  consideration,  and  re- 
specting which  the  plenipoten- 
tiaries of  the  king  were  never  con- 
sulted, of  which  the  24  articles 
communicated  by  their  excellencies 
to  the  undersigned  contained  se- 
veral, particularly  the  articles  9, 
11,  12,  and  the  5th  section  of  ar- 
ticle 13. 

"  The  undersigned  avow,  with  the 
frankness  due  to  the  Conference, 
that  they  have  sought  in  vain  to 
reconcile  with  the  protocol  of  Aix- 


la-Chapelle  the  total  absence  of  the 
first  pnnciples  of  the  code  of  na- 
tions, in  certain  clauses  which  the 
24  articles  have  produced  for  the 
first  time,  and  which  involve  no- 
thing less  than  dividing^  with 
foreigners  the  superiutendanoe  of 
the  rights  of  navigation  upon  one 
of  the  rivers  of  Holland,  the  fixing 
the  navigation  duties  on  this  rirer 
in  common  with  another  state,  the 
exercising  the  right  of  fishing  by 
foreign  subjects,  and  confirming  to 
the  Dutch,  as  if  it  were  a  doubt- 
ful thing,  the  right  of  navigation 
in  their  own  rivers,  conformably  to 
the  reciprocity  of  navigation  of  the 
rivers  between  the  Scheldt  and  the 
Rhine — rivers  which  exist  only  in 
the  Dutch  territory  ;  to  confer  on 
foreigners  the  power  of  making  a 
road,  or  cutting  a  canal,  in  the 
territory  of  the  state ;  to  interdict^ 
without  any  pretence,  all  restraint 
in  commercial  intercourse  throuffh 
one  of  the  first  strong  places  in 
the  kingdom  (Maestricht),  and  to 
fix  a  liquidation,  from  which  theie 
could  result  no  charge  to  the  ad- 
verse party. 

"  With  respect  to  the  power  of 
resuming  hostilities,  this  question 
falls  into  the  category  of  most  ne- 
gotiations, pending  which,  so  long 
as  they  have  not  reached  their 
termination,  the  parties  would  in- 
cur the  risk  of  compromising  them- 
selves, by  contracting  positive  en- 
gagements for  uncertain  future. 
The  king,  whilst  he  reserves  to 
himself  the  right  of  recommencing 
hostilities  eventually,  does  no  more 
than  maintain  his  natural  position 
in  the  hope  of  an  arrangement,  and 
exercise  an  incoittestible  right. 
With  special  reference  to  the  24 
articles,  the  undersigned  beg  leave 
to  repeat,  that  for  assuring  to  Hol- 
land the  advantages  which  it  pos- 
sessed, they  not  only  do  not  oiier 


PUBLIC    DOCUMENTS. 


401 


her  any  which  she  did  not  possess 
before,  but  they  impose  on  her,  by 
the  single  condition  that  a  country 
with  which  she  has  been  united 
should  separate  from  her,  servile 
obligations  in  favour  of  this  coun- 
try, to  which  neither  Holland  nor 
any  other  independent  state  was 
ever  subjected,  and  for  which  there 
can  exist  no  equivalent  whatever. 
TJiey  even  take  from  her  rights 
and  advantages  which  she  enjoyed 
at  a  period  anterior  to  those  of 
1 790,  at  which  period  existed  the 
closing  of  the  Scheldt,  and  that  of 
181/5,  when  she  gave  up  colonies 
and  capitals  for  an  union  with  Bel- 
gium— colonics  and  capitals  which 
HoJland  would  have  a  right  to  re- 
claim, and  of  which  she  would  re- 
main deprived,  according  to  the  24 
articles,  without  any  compensation 
whatsoever. 

"  No  opposition  would  be  made 
on  the  part  of  Holland  to  an 
arrangement  which  should  restore 
her  to  the  position  in  which  she 
stood  in  1790  or  1815;  but  the 
24  articles,  far  from  offering  such 
results,  leave  Holland,  at  the  most, 
an  honorary  post  in  the  European 
association. 

*'  In  providing  good  frontiers  for 
Holland,  it  would  seem  that  the 
royal  crown  of  that  country  has 
been  confounded  with  the  grand 
ducal  crown  of  Luxemburg,  united 
at  present  in  the  head  of  the  same 
prince,  and  subject  to  the  chances 
of  a  future  separation.  It  is,  more- 
over, as  little  allowable  to  identify 
these  two  crowns  as  those  of  Great 
Britain  and  Hanover,  and  to  im- 
pute to  Holland  as  a  favour  the 
arrangements  concerning  the  grand 
duchy  of  Luxemburg,  as  to  carry 
to  the  account  of  England  a  treaty 
concluded  by  the  Hanoverian  go- 
vernment. To  adopt  an  opposite 
principle,  would  be   to  place  the 

Vol.  LXXIIL 


I^ing-grand-duke  in  a  fUse  position 
towards  Holland,  the  grand  duchy 
of  Luxemburg,  and  the  Germanic 
Confederation,  with  the  collateral 
branches  of  his  own  house.  It  is, 
moreover,  evident  that  according 
to  the  24  articles,  the  grand  duke 
of  Luxemburg  himself  will  re- 
ceive only  a  partial  indemnity  for 
the  cession  demanded  of  him  of  the 
greater  part  of  his  estates,  and  that 
Holland  will  lose  her  boundaries 
on  the  left  bank  of  the  Meuse  and 
in  the  province  of  Liege,  for  no 
other  advantage  than  that  of  seeing 
the  territory  separating  the  boun- 
dai'ies  which  remain  to  her  in  the 
hands  of  the  grand  duke  of  Lux- 
emburg. 

'« By  their  vote  of  the  1 2th  of 
November,  their  excellencies  the 
plenipotentiaries  of  the  five  Courts 
have  been  pleased  to  advertise  the 
undersigned,  that  the  24  articles 
had  been  accepted  in  Belgium.  On 
the  14th  the  undersigned  had  the 
honour  of  stating,  that  if  Belgium, 
contrary  to  the  principles  recog- 
nized in  the  l9th  protocol,  thus 
obtained  a  premature  recognition, 
the  king,  by  this  fact  alone,  and 
independently  of  his  rights  of 
sovereignty,  would  be  obliged  not 
to  accept  the  arrangements  of  se- 
paration on  any  other  terms  than 
saving  the  conditions  and  reserva- 
tions which  the  high  position  and 
interests  of  Holland  should  at  once 
dictate.  The  following  day  a 
formal  treaty  was  concluded  be- 
tween their  excellencies  and  the 
Belgic  plenipotentiary  prejudicial 
to  the  rights  of  the  king,  those  of 
Holland,  and  of  the  grand  duchy 
of  Luxemburg,  and  injurious  to 
those  of  the  C^rmanic  Confedera- 
tion, agreeably  to  which  none  of 
its  members  can  be  dispossessed 
of  his  territory  without  his  con- 
sent. 

2  D 


402     ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1881. 


*'  The  nndersigiiod  have  fecclml 
onlcrs  tf)  protest,  in  the  most 
formal  mdiiner,  as  tliey  do  by  these 
pre«otit»,  against  tlie  said  treaty, 
csRontially  o|HM>fied  to  the  ap])en- 
dix  A  of  the  12th  protocol,  and 
the  1!)th  pr()to(!oI,  which  fixed  the 
|H»^ition  of  the  king  with  i*cspcct 
to  the  five  Powers. 

**  Reverting  to  the  comnicncc- 
ment  of  the  pn^scnt  n<>gotiation, 
it  Ap|)ears  that  the  eight  articled 
of  the  21st  of  July^  1814>,  ccmtain 
the  [irincinal  features  of  the  union 
between  Holland  and  Ikdgium,  and 
of  the  system  of  interior  iwlicy 
whii'h  was  the  consequence  of  it. 
Hy  the  m'wptance  of  the  king, 
tlioy  l)0(!iinie  obligations  as  the 
Iwisis  of  the  conditions  of  the 
union  of  Belgium  to  Holland 
under  his  sovereignty.  Now  that 
it  is  pro|K)Red  to  dissolve  this 
union,  the  dissolution  can  only  bo 
effected  in  the  same  way — namely, 
by  a  negotiation  with  his  majesty. 
Such  was  the  principle  of  the  ex- 
isting negotiations  in  London ;  and 
M'hen  the  separation  had  been  de- 
cided, it  was  perceived  that  it  was 
ne(!essary  to  modify  the  eight  ar- 
ticles of  181  i  by  the  substitution 
of  others  according  to  circum- 
stances. The  apfiendix  A  to  the 
IJitli  protocol,  lM?came  the  second 
basis  of  the  negotiation,  from  the 
moment  in  which  the  acceptaiu!e 
of  the  king  gave  to  this  act  the 
character  of  a  bi-lateral  engage- 
ment, l)etwceu  his  majesty  and  the 
five  Powers. 

"  The  18  articles  presented 
more  recently  as  preliminaries 
were,  on  the  contrary,  only  pro* 
])ORiti(ms,  in  nowise  obligatory  on 
the  Conference  so  long  as  the  two 
jKirties  had  not  accepted  them. 
Holland  having  declined  them, 
these  articles  left  no  trace  behiiHl 
them. 


"In  this  state  of  thftigs,  the  tWo 
bases  above-mentioned  must  hftve 
guided  the  king's  goTernmetit  Ih 
the  examination  of  the  84  artiden 
now  pro|H)eed.  The  rftsulte  of  this 
examination  are  set  forth  in  the 
memoir  ap))ended  to  the  preaertt 
note.  They  are  <*onfartiiable  to 
the  appendix  A,  in  the  ISth  pro- 
tocol. With  regard  to  the  fbrhi^ 
the  undersigned  accept  with  eamr* 
ne«8  that  propof^  by  thd  Cwm 
fbrcnce  of  ft  convention  with  the 
five  Powers.  If  after  the  metnoir 
above  referred  to>  certain  matterB 
mentioned  in  the  24  artioiMj  btit 
foreign  to  the  separation,  and  to 
the  ap|H!ndix  A,  be  passed  over  in 
silence  in  the  treaty,  nothing  need 
prev-cnt  their  being  discussea  at  a 
period  more  or  less  remote^  and  in 
the  mean  time  there  would  bto  no 
obstacle  to  an  immediate  disarming 
of  the  two  parties,  which  by  putting 
a  stop  to  the  chance  of  a  renewal 
of  hostilities  would  contributa  in 
an  eflfectual  manner  to  oonaotidate 
the  maintenance  of  general  peaoe. 

''The  cabinet  of  the  aBmae, 
seeking  to  remove  difllowties 
which  present  themselveSf  has  ap-' 
plied  itself  to  obviate  thena^  witn* 
out  producing  anv  injury  to  tlie 
true  interests  of  ^l^lgium.  It  b^ 
lieves  it  has  found  a  satiafiutlory 
solution  in  the  present  oommunw 
cation,  and  persuades  itself  that 
the  two  nations  will  unite  in  nan* 
ccrting  together  at  ft  future  pariod^ 
a  common  understanding  with  rt* 
s|iect  to  their  mutual  wants. 

^'  The  undersigned  request  that 
the  plenipotentiaries  of  tha  flfa 
Powers  assembled  in  Conference  in 
London,  will  be  pleased  to  take 
the  present  note  and  tho  meoioir 
which  accompanies  it,  into  their 
examination.  I'hey  flatter  than* 
selves  that  their  excellejaoiea  will 
i-eceive  them  with  favour^  and  tbal 


PUBLIC   DOCUAfBN 


I0> 


they  will  experience  from  them  the 
same  spirit  of  conciliAlion  which 
has  constantly  directed  the  course 
of  the  government  of  tht  Nether* 
lands.  The  sacrificee  which  the 
king  consents  to  make^  but  which, 
in  no  case,  can  lead  to  anything,  if 
the  accompanying  observations  be 
not  adopted^  and  the  moderation 
which  characterizes  the  present 
overtures^  will  doubtless  con- 
tribute more  and  more  to  convince 
the  five  Powers  represented  at  the 
Conference  of  London  and  Europe 
at  large,  of  the  sincere  desire  en*- 
tertained  by  the  government  of  the 


Netherbnds  to  iftioodh  im  mudi  as 
possible  the  obstacles  which  have 
hitherto  impeded  the  ooaoiusion  of 
a  treaty  with  the  five  Courts  des- 
tined to  regulate  the  separation 
between  Holland  and  Belgium^ 
and  to  repel  only  those  concessions 
which  are  incompatible  with  the 
independence^  the  dignity,  and  the 
primary  interests  itf  Holland. 

''The    undersigned    sabscrtfoe 
themselves,  &Ci 

«  H.  Db  Zutlbw. 

'•  Db  NYBVBLf . 

«'  LondoHt  I4th  Ihoember:' 


^m 


Spbboh  of  King  Lbopold,  on  openmg  the  BA<oio  CoNonSfl, 

Sbptbmbbr  8>  1881. 


^  Geutlemen,<«i^I  am  happy  to 
be  for  the  second  time  amidst  the 
representatives  of  the  nation. 

^'  The  proofs  of  affection  and 
devoted ness  which  the  Belgic  na*- 
tion  has  not  ceased  to  give  me  from 
the  moment  that  I  set  my  foot  on 
the  territory  of  my  adopted  coun« 
try,  have  filled  my  heart  with  a 
lively  gratitude.  This  voluntary 
transport  of  a  whole  nation,  while 
it  inspires  me  with  very  allowable 
pride,  has  made  me  sensible  of  the 
full  extent  of  the  duties  that  are 
imposed  on  me.  I  do  not  dissemble 
to  myself  any  of  the  numerous  di^ 
ficulties  of  my  situation,  but,  with 
the  aid  of  your  knowledge  and  ex** 
perience,  I  shall  be  able  to  over- 
come them. 

**  When  the  principles  laid  down 
in  the  constitution  which  I  have 
sworn  to  observe  shall  hate  receiv* 
ed,  by  the  projects  of  law  which 
will  be  submitted  to  your  consi- 
deration, the  develoi)ement  which 
they  still  require,  Belgium  will 
enjoy  a  greater  degree  of  liberty 


than  any  other  nsiticm  in  Europe. 
The  crisis  through  which  the 
country  has  had  to  pass,  in  order 
to  attain  its  political  regeneration,  * 
has  for  a  moment  aflboted  its  ma^ 
terial  interest.  It  must  henoefdrth 
be  the  object  of  our  united  efibrts 
to  promote  its  interest  by  en* 
oouxkging  manufkctures,  andopen* 
ing  new  channels  to  commerce. 

"  The  relations  already  so  hap-i 
pily  established  with  France  and 
England,  which  I  hope  will  soon 
be  extended  tO  the  otner  Pdw^s, 
will  fhoilitate  the  peHbrmance  of 
this  task* 

'' Negotiations  have  Just  been 
opened  to  effect  a  definitive  ar- 
rangement of  our  diffisrences  with 
Holland.  The  honour  and  inter- 
ests of  the  Belgian  nation  will  be 
defended  in  them  with  perseverance 
and  dignity.  With  you  gentlemen, 
and  the  whole  nation,  I  look  with 
confidence  to  the  issue  of  those  ne- 
gotiations, the  result  of  which  will 
be  laid  before  you. 

'5  The  neutrality  of   Belgium, 

2D2 


404       ANNUAL   REGISTER,   1831. 


guaranteed  by  the  five  Powers, 
lias  suggestect  the  iK>ssibility  of 
modifications  in  its  system  of  de- 
fence. Tliis  possibility^  the  prin- 
ciple of  Yihich  is  admitted  by  the 
Powers  concerned  in  the  erection 
of  the  fortresses  of  1815,  will,  I 
doubt  not,  be  acknowledged  by  the 
nation.  Negotiations  will  take 
place  to  regulate  the  execution  of 
the  measures  connected  with  the 
demolition  of  some  of  those  for- 
tresses. Happy  in  being  able  to 
draw  closer  the  ties  which  unite 
the  two  people,  Belgium  will  on 
this  occasion  give  a  proof  of  its 
gratitude  to  France,  and  Europe  a 
striking  pledge  of  its  just  confi- 
dence in  the  honour  of  the  king  of 
the  French, 

*'  The  eminent  serrices  rendered 
by  France  involuntarily  call  our 
attention  to  a  recent  event,  the 
consequences  of  which,  I  must  say, 
have  been  too  much  exaggerated. 
Belgium,  confiding  to  excess  in 
the  engagements  contracted  by 
Holland  towards  the  five  Powers, 
and  to  which  it  had  itself  subscribed 
was  suddenly  surprised  by  an  army, 
the  force  of  which  far  exceeded  that 
which  Belgium  could  oppose  to  it. 

''In  these  painful  circumstances 
the  succour  of  friendly  Powers  be- 
came urgent  and  indispensable. 
You  know  with  what  genenms 
promptness  it  was  afforded  us. 
If  individual  courage,  if  the  bra- 
very which  has  never  been  denied 
the  Belgic  soldier,  could  have 
made  up  for  the  want  of  organiza- 
tion and  union  which  was  felt  in 
our  young  army,  without  doubt 
(and  you  will  believe  my  testimo- 
ny) we  should  have  victoriously 
repulsed  an  unjust  aggression, 
contrary  to  all  the  principles  of 
the  law  of  nations.  The  nation 
will  be  but  the  more  sensible  of 
the  absolute  necessity  of  the  re^ 


forms  already  commenced,  and 
which  are  prosecuted  with  a  degree 
of  activity,  the  result  of  which  will 
soon  be  apparent.  In  a  few  d^vB 
Belgium  will  have  an  army,  whidi| 
if  it  should  be  again  necessary^ 
would  be  able  to  rally  round  its 
king,  to  defend  with  honour  and 
with  success  the  independence  and 
the  rights  of  the  country* 

'' rejects  of  law  will  be  laid 
before  you  during  this  session  to 
give  to  the  government  its  legiti« 
mate  share  of  influence  in  the 
composition  of  the  army,  to  restore 
confidence  to  the  soldiers  and  to 
secure  a  just  recompence  to  those 
who  shall  distinguish  themselves 
in  the  day  of  danger. 

'' Gentlemen— I  will  call  yoor 
particular  attention  to  the  state  of 
our  finances.  I  know  the  care 
which  that  essential  part  of  the 
public  service  requires.  The  pre- 
vailing desire  oi  my  government 
^vill  £uways  be  successively  to  in« 
troduce  in  the  public  expenditnrt 
the  economy  which  is  so  loudly 
called  for  by  the  state  of  society, 
and  by  the  aid  of  which  it  will  oe 
practicable  gradually  to  lessen  the 
burthens  of  the  people. 

'^At  present,  nevertheless^  sa- 
crifices are  still  necessary,  on  the 
one  hand,  to  defray  the  expenses 
of  the  reorganization  of  the  army  ; 
on  the  other  to  make  up  for  a  oii- 
minution  in  the  revenues,  which 
the  circumstances  in  whidh  we  are 
for  a  time  placed  indicate  as  ineyit- 
able.  The  nation  has  proved  that 
it  did  not  shrink  from  the  sacri- 
fices which  the  honour  and  the  in- 
terest of  the  country  required.  It 
will  also  know  how  to  bear  those  of 
which  the  government  shall  have 
proved  the  necessity. 

'^  The  confidence  with  which  the 
whole  nation  has  hitlierto  met  its 
^i^g»  gi^es  me  a  right  to  redcon 


PUBLIC    DOCIT 

on  its  representatives  id  all  the 

measures  which  may  contribute  to 

the  good  of    the  country.      Mr  lu 

h^pes   will  not    be   disappoiatea.  i 

Belgium  will  see  us  animated  by 

the  same  desires  to  labour  in  con- 


Speecii  <^llit  King  o/'Holland,  on  opmhx^  the  SaseioNs  of  Ihe 
States  Genebalj  October  17. 

"  High  and  Mighty  Lords,  perseverance   been   rivals    of    the 

"  The  difficult  circumstances  in  regular  land  and  sea  forces.     Se- 

which  the  country  has  for   more  conded  by  the  enthusiasm  which 

than  a  year  heeii  placed  have  pro-  animates    all   my   subjects,   their 

longed  your  last  Session  until  the  efforts  have  sufficed,  not  only  to 

present,  which  I  now  open.  protect  the  country,  but  even  to 

"  In  the  course  of  that  year  you  attack,  on  his  own  territory,  an 

have  been  informed  of  the  progress  enemy  of  nearly  double  our  popu. 

of  the  events  and  negotiations  oc-  lation,  to  conquer  him,  and  drii'e 

casioned  by  the  armed  insurrection  him   back   into  the  heart  of  his 

of  Belgium.     Your  high  mighti-  country,    leaving    him    no   other 

ncsses  must  have  been  convinced  means  of  safety  except  that  of  call* 

that   the  constant   efforts  of  tlie  ing  foreign  jihalanxes  to  his  aid. 
government,  during  the  whole  of        "  Our  mind  is  still  deeply  im- 

that  period,  to  terminate  on  ad-  pressed    with    all    the    proofs  of 

vantageous  conditions  the  painful  fidelity  and  intrepidity  given  by 

state  of   necessity   in  which   the  the  defenders  of  the  state,  and  of 

faithful  Netherlands  were  placed,  all  the  heroic  deeds  which  have 

of  making  exti'aordinary  efforts,  shone  forth  with  so  much  lustre. 

have  been  fruitless.  A  grateful  posterity  will  keep  them 

"  However,  to  the  sacrifices  oc-  in  recollection. 
casioned  by   this   state  of   things         "  In  consequence  of  this  spirit, 

had  been  added  an  energy  which  it  has  not  been  necessary  to  have 

opens  for  the  nation  a  consolatory  recourse  to  the  hvy  en  masxe,  pre- 

pcrspective.    Thccountryhas  given  pared  at   the    commencement    of 

to  Europe  a  brilliant  example  of  yourlastSession.  Fromthoseliable 

unalterable  attachment  to  the  pnn-  to  be  called  out,  nothing  more  is 

ciples  of  religion  and  social  order,  required  than  a  local  service,  simt- 

She  has  shown  a  firm  determin-  lar  to  that  which  they  already  per- 

ation  to  maintain  herself  in  that  form  in  several  towns,  conjointly 

position,    and    this   determination  with  the  volunteers  of  all  classes; 

must  have  an  advantageous  lofiu-  and  to  which  they  have  devoted 

ence  on  her  consideration  among  themselves  with  the  most  praise* 

the  Powers,  and  on  the  decision  of  worthy  zeal. 
her  future  fate.  "  Nevertheless,   no   pains  have 

"  The  volunteers,  civic  guard,  been  spared  to  obtain  au  honour- 

iuid  militia,  have  iu  couragQ  {tod  able  peace;  but  we  are  prepared 


406       ANNUAL   REGISTER,    1831. 


for  a  new  war,  if  the  li(»))o  of  a 
prompt  rind  (Hiiiitablc  arraugement 
blioiiUl  not  yet  be  rcaliacil. 

**  To  this  oiifl  have  been  ordered 
an  extraordinary  levy  of  the  na- 
tional militia,  and  the  nmdoring 
disp(is:ilile  the  first  van  of  the  civic 
^uard  for  the  present  year.  Mean- 
Mhile  the  students  of  the  univer- 
sities and  Athena;uni,  who  hastened 
with  so  much  ccniragcto  the  arniie», 
but  who  have  now  resumed  their 
studies,  are  prcimred  to  resume 
the  Hword,  whenever  the  houour 
and  defence  uf  tlic  country  uay 
require  their  aid. 

**  Auiidiit  the  evils  so  unmerited 
which  afflict  the  ountry,  the  rela- 
tions of  amity  with  other  powers 
are  maintainea  and  extended.  The 
difliculties  whiclj  for  many  years 
have  prevented  the  navigation  of 
the  Uhine  from  being  regulated^ 
are  removed  by  a  amvcntion,  con- 
cluded with  dtates  bordering  on 
that  river ;  and  this  convention  is 
now  in  force. 

''  It  is  agreeable  to  me,  to  be 
able  to  announce  t't  your  high 
mightinesses,  that  the  state  of  a- 
griculture  presents  this  year  more 
satisfactory  results  than  it  has  done 
for  several  preceding  years.  The 
harvest  has  been  favourable  beyond 
ex|>ectatioii. 

•'  Wliile  other  countries  are  af- 
ilicted  with  a  prevailing  and  spread- 
ing malady,  the  Netherlands, 
thanks  to  I^ovidence,  has  hitherto 
been  spared.  At  the  end  of  last 
year,  the  necessary  measures  were 
adopted  for  preventing  the  intro- 
duction of  tfie  disease  by  nautical 
communication.  Aided  by  the  in^ 
formation  of  men  of  science,  the 
means  most  proper  for  averting  this 
scourge,  and  for  diminishing  its  in- 
tensity if  it  should  reach  us,  are 
under  investigation  aqd  iu  prepa- 
ration. 


<^  Commerce^  navigatioiis  andidl 
the  branches  of  human  indiutry 
tlierewith  coonected,  have  geovr* 
ally  suffered;  and,  coDaequently, 
that  suffering  has  also  bieo  mt 
in  this  kiuffuom  thraugh  tb«  (4h 
stacles  which  communications  have 
experienced  from  the  uocertainty 
occasioned  by  political  commotions 
and  other  circumstances.  This 
additional  evil,  though  hoavy^  is, 
in  its  nature,  temporary,  and  can- 
not have  a  permanent  influence  on 
our  relations. 

''  The  canal  cut  through  the 
island  of  Voone  has  this  yea^  hiw 
opened  for  tho  uassage  ct  v^^geb, 
and  the  undertaking  compbl^lv 
answers  the  ex|)ectation8  wbico 
were  formed  of  it«  sucoesa^ 

"  The  drauf^t  of  a  new  bW| 
and  of  a  tarift  of  imjport,  eaqiort, 
and  transit  duties,  is  at  prsMPt 
the  subject  of  serious  odiber- 
atiou,  in  order  to  its  being  finally 
submitted  to  your  high  ii|i|^tl« 
nesses.  This  law,  I  am  con?inoeds 
will  best  contribute  to  the  vel&ra 
of  the  old  Netherlandsi  by  being 
made  to  combine  an  entire  liberty 
fur  foreign  trade  with  due  prptoo^ 
tion  to  our  flag,  our  a^ricultiup, 
and  our  domestic  industry, 

'^The  internal  tranquillity  vbich 
lias  fortunately  beep  rsstoivd  ia 
our  East-India  ppssewionis  ndd«  » 
favourable  influence  to  the  eAbrtff 
constantly  employed  for  re-estabi 
lishiog  the  finances  of  those  poiinf 
tries.  Your  high  migbtiaeMes  vill 
obtain  proofs  of  this  by  oommuni-t 
cations  which  will  ho  made  on  fjui 
subject  during  the  present  SesuMNi* 

''  In  the  West-India  eolonm  iiisi 
dustry  is  still  fettered,  biit  the 
means  of  remorin^  its  embarhuw* 
incuts  form  the  object  of  our  fn^ 
ticular  attention. 

'^  Notwithstanding  the  dificnlt 
)K)sition  in  which  we  lure  plaofd  kj 


PUBLIC  poeuMENT^-  m 

thpBelgitiusurcectitiqjtlieSfWUces  vitJefiff  tl|e  Wi>ltts  of  tbp  cqunUy, 

oftht!  tttutp  li^ve  guff^i^il  qpix^f-  but  jilsp  tnsiDb^((  t'tl^  l)nfl(4[j^^ 

fusion.    The  co-Dpucatiop  vi  per-:  pit  v}\\vb  tlid  Iipnaup,  tbe  {■tK^i'tyi 

severance  of  iny  faltliFu)  uiuqtEf-  aud  the  pxi^t^pu  if  tbe  ))f^^  of 

nicu  li^ve  rciiilcrpd  )t  pc^jUe  to  tqe  am    ^etliP^^^a  rCRtM^'  aR(t 

fullil  ull  cngagetneats.     Tlie  iutBF^  tl|erpl>y  citi^s^  to  bo  res{(^(f4  ti|e 

est  of  tlic  public  debt,  aod  tlje  natian^l  ci:c<1it  ^ud  iqpcpetfri'^ncp. 

grciit  enpeiisca  of  tl|c  navy  nui  "I  Umi^  I'uuiiil  it  uoi^asary  to 

"~iity,  liavc  eoDSe(juc)itIy  bceii  p^td  ^|f))niit  tci  a             "    '' —  """*"  ""' 


regularly,  and  witliotjt^itpy  (leljiy.       rpady  adiiliteij,  tggutliur  wit)j  the 

"  I|i  tbe  preparatimi  I)/ la^i  re-    !<(W  Qii  t'lQ  jiidkia)  orgaiijz^tiQu, 

lativc  to  the  expenses  of  the  iu'com-     id  ordtir   that    tlie  saiue   may  be 


iiig  year,  aiid  the  iReaan  (tf  inccU  ipade  tu  (loii'cidc  lietter  wtt^  tlie 

iug  tlie  s^me,  1  bave  endeavoured  juterett^  of  the  i)ld   Nctli^l^qds. 

to  cause  tp  be  o|)serycd  thpscycfc^t  J  bfpe  ti>  he  -Mc  tu  iiicspnt  fo  yoii 

eequoiny  as  to  tbc  foriner,  and  t||c  ^]inog  tifft  pr^eppt  sesma  s  gar}. 

alleviation  as  fiir  as  pug^ihlp  of  tbp  of  t||i^  jippflr't'o*  PjJ^i^fwq- 

burtbeus  which  itjic  expeuditui'i:  "  Higli   and   JP'sl'ty  lords, — 

iqay  oecasioD.  Ow  ^t^p  Jb  stij)  povpped  wiw  a 

"  The  situation  of  t|(e  kiugdopi  reij,  If^f  >rith  po^&Ap"*:^  IR   iW 

re(|i)ircs  great  ^crificps,  but  i  qhifjl  w[^op]  apd  hopntK  of  ^e  41- 

pruposc  them  with  foufijlcnpc   (o  mighty  wp  q]*ait  thp  dfCi^Wfl  flf 

your  high  miglttine^s,  copvipped  QUr  w;  (OF  ojJF  CftflBe  is  ju8t>  anff 

;)s  I  am  that  it  is  tlip  u{iaD(inQi)s  ^|1  our  people  re|ig[i(ju6ly  pei^reie 

delorniiuatiup  of  roybclovcflpepplc  in  the  upajijippus  fp^otiop  tps*- 

tu   prove   by  every  me>ins  tO  OMr  crfGJ[:e   t))^ir   prngefFy  au4    t|l^>' 

friends  and  to  our  cneinies,  th^tt  .Moqd  fof  the  matnt^u^qp  of  "Hr 

wliatever  trials  Providpnce  m^y  re-  beloved  couutry,'' 
serve  for  us,  ivc  can  not  only  prp: 


Manifesto  <if  the  Ppi-isp  EsT^f^f,  JiNUj^jty,  1831. 

"  \VI|cP  a  nation)  fqrmcrly  free  ','  Jhe  iIl^o^s    macbinatipna, 

and  powerful,  liiids  itself  cppipcllcd  flj^  V''?  ps'w.'^ipie??  \^?  PJjep  y'o- 

by  the  excess  of  its  l^ia  to  havp  lencc,  apa    the    secret    treachery 

recourse  to  the  las^  of  its  rights^  wli|ch  accpmpanie^  thp  tfiree  dis- 

to  the  right  of  repelling  ppjffcssios  piembcrjjjcnt/  ijf  ande^t  Roland, 

by  force— it  qwes  to  it^lf,  and  to  arc  but  too  well   known  j  bWtfiry 

tlic  rest  of  the  world,  to  divulge  ha^  already  branded   tbcni   as  a 

the  ijiotty^  whiph  have  induced  iP  l)o|UicaI    criroe.     The    deep    apd 

tu  sustain  by  arpis  tbe  qiost  holy  ^wful  ifjourning  wfiicb  this  vibla- 

of  causes-     The  Chambers  of  the  don  spread  ttirpughout  the  coup~ 

Diet  have  felt  this  necessity,  and,  try  has  never  beed  l^id  a^i^p,  but 

folloi^ing  the  ^irit  of  the  i^vplu-  has  been  religiofisly  prescFfea  even 

tiuD  of  the  S9th  of  November,  and  untfl  now ;  tbe  unspotted  standard 

a^cknowledging  it  to  be   nati/onil,  hasocvcrceasedto  waveattfiehea^ 

they  have  resolved  to  justify  then)-  of  our  valiaii^  fi^.Y  t  a?^j  I"  ^ 

selvfis  in  the  eyes  gf  Eui'ope-  bis  mijitar^  inigr^^^Bj  tlip"]Poie, 


408 


ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


carrying  from  country  to  country 
Ill's  household  goils^  has  cried  out 
for  veugcance  for  the  outrages 
committed  against  them.  Cherish- 
ing that  noble  illusion^  irhich,  like 
every  other  grand  idea,  has  never 
failed  in  the  end  to  be  realized,  he 
believed  that  M'henever  he  fought 
for  the  cause  of  liberty  he  was 
fighting  for  his  own  country.  This 
country  at  length  re-established 
her  existence ;  and  although  re« 
strained  within  narrow  limits,  Po- 
land received  from  the  Great  War- 
rior of  the  age  her  native  Ian-* 
guage,  her  rights  and  liberties — 
precious  gifts  again  augmented  by 
the  greatest  of  hopes.  From  that 
moment  his  cause  became  ours— 
our  blood  became  his  right ;  and 
when  his  allies  and  Heaven  itself 
abandoned  him,  the  Poles,  pre- 
serving their  fidelity,  participated 
in  the  disasters  of  the  hero,  and 
the  common  fall  of  the  Great  Man 
and  an  unfortunate  nation  drew 
involuntary  tears  from  the  con- 
queror himself. 

"  This  sentiment  had  produced 
too  strong  an  impression.  The 
sovereigns  of  Europe,  in  the  midst 
of  the  combat,  had  promised  to  give 
durable  peace  to  the  world  with  too 
much  solemnity,  not  to  admit  that 
the  Congress  of  Vienna,  upon  their 
again  dividing  our  country  amongst 
them  as  spoil,  should  in  some 
degree  soften  the  fresh  outrages 
committed  against  the  Poles.  A 
nationality  and  a  reciprocal  free- 
dom of  commerce  was  guaranteed  to 
every  part  of  ancient  Poland ;  and 
that  which  the  great  European 
conflict  had  found  independent, 
parcelled  out  on  three  sides,  re- 
ceived the  title  of  kingdom,  and 
was  placed  under  the  immediate 
dominion  of  the  Emperor  Alex- 
ander, with  a  separate  charter,  and 
the  power  of  being  enlarged. 


''  In  execution  of  these  stipuUi'* 
tions  he  granted  a  free  constitution 
to  the  kingdom,  and  gave  to  the 
Poles,  subject  to  the  domination  of 
Russia,  a  gleam  of  hope  that  they 
might  shortly  be  united  to  their 
brethren.  These  gifts^  faowever, 
were  not  gratuitous  ;  he  had  pre« 
viously  contracted  obligations  to- 
wards us,  «nd  we,  on  our  partj  had 
made  sacrifices  in  return.  Before 
and  during  the  decisive  struggle^ 
the  brilliant  promises  made  to  the 
Poles  who  were  subject  to  the 
sceptre  of  Alexander,  and  the  sus* 
picions  raised  with  respect  to  the 
intentions  of  Napoleon,  prevented 
more  than  one  Pole  from  declaring 
in  his  favour.  The  Emperor  of 
Russia  was  only  faithful  to  his 
promises  in  declaring  himself  king 
of  Poland,  but  as  to  that  nation- 
ality, those  liberties  which  were  to 
become  the  guarantees  of  the  peace 
of  Europe,  we  were  forced  to  pur- 
chase them  at  the  price  of  our  in« 
dependence,  that  first  condition  of 
the  political  existence  of  nations, 
as  if  a  durable  peace  could  be  es- 
tablished upon  tlie  enslavement  of 
16,000,000  of  people— as  if  the 
annals  of  the  world  nad  not  taught 
us  that,  even  after  an  interval  of 
ages,  nations  reduced  to  foreign 
subjection  ^ways  recovered  that 
independence  which  had  been 
destined  for  them  by  the  Creator 
from  the  beginning  of  time,  by 
having  separated  them  from  other 
nations  in  language  and  customs-*- 
as  if  this  lesson  was  forgotten  bj 
governments,  that  people  oppress- 
ed ever  become  the  natural  allies 
of  whoever  may  happen  to  rise  up 
against  their  oppressors. 

"  But  these  conditions,  though 
arbitrarily  imposed,  were  not  ful- 
filled :  it  was  not  long  before 
the  Poles  became  convinced  that 
the  nationality  and  the  title  of 


PUBLIC    DOCUMENTS.         409 

kingdom,  given  to  FoIaDd  by  the  tlie  future  fate  of  tlieir  Muiitry, 

emperor  of  Russia,  were  but  a  lure  that    witlibcid    tlicir    arms  from 

to  their  brethren,  subject  to  othei-  falling    in   vengeance   upon    their 

States— but  a  weapon  against  those  oppressors. 

same  States  —  and  but  a  mere  "  On  t!ie  meeting  of  tie  first 
chimera  to  those  to  whom  they  hati  Diet  of  the  kingdom,  a  renewal 
been  guaranteed.  They  became  of  the  eolemn  promises  that  the 
conriiRed  that,  under  the  sheltei-  blessings  of  a  constitulion  should 
of  these  sacred  names,  it  was  in-  be  extended  to  our  brethren,  who 
tended  to  reduce  them  to  a  servile  ivere  to  be  re-united  to  us,  revived 
degradation,  and  weigh  them  down  extinguished  hopes,  and  caused 
by  all  the  inflictions  of  a  continued  the  moderatiou  to  reign  in  the 
despotism,  and  the  loss  of  the  dig-  Chambers  which  was  their  only 
nity  appertaining  to  man.  The  end  and  object.  The  freedom  of 
measures  taken  against  the  army  the  press,  and  the  publicity  of  the 
first  drew  aside  the  veil  that  covered  proceedings  of  the  Diet,  were  only 
this  mysterious  plan.  The  most  tolerated  in  so  far  as  they  gave 
cruel  outrages — the  most  infamous  vent  to  the  hymns  and  praises  of 
punishments  —  the  most  refined  a  subjugated  people  in  honour  of 
persecutions  ordered  by  the  com-  their  all-powerful  conqueror ;  but 
mander-in-chief,  under  the  pre-  ivhen,  after  that  Diet  was  closed, 
tence  of  maintaining  discipline^  the  public  journals  continued  to 
hut  the  real  object  of  which  was  discuss  public  affairs,  a  severe  cen- 
to destroy  that  feeling  of  honour,  sorship  was  introduced ;  and  on  the 
that  national  dignity,  which  cha-  meeting  of  the  follotving  Diet, 
racterisedourtroops,  wereinvented  which  proposed  to  itself  the  same 
and  enforced.  Faults  the  most  object  as  the  former,  the  repre- 
tritling  were  deemed  and  treated  scutatives  of  the  [leople  were  per- 
as  most  serious  offences  —  the  secutcd  for  the  opinions  they  deli- 
slightest  suspicion  converted  into  vered  in  the  Chambers.  The  con- 
proofs  of  breach  of  discipline — and  stitutional  states  of  Europe  will  be 
the  commander-in-chief,  by  his  ar-  itstuntshed  when  tliey  learn  what 
bitrary  control  over  the  courts-  has  been  so  carefully  concealed 
martial,  rendered  in  fact  the  sole  from  them, — when,  on  the  one 
arbiter  of  the  life  an9  honour  of  hand,  they  behold  the  wise  and 
each  individual  soldier.  The  na»  moderate  use  the  Poles  have  made 
tion  beheld  with  indignation  the  of  their  liberty,  the  veneration 
decrees  of  these  courts  repeatedly  they  have  shown  for  their  sovc- 
i)uashed,  until  at  length  their  de-  reign,  his  religion  and  customs 
cisions  attained  the  degree  of  se-  uniformly  treated  with  respect ; 
verity  that  was  required  from  and  on  the  other,  the  had  faitfi 
them.  Many  membera,  in  conse-  with  which  power  has  been  used, 
quence,  sent  in  their  resignation :  not  content  with  dcs|K)iling  an  un- 
niaiiy,  personally  insultea  by  the  happy  iwople  of  their  rights,  but 
commander-in-chief,  purified  by  imputing  the  horror  of  these  vio- 
tlieir  own  blood  the  outrages  that  lations  to  the  unbridled  exercise  of 
had  been  committed  upon  them,  their  freedom. 
and,  at  the  same  time,  showed  that  "The  placing  in  union  upon 
it  was  not  the  want  of  true  cour-  one  head  tlie  crowns  of  an  Autocrat 
age,  but  the  kta  of  compromising  iiud  ot  a  coDstUutioual  Jung  waa 


410        ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


(ine  of  those  iHilitical  iiuiubtrubititis 
which  are  never  of  hmg  tluratiim. 
Kvery  man  fiureitaw  that  the  kiug- 
ddiii  of  Polauil  111  list  l)ec(iiHc  either 
the  nursery  of  lilieral  iustitiitioiis 
fiir  Uiissiai  or  sink  under  the  iron 
hand  of  its  despotism.  This  ques- 
ti(»n  was  siion  resolved.  It  apjiears 
that  at  one  moment  the  eni]X!rur 
Alexander  conceived  that  he  niiglit 
ciiusnlidate  his  arbitrary  power 
with  our  liiieral  hiws,  and  tlicreby 
secure  for  himself  a  new  inHuence 
over  tlic  affairs  of  Euro]»e.  Hut 
ho  was  soou  cunvinced  that  liberty 
could  never  become  so  debased  as 
to  be  the  blind  instrument  of  des- 
potism; and  from  that  time,  in- 
stead of  her  defender,  he  became 
her  jiersecutor.  liussia  lost  all 
ho|ie  of  ever  seeing  the  yoke  by 
which  slie  was  oppressed  taken  oflf 
In'  the  hand  of  her  sovereign,  and 
ruland  saw  herself  successively 
deprived  of  all  her  privileges.  No 
time  was  lost  in  carrying  this  de- 
sign into  execution.  Public  edu- 
cation was  cfirrupted,  a  system  of 
concealment  and  mystery  was 
adopted,  the  people  were  left  with- 
out means  uf  instruction,  a  whole 
palatinate  was  deprived  of  its  re- 
presentation, and  the  Chambers  no 
longer  allowed  the  faculty  of  voting 
the  supplies.  New  burthens  were 
im])osea,  new  monopolies  created 
to  dry  up  the  sources  of  national 
wealth  ;  and  the  treasury,  enriched 
by  these  measures,  became  tlic  pas- 
ture of  salaried  sycophants,  infam- 
ous hireling  instigator^,  and  vile 
and  despicable  spies.  Instead  of 
the  economy  so  repeatedly  called 
for,  pensions  were  augmented  in  a 
most  scandalous  degree,  to  whicli 
were  added  enormous  gratuities, 
and  offices  created  solely  with  the 
view  of  augmenting  the  number  of 
the  government  satraps. 
^'  Calumny  and  cspiounage  were 


carried  into  the  secret  circles  of 
private  families,  and,  the  ^^edoin 
of  private  life  infected  w>th  their 
poison,  the  ancient  hospitfUitv  pf 
the  Poles  became  a  anare  for  tQ^if 
innocence.  Individiiai  Iihertjr« 
which  hail  been  9olcaiq)y  gU9^ 
rantecd,  was  violated,  uud  fye  pri- 
sons of  the  state  became  crowds  ; 
councils  of  war  were  authoiri^^  to 
pruuouuce  judgment  in  ciyi)  pj^es  j 
and  citiaens,  whose  opl^  JFauIj^  wf^^ 
a  wish  to  save  the  apirit  aM  cbn? 
racter  of  the  uatipn  from  cqirupr 
tion,  were  subjected  to  inf^q||fi 
punishments,  It  W4a  io  r^n  t||i|^ 
some  of  the  authorities  of  tlio  ki|||p- 
dom,  and  thp  repr^sentativcsft  of 
the  people,  laid  liefpre  the  kfiig  a 
faithful  picture  of  the  abus^  POiRs 
mitted  m  hi^  namoj  ^r  OQ(  pnly 
were  the  abufijca  aifffered  to  rewj^Q 
unsiippressed^  but  the  renioo^r 
bilitj  of  the  mipist^  and  tjpe  ^J^ 
ministrativc  authorities  w^  fW^' 
lysed,  by  the  immediate  iQte|^:» 
ence  of  the  brother  of  tlie  eMmeif^^ 
and  by  the  exercisp  of  tt^at  piMip- 
tionary  power  with  which  jip  w^ 
invested.  Tliis  monstrous  auftipf- 
ity,  the  source  of  the  graitesfc 
abuses,  and  wtijch  m\^t  WfiPPp 
the  {personal  djgnity  of  every  ip^U 
vidual,  had  become  oo  inMiMtedt 
that  it  even  dared  to  cidl  be^ns  jp 
citizens  of  every  ran)£  ^o4  aoil4iT 
tion,  merelv  to  load  them  i|ri^ 
insults,  and  at  tipies  tQ  siflnjc^ 
them  to  disgraceful  public  l^tioip^t 
reserved  for  the  vilest  convicts:  ^ 
if  Providence,  by  permitting  tWDI 
to  carry  their  outrages  against  i|jp 
people  tp  the  vcr^  utmost  p}|^f 
haa  destined  their  inordio^teabu^ 
of  authority  to  he  the  l^^fing 
cause  of  our  insurrection. 

''  After  so  many  affrontQ^  ^&^ 
so  manifest  a  violatipq  of  the  guapr 
antccs  swuru — a  violatiof^  \ybicb 

m  legitimate  governmept  ja  wjt 


PVBLIC   DOCUMENTS,        4lji 


civili2f)d  country  would  have  al^ 
lowed  itself  with  impunity,  »Dd 
which  a  ^fbrtiorh  n^^Y  justifv  our 
insuriQctipu  agftipst  sko  authority 
imposed  by  forc§— who  will  not 
confiiider  that  this  authoritv  bap 
brokou  off  all  alliance  with  tho 
nation,  that  it  has  onpress^d  it  be- 
ueath  the  yoke  of  slavory*  that  It 
has  given  the  right  at  every  in** 
stunt  to  burst  its  fetters  and  forgp 
them  into  arms  ? 

*'  The  picturo  of  the  disasters  of 
our  brethren  may  be  superfluous, 
but  truth  forbids  us  to  pas?  it  over. 
The  provinces  formerly  incorpo- 
rated with  Russia  have  not  beeu 
reunited  to  the  kingdom,  Our 
brethren  have  not  beon  admitted  to 
the  enjoyment  of  the  liberal  lnsti» 
tutions  stipulated  by  the  Congress 
of  Vienna;  on  the  contrary,  the 
national  recollections  awakened  in 
them,  fir^it  by  promises  and  encour- 
agement, and  then  by  a  long  ej^- 
pectatiooi  became  a  crime  against 
the  statcj  and  the  king  of  Poland 
caused  to  be  prosecuted^  in  the 
ancient   provinces  of   that  ftate, 

such  Poles  as  had  dared  to  call 

themselves   Poles.    The  jroutb  of 

the  schools  were  particuwiy  the 
objects  of  persecution  5  YOUt^g 
children  were  torn  froyh  their  mo- 
thers* breasts;  the  issue  of  the?  first 
families  were  transported  to  Si- 
beria, or  were  forced  to  enter  Into 
the  ranks  of  a  corrupt  soldiery. 
In  of&dal  documents  and  judicial 
examinations,  the  Polish  language 
was  suppressed ;  the  Polish  tribu- 
nals and  civil  law  were  annihilated 
by  ukases  j  abuses  of  administra- 
tion reduced  the  landed  proprie- 
tors to  misery  j  and  since  the  ac- 
cession of  Nicholas  to  the  throne^ 
this  state  of  things  had  constantly 
been  growing  worse.  Religious 
intolerance   itself  employed  every 

means  to  eonsplidate  tue  united 


Greek  ritual  upon  the  ruin^  of  the 
Catholic  ritual. 

<'  In  the  kingdom,  although  none 
of  the  liberties  guar^Pteea  W  the 
constitution  were  obierved^  theiie 
libertiesi  suj^i^geed  (^jfaciQ^never<r 
theless  continued  to  ex:iet  4fijur^, 
It  was  precisely  %hk  enistence  de 
jnre  that  it  was  necessary  to  un- 
derniine,  We  then  s^w  that  addU 
tional  ftrtide  to  the  constitution 
appear,  which  settinjg  forth  ft  ipe.- 
cmus  ^lleitude  for  the  mainten- 
ance of  the  charter,  destroyed  pne 
of  its  prlnclpi^  prevlsloHs  by  de- 
priving the  Onarpbem  of  the  puI^ 
licity  of  their  prqceedinga  ana  the 
support  of  public  (mlnieni  and 
wmch^  above  alL  was  to  eoneecrate 
the  principle  that  it  waitJIpwed  to 
cut  up  at  will  the.  Aindj^inental 
compact,  an4  thereby  eutirelv  to 
abolish  the  charter,  as  ew  or  its 
articles  ba4  been  abpliabedf  It  was 
under  these  auspices  that  ^e  Diet 
of  I8g5  was  convc^fdifrow  wWcl> 
it  was  souffht,  by  all  manaer  of 
means,  to  otscard  the  west  intrepid 
defenders  of  our  liberties ;  a  Nun- 
cio, who  had  jugt  t^en  Mrt  in  the 
defiberationg;  was  aarrled  pff  by 
main  force,  surreunded  by  gmr 

darmes,  an4  hel4  captive  (br  five 
years,  till  the  moinent  when  the 
revolution  bro!ke  Put,  .  Pepf'^e^  pf 
its  force,  shut  up,  threatened  with 
the  loss  pf  the  cbarteri  an4  misled 
by  &esh  promises  of  the  ancjent 
provinces  being  reunited  to  the 
icingdomi  the  I^iet  of  \%i&  fi>l- 
lowed  the  example  of  that  of  1 8 1 8 ; 
but  these  promises  remained  with- 
out effect,  and  the  petiticms  whft'h 
prayed  for  the  restoratfoB  of  our 
liberties  were  rejected, 

^^The  general  indignation  of  the 
well-disposed  inhabitants,  and  the 
exasperation  of  the  whole  nation, 
had  long  been  bringing  on  the 
storm,    the   approach    of  which 


412       ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831 


ht?:;:iii  ti»  .ippeur.  whoa  the  death 
<.'f  Alexiimler.  the  ;ii:ccrjsioii  of  Ni- 
I'holus  to  the  thpT»e.  ;iml  the  oath 
ho  tiK'k  t>.>  uiaiutaiu  the  coast! tu« 
tioa.  aecoied  to  pp'aiisc  us  a  oes- 
satiim  of  abuses  aad  the  returu  oi^ 
our  liberties.  This  ht^jie  sooa  va- 
nished :  t'lT  Qot  onlv  did  thinijs 
continue  a:?  r!iev  wopo.  but  tho 
revoIuti'Ui  of  St.  Petersburg  even 
servotl  as  a  pretext  to  impris^ni 
and  brin;jr  ti^  trial  the  mos:  distiu- 
;niishod  individuals  o(  tlie  Senate, 
tho  ohamlier  «.>f  Nuaeii?s,  the  army, 
and  tho  citizens.  In  a  short  time 
the  prisons  of  tho  capital  wore  tilled. 
Evorv  dav  fresh  buildicj:s  were 
appropriated  to  receive  thousaad^ 
'•f  victims  sent  to  Warsaw  from 
c*-ery  port  of  Old  Polaad,  and 
cvca  from  jnirts  subject  to  tbreigu 
jpu'eni meats.  Uj<*»a  tho  native 
st^il  of  liberty  were  introduced  tor- 
mres  which  cause  human  it  v  to 
shudvler.  Peath  and  suicide  con- 
stantly diminished  :hc  number  of 
the  uufortunatj  victims-  wh«>  were 
somciimos  !e*t  for^^^tcen  in  smvill 
and  damp  duni^.vus.  In  con  tempi 
■^f  every  -:iw.  a  sjvcial  committee  of 
iiiijuiry  was  inscitu:e<l,  compi.^sed 
..  f  Kussia::s  and  Poles,  most  of  them 
military  men.  wh.\  by  protracttd 
t.Tturcs.  by  promises  of  panlou 
and  insidious  questions,  only 
s<.»u;;ht  to  extort  fn.im  the  accused 
the  coa^:ss■«;a  of  an  imairinarv 
crime.  It  wjls  only  after  an  impri- 
Si.nuucn:  'A  one  year  and  a  L;u:  that 
tho  lli^h  National  C':-urt  was  es- 
stablishevl,  for,  as  iu  spite  i-f  every 
!.uv.  imprisi.^uments  had  been  cri- 
iui::ally  j^roloGp?d  to  a  degree  that 
sevcrvl  victims  hail  died  ia  prisma, 
i:  Ivcarjc  absi^Iutelv  necessarv  to 
rciuier  tliis  measure  legal.  The 
c-t: science  of  the  Senate  disap- 
piHiicod  this  ex  Jactation,  and  the 
acc'.iscw.  who  h.id  been  groaning 
ia  pcLsou  :*.»f  twj  j^ears,  were  ac-^ 


quitted  of  any  crime  against  the 
State.  This  decision,  from  that 
peritni,  removed  all  distinctions 
between  the  accused  and  their 
judges.  The  former  notwithstand« 
iag  the  sentence  which  proclaimed 
their  iunocence,  instead  of  being 
set  at  liberty,  were  conTeyed  to 
St.  Petersburg,  where  they  were 
imprisoned  in  fbrts^  and  up  to  this 
moment  several  have  not  been  re* 
storeil  to  their  families.  The  lat- 
ter were  detained  for  nearly  a  jeur 
at  Warsaw,  for  having  shown 
themselves  independent  jadgesL 
The  publication  and  execution  of 
the  sentence  were  stopped.  It  was 
submitted  to  the  examination  of 
the  administrative  authcHrities,  and 
when.,  at  length,  out  of  some 
gard  for  Europe,  it  was  found 
cessorv  to  publish  it,  a  minister 
carrieil  his  audacity  so  hr  as  to 
degrade  the  nationad  majesty,  by 
reprimanding,  in  the  name  of  thte 
sovereign  the  highest  magistncT 
of  the  state,  in  the  exercise  of  their 
most  exalteil  functions. 

"'*'  It  was  after  such  acts  Aat 
the  emperor  Nicholas  resolved  to 
be  crowned  kin?  of  Poland.  The 
representatives  of  the  nation 
summoned,  were  silent  witi 
of  this  ceremony,  and  the 
c-aths  were  soon  violated  again,  ftr 
no  abuse  was  suppressed,  not  even 
the  discretionary  power.  Even  on 
the  day  of  the  coronation  the  senate 
wa^  dUed  with  new  members,  vbo 
did  not  posses  the  qualifications 
rei^uired  by  the  constitution,  the 
only  guarantee  of  the  independence 
of  their  votes.  An  illegal  knn, 
and  the  alienation  of  national  do- 
mains, were  intended  to  render 
moveable  and  disposable  the  im- 
mense landed  property  of  the  state. 
But  Providence  directed  that  the 
hrge  sums  proceeding  firom  tlie 
l^nial  execution  of  this  plan  shoold 


PUBLIC    DOC 


not  be  squandered  away,  but  be 
used  in  arming  tlie  nation. 

"  In  sliort,  tbe  last  consolation 
wliicli,  under  the  reign  of  Alexan- 
der, enabled  the  Poles  to  support 
their  misfortunes, —  namely,  the 
liopc  of  seeing  themselves  reunited 
to  their  brethren,  was  taken  from 
them    by   the  emperor  Nicholas. 


idled  upon  the  altars  of  the 
country,  was  secretly  burning  in 
the  hearts  of  all  well-aisposed  men. 
One  thought  only  was  common  to 
tliem — namely,  that  tfaey  should 
no  longer  endure  such  a  slavery. 
But  the  government  itself  hastened 
the  moment  of  explosion.  In  con- 
sequence of  reporM,  daily  corrobo- 
rated, of  a  war  against  the  liberty 
of  nations,  orders  were  given  to 
put  upon  the  vrar  establishment 
the  Polish  army  destined  to  march; 
and,  in  its  place,  the  Russian  ar- 
mies were  to  occupy  the  country. 
Considerable  sums  proceeding  from 
the  loan  and  the  sale  of  the  national 
domains,  deposited  at  the  bank, 
were  to  cover  the  expenses  of  this 
deadly  war  against  liberty.  Ar- 
rests again  took  place  ;  every  mo- 
ment was  precious.  Our  army — 
our  treasure — our  resources — our 
national  honour — averse  to  rivet 
chaius  upon  the  necks  of  other  na- 
tions, and  to  fight  against  liberty 
and  our  former  companions  in 
arras,  were  at  stake.  Every  one 
shared  this  feeling ;  but  the  heart 
of  tbe  nation — the  focus  of  enthusi- 
asm, the  youth  of  the  army  and  of 
the  colleges,  as  well  as  a  great 
part  of  the  garrison  of  Warsaw,  and 
of  the  citizens,  impressed  with  this 
sentiment,  resolved  to  give  the 
signal  for  the  insurrection.  An 
electric  spark  in  a  moment  inflamed 
the  army,   the  capital,  and  the 


uhule  country.  The  night  of 
Nov.  29  was  illuminated  by  the 
Are  of  liberty.  In  one  day  the 
capital  was  delivered;  in  a  few 
days  all  the  divisions  of  the  army 
were  united  by  the  same  sentiment, 
the  fortresses  occupied,  the  natives 
armed,  the  brother  of  the  emperor, 
with  the  Russian  troops,  relying 
upon  the  generosity  of  the  Poles, 
and  owing  his  safety  to  this  step 
alone.  Such  were  uie  acts  of  this 
hei'oic  noble  revolution,  which  is 
as  pure  »s  the  enthusiasm  of  the 
youth  whose  ofispring  it  is. 

"  The  Polish  nation  have  risen 
from  their  ahascment  and  degrada- 
ation,  with  the  firm  resolution  no 
longer  to  bend  beneath  the  iron 
yoke  which  has  just  been  broken, 
and  not  to  lay  down  the  arms  of 
their  ancestors  until  they  have 
regained  their  independence  and 

Cower,  the  only  guarantee  of  their 
bertics :  until  after  having  se- 
cured the  enjoyment  of  these  li- 
berties, which  tbey  claim  upon  a 
two-fold  right — namely,  as  the 
hfluourable  heritage  of  their  fore- 
fathers, and  as  the  urgent  want  of 
the  age;  and  finally,  until  after 
ijeing  re-united  to  their  brethren, 
subject  to  the  yoke  of  the  cabinet 
of  St.  Petersburg,  and  having  de- 
livered them,  they  shall  have  made 
them  sharers  of  their  liberties  and 
independence.  We  have  iiot  been 
iulluenced  by  any  national  hatred 
against  the  Russians,  with  whom 
we  have  a  common  origin  ;  on  tire 
contrary,  at  the  first  moment  we 
felt  pleasure,  upon  tbe  loss  of  our 
independence,  lu  tliiuking  that, 
although  our  re-union  under  the 
^ame  sceptre  was  injurious  to  our 
interests,  yet  it  might  cause  a  pO< 
pulation  of  40,000,000  to  partake 
of  the  enjoyment  of  constitutional 
lilierties,  which,  in  the  whole  civi- 
lized world,  batl  become  equaUf 


414 


ANNUAL   REGISTER,  1831. 


necessary  both  to  nations  and  sore- 
reigns. 

*'  Convinced  that  our  liberty 
and  independence,  far  from  having 
been  hostile  to  the  neighbouring 
stjites,  have,  on  the  contrary, 
serve<l  <it  all  times  as  an  equilibri- 
um <ind  ithield  to  Europe,  and  may 
now  become  more  useful  than  ever, 
we  ap|>ear  in  the  presence  of  so- 
vereigns and  nations,  with  the 
assurance  that  tlie  voice  of  policy 
and  humanity  trill  be  equally  neard 
in  our  favour. 

*'  If  even  in  this  struggle, '  the 
dangers  of  which  we  do  not  con- 
ceal from  ourselves,  we  were  to 
fight  alone  for  the  interest  of  all, 
full  of  confidence  in  the  sanctity 
of  our  cause,  in  our  own  valour, 
and  in  the  assistance  of  the  Al- 
mighty, we  will  fight  till  our 
last  gjwp  for  liberty  ;  and  if  Pro- 
vidence has  destined  this  land  to 
})eri>etual  slavery ;  if  in  this  last 
struggle  the  freedom  of  Poland  is 
to  fall  beneath  the  ruins  of  its  towns 
and  the  bodies  of  its  defenders, 
our  enemy  shall  only  reign  over 
deserts,  and  every  gooil  Pole,  when 
dying,  will  carry  with  him  the 
consolation,  that  if  Heaven  has 
not  |K^rmittcd  him  to  save  his  own 
liberty  and  his  own  country,  he 
has,  at  least,  by  this  deadly  com- 
bat, placed  the  liberties  of  threat- 
ened EurojKJ  under  shelter  for  a 
moment. 

IMie  document  is  signed  in  the 
following  manner  : — 
[The  drawers  up  of  the  manifesto.] 


(Signed)  Prazinowski,  bishop 
of  Plock ;  Miazynski,  palatine  se* 
nator ;  Protocki,  castelfati  senator; 
W.  Zurierchowski,  deputy  of  War- 
saw; Q.  Malacowi^i,  uuncioof  the 
district  of  Szydtour^;  Swidfeinski^ 
(Constahtihe,)  nuncio  of  Opocsno; 
Bicrnacki  (Amis,)  nuncio  of  the 
district  of  Wtclun ;  Leiewifel  (Jo« 
achim,)  nuncio  of  the  district  of 
Zelcchow ;  Malachowski^  castellan 
senator. 
The  committee  of  the  diet  cbttrged 

with  giving  its  opinion   ai  to 

the  drawing  up  of  the  maniliMtO, 

Signed— Prince  Adam  CiftartoN 
rvski,  palatine  senator ;  Prince  VLU 
chel  Hadfeiwiil,  palatine  senator  i 
GlisKcsynski,  castellan  senator  ; 
Kochanowski,  castellan  senator ; 
Wod2inski,caBtellan  senator;  I«.PhU^ 
castellan  senator;  the  Couat  Ladifr- 
las  Ostrowski,  marshal  of  the  Diet; 
Count  Jean  Lcpochowskii  nundo 
of  the  palatine  of  Cracow ;  Pran« 
cois  Soltyk,  nuncio  of  the  palatinate 
of  Sandomir  ;  Morawski  (Thdo^ 
philus),  nuncio  of  Kalisa;  Swindci 
(Joseph),  nuncio  of  the  district  of 
MrubiesKoco;  Ignatius  DemboW0ki| 
nuncio  of  Plock ;  Count  JeiiierBki, 
Ignatius  Wee^'k,  deputy  of  Loeice; 
J.  Wisniewski. 

Correct  Copy. 
The  Marshal  of  the  Dibt, 

( Signed )     Count  OfiTROWMCt. 

The  Secretary  of  the  Chamber 
of  the  Nuncios, 

(Signed)     XavtMII  CzAttKooKt. 

Deputy  of  the  district  of  Slanitt- 
lawow. 


CincuLAK  of  the  Polish   Government   to  Foreign    CABiNan, 

April  30///. 

"  Hecent  military  events  hanng  the  attai^ks  oF  the  enemy,  I  defetn 
freed  the  capital,  and  the  whole  of  it  a  duty  to  remiest  you  to  iiM 
the  right  bank  of  the  Vistula,  from     every  possible  eflbrt  to  oonir^y  to 


PUBLIC    DOCUMENTS. 


415 


the  governitient  to  which  you  ttfe 
accredited,  the  wishes  of  the  Polish 
nation.     It  is  a  received  principle 
in  Europe^  thut  the  independent 
existence    of    every    Country    is 
founded    on    those   rights   which 
liave  once  been  recogniKed,  M  Well 
as  in  the  formation  of  &  domestic 
force    capable  of  protecting   and 
maintaining  it»     When  the  ques* 
tion  of  right  is  co*eXi8tettt  with 
that  of  fact,  both  yield  to  each 
othet*    i'eciprocal    support.      The 
former  existence  of  roltind,  her 
relations  with   othei*  States,    Are 
sufficiently  known,   nor   can  the 
three  partitioning  powers  question 
their  historical  accufacVi  for  they 
mtist  retain  a  recollection  of  the 
intimate  relations  which   Polfind 
formerly  maintained  With   them, 
of  the  services  that  she  rendered 
them,  or  of  the   revei^ses  which 
she  forced  them  to  endure*      If, 
then,  we  consult  the  history  of  our 
country,  or  that  of  Europe^  it  will 
be  seen  that  the  right  of  the  Poles 
to  a  national  and  independent  ex- 
istence is  incontestable.    It  is  true 
that  at  the  close  of  the  last  oen« 
tury  the  three  partitioning  powers^ 
after  having  confederated  for  our 
ruin,  destroyed  that  independence; 
but  that  act  has  been  designated 
throughout  the  world  as  spoliation 
and  |K)litical  crime;  that  act  could 
neither  annihilate  ancient  rights 
nor  create  new  ones.    Thus,  even 
after  the  success  of  the  conspiracy 
of  the  three  courts,  the  voice  of 
Europe,  in  raising  itself  in  favour 
of  the  rights  of  Poland,  proclaimed 
them  to  be  imprescriptible;   but 
although  they  preserved  their  full 
vigour,   they  could  no  longer  be 
exercised  in  the  political  world,  in- 
vested with  their  external  attri- 
butes. 

**  Recent  events  have   changeil 
this  state  of  things.    An  insurrec- 


tion, distinguished  for  its  enetgy 
and  e:s:emp3on  from  every  excess, 
has  severed  the  bonds  which  con- 
nected Poland  with  Ru^ia.    The 
kingdom  is  now  subject  only  to  a 
national  government,  unanimously 
chosen  by  a  diet,  the  members  of 
which,  it  is  worthy  of  iigmark,  were 
all  elected  under  the  AuMtan  go« 
vemment.    That  diet  has  intrust^ 
od  the  public  affoini  to  persons  the 
most  eminent,  both  for  birth  and 
popularity,  and  whose  poHticai  ea» 
leer  affords  the  best  ^arantee  to 
Europe.     The  diet  has  thus  se- 
curetf,  in  the  strongest  wajr  possi-^ 
ble,  those  monarchical  institutions 
which  the  two  Chambers  have  de- 
clared as  best  suited  to  the  wishes 
and  the  wants  of  the  nation*   The 
national  government  of  the  king- 
dom encounters  uo  opposition  in 
the  exercise  of  its  authority  i  its 
orders  are  executed  with  the  ut- 
most seal,  in  every  part  of  the 
kingdom  unoccupied  by  the  enemy. 
The  Polish  troops,  the  armed  re^ 
presentation  of  tne  Opinions,  of  the 
desires,  and  of  the  power,  of  the 
nation,  after  tdree  glorious,  but 
deadly  conflicts)  after  having  sus*- 
tained  dreadful  losses^  have  again 
completed    their    full    numbers. 
Their  confidence  in  their  own  re* 
sources  has  Increased  them>  and 
that  heroic  army  responds  to  the 
hopes  that  the  national  jn)vern- 
ment  reposes  in  them<    We  are 
now  independent^  in  the  strongest 
sense  of  the  term,  and  the  ques- 
tion of  fkct  Is  no  longer  in  opposi- 
tion  to    the    question   of   right. 
The  dangers  which  may  hereafter 
threaten  us,  i^nd  which  to*morrow 
may  threaten  the  liberty  and  the 
glory  of  other  powers  In  Europe, 
cannot  in  any  respect  alter  our 
real  |K>sition>  nor  can  they  pre- 
vent us  (W)m  proclaiming  at  this 
moment  that  we  are  independent. 


I 


41G        ANNUAL   REGISTER,   1831. 


It  IS,  therefore,  admissible  for  us 
to  claim  from  other  governments 
the  recognition  of  our  indepeu- 
donce — to  chiim  it  in  tlie  name  of 
tlie  most  siicred  riglits,  which 
r.urope  has  imanimously  dechired 
to  bi*  im})erishab]e. 

"  If  Belgium^  wliich  never  rank- 
eil  among  states— if  Greece,  whose 

{lolitical  existence  has  been  anni- 
lilatetl  for  ages — have  obtained, 
among  all  the  uncertainty  of  war, 
the  ret*ognition  of  their  indepen- 
dence, I  ask  if  Poland  has  not 
stnmger  grounds  for  her  preten- 
sions; that  Poland,  whose  national 
existence,  extinguished  for  a  mo- 
ment, revives  with  so  nuich  vigour, 
sustains  itself  with  so  much  ener- 
gy* and  at  the  price  of  so  many 
siU'rifiiYS  —  that  Poland,  which, 
alone  and  without  aid,  has  dared 
to  combat  with  the  giant  of  the 
North,  and  lias  already  overthrown 
the  illusion  of  his  iH)wer.  It 
would  bo  vain,  in  discussing  the 
(piestion  i»f  Polish  indepeudenc^e, 
to  n»fer  to  the  acts  of  the  Con- 
sn'i*ss  of  Vieiuia.  The  treaty  of 
Vienna,  when  uniting  the  king- 
dom of  Poland  to  Russia,  assured 
to  us  a  national  individuality,  and 
a  constitutional  government ;  it 
alv^>  aimed  at  extending  this  na- 
tionality to  the  IVlish  provinces 
ina)riH)rated  in  the  Russian  em- 
pire :  and  this  for  the  purpose  of 
consolidating  the  tranquillity  of 
Kuro|>e. 

*'Such  was  the  spirit  of  the 
treaty  of  Vienna.  The  emperor 
of  Russia  has  been  the  first  to  vio- 
late that  tn»aty  by  overthrowing 
in  the  kingdom  the  principal  con- 
stitutional securities,  in  smother- 
ing all  national  spirit  in  the  Po- 
lish provinces,  in  prohibiting  even 
the  use  of  our  language.  All  our 
sufferings  have  been  sufficiently 
ex|H)sed  in  the  manifesto  of  the 


diet.  Tlie  treaty  of  Vienna  has^ 
then,  l)een,  both  in  its  arranse- 
ments  and  their  results,  iuade- 
quate  to  the  maintenance  of  peace. 
The  violence  of  the  Russian  go-i 
vernment  has  provoked  an  insur- 
rection, which  has  been  followed 
by  decisive  events.  A  new  order 
of  things  has  arisen.  The  chain 
which  attached  Poland  to  Russia 
has  been  broken,  the  bond  which 
united  Belgium  with  Holland  has 
been  severed,  but  a  short  time 
previously,  altliough  the  treaty  of 
Vienna  had  guaranteed  their  per- 
|)etuity.  The  European  powers 
have,  notwithstanding,  recognised 
the  independence  of  Belgiuinj 
«idopting  a  noble  and  elevat^  po- 
licy. >Miy,  then,  animated  by 
the  same  spirit,  do  they  not  inter- 
fere in  our  favour  ? 

"  *  The  union  of  Belgium  with 
Holland,*  says  the  protoccd  of 
Loudon,  of  the  IfHh  of^  February, 
'  is  broken.  Official  communica- 
tions have  convinced  the  five  Courts 
that  the  means  originally  destined 
for  its  preservation  can  neither  re- 
establish it  at  present,  nor  preserve 
if  hereafter,  and  that  henceforth, 
instead  of  confounding  the  affec- 
tions and  the  welfare  of  the  two 
people,  it  could  only  excite  pas- 
sions and  hatred  which,  from  their 
collision,  could  only  produce  war 
and  all  its  disasters.  It  does  not 
devolve  on  the  powers  to  judge  of 
the  causes  which  have  destroyed 
the  ancient  ties,  but  when  they 
see  these  ties  severed,  it  belongs  to 
them  to  aim  once  more  at  the  ob- 
ject which  was  proposed  in  their 
formation.  It  belongs  to  them  to 
secure,  in  favour  of  the  new  oom-v 
binations,  that  tranquillity  to 
Euro|)e,  of  which  the  union  of 
Belgium  with  Holland  formed  an 
essentia]  basis.' 

^'  The  cause  of  Bel^um  is  ii 


PUBLIC    DOCUSIENTS. 

tified  with  ours ;  and  if  there  be  "  I  repeat  it,  erery  ti-eaty  is 
any- dissimilarity  hetneen  the  two,  the  consequence  either  of  certain 
it  is  in  our  favour.  Poland  was  events,  or  of  certain  political  corn- 
formerly  independent  and  power-  binations.  If  other  events  displace 
ful.  The  Congress  of  \'ienua  even  those  that  preceded  them — if  the 
contemplated  tlie  re-establishment  combination  be  altered — the  con- 
of  that  independence,  and  of  the  tracting;  parties  must  modify  their 
integrity  of  tlic  Polish  territory ;  engagements  in  accordance  with 
but  as  these  views  were  counter-  the  new  combinations,  for  the  pur- 
acted  by  imperious  circumstances,  pose  of  upholding  the  principles 
a  new  Kingdom  was  created,  the  which  they  had  adopted,  and  for 
limits  of  which  were  small,  and  insuring  the  object  which  thef 
which  was  united  to  Russia.  On  had  at  first  proposed.  The  Con- 
every  occasion  the  best  intentions  gress  of  Vienna  could  dispose  uf 
with  regard  to  us  were  tcatitied,  Belgium  conquered  by  the  allied 
by  guaranteeing  also  the  national-  powers,  and  of  Poland  occupied  by 
ity  of  the  other  Polish  provinces  :  the  Russian  armies.  But  Poland 
the  inadequacy  of  these  disposi-  delivered — Folaud  which  repels 
tions  towards  Poland  in  general  the  numerous  hoides  of  the  ag-  ' 
was  clearly  demonstrated-— dispo-  gressors — has  a  just  right  to  claim 
sitions  which  may  lie  considered  admission  into  the  great  family  of 
as  provisional.  The  kingdom  to  the  iudependentnatiunsof Europe, 
which  the  Congress  of  Vienna  had  as  Belgium  has  been  there  receiv- 
guaranteed  a  constitution  was  ed,  after  having  thrown  off  the 
united  to  the  most  powerful  des-  yoke  of  Holland, 
potic  state.  I'hts  alliance  was  "Such  are  the  principles  that 
difficult  to  form  ;  its  duration  was  you  will  advance — such  are  the 
impossible,  for  it  carried  in  itself  arguments  you  will  employ  to 
the  seeds  of  dissolution.  It  may  strengthen  the  demand  you  are 
be  urged  in  opposition  to  this,  that  authorized  to  make  on  the  go- 
Russia,  that  power  ao  redoubtable  vernment  to  which  you  are  accre- 
to  all  Europe,  can,  even  after  a  dited— the  demand  of  the  formal. 
desperate  contest,  reduce  us  to  and  positive  I'ecogoition  of  the  na- 
submission,  and  pacify,  by  exter-  tional  government  in  the  kingdom 
minating  us.  The  peace  of  slavery  of  Poland,  and  of  the  independence 
— the  peace  of  the  tomb — a  peace  of  that  kingdom. 
of  such  a  nature  as  to  excite  a  „  _,  „  „ 
terrible  war  on  the  first  favourable  The  SECRETAnY  of  State 
opportunity— can  such  a  peace  ''™  Foreign  Afiairs, 
meet  the  noble  and  dignified  in-  fo'  t^e  national  government 
tentions  of  the  European  powers?                 o^  ^^^  kingdom  of  Poland/' 


Message _/«»n  l/ie  Prbsident  of  the  Uniteu  States  lo  both  Houbbb 

of  CoNGHEss,  at  the  cmnmencetneiil  of  the  First  Session  of  Ike 

Tiventy'Sbcond  Congkebs. 

"  Fellow  Citizens  of  the  Senate     The  representation  of  the  people 
and  House  of  Bepresentatives, —    has  been  renewed  Ua  the  tveotr- 
VoL.  LXXIII.  2  E 


418       ANNUAL   REGISTER,    1B3I. 


second  time  since  the  constitution 
tlicy  formed  has  been  in  force.  For 
near  half  a  century,  the  chief  ma- 
gistrates yv  ho  had  been  successively 
ohoseii  have  made  their  annual 
communications  of  the  state  of  the 
nation  by  its  representatives.  Ge- 
nerally these  communications  have 
been  of  the  most  gratifying  nature, 
testifying  an  advance  in  all  the 
improvements  of  social,  and  all  the 
securities  of  a  political  life.  But 
frequently,  and  justly  as  you  have 
been  caUe<l  on  to  be  grateful  for 
the  bounties  of  Providence,  at  few 

Seriods  have  they  been  more  abun- 
antly  or  extensively  bestowed 
than  at  the  present ;  rarely,  if 
ever,  have  we  had  greater  reason 
to  congratulate  each  other  on  the 
continued  and  increasing  pros})cri- 
tv  of  our  beloved  country. 

"  Agriculture,  the  first  and  most 
im{K)rtant  occupation  of  man,  has 
(-omi)onsatod  the  labours  of  the 
husbandman  with  plentiful  crops  of 
all  the  varied  products  of  our  ex- 
tensive country.  Manufactures 
have  been  established,  in  which 
the  funds  of  the  capitalists  find  a 
profitable  investment,  and  which 
give  emplo}'ment  and  subsistance 
to  a  numerous  increasing  body  of 
industrious  and  dexterous  me- 
chanics. Tial)our  is  rewarded  by 
high  wagi»s,  in  the  construction  of 
works  of  internal  improvement, 
which  are  extending  with  unpre- 
cedented rapidity.  Science  is 
steadily  penetrating  the  recesses  of 
nature,  and  disclosing  her  secrets, 
while  the  ingenuity  of  free  minds 
is  subjecting  the  elements  to  the 
p()\rer  of  man,  and  making  each 
now  conquest  auxiliary  to  his  com- 
fort. By  our  mails,  whose  speed 
is  regularly  increased,  and  whose 
routes  are  every  year  extended, 
the  communication  of  public  in- 
telligence and  private  business  is 


rendered  frequent  and  safe-^-the 
intercourse  between  distant  citiet, 
which  formerly  required  weeks  to 
accomplish,  is  now  effected  in  aftw 
days;  and  in  tlie  construction  of 
railroads,  and  the  application  of 
steam  power,  we  have  a  reason- 
able prospect  that  the  eztrenie 
parts  of  our  country  will  be  so 
much  approximated^  and  those 
most  isolated  by  the  obetadas  of 
nature  rendered  so  accessible  as  to 
remove  an  apprehensbn  sometimes 
entertained,  that  the  great  extent 
of  the  Union  would  endanger  its 
permanent  existence. 

'^  If,  from  the  satisfieustory  Tiew 
of  our  agriculture,  manufactures, 
and  internal  improvements,  we  turn 
to  the  state  of  our  navigation  and 
trade  with  foreign  nations  and  be- 
tween the  States,  we  shall  scarody 
find  less  cause  for  gratulation.  A 
beneficent  Providence  has  proridsdt 
for  their  exercise  and  enooorags* 
ment,  an  extensive  coast,  indented 
by  capacious  bays,  noble  rifens 
inland  seas,  with  a  country  pio- 
ductive  of  every  material  fiir  oup" 
building,  and  every  commodity  £r 
gainful  commerce,  and  filled  with 
a  population,  active,  intelligent, 
well-informed,  and  fearless  of  dan* 
ger.  These  advantages  are  not 
neglected ;  and  an  impulsq  has 
lately  been  given  to  commercial 
enterprise,  which  fills  our  ship- 
yards with  new  constructionsj  en« 
courages  all  the  arts  and  branches 
of  industry  connected  with  them^ 
crowds  the  wharfs  of  our-  citisB 
with  vessels,  and  covers  the  most 
distant  seas  with  our  canyass. 

^'  Let  us  be  grateful  for  these 
blessings  to  the  beneficent  Boiag 
who  has  conferred  them,  and  who 
suffers  us  to  indulge  a  reasonaUe 
hope  of  their  continuance  and  ez<*> 
tension,  while  we  neglect  not  the 
means  by  which  they  may  be  pr^ 


PUBLIC   DOCU 

served.     If  ive  may  dare  to  judge  Spain,    Holland,    Sweden,    Den- 

his  future  deBigD»,  by  the  manner  mark,  Naples,  and  lately  Portugal, 

in  which  his  past  favours  liave  been  had  alt,  in  a  greater  or  less  degree, 

bestowed,  he  lias  made  our  national  infringed  our  neutral  rights,     De- 

proBperity  ti>  depend  on  the  pre-  mandi  for   reparation  were  made 

»ervation  of  our  hberttes  ;  our  na-  upon  all.     They  have  had  in  all, 

tlonal  force  on  our  federal  union ;  and   continue  to  have,    in    some 

and  our  individual  happiness  on  the  cases,  a  leading  influence  on  the 

maintenanceof  our  state  lights  and  nature  of  our  relations  with  the 

wise  institutions.     If  we  are  pros-  Powers  on  whom  they  were  made. 

perous    at   home,    and   respected  "  Of  the  claims  upon  England 

abroad,  it  ia  because  ve  are  free,  it  is  unnecessary  to  speak,  further 

unit«d,  industrious,  and  obedient  than   to   say,    that  the   state   of 

to  the  laws.     While  we  continue  things  to  which  their  prosecution 

so,   we  shall,   by  the  blesung  of  and  denial  gave  rise  has  been  suc- 

Heaven,  go  on  in  the  happr  career  ceeded  by  arrangements  productive 

we   have  begun,   and   which   has  of  mutual  good  feeling  and  amic- 

brought  us,  in  the  short  period  of  ulile    relations    between    tlie   two 

our  political  existence,  from  a  popu-  countries,  which  it  is  hoped  will 

lation  of  3,000,000  to  18,000,800  ;  not  be  interrupted.     One  of  tbew 

from  thirteen  separate  colonies  to  arrangements  is  that  relating  to 

twenty-four  United  States— from  the  colonial  trade,  which  was  com- 

weaknesstostrength— from  a  rank  municated  to  Congress  at  the  last 

scarcely  marked  in  the  scale  of  na-  Session  ;  and  although  the  short 

tions  to  a  high  place  in  their  re-  period  during  which  it  has  been 

spect.  in  force  will  not  enable  me  to  form 

"  This  last  advantage  is  one  that  an  accurate  judgment  of  its  oper- 

has  resulted,  in  a  great  degree,  ation,  there  is  every  reason  to  be* 

from   the   principles   which   nave  Iteve  that  it  will  prove  highly  he- 

miidedourintercoursewithforeign  neticiai.     Tlic   trade   thereby  au- 

Powers,  sin<;e  we  have  assumed  an  thorized  has  employed  to  the  30th 

equal   station   among  them :-  and  of    September    last,    upwards   of 

hence,  the  annual  account  which  30,000   tons    of    American,    and 

the  executive  renders  to  the  coun-  15,000  tons  of  foreign  shipping  in 

try,  of  the  manner  iu  which  that '  the  outward  voyages  j  and,  in  the 

branch   of    his  duties    has    been  inward,  nearly  an  equal  amount  of 

fulfilled,    proves    instnictive    and  American,  and  20,000  only  of  f<>- 

salutary.  reign  tonnage.     Advantages,  too, 

"  The  pacific  and  wise  policy  of  have  resulted  to  our  agricultural 

our  government  kept  us  in  a  state  interest  from  the  state  of  the  trade 

of  ncutrali^  during  the  wars  that  between  Canada  and  our  territories 

have,  at  different  periods  since  our  and  states  bordering  on  the    St- 

pol it ical  existence,  been  carried  oit  Lawrence  and  the  Lakes,    which 

by  other  Powers;  but  this  policy,  may  prove  more  than  equivalent 

while  it  gave  activity  and  extent  to  the  loss  sustained  by  the  discH- 

to  our  commerce,  exposed  it  in  the  minatiou  made  to  favour  the  trade 

same  proportion  to  injuries  from  of  the  northern  colonies  with  the 

the    belligerent    nations.      Hence  West  Indies, 

have  arisenclaimsof  indemnity  for  ■' After  nur  transition  from  the 

those  injuries.     England,  Fnuice,  state  of  colonies  to  that  of  as  {n< 


4-20       ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 

dependent  nation,  many  points  and  wbo  had  been  one  of  the  agents 
Avere  found  necessary  to  be  settled  previously  employed  fbr  settling 
between  us  and  Great  Britain,  the  controversy.  On  the  1 0th  day 
Among  tliem  was  the  demarcation  of  January  last,  his  majesty,  the 
of  boundaries  not  described  with  king  of  the  Netherlands^  delivered 
sufficient  precision  in  the  treaty  of  to  the  plenipotentiaries  of  the 
peace.  Some  of  the  lines  that  di-  United  States  and  of  Great  Britain 
vide  the  states  and  territories  of  his  written  opinion  on  the  case  ie« 
the  United  States  from  the  Bri-  ferred  to  him.  The  papers  in  lou- 
tish provinces  have  been  definitely  tion  to  the  subject  will  be  comiini- 
fixed.  I'hat,  however,  which  se-  nicated  by  a  special  message  to  the 
parates  us  from  the  provinces  of  proper  branch  of  the  goyemmenty 
Canada  and  New  Brunswick  to  the  with  the  perfect  confidence  that  its 
north  and  the  east,  was  still  in  d is-  wisdom  will  adopt  such  meattnes 
pute  when  I  came  into  oflice.  But  as  will  secure  an  amicable  settle- 
I  found  arrangements  made  for  its  ment  of  the  controversy,  withoat 
settlement,  over  which  I  had  no  infringing  any  constitutional  right 
control.  The  commissioners  who  of  the  State  immediately  inter* 
had  been  appointed  under  the  pro*  ested. 

visions  of  the  treaty  of  Ghent  hav-         '*  It  affords  me  much   satisfiic* 

iiig  been  unable  to  agree,  aeon-  tion  to  inform  you  that  suggestionSi 

vention  was  made  with  Great  Bri-  made  by  my  direction,  to  theCharg6 

tain  by  my  immediate  predecessor  d*  Affaires  of  his  Britannic  majes- 

in  oflice,  with  the  advice  and  con-  ty,  to  this  government,  have  had 

sent  of  the  Senate,    by  which   it  their  desired  effect  in  producing  the 

was  agreed,  '  that   the  points  of  release  of  certain  American,  dti- 

difference  which  have  arisen  in  the  zens,    who  were    imprisoned    for 

settlement   of  the   boundary  line  setting   up   the  authority   of  the" 

betw'een  the  American  and  British  state  of  Maine,  at  a  place  in  the' 

dominions,  as  described  in  the  5th  disputed  territory  under  the  actiial 

article  of  the  treaty  of  Ghent,  shall  jurisdiction  of  his  Britannic  ma* 

be  referred,  as   therein  provided,  jesty.     From  this  and  the  assur- 

to  some  friendly  sovereign  or  state,  ances  I  have  received,  of  the 


who  shall  be  invited  to  investigate  of  the  local  authorities  to  avoid 
and  make  a  decision  u]X)n  such  any  cause  of  collision,  I  have  the 
))oints  of  difference.'  best  hopes  that  agoodunderstand- 
"  And  the  king  of  the  Nether-  ing  will  be  kept  up  until  it  is  con- 
lands  having,  by  the  late  president  firmed  by  the  final  disposition-  of 
and  his  Britannic  Majesty,  been  the  subject. 

designed  as  such  friendly  sovereign,         ''  The  amicable  relations  whidi 

it  became  my  duty  to  carry  with  now  subsist  between   the .  United 

good  faith  the  agreement  so  made  States  and  Great  Britain,  the  in- 

into  full  effect.     To  this  end   I  creasing  intercourse  between  their 

caused  all  the  measures  to  be  taken  citizens,  and  the  rapid  oblitenitioa 

which  were  necessary  to  a  full  ex-  of  unfriendly  prejudices  to  whidi- 

position  of  our  case  to  the  sovereign  former  events  naturally  gave  rise.* 

arbiter,  and  nominated  as  minister  concurred  to  present  this  as  a  fit 

plenipotentiary  to  his  court  a  dis-  period  for  renewing  our  endeavours' 

tinguislied  citizen   of    the   State  to  provide  against  the  recurrence 

most  interested  in  the  question,  of  causes  of  irritation^  whidi^  in 


PUBLIC    DOCUMENTS.. 

the  event  of  war  between  Great  stances  be  exaggerated  by  design 

Britain    and    any    other    power,  in  others  overrated  though  error, 

would    inevitably    endanger    our  and  which  therefore  it  would  hafe 

peace,     Auimated  by  the  sincerest  been  both  ungracious  and  unjust 

desire   to  avoid   such   a  state   of  to  have  insisted  on,  or  a  settlement 

things,   and   peacefully  to  secure  by  a  mised  commission,  to  which 

under   all   possible  circumstances,  the  French  negotiators  were  very 

the    rights    and    honour    of   the  averse,   and  which  experience  in 

country,    I   have  given  such   in-  other  cu^ii  had  sliuwii  lo  be  dilato- 

structions   to  the  minister   lately  ry,   and  often    wholly  inadequate 

sent  to  the  court  of  London,   as  to  the  end.   A  comparatively  small 

will  evince   that  desire;    and    if  sum  is  stipulated  on  our  pati  to  go 

met  by  a  correspondent  disposition,  to  the  extinction  of  all  claims  by 

which  we  cannot  doubt,  will  put  French  citizens  on  our  government^ 

an  eud  to  causes  of  collision,  which  and  a  reduclioii  of  duties  on  our 

without  advantage  to  either,  tend  cotton   and   tlieir  wines  has  been 

to  estrange  from  each  other,  two  agreed  on,  as  a  coDsideratinn  for 

nations  who  have  every  motive  to  the  renunciation  of  an  important 

preserre,    not  only  peace,  but  an  claim    for  commercial   privileges, 

intercourse  of  the  most  amicable  under  the  construction  tliey  gave 

nature.  tii   the   treaty   for  the  cession  of 

"  Tn  my  message  at  the  opening  Louisiana. 
of  the  last  session  of  Congress,  I         "  Should  this  treaty  receive  the 

expressed  a  confident  hope,   that  proper  sanction,  a  source  of  in-ita- 

the  justice  of  our    claims    upon  tion  will  be  stopped,    that  has  for 

France,   urged  as  they  were  with  so  many   years    in    some   degree 

perseverance  and  signal  ability  by  alienated  from  e>ich  other  two  na- 

our  minister  there,   would  Anally  tJuns,  who  from  interest,  as  well 

be  acknowledged.     This  hope  has  as  the  remembrauce  of  early  asso- 

been  realized.      A  treaty  has  been  ciations  ought  to  cherish  the  most 

signed  which  will  immediately  be  friendly  relations ;  an  eitcourage- 

laid  before  the  senate  for  its  ap-  ment  will  be  given  for  perseverance 

probation;  and  which,  containing  in  the  demands  of  justice,  by  this 

stipulations  that  require  le^slative  new  proof,  that,  if  steadily  pursued 

acts,  must  have  the  concurrence  of  they  will  be  listened  to;  and  ad* 

both  houses  before  it  can  go  into  monition  will  be  afforded  to  those 

effect.     By  it  the  French  govern-  powers,  if  any,  which  may  be  in- 

ment  engage  to  pay  a  sum  which,  dined  to  evade   them,    that  they 

if  not  quite  equal  to  that  which  will  never  be  abaudoued.     Above 

may  be  found  due  to  our  citizens,  all,  a  just  confidence  will  be  iu- 

wiil  yet,  it  is  believed,  under  all  spired  in  our  fellow- citizens,  that 

circumstances,  be  deemed  satistac-  their  government  will  exert  all  the 

tory  to  those  interested.  powers  with  which  they  have  iu- 

"  The   offer  of    a  gross   sum,  rested  it,  in  support  of  their  just 

instead  of  the  satis&ctmn  of  eadi  claims  upon  foreign   nations:    at 

individual   claim,    was   accepted,  the  same  time  that  the  frank  ao 

because  the  only  alternatives  were  knowledgement  and  provision  for 

a  rigorous  exaction  of  the  whole  tlie  payment  of  those  irhich  were 

amount  stated  to  be  due  on  each  addressed  to  our  equity,  although 

claim,  which  night  in  some  in-  uasuppott«d  by  le^I  proof,  iSwk 


422       ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


a  practical  illustration  of  our  sub- 
mission  to  the  divine  rule  of  doing 
to  others  what  we  desire  they 
should  do  unto  us. 

'^  Sweden  and  Denmark  having 
made  compensation  for  the  irregu- 
larities committed  by  their  vessels, 
or  in  their  ports^  to  the  perfect  sa- 
tisfaction of  the  parties  concerned : 
and  having  renewed  the  treaties 
of  commerce  entered  into  with 
them,  our  political  and  commercial 
relations  with  those  powers  conti- 
nue to  be  on  the  most  friendly 
footing. 

"With  Spain,  our  differences 
up  to  the  22nd  of  February,  \S\9, 
were  settled  by  the  treaty  of  Wash- 
iugton  of  that  date  ;  but  at  a 
subsequent  period,  our  commerce 
with  the  states,  formerly  colonies 
of  Spain,  on  the  continent  of 
America,  was  annoyed  and  fre- 
quently interrupted  by  her  public 
and  private  armed  ships.  They 
c-aptured  many  of  our  vessels  pro- 
s^ecuting  a  lawful  commerce,  and 
sold  them  and  their  cargoes  -,  and 
at  one  time,  to  our  demands  for 
restoration  and  indemnity,  opposed 
the  allegation  that  they  were  taken 
in  the  violation  of  a  blockade  of 
all  the  ports  of  those  states. 

'^  This  blockade  was  declaratory 
only,  and  the  inadequacy  of  the 
force  to  maintain  it  was  so  mani- 
fest, that  this  allegation  was  varied 
to  a  charge  of  trade  in  contraband 
of  war.  This,  in  its  turn,  was 
also  found  untenable ;  and  the 
minister  whom  I  sent  with  instruc- 
tions to  press  for  the  reparation 
that  was  due  to  our  injured  fellow 
citizens,  has  transmitted  an  an- 
swer to  his  demand,  by  which  the 
captures  are  declared  to  have  been 
legal,  and  are  justified,  because  the 
independence  of  the  states  of 
America,  never  having  been  ac- 
knowledged by  Spain^  she  had  a 


right  to  prohibit  trade  with  thtM 
under  her  old  colonial  laws.  Thb 
ground  of  defence  was  oontradio* 
tory,  not  only  to  those  which  had 
been  formerly  alleged,  bat  to  the 
uniform  practice  and  eataUiahsd 
laws  of  nations,  and  had  been  abaB« 
doncd  by  Spain  herself  in  the  ooih 
vention  which  granted  indamnitj 
to  British  subjects  for  captiuis« 
made  at  the  same  timej  under  the 
same  circumstances,  md  for  die 
same  allegations  with  those  of  which 
we  complain. 

"  I,  however,  indulge  thto  ho|M 
that  further  reflection  will  load  Is 
other  views,  and  feel  oonBdent  that 
when  his  Catholic  majesty  shall 
be  convinced  of  the  justice  of  the 
claims,  his  desire  to  preserft 
friendly  relations  between  the  twe 
countries,  which  it  is  mv  oameit 
endeavour  to  maintain,  will  indues 
him  to  accede  to  our  demandt  I 
have  therefore  despatched  a  fecial 
messenger  with  instructions  to  our 
minister  to  brine  the  case  ones 
more  to  his  consiaeratipn ;  to  the 
end  that  if,  which  I  cannot  briiy 
myself  to  believe,  the  same  dprisisni 
that  cannot  but  be  deemed  an  u* 
friendly  denial  of  justice,  rtowM 
be  persisted  in,  the  matter  majTf 
before  your  adjournment,  be  hud 
before  you,  the constitutionsl  judges 
of  what  is  proper  to  be  done  when 
negotiation  for  redress  of  ii^uiy 
fails. 

'^  The  conclusion  of  a  treaty  Sat 
indemnity  with  France  asened  to 
present  a  favourable  opportunity 
to  renew  our  claims  of  a  "tiifsT 
character  on  other  powers;  aa4 
particularly  in  the  case  of  these 
upon  Naples,  more  especially  as  iv 
the  course  of  former  negotiationa 
with  that  power,  our  nilnre  to 
induce  France  to  render  us  justice 
was  used  as  an  argument  ayjit 
us.    The  desires  of  the  iTfrtnaeti. 


PUBLIC    DOCUMENTS. 

vho  were  t1i«  principal  lufferara  lured  seiejal  o(  our  vessels,  and 

have,  therefore,  been  acceded  to,  toniuitted  other  excesses  for  which 

asd  a  mission  has  been  iastituted  reparation  was  deinnaded ;  and  I 

for  the  special  purpose  of  obtain-  was  ou    the  point  of  despatching 

iug  for  thetii  a  reparation  already  an  armed  force,  to    prevent  any 

too  long  delayed.     This  measura  recurrence*  of   a  similar   violence 

having  been  resolved  on,  it  was  put  and   protect   our  citizens  in    the 

in  execution  without  waiting  for  prosecution  of  their   lawful  com- 

tbe  meeting  of  Congress,  because  uierce,  when  otticial  aasurancee,  ou 

the  state   of   Europe  created   an  which  1  relied,  mode  the  sailing 

apprehension  of  events  that  might  of  the   ships  unnecessary.     Since 

have  rendered  our  application  in-  that  period  frequent  prnmises  have 

effectual.  been    made   that    full  indemnity 

"Our  demands  upon  the  govern-  shall  be  given  for  the  injuries  in^ 

ment  of  the  Two  hicilies  are  of  a  Hided  and   the  losses  sustained, 

peculiar  nature.     The  injuries  cm  lu  the  performance  there  has  beeii 

which  they  are   founded  are  not  some,  perhaps  unavoidable,  delay; 

denied,  nor  are  the  atrocity  and  but  1  have  the  fullest  confidence 

perfidy  under  which  thoee  injuries  that  the  earnest  desire  that  this 

were  perpetrated  attempted  to  be  business  may  at  once  be  closed, 

extenuated.     The  scde  ground  on  which  our  minister  has  been  in- 

which  indemnity  h;i9  been  refused  .ttructed  strongly  to  express,  will 

is  the  alleged  illegality  of  the  tenure  very  soon  he  gratified.     I  have  the 

which  the  monarch  who  made  better  ground  for  this. hope  from 

:  seizures  held  his  crown.  This  tiie  evidence  of  a  friendly  dispoai- 
aeience,^alwayBunfouudediuany  tiou  which  that  government  has 
principle  of  the  law  of  nations—  shown  by  an  actual  reduction  in 
DOW  universally  abandoned,  even  the  duty  on  rice,  the  produce  of 
by  those  I'owers  upon  whom  the  oiur  Southern  States,  authorizing 
responsibility  for  acts  of  past  rulera  the  anticii>atiou  that  this  imjwrt- 
bore  the  most  heavily, — will  uii-  ant  article  of  our  export  will  soon 
questionably  be  given  up  by  his  be  admitted  on  the  same  footing 
Sicilian  majesty,  whose  councils  with  that  produced  by  the  must 
will  receive  an  impulse  from  tl^at  favoured  nation, 
high  sense  of  honour  and  regard  "  With  the  other  Powers  of 
to  justice  which  are  said  to  cha-  Europe,  we  have  fortunately  had 
racterizehim;  and  I  feel  the  fullest  no  cause  of.  discussion  for  the  re- 
confidence  that  the  talents  of  the  dress  of  injuries.  With  the  em- 
citizen  commissioned  for  that  pur-  pire  of  the  Russians  olir  political 
pose  will  place  before  him  the  just  connexion  is  of  the  niost  liberal 
claims  of  our  injured  citizens  in  kind.  We  enjoy  the  advantages 
such  alight  as  will  enable  me,  be-  "f  navigation  and  trade  given  to 
fare  your  adjournment,  to  announce  the  most  favoured  nation;  but  it 
that  they  have  been  adjusted  and  has  not  yel  suited  their  policy,  or 
'secured.  Precise  instructions,  to  jierliape  has  not  been  found  con- 
tlie  effect  of  brining  the  negoti-  veoieut  from  other  considerations, 
ation  to  a  speedy  issue,  have  been  tfl  give  stability  and  reciprocity  to 
given  and  will  be  obeyed.  those  privileges  by  a  commercial 

"  In  the  blockade  of  Terceira,  treaty.     The  ill-health  of  the  mi- 
gome  of  tbe  Portuguese  fleet  cap-  nistcr  last  year  charged  with  niali- 


1 


424 


ANNUAL   REGISTER,   1831. 


ing  a  proposition  fur  that  arrange- 
ment^ did  not  permit  him  to  re- 
main at  St.  Petersburg;  and  the 
attention  of  that  government^  du- 
ring the  whole  of  the  period  since 
his  departure  having  been  occupied 
by  the  war  in  which  it  was  en- 
gaged^  we  have  been  assured  that 
noUiing  could  have  been  effected 
by  his  presence.  A  minister  will 
soon  be  nominated,  as  well  to  ef- 
fect this  important  object,  as  to 
keep  up  the  relations  of  amity  and 
good  understanding,  of  which  we 
have  received  so  many  assurances 
and  proofs  from  his  imperial  ma- 
jesty and  the  emperor  his  prede- 
cessor. 

"  The  treaty  with  Austria  opens 
to  us  an  important  trade  with  the 
hereditary  dominions  of  the  empe- 
ror, the  value  of  w^hich  has  been 
hitherto  little  known,  and  of 
course  not  sufficiently  appreciated. 
While  our  commerce  finds  an  en- 
trance into  the  south  of  Germany 
by  means  of  this  treaty,  those  we 
have  formed  with  the  Hanseatic 
towns  and  Prussia,  and  others  now 
in  negotiation,  will  open  that  vast 
country  to  the  enterprising  spirit 
of  our  merchants,  on  the  north  :  a 
country  abounding  in  all  the  mate- 
rials of  a  mutually  beneficial  com- 
merce, filled  with  enlightened  and 
Industrious  inhabitants,  holding  an 
important  place  in  the  politics  of 
Europe,  and  to  which  we  owe  so 
many  valuable  citizens.  The  rati- 
fication of  the  treaty  with  the 
Porte  was  sent  to  be  exchanged 
by  the  gentleman  appointed  our 
Charge  d'  Affaires  to  that  court. 
Some  difficulties  had  occurred  on 
his  arrival ;  but  at  the  date  of  his 
last  official  despatch,  he  supposed 
they  had  been  obviated,  and  that 
there  was  every  prospect  of  the  ex- 
change being  speedily  effected. 
*  "  This  finishes    the  conneeted 


view  I  have  thought  it  proper  to 
give  of  our  political  and  commer- 
cial relations  in  Europe.  Every 
effort  in  my  power  will  be  conti- 
nued to  strengthen  and  extend 
them  by  treaties  founded  on  prin- 
ciples of  the  most  perfect  reciprD- 
city  of  interest,  neither  asking  ndr 
conceding  any  exclusive  advantages 
but  liberating  as  far  as  it  lies  in 
my  power,  the  activity  and  indn- 
try  of  our  fellow-citizens  from  the 
shackles  which  foreign  xestrictioBS 
may  impose. 

''To  China  and  the  E«aat  Indies, 
our  commerce  continues  in  its  nso- 
al  extent  and  with  increased  facili- 
ties which  the  credit  and  capital  of 
our  merchants  affords,  by  substitu- 
ting bills  for  payments  in  specie. 
A  daring  outrage  haTing  been 
committed  in  those  seas  by  the 
plunder  of  one  of  our  merchantmen 
engaged  in  the  pepper  trade  at  a 
port  in  Sumatra,  and  the  piraticsl 
perpetrators  belonging  to'  tribes 
in  such  a  state  of  society^  that  the 
usual  course  of  proceeding  between 
civilized  nations  could  not  be  pnr* 
sued,  I  forthwith  despatched  a 
frigate  with  orders  to  require  im- 
mediate satisfaction  for  the  injury, 
and  indemnity  to  the  suflferers. 

."  Few  changes  have  taken 
place  in  our  connexions  with- the 
independent  States  of  America 
since  my  last  communication  to 
Congress.  The  ratification  of  a 
commercial  treaty  with  the  united 
republics  of  Mexico  has  been'  lor 
some  time  under  deliberation  in 
their  Congress,  but  was  still  undc»- 
cided  at  the  date  of  our  last  de- 
spatches. The  unhappy  civil  coin* 
motions  that  have  prevailed  there^ 
were  undoubtedlv  the  cause  of  the 
delay ;  but  .as  the  government  is 
now  said  to  be  tranquillized,  we 
may  hope  soon  to  receive  the  rati- 
fica'tion  of  the  treaty,  and  an  am 


PUBLIC    DOCUMENTS.  426 

raogenieut  for  the  demarcat!oa  of  stitl  ttirratened  witli  civil  cnmm'i- 
the  boimdarieG  between  us.  In  tioas;  and  until  they  shall  be 
the  mean  time  an  important  trade  settled,  disorders  may  naturally 
has  been  opened  with  niiituaj  bene-  be  apprehended,  requiring  the  con- 
fit,  from  St.  Louis,  in  the  state  of  stant  presence  of  a  naval  force  in 
Missouri,  by  caravabs  to  the  intc-  the  Pacific  Ocean,  to  protect  our 
rior  provinces  of  Mexico.  This  fisheries,  and  guard  our  commerce. 
commerce  is  protected  in  its  pro-  "The  disturbances  that  took 
gress  through  the  Indian  countries  place  in  the  empire  of  Brazil,  pre- 
by  the  troops  of  the  United  Slates,  viously  to,  and  immediately  con- 
which  have  been  permitte<l  to  sequent  upon,  the  abdication  of 
escort  the  caravans  beyond  our  the  late  emperor,  necessarily  sus~ 
boundaries  to  the  scttleil  part  of  pended  any  effectual  application 
the  Mexican  territory.  for  tjie  redress  of  some  past  injuries 

"From  central  America  I  have  suffered  by  our  citizens  from  that 

received   assurances   of  the   most  government,  while  they  have  been 

friendly  kind,   and  gratifying  ap-  the  cause  of  others,  tn  which  all 

[Aication  for  our  good  offices  to  re-  foreigners  seem  to  have  participa- 

move  a  supposed  indisposition  to-  fed.    Instructious  have  been  given 

wards  that  government  in  a  neigh-  to  our  minister  there,    to  press  for 

bouring  state ;  this  application  was  indemnity  due  for  losses  occasioned 

immediately  and  successfully  com-  by   these  irregularities;    and    to 

plied  with.    They  gave  us  also  the  take  care  that  our  fellow  citizens 

pleasing  intelligence   that   differ-  shall  enjoy  all  the  pri»iIegeB  stipu- 

ences  which  had  prei*niled  in  their  lated  in  their  favour  by  the  treaty 

internal  affairs  had  been  peaceably  lately    made     between    the    two 

adjusted.     Our  treaty  with   this  powers:  all  which  the  good  intelli- 

republic  continues  to  be  faithfully  gence  that  prevails  between  our 

observed,  and  promises  a  great  and  minister  at  Rio  Janeiro  and  the 

beneficial  commerce   between   the  regency  gives  us  the  best  reason  to 

two  countries ;   a  commerce  of  the  expect. 

greatest  importance,  if  the  inagni-  "I  should  have  placed  Buenos 

ficent    project    of    a    ship    canal  Ayres  in  the  list  of  South  Araer- 

through    the   dominions  of    that  ican   powers  in  respect  to  which 

state,   from   the   Atlantic   to  the  nothing  of  importance  affecting  us 

Pacific  Ocean,  now  in  serious  con-  was  to  be  communicated,  but  for 

temptation,  shall  be  executed.  occurrences  which  have  lately  taken 

"  I  hare  great  satisfaction  in  place  at  the  Falkland  Islands,  in 
communicating  the  success  which  which  the  name  of  that  republic 
has  attended  the  exertions  of  our  has  been  u»<ed  to  cover,  with  a 
minister  in  Colombia  to  procure  a  show  of  authority,  acts  injurious 
very  considerable  reduction  in  the  to  our  commerce,  and  to  the  uro- 
dutiesonourflourin  that  republic,  perty  and  liherty  of  our  fellow 
Indemnity  also  has  been  stipulated  citizens.  In  the  course  of  the  pre- 
fer injuries  received  b_y  our  mer-  sent  year,  one  of  our  vessels,  en- 
chants from  illegal  seizures;  and  gaged  in  the  pursuit  of  a  trade 
renewed  assurances  arc  given  that  which  we  have  always  enjoyed 
the  treaty  between  the  two  eoun-  without  molestation,  has  been  c&p. 
tries  shafl  be  feithfully  observed.  tured  by  a  hand  acting,  as  they 
'   "  Chili  and  Pern  Geem  to  be  pretend,  under  the  AUthoritj'  of 


426      ANNUAL  REGISTER,   1811. 


the  governmeot  of  Buenos  Ayres. 
I  hare  therefore  given  orders  for 
the  despatch  of  an  armed  vessel  to 
join  our  squadron  in  those  seas, 
and  aid  in  affording  all  lawful  pro« 
tection  to  our  trade  which  shall  be 
necessary;  and  shall  without  delay 
send  a  minister  to  inquire  into  the 
nature  of  the  circumstances,  and 
also  of  the  claim,  if  any,  that  is 
set  up  by  that  government  to  those 
islautts.  In  the  mean  time  I  sub- 
mit the  case  to  the  consideration 
of  Congress,  to  the  end  that  the? 
may  clothe  the  executive  with  such 
autnority  and  means  as  they  may 
deem  necessary  for  providinfl;  a 
force  adequate  to  the  complete 
protection  of  our  fellow-citizens 
fishing  and  trading  to  those  seas. 

*'  This  rapid  sketch  of  our  fo« 
reifi^n  relations,  it  is  hoped,  fellow-i 
citizens,  may  be  of  some  use  in  so 
much  of  your  legislation  as  may 
bear  on  that  important  subject; 
while  it  affords  to  the  country  at 
large  a  source  of  high  gratification 
in  the  contemplation  of  our  politi- 
cal and  commercial  connexion  with 
the  rest  of  the  world.  At  peace 
with  all — having  subjects  of  future 
difference  with  few,  and  those 
susceptible  of  easy  adjustment,— 
extending  our  commerce  gradually 
on  all  sides,  and  on  none  by  any  but 
the  most  liberal  and  mutually  be- 
neficial means, — we  may,  by  the 
blessine  of  Providence,  hope  for 
all  national  prosperity  which  can 
be  derived  n*om  an  intercourse 
with  foreign  nations,  guided  by 
those  eternal  principles  of  justice 
and  reciprocal  gooa  will,  which 
are  binding  as  well  upon  states 
as  the  individuals  of  whom  they 
are  composed. 

^I  have  great  satisfaction  in 
making  this  statement  of  our  affairs, 
because  the  cause  of  our  national 
policy  enables  me  to  do  it  without 


any  indiscreet  exposure  of  what  ia 
other  governments  is  usually  em^ 
cealed  from  the  people.  Havini^ 
none  but  a  straightforward  opea 
course  to  pursue — guided  by  A 
single  principle  that  will  bear  the 
strongest  light^*-we  have  happily 
no  political  combinations  to  rorm» 
no  alliances  to  entangle  ua,  no 
complicated  interests  to  consolt; 
and  in  subjecting  all  we  have  dooa 
to  the  consideration  of  our  citiaena 
and  to  the  inspection  of  the  worUj 
we  give  no  advantage  to  other  um^ 
tions,  and  lay  ourselves  open  to  no 
injury. 

''  It  may  not  be  impn^ier  to  add 
that  to  preserve  this  state  of  thinipi 
and  ffive  confidence  to  the  wond 
the  integrity  of  our  de8igafl» 


in 


all  our  consular  and  diploouitio 
agents  are  strictly  enjoined  to  ex« 
amine  well  every  cause  of  oom- 
plaint  preferred  by  our  citisensj^ 
and,  while  they  urge  with  proptf 
earnestness  those  that  are  well 
founded,  to  countenance  none  thnt 
are  unreasonable  or  unjust,  and  to 
enjoin  on  our  merchants  and  oatLi 
gators  the  strictest  obedienes  to 
the  laws  of  the  countries  to  whidk 
they  resort,  and  a  course  of  con- 
duct in  their  dealings  that  may 
support  the  character  of  our  nation 
and  render  us  respected  abroad. 

^'  Connected  with  this  auUeotf 
I  must  recommend  a  revisal  w  our 
consular  laws.  Defects  and  olnisi^ 
sions  have  been  discovered  in  their 
operation  that  ought  to  be  reme* 
died  and  supplied.  For  your  fbir- 
ther  information  on  this  subjecti 
I  have  directed  a  report  to  be  made 
by  the  secretary  of  state,  which  I 
shall  hereafter  submit  to  your  oon« 
sideration. 

'^  The  interna]  peace  and  aeco- 
rity  of  our  confederated  stataa  k 
the  next  principal  olgeet  of  tha 
general  governmeot     Tim«  iina 


PUBLIC    D 

•iptrience  havfl  proved  tlmt  the 
■bode  of  the  native  IndUn  within 
their  limits  is  dangerous  to  their 
peace  and  iajurious  to  himself. 
In  accordance  vith  iny  recomnMD* 
datioD  at  a  former  session  of  Cou' 


tary  remoral  of  the  various  tribes 
beyond  the  limits  of  the  States. 
At  the  last  session,  I  had  the  hap* 
piness  to  announce  that  the  Chicfc- 
asaws  and  Choctaws  had  accepted 
the  generous  offers  of  the  gorerfi- 
ment,  and  agreed  to  reiDOTe  be* 
yood  the  Miasissipi  rirer,  bjr  which 
the  whole  of  the  state  of  Mississipi 
and  the  western  part  of  Alabama 
will  be  freedfrom  Indian  occupancy, 
and  opened  to  a  civilized  population. 
The  treaties  with  these  tribes  are 
iu  a  course  of  execution,  and  their 
removal,  it  is  hoped,  will  be  com- 
pleted in  the  course  of  1832. 

"  At  the  reijuest  of  the  authori- 
ties of  Georgia,  the  registration 
of  the  Cherokee  Indians  for  emi- 
gration has  been  resumed  and  it 
is  confidently  expected,  that  ooe 
half,  if  not  two  thirds  of  that  tribe 
will  follow  the  wise  example  of 
their  more  westerly  brethren. 
Those  who  pre&r  remaining  at 
their  present  liomes  will  her^fter 
bo  governed  by  the  laws  of  Georgia 
as  all  ber  citizens  are,  and  cease 
to  be  the  object  of  jiecuJiar  care  on 
the  part  of  the  general  government,^ 

"  During  the  present  year  tbe 
attention  of  the  govemment  has 
been  particularly  directed  to  those 
tribes  in  the  powerful  and  growing 
state  of  Ohio,  where  considerable 
tracts  of  the  finest  lands  were  still 
occupied  by  the  aboriginal  proprie* 
tors.  Treaties,  either  absolute  or 
conditional,  have  been  made,  ex- 
tinguishing the  whole  Indian  title 
to  the  reservations  of  that  state; 
and  the  time  is  not  distant,  it  is 


hoped  when  Ohio  will  be  no  longer 
embarrassed  with  the  Indian  popu- 
lation. The  same  measure  will  be 
extended  to  Indiana,  as  soon  as 
there  is  reason  to  anticipate  success. 

"  But  the  removal  of  the  Indians 
b(?youd  the  limits  and  jurisdiction 
of  the  States  does  not  place  them 
l>eyond  the  reach  of  philantliropic 
aid  and  christian  instruction.  On 
the  contrary,  those  whom  philan- 
throjiy  may  induce  to  live  among 
them  in  their  new  abode,  will  be 
more  free  in  the  exerdse  of  their 
benevolent  functions,  than  if  they 
had  remained  within  the  limits  of 
the  States,  enibarntssed  by  their 
internal  regulations.  Now,  subject 
to  no  control  but  the  superintend- 
ing agency  of  the  general  govern- 
nient,  exercised  with  the  sole  view 
of  preserving  peace,  they  may 
proceed  unmolested  in  the  iuter- 
esting  experiment  of  gradually 
advancing  a  community  oi  Ameri- 
can Indians  from  barbarism  to  tbe 
habits  and  enjoyments  of  civilized 
life, 

"  It  is  confidently  believed,  that 
perseverance  for  a  few  years  in  the 
present  jpoHcy  of  the  government, 
will  extiuguish  the  Indian  title 
toall  lands  lying  within  the  States, 
composing  our  federal  union,  and 
remove  beyond  their  limits  every 
Indian  who  was  not  willing  to 
submit  to  their  laws.  Thus  will 
all  conflicting  claims  to  jurisdiction 
between  the  States  and  tbe  Indian 
tribes  be  put  to  rest.  It  is  pleasing 
to  reflect  that  results  so  beneficial 
not  only  to  the  States  immediately 
cuticerned,  but  to  the  harmony  of 
the  union,  will  Jiave  been  accom> 
plishcd  by  measures  equally  ad- 
vantageous to  the  Indians.  What 
the  native  savages  become  when 
surrounded  by  dense  population, 
and  by  mixing  with  the  whit«B, 
may  be  .-ven  in  the  miserable  rem* 


428       ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


nants  of  a  few  eastern  tribes,  de- 
prived of  political  and  civil  rights, 
forbidden  to  make  contracts  and 
subjected  to  guardians^  dragging 
out  a  wretched  existence,  without 
excitement,  without  hope,  and 
almost  without  thought. 

"  Among  the  happiest  effects  of 
the  improved  relations  of  our  re- 
public has  been  an  increase  of 
trade,  producing  a  corresponding 
increase  of  revenue,  beyond  the 
most  sanguine  anticipations  of  the 
Treasury  Department. 

"  The  state  of  the  public  finan- 
ces will  be  fully  shown  by  the  se- 
cretary to  the  Treasury,  in  the 
report  which  he  will  presently  lay 
before  you.  I  will  here,  however, 
congratulate  you  upon  their  pro- 
sperous condition. 

''The  revenue  received  in  the 
present  year  will  not  fall  short  of 
27,700,000  dollars,  and  the  ex- 
penditures  for  all  objects  other 
than  the  public  debt,  will  not 
exceed  14,700,000  dollars.  The 
payment  on  account  of  the  princi- 
pal and  interest  of  the  debt, 
during  the  year,  will  exceed 
16,500,000  of  dollars,  a  greater 
sum  than  has  been  applied  to  that 
object,  out  of  the  revenue,  in  any 
year  since  the  enlargement  of  the 
sinking  fund,  except  the  two  years 
following  immediately  thereafter. 
The  amount  which  will  have  been 
applied  to  the  public  debt  from 
the  4th  of  March,  1829,  to  the 
1st  of  January  next,  which  is  less 
than  three  years  since  the  admi- 
nistration has  been  placed  in  my 
hands,  will  exceed  40,000,000  of 
dollars. 

"  From  the  large  importations 
of  the  present  year,  it  may  be 
safely  estimated  that  the  revenue 
which  will  be  received  into  the 
Treasury  from  that  source  during 
the  next  year,  with   the  aid  of 


that  received  from  the  public 
lands,  will  considerably  exceed  the 
amount  of  the  receipts  of .  the 
present  year ;  and  it  is  belieired 
that,  with  the  means  which  the 
government  will  have  at  its  dis« 
posal,  from  various  sources,  which 
will  be  fully  stated  by  the  proper 
department,  the  whole  of  the  public 
debt  may  be  extinguished,  either 
by  redemption  or  purchase,  within 
four  years  of  my  administration. 
We  shall  then  exhibit  the  rare 
example  of  a  great  nation,  abound- 
ing in  all  the  means  of  happiness 
and  security,  altogether  free  from 
debt. 

'^  The  confidence  with  which  the 
extinguishment  of  the  public  debt 
may  be  anticipated  presents  an 
opportunity  for  carrying  into  eCfect 
more  fully  the  policy  in  relation  to 
import  duties,  which  has  been  re* 
commended  in  my  former  messages. 
A  modification  of  the  tariff,  which 
shall  produce  a  reduction  of  our 
revenue  to  the  wants  of  the  gO" 
vernment,  and  an  adjustment  of 
the  duties  on  imports  with  a  view 
to  equal  justice  in  relation  to  all 
our  national  interests  and  to  the 
counteraction  of  foreign  policy,  so 
far  as  it  may  be  injurious  to  those 
interests,  is  deemed  to  be  one  ai 
the  principal  objects  which  demand 
the  consideration  of  the  present 
Congress. 

^Oustice  to  the  interests  of  the 
merchant  as  well  as  the  manu- 
facturer, requires,  that  material 
reductions  in  the  import  duties  be 
prospective  ;  and  unless  the  pre- 
sent  Congress  shall  dispose  of  the 
subject,  the  proposed  reductions 
cannot  properly  be  made  to  take 
effect  at  the  period  when  the 
necessity  for  the  revenue  arising 
from  present  rates  shall  cease.  It 
is  therefore  desirable  that  arrange- 
ments be  adopted  at  your  present 


PUBLIC    DOCUMENTS. 

s«seion  to  relieve  the  people  from  held,  as  in  many  cases  it  nor  is, 

unnecessary    taxation    after     the  at  the  will  o(  a  creditor  to.vhom 

extinguishment  of  the  public  debt,  be  is  willing  to  surrender  all  the 

In   the  exercise  of  that  spirit  of  means   he  has  of  discharging  hia 

concession  and  conciliation  which  debt. 

has  distinguished  the  friends  of  "  The  reports  from  the  Secreta- 
our  union  in  all  great  emergencies,  ries  of  the  War  and  Nary  depart- 
it  is  believed  that  this  object  may  mentg,  and  from  the  Postmaster- 
be  effected  without  injury  to  any  general,  which  accompany  this 
national  interest.  message,  present  sadafactory  views 

"  In  my  annual  message  of  oftheoperationsoftbed^>artments 
December,  J829,  I  had  the  honour  respectively  under  their  charge, 
to  recommend  the  adoption  of  a  and  surest  improvements  which 
more  liberal  policy  than  that  which  are  worthy  of,  and  to  which  I  In- 
then  prevailed  towards  unfortunate  vite  the  serious  attention  of  Con- 
debtors  to  the  government;  and  I  gress.  Certain  defects  and  omis- 
deem  it  my  duty  again  to  invite  sions  having  been  discovered  in  the 
your  attention  to  this  subject.  operation  of  the  laws  respecting 

"Actuated    by  similar    views,  parliaments  they  are  pointed  out 

Congress  at  their  last  session  pas-  in  the  accompanying  report  from 

sed  an  act  for  the  relief  of  certain  the  secretary  of  state, 

insolvent   debtors  of    the  United  "I  have  heretofore  recommended 

States  ;    but  the  provisions  of  that  amendments  of  the  Federal  Consti- 

law  have  not  been  deemed  such  as  tution  giving  the  election  of  presi- 

were  adequate  to  that  relief  to  this  dent  and    vice-president    to    the 

unfortunate  class  of  our  fellow  citi-  people,  and  limiting  the  service  of 

/ens,  which  may  be  safely  extended  the  ibrmer  to  a  single  term.     So 

to  them.    The  points  in  which  the  important    do    I    consider    these 

law  appears  to  be  defective  will  be  changes  in  our  fundamental   law, 

particularly  communicated  by  the  that,  I  cannot,  in  accordance  with 

secretary  of  the  Treasury,  and  I  my  sense  of  duty,   omit  to  press 

take   pleasure    in    recommending  them  upon  the  consideration  of  a 

such  an  extension  of  its  provisions  new    Congress,      For    my  views 

as  will  unfetter  the  enterprise  of  a  more  at  large,   its  well  in  relation 

valuable   portion  of  our  citizens,  to  tlie^e  points,  as  to  the  disquali- 

and  restore  to  them  the  means  of  fication  of  members  of  Congress  to 

usefulness  to  themselves  and  the  receive  an  ofHce  from  a  president 

community.  in  whose  election  they  had  an  offi- 

"  While  deliberating  upon  this  cia]  agency,  which  I  proposed  as 

subject,  I  would  also  recommend  a  substitute,   I  refer  you  to  my 

to  your  consideration  the  propriety  former  message, 

of  so  modifying  the  laws  for  en-  "  Our  system  of  public  accounts 

forcing  the  payment  of  the  debts  Is  extremely  complicated,   and,   it 

due  either    to  the   public  or   to  is  belieied,  may  be  much  improved, 

individuals   suing    in    the  courts  Much  of  the  present  machinery, 

of  the  United  States,  as  to  restrict  and  n  considerable  portion  of  the 

the  imprisonment  of  the  person  to  expenditure  of  the  public  money 

cases  of  fraudulent  concealment  of  may    he    dispensed    with,     while 

property.     The  personal  liherty  of  greater  facilities  can  be  afforded  to 

the  citisen  seems  too  sacred  to  be  the  liquidation  of  claims  upon  the 


430 


ANNUAL   REGISTER,  1831: 


government^  and  an  examination 
into  their  justice  and  legality^ 
quite  as  efficient  as  the  present^ 
secured.  With  a  view  to  a  gene- 
ral reform  in  the  system,  I  recom- 
•mend  the  subject  to  tlie  attention 
of  Confess. 

**  I  deem  it  my  duty  again  to 
call  your  attention  to  the  condition 
of  the  district  of  Ckilumbia.  It 
was  doubtless  wise  in  the  framers 
of  our  constitution,  to  place  the 
people  of  this  district  under  the 
jurisdiction  of  the  general  govern- 
ment;  but,  to  accomplish  the  ob- 
jects they  had  in  view,  it  is  not 
necessary  that  this  people  should 
be  deprived  of  all  the  privileges  of 
self-government.  Independently 
of  the  difficulty  of  inducing  the 
representatives  of  distant  states  to 
turn  their  attention  to  projects  of 
laws  which  are  not  of  the  highest 
interest  to  their  constituents,  they 
are  not  individually,  nor  in  Con- 
gress colleotively,  well  qualified 
to  legislate  over  the  local  concerns 
of  this  district. 

"  Consequently  its  interests  arc 
much  neglected,  and  the  people 
are  almost  afraiid  to  present  their 
grievances,  lest  a  body  in  which 
they  are  not  represented,  and 
which  feels  little  sympathy  in  their 
local  relations,  should,  in  its  attempt 
to  make  laws  for  them,  do  more 
harm  than  good.  Governed  h^  the 
laws  of  the  states  whence  they 
were  severed,  the  two  shores  of 
the  Potomac  within  the  ten  miles 
square  have  different  penal  codes ; 
not  the  present  codes  of  Virginia 
and  Maryland,  but  such  as  existed 
in  those  states  at  the  time  of  the 
cession  to  the  United  States. 

"As  Congress  will  not  form  a 
new  code,  and  as  the  people  of  the 
district  cannot  make  one  for  them- 
selves, they  are  virtually  under 
tAvo  governmeots*    Is  it  not  just 


to  allow  them  at  least  t  delente 
in  Congress,  if  not  a  looal  I^gU** 
ture,  to  make  laws  lor  the  distriet, 
subject  to  the  approval  or  rejection 
of  Congress.  1  earnestly  reoon- 
mend  the  extension  to  them  of 
every  political  right  which  their 
interests  require,  and  which  may 
be  compatible  with  theconstitattoa. 

"  The  extension  of  the  judidaiy 
system  of  the  United  Dtaiee  u 
deemed  to  be  one  of  the  dutfae  of 
government.  One  foarth  ot  the 
States  in  the  union  do  not  pevtldk 
pate  in  the  benefits  of  a  eixcalt 
court.  To  the  states  of  Indleniy 
Illinois,  Missouri,  Alabama^  Mie- 
sissipi,  and  Louisiana,  admitted 
into  the  union  since  the  present 
judicial  system  was  organised, .only 
a  district  has  been  allowed. 

"  If  this  be  sufficient,  then  the 
circuit  courts  already  existing  in 
18  states  ought  to  be  abollsined; 
if  it  be  not  sufficient,  the  deftet 
ought  to  be  abolished^  and  theae 
states  placed  on  the  same  Iboting 
with  the  other  members  of  tihe 
union :  it  was  on  this  oondition^  and 
on  this  footing  that  they  entered 
the  union ;  and  they  may  demand 
circuit  courts  as  a  matter,  not  of 
concession,  but  of  right«  I  truat 
that  Congress  will  not  adjoam, 
leaving  the  anomaly  in  our  eyeteu. 

"  Entertaining  the  opinions 
heretofore  expressed  in  reliUBlon  to 
the  Bank  of  the  United  Stateaiy  as 
at  present  organized,  I  felt  It  my 
duty  in  my  former  mesaaffsa 
frankly  to  disclose  them,  In  order 
that  the  attention  of  the  legialatuxe 
and  the  people  should  be  seasonably 
directed  to  that  important  aubjeot* 
and  that  it  might  be  conaiclefed 
and  finally  dispiMed  of  in  a  manner 
best  calculated  to  promote  the  ende 
of  the  constitution,  and  sabeerre 
the  public  interest. 
<*  Having  thus  cooscientioiuly 


PUBLIC    DOCUMENTS. 


discharged  a  constitutional  duty, 
1  deem  it  proper,  on  this  occasion^ 
without  a  more  particular  reference 
to  the  views  of  the  subject  then 
expressed,  to  leavo  it  for  the  pre» 
sent  to  the  investigation  of  an 
enlightened  people  and  their  re-i 
presentatives. 

'*  In  conclusion,   permit  me  to 
invoke  that  Power  which  super- 


intends all  governments^  to  infuse 
into  your  deliberations^  at  this 
important  crisis  of  our  history,  a 
spirit  of  mutual  forbearance  and 
gonciliatioii.  Ip  that  epfarit  was 
our  union  formed,  and  in  that 
spirit  must  it  be  preserved. 

^'  Andrew  Jackson. 
Washington,  Dec.  6,  1831." 


432 


MANNERS,    CUSTOMS,     &c. 


Present  state  of  the  Peasantry  of  Livonia. 


THE  position  of  the  Livonian 
peasants  has  undergone  some 
important  changes  within   a  few 
years :  their  masters  have  declared 
them  Jree  meiu     In  the  month  of 
May,  1818,  their  enfranchisement 
was  resolved  upon  in  a  Congress 
of  proprietors,  after  which  a  com- 
mission, appointed  by  the  emperor 
Alexander,  undertook  to  fix  the 
basis  of  this  new  liberty.     Their 
labours,  completed  in  a  few  months, 
were  approved  by  the  nobility,  and 
soon  after  passed  into  a  law.     But 
a  general  irritation  displayed  itself 
among  the  serfs.     In  many  can- 
tons they  assembled  in  arms  and 
presented  the  strange  spectacle  of 
a  population   rising   to  maintain 
their  slavery.  Some  elders,  judges, 
and  priests  were  deputed  to  them  5 
these   they   insulted.     Force   was 
employed ;  they  endeavoured  to  re- 
sist it.     We  reject,  they  said,  this 
liberty  which  you  establish  against 
our  wish  ;  we  do  not  wish  to  be 
detached  from  the  soil  which  nou- 
rished our  fathers.     Let  a  property 
in  that  be  granted  to  us,  if  it  be 

I)retended  to  set  us  free !  If  not, 
et  us  be  left  in  our  ancient 
slavery.  The  force  which  was  dis- 
played silenced  these  complaints. 
To  understand  them,  it  must  be 
known,  that  in  Livonia,  as  well  as 
in  Russia,  certain  principles  of 
order  and  of  justice  had  gained 


access    into    the   very   bosom    of 
slavery.     The  serfs  transmitted  ro« 
gularly  to  their  eldest    sons  the 
lands  which  had  been  entrusted  to 
them>  and  it  was  almost  unhemrd 
of  that  one  should  be  deprived  of  his 
inheritance,  except  in  conseqaence 
of  seme  crime  or  serious  oflfence. 
This    species   of  infeudation^    in 
virtue  of  which  the  possession  of 
the  same  fields  was  retained  in  the 
same  family,  passed  in  the  eyes  of 
the  serfs  for  a  real  right   of  pro- 
perty.     Enfranchisement    haTing 
raised,  or  in  their  opinion  xednced^ 
them  to  the  condition  of  fannei% 
it  was  necessary  to  grant  to  their 
lords  the  right  of  dismissing  them 
if  they  chose,  at  the  expiration  of 
their  leases,  and  to  replace  them 
by  other  tenants.   On  this  aooonnt 
the  peasants  thought  themselves 
deprived  of  their  ancient  privileges, 
and  made  such  energetic  protests- 
tions. 

With  time  the  greater  number 
have   finished  by  perceiving   the 
advantages  of  their  new  positioUj 
and  less  baseness  and  servility  is 
already  remarked  in  their  inter- 
course with  their  lords.  They  have 
obtained  the  right  of   acquiring 
every  species  of  real  property  ex- 
cept the    lands  of   the  noMiity. 
After    1832    they  may  estaUidi 
themselves  indiscriminately  in  any 
part  of  Livonia,  and  from   tfab 


MANNERS,  CUSTOMS,  &c. 


period  also  they  niRy'settle  theni' 
selves  ID  towns  and  purchase  the 
riglits  of  burgesses.  Being  de- 
tached from  the  glebe,  tliey  hare 
seen  permauent  and  uaiform  iosti' 
tutions  take  the  place  among  them 
of  an  arbitrary  regime.  Public 
assemblies  (communes)  have  been 
(irganizeil  tliioughout  the  country, 


:f« 


Russian  Militaby  Colonies. 
1  No.  XVIII.  of  the  Foreign  Quarterly  Review.] 


The  colonization  of  a  regiment 
consists  in  placing  it  in  perpetual 
cantonments,  in  a  territory  which 
it  never  quits  except  for  a  cam- 
))aign  ;  and  the  other  inhabitants 
are  attached  to  the  land  of  the 
colony,  witli  an  obligation  to  lodge 
and  feed  the  soldiers,  and  succes- 
sively furnish  the  recruits.  Every 
thing  in  the  colony  receives  a  mili- 
tary stamji.  The  farmers  or  te- 
nants are  obliged  to  wear  the  uni- 
form, are  placed  under  the  orders 
of  old  officers,  and  form  what  is 
called  Ike  colonized  battalion.  Dur- 
ing their  whole  lives  they  remain 
subject  to  a  severe  discipline,  which 
extends  even  to  the  direction  of 
tijeir  agricultural  labours.  Their 
children  are  born  soldiers ;  from 
the  age  of  twelve  years  they  re-, 
ceive  the  musket  and  cartouch  box. 
Afterwards  they  enter  into  the  re- 
serve, and  are  subsequently  placed 
in  tlie  active  battalions.  After 
fifteen  years'  service  they  return 
for  live  years  into  the  reserve,  and 
at  last  terminate  their  days  as 
invalids  of  the  colony,  unless  the 
inheritance  of  their  fathers,  or  some 
new  distribution  of  the  land,  should 
cause  them  to  become  cultivators 
or  farmers.  The  male  population 
Voj,.  LXXIII. 


of  a  colony  is  therefore  composed 
of  the  following  elements. 

1.  The  farmers  or  cultirators 
properbf  so  called. 

3^  i'/ie  canlonisls.  The  male 
children  of  a  military  colony  are 
tlius  called.  They  receive  gratui- 
tous instruction  in  the  schools 
established  by  the  government ; 
at  the  same  time  they  are  taught 
one  or  more  trades,  and  are  exer- 
cised in  the  use  of  arms.  At  the 
age  of  eighteen,  the  strongest  are 
pliiced  in  the  reserve,  after  having 
undergone  au  examination. 

3.  The  soldieTX  of  the  rexen'e. 
Each  colonised  regiment  has  a  bnf- 
ialian  of  reserve,  one  half  of  which, 
in  the  event  of  war,  is  united  with 
the  active  battalions,  to  enter  upon 
service  along  with  them.  The 
cantonrsts  terminate  their  military 
education  in  the  reacrye.  Tliey 
I'emain  there  for  two  years,  and 
when  at  the  age  of  twenty  they 
enter  the  active  battalions,  they 
are  fitted  to  be  led  at  once  to  tlie 
field  of  battle. 

4.  The  soldiers  of  the  aclive 
baltaUonii.  These  are  ready  to 
march  at  the  first  signal.  Their 
long  term  of  service,  and  still  more 
the  education  they  have  received 


434      ANNUAL  REGISTER,  1831. 


as  cantonistSj  make  them  from  habit 
excellent  soldiers.  Their  pay  does 
not  exceed  eleven  roubles  a  year ; 
but  they  are  clotlied  by  the  state, 
and  the  cultivators  feea  and  lodge 
them.  If  they  are  themselves  the 
eldest  sons  of  farmers,  and  their 
father  dies,  or  if-  in  any  other  re- 
gular way  they  are  called  to  the 
succcf»ion  of  a  tenant,  they  are 
entitled  to  their  discliarge,  and 
enter  immediately  into  pi»sses8ion 
of  their  farm.  As  long  as  they 
remain  under  their  colours,  and  no 
war  or  extraordinary  service  keeps 
tliem  out  of  the  territory  of  the 
colony,  they  serve  as  farm-servants 
tx)  the  tenants,  and  their  labour 
repays  these  last  for  the  expense 
of  their  maintenance. 

5,  The  invalids.  This  deno- 
mination is  bestowed  on  the  old 
soldiers,  who  have  completed  their 
twenty  years  service.  They  enjoy, 
to  the  exclusion  of  the  other  indi- 
viduals of  the  colony,  the  privilege 
of  alhnving  their  beards  to  grow. 
Being  lodged  among  their  relations 
or  the  other  farmers,  they  share 
their  labours,  and  when  age  or 
infirmities  have  weakened  their 
strength,  the  government  provides 
for  their  maintenance. 

Finally,  6*.  A  last  class,  with- 
out any  particulai*  denomination, 
comprises  the  old  cantonists,  who 
have  {>erformed  no  military  service, 
on  account  of  the  weakness  of  their 
constitution,  or  a  superabundance 
of  recruits.  These  people,  thrown 
upon  their  own  resources,  work  as 
farm-servants,  or  gain  their  liveli- 
hood by  the  trades  which  the  go- 
vernment has  taught  them.  The 
lot  of  the  cr)Ionii!ed  troops  appears 
to  me  far  preferable  to  that  of  the 
other  Russian  so]diei*s.  These  last, 
from  the  time  they  are  enrolled, 
are  in  some  sort  dead  to  their 
fauiily ;  all  thejr  former  relations 


are  destroyed.  The  soldiers  of  tlie 
colonies,  on  the  other  hand,  an 
not  torn  from  their  domestic  tiei: 
they  remain  children,  ftithen  of 
families,  even  citizens  to  a  certain 
degree. 

As  to  the  ancient  serfs  of  the 
crown,  who  have  been  transforowd 
into  farmers  or  military  cuitivaftocsi 
they  have  not  been  able  as  yet  to 
accommodate  themselves  to  their 
new  position.   With  their  aflectioBB 
crushed,  these  poor  creatures  grieve 
in    silence.      Ignorai^t    siDoplicity 
made  them  value  their  former  ex- 
istence,   and   the  recollection    of 
this  relative  happiness^  which  was 
founded  upon  habit,  never  leaves 
them.     Besides,   they  were   suh* 
jected  to  the  most  severe  laboufB 
during  the  first  years  \  they  cleared 
the  ungrateful  soil  which  was  as* 
signed  to  them,  built  villages,  con- 
structed bridges,  roads,  and  canals* 
But  these  motives  for  legret  and 
suffering  will  not  exist  for  a  seoond 
generation,  whose  lot,  I  think,  will 
be  less  hard  than  that  of  the  serft 
of  the  crown.    The  fanners  receive 
the  title  of  free  men,  and  this  dc^ 
nomination,  if  it  be  ill  suited  to 
cultivators  bowed  down  by  military 
despotism,  proves  at  least  on  the 
part  of  the  government  an  inten« 
tion  rather  to  raise  than  to  depress 
this  class.    The  state  suppliea  the 
farmers  with  a  furnished  habitation^ 
six  or  eight  hectares  {froia  fifteen 
to  twenty  English  acres)  of  land» 
cattle,     and    agricultural    im|de- 
ments ;  and  they  pay  neither  pro- 
perty-tax, nor  capitatidn,  nor  vent. 
All  that  they  acquire  beeomeSj  at 
their  death,  the  property  of  their 
natural  heirs ;  the  farm  which  is 
intrusted    to  them   may  in   aojue 
degree  be  c<msidered  as  their  pa-f 
trimony.      When   age   no  longer 
allows  them    to   superintend    its. 
labours,  or  when  they  feel  th^ 


«r  # 


MANNERS,  CUSTOMS,  to. 

end  approachiog,  they  tEicmselveH  money  to  tlieni  without  interest, 

nominate  their  successor.     In  this  to  the  extent  of  Ave  bundred  niblM. 

manner  the  possessioii  nf  a  farm  ThogratnitousinBtructiongiren 

may  be  perpetuated  in  the  same  to  the  children  deserres  the  highest 

family  as  a  genntne  property,  and  praise.     Nothing  is  neglected  to 

it  is  only  in  extreme  cases,  in  con-  make  them  at  once  good  agricul- 

sequence  ofajudicial  sentence,  that  turists,wellinBtructedsi:ildiers,  and 

a  tenant  can  be  expelled  from  it.  skilful   artisans.     In  the   schools. 

In  gencraJ,  the  power  to  which  which  nre  organised  according  to 

the  cultivators  are  subjected  is  not  the  methods  of  Lancaster  and  Pes- 

arbitrary,  as  in  the  other  villages  taloxei,   they  are  taught  to  read 

of  Russia.      Thus,    for  example,  and  write ;  they  are  exercised  in 

none  of  them  can  be  subjected  to  music  and  singing,  are  tauglit  the 

corporal  iiuniahment,  without  legal  elements  of  arithmetic,   painting, 

forms  being  gone  through,  and  in  and  ^metry;  and  the  precepts  of 

each  locality  the  primary  jurisdic-  religion  are  explained  to  them, 

tion   h   intrusted    to  an    elective  Those    who  display  most  zeal 

ma^stracy,  which  exercises  at  the  and  aptitude  are  placed  in  a  school 

same   time    certain    functions    of  of  sub-ofiicers,  and  these  children 

police  as  well  as  of  administration,  of  moujika  (peasants)  have  before 

Philanthropic    precautions    are  them  a  prospect  of  rising  to  the 

taken    to  pi-event    indigence   and  rank  of  officers,  which    they  arc 

misfortune.    A  magaaineof  wheat,  entitled   to  after  twelve  years  of 

maintained  by  the  inhabitants  at  irreproachable  service.    To  sum  up 

large,  removes  all  danger  of  famine,  all,  the  internal  management  of  the 

The  sick  are  taken  care  of  gratui-  colonies  procures  for  their  inhabit- 

tously  in  a  central  hospital ;  or-  ants  certain  privileges   and  even 

phans  become  the  adopt! ve.cliildren  positive    rights.      Liberty  would 

of  the  colony,  and  the  maintenance  there  be  sought  for  in  vain  ;  but, 

of  the  widows  and  the  aged  is  pro-  at  teasti    order,  justice,  and  the 

vided  for.    A  savings' and  trading  regular  action  of^  a  paternal  au- 

bank  insures  for  the  farmers  the  thority  are  seen  in  the  moilel  of 

preservation  of  their  gains,  and  in  slavery. 
times   of    distress    even   advances 


The  Dav  op  a  Philadelphian  Lady. 

^Frorn  Mrs.  Trollojie's  "  Domestic  Manners  af  the  Aniericaiis."'] 

The  wifeofasenatorand  lawyer  canters  and  cut-glass  wafer-jugs 

of  repute  in  Philadelphia,  has  a  upon  it]  :  she  has  a  very  handsome 

very  handsome  bouse,  with  white  carriage,  and  a  very  handsome  free 

niarbk<  steps  and  door-posts,  and  a  black   coachman  ;    she    is   always 

delicate  silver  knocker  and  door-  very   handsomely   dresseil ;    and, 

handle ;   she  has  very   handsome  moreover,    she  is  very   handsome 

drawing-rooms,    very  handsomely  herself.     She  rises,    and  her  first 

furnished,  (there  is  a  side-board  in  hour  is  s|ient  in  the  scrupulously 

one  of  them,   but  it  is  very  hand-  nico  arrangement  of  her  dress;  she 

some,    and  has  very  handsome  de-  (lescends  to  her  psrlour  neat,  stiff, 
8F2 


436         ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


and  silent;  her  breakfast  is  brought 
in  by  lier  free  black  footman  ;  she 
eats  her  fried  ham  and  her  salt 
fish,  and  drinks  her  coffee  in  silence^ 
while  her  husband  reads  one  news- 
paper, and  puts  another  under 
ills  elbow  ;  and  then,  perhaps,  she 
washes  the  cups  and  saucers.  Her 
carriage  is  ordered  at  eleven ;  till 
that  hour  she  is  employed  in  the 
pastry-room,  her  snow-white  apron 
])rotecting  her  mouse-coloured  silk. 
Twenty  minutes  before  her  carri- 
age should  appear,  she  retires  to 
her  chamber,  as  she  calls  it,  shakes, 
and  folds  up  her  still  snow-white 
apron,  smooths  her  rich  dress,  and 
with  nice  care,  sets  on  her  elegant 
l)onnet,  and  all  the  handsome  ct 
ore f era ;  then  walks  down  stairs, 
just  at  the  moment  that  her  free 
black  coachman  announces  to  her 
free  black  footman  that  the  carriage 
waits.  She  steps  into  it,  and 
gives  the  word.  "Drive  to  the 
Dorcas  society.'*  Her  footman 
stays  at  home  to  clean  the  knives, 
but  her  coachman  can  trust  his 
horses  while  he  opens  the  carriage 
door,  and  his  lady  not  being  ac- 
customed to  a  hand  or  an  arm, 
gets  out  very  safely  without, 
though  one  of  her  own  is  occupied 
by  a  work-basket,  and  the  other  by 
a  large  roll  of  all  those  indescribable 
matters  which  ladies  take  as  offer- 
ings to  Dorcas  societies.  She 
enters  the  parlour  appropriated  for 
the  meeting,  and  finds  seven  other 
ladies,  very  like  herself,  and  takes 
her  place  among  them ;  she  pre- 
sents her  contribution,  which  is 
accepted  with  a  gentle  circuhir 
smile,  and  her  parings  of  broad 
cloth,  her  ends  of  ribbon,  her 
gilt  paper,  and  her  minikin  pins, 
are  added  to  the  parings  of  broad 
cloth,  the  ends  of  ribbon,  the  gilt 
paper,  and  the  minikin  pins,  m  ith 
which  the  table  is  alreadv  covered: 


she  also  produces  from  her  basket 
three  ready  made  pincushions,  four 
ink-wipers,  seven  paper-matches^ 
and  a  pasteboard  watch-case ;  these 
are  welcomed  with  acclamations, 
and  the  youngest  lady  present  de- 
posits them  carefully  on  the  shelFes, 
amid  a  prodigious  quantity  of  si- 
milar articles.  She  then  produces 
her  thimble,  and  asks  for  work; 
it  is  presented  to  her,  and  the  eight 
ladies  all  stitch  together  for  some 
hours.  Their  talk  is  of  priests  and 
of  missions ;  of  the  pronts  of  their 
last  sale,  of  their  hopes  from  the 
next ;  of  the  doubt  whether  young 
Mr.  This,  or  young  Mr.  That 
should  receive  tfie  fruits  of  it  to 
fit  him  out  for  Liberia :  of  the 
very  ugly  bonnet  seen  at  church  on 
sabbath  morning,  of  the  very  hand- 
some preacher  who  performed  on 
Sabbath  afternoon,  and  of  the  very 
large  collection  made  on  Sabbatn 
evening.  This  lasts  till  three,  when 
the  carriage  again  appears,  and 
the  lady  and  her  hasKet  return 
home ;  she  mounts  to  her  chamber^ 
carefully  sets  aside  her  bonnet  and 
its  appurtenances,  puts  on  her  scol- 
loped black  silk  apron,  walks  into 
the  kitchen  to  see  that  all  is  right, 
then  into  the  parlour,  where,  hav- 
ing cast  a  careful  glance  over  the 
table  prepared  for  dinner,  she  sits 
down,  work  in  hand,  to  await  her 
spouse.  He  comes,  shakes  hands 
with  her,  spits,  and  dines.  The 
conversation  is  not  much,  and  ten 
minutes  suffices  for  tlie  dinner; 
fruit  and  toddy,  the  newspaper  and 
the  work-bag  succeed.  Jn  the 
evening  the  gentleman,  being  a 
savant,  goes  to  the  Wister  society, 
and  afterwards  plays  a  snog  rubber 
at  a  neighbour's.  The  lady  re- 
ceives at  tea  a  young  missionary 
and  three  members  of  tlie  Donaa 
society  — And  so  ends  her  day.'    '' 


I 


MANNERS,  CUSTOMS,  &c.: 


Ajusiucan  Socibtv- 


IFrvm  the  Same] 


Whuiev^r  may  be  the  talents  of 
tlie  jmrsous  mIio  meet  together  in 
society,  tlic  very  sliape,  form,  iiiid 
arrangement  of  t)ie  meeting  it) 
sufficient  to  paralyse  couveraation. 
Tlie  women  invariably  herd  to- 
gether at  one  part  of  the  room, 
ant)  the  men  at  the  other ;  but,  in 
justice  to  Cincinnati,  I  must  ac- 
knowledge that  this  arrangement 
is  by  no  means  peculiar  to  that 
city,  or  to  tlie  western  side  of  the 
Alleglianies.  Sometimes  a  small 
attempt  at  music  produces  a  partial 
reunion ;  a  few  of  the  most  daring 
youths,  animated  by  the  conscious- 
ness of  curled  hair  and  smart  waist- 
coats, approach  tlic  piano-forte, 
and  begin  to  mutt«r  a  little  to  the 
half-grown  pretty  tilings,  who  ore 
comparing  witl)  oue  auother  "how 
many  quarters'  Music  they  have 
had."  Where  the  mansion  is  of 
sufhcient  dignity  to  have  two  draw- 
ing-rooms, the  piano,  the  littlo 
ladies,  and  the  slender  gentlemen 
arc  left  to  themselves;  and  on  such 
occasions  the  sound  of  laughter  is 
often  heard  to  issue  from  among 
them.  But  the  fate  of  the  more 
dignified  personages,  who  are4eft 
in  the  other  roonf.  Is  extremely 
dismal.  The  gentlemen,  spit,  talk 
of  elections  and  the  price  of  pro- 
duce, and  spit  again.  The  ladies 
look  at  each  other's  dresses  till  they 
know  every  pin  by  heart ;  talk  of 
Parson  Somebody's  last  sermon  on 
the  day  of  j  udgment,  or  Dr.  Tother- 
body's  new  pills  for  dyspepsia,  till 
the  "  tea"  is  announced,  when 
they  all  con  sole  them  selves  together 
{<)!  whatever  they  may  bttve  euffer' 


cd  in  keeping  iiwalii-',  by  taking 
more  tea,  coffi:c,  hot  cake  and  cus- 
tard,  hou  cake,  johny  cake,  waffle 
cake,  and  dodger  cake,  jiickled 
peaches,  and  preserved  cucunibers, 
ham,  turkey,  liung  beef,  apple 
sauce,  and  pickled  oysters,  than 
ever  uere  prepared  in  any  other 
country  of  the  known  world.  After 
this  massive  meal  is  over,  they  re- 
turn to  the  drawing-room,  and 
it  ahi'ays  appeared  to  mc  that  tbey 
rcmainetl  togetlier  as  long  as  they 
could  bear  it,  and  then  they  I'isu 
en  masse — cloak,  bonnet,  shawl, 
and  exit. 

In  America,  with  the  e.-iception 
of  dancing,  which  is  almost  wholly 
confined  to  the  unmarried  of  both 
sexes,  all  the  enjoyments  of  the 
men  are  found  in  the  absence  of 
the  ^vomen.  They  dine,  they  play 
cards,  they  have  musical  meetings, 
they  have  suppers,  all  in  large 
parties,  but  all  without  women. 
Were  it  not  that  such  is  the  cus- 
tom, it  is  impossible  but  that  they 
would  have  ingenuity  enough  to 
lind  soinc  expedient  for  sparing  tliu 
wives  and  daughters  of  the  opulent 
the  sordid  offices  of  household 
drudgery  which  they  almost  all 
perform  in  their  liuuilies.  Even 
in  the  slave  states,  though  they 
may  not  cleai'starcb  and  iron,  mix 
|)uddings  and  cakes  one  half  of  the 
day,  and  watch  them  bakiu^  the 
other  half,  still  the  very  highest 
occupy  themselves  in  their  house- 
hold concerns,  in  a  manner  that 
precludes  the  {Msaibility  of  their 
becoming  elegant  and  eulightened 
conip&nioDs. 


436       ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1631. 


Mrs.TrolI()|)c  gives  tlie  following 
description  of  a  hall  and  supper^ 
at  which  she  was  present. 

The  arrangements  for  the  supper 
were  very  singular^  but  eminently 
characteristic  of  the  country.  The 
gentlemen  had  a  splendid  enter- 
tainment spread  for  them  in  ano« 
thcr  large  room  of  the  hotels  while 
the  poor  ladies  had  each  a  plate 
])ut  into  their  hands,  as  they  pen- 
sively promenaded  the  ball-room 
during  their  absence  ;  and  shortly 
afterwards  servants  appeared,  bear- 
ing trays  of  sweetmeats,  cakes, 
and  creams.  The  fair  creaturos 
then  sat  down  on  a  row  of  chairs 
placed  round  the  walls,  and  each 
making  a  table  of  her  knees,  began 


eating  her  sweet,  but  sad  and  sulky 
repast.  The  effect  was  extremely 
comic  j  their  gala  dresses  and  the 
decorated  room  forming  a  contrast 
the  most  unaccountable  with  their 
uncomfortable  and  forlorn  condi- 
tion. 

This  arrangement  was  owing 
neither  to  economy  nor  want  of  a 
room  laree  enough  to  accommodate 
the  whole  party,  but  purely  be- 
cause the  gentlemen  likcid  it  better. 
This  was  the  answer  given  me, 
when  my  curiosity  tempted  me  to 
ask  why  the  ladies  and  gentlemen 
did  not  sup  together  |  and  this 
was  the  answer  repeated  to  ne 
afterwards  by  a  variety  of  people 
to  whom  I  put  the  same  question. 


American  Servants. 
[^From  the  Same,'2 


The  greatest  difficulty  in  or- 
ganising a  family  establishment  in 
Ohio  is  getting  servants,  or,  as 
it  is  there  called,  "  getting  help," 
for  it  is  more  than  petty  treason  to 
the  republic  to  call  a  free  citizen  a 
servant.  The  whole  class  of  young 
women,  whose  bread  depends  upon 
their  labour,  are  taught  to  believe 
that  the  most  abject  poverty  is 
preferable  to  domestic  service. 
Hundreds  of  half-naked  girls  work 
in  the  paper-mills,  or  in  any  other 
manufactory,  for  less  than  half  the 
wages  they  would  receive  in  ser- 
vice ;  but  they  think  their  equality 
is  compromised  by  the  latter,  and 
nothing  but  the  wish  to  obtain 
some  particular  article  of  finery 
will  ever  induce  them  to  submit  to 
it.  A  kind  friend,  however,  exert- 
ed herself  so  effectually  forme,  that 
a  tall  stately  lass  soon  presented 
herself,  saying,  ''  I  be  come  to 
help  you."    The  intelligeoce  was 


very  agreeable,  and  I  welcomed  her 
in  the  most  gracious  manner  pos- 
sible, and  asked  what  I  should  gifo 
her  by  the  year.     <'  Oh  Giminll " 
exclaimed  the  damsel,  with  a  lond 
laugh,  *'  you  be  a  downright  J5n»- 
lisher,  sure  enough.    I  should  IiEb 
to  see  a  young  lady  engaged  hj  the 
year  in  America !     I  hope  I  shall 
get  a  husband  before  many  moBths!, 
or  I  expect  I  shall  be  an  oatright' 
old  maid,  for  I  be  most  seFenteen 
already;  besides,  mayhap  I    maj 
want  to  go  to  school.     You  must 
just  give  me  a  dollar  and  a  half  a 
week ;  and  mother's  slave,  PhiDist 
must  come  over  once  a  week,  I 
expect,  from  t'other  side  the  water, 
to  help  me  clean."    I  agreed  to  the 
bargain,  of  course,  with  all  dutilbl 
submission ;    and  seeing  rile  waa 
preparing  to  set  to  work  in  a  yei* 
low  dress  parseme  with  red  roeeSp 
I  gently  hinted,  that  I  thought  it 

was  a  pity  to.  spoil  bo  fine  agowa^ 


Manners,  customs, 


aod  that  she  had  better  chanee  it. 
"  Tis  just  my  best  and  worst, 'abe 
answered,  "  for  1  huve  got  no 
other."  And  in  truth  I  round  that 
this  young  lady  had  left  the  pater- 
nal mansion  with  no  more  dofhes 
or  any  kind  thau  what  she  had  on. 
I  immediately  gave  her  money  to 
purchase  what  was  necessary  for 
cleanliness  and  d«cency,  and  set  to 
work  with  my  daughters  to  make 
her  a  gown.  She  grinned  applause 
when  our  labour  was  completed, 
but  never  uttere<l  the  slightest  ex- 

SiressioQ  of  gratitude  for  that  or 
or  anything  else  we  oould  do  fbr 
her.  She  was  constantly  ashine 
us  to  lend  her  different  articles  m 
dress,  and  when  we  declined  it, 
she  said,  "  Well,  T  never  seed  such 
grumpy  folks  as  you  be ;  there  is 
several  young  ladies  of  my  ac- 
({uaiutance  what  goes  to  live  out 
now  and  then  with  the  old  women 
about  the  towit,  and  they  and  their 
gurls  always  lends  them  what  thnr 
asks  for ;  I  guess,  you  IneliM 
thinksweshouldpoisonyourtbmga, 
just  as  bad  as  if  w«  was  negurs." 
And  here  I  beg  to  assure  the 
reader,  that  whenever  I  give  oon- 
versations,  they  were  not  made  i 
loisir,  but  were  written  down  im- 
mediately after  ihey  occurred,  with 
all  the  verbal  tidefity  my  meiaory 
permitted. 

This  young  lady  left  me  at  the 
end  of  two  months,  because  1  re- 
fused to  lend  lier  money  «ioagh 
to  buy  a  silk  dress  to  go  to  a  bail, 
saying]  "  Then  it  is  not  worth  my 
while  to  stay  any  longer."  1  can- 
not imagine  it  possible  that  such  a 
state  of  things  can  be  desiraUe  or 
beneficial   to  any  of   the  paiti«t 


concerned,  I  might  occupy  a  hun- 
dred-pages on  the  subject,  and  yet 
fail  to  give  an  adequate  idea  of  the 
sore,  angry,  cvcr-Hakefiil  jjride 
that  seemed  to  torment  these  poor 
wretches.  In  many  of  Ihem  it 
was  so  excessive,  that  all  feeling  of 
displeasure,  or  even  of  ridicule, 
was  lost  in  pity.  One  of  these 
was  a  pretty  girl,  whose  natural 
disposition  must  have  been  gentle 
and  kind;  but  her  good  feelings 
were  soured,  and  her  gentleness 
turned  into  morbid  sensitiveness, 
by  having  heard  a  thousand  and  a 
thousand  times  that  she  was  as 
good  as  any  other  lady,  that  all 
men  were  equal,  and  women  too, 
and  that  it  was  a  siu  and  a  shame 
for  a  free-born  American  to  be 
treated  like  a  servant.  When  she 
found  she  was  ti>  dine  in  the 
kitchen,  she  turned  up  her  pretty 
lip,  and  said,  "  I  giiess  that's 
'liause  you  dou't  think  I'm  good 
cuough  to  eat  with  you.  You'll 
tind  that  won't  do  here.''  I  found 
afterwards  that  she  rarely  ate  any 
dinner  at  all,  and  generajly  passed 
the  time  in  tears.  I  did  every 
thing  in  my  power  to  conciliate 
and  make  her  happy,  hut  I  am 
sure  she  hated  mc.  I  gave  her 
veiy  high  wages,  and  she  staid 
till  she  had  obtained  several  ex- 
pensive articles  of  dress,  aud  then, 
»n  hrau  mut'm,  she  came  to  me  full 
drcs^,  and  said,  "  1  must  go." 
— "  When  shall  you  return,  (Char- 
lotte ?  ' — "  I  expect  you  will  see 
nomorenfme."  And  so  we  parted. 
Her  sister  was  also  living  with  me, 
but  her  ward-rube  was  not  yet 
completed,  and  she  remained  some 
weeks  longer  till  it  was. 


440        ANNUAL    REGISTER/ 1831. 


American  Camp  Mebting. 
[Frani  the  Same!\ 


It  \va»  ill  the  course  of  this 
summer  that  I  found  tlie  opportu- 
nity 1  had  long  wished  for,  of  at- 
tending a  canip-meeting>  and  I 
gladly  accepted  the  invitation  of  an 
English  lady  and  gentleman  to  ac- 
com]>any  them  in  their  carriage  to 
the  sj)ot  where  it  is  held  -,  this  was 
in  aM'ild  district  on  the  confines  of 
Indiana. 

The  j)rospect  of  passing  a  night 
in  the  back  woods  of  Indiana  was 
by  no  means  agreeable,  but  I 
screwed  my  courage  to  the  proper 
pitch,  and  set  forth  determined  to 
see  with  my  own  eyes,  and  lieai* 
M'ith  my  own  ears,  what  a  camp- 
meeting  really  was.  I  had  heard 
it  said,  that  being  at  a  camp-meet- 
ing was  like  standing  at  the  gate 
of  heaven,  and  seeing  it  opening 
before  you ;  I  had  heard  it  said, 
that  being  at  a  camp- meeting  was 
like  finding  yourself  within  the 
gates  of  hell ;  in  either  case  there 
must  be  something  to  gratify  cu- 
riosity, and  compensate  for  the  fa« 
tigues  of  a  long  rumbling  ride  and 
a  sleepless  night. 

We  reached  the  ground  about 
an  hour  before  midnight,  and  the 
approach  to  it  was  highly  pictur- 
esque.  The  sj>ot  chosen  was  the 
verge  of  an  unbroken  forest,  where 
a  space  of  about  twenty  acres  ap- 
peared to  have  been  partially 
cleared  for  the  purpose.  Tents  of 
different  sizes  were  pitched  very 
near  together  in  a  circle  round  the 
cleared  space;  behind  them  were 
ranged  an  exterior  circle  of  car- 
riages of  every  description,  and  at 
the  back  of  each  were  fastened  the 
horses  which  had  drawn  them  thi- 
ther.   Through  this  triple  circle 


of  defence  we  dibtinguished  nume- 
rous fires  burning  brightly  withiD 
it :  and  still  more  numerous  lights 
flickering  from  the  trees  that  were 
left  in  the  enclosure*.  The  moon 
was  in  meridian  splendour  above 
our  heads. 

We  left  the  carriage  to  the  care 
of  a  servant,  who  was  to  prepare  a 
bed  in  it  for  Mrs.  B.  and  me^  and 
entered  the  inner  circle.     The  first 
glance  reminded  me  of  Vauxhall, 
from  the  effect  of  the  lights  amons 
the  trees,  and  the  moving  crowd 
below  them ;  but  the  second  showed 
a  scene  totally  unlike  any  thing  I 
had  ever  witnessed.     Four   high 
frames,  constructed  in  the  form  of 
altars,  were  placed  at  the  four  cor- 
ners of  the  enclosure;   on  these 
were  supported  layers  of  earth  and 
sod,  on  which  burned  immense  fires 
of  blazinff  pine-wood.      On   one 
side  a  rude  platform  was  erected 
to  accommodate  the  preachers^  fif- 
teen of  whom  attended  this  meet- 
ing, and  with  very  short  intervals 
for  necessary  refreshment  and  pri- 
vate devotion,  preached  in  rotation, 
day  and  night,  from  Tuesday  to 
Saturday. 

When  we  arrived,  the  preachers 
were  silent  3  but  we  heara  issuing 
from  nearly  every  tent  mingled 
sounds  of  praying,  preaching,  smg* 
ing,  and  lamentation.  The  cur- 
tains in  front  of  each  tent  were 
dropped,  and  the  faint  light  that 
gleamed  through  the  white  dra- 
pery, backed  as  it  was  by  the  dark 
forest,  had  a  beautiful  and  myste- 
rious effect,  that  set  the  imagina- 
tion at  work ;  and  had  the  sounds 
which  vibrated  around  us  been  less 
discordant^  harsh^  and  unnatural| 


MANNERS,   CUSTOMS,  &c. 


I  should  liave  enjoyed  it ;  but  lU- 
teniDgnt  thecorDcr  of  a  tent  which 
poureu  forth  more  than  its  propor- 
tion of  clamour,  in  a  few  mQiiietits 
chased  every  feeling  derived  from 
imagination,  and  furnished  real- 
ities thatcould  neither  be  mistaken 
nor  forgotten. 

Great  numbers  of  persons  were 
walking  about  the  ground,  who 
appeared  like  ourselves  to  be  pre- 
sent only  as  spectators;  some  of 
these  very  unceremoniously  con- 
trived to  raise  the  drapery  of  this 
tent,  at  one  corner,  so  as  to  afford 
us  a  perfect  view  of  tlie  interior. 

The  floor  was  covered  with 
straw,  which  round  the  sides  was 
heaped  in  masses,  that  might  serCe 
as  seats,  but  which  at  that  moment 
were  used  to  support  the  heads  and 
the  arms  of  the  close-jwcked  circle 
of  men  and  women  who  kneeled  on 
the  floor. 

Out  of  about  thirty  persons 
thus  placed,  perhaps  half  a  dozen 
were  men.  One  of  these,  a  hand- 
some looking  youth  of  eighteen  or 
twenty,  kneeled  just  below  the 
opening  through  which  I  looked. 
His  arm  was  encircling  the  neck  of 
a  young  girl  who  knelt  beside  him 
with  her  hair  hanging  disshevelled 
upon  her  shoulders,  and  her  fea- 
tures working  with  the  most  vio- 
lent agitation ;  soon  after  they  both 
fell  forward  on  the  straw,  as  if  un- 
able to  endure  in  any  other  atti< 
tude  the  burning  eloquence  of  a 
tall  ^rim  figure  in  black,  who, 
standing  erect  in  the  centi'e,  was 
uttering  with  incredible  vehemence 
an  oration  that  seemed  to  hover 
between  praying  and  preaching; 
his  arms  hung  stiff  and  immovable 
by  his  side,  and  he  looked  like  an 
ill -constructed  machine,  set  in  ac- 
tion fay  a  movement  so  violent,  as 
to  threaten  its  own  destruction,  so 
jerktngly,  paiufully,  yet   rapidly) 


did  his  words  tumble  out  ;  the 
kneeling  circle  cea'^ing  not  to  call 
in  every  variety  of  tone,  on  the 
name  of  Jesus;  accompanied  with 
sobs,  groans,  and  a  sort  of  low 
howling  inexpressibly  painful  to 
listen  to.  But  my  attention  was 
speedily  withibuwn  from  the 
preacher,  and  the  circle  round  him, 
by  a  figure  which  knelt  alone  at 
some  distance  ;  it  was  a  living 
image  of  Scott's  Macbriar,  as 
young,  as  wild,  and  as  terrible. 
IJis  thin  arms  tossed  above  his 
head,  had  forced  themselves  so  far 
out  of  the  sleeves,  that  they  were 
bare  to  the  elbow ;  his  large  eyes 
gl.'kred  fi'Tghtfully,  and  be  cou- 
tinued  to  scream  without  an  in- 
stant's intermission  the  word 
"  Glory  !  "  witli  a  violence  that 
seemed  to  swell  every  vein  to 
bursting.  It  was  too  dreadful  to 
look  upon  long,  and  we  turned 
away  shuddering. 

We  made  the  circuit  of  the 
tents,  pausing  where  attention  was 
particularly  excited  by  sounds  more 
vehement  than  ordinary.  We  con- 
trived to  look  into  many ;  all  were 
strewed  with  straw,  and  the  dis- 
torted figures  that  we  saw  kneel- 
ing, sitting,  and  lying  amongst  it, 
joined  t^tlic  woeful  and  convulsive 
cries,  gave  to  each  the  air  of  a  cell 
ill  Bedlani.     One  tent  was  occu- 


esactly  as  if  they  were  performing 
a  scene  on  a  stage.  One  woman 
wore  a  dress  of  pink  gauze 
trimmed  with  silver  lace  ;  another 
Wiis  dressed  in  pale  yellow  silk ; 
one  or  two  had  splendid  turbana  j 
andallworeaprofiision  of  ornaments. 
The  men  were  in  snow  white  pan- 
taloons, with  gay-coloured  linen 
jackets.  One  of  these,  a  youth  of 
coal-black  comeliness,  was  preach- 
ing with  the  most  violeot  geeticuo 


44«        ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831 


latiuns^  frequently  springing  high 
from  the  ground,  and  clapping  his 
hands  oTcr  his  head.  Could  our 
missionary  societies  have  heard  the 
trash  he  uttered  by  way  of  an  a<l- 
dress  to  the  Deity,  they  might 
|)erhap8  have  doubted  whether  his 
conversion  had  much  enlightened 
his  mind. 

At  midnight  a  horn  sounded 
through  the  camp,  which,  wc  were 
ti^ld,  was  to  call  the  people  from 
private  to  public  worship ;  and  we 
presently  saw  them  flocking  from 
all  sides  to  the  front  of  the 
preachers'  stand.  Mrs.  B.  and  I 
cfintrived  to  place  ourselves  with 
our  backs  supported  against  the 
lower  part  of  this  structure,  and 
we  were  thus  enabled  to  witness 
the  scene  which  followed,  without 
])ersona]  danger.  There  M-erc  about 
S^OOO  persons  assembled. 

One  of  the  preachers  began  in  a 
low  nasal  toue^  and,  like  all  other 
Methodist  preachers,  assured  us  of 
the  enormous  depravity  of  man  as 
he  comes  from  the  hands  of  his 
Maker,  and  of  his  perfect  sanctifi- 
cation  after  he  had  wrestled  suffi- 
ciently with  the  Lord  to  get  hold 
of  him,  el  camera.  The  admiration 
of  the  crowd  was  evinced  by  al- 
most constant  cries  of  '^  Amen  ! 
Amen  !  "  "  Jesus  !  Jesus  !  " 
"  Glory !  Glory  !  '*  and  the  like. 
But  this  comparative  tranquillity 
did  not  last  long  :  the  preacher 
told  them  that «'  this  night  was  the 
time  fixed  upon  for  anxious  sinners 
to  wrestle  with  the  Lord ; "  that  he 
and  his  bretliren  '<  were  at  hand  to 
help  them,"  and  that  such  as  needed 
theu:  help  were  to  come  forward 
into  *'tbe  pen."  The  phrase  for- 
cibly recalled  Milton's  lines — 

'  Blind  mouths !  that  scarce  themselves 

know  how  to  hold 
A  sheep-hook,  or  have  learned  aught 

die  the  least 


That  to  the  fetlhful  herdsman^  art  be- 
longs ! 

— But  when  they  list  their  leno  uid 
flashy  songfi, 

C  rale  on  their  scrannel  pipes  of  wretched 
straw ; — 

The  hungry  sheep  look  up,  and  ai« 
not  fed  I 

Dut  swuln  with  wind,  and  the  rank  mUfc 
they  draw. 

Rot  inwardly  —  and  foul  emtagion 
spread." 

^'  The  pen  "  was  the  space  im-' 
mediately  below  the  praecbera* 
stand;  we  were  therefore  plaMd 
on  the  edge  of  it^  and  were  enabled 
to  see  and  hear  all  that  took  pli 
in  the  very  centre  of  this  e  ' 
ordinary  exhibition. 

The  crowd  fell  back  at  the 
tion  of  the  pen,  and  for  aome  mi- 
nutes there  was  a  racant  apftoe  bOi* 
foro  us.  The  preachers  came  doira 
from  their  stand  and  placed  tbem- 
selves  in  the  midst  of  it«  begiimiiig 
to  sing  a  hymn  calling  upon  tbe 
])enitents  to  come  forth.  As  tbej 
sang  they  kept  turning  theaaaelfm 
round  to  every  part  of  tbe  crovd, 
and,  by  degrees,  tbe  voices  ni  tbe 
whole  multitude  joined  in  ciionia. 
This  was  the  only  moment  at  wbieb 
I  perceived  any  thing  like  tbe  ae« 
lemn  and  beautiful  etfect  wbieb  I 
had  heard  ascribed  to  this  woodland 
worship.  It  is  certain  tbat  tbe 
combined  voices  of  sach  a  miilli* 
tilde,  heard  at  dead  of  nigbt, 
the  depths  of  their  eternal 
the  many  fair  yonng  foces 
upward,  and  looking  paler  and 
lovelier  as  they  met  tlie  moen^ 
beams,  the  dark  figures  of  the  of*' 
ficials  in  the  middle  of  the  ondep 
the  lurid  glare  thrown  hf  the 
altar-fires  on  the  woods  bejeikdj 
did  altogether  produce  a  fine  md 
solemn  efiect,  that  I  sfanll  net 
easily  forget ;  but  ere  I  lud  wdl 
enjoyed  it,  the  scene  changedj 
and  sublimity  gave  piaoe  to  * 
and  diigusti 


MANNERS,  CUSTOMS,  &c. 


"  the  Revival,"  but  the  result  wan 
very  diSerent;  for,  inatead  of  the 
few  h^t«rical  women  who  h&d 
distinguished  themselves  on  that 
occaaioti,  abore  a  hundred  mrsone, 
nearly  all  females,  came  rorward, 
littering  bowlings  and  groans,  m 
terrible  that  I  shall  never  cease  to 
shudder  when  1  recall  them.  They 
appeared  to  drag  each  other  for- 
ward, and  on  the  word  being  given, 
"  let  us  pray,"  they  all  fell  on 
their  knees  )  but  this  posture  was 
soon  changed  for  others  that  per- 
mitted greater  scope  for  the  con- 
vulsive movements  of  their  limbs  ; 
and  they  wers  soon  all  lying  on 
the  ground  in  an  indesoribable 
confusion  of  heads  and  legs.  Thev 
threw  about  their  limbs  with  suoh 
incessant  and  violent  motion,  that 
I  was  every  instant  expecting 
some  serious  accident  to  occur. 

But  how  am  I  to  describe  the 
sounds  that  proceeded  from  this 
strange  mass  of  human  beings  f  I 
Itnotv  no  words  which  can  convey 
an  idea  of  it.  Hysterical  sobbing*, 
convulsive  groans,  shpelis  «nd 
screams  the  most  amialling,  burst 
forth  on  all  sides.  T  felt  sick  with 
horror.  Asif theirhoarseandover- 
strained  voices  failed  to  make  noise 
enough,  they  soon  began  to  clap 
their  hands  violently.  ITie  sc«ne 
described  by  Dante  was  before 
me; — 
"  Quivi  sospiri,  pianii,  edRlti  guai 

Risonavan  per  I'aere 

Orribili  favelle 

Parole  di  (loloce,  accenli  d'ira 
Vocialti  e  6oclie,etuon  di  man  am  tile." 

Many  of  these  wretched  creatures 
were  beautiful  young  females.  The 
preachers  moved  about  among 
them,  at  once  exciting  and  sooth- 
ing tlieir  agonies.  I  heard  the 
muttered  "  Sister !  dear  sister ! " 


I  saw  the  insidious  lips  approach 
the  cheeks  of  the  unhappy  girls ; 
I  heard  the  murmured  confessions 
of  the  poor  victims,  and  J  watched 
their  tormentors,  breathing  into 
tlieir  cars  consolations  that  tinged 
the  pale  cheek  with  red.  Had  I 
been  a  man,  I  am  sure  I  should 
have  been  guilty  of  some  rash  act 
of  interference ;  nor  do  1  believe 
that  such  a  scene  could  hiive  been 
acted  in  the  presence  of  English- 
men without  instant  punishment 
lieiug  indicted;  not  to  mention  the 
salutary  discipline  of  the  tread- 
mill, which,  beyond  ell  ijuestion, 
would,  in  England,  have  been  a|>- 
plicd  to  check  so  turbulent  and  so 

After  the  first  wild  burst  that 
followed  their  prostration,  the 
moaninRS,  in  many  instances,  be- 
uime  loudlv  articulate;  and  I  then 
exiieriencea  a  strange  vibration  be- 
tween tragic  and  comic  feeling. 

A  very  pretty  girl,  who  was 
kneeling  in  theattitudeof  Canova's 
Magdalene  immediately  before  us, 
amongst  an  immense  quantity  (^ 
jargon,  broke  out  thus:  "Woe! 
woe  to  the  backsliders  I  hear  it, 
hear  it  Jesus  !  when  I  was  fifteen 
my  mother  died,  and  I  bockslided, 
oh  Jesus,  t  backslided  1  take  me 
home  to  my  mother,  Jesus !  take 
nie  home  to  her,  for  I  am  weary  ! 
Oh  John  Mitchel !  John  Mitchel !" 
and  after  sobbing  piteously  behind 
her  raised  hands,  she  lifted  her 
sweet  face  again,  which  was  as  pale 
aa  death,  and  said,  "  Shall  I  sit  on 
the  sunny  bank  of  salvation  with 
my  mother,  my  own  dear  mother? 
oh  Jesus,  take  me  home,  take  me 

Whocouldrefuseateartothisear- 
nest  wish  for  death  of  one  so  lovely  ? 
But  I  saw  her,  ere  I  left  the  ground, 
with  her  hand  fast  lucked,  and  her 
head  supported   by  a  man  wbo 


44*       ANNUAL    REGISTER,   1831. 


luoked  very  much  as  Don  Juan 
might,  wheu  sent  back  to  earth 
as  too  bad  for  the  regions  be- 
low. 

One  woman  near  us  continued 
to  "call  on  the  Lord/'  as  it  is 
termed^  in  the  loudest  possible 
tone,  and  without  a  moment's  in- 
terval, for  the  two  hours  that  we 
kept  our  dreadful  station.  She 
Ijecamc  frightfully  hoarse,  and  her 
face  80  red  as  to  make  me  expect 
she  Mould  burst  a  blood-vessel. 
Among  the  rest  of  her  rant^  she 
said  ''  I  will  hold  fast  to  Jesus,  I 
never  will  let  him  go  ;  if  they  take 
me  to  hell,  I  will  still  hold  him 
fast,  fast,  fast !  " 

The  stunning  noise  was  somc« 
times  varied  by  the  preachers  be- 
ginning to  sing ;  but  the  convul- 
sive movements  of  the  poor  ma- 
niacs only  became  more  violent. 
At  length  the  atrocious  wicked- 
ness of  this  horrible  scene  increased 
to  a  degree  of  grossness,  that  drove 
us  from  our  station  -,  we  returned  to 
the  carriage  at  about  three  o'clock 
in  the  mornings  and  passed  the  re- 
mainder of  the  night  in  listening 
to  the  ever  increasing  tumult  at 


the  pen.  To  sleep  was  imposaible. 
At  day-break  the  born  agaio 
soundeu,  to  send  them  to  prirate 
devotion;  and  in  about  an  hour 
afterwards  I  saw  the  whole  camp 
as  joyously  and  eagerly  employed 
in  preparing  and  devouring  their 
most  substantial  breakiasta  as  if 
the  night  had  been  passed  in 
dancing;  and  I  marked  many  a 
fair  but  pale  faoe^  that  I  reocig- 
nized  as  a  demoniac  of  the  niffhti 
simpering  beside  a  swain^  to  whom 
she  carefully  administered  hoi 
coffee  and  eggs.  The  preaching 
saint  and  the  howling  sinner 
seemed  alike  to  relish  this  mode  of 
recruiting  their  strength. 

After  enjoying  abundance  of 
strong  tea^  which  proved  a  delight- 
ful restorative  after  a  niffht  bo 
strangely  spent,  I  wandered  alone 
into  the  forest^  and  I  never  remem- 
ber to  have  found  perfect  quiet 
more  delightful. 

We  soon  after  left  the  ground  * 
but  before  our  departure  we  learnt 
that  a  very  satisfactory  collection 
had  been  made  by  the  preachera 
for  Bibles^  Tracts,  and  all  other  rv- 
ligious  purposes. 


(    445    ) 


THE    ARTS. 


The    Lif«-Buoy 


IN     USE     IN     THE     NaTT. 


[Froirt  Capt.  Halts  Fragmenlf  nf  Voyages  avd  Traveh.l 


The  life-buoy  at  present  in  use 
nil  Iwiartl  his  majesty's  ships,  and, 
I  supiwse,  ID  alt  Indianiea,  as  well 
as,  1  trust,  in  most  merchant-ships, 
consists  of  two  liollow  copper  ves- 
sels connected  togetlier,  each  about 
as  large  as  an  ordinary-sized  pillow, 
and  of  buoyancy  and  capacity  suf- 
ficient to  support  one  man  stand- 
ing  upon  them.  Should  there  be 
more  than  one  person  requiring 
support,  they  can  lay  hold  of  rope 
bcckets  littcd  to  the  buoy,  and  so 
sustain  themselves.  Bet^ceenthe 
two  copper  vessels  there  stands  up 
a  hollow  pole,  or  mast,  into  which 
is  inserted,  from  below,  an  iron 
rod,  whose  lower  extremity  is 
loaded  with  lead,  in  such  a  man- 
ner, that  when  the  buoy  is  let  go, 
the  ii-on  rod  slips  down  to  a  certain 
extent,  lengthens  the  lerer,  and 
enables  the  lead  at  the  end  to  act 
as  ballast.  B^  this  means  the 
mast  is  kept  upright,  and  the  buoy 
prevented  trom  upsetting.  The 
weight  at  the  end  of  the  rod  is 
arranged  so  as  to  afford  secure 
fitoting  for  two  persons,  should 
that  number  reach  it;  and  there 
ai-e  also,  as  I  said  before,  large 
rope  beckets  through  which  others 
can  thrust  their  head  and  shoul- 
ders, till  assistance  is  rendered. 

On  the  top  of  the  mnst  is  filled 
a  port-fire,  calculated  to  burn,  I 


thiuli,  twenty  minutes,  or  halF-an- 
hour;  this  is  ignited  most  inge- 
niously by  the  same  process  whkh 
lets  the  buoy  fall  into  the  water- 
So  that  a  man  falling  overboard  at 
night,  is  directed  to  the  buoy  by 
the  blaze  on  tlic  top  of  its  pole  or 
mast,  and  the  boat  sent  to  rescue 
him  also  knows  in  what  direction 
to  pull.  Even  supposing,  how- 
ever, the  man  not  to  have  gained 
the  life-buoy,  it  is  clear  that,  if 
above  the  surface  at  all,  he  nuist 
be  somewhere  in  that  neighbour- 
hood i  and  if  he  shall  have  gone 
down,  it  is  still  some  satisfaction, 
by  recovering  the  buoy,  to.  as- 
certain chat  the  poor  wretch  is 
not  left  to  perish  by  inches. 

The  method  by  which  this  ex- 
cellent invention  is  attached  to  the 
ship,  and  dropped  into  the  water 
in  a  single  instant,  is,  perhaps,  not 
the  least  ingenious  part  of  the  con- 
trivance. The  buoy  is  generally 
fixed  amidships  over  the  stern, 
where  it  is  held  securely  in  its 
place  by  being  strung,  or  thread- 
ed, as  It  were,  on  two  strong  per- 
pendicular iron  rods  fised  to  the 
tafF-rail,  and  inserted  in  holes 
piercing  the  franie-ivort  of  the 
buoy.  The  apparatus  is  kept  in 
its  place  by  what  is  called  a  slip- 
stopper,  a  sort  of  catch-bolt,  which 
can  be  unlocked  at  pleasure,  by 


446       ANNUAL    REGISTER,  1831. 


merely  pulling  a  trigger.  Upon 
withdrawing  the  stopper,  the 
whole  machine  slips  along  the 
rods^  and  falls  at  once  into  the 
ship's  wake.  The  trigger,  which 
unlocks  the  slip-stopper,  is  fur- 
nished with  a  lanyard^  passing 
through  a  hole  in  the  stern^  and 
having  at  its  inner  end  a  large 
knob,  marked  "Life-Buoy  ;"  this 
alone  is  used  in  the  daytime. 
Close  at  hand  is  another  wooden 
knob,  marked  "hock"  fastened 
to  the  end  of  a  line  fixed  to  the 
trigger  of  a  gun-lock,  primed  with 
powder;  and  so  arranged,  that 
when  the  line  is  pulled,  the  port- 
fire is  instantly  ignited,  while,  at 
the  same  moment,  the  life-buoy 
descends,  and  floats  merrily  away, 
blazing  like  a  light-house.  It 
would  surely  be  an  improvement 


to  have  both  these  operations  al- 
ways performed  simultaneouslyy 
that  is,  by  one  pull  of  the  string. 
The  port-fire  would  thus  be  light- 
ed in  every  cata  of  letting  go  the 
buoy  J  and  I  suspect  the  smoke 
in  the  daytime  would  often  be  as 
useful  in  guiding  the  boat,  as  the 
blaze  always  is  at  night«  The 
gunner  who  has  charffe  of  the  life- 
buoy lock.  Bees  it  freuily  and  care- 
fully primed  every  evening  at 
quarters,  of  which  lie  makes  a  re- 
port to  the  captain.  In  the  morn^ 
ing  the  priming  is  taken  out,-  and 
the  lock  uncodfed.  During  the 
ni^ht  a  man  is  always  stationed  at 
this  part  of  the  ship,  iind  every 
half  hour,  when  the  bell  strikeSs 
he  calls  out  1'  Life-buoy  I**  to 
show  that  he  is  awake  ana  at  his 
post. 


PATENTS. 


D.  Papps,  Stanley  End,  in  the  parish 
of  King  Stanley,  oo.  Gloucester,  machine 
maker,  for  certain  improvementis  in  ma- 
chinery for  dressing  or  roughing  nroollcn 
cloths. 

W,  Wood,  Summer  Hill,  Northum- 
berland, near  Newcastle-upon-Tyne,  for 
Uie  application  of  a  battering-ram  to  the 
purpose  of  working  coal  in  mines. 

M.  E.  A.  Pertius,  No.  56,  Rue  du  Bac, 
Paris,  spinster,  for  the  fabrication  or 
preparation  of  a  coal  fitted  for  refining 
and  purifying  sugar  and  other  matters 
(communicated  by  a  foreigner). 

J.  Ferrabee,  Thnipp  mill  and  foundry, 
in  the  parish  of  Stroud,  co.  Gloucester, 
engineer,  for  improvements  in  the  ma- 
chinery for  preparing  the  pile  or  face 
of  woollen  or  other  cloths  requiring  such 
a  process. 

J.  Black  well  and  T.  Alcock,  both  of 
Claines,  'co.  Worcester,  machine  makers, 
and  lace  or  bobbin-net  manufacturers, 
for  certain  improvements  in  machines 
or  machinery  for  making  lace,  commonly 
called  bobhin-net. 

S.  Seawaid,  of  the  canal  iron  works, 


in  the  parish  of  All  Saints,  FopUtf.  MM« 
dlesex,  engineer,  for  an  imprevemsnt 
or  improvementa  in  apparatus  for  eeono- 
mising  sieam  and  for  other  parponit 
and  the  application  thereof  to  the  bollcn 
of  steam-engines  employed  on  boud 
packet-boats  and  other  vessels.  . 

W,  Parker,  Albany-atreet,  Regenfte 
Phrk,  Middlesex,  gent,  foroertain  Im- 
provements in  prejMring  animal  elwr- 
coal. 

J.  and  G.  Rodgers,  Sheffield.  Ywks 
cutlers ;  and  T.  Fellows,  jun.  of  Nev 
Cross,  Deptfbrd,  Kent,  gent,  for  aa  Ibh 
proved  skate. 

A.  Smith,  Princes-street.  Leicaataiv 
square,  in  the  parish  of  St  MartinV-in- 
the  Fields,  Miadlesex,  engineer,  for  cer- 
tain improvements  in  maohiiMrr  flu* 
propelling  boats  and  otber  tcioIi  on 
water,  and  in  the  manner  of  eonatraotp 
ing  boats  or  vessels  for  carrying  each 
machinery. 

J.  G.  Ulricb,  Nicholas-lane,  Londmia 
chronometer  maker,  forcertaln  Impiwa* 
ments  in  chronometers* 

C.  M.    Hannington,    Nelaoa-iqiiim^ ' 


PATENTS.  447 

Surrey,  gent,  for  an  improved  apparatus  Middlesex,  watch  and  clock  mak«r^  ior 

for  impressing,  stamping,  or  printing,  an  improved  pedometer  for  tbe  wAi^tcoat 

for  certain  purposes.  pocket,  upon  a  new  and  very  simple 

L.  Schwabe,   Manchester,    manufac-  construction, 

turer,  for  certain  processes  and  apparatus  J.  Grime,  the  younger.  Bury,  Lanca^ 

for  preparing,  beaming,  printing,  and  shirti  copper-plate  engraver,  for  a  cer- 

weaving  yarns  of  cotton,    linen,    silk,  tain  method  of  dissolving  snow  and  ice 

woollen,  and  other  fibrous  substances,  on  the  trams  or  railways,  in  order  that 

so  that  any  design,  device,  or  figure,  locomotive  steam -engines  and  carrii^s, 

printed  on  such  yarn,  may  be  preserved  and  other  carriages,  may  pass  over  raiU 

when  such  yarn  is  woven  into  cloth  or  roads  without  any  obstruction  or  impe- 

other  fabric.  diment  from  such  snow  or  ice. 

R.  Winch,    Gunpowder-Alley,   Shoe-  R.  Burgess,  I^orlhwick,  co.  Chester, 

lanc;  London,  printers' joiner,  for  certain  M.  D.  for  a  drink  for  the  cure,  preven* 

improvements  in  printing  machines.  tioo,  or  relief  of  gout^  grftvel^  and  other 

J.  Bates,  Bishopsgate-street- within*  diseases,  which  maybe  also  applied  to 

London,  esq.  for  certain  improvements  other  purposes. 

in  refining  and  clarifying  sugar  (commu*  S.  Dunn,  Southampton,  engineer,  for 

nicated  by  a  foreigner).  certain  improvements  in,  or  a  method 

J.  C.  Schwieso,  Regent<8treet,  Mid-  of,  generating  steani. 

dlesex,  musical  instrument  maker,  for  R.  Trevithick,  St,  Aith,  Cornwall,  ibr 

certain    improvements   on  piano-fortes  an  improved  stcam-engine, 

and  other  stringed  instruments.  R.  Trevithick,  St.  Aith,  Cornwall,  for 

W.  Sumner,  Hose,  co.  Leicester,  lace  a  method  or  apparatus  for  heating  apart- 

maker,    for   certain    improvements    in  ments. 

machinery  for  making  lace,  commonly  W.  Sneath,  Ison  Green,  Nottingham- 
called  bobbin-net.  shire,  lace-maker,  for  certain  improve- 

G.  G.  Gardner,  New  York,  but  now  ments  in,  or  additions  to,  machinery 

residing  at  Threadneedle-street,  London,  for  making,    figuring,  or  ornamenting 

gent,  for  an  improved  roving  machine  lace  or  net^  and  such  other  articles  to 

(communicated  by  a  foreigner).  which  the  said  machinery  may  be  appli- 

VV.  W.  Richards,    Birmingham,    co.  cable* 

Warwick,  gun  maker,  for  certain  im-  R.  Abbey,  Walthamstow,  Essex,  gent. 

provements  in  the  touch-holes  and  pri-  for  a  new  mode  of  preparing  the  leaf  of 

mers,  suitable  to  percussion-guns,  pistols,  a  British  plant,   for  the  producing  a 

and  all  sorts  of  fire-arms  fired  upon  that  healthy  beverage  by  infusion, 

principle.  W.  Furnivals,  Wharton,  co.  Chester, 

J.  Gunby,  George-street  Sand  Pitts,  esq.  for  certain  improvements  in  eva- 

Birmingham,  artist,    for  an  improved  porating  brine. 

method  or  methods  of  combining  glass  J.  Phillips,  Arnold,  Nottinghamshire, 

with  metal,  metals,  or  other  substances,  servant-man,  for  certain  improvements 

applicable  to  various  useful  and  orna-  on  bridles, 

mental  purposes.  R.  Williams,   College-wharf,   Belvi- 

C.   Guillotte,    Crispin-street,  Spital-  dere-road,  Lamt>eth,  Surrey,  engineer* 

fields,  Middlesex,  machine- maker,  for  for  certain  improvements  iu  steam-en- 

an  improvement  in  the  rack  applicable  gines. 

to  the  battons  of  looms,  or  machinery  D.   Seldon,    Liverpool,    I^uicashirej 

for  weaving  plain    or  figured    ribbons  merchant,  for  a  certain  improvement  or 

( partly  communicated  by  a  foreigner) ,  certain  improvements  In  mftchinery  used 

W.  Morgan,  York-terrace,  Regertt's  to  give  a  degree  of  consistency  to,  and 

Park,  esq.  for  certain  improvements  in  to  wind  on  to,  bobbins,  bftrrels,  or  spools, 

Kteam-engines.  rovings  of  cottonsi  and  the  like  fibrous 

J.  Thomson,  Spencer-street,  Goswell-  substances  (communicated  by  a  foreigpier). 

street-road,  Middlesex,  gent,  for  certain  D.  Napier,  Warren-street,    Fit^roy- 

improvements  in  making  or  producing  square,  engineer ;  and  J.  Napier  and 

printing  types.  W.  Napier,  of  Glasgow,  engineers,  for 

T.  Bailey,   I^icester,  co.  Leicester,  certain  improvements  in  machinery  ibr 

frame-smith,  and  C.  Baitey,  of  the  same  propelling  locomotive  carriages, 

place,  frame-smith,  for  certain  improve-  A,  Pellatt,  Falcon  Glass  Works,  Hol- 

ments  in  machinery  for  making  lace,  land-street,  Blackfriars-bridge,  Surrey, 

commonly  called  bobbin-net.         ^  glass    manufacturer,    for  an   improved 

W.  Payne,  New  Bond-street,  in  the  mode  of  forming  glass  vessels  and  uten- 

parish  of  St.  George,  Hanover-square,  sils  with  ornaroent(il  figured   pattema 


448       ANNUAL;  REGISTER,    1831. 


impressed  thereon  (partly  communicated 
by  a  foreigner). 

R.  Stephenson,  Newcastlc-upon-Tj-ne, 
Northumberland,  cni;inccr,  for  an  im- 
provement in  the  axlon  and  parts  which 
Ibf  m  the  bearings  at  the  centre  of  wheels 
for  carriages,  which  are  to  travel  upon 
edge- railways. 

\V.  Peekc,  Torquay,  parish  of  Torms- 
ham,  Devonshire,  shipwright,  and  T. 
IJammick,  of  the  same  place,  shipsmith^ 
for  certain  improvements  in  rudder- 
hangings  and  rudders  for  ships  or 
vessels. 

G.  \V.  Turner,  Bermondsey,  Surrey, 
paper-maker,  for  certain  improvements 
in  machinery  or  apparatus  for  making 
paper. 

P.  Phillips,  jun.  Bristol,  vinegar- 
maker,  for  certain  improvements  in 
manufacturing  sulphuric  acid,  commonly 
called  oil  of  vitriol. 

John  Potter  and  James  Potter, 
Spiodly,  near  Manchester,  spinners  and 
manufacturers,  for  certain  improvements 
in  machinery  or  apparatus  applicable  to 
the  spinning  or  twisting  of  cotton,  flax, 
silk,  wool,  and  other  fibrous  materials. 

a,  Royl,  Walsall,  Staflbrdshire,  white- 
smith, for  an  improved  method  of  mak- 
ing iron-pipes,  tube?,  or  cylinilcrs. 

James  Slater,  Salford,  co.  I^ncaster, 
bleacher,  for  certain  improvements  in 
the  method  of  generating  steam  or 
vapour  applicable  as  a  moving  power, 
and  to  arts  <ind  manufactures,  and  also 
for  improvements  in  vessels  or  machinery 
employed  for  that  purpose. 

Thomas  Coleman,  St.  Alban's,  in  the 
county  of  Hertford,  training  groom,  for 
an  improved  roller  for  horses. 

Andrew  Ure,  Fiusbury-circus,  in  the 
county  of  Middlesex,  M.  D.  for  an  im- 
proved apparatus  for  distilling. 

Thomas  IJrunton,  Park-squaro,  Re- 
gonl*8-park,  in  the  county  of  Middlesex, 
esq.  for  an  improvement  in  certain  ap- 
paratus rendering  the  same  applicable 
to  distilling  (communicated  by  a  fo- 
reigner). 

John  Wallace,  Leith,  brazier,  for  an 
improvement  or  improvements  upon  the 
safety-hearth  for  the  use  of  vessels. 

Thomas  Bruntot),  Park-square,  Re- 
gent's-park,  in  the  county  of  Middlesex, 
esq.  for  an  improvement  in  certain 
apparatus  rendering  the  same  applicable 
to  steam-engines  (communicated  by  a 
foreigner). 

Samuel  Morand,  Manchester,  in  the 
county  of  I^ancaster,  merchant,  for  an 
improved  stretching  machine. 

William  Rutherford,  jun.  Jedburgh, 


in  that  part  of  the  United  Kingdom 
called  ScotUind,  writer  and  bank  agent, 
for  a  combination  or  arrangement  of 
apparatus  or  mechanism  to  be  used  by 
itself,  or  applied  to  locks  and  oilier 
fastenings,  for  more  protecting  pro- 
perty. 

Thomas  BruntoB,  Park -square,  Re- 
gent*M-park,  in  the  county  of  Middlesex, 
esq.  for  an  improvement  in  eerttia 
'apparatus  rendering  the  same  applicable 
for  making  or  refining  sug^r  (commiuil- 
cated  by  a  foreigner). 

Thomas  Gaunt,  Chapman-atieets  Is- 
lington, in  the  county  of  Middlesex, 
gentleman ;  and  George  Frederick  Eck- 
stein, of  Holborn,  in  the  same  coontyf 
stove  and  grate  manufacturer,  for  an 
improved  fire-grate. 

William  Dixon,  Walsall,  in  tlie  oonnty 
of  Stafford,  brass-cock  founder,  for  an 
improvement  on  the  cock,  or  tap,  appli- 
cable to  fluids,  liquids,  and  gases  (com* 
municated  by  a  foreigner). 

Joshua  Taylor  Beale,  Cliurch-Iane, 
Whitechapel,  in  the  county  of  MiddleseXf 
engineer,  for  an  improvement  in  certain 
apparatus  for  separating  a  portion  of 
aqueous  vapour  from  the  vapour  of  al- 
cohol, in  the  process  of  distilling  and 
rectifying  spirituous  liquors. 

Gnorge  Stephenson,  Liverpool,  civil 
engineer,  for  an  improvement  in  the 
mode  of  constructing  wheels  ibr  railway 
carriages. 

William  Gutteridge,  of  the  parish  of 
St.  John,  Clerkenwell,  in  the  county  of 
Middlesex,  civil  engineer,  for  certain 
imurovements  in  apparatus  for  distilling 
and  other  purposes. 

Robert  Burton  Cooper,  BatterKa* 
fields,  in  the  county  of  Surrey,  esq.  for 
an  improvement  or  improvements  on  a 
cock,  or  tap,  applicable  to  fluids,  liquids, 
and  gases,  and  for  applj'ing  the  said 
improvement  or  improvements  to  other 
useful  purposes. 

Joshua  Proctor  Westhead,  Manches- 
ter, manufacturer,  for  certain  improve- 
ments in  the  manufacture  of  small  waies. 

Thomas  Knowles,  Charlton-roir,  in 
the  county  of  Lancaster,  cotton  spinner, 
for^  certain  improvements  in  certain 
machinery,  by  aid  of  which  machinery, 
machines  commonly  called  mules  are 
or  may  be  rendered  what  is  termed 
self-acting;  that  is  to  say,  certain 'im- 
provements in  certain  nuushinery,  by 
aid  of  which  machinery,  spinning-nu- 
chines,  commonly  called  mules,  are  or 
may  be  worked  by  power,  without  re- 
quiring the  usual  application  of  strength 
of  the  spinners,  to  give  motion  to^m 


. 


i 


PATENTS. 


handles  or  wbcds,  and  to  such  atber 
parts  of  mules  as  are  comiiiDnly  worked 
by  tbe  Gtrengtfi  of  the  spinners. 

Geotgi:  Barnard,  Bristol,  builder,  fur 
certaiu  iinjirovenieiiisin  lockis,  »adotber 
spring  faeicningB  for  doors,  and  other 
places. 

Thomas  WfiBtrup  and  William  Gib- 
bins,  both  of  Bromley,  in  tbe  county  of 
Middltsex,  gentlemen,  for impraTcments 
in  converting  salt  or  other  water  into 
pure  or  other  water. 

Richard  Wood,  New  York,  in  the 
Uilited  States  of  Americs,  but  now  of 
Bishopsgate-Htreet- without,  iu  the  city 
of  London,  for  an  inking  apparntus,  to 
be  used  with  certain  descriptions  of 
prinling-presses. 

Samuel  Habclay,  Birminghnm,  in  tlie 
county  of  Wnrwick,  steel  snuffer  and 
toy  mannfftclurer,  for  a  certain  improve- 
ment in  a  machine  to  bn  worked  by 
steam,  that  may  be  applied  for  the 
moving  n(  sbipi'  boats  and  barges  on  the 
water,  and  to  carriages,  either  on  the 
rood  or  tram-ways,  and  in  a  Bxed  posi- 
tion may  be  applied  to  all  tbe  purpoEca 
that  sleam  enipnes  are  now  used  for. 

Ricbard  Fell,  Fountain-yard,  Vnuxhall- 
bridge-road,  in  the  county  of  Middlesex, 
plumber,  for  improvements  in  machinery 
or  apparatus  for  raising  water,  and  in 
tbe  ap[ilication  thereof  to  certain  useful 
purposes- 
Nicolas  HegesippeMonicler,  6,  Union- 
toad,  Southwark,  lu  the  coanty  of  Surrey, 
chemist,  and  James  Collier,  Canal  Grove, 
New  Peckbam,  in  tbe  county  of  Kent, 
civil  engineer,  for  a  new  manufacture  of 
useful  products  from  a  certain  oleaginous 
substance. 

Samuel  Lambert,  Regent-street,  St. 
James's,  Westminster,  in  the  county  of 
Middlesex,  [;old  laceman,  for  an  im- 
provement in  throstle-spindles  for  spin- 
ning and  twisting  silk,  cotton,  wool,  dax, 
anaolljer  tibrous  substances. 

Thomas  Spinney,  Cheltenham,  in  the 
county  of  Gloucester,  gas  engineer,  far 
certain  improvements  in  apparatus  for 
manufecturing  gui>  for  illumination. 

John  Fearse,  Tavistock,  in  the  county 
of  Devon,  ironmonger,  for  certain  im- 
proveiueiits  on  wheeled  carriages,  and 
on  apparatus  to  be  used  therewith. 

Edward  Newman  Fourdrinier,  Uanley, 
in  the  parish  of  Stoke- up on'Tient,  in 
the  county  of  Statford,  paper-maker,  for 
a  certain  machine  foe  an  improved  mode 
of  cuttinR  paper. 

John  l.,ee  Stevens,  auctioneer,  and 
Peter  Waycott,  clock  and  irntch  maker, 
V0L.J.XXIII, 


Jacob  Perkins,  Fleet-street,  in  the  city 
of  London,  engineer,  lor  his  improve- 
ment on  his  former  patent,  dated  July 
2,  1631  i  making  the  same  applicable  to 
the  evaporating  and  boiling  of  fluids  for 
certain  purposes. 

Benjamin  Aingivorth,  in  the  parish  of 
Birmingham,  in  tbe  county  of  Warwick, 
button -maker,  for  an  improvement  in 
the  making  and  constructing  of  buttons. 
Jean  Jaques  Jaijuier,  Castle-slreet, 
Leicester- square,  in  tbe  county  of  Mid- 
dlesex, merciiant,  for  improvements  in 
the  machinery  for  making  paper  (com- 
municated by  a  foreigner). 

Harrison  Gray  Dynr,  Pan  too-square, 
in  the  county  of  Middlesex,  gentleman, 
for  an  improvement  in  tunnelling,  or 
method  of^  executing  subterraneous  ex- 
George  Forrester,  Vauxball  foundry, 
Liverpool,  in  the  county  of  Lancaster, 
civil  engineer,  for  certain  improvements 
in  wheels  for  carriages  and  machinery, 
which  improvement!  are  applicable  to 
other  purposes. 

William  Bickford,  Tuckiogwill,  in  the  - 
county  of  Cornwall,  leather-seller,  for 
his  invention  of  an  instrument  for  ig' 
niting  gunpowder,  when  used  in  the 
operation  of  blasting  rocks  and  in 
mining- 
George  Holivorlby  Palmer,  Manches- 
ter-street, Gray's  Inn-road,  civil  en- 
gineer, for  certain  improvements  in  the 
steam-engine,  boiler,  and  apparatus,  or 
machinery  connected  therewith,  applic- 
able to  propelling  vessels,  carriages, 
and  otlier  purposes. 

James  Neville,  Great  Dover-road,  in 
tbe  county  of  Surrey,  engineer,  for  his 
improved  apparatus  for  clarifying  water 
and  otlier  Quids. 

John  Potts,  Ricliaid  Oliver,  and  Wil- 
liam Waiuwright  Potts,  all  of  NewMills, 
in  the  connty  of  Derby,  engravers,  for 


uved  method  0 


process 


of  ob- 


taining impressions  from  engravings  ii 
various  colours,  and  applying  tbe  same 
to  earthenware,  porcelain,  ehina,  glass, 
and  other  similar  substances. 

Sampson  Mordant,  Castle-street  East, 
Finebury,  in  the  county  of  Middlesex, 
engineer,  and  William  Brockedon  of 
Devonshire-street,  Queen-square,  of  tbe 
same  county,  esq.,  for  certain  improve- 
ments in  the  con.^lruclion  of  writing- 
pens  and  penholders,  in  tbe  method  of 
using  them. 

S  G 


460      ANNUAL   REGISTER,   1831. 


Mftrk  C«ftndbRD,  Islf!  of  Afan,  etq.  for 
certain  improyeaipnU  in  appamtui, 
modes,  or  process  for  convertinjj^  wa  or 
stit  vmter,  and  also  other  UrackiKb,  tar- 
bid,  or  impure  imters,  into  puri6ed  or 
fresh  water ;  which  apparatos,  modes,  or 
prooesMs,  or  parts  thereof,  may  be  ap- 
plied to  other  purpOHes. 

Samuel  Crosiey,  of  Cottage-Jane,  City- 
fpad,  in  the  county  ot  Middlesex,  gas 
ippter  manufacturer,  for  an  improved 
gas  meter- 

.  Daniel  Dunsoomb  Bradford,  a  citizen 
of  the  United  States  of  North  America, 
but  now  residinff  in  Dorset^place  in  the 
pacish  of  St.  Maryleboue,  in  Uie  county 
of  Middlesex,  for  an  invention  of  certain 
improvements  in  lamps  (communicated 
bv  Solomon  Andrews,  residinii:  at  Amboy, 
New  Jersey,  in  th«  said  United  States  of 
North  America). 

Peter  Young,  Penohurch-street,  in  the 
city  uf  Tendon,  rope  and  sail-maker,  for 
an  invention  of  a  new  mode  of  maimfac- 
tiirin^  roangcl^wursel,  for  the  purpo&e  of 
producing  various  known  articles  of  com- 
merce (communicated  by  a  foreigner). 
..John  Christopher,  of  New  Bond- 
street,  in  the  city  of  I^ndon,  merchant, 
for  an  improvement  in  clothes- buttons. 

William  Drake,  Bedminster,  near  the 
city  of  Bristol,  tanner,  for  an  improve- 
ment or  improvements  in  tazining  hides 
apd  skins. 

George  Low,  Brick-lane,  i  the  parish 
of  St.  Luke's,  Old-street,  in  the  county 
of  Middlesex,  civil  engiueer,  for  an  im- 
provement or  improvements  in,  and  con- 
nected with,  the  manufacture  of  gas  for 
illumination. 

Wlllian^  Hale,  Colchester,  in  the 
county  of  Essex,  machinist,  for  im- 
provements in  machinery,  or  apparatus 
for  propelling  vessels,  which  improve- 
ments are  also  applicable  for  raising  or 
forcing  fluids. 

.  William  Ainsworth  Jump,  Marston,in 
the  county  of  Chester,  gentleman,  fur 
certain  improvements  in  drawing  or  ex- 
tracting salt  from  salt-pans. 

John  Smith  and  William  Dolier,  both 
of  Liverpool,  gentlemen,  for  a  durable 
ropy-book,  or  writing- tablet,  and  im- 
proved delible  ink,  to  be  used  there- 
with. 

'John  Cowderoy,  Britannia-street,  Hox- 
tbn  New-road,  in  the  county  of  Middle- 
vx,  gentleman,  for  certain  improve- 
ments in  machinery,  or  apparatus  to  be 
used  in  the  process  of  making  or  munn- 
facturing  bread  and  biscuits. 

Thomas  Henry  Pollard,  Park-street, 


Oroivenor-tquare,  m  tlie  odvn^of  Mi4* 
dlesex,  estate  and  home  agent,  for  eer* 
tain  improvements  in  ehimaejfs,  bj  the 
application  of  a  mAcbanical  ap|wimtiiias 
a  8moke«iConductor. 

William  Godfiwy  Knclier,  Hftdcaey. 
in  the  county  of  Middlesex,  esq^  mr 
certain  inproTeiBeati  on  adllty  4Mr«jp^- 
ratus  for  distilling. 

Jacob  Perkins.  Fleet-street,  in  the 
city  of  London,  engineer,  for  improve- 
ments in  generating  steam. 

Baran  Cbaries  Wetleraiedt,  While- 
chapel-road,  in  the  oonnty  of  Mlddlaiev, 
for  a  com  position  or  combinatioQ  of  mmr- 
terials  for  sheathing,  painting,  or  pre- 
serviog  sliip  bottoms,  and  for  other  par- 
poses. 

Ro'oert  Hicks,  Wtmpole-etreet,  in  tfae 
county  of  Middlesex,  aargeoo,  for  oer^ 
tain  improvementa  in  culinaiy  appep 
ratus. 

Adolphe  Jacquesson,  Leicester-squtre, 
in  the  county  of  Middlesex,  eaq^  Ibr 
certain  improvements  in  machinery  ap- 
plicable to  lithographic  and  other  print- 
ing (communicated  by  a  foreigner). 

Richard  Prosser,  Birmingham,  in  tiie 
county  of  Warwick,  civil  engineer,  for 
certain  improvements  in  mannfiicturing 
nails  or  tacks,  for  ornamenting  lioue 
and  articles  of  furniture. 

John  Milne,  Shaw,  in  tlie  pariih  of 
Oldham,  in  the  county  of  LancHler, 
cotton  spinner,  for  improvementi  on 
certain  instruments  or  machinea,  com- 
monly called  roving-frames,  and  dnb- 
bing-frames.  used  for  preparing  eotton 
wool  for  spinning. 

Moses  Poole,  Lincoln's  Inn,  in  the 
county  of  Middlesex,  gentleman,  for 
certain  improvements  in  steam-eogines, 
and  iu  propelling  boats  and  other  float- 
ing bodies,  parts  of  which  improvenenti 
are  applicable  to  other  purposes  (com- 
municated by  a  foreigner). 

Augustus  Demondion,  Old  Fisb««treet 
Hill,  in  the  city  of  London,  for  certain 
improvements  on  guns,  mmketa,  and 
other  fire-arms,  and  in  cartridges  to  lie 
used  therewith,  and  method  of  priming 
the  same :  and  in  the  machiuerr  for 
making  the  said  guns,  muskets,  and  fire- 
arms ;  also  the  cartridges  and  priming  } 
which  improvements  are  also  applicable 
to  other  purposes  (communicated  by  a 
foreigner). 

James  Pycroft,  Rolleston,  near  Bur- 
ton-on-Trent,  Staflbrdshire,  gentlemaQ, 
for  cortain  improvements  connected  vilh 
{{rates  and  other  Hre-places. 

Sampson  Mordan,  Castle  street  Sast» 


PATENTS. 


401 


ninbnr;,  io  the  cDunt;r  of  Middlenei. 
en^DMi,  far  c«rUin  improvruients  in 
wntipg  and  drftwiug-pens  KnJ  petiliold- 
en,  aod  m  the  melbad  of  uaing  tl<f  m. 

WilliBm  Batten,  Roclieater,  in  the 
county  of  Kent,  gentleman,  for  an  appa- 
ratut  far  cliecking  or  itQpping  chaiB 
ckblei,  tvliicli  appaiatuB  may  be  applied 
to  otbtr  purpoiea, 

John  lie  Bur^b,  marquis  of  Clanri- 
cacde,  for  certain  improTemenis  in  lire- 
arina,  and  in  the  projectilei^  to  be  ujed 
therewith  ]commuiiicated  by  aforeijtnar), 
.  WIlliJiDi  Allen,  Cuthafioe-Et^  Strand, 
in  th*  county  of  MiddleMx,  piano-forte 
maker,  tor  certain  impravementa  upon 
piano-forteB. 

Heuty  Lister  Maw,  South  Mollun- 
atreet,  in  tlie  county  of  Middlesex,  lieu- 
tenant In  our  lajfHl  navy,  for  an  improved 
method   of  using  fuel  eu  as   to  burn 

Joba  Bauce,  MoEcov-cottagei!,  Bay»- 
water,  in  tlie  parish  of  Paddiogtoo,  and 
couQtf  of  Miiidleiiei,  geatlemau,  for  an 
improvemeat  in  ^e  conatruction  of  heads 
or  booda  far  cabriolets,  giga,  or  other 
open  carriages,  whereof  the  heads  or 
hoods  are  required  to  fold  down  behind 
tlie  back  of  the  seat  when  out  of  use 
(communicated  by  a  foreigner). 

John  Young,  WolTerbamplon,  in  the 
county  of  Stafford,  locksmith,  (or  cer- 
tain improvements  on  lochs  and  latches, 
with  regard  to  the  security  of  the  same, 
and  the  construction  of  the  interior  and 
exterior  parts  thereof. 

Marmaduke  Robinson,  Great  George- 
street,  in  the  city  of  Westminster,  navy 
agent,  on  behalf  of  William  Augustus 
Archball,  esq.,  a  lieu'tenaut  in  the  royal 
navy,  at  present  residing  at  Louisiana, 
in  the  United  Slates  of  America,  for  cer- 

purifying  of  sugars  (communicated  by 
the  said  William  Augustus  Arch- 
ball,  esi).). 

William  Church,  Hey  wood- house, 
Bordsley-green,  Birmingham,  in  the 
county  of  Warwick,  gentleman,  for  cer- 
uin  improvements  in  machinery  for 
making  nails. 

Aiigier  March  Perkins,  Harper-street, 
in  the  county  of  Middlesex,  civil  en- 
gineer, for  certain  improvements  in  the 
apparatus  or  method  of  heating  air  in 
buildings,  heatingandevapoiatingSuids, 
and  heating  metals. 

Sir  James  Caleb  Anderson,  Bultevant 
Castle,  in  the  county  of  Cork,  Ireland, 
baronet,  for  certain  improved  machinery 
tor  propelling  vessels  on  water,  which 


machinery  is  applicable  to  oilier  useful 
purposes. 

John  Halt,  the  younger,  Dartford,  in 
the  coupty  of  Kent,  engineer,  for  an  im- 
provement in  nuchinery  used  in  the  ma- 
nufacture of  paper  (commnuicnted  by  a 
foreigner). 

Jean  Marie  Etienne  Atdit,  Newman, 
street,  Oxford -ate eet,  in  the  county  uf 
Middlesex,  printer,  fur  a  macliine  or 
apiiaiBlus  for  drawing,,  and  for  capyioR 
and  reducing  drawings  aad  other  ob- 
jects or  Bubjccls,  and  fcr  taking  panora- 
mas (cummunicaled  by  a  foreigner). 

Alexander  Caubraae,  Norton -street. 
Great  Portland- street,  m  the  county  of 
Middlesex,  etq.,  for  certain  improve- 
ments in  machinery  for  propelling  or 
moving  locomotive  carriages,  and  giving 
motion  to  milU  and  other  machtDery- 

Wllliara  Mason,  Margaret-atreet,  Ca- 
vend ish- square  in  the  county  i  f  Middle- 
spic,  patent  axle-tree  maker,  for  cerliiiii 
improvements  in  the  conatriiction  of 
wheeled  carriages. 

David  Selden,  Uverpool,  in  the  county 
Palatine  of  lAncaster,  merchant,  for  cer- 
tain impiDvements  io  metallic  mills  for 
grinding  coffee,  corn,  drugs,  paints,  and 
various  other  materials  (commuolcaled 
by  a  foreisnen. 

Augustus  Whiting  Gillet,  Blrmmg- 
bam,  in  the  county  of  Warwick,  mer- 
chant, for  a  new  or  improved  machine, 
or  instrument,  to  measure,  beat,  and 
give  the  accents  in  all  the  different 
moods  of  time,  with  any  degree  of  ve- 
locity required,  applicable  to  the  teach- 
ing of  mtuiic  (communicated  by  a  fo- 
reigner). 

Andrew  Ure,  of  Finsbury-square,  m 
the  parish  of  St.  Luke's  in  the  county  of 
Middlesex,  doctor  in  medicine,  for  an 
improved  apparatus  for  evaporating  sy- 
rups and  saccharine  juices. 

William  Bingham,  St.  Mary- hall,  esq., 
and  William  Dupe,  gunmaker,  both  of 
Oxford,  for  certain  improvements  on 
lire-arms  of  different  descriptions. 

Henry  Hope  Wemick,  of  North-ter- 
race, Camberwcll,  in  the  county  of  Sur- 
rey, gentleman,  for  improvements  on 
apparatus  or  methods  for  preserving 
lives  of  persons  and  property  when  in 
danger  by  sliipwreck,  by  speedily  con- 
verting boats,  or  small  vessels  oTordinary 
description  into  life-boats,  and  other  ap- 
paratus or  means  applicable  Io  the  same 
objects  (communicated  by  a  fotrigneij. 
James  Lang,  of  Greenock,  Scotland, 
North  Britain,  flax-dresser,  liir  certain 
improvements  in  machinery  for  spresd- 
«  G  2 


452        ANNUAL    REGISTER,    1831. 


ing,  drawing,  roving,  or  spinning  flax, 
hemp,  and  other  fibrous  substances, 
dresned  or  undressed. 

Joseph  Gillot,  Birmingham,  in  the 
CO.  of  Warwick,  steel  pen-maker,  for  an 
improvement  in  the  making  or  manufac- 
turing of  metallic  penF. 

John  Myatt,  Tabernacle-walk,  Fins- 
hury-square,  in  the  co.  of  Middlesex, 
tailor,  for  his  invention  of  an  article  to 
be  worn  on  the  feet  as  a  substitute  for 

Ssttens  or  clogs,  which  he  denominates 
lyatt's  Health  Preserver. 
Oliver  St.  George,  Great  Cumberland- 
street,  in  the  co.  of  Middlesex,  esq.,  for 
certain  improvements  in  machinery  for 
acquiring  power  in  tides  or  currents 
(communicated  by  a  foreigner). 

Miles  Berry,  of  the  office  for  patents, 
66,  Chancery-lane,  in  the  parish  of  St. 


Andrew's,  Holbom,  in  the  co.  of  Mid* 
dlesex,  engineer  and  roechanieal  drmfb- 
man,  for  certain  improvemeots  in  the 
boilers,  or  generators  of  steam,  or  other 
vapour,  and  in  engines  to  be  worked  by 
steam  or  vapour,  for  propelling  or  actu- 
ating  machinery  on  land,  and  vessela,  or 
other  floating  bodies  on  water,  and  alio 
in  the  mode  of  condensing  such  steam  or 
vapour  (communicated  by  M.  Jean  Ni- 
cholas, Sen^chal,  Ingenieur  des  Fonts  et 
Chause  ,  residing  at  VersiUIles,  in 
Fran  ce 

John  Heathcoat,  Tiverton,  in  the  oo. 
of  Devon,  lace-manufocturer,  for  certain 
improvements  in  the  machinery  used  for 
making  of  bobbin,  or  twist  lace  net» 
whereby  not  and  other  fabrics  may  be 
produced. 


POETRY. 

PARENTAL  LOVE. 

[Fnm  Framlingham,  a  Poem,  by  Jamet  Btrd-I 

Oh  !  ye,  wlio  feel  that  dear  pareotal  glow. 
The  holiest  transport  of  the  soul  below  ! 
Ye,  who  have  watched  with  aasious  care  and  diitf 
A  daughter's  youth,  the  openiog  bud  of  beauty 
Spread  feir  aod  fairer,  while  the  heart  beat  high 
With  pride,  a  parent's  fund  infirmity, 
When  that  dear  child  is  as  an  augelleft 
To  glad  your  age,  of  aiany  joys  bereft. 
Say,  is  not  all  the  alluring  world  cau  give, 
The  hopes  long  perished,  and  the  hopes  that  lire. 
The  busy  day-dreams,  visions  of  the  night. 
The  pangs  of  woe,  the  raptures  of  delight. 
Are  they  not  all,  the  placid  and  the  wild, 
Lost  in  the  love  for  that  endearing  child  ? 


EVENING. 
[From  Ihe  Same^ 


Still  lingered  twilight  with  her  blush  serene, 
Still  hota  the  ramparts,  on  the  varied  scene 
Gazed  Schemyno  with  his  friends — ^the  landscape  bright 
Spread  far  beneath  them — vaJIeys  of  delight 
And  wood-crowned  hills  appeared — and  there  with  grace 
Huge  oaks,  the  loftiest  of  their  lofty  race. 
Reared  their  proud  heads  o'er  upland  and  o'er  vale : 
Records  of  ages  ! — the  inconstant  gale 
Greets,  in  its  pilgrimage  from  land  to  land 
No  forest-kings  so  beantifii],  so  grand ! 
And  Helen  felt  the  witchery  of  that  hour, 
To  which  deep  silence  gave  a  holier  power 
To  charm  the  heart,  for  e'en  the  stream  below 
So  softly  lapsed,  the  music  of  its  flow 
Woke  not  the  echoes  of  the  hills  around. 


NIGHT. 

IFrom  the  Same:} 

"Night! — thy  glittering  gems,  so  fiiir,. 

Are  smiling  mild,  and  bright  above  us  \ 
Thought  fonokes  the  world  of  care. 

And  fondly  flies  to  those  who  love  us  ! 
Solemn  Night ! — to  thee  belong 
The  holiest  spells  of  the  Poet's  song  I 


ANNUAL   REGISTER,   1831 

Id  thy  deep,  calnii  and  ulent  hour 

Springs  the  soul  on  heaven- ward  pinion. 

Aloft,  to  boundless  worlds  of  power. 
Far  above  proud  man's  dominion  ; 

Worlds,  to  wiiieh  kis  strength,  his  thought, 

Hopes,  fears,  and  passions  are  as  nought 

Night !  thy  planetary  host 

Sail  on  thy  blue  etfiereal  ooean^ 
Light  barques  upon  a  rockless  coast^ 

Gliding  with  unruffled  motion  ! 
Led  by  one  unerring  might. 
Wisdom  of  the  realms  of  light ! 

Grand  is  Night's  unheeded  time ! 

Sons  of  Earth  ! — awake  from  slumber ! 
Mark  the  trackless  orbs,  sublime 

bright  without  diang«j  or  «Miid«  or  number ! 
Types  of  a  page  which,  if  we  scan. 
How  great  is  Grod  I— -how  weak  is  Bfan ! 

And  when  thick  darkness  spreads  her  wings 
0*er  heaven,  and  land,  and  sea,  appalling, 

Wraps  in  deep  gloom  all  earthly  things. 
As  though  the  angry  skies  were  fauine ! 

Awe-struck,  the  soul  then  owns  the  might 

Of  power  unseen— the  infinite  I 

Oh !  thou,  who  spread'st  the  lofty  sky ! 

Of  whom  each  star  the  wisdom  tdleth. 
When  Night  reveab  the  worids  on  high, 

Above  whose  track  thy  glonr  dwelleth ! 
Oh  !  guide  us  by  thy  haDowed  iigfat. 
Our  sun  by  day — our  lamp  by  night  V* 


SPRING  HYMN. 

QFroMi  ike  Winier's  Wrtalh.    By  Dbjlta.] 

How  pleasant  is  the  opening  year ! 

The  clouds  of  winter  men  away ; 
The  flowers  in  beauty  re-appear  ; 

The  songsters  carol  from  the  spray ; 
Lengthens  the  more  refulgent  day. 

And  bluer  grows  the  arching  sky  3 
All  things  around  us  seem  to  say, 
. ''  Christian !  direct  thy  thou^^ts  on  high. 

In  daricness,  through  the  dreary  knglli 
Of  winter,  slept  both  hud  and  Vham  } 

But  nature  now  puts  forth  her  strength. 
And  d,  ae  fifon  (he  tomb  I 


P  O  E  T  R  V. 


Behold  an  emblem  of  thy  doom, 

O  Man  !  a  star  hath  shoae  to  sare. 
And  morninK  vet  shall  re-illume 

The  midnight  dtrknen  of  the  grave  t 
Yet  ponder  wuU  liow  theu  shall  lireak 

The  dawn  of  second  life  ou  thee — 
Shalt  thou  til  hope,  to  bli&s  »wake? 

Or  raialy  strive  God's  wrath  to  flee  ? 
Then  sfaall  pass  forth  the  dread  decree. 

That  makes  or  weal  or  woe  thy  own  ; 
Up  and  to  work — Eteruity 

Must  reap  the  harvest  lime  bath  sown. 


NAPLES :— THE  SONG  OF  THE  8YHEN. 

IFram  Ike  Same.    Si/  tSat.  HaiUNB.^ 
Still  is  tlw  Syren  vaAling  tm  Uiy  ikre. 
Bright  City  of  the  WkTeel— ber  mafic  wng 


Still  with  a  dreamy  eense  of  extasy 

Fills  tliy  soft  aumtner  air:  and  while  my  g] 

Dwells  on  thy  pictured  lovelinesi,  that  lay 


Floats  thus  o'ei  Fancy's  ear ;  and  thai  ta  tbee. 
Daughter  of  Suoabiiic !  doth  (he  Syren  dng : 
"  Thine  is  the  glad  wave's  duhing  pUy, 
Thine  is  the  laugh  of  the  goldeii  oiy. 
The  golden  day  and  the  glorious  night. 
And  the  vine  with  iti  chuten  all  buhed  In  light! 
Forget,  forget,  that  thou  art  not  free  I 
Queen  of  the  81 


"  Favoured  and  crowned  of  the  earth  and  the  sky ! 

Thine  are  all  voices  of  melody. 

Wandering  in  moonlight  through  fime  and  tower. 

Floating  o'er  fountain  and  myrtle  bower; 

Hark  !  now  they  melt  o'er  thy  glitleiiag  sea; 

Forget  that  thou  art  net  feee  1 
"  Let  the  wine  flow  In  thy  inttfUe  halhi ! 
Lot  the  lut«  answer  thy  fonntain  fiills  I 
And  deck  thy  beach  with  the  myrtle  boagh, 
And  cover  with  roaea  thy  giowisg  bfuv  ! 
Queen  of  the  day  and  the  mmmer  sea, 

Fwget  that  thou  art  uM  hee  1 " 
So  doth  the  Syren  sing,  while  aptiUing  waves  > 
Dance  to  ha  cfasunt.— Bat  itenily,  mauiiifiilly, 
O  city  of  the  deep,  from  Sybil  grata 
And  Roman  t<nafaa,  the  ecMca  M  thy  short 
Take  up  the  cadenoe  of  her  etiaiii  aloM 
Munnuring — "  TbouBFt  sot  free  1" 


456       ANNUAL   REGISTER,   183K 

YOUTH. 

[From  the  Same.     By  W.  Howitt.] 

Oh  !  beautiful  is  youth  ! 
How  often  as  it  passes  by 
With  flowing  limbs  and  flashing  eye. 
With  soul  that  not  a  care  has  cross'd, 
With  cheek  that  not  a  tint  has  lost ;— - 
How  often  in  my  heart  I  cry. 
How  beautiful  is  youth ! 

Sweet  youth  !  sweet  youth !  no  need 
Hast  thou  of  such  a  mould, 
Of  such  an  air  as  sculptors  old 

On  god  or  goddess  cast — that  thrilled. 
With  life,  with  thought,  with  beauty  filled  ! 
In  simplest  forms  thy  power  is  shown. 
Thou  sweet,  almighty  youth  ! 

Oh  generous  youth  !  thy  gifts 
How  freely  are  they  thrown ! 
What  humble  creature  has  not  known 
The  radiant  eye's  all-liquid  light. 
The  skin's  pure  freshness  soft  and  bright. 
The  glittering  locks,  the  joyous  tone  ? 
Oh  happy  !  happy  youth ! 

And  yet  thou  art  to  me 
A  melancholy  sound ! 
At  once  thy  name  doth  bring  around 
The  fairest  forms,  the  dearest  things, 
The  hours  that  took  the  spirit's  wings, 
Words — ^places — brightness  that  hath  found 
A  memory  sad  and  dark. 

Oh  youth !  had  I  no  hope 
To  share  thy  good  once  more, 
Methinks  I  should  despise  the  lore^ 
The  garner'd  thought,  the  wisdom  deep. 
In  which  dim  age  the  soul  would  steep. 
The  fruit  which  proves  the  flower  is  o'er — 

And  worship  thee  with  tears. 

ft 

But,  blessings  on  a  golden  faith  ! 
I  see  the  everlasting  hour 
When  back  thou  com'st  in  all  thy  power ; 
With  friends  and  freedom,  joy  and  gra' 
With  blessings  from  each  time  and  i      » 
Life,  lo--  and  thou  our  triple  dov 
^  happy  youth ! 


INDEX. 


[N.  B.    Tbe  Piguies  within  crotcbeu  (cfer  to  the  Iliitory.] 


RnivMr.,df>tb,33S 

■ct  of  the  Reform  Dili,  336 

>f  parliament,  list  of,  279 
icata  -  one  on  the  Ltverpool  and 
mrbester  railway,  32  ',  fouTteen 
rgona  drowced,  65  ;  n  man  caught 
B  mill  and  turned  round  for  about 
I  hour,  66 ;  colliBion  of  the  "Venu«'' 


tdi  killed  by  lightning,  TO;  nine 
lenona  killed  at  tbe  Colbrook  Vale 
iron-woriis,  76;  bursting  of «  Bteain< 
boiler  in  tbe  Cuetom-bouse,  Liver- 
pool, 102;  Magdalen  tower,  Oxford, 
Btruck  by  lightning,  103 ;  engineer 
nnd  firemen  killed  on  the  Bolton  rail' 
way,  110;  a  barge  rundown  by  tbe 
Pluto  steam-boat,  and  three  persons 
drowned,  120  ;  five  persona  drowned 
on  the  ThaiDee,  123;  loaa  of  the 
"Rolhsay  Castle''  steam-packet  and 
passengers,  129 ;  railway  accident, 
181  i  explosion  of  gunpowder  in  a 
laboratory  at  Gibraltar,  189 
Altborp,  lord,  hh  speech  on  the  Re- 
form Bill,  [aO] ;  hie  plan  of  the  bud- 
get, [125]  ;  his  character  of  the  ge- 
neral tendency  of  tbe  Relbrm  bill, 
[243] 
America  :  see  Brazil,  Canada,  Colmn- 

iia,  Mexico,  Peru,  United  Slafei, 
American  Society,  437  i  servants,  438 ; 

cam^meeting  described,  439 
Antiquities ;  relics  of  Caledonian  Abo- 
rigines found,  139 ;  ruins  of  an  an- 
cient city  (Palenqne)   discovered  in 
central  America,  168 
Antwerp,  riots  at,  [3SB]  ;    breach   of 
neutrality  on  the  part  of  the  Belgic 
troops,  [392 1 
Appleby,  borough  of.  Included  in  eche- 
oule  A,  by  mistake,  [166]  ;  counsel 
iwt  permitted  to   be   heard   in   its 
bvour,  tj.;  discuB^on  a«  to  its  being 
disfranchised,  [179] ;  m^ority  in  la* 
vour  of  that  measure,  [183] 
Army,  motion  brought  forward  by  mi- 
nisters to  increase  it,  [14C] ;  opposed 
by  Mr.   Hunt,  [147]  ;   but  carried, 
tl48] 
Arson,  tT       for,  3 
Aehton.       .T.  of  Hyde,  murder  o^  and 

Assaul      "  'of,  WiUiams  c.  Hall,  83 


Assiiea  pind  Sessions  :- 

Aglttbury  :  Wells  v.  Hood,  ^booting  a 
dog.  43 

Bnry  St.  Edmvad's:  W.  Offord,  murder, 
107 

Camiridge  :  W.  Smith,  G.  Baxter,  and 
W.  Markbam.  burglary,  104 

Covetilry  :  Mary  Ann  Higgiiis,  poison- 
ing her  uncle,  134 

DarAatH  :  T.  Clarke,  murder  of  Mary 
Ann  Westropp,  40  ^  S.  Marden, steal- 
ing a  fur  tippet,  ib. 

Dorchester:  J.  Nobbs,  attempt  to  poiaoji 
bis  infant  son,  lOG 

Ea»if  .-  T.  Reilty,  cutting  out  the 
tongues  of  L,  and  T.  Doyle.  105 

KiKgalim  :  James  Warner,  setting  Bre 
to  Mr.  Woak's  mill,  3 

Lancaster:  Enlwislle  v-  Norcliffe,  falte 
imprisonment,  46 ;  Moses  Femely, 
murdering  his  infitnt  stepson,  £4  ;  T- 
and  J.  Fulvey,  murder  of  C,  Burn, 
55  ;  A.  and  W.  Worrell,  ^tc.,  mur- 
der, &6 


Mealh  :  M.  Riley  and  C.  Courtney,  con- 
spiracy, 49 

Olil  Baileg:  R.  Carlile,  seditious  pub- 
lication, 18  ;  Mr.  St.  John  Long, 
causing  the  death  of  Mrs.  Lloyd  by 
Improper  medical  treatment,  34; 
Bishop,  Williams,  and  May,  murder, 
316. 

Salislifiry  :  C.  Giles,  muidering  bis  in- 
fant child,  S3 

Surrey:   Rev.  R.  Taylor,   blasphemy. 


farming  buildings,  44 

Yari :  Esther  Dyson,  deaf  and  dumb 
woman,  murdering  ber  infant,  59; 
the  King  i'.  Pearce,  See.,  nuisance  oc- 
casioned by  the  Stockton  and  Dar- 
lington railway,  63  :  D.  and  P.  Simp- 
son, sheep  stealing,  103 

Atlwood,  Mr.,  bis  speech  on  tbe  reform 
bill,  [70]  ;  considers  the  present  sys- 
tem of  representation  tatisfaclory  in 
operation  if  not  in  theory,  ib. ;  olyects 
to  the  new  one  as  tending  to  demo- 


INDEX. 


cy*  (7M  )  points  out  the  ill  eflects 
the  French  chambers,  172] 

jadoes,  dreadful  hurricane  at,  127 
barity,  atrocious  instance  of,  cutting 
ut  tiro  men's  tongues,  I0«> 
igium :  varioutt  caodidates  for  the 
rrown,  [373] ;  France  objects  to  the 
J)uke  of  I^uchtenbcrg,  [374]  ;  ar- 
^ments  agaiuKt  such  a  choice,  [377  J  i 
the  duke  of  Nemours  elected  after 
the  previous  refusal  iu  his  name, 
[378]  ;  the  congress  elects  a  regent, 
on  the  refusal  being  persisted  in, 
[379] ;  terms  of  separation  fntm  Hol- 
land arranged  by  the  conference  at 
London,  [380] ;  dissaiixfaction  of  tlie 
congress,  [384J;  the  regent  calls  upon 
the  duchy  of  Luxemburg  to  throw  off 
its  allegiance  to  Holland,  [387] ;  tu- 
mults of  the  iM)pulace  in  ditlerent 
places,  [388];  attempt  at  negocia- 
tions  with  the  Dutch  government, 
[392]  ;  hostilities  on  the  part  of  the 
Belgian  troops,  at  Antwerp,  ib>  ; 
prince  Leopold  elected  kin<(,  [396] ; 
he  accepts  the    crown,    [3i)9\ ;  new 

Sreliminaries  of  a  treaty  between 
ielgium  and  Holland,  ib. ;  arrival  of 
I^eopold,  [404]  ;  the  king  of  Holland 
commences  hostilities,  [405]  ;  the 
Belgians  routed,  (40()J  ;  they  receive 
assistance  from  France,  [407];  sus- 
pension of  hostiliticf:,  [410] ;  Leo- 
pold's speech  at  opening  of  congress, 
id. ;  new  conditions  proposed  bv  the 
conference,  [413] ;  treaty  concluded 
l)etwecn  Belgium  and  the  conference, 
against  which  the  king  of  Holland 
protests,  [415]  ;  protocols  and  docu- 
ments relative  to  the  separation  of 
Belgium  and  Holland,  361 ;  articles 
of  a  definitive  treaty  with  Holland, 
395 ;  speech  of  kins;  I^eopold  on  open- 
ing the  congress,  403 

Berry,  Sir  E.,  death,  228 

Bilderdijk,  Dutch  poet,  death,  261 

Birmingham  ;  St.  Peter's  Church  de- 
stroyed by  fire,  21 

Bishop,  Williams,  and  May,  trial  of,  for 
murder  for  the  purpose  of  selling  the 
bodies,  316;  cotifessions  of  the  two 
former,  327  ;  their  execution,  335 

Btandford,  riot  at,  164 

Blasphemy,  trial  of  the  Rev.  R.  Taylor 
for,  93 

Blood,  Mr.,  of  Applevale,  county  Clare, 
murder  of,  [29],  90 

Bolivar,  death  of,  [464],  217 

Bologna:    insurrection  at,   [452].    See 

Sorooghs}  (see  Refurm.)  Sir  K«  PeePs 


defence  of  close  boroughs,  [47]  ;  Mr. 
Pitt's  doctrine  respecting  diefxan- 
chising  boroughs,  [52]  ;  anomalies  in 
the  reform  bill  with  regard  to  the 
franchise  of  boroughs,  [61]  ;  discus- 
sions on  disfranchisement  of  Apple- 
by,  Downton,  &c.,  [US].  See  Par- 
finmenf, 

Brazil :  state  of  political  albira,  [460] ; 
dispute  between  the  two  chaabeia  of 
Congress,  [461];  Donna  Maris  esta- 
blished as  Queen  of  Portugal  at  Ala 
Janeiro,  [462]  ;  disturbaness  at  ditto 
ib.i  the  chamber  of  deputies  eom- 
plains  to  the  emperor,  tft. ;  the  latter 
abdicates  in  favour  of  his  soni  [463]; 
and  proceeds  with  his  daughter  to 
Europe,  i6. ;  the  chamber  appoints  a 
regency,  t6. ;  popular  tumufta,  [464] 

Bridge,  the  New  London,  eersBMHif  of 

.   opening,  116 

Bristol,  dreadful  riots  at»  occasloBad  by 
tlie  arrival  of  ur  C.  Wetherall,  the 
recorder,  [892],  17^ ;  the  uaa^an. 
house  plundered  and  burnt,  174  ; 
bishop's  paUce  buraty  176|  total 
amount  of  building^  dcstioysd,  1 6. 

Brown,  Mather,  artist,  death,  'Ml 

Brougham,  lord,  questions  the  right 
of  the  house  of  peers  to  inflict  fiaefor 
breach  of  privilege,  [110] 

Brunswick  :  accession  of  duks  William 
in  place  of  his  brother,  [430] 

Buchanan,  lieut.  coosmsnder  of  the 
Pluto  steam  boat,  court  martial  on, 
for  running  down  a  barge,  183 

Budget,  the,  [125] ;  proposed  rednetloa 
of  taxes,  i6.  ;  See  Ttuee**     ■ 

Buenos  Ay  res,  events  at,  [464] 

Burdett,  sir  F.  coouders  siaale  rppv«« 
sentation  the  better  mode,  [iM]} 
withdraws  from  the  National  Politiol 
Union,  296 

BurgUiry.  Mr.  Hill's  house  rdbbad  at 
Gartloch,  14 

Calcraft,  right  hon.  J^  soiddc  of»  166 ; 

account  of,  256 
Calais,   regulations  relative  tn  tssbciIi 

from  Scotland,  &(u  18S 
Cambridge,  attempt  by  a  studeat  to 

blow  up  the  letter  blox  at  tlie  |Mat 

oHice,  190 
Canada,  proposed  incresse  on  ckitv  of 

timber  from,  [136];  i usurious  eneta 

of  this  measure  to  that  ctAamj,  [137]  • 

increase  of  exports  to  it,  [136] 


Capo  d'Istrias,  President  of^Greeee, 

sassinated,  [459] ;  160 
Carlile,  Richard,  trial  of»  for  seditfon* 

18 

Carpenter«   W.«  crinioal  infiwinitioii 


a,  tbt  hit  iiUMbI  t*  «*ide  the 

>  ^tr  in  tke  publltttiM  of  bis 

thai  Letter."  74 

M.W.Holirc)l,dMtb,31B 

floa,  N.  T.  dMth,  S18 

it,  nwrqulo  of,  moTC*  that  tMMnts 

ill  be  Kdmitted  to  Tote  for  «oan- 

,  which  ii  carried,  [314) 

,    luptur*  between  the    Kugllih 

j>ry  and  the  netiYea,  ■!  CautoD, 

IMnham,  borough  or,  Inaecuncy  lu 
»  Ktani  of  ite  population,  [IB?} 
M«,  progrCBa  oE  la  In^s,  he., 
SS] ;  iu  lint  nppearance-  In  Eng- 
dd,  (399]  1  it!  progree*  oa  the  oon- 
ineot.  14361;  iUraTegesat  St  Pe- 
ersbiirgh,  [4371-,  it  reachei  Berlin, 
Hamburgb,  Sie.,  ib. ;  mcntalit]'  Id 
Hungary  and  EjTvpt,  [438J  ;  etate- 
ment  relative  to  ttie  diieaae  piiblteh- 
•d  hj  ihe  Board  of  Htaltb,  IM  ; 
■ymptooia.  See.,  ib. ;  inatmetiODa  and 
regulations  lemed  by  tbe  Privy  Coan- 

:hrl>tie,  Junea,  death,  833 
:;hiireh  rates,  fuc  relatlTe  lo,  IBS 
i^til  Ust,  nexr  auai^ieRiut  reqiectiag, 

[141] ;  sltentioo  of  tb*  pcDatoo  lieb, 

H. ;  plu  for  the  fnlure  redaction  of 

peMione,  [143) 
Dobbett,  Mr..  trU  of,  lor  ledition,  S£ 
IkdumbU !  dealli  of  Holnai,  [4H)  ;  bis 

lait  address  to  the  cltiwiw.  [46>| ; 

insurrection  in  Panama,  [4fi6] 
2aaii,  prioce  of,  hit  aill,  19£ 
IJonUantiDe,  grand  duke,  death,  946 
IIoiutaDtiBoide.  deBtructi*e  Breitt  PeM, 

118 
::om<nll,  rtot  of  minen,  33 
:;ocQnaiioD  of  William  IV,,  and  Qaaen 

Addude,  140 

l^oronation  robes,  George  IV.Mle  of,  81 
Corporatioa  Fiaaidnaea,  aMeitad  to  be 
intnoi^Ue,  [97)  i  the  eontranr  4ae- 
triue  DaiDbODcd  by  Hr.  Pill,  [3S] 
Counties,  clause  in  the  ReCnr*!  bill  il- 
lative to  diTidiog  tbcm  iaio  dittricH 
Ibr  returolng  meaibers,  dtKMMd, 
[2Q9t ;  tenanU  »  «U1  admitud  to 
vote,  (314] 

Mmh^ff.  Blsktttey  Pitoto  v.  The 
"  City  of  Edinburgb,"  br  aalvMAr  19 

Vommoa  Pleat:  Kelee*  a.  Bumttt, 
Oogging  aboaid  eliip,  31 

Qaiiiilary  Court:  Conway  e.  BcBzl^, 
nalliiy  of  riiarnage,  109 

EUcAeyuer  :  WilliaaiB  v.  Hall,  aaaanlt, 
S3i  Fluke  V.  D<d(e,nco*tty  af  ptka 
of  stamps  for  kOonieji*  clerin'  ard- 


(ii»blhalt :  The  King  r.  Cobbett,  m  i- 


Hev.— M'Caig.  stealing  buoki, 
trial  of  M'Laucblsn.  &e.,  ilatiog  at 
Lauder,  184;  J.  Barnel,  ftf.  rioting 
at  Dundee,  307;  A.  Orabam,  &c. 
rioting  at  Haddington,  310  ;  K.  For- 
rener,  noting;  at  Edinburgh,  311  ; 
8.  Wsugh  and  J.  Hanisay,  mDrdetr 
313 
KiHg't  Bench  :  Paul  b.  Haidniclfi  )rar- 
nnty  of  a  horfle,  35  ;  Walker  «■  Ivuali- 
icgluii,  M.  P.  and  others.  37  ;  Howe 
e.  Daubeny,  libel,  U?  i  the  king  on 
behalf  of  M.  Scales,  d.  tlie  Lord 
JVIiyor  Hiid  corporatina  of  London, 
lfl&;  ColburnH.  Harvey,  paruh  raleJ, 


Coventry,   riotflt,   177 

Crampion,  Mr.,  Solid  tor- general  for  Ire- 
Innd,  conleuda  thai  it  is  in  the  poner 
iif  Ihe  crown  virtually  to  dirfmnchise 
decayed  tiorou Khs  by  with holdiDg  writs 
from  them  [2q9| 

Crokcr.  Mr.,  his  speech  on,  and  objec- 
tioni  to  tbe  reform  bill,  [59) ;  oa  the 
conduct  of  mlniBtera  with  regard  to 
Appleby,[IBai;  reply  to  Mr.  Macau- 
ley.  [Ull| 

Ciuclty  to  a  pauper  iu  Qripji legate  work- 

Davies,  colonel,  pnipoaea  as  an  amend- 
ment that  I'rvebolders  in  buniogli^ 
should  not  vote  for  cotintiea,  [217] 

Desn  Forest,  riot  at,  [3al  J  ;  W 

Declaration  of  the  merchsnta  of  Lon- 
don, aftainst  the  refotm  bill,  (81) 

Deleig,  baroa,  RDsaiHn  writer,  death  of. 
223 


344 
Downton.  borough  of,  diuuMionaato  \\i 

disfranchiHOKnt,    tl^li   wb'ch   U 

Sndly  carried  (IU61 
Dublin,  the  pioceesion  oT  the   ti«deii 

prevented  by  a  prDclamation,  (3IM| 

Bee  iretaudwA  O'Cmnudl 
Duel    between  general  Sebantinni  anil 

general  Lamarque,  138 
Dundee,  Ulumioation  and  riot  at.  61; 

trials  of  some  of  tbe  rioters,  3l)7 
Dnppa,  Mr.,  dcatb,  330 
Durham,  prospectus  olanew  UDiverafly 

at,  194 


INDEX. 


EbringtoD,  lordy  bis  motion  to  prevent 
ministers  from  resigning  on  the  rejec- 
tion of  the  reform  bill  by  the  Lords, 
[277] 

Edinburgh,  illumination  and  rioting  at, 
60;  conservative  meeting,  186;  trial 
of  Ralph  Forrester,  one  of  the  rioters, 
311 ;  violence  displayed  to\nirds  the 
lord  Provost,  312 

Eldon,  lord,  his  speech  against  the  re- 
form bill,  [268] 

Election,  the  general,  [149];  candi- 
dates obliged  to  promise  unconditional 
support  of  the  reform  bill,  [151] ; 
popular  violence  at  elections  in  many 
places,  [152] 

Elections,  regulations  relative  to  the  re- 
gistration of  electors,  &c.  223 

Elliston,  R.  \V.,  actor,  death,  248 

Execution,  J.  A.  Bell,  aged  14,  for 
murder  of  another  boy,  1 14 ;  Bishop 
and  Williams,  335 

Felony,  extraordinary  charge  of,  184 

Fires:  Greenwich  theatre  burnt,  19; 
St  Peter'?,  Birmingham,  destroyed, 
21 ;  tire  in  Sermon-lane,  Doctors' 
Commons,  64 ;  at  lord  Walsingham's, 
and  death  of  his  lordship  and  her 
ladyship,  67 ;  destructive  fire  at  Pera, 
Constantinople,  118:  a  number  of 
warehouses  destroyed  at  Liverpool, 
193 

Foster,  captain,  death,  225 

Franchise,  projected  alteration  of  [10] ; 
the  plan  proposed  by  the  reform  bill 
censured  by  Mr.  Croker,  [61]  anomaly 
discovered' in  the  proposed  10/.  fran- 
chise, [162]  ;  amendment  that  the  rent 
be  not  paid  oftencr  than  quarterly 
[219] ;  which  is  negatived,  [222] ; 
existing  rights  of  franchise  considered 
ib. 

France :  state  of  parties,  [329] ;  con- 
flicting opinions  regarding  Belgium, 
&c.  [330] ;  tumults  among  the  stud- 
ents at  Paris,  [333]  ;  serious  riots 
occasioned  by  the  celebration  of  the 
anniversary  of  the  Due  de  Berri,  ib  ; 
crosses  taken  down  from  the  churches, 
[334] ;  reluctance  of  the  government 
to  punish  these  excesses,  [335]  ;  resig- 
nation of  ministers,  [337]  i  M.  Per- 
rier  declares  his  determination  to  put 
down  irregular  power,  [338] ;  an  as- 
sociation formed  against  the  Bourbons, 
[339];  bill  brought  in  by  the  new 
ministry  to  prevent  riotous  assem- 
blages, [340] ;  tumults  at  Faria,  ib.; 
the  new  electoral  law.  \^  '  thtt 
budget,  [343] ;  subscrii 


of    tlie   Session,    [344] ;    his    tour 
through     the    eastern   depwtm^nti, 
[347]  ;  turbulent  state  of  the  capftal, 
[348] ;    capture  of  the    Portngueae 
fleet,  [350];  king's  speech  on  opening 
the  Session,  [351] ;  celebration  of  the 
revolution  of  1831,  [354];   afiair  of 
the  Austrian  standards,  ib,;  oonteat 
at  the  election  of  the  president  of  the 
*  Chamber,*    [355] ;   an    army    dis- 
patched to  the  assistance  of  Belgium* 
[357] ;  declarations  of  the  ministry? 
against  the  movement  party,  [350]  ; 
bill    for    abolishing    the   hereditary 
peerage,  [361] ;  which  is  carried  by 
an  increase  of  peers,   [367] ;  reports 
of  Carlist  conspiracies.  [368] ;  insur- 
rection at  Lyons,  [369] ;   Louis  Phi- 
lippe objects  to  the  crown  of  Belgium 
being  given  to  the  duke  of  Leucn ten- 
berg,  [374] ;  declines  it  for  his  son. 
the  duke  of  Nemours,  [375] ;  rtjeots 
it  again  after  he  has  been  elected, 
[379] ;  military  force  of  France  in 
1831,  157 
Funds,    proposed  tax  on  transfers  in** 
[128] ;  violent  opposition  to  the  mea- 
sure,   [131];    defended   by   Mr.  C- 
Grant  and  sir  J.  Wrottesley,  [133]  ; 
Mr.  Pitt's  authority  for  taxing  fund- 
holders  quoted,    ib.;    difference  be- 
tween such  a  tax  and  that  on  tiBnsfers  * 
of  land,  [134] ;  the  measure  abandoned  • 
by  ministers,  [135] 

Gambles,  captain  H*,  of  the  Lady  Sher* ' 
broke,  tried  for  wrecking  the  vessel » 
and  occasioning  the  deaths  of  278 
persons,  156 

Gascoyne,  general,  moves  an  amendment 
to  the  Reform  bill,  that  the  number 
of  members  for  England  ought  not  to 
be  diminished,  [104] 

Gateshead,  opposition  to  its  being  made 
one  of  the  new  boroughs,  [205] 

Gibraltar,  explosion  of  gunpowder  at,  189 

Glasgow,  flood  at,  30 

Gottingen,  insurrection  at,  and  provi- 
sional government  formed,  [418] ;  de- 
putation to  B  duke  of  Cambridge, 
[419] '  ivernment  troopa 

n  •'-  t  dty,  [430] 

G-^  ij^Ai&fies  the  d 

■Sffbf  the  •»- 


G 
Gr 


I  NDBX 


Greece :  unpopularity  of  the  president. 
Capo  d'Istrias,  [i57]  ;  insurrection, 
i6, ;  the  provisional  government  at- 
tempt to  seize  the  fleet  at  Poros, 
[458] ;  Poros  attacked  by  the  Russian 
troops,  ib, ;  Hydra  destroyed  by  Capo 
d'Istrias'  troops,  ib, ;  the  Russian  fleet 
attacked  by  the  Hydriots,  [459] ; 
Capo  d'Istrias  assassinated,  and  his 
brother  Augustin  placed  at  the  head 
of  a  committee  of  government,  ib* 

Greenwich,  discussion  relative  to  its  pro- 
posed representation  in  parliament, 
[198] ;  sir  R.  Peel's  arguments  against 
it,  [199] ;  the  theatre  burnt,  19 

Grey,  lord,  his  speech  on  the  Reform 
bill,  [254] 

Grimsby  election,  action  for  libel,  im- 
puting unfair  conduct  to  the  Red 
party,  87 

Haddington,  riots  at,  and  trial  of  some 
ofthemob,  310 

Hall,  rev.  R.,  death,  228 

Hanover,  insurrections  in,  [417]  ;  pro- 
visional government  established  by 
the  rebels  at  Gottingen,  [418] 

Hart,  sir  A.,  late  lord  chancellor  of  Ire- 
land, death,  259 

Hemans,  Mrs.,  '  Naples  :  the  Syren's 
Song,'  455 

Hesse  Cassel,  disturbances  in,  [420] 

Hobhouse,  Mr.,  his  speech  in  favour  of 
Reform  bill,  (35] 

Hobhouse,  sir  Benjamin,  death,  252 

Holland  (see  Belgium)  :  the  armistice 
with  Belgium  broken  otT,  [405] ;  the 
Putch  army,  under  the  prince  of 
Orange,  enter  Belgium,  [406]  ;  its 
successes  stopped  only  by  the  advance 
of  French  troops  to  the  assistance  of 
Belgium,  [407] ;  the  king  determines 
to  act  upon  the  defensive,  after  the 
treaty  between  the  Belgians  and  the 
Five  Powers,  [415]  ;  documents  rela- 
tive to  its  separation  from  Belgium, 
361 ;  correspondence  with  the  Confer- 
ence relative  to  the  entry  of  Dutch 
troops  into  Belgium,  384  ;  king's 
speech  at  opening  of  the  States  Ge- 
neral, 405 

Hope,  Thomas,  death  and  memoir,  224 

Horse,  warranty  of  one,  action  relative 
to,  25 

Horsemanship,  remarkable  feats  and 
matches,  181 

Houses,  rated  to  the  house-tax,  number 
of,  in  England  and  Wales,  294 
;  Howe,  earl,  dismissed  from  the  office  of 
\  queen's  chamberlain,  [280],  165 

Vnme,  Mr.,  moves  for  a  reduction  in  the 
tilowances  to  the  royal  dukes,  [145] 
'xt,  Mri,  presses  for  a  division)  on  the 


motion  for  increasing  the  army,  [148] ; 
his  amendment  on  the  clause  relative 
to  the  10/.  franchise,  [216] 
Hunt,  T.  F.,  architect,  death,  237 
Hurricane,  dreadful  one  at  Barbadoes, 

&c.,  127 
Huskisson,  Mr.,  his  opinion  against  par- 
liamentary reform,  quoted,  [35]^ 

Jackson,  J.,  portrait  painter,  death,  342 

Jeffrey,  Mr.,  lord  advocate  of  Scotland  ; 
his  maiden  speech  in  parliament,  in 
support  of  the  Reform  bill,  [54] 

Illuminations,  at  Edinburgh,  ana  riot, 
60  ;  ditto,  ditto,  at  Dundee,  61 ;  in 
London,  and  riotous  conduct,  69 

Inquests,  coroners :  Mr.  Thoe.  Ashton, 
shot,  7 ;  W,  Crittenden  and  G.  Herold, 
seamen,  killed  by  smugglers,  8 ;  lord 
Rivers,  drowned  in  £e  Serpentine, 
21 ;  M.  Lynch,  a  watchman,  at  Dublin, 
33 ;  Miss  Harris,  death  from  wearing 
tight  stays,  66 ;  lord  and  lady  Wal- 
singham,  67 ;  sir  Joseph  Yorke,  capt* 
Bradby,  and  capt.  Yonge,  drowned, 
72;  Mary  Clarke,  77;  J*  Hughes,  one 
of  the  rioters  at  Merthyr  Tydvil,  84  ; 
P.  Glendining,  &c.,  drowned,  120 ;  five 
persons  drowned  on  the  Thames,  123 ; 
Eliz.  Cooper,  pauper  in  Cripplegate 
work- house,  137 ;  J*  Calcraft,  M.  P. 
155 

Inglis,  sir  R.  H.,  his  speech  on  the  Re- 
form bill,  [15] 

Inundations :  at  Glasgow,  30 ;  at  Perth, 
31 ;  floods  of  the  Tweed  and  Teviot,  ib. 

Ireland  :  proposed  change  in  its  repre- 
sentation, [13];  the  bill  brought  in 
by  Mr.  Stanley,  [96] ;  additional  mem- 
bers proposed  to  be  given  to  it,  [97]  ; 
preponderance  thereby  given  to  the 
Catholics,  [99] ;  lawless  state  of  the 
peasantry,  [300] ;  circular  from  the 
government  to  magistrates,  [301] ; 
extreme  distress  in  Mayo,  [302]  ;  ef- 
forts of  the  agitators  to  obtain  a  repeal 
of  the  Union,  [303] ;  O'Connell'^s 
procession  prohibited,  [304] ;  he  and 
other  agitators  apprehended,  [318] ; 
true  bills  found  against  them,  [314] 
(see  O^Connell) ;  explanation  given  in 
the  House  of  Commons  by  the  Irish 
secretary  relative  to  the  oonddct  of 
government  towards  0*Connell,  [317] ; 
disinclination  to  a  repeal  of  the  Union 
occasioned  bv  O'Connell's  proceed- 
ings, [320] ;  declaration  made  against 
the  repeal  by  ministers,  in  piarliament, 
[322]  ;  popidar  outrages  in  Clare,  &c., 
[324] ;  many  of  the  police  murdered 
by  the  popalace  at  Newton-barry, 
[326] ;  Protestant  meeting  at  Dublin, 
190;  a  process-server  and  several  o€ 


INDEX. 


the  police  mmwicred  at  CArriekehoek, 
ib. 
Jodrell,  R.  P^  death ,  221 
Joned,  capUin  G.  M.,  death,  237* 
Irving,  rev.  Mr.,  pretended  inspiration 

amonp^  his  con^rej^tion,  187 
Italy :  election  of  Gregory  18th,  [4ol] ; 
attempts  on  the  part  of  the  French 
to  excite  conspiracies,  i7>. ;  conspiracy 
at  Modena,  t^.;  insurrection  at  Bo- 
logna, [458]  I  also  at  Panna,  [453] ; 
a  provisional  government  formed,  ib. ; 
restoration  o?  the  governments  of 
Modena  and  Parma,  [4541 ;  the  Aus- 
trians  enter  Bologna,  and  the  papal 
government  re-established,  [455]  ; 
cardinal  Benvenuti  detained  a  pri- 
soner by  the  rebels  at  Ancona,  id. ; 
the  papal  state  divided  into  delega- 
tions by  the  pope,  [456] ;  death  of  the 
king  of  Sardinia,  [457] 
Izmailov,  Russian  fabulist,  death,  222. 

Kennedy,  general,  death,  255 

King's  speech  on  proroguing  parliament, 
[1 14] ;  at  the  meeting  of  the  new  Par- 
liament, [1G5] 

Koslovsky,  composer,  death,  231 

Kreutzer,  R.,  violinist,  death,  225 

Ta  Fontaine,  German  novelist,  death,  235 
l^wson,   Mr.,   printer  of  The   Times, 
brought  up  to  answer  fur  a  libellous 
paragragh  in  that  paper,    1 1 7  i   see 
Timet. 
l>p,  professor,  account  of,  160 
Leopold,  prince  of  Saxe-Coburg,    the 
crown  of   Belgium    offered  to    him, 
[Sill];  a  deputation  arrives  in  Lon- 
don, [397]  }    he  accepts  the  crown, 
[399] 
Libel,  action  for,  against  Dr.  Lushington 
and  the  publishers  of  the  Mirror  of 
Parliament,  27 ;  Howe  v.  Daubeney, 
unfair  proceedings  at  Grimsby  elec- 
tion, 87 
Life-buoy,  account  of  the  one  now  in 

use  444 
Lightning,  deaths  by,  70 
Limerick,    earl  of,    complains    of   the 
aspersions  thrown  out  against  him  by 
The  Times,  as  a  breach  of  privilege, 
[ll7] :  see  Time?. 
Lists,  ministers,  196 

House  of  Commons,  197 
Sheriffs,  201 
Births,  202 
Marriages,  204 
Promotions,  210 
Deaths,  216 
General  acts,  27^,  284 
Local  acts,  280,  286 
.Liverpool,  bursting  of  a  steam-boiler  in 


the  neir  eattom-hooMs  108|  ▼fcotool 

storm,  128 ;  de«tractiv«  ftra,  193 
Livonia,  present  state  of  the  peawntry 

in,  432 
London-bridge,  the  new,  oeramoiiy  of 

opening,  116 
London,  bishop  of,  obliged  to  ftlMndoa 

his  purpose  of  preaching  at  St.  Ann's, 

Sobo,  167 
Londonderry,  marquis  of,  attacked  In  St. 

James's  Park,  by  the  mob,  163 
Lopes,  sir  M.,  death,  232 
Lords,  House  of,  howafiectad  by  ratem, 

[245],  [256] ;  dabattf  in,  on  tli«  ratem 

bill,  [254]    B—Patiiameni» 
Lyndhuitt,  lord,  hit  spaeeh  agnlnat  the 

reform  bill  [271] 
Lyons,  iosurreetlon  at,  [300]  §  wioenM 

of  the  insurgents,  [370] ;  tlM  nnivnl 

of  the  duke  of  Orleans  and  manhal 

Soult  restores  tranquillity,  [371] 
Leuchtenberg,  duka  of  (son  of  Eugvne 

Beauhamois,)  proposed  at    king    of 

Belgium,  [378] ;  which  it  olyecind  to 

by  Fiance.  [374];  political  rtMOM 

against  such  a  choice,  [377] 

Mtcauley,  Mr.,  hit  speeches  in  &Tour  of 

tlie  Reform  bill,  [24],  [228] 
Machine-breaking,  trials  for,  1,  6 
M'Caig,  clergyman  at  Edinborgb,  tried 

for  stealing  books,  80 
Mackenzie,    H.,    author  of  ^  Man   of 

Feeling,' death,  219 
Magee,   Dr.,  archbishop    of    Dublin, 

Death,  2^ 
Mahon,  O'Gorman,  hit  violent  speech  in 
Pariiament,  threatening  a  repealof  the 
Irish  Union,  321 
Marriages,  Scotch,  case  relative  to,  100 
Mathison,  German  poet,  death,  S8l 
Merthyr  Tydvil,  petition   fiir  Hefam 
from,  instanced,  to  show  the  general 
tenour  of  the  demands  for  rafimn, 
[60] ;  colonel  Wood's  motion  the!  the 
place  should  send  a  member  to  Par- 
liament, [208] ;  riot  of  the  miners  at, 
78 
Mexico,  political  events  in,  [^^ 
Middiman,  S.,  engraver,  deathr  860 
Military  force  of  France,  157 

^Colonies  in  Russia,  438 

Miltoii,  lord,  his  motion  for  giving  tue 
members  to  the  boroughs  in  aohednle 
D,  [203] 
Miners,  riot  of,   in  Cornwall,  33 ;  at 

Merthyr  Tydvil,  78 
Minority  and  mi^rity  in  the  lords,  on 

the  reform  bill,  list  of,  275  ' 
Miser,  account  of  one,  and  his  being 

robbed,  70 
Modena,  conspiracy  at,  [461] 
Munroe,  president,  death,  Sw 


ichkilUhiitwochild- 
uilibiBiwlf,S3tmur- 
OrecD,  ol;  T.  Sew 
bf  M>  Lundy,  I'i  ;  a 

Xjlitathfer.fiJi  ditto, 
r  of  C.  Bunn,  66  ; 
rlaan,  56 ;  discoTary 
if  S.  J^naon,  b  baut- 
id  thirty  yMM  before, 
lurd«r  of  Mktv  Clark, 
tttsmpt  to  poiMD  Lis 
,  CbiinBll,  sbM  by  W. 
Taylor,  ngtd  thirteen, 
.  A.  Bell,  aged  fiiur- 
lik  Hdllimy,  by  bee 
nurder,  committMl  by 
purpose  <^  eelllng  (be 

xtrwrdinary  com  of, 


union,  formed  in  Lon- 
F.Burdett  withdraws 
doctrines  aa  lat  forth 
a'' published  byit,  ii. 
ety  of  her  jewel*,  78 
Belpun',  HoUnmi 
r,  addrrsa  to.  from  his 


apt  to  evade  the  ituty 

)t  to  prevent  a  aale  of 
tithe,  [3261 1  tevenX 
lUtehered  by  the  taob, 

historian,  death,  218 
lit,  death,  2£6 
leatb,  251 

■X  to  tlie  reform  bill  ng 
ProleilantB  of  Ireland, 

death,  340 


[^trrin^lon,  216  ;  Bo- 
IV.  Moln>dlCarr,2l8; 
Bronevsky,  31Sl  H. 
*-.  P.  Jodrell,  331; 


;    Jami 


nil,  ib. ;  Thomas 
Kreutzer,  3^ ;  csp- 
rav.  Dr.  A,  Thomp- 

lin  F.  Ileywood,  I'i. ; 

238 ;   R.  BrowD,  ib. ; 

,-,  rsv.  E  Davis,  329; 

;  MslbissoD,  ib. ;  nrrh- 
.2:12;  «ir  M.  I^peR, 

ledian,  333)  J.  A[!e^- 


lIethy,BUI|!e□n,2^5;  Au^.I^FontaiBe, 
Oerman  novelinl,  it.  j  ducbeH  uf  Wel- 
liflj^tun,  S3B;  T.  P.  Hur>^  arcbltrui, 
237;  captain  G.  M.  JoneB,  St  W. 
H&niper,  fUU) ;  du  Petit  Tbown.  'b. ; 
It.  Clutterbut:l{,84l)leBrlt9rKortbei<k-, 
a.;  JaciuoN.  purttait- painter,  341; 
M.  Brown,  ditto,  243  l  Mn.  Biddonx.  - 
a.;  iield-mn»hnl  DIebiUch,  344; 
bir  Murray  MaKwell,  24i>  )  archduke 
(■onslnntinc,  246;  n?v.  H.  BuO«,  ib. ; 
W.  Roscoe,  li.  j  preiideM  Mlinrue, 
3-1^;  Elllston,  actor,  >*.j  R.  Duppa, 
^4Dt  T.  GMBtoiex,  mualcian,  2dX  ^ 
eart  of  Norbiiry,  251  )  Dr.  ft.  ReQcc, 
2,i2[  sir  B.  Hobhoiiar,  ii.i  P.  Via- 
tnytii,  landscape  •painter,  263;  nrcli- 
biahapofUublm(Magee),ii.;it.hon. 
C.  B.  Balhurst,  li.  j  rev.  S.  Beyer, 
354  ;  baron  O'Connell,  ii.  )  geoaial 
Kennedy,  955 ;  ri^ht  hoD.  J.  Calerafl, 
2S8j  W.  B.  NoblB,  painter,  ib.;  Dr. 
I-yall,  267;  sir  W.  W.  Wraiall,  MO  ; 
duchess  dowajfer,  Saxe-CobuTK,  ii.  ; 
sir  A.  Hart,  259;  general  TorrUos, 
360;  8.  Middinian,engrav0r,  I'j.;  W. 
Bilderdijk,  Dutch  Pout,  261 

O'Coiinell,  Mr.,  hie  speech  on  Uie  reform 
bill,[66J;  bix  Intended  procenlon  of 
the  timteR  at  Dublin,  prev^ntDd  by 
proclamation,  [:!04]  ;  liia  lubaequen'c 

.  (Iralai^FmB  to  elude  otlier  praclamn- 
tionsnt(ainstunlawCiilineetinKs.[3Dj;]; 
nd  vises  a  riiu  upon  the  banks  for  gold, 

.  [30U)  ;  one  of  his  meetings  dlsperf^trd 
by  the  mugiitratee,  [310];  he  does 
not  fulfil  his  threat  of  having  recourse 
to  an  action.  [:ill|;  he  and  sevaral  of 
his  leadiiigpartizans  apprehended,  and 
obliged  to  hnd  securities,  {3l2) ',  in- 
[lictnients  against  them  lalQ  befiiM  the 
grand  jury,  {313]  ;  true  bills  found, 
[3151 1  O'Conuell  puta  in  a  demurrer, 
ib  ;  which  he  nlthdraws,  and  iberphy 

.  pleads  guilty,  [310];  the  a&ir  dis- 
cussed ill  llie  House  of  Commons, 
[;I17] ;  he  convicts  himself  of  having 
attempted  a  compromise  with  govern- 
menl,  [SIB] 

0'Coane[l,  baron,  death,  354 

Omnge,  princess  of,  soma  of  her  stolen 
jewels  recovered,  157 

0»baldeston,  Mr.,  his  match  at  Neir- 
inatkel,  I7!l 

Ustrolenka,  batlle  of.  [4321 


Palmi 


,  Lord,  li 


eReforinbill,  [411 

,  i;hi)1i  d 

nnlversary  nf  the  drstnii 


speech  in  favnur 


rnris,  tumult  a 


1 


INDEX. 


parliament,  meeting  of,  [5] ;  the  Reform 
bill  introduced  by  Lord  J.  Russell, 
[6] ;  its  outline  [71 ;  Sir  R.  H.  inglis' 
speech  on  it,  [15]  ;  Mr.  II.  Twiss, 
[18] ;  Lord  Althorp's  defence  of  the 
bill,  [20] ;  Mr.  Hume's  [21] :  Mr. 
Baring  VVard's  opposition  to  the 
measure,  [22] ;  Mr.  Macaulay  de- 
fends the  plans  of  ministers,  [24]; 
Sir  C.  VVetliereil's  speech  on  the  bill, 
[27] ;  inveighs  against  it  as  a  confis- 
cation of  charters,  [29] ;  the  attor- 
ney-general supports  it,  [31] ;  de- 
bate continued,  Mr.  fiankes  opposes 
the  bill,  [34];  Mr.  Hobhouse  sup- 
ports it,  [35] ;  Mr.  Baring  objects 
to  the  proposed  Reform,  [38] ;  Lord 
Palmerston  defends  the  bill,  and  im- 
putes its  present  necessity  to  former 
opposition  to  more  moderate  reform, 
[41] ;  Sir  R.  Peel's  speech,  [43]  ;  he 
points  out  the  practical  consequences 
of  the  bill,  [46]  ;  and  the  advantaj^es 
of  the  close  borough  system,  [47]  ; 
Mr.  Duncombe  deprecates  the  extent 
of  Reform  proposed  by  ministers, 
[50] ;  Mr.  Stanley's  speech  in  favour 
of  reform,  [51];  Mr.  Jeffery's  ditto, 
[54] ;  Mr.  Croker's  reply,  [59] ;  he 
asserts  that  the  petitions  demand 
more  than  nominal  reform,  [60] ; 
censures  the  proposed  plan  of  repre- 
sentation as  very  unfair,  [61];  Mr. 
J.  T.  Hope  questions  whether  any 
practical  benefit  would  arise  from  con- 
ceding it,  [63] ;  share  taken  in  the 
debate  by  other  members  on  both 
sides,  [64] ;  Mr.  North  points  out  the 
mischievous  consequences  of  the  bill 
as  regards  Ireland,  [65] ;  Mr.  R.  Grant 
joins  ministers  in  support  of  the  bill, 
ib, ;  Mr.  O'Connell's  speech,  [66] ; 
Mr.  Attwood's,  [70] ;  he  defends  the 
present  borough  system,  ib»;  shows 
the  futility  of  the  proposed  constitu- 
tion, [71] ;  adverts  to  that  of  France, 
[72] ;  Sir  James  Graham's  speech  in 
support  of  the  bill,  [73] ;  he  replies 
to  Mr.  Croker's  insinuations  regard- 
ing the  plan  of  disfranchisement,  ib. ; 
the  bill  brought  in,  and  read,  [75] ; 
effects  of  the  parliamentary  discus- 
sions, without  doors,  [77] ;  manifesta- 
tions of  a  determination  to  have  the 
bill,  [80] ;  declaration  against  it  by  the 
merchaats  of  London,  [81]  ;  motion 
for  the  second  reading,  [83] ;  Sir  R. 
Vyv}'an's  speech  against  it,  ib. ;  he 
contends  that  the  abolition  of  tithes 
will  be  demanded,  [85] ;  points  out 
the  similar  position  between  a  popu> 
lar  parliament  and  that  of  France  in 


1789,    [86];    Mr.    SheU    iiiYeiglii. 

against  the  present  traffic  io  borouglut 
[87];  ridicules  the  idea  of  the  biU 
being  dangerous  to  the  king  and  aci*- 
tocracy,  [88] ;  Mr.  C.  Grant  contends 
that  even  the  anti-reformers  seem  to 
admit  some  measure  of  reform  to  be 
necessary,  [89];  the  aolidtor-gene^ 
ral's  speech  in  support  of  the  bill« 
[90];    sir  E.  Sugden'a    against  it, 
[91];  he  charges  Mr.  Shell  with  in- 
consistency in  saying  that  it  wonld 
add  to  the  powers  of  the  aristocrae^, 
[92];    Mr.  Pendanris  supports  the 
bill,  ib, ;  Mr.  Ward  opposes  it,  [98]  ; 
he  asserts  that  the  burdens  of  the 
people   have  been   materially  ^mi- 
nished,  [94] ;  the  motion  for  the  ee- 
cond  reading  carried  by  a  m^oritjf  of 
one,  ib, ;  ministers  foresee  their  defeat» 
[95] ;  the  bill  for  Ireland  brought  in 
by  Mr.  Stanley  [96] ;  its  outline,  ih. ; 
Mr.  O'Connell  expresses  his  satisfac- 
tion at  it,  [98] ;  injustice  of  giving 
additional  members   to  Ireland  and 
Scotland,   while   those  of   EngUmd 
were  to  be  diminished,  ids :  the  in- 
crease of  power  given  by  the  bill  to 
the  Catholics  of  Ireland,  [99] :  altera- 
tions made  by  ministers  in  the  re- 
form bill,  ib, ;  they  incline  not  to  op- 
pose continuing  the  present  number 
of  English  members,  [101] ;  altera- 
tions in  the  bill  subsequent  to  the 
second  reading,  [103] ;  general  Gas- 
coyness  motion  for  the  existing  num- 
ber of  English  members  being  pre- 
served, [104] ;  seconded  by  Mr.  Sad- 
ler, [105] ;  supported  by  sir  R.  WIN 
son,  [106];  Mr.  Stanley  violently  op- 
poses it,  ib. ;  the  amendment  carried 
against  ministers,  [108] ;  effect  of  the 
division,    [109];    Lord   Whamclifle 
gives  notice  in  the  peers,  of  a  motion 
for  an  address  to  the  king  not  to  dis- 
solve parliament,    [110] ;  a  raotiDn' 
of  adjournment,   pending  the  Ord- 
nance estimates  carried  against  mi- 
nisters, ib.;  ministers  determine  on 
a  dissolution,  ib.  tumultuoos  scene 
in  the  Commons,  [111];  another  in 
the  house  of  Peers,  [113] ;  lord  Mans- 
field's addresses  the  House,  »6. ;  the 
King's  speech  on  proroguing  parlia- 
ment, preparatory  to  its  dincuutioo, 
[114] ;  illuminations  at  the  dissolu- 
tion,  [115];   question  of  priTilege, 
occasioned  by  a  libel  in  The  Timea 
(see  Times),  [116];  the  lord  Chan- 
cellor disputes  the  right  of  the  House 
to  inflict imprisonmentand  finA,  [119]; 
the  budget,  [125]  (see  Ttnees) ;  sun- 


fN]>& 


muf  of  the  revenue  for  the  year, 
(129] ;  violent  opposition  made  to 
the  proposed  fitmndal  plan,  i5. ;  ob- 
jections to  varioiM  of  its  details, 
[130]  ;  especially  to  the  proposed  tadc 
on  tranisfcrs  in  the  fbnds,  C"^*^^]^ 
which  is  earnestly  deprecated  oy  sir 
R.  Peel,  ih. ;  also  by  Mf.  J.  Smith, 
[132] :  its  ii^urious  operation  pointed 
out,  (133] ;  the  measure  defended  by 
Mr.  C.  Grant,  &C.  ib, ;  no  analogy  be- 
tween this  tax  and  that  on  the  trans- 
fer of  landed  property,  [134]^  the 
measure  abandoned  by  ministers, 
[I3d];  alteration  in  the  duties  oo 
timber,  ib.;  that  on  Canada  timbef 
to  be  increased,  and  that  on  Baltic 
timber  to  be  decreased,  [IdQ]  :  it^u- 
rious  e£^ts  of  this  on  ottr  colonies, 
[137] ;  minister  left  in  a  minority, 
on  the  division,  [)40]  ;  new  arrange- 
ments relative  to  the  civil  list,  [XAl'}; 
Mr.  Hume  proposes  tliat  the  allow- 
ances to  the  royal  dukes  be  dimi- 
nished, [145]  $  increase  in  theatmy, 
ib* ;  opposed  by  Mr.  Hunt,  whomov^s 
for  a  division,  [147] ;  opening  of  the 
new  parliament,  [1^4] ;  the  Idoff's 
speech,  [155] ;  address  moved  in  tne 
Lords  by  the  duke  of  Norfolk,  with- 
out an  amendment,  [156] ;  Iti  the 
Commons  by  the  hon^  C,  Pelham, 
[160];  Lord  J.  Russell  moves  the 
Reform  bill,  [1611;  alteration  re* 
garding  the  lOH  mmchlse,  [i^; 
debate  on  the  second  reading,  n69j ; 
the  case  of  Appleby,  [106] ;  oiseus- 
sion  on  the  general  principles  of  t!he 
bill,  [168];  sirR.  Peel  opposes  the  dls- 
fraocbisejnent  contemplated  by  sche- 
dule A,  [172] ;  Mr.  M^KinnonmovefS 
for  a  committee  toconsiderthe  popula- 
tion of  the  boroughs  in  both  schedules, 
[176;]  the  returns  of  1821  adhered  to, 
[  1 77] ;  discussion  on  the  borough  ol  Ap- 
pleby, [17^];  which  Is  dhrfhmchIsM, 
[183];  the  borough  of  DoWttlHi,t5.; 
Mr.  Croker  contends  that  it  ought  to. 
be  preserved,  [164]  J  mfnlstett  dmrg* 
ed  by  the  opposition  with  a  departure 
from  their  own  pHncfples,  [185];  Its 
disfranchisement  carried,  [166] ;  dfs- 
cussion  relative  to  St.  (3etinaln*B,  fS.  ; 
Saltash,  [189] ;  Impatience  expressed 
by  the  press  t>n  the  delay  octastoned 
by  these  discu8siott»,  [190] ;  prtnuMial 
of  ministers  that  all  other  business 
should  give  way  to  tlie  refotin  bi^, 
[191];  resisted  bv  sir  R.  Peel,  [1991; 
discussions  relative  to  borooghi  in 
schedule  B,  [194]  ;  sir  R.  Frt*%  mo- 
tions for  their  haviMg  two  mMbera 

Vol.  LXXIII. 


iottead  of  9ae»  ik ;  prepondtiwey  of 
'  reprtaealatloii  gittn  to  tlia  noiilMni 
'  and  mabuiMturmg  pM*t  of  IIm  ktec- 
dom,  ik^ :  the  aotioo  jr^jected^  [197]  ; 
case  of  Chippeahamf  Dorehester,  Hec, 
tl.  .*    discussions   rtlatlya  to   places 
hitnerto  unrepreaented.  on  wbkm  il  is 
proposed  to  confier  the  fraBcbise*— 
Greenwidi,    [198]:   Stoke-upoo-Ut- 
tletcto.  [203];   lord  Milton's  modon 
that  the  new  boroughs  la  sdiedule  D 
should  have  two  members,  i^ ;  Mr. 
Croker   nr^   tho   Inconslstettcy  of 
giving  a  member  to  Gateshead,  [905]  ; 
colonel  Wood's  amendment  for  giving 
a  member  to  Merthyr  Tydvll  tfqected, 
[208];   elAttse  for  dividing  cooatles 
Into  difttrieis;   [209];  supportM  by 
sir  R.  Peel  and  others  of  the  oppoii* 
tion,  [211] ;  opposed  by  sir  C.  We- 
therellj  16. :  the  datise  earrlftd.  [312] ; 
dauae  for  freeholders  Itf  dties  vo^g 
for  counties,  nidi ;  which  is  carried, 
[214] ;  tnarquis  of  Chandos's  amend- 
meat  that  tenMts«a|-wiU  of  forms^  at 
50/,  rents,  have  voCN,  15.;  which  Is 
'  earned,  [215] ;  Mr.  Hunt's  amend- 
ment on  the  lOf.  fhoidte,  whld^  fis 
equivalent  to  universal  siiflh^,tftl6] ; 
'  colonel  Davies's  anumdiMttt  to  piw- 
'  vent  town  free hddersvotlnf  for  ooon- 
ties,  [217] ;  Mr.  JT .Campbell  that  the 
10/.  rent  be  jnaid  not  oftfloir  than 
quarterly,  [219] ;  diseusdoiis  relative 
to  existing  rights  of  fhinehlset  [921] ; 
sir  ft.  ^ed  depracates  fha  forfolhure  of 
eorporata  rights,  [222t;  t^osM  it- 
lative  to  the  registration  of  elMton* 
A».  [323] ;  obseffadofns  sm  iha  la- 
bours (^  the  commlttet,  ^  (225) ; 
debate  on  the  anrtlaa  fbr  psadng  the 
bill,  [226];  Mr.  Maesnisy  vMitates 
Its  snpi^otters  from  oatsdvfnff  we 
people,  [2281;  points  oattlistSimr 
to  the  peers  of  opposing  refeftti«  [290} ; 
Mr.  Croker's  reply,   ih. ;    Mr.  9«ui- 
lej^  answer  to  IM  fimfen  [295})  tba 
sMldtof'ijreneral  for  treUM  coaltnds 
the  crown  has  the  pssrarto  wliiilield 
writs  from  decayed  vntungfas,  ^henld 
the  bHl  be  tf^cfeed,  [2993 1  Mr.lt. 
Gtm^fs  atgiiments  for  the  nncsaiily 
for  reform,  [299]  ;  lord  Althorp  jaa|j[- 
nes  the  proposed  reform  as  esoswi- 
ent  wlUi  tlie  prindnlas  of  th^  OMiBtS- 
t»ISon»  {243] ;  sir  It.  fted  dajMnKatsa 
the  eontsmnlaied  change,  \Mf\ ;  tim 
lltl   passed,  [991J;  tarried   t6  Hie 
Lords,  [248] ;  debate  on  the  «MMid 
rending  of  4he  Kill,  QM])    Sari 
Gfey^8peedi,<ft.;  }ordwhanMllfo% 
[999} ;  dcbato  lesuowd)  I299]|  lofd 

2  H 


INDEX. 


Winchilsca's  speech  against  the  bill| 
ib.;  duke  of  Wellington's,  [263J ; 
lord  EIdon's.[26dJ ;  lord  Brougham^ 
[269];  lord  Lyndliurst's,  [2711;  ma- 
jority against  the  bill,  ["37^] ;  lord 
£brington's  motion  to  prevent  minis- 
ters from  resigning,  [277] ;  affair  of 
lord  Howe's  resignation,  [280] ;  tu- 
mults on  the  loss  of  the  bill,  ib. ;  con- 
versation in  the  House,  relative  to 
ministers  corresponding  with  the  Bir- 
mingham union,  [283J  ;  sir  C.  We- 
therell's  motion  for  an  address  for  a 
special  commission  for  trial  of  rioters, 
[289] ;  revenue  of  the  year,  ib* ;  king's 
speech  on  proroguing  parliament  [290] 

Parma,  insurrection  at,  [453]  — -  see 
Italy, 

Patents,  nevir,  446 

Peel,  sir  K.,  his  speeches  against  the 
reform  bill,  [43J ;  [172];  he  moves 
tbat  the  boroughs  In  schedule  B  have 
two  members  each,  [194] ;  supports 
the  clause  for  dividing  counties  into 
districts,  [211]  ;  deprecates  the  inva- 
sion of  corporate  rights,  [222] ;  de- 
fends the  present  system  of  represent- 
ation, [249] 

Peerage,  hereditary,  abolition  of,  in 
France,  [361];  qualifications  for  an 
elective  peerage,  [363] 

Pensions,  proposed  alterations  in,  and 
gradual  reduction  of,  [141] 

Perth,  inundation  at,  31 

Peru,  disturbances  at  Lima,  and  plot 
against  La  Fuente,  the  vice-president, 
[466] 

Peterborough  cathedral,  opening  of  the 
new  choir  at.  111 

Philadelphian  lady,  day  of,  435 

Pitt,  right  hon.  William,  statue  of, 
erected  in  Hanover-square,  137 

Poachers,  desperate  affray  with,  at  sir 
F.  L.  Woods,  194 

Poetry,  463 

Poland,  Chlopicki  continued  dictator, 
[423] ;  he  attempts  to  negociate, 
[424] ;  resigns,  and  a  committee  of 
government  formed,  ib. ;  the  Rus- 
sians approach  Warsaw,  [427];  battles 
in  its  neighbourhood,  i^.  ;  defeats  of 
the  Poles  in  Volhynia  and  Podolia, 
[430] ;  battle  of  Ostrolenka,  [432]  ; 
Warsaw  besieged  by  Paskewitsch, 
[435]  ;  and  surrenders,  [436]  ;  mani- 
festo of  the  Polish  estates,  407 ;  cir- 
cular of  the  government  to  foreign 
cabinets,  414 

Police :  Bow  Street :  application  against 
the  Chev.  D'Abreu-e-Lima,  the  am- 
bassador of  Donna  Maria,  for  open- 
ing dispatchesj  4^;  robbery  of  Jady 


Nelson's  jewels,  73;  eztraordinmry 
charge  of  felony  against  Mr.  GreeOy 
184 

Police,  several  killed  by  the  mob,  mt 
Carickshock,  Ireland,  190 

Political  unions,  their  nature  and  ob- 
jects, [5] ;  menacing  lanf^uage  held 
at,  [80] ;  meeting  of  the  Birminghun 
union,  [281] ;  their  vote  of  thank*  to 
lord  Aithorp  and  lord  J.  RuMell, 
[283] ;  the  London  Political  Union, 
[296]  ;  its  regulations,  170  ;  procla- 
mation against  political  unions,  186; 
meeting  against,  at  Edinburgh,  187 

Ponsonby,  lord,  his  letter  to  the  Belgic 
minister,  promising  the  ceaaion  of 
Luxemburg,  381 

Portugal :  arbitrary  proceedinga  against 
British  residents,  [442] ;  oomjilaints 
of  the  English  government,  [443]  ; 
its  demands  complied  with,  on  a  squad- 
ron being  sent  to  the  Tagus,  [4141 ; 
similar  complaints  made  by  the  FrencOy 
ib, ;  a  French  fleet  sent  to  Lisbon, 
[445] ;  which  carries  away  the  Por- 
tuguese fleer,  [447] ;  conspiracies  and 
plots,  ib. ;  Don  Pedro  prepares  for 
a  descent  on  Portugal,  [440] :  revolt 
of  part  of  the  garrison  at  Lisbon,  tft. ; 
Island  of  St.  Michael  taken  by  the 
regency  at  Tercet  ra,  [450] ;  alarm  of 
the  Portuguese  government,  t6. 

Portuguese  ambassador*  applieatkm 
against,  for  opening  dispatches  left  at 
his  residence  by  mistake,  45 

Post  office,  Cambridge,  attempt  to  blow 
up  the  letter-box,  190 

Prayer,  form  of,  against  the  cholera, 
181 

Preacher,  a  Methodist,  tried  for  sheep 
stealing,  103 

Proclamation  relative  to  the  late  dis- 
turbances, 178;  against  Pditioal 
Unions,  [2971,  '^^^ 

Public  documents  :  domestic,  336 ; 
foreign,  361 

Quick,  comedian,  death,  233 

Railways;  Indictment  against  the  Stock- 
ton and  Darlington  railway  company 
for  a  nuisance,  62  ;  receipts  of  tlie 
Liverpool  and  Manchester  nilway, 
169  ;  accident  on  ditto,  181 

Reece,  Dr.  R.,  death,  352 

Reform,  parliamentary,  popular  feelings 
and  petitions  in  favour  of,  [2]  ;  piH 
.  litlcal  imions,  [5]  ;  the  reform  nil 
introduced  by  Lord  J.  Russell,  [6]  ; 
its  plan,  [7]  ;  list  of  boroughs  to  oe 
disfranchised,  [8]  ;  of  others  to  send 
only  one  member,  [9] }  piopo«o4  |lfif 


I,  [10]  ;  alteration   of  fran- 

i.',    additioDsl   membets   to 

i,  [11) ;  alterations  in  the  k- 

Uion  of  Wales,  t'^l  i   ^'■t'o 

d  and  Ii«laiid,  [13J ;  iiiciMie 

coDBtltuencir,  il. ;  Sir  R.  H, 

I  tpMch  Hgaintt  the  bill,  [IS]  ; 

1.  TwisE's  dilto,  [18) ;  Mr.  U. 

■,  ditto,  m]i  Sir  C.  Wether- 

dttto,  [271 ;  Lord  Altbon)'!)  in 

ce  of   it,    [30]  ;  Mr.    Hiinie>s, 

,  [21]  J  Mr.  MacauUy's,   dilto. 

Sir   C.  Wetherelt'B,  [S7]  ;   the 

iinejr-geneml's,  ditto,  [31]  ;  Mr. 

iley'ain  support  of  the  bill,  [51] ; 

Jeffrey's,  dilto,  [64]  ;  llie  iinfair- 

s  of  the  new  plnn  of    frimrhiae 

iwn  by  Mr.  Croker,    [«!  ]  ;    Mr. 

Joiiiipira  speech,  [66]  ;  effects  of 

t  reform  bill  on  the  public  mind, 

7];  ranductuflhe  reformers,  [79]; 

id  of  the  political  unioriB  and  reform 

lectings,  [SO]  ;  caiiee  of  the  accession 

f  the  more  moderate  to  the  reform- 

isls,ij.;  declaraliauof  the  merchanta 

if  Landoii    against  the    reform    bill, 

[81] ;  violent  language  of  the  public 

press,  to  keep  up  the  popular  exdte- 


ntbe 


new  parliament,  [161]  '. 
CommonB,  [2B1];  introduced  in  the 
Lords,  |252]  ;  threats  of  reformers 
igainsc  the  Lords,  |2£3]  ;  debale  on 
the  second  rending  of  the  bill  [354]  ; 
vhich  is  thronrn  out  by  a  majority  of 
'orty-one,  [37S]  ',  aliatract  of  the  Bill, 
-S3S 

gistration  of  electors,  accord in(r  to 
Lhe  reform  bill,  [2231 
Lode  Island,  riot  at  Providence,  158 
Its  :  disturbances  on  the  losi  of  the 
reform  bill,  [280] ;  outr^:eB  at  Neir- 
lownbarry,  and  many  of  the  police 
killed,  (^6J;  among  the  roinen,  at 
Helaton,  38 ;  ditto,  at  Fowey  Consols 
iiid  Ijinescot  mines,  39  ;  at  New- 
quay, to  prevent  shipment  of  com, 
17  ;  .It  Merthyr  Tydvil  !n  Wales,  78 ; 

nqueston  Hughes,  one  of  the  rioters, 
^4 ;  at  Dean  Forest,  82 ;  in  Rhode 
Island,  159;  in  consequence  of  the 
rejection  of  the  reform  bill,  at  Derby, 
Nottingham,  Sec,  [2tll],  161  ;  appre- 
lension  of  disturbances  in  the  metro- 
polis, 162  ;  attack  on  the  marquis  of 
Londonderry,  163;  ditto,  on  lord 
rankerville,  at  Darlington,  ii.  ;  at 
Blandford,  164;  at  Frankfort,  168; 
Ireadful  disturbances  and  outisges  at 
Sristol,  with  dcBlruclion  of  the  mao- 
lion  bouse,  bishop's  palace,  &c.,  172 ; 

■  ''iventTT  and  Worceater.  177  i  ii*- 

■  -  1(14 


Rivci'b,  lord,  inquest  on,  21 

ftohberii^s  :  Michael  Dudley,  a  miser, 
r<,ljbed,70:  Mr.  RowtaDds.ajeweller, 
mhbed  of  goods  by  a  sirindler,  71  i 
robbery  of  Inlly  Nelson's  jcwflli)  7-f 

Roscoe,  W.,  death,  246 

Rothsay  Castle,  eteam-packet,  lost  off 
BeaQDiaris,  with  nearly  all  the  pas- 
sengers and  crew,  129 

Russia  :  its  canteat  vitb  Poland — fee 
Poland.  General  Paakewitsch  lays 
siege  to  Warsaw,  [433],  (43S]  ;  whWM 
capitulates,  and  the  Russians  enter 
the  city,  [436] ;  oppressive  conduct 
of  Russia  towards  Poland,  as  set  forth 
in  the  Polish  manifesto,  410 

Russian  tarilT,  187  ;  military  colonies, 
433 

Russell,  lord  .T.,  introduces  the  reform 
bill  ia  the  Commons,  |6] ;  bis  letter 
to  the  Birmingham  political  union, 
1^83];   Sir  H.  Hardingc'a    aniinad- 


.  Germain's,  borough  of,  Mr.  Rosa's 

motion  for  its  retaining  its  franchise, 

[186] 
Salisbury,  special  commission,  trials  at, 

1,5,  a 
Saltash,  borougii  of,  removed  from  aclie- 

dule  A,  [190] 
Salvage,  action  relative  to,  brought  by 

the  Blakency  pilots,  19 
Saving  banks,  Sec,  stktc  of,  in  Englaud, 

Scutch  church,  Regent  Square,  eitmor- 
dinary  pretensions  to  inspi ration  ma- 
nifested at,  187 

Scotland,  proposed  change  in  its  repre- 
scntalio»,[l3] 

SL'utt.  sir  Walter,  sale  of  MS.S.  of  his 
novels,  138;  be  embarks  at  Porta- 
niDutli  for  Italy,  168 

Scl)astiani,  general,  due!  with  genetal 
f.amarque,  138 

SeditioD,  trial  of  Carlile  for,  IB 

Seyer,  Rev.  S.,  death,  254 

tshict,  Mr.,  his  speech  in  liiTOur  of  the 
teroimbill.[87] 

(:iliipwrecks  ;  the  "  Ciar  "  smack,  off 
North  Berwick,  24 ;  loss  of  the 
■'  Rothsny  Castle,"  steam  -  packet, 
with  nearly  all  the  nasaengcra  and 
crew,  129 

;^iddans,  Mrs.,  death,  243 

Slaves,  rising  of,  in  South  WashingloD, 
140 


i,  affray  with. 


r  Hastings. 


SaQw-9b>[m,  violent  one  \n  Scotluid, 


INDEX. 


the  guard  and  driver  of  the  London 
mail  irozeii  to  death,  23 

Soap  inanufaittory,  illicit  seizure  ol',  78 

Soiniiainbulisni,  ca.sc  of,  7t> 

Spain :  insurrection  at  Cadiz,  [440]  ; 
Hrre8t8  and  executions  at  Afadrid, 
1 441 J  ;  Torrijos's  unstuccessful  at- 
tempt at  Malaga,  and  execution, 
[4421 

Spring  hymn,  454 

StampK,  sale  of,  after  effacing  ivriting 
on,  86 

Stanley,  Mr.,  his  speech  in  support  of 
the  reform  bill,  (51];  brings  in  the 
bill  for  altering  the  representation  of 
Ireland,  [96];  violently  opposes  ge- 
neral Gascoyne's  motion,  [106]  ;  do 
fends  the  reform  bill  against  Mr. 
Croker,  [2'{5]  ;  disavows  govern- 
ment's having  attempted  to  com- 
promise with  O'Conneil,  [317] 

Sugden,  Sir  E.,  his  speech  against  the 
reform  bill,  [91] 

Suicide,  prevented,  72  ;  attempt  at,  by 
a  gentleman  at  a  cigar  divan,  83 

Suicides  :  M.  Lynch,  murders  his  tivo 
children,  and  destroys  himself,  33  ; 
Moseley,  after  attempting  to  murder  a 
young  woman,  93 ;  two  cases  of 
suicide  in  Maidstone  gaol,  95  ;  J.  Cal* 
craft,  M.  P.  155 

Switzerland :  insurrections  in  the  can- 
ton of  Basle,  [420]  ;  a  federal  army 
takes  possession  of  the  canton,  [4211; 
insuri-ections  in  Schw^-z,  ib.  ;  in 
Neufchatel,  [422] ;  and  Berne,  [423]  ; 
proceedings  of  the  diet,  ib. 

Tables :  Public  income,  262 

Public  expenditure,  264 
Disposition  of  grants,  265 
Ways  and  means,  272 
Public  unfunded  debt,  273 
Public  funded  debt,  274 
Trade  of  the  united  kingdom, 

276 
Navigation  and  vessels,  277 
Stocks,  291 

Prices  of  corn,  hay,  and  but- 
cher's meat,  292 
Bills  of  mortality,  293 
Bankrupts,  ib» 
Weather,  ib. 

Number  of  houses  in  England 
and    Wales,    rated    to    the 
house-tax,  294 
Ditto,  in  the  metropolis,  295 
Number  of  persons  committed^ 

convicted,  &c.,  ib. 
State  of  Savings'  Banks,  296 
l^ankerville,  lord,  attack  upon,  by  the 

mob,  at  Darlington,  163 
Tarifif  new  Russian,  187 


Taxes,  proposed  redueiion  of,  .vis*  -011 
tobacco,  newspapers,  ooal,  candles, 
cottons,  glass,  auctions  of  landed  pro- 
perty, [126] ;  Utose  on  wines  to  be 
equalized,  [127]  ;  those  on  Umber 
modified,  [128] ;  new  tax  on  pas- 
sengers by  steam-boats,  ih, ;  on  tians- 
fcrs  in  tiie  funds,  ib.  (See  i^urndt*) 

Taylor,  rev.  R.,  trial  of,  for  blaspheuiVt 
93 

Tenants  at  will,  renting  land  at  50/.  per 
annum,  admitted  to  vote  for  counties, 
[214] 

Tenterden,  lord,  attack  on,  179 

Theatres :  their  majesties'  visit  to  Covent 
Garden,  45 ;  receipts  at  that  theatre 
from  1809  to  1821,  159 

Thompson,  alderman,  one  of  the  mtm- 
bers  for  London,  obliged  to  apolofiie 
to  his  constituents  for  claiming  lor  die 
borough  of  Appleby  the  right  of  show- 
ing wherefore  it  should  not  bo  dis- 
franchised, [167] 

Thomson,  rev.  Dr.  A.,  death,  836 

Thorndon  Hall,  damage  by  a  hurricane, 
163 

Thornton,  sir  £.^  and  lady,  complaint 
agunst,  by  their  son,  for  cruel  treat- 
ment, 159 

Threatening  letters,  trial  of  Isaac  Looker, 
and  afterwaixis  of  his  son,  for  send- 
ing, 9 

Thunderstorm,  Kilmichael  church  da- 
maged, 39 ;  storm  at  Oxford,  &c^  103 

Timber,  proposed  alterations  in  llie 
duties  on,  [127],  [135] 

Times,  The,  paragraph  ib,  reflecting  on 
the  earl  of  Limerick,  voted  a  breadi 
of  privilege,  [116];  Mr.  Lawson,  the 
printer,  brought  to  the  bar  of  the 
House  of  Lords,  [117] ;  he  apolofriiei 
in  a  petition,  [118] ;  the  power  of  in- 
flicting fine  discussed,  (119]  ;  Mr. 
Lawson  brought  up  to  be  reprimanded 
by  the  lord  chancellor,  [189] 

Tobacco,  duty  on,  proposed  to  be  re- 
duced, [125];  afterwardfev  Gontinned, 
[135] 

Torrijos,  failure  of  his  Insurreetiottary 
plot  at  Malaga,  1442];  be  and  his 
associates  executed,  t^.,  and  860 

Trials :  Jas.  Blandford  and  flftecm  others, 
machine-breaking,  1 ;  James  Warner, 
setting  fire  to  a  mill,  3 ;  W.  Bariiett 
and  eleven  others,  machine-breaking, 
5  ;  Isaac  T^iooker,  threatening  lettBts, 
9  ;  David  Little,  burglary,  J4 ;  R. 
Carlile,  sedition,  18  ;  Mr.  St.  John 
Long,  34 ;  T.  Clarke,  murder.  40 ; 
S.  Marden,  stealing  a  tippet,  i^.  S  J« 
Sanson,  arson,  44 ;  J.  Graenwood, 
burglary,  48 ;  M.  RelUj  and  C.  Ooart- 
ney,  conspiracy,  ib. ;  aL  Liuidy«  mvr* 


der,  51 ;  C.  Giles,  murder  of  his  awn 
infiuit,  5Z ;  M.  Feniel]r,  murder  of  liia 
infant  atep-eon,  54;  T.and  J.  Pulve;, 
murder,  55 ;  A.  and  W.  Worrall,  and 
K.  Chaddetton,  murder,  56 ;  Eattier 
l>ysoii,  dtaf  and  duoib,  murder  of  liei- 
infant,  59  ;  T.  Searle,  Mtcmpliiig  lo 
l<>ll  his  tlau^htcr  in  a  lit  of  religious 
insanity,  6,1  ;  Ellis,  housebreaking 
(case  of  erroneous  verdict].  65;  rev. 
—  M'Caig.Blealing boots,  79;  Patrick 
Connors  and  J.  Cullinane,  murder  of 
Mr.  Blood,  90  i  rev.  R,  Taylor,  blas- 
phemy,  93  ;  D.nod  P.Simpson,  shecp- 
etealing,  103 ;  tV.  Smith,  G.  BB<:tRr, 
and  W.  Mark  ham,  burglary,  1(14 1  T. 
Keilly,  naststing  in  cutting;  out  two 
men's  tonguef,  105  j  J.  Nobbs,  at- 
tempting lopoibon  his  infant  son,  106; 
W,  Offord,  murder  of  T.Chienall,  107; 
J.  A.  Bell,  aged  14,  murder  of  aimtlier 
lioy,  1 12;  I ieuL  Buchanan.  133  j  Mary 
Ann  Higgius.  poisoning  lier  uncle, 
124  ;  capt.  GambleH,  wrei^klng  his 
vessel,  156;  T.  tVakemaa  and  ivife, 
and  J.  Lill,  esteosive  robbery  of 
pnper,  ib. ;  S.  M'Liucblaii,  &c,,  riot- 
ing at  Uuder,  IS4;  J.  W.  Holloway 
and  Ann  Kennetl,  murder  of  Hollo- 
way's  wife,  191 ;  Jos.  Bamet,  &c.,  riot 
at  Dundee,  307  i  A.  Graham,  &c.,  tint 
at  Haddington,  310  ;  R.  Forrester, 
riot  at  Edinburgh,  311;  S.  ;7angli, 
murder  of  A.  Ross,  at  Girvan,  313  ; 
Bishop,  Williams,  and  May,  innrder 
for  the  purpose  of  Belling  the  budiee, 
316 

Union,  the  Irish,  endeavours  of  the 
ngitaiora  to  obtain  its  repeal.  [303] 

Union,  the  London  Political,  [20b'],  170; 
proclamation  against  'Pol  i  tl  cal  L'li  I  on  s ,' 
[297] 

United  Slates:  uopoputarity  of  the  la. 
riff;  [4611];  the  president's  message  to 
congress  417;  colonial  trade,  419; 
foreign  relation",  France,  421  ;  Spain, 
422;  two  Sicilies,  433;  indemnity 
promised  hy  Portugal,  for  capture  of 
vessels  at  Terceim,  ih. ;  Austria,  &c., 
424 ;  Mexico,  &C.,  424  {  removal  of 
Indians  beyond  the  limits  of  the  Stales, 
427  1  revenue,  &g.,  438  ;  peculiar 
situation  of  Colombia,  430 

Universities,  examinations,  &e.  at,  297 

University,  new  one  nC  Durham,  pro- 
spectus of,  194 


Vyvyan,  sir  R.,  his  speech  against  the 
reform  bill,  [H3] :  inveighs  against 
tbe'eagerneBS  on  the  part  of  ministers 
for  a  dissolulion,  [HU] ;  strongly  ani- 
madverts on  lord  J.  HusbaU's  corre- 
spaudencc  irith  the  Birmingham  poli- 
tical union.  [2S.^1 

Wales :  riot  of  the  workmen  at  Merthyr 

Tydvil,  78 
WaJsingham,  lord  and  lady,  lite  former 
burnt  10  death,  the  death  of  the  other 
occasioned  by  her  leaping   from    a 
ivindow,  67 
IVard,  Mr.  Baring,  profesBES  himself,  as 
a  moderate  reformer,  opposed  to  the 
reform  bill.  (221,  (23J 
Warsaw,  the  Russians  approach  tlie  city, 
[438] ;  disBensions  and  insurrections 
init,  [434];  the  fortifications  stormed. 
[435]  ;  surrender  of  the  citv  [436] 
Wellealey,  Mr.,  committed  for  contempt 
of   court,    by   the    lord   chnncellnr, 
[303] ;  complains  of  it  as  a  bicach  of 
privilege,  ib. 
Wellington,  duke  of,  his  speech   in  the 

debate  on  the  reform  bill,  [2<i3] 
Westminster  Review,  its  vehement  lone, 
as  the  organ  of  one  cl^s  of  reformers, 
[22] 
Wetherell,  sir  C„  his  speech  on  the  re- 
form hill,  [371;  ""  ^^  question  of 
franeliise  being  bestowed  on  Green- 
wich [301] ;  his  remarks  on  ministers 
corresponding  with  tlie  Birmingham 
union,  [287];  riot  on  his  arrival  at 
Bristol,  172 
Wharoclifle,  lord,  gives  notice  of  a  motion 
for  an  address  to  the  king,  not  to  dis- 
solve parliament,  [110];  his  defence 
of  nomination  buronghi,  [258] ;  with- 
draws his  amendment  for  throwing 
out  the  bill,  [261] 
WinchilscH,  lord,  his  speech  against  the 

reform  bill,  [2S2] 
Wild  man,  supposed  one,  139 
Worcester,   riot  at,  and  attack  on  the 

bishop's  palace,  177 
Wraxsll,  sir  Nath.  W.,  death.  3flH 

Yorke,  sir  Jas.,  captain  Bradby,   and 

capt.  Yonge,  drowned,  72 
'Youth,'  stanzas  bj  HowitI,  45S 


d,Filiil«,  Paimomrraw.