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prevent any relic of royal antiquity from falling into decay. A year or two ago, an old baru, forming part of King John's Palace at Eltham, (concerning which, so long as it was permitted to stand, few people expressed or exhibited the least curiosity,) was sentenced to demolition. Upon this arose an outcry from the antiquaries. Destroy a monument of seven hundred years' duration! Monstrous! A subscription was instantly set on foot; and Wyatt employed to repair the royal barn. In the same taste, the dilettanti of London have recently come forward in defence of Crosby Hall, once the residence of Crookback Richard, and now a packer's warehouse. It seems that the palaces of kings, like the shell of the nautilus, do not become objects of interest in the eyes of the multitude, till they afford shelter to some new inhabitant. Perhaps even the old Dutch guard house at St. James's (a flagrant disgrace to the taste of the first capital in Europe) will, at some future epoch, find favour in the sight of His Majesty's subjects, and be saved from conversion into useful warehouses by a voluntary subscription.

FREQUENTERS OF COURTS NO COURTIERS.-The witty old Countess of Aldbo rough, having applied to Lord Lyndhurst, as a friend, for legal advice, was somewhat ungraciously repulsed. "Ah!" said Lady A., "I see how it is; I have applied to the wrong court. It is plain your lordship has nothing to do with CIVIL LAW."

INFANT LABOUR.-A certain eccentric Tory member, who, till he obtained a seat in the present Parliament, had never made his appearance in society, dined last year, in company with Sadler, and several other political personages, at the mansion of Sir Robert Peel. After dinner, as the gentlemen were drinking coffee in the fine picture gallery of the ex-minister, a conversation took place between Sadler and Sir Robert on the subject of the Bill for the Regulation of Infant Labour. Mr., who was standing near, occasionally joining in the discussion, while he contemplated Lawrence's exquisite picture of the infant daughter of his host, (considering, perhaps, that the baronet was lukewarm towards the interests of the manufacturing classes,) suddenly slapped him on the back, and exclaimed, while he pointed to the portrait of little Miss Peel, "Ah! Sir Robert! that little darling might have been slaving in the factory you know; 'twas a narrow escape." The amazement of his discon certed auditors may be easily conjectured.

LINE OF SUCCESSION. It was observed by a noble earl, an eminent upholder of the Tory interest in one of the northern counties of England, that whenever he came out of his gateway, he was greeted by the earnest salutation of a withered crone, who had taken her station on the steps" Long life to your lordship!-May your lordship live for ever." Astonished to find that, month after month, his gratuities produced no change in the wording of her apostrophe, Lord L. one day accosted her "My good woman, you appear very earnest for the continuance of my days: have you any particular interest in my preservation ?"" To be sure I have," cried the old woman: "I recollect your uncle Sir James, when he owned the estate and ruled over us; and a bitterer enemy to the poor never broke bread. Then came your father, who was a still blacker curse to us; and every body said we could never be worse off. When you came to the estate, my lord, we found out our mistake; and what may come after you is a dreadful thing to think of!-Long life to your lordship!-May your lordship live for ever!"

WHIG UNDERLINGS. Under the old system the effective force of jobbers on the establishment of this country increased to a prodigious amount. It was utterly impossible to give employment to the whole of them. Idlers belonging to this class were to be met in every corner, lounging about like "unattached officers," or the ancient Edinburgh functionary, "Wha wants me ?" Even in the worst of days some of these superfluous rascals, just for the sake of keeping their hands in, joined the liberal party. The number of them who have taken service under it, since the acces sion of Earl Grey to office, is prodigious! and if honest people be not on their guard they will soon succeed in making the Whigs as bad as the Tories. Their caterwauling is heard in every corner. satisfied with the candidate palmed upon them by Ministers? Does an independent Do the electors of any burgh dare to be dis candidate come forward at their call? compliance with the urgent and reiterated request of a large body of the Bath elec He is instantly bespattered with abuse. In tors, Mr. Hume recommended Mr. Roebuck to their notice; they being distrustful of a recent and dubious convert to liberal principles, notwithstanding he was delivered to them, free of expense, under a Treasury frank. The Times began to grow!

immediately; accusing, in no measured terms, Mr. Hume of seeking to divide the reform interest, in the face of a strong Tory force, for the purpose of getting a party in the House of Commons ready to support his "crotchets." Mr. Roebuck's committee addressed a letter to the Briarean journal, stating the real facts of the case, which was refused insertion, except as an advertisement. A communication from Mr. Hobhouse's friends, similar in every respect, except that of veracity, was ostentatiously stuffed into a "leading article." The Times has since eaten in its praise of Mr. Hobhouse; but has left unrepented, at least unconfessed, its rude and vulgar attack upon Messrs. Hume and Roebuck. Again, two government protegés have started for Harwich, opposed by Mr. Herries. With one of the soi-disant liberal candidates, the inhabitants of that burgh were much and justly dissatisfied: and, at their request, Mr. Leader, son of the Irish patriot, offered his services. Times was instantly at its dirty work again, and broadly accused Mr. Leader of having made a coalition with Mr. Herries. Upon a remonstrance being made, however, it softened down the charge to that of "a virtual coalition." Thus far The Times; next comes The Globe, "to the self-same tune and words." "While we are disposed to express little in the way either of surprise or objection to a few individuals of ultra-radical pretensions being produced as candidates for some of the new manufacturing constituencies, it is with considerable regret that we ever witness that sort of intrusion into the struggle which tends so to vulgarize it, that any person, with a due share of self-respect, feels himself indisposed to the encounter.

The

On the whole, so far as present indications exist, we apprehend that much fewer Radicals, of the class which may be regarded as entirely without the pale, will get into Parliament than people imagine. There may possibly be four or five Dromios of the Preston class instead of one or two, but that will be all; of the Hume school, possibly fifteen or twenty more; but our present conviction is, that the next Parliament will practically, and for the most part, assume the tone of liberal Whiggism, meaning thereby," &c. &c. &c. The which dismal ditty, when rightly interpreted, we take to be, among other things, an obscure and somewhat mystical prophecy of the ousting of Colonel Torrens from Bolton, by the exertions of Mr. Cobbett and his friends. Its main object is to follow up the personal onslaughts of The Times by a general charge; a plan of attack which does honour to the military talents of the editor of The Globe. To these "vituperative personalities" are added quant. suff of laudatory personalities."+ These "most sweet voices," whether they be the "forward voice, to speak well of his friend," or the "backward voice, to utter foul speeches, and to detract," have but one aim; to establish the present Ministry upon the basis of a well-organized body of agents, who, diffused through the country, may, by their restless activity, give to the operations of a few the appearance of the will and deed of the many. They hope to flatter the people by the persuasion, that what is merely passing before its eyes is its achievement, until the present excitement has subsided, and all things are quietly left to their management. They hope and trust, that our new constitution will soon become like everything the world has yet witnessed a machine worked by the few, and mainly for the interest of the few. If there be wisdom among the electors they will laugh into nothingness these shallow pretences. They will choose a man of sense and principle, in preference to a brawling fool, of course, whatever be the professions of the latter: this point settled, they will choose even a party Whig in preference to a Tory; but a Liberal, free from all party connexions, in preference to either. In short, they will choose a man to represent themselves. A House of Commons thus elected will be a sufficient guard to Ministers against the machinations of an expiring faction, while by the check it lays on them by their knowledge of its character, it will form a guarantee for their honesty. Be it observed, that we attribute this plan, now concocting for our future subjugation, to the jobbers alone. Instinct has taught them, that success will place both governors and governed at their mercy. We have not the shadow of a ground for attributing to Lord Grey a knowledge of what is going forward. Indeed our fear is, that the people will not return a Parliament sufficiently decided to support the bolder and better spirits of the Ministry in that line of policy which is necessary for our national salvation. There is a noble generous spirit abroad, but a great want of precise and definite political knowledge.

The Times has been accused by The Examiner of denying all knowledge of Mr. Roebuck, while, at least, one person identified with that paper knew him well. The Times persists in its denial. This is one of the advantages of having three gentlemen in a firm, each of whom is entitled to use the pronoun "we," when, in reality, he only means "L."

+ Vide "The Book of Fallacies," p. 123 to p. 142, inclusive.

MONTHLY REGISTER.

me,

POLITICAL HISTORY.

GREAT BRITAIN.

THE CHURCH IS IN DANGER. The dig nitaries of the overgrown establishment of England, like the boy who cried wolves, in the fable, have raised this clamour so often, that nobody will believe them, now that their words are sooth. We beg to add our unsuspected testimony to theirs. "The Church is in danger;" and a brief recapitulation of the signs of the times will shew it. Imprimis, At the Hornby Reform Festival, celebrated on Tuesday, the 9th of October, the Hon. C. A. Pelham, M.P., thus expressed himself: "I have had the satisfaction of informing you, upon excellent authority, what are the measures which it is the intention of his Majesty's ministers to introduce in the next session of Parliament. The Bill for Reform of the Church, I know is already prepared. (Tremendous cheers.) It is, therefore, not for if I am again returned as your representative, to say, before I go into the House, whether I shall support that bill or not: all that I can state at present, is, that I will give it my best attention; and I will anxiously and deliberately form my judgment upon it. (Loud cheers.) At the same time, I believe, at least, I have great hopes,-I shall be able to support it; because I do not conceive that the same ministers who would give you so full, and efficient, and beneficial a measure of reform for the representation of the people, will so change their principles in so short a time, as to give you a mean and scanty measure of reform in the church. (Loud cheers.) I trust that this measure, like the one recently given, will be temperate and moderate, but amply efficient. (Continued cheering.") One great point, therefore, is established,that ministers have a plan of church reform in petto. The next point is, to inquire "for what extent of church reform is the country ripe?" In so far as Ireland is concerned, this question has already been pretty loudly and intelligibly answered. Let us next look to England. First in the field, as in duty bound, is the native county of Hampden. On Saturday, the 7th of October, a stirring appeal to the Dissenters appeared in the Bucks' Gazette, which has since run the circle of almost every newspaper in the kingdom. It throws down the gauntlet. "Let us awake to a sense of that duty which devolves upon us as men and Christians. Let us wipe away that reproach which rests upon

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us in a compromising support of the esta blished hierarchy. Let us vindicate the cause of true religion and justice, which are injured and violated by its existence. We believe the church establishment to be founded in error, to be unjustly supported, and inefficient for the great purpose for which it exists. Let us act as men labouring under such impressions. Let us conduct ourselves as the correctors of error, as the opposers of injustice, and the determined foes of every inefficient monopoly, whether temporal or spiritual. Our separation from the established church, is a standing memorial of our dissent, an ever-abiding witness of our oppression; but we neutralize our dissent by a quiet and compromising payment of all ecclesiastical demands. We cast an imputation upon our sincerity, by continuing to support that practically, which we are ever theoretitically condemning. We call upon you not to violate any law, not to embarrass the operations of our ministry, (our strength is in the prompt obeyance of the law,) but we do call upon you to obey it; in such a manner, as shall shew your sense of its injustice, and your determination to cast off its yoke, while, so long as it continues, you are willing to comply in one sense with its demand. The example of the Quakers is that which we call upon you to imitate. They have been for the last fifty years at least, bearing a silent, but increasing testimony to the injustice of the claims of the clergy. If the whole body of the Dissenters had imitated their example from the first, we do not hesitate to say, that long ere this, the question would have been settled for ever." We call the county of Bucks first in the field; because from it has proceeded the first proposal for a general strike on the part of the Dissenters." Isolated individuals and communities had already, before the appearance of the appeal from which we have quoted, begun to act upon the principle in different parts of England. In the spring of the present year, a gentleman in the north of England allowed his furniture to be distrained and sold by auction, for his tithes, and embraced the occasion of the sale, to address to a numerous assembly, an exposition of the principles upon which he acted, and his resolution to adhere to them. An adjourned meeting of rate payers, held at Birmingham, on Tuesday, the 2d of October, has flatly

refused to pay any rate. Mr Churchwarden favour of church reform exacted from the Salt moved, that a rate of threepence be candidates through the whole of England. granted for the present year. Mr Allan, Equally pregnant is the fact, that all the proseconded by Mr Bourne, moved, as an vincial newspapers, with a very few exceptions, amendment," That, under all the circum- advocate this cause. Even the cautious Scotsstances of the case, the churchwardens having man, and the Times, which was never yet known at present funds in hand, the vestry will not to support any person or principle which it at present grant any rate; but that, if re- had not previously ascertained to be popular quested, a subscription be entered into, for with an immense majority of the nation, are the purpose of defraying all legal and proper clamorous in the cause of church reform. expenses connected with the church.' Mr But more important, as an index of the Joseph Parkes proposed another amendment, strength of popular feeling on this subject, "That the rate be postponed; and that than all besides, is the bustle and stirring the churchwardens of the parish of Birming- among the clergy to spruce up their nests ham be requested to raise a public subscrip- against the day of examination. The call tion, to defray their current expenses; and for church reform has been raised within the in the meantime, the rate payers be recomwalls of the church itself. Sorely to the mended to petition the legislature in the first annoyance of the Bishop of Durham, some of reformed Parliament, for a repeal of the laws his clergy have been addressing him upon which tax Dissenters for the maintenance of this topic. Nor is this determination to the established church." The rector, who amend clerical abuses confined to England. was in the chair, refused to put this second Even in Scotland, where church oppression is amendment, and any more of the first than much less heavy, the same spirit is beginning went simply to negative the original motion. to awake. For upwards of a year have the The first amendment, thus curtailed, was put inhabitants of Edinburgh been striving to and carried a rate is, therefore, ultimately reduce the established clergy to the incomes refused. On Saturday, the 6th of October, of their churches. At Mr Cobbett's late the Bow Street magistrates, on the applica- lectures, no passage was more rapturously tion of the officers of St Martins-in-the-Fields, applauded, than his sortie against the church decided, That the 10th of Geo. III. declar- of England. In Glasgow, a "Voluntary ing that all rates must be made by "the Church Association" has just been formed, churchwardens, overseers, vestrymen, con- including almost all the talent and respectastables, and other ancient inhabitants of the bility of the Dissenting interest in the West. parish," did not mean that every inhabitant A paper devoted to the church asserts, that of the parish should have a vote that the in Scotland there are 350 petitions against power of making rates was confined to those a church establishment prepared, and ready to persons only who were the ancient inhabi- be showered upon the reformed Parliament, ants of the parish; that the term "ancient," as soon as it meets. The truth is, that if the meant those persons who had either served Dissenters of Great Britain do not strike in some of the parochial offices named in the at this crisis, they deserve to be trampled statute, or had suffered fine for not having so upon for ever. The nucleus of their body,served. The parishioners have, in consequence the three great classes of Independents, Bapof this decision, declared their resolution not tists, and Congregationalists, have long been to pay the rate. In a manly address, pre- accustomed to act together. Let the Quakers, sented to Earl Grey by the Northern Political the Dissenting Methodists, the various Scottish Union, this striking passage occurs:" In Secession churches, and all the others, rally this country, (which, availing itself of the around them. Let them demand their rights great privilege of Protestantism, is proud of as men and as Christians, to be put in every the right of private judgment, and regrets the respect on a footing of equality with the dogmas of creeds and churches, and is crowded members of the Churches of England and with Dissenters and Catholics,) the whole Scotland. Let them make a stand for Chrisbody of the people are doomed to the support tian liberty. The spirit of Hampden, Vane, of a church, whose adherents, compared with and Milton, is again abroad in the land. The the whole mass of the population, are but consummation which they yearned after, is few in number, if we count as adherents those now attainable. THE CHURCH IS IN DANGER. only who believe in its doctrine, and approve Not that spiritual church," the salt of the of its discipline. No tax can be more mon- earth," without which it had lost its savour, strous, more unjust, more impolitic, than that that mystic union of all true believers, which which obliges any portion of the people to is founded on a rock," and the gates of hell support in splendour and luxury the priests shall not prevail against it," but that flimsy of a religion which they conscientiously reject. structure of man's device, which those who The whole country expects from the wisdom shew their disbelief in the divine origin of of a reformed Parliament the utter abolition Christianity, in their attempts to prop of the tithe tax, which is not only a tax upon by human inventions, seek to substitute in agricultural improvement, but an infringe its place. Up, men, brethren! for our cause ment of liberty of conscience." Turning is holy. Up! follow the banner on which from the advice of the Bucks' Gazette, the is inscribed," The lion of the tribe of example of Northumberland, Birmingham, Judah hath overcome." St Martins-in-the-Fields, and the representation for Newcastle, we fin. declarations in

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THE ELECTIONS.-There is every probability that the elections to the new Parlia

politics, have enabled the party to organize
itself, and to spread its ramifications over the
whole country. The Tory party is, if possible,
still better drilled; and had they not sinned
themselves out of all respect, might have
given their old adversaries a shrewd shake.
With a few exceptions, the population of the
country are inclined blindly to follow the
leading of those who have fought their
battles. There is a fine spirit among them,
but a sad lack of precise political knowledge.
There seems also to be a sad lack of men fit
to serve in Parliament, if we may judge by
the characters of most of the popular candi-
dates. They will be returned partly because
of the zeal and activity of their partisans,
partly because there are no better men to be
had. Some exceptions there are. Edinburgh
returns the Lord Advocate, out of gratitude
for past services,--Mr Abercromby, because
it likes him. In the Linlithgow district of
burghs, Mr Gillon has met with such un-
principled and mean opposition, as was to be
looked for, by a man of his independent
principles, at the hands of an aristocratic
family; and in the Wigton district, particu
larly in Stranraer, the efforts of the Galloway
family to keep up a close-burgh system, are
of the most unblushing complexion. Lord
Ormelie, we rejoice to say, will be carried
in for Perthshire on the shoulders of feuars
and dissenters, in spite of the most oppressive
and dishonest tricks resorted to in the hopes
of foiling him. His adversaries' machinations
have recoiled upon themselves, serving only
to irritate the insulted electors. Dumfries-
shire was threatened with Lord Stormont;
but the younker found a storm was brewing,
and wisely withdrew. The Dumfries burghs
will fall to the most radical bidder. Mr
Hannay speaks scholarly and wisely; but
General Sharpe more precisely, and to the
point. Poor Sir John Malcolm has invoked
the spirits of his ancestors; but they cannot
aid him. Glasgow has no paramount
leaders, and will return the man whom
the real majority wish. The result of the
election is quite uncertain; but if Mr Craw-
furd be not returned, our good friends
of the West will have sadly stultified them-
selves. In Paisley, the contest lies be-
tween Sir John Maxwell and Mr Mackellar;
but both are regarded as a pis-aller. The
eminent editor of the Examiner was sounded
as to whether he would stand for this burgh;
but declined, on account of his weak state of
health. The electors of Paisley might do
worse than lie by, till they learn with some
certainty what Mr Hume's prospects in
Middlesex are.
It would be a feather in
their cap to have him for a member. Mr
Oswald is secure of Ayrshire, and deserves to
be so, on account of the manly way in which
he went to work. A strange crotchet has
seized some of the Kilmarnock electors.
Their choice lies between a steady and con-
sistent Whig and a young Lieutenant in the
Guards, whose only public appearances,
previous to the commencement of his canvass,
were at the last Ayrshire election, where he
voted for the Tory candidate, and at a meeting

ment will prove bungled jobs, in not a few
instances. People are not accustomed to
elect a legislative body, for the sole purpose
of representing the opinions, wishes, and
intelligence of the nation. They are still
haunted with the old folly of ranging them-
selves into parties, and inquiring, not who is
the best man? but, will he strengthen our
side? The Tories, of course, are banding
themselves, for the purpose of expending their
last venom. The Whigs have an ugly trick
of suspecting, or pretending to suspect, the
intentions of every man, who does not
believe in the infallibility of their leaders.
The Radicals-under which convenient and
comprehensive term, the ministerialists in-
clude all who do not belong to one or other
of the old parties, thus classifying together
men of the most widely diverging principles
and character-sometimes seem inclined to
yield too tamely to dictation, and at others
shew a tendency to bristle up into oppo-
sition without good cause. The great object
with all true patriots ought to be, the selec-
tion of men of sound and thoroughgoing
principles, business habits, and cool, but
daring character.
The times imperatively
demand such men; but we fear, even the
reformed Parliament will not be over-
stocked with them. In ENGLAND, the
Whigs will, in all probability, carry the
day. The men most in request, seem mem-
bers of aristocratic families, who profess
liberal opinions. A frank manner, a fluent
tongue, and fair general promises, seem to go
far with John Bull. He rarely inquires
regarding the stock of knowledge, or the
fitness for transacting business, possessed by
those who ask his vote. The jobbers are
taking advantage of this, and working man-
fully, for the purpose of packing a Whig
Parliament. Wherever a man of indepen-
dent principles offers himself, he is sure to be
assailed by the abuse of these creatures. By
dint of good organization, unscrupulous
chicane, and reckless concussion, the Tories
have every prospect of mustering a tolerable
minority. Mr Hume and Mr Roebuck are,
we trust, secure of Middlesex and Bath,
notwithstanding the unprincipled opposition
making to them. Lancashire will return a
strong body of Radicals-Cobbett among the
rest. Birmingham is the portion of the
Union. Leeds and Manchester have thrown
themselves into the arms of the liberal portion
of the ministry. The Whigs are yielding to
the universal demand for the ballot, "with
coy, reluctant, amorous delay;" and attach-
ment to the cause of church reform, is pro-
fessed by candidates of every colour.
Globe, in one of its wheedling articles,
praises the Dissenters for selecting their
representatives from among the adherents of
the established church. If the Dissenters
deserve this praise, they are greater block-
heads than we take them to be. In Scor
LANE, the Whig interest will preponderate
more decidedly than even in England. The
concentration of all legal business in Edin-
burgh, and the prominent part which the
lawyers of that city have all along taken in

The

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