tion were made out and carried to all the papers; and I know that the vagabond editors have not inserted it, though their columns are filled with rubbish interesting to no person of sense. The TRUE SUN is an exception here, for it has inserted it. One would wonder what should make these vagabonds thus hostile to the working people; but they are so to a man; aye, and at the bottom of their hearts, the far greater part of them are enemies of Parliamentary reform. They have lived by corruption, and they naturally dislike to see it put an end to.

That your petitioners have, with great surprise, seen brought into your honourable House a bill, the professed object of which is, to "preserve the "dignity and independence of the House of Commons; " but the manifest tendency, if not design, of which is, to shut out or turn out of the House all those who are not very rich men, or who have not great riches at their command.

talent, if resolutely disposed to maintain the interests of the common people; would long be able to escape that ruin; and that, in short, your petitioners can see in this bill nothing other than a deeplaid scheme for counteracting the natural effects of the Reform Bill, and for depriving the people of their rights, under the pretence of preserving the dignity of their representatives.

That your petitioners believe that there are few persons who will be found to deny that the country is at present in a most deplorable state; that ruin and misery meet the eye, turn it which way you will; that, in the midst of profound peace, we have all the expenses of war to sustain; that, trade, commerce, and agriculture, have lost their profits, and labour its employment or its wages; that our pecuniary concerns appear to be as uncertain as the winds, hourly threatening us with the confusion arising from barter; and that your petitioners cannot but know that this state of things has been produced by a House of Commons, consisting of men of rank and of wealth; and that, therefore, they cannot be brought to believe, that it is necessary to pass a bill, the tendency of which is to prevent any man who is not very rich, from holding a seat in the House of Commons.

That your petitioners complain, that there is any pecuniary qualification at That there is scarcely any man, en- all for members to serve in the House gaged in trade, manufactures, com- of Commons; that they do not see why merce, or agriculture, who, being a they should be compelled to choose permember of Parliament, may not, in sons possessed of lands and no other consequence of some unforeseen acci- persons; that they know, that in the dent, and without any fault or folly on United States of America, no such quahis part, become unable to satisfy pe-lification is required: that they know, cuniary demands upon him; and that that prosperity and happiness so great as the said bill provides for the ejection as those enjoyed in that country have from the House of every man so situ- never been exceeded in any country in ated, the people may thus be deprived the world; and that, as to insolvency, of their best, their ablest, and, perhaps, which the aforesaid bill would seem their only defenders in that House. to hold in so much horror, your That your petitioners can easily fore-petitioners beg leave to remind your see how the pecuniary ruin of men in honourable House of the notorious trade, and of moderate property, would at any time be effected by combinations of the powerful and the rich; and they firmly believe, that if this bill were to become a law, no man of distinguished

fact, that, out of the seven presidents under which the United States have arrived at such a point of unexampled prosperity, and at such great consideration in the world, two have actually

died insolvent and were insolvent at the spectfully submitted to your honourable time of their elevation to their great office.

House, your petitioners pray that your honourable House will not pass the afore-mentioned bill, but that you will be pleased to leave it to a reformed Parliament to adopt such measures as they may deem necessary to the preservation of their own dignity and independence.

2

And your petitioners will ever pray.

That, besides these considerations, your petitioners cannot refrain from expressing their utter astonishment, not to mention a feeling of a more hostile character, that, during more than a long hundred years, while rotten boroughs existed, no member of the House should ever have appeared to think it necessary to propose any such measure as this for the purpose of upholding the dignity of The BILL, against which this petition the House; and that they are sure that was presented, came on for a COMMITit will not escape the observation of the TEE on the 6th instant, when "Mr. most thoughtless individual, that it is" O'CONNELL rose to move that the bill' singular that your honourable House" should be committed that day six should have become so very careful in" months. During the time that a large providing for the independence of its" proportion of the members of that members just at the moment when so "House were representatives, not of the many of its members are about to cease people, but nominees of individuals, to be mere nominees; that, within the " no such bill was ever dreamt of. Nay, recollection of even the youngest of" it was well known that persons had your petitioners, men have been taken out" been taken out of jail and introduced of prison for debt in consequence of" into that House. But now that the having been returned to your honour-" people were really to select their own able House by rotten boroughs, while" representatives, this bill was intromany have been members of your "duced to operate as a check on their honourable House for a great part of" free choice; for he did not hesitate to their lives without owing anything say, that its object and operation were tangible to the hand of the sheriff or his" to confine the choice of the constiofficer. That, further, your petitioners" tuency to the moneyed interest, or to beg leave to be permitted to observe, men of large landed property. It that if pecuniary possessions be neces-" was, in point of fact, introducing a sary to preserve the dignity and inde-" new qualification. It should be rependence of one House of the legisla-"membered that the protection from ture, they cannot be wholly unnecessary “arrest given to the member was not a to the preserving of those of the other" protection to him personally, but a House. That, indeed, your petitioners" protection to his constituents, or asdo not know, and therefore will not say, (6 surance that their interests were not that any members of the other House" to be neglected. (Hear!) On that are insolvent; but this they do know, principle, therefore, the Bill was a and therefore this they will say, that wrong one. Let them make what they find on the pension-list the names" qualification they thought proper; of the mothers, wives, children, uncles," but having taken that precaution with aunts, and cousins, of the members of" regard to a candidate, let them rethe other House of Parliament, and that" member, that the candidate once chothey therefore presume that the heads of "sen, the privilege belonged not to him, the families must be insolvent, seeing "but to his constituents. It was so that, otherwise, they would subject "much the custom to attribute personal themselves to the awful censure of the" motives to men in these times, that apostle, who pronounces that, Those he thought it right to say, that there

who neglect the care of their own kindred are worse than the heathen."

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were few men whom it would affect "less than him; he believed that

That, for the reasons thus most re-" he derived a larger revenue from

other objection was, that it would "throw too great a power into the hands of the millionaires, of those who had "amassed large fortunes by those funds, "which he did not consider the most "moral means; where an insurrection, or a good astounding lie, well circu"lated, put, perhaps, a million into a "man's pocket, it would enable these

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classes of the metropolis on this signal effect of their penetration and promptitude; and more especially I congratu late them on their having a man like Mr. O'CONNELL, ready to attend to their complaints; for here they have the ability as well as the will.

THE FITZJORDANS!

THE following article, which will from the Register of September 6, give rise to striking reflections, is taken 1806. Twenty-six years ago, then, and when these people were babies, I fore from their existence. saw the consequences that might arise

"because you cannot punish me without "the hazard of ruining yourselves!'"BURKE'S WORKS, Vol. VII., p. 364.

men to obtain a control over the votes "What a base and foolish thing it is for "of members of Parliament in either" any consolidated body of authority to say, "House. It would give rise to a system or to act as if it said, 'I will put my trust, "of purchasing up judgments, mortnot in mine own virtue, but in your pagages, and incumbrances on the estates«indolence, in corruption; I will give way "tience; I will indulge in effeminacy, in "of Members of the Legislature, which, to all my perverse and vicious humours, though perfectly solvent, they might "not be able to satisfy on a short no"tice, and thus a very unfitting control 66 over their votes would be obtained. "He objected to give wealth more 66 power than it had already. In his "opinion it had already too much; it "did not lead to happiness, and he thought the accumulation of masses "of wealth into a few hands was the great evil of this country." (Hear, hear.)

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THE large grants of public money, made by the Whig Ministry, just at the close of the last session of Parliament, were, by many persons, and by myself amongst others, regarded as being totally unnecessary, seeing that the allowances to the several branches were already so ample. COLONEL WOOD has the merit (a merit that will, ere long, Well said! Thank you, sir. We be distinguished) of having opposed have one able man for us, at any rate; these grants; and, though his opposione man with eyes to see under the tion proved ineffectual for the time, it shell, and with courage to crush the encourages us to hope, that, when the viper in the egg! After some profes- House shall again be full, there will be sions on the part of BARING, and several some few members, at least, found to other speeches of no great amount, the endeavour to cause a revision of this bill was committed pro forma, that is measure, which, I will venture to say, for form's sake; and is to be re-com- has given a greater shock to men's feelmitted in a fortnight! when, the reader ings than any one that has been adopted may be well assured, it will be com- for many years.- But, at any rate, mitted to the flames; for the Ministers since the money has been granted, it signified their intention to oppose it! must be the wish of every good subject And, now then, what says Mr. PLACE to see it judiciously expended; to see it, and HIS "National Political Union?" agreeably to the declarations of the MiThey were wrong, it seems; and the nisters, employed in "supporting the WORKING UNION were right. These dignity" of the several persons on whom working people could see under the it has been bestowed; and, under the shell. I congratulate the working influence of this wish, what must have

been the public feeling at reading the " of Cambridge sat next to the Prince, following account, ostentatiously pub-" the Duke of Kent next to the Duke lished in all the London newspapers, of" of York, and the Lord Chancellor 23rd of August, 1806, under the title of" next to his Royal Highness. The **DUKE OF CLARENCE'S BIRTH- DUKE OF CLARENCE sat at the 'DAY?" To be precise, however, I". foot of the table.It is hardly neshall, previous to my inserting the ac- cessary to say the table was sumptucount, just state, that I copy it from the ously covered with everything the Courier newspaper of the day here season could afford. The bands played mentioned." The Duke of Clarence's" on the lawn, close to the dining-room "birth-day was celebrated with much" window. The populace were per"splendour in Bushy Park, on Thurs-"mitted to enter the pleasure-grounds 66 day. The grand hall was entirely" to behold the Royal Banquet, while new fitted up, with bronze pilasters," the presence of Messrs. Townshend, "and various marble imitations; the" Sayers, and Macmanus, preserved the "ceiling very correctly clouded, and the" most correct decorum. The Duke's "whole illuminated with some brilliant" NUMEROUS FAMILY were intropatent lamps, suspended from a beau-"duced, and admired by the Prince, "tiful eagle. The dining-room in the" the Royal Dukes, and the whole comright wing was fitted up in a modern" pany; an infant in arms, with a most style, with new elegant lamps at the beautiful white head of hair, was "different entrances. The pleasure" brought into the dining-room by the ground was disposed for the occasion, nursery maid. After dinner the Prince and the servants had new liveries." gave the Duke of Clarence,' which In the morning the Dukes of York's “ was drunk with three times three "and Kent's bands arrived in caravans ; "the Duke then gave The King,' "after dressing themselves and dining," which was drunk in a solemn manner. they went into the pleasure-grounds," A discharge of cannon from the lawn "and played alternately some charming "followed. "The Queen and Prin"pieces. The Duke of Kent's played "cesses.'-' The Duke of York and the some of the choruses and move- "Army. His Royal Highness's band " ments from Haydn's Oratorio of the" then struck up his celebrated march.” "CREATION, arranged, by command-Now, first observing, that I do not of his Royal Highness, for a band of mean to give this paragraph as a narra"wind instruments. About five o'clock tive of real facts, but merely as a publi"the Prince of Wales, the Dukes of cation that I have found in the news"York, Kent, Sussex, and Cambridge, paper above named, and as a statement "Colonel Paget, &c., arrived, from re- which I wish to see contradicted by viewing THE GERMAN LEGION. order of his Royal Highness the Prince "After they had dressed for dinner, of Wales, or some of his brothers; thus they walked in the pleasure-grounds, observing, and explicitly stating, that accompanied by the Lord Chancellor, my object is to remove the evil impres"Earl and Countess of Athlone and sion, which such a publication must daughter, Lord Leicester, Baron Ho- necessarily tend to produce upon the "tham and Lady, Baron Eden, the At-minds of a people, who, by the express torney-General, Colonels Paget and command of his Majesty, have read to "M'Mahon, Serjeant Marshall, and a them from the pulpit, four times a year, " number of other persons. At seven a long exhortation against vice and im"o'clock the second bell announced the morality, and who have fresh in their dinner, when THE PRINCE took minds the large grants of money recent"MRS. JORDAN by the hand, led her ly made for the declared purpose of en"into the dining room, and seated her abling the several branches of the Royal at the head of the table, The Prince Family "to support the dignity of their "took his seat at her right hand, and the station;" thus previously observing, I “Duke of York at her left; the Duke would beg leave, as a beginning of my

comments upon the publication before the Lord Chancellor of England, and me, to ask the writer of it, what march | other of the nobles, is to accuse him of a he means, when he talks of the "cele- gratuitous and wanton insult against brated march of the Duke York?" the laws, the manners, and the morals And, I would further ask him, what ne- of the country.-This representation cessity there was in a publication of this and accusation I must and I do, theresort, to remind the people of England of fore, consider as false; and, I am conthe Duke of York's marches? And why firmed in this my opinion, when I hear be could not have so far got the the same writer assert, that the Prince better of his too obvious disposition, as of Wales took Mother Jordan by the to suffer those " celebrated” marches to hand, and, in the presence of a Countess, rest quiet and unalluded to ?—The a Countess's daughter, and a Baroness, representing of the oratorio of the seated her at the head of the table, taking CREATION, and arranged by the Duke his place upon her right hand, his royal of Kent, too, applied to the purpose of brothers arranging themselves, accordushering in the "NUMEROUS FA-ing to their rank, on both sides of the MILY of the Duke of Clarence;" the table, the post of honour being nearest thus representing the Duke of Kent as Mother Jordan, who, the last time I saw employed in an act, whereby the pro- her, cost me eighteen-pence in her chacreation of a brood of illegitimate chil-racter of Nell Jobson!-This part of dren is put in comparison with the great the account proves the falsehood of the work of the Almighty, is, in this writer, whole. But, though, amongst persons, an act of the most insidious disloyalty, who are at all acquainted with the and of blasphemy, the most daring. We characters of the illustrious personages, all know, that the Duke of Clarence is who are, by this writer, represented as not married, and that, therefore, if he having been actors in the scene, there had children, those children must be can be no doubt that the whole of the bastards, and that the father must be representation is false, more especially guilty of a crime in the eye of the law when we take into view the pious and as well as of religion, and that he would strenuously-enforced precepts of the exhibit a striking example of that vice royal father's proclamation; and immorality which his royal father's amongst that part of his Majesty's subproclamation, so regularly read to us by jects, who know nothing of the manour pastors, commands us to shun and toners of the great, except what they learn abhor, and enjoins upon the magistrates through the channel of the newspapers, to mark out and to punish wherever doubts upon the subject may prevail, they shall find them existing among us. nay, such persons may believe the repreWhile we hear this command so often sentation of the Courier, particularly as repeated to us, and know that, from the it has been given, and in nearly the same form in which it is conveyed, it comes words, too, by all the other newspapers; immediately from his Majesty's mind and, therefore, being fully convinced, and conscience, can we possibly sup- that the representation must produce, in pose, that he would wink at acts, in his whatever degree it is believed, an imown family, such as are described by pression extremely injurious to the this writer? And when to this consi- character of the parties named; not deration we add the many others that less injurious to the manners and present themselves upon the subject, morals of the people; and, eventually, can we hesitate in declaring, that to re-greatly dangerous to the stability of present the Duke of Clarence as having the throne, for this plain reason, that a numerous family of children" is foully to slander his Royal Highness, and that, further to represent him as osten tatiously exhibiting this "numerous family" in public, and in the immediate presence of all his royal brothers and of

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yet,

the most virtuous part of the people, that part of them in whose minds truth and justice are predominant, that part of them on whom alone reliance could safely be placed, would infallibly be the most disgusted, and the most