» W Jk w MEMOIRS end CORRESPONDENCE of JAMES ACLAND. Proprietor and Editor— written by Himielf. "/ LIKE HONESTY IN ALL PLACES."— Judge Baylty. Printed and Published by JAMES ACLAND ( SOI. K PPOPR. CTOR AKD Koiro « j at ibe BPISTOWAN OFI. CK, Bristolian'Court, Bridewell Lane. VOL. IV— No. XVI. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1S30. [ PRICE \\ d. TO THE BRISTOL REFORMERS. London, Nov. 30, 1830. FRIENDS, I have this day forwarded your Petition to the King, praying the Vote by Ballot, through the agency of the New Home Se- ^ rJTiJj —•<• f. E ® s ' Iideil! jT Vl'tS" rcgSfS presentation may be relied upon. The fol- lowing is a copy of the letter which I wrote hisJLoidship on the subject of the Petition :— TO THE RICHT HONORABLE LORD VISCOUNT MELBOURNE, & c. & c. & c. Home Office. 3, John Street, St. James's Square, Nov. 29, 1830. My Lord, I take pleasure in transmitting to your Lordship the Petition of upwards of 5000 of the Inhabitants of the City of Bristol, to the King for Vote by Ballot, The Petitioners are naturally desirous of an assurance, that their respectful representa tions should reach the Throne. Until the removal of your predecessor from office, the absence of confidence in that Right Honora. ble Gentleman's Political integrity, prevented me from entrusting it to his care, and hence the delay which has occurred, since the sig- natures were attached to this Memorial— a delay, which nevertheless, might have been avoided, had Sir Robert Peel condescended to promote, rather than prevent the accessi bility of the Sovereign to the remonstrances ottt 0|" o. fi • iJy subjects. Your Lordship's accession to office, enables me to fulfil the desires of my Co- petitioners, by transmitting their prayer to their Sovereign by the hands of one, whom there is no rea- son to suspect or mistrust. I have the honor to subscribe myself, My Lord, Your Lordship's obedient Servant, JAMES ACL AND. It is believed here, that Ministers intend proposing a much more extensive plan of Reform than might have been expected. Still I do not anticipate that the measure of Voting by Ballot, will be among those re- commended— and without it, any Reform will be but very partial. It is said, that the franchise in Corporate Towns is to be ex- tended to the Housekeepers— an improve- ment " devoutly to be wished." I hope it may turn out to be true, for it is inconsistent with the Constitutional principle of " No Taxation without representation," that the journeyman mechanic occupying only an apartment, and paying not a single direct Tax, should have a vole at an election, whilst the housekeeper, who pays the unconscionable and vexatious Assessed Taxes, should be de- prived of that privilege. It is absurd, int. uTct^ f? fsi^ iV, . ir'TSflfc^ wisrUnticnal. Y< m i* U in your City. Let not the real and reasonable friends of Reform despair, if they get not every thing they ask for at the same moment— but let them strive on, persisting in their demand of that to which they are entitled, and in the confidence, that eventually they will attain an entire renovation of our National Insti- tutions. JAMES ACLAND. TO THE REV. C. P. BULLOCK, Rector of St. Paul's. Reverend Sir, In my last letter to you, I gave you some of the circumstances which induced my considera- tion of the necessity for Reform.' I will now, with your kind permission, - call your attention to the nature of the Reform which I consider i full and effective. Few men, Sir, now doubt the advantage of Reform, All classes of the community, with the exception of the tax- eaters and ( I say it respectfully.) the tithe- eaters, are ' t 62 THE BRISTGETAN convinced of its necessity, and it is only on its nature that we find much difference of opinion. Some are for confering the Elective Franchise upon Birmingham, Manchester, and other un- represented towns, as an efficient meastire of Reform— others cry out for universal Suffrage, • okhout Vote by Ballot— others are for confining the Elective Franchise solely to housekeepers— • others are for Universal Suffrage with Vote by Ballot— and there are stili other schemes so wild, visionary, and impracticable, as to be unworthy of nolice. The advocates of the first • system are not the friends, but the enemies of Reform, who, under the specious and hypocriti- cal mask of friendship, would delude us by their sophistry, and divert our attention from that really important subject. The second class advocate a measure which would only place things in a worse condition than they are at • present— giving the preponderance of power to a set of men whose poverty and dependence would lay them open to the macbmatioris of the rich and influential, t he - advocates of Ae third system propose an act of injustice to their fellow men— an< i the fourth, my opinion), without certain arrangements which it is now • my purpose to propose, would be unjust aad improper. The Commons'Ilonse of Parliament, now so basely perverted from its origional constitution, - should be so formed as to be really and truly lepresentative of the people; its object being to prevent unjust encroachments on the liberties of the subject . fey the aristocracy, and to be alike regardful of the interesl- s of ail persons who ate made in any way to contribute towards tile sup- port of ihe nation, and as it would be obviously unjust that the housekeepers, forming a minority of the nation, should legislate for the laboring classes, forming a majority of the nation, be- cause then it would fes ta the interest of the minority, that they shout,! saddle all the ex-" pences of the state on the backs of the flit^' inty. in the form of dwse indirect ' taxes which io grievously affect thern, repealing all those which immediately press upon themselves as S- aueekeepeers, having greater interests and property in- the country to be supported— so would it be equally unjust that the labouring classes forming the majority of ihe Nation should elect Representatives to legislate for the minor- ity, as it would be equally for their interest to take a contrary course by exempting themselves and fixing the natural expences on the House- keepers in the Form of direct Taxes. Thus, in the case of Universal suffrage, the labouring classes as they term a majority of the Electors would have it in their power to elect such Representatives only as were pledged to the entire relief of the Artizrn ; and consequently ' he unjust oppressson of rtre householder. It therefore becomes'necessary, that there, should be some system laid down which, whilst it gives representation to every person who pays taxes, should afifce be regardful < yf the interest of all Having safd finis much by way of preface, 1 will lay down what { conteive to be an eqnrt « We System ; of Parliamentary Reform; observing rhat I have made no exact calculation as lo numbers, but lay down my plan in the rough, for any person to observe, alter, or improve upon. < i Ist. All Male persons above twenty years of age, lo be qualified toVote at Elections, except- ing Officers ra the Civil or Military departments of Government. Sort. Suffrages to be taken by Ballot 011 the same day, in every parish, 3rd, Every 5000 Inhabitants qualified to Vote to send a Member to Parliament. Towns with lees lhaii 10; 00(), and more than 8,000 Voters, to send 2 Members to Partiament; and Towns with more than 3,000, and less than 5,000Voters, to return I Member to Parliament. Places with smaller numbers of Inhabitants, to lie conjoined, into Franchised United Towns, or Hamlets. I," ' ' ' . ' ' Un addition everv 9 500 Householders; to setid A Member to Parliament; his legislative powers to be confined lol. tws immediately affect- ing Housekeepers. . i This, Sir, is my plan of Reformation, it may- be faulty. I pray you correct it. In conclusion, I will only say with rega il to Housekeepers having more extensive privileges than- others, that being bonbly taxed they are doubly interes- ted ; and that whilst justice requires that ihey should have a share in ihe enactment of ihose indirect taxes, which press equally upon them and ihe Artizan, it is also right tha' they should have Representatives irr lhe House of Commons who would protect them from the unjust levy of excessive, direct, or Housekeepers' Taxes. Rev. Sir, Adieu for the present, Yo iiv's A LAYMAN. N'O. 3.] TO THIE EDITOR OF THE BRISTOLIAN. Sut, Agreeably to my pionrso in No. I. I shall now inform you of other proceedings that took place at the Temple Rate Meeting after I left it.— I find that there were a great num- ber of Rate- payers went there in expectation oif seeing and hearing the Two Years' Ac- counts of the late Chief produced for exa- mination, but to their great astonishment and surprize, they were not produced ; Mr. Ivey then rose up and demanded them— he dwelt some time arguing strongly upon the impro- priety of withholding them — very many that were there supported him in so doing, but alas! Sit, INSOLENCE was soon manifested to- wards Mr. Ivey, by a man who is well known in Temple Parish for this accomplishment, named George Fudge ; he began by saying " I'll put a muzzle on thee," ihen again, " give him a bone," and much more abusive language, which Sir, to the credit of the meeting, was suffered to pass, wilhout callirg him to account— some of the illiterate sort, did even applaud master George, and at the close of the meeting he was treated with some heavy wet, and everr called a good and hearty fellow— Friend what thinkest thou of this? However, I find that the fiist yeai's accounts was suffered to go wilhout examina. tion by the meeting, because the Alderman had passed them. But Sir, 1 believe the law THE BRISTOLIAN 63 savs, that every retireing Chief shall produce his Year's Accounts at the Rate- meeting,, ta-' be examined by them first, before they are passed by the Alderman, and for why ? be- cause the Rate- payers may know and see how the money has been expended that has been collected from the Inhabitants. Mr. Ivey still persisted in upholding the rights of the people, and requested an account of the de- faulters, but this also was refused, though the Chief declared on the first meeting, that they should be produced on the 22d, ( so much for the word of this man.) But Sir, I was ways strikes at living merit— it appears to me and many others, that Mr. Ivey has touched some men to the quick, and therefore left a sore place, the smart of which is continually urging ihem to murmur. Their affected deri- sion and contempt of him, are but transpa- j rant veils to hide the retchings of thetT tortured minds— an awkward masque to co-; ver the ugly features of insolent revenge. | Faction and violence you well know, are despo ic in the extreme— turbulence and tumult may do and have done much mis chief but they carry- no conviction. A man who is a good citizen and not a mere dema informed by manv, that a pretended great , , ,..,.,,. gopue for sinister purposes, whose heart as man, who has more brains in his head tha- a , ° 1 1 r , , . , , , • , , i the phrase is, in ihe right place, will never good sense, has said, that he considered eveiy ! : assemble with an faction, or countenance man who was concerned in issuing out those! ,. _ ,, 3 | any unjust proceedings. But Mr. Editor I b. lls to call the Ratepayers together at this I will ^ vou> wW would you think of that meeting, is a a— E S setofa a— assassins.; man v'who was called upon to secure a v. le — master is aware that the Council House has been made the receiving house fer many dozens of bludgeons, with which it is in- tended to arm the « ' Specials."— Poor Parson Biddulph is frightened out of his wits— it would be a sad thing indeed, if the Reverend eater of tithes were to be deprived of any portion of the fat perquisites of his office— i these things denote either danger or folly— if danger, where is it ? if folly, when will it cease ? PRINTERS' DEVIL. SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. I will ask you Sir,- who is the g- eatest assassin, a man who wishes to have justice done, and render himself useful to society, or that man who endeavours to injure a fellow creature by speaking ill of him'behind his back, when at the same time, he is mot able to prove one iota against him. I do think Sir, that there are men now living, who are never better pleased, than when they can injure that man who has in any measure opposed their despotic proceedings. Mr. Ivey's arguments. I am informed by many of the respectable part of that meeting, were really good and constitutional— and they declared < hat not cne of their party who opposed him, was able to cops with him. But Sir, let him be placed bv the « side of any one of them, and the unmeasureable inferiority of the latter miscreant, who had committed a rape upon a poor infant child of eight vears old. and suffered and permitted that horridable wretch to escape the justice which his crime highly merited, for tke sake of a few so'^ reigns and SKme heavy wet. What would Jou think of that man, who should offer to give a person a sum of money to injure another fellow- creature, by doing him some harm?— what would you think of him who has taken un fair liberties with another man's wife ?— I trust you would say away, away with you, ye are workers o'f iniquity, i' 21 have no fellowship with ye. Now Sir, if there should be such characters now in existence, I hope they will soon be reformed from the error of their ways. In my next letter, No. 3, I shall give' you will ba instantly appatent. I confess it is - u i r . .. i r ' rr j the particulars of my Arrest, on the oath or really amusing to observe what mean and j William Gwyer, Temple Parish, and the lit le acts are used by some men, to lower the j ) ate Mr_ Mcrrick> Attorney> at the Council charactJr of a man, whose arguments thev House cannot refu e— but after all the artifices which '• they adopt, they only expose their own weakness and malice, while they leave the arguments and doctrines of the man they hate and despise rather confirmed than shaken by an attack so feeble. But envy Sir, al- I am Sir, Your's respectfully, JOHN WINDSOR. Kov. 30, 1830, CRITO— is informed, that the proceedings of the Magistrates do not escape observation The state of the country is sufficiently alarm* mo to justify the most serious apprehensions.— The acts rrf inoendiariasm, machine- breaking, slid ( YiiiraijSs'of various- kinds, are spreading with lerruil rabidity all tin- Kind lis. The agricalteraf atiil olbet distressed labourers seem to have declared open « ar ' against properly, and llio efforts of tbe ' Magistracy, backed by the military, and aided by strong bodies of special constables, appear to have been hitherto of little or no avail Ttie fianw spreads from one county to another, and no man can s'ee the issue, in fact, the IH « , is literally powerless- the dungeon has no terrors for the starving man, and transportation may be rather Sought after than dreaded by the wretched thousands who despair of being enabled to obtain by their daily labor, the common necessaries of life in their native land. Deeply as we may deplore this- shocking stale of affairs, we are not surprised at it, Over and over again have we tailed the attention of the Government, and of the public at large, to the miseries— we must add; the Oppressions—- that have of 1- ite years weighed down to the very dust, the once bold and happy pensan ry of England. Yet no efforts have been made to belter their condition — for tbe poor labourer there appears to have been no sympathy— the atbitrary Magistrate, in whose eves every " simple blessing of the ' owty train" was a vicious indulgence-— the grinding Overseer— the combining Landlords— the cruel, the hideous Game Laws— ill- deserved imprisonment— Parish relief, that left the pea S4 THE BIUSTOLIAN sant no choice between starvttion and theft, stances, but would ask his Steward. We ' hat robs them of a further portion of their still have done their work upon him ; and what is cannot withhold the spirited and very pro per scanty and ill- requited labor ? Ot that they he now? A hated and a haling outcast- reckless remark that follows this appalling account, i proceed in armed bands, from house to house, of his own life, regardless of the life of others, in the paper referred to :— l « We have only demanding pecuniary rebel ? They cannot, and a determined enemy of thai property and to say, that if this statement be true, the first that social order, of whose blessings he has long thing that Lord Gage, as an honest man, has been denied a share. We have more than once » • when speaking of these things, remarked thai to do, is to go those poor labourers who have been thus atrociously robbed of their hard as we have before remarked, be expected to distinguish between the redl and apparent authors of their sufferings ; and therefore the farmers, who, in many instauces, have doubtless " men will not starve in quiet,"- and predicted earnings, and make up the two shillings to been unable to afford to give better wages than the very scenes that have at last forced upon ! twelve shillings a week, during all the time the rich the necessity of adopting some measures for bettering the condi ion of the poor. We will now briefly recur to the miserable pittances that have been latterly doKd out as the price of agriculteral labor. Thousands have toiled for one shilling a day— in some districts eighteen- pence have been obtained, and the sum of two sh. llings has been considered quite handsome. The Kentish rioters declared they would be satisfied with half- a crown a day, and where that price was promised, they have returned contented to their homes. Now, taking the medium sum of nine shillings a week, and deducting from it the expences of tent, clothes, and fire, there will not remain a sufficient sum t' provide for the labourer and Ins wife and fimily, an adequate supply of bread for the week— meat they must not hope for— potatoes t* ie last resource of suffering humanity, they must take as the only means of just keeping " body and soul together." But this, even this, is rather a favorable view of the condition of the agriculteral population. We have the authority they have worked for him; and the next thing is, to drive the steward from his house with hisses and hootings," A gentleman residing at Reading describes the state of the poor in Berkshire as miserable beyond de scription. •' The grocers and general dealers, who have but too many opportunities of knowing the situation of the labouring poor, are witnesses to dreadful scenes. All sorts of garbage are sold to them, and food is de- voured with eagerness which no gentleman would allow his dog to touch. The rancid scr apings of Irish butter are purchased and greedily dovoured. One half of the labour- ing people do not touch animal food once a week. Th; distress of the people is so much felt by tradesmen, that they see nothing but ruin before them.'' The same gentleman, to show what must be the privations of the labourers has instanced a ploughman, on the farm of a great cultivator, who had a wife and six children, and who received in all ten shillings a week, out of which he had to pay of Lord Nugeut, in his place of Parliament, for j his cottage rent, cf £ 3 a year] Such a fa- the fact that, in his vicinity, the wages of the mily cannot exist in the winter without a labourer were only 3s. 6d. per week, while a fire— the farmer's fe" ces and hedges must peck of flour, which is equivalent to the smallest suffer 5 shoes and clothcs they ma. v beg for cost three subsistence for a human being, shillings. A morning paper of Thursday states, that,; ferinSs be borne ? It is clear they buying them is out of the question. Now3 we will not ask whether such suf- at a meeting at Ringmere, in Sussex, it ap- j wlU not! indeed,- they can not! The la- peared that Lord Gage had had many men bourer has seen his ^' series increase, till working at hedging and ditching on his human nature could sustain no more- estate, from day- light to dark, for two shil- " And while he sinks without one arm to save, }: ngs a week, and that they had been sent to The c" umr- v bl°° » s~ a S^ m and a grave I" the parish for the other three— making, in Starving in the midst of plenty, can we wonder the whole, five shillings a week! ! ! Lord that the peasantry combine to exact a higher Gage said, he was ignorant of these circum- rate of wages, and to destroy that machine^ Printed andPublishcd by JAMES ACLAND, ( SOLE PROPRIETOR AND EDITOR) at the BRISTOLIAN OFFICE, Bristolian Court, Bridewell Lane. those cbove detailed, have felt the - effects of hunger- driven desperation. But, what are the proper remedies that must be immediately applied? Agriculture must be relieved from the weight of taxation, and of odious tithes— landlords must reduce their rents— farmers must rai4e their wages; and the latter class must be content to return to those simple habits and ( hat kind demeanour towards their labourers, by which they weie happily distinguished before the late war. The poor man's condition must be bettered, and that, too, speedily ; or as the winter advances, the war of destitution against property— for that is the character of the pre- sent contest— will attain such a heighr, that na man, who rises rich and prosperous in the morning, will be safe from beggary at night. The Yeomanry may be called out in arms against their poor neighbours— the military may scour tho country, and special constables may be sworn in by thousands— the sabre, the mus- ket, the bayonet may do their horrid work, and the disturbances may be even repressed for awhile; but they will break out again with greater violence, and with more terrible combi- nations. One method only can secure property and ensure tranquillity, and that is, the payment of adequate wages to the labouring population. We have every reason to believe that the causes of the present dreadful scenes that have led to these remarks are fully understood by the present Administration ; and that, as far as that Administration is concerned, no effort, either of vigour or of humanity, will be wanting for the restoration of order and obedience to the laws. Happy is it for England that the Welling, ton Administration is no longer in power ; but for the recent change, a revolution would have been inevitable !