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Northern Star (1837-1852), 15th July 1848, Edition 1 of 2, Page unpag, Untitled Article

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    • TO THE MEMBERS OP THE LAND COMPANY.
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      Untitled Article

      My Friends , I have now a little leisure to comment upon that portion of the evidence taken before the Committee , and which has therefore become p ublic property . I am happy to find that in many districts tbe members have requested their representatives to send them copies of the reports , and which , I hope , they have attentively perused .

      Firstly , —1 shall Ehow you the machinery by which the Committee is worked . The Judge Advocate , amember 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 slightest bias to either side of the question , his conduct 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 he inquired into , that man is capable of being suborned to tbe commission of any crime , however revolting or 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 sum . monses the witnesses ; and the chairman being the judge , 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 -Ev-ill give you a list of the witnesses called by the Judge Advocate : —

      Mr Whitmarsh , the Chief Registrar , whose evidence wa 6 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 cheating . Mr Chinnery , the Solicitor , was the next witness . His ' evidence was straightforward and unmistakeable . He proved what ^ we had done in the wav of enrolment and registration

      —the difficulties that were thrown m our way , the vast expense that had been incurred , and the legal difficulties with which we were surrounded . Next came Mr M'Gratb , the Financial Secretary , 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 the property of the Company , and bis evidence ¦ wa s , 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 sisgle cottage upon our plan for less than 200 / .

      I was then examined , althoug h cautioned by the Chairman that I might 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 . IS " ext came Mr Doyle , who was examined as to the management of tbe 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 was , to save the trouble and avoid the necessity of inquiry into the question of re-production , as the anti cipation was to d—n tbe plan by d—niug 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 view 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 you know that ? DID YOU SEE THE MONEY PAID ? " And I also examined Mr Hornby as to the . p ayment of 70 / ., out of my own pocket , on account of tbe Company ; and submitted him as a purchaser at O'Connorville , 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 Lowbands ; 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 . Webster , an operative ; and Lee , an over-looker ef factories for

      fortyfour rear * . 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 back 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 prosliects . and the power of re-production .

      The next witnesses called by the Lnairman were—Mr Lawes , the barrister who drew the Health of Towns' Bill for the Government ; Air Tidd Pratt , the Revising Barrister ; and a Air Havens , for many years a Poor Law Coxnnusmissioner , and now Secretary to tbe Lorn-^ MrLawes declared that I had violated several statutes in the prosecution of my labours , and he declared that all my J ^ , ?* j £ property of the Company , and all tie property if the members who had signed tnedeed ^ rf * ltfcment , were liable for all * e debts of the the

      KTToi 0 * was very FJnc £ which , above all others , I sought to establish , as the " Knobstick" lawyers have declared ttat the depositors in the Bank have no secu ^ rilv for their monies . Not to be mistaken , I mil give vou the question and answer . Q - Did I rigbtl v understan d you to say upon vtr la ? tl ; Sation , that not only » y F £ Pertv and the property which belong to the Wpanv , the connexion between the Com-Paavandthe Bank being now proved but tlat d * » U the property of the ^ several memters of the Company , was liable to the debts o . the Bank- ?

      - -THE OPINION I EXPRESSED WAS Tms -THAT THE NATIONAL LAND BANK AND THE NATIONAL LAND COMPANY WERE WE AND THE SAME CONCERN ; THAT TliE PARIIES IS TUB NATIONAL LAM ) ^• MPANY MERE PARTIES IN ThE 1 Mp'tfAL UND BANK . AND ^ RRlJ ; D to *« AT CONCERN ; AND BEING ^ T ER lN" THAT CONCERN THEY W 0 UM > ^ li 4 BLE , AS SUCH . TO ANY ENGAGEMtM * * H 1 CH THE CONCERN , AS THE NATION ^ ^ BANK MIGHT ENTER INTO . " . < * ' o » there is the opinion of a profession al

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      gentleman , selected by the Government to frame their most important bills . He further stated , that all those persons engaged ia horse racing , where the chance depended upon the winner , were acting illegally , and that the promoters mi ght 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 constitution—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 the 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 only 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 ofiicial 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 150 acres of land lying together , and under the best system of farming , from London to Gloucester , and he wiil not show me as much good wheat as there is upon Lowbands in the first year of its reclamation . However , to his evidence . You are aware of what the faculty call too good a witness—this man declared over and ever again , that an agricultural labourer could not 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 , and I'll give you his produce of the best three acres in England—An acre of potatoes , he says , will produce six tons ; an acre of wheat , twenty-four btjshels ; and the other acre , under green crops , he estimates will support a cow , whose produce he valued at 8 f . a year . Now what do you think—Firstly . Of this practical agriculturist ; and , Secondly . What do you think of the fare , even at his average of produce , as compared with the Poor Law diet .

      Here the poor rr . an would have twenty-four bushels of wheat ; two stone and ahalf of potatoes a day , and a gallon of milk , which he estimates the cow will give ; and he says he will make no allowance for vegetables . Now , what do you think of such a hero as that ? 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 ef paupers , as no man can hold his 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 cemes 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 says 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 VOU ,

      ' 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-sixtb 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 , ltold would

      this gentleman and the chairman , that ! bet either or both 100 / ., that from 1 st of next March , I would take five acres of land at ol . los . per acre , and that in five years from that dajyl would purchase it out and out from the profits , and that they should send a bailiff to keep an account . Jos . Hobson is tbe next witness selected by the Chairman for examination , so now you may judge of the feeling with which this Committee was granted ; but you 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 mv turn comes , that I will make such an exposure of the Government with reference to this I and Plan , and of some of their aiders and abettors , as will astonish them and the country . It is my intention to g . ve you a compendium of the whole evidence in a double number of the "Labour ^ next month , and then every man wto Judge s for himself will be able to say , tf Sere hupf * record a single instance of a Company ' s affairs being so honourably , so profitabl ^ a ' nd so economically managed

      | STOKWSSiS m 0 rtg 3 f to 1 on with tbe re-productive system prepared to go on wltn F ^ ^^ ^ . ^ St iMoe . not bccoin . drferio . rated in value . There was one other admission made by be

      ' 7 fn « ant . upon the outlay i and , come-

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      house , like ours , the rent of the house alone would be £ 14 . a year . There is nothing like spurring a man by 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 oppesition is so strongly manifested as to justify 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 fondly , 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 separa . 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 assare you , that more can be done by an INDIVIDUAL within the law than outside the law ,

      out when a community confederates , much may be done without the law . If there is any obstacle in the way of carrying out thi Plan , it originates with the located members , because if there was a million of money subscribed , and a theusand located , the fortunate thousand would imagine that they had the best title t 9 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 defy them ; and , henceforth , nothing will be done but what the rules strictly sanction . A man from Snig ' g 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 Snig ' s End and Lowbands , which are close to each other , —I will cheerfully pay the whole of their expenses , —and let them 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 are but lewwhether they think that I 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 conclude this letter . My practice is to give the ravings of the Press unmutilated , and then to answer them . Here is tbe lucubration from the " Chronicle" of this ( Thursday ) morning : —

      ( From the . Morning Chronicle , of July 13 th . ) The Select Committee on the "National Land ' scheme has how published some reports , which , however , con > tain nothing but evidence . The declaration of the committee ' s opinion is reserved for a future occasion . The evidence given in the first report is mainly directed to the question of complete registration , the legal necessity for it , and the legal consequences of its not having been obtained . On this subject Mr Whitmarsh , the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies , was examined at great length . Two of his answers i 87 and 89 ) establish fully the proposition contained in a former article on this subject , namely , that Mr O'Connor , having purchased the laDd in his own name , and having had it conveyed to him , was under no legal disability to convey it to the wiuning

      shareholders in his lottery—in other words , that he did not need , as he pretended , an Act o . f 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 propertj , or from setting it , lor he did Bell a part of what be bad purchased , and boasts on moro occa . sions than one of the profit he made by the transaction . He knew , therefore , that this demand of an Act of Parliament , for ' the purpose of enabling him to behenest , ' was a mere pretence for delay—was a delusion to the poor people who confided in him—a mockery of their confidence—a- snare which would hold them in quiet submissive patience , while he enjoyed the nominal , and per . haps substantial , advantages of being the full legal

      owuer of those extensive lands which he had purchased with their money . Without giving him credit for being , in the technical sense of the word , a lawyer , he knew enough of law to be aware that if he could convey to a pur . chaser , he could also convey to the aUottees , and could make a title exactly as good in one as ia the other . Had the wish existed , the means were there—and there was no stipulation as to the payment of rent-charge which he could not have imposed , and to which they could not , so far as the laws was concerned , have bound themselves . There does not appear to have been any such wish ; for one of tke witnesses , Mr Chinery , says ( 319 ) that the aUottees do not possess any title to their own allotments , either in the shape of leases or grants . There was no legal reason why they should not have either or both .

      We pass ovei the numerous questions put by 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 of old , they can look each other in the face without laughing , while they think of the credulity of the unhappy subscribers , they mu 5 tpos 6 e 5 B a gravity of countenance which isnot easily attainable by any one , nor attainable at all by men who honestly express in their countenances the feel , ings of their minds . The interests of his followers , whom in this scheme he ( elevates into his companions , to em . ploy as his tools , sufficiently account for the obsequiousness with which they bend to his wishes , perform his bidding , and vouch for his character . Let us see how bia unbounded faith , so obtruded on the notice of the

      committee , acts on the affairs of the subscribers . Mr Philip M'Greth ( 804 ) , a journeyman dyer , and ' a master for a short time , ' stand recorded as director and financial secretary As director he is ignorant enough , but as financial secretary his ignorance is startling . He cannot Droiuce any authority for the treasurer to spend the money of the Company . Mr O'Connor is the acting treasurer , thoug h Mr Roberts bears the name of the office . This perhaps , is of itself a sufficient explanation of the matter Mr M'Grath hands over to Mr M'Gowan , who holds vo office , but is Mr O'Connor ' s private agent , the monev of the subscribers , receives no vouchers for it , andldoes ' not know how it is disposed of , la mode of if it attests his faith in his chieftaw

      proceeding which , , manifests , at the same time , his indifference towards the duties of tbe office he has affected to undertake . He is 5 ESSSSS « G 8 « £ r- ? Bft £ 2 r ess tswv . fiJTsasfSB m " on But thoug h the laws of the Company require all smh votes to be in writing ( 725 ) , he never produces this written authority , and ia bis answer to tins Particular question avows that that rule has not been abided by . He is finally forced to admit ( 1 , 859 ) that , upon ^ reading over the minute book , which pretends to record the meetin ? K an * proceedings 'there wae no such vote at either

      any one ) of the meetings which are tliere recoraea , " anu fe is obi eed afterwards to add , that 'there is no other hnok keDt by me . ' What other book was kept , except one hv Mr Wheeler which he cannot find , he does not tell ; nor taking the whole evidence together does there ap . « earto bl the slghtest reason to believe that the affairs of this pretended Company are managed with that rVcalarity , and recorded with that clearness , which can alone insure and evidence an honest application of itS We htve seen that the allottees have no legal title , by conveyance , lease , or otherwise , to their allotments . Let Zmo « reoe ' at , that tbe « is no ega impediment to tniiact tohibiti

      their having one ; and having calieo . uten Ion t may be as well just to give one moment ' s conrfdwaiion to what it is which the proposed company pre-^ dJd to offer to the acceptance of the subscribers , and Vt . ' » tft is which they have got for their money : "The Vatfona Land Company has been called into existence , ' fflvs the introduction to its laws , " to pioneer the way in h eloriou work of social emancipation . Its particular , hiect ? s the benefit of it * members : its general object , to d , nt out the means of rendering permanently pros-P IZ . condition of the industrious millions . " It is £ wavs desirabl e that even virtue itself should act by vir aiwajsuesii "" munvare of opinion that it eannot act iTSSS' » S £ »« 'o »< " ™> «¦"»!•• , Hffi . ^^ i" ^ = ^ a S BSStssair ^ Ffefi ^ ffiKw JK

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      ( 1 , ' 59 ) , " How masy tickets were put up in the last ballot ?¦ And the answer is , " About 19 , 000 in the four-aere Class , ahout 8 , 000 iu thetwo-acre class , and between 3 , 0 ( 10 ana 4 , 800 in the three , acre class . " We have here 26 , 500 in all . " Hoiv many prizes were therrtf-102 or 103 . " Is this the mode to elevate the depressed "industrious millions ? Can they by such means be made owners of the soil , or are thej not lured away from honesttoil and regu . lar self supporting industry to try the desperate chances of a lottery , in which . failure is all but certain , and buc . cess next to a miracle ?

      But when success has been attained , what is its value ? The scale of the rent charged declared in one of the ruled ( p . 5 « , Appendix to Second Report ) shall answer the ques tion— " flic prineiple which shall regulate the rental of the allotment shall be dib upon an expenditure of £ 83 6 s , 8 d ., and five per cent , upon all additional capital which way be required . " This brings it to nearly six per cent ., and added to this there seem to be charges for ( 8 Dn " a directors' levy . " or < 9 » 2 ) an "Expense Fur . d . " If this heavy rental could be levied upon sqaalifarjBB in England , it might , by a very careful and economic ntlministration , be made to reproduce cnounh to supply a few fresh allotments yearly ; but , in the first place , it cannot 0 e levied if the tenant is to live ; and , in the next , to pret'ind t

      tha , by any scheme of reproducing capitul , the 23 , 697 disappointed expectants of the first ballot could ever be relUved from their disappointment , is to pretend some , thing eo absurdly false , that even the believers of the Veiled Prophet , or of Johanna Southcot , or of Thom of Canterbury , would treat the pretence with sovereign contempt . : If each disappointed shareholder should livs to twlca the ago of MetbuBnlem , he would die inthegreenness of youthful expectation of the coming of such an iVcnt . ' Yet tbe pretence that such ' an event is possible Is still made , and will continue to be made . It answer * the purpose and wins more dupes . It is , however , on this point alone that the concoctors of the scheme show themselves not to be daunted by any trifling difficulties in making assertions , as the followiue , which was read by a

      member of the committee ia putting question 1 , 64 V , will amply prove : — " Th ? Attorney-General has been applied to for bis certificate under the new l . iw ; his reply is , that though our society is a perfectly legal one , he dare not certify it , for by its means the members will become possessed of all the landlnthekingdom , and the directory become stronger than the general government . " The reckless and audacious falsehood of this statement slip , passes all bounds of decency ; but the making of it implies the confidence of its authors in the immeasurable ignoranee and folly of those to whom it was addressed . That confidence , we regret to say , seems warranted by their readiness in subscribing , and their patience in waiting for an allotmont of that . whioh . even when granted , urnst be held upon conditions that will rendfr prosperity impos . sible and distress and destitution certain .

      Spooney , 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 thoHght 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 . Why , 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 .

      Second / if . —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 case , I have the legal right , but could not equitably exercise it , because the money of the Company , being the property of all its meanbers , it would be an injustice to assess tbe 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 immediately 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 now , SpoonGy , for your parallel—namely , the conveyance of an estate to a single purchaser . Now , that is a distinct and whole question in itself , and is only regulated by the amount of profit with which 1 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 Ea 9 thope , Delane , Black , Doyle , and Tibbitts . I do not give these as the names of your present Directors , as misfortune has caused your rag to change hands , but they are the names of a previous board ; and , while I am on the subject , I will tell you an anecdote about one

      of your staff . He was formerly 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 pa « lates 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 you . Fifthly , —You take the rules of the Land Company to be as unalterable as the laws of the Medes and Persians , when you speak of the standard by which the rent was originally to be estimated , which you set down at si . ? per cent ., well knowing that that iule was rescinded at the very first Conference . And do you 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 5 d ., 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 coslrives are hard set to get a crust out of it ; therefore , what I would recommend you all to do is , to adopt the p lan 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 , Feargos O'Connor .

      Now , my friends , do you want any further proof of the ignorance , the folly , and prostitu tion of thoseVsreatures , 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 City . This Land Plan chokes them , because they can ' t comprehend it—they have not orig inated it—they cannot write upon 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 . I remain , Your faithful friend and bailiff , Feargus O'Connor .

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      ! Malton . —The members of this branch of the Land Company are requested to meet at the houBe of John Beatty , Newboggin , Malton , on Monday evening next , at seven o'clock , to elect officers tor tbe aext twelve months , and transact other business . Cheltenham . —At a public meeting held on Mon . day Ju y 10 lb , the following resolution was unanimously adopted : — 'That in order to carry out the resolution passed by the National Assembly , as regards the Liberty Fund , we , the members of the iheltenbatH locality , agree to Bubscribe one penny a week for twelve weekB , independent of our general subscription , and earnestly recommend all other looaitieB to do likewise . NoTTisauAii . -The council on Sunday last apnointed Mr George Harrison , late of Culyertoa , resorter to the Stab for this district .

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      IRELAND . " Alas ! poor country , Almost afraid to know iteelf . " 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 more melancholy 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 tBe sword exerciSe . ih orcfe ?

      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 , by 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 rights . I predicted every result that has been produced by the " Gagging Bill . " In the commencement of

      the Session , I told our 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 1 tell you that the law may be now strained to destroy any man who loves liberty , and boldly 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 the bondage , by 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 folly 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 mv 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 timely 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 only in France , but in Ireland , the reign of tyranny 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 { as 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 estimate of the extent to which the present Government has prepared its spy machinery , and of the traps that it has

      had for the unwary ; but without Secret Service Money 1 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 enemy 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 conseq uences 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 righteous 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'Connor .

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      CAUTION TO THE PEOPLE .

      Any remarks on the morality of the present ministry would be superfluous ; they have by deputy appeared in conrt , 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 Haggart , 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 Dockets the wages of despotism , and assuring their

      dupes that they can always , with ease and security , over turn the government . I think a time like the present , when many men are driven to desperation by 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 enthustesm , inseparable from their very existence , which causes them to feel more keenly the pangs of disappointed

      hope , and therefore be the more ready to join in desperate exploits—I think , Sir , that a time like the present , may be the hatching ^ reason of secret conspiracies , that will end in ruin and trouble to all honest men who may be unfortunately iuduc ° d to join them . I hope , therefore , that all your readers will be cautious of what they do ; secret conspiracy is bad in prineiple and experience has proved that its effects have been fatal to the progress of genuine libprty . In England , society nor government never can be changed by any secret conclave . Open , determined , and firm action , supported by reason , and a respect for the

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      right of others , are the only legitimates mea ^ s 0 f effecting changes in our laws , institutions , and government ; no other means ever can , or ought to be successful . The above remarks are penned , in the best possible 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 with policemen ( tbe literary and moral character ofIhe force being beyond all dispute ) whose , evidenae has been received against political offenders . A mi . aistry who , in their respect for public security and liberty of the subject , have actually organised a system of seeret espionage . On the aid of policemen , who appear disguised and dressed in plain clothes , at our public meetines , as the legal conservative of

      the rights and privileges of British citizens . Al honour to the land of Milton , Hampden , and Sydney Such a ministry surely would not stoop to per . petuate public existence , by following in the wvke and imitating the despicable practices of Sidir-futh and Castlereagh . Such a thought would be iliibera in the extreme . The modem Whigs , proverbia for their honour , probity , and virtue , coulu not would not resort to such practices . But to be forewarned , is to be forearmed—and I repeat , beware of wolves in sheeps clothing—have no connexion with secret sscieties—be a party to no conspiracy—the oily-tongued villain flatters to betray , and let the experience of the past be a guide to you for the future . Thanking the editor for the privilege of addressing you , I am , as ever , yours truly , July 13 th , 1848 . Samuel Kydd .

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      DEATH . On Tuesday last , at her residence , HoIborn . Landon Mitrgaret Clark , the wife of Tlioma * Clark , one of tin Directors of the National Land Company . BIRTH . ssrb ^ &asasnas are doing well .

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      ' # & *~^ 3 & < ~ tf- & * te >^ " ^

      « t r- ° v \ \ % : Ni ^ y V ^ f ¦ v * - A V 1

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      THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL TO THE PEOPLE Fellow Countrymen , It is with , foelings of wp feigned regret thatjmj 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 bin ] , he is a gentleman of talent , patriotism , and bravery ; and , since his connexion with the movement , he has , 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 ; he may be legally convicted , but he is morally acquitted . Self-sacrifice and devotion to great principles are virtues fought for among many , but found among few . The sentences of these men we think unnecessarily severe . Two years in a prison makes a fearful gap in the life of a man—a loss which cannot be made up nor compensated by any arnoun of attachment or honour shown by those for whose rights the prisoner has contended . But if we cannot bring back time , and restore active energy and intelligence—if we cannot give freedom to tha enslaved—we can , at least , be grateful for the sacrifice , and succour and support the wives and children of our friends .

      Fellow Countrymen , this will be a part of your duty , and we hesitate not to say that you will discharge it nobly . We know your poverty and distress in many instances ; but we also know your humanity and attachment to those holy principles for which we have all borne the persecution of lawthe insults , contumely , and insolence of bigoted ignorance and interested abuse , and for which we will struggle until successful , or spend our time , talents , and energy to death itself . The result rests with you , The law has triumphed . The Attornej -General , in his own proper person—the legal representative of the Crown—has sat in the court of the Old Bailey , and , with all the pomp and dignity of office , has charged a jury composed of London tradesmen—the veritable middle classes of this

      commercial metropolis—to find men guilty of sedition , riot , and illegal meeting . Evidence was produced ; hired reporters and policemen have sworn to speak the truth ; the crown lawyers prepared their witnesses ; the judge explained the law , and 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 ,- » tbc law has triumphed , and we obey the law . But who made the law ? The Whigs nominated the Attorney-General , — the electors elected the members of ihe House of Commons ! land monopoly , force , and fraud , bribery and corruption , swayed the balance of power amongst the electors . The Attorney-General is , in name and law , the representative of the Crown , but in office and act the prosecutor on behalf of ft corrupt and despotic faction of Her Majesty ' s subjects . The law has triumphed—the prisoners are condemned—but by whom were they found guilty ? By ajury , not composed of men , their equals in knowledge or circumstances . No : 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 by twelve

      London shopkeepers m some twenty minutes , and every thing was so plain , that a verdict for tbe 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 course in a nation where six-sevenths of the male ad « S 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 r . ; ' ¦ changed that wide spread distress thatknowt u <» Liu . ' -s , and has penetrated the home of every <•>> , ¦ -emm ; i the k : iJ ! Has it destroyed that isolatior .-in , sf . juiratjon of mi tercsts and classes that make : iir r . itnibe" - - of i ^ same commonwealth look or . -. ' <> (•' :. ¦ . 'i her as ejiemic-i .-has it brought men nearer ... > i i ^ h otiwii in their thoughts and sympathies ? has ii fus : er ? 'J . '; .: affections of the people towards their rule :- ; nan its triumph improved the people mentally or m .-rally ? has it clothed the naked or fed the hungry ? All that can be said in reply to these questions is the stereotyped phrase , that ' the law has triumphed , ' — yes , we know it , and we also know that its triumph is barren of goad 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 out eouvage . 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 sit 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 yoursucceBS . 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 Ihe body , do so n 6 W . Become as practical and energetic as you are numerous , and you will be powerful , and ever prepared to give to the Executive 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 earneBt in your struggle for right agaiust might , and continue bold and uncompromising in your demands for your own and your children ' s Charter , We are the servants of the people , Signed on behalf of the Executive , Samuel Kydd . John M'Cbak .

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      V 0 L ^ i J - LONDON Saturday ; july 15 , 1848 , " ^ igjgiy ^

      To The Members Op The Land Company.

      TO THE MEMBERS OP THE LAND COMPANY .

  • Citation
    • Northern Star (1837-1852), July 15, 1848, page unpag, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1479/page/1/