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Northern Star (1837-1852), 23rd October 1847, Edition 1 of 3, Page unpag, Untitled Article

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    • TO THE MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL LAND COMPANY.
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      Untitled Article

      Mt Children , my Beloved Children , Are you ast proud that conscious integrity thus enables me to address you in those endearing terms ? Frond , because yen are aware that I would blush to court your confidence , or ask your love , if I did

      sot merit the one and deserve the other . I do not often lay you under heavy tax , but I ask you this ireek to read every word of my refutation of the slander of the assassins who have attacked me . They have attacked me because I am your friend , and because I am the enemy of their oppression But when you have deliberately read all , and when you retire to yonr

      41 Cold quiet homes , " ask yourselves deliberately whether yon have ever read or ever heard of so gross , so hellish , so unprovoked an attack made upon the public and private Character of any individual . And then , my children , according to its venom you will judge of my value to yon , because you will not be weak enough to believe that any one of those assassins would have attacked me if my crime was ONLY perfidy to you . Vfhere , my chi l dren , is the safety , for any man ' s Character , nay , the security for his life , if an un .

      principled , unscrupulous ruffian becomes the hired instrument of an unscrupulous assassin ? And after having made charges only sustained b y words , to tell you that he will not meet me in discussion , but prefers recourse to a method whiehrequires a whole peek to be answered . Now , my children , what is the crowning genwrf the inrMtis that the accuser shall meet the accused , and charge Mm to his face ; that the jury and the judge may be able to criticise the countenance , the appearance , and the

      tone of voice of each witness ; as we are told , and often find , that there is as much to begatheredirom the appearance of the witness , and the manner of the witness , as there is from the import of his words . Must there not then be presumptive innocence upon the part of the accused who boldly meets iis accuser , and offers to pay the expense of his witnesses ; and presumptive guilt on the part of the ruffian who shrinks from the sustainment of his charges ?

      Men of Manchester , yon must get William Gro-COtt to read my refutation of every charge , and when I meet yon on Tuesday night you will not see in me a crouching , cringing criminal , who dreads yonrverdict , but the bold and manl y accused , who courts your investigation . A public man is not worth a straw to a public cause who has not the nerve to susf am his honour . And although a set of

      anonymous scribes have written to me threatening me with dagger from the League—whose concoction they say this is-if I go to Manchester on Tuesday , yet I tell them and you , that I will go to the Hall of Science unaccompanied b y a single manmy conscience my body-guard—and there ; I will go through every charge brought against me ; I will read some letters for vou that will make the

      Whistler'tremble , and I will take the fraudulent books and prodnce them to yon—the books which the rnfian ' Whistler tells yon -were discovered to be fraudulent hy Mr Barry . And now prepare your ears for a stunner—there is not a figure of mine in those books-NOT ONE . There is only one fact , or rather one circumstance , which I have omitted to allude to , and that is , the Etatement in the letter of the' Rambler , ' as to poor Tawes , of Herringsgate , havingbeen subjected to the hardship of receiving £ 15 at three payments . infour

      months— £ 6 : £ 6 , and £ 3 . ( My Nottingham friends , how many of you would like to take the infection , and catch the complaint ?) who came to me out of theworkhouse of Nottingham , received £ 15 in sixteen wee ' Bs , has his vegetables , potatoes ^ nd barley , | his comfortable cottage , his outbuildings , and the fresh air of heaven to breathe , and four fatting pigs within the stye ? Now , compare that with the workhouse fare , and the pauper ' s feelings , and

      film t you wish , you were all paupers , likeTawes ? Ay , it is this pauperism that gnaws the hearts of the ruffians—they cannot bear my pauperism , which flaws a man upon his own resources . And now , iflwrots ten thousand volumes to prove that my d&otion to the Land Plan is greater than any personal condderatins I could have ^ 4 . c * feld not tore forcibly illustrate it " , than by ^ the following picture .

      The object of my plan is to throw every woiking naa upon his own resources , and make idleness a dime , pueisLable by the scoff of the industrions . If , then , I look but to my own ephemeral Hme , what I should have done , would have been to pet and pauper the occupants as they were located , and holding up their satisfaction and premature independence , as a false light to seduce the idle and the unthrifty into the belief that mere possession meant remission of labour and an idle independence . If I had practised this system , I would have been lauded to the skies , and the condition of the occupant s

      vould he held up as the envy and admiration of the nation ; but then the cow would soon be dry , and lay sad day of reckoning would come . For these reasons , then , I have appeared rather harsh , because I know that foolish favours and extravagance would destroy self-reliance , and create a kind of natural i 3 « ness . Yet , my friends , as yoa win see in my manifesto , I have sent over a hundred bushels of the hest seed wheat to Lowbands , this week , and at the end of the week I send the same to Herringsgate ; so that I am not thoughtless , when prudence affords the opportunity

      The press tsJls me that I trill not bring an action ^ amst the Manchester Examiner . A gentleman of Manchester , who fears the publication of his name , informs rr . e that the Manchester Examiner will not he stepped by threats , because a club has been established tc bear the proprietor harmless , if he can onl y !? re ? k down the influence of Feargus O'Connor

      before Parliament meets . This gentleman commences hb letter thus- — ' Sir , though not an admirer of your Political principles , I am an advocate for fair play ; then he discloses the whole secret , and tells me that if necessary for ; the vindication of my honour , he will allow me to publish his name . Now , is there a hoiking man in Manchester , or in England , who is cot convinced of this fact ; or could there be a

      m source of greater rejoicing to their opponents thaa H fte relation of the Melbourne definition of n Ju «

      kc—H - RUIN THEM WITH EXPElvSES ?' I % children , there is no respect for a pauperj Ihj depeadent beggar has no force to defend him-Klf , a ; id as tke case is yours , and not mine , I am resolved to meet those ruffians with their own Weapons ; and for that purpose , if you think my I case is good , after you have heard my defence , I will

      call upr-u every man at that meeting to subscribe his cite , &i I have no right to be put to the expense I against attacks , which , bnt for my devotion to you , would istver be made . And now , I call not only upon the numbers of the Land Company , but upon all Eac ! a ::: J , to sustrn me in this struggle against the Pttis-gaug .

      Our friend Sweet lias secured the Exchange fioair . ; , at Soltingbara , for Yi ' ednesday night ; aedt H by my ( irectir-n . has left a chs'lense with the '" -m -..-. ' - ' ^ .. ~ r ~ -: -. *« .. - "¦*¦ " -- . V .-

      Untitled Article

      tendance as judges , to meet me at twelve o'clock on Friday ; and if Tawas will have me « a guest , I'll aine wxth him , even upon his potatoes . In conclusion , my children , I have only to remind you of the ordeal to which my advocacy of Chartism subjected me many years ago , to call your attention to the triumphant manner in which I battled with and overcame the enemy , and I now assure you that , cams life or death , this Land Plan of ours shall sueceed—no power on earth shall destroy it . It could not be great until it arrived at the dignity of tendance as indffps . tn wioa * ~« - « . < i » -i—i . _«

      being dreaded ; and think of one man , and that man a foreigner —a free gift made to the English people—filling theiiation with alarm , and entitling himself to the reprobation , the scandal , and the abuse of a venal , corrupt , and prostitute press . But in spite of all , my children , you will stand by me , and I will stand by you , and we will stand or fall together ; but I never will be rich while you are poor ; and my face shall never bear the blush that has been extracted from the pale faces of little children , or the attenuated frame of oppressed and injured man .

      Next week ' s receipts of the Land Compary shall prove whether or no the warning voice of the Dispatch , which has gone throughout the land , as we are told , has destroyed confidence in the scheme and its propounder ! Secretaries of the North , and depositors of the North—withhold your funds till Tuesday night , until after the conviction of the press-gang ; and then , if you are satisfied with your security , 1 will receive them upon the platform . Men of Nottingham—do you likewise . And now , my children , assuring you that I never was in better health or spirits in my life I take my'leave for the present praying that God may forsake me when I forsake yon .

      On Monday evening I hope to meet ' my London friends at the banquet , and now I remain , Your devoted , your fond , and affectionate father , Feargus O'Connor .

      Untitled Article

      TO THE EDITORS OF THE ' NOTTINGHAM mercury ; the ' nonconformist ; THE 'DISPATCH / THE ' GLOBE , ' THE * MANCHESTER examiner ; and « lloyds * TRASH . ' You Ruffians . I submitted your claim for preference to the ballot , and the Lord have mercy upon your soul , 'A ' ot ftn ^ ftaroMercury man '—youhavebeen doomed as the "first victim . The majority of you , who have taken a license never before accorded to the press of any country , have

      whimsically enough prayed for argument and not for abuse , as a refutation of what you call your ' facts . ' For those , upon whom what you call your'facts ' might make the slightest impression , I shall confine myself to the strictest rules of argument , while my summary of those arguments will consist of an amount of castigation never before so justly deserved by a half dozen of the basest culprits convicted upon the clearest testimony . I told you that I was the propounder of a science of which you understood nothing , and that I was the popular instructor of a new

      description of literatureof which mere theorists and hired scribblers were hopelessly ignorant , and that their wrath against me would be In proportion to their mortification , in having been thus distanced by the working classes in the race of valuable and practical knowledge . There is not an opening that the most sev ^ e - 'CBatigatoe ^ - . cooId- ' ^ t ^ shi for $ at you ^ Kare riot glteS me , ' and whethep * it proceeds from the will of God , or the ignorance of man , there never was , in ancient or modern

      times , such an exposure of editorial ignorance , as I am now about to submit to the deluded dupes who have been the weekly purchasers of their nonsense , their ignorance , " and their spleen . I rejoice that the arithmetician who has dealt most largely in figures and finance , stands first upon the list—and for this simple reason , because mybalauce sheet and my financial accounts with the' fustian jackets , the blistered hands , and unshorn chins , ' are my breast-plate and coat of mail—the life preserver that sustains me in the hurricane and the

      storm , and , buoyed up by which , the working classes shall he steered into the harbour of peace , prosperity , and independence . To you who have confided in me , those portions of my letter connected with your monies are addressed , and fear not , and doubt not , that , those questions disposed of , the six-editors shall receive that well-merited castigation they have brought upon themselves . I now turn to the balance sheet , and , apart from the fact that it was submitted to the

      consideration and the minute inspection of seven delegates , and to whom receipts were submitted for every farthing of money for which credit is taken in that balance sheet , I shall now canvass it , asking the reader to hold it in his hand while I not only refute , hut tatter and demolish , the dishonest , the ignorant , the l ying interpretation given of it by the Nottingham Mercury . This facetious ass has indulged in a loud bray ; to prove him ignorant would be no surprise , but to prove him a wilfully perjured witness will , henceforth , make him the scorn of

      his townsmen . As other portions of the press , especially the Dispatch , and poor little Miall , of the Nonconformist , have pinned their faith and their charges upon the balance sheet , this portion of my letter will refer generall y to all , and as the Mercury man has attempted an illustration of his charges , in a familiar dialogue between Tomkins and Robinson , in which the clownish witster very much resembles an elephant dancing a minuet , I shall endeavour to illustrate the true picture in more simple language .

      Firstly , then , I give you the first count in the indictment , which is the 'horse' count , and here I insert it , as it appears in the Nottingham Mercury : — First , then , there are twenty . three hones which have cost together .. &W > J * Carriage nnd expenses .. .. 3819 4 Wheelwright ' s Bills .. .. 181 4 0 A Cart .. .. .. 110 0 ATw-cart .. .. 7 10 0 AlargeCatt .. .. 810 0 Another Cart .. .. 7 0 0 Implements .. .. 41 3 7 Saddlery and Harnrai .. Si 3 5 £ 1 , 264 10 8 You remember , when I went to Lowlands , that I wrote you a letter explaining the impos-I sibility of procuring a sufficient amount of i horse power to perform the herculean labour of drawing lime five miles , sand nearl y four miles , stones , averaging nearly two miles , and bricks five ii : ile . * , for the completion of forty-four cot-! f . i . r «« w : » l , » " « lmi ]( litwr . n < 1 ;| rol . n ; . l , ] i ntiu ^ l . jv . - ' ¦ " - ¦• ¦ •¦**•; .,, £ ¦•¦ , -i ^ llf-a " - . .-.:. # . """' . - ;

      gots to the back of every cottage . As regards the item for horses , with the amount you have nothing to do : as Mr Dixori , who sold the horses by auction in London , will give you the amount to a penny of each , and Mr Alsopp , who paid the money for seventeen , will shew you his receipt for the amount paid , while , men of Nottingham , your townsman , Mr Samuel Boonham , and Mr Doyle , one of the directors , will show you the receipts for the remainder of the horses . Thus , you see , even though above suspicion and not suspected , I am determined , as your honoured and trusted bailiff , to open every door to inquiry , and not to shrink from the most paltry charge where your money is concerned . Thus , then , I account for the purchase of the horses , and presently I shall call your attention , not to their use only , but to their profit .

      The next item is 387 . Ids . 4 d . for the carriage of those horses from London to Gloucester by railroad , expenses at Gloucester , and conveyance from Gloucester to Lowbands , by the ostlers of the Bell Inn . Is ' nt it a beautiful thing to be able to meet the ravings of the rascals with such minuteness ? The expense of transmitting horses by this line is 1 / . 3 « . per horse , by a train that takes nine hours , and 11 . 18 s . by a quicker train , that takes four or fire hours ; and by mistake , or rather not

      knowing the difference , Messrs Doyle and Boonham transmitted about ten of the horses by the more expensive train . The next item is a wheelwright ' s bill , which belongs to the horse department , as do all the other items in the above list . And now , my friends , we come to another item belonging to the cavalry , the item of food , and which I also give you from the Nottingham Mercury , and from it I shall gladden your hearts , while from it I shall also convict him of wilful perjurv Here it is : —

      MarchlB , fpray mark this date particularly , because we shall have to call your attention to it afterwards ) :-March 27 , Sturge for Oats .. .. f i " o " *() — 27 > Gyngell for Beans .. s 316 0 April 29 , Ireland for ditto .. 8 9 0 May 1 » , Fox for OatB .. .. 15 8 8 — 12 , Moore and Co ., Straw .. 36 1 9 — 29 , Gyngell for Beans .. 4 s 5 0 — 11 , StannardforOati .. 20 0 0 June 18 , Griffiths for Corn 38 0 0 — 26 , Fulhamfor Beans 28 0 0 — 39 , Russell for Oats .. son b July 17 , Fulham , Straw .. " 9 " 0 Ireland-or Beans .. 79 is 0 Crews for Bran .. ,, 6 H 0 Aston , Clover-hay ... 20 0 fl 1 Hay on the farm at time of purchase , stated b y Mr O'Connor to have been consumed by horses , and valued by him in a separate form at ,, 9 t 0 0 £ 530 19 9

      Now , I will take this for a specimen of what the horses did cost , merely for argument sake , and then I'll show you from this provision list the profit that was made by the Company by performing the operations with their own horses , instead of hired horse power . This unfortunate fool was not aware , although he professes to have read the Star , that those horses were hired by the builder , and that if I had not bought those horses , the work couldn ' t he performed within the next five years by hired horse power . But I will not

      confine myself to showing this , hut I will prove to you the profit that we made , and the startling but irrefutable fact , that those horses , which cost 915 ? ., are now the property of the Company for- nothing , having actually more than earned tlieir prime cost , thus furnishing you with the most apt and happy illustration of the difference between free labour and slave labour . And now , mark the simple manner in which I will demolish the pompous calculations of this pompous-and ignorant buffoon . Those

      Ipreeij-when drawing stones , earned 10 s . 6 d . * day each ; never less than 9 s ; but I will take it at the latter sum . I had three shillings for each double horse-load of stones , which at six loads a day , came to 18 s . a pair , or 9 s . a horse . For drawing sand I had 5 s . a double horseload , and drew tfiree te&ds a day , which was 7 s . 6 d . a horse . For drawing lime each horse earned 8 s . 4 d . a day . At ploughing , each pair of horses earned about what cost me 15 s , that is , 7 s . 6 d . a horse ; ; but , if we average all at 8 s . 4 d a horse , per-day , we shall be under the mark .

      And now we come to dispose of the item of food . Eight shillings and fourpence a day is 21 . 10 s . a week , and this beast—who marvels at the horror of those horses consuming ll . 3 s . per week , but never shudders at the abomination of the system which causes human beings to starve around him—sets this item of 1 / . 3 s . per horse down as one of his prominent charges , hut the ruffian never stopped to inquire what the hired labour would have cost us . Take , then , 11 . 3 s . for food , and not 4 s ., but 7 s . 6 d . for attendance , for I give my carters 15 s . per week , and a man attends two , which is 7 s . 6 d . per horse , that is , for food and attendance , 1 Z . 10 s . 6 d ., leaving a profit of within a fraction

      of a pound per week for each horse , « r 23 / . a week profit—and without mentioning one of the most profitable items , which I shall presently take into account , namely , the dung ; and hence , upon the five months included in this fellow ' s livery bill , and taking it as correct , although I shall show a wilful emu of 130 / ., the profit for those twenty weeks made by the Company would be 460 / , besides the dung of twenty-three horses for that time , But I won ' t stop here ; it did not cost me that amount to feed them , and at a portion of the work done by them I saved more than 103 . a day per horse , between free and hired labour .

      My friends , there is an item in the Herringsgate account which the arithmeticians have not touched , which is 2201 . for London dung , and 90 / . for carriage , making 310 / ., and I made with those twenty-three horses and twentythree cows at Lowbands , and put it out too , more than double the quantity that was put out at Herringsgate . Now , I'll show you how the account would have stood for horse labour . I'll take one house for you . There are 120 loads of stone , that is , one-horse loads , in each house and outbuildings , which , at Is . 6 d . a load , makes 9 / . Estimate the school-house at four houses , we have forty-ei ght houses ; multip ly forty-eight by nine , and you have 432 / ,

      which drawing the stones alone would have cost . Sand for forty-eight , about 120 / ., including masons and plasterers . Carriage of lime 48 / . ; carriage of bricks for outbuildings 50 / . Now , those four item 3 alone come to G 50 / ., being 120 / . profit over and above the arithmetician s account for livery , and without a fraction for ploughing , harrowing , rolling , drawing out dung , drawing stones for two miles of road and 2 , 000 yards of pathway , drawing timber , jobbing , and drawing thousands of draining tiles seven miles . ^ Now , then , I contend for it , that , taking all done here , and there ; into account , the horses are yours for nothing without even ^ -jr . ? - si V ' «? ;; - ; - -ta seceurit . Nay . r-: j-u ^ •^• t * . - ^ - K- ' : ;» o ' -:- , r » . .. * .-, . \ ivfj ' . '¦ ¦ V- i , ; ^ g ^*^; : ^^«« L « gfc « rfis £ toh » ,-

      -was paid in ; cash by the ; builder , at the rate w » at , \ . . Mye Jet down ^ for every article . Thus , Mwejim gujUy of foll y ; and now , I'll prove hutfguilty of wilful , palpable , and corrupt falsehood . You see the article ' 36 / . is 9 d Mopre ^ pOi jtraw . ' Now , look at the bal lance BlfiSet , and-there you will find the-item stand thus "Moore and Co ., cattle and straw , 36 / . Is . 9 d . " ' Now , I ask you , readers , if you , require more to convict this fellow of a base attem pt to commit a wilful fraud upon you . Can any thing be more clear and palpable ?

      those horses , while the poor Irish are stanv ingr , sayg ^ our arithmetician . Whv , yoii ' slave those very horses gave employment to twentynine of ti lery poorest of the Irish people who came begging for work for God ' s sake , and they were so satisfied with their lot that they followed me here . ' thKZ ^ tI 'k > ny iiflow imagined that stones hme , sand , ' timber , bricks , tiles , slates , ranges , and stoves , we re all to jump together , as if by magic , and- , form themselves into houses ; or , did you ever hear of so much work being done for the same amount of , moneyJ ^ Bat he fool was not aware that I

      There was a cow and a bullock included in this item for straw , —the straw was under 6 / ., and I had four large three-horse waggon loads , and which was bought by auction , and was worth double the amount . Now , you see the last item for hay on the farm , 94 / . Now , that hay was consumed almost exclusively by the cows , ( of the produce of which this ' impartial critic says there isn ' t one word of account , although in my letter accompanying the bal lance sheet , you will find profit on cows ABOUT 75 / ., ) and that item stands in the game account , as used by horses upon the farm

      while it fed twenty-three cows , from the 8 th of March till the 23 rd of August , and of which , there was over 75 / . profit made , but which could not be stated in the balance sheet , and for the simplest of all possible reasons—because the balance sheet was made up to the 16 th of August , and the cotvs were not sold till the 22 nd of August , and the ' money that they fetched was in the hands of the Gloucestershire Banking Company on the 23 rd of August , and I bought those cows to make dung , not to make profit I and although your tenderhearted editor talks waggishly about having twenty-tKree cows , I assure you , that many a mason , manj a carpenter , many a carter , and

      many a labourer , went away sorrowing that there wasn t enough of milk for all , and of their milk , their calves , and their dung- , I made nearly 200 / . profit , as the dung could not be purchased at any price . And , just think , instead of selling the produce off that farm , of its being refreshed by the manure of twentythree rows and twenty-three horses . Now deduct thet 94 / . for hay , and 30 / . of the 36 ? . ls . 9 d . not paid for straw , and you havejthe livery bill rediiced to about 400 / ., while the cost for drawing stones alone , to the cottages alone , and no mention of dung , amounts to 432 / . Now , arithmetician , what do you say for yourself ?

      As to the wheelwri g ht ' s account , in the first inventory , of 181 / . 4 s ., and saddlery 54 / . ; what do you think of 15 s . a p iece for forty-five box barrows , which the occupants got for 13 s . ? What do you think of about a score of navvy barrows ? What do you think of timbe . r carriages ^ carts , and six waggons at 201 . a waggon ? The man has not seen the wheelwri ght ' s bill yet . ^ Did he think the horses were to draw without carts , T and without harness r Why , the boob y , we have them all , and of the best quality , and nearl y as good as new . < I paid 11 / . for the best-constructed new carts .

      and 20 / . for the best-constructed new waggons ; would this undertaker make them cheaper ? "Oh , butrTomkins , " says Timkins , "the first of these items is a credit taken for 84 / . 16 s . paid to an auctioneer , for selling something , no doubt , though the account ostensibly furnished for your enlightenment does not condescend to say what ; 84 / . for an auctioneer ' s bill ? for selling the rubbish , we suppose , on the Low . bands estate . " Now that ' s from"the Nottingham Mercury ; and now , Timkins , hear my answer . If I were to give you every item in every account , not six Stars , nor yet ten Stars , would contain my balance sheet ; but if you wish fora little information upon this head , Timkins , it

      is 84 / . 10 ' s . paid to Messrs . Bently and Saunders , auctioneers , on the 2 nd of March , for goods purchased at Mr Lakin ' s auction ; those goods consisting of a waggon , three very fine carts , harness complete for thirteen horses , ploughing harness for three pair of horses , a patent weighing machine , someharrows , and three ploughs . New , Timkins , what will Tomkins say to 84 / . l 6 s . for SELLING some rubbish at Lowbands . Then , Timkins , we come to the disgraceful charge by your bailiff , of 72 * ., the contribution of seventy average subscribers for land-surveying . "Did you expect , that , my children , from your political daddy ? " Such ie the language of your social critic .

      My children . 'The contributions of seventy of my children at the average of 4 / . —which is a three-acre allotment—would be 280 / ., and the contributions of eighteen would just amount to the 72 /; and didn't I show you , in one of my letters , that the surveying and nuking out the title , and . paying for stamp and conveyance , would amount to nearly the whole sum paid by the shareholders located upon any estate , and from this fact did I not illustrate the value of co-operation ? But , not to rest here—there ' s no such item in the balance sheet

      as 72 / . for surveying Lowbands ! Timkins , there ' s only 32 / . 2 s . Gd . ; and murk , Timkins , all the timber , the hay , the straw , the crops , and everything chargeable to the purchaser , and valued by the surveyor , as well as laying out forty-five allotments , which altogether took two professional men more than ten days , at three different visits , from Watford , in Hertfordshire , to Lowbands , in Worcestershire ; and mind , . Timkins , although the god Mercury tells you that surveyors will survey land at 3 d . per acre , that yet , Timkins ,

      inasmuch as it takes longer to skin an ox i nd cut t up into joints than to knock the ox down , 6 O , Timkins , does it take twenty times , yea forty times , as much labour to carve an Restate into joints as to lump it into a large " farm . And then , Timkins , the rate of valuing timber and other things is five per cent , upon the first hundredjpounds , and two-and-a-half per cent , upon the remainder ; and that alone , Timkins , upon nearly 700 / . worth ol property , would be 20 / . Timkins , Timkins , I say , you look pale and aghast . ' 'Yea , verily , Tomkins , lam flabbergasted . '

      • W ell , but Tomkins , whnt do you 6 ay to 100 / . for guano , to try experiments with ?¦ ' 'To try experiments with guano ! Why , bless tho man , isn ' t it wliat tho farmers are running mad after , £ and wasn ' t , it mixed with ashes as manure for turnips , and didn ' t every fouracre occupant get four bags , every three-acre ;> C *' . -wiiir . v ¦" •; . < , ¦ . ¦" ••¦_ ;¦ < i < ... ,. . - - ? .:-^« eS !^»«^^ 5 Sfcwi ^ i ; a » 5 fclsA--ia ~^ . . . A ^ ; - .:.--=.- 'i .

      Untitled Article

      cart and horse , and harness for your bailiff Ma ! ha ! my eye , Timkins , 'I wish ' you saw the | urn-out , and our bailiff going to fair and market in it-a butcher ' s trap , Timkins , and a i # & one » allcost 7 ' - 10 s ., a hired pony , TimkinR , twenty years of age , and harness tied up ; but our bailiff is a disgrace to us—but I ' m ashamed to meet him , going to Gloucester with those swells of farmers , Timkins . When oar bailiff is not using , the trap , it ' s jobbing for carpenters . ' ' Tomkins , draw my coat over my head to hide my shame . But , Tomkins , a pound for a letter bag' ! 'Timkins , I'll tell you bout

      a that bag . Chartist Jack used to bring the letters in his pocket , and one day the postmaster brought a registered letter after . Jack had left , and on his way to Lowbands he * ftind one of the letters which Jack had popped . It had money in It . -Timkins , I was present , when Mr CuUingham , the overseer , said , 'Good God , how luck y-really , sir , r ,, T ° v 5 a , P ^ t-bBg with two keW Well , Timkins , don't you think the bailiff was very wrong in not having a post-bag before ? There are a hundredletters sometimes , and do you think that such correspondence should be left to chance for a pound ? Timkins I

      would ' nt make it for 2 / . Timkins , is ' nt ' all this very paltry ? ' < Oh ! Tomkins , oh ! I shall die of shame ; but tell me about the watch dog . ' 'Why , Timkins , who is without a watch dog ? The animal is worth 10 / ., and I'll tell you , in such a place property must be scattered all over and , Timkins , one cold night at twelve o ' clock , I was walking along the high road through the estate , where some paling had been stolen , and I heard a roar like a lion at twelve of a cold night , Timkins—and I shook in my breeches , Timkins—because I

      stepped on the land off th * road as it was wet , and who should be at my elbow but bailiff King and bailiff O'Connor , Timkins ; and , Timkins , Aston refused 3 / . many a time for the dog—and , Timkina , never be without a good watch dog in a strange place . ' But the collar and chain , Tomkins . ' ' Rubbish , Timkins ; O'Connor never chains even the horses —the animal hain't cost a penny , Timkins , but the 3 / ., not even a house , Timk" ins ; sleeps on the dunghill , and , God holp you , Tim kins , if you attempt to steal . TimkinB , the dog cost each fifty members one farthing . '

      ' Well , Tomkms , now 455 / . for Ghinney—who is he ? ' ' Who ; no one , Timkins ; he means Chinnery , Mr Roberts ' s clerk , whom the shareholders all know ; and , Timkins , the stamp for the registration deed cost about 400 / ., and the making out title of Minster Lovel estate , and stamps and conveyance , and Snig ' s End and Mathon . Why , Timkins , this is but a small item , when one stamp cost 400 / . ; and , Timkins , don ' t think our bailiff can do the government . ' 'Oh I then , Tomkins , what a world

      it is , and how sore beset with liars and sinners ; its shocking , Tomkins , its dreadful , the Lord will destroy the world for its sins . Well , Tomkins , we go on—Lyal 80 / . What ' s that for , Tomkins ? ' ' For naught , Timkins ; there ' s no such item in the balance sheet . ' Oh ! Tomkins , is that the Devil I see coming—take this kicked paperjout of my sight . ' No , Timkins , no , go on . ' Tomkins , 256 / . for ironmongery and plumber ' s work . What ' s that ? ' Why , Timkins , I suppose only on account of glass for forty-four houses and school house , for lead , for valleys and chimneys , for all are leaded

      Timking . And , Timkins , lead pipes for fortyfour pumps and pump ¦ heads , Timkins , " and stoves ; but it must be only on account , TimkinR , as lead is . 20 / . a ton . ' Oh ! Tomkins , where , does the devil put liars ? ' 'In the bottom , Timkins . ' O ! then , Tomkins , the Lord have mercy upon poor Bailey of the Nottingham Mercury . Tomkins , he says that Goatman and Tripp were made make-weights , and put down . to , balance . ' ' Timkins can you read ' 'Yes , ^ tfrnkins . ' 'Then see this balance she and behold they are put down according to the date of payment , in order that the accuracy , may ;\ be .-tested by the date of cheque ;

      and-Timkins , * don't you think that both Tripp and Goalman had a good spell at our bailiff s sheet . ' ' Well then , Tomkins , is the balance sheet all ri g ht ?' ' No , Timkins . it is not , there is a great blunder and a great omission , ( admit . ' ' Well , Tomkins , then the Mercury is-right after all V ' Stop , Timkins , in Richardson ' s account , who is the blacksmith , and made all the chimney bars and shod horses , I find the following sums : 24 / . 5 s . ; 18 / . ; 5 / . ; 8 / . ; 12 / . ; and they are caBt up as 44 / . 4 s . 5 d ., instead of 67 / . 5 s . 0 d ., making an error against our bailiff , and in favour of the Company / of 23 / . 0 s . 7 d . ' ' Well ,

      the omission , Tomkins . ' 'Why , Timkins , not a fraction in the account for even the travelling expenses of our bailiff for two years and a half , for travelling the whole kingdom and examining estates , and attending auctions . Timkins , if the blacksmith ' s account had been cast up in favour of the bailiff , what nuts , eh 1 and would ' nt it soon be detected , but not one word Timkins , about the only error in the sheot , because the error is against our bailiit . Now , Timkins , this paragraph concludes with the assertion that each cottnge has cost 100 / , besides the land . Well , now Timkins . just see

      how out of a jumble of confused notions the man is obliged to arrive at O'Connor ' s very conclusion . Why , man , he has always estimated the ' eost of a house at precisely 100 / . ; but , Timkins , they hoped to puzzle poor folk with this price for this thing , and that price for that thing , but in the end theymustagree with our bailiff . Now , Timkins , just suppose if O'Connor had built the mud hovels spoken of at first ; but , Timkins , dash it , they'd CRUCIFY THE MAN THAT WOULD SERVE THE POOR . Timkins , I saw the cottages . There are . thres large

      rooms , with dresser , cup-board , and sideboards , a beautiful range and stoves in the rooms , a back kitchen , dairy , house for two cows , stall for pony , room for roots , privy , duck and hon house , and place for four p igs , and a walledin yard with a gate to it , the best guttering round the house , and a pump in every man s back kitchen , and all built of the best materials . ' ' Well , well , Tomkins , I have nearly done , just a word ; 1 , 700 / . ; o Tripp , for timber . ' ' Timkins , it is not 1 , 600 / ., tot it up , and , Timkins , tliink of timber , SLATES , DUTCHESS SLATES , Timkins—ah ! they dazzle their '

      enviouseyeB—LATHS , Timkina , and TILES for every kitchen , Timkins , and all the partitions of timber , and the carriage of all , ten miles , Timkins . Timkins , you groan . ' ' Tomkins , will you stand my friend ? ' 'How , Timkins ? ' 'Will ' you let me have 2 / . on my club note to get one of those cottages and have a share in your bailiff ' s plan ? Why , Tomkins , I couldn ' t build such a cottage for 200 / . ' 'No , Timlin * , a contractor asked our ' . bailiff 248 / . aVhouse , for finishing them , without the offices , Timkins . ' ' Tomkins , hold me the candle and I'll make n blaze of this lying Mercury . But , Tomkins . will it . ir .- / 5 p"' ' ;••> . ' . ¦ ;; , 3 -,., •;»> ¦ i ^ ' . < V

      Untitled Article

      K ™ 3 . W , to 5 th Dec , and that inftS J iF 5 ;; ° ? on : Car P < ler ' s torn la S , " * , 40 , 770 / . from December to 16 th last Aug making in all , short of 59 , 000 / . received / 'Well , but Tomkins , how does ha getthe 70 , 000 / . or 75 , 000 / . ' 'Why , ma n : Tnthe first balance-sheet there is 4 , 550 / . charged to bailiff from the treasurer , a double entry ; and in the last there is one item 8 , 750 / . charged in the same way , making , in all , 13 , 300 / : charged us paid by Mr Roberts , as well as all paid for Land ; it ' s quite right , Timkins , but the fellow didn't wish to see ' . it . ' ^ 3 ? q j £ ;''' Tiikf kins , pay attention to simple figur'is ; up to tne 16 th of August , short of 59 , 000 / . had 'been re * ceived , and on the 16 th of Augn ^ ttherewasin hand . — •¦ ' ••'

      London Bank ... ,- „ , 21 , 310 ' Gloucestershire Bank ... " ' 6 , 030 Half Notes and IJ . inlt Orders ... " ' ' J 59 . O Paid noiK . su on Mathon ... ' 3 , 000 " . Ditto on Minster Lovel ... 900 "' - . la Meadow Land and Timber , Lowbimds ... ... i ioo Horses , Cowa , Implements , CartH , V i- * - Waggons and Harness ... , ¦ ¦¦* 2 . 000 * . -. Expenses oi Registration Deed , ' aw Minster Lovel conveyance , ' " and Costs of Company ... 700 . .. — - — . 1

      £ 34 . 930 . The funds of company , on 16 th Aug ,, 34 , 930 i deducted irom the total amount received from oi ^ n , V *? L thatdate , 5 ^ 000 / ., leaves 24 , 070 * . Now , Timkins , 24 , 070 ? .- is the sum total spent up to 16 th August , . and > nut down each school-house as two and a halfxbttafHy ? " « yol « ei ff % -five locations completed tor 24 , 070 / . ; and now , Timkins , divide eiriityfive into 24 , 070 * . and you will find that it is short 284 / . for each , and mind , Timkins , that includes Herringsgate , with its five-roomed and four-roomed houses , and a first experi . mentand all built

      , of bricks , drawn many miles , and no system in the beginning . ' fTmS ^ i wl ! JS very u £ lv CUSTOMERS FIGURES ARE ! ! ! How they do tell tales and make the black ink blush . Why To : nkins , Jit ' s exactly yourjbailiff ' s calculation . ' No , no , Timkins , it includes capital paid to most of the occupants , 500 / . or 600 / . worth of other property , not justly chargeable to occupants . 'Now , Tomkins , do you believe that your bailiff is the only man who understand * the plan ? ' 'Yes , Timkins , I am sure of it , that he is the only man who understands it , from the purchase of the Land to the boiling of the potatoes ; though , you know , all great works ' must be worked in their several details . The

      inventor of the spinning jenny could not , perhaps , weave a piece of cloth , nor could the weaver repair the machine , so you see , Tim . kitis , how the great web of life is woven by each taking his part . ' ' Now , Tomkins , one word more and I have done—how do you account fo r t . h (» fetter fi f « rV , o R ! lrnKlor >"_ W * 5 f

      is : — THE O'CONNOR ESTATES . TO THE EDITOR OF THE NOTTIKOIUM MEnCOTY . A , n ' ~ . cr"lvinK * at you take great interest in Mr l ) Connor s Lnnd Flan , and are desirous of giving information to the public on the subject , I take the liberty of sending you particulars of a visit I havo latterly made to Homngsxate , ( O'Connorville . ) Huvinp tieeii on tramp through tho country insearcn I ¦ nrorlc , I took it into my head whilst in London that I would visit Homngsgate , or whut is styled the O'Connorville Estate ; which Btep I was led to take in consequence of having heard so much fuss and talk about it before I left homo , ami thinking , therefore , that I might get a little work at shoe-mending among the occupants . Accordingly , on the 1 st of September , I set out from London . pningby Watford , distant from London about fifteen miles . The next morning I set out for Herrings , gate , about seven miles from Watford . I reached the 0 Connorville Estate between ten and eleven o ' clock in the forenoon .

      The first personl inquired for was Taws , or Tors , from Nottingham . Wiitu I camo up to him I asked him if he were the person that came « ut of Rcdforfl workhouso ; ho told me he was : he said ho was sorry he could not aik me to have anything to cat , for they had nothing but a few potatoes for therasolves to eat . They had potatoes to breakfast , dinner , and suppsr ; ana that they should not nave nearly enow to serve the . winter . I staid talking with him for a full hour till they went into the cottage to g 3 t their dinners ; and , to my great surprise , they hnd not suinciont potatoes boiled for their dinners : they therefore set a few more on tho fire , tob « toiling while they eat the first lot , for tho pan was too small to boil enow at one time ; for they appeared to hate scarcely anything in the cottage , either in the shape of utensils or furniture of anv kind .

      But to pass on , they made a very scanty moal of pota . toes ana salt , , and I am sure none of thtmi had enough dinner , for they all seemed to crave for more . They gave mo about three potatoes for mine . If I had had any monym my pocket I should have given them some , but I had not any . I had two very fine apples in my pocket and I save the apples to them because I saw they could not afford to give me the potatoes . I told them I expected to hnd them in quite different circrnstances , — in tho midst ot plenty , according to t ! ie Star , i > nd what I heard O Connor say at the Election . I told him what O'Connor

      said m reference to him being so comfortable , and having four tat pigs in tho stye , and I said what O'Connor did siiy auosNu .-n it was to a many thousands r . f people ; he told me that O'Connor tuld a many , both in tfie Star and by word oi worth : lie also told me that he •'• nished ho never had had anytHuR to havp done with it ' . '' His wife aHdsomooftlielii gges ^ d'ildrea likewiso said tljat . they wished tney never hud come ; and as for the four fat pigs , he said , at the time that Feargus O"Connor told the peoplo of Nottinfcham , he had But had them two weeks .

      He showed me the pigs , they were little ' uns about four to five stone each . r I asked him if he did not recoiv . i £ 15 when ho cams to the cottage ; he said no , but ho had received £ l 5 altogether , in three , or four ( I wont say which ) instalments , and so he cou ' . d not not lay it out to the best advantage . HesaidtUay had only had one pound of butter since tney had been in the cottage ; nor had they had any cheese , nor am thing else as a substitute ; and they had lived very hard since they had been there . Why , said I , when I was coming here I expected to find you all in tU midst of plenty , and that you would have found me some jobs at shoe-mending . Ah ! says he , O'Connor tells a many lies about tke land and cottageB . They all seemed alarmed for the next wint r .

      I turnedmy attention then to tho land . Isaidwhyth * land is full of stones . Yes , he said , but the soil is good , though I believe tliis land of miuo hai never had any manure on it since tho world stood . I believe things were stuck in the ground anyhow . The land appeared tome to be ot a light sandy native , but I never saw land so full of stones in my life . Taws told me there were many other luconveniencies , —a great deal of trouble to get water and cq ; i 1 , which latter article is veiy dear , and two or three miles to go to buy anything . I asked him if Mr O Connor camo frequently to see them : he said he believed ho had not been for three , months ; I took a deal of notice of tho potatoes ; tiiey run very small ,. and not so good as we get here at Nottingham . I went to the nest cottage . I told tlie Missus ( for the husband was at work ) that 1 was a person from JS' ottinghum , and entered into conversation . She saiil . she could nut ask nie to hard

      anything to eat ; bIic snowed roe a piece of a lo if , and said tlint wns ; ili they had to eerra them the week out . She told me they camo from Manchester . Sho said she wns very sorry they ever had anything to do with the Land Society , —eaitl they were far more comfortablo before they came ; she was very much alarmed at the thoughts of winter ; had sold part of their barley , and three pigs , — she said sho wished Bhe was back at Manchester , —there had been a many lies told about this place , Aircr a little more looting about me , I left the O'Connory-Uo estate witii tho thought on my mind that it was a If you think these remarks worth your notice , they are very much at your sovviee ; if I had thought to havo given my remarks to youv newspaper , I would have taksn more particular notice of things . .. ... , _ Your humble servant . Nottingham , Sept . lfi . A raMB 1 sb . ' Well , Timkins , read the following answer , printed in the Nottingham Review : '—

      THE ALLOTTEKS AT O'CONNORVILLE . TO THE EDITORS OF THE NOTTINQHAUt RIVIEW , Dcnmnn-sti-eet , New Radford , October I 2 t ! l , 1817 , Geufeitien , —Secinp a letter in the JiftrcHry , signed ' i , Iln-. iiblcr , ' containing somo remarks upon the condition of tho allottees at O ' . Counorv . 'Uc , and amongst them Ohatles Tawos , who was a member of this branch I thought it my duty to inqui -e into the authenticityof thcue remarks , and for that puipose I sent to Mr Wheeler data genoral secretary to the Company , but now mi occupant there ) , theiVcrcitii / containing the letter , requesting his opimonof the truth of it . f he following is a copy of his ' Dear Sir I m . i « J O' ? onnoTv ' le » Monday Morning . uear 5 > i , —l only read your newspaper on Saturday night , and had previously seen the article alluded to in a Lincoln paper , but was not aware it was the ame Ihave spoken to Tawei on the subject ; ho says that he has ie i SSttiS -nor" ' ? i reWv 0 « ' «« to ! Itutrue . ^ sa > s , that nucu a man called upon l »" in . aiso that ho had t °£ P ttO tOM ^ - lHll r ' tUi * tfe ° Si ? d ttl ^ UfinV P ° tb « n 8 toosii . rU . Itia also true that ho loft an apple on the shelf , but agonist their wish . Tawes ' explanation is as ioUows :-Ue suvs hu had but potatoes lor dinner ; I have sometimes hao . the same ; but it has ooen owing to our lining nut of m ? it , aud too busy to go to UicKniaasworth to gat any . Tl-s I believe was tba ensu v . . ih Tawes : but where you have an abuudanco of fresh , fino vegetables , the necessity for meat is not always so great ; to-day , though I had plenty of meat on tuo table , I did not touch it , having plenty of beautiful cauli . jflowi" -: -vis- ninnsai'iiii ; thirtv-si * inches iu circumfe-; .,. „ ¦ ,, „ . " . ' . ... ' - .-. f ,. ¦• ¦ oh * . ¦ ¦ ¦ : ¦¦ . ! . Tawr . - vr ' 1 "'• -: , •' <{ . ;*•» . <«** . : " ¦ - * : ¦ l ' -1 ..: ' •>¦' ¦ ' ' h . J . ' ^

      To The Members Of The National Land Company.

      TO THE MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL LAND COMPANY .

      Untitled Article

      KM ) NATIONAL TEJJDES ';•• . ; JjfRlAL .

      Untitled Article

      XN ' and hard wood IW ^ - ? 523- LONDON , SATtJRDAY , OG ^ t » BEE 23 , 1847 > -iSTSSSSST ; ~ 7 — ' ^' H . - ¦ ¦ ¦¦ Ttre Shilling , and Sl « pcllcc pc , Qnar , B * ^ i \ ,. _____ ¦ " ^^ == " ——*¦— —

  • Citation
    • Northern Star (1837-1852), Oct. 23, 1847, page unpag, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1441/page/1/