Current:

Northern Star (1837-1852), 26th March 1842, Edition 5 of 5, Page 4, Untitled Article

Page 4
Page 4
4 of 8

On this page

  • Departments (3)
    • THE iYOfiTHEBJST STAfi SATURDAY. MARCH 26. 1842.
    • ©a BeaiJfrjss antr €Qvve&$OYtoent&
    • SPLENDID AND COSTLY PHESENT TO THE READERS OF THE « NORTHERN 7 STAR." ' ; : '7 :V . :: :. ' ¦ v :;. ' ;./ ' ¦ ' ,:. '¦ ¦ .-, -
  • Text (10)
  • Transcript

    • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

      Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.

      Untitled Article

      MR . P . O'HIGGINS AKD HIS TRADUCERS . TO THE EDITOB 0 ? THE FREEMAN ' S JOUBNAL . Sib , —The Irish Universal Suffrage Association , seeing that is was grossly slandered , and its objects and proceedings wilfully misrepresented , in a report of the proceedings of the Loyal National IRepeal Association of Ireland , which were published in the Freeman ' s Journal of the 1 st instant , passed a resolution , repudiating and disavowing the charges which were made against it , and pronouncing the party wko made those charges to be calumniators . This resolution wss sent to your paper , for publication , and the cost of inserting it as an 2 d-Tertisemenl in the Dvily Freeman , of tbe 5 th , and Weekly Freeman of the 12 th insk , paid for . Yon , Sir , thought tha terms of the resolution too strong for pu blication , and returned the money sooner than publish % document which , you said , contained a general Libel upon the whola of the members of the Xoyal National Repeal Association of Ireland . Now

      Sir , I am far from blamisg you for refusing to publish any speech , or paper of any kind whatever , which miglit have a tendency to subject your jotirual to a prosecution for libel ; but , permit me to ask yon , isitjusi—is it doing onto others as yon won Id be done by , to allow a public body to iibel ad libitum , throngh the columns of yosr paper , and to deny that individual or his friends the common right of a reply throngh the samo medium , bat more especially when that reply was paid for as an advertisement ? In the Freeman of the 1 st instant , amongst other matters grossly libellous , I find the following , reported as part of a speech of Mr . Thomas Steel e , in allusion to scma vague , wild , and incoherent observations which were made upon the occasion by tha Hey . Mr . M'Hugh , whcm I snail leave in the hands of his Grace the Catholic Archbishop of Dublin . Mr . Steele said" Oh ! what a terrifio proof does my Reverend Iriend's communication exhibit of the atrocious and

      baleful spirit of the Chartists in this country , under the instigation of O'Higgins and Ms gang —( hear , tear , and groans ) . By faT the greatest number of yon who honour me with your attention are Catholiesj and from the hour of the penal code in its deepest horror , did you hear of anything more accursed than the threat of the ruffian Ftargu 3 O'Connor and Paddy O'Higgins' Chartists , to tear down from his altar a Catholic cterpyman , because he was warning the flock confided to his care by his iishop , and his pontiff , and his God , against uieh diabolical villains as those who secretly instigated to the incendiary fires at Birmingham , to the scenes at [ Newport , aboard the convict-ship , asd in the land of exiles . Who is this O'Higgins ? Was he not expelled from the Volunteers , and his money returned to him , after a patient investigation by the whole committee , for a deliberate calumny on the character of a brother member ?"

      Now , sir , I appeal to you and to my constrymen , if this is net the most dexterous use of words to impress upon the public mind ;—1 . Thas 1 am the head of a gang whom 1 instigated to 'irag a Catholic clergyman from the altar t 2 . That I secretly instigated to the incendiary fires at Birmingham , the scenes at Newport , aboard the convict-ship , and in the land of exiles I 3 . That I was expelled from the society of Irish Volunteers by the unanimous voice of the committee , and my money returned to me ! It is painful to me , and would be painful to any man of feeling , to be continually dragged before the public to refute calumnies which have been refuted over and over again .

      To the firEt—my reply i ~ , that I know nothing about the matter ; that I never heard of such a circumstance until I read the Freeman of the 1 st ins * . ; that 1 believe the whole tale to be a fabrication , got up by short-sighted sinking men to suit the occasion ; that the charge is false in every par ; ; that instead of dragging , or instigating to drag , priests from the altar , I have done mGre to put prie&ts on the altar than all the Steeles or Tom Steeles in Ireland ; and thai I yield io no man living in respect and reneraiion for the Roman Catholic e ' ergy .

      To the second charge—of s .-sreiiy instigating to lb . 3 fires- at Birmingham , the scenes a ; Newport , & . C . —I was here in the City of Dnblin qnietly attending to my business , and laying out more mousy among my feliow-citizess than I ever knew any nirm of the name of Steele to be worth ; and th ' e effort to mix up my name with ; hose scenes " , by certain forms of expression , is not quite so reasonable as it would be to aak , as the sliJtnde of the Hill of Howta is 740 feet above the level oT the sea , what is the exact difference between Tom Stee ] e " s organ of veneration and the apex of the head of Dycer ' s great Spanish jackass I With respect to the third charge , which is that of iavingbeen expelled from the Yoiimieers by the tmsnimoas vote of ifce committee , for a calumny on a brother member , and my money returned to me : ihi 3 one sentence contains two wilful falsehoods . .

      The first is , that the committee was unanimous : that is to say , that the whole of the members of that committee concurred in the sentence which was pronounced upon me ; this is the meaning which the charge , as stated , labours to impress upon the public The second falsehood is that my money was returned to me . This is not true . I never got back the money But as Tom Steele seens to know something about it , I shall receive it thankfully if ic discharges his trust , and gives it to me even now .

      As to the nnanimity of the committee npon the vote of censure passed upon me , no one knows better than Tom Steale that thit statement is n ; terly false . The majority of the committee were in my favour , and the three-fourths of them for suppressing the matter altogether , Irs : tbe charges which I iroHgnt against Mr . Stella ' s friend , and which cannot be refuted , shonld ir-jure him in the way of his business . I knew that tha charges would injure if made public , and therefore I did not bring them before the public body , but before the committee—a eommit : ee which assumed the right and the power to decide upon the character of any man against whom there was an objection by any other member . I was on the cemnnvt = e myself , but refused to

      continue a member of it when I saw a person put on it to whom I , at any rate , had a valid objection . My first proposition to the committee was , tbat if they would appoint twelve men against whom there could be no reasonable objection , I should then state my reasons for withdrawing myself from the committee . This fair and reasonable proposition was objected to ; and I was called upon by the resolution of vhe coismittee—on tig motion of Mr James Jfn ^ ent , of Kingstown , to state the charges in-writing , to natae the party objected to , and that the svnole committee should take the matter into consideration . To this proposal I ultimately assen . ed . { There were fifty-one members on the committee , twenty-three of whom—and twenty-three only—rai

      the bareness to declare , to sign a paper pronouncing the charges false and calumnious , while twentyeight held just a contrary opinion , and left the room under the impression that the subject would end there . Who are those that signed that lying document?—what is their occupation ?—how many of them have made their escape from the country ? The majority of the twenty-three msan-spiriced sycophants and toad-eaters who signed the ctusure npon m 3 were , for the most part , subsisting upon the funds which they exacted from myself ana other dupes like me , nnder the pretence of reperiliEg the Union . It "was expedient to get xid of me—Sr ; t , becaussJ knew and told Mr . O'ConnelL , in ihs presence of other members of the committee , tne real state of the case between Mr . T . Steele and O'Gofman Mahon , I knew too many of vhe facs of the plunder of the monasteries and convents in the

      neighbourhood of Cadiz . I stated the facts connected with the discreditable transactions by Wigly , Dixon , and Co . ; and I mentioned that O'Gorman Mahon , to whom I had never spoken tUl years afterwards ¦ was the dupe and victim of ihi ? nes * . In addition to these < Tii "") I had the hardihood to ofcjecito the mil-appropriation of the largo fund whiea was sub-Ecribed for tithe sufferers . These were crimes which could not be overlooked , and the occasion was anxjonsly , theugh secreily , sought for destroying jne , fearing the facts of which I was cognizant , and which my mercantile habits and connections afforded the means of ascertaining should be made public . Can any man for a moment imagine that the charges which depended for their truth or falsehood upon tile written and oral testimony of others , could be prononnced to be false and calumnious , without any examination of that oral testimony , or examination of the written testimony !

      The written testimony bears the signatures—Robert Cully , acconntant-general of the Bank of Ireland ; of Michael Roach , secretary to the Hibernian Bank ; of Obadiah Willans and Sons , Lower Sridge-sireet ; of Robert Byrne and Co , Lower Bridge-street ; of Armstrong and Byrne , Merchants ' - qnay ; of Bleed , Nott , and Co ., Trinity-street ; of ¥ m , Locke , of the Linen Hall ; of Greenough and Jtobinson , Manchester ; of Longworth and Co . Manchester ; of William Bolton and Ca ., Manchester ; and until such time as it is shewn thst the documents bearing the foregoing eigna tores are all forgeries , the sentence prononnced npon me , and signed bj twenty-three oat of a Committee of fiftycne , gives ti > their own act the ttigma which they Sought to fix upon mine .

      Now , Sir , it most be admitted that I have been most wantonly provoked into this statement . I had no wish for it ; but if my accusers desire it , and that yon will be so kind as to afford mefpacs for the whole case , I shall state the whole , as I have the original documents in my possession , and I promise you that you shall hear no mere abont my expulsion . There is not an unprincipled adventurer , a coward , or a profligate , who enters on a political speculation , but avails himself of this expulsion as a screen for nis cowardly attackB upon me .

      It has been asked , through your paper , who is Mr . O'Higgins ? Thia is a modest question ta be asked about a man who has paid rent and taxes in the city of Dublin for nearly twenty years . I ; is fair to ask , who axe those who put this wise qvestioD , and who are those v ? ho concurred in it ? The

      Untitled Article

      c " . t z 3 ns _ of Dublin should know that they are a Eet of political adventurers , someof whom have neither house nor home , and who have no other visible means of living than that of subsisting upon the weekly sums obtained from iheir confiding and credulous dupes , under the pretence of Repealing the Union , while they know right well thai their great leader has honestly declared that he will not bring that question forward in the House of CommonB until he ha 3 a petition , signed by 4 , 000 , 000 of Irishmen , while at the same time it is well known that there are not 3 500 , 000 male iahabitants in Ireland , including new-born babes . In conclusion , Sir , permit me to say , on the part of the members of the Irish Universal Suffrage Associationand on my own part , that we deem it

      in-, cumbent on us , collectively and individually , thus publicly to proclaim that our respect for , and veneration and admiration of , the exemplary and exalted character of the Irish Catkolic Clergy , is as un bounded as that of any other sooiety of men in the universe ; that we have neither secrets nor oaths of any nature or kind in our association ; that we consider none as friends but those who will tell to every body everything they hear and Bee at tbemeetingB of theassociation ; that the Irish Universal SnffrageAssoci&tionhasbeenfoundedfor the purpose of obtaining by legal and constitutional means , and by such means only , Universal Suffrage , Vote by Ballot , Annual Parliament ? , Equal Electoral Districts , No Property Qualification , and Payment of Members ; and , when these blessings are obtained , a Repeal of the Union .

      Patrick . O Higgins , TrcBident of the Irish Universal Suffrage Association ; the man who got up the first meeting for the O'Connell Tribute , and the second who subscribed £ 10 to it . This is for the information of those whohaye asked the question . " Who is Mr . O'Higgins V

      The Iyofithebjst Stafi Saturday. March 26. 1842.

      THE iYOfiTHEBJST STAfi SATURDAY . MARCH 26 . 1842 .

      Untitled Article

      THE PEEL BUDGET . Aye and a Budget it is too ! Whatever it may have cost Sir Robert Peel in it 3 concoction , it has had a marked and powerful effect upon the country at large since its development . The Minister seems to have taken all parties by surprise at the nature and extent of his measures , whether in tho imposition of new taxes or the remission of the old ones he gives up . No one seems to have been prepared for so decided a course on the part of Sir Roikrt Peel . The consideration of his new plans has , -with the trading and monied classes ,

      superseded all other questions . In fact , amongst these parties nothing is talked of at present but the Peel Budget . Go where yon may ; mix with what company you may , and the first question you invariably hear is , " What think you of the New Budget \" This question naturally receives different and conflicting answers , according to the notions of each one replying to it . There is one thing , however , upon which all are agreed . All , whether opposed to the Minister or not , agree in representing the Budget as the boldest step taken by any Minister for a long period of time .

      Peel boldly proclaims that there can be no reduction of expenditure ! Ho tells the interested of both parties , that if " national faith " is to be kept ; if payment of the interest upon our accumulaimg Debt is to bo contiaued ; if our thundering and unconstitutional Army is to be kept up , to squeeze the taxes out of the bones of the labourer ; if cur big and boastful Nuvy is to be maintained , with her hosts of admirals , rear * admirals , and shoals of inferior officers and " dead weight ; " if the " Queen's Civil Lisf is to be kept at its present enormous amount ; if Prince Albert ' s pin-money is to be continued ; if th « Pensions , and Sinecures , and

      Grants , are to continue to be ; if the doubly-augmented salaries of the Judges and other officers of tne State are to be paid : Peel , boldly and honestly proclaims to the Members of " that House , " that if they wish these things to exist , they must find Mm the means of payment ; and he also explicitly tells them that they can sqateza no more out of the poor man ; that the taxing-string around the labourer ' s neck is as tight as it can safely be drawn ; that another twitch would strangle the pinioned wretch ; and that to provide the necessary means , the owners of property and the possessors of income must submit to a direct tax which shall make up the deficiencies arising from the working people being unable to pay I

      Verny , Peel 13 a bold man ! He is bold in proclaiming at this juncture , and amid the horrible destitut ' icn everywhere prevailing , that there can be no reduction of expenditure ! that the State leeches cannot be induced to slacken their hold and that he , for one , is unwilling to attempt to make them . He i 3 bold in daring to propose to re-establish upon the moni ed classes one of tho most unpopular , and ( with them ) one of the most odious taxes that can exist ; and he i 3 bolder still in attempting to establish the means io collect from the middle classes the tax so imposed ! If he succeed in getting it from them , he will bs a bold man indeed ! ! 1

      An Income Tax is widely and essentially different from a Property Tax . The latter would merely call npon those who possess property , tangible property , to pay according to the rate laid down ; the former imposes a tax upon incomes , no matter from what sourca they may be derived ! The physician , who has no property , but whose income h the result of his skill ; the author , whose income is derived from the exercise of hia talents ; the builder or the

      blacksmith , whose incomes result from the excrcue of their respective crafts ; all there , and others similarly situate , are , by an Income Tax , taxed just as much as the man who derives n . n immense income from property , without any , ( be slimmest , exercise of ralent , or skill , or even industry ! This is an injustice of so monstrous a kind 25 o : j ' j to bo paralleled by the acts cf the znonicd elates thumtelVwS towards the labouring people .

      To thi 3 consideration must be added the neces-Sirily Inquisitorial nature o : -j -: maehluery to ascertain the amount oi each man ' s ineonje . The prying , the questioning , r . nd the examining into a shopkeeper's business , a : id into a merchant's accounts , to ascertain whether he ought to pay the tax or not ' , and , if he is taxable , to fix the amount ; all these must be particularly agreeable to tho 3 e subject to such visitations and inquiries ! I'faith , Peel i = a bold maa , to venture to propose to deal in this manner with the shopkeeping and t rading classes !!

      What a squeak ! what a Equ ^ al ! there will bo set up , when the plan come 3 inio full operation ? What a noise , and din , and clamour the "loyal " tax-payers will kick up , when the tax-gathsrer wait 3 npon them , with Peel ' s compliments , for £ 2 I 83 . 4 i . for every one of their " hundred pounds ; ' ' and an unequivocal intimation that he must have these £ 2 18 s . 4 d . ' s directly to pay tho dividends wkb , or " national faith" will be broken ! O what denunciation we shall hear I What abuse ! It will be well for the tax-gatherer if bard words are all ho gels besides the money !

      Of the horrible bellowing that will be set up by the "loyal" "national faith" men , when the tax comes to be fetched from them , soma faiut conception may be had from a peruFal of the shopkeepers' and traders' press , and from the proceedings in " that House" on the part of the " opposition . " For some days , the Whiij remnant seemed stunned by Peel ' s announcements . The nature and magnitude of his projects , and ice clearness and candour of his address in developing them , completely " knocked the wind" oat of the Whigs .

      When they csnirasted his sweeping measure of u Commercial Reform , " embracing as it does 1 , 200 ar ; icife 3 of import , and repealing tie duties upon by far the greater half of the number , aud greatly reducing the duties upon the other half ; when tbsy contrasted thi 3 measure with their own mnchlauded and highly-vaunted " great" scheme , which merely included three articles of import , and openly professed to deal with them in a manner that would raise from them , in taxes , more money than it now paid upon them ;

      Untitled Article

      when they contrasted Peel ' s measure mfch their own , and remembered that one portion of their own was the institution of a fixed duty on corn , for the purpose of raising ADDITIONAL REVENUE to supply the existing deficiency ; when thiy thus contrastedthe two sohema 3 , they instinctively saw that Peel had out-bid them ! and that his object was to purchase the enpport of the trading classes ! They also saw that he had calculated vvell ; that his tariff scheme was cunningly devised ; that it wxs very catching , and very likely to answer the intended purpose : and so they determined , if- possible , to spoil the sport by denouncing the other portion of Peel ' s plan , the new taxes , and , by appeals to the cupidity of the monied classeSj array their power

      against Peel on the ground of opposition to the Income Tax . The cue having been given , little Lord John became suddenly valiant . He announced in " that House , " that he would move counter resolutions ' to those proposed by Pkei . ; that he would oppose the Income Tax Bill in all Us stages , dividing *' the House" upon the first , second , and third reading ? , and also on the bringing up of the Report . Other Members in his train also shewed " big fight ; " and while this game was played off inside " the walls of Parliament , " the free traders 1 press was performing its part outside by inserting heaps of letters from pretended correspondents , dejiouncing the Income Taxin all sorts of ways , and for all sorts of reasons .

      All this is but preparatory to the calling of public meetings , at which the Whiga and WhiglingB o *" every water and degree will strenuously endeavour to get the public voice expressed against Peel and his DIRECT syfctem of taxation . It is for the purpose of preparing and counselling the people how to meet this next" new move" that we address them on the subject at present . In the first place , then , we aver , that the principle of DIRECT TAXATION involved in Peel's Inoome-tax , demands for his plan the strenuous support of every man who lives by the labour of his hands . He is greatly and immediatply interested in getting the principle of direct taxation acknowledged and universally acted upon . If it were so ; if it was

      in full operation ; if in-direct taxation was superseded , nothing like the amount of taxes now wrung from his labour by a silent and unseen process could possibly be raised \ If the taxgatherer had to call at every man ' s house , 2 nd demand the sum now yearly paid in another way , ho would get by far " more kicks than ha ' pence ! " Every one would then know the amount he had to pay . He now knows nothing of it ; nor can he possibly be made to know it as he would do were the money fotched from him directly . He now goes to market ; buys his sugar , his tea , or his tobacco : he pays for each article what he conceives is the price of it . He does not know that , when he pays 3 d . for an ounce of tobacco , 2 d . of the amount i * for tax . H « finds tha

      tobacconist charges him 3 d . ; and he knows all others in the same line of business do the same ; and he , therefore , pays the 3 d . unbegrudingly . But suppose he only paid tho tobacconist the real price of the article ; suppose the pvico of it to be only Id . ; and that as he leaves the shop he is accosted by tin taxgatherer , who demands from him another 2 d . to pay the fundholder with ; suppose this , and we may very easily further suppose that tho ta ^ gatherer would much oftener measure his length in the kennel than set the 2 d . ! ! And soon of all other articles . It would be impossible for any

      Government to collect from a people as lar ^ o a sum in taxes by direct means as they can by indirect means . It is clearly and manifestly , therefore , tho interest of all tax-payers , that a system of direct taxation should exist . And as tho labouring people are the tax-payers ; as it is by the things produced that taxes can alone be paid ; as it is clearly impassible for those who proJuce not t > have tny thing of their own wherewith to satisfy the demands of the government : as the burden of

      taxation , whether large or small , must eventually fall upon the shoulders of the labonring portion of the community ; it is still more apparent , it is still more clearly manifest that it is their duty and interest to insist upon the universal application of the principle of DIRECT taxation . On thia ground , then , the proposal of Peel to tax Incomes in a plain straight-forward and direct manner , 13 entitled to their hearty and undivided support .

      There is another principle , too , involved in this Income-tax project , which also entitles the ' measure to the support of the labouring many . Property is Taxed . The man who has been able , by tho operation of the blessed system under . which we live , Io accumulate to himself a large heap of tho good things of life , is tared according to the scale laid down . What can bo more equitable ? What can be more just ] What objections are there that caa be urged against this principle ! True , that vrnat he has , has come from labour ; true , that the labour yearly expended upon his

      estate , or upon the raw material in his mill , alone gives value to them , and is the source whence his income is derived ; true , that if he pays a portion of that income in direct taxes to the Government , he has less to spend in the market upon the productions of other labour ; true all this ; yet lie now gets the income ; the labouring people have that to provide for him , as well as their immediate share of the indirect taxes jnow- " paid ; and it will not , in all ca 3 es , happen that if a tax is laid upon incomes , the " property men" will be able to make these -who labour produce more for them to pay tha tax with ; tliotiirh , in-too many cases , we

      gneva to say , they wiil have this power . They cannot , however , have it , in all cases ; aud whenever this happens to be , the tax is a subtraction from the rich man's income to the clear and manifest benefit of the labouring people , who now havo both income and taxes to raise . They , therefore , are deeply and immediately interested in having all the taxes necessary imposed upon PROPERTYjand collected in a DIRECT and immediate manner . Both these principles aie involved in Peel ' s Income tax : and these aro reasons why the plan of taxation he has proposed , as far as tha institution of that particular tax is concerned , should be supported by the labourers of England .

      Aye , but it may be said , have you not already admkt ed that the proposed Income tax is a " monstroug injustice" ? We have ! But in what does th injustice consist ? In submitting incomes ta the action of taxation ? Not a bit of it : Incomes of every description ought to be taxed . Every man ought to bear his share of the burden of the state according to his risible mean ? . The injustice we have pointed out consists , not in the taxing of incomes derived from professions or trades , but in taxing these incomes io the same amount , and in the same degree , aa incomes derived fram certain

      and fixed properties . The first class are the result ot labour andskill ; and though they certainly ought not to be frea from taxation , yet it is clear they ought not to pay in the same proportion as incomes derived without exertion or skill . The uncertain nature of the incomes derived from trade and professions , is another reason why they should not be taxed so highly as the incomes derived from a more certain source ; but it is no reason why they should be exempted from taxation . Tho case of these parties , then , in relation to the working man , is just this : if they think Peel has not taxed the possessors

      of incomes arising from landed and funded property , or from buildings , high enough in proportion to the amount he has proposed to Jay upon incomes arising from the exercise of trade , or the following of professions , let them bother Peel TO MAKE IT HIGHER , and remit some other tax which presses immediately upon the labouring people ; but don't Itt them try to persuade the labouring people to get tradesmen and professional men exempted from the tax . No , no . If they like , we will try to increase the measure of taxation upon those who ccvtainly ought , in all justice , to pay more ; but we as certainly will not advise that the labouring people

      Untitled Article

      should aid or countenance , or even permit , any attempt on the part of the traders , either to relieve themselves from the operation of Peel ' s measure , or to reduce the amount he proposes to raise from them . Three per cent , ia a very lowfigurei The traders think so in their transactions one with ano-r ther , and in their deaUnga with the people . They may try , if they like , to induce Peel to lay si * per cent , upon the ownerslof tangible and certain property , while he retains the present amount upon incomes from other sources ; but they ! must not be permitted to hitch off the burden from themselves , or to lessen the proposed amount .

      Ii is but £ 4 . 009 , 000 , a < the very outside , that Peel proposes to raise by means of this Income tax ! Only £ 4 , 000 , 000 !! By other and indirect meaas he raises £ 53 ^ 000 , 000 !! J The main portion of this £ 53 , 000 , 000 is wrung from the labourers of England . The time has come when the Government cannot possibly raise more from , this class . Peel distinctly says so . Ho says , moreover , that : if he ia to satisfy the demanda made upen him , he must have the

      money . He further says , that those who are able must make up the deficiency . / Thojse to whom Peel thus appeals say that they ^ ill not respond to his call ! They denounce the measure as one of robbery and plunder . They have no objection to the laboaring poor paying the £ 53 , 000 , 000 , but they have a great objection to pay only £ 4 , 000 , 000 amongst themselves !! I O ! the tender conscience of a free-trader , — -when his pocket is touched !!

      "Yes , but , " rejoins the objector , " what need is there for Peel to raise the £ 4 , 000 , 0001 Why does he not reduce the expenditureV Aye , why ? you besotted brute ! Wliy ? Because you will not let him j Doyou not insist upon " National Faith . " being kept i Do you not insist upon the interest of the Debt being paid in full i Do you not stand up for the Pension List , tho Civil List , the Salaries , and the Grants ?

      Have you not spurned and spit upon the labouring people , when they asked you , years ago , to aid them to get the expenditure reduced ? Did you not join in " loyal" and patriotic associations ^ put down the Radicals , who only wanted to do then what you now require ! Did you not mount a horse , string a sword , by your side , put a pistol inyour pocket , and dub yourself a" Yeomanry Cavalry man , '' and turn out to butcher in cold blood those who wanted to

      obtain from the ; Government justice for you as well as for themselves ? Did you not join iii the passing of addresses to the Government , thanking them for suspending THE Habeas Corpus Act , and for imprisoning for years together , hundreds of as good men asEngland ever saw , and then turning them out of jail without even telling the captives why they had been placed in confinement i JI Did you not applaud the unfeeling monsters who jested in "that House" upon the sufferings and excruoiating tormenta endured by the victims of

      your hellish schemes to put down the rising spirit of liberty ? And have you not latterly countenanced the Government in their wholesale imprisonment of tho Chartists ? Were you not one of those who sat in the jury-box , and convicted them of seeking to do that which you now , yourself , ask to be done ? ' You are a pretty beast to ask for a reduction of expenditure ! You are a pretty beast to object to pay tax \ l Base reptile ! Immeasurably base ! Tax him , Peel ! ! lay it on ! Let him pay!— -and he hanged !

      No , no ; it will not do for those who support , and have supported , the present infernal system of Debt and Robbery , to object to the proposed Income tax . Such an objection , or rather a demand for a reduction of expenditure may come , as it has ever come , from the labouring people , and come with a good grace ; but if those who haye hounded on the myrmidons of power upon the poor , who denounced the robberies committed upon their labours ; if those Who acted in " Volunteer armed Association ; " if

      those who enHated in the " Yeomanry Corps ; " if those who aided and abetted in the prosecutions of the Radicals and Chartists , because they complained of the weight of taxation ; if those who did all or any of these things should now venture to complain—note , that tho workings of their praisebespattered system has made it necessary that their incomes should be taxed ; if any one of these should dare to urge one word of public complaint , let infamy and ineffable scorn be .. his . portion !!!

      There , can be no reduction of expenditure while the present system obtains ! To reduce the expenditure means to reduce the Debt ; to disband the Army ; to repeal the Pension List ; to reduce the salaries ; to remove the Dead Weight ; to lessen the Civil List ; and to dock Prince Albert ' s allowance . Will the Free Traders go for this ?! Dare they tacklo the iutidholder ? Are they prepared to grapple with the real question ? If they are , let them blame Peel for seeking to keep up the expenditure , and for devising schemes to get the money to pay with : but if they are nst , blistered be

      the tongue of every mother ' s son of them who dares toutter even half a word in the way of complaint at having to pay the quota imposed upon them ! Peel is right . If the monied classes will have "the system , " they must find him the means of payment . The old saying that " you cannot both eat your loaf and have your loaf " is strictly applicable here . The dovourer of taxes cannot swallow the . money , and have the money ! More grist must come to the mill , or the mill must stand : aud those who are in love with our present grinding system , must find tho means to keep it up ! !

      O ! what a glorious sight it is to see the "loyal " in sijch a stew about paying taxes ! During the heyday of their " loyalty , " when "loans" and "banknotes" were as plentiful as blackberries ; when " we " were " at war" with both France and America ; when "Bank Restriction" existed ; when our resources were in process of "development ;" in those good old times , if a man dared to j say a word against the wara then beiug carried on , or against the taxes imposed upon the labouring people to pay for tho wars and the interest upon , the ' u - loans : " if a man

      m those days dared to litter a word against the H

      now I Peel merely proposes to : raise - :. 'from them . £ 4 , 000 , 000 ; and they stand aghast I Hark to the yell of execration with whioh his proposal is met 1 aud then reflect that the wiucevs are those who have resisted all attempts to adjust the Taxation and the Debt equitably between the payers and the receivers ; tho borrowers aud the I « rider 3 ! Ah I let them wiiice ! Let them wriggle and writhe !! but don ' t let them cast off the burden from themselves until they are willing and anxious to relieve the poor man as well ! Whenever they are prepared to do this ; whenever thoy are prepared to act with justice to all parties ; whenever they are prepared to go for Equitable Adjustment " and a reduction of taxation ; whenever they

      are prepared to do these things , and to get the Charter for their accomplishment , labouring people then you hearken to what they say , and entertain their proposals ; but , until then ; until they be so prepared ; until they ave pi-spared to act in good faith towards YOU , let them whistle to the winds , and dance jigs to the mile-atones ! Above all things , mind that they , do not hitch-off the Income . Tax !!! You havo had the harness and the collar to wear long enough ; it has rubbed into the taw deep enough , and no commisseration could you find . They have had a spanking bran new set , of . "improved" aiid " light" make , made for them by Peel : let them wear it !! Iusoltnt and overbearing as they have been towards you when you complained of the wrong done you , " - they will

      Untitled Article

      not shew a much better sample of patience ! Let us look at them , however . Letus fairly see how they like it ; " and let us take care that they donH kick off the ; yoke until they J&re prepared ta > take off outt also ! :

      Untitled Article

      THE STAR AND THE EXECUTIV . EtSEWHERE we give an artiole from the Executive , which . '' . seems- to require from us a word of explanation . The Exeontivo fay-- : " We must , in the most friendly , but determined manner , protest against the Editor associating the Executive Council with the humbug trap and the Bath conference . We have the greatest possible respect for Mr . Hill , Mr . O'Connor , and Mr . O'Brien ; but we must say . that the former is not justified in making the Exeoutive answerable for aught save their own acts as a body ^ or in mixing them up , as a Council , with the private proceedings Of Mr > Vincent , Mr . Philp , or any other man . "

      Had our good friends of the Executive read the article to which the above sentences 7 allude ; ' with their accustomed carefulness , they would hate saved themselves the trouble of writing , and U 3 of replying to them ; for they would have seen that we have done no such thing as mix up their acts as a public body with those ofMr . Vincent or any other private individual ; nor have we made them as a body at all responsible for the individual acts ot Mr . Phi £ p , who is one of their body .- We have confined ourselves simply and solely to that which they with the greatest fairness admit to have been our duty , the expressing of our own opinion of their public acts and recommendations .

      The whole misapprehension arises from the fact , that in our paper of the 12 th inst ., for the mere saving of room and time , we classed three distinct subjects of comment together in one article , heading it thus : — "The Humbug Trap—The Bath Conference —the policy of the Executive . " And a referenoeto the article will show that in our observations upon these subjects we kept them perfectly distinct the one from the other . We think if our friends of the Executive will read the article again , they will see this ; and will see , therefore , that the injustice » f which they complain exists only in their own misapprehension .

      To their observations in dissent from our opinion of the resolution in question , we have no reply to make ; our opinion was honestly expressed ; we have no doubt theirs is so . The people will decide ; and we think the Executive perfectly right to take their instructions from no other quarter . We again give our deliberate opinion , that the only safe course for the people is to " chuck overboard" EVERTTHiNG but the Charter .

      Untitled Article

      MR . ROBERT KEMP PHILP . This gentleman seems in a sad taking ! We have received , per favour of a friend , an early copy of this day ' s Vindicator , tho first article in which is from his pen , upon the subject of the Bath Conferences , the reports sent ub by our correspondent , and the observations we thought it our duty to make thereon . Of course Mr . Philp is the best judge of the course best calculated to effect any purpose he may hare in view . We shall give so much of this article as refers to us and to the Star , and leave the people to receive it for as much as they think itjworth . After eulologising the Charter , and stating that there are " amongst the Chartist body very many sincerely and honestly devoted to their country ' s cause . Men who have sacrificed much , " &o . Mr . Philp goes

      on : — . - . •¦¦ . - ¦ : . .. ¦ "But there are some mixed up with Chartism , to its prejudice and injury , big in , self estee «; who , having imperfectly learned the alphabet of politics , presume to speak Us language . Such men are but drags upon the wheel of human progression ; their adoration is of men , not of principles ; their discourses ABUSE AND DECLAMATION , not ARGUMENT . They seek ¦ '¦ to' earn a reputation ; and not having the ability to gain a People ' s esteem for themselves , they assail the characters of others , that they may bo elevated by their downfall . > *

      " The course I have taken I am still prepared to defend , and will still pursue , notwithstanding the falsehoods of Bartlett , to which several additions are made in the Star of the 19 th ; notwitstanding the dictatorship of its Editor , and the suppression Of moat important parts of the explanatory correspondence , together with the unfair application of brief extracts from my speech . I declare for INDEPENDENCE ! Of thought and of action . If I can fail to adduce argument and reason for my position , if I compromise a single principle , THEN LET ME KB CONDEMNED . I COUrt not popularity , nor praise ; I labour zealously to advance the cause of ChartiEm , but I am not to be turned from

      my path by every mushroom that starts up in my way . ¦ -. ¦ . ¦" ; , ** Chartism , indeed , has brought ns to a very unenviable position , if those who are its zealous promoters dare aot think for themselves , and cannet secure a true representation of their acts in the leading Chartist organ . Let those Crouch who will—I'll not be a slave . If any of my Chartist brethren desire from me my own explanation of what I did in respect of Sturge's declaration , I will most readily and willingly comply ; but L protest against being judged by the lying , prejudiced , and ignorant reports , of a man with whom I shall ever hereafter deem it dishonourable to hold connexion .

      Let me be judgeu by my own actions , and not by the wilful falsehoods of a man ignorantlt ambitious . " -, - . " " . ,. ¦; ' ; ' . ¦ - .: ¦ . ¦ ¦ '• : '; ; : .- ; . ' ' - " This is the first time since my connection with Chartism that 1 have been called upon to defend myself from malicious abuse and misrepresentation ; and I will resist to the last ; tho tyrannical conduct of men , even though they cloak themselves by the name of Chartists . ; : " I repeat—does any honest Chartist desire me to state correctly what I have done , aad what course I recommend to be pursued , I will do so with extreme readiness and pleasure ; but let me nut be viewed through the darkened medium of other men's thick heads and black hearts . "

      We have quoted the above verbatim ; Italics , capitals , aud all , are Mr . Philp ' s own ; and our only reply to its blustering abuse is to refer the readers of Mr . Philp ' s paper to all that we have written upon the matter in the last two Stars . We here- repeat every word we have said upon the matter . On the 12 th we said : — "We refer with great pain to tho proceedings of the conference of Bath , between the Sturge Declaration men and some leading Chartists of that city . We respect Vincent for his zeal , his talent , and his suffering in tho cause , as highly as we

      respect any man ; we believe him to be thoroughly honest and well-intentioned » bat we cannot but regret the position he has taken in this business . Spill more do we regret to see joined with him Mr . Philp , a member of the People ' s Executivei Doubtless these gentleman giye the new converts to Complete Suffrage credit for a large amount of honesty and sincerity . We cannot do so ; and we fear , it the people should be led into any general countenance of . the . steps takon by these gentlemen , that the error will not be found to be less fatal for having been an amiable one . "

      Last week , on the same subject , we had the following observations : — "We repeat , as we said last week , that we respect these men for the talehc and the " zeal they have hitherto manifested in the people ' s Cause ; we respect some of them for the sufferings they have endured in the cause ; but we cannot in this qase iBompliment their judgment . We doubt not that they err from the excess of their anxiety to sei ze every opportunity of making converts to the Char . er , and from their readiness to c 3 timatQ the motives of others by ! heirbvvn , and eo to gire the middle ^ class Sturgemeri full credit for sincerity in their profession of Universal Suffrage principles : they suppose them to be sincere in wishing for : Universal Suffrage , and

      that , ' -therefore , they ' ,

      ' ¦ But suppose the worat—that the middle clashes Tvera not honest ; -that they signed this declaration as a false pretence ;—could , they ever agaiu sit in jury boxes and convict us as traitors and conspirators for contending for that principle which they themselves had declared in black and * white to ba the right of the people . ' ;

      Untitled Article

      "Now , Burely , Mr . Philp must have forgotten , in the goodness of bis heart , the experience of ; * U the last five years . Who have been the most forward in the jury bbxes , and on the bench , t » convict and sentence Chartists f Have they not been the very parties who have , over and over again , in the Reform Bill agitation , featin&i . to , - ami- contended fijr ^ the very same principle—the principle that representation should be co-extenBive with taxation V This is the whole amount of our dictation "—of our ^ malicious abuse and misrepresehtation . "

      If the most faBtidious of Mr . Philp ' s friends can find therein * single word disrespectful to Mr . Philp , we will quite willingly sit down to be trodden upon ai the mushroom in Mr . PHitP r 3 path j if they cannot , they will perhaps be able to find out who has most reason ( if it were worth while ) to coinplain of " misrepresentation and falsehood . ^ ' . la any case we shall not allow either " mushrooms , '' or angry men , like Mn Philp , to tnrn us from our ^ ath . We shall neither suffer the people'a cause to be damaged by treacheiy nor imprudence without giving warning , nor will we be driven into an abusive personal conflict because Mr . Pmtr desires it . We have given Our opinidn on the polioy

      of Mr . Philp and his friends . We have done so respectfully but honestly > We have given tho people the reasonsl t ^ pon which that opinion ia founded . We have discharged Tour duty ; and it is now for the people to determine on themeritaof the matter . It is for them to say whether they approve , as wise and safe , the polioy of Mr . Philp and his friends and abettors ; and we have too great anopinionof their good sense , to believe that the insolent and bullying tone assumed by Mr . Philp , will be allowed to influence their judgment . They will judge of the policy on its own merits , and not on those of Mr . Philp , as one ef the T « ry few individuals calling themselves Chartists who

      advocate it . ¦ ¦¦• . .. ' .: ' ' '¦ - ' ' ¦ . . •¦¦• - , ¦ Mr . Philp " claims independence of thoughtand «/ dc < ion , '' while he is outrageously angry with other people for asserting a like claim by censuring him , or ^ ev en dissent ing from hia opinion ! Pret ty cohsistent in an advocate of democratic principles Mr . Philp says not a word about his intention to comply , « r otherwise , with the call made upon him by almost the whole Chartist body to resign hia

      seat in the Executive . Perhaps it may comport with his notions of democratic principle to rank his constituents among the " muBnrooms . " However , it is near the time that a new Executive must be elected , and Mr . P . will then have an opportunity of learning how far his coquetting with the Sturgitee as a matter of policy , and his mode of defending an alleged error of judgment , as a matter of principle and character , is approved of by the people .

      Untitled Article

      Deteemined to commemorate every great national event connected with tha present " movement , " Mr . O ' Connor has entered into arrangements for presenting the Subscribers to the Star With a large and splendid Engraving of the Presentation of '¦'• . ' ¦¦ .-. - ' ' ., : '¦ .. ' ¦ :. ¦ ¦ ' - ' .. '•

      THE GREAT NATIONAL PETITION to the House of Commons . This 7 Plate will be as much superior to the Engra-¦ ¦ . .: . ' . ; yings already given with the Star , as they were io any e » yer given with any other newspaper ., Ifc will be divided , a 3 it were , into three main compartments . The first willrepresent . theD elkgates in Con VENTioNASSEMBLED . previous to starting with the Petition to the House of Commons . The centre and largest compartment will represent the Procession accompanying the Petition ¦ to the House , the Petition itself , the Beabebs of it , and the People , when passing Whitehall * and approaching Palace Yard . The third

      compartment will represent the Petition IN THE HOUSE , when " laid on the table j' being a general viow of the Interior of the House of Commons , the Bar and the Speaker ' s Chair being prominent features . 7 ; In addition to these main compartments the upper and lovyer edges of the plate will be divided into sixteen other BvnnileT compartments , each one of which will contain an accurate representation of some great Publio Building passed in ' the route from the Convention Booms to the Parliament House . Views will thus be given of Temple Bar , " ¦ 'Sfe Clement Dane ' s , Church , Somerset House . Exeter Hall , St .

      Mary-le-Strand , Trafalgar Square , Northumberland House , Whitehall , Richmond Terrace , The Admiralty , The Horse Guards , Westminster Bridge , The Treasury , Westminster Abbey , and St . Margaret ' s Church , Westminster Hall , and the Exterior of the House of Common . There will thus be given , upon one very large sheet , Nineteen Splendid Pictures , all harmoniously combined to make the whole an effective and worthy representation of the most important movement ever made by the English people in favour of liberty . The terms upon which the Plate will be issued are as follow : — : 7 ;

      Every Subscriber to the Star for Four Months from the 9 th of April will be entitled to a Plate . Wedo not promise to haveit ready at that time , though in all probability it will be ; yet we do not promise ; for the work will be one of such a character , and will need such careful attention on the . part of the Engraver , as to defy any one to fix an exact time . This , however , we do promise . If the plate is not then ready , every subscriber is at liberty to cease his subscription , holding his ticket , and receiving his plate and paper from the Agent he has subscribed with ; the day it is presented

      just as if he had continued to subscribe . . ... The Price of ^ he Paper the week the Plate is pre ^ sented will bo One Shilling . We will try to make such arrangements as will make this the only charge the Subscribers will have to pay . . - . 7 : : - .- " : ' - - : 7 7 : 7- ;' - \ -. ' - ' 7 Agents , therefore , will please to open subscription lists , and in all oases furnish the subscriber with a ticket , which ticket will entitle him to the Plate whenever it is given for subscribing for the Star for tour months . 7 As soon as possible , specimens shall be placed in . thq handd of the Agents .

      Untitled Article

      Mb . Philp and thb Chartist body . —We are inundated with letters of complaint about the non-hisevtion of the numerous resolutions last . week sent to us censuring Mr . Philp , and calling upon him forthwith to resign his office of exectl ' live councillor to the National Charter Association . Now it is useless folly thus to annoy us . The insertion of all those resolutions in fidl must of necessity have } driven out of the paper a very large amount of valuable matter , . merely for a repetition of the same thing over and over again . The proper way of proceeding is this : At every place uhere such resolutions were passed , the sub-Secretary should send a copy to Mr . Philp 1 , l , Cha 7 idos-buildings , Bath , and another to the

      General Secretary of the Executive . This ought to be done in justice to ui , to Mr * Philp , to the Executive , and to the Chartist hodi , 1 generally . Stars to Ireland . —There'ismuchanxiety amongst the working men of Ireland to read theStdtrrits proprietor knows how unable they are to procurs it froth their 'iridividual resources—small as is Us price , it is that of a loaf , 6 r a stone of potatoes . Those of our English brethren , then t who would wish to sow the good seed in a profitable soil cannot better serve the cause than by directing , their Stars , after reading them , to W . H . Dyott , secretary to the Irish Universal Suffrage Association , at 14 , JV . Anne-street , who

      .. ;• witl take care to employ them well . James Sweet begs to acknowledge the recei pt of the '• following sums for the Convention , »« r ., 7 s . 6 ef . from Affrelpn , Derbyshire ; 10 s . from Gainsbro Lincolnshire ; and £ 1 from Boston , Linceln-¦ - ¦ shire . ¦ ¦ ¦ ; , ' ¦¦ ¦ ' - " ¦ ¦ ¦ . - ¦¦¦'¦"¦ ¦ : '¦ ' : ¦ . ' ¦¦ ' ' / -V-.-- - ' All Communications to Mr . G . M . Bartlett rnuit be addressed to him at \ 9 , Gloucester-road-buUdings , Lower Swanswick , Bath : Wm . Foster , Bingi / ey .- —ffis report of the delegate -. meeting voas noticed last week . Halifax Ohaktists . —/ ITe have not rotmfor their long letter of remonstrance to Mr . Vincent : they had better post it to him . A Retired Blacking Manufacturer calls the

      attention of the Chartist public strongly to Roger Pinder ' s blacking , says that he is quite certain , from the knowledge he has of the business , the - profits of Mr . Finder cannot exceed 6 d . or 8 d , per gross for all his labour ; thinks that the next three months ought from this source to bring a hundred pounds to the Executive , and a thousand pounds into localjunds , from the [ profits of ' . patriotic ^ retailers . ~ : :.. . 77 . '•¦ : ¦¦ ¦ '; ; - . "•' -. The Stockport Friends request thai Hazlegrove , Marple , and the surrounding districts , that have . had petUiohs from Stoekportwill send them in by :- - " -. the 50 th March instant , as all will have lo go together to Macclesfieldoti the 3 rd April . Any sent after the 3 Ui of March will be too late .

      ©A Beaijfrjss Antr €Qvve&$Oytoent&

      © a BeaiJfrjss antr € Qvve& $ OYtoent&

      Untitled Article

      4 ^ THE NORTH E R N S T &R . ; .. ' .. ; ' . , ; , ¦ ., ; .. ' ' ¦• ; ; ' , ' :- v ! .. ' ' v , / . . ¦ ¦ " - . - - ^ ¦ ¦ V ^^ :: : ^ -. __^^

      Splendid And Costly Phesent To The Readers Of The « Northern 7 Star." ' ; : '7 :V . :: :. ' ¦ V :;. ' ;./ ' ¦ ' ,:. '¦ ¦ .-, -

      SPLENDID AND COSTLY PHESENT TO THE READERS OF THE « NORTHERN 7 STAR . " ' ; ' 7 . :: :. ' ¦ v : ; . ' ; . / ' ¦ ' ,:. '¦ ¦ .-,

  • Citation
    • Northern Star (1837-1852), March 26, 1842, page 4, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/vm2-ncseproduct883/page/4/