the same in political subjects; if a pointed. Sir F. Burdett is in possesman is not in the regiment, is is pre- sion of an affluent fortune; his persumed at once, that he is incapable sonal wants are few; he lives within of serving his country; all his motives his means, and is thus enabled to must be bad; every thing he utters gratify his own generous disposition. false; and the factions will take good care to distort, as much as they can, every thing he utters. Factions, baffled in these respects, look into the internal management of a man's affairs. His domestic arrangements must be enquired into, to gratify their revenge. Unfortunately for them they are here baffled: they find Sir F. Burdett to be a good husband, a good father, a good brother; beloved in the domestic circle, and by all who have access to him. Never were the factions so completely at a loss in the grand efforts of their policy, as in their attacks upon Sir F. Burdett. Is he a low upstart?-not that we think a man the worse for being a low upstart; and have no objection to the Hardwickes and the Eldons, because a few years What can the factions then do? ago the head of each family was Attack him they must, and will; and sweeping the door of their master's no courteous demeanour, no personal house; but birth is frequently made appearance, no generosity of dispoan object of malignity, and in so pro- sition, no excellence of family and minent a character as Sir F. Burdett fortune, can disarm them. On a sudit would have delighted the factions den they change their language :to throw dirt upon him, on account of his want of ancestry. But no! Sir Francis Burdett, unfortunately for the factions, traces his birth up to the conquest. Pride of ancestry is, the factions would say, most degrading. Unfortunately again for them, Sir F. Burdett has not one particle of this pride in him. He is affable with all; and no one ever heard him assuming the least on account of his family pretensions; and the school theme is deeply impressed on his mind Et genus, et proavos, et quæ non Vix ea nostra voco. What a pity it is, they say, that a man of such a family, such a fortune, such elegance of manners, such talents, such rank, such a sweet temper, so calculated to shine in the best circles, should be thrown away! What a misfortune it is that he should be so ill advised! We must pity, we must make allowances for poor Sir Francis Burdett. He has got into bad hands; he is merely the puppet of an old intriguer. Thus will faction distort every thing, do every thing, instead of asking this plain question: Is it not possible that a man of birth, of wealth, We wish that some of our city gentry of education, may have been led by could enter into this feeling. Among circumstances to make peculiar enthem the distinctions in the mode of quiries into the state of the country, selling their wares, whether by whole- and, from those enquiries, aided by sale or retail, whether by means of a the soundness of his own judgment, shop, or a warehouse, or a counting- to conceive and divulge truths of imhouse, create such endless divisions portance, though they may be exof pride, as would astonish the people tremely unpalatable to the factions; at the west end of the town, if they who, however they may hate each could condescend to enter into such other, still hate that man the most minute and trifling differences. who goes to the root of the evil, and But a man may be rich, and have will not join in the corrupt views of squandered away his fortune; or poor, any party? This question we wish never having had a fortune. These our readers to answer; and to give are grand objects for the factions; them an opportunity of investigating and it cannot be denied, that to have it thoroughly, we will give a slight had a fortune, and to have squandered sketch of Sir F. Burdett's life, which it away imprudently, is a very strong contains some facts that the public objection against a person's being en- hitherto has not clearly understood. trusted with the direction of public Sir F. Bardett's family, we have obaffairs. Unfortunately in these re- served, is of considerable antiquity; spects, the factions are sadly disap. it has been settled in Derbyshire since the conquest. To the genealogists and of the borough not to vote against historians of that county we leave the him except in certain cases. If the history of his ancestors; suffice it for member, who is returned for a borough us that he came into the world like under these conditions, that is, if he other children, had no prodigies that obtains the borough for nothing, or at we know of at his birth, passed through an interior price, and disagrees with his infantine years as usual, and at a his principal, he is said to act unhandproper age was sent to Westminster somely, if he does not resign his seat school. After the usual school edu- by accepting the Chiltern Hundreds. cation, and a year or two spent at Ox- A curious question has thus arisen ford, he made the tour of Europe, in this country:-May a member for under the care of Mr. Chevalier, a county or a large town act against whose learned writings on the seat of the decided sense of his constituents? antient Troy have given him a dis- Yes, say the borough-mongering tinguished name in the literary world. faction; for he is under no bond or As he was upon the continent at the tie from them; he is freely elected beginning of the French revolution, by them, and during the time he is in he could not fail of being witness to parliament may follow what course many of the extraordinary scenes that he pleases. May not, then, it is askaccompanied it. In those scenes he ed, a member put in by a private had no concern; he was merely a borough also exercise his own disspectator; and at different courts of cretion in his votes? No, says the Europe, meeting persons of different borough-mongering faction: it was sides, he was the better enabled to expected, when he went into parliaappreciate the views and motives of ment, that he should study the wishes the different factions. On his return of his principal; and he acts against to England, he married; and was, in the year 1796, returned for parliament for one of the boroughs belonging to the Duke of Newcastle. his honour if he goes against these wishes. Thus the members for counties and large towns are free and independent; but the members for The part he took in politics on his small boroughs are to be the liverycoming into the house of commons,na- servants of the proprietors. The lanturally gave rise to an enquiry into the guage is so common now, that no one manner of his coming into parliament; is surprised at it; and these impudent and when it was found that he was borough-mongers have the insolence returned for Boroughbridge, in York- to talk of honour in their depraved shire, under the auspices of the Duke transactions. of Newcastle, a complaint was made in certain circles, that he was guilty of improper conduct towards his supposed patron. Every reader does not know, perhaps, the nature of these supposed improprieties; and he will be surprised when he does know it, that so wicked, so base, so dishonourable a practice exists in this country. By a very great misfortune, many boroughs are now so in the hands of private people, they can make them an article of trade, or put in for nothing any member the patron The time when Sir F. Burdett came pleases. If the patron puts in a mem- into parliament will ever be disber without receiving any emolument, tinguished in the annals of this counit is understood that the member is try. The Pitt and Melville faction never to vote against his patron. If had obtained complete 'ascendency; the borough is sold at the market they had conquered every thing that price, then the member is not under was honourable in the kingdom; they this obligation. If it is sold under the market price, the member is held under a tacit kind of bond to the patron Sir Francis Burdet is not in the least affected by the false notions entertained by these borough-mongers.-He came first into parliament, it is true, through one of them; but he was not under the least bond, tacit or implied, to vote with the patron through whose interest the seat was obtained. He went into parliament completely unshackled; and the Duke of Newcastle had nothing more to do with his vote than any other man in the kingdom. were supported by the most depraved majority ever known. It was sufficient that a measure was brought forward by the minister; it was imme- that his compassion was only for traidiately voted, and the few who dared tors, for seamen, whose lives were to open their mouths against the impu- forfeited to their country. The fact is, dent and insolent tax-monger,were set that his compassion was first excited down immediately as jacobins, or de- for the hardships of men untried, torn mocrats, or traitors to their country. from their wives and families, and Implicit confidence was the word; cast into prison; and it is now well and the country now begins to feel known that the minister who threw the effects of that implicit confidence. these men into prison never meant to Such ignorance of the affairs of Eu- bring them to trial, and sued for a bill rope, such a profligate waste of the of indemnity, which he easily obtainpublic money, will make the name ed from that house which, instead of of Pitt the son as inglorious, as that a bill of indemnity in his favour, of Pitt the father will be glorious, to ought to have presented against him the latest posterity. a bill of impeachment. Sir Francis Burdett was not daunted The circumstances which led Sir F. by the threats of administration, nor Burdett to an enquiry into the state of affected by the verbosity of the bom- the bastille, lately erected in this bastical minister. When it had be- country in Cold Bath Fields, were come, from the effect of the well- these: On the suspension of the known gagging-bills, in which Lord Habeas Corpus act, a number of perGrenville,now discovered by the whigs sons were taken up on suspicion, exto be so great, and so good a patriot, amined before the privy council, and when it had become almost obsolete then thrown into this prison. We to meet at a public dinner on a po- call it a prison, though in fact it was litical subject, Sir F. Burdett took the built for a house of correction and chair at a more numerous meeting penitentiary house, upon a new printhan had been held to that time at ciple, which, under proper managethe Crown and Anchor. He there was ment, may be made very useful in the received with the utmost applause. correction of delinquents. The house His person, his manners, his language is divided into a vast number of small attracted universal attention. His sen- cells, so numerous, that each delintiments were plain and undisguised. quent may have a cell to himself. He declared himself a decided enemy This doubtless is useful, even for the to the borough-mongering system, sake of health and cleanliness; and and earnestly attached to a reform in besides it has this advantage, that if parliament; that the house of com- a person is refractory, and disturbs mons might be brought back to what the order of the house, he may be it ought to be by the constitution of kept in solitary confinement till he the kingdom-a fair representative of has learned better manners. the people, and to be kept in honour- principle is a good one; but the more able dependence on the people, by excellent the principle is, the more being only of short duration. care is necessary to prevent its being In the house of commons he was abused, a most watchful eye must be no less strenuous for the rights of the people; and of course was resisted by the minister, and feebly, if at all, supported by the Whigs. One subject, on which he exerted himself to the utmost, and which will ever endear oppression. him to every impartial man, was his But whatever may be the excellence enquiry into the conduct of ministers of the principle, or however weil towards those persons who were, to adapted the house might be for the the disgrace of the ountry, submitted imprisonment or conviction of delinto their controul by the suspension of quents, it cannot be doubted that to the Habeas Corpus act. The atrocity take a similar course with persons not of this conduct was so notorious, that found guilty of any crimes, is in the every art was used to calumniate Sir highest degree wicked and tyrannical. Francis, and to throw a veil over every It was base in the house of commons part of the proceeding. It was said, to suffer such an infringement of the The kept over the jailor and his servants, that what was intended to preserve good order, and correct immorality, may not be converted by them into engines of sordid avarice, cruelty, and rights of an Englishman. There were Englishmen seemed at that time to prisons in abundance in London, and have lost their nature: to be accused why was the usual mode to be set of a crime was then equivalent to abaside, to gratify the malice of a vin- solute guilt, and they desired no court dictive minister. Suffice it, however, of justice-no trial; but called for that a number of persons were thrown nothing but punishment. Base and into this prison, and were treated as infamous times! May they, who delinquents. With very great dif- countenance them, take a lesson from ficulty, they made their grievance an apostle upon this subject :-- When known to their friends on paper, ob- Paul was treated in this manner, he tained with the greatest difficulty, compelled the magistrates of the place and on which they wrote by means to come in person, and to give him of skewers and tobacco juice, or blood, satisfaction for the injurythey had done instead of ink. Several of these let him; and only his goodness preserved ters were brought to a gentleman by them from a superior punishment, a person who was collecting sub- and such as they richly deserved. scriptions for the wives and children It was in vain, for a long time, that of the writers of these letters, and Sir Francis endeavoured to call the this gentleman carried them to a large attention of the house to the state of party a few days after, where he met the prison. The renewal of the susSir F. Burdett and several members pension of the Habeas Corpus act, of both houses at dinner. Here he gave him an opportunity of stating a shewed the letters as he had received fact that could not be denied. He them. They made a considerable stated it plainly before the house, impression on every one, and they "that a number of persons were produced at the moment an effect brought up to town from Manchester very favourable to the families of the loaded with irons, and thrown into distressed. A subscription was made for them, and the matter might have passed off without any farther enquiries. The circumstance made a deeper impression on the mind of Sir Francis Burdett. A few days after he desired to see these letters; he requested information relative to the general nature of the prison, its origin, and general conduct. He determined to go himself, and be an eye-witness of the state of the prison; and to this purpose he procured the usual order of admission for himself and a friend or two, for he never went alone; and thus had an opportunity, by three visits, of making his own remarks and investigations. He would have gone a fourth time; but, as imposture dreads the light, an order was issued, that he should not go into that or any other prison in the kingdom. He' the house of correction, in rooms un- His visits had given him ample in- Upon this fact Aris the jailor was formation. He found completely examined; and he stated" that when verified the complaints that, for want these men arrived at the prison they of ink, had been written with blood. were all heavily double ironed and He was convinced that a prison so handcuffed together; that they were conducted was a disgrace to the coun- all thrown into one room during the try, and determined to bring the first night, without a bed to lie on, or whole subject before parliament. The fire to warm them, though the wearesistance he met with is incredible. ther was severe, having nothing on which they might repose their weary so confined, as to sleep and live two limbs, but about two ton of oakum." The same jailor was questioned as to his manner of treating the persons committed on suspicion; to which he replied, that, from March to June, he treated them in the same manner as those who were actually convicted of felony. The following question was also put to this jailor. Whether for three days in a week they did not live entirely upon one pound of bread per day, and water only for drink?" To which he replied, "Yes; the Manchester people lived the same as people under conviction; namely, meat and broth four days in the week, and bread and water the other three." in a space provided and adapted to one person; and that, on an average, thirty persons have always so slept and lived: as there are no more than 248 bedsteads in the prison, the half of these numbers have certainly slept without separate bedsteads, and most of them probably without separate bedding. Of six apprentices, we found five who had no other sustenance than bread and water; whilst one, having been further convicted before the court on an aggravated charge of assaulting and wounding a fellow-servant, received the full meat allowance." On the complaints made by the committee by the prisoners of insufficiency of food, and want of warmth in winter, they say, "We think these complaints were in some cases made on very reasonable grounds." On the general management of the prison they say, "In the course of our examination into the management of this prison, it was impossible not to observe, and highly to blame, the irregular facility with which the punishment of refractory behaviour has been The facts now began to make an impression upon people friendly to administration. Something was to be done, and care was to be taken that it should not be done by Sir Francis Burdett. The friends of administration took the opportunity of his absence, and formed a committee to enquire into the state of the prison. This committee would of course view every thing in the most favourable light; they would not notice any thing inflicted. On occasions of important if they could possibly avoid it. Yet outrages, indeed, we remark some intheir report was such as completely stances of reference to the authority to verify every word that Sir Francis of magistrates; but we find no traces had advanced upon this subject. They of any register of punishment; nor use these words:-"We believe Mr. does it appear that any regard has at Aris to be very deficient in point of any time been paid to those limits, in obedience to those rules which enjoin point of time and circumstances, which him to execute the duties of his office the law has specifically directed."— in person, to see every prisoner, and Upon the whole the committee deto examine every cell, once at least clare, that "in the present state of in each day." In speaking of a cer- this prison, we do not hesitate to protain class of prisoners, they say, "we nounce it an improper place of conapprehend that prisoners in this situ- finement for these several descriptions ation have but too well known how of unconvicted persons; nor indeed, to suit their proposals to the wants of until its discipline, regulations, and the governor; and that in fact he has arrangements shall have undergone been sometimes tempted beyond what considerable alterations, can we conhe has had fortitude to resist." In sider it as much less improper for prianother place they observe," that the soners convicted for misdemeanors on space contained in each of the cells of indictments at common law. this prison is certainly not greater than necessarily does this conclusion appear is necessary for the healthful respira- to us to follow a view and enquiry into tion of the one person intended to be a state and management of this prison, lodged in it; to lodge two persons in that we are led to apprehend that those this space is to counteract the prin- magistrates who have acted contrary ciple and subvert the intentions of the to it, may have neglected to inspect, law." Nevertheless, "it must have or otherwise inform themselves of the happened in the present year that one real situation in which prisoners are hundred and forty persons have been placed by their commitments." [To be concluded in our next.] So |