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Northern Star (1837-1852), 1st September 1849, Edition 2 of 3, Page 1, TO THE CHARTIST BODY. FRiESDs.—It is ouv...

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    • TO THE ELECTORS XSD NONELECTOBS OF NOTTINGH AM.
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      To The Electors Xsd Nonelectobs Of Nottingh Am.

      TO THE ELECTORS XSD NONELECTOBS OF NOTTINGH AM .

      M Y Fbiesds, Toot Re-Election Of Me As Y...

      M y Fbiesds , Toot re-election of me as your representative g ives me great , pleasure , not m 0 rc in consequeuce of your jetafaon of confidence in me , than from the fact that it will prove to our opponents , that under the p rinciples of the People ' s Charter , no honest need dread opposition and

      re presentative , thus , I flunk , the town of Nottingham affords the most conclusive refutation of the absurd assertion , that Annual Parliaments would lead to annual contusion . The chief value that I attach , then , to your renewal of confidence , is I the sterling stamp that it puts upon your principles . My Friends , the " Times ,, of Tuesday characterises the proceedings thus : — a

      " Mb . Fearous O'Coxxor , M . P ., is NbrrnfGmM —On Monday , at twelve o ' clock a t noon , a knot of Chartists , accompanied with a small band of music and half-a-dozen green flags , met Mr . O'Connor , who arrived by the London train , at the Nottingham station , and in half-au-hour the whole took their station in and around a waggon , which served as a temporary hustings . Mr . George Harrison took the chair as the returning officer , and Mr . O'Connor being nominated and seconded as a fit and proner person to represent the town of Nottinghan in parliament , a show of hands was taken , which was ! fJYrf * wS «^ Mnce the chai « aan to declare that Mr . O ' Connor was duly elected . The newly returned member returned thanks for the honour conferred upon him . and tWA ™ . ~

      lively he delivered hut a brief speech ? yet hedid not forget to commend himself tohis constituents as a sterling patriot , a man of pure and irreproachable character , and , in short , far surpassing for bignand honourable motives every representative nitnerto sent to parliament by the electors of th « town of Nottingham . A vote of thanks being ^? T J tne cnaJrman » who was ludicrously styled the mayor on account of filling the pDst of returning officer in this contemptible farce , the meeting after a few cheers broke up > . The proceedings did not occupy more than forty minutes . ' ? " ^* Eet ' - me' now ask whelherj ' ^ en ' aiiother general election te & es place for Nottingham , and if Mr . Walter should agaiu offer himself as a candidate , the " Times" will then cast

      any imputation upon the non-electors whose hands are first appealed to . or whether it would designate Mr . Walter ' s appearance in a waggon in the market place a " CONTEMPTIBLE FAECE . " De morhiis nil nisi bonum—of the dead nothing but what is good—and , therefore , if I ¦ was able to charge the late Mr . Walter , once your representative , even with inconsistency , I should no t do so ; he was a good man , a humane man , just , honourable , and sincerely attached to the poor ; and the or «» an of his

      son should not have forgotten , that Parson Stephens , the representative of that son , iu 1842 , stood upon a Araggon in the self-same market-place , to advocate the cause of the present manager of the " Times , " and that then theswect voicesof the non-electors were sought to he enlisted as the pressure to operate upon the electors , and then they were not designated as a " knot of Chartists ; " while a very small knot of Chartists routed , put to flight the lambs and the black sheep , and took possession of their fortress .

      My Friends , perhaps there is no greater curiosity in representation than Nottingham now presents . It has two representatives ; the one the manager of the most corrupt and profligate paper in Europe — nay , in the world—and the other , the proprietor of a paper , which neither reward nor punishment , slander nor persecution , could divert from the advocacy of your principles ; and should we again appear upon the hustings as candidates for your support , I will read the above paragraph , and ask my honourable colleague if it represents his opinion of the people of Nottingham .

      My Friends , ra every other city , town , or borough in the kingdom the representative has the support of a portion of the Press , and , in fact ,, it is that support which returns him ; while not a single Nottingham newspaper has done otherwise than abuse me . The " Times " tells you , that without putting the question both ways , the chairman declared me reelected ; while I tell you , and you know , that the resolution of confidence in me was read by the proposer , was read by the seconder , and read a third time by the chairman ; and that the chairman , in a loud tone , did put the question "both ways , and not one single hand was held up against my re-election . And this is what the " Times " would shroud in the

      darkness of a presumed majority ; and this is what I devclope as my greatest boast . I trust that the " Times" will never praise me , for then I shall begin to suspect myself . IIakry Brougham has been the target for the paper pellets of that marksman for several years , while , on Tharsday last , he is paraded iu the columns of the " Times " as the Lord of Lords—as the great Law-lord , who has proposed move vital and important changes than

      any man that ever went before him ; while every one of those propositions was treated by ihe " Tunes" as ludicrous , ridiculous , and Utopian . 80 much for the " Times'" consistency ; and if slashing Harrv casts his eye over the article , he will consider it as the most censorious critique published by that journal ; as you may rely upon it that it is not in the habit of eulogising anything that is beneficial to the poor .

      Electors and non-electors of Nottingham , I thank yon for the renewal of your confidence , and as 1 fairl y represent you in the House of Commons , allow me now to represent to you what constitutes vour greatest difficulty , and your direst enemy ; it is — DISUNION . And while I shall not attempt to cast the slightest censure or reflection upon any party that may be opposed to me in your town , let me implore of you , in the name of justice and common sense , to bury forever in oblivion those hair-breadth differences that constitute your weakness and the strength of your enemies . Cast them aside for ever . Unite for

      one common object , and let those who have never thought before , think now , when they look on the pallid faces and emaciated frames of their own order , and reflect that both are the consequence of their own disunion , as they way rel y upon it , that where the working class mind is united , the profit-mongering power must bend before it , and yield to it . And let me , above all things , implore of you not to make confidence in me , or want of confidence in nie , the bone of contention : throw

      personality overboard , and direct your mind solely to princi ple , and let that principle be the full , free , and fair representation of the whole people in the Commons House of Parliament ; and then my feelings will not be hurt by presenting myself before a weak , pallid , emaciated , " industrious constituency ; and if you really wish well to your fellow men , and however both your political and social cause may be damaged by my advocacy , do you keep your minds sternly fixed upon those two great principles , by which iSone the conation of your order can be improved , the whole peop le made happy , England at peace through

      contentment , and - the arbitress of the world through the pot ^ a- of a united peop le—peaceful , because contented ; happy , because faithfully represented ; legal , because equally protected ; and brave , because equally interested in the preservation of property : and those two principles are—the equitable distribution of the LAND , and its equitable representation by the PEOPLE'S CHAJITEE . The Charter as the means , and the Laad as the end ; for , rely upon it , that artificial humbugs will always convert an artificial system to their own benefit ; while the fair developement of man ' s natural resources would result in national , instea d of class profit , which can only be achieved through RATIONAL

      REPRESENTATIO N . Your faithful Friend and Representative , Feabgus O'Coraoit .

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      " *"" U Y A ' Vill Yll HA 01 a — ' ~~ - ^^ 619- LOHDON , SATURD , SEPTEMBER 849 ^—j „„ „ ~ ¦;— - — - !_ - _ ' * u * v' * ive shillings and Sixpence pet Quarter

      To The Working Classes. "*"" My Friends ...

      TO THE WORKING CLASSES . My Friends , — FnLn 7 vT ? m eventful Period in England s history it fa now . Sb / Was for foo &? n S eW 0 rld ' ^ " 3 now tie footstool of despots . Far be it from me , who have been the butt of slander myself , to offer an ungenerous comment upon those whose acts may be as faithlessl y represented and as wackly painted as my own . I am not going to offer any opinion as to the truth or falsehood ot ( jeorget , the Hungarian General , having surrendered himself and his Hungarian soldiers

      to the " Northern Bear . " The Press tells you that he has done so unconditionally , and that his reward is to be the commission of General in the Russian army . No matter what the condition upon which he surrendered may be , it must result in a confederation between Russia , Austria , a great portion of the German States and France , for the overthrow of democraticandrepublicanprinciples , inthehope of once more establishing the league of despots against the league of people . Both Austria

      and Russia dreaded the power of republican France , and France not onl rejoiced in , hut jwfoyn , the overthrow-ixft ^ -IBES ^ jmhlitf . - * The Special Constable is aboutto * 8 e wedded to the relative of a LEGITIMATE MONARCH , and the terms upon which that marriage ceremony will be performed will be , the restoration of monarchy in France , and the proclamation of Napoleon the Second , as Emperor . Every act of his , hi connexion or in correspondence with foreign potentates , as well as his violation of the Constitution which

      he was bound to maintain , establishes this belief in my mind , and must lead to the same conviction in yours . I did not wait for recent events to convince me of the result ; I published my opinions—perhaps presumptuously , when he was elected President . I published the Land Scheme , which he propounded when as a fugitive he was catering for the support of the agricultural mind of France , and I stated that if , as the head of a nation , he carried his principles into practice , he would be one of the first rulers in the world . But mark , that I have laid great stress upon the great truth that there is a 'difference between men

      seeking power , and men exercising power . Power is recruited under the " cry" of "PEACE , RETRENCHMENT , AND REFORM ;" " CIVIL AND RELIGIOUS LIBERTY : "

      "HIGH WAGES , CHEAP BREAD , AND PLENTY TO DO . " They are fascinating cries , but those on whose behalf the cry is raised , find themselves lamentably disappointed , when it has achieved power for those who promised to carry it out . Then the first object of the possessors of power is to crush the voice of those who created it . They are aware of the strength it must have possessed to create it , and they dread lest they may destroy it . So it was during the Reform agitation with the Melbourne administration , when Tom Young , of the Home-office ,

      was the recruiting sergeant of the Government , and the result was , the suppression of Trades' Unions , and the transportation of the Dorchester labourers , when power-was transferred- from Tory to Whig . And now , the great opposition that you have to apprehend and to dread , is the disunion of your own party . Those continental—nay , Europeanrevolutions that have so long convulsed the world , will now cause a change that you are little preparedfbr . As I have frequently told you , English rule and Government has for centuries been managed by foreign , rather than by domestic , policy . England , during the times of war—when she had a monopoly of

      the trade of the world , when she commanded the ports of the world , and when the shedding of human blood abroad constituted her MARKET NOTE—preserved domestic peace by domestic contentment , and levied taxes by the standard of domestic fear . The cry of " KEEP BONEY OUT , " frightened the squires out of their wits ; they cheerfull y submitted to any amount of taxation to save thenlaud from the foreign invader ; while the poor who were employed—and most of them were so—received good wages , and those who were not employed by individual masters , were provided with materials at home , instead of being consigned to the tender mercies of a

      POORLAW BASTILE . Now the landlords are paying for their loyalty , and the people are paying for their ignorance . But , thank God , a change has come o ' er the spirit of the dream of both serf and lord ; the serf has gained wisdom from experience , and the lord has discovered that he is now paying a perpetual and enormous tax for his then enthusiastic loyalty . Working men ! " To be forewarned is to be forearmed . " Thirty-four years ago , THE NAPOLEON—n ot the Special Constable —told you that in fifty years Europe would be a Republic or Cossack . And can a man , the

      with common understanding , doubt that chains of Turkey and of Poland , will now he more closely rivetted ; and that the NORTHERN BEAST will seek vengeance for the English sympathy expressed for the Poles and Hungarians ? And can any man of common sense entertain the shadow of a doubt , that the sterling mind and action of John Bull is the only force that the Eng lish Government can oppose to that fraternisation of despotic monarchs which is now about to take place J while the attempt to up hold the present evil system of Government , would so paralyse the state as to make her an easy prey to her

      invfiQGrs Well , then , as this country has ever been governed by foreign policy , letoar rulers glean wisdom from what is passing around them Let them unite , and weld the Enghsh labour-mind by doing justice to the labourer , and then they may defy the world in arms . 1 have shown you thatthe "RussianBear" entertains strong feelings of prejudice and hostility against England , while you may rest assured that the French people never have forgottenand never will forget—Waterloo—the murder of Marshal Ney— and the cruel tyranny practised on their Emperor under the English jailor , Sir Hudson Lowe .

      Well , then , Englishmen , as the best way to preserve peace is to be prepared for Avar , let the English people develops then' power and their resolution , and show to the league of Kings that the English people are resolved to be no longer slaves . It is what the " Times '" may call" a contemptible farce , " to read such an appeal from Lords and Members of Parliament to Lord John Russell , upon behalf of the Hungarians , which I extract from the " Times " of Thursday . Here it is : —

      HUNGARY AND AUSTRIA . The following memorial drawn up by Lord FitzwiJliam , was in course of signature when the late disastrous intelligence arrived from Hungary ; it would , probably , otherwise—in addition to the names of those with whom it originated—have had appended to it the signature ^ of many other Peers and Members of Parliament V" To the Lord John Russell , First Commissioner of the Treasury ; and the Tiscount Palmerston , Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs .

      " The undersigned ( being Peers or Members of the House of Commons ) desire to express to your lordships , and through your lordships to the rest of her Majesty ' s confidential serrants , the deep inte-

      To The Working Classes. "*"" My Friends ...

      rest which they take in the contest which is now carried on between the Hungarian nation and the Emperor of Austria . It is their anxious wish to see this contest speedily terminated , in the manner which they conceive most conducive to the interests of the Austrian empire , viz ., by the recognition of the just demands of Hungary , the most important of the hereditary dominions of the house of Hapsburg . " The undersigned are of opinion , that it is both the interest and the duty of England to contribute , by every legitimate means , to the" tranquillity of Hungary . They are of opinion , however , that this object , so desirable , cannot be obtained , so as to enits

      sure permanence , unless the terms upon which it is accomplished be consistent with the ancient laws and constitution of the country . "While so many of the nations of Europe have engaged in revolutionary movements , and havo embarked in schemes of doubtful policy , and of still more doubtful success , it is gratifying to the undersigned to be able to assure your lordships , thrft the Hungarians demand nothing but the recognition of ancient rights , and the stability and integrity of their ancient constitution . Te your lordships it cannot be unknown , that that constitution bears a striking resemblance to that of our own country . King , Lords , and Commons are as vital parts of the

      Hungarian as of the British Constitution . So far , therefore , from the undersigned being animated by a revolutionary spirit , or being actuated by principles inconsistent with regular government , and with the ; « stablishe & order of things , they beg to assure your lordships , that it is with the view of maintaining regular government , and of perpetuating institutions which , though occasionally modified , have had an unbroken series of existence since the foundation of the Hungarian monarchy , that they venture to invoke the interference of the British government . " They have witnessed with great alarm the application of the Austrian government for the

      assistance of Russia . They conceive that this assistance will not be granted upon terms consistent with the integrity of the existing dominions of the house of Austria ; . their alarm , however , is not confined to the apprehension that some encroachments may be made upon the present boundary between the two empires . They apprehend that a powerful intervention on the part of Russia , a state in which the existence of a constitution is not acknowledged , cannot be effected without danger to the free institutions of the covmtvy in which it is invited to interfere . They conceive that the military occupation of Hungary by Russia must be necessarily subversive ( for the time ) of all regular government , and

      they know not what terms aifecting the internal condition of the country maybe ultimately imposed by a power , whose intervention has been invited for the express purpose of controlling a people which is struggling for the preservation of long-established and undisputed rights . The undersigned conceive that the essential character of Russian intervention must be to disregard ri g hts which the spirit of the government of that empire does not recognise ; and that , if effectual , the intervention must lead to th e subversion of the ancient constitution of Hungary , must destroy her prosperity , and endanger the security of states in whoso welfare and independence England is deeply interested .

      " It is to avoid this fatal result that the undersigned feel impelled to intreat her Majesty ' s government to use such means as shall seem to them the most effectual for producing a reconciliation between the Emperor of Austria and the people of Hungary , on the basis of those rights which the Hungarians have never ceased to demand , and the firmest attachment to which has hitherto been found not only to be compatible with , but to promote , the most fervent loyalty to the house of Hapsburg , and has enabled them to render such services in the hour of danger as could never have emanated from the spirit of a subdued or servile people . " ( Signed)—Fitzwilliam , Northampton , Zetland , Beaumont , Kinnaird , Nugent , R . M . Milnes , F . Mowatt , J . A . Smith , H . Salwey , B . M . Willcox , W . Pinney , J . Townshend . "

      Now , then , here is the recognition of the memorialists of the right of the Hungarians to all the privileges of their Constitution , while , —with the exception of the brave and philanthropic Lord Nugent—every man who has attached his name to the above memorial , both in the Lords and Commons , nightly violates the English Constitution , and refuses to the English people those rights and privileges which the English Constitution guarantees . Well , does not this prove to you the difference between men seeking power and men exercising power ; and does it nob prove to you that mock philanthropists can express their sympathy in cases wherein they have no possible interest , while they withhold that sympathy where they have an interest , and may exercise a powerful influence ?

      My fond aspiration was , that the brave Hungarians might erect a pyramid of Cossacks , and cap it with the Czar ; while I felt somewhat nettled , as an Irishman , that not a single word of English sympathy was expressed in public meetings for nearly a million of Irishmen who were starved to death in a fertile land , within three years . The pious forget the difference between the soldier who falls in battle , and the man who is stricken down by famine ; they forget the Bible , which tells them that " They who die by the sword are better than they who perish from hunger , for their bodies pine away stricken through for want of the fruits of the field . "

      lou , Labourers , arc aware that I cannot address you every day ; and therefore I am obliged to make my appeals rather discursive , yet all bearing upon the question of Labour . You are aware that 1 have , over and over again , shown you Irish difficulties aud Ireland's capabilities . I have shown you that there is capability of soil , and ability to cultivate it , and that gratitude would be the repayment of those who developed the principle ; while I have shown you , also , that the want of such practice has been the cause of your Labour market being glutted ; while I have proved to the English manufacturers that Ireland , if fairly governed , would constitute one of their best markets . Well , now read the following from the "Morning Chronicle" of Wednesday

      last;" There are in the midst of the wilderness of the West and its suffering and neglected population , several English settlers , some actuated by legitimate enterprise , others by the purest benevolence : Amongst the latter is an English merchant , Mr . Ellis , a member of the Society of Friends I believe , who , after securing a competence in trade , determined to make his home in the west of Ireland and assist the peasantry by his experience in agriculture and the benefits of his personal outlay aSd examp le as a farmer on a large scale . Mr Ellis has in cultivation a farm of fifteen hundred acres and the result of his residence and intimate acquaintance with the peasantry , is tiw conviction on his mind that the peop le as well as the soil have WnZt sSlv ne / ected , and that tee is no tne

      better field for the exertions of the capitalist or nhhSopst . Mr . Ellis has an extensive farm , andnSii no police for the protection , of his SX ? JS inW midst of severe privation amongst the peasantry . t Now , bear in mind that this is ^ picture > of what may be done in the WESTERN TO j DERNESS—the wilds of Connaught—and see the result pieced by this exc ^ gentleman ; toidiiewloM ^ rf ^ W ^' of one of the DEVIL'S PROPHECIES , for how often have I told you that , under a well-regulated system , you would not require a single soldier or a sing le policeman fc irelaud , or in England either ; nor would that enmity , consequent upon Irish paupers reducing English exist .

      wages , . I have told you , in the commencement , that you are your own greatest enemies ; and my strongest desire is to destroy that enmity , by proving to all that the working classes have the strongest interest in union , and that nothing but union can or will relieve their order from the oppression and injustice of the privileged classes . We have a great many lip-philanthropists—cowards who would sacrifice their Jives for the cause ; and , however

      To The Working Classes. "*"" My Friends ...

      distasteful it may be , I will illustrate the present mind of Labour , as it regards selfinterest . ' b . Iw 511 resuni ethatthere are twenty of atrade , m r tillage—all professingthe principles of Ohartism ; and I will suppose that there are Wing fory , and Chartist employers . The onanist . employer comes to the twenty workmen on Friday evening , and says- : "I will give you loot to complete such an order , and ™ r ! - ' * ? .. towards th 0 « Bef of the Chartist Victims n-nA T „ .: ii -.: __ j . n lctlms and I will till

      SZi ! ' give you Monday to decide . " The Whi g employer comes on Saturday , and offers Ilk for the Sr ^ ? ^ » T <» 7 employer comes and offers law . Now , I am not going to make an observation ; but , answer younelvea , which of the orders would the twent y Chartists accept ? Well , if thev accepted the Tory order , I should not blamj them , but I should blame the system , and I would destroy the vice by destroying the system—by girin g t 0 evcry man tho M ben ^ and full value of his own labour , and not allowing different profit-mongers to be able to offer-lOfcV or 20 / . —the one more than the

      otheiv-pijlethehi ghestbidderwouldstillmake a profit upon the highest price . The twent y Chartists , if they did accept the Tory bid , would say : "A man , or twenty men , cannot do a nation ' s work , and wo have no right to bo expected to do more than others professing our principles , " while , by the Chartists' principle , as regards the support of their cause , tho maxim is : " What ' s evcry one ' s work is nobody ' s work . " Now , working men , that is a definition not of your character or of your feelings , but of the system which establishes the character and developes the feelings .

      Have you thought of this one " GREAT FACT "—upou tho factthatthe Queen and tho Royal family , noble placemen , and pensioners , and a great portion of the aristocracy , live upon drunkenness , debauchery , prostitution , immorality , aud dissipation of the most revolting nature ? and are you aware that if your order abandoned those vices for three months , that the power of Government and the defiance of foreign despots would bo placed in your hands . Here , again , wo have the maxim , that " What ' s every man ' s business is nobody ' s business ; " but when a large majority discovers the fact , that by their dissipation and immorality a small minority governs them , they will see the error of their ways .

      Working men , I have now given you my opinion as to tho probable result of foreign revolutions , and I have told you , times out of mind , that the working classes have always been the greatest sufferers from physical revolution , which merely transfers power from the hands of one party to those of another ; the first object of the conquering part y being to destroy the force that created its power : while the effect of a mental revolution is a transfer of power from the weak , the idle , and the impotent , to the strong-minded , the industrious , and the intellectual . You are now tho best

      instructed people in Europe , as regards politics , and their application to the profitable dovelopement of the national resources to national instead of to class purposes ; and if by apathy , by treachery , or folly , that opportunity should be snatched from you , blame yourselvesj and . not Your faithful and uncompromising Friend , Fkargus O'Connob .

      To The Members Of The Land Company.. I R...

      TO THE MEMBERS OF THE LAND COMPANY .. I really receive so many letters from parties wishing to withdraw tho money that they have invested in the Land Company , and all requiring an immediate answer by return of post , that it would be impossible for me or any other man to comply with the numerous applications , while I give the following as my general answer to all ; it is this : —

      In November , when term commences , if the Queen ' s Bench refuses to legalise the Land Company , I will apply to Parliament for a specific Act of Parliament to legalise it according to tho recommendation of tho Committee , or for power to wind it up . Should that be refused , then tho dissatisfied members will receive their money from the Directors , not in tho proportion that Mr . Gubbins received his , which was £ 2 9 s . 9 d . for £ 0 6 s ., but will receive 20 s . for every posnd they have paid . Again I state , that if Mr . Roberts had not admitted my handwriting to Gubbins ' s scrip at Northampton , he would not have got a fraction ; whereas my writing is not upon one single certificate that has been issued .

      I rejoice to say that I havo only been threatened with two other actions out of the vast number of poor people whose money I would be most happy to repay out of my own funds , were they not already exhausted in the Land Company ; and , as I have often told the subscribers , if I could divide a house , or a fouracre allotment into £ 5 4 s ., £ 3 los ., or £ 2 10 s ., I would be most happy to pay all off : but I do trust that tho dissatisfied will no longer allow themselves to be the dupes and the tools of my enemies . Feaugus O'Connor .

      Iiiuh Purchase Of The Matron Estate. Wit...

      IIIUH PURCHASE OF THE MATRON ESTATE . Within the present month , tho purchase of the Mathon Estate must be concluded . I have now received somewhat over 1 , 600 Z . > representing 5 , 5501 . when paid in full '; and I do trust that this valley of England will not fie allowedto pass out of the hands of the working : classes . I , as you are aware , have not the' slightest interest in it , beyond trouble and the welfare of the purchasers . I wish to show

      what may bo made by purchasing land in the wholesale , and selling it at tho wholesale price in the retail market ; the question of the Land when cultivated in small allotments , being the question which will shortly occupy the mind of Europe ; while all should understand that I still continue to receive offers of 16 ? . a year , with a year ' s rent in advance , for land at Mathon that will cost 120 / ., therefore , there is no such security to those who require interest for their money , and no such impetus to industry .

      If a sufficient amount does not come into complete the purchase , every man who has deposited his money to purchase any portion , shall receive 20 s . for every pound ho has paid , and the benefit that this new purchase would confer upon me , will be the loss of 500 / . that I paid as a deposit—the mode in which I juggle my dupes , or , rather , tho mode in which I am juggled in my own confidence . Feirgus O'OoSiXon .

      The Public Limunies Or The Ukited States...

      The Public LimuniEs or the Ukited States . — The aggregate number of volumes in the public libraries of the United States is about 1 , 294 , 000 , distributed among 182 libraries . Forty-three of these libraries contain over 10 , 000 volumes each ; nine over 20 , 000 each , and only two over 50 , 000 . The library of Harvard University , the largest on the other side of the Atlantic , contains , together with the libraries of the law and divinity schools , upwards of 70 , 000 volumes .

      To Tiie Members Of The Late Chait-Tist C...

      TO TIIE MEMBERS OF THE LATE CHAIt-TIST CONVENTION AND ASSEMBLY , WHO MET AT THE HALL , JOHN-STREET , TOTTENHAM-COURT ROAD ; AND TO ALL TVHO DARE CALL THEMSELVES CHARTISTS , AND WHO REALLY ARE SUCH . Brothers and Sisters , Nothing but the most urgent necessity —nothing but . that which drags our honour as a party , and our good intentions as humane beings , into question , would induce me to address you at this time ; but I , who was one

      among you , and who feel as strongly as ever the necessity to hold on , and to assist by every means in our power the cause of struggling labour—the cause of right against mightam called upon to remind you , that the Printer who gave publicity to our cause should be , and I trust will be , paid ; and , considering that it would amount to but a trifle for each locality , I feel that it is only necessary to apprise our friends of the fact , in order that arrangements may be made for tho bill to be speedily paid .

      My Friend ^ let the enemies of the working ffiPW ^/ p ^^ y-ptei ^ merit their censure ; no , my Brothers and Sisters , they have succeeded , by tho vilest means , to cast odium on our cause ; but they never ought to have the power to say that the Chartists—as a body—arc too dishonest to pay their just debts—to pay tho Printer for giving publicity to their proceedings . No , no ; I cannot think that . Mr . M'Gowan has sent to me , as being one of your members , a bill for Printing ; it is as follows : —

      Amount due from National Convention , £ 20 0 3 Ditto National Assembly , . 22 7 -i I hope my friends will do their best in their several localities , and then we shall soon wipe off this disgrace to our still good cause . I am , Brothers and Sisters , respectfull y yours , H . Child . 15 , Princes-street , Fitzroy-square .

      To The Chartist Body. Friesds.—It Is Ouv...

      TO THE CHARTIST BODY . FRiESDs . —It is ouv duty to call your attention to a matter deeply affecting tho character of each of us , and to which we are bound , by every sense of honour andjustice to make an immediate and suitable acknowledgment . As you are all well aware , during the sittings of the National Convention , and National Assembly , several addresses and other documents were prepared and ordered to be printed by these two bodies , and Mr . M'Go wan , tho gentleman to whom they were sent , printed them all without hesitation or reserve , thereby rendering an

      important service to the cause , and also risking the legal responsibilities of his conduct . Mr . M'Gowan , was in nowise connected with the movement , but as a printer , relying upon tho integrity of the Convention and Assembly , ho executed their commands , and to their entire satisfaction . The exchequer of both these bodies was low , and , consequently , the debts contracted with Mi-. M'Gowan , amounting for the Convention , to £ 20 9 s . 3 d ., and for the Assembly , to £ 22 7 s . 4 d ., were undischarged . These debts were contracted by the representatives in the name of their several constituencies , and the constituencies are bound to provide the means for their discharge .

      After tho most exemplary patience and forbearance , Mr . M'Gowan is nowrequiring tho settlement of his accounts , and therefore \? c earnestly caU upon all those concerned , to transmit to us , each one his share of the above liabilities . To the members of the Convention and Assembly , especially , we address ourselves upon the question , as they are not only morally but legally responsible for the transactions of the bodies to which they belonged . "We feel assured , however , that the creditor will not be put to the disagreeable trouble of law proceedings for tho recovery of his ri ghtful duos from the representatives of the Chartist body , and that no such stain as that of defrauding an honourable creditor , by neglecting to satisfy his legitimate demand , will bo allowed to rest upon the hitherto unsullied escutcheon of the British democracy .

      n ' e have to request that these remarks will be road at tho several meetings of the Chartist body throughout the country , and that where organisa * . tions do not exist , thatthe Chartists will individually send their subscriptions towards defraying the bill of their own printer . Persons may send any sum , however small , in postage stamps to this office , and the whole of the receipts will be duly acknowledged in the Northern Star , Let no one be deterred from sending because his mito may bo small . The honour of all is at stake , and nothing is more true than the good old Scottish maxim" Every little makes a micklc . "

      Tuomas Clark , "William Dixox , Philip M'Gratii . Hi , High Holborn , August 30 th , ISiS ) .

      To Feargus O'Connor, Esq., M.E. Honoured...

      TO FEARGUS O'CONNOR , ESQ ., M . E . Honoured axd Respected Sir , —It was with no ordinary feeling that I lately observed in the papers your determination to quit the arena of public life . When I take a retrospect of your life for the last ten or twelve years , and consider tho great exertions and pecuniary sacrifices you have made , and also the imprisonment \ ovi \ n \ dcvvcvt ., all to enlighten and meliorate the working classes , and what ; has been your recompense ? You have been calumniated and abused for all your pains . Really I wonder not at your resolution to leave them to their impotence . Surely such contrariety of action on the part of those you were trying to benefit must be capable of explanation . Such ingratitude must he the result of the grossest ignorance , or of a complete difference of opiwion regaining the means you propose

      to better them . I have as good an opinion of the working classes in this country as you apparently have , and I cannot help thinking that " Truth " must be in the majority of their minds ; "that no form of government whatever , in a competitive system of society , will ever meliorate the condition of those that produce . ' ! This truth has lately been demonstrated in France , but , indeed , it can easily be demonstrated by the . history of all nations of which we havo a-record . Unfortunately for mankind " competition" has been the result of" civilisation , " with very few exceptions , and it is an undisputed fact , that in countries the most enlightened the greatest disparity of classes is apparent ; our own country , for instance , shows to the world affluence the most gorgeous and poverty the most miserable .

      Your p lan of small farms was admirable for the melioration of the producing millions of this country ; it was a step in the right direction . Unquestionably , the task was Herculean to wile the mind off the old beaten path of " Competency , " and sure I am , that no man in the British dominions is better or as well qualified as yourself to do this , if ordinary success had attended your great labours . But not only to bestow your valuable time and your money , but to sacrifice your great talents , for the one object of bettering those who could not better themselves , and get nothing _ but abuse , is rather more than human nature can bear , so it is not to be wondered at your resolving to leave them . However , you havo the approval of your own mind , and , be assured , also of every enlightened mind that has observed your life for the last twelve years . Few , indeed , would have borne so much and so long as you havo done , yet all who wish well to humanity will deeply deplore the day your resolution is carried into effect .

      Your character has been eminently a " precursor , " and you have nobly done your duty , and it is sincerely hoped by the writer that you will not relinquish the field of politics till " ypu haneseen of the travail of your mind and been satisfied . " Yours-, vjith all respect , Glasgow , Aug . 27 . IIumaxicus ,

      A Visit To Ciiartervillb. To Feargus O'C...

      A VISIT TO CIIARTERVILLB . TO FEARGUS O ' COSN'OR , ESO .., M . P . On Saturday , the 10 th of August , I paid a second visit to my brother , and I was surprised with the improvemen t on the estate . I think great credit is due to the allottees for their perseverance ; the crops are most promising , the wheat in particular ; the carrots arc the best I saw in my journey from AVootton-under-Edge , a distance of forty-five miles ; the man gels and potatoes are also looking well ; I found my brothel U r . V best . of spirits and . ^ 217

      A Visit To Ciiartervillb. To Feargus O'C...

      thankful he is one of ife . O'Connor ' s dupeg . I tinted Mr . "Willis ' s allotment , and found him and his wife full of hope ; he has a fine crop of wheat . Mr . Bathway ' s is very promising ; he has a good agricultural wife . I should like the Lteds ifamry man to go there and sec the gvavellv land that will not produce seed and labour , and then , I think , ha would blush for shame . I think if the Directors will give them ( the allottees ) time to get their crops out , and not compel them to sell at a sacrifice , it will be all right , as , 1 think , all wish to pav the demands of the Company . Go on , noble Sire , and heed wot t \ w gxviwAAm . I am gtaa to say there arc not many in this locality—there are a few selfish slaves . I am , yours , & o ., A paid-up Shareholder of the first section , W . Bekxett . thankful he is one oflfr . O'Connor ' s dupeg . I visited Mr . vYillia ' s allotment , and found him and his Mf ° fullofhope ; hehaaanne crop of wheat . Mr . Batlivra / s is veiv nr omisini ? : he has a erood

      The Currency Questio-Y. To The Enitor Of...

      THE CURRENCY QUESTIO-Y . TO THE EniTOR OF TIIE NOttinERN STAR . Sir , —As wo may confidently rely upon a changd in U \ e government of this country in a much shorter space of time than present appearances would lead some to expect , it is desirable that all Democrats should endeavour to be prepared with just princi ples of social and political economy , in order to supply the place of that mass of fraud , of device , of trickery , and of lies ; which now , unhappily , passes foE political wisdom .

      I have obserred with pain , that there are some professed Democrats who have a hankering for some wonderfully improved sort of paper money . They have seen bankers acquire wealth and obtain large possessions , and , as a matter of course , they have seen the laws made to favour such men ; they are , therefore , desirous -that the privilege of moneymaking should bo extended to tho industrious classes , in order that they also may havo a share in such a profitable business—may become bankers , and obtain wealth . Now , Mr . Editor , either these men are very much mistaken , or I am . that which they teach to be a

      good , I believe to bo an evil ; that which they appear to think capable of oeing made into a blessing , is , in my opinion , a curse in every possible shape . I would therefore respectfully suggest , that a corner ot the Northern Star might be usefully appropriated in endeavouring to como at the truth respecting this important . subject ; and especially as I am fully eertain that it is to tluYsystem alone ( with its necessary concomitants , " loan-roongcrmg' and "funding" ) , that the " reactions now taking place on the continent of Europe are fairly to be ascribed .

      It is quite true that bankers make money , hut how do they make it ? "Whore does it come from I As we know that they produce nothing , either mentally or physically , calculated to benefit mankind , all " their wealth must come from the labour ot otbevs , who are as completely robbed by tho process as if the parties had broken into their houses anil stolen the victuals from the cupboard . If ever the laitse . t-faire principle was of any use , it is with respect to the principle of currency—the best thing is to let it alone . The only thing desirable for all honesfc men is , that it should be as free as possible from fluctuation ; and whatever has a tendency to cause such fluctuations , either by increasing or decreasing the quantity , is sure to '

      nroducc mischief . Mr . Goldhunter goes to California , and comes home with a million of sovereigns ; he purchases estates , builds houses , sets up gilt carriages , keeps hunters and hounds , and hires a whole regiment ot flunkies , fullers , and toadies . Now some will be ready to exclaim , " What an advantage this is to to the country ! Sec what a number of ' hands are set to work , and what a quantity of money is put into circulation . How thankful we ought to be to Goldhuntcr for going to California , aiuf bringing us home so much wealth . " Simpletons ! Event shilling of the money ivkieh Goldhunter expends , is just as completely taken from the pockets of the people , as if , instead of going to California , he had slopped at home and laid a tax upon the rest of the community for the amount . There is nothing more certain ,

      than that evcry increase in tho quantity of money causes a corresponding decrease in the value . Now supposing tho quantity to havo been twenty millions before , Goldhunter's additional million will have caused an increase of five per cent ., and tho purchasing power of every sovereign will havo been reduced to nineteen shillings , and of course every holder of a sovereign will havo been defrauded out of a shilling—will in fact , and indeed , have had to contribute for tho whole of Goldhunter ' s additional wealth . How can it be otherwise ? How can an increase of that which is a mere conventional representation of wealth , give , or stand in the place of , tho thing represented ? That it docs do so , in the ease of bankers and gold-hunters , is unhappily too true , but all that is got in such a way is got at tho expense of others .

      I will now conclude these introductory observations with the following three propositions , for the truth of which I am prepared to argue . First . —If all the other institutions of a community were as they ought to be , the quantity of the circulating medium , or money , of the community i 3 not of the slightest moment . Second . —That no gain can he made by banknotemakers , money-mongers , gold-hunters , or swindlers , ¦ without producing an ccjual amount ot loss to oilier parties . Third . —That of all the evils inflicted upon the honest and industrious man , those evils inflicted by banknote-makers have been , and now are , the greatest . Yours respectfully , Huddorsfield . Richard Uiiook .

      The Royal Etchings. To The Ed1tou Op Thk...

      THE ROYAL ETCHINGS . TO THE ED 1 TOU OP THK SOUTHERN STAR . Sir , —For your kindness in inserting my former communications relating to the unfortunate affair of the " Royal Etchings , " and to the order obtained by the Prince Consort for me to pay , not only tlio costs of my own case , hut the whole of the costs ( since taxed , amounting to upwards " of £ 1 S 0 , ) winch his Royal Highness had wholly abandoned in the case of Mr . Strange , and accruing before I was even made a party to the suit , 1 beg to return yo . it my mostgratofuf acknowledgments . Notwithstanding lama " p'AUiwv , " ( admittedby the Master of the Rolls , upwards of luo months iiijo , to a " " pauper ' s privileges , " ) I was

      amivchended yesterday afternoon , " by virtue of the Queen ' s ' writ , " directed to the High Sherilf of Berks , for a " contempt" which it is alleged I have " committed against her said Majesty , for not paying the sum of £ 181 Is . Sd . costs , to his Royal Highness Prince Albert ; " and I am now incarcerated in " the common gaol of the county oi' Berks at Readincr , " at tho suit of His Royal Highness , andwhere "! shall he compelled to remain , away from mv wife and young family , until I purge myself of the said " contempt . " This , however , is only to be effected by my paying to the Prince Consort £ 181 Is . Sd ., an utter impossibility tor inc to accomplish in my present most distressed state ; for since the ruinously severe , and , indeed , I may say

      oppressive proceedings , were commenced against mom tne Court of Chancery , I have been compelled to pawn the very blankets ' from off our beds , and tho clothes from our backs ( as Mr . Radnor , the pawnbroker of "Windsor , can testify ) in order to enable mc to meet some only of the enormons expenses to which I havo been subjected by the advisers of her Majesty , and His Royal Highness Prince Albert . This is no " idle tale" to excite commiseration or pity . Tho privations my most excellent wife and family have suffered for months past , would have been beyond endurance had we not" lived on in hope , " and thus fortified ourselves against despair . All , however , is now over . 1 am immured in a common gaol at

      the suit of the Consort of my sovereign ; and my poor wife and family are thus deprived of tho support and tho protection of a husband and a parent . Yesterday afternoon , when I was dragged away to a prison , I could as easily have flown over the Round Tower at Windsor Castle , as have paid His Royal Highness ' s demand of £ 181 Is . Sd . for I left Windsor ( to travel twenty miles , to submit , patiently , to incarceration , ) with only 5 s . in my pocket , leaving but 2 s . -Id . for the support of my distressed wife and children at home . How then , Sir , let me ask , could I be expected to pay so largo a sum as nearly £ 200 , with only such means at my disposal ?

      I feel assured that the Princo Consort cannot bo aware of all that has been doho in His Royal llighness's name : and it is therefore in the hope that the facts , to which I have referred , may be brought under the notice of His Royal Highness , that I most urgently , but very respectfully , pray you will do mo tho great favour of finding space for this letter at your earliest convenience . Your kind compliance with my repest will do mand , and receive , my warmest gratitude . I remain , Sir , Your very faithful and obliged servant , jAbPEH TOMSETT Jl'DOI . County Prison , Reading , "Wednesday , August 22 d , 1849 . [ The persecution to which the writer of the above letter has been , and is still , subjected , savours very much of vindictiveness , and it persevered in will not tend to increase Prince Albert ' s popufeirity . The Prince should remember that mercy

      " . Is twice blessed ; It blesseth him that gives and him that takes . 'Tis mightiest in the-mightiest * * It is an attribut e of God himself , And earthly power doth then shew likest Heaven When mercy seasons justice . " ]

      " Fxftv-Two Thousand Jews," Says The Jcw...

      " Fxftv-two thousand Jews , " says the Jcwtsh Chronicle , " arc now fighting in the ranks of the brave Hungarian army " for liberty and civilisation , and not one Jew is to he found serving under the Austrians , thoug h there are myriads of Jews m Austria Proper , Galicia , Bohemia , Moravia , ana Transylvania . "

      'X ^ ; T M \ N R V ¦To Ft •

      ' X ^ ; t \ N r ¦ to ft

  • Citation
    • Northern Star (1837-1852), Sept. 1, 1849, page 1, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/ns2_01091849/page/1/