of guineas, given by the parliament out of the taxes," for the RELIEF of the POOR CLERGY of the Church of Eng"land;" they know that YOU pay a large part of these taxes; and yet they would refuse you relief in cases even of the extremest distress!

something or other. This is so now, and it must be so as long as this establishment shall exist. The sons of the parsons are, for the far greater part, kept by the public in some shape or other; the husbands of the daughters are kept in the same way; they engross the offices, the employments, and shut out But as long as this establishment the sons of farmers and tradesmen. I shall exist, so long must it continue to do not blame the government for this; inflict evils on the country; it must, of for in the nature of things it must be so; necessity, take from the farmer and it is a necessary effect of the establish tradesman and merchant and manufacment. It is the only establishment in turer the means of paying just wages to the world, or that there ever was in the those whom they employ; and there is world, the priests of which are allowed to no man can doubt that it is the want of marry. Wherever there are priests paid just wages that is the cause, and the by the public, they are not allowed to only cause, of the present troubles of marry; and it is clear that they ought the country. Well, then, ought not not to be so allowed; for, otherwise, this cause to be removed? And how is what is it but to tax the people to keep it to be removed, without legally taking a race of men and women to breed per-away those tithes and other public prosons to be maintained by the public, perty, the leaving of which in the hands and to take away from all the industrious of the parsons produces this calamitous classes the chance, even the chance, of cause. The establishment does not sharing in the honours and powers of now answer the purposes for which it the country? It is, in short, an esta- was intended; those who receive the blishment which makes the people keep fathers and mothers, that they may breed children for them to keep also! And such a thing never was heard of before in the whole world,

revenues are, in great part, absent from the parishes; the churches are empty; the meeting-houses are full; those who do the work of the church are living in penury; and, more than all the rest, the My friends, Labourers of England, present distribution of this property there is a PARSON, of the name of helps to make the working people so MALTHUS, who has written a book to poor and miserable, that they must show that you breed too fast; and in either die with starvation, or resort, for order to check your breeding he proposes, the purpose of obtaining the means of that if you be married you shall have no sustaining life, to acts of violence relief from the parish, but shall be left dangerous to the peace of the country. to starve. The Scotch and Irish place- And is it not, therefore, just to take this hunters, who live or want to live on property away? "" 'THE SAFETY OF your labour, applaud this Parson Malthus THE PEOPLE IS THE SUPREME to the skies, and so do our pensioners LAW:" How can they be safe, then, and parsons. But neither Malthus nor as long as they are constantly exposed any of his crew ever propose to check either to starvation or to the conse the breeding of the PARSONS and the quences of unlawful acts? And, if they PENSIONERS! Think of that. They must (and I have shown that they must) grudge YOU, who make all the food, be constantly thus exposed, as long as clothing, houses, and fuel; they grudge this establishment shall exist, are the you parish-relief; but they do not people to perish; are we all to be ruined grudge to parsons and pensioners pay and destroyed, for the sake of those who out of the taxes raised on you! Oh! profit from this establishment? Is that the insolent ruffians! Is there not a just? Why, then, it is just to repeal just and merciful God: and is his hand and abolish this establishment. for ever to be stayed! The ruffians have THIRD. The measure is necessary. seen, of late years, a million and a half This I have, indeed, just showed; but

My good and honest friends,
Your faithful servant,

WM. COBBETT.

much lenity and indulgence as the Catho lic clergy were treated with, when the tithes and other church property were taken from them; and this, I am sure, they cannot complain of with any show of decency.

there are still further reasons why this tipathy or personal ill-will: I wish for measure is necessary. The weight of the measure for the reasons that I have taxes is one great cause of the distress given; and I exhort you to join cordially and the troubles of the country. Your with your employers in petitions, and in wages go, one half, to pay taxes. More all other lawful efforts, to cause that than the half of these taxes is re- measure to be adopted, and that, too, quired to pay the interest of what is immediately, being thoroughly concalled the NATIONAL DEBT. It is vinced, that, until it be adopted, Engimpossible to collect such heavy taxes land will never again know happiness. without a large army. Therefore, it is I am, in vain to hope for relief as long as this Debt, to its present amount, shall exist. The Debt-people receive more than they ought to receive. Every man P. S. What I would wish to have done of sense says this; and the present with regard to the present parsons I First Lord of the Admiralty (a very will clearly state in my next letter to clever man) proposed to take 30 per you; but I will say this much now, that cent., or nearly a third part, away from I wish them to be treated with full as the Debt-people. Now, if this Debt were justly reduced, and the tithes and other Church property sold, and the money paid to the Debt-people, the Debt would be nearly paid off, the army might be disbanded, the heavy taxes taken off, and the nation be again great and happy, the working people well fed and clad, as their great grandfathers were, and the employers and their proTHIS affair has ended as I anticipated perty in a state of safety. And are we in my last Register. STANLEY gave up to forego all this; are we to give up the the scrutiny at the end of three days; hope of ever seeing England happy and there can be no doubt that the again, merely for the sake of upholding scrutiny was a mere device for preventthis establishment of parsons and bi-ing Mr. HUNT from taking his seat beshops! It is just that the Debt-people fore the recess. should be paid less than they are now paid; every one must confess, and every one does confess, this; but every one feels and says, that it would be monstrous injustice, injustice to call down the curses of all mankind, to take one single farthing from the Debt-people, so long as the clergy continue to receive their enormous emoluments.

And now, my friends, I have, I think, proved the legality, the justice and the necessity of this measure. I have no dislike to the religion of the Church, in which I was born and bred and have always continued. I have great respect for many of the working clergy, whom I know to be amongst the most worthy of men, and whose lot would be mended by the measure that I propose, as religion and morality would also be advanced by it. I am actuated by no an

PRESTON ELECTION.

If he had been present,

that recess, for seven weeks, would not have taken place, without his asking how it could be proposed, at a time when the punishment of the offending labourers was going on, to put off, for another seven weeks, all inquiry into the grounds of these complaints, on which they had founded their offences ? The Parliament will have been as sembled from the 26th of October to the 3d of February, three clear months, without any inquiry into this most important matter; and, if Mr. HUNT had been in the House, I am convinced that there would, at any rate, have been one man to ask whether it would not have been better to make the inquiry precede the punishment, rather than follow it; for the inquiry might have brought out facts calculated to cause mercy to be exercised in cases where, otherwise, it

naturally would not. However, there" subsisted between your borough and will be time enough to talk of this" the family to which I belong, which, hereafter; and, in the meanwhile, be- " I had hoped, had not been unprofore we come to the prayers which are "ductive of advantage to the town of now to put up, let us laugh at the dis-" Preston. The rupture of that conmal address in which STANLEY takes" nexion has been your act,-[ his everlasting leave of the town of" quiesce in your decision, and shall Preston, which address is in the follow-" make no attempt, in future, to renew ing blubbering and blundering words:" it. In taking, however, my final "leave of you as a candidate for the

ac

66 TO THE ELECTORS OE PRESTON. "honour of representing the borough, "Irish Office, London, Dec. 22d, 1230." I should be ungrateful to my many "GENTLEMEN,-1. I have thought it" friends, were I to omit returning to my duty to signify to the returning "them my warmest thanks for their "officers my intention of abandoning" uniform kindness and support; and "the scrutiny, and offering no further" though no longer to be charged with opposition to the return of Mr. Hunt." the direct responsibility of represent"2. The delays which have been" 'ing them in Parliament, I trust that I "already interposed would alone render" may still be in situations which may "it extremely doubtful whether we "enable me to prove to them that I am "could succeed, within the time limited" neither unmindful of their past kindness nor inattentive to their interests. 66 I have the honour to be, "Gentlemen,

by law, in striking off so large a num"ber of voters as compose the apparent "majority of my opponent; and that “doubt is much increased by the facili"ties which the opposite party would "have of carrying on the same system "of delay to an indefinite extent.

"Your obedient humble servant, "E. G. STANLEY." This is the proudest fellow, the most insolently proud, in the kingdom. No 3. While I saw before me a pros- Scotch bailiff or negro-driver was ever pect of successfully vindicating the more proud than this very STANLEY. cause of what I then believed, and How it must have grated his haughty still believe, to be the majority of heart to put these words upon paper. good and legal votes, I felt it my Yes, I dare say he "contentedly" reduty to persevere in my endeavours, signs the honour of representing them. "at whatever personal inconvenience Poor fool! As if that piece of poor, or expense; but the prospect of ulti-pointless sarcasm would do any thing "mate success being now extremely but discover his aristocratical spite !

66

66 doubtful, the same sense of duty im- But this fellow, in answering the pels me to discontinue a mode of speeches of our friends IRVIN and proceeding which must have a ten-MITCHELL, talked of GRAMMAR, I dency to keep up a strong feeling of think. Reader, look in paragraph 3, "excitement and agitation in the town at the word "what" as a relative, first "of Preston. to the cause and then to the majority of

66

66

66

"4. I shall therefore offer no further votes. Look at the word "that" at "opposition to your new representative the close of paragraph 4. “More satistaking his seat in Parliament: I re-actorily to you than that I have done;' peat to you my declaration, that I for, as you see, the phrase, “it would contentedly resign to him the honour appear, has no effect in the construc"of representing you; and I sincerely tion of the sentence. Look at "I had hope that he may serve you as ho-hoped," in paragraph 5, and then send nestly, as faithfully, and more satis- the fellow off packing to be baited and "factorily to you than, it would appear, jeered by the Irish, at whose blundering propensities he had the folly and inso“5. Gentlemen, a parliamentary conlence to laugh in his first speech at "nexion has for very many years Preston. And this is the writing of a

"that I have done.

duty of us all to aid them in the way of But they and their

wives will think of the wives and children of the suffering labourers! Here is personal liberty, here is country for

SECRETARY OF STATE, is it, and of a proud aristocrat too! More fit is he to compensation. be set to study my English Grammar, and particularly the Six Lessoas to Statesmen, at the end of it. And yet, we are to pay this proud, illiterate fel-ever, here is life itself at stake! And I low two or three thousand pounds a know that they will feel, as to this matyear! Look at the whole piece, and. ter, as they ought to feel, then you will wonder, with me, where the fellow found any ministry to give him an office in the discharge of which writing was required.

THE BALLOT.

In my plan for Parliamentary ReHowever, my friends of Preston, he form, I observed that honest men has taken his " final leave of you," might differ as to other parts of the very "contentedly!" Just as content- plan; but that no one, except a real edly as the fox did of the grapes. Into openly avowed rogue, would be opposed what hole will he now creep; pray to the ballot; because his motive must watch him. Pray trace him to and of necessity be his desire to preserve from his next batch of "constituents." bribery, corruption and perjury; and And, in the meanwhile, we all thank that, therefore, he must be a real, downyou, the people of Preston, from the right, unblushing, hardened rogue. The bottom of our souls, for the punish- ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY ment, the deep humiliation, that you is evidently of my opinion; for, in the have inflicted on this proudest of the Bill, brought in by him, last Session, proud, this most insolent of the most for facilitating the composition for insolent, of all the aristocrats that ever tithes, he, in the clauses for appointing trod the earth. This is a "statesman," is commissioners in the several districts, it? "I had hoped had not been unpro- has this provision, "that the voting >ductive!" "Vindicating the cause of shall be by ballot." That is enough. what I believe to be the majority" of We have the head of the Church with votes. "Vindicating the cause of the us; and now we may set the real votes!" Think of that. "More satisrogues at defiance. But Dr. BLACK factorily than that I have done." Why, begins to shuffle. He is for the ballot it is worse than the scrawl of a cast-off but he is for raising the qualification; chambermaid, who is just going to tuck so as to disfranchise the 403. freeherself up on the rafter of a garret, hav- holders, I suppose! Eh, Scotchman? ing too much sense of honour to survive her disgrace. "Final leave as a candidate," indeed! Final leave of life would have had sense and spirit in it; but who ever saw either in the race, or, indeed, in the order, to which he belongs.

However, let him go to old Sarum, Gatton, Hazlemere, or to the devil, if he choose, and let him come draggling and sneaking out like a rat that the terriers have driven from a barn into a sink-hole, or some place still more filthy. Thank you, brave and patriotic men of Preston! And whatever I can do, beyond thanks, you shall have at my hands. I am well aware that the poor and virtuous people have made sacrifices indescribable; and that it is the

Is that what you mean? So as to disfranchise the people of Preston? Eh, Doctor! Burdett's plan: Eh! Better not try it, Doctor. The ballot without raising the qualification would soon set Scotch feelosofers to clean the kennels that is true enough; but, better not try it, Doctor! Much the safer way not to try to raise the qualification at Preston (as you propose), or not, at least, until you have got armour ready for the bodies of the new voters and have made their dwellings proof against thunder and lightning. Do that, Doctor, before you try to raise the qualification, notwithstanding that "it must be property to protect property." Ah! you straight-backed, Scotch, tax-eating knaves, who calumniate the people of

66

troubled state of certain parts of the United Kingdom,

be used immediately before the Litany; and when the Litany shall not be read, before the prayer for all conditions of men; in all cathedral, collegiate, and parochial churches and chapels in England and Ireland, as soon as the ministers thereof shall receive the same!

England, call them "stupid," call them A Form of Prayer, on account of the "brutal;" only let this people have their rights, and you may dance back again to your own delightful land of To burgoo and of bannocks of barley meal. The band of botheration reporthers may dance off too; for, down comes the monopolizing fraud on which they fatten, and which drenches them with gin and beer. All these hordes of vile vermin have been fed by the toil of the working people of England; and these people will feed them no longer, for "O God, our Heavenly Father, who which they would hang them all if they art rich in mercy and grace towards could. So sure as this is paper that I" all who obey thy will, and hast proam writing on, so sure are the facts," mised forgiveness and remission of that it is the taxing system that has" sins to them that truly repent, and brought these lazy locusts into England" unfeignedly believe thy holy Gospel, to devour the produce of the people's" we humbly beseech thee to look with labour; and that, if that system be" compassion on thy servants, and rechanged, these vermin must go to work "lieve their affliction. We have sinor decamp. This is the cause why they" ned, we have grievously sinned, and are, to a man, the enemies of a real" transgressed thy holy laws: we conreform of the parliament; all of them," fess our iniquity, we lament our unwithout a single exception. And how" worthiness, and meekly acknowledge, they hate the best part of the labourers; "that by our manifold offences, we and how they hate the Prestonians!“ have justly provoked thy wrath: yet No accounts did they give of the glo- "deal not with us, O Lord, according rious election. Not a word of the" to the multitude of our transgresspeeches ! But the term of the vaga- "sions, but in judgment remember bonds draws to a close. The English mercy. For thy dear Son's sake, O labourers will no longer live upon pota- "Lord, give ear to our prayer, and toes, and in that resolution the all-de-" withdraw thy chastening hand from vouring vermin hear their doom!

THE PRAYER.

us.

To thee alone we look for de"liverance; without thy help and di"rection the power and wisdom of man

are of no avail. Restore, O Lord, to "thy people the quiet enjoyment of the At the Council-chamber, Whitehall, the "many and great blessings which we 24th December, 1830, present the Lords of" have received from thy bounty: deHis Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council,

It is this day ordered by their Lordships, that his Grace the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury do prepare forms of prayers to Almighty God, on account of the troubled state of certain parts of the United Kingdom:

And it is hereby further ordered, that His Majesty's Printer do forthwith print a competent number of the said Forms of Prayers, that the same may be forthwith sent round" and read in all the Cathedral, Collegiate and Parochial Churches and Chapels throughout those parts of the United Kingdom, called England and Ireland, as soon as the Ministers thereof may receive the same.

WM. L. BATHURST.

feat and frustrate the malice of wickhearts: have pity, O Lord, on the "ed and turbulent men, and turn their simple and ignorant, who have been "led astray, and recall them to a sense ranks and conditions in this country, "of their duty and to persons of all "vouchsafe such a measure of thy with true faith and devotion, and grace, that our hearts being filled "cleansed from all evil affections, we may serve thee with one accord, in "duty and loyalty to the king, in "obedience to the laws of the land, "and in brotherly love towards each