gaining great ground; and in London, where it is difficult for families to come ut the wheat very handily, Mr. HUNT is, I understand, about to open a grand house for the sale of the substitute for tea and coffee. This is a sort of commerce which we must all wish to see thrive. Amongst other good things attending it will be the expended with his character! Though this ing of our money upon the fruits of apology is but a lame one, it is better our own soil in place of giving it to than none, and for the honour of the the negro-drivers, who are always, country, I am glad it has been made without a single exception, on the side public. of every thing that is corrupt and tyrannical.

You will see in one of the newspapers a report of a debate, in which Mr. Brougham reproached Lord Cas tlereagh with the sending of such a fellow as Manners to Boston as Con.. sul. Lord Castlereagh answered that, until after the man had got his appointment, he was not made acquaint

Give my kind respects to Mr. Spooner, and ask him whether he does not think that my prophecies are now coming to pass. Be sure to send me his paper, and tell him to read attentively about what is passing here, and to give his readers a little account of it from time to time. Send my kind respects to Mr. Duane, also, and beg him to have the goodness to forward his paper to you to be sent to me; for if I get that regularly I shall know every thing that is doing, and that is to be done, at Washington. Beg him to write to me, also, when he can. His great knowledge, as well as his great talents, and especially his great public spirit and real, sincere love of his country, render him an object of respect with every man who has the honour to know him. A letter from him now and then would be of great use to me. I will send you my daily paper for his and Mr. Spooner's use: and thus our countries will be mutually beneficial to each other. Merchant ships will be good for something, at any rate.

Lay out a York six-pence for a halter, send it to old BINNS, and tell him that it is a present from the relations of Father O'Coigley! By the next packet I will send you a caricature that they have published here, representing me as flying over the sea and old ISAAC WRIGHT dancing with the Devil upon the American shore, rejoicing at my departure!

I will endeavour to find out what your pretty gentleman, at New York, was before he left Ireland. I will not forget him, you may be assured. In some shape or other his conduct shalk be before the public before the middle of March. God bless you.

Wм. COBBETT.

P. S. You see what lies they are telling here about the starvation in America! I wish to God the Americans could be starved into two meals of meat a day; and be made to leave off a little of their wine and their spirits. I have often thought (God forgive me!) that it would be a good thing for them to have our tax-gatherers amongst them for a year or two, to reduce them down to something like reasonable eating and drinking. The next Registers that you will get, after two more, will bemonthly ones, which you will sell at a quarter of a dollar a piece. They will let the people of America see clearly into the state of all John Bull's affairs; and oh! how they will make them repent of their rebellion....

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC.

COBBETT'S DAILY EVENING POST, the first Number of which will be published on Monday the 21th of January, will be of the same size and at the same price as other daily even ing papers. It will have that mark of

"

Gntered at Stationers' Hall.

Printed by H. HAY, 11, Newcastle-street, Strand, for T. DozBY, 299, Strand

COBBETT's WEEKLY POLITICAL REGISTER.

577

LONDON, SATURDAY, JANUARY 15, 1820.

TO EARL GROSVENOR, On his Speech of the 17th of December last; on the inducement for Englishmen with families and with capital to go to settle in the United States of America; and on the President's most important Speech of December last.

"We fight, not to enslave, but to set a country free, and to make room oa "the earth for honest men to live in." PAINE'S AMERICAN CRISIS, No. V.

MY LORD,

London, 6th Jan. 1820.

[578

lings of Corruption were, at that moment, feeling the pulse of the public with regard to some law to put down CHEAP Publications; and I,therefore, assured yourLord. ship, that no device of that sort would keep my writings from the people's eyes. Another measure, however, was adopted: namely, to place the body of every man of us, members of parliament ex-` cepted, at the absolute mercy of the Ministers, and even of any Secretary of State! These persons were invested with the power to seize hold of any man of us; to send us, at once, to any prison they pleased, in any part of the kingdom; to shut us up in any cell or dungeon that they pleased, to keep us so shut up as long as they pleased; to furnish us with what drink or what diet they pleased; to keep from us all books, printed papers, penis and ink; to keep us from the sight of

I had the honour to address your Lordship in the Register of the 22d of February, 1817. By a reference to that address, it will be seen that the great cause of all our calamities was then put fairly before the public; and I think your lordship will be convinced, that, if the Reform for which I then contended had been adopted at that time, none of the recent measures would have been neces-bur wives, children and all other sary; and, that, in all human probability, the nation would, at this time, have been in a state of perfect tranquillity. In the conclusion of that address (we being then upon the eve of the green big measures) I had nothing but conjecture to guide me. The hire.

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persons, just in what manner they pleased: and all this without any specific charge of crime given in against us, and without being obliged to tell us what we were accused of, or to bring us to trial at any period whatever! This was the state in which Englishmen

Printed by H. HAY, 11, Newcastle Street, Strand; for TDOLBY, 299, Strand.

were then placed; though no one ing. Blessed be the men that

gave independance to America!› Ever blessed be the memory of those of them who are dead, and perish the wretch who is not will

act had been committed in the whole country, at that time, which amounted to Treason; as was afterwards fully proved by the acquittal of the two or three hair-ing to express his gratitude to brained wretches that were ac- those of them who are living. cused of treason upon the oath of a spy, and as was also proved by the final release of the men who had been put in dungeons under this new act, without any attempt to bring any one of them to trial. It was grossly to misrepresent the thing, to call this a suspension of the Act of Habeas Corpus: It included, indeed, a suspension of that Act, but it set aside all the laws of the land, made for the safety of men's persons. It gave, to a few men appointed by the Crown, an absolute power of imprisoning the people; and, therefore, it was what I always called it, An Abso-try men; and by my successful lute-power-of-imprisonment Act.

It was a horrid thing: but yet, you see, my lord, though it stunned the People for a while, they soon recovered themselves; as you will have observed, has been the custom of the English, in all ages. I, who was resolved to retain, if possible, the use of pen, ink and paper, betook me to an expedient which was not expected by the contrivers of that measure, and they were not many months before they found, that, as far as related to the press, their terrific power was wholly unavail.

Her adventurous and able seamen, and her super-excellent ships have drawn these Islands comparatively near to her shores. The communication is so regular and so quick that one experiences but little disadvantage at having to write in that country instead of this. I availed myself of these favourable circumstances, and, while I was safe beyond the reach of the dungeoning law; while I was enjoying happiness amongst a free and happy People, I was able to perform my duty towards my own insulted and suffering Coun

efforts, I showed others the way of parrying the thrusts that might be, aimed at them.

Upon the present occasion, this tremendous measure of absolute power of imprisonment has not been resorted to yet. The scheme now is, to limit and, indeed, to destroy the efficiency of that part of the press which is contending for a Reform in the Commons', House of Parliament. This scheme will not succeed, except we be brought to a downright. Censorship, or Imprimature. And, even if this were resorted to, it would

those who are now opposed to a Reform. For, the principles are all firmly rooted in the minds of the People; nothing can make them unknow that which they know; and a Censorship would only add a little to the resentment which the recent measures have excited in their minds.

not at all mend the situation of can make any provision for his children, unless a great change of system take place. I have five hundred letters in my possession, from men who want information with regard to their flight to America, from this scene of things. Every one tells me that he is either loosing yearly a part of what he had; that he is either Your lordship has observed, becoming poorer and poorer; that in your speech, that public opinion he sees no prospect for his chilwill finally triumph. This is very dren, other than that of hard labour true; and what wise rulers would and the poor-house; and, that, endeavour to ascertain, is, what he wishes to remove with what he says the public opinion? It says, has left, to a country which may that there ought to be a Reform. give him some chance of making More than nine hundred and some little provision for those ninety nine, out of every thou- that are to follow him. To such sand says this. For, though great as I have been able to answer, I numbers are, by their various de- have answered by a simple stategrees of dependence, restrained ment of facts; and, as I have from speaking out, they all think been able to answer but a very it; and, as the pressure upon small portion of those who have them proceeds (and proceed it written to me, I will here give will), they will speak as well as one general answer; and, from think. Since the time that I that answer, your lordship will be before addressed your lordship, a able to judge what must be the very great change has taken place. inevitable consequences, to this At that time, though the Reform- Kingdom, of a much longer coners were very numerous, they tinuance of the present system consisted chiefly of persons belong- and state of things. Your lording to the mere working classes. ship will see, that, if the present This is not the case now. Dis- state of things continue for tress, ruin, misery, have gone on another another year, millions upon, regularly working their way; and millions of the capital, and thouthey have every where produced sands upon thousands of the converts to the cause. Every middling classes, of this country, man who is now engaged in active must be alienated from it, for business, clearly sees that he never ever, and that, too, you will

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