ber, I understand, was next to nothing, speakings of the individual. If I had not exceeding above a couple of hundred two heads or four hands, or something at any rate. in that sort of way; if I were seven or

It was impossible for me to behold eight feet high, or not higher than my my audience at Liverpool, without re-boot; then the curiosity would be traced ceiving a perfect conviction of the great immediately to its spring; but, in my change which has taken place in the case, though the spring is not so manipublic opinion. I have been the rally-fest, or very little reflection is enough ing-point of one part of the nation; the to convince any one, that the bringing rallying-point of all those who detested of the people together, even if they the paper system. All who have held came out of curiosity, ought to have that set of principles which include, and been quite enough to satisfy me. I may be said to be summed up in an really knew, as an acquaintance, but implacable hatred of the paper system, one single man in Liverpool, and that have taken my name for their motto; was, as all Liverpool well knows, Mr. for the rule of their conduct in politics. THOMAS SMITH, the bookseller, in Lord It has required too much time for men Street. I went to a private lodgings, to give their reasons and their opinions, near the Music Hall (where the lectures and, therefore, they have cut the matter were delivered); very few persons had short, by saying, "I am for Cobbett," any intercourse with me; so far from or "Cobbett's right," or something of carrying letters of introduction, as Peter that sort. On the other side, the par- did, I declined every overture to introties have thought it quite sufficient, in- duction of any sort. Still I had the stead of saying that they approved of most respectable of audiences, the most the paper and funding system, to say attentive and patient hearers; I met that they "hated old Cobbett." So not with a single mark of disapprobathat my name has become "the question of any sort; I received great and tion"; the touchstone; and people have, frequent applause; I was received with in general, long had their minds turned cheers on the first evening, and I took to this point: "Is Cobbett to triumph, my leave amidst a general cheer; on or is he not ?" the last evening, after a speech of two When I saw my audience at Liver-hours and three quarters long, which I pool, I saw that the public had decided the point I saw that it had decided that I should not only triumph, but that the triumph should be so signal, as to leave no doubt in the mind of any man in the world. I am aware, and I was aware, and so I told my audience, that There wanted nothing more than this, it was curiosity which had, in great even if this had been wanted, to satisfy part, procured me the audience that I me that the game of corruption was up; then had the honour to address. I was that the vile paper system was conquite sincere: I was well aware of this; demned to die; and without that sysbut the curiosity itself was quite enough tem, I know that the great mass of to show that I was destined to triumph corruption cannot live. Bank-noting over the conceited, proud, insolent, ar- and boroughmongering began together; rogant, and stupid creatures who have, and together they will die. The great for so many years, been keeping this blow at them was, the blow stricken in enlightened and industrious country in 1826. The small notes, as I always such a state of uncertainty, distraction, said, were the cement of the whole sysruin, and beggary. The curiosity itself tem. Whatever other foolish tricks the was quite enough to convince me of arrogant and insolent fellows have that; for the curiosity arises out of the thought proper to play, they have never weight attached to the opinions, and meddled with the one-pound note until the effect produced by the writings or now they have stamped them; they

could not contrive to shorten, and which was heard with a degree of attention, with an immobility on the part of the audience, and with a patience such as I never witnessed before for a similar length of time.

have regulated their circulation and lia- praise from his employers; he would bilities: they have adopted measures then afford them some relief in their tending to lessen their quantity: but, hour of distress; but, unless he can do until now, they never had the salutary this, he may just as well keep his infolly to enact the absolute abolition of formations to himself, and keep his acall the notes under five-pounds: the cusing breath to cool his porridge. moment they did that, they put them- His proceedings, however, have atselves at my mercy; as CROMWELL said tracted a great deal of public attention by the Scotch, The Lord delivered in every part of the country, as far as I them into my hands"! not withstand- can perceive. Some call it "Scarlett's ing the act, which was passed to screen campaign"; some call it a return to the them from the contempt of those whom" ancien régime"; meaning the régime they called their constituents. Lawyer of PERCIVAL, ELLENBOROUGH, GIBBS, SCARLETT, who seems so anxious to SIDMOUTH, LIVERPOOL and CASTLEprotect them from contempt, and to REAGH. If the Lawyer would, indeed, enforce that law which he, amongst lay an information against the DEBT others, opposed; Lawyer SCARLETT now, and employ again the patriot, should know, that it is not the prosecu- BROUGHAM, and a whole nest of smalltion of printers; that it is not the hunt- beer Whigs, with grey mares' tails upon ing down of newspaper writers, that their heads; being determined, apparentwill enable farmers to pay rents with ly, to give us an unquestionable proof of wheat at five shillings`a bushel, and Whig liberality and love of freedom, let taxes at sixty millions a year; and the him take a drive at the DEBT, and treat Lawyer should make up his mind either her to an information equal to half a to prosecute the bushel of wheat or the dozen folios, for I am sure she is at work Sovereign, and punish them for con- day and night, Sundays and working spiring together; or take in the leg of days and Saint's days, to bring his remutton, as it requires three to make a spectable and pure Parliament into conconspiracy to bring his Majesty's Go- tempt. She, every day of her life, tells vernment and his Majesty's Parliament them that they shall never go to war into contempt. The bushel of wheat again so long as she exists, even though might be prosecuted for selling for five the French invade the Isle of Wight: shillings, and the leg of mutton for sell- she cramps the pretty fellows, in all ing for four-pence a pound, while the sorts of ways; she pares their nails; Sovereign might be prosecuted for not she files their sharp teeth; she raps their giving more than the five shillings in knuckles; she makes their feet gouty; one case, and the four-pence in the she pinches their purses; her very name other. If LAWYER SCARLETT could turn flouts them and scouts them. Let the his forces upon these, and carry on the Lawyer prosecute her, then; and if he war against these, with the assistance of overcome her; if he get a fine fixed his deputies, Messrs. BROUGHAM, the upon her to the full amount of her proenlightened BROUGHAM! the " Liberal" perty, he may safely let the press reBROUGHAM; the Scotch-London-Uni-main without being checked by him and versity BROUGHAM; if LAWYER SCAR- Mr. BROUGHAM, who seems to be a sort LETT would set on upon the bushel of of learner upon this occasion; seems to wheat and the other two culprits, back-be getting his hand in, as an apprentice ed by sensible BROUGHAM, who rejoices begins occasionally to execute the that we are unable to go to war; if the higher work immediately under his masLawyer would but pour out his wrath ter. It would have been very awkward upon these three conspicuous culprits, for Mr. BROUGHAM to defend Mr. and make the sovereign give fifteen ALEXANDER or Mr. BELL; and yet he shillings for a bushel of wheat, and was liable to be called upon to defend ten-pence a pound for a leg of mutton; them if he had not previously taken a if the Lawyer would do this, and were brief on the other side. But seriously, I to succeed, he would then deserve some do recommend to LAWYER SCARLETT, to

:

lay an information against the DEBT. | fine her to the amount of her last farI will prove, by indubitable testimony, thing; after getting a verdict (or halfin abundance, that the bare existence of a-dozen verdicts) againt her, clap this the Debt, daily and hourly holds the fine upon her back; and then she Parliament up to hatred and contempt. swoons away, and we are rid of her for Why not inform against her, and get ever. If LAWYER SCARLETT can do this; her fined, then? I am told that she is if he can find out law for it, I trust he an incorporeal thing: not more so than will set about it with all possible disthe press! She can commit an act hav- patch; but, of one thing I can assure ing a tendency to a breach of the peace, him, and that is, that unless he can as well as the press can she can as succeed in a proceeding like this, or can easily (and is much more likely to suc- prosecute all the civilised world for not ceed in it) excite the Government and getting into it double the quantity of the Parliament to commit an act of gold that it has now, he will not suc violence upon her, as the press is likely to excite them in the same way. Nay, I say, SIR JAMES GRAHAM, and several In the year 1811, the Government others, have declared their positive in- suggested to the House of Commons tention, or at least their wish, to assault to pass a resolution, and it did pass a her! Therefore, her conduct, her bare resolution, declaring that a one-pound existence, threatening every hour, to note and a shilling were equal in value cause a breach of the peace to be com- to a guinea.

ceed in screening the Government and Parliament from contempt.

mitted upon her, surely there is, accord- In a very little while after the passing ing to LAWYER SCARLETT's own doc- of that resolution, it passed a law to trine, ground for a good long thun- compel landlords to take their rents in dering information. This is the way paper of the Bank of England, if the to come at her: men have puzzled tenants chose to pay in that and not in their brains how to enfeeble her, and gold; and, at the same time, it passed bring her down, and they have puz- an Act to punish people, as guilty of zled their brains in vain. SAINT VAN misdemeanor, if they sold a guinea for endeavoured to enfeeble her, and to quiet more than a one-pound note and a shilher libellous tongue by reducing the ling, or gave for a guinea more than a per cents. Alas! that was productive one-pound note and a shilling. of nothing but panic. SIR JAMES All these things took place at the GRAHAM proposed to take away, at once, suggestion of the same Government; a third part of her blood, and tame her they were the acts of the very same Parin that way. Mr. THOMAS ATTWOOD liament; they took place nearly at one proposed to bring her down by means and the same time; that is to say, beof small money; and the REVEREND fore the sound of the voice was hardly PARSON CRUTTWELL, rector of Bex- lost, which solemnly declared the onehall, in Suffolk, had the wisdom to pound note and the shilling to be equal propose (and he perseveres in propos- in value to a guinea, those who had ing) to lop off one half of what she made the declaration, and who had prohas in the world, by making the mo- mulgated that declaration to the people, ney in which she is paid, of one half passed a law to punish that very people of the size of the present money. if they sold the guinea or bought the Alas! these are all trifling; these are guinea for more than the one-pound all childish expedients, and so is that of note and the shilling. Just as if they sweating her down by the means of had said, "A one-pound note and a another batch of worthless rags: either" shilling are equal in value to a guinea, of these methods would be called rob-" but yet it is necessary to prevent the bery, breach of national faith, and God" guinea from being sold for more than knows what; bút, bring her into court" a one-pound note and a shilling"! on a charge of libel, clap upon her a Now, these facts are notorious; the sun good thundering information ex-officio, at noon-day is not more notorious than

SECOND, in the month of February, 1824, Mr. ROBINSON boasted, that is to say, the Ministry boasted, that this measure had relieved the nation from all its difficulties, and had made it happy and prosperous beyond measure, and the Parliament, particularly the House of Commons, cheered the declaration to the skies.

THIRD, in that same month of February, they were distinctly told by me, that their prosperity would speedily pass away; that the gold would leave the country, that the country would be placed upon the eve of a convulsion by a blowing up of the banks; which would take place, unless they reduced the taxes and withdrew the small papermoney, and that it would take place within the space of two years.

these facts. They are matter, and must be matter of history: the bare statement of them, has a tendency to bring the actors into contempt. Yet, must we not state, then; must historians 'be silent upon the subject, too? SIR JAMIE MACKINTOSH is said to be writing a History of England for grizzly-pated Murray, who called me "the hoary democrat of Kensington." Now, if SIR JAMIE should happen to relate what was done about the currency in 1811, he cannot say other; he cannot do less than state the facts; and if he do state them, does he not write and publish that which has a tendency to bring the actors into contempt? Take care, then, SIR JAMIE, or your brother, SIR JAMIB, may chance to lay you by the heels. LAWYER SCARLETT tells us that he will be graciously pleased to allow of fair FOURTH, in just about one year and discussion. Good, LAWYER SCARLETT; seven months from that day, the banks but now let us see how this squares began to blow up; and, before the two with your doctrine. I mean to discuss, years had expired, the Ministers disfor instance, the resolution and acts of tinctly avowed in the House of Com1811. But I must state the acts first; mons, that, at one time, the country was I must describe the things that I am placed in such danger, as to be within going to discuss; before I discuss a forty-eight hours of barter"; transaction, I must describe the trans- avowal made from the lips of Mr. action; but your doctrine would stop HUSKISSON, who was then the Minister me at the threshold; because, before I of Trade. enter on the discussion; the moment I have stated the facts on which I mean to comment, I am, according to your doctrine, a libeller that ought to be silenced, because there is no question that the bare statement of the facts has a tendency to bring the parties into contempt.

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an

Now, Mr. LAWYER SCARLETT, and your associate, or rather under-worker, Mr. BROUGHAM, what is the natural tendency of this historical relation, in which, however, I have omitted the slaughter made upon the country bankers, which immediately followed, and which, in 1829, put an end to the Again, in the history of another in circulation of small notes, in direct viostance in the year 1822, Minister Van lation of the compact made with them proposed to the Parliament to pass an by the act of 1822. I have omitted this; Act, allowing small notes to continue but, putting this to the rest, and taking in circulation until the year 1833; and the five distinct facts altogether, what I beg LAWYER SCARLETT, if he can ab-is the sort of feeling which is not only stract his mind from contemplating likely, but which is certain to be excited those glories which he doubtless expects in the mind of every reader by the bare to be the result of his "campaign," statement of these five facts? Is it reto mark well, not only the nature of the spect; is it veneration; is it confidence; facts, but the date of the facts which I is it an opinion that the Ministry is wise, and that the Parliament is wise, and is incessantly watchful over the interests of the people? Is it feelings and opinions of this description that the bare statement of these facts is likely to

am now about to state.

FIRST, the Ministry suggested to the
Parliament, in July, 1822, to pass an
Act to continue small notes in circula-
tion until the year 1833,