Toasts! They have had a dinner this But, it appears to me to be very likely, that the thing has taken another turn, and that Mr. ROGER O'CONNOR is now to be the man to be preferred before Major CARTWRIGHT. It is a rumour, as I observed before. But the thought must have existed somewhere before it found its way upon paper and into print. Where could it originate? Not in the minds of the Rump; for Mr. O'Connor is as much a stranger to them as the man in the Moon is; and more too, for they can gene rally see him once a month, when the weather is not too foggy. It may be a mere rumour. The mere idea may have been thrown out casually; but again I put it to you, from whose mind could the thought have come? The Public will be at no less to know, in whose mind, and in whose mind alone such a thought could have originated; and, therefore, considering the thing possible; that is to say, considering it possible that the proposition may be seriously made to the Citizens of Westminster, I shall, in my next Letter, proceed to remark on the insulting nature, and on the only possible motive, of such a proposition. I think, that I have now shown, pretty clearly, that the intrigues of the Rump have, for a long while, been carried on with the consent, or, at least, with the connivance, of S FRANCIS BURDETT. But, there is yet one instance, and that a very striking. one, which remains to be mentioned. When my LORD COCHRANE, who, had behaved so judiciously as well as so gallantly, at the London Tavern in the summer of 1816, was fined by the Court of King's Bench, in November, and was sent to the King's Bench Prison because he refused to pay the fine, a general feeling of indignation was expressed against his persecutors. The Penny-Subscription, the thought of which is wholly due to MR. BROOKS, showed how ardently the people of the whole kingdom, and especially the people of Westminster, felt upon that occasion. There was an universal call for a Meeting in Palace Yard. A Previous Meeting was held to settle on the mode of proceeding. It was intended to vote an Address to LORD COCHRANE; to send with it the hundred pounds all in Pennies; to take him from the Prison, and conduct him, to his house surrounded by his Constituents. Our friend, WALKER, had prepared an Address, of which he was to have been the mover, and all. appeared to be just upon the eve of execution. But, the Rump had to consult SIR FRANCIS BURDETT. Just at this time, you, who were engaged in your Spa-fields affair, was returning home after the first Meeting. I wished. you to have nothing to do with the Westminster Meeting, upon this occasion, and told you that I meant not to meddle with it myself. "Then," said you," the thing will not be done at all;" and so it turned out! In order, upon this occasion, to make sure of the BARONET'S consent, the Rump left MAJOR CARTWRIGHT to write to Sir FRANCIS, who returned for answer, that he disapproved of a Meeting, because, he said, Westmin-1 ster ought never to move but upon important occasions! It had, indeed, been considered an important occasion, when he was sent to the Tower, though the persecution was not a thousandth part so flagrant, and though, the times were not of a thousandth part the interest. I endeavoured to make the Rump move; Walker did all in his power; but, after the wetblanket from Brighton, and you being gone to the country, not an inch could we make them stir. And, though the requisition for a public meeting had been sent to the High Bailiff, all that could be obtained was a Meeting at the Crown and Anchor, which, though mos"ably conducted by all the parties who took a lead, and though a very able Address brought forth a very able Answer (both which were published), was a very different thing from a Meeting in Palace Yard: and, besides, the fine had been, in the meanwhile, paid, a small part in Pennies and the rest in Bank Notes ; and LORD COCHRANE had walked out of the prison alone, and in the evening, instead of being carried in triumph through the streets in the open day! What reason could there be offered for the application of this wet-blanket? Who can invent a good motive, to which to ascribe it? What! Was this the same man, who had called upon the People to "tear the leave's out of the accursed Red Book"? Was this the man, who had talked of "corrupt political judges"? Was this that same man, who had a thousand times reproached the people with tardiness in standing forward in defence of individuals, who had been the victims of political vengeance? Was he afraid, that LORD COCHRANE's mode of leaving Prison would be contrasted with his own mode of leaving prison? This is possible; but, the real motive was, a fear that LORD COCHRANE was fast rising to an equality with him in point of popularity; and, to this might now badded, the circumstance of the SON's having become a commander in the "Standing army in time of peace," and morcover the effect of all those poisonous influences of the air of a court-barrack, which aided so materially in producing the abandonment of the Reformers at the opening of the last session of Parliament, and of which abandonment I have spoken so fully in former Numbers. Upon this occasion, if SIR FRANCIS had been in toten, we should have pos sessed no positive proof of his having, been the real damper. The poor Rump would have borne all the blame. The written correspondence, and the necessity of making that public amongst so many persons, afforded that sort of proof here, which is wanted in so many other cases. I do not impute cren to the Rump a desire, proceeding from themselves, to' palm Mr. BROUGHAM upon Westminster. Mr. M'CLAURIN, may, indeed, have this desire; but, I cannot impute it to any of the rest, who are sincere friends of freedom, but who are weak, who are mere tools, and this last instance fully proves it.. I am persuaded, that Mr. BROOKS was as sincerely grieved as I was at the failure of a Meeting in honour of Lord Cochrane; but, he dare not siir after the wet-blanket of Sir Francis; and, to the same influence, and no other, I ascribe that want of co-ope ration and of promptitude, of which, I see, you complain in the case of the Meeting to celebrate the glorious triumph of the ancient law of juries over the endeavours of Shepherd, Castles and Dowling. main } With the most anxious wishes for the health and happiness of yourself and all who belong to you, I reYour faithful friend, WM. COBBETT. P. S. I have omitted the affair of Col. MAINE here, having so fully narrated it in my Second Letter to Mr. HALLETT, dated on the 10th of this month. But, pray bear it in mind, as another striking proof of the Rump being the tool of the Baronet, and of the mischief it has been able to do in! that capacity: Poor MILLER, whose memory I greatly respect, who was one of the Old Committee, and whowas present when Sir FRANCIS named Col. MAINE, informed me of it in presence of two of my sons. He afterwards told you the same. I told it to Walker at the time; and, I believe, indeed, Walker had heard of it be fore. In short, put the question, home, and let the parties deny it if they dare. There must be somebody at Coventry, who can, if necessary, prove the fact. Cntered at Stationers' hall. Printed and Published by and for WM. JACKSON, No. 11, Newcastle Street, Strand; and Sold,, 337 Vol. 33, No. 2.--Price Two Pence. COBBETT'S WEEKLY POLITICAL REGISTER. LONDON, SATURDAY, JANUARY 10, 1818. LETTER [34 intrigue can have given rise to the idea of an intention to propose Mr. O'CONNOR for Westminster. TO A FRIEND IN LANCASHIRE. On the Spy-System mixed with the Your Letter is full of topics of Dragooning System.On Capt. such great importance, that it calls Raynes's confessions relative to me off from the above subject. I, the bribery and perjury employ-at first, thought of referring merely ed by Generals Maitland and Ac- to the Letter; but, on a second land-On the state of the paper-reading, it appears to me, that I money. On the predictions of ought to insert the whole of it Mr. PaINE and myself. North Hampstead, Long Island, MY DEAR SIR, here, and to subjoin such remarks as it may suggest to my mind; for, I really think it would be injustice to the County, to which you be writing, but of large views, and of opinions ably and clearly stated. Here, therefore, I insert the whole of your letter: "DEAR SIR, "I cannot flatter myself with your sure of being in your company but "remembrance, having had the pleaa very short time at Liverpool. But a desire to contribute something to It was my intention to have ex-long, to keep from the public eye posed, in this Number, the in-such a specimen, not only of good trigue for palming Mr. ROGER O'CONNOR on the City of Westminster; but, the receipt of your letter of the 16th Sept. has made me defer, till my next, the performance of that duty. In the mean while, however, let me observe, that I mean not to say any thing injurious to the character of Mr. O'CONNOR, and that no man living could have felt greater joy tages which your great distance from than I did at hearing of his escape «our country necessarily imposes, from the dealers in human blood." impels me to take up the pen, in the I am, you will understand me,hope that I may suggest some comquite satisfied, that his blood was munication not altogether unworthy bargained for! and that he has to your attention. to« thank the jury for saving his body , from a gallows. But, for reasons 66 "wards a removal of those disadvan "Before you receive this, you will have become fully acquainted with which I shall give, I am convinc-"a most striking feature in our doed, that nothing short of a very vile "mestic history: I mean the fabrica Printed by W. Jackson, No. 11, Newcastle Street, Strand. B 66 "tion of treasonable plots by hire- however, the manly pleading of lings of the Government, for the "Mr. WOOLER, contributed more, "purposes of alarming the Loyal'," perhaps, than any other individual "of justifying the misrepresentations" occurrence, and Mr. WoOLER'S "which Corruption has been driven "brave and laudable conduct, assist"to, as to the views of the Reformers; "ed by his worthy solicitor, appears "and in support of those despotic "to have broken down one of the "measures, to which the ponderous" strong holds of Corruption, and good, and a great good, too, can"not fail to proceed therefrom: the "trick of sham plots cannot again "be played off upon us; nor is it "conceivable that any of the sin"cere but mistaken friends of freedom will, during the present ge "schemes of the kind. Every fear 66 "Detected as the Government (by "which term you will always under-"neration, be tempted into any real "stand me to mean the whole mass "of power described by you) detected as it was in its diabolical con"trivances and base alliances with "the most detestable of mankind; on this head may, I think, hence"forth be discharged from our "minds. "Thus circumstanced, the System under which we have enjoyed so many blessings', will be left in the "full exercise of, all its powers; we 66 6 every instance of riot or of plotting" being clearly traced home to some "branch of the immaculate System, "6 ought we to desire to do so; 'journeying, as it manifestly is, towards, the consummation of our wishes. 66 you will not wonder if the insolence" cannot impede its progress, nor "of the Ministers received a little "check. Such indeed was the case; "and this complete turning of the "tables on their adversaries, exalted" "the love of the friends of Reform, "both in their writing and conversa "But to proceed in the office I have "undertaken. It is not for me to consume your time with my reflections, or, rather, with a repetition "of your own. tion (for of speeches we scarcely "have any) to such a degree as to" "have rendered most of the gagging "Bills a dead letter. To this result, "The exposure of the plot and spy "practices, and the defeat which "sion. This is a state of things "Government met with in several of" which you will not overlook. You "its prosecutions, manifestly humbled" will find subjects enough for your "its tone and proceedings, and left pen, and will excuse me for sug 66 66 66 as to the future. You know JOHN "BULL, how merry he will make "himself at a little spirt of good for- . tune, and how wise it is sometimes. "to let him cool a little. us in a state of comparative blessedness, when that condition which was prepared for us is considered. "And could we overlook the imprisonment of some, and confine our "view to this Island alone, we might, "I imagine, smile at the prospect 66 now before us. The abundant har-. "yest will save us from starvation; provisions must come down, until" they meet the ability of the consu 66 66 "Another motive, it appears to me, for a little wariness in your. speculations on our future situation, "arises from the state of our cur 66 mers, and this will be too low to "enable the tax-payers to support "the system; and thus it will meet "with another crack, or, as you have "properly called it, a counterbuff;" have been completely falsified. The "contrivances and unparalleled suf rency, and the whole of our Financial affairs. To the superficial ob"server, the predictions of PAINE "and YOURSELF, on these points,.. "and could we calculate any thing on the effects of public opinion, we "might suppose that another salu 66 66 ferings which have been inflicted on.. " the nation, to bring about this state tary lesson would be drawn from" of things entered not into your spe-.. "these circumstances; and that the 66 46 "culations, nor, it may be safely (6 most loyal' of us would begin to pronounced, into those of any "doubt the excellence of that system," human being. Could you have under which neither plenty nor scar-" contemplated such measures, you city, can make us happy. But, of "would have foretold the result. But any accession to the cause of Re-"the effects of them on the Govern'form, from this source, we must ment, remain to be felt in all their "not hope. We have already, all" force. The people have, I trust, those who dare think. The rest will endured the bitterest of their suffer. all come over in that very hour, "ings. It has spread through their and not till then, when our great" ranks in succession, but is now felt "ally the DEBT, gives the System" at the Treasury, where it will pro-. "its quietus; and towards this it is" duce effects not to be long disguised. "fast advancing. We are, however, "The falling off in the revenue, "as I have intimated, becoming" according to your predictions, and greatly relieved by the abundant" the artifices by which that fact was "harvest and large importations," attempted to be disguised, you have "and add to this a considerable im- "properly exposed in provement in trade, arising neces- "Number. Since then another Quar 66 sarily from its late extreme depres-ter's accounts have been published,.. |