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ignorant of the place where I was " do, with all my heart, thank to be found. I did not covet the" God for it; seeing, that it apnoise of a dinner of from 200 to "6 pears absolutely necessary, that 300 persons; and, I did not in- " the present race of them should tend to go to it; but, being pressed" be totally broken up, in Susto go, I finally went. After some 66 sex at any rate, in order to put previous common-place occur- an end to this cruelty and insorences, Mr. KEMP, formerly a "lence towards the labourers, who member for Lewes, was called to" are by far the greater number; the chair; and he having given "and who are men, and a little as a toast, "the speedy discovery" better men too, than such em"of a remedy for our distresses,' ployers as these, who are, in Mr. EBENEZER JOHNSTONE, a gen- fact, monsters in human shape!” tleman of Lewes, whom I had I had not the Register by me, never seen or heard of until that and could not detect the garbling. day, but who, I understand, is a All the words that I have put in very opulent and most respectable Italics, this HrTCHINS left out in man, proposed my health, as that the reading. What sort of man of a person likely to be able to he must be the public will easily point out the wished-for remedy.-judge.-No sooner had HITCHINS This was the signal for the onset. done, than up started Mr. INGRAM, Immediately upon the toast being a farmer of Rottendean, who was given, a Mr. HITCHINS, a farmer the second person in the drama of Seaford, duly prepared for the (for all had been duly prepared), purpose, got upon the table, and, and moved that I should be put with candle in one hand and Re-Fout of the room! Some few of the gister in the other, read the fol- Webb Hallites, joined by about lowing garbled passage from my six or eight of the dark, dirtyLetter to Lord Egremont." But, faced, half-whiskered, tax-eaters let us hear what the younger Ell- from Brighton (which is only eight man said: "He had seen them miles off) joined in this cry. I rose, employed in drawing beach that they might see the man that gravel, as had been already they had to put out. Fortunately "described. One of them, the for themselves, not one of them "leader, worked with a bell about attempted to approach me. They "his neck." Oh! the envy of were like the mice that resolved surrounding nations and admira- that a bell should be put round tion of the world! Oh! what a the cat's neck! However, a consi"glorious Constitution!" "Oh! derable hubbub took place. At "what a happy country! Impu- last, however, the Chairman, Mr. "dent Radicals, to want to re- KEMP, whose conduct was fair "form a parliament, under which and manly, having given my men enjoy such blessings! On "such a subject it is impossible "(under Six-Acts) to trust one's $6 pen! However, this I will say; "that here is much more than enough to make me rejoice in "the ruin of the farmers; and 1

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health, I proceeded to address the company in substance as stated here below; and, it is curious enough, that even those who, upon my health being given, had taken their hats and gone out of the room (and amongst whom Mr. Ellman

the younger was one) came back, formed a crowd, and were just as silent and attentive as the rest of the company!

impute his stupid sauciness to nothing more than that desire which menials so often discover to recommend themselves to their su[NOTE, written at Kensington, periors in wealth by officiously 13 Jan.-I must here, before I undertaking to perform what they insert the speech, which has ap- themselves are ashamed to be peared in the Morning Chronicle, seen in.-As to the provocation the Brighton papers, and in that I have given the Ellmans, I. most of the London papers, ex-am, upon reflection, ready to concept the base sinking OLD TIMES fess that I may have laid on the and the brimstone-smelling Tram-lash without a due regard to per, or Traveller, which is, I well mercy. The fact is, that I have know, a mere tool in the hands of so long had the misfortune to, be two snap-dragon Whig-Lawyers, compelled to keep a parcel of whose greediness and folly I have badger-hided fellows, like SCARso often had to expose, and which LETT, in order, that I am, like a paper is maintained by a contri- drummer that has been used to vance which I will amply expose flog old offenders, become heavy › in my next; I must, before Ì in-handed. I ought to have consisert this speech, remark, that Mr. dered the Ellmans as recruits and Ellman the younger has, to a gen- to have suited my tickler to the tleman whom I know to be incapa- tenderness of their backs.—I hear ble of falsehood, disavowed the pro- that Mr. INGRAM of Rottendean, ceeding of Hitchins; on which I who moved for my being turned have to observe, that the disavowal, out of the room, and who looked to have any weight, must be public, so foolish when he had to turn or be made to me. I must also himself out, is an Officer of Yeoremark, that, in the Morning manry" Gavaltry." A ploughman Chronicle, there is an error of spoiled! This man would, I dare great consequence in the spelling say, have been a very good hus of a name. Mr. PARTINGTON is bandman; but the unnatural workrepresented as having been an ing of the paper-system has subactor in this scene; whereas it was limated him out of his senses. a foolish young fellow named PID- That greater Doctor, Mr. PEEL, DINGTON, whose father keeps an will bring him down again.—Mr. ale-house at the village of Uck- HITCHINS, I am told, after going field, whose mother was a servant away, came back, stood on the to the late Lord Pelham (Chiches-landing-place (the door being ter), who is himself bailiff to a Mr. open,) and, while I was speaking, Watson, a relation of Lord Chiches- exclaimed, "Oh! the fools! How ter, and who was, doubtless, push- they open their mouths! How ed forward to bleat out his nonsense they suck it all in."-Suck what by somebody more cunning and in, Mr. Hitchins? Was it honey less brazen than himself. It was that dropped from my lips? Was thought by some, that he had it flattery? Amongst other things, money given him to stimulate his I said that I liked the plain names zeal upon this occasion; but, of farmer and husbandman better while this is possible, I am willing than that of agriculturist; and, to acquit him on this score, and to the prospect I held out to them,

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was that of a description to catch writing is there that will not adtheir applause?-But, this Hit-mit of a wicked interpretation? chins seems to be a very silly person indeed.]

As to the particular part which has been read, I should not, perhaps, if I had seen it in print, and had had time to cool a little [it was in a Register sent from Norfolk], have sent it forth in terms so very gene

Mr. COBBETT-Gentlemen, I am extremely sorry that any thing connected with my name sbould have occurred to disturb the har-ral as to embrace all the farmers of mony of the company, of which it this county; but, as to those of them was not at first my intention to form who put the bell round the labourer's a part. Very anxious to know, from neck, I beg leave to be now repeating, my own observation, what should in its severest sense, every word of pass at this town to-day, I came to the passage that has been read.the town; but having satisfied that Born in a farm-house, bred up at desire, I had intended, and had the plough-tail, with a smock-frock adopted the usual steps for, dining on my back, taking great delight at the ina where I am staying. Be- in all the pursuits of farmers, ing told by several farmers, that it liking their society, and having was expected that I should dine amongst them my most esteemed here; being told that my absence friends, it is natural that I should would cause great disappointment feel, and I do feel, uncommonly to numerous persons, I came to anxious to prevent, as far as I am this dinner, having, too, a perfect able, that total_ruin which now right to do it without any asking, menaces them. But, the labourer, and without assigning any reasons. was I to have no feeling for him? As to the proposing of my health, Was not he my countryman too? if not wholly unexpected by me, it And was I not to feel indignation proceeded from a gentleman with against those farmers, who had whom I am wholly unacquainted; had the hard-heartedness to put and it was a proposition (if my the bell round his neck, and thus wishes ought to have any thing to wantonly insult and degrade the do with the matter), the adoption class to whose toils they owed their of which was calculated to give own ease? The statement of the me pain rather than pleasure, see-fact was not mine; I read it in the ing that the gentleman who did me newspaper as having come from the honour to make the proposition Mr. Ellman the younger; he, in a did, by his manner of doing it, very laudable manner, expressed evidently entertain hopes con- his horror at it; and was not I to nected with its effects, which hopes express indignation at what Mr. I feel but too sensibly my want of Ellman felt horror? That Gentlepower to realize. But, Gentle-man and Mr. Webb Hall may men, the toast having been opposed, monopolize all the wisdom in and that, too, in the extraordinary matters of political economy; but, manner we have witnessed, I will, are they, or rather is Mr. Ellat any rate, with your permission, man alone, to engross all the make a remark or two on that man- feeling too? [It was here dener. If the person who has made nied that Mr. Ellman had said the opposition had been actuated the bell had been put on by farby a spirit of fairness and justice, mers.] Very well, then, the comhe would not have confined him- plained of passage has been proself to a detached sentence of the pa- ductive of benefit to the farmers of per from which he has read; but, this county; for, as the thing stood would have taken the whole together; in the newspapers, the natural and for, by taking a particular sentence, unavoidable inference was, that and leaving out all the rest, what that atrocious, that inhuman act,

was an act of Sussex farmers. Chichester, observed to-day, that Having, Gentlemen, made this the farmers would do better to explanation, I shall proceed to no remain at home; for, that he was other topic unless called upon so convinced, that there was no reto do by the voice of a decided medy but in individual exertion. majority of the company; but, at Now, if his Lordship meant that it the same time, I beg you to be as-was right for farmers to be indussured, that I lament this occurrence trious and not to waste their time, only as it has been the cause of he was right; but, surely, when disturbing your harmony, and by they find, that, in spite of all their no means as it relates to myself, industry and frugality, they grow to which I will add, that I feel no poorer and poorer, and at last see anger against those with whom the ruin staring them in the face, it objection originated, understand- becomes them, as men of good ing pretty well the quarter whence sense, to inquire into the cause it did originate, and knowing how and to seek for a remedy. And, to make allowance for the irrita- as to individual exertion being that bility of mortification and chagrin. remedy, how can any individual We are not, Gentlemen, to expect exertion make head against the to enjoy the triumph of reason irresistible and all-pervading cause over conceited ignorance, without that is now at work? Is it meant having to endure whatever ven- that the farmers should retrench, geance the latter may have the that they should lessen their perpower to inflict. sonal expences, that they should [Here a conversation took place come down in their way of living? in which the Chairman, and Cripps Why, you have retrenched, you and others took a part, strongly have come down. This is already urging the necessity of hearing done; and, I defy any human being Mr. Cobbett.] to point out how you, by individual Mr. COBBETT then resumed-exertion, are to do more than you I shall, then, Gentlemen, offer you a few observations on some of the topics that have this day been matter of discussion in another place; and I beg you to feel no pain at any little interruptions that I may experience, I being well satisfied that events will make those applaud who may now express dissatisfaction.-What a cause is this for assembling together! It has frequently happened that a particular branch of trade has been greatly injured; that, owing to some circumstance of peace or of war, of cession or of conquest, this or that branch of commerce has been almost annihilated; but, the history of the world has furnished until now no instance in which a whole body of farmers and landlords were upon the point of being overwhelmed in ruin, which, indeed, is nothing short of the breaking up of the very foundations of society. A Noble Lord, Lord

have already done. Do the Landlords imagine that they are to continue to receive high rents out of the savings in the farmer's family expences? Do they know how small a proportion these bear, even on the most extravagant scale, to any one other branch of the tenant's outgoings? But, above all things, do they consider the real cause of the present distress? And, if they do, how can they imagine that its effects are to be averted or mitigated by individual exertions? The present law, commonly called Mr. Peel's Bill, does this: it triples the rent of every tenant bound by lease; it augments the amount of every mortgage and debt in the same proportion; it does the same as to all the taxes; it triples (as observed in print some months ago) even the toll at turnpikegates; it is, in fact, as to all practical purposes, an act of confiscation on every man bound by lease,

mortgage bond, or other contract money to employ them to break for time. What, against the ope- stones into very small bits to make ration of an Act like this, is to very smooth roads for others to be done by individual exertions? The ride and drive along; a state of Ministers depreciate interference, things which has awakened the and, by the mouth of Lord Chi- bright idea of producing relief to chester, tell you to-day, that they the nation and preserving the mocan do nothing to relieve you; for, rals of the people by setting them be you assured, that what he said to dig holes one day and fill them will be said by them. I would, up the next; according to the esGentlemen, that they had not inter-timate of these persons it may be fered, and that they did not in- wisdom to produce a state of things terfere now; but have they not like this; but, according to my interfered, and do they not still estimate, such a phrase, at such a interfere, by the hands of the tax-time, ought not to have found its gatherer, and by means of Mr. way into a Petition to Parliament. Peel's Bill? And, here let me ex-I was struck, Gentlemen, with the press my surprise, that it should change of conduct in the landlords, have been thought proper to ad- an instance of which was evinced in vise you to appeal to the wisdom of the stay-at-home advice of which I Parliament. To its power, if any have before spoken. I am sure, that one like; but, while I know a every one recollects, that, as long great deal better than to advise as the farmers confined themselves any one to say a word tending to to the adoption, in their Petitions, bring that body into contempt, I of the absurd reveries of Mr. Webb must say, that considering that Hall, they were never advised to every evil you complain of is, at keep at home. Nay, it is perfectly once, traced to acts of that body, notorious, that the landlords (beit does appear to me to be rather ginning with those in Huntingdonout of place to make your appeal shire) expressly called upon them to to its wisdom for redress. To its leave home, to bestir themselves, mercy, if some compliment must be to meet, and to petition. This paid to it; but, to appeal to its change of advice, then, must have wisdom, at the very moment when a cause. The subject has been you are setting forth the deplorable discussed; the farmers begin to effects of its acts, is to say, that it see the real cause of their sufferhas brought you into misery know-ings; they trace those sufferings to ing what it was doing, and, in this I the taxes; these to the enormous am convinced you do that cele-standing army, the high salaries, brated body great injustice; for pensions, and grants, and the still I am quite convinced that they did more enormous amount of the debt. not mean to do what they have The farmers in Hertfordshire have done. Still wisdom may,, with agreed to petition for a reduction of some, be matter of taste; and with these; those of Lincolnshire, partithese it may be wisdom to produce cularly of Holbeach, have done the a state of things, in which, while same; and now, all of a sudden, the nation is overburthened with some, at least, of the landlords, food, it is necessary to raise taxes have discovered, that the farmers on the owner of the food, in order would do better to stay at home, to send a part of the mouths to and mind the plough! The fact is, seek food under the scorching sun Gentlemen, that many of the landof the Cape of Good Hope; a state lords are something else besides of things in which, while the far-landlords; they are placemen and mer is unable to find money to em- pensioners (by the by, Lord Chiploy labourers to work for his chester is a Postmaster-General); benefit, he is compelled to find they receive taxes; they, therefore,