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HALSEY, W. H., Bermondsey-st., Tooley

street, tea-dealer.

HULME, E., Piccadilly, hatter.

MANN, J. H., Charles-street, St. James'ssquare, Westminster, scrivener. MILLER, T., Croydon, grocer. PARKER, C., Bredon, Worcestershire, horsedealer.

PEARSON, J., Wigginton, Yorkshire, tanner. PHILLIPS, T. J., Newport, Monmouthshire, scrivener.

SALMON, H. T., Oxford-st., tallow-chandler. SHIRLEY, S., Basinghall-street, Blackwellhall-factor.

VICKERY, J., Bristol, corn-dealer.
WARREN, S., Burton-upon-Trent, chemist.
WYER, S., Kidderminster, plumber.

SCOTCH SEQUESTRATIONS.
ARNOTT, W., Perth, merchant.
FLEMING, J., Glasgow, baker.
GRAY, J., Edinburgh, spirit-dealer.

LONDON MARKETS.

MARK-LANE, CORN-EXCHANGE, MAY 14.We have had good supplies of English, Irish, Scotch, and foreign wheat: of English, Scotch, and Irish oats and flour, as also English and Scotch malt, barley, beans, peas, and seeds, from all quarters, our supplies have been but limited.

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Bacon, Middles, new, 44s. to 49s. per cwt.
Sides, new... 48s. to 52s.

Pork, India, new.... 130s. Vd. to ―s.
Pork, Mess, new ...75s. Od. to -s. per barl.
Butter, Belfast ....80s. to s. per cwt.
Carlow .....70s. to 80s.
Cork .... 80s, to 82s.
Limerick ..80s. to -S.
Waterford..70s. to -s.

Dublin ....66s. to 68s.

Cheese, Cheshire....54s. to 74s. Gloucester, Double.. 52s, to 62s. Gloucester, Single... 42s. to 56s. Edam .......49s. to 54s. Gouda 48s. to 50s.

......

Hams, Irish........ 64s. to 68s.

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This day's market was well attended both Cons. Aun. by London and country buyers; but, as the drooping state of both our provincial and the

THE FUNDS.

Fri. Sat. Mon. Tues. Wed. Thur. 83 83 83 84 841 841

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continental markets, together with the abun- Printed by William Cobbett. Johnson's-court; and

dance of the supply, had induced most of these

published by him, at 11, Bolt-court, Fleet-street.

COBBETT'S WEEKLY POLITICAL REGISTER.

VOL. 76.-No. 8.]

LONDON, SATURDAY, MAY 26TH, 1832.

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[Price Is. 2d.

cause of reform. I have not only been an actor, but a principal actor, in this cause, for at least twenty-five years; and it is, therefore, quite proper that I should take particular pains to make this part of its history perfect. In relating the facts, I will follow the chronological order, and will offer my remarks as they present themselves.

23. MARCH. I was at Birmingham, with a promise to go to Dudley a second time, before my return to London. But, finding that the Reform Bill was, at last, actually passed in the Commons (on the 22d March), and was, of course, going to the Lords, I had to apologize to the excellent people at Dudley, and to set off for London.

I am come down here to this little quiet town of cleanly hearths, and of the 27. MARCH. It was brought into best bread that ever went into human the Lords, and, on the motion of Lord lips, in order to get clear out of the GREY, was then read the first time, and hubbub of the noisy WEN, that I may was appointed to be read a second time calmly and impartially look back over on the 5th March. Now, however, as in the public transactions of the last five or every former case, there appeared in six weeks, and that we may have, in both parties a disposition to procrastithis our immortal book, a clear, as well nate. From the 5th the second reading as a true, account of them. In cases was, at the suggestion of the Duke of like this, we almost always have, very Wellington, put off till the 9th April, soon after the events have taken place, without any reason assigned. This to lament that we have no record of complaisance in the Minister towards them, and that we do not know where to his opponent and rival was perfectly find the proof of the conduct of the unaccountable to the public, and it different parties engaged in the trans-tended strongly to strengthen the actions. I shall, in this the most im- grounds of suspicion which afterwards portant affair that ever took place in the appeared. world in my time, do my best to provide against this inconvenience; and, with this object in view, I shall go back to the time when the Reform Bill was last introduced into the House of Lords. I have, in the last Register, inserted a most important debate entire; but I cannot do this any more upon this subject. I will, however, take care to preserve the dates of the several debates, which are, indeed, so many famous exposures, and which we can (having the dates) refer to whenever we like. For the last thirty years, the history of my life is the history of this Government, and particularly the history of the

9. APRIL. Grey moved the SECOND READING of the bill, a motion which he finally carried by a majority of nine votes, including proxies, and by a majority of two of peers who were present. Upon this occasion Lords HARROWEY and WHARNCLiffe (Dudley RYDER and STUART WORTLEY) spoke in favour of the motion, though they had been amongst the loudest and the bitterest of its opponents, when it was rejected last autumn. But they had had interviews and negotiations with GREY, for some time before, and it was thought by some weak people that they had become converts to the cause of

reform! Too great a miracle to believe 21st of April, and at page 132. There was in; but still." nothing is impossible another circumstance that very naturally with Omnipotence." Alas! Omnipo- tended to strengthen this suspicion. It tence had not thought proper to inter- has been the general practice for the pose in this case; and it was very soon Parliament to pay respect to the festival seen that there had been no con- of EASTER by adjourning during the version here, but that these two lords EASTER week, beginning the adjourn and a body who acted with them, had ment on the Thursday preceding Good quite other views than those necessary Friday. But, in this instance, the to insure the passing of the bill. Houses adjourned at the beginning of the 14. APRIL (Saturday morning). The week, and until fifteen days after Easter debate on the second reading was closed Sunday: that is to say, until the 7th with the division before mentioned. of May; when, according to usual Every one saw that this second reading custom, they ought to have met on the was nothing, for not only did HARROW- 30 of April at the latest? What could BY and WHARNCLIFFE, but several this be for; and that, too, at a time when others who voted for the second reading, the country was suffering so exceeding ́declare that very great alterations must ly from the delay in passing this bill? be made in the committee before they All these circumstances put together, would give their assent to it. So that and especially the speech of GREY at the there was no hope of carrying the bill close of the debate on the second readwithout rendering it useless to the ing, convinced me that it was not inpeople, unless new peers were made in tended to make new peers; that it was sufficient number to overpower the intended to pass the bill, cutting out the opponents of the bill. This was mani- metropolitan members and the tenfest to every soul in the kingdom; and pound suffrage; that there was a suffieverybody understood that Lord GREY cient number of peers to agree with had the King's written promise to GREY that he should keep his place authorise him to make as many peers as upon these conditions; that GREY had were necessary to insure the passing of agreed to this; that this was the result the bill; the people grew extremely im- of the negotiations with RYDER and patient that the making of the new WORTLEY; that thus the working peers was so long postponed, and men people would be left without any voice could hardly imagine the Minister to be at all in choosing members of Parliasincere when they saw him about to go ment; that we should be governed by into committee without first making a new set of rotten boroughs instead of the new peers; and indeed he was the old set; and that, unless the great manifestly going into the committee towns bestirred themselves quickly, the with a certainty that all those parts of whole thing would thus end in a fraud the bill would be rejected upon which more villanous than ever had been bethe people set the most value. To add fore practised upon a nation. This to this ground of suspicion, GREY him- being my conviction, the moment I read self had, at the close of the debate on the speech of GREY, I hastened to comthe second reading, made use of expres- municate this conviction to as many sions which clearly meant that he would persons as I could. It was Saturday, not abandon the measure and his place the 14th of April; my Register was if the metropolitan members and the out, and I had no other channel of that ten-pound clause were flung out in the sort. I wrote a letter stating my suscommittee! His words will be found picions, the grounds of my suspicions, fairly to bear this interpretation accord- and also stating what I deemed it to be the ing to all the reports in the newspapers, duty for the people to do in this emerand also according to the interpretation gency. I had the letter printed, and put upon those reports in every part of the sent it by post that same night to every country. This passage of his speech will considerable town in England, particube found at full length in the Register of larly requesting my correspondents to

but I repeat my belief that the former was prevailed upon by the Government to keep the latter quiet; and while I am ready to join my voice to the man who will go farthest in praising the general conduct of this BIRMINGHAM UNION, the members of it are not infallible any more than the rest of us; and

look well at the report of the speech of who have rendered so much service to Lord GREY; not to rely upon my inter- the cause; still my conviction now is pretation, but to take their own. as it then was, that the BIRMINGHAM In the next Register, I mean that of UNION had been kept silent by the craft the 21st of April, I published my sus- and cunning of the Government. picions in full detail; I dwelt with par- The moment my friend told me of ticular earnestness on the speech of the expression of Mr. PARKES, I was GREY; and amongst other things I convinced that that gentleman had, at warned the Political Unions against the suggestion of the Government, being seduced into silence by the Go-written to Birmingham, and had kept vernment, having perceived, with great the Union quiet. I impute no bad mo sorrow, that the Political Union of tive; I impute not even weakness, BIRMINGHAM had remained in profound either to Mr. PARKES or to the UNION, silence, though all SCOTLAND, and several English towns in the north, had been put in full motion by suspicions exactly similar to those which I entertained. The publication of these remarks of mine, in the Register of the 21st of April, awakened great attention, and particularly these remarks relative to the danger of Political Unions I must say, that I do not think it would being seduced into silence by the Government. In a few hours after the publication of that Register, a friend called upon me at Bolt-court, and related to me, that he had accidentally heard Mr. PARKES of BIRMINGHAM, utter words, amounting, in his opinion (as they did in my opinion) to an acquiescence in what appeared to us to be the intention of Lord Grey. I knew that Mr. PARKES was one of the principal persons connected with the Political Union of BIRMINGHAM; I knew that he was in the habit of having interviews this was a capital wheel. If such inwith one, two, or more of the Minis- fluence were used by the Ministers, it ters; and I knew he was a person not then becomes manifest that my suslikely to utter words thoughtlessly. Ipicions were correct as to their designs: could impute no bad motive to Mr. if such influence were not used, it would PARKES, whose character placed him go far to show that my suspicions were above all suspicion in that respect; but perfectly groundless. I was convinced, and I am still convinced, that, though my anxiety for the success of the cause, and my anger against those whom I suspected of a readiness to betray it, may have led me, and has led me, to make use of expressions towards this gentleman and the BIRMINGHAM Union, more censorious than could have been justified, if I had written under circumstances less calculated to expose me to passionate expressions; though I allow this, and apologize with all my heart to persons

be beneath their character to tell the public frankly whether they were kept quiet by the means that I have described; whether, in short, and to speak plainly, they did or did not receive, through Mr. PARKES, the suggestions of the Ministers, to keep quiet. There is no fault in receiving such letters, and no fault in writing them; but there would be fault, and great fault, too, in withholding a knowledge of the facts from the public; because, in the curiously-contrived machine that was at work at that time,

The words of Mr. PARKES were related to me, on the 21st of April, in the manner that I have before observed. My informant put his information in the shape of a letter. I printed it, and, in another circular, sent off an hundred copies that very night to the most popular places in ENGLAND. This drew forth an answer from Mr. PARKES, which I published in the Register of the 5th of May, to which I subjoined some remarks. In those remarks, page 263, I dwelt with some earnestness on the

length of time Mr. PARKES suffered to row, that a deputation from the BIRelapse before he gave his answer. The MINGHAM Union has come up to Loncause of that delay on the part of Mr. don with an address to Lord GREY! PARKES, was, last Saturday, fully ex- An address to him! and for what? For plained to me; and I am now satisfied his having augmented the army, I supthat he answered my circular as soon as pose, and having put swords in the he possibly could after he had seen it. But hands of his Bourbon-like police! An here is the great and important circum- address to him, above all men living! stance that, at LEEDS, the people had Because, I suppose, he has passed an met on the 18th of April. Even at Irish tithe-coercion bill through the GLASGOW on the 18th of April; at NEW- House of Commons; because his huCASTLE on the 18th of April; at Mox-manity has been so remarkable; bePETH on the 23rd of April, even at cause he so readily listened to the BIRDUDLEY close by BIRMINGHAM on the MINGHAM petition to spare the men of 23rd of April; and everywhere express- BRISTOL and of NOTTINGHAM; because ing violent suspicions of the intentions he has been so sparing of our purses as of Ministers; and, all this time, the to expend only thirty or forty thousand Political Council of BIRMINGHAM were pounds on special commissions; and besilent, though they had Lord Grey's cause he has got a poor-law commisspeech (before referred to) in their sion, with STURGES BOURNE at the head possession, on the fifteenth of April; of it! I should be sorry to think this a whole day before it could possi- BIRMINGHAM Union a tool in the hands bly reach NEWCASTLE, and two days of the Ministers; but I am resolved before it could possibly reach the sen- that my readers shall not be deceived; sible and public-spirited people of GLAS- and if it be true that a deputation of it GOW. How comes it, then, that the has actually come up to address GREY, council of Birmingham remained totally after the unaccountable silence of the silent, until the twenty-seventh of April? Council for nine days after the town of It is impossible for a sincere man to GLASGOW had met to remonstrate with say, that he does not believe that it was GREY; if this really be so, I must desire kept silent by the influence of the Mi- my readers to be on their guard, and nisters. I impute no fault, observe, to not to take all for gospel that comes Mr. PARKES or the COUNCIL; I impute from that quarter. Nor do I like what not even weakness; for who amongst the papers of to-day tell me is going on us all has been so lucky as never to between the BIRMINGHAM Council and have been deceived by the devil? Iour City of London Parliament." It desire to be considered as amongst seems, that a deputation of the Council the foremost in feelings of gratitude is come up to plaster our little Parliatowards the BIRMINGHAM Union. But ment, and to be plastered in return of observe this, that in the proportion that course; and we read, that Charley that Union, in its state of perfect inde- PEARSON has been deputed by Charley's pendence, can do the country good, it own Lord Mayor, to invite the deputacan, if once it listen to the cajolery of tion to a dinner. If any man worth the THING, do the country mischief: saving should happen to be there, I it is under the names and forms and hope he will take care how he loads his professions of liberty, that Englishmen stomach; for what stomach is to be have been made slaves. For my part, proof against the nauseous interchange so great is my detestation of the THING, of compliments which will follow this and of all engaged in carrying the meal? I should not wonder if they THING on, that I not only shun the were to vote the freedom of the City to THING's people, but am impatient in the Council, as they did to GREY and the company of any one that has ever ALTHORP the other day, and who might spoken to any of those people. I cannot have had it at a much cheaper rate be too explicit on this head; and I must than that of writing silly letters to these sav. that I have heard with great sor-jobbers; for I would have sold GREY

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