it back to those causes. The There needed nothing further! The mind of the people; the mind of those who were not Reformers before, rushed to the

people saw, indeed, that Cooke, Powell and Browne were sent out by the Ministers. They saw that it was the Ministers proper conclusion at once. And who brought in the Green thus, while the cause of Reform Bags. They were angry with has scarcely been mentioned, the Ministers; and they wished during the last four months, it the Ministers to be punished; has gained more proselytes than or, at least, to be stopped from it ever gained before in ten years; proceeding against the Queen. and, at this moment, if the middle But how were the people to classes of the people were pollstop the Ministers? When they ed, there would be found a huncame to reflect they found that dred to one in favour of a Parliamentary Reform.

they had no power to stop

The mind, when it takes a

the Ministers. They then looked about them for the way to turn, travels at a great rate. go to work to check the Mini-Every one can now see that if sters in a proceeding, which the there had been a Reformed ParQueen as well as themselves liament, the Queen never would regarded as the most unjust, in- have been persecuted or oppressulting, cruel and cowardly that sed; and every one can now see ever was heard of in the world. that all the miseries of the naBut, in thus looking about them tion would have been preventfor assistance against the Mini-ed by such Reform. When the sters, they could find none. In passions are deeply engaged, their haste they first looked to when strong feeling exists, the Parliament. But, they when men are looking about found the House of Lords pro-them for the cause of what gives secutors, judges and jurors in them offence, their eyes and the case. They then turned ears are open to statements reshort round to the other house, lating to that cause. Infinite containing the "representatives are the number and uncom"of the people;" but, alas! monly great is the interest of they there found that the Mini- the facts, which have been sters had an enormous majority brought to light by this transon their side! action. The people have

caught at these facts, and they fling the words together!) sound

have all tended to the same equally well to the ear; abstracted from all cognizance of the acts of the man, I have no quarrel with the letters that compose the name of Sidmouth.

great and useful conclusion; namely, that nothing but a Reformed Parliament can give security to her Majesty, or a chance of prosperity and happi- It is the acts of the man that I ness to the nation. dislike; and, of course, I should

Therefore, it is now some-dislike the same acts in the same thing little short of madness to degree if they proceeded from talk of a change of Ministry yourself. without a change of system that would include a Reform of the House of Commons. It was always, within these twenty years, folly to talk of it; but it is now something a great deal worse than folly. It is impossi

Why, therefore, should any body wish for a change of Ministry, unless the new Ministry were to act upon a new system. If my throat be to be cut, or my pocket picked, what is it to me, whether the operator be a wise ble, my lord, for any man to man, or a fool? And what is it form an idea of any possible to the people, whom they suffer benefit to be derived by the under, so that they suffer? If people from a any such change; we are to have no tax taken that is to say, a new Ministry, off; no Six Acts repealed; no without a pledge to Reform the men let out of dungeons; no Parliament. This measure takes diminution of Sinecures and Penprecedence even of the redue-sions; if we are to have none tion of the debt; for without of these things under a new Mithis the debt cannot be reduced. The people dislike the Ministers; but, for what? Not because they bear certain names

nistry; why, in God's name, should we call upon the King to change his Ministers? If nothing is to be done to those who have persecuted the Queen; if there is to be no redress, no in

and titles, but because they do certain things which we wish not to be done; and leave undone certain things which we wish to be done. Sidmouth and Grey (pray forgive me for coup-would waste one single aspira

demnification for any body,

what fools must those be that

tion in order to remove these are all unnecessary; but, until Ministers from their places! it be reformed, not a farthing of reduction can take place in the annual expence, not a spy, not a soldier can be disbanded. I have always regarded it as

I know that some pretend that the government might be carried on in a milder manner without a Reform of the Parliament. These persons pretend a mark of the grossest folly, or that the Spy System, the Man- the grossest hypocrisy to talk chester System, and all the of what is called an economical other things that we most loud- Reform. It is mere delusion to ly complain of, are unnecessary. talk of such reform. And, it is

These persons are deluded something worse than hypothemselves, or they would de- crisy to affect to complain of lude others. The government, the Dungeon Bill, the Banishwith an unreformed parliament, ment Act, or any other of the cannot be maintained without measures of that description, all the means that these Minis- while the complainant in the ters make use of. The employ- same breath calls the Reformers ment of Spies is openly avowed. a set of wretches guilty of seThe expenditure of eighty dition and blasphemy. This is thousand pounds a-year in Se- being baser than the hypocrite cret Service money, we have, himself; for it is assisting him boldly stated in the accounts. in his views by pretending to New Barracks are continually disapprove of them. There has rising up, and we know that been a sort of circular parathe Army has recently been graph running through the paaugmented by ten thousand pers, saying that Viscount Folkemen. And, after all, it is but stone is just come to town, and touch and go. After all, it is brings word that the people in necessary to have guards and the country are "indignant" barricadoes, and a species of at the intention of the Ministers gens d'armes, to defend the to prorogue the parliament! House of Lords. How then The writer of this paragraph could the thing be carried on does not tell us who those peowithout Spies, Secret Service ple in the country are; whether Money, and a large Army? Re- they be the free and indepenform the Parliament, and these dent electors of Downton, who

sent his Lordship to Parliament | preservation, which is the first last spring, and whom he sur-law of nature; we must not only rendered to the care of Sir believe the thing possible, but Thomas Pechell; or whether we must recognise the notoriety those people in the country be of the fact, before we can the corporation of New Sarum, believe that the present Miwho also sent his Lordship to nisters have pursued that conParliament at the same time, duct which we detest in them, and who have just sent an ad- from mere choice; from a mere dress to the King; most loyal- love of being detested. No such ly pledging themselves in sup- a thing. They have a certain port of his Majesty and his Mi- system of government to carry nisters! on. They would, if they could, carry it on without being hated; but, they must carry it on or quit their places; and those places they do not like to quit.

The conclusion, therefore, is, that a change of men merely can be of no use whatever; and that, as to make any other change, of any benefit to the nation, without a Reform of the

Now, my Lord, is it not a farce: is it not a despicable sham, for men to pretend to disapprove of the conduct of these Ministers when the very means they make use of to get their own seats in parliament, are the cause, and the only cause of the Ministers pursuing that conduct. There may be men; there may be such devils in Parliament, is utterly impossihuman shape, as to delight in persecution and cruelty, for the mere pleasure of executing them. It is barely possible, too, that there may be men so depraved as to take pleasure in being de- This, therefore, is the great tested; while the cause of the obstacle to a change of the Midetestation produces them no nistry, which obstacle will in all other advantage whatever. probability exist, until these men Though this be next to impos- have brought the nation into a sible; though it be against rea-state, little calculated for discussson and experience; though it ing this or any other subject. be in defiance of a love of self As to the sort of Reform that is

ble, so it would be folly for any one to petition for a dismissal of the Ministers, unless upon the express condition of obtaining such reform.

"

wanted, Ido not know that I am man liable to bear arms in dejustified in wasting an inch of fence of the country, including my paper in describing it. Our those who are actually soldiers. wishes have long been before and sailors. This is what we the nation and before the Par-have prayed for. This is what liament. The state of the re- many of us have been ruined, presentation is upon the records many of us imprisoned and many of the House of Commons with of us killed for seeking. This your name attached to it; and is what we say we have a right the alterations which we now to. We have produced authoriwant are upon the records of ties and arguments to prove our the same House, in a petition right, as well as to prove the amongst the many signatures expediency and safety of the to which mine is one, that peti-thing itself; and we have been tion being presented in Febru-answered by abuse, by reproach, ary, 1817. We, as well as our by calumnies, by the dungeon adversaries, understand the mat- and by stripes. No answer of ter well. But, there is one point, any other kind have we receivone on which, though it has been ed; except by some stupid atoften dwelt on, I will here say a tempts at ridicule, by saucy few words. fellows fatted and decked out The nick name of Radical by the fruit of our labour, and has been invented and used for by the impudent observation the base purpose of exciting a that we ask too much, and prejudice against all Reform, shall therefore have nothing. at the same time that it is in-Those who make this observatended to convey an idea that tion do, however, pretend the Radicals want something sometimes, that they are for a more than a Reform of the moderate reform. But these Commons House of Parliament. gentlemen take care never to Those who have been guilty of this miserable attempt at misrepresentation, know very well, that, what we contend for is, a House of Commons annually cho-people have never said that sen, and in the choosing of which, they would refuse any thing. a vote might be given by every Let these moderate Reformers

tell us what they mean. And they take still more effectual care never to propose to exercise even this moderation. The