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Northern Star (1837-1852), 15th July 1848, Edition 2 of 2, Page 1, My Friexds, I have now a little leisure ...

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    • TO THE MEMBERS OP THE LAND COMPANY.
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      To The Members Op The Land Company.

      TO THE MEMBERS OP THE LAND COMPANY .

      My Friexds, I Have Now A Little Leisure ...

      My Friexds , I have now a little leisure to comment upon that portion of the evidence taken beiore the C ommittee , and which has therefore become public property . 1 am happ y to find that in many districts the members have requested their representatives to send tbem copies of the reports , and which , 1 hope , they have attentively perused . Firstly , —I shall show you the machinery by which the Committee is worked . The Judge Advocate , a member of the Whig Government , is Chairman—and from the fact of the

      Chairman ' s attendance being continuous , and that of the other members of the committee being casual , the chairman constitutes the main feature ; of a committee . The chairman of a committee should not only be impartial , but should be unsuspected , and if the chairman of a committee evinces the slig htest bias to e ther < ide of the question , his conduc * would be as criminal as that of the judge who should tell a man upon trial for his life that he was opposed to him , and would hang him if he could ; and when the chairman of a committee once departs from that line of conduct which is indispensable to the elucidation of the fact to be inquired into , that man is capable of being suborned to the commission of any crime ,

      however revoltingor heinous . Of course , these observations bear generally upon the character of chairmen and are not applicable to the Judge Advocate ; nor shall I hold myself at liberty to canvass the question in its entirety until the whole business is closed . The chairman of a committee summonses the witnesses ; and the chairman beinj ; the judjre , should , above all things , affect ignorance of the technical evidence to be given by a witness . Of course , he should be aware of its general bearing , as that is the purpose for which the witness is called . And now I vrill give you a list of the witnesses called by the Judge Advocate : — Mr "Whitniarsh . the Chief UejjrUrar , whose

      evidence was given in the most frank , the most unbiassed , and honourable manner . He produced his memoranda of the provisional registration of the Company , and proved its legal existence so far ; but " the most remarkable feature of his evidence was this—that he wished that the law , as regarded his office , was more stringent , as it would be the means of preventing much dishonest speculation and ch eating .

      Mr Chinnery , the Solicitor , was the next witness . His evidence was straightforward and unmistakeable . He proved what we had done in the way of enrolment and registration —the difficulties that were thrown in our way , the vast expense that had been incurred , and the legal difficulties with which we were surrounded . Next came Mr M'Grath , the Financial Secretarv , whose evidence impressed every member of the Committee most favourably . Next came Mr M'Gowan , who receives the money from Mr M Grath , and pays it into a bank to my credit . Those witnesses were called bv the Chairman .

      Next * came Mr Cullingham . the overseer of carpenters , who was examined at _ considerable length as to the management of the affairs of theproperty of the Company , and his evidence R- as , that no private gentleman expending his own fortune , could be more economical than I had been in the expenditure of the Company s funds ; and he declared that , as a master builder , he would not undertake to erect a single cottage upon our plan for less than 2 ( 10 / .

      I was then examined , although cautioned by the Chairman that I mig ht commit myself , and make myself liable to heavy fines , and even to imprisonment . However , I rejected his friendly council , and submitted myself—according to the : threat of Sir Benjamin Hallto a rigid and searching examination . Xex ' t came Mr Doyle , who was examined as to the management of the Company ' s affairs at Minster , where he has resided since September last .

      I must now observe , that in the first instance the question was divided into two branchesfinance , and the power of re-production . The object of the financial inquiry wa > , to save the trouble and avoid the necessity of inquiry into the question of re-production , as the anti cip ation was to d—n the plan by d—ning the man ; and this device having failed , the Committee decided upon handing the accounts over to an Accountant , selected by the Chairman , and proceeding with the question of re-production . Under these circumstances ,

      a reasonable man would come to the conclusion that the Allottees upon O'Connerville and Lowbands , where they have been longest located , would have been the best possible ¦ witnesses to have examined ; and with that v ] e « - I brought Mr Hornby from O'Connorville , to prove the payment of 15 / . premium to those Allottees , paid out of my own pocket , and of which the Chairman would not accept circumstantial evidence , asking Mr M'Grath , "How do vou know that ? DID YOU SEE THK MONEY PAID ? " And I also

      examined Mr Hornby as to the payment of 7 V > 1 ., out of my own pocket , on account of the Company ; and submitted him as a purchaser at O'Coiinorville , for examination , but not a word would the Chairman ask him . Well , to go further , I brought up at my own expense a two-acre Occupant , a three-acre Occupant , and a four-acre Occupant , from Lou bands ; they were in attendance all day , and the Chairman would not examine them . The names of those men were Webster , Lee , and Pratt . Pratt , a purchaser , and therefore

      having no interest . \\ ebster , an operative ; and Lee , an over-looker of factories for fortyfour years . And I selected men of that class , in order to show the facility with which those mechanical labourers can acquire a knowledge of agriculture ; but they were allowed to go hack unexamined , although the object of the Government , and their tools , is to prove the delusion that has been practised upon the working classes ; and the question now before the Committee is to inquire into their prospects , and the power of re-production .

      The next witnesses called by the Chairman weie—Mr Lawes , the barrister who drew the Health of T «« ns' hill fur the Government ; Mr Tidd Pratt , the Revising Barrister ; and a Mr Kavens , for ninny years a Poor La * - Commismissioner , and now Secretary to the Commission . f Mr Lawes declared that I had violated several statutes in the prosecution of my labours , and he declared that all my property , all the property of the Company , and all tl e property of the members who had signed the deed of settlement , were liable for all the debts of the

      Bank . Nov .- this was the very princip le ¦ whi ch , above all others , I sought to establish , as the " Knobstick ' ' lawyers have declared that the depositors in the Bank have no security for thtir monies . Not to be mistaken , I v . ill give you the question and answer . Q— ' Did I rightly understand you to say upon your last examination , that not only my property and the property which belongs to the Company , the connexion between the Company and the i 5 ar / k bein ^ now proved , but that al .-o all the property of the several members of the . Company , was liable to the debts of the Bank ? '

      A—THE OPINION I EXPRESSED WAS THIS —THAT liiE NATIONAL LAND BANK AND TilE NATIONAL LAND COMPANY WERE ONE AND THE SAME CONCERN ; THAT the par ; ii : s in the national land COMPANY WERE PARTIES IN IHE N . U TIGtNAL Li . NU HANK , AND CARRIED ON THAT CONCEKN ; AND BEING PARTNERS IN THAT CONCERN THEY WOULD BE LIABLE , AS . SUCH , TO A 1 ST ENGAGEMENTS WHICH THE CONCERN , AS THE NATIONAL LAND BANK , MIGHT ENTER INTO . " Now , there is the opinion of a professional

      My Friexds, I Have Now A Little Leisure ...

      gentleman , selected by the Government to frame their most important bills . He further stated , that all those persons engaged in horse racing , where the chance depended upon the winner , were acting illegally , and that the promoters might be sentenced to three months on the treadmill as rogues and vagabonds—that is , in those cases where " sweeps" are balloted for . He further stated that the law of England would treat a gentleman , whose conduct was most honourable and unsuspicious , as a rogue and vagabond , and he further admitted that the members of the Art Union , which was an illegal society , were indemnified against

      liabilities by two Acts of Parliament , and that , subsequently , another act was passed to legalise them in their present illegal constitation—that is , that their every act is a violation of all the acts existing against lotteries , and that , nevertheless , in that shape they are legalised by Act of Parliament ; so that you see . any attempt at what is called the advancement of art can be legalised , while the attempt to advance the science of agriculture and of political economy , when the poor man is to have the benefit , is a violation of tins law , and the promoter of such society is liable to be sent to the treadmill , as a rogue and a vagabond , for three months .

      As to Mr Tidd Pratt , his memory was so short as to all cases connected with applications made for the enrolment of the National Land Company , that his evidence was wholly immaterial . Next came the staff of life , the ex-Poor Law Commissioner , the Secretary to the Commissioners , the sleek and fat Mr Revans , who did not appear to live upon pauper fare . This gentleman had been sent , in March , by the board , to examine the Land Company ' s estates , and he declared that the farmers' crops in the neighbourhood were very superior to those at O'Connorville and Lowbands . He

      was examined on Friday last , and again on Wednesday , and , in the meantime , he took a trip to Lowbands on Monday , drove through Snig ' s End without alighting , or stopping , and drove through Lowbands without alighting , except at one allotment , and onl y conversing with one occupant —that occupant was Lee , from Exeter , and he estimated his wheat crop at thirty-six bushels to the acre , while the farmers in the neighbour hood , and several members of the Committee , who have done me the honour to visit Snig ' s

      End and Lowbands , estimate the crop at over fifty bushels to the acre . And , as a matter of course , all will understand that this impartial official examined the BEST allotment . But , in his drive , looking right and left , as he said , and not being able to see much , which is a fact , as the estate is cut off from the high road by cottier tenants , he declared from this superficial glance that Lee ' s was the best that he had seen , and that even that was not superior to the farmers' wheat in the neighbourhood .

      Now , in answer to this , I will allow him to take any 15 q acres of land l y ing together , and under the best system of farming , from London to Gloucester , and he will not show me as much good wheat as there is upon Lowbands in the first year of it ^ reclamation . However , to his evidence . You are aware of what the faculty call too good a witness—this man declared over and over again , that an agricultural labourer could nut live upon the produce of the

      THREE BEST ACRES OF LAND IN ENGLAND , without paying any rent whatever for it . I put the crops to him in the rudest way , an d I'll give you his produce of the best three across in Englaad—An acre of potatoes , he savs , will produce six tons ; an acre of wheat , twenty-four bushels ; and the other acre , under , green crops , he estimates will support a cow , whose produce he valued at 87 . a year . Now what do you think—Firstly . Of this practical agriculturist ; and , Secondly . What do you think of ( he fare , even at his average of produce , as compared with the Poor Law diet .

      Here the poor man would have twenty-four bushels of wheat ; twostone and ahalf of potatoes a day , and a gallon of milk , which he estimates the cow will g ive ; and he says he will make no allowance for vegetables . Now , what do you think of such a hero as that r Well , but he says more—he says that plough husbandry is vastly superior to spade husbandry , and that the inevitable result of the Land Plan will be an annual crop of paupers , as no man can hold

      bis allotment longer than one year , which will secure a settlement . And he says , that if one man becomes a pauper , and if another man purchases from him , and cwnies with capital , that that man also will be a pauper in the course of the year ; and yet this hero boasts of being a practical agriculturist . He says that the average amount of agricultural labourers is two to every one hundred acres ; and M'Culloch savs there are twelve million acres under

      cultivation , so that , as a matter of course , according to his calculation , there are only six hundred thousand agricultural labourers in the kingdom . Now here is a statician for

      you . Well , but he'has said a little on the wrong side—that is the wrong side for the Government—he says that the land of England is not cultivated to one-sixth part of its capability of yielding ; and he makes the unfortunate admission , which is at once an answer to the principal objection of the Free Tradersnamely , that the mechanical labourers brought from the large towns , are certain in the long run to make better agricultural labourers than those at present constituting that class . I told this gentleman and the chairman , thatl would bet either or both lflOf ., that from 1 st of next March , 1 would take live acres of land at

      21 . 10 s . per acre , and that in five years from that dav , T would purchase it out and out from the profits , and that they should send a bailiff to keep an account . Jos . Hobson is the next witness selected by the Chairman for examination , so now you may judge of the feeling with which this Committee was granted ; but yon may rely upon it , that in spite of the Government and its tools , that the LAND PLAN SHALL GO ON ; and you may also rely upon it , that as every dog will have its day , when my turn comes , that I will make such an exposure of the Government with reference to this Land I'lan , and of some of their aiders and abettors , as v . ill astonish them and the country .

      It is niv intention to jjiv ,. vou a compendium It is my intention to » iv , _ vou a compendium of the whole evidence in a double number ol the " Labourer ' ' next month , and then every man who judges for himself will be able to s ; iy , if there is upon record a single instance of a Company ' s affairs being so honourably , so profitably , and so economically managed . 1 think , if any man will now visit Lowbands , he will be able to form an estimate of the prospects

      of those who are located upon their own Labour field ; and however this Parliamentary Inquiry may cause a partial suspension of our open - tions , I Leg to as > ure all , that whether by sale , mortgage , or the bank , or all united , I shall be prepared to go on wiili the re-productive system , until 1 establish the fact that Land , with Labour applied to it , does not become deteriorated in value .

      There was one other admission made by the oor-law Commissioner , and it was this—that le rent that a builder expected for a house as £ 7 percent , upon the outlay ; and , conseuently , if it would take £ 2 W to build a single

      My Friexds, I Have Now A Little Leisure ...

      house , like ours , the rent of the house alone would be £ l 4 a year . There is nothing like spurring a man b y oppression ; and now , as I am told by high legal authority that the property is mine , and that I can do what I like with it , I will reduce the rents to £ 4 per cent , upon the outlay ; and , if the government imagines that the savings of the poor are not to be equally protected with the properties of the rich , when their opposition is so strongly manifested as to justif y me in a new course , I will confine my whole and undivided attention to hurling them from office , —and I'll do it .

      And I assure you , my friends , that there is no man living more fondl y , unequivocally , and disinterestedly , attached to any plan , than I am to the Land Plan . They will seek to drive me into the violation of some of their blasted laws , in order to destroy the Plan by sepnra ting me from its advocacy ; but , as one of the speakers said , at the first meeting of the Irish League , " One pair of hands , free , is worth ten pair in prison , " I will preserve my freedom to establish your liberty . And I ass-are you , that more can be done byanlNDlVL DUAL within the law than outside the law , but when a community confederates , much may be done without the law . If there is any obstacle in the way of carrying out this Plan , it originates with the located members , because if there was a million of money subscribed , and a thousand located the fortunate thousand would imagine that they had the

      best title t » the remainder of the funds ; and this has been always my greatest difficulty , — one which , however , I have been resolute enough to overcome . Men write to me and tell me that if this is not done , and that is not done , they will communicate their grievances through the Press . I allow them , I defv them ; and , henceforth , nothing will be done but what the rules strictl y sanction . A man from Snig ' s End , writes to the Manchester locality , and declares that the work upon that estate has not been performed in a workmanlike manner , and this is my answer to his fabrication . Let two honest men—the one a carpenter , and the other of any other class , —be sent to Sni g ' s End and Lowbands , which are close to each other , —I will cheerfully pay the whole of their expenses , —and let tbem make their report to the locality ; and what I assert is this , that there is not work in England performed in a MORE workmanlike manner .

      Now , let this be done , or let those fellows for ever hold their peace ; but , as I have often said , there are some men who , if I boiled the mutton , would expect me to feed them with the broth . I ask the working classes , once more , whether they think there is any other gentleman in the world who would give up his time gratuitously for the benefit of the working classes ? And I further ask those cavillers—and , thank God , they art but fewwhether they think that 1 would take insolence for my reward ? Perhaps , those gentlemen are not aware that the management of their affairs is at this moment costing me from £ 10 to £ l 2 a-week—and , therefore , when I labour , and pay for labouring for them , I have a right to expect , and will command , respect .

      Now , a word for the " Morning Chronicle , " and then I will aonclude this letter . My practice is to give the ravings of the Press tinmutilated , and then to answer them . Here is the lucubration from the " Chronicle" of this ( Thursday ) morning ;—

      ( From the Homing Chronicle , of July 13 th . ) The Select Committee on the National Land ' scheme has now published rome reports , which , how ver , contain nothing bus evidence . The declaration of tlie cum . niittee ' s o inion is reserved for a future WCilS Oil . TilC evidence given in the first report is mainly directed t « the question of complete registration , the legal necessity for it , and the legal consequences of its not having been obtained . Un this subject Mr Whitmarsli , the Reg istrar of Joint Stock Companies , was examined at great length . Two of his answtrs 181 and 89 i establish fully the proposition contained in a former article on this subject , uamuly , that Mr O'Connor , having purchased the laud in his oivn name , and having had it conveyed to him , was under no letjal disability to convey it to the wii . ning shareholders in his lottery—in other words , that he did

      not need , as he pretended , an Act of Parliament ' to enable him to be honest . ' From the first he knew that there was nothing in the Act to preclude him either from purchasing property , or from selling it , ( or he did sell a ppj t of what he had purchased , and boasts on mors occa . si . ms than one of the profit he made b y the transaction . He knew , therefore , that this demand of an Act of Parliament , tor ' the purpose of enabling him to be honest , ' was a mere pretence for delay—was a delusion to the poor people who confided in liim—a mockery Of their Confidence—a snare which would hold them in quiet HUb-Hiissive patience , while he enjoyed the nominal , and perhaps fubstan ' . ial , advantages of being the full lejal ovrner o ! those extensive lands which ho had purchased

      with their money . >> ithout giving him credit for being , in the technical sen ? e of the word , a lawyer , ho knew enough of law to be aware that if he could conrey to a purchaser , he could also convey to the allottees , and culd make a title exactly as good in one as in the other . Had the wish existed , the means were there-andthere was no stipulation as to the payment of rentcharge which he could not have imposed , and to which they could not , so far as the laws was concerned , have bound themselvon . There does uut appear to have been any such tvi & li for one of tke ( fitnesses , Mr Chinery , says ( 319 ) that the allottees do not possess any title to their own allotments , either in the shape of leases or grants . There was no legal reason » hy they should not have either or both .

      Vie pass over the numerous questions put b y Mr O'Connor , to obtain evidence of the unbounded faith reposed in him by the poor unfortunate people who subscribe to hit scheme . The directors , though from a different motive doubtless , equally allowed him to have his own way . The directors are the Ministers of that society , of which he is the Autocrat ; and if , like the augurs ol ' old , they can look each oilier in the face without laughing , while they think of the credulity of the unhappy subscribers , they must possess a gravity of countenance which is not easily attainable by any one , nor attainable at all by men who honestly express in their countenances the feci . ili a's of their minds . The interests of his followers , whom in this scheme he-elevate * into bis companions , to employ as his tools , sufficiently account for the obsequiousness with which they bend to his wishes , perforin his

      bidding , and vouch for hn character . Let us see how this unbounded faith , so obtruded on the notice of the committee , acts on the affairs of the subscribers . Air Philip M'Grath ( SU 1 ) , a journeyman dyer , and ' a master for a short time , ' stand recorded as director and financial secretary . Ae director he is ignorant enough , but as financial secretary his ignorance is startling . He cannot produce any authority for the treasurer to spend ihe money of the Company . Mr O'Connor is the acting treasurer , though Mr Roberts bears the name of the office . This perhaps , is ot itself a sufficient explanation of the matter . Mr M'Grath hands over to Mr M'tiuvran , who holds no office , but is Mr O'Connor ' s private agent , the money of the subscribers , receives no vouchers for it , and . does " not kn > w how it is disposed of , ' a mode of proceeding which , if it attests his faith in his chii ftain , manifests , at the same tunc , his indifference towards the duties of the office he has affected to undertake . He is at-ked ( f > 85 ) , ' Hare you any authority from anybody so

      to pay the money V and he boldly answers , ' The unanimous vote of the Directors ; the Directors being Messrs F . O'Connor , C . Doyle , T . Clark , V . M'Grath , and VV . Dixon . Uut though the laws of the Company require till turn voles to be in writing ( 7 ' . ' 5 ) , he never produces this written authority , : > nd in his answer to this particular question avows that' that rule has not been abided by . ' He is finally forced to admit ( l , « U ) tnat , upon reading over the minute hook , which pretends to record the meet iiu'S and proceedings ' there was no such vote at either iany one ) of the meetings which are there recorded , ' and he is obliged afterwards to add , that ' there is no other book kept by me . ' What other book was kept , except one by Mr Wheeler , which he cannot iind , he docs not tell ; nor , taking the whole evidence together , does there appear to be the si ghtest reason to believe that the affair * of this pretended Company arc managed with that regularity , and recorded with that clearness , which ran alone insure and evidence an honest application ol

      its funds . . We have seen that the allottees have no legal title , by conveyance , lease , or otherwise , to their allotments . Let us once more repeat , that there is no legal impediment to their having one ; and having called this fact to their a tttntinn , it may be as well just to give one moment's considar . ttioii to what it is which the proposed company pretended to offer to the acceptance of the subsciihers , and ¦ . Miatitis which they have gnt for their money : "The National Land Company has been called into existence . ' 6 as the introduction to its laws , " to pioneer the way in tVgloi'i ' us uoik of social emancipation . Its particular object is the benefit of its members : its general object , to p int out the means of rendering permanently prosis

      peruus t e condition of th . industrious millions . " It always desirable that even virtue itself should net by vir tuous means , and many are of opinion that it cannot act iiy any other . This company has not followed that rule , iii most instances the woniing ol its addresses and of its Uws would induce the belief that every member would have an allotment of land ; for , though " qualified members" arc spdi f , the qualith ; tt : un might iiisily he sup . posed to be ttic i ; uc payment of subscriptions and levies , there is nothing which directly and unmistakably tells the subscribers that ty dc-perategambling alonccjii they get anything whatever . Yel such is the uuhai py fact . The wliok thing is a gigantic lotleiy , calculated upon chances unfavourable to the subscribers . Mr -M'Grath is asked

      My Friexds, I Have Now A Little Leisure ...

      ( l / Mh , " How tmvTiy tickets were pnt up in the last ballot ? " And- tho answer is , "About 15 , 000 in the four . acrc class , about 8 , 000 in thetwo-acrc class , and between 3 , 000 and 4 , 0 . 5 in the three acre class . " We have here 2 G , 5 on in all . "Hoiv many prizes were there?—102 or 103 . " Is this the mode to clevute the depressed " industrious ! millions ! " Can they by such means be made owners of the soil , or are they not lured . sayy from honesttoil and regular self supporting induttrV o try the desperate chances of a lottery , in which failure is all but certain , and sue cess next to a mir « clc «

      Hut when success has been attained , what is its value ? The scale of the rent charged declared in one of the rules ( p . o 4 , Appendix to Second Report ) shall answer the question—« "Uio principle which shall regulate the rental of the allotment shall bo £ a upon an expenditure of £ 8 ¦> . fis . 8 d ., and rive per cent , upon all additional capital which may be required . " This brings it to nearly six per cent ., and added to this there seem to be charges fonS'Jl ) " a directors' levy , " or ( 9 n 2 ) an "Expense Fund . " If this heavy rental could bo levied upon small farina in England , it might , by a very careful and economic administration , bo made to reproduce enough to supply a few fresh

      allotments yearly ; but , in the first place , it cannot be levied if the tenant is to live ; and , in the next , topretund ( hut , by any scheme of reproducing capital , the 23 , 697 disappointed expectants of the first ballot could ever be relieved from their disappointment , is to pretend some , thing so absurdly false , that , even the believei s of the Veiled Prophet , or of Johanna Southcot , or of Thorn of Canterbury , would treat the pretence with sovereign conte- » ipt . If each disappointed shareholder should live to twice the age of Mcthusalem , he would die in the greennessof youthful expectation cf the coming of such an event . Yet the pretence that such an event is possible is still made , and will continue to be made . It answers the

      purpose and wins more dupes . It i « , however , on this point aloue that the concoctora of the scheme show themselves not to be daunted by any trifling difficulties in making assertions , as the following , which was read b y a mcmbel'Ofthc connultteeJs . putting question . 1 , 6 * 2 , will amply prove : — " The Attorney-General has been applied to for his certificate under the new law ; his reply is , that though our society is a perfectly legal one , hf « dare not certify i % for b y its means the members will become possessed of all the land lnthekingdom , and the directory

      become stronger than the general government . " The reckless and audacious falsehood of this statement suppasses all hounds of decency ; but the making ot it implies the confidence of its authors in the immeasurable ignorance and tolly of those to whom it was addressed . That confidence , we regret to say , seems warranted by their rcailinesiin subscribing , and their patience in waiting for an allotment of that which , even whin grunted , must he held upon conditions that will rendf r prosperity impossible and distress and destitution certain .

      bpooney , if you had supposed that I would have submitted the above folly to rational and reflecting men , I doubt whether you would have published it . You thoeght it would have answered for your little coterie of 2 , 000 , which , I am informed , is the amount of your circulation , since you ratted to the Peel-Lincoln policy—and now , mark my answer . Firstly—You say that the printed Report only contains the evidence given before the Committee . Wh y , you wiseacre , what else could it contain , and must you wait for the decision of the Committee to draw your own conclusions ? while you fabricated evidence , and commented upon it , when your reporter was admitted to the Committee .

      Secondly . —You say that Mr O'Connor has the legal right to give conveyances to the allottees , because he exercised the legal right of giving a conveyance to a purchaser . Now , if you can comprehend the most simple of all questions , mark the difference—in the one CliSe , I hlive the legal right , but could not equitabl y exercise it , because the money of the Company , being the property of all its members , it would be an injustice to assess the rent upon the outlay upon any one estate—and , therefore , I have decided to equalise it over a given number—thus establishing- right , and

      diminishing caprice ; and it is my intention immediatel y to take the four estates that are finished , and to assess the rent equitably upon them . You must observe , that I am not writing for your enlightenment , as that would be a hopeless undertaking . So mueh upon the question of conveyance to the allottees ; and HOW , Spooney , for your parallel—namel y , the conveyance of an estate to a single purchaser . Now , that is a distinct and whole question in itself , and is onl regulated b y the amount of profit with which I may be tempted . There is no intervening technicality , nor calculation , nor moral impediment , in the latter case .

      Thirdly— You are astonished that the Directors of the Land Company should have names—but I think that O'Connor , M ' Grath , Clark , Doyle , and Dixon , sound as well as Easthope , Delane , Black , Doyle , and Tibbitts . I do not g ive these as the names of your present Directors , as misfortune has caused your rag to chauge hands , but they are the names of a previous hoard ; and , while I am on the subject , I will tell you an anecdote about one of y our staff . He was formerl y the editor of the " Times , " and the late Mr Walter , who had a very shrewd eye and clear knowledge of the productions of that official , told him that he had observed very unpalatable hashes of the same dish in the " Times , '" and that he feared

      the cook had exhausted his recipes ; but , he observed , you will not be damaged , as the "Morning Chronicle ' ' requires an editor , and , no doubt , your spices will be new to the palates of its readers . Fourthly , —You say that the Financial Secretary receives no voucher from Mr M'Gowan for the weekly amounts paid to him . Spooney , you did not read the evidence , or you would have found that it contradicts vou .

      Fifthly—You take the rules of the Land Company to he as unalterable as the laws of the Medes and Persians , when you speak of the standard by which the rent was originally to he estimated , which you set down at six per cent ., well knowing that that rule was rescinded at the very first Conference . And do yuu not think that we had quite as much right to do that , as you had to raise the price of the Chronicle from 4 d . to od ., when you renounced all your former principles—if ever you had any—and became the . stuttering mouthpiece of Peel and his staff of juvenile politicians .

      Spooney , I am told that the Chronicle is heavily mortgaged , and that you and your enslaves are hard set to get a crust out of it ; therefore , what I would recommend you all to do is , to adopt the plan of the rats before an old house tumbles—leave it , and come and stand the ballot for five four-acre allotments ; and if it is in the power of human ingenuity , I will make you honest and industrious men . I remain , Spooney , Your sincere and sympathising friend , Fkakgus O'Coxnok .

      ISow , my friends , do you want any further proof of the i gnorance , the foll y , and prostitu tion of those creatures , who sit in a cock-loft in the Strand , writing for hire on subjects of which they understand about as much as an Irish pig does of geometry ; they buy vegetables in Covent Garden-market , and think they are grown in some of the back streets in the Cit y . This Land Plan chokes them , because they can ' t comprehend it—they have not originated it—they cannot write open it , as it is susceptible of practical illustration , while they are compelled to confine themselves to theoretical speculations about which the whole Press may differ , yet every paper may have its disciples . J remain , Your faithful friend and bailiff , Fkakgus O'C ' onnok .

      'M W Effecting Changes In Our Laws , Ins...

      M 4 ^ ^ ^/ wi : ' , ^ ^ W . ^ / tfrt-, ~ Jr , trY * , /* ^^ $$ y ^ J S \ * %

      ^ : , /* ^^$$Y^ J S\ Jlnd_ National Trip...

      jlND _ NATIONAL TRIPES * JOUINAL . VOL-XI . NO 560- LONDON , SATURDAY , JULY 15 ^ 84 87 " ^^ . 23 ^^ % ^

      Malton-. —The Members Of This Branch Of ...

      Malton-. —The members of this branch of the Land Company aro requested to meet at tho house of John BcHty , Newborn , Maiton , on Monday ovenmg next , at soveu o ' clock , to eh ot officers tor i he :-. cxt twelve months , and transact other business . t ' HKLTEMUM . —At a public meeting held oa Monda . t , Juy ItiiU , tiie following resolution was utiani-Hio-isly ^ adoptid : — 'That in order to carry out the resolution tia , ed by the National Assembly , as re Raids the Libe . ty Fund , we , the membirs of the Cheltenham locality , agree to subscribe ooe penny a wet'k for twelve Keeks , independent of our general subscription , and earnestly recommend all other localities to do likewise . Nottingham — The council on Sunday last appointed Mr George ilarrison , lafe of Culverton , reporter to the Stau for this district .

      Ireland. " Ales! Poor Country, Almost Af...

      IRELAND . " Ales ! poor country , Almost afraid to know itaolt . " Irishmen , —Countrymen , In God ' s name how long is the reign of terror to last in our unhappy country ? Is it not a melancholy thing to see Irish patriots daily snatched from society by the Saxon oppressor ? And is it not still moremelttudioly to find the whimperings of an hereditary leader standing in the way of Irish regeneration ?

      In England the oppressor is putting his house in order , to prepare for a meditated onslaught upon the Irish people . The bludgeon men are now being trained to the sword exercise , in order to act as substitutes for those troops whose presence it is presumed will be required in famine land , while Irishmen are sentenced to seven years' transportation for learning the use of those arms b y which oppressors continue their misrule .

      My countrymen , the horrible policy of living upon the credulity of an enthusiastic people , has brought Ireland to her present condition , and from which she can only be relieved by the solid organisation of a majority of her sons , determined to assert their ri ghts . I predicted every result that has been produced by the " Gagging Bill . " In the commencement of the Session , I told out * tyrant ministers that they would lose Canada and Ireland , and I have not since had reason to retract that opinion .

      But , my countrymen , to say the truth , your want of union and want of courage makes me a coward . Yes , I speak the truth when I tell you that the law may he now gtrained to destroy any man who loves liberty , and boldl y proclaims his opinions ; and yet , much as I have been reviled by the Irish party , now that the Saxon has drawn the sword , I , for one , shall be prepared to fill any gap made in the ranks of my country by the laws of the tyrant .

      It is a fearful position to be placed in , to be afraid to speak one ' s mind , and I can only console myself for thebondage , b y the fact that our present rulers would rather separate me from the cause of the people than fill a transport with other convicts ; and , therefore any rashness or foll y upon my part might jeopardise the people ' s cause , while the people themselves are disunited . I dare say that thousands , yea , millions , are now asking or thinking what Feargus O'Connor is doing ; and my answer to all is , that I am watching every move of the enemy , and not weakening my strength by exposing my weakness .

      My countrymen , the African butchers may slaughter the heroes of the French Republic in cold blood , but Labour will have its victory . The ruthless ruffians shot 650 prisoners in cold blood , in one gang . They immersed thousands of others in water , in the hope of drowning them , while confined in cellars ; and yet the cause of Labour will triumph . In England they have convicted the Chartist

      prisoners , and sentenced them to the most horrible punishment , upon evidence that would not hang a dog . In Ireland your best men are being torn from amongst you , and all in the hope of striking a timel y blow , at the growing enthusiasm of the age . But it will fail ; and rely upon it that vengeance will accomplish what was refused to justice . Not onl y in France , but in Ireland , the reign of tvranny is increased . In both countries the

      power of the Press , for good , is all but destroyed , whilst its evil propensities are cherished and hounded against the people . Now , in the midst of such a state of things , is there no mode of getting up such a simultaneous agitation in both countries Jas will paralyse faction , and inspire the people with hope ? My answer is , "YES ; " and next week I will propound the plan by which , without striking a blow , Labour may achieve its triumph .

      You can form no esfimnte of the extent to which the present Government has prepared its spy machinery , and of the traps that it has laid for the unwary ; but without Secret Service Money I have , through the Police and the Detective force , as good information as the Government ; and although the Alien Act has passed , I beg to apprise the English Chartists , that it is through the instrumentality of foreigners that the Home Office is doing its work ; and , therefore , I ask them in the name of God , in the name of justice , in the name of common sense , and of Chartism , not to gratify the enemv by falling into their snares .

      No one supposes for a moment that Mitchel will much longer remain in exile , or that Jones and his fellow victims will be allowed to eke out their two years in worse than banishment ; and I tell you , my countrymen , and I tell the English Chartists , that if my plan of organisation and agitation is followed out , that it will be impossible for any Government longer to oppress both countries ; and , if it is not carried out , while I am ready to take my full share in all the responsibility , terror , if it continues

      must be the accepted lot of the sufferer . Would to God , that I were in a situation to write my feelings without the dread of those consequences which the Act would entail upon my party—however , I tell you , and I tell your oppressors , that if the people are wise , courageous , and united , it is impossible to resist their just and ri ghteous demand ; while , if the people are foolish , cowardly , and disunited , they themselves , and not their rulers , are chargeable with their misery .

      I remain , your faithful Friend and Countryman , Feahgus O'C ' onnok

      Caution To The People. Any Remarks On Th...

      CAUTION TO THE PEOPLE . Any remarks on the morality of the present ministry would be superfluous ; they have b y deputy appeared in court , and their character as a ' ministry is public property , and likely to take its place in due time , among the notorious of the present and past ages , including men of all ranks and characterfrom Richard the Third , to Richard Turpin , David JIaggarr , Jonathan Wild , and all others famous by flood or field . Experience , however , as manifested in the transactions of 1819 and 1839 , leave ample evidence to make us cautious of men who assume the name aud gesture of patriots , proposing desperate schemes and daring acts , having in their pockets the wages of despotism , and assuring their

      dupes that they can always , with ease and security , overturn the government . 1 think a time like the present , when many men are driven to desperation hy want , and are apt to cling to any scheme , however absurd or ridiculous , that carries with it even the semblance of change , and when others are suffering from disappointment , partly resulting from their ignorance of the nature of man , and the constitution of the society in which they live , and partly attributable to an instinctive enthusiasm , inseparable from their very existence , which causes them to feel more keenly the pangs of disappointed hope , and therefore be the more read y to join in

      desperate exploits—1 think , Sir , that a time like the present , may be the hatching season of secret conspiracies , that will end in ruin and trouble to all honest men who may be tin . fortunately indued to join ilieui . I hope , therefore , that all your readers will le cautious of what they do ; secret conspiracy is bad in principle ami experience has proved that its f fleets have been fatal to the progress of genuine liberty . In England , society nor government never can be changed by any secret conclave . Open , determined , and firm action , supported hy reason , and a respect for the right of others , are the only legitiraatea means of

      Caution To The People. Any Remarks On Th...

      effecting changes in our laws , institutions , and government - , no other means ever can , or ought to he successful . The above remarks are penned in the best pop » U ble spirit , of course , I do not suppose that a ministry so honourable as the Russell Cabinet , who have in their devotion to justice , filled the witness box v ^ nh policemen ( the literary and moral character of the force being beyond all dispute ) whose , evidente has been received against political offenders . A mi . fsistry whc . ir . their respect / or public security and effecting changes in our laws , institutions , and go-

      liberty of the subject , have actually organised a system of secret espionage . On ' the aid of policemen , who appear disguised and dressed in plainclothes , at our public meetings , as the legal conservative of the rights and privileges of British citizens . All honour to the land of Milton , Hampden , and Sydney Such a ministry surely would not stoop to per . petviate public existence , by following in the wake and imitating the despicable practices of Sidmoutb . and Castleieagh . Such a thorght would he illihera in the extreme . The modern Whigs , pioverbia

      tor their honour , probity , and virtue , could not , would not reso . t to such practices . But to he forewarned , is to be forearmed—and I repeat , beware o wolves in sheeps clothing—have no connexion with secret societies—be a party to no conspiracy—the Oily . tontjued villain-flatters to betray , and let the experience of the past be a guide to vou for the future . Thanking the editor for the privilege of addressing you , I am , as ever , yours truly , July 13 th , 1848 . Samuel Kydd .

      The Executive Council To The People Fell...

      THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL TO THE PEOPLE Fellow Countrymen , It is with feelings of no feigned regret that we call your attention to the present results of the trials of our friends , as reported in the columns of the press . It is not our intention or wish to enter into the causes of this unfortunate calamity . To merit our sympathy and support , it is sufficient for us to know that these men suffer for the people ' s cause . To some of them we are specially related . Our respected coadjutor , Mr Ernest Jones , is well known to you all . To say the least of him , he is a gentleman of talent , patriotism , and bravery ; end , since his connexion with the roevernent , he ha ? , we

      believe , to the best of his knowledge and ability , served the interests of democratic right and popular progression . Such a man is no criminal ; be mav be legally convicted , but he is mcally acquitted . Self-sacrifice and devotion to great principles are virtues sought for among many , hut found among few . The sentences of these nun we think unnecessarily severe . Two \ ears in a prison makes a fearful gap in the life o a man—a loss which cannot he made up nor compensated hy any amount of attachment ir honour shown by those for whose rights the prisoner has contended . But if we cannot bring back time , and restore active energy and intellig ence—if we cannot give freedom to the enslaved—we can , at least , he grateful for the sacifice , and succour and support the wives and children ol our friends .

      Fellow Countrymen , this will be a part of your duty , and we hesitate not lo say that you will discharge it nobly . We know your poverty and digtress in many instances ; hut we also know your humanity and attachment to those holy principle * for which we have all borne the persecution ot lawthe insults , contumely , and insolence of bigoted ignorance and interested abuse , and for * hich we will struggle until successful , or spend our time , talents and energy to death itself . The result test & with you . The law has triumphed . The Attomoj Gt-nciol ^ in his own proper person—ihe legal representative of the Crown—has sat in the court of the Old

      Bailey , and , with all the pomp and dignity cf i . trice , has charged a jury composed of London tradesmen—the veritable middle classes of this co'tunercial metropolis—to find men guilty of sedition , riot , and illegal meeting . Evidence was producrd ; hired reporters and policemen have sworn to speak the truth ; the crown lawyers prepared their witnesses ; the judge explained the law , ami passed sentence ; the reporters conveyed the news to the wondering world ; the unfortunate men now look through their prison bars ; and of course the admirers of Whig administration exult triumphantly , and speak in glowing eulogy of the freedom and liberty of the British subject .

      Let us pause , —the law has triumphed , and we obey the law . But who made the law ? The Whigs nominated the Attorney-General , — the electors elected the raembeis of the House of Commons ; land monopoly , force , and fraud , luihery and corruption , swajed the balance of power amongst the electors . The Attorney-General it > , in name and law , the representative of the Crown , but in office and act the prosecutor on behalf of a corrupt and despotic faction of Her Majesty ' s subjects . The law has triumphed—the prisoners ate condemned—but by whom were they found guilty ? By a jury , not composed of men , their equals in knowledge or circumstances . Mo : the electors must

      judge the non-electors . In free England liberty means privilege and power to the few ; punishment and vassalage to the many . These men were tried by a jury of loyal special constables ; men who , on and after the 10 th of April , had sworn to protect property in name , and break the heads of the Chartists in necessity . Minute points of law—abstract questions of right—historical references on the usages of public meeting for centuries—complicated evidence—well-reasoned defences by counsel of great ability—were all considered duly bv twelve

      London shopkeepers in some twenty minutes , and every thing was so plain , that a verdict for ike Crown was the unerring result . We honour the theory of trial by jury , and will respect its practice , when the jury is chosen from the people and not selected from a class . Call you such a trial justice ! we pronounce it law , constitutional law , of coursg in a nation where six-sevenths of the male aduB population are without the pale of the constitution , having no power over the laws but to obey them ; no interest in taxes but to pay them .

      The law has triumphed , but has it changed that wide spread distress that knows no limits , and has penetrated the home of every workman in the laud ? Has it destroyed that isolation and separation of in . tercsts and classes that make the members of the same commonwealth look on each other as enemies ? has it brought men nearer to each other in their thoughts and sympathies ? - has it fostered the affections of the people towards their rulers ; has its triumph improved the people mentally or morally ? has it clothed the naked or fed the hungry ? All that can be said in reply to these question * is the stereotyped phrase , that ' the law has triumphed , '—yes , we know it , and we also know that its triumph is barren of goud and fertile of evil .

      We shall be disappointed indeed if these lessons be lost on you . They only serve to renew our energy and strengthen our courage . We leave doubts for children , tears for women , and ask for courage , resolution , and energy from you . It is for the thinking minds of this age to solve the problem , of whether England is to be in the future a free nation or a monied despotism—whether justice shall lay prostrate and withered at the feet of power , or lit enshrined in the hearts and honoured in the institutions of a free people . Your demand for political enfranchisement is in keeping with progressive intelligence . It is a moderate demand , as catholic in its spirit as it is civilising in its tendency .

      Unity of feeling , concert of action , and organisation of means , are the elements of your success . They constitute the lever by which you will change society , amend laws , and secure good government . Go on , then , with your organisation . Let every well-wisher of the movement , who has not already joined the body , do so now . Become as practiced and energetic as you are numerous , and you will be powerful , and ever prepared to give to the ExecU " tive of your choice the support which is indispensable to ensure success .

      Hoping you will remember , with gratitude and respect , the sufferings of your patriotic brethren , and honour their martyrdom by being earnest in your struggle for right against might , and continue hold and uncompromising in your demands fov your own and your children ' s Charter , We are the servants of the people , Signed on behalf of the Executive , Samuel Kydd , John M'Lkak .

      Derby —An Adjourned County Delegate Meet...

      Derby —An adjourned county delegate meeting will b , held on Sunday , Jul > IlUb , at ten o ' clock in the Uiortung , at Mr Be . field's h . uae , Gretn-street , when delegates from the lolloivinjj places are requested to attend : —Helper . Alfieion , Iikebtou , Hoi Druoke , Dutlield , Sffunvftck , Codnor-park , Tnoville . liorrowash , Burton , h-y , Treanor , and Jlelb . nisation of the county . Chartists and Land mem evening , at the at » we placet

      :V V \ ^ ' \ \ C ¦ < * A I > J

      : V V \ ^ ' \ \ c ¦ < * A i > j

      'Iutbury, Church Greaaurne, To Complete ...

      'iutbury , Church Greaaurne , to complete the orga-A generaLmeating of berg wUt ^ ttGKtyin . the r . * " > ^ , ' l > u i .- &¦ ' 1 utbury , t , uurcu ureaarne , to complete the orga-A generaLmeeting of ibers -wUl ; tia , u ^ ttin the e . * r . ' u '"' , - > u i . 8 . - r- ' - ' . f ~ Zfr ^ Ai

  • Citation
    • Northern Star (1837-1852), July 15, 1848, page 1, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/ns2_15071848/page/1/